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Post by Vapovile on Nov 5, 2015 23:28:50 GMT
It took every fiber in Haruko's body not to shout back at him, to say how much of a horrible person he was being for denying Cosmina's humanity. But she didn't...and the door slammed without another word. The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity, Kate not wanting to break the silence, and Haruko holding back her rage. Finally, after taking a deep breath, Haruko gets up and walks over to the kitchen where Marceline was. With a smile on her face, she looks at Marceline and leans against the kitchen doorway. "Sorry you had to hear that, I'd be happy to take Cosmina off your hands."
---
Shaking his head, Alex smirks slightly at Swallower as he let go of the handshake. "Almost. We're going to need you to take one more test, just to see if your combat abilities are fit for the job. Sarah?" On cue, Sarah takes out a teleport scroll and activates it. The room is momentarily covered in a bright blue light, but before they knew it, they were in the middle of a large rectangular arena that spanned seemingly much longer than the width of the building. The entire room was covered in thick steel plates, with no windows in sight, and the arena itself was a simple raised platform in the middle of the room. A set of thick red ropes stretched around the platform, meant to soften any blow one may take crashing directly into the ropes.
"There's your stage. Just head inside and we can begin." Alex states, motioning for Swallower to take the right side of the arena, the one closest to them.
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 6, 2015 4:03:19 GMT
Marceline put the bottle she had taken from the fridge behind her back. "You will? You'll adopt her?" Tears welled up in her one eye and she pulled Haruko into a hug. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to us." She sobbed. There was a thundrous noise from the stairs and a second later, Cosmina tackled Haruko from behind. "Mom!" She declared, her own face far soggier than Marceline as she squeezed the best mom in the world. And the best sister, for realizing she needed a mom instead.
___
Swallower squeezed his eyes against the light. Infernal device! Could it not be dimmed? The information on the task raised his spirits. "I can assure you I am fit for any job." He stepped to the location pointed out by Alex, keeping his relaxed stance.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 6, 2015 23:15:08 GMT
Haruko hugged both of them, leaning slightly to the side of Marceline due to the smell the doll was giving off. Her own eyes were slightly red, but only a single tear managed to work it's way out from the emotion moment that was going on. Despite the argument she just had with her now ex boyfriend, Haruko knew she made the right decision. "It's no problem at all. I'm happy to add Cosmina into our little family." Being in the middle of the hug, Haruko would wait until either of them let go before breaking the hug. In the other room, Kate was still sitting in her chair, seething at the moment those three were having. She didn't want another member of the family, especially not one like Cosmina! Kate began to run countless scenarios into her mind, trying to think of a way to get Cosmina out of this house before Haruko got too attached to her. --- "I hope that you are. Now, look forward and meet your opponent." Alex states, leaning against the back wall nearest to the door, next to Sarah. Looking forward, Swallower would hear a familiar voice ring out at him. "Hey, you ready yet?"Standing at the opposite end of the arena was the woman who greeted Swallower at the HWIC's lobby. However, now she held a long steel sword with a gold handle at the end. She seemed slightly annoyed at having to be here, but was willing to go through with it anyway. Pointing her sword at Swallower, the woman locks eyes with him. "The name's Mia. Come at me with everything you've got, alright?" She states, confidently. Alex calls out to Swallower once more. "This is a test of your combat abilities. Show us what you can do against Mia. Start whenever you're ready."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 7, 2015 3:28:19 GMT
Marceline let go first, Cosmina still clinging, crying so hard she felt like she couldn't stand on her own. Marceline sheepishly raised the half-empty bottle. "Here. It'll take the edge off. Trust me, I'm an expert." She offered it to Haruko. Cosmina pulled her head away from Haruko's body. "I have something to give you too!" She declared, still clinging. With one hand, she pulled a folded up piece of paper free of her pocket. "It's a going away present for Marcy!" Marceline balked on her way to the door. "I don't need a gift, ya little shit. I never really earned one either." She ruffled Cosmina's hair and looked at the door again.
___
Swallower huffed. "The receptionist? You insult my abilities." He bounded, moving faster than would be expected of such a hefty creature. He moved to grab one of Mia's legs and toss her like a ragdoll against the wall, a swift display of raw strength that he didn't believe would harm her too much. He didn't wish to kill the poor thing that underestimated him so.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 7, 2015 10:18:14 GMT
Taking the bottle from Marceline, Haruko smiled a little and took a decently large drink from it. She didn't tend to drink alcohol often, but right now was enough of a reason to do it. "Thanks...it helps." She says, smiling again. Glancing at the piece of paper, Haruko began to unfold it to see what Cosmina had on it. "Don't say that, you took care of your sister for almost a year on your own. Let's see what this is..." Haruko finishes unwrapping it, glancing at what was on the paper finally.
---
Rolling her eyes, Mia stood completely still until Swallower was a few feet away from her. With blinding speed, her body spins to the right, moving past the arm trying to grab her and planting both feet back on the ground directly behind Swallower. Then, using the momentum from her spin, Mia swings her sword at Swallower's neck, stopping just millimeters from actually making contact. "Is that it? You would've been decapitated right there. I suggest you start taking me seriously, or this test won't go well for you at all." Slowly moving her sword to the side, the blade only barely touches the side of Swallower's neck before she stops again. "One more thing...I'm not the receptionist."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 9, 2015 16:27:59 GMT
"It wasn't even close to a year." Marceline protested. Cosmina caught hold of her skirt. "Don't go just yet!" Marceline tugged by the little girl just held on, staring right into her eyes with the cutest expression she could muster. "Ughhhhhh, fine. What is it?" She asked Haruko, trying to get a look. "Don't look!" Cosmina demanded, jumping up and down between the two. The paper depicted Marceline in an outfit clumsily drawn in crayon. She was clad in pink pants and a vest of the same color, held closed by purple buttons shaped like hearts. The shirt under it was white, with the sleeves going to her wrist. Under a charming pink top hat with a white bow wrapped just above the rim, the patch tied over Marceline's eye was like a little white heart. Each part was labeled clearly in equally shoddy handwriting. Cosmina tugged on Haruko's sleeve to get her down to her level and whisper in her ear. "It's so she can fight while still looking pretty! She won't admit it, but she really likes girly crap."
___
Swallower grumbled deep in his chest, a noise that built until it became apparent what it was. "MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I apologize!" He laughter shook the room. "I let my preconceptions blind me. It will not happen again. Do not blame me if you do not survive." His voice became serious before he exploded once more into movement faster than seemed possible for his heft. He swung his canine snout to snap at the sword, hoping to catch it in his jaws, then wrenched his head up in an attempt to disarm her. If it came free he would drop it into an available hand. Then came the offensive.
He whirled, thrusting an elbow for Mia's face. He followed it up by sliding into a proper stance and throwing a massive hook with two arms, one aimed for her face and the other her kidney. If they landed and sent her flying as intended, Swallower would immediately swivel to extend an arm on the right side in front of her face to clothesline her painfully to the ground.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 15, 2015 18:26:11 GMT
Haruko studied the crayon image given to her, looking like it was drawn by someone with poor eyesight in addition to the limitations of crayon. Nodding her head at Cosmina's whispering, Haruko stands back up and looks at Marceline. "Marceline, would you mind staying for a little longer while we make what your sister gave me here? You are free to use the shower if you want, but we're going to need some measurements afterwards." She was already planning out what sort of details she could put into this design that Cosmina hadn't accounted for. It shouldn't take long to make something like this, especially given how quickly Haruko could create outfits in general.
---
Mia rolled her eyes a second time as Swallower began laughing. "The evil laugh isn't intimidating, by the way." She remarks, preparing for his onslaught. Mia flicked her sword to the right, managing to avoid having Swallower bite it and disarm her. The next few strikes managed to connect however, his opponent making no attempt to dodge them as she is sent flying, and then clotheslined to the ground hard. However, Mia quickly brings her legs upwards, and front flips back onto her feet. Her body didn't seem visibly damaged at all, though a tiny amount of a strange white crystal-like substance flaked off of her chest. She glanced over at Alex, leaning against her sword.
"He's got some impressive strength, but could use some work on his speed. Easily passable in the power area though." Looking back at Swallower, Mia points her sword at him once more. "That was your strength test. Let's see your top speed now." Placing her sword back into it's sheathe, Mia gets into a fighting stance. "It's simple; try to hit me with one of your attacks. Let's go."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 15, 2015 18:58:16 GMT
Marceline sighed. "Alright... dammit." She ran upstairs to find a bathroom. Cosmina clicked inaudibly. "Where's your sewing stuff? I don't know what to make it out of." She wasn't incredibly well versed in this actually making outfits.
___
Swallower was surprised when Mia stood. He admired that sort of power. One eye noted the shard falling away from her body. Did he actually harm her? He wasn't sure. He got into his own battle stance, one more like boxing. He launched a right hook for her head an instant before snapping back with another hook, aimed as a kidney shot. If she dodged like he thought she would, she'd duck right into his second fist.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 16, 2015 9:33:08 GMT
Once Marceline was visibly out of earshot, Haruko points to a doorway right across from the living room, the inside having many pieces of equipment, assorted fabrics, and various other supplies one would expect a seamstress to need for their job. "It's all in there. Come on, I'll show you what to do." Walking into the sewing room, Haruko takes out a long piece of pink fabric, followed by a sheet of white fabric, and laying out a few other materials before them. "Ok, since we don't have her measurements yet, we have to start with the simple stuff, like her hat." Bringing out a piece of flexible pink material, Haruko begins to cut and mold it into the shape of the top hat Cosmina had drawn.
Walking through the entrance a few moments after Haruko, Kate sits down in a chair nearby to her mother, both watching her work...and glaring at Cosmina as she observed. She still hated the fact that Cosmina was now part of this family, and was going to steal attention away from her, who had been here way before she was!
---
As Swallower launched his right hook, Mia leans backward to avoid the fist, grabbing onto it as his attack missed and twisting her body upwards to avoid his kidney shot. With her momentum and still holding onto his fist, Mia swings her entire body inward, her right foot outstretched to deliver a kick to Swallower's neck, now at a slightly slower speed than what she was dodging at. If the kick connects, a surprising amount of force would send Swallower flying to the side of the arena, where he'd meet the stretchy barrier that would break his momentum and reduce the damage he would take. Even on such a large target such as him, the kick would be like a getting hit by a car from the side.
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 16, 2015 18:03:08 GMT
Cosmina clicked at the fabric for the hat, a stiffer material than for the suit. "Don't we need to know how big and misshapen her head is?" Her clicking also noticed the glared Kate was directing at her, and she quickly stuck her tongue out when Haruko wasn't looking.
___
Swallower was too slow to see just what happened between his punches and the pain in his neck. He slid, but was anchored quickly by rooting himself in the shadows between cracks in the flooring. It overall increased the pain, but now he had the advantage. He thrust an arm to grab her leg, another to sweep at her and smash her in the ribs.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 18, 2015 8:35:12 GMT
"I remember the general shape of her head, and to be sure..." Haruko flips the incomplete hat toward Cosmina, holding a small black strap attached to the inside. "It's slightly adjustable, so if she has any kind of swelling or grows at all, it will still fit her." Beginning work on the hat again, she doesn't notice Cosmina sticking her tongue out at Kate. Kate, meanwhile, frowns at Cosmina and points to the door when Haruko wasn't looking, quickly putting it back so her mother wouldn't notice.
---
Sighing at his attempt at stopping the attack's effects prematurely, Mia steps forward and skillfully front flips over his hand attacks, her movements being so quick that they appeared to be making afterimages. As she landed back on the ground, Mia turns her back on Swallower and begins walking toward Alex, stepping out of the arena. "Test's over, you pass. See ya around, or not." And with that, Mia waves at all of them once, beginning to walk toward the elevator.
Soon, clapping could be heard coming from the area next to the elevator. Looking over would reveal Alex clapping his hands, while Sarah made a motion with her neck indicating Swallower should come over to their location. "Congratulations, you passed all the needed tests. Welcome aboard, Theo." Stopping his slight clap, Alex looks toward the elevator. "Would you want to see the training facility now, or do you wish to end things here?"
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 18, 2015 16:23:33 GMT
"We don't grow." There was some sadness in her voice when she said that, but she instantly recovered when she saw the strap. Her mom was a genius! She let Haruko get busy with the hat again and responded to Kate's point by flipping her off. To add to the insult, she hugged Haruko and looked up at her. "What can I do?"
___
"I bow to your skill and might, warrior of this realm." Swallower bowed as she left, struck by the power this human could summon. He hoped not many of her caliber walked the earth. He turned to greet his interviewers once more. "It pleases me to hear this. I would very much like to witness your faculties." He would need to know everything to properly do his job.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 20, 2015 19:59:59 GMT
Patting Cosmina on top of the head, Haruko thinks for a moment. She had no idea how skilled Cosmina was at making clothes, so a simple task should be in order. "I'm almost done with that hat, and I'll need your sister's measurements to start the important parts. Here, why don't you pick out the color of her eyepatch?" Reaching behind her station, the seamstress places a piece of paper in front of Cosmina with a wide selection of material colors. Looking back at her work, Haruko began finishing work on the hat.
Nearby, Kate grit her teeth as Cosmina flipped her off. Pointing to the window now, Kate kicks her right foot forward in a motion that implied she was going to kick Cosmina out the window. Haruko was still preoccupied with her work, and wasn't noticing this back and forth.
---
Nodding his head, Alex looks at the area in front of him, and summons a large portal easily large enough to fit Swallower and his massive size. "Very well. Step through this door, and we'll get started." And with that, Sarah walks through the portal, leaving Alex and Swallower to enter in after her. Alex would wait until Swallower entered, out of courtesy to the new recruit to the Enforcement division.
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 21, 2015 3:20:51 GMT
Cosmina backed away a little from the table with the paper with the pretense of comparing it to the fabrics on the other side of the room. As soon as she was out of Haruko's peripheral vision, she bent over facing away from Kate and flipped up her skirt. She wiggled in preparation and dropped her tights. She gave Kate another taunting wiggle and pulled them up before skipping back to Haruko. "It would be best in white. It fits the bow on her hat." "I've got a bow on my hat? Sounds dumb." Marceline was at the door, hair wet and stringy, body clad in a towel. "Don't look!" Cosmina covered up the design. "Are they already fighting?" Marceline ignored Cosmina and addressed Haruko, hand helping her hair cover her eye.
___
Swallower nodded respectfully to Alex and stepped through the portal. Immediately on the other side, his eyes started moving independently to find everything there was to see in this new area.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 22, 2015 8:59:05 GMT
As soon as Kate saw Cosmina start to remove her tights, she looked away from the vulgar display. Once Cosmina skipped back to Haruko and Marceline showed up, Haruko looks at Marceline with slight confusion. "Fighting? What makes you say that?" She asks, curiously. Meanwhile, Kate was glaring at Cosmina once more, a little happier this time. This was it, the green-haired freeloader was going to get caught and shipped out!
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 22, 2015 14:47:35 GMT
Marceline grumbled. Oh, she got to be the bearer of bad news. Yaaaaaaay. "Cosmina was mooning... your kid." Crap, had she ever known the orange kid's name? Eh, didn't matter. She wanted something to wear. "Now, do you have something decent for me to wear? I would love to hang out naked and all, but wait, no I wouldn't."
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 23, 2015 10:25:54 GMT
"She was...what?" Haruko looked over at the green-haired doll, a frown now going down her forehead. Kate beamed at this opportunity, pointing her right pointer finger at Cosmina. "It's true! She just got up, pulled her tights down, and mooned me! Can we get rid of her, please?!" Kate pleads, hoping this could be enough to get her kicked out. Haruko sighs, and looks back at Cosmina. "Cosmina, that is highly inappropriate. If you want to stay here, I can't have you two fighting, ok?"
Glancing back at Marceline, Haruko gets up and walks over to a nearby cabinet. After opening it up, Haruko takes out a pair of pink pajamas with little stars dotting the outside, handing them to Marceline. "Here, these should be about your size. I made them a while ago for myself, but never used them. We'll get your measurements once you put these on, ok?"
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 23, 2015 17:00:05 GMT
Cosmina's eyes widened and her lip wobbled. "She started it! She threatened to throw me out the window!" Marceline sighed and rubbed her face. "Just knock it off. Thanks Haruko. Is there anybody else in the house?" She held the pajamas over her arm.
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Post by Vapovile on Nov 24, 2015 23:46:18 GMT
"I did not! She's lying!" Kate protested. After motioning for Kate to calm down, Haruko turns to Marceline. "I would certainly hope not. I'm only expecting you two today. Why?" Haruko intentionally left out the fact that John had been here too, still angry at the level of immaturity he displayed a few minutes ago. Fow now, she was going to pretend he never even existed.
Crossing her arms, Kate glared at Cosmina once more, then began playing with her cell phone to look like she was dealing with Cosmina being here...for now.
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 25, 2015 4:08:04 GMT
Marceline didn't respond and ran around the corner. She dropped the towel and stuffed the pajamas on quickly. That was so much better. The pajamas were conservative and on top of that, comfy. She wanted some of her own, even if she didn't sleep. She left the towel there and went back around the corner to enter the room. "Alright... tape me up or whatever." Cosmina grabbed the measuring tape. "What do I need to measure?" She asked Haruko.
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