Stunning... Malevolent... Prestige. All words to describe a apex predator like Erebus. However, he was down on his luck lately. No missions, no women. Everything about him just seemed to fall apart after months of such build-up. The rise and fall of vengeful champions. It was poetic, but also lame. It was as if he were half of what he wanted to be.

He wasn't a champion. He was the beast bested by champions. That my friend, just simply would not do. There was lines that needed to be drawn. Ugh! Things couldn't get worse than this though. He knew he needed to pick himself off the ground. Yet, if only he knew how. Wouldn't it do wonders to his image-- if he could just push and motivate a little harder? Like he once had.

Speaking of, he hadn't shaved his face all month, stubble was appearing across his cheekbones. His hair was messier than as per usual. His muscles hadn't drained of their juices, they couldn't, he was a werewolf after all. Fiends like him just didn't hinder like that.

But his skin color surely had. He looked pale, depressed with himself. He felt it too. As a stranger was making way to a grocery store, Erebus slowly made way in his direction too. Though the pedestrian was impatient, eager to get by. The man rushed by the Grimoire Heart, their shoulder's collided by accident, Erebus had walked-- the stranger had run. Sadly, this wasn't to the civilain's favor.

The other guy would feel as though he had ran full force into a loading cart. Put in the dirt by nothing more than his own ignorance. However, the lycan didn't seem phased by it in the slightest. His head slowly bent downwards to make eye contact with the pitiful man. A look of annoyance was not apparent, as it should've been. In it's place, a blank reaction. "Eh? Sorry." He spoke plainly, planting a cigarette firmly between his lips. His walk continued as he lit the stick with a lighter, photogenic it seemed. As he maneuvered around the corner with his slow strides.

Sometime later he was planted still. Paused amongst his walk. Erebus was staring to the left, at a girl with flesh turning to gelatin. Funnily enough, Erebus hadn't taken any acid, so he couldn't be tripping. He felt reason to question the female on her... Odd, but pretty cool to be fair, physiology. "What's wrong with your uh, skin, don't think I've seen anything like that before."

His tone was monotonous, and his face didn't show much curiosity. He was lifeless in this world now. So he stepped over her, planting his butt onto the bench beside her. His head was pointed forward. A plume of ashy gray smoke escaped his nasal passages. And he sighed, just a deep exhale. "I'm Strategist. You got a name?" Typically now, Erebus wasn't the type to engage into conversation with weird people-- he just wasn't. However, what did he have to lose at this point?

Not a god damn thing.

Another plume of gas blew forth. This time from his lips, smooth like silk, if smoke could be compared to that anyway. The boy laid back in his chair, people around did chuckle-- something he hadn't noticed at first glance. Even from across the street. So evidently, her jest was all in good fun. Or maybe to hide her pride, but a glance of curt signaled in on where she sat, telling her Erebus didn't agree with the joke at all. The lycan himself sometimes was mocked for his racial stature often. So he wasn't ready to just act like a prick for the hell of it. After all it wasn't typically hard to differentiate a werewolf from a human if you were looking for the right traits.

"Ha Ha Ha. What are you a masochist? No, I don't give a fuck if you had six tits or three heads, or if your skin was turning to jelly like it is right now. But since you don't know what;s wrong, I guess my question is answered." He turned then to face her completely, his eyes beaming like they were able to see through souls. Erebus left the cig tucked between his lips. His eyes looked even more judgmental when he squinted at her, as they danced over her form. He did manage to grin. But it wasn't to mock her appearance, it was to mock her attitude. Finally, his irises met the ground again. An expression of snark over his face, though he was still calm in the way he went on about things.

"But hi. Nice to meet you Slime... I can't give you my real name, so don't be so sarcastic when someone opens themselves up to you. And.. Whatever. Regardless, We all have a beast in us somewhere. Mocking the beast is what kills the man. Let them act like they know what you are; like they can belittle you."

Erebus pointed a finger at someone snickering, they quickly turned around. Embarrassed. As they should be, fight fire with fire. Fight rudeness with rudeness. "When you get them good and alone. Educate them. Simple as that. Then they can't laugh at you anymore." The man stared at her slim arm. The blue almost catching the light and giving off a glow. "It's what I would do, if I were in your place." Erebus looked away from her. He was very careful with his wording. In all actuality, he had killed many people simply due to being a monster. However, he left his advice to sound like she should beat them up-- not kill them. And she should. It was only fair taking all into consideration. However, he had his own identity to leave concealed so he wouldn't let her know anything about himself. Only the hint that he was similar. That would be enough.

The goo trickled off of Selena's fingertip, it was certainly messy. It reminded the boy of other sticky substances. He wondered what kind of chemical make-up was making it up, and if she even had vital organs anymore. That was pretty interesting to think about, so it seemed she possessed abilities stemming from this change as well. Her personality no longer came off sarcastic when she spoke again, but instead a bit flirtatious. Not that Erebus was complaining. He liked it when girls showed off playfulness, and honestly speaking, she wasn't bad looking even if she wasn't all human in appearance anymore.

"I wish I could say you were far off, but eh, haha."

The man cracked a small grin. His pressing eyes sunk back to watch her. The push of her hands made her body grow, she was... Actually much more attractive now. With a large bust... Full integral control over her shape-- that's something wild right there. Strategist wondered if she were some kind of bio-weapon from like comic books. Or if she were just some mage, with a spell gone wrong. Either way, he was impressed, profoundly impressed.

"Nice tits." He answered to her movement, then she seemed distracted  by the boy of earlier. Her voice changed too when spoke again. Further leading him to question who or what she was. It was all he could do after all. Instead of bringing concern to the conflict, he offered assistance in her problems. "I see. So you're going through some stuff. Sucks, bad. Shame too. But I wouldn't be against helping you figure things out Slime."

Slime...

Using that as her alias granted them both a level of mystery. It worked to set boundaries, as well as create relations. "Do you remember if you were given any tasks that sent you away from your friends?

Flicking the cig away the boy, tucked two hands in his jeans and leaned back in his chair at the bench. His eyes still held their cold, yet welcoming stare. Especially as her form meshed and grew into that of a human. Not before her voice that is. She told him she didn't have any mental illness to match herself with.

"It would've been a fair guess to think you were bipolar actually, but based on your umm, shape-shift. With all things considered. I think you're just being affected by some kind of magic. No way to know for sure right now, not this soon at least."

She couldn't remember too far back, as Erebus understood it. She was a clean slate, an infant in this dangerous world. Sad to say, but she'd have a rude awakening. the world wasn't just butterflies and rainbows. It was a cruel hell, ripe with crime and suffering. Strategist himself being an practitioner of both.


Selena's human counterpart was pretty cute, though, the slime appearance was more fitting. There was a iniquity about it that was just so... Appealing. Erebus sided the thought-- men had often been driven to want the exotic things in life. Being a dog, he was no different. However, those kinds of things he kept distanced nowadays. No point in it anymore. He was burnt out, a petty thug-- not a soldier.

Back onto the girl-- the lycan watched as every piece of goo sunk into her flesh. Peculiar. Alas, the shift wasn't in her control however so there wasn't point in flirting any longer. This version of the girl was very different. The type that probably wanted to be left alone. She seemed kindred-- Erebus smiled. The wolf rose his brows, she'd make a great guildmate. Too bad though, he'd rather spare her from a life like his. Speaking of which-- Erebus had places to be; things to see. On such a note, the boy stood up, and offered the sticky wet female a hand, so that she might stand up too.

"Don't mention it, I enjoyed the chat. Sometimes people just need a hand reached out to them to make a world of difference. Irregardless, it's time we close up here. Maybe we'll meet again. Peace out."

Just like that, the boy was gone.

Exit.