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.
Sat near the far corner of the inner entrance, Cassian didn't make a sound in the slightest while remaining away from the rest of the blizzard-trapped civilians who were all scattered closely among one another, conversing about the shock weather conditions New Paris had suffered as of late. In all honesty, it had even taken the white-faced magician by surprise; such extreme weather was a new presence in this land and while there were no solid proof, the carnival member had a faint hunch that magic had something to do with it. After all, with no warning or reason, the most radical of snowstorms ravaged every inch of New Paris without mercy - and in consistent fashion. Earlier on the in the day, it had wavered to tough yet manageable conditions, prompting Cassian to go and explore the city a little more rather than end up stuck in his circus tent for yet another day. However, caught in this place - along with other members of the public - due to the sudden and violent rise of the blizzard once more simply made him trapped in a different environment instead. [break][break]
A crowd of people briefly took glances outside through the glass panels at the snowy storm, lingering between activities of talking, debating and simply observing; the reception to this mega-store was solid defense from the outside conditions, even if it could be minutes or hours before conditions were survivable enough to leave. Right now? Traveling outside seemed not only stupid - but hazardous. [break][break]
Cassian didn't take much notice to the other residents of this store; they weren't of any importance to him nor were they going to be once this was all over and everyone moved on. His separation from the rest of them suited him best - and probably made the rest of them feel at ease since his rather odd appearance certainly did not fit in with their typical aesthetics. Halloween was long gone by now; from their perspectives some may have been worried about the snowstorm and the strange, blue-haired man who was white as a ghost. However, whether they did or did not was of no issue to the magician; he simply sat quietly on a counter with a book in his hand, legs crossed, golden eyes reading over the words. A grey, fitted outfit covered his torso - similar to his usual magician attire yet long-sleeved and notably thicker; a white cravat of sorts laid warmly around his neck. White gloves finished the look at the bottom of his arms, a burgundy sash around his midsection as pants of similar fit and texture followed downward to end with black, pointed boots. It was not the most anti-freeze outfit possible, yet it allowed the circus sorcerer to get through the conditions without completely icing over. [break][break]
A flick of the page brought the magician's gaze onto the next set of words, when all of a sudden, a womanly shriek of fear and panic rattled into the air, causing Cassian's head to lift up in acknowledgment, the same as everyone else huddled in this place of shelter. The entrance door was partially open, letting a bitter chill flow within.[break][break]
"M-my little girl! M-My little girl has wandered out into the snow! I only took eyes off her for a...for a second!"[break][break]
[attr="class","gamelyrics"]When your dreams all fail And the ones we hail Are the worst of all And the blood’s run stale
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This blizzard was the devil. She doubted that anyone that was trapped in this building would even dispute her on the matter. Keeping away from the others Noire kept to herself by the window eyes watching the snow that was falling onto the ground. It was hard not to be curious as to what was happening outside. Was the water truly frozen? How much snow was making its home on the floor right now? She wanted to slip past people and go outside to explore but the last time she tried to do that she was stopped.[break] Wasn't like she couldn't take the person who was standing before her but she didn't want to be looked at oddly. So instead Noire had backed down and gone back to the window once more. Her tongue clicking in annoyance at having been stopped from her own adventure. Unlike most of the people in this building, she had dressed like it was below zero, to begin with. It was after all her normal attire.[break] Black demi jeans dipped into a pair of steel toe combat boots, a long sleeve shirt which was hidden under a heavy jacket kept her rather warm. Her long hair kept the back of her neck warm even though it was starting to get colder as time went on. Slowly she played some scenes through her head in order to get herself out of this building before luck or rather fate came knocking. [break] M-my little girl! M-My little girl has wandered out into the snow! I only took eyes off her for a...for a second! [break] Eyes all but sparked with glee before she schooled them couldn't have the people thinking she was insane. "Oh my!" she gasped with the rest of the people before pushing her way toward the front. Those eerily bright eyes locked on the crying mother. "How terrible! Tell me, ma'am, what does your daughter look like? Where was the last time you saw her?" raising her hands she placed them on her shoulders to "calm" her.[break] The mother sniffled and with a panic, voice rushed out to explain what Noire needed. I saw her just before two blocks away. I thought she was behind me! The snow was coming down so much...I thought...I... In Noire's eyes she was already a horrible mother but she kept that to herself. Instead, she nodded and urged her on.[break] She had short b-black hair, b-bright gr-green eyes. Today she wanted to dress like a unicorn so she looks like a colorful mess. B-b-but she has on a unicorn hat, and a bright pink snow jacket. S-she is probably so cold... So she was looking for a kid who puked color. "I see..." nodding to the female Noire pulled her hands from her shoulders. "Do not worry Ma'am I will find your daughter"[break] Ignoring the others who all started to give their advice at once Noire was already on the move toward the door. Freedom was ever so close.
Cassian's blue-haired head raised a little more after the woman had finished her worrying outburst regarding her missing child, the half-open entrance a chilling whisper as to what kind of constant cold the lost youngling would currently be getting bombarded with, a littering sky of snow showing no hesitation in its downfall to man, woman and child. The book remained open in his gloved hand with the words beneath his eyes sitting in silent patience, although the magician had his eyes glued to the sight of a pink-haired lady that had started out with intentions of calming the hysterical woman. And it worked; the lady was still terrified for her child of course and panic was evident in her voice, yet now the details of this incident and the description of the poor girl were coming to light. With details, came solutions...and with solutions, came hope. However, hope was the best bet for anyone venturing out into the blistering white outside; thankfully the mother had wrapped the child up warmly by the sounds of it, so she may actually have some time out there in the snowstorm. Whether that would mean just enough time to be found or simply a longer, more drawn-out death was still up in the air.[break][break]
His golden hues observed the exchange as he sat in the corner, slitted eyes focused on the interaction while his listened to all the details that hurried from the panicking mother's mouth, collecting mental notes to himself as he contemplated taking it upon himself to go out into the freezing conditions in order to find this frightened, alone child. The magician was no saint compared to others in the world, however a child locked into a terrifying situation of neglect and bitter, unforgiving cold were one that they probably did not deserve. Cassian was no vigilante or lawman in search of problems to right, however this one was right in front of him and within his grasp to take hold of and correct. The thought pondered in his head a little more.[break][break]
Surprisingly, the pink-haired woman in the warm clothing had proclaimed that she would be the one to wander out into the snowstorm and find the missing child. Cassian's white-faced head tilted a little, the golden star and blue tear underneath his eyes framing a look of slight surprise as his brows above raised subtly. How bold of her. Though, however bold, the situation remained a dire one and anyone could be caught out in those conditions; not only was a young child at risk but now a well-meaning woman willing to put her own safety on the line. Well, now he certainly had no excuse. [break][break]
"Please, young lady, be still." A voice called out calmly from the corner, the magician standing up with his book clapping shut; one hand rested behind his lower back as he began stepping over in her direction. Some people had begun to take notice, others looked somewhat wary as their own conversations and comforting to the mother went on. "A moment, if you will." Cassian stated while closing the distance between the two. His hand behind his back whipped out a white handkerchief while the book rested in his palm. "Venturing out alone into this storm is a hazardous endeavor." The magician told her, placing the handkerchief over his box, completely covering the size of it. Suddenly, his hands pressed from above and beneath, squishing the cloth together like there were nothing underneath it. The book had vanished and he shook his signature cloth out to the side in an effortless whip before slotting it back into the middle of his outfit. "I feel compelled to accompany you; this has more chance of success should we do it together." He finished, a very subtle and emotionless smile upon his lips that matched the slitted, cold eyes inside his head, voice having no urgency to it and instead only composed assurance. [break][break]
The others had continued to try and comfort the lady, a couple others witnessing the rhyming words of the sorcerer to the pink-haired individual. Holding an arm out toward the door, he gestured for her to make her way should she decide to continue on with her original actions, prepared to follow out into the unforgiving blizzard. [break][break]
[attr="class","gamelyrics"]WHEN YOUR DREAMS ALL FAIL AND THE ONES WE HAIL ARE THE WORST OF ALL AND THE BLOOD’S RUN STALE
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Please, young lady, be still[break] Noire came to a halt in her movements at the sound of the voice. Was he planning to stop her? She dare hoped not because she was going to have to kick the male if he tired. Just when the right situation came upon her that she could finally go exploring.[break] Slowly she turned around to find the figure who had spoken. What greeted her was a white-faced male who looked like a clown who jumped out of a storybook. Interesting. Bright green eyes took in the high-class features, the teardrop, and star bright against the pale white of his flesh. Was he wearing makeup perhaps? Or did he, in fact, have that tattooed on his cheeks? Noire had the sudden urge to reach up and touch them to see if they were wiped away.[break] "Yes?" She couldn't help that her eyes dipped and followed the hand that appeared with the white handkerchief. It was hard to focus on his words as he watched him make the book vanish from view completely. Now that was just interesting. She wondered how he did it. Actually, she was tempted to just forget the child and the outside to break down just what he had done.[break] Tempted. But she wasn't about ready to give up the idea of exploring just yet. Finally, Noire broke whatever spell that had her staring at his hands waiting for the book to reappear. "Is it now and wait, what?" her head snapped up to stare at his face. He was offering to come with her? She didn't know if she truly wanted another with her on this adventure. But, it was always better to go in a pair for such a thing.[break] Plus she didn't want it to seem suspicious if she chose to go alone. After all, was she really going out to find the child? Allowing her lips to curve into a smile Noire gave a small nod in his direction. "I would be more than happy for the help in such a search." Damn now she actually had to find the child in a timely manner.[break] Eyes flicked to the worried mother as she gave her a small smile. She didn't care to find the child truth be told. If the mother could lose her own kid in such a dangerous scene the child was probably better left out in the cold.
For the smallest of moments, Cassian could tell that his little trick which was pulled off with barely any effort at all had taken her interest. The way she followed the trick and the look in her eyes were all that he needed to perceive in order to make that observation. However, Alba Vacuo - the white handkerchief he carried around - had mystical properties that sent the book to a separate, pocket dimension. Even if all individuals within the building banded together to partake in the ultimate pat-down of his frame, the book would never be found unless he recalled it. Thankfully, she did not take the chance to inquire further about it and simply accepted his words as they came; with their ideas in agreement now, it had seemed that the first step to saving this poor child had been taken. However, the next set of steps would be much more uncertain in their outcome.[break][break]
Nodding at the pinkette, the magician's expression remained unchanged, golden hues now shifting away from her and into the blizzard outside; his gaze coldly fixated at the extreme weather before steps started to take him closer and closer to the open entrance. Halting, he took one final glance over his shoulder to the mother in distress, his stare lingering on her for a moment as her own eyes caught onto his. "And only one question from me." The sorcerer voiced to her, gaining her focus. "What might her name be?" Cassian inquired; in case it somehow came down to that information alone later on.[break][break]
"Lily. It's Lily."[break][break]
Acknowledging eyes rolled back to face in front. Turning his head back to open door, the time to leave had come. The icy invitation from the snowstorm came in sharp gusts that entered into the building; Cassian exited out from the interior with a foot pressing into the snow, his blue-haired head entering the outer world once more for the day. Mercilessly - and without no means of moderation - the freezing snow, ruthless chill and wild winds all attacked together at once. A white-gloved hand came up to cover over his mouth, pressing firmly into his own face with his slitted eyes attempting to see out into the storm - plotting the opening move that would begin their course. His hair whirled around from the mad gusts, littered in specs of white in no time, his body moving forwards like it were carrying weights on a sled behind since the wind was so strong. Harsh temperatures could be felt even through his clothing and even more so on his bare skin - a blistering experience that he could do without. [break][break]
Focusing his eyes downward, his other arm came up to cover around his forehead in an attempt to clear his sight as much as possible. The golden hues flickered downward, seeing footsteps that must have belonged to the woman given she were the most recent entry. They led down across the snow-covered road and up along the street - a straight path ahead from what he could make out through the obscured vision. Unfortunately, the storm didn't allow his vision to spot the footsteps after several meters but it was as good a route as any to begin with. [break][break]
Glancing over his shoulder to ensure that the pinkette had followed him out into the cold, one of his arms pointed forwards in the direction that they were now going. The duo would need to look for clues in order to find the path back to the stranded child. If the mother or the child had dropped items, left prints or anything of the sort, it could be a clue to follow. Trenching forwards, Cassian's legs resisted the wind's attempts to push him back, upper body leaning forward for support as his core remained strong, powering ahead in the blizzard with strong strides. As extreme as the blizzard had been since it occurred, this was one of its worst moments for sure. [break][break]
[break] They were upon you quickly. There rotten flesh covered in armor, swords and shields hanging loosely within their arms. Their eyes glowed with an icy blue light as they shuffled through the streets. They had approached in such silence that neither of you had even noticed until it was too late. It was as if the blizzard itself had given form and life to the youma. You were surrounded, and your quest for the little girl put on hold. The undead moans of the Draugr echoed loudly around. A group of them moved to attack, some swinging swords in your direction, others launching shards of ice from their rotten hands. You must act quickly otherwise you would soon be overwhelmed. [break][break] Draugr x25: ★☆☆☆☆☆[break][break] You are allowed to defeat 5 Draugr per post.[break][break] You have 48 hours to defeat all the Draugr.[break][break]
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.
