Job Interview? (HB, Open)

The door to the comic store opened, and a figure who looked like he belonged on the shelf entered. With white hair reaching his shoulders and a heavy blue cloak brushing his ankles, Dar Le Lefray looked like a cosplaying fan. Those who noticed the sword hanging from his belt, however, might realize he was not here to shop.

At least not for books.

Dar walked up to a blue-haired teenager checking out the comics. Yes, this was the person. The demonic energy coming off of Toji was unmistakable.

Dar grinned. "Hello, Toji Okami. I'm here to offer you a job. I am Dar Le Lefray, the Proud, King of the World." He held a hand out to shake Toji's.

Toji turns to the man, a curious look on his face." Huh....how do you know my name....." He gives the mans hand a friendly shake." A job huh...Well, you don't look like the kinda guy who needs me to shave your yard..." He gives the sword a quick glance." Andbnif you're wanting me to come to your team or something, I'm sorry, but no." The halfling gives outva friendly grin." I wont leave behind my pack.That's just how the oath is."He shrugs." But I could be wrong..what's the job, Gov'na?" His near constant grin widens, qoutung a TV character.

Dar chuckled. How did he know Toji's name? "You're a member of the Teen Titans. I've seen you on the news, several times, saving lives and keeping the peace. You're a hero, and that's what I like about you. Believe me, the last thing I want is for you to leave your...pack." His pack? What was this guy, a wolf? He didn't look like a wolf. He looked like your average, everyday blue-haired half-demon.

But Dar wasn't interested in his speech choices. "I'd like you to stay in Jump City, and to stay on the Titans, although from time to time I might ask you to venture outside the city walls. Mostly, though, I want you to act on my behalf, as my representative in this region. You could think of yourself as a duke. You see, Mr. Okami, I'm not asking you to join my team, I'm asking you to join my new world order."

Toji blinks." Huh...I've been getting that much coverage? Cool....well, thanks, sir.That's very kind of you." He grins, pleased with the compliment. Then Dar gets to the meat.Toji listens, his eyes narrowing slightly at the words New World Order...Corgi liked to talk about one of those as well. He ranted about how when he got the pristege, the respect he deserved, he would take his spot as the leader of the world, spilling his robotic warriors everywhere...And, that title, king of the world...."Well,....not sure I will, actually.If you need my help, you can come ask, but just remember that I won't do anything I feel is wrong."Toji grins." No hard feelings, but Id feel goofy calling myself duke Toji."

"You won't do anything you feel is wrong? I'd like to think that's everybody, but it just isn't true. There are indeed people out there who will perform acts of cruelty, knowing full-well that what they do is an atrocity, that it causes others to suffer, and that inevitably, they will be destroyed for it. Those people, Mr. Okami, are both of our enemies."

"I understand your hesitation. Those who have set their eyes on world domination in the past have left a shameful legacy." He grinned. "They were not worthy. Still, many of them felt that they were doing the right thing." The stress on the word 'felt' was quite intentional. Dar locked eyes with Toji. "Feelings are imperfect, Mr. Okami. Many sins have been committed because of strong feelings. I hope you rely on more than just your emotions. Tell me, what makes something definitively evil?"

Toji blinks." This." He pulls down his shirt collar, revea?ing the marks permently marked around his neck. As he let's it back up, he also pulls the bottom of his shirt up some, revealing just a small amount of the horrifically extensive scars coating the halfling's torso." And these." He movesvhis shirt back to its normal position, looking calmly at Dar." I was in the hands of a man truly worse then demons, Mr. Dar, for five years, and that is how I know what evil is.. Not only did he enslave me and npreformed sadistic experiments on me, he forced me to terrorize innocents so they would bow down to him. It was only feeling that got me through that, sir. Feeling the hope that one day I would get free, somehow. Feeling the love of the Forger as I said my prayers inside my mind every night. And it was feeling the sacredness of my oath to protect humanity as Okamians had for generations that stopped me from warping sir." Hecsmiles." Yes, feelings aren't always accurate, but they can be powerful.They're an amazing gift, sir, and won't stop me from bringing down a evil man, nor a misguided man who thinks hes doing good."

Dar regarded this blue-haired demon. It seemed Toji had experienced much pain and loss. He said that his emotions were a gift, and that they would not get in his way. Dar raised an eyebrow. Had Toji misunderstood him? Or had he simply assumed Dar had been implying something?

Dar put a hand on Toji's shoulder. "It is an honor to meet a man who knows what he stands for, a man who defends others instead of feeling sorry for himself."

He removed his hand and crossed his arms. "The man you speak of sounds very evil. Tell me, whatever became of him?"

Toji blinks. Hmmm, this man lived up to his moniker, certainly, but it seemed he had some compassion....And it also seemed like he wanted to settle Corgis hash...well, the halfling couldn't have that, his old master was his responsibility." Thanks....it was either that, or become a raging monster, and its no fun getting poked by pitchforks all the time...And he's disappeared.. But when I catch him, I'll throw him in jail. No doubt he'll get life.And if he escapes, I'll catch him again, and again, and again, till he gives up in despair."

Dar narrowed his eyes. "Selfish. You are too selfish, Toji Okami. Any old master of yours will not remain imprisoned for long. He will escape. You may catch him, you may imprison him again, but it is a one-sided conflict. He is willing to kill you, and you are not willing to kill him. You will put the world at risk of suffering his cruelty again and again. And once he eventually kills you, his tyranny may have no end. He is not the one who will fall to despair, Toji. The world will. You risk all of this on the flawed belief that you will always triumph."

The other customers in the comic store were cowering. When Dar was speaking with such intensity, he was quite intimidating. His voice boomed and echoed around the room.

"But killing is wrong, you'll say. Life is sacred. A protector never sheds blood. But your lack of action will result in the deaths of millions. When faced with such circumstances, one does not ponder right and wrong. One must act, for one's own survival, for the survival of mankind. Perhaps there is a more noble way, but in the moment of truth, you will not know the correct answer. You will only know the best answer available to you at the time."

Dar slowly drew closer and closer to Toji, overshadowing the half-breed. "You are afraid, Toji Omaki, afraid that if you take one life you will end up like him. But heed my words, Toji Okami. You must conquer this fear. To destroy evil, is to do good. There is no greater ambition."

Toji growls as Dar begins to lecture him, but let's him finish his speech. Then, he takes his turn, eyes going black and gold as his canines lengthening in anger." You say I'm scared...that's true. I'm scared of Corgi, and myself. That's because. I've seen what both of us can do...Corgi is a genius, full of his own importance and moere sadistic then a demon of suffering. And me....well, let's just say a 13 year old child razed a village to the ground...in just a few hours!!!And I've gotten, gotten much more powerful sense then, and I'm not even at my peak!Corgis dangerous, but he's stupid. He's obssessed over destroying the titans to gain respect, and believe it or not, he's no match for all the titans. No...the one you need to fear, is me. Cause if I go dark, millions will die, that's a fact.And what will send me to darkness is the killing of a human." He steps closer, glaring up into data eyes." Look into my eyes, DARK. See the monster held ball k, and realize this, if that monster gets lose....your kingdom will burn."

Toji was meeting Dar's gaze. In fact, he seemed to be going so far as to challenge Dar. He said that killing a human would corrupt him (an unfortunate side-effect of being a half-demon, apparently). Also, it Toji turned 'dark,' then he assured Dar his world would burn.

"If you are that much of a danger, then you are the one who needs to be slain first. Priscilla..."

The door burst open, and a red-haired woman dashed directly for Toji, moving at an impossible speed. She was wielding a longsword, which she stabbed at Toji's chest. The knight of Pride, Priscilla, was here to serve her master's purpose.

Dar hadn't moved. "Kill this one, won't you?"

Toji narrowly dodges the sword, stepping inside her reach and laying a palm on her chest." K.O palm." He pulses hard enough to send a rhino to beddy bye, stepping back and transforming his tango into his shuriken to use as a shield." So....that's how it is, huh? Fine!!" Toji aims his hand at Dar, letting out a huge bolt of lightning.

Priscilla went leaping backwards, avoiding the pulse from the KO palm attack. She knocked over a book shelf.

Dar drew his sword in a smooth motion and slapped Toji's forearm with the flat of his blade. This wasn't intended to do any damage. Rather, it threw off Toji's aim, causing the lighting bolt to fly into the wall, instead of into Dar himself.

Priscilla rebounded, flying towards Toji once again. Her sword lashed out at the half-demon, feinting attacks and reaching around potential parries. This would be a true test of skill between the half-demon and the immortal knight.

Dar did not make an attack himself. For now, he would merely defend himself and wait for his servant to finish the fight.

After the flurry of attacks, Priscilla would back off for a moment. Dar held out his hand towards her. "Holy Smite." Priscilla's sword began to glow with holy energy. Against a half-demon like Toji, her weapon was now especially deadly.

Toji grinsvas the knight attacks. Blocking most of her blows with his oversized shuriken, he sighs as she manages to 'cut' his lower arm and thigh. Thankfully, though, the sword didn't damage him." Huh....oh well..." Then, she leaps backward, and Dar coats her blade with holy energy. The halfling's eyes widen, and hr grunts.' This would be easier if I could fight like normal...but there's to many innocents around..' Toji grins, making a insulting fart noise at Prissy." Cmon, señorita, let's do the fandango outside!!!" He rushes toward the window, hopping through it.

Priscilla glanced at Dar, as though asking permission to follow the blue-haired opponent outside. Dar nodded, and Priscilla rushed off. So far, she was able to keep up with him. Leaping at full speed, Priscilla landed against a brick wall, about twenty feet in the air. She then pushed off against the wall, sending herself flying towards Toji. The white flames of her longsword slashed at him.

After landing, Priscilla would slide another thirty feet before coming to a stop. "You should just give up," she said. "It's the easiest way to stop your nightmare from coming true. You don't want to become a monster, do you? I have been told it is not ideal."

She rushed up to him again, aiming an attack for his chest. At the last moment, she changed the target to his leg, trying to slow him down with injury. "I will never know what it means to die. I am curious. Perhaps you could experience that for me."