In which a supervillain goes for a walk

Venice! 

What a city! Beautiful sky, beautiful people, tasty taffy...

Inker quite liked taffy. Not that nasty wonka stuff, but genuine, real, taffy, the kind that is soft and chewy, and oh so sweet.

The Kishin was currently walking along, munching on taffy. Tis a pity that taffy does not confer the power of a soul. Otherwise, we would have no Kishin Eggs. Or war, likely. Note to self, see if making power boosting taffy is a possibility...


He lacked a specific goal. He was just enjoying himself, mostly. After all, he needed the exercise, and it WAS nice to get out of the evil lair every once in a blue moon.

Lenore had lost sight of Reaver quite a while ago. It worried her that he had left her behind, or ignored her, but Charim had a tendency to keep him distracted. He even barely seemed interested when she showed him her weapon form. And after the witch had gone to all that trouble to make her so strong... She sniffed the air, the sweet smell of sugar tugging at her by the nostrils as her eyes fluttered closed. Maybe if she just got closer, the nice shopkeeper would give her just a taste while she looked for Reaver?

Inker would spot a small child sniffing the air. Looking about, he failed to find anyone who might be the girls parent.

Figures. Blasted Italians...No, no, that is not fair to the Italian people, they are perfectly pleasant, however, like most peoples, they have their bad apples.


With that bit of internal monologue done, he would sigh, and approach the child. He DID have a soft spot for children, after all...

"Heya, kiddo, mind if I ask where your parents are?"

He was also bloody useless around them. Came with being a bachelor most of his life.

She blinked up at the strange man, confused, but, she glanced and saw he had taffy in his hand. No one who had candy could possibly be bad!

"Daddy Reaver ran off with Charim again." she stated simply, twisting her foot against a bug on the pavement, making sure it was good and dead.

Inker noticed her glancing at his taffy. Sighing, he reached into his bag and pulled out a piece. "Here, have it, I got plenty."

Twas at that moment her words registered, and his eyes widened. "What. Reaver is your father? That- You know what, not even going to go INTO how messed up that familial situation would be. Do you have a mother you could stay with?"

Lenore grinned as she sucked on the taffy, pulling at it with her teeth, muffling her words as her bright blue eyes looked up at him.

"No, he says I gotta call Charim mommy, but she doesn't like weapons." she explained, "And Reaver is daddy because he saved me from the witch. He said that made him daddy."

"...."

He had never wanted to strangle someone so bad as he did right then. Note to self, when I next meet Reaver, BOIL HIM ALIVE IN ACID.


"....Thats....not how it works at all, sweety. A person who leaves you to roam alone without a guardian, or at least a damn baby sitter, pardon the language, is NOT father material at all." Inker would sigh. "Moving on, look, do you have ANYWHERES to sleep tonight? A hotel, a relatives house, what? PLEASE tell me he didn't abandon you to just roam with nowheres to sleep safely?"

She shook her head no, pulling at the taffy with her teeth as she did, "I can't find him anywhewh'." she lisped, frowning down at her mouth at the strangeness of the sound, "Do you know where he is?" she asked, curious, before turning her arm into a blade and cutting off the taffy at her lips and resuming happily munching.

She looked down at her feet, still toying with the candy, "I... I'm scared of chickens..."

Her voice was a soft, pitiful whisper, if even that, tinged with the true fear that only children really knew in it's entirety.

"Chickens."

What. 

"Well then, its a good thing I don't raise chickens then!" Inker jokes, making sure to mask his emotions. Reaver I will flay you alive with your own small intestine for whatever you have done to make her afraid of bloody CHICKENS. 


"Anyways, it seems to be getting dark." He noted of the sky. "So, I would hazard a guess it is time to be off!"

He would raise his right hand, and a odd looking cane would form in it. "Scepter of Space, bridge the gap between I and Castle Inker!"


With that, an odd portal would open up. "Welp, hop too it, best get you situated! Have you had dinner yet? I do believe the cooks are making stew tonight!"

She smiled, "What does stew taste like? Is it yummy?" she asked, walking through unafraid.

A figure roared past overhead, her broom sliding to a stop. Charim looked down at the pair from her broom, true motherly concern darting from her eyes. "Lenore! There you are, Reaver and I have been looking everywhere for you!"

Ooc: I don't normally read other people's threads but.. This entire thing has been so perfect....

Inker would look up, glaring. "Hahahaha, no. Charim, sorry to say, but I, the state of kentucky, and common goddamn sense have declared you and Reaver to both be unfit parents. Consider me to be a non-terrible social services."

With that, he raised all four of his arms, and flipped her off with each. "I am flipping you off with four arms. Be in awe at my immense superiority." With that, he backed up into the portal, which shut behind him.

Lenore didn't hear Charim, for she was much too focused on her candy and the castle before her, "Is this where you live?"

Inker glanced up at the castle. Large and imposing, it was made of a blackish stone. Rather intimidating. The courtyard surrounding it was filled with all manner of beings, from Kishin Eggs of varying shapes, to constructs, to even the odd golem. Of course, surrounding the courtyard was a wall separating the castle from the rest of the island. The sky was dark, completely black, and if one looked closely, they could spot a heavy layer of clouds. 

"Yes it is! Welcome to Castle Inker! Before you ask, the name is temporary, I am not Victor Von Doom, and naming my castle after myself is not a sign of immense ego." Inker would begin walking to the doors, large metal things, with golems on either side, who grasped the handles and opened the doors. "Lets hurry, wouldn't want to be late for dinner!"

Lenore ran forward to keep up, looking up and waving at the golems as they passed. "My name's Lenore. What's yours?" she asked as they walked.

"King Inker. Ruler of the Night Court. Just call me Iggy, its far simpler. The rest is a title for my underlings and enemies. And the tax collectors." They would enter what appeared, for all intents and purposes, a dining hall, with five tables, four small ones arranged symmetrically, and one large one, in the center of the room, with a massive...throne, of sorts, at the end. Inker would make his way to the throne, and plop down, sighing. "Ah, its good to be home."

Lenore ran over to one of the chairs, pulling it out, and sitting at it, her nose just barely reaching the edge of the table, "Your tables are tall, Mr. Iggy..."

She looked up at his throne and smiled, "I like your big chair."

"Called a throne, Sweety. Hold on, let me get you a taller chair to sit on."

Inker would snap his fingers, and a raider would approach with a slightly taller chair. Meanwhile, a kishin egg would start placing bowls of stew on the table.

Lenore sat on the taller chair, waving to the raider and grinning, "Thank you!"

She leaned up over the table and looked into her stew, taking her spoon in a fist and scooping some up, "What's in it, Mr. Iggy?

"Lamb, beef, pork, potatoes, carrots, I THINK thats pineapple, and celery. Basic stew things." Inker would say as he dined, raising his mask somewhat to accommodate the food. "Anyways, you mentioned something about being a weapon?"

"I've never had stew before. It's yummy, Mr. Iggy! Thank you!" she smiled appreciatively, digging in like she had been starving.

After a few spoonfuls, a bit of the broth dribbling down her chin, she nodded, "Mmhm. I was a present for Mr. Reaver from the mean witch lady. Not Charim. She was meaner." she explained, shoving more in her mouth and continuing with food in her cheeks.

"The witch lady said I was really strong though. She said I was gonna be a weapon for a Kishin."

Human trafficking. Honestly, nothing Reaver could do would surprise Inker any more. "Argh, that classless-Argh. Do you know the name of this 'mean witch lady' or where I could find her? She and I will have words. Unpleasant words."