Catalysts: IC (Oh the thread is slowly dying...)

"Oh? Wisdom is not intelligence.. Neither is power.. And by the both of you, I mean.. Nevermind. It's not of your concern if you're not on my side."

He read her and dropped the gun, hugging her tightly in an affectionate manner. He stroked her back and spoke quietly, with a small hint of kindness.

"Now now, just simply join me..."

"You're right; wisdom prevents violence, whereas power invite-"

She recoiled at the unexpected embrace. Woah what the FUCK? Quickly wriggling herself free of Ragnarok, Winter threw herself back a few paces and stared at him incoherently for a moment before she could get her jaw to work. "Wha... What the fuck was that!?!? I already told you, I will not join you!"

He pursed his lips in thought, seeing her reaction of surprise. He grinned widely and began further mischief, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek gently.

"Now now, who's to say that was all just for you to join me..? Like I said dear, you are a highly attractive woman. Your have the cutest red cheeks, so full of life.. And your eyes are quite beautiful. Better than my accursed mismatch eyes, thats for sure."

After a short nap Aeron was up again and out the window. He stretched briefly, making sure to pop all the bones in his body. All of them. After his muscles were suitably stretched and bones properly cracked Aeron whipped his head forward, much like he was head-banging and a mask of bones extruded itself out his forehead and clapped itself down over his face. It was much like his skull had popped itself out of his face. There were two openings for his eyes as well as a nose, the mouth though was several oval shaped openings that formed themselves an oval shaped object that seemed to be connected by stalactite/gmite columns, the columns themselves being what made the smaller ovals. He cracked his neck once more before extruding backwards spikes out of his arms. backwards being that the spiked up his arm towards his head as opposed to forwards in the direction of his fingertips. Those spikes followed next, though they converged themselves into a point so as to form a bigger sharper single spike. He was ready.

Before the incoming kiss could make contact, Winter retreated further, just barely managing to resist the temptation to give Ragnarok a hearty shove backward - even in this inexplicable moment, she remembered how deadly he was when crossed.

Winter had been in situations like this before - out gunned by someone with peculiar intention - for the city was not a safe place for anyone traveling on their own. Her quick feet and quicker wits had always allowed Winter to escape from such scenarios intact, though no Catalysts had ever been involved. "Look... I don't know what the hell you're trying to do, but back off."

He laughed and walked up to her, using his kusorigama's weighted chain to wrap around her. He looked into her eyes, making sure he could see his heterochromia iridum before connecting their lips for no more than three seconds.

"I told you, I've an attraction. Otherwise, I would've given up. I see a lucky spark in you, something that could further our cause so well if you teamed up along with us... Now then... Just calm down, because you seem ready to punch a hole in my throat, and we'd BOTH regret that.""

Winter struggled, horrified, as the chain wrapped around her. This wasn't supposed to happen... This wasn't supposed to fucking happen!

She grimaced as his lips met hers, drew back her head, and hit him in the nose with as much force as she could muster. She realized a second too late what she had just done; it was an instinct reaction.

Panicking now, she redoubled her efforts but was unable to wriggle her way free of the chains; in a last ditch effort, she ceased moving and broke the mental barrier, willing the chains to move...

Move they did, after a moment, and though she could not control their frantic contractions, the simple jostling of the freedom-seeking metal allowed her to free herself. By now Ragnarok had doubtlessly recovered from the blow, and she prepared to make a run for it into the subway tunnels...

He covered his nose and smiled at her shaking his head slowly. He walked past her out and looked back grinning widely.

"As long as you don't interrupt the plan, I don't give a shit what you do... Just don't get yourself killed, you got me? I'm not gonna deal with that after absorbing so much of your life force...."

Slowly he walked off, towards the Mall where his counterparts had last been. He thought momentarily and started to laugh loudly, and maniacally, holding his stomach as he did. The laughter echoed outwards through the abandoned city for a few good metres before ending, and he grinned widely.

"Soon, I'll have the plans.. My years of work won't be for nothing.."

Pandora spurned the profered hand, and turned and walked from the conversation. She decided to track Ragnarok. He seemed on a mission, and it was always good fun to watch failure. She soon found her way to where he was... conversing with an, admitadly beautiful, you woman. She grimaced at his clearly unwanted advances, a deeply buried fragment of her mind insisting she put a stop to them, but continued to watch from the shadows, knowing that he either knew she was there or would soon. When he wandered off she dropped down, and said "You know, he really isn't so bad when he isn't being" she waved her hand, indicating the general direction he walked off in "That. However, my dear, I believe I must take this oppurtunity to educate you on a matter of some important." she grabbed her by the shoulder, spinning her in a circle, and took a step back. "My dear, you seem to believe that war is a purely human invention, and that it is not in nature known, but I know you to be mistaken- Gorilas are known to make war against other tribes of gorilas, and ants make war constantly, never ending the fight against other, barely different ants. So what is the constant, what causes war? two things. Desire, and Suffering. Even those who, like you, seek peace and joy, are not immune to this effects. I admit I was once like you, my dear, dear fool, and I tried my best to protect innocence and prosecute hatred, never rising my fists in anger, but I was broken, thrown aside, and left for dead, but death? It would not take me. So I became as you see me now. BROKEN, a shell of a woman, with little left in life but RAGE and PAIN."

Winter, having not yet recovered from Ragnarok, started with a slight gasp at the sight of Pandora. However, though she was uncomfortable, the woman did not seem to wish her any harm.

"At least you're making more sense than that guy. Oh, I know animals fight all the time - war is in the blood of all lifeforms, after all. My only complaint with humanity is how we've applied our intelligence to kill eachother more efficiently. It just seems... wrong."

She become slightly more unsettled as Pandora continued. "I... I'm very sorry to hear that," she managed to get out, not at all sure how to respond. I can't simply give up because failure is possible... though... would I end up like her if I fail? That is, if I don't end up dead?

Winter shuddered. "How did they break you? If you don't mind me asking."

Pandora smiled "Oh, I am sure you do, but that doesn't change the fact that we have made war more efficient and less costly. In nature war ends with the destruction of one side, in humanity, it ends with surrender. Perhaps I no longer see the point to such allowences, but we have improved greatly over our animal origins. And what broke me? Oh, my dear, no ONE broke me, reality did it. I fought and kicked and bashed against the uncairing world, and, eventually, I died. But death was not kind, death was painful, and lacked the joy of release, and when I felt that it was welcome it spurned me, sent me back into this world, bereft of all I had fought for, marked with a jagged scar" she reached to her forehead, tracing a straight line "to remind me of my pain even when I could no longer remember the sensation."

Winter smiled lightly. Despite her growing fear of this woman, she sensed in her a kindred spirit. She sounded almost villainous, but right now, Winter was just glad to be able to talk to someone without them attempting to kill her.

"Heh, I suppose you're right. Still, look at what all this intelligence has brought us - we live in fear of internment, torture, and worse from those who should rightfully be protecting us."

Winter frowned at the woman's story. She must be a Catalyst, too. "How can you cope with such pain?"

"I don't."

Winter, already frowning, managed to subsequently frown again. "Then this is why you are broken still? Because the pain and memories linger?" She began to feel no small amount of pity for the woman, unable to imagine the sort of torture that must she must undoubtedly feel every moment. I'm staring right into insanity.

He lowered his hand, irritated. Left hanging. Again. Movie night alone again. He threw the disc case off and stormed out. He was almost blinded by the noonlight.He ran as fast as he could back to HQ. He was impotent outside. He pulled out a little baggy and a pipe. He lit the weed and played V for Vendetta. Oldy but goody.

"My dear, dear fool, you really don't understand. I am broken, but by being broken I am made flawless. I am free of vexing and confusing emotion, allowed to escape from the trapping of human experience. What more could I ever want?" Pandora smiled, a smile that bespoke both fierce joy and desperate denial.

And he spun about, in the centre of the square shouting at the heavens.

"YOU'RE ALL GOING TO BE LIKE US SOON~! I REALLY AM THE RAGNAROK~! THE FATE OF THE GODS THEMSELVES LIE IN MY HANDS~!"

He laughed, most likely weakened from lack of sleep, and headed towards HQ. Then he remembered that his absorption made him practically immune to the damages liquor could do, and headed for the nearest ABC's store.

Winter tilted her head, now a tad more unnerved. "I... see." I suppose it's enviable in a way, not having to worry about opinions, consequences, emotions... "Do you ever miss how you used to be?"

She shuddered at the sound of distant shouts, hugging herself with her arms. It was quite chilly for an afternoon.

Nox smoked a few minutes, but was then alerted by an urgent problem: he needed food. He laid the piece down on the table and began his search. Aha! A bag of Goldfish! The little smiley crackers never disappointed. He leaned back on the chair with a satisfied grin.

Ragnarok came in, partially on fire, to the subway. He had NO clue what had just happened; all he knew was he was carrying Vodka, Gin, and tons of German Lager.

"Oh.. Hey Nox, could you put out this fire for me? Seems I'm burning.."

Nox giggled and slapped the fire. He held up the piece. "Seems I'm burning too, bro!" He took another hit then offered it to Ragnarok. They were growing closer by the minute! This was the kind of person true bros are made of.

"Nope, I don't smoke that. Weed makes me waste food, and has a higher lungkilin' rate so.. Yeah. Plus THC leads to heavier cancers, and that's something I can still worry over."

"All good things in moderation. If you want you can just have a seat and watch the movie, though the explosions look waaaaay better while high." He looked around, puzzled. "Do we have any Goldfish?"

"Oh well it's quite simple, you ATE ALL THE GOLDFISH?! I WILL STEAL ALL YOUR WEED AND GIVE IT TO THE HOMELESS I SWEAR IF YOU ATE ALL MY GOD-DAMNED GOLDFISH!"

"Dude, chill, they're in my lap." He pulled one of the smiling snacks from the box and turned it over. He regarded it for a second, before saying something nonsensical. "They always smile. Do you think they're high too?"