The Secret World: Lions of the Secret World

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VengefulPeanut

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The Secret World: Lions of the Secret World
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It was a particularly dark and rainy night in the East Ealdwic district of London. Naturally, in such weather conditions, the local pubs and taverns were packed with patrons. Nothing was seemingly out of the ordinary, or at least not to the eye of the common man. Sitting at the bar with an iced gin and tonic was a slender Japanese girl, none were bothering her, none dared. The last time someone tried to flirt with the girl she put them on the floor in a matter of 2 seconds and then 7 of her associates escorted the poor fellow out of the bar. No music was playing inside, there was just the warm din of conversation and laughter, the place glowing with an amber ambience and a cosy atmosphere. Emerging from the crowd, a fellow in a black suit. He took the seat next to the girl and ordered himself a drink, seemingly disinterested in her presence for a time... until he spoke.

"I have a task for you, Hanako," he stated almost too plainly, watching the bartender's every move with the eyes of an eagle. The girl took a deep sip of her drink, almost as if she was trying to race to the bottom of it.

"What's the name, Sonnac?" she questioned, looking directly at him, the illusion that the two didn't know each other fully fading.

"The buzzing are whispering a lot these days and Agartha is bustling with activity. We only have one name so far but we know of multiple individuals. You're to track down a girl called Alma Mørklykke - she's been dabbling in the occult and caused quite the stir. You know the drill, recruit or pacify. You'll find the details in the attached email. Keep in touch." With his briefing over, he grabbed the glass of whiskey that had been placed before him and drank it one, placing the empty glass down and heading back into the rainy night. Hanako watched the ice cubs floating in her drink intensely, swilling the liquid inside around while she pondered the events to come. It was time to move.


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Three strong rasps on the door at Alma's place signified a visitor. But who it could be was a mystery... especially in the early hours of the morning.
​
 
Alma was nose deep in yet another occult book, seeking a way to get rid of the curse. It had become her obsession, though she pored over books much more carefully considering recent events. Her arm ached, the dull throbbing coming in waves. She absently flexed the hand when she turned the page. Her research was interrupted by knocking at her door. The woman sighed and placed the book down. Maneuvering through her veritable maze of book stacks and piles of bound papers, she made it to the door mere moments after the knock. Alma opened the door just a crack, keeping her cursed arm well out of sight. "What is it that you need?"
 


Hanako Ibarazaki



As the handle clicked down and the door began to open, Hanako watched with pure delight, her lips curling up into a pleased smile. Breaking and entering would have been so troublesome at such a later hour, especially after the tediousness of travelling through Agartha. Who'd have thought a hollow world would have been so vexing? When the door opened as far as the Alma would allow it, Hanako's eyes traced from the ground to the girl's face, her eyes wide with shock.

Well, she's a big girl! And certainly not fond of visitors, it seems. I think I've found my lady, she narrated to herself in her mind, that smile only widening. "You wouldn't happen to be having a problem with bees, at all, would you? I'm from an organisation that deals with that kind of thing... may I come in?" She stepped towards the door, putting her left foot almost inside, her eyes locked with Alma's. She was clearly lying, anybody could tell that - but then nor was she trying to hide it. She just needed to pique the girl's curiosity enough to confirm she had the right person and the nature of her 'attuning'.

​
 
The woman rolled her eyes and let the door swing inward of its own accord. "You are obviously aware of things far deeper than just the mundane. Let's start with introductions and you telling me why you are so interested with an isolated occult scholar." Knowing it would be in view eventually, she turned and wove through a couple stacks of books, waving her cursed arm to motion Hanako to follow. "And perhaps more interesting to me is how you happen to know I am dealing with occult and magical infestations at this time."
 
Stepping inside the building, Hanako began to patrol about, running her fingers along the furniture and inhaling deeply like a sniffer dog. She looked more like a prospective property buyer than a stranger in the night. Leaning against a nearby shelving unit, she looked to Alma, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How do you think you came to be in possession of that curse on your arm?" she asked blatantly. While she awaited Alma's response, she reached into the neck of her jumper, fiddling with the chain around her neck so that the pendant was on display. When she was done, a cross rested against her covered chest but not one of the christian faith. Shuffling slightly, she eagerly anticipated the blonde girl's response.
 
Alma took a seat within view of the visitor, her forearms laid along her thighs. Taking in the much shorter girl, she noted the symbol. "I should have guessed you were a Templar. Not many organizations have the connections to track individuals like me. As for this cursed arm, it came less from an infestation and more from demonic trickery. I was intending to summon a nature spirit to test a ritual. Little did I know, the Warrioress had planted methods to summon her. Instead of the natural portal, it tore a hole into what I can assume is Hell. Arm got pulled in, I got marked by her, she thought it would kill or convert me. I got a cleansing ritual to slow it, then bound it with wards. I monitor its power levels regularly using a machine crafted by yours truly. It has stayed stable. That enough occult information for you? Or, do I need to regale you with the whole bee causing me to have a dream weirder than when a person eats cheese before bed?" She was forthcoming with obvious information. Assuming the girl would know at least some about demons, the name should show Alma's occult ability. Besides, if the Templars wanted her dead, she would already be so.
 
Hanako was taken aback slightly. The girl's knowledge of the Secret World was extensive indeed. Sonnac conveniently missed that out of the report. Drawing her index finger along the top the shelf, she analysed the light sheet of dust before rubbing it off against her thumb, using the seemingly pointless maneuver to think things over. This was turning out to be quite the unusual mission, after all. Hanako pushed herself from the counter, strolling into the middle of the room.

"It would seem the Templar's have what you seek - a way to remove that thing," Hanako began in a persuasive tone, her eyes quicly scanning the many books in the room. "However, it will come at a price. I'd like to offer you the opportunity to work for us, to become a Templar. The Secret World can be a lonely place, as I'm sure you're aware. The last thing you want is to be alone in the dark when an Illuminati hitsquad comes knocking. Join the Templars, serve us, and you'll have protection and all the knowledge you seek. Refuse and well... I imagine the gas mask-toting maniacs are already halfway through Agartha." As Hanako finished her speech, she stepped back and walked towards the door, opening it slightly before craning to look over her shoulder. "Your choice," she stated simply, awaiting Alma's decision.
 
The woman laughed lightly and leaned back in her chair. "You don't need a sales pitch or flattery. I was thinking of joining should the opportunity arise. It would give me access to resources to work on removing or reducing the curse while giving me ample opportunities to be a thorn in Hell's side. As it stands, the offer is accepted pending the decision entirely sacrificing my ability to move freely and fluidly as needed to achieve my goals. Are the Templars willing to let me operate with relative freedom when on missions or investigations?"
 
"That depends what you have to offer us in the way of results, dedication and loyalty," Hanako replied brusquely. "I wasn't joking about the Illuminati, by the way," she continued, "Our reports say they are headed here and if they see that I've attempted to recruit you then we could have a fight on our hands... and I left my shotgun in London. So... shall we be leaving then?" Before even waiting for the response, Hanako headed out onto the darkened street, the area only dimly lit by the streetlights. The sun wouldn't be rising for some time, so, stretching her arms, Hanako prepared herself for a long night, reminded of the fact that she hadn't slept for about 29 hours.
 
With a grumble, Alma followed her out after grabbing shoes and her wallet. "I'll need someone to come get these occult tomes then. Gotta keep my library near to me. It could come in handy. And, assuming the bee problem you mentioned is supernatural, probably a few new powers I have yet to unlock. Do you have any information regarding those things?" The woman was still wearing her home clothes, just a pair of baggy white sweat pants and a simple white t-shirt. I'm gonna need to buy some clothes if I can't come back here. I doubt they will have women's clothing in my size there. She caught up to the other woman, towering over her rather easily. To avoid notice, she acted like she was just taking a casual walk. After all, sketchy behavior was sure to arouse suspicion.
 
Listening to Alma talk, Hanako remained largely silent as they walked through the equally as still night. Pulling her hands to her face, she breathed heavily onto them, watching the mist disperse between her fingers. "We call them the buzzing. The rest of what we know you can find in a book back at the headquarters." Her answer was blunt but she was tired. A squeaky yawn escaped her lips as she whipped her phone from her pocket. Opening an encrypted looking e-mail on the touch screen, a small smile crept onto her face. "Wardog, eh? Subtle..." she mumbled to herself before looking back to Alma. "A contact will be meeting us at a safehouse and from there we'll be travelling back to London. Shouldn't be too long of a trip. A cleanup team is already on its way to deal with your apartment, too. Though, whether the Illuminati get there first is to be seen. Who knows? The Dragon might even turn up and burn the thing to the ground." She coughed briefly, realising she was being quite rude. "Sorry, it's been a long night."

@HellHoundWoof
 
Alma laughed ever so lightly when Hanako mentioned being rude. "Trust me, you are being far from rude. Blunt is more useful right now. Besides, you can probably never be as rude as Miczariel." She waved her blackened arm as emphasis. She didn't know nor particularly care where the safehouse was as long as she didn't have to deal with any particular troubles. She had enough material in her pocket to make a single ward for something like a door, but it wouldn't stop much force, only slow it down. The cold air nipped at her, but she seemed unconcerned with it. She was very accustomed to the cold. However, it made her even more acutely aware of the constant dull throbbing in her cursed arm. Without thinking, her other hand began tracing along the warding tattoos above her elbow.
 
Eying the blonde-haired girl, Hanako watched as her fingers traced along her arms. The intricate patterns that seemed to now be a part of her arm were quite beautiful to say they had a not-so-beautiful purpose - a strange phenomenon that the Japanese girl kept encountering. The walk to the safehouse took about an hour and the two existed largely in silence, mainly on Hanako's account. While she wanted to be more conversation-able, the tiredness striking at her entire form had drained her, a sudden hankering for another gin and tonic becoming her only desire. "There best be some inside," she muttered as her eyes traced the length of the building before them. The safehouse wasn't anything fancy: basic warding magic on the door, bullet-proof glass windows and a quaint, semi-detached family-house atmosphere. Let's hope Wardog has already arrived... he's got the bloody plane tickets, Hanako sighed internally. Entering the building, she wiped her feet on the door mat and prepared to be greeted.
 
Following close behind Hanako, she nearly smacked her forehead on the door frame. She happened to duck in time and made it look relatively graceful. It was a well-practiced maneuver anyway. She too made sure her feet were wiped off before looking around the safehouse for signs of any life but them. "If Illuminati teams were coming for me, wouldn't the Templars send a team in case of hostilities? I can't imagine them being strapped for resources considering how long they have had to get ingrained into the culture."
 
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