open The Circulation

[FractalMoon 378]

Lily sighs, "I'm not talking about robbing banks per-say. There are things you don't see in the financial system. Accounting errors, flaws in programming, billions of notes have been lost since the banks went digital, and due to the massive cash flow they regulate no one ever notices when an account loses a few thousand. I can see that money, and I can access it. The fifteen grand I have here was just rounding errors and interest calculations for the last ten months from that one bank, I can't access anything more permanent without access to the bank's Intranet. I haven't only stolen a cent in my life, but no one else knows that money even exists. Can you imagine what we could do with that kind of money?" Her equipment boots seemingly of its own accord, beginning to collect surveillance data from the surrounding area, "Alright, I'm into the Novarius security network, they really shouldn't have police radios linked to it, they are so easy to get into... Anyway, we'll know if anyone approaches within about half a mile of us even before the cops do."

[Chickey 383]

Misha arrived back at the base not long after and walked to the door, taking the cane with him now. He entered back inside and was glad to see that no one had locked the door after he left. He pulled out one of the boxes and sat down after he made sure it was clean. "So... who exactly are all of you. Names, rough backstory, stuff like that. That is unless we're operating on some sort of need to know basis here. Be where's the fun in that?" He asked.

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Sayaa steps out of her ethereal plane looking tired but happy. Hearing Misha, she clears her throat, "Heyo, I'm Sayaa and I'm not an alcoholic. Techinically, I'm Yasuna Sayaa, but Yasuna is my family name. I ran away from home and have been living a nice little street life. By the way, here's your watch. It's set to the correct time now." She hands Misha his watch and stays out of his reach from that point until she thinks it's safe. "I've been on my own for a while now, and I'm legally old enough to drive. Who's next?"

[Chickey 383]

"I suppose I should go next. After all I started this, it's only polite." Misha said as he put his watch back on, looking impressed but slightly annoyed. "I grew up as a poor orphan in Central Morden, living in a orphanage from the start. I never really knew my own name. So I just came up with Mikhail Anton Zoloto, Misha for short. Originally I just worked at a factory there, however later on one bad thing led to another and I began to work for the government as a manhunter after teaching myself magic based on an old friend of mine. I'd have to track down whoever they ask essentially." He said holding up his right palm, showing his tattoo for a moment. "The pay is quite good, however I'm growing bored of it for now. So tagging along here seems like some good temporary entertainment. Truth be told I don't have much of a use for this gods hand object. Just the recognition of being one of the people who found it is enough for me." He explained "That's the jist of it at least." He finished and then waited for someone else or if anyone had any questions. though It was rather obvious considering his attitude and appearance that he wasn't telling everything yet. 

Edited June 20, 2014 by Waluigi Time

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

"You ever have to kill someone important? Like... a political leader, or a gang leader, a revolutionary..." she thinks about it for a bit, "Wait, are you aloud to talk about it? Or would somebody want my fingers for that sort of information?" She wiggles her fingers and they crackle with a static sound. Uhh ohh... She takes her doll from her belt and begins pumping her magic into it, dumping it in the mana storage rods internalized in Block. She smiled as she felt the primitive mana battery's semi-conciousness respond with happiness. "Good Block."

[Chickey 383]

Misha gave a chuckle for a few moments, seemingly taking it like a joke before he just replied with "Yeah." instead with a grin. "I'd say that I've taken on about three to four jobs like that in the past. I don't think I should get into the specifics, but I don't think saying what I've said already should cause any trouble. Besides, I doubt anyone could stop me from talking anyways." He explained. "Political and gang leaders are the most common. Probably because revolutionaries would be stomped out before they get to be big enough of a problem." He added.

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

She nods, thinking. Most of the people she noticed shouting out counter-government propaganda mysteriously disappeared. She did tend to hear about political killings and such in the paper. Most of the time the police search was inconclusive. She always figured it was due to a corrupt police force, but whatever. "So then, why do you dress so obnox-. visually loud?"

[Chickey 383]

Misha thought for a moment. "I suppose it's just what I like while I'm not on any type of mission. Sometimes you'll have to do a costume change for a few of them." He explained. "I've never really had to fit in or anything either. Probably because I've never really socialized with anyone in the first place. I had a friend some time ago, but that's a experience that someone like me doesn't really want to repeat. So I pretty much just do what I want now. And it seems that involves dressing up in extravagant things." He finished.

[Samurshy 708]

Zeke listened patiently to Misha's story. Well, it sounds like he had a shitty childhood. Makes sense that he turned out to be a sadist. Zeke thought. 

"Well, I suppose I will go next. My name is Ezekiel Davis Redsteele, everyone calls me Zeke, though, truth be told... the last name that I go by isn't last name I was given at birth. I had a fairly normal childhood. I grew up in a nice suburban neighborhood. I had two parents, a sister, a dog. Though my life was changed drastically after I saved my sister from getting hit by a car, by jumping in front of it, and stopping it with my bare hands. After that, my parents thought I was an esper, so they sent me to an esper academy where the teachers were scientists. They studied me for months, they found out many things, like the birthmark on my right shoulder is the source of my power. They even gave a name to my ability, they called it Limit Evolution. But ultimately, they came to the conclusion that I wasn't an esper, and they kicked me out of the academy. After that, I returned home to my parents. I eventually found out about the existence of magicians, and had come to find out that the city I lived in was under the rule of a magician saint and her gang. So I found out where the gang was hiding, and I went to the hideout to try to talk to the magician saint. Of course, they didn't want to talk, and ultimately I got the shit kicked out of me. But, the magician saint was curious about my powers and decided to study my birthmark. After she looked at it, she said that it wasn't of magical origins either. When I turned eighteen I got my birthmark tattooed in, so it shown more prominently." Zeke explained most of his story and realized that he was getting to the part of his story that took a tragic turn.

"And about two years ago... I came home from my part time job... and-" Zeke stopped himself. It had only been two years ago that his family was destroyed by the level five esper all because he was too weak to stop him. Zeke wasn't ready to reopen those old wounds. 

"Well, never mind. Maybe someday I will tell you guys why I am trying to get God's Hand. But for now, that will have to be good enough." Zeke said, as he desperately tried to hide his anguish behind the facade of a jubilant expression on his face.

[Azura 1,107]

Hikari decided to share a slice of her story with the group. "My name is Hikari Suzuki, but you guys can call me Suzuki since Hikari is my first name and I wouldn't feel comfortable if you called me by my first name since we're not all that close, at least not right now." She explained before continuing with her little introduction. "I live alone in a mansion not far away from here, and it's nice and quiet. My parents were nice people, but I don't really live with them since they weren't really fond of my powers. Discovering my esper powers have changed my life drastically for the better though. I made a lot of new friends who are espers as well and everyone was treated equally." She finished.

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Sayaa studied Suzuki for a moment, "Are you like me? Oriental heritage? Because most people I know are more comfortable tossing around their first name over their last." She then looked at Zeke, "Well, if it makes you feel better, I don't want the 'God's Hand'. I just want food and a place to stay. And if that means working for it, so be it." Now she turned to Misha, "Friends among thieves is among the most important and dangerous things to have. To say that having one is an unpleasant experience can be an understatement, but swearing them off isn't the answer."

[Chickey 383]

"True. However I'm not really a friend making kind of guy anymore. If that wasn't already apparent." He said. "I like living, despite how unsavory the way I spend my days may seem. And I know getting close to anybody and trusting them has only gotten me the closest to death I've ever been." Misha added as he pulled his cane over and with a quick twist of his wrist the handle pulled out bringing a thin blade long enough to be called a sword with it. "In specific, it got me this shoved almost all the way through my chest and a rather long fall into the Mordenic Sea... I mean, it wasn't a cane at the time. I modified it after the incident as a memento." He explained as he put the cane back together. "Everyone has price, though I never claimed to not have very poor judgement on who I associate with."

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Sayaa laughs, "Oh, that's good. That's a good one right there. I wonder how much money it took. And they still fudged the job." She shakes her head, "Or maybe he or she didn't actually want to kill you. I've seen that too, although their client usually gets mad and the person usually get killed anyway. The cost being the original would-be assassins life..."

[Chickey 383]

Misha thought for a moment. "If I remember right it took almost one point six millions notes and a ticket out of Morden to get the backstabbing witch to kick me off a cruise ship while it was sailing. And when I say she was a backstabbing witch I mean it rather literally, considering she was indeed a witch. Up in Morden her kind are pursued rather viciously. I protected her for quite a long time, however despite all my efforts, that didn't sound quite as good as a way out of Morden entirely and a rather good start at a new life." He explained. "I can never know for sure, but I do believe she really had intentions of killing me. I should of died that day, but life clung on to me like a disease. I'm lucky that a fisherman's boat picked me up hours later though." He continued before he thought about what Sayaa finished with. "It's good for her that I would still be considered dead to this day. I've laid rather low since that day to keep that facade running. I still had to work, however there haven't been any survivors or witnesses since. I suppose coming out here could be considered my vacation from it." Misha finished as he twirled his cane around.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Waluigi Time

[FractalMoon 378]

Lily shrugs as everyone goes through their descriptions, "I didn't really live as interesting of a life as any of you guys. I mean, I'm an arms dealer and inventor, but it's not like I ran from home or anything.I just have my lab, and I try to stay out of everyone else's way. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm a technokinetic esper. I'm technically a high level 4, almost a level 5, but since my powers don't really suit combat well I fight like a strong 2 on a good day. By the way, if anyone could teach me how to use a firearm I would greatly appreciate that. As for the God's Hand, I want to research it and figure out some way to counteract its effects, just in case things go south." She goes back to typing quickly, making sure her new weapon will be ready by the time the next hint about the God's Hand shows up.

[Chickey 383]

"Cold as it might be, learning from the ordeal and trying to not grow attached to anyone no matter who they might be to me ended up saving me later on. It wasn't the last time someone tried to take my life by using my own emotions against me. That time I was far more prepared. It just seems the people that I meet just aren't really all too kind." He said with a sigh and a shrug before he turned to Lily, fishing something out from the side of his pants.

 

He pulled out a MP-443 Grach and twirled it around for a moments before he grabbed a magazine from his coat. "Picked up one of these babies and a few extra special treats on the way here, freshly shipped from Morden. Reminds me of home... I've never been told I'm the best teacher but I think I can tell you the basics." He said. "Slip in the mag, loaded preferably. Make sure the safety is off if you're going to fire. Pull back the slide, line up the sights with the guy who's about to have a bad day. And finally pull the trigger. If you want to reload the slide should be locked open, push the mag release to cycle out of the spent magazine and replace it with a new one. Push down the slide release and you're good to go." He explained, demonstrating all the actions with his gun besides actually shooting it. "And that's about all I can tell you, I do more firing then studying with them. If you need something more I think Zeke here could tell you." He said with a chuckle "I presume that by arms dealer you mean bombs and missiles considering your request? And I also presume you intend to build guns with your ability after you learn about them?" Misha asked as he fiddled with the gun, careful to make sure it didn't accidentally go off. "If that's the case I also have some more dangerous things in the car." He finished.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Waluigi Time

[Samurshy 708]

As Misha told his story Zeke noticed that he had pretty much avoided telling very much from when he was younger, which led Zeke to think that Misha had some sort of tragic childhood. That was probably the reason for why he was such a psychopath. Eventually curiosity got the better of him and Zeke asked the question straight up.

"Misha, why are you crazy? I am not trying to throw insults at you or anything, but you seem to lack any form of empathy." Zeke said.

[FractalMoon 378]

Lily nods, practicing the various motions with the weapon, "I mostly deal in custom orders and higher-power weapons than this. Directed energy, magnetically contained ionized matter, and things like that. Though I did build a few high-endurance strike fighters once... I don't actually know where those wound up, so it may be a problem later... As for building something, let's just say that once the thing I've been working on is done all this training will pay off... Would you like to see the blueprints?"

[Azura 1,107]

Hikari looked at both Zeke and Misha and slowly backed up a few steps in case things got ugly. She kept quiet and decides to watch this play out. 'I hope no one gets hurt..' She thought to herself as she takes out her phone and browses the net for a place to rent or a hotel to stay. 'There should be somewhere we could rent in such a large city..' She told herself, scrolling through pages and checking the price and size of each apartment.

[Chickey 383]

"Well your job sounds rather fun." Misha said with a chuckle. "I'm not the type of guy who likes spoilers though. You'll have to show me once it gets done. And hey, might even save us in a pinch too." He added with a grin before he heard Zeke.

 

"I thought I got a bit too caught up in the moment with Sword-Boy back there..." Misha commented as he sat up in his box, his tone shifting from giddy while talking about Lily's weapons Lily to serious all too quickly. "Would you believe it if I told you that in my youth I was a rather soft guy? I had a hard time even hurting anyone. However eventually I had to take my job, I couldn't stand working in a assembly line or just being a dirty underground fighter anymore there. I hated it during that time, but besides that everything before my twenties went rather smoothly until I took that dive into the sea. Now that I was out of friends there was only one person left I thought I could count on. My partner, Kali." He explained, taking a few moments before he continued.

 

"When you start off, they'll pair you with another experienced assassin to show you the ropes. Or you will have duo some jobs anyways. And my partner was always Kali, a native of the Axoanan Deserts and the city of Xevera. Coming from a mixed family of a Mordenic man and a Axoanan woman. Much like a lot of people from Xevera, she was also an excellent bladesmith. However her parents were killed at an early age and she was eventually picked up by the Mordenic government to be trained as an assassin. Better to start them off at a early age it seems. Either way, she taught me much of what I know now." Misha explained.

 

"For about five years we went on numerous missions before all that came to a rather untimely end. She abruptly grew rather too close to me, something I was too gullible to try to find any fault in despite how suspicious it seemed. I didn't want to believe anything was wrong I guess. Later on in the week I learned that the same person who set my old friend after me had learned I was still alive and tried to quickly stomp me out again. Before he could do anything I sped my way over to his residence and dealt with all of his guards. However my fun came to a rather abrupt end when I found the man who was trying to kill me himself, and who was at side as his last ditch guard, Kali." Misha said, an odd grin on his face despite the mood of the story he was telling. He pulled the ring off his finger, fiddling with it as he started off again.

 

"Turns out this guy really had it out for me after he received word that I had killed his brother in an earlier mission. He didn't want to just kill me, he wanted me to suffer... Originally Kali was supposed to kill me in my own house when I least expected it. However thankfully I foiled that plan before it came to fruition. But to say the least, Kali outmatched me, and to top that off I could barely bring myself to fight back against her. All the experience she had with me already told her my weaknesses." Misha said with a sigh "I eventually found myself backed against the wall, palms cut to the point where I could no longer use them for magic, disarmed, and slowly losing my strength because of the poison she used on her sword. I begged her to stop, however it was as the expression goes, a cry on deaf ears. She was willing to kill me with a smile on her face." Misha said with a chuckle.

 

"So... you may be curious as to how I'm still alive even while being up to my elbows in bullshit, eh? Well it wasn't that I got her to change her mind, that failed. I used this instead." Misha said as he held up his ring with a very feint rune carved into the middle of it. "She had accounted for everything I had besides this little thing right here. My trump card for surprise attacks, if you will." Misha explained as he put the ring back on and held a fist up towards the wall. The rune glowed for a moment before a pencil sized needle of gold metal shot out at high speeds across the room and embedded into the wall. "It uses a lot of energy, but can pay off in some situations when it's needed. And in that moment I was looking right into the eyes of one of the hardest decisions I've ever faced; Die, or kill the only other person I've ever cared for... It's clear what I chose seeing I'm still here. I sent a good thousand notes worth of gold right into her heart before she could end me." Misha finished, stopping his story for a few moments as he thought. "She quickly died off on the floor, bleeding out before she could even utter a word from her shocked face. Afterwards I obviously gave the mastermind behind this his own death, not quite as quick as Kali's. Aaaaaand then passed out on the front lawn. Thus ending number two on the top worst days I've ever had."

 

"You ask why I have no empathy, no care for others, a bit more detached from the real world? Well I suppose It's because I can't quite survive with empathy, it would eat me from the inside out. I can't afford to care for others because it only leaves me with disappointment in the end. I have to be insane to still function after knowing all the things I've done. Would you say that's a fair explanation?" Misha asked Zeke. "However I still have some self control, I wouldn't try to hurt anyone unless they try to hurt me first. If that's what you're worried about. Any questions boys and girls?"

Edited August 27, 2014 by Chickey

[Samurshy 708]

"Yes, that is a doozy of an explanation." Zeke said as he let everything Misha had said sink in. "However, I am more curious as to what the number 1 worst day you've ever had would be. Considering I don't really see a way to top how horrible that number 2 day was" 

[Chickey 383]

"That would be the day I described to Sayaa preceding this story. Despite the fact none of us really died the day I got kicked off the boat as compared to Kali's death. It hit me a bit harder due to the fact my senses hadn't really been dulled to things like that yet, I never really expected It I suppose. However I'd consider both of them to be just about as bad really." Misha said. "The reason I have no empathy could be that no one really has been truly empathetic towards me. I don't really know how to have empathy either. Nor would a person like me have a reason to." He continued. "Having empathy wouldn't really get me anything either. I wont win the magical prize box anytime soon by caring for someone again."

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Sayaa sighs out, "Welp, I guess that's the universe for you. World class bi***." She tosses a ball of multi-colored magic between her hands, "But I'm beat, and not willing to donate any more of my organs. Where's the hotel?" She yawns, and crushes the ball in her hands.

[Chickey 383]

Misha looked over to Sayaa, giving off a quick chuckle. "I can't say I didn't get what I deserved though. There always will be consequences for living the life of what is in the simplest terms, a murderer. Mine just happens to be getting a... pre-refurbished cane sword stuck through my rib cage. And a few other things but that's the main one. If I woulda been a good little boy I would've saved myself a lot of physical and mental pain. However I'd probably be dead broke on the streets too. Trying to take care of a jobless witch and myself out in a cabin while trying to not get mugged and shot on my way to the dollar coffee shop." He said as he got up from the pile of boxes he was sitting on. "Either way unless anyone has any final words to end the tale I think I'll be done reminiscing in my past for now." He said as he took a silly bow and then collapsed right back down into the cardboard cushions under him.

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Her ball of magic reformed, and floated over to him. It bobbed up and down in front of him for a few moments, before transforming into a perfect model of him, except with his prior clothes. That just kinda sat next to him. "So what was the sword originally kept as, Misha?"