Forum Thread

Steampunk
Victorian era London meets the future. This is a time of refinement and exploration! Anything you can think of is being invented and with all the noble and gracefulness of gentlemen and ladies. But not everything in the big city is not as it seems. People have been disappearing, never to be seen again. And then, one day, a life-size clockwork doll staggers down main street. Her delicate, golden butterfly wings flutter weakly as she gasps. Her left arm is a metal machine made of the same gold as her wings, her left mechanical leg and the pumping metal heart in her chest. The glass plating above the heart just barely peaks out over the corset of her short, ballerina style dress. She clutches two ornate, golden skeleton keys. One had a heart on it, the other a pair of miniature wings. "Someone...help me...he's gone mad!" She manages to say before falling to the ground.

Who is this strange girl and where did she come from? Why is she the way she is? Can you help her? Can you stop whatever is happening? And more importantly, can you do it in time?

Form:

Name:
Age:
Personality (can be RP'd):
Gender:
Appearance (prefer a picture but can be a well described written response):
What are you? a maker? a lord or lady? The possibility is nearly endless! :
Background (why are you in the city and who are you):

Characters:
My Form:
(sorry, not much I can give. She reveals much as the plot thickens.)
Name: to be revealed.
Age: Doesn't remember but looks about 20
Personality: She is a fighter but scared and hurt at the moment. More to be Rp'd.
Gender: Female
Appearance:
The best I could find. She has the golden limbs and gold heart behind the glass in her chest as well. The dress is green and gold, not orange. And she has green eyes and golden blonde hair.
A clockwork doll.
Background: to be revealed.

Name: Aurora Nightshade
Age: 20
Personality: She's loyal as all get out and a short spit fire of a girl. She might be a little too trusting and that's gotten her into trouble. Aurora is prone to acting on impulse so she normally dives right in.
Gender: Female
Appearance:
But she has a midnight blue corset
She's a lady turned street rat.
Background: After finding out she had been kidnapped as a child and sold off to the current Lord and Lady Nightshade, Aurora runs away. She wants to find the parents she never knew. If that means she has to give up wealth and a cushy life to do it, then so be it! Aurora came to the city to find her birth parents. A nice black cloak and her messenger bag is all she needs. She's got money, a whole purse full! But she keeps it guarded on her person. Those bladed fans aren't for nothing! This street rat can fight. And she fights well.

(A_wild_Charizard):
Name: Autumn Finncantation (goes by Autumn or Finn)
Age: 19
Personality (can be RP'd): A hyper girl, she creates life-sized mechanical animals to assist her. She doesn't need much to create her creatures and gets pretty inventive with some of her materials... Her side-kicks are a small mechanical rat named Hazel, which she uses to gather information without putting herself in danger, and a large mechanical dragon named Coal, which she uses for transportation and protection. If you're nice, she might even offer to create you a side kick.
Gender: Female
Appearance: She usually has some sort of soot or oil smudged on her face, hands, and clothes. Her hair is long and ragged, dark brown, nearly black on top and fading the whole way down until it's platinum blonde, and she will often messily tie parts of it back so it isn't in her face, and in the way. She is very short- only around 5 feet tall, and is very thin. This is a result of the malnutrition she suffered her entire life of living on the streets. She doesn't seem to mind it, though- the world is much kinder to children. She wears a torn up red and black dress which goes a bit above her knees, and tall black-and-white striped socks, which go to the bottom of her dress, and knee-high black boots with large silver buckles. Her childish mannerism and size lead many to think she's much younger than she is- as young as 13. She's crudely sown many pockets into her dress in which keeps various tools for tinkering and creating. On the back of her dress she has hooked on a set of mechanical wings. They don't allow her to fly- just glide. She uses them if she ever finds herself in trouble. A decent jump and one pump of the wings allows her to rise several feet into the air and she can glide at that height for some distance. Hazel is a small, black mechanical rat which often sits under Autumn's hair. Coal is a large, smoothly-running black mechanical dragon with red wings and eyes. She actually did not make him- she found him in pieces one night deep within the city's inner reaches, where young ladies should avoid, and took him back to her home. She fixed him up into working order, and he has faithfully followed her since. (I will updated and add pictures as they become available to me- I have to draw Hazel and Autumn)
Coal's Appearance: (This in an image of one of Finn's FR dragons.)
What are you? a maker? a lord or lady? The possibility is nearly endless! : She is a maker. She specializes in mechanical animals. They tend to be messy and clunky, but they're sturdy and work well. If requested, she'll work extra hard on a piece to make it run more smoothly.
Background (why are you in the city and who are you): She grew up in the underworld of the city. A truly street-wise gal, she sells animal trinkets to earn her living.

(Phoenix's)
Name: Phoenix (yeah like it be anything else XD)
Age: around 25 or so
Personality (can be RP'd): He is guarded and has his secretes. More to be RP'd.
Gender: male
Appearance: Tall (over 6 foot), dirty blond/brown hair, sharp green eyes and a green outfit. (you know the one XD) and he has a sword on his hip. No one takes it away.
What are you? a maker? a lord or lady? The possibility is nearly endless! : He is a bodyguard for hire.
Background: He came looking for work. more in rp XD

(CyndaquilLuvsVan_Halen)
Name: /Picks a random name that I like Vivian should be fitting for this RP. =3
Age: 15.
Personality (can be RP'd): She's quiet, to the point and logical. Usually unbiased to her feelings when making a decision. She's pretty anti-social and out of touch. Thought I'd try a new personality.
Gender: Female.
Appearance (prefer a picture but can be a well described written response): She has black hair, a ponytail, long bangs, black high heel boots, black nylons, a short skirt (not a mini-skirt, but not long, either), black shirt with lace around the neckline, purple eyes, dark purple headband and has an acoustic guitar strapped to her back.
What are you? a maker? a lord or lady? The possibility is nearly endless!: She plays her acoustic guitar for spending money.
Background (why are you in the city and who are you): She's without parents, due to them leaving her to an orphanage in the city. She's quite the rebel, like every young teen in the world, so she's always sneaking out of the orphanage to play her guitar for money. She mainly buys clothing and junk food.

(Neverlight's)
Name: Selinia Krakalenge
Age: 16
Personality (can be RP'd): To be RP'd (I'm to tired to do this right now. You know what she's like anyway)
Gender: Female
Appearance (prefer a picture but can be a well described written response):
Best pic I could find. Her hair is blue, and about 5'8"
What are you? a maker? a lord or lady? The possibility is nearly endless!: Assassin/Street Urchin
Background (why are you in the city and who are you): Her parents were wealthy merchants, traveling far to find new trade in the city. As she was still quite young, only eight at the time, they brought her with them. Everything was going fine, then it happened. A man broke into her families caravan and brutally murdered both her parents. He tied the poor girl up, doing unspeakable things to her. Once he was finished he took one last thing from her. He poured some strange fluid into her eye, ripping her vision away. He set fire to the wagon, leaving her to die in the flames. But she wouldn't give up that easily. After dragging herself from the inferno, she hobbled into town screaming for help. All she got were harsh words, and a cold alley. She swore to herself that she would make it, that she would survive for revenge. The other street children cared for her, bringing her bits of food until she learned to cope with her new disability. As she grew older, her other senses sharpened, to the point that she could "see" a fairly detailed picture of her surroundings through sounds and vibrations. Her knack for stealth earned the respect of even the older children. Other, less savory characters, noticed her talent as well. She was approached one day, by a tall man. He offered her a fairly large amount of money to retrieve a jewel from a nobleman's home. How could she refuse? The job went smoothly, and the money changed hands. Soon she had created a name for herself, with a new job every other week! The next job was different though. A strange old woman came to her, saying that she would have riches to last a lifetime, if she would kill a man for her. At first Selinia was reluctant, but the offer seemed too good. The woman gave her no weapons, only telling her to "follow her instincts". Selinia would soon learn what she meant. That night, she killed her first man. It would not be her last. Now she is sixteen, and one of the most infamous assassins in the city. If you want someone to die, you talk to the Blind Bandit

Phoenix:
Phoenix sighed as he walked back to his temporary home. He found a room with a good manager that allowed him to stay longer as long as he helped keep unwanted people out. So far, he had no luck getting a real job. Though he did have a good bouncer job at a bar, but it wasn't what he wanted. Very few ever really bothered him no mater how bad the place he walked thru.

Aurora:
Aurora had been watching the blonde haired man. He seemed like he could help, but she wasn't sure. Pulling her hood up farther, she stepped out of the shadows and held out her hand in a stop motion to get him to stop. She wanted to see how he reacted to surprise encounters. While she could protect herself in a fair fight, lately, those who tried to jump her were not fair! And when looking around a strange city, she didn't want to be lost without anyone noticing.

Phoenix:
Phoenix stopped, looking at her. He didn't really react, having a dagger already ready. He didn't look on alert, but he was. He was ready for an attack, to decent, to pary, for just about anything.

Neverlight:
Selinia stood in the darkened alley, her cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze. The hood drooped low over her face, not that it really mattered. She had been standing there for nearly two hours now. Hopefully it would be worth it. She knew from the days spent gathering info that her target would be walking home now, and that he would pass right in front of her. She also knew what he sounded like, and what his footsteps felt like, so there would be no mistaking him. The tips of her fingers tapped against her weapons of choice, two long retractable blades, concealed in her sleeves. "Funny how many enemies bouncers make" She thought. It would be over quick, with little fuss. He wouldn't even feel it. Footsteps approached her, causing her to tense slightly. As they came closer, a second set joined the first. They were much lighter, obviously a female. "He was supposed to be alone! Who's the girl then?" Moving silently, she approached the two, who had stopped walking. Using her dark cloak to hide her, she listened, waiting to hear what they said. Though she stood in full view, it would take a very keen eye to detect her in the shadows.

Cynda:
Vivian was playing her guitar from afar. She kept finding herself looking up at the others talking. "They seem suspicious... but I'm not leaving now. there are more people coming towards me and that could mean more tips. She smirked and continued to play, while staring.

Aurora:
Aurora smiled, raising her hands to push back her hood and shake loose her hair. She stepped forward, her hand held out. "Hi, I'm Aurora. Phoenix, right? I got a few referrals and I have to admit, I've been watching you. I like what I see and I'd like to offer you a job," she said, pulling out two fake coins. She used these to show she had money but if someone tried to steal them, they were fake, so no loss to her. "See, people, mostly girls have been disappearing around town of late and I have business I want to finish without adding to those numbers. You in?"

Phoenix:
He looked at her a bit. "Yes I am.You sure you can pay?" He asked. "Those look fake." Figures. Finally get what looks like a good job, but they have fake money. Just my luck. Oh and i do believe there is another near by. He glanced very quickly at Selinia. He could hear faint music.

Neverlight:
Selinia stood listening. "Well ma'am, your going to have to find a new man to help you cause this one is mine." She froze. The man had turned, and for just a second, faced her way. Had she been seen? Probably not, but could she take the chance? She might not get such a good opportunity again. "Best to operate under the assumption that I am no longer hidden." She began to walk forward slowly, silently. If he hadn't seen her, then she might get the jump on him. As she approached, her hands moved instinctively, ready to deploy her blades. She would only get one shot at this. Since she was covered, the man would have no way to identify her. If he saw her blindfold though, she could expect a fight. Every guardian in the city knew who she was, and her capture would make him very rich indeed.

Aurora:
Aurora smiled, "You want gold? It's yours. Name your price," she said, putting a very real, very heavy stack of it in his hand. "That's a worthy deposit, no?" she asked. Hearing music, she glanced in that direction, her eyes narrowing as she saw Selinia. But seeing her blindfold, she paused. Pulling out another few gold coins, she walked over to press them into the girls hands. "I don't want a fight. Please?"

The clockwork girl staggered out of an alley and onto the main street, in front of Vivian. Her wings fluttered weakly and she clutched at her chest. Her left arm is a metal machine made of the same gold as her wings, her left mechanical leg and the pumping metal heart in her chest. The glass plating above the heart just barely peaks out over the corset of her short, ballerina style dress. She clutches two ornate, golden skeleton keys. One had a heart on it, the other a pair of miniature wings. "Someone...help me...he's gone mad!" She manages to say before falling to the ground.

Cynda:
Vivian continuously watched as the suspicious group interacted. Out of nowhere; a girl said a few words and then collapsed in front of her. Vivian gasped, stopped playing and stood up against the wall. "…" She wasn't sure what to do, so she just stood there, in a bit of a shock.

Phoenix:
Phoenix was about to pull Aurora back, seeing the hidden blades, but the noise from the main street drew his attention away. He rushed to the girl's side and carefully turned her to hold her. "Hey... Hello...?" He looked around and spotted Vivian. "Did she say anything?" He asked. He looked back at the girl, shifting his hold, and stood up. He shook his head, mumbling something and headed to his place. "Guitar, follow and i will give you a good tip. Aurora was it? well stay close. And you," He said looking at Selinia as he paused. "Learn about your target. I saw you." He then turned and went to his place.

Cynda:
Vivian wasn't used to conversing, since she was anti-social and the kids in the orphanage just ignored her, being the she was a misfit. "Uh-hmm... she asked for help... s-she said that someone had gone mad?" She looked around for a second. After collecting her thoughts, she grabbed her guitar and small tip jar and followed the strange man. She stayed closer to Aurora, though. Strange men that she didn't know creeped her out a little.

Neverlight:
Selinia fumed. That girl botched her job! She was almost glad for it though. The girl had the hands of a fighter, strong and dexterous. Two to one would not have gone well. She still had to kill him though. Her hands moved to her face, resting on her blindfold. No, that might be a bit extreme. She could hear a strange ticking noise from the direction the man had gone. It almost sounded like a heartbeat mixed with a clock. She quickly followed the two, soon able to distinguish another person, and some other item on the ground. The ticking came from the thing, which also made inorganic clicks and creaks. The man picked the thing up, with both women following him. Selinia raced after. She couldn't just let them get away!

Phoenix:
Phoenix went to the cheep motel at the end and headed inside. "Hey Bill." He said, rushing past. The man behind the counter in his protective cage just waved, not even looking up from his paper. Phoenix glanced back to make sure they were all still with him. Once at his door, he set the girl down, fished out the keys, got the door opened, and picked her back up. He took her to the bed and set her there, covering her up. He set the keys on the table next to her. He then sighed and looked at his company. "Well this is my place, welcome." He said a bit flatly.

Aurora:
Aurora looked around smiling. It was much better then what she had. Most nights, she just curled up where ever it was dry and warm. Then she looked over the group. A very handsome guard, the Blind Bandit she'd heard of but never seen or met, a street performer with a guitar who, if the music she'd heard earlier was anything to go by, could really play! "It's nice. So, what did she say? And what are those?" she asked, pointing to the keys clenched in the girls hands. "Her heart...it looks like it needs a key..."

Finn:
There was a small hole in the wall of the hotel room the odd-ball group had entered. From its darkness, two small eyes peered out, focusing and unfocusing, zooming in on each face and skimming over every body, one after the other, slowly, methodically. No detail was missed. The eyes finally settled on the odd clockwork doll.

Outside, a small young lady in a tattered dress watched a tiny screen with wide eyes, eagerly devouring all of the information pouring in. Her eyes flick from one image to the next, admiring every person for their uniqueness. She wanted in.

"Find a key," she whispered into the little device in her hands. Her worn gloves did not keep the cold off of her small exposed fingers, but they helped her keep her grip on the device as her mouth dropped. She'd seen that doll before! But where...? "Find a key now!" she repeated, struggling to keep her voice low, curiosity making her feel as though a laugh could burst from her lips at any moment. She bit them hard to keep from squealing with delight.

The eyes disappeared from the darkness and scurried through the walls, quietly, save for the occasional whirring of camera eyes and mechanical organs. Through the walls, across the floor, stealthily, the small mechanical rat scurried from shadow to shadow. Her bent wire whiskers twitched and trembled as nose-sensors tested the air. She spotted a key on a table, but it was in the middle of the group.

The toy critter made a mad dash for the key, snatching it up and turning back for the safety of the walls.

Neverlight:
Selinia couldn't help wondering about the strange object. Now that she was closer she could tell a bit more about it. It seemed to be a small woman, but made of some sort of metal. She moved up to it, listening to it click and whir. "That girl said it needs a key..." Something shot across the ground, something small and metal. A metal rat! She could feel its vibrations clearly, as it snatched something, turning itself back to the wall. Instinctively, Selinia threw herself at it, snatching it's cold wiry tail. "Stupid machine." she muttered. "I don't need to see you to catch you." Pulling the item from its mouth, she felt the familiar form of a key. She tossed it back on the table. "I assume that's the key you want." She said, shaking the bot in her other hand. "Someone else wanted it to."

Aurora:
(Aurora's point of view)
Aurora looked at the key. "I think that's the key to Phoenix's room. These," she pulled the keys from the girls hand, "Are the keys I think she needs...This one has a heart on it and the other has wings on it....I don't want to mess with anything. I don't want to hurt her at all..."

(The strange clockwork girls point of view)
She woke slowly, on a bed and with voices all around her. They were going to do more! What would they take this time?! Her eyes?! Her other arm?!
"NO MORE! PLEASE! Stop! It hurts! Please! Please!" She shouted, trying to jump up off the bed. She looked around at the group frightened and pulled her knees up to her chest. Seeing her keys in the black haired girls hands, she snatched them up and clutched them to her chest. "This isn't the labs...or the room...I was...wait! You took me from the street? that wasn't a dream? I'm not going to be hurt?" she asked. Feeling weak, she paused and looked down. Her heart needed to be wound...but they were all looking at her! Sighing, she slid the key into place and turned it, wincing as it hurt.

Finn:
The rat squealed and began whirring frantically, her legs kicking out as she tried to run. A faint yell could be heard outside.

The girl shot up off of the ground, disturbing the resting machine behind her. "Hazel!" she shrieked. She unfolded her home-made wings and shot off of the ground, leaping to the window and grabbing onto the metal fire escape. Clumsily climbing over the too-tall railing, she fell with a thud onto the escape's landing. After shaking her head and untangling a piece of her wild hair from a decorative curl in the railing, which had snagged it, she dashed to the window and tried to lift it, only to find it locked.

She stomped her foot and knocked on the window. "Let me in! Give her back!" she demanded. She quieted and stared in awe as the mechanical girl stirred.

Phoenix:
Phoenix looked sadly at her. "Hey... its ok..." He siad, wincing himself. Once she was done, he led her back to the bed. "Can you tell me what happened?" He asked. He then looked at the robotic rat. "Great... again..." He said, moving and setting up electric mesh over the holes. He then looked back at the girl. "You are safe now. No one will hurt you."

Phoenix spun and looked at the odd girl. He grabbed the metal rat and stalked to the window, opening it and tossing her the rat. "Keep out of my room, else I WILL kill it next time." He said.

Aurora:
(Aurora's POV)
Aurora took in the girl with her mechanical rat. She looked tough and very brave. Pushing past Phoenix, she offered her hand to the girl. "Why don't you come in and we'll all introduce ourselves?" she asked, "I'm Aurora. Aurora Nightshade."

(Clockwork girls POV)
The girl looked at the girl holding the mechanical rat. She was in awe! Someone not hurting mechanical creatures?
"I'm Victoria," she murmured, her voice soft and high, like a flute. "I...I can't remember everything but...but he...he went mad. He's insane! He did this to me," she told them, holding up her golden arm and touching the glass above her heart with her flesh and blood right hand. "I was human...a...just a few months ago," she paused, thinking very hard, "....I was a ballerina..." Breaking down, she covered her face with her hands, crying.

Neverlight:
Selinia walk up to the crying girl. As tough as she tried to be, she wasn't made of stone. Crying was one thing she hated most of all. Placing her hand gently on the girls, she rubbed her thumb across her soft skin. She spoke soothingly, "Hey now, there's no need for all that. You're safe here." She was then interrupted by a loud crash from behind. A man lay in the doorway, having obviously been spying on them. Selinia stomped over to him, one of wrist blades shooting out. She pointed it at the man. "Talk fast or I stab you."

Cynda:
"There... there are too many people here..." Vivian thought to herself, as she wasn't used to all of this. "But I mustn't leave! I-I have to stay!" Vivian had a flustered look on her face, as she feuded with herself. "I should be getting back to the orphanage soon..." She then shook her head rapidly and closed her eyes. "NO. I am staying! Why am I even having this doubt! I want to be useful this time... I need to be..." She looked back up, and as soon as she did, well... another strange man came crashing into the room! "What the..." She backed away slowly towards the wall; firmly gripping her guitar.

Finn:
Autumn snatched Hazel, who then scurried up her arm and disappeared into her hair. She stared darkly at Phoenix. "Do not threaten me," she growled. She looked at Aurora and her eyes brightened, all traces of darkness vanishing. She folded her wings back up and took her hand, bouncing. "I'm Autumn Finncantation!" she chirped. Hazel peeked out from under her hair, and she added, "This is Hazel." She took Aurora's hand and followed her. "Coal's outside..." she said, glancing nervously at the window. She smiled sheepishly. "He probably shouldn't be out there a one too long... He's uh... Well, you'll see." She noticed a girl holding a guitar, and she waved eagerly.

Aurora:
(Victoria's POV)
She had been surprised by their gentle words. She had liked the girl with the blindfold. And the tall blonde haired man was a very kind as well. Lifting her head up, Victoria looked at the group. The black haired girl, Aurora, looked familiar but she couldn't place her. Catching Autumn's gaze, she didn't feel like squirming like she normally did when people stared at her. She felt strangely natural. Like the performer she'd been. When she'd heard the man crashed through the door, she jumped, curling back up. Victoria noticed that the girl with the guitar had jumped too. A guitar! Oh! She wondered if the girl played. Music always calmed her...at least she thought so.

(Aurora's POV)
Aurora smiled, "Welcome, Autumn, welcome Hazel." Then she turned to the girl, Victoria and sat down next to her. Pulling off her cloak, Aurora placed it on the girls shoulders. "It's okay. We'll protect you now. Or, at least, I know I will. I think everyone else would like to help as well?" she left the question up for the others.

(Victoria's POV again)
"You will? I...I'm safe? Oh! Thank you!" she threw her arms around Aurora's neck and hugged her. Aurora hugged her back and Victoria was grateful to have people who were so nice helping her. Her wings fluttered slightly beneath the cloak.

Phoenix:
He went to get the extra blankets and pillows so Victoria could have the bed. He went to the guitarist and handed her half of the gold he got. "Here." He said, giving it to her. "As promised." He said with a small smile. He looked at everyone. "Oh, And i am Phoenix."

Neverlight:
"Yeah," Selinia muttered as the eavesdropper ran off. "Because normal people find it strange to hear people inside of a hotel room." Retracting her blade, she turned back to the group. The girl with the guitar seemed highly uncomfortable. Her heart was beating quickly, and she kept shuffling. The others had let the girl with the rat in, despite the fact that she had tried to steal the room key. "I wonder what she wants?" Selinia moved to the corner of the room, not quite sure what else to do. She hadn't exactly been invited, she'd just tagged along. Heck, she'd been planning to kill the guy. And now everyone seemed to be introducing themselves. Eventually they'd notice her again, but she wanted to put that off as long as possible.

Aurora:
(Aurora's POV)
She looked up and smiled at Phoenix. She was glad he'd done that. Aurora made a mental note to reimburse him for the coins he'd given the girl. Looking to Selinia, she asked, "Mind if I ask you're name? Besides the blind bandit? You'll have to forgive me, your reputation proceeds you. But you have nothing to fear. I don't think anyone here means you any harm. And I would like it if no harm came to us as well."

(Victoria's POV)
Victoria smiled shyly at the group, especially Phoenix. He was nice and she liked him. She also liked the girl with the blind fold too. She was certainly brave! Maybe Victoria would be safe!

Neverlight:
Selinia cocked her head, listening closely to the girl. Nothing in her voice told of any ill intent. That could be from practice, but her heartbeat was slow and calm. You couldn't just control that. She would trust this girl. Hopefully she wouldn't regret it. "My name is Selinia. You need not worry about me hurting any of you, at least for the time being. Any other information about me is irrelevant."

Aurora:
(Unknown POV)

He had watched them as they brought his girl into the room. He had waited as they slowly began to let their guards down. Now, he took action. The man in the mask smiled, pulling the lever. Gears whirled and twisted, cogs spun and slowly the sleeping gas was filtered in through the vents. With the door and window closed, they slowly fell asleep. Once the group in the room fell asleep, he had his men pick them up and carry them away. Each of them was placed on a small hospital bed in a large room of his manor. Leather straps on their arms, legs, waist and over their foreheads would keep them from escaping. They would wake in a few hours. He would return then to begin his work. As for his little ballerina...well, she was certainly in trouble. The dim lights of the room flickered slightly and he looked up at them with a scowl. Returning his attention to his new specimens, the man thought. You'll be a tin soldier, he thought, looking at the boy he'd taken. You'll be a princess, my blinded girl. Another ballerina with the girl in blue. The tinker will be a lady in waiting. And you, little guitar girl, will be my little musician, the man smiled, thinking about it. Turning on his heels, he set off, leaving them in the dimly lit room.

Neverlight:
Selinia jerked awake, gasping for air. She couldn't breathe! Gas! After a few seconds, she realized that the gas was gone. Whatever it was must have knocked her out. She tried to get her bearings, but wherever she was, nothing was moving. Without any vibrations, she was useless. Her body was strapped to a table of some sort. Tugging at the restraints proved useless. She could hear faint breathing coming from either side of her, probably the others. As she lay in the silence, she couldn't help but wish she had never taken that job. None of this would ever have happened, if not for that bouncer!

Finn:
Outside the hotel, a giant lie sleeping. His eyes flicked open, whirring as they focused. He could feel something was wrong. Hazel was at his feet, dancing about in panic, hopping from one spot to another, hardly landing before she bounced away again. Something was definitely not right. She squeaked at him. He nodded, swiftly rising and taking off. She leapt onto his shoulder. A large steamwork dragon and a small steamwork rat, set off together to find their girl.

Though the humans could not understand them, they understood each other.

"They just fell over! Some of them more slowly, but they did! I don't know what happened!" Hazel gasped.

"And a man took all of them away?" the dragon rumbled.

"Yes! Autumn is gone, she's gone! I want Autumn back!" the rat wailed.

"Well, you did the right thing," the dragon replied calmly. He was impressed by the rat- she wasn't normally the smartest creature. She was clever, yes, but not smart. She'd followed the humans as they were carried away, programming the directions into her central mind. After they stopped, she ran back as fast as her little metal feet could carry her to get him.

"Coal?" the rat asked, her voice no louder than a gentle breeze.

"Yes?"

"Do you think they'll be," she paused for a long moment, afraid to ask for fear of the answer. "Do you think they'll be okay?" she finally asked.

"I don't know, but for Autumn's captor's sake," he said, and his eyes flashed red, his voice becoming a growl, "they had better be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Autumn slowly opened her eyes. She felt sick. She shot up from her table, but found she was bound. She leaned her head back down, trying to get the world to stop spinning.

"Ah," she moaned, "where am I?" Looking around the room, she noticed the others, similarly tied down. Her mind began racing. "Hazel? Hazel?! Where are we? Aurora! Aurora, wake up! Everyone, wake up!" she yelled as she tugged on her straps. Frustrated, she bent over and began gnawing on her binds.

Cynda:
As the gas swept in, Vivian began to feel more and more dizzy. She fell over, and the next thing she knew; she was in a strange place. She struggled a bit; until realizing it was no use. She glanced over as she was still strapped down and noticed that her guitar was still there. "Oh... that's good I guess, but my tips are gone." She scoffed. "Figures..." She looked over to find the others to the right of her, since she was on the end; her guitar lying against the bed. She tried to speak, but nothing came out due to fear. She sighed and stayed quiet.

Phoenix:
Phoenix woke with a groan and a headache. He glanced around as he tried to find everyone. He remained calm as he found he couldnt move. He looked at his restraints and got to work trying to free himself.

Aurora:
(Victoria's POV)
She'd woken up first but had been to terrified, too shocked to say a word or move. He had her. And now? He had her new friends as well. How on earth was she going to get them out and safe before he did to them what he'd done to her? Blinking up at the ceiling, she was nearly in tears. Hearing Autumn call for them to wake made her jump.

(Aurora's POV)
Gasping awake at Autumns shouts, Aurora found herself unable to move. "Autumn, Selinia, Phoenix, Victoria? You guys here? And the girl with the guitar? Are you here too, honey? I didn't catch your name," she called. "Everyone okay?" She was wiggling her hand against the pocket of her cloak. She had a knife there for just this situation.

(Unknown POV)
He walked out of the shadow's and smiled at them. "Oh, I wouldn't bother with that knife. And trying to gnaw through it will take ages. Why don't you all just relax? I'm going to perfect you. Free you of that which holds you back. I know you've met my petite papallion, my little butterfly." He still wore his mask as he walked over to Victoria. She screamed, begging him not to hurt her.

Finn:
Autumn grinds her teeth and stares at the man, her eyes dark.

"What do you want?" she screamed, face red. She tugged against her binds. "Give me back my wings!" She felt very bare and vulnerable without them.
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Coal landed with a muffled thud. Hazel was running up and down his back in excitement. She was whirring loudly, "This is it! This is it! This is it! This is it!"

"Calm down, Hazel. You're going to break something or overheat, and Autumn isn't here yet to repair you. I do not possess the same knowledge of your physiology as she does," Coal rumbled. The creature on his back slowed, and her gears quieted a bit. He needed her focused, as hard as he knew that would be. "Please, try to stay calm and focused." He turned his head around and held her gaze. "Their lives could depend on it. Do you understand? Autumn's life," he emphasized, "could depend on it."

"Yes, Coal," the little thing whispered. She returned her gaze to the building in front of them. A huge, beautiful estate, with ornate lanterns and railings hanging from balconies of grand spires, and a tall wall with ivy crawling up it sat behind the house. Hazel caught movement in the corner of her eye, on one of the and her head instinctively jerked towards it. "Coal, look," she squeaked.

"I see them too," he agreed. He took a few steps back so that they were in the shadow of a nearby tree. Perched all over the house, large black birds peered into the night, their eyes glowing red, piercing the darkness. The house was much less inviting once one noticed them. "Crow-cams," Coal said, and one of the crows snapped its head around, looking him in the eye. He held its gaze for a few minutes, Hazel as still as death on his back, until it finally looked away.

Hazel tugged on one of Coal's scales. He turned, and she pointed at the wall. Understanding, he nodded, and grabbed her. Gripping her in one claw, he snapped a branch off of the tree. This time, a few crows looked their way. Opening his mouth slightly, Coal created a spark, sticking the branch in his mouth. The spark struck it and it lit up. He threw it onto the gravel walkway leading to the house, the opposite direction of the wall. He then launched Hazel into the air, and she landed on the wall, gripping the ivy. She barely made a sound as she worked her way up.

The crows were staring at the twig Coal had lit on fire, and a few of them moved closer to it. While they were distracted, he backed into the trees surrounding the property. He glided through the forest a few yards away from the wall and gave out a small roar. He immediately ran farther away, roaring slightly louder. At this point all of the crow-cams had begun moving towards the sound of his voice, a few taking to the air. He ran farther away, this time roaring loudly. The crows began squawking and diving towards the forest. Their red eyes searched for a target they couldn't see. Coal grabbed another twig and lit that one, tossing it to where the birds could see. They all began cawing like mad and attacking the stick. Coal ran back to the wall and lightly flew over it. Hazel jumped onto his back, and the two remained alert.

They were in a garden, but it was not as neat and clean as the house. Upon first seeing the house, it looked well-cared for and lived-in, but the garden showed no signs of recent activity. Withered plants hunched in corners, shriveled grape vines grasped at them as they passed underneath, and they worked their way around, searching for a place to get in. They listened closely, but the only sound they could hear was a gentle drip, and the occasional crow shriek.

"What about there, Coal?" Hazel asked, pointing at a hatch in the ground. "That probably leads to the basement, right?"

"Yes. We will have to be careful. I don't know how far into the house I can follow you. I will not likely fit," he rumbled. Hazel leapt off of his back and onto the door, squeezing through a little hole at the base. Click! Coal pulled the door and it opened. Hazel climbed back on, shivering at the pitch black hallway before them. Together, they ventured into the dark.

Phoenix:
Phoenix glared at him. "What do you mean 'perfect us'?" He asked. "And leave her alone." He called. This man was nuts. He had to figure a way out of this.

Neverlight:
Selinia jerked at her bonds. This man wanted to violate her body, to deform her more than she already was. She began to violently thrash, attempting to free herself. "Not again! Not ever again!" She gritted her teeth, calming herself slightly. At least to the point where she stopped shaking. "If you so much as touch me I will end you. I'll tear your throat out with my teeth if I have to!" She growled. A slow, hysterical grimace crept across her face. "Hey, why not let me up? I bet I could do some perfecting of my own."

Aurora:
(Unknown's POV)
"What do I want? I want to help you. To free you," he told them, stepping first towards Autumn, brushing her hair back behind her ear. "You'll get your wings, sweet heart. Just hold on." Then he went to Phoenix. He caught Phoenix's chin, making him look into his eyes. "You are going to be like her, only you'll all be complete when I am done." Coldly, he calculated Selinia as he moved towards her. "Why should I let you up? It serves no purpose. You just lay there and relax." "Leave them alone!" Aurora called out, "Leave them all alone. Why don't you dome here? Let me up? I'm a lady, unable to defend myself. I'll challenge you to a duel! If I get the better of you and draw blood first, you let us all leave." He looked at her before throwing his head back and laughed.

And this is as far as we have gotten :D

Merg I here)

meep? it die??? T^T

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I hope not ;^;

I just kind of thought that I'd contributed enough in my last post and wanted to see some more interaction before moving on ^^; I don't want to seem like I'm taking over.

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You're good Finn, we got something cooking >:3 I figured I would let someone start it back up cuz I posted last ^^'' but I can add more if needed

/Casually revives thread

As the strange man taunted the others; Vivian yanked on her restraints. She knew she wasn't going to break free, but what else was she to do? She was in a panic state, so she just kept yanking. She kept cringing at the strange man's taunting and couldn't keep it in anymore. "Would you just be quiet already?! I'm tired of listening to you tal-..." Vivian forced herself to hold her tongue, due to fear. "NO! Why did I decide to start talking at a time like this?! I'm scared... I wanna go home..." She thought to herself; sweat dripping from her forehead.

---

Selinia shot a furtive glance at Vivian. "Dtupid girl, why are you draw attention to yourself. At least he isn't focused on me anymore." She took a deep breath. She knew a way to get out of her shackles, but it would not be fun. She shifted slightly, pressing her hip against the side of her hand. She would have to be fast. She was pretty sure she could keep quiet, but the noise from her hand might alert the man. "Ok, here we go. One, two, THREE." She slid herself sharply, smashing her hand against the table and her hip. A small crack came forth as her hand broke. She gritted her teeth as pain stabbed at her. With her hand bent like this, she easily slid it out of the strap. With a flick, her blade shot out with a snick. Now she could at least keep the man at bay should he turn to her. If he didn't notice then she might be able to cut her other bonds.

---

Phoenix heard the crack, and if he did then the man did too. Why do I always get stuck in situations like this! he thought, freeing one wrist enough to slip it out. Once it was out he pulled out one of his daggers and cut the rest of the bods, then thru it at the man.With any luck I can keep him distracted while another frees everyone! He thought to himself. But then again... when has luck ever really been on my side...

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Autumn fidgeted in her binds. She hated being restrained. She began to cry with anger. "Let us go! You're going to be sorry for this!" she screamed as she resumed tugging at her binds, with more force this time. They dug into her skin, drawing blood. She continued pulling and weeping bitterly.

In the dark hallway, two mechanical creatures were still picking their way through the dark. Coal stopped.

"Do you smell that?" he asked?

"Yes, yes! Do you hear it? I hear her!" Hazel yelled, and she jumped off of Coal's back and ran into the darkness ahead. She went until she could no long hear his whirring behind her, though she knew he'd keep following her scent until he caught up. Ahead, she saw light coming from a door, open just a crack. That's where the smell of blood came from, and that's where the voices were! Hazel paused outside the door and peeked in.

She saw the group, strapped down, and she had to grip the ground to keep herself from running in to Autumn. Coal would get angry if she did anything rash. He always did. She watched for a while, and saw one of them smash her hand. Why'd she do that? she wondered to herself, when she heard Coal soft step up behind her.

"They're in here, Coal!" she squeaked, and climbed back on his back. Coal saw Autumn tugging at her restraints. A few drops of her blood fell onto the while table beneath her, and he went into a rage.

With a roar the pierced the air like thunder, Coal shoved the door open and stood before the man. The man turned around and faced him, and Hazel leaped onto the bed with Autumn and began biting at her binds. Once Autumn was free, she went to the girl who'd smashed her hand and chewed her other hand free.

Coal turned and swept the man up with his huge tail. The man flew through the air, hitting the wall with a sickening crack. Coal stood over him, about to make sure he was done for, when Autumn cried out in pain. She is my priority. She is my master. He turned and went to her, bending down so she could get on his back.

"Guys, we have to get out of here!" she yelled. Hazel continued biting at their binds.

---

The man had gone down hard. A involuntary groan of pain was all the noise he made as he blacked out. He was going nowhere fast. Waking up wouldn't be a thing for a good three or four hours.

Yanking her hands free, and with help from Hazel, Aurora soon was free. Fans! I need my fans! she thought casting around. Finding them, Vivian's guitar, and Autumns wings on a table, she dashed over, snatched them up and went to Victoria's side. The poor girl was frantic to be free. Aurora helped her out and Victoria immediately glued herself to Aurora's side.

"It's alright. We're leaving now. I just have one thing I want to do. You go to one of the others, honey. Give these to Autumn and this to Vivian, okay?" Aurora asked, handing her the wings and guitar. Victoria nodded and clutched the items. Aurora gently pushed her towards the others before moving in on the psycho who'd tied them down. "Phoenix? Want to help me? I think I'll need some help lifting him. He'll be dead weight, as passed out as he is."

Victoria made her way over to Autumn and handed her the wings. Then she gave Vivian her guitar and attached herself to Selinia's side. Seeing her hand, Victoria whimpered and looked at Selinia. "We need to have that looked at and set," she said, softly.

Phoenix walked over and grabbed him, picking him up with a grunt. "Table?" He asked, already figuring out what she had planned and started towards it. He dropped him with a thud and let her do the rest.

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Aurora was, well, very unhappy with this unnamed man. Flashing the others a wicked grin, she turned back to the passed out man. Pulling out a knife, she cut off his expensive looking suite until he was in only his boxers and bowtie. Then she strapped him in. "You can't hear me right now, but I'm going to say what I have to say anyway. First of all, you do not kidnap people. You don't tie them down, you don't threaten to cut them up and make them mechanical. You certainly don't kidnap me and my friends. And now, you jerk, I am going to return the favor."

Then she stuffed his shirtsleeve into his mouth and tied it there as a gag. "There. Thank you, noble dragon for knocking him out. That should hold him a while. And this," she gestured to her work, "Will keep him here and helpless for a bit longer."

Selinia cut herself free in the commotion. Her hand felt like fire, and was rapidly swelling. She would need to take care of it soon. "Are you kidding me!?" She grunted loudly. "I broke my hand for nothing!?" She moved over to where Aurora had tied the man down. "Can't I just kill him? I really want to kill him for this." She placed her blade to the mans temple, waiting for the girl to answer. She wasn't sure why she was waiting for permission, But she felt like it wouldn't be right to do it without at least the clockwork girl saying so. Who knows? Maybe she wanted to do it instead.

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meep?

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agreed...I don't think I can post again so soon...

same

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