Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lutetia City: Valentine Park

as written by Krysis

Celeste and Liz had wandered off soon after the former's bout with Luca, and returned in time to see most of the other pairings of the afternoon. The children, again including little Jamie, had worn each other out with play fights, and were napping in the shade of the stands on a blanket. All four of the Hogan girls (Liz, Charlene, Pierette, and Celeste) were together for once, and the silence between them was very tense.

Liz had mentioned, very casually, that she had met Pierette's baby daddy, and had been impressed with his strength and generosity. This had made Charlene chime in about how handsome he was. Celeste had stared at the pair of them in disbelief before demanding more details. None of which she found reassuring in the slightest.

Soon after that exchange the dyed-haired girl had come upon the sisters and despite an angry look from the youngest, invited herself to join them.

The conversation had lagged, and then died completely, mostly because Perilous Pierette insisted on sitting next to Celeste. The pierced and tattooed girl oozed smugness as she often cut her eyes towards the fuming teenager.

At least, that went on until Noah and Colin took the field. Something about the animancer had the attention of Pierette, and had her sitting up straight and staring at him as if she had never seen anything like him before.

Celeste turned to Charlene then and asked in a tone of restrained resentment, "Did Pierette tell you about the rave? How she drugged me and at least one other person, and then abandoned us when the cops showed up?"

When that didn't get the expected reaction, all three of the more conventional women looked at Pierette, first expectantly, and then with concern, as Charlene stammered a denial.
 
as written by Script

The sense of being stared at prompted Noah to pause as he exited the ring, refastening his cloak as he walked. Whilst he would have expected the eyes of the crowd to be on him after the spar, this felt... different. Intense.

The blonde boy turned to find the source of the stare, and promptly made eye contact with Pierette, his icy blue orbs staring back at her with a perplexed tilt of one eyebrow.

The women around him - related, he'd guess, at least most of them - appeared to be staring at her themselves, with varying expressions of shock. What was happening over there? Surely, it was none of his business. But then why was that woman staring?

Still making eye contact, he tilted his head in a questioning manner, his body language conveying a none-verbal 'Can I help you?'.
 
as written by Faithy

Jimmy vaguely paid attention to the remaining matches, his body surprisingly achy when moments before it hadn’t been. He tried to focus on the conversation happening around him, but that proved to be a task he wasn’t sure he could complete. His mind began to wander back to the last moments he spent with his father and how that one meeting completely changed his life. Well, he wasn’t sure if he had been infected, but the way he felt, he was pretty certain. Despite reassurances, Jim saw loneliness in his future or death, he wasn’t sure which yet. When they finally meandered to the stands, Jimmy was incredibly grateful.

Jimmy, you should go back to your room… pack up and bail before you’re booted out on your butt.

Despite appearances, Jimmy was wavering on running off in the night or just sticking around and facing whatever consequences were to come. It was bad enough that he had been removed from participating in anything. Would they kick him out in front of everyone? How many people knew what had happened? Would public outcry soon occur? It wasn’t long before his jaw was clenched tight, a million more thoughts rampaging through his head before Arien’s voice cut through his thoughts. Another party? Glancing over at Al, Val, Inarin, and Arien, Jimmy blinked and finally managed to gather what was being said about the shindig. He had wondered what their place looked like and now he finally got the chance, or did he? He wasn’t sure how many days it would take to know if he was infected and if he was, he didn’t know how he would feel or what would even happen. There it was again… a pity invitation and a pity look.

“I guess we’ll just have to see. Thanks for including me though… hopefully I feel up to it.” Jimmy smiled, though the expression didn’t even halfway reach his eyes. He glanced away almost immediately, his expression darkening briefly before he focused on the upcoming match, though he zoned off seconds later. When it ended, he slid to his feet and attempted a second more pleasant smile, though it failed too.

“I’m going to go get some fresh air.” He wasn’t even aware of how stupid that statement was, since he was outside already.
 
as written by Krysis

Pierette grinned at Noah then, a sly, knowing grin, before she turned to look at the women with her. "You mean after I was ejected from the party by your 'friend' that wouldn't let me drive you back to the Monastery? "

Charlene gave a bark of laughter at that, then blushed and pointed out, "If 'Rette was as impaired as she usually is after one of those parties, that might have been a good thing. Last time I got drunk with her, I woke up with a new tattoo, my hair dyed blue, and smelling like coconut and raspberry. She still won't tell me how that happened."

Celeste blinked and one hand rose protectively to the dark brown locks that had dried into spiral curls after her shower. She didn't seem to have any response beyond being alarmed though.

Liz broke in then, "With me, she got me to paint her. I mean, her as the canvas, not a portrait. Getting the sunset off her back and my sheets was a nightmare." The passive seeming woman gave a sleepy looking smile without mentioning that she had photos and sketches of the event.

Pierette shrugged, giving Noah a glance to check on his progress before she nudged Celeste playfully, "I was in a rotten mood that night. All those entitled pricks you were hanging out with-- I probably would have done something you'd have regretted in revenge."
 
as written by Script

The girl has a curious air about her, does she not?

Noah's inquisitive look faded into an uncertain frown in response to Pierette's grin. Aurore was right, there was something odd to the girl's aura. It resembled what one would expect of a twin pregnancy - a pair of unformed spirits within her, as of yet barely more than a promise, but growing just as their physical hosts would be. But there was something to these that was ... off. He never would have noticed it had she not caught his attention, but there was something... dark there.

And that was worrying. A still-growing spirit was normally as formless and indistinct as the bundle of cells it accompanied; all potential, nothing solid or set, or even remotely sentient. Certainly not dark.

That she does, he replied to the paladin spirit. Possession, perhaps. Not my specialty, but it wouldn't do to ignore it.

By the time that Pierette glanced back at him, he had started to make his way towards them. He recognised one of the women in the group as one of the proselytes. Celeste, if he recalled correctly from her match. He weaved effortlessly through the crowd until he drew closer, pausing at a respectful distance and inclining his head.

The strangeness was even more apparent now he was closer. And was there something else there? Something that lingered about her, a trace of another aura entirely. It would have had to be powerful to leave such a fingerprint, even one so faint. Something cold. Malicious. And oddly... protective?

"Pardon me the interruption," he ventured tentatively, looking straight at Pierette. "But are you feeling alright, ma'am?"

____

"Alright," Val said, nodding. He and his brother exchanged a brief glance, before he went on. "Hopefully see you around. Good luck, and all."

Al nodded, but said nothing.

"R-remember what I said the other day," Inarin piped up, extracting himself from Val to get to his feet himself. "No matter what happens, you're still my friend. S-so, don't get too down. I know it's not that easy, but... you know what I mean."

He stepped over to give the older boy a brief hug, before stepping back to let him go with a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Hey, Jimmy." Arien stood then, gesturing towards the park's exit. "Can I actually have a word with you before you leave? Somewhere private?"
 
as written by Faithy

Jimmy nodded back at Val and Al, but it was Inarin that truly caught his attention. Truthfully, Jimmy didn’t figure that the younger proselyte would move from where he appeared to be comfortable, but it was apparent he was wrong. Smiling faintly, he nodded at In’s words. He did remember what Inarin had said previously and wanted to truly believe it, but he beginning to wonder where he fit in the scheme of things.

“Don’t worry, Inarin, I remember what you said and I know we’re still friends. I’ll be right as rain soon enough.” Or dead. Jimmy didn’t say what he was really thinking, not wanting to be a damper on what was a pretty good day for Inarin. Giving a thumbs up to all that were paying attention, he returned the hug, ruffling In’s hair before peering over at Arien.

“Sure, Arien.” Jimmy had absolutely no idea what Arien wanted to talk to him about, but wasn’t too concerned. He glanced over to where Celeste and Pierette were sitting with their family and waved before making his way towards the exit, certain that Arien was following close behind.
 
as written by Script

Arien didn't say anything until the pair had reached the outskirts of the festival, and were walking with relative privacy down one of the paths to the exit of the larger park. "So, obviously," he finally began, "I heard about what happened the other day. And I know what that means for you, and your future with the Church."

The teen glanced across at Jimmy, hands in his pockets. "What if I told you there was an alternative?"
 
as written by Faithy

“Who hasn’t heard about it? I’ve had more pity looks today than I’ve ever had in my life. I really want to just start punching people in the face, but that will solve nothing.” Jimmy couldn’t help the bitterness. He wasn’t talking about his friends, but everyone else that had passed him at the festival. Grumbling, he slid fingers through his hair as they headed towards the exit, glad that he was about to be alone in his room to do whatever he wanted.

“An alternative to what? Being kicked out of the Monastery or turning into a beast like my father and slaughtering all my friends?” Jimmy’s brow arched, suddenly wondering what exactly Arien was getting at.
 
as written by Script

Arien smiled a small, knowing smile before answering with a single word. "Yes."

Before Jimmy could reply, he held up a hand to stop him. "Now, I'm going to be very honest with you here. I'm about to make you an offer that puts me at a lot of risk. So, if you decline it, I will have to make you forget we ever had this conversation. But hopefully it won't come to that."

By now, they'd meandered to an area of the park far from the festivities, a little off the beaten path. Arien came to a halt under the shadow of a particularly large tree, where they were out of sight of anyone who passed by on the footpath. "I'm offering you a choice. Your first option," he held up a single finger, "is to stay as you are. You'll turn into a werewolf. You get kicked out of the church, you maybe lose a few friends, you get furry at least once every full moon. You risk a small chance of either dying, or losing your mind. But you're still considered a citizen, with rights and protections. Plenty of people will accept you as you are, and you'll be free to live openly and pursue whatever you want in life, albeit with a bit of a social handicap. A silver ceiling, as it were."

He held up a second finger, smiling. "Option two. You become something else." Arien stepped around behind Jimmy, trailing a hand softly over his shoulders as he spoke, his voice low. There was something to his tone that was disarming, and inviting. It was almost hypnotic. "This change, such as it is, would be more subtle. If you played it well enough, you could stick around your little church friends with nobody the wiser."

A low chuckle, as he leaned almost uncomfortably close to Jimmy's ear. "That is, at least for a while. Eventually, people would start wondering why you weren't getting any older."

Moving back a touch - although staying closer than was strictly appropriate, he continued his circuit around the other boy. "There's no risk of death, or madness. Not from the transformation. But the law..." here, his tone darkened. "The law would consider you a monster. Not worthy of rights. Killing you wouldn't be a crime, were anyone to find out what you are. And so eventually, you'd have to step from the light, and leave your life behind."

His hand brushed lightly over Jimmy's arm as he stepped around to the front of him once more, his eyes lowered and his face obscured in the shadow of the tree. He chuckled once more. "But there's no fur. So that's a plus."

When Arien raised his head to meet Jimmy's gaze once more, his eyes were pure crimson, and a pair of fangs were clearly visible in his mouth as he grinned. "You understand what I'm offering you, right?" he purred, stepping close. "The decision is in your hands. Run with the wolves, or let me show you my world."
 
as written by glmstr

Not long after Arien and Jimmy departed, the soft clinking and chattering of steel armor broke the immediate area's silence. Camille Lacroix, the noble armored peacock, had removed most of his extra armor, leaving just his gauntlets, greaves and cuirass.

The paladin-to-be held a sizable cone of various flavors of ice cream, topped with a colorful smattering of sprinkles. The young aristocrat was paying most of his attention to this treat, but stopped upon spotting his classmate as well as two faces he knew from somewhere else: the Castellane brothers themselves. He'd met and spoken to the twins many times before not only at the Lacroix school but also at various gatherings of Lutetia's elite.

"Oh hey, I didn't realize you three knew each other," the blue-haired boy cocked his head slightly to the side, trying to remain eye contact but also having to keep tending to his ice cream.
 
as written by Script

"Well, if it isn't little Cammy," Alvére grinned, leaning forwards in his seat. "Saw you hand your classmate his ass earlier. Not that I expected any less from someone who can best me at fencing."

Inarin flushed slightly, noting his somewhat compromising position nestled under Val's arm, but... well, after having had a kiss planted on him in plain view of the crowd earlier, he was really beyond the point of getting any more embarrassed. Even if he wasn't sure that Cam had picked up on any of the earlier ... interactions. "Ah... h-hey, Cam," he smiled nervously to the other boy. At least, of all the proselytes, Cam was possibly the least likely to take issue with ... this.

"We met at a party," Val noted with a wink. "And got to know each other pretty quickly."

"Uh- It's not quite what it s-sounds like," Inarin protested. "He's making it sound worse th-than it was."

"Worse, or better?" Al cut in. "But in any case..." He turned his attention back to Cam with a grin. "How's our favorite lil' femboy?"
 
as written by glmstr

Camille smirked at the twins' antics, and briefly glanced between Val and Inarin with another smile.
"Oh, I didn't realize Inarin- oh that's so adorable!" The aristocrat smiled and bounced slightly on his heels, nearly dropping his ice cream and having to spend a few seconds stabilizing it and making sure it doesn't spill on his gauntlets.

"I've been doing quite well. Practiced for the tourneys, got a few new outfits recently, I think you two would like some of them, but otherwise I haven't been up to much."
 
as written by Script

"Isn't he just?" Val replied to Cam's initial reaction, grinning all the more as Inarin's blush intensified.

"Outfits, huh?" Al raised an eyebrow with a small smirk. "With something suitably scandalous among them, I hope." He winked.

"No." Val cut in.

"Huh?"

"Before you ask, I'm not getting into any of them."

"Oh, come onnn. What about In? Can I put you in a dress, In? Val's being a stick-in-the-mud."

"I- Uh- I'd rather- I don't think ... that's really my, um. Thing." Inarin shook his head, laughing lightly.

"Uhhg," Al whined. "You guys are boring."
 
as written by glmstr

The feminine boy giggled at the exchange between the three. They certainly meshed quite well together, which made sense when he remembered the kind of interests the twins had.

"Erm, I, uh," Camille blushed slightly and briefly looked away at the mention of scandalous items, "I mean, I guess what qualifies as that would be the question. Pretty sure you guys have a vastly different definition.."

"Either way, I guess if you guys wanted to get a hold of any of my stuff, you know where to go. Anywho, what have you three been up to?"
 
as written by Krysis

Celeste nodded slowly at Pierette, then admitted, "One of them was nice, and the twins are fun, if a bit--"

She stopped there, seeing Noah approach. Naturally the proselyte assumed the most recent victor was coming to see her, since they would likely have a match together at some point. The athletic brunette stood up quickly, brushing her hands together to knock away the dust as she gave a smile of greeting.

All three of the other women looked surprised when Noah stopped in front of the skinny one with the punk dyed hair. Pierette just took it in stride though, smirking up at him, "I'm feeling pretty good today. Probably because I gave up smoking for a while. Yourself? You seem kinda--"

The skinny girl held up one hand and gave a seesaw motion, like she wasn't sure exactly how to put it and settled on "Blurry."
 
as written by Faithy

To say he was confused by Arien’s single word answer was putting it lightly. He was beginning to wonder if walking off alone with the male was such a good idea after all. He didn’t move away though and instead just let things play out for the moment. His brow arched at the notion of being made to forget this conversation, but didn’t question it outwardly. Deciding to keep an open mind and truly listen to what was being offered, Jimmy shook his head a little. He wouldn’t be accepted and definitely wouldn’t be allowed to pursue what he wanted to do because he’d be booted out of the church. That was the only thing the young male knew, especially since his father was dead.

Still, he remained silent, curious what the second option could possibly be. Killing him, maybe? That wouldn’t be that great of an option, but at least his friends would be kept safe. Jimmy knew he’d never forgive himself if he killed Inarin or any of the others. When Arien stepped behind him, doubt filtered into his mind yet again, the thought intensifying at the hand trailing across his shoulders. Still, he didn’t budge, something about the voice making him feel calm and relaxed, like everything was going to be okay. He had no idea what could be done to him to allow him to keep with the church, but wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Goosebumps ran across his body and the hair on the back of his neck stood at end at the voice sounding incredibly close to his ear. To say this was a lot more uncomfortable than he wanted was putting it lightly, but Jim didn’t budge.

Not getting any younger…? The proselyte’s mind was working to put the pieces together and even as Arien continued to circle him, Jim was trying to figure out what he had meant. It suddenly dawned on him what the other option would be and he honestly wondered if either was a good thing. He didn’t want to be considered a monster, though he supposed he would be considered a monster as a were too. Either way, he would have to leave his life and probably friends behind. His life was a losing situation regardless, but not transforming and losing his mind was a plus. He was incredibly conflicted and even when Arien stepped in front of him, Jim wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, if anything. He had thought briefly about killing himself before the beast took over, but that was the cowards way out of it. Glancing towards the male, his eyes widened and he gasped and stumbled backwards, his back pressing against the tree. Fear gripped his body and he wanted to scream for help, but something deep down knew that this invitation was truly for the best.

“…I knew there was something off about you, Arien. I…” Jimmy paused, biting on the inside of his lip. “How do you know that becoming like you will stop the infection?” He couldn’t believe he was even considering it, the thrill of exploring Arien’s word was far greater than becoming a furry insane creature.
 
as written by Script

"I know that my kind can't be turned wolf, and right now, you're still human. If I'm right... I can turn you still, and then the infection won't be able to take hold." Arien sounded confident, but that was a significant 'if'.

"Now, do be warned. If people find out what you are, you will die. If not by human hands, then... well, a lot goes into making sure everyone thinks that vampires are extinct. Nobody wants that compromised. I'm sure you understand."

He stepped closer, once more uncomfortably so, yet still exuding the aura of relaxation and calm. Though he sought not to influence Jimmy's decision (a regretful vampire would cause no end of trouble), it wouldn't do to have him panic.

____

Noah raised an eyebrow. Blurry? Did this girl have some perception of auras as well? Clearly, it wasn't refined, but... the description - albeit simplistic - matched with what some of his colleagues had said of his aura. No doubt it was a side-effect of his connection to Aurore.

"I'm quite alright," he answered, before pausing. "But forgive my rudeness. I am Warden Noah Lévêque, with the Order of the White. An animancer."

He inclined his head to the others, and returned Celeste's smile, before he looked back at Pierette. "I apologise again for the intrusion, but... Might I have a word with you in private, Miss..." he trailed off, expecting her to fill in the blank.

____

"Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that." Al answered. "Mostly this," he gestured around at the festival.

"It's quaint," Val noted with a small smile. "We haven't attended for a few years now, but since we met your other proselyte friends, we figured we'd come by. It's been fun. Except for the part where I got punched in the face by a jealous brute." The bruise was still faintly apparent.

"I still think you're wrong about that..." Inarin mumbled. "Izaic just has a ... short temper. Why would he be jealous?"

"Because you're such an adorable little prize," Val answered with a laugh. "I bet he just gets up in your face because it's the only way he can talk to you without getting flustered."

"There was a guy like that at our school for a while," Al remarked. "All machismo. Picked on the less masculine kids - particularly the cute ones."

"I remember that! Thomas, right?"

"Yeah, Tommy." Al nodded his head. "He was a jerk. Took me a whole week to get into his pants, just so he'd get the fuck over himself and admit why he was doing it."

"A jerk, but good in bed." Val noted.

"True, very true..."
 
as written by Faithy

“If it doesn’t work, then I guess I still turn into a furball. Either way, I don’t have a chance at a normal life and I’d rather be sure I won’t go insane and kill my friends. People aren’t going to find out what I am… I refuse to die just because people are intolerant.” Jimmy was still a little apprehensive, because of the implications of being slaughtered just because of what he had become, but after seeing his father being murdered, he knew it could still happen if he was a werewolf.

“I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.” He felt his stomach clenching up when Arien stepped forward again and it took his strong will to keep from fleeing. Instead, he looked straight at the vampire, confidence evident in his gaze. “I accept the potential danger and am ready for whatever has to happen next.”
 
as written by Krysis

Pierette's sly smile only widened as she supplied, "Hogan. Just like my darling sisters here." At the invitation, she raised a brow, but was seemed to be waiting for more of an indication of what he wanted her for.

Celeste frowned in concern, looking from Pierette to Noah and back again. It seemed odd that the naughty girl would be able to talk to an animancer so openly, or be approached by one in the first place. The proselyte was still trying to decide how to react to this when there was an outburst from an unexpected direction.

Elizabeth surged to her feet and glared at Noah angrily, "You just leave 'Rette alone! She doesn't need help from someone like you." Her violet eyes flashed with her roused temper, and her normally pale cheeks were scarlet as her fists trembled at her sides.

Charlene gave a startled shout and also leaped to her feet, though delayed in her shock, to try to restrain the normally placid sister. The blonde seemed a bit over-matched, since she was shorter and more slender than the subject of her concern. "Quit it, Liz! Animancers and Necromancers are not the same thing. Mr.-- Umm. Warden, maybe you'd better state your business where we all can hear it?"

Pierette had a curiously blank look on her sharp features as she stared at Char and Liz. It would take someone that knew her exceptionally well to realize that she was deeply moved by their attempt to defend her.
 
as written by Script

Arien smiled. "This is something better done in the privacy of a home, I think. It'll take you some time to adjust."

He stepped back to a more comfortable distance, and as he did so, his eyes returned to their normal emerald shade and his fangs seemed to vanish. He turned, nodding his head to beckon Jimmy to follow. "I have an apartment in Merveilleux. We can get a cab."

____

Noah blinked, taken aback by the sudden outburst, and his expression soured thoroughly upon the revelation as to why it had come about. He took a breath, however, and swallowed his own upset at the irrational response to his abilities. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any distress. I just thought that your sister might prefer if we spoke in private, since this concerns something I saw in her aura."

He turned to Pierette, then. "However, if you would rather I went on with your sisters here, I will do. Or if you'd rather I said nothing at all, and just left..." He sighed. "Then I will do that."
 
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