Iânâr peered up over the tops of one of the many barrels that was to be found about the port. Her soft, lavender-white hair blew in the winds that rolled in from the sea. Her blue eye watched carefully for an opening, the sneak past the sailors unnoticed. She had her eye on one of the small boats, but to get there unnoticed, that was the trick. She slipped out from behind the barrel, her bright clothing not helping her to hide. Deciding to try to bluff her way through it, she began to casually make her way across the port, towards the docks. Her scimitar on her back, she finally reached the small craft, and what a beauty it was: smooth hull; clean, white sails; she was every sailor's dream.

A small, skinny man was getting reading to set out on it, before Iânâr tapped him on the shoulder with a cheery grin. "Hello, mister. I'm gonna borrow this beauty for a bit, ok?" With that she drew her scimitar, and struck the man in the stomach with the bottom of the handle. The man reeled, staggering backwards, and accidentally fell out, into the water. Unfortunately, this attracted the attention of others, and sailors and a few guards were fast approaching. And it was such a pretty boat, too....

Taking a running leap, she jumped back onto the dock, and ran as quickly as she could for the shore. An arrow flew at her head, and ducked only just in time, the arrow cutting several strands of hair off. She continued to run, and turned a corner. Jackpot!

A small mound of barrels lay before her, and using her hand, she quickly flipped herself over and behind them, duck to try to avoid detection. The mob ran past her, so hopefully she was off the hook. however, perhaps there were others who saw her hiding place. Only time would tell.

Kitsu had been bored the whole day, so she'd decided to liven her day up a bit. She hadn't been to the port before and thought it would be a new thing going there, but once she got there most of the only things to steal were boats. She blinked and looked around, feeling a little dissapointed, she wasn't one for stealing large objects that she couldn't hide behind her back, and this was one occasion where she had to object to it. Although it she had been planning to try something new anyway. She wandered past the guards, trying her best to look innoccent, when one looked in her direction she merely smiled and waved, as soon as he turned back round she bolted and ducked behind a large crate before taking a deep breath.

She looked about a spotted a small looking boat that she could easily nick without bieng noticed, she krept forwards and then wandered off the edge of the port. She clamped her tail to the side and dangled just above the water, she'd done this hundreds of times from roofs and this wasn't that much harder, she pulled out her dagger and began to sever the rope holding the boat to the quey. She was nearly through when somebody suddenly yelled:
"Hey, you!"
Kitsu yelped and toppled off the edge completely with a loud splash, she resurfaced quickley, shaking her sodden hair and ears and somehow managed to climb back onto the planks. However the cry had not been aimed at her, a mob suddenly rushed past her and knocked her back in again without a second thought. Kitsu climbed out feeling extremely annoyed.
"What the heck was that all about?" She muttered.

After doing her daily chores Cecelia wandered out behind her house. She climbed up a nearby tree and without her mother noticing she climbed onto the house roof. She sat up there and pulled a small chain from her pocket and began to play with it. Just as the chain slide out of one hand and into another a loud splash was heard. Cecelia jumped a little and looked around. Two people had been knocked into the water.

"Ha, those poor suckers!" She said to herself in a form of relief as she leaned back and starred in to the clouds. As she tried to concentrate on something peaceful a large mob gathered and began to annoy her. "All I want is one peaceful day is that too much to ask!" She said somewhat loud. She put the chain back in her pocket and jumped off the roof where her mother wouldn't catch her. She turned the corner and saw a back of a girl hiding behind barrels as the huge mob ran right past her. Cecelia looked at her and then leaned a little to the side and glanced at the leaving mob. Cecelia smiled and raised her eye brows.

"Thought you wouldn't get caught eh?"

Morgan had been in port for a few days now hoping to steal a ship for himself and sail it off and get a band of pirates to go raiding with him. He was near the docks when he heard commotion he quickly ran behind a building and wathced as guars passed. He sighed and said," Their not after you mate probably someone causing trouble at the docks a good chance for me to take a ship". He appraoched throug the back alleys and noted a girl to the left of him make that two one behind some barrels and he knew this one cause the commotion. He smiled and came uo behind them and said," Thank ye bonnie lass for causing trouble now I can steal me a ship how bout you and me go about taking one, heck I'll even make ye me first mate".

The search was on. Somebody had tried to steal a ship, and there was, or so the voices said, a casualty. Shouts of alarm rang through the myriad of sailors as they hunted who the voices all agreed seemed to be a girl of average height, a trim figure with long, pale, lavender colored hair. Amidst the chaos and confusion, the 'villain' in question had found it quite accomodating to hide behind some barrels nearby. With the sailors around, one could only assume it was ale that these barrels concealed, but now their cargo was seemingly more precious. Others were joining the search as well. Some girl had fallen into the water and two people, one a young woman and the other a rogue-ish sort, had miraculously discerned the girl's hiding place. V watched from the rooftops as events unfolded and the mob ran through the streets and alleys, searching with ever vigilant, though untrained eyes for the devilish sort of person that would do such a deed. Lowering the brim of his hat, V smiled behind his mask as he hopped down off of the short roof. The drop was not so great, but the masked man nevertheless rolled to his feet as soon as he landed. Once he drew himself up to his full posture, his black cloak and boots in stark contrast to his pale mask, he walked with a calm and slow demeanor towards the girls hiding spot. Naturally, from his vantage point, he had seen the whole thing, but others would not have been so lucky. There was a semblance of a thin mustache and beard on mask worn by V, and it concealed all of his actual face perfectly. There were still people lagging behind in the search and they were making their way over to where the barrels were, but they had not counted on having to get through V himself first.
"Violence my fair gentlemen?" he called as they approached.
"You intend to take the life of some one for taking a life. One is curious as to the nature of this paradox. Do you really intend to perpetrate this clear absurdity that is a clear violation of decent human intelligence, clearly devoid of any sensible thought?"

His call was answered by weapons bieng pointed in his general direction and the four men charged, shouting curses and threats and insults.
"Well I guess so." V noted dryly to himself.
His cloak had concealed his thin bladed longsword and it remained to do so until the search party came within reach. V swept the blade from the scabbard at his waist and smoothly ran the man leading the charge through the chest, reaching the heart. With no time to revel in this, he kicked the man off the blade and parried a quick cutlass stroke, proceeding to impale the next man through the throat. As the third brandished a crude looking short ax, V feinted with his weapon and then smartly took the head off of his opponent. If these men had any training in fighting, V would have had trouble, but they were unschooled and clumsy, but nevertheless a threat. Realizing the last notion, V tossed his sword with a smooth underhand cast that caught the last of them in the gut, up to the hilt. V walked over to the dying man and gripped the wrapped handle. Grimly, V twisted the weapon and then withdrew it, wiping it on the cloak of one of the dead. Being a gentleman to the core, V saw it fit to protect the ladies when the situation demanded it, and this seemed to be apt. He turned his head to the barrels.

Morgan then heard soem commotion on the other side of the barrell and saw a fellow all clad in black with a strange mask on and Morgan almost laughed but noted the deadly grace of the man and thought better of it and he said," Now theres a fellow I would love to have on me crew he knows how to fight he'd be good in a scrap".

Cecelia just stared at the people who she had encountered. A trouble making lassy, a pirate he appeared to be, and a man in dark seemingly kind of heartless. Cecelia shook her head she's seen blood guts and gore before, didn't do much for her unless she caused it all. She felt somewhat bad for the men but then again she never liked them, they actually deserved what they got. They were the sorts of men who tried to take advantage of young widows and their late husbands shops. trying to say they were tax collectors and all that nonsense to get money. Cecelia wasn't touched at all by there death unless you count the touch of happiness.

Cecelia folded her hands behind her back and walked up to the girl letting out a sigh of relief from the barrels.

"Are you save now?" Cecelia asked. The girl jumped up and turned around in fighting stance. "Hey relax, I won't turn you in . . . unless," She said with a smile. "you tell me what your doing and if I can join you on this crusade." [SIZE=1]

Damn... Iânâr thought. She may have evaded the angry mob, but now several others had found her. "Are you safe now?" Drawing her curved scimitar, she turned, and crouched low to the ground, the blade running gently against her cheek, as she was poised to strike. She was a half-demon, albeit a good-natured and innocent one, but when it came to fighting, her heritage was evident: she fought like a savage beast, striking hard, fast, and often. It was a girl that had spoken to her, but even as her mind prepared for combat, another approached, a pirate like herself, and made an offer to be a first mate for him. She looked at him intently, while watching the other out of the corner of her eye. A creature cornered was not to be toyed with.

But as these events transpired, a tall, masked and cloaked man killed a few sailors who had come close to finding her location. The girl then told Iânâr, "Hey relax, I won't turn you in . . . unless, you tell me what you're doing, and if I can join you on this crusade." Her only visible eye had dilated from the sheer adrenaline, and Iânâr flipped on top of the barrels, scimitar in hand, and looked at the three of them. To the girl and the pirate, she said with an odd grin, "I'm sorry, but that many wouldn't let me have his shiny boat. But it''s not worth dealing with those stuffy sailors over. If you want it, you can have it. I'll find another." She then drew a coin, and flipped it, catching it. She looked at it intently, and then said to the pirate, "Sorry mate, but it seems that the Lady isn't in accord with such an arrangement. Better luck next time, sir."

To the masked man, she said, "I thank you, sir. It was unnecessary for you to risk your life for me, but you did it all the same, you have my thanks." She looked him over, and said, "If I may ask, who are you, or by what name are you known?"

V turned his masked face over towards the barrels as the girl flipped up onto the barrels that concealed her to face down those she may have believed her adversary. They both spoke to her, beseeching her to join her cause, which V had presumed, was to none but herself. A cause that is usually not aided by many. As V might have guessed, she spurned their futile efforts and cast them back in their teeth before turning to him and speaking.
"I thank you, sir. It was unnecessary for you to risk your life for me, but you did it all the same, you have my thanks." Her eyes too in his appearance, "If I may ask, who are you, or by what name are you known?" V cocked his mask to one side as he listened to her speak.
"Well my dear lady, 'who' is merely a different form of 'what', and what I am is a man in a mask. But, the paradox of asking a masked man 'who' he is aside, permit me to try and vouchsafe any questions you might ask. What you are in the process of beholding is a humble vaudevillian veteran, fates victim in some eyes, villain to the others. One that has vowed to vanquish the vile and virulent vermin who threatened one with a similar destiny as himself in this humble masquerade, an affront to his eyes as well as yours and those whose ineptitude bypasses that of even the most commonplace fool. This visage you see before you is no mere veneer of vanity, but a vessel of vigilance and vengeance, vanguarding the truth from those who wish to violate the volition of the masses. Without further ado, allow me to add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may, in lieu of more commonplace sobriquet, simply call me V." He moved while he spoke, gesturing often and enthusiastically. As he moved, his cloak opened a few times, revealing the scabbarded sword and six silver hilted, wire gripped throwing knives. When he finished speaking, he closed with a grandiose bow and turned his concealed eyes towards hers.

Cecelia just looked at they V, "Don't you think just saying I'm 'V' would have been easier than wasting your breath on all those meaningless words?" Cecelia asked. "Anyway, I know I good place where we can steal a boat. . . that is, if your interested!" Cecelia said with a smile. If any of you are interested just follow me and I'll take you to the place. The boats are all sizes and the security is next to none. I won't wait forever so just follow me and we'll get a nice 'shinny' boat!"

"Don't you think just saying I'm 'V' would have been easier than wasting your breath on all those meaningless words?" the girl that approached the one behind the barrels asked V after he finished his little speech. V's expression, if he had one, would have been one of sheer annoyance, sour as lemon. "Anyway, I know I good place where we can steal a boat... that is, if your interested!" The girl smiled. "If any of you are interested just follow me and I'll take you to the place. The boats are all sizes and the security is next to none. I won't wait forever so just follow me and we'll get a nice 'shiny' boat!"

"My dear girl, words are never useless. They and their intent are but the doorway through which ones true persona, instead of any reclusive soubriquet, can permeate and break free of the mundande realms of the mind to explore places of a more suitable interest. And you have clearly shown me that you have shut said door ages ago." V retorted quickly through his unmoving mouth.
"And," he turned to the youn Pirate girl with drawn scimitar, "If you will pardon me for fielding this, and correct me if I am wrong-" he turned back to the other girl, ignoring the pirate male entirely.
"-but we've already stated our disinterest in any more theft for the day, this young lady-" he pointed atop the barrels, "-by outright saying so, and myself by lending my aid to her instead of going off to pilfer the boat left now practically vacant in the docks." V kept moving while he spoke, and it became apparent that he was not one of the people that liked to keep still for long periods of time. The faint coppery odor of blood now lingered on the salt tinged air as some shouts of alarm still echoed over the rooftops. Time stood still as V and the others in the alley stood there after the attempted hijacking of a ship, complete with several casualties. If anybody else happened to stumble into that alley, they would find several dead bodies of sailors, and a small group of people in close proximity, two of which with blood on their weapons.

"My dear girl, words are never useless. They and their intent are but the doorway through which ones true persona, instead of any reclusive soubriquet, can permeate and break free of the mundande realms of the mind to explore places of a more suitable interest. And you have clearly shown me that you have shut said door ages ago."

"No, I just don't want to be boring and say things that seem to be irrelevant to what I am concluding. I especially don't want my audience to be annoyed with my blabing on, unless they want me to blab on. Besides, if my audience has a short attention span they wouldn't have grasped any of that because it was to long and annoying!" Cecelia said crossing her arms in disgust with V.

"-but we've already stated our disinterest in any more theft for the day,-"

Cecelia shook her head as the guy just mumbled words she didn't care to listen to.

"I disagree with you!" She quickly stated once he was done. "The docks are empty, usually they are extremely busy and hard to steal a boat in, as you've experienced. Your turning down a great opportunity! Nobody is out there! We should take advantage of that, or else when you want a nice shiny boat I might have to drag you to the place with low security which is a burdening trail! So, it's your choice! It's perfect timing! If you give this chance up I pity you!" She said with an anger filled tone!

In the midst of all of this confusion and discord among the strangers, a stranger voice, neither very high nor low, rose above the others, if only for a brief moment. "Alas, for in these times of war, we neither strike nor side with our fellow brethren. Pity as it is, I suppose that the disillusionment that begins to creep over the hidden soul of the one who is observant, is offset by the avatars of the opposing forces in this world. To walk the long peak of a mountain, with a sharp plummet awaiting the slightest slip, that is the fate that some walk. Others still find solace in a steady descent into either of the two valleys, be it green or barren. Yet regardless of the point from which an individual draws his or her perception, that same perception is often shielded and filtered by a wall constructed for the sole purpose of concealment. We all establish a mask of sorts, a way by which you desire all others to see you."

The voice was coming from a human, whose gender was impossible to ascertain. His hair was jet black, and covering his entire face was a solid white, simple mask that had two small red dots a little above each eye. While there were eyeholes present, no eye could be seen, only a black shadow. As such, no expression could be seen. He was garbed in a dull green robe, like the color of the plants in the marshes.

"Beware of false masks, or you may soon find both personas in gravest danger."

"Ah, great another philosopher!" Cecelia said jokingly. "Who are you if I may ask?" She said to this, uncertain gender. Who was wearing a white mask and had jet black hair.

"Beware of false masks, or you may soon find both personas in gravest danger."

Just then she hard the mob coming back. Shouts and anger filled the air, like they usually would.

"Well, it's now or never!" She said "You either steal a boat, or get caught. I won't mind turning you in especially V for have murdering several people. Your choice, I can live with myself seeing the two of you walk to the gallows!"

The masked man cocked his head to the side, and replied, "Turn us in, my dear?" As he began to speak, the red dots on his mask seemed to be changing, a long, gently-curving stroke of red wound its way from each dot, in between the eyes, and down to the bottom of the mask. The stranger laughed, remaining still as a stone even in his mirth. "For one, you don't even know who most of us are. We could turn a corner, and in an instant, appear completely different. Also, what crimes have been committed, save perhaps by the mob? At best, the strange girl is guilty of nothing more that knocking a man into water, hardly an offense worthy of lynching. This masked man doubtlessly tried to defend the girl, and in so doing was required to take the lives of a few men. They attacked first, not him. So before you try to 'turn us in', think before you act. No proof, just an angry mob. One that the city guards could quickly put down."

He straightened his head, and continued: "Not all masks hide evil, child. You ask who I am behind the mask? The answer? Not so easy. I shall make you a quick deal, tell me who you are behind your mask, and I shall reply in kind. Is that fair?"

""For one, you don't even know who most of us are. We could turn a corner, and in an instant, appear completely different. Also, what crimes have been committed, save perhaps by the mob? At best, the strange girl is guilty of nothing more that knocking a man into water, hardly an offense worthy of lynching. This masked man doubtlessly tried to defend the girl, and in so doing was required to take the lives of a few men. They attacked first, not him. So before you try to 'turn us in', think before you act. No proof, just an angry mob. One that the city guards could quickly put down."

She killed a man, V killed several men and this here pirate is sure to have done something wrong and pirates are always hung in this town! She said crossing her arms.

"Not all masks hide evil, child. You ask who I am behind the mask? The answer? Not so easy. I shall make you a quick deal, tell me who you are behind your mask, and I shall reply in kind. Is that fair?" He added. Cecelia looked at the guy and said.

"Look Nut Job! I don't wear a mask or a facade why don't you go suck lemons!" She said flipping a switch that shouldn't be turned on.






(OOC, don't mind Cecelia, she's that way often when people are like that her. She has anger management issues. :lol: )

"I disagree with you!" The other girl was shouting. "The docks are empty, usually they are extremely busy and hard to steal a boat in, as you've experienced. Your turning down a great opportunity! Nobody is out there! We should take advantage of that, or else when you want a nice shiny boat I might have to drag you to the place with low security which is a burdening trail! So, it's your choice! It's perfect timing! If you give this chance up I pity you!", If V had any discernable eyebrows, they would've certainly been raised at this point. V turned his head towards the Pirate girl on the barrels. He was about to deliver a final statement, and then quite probably take his leave, when a new voice penetrated the silence. V did not start, nor flinch, when the voice, with no discernable gender spoke, though he did turn.
"Alas, for in these times of war, we neither strike nor side with our fellow brethren. Pity as it is, I suppose that the disillusionment that begins to creep over the hidden soul of the one who is observant, is offset by the avatars of the opposing forces in this world. To walk the long peak of a mountain, with a sharp plummet awaiting the slightest slip, that is the fate that some walk. Others still find solace in a steady descent into either of the two valleys, be it green or barren. Yet regardless of the point from which an individual draws his or her perception, that same perception is often shielded and filtered by a wall constructed for the sole purpose of concealment. We all establish a mask of sorts, a way by which you desire all others to see you. Beware of false masks, or you may soon find both personas in gravest danger." The speaker was of undiscernable gender, a mask that bore little decor adorned the face, and a dark, mossy green robe draped the body. V heard the wisdom in the words, but they escaped the mind of the girl. She talked of turning them in and seeing them all hanged for Piracy. And for what? V never engaged in Piracy himself. Nobody stole anything, and had the sailors not attacked first, V would not have had to cut them down. He was about to point that out, as well as the fact that she had no proof that she had nothing to do with the whole thing and would likely be hanged with them, but the other masked man took care of everything. Stubbornly, the loud girl refused to head the lecture.
V could definately get to like this man, or woman, whichever it was. But the girl still stayed adamant about her position, and failed to catch the lyrical dance that the masked stranger performed. She shouted about not wearing a mask, believing it to be a physical one, and not one less mundane. V would not interupt. The stranger more than likely wanted him out of it, and he would not step into somebody elses dance, for fear of throwing the choreography off balance. Instead he turned his head back to the Pirate girl.
"My she talks alot, doesn't she?" he mumbled to her. "Now if you would indulge me for a moment, I have informed you as to what I am known, but I never was able to get a name to match with your face, my dear." has said.

Iniquity looked about her at he rapidly escalating situation, as a new mask revealed itself, engaging in a lengthy dialog with the other girl. The girl continued to raise her voice again and again, clearly oblivious to the true purpose of the masked man's statements. She began to speak of such threats such as turning all of them in for counts of murder, assault, theft, piracy, and the like. Iniquity rolled her eyes at the foolishness of the girl, but given the rising threat, she was not very much in the mood for lengthy discussions. Now was the time to make an escape, and, if she was lucky, a profit. The first masked man to appear then said to her, "Now if you would indulge me for a moment, I have informed you as to what I am known, but I never was able to get a name to match with your face, my dear."

Iniquity smiled, her blue eye flashing. “You, my friend, can all my Iânâr. Most call me Iniquity. Perhaps we'll meet again, but I feel this is the time when I ought to take my leave. If you are ever looking for me, keep your eyes on the dice and cards, and you'll be sure to found me.”

Iniquity jumped down from the barrels next to the man, and whispered, “Search for the true House of Dice, the seekers of freedom. If you cannot find me, leave this mark and I'll find you.” Iniquity then discreetly handed V a playing card which had the image of two dice, but instead of one's, they had the Anarchy symbol. “See you around, my comrade. We'll meet again.”

With that, Iniquity sheathed her blade, and ran quickly down the street, turning away into a dark alley.

At his question, she smiled, and the eye she allowed to be seen seemed to glint blue.
“You, my friend, can call my Iânâr. Most call me Iniquity. Perhaps we'll meet again, but I feel this is the time when I ought to take my leave. If you are ever looking for me, keep your eyes on the dice and cards, and you'll be sure to found me.” As she finished her cryptic reply, Iânâr hopped down from the barrels and landed next to V, something semi-important seemed to reflect in that eye.
“Search for the true House of Dice, the seekers of freedom.” she whispered quietly, “If you cannot find me, leave this mark and I'll find you.” as she spoke, she stealthily slipped a card into V's gloved hand. It appeared to be a card one used to gamble with, but it carried a strange symbol on it. There was a pair of dice, but where the Ones would be, there was the letter A in a circle, the symbol for throwing off extreme government oppresion, just as V put his own name in a circle to represent much the same thing.
“See you around, my comrade.” said Iniquity, “We'll meet again.”
V made a personal note to call her by the alias she gave, more often than not. Unless it was a personal conversation, which, by the card she had handed him, there may yet be several of.
"The House of Dice, eh?" he mumbled quietly, twirling the card in between his long, gloved fingers. "Well, we shall simply have to see what luck one can roll this time..." he said in a voice so quiet, it was barely audible over the rest of the noise he did not hear. When he looked back up, she had gone.
V turned his head back towards the other masked stranger, and the one that would not stop shouting. He tucked the card in his cloak and drew one of his knives, twirling it in between his fingers as he had the card. He spun the knife expertly, and there could be no question of the balance the deadly knives were made to have, nor of their sharpness. But it seemed V had no hostile intent with them, he was simply looking for a job for his fingers to have.

The day had been threatening, with pirates and masked people of unknown nature. A simple day is what was thought to be, until a noise was heard from the docks and mobs were running over the town trying to find a young lady who had caused all of this. The man-slater and suppose destruction of property. Cecelia had found herself among people of different kinds.

A person of unknown gender and age. Talking like a poet and not paying attention to what has happened before. The pirate girl, with purple hair, who is done with stealing and seemed to be rather quiet. Another pirate, similar to one she has seen before. Where, unknown. Then a masked blabbering hogmokney named 'V'. Who took the hard way to say everything he was going to say.

The blabbering mask, seemed to have stuck a card in his cloak and began to play with some knives. Knowing this, Cecelia concluded he never listened to his mother when he was young, because all mothers say never to play with knives and he was playing with them alright.

Just then, darkness began to fall all around them like a cloak from heaven shielding the world from evil. Although because evil is usually found during the night it seemed as though the gods were punishing them. For when the cloak fell around them things sounded and appeared like they never would during the day. So therefore, night was actually a cloak from hell the trapped the world from the menacing evil that lurked inward.

Like all evil, killing is one of them. Cecelia grabbed her Volkarian Night Master sword and smiled gently without wanted to fight she lifted it into the air and called upon the powers of the gods to help her out of this moment and that the gods would kill all evil beings who deserved it! Lightening and thunder began to fill the sky. Thunder Demons were riding the road to victory. Casting down their demon vikings. They raided the town with fire and hail the size of golf balls. Although, golf balls do not exist in Arda, so they would be more like the size of Chicken eggs only rounded.

Cecelia threw her hands in the hair and claimed to the gods that she was their sacrifice if they would punish this town for all of it's suffering and evil. The gods seemed to have agreed. She thrust the Volkarian Night Master sword into her heart and ripped it out of her chest while it was still beating. Before she died she gave the heart to the Fire Lord Demon Viking also head of the Gortakin Government. He took the heart gladly from her and carried her away and buried her beneath six feet of dirt and gravel.

For her funeral people placed lilies and roses upon her grave. People looked up to the heavens and others looked towards the ground. Those looking at the heavens said "Oh, great gods of the eternal heavens please have mercy on her soul and create a place for her in the next world!" And those who looked towards he ground muttered. "Oh demonly demons of the underworld. Cast her soul into the eternal flames of hell and let her burn like the witch she is!"

Then the gods cast down a beautiful glowing diamond upon her grave and blessed her soul with the fire from a star and that the ember would never burn out and forever live within this diamond . Then one day a grave robber robed the diamond and cursed his soul for all of eternity and Cecelia's spirit grew angry along with the burning desire of blood. She then rose from the grave and came hunting the man who stole her pretty diamond and would cast his soul into the flames of ten thousand fires of Satan's misery stove.

and he died . . .

Then Cecelia claimed herself no longer part of this Role Play because she is to busy with soul hunting she can no longer respond!

Benesse continued to stand perfectly still, unfazed by the young girl's harsh attitude. “She killed a man, V killed several men and this here pirate is sure to have done something wrong and pirates are always hung in this town! Look Nut Job! I don't wear a mask or a facade why don't you go suck lemons!” Benesse continued to stand silent, like on of the ancient carved statues. Not even a single ripple of his robes was visible, his entire figure still as stone.

Benesse then spoke, his voice vague, neither masculine nor feminine. “Actually, the girl who just left didn't kill a man. Apparently, she merely struck him, as I witnessed him swimming out of the water just a few moments ago, no blood stains whatsoever. Also, as for our masked companion, he killed those men entirely out of self-defense, and has committed no crime of his own. As the other pirate, there is no proof of current acts of piracy, although I'm sure that he is wanted for previous incursions of the Law. The only crime that has been committed here was attempted piracy on the part of the lavender-haired girl, and attempted murder on the part of the now-dead men.”

The red markings on his mask began to shift, forming a black rectangle near where the mouth would be. This black rectangle began to shift, not just in color, but in shape, forming a demonic, beast-like maw on the mask, the two red lines running down the mask like crimson tears.

“I'm afraid that if there is going to be any turning in, it will be the turning of your desecrated visage in-side out. Unless of course you cease your threats, and leave us be.” As the mask had changed, so had Benesse. Now his sleeves had revealed two hands, with nails like hawk's talons, and skin a pale, pale red. His masked visage was blank as ever, the half-growling, half-grinning demonic expression on his mask.

It was strange, how he was obviously threatening, but yet he seemed to be as blank as when he had first arrived. He continued to stand calm and still, arms loose at his sides, waiting for a reply from the brat. However, the girl performed some strange manner of arcane ritual, and was gone.

Once she was gone, Benesse paused, and turned to face the one known as V. As the two masks gazed at one another, Benesse's claws vanished, giving way to the sleeves that concealed them once more. His mask slowly returned to its former white simplicity, devoid of markings, mouth, and such. He stood still and silent for some time before V, before at last speaking.

"I think that you and I have a lot in common, sir. "V", I believe it was? Tell me, if I may be so bold, why do you wear a mask tangible? "