Thread: //.ghost/ECHO::Murphy_Was_Right:// [ClockworkCadence x Ryees]

RE .ghostECHOMurphyWasRight whitefieldPLACE Black heels clicked against the worn cobblestone below, the sound harshly tapping against the shoulder of the cold atmosphere that encased the street in a hushed veil of that solitary feeling winter tends to bring along with its arrival. The faint echoes bounced off the faded stone and brick on either side as it traveled up Whitefield, a northern street of Norn that lay straight across the terrain, with its ends pointing at a police station and a large office building. This building in particular looked rather unremarkable with its dirty windows and no-longer-white exterior, but within, it might be the most interesting place in the whole city. Secrets lined the beige walls that glowed warm under the light of the dusty chandeliers, yet only those cursed with the knowledge of truth would lay their eyes upon it all. Eyes such as the bright green orbs that peeked through the heavy wooden door of the entrance, their depths uncharacteristically full of life and vigor in such a muted hallway as the owner of the loud heels stepped onto the slightly warped floorboards. There was a fire in those forest green irises, born not of an innocent go-getting attitude and optimism for life as one might expect, but of a colder realism and steadfast determination that dared anyone to alter the chosen course. It was clear there was a mission to be done as faces blurred by, their defining features might as well being completely absent to the woman with those vibrant eyes that walked briskly up the dark stairs at the far end of the hall and into the fourth room on the left. As the oak door creaked shut behind her, she wasted no time tossing her long overcoat onto the nearby coat rack, the fabric of her navy dress flowing lightly behind her as she made her way across the room to plop unceremoniously into the chair at her cluttered desk. A few mugs with a dried ring of tea within their porcelain depths sat atop a variety of scattered papersthey appeared to be thrown haphazardly to any normal person that peered into the room, but to her, there was a very careful system to their placement. Recent news, potential leads, a few articles of research, and a small scrap of paper that contained what frustratingly little she could find about her newest target. .LAPLACE a reference to some old French scholar, it seemed? About six feet tall, give or take, with a long, hooded cloak that shielded his face from prying eyes. His abilities were mostly unknown, except for his brutally efficient murder methods and penchant for keeping literally every other piece of information about himself well-hidden, much to her annoyance. That last bit was what kept him alive for so long, through all of the long months shed spent following every lead she could on him, only to come up unsettlingly empty. It was no wonder Vincent was so adamant about killing himif this .LAPLACE could avoid being located for so long, just what else was he capable of? That was something Vincent didnt want to find out, and it was an unspoken rule that what Vincent says, goes. He was their leader, after allthe band of treasure hunters collectively known as RUNAS wouldnt have existed if not for his high aspirations and admirable authority. Whatever he requested to be done, they executed iteach member was a willing tool at his disposal for him to command as he saw fit. Any typical man would become drunk with the power their loyalty gave him, but not Vincenthe was simply a man on a mission, charismatic and fair enough that people would willingly follow him into the unknown. And what an unknown it was that she found herself in, tossing the crinkled piece of paper to the side in disinterest as she turned her attention to the bright screen of her monitor. The contents of her computer were notably much more organized than the objects on her desk, folders and files neatly tucking away all of the information shed accrued over her time here, almost a decades worth of data stored in their depths. A notification blinked in the corner of the screen, revealing some info passed along to her about a recent excursion that ended with an encounter of an oddly powerful .WRAITH . The nature of these beasts was something shed been studying for years, but as she was about to delve into the details of this new entity, another message made its presence known. Its title was just a simple N , but the weight of that single letter summoned a heavy feeling in her bones as emerald eyes darted across the words. N meant new intel. N meant news, usually good. N meant now was the time . Northern Radcliffe. 11 PM. You know what to do. - V radcliffePLACE That was how .DUALITY ended up surveying the streets from a slanted rooftop that night, her black hood shielding the copper blonde hair and light tan skin that would stick out in the darkness of the night like an unpleasant neon sign pointing right at her location. Vincent had someone plant two decoys at the Anchored Cliff bar in hopes of attracting .LAPLACE a couple of extravagant ladies dressed in fine furs and soft silks, adorned with sparkling gems of effervescent colors caressed by finessed metalwork. He was a man just as fond of treasure as everyone elseit was a bit of a long shot hoping he would take the bait, but they were desperate, as much as she hated to admit it. The breath ghosting out from her lips hitched as a flash of shimmering material caught her eyeit was the jeweled white purse one of the ladies had carried, as it was tucked under the black coat of a man. The second flash that followed, however, caught her off guardwait, there were two men now, the other carrying a bright yellow purse. This could only mean Shit. Some idiots got hooked on her line first. Not that she could blame themthe women were waltzing around in attire that screamed Steal from me, Im rich! With a heavy sigh, .DUALITY stood from her perch, too apathetic at this turn of events to particularly care about retrieving the stolen assets. They were clearly just a couple of drunken lowlifes that had somehow gotten lucky enough to snatch a couple of purses that were meant to be snatchedthis was probably the highlight of their entire pathetic year. Life, perhaps. Might as well let them have their fun with it for a little while. So instead of ending their lives mere feet away from the bar theyd stumbled out of, she watched them, walking along the shingles of buildings a few meters behind them as they slowly made their way through the city. Her feet faintly glowed with the dim green of plasm as she walked across the gaps between structures, the familiar weightless feeling of their adjusted state of matter almost comfortable as they carried her soundlessly through the foggy air, only for the worn leather of her boots to touch back down onto the rough rooftops mere moments later. The process of floating and walking seemed to repeat ad infinitum, her attention drifting to the clouded night sky until a faint gurgling sound snapped her attention back to the streets below. Though the night was cold, her body grew colder as her focus locked onto a third man that had joined the previous two, the tip of his blade shining viciously with crimson as it poked out through the blood-soaked hole ripped in the white purse holders shirt and flesh. The surprise at this sudden turn of events nearly drowned out the subtle respect and dread she felt as the yellow purse holder was torn open just as deftly as the first, his wide and horrified eyes staring into the sky above even as the life quickly faded from them. With a dull thud and a slight splash of blood, the body landed haphazardly on the stones below, pieces of fabric, muscle, and unidentifiable organ bits littering the ground around him like a sickly halo. A bit of sickness twisted in her gut as her nose wrinkled in mild disgust, shifting the scar across the bridge of her nose ever so slightly as she found herself hiding on the other side of the slanted roof, shielding herself from the scene as she gathered her thoughts. It was him. .LAPLACE . It had to bethe unique design of his cloak and the way he effectively mutilated the thieves left her with no doubts. Though the trap that was set had sprung on the wrong targets, it turns out the real prey came out to play, after all. This was her chance to rid the city of this dangerous rogue once and for all. A very treacherous chance, at thatif he was given time to retaliate, shed certainly end up like the Swiss cheese of a carcass hed left on the doorstep. Shaking away her worries, .DUALITY made her way back to the other side of the building just as the last wisp of the end of his cloak ghosted out of sight. This stalking of her victim was much different than the pursuit shed been in moments beforeher focus was razor sharp, deliberate yet swift in her motions as she jumped to slide down a nearby streetlight onto the street below. Taking no chances at being noticed, the gentle radiance of plasm underfoot masked any sounds her boots in their physical state would have made as she cautiously made her way through the winding street. Every once in a while, a glimpse of the trail of his cloak caught her eye, her heart giving a noticeable pound each time he was nearly in sight. Where was he going? Would she find a chance to surprise him? His figure coming nearly into full view caused her to dart behind the edge of a building, though only for a moment as she dared to peek around just long enough to determine that he had stopped at a door. It was a shabby, unexceptional building, one of the many that stood lonely and broken near the edges of the hazardous wasteland that sprawled out across the horizon. It looked just as abandoned as the surrounding structuresa perfect place to disappear from the watchful eyes of the city. No wonder he had been so difficult to find. Even after his dark form had disappeared through the black maw of the open door, .DUALITY waited, the sound of her breath her only company as the minutes ticked by in her head. It was an apartment, and despite everything this man was or might be, he was still ultimately humanhe needed food, water, shelter, and sleep like the rest. Maybe she could surprise him after all. For a while, her mind fell into the chasm between focus and daydreaming, that odd space of being aware yet thinking of nothing. She wasnt exactly sure how long shed stood there, but when her consciousness suddenly jolted fully back to reality, she knew it was time to act. Carefully, her footsteps took her up to the door, a hand reaching towards it as her body became surrounded in the luminescence of green pixels. As she began to step through, the strange sensation of her plasmatic body passing through the wooden matter of the door was interrupted by an uncomfortable layer of energy. What was thisa barrier of some sort? The stability of her plasm was mildly disrupted as it slid through, but she was capable of holding everything together as she took a couple steps into the room and faded back into her physical form. It wasnt often she encountered plasm like that, but it was a bit nerve-wracking any time she didthe first time her form was agitated by plasm like that, a small chunk of her right palm had been severed from the rest of her. The thought caused her to absentmindedly stroke her fingers along the scar as she traveled up several flights of stairs, plasm still present to allow her silent steps to arrive at another closed door. It was obvious he was careful before, but not this careful. It seems she might have underestimated his defenses. The second time phasing through one of his doors wasnt as rough, but a small feeling of alarm gripped at her chest as she considered her journey here. Shed used up a lot of her plasm on this chaseif she couldnt dispatch of him quickly, shed be at a clear disadvantage. The gravity of the situation pressed coldly against her lungs as her gaze locked onto her sleeping prey, and it was only moments before she found herself hovering above him, her left hand steady with her knife , her right poised to defend against any retaliation. It was the end of a long and interesting pursuit, but now the hunter had finally cornered its prey. It was time. With a slow inhale that was cut off by the pressure of a breath held, the blade raced towards his heart.