Fairy Tail RP

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

    Alt Account- Alignment Shift- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Guild Master- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- I Have Friends...- Teaming Up!- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Guild Creator- Achiever- Obligatory Beach Episode- Sticking Around- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Descendant of Jagers
    Position : None
    Posts : 605
    Guild : Hidden Blades
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 2,399,882

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Incubus Soul Takeover
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 27th October 2019, 8:20 am


    "Artemis, whilst I'm pleased with the progress you have been making with the 'asset' I permit you to deal with. However, you have failed to attend any of our social events as of late. The press is getting suspicious, therefore we need you to get some positive attention. Make a public appearance at one of the pumpkin farms, some party organizers need are running low on pumpkins and need some mages to help gather them. Think of this as a service to the community, behave yourself and hopefully you two will aid our family's current reputation. Oh, I forgot to mention; your brother will be going with you."

    And here he was, in a car on the way to the Crocus's pumpkin fields. He was surprised there were vegetable fields in crocus, what with it being such an industrial place. But apparently, they kept some stretches of land for local farming and produce. He supposed he would be called out to do something for the family at some point, his father was right, he HAD missed a lot of family events because he'd been too busy to attend. His job kept him occupied, which was probably ideal for the Daggers, no drunk Artemis at a gala causing trouble. It was probably ideal, but no doubt the media were probably wondering where the Dagger Heir has disappeared to. It was perhaps a little strange, the once avidly social billionaire ghostings all the current events. But still, picking pumpkins? It was a tedious affair. What were they trying to sell with this? That the Daggers boys were humbled enough to pick pumpkins for the public, despite their wealthy roots? It felt like a rather cheesy story to sell. But still, he wouldn't argue, and he preferred picking pumpkins to being forced to endure boring conversations with snobs and uppity socialites.

    The car pulled to a stop, and the driver confirmed his arrival. Artemis would pay him, before sliding out of the car. Adjusting his leather jacket, it was colder than he'd expected it to be. He glanced around, ruby eyes searching for his little brother. Hoping he would get here soon, the sooner he was here, the sooner he could head off for a beer.




    WC: 375 / 1500 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

    Alt Account- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Limited Edition- Buddy Buddy- Taskmaster- Halloween job event participant - Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Player 
    Lineage : Truth
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 374
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 336,993

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 28th October 2019, 1:19 am

    It'd been a while since he'd seen his brother. Between Percy's nearly fanatical search for his own magic and his obsessive technological research that would tide him over in the meantime, most of the scarred boy's time was occupied in a lab. That wasn't even counting his older brother's hard work lately. While Percy was more easily forced into all the social gatherings as something like a Dagger child consolation prize (since all the other siblings were also mostly MIA), even he had missed enough to feel the pressure of attendance for this pumpkin gathering quest. Public relations weren't his thing, though. He lacked the charm and confidence charisma Artemis wielded so well. He was far too shy to command the same type of attention that his brother could, but here he was anyway.

    He'd actually arrived at the field a bit early since he was nearly always early to everything he attended. His driver was long gone and he'd already stooped to pluck up a nice, round pumpkin and held it up for inspection. The oversized tan sweater he had hidden the gauntlets on his arms well. They weren't really secrets, but he didn't like being out with mages without some way of holding his own. Percy was just a bit less showy about them since an accident with the fire gauntlet had been responsible for the burns on his head that surrounded his left eye and turned the right side of his hair white as fresh snow. How would they react, knowing that even after he'd caused himself such a nasty wound that he continued work on it until he had it functional, and even now it was strapped to his left arm?

    Setting the approved orange fruit into the nearby cart provided, his gloved hands reached up to fuss at the brown scarf around his neck, making sure it shielded against the chilly autumn breeze's wintery kisses. It was then he heard a car door slam and turned, seeing Artemis looking around for him. It was strange. He was both pleased to see him and slightly resentful toward him at the same time. Part of him craved the closeness the siblings once had, yet he was also keenly aware that the Dagger heir had found magic and became someone the Daggers could be proud of. The family's regard for him was obvious, while Percy was made only more painfully aware of the unfortunate circumstances of his birth that still lingered. He was inferior and he knew it. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted more than the ability to catch up to his siblings.

    Throwing up a hand in greeting, his mismatched eyes softened in familiarity anyway despite his misgivings, a lopsided smile appearing on his mouth. "Hey," he called quietly, waving, "Over here." Perseus bent over, pulling the vine loose from another pumpkin and lifting it for inspection. "Do you know how many we have to pick? If I'd had more notice, I'm sure I could have brought something to make this easier."


    [510/1500]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

    Alt Account- Alignment Shift- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Guild Master- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- I Have Friends...- Teaming Up!- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Guild Creator- Achiever- Obligatory Beach Episode- Sticking Around- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Descendant of Jagers
    Position : None
    Posts : 605
    Guild : Hidden Blades
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 2,399,882

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Incubus Soul Takeover
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 28th October 2019, 7:48 am


    As he spotted the unique shade of red and white locks, he grinned, he had seen Percy in ages and from the looks of it, his more docile sibling was already at work. Artemis joked over to where he was, reaching down, he would ruffle his brother's hair vigorously regardless of whether he was okay with it or not. "Hey Percy boy! Long-time no see," He was actually pretty happy to see his brother, one of the few members of his family he enjoyed being around. He would definitely rather be here with Percy than his weasel cousin Gabriel. "Yo what's with the gloves, you turning bionic on me?" He began to do a robot dance, "I-am-Perseus, Exter-minate- Exter-minate!" He said in his best impression of a robot, before laughing, weirdly enough the impression kind of reminded him of Cassius. He knew his brother loved technology, but he still couldn't help teasing him a little. It felt normal, something he hadn't felt in a while now.

    "I honestly have no clue, I say we just pick a bunch, then head to Maroni's for some pizza." He suggested, figuring it would be a nice excuse to catch up. His siblings sure felt distant these days, it was kind of lonely without them around to annoy and mess around with. He glanced around, he was surprised, surely there would be some paparazzi around by now, snapping a shot of the brothers working together. They were bound to be tipped off by an 'anonymous source', but it seemed either they weren't here yet or they were just really good at hiding. Shrugging, he set to work, finding anything that resembled a passable pumpkin and tearing its vine from its stem. Not especially concerned with being careful.

    After a short while, he froze, his sensitive hearing building up a flurry above him. Normally, even with his powerful sense, he had trained himself to ignore the less important sounds, like animals, traffic, wind. But this was normal bird sounds, he glanced up, eying the birds. "Perce, those gloves... they're weapons right?" He asked, continuing to pick the next pumpkin, but eyes still watching the skies cautiously. His suspicions seemed to grow more accurate with each passing moment, as the horde of blackbirds seemed to grow thicker, he could practically smell it, they're lethal intent. "Perce, don't freak out, but in a minute those birds are going to attack us. If you can protect yourself good, but if not I need you to get behind me." He told him calmly, tearing away at the next pumpkins stem as though talking about the weather. The flock converged together before diving down towards the sibling, "NOW!" Art roared, jumping to his feet, he summoned several black orbs to meet the angry avian mass.







    WC: 466 Art's Total: 841 / 1500 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

    Alt Account- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Limited Edition- Buddy Buddy- Taskmaster- Halloween job event participant - Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Player 
    Lineage : Truth
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 374
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 336,993

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 29th October 2019, 1:37 am

    Percy wrinkled his nose and swatted at his brother's hand as it ruffed his hair, though he only did good-naturedly. Just like that, it was like no time had passed between them at all. The brotherly antics resumed as if it hadn't been ages since they occupied the same space, and soon Percy was chuckling quietly to himself. "You're such a dork..." Percy muttered, ducking his head to hide slightly flushed cheeks of embarrassment, in some part for himself, but mostly over having to watch Arty suck at being a robot so badly. "The only person I'll be exterminating here is you if you don't stop...whatever that is," he threatened playfully.

    Then the younger Dagger brother resumed picking pumpkins, taking much more care than his elder, but still beginning to wrack up quite the count. Would they just have a feeling when it was time to stop? There really should have been more information given...either a certain amount of time to complete the task or a hard number to reach that would be acceptable. Before his mood to sour too much, the mention of pizza had him glancing hopefully at Arty. "Oh, Maroni's? Dude, I haven't been there in forever..." the young man wistfully admitted, already tasting their special sauce recipe.

    The sudden mention of his gauntlets but Percy on edge instantly. The tone with which he said it led the boy to believe that he would get scolded for them after all, something he shied away from but was also prepared for. "Yes, they are..." he started defensively, standing up straight to turn to face his brother, "but I've worked out the kinks now and they work perfectly--" His words cut off in his throat as he noticed the tautness of his brother's shoulders and the upturned eyes. As Arty continued to speak, Percy's own mismatched eyes glanced up as well, only now catching onto the threat Artemis had been aware of way before he was. It was hard to heed the words 'don't freak out' when the blue sky was being blotted out by the feathered ink dots.

    Perhaps it was Percy's sudden halting of the pumpkin picking that tipped the avians off because they took a nosedive at him shortly after he became aware of them, and exactly at the time Artemis had predicted. "I can handle myself!" he shouted stubbornly, tearing off his gloves and lifting his hands. It was so easy for his brother to break out his magic. Of course, Percy wanted to stand and watch in enraptured longing, but for now, he needed to show what his inventions were made of. The crows that made it past Ary's orbs would impact and be deflected by a large shield of ice attached to his right gauntlet, protecting him from the mass of stabbing pecks. As the first round of assaults rebounded to regroup in the sky, the ice shield disappeared in a puff of snow and he began his attack. Flames shot forward in magnificent giant fireballs from his left glove, while sharpened ice shards served as projectiles from his right. As impressive as he wanted it to be, he was keenly aware that he had just attacked some crows that, if not for being unusually aggressive and in such large numbers, were still painfully normal birds and died just as easily. Between the two brothers, the crows didn't stand a chance.

    "Arty, what is going on?" Percy asked, frowning. "I now this field doesn't have a scarecrow, but this seems highly unusual. I didn't know crows were so protective of pumpkins...." his words trailed as he noticed some of the carcasses near him jiggling unnaturally, wiggling along the ground to join with others. He swallowed hard. It didn't take any magically enhanced senses to see this easy day of PR pumpkin picking was getting shot all to hell. Turning his gaze on the Dagger heir revealed an even more dire situation since Art had taken out way more crows. They were already rising up in humanoid forms behind him. "Look out, Artemis!"


    [1189/1500]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

    Alt Account- Alignment Shift- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Guild Master- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- I Have Friends...- Teaming Up!- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Guild Creator- Achiever- Obligatory Beach Episode- Sticking Around- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Descendant of Jagers
    Position : None
    Posts : 605
    Guild : Hidden Blades
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 2,399,882

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Incubus Soul Takeover
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 29th October 2019, 4:23 pm


    Artemis grinned at his brother's reaction to his teasing, sticking out his tongue at the playful threat he was given. At Percy's response to the Maroni invitation, Art shot him an enthusiatic eye-wiggle. "I wonder if that cute waitress is still there, you know the blonde who always winks at you when she takes our order. What's her name again Perce?" He asked teasingly, it was highly possible that the waitress winked at all of her patrons, but he stil couldn't help but want to try and stir a reaction from his younger sibling.

    After warning his brother, Artemis wondered if he hit a nerve as Percy shouted before he set about facing the birds. As they thought the onslaught of crows, Artemis kept at eye on his brother observing him as he used his gloves to fend off the attack. First creating an ice shield and then lighting up the birds in a blaze of merciless fire. Arty liked to joke about Percy's inventions, but he had to give it to him; they were effective. Albeit somewhat dangerous as they both were well aware of. He whispered, "Decent work Perce, robot arms finally paying off huh" He said in an amused tone, before glancing around. Any birds Percy hadn't incinerated had been utterly decimated by his orbs of demonic power.

    "Honestly not sure, don't remember seeing this on Animal Planet." He commented, despite being attacked he was calm. He was pretty used to getting attacked by now, not normally by birds but by something or other. Just a part of a being a mage really. At his brother's shout, he turned around only to see the mass of crows forming together to make one giant body. Art raised his brow, "Huh... now you're a big fella ain'tcha~" He commented with a grin, the bird-man loomed over him threatening, jumping forward. It would swipe a claw at him, Art hopped back, just out of reach of the bird's sweep. Reaching out with his left hand, he grabbed hold of the feather mass that was the bird man's arm, yanking it down, he would drive his right fist into the beast's beak. It didn't do much, it seemed that somewhat enhanced human strength wasn't enough. The bird yanked it's arm out of Artemis's grip, reaching out it would seize him by the shoulders. It's clawing digging in as it lifted the older brother off of the ground. Art winced at the pain, glancing over at his brother, although he didn't mind using some spells. He really didn't like using the entirety of his magic in front of his family, he found himself hesitating.

    Tut tut, come now boy. A little pride shouldn't stop you, don't you want to protect your brother. They're more coming you know, now is not the time to play your cards close to your chest~ The silky voice of Morte in his head would whisper, Art stiffened. He knew many things about Morte, things he hated, but one thing he knew was that the incubi did not lie. "Ugh, so fucking be it," he growled, unleashing the magic from within. His skin turning black as coal, shifting into dark scales and smoke emanating from his body. His arms would grow thicker, his muscles expanding, his fingers flexed as they mutated into claws the size of large talons. Art kicked out, hitting the bird beast hard in the stomach, causing him to drop the red-head. As he landed, he leaped forward, slashing his claws at the beast, over and over. His claws ripping through its flesh effectively until it dropped down dead. Art stood over it, the wounds on his shoulder already healing, he glanced over at his brother in his somewhat demonic form. His eyes widened at the newest threat that seemed to be making it's way toward them, "Well Perce, I think we found where the scarecrow went"




    WC: 653 Art's Total: 1494 / 1500 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

    Alt Account- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Limited Edition- Buddy Buddy- Taskmaster- Halloween job event participant - Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Player 
    Lineage : Truth
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 374
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 336,993

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 30th October 2019, 2:40 am

    That was just the thing. Perseus was watching his brother, waiting for the magic to flow with equal measures of appreciation and resentment. To see Artemis hesitate using it when Percy knew full well this type of creature probably posed little more threat than the crows that made them to someone like the Dagger heir. Regardless of what Artemis was really thinking, to Percy, it felt like pity. And no other trait other than magiclessness ran in the affluent family like pride did. The two-toned boy might be very shy and keenly aware of his weakness, but his pride kept him from giving up. His pride drove him, fueled him, and was often the source for his flares of frustration and pain. And now his pride stoked the coals of his soul, choosing to let irritation move the young man to action.

    He stood only a moment longer to watch Artemis decide to let loose, transforming into something less like his brother and more demonic. It was amazing, really. Kinda creepy and scary, but cool. The strength at Artemis's command as he kicked and clawed free made Percy jealous. His Pyrocryo gauntlets were the closest thing he had to functional magic, though it wasn't magic at all. Science and technology were all he had, and as it was plain to see by the scar on his face, even those could hurt his fragile, non-mage body if something went awry.

    Turning to his own crow-molded creature, he did his best to keep up with his brother despite his obvious handicaps. Like all the siblings, he'd been extensively trained in physical disciplines, so even the nerd of the family had skills. His body was finely muscled and strong. However, as his brother had proved earlier, punches and kicks didn't do a lot. In the end, he had to work much harder to down it, flash freezing half of it and frying the other. With a scent reminiscent of Fiore Fried Chicken wafting in the air, a battered and bloody Percy kicked the frozen half and shattered the creature, killing it....again.

    Just as he staggered back to catch his breath and wipe some blood from his mouth with the back of a ripped sleeve, the scarecrow was mentioned. The winded little brother tiredly looked around, seeing the nightmarish villain shambling toward them. It dragged its scythe behind ominously, making a scraping sound that belonged in a horror film. "Of course it has a scythe..." Percy huffed, unnerved, but a bit too worn out to show much fear. Still insistent on not being protected and taking care of himself, he walked forward and raised his pyro gauntlet. "Scarecrows are made of straw, right? It burns well enough..." he said before launching a large stream of fire from his arm, intent on flamethrowering it to death.

    He thought he'd got it, but he was mistaken. Though uncoordinated, the possessed farm guardian managed a stumbling sidestep, losing only one arm to ash. Percy's mismatched hues watched him, angling his arm to release more fire, but his foe's movements changed. He still moved like a soul unfamiliar with its body, but it was now fast and locked onto him. It charged him like a madman through the smoke of its smoldering shoulder and charred pumpkin patch, upon the boy within mere seconds. As the scythe swiped horizontally through the air, Percy had just enough time to raise an ice shield, thinking himself safe. As the blade impacted it, it immediately cracked from the insane force. "A-ah...!" he exclaimed in surprise, then suddenly his shield was shattering and the curved blade hugged his left side. Feeling the slice through the flesh of his shoulder blade and upper arm brought a sharp cry of pain that heightened an octave as the actual force being the swing sent him flying like a baseball whacked by a bat. He flew a few meters away and met the ground with enough velocity to knock the air from his lungs. Wheezing and writhing not unlike a fish trapped on dry land, it seemed he was down for the moment and Artemis would have to finish this one up without him


    [1886/1500 - Event WC complete - 386 extra]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

    Alt Account- Alignment Shift- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Guild Master- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- I Have Friends...- Teaming Up!- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Guild Creator- Achiever- Obligatory Beach Episode- Sticking Around- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Descendant of Jagers
    Position : None
    Posts : 605
    Guild : Hidden Blades
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 2,399,882

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Incubus Soul Takeover
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 2nd November 2019, 4:25 am


    The sight of his brother beaten and battered from his own fight created quite the internal conflict in Artemis. On one hand, he wanted to tell his brother to stand down, not to fight to let Artemis protect him, but on the other hand, he knew that would go down like a lead balloon. His brother wanted to fight, to show his worth, Arty knew this because he would be the exact same. In fact, he had been the same, over more than a decade ago, during his magicless years. He held back, not saying anything. He stood by as Percy took on the scarecrow, waiting ready just in case. He created several more demonic orbs, not just in case his brother needed them, but if there was another monster waiting for them. His ruby eyes searched the plains, it was getting harder to see. The fog was growing thicker, more dense. His instincts were telling him there was more to come. The scarecrow was more nimble than the bird beast, quicker. Its attacks more precise and less animalistic, making it a greater threat. Artemis clenched his fists as it slashed at his brother. I never understand you pitiful humans, you could kill this creature easily, especially if you used my power. Yet you hold yourself back, and for what? For the sake of this boys pride and your own pathetic shame. Morte's malicious voice hissed in his mind, Artemis shut his eyes, gritting his teeth. I don't recall asking your opinion, in fact, I never want your opinion.

    Well, you shall hear it anyway. Like now for instance, It is my opinion that you open your eyes, lest you want your brother to die. Art's eyes shot open just in time to see the blade of the scythe carve into his brother's shoulder. Art roared in protest, running forward, his immediate protective rage taking over. Making room for more of Morte's magic, allowing it to seep into him. The orbs flew forward at immense speed, slamming into the scarecrow. Giant black feathery wings would tear through the clothes on his back, stretching outward behind him. He pushed down hard, dashing forward faster than could be followed with human eyes. He ripped the scythe from the scarecrows grasp, swinging it through the air. He brought it down on the creature with all the strength of his enhanced muscles, tearing the beast in two. He hovered above where the creature lay, his breathing ragged. This wasn't good, he could feel Morte's presence, itching to take over completely. He reached up, smacking himself in the head a few times, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to maintain control.


    Come on Artemis, give in. Show your brother the real you, you know you want to... He purred, Artemis growled, gritting his teeth. "No... I can't...I don't want him to..." He replied out loud, his body trembling. A cold chuckle caused him to stiffen, he turned his head to look, his once red eyes now entirely black including the whites of his eyes. The newest monster to approach, a monster dressed in a black cloak with a rotten pumpkin for a head. The energy around the creature was thick with evil, and yet it was nothing compared to Morte, who surged forward. Artemis was dragged deep into his own mind as Morte shifted over completely. His demeanor would change completely, becoming quite relaxed. He grinned at the monster, his teeth now as long as a serpent, rows, and rows of them protruding from his gums. He would no longer resemble Artemis whatsoever, his nostrils now slit, his face more angular, the only remaining part of him was his red hair.

    "I commend your attempts, you season bound beasts really don't have a lot of time to hunt. You might have been successful had it just been the boy, but alas, you had the misfortune of running into me." His voice was different now, smoother, silkier and quite sinister in nature. He flew towards the creature, who launched its chains towards him. The chains were met with more demonic orbs, knocking them away from their summoner as he soared towards his target. Morte stopped in front of the beast, throwing his powerful arms forth, his speared his claws into the pumpkins head, holding him still. The moment his claws touched the pumpkin, it would set alight. It's entire body covered in black flames, eating away at its body. Morte chuckled sadistically, opening his jaw, he spread his mouth wide. He released a monstrous roar into the creature's face, hitting the pumpkin king head-on. He struggled in the demon's grip, desperately trying to distance itself from him. Chains would wrap around Morte's body, attempting to drag him over. Morte just continued to laugh, before squeezing with his hands, crushing the creature's head with all his strength. After a matter of second, the pumpkin head would explode, it's orange flesh flying everywhere. Its body fell limp and Morte would drop him to the ground, like a discarded toy.

    He turned to look at Percy, his toothy grin spreading wider, he flew over to the boy. Hovering close, he brought his face close to the younger Dagger boy. "Do you like secrets boy?" He whispered playfully, before moving closer, his tone teasing. "Ask your brother who I am..." Morte chuckled leaning back from Percy, he would throw back his head and laugh. Smoke billowing from his body as he began to revert, sinking back into his host.  His teeth and claws retracted to their normal size, his skin and eyes morphing into their natural colour whilst his wings sunk back into his shoulders. He would stop laughing, looking down, appearing himself once more. Artemis would blink blearily at his brother, his expression one of exhaustion. As he had control returned to him, he looked around hastily, with no memory of what happened after he'd seen the Pumpkin King. He eyed the body that that lay on the floor, so Morte had just killed him. That was acceptable at least, the last thing he wanted was his brother to witness one of Morte's 'rampages'. He looked over at Percy with a weak grin, Morte's complete control always took it out of him for some reason.

    "So yeah... Maroni's then?"

    WC:1053 Art's Total: 2547 / 1500 | Event WC reached, 1047 Excess Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

    Alt Account- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Limited Edition- Buddy Buddy- Taskmaster- Halloween job event participant - Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Player 
    Lineage : Truth
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 374
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 336,993

    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 27th November 2019, 5:00 am

    Once there was air back in his lungs, Percy rolled to peer through the fog for his brother. The scarecrow...where was it? Mismatched hues caught sight of it just as Artemis blinked into view faster than he could really track. Dumbly he watched as his brother displayed great amounts of strength, do doubt an aspect of his magic power his little brother so envied. Savagely the scarecrow was dealt with, but he noticed something odd. His big brother's behavior after slaying it was frantic, smacking his head with eyes shut tight. The pain in his..well, everything kept him from getting at first. He'd wanted to make sure Art was ok, setting aside his own shame and jealousy, but soon enough the sight he witnessed paralyzed him more forcefully in place. At about the same time the elder Dagger began muttering alarming things and his eyes darkened, a new, more powerful threat loomed.

    Then everything went sideways.

    Artemis had been replaced with a horrifying creature, right before Percy's very eyes. The fangs, the body language, the voice, everything had shifted into something out of a nightmare. If not for the red hair on top, he might not have believed Artemis had ever been standing where it stood. Both it and the pumpkin monster emanated an evil that even the unmagical could sense. The two-toned young man broke into a frigid sweat as he suddenly battled fear-born nausea. The king of the patch was brutally dealt with, a fact that should have gifted the younger Dagger with relief, but it did quite the opposite. Now that not-Artemis had no other distractions, that meant it was likely to turn its attention to his injured body laying amongst the squashed pumpkins, and his gut-feeling proved right.

    The black and red eyes flickered to him, and he nearly vomited on the spot. Perhaps it was the paralysis that kept it from happening since all he could really do was stare and quake. With a chilling grin the demon was hovering over him. Would it kill him now, too? Set him alight? Would its deathly scream shred him? Would the chains whip out and squeeze him until he exploded?

    Never had Perseus felt such a sense of danger, yet all he could do was lay frozen, impossibly wide eyes locked on the taunting fiend.

    The question asked of him went unanswered since the poor non-mage was utterly disabled. Just when he was certain the secret would be the location of his body, the creature simply made a suggestion and leaned away. A feint? Percy was still preparing to die when, right before his eyes, the very image of terror melted back into a tired, familiar brother. Confirmation that this evil being and his own flesh and blood were connected somehow made everything worse. And Art smiled at him, asking about the stupid pizza place.

    "Ma..M-Ma...." he stammered, still in the throes of visceral fright. The pain from his bleeding shoulder was long forgotten, buried deeply under the traumatizing scene he'd just witnessed. 'Ask your brother who I am...' the nightmare had asked of him, and that was all that consumed his mind.

    "A-Artemis...what w-was that?" Percy's voice warbled out weakly, moisture starting to gather on the cusps of his lower lids despite how much he didn't want it to. The cause of the tears was something between relief that the danger was gone, and continued fear of knowing that thing was lurking inside his brother just a few feet away. He made no move to get up. The last thing he wanted was to get too close.


    [wc: 602 || Thread Total: 2035/??? ]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 29th November 2019, 10:40 am


    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger





    Artemis took a deep breathe, glancing around the pumpkin patch. The weather seemed to be settling back to normal now, the fog had lifted and once again everything seemed calm. That had turned out okay right? All they had to do was grab a couple  pumpkins and they'd had done the job. They could call it a day and spend some quality time together, which was great. Perhaps today would be one of the few times he did something for his family and didn't end up facing consequences for it.  At least this was what he had hoped, alas it would not turn out this way. He heard Percy's attempt to speak, the tone of fear in his voice bringing his brothers attention back to him. "Perce?" His own voice was uncertain, concerned. Had the monsters really freaked him out that much? He supposed it would be for people not used to it, although he didn't realise Percy would be this upset by the ordeal.

    Yet when Percy asked his next question, something told Artemis there was more to it than just the Halloween monsters. Something told him Morte had done something, shown Percy something he shouldn't have. Artemis stiffened, his expression hardening, his smile gone completely. He climbed to his feet, his demeanour now solemn, he offered out a hand to Percy."Come, let's go get pizza, we can talk at Maroni's." He told his terrified sibling. After grabbing a pumpkin or two, he would text his driver to come and get them. Shortly after have his driver pull round to the front of the entrance to the pumpkin patch. Without a word Artemis jumped inside of the car, not really sure what to say just yet. He knew he was probably being a little standoffish, but he really didn't know what to say to ease his brother's mind. Soon they would pull up outside Maroni's, Artemis wouldn't say much. The entire way he tried to pry things out of Morte, but the demon was radio-silent all of a sudden. Which only made him more suspicious.

    After climbing out of the car, Artemis would head into the restaurant. Maroni's wasn't the fanciest of restaurants, the more snobbier members of his family would never come to such a place. But Arty liked it well enough, the pizza was good, the waitresses were cute, and hey free refills were always a plus with him. It was barely a second before a heavily busted woman roller-bladed over to them, "Well if it ain't the Dagger boys, ain't seen you two in a while!" Artemis smiled in his usual charming way, "Looking good Gloria, is our booth free?" He asked smoothly, his face not portraying the angst he was feeling at present."Ready and waiting!" She spun on her heel, before gliding away to the booth the boys always sat in. Artemis slid onto the leather bench, his eyes flickering to Percy, trying to read his mood. "What can I getcha to drink?"

    "I'll get a lemonade...what about you Perce?" He asked, his ruby eyes searching his brothers face. He knew that if Morte had done what he thought he'd done, then him and Percy for in for quite the talk. Whether his brother would see him the same after he didn't know, would he be mad? disgusting? scared? There was so many possibilities, he struggled to see an outcome that was good. Maybe Percy would understand why he did it, would accept his brother's flawed decision to sell his soul to a demon. Although he couldn't see it, because he knew if the shoe was on the other foot, he too would be really pissed off.


    WC: 613 Art's Total: 1660 New Thread Total: 2648 Tag: @Percy



    Last edited by Artemis Dagger on 3rd December 2019, 2:44 pm; edited 1 time in total


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    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 29th November 2019, 8:29 pm

    It had been quite a stretch for Percy to go along with Artemis. His body wanted to flinch away from the hand that offered to help him up, but still briefly took it and stood. He hadn't wanted to be trapped in the back of a car with so much uncertainty cluttering his panicking mind, but Percy had told himself that whatever the explanation, his brother could have been this way for a while and it had never hurt him in the past. Arguably, the terrifying demon hadn't hurt him in the patch at all, so clearly it meant him no harm, but fear wasn't always rational.

    Once in the car, he relished the silence that fell on both of the unsettled Dagger brothers. Hands reached up to banish any evidence that he'd been about to cry, then started rustling around for the first aid kit. He took this opportunity to patch himself up the best he could, seemingly quite skilled at doing so. Working in the lab with dangerous things like he did, he'd had many injuries from accidents less serious than the one to his face and head. He wrapped up the gash with gauze the best he could, then snatched up a spare black shirt from one of the compartments and slowly wriggled it on. While the soreness from his new wound was already setting in, it was the least of his worries. So far, the only thing he could say without dread was that a Dagger car was always prepared for nearly any situation they could get into in an effort to keep them looking as presentable to the public as possible. It was a blessing since his sweater was a sliced up and ruined mess, something that wouldn't go unnoticed at Maroni's. After all this, Percy was still baffled they were going to the favored pizza place. This very much seemed like a discussion for a private room at home.

    Reluctantly he exited the car once they pulled up, awkwardly following Art into the place. His mind was reeling with questions he was afraid to find answers to, so much so that even as the pretty blonde that perked up and waved at him from the drink dispenser went utterly ignored. He tried not to come off as stressed as he was, but he wasn't like his brother. He didn't have that wall of dazzling charm to turn on when he needed a mask to hide behind. The best he could muster was a weak smile at Gloria as he slid into their normal booth. He made sure to keep an abnormal amount of distance between himself and the Dagger heir.

    His meek voice ordered water from the rollerskating waitress and then he watched as she glided away and out of earshot. His hues darted up, locking onto the man with the answers. How could he act so calm, as if he didn't know what happened? ...Did he really not know? Did that creature keep him from remembering? Amending his previous question from the pumpkin patch, Percy again asked what he'd been told to. It was all that he could think about. "That...thing you turned into. Who was that?" he asked much more calmly this time, though his voice was still weak and his eyes tensed at the mere memory of that demonic face with the dark eyes and maw full of sharp teeth.


    [wc: 569 || Thread Total: 3217/??? ]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 3rd December 2019, 3:27 pm




    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger


    At the very least Percy was willing to tag along at his request, although not without some apparent hesitation. Artemis felt a little more at ease when they arrived at Maroni's, perhaps it was something to do with his experiences at Maroni's but it always gave him a pleasant nostalgia. A place for just him and his siblings, filled with only good memories. Whether that would be the case for the pizza place by the end of the day was yet to be seen. He hoped not, he liked Maroni's, it was dear to him.

    After taking their order, Gloria quickly skated away, if she picked up on Percy's meek response, she didn't show it. Darting off with the same glorious grin she always seemed to wear, as though her cheeks would never tire. The pause was long, dragging out between them, Art anxiously drummed his fingers on the table, coming to a stop when Percy spoke. His question would clarify everything, just what he'd seen. He had seen Morte, and Morte had done something to let Percy know that the beast wasn't some vessel of Artemis's power, but someone else. Artemis would think loudly enough so that Morte would hear his anger, You're going to pay for this you bastard. He heard nothing in response, no amused chuckle, no witty retort. He was letting him sit in this moment without interference, to face the consequences alone.

    Artemis's ruby eyes would draw close, thinking things over for a moment. Wondering how to begin unveiling such a thing to his little brother. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly before opening his eyes. "His name is Morterius, or Morte. He lives inside of me, a result of a contract I made with him." He began, although after he started he realised this was probably a little jarring and that maybe he should be clearer. "Let me start from the beginning, so you know how Pandora has inherited the family magic right. Well as you can imagine, they expected me to be born the same way. The firstborn Dagger son, the primary heir to the family's...businesses. I should've been the same, and that should've been enough to stabilise the future of the Daggers. But this wasn't the case," He would stop, as Gloria returned with their drinks, placing them on the table in front of them.

    "Are you boys ready to order?" Artemis looked up at her, offering her a plastic smile. "The usual set please Gloria," He asked, she nodded, twirling on her heels before whizzing away. Once she was out of earshot, Artemis would continue, "Anyway, as I was saying... things didn't exactly turn out as Mother and Father expected them to. Turns out Perce, like you, was born without magic." He stopped, eyeing his brothers face to see his reaction before continuing, "This wasn't well-received, I was a disgrace to the Dagger Family, an abhorrent disappointment. It was... hard as you probably know. So when the opportunity came to get magic, to finally live up to the family expectations. I took it. It was a stupid decision, one I've regretted ever since," He sat back in his seat, using his right hand to push his fringe out of his face. He stared down at his drink for a moment, the more he spoke, the more sadness seeped into his voice, the remorse. The was the first time, he'd admitted this to anyone but her. It was harder than he expected. The pause dragged on, until finally he spoke once more.

    "Morte is a demon and in exchange for giving me his power, he gets to use me as a host."




    WC: 613 Art's Total: 2273 New Thread Total: 3830 Tag: @Percy



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    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 6th December 2019, 4:03 am

    Gloria was very good at her job. Anyone could see the unfamiliar tension between the brothers, let alone someone who had brought them pizza for years. That smile never faltered, even as she came and went while his eyes were locked on his brother. A demon was living inside Artemis. Percy had met a demon today. Morterius. Morte. His brother had made a dark contract to get this power he had, to force it, to become the proper male Dagger heir he was expected to be. Percy realized the ridiculousness of it, knowing the pressure the Daggers but on them all was unreasonable, but also accepting it as just their life's circumstance. It was antiquated and harmful, but no less their reality they had to deal with. It was what drove his relentless research for magic and power, even at the cost of his own face. Without all of it, where would he be?

    Percy's eyes tightened as Artemis mentioned being born without magic and the hardships of such a thing. Uh, yeah, he understood all of that just fine. It was his life currently. It seemed to be some sort of defect in the male DNA of the Daggers. The younger Dagger found himself feeling a little bitterness, that he could have had Artemis as someone that he could share this misery and disappointment of becoming an adult Dagger without magic with, but instead, Artemis had figured out a way to get magic. Just like Percy was trying to do, but...Art'd been successful where Percy failed...apparently because he never considered making deals with demons to do it. Though the gears in his mind had already started to turn despite his revulsion, his emotions lashed out. His expression grew intense for a moment, somewhere between anger and horror before it melted back into his normal, slightly depressive indifference. Percy was plenty emotional, but he did try his best to hide it. "Yeah, that was stupid, Artemis," he agreed quietly, a finger scooting his sweating glass of water around the table by incremental amounts. The hand attached to the wounded arm and shoulder rested limply in his lap, aching away. "What if...What if Morte doesn't let you come back, one of these days? From what I saw, he forced his way out and only let go so he could force you to tell me about him," questioned Percy with a surge of concern, afraid for his brother. He didn't want to lose Artemis to that terrifying creature. His studious mind jumped around, examining every new angle of this new information. "Do Father and Mother know?" he asked next, considering the implications. An heir that might not always be who he was, might not always have control? There's no way they'd agree to that, though he'd never ask his parents about it. It was none of his business. He didn't want to be heir even if he could have been. Percy wasn't so great with pressure.

    His questions wouldn't stop, almost coming out in a steady stream. His words, though understandable, turned into more of a mumble, like it did when his brain was slipping into research mode, when he was reasoning. "If you had the choice, would you get rid of him and go back to a life like mine? Or...is it worth it? To be strong and approved of?"


    [wc: 559 || Thread Total: 4389]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 30th December 2019, 4:05 pm




    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger


    Once he finished speaking, Artemis waited with bated breath. Not sure how his brother was going to take the news, he knew it wouldn't go down well. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to digest, demons weren't exactly reknowned for being kind, cute creatures. There were monsters, a species of nightmares. The stories one more associated with a demon would be enough to shake you to your core, it was even worse if you saw those nightmares for yourself. What a demon was really capable of, was so much worse than any book could depict. It was pure unadulterated evil, and you could never unsee what you saw. The pause was hardly bearable, each passing moment of silent increased the anxiety he was feeling, the worry he had over how his brother would take this. Was this it? The end of their relationship? Would Percy reject him as a brother?

    And then finally he would speak, his voice was quiet, but Artemis heard it. His heart sinking slightly to hear his brother's thoughts, "I..." He tried to begin, but his voice faltered, not sure what to say. He couldn't defend his actions, they had been incredibly stupid. He'd ruined his future, decimating in one single childish decision. A choice of impulse which would destroy any hopes he had at happiness. He didn't finish his sentence, he just eyed his drink quietly, waiting for his brother to continue. His ruby eyes rising once more when Percy spoke again asking the very question Artemis often feared. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, my control has gotten better but it still... I don't know. Morte is a power beyond anything I comprehend, you have to understand Percy. I made this decision when I was ten, I did exactly map out the consequences before I took the offer. But I'm trying, my emotions and my resolve seem to be what controls him, but if Morte's will is greater than mine, he can claim my mind. As you saw." He sighed, finally taking his drink, he would sip it. Despite his attempt to keep calm and be strong in front of his brother, his fingers would shake ever so slightly. Because the truth was, the question touched a nerve. He was terrified, he'd seen the true extent of what Morte could do. The horror he could unleash as a mere 'playtime', the devastation that to this day remained a mystery when Morte had gone on a rampage.

    Perseus's next question did not surprise Artemis, he lowered his drink, his expression clouded with a hint of bitterness. "Mother is oblivious. Or rather chooses to be, I believe Father has an inkling but he has never asked me directly. Ignorance protects them I suppose. All they know is the small dose of which I've shown them, that I have some sort of magical power. Not re-quip like most Daggers, but something else. However, the fact remains that it is powerful is enough to fulfil what they require from an heir." His tone was laced more so with frustration now, his family never cared enough to learn the true state of his magic. They chose not to care, to use it for their advantage but stay distantly unaware enough so that if something did happen to Artemis. Their lack of knowledge would ensure the family legacy would remain unaffected. And then they circled round to his last question, a most impactful one. Artemis closed his eyes, he knew the answer, he'd known the answer for as long as he could remember.

    "If I had a choice, Morte and I would have never met. I would rather be magicless then endure... endure what I have. To have done what he has... what he has made me do." He voice would crack and his eyes would lower in shame.




    WC: 639 Art's Total: 2912 New Thread Total: 5028 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 20th January 2020, 4:21 am

    As his brother explained their parents' stance on the matter, the bitterness that usually popped into his expression didn't fail here, either. If anything, it was more intense, bordering on outright disgust. As much as he wanted to please the Daggers and be recognized and validated, he was reasonable enough to know that was a two-edged sword. His relationship with them and his own pursuits weren't mentally or physically healthy, but he also had little choice. It was how it was. And even though he knew it was hypocritical to be a slave to the family's expectancies himself while hating what it had done to his brother, he couldn't resist a curse under his breath. What a pair they were. Both caving under pressure constantly, one by making deals with demons as a mere child while the other had permanently marred his flesh just to get a semblance of worth.

    "It's messed up," Percy said after another long pause. Just thinking about being a grown man and how seeing the demon had nearly made him vomit made him wonder how much stronger than him Artemis was. To handle such a thing at ten. Percy had no doubt that if he'd been in his elder brother's shoes, he'd have probably not made it back without lasting mental impact if he'd survived at all.

    Even if his temper had flared in concern for Arty, Percy was a compassionate boy. It hurt him to see the one person he idolized so shaken and regretful. The voice crack had the two-toned man swallowing hard, unsure what to do to help. "Hey, Artemis?" he started quietly, leaning forward a bit to rest an elbow on the table. The move wasn't without a price, as Percy hissed in the searing pain from his protesting shoulder, but he'd had worse. He had a familial duty to do his best and be there for the heir. "Do you wanna talk about it?" inquired both his voice and his mismatched hues. From a researcher's point of view, he very much wanted to know just what the demon had made his brother do. His normal self was almost afraid to find out, but overarching both of those was the compulsion to give Arty and outlet. If he needed to vent, Percy would listen. Everyone needed someone to trust, someone to release the difficult things to. Maybe they only had each other.

    [wc: 401 || Group Total: 5429]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 26th January 2020, 5:09 pm

    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger



    For a moment, Artemis's form would reflect his truest self, the part of him he had hidden for so long under a façade of laddish tomfoolery and bravado. He would be the hollow shell of the man he normally presented himself to be, the true misery he felt creeping the surface, exposed before his brother. A single tear would seep from his sorrowful eyes, ones he quickly wiped away with his sleeves. He hated this, every second of it. He never cried in front of anyone, not since he was a small boy. Tears were weak, that had been ingrained into him a long time ago. To make it worse, it was Percy watching him. He always wanted to be brave for Perce, to be someone he could look up to. Big brothers were supposed to protect you from the sins of the world. Yet, Artemis had let him down and the shame he was feeling was immense. "That it is brother, that it is." He uttered weakly.

    When Percy spoke his name, Artemis's eyes widened, the offer of an ear reminding him of this very notion. Of the sight he was showing his younger sibling, and how he needed to straighten up. He couldn't stay like this, the tale enough was probably a huge downer for his brother. He didn't need to be laying it on thicker than he was already. He sniffed, straightening up, he attempting to regain some of his composure. He would look up into his brothers dual-toned irises, a semblance of a smile returning to his face. "Nah, not today Perce. We can... ease up to the gritty stuff in due time." He answered earnestly, he had already told Percy so much more than he'd expected to. Pushed himself to admit more than what he wanted in hopes to ease his brother's mind, but the prospect of telling Percy all the gruesome details about what Morte had made him do. It just seemed more than he could bare the thought of right now.

    Their food would arrive shortly after, plates upon plates of steaming hot pizza's and delicious sides. Art tried to offer Gloria a smile as she laid out there food, although it still hadn't fully recovered it's natural zest. Artemis reached forward, scooping a slice of pizza onto his plate, "Anyway, let's talk about something more pleasant, what's have you been up to lately? Any new cool new gadgets?" He asked, trying to pull Percy into a conversation more cohesive with them both. A sign that he wanted to move on from the subject at hand. Reaching for a fraction of normality, their normality.




    WC: 441 Art's Total: 3353 New Thread Total: 5870 Tag: @Percy



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    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 31st January 2020, 7:00 pm

    And to their normalcy they returned, enjoying their favorite pizza while Percy was more than happy to gush about his latest breakthroughs in the lab like the nerd he was. If only Artemis had known about the horrible, festering seed that had been planted deep inside his brother, the inception of an idea that would likely rob both of them of their normality for quite a while.




    It’d been about three months since that fateful encounter Percy had had with Morte. Even though he’d been all kinds of pissed with his brother’s situation and found Morte to be something that would possibly always haunt his nightmares, the idea that this was the only way to get magic took hold of him. It consumed him. He relentlessly researched the process and various demons. Once he felt secure enough in his knowledge, he made the preparations and proceeded with his admittedly unwise decision. Somewhat predictably, it ended in disaster. Of course it did. He couldn't even ruin his own life with any degree of accuracy.

    Percy was never so thankful for his level of preparedness and general pessimism as he was when he staggered his way out of the Cursed Lands and made it back to his lacrimacar. He could safely say that he didn’t know many who carried extra blood packets in a hermetically sealed cryobox build into their vehicle. Though his hands trembled horribly, he managed to get out the bare minimum equipment from his medical bag and replenish his blood supply enough to be out of danger. He sat slumped in the driver’s seat of his car for a long time, his own blood seeping from the pack into his starved veins. Strangely enough, Percy couldn’t find any wounds that would explain the extensive blood loss. Despite the pain that seemed to strangle each of his nerve endings, he didn’t appear physically damaged.

    While he waited to be in a better condition to drive, the younger Dagger was unsurprised when the hot tears of frustration swelled into his right eye and began to cascade down his unblemished cheek. Weakly, his fist pounded the steering wheel. Not even an idea as desperate as this had worked. What did that say for him? Artemis had been able to make a contract at just ten years old! And despite the trauma he saw in his brother over it, he’d been more than willing to shoulder such a burden if it’d make him powerful; if it’d make his parents proud of him!  

    Once the blood loss was less of a problem and his emotional outburst had subsided, Percy drove himself back home, though his spirit was about as broken as his body. Walking through the doors of his home, a Dagger employee looked up and caught sight of him, rushing forward with obvious alarm. It wasn’t just any Dagger employee, though. It was Wallard Baldwin, the head of personal Dagger staff and essentially the Dagger childrens’ male nanny. He was tall and swarthy, and though he wore an impeccably maintained butler’s attire, it was clear he had a body more akin to an extremely experienced martial artist. "Master Perseus, where have you been!?" he wanted to know, narrow eyes ragged with exhaustion. It was hard to see under his gray mustache, but Mr. Baldwin was wearing a worried frown and the creases in his face seemed deeper than usual. "We've been relentlessly searching. We thought the worst!"

    "Relax, Wallard," Percy started, tiredly waving the familiar man off like one would a fussy parent. "It was only one night. I know the Daggers are monitored, but that's a bit extreme..."

    "One night? It's been nearly two weeks!"

    “Two...weeks?” Percy repeated dumbly, sagging against a wall in the elegant foyer. The two-toned boy’s mind whizzed like a pocket-watch with a broken cog. His body was still weak, probably needing a little more blood judging by the subtle shivering and the fogginess in his brain. He was so pale that the scar on his face stood out more than usual. No, two weeks wasn’t right. It had been hours at the most. He’d not yet noticed that the clothing he’d worn when he got to the Cursed Lands was not what he was wearing now. “Very funny, Wally. It’s not like you to make a joke like this,” Percy mumbled, but the older gentleman had already rushed off to the left toward one of the corridors. Mr. Baldwin was a proper member of staff, but even his always calculated and subdued countenance was bristling with concern and relief. “Master Artemis!” he called in a stern voice, turning to glance at the bedraggled sibling. “Master Perseus has arrived home!”

    [wc: 784 || group total: 6,654]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 4th March 2020, 9:51 am

    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger



    For a time Artemis had been comfortable in the thought that things had returned to a semblance of normality with his brother. It had been a massive revelation, opening up a painful part of him to his younger sibling. To feel a glimmer of acceptable from someone so important to him, it had felt good. A much-needed relief from his own shame. He had thought that maybe if Percy could accept him, that maybe eventually others could come to do the same. And so the time had passed, Artemis engrossing himself in his work at the guild. Often finding himself at the distraction of other matters, his cousin joining the guild, his date with Sivvy that had turned into a rescue mission. Quite an exciting night indeed.

    And then he'd gotten the news, no sooner than forty-eight hours after Perseus's dangerous dealing, that his brother was missing. When the Dagger's security team reported no sight of the boy for the foreseeable time in which he was missing. As the days went by, the Daggers were in chaos, money pooled in search of him, the media clinging to every moment. Artemis went missing from time to time, Pandora was practically an enigma, but Perseus, this was unexpected for him. Artemis himself had taken a reprieve from work, putting the company in the hands of his Directors as he searched fruitlessly for his baby brother. He'd tried to reach out to his sister although she was quite difficult to reach. He had approached his Father, ordered him to allow him to join the search. And so for the time, his brother had been missing in action, Artemis had searched high and low. Running on little sleep, and barely taking any time to feed himself. He was haggard and exhausted, watching CCTV footage on his laptop from the area Perseus was last seen to be. A tiresome endeavour, that showed no clear sign of where he went, somewhere along his travels the cameras lost him. And going through the footage of thousands of camera's was coming up with nothing substantial. He sat up sharply when he heard Wallard shout for him, inhaling sharply when their servant revealed that oh so important news; Percy had come home.

    Artemis pushed himself off the sofa, turning out of the living and rushing out into the hallway, he sprinted towards foyer where he would set his eyes upon him. Perseus, a state of a man, but there nonetheless. Relief flooded through the red-head, his anxiety and a worry disappated, replaced with happiness in the knowledge that his brother was alive and safe. Artemis charged toward him, "Perseus." He spoke, his words no longer than a harsh whisper layered with the worries he had felt over the past two weeks. He strode toward him swiftly, grabbing his brother roughly, he pulled into his arms, embracing him a little more tightly than he needed to. As though ensurely that he was real; "What happened to you?" He asked after a moment, stepping back from his sibling.






    WC: 509 Art's Total: 3862 New Thread Total: 7163 Tag: @Percy




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    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 29th March 2020, 11:04 pm

    Hearing his proper first name come from Artemis's lips with such heavy emotions attached to it made Percy cringe in guilt. Maybe it really had been nearly two weeks, judging by his brother's reaction. Arty wasn't one to turn down a good prank, but he didn't think the elder Dagger was capable of this level of acting. So...that meant he had a chunk of time missing from his memory as well as a good portion of his blood.

    Speaking of blood, now that he'd replenished some before driving home, it pooled in spots on his skin to make bruises, which he seemed to be covered in. He only noticed now when Artemis grabbed him into a rough hug and he instinctively tensed at the pain. "Nnngh," he groaned. If he'd had any strength left, maybe he'd have pushed his brother away just to stop the pain, but he didn't. He could only endure the embrace, which in the end was probably better for both of them. His body was so weak it continued to shiver like a leaf in the wind, so on that note it was nice to be held up by someone else's strength, even if it was fleeting. It was hard not to collapse into his bother's arms. As the Dagger heir stepped back, Percy staggered but managed to catch himself and put on a facade of strength.

    "I.." he started to answer, then trailed off in hesitation. How could he explain this to the elder male? After they'd had a heart-to-heart not so long ago about Morte and how miserable Arty had been with the demon since he was just a child, after he spilled out all that regret, how could he admit that he'd intentionally committed the same sin, even knowing what he knew? After he'd had the nerve to admonish Artemis for it. It was so hypocritical, but his unquenchable thirst for magic, power, and thus approval overrode even the most obvious of truths a smart person would know. That made this all the worse, knowing it was a terrible idea that wasn't worth it but being compelled to try it anyway because he was just that desperate.

    Percy knew he should lie. If there was ever a time for dishonesty to save himself and others a lot of trouble and suffering, it would be now. It was just...he was so bad at it. He was certain his brother would sniff it out in an instant, and that would only compound the issues at hand. Adding in distrust never improved the situation. There was no way he could spin this or win this. There were consequences for his actions, and apparently they would come sooner rather than later. Ugh, he already felt so sick over it he thought he might vomit. What a horrible mistake he'd made.

    It was best to get it all out in the open then. As fast as he could. As quickly as his mouth would move. "I tried to make a contract with a d-demon," he started quietly, wheezing in a deep breath to continue. His strained gaze couldn't seem to decide whether to meet his brother's gaze or hide in shame and as much as he hated it, his stutter made an appearance. He didn't stutter often around Artemis unless it was bad. He also hardly ever spoke this fast. "I..I m-made a mistake. I don't remember what happened, I guess, but I ended up back where I started and the demon rejected me. I'm not even good enough for a d-demon, Artemis! I d-don't know what happened, b-but when I c-came to I was choking on my own b-blood and...I was stupid. I was so stupid! B-But I had to try... to get magic!"


    [wc: 627 || group total: 7,790]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 9th April 2020, 4:05 pm

    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger


    His crimson gaze never wavered from his brother as he awaited his explanation, the reasoning to where he had been all this time. Artemis didn't miss the hint of hesitation, which only made him itchier for an answer as he tried to imagine what it could have been. There had been many worries, theories over what could have happened. The Dagger Family were well known and certainly not short of enemies. Taking the youngest son would be an ideal move to make against them, a nightmare that had replied over and over in Arty's head. Anxiously anticipation news of some form of contact from one of their rivals but there had been no message. No blackmail. No sinister revenge package. Nothing to tell them someone had him. He had simply vanished without a trace and as far as Hidden Blades had investigated, their enemies hadn't made any moves against them in the recent weeks. So just where the hell had Percy been?

    As he heard the reason, it was almost as though time had slowed down for Artemis. He showed no reaction, just stared ahead blankly, taking some time to process the sentence. Repeating it over and over in his head in an attempt to work out whether there had been some way that he might have misheard him. Surely, it was something else. Surely, his baby brother wouldn't do something so utterly foolish after Artemis's warning. Artemis had opened up to him, admitting the sin of his contract and the burden it had on him. And what would Percy do? Attempt to reciprocate the biggest mistake that the eldest Dagger boy had ever made.

    Percy's continuation snapped Artemis out of his trance, he would look away. Staring at the marble flooring of the main hall, the only sign of a reaction was the soft trembling of his figure. Rage would seep through him, mixed with an unquenchable disappointment. His brother had done the very thing he knew, Artemis wouldn't want him to do. His body began to move, robotically at first as he stepped back slightly. He meant to walk away, to say nothing and just leave. To go cool off and address Percy's situation when he didn't feel so irate. But if there was something that Artemis struggled with, it was making the rational decision.

    He spun back on his heel, fist clenched and flying towards his brother's cheek. His knuckles bearing the weight of his anguish and he struck him. It wasn't thrown with the full might of his demonic strength, that much he'd managed to suppress. But Perseus would feel it, Artemis had only been able to control himself so much. Wallard stepped forward as though to intervene, but stopped when he realised that Artemis made no further advances on his brother. Instead, he would stay there, his face contorted in anger as he glared down at his younger sibling. Through gritted teeth, finally, he would speak, his words hoarse as he put forth the only question he wanted an answer to.

    "How could you?"

    The tone of his query was both angry and pained as he made no attempt to hide his emotions. There was no point anyway, now that he'd lost his cool and hit the kid. He did, however, decide to elaborate on his point, to ensure Percy knew just exactly what Art was asking. But first, he needed some privacy. "Leave us Wallard, I wish to speak to my brother alone." Wallard was hesitant at first, but after a moment decided not to disobey. He would nod, mentioning going to call for a medical examiner to come and check over Perseus as soon as they were ready. Once the sound of the Butler's footsteps faded down the hall, Artemis would address the youngest Dagger once more. "I told you, my contract with Morte was the biggest fucking regret of my life, and you sought out a demon anyway. You realise you could have died, Percy... or worse."



    WC: 666 Art's Total: 4,528 New Thread Total: 8.456 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 24th April 2020, 4:10 am

    A Percy in better mental and physical condition would have probably seen this coming. Maybe he'd have been able to dodge or block. But as horrible as Percy looked and felt, he didn't consider that Artemis would punch him. Scold him, get angry, yes. Of course. He deserved that. His entire reasoning had been flawed from the start. But to actually get so angry that he'd throw a punch? Hadn't considered it, but it certainly made sense. The younger Dagger was fully aware of how bad he'd messed up, of the risks. Only now did it occur to him that it could be perceived as a smack in the face. He hadn't done it to spite Artemis or to hurt him. He agreed it was a bad idea. He hated it for Artemis. It hurt him to know how his brother suffered. He'd been mad that Arty would try such a thing. However, his hunger for magic was greater than his reasoning and wisdom. If there was just a hint of a chance that he could get his hands on magic, even with all the horrible things Artemis told him about, it seemed worth it at the time.

    It didn't matter in the end, though. There'd been no reward for this risk.

    The younger Dagger barely had time to widen his eyes when the punch connected. He was a sturdy boy but, in this case, the swing dropped him like a ton of bricks. His body twisted in the direction the momentum took him with no resistance at all. There was half a stagger before his body smacked the clean, hard floor. With a grunt of pain Percy half-laid in a pathetic lump, barely rose up on one elbow as he faced the floor. Shallow pants and the soft patters of drops of liquid could be heard in the silence that followed in those few long moments, though his shadow hid its source. When he was finally able to turn his body and angle his face back up to his brother, blood was streaming from his nose enough to drip off his chin. At first, it could hardly be called blood. Human blood, anyway. It was a dark ichor, the same substance that had been filling his throat when he first came to in the cursed forest. However, the more it bled, the more typically crimson it turned as if his own blood was starting to purge the last of the strange blood from his body. Lacking the strength to get back up, he remained reclined on the ground, body trembling. The "How could you?" burned through his soul like a red-hot fire poker. As the swell of emotions crashed over him, Percy's right eye began filling with tears. He was terrified. He expected more punches, though none came. He was guilty and remorseful. He was hurt, but accepted his consequences. He was angry with himself.

    "I-I..." Percy started weakly, the quivering moisture gathered on cusp finally spilling, "I'm sorry, Artemis! I'm so sorry... I know it was stupid. I knew it was stupid. I knew I could die... But it ate at me and ate at me...if it worked for you, if I could get the same thing, then Father...then Grandfather..." he mumbled, beginning to have a hard time stringing his explanation together. Perhaps it was only now that the scar that marred his face and head appeared to be more than skin deep. His eyes begged for a shred of understanding for his situation though he also knew he had earned none for this stunt. This was an obsession he had to weather on his own, one that had driven and would continue to drive a wedge between him and the rest of his family. If he had nothing else, he had a recklessly strong will that burned him and everything around him up in an inferno of desperation. It didn't mean he didn't feel like garbage for hurting those he loved, but it did mean that he'd try anything, no matter the consequences. "I...don't remember what happened...it's all gone, left with the demon..."

    [wc: 688 || group total: 9,144]


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 12th May 2020, 5:45 am

    There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
    Consuming, confusing, this lack of self control I fear
    Artemis Dagger



    A series of emotions were flooding through Artemis at this moment; anger, upset, betrayal. So many things he had not anticipated he would be feeling once he was reunited with his brother tonight. He tried to take a calming breath, he was acting irrationally, which he knew. He needed to steady himself and handle this appropriately, he was the big brother after all. He immediately felt bad for hitting him, even if Percy had hurt him. He just hadn't been able to hold in his rage, the surge of fury had forced his fist to move before he could stop himself.

    Artemis looked down at his brother with a hard scowl, awaiting his explanation. His eyes following the trail of black as his young brother's nose began to bleed, Percy would remain their trembling, tears filling his remorseful gaze. Artemis felt his anger deflating further at the sight of his brother in such a state. It infuriated him, why couldn't Perseus have been an arrogant little shit? It would have been so much easier to be angry with him if he kicked off, shouting and acting like a brat. But Percy wasn't like that, he was a decent kid with a good heart, a little shy and much more reserved than Artemis. Qualities that were sometimes compared between them when under the harsh judgement of the older Dagger's. Another bitter punishment of being a Dagger Child, you were always baiting into the competition, even if you didn't want it. Comparison after comparison, the adults thought it would inspire drive, but all it really did was manifest a toxic self-loathing and desperation. It was unhealthy, but they just couldn't see it.

    As Percy apologized, explaining his reason, mentioning their father, followed by their grandfather. Artemis's enraged glare deepened at the mention of the oldest male in their families hierarchy, his eyes skimming over the marred flesh that surrounded Percy's left eye. His fist would clench once more, of course, it had been the relentless cruelty of Mephistopheles Dagger who would push Perseus to such a foolish act. It was not Artemis who was trembling as frustration rippled through him. When would this end? The endless suffocation of the Dagger name and the pressure it yielded. Forcing their children to act out in desperation, just the please their familial superiors.

    Artemis stepped over to his brother, reaching down he would take his brother by the arm. Lifting him to his feet, "Come on." He said stiffly, before letting go, he would turn and begin to make his way out of the main hall. Leading his young brother into one of the Dagger's manor's private lounges. A beautiful room, lush in decor with it's navy and soft grey aesthetic. A fireplace burning across from the dark blue sofa, Artemis's laptop still on the glass coffee table, the flickerings of security footage dancing across the screen. Artemis would close the laptop, he didn't need it now, not that Percy was home. As he sat down, on the armchair, he would reach down, placing his hand on the floor. A black miasma released from his fingers, stretching outwards slowly. It would stretch itself across the walls and floors, encasing the entire room in a matter of moments. A means to give them a little bit of privacy, no one outside this room would be able to hear what was said, and for good reason too.

    Artemis sighed, the fact that Percy had lost his memory worried him immensely. It brought up memories of his own experience with his demonic contract and how it had affected him. His own foolish decision to seek out power and the grandiosity of the suffering that would follow. When he had confessed his contract to Morte he had hoped to spare Percy the gruesome details of the experience. But it seemed this would not be the case because Percy needed to know the risks and the truth. The worst-case scenario of what might have happened during his blackout, and just how terrible the decision may have been.

    "What's done is done. You can't undo it, it was stupid but..." He began, looking down at his hand, his fingers had interlocked themselves together. An attempt to keep them from shaking. "I get it. I know the weight of this family and how it is to be desperate to win their approval." His voice was laced with disgust. "But Percy you have to understand, this was not worth it. I know you want magic but at what cost Percy; At your own life? At the cost of others? Answer me Perce, would you kill for power?" His crimson gaze rose to meet his brothers, the anger fading once and for all, replaced with a pain melancholy.




    WC: 795 Art's Total: 5,323 New Thread Total: 9,939 Tag: @Percy



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 23rd May 2020, 4:00 am

    As Artemis pulled him up, he stumbled a little but was still able to follow his brother to one of the lounges, using his sleeve to smear both the blood and the tears from his face. He spent so much time at the lab that it almost felt strange to enter the high-class but cozy room with any intention of rest. Still, he made quick, desperate shuffles to the navy sofa and flopped down, ready to dissolve into the softness. It was good he was where he was right now, as the short walk here and made it clear his strength had run out. If he wanted to get up now it'd be impossible. His body would give out from under him. Guess that meant he was trapped here for whatever Artemis had in store for him, though Percy didn't mind. Other than desperately wanting to sleep, he had nothing else he could do but accept the consequences and take what he deserved from his elder brother.

    The fire warmed his cold, anemic body, blessing his pale complexion with its reflection. His brother took an armchair nearby, then did something he thought strange but soon understood. As the dark miasma coated the walls and floor, he knew it was less to keep him from escaping and more to cut off any prying eyes and ears from their diligent family and anyone who tried to otherwise invade Dagger privacy. Percy was always enamored with watching anyone cast spells, so even in his weakened and ravaged state, his tired eyes watched the miasma move with interest...until he started coughing. It felt like his insides were raw suddenly, especially his throat. Considering how much of that black ooze he'd gagged up, maybe now that his body had expelled it he was left tender.

    Once Artemis had posed his questions, Percy paused for much longer than he should have to think, even he could see that. Was he really considering it? Would he kill someone to gain power and approval? He was ashamed to even linger on the passing notion of it possibly depending on who it was he had to kill. "No," he responded, though even he could hear the lingering question in it, in the way his tone arched up ever so slightly at the end and trailed off. No, he didn't think he could kill someone. The thought of it twisted his stomach. He had done so much work in technology and medicine to improve lives that it hardly seemed possible he could go the other way and end one to serve himself. "No, I couldn't kill someone," he frowned, turning to meet his brother's gaze.

    But...he could hurt himself to get it. That was a much more confident thought that he dared not speak. Yes, he would pay the cost of his own life trying to get it, of that he was certain. Would he do everything he could to avoid paying that ultimate price? Yes. But he was certainly aware that it was a high risk. If he hadn't been willing to pay it, he'd have never tried to make the contract he did.

    So...in a sense, yes. He would potentially kill to try and get it, but only himself. Maybe that was the uncertainty hiding in his answer just moments before.

    [wc: 553 || group total: 10,492]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 2nd July 2020, 5:27 am


    As Percy answered his question, Artemis sighed both with relief and melancholy, "I thought not," He muttered softly. He sat up slightly, clearing his throat, "Maybe this is my fault, I told you about my mistake but I didn't tell you about the consequences. The reason why I regret it so much," He didn't want to tell Percy, he really didn't. But he knew that now was the time, because without this knowledge Perseus may make the same mistake again. He needed his brothers error to be his final attempt, and to convince him why he should never attempt such a thing again. Even if it meant, exposing himself for the monster he'd become. Even if it meant that Percy would hate him, it was for his own good.

    "There was this village, not many people know about it because it's such an isolated location in Sin of all places. I'm fairly certain Morte picked it that way, a place where no one would notice a travesty, at least not until long after the damage was done. Venzor Village, not very large, only two thousand inhabitants. A farming town where they grew sweet potatoes because not much else can be grown there." He began in a gruff heavy voice. Sweet potatoes were perhaps one of the few types of food Artemis could not eat, during his teen years he ordered the cooking staff at the Dagger Manor to remove them from all future dishes served to him. One time a newly hired maid had brought some into the manor and served them to him as a side to his lunch. When fourteen year old Artemis saw them he had thrown the plate across the room in a burst of rage before firing the girl. Once of the few times the young Master had ever lashed out at their staff.

    "I was dabbling with my magic once, I was thirteen at the time, it was still relatively new to me and difficult to control. That morning I had run into our cousin Gabriel, he was showing off his ReQuip skills, and he pointed out that 'an other type of magic was not reflective of a true Dagger'. I was so angry with him I stormed off to the woods, I began to push myself. I egged him on, Morte of mean, insisting he give me more power. I was an arrogant idiot, I shouldn't have pushed a demon. Morte warned me that I wouldn't like it, but I baited him. Again and again until he snapped, and then..." Artemis's breathing picked up, his body shook as the memories rolled over him. "I blacked out, and when I came to..."

    He paused for a long time, he had only spoke of it once, and since the only human who knew was now dead, the truth had remain buried in the lads guilty conscious - until now. "I was in Venzor Village, several days had passed and the carnage I had awoken to was...nothing short of devastating." Tears welled in the man's eyes once more, he stared at the floor , unable to meet Percy's gaze. "I killed them Percy, or rather... Morte did, using my body. He slaughtered the population of Venzor, and destroyed the remnants of the town." He ran his haired through his hair, trying hard to maintain what little composure he had less.

    "Do you know what demons do to those they kill Perseus?" He asked, once again using his brothers full name to portray the serious of the question. "Well, not all demons but some I assume, Morte in this case... he doesn't just kill humans Percy. H-he-" His voice would break, his eyes squeezed shut and he would shudder at the thought. "He ea-... he eats them Perce… their souls... All of the those ...people, I ate … their souls." He lost it, sobbing now as he fell apart. Losing himself in the sorrow of his mistake. He wept for several minutes, unable to contain himself any longer, all the while hating himself. Hating himself for hitting Percy, hating himself for having the audacity to feel pain over this, hating himself for what he had done. He did not deserve the relief of his tears, because the atrocities he had caused deserved much more suffering on his part. At least, this was how Artemis saw it.

    Finally, he managed to calm down enough to speak once more, sniffling between his words. "This is why... why I … didn't want you to... follow in my...footsteps. No amount of … power...is worth this."




    WC: 766 Art's Total: 6,089New Thread Total: 11,258  Tag: @Percy




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    Percy
    Percy

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Percy 25th September 2020, 3:17 am

    The blatant pain in Artemis's voice and shaking body hurt the empathetic younger brother as he listened, his exhausted expression creasing into a tense frown. His lip protested the expression, but there was little he could do. The coughing was already hurting his lip anyway. Demons were nothing to be messed with, Percy knew that. It hadn't stopped him, but he knew it. However, the thought of being responsible for taking out so many lives and eating their souls on top of that was just something he could hardly comprehend. He felt for his brother. He felt for himself now, too. What had he done? He wanted to know...but also didn't.

    Hearing his brother sob was probably one of the more emotionally difficult things he'd ever gone through. There was one thing to feel for himself and his hardships, but seeing the big brother he chased after so relentlessly unbottling his own wounded soul brought tears to his good eye. They rolled down his cheek as he watched, helpless and guilty for bringing this back to the surface for him. Shakily getting to his feet, he shuffled over to the armchair Artemis sat in and placed a hand on his shoulder. Percy wasn't good with words, so this was the best he could offer. Sympathetic tears and a supportive hand.

    Percy wished he could say that hearing all of this before his decision to walk the same path would have changed his mind, but he knew in his heart that it wouldn't have. There were few risks he could think of that would keep him from trying it. Granted, the thought of hurting others would have been one of the risks he wouldn't chance, but he also perhaps overestimated himself in his ignorance. He'd thought he made enough preparations to avoid any nasty consequences, even the one Arty just described. He'd had failsafes in place, like a barrier placed one hundred meters around the alter that would keep him from passing through among a couple others. He thought his willpower was strong enough. And while he'd obviously been proven wrong, given that there was now a chunk of his memory gone, he'd yet to have any proof he'd done anything bad. He hadn't seemed to have moved from the spot of possession since the shield had still been active. For all he knew he just laid there in the forest in some sort of coma for two weeks while the demon decided if he wanted to stay or not. He could tell he'd lost a few pounds, but not enough to have just laid there without any intervention. His mind knew full well that he'd had to have been up drinking water at least three to four days before he woke up unless the demon somehow hindered his bodily processes. In his brain fog, though, he didn't yet notice that the clothes he wore were not the ones he'd arrived in, nor did he notice that some monitoring devices on his person were no longer functioning.

    He'd voice none of this, of course. Instead, all he could croak was another apology, knowing it was futile in the face of the hurt he'd caused all around. However, as much as he didn' want to hurt innocent people, his thirst for what he didn't have ate away at hi. to the point where he wasn't sure he agreed that it wasn't worth it. Arty was a powerful mage. The respect it earned him. How his own family looked at him. Percy was still the little brother desperately chasing him, stuck in the shadow he cast, no matter how dark and horrific was. Seeking magic was like a disease to him. Like an addiction. He knew the prices, but was still willing to pay despite the harm it did.

    The hand on Artemis's shoulder got heavier and heavier as his weight started to shift. "A-Arty..." he wheezed through a thick cough, body suddenly listing to the right. The hand on his brother's shoulder slipped off and tried to catch himself on the arm of the chair, but instead he just sorta bounced off of it and landed with a hard thud onto the floor.


    [wc: 702 || total wc: 11,960]


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    Artemis Dagger
    Artemis Dagger

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    Happy Halloween from the Daggers~ Empty Re: Happy Halloween from the Daggers~

    Post by Artemis Dagger 27th September 2020, 4:36 pm


    Good was the word for this, getting all of this off his chest. No none of this was good, far from it, but perhaps there was something positive in this crapfest the Dagger boys called life. Right. It felt right. Telling his younger the sibling the truth about the darkness he held within him, for so long this had remained his secret. A sinister truth held by only Morte, Artemis and his nightmares. But now, now someone else knew. And whilst it didn't feel good, it felt right. Like a single stitch being sewn into a very much open wound. Not enough to heal it, but fractionally better than before.

    He would sob for what felt like a while, although in reality, it was only a few minutes. Emotions weren't something Arty felt comfortable sharing, not like this. And despite needing it very much, crying so helplessly in front of Perce, it felt shameful. But alas, a consequence of his own foolishness, if only that ten-year-old redheaded child would realise just how much he would have to pay for his actions. Over a decade later, and he was still being punished for it, living hell, with no escape.

    He felt his tears beginning to subside, he would feel Percy's hand on his shoulder, gripping him tighter. The simple act of his hand felt like earth to Artemis, like soil beneath his feet, stopping him from sinking into despair. He would hear his little brother wheezing his name, the hand slipping away and causing Art's head to whip-round to look at him. Crimson eyes widening to saucers as Percy crumpled to the floor, his brother's name escaping his lips in a hoarse whisper. All the sadness drained instantaneously, replaced by fear. He jumped from his seat, kneeling down to scoop him up. The magic veil around them disappearing as Artemis began to call for help.

    - Over a year later -

    Beep.

    Beep.

    Beep.

    He hated that noise. Artemis did. Hated and loved it. Hated it, because it meant that here he was again, sitting in this white room. The thick scent of chemicals flooding his heightened senses, the sound of bodies rushing from room to room. Arbitrary code passed back and forth amongst the nobodies. Like it's own language, so foreign to the Dagger lad, yet so familiar. That beep was a reminder once again of pain, his brother's pain. Once again succumbed to injury and trapped in this room, lying in this horrible room and silent to the world.

    He hated that sound.

    But also, he loved it. Because every beep, every annoying fucking beep that ripped through his eardrums and into his already thudding skull. Every beep meant life. Specifically Percy's life. As long as he could hear the beeps, they were okay, everything was awful but at least okay. He remembered the last time they were here, in the room of this elite private hospital. It was a wonderful room, as wonderful as hospital rooms could be, the best money could buy. But that didn't change what it was, and why they were here. He recalled that time when Percy had tried to mimic Artemis and contract with a demon. An elusive time it had been, at least once upon a time. Artemis glanced to the seat next to him, where the paper file was resting. He had promised Percy he would look into that time, and ironically enough they had spent all their resources finding out what they could. Arty hadn't given Percy the file, he put it off, longer and longer he left it. Not wanting his brother to explore that life. But here they were, and it didn't matter. Percy explored it anyway, in Fairy Tail, and look where it had landed him. Under the foot of a Dragon in the safety of the guildhall, of all places.

    No, there was no point putting it off anymore.



    WC: 654 Art's Total: 6,743 New Thread Total: 12,614  Tag: @Percy




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