(( Here's the Praetorian version of Fanservice Girl. Who never got the break she needed from Hero Corp or the moral guidance from Mei-Xiu and was raised in a world that impressed upon you that Might equals Right.))
Praetorian Fanservice Girl AKA Tantalize
Living rough on the streets of Paragon was never easy, especially in winter. When the cold frost settled on the ground the homeless would huddle together in groups trying to keep warm with each other, uncaring of the squalid conditions as long as they could eke out a few small moments of warmth. Many gathered round a man known only as Candle. Homeless from the age of five, Candle had a small gift but a precious one. Candle could create small fires, making them splutter to life and burn even on the frozen concrete of alleyways. He didn't know how why he could do it, one day he'd just known the way to pull heat out from a place where none was present.
This blessed relief kept many alive through the colder nights and slowly word spread among the community. Candle would always offer a kind word or a smile to those who helped others and slowly a small community sprung up around him. food was brought in, shelters built in abandoned areas and although life was still grim, the homeless that flocked too him still saw him as a hero, building their own ramshackle city out of nothing. This went on for years, their own little corner away from the world's troubles.
Word spread and eventually, ears listened. One day while Candle was helping pull together a shelter made of corrugated iron, a Black Van picked its way through the shanty town and pulled up beside him. The side door swung open and standing at the doorway was a small girl in a purple and black cat suit, a wide and happy grin on her face. With a cheerful lilt in her voice she called out to him.
"Candle isn't it? Hi I'm Tantalize! We've heard a lot about you, please, step in with me for a moment. I promise you won't regret it!"
The girl ushered Candle in, smiling happily all the while. Candle glanced at the others helping him with the shelter, a look of trepidation clear on his face. People didn't come down here as a rule, and this was definitely a first. With a shrug and a few nods in return Candle clambered into the van. The door slid shut behind him, inside the van was well light and comfortably laid out. A table and chairs had been arranged in the middle, the floor was carpeted and even the walls were covered with hangings, giving the small space a decadent but luxurious quality.
Tantalize skipped over to a chair and pulled it out for herself."Please sit! Don't be afraid, this is the start of something wonderful!" she said motioning to the free chair.
Sitting down in the leather seat, Candle eyed the girl warily slightly at unease with the strange situation. The girl smiled at him and started to pour herself a drink from a decanter on the table, before reaching over to pour Candle one, the smell of warm,mulled wine sweeping up from the glasses. With a gruff cough Candle spoke to Tantalize.
"Sorry Tantalize, I don't mean to be rude but.. why am I here?"
The girl took a sip of her drink, seemingly lost in thought, then with a jump came to focus . "Oh! Sorry! Of course, how rude of me. You're here because you're special Candle, you can do things no one else can! We're here to take you out of this wretched dump, away to a life of luxury! We'll help you gain control of your gift, become more powerful than you'd ever imagined, it's a wonderful opportunity and all we ask in return is your loyalty."
"She speaks fluently enough" Candle thought, "for one seemingly so jittery. Still perhaps she can help us all."
"Loyalty? My loyalty is to those people out there, I've helped them through rough times and I'll not leave them now. Will you help me with them though? So many die every year and more come, we can't build forever, eventually we'll need better places to live. Help us!"
Tantalize stared at the man as he spoke, swilling her glass and playing with her hair unconsciously with a free hand. As he finished she let out a small giggle.
"Oh dear! You think you're one of them? You're not Candle, you're so much better. Above and beyond. All this good you've done for them is admirable, but why should you have to break your back just to help those not willing to help themselves?You're a better person than all of them Candle, and you deserve this opportunity."
Candle was tempted, the offer was appealing. A roof, warm food, clean clothes, even the few on display in the van seemed like extravagance to him. But he couldn't help failing baited, and he wasn't the sort of man to leave people down on their luck.
"Sorry Miss, but you're wrong. I'm not better than them, I'm one of them. I've been with them since the beginning and unless you can help them all I'll be there for them until the end. If you leave them there, I'd say your no better either, please hel-"
Tantalizes face went wild, a flash of fury washed over her idly smiling face. With a snarl she reached across the table, grabbing Candle by the jaw. Candle tried to push back, but her grip was like a vice and he could put up no resistance as she hauled him out of his chair and up against the wall of the van with a painful thud. He tried to stand but she kicked his legs away from under him with brutal force, one of them popping free of its socket, and Candle fell. He swung his arms at the girl, but she ignored them as if they were no more than a gently fanning breeze, still clamping his jaw her eyes blazed with fury, her playful facade dispelled. Spitting venom, Tantalize
yelled right into his face.
"I am NOTHING like them. Ever since I became what I am things like that made fun of me, called me names, thought me clumsy. I was too scared to take the opportunity that my gifts had laid in front of me until one day I realized, their little taunts didn't matter. I was better than them and I proved it, I didn't leave a single one breathing. I formed a band of people JUST like me and now, now I don't need anything from them and they beg, BEG to serve me."
Tantalize stared into Candle's eyes, which were now rolling madly seeking a way out. With a sneer she started to close her hand, black spots exploding in front of Candle's eyes as he heard the snapping of bone. His mind reeled and his screams slowly become more and more muffled, until nothing but a thin gurgling escaped his lips. Pain blossomed in Candle's brain, he prayed to pass out but just didn't seem able. Wildly he summoned up fire to envelop the girl and the van, as her skin lit up she laughed at him a mad visage looking out through a halo of flames.
"Hurts doesn't it! I can't feel a thing, but to feel your pain through your eyes and your screams is wonderful, so.. invigorating! We know all about you Candle" she said, putting a mocking spin on his name.
"Did you know you have more than one power? I can crack every bone in your body and you'll not pass out, your body will keep you awake through it all. You can even heal over time, so don't expect me to get bored after doing that. Oh I'm going to have SO much fun with you!"
Candle felt his vision swim, flames enveloped everything but the black silhouette of the girl, but she wouldn't stop, couldn't anything stop her? The gas tank! The fog of crippling pain sweeping over his mind, he sent a lance of fire its way. The laughing demon in front of him was washed away by a ball of fire, the van rocked, the world shook.
Candle never lost consciousness, as the metal twisted and cooled the van burned like a pyre in front of him, he felt blistered all over and was in terrible pain. His friends dragged him away and tried to nursed him back to health.
Weeks passed and while Candle eventually healed enough to walk, if stiffly, his jaw was ruined and beyond repair. He kept it wrapped in bandages to hide the painful reminder of his misplaced trust. Unable to talk and having never learned to write Candle never got to tell people of his experience. People still looked up to him for guidance once he could stand, but his spirit was broken and his mind chased at night by a burning demon girl, rising up out of the husk of the van to finish him off. He was too scared to use his powers anymore, fearful of attracting any more attention. The shanty village fell into disrepair and the community broke down, soon only four were left with Candle, his closest friends and the sharers of his vision of a slightly better life.
The four huddled shivering on another cold winter night, wrapped together to try keep warm. Staring into the night sky, Candle drifted of into another sleep full of burning nightmares.
"Wake up sleepy!"
Candle's eyes shot open. That voice! No it can't be!
He tried to rise but his whole body was pinned to the floor, he raised his head and there outlined against the moon was the smiling girl that haunted his dreams. Her clothes absent, mud and grime covered her from head to toe. Her body was perfect though, unscathed and she was wearing a grin of pure contentment.
"Ugh! Do you know how long burns like that take to heal? I couldn't move for days. Some of your idiot friends buried me too, was it these ones? They won't be saving you this time Candle, I've wrung their measly littler necks. Clawing my way out of the grave you dug wasn't fun at all and I've been so lonely these past few weeks, so bored and hungry too! But now we're back together again! Let's carry on from where we left off, shall we?"
Tantalize brought her hands up, Candle's fingers intertwined with hers. She gave him a wide, mad, toothy smile and he tried to cry out, but could only gutter and gurgle pleas that never escaped his throat. Tantalize brought the clasped hands over his head, blocking the starry sky, starting to giggle to herself.
Then she squeezed.
((Ah, the classic 'Evilverse' plot, much loved. 
We did one over on the Militia forums a while ago, 'Welcome to the Mirrorverse', loads of fun. Here's a repost of the quick and dirty short story I did for The Amber Banshee's evil alter-ego, Shadowsong.))
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Somewhere, someone was singing. Tobias gripped his sword tightly, knowing that his quarry was close. For two weeks, he had been tracking his prey and he could not ignore the mix of excitement and fear that had taken up residency in his belly. The Legacy Chains various training regimes had helped him to achieve at least some control over his fears, turning what had once been a timid, scholarly boy into a capable, trained fighting machine. Even so, knowing that he was about to face yet another vicious, magically empowered villain still filled him with a sense of trepidation that he could not ignore.
Why this one? Why now? The Order had know of this ones activities for a while now. The odd bank raid here, a kidnapping there, but it had been the destruction of one of the Longbow outposts in Nerva that had finally led to Tobias being sent to destroy her. The building had been levelled, burying hundreds inside. They had excavated, hoping to find maybe a handful alive but their hopes were dashed swiftly. The people hadnt even tried to hide as the building collapsed, instead their corpses were extracted with a look of abject terror on their faces. On examination, it appeared that they had died due to massive brain haemorrhaging. Those who had tried to fight had suffered a worse fate. Their bones appeared to have been liquefied from within, causing the body to collapse into a ragged pile of flesh. The sight of the victims had been enough for the Legacy Chain to act.
Gripping his sword tightly, Tobias turned the corner to take in the room before him. The hall was white apart from a tall throne sat at the far end that seemed to be carved from iron ore. In it, draped across the arms of the massive seat was a ghostly white figure. She was the source of the singing. For a second, Tobias was almost overcome. This had caused the ruin of the outpost? The woman was slender and pale, her body barely covered by the white and silver robes that she wore. Crowning her was a head of radiant red hair, long enough to fall elegantly across the throne like a sea of amber. As Tobias approached, she stopped her singing and raised her head to watch him step forward.
I take it youve come to kill me? she said matter of factly as he brandished his sword.
You were easy to find siren, he replied, unfazed by her appearance. He watched as she slipped off of the throne and walked gracefully towards him. She seemed to smile, a wicked grin appearing from behind the fanged mask.
Why do you call me siren? she asked softly, pacing around him. Did you think I was going to seduce you? That might be fun. Tobias reaffirmed his grip, waiting for her to get within range. Or was it because I lured you here with a song? Was that it? It was very easy you know.
He shifted slightly, unnerved. Had he allowed himself to be duped? He thought that he had tracked her here himself but maybe
maybe hes been drawn here deliberately.
Oh dear
she said, did I touch a nerve? Did you think youd followed me here, hunting me like a hunter hunts the rabbit? She giggled, the light, flirtatious giggle of a young girl. Oh Im so sorry, she chided, thats not what happened at all. I called and you came. And I had hoped that they would send someone intelligent to catch me
She sighed with mock disappointment.
Tobias went to move, to strike but he found his limbs like ice, frozen to the spot, unable to move. All he could see were her green eyes, floating in his vision, rooting him. The sword, useless now, clattered from his numb fingers. He watched helpless as she appeared in front of him, floating gently off of the ground, her hair radiating from her head like a halo.
How utterly predictable, she said as she hovered there. How human. How boring. How
dull. She began to laugh, the sound echoing through the room. Tobias winced as the sound changed, changed to something screeching, unnatural. He could feel the force of the voice upon him as his molecules began to vibrate at a rapid rate. Pain wracked his body and he cursed himself for being so unprepared. He had come here to stop what they had thought was a foolish young Faery. Instead he was now to die at the hands of Shadowsong, Nightmare Queen of the Fae.
There was nothing to do but close his eyes and wait for the pain to end.
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@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
((Yes I know its a bit late, but uh took me a while to finally write this >.>
)
Within the ruins of a once glorious skyscraper the sounds of fierce battle echoed, but seemed not to disturb the unrelenting night. Steel struck steel as the thin playful rapier of a harlequin struck the thick thuggish broadsword of an equally thick and thuggish man. Again their blades crashed, quickly followed by a dance into the next stroke, this time however the brute misjudged the harlequins intentions and she with a deft faint lashed across his chest twice in rapid succession before plunging her blade into his heart.
Breathing quickly as she struggled to remove her blade she glanced about the, well battleground was the only word she could think of that conveyed what she saw. Shattered masks and broken bodies littered the ground, small fires and the remains of a few seneschals lanterns provided the only illumination, for which she was thankful, she had enough nightmares already.
Her train of thought was quickly interupted by a gentle reassuring touch to the shoulder, the harlequin spun round bracing herself, but was suddenly relived. The arm that had touched her belonged to her ring mistress, taking a deep breath she could also see another similary dressed harlequin standing behind her as well. Taking a small break they made sure none of the three troupe survivors were injuried, luckly they had only a few scrapes though their uniforms had suffered worse, with one of the poles on the ring mistresses back having being snapped clean off.
After a brief rest the three nodded in silent agreement and went deeper into the ruins, gradually te scenery changed though, becoming less ruined and more well kept. Eventually even the décor changed and soon it seemed as if they were inside some dark palace. True to form the room they found a the end of the passage was some kind of large throne room, immaculatley upkept, and illuminated by only a handful of spotlights the largest of which illuminated a grand throne on a platform in the centre of the room, and sprawled across is was the slender grey-white haired female fiigure they had been hunting.
Cautiously they crossed the distance to their target, with more details becoming aparent. It seemed she wore a low cut green top with small orange stripes down the sides, with a smiliar colour scheme applied to her shortish skirt. Closer still they approached and the figured still did not acknowledge their precence, her grey-white hair slowley swaying though thee was not even a hint of breeze in the room. As they closed on the throne it became apprent what the figure was doing, a small bowl of grapes lay at her side and ever now and then one would float into mid air, have its skin peeled off by some unseen force and then fly into the figures mouth.
The harlequins braced themselves, this was it, the moment they had planned for. Stepping forward the ring mistress cleared her throat,
In the name of the Carnival of Light, we have come to end this madness Psytrix!
The harlequins draw their swords and braced themselves as the figure sat up, her green high heeled boots gentlely touching the floor as the began to speak with a voice that seemed to echo ever so slightfully with pain through their minds.
Oh come to spoil my fun have you? with subtle grace she stood up, A shame I was having such fun you know, a very vigorous fight
She seemed angered by the lack of conversation the carnies were providing.
Fine, fine if we can have fun talking
. And with a dismissive gesture two well muscled thugs whom she had been telekinetically levitating above the harlequins dropped down. The first harlequin was taken by surpise and was pushed down onto her ownsword, which due to the force of the drop screwed right through her and into the thug as well. The second harlequin fared much better, she was only held in place by the iron grasp of the thug, she struggled futally but to no avail. The harlequin turned to the ring mistress who had remeained locked in her pose all the while.
Quick help me! She struggled to say from within the grasp of the thug, but the ring mistress did not reply, insidead the woman they had come to hunt spoke instead, looking at the scewered harlequin and thug.
Oh such a mess she tutted, flinging the corpses away, at the same time the ring mistress had removed her mask and allowed to to shatter onto the floor.
What are you
struggled the remaining harlequin, still trapped by the thug, she was quickly rendered still by the eeiry sound of two people laughing and then speaking in perfect syncrony.
Oh really my dear did you think his was all your mistresses idea? the pair of voices belonged to the ring mistress and the green and orange clad woman now rather menicingly making her way towards the harlequin.
You see, I felt like some entertianment and you know how drab the televisions is, and I must say you and your troupe were very very enertianing why I havnt had a fight that intense for a while taking the last few steps twoards the harlequin she removed the fragile mask all the Carnival wore, And of course Im not done with you yet my dear, why I wonder what fun I could have here
She placed her hands on the harlequins head, and the harlequin soon screamed out her last coherant thoughts as she felt her mind shear into a thousand pieces
.
Praetorian Earth, an ugly mirror of our own world here people have led different lives and led themselves into a darker fate. What we'd know as Heroes are opportunistic criminals, cult icons are figure heads for oppression and some Villains, who in our world only think of themselves, now fight out against the system a beacon of hope in this otherwise bleak world.
Many people will never know of their Praetorian equivalents and this may well be for the best, as the truth is rarely a pleasant thing. In Praetorian world, happy stories are rare while horror stories are not fiction but a way of life.
(( Feel free to post your Character's Preatorian other halves here! ))