Matters of Society

Another day, another infiltration to delight in, another shape to take if only for a while. Today Julius found himself masquerading as an short, elderly gentleman with....discerning taste in fashion to say the least. But alas, when you are taking an actual person's identity rather than a personally crafted persona, you do not have the luxury of choice. He supposed the brilliant orange suit with silver thread accents would help his partner find him in a crowd. Though, he did not hold much doubt that a guild Ace of Errings Rising would have much trouble finding him if they wanted to.

Having but received a cryptic letter to find her and obtain proof of this unsightly new law the Knights are passing, Julius was originally wary. Then he decided even if it was a trap it would be more amusing than what he was doing. Additionally, a trip to Era to perhaps swipe Rune Knight secrets right from their place of power? As if he would miss such a...tantalizing opportunity. Truly wining, dining, and watching a powerful woman in action are their own reward, possible payout aside. He wondered to himself how his compatriot managed to get in just as "his" carriage arrived.

Taking a slow, shaky step out of the door as his coachman opened it for him, "Count Ralof" had arrived just as scheduled. The rhythmic tick of a walking stick hitting the ground rang out between his light steps. He smiled with all three teeth left in his mouth, and took a large whiff of the white flower in his blazer pocket as he approached the front doormen. Fashionably late, as Ralof tended to be, there were no other guests at the front gate at the moment. "Mock Orange flower, you know?" he said as he handed them his invitation. "Smells delightful, but hypo allergenic they tell me. Good for my health, HA!"

Julius gave the guard a light elbow in the ribs which elicited a faint, if forced, chuckle.  As the guards verified the invitation, Julius leaned merrily upon his walking stick. He was not concerned with it being doubted, he had taken it right from the man on his way here after all. Unfortunate about that silent drop off the side of the mountain, one really much watch where they are going. After a few moments he found himself waved in to the second set of guards, who looked less than pleased to see him. It seems Julius' informant had the right of it. The dear old Count was mostly tolerated out of pity at this point.

An elderly alcoholic who's sons died in the service of the Rune Knights, he usually just appeared at these functions out of formality. Then drank himself stupid on free wine. He was left be as he had been harmless at every function so far, which was more than could be said for some of the other guests at times. Usually he simply dozes off in a chair having pleasant, if a tad slurred, conversation with passerby. Julius went to work keeping up exactly those actions as he kept an eye out for his supposed partner.

Downing a drink or nine and grabbing a small plate of appetizers, he settled in a chair against a wall. The party had only begun relatively recently so most of the "young people" were still dancing and gossiping en masse on the ballroom floor proper. Ralof found himself eating crackers and cheese and drinking wine alone, just as he wanted. This should put himself on display as much as the other way around. Another day in Errings Rising, another interesting experience. Now....where was she?

WC: 611/611
TWC: 611
@Medeia

There was a procession of carriages moving to and fro and barely five minutes later did the second Errings Rising arrive in one of them. It had been easy enough for the powerful angel to simply hijack one of the vehicles and fortunately for her, the occupant just happened to be a beautiful blonde haired woman. A well known figure in the community, not only for her considerable wealth but also for her choice in companions. She had a fondness for other woman which could not have possibly worked out better for Medeia and the black haired witch had easily managed to persuade the woman, known as Lady Hester, into working with her. A few sweet words, the showing of a little skin and a brief touch of magic that ensnared the woman’s mind. It was all so easy for Medeia now, to bend the will of those she met and the blonde did not have the slightest chance of fighting off her powers. She was just a puppet on the Ace’s string now, doing whatever the purple eyed woman wished.

As the carriage came to a halt and doors opened, Medeia would turn to her victim and softly utter. “I want you to listen to me very carefully, my dear. When we go in, I want you to behave as you normally would. Everything is as it should be and you will be your typical charming self. If anyone should happen to ask, I am your closest friend and confidant who you have known for years. You will treat me as such and will introduce me as Lady Priya. Understood?”

The woman nodded her head, her beautiful blue eyes briefly glazing over as Medeia’s order trickled into her mind. “I understand, Lady Priya.”

With that, the two stood up and descended from the carriage, before making their way to the first of two large sets of doors. There were a pair of Rune Knights guarding them, looking about as dour and serious as they always seemed to be. Could they perhaps not hire more cheerful people into their useless organisation? She did have to hide a small smile though at the thought of her contacts within their mage population. The black haired witch had formed bonds with a few of them, bonds which would no doubt come in handy later. They were not her puppets or anything like that but the angel had slid herself into their confidence and in doing so, had given her an edge. It was all such fun and just one of the mind games that Medeia loved to play. These two, however, were simply grunts and after her companion showed them their invitations, they simply nodded and allowed them entry.

However, there was a second pair of guards waiting behind them, more seasoned and as Lady Hester handed them the invitations, one of the two frowned and glanced at Medeia, before looking back to her companion. “You have never brought her before to one of these functions, Lady Hester. Who is she to you?”

“The lovely Lady Priya, my dearest friend, who I am ever so close to. My usual partner for these events was unavailable today.” Lady Hester spoke with charm, working her own magic on the guards.

“Very well. Please enjoy the festivities and apologies for the delay.” The guard replied, before he and his partner let them through into the ballroom.

As the pair entered, Medeia had to take a moment to admire the lovely room. Clearly, they had spared no expense in decorating the place and it certainly earned the angel’s seal of approval. What did not was the look in the eyes of some of the male’s walking around though. Her maroon coloured dress was rather revealing and more than once did she catch someone’s gaze that she certainly did not want. She was utterly repulsed and the witch was far more interested in their lovely female companions. Shaking her head briefly, she would push that aside and focus on the job at hand. Today was a quest for information regarding a pathetic new law, one that she doubted her guild mates or herself would respect anyway but still, it would be useful to discover what latest form of restrictions that the Rune Knights were trying to force upon the people.

She had a partner for the job, a fairly new member of Errings Rising that she had not met previously but that was becoming a fairly common occurrence for her. It seemed to be how she met new members these days and was quite effective in giving her a good look at just what they could do, as well as how useful they would be to the guild. Today would be a good test for her partner and one of restraint for her.

With that thought in mind, she would hook the arm of her lovely lady companion and start to blend in with the wealthy nobles and businessmen, while her sharp slayer senses were keenly searching for her partner for the job. Hopefully, he was having some success of his own.

(854 Words)
(854 PWC)
(1465 TWC)

Disgust was written well upon the faces of the noble women that had unfortunately given Count Ralof the time of day. Julius put on quite the show: spilling wine down his suit and shirt, spewing cracker and cheese bits as he spoke loudly, and just being confused and drunk in general. "You know, I hear the Knights are lookin' to outlaw litterin' around here." He took a shaky gulp of wine as he left them with what to the Count would have been riveting conversation. Unfortunately...

"Yes...Mister...err Count Ralof. They passed that law fourteen years ago, you talked about it last year as well!"  One of the older women chimed in with at least some attempt at politeness. Dipping his head in a drunken moment of thought, he simply said "Oh, yeah. Then this year'sh.....the one for scwearing in public school zones?" This was met with a collective sigh as a man softly said shook his head. That law had been rejected several years back, but the crowd had written this conversation off as a failure and began turning away from Ralof.

Julius cast a drunken gaze at the party goers, running names and faces against the list he had acquired. There were a few no shows which was not uncommon for an event like this, especially when politically important marriages or the like happen. Based on the baseless gossip he had heard so far there had been a few of those of late. However, most simply came with their spouses, children, or representatives of their state. His eyelids drooped as he stopped at a pair of attractive women who had arrived together.

Lady Hester was a mild black sheep due to her preference for women, which only seemed to matter to those who cared about preserving their lineage these days. However, the woman with her did not seem to be her usual companion. From what he had heard from other guild mates alone seemed to imply Medeia had a preference for women herself. What a perfect opportunity for her, he found it almost comical. Was this her plan? A set up? Just an easy job? Regardless he was intrigued enough to wobble to his feet and grab his walking stick.

Step, step, thumping his way across the ballroom, the Count somehow deftly avoided bumping in to anyone. Yet another reason why he was tolerated by so many noble women specifically, he held an undying flame for his late wife and never seemed to take interest in any other. As such, when he stopped mere feet from the two women and drunkenly offered to get them a drink, no one batted an eye. Well, Ralof did somewhat as he met the dark haired woman's gaze. But what would you expect from a man deep in his cups eyeing a taller person. Julius felt a tad humorous today, so he let his eyes slip back into his original black sclera and red iris for but a scant moment as they made eye contact.

Were he wrong it should do little more than startle a bystander at worst. Were he right, she should be more than able to comprehend and play along. "Glass o' wine, Ladies?" He extended a free hand that held two half full wine glasses delicately between thick knuckled fingers. "Itsh not the best I had, but it all goesh down the same, yeah? Espechially when they're passing a law about...err...Era being a dry city on Shundays?" His mind slipped a tad as the memories of Ralof bit at his thoughts. This was the problem with shifting into those he had killed personally, as he had found. Thankfully a drunken idiot was he.

"Can' remember why I'm here, and no one elsh knows. How 'bout you two? Knightsh keepin ush all in the dark?" Perhaps a long shot, but one could not underestimate the direct route even while in character. Thankfully Lady Hester appeared in some few memories of Ralof's, which Julius supposed tracked given his jovial, nonjudgmental nature. But if this was not Medeia, then how would this stranger react? If she was would the situation be better? What fun!

WC: 692/1,303
TWC: 2,157

@Medeia

It would not be an exaggeration to say that a look of disgust had quickly fallen upon Medeia’s face too. Not because of anyone in particular but the general feel of the place. It felt like there were always eyes on her and the lovely Lady Hester, disapproving eyes which were rather swiftly irritating the dark haired mage. In a normal situation, she would have already dealt with it by tapping into her magic but that was unfortunately not an option today. She had a role to play and like or not, that involved having to put up the pompous pieces of filth that were all around her. The witch could not say for certain but her assumption was that these people, if you could call them like, had an issue with the two women attending the ball together rather than a man not being on each of their arms instead. The thought made her rather sick and the snobbery made it even more of an insult. Such beliefs were archaic and the purple haired woman had killed plenty of fools in the past who had tried to enforce them upon her.

Her partner, however, seemed somewhat used to it and seemed to pay no attention to it at all. She led Medeia around to speak to various attendees, making small talk and seemingly enjoying the ball for what it was. If the angel did not know better, Lady Hester seemed to enjoy rubbing her sexuality in the faces of the horrible people and more than once did she utter a remark that seemed to knock them off guard. This pleased the witch at least and Medeia was quickly becoming fond of this woman, mind controlled or not. Once this job was over, the angel made a mental note to take her for her own on a more permanent basis. She was always looking to increase her collection of lovely ladies and the gorgeous blonde would fit in quite well.

Unfortunately, news appeared to be limited to the law which had brought them to the ball in the first place and no one seemed to know much of anything about it. The nobles were all nonplussed and Medeia thought it prudent as to not bother the guards just yet about it. They were no doubt on the lookout for anything or anyone suspicious and her nosing in too much would obviously raise their suspicions. Perhaps she could find one later and interrogate them but for the moment, simply examining the room would have to do.

At that point, a stumbling drunk carrying a pair of wine glasses approached them two, earning him a small smile from Lady Hester and a look that could have melted lead from Medeia. He reeked of alcohol and was clearly well past his limits but without any real alternatives, she took one of the glasses and sipped at hers. She had a fondness for wine in truth and while not the best she had ever tasted, it was not too bad. Good enough for her to keep sipping anyway.

“A pleasure as always, Count Ralof.” Lady Hester replied brightly. “I am afraid that no one seems to know what this law is all about and we have not managed to discover much at all yet. All these men and women ever want to talk about is the size of their estates or their spoiled children.”

Medeia, who had been keeping an eye on him, noted the brief change in his eye colour and as she started to put two and two together, she gently nudged the blonde. “Now, now, my dear. The way you talk, it is if we are trying to put our noses in the Rune Knight’s business. Who would ever dream of doing that? The scandal of it all.” A smile crossed her face at that point and she looked back at him, a smile that gave just a tiny hint of her own back to the seemingly elderly fellow regarding her true identity.

(672 Words)
(1526 PWC)
(2829 TWC)

If looks could kill, Julius and everyone around him would have been reduced to dust by Medeia's glare. The possibility that it might not be her dissolved as he felt himself sweat a tad fearfully. Now that was more like it! That was the kind of presence he always seemed to gravitate towards, they were always the most fun. Thankfully his little eye trick seemed to work, given her softened demeanor and hinting smile. Or perhaps it was the wine? Or Lady Hester's being at ease? Perhaps a combination of the three?

Julius could only guess at the reason, but regardless it worked out for him. He stayed silent for a moment as Lady Hester enjoyed a sip of her own wine and gave Medeia a subtle look of...hunger was the only possible descriptor. He wondered if she worked her way into the fair lady's heart via charisma alone, or if magic was involved. Count Ralof's memories of Lady Hester made it seem as though most of her dates were performative to taunt other nobles. Julius could not figure if it was he or Ralof that felt...content for her. He opted to ignore the feeling altogether for now.

Count Ralof teetered to one side as he finally attempted to respond. He caught himself with his walking stick and said, "I can't say I fault em for wantin' to talk about their kidsh..." He trailed off as flashes of Ralof's memories with his sons flooded his thoughts. Years, decades of memories before their deaths in the Rune Knights. He righted himself fully and attempted to perk up, didn't want to bring the mood down already after all. The attempt was a little futile, as Julius found any measure of stretching in a body this age to be...oppressive.

The Count's eyes fluttered drunkenly as he glanced with amusement at Medeia. "Rune Knightsh? Why, what bus...busi...bischn....what kind of secretsh could they poshibly have? Our schtout defendersh of peasch..." The venom that laced his words practically dripped from the air. It was a long moment before Julius regained his composure. He took as deep a breath as his old lungs could manage through the acid building in his throat. 

"Pardon me, where ARE my mannersh? Lady Heshter, who ish your lovely companion thish evening? You seem poshitively schmitten!" He leaned over his walking stick to give her a somewhat conspiratorial look, one with perhaps a smug undertone to it. "Got some newsh to share tonight, mm?" An open, toothy grin accompanied the question. One that, were you too close or too sensitive, had a smell that could hurt and maim.

WC: 434/1,737
TWC: 3,263

@Medeia

She could detect the briefest hint of disgust from him as he spoke of the so called protectors of the peace and she could not help but smile again. Medeia could hardly argue with his point of view. The angel did not consider them as a threat as such, simply a nuisance who were always trying to swing their weight around. They were the antithesis of everything that Errings Rising stood for and although they had never wronged her personally, that made little difference and she disliked them anyway. Any group who enforced the law of the land upon her was instantly treated with contempt, whether it be an organisation or her own family. There was only one person who had control over her and that was the woman who stared back at her every morning in the mirror. His moment of almost loathing though was the confirmation she needed regarding his identity and now she was certain that he was to be her partner for the task ahead. He had certainly committed to his role, that much was for certain.

“This is Lady Priya.” The lovely blonde replied to his question. “A dear friend of mine who was just dying to attend this function with me. She was rather insistent upon it.” Lady Hester smirked for a moment at Medeia, who could not help but flash one back in return. Insistent was a gross understatement. “I just cannot take my eyes off of her this evening.” A giggle left her lips in answer to his second question although she chose to remain silent regarding that.

Medeia wrapped an arm around her companion at this point, resulting in a red tinge to cross Lady Hester’s face but the look in her eyes was shining. “What can I say? It is not often that I have the chance to attend one of these functions but do not lie now, my dear. You were as desperate for me to come as I was.” The thrill that she got from having such control over another being was more intoxicating to her than any alcohol or drug. Her blonde companion was lost in the witch’s game, caught in Medeia’s web.

Returning her gaze to him, she spoke rather more plainly, returning to the original topic. “I think that if we desire to learn anything more about this law though, we might just have to speak to…

She was rather rudely cut off as a large and burly arm clamped down on her shoulder. Turning her head around, she would find herself looking at a rather tall looking guard. He was no ordinary one either, with a magical aura that was stronger than the others. His expression was entirely no nonsense and he spoke with an authoritarian tone. “I have not seen you here before and there is something about you that troubles me. I will not have any rule breaking here tonight so you will accompany me, while I contact the…ARGH!”

Medeia did not allow him to finish, as his arm which was on her shoulder began to suddenly turn a gold colour. Stepping back, he would watch with horror as the rest of his body followed suit, with the eventual result being his entire body turning into solid gold, stuck in a painful cycle of suffering as he was unable to draw breath, whilst unable to call his superiors.

Her cheerful expression having given way to a far more irritated one, she would turn to Lady Hester. “Wait for me by the carriages, my dear. It will no longer be safe for you to remain here.”

With a nod, the blonde woman took off without hesitation, Medeia’s orders the only words that were passing through her head.

In the meantime, the remainder of the nobles had started to panic at the sight of the head of security having been turned to metal and were sprinting out of the large doors. The guards too seemed taken back but after a moment or so, the closest ones started to move in towards her and the Count.

Medeia simply turned to her guild mate and said. “I give you credit for applying yourself so eagerly to your disguise but I believe the time for subterfuge is over. I believe that our best chance of getting the information we seek is from the man I just paralyzed. Let us remove these insects and then we can interrogate him. Show me what you can do.”

(747 Words)
(2273 PWC)
(4010 TWC)

Julius had thought things were going rather well so far, but life had a funny way of surprising you. This surprise came in the form of a guard apparently smart enough to pick up on Medeia's oddity, but too stupid to recognize the danger she posed. Julius could not blame him though. Julius had known she was dangerous, but not how she was dangerous necessarily. Considering that guard was one he was eyeing as a potential threat, Julius found himself more than a little motivated by Medeia's statement to show her what he could do. 

Such methods were normally not to his liking, but Julius preferred being alive and well to the other options. As such he looked to the words of the being that granted him his shapeshifting powers, and remembered a "forbidden" technique. It being forbidden was mostly a joke at the being's behest, but it also turned off his ability to change for a time so it had its' costs. The Count stumbled forward into the path of the guards bee-lining for Medeia. He moaned and groaned pitifully as he did so, a sickly pallor overtaking him.

The first guard to reach him seemed to assume he was in need of assistance and attempted to steady the seemingly elderly noble. Unfortunately his kindness was met with a nightmare he had yet to consider. Julius looked up at the man, a crazed grin on the Count's expression as his skin began writhing underneath and his eyes bulged grotesquely, threatening to pop out of his skull. The guard stumbled back in horror as the Count's form continued mutating for a moment. 

With an agonized wheeze, the Count's lumpy corpse exploded. Blood, skin, and bone shrapnel launched itself a few feet in every direction with vicious force. As he had moved this radius had not included Medeia. It did, however, include the first guard, the second behind him, and several different nobles who had lagged behind. Needless to say those that survived the blast of viscera did so only technically and would not likely live to the end of the night. 

Standing in the center of the bloody circle was Julius in his normal form. Perhaps a tad more naked than he liked to be in public, but there was little you could do about that when you flash create a new body inside another. He extended a hand outward and a portal opened up before it. Several shell shocked guards took startled steps back, and a few even fled outright. While the smart decision, they at least for THAT second were safe, as Julius simply reached into the portal and pulled out a new set of clothes he had stashed for such an occasion. He had stocked a towel as well to clean away the blood and the like, but perhaps his frightening appearance could help their goals.

So he found himself standing in a circle of blood, with more splattered across his face and hands, in a freshly pressed charcoal suit. Who said unspeakable terrors had to be unfashionable? Certainly not he, that much was certain. Yet, he felt impressing Medeia would need ongoing effort. He turned his gaze to one of the remaining guards and extended another hand and portal. Perhaps made of sterner stuff than his compatriots he attempted to stand his ground. Unfortunately for him Julius did not need to open another portal for clothing.
 
Doubly unlucky was his not noticing the second portal opened up behind him. Out of it came Julius' hand and the kind of knife one only tended to see in military combat or for skinning large animals. A plunged knife into the man's neck and spine and that was that. Pulling his hand back through the man's body and his own closing portal, he tugged a handkerchief of out his jacket and wiped the blade lovingly clean. When he was done, he slipped the knife into his inner jacket pocket. 

A guard or two had remained, but Julius had not the energy left to deal with them. One of them had the sense to flee, so Julius allowed him his escape. The other one Julius opened a portal under and dropped him through the floor before closing it again. Not exactly elegant, but it would have to do. Drawn out violence was not in need here, they needed to retreat with their captive. 

Julius turned about face to Medeia and opened one last portal, tall enough for them to leave through, in the air between them. Like all his portals it hung in the air, a black tear in the space it occupied. One could not see the destination on the other side, but you could feel the cool air coming through. Bowing respectfully, Julius gestured towards the portal for Medeia. "An expedient exit if you feel trusting, to the Count's estate gardens. A lovely location for....information extraction if you like." 

Julius attempted to maintain his composure as he stood beside the portal. He had honestly pushed his magic limits and was beginning to peter out. That thing had not undersold the draw of that emergency spell. Try as he might, Julius could feel no change when he tried to shift any part of his body. He was down one magic, and the other was far more taxing than usual. Perhaps he had also spent too long in the Count's skin, short as it was. His frailty had rubbed off somewhat on Julius it seemed. A problem to consider for later. Speaking of problems for later, he wondered if he could convince Medeia to create a few of those golden statues for his own estate down the line....

WC: 948/2,685
TWC: 4,958
@Medeia

He had an intriguing magic and Medeia had watched with interest as Julius used it to annihilate the useless guards. It was certainly not a style for the faint of heart and she could have sworn that she had heard a few seconds of retching during his performance. Still, it was most certainly effective and she had not even so much as cast a single spell while he was doing it, allowing him the satisfaction of getting rid of them. That being said, it appeared to take its toll upon him and by the time that he had finished with his task, the male looked rather tired. It was to be expected, she supposed and unusually for her, the black haired woman chose not to chide him for it. Despite her dislike for men in general, she was still an Ace of the guild and she had to come to accept the fact that the role was more important than her beliefs in the grander scale of things. He had played his part well and all that was left to do was interrogate the guard who remained, still paralysed in her golden prison.

As he created the portal and bowed politely, Medeia would nod her head in return. “That sounds like an adequate escape route and I would rather not linger here any longer than necessary. You performed excellently and I am certain that you will become a great asset to the guild, as well as a powerful mage. Keep honing your skills and the sky will be the limit for you.”

Before she stepped through though, she would briefly place a hand to her head and contact Lady Hester through her mind control powers. It appeared that the blonde had only gone so far as the large doors and was still in range of Medeia’s power. The raven haired Ace was in no rush to part ways with her beautiful blonde and so with the slightest touch of her power, she would mentally order the woman to return to her side, now that the danger had passed.

Mere moments would pass before Lady Hester was by her side, looking almost in awe with the carnage all around here. “I wish I had brought you to one of these functions before. I have not had my pulse race so fast in ages.”

With a smile, Medeia would simply nod towards Julius’s portal. “Jump through there, my dear. We will make our way home from the other side.”

The woman, being under Medeia’s control as she was, had no real chance to argue or fight against the command and so simply turned and leapt through without any thought about where she would end up. The witch had to admit that sometimes the level of her mental powers surprised her even now. All too easy.

Her job partner’s portal seemed to be stable enough and with that thought in mind, she would grab the golden statue and drag it through with her into the abyss of the portal, trusting Julius’s spell enough to take the plunge, as it were. Her vision was briefly distorted as she was transported but in truth, she had used such things before and by the time the dizziness faded and as she came out the other side, her senses and vision returned swiftly.

Lady Hester would be waiting on the other side, sitting on a large white bench, admiring the lovely grounds that they had entered. She looked as beautiful as ever but unfortunately her lovely playthings’ looks were driven from her mind as she felt the guard start to come back to his senses. Her spell only lasted so long and with annoyance, she would throw the guard away from her, not wanting his hands upon her. His first instinct was to go for his head piece for some reason but Medeia merely snapped her fingers, resulting in a large purple tentacle to burst out from beneath him, trapping the fool in its slimy grip and starting to squeeze the life out of him.

Awaiting her partner before interrogating the fool, Medeia would simply amuse herself as she watched the guard struggle.

(696 Words)
(2969 PWC)
(5654 TWC)

Julius bowed politely as he was complimented, his posture smooth, refined. On the outside at least... On the inside it was as if someone had tested a tuning fork and set it to his soul. He had taken some small measure of control in Iceberg's underworld, but no one there had possessed such power and recognized him for it. As she disappeared through the portal he began to chuckle out loud to himself. This was part of what he was after; recognition from the powerful and influential, that influence and power himself.

What little doubts he was wrestling with abated at least for the time being. Doubting himself when he had Medeia's vote of confidence seemed disrespectful somehow. Julius' eyes narrowed and scanned the ruined room slowly. Mostly just bodies, blood, and ruined upholstery. He had not the magical dexterity to tell for sure, but it almost felt like there had been magical tampering in the air. Medeia's or someone else's he had not the faintest. Well, move on to find out another day he supposed.

What Julius found on the other side of the portal was.... humorous to say the least. Lady Hester was sitting pristine on the marble bench in the center of Count Ralof's gardens. The ability to return to any place he had been before had saved his life too many times to count. Sometimes it was also just lovely to revisit distant wonders as well. Such as the vast flowering fields Ralof had apparently spent most of his time managing personally. Lady Hester appeared to adore them, undaunted by what had taken place just now. Surprising given the visceral nature of what had occurred. Julius liked her spirit.

The guard, however, was trying his best to either beg for mercy or curse them. Either way, the large purple tentacle strangling and crushing him made that difficult to convey. Medeia's posture spoke of quiet amusement at the whole situation. Presumably she was waiting for him to begin. He figured it was best not to keep her waiting lest her like of him swiftly turn.

"I see, fighting back already is he?" A knife seemed to appear in his head in time with the end of his sentence. He was exhausted certainly, but the wicked gleam in his eyes made it clear that did not matter. Between the tentacle, the knife wielding psycho, and the portal to safety winking out of existence the guard seemed to slump. Was this surrender or resolution, it was time to find out.

WC: 421/3,106
TWC: 6,075
@Medeia

“It would appear so.” Medeia replied, an amused twinkle still in her eye. “Not that it will do him the slightest bit of good.”

The tentacle, or ‘Janice’ as Medeia referred to it as, appeared to have a mind of its own and automatically tightened its grip on the guard when necessary. The angel believed that it truly was sentient and as she stepped forward to begin her interrogation, she would raise a hand and affectionately rub her spell, with the result being a seemingly pleasurable shiver from the slimy creation. Such a sweet, yet deadly, spell of hers and one that had become somewhat of a trademark for the witch over time. She had many spells that were effective at torturing a foe but her tentacle was one of her favourites.

“Alright, guard, I am going to ask this once. What is this moronic law that the Rune Knights are trying to bring in? There is no point lying to me, as I will get the information out of you anyway in the end. Save yourself the anguish and just tell me now.” Her tone had changed and she unleashed another short burst of her ominous magical aura in an attempt to frighten the fool. The look in her purple eyes seemed to almost burn a hole through the guard and her voice was dripping with malevolence.

For a moment, she ordered her tentacle to loosen its grip slightly so he could speak which he eventually did although his voice did not sound overly strong at this point. “You invaded the ball just for that? How ridiculous. As soon as they find out about all of this, they will crush…”

The tentacle briefly tightened its grip again at the point, choosing the perfect moment to cut off his pathetic attempt at intimidating it's caster. There was nothing the idiot could do to counter and he began to spasm with pain and eventually, he nodded his head, seemingly as a sign of surrender. With that, Janice loosened its grip again and the male spoke again. “Fine. A law is going to be brought in which will allow the council to create and install an entire network that will be able to track all the dark mages on this continent. A network of magic and science that will give you and your fellow cronies no place to hide. Your foul magical auras will be your undoing and that is what the system will use to find you. The Knights will defeat and arrest you all. Savour that fact, Witch.”

Medeia was completely unimpressed and there was the slightest eye roll from her. “Ridiculous but I expect nothing less from the council. This new scheme will be as successful as the others and soon enough, the council will be in ruins, alongside your precious Knights.”

With a snap of her fingers, her tentacle would disappear and release its hostage, resulting in the guard falling to the ground. The task was done and the information had been recovered but what of the idiot before them?

Glancing towards Julius, she would smile. “Would you like to do the honours and finish him? I believe that will conclude our business here.”

She would then take a seat beside Lady Hester and pull the blonde into her arms, both women watching with interest.

(557 Words)
(3526 PWC)
(6632 TWC)

A magical and scientific network....to track all dark mages...by their foul auras? Julius' red and black eyes were somehow most intimidating when he squinted in confusion, as the guard found out. While the color drained from the man's face Julius turned to Medeia and Lady Hester and attempted to sense any difference "aura" wise. Either he was not magically adept enough, or there was no discernible natural difference. Was the man speaking metaphorically perhaps? The aura of their deeds or some such tripe? He turned his gaze to the guard once more.

There were a lot of possibilities there that ranged from brave to stupid, but one possibility in particular mattered to Julius. He sauntered over to the downed and disoriented guard, took a leaping jump a couple feet away, and came down with both heels on his right hand. A hearty crunch not unlike cracking peanut shells carried cleanly throughout the garden. It was followed by the less endearing sound of the guard screaming. A real shame he had no sense of decorum.

Julius squat in place on the mans hand, much to his whimpering dismay. "You know what I think? I think you might be telling us the truth." The whimpers tampered off ever so slightly for a moment. "Though, you might also be lying. I only have one surefire way around that, sir Knight." In a flash, before the guard could let out another cry, Julius ran his knife across the guards throat nearly ear to ear. Julius closed his eyes and took a deep satisfied breath while the man began to gurgle in the loveliest tone.

When he opened his eyes again and turned to Medeia his pupils were a murky brown that matched the guard's. The corpse sank soundlessly into a portal and out of their thoughts. Julius' skin writhed and wriggled, as if some brand of insect were making itself comfortable, before settling back into place. His eyes faded back to their original color over the course of several seconds. He could not take the man's form for the next day or so, but by the time they returned to the guild he would have full access to the man's memories and emotions. If the pattern held firm at least. Julius doubted the sincerity of the thing to grant him this power after all.


With a small flourishing bow Julius asked, "I think that went rather well, yourself?"

WC: 404/3,510
TWC: 7,036
@Medeia

In the eyes of many, Julius’s transformation abilities would probably be a rather disturbing scene to witness first hand but Medeia was not in the slightest bit disgusted. Curious for certain but hardly repulsed. It was a useful gift to have and he seemed to have a good grasp on it at this point. She had already praised him for his work and had meant every word. He had made a promising start and as long as he continued to push forwards, there was no reason as to why he could not become one of the most powerful mages in the region. It would not be easy but what would the point be if it was? The struggle was just as important as the goal, something she knew all too well during her own journey. Had she even reached the peak of her own abilities? No, she did not think so. Close but she still felt that there was more to do. She wished to master all of her powers and in order to do that, she would have to reach a level that only a scarce few had reached.

“I think it went perfectly.” Medeia replied to Julius with a small smile. “You truly have some unique abilities, Julius and they serve you well. Our task is complete but I think it would be wise if we took a little break before returning to the guild, yes? You most certainly could use a rest before we return and I would not mind some time with my lovely friend here.”

Lady Hester’s face turned a bright shade of red at that point but did her best to laugh it off. “Why not? We should celebrate the success of your mission, after all.”

“That settles it then.” The angel answered, her arms wrapping around her beautiful friend. “This mission can certainly be considered a great success.”

(315 Words)
(3841 PWC)
(7351 TWC)

(5000/5000 for Ballroom Talk)
(2000/2000 for C rank Freeform)
(351 Left over)