forum A City Called Salvation // O/O // Closed

Started September 20, 2021 by @MarDeColores this is not it kids

tune

Salvation was the perfect city to live in. At least, it was if you lived in the right part of the city. As long as you had money. As long as you drank the right water. August de Soleil had accomplished zero of those things, but it was too late for him anyway. After all, these rules only applied if one wanted to avoid getting Sinner's Punishment. Since he already had it, he just did whatever he felt like. That was usually stealing pretty things from disgustingly rich people. It was entertaining, plus it got him money to buy enough Salva to keep living. Unfortunately, he usually didn't think about his targets before he went and got them. This latest one turned out to be the Caelestum Medallion. If he had ever gone to school, he would have known that it was one of the most important symbols of Caelestum, Salvation's god, and thus the worst thing he could have stolen. But he hadn't. He'd just thought it looked pretty. Which is how he ended up with Caelustum's Chosen One on his tail.
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I really shouldn't be starting a new rp, but I have a new character I want to flesh out, so here we are. I'm thinking this will be enemies to lovers, because why not? The basic plot is Caelestum's Chosen One is sent to bring in the thief for punishment (probably execution, if we're being honest), but it's revealed that the thief is also a 'chosen one'. The prophecy that had revealed the original chosen one had been interpreted incorrectly, thus the confusion. Other than that, I'm open to any ideas or suggestions!
Rules 'n Stuff:

• Please ask before you join!
• Please ask if you have any questions, either about the plot or the world.
• Speaking of the world: there is magic (as to be expected of one of my rps). The technology level is this: the rich people have electric lights and maybe even a car if they're really feeling fancy, but most people are still relying on candles and oil lamps and such.
• For romance purposes, my character is bisexual and a demiboy. Do with that what you will.
• Let's have fun with this!

(Cool! Here's the template! Feel free to add any other categories you deem necessary. :)
Full Name:
Nicknames:
Age:
Gender/Pronouns:
Sexuality:
Appearance:
Identifying Marks:
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Talents:
Magic Possessed:
Preferred Weapon:
Brief backstory:
Other:

(Here is the boy.)
Full Name: August de Soleil
Nicknames: Ae (by his siblings)
Age: 24 years
Gender/Pronouns: Trans demiboy, he/him
Sexuality: Bisexual
Appearance: 6'2", thin from not enough food. He has short, dark brown hair that looks like it was cut in the dark with a dull knife, and light brown skin. His eyes are a honey-gold color. He wears what he can find, which usually consists of a too-big shirt that hasn't been washed in years, worn pants, boots that are almost falling apart, a belt, and a very old, threadbare coat that falls to his knees.
Identifying Marks: He had pierced ears and usually wears small gold hoops.
Personality: He doesn't really have any inhibitions when it comes to making a complete fool of himself. He doesn't care about humiliation and has a very thick face. If it works for him, then it works and there's nothing more to it. He doesn't care for societal rules all that much. He relishes in making people confused, especially any high-class people he comes across. He enjoys messing with people.
Likes: The looks on people's faces when he gets away with a crime that was previously impossible, clementines and/or oranges, the smell of coffee (not the taste, but he deals with it), his family.
Dislikes: People judging him, being too cold or hot, spicy foods, his family.
Talents: He has very good balance and is pretty good at scaling buildings.
Magic Possessed: He has a sentient interdimensional gate. It usually helps him, though sometimes it doesn't. It's moody. He needs to feed it its favorite things from time to time, and sometimes he forgets. Its name is June because he thinks he's funny and the interdimensional pocket doesn't know any better. He can also become shadows, along with anything on his person (clothes, weapons, accessories, etc. Nothing too big, though).
Preferred Weapon: Yelling, "June, get them!" comes in first, and then punching them in the nose comes second, followed very closely with using whatever weapon he can get his hands on to smack them in the head.
Brief backstory: He was born to a poor family, the oldest of what would become 7 children. He worked until he got Sinner's Punishment when he was 17, as did two of his brothers. His family couldn't afford to buy enough Salva, the drug that could alleviate the symptoms, for all of them. He was already on thin ice with them for various reasons, so they dumped him on the streets to let Caelestum decide his fate. August decided to figure out his own fate instead. Along the way, he accidentally ate an interdimensional gate (in his defense he hadn't been able to get his hands on Salva for a few days and was not in the right mind). This made it much easier to steal things, so he decided to just roll with it.
Other: He has Sinner's Punishment, a deadly disease. It's gotten from untreated water and results in death in a few weeks unless one was to take Salva, a drug better known for its euphoric highs. The name was given to it by the high class, and most of the people in the better part of the city believe that it is Caelestum's punishment for sinners, hence the name.

(Here he is! Sorry for the delay, I hope he's all good.)

Full Name: Janus Myron Nyilas
Nicknames: He doesn't have any that everyone calls him. His mother calls him "Little Lion" even though he is older.
Age: 25
Gender/Pronouns: Cis male (He/Him/His)
Sexuality: Omnisexual
Appearance: Janus stands at about six foot four and a half. He has long pushed back hair that goes just a bit below his ears, shaping his oval shaped head; his hair was originally black but it turned silver when he was eighteen. His skin is a warm ivory shade. His body is a muscular rectangular shape. Generally he wears a black suit along with a matching overcoat, though he likes to wear sweaters and white tank tops too.
Identifying Marks: He has his silver hair along with the Caelestum mark on his left shoulder blade. There is also a small scar next to his right eye.
Personality: It is quite difficult to understand Janus. When you see him, he is a sweet charismatic man who enjoys being around others though some it may be clouded by his flaws and prejudices. Deep down, he is lonely and feels insecure about opening up and bring vulnerable; it's just something that he was told was for cowards and people below him. His emotions, especially his anger and frustration, get bottle up and forgotten. Yet overall, he is compassionate and cares for others. He follows the rules, makes sure that others do the same, and so on. At the end of the day, Janus hopes to make everyone safe and proud of him.
Likes: Helping others, reading, swimming, looking at the night sky, punching bags, fencing and the sound of rain
Dislikes: Exhaustion, his family, arrogance, failure/messing up, being alone, tea and small spaces
Talents: He can easily remember little details and has a strong stamina.
Magic Possessed: Janus has uncanny strength and senses. His strength is something that he can always use while his senses only work a good portion of the time. He can detect someone or something within a three mile radius. Sometimes it helps him tap into the mind of another to know what is going on, but it drains him greatly for a while.
Preferred Weapon: Himself. While he does enjoy using things like guns or other sorts of weapons, he believes that he is his own best weapon.
Brief backstory: No one really expected for Janus to be the Chosen One. Janus was the result of his father having an affair with his mother. His father's family had been a wealthy and influential for a long time. When he was born, his father took him in order to keep the family name from being severely tarnished. He is the youngest, having an older half-brother, two older step brothers, and a step sister; all his siblings, except for his half-brother, treated him terribly. Well, they only did till strange things started to happen. The symbol of Caelestum appeared on his back, his hair turned from black to silver, and his visions of things happening and seeing Caelestum. It took awhile for him and his "family" to realize that Janus is the Chosen One from the prophecy. Janus ended up training in hopes of living up to the prophecy, not expecting what's next to come.
Other: Aside from having a terrible family, Janus has been living a more than comfortable life. He visits his mother a lot, giving her money and whatever else she may need in order to be well. It is a secret of his that he cannot afford to let out.

August let out a gasp and jumped back into the alley he'd been hiding in. He'd really done it this time. The medallion he'd just stolen from Caelestum's temple felt hot in his pocket, though that was probably just because it was worth so much money. August bit back a slightly maniacal laugh and tried to focus on the current situation instead. Since he'd just broken into and then out of Caelestum's temple, there were police everywhere. That wasn't too much of a problem for him, though, as long as he timed everything correctly. For now, he was just trying to get to his favorite tavern. Normally he would head straight for a place to sell the thing, but this one had generated a bit more panic than he had thought it would. So he was going to relax for a few hours– maybe even a few days– while he waited for things to calm down. August peeked back out of the alley, then melted into shadows and flitted across the street. Since it was night and the street lights weren't that bright, he was practically invisible. In this way, August was able to make it across half the city without being seen by a single person. After making it out of the better part of the city, he let down his guard a little more. He was practically home free by now.
August almost danced into the tavern, prompting a laugh from the bartender.
"Have a good night?"
"The best." August burst out laughing, reaching into his pocket and making sure the medallion was still there. It was, and it still felt hot. Still worth a lot of money, then. He withdrew his hand and leaned against the bar. "I'll have the usual."
"Right then." The bartender grinned, sliding a mug across the bar to him.
"Thanks, Yuna." He grabbed the mug and sauntered over to his usual table. Once there, he couldn't resist the temptation to pull the medallion out of his pocket. It really was beautiful. A simple silver circle engraved with Caelestum's symbol and decorated with tiny, glittering stones around the edge.

Expect the unexpected, they say, but how can anyone expect this? Janus had no clue what was going on till he rushed to the temple. It's gone. Caelestum's medallion was gone. The space where it sat was empty, giving a weary yet shocking feeling.

Beforehand, he was at his father's business, just sitting around and listening to the meeting as it played out in front of him. He didn't get a vision of the robbery playing out, but there was this feeling that had overcome him out of nowhere. That's when he knew it was time to go, but alas, he was late.

In the background, officers' voices filled the hall as they tried to figure out what was going on. Janus let out a sigh as he began to stroll around the hall, looking for any clues. They had already found where the thief entered and escaped, but he needed more if he was going to catch them sooner or later.

"I am sorry," He mumbled. His eyes gazed up to the mural of Caelestum. The corners of his lips lightly turned down as he shook his head. Who in the right mind would do this? Why? So many questions swirled through his mind as he walked out.

The fact that someone had the nerve to steal the medallion and get away with it for now reveals a few things to him already. The suspect is poor and are hiding somewhere in darker parts of the city. It shouldn't be that hard to find them; they can only go so far before being caught anyways.

Janus turned down the hallway, leading outside. If he got a start now, he should be able to find the thief within a few hours or so. He should be. He has to. Running his fingers through his hair, he set off searching for the medallion and the one who stole it.

August had only been in the tavern for a few hours, but he'd already gotten in two fights (and won two fights, which surprised him) and started a whole-tavern sing-a-long. He had also almost gotten kicked out for the fights and managed to buy a great deal of Salva from a shady-looking person in the corner of the tavern for a very low price. At that very moment, he was standing on a table with two other strangers, belting out a very passionate rendition of a popular song. The audience was also singing, though for most of them it could barely be called singing. A couple of people were dancing, as well, and it looked like the Salva dealer had gotten a lot of business. The few people who appeared even remotely sober seemed slightly surprised the song sounded so good. That would have made August laugh if not for the fact that he would have to stop singing in order to do that. Hey, when it came to singing, he wasn't doing it halfway. And his new friends seemed to feel the same way because they were singing their hearts out. The tavern burst into cheers as the song ended. His two new friends jumped off the table, but August stayed up there.
"Hey, another round of applause for those two!" August waved at them. "Thank you, that was very fun."
"Do another one!" Someone in the crowd yelled. August laughed and moved to sit on the table.
"Alright, alright. What does everyone want? Any suggestions?"

Janus was not sure how long he had spent wandering around. He must have went through a couple of districts at least. Then he would end up crossing paths with officers that he had seen just a few moments ago too. A couple of times he tried using his senses, but he must have not been close enough since nothing happened.

So he kept on into darkness. There was nothing else that he could do except continue looking for the medallion. He wondered how disappointed Caelestum is in him or even if the god is. Although the god might not be disappointed, his father would definitely be; as if the old man had any right to be.

As he walked, his eyes glanced around, looking for any details that stood out to him. The streets were so dark that it was difficult for him to even look a meter or so ahead of him. Surely more different than the area around his home. In the background, he heard a mixture of sound blending into cacophony.

To his left he heard the sounds of people singing and cheering coming from a tavern nearby. He simply passed it off as people just enjoying a regular evening at the tavern. A light smile appeared on his face as he looked away and took another step, but just as he did so, he froze.

The medallion. It is in that tavern right now. He could see the people all around the suspect, whoever that crook may be. The vision faded away and Janus glanced back into the tavern. By hid assumptions, it will be difficult from the fact that he'll stand out to catching the thief.

Quickly, he adjusted his coat and fixed his hair before making his way into the tavern. Hopefully he won't catch anyone's attention and hopefully no one will really recognize him. Shaking his head, he muttered, "With Caelestum as my witness, I will get that damned bastad and that medallion."

No one noticed the newcomer in their midst. They were all too drunk and too focused on August for that.
"You should do The Last Night!" One of the people in the very front of the crowd exclaimed.
"Oh, really?" August raised an eyebrow. The Last Night was a song popular in this part of the city for a variety of reasons. The first one was, of course, that it sounded good. It was a love song, but a terribly tragic one. No one knew who had written it, but they must have been awfully heartbroken. This was the second reason: almost every single person who heard it could relate to it in some way. Everyone had lost or was losing someone to Goldeneyes– the much gentler name for Sinner's Punishment. "You want to cry, then?"
"Yes," the person who'd suggested the song answered almost right away, drawing a laugh from August.
"Alright, then. Anyone want to join me?" He held out a hand, looking around the room for a volunteer. "You all know we need two people for this song." As he was doing a second pass around the room, the medallion in his pocket started feeling way too hot. So hot it was practically burning him. August winced, fishing it out of his pocket and dropping it onto the table beside him. Stupid thing. He should have expected something from Caelestum's Temple to want to hurt him.

Carefully, he leaned against the wall, watching as the scene unfolded out before him. His eyes scanned the entire place trying to find anyone that match the description from his vison. Sooner or later, they fell on a tall young man with dark brown hair who was walking around the crowd, having everyone's eyes on him. The man had to be around his age; he blended in perfectly with the scene like a painting, but he had eyes that stood out.

The Last Night. What an interesting choice of a song, he thought. Janus only knew the song from his mother, who practically told him everything about these parts of Salvation. If it wasn't for her, he would still be looking around trying to find the location of the thief. He only knew so much in the end anyhow. The song was something he knew, but he has trouble remembering the lyrics for one of the parts.

Janus scoffed as he folded his arms. When he looked away, he noticed the other doing something in the corner of his eye. He saw a flash of the medallion. In an instant, his head shot in the direction of it. Not long after, his shoulders tensed up seeing as the man dropped it onto the table. Dropping onto the table! As if Caelestum's medallion was merely just your everyday regular item! It was difficult to not step forward and grab it. That wouldn't be a smart move on his part.

Maybe there was a way to get over there, get the medallion, then eventually, get the thief. Maybe, just maybe. He slithered his way through the crowd over towards the bar. Quickly, he pulled out some money and slid it over to the bartender. "Three fingers of rye," He ordered. When given the glass, he immediately downed the whole thing, which he regretted right away. As long as he accomplishes what he has to….

Relaxing his shoulders, he started to drag his feet over to the man and the table with the medallion. There was slight burning sensation in his chest from downing that drink. He wasn't even sure if this would work. Pretending to be flimsy was a lot harder than he thought. Despite his worries, he still dragged on till he fell over, grabbing onto the table and the man at the same time. Gradually, he stood up while looking up at the man with a goofy grin. Janus took ahold of his hand, staring at the other while taking the medallion. "I'll sing with you, pretty boy," He giggled, slurring his words. "If you'll let me."

August was doing a third pass of the room when someone stumbled into him.
"Oh?" August stared at the man, his lips slowly pulling up into a grin. "Well, then, folks, it looks like we're ready!" The crowd gave a drunken cheer. "Let's do this, handsome." The musician who'd been providing a bit of music started playing the opening notes to the song. Although the song was about a pair of lovers– or friends, or siblings, depending on how you interpreted it– getting separated because of Goldeneyes, the melody itself was actually very lively. At least, the beginning of the song was. It hit hard in the last part. August closed his eyes for a second, then opened his eyes and started singing. The song had two parts– the person dying of Goldeneyes and the person who would lose them. He was singing the part of the person dying of Goldeneyes since he was doing that anyway. Besides, he'd always loved the lyrics. The tavern had been singing along with the other songs, but they were mostly quiet for this one. It was just him and the musician, and he was honestly loving it. Especially since his partner wasn't that bad-looking. He was definitely singing this with the 'lovers' interpretation in mind. August sang the last of his verses, running a light hand down his partner's face before handing the stage over to him. After he'd finished his part, they would sing the last, heartbreaking part together. August was looking forward to that. How many people would end up crying at the end of this?

Under his breath, a soft trail of laughter left his lips. Janus threw his head to the side, still looking at the man. Handsome. Being called that word by the person who stole one of most valued and worshipped items in Salvation is such an odd feeling. What was even more strange was the crowd along with the fact that he was still holding the thief's hand.

Whether it was Caelestum who listened to his prayers or someone else, his plan was oddly going very smoothly. Nevertheless, he went on with it while carefully slipping the medallion into his coat pocket. He kept shifting his weight between his feet as he stared at the other.

For a second, he looked out into the crowd. Really he was hoping for some officers to be wandering nearby. Yet, his attention focused on the others that were standing there and listening. Despite everyone being intoxicated, they were all silent as the music played along with the thief singing. The song is beautiful in a melancholic way.

A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the man run his hand down the side of his face. Janus could feel himself trying to tense up at the interaction, but forced himself to relax again and lean into the other's touch.

He started to sing his part of the song. The lover's verse. It was easy for him to say the least; his mother always sings or hums the part. Well, he tried his best at it. His eyes lingered over to the man as he finished.

August watched the man sing his part with interest. He wasn't as good as him, in August's humble opinion, but he doubted the tavern cared. A quick glance over their audience revealed that they, in fact, didn't care at all. He was pretty sure they could be singing absolute nonsense and everyone would still be enjoying themselves. As the other part of the song drew to a close, August stepped back towards his singing partner. It was now time for the last part of the song. It was heartfelt and so very sad. Full of love, too. And terribly catchy. August started singing, hoping that his partner would also start. This was supposed to be a final duet between lovers, though he could do it by himself if he had to. It would be more fun with him, though. August took a slow step towards him, placing a light hand on his shoulder. If he'd been doing this with someone he knew, he would have been a lot more into the song. But, although this person was attractive, he was still a stranger. August didn't even know his name. Maybe he could ask about it after the song.

Singing never was something that Janus enjoyed. He only enjoys it when his mother sings. The only time he will do something like singing in a situation like this. As long as he would end up catching this man he is doing this with after this song ends, then he would be alright with that.

Eventually his part of the song was over and it was the final portion: the duet. In the corner of his eye, he saw the man walking back towards him. When he started singing, Janus soon joined soon after. His voice felt a little strained feeling the hand on his shoulder. The medallion felt warm in his possession too.

If the man did not steal Caelestum's medallion and then proceed to throw it onto a table, Janus would probably think of him differently. The man is quite handsome in his opinion, minus the assumptions that he has already made about the other. It wouldn't really be likely for them to cross paths in any other scenario except for this. He wonders what it all will be like after the song ends.

He continued shifting between one foot and the other. Then he even leaned a little onto the man too. A soft trail of giggles left him. Despite his thoughts and worries, he still has to play this drunkard role that he brought onto himself; he still didn't have faith in himself for this. Every successful second is a miracle.

The entire tavern was entranced by their performance. August was having a great time, singing the words as passionately as he could. He was surprised but pleased when the stranger stepped closer. This was turning into an even better night than he was expecting. The song drew to a heartwrenching close, causing quite a few people in the audience to tear up. The person who'd requested the song was sobbing outright, but they looked happy about it.
"A round of applause for this very lovely man!" August waved at the stranger.
"Will you do another one?" Someone pushed their way to the front, voice raised over the applause and chatter.
"Mmm, maybe later." August shrugged, then glanced at the stranger. "What do you say to a drink?" He asked, turning back to the table to retrieve the medallion. Hopefully, it wouldn't try and burn him when he picked it up. He was met with a very empty tabletop. "Shit…" August breathed, the word drawn long. This was very bad. That thing was worth way too much money for him to just lose it.

Thank Caelestum and all that are holy the song ended. Janus was not sure if he was able to it for any longer. Actually, it ending gave him so much relief. He sighed before pretending to lose his balance for a moment. A lazy smile swept across his face.

When the man motioned at him, he forced himself to laugh. Sluggishly, he gave a both then proceeded to wave at the crowd. At least no is suspecting a thing. Their cheering told him that he at least did something right.

"A drink?" His lips curled back as he thought about the question. On one hand, he wanted to end this as fast as possible and make sure that this criminal is arrested. How would he get the man outside though? "I suppose……" He shrugged.

Oh gods. The man had finally noticed that the medallion was gone. Was this going to be it? Janus went up to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "What's with the long face there? Didn't we have fun back there?" He asked, tilting his head. His bottom lip came out, leaving him a pouting expression. "Why be sad around a handsome man like me? You shouldn't be."

There had only been him at that table. Only him and… the stranger. He must have seen the medallion and saw the same thing August had seen. An incredible amount of money to be had, that is.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just remembered something I have to do later." August turned back to the stranger with a casual smile. "Mmm, you're right. That was very fun." He grabbed the man's hand, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. "What do you say we find a nice table and get to know each other better?" Before the man could say anything, August turned and pulled him towards the back of the tavern. There was an empty table there, near the back door. He would prefer to make the man give him the medallion somewhere more out of sight, but if he didn't come along, August would fight him there and then. That medallion was just worth too much.

Damn it. The phrase kept repeating in his mind as the thief was dragging to the back of the tavern. Janus was not sure how, but he knew that the thief must know of what happened to the medallion. He must, there is no other reason why he would kiss Janus's hand or drag him to the back.

He wanted to take back control of the situation right then and there, but he can't. Starting a scene in the tavern won't really be a good idea. There wasn't any authority to help him catch the guy and keep him from running away. Thoughts were running around his mind, and he struggled with trying to pinpoint one that could work.

Nevertheless, he continued on with his sluggish manner and a foolish grin. "Sure….Sure…"He chuckled. "But why go back…here? We should go outside where the air isn't…..stuffy." His feet kept dragging on while the rest of him wanted to go back to his usual manner. The strength in his body was just itching at him.

Lazily, he looked up at the back door then over at the man. The corners of his lips rose into a grin as he tilted his head. "Now what….pretty boy?"

August glanced back at the stranger, raising his eyebrows at him. He wanted to go outside? Well, that was almost preferred. It gave him more options to get out of there if things went wrong. And he didn't have to worry about being all that discreet. "You want to go outside? Alright." August changed course, heading for the door instead. Now, how should he go about getting the medallion back? The stranger was taller than him and looked stronger too, so he would rather not face him head-on. August pushed open the door, keeping a relaxed look on his face. The door led to an alleyway behind the tavern, leading to the main road one way and a mess of other alleys the other. He held the door for the stranger, letting it slam close one he'd come through. "You're right, it is less stuffy out here," August took a deep breath, grinning at the stranger. He stepped closer to him, reaching up and sliding his free hand onto the back of the stranger's neck. Maybe he could distract him and search his pockets.