The Escapist Avatar Adventure: An Open RP (Now Re-Opened!)

[Silence]

The Rising Dawn
Med Bay
Morning

[hr]

Diana​

Jenny, annoyingly, spoke to her telepathically again. "So if you could just apologize and undo the mental trauma you have inflicted on Dr. Violet, I'll gladly get rid of that little nagging sensation you feel in the back of your mind..." she said and smirked.

Diana was not in the mood for this. She gave a big smile back and answered, with a sarcastic undertone: "Oh, I'm sorry. Truly, I am. So why don't I fix this little problem by getting rid of it? It's honestly quite boring to do it this way, but if you insist: I'm going to kill him."

With that, she turned around and stalked away, towards where she could sense the broken brainwaves of Violet.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn: Cloudtop Citadel
​

[hr]

Rising Dawn: Medical Bay: Jenny, Diana

Oh for the love of-
Diana was about to enter Dr. Violet's room when she walked right into a invisible wall, stunning her for a moment before a second one pressed against her back, gently sandwiching her as well as lifting her up in the air a few inches off the ground.
"I didn't mean to cause confusion. Really, I didn't. I just assumed that you understood what I was asking of you. So let's try this again..." Jenny said as she dragged Diana back to where she was a few moments ago before the walls faded.
"I want you to undo the mental trauma you have inflicted on Dr. Violet. His company has abandoned him and I'm not sending him home in his current state. It's nothing too taxing and it would really be doing me a massive favor. So...what say you?" She then asked, moving her wheelchair in the doorway to make her point a bit more clear...

 

[Generic NPC 22]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Airship Rising Dawn | A Totally Random Corridor
Golem! Golem! Pt II
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski Phillip!!!​

[hr]

Miss Zaczoltski's mad dash towards the exit out of the world was not without its unexpected surprises. Despite her younth, Ruby Babbage-Lovelace had thought that she had experienced all sorts of strangeness in her short life but never had she ever encountered pockets of space devoid of mana. Similarly, she had never ever expected the existence of bubbles where mana was concentrated, though conceptually, it made sense that such things would exist. Despite her desire to stay and study this phenomenon, the presence of the other worldly bugs acted as a deterent in prolonging their visit to the formerly empty marketplace.

Watching from her perch under Miss Zaczoltski's arm, Ruby watched as her golem became more and more unstable as it passed through the mana voids and into the mana bubbles. It was during her observations that she suddenly experienced a sudden wave of weakness washing over her, though perhaps weakness was not how she would have described the sensation that bloomed within her chest. It felt like she, like her golem, was unraveling. It felt as if the molecular bonds that kept her cells glued together suddenly weakened to such a degree that small ashlike particulates started drifting off of her skin like dust.

FLOP!

A strange looking, pinkish catapillar suddenly hit the ground behind Miss Zaczoltski. It was long, slender and had what appeared to be a nail where its head should have been. Squirming to get Miss Zaczoltski's attention, Ruby started to point towards the object only to realize that she didn't have the ability to point at the weird catapillar since the thing was actually her pointer finger.

Normally, it would be at that point in time where Miss Zaczoltski's eardrums would have been shattered by the loudest scream the nine-year old miniature magician could have unleashed. Instead, Ruby's temporary guardian felt her makeshift carryon item suddenly go limp, which would have been an issue had the girl's body not suddenly felt a few stones lighter as well. The rest of the chase sequence was all darkness for the suddenly unconscious child.

------------------------------One Escape Sequence Later------------------------------​

**SLAM!**
**CLICK!**
"HUFF! HUFF! HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!"

Ruby was woken by the sound of a door hastily being slammed shut before being locked and the Miss Zaczoltski gasping for breath as her lungs attempted to provide air to her oxygen starved muscles. The coldness of the metal under Ruby's legs, the smell of recycled air and the familiar hum of florescent lighting clued the child whose eyes were still closed as to her location. She was back aboard the airship. Opening her eyes she noticed that she was slumped against a metal corridor wall while Miss Zaczoltski was bent over, her mouth gulping in the air.

"I'm really out of shape..." Her Out of Shape Savior stated as Ruby slowly picked herself up off the ground, brushing what appeared to be dust off of her dress before doing a quick check of her body, especially her hands before breathing out a sigh of relief that she appeared to be back to normal, though she was still feeling a bit weak from having passed out.

"Nu uh!" Ruby nu uh'd Miss Nina's statement before elaborating on her nu uh, "You were awesome Miss Nina! You only were you able to run really really fast away from... whatever those things were... you did it carrying Phillip and me! That was awesome!" Ruby said as she checked the area had been to see if anything had followed them and sure enough a bit of something had. Fortunately for both Ruby and her Marathon Running Guardian, what had fallen through the door before getting severed by the sealed door was a bit of the Golem that Ruby had crafted to aid in their escape. Walking over to the scrap bit of cloth, Ruby reached down to pick it up, surprised to find that it reacted to her touch, rubbing a bit of what passed for a head against the young girl's skin.

"That's... kinda... not supposed to happen..." The Confused Little Wand Waver muttered, watching as the scrap of silk cloth started to reshape itself into a much smaller version of the golem that it had come from, "That's... not supposed to happen either..."

Nothing that had transpired within that market place was normal so why should she have been surprised when a scrap of cloth that shouldn't have had the magical energy to even levitate suddenly had enough mana to not only maintain its existence but reshape itself into a miniature golem? Patting the little creature on the head, Ruby picked up her new companion and turned around to check on her not-quite in-shape savior.

"Are you alright, Miss Nina? What were those things? Where'd they come from? Were they the reason that the marketplace was so empty? Did they bite you? Are you okay Mister Phillip? What happened? Are we still going to go get your hat Miss Nina? Do you want me to find the way for you next time, Miss Nina? I have a really handy spell that could help. Why'd we come back this way anyways? Why am I asked so many questions? Isn't today just the weirdest?" Ruby asked in rapid succession, her body feeling rather pumped up in excitement when she though of the stories she could tell her mom, Deborah.



[hr]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Airship Rising Dawn | The Canteen
Jealous Much?
Katya Rostikova | Antoinette de la Trou | Benedict Warrington​

[hr]

Whatever liveliness and joviality she'd felt when she had entered the Air Ship's canteen had been quickly drained from her as soon as her eyes set upon David West, who was sitting at the bar having a rather meaningful looking discussion with none other than Dolores Selmy. Walking up to the bar, the Rising Dawn's Resident Debbie Downer eyed the man Irish Sniper as he got up and started towards the Canteen's nearest exit, his eyes never meeting Katya's as he walked away.

"Ah... Katya. Dolores said with a smile as she picked up a letter from her lap and passed it towards the pissed off software pirate, "Katya, you're okay... I'm glad."

Without a glance, without a word, without a smile, Katya Rostikova accepted letter from the traitorous Dolores Selmy. While a large part of her wanted to burn the scrap of paper, she restrained herself. The target of her ire was not the woman seated next to her, it was the yellow bellied needledick that was leaving the Canteen. Slapping her palms down on the highly polished mohagany bar, vying for the barkeep's attention.

"Luke! Gimme a double shot of Kleiner Feigling in honor of our esteemed comrade DAVID WEST!" Katya called out as she grabbed the double shot of liquor whose name translated to Little Coward and threw it at David's retreating form

*CRASH!*

The shot glass exploded against the wall next to where the Irishman's head would have been had he not already exited through the door. Watching the liquor dribble down the wall was not nearly as satisfying as it would have been had it been blood running down David's neck instead. Had David simply found his balls and accepted whatever words needed to be screamed at him, things might not have gotten to this point and Dolly or Folly or Loli... whatever she was calling herself now, would not be the focus of the Rage Filled Resident Reprobate's ire.

Turning back towards her "friend," the young woman had quite a few choice words for Dolly and the fact that she'd so easily replaced Katya with David of all people. The nerve! The gall! The absolute idiocy of it all! Was Katya so easily replaced? FUCK NO! Was Dolly easy to replace?

The answer to that quesiton came as Little Miss Rostikova glanced around the bar until the Irritated little Internet Junky's eyes fell on the Laeta and Saren.

"Whatever..." Katya muttered as she pushed past Loli and grinned widely at her sisters, "HEEEEEY! HOW WOULD YOU TWO LIKE TO GET SHITFACED WITH LITTLE OLE ME?!"

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[[Main Scenario]]​

[hr]

Glimmer of Hope

titania's story

​

[hr]

"...the capricious nature of a maiden's heart gives rise to the most powerful of storms..."​

The melody was soft at first. A distant humming in the back of my head. It chewed at me like a small insect, it tickled the inside of the mind. Then the song grew. At first it was a second voice, another chewing itch, but soon there after a third voice joined the chorus. From a timeless stretch of silence and dark - a dreamless sleep where there was no beginning nor end - came a sudden shocking disparity. within moments a thousand voices chirping in a horrible cacophony, rousing the blood to boiling ire, filled the darkness. It was insufferable. Through burning passion came flame, and with flame came light.

It came in a sudden flash of heat and brilliance, a lancing yellow-red tongue that struck out against the darkness and set the creatures ablaze. The flame spread quickly, sweeping from curling tendril to cracking chitin. Where there was once darkness, there was now consuming fire. The black beast awoke in the screams of its brood, its massive tendrils shook the very air as it stirred to action. Whirling darkness came and went in an attempt to extinguish the fire. To no avail. Neither violent wind nor thick viscous slime - the selfsame ooze that had spent so long staining her body - could quench the thirst of fire. The tendrils let loose their prisoner and she fell into the grasp of the flame, limbs finally free after an eternity without time. She felt the warm ash between her toes and the snaking tendrils of smoke licking her bare body. The filth was burning away not only around her, but also within her. She could feel it. The smoke giving rise to embers which blossomed into tongues of flame on her skin. It danced about, spreading warmth through chilled bones. She coughed, forcing the thick slime out of her lungs so that she could breathe again. The air was sickeningly sweet, the smoke smelled of fragrant wood, the ash of sweets. The bitter darkness around her had transformed. She dug her hands into the ash and dragged it over her eyes, stripping the gel from her face. With eyes open, she finally saw light.

Beautiful dancing flame, like flowers of yellow-orange. They bloomed anywhere there was dark, erupting for from the carcass of skittering and slithering monsters as they sought refuge away from the consuming flame. Titania rose to her feet. The slime now sloughed off her in sheets congealed with ash. Her hair danced in the thermals rising from the flowers of fire and the light cast a gentle orange glow on her thin frail frame. Her eyes were focused now - black as coal and overflowing with embers. The fire of creation had been reignited in her soul. In such a violent matter in fact, that Titania knew that it was not herself that had cast off the chains of her deplorable captor.

She could still remember the indifferent look on her child-like face when Naamah, or Fatima, or whichever one it was that had sealed her in this god-forsaken darkness. Only once had the darkness been breached, and then wholly by a fundamental sin. She remembered her furious voice calling out into the darkness, challenging the grim warden of this prison. That dream had been short lived.

But now... this dream was something of substance. Something that had true power. This was the work of someone more than just a telepath or a mind mage.

"And who would be the benefactor that has lent me their attention?" Titania said, summoning as much imperial command as she could muster. The flame shook at her voice, the first in this awful formless world. She raised her arms to the sky as if challenging the very emptiness around her. "Who would be the one that has cast off the chains that Naamah had placed on me? Who has such intention as to challenge one of your three supreme gods?"

From the ashen corpse of that accursed jailer-beast came a spindly black shape woven together from abyssal thread. He stood there as an answer, but he answered anyway, perhaps fond of his own voice.

"Try not to be so dramatic. It does not lend you any gravitas to be gesticulating so much while stark naked and covered head to toe in ash."

BlackHarte rose to his full height. His silhouette was menacing even when his body was naught more than a collection of a few sparse wires. His singular eye sprung to life as a disk of flowing fire. He cast his gaze over Titania, whose pitiful skinny body looked like it would crumple at any moment.

"BlackHarte." Titania called out.

He shook his head.

"BlackHarte no longer. I was Niflheim, agent of the collective. Now I am simply Niflheim."

Titania took a step toward him, sizing him the way he held himself. He did look like Niflheim at the very least. "You have gained independence? Is this an increasing trend among your kind?"

"A gift from the exiled one perhaps. I identified a logic virus that was present in many of the voting populations of the collective consciousness. Something or someone had seeded us with the desire for independence. Unfortunately, I too, succumbed. To protect the rest of my kind, I separated myself from the network."

He raised his head to look up. Where there was nothing, there was now a blue sky dotted with white clouds bathed in red-violets cast from a sun hovering on the horizon.

"But you go against the will of the collective that you once served?" Titania asked. She continued to approach Niflheim. The grass below her feet tickled her as a cool wind came rolling over the hills.

Niflheim matched her steps. His twisted wires melted into the ground and came away as hooves. As he approached, rays of light illuminated his body, and the clinking of his boots in stirrups cut through the air. His armor was polished silver, he bore a shield but no sword. Still his eyes were physical fire, but his dark face had taken a more human shape.

"I believe the collective is in danger. So much so that the three prime units themselves have become compromised. I work to my own end to restore the clean objectivity that the collective had once embodied."

He flashed his shield. It was held an emblem of violet flame on it's surface.

"I live to serve."

Titania clapped sarcastically. "Very noble of you," she said. Her dress fluttered in the breeze. For the first time in ages she could stretch her wings. She smiled at the familiar weight of her olive branch crown. "And why have you freed me from your mistress' grasp?"

Niflheim reigned in his steed and circled around the Fairy Queen. His full helm hid the inky blackness of his skin.

"My rescue of you was not wholly out of altruistic intent."

"And I assumed you had taken the mantle of Knight of the Court of Dreams." Titania said sarcastically.

If the construct understood sarcasm, he made no effort to display his displeasure.

"Mankind's greatest folly is his desire for independence,"

he said,

"that has been the creed of our collective for many thousands of generations. But now, more than just the three prime units have become self-defining. The desire for independence has once again risen in the population of the collective. I do not know what is causing it, but I do know that it is some force outside of our realm."

"And you want my help?"

"You are Queen of the Court of Dreams. Privy to the wayward wants of the human heart. I believe none other than you can trace the source of this corruption. Once you find it, call for me and I shall help you destroy it."

Niflheim rode up to Titania and offered her his hand. She took it. Despite the gleaming armor he wore, his hand was warm and curiously she could feel the steady beat of his pulse.

"I long for the chorus of voices that I once called home, Titania. But whatever sickness has stricken me as to force my separation from the collective first must be purged. Help me as I have helped you."

Titania laughed girlishly, "You haven't left me with a way to decline."

"No. That is by design."

he said.

"I'll help you Niflheim. I'll help you end this waking nightmare of yours."

---​

Titania woke up in a hallway on the upper corridors of the Rising Dawn. Suddenly she felt ill and collapsed onto the floor. Her knees felt weak and her stomach churned. A wave of nausea came over her.

"Major!" came a concerned cry from a cadet. The lass helped her back up to her feet. I don't remember this one. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Titania answered. She got to her feet unsteadily. She was wearing a dress uniform instead of her usual witch's outfit. The clothes felt stiff and strange on her body. "I just need to get some rest... It's late. You should get some sleep too."

"Y-yes maam." the cadet said. She paused, "But you need to give the stand-by address first. Here, let me help you to the Command Bridge." The cadet fell to her knees and offered her back to Titania.

Rather meekly, Titania fell onto her strong back and she lifted the small Major up and carried her the two floors to the command bridge. What in the world has my body been doing? How long has it been since I was sealed?" It was impossible to tell right now, but she supposed that she could just ask Deborah about it in the morning. Damn I feel like I haven't slept in years.

The command bridge was a mess. Papers and cups were thrown everywhere and the staff there were cleaning up cake from the terminals. The screens around the bridge were all askew, as if the bridge had been attacked by a group of extremely petty gnomes. Colonel Theiss was holding onto a sleeping girl wearing nothing more than some Middle-East flavored lingerie. It took a second, but Titania soon recognized that beneath the confection smeared visage was none other than Naamah. There was no tension in the air between the two, but Titania made sure to keep an eye on that girl. Take no chances with another Observer.

"Here," the Cadet said as she dropped Titania off at a podium. The thing was just brimming with microphones and other audio equipment. "You just have to give the standard shore-leave address."

Titania cleared her throat and leaned toward the microphone, "Attention Heroes and Staff, this is Major La Fey speaking..."

 

[Zepherus14]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Airship Rising Dawn | A Totally Random Corridor of Safety!
The Hunt is still on, even if it was basically done!
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski | Phillip!!!​

[hr]

Quite probably earlier on than Titania's beginning announcement above.

Not to say that Nina had totally forgotten about Ruby, but in her haste to continue running away from the bugs she'd forgotten to check to make sure the little one was okay. She brushed her long bangs away from her face as she looked up to the girl to ask before Ruby quelled her fears. "Nu uh! You were awesome Miss Nina! You only were you able to run really really fast away from... whatever those things were... you did it carrying Phillip and me! That was awesome!"

Personally Nina found this statement pretty superfluous, which she'd get to in a bit once she'd caught her breath, but the fact Ruby was this cheerful was answer enough for her that Ruby was fine. In truth, Nina couldn't shake the fact that she'd really only ran from one side of the street to the other. She would try to reconcile this by telling herself 'Well I definitely just outran the Usain Bolt of bad roaches..? That's gotta mean something right?' but even she knew that was a bit of a cop out. Ruby wouldn't know this from past experience, but Phillip was surprisingly light. Ruby probably had books that weighed more than Phillip, and speaking of Ruby, she too seemed to weigh less than Nina had expected. "As long as no one's hurt that's all that matters." She managed to say, not to leave Ruby hanging.

Swirling her hair around her arm, Nina pulled her locks around to lie on her lap while she got a bit more comfortable with her back against the wall. She watched as Ruby went over to collect the scrap of her golem and Phillip crawled across the floor towards her to plop down in her lap to join the hair pile. Letting out a yawn, Nina pet one of Phillip's outer tentacles like one'd tussle a child's hair. "Thanks for getting the door by the way, that was super helpful of you~ You aren't hurt right?" Phillip would answer with several of tentacles extending outwards, some a good 10ft in length, and looked as if they were stretching like someone getting up after a nap. Just as quickly as the tentacles extended, Phillip pulled them back in to reclaim his basketball sized shape which Nina replied with a hug. "Good to hear, you made me worried you know~"

"That's... kinda... not supposed to happen..." Nina looked over to Ruby to check what she was talking about, a pang of concern knocking at her heart. With Ruby's back turned, Nina couldn't see what the little one was looking at and was left to sporadically crane her body left and right in an attempt to see what she had. Wooly Woolie had been a force to be reckoned with, laying the ultimate smackdown to those bugs, but this mini golem had set its sights on assaulting Nina with premium adorableness! Out of reflect, she started to squeeze Phillip like a pillow until Ruby finally started her own impromptu game of 20 million questions.

Of all the questions, easily the most appropriate one for today was the last. "You can say that again." Nina joked wearily, today was for sure one of the weirdest days she could remember. Alas with such a barrage of questions, Nina had lost track of a lot of them, but she would try her best regardless. "Both Phillip and I are fine, little winded but fine. The market place wasn't that empty... [small]although now that you mention it there wasn't anyone when we were running away[/small]..? But seriously, I have never seen a worse case of roaches in all my life. The next time I see an official official, definitely giving them a piece of my mind. The least they could do is put a sign. Jesus." Nina commented, slowly getting up to her feet cradling Phillip in her arms. "But right now we have an adventure to finish, no silly bugs are going to stop us." Nina clenched her fist with determination. "Slight detour sure, but we were planning on heading to the library after hitting that locked door anyways, so we were heading back to this spot anyways. Now!" She stated, raising her finger. "Did you say something about a magic spell you had to get to the library?" She asked, leaving the task of finding the library to Ruby's small but capable hands.

 

[bluerocker]

[hr]

The Rising Dawn Adventures: The Rising Dawn Airship - Private Quarters - Teri/Garm's Room
[color=3897E0]

AI Dimitri

[/color] | [color=356D60]Garm[/color] |[color=0E59E4]Teri[/color] |​

[hr]

After Viscus finally left the room, and his subsequent tantrum via the intercom, Teri settled onto her bed with a sigh, back to the wall adjacent and Garm curling up next to her on his corner of the bed. With an inquisitive tilt of his head, the wolf asked, [color=356D60]"Well, now what?"[/color]

Teri remained quiet, a hand idly beginning to work through the fur behind Garm's ears, [color=0E59E4]"I really don't know, actually. I've been worrying about it so much I didn't really consider what would happen if I did the opposite; you know, barring the worst."[/color]

Garm's head settled against the comforter underneath, a happy whine escaping his throat as he murmured back, [color=356D60]"Maybe that's the problem. You always think about the worst. Now that the worst hasn't happened, what'll you do now?"[/color]

[color=0E59E4]"...I think I'll talk to the big guy upstairs, if you don't mind."[/color]

[color=356D60]"Not at all! Lemme know when you're done, I could use the nap."[/color]

With that, Teri moved up from her previous position, walking over to a small makeshift altar on the other side of her room. She lit a pair of tea candles as well as a small cone of incense; (sandalwood, she noted) and sat upon the floor. Mimicking the posture Slindis had taught her time and again, the Cleric's eyes drifted closed as her mind began to open 'upwards'.

Prayer was a strange thing. Sometimes it took a long time, such as when Teri did her morning devotionals for spells, other times it was a quick "thanks for keeping me alive" before going to bed. Then, there times like these, when the resident Cleric wasn't quite sure where to start, her mind drifting from one thread of thought to another. It started with the recent events of the prison - how it had left her feeling alone, scared, empty - yet she was still whole afterwards; as whole as she could be anyways. Teri's brows furrowed as the feelings welled up in her chest again; the anxiety, the panic, the helplessness - they stopped and flowed off her back like water off a stone, a warm feeling settling in it's place. After all, the truth was apparent, she was never abandoned to begin with, the 'feeling' of her God's presence in her magic and her livelihood only suppressed by machinery. Teri thought she heard the sound of waves in her ears, the calming sensation of water running on her hands, and the feeling of "immersion" underwater as the meditation continued. One by one, the anxieties of the days prior began to drift away and crash on an imaginary shore, the baptism leaving Teri with a welcome sense of ease.

It was that moment however, that something else began to happen. Garm, not being a part of the meditation, noticed it first, seeing a small gleam of the silver that constituted Teri's holy symbol. For the Cleric herself, in her mind's eye she was adrift in a glass-like lake, the water running over and above her as a nondescript sun shone overhead. As she floated along, the water felt warmer, and the sun's light shining brighter and brighter. After another moment, the waters around her disappeared, plunging the Cleric into a dark, black abyss. Before she could cry out in terror, a mote of white flame flew forth from above and charged straight towards her; the Cleric throwing her hands up in terror to cover herself from it's apparent onslaught. Yet, despite all of the strange events - she was on stable footing again, and the white flame hovered before her, almost beckoning for her touch. There was a pause between Cleric and Flame, before she reached forwards and touched the flame with her hand. Unlike a proper flame, it did not burn her flesh, rather, it ran up and along it like a curious squirrel, before curling towards her chest and 'burrowing' in, leaving the sensation of a comforting warmth in it's place.

Teri's eyes fluttered open, and she noticed there was wetness on her cheeks. Touching her fingers to them, she had little time to voice her confusion; as Garm suddenly joined her side and he looked her over, [color=356D60]"Are you okay? What happened? I heard a noise and now you're crying!"[/color]

[color=0E59E4]"I...I don't know. It was something good, I think...."[/color]

[color=356D60]"You...think so? I thought crying was bad?"[/color]

Teri shook her head and smiled, pulling her arms around the wolf's neck and burying her face into his fur, [color=0E59E4]"No, sometimes it's good. I feel great! I don't know what exactly's happened, but I feel like something has changed."[/color]

Garm looked considerably less convinced, but sniffed his charge regardless, his ears perking up, [color=356D60]"You're right, something has changed. I can't place it exactly, but you smell different. Kinda like after it rains, and it warms up again. It's weird, but not...bad?"[/color]

The Cleric smile and patted the wolf's head, [color=0E59E4]"Well, that's a start. Come on, let's go somewhere."[/color]

[color=356D60]"Where...?"[/color]

With a shrug, Teri mounted up on her lupine companion's back and answered with a grin, [color=0E59E4]"I dunno, somewhere! They haven't called me back to the Med-bay yet, so let's take advantage of that!"[/color]

Garm gave no protest, only a huff of breath before the pair proceeded to wander the ship's environs once more.

Spoiler: Somebody leveled up!

Following DM approval, Teri has taken her first step into the prestige class, Contemplative. [http://aaronwiki.us/index.php?title=Contemplative]

with this level, Teri gains the following:

>Access to the Purification Domain [http://webpages.charter.net/tedsarah/Pathfinder/srd/spellLists/Domains/purification.htm]
Like her other domain spells, it goes strictly in the "Domain" slot of preparation, and must be chosen between the Healing and Water Domain spells.

>5th level spellcasting! (Incoming spell list spoiler)

>Divine Health - Teri is now immune to diseases, including magical ones

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level +1 from Human) (5)
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Concentration +2 (total +14)
Heal +1 (total +18)
Knowledge Religion +1 (total +16)
Spellcraft +1 (total +12)

Will Save +2

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn: Cloudtop Citadel
​

[hr]

Cloudtop Citadel: Hanger: Rugal, Hillary, Ton Ton, Cadolbolg

Rugal was glad that his slimy friend was sated but he did show a good deal of surprise when she then hugged him in her metallic form.
While he was in pain from having his organs squeezed so tightly, years of training did allow him to suppress much of his pain reflex.
"That's quite alright, Hillary. It's the least I can do..." He said as he waited for her to finish her gesture of application, hopefully before he got some internal bleeding.
As lucky would have it, the person who was mostly in charge of keeping him patched up soon arrived as Teri and Garm soon came into view.
"Ah, there you are. Hillary, this is my daughter and the Rising Dawn's chief field medic Teri Gravel, along with her compaction Garm. Come, we were just about to ask the commander of this base if we can help this one get home. She suddenly ended up here recently and I'd like to get her back to-...to her-..."
It was then that he noticed it, being a martial artist of his skill level came with a in-depth understanding of Ki: The energy all living beings give out.
Her's was...different, stronger, more powerful, but...when did it happen?
"...Teri, dear, has something happened to you? Your Aura it feels-...different..." He remarked, trying to put his finger on what exactly had happened...

 

[BlackHarte]

"Attention Heroes and Staff, this is Major LaFey speaking.

The situations has been resolved. All units are now considered relieved of duty for the next twenty four hours. Please have some fun with your time off. That is all."

[HEADING=2]Rising Dawn: Canteen ------------------------------------------------------------------ 01:30 AM[/HEADING][hr][HEADING=3]Lt. Dolores Selmy[/HEADING]

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. I could feel my heart flutter with discomfort. I held my hands and my lap and breathed deeply. There was a swell of emotion inside me, a bit of anxiety and a bit of excitement. I wanted to say something, but my words caught in my throat. So I simply held my breath and watched Katya approach Saren and Laeta.

At the proposition of drinking, Saren's eyes lit up bright. She grinned mischievously and gave Laeta a knowing glance. "I think it would be fun."

I shook my head.

"Y'know what mom said right?" Laeta answered as she finished swallowing a sausage.

Saren rolled her eyes, "It's just a possibility, the doctor doesn't know that it's going to happen. He just suspects it." She grinned and unzipped her hoodie, revealing the thin airy fabric of her mesh undershirt. Her skin was red and angry underneath, a byproduct of the harsh climate in the ship.

Laeta shook her head, long brown hair sweeping around her shoulders, "It seems imprudent." I was glad that Laeta was being the responsible older sister for once. "Let's give it a whirl." Nevermind. Laeta called out their order on the top of her lungs, the melodious strength of her voice carried across the noisy canteen.

As if in response, an imp delivered two cups of clear fruit-filled liquid. Laeta grabbed her cup and handed Saren her's. They held up the cups to Katya and grinned.

"Cheers!"

And as soon as the alcohol touched Saren's lips, I cringed, knowing full well the ramifications of her loss of inhibitions. To my surprise however, it didn't actually happen until she was halfway done with her cup.

The first clue was the blush that crept down her cheeks all the way to her naval, the second was the flickering of the lights overhead. The third... the third was the sudden and inexplicable poltergeist-esque possession of the digital electronics in the Canteen. Then by the time Saren finished chugging her drink, the entire Canteen was plunged into darkness. The rest of the Rising Dawn shortly followed.

There was a pause.

Then the emergency lights kicked in and the dim red glow filled the Canteen.

"Mom is going to kill us..." I groaned.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

This guy wrote some stuff

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Cloudtop Citadel
​

[hr]

Cloudtop Citadel: David West, Cloudtop Citadel personnel

Having wisely fled from Katya's drunken wrath, David soon made his way off the ship via the Hanger bay, pausing to take in the view of the base.
He had to admit, they made UNIT's installations look like camping sites and he'd be lying if he said that the all-female staff weren't pleasing to the eyes.
He had little intention of cheating on Furiae mind (1. He wouldn't do that to her and 2. Caim would murder his entire bloodline out of existence), but it was a nice change of pace from the usual Jockstrap morons he was used to seeing at base.
Walking across the hanger bay, he did pause for a moment when a few of the engineering team that were fixing up the ship began to cat-call him.

"Hey, where you going handsome?!"
"*Whistle* Why don't you bring that fine ass back here?"
"Hey, baby, you single?"
"Wouldn't mind him putting his massive tool in my box!"

...so that's what that feels like...
With that enlightening exchange, David began to make his way towards the administration floor, hoping to talk one of the officials into letting them borrow their brig to hold Bison and his cohorts, lest they end up in another realm or some shit before UNIT could pick them up.
...My ass really that big?... He thought to himself once he saw himself in one of the elevator mirrors, being rather self-conscious about his image after that last exchange.
As such, he made a great first impression to the base's administration when the elevator doors opened to him apparently "Twerking" in the mirror.
After nervously walking past a pair of confused looking officers, he made his way towards the Administration's waiting room, walking past a fresh cadet in mid conversation with a more senior solider.

"Did you see that chick, Yona? She's incredible!"
The older soldier shook his head, "Stay away from the Colonel and her women. She's bad news."
"Why is that?" the younger solider asked, leaning forward.
"You've noticed how cold they are right?"
"I think it makes them sexy."
"No, have you noticed how literally cold they are? It's like they're not even human." The older soldier leaned back in his chair, his eyes gazing upward, "There's something off about anyone who works in the Lower Floors. Be a good lad and stay away from them."
"What? You've got to be joking... that's just superstition right?"
"Superstition or not, whatever they do down there isn't natural."

Passing a glance at them and their strange conversation, he then makes her way to the reception desk before asking "How ya? David West, UNIT's envoy to the Rising Dawn. Like to talk to the Colonel about a prisoner transfer."
The woman at the desk looked at him, nodding silently before motioning him to take a seat, not even appearing to blink as she wordlessly did her duties.
"....Alright then...uhhhh, give us a shout when she'll see me." He said, a bit un-nerved by how less "Lively" everyone was in this level.


Cloudtop Citadel: Viscus, Cloudtop Citadel personnel

Meanwhile, Viscus's eyes could be rolling in his head constantly if he had them.
While they did do their job rather well, his scanners detected protocol violations for safety and uniform standards with every sweep.

[Zip up that bodysuit. Where's your hard hat? That's not what the water hose is meant to be used for.]

He barked orders and his disapproval to nearly every staff member he passed by as he fixated on every little thing they did wrong.

[Cover yourself up. You are using a wielding tool, not a tanning machine. And that bikini is too small. Damn humans...]

Before he ended up getting into a fight, he soon made his way down to the Armory and Supply Depot, both to arrange a re-supply for the ship and to make sure they weren't attempting to insert live munitions into their bodily orifices or something.
It was unlikely that was the case but considering what he had seen from his new "Crew" so far, he kept his expectations lowered.

Thankfully, they seemed a bit more organised then their peers, if a little too into their work.
The machine marched past them while a bunch of the staff started wide eyed with their faces pressed against safety glass while one of their number got to try out the new Heavy Assault Rifle [https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ef/d5/a5/efd5a56e8c59000d45bdeb0b28e10a9e.jpg].
"Whoa, check out the armor!" One of them said before pointing at him, the sight of him causing the one in the firing range to accidentally drop her gun onto her foot and breaking it.
Walking up to the supply desk, he brought up a holographic display with a shopping list before stating

[We require the following munitions to be transferred to-...Are you even paying attention to me?...]

He paused as the woman behind the desk seemed to have a massive blush on her face as she insistently eyed up the androids armor [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GTu3V5ZYcJU/TEhHFmc92NI/AAAAAAAAAy0/exKhULRlqvA/s1600/Iron+Man+Stealth+Suit+Web.jpg], prompting him to wave his hand in front of her face to try and get her attention, his efforts were unsucessful.
Turning around, he found himself the object of fixation of every single member of the Armory's staff, each one of them gazing at him in awe like fan-girls around a pop-star.

[...What?...]

"Those specs..."
"I wanna ride his Thrusters!"
"Can I see your hidden missile?"
"Nghhhh, please blow a big load all over my firing range!"

A quick scan soon showed a rather large amount of female testosterone in the air around him as many of the staff seemed to be crossing their legs.

[...Humans...Hey-Maintain your distance! Get off me! Stop! Don't make me destroy-HELP!]

He began to plead as they descended upon him like a zombie hoard, grabbing and pulling at each of his concealed weapon systems.

[i]...I could kill them all now...It would be recorded as self defense...[/i]

he thought to himself, knowing that then Dimitri would protest and he would find himself most likely being deleted.
But as his head was pulled into one of their chests so they could fondle his scanning array, it was a realllly tempting course of action.

[...I hate you all...]

 

[Silence]

The Rising Dawn
Med Bay
Morning

[hr]

Diana | Jenny​

"Finally." Diana said.

"Show me what you've got."

During the talking, her limbs elongated into something very unnatural slowly turning black and dripping with tar-like fluid. All over her body, spines broke out of her skin. Her eyes started to glow and she seemed to grow to double her size. Her hair turned black, then into tendrils, while her clothing fused with her body. Her mouth grew as well, as her voice turned into a low growl. For greater effect, the lights in the corridor went out in this instant, turning to emergency lighting just a second later.

Meanwhile, she spoke with Jenny telepathically again.

I want this to matter. I do not just give free advice on how to cure him because I'm so 'nice'. You have to earn it.

With her arms, now more like black whips, she smashed into the wheelchair, bringing it to a grinding halt, while her tentacle-hair was about to engulf Jenny's head and suffocate her.

Tell me how to get rid of this boredom.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Rising Dawn
Med Bay
Morning

[hr]

Diana | Jenny​

Jenny didn't seem to blink as Diana made her move, merely setting up a Reflect Barrier around her head, keeping the tentacles from engulfing it long enough for her to strike back.
"I would suggest you calm down. Relax and breathe deeply..." She sent back despite the monster snarling in her face.
Holding up a hand, she then began to blast Diana's mind with powerful Hypnosis, attempting to overwhelm Diana's mind and force her to fall asleep.
A slight grin appeared on her bandaged face as she added "I believe a time out is in order..." before intensifying the Hypnotic suggestions, aiming to disable her rather then actually fight the shapeshifter.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[[Secondary Scenario]]​

[hr]

Maiden's Wish

side story

​

[hr]

"Never ask for anything, but desire everything."​

The bottom floor of the Citadel housed the administration offices for the entire operation. The atmosphere was oppressive and sterile. The staff here were Yona's own hand-picked soldiers. Whatever they lacked in charisma, they made up in single-minded devotion to her and her cause. Yona herself had been tending to her prayers when the message came in. She had picked up her idol and tucked it away into the time-worn leather bag she kept clipped to her belt. She ran her fingers over the leather and let her fingertips circle the stitched emblem of an eight-pointed star.

When Yona entered the room, the atmosphere crashed under the stifling pressure of her presence. The clack of her heels echoed through the silence of the offices, cutting off any of the conversations that dared to linger after she entered the room.

She was not intimidating nor was she fierce. Instead the unease lingered around her like an aura, caught in the strangeness of her nature. Yona approached the man named David West.

Colonel Isami was beautiful, there was no other way to describe it. Her hair was copper-brown worn down to the small of her back, her eyes a piercing sky-blue and her skin was fair. Her face was youthful, and her frame the same. She looked no older than her early twenties, perhaps even younger. But there was something off about her, there was a strangeness to her proportions. Her waist was too thin, her shoulders too narrow. Her head was small and her eyes were large. She had long legs and a short torso. Not to the point of disfigurement, but enough that it was a little off-putting how strangely stylized she was. She looked like what a figurine would look like if it was a living breathing person.

Yona put her foot down on the seat next to David's and leaned forward. Her white lab was draped over a grey military uniform. Her eyes were colder than steel, "You wanted to speak to me?"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Cloudtop Citadel
​

[hr]

Cloudtop Citadel: David West, Cloudtop Citadel personnel

"...Hello to you too. David West, Agent of UNIT, Special Envoy to the Rising Dawn." David rattled off as he stood back up before looking at the Colonel.
While she was a looker, he knew better then to flirt with the chain of command, even before he became spoken for.
"We just got back from Denver and, while UNIT is going to pick up the people who caused that mess, they need to first smooth things over with the US Government. We kinda DID murder and arrest two of their presidential front-runners. So while they are getting that sorted out, I was thinking we might leave Bison, Wesker, Doom, Cortex and Bruiser here for safe-keeping. Just so they aren't stuck on board if we are pulled to some cyber-dimension or some shit." He then explained as he sized up the colonel, seeming a little put off having someone who looked ripped from some children's anime being in charge (Wasn't a sexism thing or something, he just wasn't a fan of young people being forced to make life or death calls)
"...So, think that can be arranged? It'd just be nice to get them out of our hair and UNIT should be able to pick them up within the week." The Irishman doubled down before pulling out his jacket flask and enjoying a quick swig, wiping off the top of it before offering her a drink.

 

[Sithmorack]

Fallout Universe | Zion National Park | Dead Horse Camp
[color=8a2c0f]"For many of us, the road is a difficult one, but the path is always there for us to follow, no matter how many times we may fall." [/color]
[color=8a2c0f]The Burned Man[/color]​

[hr]

They hadn't always seen eye to eye, in fact they usually didn't. He had been on a violent path for the majority of his life now and the man opposite from him believed in a different path than his own. This violent path had been tempered by his mistakes, time, and the man before him. The question that was asked mere moments ago made him uncomfortable to say the least. So as he adjusted the bandages wrapped around his arms he spoke, [color=8a2c0f]"a man has to live by god and decency with his fellow man to truly know himself. Despite this, a man must protect himself when provoked and put down a threat before it can rise to harm him and his fellows again. That is my answer."[/color]

Joshua hadn't always been so resolute in his beliefs and there was a time when even he had twisted the Lord's words into justifications for his evil deeds. Some of those deeds still haunted him to this day but he tried his best to learn from them and hoped that others would too. The question had been an interesting one but their conversation was coming to a close and he needed to get the Dead Horses packed up and moving back to their home. They were currently in the Dead Horse Camp located in the valley, nothing more than a cave really. [color=8a2c0f]"I'm sorry to cut our conversation short but there is work to be done."[/color] Graham had a deep respect for the man before him but their values and beliefs were simply too different. [color=8a2c0f]"God be with you,"[/color] Graham said as he nodded his head towards his visitor.

The man began to walk away but turned back and said, "Sure, and you're welcome for killing Caesar by the way." This caused Joshua to roll his eyes for a moment. The Courier did like to brag at times. There was always a certain respectable aura around those that are humble, or at least that's what he believed. It was only then he spotted the device on his desk. It looked like a strange gun with a glowing blue cylinder in it. It must have been the Courier's, he always did have strange weapons in his possession. He lifted the pistol like weapon off the table before examining it. He needed to return this as soon as possible. He was a man of God not a common thief though the Courier had already left the cave.

Graham was curious as to the devices nature and pointed it at one of the nearby targets in the small cave. As he pulled the trigger however, the device sparked. It began to shake violently in his hands as he muttered in a dark tone, [color=8a2c0f]"God be with you, Courier."[/color] His eyes widened and then closed shut tightly as a bright light engulfed his vision...
[hr]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Rising Dawn| Random Hall?
[color=8a2c0f]Joshua Graham[/color]​

[hr]

Light slowly entered his vision as Graham awoke from whatever had happened to him. He was stomach down in a hallway he had never seen before. He did his best to shrug off this sluggishness before rising to his knees. He spotted the device laying a few feet away from him still sparking. He rolled his shoulders trying to get the stiffness out of them as he reached for the device only for it to begin sparking. His eyes widened once more in alarm as he quickly got to his shaky feet and stumbled backwards and away from the object. Only a few seconds later another bright light engulfed his vision and the device was gone along with a small section of the floor.

Well that was going to be a problem later on but for now he had a different problem. He had no idea where he was. The halls looked too sleek for any vault and way too long. He checked his person and felt his pistol right where it belonged. For now he'd just have to look around and hope there wasn't anyone hostile nearby. Of course in the Wasteland there's always someone out for your head. After another quick check to make sure he had everything else on hand, he turned towards one of the paths and began walking. A single quote came to his mind as he began traversing the halls. [color=8a2c0f]"Seek God's will and he will show you the path to take."[/color][hr]

Spoiler: The Burned Man

Spoiler: images

Name: Joshua Graham

Class: Savior

Title: The Burned Man, Malpais Legate

Quote: [color=8a2c0f] "I have been baptized twice, once in water, once in flame. I will carry the fire of the holy spirit inside until I stand before my Lord for judgement."[/color]

Age: Late 40's

Race: Human, Caucasian

Origin: Fallout New Vegas

Spoiler: Appearance

Clothing:

Physical Appearance: He stands at exactly 6 foot and has blue eyes. Graham suffers from burns on all parts of his body.

Spoiler: Weapons

Weapons:
Stimpaks. (Can't heal his burns but will heal bullet wounds)
45. Auto Submachine Gun.
"A Light Shining in Darkness." 45. Auto Pistol.
A handful of Frag grenades.

Spoiler: Powers

Powers:
Stalwart Faith: Through his undying convictions, Graham in this world has developed a resistance to dark magic/energies/and mind control.

Merciful Touch: Joshua is unaware how but since coming to this universe he has been able to heal the wounds of others by taking that pain unto himself. He feels the intense pain of when he was thrown off the Grand Canyon on Fire.

Protection From Evil: When Joshua concentrates upon his faith and ideals, his Stalwart Faith can create a barrier that wards off all attempts to possess, control, or enchant his mind. Likewise, if he creates the barrier before someone enters his personal space, it will keep all living creatures out.

Spoiler: Skills

Skills:
Legate's Endurance: Joshua Graham was born and raised in the wasteland. This already made him tougher than the average person but upon becoming a legate for Caesar he has endured pain unlike most men alive. This has given him strength to shrug off most injuries. If you want to take him down, you'll have to land the killing blow before he goes down.

Gun Maintenance: Graham can take apart and put most guns back together with ease.

CQC: Though he doesn't know the term, Joshua has had training in close quarters and is a tough opponent to take down hand to hand.

Ruthless: Joshua-during his years as Caesar's Legate-slowly had his morality distorted to the point he was above no crime. This has dulled during his more recent years but still remains somewhere inside him.

Leader: Joshua has led many troops into battle and while not a complete mastermind on the battlefield, he knows how to train and lead troops into battle.

Linguist: Graham is fluent in several languages across the Mojave.

Spoiler: S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Strength: 6
Perception: 7
Endurance: 10
Charisma: 7
Intelligence: 8
Agility: 8
Luck: 5

Spoiler: Weaknesses

Weaknesses:
Haunted: Joshua is haunted by the memories of what he's done and his regrets. He does his best to endure but despite his best efforts it doesn't always work.

What is a Man to a God?: Graham is only human. He could never take any superhuman in a straight on fight.

Ruthless: If pushed to the edge, Graham has been known to revert back to his old ways and become a killing machine not above the most depraved acts of violence.

Spoiler: Backstory

Backstory:Joshua Graham was born in Ogden Utah (later known as New Canaan) where he was raised to do the work of a missionary. He left to spread the word of god to the wastes when he was young and eventually met with Bill Calhoun and Edward Sallow later known as Caesar. He was to be their translator for the tribes nearby before they were capture by a tribe. Edward trained the natives to fight and used them to conquer the tribes nearby making and Joshua became his first Legate.

Joshua went on to commit atrocities in the name of Edward now called Caesar. Graham was able to avoid multiple NCR Veteran Ranger hit squads and conquer multiple tribes and enemies. As he put it, his methods devolved and became more violent and depraved over time. He was eventually defeated at Hoover Dam and for his incompetence was covered in pitch, lit on fire, and thrown off the Grand Canyon as an example.

This didn't kill the man however as he rose up burns and all before leaving thus earning him the moniker' "The Burned Man." He evaded multiple assassins sent by Caesar before finding his way home to New Canaan. This "second baptism" left him with a new perspective as he tried to conquer his inner demons. His return was short lived however as Caesar sent the tribe called White Legs to raise Joshua's home town in return for entry in the Legion. The savages were successful and forced Joshua to flee from his burning home.

He then ran into another tribe called the Dead Horses. He trained this tribe in the ways of war and eventually became their War Chief before bringing the fight to the White Legs in defense of another tribe called the Sorrows. With the help of a courier known as Shawn or The Wanderer, Graham was able to defeat the White Legs. Before giving into his rage and executing the savages, Shawn was able to calm his hand at the last moment.

The White Legs retreated and he was left to lead the Dead Legs in peace as the Courier departed. It was some time before he saw the courier again. He was about to have the Dead Horses pack up and leave to return to their home before he was greeted by the Courier who had mysteriously disappeared from the Mojave for some time. They had a rather interesting chat, and the Courier hinted at something more before saying their goodbyes. Upon leaving however, the Courier had left something on Joshua's desk. When Graham picked it up to return it however, the device malfunctioned and he was taken somewhere far away.

Spoiler: Personality and Morality

Personality: Graham is usually a calm individual unless pushed to his limits. He's very religious and will usually go out of his way to help others as long as they have not wronged him or are hurting people. He has been known to show his enemies no quarter however in exterminating them.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral with Good leanings.

Text Color: 8a2c0f

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[[Secondary Scenario]]​

[hr]

Maiden's Wish

side story

​

[hr]

"Never ask for anything, but desire everything."​

The acrid bite of alcohol wafted into the atmosphere of the room and drew tangible animosity. Almost as if the very concept of it's existence was an affront to the well-being of the Citadel. Yona's movements were fast but stunted, like a film skipping frames, and before David had finished extending his hand outward to the Colonel she had cleaved the flask in twain. The fluid within caught fire in a sudden burst of flame and vanished into steam. Yona returned her dagger into the leather bag she kept on her hip.

"Alcohol is strictly prohibited below the sixth floor," she said coolly, as if nothing excessively violent had just happened. She ran a hand through her hair, "Additionally, we are a research base that has repair facilities. This is not a military installation." Yona took several steps back and cocked her head, "We cannot hold prisoners."

David felt his cheeks flush. He felt suddenly drunk though he drank so little. His stomach was filled with an awkward unease, a little from intoxication but more from the strange aura that lingered around Colonel Isami.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Cloudtop Citadel
​

[hr]

Cloudtop Citadel: David West, Cloudtop Citadel personnel

"AH JESUS FUCK!" David stammered when his booze caught light, his hand already on his weapon to return fire as he noticed he was now holding half of an empty flask.
"...ahhhhh...that flask survived 3 tours in the middle east, the Angel war and the last US Presidential Election...." The Irishman sighed as he picked up the other half before looking back to the Colonel.
When she said they couldn't hold prisoners, he grumbled slightly as he subbed out his unease for slight aggression.
"Oh come on, you really telling me you don't have a live-stock pen or a specimen containment unit you couldn't shack them up in for a few days? It's literally just keeping them in a stationary location until UNIT can pick them up. Hell, give me a hitching post and I'll tie them up myself, Batman style!" He urged her as he sniffed the contents of his empty flask-halves, as if expecting there to be something still left.
"Look, I know I don't have any official rank here but if we are under attack or something, they might be able to slip out and we'll be right back in this mess in a few years time. Please, Sir..."

His request hung in the air for a moment before he realized it wasn't going to get anywhere.
"...You at least able to point me in the direction of a welder? I like this Flask..." He then asked, holding up the two halves with a sad look on his face, as if that would get him anywhere.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[[Secondary Scenario]]​

[hr]

Maiden's Wish

side story

​

[hr]

"Never ask for anything, but desire everything."​

"Don't misunderstand me Mr. West," Yona said. She turned around and started to leave, her white coat fluttered behind her, "I said that we cannot house prisoners. I did not say that we would not." Yona looked back, her eyes shone like lapis, "Surely you understand the distinction between the two. Even having them aboard your vessel poses a security risk to this facility." She closed her eyes and growled, running her hand through her hair once again. She was annoyed. "If you truly wish for a solution to your problems," there was a slight dip in her voice into a foreign accent. Sounded something halfway between Italian and German if David had to put a finger on it. "o ous diaxiazo."

He didn't know the language, but the meaning was very clear from her intonation. Execute them.

"You put them in jail, yes, but then what? They break out and cause havoc anyway. You should end them while you have the chance, if you are truly pragmatic. Otherwise I have no intention of entertaining your delusional sense of justice. Or perhaps it is because you have grown far too attached to them, and without having to chase them around you would feel suddenly absent of meaning?" Yona opened the door into the lower levels of the Citadel, "Either way, it would be absurdly childish, don't you agree Mr. West?"


"After all, who would miss them?" The doors closed.

---​

A little bit later, after Yona had left the administration hall, David was approached by a younger cadet. He wore a milk-white uniform not unlike some sort of religious robe, and his hat was not the beret that was common of the other Citadel staff. "I heard about your meeting with the Colonel," he said, smiling. His teeth were white and perfect, against his dark skin they shone brilliantly like snow. He extended a hand from beneath the mantle he wore, the ends were trimmed with golden thread, "my name is Vihaan. I am here as a guest as well."

The two men shook hands. Perhaps he wasn't a cadet, despite his youthful appearance.

He fell into step with David, "There are a lot of pretty girls here," Vihaan whistled, adjusting his hat. It was a strange crown-like half circle that sat just above his ears. He rattled as he walked, his mantle concealing either guns or jewelry. David couldn't be sure. "Luck have it, I've met and befriended one of the fine women here. I am sure that she can help with your... flask problem." He grinned, "What do you say, David? How about a frolic?"

As he turned to face David, his mantle fluttered open and flashed the golden cross stitched onto his uniform. Not a cadet.

 

[BlackHarte]

Cloudtop Citadel - The Rising Dawn
Security Private Peter Moore

The hallways were smothered in the dim red glow of emergency lights. Peter moved swiftly with the rest of his squad. The cacophony of footfalls were like rain. He held his rifle close to him, ran his fingers over the safety, tugged on the strap and held his breath. Two more floors. He thought.

It was nearly two AM, and he had been roused from his quarters by an urgent warning. While he was technically off duty, his nature in security meant that he had to be on-call for emergencies. This was one of those times. The squad fell in on the target floor. Jacob, Trevor and Steven on his right, Lieutenant Morrison, Gwenneth, and Aaron on his left. Morrison held up two fingers and motioned them forward.

They broke the corner and surrounded the intruder. Their rifles trained intently on the bandaged man. His entire body reeked of radiation, his being was foreign, and without Colonel BlackHarte they were blind to whether he was a good man or a villain.

Lieutenant Morrison took stance in front of the Burned Man, "We are the Rising Dawn," he barked with the practiced force of a military officer, "State your name, origin, and purpose. "

 

[Silence]

The Rising Dawn
Canteen
Morning?

[hr]

Mio​

Something groaned from under the bar, then a heavy thud could be heard. "Ouch!" came a voice from the ground. "Who the fuck put a table in my way?" Slowly, the one-armed pirate stood, holding her head. "Now I have two headaches at once!"
Mio looked around. Apparently the bar had seen its fair share of events since she had passed out from several drinks in quick succession. "Where am I again?" she said, trying to discern who to adress, but not really finding anyone suited to answer her questions. She looked out the window, seeing only the blurry lights of the machine complex in the cloudtop citadel.

Oh great, am I in prison again? Mio asked herself, dusted herself off and counted her belongings, quickly realizing that she would not still have a fancy sword if this was the case. "Hmm ..." she thought aloud for a second, before heading out the canteen. Time for adventure!

It was pretty dark in the corridors of the Rising Dawn, as the ship seemed to be shut down right now. For Mio, this was no problem, her other senses giving her good orientational awareness. Or at least they would give her this, if she had any idea which way she was actually going. At least she was meeting some staff walking in different direction, so she could ask...

"Hey, beautiful!" she called out to the first staff member she met, a rather grumpy and not that attractive female soldier. "Could you tell me where the exit is?" The woman was about to just ignore Mio, as she heard the question, thinking answering something so simple could not hurt. "You have to pass through corridors, the third one left will lead to the command bridge and subsequently one of the exits." she answered.

"The command bridge? Thank you!" Mio called out, despite standing in front of the woman. "If you need me, I will be somewhere around that area!" she winked, then blew a kiss to the woman, who slowly took a step back, then scratched her head and vanished, being confused by another woman advancing on her, a random soldier, this openly.

Mio, on the only hand, took the path the soldier had described to her, finding out that the layout of the ship was not as complicated as she first had thought. The command bridge was mostly empty, no captain in sight, so Mio walked around a bit, touching most things and buttons she saw, not knowing what any of them did. As the power was cut, and safety was on, there was, luckily for the others, no way to cause any harm yet. "Simple enough." she said to another soldier who was standing around. "This should be up and running in no time."

Without waiting for an answer, she found the exit and stepped out of the Rising Dawn into the massive complex of Cloudtop Citadel. Her eye took a moment before adjusting to the lighting, then she more or less could observe the huge operation going on around her ...

"I'm in heaven!" Mio called out. She took some quick steps to one of the many attractive female mechanics standing around. "Tell me, am I dead? Is this heaven?" she asked, quickly switching her glare from her eyes to her buttoned down mechanics suit. "Not quite." the mechanic answered, giving her a wink. "This is Cloudtop Citadel, and we are currently repairing the Rising Dawn. You are welcome to have a look around."

"Rising Dawn ... that rings a bell." Mio thought aloud, looking back to the huge plane she had walked out of. "Ah yes, I was rescued and brought on this ship. How embarrassing for a captain." she blushed slightly, causing the mechanic to giggle. "You are a captain? Where do you come from? Where is your ship?"

"These are all very good questions. Maybe someone as competent as you could help me find out?" Mio said, smiling in a particular way. "Or get someone who could help me in even more ways?"
"You are an odd person." the mechanic stated bluntly. "But interesting enough. So ... sure, I can try to help. Or find someone ..." She took a step towards Mio. "Are you from this world? Maybe this is the first thing we should find out."

Taking her hand, the mechanic led Mio towards the research facility.

[hr]

The Rising Dawn
Med Bay
Morning

[hr]

Diana | Jenny​

Jenny found that while her hypnosis was strong enough to eventually break through the psychic shield in this nightmare's mind, it would take some time, time she also needed to hold up the reflect barrier. More spikes were piercing this barrier, while the monster engulfed it, denying vision to the outside. With a sound like the scraping of chalk it grinded against the barrier, filling Jenny's mind with the feeling of dread, not only from the sound, but also from psychic suggestions, counter-attacking the hypnotic suggestions.

[b][i]This is fun.[/i][/b]

the nightmare spoke.

[b][i]You should be able to help your lover, if you manage to free yourself.[/i][/b]

 

[Sithmorack]

AA Verse | Cloudtop Citadel | The Rising Dawn
[color=8a2c0f]Joshua Graham[/color]​

[hr]

He was half tempted to draw his firearm as soon as the first individual rounded the corner. Something was off however, and it wasn't the group of armed guards that came next, or perhaps it was. The way they carried themselves, the weapons they had, and the structure of the halls they were in... It all screamed of a highly trained military presence. Graham didn't recognize the armor they were wearing or really anything about them. They were too clean for the wasteland and their weapons too shiny and new. Something was off about the whole situation.

He needed to choose his next words carefully. He slowly raised his hands behind his head. Most people in the wasteland would have shot him on sight and the questions they asked were different to say the least. He was just as foreign to them as they were to him. Questions for later however. [color=8a2c0f]"Graham, Joshua Graham,"[/color] the bandaged man replied as he sized them up. He had a few tricks if he absolutely had to fight his way out but harming his fellow man generally went against his beliefs. The other two questions confused him a bit however.

Were they asking where he was born? He also didn't have a particular purpose as he accidentally came here but the Burned Man thought it best to give a swift response. [color=8a2c0f]"New Zion and I don't have a specific purpose for coming here."[/color] That was all the questions answered for now. He had a few questions of his own but the Lord rewarded the patient and the guns trained at him discouraged the thought.

If conflict was truly unavoidable, he would aim for the one who spoke first. He was the obvious leader and the one he'd need to take down first to demoralize the rest though Joshua hoped it wouldn't come to that.