Paladin HQ // Charles' Office (Paladin) (Ruins)

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:25 am

The office of the infamous Charles Paladin, owner of Paladin Industries, No Man's Land, and the self-proclaimed savior of humanity. It is old-fashioned, filled with chinese antiques and a few paintings from the 1800s. Charles' desk is old, wooden, and worn out, with only a single picture of himself as a young man (It appears to be black and white). The entire room brings about a different feeling from the cold, depressing, steal interior of the walls.

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:38 pm

Paladin HQ // Charles' Office (Paladin) (Ruins) Jo52_zpseb9f965e

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo knocked on the door to Charles` office tentatively with the back of her hand. She paused a beat--- a noticeable patted out tune in her knocks as she did it again, this time with the flat of her fist. This situation made her nostalgic, to all the times she`d been summoned to a higher officer`s office while enlisted in Paladin-- including the time Shirley had called her to explain the espionage mission into No Man`s Land to dismantle Conqueror Worm. Her stomach had done flips, she`d nearly puked before walking in, just knowing what to expect-- this time around, she seemed rather unenthused, her expression slacked and the color drained from her face as a result of worrisome dread for what was to come. Something was going to go bad-- just like things always have, and always will...
Usually, she`d put up her best efforts to agitate Charles- but this time, she felt far too drained of energy and bravado to make even the slightest attempt. Gently, she turned the doorknob to his office, only opening it partly to peek in and check that she had gotten the right room. Once clarifying that she had, Jo stepped one leg in- clearly hesitant, and keeping plenty of distance for the most part. She kept the towel over her unprotected eye socket, and cleared her throat before speaking.
"...You wanted something...?" She finally said, her mood too dampened to really display her usual aggressiveness. Sure, Charles was a source of her problems, as per usual-- she could convince herself that the pact was a good decision for Vulture all she wanted... but-- in the end of the day, her distrust for Charles overshadowed the confidence she had in Ryder`s abilities as a leader. The thought of Vulture Team losing their power in the same manner that the Family had made her stomach turn in twisted knots-- and the more she looked at Charles, the more reinforced that feeling of nervous nausea became...

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:16 pm

Paladin HQ // Charles' Office (Paladin) (Ruins) Paladi11

Paladin HQ // Charles' Office (Paladin) (Ruins) Charle11

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Charles seemed to have already grown impatient with how long it was taking for Jo to simply open the door, but he held himself back for the moment "Please Josephine have a seat." he told her, folding his arms as he sat at his desk. The room was unusually quiet, and awkward silence reigned for about five minutes. Charles had no idea how to start a conversation with this woman, at all "You know, as a young man growing up in the slums of London, I experienced first-hand how rotten and corrupt to the core humanity can truly be. Even before the cataclysm... the world was a horrible place Josephine. And that's why at a young age I made a vow to fight on the side of justice, I wanted to be one of the good guys. Sure... as my pursuit continued and I aged... I began to realize life isn't really that simple... but to this day I try and do what is best for everyone... what is best for humanity. What would a genuinely good person do? And that is why I formed Paladin Industries. Sure... its a business... and many would simply feel it easier to accuse me of forming my company for the money... but it isn't Paladin Industries exists to be a force of justice in the world. The Inquisitor... Kraven... The Mistress... I want to protect the world from people like them... I want the world to recover from its rut... I want to be able to walk through Scarlet City again without being wary of super criminals wanting to wipe it off the map, or worse. Do you get what I"m trying to say here...?" Charles suddenly held out his arm to Josephine, to shake her hand "What I'm trying to say here is that we need to call a truce between our hostilities. You know how this city works more than anyone else, I have the power and resources, we should be working to get this world back together, and well, not be at each other's throats. We need to destroy those who threaten the order of this city, but that's only the beginning..." he spoke to Jo, it became incredibly apparent with each word that he was dead serious "My grant plan... is to restore the world to what it was before The Cataclysm. I want to end this age of crime and chaos."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:26 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo fully entered the room as Charles invited her forward- but took her time making her way to him, distracted by her surroundings. Charles` office held a rather notable change of energy in comparison to the rest of the building- suddenly, the steel and militaristic Walls she had grown accustomed to over and over again began to feel like more of a prison than the prison city itself. This room was considerably more warm and roomy- but still corporate. Jo blamed it on his personality-- but, as she took in some particular decor, she couldn`t help but relate it to Shirley`s old office a bit...
At last, she did approach one of the set up chairs-- eyeing it in suspicion for a moment before sitting. Not too much, however- she sat on the edge of her seat, as if she`d taint it by sitting too far. Something that had once been so routine now felt at least seven kinds of awkward and uncomfortable-- and Jo wasn`t sure whether to blame Charles, her own mood, or her own progression as a person. Either way, her awkwardness was justified- seeing as how in the minutes that passed, not a word was spoken between the two. Jo raised her eyebrows, giving Charles a rather expectant look-- she did understand, however, that their environment suggested a more intimidate and business-like conversation-- something very hard to achieve with Jo. She leaned back slightly with time, waiting to see what he`d have to say, if anything at all...
At his first sentence, Jo`s eyebrows arched-- personally disturbed by the extent of which she immediately related. Scarlet City was no where near the ideal place to have a childhood- definetely not any better for a young adult trying to figure themselves out, either, she quickly found. Something in her upbringing brought forth a hidden desire to protect what remained, protect the weak from the strong-- so, as Charles continued, Jo listened with interest, keeping her expression neutral for the most part, with only the occasional flicker of surprise as Charles droned on.
She gave no response to his question- her hostility flaring upward as his hand was suddenly open in front of her. She eyed it, unsure- and still attentively listening, without making a move. Finally, she leaned back, searching his expression for a glimmer of dishonesty-- which she could none of. The look in Charles` eye was steel, unreadable, trained, poised, robotic-- and Jo waited with bated breath for her to figure out what he was hiding. No realization came immediately- but her doubts remained, something tactical implanted in her thoughts stopping her from taking this kind of risk all too quickly. Charles was a dangerous person- and for a split second, she wished she had thought far enough to not stand next to the gaping hole of the Bell Tower-- that she had put forth the efforts to not be in this kind of position. For this to be her only apparent reasonable choice...
"Your expectations are too high for me to not be wary..." She murmured, her sight flickering away before settling back on the man before her. "...You know how to gain my sympathies, at least... you`re talking to me now like I`m some sort of equal- but I bet if I asked you to deactivate the bomb you`ve got lodged in my head, you`d say no, wouldn`t you...?" She sighed, feeling far too mentally battered for a decision such as this one-- place faith in Charles, or don`t. She figured that would have been part of his strategy, to catch her while she was down to better appeal to her hopefulness-- and the more she considered this, the more she felt she should back away... but, would that really mean the better for her allies...? Charles` history was shady, pecked only once with betrayal-- if she could place herself in a position of influence, she could avoid a repeat... yet, if Charles was the manipulator she so pegged him to be-- where was her assurance that she`d truly be able to outsmart him...? Not without him being a step ahead, having outsmarted her first- with him so advanced in his stride, she wasn`t sure if she`d ever be in a position where she`d be a step ahead...
Slightly overwhelmed and flustered, she sighed again-- it was beginning to sound like resignation. "...I understand what you`re saying. I know you know-- our methods are going to clash, as are we ourselves as individuals-- but, that aside..." She squeezed her eye shut, as if that would force her scattered thoughts into order. It did no such thing. "... now`s a better time than ever to revisit the topic you`ve been dancing around for ages- please, Charles... tell me, why did you save Xiu...? What is it that changed between you two to want to save her but a few months ago- and be out for her head now...? What politics am I not getting to see--?" She focused on his expression now, clearly intent on detecting any flicker of emotion she could catch-- she didn`t make a move for his extended hand just yet.

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:08 pm

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Charles actually broke a smile when Jo asked for the bomb to be deactivated again, it was obvious he found that request ridiculous. He had been asked so many times, he'd wonder when Jo would stop asking "We already made a contract... I agreed to removing the bomb as soon as our work is done. When No Man's Land is safe, it will be removed. I'm talking about after No Man's Land, when I have no need for bombs, I'll need more than a fear of having ones head blown up to take on the next challenge..." No Man's Land was the easy task, compared to what was going on outside. He'd heard of what was happening in China, Japan, South America. Good news a thing of the past. And then Xiu was brought up. This was indeed a button Charles was all too sensitive about. It was easy to get Charles angry, just talk about The Mistress. And it showed in his eyes, though the man himself seemed to keep calm otherwise "Look at it through my eyes. One criminal organization had just taken over the whole city and kill millions of people... and then another criminal organization that I know even less about takes control of the city. If not for my arrival, Vulture Team would have the walls, the Arma cannon, the whole city... the ability to kill millions. It was my job to deal with you. When I confronted you, Xiu ran away immediately... and you were the priority. Paladin already knows about Black Dragon... we knew the threat they posed. You on the other hand, you could have been a bigger threat, I didn't know. Only recently did Xiu become a bigger threat... she's been in this city for a long time. We had an agreement. But her work with Kraven, and now the Black Dragon Clan. I never considered her an ally, but I at least believed I could leave Black Dragon alone. No longer... and for that reason, I do regret not catch Xiu as well that day... but that is in the past. I need to focus on catching her now... and dealing with the Clan..."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:44 pm

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo`s somewhat hopeful yet crestfallen expression faltered entirely at Charles` smile-- that was never a good sign. A tinge of anger contorted her features as he actually spoke- her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides, as she put forth extensive effort to not blowing up on him right here and now-- she didn`t want the air to change. It was safe how it was. "Except- there was never any contract with me. Any professionalism our relationship could have held flew out the window around the same time I did and you took it upon yourself to put a bomb in my head without my goddamn permission-- you know how that looks from my perspective? Would you trust a stranger who put a bomb in your head without your permission--??" She snapped back, her voice quiet and even regardless of her piqued emotions. She felt no need to address what he`d said at the end- she very well knew No Man`s Land was but the bottom of the dish, the leftovers from what was going on outside-- the more peaks of the outside world that leaked into the city, the more she knew it. But, in the end of the day- the outside world would always lack the true rudimentary demons that could only live and dwell within the Walls. The Mistress, Kraven- they had surpassed any average supercriminal, crossing the line from outlaw over to full on monster. She remembered a month ago, thinking of the Mistress as an actual monster, some kind of demon or unruly goddess- back when psychics weren`t popping up left and right. Back when things were normal... If that was how damaged she was back then- she couldn`t even begin to realize the bashes her mentality must have taken by now... And even if it was sketchy as all hell- here Charles was, offering her a second chance to rid the world of that beast... perhaps his intentions were pure enough-- but Jo knew more than anyone that pure intentions did not make a decent human being. She came to that conclusion at least once a day.
Speak of the devil- Jo`s inquiry was met with a response, and she immediately detected the shift in Charles` mood at the subject of Xiu-- the backlash of his quiet reaction along sent her sinking into her chair some. Slowly, her face slacked again, both unimpressed and insulted-- but she brought herself to calming down as he proceeded, mentally repeating that this was not the proper time nor place. "What kind of justification is that for sticking me in a cell for two months--? What, trying to make a good impression?" She mused, cracking a smile- one that dissipated as soon as it snuck up on her. Her sight slid between his open hand and his eyes, still working for a conclusion-- one she already knew couldn`t be made so immediately. "...Very well. It`s cute that you`re making it seem like I`ve got a choice here..." She murmured at last, defeated- her free hand slithered toward his desk, stopping a mere inch away from his own hand, and allowing it to hover there. "I know you`ll be the first person to agree with me on this- this is not an agreement of mutual trust. Far from it. If I feel like you`re stepping out of line- I`ll be the first to stand in your way. Don`t put anything past me- there`s nothing I won`t do for what I believe in." Jo said sternly, tone lowering and gaining a husky quality. She rose her eyebrows, glancing between their hands and his eyes once again-- expecting him to initiate what would probably be the most physically uncomfortable handshake ever.

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:12 pm

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Charles just kept a stone face as Jo spoke, not offering any replies to her at all, instead just waiting for the handshake. For the most part, nothing she said was really anything he could offer a response to. But then Jo was ready to shake his hand, he took the initiative there, immediately shaking her hand, his shake itself was strong and study, as if the guy had been working on crops or something his whole life, the working man's handshake. Charles then stood up from his seat "I feel like you're long overdue for a promotion..." he muttered, turning over to the back of his office. he pressed down a button on the wall, opening some of it up, revealing a window looking out into the scorching desolate wastelands "Your taking Shirley's job, its been empty. You've the head of the Spec Ops Division and our main strategist now... I want the black market taken by the end of the day." he told her in a blunt to-the-point tone, befitting of someone of his status "If you meet up with The Family, Kraven, Black Dragon... anyone that wants to oppose us... they're better off dead."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Emu Queen** Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:53 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo glowered slightly to the lack of response to her first array of complaints, even moreso to her threat-- but, admittedly, grew a tad impressed at the sternness of this supposed civilian`s handshake. She attempted to rival it in her own poised, militaristic way, giving a curt nod to accompany it- unsure if she had truly met Charles as far as firm handshake standards went. She noted the oddness of her train of thought- and tried not to pay that much mind...
But once a promotion was mentioned, her eyebrows flew up in shock. She spared that more than a moment`s thought, pondering it thoroughly-- did his wording mean to imply that he had known of her before the Kraven incident...? She knew her name was thrown around Paladin quite a bit- but, to think that it would actually reach the ears of the owner of Paladin Industries was-- actually somewhat jaunting. She thickly swallowed the node in her throat, averting her gaze slightly to play off her sudden unease.
As a window was suddenly revealed via the push of a button, Jo remained lax in her seat, observing from afar-- and becoming very briefly mesmerized by the visible heat waves of the scorching desert before them both. She remembered wearing her Paladin uniform out there-- the miles of complaining, the bloody heat strokes-- she hadn`t begun to miss that until now. Speaking of her work in Paladin-- an all-too-familiar name was carelessly thrown into the conversation. Jo had never fully rocked through her grief over her fallen Colonel`s death-- the name 'Shirley' being casually mentioned caused a slight flicker of emotion across her features, her blood running cold and her heart dropping deep into the pit of her stomach. The way it fell from Charles` lips oh-so-bluntly was just another reminder of how corporate he was- just how much of an absolute antithesis to herself he was. She kept that in mind just in case she ever started feeling a bit comfortable in her current position.
She picked herself up quickly, not allowing her anguish to be betrayed in any manner other than facially. As the order to seize the Black Market came, she nodded- personally liking the idea, anyway. "Yeah, `course-- kinda hoping one of them rears their ugly head, actually... I could benefit from blowing off some steam..." She murmured, lurching out of her seat quickly- and turning her attention toward the door, but allowing her sight to linger on Charles some. "Anything else you wanna mention before I move out...?" She felt like there were a few more things she should be saying in particular- but something in the atmosphere was chokingly tense, and restricting her throat from opening enough to permit words. Maybe it was better off that way...

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:11 am

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Charles seemed to stare out at the desert, his eyes seemed obsessed with the scorching heat. Only for Jo's words to have the same reaction as one awakening from a dream, he actually seemed somewhat confused for a moment, for the first time for awhile he showed a human emotion besides anger and annoyance "Hm...?" the man gave Jo a befuddled look for a moment. He shook his head for a moment before realizing what he was doing "Right! Right... huh... yes... it seems Task Force 0 is... conflicted. I know you aren't nearly as close to them as Vulture Team... but I'm sure you know better than anyone else that a fractured team is a suicidal team... no pun intended. People are going to start dying if this continues... I'd recommend trying to bring the team together somehow- they never particularly got along... but they've never had to deal with Kraven or Xiu... we need to be prepared for anything..." Charles shook his head again, sitting down at his desk again "You're... dismissed... I have a headache- you may leave now...-" he told her, seeming to eagerly want Jo to leave.
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Emu Queen** Tue Jul 01, 2014 12:23 pm

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo smirked, seeming somewhat amused as she noted Charles` reaction to her finally speaking-- they were so disinterested in a being civil with each other, that they`d both checked out of the conversation numerous times by now. She sympathized, and bit her tongue as far as snippy comments went this time around-- instead just listening to his next several statements.
Statements which, to be blunt-- floored her. "...Hm." That... hadn`t occurred to her...! There was no doubt that a big reason of why Vulture Team operated ever so flawlessly was due to the fact that their team dynamic was practically ideal-- and made Task Force 0 pale entirely in comparison. Jo knew she personally had an issue with more than one member of the Task Force-- she couldn`t even imagine what kind of drama may have been doing down aside from her own... And the fact that she, the leader, hadn`t taken the time to be interested in that-- was a wake up call as well. Back in Vulture Team, she was always sure to keep tabs on the friendships and relationships forming around her, finding it to be her duty as a leader-- but, here, she couldn`t care less until it was brought up...
If they were going to really be of aid to Vulture, and bring about the peace they so desired-- they were going to have to step up some. Combat abilities didn`t matter if they didn`t have the resolve...
...But, how does one force a group of supercriminals with the most severe sentences in the entire prison to bond--? Aside from with, well, sex-- that seemed to be a reoccurring theme among the Task Force members she had spoken to so far. But, sadly-- that was sort of out of the question.
Before she could ponder this further, Charles was dismissing her, and she scoffed quietly-- acknowledging the eagerness in his tone. "Yeah, yeah- I want you outta my face, too." She grumbled, turning to the door and shoving one hand into a pocket, waving over her shoulder with the other.
"I`ll let ya know via communicator when I take the Black Market, alright--? Alright. Talk later and shit."
She closed the door behind her when she left- picking up into a steady jog as she headed back toward the barracks.

(EXIT)
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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Emu Queen** Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:45 am

Paladin HQ // Charles' Office (Paladin) (Ruins) NOSMILEFORYOU_zpsda4b5fcc

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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"Charles--! You in here--? It`s Jo-- I`m coming in, alright--?"
Without waiting for a response- the door to Charles` office was gently pushed open, and a very tense and high-strung Jo entered-- remaining close to the door. "Hey, guy..." She paused, exhaling heavily- and trying to banish the excess flush of red from her features. She still hadn`t entirely recovered from the scene that had just played out, despite her attempts to do so on the way here--
"Well, Black Market seized... tried to seize Conqueror Town for all the wrong reasons- and boy, did I pay for that..." Her hand reached up to brush over her bandaged wounds- and she winced some at the unbridled contact, making a bit of a face. "Ouch- anyway, y-yeah... that happened..." She murmured, feeling somewhat meek in the face of both Charles-- and the mentioned defeat. She fell quiet for a moment, pressing her back against the door frame and taking in a quiet sigh to calm herself some more-- it wasn`t too effective...
"...I came to ask ya something, though..."

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:55 am

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Charles was staring at a small picture frame when Jo entered "Oh... Josephine Beaumont...?" he placed the picture frame down, and listened to her speak of defeat. Well... they at least got the Black Market. That must have counted for something "I see... well... it is but a simple defeat... Wei is leading a separate for into Muppets territory, swinging his angst away at zombies. Any lose we may have suffered from will be recovered soon enough. What I'm really worried about is Black Dragon..." he told her, pouring some whiskey "Whiskey...?" he asked, handing her a cup of whiskey "The Muppets and Kraven truthfully do not concern me, they are bellow my level of care... but Xiu... Xiu has potential to really destabilize everything..." he muttered, letting out a tired sigh. Jo asked if she could ask him, Charles, a question, which peaked his curiosity "Very well then, yes, ask away... I will answer what I can Ms. Beaumont." he told her, leaning back on his chair, knitting his fingers together.
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Emu Queen** Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:10 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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"Th-that`s my name, don`t wear it out..." Jo reaffirmed to Charles` restatement-- her lips briefly twitching into a smile before dissipating back into nerve-filled neutrality as she silently cursed her stutter. She felt anxious- she wasn`t sure why anymore... but, she could guess it was a lingering effect of the last battle- maybe Jasper`s warmth had very briefly allowed her to shrug off her haywire nerves... but, either way, that was gone now-- and with Charles, the usual unnerving-ness that came with his presence multiplied ten-fold.
She listened attentively as he took in the information she had related, feeling her gaze soften some as she redirected her sight down, Charles` lack of a negative reaction doing something for her self esteem, at least. This guy was so confusing...
She kept a solemnly understanding expression as Charles voiced his concern over Xiu and Black Dragon, agreeing-- she knew Kraven would require some work too... but, Xiu had something eerie about her-- something incredibly worrying. Jo would have commented on that- but, as Charles threw the name of the organization Wei was currently attacking-- Jo`s train of thought crashed, and she couldn`t help the few girlish giggles that bubbled forth involuntarily. "The Muppets?" Jo echoed, grinning now- that was... so silly...! It was cute, almost- "Like... like, the puppet thing...? The TV show--? My dad showed me that once-- that`s ancient enough for you to know about it, right--? That`s... adorable..." She continued to joke, apparently finding the name of the faction quite amusing-- this was the first time she had heard of them, after all. "But, uh, yeah--" As she was offered whiskey, her eyes noticeably lit up-- and she continued forward, cautiously taking a seat in the same place she had last time. "You know how to win me over-" She commented, nodding and offering a nervous smile as she took the small glass into her hands. She`d been about to take her first sip, sure that whatever alcohol Charles had around was finely aged- when she took a moment to notice the waves of vibration through the liquid. She stared, inwardly confused but outwardly tense- upon further investigation, she realized that it was... her hands...? It`d been so long since something like this had happened... she had been on medication for her anxiety for years, and she believed that to have fixed these sort of issues-- but the erratic tremble of her muscles indicated otherwise. She`d been so caught up on realizing this and marveling at it some, that the fact that Charles had answered her mention of a question nearly flew over her head. Jo caught herself, and began stammering out her answer quickly. "Wh- oh- uh-- y-yeah-- it`s... uh-- that... the guy... with the... snake..." Very informative, she noted- "No, but-- he was with Black Dragon...? I don`t think I got a name... but, he--..." She wasn`t quite sure how to phrase this. He scared her--? She gave up, instead wringing a hair through her locks and looking away anxiously- she kept her drink on her lap for now, having the sense to nurse it. "...He`s psychic, right-- is it normal for people to get... sort of weird around them--? Maybe I didn`t notice that with the other psychics, I was too busy being-- ...yeah-- but, hey, you`re old- do you know anything about that--? Is this a special case--?"

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:12 am

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Charles waved off Jo half-heartedly as she asked about The Muppets "They give me headaches sometimes..." he muttered "But they are not why Task Force 0 is in place... Black Dragon is to be our focus here..." he muttered, pouring himself a glass and laying it out in front of him on his desk. Oddly enough, he never seemed to actually drink it. He just kept it there in front of him, the liquid occasionally stirring with the movement of the two. He then stayed quiet as Jo asked her question. Charles straightened himself up, then replied with a serious expression "Tate Amaranth... he's The Mistress' right-hand man... unlike Hal he's not just a schemer, he's got some power behind his punches..." he told her fairly bluntly, Tate may not have hit home as hard as Hal, but he was a MUCH bigger threat than Hal ever could be "..." he then narrowed his eyes when Jo asked about the... effects Tate seemed to have on Jo "Yes! Those are perfectly normal Jo! You have nothing to worry about! It just takes getting used to is all! I'm sure you felt such strange happenings around The Inquisitor too, right? I used to feel like that around dirty psychics in my younger days too, you get used to it if you deal with them long enough. I've lived a long time Josephine, I've seen it all, and I would know if something strange was occurring." he told her in an oddly reassuring tone, unlike his usual blunt and arrogant attitude "Anyways... would you care for..." Charles slowly reached under his desk "a game of..." Charles seemed to be building up to something, slowly tensing up before he suddenly said "CHESS?" pulled out a chessboard, laying it out on his desk, then just looking at her with a straight face.
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
Charles Theme- L

**Emu Queen** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:36 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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"Yeah, yeah, of course-- still cute though. I bet they`re acting all tough and stuff too, aren`t they-" Jo snickered in response to Charles` comment on the Muppets- still not quite over their name. How any organization could actually expect to be taken seriously with such a name was laughable at best to her- if any other faction actually wanted to extend the time and effort, they`d be wiped off the map...
Either way, she had her fill of making fun of them- once Black Dragon was mentioned, Jo sighed through her nose, bringing the whiskey Charles had offered her to her lips. She didn`t drink it, not yet- instead tilting it up slightly, and inviting it`s aroma up to her nostrils. It wasn`t quite as relaxing or potent as the scent of wine... but, it at least pulled her thoughts off the present for a few moments...
She finally took her sip, and settled her drink back into her lap- then glanced back at Charles, awaiting his response-- and dutifully noting his suddenly serious expression.
Tate Amaranth... She knew she`d more than dealt with the underlings of the Mistress before- but... something was different this time. Charles had phrased it excellently- Hal was a schemer, and Tate was... well- something else. This time around, she could feel a feint sense of foreboding- she wasn`t sure why, especially since she had underestimated practically every other enemy of their`s to date... perhaps it was just her anxiety...
When Charles finally got around to the effects Jo had been suffering- she furrowed her brows, anxious for his reply. She placed her whiskey on a nearby table, clasping her hands together nervously- and as he exclaimed his initial answer, she jumped, not having expected that level of emotion in Charles` voice. As he continued, however, relief seemed to materialize on her expression- and slowly, she nodded again. "A-Ah... alright... y-yeah, that sounds right..." She supposed he had a point- she had always gone haywire around Hal and the Inquisitor, hadn`t she...? That had, of course, been a result of them-- well, ruining her life in one way or another-- but, it seemed to make sense in the moment... how hadn`t she noticed this before...?
She meekly nodded, finding the reassuring quality of his voice foreign at best-- what happened there...? "Thanks... I... guess...?"
He went on- and slowly, Jo`s eyebrows rose. Charles was reaching under his desk- and she could practically feel the bullets of sweat treading down her features as she waited for the end of such a buildup. What if he pulled out a gun--? God, she was going to die here-- there were so many things she still had to--
Jo flinched, jumping about a foot into the air in her seat as Charles--- revealed a chess board.
...Oh...
"...Chess?" She echoed curiously, peering at the board with interest. "...Man, that brings me back... Colonel Shirley was all about Chess..." Her eyes glimmered with sad nostalgia, her lips pulling into a strained, tense smile. "I could go for a game- I call white, though."

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♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:59 am

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Charles couldn't help but show an expression of amusement when Jo said thanks "Don't thank me Josephine, it doesn't suit you." he told her with what was quite possibly the most mocking smirk he had ever given her, before changing subjects to the chess board. Charles seemed affected by Jo's mentioning of Shirley "Did you now...? Me and Shirley used to play chess nearly everyday... that was back when he was a Captain... and while I was still living in this infernal city. He didn't always have that mustache you know-" he seemed perfectly willing to oblige to Jo's choice in chess pieces. Charles laid out the chess set, laying out the white pieces on Jo's side, and the black on his "Ah... there is the difference between us Josephine... you always try so hard to be the white knight... while I-" Charles swung the board around, the white pieces on his side, before he reversed it again, the black pieces back on his side and said "Am willing to play both the white knight... and the black. The simple truth of the world is... to do good... you must do evil... you must sacrifice pawns..." which ironically enough, was right about the time he moved his first pawn forward "You must betray others, kill, sometimes even those who don't deserve it... and even work with the very forces you wish to destroy... only to later destroy them... do you understand Josephine...?" he spoke to her, his eyes narrowing down upon the woman.
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:40 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo rose her eyebrows as Charles suddenly told her not to apologize- perhaps becoming a touch too defensive over the very slightest mockery.
"Oh, excuse the shit outta me- you can`t handle civilized? Then shit, you don`t get civilized-"
Her sudden peaked aggression flew right out the window as soon as it came when mention of Shirley happened- Jo`s smile became a bit more strained, her eye watering just slightly. She noted that- and brought a hand up to smudge under the area, preventing tears of any sort. "Really? Man, I was sure he came outta his ma with that stache- thanks for ruining the image, buzz kill." Jo chuckled, shaking her head some. "Let`s hope you`re a bit better at this than he was. I`m not as untactful as I seem, y`know... hope yer not underestimatin` me..." She followed his movements as he set up the board, somewhat surprised that they weren`t going to argue about the colors- just as Charles spoke of that very subject manner. Her sight trained on him, seeming both amused and unimpressed by his words-- this was gonna be a good game.
"...Conflict is not what we like to make it out to be, it`s no where near so black and white-- the sooner you abandon the concepts of good and evil, the better off you are..." She eyed the board thoughtfully, before gently nudging a pawn identical to Charles` further- then glancing to him, smirking. "Call me idealistic, call me a girl scout- I`m someone who looks out for the greater good. Humans are not expendable things- trust me, no one`s teetered on both ends of morality like I did... I killed, cheated, and betrayed to my heart`s content-- and look where that got me." She gestured around the room with the rotation of her wrist, sighing airily. "Nowhere. Actually, scratch that-- that landed me in a rotting cell for a hefty two months. And why...? Because you didn`t trust me-- and quite honestly, I wouldn`t have trusted me either..."

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♔ Jo`s theme - Special Op ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:03 am

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Charles frowned to Jo "Like you'd know what -civilized- means..." he whispered in response to her first comment, crossing his arms over his chest "Black and white... good and evil... they may not be as clear as night and day... but they are distinct from one another Josephine. I did just say that we must dabble in evil to do good, just as all evil originates from foolish good intentions. Do not suspect me as a fool to not understand that. But nay, in the end an individual is either good... or evil... there is no in-between." Charles quickly moved another pawn forward, a smile upon his face "I knew many of your enemies as they were young men. There is no arguing that they were sinister beings... but there was once a time when they had good intentions... they may have still HAD good intentions when last your clashed with each of them as well..." Charles leaned back on his seat, grinning to Jo "They are obviously evil... and you are good... yet as you said before you found yourself locked up in Floor 0 just as David was imprisoned. This is because the it is unclear whether which kind of person you were. You look and act exactly the same as your enemies. Just as I act and look just like your typical dime a dozen wealthy businessman in this world. What sets apart good from evil isn't what you do... but what your intentions, your spirit, and your goals are. Jo... you've done plenty of evil before, and you're going to keep doing so. You're never going to be the angelic girl scout your envision yourself, that is but a dream... a fantasy... you are a criminal... worse scum than I. You're going to keep having to be the criminal... unless, of course... you decide to rejoin Paladin one day. Then perhaps you could take a less... controversial path. Until then, you may be on the side of justice... but you're still a criminal Josephine."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Emu Queen** Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:42 pm

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo didn`t seem to have picked up on Charles` whisper- but listened with a stone-faced expression as he responded, neutrally awaiting a flaw in his argument. As he reached the end of his statements- the slightest bit of a smirk flicked the corners of her lips up. "Ah- but, should I rejoin Paladin, would I not still be the same murderous, lying, cheating criminal as I am now?" She plucked up a piece between two fingers, and advanced it up a step. "You say I act the same as any criminal, I am a criminal, but I`m on the side of 'justice'-- are my intentions, spirit, and goals not good enough for you? What makes a criminal, anyway--? You`re being hypocritical... be so eager to label your opponent as 'good' or 'evil'-- and you`ll only succeed in blinding yourself from the truth. And the truth-- is not something you can afford to turn a blind eye on. Literally, in my case." She smiled just a bit more there to enunciate her joke, before faltering some again. "I don`t care about what my actions might say- I know my own intentions... and although I may have changed, my intentions never have-- and never will. Call me the next Inquisitor, the next Mistress-- if that`s how it`s gonna be, then so be it. You know what they say... either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain-- and I don`t intend to die." She settled back into her seat, making herself at least somewhat comfortable. "I know I`m not an angelic girl scout- just... a fighter for a better tomorrow. And achieving this better tomorrow means taking the entire criminal underworld for myself- then, so be it. Hell, to be more specific- if making my own crime syndicate within the world`s largest super prison stops a tyrannical rapist from breaching the Walls-- then, so be it. I`m the hero, aren`t I? My intentions were pure, right? You preach such black and white morality- but in the end of the day, you`re just as gray as I am..."

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♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:24 pm

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Charles furrowed his brows when Jo spoke about living long enough to become a villain, or of course, dying a hero "I've heard that one before..." Charles muttered, moving his black knight forward. He then smirked to Jo "The knight is my favorite piece, you know? Much more useful than the pawn, not nearly as expendable, and they're pretty good at confusing the enemy, from my experience. This small smirk turned into a big smile when Jo accused him of being 'grey', which in Charles' eyes was a deep insult "Why whatever do you mean? The world is as black and white as a chess board, and while its never clear to most people whether I be on the side of good or evil... in the end of the day there is only one chess piece that fits my status..." Charles slowly leaned forward, pointing down to one piece in particular, one that would most likely make Jo role her eyes "The white king... of course. I AM the big good- who else but I, I ask you? Who else but Charles Paladin is capable of bringing civilization back to its former glory? The world is in chaos... the average human being of this age has to worry daily about a random brigand just stopping by their home and slaughtering them and their family. Warlords and Super Criminals rule the world. Jo... I MAY be a lying, stealing, corrupt asshole... but its black and white... I'm the ONLY one capable of doing good in the world... at least to the scale it needs. You can stop David or Kraven for the 15th time... but you're only preventing the world from getting WORSE by stopping them... but with my backing... you could easily restore order to this world. Evil will never disappear... but you can restore balance to this world. Imagine, PALADIN, restored to its former glory, now the police force that keeps the innocent safe from the evils of the world. You could be the one leading it... why settle for the black knight... when you could be... the white knight..."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Emu Queen** Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:36 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo smiled just a bit as Charles noted that he had heard that one before- she knew the source material wasn`t the classiest thing, it wasn`t ancient enough just yet. "`Course you have..." She hummed, watching silently as he moved the black knight forward- then, her gaze flickered back up to him, lips curling down slightly as he explained why this was his favorite piece. She continued to listen, and as Charles called himself the white king-- as expected, Jo rolled her eyes. As if it couldn`t get any worse, he continued- and though Jo remained stone-faced, but as he kept going- she found herself genuinely surprised, and in-depthly evaluating each word to fall from his lips. "Should there be no such thing as gray- why ever would the white king, Charles Paladin-- feel the need to stoop to the same levels as the very vermin he keeps locked away? He lies, he cheats, he has killed, I`m sure-- who around here hasn`t? Here doesn`t even refer to No Man`s Land anymore-- I mean that on a global level. Hell, look at Scarlet- you`ve been to Scarlet, yeah? Textbook civilization over there- a goddamn utopia, I`ve heard it been called. And I can tell you first hand that I spent my childhood as bait for whatever mafioso wanted to lure my dad out-- black to me, white to them-- they were trying to feed their families." She reasoned, frowning as she noted that-- Charles` argument practically agreed with her in the most disagreeable way possible... "Tell me- what is the difference between the black and white knight...? Aside from, well- color. They take one look at you, they say- 'oh, that`s Charles Paladin, the CEO of Paladin Industries-- what a nice guy!' and... and then they all take a look at me... and they say-- 'hey, that`s Josephine Beaumont. The bitch with the bounty through the roof- they kept her in Floor 0 for two months- what a lunatic,'-- ain`t that right? In the end of the day- our difference is our presentation. That aside... She paused, meeting his robotic gaze with one of own-- Jo`s eyes glistened with something other than tears for once. Passion and a furtive glance at the future. "An innocent man doesn`t think the way you do-- do you kill him? There`s a thick line between a necessary evil and just-- plain evil. There`s restraint, different brands of justice- certain brands you`d be much better off studying yourself..."

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♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:00 am

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Charles moved yet another pawn, which ended with the white pawn and black pawn facing off against each other, in the end, neither could really remove the other from play however, as per the rules of the game "You're not seeing the bigger picture... it matters not what others think of one another, it matters not whether or not you or I have killed innocent people, presentation is just that... presentation. What matters is whether or not you work for the greater good, that determines whether you are black... or white. As I said... there's no grey... you either work for teh greater good of humanity... or you're dead weight. Scarlet City for instance, it was once a city of prosperity, with crime only existing in its seedy underbelly that you had no doubt experienced with Joseph... but now that seedy underbelly has risen up and devoured the city... as foul as you thought the Scarlet City of the past was... it pales in comparison to Scarlet City now, which has grown to become a super criminal hotspot that far exceeds that of No Man's Land... listen to those words carefully Josephine... and understand that No Man's Land is not the hellhole you may think it is... there are spots all around the world that have proven to be much more dangerous and decayed than this prison... there's a whole world of hate and evil outside of these walls. One must work for the greater good to overturn this change... Josephine Beaumont... I'm sure you never knew... but I once worked with your mother... Soraya Beaumont. She understood how the world worked... as difficult as a woman she was... like you. I'm not sure what happened to her... or where she is as of late, but I'm sure that just as I, she's working towards Justice. A white bishop if you will. I do wonder if she'd approve of you today... I wonder..."
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"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Emu Queen** Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:18 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

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Jo eyed Charles somewhat warily, listening to him as he continued- there was something oddly refreshing about Charles` view. Finally, someone willing to call them all just plain evil... "It`s about perspective, Charles- what is black to one may be white to another. People have stood in your way many a time before, I`m sure-- all because they thought they were the one doing the right thing. Everyone on the opposing side isn`t black simply because you say so, Mr. White King..." She mused, about to continue-- when Scarlet City was brought up. Jo leaned her cheek into her palm, elbow propped up onto the arm of her chair as she listened attentively, eyebrows shooting up in surprise-- before they lowered in sad acceptance. She knew she forced rose-colored lenses over her sight when it came to Scarlet City- she hated to admit that the place that housed her childhood was as oh-so-foul as it was in reality. She didn`t want to face the fact that anything she may have loved about Scarlet City had certainly been devoured by it`s gruesome underworld by now- including the family of her`s that had been involved in that gruesome underworld. And while she was as far from Scarlet as possible- she beat that train of thought away.
Speaking of her family- her father`s first name had been tossed into the conversation. Jo had a late reaction- glancing up moments after with a questioning glance, one that Charles presumingly hadn`t caught. She...couldn`t remember actually ever bringing up her father before- and if she had, she certainly had not used his first name.
The realization that Charles knew more about her life than most was beginning to sink in, and it was genuinely unsettling at best...
She opened her mouth to interrupt- and then her mother`s name was tossed in. Her lips remained parted, moreso in shock than anything- but the shock dissipated from her features as Charles made the comparison between Jo and Soraya- causing her to wrinkle her nose in what appeared to be disgust. She bit her tongue on that one- bitterly continuing. "...I...did not know that..." She knew her mother to be a businesswoman, and not much else- but, to think that she had possibly worked with Charles Paladin was--- something. Was she really that much of a big deal...? "...Pfch- she wouldn`t approve of anything I did if I was the CEO of Paladin Industries. ...Anyway--Scarlet... is just a drop in an ocean... if you`re expecting some sort of surprised reaction here, you`ve got the wrong person..." Jo very faintly recalled the many assaults she had undergone on walks home from work past midnight- and her lips twitched downward into a frown, her eye somewhat glazed over as her thoughts swam. "...But, hey- no one knows justice like those who have experienced injustice first hand, right...? I get it- everything`s evil and horrible. Luckily enough, there`s still something we can do about it... humanity`s fallen on hard times before- it`s always a matter of time before we pick ourselves up again..."

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♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Amazing Pan-Sensei** Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:34 am

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Charles couldn't help but smile at Jo's comment upon his status as the white king "Well... who else but me is fit for such judgement?" he asked, his smile slowly turning into an overconfident smirk "If I'm not here to point out whom is on the side of evil, who shall replace me? No one." he replied to Jo, further showing his own messiah complex that Jo was all too familiar with. He was going to go on about how he was a paragon of justice, but Jo's dumbfounded expression over his knowing her mother compelled him to prod her further on the subject "Oh... I believe she'd be quite proud of you working with Paladin Industries. She was well aware of my company's status in keeping a state of order in this hellish world." Charles leaned back on his chair, making himself comfortable as he moved yet another pawn "You are right Josephine... humanity always picks itself up... but that doesn't happen magically. Humanity WORKS ITSELF dead to save itself... and there's always a man to make that push... and now... that man is I... I will be the one to save humanity, to pull it out of its rut. Don't you understand? I don't claim to be a saint- but the simple fact is... there's no one else to take my place." he told her in a grim voice, entirely serious about every word that came out of his mouth. Several hours passed as both individuals continued to play chess, neither of the two managed to gain an advantage over each other. And as the game seemed to be reaching its conclusion, Charles seemed to suddenly stand up form his chair as he placed a finger on his ear "Yes...?" he was speaking over the communicator evidently. With his back turned to Jo, it wasn't clear what was going through is mind, but he seemed dead serious "I understand..." he muttered, before turning to Jo. He let out a sigh, before slowly sitting down and clasping his fingers together, glaring to Jo "Our allies... Vulture Team... are under attack by The Deathworshippers... Carrion Land is in utter chaos... bring Task Force 0 and a few of my other Task Forces into Carrion Land to assist Vulture Team." he told her, not even making eye contact with Jo as he glared to the chess board.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"I am Charles Paladin, Founder and CEO of Paladin Industries, and I have big plans for the world..."
♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

**Emu Queen** Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:34 am

ＪｏｓｅｐｈｉｎｅＢｅａｕｍｏｎｔ
❢ ＱＵＥＥＮＣＡＬＡＭＩＴＹ ❢

i`m a solder through and through
i am anything but weak
the thunder trembles when i speak
[ ♔ ♚ ♔ ]

______________________________________________________________________________________

As expected- Charles` comments on how only he was fit to dispense proper judgement did no more than make Jo roll her eye. She chuckled, shaking her head- letting him know her exact thoughts on the matter. "Real cute... I always thought folk like you were real cute... you don`t go throwin` jabs left an` right like I do-- it`s in yer face. With that real showy attitude and the real thin sneer. I can`t wait for the day you quit thinkin` yer so un-fuckin`-touchable..." Jo commented in a husk of a purr, leaning back in her chair comfortable- seeming to have grown fully relaxed with the situation. Despite her lack of outward tensity- she could feel her anxiety take a turn for the worse, goosebumps beginning to spread on her exposed skin. She paid that no mind- moving another piece forward just as Charles mentioned her mother yet again. Now, she glowered, a dissatisfied grunt escaping her as the topic reared it`s ugly head again- "...Tch- she knew beforehand... was there when I got inducted into Spec Ops... don`t act like I`m here on my own will- we`re working together because I`m interested in setting things right, and I can`t do that my own way with you literally holding my life over my head..."
The talk of humanity and it`s eternity of struggles went on as well, and Jo`s glare softened a bit at that, as she listened and nodded, agreeing silently-- up until the part where Charles got back to talking about himself. That was around the time Jo focused on the board again, frowning as she eyed the game-- then gently picked up a piece between two fingers, and slid it forward. "We`ll see about that."

Hours passed- and Jo was, to an extent, mentally burned out and frustrated. The game was reaching it`s conclusion, and there was still no advantage on either side- her next few moves were crucial if she wanted to get out of here with bragging rights. But, just like in reality, just like their real life dynamic- Charles was meeting her at every turn, making this as difficult and deliberate as possible...
She reached out to make her next move- just as Charles` communicator activated. She froze in place, asking a billion questions with the look in her eye as she awaited some kind of indication as to what was going on-- and as Charles suddenly turned his back on her, a heavy pang of dread fell into the depths of her stomach. She broke into an involuntary tremble as she awaited for him to turn around, breath hitched and stuck in her throat- and as he finally revealed the news to her, the color visibly drained from her face, eyes twitching wider. She seemed to freeze for half an instant, staring at Charles as if waiting for him to take that back... before she abruptly bursted out of her seat, sweat beading down her face as she rushed to the door in a panicked hurry. "I`ll be back-"
'Don`t be too late don`t be too late don`t be too late-'

(EXIT)

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♔ Jo vs. Charles Theme - Under Heaven Destruction II ♔

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