Independent & Selective Medieval/Urban Fantasy OC (and one Canon) Multimuse RP Blog. Multiverse Friendly. Mun and muses are 18+. Icon by @yaddori-art on Twitter. Penned by Vikareus.
A distressed man stumbles into view before you, his head bleeding profusely as he tripped and fell on the sidewalk. His dirty, bloodstained hands frantically latch onto your shirt the instant you get close, and then he desperately pleads with you for help. You hurriedly reach for your smartphone, but a powerless croak steals your attention before you can dial 911.
Gasping frightenedly, you watch morbidly with widened eyes as the man, whose throat had been slit, slowly releases his grip on your now-ruined shirt while you back away instinctively. You then look up, and you see a tall, hellish, horned creature standing in front of you, wielding a sanguine-coated dagger with a rune-etched obsidian blade in one hand while tears flowed freely from his blood-and-gold eyes.
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The brass bell hanging above the door jingles merrily as you make your way inside the cafe. The positive reviews you've read online about Little Eden were truthful for the most part, but words fail to bring to life the strangely inviting, laidback atmosphere that is absent in major coffee chains such as Sunbucks.
"Welcome to Little Eden," a tall, blonde, muscular ram with remarkable blue eyes and a black barista apron draped over his clothes smiled warmly at you as he bowed slightly. "Allow me to show you to your seat."
With his guidance, you sit down at one of the booths near the stenciled window and promptly order a sandwich set and a latte without a second thought. He returns minutes later with your lunch, and you thank your host before digging in. From the moment you take a bite of a tuna-and-mayo sandwich and wash it down with some latte, you can't help but feel you have become a bit closer to heaven.
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You are browsing the local corner store for snacks and other goods when you hear shouting behind you. You turn around and catch sight of a tall, broad-shouldered female boar with long, braided hair lifting the owner off his feet while being flanked by some flunkies. She says something about him owing her protection fee, and that it's about time she stops playing nice. Before a punch can land on his face, an equally statuesque female hyena with a prominent crimson mohawk garbed in punk clothes and piercings catches her fist. With a confident, battle-ready smirk, she suggests they settle business outside as blue lightning bolts crackle around her free hand.
She turns her head to face the owner afterward, reminding him that he should return an artifact he borrowed from her ASAP...
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You quietly curse yourself for missing the Hollow expansion warning on your phone, which you forgot to recharge the night before, as you stare fearfully at the pack of Ethereals that slowly but surely closing in on you. Black, grey, and green monstrosities with black hole-like heads that know nothing else but cruelty towards all non-Ether lifeforms, you flinch as one of them launched itself at you with its blade arm.
But something kicked the creature away before it can bring harm to you. Standing in front of you now is a tall, white-furred humanoid wolf in black butler attire with numerous belts adorning his arms and large, fluffy tail. Looking down, you see that his legs are mechanical prosthetics far more advanced than any civilian models you know.
"Worry not," the wolf said to you, his tone calm and refined. "I shall take care of these uninvited guests."
. . .
"TORA!!" was what the musclebound, humanoid Ethereal(?) with wild long hair shouted as it throws a gauntlet-clad hook at a skinny Hollow Thug before it, sending the poor criminal flying away with a pained yet comical yelp. His beefier comrade fares no better either, with the bizarre being pulverizing his gauntlets and soon his body in a flurry of fists, repeating the same battle cry you hear over and over as it did. A tall, brawny Tiger (Beast) Thiren in a tan longcoat with a torn cap stands nearby, his hands in his pocket as he calmly watches the entity metes out its - or was it his - own brand of justice.
On the other side of the battlefield in the Hollow is the tiger's partner - a smaller, skinnier, but equally athletic Sphynx Cat Thiren, who is also the Beast type. He whoops with childlike excitement as he swings around a weight attached via a metal chain to the end of a climbing axe with unbridled confidence and masterful proficiency, tripping up numerous Thugs and disarming others of their weapons. As he uses the chain to clotheslines one of them, you catch him winking at you with an oddly adorable toothy grin.
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Sitting in the middle of a busy tavern in the evening, you overhear a nearby conversation between a silver-scaled dragonborn with mismatched purple-and-cyan eyes and a man who appears to be afflicted with severe sleep deprivation. With a weary voice, the latter speaks of his recent troubles with a group of restless spirits who have tormented him at the graveyard where he works as a grave keeper and at his home. At first, you assume the dragonborn to be a cleric until he gently prompts the man to continue his story, and you catch what seems to be two skeletal specters hovering near the dragonborn's shoulders. One of them, who bears moth-like antennas on its head with a matching, flowing wing-like cape, gives you an acknowledging nod.
I'll see if I can find a moment to edit the muses page later, but this will be the list for the Zenless muses I currently RP:
First, the OCs:
Jordan Johannes (S-Rank Ether, Stun): A tall, muscular Tiger Beast Thiren with a generally composed, no-nonsense demeanor who has a mysterious Ethereal-like entity bound to him in body and mind. Despite sharing almost nothing in common with the pink-haired leader of a certain odd job agency, his financial luck was just as bad, if not worse, than hers.
Mortymer 'Mortym' Shayfer (A-Rank Physical, Anomaly): Jordan's wiry, easygoing Beast Cat Thiren partner, notable for having little to no fur as befitting a Sphynx. Despite his fighting prowess with a pair of chain-linked axes, he has developed a reputation for being a shameless glutton and an irreverent jokester. Perhaps there's more to him than he's willing to let on?
"I could, but then I also wouldn't have a lotta room to move around,” Mortym claimed. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I’m tossing and turning or if I fall off the couch.”
Had it not been for the meditation techniques he learned at Yunkui Summit, Wise would have been just as restless. However, he was just about to drift off into dreamland when he heard someone knocking on his bedroom door.
He walked over and opened the door, squinting at the dim light coming through. "Mortym...? What's wrong?"
"You mind if I can share the bed with you for a night, Wise Guy?" Mortym asked, giving the Proxy a friendly smile that came off as overcompensating. "I'm worried roughing it on the couch will give me a nasty neck-ache in the mornin'."
It was stupid, but Liv felt a slight twinge in her chest. It wasn't the first time someone said that to her, but it meant something different coming from someone she regarded so highly as a friend and ally. "Enj—" She stopped herself, swallowing hard. She made enough allusions to her quickened demise for one day. "I'm glad you're here, too."
Night may have fallen, both in the Outer Ring and at the city, but Mortym remained restless. The moo goo gai pan Senior Yinhu whipped up for his favorite junior was the best thing he had ever eaten after Sergio dipped out of the detective agency, but if he was going to see this comm through, he needed more than just food.
With a blanket wrapped snugly around his upper body, the Sphynx Thiren knocked rhythmically on the door to Wise's room six times.
She shrugged. "It kept me fed. Staxx always needs someone or something dead. A lot of mercs either die or quit well before they work as long as I have." She paused, looking out the window wistfully. Did she wish she could hang up the merc life as well? Had she tried? "After surviving Apophis, every mission after that seemed easy. But losing good mercs never is..."
"Yeah," Pulchra nodded, looking out the window alongside Liv. She wanted to say something, but the right words didn't come to her mind at that point. Apophis is the name for the titanic serpent-worm hybrid of an Ethereal that have reduced countless unlucky mercs to meat on their first, and what she thought was the last, commission together. It remained the reason why most would never venture near or into the Ramses Hollow unless they have a death wish.
The Feline Thiren then looked at her lemur companion. They did their best with the cruel hand they have been dealt with, no matter how ugly the consequences may have been. Neither of them got the time nor the attention to deal with morals and ethics. They were concepts better left to city dwellers who didn't have to think about survival on a daily basis.
"If it weren't for Uncle Rai, I'd have died. He wasn't blood, but he knew my mom from the Defense Force. He was a Bat Thiren, didn't sugarcoat a damn thing. Pissed me off way too many times, but he was the only person who could have put up with my shit." Her ear twitched, Liv looking away slightly. She blinked a few times, her voice shaking slightly, rising in pitch. "...The first two years after his death were harder than the three years I had with him. Your survival was the first good thing from that time that lasted..."
"I can say the same thing about you too," Pulchra said, offering Liv a consoling smile. "I'm glad we grew strong enough to outlast everything the world threw our way until we meet again. But tell me, how does it feel like being one of Senatus' top mercs?"
Despite her best attempt to keep her amusement private, Pulchra almost immediately burst into a fit of hysterical laughter when Liv came back from showering. In a span of what seemed like hours, she has transformed from an intimidating Senatus merc into an almost harmless plushie she'd see in a gift shop at the city, completed with her distinct frown. It was just too much.
Surprisingly enough, Liv didn't shut her up with a glare or a harsh word. Whatever she was thinking, she kept to herself. They could use a small moment of respite from what transpired today, she thought.
"This is the best part of the day for Cat Thirens, too," Pulchra commented, smiling as she sat down next to Liv while dressed in a towel of her own. "You do this very often?"
Indeed, Liv didn't shut her up with a glare or harsh words. Her mask was off, so the Cat Thiren could see Liv's lips curl up in a smile for the first time ever. Was it the feeling of steam on her body or the sound of Pulchra's laughter that made her smile?
With Liv's face unobscured, Pulchra could see more of the Ethereal cracks throughout it. Earlier, Liv's eyes and scars had glowed a bright purple, but had long since faded to a darker shade.
"Not often enough, clearly. I forgot my hair does this. My brother used to stick a comb in my hair after I showered, and it'd just stay there." Liv chuckled, her voice rising in pitch much higher than her typical speaking voice, surprisingly cute coming from someone who put the "merc" in "merciless." Without the mask projecting her voice as well, she sounded much softer, calmer.
Liv's smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, her ears drooping. "I haven't seen him in 13 years. His name is Roman. The last time we saw each other, New Eridu was still Eridu. Some bastards broke into our house one night and killed our parents. Roman was out with friends, so I escaped by myself. Tried to get a hold of him, but Uncle Rai said we had to keep moving in case they wanted to kill me next. Haven't set foot in the city since."
Despite her best attempt to keep her amusement private, Pulchra almost immediately burst into a fit of hysterical laughter when Liv came back from showering. In a span of what seemed like hours, she has transformed from an intimidating Senatus merc into an almost harmless plushie she'd see in a gift shop at the city, completed with her distinct frown. It was just too much.
Surprisingly enough, Liv didn't shut her up with a glare or a harsh word. Whatever she was thinking, she kept to herself. They could use a small moment of respite from what transpired today, she thought.
"This is the best part of the day for Cat Thirens, too," Pulchra commented, smiling as she sat down next to Liv while dressed in a towel of her own. "You do this very often?"
Indeed, Liv didn't shut her up with a glare or harsh words. Her mask was off, so the Cat Thiren could see Liv's lips curl up in a smile for the first time ever. Was it the feeling of steam on her body or the sound of Pulchra's laughter that made her smile?
With Liv's face unobscured, Pulchra could see more of the Ethereal cracks throughout it. Earlier, Liv's eyes and scars had glowed a bright purple, but had long since faded to a darker shade.
"Not often enough, clearly. I forgot my hair does this. My brother used to stick a comb in my hair after I showered, and it'd just stay there." Liv chuckled, her voice rising in pitch much higher than her typical speaking voice, surprisingly cute coming from someone who put the "merc" in "merciless." Without the mask projecting her voice as well, she sounded much softer, calmer.
Wise opened up his lunchbox. "Senior Yinhu packed way too much for me to eat. Help yourself to some fine Yunkui Summit cuisine." He chuckled. "And what's with that look on your face? Something tells me you know something."
. . .
Liv and Pulchra were only able to get a one-bed motel. Liv found it practical; a two-bed likely would have cost more. Even so, the lemur thoroughly investigated the room, checking for any traps, contraptions, or mercenaries lying in wait to ambush the two women. She let Pulchra shower first, knowing how long it would take before she was completely satisfied.
Lemurs preferred humid areas, so when it was her turn to shower, she spent twice as long as Pulchra did. It had also been a longer time since Liv showered last, so the poor girl took advantage of that luxury while she knew she had it. Besides, it wasn't as if she had to pay extra for utilities. Before showering, she noticed more faded purple cracks throughout her body, slightly brighter at her shoulder blades. It seemed every day, more and more of her body was succumbing to the Ether, though the wooziness and nausea she felt from Corruption didn't get any worse.
Of course, the majority of her Corruptions cars weren't visible by the time she stepped out of the bathroom. Her fur became poofy all over, her head now sporting a small white afro. She asked Pulchra to put her clothes in the wash, so the lemur would remain covered in a white towel for the time being.
The sun was beginning to set, shining through the window. Liv sat down in front of the window, letting her shoulders slump with a relieved sigh before stretching her arms out, as if trying to embrace the sun as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes.
Despite her best attempt to keep her amusement private, Pulchra almost immediately burst into a fit of hysterical laughter when Liv came back from showering. In a span of what seemed like hours, she has transformed from an intimidating Senatus merc into an almost harmless plushie she'd see in a gift shop at the city, completed with her distinct frown. It was just too much.
Surprisingly enough, Liv didn't shut her up with a glare or a harsh word. Whatever she was thinking, she kept to herself. They could use a small moment of respite from what transpired today, she thought.
"This is the best part of the day for Cat Thirens, too," Pulchra commented, smiling as she sat down next to Liv while dressed in a towel of her own. "You do this very often?"
"I highly doubt Pulchra would lead me into a trap. I trust her enough to say that. I don't know who her friend is, but she sounds like someone not to mess with."
"Gotcha," a flash of curiosity - and what appeared to be hopeful yet skeptical expectation? - appeared briefly on the Sphynx's face. "Either way, I'll make sure you get home to your sister in one piece."
As Mortym smirked, his stomach suddenly growled fiercely with demand. He chuckled sheepishly as his ears lowered slightly.
“'Fraid not, Wise Guy.” Mortym sighed, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back against the couch to fold his arms across his chest. “He’s somehow even more slippery than a Golden Bangboo during a Hollow comm. Without him, JoJo and I have tried to work our butts off to keep up with rent, but we ain't getting any closer to paying it off no matter what. You wouldn’t happen to know where he’s been, would you?”
A tabby Thiren man stuffed the still warm pistol in his suit jacket, the checkerboard linoleum slowly being painted red as another man in a suit lay dead, eyes staring up at his killer, jaw agape. The difference between the two was that one was a dead man, and the other was a dead man walking.
The Thiren turned to the Bangboo and said, "...Not a word a' this ta anyone, Proxy. Not ta Jordan. Not ta Twitch. Nobody." Even through the Thiren's shades, Wise could see just how terrified and distraught he was. His tail flicked wildly, his ears flat against his head.
"I tried to contact him for weeks. Not even Fairy knows where he is," said Wise. It pained him to lie to Mortym like that, but it was better to lie than to see either Mortym or Jordan riddled with bullets as Rashan was. Sergio was sure to approach Wise and Belle with a commission any day now. That time, he wouldn't be alone...but Jordan and Mortym would hopefully never know. "Anyway, let's get down to business. I just got off the phone with Pulchra. She told me she needed my help in unlocking a phone in the Outer Ring. She's made her way to the city plenty of times, so the fact she didn't come here to get it fixed likely means she can't come here for some reason. She told me the Sons of Calydon can't hear about this, and her friend told me to come alone. I told them both that I needed some kind of escort. You're the only person I know from the Outer Ring who doesn't have any ties to the Sons of Calydon."
"True," Mortym responded, nodding slowly. He had seen the Cat Thiren on the New Eridan streets a couple of times while he was out and about running errands. Aside from exchanging glances, he never spoke with her, but boy, was he glad that Wise got good taste when it comes to picking his Agents. "But how do you know this isn't some kinda trap?"
"Uh...I wouldn't get your hopes up," he said with a nervous laugh. "How's Jordan doing? Any leads on Sergio recently?"
It was a surprise to see the tabby during the adventure with Mockingbird and the Sacrifices. It had been several months since Sergio left Tiger Eye after a commission gone wrong. Even to the current day, Wise wondered if Sergio's friend Rashan would still be alive if he employed Jordan and Mortym's help.
As far as Wise knew, only he knew what happened to Sergio, leaving Jordan and Mortym without a clue. Without Sergio's financial aid, the two other felines likely had to focus on not getting evicted rather than finding the elusive tabby.
“'Fraid not, Wise Guy.” Mortym sighed, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back against the couch to fold his arms across his chest. “He’s somehow even more slippery than a Golden Bangboo during a Hollow comm. Without him, JoJo and I have tried to work our butts off to keep up with rent, but we ain't getting any closer to paying it off no matter what. You wouldn’t happen to know where he’s been, would you?”
It would be the first time Mortym ever saw him in his Suibian Temple getup. Wise hadn't spoken to him in person since beginning his training. He couldn't recall if he ever sent the Thiren any pictures of him in those clothes.
"Eheh...I just hope you haven't gotten anything from the fridge, Mortym. It's been a month or so since Belle and I last shopped around..." He closed his eyes in slight embarrassment.
"Don't worry 'bout it, Wise Guy," Mortym replied, grinning a bit too hard as he waved his hand towards the Proxy after having gotten up from lying sideways on the couch, his elbow previously propped on one of the cushions. Meanwhile, an opened chip bag and a half-empty beverage can stood near the right foot of the couch.
"Say, that's a pretty fancy getup you got there. Do you wear it while you learn how to catch swords with your bare hands?"
