[P] Late night snacks

Streets were silent, the lone moon risen high into the sky. Its silvery light was hidden by the lights of the street lamps which cast their bright yellow glow onto the ground around her. The female kept walking, her stomach growling from hunger that refused to be quenched. It was an incredibly long day, something which she rarely had and she felt as if she were starving. Maybe she was, it might help her with the whole 'hungry' thing. Her stomach growled again.

Giving up, Lex pushed the door open to some noodle shop. She ordered some of their food, her eyes taking in the lack of occupants at such a ridiculous hour. Glancing up at the clock, she read that it was only around 11:23 pm. She flinched. Much later than she originally thought.

Lexia looked around the room, her eyes finding the most out of the way corner that she could. She saw that she smiled a little bit to herself as she saw the darkish corner, one which housed a single table with a few scattered chair near it. After obtaining her food, she made her way over to it, sliding into the seat with a relieved sigh.

Quite quickly, Lex began to eat the noodles, the sharp flavours invigorating her tastebuds. Lex gave a small sigh and smiled to herself. Maybe, just maybe, it might be a decent night...

@Andr01d

He dawned his usual robes. In his own city, he dared not to wear his own armor. In this place, he was at home. This was his haven. He wore his favorite white apron, a single soup stain on the lower half of it. His long lanky legs made his way to the newest customer of the night. He knew every face, but this one was new.

"Is everything alright. . . miss?" Aknaid asked. "Do you need a drink or anything?"

he asked these simple questions, yet in his mind, he asked more. There was something desperately off about this woman. Perhaps she was a fresh soul. Maybe she had just arrived in this world. It was his duty to guide those within his city, maybe he would take her around. After all, it was his bloodline that protected this realm.

And his father was the guardian.

The voice spooked her slightly as Lexia was off in her own world, her mind digging up memories. Well, it attempted to. It wasn't very successful. As the voice had snapped her out of her thoughts, she raised her gaze to look at them. They had a rather... odd appearance, and Lexia wasn't exactly sure how to classify it, how to describe it, aside from the fact that it was just... odd.

With a polite smile, Lexia shook her head. "Thank you for the kind offer, but... I'm... I'm fine." She said, in an attempt to dismiss them. Lexia generally kept to herself, and she cast her gaze down to the table, the food's delicious aroma setting her stomach off again to growl. Lexia sighed as they didn't seem to leave right away and she pushed the food away, her growling stomach acting as if it didn't want anything else to eat.

"I... Well, I don't know much aside from the fact I was hungry, but now I'm not. I've wandered aimlessly through the city to try and take in anything but... Nothing I've seen here makes sense." She sighed, raising a hand to her head, cupping it against her cheek as she stared at the noodles.

"Worst of all, I lost someone that I don't remember." She froze for a moment, realising she had spoken too much. Again. Quickly, she went to stand up from her chair, "I-I'm sorry. I'll see myself out." Lexia apologised, her heart hammering in her chest as her palms were incredibly sweaty. Nerves. Oh how she hated them.

"No no," he interrupted her, "Please sit down. Perhaps I can be of held."

he lifted the bottom of his apron to wipe off his hands. The steam of the noddles in the kitchen had let his palms moistened. He would take the seat opposite of her. He felt as if it was all familiar to him. but with years on end, he was used to the job he had taken up.

"You sound like a Fresh." Aknaid spoke those words, only before catching himself. "My name is Aknaid. And if you can get over my appearance, you'll learn I'm just as human as you are." He was already growing tired of his own voice. But for now, he would be at her word. Anything she wanted to know.

"I was born and raised in this world. Anything you want to know, I have the answers to." He told her. Maybe that would put her at ease.

Lexia felt herself shaking as she took the seat once more, doing as he requested and staying put for now. "Well... If I may ask, what is a... Fresh, as you called it?" Lexia asked innocently, her ears suddenly hearing and scolding herself for being so impolite. "Please forgive me for being so rude. I-I didn't mean to stare."

As he spoke, she listened silently, nodding to what he was saying. What he said did make sense and it was somewhat interesting, but her mind was distracted. "I would like to know something, just... Where is this place? What is it? The last thing I remember was being at the beck and call of-..." She cut herself off, unsure of if she wanted to tell him of those things.

"A Fresh... They aren't from here, are they?" She asked, slowly piecing the information together- as well as taking a random stab in the dark for what it was. If he would confirm it, her face would fall and she would feel tears sting at her eyes.

She truly had lost him.

He begun to let out a soft laugh. "With every answer I give you, you will have three more questions." he spoke, "i have nothing but time to spend. I am Aknaid, the Demon of Time. This world is Pandora, formerly known as the underworld. Most people know this as purgatory." he would look into his own restaurant to wave a waiter towards him. A simple man in the distance would nod, and disappear to the back rooms.

"I refer to those new here, as a Fresh. You might be dead, your might have stumbled her by accident. It happens." He would pause to look at her face. Perhaps the answer was in her eyes.

"Let me guess." He said, taking in a breath, "You were from a world of mages and magic, and the last thing you remember is casting a spell, training your power?" He smiled, or at least, he thought he did. His expression never changed anymore.

The waiter arrived with a single cup of tea, though the color was as black as night. Aknaid would nod at the man and lip the cup to his mouth. After taking a sip, he would speak again. "Take your time processing it all. It's a lot to absorb. My father is the guardian of Pandora. Hades was the god before him."

Lex gave him a sad smile, leaning forward onto her arms as she then would cast her gaze to the wooden table top. "I agree to it, I have many questions which need answers... Some that I do not really wish to know the answer to, but I must also know." She said, a tear slowly trailing down her cheek. Silently, she would listen to him speak, her eyes showing her interest, but her heart tearing itself to pieces. However, his guess about powerful magic was, well, wrong.

She sighed, "The guess you had about what I last remember... isn't quite right. It's true that I was from a place with incredible technology and magic. But, what was wrong was the magic. I was the host to a creature of immense strength, a curse. It was destroying an entire city and I was helpless to watch it play out, trapped in the back of my own mind. Well, it's mind. I... I don't remember what happened, if it finished destroying the city, if it was stopped, if I..." She drew a shaky breath, "I.. I think I was killed."

The shock caused her to slump down further into her chair, the struggle with the revelation evident on her face. But her heart skipped a beat. "Is there a way to tell if people are from the same... original place? Is there a way to leave here? Can I get back? I have to get back, I need to, I left someone who meant a lot to me. Please! Is there a way I can get back? Would your father allow it?" Lexia almost snarled at herself. She allowed her desperation get to her, and she raised a hand to cover her face. Her robotic hand covering her tears. Lex didn't even feel hungry anymore, in fact, she almost felt nauseous, sick to the stomach. Terrified.

"P-please forgive me for acting this way. It's... A hell of a lot to take in."

"Rarely do souls return to the living." Aknaid spoke. "You might have been hurt in your world, but I doubt you are a wandering soul. You smell of a mortal." He looked at her, her tears. He could feel the pain, but yet, he did not understand it. He was a cold shell. A body filled with many souls besides his own.

"It's the will of this world, eventually your loved ones will find a way here." he thought about Master Onihara and Pandecim. It was something beyond his control. But then he thought of his sibling. Perhaps she would hold the answers.

He lifted the drink to his mouth again, pouring the viscous tar down his throat. "My father will know more about the souls, as well as if you are dead or not. He is the only one besides Kyonshi who can help you. And if you meet Kyonshi, then you are as good as dead. . . " He set the cup on the table, unsure of what to tell her. His slender arms set themselves on the table.

"I'd take you to show you the city, as I often do with new souls, but perhaps its best for you to find another." he told her, "This is Urban City, governed by the Legion of Neutrals, my organization. Outside, you will find someone who may be of better aid than me. . . if she's still out there." He admitted, laughing lightly a little. "She can take you to my father, if anyone will."

At his denial of people returning to the gates of the living, Lexia felt her tears roll down her face, unable to hide the sadness. It was like losing her father and her beloved pet all over again. Her human hand would clench into a fist, turning the knuckles white as the human like creature continued to talk and explain what had happened, who continued to answer her questions. However, it felt like it wasn't going to be any use to her anymore. "That's right. I was- no, I am a mortal."

So his father would be able to help her, as well as this other girl who was apparently outside still. She would nod to confirm that she had heard what he had said, took the information on board. "Before I do seek her out, I would like you to know I'm incredibly thankful for the things which you have done for me. And the food that I have had was delicious." Lexia inclined her head as she pushed away from the table, slowly rising to stand behind it. "I'll be sure to come back one day. Just... Honestly, thank you, for everything."

Lexia would then make her way to the door once more, the clock barely past midnight by the time that she left. However, the food was left behind, not sure that she could have another bite of it. She pushed her hand against the door to open it, before casting her gaze around the roads, looking for any sign of movements.

Lexia would have called out if she had seen anyone, but she didn't want to alert anyone to where she was. Lex always preferred to remain hidden, out of sight, and these darker streets were basically perfect. But where was she? Where was the one who could take her to his father! The one that could answer all of her questions, the one that she had to speak with. Lexia cast her gaze around the grounds once more, her heart almost breaking. For once in her entire life...

She was completely lost and completely alone...

LISTEN TO THE AGENCY DEATH IS ONLY A FIVE-LETTER WORD "Tick tock." The voice would echo, but not one soul would appear. Only from the darkness of the world around her, did a figure appear. "Hm?" She would take in a deep breath from behind the woman, taking in the scent of her hair. "Another mortal? And this one uses cheap shampoo!" She would take a step to the side, moving into the woman's view. "Brother is an odd man, but often forgets I'm always listeninggg~" She stood there, a large grin on her face, like a cat from a children's tale. Her body was ever moving, bouncing with every word. She was not one to sit still. She looked up and down of the woman, judging every fabric of her being. "You never gave him your name." she would tell her. "You must be either young or rude." her head would twist, and her smile would grow. "Both are fun to play with~!" She didn't look like it, but she was the one responsible for millions of deaths in the realm. She held Urban City in her palms. She took the bodies of the dead and consumed them. Her soul had no home, and thus sought refuge in any empty vessel. Perhaps she had turned kind in search of a new host. Perhaps she had actually changed for the better. . . But she was the nameless murderer. She divided the world. Why would she try to unite it now?

Name:Shadowstep
Rank: C
Description: The user produces darkness from every area on their body effectively becoming the darkness. They then are able to seemingly teleport to wherever they please, creating a dazzling sight as the mass shifts around and flies to a more strategic location.
Strengths:
- Range of 20m
- Can be utilized for a dash attack, as he is only moving swiftly, not teleporting
- Transforms both the user, his clothes, and any items they're holding into darkness.
- Deals B-rank damage to any Light defense magic.
Weaknesses:
- Can be eaten by any darkness or shadow slayer
- Travels only in a straight line.
- Can be blocked which would do massive damage to the user because of the speed their moving
- Can't attack if he's carrying an object.
- No spell can be used while this one is in use as well
- He can't transport other people, Users or NPCS.
Duration: Instant
Cooldown: 3 Posts

Lexia felt the hair along the back of her neck stand on edge, a shiver trailed down her spine as the voice spoke behind her. Unsettling. Sudden. Creepy. "Or perhaps lost and confused." She offered as a substitute, but the comment about the cheap shampoo wasn't something she was expecting. Lex had little to no money, so she did what she could with what she had.

"My name is also unimportant, names are used to track people down. To hurt them, to spread rumours and backstab. I'd rather not just pass names out to everyone... Especially when I have no place to call home." Lexia slowly crossed her arms, an unfathomable fear biting into her. She couldn't shake it, not one bit. "However, you can call me Lex, if you wish to have a name to call me by..."

A second shiver tore through her as she looked at the large, sadistic smile across her face. She wanted to step back to the noodle shop, to go back to where the other was. At least he wasn't looking as if he would murder her as soon as he could...

This beast with the weird smile, however, Lexia just could not read. She didn't know what it did, nor its intentions. She was so hopeful that she would be able to find answers that she walked straight into this. Perhaps even another death, if that is truly what had happened to her.

Lexia would give a wicked smirk, shrugging to them. "That cheap garbage is the only thing I can afford." She commented, huffing a small sigh. Smelling of trash or not, Lexia frowned. A lizard...? How curious, perhaps this could be a little fun... Maybe.

The constant swaying put Lexia off, however, the female would slowly begin to follow her. After all, she had nothing else to do. Nowhere else to go. Nothing better to do.

"Well, if you don't mind me asking... Do you have a name?" She asked, but had a nibbling feeling that the cat girl already had told her. But there was no harm in asking. . . Right?

As the two continued to walk, Lexia would give a small sigh. "No one but your father knows if I truly am dead or not, is that correct? But, if I may ask, what is your father's name? If I were to meet him, I must know how to address him or I will cause unnecessary complications." She spoke quickly, hating the words in which she kept saying. It was the opposite with what she was used to, but she had that much confusion coursing through her veins that it didn't exactly matter if she was slightly. . . off.

"But what is this lizard that you have also spoken of? Do all souls also pass this way?" before they die.

Stunned by her announcing that her father didn't give her a name, Lexia looked up at the constantly bouncy and swaying creature. Kaseki, a king? Yoshimitsu? "Please forgive my ignorance, but may I inquire as to what... I am meant to call him if I ever meet him? I have name, titles, but... Not what is wise to call him." Lex slightly lagged behind the weird cat creature for a few moments to watch the thing, wondering if she accidently stepped on Elizaveth's toe.

"Noodle? He sounds interesting." Lex said with a small grin on her face. "Don't suppose you could show me your pet some day, before I actually am... trained by him? I've... always loved animals." She left out that it would remind her of home. Her old home, surrounded by canines.

Being told that he didn't die did little to comfort the female and she felt a nervousness rise in her chest. If she didn't die, then what happened to...? Lex didn't want to ask the question, but she forced herself to. "Would your father know if others from my. . . Realm, I suppose, have come to Pandora?"

Lexia would slowly nod at what she had said. Training... Something that she remembered she had done to herself, gone through alone. She was able to build her previous powers to a somewhat decent level. What she could do, however, wasn't something that she could remember at this moment. Perhaps she could exceed her previous level if someone were to help teach her, to train her as this funny little creature suggested.

Although, Lex didn't realise she had stopped and almost ran straight into her. "I think that training would be a good idea." She said with a nod, before stopping next to her. Only for her to speak about being late, followed by a short piece of advice and she danced forward again. Lex struggled to keep up with her, storing the knowledge away for later.

Lexia noted that if she didn't know of any new Fresh... people? from her realm. She swallowed hard, "I understand, but why is it bad if Hades knows of the Fresh?"

She had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer.

However, all of an answer that Lexia would get was the wide grin being turned to her, the unusual hands held up to her. Shaking slightly, Lex would place her hands on the ones which were upturned for her. The grin was the only thing that she could remember before as the shadows swirled up around them, enveloping them in a cocoon.

Before they vanished into the darkness.