the bones

** You've been spotted by Bones and are being pursued...! **

Bones will catch up to you! Please stop moving until they arrive.

Alexander soon returns to the same area he spotted the group, where the skeleton tried to give chase and failed to catch up.

This time? He came with back up. Benefits of having friends in the desert.
"So... Any reason for trying to pray on passer-bys?" Alexander asks, crossing his arms.
(Alexander Vol Hellstrom)

Not a SECOND to waste here, young Theomars is jumped on.

There were not real words to spare for the Osronan, just a small form meeting his with a full force of her lariat's impact, a shoulder connecting with his gut to send them both toppling down into the sands off the cliff.

Now on landing, whether the rat was the one to take the force of the ground or him.. There'd be a pistol pulled from her side and an attempt to jam it up into his chin.

The trigger pulled all t he same.

Hey, they may not even fall off, he might just step by.

In every situation here, the razuka is pulling her gun and firing it off at the blue haired Champion.
(Niffty)

The skeleton stands at 10 feet tall above the female, blocking their path from leaving the desert. However, as the girl would dare come treading pasty, they would extend a arm out and casts it's mana outward to seize them. The skeleton did not want them to evade them, without paying the toll first.

It's limber body begins to extend and crack forward, as it's tall form would tower over them. It's skeletonal structure peered downward, as it's empty eye socket would view their face and skin. "Oh-ho-ho-ho, where o' where dost thou plan to go? Not without paying the toll first." it said.

It's energy begins to pulse outward from their bones, allowing each bone to glow with a cosmic glow. However, there was one thing different about their glow. It would be the dark spots that were seen within the cosmic energies.

"What happened to the skeleton that went sky-diving?' it would ask them, waiting for ananswer. However, it seemed to ignore the previous question since the travels had gotten here much time before the halt.
(Bones)

Arden walks up closer from the group, next to Alexander. Her eyes scans the other group - the creatures of Shadowmire. One she recognizes, Valar, from last time.

Then Bones the skeleton, right after it spoke... She remembers it from its antics. Telling jokes first, then trying to rip off the skin of its audience second.

A sour look adopts her face as her eyes settles on Bones, glaring.

Then a glance to her companions. "What do we do?"
(Arden)

Theomars hugs the Razuka, as soon as she lariat him, perhaps that is what she wants from him, a hug?

However, as soon as she pulled out a gun The champion tilts his head slightly to the right.

"Niffty? are you feeling okay?" He asked with a confused tone staring at the gun and then looking at the Razuka's eyes.
(Theomars Farwalker)

Theomars Farwalker assumes the Conjurer stance!

Niffty has engaged Theomars Farwalker in Dangerous combat, with a capture roll of 2

Niffty punches the air with lightning quick jabs, taking the form of a trained prized fighter!

* You have been pinged by Niffty! *

{RP BATTLE} Theomars Farwalker is ready for battle!

Someone blocking his path?

This had to be his lucky day. He was already searching for something in peculiar out there- something that could very well be exciting, but... this was simply not meant to be. At the very least, not until he found Bones.

Or rather..
Bones found him.

"Ahahah!"

The sudden block of mana only excites him. Do you know any idea how tiring it gets to play along with people's expectations, to play along with what he's meant to be..

To never show his true nature?

"My, my."

"I was looking for something fun, but the fun came right to me." It's often that he's underestimated - it's not the first time that the Mire denizens stop him, assuming him to be a helpless child.

Yet each time..
They leave crippled.

What Bones encountered isn't a mere child. Already he begins approaching close, closer- until it becomes evident that he possesses the spark of something unnatural to him. Something that humans never meant to master.

Something dark.

"I'm not paying toll. I never do."

"Are you going to do something about it? Hm?"
(Ambrose Roche)

Alexander gives a passing glance to the battle between Niffty and Theomars as well. Looks like this place is going to be a hot spot of various fights.
(Alexander Vol Hellstrom)

Niffty has engaged Theomars Farwalker in Dangerous combat, with a capture roll of 2

The Vanirhallan would raise an eyebrow at that. That was the group that was trying to attack people around their Desert?. Amusing. And for them to have a Drakanite walking with, it was just a bonus to the plate of the Vanir hunter.

"We do the same as always. They are enemies, and will be treated as such, Arden. Get it inside of your head at once." An obvious hint of irritation could be felt by Kaun's words, as he was already with his sword in hands. He really was upset.

"It got shattered and became bonemeal."
A response to the joke. And a threat at the same time.
(Kaun Beiskr)

Alexander in the meantime, will hold tightly on his staff and aim it at the bone creature and his companions.

"I'm afraid there'll be no toll to collect today."
(Alexander Vol Hellstrom)

The gun goes off in his face, a full shot that should make all her intentions pretty clear from here onward..

"No prisoners, right?!"

Of course, his shield deflects it, protected by his religion from a mere bullet.. - More would surely have to follow up.

Eyes blackened through, bloodshot lines all the same.. The rat was somewhat crazed on another of her drug fuelled rampages.
(Niffty)

The skeleton would shift it's frame a bit before continuing to listen and wait for a response. However, there was no response, none at all and this just won't do! It rattles it's skull briefly, attempting to come up with another joke on the spot.

"What happens when a skeleton does not laugh at a pun?" it says, creaking it's bones a little bit.

Although most of the jokes Bones came up with were pretty bad most of the time, it still proceeded to get better jokes. Still, there was the nuisance of a human attempting to spoil their fun and pleasure in life. Another event that just won't do.

"Humor is a toll, though it seems as you do not possess it." it would say. As the skeleton would continue to inquire upon responding to the joke, it's presence begins to become darker than such. Allowing the cosmic energy within the skeleton to expand and collapse. It would start to pull on the energy of the air around them, pulling all sources of cosmic particles towards them.

The moonlight that shined on Esshar had started to rattle itself. It's energy starts to pulse at the response of a well developed cosmic magi.
(Bones)

Angry companions she has.

And she is too in a way. Her gaze just settling on Bones. Her question is rather asking if they should attack. And with Kaun making it clear, she wouldn't mind being the first to throw a blow.

A step closer is taken while Bones is busy speaking with Ambrose...

It's clear that Bones doesn't even acknowledge her presence. So! What she would do is pull a shitty pun at him. That got to him last time.

She clears her throat, before speaking. "Hey, Bones... Remember me."

Here it goes...

"I've got a bone to pick with you."
(Arden)

Amusing.

But where Ambrose keeps hearing Bones speak of humor, display much more personality than just about any Shadowmire denizen that he's ever seen so far..

It excites him.

"You're amazing.."

"So amazing!"

A sudden... praise? One could mistake it for the good will, or perhaps the intention to make friends with another - but in the case of the young Ambrose here..

It's different.

"I think I'd like to rattle your bones a little bit! Aha!"

He clasps his hands. Yet, the presence of something unnatural grows within- the spark that was unseen to most, now unveiled at last. It's a good thing that no one was paying enough attention to memorize it..

With the Radiant off to the side suffering at hands of Niffty? There's no one left to tell the tale.

"I'll add you to the rest of my collection. You'll be so great..!"

A hungering shadow of dark magic manifests with Ambrose; an amalgamation of emotions, negativity, impressions, personalities and vivid memories.

Stolen from many people. And now...

He wants to add the personality of Bones to the bunch.
(Ambrose Roche)

This was the second damn time the human ignored their funny jokes...UNFORGIVABLE!

However, it's attention was quickly drawn by Arden, the little girl who made him laugh. Not funny, not adequate enough, and certainly, his least favorite living creature...however was it because that Arden was funnier than him? Hahahaha, jokes aside..

"Two good jokes and yet no response... you do not deserve to have a funny bone. In fact.. I'll take it from you, along with your flesh.." it said.

Their boney hand reaches forward to grab ahold of their face, as it did with Arden. The dark and dangerous aura behind the creature steadily grew stronger, seeking out it's first victim to the afterlife.


Flesh...Flesh...Flesh....Flesh


It's claws would shackle a bit as it started to advanced, it was going to take their skin if Ambrose did not respond back appropriately. However, there was nothing else they could say to turn him back now, they should've responded to his humor.

"Oh-ho-ho-' it said as it's voice got deeper and darker. "I'll start with the eyes...move down to your nose..and then your ears. and finally your face...and mouth." it said.
(Bones)

How delightful...

To live among those that would call themselves a shield of civilization, never able to manifest his true nature. It pained Ambrose, it felt as if he could never showcase his true art in their full power, and yet..

There is a chance,
here and now.

"Come, come!"

"Let's have fun!"

Truth be told, quite often Ambrose finds himself on the end of violence one way or another. The life that he leads would imply that it's unavoidable..

But he can never have enough, can he?
(Ambrose Roche)

{RP BATTLE} You have WON round 1!

Delicious.

To imbibe upon the greatest emotions and the darkest desires in the heat of the moment that others experienced- to feel the pulse of their life, or unlife, course through him in the manner of the most dark magics.

Little by little,
piece by piece..

Can't he feel it? Even in his undeath, it is almost akin to feeling mortal again. It's not the pain that he feels, but the strange feeling of slowly losing oneself.

To him,
to this.

"Ahahaha!"

"You'll make an excellent addition to the collection!"

His humor, his jokes, his personality... for this shadowy amalgamation that accompanies Ambrose, that manifested earlier? He would soon be the part of it.

Soon, he'll join that collective - or at least, a part of him will.

"Aren't you excited?"

"Even if you one day perish, your jokes will live on!"

Forever and ever.
(Ambrose Roche)

Their presence seems to grow darker by the second, allowing it to feed on what it truly wanted. The skeleton wanted this human's flesh, and it was still going to attempt at grasping it.

"Unsightly... humor is all that but a joke, while living remains a joke. " it said.

Bones would allow his mana to pulse a bit more aggressively as he started to pick up the paste. He was no longer going to fight passively, but this time bring the fight to him.

"Your flesh will be taken..." he said.

Another advance!
(Bones)

Such moments are far more enjoyable to him than one could imagine.

How could they not be? After all, is it not the very purpose of his existence to grow this dark power within, to manifest it upon the world as something that could very well defy the reality itself, once it grows powerful enough?

Is it not his right from birth..
To take what others have?

The toxins fly, filling the air- the shadows dance, surrounding the two of them - knitting them closer and closer. Before the monster of the Mire is no simple child; no little thing that would be terrified of the skeleton. But instead..

Something else.
To some, a monster as well.

"Can't you feel it yet?"

The excitement doesn't fade - but becomes the buzzing noise of the background. A grin, a constant smile on his face does not fade- instead it becomes an unsettling image before the eyes of undead. Perhaps, in these moments..

He may be thankful his heart beats no more.

"Let me take it."

No matter how hurt he was from the combat, this force drove him forward without a fault- here, Bones finds himself raptured by the dark magics, their snaring grasp trailing to rake at his head and body alike.

Ruthless. Merciless.

But it's not his life that he's after - it's not even his body that he wants either. No... it's something that could qualify as more precious, perhaps; for when the raking stops, he finds himself..

Hollow. Something is off.
Something is missing.

"Aaah.."

The very essence, the part of his personality is taken away- it's added to the shadow collective, to which he finally speaks.

"Your contribution is most welcome.."
(Ambrose Roche)

Although he tried his best to defend against the toxins that came erupting from the human. He found himself in bit of a pickle it seems, as his comrades had abandoned him at a critical moment. However, it wasn't a big deal for Bones since he wasn't going to use them to fight for him.

"Insufferable creature-" it said, feeling his own mana getting pulled from his body. There was a constant physical and phycological struggle forming in his mind as Ambrose started to yank away his being. Although he might be already dead, Ambrose started to take away more from him.

His jokes were no longer funny to him, at least as like they used to be. In fact humor itself didn't seem all that it cracked up to be, except for this moment in time.

"W-what are you d-" it struggled to say, feeling it's entire man warp into something darker. A curse was placed upon the skeleton, as his personality started to bore itself, feeling gloom as such.

"What have thou done to me?!" the skeleton yelled, demanding an answer. However at the sound of their words, it seems he had contributed to something he did not consent to?

A utter defeat, a second one marking his structure for eternity.

The creature flees into the night once more.
(Bones)

Cruelty was never about merely hurting another.

Cruelty is when one takes something precious from them- something that cannot be easily replaced, or even restored. It's rather odd, how often humans pursue something so insignificant in this world..

Money, fame, relations.

But they forget what could be the most important - themselves. It is a lesson that Bones would have to learn once more, a lesson that perhaps he's even known before, but..

Now? He's reminded about it.

"Hm? What have I done?" He smiles.

"Why... take a part of you, of course. As I promised."

Yet, Ambrose does not give a chase to the Bones. He's already taken what he wanted.. so why would he keep pursuing him, still?

But this, what he took..

It'll be amazing for what he wants.
(Ambrose Roche)