Aki Faelen

Also known as: The Beast Beneath the Moonlight
Age: 27
Race: Miqo'te
Gender: male
Orientation: bisexual, male lean (straight dom, gay swing (sub lean))
Place of origin: Foundation (The Brume)
Weapon of choice: katana + throwing dagger (formerly twin daggers)
Occupation: sellsword, bounty hunter, bartender (in his off time)
Associated groups/characters: Luzifer Faelen, two un-named half-sisters, Dooshik Oelus, Daemon Stride, the Funeral Parlor, Laelia Vi Brunnel, Segadus Hest
Allegiance: The Funeral Parlor (The Black Nail, Parmenides' Doxa (former), though he doesn't claim to be a member and only works for them from time to time), Ishgardian Temple Knights (The Order of the Knights Dragoon, former)
Base of operation: noneJP Voice Claim: Kondo Takashi as Hibari Kyoya (10 Years Later ver.) from REBORN
EN Voice Claim: Alex Organ as Makishima Shogo from Psycho Pass

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A werepanther with a shady background. He began his life on the streets of the Brume in Foundation, relying on petty crime such as stealing to survive. He is the eldest of four orphaned siblings - one full-blooded brother and two half-blooded sisters. His birth mother was killed by his father when she tried to run away with the two boys and his step-mother died giving birth to his youngest sister. Finally, his father was arrested and died in prison, leaving the four on their own when Aki was just ten years old. Still, child though he was, he did everything he could to provide for the family.His luck ran out when a theft went wrong. What would've been a normal case of swiping a person's coinpurse and running turned into a murder when the man noticed and grabbed Aki; a scramble to escape capture led to him using the man's own dagger to stab him, slashing an artery and killing him almost instantly. He fled the scene and led the guard on a two-hour-long chase through the streets of Foundation before finally losing them. Upon returning home though, he found the door to their room open, his siblings gone, seemingly kidnapped... and soon, it was his turn as well.But that didn't spell the end for him. In fact, it was a new beginning. A man named Dooshik Oelus, an executive within a criminal organization called the Funeral Parlor, had been the culprit, spiriting away all four siblings before Aki could get arrested by the Foundation guard. He extended an offer from his boss to end Aki's struggle on the streets - join the Funeral Parlor and the livelihood of himself and his siblings would be provided for. Having reached the breaking point of what he could do on his own, he had no choice but to agree. What he didn't know was that this wasn't the first time Dooshik had attempted to save his family. When his mother tried to run away with Aki and his brother, Dooshik managed to save her from the clutches of her husband; sadly, her husband employed a rival gang to get her back. With the Funeral Parlor still in its infancy, unfortunately, they did not have the manpower to keep her from his clutches; she fell back into his reach just for him to kill her. All of this to get his hands on the infamous Beast Beneath the Moonlight, a tale most thought was just told to keep people off the streets at night. In truth, it was Aki, a werepanther since the age of ten; his awakening is said to be the true cause of his father's death as it coincided with the first sighting of the large cat.The next several years were spent as a tracker and spy for Parmenides' Doxa, the Parlor's spy ring, as his child self could easily fly unsuspected under the radar of other rival groups, before he began to take on assassinations with the Black Nail under Dooshik's command, to his dismay. While being saved from the streets was the silver lining, in the end, Dooshik had brought him into this wretched world - his hatred for him ran deep. And said hatred only deepened when Dooshik one day disappeared from the Foundation underground after leaking his siblings' location, leaving Aki with nothing but a tighter chain to a world he loathed as the Funeral Parlor didn't hesitate to use them as leverage to force his cooperation. While working under Dooshik, he was taught his unique sword style, Kirisame Battouryu, before adjusting it into Kirisame Battouryu Tantou-kai to make up for his weapon of choice at the time - a pair of daggers - though he later switched back to a one-handed sword to optimize on the technique with the weapon it was intended for.Another few years passed before a military draft came for Luzifer. Protective as always, Aki wouldn't allow it. Unbeknownst to his siblings, after negotiating their safety in his absence with the boss of the Funeral Parlor, he packed his things and bade his siblings good night. That was the last time they would see him, as he stole away in the middle of the night, taking Luzifer's draft letter with him. And so he joined the knights in his brother's place, which only led to yet another era of death and killing.At the end of it all, Aki, now carrying far more demons and red in his ledger, declined to return to his family. Instead, he set about creating a new life for himself, working as a bartender primarily, though he is well aware that he is still at the mercy of the Funeral Parlor and must answer their call... no matter what the orders may be.

( full carrd and Azem lore here )

Noire Mephistic

Name at birth: Noire Dotharl
Age: 24
Race: Au Ra (Xaela)
Gender: female
Orientation: undetermined (but has dominant personality)
Place of origin: The Azim Steppe
Weapon of choice: two-handed broadsword
Occupation: mafia member
Associated groups/characters: 'That Person', Dooshik Oelus, Daemon Stride, Homura Mephistic, Salima, the Funeral Parlor
Allegiance: The Funeral Parlor, Dotharl tribe (former)
Base of operation: the Funeral Parlor's main headquarters in Ishgard, fronted as an orphanage (in-game: Crystal | Diabolos | Mist | W15 | P4 (FC house))JP Voice Claim: Satou Rina as Velvet Crowe from Tales of Berseria
EN Voice Claim:

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Born into Sadu's Dotharl tribe in the Azim Steppe, Noire was cast out upon being believed to be the reincarnation of a traitor of legend by the same name, citing her split appearance as a tell-tale sign, thus earning herself said person's name as well. As such, the Dotharl tribe threw her out, telling her to "return" to the Oronir tribe whom her namesake had defected to. However, the Oronir, who did not believe in reincarnation, had no intent to take in a member of the Dotharl tribe, seeing her as an enemy despite her young age. Shunned from both sides, with nowhere to go, she was left to die out in the vast drylands; it was then that she was picked up by the boss of the Funeral Parlor on their travels, who at the time was still just an employee of the orphanage it once was. Like many children within the Parlor, she grew up amid criminals, but said criminals treated her with a kindness she never experienced elsewhere, especially among the Dotharl, who all berated her due to their belief in reincarnation before casting her out entirely, a concept she didn't understand at the time given her young age. She only ever asked about her birth parents once later on in life, during which the boss of the Funeral Parlor, whom she was given special permission to see as they are essentially her adoptive parent, told her the story. She accepted it easily, saying she would rather have her current life anyway, and sees the boss as having saved her from a fate worse than crime.In her time among the Dotharl, she only cared for Sadu, as she was the only one to treat her with any kindness. Alas, as she was still fresh into her time as the leader of their tribe, her word did not win against the majority, and she was unable to keep Noire from being banished.She behaves in a way not always befitting of a typical woman, as is common with Dotharl tribe members, as they believe everyone is born a reincarnation of someone else, and is named such. Noire has lived past lives as both men and women, but her most recent was that of a man, and thus she remembers that personality most. She has bad memories of the time she spent as a woman, saying that one of the biggest moments of betrayal she experienced were when she chose to behave in a more feminine way, having been jilted by the person she was ready to spend the rest of her life with. As such, and because of her line of work as the Funeral Parlor's acting head, she trusts incredibly sparingly and holds most people at arm's length.

Bruxa Hullus

Age: ??
Race: voidsent-possessed Viera
Gender: male
Orientation: bisexual (exclusively sub; Bruxa is true sub, incubus is dom sub)
Place of origin: Garlemald (sort of) / the Thirteenth
Weapon of choice: non-combatant
Occupation: bartender
Associated groups/characters: none
Allegiance: noneJP Voice Claim: Hanae Natsuki as Elam from The Heroic Legend of Arslan
EN Voice Claim:

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An incubus born from null, he came into existence a fully-grown man, waking up alone in the snowscape of Garlemald. Presumably, the incubus was brought forth from the void of the Thirteenth and given Bruxa's body as a vessel, but the summoner disappeared without a trace before fully completing the summoning; thanks to this, Bruxa was still able to keep most of his original conscience and overall control of his body, though his past memories unfortunately disappeared. Having arrived in what was once a war-stricken field as Garlemald fell upon hard times, the intense intake of residual aether may have also been a catalyst to him becoming what he is today; given this ability to interact with aether, he does not identify as a Garlean despite his place of origin.While he was able to keep his humanoid appearance (which seems to resemble a modern Viera), he has the constitution of a voidsent, and is reliant on aether consumption in order to survive, much like Zero. This is something he takes from his victims during intercourse, though he seldom takes enough to make them truly victims to any long-lasting conditions. However, given his wary, anxious, and shy nature, making a move on anyone is nigh impossible for him, forcing his incubus persona to split off from his regular one for the sake of survival. This incubus personality is a lot more straightforward and willing to take what it wants, and is particularly enthusiastic about those it takes a liking to. It is considered a separate entity entirely from Bruxa's normal self, as the two are only linked by physical vessel; they do not share memories or relationships and have completely different personalities, which can often be confusing to those they both happen to interact with / see on a regular basis, as people he meets as one persona are not known to the other (though it's assumed that the incubus has some sort of access to Bruxa's subconscience, as it will sometimes force itself out when faced with someone it finds favorable). Because of this intermittent loss of memory though, Bruxa is all the more insecure.Today, he tries to get away with living as normal of a life as possible, taking up work as a live-in bartender at a club called Octane, though he will sometimes work at other places to make ends meet when necessary. He lives in hiding from the incubus' past victims, but the fact that he can't tell who that may be (since the two don't share memories) just makes him more wary of the world.

Daemon Stride

Age: 36
Race: Au Ra (Xaela)
Gender: male
Orientation: undetermined
Place of origin: Foundation (The Brume)
Weapon of choice: non-combatant (dagger when he has to)
Occupation: mafia member, bar owner (Hyena)
Associated groups/characters: Dooshik Oelus, Aki Faelen, 'That Person', The Funeral Parlor, Kihga'ri Sennichi
Allegiance: The Funeral Parlor (Parmenides' Aletheia)
Base of operation: Aletheia's headquarters, fronted as the bar lounge, Hyena (in-game: Dynamis | Maduin | Goblet | W21 | P8)JP Voice Claim: Tochi Hiroki as Seishirou from Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
EN Voice Claim: Ben Robson as Spiritus from Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

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Daemon is someone who exudes charisma and friendliness befitting of a bar owner. He can be a bit dense at times, too, especially when it comes to romance. He very much has an all-business-no-play type of personality, and anything that interrupts his pace throws him off. However, under the surface, he is the leader of Parmenides' Aletheia, the Funeral Parlor's intelligence ring. He works mostly out of their headquarters, a bar in the Goblet called Hyena, as well as an off-site outreach office in Shirogane. His demeanor makes him an unlikely suspect as mafia, as he prides himself on ethics, something you wouldn't expect given his appearance. That's not to say he's a saint though - at the end of the day, he does work as a loyal member of a mafia group - but he has more of a conscience than his colleagues. He is protective of those he believes are worth protecting, but on the flip side, he is ruthless to those he believes are deserving of punishment and ill tidings. Overall, he is someone who strongly lives true to his own morals.Despite being a Funeral Parlor veteran (i.e. a former staff member at the orphanage) and 'That Person's brother of sorts, as the two were raised in the orphanage together, because of said morals, Daemon is someone who does not always agree with their methods, specifically the way they take advantage of the children. Daemon has only ever brought in adults to work for the Parlor; any children he has taken in are purely fosters as he refuses to make them Doxa spies unless they wish to be, unlike 'That Person', who expects it of them. He is somewhat estranged from the organization after several clashes with the boss over ideals and ethics. Despite this, he has not been formally removed from his position as the head of the intelligence ring, continues to function as such, and remains loyal to the Funeral Parlor and 'That Person' despite their differences, perhaps due to their brotherhood. He is particularly close with Dooshik Oelus, a fellow Parlor member and someone who somewhat shares his views.

Mephisto Philus

Age: unknown, but appears to be in early to mid twenties
Race: Au Ra (Xaela)
Gender: female
Orientation: undetermined
Place of origin: Limsa Lominsa
Weapon of choice: staff
Occupation: experimental subject
Associated groups/characters: Homura Mephistic, the Funeral Parlor (Plutus Corp)
Allegiance: the Garlean Empire (but ultimately answers to Homura, the CEO of Plutus Corp)
Base of operation: Plutus Corp base in GarlemaldJP Voice Claim: Mitsuishi Kotono as Mei Mei from Jujutsu Kaisen
EN Voice Claim: Tasia Valenza as Poison Ivy from Batman: Arkham Knight

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Mephisto was born in La Noscea and left at the doorstep of the arcanists' guild as an infant. She was then raised by the guild members and became a live-in student. One day, while traveling out in the open land, she strayed too far from city, the only place she had ever known, and became lost in the great expanse of La Noscea. Sensing the aether she naturally had, the kobolds captured her, intending to trade her to the Garlean Empire in exchange for magitek goods, which they were interested in experimenting with. Mephisto was then taken to the Garlean Empire and experimented on as they attempted to create artificial ceruleum in response to the shortage following Emperor Varis' death and the splitting of the imperial legions. Due to the great amount of aether at her disposal, she was drafted in and forced to help inject the artificial ceruleum with enough aether to power magitek just as natural ceruleum does. This project is facilitated and overseen by Plutus Corp, an organization within the Funeral Parlor.

Lazarus Lazuli

Age: 10
Race: Elezen/Viera crossbreed
Gender: female
Orientation: undetermined
Place of origin: Sharlayan
Weapon of choice: non-combatant
Occupation: none
Associated groups/characters: the Sons of Saint Coinach
Allegiance: noneJP Voice Claim: Sawashiro Miyuki as Sinon from Sword Art Online
EN Voice Claim: Madison Davenport as Materia from Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

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A crossbreed between an Elezen and a Viera, Lazarus was created in an artificial-life experiment by a scientist of Allagan descent working with the Sons of Saint Coinach in Sharlayan. He conducted the experiment under the guise of research, but had ulterior motives - to bring his deceased daughter back to life. By mixing different DNA samples, he was finally able to make a stable lifeform. Under the scientist's watch, she has so far survived for ten years and shows no signs of deteriorating. Though she appears fully grown, her mind has not matured to match her appearance.

Hina Tsurugi

Age: 22
Race: Hyur (Midlander)
Gender: female
Orientation: undetermined
Place of origin: Othard (Doma)
Weapon of choice: dagger (handgun occasionally)
Occupation: Garlean covert operative (formerly Doman ninja)
Associated groups/characters: Hien, Doma, Genrou Tsurugi, Carlyle Adelheid
Allegiance: the Garlean Empire (formerly Doma)
Base of operation: the Tertium in GarlemaldJP Voice Claim: Kayano Ai as Alice from Sword Art Online: Alicization
EN Voice Claim: Lindsay Seidel as Kunizuka Yayoi from Psycho Pass

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A Doman native, she first began as a kunoichi fiercely loyal to her motherland, a retainer of Lord Hien. When the Garlean Empire invaded, she gladly took part in the resistance to fight them off. Unfortunately, her valiant efforts wouldn't continue for long. During a confrontation with the Garleans, a magitek vessel blew up near her on the battlefield, taking her left leg. She urged her comrades to flee and leave her behind; she knew she didn't have long and likely would not survive even if they tried to save her. Her comrades escaped, and the battle ended in Doma's defeat. As Hina prepared to bid farewell to her life, she thought of her past, and the brother she'd lost to the Empire years prior. And just as she felt her conscience begin to fade, a familiar figure appeared. It was her brother, a fellow Doman ninja, whom their family had thought to be dead. It turned out said brother had been taken captive rather than killed by the Garleans, and made to work for them. After a little string-pulling and a few words from her brother, Hina was fitted with a prosthetic leg made from Garlean magitek technology, and thus given a new lease on life. At first, she adamantly rejected it, holding fast that the Garlean Empire was still her enemy, and she'd rather have died than work for them. However, her memory of that day on the battlefield was hazy due to some head trauma from the explosion, and the Empire took advantage of this; a soldier, Carlyle Adelheid, her brother's friend, convinced her that her comrades had left her for dead, leaving out the fact that she herself had told them to do so, and that Hien had fled the battle on his own rather than ordered a retreat. With some more persuading from her brother as well, Hina also turned traitor to Doma and began working for the Empire.

Dooshik Oelus

Name at birth: Iharu Hibiki
Age: 39
Race: Hyur (Midlander)
Gender: male
Orientation: will hit on anything and anyone
Place of origin: ?? (possibly Kugane)
Weapon of choice: single katana (used to be a set with an uchigatana (shorter sword in a two-katana set), but it's unknown what happened to it)
Occupation: ex-mafia member
Associated groups/characters: Natsume Hibiki (younger brother; deceased), Aki Faelen, Daemon Stride, Noire Mephistic, 'That Person', the Funeral Parlor
Allegiance: none (formerly the Funeral Parlor, specifically The Black Nail)
Base of operation: noneJP Voice Claim: Nojima Kenji as Ginoza Nobuchika from Psycho Pass
EN Voice Claim: Matthew Mercer as Cor from Final Fantasy XV

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At first glance, he is an ordinary citizen of Foundation. At second glance, an air of underlying sinistry. His early past is shrouded in mystery to most; all that is known is that he is ex-mafia, a former executive within a criminal organization known as the Funeral Parlor. He is also old friends with Aki from his darker days, being the one who scouted him as a pre-teen off the streets of the Brume and essentially brought him to the doorstep of the criminal world when he presented him before his boss, known only as 'that person', a person only executives are allowed to even see; because of this, Dooshik serves as both a father and brother figure to Aki. Though he appears kind at first, underneath the soft exterior lies the hardened soul of someone who was once revered as one of the most lethal assassins in the Brume, the infamous leader of the Black Nail, the Funeral Parlor's covert kill squad (the squad's name implies that they are the nail in the coffins of their foes, bringing ultimate death to them). Today though, he considers himself "retired"; the circumstances which led to him being safely released from the seedy underbelly of Foundation without consequence are still unclear - after all, it's a past that is relatively hard to outrun, considering he'd been a wanted man for many years. It is assumed that the boss of the Funeral Parlor is pulling strings to keep people off of Dooshik's tail. In truth, Dooshik had made a deal with them: 'Find a way to chain the werepanther to the Funeral Parlor and you will have your freedom.' Given everything he knew about Aki, he knew what would be the ultimate leverage against him - his siblings. After successfully hiding them for five years, Dooshik revealed their location to the boss in exchange for his release from the Foundation underground.Dooshik now enjoys life as a simple civilian, though Aki disapproves of his frivolous attitude and how soft he's become... but most of all, the fact that, though he claims to have left the life, he is not above using old connections to get what he wants. Aki never hesitates to call him the scum of the earth for taking advantage of people like this, but in truth, he just doesn't want to see Dooshik killed, as unlikely as that is, though he'll never admit it. After all, he'd made his fair share of enemies in the past, and more.Despite Dooshik's current gentle and kind disposition that makes it hard to fathom he was ever anything else, back in his prime when he was still an active assassin, he was a lot more unhinged and ruthless, the type who wouldn't bat an eye while torturing or even killing someone. He neared psychotic when it came to spilling blood, and one would not have been wrong to question his sanity in his bloodlust. He was and is a very skilled user of iaido, otherwise known as battoujutsu, the art of drawing a sword, unleashing a single fatal attack, then immediately returning the sword to its sheathe, using an unknown sword style called Kirisame Battouryu. The focus is on speed and precision, a technique he later taught Aki. Most opponents are thrown off by his left-handedness.Given what is known about him, it is speculated that he was a former member of the Sekiseigumi of Kugane, and that his savage ways got him dishonorably discharged from the group that was supposed to act as a police force of sorts; these allegations are backed by his old demeanor, his skill with the sword, and his unknown lineage (as most Sekisei members were of lower birth). The terms for him to join the Funeral Parlor were to cut his ties to the past, which included killing his family. While he did succeed in killing his parents, the last shred of humanity within him caused him to spare his brother, something the Funeral Parlor never knew (or at least never acted on). Instead, word was spread among the Sekiseigumi that his brother had killed him to avenge the death of their parents, thus cleanly putting an end to his life as Iharu Hibiki at age 20.However, the two were fated to meet again. He couldn't put it off any longer; it was time to officially and finally cut his last ties to his past. He did just that during a Funeral Parlor operation in Kugane in which he offered to go alone with Aki, the only other active combatant within the Parlor who knew his past, and be the decoy, knowing many Sekiseigumi members still held a grudge against him; among them was his brother, Natsume. In the encounter, he killed many men, but not Natsume. Instead, in a rare moment of sentimentality, he'd set him up so that Aki would have to finish him off for him, all so he wouldn't have to kill his own brother. To this day, Aki doesn't know he had killed Dooshik's last relative, thus also severing his last loose end with the Sekiseigumi.His signature line was "Rejoice, for pain is a curse bestowed only upon the living."

Nautilus Alastor

Age: 18
Race: Lalafell (Plainsfolk)
Gender: male
Orientation: undetermined
Place of origin: Ul'dah
Weapon of choice: two-handed hammer (formerly one-handed longsword)
Occupation: dark knight (former paladin)
Associated groups/characters: none
Allegiance: none (formerly the Immortal Flame)
Base of operation: the Forgotten Knight in FoundationJP Voice Claim: Kusao Takeshi as Cless Alvein from Tales of Phantasia
EN Voice Claim: Scott Porter as Nightwing from Batman: Arkham Knight

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Formerly a straight-laced paladin training in Ul'dah to be an officer for the Immortal Flame, he went on to become a dark knight after seeing many of his comrades fall in battle. After being told he wasn't allowed to give pursuit to their attackers and was ordered to retreat instead, he left the grand company so he would no longer have to follow those orders. Believing their attackers deserved death and wanting revenge, he left his past, as well as his childhood friends, Ruru and Pippin, behind. He moved to Ishgard, where he was also picked up by Ompagne Deepblack, who sensed the hatred and anguish within him. He, along with Ompagne's other students, Fray and Sidurgu, trained in the way of the dark knight instead. Now, he can typically be found at the Forgotten Knight with Sidurgu and Rielle.

Homura Mephistic

Hua Jiang

Segadus Hest

Also known as: Azem (Aki)
Age: unknown
Race: Ancient
Gender: male
Orientation: straight
Place of origin: Etheirys
Weapon of choice: creation magicks
Occupation: none
Associated groups/characters: Primrose, the Convocation, Aki Faelen, Llavinia Hest
Allegiance: noneJP Voice Claim: Konishi Katsuyuki as Takano Masamune from Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi
EN Voice Claim:

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Calm on the surface, but often seething underneath, Segadus' emotions seldom go to his face. Whatever he is feeling, the same unreadable expression usually remains, not letting on what he is really thinking, for better or for worse. He is often misunderstood because of how quiet he tends to be, as inexpression is a large part of himself.Segadus' induction into the Convocation was somewhat controversial. Not everyone approved of his predecessor's choice, and for good reason, as he was not always the most rational person. During his time as Azem, Segadus foresaw the undoing of the world. Not the Final Days, specifically, but just an apocalypse of some sort, the world coming to a breaking point. All he knew was that corrupted aether would be their doom, and as such, creation magicks should simply cease. Thus began his new vendetta - to purge all those who practiced such magicks, including himself. Needless to say, very few agreed with this proposal, claiming that such a culling was not necessary. However, Segadus would not hear reason. He set about his mission of mass genocide to 'purify' their kind and began his path toward self-destruction, earning himself the disapproval of almost everyone on Etheirys. The only person who remained in his corner was his close friend Primrose, who was also alienated by the people for her siren-like talents. It was the two of them against the world.In the back of his mind, Segadus knew what he was doing was wrong, and hoped that someone would stop or kill him. But he wouldn't accept death from just anyone. In the end, he forced Primrose's hand, since she was the only one who could approach him. And by letting Primrose kill him, she also was able to prove her trustworthiness to the other ancients and redeem herself, and was then named the next Azem.It is said that Segadus' actions led to Aki's poor life circumstances, a way to repent for the doings of his past life.

Salima

Also known as: Farhadin
Age: 24
Race: Hyur
Gender: female (alpha)
Orientation: lesbian (dominant)
Place of origin: Thavnair (Radz-at-Han)
Weapon of choice: small scalpel-like knife or poison
Occupation: Funeral Parlor logistics officer, inn proprietress, part-time assassin
Associated groups/characters: Noire Mephistic, Homura Mephistic, 'That Person', the Funeral Parlor
Allegiance: the Funeral Parlor (House of Sindhura, formerly the Black Nail)
Base of operation: the House of Sindhura in Radz-at-Han, fronted as an inn (no in-game location)JP Voice Claim: Shimamura Yu as Yosano Akiko from Bungo Stray Dogs
EN Voice Claim:

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Known mononymously as just Salima, or Lady Salima, she is a Thavnair native hailing from a middle class merchant family. Her family's caravan was attacked by wolves as they were traversing Ishgardian land along their trade route. Salima survived as, somehow, the wolves didn't kill her, instead protecting her from other wolves; it's unknown what happened to the rest of the caravan. This unspoken connection to them lasts until this day, where Salima can still be seen befriending local wolves, and keeps a pair of siblings as companions. People of the town sometimes call her 'Farhadin', or 'one who was raised by wolves'.She survived for a while among the wolves before being found in the snow by the Funeral Parlor's boss, and was then taken under their wing as a child of the orphanage, growing up alongside Noire and Homura. Eventually, she returned to her roots and was appointed the keeper of the Parlor's Ilsabard outreach center, disguised as a common inn in Radz-at-Han called the House of Sindhura. This location is mostly used by Parlor members who have business in the far reaches of the world, such as traveling Black Nail assassins or Plutus Corp employees. As a neutral ground between two feuding countries, Radz-at-Han is a convenient place to use as a hideout, as Eorzeans and Garleans alike traverse the city's streets. This facility is the second most far-reaching of the Parlor's bases of operation, the farthest being Plutus Corp's Garlemald branch, which specializes in overseeing their deals with the enemy country, particularly those relating to the ceruleum trade business.While Salima is mostly a non-combatant now, back in her early days, she was a part of the Black Nail, considered to be among the most highly-skilled and elite members, and boasted one of the highest success rates and kill counts. She specialized in the killing of people (mostly straight men and omega women) who she could seduce into bed and will still occasionally accept a mission or two if her skills are needed.She appears kind and inviting to patrons of the inn, but makes no effort to hide her contempt for lustful men (unless on the job), often calling them monkeys. Due to her work, she is good at putting on an act and is a very convincing liar, something she believes has served her well over the years despite the trust she has lost along the way. Though she technically has family in her adoptive parent and siblings, she sees herself as a lone trailblazer in life, believing her only path forward is one forged by herself, not handed to her. There is a bit of animosity between herself and her adoptive siblings as she came from a higher social class (though not by much) and is thought to receive preferential treatment from 'that person', having been given her own territory to rule despite not being an executive; because of this she is all the more focused on being independent so no one can ever claim her accomplishments are not her own.

Ravine Mihail

Llavinia Hest

the funeral parlor

THE BASIS
A criminal organization rooted in Foundation, they rule the night in Ishgard and specialize in anything from assassination to intelligence. Founded on what used to be an orphanage, they are known to take in abandoned children and guide them through childhood...before letting them loose into the world as highly trained operatives. Most, if not all, of the members who were recruited this way have a skewed idea of the world, given the environment they were raised in, and don't have the means to break free from the organization that helped them into adulthood; in this way, the Parlor creates loyalty, willfully or not. Those who join as adults must be referred in by a current member and presented before Noire Mephistic, the boss' right hand and acting head, though a referral by an executive may lead to a meeting with the boss themselves.THE HIERARCHY
The boss of the Funeral Parlor, known only as 'that person', is shrouded in mystery. Very little is known about them - not even whether they are male or female. They were the director of the orphanage from which the Parlor originated, and the one responsible for turning it into the massive crime ring it is today. They are regarded as a morally grey type of person, with a strong "for the greater good" mindset, which often causes them to make choices based on necessity rather than ethics, something which puts them at odds with the few members who have managed to still retain some sense of morality, such as Daemon Stride. It is thought that the boss may have some sort of split personality as they will have bouts of doubt one moment, then revert back to a merciless mastermind the next. This may be the main reason why they typically act through the more hardened Noire Mephistic, who was taken in by the boss personally when she was young.
Noire is the next one down the ladder of command, acting directly under the boss and often as their proxy so that they can remain hidden. She is one of few ranked high enough to have even seen their face, and everyone reports to her if not their group's leader. All Parlor members, including the executives, answer to her as they are to take her word as the boss'. Her level of authority essentially matches theirs, and she would be the only one capable of overthrowing them, but is trusted enough that the boss believes she will never do so.
The Funeral Parlor leadership consists of the boss, Noire, and at least four executives (though it is believed that there may be more). Each executive leads their own group of men, with some having specializations (i.e. assassination, smuggling, information peddling, etc.). Currently known executives include Dooshik Oelus, the infamous leader of the Black Nail, the Parlor's assassination squad, Daemon Stride, the leader of Parmenides' Aletheia, the Parlor's intelligence ring, Homura Mephistic, the CEO of Plutus Corp, the Parlor's money laundering business, and the head librarian of Liveta's Library, the Parlor's (primarily drug) trading hub. The House of Sindhura, though a Parlor facility, is not an established faction, nor is Salima an executive despite having a territory to call her own.THE HISTORY (thus far)
The Funeral Parlor started as an ordinary orphanage in the Brume of Foundation. It was relatively small, with only a few staff members and an armful of orphans. All was normal (well, as normal as the slums could be) until the director passed away, weathered by the harsh streets and little funding. The person who took over was the director's child, who had also been working at the orphanage, but saw how it was failing. Knowing that, if they did nothing to change their circumstances, they would not last for much longer, they made a harsh decision for everyone involved - the organization would have to resort to less honest means for survival. In a stroke of mercy, the new director allowed those who did not wish to be involved to leave - this included both the staff and the children. Some staff members left, though a few stayed, each with their own reasoning, but the children, unfortunately, did not have much choice; they had nowhere else to go, after all. Still, most, if not all, of them would've stayed anyways, seeing the new director as a parent figure who had cared for them for years. They trusted them blindly as the director and their staff were the only ones to have ever shown them kindness and humanity; in their eyes, the adults at the orphanage were their saviors, and they would do anything for them. In this sense, one could even say they were brainwashed to an extent. These children were raised into the first generation of the Funeral Parlor, with the former staff members becoming the boss' inner circle of command.SUB-UNITS
> The Black Nail: the Funeral Parlor's covert kill squad, formerly led by Dooshik Oelus. The name implies that they are "the nail in their enemies' coffins," as they take care of most of the Parlor's hits.
> Parmenides' Aletheia (or Aletheia for short): the Funeral Parlor's information networking unit. Their leader, Daemon Stride, is unknown to most, and all agents possess knowledge worth their brains' weight in gold. They operate out of Hyena, a bar owned by Daemon, which serves as a gathering hub, as information is easy to overhear and obtain in a social setting, especially over alcohol. Not all employees are Aletheia agents, allowing them to blend in with what appears to be a normal bar staff. The building also houses Doxa spies on its upper floor.
>> Parmenides' Doxa (or Doxa for short): the Funeral Parlor's spy ring. They are a unit within Aletheia responsible for gathering information, as well as scrambling any existing information, twisting them into either obscure truths or straight-up lies. Most of the children taken in by the Parlor start as Doxa spies as it is easier for their child selves to slip under the radars of potential hostiles.
> Plutus Corp: a high-end construction company owned by the Parlor that operates under the table in secret as their money laundering business. They own and run several casinos and projects under their business name and are currently led by Homura Mephistic, one of the boss' adoptive children.
> Liveta's Library: a network of libraries run by a head librarian which serves as the main trading points for Parlor goods. Drugs are the most common, transported in book-shaped boxes that appear to be ordinary books on the outside, but, when opened, have an empty cavity inside rather than pages. To make a payment, one 'returns' a book; when receiving goods, they 'check out' a book. The secret phrase for traders to make themselves known is to tell librarians that they want to check out a Liveta classic. The network consists of one main library and three sub-branches spread out across Eorzea.
> The House of Sindhura: an inn in Radz-at-Han which serves as an outreach facility for the Funeral Parlor. It is most often used as a rest stop for traveling Parlor operatives. Salima serves as the proprietress.KNOWN MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES
- Noire Mephistic: the boss' adoptive daughter and Salima and Homura's younger sister, she is the acting head and youngest member of the Funeral Parlor leadership. She sees the boss as her savior after they saved her from dying in the Azim Steppe drylands where she'd been cast out due to her tribe's beliefs and culture. Having been adopted personally by the boss themself, she was granted special permissions, permissions which allowed her to rise to her current position.
- Basil Redgrave: a Viera who accidentally got caught up in an incident with Noire in which the two were cursed and given the conditions that, if one is to die, so will the other, thus forcing them to protect each other. (full story still under development)
- Dooshik Oelus (former, or so he claims): a Parlor executive who joined when the Parlor was still in its infancy as a criminal organization. One of the longest-running members to date, he was the former leader of the Black Nail, though he claims to have retired from the role.
- Aki Faelen: considered to be Dooshik's adoptive son, much to his chagrin, he was brought on upon being saved from the streets of the Brume in Foundation as a child. He now works as something of an independent contractor rather than an active member.
- Daemon Stride: an old friend of Dooshik's and a fellow executive and former staff member at the orphanage, as well as 'That Person's brother of sorts as they were raised together in the orphanage. He is the leader of Parmenides' Aletheia, the Parlor's intelligence ring and the owner of their headquarters, a bar called Hyena. He has taken a liking to Dooshik due to their similar views on the boss' ways, seeing them as a loose cannon in need of supervision.
- Homura Mephistic: the youngest known Parlor executive, one of the boss' adoptive children, older brother to Noire and younger brother to Salima, he leads Plutus Corp, the Parlor's money laundering business. In the public eye, he is the CEO of Plutus Corp, a high-end construction company with a darker agenda.
- Mephisto Philus: an Au Ra girl with infamously large aether output currently being held captive in Garlemald and forced to participate in an artificial ceruleum production project overseen by Plutus Corp.
- Salima: a Thavnair native, she is another of the boss' adoptive children, older sister to both Homura and Noire, and a former Black Nail assassin. She oversees the Parlor's Ilsabard outreach center in Radz-at-Han. On the surface, she is the proprietress of the common inn that serves as the facility's front called the House of Sindhura. She is known among her people as 'Farhadin', or 'one who was raised by wolves', due to her past, and keeps a pair of siblings as companions.(OOC notes: This storyline is open to new characters and is still in progress. Currently, there are no plans to actually cast 'That Person' as a named character.)

Dynast Viera Tribe

THE BASIS
The Dynast Viera tribe was founded on the belief in elemental gods as mankind's creator and the source of its livelihood. The tribe is divided into bloodlines, each stemming from their own elemental god. Each god is said to have produced at least one hero king, a former human who performed a reality-bending feat with their god's blessing to earn them ascension as a martial god. These kings went on to become the guardians of the elemental bloodlines, passing down their weapons as holy arms to their descendants. In each generation, one child is chosen to inherit the hero king's will and receive the elemental god's blessing, allowing them to wield their power to its fullest potential.THE HIERARCHY
The main families of the tribe consist of the five main elements in Taoism - wood, fire, earth, water, and metal. Other bloodlines were derived from these, and though some consider them lesser, in truth, they are simply newer, not one of the original bloodlines. There is no set hierarchy within the tribe, though many will acknowledge members of the five main families as being socially superior. The exception is the family under the goddess of earth, considered fallen when Ling Tu (otherwise known as Homura) deserted the tribe, taking his family's holy arm with him. Though other members of the earth family remain, they are not the main bloodline, and cannot carry on tradition without their family's relic. It is said that, because of this, Homura's extended family is on the hunt for him.NAMING CONVENTIONS
MEMBERS: Tribe members have two-part names of Chinese origin. One is a personal tribute, normally something related to their birth, like time, place, or circumstance. The other is relative to the god under which they are born.
GODS: The origin gods are named after existing gods in Chinese folklore.
HERO KINGS: The hero kings have four-part names and are named with a color and terms detailing the deed which earned them their title and status. These deeds typically appear heroic at first, but have unseen consequences and sacrifice under the surface, making them antiheros in truth.KNOWN MEMBERS
- Homura Mephistic (Guardian of Earth): formerly known as Ling Tu, he is the CEO of Plutus Corp, a faction of the Funeral Parlor crime ring, and a Parlor executive who left the life of the Dynast Viera as a teenager. Though he no longer considers himself a Dynast Viera, he still retains the powers passed down to him by his family's guardian goddess, Houtushen, and her hero king, Black Earth Under Soil, and hasn't been stripped of his title as guardian of earth as he is the last of his bloodline after his parents were killed. His name translates to 'dawn soil' given his time of birth and his family lineage under the goddess of earth
=> Houtushen: the goddess of earth who blessed the hero king Black Earth Under Soil
=> Black Earth Under Soil: the hero king of Houtushen who once split the earth to halt a decade-long war at the cost of the lives of everyone on the battlefield that day. With the help of the fire god, Zhurong, he created a river of lava, forever separating the two countries. When manifested, he takes the form of a large four-legged lizard with a stony hide. His holy arm is a pair of wristlets, granting the wearer inhuman physical prowess and some telekinetic abilities.
- Hua Jiang (Guardian of Water): a Dynast tribe warrior, he spends his days as a hunter and watchman around the tribe's territory. He is descended from the hero king Azure Storm Unto Snow under the blessing of the water god, Gonggong. His name translates to 'flowing river of flowers', alluding to his mother's death and his lineage.
=> Gonggong: the god of water, said to be a violent god often at odds with the god of fire, Zhurong
=> Azure Storm Unto Snow: the hero king of Gonggong who once sundered a world frozen in ice, breaking it out of its frigid prison; he destroyed his hometown in the act, as it was frozen in the ice and was shattered along with it. When manifested, he takes the form of a large shark. His holy arm is a bladed ivory staff imbued with water magic.(OOC notes: This storyline is open to new characters and is still in progress)

Aki: Seventeen Years Old

Characters: Aki Faelen, Dooshik Oelus

"...before you die, I'll have you cough up the whereabouts of your benefactor."Aki remained knelt on the ground before the army commander, executioner at the ready behind him. He replied with nothing but silence at first, then said, "I'm not in the habit of haggling for my life." The commander, too, paused. "...so you're saying you won't sell him out. Is that really worth your life though?" He stood from his seat, walking over to Aki before stopping with the slightest clink of armor."After all, he is the man who brought you into this wretched world."-- 5 years ago --Silence fell upon the alleyways of the Brume, broken only by the pattering of rain against stone and wood. Slowly, a child's footsteps broke the water, leaving a light red trail of blood behind him. But it wasn't his blood - it was blood from the man he'd killed just hours prior.It wasn't his intent at first. At first, he'd only wanted his coinpurse, the same thing as always. And, as always, he made off with it... or at least, he thought he had. Unexpectedly, the man managed to grab him, and, in a desperate attempt to escape capture, Aki used the closest weapon within reach... the man's own dagger.After a long chase through Foundation's winding roads, he finally managed to shake his pursuers. With the rain washing the blood from his skin, he made his way home tiredly. But he didn't have long to be relieved, or to even think he'd truly escaped. Upon returning, he found the door open. His stomach churned with unease, and panic instantly rose within him as he ran for the shack they called home."Luzifer!"But the room was empty. The sight did nothing to quell Aki's unease. "They're not here...?" Unfortunately, he didn't have time to wonder where his siblings may have gone - not when a blunt force was hitting him behind the head as his guard was down. In his last moments of consciousness, he heard the words. "Aki Faelen..."...you're under arrest."The next time Aki woke, he was in a dark room, tied to a chair with only a few candles to call light. His eyes opened slowly before the dull pain from the bludgeon set in. With a groan of pain, he slowly but surely came to fully."Hey. You're awake."The voice made his eyes shoot open, his gaze raising instantly. Before him was a man dressed in black, a long coat draped over his shoulders - that was all Aki could see as the candlelight cast shadows across his face. Aki glared at the mysterious figure. "... who are you? Where am I?" "You're in an underground holding cell in Foundation." "Underground...? What happened to being arrested?" The figure chuckled at that. "Apologies; I just wanted to see what it feels like to be an agent of justice." Aki gave him a flat look next. "... and how did that feel?" The figure's smile remained despite his next words. "Absolutely terrible." There was a long pause between them before Aki spoke again. "... you didn't answer my first question." The man stood then, stepping forward just enough that Aki could slightly see his face now. It was handsome and mature, looks that could easily sway a common woman into submission. The only blemish was a long, horizontal scar on the left side of his face - an unseeing eye could be seen beneath it, barely visible behind the hair which hung in front of it. "Before I answer that, let me ask you a question as well."Have you ever heard of the Beast Beneath the Moonlight?"The words made Aki freeze, and even though his widened gaze was cast down at the floor now, the man seemed to sense it. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, stopping before him, "Your reaction tells me you know more... like who, or what, it is." "... why should I tell you?" "Because I'll have to turn you over to the actual guards otherwise. They'll arrest you for what you did; I doubt a kid like yourself will be able to hide from them for long. At best, you'll be captured and imprisoned for life. At worst, they'll execute you. Either way, you'll never see your siblings again. And I'd hate to see what happens to them once you're gone." There was a loud clatter as Aki tried to pull free from his restraints, causing the chair to skid and rattle against the stone tiles. "You-!!" A few other men in the room braced themselves, hands to their swords and guns, but backed down at a single gesture from the mystery man. Aki's rage was apparent, but so was the man's lack of fear; he clearly wasn't intimidated or concerned as he knelt down to Aki's level. "Consider yourself lucky, werepanther, for you and your siblings are safe from harm... for now. They are currently under my protection, and will remain so so long as you cooperate." "...how did you know?" The man's lips turned upwards again into the same, bone-chilling smile. "...I never answered your first question, did I?"My name is Dooshik Oelus. I work for the Funeral Parlor, and have been tasked with hunting you down because 'that person' wishes to meet you."Now, I will have you come with me."-- Present Day --"Where is Dooshik? Who is 'that person'??" Aki glared at the ground. "I don't know-" "Do not lie!" The interrogator seemed prepared for Aki to deny him an answer, as he nearly cut him off with a punch to the face, knocking him over onto his side. He sighed, rubbing his bloodied fist. "To think someone from the Funeral Parlor would still remain loyal to them after they left him to die..." "Commander, if I may, I believe his words may hold some truth. After all, we've spent years trying to pin down the Funeral Parlor, and nobody has any idea who 'that person' is," a platoon leader also present at the scene said. "Indeed, he himself may not... but Dooshik does. He is an executive who only answers to 'that person' and their second-in-command while they hide like cowards. Now where is Dooshik-?!"The commander barely got to finish his sentence before a sword cut across his chest. "What...?" In the moments they had been distracted by conversation, Aki had broken free from his restraints and stolen the executioner's brandished sword. Confusion and chaos ensued as some officers moved to defend the commander, while others attempted to restrain Aki again to no avail. Soon, the majority of the room was unable to move, either dead or incapacitated in some other way, and Aki had the commander in a chokehold with a sword to his throat. The door opened then as another group stormed in, this time armed with guns as well as swords, and in walked none other than Dooshik himself. Unphased by the bloodied room and the bodies littered about it, he approached the commander, looking down at him. He flashed him the same cold smile. "It would seem the tables have turned, Commander." "Dooshik...! How...?!" He began to walk a circle around the two. "'How did I find this place'? Did it ever occur to you that Aki let you catch and bring him here to your base on purpose?" The commander gritted his teeth in defeat as Dooshik continued. "Let me tell you the three things you did wrong."One, thinking you could truly catch someone who was trained by our upper echelons. Two, trying to come after me. And three, insulting 'that person.'" Dooshik stopped before the commander again, this time with a much darker look upon his face."Do not underestimate the Funeral Parlor."

A Reunion Upon Tainted Sorrow

Characters: Aki Faelen, Dooshik Oelus

"So this is where you've been hiding."Aki looked up from the glass he'd been cleaning, frowning at the man now sitting across from him at the bar before casting his gaze away. "... your order?" "Come now, don't be so cold," he said lightheartedly, "It's been two years since we last saw each other." "And whose fault is that, Dooshik?" Aki's words were sharp and prepared, laced with contempt. "I don't know whose thumb you're under now, but they got you out. What reason did you have to look back on a past as bloody as yours?" Dooshik sighed at his response, then blinked when a glass of vodka was set before him. He laughed lightly. "Now, now, don't be getting jealous or anything. Life above ground is good; you should try it sometime." Aki responded with a sharp glare as Dooshik took a sip from his glass. "...what do you really want? You're not the type of person who would visit for leisure." "That hurts, Aki," Dooshik said with another laugh. His eyes opened slightly into a slant-eyed smirk. "Don't worry; I haven't forgotten my roots... and neither have you." With his words, he pointed at the dagger strapped to Aki's leg. The hilt that stuck out of its sheathe was engraved with a familiar crest - the mark of the Funeral Parlor. "I see you've still kept it all these years," he continued with a smile. Aki frowned a bit, his gaze cast down at the knife... the memento of the first time he'd killed another person. His eyes raised to Dooshik again, still narrowed. "...is it a request from 'that person'?" Dooshik only nodded with the same smile. "They wish to see the two of us reunited," he said, then paused. After a moment, he flashed a bright smile. "But I said no! You alone are enough for this job." A vein bulged on Aki's forehead as he slammed down the glass in his hand, cracking it against the bar counter. "HAH?! Where do you get off, offering me up like that without my consent-?!" Dooshik put a hand on Aki's head, instantly quelling him. "I only did so because I know you can do it. Besides, killing is your world now, not mine." He finished off his drink, setting the empty glass back on the counter before giving Aki another pat on the head and leaving. This time, Aki said nothing, simply holding still under Dooshik's touch, his bangs falling over his eyes as blood began to run down the broken glass."...only because you abandoned me here..."Outside, Dooshik stopped as snow began to float down from the sky. He looked up as the white flakes fell around him, a small, somewhat pained smile on his face. 'That's right, Aki... Hate me if you will... After all, I am the one who gave you your shackles and forced your hand. It's all my fault...'So hate me... But never hate yourself...'

Blacker Than Black

Characters: Dooshik Oelus, Felicity Faelen, Aki Faelen

The room was dark where the woman was left alone. She heard voices for a while, but now was met with only silence. 'Is this how I die...?' This was the question she asked herself as she laid there on the floor. Just an hour ago, she'd thought she'd gotten away from her husband with her sons... now she was tied up, blindfolded, and gagged with no idea where she was. 'Who were those men anyways...? They must've been sent by him right...?' She made a small sound of frustration, barely audible through the cloth that had been tied around her head. This was why she hated the mafia. Low-handed bastards who would use anything they could to get what they wanted-"Get up."The sudden voice broke her out of her thoughts, scaring her at the same time. She hadn't heard any footsteps; where did this guy come from?? Her question would be answered soon when the cloths were being pulled from her head, freeing her eyes and mouth. His face was hard to see in the dark, and was being eclipsed by the moonlight coming in from the window; all she could see was that he was wearing a black suit and turtleneck shirt. "Who are you? Where am I- Hey!" Next thing she knew, she was being pulled to her feet by her bindings. "Come on; we don't have all day," he said, turning her around so he could take a dagger to the ropes. "What are you-?!" "Pipe down." The girl grumbled in her head at being cut off continuously, rubbing her wrists once she was free. Before they could leave the room though... "In here!" The voice came from outside the room, and there was no time to react before the door slammed open. Despite the jarring entrance, the man didn't seem bothered, only uttering an off-handed, "Oops." He turned to face them, revealing the single katana he had at his hip. "You have a lot of nerve coming in here!" "Ya think yer gettin' outta here alive?!" The man only scoffed in the face of their yelling. "Are you gonna stop me?" His words of challenge were calm in comparison, perfectly composed as he lifted his wrists in a slight shrug; it was clear he wasn't scared or intimidated in the least. "It'll take more than a handful of lowly gutter rats like you to kill me." "You...!!" Their words only served to enhance the amused, sadistic smirk on the man's face. "Close your eyes," he said next, this time addressing the girl. "What?" "Now." Against her better judgement, she did as he asked, squeezing her eyes closed. The last thing she saw was the man slowly reaching for his sword."Rejoice, for pain is a curse bestowed only upon the living."A sharp sound of metal rubbing against metal rang out, followed by a litany of thuds, gunshots, splatters, and yells. And then... silence. Finally, there was a soft metallic click, the sound of the katana settling back into its sheathe. "You can open your eyes now." The girl did so slowly before they shot open. The scene before her... was more red than anything. Most of the floor was covered in blood, along with numerous streaks and splatters on the walls and ceiling; there was so much of it that she found herself wondering if he'd killed them so brutally on purpose. The men who had tried to attack them now laid lifeless in pools of their own blood. The sight made her stomach churn, and she turned to gag, putting one hand to the wall and one hand to her mouth. The man paid her no mind, only looking to the door again as more footsteps sounded, this time less hurried. "Take care of the bodies," he said to the new group, who responded with a collective, "Yes, sir." Only then did he turn his attention back to the girl, approaching her from behind, his hands in his pockets. "You okay?" The girl looked over her shoulder at him. "Wh-Who are you...?" The man blinked back at her, then smirked again, albeit smaller this time, the animalistic demeanor gone. Now that he was facing her and standing closer to the window, she could finally see him properly. He was handsome, no doubt, and looked more like a philanderer than an assassin. His dark hair was slicked back and out of his face, his skin smooth and features chiseled; the only blemish was a horizontal scar that ran across the left side of his face, right over his eye, which was now scarred shut. His other was a pitch black, blacker than black."My name is Dooshik Oelus. I work for the Funeral Parlor."I'm here to save you, princess."---"Hey... Hey..."A broomstick handle thudded against Dooshik's head. "Ow!" That woke him up real quick, snapping back into a sitting position. "What was that for?!" "You were drooling on the bar," Aki said flatly, "and muttering something in your sleep." He turned to start cleaning up; clearly the bar was closing, as all the other patrons were gone. "If you're gonna have nightmares, get out and go have them at home." "Aren't you gonna ask if I'm okay?" Aki shot him a glare over his shoulder, only to find he'd finished the last of his drink and put his chin down on the counter again. "Why must you be so cruel to me?" A roll of the eyes answered him. "That's rich, coming from you. Whatever you may say, your blood is mafia black; there's no changing that." Dooshik chuckled a bit at that. "What, you don't want to know what my dream was about?" "I don't care." Dooshik gave a small, content, yet somewhat pained smile, his eyes lowering away from Aki. "You should..."It's how I met your mother, after all."Aki frowned at Dooshik. "... stop acting like you're my father." Dooshik lifted himself from the counter, sitting up straight once more before meeting Aki's gaze, the same somehow gentle look on his face. It was hard to believe that this was the same face of the man who was once one of the most lethal assassins in the Brume. "I was a better father than your actual father though, wasn't I?" Aki shut up then; there was no way to refute that. But Dooshik continued, picking up the bottle on the counter next to him to pour himself another drink. "Despite everything you say about hating me, I know you don't actually." "Bullshit!" Aki's hands came down with a slam against the counter hard enough to rattle Dooshik's glass; another nearby fell and hit the floor with a crash. "Living with you was like hell... ! Being with you was like hell!" Dooshik looked at Aki once more, his expression a little more flat this time; though a trace of a smile still remained, a piece of his old personality slipped through. "... after all I did for you, too, that's all you have to say about me? Besides, considering you're still alive and well today, I'd say that hell raised you properly." Aki bit down in frustration at the truth."... just get out."

Low Tide at Twilight

Characters: Dooshik Oelus, Daemon Stride

7pm. The sun began to fall through the winter sky. Day turned to night, and the ocean receded - a low tide at twilight. A single figure stood in the water, just far enough that the waves splashed his knees each time they reached for the shore again, turning his already-dark pants an even darker black. The sky soon followed suit as he looked out over the water, watching as the sun disappeared over the horizon. His expression was flat and listless, smoke from the cigarette between his lips wafting gently in the seaside breeze. "What's wrong, Dooshik?" came a voice from the shore behind him. Dooshik looked over his shoulder. "Daemon... what are you doing out here?" he asked, seemingly surprised in earnest. "I saw a man about to ring the bell on death's door," Daemon replied, lighting his own cigarette. Dooshik breathed a smile. "That bad, huh?" "I'll hear you out if I have to." "Come on, don't put it that way." Dooshik gave a sigh, a stream of smoke cutting through the air. He put his hands in his pockets as he turned back for the shore, but stopped for one last look over the ocean. "Besides... no matter how much I may want to, I can't die yet. There's too much to leave behind..." Daemon watched him silently as he trudged back through the water, sinking slightly in the mud with each step. In a way, it wasn't just water weighing him down. It wasn't just mud he was sinking into. It was the weight of all the lives he'd taken, all the demons he carried, all the wrongs he'd done. It was the entrance to hell looming under him, the hole his past deeds had dug, ready to swallow him whole at any moment, a curse bestowed upon him by those he'd wronged and killed. But, no doubt, it was a fate he'd come to accept. "How has he been?" "Who, Aki? Well... he hates you as much as always." Dooshik breathed an amused laugh from his nose as the two made their way back to Hyena."... you know, I've killed a lot of people in my time..." Dooshik muttered, his words stifled slightly by the cigarette in his mouth, "... those lives are never coming back..." "I never pegged you for the sentimental type." "Just hear me out-" "Since when have you cared?" Dooshik gaped slightly at Daemon's bluntness, the cigarette falling to the concrete. Did he really think he was that heartless?? "Wh-" "You heard me." Daemon sighed out another cloud of smoke before putting his out as well, dropping it into a cigarette pouch before going on to explain. "You only ever did what you thought was necessary. That's the only reason you've been able to survive until now. The guilt would've taken a normal person to hell and back by now." Dooshik fell silent then, his eyes closing halfway, his gaze lowering in contemplation. A normal person... Did that mean he wasn't normal? No, he knew that much at least was true. After all, what 'normal person' would bet their livelihood on killing others? "... what's wrong with me, Daemon?" "Nothing. Those things are what make you you."There's nothing wrong with you."

Cry Me a River

Characters: Dooshik Oelus, Natsume Hibiki, Noire Mephistic

"... are you seriously leaving, Iharu?"He scoffed a bit from his nose, though his mouth was smiling. "Do I really have a choice?" Though the initial pain of rejection had subsided now, it was hard to imagine that the people he'd been ready to lay down his life for would turn on him now. Still, it was a fate he'd come to accept. He'd always known something was wrong with him. The first time he cut himself on a piece of broken glass as a child, he didn't even cry. He was only intrigued by the sight of blood, liquid red as it flowed down the smooth surface of the glass. The fascination had overtaken any pain he may have felt; his mind simply didn't register it. Maybe the chance to spill blood was part of the reason he'd joined the Sekiseigumi. After all, he had no sense of things like social status or honor; only a hunger for carnage.It was that hunger that spurred his fall from grace. One by one, the people around him began to turn their backs. Even those he thought were close eventually distanced themselves. None of them tried to understand... and he didn't blame them. There was nothing normal about it; he didn't expect anyone to forgive him. But the next thing he knew, everyone was gone. The last person standing, his one tie to humanity, was now the only one with any will to stop him.His only family left after he'd killed his parents.Those were the terms set for him to leave his past. Destroy it all... but this was one person - the only person - he wanted to spare. "... I'm sorry, Natsume. But I don't belong here anymore. Don't try to convince yourself otherwise. Frankly, I'm surprised you can stand here and calmly talk to me like this-" "Do you think I really want to?!" Natsume gritted his teeth in anger, his breath speeding with rage. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you...!! In fact, I never will! But our parents wouldn't want us to fight-!" "Our parents are gone, Natsume." He met his brother's eyes dead-on, shutting him up. "The dead cannot dictate the lives of the living." "... how selfish can you get...?! Not only do you disrespect our parents' dying wish, but you'd go so far as to not even acknowledge them?!"I was wrong to think I could reason with you... You just destroyed the last shred of faith I had in you. The glimmer of hope that something humane still exists within you. But it doesn't... You're a monster, Iharu." "... I know. I know better than anyone." Natsume clenched his fists so hard they shook, glaring at the ground. He never expected the gentle hands that came up to open one of them; he flinched when they did, but didn't look up. There was a quiet clinking of metal on metal as he placed his dog tags in his palm, followed by a long silence. "Tell them you killed me to avenge our parents, and my body got carried away by the river; that should clear your name at least."From today on, Iharu Hibiki is dead." His hands came up to the sides of Natsume's head, holding his face between them as he placed his forehead against his - something he'd always done ever since they were children. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this until the very end." He was sorry...? Then why did he do it in the first place...?! This was what Natsume wanted to ask, but couldn't bring himself to. He couldn't without his voice cracking, couldn't look up at him with the tears streaming down his face. Besides, deep inside, he knew why. It's just how he was. He'd found something else to live for, a place where he could unapologetically be himself... a place where he belonged. In the end, the hunger had won out over family. And he knew he couldn't keep him from sating it. "... I cannot allow you to leave-" "Don't." He looked back at his brother, whose hand laid upon the hilt of his sword. "Don't try to fight me, Natsume. It won't end well and you know it. Take what mercy has been handed to you; it didn't come cheap." After all, in sparing Natsume, he risked losing his path forward. "... disappear from here. And never show your face to me again. There will be no second chance." "... I know."- later that night -"... have you come to a decision then?" "Did me killing my family not say enough?" "... I will say, I'm surprised you were able to kill all three of them. I heard you were close to your brother." He breathed out a smile, looking up at the Kugane night sky. "Those kinds of feelings aren't needed in this life... right?" The smile only widened into a much more pleasant one as his gaze lowered again to the woman who'd met him in the dark alley. "... very well. The Funeral Parlor welcomes you..."... Dooshik Oelus."

The Road Not Taken

Characters: Nautilus Alastor

(a placeholder with a cool story title)possible Nautilus story about him leaving the Immortal Flames?? and dropping the lines "I can walk this path no longer. I will find my own way forward."

Of Steadfast Will

Characters: 'That Person', Homura Mephistic

"... do you know who the strongest people are?"Homura gave the figure before him a flat look. Despite the rude gesture, his posture was that of respect, standing up straight, hands clasped behind his back. "... well?" they eventually asked, pressing for an answer, to which the Viera only rolled his eyes. "Hell if I know. This is probably just another one of your stupid trick questions." The figure laughed, getting to their feet; their silhouette could be seen moving behind the sheer curtains hanging between them and Homura. "It's not. I want to know your honest opinion." "Yeah right. No doubt there's still a wrong answer." "So you do still know fear." "Wh-?!" Another laugh answered his vocalized shock, the person behind the curtain moving again, turning their back on Homura to look out the window behind them. "Don't worry; it's a good thing. After all, I let you get away with much, my son. It is reassuring to know you haven't lost the common sense to not defy me." Homura made a face upon being addressed as their child, but didn't object. In the end, it was true - this person had taken him under their wing when he'd had nothing but some chump change from living on the streets. It was because of this person that he could live the life of luxury he currently had, the very reason he was happy. Naturally, even he knew he had to repay them well."Ah. You never answered my question." "... I wouldn't know," Homura replied after a pause, "I am only as powerful as the money I have." "How humble of you!" the boss laughed, resulting in a look of annoyance from Homura, "That's quite refreshing. It seems you do know your place." "Did you call me here just to make fun of me?" "I'm not making fun of you, my son. I have a job for you. Something only you can do." "I highly doubt that." The figure turned again, approaching the curtain this time. A thin folder poked out through the fabric, and Homura stepped forth to accept it... unsuccessfully resisting the urge to flinch when the boss gripped him by the shoulder suddenly as soon as he was close enough. "That's not true. You are strong, Homura, stronger than you give yourself credit for."After all, you came to me with nothing. People who have nothing else, no other place... are of steadfast will. Desperation when pitted against all odds is a powerful weapon, though you may see it as a weakness."But that weakness is your greatest strength... never forget that."

Shackles

Characters: Homura Mephistic, Hua Jiang

The following work contains content that may be considered suggestive (but not explicit). Reader discretion is advised.

"Tell. The. Truth!"The loud voice broke through the silence, trampling the groans and whimperings of its subject. Each word was accompanied by the blunt sound of flesh against flesh as fist met skin with easily enough force to leave a bruise. "Please, I swear, I have nothing else!" the other voice cried as its owner was beaten. At this point, blotches of blood were strewn across the tile floor, and a couple of teeth lay useless among them. The two were encircled by a small group of four other men in suits; one in particular was standing a little further away, leaning against his desk. He made a face at the pitiful sight before him as the man on the floor proceeded to beg for mercy. With an exasperated sigh, he straightened up, stepping away from his desk. "Enough." The single word was enough to get them to stop. "President..." "I believe you," he said with a smile on his face. But the smile was anything but sincere, and only lasted a moment before he continued, "You will just have to work off the rest of the money you owe... in the experiment lab." The other man's face paled, as if he knew exactly what was in store for him there. "N-No, please! Anything but that-!" "Take him away." Clearly, the conversation was over to him, turning his back on the group as the four other men dragged him out; the pleas for clemency fell on deaf ears. Finally, all was silent again."Sir. There's someone here to see you." It was only so long before the silence was broken yet again by a voice from the hallway outside, preceded by a couple of knocks on the door. "Enter," the president said, his back remaining to the door as he looked out the window at the back of his office. With the small sound of a click, the door opened; two sets of footsteps sounded as they entered the room."Ling."His eyes widened at the name, the shock apparent. That name alone was enough to make him turn, though there was no need for him to do so; after all, he knew who it was - only one person called him that. Even if it wasn't him, anyone who would call him Ling Tu anymore was trouble for him. But only one person was thoughtful enough to leave out the part of his name that he despised. And it only meant one thing - the shackles of his past had come back to haunt him. There, amidst the blood splatters, was a Viera dressed in garb unbefitting of the place and time. It was mostly cotton and canvas - the type that could be made purely from nature - assembled haphazardly across his body, held in place by leather straps. It was a stark contrast to the sharp suits worn by the others in the room. "Ling... You have to come home." The president's eyes narrowed. "... leave us." This time, his words were directed at the third man in the room, his subordinate who had escorted the Viera in. "Sir?" "I said, leave us!" "Y-Yes, sir!" The man hurriedly left the room, shutting the door behind himself.Once again, silence settled in between them. Finally, the Viera spoke. "Ling-" "Don't." The president was quick to put an end to his words, however. There was another pause before he looked away, unable to hold the Viera's gaze amidst his lie. "... you have the wrong person. My name is Homura." The Viera was the one to glare at him then. "Don't lie... Ling Tu-" "Don't call me that!" As usual, his temper got the best of him. He swung at his former best friend, cleanly hitting him in the jaw and knocking him onto the floor. But he didn't stay there for long, picking himself up back onto his feet. "You've only proven me right..." he said, wiping the blood from his split lip. "... you haven't changed. Your fever speaks before your logic." "You-!" But Homura didn't have time to argue. In fact, he still noticed too late, when the horridly familiar scent of flowers began to creep up on them. 'Alpha pheromones...!' He quickly put a hand over his nose and mouth, but the damage was done. He had no suppressants, hadn't needed to take them anymore in an environment where alphas and omegas were exceedingly rare.With nothing standing in its way, the Viera's tactic took full effect. "Hua Jiang... You bastard... ! That's dirty... !!" the omega struggled, his voice muffled behind his hand as he glared at him, eventually succumbing to the effects. Homura leaned his weight onto his desk as he felt the strength leave him, collapsing to the floor as his knees could no longer hold him. Hua Jiang only responded to his look of contempt with one of sadness as he watched Homura cave. "Call it what you will... You belong to me, Ling."You always will."

(CONTINUED IN 'Skin and Bones')

Skin and Bones

Characters: Homura Mephistic, Hua Jiang, Salima

(CONTINUED FROM 'Shackles')

The following work contains sexually explicit content and suggested dub-/non-consensual behavior. Reader discretion is advised.

"... you were always going to end up here, Ling.""I told you...to stop calling me that..."But, for all his mouth, Homura couldn't do much else against Hua Jiang. Not when he was at the mercy of the latter's pheromones filling up the air in the room, so weak in the knees that he couldn't get up from his place on the tile floor by his desk. "My name...is Homura...child of the Funeral Parlor...the leader of Plutus Corp...!" Hua Jiang watched with a flat look and very slight amusement as Homura struggled to pick himself up. "... your parents are rolling over in their graves, Homura," he said, practically spitting out his childhood friend's new name. "Hell if I care...! Stop releasing your damn pheromones; it's fucking disgusting...!" "Really? That's not what you said when we were younger." Indeed, despite his words, Homura didn't actually find the smell that unpleasant. In fact, it smelled too good, much more than he was willing to admit. It was a sweet scent, almost stiflingly so. But, on top of that, it also made Homura feel a certain type of way... a fact that Hua Jiang was quite aware of. So, on the contrary, he stepped closer, approaching the crippled Homura and picking him up off the floor, setting him against his desk instead. But he would find no reprieve from the smell, not when Hua Jiang pressed up against him, even more into his personal space, until he had him caged in with his arms. Still, Homura leaned forward, trying to put as much distance between them as he could. Sadly, there was nowhere to run. "Fight me...fair and square...you coward...!" Homura struggled, only for Hua Jiang to give him the same look of pity and pain. "I don't want to fight you, Ling... Besides, as you are, if you were to fight me, you will surely lose. You have spent years here, hiding behind Houtushen's blessing in a world that doesn't understand your powers. You are strong without even trying... You've been slacking because you haven't needed to be stronger. And because of that, you are now weaker than me." "What the hell would you know?!" In a burst of strength, Homura whirled around, one of his wristlets glowing as his power surged. Unfortunately, just as Hua Jiang had predicted, it wasn't enough. He caught his fist easily, wrenching his arm to the side and spinning him, pinning him chest first to his desk once more. Homura hit the wood with a grunt."You know what you have to do to truly fight back in this situation." "I won't...! I refuse to use my pheromones like you...!" But Homura's resistance was failing, clear in that Hua Jiang had managed to undo his belt and zipper, and now had a hand inside his underwear. "Why must you always make things difficult for yourself...? Just look at you," he said, withdrawing his hand to show Homura the fluids that his fingers were now drenched in. "Allow me to ease your suffering... I'm not like the others. I'll get under your skin, love you down to your bones..." "You're...insane...!" Homura hissed as he tried to regain some space, pushing his back against Hua Jiang's chest. But the stronger alpha wouldn't be moved, and Homura found himself pressed to the desk again. "Just let me love you..." Hua Jiang murmured in his ear as his hand continued. The other joined it now, though from behind rather than reaching in front. Homura inhaled sharply as he felt his fingers press to his opening. "Hua-! Ngh...!" He was cut off when he felt the intrusion, holding his breath and biting down as the pressure built within. "I see your heart has remained closed all these years," Hua Jiang commented as his fingers struggled to fit inside, "You are as you were when you left us..." Homura's will to fight back was truly and thoroughly diminished, reduced to a whimpering mess at the hands of Hua Jiang. "Relax; you're going to break my fingers." "Agh..."But just then, multiple sets of footsteps could be heard stopping right outside the door. "L-Lady Salima! You can't just-!" A sharp glare was enough to silence Homura's subordinate who'd tried to stop her approach, before she turned to one of her own associates. "Open it." Loud bangs began to sound, leaving only a few seconds before they would be interrupted. "This isn't over, Ling," Hua Jiang said, withdrawing his hands and backing off enough to allow for Homura's knees to fully buckle, "I'll be back for you... Be prepared to leave this life behind. Whether it be with me or your earth goddess brethren, you're coming home. You should know which is the better choice...if you don't want to be killed for Black Sand Under Earth's relic." In the nick of time, Hua Jiang escaped out the window at the back of the office, and so, when the door finally burst open, Salima only found Homura, once again on the floor by his desk, only one hand still gripping the edge of it for support. She made a face at the residual scent of pheromones; Hua Jiang had laid it on thick for even her to be able to smell it. Waving it off with a look of disgust, she looked to Homura instead, scoffing with amusement at what she saw. "What a pitiful sight you are, Brother," she said tauntingly. Homura looked over his shoulder at her, taking a moment to gather himself. "Salima... What are you doing here?" As Salima replied, he was finally able to pull himself to his feet. "To save you, of course, dear brother," she said in the same tone. "Stop bullshitting-" "'That person' wishes to see us," she interjected before Homura could stomp on her fun, suddenly serious, "Regarding the Ilsabard region. Specifically, that artificial ceruleum plant you've got running in Garlemald." "What about it?" "The girl you've been keeping there leveled another building yesterday. And let's just say the Empire isn't pleased." Homura frowned, his eyes narrowing. "They're the ones who commissioned us to-!" "In any case, 'that person' said Plutus Corp must pull out of Garlemald for the time being until things cool off. You are to regroup at the House of Sindhura until then. Looks like you are at my mercy once again, Brother." The blatant amusement on Salima's face was enough to make Homura spit mentally. "Ugh... Just who do you think you are, for me to be at your mercy? You think you're extending an olive branch or something? You're not even a Parlor executive; you're beneath-!" "Consider your next words very carefully, Brother." It seemed Salima had a penchant for interrupting Homura's words. "Think about what your friend just did to you. Look at the state he left you in." Homura returned her harsh look and implied threat with a glare that didn't care, yet held enough anger to make up for it. He clicked his tongue. "Tsk. You alphas are all the same."A dark look descended upon Salima's face, though she still smiled."Be glad I am not far worse."

Drowning Flames

Characters: Daemon Stride, Dooshik Oelus

(DRAFT ONLY; work in progress)

Daemon stood in the doorway, stunned at what he saw before him. Shades of the past returned, and it was clear that he was seeing something completely different than what was in front of him. His breathing sped as the memories flooded back, his heart rate rising. Finally, he snapped out of it enough to realize it wasn't real... but instead turned to leave in an attempt to prevent what he thought was coming next.Too bad he ran right into Dooshik. "Dooshik-" "Daemon, you have to calm down," his friend said seriously. Daemon gave him an incredulous look, as if he were asking for the impossible. "'Calm down'? How can I calm down?! He's gone...! Just like them... I have to save him, before it's too late!" He seemed to be hyperventilating at that point, as he coughed, choking on his words as he fell to his knees. "I have to-... I can't-... !" Dooshik crouched down with him, putting his hand over his mouth. "Breathe, Daemon... This isn't like you. It's not happening again." Daemon squeezed his eyes closed in an attempt to obey, but his attempts to reign in his panic proved futile. Finally, Dooshik gave his friend a reluctant, but concerned frown. He was leaving him with no choice other than his last resort, a fatal weakness that only a select few knew, but one Daemon had imposed upon himself. "Fine then..."... the fire has drowned."It was a nonsensical but significant phrase, the lock on Daemon's memories and consciousness. Like a switch, he froze, and collapsed soon after.

GALLERY

[commissions open]
I specialize in multi-character scenes and prop/weapon poses. My style is typically close-cropped with focus being on the characters with less regard for the background; the characters typically fill the screen without much room around the edges. I like to use dynamic angles (typically low dutch angles) and slight rotation to give my photos some flair. I take inspiration from various things including music album photobooks, fashion posters, and manga splash art and covers.
Prices start at 250k gil for 3-4 shots, with each additional person being an addition 25k.

POSTER PORTFOLIO

[commissions open]
I specialize in dynamic, collage-style flyers, either static or animated. Open for long-term or one-off commissions; prices vary based on desired complexity and elements. My style revolves around things like magazine covers and splash art. Contact me on Discord @obsidianpulse through the FFXIV Venues server or any of my venue servers.
Prices start at 500k gil per poster, with possible discount for long-term contracts. Includes all gposing and post-editing.

VENUE SCHEDULE

[SUNDAY]
The Clocktower (6pm-10pm PST) [Crystal | Goblin | Empyreum | Ward 4 | Plot 18]
as Aki Faelen and Nautilus Alastor (management / bartender)
[MONDAY]
The Final Daze (7pm-11pm PST) [Dynamis | Marilith | Empyreum | Ward 8 | Plot 26]
as Segadus Hest (management / hype squad)
[TUESDAY]
[open]
[WEDNESDAY]
Insomnia (9pm-12m PST) [Crystal | Brynhildr | Mist | Ward 25 | Plot 5]
as Aki Faelen (bartender)
[THURSDAY]
Four Fiends Resort (7pm-11pm PST) [Crystal | Mateus | Mist | Ward 15 | Plot 7]
as Aki Faelen (PR manager / ad creator (off-site))
[FRIDAY]
Octane (7pm-11pm PST) [Dynamis | Maduin | Shirogane | Ward 10 | Plot 19] {HIATUS}
as Bruxa Hullus and Daemon Stride (management / bartender)
[SATURDAY]
The Final Daze (7pm-11pm PST) [Dynamis | Marilith | Empyreum | Ward 8 | Plot 26] {every last Saturday only}
as Segadus Hest (management / hype squad)