Forum Thread

What Happens When the Skin Reflects the Soul?

Screaming... So much screaming...

In the year twenty fifteen, scientists created a vaccine. It was hailed as the gate to a new age, the end of death and suffering as we new it. Poor bastards. They had no idea what they had created. The few human trials had gone well, resulting in healthier stronger people. So the idiots decided to put the thing up for sale. That's when everything went to hell. People rushed to the nearest hospital, receiving the shot one after the other. Most suffered an agonizing death within the next few days. The ones that didn't die... They changed. The virus twisted their DNA, turning them into horrors beyond imagination. The monsters spread throughout the cities. Anyone who didn't receive the virus was soon exposed to its poison. The world was brought to its knees. Soon however, it became apparent that some people could control the demons that the virus released, harnessing their powers, and using them for survival. You are one of those survivors. You are infected.

Form
Name:
Gender:
Appearance:
Abilities:
Soul-Self:
Personality:
History:
Items:
Other:

---

Name: SK
Gender: Male
Appearance: tall, thin, pale
Soul-self: Lich
Personality: Morbid, awkward, cold. I'm not good at describing myself.
History: I was alive. Not sure what else to say. Before the vaccine? I killed people. The vaccine just made my job a whole lot easier, in some aspects...
Items: Uhm...knife.
Other: Don't touch me, or I'll kill you. Slowly.

---

Name: Jacob Finestro
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Soul-Self: Skin Walker
Personality: Arrogant, Distrustful, Loyal-ish, Can be cruel, Creepy
History: "I don't want to talk about it."
Items: Knapsack, Scalpels, Several 3x3 inch patches of skin, Empty bottle
Other: Your skin is so soft, mind if I borrow some?

---

Name: "Viola Merior"
Gender: "I'm Female you eyeless idiot."
Appearance: Short, pale, thin, green eyes, blonde hair (Profile Picture as of 5/17/2015)
Soul-Self: "I'm not going to tell you that." (I have no clue...)
Personality: Rude, Introverted, disturbing, Apathetic, blunt
History: "I had to do some stuff I regret now... It's none of your business really."
Items: Backpack, a small box of matches, and rusty, old, but sharp scissors... there is blood on them for a reason...
Other: Don't talk to me... Also don't touch my skin Jacob... I'll murder your sorry ass...

Jacob moved quickly through the dense trees, his steps soundless even on the fallen leaves. A perk of being designed specifically to hunt. He had been hunting this particular monster for several days now. He had come close to catching it several times, yet it still eluded him. The wind began to change, causing him to have to circle around to avoid detection. Soon. He suddenly spotted it through the trees. Green fur glistening in the afternoon sun, reflecting off its large rack of antlers. It looked around cautiously, giving a nervous flap of its wings, before dipping its head to graze. Perfect. The poor animal didn't suspect a thing. I moved closer, admiring it's beutiful turquoise and green feathers, and clawed bird feet. Incredible. He couldn't wait to add it to his collection.

---

Viola locked the door to the cabin she was currently living in. Though it wasn't that sturdy it was hidden very well. She needed more food, ad soon. She had found a fresh water spring two days prior, so she should also probably work on finding a water bottle of some sort. The cabin had plenty of blankets so even on the colder nights she wouldn't freeze. She just hopes she wouldn't run into anymore monsters... her powers... her demons almost took over last time... and she didn't want to try again for awhile.

"So do you take the offer?" Asked the short, pudgy man across the desk. SK's eyes narrowed. There was so much urgency in his eyes, so much desperation.

"Can you not hear me?" SK replied coldly. "I will accept nothing but a human soul as payment. You find me that, you have a deal. Until then, I decline." Standing, SK pushes back from his chair and shoulders his backpack. The disappointment on the fat man's face as he waddled across his "office" to me was almost comical.

"Look here, son," he started, trying to look prestigious and important. As if that would make SK listen to him. "I am hiring you out of the goodness of my heart. There are plenty of assassins out there willing to take on this task. What makes you think you're my only option?"

SK grins, and stands, turning to leave. "The fact that you came to me in the first place," he said over his shoulder. The man groans, obviously caught between a rock and a hard place.

"All right, FINE! You get your soul. But Avenech better be DEAD by Thursday. Got it?" He whines, defeated.

SK smirks. "Now we're getting somewhere." He turns back around and faces the man again. "Thursday. Done. But you will get me my soul, friend. Or I just might have to settle with...someone else's. I say, have you written out a will? You might want to consider it..." With that, SK silently creeps out of the room, closing the door noiselessly behind him. The man gulps.

---

A twig snapped beneath Jacob's feet. The Peryton jerked up, staring into the brush. It's solid black eyes landed on his hiding placing, passing over it a moment later. It stomped and scuffed at the dirt, obviously getting ready to bolt at the slightest noise. It was now or never.

Trees whooshed by in a blur of green and brown, as he burst out of the bush, tearing through the forest. The Peryton reared back, bearing sharp teeth and letting out a human-like scream. The noise was tremendous, shaking the earth around them, and piercing into the heavens. It didn't plan on running. Jacobs fingers extended slightly as he ran, ending in 7 inch razor sharp claws. The Peryton flapped its wings, attempting to knock him off balance as it kicked and scratched with its taloned feet. With a smooth dodge, and a quick upward thrust the fight was over. The animal lay on the ground, a deep stab wound going through its heart. Blood poured out of the hole, soaking the ground, and sending up a fowl odor. "Better act fast." He thought, pulling out a scalpel. He made four clean slits before peeling back the skin. With a few quickl slices the skin released from the corpse, dripping only a little blood. Perfect! He almost did a dance, as he placed the skin patch into his bag. Another beutiful specimen.

---

Viola rummaged through the stacks of blankets. Surely there had to be some sort of coat in here somewhere. If she wanted to be outside in the dark for long periods of time she would need something to keep her warm. Who ever had owned this small cabin must have really loved blankets and really hated jackets. But then she saw a sleeve.

Pulling the sleeve, the mountain of blankets gave way and tumbled back onto each other. A simple gray hoodie was left in her hands. Perfect. Viola slipped the hoodie over her head, made sure her scissors were securely in her pocket, and put on her backpack, which was empty except for a pack of matches. Hopefully she could find some more supplies.

Unlocking the door Viola stepped out into the cool weather. It was nice out in her opinion. She shut the cabin door behind her and set out into the woods, towards the nearest civilization. Or rather the ruins of civilization. She could only hope should wouldn't run into any more monsters on the way.

{What is the nearest civilization BTW?}

SK left the house with a sense of accomplishment. He wasn't sure why - assassination was just another part of life. He had nothing to be proud of. Crossing the abandoned streets of what once was downtown Detroit, he tried to stay hidden in the shadows as much as possible to avoid any unwanted confontations. These streets, for the more influential survivors, were usually clear, due to advanced security technology run by emergency generators. But there's no telling what might happen once he gets outside a few miles of the "rich neighborhood".

It was only a short trip to his home at the edge of the city. He was lucky enough to only find two monsters in his path: a werewolf and a giant scorpion. A quick change into the dead man, a few spells, and there were two new bodies on the street tonight. Nothing aside from the usual.

Finally he reached his abode. Vines had grown up the sides of the house, hiding the ugly brick from sight. Small though it was, it suited his needs. Pulling the rotted door softly open, he stepped inside. The simple kitchen and bedroom area looked innocent enough until the cellar was opened. Seven candles, each a different size and color, were lit on a desk. Eerie shadows were cast to the walls, which were full of shelves. The light from the candles glistened off hundreds of glass jars lining the shelves. Their contents were barely visible through the murk, but inside each one, a pulsing heart floated. Still beating, every one.

"Wh-what are you g-going to do to m-me?" Asked a crying voice in the corner.

---

Jacob turned back to his fallen prey, performing his small ritual as always. He bowed, arms out, palms up. "I thank you for your sacrifice noble beast. Through the loss of your life, mine may continue. Your beauty and strength will alway be remembered through me. Go now to your eternal rest. Sleep well." Lifting himself, Jacob let out a low sigh. As much as he enjoyed the hunt, and the rewards that came with it, it was a shame to have had to kill such a magnificent creature. Sadly, he couldn't even eat any of it, as the flesh of most monsters rotted within several minutes. Soon, all that would be left of this woodland beauty would be a heap of bones. Oh well. At least he had the skin. Pulling out the soft, fur covered patch, he thought about his next move. He was completely out of food, so a trip to Lansing was mandatory. He studied the shimmering green fur. This would make the trip much easier. Placing the skin against his forehead, he concentrated, feeling energy rushing through him. His hand changed for a moment to long bony claws. The pelt fused with his skin and began to spread. His face elongated, filling with sharp fangs. Letting out a scream of pain he dropped to all fours as his hands became hooves. Agony tore through him as wings burst from his back. Bones scraped and rearranged themselves, muscles tore and reformed, his spine grew new vertebrae. Then it was over. Jacob opened his solid black eyes and glanced around. He gave his wings an experimental flap, enjoying the strange sensation. His back talons scratched at the ground, eager to move, to run, to fly. A twig snapped loudly. Jacob froze, his ears swiveling towards the sound. He sniffed the air, but being new to this form, he had no idea how to process the information he received. One thing he did know however, was that something was coming straight for him.

(In case you guys were too lazy to look it up, this is a Peryton)

(Interesting fact, a Peryton has a human shadow.)

---

Finally, she saw Lansing before her. Though it was reduced from it's formal glory, Viola had forgotten how pretty Lansing actually was, and missed the summer trips she used to take here. But right now she needed food. Sneaking through the shadows, she looked for any store that looked like it would have a large amount of nutritious edibles. Though she knew she would have to use her powers fairly soon, what with all the monsters roaming around, she still kept as quiet as possible. She was delaying the inevitable. She would have to risk turning back into... that...

A sign that said "Foods for Living" caught Viola's attention. Mostly the word food. But the rest of the title was quite ironic. The blonde laughed inwardly. Something else caught her attention as well. A massive, hairy, creature she could only describe as a demon bull was nonchalantly walking down the street... towards "Foods for the Living." Sure she had seen other monsters on the way but, none this large. Viola quickly sprinted into the building, hoping to get as much as she could before the demon bull would no doubt spot her through the large glass walls at the storefront. Soup seemed like a good idea. Even if it would be cold. Stopping beside a large selection of cans Viola began knocking items off the shelf and into her backpack at random, and made sure to grab a manual can-opener.

To avoid being spotted by the demon bull Viola dashed further back into the store. She grabbed more food, mostly beef jerky and granola bars, before zipping her bag up. Now she'd just have to wait for the monster to pass. It wouldn't be able to see her back here so why not look around for a water bottle while she waited to make sure the coast was clear? Turning into a different isle she began to look up and down shelves in search of the precious item. What she found instead was a short, bone thin, gray thing with hollow eyes, which reminded Viola of the rake. It only stood there, staring at her, unblinking. Then it screamed. crap.

As it rushed forward to pounce on her Viola grabbed her scissors from her pocket and shank'd the thing through the gut, then kicked it away from her as it continued to wriggle around in pain, screaming. Good thing it was weak. Unfortunately the scream was joined by a crash of glass. The demon bull had broken in through the front.

Viola quickly bashed the screaming rake's delicate head in with her heel causing a shower of blood to shoot up and covered her legs. At least it shut it up. Unfortunately the 'demon bull' was quickly making it's way towards her, knocking over everything in it's path. It was now or never. She needed her demon.

{Fun Fact: "Foods for Living" is an actual store in Lansing}

"What will I do to you? Well. Take a look around, and tell me what you think." SK pulls a long knife from a drawer in the desk. He stares into the blade, then places it delicately onto the smooth wooden surface, dotted here and there with candle wax. Fidgeting noises. Of course he is scared...

"Are you...are y-you gonna take my...my..."

"-heart?" SK finishes. "Yes. Eventually. I need to performs few spells first, however. I need you alive, as long as possible. Now!" He suddenly turn and face the captive. A middle aged man, shape shifting from a whimpering fool to a large spider and back again. He is bound completely in ropes to the point where he could be mistsken for an ancient Egyptian exhibit. "How would you like to die?" asks SK. "Magic? Knives? Fire? Choose well, I don't often give my victims this choice. Don't bore me."

He shivers. "P-please don't kill me..."

"Hmm...no." SK opens his palm and a ball of dark essences form around it. The man screams in horror. Suddenly it bursts into black flame, and flies to the victims face. The man passes out from fear. Slowly, the flames lick at his face and begin to eat away at the flesh. The darkness seems to be absorbing everything that resembled life on the mans face, consuming everything except the pale, white bone. Within a few seconds, nearly all the head has been transformed into skull.

"Faster now..." SK mutters to himself, grabbing the knife off the table and stabbing it roughly between the ribs of the once living creature. Fresh blood squirts from the wound. SK jerks the blade upwards, tearing a nice sized hole in the side of the man. Well, what's left of him. With expert perscision, he reaches deep into the cut, and, after breaking a few ribs, managed to pull the cardiac sac from inside.

"Ahh, perfect. You sir are one beautiful specimen. I will enjoy harvesting your soul..."

The body drops to the floor and continues to be slowly melted away by the spell. SK doesn't seem to notice that he's covered in blood, but pulls the hood off his head and studies the heart in the light. This will do perfectly.

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