Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
Downtown Lorsette. Busy, full of many individuals all running to their respective locations in the bustle of the city streets. The streets were nice and clean today, the sun rising at just about 1pm. Xander found himself sticking to the shaded side of the street, keeping out of the sun. He was wearing black pants, a black jacket, and a white undershirt. His purple hair was kept in a ponytail, stretching out to his mid-back in length. Xander had gold buttons along the inside of his jacket, and they clashed well with the black of his jacket. Xander walked casually holding his right hand in his pocket. He kept his hand hovering over his notebook, with a pencil in the binder, which also resided in his pocket.
This was all boring too him, the streets, the noises of the people talking, even the sound of his own feet hitting the sidewalks concrete. Xander looked down at his black shoes as they tapped along the sidewalk. "This is boring" He groaned to himself. Xander wasn't quite sure what to do with his time, he thought maybe he should attend some classes in his spare time. Learn how to do painting or art, perhaps that would be a valuable chance for him to develop as a person. Xander turned, looking at the people who seemed to have dispersed, making the streets much more empty than they were before.
Xander pulled out his notebook, sliding out the pencil that hung from the ringed binder on the right side of the notebook. He flipped through his pages, the first few pages littered with notes, and even small sketches. He stopped on the first empty page, and then kept his forefinger on the page as a placeholder as he looked around himself noticing people around him.
He moved to the side of the street, finding a building to lean against. He pushed his back against the wall, and looking up at the scene in front of him he began to draw. Xander was by no means an expert, but he did find drawing to be a useful skill. Practice made perfect right? Xander began to draw the outlines of the building in front of him, he frantically erased, and then redrew many of the lines. He was effectively trying to recreate it as perfect as possible, but he easily began to grow angry at his lack of progression. Xander wanted things to come naturally, but he found this to be much more difficult that anticipated. Xander was drawing a pretty good picture of the surroundings, but he simply didn't like the amount of time it was taking him to draw in the scene.
He drew the buildings first, then drew in the windows, streets, street lamps, he avoided people, and kept details like signs out of the picture. Xander found himself snapping his pencil on the paper in frustration as he scribbled down another section of the scene. "Damn!" He shouted at himself in anger. Xander got up from his leaning position against the back wall and took a few steps forward out into the street. He slammed his notebook on the ground. The papers snapped back, some even splitting off the binder.
Xander was usually quite calm, and collected, but the snapping of the pencil on paper destroyed the image of his scene, and Xander was a perfectionist. He bent over, grabbing the binder by the edge of the paper. "This is boring.." He groaned to himself, as he glanced around himself noticing a few people staring at him awkwardly. All of a sudden Xander found himself being pummeled from something. He found himself falling to the ground, sliding against the hard pavement as someone, or something slammed into him without noticing. He bit his tongue as his face smacked against the pavement, his body rolling onto his back as the would-be attacker went flying over top of him. He couldn't quite make out the distance of the person who slammed into him, as he was adjusting to the hit from earlier, but they were close, and he only hoped that they would fly over him, and not on top of him. Thankfully this person didn't land on him and was able to catch themselves to there feet.
"HEY! Watch where your going!" Xander shouted in anger. "You could have killed me! Xander was already dead, but it was the principal of these things that made him angry. "Sorry man! I gotta go!" the attacker, who was dressed in all black as well kept running. Xander tried to get up as quickly as he fell, but his speed wasn't the greatest, and he could see the distance on the attacker getting farther. Xander ran for a few feet after him, but then realized he had dropped his notebook. The notebook was splayed all over the ground, pieces torn out all over the pavement. Xander turned back for his notes. He began grasping them as quickly as possible, but the wind was picking up the different pieces of paper, and spreading them around the area faster then Xander could grasp them. "THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Xander screamed at the papers, grasping, and crinkling, many of his notes.
Sunlight poured over the buildings, sidewalks and streets of Lorsette, manifesting a stupendous early autumn afternoon. Cloudless skies and a subtle warmth to the autumn weather dragged people from the confines of their home to enjoy the final days of pleasant weather before the bitter cold of winter arrived. Thus, the young, blonde TRS hunter was overzealous over the notion of having a day off during this beautiful autumn day. Nyla Korvich, a TRS hunter of unit one, hastily prepared for spending her afternoon out with a skip in her step. Blonde locks were tied back by a humble, red ribbon, Nyla quickly picking an outfit for her day out. A pair of black leggings and a large, red sweater was placed over a bland, white t-shirt. Promptly, the fox shifter snatched her wallet from the dresser and her phone from the bedside table, showing it into the large pocket of the overhead sweater. Once everything was prepared, Nyla hurried out of her bedroom and exited her home.
Hastily, she escaped the confines of her home, admiring her surroundings briefly before walking down the sidewalk. Through the buildings, Nyla weaved, using the sidewalks to navigate through Lorsette without any issue. Gradually, the blonde entered the downtown area, discovering many people in the area. Citizens of the city appeared to be enjoying the beautiful weather, thus people were everywhere. They weaved between one another, some chattering, others determined to reach their destination without being dettered from their route. A frown briefly graced Nyla's lips as thoughts entered her mind, ones manifested from those years spent working in the Terror Response Syndicate. Everywhere, the Assembly of Phantoms lurked, potentially being anybody merely walking down the street. They blended into the crowds, regular people with an altered point of view who wished to conquer and establish Zeredah's rule. The thought was always frightful to the young shifter, however, pinpointing where these members are was nearly impossible without potential leads to where they were or even who they are. The TRS wanted to claim victory, however, there would be difficulties.
A soft sigh drifted through Nyla's lips as she proceeded to weave down the sidewalks, slender hides hiding in her pockets. Recently, things were complicated in relation to her work as a TRS hunter, particularly the recent attack on the headquarters to damage the medical ward. Briefly, the blonde paused her steps, closing her eyes and sucking a breath into the depths of her lungs before slowly exhaling. A determined fire entered her turquoise eyes, the young woman deciding she would push those thoughts away until she returned home. She headed out for fun and perhaps some light shopping while she wandered the streets of Lorsette, not to ponder past incidents or frightful notions. Hunters would be on patrol, the allies she trusted, thus, she was free to enjoy a delightful fall afternoon. Once again, the shifter proceeded forward, a weak smile stretching onto pink lips while her gaze curiously wandered the streets. Before Nyla could truly begin admiring her day off, angry shouts echoed over the ongoing chatter around her. People parted around a section of sidewalk, a purple-haired man shouting as a man in black attacked before hastily running away.
Promptly after the individual dressed in black began running, the long-haired man pursued. Immediately, Nyla followed behind, shouldering her way through the crowd with concern evident on her countenance. A random attack in the middle of a crowded location was suspicious, thus despite this being her afternoon off, the shifter leaped into action. As she followed, she noticed the notebook slip from the man's grip, falling to the ground and scattering papers. The blonde halted her progress, hands covering her mouth as she watched the pages of notes scatter over the busy sidewalk. Without hesitation, she kneeled down and carefully began picking up the pieces of paper. She heard the man scream, her turquoise eyes glancing over at him before offering the stack she retrieved.
"Let's get this cleaned up first, okay? We can go find that jerk afterwards," she said in a surprisingly calm demeanour.
The situation suggested everybody should be panicked, especially considering the criminal escaped from the man's clutches, however, the shifter's keen senses allowed her to remain calm. If they discovered a single trace of the black-clothed individual's whereabouts, she could track the scent. Thoughts of assisting this young man whirled in her mind, thus she was determined to capture the villain who attacked him and drag them into the police station herself if she needed to. In a single moment, thoughts of a pleasant afternoon with no responsibilities was abandoned, the TRS hunter deciding the criminal who attacked this man required capturing.
Xander turned his head hearing a voice of a woman. He faced her, his head not too far from her own. His eyes scanned her up and down, he noted her height, her slender figure, and her large breasts. He couldn't help but blush just a little bit as he was caught off guard by her beauty. This woman checked off all of Xander's boxes. Tall, slender, and big breasted, just how he liked them. Xander reached for the notes from her hands, but Xander was quite flustered by how she appeared out of nowhere, his hands were almost shaking. He grasped the notes, and quickly pulled them away, trying to hide how flustered she made him.
"Th- thanks for the help" He spoke aloud. "10/10, she's so cute!" He thought to himself. Xander told himself to hold on, just because she checked all of those boxes didn't mean she had a good personality. This made him calm down a bit, but he was still clearly caught off-guard by this woman's appearance, and closeness. Xander wondered if this was a man if he would have the same reaction, maybe if it was a tall and muscular man Xander would be a little star-struck, he really liked tall people after all, but he was sure no man could compare to this woman's breast size.
Xander tried to refocus back on to the task of gathering his notes. He glanced her way every so often, but tried his best to hide the fact that he was checking her out. He gathered the last bit of the notes, and then began stacking them in his notebook. Closing the notebook with the papers inside, he then slid the notebook into his back pocket. With her help that really saved on time, maybe they would be able to catch this guy after all. Xander sighed, letting out his frustrations, and casually regaining his composure when it came to this woman.
"I don't know if we'll be able to track this guy down" Xander looked like he had a good composure now, but he was looking into the crowds with a distressed look on his face. He wasn't confident in his own abilities to track this guy down, he had no idea of her abilities either.
"I think he was heading east last I saw him"
Xander turned to face east, looking through the crowded city streets at the route he was pretty sure the attacker had taken. Xander wasn't really all that interested in chasing this guy down, but it was the principal of things that kept him going. Xander made a brisk walk east, not running after this guy, but simply walking, trying to re trace this guys steps. He assumed that the woman would follow, considering she said we could get the jerk after cleaning up the notebook mess. The streets seemed to be full of life, everyone wanting to come out on such a nice day, it was a little too much for Xander to be honest, but he kept on his pursuit, although it wasn't a hot pursuit.
Xander came across a 4-way intersection within a few minutes. "Well, which way do you want to take?" Xander wasn't a tracker, he was completely stumped out of any direction, the man might make a clean get away after all.
Never did Nyla’s turquoise eyes stray to few the letters printed on the parchment, perhaps because they frequently glanced in the direction the perpetrator ran. Being a hunter for several years allowed the fox shifter to remember the end goal, which would be capturing the criminal. The cowardly action of fleeing the scene would be punished once Nyla and the stranger gathered the papers. The blonde’s ears twitched, nose taking in the scents around her, searching for the criminal’s scent. Even if the pursuit would have to wait until they have gathered the missing pages of the stranger's notebook, Nyla prayed she could catch the slightest scent. After providing the pages she gathered to the long-haired man, the fox shifter glanced around, eyes searching for papers. There appeared to be no more white pages littered on the busy, downtown sidewalk after Nyla gathered the remaining few. Shortly after giving the stranger his notebook pages, the man provided thanks, resulting in a broad smile stretching across her lips.
"Not a problem!" Nyla stated joyfully.
The large-breasted woman hardly realized the stranger's fixation on her chest, however, the man managed to keep it discreet. Even beneath her warm, red sweater, Nyla's large chest-size remained prominent. While the blonde was plenty familiar with those longing stares because of her attractive body, but she never enjoyed those glances, particularly where they turn lustful. Pages were returned to the notebook while the blonde's eyes searched for the criminal's path. When doubt about tracking down the man dampened thoughts, Nyla merely smiled.
"Imma shifter, so we have a few things going for us," Nyla explained happily.
When a direction was mentioned, Nyla turned her gaze to the east. Somewhere through the throng of moving bodies was a darkly dressed man who attacked the unfortunate stranger. When the purple-haired man walked east, the blonde promptly followed behind him. These taken steps brought them to an intersection, Nyla's turquoise eyes scanning the pathways as thoughts entered her mind. The curvy female's eyes locked with the direction leading to the outskirts, a location where criminals could easily hide from law enforcement.
"This way. A criminal would probably want to reach the outskirts quickly," Nyla stated in an insisting voice.
The woman turned right, walking through the group of people, eyes searching for the man's hiding place. Certainly, the criminal was unable to run forever, yet, the darkly clothed individual could be any species possible. Determination was evident in Nyla's eyes as she sought the dastardly individual.
Xander found himself able to focus more on task. Sure the woman was distracting, but Xander was more than able to keep control of himself. Especially in this high-tense situation. When she mentioned that she was a shifter Xander felt a little relieved. They might have a chance at catching this guy after all. He was surprised she just shouted that out, but Xander supposed not all people wanted to keep what they were a secret like he did. Xander didn't like people knowing he was Undead, and he went to some lengths to keep that hidden. As far as anyone else knew he was just a normal guy, the only odd thing about him maybe being his heavy cologne.
"This way. A criminal would probably want to reach the outskirts quickly," The woman pointed out a course of direction, making Xander become the one following her. She did of course have the skills for this sort of thing, or at least she acted as if she knew what she was doing. Xander couldn't help but pause for a bit when she said criminal. Was this guy a literal blown criminal? What sort of punishment did he really deserve? Xander was angry that the man in black wrecked his notebook, but the man did only run into him. This is when Xander took it upon himself to finally check the rest of his belongings. Sure enough Xander was missing his wallet, that must mean that this guy really was a worthy criminal pickpocket after all huh?
"I think he took my wallet when he ran into me" Xander explained to the woman, having no idea why she seemed so hell-bent on catching this guy. Though Xander was more than thankful for her help. After walking for a few minutes the crowds seemed to disperse leaving them closer to the outskirts of the busy streets. Xander peered around now that the walkways were much more visible, and appeared to be wider, and more of a clearing. It was easier to see if anything was dropped by the assailant pickpocket. After a few more minutes Xander noticed something black in the middle of the street. He jogged up to it, picking up the black square that was his wallet. Xander flipped through the wallet holding it in his hands.
"Well at least he only took money!" Xander's tone, and eyes, only showed the frustration he was in. Money was one of the few things he cared about! This day couldn't get any worse could it? The man dressed in dark clothing was still no where to be seen, but Xander was at least a little happy to have found the wallet. The wallet was a good indicator that they were on the right track.
"I hope you have something up your sleeve, because chasing people down really isn't my strong suit." Xander seemed frustrated with the situation, and he was ready to give up the hunt at this point, having expended a lot of energy at this. It seemed they made it to the right area, but the man was no where in sight. Xander couldn't help but wish he had the nose of a blood hound right about now, that would certainly make this situation a lot more predictable. He continued to scan the area, looking for any signs of activity from the man in black.
Shifters were, in Nyla's opinion, excellent trackers because of their inhuman senses. The animalistic side of her species possessed senses similar to animals, allowing them to rival their fellow man. Other creatures held similar traits, however, the blonde was a firm believer that her species was capable of plenty. A portion of her ability was derived from foxes, her fox-like ears making it obvious to anybody doing a once-over. Her sharp ears remained pricked as she headed in the direction of the outskirts.
Idly, her tail swayed while her turquise eyes performed routine searches of the area, assuring nothing was planning on attacking her and the purple-haired man accompanying her. These were natural actions for Nyla after years of being a member of the Terror Response Syndicate. She was a hunter, prepared to handle herself in these types of situations where somebody could potentially ambush them. The blonde could fight if required of her, or defeat a terror which crossed their path because of capability in combat against them.
She considered it her job to help others, her younger sister was growing up and Lorsette after all! Having criminals roaming the streets and randomly harming people meant Ines would be in danger should she decide to wander around alone! When the stranger spoke about his wallet missing, Nyla glanced back at him.
"That must have been why he did that, he wanted your wallet," Nyla stated, putting the pieces together with a certain cheeriness to her tone. "But we will find him!"
It appeared probable the criminal was a pick-pocket, snatching the man's wallet with swiftness and without making him aware, which meant without there would be no cash on the purple-haired stranger. As their journey continued, the once busy streets were abandoned for the quieter ones featured in the outskirts. Their march continue, a black square-shaped object being spotted in the street moments later. The purple-haired passed her when he jogged up, however, Nyla hastily quickened her pace and followed him towards the item, which was a wallet.
Carefully, she watched as the stranger flipped through his wallet, discovering a lack of money. Frustration was demonstrated through tone and the man's eyes while the shifter pondered. Briefly, her turquoise eyes surveyed the area, failing to find the individual responsible. The mention of having something up her sleeve prompted the edges of Nyla's lips to curl into a broad grin.
"Let me see the wallet, maybe I can get a scent. Shifters have a good sense of smell and if those police dogs can do it, I bet I can," Nyla suggested, albeit, in a decisive tone.
Hope still existed, especially if the criminal left traces of their scent on the stranger's wallet. Even a slight hint on where the mysterious individual escaped to would be welcomed. Thus, Nyla hoped the purple-haired man trusted her enough to allow her to attempt to catch a scent. In Nyla's opinion, the dark-haired stranger had little left to lose considering the situation.
Xander could feel a tenseness in the air. Whoever this woman was she was certainly well guarded. The way she reacted to her surroundings surprised Xander, she seemed to watch every inch of her surroundings. Xander was thankful, she was clearly a resourceful woman. He had noted her fox-like features, they didn't look like a dog or cats, and easily stuck out to him as fox features. He was a little curious as to how having the extra ears, and tail, felt, in fact he was so curious he almost reached out to touch the tail. He didn't know this woman's name yet, or her need for personal space, so touching her tail, or ears, was on the back burner for now, perhaps he'd try later when they got more acquainted. Xander was surprised that she could stay so cheery in this moment, when he found it to be frustrating.
"Your making me a little more hopeful that we'll catch this pick-pocket" Her upbeat personality seemed to be contagious.
When she asked for the wallet Xander was again surprised, he had assumed she may have abilities, but her quick reaction time, and her strong will really caught him off-guard. "If you think you can catch something off this be my guest" Xander said handing her the wallet to get a good sniff. To be honest her good sense of smell made him curious if she was picking up on his cologne at all, he did put it on thick compared to a lot of people. He was after all trying to hide any scent of decay from his undead body. He was always pretty sure he didn't smell, but used cologne as a insurance policy.
This was good, with her good nose they would be able to track him down right? Xander couldn't help but smile at the situation now. This woman was a good resource wasn't she, she seemed adept, quick, fast at processing information, and strong as an individual. Everything about her personality was attractive so far and Xander wasn't quite sure what to make of her yet as a whole, he just knew she must be of quality character.
"Were you able to catch anything off the wallet?" Xander asked curiously looking into her eyes. He was wondering what exactly he would find in her eyes, complete confidence? Signs of worry and doubt? You could tell a lot from the eyes. Hopefully she caught a scent off the wallet, that wasn't his.
Determination filled Nyla's veins as she confidently prepared to search for the nasty criminal. The shifter was not afraid, her hunter background giving her capability in fighting should it prove neccessary. Relaxation was forgotten in favour of being helpful to the purple-haired stranger. There was nothing unusual about Nyla's behaviour, she joined the Terror Response Syndicate with plans to improve her and Ines' home. Anybody who learned about the adorable, young girl would hastily learn how much Nyla loved her baby sister.
As the eldest sibling, the fox shifter's duties consisted of protecting Ines and assuring she would never be harmed. Thus, Nyla discovered necessity in catching people who decided to commit crimes against innocent people. She could not allow these people to accomplish these amoral actions against her sister. The cheeriness remained as Nyla's wide, turquoise eyes searched the immediate area in a quick sweep. A soft smile embraced her mouth as her gaze returned to the stranger, clearly pleased that she assisted in improving the mood.
"Well, I am sure hoping we can. Who knows what else he will do if he's free," Nyla stated with a grin.
When handed the wallet, Nyla brought it close to her nose, sniffling the leathery fabric, hints of cologne accompanied by traces of something else... A mixture of alcohol and cigarette smoke intertwined with a scent unique to the individual she was searching for. A soft hmm escaped her closed lips as she handed the wallet back and sniffed the air.
"It's faint, but I have something. If we don't find anyone here, we should head to a bar. Smells like beer and smoke," Nyla explained quietly.
Those slight hints which stuck out from the leather was exactly what Nyla was searching for. An abnormality amidst the many scents was exactly what Nyla had been searching for, however, being forthright with her findings would allow Xander to mention if those were normal. Slowly, the blonde stepped forward, sniffing the air for the peculiar scents on a wallet mostly scented with cologne and her companion's natural scent. The shifter's turquoise eyes gazed down alleyways, searching for a similar build to the individual who robbed the stranger.
As the blonde walked, she paused for a moment before looking over her shoulder. She never asked for the purple-haired man's name...
"Hey... What is your name anyways?" She asked with a smile. "Mine is Nyla."
After asking, her brief glance in his direction flitted to the area around them. Gradually, they were entering the outskirts of Lorsette, which was notorious for being a dangerous neighbourhood at times. Criminals and terrors easily hid in these streets, thus Nyla remained on alert as she sniffed the air, her sensitive nose catching slight traces of the scent from the wallet. It confirmed one thing for the blonde, the criminal entered the outskirts to escape.
Xander looked at the woman curiously. She was interesting, had a good head on her shoulders, and seemed to take action quickly. Xander really was falling head over heels for her personality, and was in love with her physique as well. He looked around the streets waiting for her to finish up sniffing the wallet. This was really odd, he had never had a girl want to sniff his possessions before, even if it was to track someone down. When she mentioned the scents of the wallet Xander paused. Smell of alcohol and beer? Xander did like his spirits, and he liked to smoke too, so those scents weren't unnatural on his wallet, but he hadn't gone out drinking in a while, nor has he had the chance to light up any cigarettes in quite some time either. Plus Xander wasn't sure how those scents would contact his wallet in his normal possession, he wasn't one to blow cigarette smoke on his wallet, or spill alcohol near it either. The scents were more than likely from the culprit who stole his wallet and not from his use of substances, or at least Xander thought so, he considered himself very clean, and didn't think he would contaminate his wallet with the scents.
Xander took back the wallet when she was done with it. Happy to place this wallet back into his pocket he looked at her as she spoke her name for the first time. It was now that Xander realized they had gone a while without stating their names. Nyla eh? Xander looked at her with a smile. "My name's Xander, it's nice to meet you." He spoke formally with a kind tone. Xander continued following Nyla as they rounded a corner. The streets seemed barren now out on the outskirts, and Xander wondered what chance they would have to find this guy still on the streets. If Xander was running this operation he would do it with hideouts that were close by so he could run into them avoiding any direct sight from his pursuers. Luckily Xander followed the law, so he wouldn't have someone like Nyla tracking him down.
It wasn't too long until Xander came around to noticing a small bar on the outskirts. Xander glanced towards Nyla. "What do you think about in there?" Xander asked her curiously. "Does his scent get stronger from that bar?" Xander was relying heavily on her nose for this, but she seemed to be someone who you could rely upon. What would they do if they really did run into this guy? Xander wasn't really in a position for combat. His magics were meant for raising the dead, and he wasn't quite sure how Nyla would take it if he started performing Necromancy with her in sight of it. Not all people took kindly to raising of the dead.
There were a variety of scents captured in the outskirts as Nyla sniffed the air. Familiar scents of terrors, each a stale smell, but nonetheless existent because of their higher concentration in the area. There was a mixture of other scents, some having tinges of alcohol and cigarettes while others possessed one similar to other species. It was an interesting mingling of life, yet, lack thereof. There were places in Lorsette where the signs of life touched a majority of her senses.
Sight, sound and smell were affected whenever she was in a populated location, such as the downtown area where people flocked oftentimes. The cone-shaped fox ears remained pricked, subtly twitching as they swivelled, searching for noises in hopes of discovering the thief. Somewhere inside the large stretch of buildings was a thief, but even with the individual's sense, it would be difficult to find him. She had thoroughly sniffed the purple-haired man's wallet, however, there were two significant scents evident on the item.
It left her uncertain, but she refused to allow those emotions to breach her expression. Confidence was maintained, Nyla determined to assist for as long as possible. When the man reciprocated the introduction, the shifter provided a friendly, broad smile. The formalness of Xander's introduction was pleasant, something which she rarely heard.
"Nice to meet you too, Xander," she explained happily. "I just wish it wasn't because of this, ya know?"
The TRS hunter genuinely wished the circumstances were better, however, horrible things happened and people lacked a choice over how they meet someone. Together, the pair proceeded down the sidewalk, searching for the thief. Constantly, Nyla's turquoise eyes flitted around the area, her ears searching and nose sniffing the various scents in the area. The distinct one from the wallet was evident, however, subtle because the trail was left from a passing moment. She was no bloodhound, thus she was praying she could potentially have the ability to track them down.
When the bar was pointed out, Nyla's eyes locked on the location, fixating on the small bar. A soft hmm escaped the shifter's lips as she stared at the bar. She gently sniffed the area, her enhanced smell managing to notice similar scents, strong near the door. She gave a confident nod.
"Let's check it out, the scent is strong near the door. If we go inside, we have a chance to look around," Nyla responded. "They could be in there, and I reckon they might be. We just have to make sure. Besides, we could always ask the bartender if things aren't too sketchy."
A smile stretched across Nyla's lips as she gleefully pushed open the door. The door creaked from being opened, the old, paint-chipped door clearly having seen better days. The interior of the bar possessed a similar style, old and perhaps requiring some proper handiwork when the funds or time permitted. There were a few occupants inside the bar, sitting at their respective tables with only a few glancing because of the door's creak. Behind a wooden counter was a bartender, a burly man with thick beard and mustache who appeared to be placing some perhaps freshly gathered bottles in the fridges upfront.
The bartender provided them with a simple glance before returning his gaze to the current task. Slowly, Nyla stepped inside, her eyes gazing around the room at the various adornments. Some men and women were playing darts while enjoying their drinks, however, a majority remained stationed at the few tables inside the bar. As they entered, Nyla's eyes glanced over the expressions of everyone inside, wondering if Xander's presence would make the thief display surprise or do something reckless.
Xander entered the bar through the front wooden door. He looked a Nyla expressing a look of worry. This was really an interesting girl. She was willing to go into such unknown spaces without even a sense of worry on her face. Xander was surprised by her, happy that she appeared to be such a strong woman. "I must say your courage surprises me" He spoke lowly to Nyla so the other bar patrons didn't hear. He wasn't sure why but he felt like this place was sketchy enough to provide caution. After all if his thief was here than perhaps there was other people who had done misdeeds. He eyed the bartender as he placed bottles in the fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary there he supposed. While making his way through the bar Xander carefully looked around, splitting up from Nyla to cover more of the bar, while letting her cover the back more.
Xander continued to make his way through the bar, the lights flickering ever so slightly as he walked towards a table. He eyed the table which had only one patron. A man in a black robe. The man eyed Xander for a brief moment before trying to get up from the table. When Xander locked eyes with him he could see that he was shaken at the sight of Xander, so this had to be their guy. Xander lunged full body over the table in order to grab the guy before he bolted. Xander ended up grabbing the man's right arm. The man attempted to flee, but with Xander gripping tightly onto his arm he couldn't escape.
The sound of the man clattering against the table, and chairs, echoed throughout the bar making quite a commotion. Xander however gripped on for dear life. "I'm keen on getting my money back thank you!" He shouted out while restraining the man from running away. "Nyla?!" Xander wasn't one for hand to hand combat, and the only other tricks he had were mind magic, but he was sure that only worked on the undead like him, he just hoped Nyla could hear his call and come running for backup. Xander was sure the bartender might react negatively to this little scuffle in the bar, but Xander would buy a drink afterward, he really needed one after this, and he could offer to buy Nyla one too, especially after all the good she was doing.
"Could use some back up here!?" Did this guy know any magic? Unlikely, he would have cast it by now if he did. Xander wondered if he could hold onto the guy for much longer, especially while sliding on the table, and sure enough a few seconds later the man was able to use enough strength to slide Xander off the table, however Xander kept his grip, holding the man from running.
A soft grin briefly touched the blond shifter's lips because of compliment. For somebody who worked as a TRS hunter, Nyla appreciated hearing her bravery could manage to surprise somebody. As an individual hired to defend others, the blond was happy about the compliment, however, the smile was required to fade. Sternness conquered the blond huntress' face as she opened the door, prepared to handle the dangers inside the outskirts bar. Beyond the old, wooden was an unknown scene, but nonetheless, the shifter opened the door and entered with a confident stride.
Consistently, Nyla's eyes swept through the bar, analyzing the occupants and searching for the individual who attacked Xander earlier. There was potential the mysterious man was around here, the crux of the matter being where amidst these patrons would a petty thief decide to hide. The shifter's turquoise eyes narrowed slightly, gazing over the scene, observant optics determined to detect the mysterious individual. Where there was confidence, caution still lingered in each step, Nyla sparing a glance at each patron while paying the bartender no mind.
The pair split from one another, the objective was to cover the entire bar in hopes of discovering the thief. Ears were pricked as Nyla walked around the establishment, her confident steps being forced into a casual stroll around, eyes searching as though looking for a suitable table. She wished to avoid disturbing the bar patrons if possible, however, some customers were glancing over gawk at her curvy figure. The stares annoyed her, but the fox shifter remained silent and instead focused on the goal.
Clatter arrived suddenly, Nyla's pricked ear twitching as she turned in the direction. Tables and chairs were slammed into, the fox shifter's turquoise eyes spying Xander alongside the thief who appeared to be attempting escape. When the shout first began, the huntress began heading in that direction before sprinting full speed when her name was called. The scuffle proceeded, each step carrying the combat-experienced TRS hunter closer to the pair. As the man accessed his strength and Xander shouted for backup, Nyla arrived at full.
No words escaped her lips as she followed the man, her athletic, long legs carrying the young woman over the floorboards and behind the perpetrator who was weighed down slightly by Xander. She followed smoothly, pushing her running to match pace beside the man. Abruptly, she adjusted the positioning of her arms, bringing her closest elbow speeding into the man's side in hopes he would trip and fall.
✉ @metal ✎ 416 words ※ notes here, please keep it short.
Xander was surprised at how quickly Nyla arrived. She appeared just moments from when he screamed for her help. He originally didn't want to start a scene, but the situation called for it, the man was about to run from him. Had Xander done nothing than perhaps the man was going to get away. Xander gripped the man tightly as Nyla caught up to his speed, matching his pace easily. Xander was happy to see how quickly she made it to his side, and she thrust in an elbow to the man's side. The man, who's hood now fell down was revealed to be an older man with a beard. Xander thought it could be someone of older age, as they were quite skilled at pick pocketing which meant they had quite a bit of experience under their belt.
Xander taking this opportunity thrust his weight upward on the man's arm. Just barely having enough time to get to his feet, all while still holding the man's arm in his grip. This coupled with Nyla's elbow to the man's side was enough to topple the man to the ground. Xander, quite fluidly, used this as a moment to bring the man's arm around his back, and use it to arm lock the man on the ground. The man slammed into the ground with a loud thud and groan.
"I'd like what you have stolen from me," Xander spoke with a calm, yet assertive tone. The man groaned in pain having his arm locked behind his back, and Xander was applying quite a bit of pressure which gave the man a considerable amount of pain. "In my back pocket!" The man spoke loudly, wanting to get out of the arm-lock as soon as possible. Xander, using his free hand, reached into the man's back pockets until he found a sizable amount of cash. This was more than he had on him, so Xander quickly assumed the man had pick-pocketed other targets before coming after himself. Xander pocketed the money, knowing that Nyla wouldn't know how much money he had on him during the time he got robbed, it was money for the taking right? He was going to give some to Nyla, but a small part of him felt like he was owed the money for all the trouble.
Now Xander was left with one thought, what do we do with the guy? Xander was happy with the outcome of the situation, and was ready to let the guy go, but he took a moment to turn to Nyla and ask her. "Should I let this guy go now? What do we do with him?" Xander was sure he had to have learned his lesson by now, thanks to Nyla's quick reaction time they were able to deck the guy down quickly and with ease, the bartender surely had noticed them by now.
"HEY I NEED..." Xander bent back his arm inflicting enough pain to make him stop speaking almost immediately. In this position it would be quite easy for Xander to break it, but he wasn't that vindictive, plus he didn't like the feeling of an arm popping out of place, not that he wouldn't break the arm if the man tried anything funny. The man grunted in pain, slapping his other arm against the ground before Xander placed his leg onto the arm to stop it from moving.
In human form, Nyla lacked the enhancements she would regularly receive when accomplishing physical activity, however, throughout high school she participated in many sports. Among those were hockey, lacrosse, baseball and soccer, a majority involving plenty of running for the young blonde to participate in. From there, her exercise regiment accompanied by her chosen occupation as a TRS hunter warranted her a well-toned machine of a body capable of displaying the capabilities which arrived with basic fitness.
Together, Nyla worked alongside Xander to finally get the older man wrestled to the ground. An elbow jab resulted in the balance being lost, then the additional weight applied by her purple-haired ally resulted in the thief toppling onto the dark floorboards of the establishment. Once the man was apprehended because of their efforts, the female shifter's body eased slightly, a slow breath leaving her lips. She ceased movement, briefly glancing behind her to assure Xander had a proper hold on the criminal they captured.
Afterwards, the blonde shifter slowly walked back to where the older man was pinned against the floor. Her sensitive ears listened to the assertive tone used by Xander to discover where he could retrieve his stolen money. The method of applying more pressure appeared to make the thief cooperate and provide a location. The money was promptly retrieved, Nyla unable to know that Xander received an extra prize from gathering his cash. Attention was turned to her with inquiries on what they should do with the thief.
The first inquiry quickly received a head shake before Nyla spoke. "We should call the police. The guy stole from you, so he should have to deal with the consequences."
The sounds of approaching footsteps arrived as the bartender drew closer, a stern expression on his face. He noticed the abrupt kerfluffle in his bar and likely desired answered. His bright blue eyes were guarded, flitting between Nyla and Xander before he crossed his arms.
"Care to explain why one of my customers is on the floor?" He inquired in a hardened tone, strong and fearless.
Promptly, the shifter turned towards him, maintaining calmness as she prepared to speak, however, her ears were pricked and attentive. These situations always brought forth Nyla's cautious side.
"This man-" she began, gesturing to the pinned man, "stole from my friend. We decided to try and follow him since we didn't want to lose him. So we thought we could do a citizens arrest you could call it. He tried to attack Xander, so letting him get away could have put other people in danger."
The explanation was simple, the blonde hoping it would suffice the large, barkeeper. She held hardly the authority to arrest somebody, however, her TRS identification card was carried in her wallet. If required, Nyla knew she could display that she was a hunter and therefore capable of safely arresting another individual. She doubted anybody would argue that it was limited to potential Assembly of Phantoms members, thus there was a work around if she required it. The bartender's eyes glanced over her, keen and searching for reasons to revoke more trust.
Xander held the man down with an aggressive grip. He noted Nyla's suggestion about waiting for police and pondered what he should do. It was a drag to wait here for police. Xander figured that wouldn't slide for his female companion. Nyla seemed hell-bent on bringing this individual to justice. Xander wanted to score some brownie points with her, if he could than that would mean success if he was to ask to buy her a drink right? Xander wanted to look a little more chivalrous than he was for her, and perhaps bringing this vagabond to justice would score enough points to make a good impression at the very least.The floorboards creaked under the pressure of the man. Xander applied more pressure on his arm, while keeping the other arm under his weight with his leg on top of it.
Xander looked at her curiously as she addressed the bartender. He was caught in keeping this villain under wraps. "Do you think you can call the police then?" Xander asked assertively with both his hands tied up at the moment. "Do you have a cell-phone, or perhaps you can use the bar phone?" Xander wanted this event to hurry up and finish. Judging by the light through the window it seemed it was way past noon now, was it going to get dark soon? It was the time of year where it got dark substantially quicker than in the summer time. Xander kept his wait on the man, but the man was beginning to squirm now. Xander found himself applying even more pressure.
Xander was beginning to worry that he might break the man's arm. Sure enough the man began to yell. "OKAY. PLEASE STOP!" Xander let off pressure, and then released his weight a bit to give the man a break. "How long is a typical response time I wonder?" Xander wasn't happy to be sitting on top of this guy. He had gotten his money, and that was really all he was concerned about. If Nyla wasn't here he probably would have let this guy go already, not caring too much about if the guy would return to stealing people's wallets. Then again if Nyla wasn't here than Xander probably wouldn't have caught this guy now would he? He put his faith in Nyla to talk to the bartender, as Xander didn't want to confront him all that much.
"Hey bartender? I was wondering if I could order a drink." Xander spoke calmly, and with respect for the bartender. Perhaps if they were business he would care less to what was happening, and allow them to continue on with there business. "I was thinking Scotch on the rocks, and something for her as well" Xander looked at her to signal that he wanted her to pick something out, he was happy to buy her a drink after all, now that he had his money to spend. Besides he deserved a drink after all this commotion, and so did she.
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The skin is created by Wolf of Adoxography and Gangnam Style. The thread and conversation remodels are by Kagney. The Strange Reality board list, Heal My Soul info center, I Remember Now mini profile and Electric Requiem profile remodel is made by Pharoah Leap. The Who's That Member member list remodel was made by Tictactoe. The Cbox.ws Shoutbox remodel was made by Trinity Blair. All templates used for claims, information sheets, applications, etc are credited to their owners; credits for these can be found in the threads the templates are use on. Images that are used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners, however, they have been edited by Zac with a few being edited by Chibi Magician. The plot, rules and various other information pieces for The Duality of Man are written by Chibi Magician with the assistence of her co-admins, Finnegan and Dremulf, alongside other unlisted people who were kind enough to give their input. The TRS, AP and face claim were all created by Fleur for specifically the use of TDOM. All plugins used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners. The templates my members use are credited to their maker, if you find a template that belongs to you, but is uncredited, please speak to Chibi Magician or the member themself. Characters created on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners and should not be used elsewhere without the creator's permission.
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