Avandrya

[Cedric Von Engel]

His expression softened and he leaned back in the chair.

“Ok Ms. Sterling, you’ve convinced me that you are a seer, and a joyful day for Portland it is as there has not been a seer here in more then fifty years! But you speak of a darkness following you. I fear it is the hunters are they are rumored to be called. Death and carnage thru not a new sight for me, but I wish to not see it anymore. When Ryuu, the owner of this club arrives we will visit him. As well I wish to offer you the services of the Protectors! It is after all one of our duties.”

No, he was all too familiar with the tragedy of slaughter… The innocent, the wicked, the young, the old… Man, woman, and child. The endless holy wars of the crusades had shown him much…

As he reminisced, he absently ran a finger down the scar that ran across his face. The screams and cries from millions shouted to him all at once… The roars and clashing of rushing armies sounded out like battling titans, turbulent times was indeed an understatement. Turbulent times indeed…

“Ms. Sterling, what more can I do?”

[Ryuu no Futeki]

Ryuu had been making his way back to Avandrya by climbing rooftops and walls with ladders just because he could and he enjoyed every moment of it too. He kind of saw it as exercise too and who wouldn’t want to keep himself fit for fight?

The next block was Avandrya and when he turned to the left he saw a clock through the window, realizing he had been out way longer than he first thought. With a surprised look then followed by a growl and a frown, he hurried down the street to get back to what he was responsible for.

It had been quite interesting to say the least, to find a life seer in his city and if he got what he wanted from Peyton when they met again – because they would meet again he would make sure of it… he had to take her to Avandrya and herhaps even Throuveil eventually.

When he went inside, he just saw the back of Cederic disappearing into one of the meeting rooms with Kaly and some woman. He saw the empty spot where one of the protectors not in his place currently. Had there been commotion here already? Why did things usually happen when he had stepped out?

He cursed in Japanese under his breath and glanced around the area, quite a bit of looks were already on him but he was used to it. Being the manager of Avandrya had its limits where it came to being “unknown”. Some people greeted him, others looked away as soon as his gaze met theirs from where he stood just a few steps inside the door while letting people know energy wise that the manager was back… well, at least the demon side of the club since most humans were unknown to that fact.

Ryuu was hungry and there was quite a bit of pray on the dance floor tonight that he could feed off of no matter if it was him having sex with them or just watching someone having it or for that matter just making out. The last of course only being an appetizer but it usually kept you in check most of the time.

And then… he remembered Kalypsa… he needed to feed and she was always willing considering they both shared quite a bit of scubbus/incubus blood in them even though Ryuu wasn’t a full blood but he still had the lust and need to feed that way.

He went over towards the meeting rooms, walking through crowds that just automatically moved aside for him as if they knew he was somehow important which he of course was. Ryuu went to the door and grabbed the knob only to realize it was locked. He frowned and glared at the handle before fishing out his keys, found the right one before turning it and hearing the door click open. All-around-keys were great to have.

Just as Ryuu opened the door, he heard Cedric say the magic words “you are” and “seer”. Ryuu paused in his tracks with his right hand on the door knob still, keys in left hand and arm still bent from unlocking the door. His guise-dark blue eyes and his fireflame-orange eyes with slitted pupils turned from looking at Cedric to the woman he was talking to. He swallowed a moment before glancing back at Kaly and Cedric.

“Looks like I came in time… didn’t I?”

He asked with a rather cold and uncaring voice that made him almost sound emotionless. His eyes moved from the young woman to Kaly and then to Cedric as if asking them both to explain themselves all while he closed the door behind him but not locking it. For now, he kept quiet about Peyton, apparently the other seer in the city for over 50 years…

“Report”

[Delilah Sterling]

Cedric's reaction made her feel guilty about her own. Finally breaking the rather severe eye contact she had been making with him, she averted her gaze, staring into the not-so-clear depths of her martini glass.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "it's just been a very difficult year for me."

Looking back up at him, every trace of anger was gone. In its place, only her desperation remained. "Hunters, but I do-"

"Looks like I came in time, didn't I?" came a new voice, and Delilah fell silent at once, turning her head towards the intruder. She could only assume that this man was Ryuu no Futesomething, but for some reason, she didn't feel as comfortable with him in the room as she had with him out of it.

So she said nothing, merely watching the inconsistencies between his Guise and his true self with a guarded expression on her haunted face.

[Kalypsa Cardei]

Ryuu’s entrance had made everyone jump. Kalypsa’s eyes wondered back over the Seer. The girl looked a little shocked. Then again appearance wise the demons in the room must just be getting creepier, and likely very daunting. Kalypsa's demonic form was a only a couple inches taller than the girls, but the two men towered above her. She could see that as being a litte intimidating, other demonic attributes aside.

Poor girl.

She on the other hand was quite happy to see him, she’d been wondering if he’d managed to get himself frozen somewhere about town.

At Ryuu’s demand for a report she sighed and slipped off of the table. She supposed it really didn’t matter who gave it.

“This girl,” She said motioning to the Seer before them. “ Is a Seer. Her name is Delilah. She has been through the last three or four states that the hunters have been through, and I do believe that she thinks that we’re next on the list. That the hunters are coming here, to our Avandrya.” As the words left her lips their weight hit her. Carnage was coming their way, she really should learn to stop wishing for excitement, as it seemed she’d always manage to get a little more than she could handle.

She took her glasses off and ran a hand through her hair. The night had gotten more than interesting, now she might think on complaining.

[Cedric Von Engel]

Ryuu walked in, and Cedric’s face fell into a frown… Report?!? This was not the military… And Ryuu was no commanding officer. But Cedric listening quietly while Kaly gave Ryuu the run down of the situation.

“Yes Ryuu, it would seem that the first seer in Portland in fifty years, has come to us as a harbinger of impending doom! Sie arroganter Arsch.”

He often mixed german phrases into his English. Habit mostly, but a little of his own arrogance didn’t help either. And with a sigh he continued in a stern voice.

“But as the humans say… We have bigger fish to fry…”

Facing the young woman and softening his expression.

“Ms. Sterling, now that we are mostly assembled, would you please do us the honour of telling us your tale as hard as it maybe it will provide us with facts and insight into these tragedies. Tragedies that everyone in this room would like to see stopped and never repeated.”

He settled back and awaited to absorb the horror that she was about to reveal.

[Delilah Sterling]

She was starting to get annoyed again, being spoken about as though she wasn't there. Unlike earlier, though, she took a steadying breath to calm herself, as well as a gulp of that dirty martini to sooth her frayed nerves.

Kaly finished 'reporting' and Cedric, after speaking about her to Ryuu, finally alluded to the fact that she was in the room by speaking to her directly.

Not looking at Ryuu, Delilah told the details of her story while looking back and forth between Kalypsa and Cedric.

She drew upon every reserve of strength she had left to keep from crying as she recounted the horror in New Mexico, the slaughter that ended David's life in Phoenix. She told them about the Seer in Los Angeles, now dead along with the rest of the Underground. She told them about her brief time in San Francisco, and finally she got to what she was doing here in Portland.

"I'm tired of running. I don't think there's a safe place left in this country, or even the world. Whatever, or whoever it is, it won't stop unless it IS stopped."

Her young face wearing its weariness like an extra five years, she looked from one to the other.

"So I guess my question is, do you plan on helping me stop this madness, or do I need to move on to the next city?"


(OOC - Link of story she would have told them here.)

[Cedric Von Engel]

The story was long, and as detailed as she could have made it. But wasn’t as helpful as Cedric could had wanted. But then again what was he expecting? Names and faces of the attackers? Well it was more then they had… and what they had was nothing, so it was a good start. Or at least a start.

“Well Ms. Sterling, thank you for sharing that with us. And yes I will pledge my protectors to stopping this madness. But as hard as it maybe, I must urge caution and discretion. We still don’t know numbers, names, armaments, or how they are getting their information. This will be a good old fashion castle siege, to see who will show their hand first.”

[Ryuu no Futeki]

Ryuu gave Cedric a glare as if saying ’watch it’. He asked for information and he did it the way he wanted to and right now he wasn’t in a mood he wanted to play and have fun in. This was serious business and what it seemed now, they had not one but two seers in the same city. A lucky star must have fallen in their lap.


However, this also brought new problems to them as well. Seers were hunted and just as this Deliliah had described, the undergrounds that were unable to protect their seers often got massacred or damaged badly. They needed to prepare and prepare good.

Ryuu stood with his feet a bit a part and his arms crossed over his well-shaped chest, looking at the young woman while she told her story and he didn’t look away once. She really did seem to be in distress and she also seemed to be at a total loss of what to do.

He inhaled and was just about to speak when Cedric cut him off with his promise of protection. He once again gave him a glare and a slight growl in warning, he was indeed head of protection around here but it was still Ryuu’s choice who to let on and who to cast out most of the times. This moment being a rare one of course and he did share Cecric’s views but he didn’t like being spoken for. His eyes turned back to the seer again.

“You will live here under our protection and I will make sure that we prepare for what is to come. I will not tolerate anyone hunting a seer this way. However… if we are to protect you, the deal is that you help us with your gifts, work with us. In turn, you will get protection, a roof over your head and food on your table as well as being treated kindly among our kind. If anyone bothers you, tell me, von Engel or Cardei here and it will be taken care of unless anyone of our Protectors gets there first.”

He looked at both Cecric and Kaly when he spoke their last names before turning his gaze back to Deliliah. She looked fragile where she was, so young and small but from what the story seemed to tell, there were too many details that matched their world that she simply could not lie.

“As precautions states however…. Tell us our true forms.”

He said. Wishing to hear what she’d say. Only a true seer would see them and Ryuu’s 7’2 frame wasn’t something that was normal even for most demons and his guise was only 6’. He was quite different all together in his demon form, so far he had never met anyone that looked the way he did and he quite liked it that way to say the least. It meant people (demons mostly) saw him when he walked about, respecting him for what he worked with.

“Von Engel… what you just listed, find out.”

He said, not really bothering on how he did just that he did.

“I also need to talk to you two alone for a bit later on. Cardei… I need to.. speak with you later as well..”

He said while still standing in the same pose as he had when he entered the room. Feet in shoulder width apart, arms crossed over his chest. Ryuu was getting hungry and it was starting to annoy him and his mood easily dropped when he wasn’t fed enough and since his hunt hadn’t gone as planned out on the streets… he was still hungry and even more now than when he went out after the damned brawl between two demons in the club earlier.

[Delilah Sterling]

One didn't have to be a Seer to see the tension between Mr. Futesomething and Cedric. She looked at them like she half expected to hear a pair of vvwwwwooommm's and see two light sabers pop into existence.

Despite their obvious friction, they both seemed willing enough to try to protect their city and her along with it. She just wondered if they fully understood the nature of what they were up against.

The second time she was asked to describe what she was seeing, she glanced at Cedric von Engel and Kalypsa Cardei, a slight tinge of color lighting up her cheeks. She was still a little ashamed of how she'd taken out her frustration on them earlier.

Looking back at Ryuu, though, she sighed. "Red eyes seem to be the norm in Portland. You need a haircut, and a manicure wouldn't hurt. Oh, and there's something stuck in your fangs."

That last part was a lie, but as she said it she stared at the imaginary speck-o-something between his elongated canines for just a couple of seconds before meeting his true form's eyes... the ones that were glowing red about a good foot over his Guise's head.

[Kalypsa Cardei]

The girl’s story was a hard one to here. She had worked at many Avandryas before she finally settled in Portland, and it was difficult to comprehend that everyone she had known then could be dead, and that many in all likely hood were. And soon the people who had done this would crash down upon her home. That was unacceptable. If the hunters made it here, which according to the girl they were happily along their way, she would enjoy tearing each of them apart piece by piece. If she couldn’t live through it, she would sure as hell be taking some of them with her.

A scowl had made its way across her face as her features expressed her thoughts. She shot the Seer a contempted look. If they were hunting her then she should have ran somewhere else.

No, that was wrong to think. It was not the Seers fault. They were likely just following the same path. If they were after her specifically then it was unlikely that she would have made it this far. The war of emotions that had been flitting across her face one after the other calmed as she composed herself. This was no time to let herself be overwhelmed.

She finally slowed her thoughts and listened to the conversation between the two men and the girl. Cedric was talking at the moment much to Ryuu’s apparent upset.

Kalypsa was taken aback by Cedric’s response. She wondered why he was so deliberately trying to show his power… maybe it wasn’t a power play, but it was close enough.

Men.

She watched quietly as Ryuu went on talking to the girl. And met his eyes when they met hers. The protection of Ms. Delilah was now an order. She looked at the girl once more. She was a very fragile creature. She would protect the girl she needed too. She could help preserve her home, and that was Kalypsa’s top priority.

She was brought out of her thoughts at Ryuu’s request of her company, she nodded once in acknowledgement.

“When ever you need me.”

They had very similar needs, and currently it looked like those needs had not been met for either of them in a while. Soon enough, she promised herself.

Kalypsa was about to speak when the girl launched into another description, of Ryuu this time, and Kaly had to keep herself from laughing. The girl had balls. She wasn’t as cowardly as some of the other Seers she had met before. It would be her pleasure trying to keep this one alive.

[Cedric Von Engel]

“Von Engel… what you just listed, find out.” What?!? Cedric screamed to himself. What exactly had he been doing since they first heard the rumours of the hunters? He had thought it had been pretty clear that he was not sitting on his hands here. What an absurd demand. This was hopeless… Ryuu is making us all look the fool. What had gotten into him? This would get us all killed. But he to, was not helping… As the humans say “You’ll get my flies with honey.”

“Ja sofort mein Führer No Futeki”

Ok the Fuhrer part was not necessary… But he chuckled on the inside about it, while keeping a straight face.

When Ryuu spoke to tell them that a talk was needed, of course he nodded yes. But he would have to change the tone of it. These where troublesome times, and it would not do to start pushing people away… Because when it came time to stand, you often stand alone. And all of us had a bigger picture to look at here.

“Ms. Sterling, when you are ready please grab myself or Kaly here, and we and another protector will escort you back to where you are staying to pick up your things.”

Cedric sat back in contemplation, mulling over the seer’s story and again absently fingered his scar as well as those glowing eyes flashed on occasion.

[Ryuu no Futeki]

He nodded to Kaly's reply but Ryuu wasn't stupid, he knew very well that the display between himself and Cecric was picked up by both females in the room but that couldn't be helped. It was the way it was but the Manager of the place wouldn't allow being stomped upon even though he and Cecric had the same goals when it came to protection.

His eyes still lingered on the seer when she spat out what she saw and he couldn't help but let out a light chuckle escape by the way she spoke his features out. He doubted there was anything stuck in his teeth since he didn't really eat food the way humans did but they were revealed when he grinned.

"Quite impressive, however my eyes are the color of fire and not red but close enough"

He said just as the remark fell from Cecric's lips. Fürer? Ryuu's chuckle died down in an instant and his eyes pierced the protector's eyes with his.

Instantly, his irises started moving like fire licking a log in a fireplace only rapidly, violently while he growled low and gritted his teeth. He would not hear remarks like that and especially not in the company of a new seer and guest.

"Cedric..!"

He hissed and locked eyes with him, drawing him into his mind as the power surge increased ten times in the room when he activated his power. It became thick and almost hard to breathe for those who weren't used to the sensation. He knew Cedric was resistant to most mind controls and mind games but he also knew that he had a hard time focusing and blocking when upset which he was now. The two demons went way back and knew each other very well; this being one of the things Ryuu knew.

He however was not weak by far when it came to mind control, one of the reasons he had come to be the manager of Avandrya in the first place. The owner had loved his ways of manipulating people to his liking.

Ryuu pulled out a strong harming memory that he already knew of in Cedric's mind while focusing on bringing out the feeling in it to stun him at least momentarily.

"Cardei... please take the seer out... I will call for you in a few moments"

He said in a dead cold voice still not blinking while holding eyes with Cedric, pulling and tugging at the feeling of the memory and the pictures of it to bring it forth to stun the man so he would submit to the moment.

[Delilah Sterling]

She knew better than to interfere in their business, but she couldn't help but feel her concern kick up several notches as the two of them enjoyed their power struggle. She'd barely been in Avandrya for one hour and already she was seeing it as divided with people serving their egos more than anything else.

Maybe she should keep running, just to be on the safe side.

Once the air thickened and things started to look ugly, she didn't need Mr. Futesomething's suggestion to get out of there, or Kalypsa's escort, for that matter. Slim figured as she was, she was out of her chair and had slipped behind the still-lurking Ryuu, opening the door and letting herself out. She gave Kalypsa a moment to come out as well, and then she slammed the door shut.

"Men!"

Furious, she gave one last look over her shoulder at the closed door and shook her head, stalking back to the bar area while mumbling to herself about power plays and other times for it.

[Kalypsa Cardei]

Kalypsa had to work hard to keep herself form fleeing the room. The emotions flying between the two men were very intense and overwhelming. It was getting to the point where it was becoming hard for her to breathe. Her nails were digging into the desk behind her as she fought to keep herself in place.

What the fuck was Cedric trying to pull, it was understandable trying to show that you couldn't be run over. But Ryuu was in all technicality their boss, and one should never insult the curator of Avandrya, especially directly to their face. These men were being idiots!

The moment Ryuu dismissed her Kalypsa was happy to oblige. Before she left the room she sent out nice and general Calm the Fuck down vibes. Whether they worked or not she didn't care, at least she tried.

With one last look at the men she turned heel, and followed the seer out of the room.
As the door closed behind her she felt instant relief. She let the mood of the club wash over her, clearing out all the negativity that had stuck to her when she left the room.

She followed the girl over to the bar, took a seat at the bar and ordered her usual.
She looked back at the girl.
"I completely agree." She said in response to her mumbling. "Would you like something to drink? My treat, I am sure you could use one." She said with the warmest smile she could muster... which probably looked to the seer like Kaly thought she looked particularly tastey.
This night was going to be a very long one.

((Exit Kalypsa and Delilah))

[Cedric Von Engel]

The intrusion into his thoughts was like a knife. The pain was intense. The stood more out of reflex, but lurched forward, and steadied him self with a hand on the table, and his other clenched his head. It all when black… From the darkness there formed a arm holding a knife.

“Meine Liebe? Ist das Sie?” [My love? Is that you?]

Came a voice… His voice…

“Meine Liebe... Bitte dies nicht macht! Neeeeeiiiiin!!” [My love... Please don’t do this! NOOOOO!!]

The blade flashed, the darkness returned, the pain… It was not physical pain; it was all in his mind. Cedric forced himself to slow his breathing, and began his steps to combating these attacks. With in the dreamscape that he was in, he calmed himself, and sat down cross-legged. Picking up air, he reached out and began the building of his imaginary wall. With a few bricks in place he looked past the wall and to his attack, Yes Ryuu was trying to teach him a lesson… Again he thought the demon will get us all killed with this attitude.

The wall was half finished and spurred on by the progress Cedric changed the landscape. Still sitting in front of his wall, But now at the cliffs of Newport, and in the background could be seen a decapitated body one both Cedric and Ryuu knew. The demon had been causing a little trouble in the club a few years ago, and when Cedric ejected him out the back and away from public eyes, but he had taken it a bit personally and lashed out mentally. What had happened next happened in the blink on an eye. The zweihänder flashed out in one motion and the demon fell in two pieces. That was the last thing to try to enter his mind. He left that image there for Ryuu to see, and to motivate himself… To break into a person’s inner thoughts was an insult beyond measure, there was no honour in it. Ryuu had known this well about him.

He slammed the second last brick into place. And at once he could hear past the dream scape and out into the real world. The last imaginary brick was in hand... And thru clenched teeth and a trembling voice he uttered to Kaly as she exited the room.

“Kaly, please have a waitress… Bring us… a bottle of Sake and a bottle of scotch”

He waited that last brick in his hand, for the door to close... For them to be alone, and when finally they where…

“STEIGEN SIE VON MEINEM KOPF AUS!!” [GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!]

He slammed that brick into place with such force that it left both beings reeling back!


Seconds later they had both recovered. And still with clenched teeth he muttered.

“For a follower of a culture that respects and honours its warriors, you show me surprisingly little of both… Futeki-san.”

At that point the waitress knocked and entered quickly and quietly setting down the tray of bottles and glasses upon the table between the two. Cedric still leaning on the table reached out and poured them both a glass of their preferred booze. Taking his glass in hand and sipping alittle down, and pushing Ryuu’s towards him…

“You know if you continue to be an arroganter arsch [arrogant ass], then you will get us all killed… Sake?”