Chaos is known as the being that never became a star. It is everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time.
Neither good nor evil, the ultimate expression of nothingness. The antithesis of the cosmos, creation itself.
Although Chaos claims to be the very state of existence from which the first entities appeared, it cannot form into the entity it wants most.
So it has been cursed to stay in the form of a dark and shapeless void. Floating between existence and nonexistence.
Longingly watching as stars are constantly born and lives are lived. The seeds of malice had been planted, flourished and transformed Chaos into the purest form of evil.
Of course she'd be too scared to even register that the red-haired male - as intimidating as he looked - was her savior for that evening. And of course someone else had to be present to witness and unsurprisingly misunderstand the situation. Marius was still in clear disbelief at how the situation had progressed, as his eyes stared blankly at first towards Claudia. Eventually, and slowly, it traversed down onto the woman in front of him, and then back up to Claudia. He frowned, before clicking his tongue in annoyance. He would raise his right hand then, directing it towards the raven-haired vessel, fingers outstretched and palm facing her as a sign of submission. One that he rarely ever took, but one that he believed was more than appropriate for the situation.
"I know it seems hard to believe but, it's not what you think--"
"Go away!" the woman screamed once more, causing Marius to flinch. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance, as he snapped a glare down at the cowering woman he had just rescued from harsher fates than the cold night's embrace. Really? Was she really doing this right now? He straightened his posture, then, lowering his hand as he sighed, before turning back to Claudia. "Look, there was someone else here. And he was attacking her, alright? I only just managed to chase him off."
Honestly speaking, though, had Marius been in Claudia's shoes, he too would have found the claims too convenient to be true. The scene before her had played out too perfectly to be anything else, and the fact that the woman was still reacting out of fear to everything around her wasn't helping much in his case.
The moon hung high against the dark canvas of the night, the stars drowned out by the city lights of New Paris. Clouds rolled across like brushes of a intricate artist, blending in with the black shades of space. The Louvre, once known to be one of the more prestigious parts of Paris, had fallen into decline over the years. Considered widely as the slums of New Paris, this was where the scum and the poor lived. This was where he lived. It was a late Friday night, and Marius had just finished another one of his cage fights. Another victory, as expected, and that meant enough money for food and rent for the month. A good winning, if he had anything to say about it. Clad in his signature black jacket with the distinct black fur collar, the Frenchman walked ever so calmly through the streets of the Louvre. He knew the dangers of doing so at this hour, of course, and even more so since he was completely aware of what truly lurked in the shadows of the city, but he was more than confident that he'd be able to handle anything the city or Chaos had to throw at him. Fool-hardy, but it was that confidence that had helped him survive these many years in the Louvre. That, and his natural talent for combat.
His plain white shirt waved ever so slightly with every step he took, low-cut boots making soft taps against the asphalt sidewalk. Slung over his shoulder was a small duffel bag, containing his fighting gear, his towel, bandages and of course, his earnings. Red hair was slicked back as ever, save for two rebellious strands that hung over his face like a pair of feelers. Sharp golden eyes peered calmly forward, idle yet cautious in their gaze. It was to be another peaceful walk back home, or so he hoped.
Alas, fate had something else in store for him, then.
The scream of a woman alerted him of life in an alley as he reached its entrance, causing him to halt in his tracks. Widened eyes snapped into the shadows, and through the dim light of the moon, he spotted a rather physical tussle between two figures. One was flat on the ground, held down by a larger figure. It didn't take Marius long to realize that the pinned individual was a female, and the other a burly large male. And it definitely took Marius shorter to understand the situation here. Gritting his teeth in frustration, the man kicked into action, diving forward and dropping his duffel bag along the way.
A short tussle and a few well-timed punches later, Marius would succeed in driving the failure of a criminal away, breathing heavily in exhaustion at the end of it. He had just finished a rather tough brawl in the cage too. He wasn't expecting to have to swing his fists again so soon. "Are you alright?" he asked, as his eyes turned towards the scared girl, who had crumpled herself against the wall. As Marius took a step towards her, though, she screamed in retaliation once more. "No, go away!"
"No, I'm not--" Marius attempted to console her, only to stop as he spotted a shadow at the corner of his peripherals. Someone else was here.
"What?" Marius whispered to himself as his opponent stepped into the ring. The first thing he noticed was the fabric wrapped around the individual's chest, earning a cocked eyebrow from the red-head. A sports bra? Hold up. Almost immediately, his vision registered the rest of her person. A she? He was being made to fight a girl? The fighter known as Rouge would shift quickly towards the cage before the announcer, as he leaned against it, fingers coiling around the links of the fence. He glared down at the male. "Oi, I'm not fighting a woman," he snapped. It wasn't that he would never hit a woman. It was simply that he didn't entirely enjoy the idea of it. Of course, that was unless they attacked first, but when it came to self-defense, there wasn't really anything Marius held back on. The announcer looked back at him, before giving a shrug and a sly grin.
"You don't have to, but you won't get paid either."
Marius clicked his tongue. Great. The choices weren't entirely too appealing to him at that point. Either fight the lady, or suffer the consequence for the following week. He was already barely getting by as it were. He rested his forehead against the fence for a moment, as he shut his eyes. There wasn't really any working around it. He could, at the least, hold back a little, and try to just tire her out, or make her tap out. That wouldn't be too hard, right? He was easily superior to her in physical size and strength. He doubted, though, that she would come up here willingly to fight a male unaware of those disadvantages. Either she had a trick up her sleeve against it, or she was just foolish.
"Fine," he retorted with a frustrated huff, as he pushed himself off of the fence, turning to face his opponent, right after she had finished reacting to a rather off-handed comment by one of the audiences. He blinked, then, as she shot a comment towards him, and he simply scoffed, as he began to roll his hands by his wrists. "If you beat me," he challenged back. He didn't actually have to beat her senseless, he knew. He simply had to put up a show, and force her out via other means. Of course, he knew not at this point that he would end up paying dearly for underestimating her so.
It was honestly hard for Marius to focus in on that accent of hers - fortunately for her - with his entire attention finding itself drawn towards that sense of concerning familiarity he was receiving from her. He could tell damn well that he had never seen her before. He may not be as educated as most people here, but that did not mean that his brain worked any less than theirs did. And he certainly had a knack for remembering faces. He would have remembered hers, for sure. Yet, try as he may, nothing in his memory placed sense in this nagging gut feeling he was experiencing, and he found himself focusing in on her more than he would have normally. Forget his cigarette. Marius was finding that fire inside of him start to flare up, as if someone was sprinkling fuel into it teasingly.
She would attempt to explain her familiarity. A street artist, huh? As true as her claim may have been, it put not a single ounce of Marius' suspicions to rest, and he found himself determined more than before on finding out just who she really was. Though, abrasive as he was, he knew how awkward and discomforting it would be for him to ask straight out, and he allowed the conversation to flow naturally at its own pace. "Huh," he replied. Yes, he is trying.
Whatever the case, it seemed that he too had earned her full attention, as she revealed her pack of cigarettes and offered one to him. Clearing his throat in an attempt to regain his composure, and remove whatever telltale signs of concern and hostility there was on his facial expressions, he glanced down. Reaching forward, he pinched the cigarette from her fingers, and held it idly between his hands. Even if he had been compensated for the lost cancer stick, he was still faced with the same issue from before. Then came the odd question. Secrets.
And that was when she revealed it, answering the questions that had been haunting him, yet birthing new ones in its wake. His eyes widened as her hand caught fire, and almost immediately, he reacted. He reached up with his free hand, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling it downwards, while turning his body away from the crowd to hide it from view. He furrowed his eyebrows, his expression a mixture of shock and awe. He had known that he wasn't the only one that was 'gifted', yet to find another one just like him was unexpected. "Wait, wow, are you crazy?" he hissed. "What if someone sees?"
He glanced over his shoulder, and failed to spot any curious glances towards their direction. At the very least, he was relieved that none had noticed that odd display of flame. Natural disease or whatever, being able to engulf one's self in fire and not be harmed by it was anything from normal or, well, natural. "... You too, huh?"
Unlike before, there didn't seem to be any sign of hostile intent from the white-haired male anymore, and Marius would take a deep breath to regain his composure. He would lift his chin, then, deliberately tilting his head back as he continued to squeeze his nose bridge. There was a numbing sensation in the area of it now, and he knew that it was a clear sign that he was going to get a nose bleed if he didn't do anything about it. Sturdy as he was, there were certain parts of one's body that you could never really train to withstand such an impact, especially from a bone as hard as a skull.
"Fun, huh?" Marius repeated, before dismissing the notion with a scoff. He was every bit as unorthodox and unpredictable as Marius had pegged him to be. Probably unstable too. Though they were often amusing to observe - in some cases - they were also rather dangerous when given the capabilities to do harm. And Marius had learned that first-hand at this point about Signus. Wild and unpolished his skill may be, there was no denying that that crazed attitude of his was a powerful weapon in itself. Hell, Marius never would have thought a headbutt would be the best action to take in the situation he had been placed in.
"Messing around?" Marius cocked his eyebrows, still peering down on the younger male with his head tilted back. "They haven't gotten up from the ground, have they?" The red-head glanced over his shoulder, confirming his suspicions. When it came to fighting, especially against people that had intended to do him harm, Marius never really knew the meaning of holding back. He had thrown his fists at them with no hesitance, and no mercy. He doubted they'd be getting up anytime soon, especially with one dazed from an impact to his nose, and another with a clean hit to the solar plexus.
Oh, the irony of it, that their experiences would be shared by either of the two other people present in the vicinity. "Anyway, I don't see why I should teach you. You seem pretty good enough on your own, and I don't know what you think of me, but I'm no teacher."
Marius flashed a light grin - though only briefly - when Sauvage fell right for his taunt. Almost immediately, he reverted back to the defiant posture he had adopted ever since Sauvage had approached him. At the very least, he could settle this ridiculous situation faster than he would have been made to had he fought with the goons. He would certainly expect them to be concerned more about Sauvage's welfare than continuing to attack Marius. That is, of course, if Marius managed to put up enough of a fight against the blunette. There was still the risky variable that Marius was betting against, and that was the combat skill of the goon leader himself. He waited for Sauvage to ready himself for the fight, as the four dogs allowed themselves to spread apart, standing as if they had become the new posts of the fight ring between the two. Suffice to say, the escalation of the situation had drawn the attention of the crowd. These were beasts, audience and fighters alike, and they enjoyed nothing more than a good fight, in and outside of the ring. Already, at the corner of his eye, Marius spotted a few patrons of the violence exchanging bills, placing their bets on either fighters.
Marius glanced down at his fists briefly. He had just come out fresh from a fight. Did he have enough in him to withstand another? Especially someone with a personal agenda, and an expected pride that would refuse to give up even against overwhelming odds? There was also the risk that he would call in his goons to partake in it.
He raised his chin. "Just hurry it up already," he called out with a soft sigh, feeding the flame that was Sauvage's own rage. There was one advantage that Marius had over Sauvage, though, and that was the mere fact that this was no cage fight. This was a brawl. A street brawl, if anything else. That meant one simple thing. Anything went. As Sauvage came in with a quick left hook, a clear attempt to test the waters. Marius, having already stood up much earlier when Sauvage had, would quickly slide his right foot outwards, leaning his body and hopping in the same direction as he brought his left hand up. A forearm moved to push Sauvage's hook away, while his right hand snapped upwards, and then forward.
A swing, though a reckless one, considering his own movements had moved him out of range of Sauvage's face.
That is, if not for the towel he had retrieved from his shoulder, as he swung the fabric forward, intent in slapping Sauvage's cheek with it.
The exchange had been messy, resulting in damage on both ends. Marius still felt dazed from the impact right into his face, though he had no doubts that he had manage to wind Signus as well with that last swing. Whatever the case, it called for a reprieve for the two fighters, and as Signus staggered back with his arms across his torso, so did Marius. His right hand remained at the ready, while his left moved up to pinch the bridge of his nose. That had been a strong headbutt, and Marius knew he was going to feel that the next morning. He shut his eyes briefly, before shaking his head, trying to throw the daziness that was plaguing him out of mind.
The fact that the other remained on his feet was a clear testament to his resilience, and suffice to say, Marius knew that this fight was starting to go either way. The impact on his skull would definitely have repercussions, and another would probably be sufficient in marking him down for the count. What happened next, though, was certainly not something Marius had been expecting.
His eyes widened at the request, his body loosening up as he stared. Did he just ask him to teach him how to fight? "What?" Marius asked at first, mostly out of shock than anything else, as he narrowed his eyes. Was this a ploy? To get him to lower his guard? Cheeky, if it was. With that in mind, Marius kept his guard up, yet he allowed himself to entertain the idea. "Why should I? You were the one that attacked me out of nowhere, cause you obviously have no relation to the thugs behind me."
"Hm?" Marius froze in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock as he felt a cold shiver roll down the entire length of his spine. And no, it wasn't just the cold city night air. There was something else here. Marius furrowed his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes slightly as he raised his chin. He looked down the street he paced upon, though not a single soul there was to be seen. He glanced over his shoulder, then. Alas, it proved to be in vain, for other than the red-haired vessel himself, there looked to be no one else on the street he was on. He gritted his teeth. As damning as the evidence was, Marius knew that he definitely wasn't alone here. He had felt this sensation before, and none of the past occurrences were pleasant memories. Someone was here-- No, something was here.
Defensively, he pulled his hands out of the pockets of his signature leather jacket, its black fur collar swaying ever so slightly in the wind. The last time he had felt this, some weird blackish humanoid monster had attacked him with claws and fangs, intent in diminishing the flame of his life. Was this another attack? He was more than aware of the circumstances that surrounded New Paris, how it was the front line for the battle between the secretive agents of Chaos, and the silent guardians that fought against it. The spirit that was inside of him, the jinn Ifrit, had been defeated by said agents, and suffice to say, his thirst for vengeance was beginning to course through the vessel.
He could feel it, almost immediately following the chill. A surge of warmth that flowed through his veins, one that only grew stronger and stronger in intensity. He felt as if he was on fire.
"Come on," Marius growled. If he was under attack once more by Chaos, then he would rather have them come at him head-on. He never wanted to be part of this struggle, and desired as little involvement as possible. Alas, it wasn't as if these monsters knew the meaning of neutrality, especially when Marius had the power to put up a fight against them. "Come on... Show yourself."
Never one to back down, Marius stood his ground even as Sauvage closed the distance between them. Furrowed eyebrows enunciated his golden glare as he met the blunette's own, his mouth remaining ever a slightly curved passive line, a clear display of resistance against whatever game this man was trying to play over him. Marius had never played well with others, especially people who believed they carry authority over others. And no way in hell would he ever come to throw his fists around for the whims of another. He scoffed, simply, as the man slammed his foot on the bench behind Marius. Did he truly think that would be enough to intimidate Marius into submitting? Or was he simply trying to keep his own ego afloat? The red-haired male simply tilted his head, a gesture of casual calmness before the raging typhoon that Sauvage was slowly shifting into. He had met his fair share of egos, and blunette here was no exception. "I don't scare easily," Marius replied as Sauvage threw his first snap.
Whatever the case, the conversation between them had evidently developed into something more hostile than not. The tension was heated, and everyone in the room could feel it. A few had even began to turn away from the fight happening in the cage, and was beginning to eye them instead. Sauvage would continue to try and belittle Marius' stance with words, only to receive a huff in reply. He had gotten him all wrong. He wasn't one to shy away from blood money. Hell, the money that paid for his meal and his lodgings were blood money. Money he earned from beating down others. But it had been done by his own volition. He swung his fists for his sake.
In short, he simply refused to be someone else's mutt.
Whatever the case, Marius had expected what would happen next, as Sauvage moved towards his goons. Four of them. Marius gritted his teeth. Had he bitten off more than he could chew here? He took a deep breath, as he flexed his fingers, before rolling his head to stretch his neck. "Typical," he started, before releasing a light chuckle. "I've met a number of people like you, but at least some of them had the stones to finish their own fights, instead of hiding behind their dogs."
He... He wasn't alright. His mood seemed to be jumping all over the place. Expressions of agony, and then excitement. Frustration, and then relief. Though his body remained ever steadfast - mostly - his facial expressions were all over the place. Marius furrowed his eyebrows. Was that perhaps what his senses had been telling him? That this man was dangerous not because of his strength, but because of that state of mind he was stuck in? That wanton unpredictability?
He whispered once more, and from where he stood, Marius could not hear what he was saying. Whatever it was, though, it seemed to snap a gear inside him into place, as his body adopted a more... Defensive posture. Even his movement was more solid this time round. Great. The attack came, and Marius reacted as he had learned to react. He moved. He leaned to the left, his arm coming up to swipe the fist away from his person, as he tried to divert the attack away. And that was when the follow up came. His eyes widened, and he found himself only able to bear the impact as he tucked his chin in.
His brain rattled in his skull, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. As he had pegged earlier. Unpredictable. Taking a sharp inhale to force his brain to remain connected to his spine - rhetorically speaking, of course - he moved to throw his right arm forward, going under their other arms, as he threw a low uppercut into the man's solar plexus.
Good impact. Marius' eyes squinted slightly as he felt the recoil of the hit. This man was tough. The red-haired male gritted his teeth, more so worried at how the male had succeeded in remaining standing after that. This was definitely going to be tougher than the thugs Marius would find himself encountering usually. Then came the man's retort, a rebuttal to the red-head's counter. A quick left hand snapped inwards, slamming against Marius' wrist. His eyes widened at the impact, the force behind the attack a lot sharper than the vessel was expecting. As Signus retreated, so would Marius. The strength his appearances belied was a new development that Marius knew he'd have to take note of. He staggered back a few steps, readopting his posture as his arms came up halfway his torso.
Something was odd, though. The man looked excruciatingly frustrated. Was it because Marius had just been done flooring his mates? He glanced over his shoulder briefly, noticing that the two thugs had managed to crawl away from the scene, across the ground, unable still to get back up on his feet. Or perhaps too frightened to do so. They did not look all too relieved at the arrival of their 'third member', though.
Could it be that they never actually knew of each other?
If that was the case, then this situation was even more odd. Who was this dude? Golden eyes traversed back to Signus, and he took a deep breath. Regardless of his identity, or motive, what Marius needed to do never changed. And that was to fight his way out of here, one way or another. If this man would decide to stay in his way, then it would be his misfortune. Another deep breath, and he tucked his chin in slightly, eyes focusing in on the white-haired male. A hand stretched forward, then, and his fingers curled in, as if beckoning him closer.
The way I see it, then, the only interaction that would have, say, development to it would be with Marius, wouldn't it? I'd say, we can have them maybe find themselves in the middle of a wanton attack by Chaos, and both of them, being in preferably a secluded area, forced to work together, or at the very least, ally up in order to make it out of the ambush. At the very least, this would add some history for future interactions to be built on, and not just have them 'random meet and talk'.
Like a prey that had been stalked by a predator, Marius' senses screamed caution the moment the third arrival started his approach. Alerting him. Warning him. Marius' eyes widened slightly. This odd sensation. He had only felt it a handful of times before, and majority of those times, it had been against those crazy agents of chaos attempting to kill him. Was this another one? His lips curled into a deep frown, as he clenched his right fist. Forget the two behind him. This one was the biggest threat, even if he didn't look as menacing as they did. Marius would turn his footing appropriately, just enough for him to completely face Signus. It wasn't often that Marius was made to tap into the vengeful spirit that existed within him, but he wasn't so foolish as to not do so when faced with a more... Mystical threat.
"Tch," came his only reply to Signus' taunt, and the man's body lurched forward for an attack. A punch was thrown, and Marius blinked in momentary confusion. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, and it only made the red-haired male even more curious. He gritted his teeth, knowing that he'd have to be extra careful for this bout.
With that said, he would slide his left leg back, and throw his weight upon it, lifting his right up to his toes. His left hand snapped forward, fingers outstretched and palm wide, as he attempted to catch the impact of the fist. He loosened his elbows, allowing it to cushion the blow, and only tightened his arm as soon as the initial blunt was mitigated. He curled his fingers in tightly, pads digging into his skin, his right arm positioning itself then by his body.
And came his counter, as he snapped the poised right foot inwards, swinging it out and back in by pivoting around his knee, as he slammed his shin against the side of Signus' leading leg. As long as the man proved himself incapable of using any form of 'magic', then neither would Marius. It would be cruel to unleash the flame on someone that he could have just been mistakenly paranoid about.
The sensations could only be described as overwhelming to the unaccustomed. The scent of cigar and alcohol, mixed in with the stench of blood and sweat, perfumed the air. The sounds of cheers, jeers and cusses from the crowd that indulged in their bestial need for violence danced around the vicinity of the caged ring. Hanging bright lights from the ceiling, temporary and haphazard, in their placements illuminated the area. Within, flesh pounded against flesh, paying tribute to a form of entertainment that had been ingrained into the history of mankind since the Romans celebrated it. It used to be gladiators, fighting in the Colosseum, for either gold or freedom, a blood sport for the entertainment of the masses, bringing a sense of control to an activity that was often waged around their borders year after year. Now, it was but a simple caged ring, away from the public view, and exclusive only to the rich and powerful. Though unsanctioned and illegal on all accounts, there had always been something about money and influence that made people feel they were above the law. This was simply an example on it, how they endorsed and gambled on the fate of the fighters within the fenced hexagon.
Marius was one of such fighters. With his card now called upon, the red-haired Frenchman paced through the opened entrance of the ring. This was his livelihood, an occupation that depended solely on his ability to procure victories over his opponents. For someone who had lacked the education that the common people would receive in a city like New Paris, sources of revenue were limited to him. Besides, he had always displayed a knack for violence, even if he did not outright seek it. It put food on the table. That was good enough for him.
Marius sighed as he drowned out the sounds of the crowd, allowing himself to hop on the balls of his feet. He was clad in a plain black shorts, his hands padded with a leather glove. Crimson hair was slicked back, save two distinct rebellious strands that stuck out over his face. Golden eyes peered blankly, yet with an intense focus, towards the center of the ring. This was just another Friday for him. And if he won this fight, it would secure him for the next two weeks.
This was what his life had been reduced to, over the years, and though he carried no pride in that fact itself, he'd simply tell himself that it was how it was. This was the hand he had been dealt with, and he was going to play it to the best of his abilities. He took a deep breath, the muffled sound of the announcer piercing through his focus just enough for him to hear the introduction for his opponent. A newcomer? He blinked, curiousity getting the better of him, as his eyes wandered back towards the entrance. Who had they paired him off against this time round?
The skin LIGHTS OFF was made by JAWN of WICKED WONDERLAND.
HALATION was created by KOJIHIME. Images belong to their respective artists. All codes and scripts belong to their respective coders. Please DO NOT take anything without the owners' permission.