D. Gray-Man: The Black Order

Chapter 1: The Mission

At the end of fictional 19th century The Black Order issued an order calling almost all their exorcists back to the headquarters in England. The Earl had been growing bolder in his movements, as if he was in pursuit of something and the Order knew that it had to react. Using the messenger golems that accompanied all their exorcists they sent the message to return after completing their individual missions. Then they had to wait for everyone to trickle back from across the world.

Some returned only two weeks after receiving the message.

Others took two months.

But regardless, the last of the exorcists due to return were finally stepping into the walls of the Black Order, if not happy to be home then interested in the work that was to come. Those that had arrived early were granted a small reprieve from missions, to rest and recover from their injuries. It was probably the closest any of them had had to a vacation in a very long time. They were allowed to spend their free time however they chose within the facilities of the expansive castle that served as their headquarters.

The time was noon, and the last were arriving through the main entrance, scanned by the gatekeeper who had declared each one clean of contaminants and sent them on their way. The most common meeting area in the headquarters had to be the dining hall, where everyone could sit together at the long tables and share stories or advice. The volume of voices varied from each group of people, some quiet and serious, others boisterous and full of energy. And still others were silent as they simply ate the food they had gotten from the kitchens.

-Erin Morston ~ Hallways of the Black Order-

There was always something happening in the Science division of the order, whether it was an explosion, some poor overworked scientist crying because the coffee pot was empty or… an exorcist running from the Science Section Leader because he was trying to cram them in a dress. In hindsight Cyrus couldn’t have found a more unwilling victim than Erin, who was quite attached to the idea of running around in slacks.

"Erin, darling! I swear you’ll look adorable!”

“I’d rather die first!” She shouted over her shoulder as she kept running away, making a beeline for the dining hall where she knew she could find someone to hide behind. Or if worst came to worst, someone to throw under the carriage in her place.

-Nikolai Thorne ~ Black Order Dining Hall-

Some exorcists were social creatures by nature, grouping together by virtue of the bond shared with their comrades and the finders. Nikolai wasn’t one of those sorts of exorcists. So while others sat and shared stories, he lay stretched out on a bench taking up several seats with his hat pulled over his eyes. Whether he was asleep or merely pretending was a matter of opinion as he had ignored some finders complaining about his selfish use of bench space and hadn’t yet moved from his spot.

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~Black Order Dining Hall~

Danika seemed to have set up camp at one of the wooden tables; a collection of notebooks and leather-bound volumes decorated the table before her, and she wrote furiously in the one closest to her. Her hand stilled, and she glanced down to take one last look at her notes, nodding to herself in satisfaction. A forgotten tea service sat at her elbow, and she delicately grabbed her teacup without looking up from her writing. She sipped at the liquid inside... or at least, she would have, had there been any. With a small sigh of dismay, she placed the cup back on its saucer and pulled out a loose sheet of paper to begin writing a note.

This bout of writing took far less time than the last, and she blotted at the ink with the same small nod that she'd given the other. She folded the paper and gathered the dishes onto the their tray, carrying it all with one hand as she rose and made her way to the order window by the kitchen. With a small smile and words of thanks, she returned the tea set to the man behind the counter, also handing him the folded piece of paper. With her appetite, she mused, really it was a matter of convenience on both sides to simply write down what it was that she wanted. The petite girl leaned back against the wall as she waited for her lunch, her gaze idly tracing the mess hall's ceiling while she thought of other things.

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Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am...
-- "December," Collective Soul

~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

It was a good thing that Cecilia Westingworth was such a clothes horse, because she had ruined yet another of her lovely blouses. The front of her lovely shirt, lacy frills reaching down the front of her, from her neck to her waist where the shirt was tucked into the black wool skirt, was ruined with flecks of red that were slowly drying and turning a darker color than fresh crimson.

She walked into the dining hall with a quick step, her bright eyes scanning about before she caught sight of her best friend. Her face lit with a sweet smile as her heeled boots clicked quickly on the ground, bringing her to stand with Danika.

"Danika, lovely! How does today find you, dearheart?" The cheer in Cici's voice seemed genuine, which threw her bright smile and her bloodstained garment into sharper juxtaposition. In that moment, any who didn't know the proper young woman that Cecilia was might think her some violent raving lunatic.

Indeed, the picture of her appearance was perfect in every way save for the blood staining her clothing, and she either hadn't noticed it yet or she just didn't mind in the least.

She looked past her friend to give a smiling nod to the man taking orders, indicating that she would be taking her usual, and then returned her eyes to the wild-haired Exorcist beside her. With Dani, she didn't feel the need to even ask if the girl minded eating with her. It was a given that they would dine together. It was nearly a tradition.

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Official Forum Mom

~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

Her food was cold already, but Andy had apparently forgotten about it the moment she had placed the tray on the table. Sitting next to it -over the table that is- she was cross-legged, a notebook on her lap as she wrote the events of the past days. Having arrived days ago, she had much to catch on. Right next to the tray there were a pile of notebooks as well, all of them filled with her recordings, and each securely closed with locks, those of the kind you need to put a combination of numbers to open. God bless the Science Division, sometimes they did something useful.

. Dinning Hall, time xx:xx :

- People are noisy as ever. Once more the main activity of the Dinning Hall has ceased to be dinning. No sight of the General so far; must remember to find him and say hi; training is always welcomed.

- The food has reached a temperature unsuitable for consuming.

Looking up, the girl spotted two familiar figures; truth to be told, most of the Exorcists were more or less familiar figures to her, but none of the other had blood on them; that was certainly easy to spot in a room where people had a thing for wearing black. She had taken the time to get on lighter clothes, both in color and in thickness, her Innocence on the chair she was supposed to seat on to eat. After a few seconds of silent staring, Andy looked back down.

- Blood stains are difficult to wash.

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~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

Leonardo Jeanne-Paul Rivera entered the Dining Hall and paused. Moving only his eyes, he scanned the whole room. There was the usual bustle of a public eatery, finders, exorcists and others in union to fight against the Earl. Of them, Leo noted three. The individual stretched out across bench, hat over head, seemingly sleeping. If the man had really intended to get any rest, he would've done it elsewhere. Leo guessed the man was looking for attention, maybe even a fight.

Another oddity in the crowd was the blood-stained cheery girl. Leo did not know her, but figured her to be an exorcist. They didn't make finders so strange. God had a sense of humor. She was talking to another girl in an excited fashion, uncaring of the bloody state of her clothes. The other girl had been keeping to herself writing in a notebook till her friend (Leo would use the term loosely for now as he did not know their exact relationship status) had come over.

Finally Leo spotted someone he did recognize. He would call her "friend" in these circumstances, but he wouldn't commit to such an answer if pressed. She also was writing in her notebook. Andy, she called herself, though her name was Andrea. A reasonable lady and capable exorcist, but Leo noted with a frown, humorless.

He collected a drink of orange juice and a bagel from the kitchen and sat across from Andy, his comrade and fellow trainee under General Break.

"Hello, Andy," Leo said, "How are you?"

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| Black Order: Dining Hall |

Elsewhere in the dining hall, a particularly unimportant Finder was surveying all that went on around him. Let's call him Kenji. Kenji took a great interest in the significant increase of Exorcists that were here now, so used to there being an absence of black clothing. He couldn't remember the last time he saw so many congregated in one place like this. Well, "so many" was apparently going to turn into "all of them." Last he heard, the last of them were supposed to arrive today. It made him rather nervous to think that all of their fighting force would be gathered soon.

Then, as if having read his thoughts, a familiar figure suddenly came and sat down right across from him. The finder nearly jumped in surprise, calming when he realized who it was. This visitor had on black clothing, signifying his obvious position, and that mask of his just so easily jumped out to the Kenji. "Ah! Kha-dono! Returned at last!" he said to the Exorcist with a smile. Kha, unfortunately for the boy's nerves, only stared back with excruciating intensity. And, if he was smiling back, there was no way to tell from underneath that mask of his. Kenji was well aware of the man's mannerisms, but he couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in the silence as he waited for the response he knew Kha was trying to formulate.

"Yeeeeeeeess....." Kha finally stated, nodding. "Sweet home is sweet." The finder frowned. What? "Er... I think you meant 'Home sweet-" he began, but was abruptly cut off when exorcist suddenly rose and left his seat. Kenji watched him walk away, his mouth still open. "-home," he finished anyway, frowning again. He could've sworn the guy was better at socializing now. Did all the solo missions make him regress? Suddenly, Kha appeared in his peripheral again. "Oh, yes... you must always indicate, in some way, that an interaction is over. Mmm... goodbye Kenji. I am going to take care of other things" he remarked, his last words stated almost robotically. Like he had rehearsed it.


The exorcist then left the finder, and soon found himself staring down one of the hallways of the headquarters. Coming towards him seemed to be Erin, frantically running away from Cyrus. He could only guess how this had come about. Like a game of tag. Or racing! Those were the kinds of things that involved pursuit when was out of combat, if he wasn't mistaken. Although he wasn't sure the things adults would do. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.... s?" Kha uttered, giving them a curious gaze. He was actually going to ask 'What's going on?', but he soon found himself elongating the first word to such an extent, that he forgot what he was going to say originally. He was sure they'd understand though.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

Andy didn't even look up to the man, his voice being enough for her to recognize him; the fact he had taken the work of going where she was and talking to her spoke a lot of him as well. "Leonardo", said as she made some other notes. "As I returned days ago, I find myself physically apt to engage in combat when required." But of course, the idea that Leo might had asked her for something else did pass her head; she wasn't stupid after all. "Emotionally speaking, I am confused regarding our current order to regroup in Headquarters; while having the whole force in a single location clearly increases our power here, it makes us an easier target for any incoming Akuma attack the Earl might plan." Always the one telling the things they way they were. Finally taking a look to the man, Andy's eyes stopped on her food again.

"It got cold", said in a matter-of-factly way. "....I'm hungry."

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~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

"Good to hear you're operating at your best. But I'll remind you, humans are weakest alone," Leo replied, "Exorcists are no different. As for your food..." Leo blinked at Andy's cold mush before picking up and extending his bagel across the table, "It's not hot food by any means, but it was designed for room-temperature. Orange juice alone will suffice for me."

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Dan Rip -Dining Room-

A certain Farm Boy exorcist wandered through the halls of the order, shotgun in hand. Dan had just returned from his last mission, and wasn't too happy about it. He had worked so hard to finish early so he could explore the town and catch up on the latest gizmos, but that order had to send him right back the second he was done. Not even a protest could persude those messenger golems, and eventually they got him on a train. Even though he was tired after the mission, the long ride back gave him plenty of rest so he wasn't tired right now."I don't see why I couldn' take just a quick look around. I didn't even get to see that moving picture show." he mumbled to himself as he walked toward the dining room.

Dan wasn't like most people, he usually didn't eat "lunch". It's weird though. When you're working from sun up to sun down for most of your life you don't realize that most people eat during the middle of the day. I mean sure he'd have a quick snack once in a while but not what most people call lunch. What people ate at lunch Dan usually made up for with breakfast and dinner. Even though he'd been an exorcist for a while, he still hadn't really fallen into the routine of the average person yet. But regardless of all that, he figured everyone would be meeting in the dining room, so he'd better stop in.

As Dan entered, the sweet smell of food and the great noises of people having a good time took over his senses. 'Never boring around here, that's for sure.' he thought to himself as he looked around the room. A few familiar faces were around, but they seemed to be catching up with other people at the moment. That was until he noticed Nikolai on the bench, seeming to sleep. 'There he goes again. That boy needs to learn some manners eventually.' he thought as he walked over towards him.

Dan looked down, he couldn't tell if Nikolai was asleep or not. He'd heard the rumors of trying to wake him, but Dan didn't fully believe them. Actually it was more of he didn't actually think Nikolai was sleeping. After all, how could he be? The dining room was a full roar, even the dead couldn't stay alseep through this racket. Dan got about a foot away from Nikolai down level with his ear, and shouted. "Hey Nikolai, you asleep? Cause if you are, you wouldn' mind if I sat with ya, right?" he knew that would either get an attempted punch or non responce most likely, but he didn't care. Dan figured Nikolai had no friends, so at least he could talk with the guy once in a while.

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Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

{Dining Hall -- Incoming!!}

A plate of food, exactly matching every dish Andy had settled on the table, slid up and clanked the side of her cold dish of food. Every bit of the cold food went flying off the table like a rock from a slingshot, splatting with a chill into the back of some poor Exorcist who just so happened to be very, very obsessed with his overly styled hair. Immediately, the prancing prissy screamed and cried, shrieking all the way as he ran, weeping back to his room to try and fix the dilemma.

Francis hopped into the seat to Andy's left, smiling wide. Not the least bit bothered by the undue assault he'd just commited. "Nonsense, Leo! You must savor and enjoy everything you can whenever you have the free time!" His team's resident cheerleader proudly exclaimed, his left hand setting down a tray with two large slices of double fudged, unholy beasts that could only remotely still be cakes despite the levels of sugar intake. A tall bottle of whiskey settled for the side dish. "Which is why I got Andy some warmer replacements. Saw her a bit buried in her...work when I came in, so I figured her food was nearly frozen."

Francis blinked and looked up, his one eye staring as he thought. "Again, that is..." He stared at the ceiling, seeing that they still hadn't removed the sickled mess of the meal she'd gotten once before some weels back. He'd replaced that plate for her then, as well. Only he'd kicked the table to send the cold mess flying in that instance. "Huh... Look-it that..."

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~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

The girl nodded once, turning to see the food she was being offered. Well, it was better than anything. But of course, someone thought otherwise.

To say Andy was actually surprised to see Francis enter the scene like that would be unlikely; her eyes revealed she wasn't certainly expecting the man to pop out of nowhere with food and words directed at him; the part where her cold food was sent away flying was pretty much the way they greeted each other though. She wasn't completely sure why he needed to do that but she didn't mind it one bit. It wasn't her problem after all. That man's hair was frankly horrible anyway.

Closing her notebook and placing it next to the others, Andy placed the tray over her crossed legs, giving it a customary survey to be sure there was...food, actually. Her tastes on meals were almost non-existent. "Frozen might not be the most appropriate adjective to the state of my meal, but nevertheless, thank you, Francis." She made a mental note to put on her diary about the man still being nice -in his own particular way at least- before trying the food. It was...warm.

Following his eyes, Andy run into the same spot on the ceiling. "Eight weeks and three days", muttered as she watched it. "Some finders made a bet it would remain there until The Heart was found; I didn't get it then." And she hadn't gotten it now as well.

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-Dining Hall-

Jasbar trudged into the kitchen, his scarf flowing behind him. He put a hand to his mouth and yawned, tears welling up in his eyes. Several finders nodded their heads at him to acknowledge his presence and he did just the same as well. His stomach rumbled as the smell of food wafted through his nostrils. Grumbling a little, he went up to the chef and muttered: Rice and curry. Do your worse. Last one too mild...' The chef grunted in response and came back a few minutes later with his order. Thanking the chef, Jasbar grabbed his plate and took a bit of time scanning the dining hall for a suitable area to sit in.

He saw quite a large group of Exorcists at one corner and almost joined them before stopping himself. Too much of a noise, he figured. At that moment he spotted Dan across the room who was apparently trying to wake Nikolai from his slumber, or apparent slumber. Jasbar headed that way instead, taking a seat across Nikolai. As he sat down, he yawned again, this one even bigger than the last one. 'Dan, don't bother Nikolai too much. I'm sure he's just tired', he said, in his heavy Indian accent. With that, he took a scoop of rice with curry and placed it in his mouth. A look of disappointment crossed Jasbar's face as he mumbled: 'Still too mild. Could use more spice'

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~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

Leo blinked at the arrival of his other "friend," Francis Delmonte Lencster. An eccentric man to put it lightly with an appetite for enjoyment that Leo had never seen the likes of which before. God liked making strange exorcists, no doubt about it.

"How nice," Leo stated in a dead voice, "We're all here. I guess you could say that Combo Breaker is back."

It was a joke.

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{Clark Hoffman}


Dining Hall


An exorcist black jacket landed on an empty table. A young man stood in front of the table with his hands out in front with only the index and middle finger and thumb erect. The way he wore his fedora hid his eyes and his facial expressions were as blank as paper. Suddenly he unbuttoned his right wrist and unrolled up his sleeve and next his left. “ Nothing up my sleeves, so let's start the show, ladies and gentlemen.” He said as a smile formed on his face. He rapidly moved his hands in a circular pattern producing a multi-colored handkerchief for each hand. He approached his first victim with glee.

“ Need more spice, you say?” He questioned the man with the heavy Indian accent as he slammed his right hand right near his plate of curry. “ Check your pocket.” He commented as he left behind one of his handkerchiefs. If Jasbar would check his pockets, his right to be specific, he would find a tiny metal contain labeled Chili with a character winking at him. His second target was sleeping soundly. He gave the farm boy a smile while he still hid his eyes with his hat. “ Asking if he's asleep?” He questioned to the boy. He then placed a handkerchief over the sleeping lad's face and pulled it off as he revealed a colorful sleeping mask over the sound asleep boy's face. “Well now you know. “ He said as he answered his question while he walked away and to his next pair of victims.

He placed his right hand on Danika's shoulder and the left on Cecilia 's shoulder. “ Hello lovely ladies, my cards. “ He mentioned with a smile as he produced a calling card in each hand. It had his name and his room number. He looked at Danika and greeted her with a smile, but when he looked over to Cecilia, his cool attitude faded. “ Aw damn.” He complained. The card, he held on Cecilia's shoulder went up into flames. “ You have lunch at this time now?” He questioned and then another question dawn upon him. “ Wait, don't tell me the sleeping fellow is?” He questioned as he look around. He proved to be correct, it was indeed, Nikolai . “ Double Damn it. “ He cursed.

“ Oh sorry, ladies for giving a repeat performance.” He said with a sigh as he walked away. The man's name was Clark Hoffman, and he is the magician of the Black Order.

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"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

~Black Order Dining Hall~

Between her order and Cece's, the girls had more than enough time to be standing around waiting. As per Danika's usual habit, her fingers danced with nervous energy; one hand darted to her hair to pick at and muss it more, while the other tripped down the wall behind her and tapped out a soft rhythm. She spared her friend a truly pleased smile before the flecks of red caught her attention, and her gaze scanned down the length of Cecilia's clothing... Her lips spread into a smirk that brought out the dimples on either side of the girl's mouth, while her brows also lifted in amusement. Before she could manage a reply, though, the noise of the mess hall drew her attention outward.

In her scan of the room, Danika lifted a hand to indicate the table where her things lay spread. It sat to one side of one of the room's large picture windows -- close enough to have the benefit of the noonday light and a view of the outdoors, but not so close as to be caught in the day's heat. "I have chosen that seat over there, unless there is another location you would find more to your preference," she replied in a voice that, while soft, was made unmistakable by her accent. That was no true response to Cici's question, but she felt that any actual conversation would be far better over their respective meals, something that her gnawing stomach wasn't likely to let her forget. Besides, it sufficed for now.

She seemed to pay no heed to Clark's approach until the man made the point of drawing both her and Cici close. Danika's entire body drew rigid as she lifted a hand to bat his very much away. She reached out to do the same on her friend's behalf, but the magician seemed to be already moving on to his next victim. She regarded the offered card with a small huff of irritation. "I quite doubt that we will have need of them, but thank you nonetheless." The words themselves were said blandly, but the expression on her face as she tossed the card to the floor made them anything but. Any further response was forestalled by the arrival of Danika's first tray of food. "Ah, lovely," she sighed, inhaling the mingled scents as she lifted her lunch.

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Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am...
-- "December," Collective Soul

~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

Cici clapped her hands together once, giving her friend a closed-eyed smile. "No, no! That seat is wonderful, Danika, dear." There was a touch of admiration in her voice. Where others might think Dani was random at times, Cici believed that the other girl put massive amounts of thought behind her decisions, and that most of them were simply inspired.

Her smile melted away instantly as she was manhandled, replaced with a prim frown and a dark blus, but she didn't even get a chance to open her mouth and request that he unhand her before he did so. Hoffman...this wasn't the first time he'd been so uncouth as to offer himself to her, and she had made it clear the last time that such a thing was highly improper.

Her irritation melted away as he seemed to realize his faux pas and left them. Cici shook her head, smiling wryly, and lifted her own tray, looking to Dani.

"Shall we?" beamed to Dani as if nothing untoward at all had happened, and moved to lead the way to the table that she'd indicated before. She took her place at the table, setting down the tray that was laden with all manner of dishes, far more than any normal prim and proper lady would ever be able to eat. She was an exorcist, though, and the black lines on her hands and absence of any obvious tool marked her as a Parasitic Type...That would easily explain her appetite.

She lifted her fork and tucked into her meal, eating in a dainty manner, but a bit faster than one would expect. She ate in silence for a few minutes before setting her fork down and dabbing at her mouth with a napkin, swallowing the bite she'd just chewed before she posed a question to her friend.

"So, have you received your new orders yet?"

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Official Forum Mom

-Erin | Black Order Hallways-

Turning a corner, Erin kept running from the science division leader until she found her salvation in her fellow disciple. Kha was... strange but Erin knew she could count on him in a fight or in a situation where she needed help escaping a deranged scientist.

"Khaaa!"

Dodging around another finder who was running an errand, Erin did the only thing she could think of. She hid behind Kha and used him as a human shield as she backed them into the dining hall.

"There's no bloody way you're gonna get me into that frilly thing!"

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-Nikolai | Dining Hall-

Nikolai, hadn't been asleep when Dan had bellowed into his earjust out of punching range. Pity, because Niko had been tempted to mimic his usual knee-jerk reaction just to be petty. He had just been about to get up when Clark appeared. Underneath the shelter of his hat, Niko had to exert force of will not to make a face. He felt the added weight upon his face and knew that the crappy magician had done some of his stupid magic tricks again.

The moment Clark turned his back after doing more of his trick, Niko sat up and with a gleam in his eye heaved the mask left on his face at the back of his teammates head with the sort of force that a baseball player would envy.

"Idiot..."

He only gave Dan a glance, tainted with annoyance before sitting down again this time facing Jasbar. He nodded to the older man. As always the rom youth had a few bandages on his face coverting wounds he'd recieved in his battles.

"The beds here are too soft."

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~Black Order Dining Hall~

Dani gave her friend a small smile in response, dipping her head slightly to indicate that Cici should go first. They seemed to be in agreement to behave as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Of course, the Exorcist mused to herself, it would likely take too much energy and effort to react with surprise to every single bizzare situation that took place at the Order. She smoothed her bangs with one hand, only serving to make a larger mess of them as she set her laden tray on ther table. The books and documents that had been so important only moments ago were shoved to one side in favor of her food.

Ah, and as if to prove her previous train of thought, a loud string of shrieks echoed from the hallway, followed by the adbrupt entrance of two of their comrades. Danika slowly removed her black-and-silver coat and placed it over the back of her chair, the entire process slow and mechanical as she watched the scene with the mildest of curiosity. The slight tilt of her head and thoughtful composure of her features seemed to convey, See? Strange, but not too strange. She sat with no further acknowledgement of the scene -- unless they disturbed her food or someone were to get hurt, it was not her concern.

She shoved the sleeves of her crisp white shirt up over her elbows, and though the act bared more of the jagged black marks of her Innocence, most had grown all but used to the sight by now. At times Danika took a certain perverse joy in grinning and waving at any she caught staring... However, she hardly felt the need for such behavior at the moment, and there would always be tomorrow. With a small huff of laughter, she joined her hands and said a short Grace over her food. The formalities out of the way, she began to eat both as quickly and as politely as she could manage. It made for an odd visual, as she looked like a slightly more civilized mix of a horse with its head in the feeding trough and half-starved wolf cub.

Danika slowed down just a bit after the first few bowls of food, since thankfully her stomach had stopped shouting at her quite so loudly. She carefully dabbed at her mouth and took a long sip of iced tea. "I have been informed of nothing, so far as that may go," she murmured in response to the healer's question. "Although, since they have gone through so much trouble as to call together the majority of the fighting force, I must say I am curious as to what our superiors may be planning."

_________________


Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am...
-- "December," Collective Soul

Dan Ripp -Dining Room-

Dan waited patiently for something from Nikolai, he had to make sure he didn't sit too early, or risk a punch to the gut. Once a short time had passed, he grinned slightly, at least he wasn't 'fully' asleep. It was pretty much safe to sit down. That's when he noticed Jasbar sit down across and mention not to wake him. 'He should know I don't mean nothin', it's all in good fun.' he thought to himself as he gave a slight nod towards his former training partner.

It was then Clark showed up. Dan always enjoyed a good magic show, and he didn't disappoint this time. After doing something to Jasbar, he seemed to make a mask appear out of nowhere to place on Nikolai's face, a small golf clap after the trick was given by Dan, but he had no time to follow him across the dining room, because sleeping beauty finally woke up.

After a quick throw of the mask towards Clark, he gave a glance to Dan. He didn't seem too happy. 'Maybe Jasbar was right. Not enough sleep for 'im.' he thought as he quickly took the seat next to Nikolai after his comment on the beds. "Sorry to hear that Nikolai, wish I could help ya with that." he said to him. "So both of you fella's just get back too? You seem more tired than you should be."

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Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

~ Black Order Dining Hall ~

"Mmm." Cici nodded, dropping her gaze to her meal as the brightness of her mood dimmed.

"One can only hope that they're giving everyone a vacation, yes?" She tried to make light of the situation, but even she knew that calling everyone back at once could only be a precursor to something that would likely end badly.

She forewent any more discussion by continuing to eat, paying careful attention to her food.

_________________

Official Forum Mom

{Dining Hall}

Francis nodded to Leo as he made his own little joke about their general. "Yeah. Something calling back so many troops at once... The big guns gotta be getting involved."

The man reached up, taking off his flamboyant hat and silently stroking its feather. "Hm... Speaking of; You two wouldn't happen to have a clue what exactly it is we were called back for, would you?" He placed his hat to the side of his own food tray, grabbing a fork and digging right in to one of his cake slices. "Ah meem, fwe hef no fugging clu wad dey won is 'ere fo', and mossp o' uff err peckt fo," he then swallowed the bite. "... So packed into this place, someone's bound to just up and start something. You guys know how festive our bunch can be... To put it mildly." Francis then stabed at the slice again, grabbing himself another piece of the fudged up baked good.

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-Dinner Hall: Stained Kurta-

Jasbar sighed as he heard Clark's voice coming from behind him. 'What is it this....' Clark's hand slammed down on the table before Jasbar could finish his sentence. The abruptness of it made Jasbar jump a little. Furthermore, drops of curry flew from his plate and landed on his kurta. Realizing this, Jasbar squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds and mumbled a few select words in his local tongue. As Dan moved on to Dan and Nikolai, he checked his pockets and found some chilli. Jasbar snorted in amusement at this and applied a dash of it to his dish.

When Nikolai nodded at him, Jasbar also did the same at him. 'Morning...' he mumbled to him. He paused a while before continuing. 'Oh, nice shot by the way.' Normally, he would disapprove of these kind of actions. But his eyes drifted back to the few spots of curry that dot his kurta and his mind would disregard Nikolai's action. He then turned his attention to Dan. 'Yeah, I just got back from my mission a few days ago. Wonder why HQ called us all back. Sounds suspicious. Like the soft beds though. Can never find beds like these back in India', he said, also retorting to Nikolai's statement about the beds being too soft

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~Black Order Dining Room~

Danika glanced up from her stew to raise an eyebrow at Cici. She could read the healer well enough, even with as much as she tried to downplay her sudden distress. Some of the ease in her expression seeped away as if in sympathy, and she tried to think of something encouraging to say. She resumed eating with as much vigor as before, but her pale eyes were distant with thought.

Finally she muttered around a mouthful of stew, "These last few weeks have been quite restful." She felt that she should add more, but everything she thought would either add to her friend's quiet misery or sound entirely combative. The fingers of her free hand traced patterns over the table and began to tap out a soft rhythm before long.

She stabbed at her food in between bites. It probably would have been easier with something besides a spoon, and she choked back a chuckle at the thought. Inexplicable laughter would certainly help nothing right now. Instead, as her "coughing fit" subsided, she said, "I, um, was able to finish and color a few of my rougher sketches..." Innocuous as statement sounded, Dani's words seemed to hold equal parts apology and appeal. Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to think of something, anything else to say... One of the cooks nodded her way as he began to load up another tray, and she stifled a sigh of relief. Hopefully that would be dessert. She stood and gently patted Cici's shoulder. "I shall return shortly."

She made her way toward the kitchen quietly, and she gave both of her team-mates a wordless nod as she passed. Upon seeing the way Dan acted toward Nikolai, though, a small smile began to play over her lips, mostly hidden when she turned once more to the task at hand.

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Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am...
-- "December," Collective Soul

{Clark Hoffman}

_Dining Hall_


Clark took a whiff of the food the cooks were cooking up. He gave a smile to the chef, who noticed him, but as he stepped forward to the counter, he looses footing. His hands now on the cold floor instead of the table counter and his hat is suddenly gone. Clark pushed off the ground and dusted off his uniform. He stood up in front of the table to make another attempt to order. However, as Clark attempted, he noticed the chef, he smiled at, lied on the ground with a mask near his head . " Huh? How could this of happened? Clark remarked with a crooked head. He looked confused by this as he scratched the back of his head, his tone of voice, however sounded sarcastic.

His beloved fedora landed on the ground beside his feet. As Clark went to pick it up, he then turned to face Nikolai. " Nikolai, do you know why this fellow collapsed?" Clark questioned as he placed on his hat. " Don't tell me, you're a picky eater." He guessed. Through the guess was just to annoy Nikolai and his playing dumb was just the icing to this cake. He did actually trip, but from there he figured out that Nikolai had tried to hit him.

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"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

| Black Order: Dining Hall |

A bewildered Kha suddenly found himself between Erin and Cyrus, still not sure what exactly was going on. However, a short glance at what Cyrus was carrying made everything clear. Although it certainly wouldn't hurt his fellow Exorcist to be more feminine, he could see that the thing Cyrus was carry certainly wasn't her. He glanced at it, then looked behind him to the girl. He let out an amused, and audible "Snrk!" at the mental image. "Ahahahaha... that would make you look like a girl....... funny," he remarked bemusedly, pointing at the "frilly thing."

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings