500 CHPT 500: Red and Gold

Tuesday March 17th, 2241.

Interview Week went differently post Tangent Scenario Event. Journalists and fanatics were no longer asking about simple one on one battles. They were asking teams of aspiring heroes about in depths analytical replays on how their friends were torn to shreds in dark waters. How a Yokai ate them so fast... or a giant hurled them a thousand feet and into a wall where they splattered inside their expensive armors.

The smells that swirled were like nothing Claude ever experienced. A particular brand of trauma and brimming insanity born from the taboo environment where death was simply seen as losing instead of... loss. Life and death gamified.

Some students lashed out and attacked their reporters. Mostly the first years in shock. Claude remembered the feeling as he watched their faces. He held a similar one when Samuel--

"Don't."

It went that way for a while. But by Friday it was normalized. If there was one thing required of all aspiring Heroes, it was the ability to adapt. Maybe this was part of that. Some sort of sick naturalized training meant to help you face Monsters with intelligence and cruelty. Monsters like Demons who'd love to watch a Hero breakdown as they replayed and relived murdering close friend..... lovers ..... family. If you couldn't feel as much, it wouldn't hurt as much.

Screw that.

Claude thought that at the end of every day. Including the current day.... and night, as he walked back to Rupont's establishment with Ursula and Cassidy in tow.

He wore his usual armor-- it was his second skin, it wasn't going anywhere yet. His hair still hung-- longer. It swayed below his chest like wispy black curtains. It made the canine shine in his eyes seem brighter.

Ursula felt the same way about her armor. She'd long since healed from her forearm being snapped by the SkinWalker but kept on the cast to keep eyes off of her... even if Healers could fix it faster, she didn't want to take chances. Another like Det. Cyrene could be anywhere. Maybe that was his own paranoia leaking into her psyche. A horrifying thought.

"Stop man, damn!" Ursula said as she playfully punched his arm.

"He spirals, doesn't he?" Cassidy commented.

"Straight down."

"You ever smoked a blunt, partner?" Cassidy questioned while slapping two slender hairy knuckled fingers to his thin lips.

"Oh gods...." Ursula chuckled and shook her head.

"You know I don't know what that is." Claude kept his eyes on the cats-- The Strigoi, that lined their path along the walls of Ra Stadium. The nostrils build into their pink button noses flared repeatedly as they took in the Lupine scent. He assumed the younger ones only heard stories while the older were reliving memories. He didn't know which was good and bad. Being unsure was a bi--

"Don't worry, wolfboy. We'll get you well acquainted. Hell, maybe they'll have some at this..... inhuman shindig." Cassidy flipped back the coattails of his longcoat and grabbed his belt buckle as he feigned a dance in the sands, kicking out his feet in a hip moving two-step. "Damn, where's that beautiful banshee song when you need it?"

Claude listened. As they rounded on the building, built into the complexity of Ra Stadiums event domes, Death's Ambience rose. Falling from the sky like lightning, hard hitting and explosive. Like it was screaming out the horrifying permanence of undeath that lingered inside the building with ungodly screams and chilling hums that rode the winds like monsters in flight.

Claude answered Cassidy's question before opening the door. "They're here...."

***

They walked the dark halls in silence. Claws and fangs brandished like ivory blades. A reflex to nerves-- the dark..... the many voices within. The Alpha-- Claude.

"We're here to learn about Maris-- how to help her. This isn't a battle of the hands. It's mind games.... politics. Be ready, but be still." Claude told himself before recentering. Sometimes all it took was imagining himself back in the forest with Rollan. Training blind. Leaving behind the chaos of what he saw. He let go of the blindfold around his neck and kno--

The door swung open.

Rupont stood.

"Bloody hell, you lot feel like putting out the lanterns?" Rupont pointed to his eyes as he looked up at them.

"It's involuntary." Claude replied.

"Fascinating. Come on in, I'm glad you made the logical decision." Rupont said before stepping aside and waving them in.

Claude moved, Ursula and Cassidy remained still, waiting for Claude to step through.

There were at least ten Vampires inside the room. All Blood Balanced, varying strength levels. No armor and visible weaponry. The blue glow of the still waters beneath the seethrough glass floor gave all the pale beings a calm blue glow. Ironic considering the color red and it's vampiric significance.

Claude spared a glance behind him and the two entered with him.

Rupont nodded and clapped his hands, "Well. You all are overdressed to hell .... poorly dressed-- and overdressed, this is a tragedy."

Coming from Rupont almost made them believe it. He was the living definition of finesse. He ditched his gaudy jewelry sewn coat and opted for something more slim and form fitting. A simple black suit. The inner lining of his top was red silk that sparkled from the blue glow of the room. Red diamonds danced from his earlobes like white suns. Each finger was coated in rings and his shoes looked shined enough to blind.

"We don't have casual clothes with us." Claude interjected.

"Clearly." Rupont brought a hand up and waved for someone to come over.

Among the staring Vampires two women working at the bar teleported over. Just like Rupont they exploded into a purple, black and red spiraling cloud of dusted ashes and bats.

They reformed on Ruponts left and right.

Twins. Dark skin, nappy hair braided up and tied down with shaped pearls and strings of what he could only assume was expensive silks.

They wore next to nothing..... which felt more explicit than need be due to their curvature poorly hidden underneath their silk skirts.

"This is Adjua, and Abina Fiara." Rupont said, "Considering that you have a woman among your ranks, I think it's best they get her fitted before the Ball."

The twin Vampires looked at Rupont-- seemingly frustrated with him, and walked over to Ursula, stopping as Claude stood between them.

"We told you." The twins said at the same time.

"Oh hell-- let's all go!" Rupont threw his hands up and led everyone.

The room of Vampires watched them leave in silence. Followed by them listening in as the Lupines were fitted with more formidable clothing.

After twenty minutes of growling, tearing fabric and much embarrassment to Cassidy and Rupont's enjoyment, they exited the smaller room different than before.

Like Rupont, Claude and Cassidy were given form fitting suits. Cassidy wore a simple button up shirt with a clean black tie and sleeves rolled. They seemed to add another layer of gel his slicked back greying hair. Rupont denied his request for a hat or hood and said the scars were good. "They fit the aesthetic." Whatever that meant.

Claude's outfit was a bit different. He wasn't given a button up shirt. Just a plain black shirt and an overcoat. The edges and sleeve endings were lined in tribal designs of gold coloring that just barely stopped the whole thing from looking boring. The twins had spent longer than needed on his hair in an attempt to comb it out and tie it up at the back of his head. They succeeded begrudgingly and had spent the rest of the time on Ursula... who they currently waited on.

"Man, these things come with a cup? The junk smothering is ridiculous.." Cassidy mumbled as he tried to adjust his pants.

"[The barbarians never felt proper tailoring a day in his life.]" Arne commented in response.

"I thought you were against all this?" Claude said as he flexed and expanded his muscles inside the suit to stretch it out slowly.

"[Oh I was-- but he made you both look less homeless.... that's skill you can't buy or unlock with a System.]"

"Right..."

Claude trailed off as Ursula pushed her way out of the room.

She looked like a different person. No bulky bone and metal armor. Half of her hair was up in it's usual ponytail and the rest fell down her back. The locks that usually hung around her face were braided and tucked behind her ears. Dark makeup around her eyes made them seem more gold than usual when combined with the gold lipstick framed in black. All she wore was a dark sheath dress. Form fitting and well designed. The top of the dress looped around her neck and left her back exposed, showing the scaring and muscle. A combination of heels and boots hugged her feet and calves comfortably. The seemingly simple design of the dress was given a little extra with the artistic wrappings around her arms and pointer finger.

"You look..... different." Claude mumbled.

"So do you.... can you breathe in that shirt?" Ursula tugged at the tight fabrics before letting it snap back into his chest.

"I could literally ask you the same thing."

"You won't. Just say I look good and shush."

"Yea but who's gonna tell me I look good?" Cassidy cut in, "Wolfboy doesn't even have a tie!"

"What happened to the heels?" Rupont questioned, seemingly unbothered by the Lupines discussion.

"Her feet look like bear paws." Adjua replied.

Rupont grabbed the bridge of his nose. Claude felt the Vampires behind him visibly still.

"Ahhhh FUCK!"

A couple exploded into dust and flew off as bats. The others found interest in the blood inside their cups.

"They're just shoes."

Rupont smiled only in his face, "Presentation is everything-- how you show yourself is how you are."

Claude was immediately back to focus.

"And how did you want us to show ourselves?"

Rupont thought on the question Claude asked before turning to the other Vampires.

"We're heading to the ball now. Remember, don't make an arse out of us, many important people will be attending. This is a very.... very special day. Network to your hearts content, otherwise keep your mouths shut and your eyes open."

He clapped and all of the Vampires exploded into dust, flying out the windows as a flock of bats into the night.

Rupont turned to the Lupines, "Shall we?"

"Let's get to it." Claude replied.

***

They traveled into the Republic of Cairo. The main city in The Sunland's. The architectural beauty Claude and the other students traveled through the reach Ra Stadium.

To see it at night was even more marvelous. The city didn't seem aquanted with sleeping. Rail Riders careened down the metal rails snaking through the city. Their electrical blue lights reflected off the dark windows of skyscrapers and small bodies of water below where glowing fish mingled. Sky Ships spit colored flames into the night, communicating routes and directions with passing flyers in the air.

The bats flying alongside their Rail Rider weren't even visible with human eyes.

They stayed that way until finally coming to a stop at one of the largest skyscrapers he'd ever seen. Buildings of the Old World always made him nervous. Monsters were always associated with them in his mind.

The Vampires behind him didn't help in changing that fact as they approached the building. The smooth glass showed their reflections clear as... well ... night.

They weren't large in number. But it didn't matter due to all the activity. One by one more expensive and intricately built Rail Riders came to a sparking stop in front of the massive glass monolith and joined them in entering the building.

They climbed a twenty stair covered in red carpet mesh that smelled of fire.

Claude sniffed it more intensely. Cassidy followed.

"Fire Troll fur." Cassidy commented.

Claude nodded as they reached the final step and waited at the doors.

Two Sunlandian Guards were stationed. Pyramid heads and all.

Rupont approached and pulled out a card, showing it to them before they were all waved in past the massive glass doors.

Inside was like he expected. Extravagant. The fire troll carpet continued, making him question the size of whatever belonged to it. Beyond that, cold black and red walls of marble followed them to what Rupont called an elevator.

Two men stood at the entrance, glassy eyed and seemingly braindead. One was even drooling.

Rupont grabbed his face to better study him, "What the hell kind of compulsion job is this?"

Adjua and Abina replied, "A bad one."

"We're supposed to be running a business here, this is ridiculous." Rupont snapped and the men came back to.

Before they could begin to panic, Rupont spoke.

"Everythings fine, boys. Relax, you're working the night shift as usual. Nobody's been using the elevator, upper floors are inactive at night."

"Upper floors.... erhm-- yea, the upper floors aren't active at night. Working the night shift usually means we're just standing around, getting paid to smell expensive scents and watch marble crack, haha..."

"Funny guy." Rupont slapped his shoulder.

The elevator opened and they entered. The doors closed as another man placed his palm on a metal stand and spiked the surface with lightning.

He felt his stomach sink as they rose.

"Were those slaves?" Claude questioned, anger deepening his tone.

"No. They're paid overtime-- and then some. Like most foolish men they also have a thing for dangerous women. They get to see their fill of that here. We just need men on the outside." Rupont explained.

"Right....."

Rupont shrugged, "It makes sense of course, can't let people see this."

The elevator stopped and opened.

A ballroom floor over many hundred feet up welcomed them. Illusory walls showing a midnight sky glimmering with the aurora borealis surrounded them. Chandeliers floated and massive bats hung from the expensive lights.

Tables were occupied with the oddest of beings.

Some had wings. Others had fur and multiple eyes. But one thing they all had in common was the caught scent of Lupine. Their eyes snapped to the open elevator.

"These are all Vampires?" Ursula thought.

"....Yea."

*****

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