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

Zepherus14 · Jul 27, 2017

[hr]

To be chastised by Angelus to then be nearly blasted by an explosion of raw mana if not for the quick action of Titanus, Hillary was very much surprised yet still par for the course. It was like a person expecting a surprise party only to be bait and switched with another surprise birthday party, she was expecting weirdness to happen but all of this was definitely a lot higher on the weirdness scale than she'd first anticipated.

The events had happened so quickly that Hillary was left unable to reply to Angelus before everything went sideways. Hillary had dropped the mace on the ground, actually smashing her own foot in a grotesque manner if it were anything but solid steel. Hillary didn't seem to make note of this possibly because of the brilliant, albeit unseen, display of colour as the mana washed over the barrier protecting her, or more accurately her own lack of awareness of this impermanent damage to herself. She however did notice she wasn't the only one being shielded like this, and that whatever was happening she shouldn't try to stick her hand out of the barrier either.

As the last moments crept up, Hillary's body would appear to be losing some of its rigidness. While still appearing metal, her body did appear to melt somewhat. Part of her body mass pooled at her limbs by gravity, her hands and feet becoming more like puddles than distinguished digits, and the large hair buns this form had given her slowly shifted with gravity as well.

Once things finally settled, Hillary would stay still for a moment. Not needing air currently, there was no need for her to gasp, but it would take a few moments for her body to start building itself back up again. By the time Rugal had finished his little speech Hillary was back to her prior metallic mirrored self like before the catastrophe, no worse for wear. "O-Okay, Hillary will make sure to stay by you!" She replied promptly with a concerned tone, quickly making her way to the woman. She would make sure not to bowl over Angelus, but would take 'stay close' a bit too literally, pressing her oddly warm but rigidly firm body against the dragon's. "I'm very sorry Hillary was swinging the mace around! She was trying to get it to that lady over there Rugal was talking to, but then there was the fire, and then the scary guy yelled at Hillary for some reason, and then whatever that was! Did you protect Hillary Miss? Thank you very much if you did!" She spoke, trying to make out what was going on with the rest of the group given the current events, spotting that there were still flames about over there (the warmth spells) "Hmmmmmph... Hillary should be over by Rugal, he was helping her get home, but why's all that still gotta be there..? Do you work with Mr Rugal, or the other lady?"

NotYetForsaken · Aug 2, 2017

[[Main Scenario]]

[hr]

Glimmer of Hope

Code:

titania's story

[hr]

"Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night."

Titania rested her head against Deborah's warm body. The larger woman ran her fingers through Titania's white hair. The little major sighed, her eyes searching the scenes around them for some semblance of sense. Yona put her spear away and stood above her personnel, her fierce eyes and deep voice cast orders like arrows from a bow.

"I will suffer no more of such embarrassments. Allyon, bring me a report on Balance's status," she swept her leather jacket over her shoulders and cast a sidelong glance at Nadalia, "You 'hero' types are always so fond of banter." The colonel flickered for a moment and then was gone, flash stepping across the hanger to assess the full brunt of the damage wrought by the incident.

"The worst is past," Deborah murmured, "so says the book."

Titania shook her head. This incident was only the beginning. She knew deep in her heart the reality of the situation. The collapsing leyline, the sudden outcry of a celestial, and this deep silence that lingered in the air afterward. The very nature of the world had changed in a cataclysmic instant. "I hope it is so." Titania grimaced as she tried to sit up. Angry red bruises ran the length of her arms and legs, a result of her sudden overuse of native magics. Her body was not used to that sort of sudden stress. "Show me the book," Titania commanded.

Deborah drew the tome from her bag and handed it to Titania. The cover was warm and inviting, soft as skin. She pulled the covers open and lay bare the pages within. She bade her breath and opened her eyes, forcing a brilliant golden light from appear before the pages. The words on the cream parchment flew off the page and formed deep gold runes, infinitely deep and complex each. They shifted and turned, as if alive. Yet their movements betrayed their agony. The very fates were injured. "Show me what the others are doing," she commanded in a harsh whisper.

---

Luke held lightly to the air high in the hanger. The Rising Dawn below was bent, the thick steel plates on its outer armor had wilted, thick streams of stretched metal hung over the drydock like forlorn flowers. Even with the barrier, the damage had been severe. But the world around the Rising Dawn, and Cloudtop Citadel, was even worse for wear. From his perch high in the sky, Luke could see the grim specter of death that still lingered in the air. The sky was blue, and the sun shone, but there was no life to their existence. It was as if someone had created cruel imitations of nature and set them into motion. The air, the earth, the water, the light, and the darkness all felt somewhat wrong.

It was as if the world itself had died and was forced back into life.

---

Vihaan frowned and took a half-step back he flicked his wrist and forced David's gun toward the floor with a flare of magic, "Please calm yourself David. There is no need for such a display of savagery." He turned his eyes toward TonTon and Cadolbolg, and ran his hand through his hair. Then he looked at B.C. in her chair, and then at Laeta, hiding behind David's broad shoulders. She is an interesting one. I don't remember ever meeting her before.

"The event you all just witnessed has nothing at all to do with the problem we face," he began, turning around to fiddle with a terminal. He pulled out a small disk and set it down between the six of them. The holodisk sprung to life, projecting a list of people. Their portrait, their names. "Some time ago I had a deep-consciousness study conducted on a large number of our staff. The results were, unsettling." He scrolled through the list. There were dates listed next to each portrait, but the numbers varied massively in scope. Some in single digits, others in numbers so large that it boggled the mind. "These numbers are the absolute values of their earliest memories, derived from the environments in their dreams. A zero value corresponds with some 1400 B.C. and the max value we have, 237,491,883 corresponds with something around 800,000 A.D."

Vihaan took a glance at his audience and cleared his throat, "Nevermind the details, the point is that each member of the observed staff has a different time and place they have an affinity for. Strange mannerisms, ideologies, and subtle habits and the like." He motioned at himself, "The most fortunate, like myself, retain memories of my homeland." He pointed at B.C. "This one as well, is able to remember the realm of her origin."

"My own personal theory," he continued, "for all of the anomalies that have occurred, is that an intelligent entity is plucking people from other worlds and keeping them in here like some sort of zoo." He waved toward the dead rock that used to be Balance, "My interactions with the White Rose lend support to the idea."

"Now to the point I made earlier. I have ample reason to believe that the entity behind our capture is masquerading as one of the members of the Rising Dawn. Ergo, one of your friends." He put his hands on his hips, "And if they found out we knew, then they would flee, and we would never be able to discover the identity of our captor. Secrecy and subterfuge will be our best tools here."

Vihaan paused, he could see that he lost most of the group somewhere down the line. Put his hand on his chin and mused for a little bit before summarizing, "Long story short, the thing that's causing problems for everyone is one of the people who were with you on the Rising Dawn. Someone who isn't supposed to exist. Their nature would be... different from the rest of us, as if they were jammed into our lives unnaturally and the forced to fit in afterwards. We find that entity, we end all of this absurdity."

"Luckily for us, David has inherited a master list of every person in this world. So, do tell us if you have any idea who our antagonist could be?"

Diablo1099_v1legacy · Aug 3, 2017

[hr]

"The worst is past," Deborah murmured, "so says the book."

"...As nice it is to know that information, I can't help but feel that it would have been better served if we first knew what exactly it was that just passed..." Rugal pointed out as he approached Deborah and Titania, rather pointedly interrupting their deliberations as he looked over Titania's shoulder to try and find out what exactly this book was telling her (With about as much success he was expecting).
"...Okay, you two just-...keep doing what you are doing..." He then muttered in an embarrassed tone, knowing full well there was not much he could really add there as he turned his attention back to his allies.
"Nadalia...Sorry about earlier. I know it's literally the least of our concerns right now but might as well get it out of the way before the next arcane calamity hits..." The "Captain" then said to the Bride of Ash, as well as noticing Miia currently clutching to her for dear life.
"...ahhh...Let me help with that..."

As Miia latched harder to her anchoring point (person?), he began to place his hand on her shoulder, reassuringly saying "Shhhhh...It's okay, the-..."thing" is over. We are about to go home now and and you have all the children with-ah, found it."
[color=BA0025]"...F-found wha-YEEEAAAHOHOHOWWWWWWW?!"[/color] The Iamia cried out as Rugal revealed his deception, grasping at the flesh near the very tip of her spine with his hand to cause just enough discomfort to override her body's feral instincts and make it go limp instead of merely constrict tighter around Nadalia.
Once he had achieved this, he merely rolled her tail up somewhat like a massive rope with one hand and held her almost bridal style in the other, ending this feat by gently leaving her on the ground.
Looking at a dazed and most likely upset Miia, he then added "Apologies, you had to be removed and, if it makes you feel better, that was the least painful way I could have done that..."
Glancing down slightly to where she had wet herself, he paused for a moment before pulling out a "R" branded handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to her.
"...You may keep that when you are done..."

[hr]

[hr]

"......Wow....."

That-...was a lot to take in at once and it left David rather-...well...how the hell do you react to news like that?
"......That-....Is one damn good answer..." He trailed off, slowly lowering his weapon before holding his head slightly and gritting his teeth in pain.
"...So that's what-....wow...I-...am nowhere near qualified enough for this Dr. Who bullshit..." He confessed as he realized what all that information that was shoved into his mind was about and there was a nam-
"M-Marlow Alice!...Marlow Alice!...Is-is that it?...There were so many names, I had no idea what was going on but-...M-marlow Alice?..."
Glancing to the rest of the gang, he merely shrugged before saying "Hey, don't look at me. I got into the military after I flunked college. I don't know shit..."

*Shakes magic 8 ball*

Diablo1099_v1legacy · Aug 3, 2017

bluerocker said:
She did most of the work here

Cloudtop Citadel
Engineering
404: God Not Found
[color=3897E0]

Code:

AI Dimitri

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

Code:

AI Viscus

[hr]

Code:

[...]

Even as Teri and Garm began to collect all the pieces of his armor from the corners of the Engineering room, Viscus was silent as his mind crunched the numbers, trying to understand the exact nature of the even that seemed to had rattled the Cleric (and the entire base) so much.
Still, once the majority of his stray armor pieces were pried from the grubby hands of the staff, his head flared to life before sending a signal to the parts of his body in the room.
In perfect sync, they all began to come online before swiftly reassembling themselves right before Teri and Garm.
A few moments of self-checks and diagnostics, Viscus was back online and delivered a message that was the LAST thing that Teri wanted to hear right now:

Code:

[Your God has no power here.]

Teri, who was already emotionally raw after the recent revelations, didn't take the rather blunt declaration too well. Quite literally shaking in her boots, she stood in one spot before covering her face with her hands and weakly said, [color=0E59E4]"T-That's not true.."[/color]
Marching right past the Cleric, Viscus opened up the panel on his wrist before attempting to make a connection to the outside world, only to find that wasn't possible.

Code:

[Telecommunications to the outside world are down. The Leyline disruption is creating a field of interference around the base. I do not have the means to fully determine the nature of this event.]

[color=0E59E4]"...Wait-...so does that mean-"[/color]

Code:

[Negative. There is no detection of Holy magic in the area. We are no longer within the grasp of your entity's power. Stop asking. We have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with.]

He barked before making his way towards the exit, equipping a number of his armor's systems as he did.

Before Teri could say anything further, Dimitri "stepped up" to the plate (or as best an AI could) and quickly added [color=3897E0]

Code:

"Don't you see, Your Ladyship? What Viscus was [u]trying[/u] to say was that the current circumstances are not any fault of your's or your God- something is blocking the divine's influence, a la a signal jammer. Like Garm said, this is only temporary, and we know that for certain. Isn't that nice to know?"

[/color] He punctuated this comment with a comforting smile, which seemed to have the desired effect; Teri's shoulders relaxed, and the shaking finally stopped. Instead, she leaned against Garm once more, the wolf asking the more pertinent question, [color=356D60]"So what do we do now?"[/color]

Code:

[This installation has a research databank in it's lower levels. I am going to interface with it and obtain all of the Citadel's findings on their research. With that information, I can find a way to reverse it's effects if such a feat is possible. With the interference, I can't hack it remotely so we need to find it ourselves.]

He replied, seeming much more focused on trying to figure the location of this databank then even correcting Dimitri's false statement on the effects of this "Godless Black-out" as temporary.
It was then his ire turned to the nearest member of the Engineering staff, his emotionless face glaring at her before quickly picking her up by her throat as his wrist mounted shotgun unfolded, the barrel pressing against the side of her cheek.

Code:

[The Research Databank. Tell me where it is...]

Before she could worry about Viscus possibly murdering random members of staff, a rather frantic Vermilion messaged in.
[color=FF5349]

Code:

"User: Teri Gravel! I have terrible news! It's Adelhield [RETRACTED], he has gone missing! After the blast from the Citadel, he was missing from his bed and I can't find him anywhere on the ship!"

[/color] She warned as an image of a empty hospital bed with several missing tubes and pieces of torn off medical equipment littering the ground.

BlackHarte · Aug 6, 2017

[HEADING=2]Rising Dawn: Hallway ------------------------------------------------------------------ 09:40 AM[/HEADING][hr][HEADING=3]Lt. Abigail Martin[/HEADING]

The research staff grew silent and the woman Viscus held against her will struggled against his steel grip. The woman that Viscus had picked up had by some strange coincidence of fate happened to be Abigail Martin, who in a room of privates and other first-year enlisted researchers was the sole officer, and the only person in the current area to have undergone the Rising Dawn's extensive officer training. That training happened to put her not under Colonel Yona Isami's jurisdiction, but under the command of Admiral Valduur.

That being said, Abigail was the only person in the room to actually know about the secret research projects that Vihaan and Yona were conducting in the lower floors of the Citadel. That being said, it would be quite the black hat on her head if Abigail actually let the lower ranking soldiers on the floor hear her publicly admit to secret experiments below. Instead she took a deep breath and uttered, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The other staff put their hands on their side arms, and a younger girl in the back of the room swiveled a railgun toward Viscus. "We are in a crisis situation. Now put me down before I have you put down."

Zepherus14 · Aug 7, 2017

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Cloudtop Citadel: Rising Dawn and the surrounding Hanger
Nina and Phillip

The cold floor felt nice against Nina's body, her eyes feeling tired as they squinted against the imposing fluorescent lights across the ceiling. She tried to move her hand up to block some of the light, and it did for a few moments before slowly putting itself back where it'd fallen moments before, resistant to the idea of needing to do anything other than take a break. Given everything that had transpired, Nina had been left in a confused state of what to do next, fight had taken a page from flight's book and ran off with the other. She knew she needed to do something, but her brain wasn't making a decision, if only that light wasn't blasting down at her.

"Mmmmm... Thanks Phillip..." Several of Phillip's tentacles rose over her head as he sat by her side, his mass looming over her shoulder. "Uh, I think I'm okay? Nothing feels broken I think, just.. You remember when you touched that boiling pot a couple of months back, and it really stung? Ya, kinda like that, but all over the place." She spoke; carrying on a nonchalant conversation as her eyes slowly looked up to see the two citadel personnel. "Oh ya, they are there aren't they..? This happen often, or... you know this is about as weird as I'm feeling it is?" Compared to how she felt, they were looking no worse for wear, which filled Nina with a mix of optimism that things were probably going to be okay, but envious that they appeared to luck out in this whole situation.

Nina watched as the two got up, the smaller of the two shouting for the other to get someone as she came to her side opposite Phillip. The abomination was a deterrent sure, but with the current situation she seemed to be more worried about Nina's wellbeing. Her words meant to reassure Nina she was going to be okay; she wasn't apparently bleeding, she hadn't lost any limbs, she probably would need a healing spell or two to recover but at least the worst of her damage was the mere clothing she was wearing.

"...What?" She suddenly responded in unsettling sobriety. Despite her injuries, her hands found themselves scurrying across her body. When she found what was once her tiny hat clip, now quite tattered. She sat up abruptly, pushing the woman out of her way quite aggressively. "Oh, no no no!" Nina shouted with newly found focus, getting up to her feet, the fiery rage building within her allowed her to fight through the stinging pain of her raw skin.[footnote]at least the soles of her feet were unharmed because of her shoes taking the majority of the damage.[/footnote] The woman tried to scramble to her feet to follow after Nina, but swiftly felt the focused gaze of Phillip upon her. Almost immediately the spinning sensation of vertigo took hold of the woman as she fell to the ground, while Phillip merely adjusted his oversized chef's hat still atop him. "You can take this lying down, but like FUCKING HELL I AM!!" She roared, storming to her intended destination.

[hr]

As Caim was making his rounds of the perimeter, he'd start to hear an unfamiliar voice coming from a descending elevator close by. "Where the hell is that party room! Kristen said it was just down the hall to the left! You couldn't miss it! she said! Be lots of fun stuff she said!" The woman looked like she'd gotten waaaay too much sun, the vast majority of her body was rubbed raw. The yellow and black outfit was properly ruined; the stockings full of holes, the dress was torn in various places, oddly only her hair seemed to be the only semblance of order. Phillip still hung from her shoulder, slowly churning as the mass of tentacles silently watched them descending.

Getting out of the elevator and turning the corner, she stopped as she noticed the people there. Clearly these people weren't part of the Citadel staff, their outfits were unique, obviously these were members of the Rising Dawn. "You!" She scowled, pointing accusingly darting from one to another. Since Nadalia and Miia had stepped out for the moment, there was no one specifically that she recognized in the group here and thus her attention was passed over everyone to a degree. "I hope you're happy with yourselves! I get it, I've been to college. Hazing process for new members, throw a red sock into your whites, all your undergarments tossed onto the lawn... But this, I guess with all your fancy shmancy powers all that was probably just a walk in the park for you all. No big deal. Hell, I don't know if there even is a party at this point?!" She raved, her words more of an incoherent thrusting of whatever came to mind than a properly thought out complaint. Phillip recoiled in horror at the mere thought of no party; no party meant no food after all.

"So here's what's going to happen. Someone's going to tell me who's responsible for cooking up this idiotic prank, so I can personally lodge a complaint of my foot to their stupid face!" She commanded, which despite her outward frustration, this threat was largely hollow. The second wind Nina had managed to muster to get her this far was already dwindling. Laboured breath, light shivering, not standing up straight; although she wasn't in any life threatening conditions, her body was clearly showing signs it needed rest.

While this was going on, Hillary looked on from the safety of Angelus' motherly protection. She'd seen a lot of different beings in her time, but whatever was on this woman's shoulder was something else entirely. "That new person sure is mad, but she looks really hurt! Do you know who that is?" She asked Angelus quietly, likely tugging on her dress to call her attention without drawing too much over to them.

bluerocker · Aug 11, 2017

"Hmmmmmph... Hillary should be over by Rugal, he was helping her get home, but why's all that still gotta be there..? Do you work with Mr Rugal, or the other lady?"

Hillary's enthusiasm was, to be frank, was very endearing to the dragon-in-mortal-guise, especially when it reminded her of her youngest child, Cadolbolg. Furthermore, with Hillary's previous apology for her behavior, Angelus allowed her features to soften, and for her voice to take a gentler inflection as she spoke, "My name is Angelus. I am a member of the same organization as Rugal and - if you mean Nadalia," she gestured to the Iron Queen, prior to Rugal's extraction of Miia from her person, "Then yes, we do work together. You could think of us as...'Co-eds' I suppose? But, that begs the question - what brought you here if you're trying to go back? Fall through a portal? Something summon you here?"

Angelus's lips curled upwards into a maternal smile, before she patted the young girl on the shoulder, "Many of our number often end up in this strange world by happenstance or accident, myself included. If you sought out Rugal in an attempt to return home, I will do everything to help you as well. For now, we are not in the best circumstances; so myself and Caim will do what we can to protect you. Caim is-" the dragoness frowned, before looking around- "Where on earth did he run off to?"

Speaking of the devil[footnote]No, not that one![/footnote], Caim had not strayed far on his patrol before he was accosted by a very angry Nina, who said something or another about a hazing and laundry, huffing and puffing all the way. However, this series of angry, child-like threats did not bother Caim too terribly - he was a father of two rambunctious Tonberry/dragon-kids who could stab or burn things a moments notice; A college student was small potatoes by comparison. Instead, the mute warrior looked the girl up and down, taking note of her weary state and labored breathing, his PDA announcing nonchalantly,

Code:

"Looks like there's a wounded civilian on site."

Completely ignoring her little rant and demands about a party, the swordsman instead deigned fit to sheathe his sword, wander over to Nina's side and sling one of her arms over his shoulder, and use the other to support the young girl's weight as he brought her over to the other wounded. If he did show any sort of surprise about the situation, it was the slight quirk of his eyebrow when he eyed up Philip - chef hat wearing tentacle monster that he was. However, as he carried Nina towards the rest of the wounded, Caim couldn't help but notice a small shiver run up his spine when his hand accidentally brushed Philip's skin; a sensation akin to jumping head first into the ocean in early spring. Being as he was, Caim did not comment upon this aloud, rather, it formed a small question in his mind...what was this creature with this seemingly innocuous young girl?

Hillary, on the other hand, seemed to show a bit more concern, asking Angelus quietly, "That new person sure is mad, but she looks really hurt! Do you know who that is?"

Angelus tilted her head in confusion at Nina's sudden intrusion and outburst, and only shook her head, "I can't say that I've met her at all. Though I have to say, Caim's response was rather...kind, of him." She smiled faintly, "I wonder if that's on account of the children... No matter - we have dedicated healers, Hillary; she'll be alright. Now, how about I bring you over to Rugal and find you something to do in the meantime?"

With a small gesture, dragon and slime-girl and tow made their way over the King of Fighters...

Speaking of, in the midst of all the chaos and company, Rugal received a message over the rings, the voice belonging to one familiar winter wolf, [color=356D60]"Alpha Rugal, we have a problem."[/color]

[hr]

[hr]

Ton Ton's knife lowered after he heard both Vihaan's explanation, as well as David's... "educated" guess, feeling somewhat satisfied that himself and Cadolbolg were actually able to get a straight answer! It seemed like a simple enough explanation - someone was faking being a proper Dawn member, someone "unnatural" as described by Vihaan. In equal parts an attempt to mentally sort through the information and to keep Cadolbolg calm, Ton Ton spoke softly, [color=15650D]"Someone who was 'forced into our lives'? Hmn... Well, I think that eliminates your parents, Cadolbolg. Not to sound rude, but Mr. Caim and Ms. Angelus are too self interested to consider anything along the lines of "people collecting". Besides, doesn't Mr. Caim have a castle now, he certainly wouldn't wanna stick around here."[/color]

The little turtle dragon gave a happy wag of his tail as he chirped, "Father said he does! We just haven't gotten to see it yet."

[color=15650D]"Exactly..."[/color] Ton Ton pondered this strange situation further, and thought aloud, [color=15650D]"Aside from this 'Alice Marlow', the most unusual thing I can think of is that party Ms. Angelus told us about - something about gathering a bunch of Dawn members together? If this person's plan was to capture everyone, gathering them in a big group would be a 'high risk, high reward' sort of deal. The Dawn is a bunch of powerful people, so putting them in one place sounds pretty stupid - unless they had a trump card..."[/color]

"You know, Father did mention that the prison he was in was able to cut off his pact link with Mother - if this person is as powerful as he (Vihaan) says, then maybe they can cut off powers like that too? But... How?" Cadolbolg's hover dipped for a moment, before he looked to Vihaan and voiced in a tone better suited for a child being told 'no' to extra cookies, "I don't feel like we got a lot to go on aside from being 'unnatural' and 'forced'... And I think my idea of 'weird' is a bit off, I used to explode for a living! What else is wrong with this person? Do they smell like feet or something?"

Zepherus14 · Aug 12, 2017

"No, not Nadalia, the other..." Hillary stopped as she looked around the room, trying to spot Yona to point her out to Angelus, but with the colonel already gone to look over the damage to the citadel this was proving to be difficult. "..Lady...? I don't see the lady now, maybe she left to go help someone else?" She suggested optimistically.

When asked about if how she'd first arrived to this place, Hillary looked a bit down."I'm still trying to remember what happened, Hillary was coming back to the Laplace, and then she tripped I think, and then she was on the ground here by herself." Hillary stated the initial events, still unsure exactly on the circumstances that brought her here. "Hillary is more worried Penelope will worry about her than getting back though. I'm sure Hillary will be able to go back." She said with an unfounded confidence. "With nice people like you, and Rugal, and Caim, Hillary will go back again." She smiled sweetly and gave Angelus a firm but gentle hug as a way of thanking Angelus for her words of comfort, protection and kindness.

That was about the time Nina came into view, prompting Hillary's concern and Angelus' response in kind. Although she wasn't sure why she felt so uneasy about the noodle monster that hung from the woman's side, Angelus' calm mannerisms once again put Hillary at ease, smiling along with Drago mom. "Very much so, he's like Penelope, doing what she can to help others. Or like those two Hillary first met too, Tonberry and Cadolbolg! They helped Hillary find Rugal and were really nice to her! They went with Teri and Garm, I think?" Hillary squeezed her eyes shut if trying to remember, poking at her head to the point of making a dent in her forehead. The damage soon fixing itself once Hillary stopped. "There's been a lot of people today to remember..." She spoke sheepishly.

And with the final suggestion to head over to Rugal to help, Hillary looked up gleaming in more ways than one. "Yes! I would like to help if she could! Hillary could... lift stuff. Talk to people. Make their sore muscles go away." She happily offered, following along with Angelus but still being weary of any open flames that were still lingering around[footnote]Which includes the 'Warmth' spell Nadalia has conjured[/footnote].

Silence · Aug 12, 2017

Cloudtop Citadel
Yona's office

[hr]

Mio | Mitte

"I did not know a harbor for flying ships could also get attacked by krakens." Mio said in a deadpan voice as the pressure and the shields were lifted from her. She got up, dusted herself off, then looked at Mitte. "Are you okay, there? This place does not exactly seem safe."

[hr]

The Rising Dawn
Bridge

[hr]

Diana | Hiryu

"So you want me to prove myself to you, after you already picked me?" Diana sighed. "It can never be easy, can it? The stuff that is happening here is probably caused by some kind of idiot, again. Which also means that it should not be too hard to find out who did it, unless they are already dead." She got up and stretched herself a bit. "Alright, I'm doing it. How can I contact you again?"

[hr]

The Rising Dawn
Cantina

[hr]

Anjali

Anjali was satisfied, but as there were great things going on, she felt the thing inside her stir, giving her the desire to learn about the demons causing this. It nearly controlled her body, so much it was pushing. So Anjali decided to follow the instinct of the creature inside her which had caused her reanimation. She got up from the chair in the cantina, and walked out, seeing a different god fly out of a broken window.

The creature inside her stirred again, and she went further along the hallways, trying to find a place or person of importance to the events, only her instincts guiding her, but her instincts guiding her well. She could feel that something had changed about this place, something more than just damage caused by earthquakes.

Texas Joker 52 · Aug 13, 2017

[hr]

Vihaan's explanation was, unsurprisingly, rather lengthy. It took every ounce of restraint to keep the Space Convict from making low, long-suffering groans or faces at the boy, so she settled with the occasional eye-roll. It didn't help that it gave her the impression that while he could've kept it short and to-the-point, he just wanted to hear himself talk. What a self-assured little shit.

But as it turned out, that wave of negative energy and emotion that threatened to crush her earlier was apparently completely unrelated to what he considered to be the real problem. Instead, apparently some entity was taking people from different dimensions, timelines, universes, what have you. While it made B.C. wonder if that was why the prison transport crashed here on this primitive dirt ball, it was ultimately a non-issue to her.

But apparently, Vihaan wasn't just satisfied with knowing what was going on, he felt the need to stop it, and that meant killing this entity. A being that, he explained, had forced itself into their number and was masquerading as one of the otherworldly visitors plucked from their home worlds. And apparently, David was in the best position to know, having the entire list of everyone who didn't belong there.

"M-Marlow Alice!...Marlow Alice!...Is-is that it?...There were so many names, I had no idea what was going on but-...M-marlow Alice?..."

The name didn't mean anything to B.C., but then again she didn't expect it to. She hadn't been on this world for very long, and the number of people she actually knew or recognized could be counted on two hands. But as the two little ones began to talk among themselves, something they mentioned immediately piqued her interest.

"[color=15650D]--the most unusual thing I can think of is that party Ms. Angelus told us about - something about gathering a bunch of Dawn members together? If this person's plan was to capture everyone, gathering them in a big group would be a 'high risk, high reward' sort of deal. The Dawn is a bunch of powerful people, so putting them in one place sounds pretty stupid - unless they had a trump card...[/color]"

Her head lifted from her arms as a wide smile spread on her face.

"A party, huh? In that case, I have a suggestion: Why not send David and I along to scope it out, see if this Marlow Alice chick is there, and if so, we can do a quick smash-and-grab. If we're both guests, that shouldn't raise too much suspicion, and I can give David some backup, as well as pose as his date." she said with a smile, before glancing back at David and giving him a suggestive wink, saying "Hope you don't mind little old me clinging to your arm tonight, darlin'."

When she turned back to Vihaan, however, her expression was lacking the same warmth that she regarded her potential 'date' with.

"Consider me a civilian contractor for this. I'll need something appropriate to wear, of course. I'm thinking a nice, long, shiny black latex number, slit up one side of the skirt to the hip, strapless and with a nice low neckline. Matching evening gloves. Oh, and a nice pair of boots. I'm sure an organization such as yours can make sure I get something like that." she told him with a sneer.

NotYetForsaken · Aug 13, 2017

[[Main Scenario]]

[hr]

Glimmer of Hope

Code:

titania's story

[hr]

"Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,"

Vihaan tilted his head back, far more than seemed comfortable. Perhaps it was a custom of his homeland, but he grinned. Titania could tell that he was amused. The runes danced in the air before her, melting in and out of the scene. Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced herself to stay awake. It is a shame my body has gotten this weak. The boy admiral laughed, casting a sidelong glance at Titania to acknowledge his remote audience.

"The party, the party," the words danced on his lips like the beating wings of a butterfly. He held out his hands and shrugged, flipping two invitations from his sleeves. "These were Colonel Yona and my invitations."

They were cream-colored, soft as skin, and embroidered in golden ink. Titania squinted as Vihaan turned his hands over and handed the two pieces of paper to B.C. and David. For a brief moment, Titania could see the paper flash black and the ink silver. These were not written by the trespasser. Disguised documents. The same type that was given to Eddie the Dead and Katya Rostikova, Titania mused.

"There is no need to gather us all in one place. We've already been captured after all. This is more than likely just a way to try and pacify us. Perhaps assure us that nothing is wrong with this mockery of a world that we've been stuffed in." Vihaan put a hand on each of the Cutie Bruiser's heads and smiled kindly. A genuine smile from the son of a malevolent demon king. "You have the right idea however, someone wants all of the strongest people in this world all in one place. Something big is definitely going to happen."

He motioned for his closest assistants to leave with him. Vihaan stopped right before the door and turned to speak to B.C. over his shoulder, "Try not to feel so entitled. This is a military base. We have engineering uniforms and we have research uniforms. We don't keep a locker full of dress clothes." He pointed at David, "Mr. West knows the way out. Be vigilant. Who knows when you might cross paths with a white rabbit."

Vihaan left, but the other stranger. The brown haired girl. She seemed rather perturbed by the situations. She shook her head, "No way, there's no way." She grabbed the invitations from B.C. and David, staring at the writing as if absorbed into their cursive loops. "This is Lola's handwriting... but it can't be, I saw Lola write all of the invitations herself. There's no way she could have made these!"

White rabbit. Titania remembered seeing something like that in the presence of this brown-haired girl when she first arrived on the ship. A white rabbit who kept trying to keep them on the right time table.

---

Mitte got to her feet and leaned against the wall for support, "No. That certainly was not normal." She looked at Mio and found the pirate somewhat frazzled by the sudden onslaught. "Good thing you are made of sterner stuff than I am." Mitte coughed. "I will need a moment of rest before I continue."

There was a flurry of footsteps as soldiers rushed down the hallway. Two stopped and helped Mitte stand up.

"Lt. Kobayashi, please let us help you," the first of the two soldiers said, putting Mitte's arm around her shoulder. The other patted down the lieutenant. Then she turned to Mio, "You should get to the main concourse. The entire base is in a state of emergency. Follow this hallway down and then take the elevator to the lowest floor that it'll take you. The other members of the Rising Dawn are already there."

"Alright, see you later then, Mio," Mitte forced a friendly chuckle.

"Lieutenant Kobayashi!" the first soldier gasped as she picked up the injured lieutenant.

---

Titania closed the book and stood up to stretch. Her eyes hurt like hell, but the bustle of the people around her kept her from falling immediately asleep. Deborah supported her from behind, huge springy bust acting as a sort of cushion for her head. The larger woman ran her fingers through Titania's long white hair.

"I don't like how things are going," she muttered under her breath.

"You rarely ever do," Deborah said, "if you worry too much, your hair will turn white you know."

Titania faked a laugh. Then she stood up and on shaky footing made her way to the center of the gathered heroes. She cleared her throat and held her book close to her breast. Two of her retainer fairies materialized behind her. It was good to be back in her body at the very least. Spending so much time locked away in the darkness had made her bond their her muscles weak.

"Rugal," she said. Her voice was strong and clear, belonging more to Major le Fey than it did to Titania. "We need to get everyone back to the Rising Dawn. This was no accident, but a deliberate attack. We need to get moving. That thing will be back." Hopefully, she added silently.

"Angelus, it's time to spread your wings. Hasten the newer members of the Dawn to the safety of the ship immediately. Nina and Phillip, you are both to calm down. The 1021st division is already aboard the Rising Dawn. Go and see to it that they are safe. They should be in the main kitchens when you arrive."

"Caim. David, Ton Ton, Cadolbolg, Laeta as well as the prisoner we ran into at Denver are in the floors below. Meet them at the east side elevators when they come up and make sure they get to the Dawn in one piece. That Colonel Yona is liable to try and turn B.C. into minced meat given what they've done to her base."

"Rugal, again, also you have a mad robot that's about to get himself and your daughter killed. Do something about that before the Colonel decides that we're all enemies of the Citadel."

She turned around and spread her mantle around her like wings. Her hair billowed dramatically in a passing breeze. "The Rising Dawn undocks and leaves in twenty minutes with or without all of you."

Diablo1099_v1legacy · Aug 13, 2017

[hr]

"...This day just keeps getting better and better. Thank you for the heads up. I shall take care of it." Rugal remarked before getting set on the orders he was given (as well as the fact that he could look forward to something like this happening again).
But that's when Titania brought up something much more important: His daughter.
"!?!? Teri is-...Everyone back to the ship! NOW!" He barked at everyone on the ship right when he got a message.
Those communication rings, he never did find out how they linked their minds together but he sure as hell wasn't complaining once Garms words began to trickle in.
[color=356D60]"Alpha Rugal, we have a problem."[/color]
"Going to be a lot more specific. I'm told Teri is with a robot. Is it Viscus?"
[color=356D60]"We are with the Viscus, yes. But that is not the problem, for now. After the strange magic thing happened, Tear-ri's magic has stopped working. The Dimitri voice says it is similar to the prison, but with 'divine' instead."."[/color]
That-...that was not good, While he wasn't entirely 100% certain on how holy magic worked, he knew enough to know that if something could stop God from reaching his daughter, that was not good.
"Dammit...Get her back to the ship, don't stop for anything. That is an order. What's Viscus doing now?"
[color=356D60]".....trying to talk to some staff - I think he's trying to reverse the process? ...probably. I don't know tech things, so I'm not super sure."[/color]
Viscus was never known for being subtle or gentle, most likely what Titania was talking about when she brought up the Colonel seeing them as enemies.
"...Forget about him, I'll write the apology later. Just get out of the base and bring her to the ship. Take her to her room and don't let her move a muscle until I get there!"
[color=356D60]" I.. Will do the best I can. I also heard that one of our patients in the med bay has dis-"[/color]
"One fire at a time. Make sure she is safe. I know you won't let anything happen to her but whatever the hell just thrashed this place is coming back and I need her to be safe when it does. Going to talk to her myself. Teri...are you there?"

[color=0E59E4]"Oh! Hi Dad - you doing okay?"[/color]
Relief filled him for a moment when he heard her voice, prompting him to look around the room as everything seemed to be spinning out of control.
"...I was at ground zero when that blast hit...I'm currently at-...4 at the moment...out of a scale of 10. You?"
[color=0E59E4]"...Could be better, but I'm sitting around a 5 myself."[/color]
"I see...You were with Viscus. What's happening down there?"
[color=0E59E4]"He's trying to Batman some of the staff, he thinks he can reverse what happened. I'm going to try and get hi-"[/color]
"Leave him. My office. Head there, lock the door, if someone who isn't me answers, don't open. I have no idea what happened, only that it will happen again and I'm not taking any chances, not after what happened to you in Denver. Am I understood?"
[color=0E59E4]"Dad-...it's that guy with the really bad cybernetics. He went missing. He could die if I don't find him."[/color]
"And if you aren't safe when that next wave hits, You might die!"
[color=0E59E4]"And? The removal process is nowhere near done - he could be bleeding out for all I know right now!"[/color]
"My priority is you-"
[color=0E59E4]"And who taught me how to fight in this sort of situation?"[/color]

That...that is how you beat the King of Fighters, ladies and gentlemen.
"...I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"
[color=0E59E4]"Nope."[/color]
"...I know I seem rather upset right now, but when this is over, I shall be...extremely proud of you...Do what you need to do. I'll be making my way to the ship."
[color=0E59E4]"...Thank you, Dad. I won't do anything reckless while I'm out. Promise."[/color]
"Better not, I trained you better then that. Love you, dear."
[color=0E59E4]"You too, Dad. Now, time to get this hunk of metal to leave the chokeholds to the WWE."[/color]
And on that note, Rugal turned his attentions back to his own situation, quickly leaving the room and making his way back to the ship without another word.

Cloudtop Citadel
Engineering

Code:

[i][SWEAAAAAAAAR TO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!][/i]

[color=3897E0]

Code:

AI Dimitri

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

Code:

AI Viscus

| Lt. Abigail Martin

[hr]

Code:

[...]

Viscus didn't even so much as move, staying as rigid as a statue while Abigail's underlings began to surround him.

Code:

[You have studied the alloy of my armor in great detail. So you know for a fact that your weapons cannot affect me.]

He pointed out when they went to reach for their side arms.
That just left the railgun but he would take care of that as well, without breaking eye contact with his target, his shoulder minigun unfolded quickly before firing a precise burst right into the rather expensive prototype model Railgun, disabling it without harming the little girl about to use it.
Silence filled the room before the minigun folded back into Viscus's right shoulder, followed by a simple request:

Code:

[We are in a crisis situation. So lie to me one more time and I will dismantle you just like your staff dismantled my armor.]

Pulling her in closer, as well as increasing the pressure around her neck while his other arm went to her wrist, he then added

Code:

[And the Cleric won't be able to put you back together because the anomaly has rendered her [u]unable to use healing magic[/u]. I will ask you once more and once more only. Where. Is. The Data?]

After saying that, he began to slowly rotate his hand, as well as the wrist it was holding, until the discomfort was enough for him to get his information.

bluerocker · Aug 13, 2017

Cloudtop Citadel
Engineering
[color=3897E0]

Code:

[i]*sigh* "This is why [u]I[/u] am the one who deals with humanities..."[/i]

[/color]
[color=3897E0]

Code:

AI Dimitri

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

Code:

AI Viscus

| Lt. Abigail Martin

[hr]

Once Teri turned her attentions away from the conversation with Rugal, she saw that Viscus was only escalating the situation further - another gun appearing out of his person and the Lieutenant still being held hostage. Biting back a curse, Teri looked around the engineering room to find some kind of thing to distract or stop the mad robot - before text appeared on her Tablet's display -

[color=3897E0]

Code:

Your Ladyship - your staff is magic in nature, correct? Then I have an idea - Viscus has a weak point at the base of his neck. A strike, especially one with magical energies such as Sadei, should be enough to disrupt him and save the Lieutenant. Make haste if you wish to act now!

[/color]

[color=0E59E4][small]"Dimitri you're the best!"[/small][/color] Making a quick motion to call Garm over, the young Cleric mounted up on her noble steed before readying Sadei. Garm lowered himself to the ground and pounced, bolting ahead fast enough for Teri to make a surprise attack with her staff! Striking true at the robot's neck fast enough that Viscus could not react in time - the Lieutenant fell from his grip; leaving Teri to try and clean up the mess left behind. Turning to the Lieutenant, Teri dismounted from Garm and began to check the condition of her neck for any trauma, saying softly as she approached, [color=0E59E4]"I'm so sorry about that."[/color]

She looked to the other gun wielding women before starting her examination, and held up her hands as she said, [color=0E59E4]"Just so we're clear -I understand if you don't trust me after what my companion did; but I'm a doctor, so I'm just gonna check for any damage. If you don't believe me...Well, you have the advantage on me."[/color]

Garm, in the meantime, was very uneasy about what his charge just said, and spoke up, [color=356D60]"We need to get going, I got a message from Alpha Rugal saying that we need to get back to the ship as soon as possible."[/color]

Teri huffed as she began her examination, adding in a matter of fact tone, [color=0E59E4]"Dad also said I could find Adel - then we return to the ship. But before that, I'm gonna make sure this woman has no aggressive throat damage."[/color]

Diablo1099_v1legacy · Aug 14, 2017

[hr]

Today was really starting to take a toll on David's mental state, constantly hoping from one heightened emotional state to another in rapid succession.
Still, with the man he was about to kill actually having a rather good explanation for the situation, this took the wind out of his sails, least until he began to dwell on the fact that the party might be a trap.
"Oh great...first nice thing to happen to us in weeks and this happens...Alright, shit, ummmm..." He muttered before B.C. came up with the idea of them scoping out the party to the others, as well as pretending to be David's date.
"Oh, will you stop?! I already have someone in my life. If you really insist, at least pretend to be my cousin or something. I'm not throwing away what I got with Furiae for your ass. As for the party itself, guess there is only one way we are going to find this out. Come on, we if hurry, we can get there before the others do."
And with a clear purpose, David managed to shake off his raw state of mind and start leading his party to where Dolores's party was said to be.
"[sub]Going to fucking Amsterdam after this and I'm spending a month there, I don't care what the fuck happens to the world...[/sub]" He muttered to himself, looking forward to having a break after this next bout of madness.

The Rising Dawn
Bridge

[hr]

Diana | Hiryu | Blade

"Alright, I'm doing it. How can I contact you again?"

"When you have been judged, I shall find you and deliver news of your fate. For now, know that I will be watching you closely until that time comes. I will know where you are, what you are and what you are doing at every possible moment. Use this knowledge to guide your actions." Hiryu merely said before calmly walking away an-...disappearing?
Diana saw him walking away one moment and then the next, it was as if he vanished into thin air, freaking Ninja's man...
Once he had left the room, she was greeted with the sight of a green humanoid creature, wearing an outfit somewhat akin to the one that Hiryu did, as he leaned against one of the walls in the hallway.
"Huh...so you're the new girl?..." He mocked slightly dismissively as he walked in front of her, sizing her up before crossing his arms.
"Not sure what J or Sensei see in you. Maybe you'll prove me wrong, maybe not. All you need to know is this: I'm Blade and if you actually pass this trial, we'll be seeing a lot of each other. Now come on Rookie, need to regroup with the others." The young Strider said, quickly making the most of being the "Experienced" one for a change. (Even if he didn't realize what a bad idea that might be...)

Diablo1099_v1legacy · Aug 14, 2017

The Rising Dawn
Cantina

[hr]

Anjali | Adel

Anjali wasn't the only one who was a bit startled by all the racket and noise, something she'd come to realize as her wandering brought her to the Hanger Bay of the Rising Dawn.
The repair team had done a great job getting all the old G-Corp equipment out and fixing everything up.
That's what made the bloody trail on the floor all the more out of place as it lead from one of the hallways and towards a nearby transport ship.
Signs of life were found as a exhausted panting began to fill the air near one of the ships, coming from a young, bloody half naked man attempting to make his way to the pilot's seat.
"Com-...on...open...Open!" He grumbled as he tried to pry open the pilot-side door, most likely as part of an escape attempt.
Upon Anjali's revealing himself, he quickly turned around, almost collapsing against the wall of the Transport as he brandished a borrowed scalpel as a weapon.
His gaze seemed frantic as his limbs shivered, the operations he needed to completely purge his system of his "FULGORE" Implants yet to be completed but it seemed he was driven enough to try and escape before then.
"I'm-...taking this ship-...you should leave...now..." The blonde threatened, though a stiff breeze would easily defeat him.

Zepherus14 · Aug 16, 2017

To say the least, Nina wasn't overly pleased with watching Caim seemingly ignoring her and instead typing into his PDA. She was about to give him another piece of her apple crumbled mind only to be interrupted by the machine.

Code:

"Looks like there's a wounded civilian on site."

"I'll have you know, Naamah, this nearly naked librarian who is some sort of colonel said I was a- W-what are you doing?" Nina retorted back to Caim only to notice him approaching her side. In the condition she was in, she wouldn't put up much resistence to Caim slinging her arm over him. Causing little more than a second or two of delay, Caim would successfully stablize the inexperienced youth but not without Nina giving some final protest of her own. "Hey, ow! -Hiss- That hurts -Hiss- you know!" Nina winced as she attempted to pull away from Caim, largely causing the discomfort herself while vainly resisting him.

This would quickly stop due to two different factors. One being with something to finally support her weight, the last of that second wind gave out. She would still walk on her own but she'd happily lean into Caim a bit more to pass on some extra weight, the fact that she needed some recooperation time finally winning out. Secondly, Nina would notice a rather important fact she'd been ignorant of through her tantrum, she was cold. She wasn't on the verge of hypothermia by any means but being held close to Caim as she was filled her with a warmth and comfort that brought with it a brief sense of calm.

Phillip simply remained on Nina's shoulder opposite Caim, surveying the area of the new and old characters that they'd found. Given Nina's initial hostility, Phillip merely shifting his weight forward slightly to have a clear line of sight on Caim's face, small bulges underneath the chef's hat illuding to the additional mass hidden within it. The curling mass of tentacles made no visible threat to Caim, even making additional room for the father to support Nina with his other hand, but with his many years experience of combat one thing was sure. Phillip was watching Caim just as much as he was watching the noodle monster. There was no additional focus, no additional impact of the pervasive aura Phillip exuded, only a silent reply to Caim's own curiosity.

As Caim walked them closer to the half finished warmth spell, Nina watched scrupulously at the radiating star of healing. Having never played Dark Souls, memes alone would not give her any information on this particular radiant light. Phillip slowly at first reached a tentacle forward, but swiftly closed the several meters to the area and tested the waters. Flicking the tentacle back and forth a few times and allowing one of the waves to crash against his skin. Wherever it went, the radiant light seemed to be rended, wisps of magic trailing off and even the wave of healing energy appeared to be aggressively interrupted.

Nina would look up at Phillip as he retracted the tendril, nodding quietly. "Well at least it isn't 'real' fire, right?" She lightly joked, the damage to the warmth spell slowly repairing itself. Just as Nina was about to cross the threshold, Phillip leapt off her side onto the floor, apparently aware of his influence, while Nina did her best reaction of slowly sinking into a hot tub. She sprawled out on her back with a long sigh while Phillip poked at the outer edge. She was still upset sure, but this minor victory was a victory none the less. Healing her injuries meant that she could kick whoever's butt twice as hard after all, and she would be lying if she said this didn't feel wonderful.

Distracted by the different ways she could get back at her unknown assailant and the healing bliss, Nina didn't immediately hear Titania call her out. "...Nina and Phillip, you are both to calm down..." Nina's head tilted up as Phillip did a rather good impersonation of 'what did I do?' [https://media0.giphy.com/media/3og0IIzj2lEYh4r8DC/giphy.gif] with two tentacles pointing at himself. "What did she say?" Nina wiped her eyes, and after a brief pause, she immediately sat up looking to give Titania some lip until the words "in the main kitchens" were uttered. In a flash, Phillip had hushed Nina with a tendril to her lips and several worked to provide a thumbs up with her arm. She would resist at first, but would quickly settle down, whatever Phillip had said convincing her otherwise. She still gave Titania one hell of a nasty look though, glaring daggers even. 'Who the hell does she think she is telling me to calm down, I am calm!'

And then Titania left. "So... this thing portable, I just sat down and just found that cozy spot..?" She asked openly, eventually adding after some looks. "Alright let's get going, and Caim? Thanks for the help, it's... appreciated."

Silence · Aug 16, 2017

Cloudtop Citadel

[hr]

Mio

"Well, fuck." Mio said as she listened to the soldiers vanishing in the distance. She had not gotten any progress in any direction, neither to find her ship, nor to find a good time. She shrugged, wanting to decide on where to go next, as it dawned on her. This place needed a leader and a good captain! Really no contest there, from what she had seen until now. And what better way to start convincing people than the ship's crew. Even though it meant, she had to admit reluctantly, follow another person's suggestions.

So she walked down the hallway and found the elevator, got in and pressed the lowest button.
Ping.
And she had already arrived. Hearing people talk and making out a bulk of them, she did not care if she interrupted any of them. She put her arm on her side, letting herself appear like the captain she was, and said:
"Alright now. Everyone shut up. How much do you know about the place we are in? We need to figure out the best course of action.
One at a time, please."

[hr]

The Rising Dawn

[hr]

Diana | Blade

Diana looked at the green man, wrinkled her nose, and kept quiet as he talked to her. At least until she started to speak in his mind, every word causing a pulse of a headache.
Well then, 'Blade'. So you are showing me the ropes? she winked at him. Do not worry about me and this trial, I should be able to beat whatever you have beaten before, easily.
She got up, stretching herself and putting herself on display, just to find out how he would react to her appearance, then smiled.
Lead the way.

It was painful.

[hr]

The Rising Dawn

[hr]

Anjali

Anjali stared at the strange and weak man with big red eyes, unblinking, for a few seconds. Her god showed no feelings towards him, neither negative nor positive. So she walked closer. "Are you sstealing this vehicle? You do not really seem to be in shape for ssomething like this." Her voice was hollow, but without judgment. She tried a smile, her teeth still red from the meat. "You should rest, I think. There are big things going on, and you need to be in your best form to ssurvive them. Look at the ssky, doess it not look different?"

Texas Joker 52 · Aug 16, 2017

[hr]

At the mention of the upcoming party, the boy's demeanor seemed to change, laughing and casting a sidelong glance at nothing at all. But B.C.'s sharp con-woman's eyes narrowed a little as she recognized a knowing look when she saw it. There was something he knew that the rest of them didn't, and that was beginning to piss her off. But as he flipped out a pair of invitations and offered them to both her and David, she took them without a word. In fact, she didn't even glance down to inspect it as she used one hand to tap it against the palm of the other testily.

After he knelt to address the two dragon-kids, he stood and gave the Convict a pointed look. One that B.C. met readily with a suspicious glare and an arched eyebrow hidden behind bluntly cut bangs.

"Try not to feel so entitled. This is a military base. We have engineering uniforms and we have research uniforms. We don't keep a locker full of dress clothes. Mr. West knows the way out. Be vigilant. Who knows when you might cross paths with a white rabbit."

She gave him an elaborate shrug and smiled nastily, asking "What is this, Alice in Wonderland? Can't say I appreciate the cryptic warnings, brat. If you want us to avoid something, best you just tell us right-out."

Of course, she realized she was being a hypocrite in saying that, because she was very carefully omitting the fact that she was getting more and more tempted to humor this interloper or white rabbit or whatever they were after was, as opposed to helping Vihaan. She had no stake in any of this beyond seeing where the cards fell, and she was confident she could find a way out of any tight spot she found herself in, regardless of which side she appeared to back. All so long as she was the one who stacked the deck.

She was about to tuck the invitation in her hand into her halter-top when the girl who accompanied David and the two kids snatched it away and read it intently. With an irritated glare, the Space Convict placed her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to protest when the paper thief spoke first.

"No way, there's no way. This is Lola's handwriting... but it can't be, I saw Lola write all of the invitations herself. There's no way she could have made these!"

Promptly snatching her invitation back, B.C. shoved it unceremoniously into her cleavage without looking at it.

"Don't know who Lola is, or why that's significant. So lets hope it isn't a problem." she told her blandly, before she followed David out and away from Vihaan.

And he wasted no time shooting down her previous plan as he did, saying that he was already taken and that he wasn't about to jeopardize that for her ass. As she kept in-step beside him, she looked at him and shook her head.

"Have you never heard of a 'con'? Or a 'cover'? Listen honey, it's nice that you think so highly of yourself that you actually believed that I was using this as an excuse to go on a date with you, but it ain't so. You goody-two-shoes types are all too void-be-damned serious..." she muttered as they walked down the sparse hallway.

As they passed several elevators in the hall, B.C. could hear as one of the sets of doors hissed open behind them, and glanced backward in mild curiosity. She was about to ignore it when she heard a very familiar voice, one of the few she recognized since she had gotten to this backwater planet.

"Alright now. Everyone shut up. How much do you know about the place we are in? We need to figure out the best course of action. One at a time, please."

Skidding to a halt, she turned and made a beeline to the elevator in question, and when her head poked around the corner, she immediately saw the same one-eyed, one-armed, white-haired pirate girl that had been appreciating her tits in the World Marshall Prison. With that in mind, she immediately knew the best way to greet the closest thing she had to an old friend in this world.

"Mio! I didn't expect to see you here! It's me, Bombshell Carrie!" she cried out as she gave the limb-and-pigmentally challenged girl a hug from behind, pulling Mio's head into her bosom.

She looked down at her with a grin and cocked her head a little to the side.

"Sorry about bailing, but I really had to get out of there. The Rising Dawn is just so righteous it was stifling. What are you doing here?" she asked, a note of genuine warmth seeping into her voice.

Unlike everyone else that she had run into today, Mio didn't seem to ooze virtue or otherwise grate on her simply by being nearby. She couldn't say exactly why, but she got the feeling that Mio was a scoundrel after her own heart. Which meant that if she could find a reasonable excuse to ditch David and the others for Mio's company, she was probably going to take it.

bluerocker · Aug 18, 2017

[hr]

As Nina was deposited to the healing spell, and her subsequent thank you, the mute warrior gave a solemn nod, before being commanded by Titania to gather up the stragglers in the depths of the Citadel. Unsheathing his blade once more in case of trouble, the mute readied himself to depart, before he heard Angelus call over her shoulder,

"Don't do anything stupid."

With only a small smirk, the mute waved back to his red-wearing companion before taking a quick gaze at the strange girl and tentacle-creature he had encountered moments ago. Suppressing a shiver, Caim silently turned back towards his quarry and departed further into the Citadel, leaving Angelus to deal with her portion of the cleanup - which included a very clingy slime-girl. Creating a small fireball in her palm, Angelus flicked her wrist to levitate it into the air, the magical fire hovering above her head as she called to the rest of the group, "You heard the woman - all others follow me to the Dawn - and hurry it up!"

Leading the entourage at point, Angelus offered Hillary her other hand as she walked along, and continued the conversation from earlier, "It sounds like you've met a number of our other members. Teri and Garm are Rugal's family, his daughter and her faithful hound. Ton Ton and Cadolbolg on the other hand, are my children," she straightened herself ever so slightly, a ghost of a smile tweaking at the corners of her mouth, "My pride and joy, those two. They are not of my blood, but their talents are extraordinary. So much strength at a young age, I've no idea where they get it." She turned back to Hillary with a grin, no doubt brought on by mentioned the Cuties, and asked, "Though your reverence for this Penelope is similar to mine in regards to my children - is she family to you? Perhaps a mentor?"

[hr]

[hr]

Despite his smiles and reassurances, the two brothers felt more ill at ease rather than comforted by Vihaan's words and head-pats; the two shooting one another an uncomfortable expression as the group began to move back towards the Dawn (as well as regrouping with Mio).

As they continued their ascent, the two brothers began to 'sense' a strange sensation in the back of their minds,[footnote]Gameplay mechanics at work here. Pact partners can talk to other people who are in pacts - as well as help locate each other. Caim tracked the kids very easily through this ability.[/footnote] like they were being called for; from a distance - until a familiar figure with dark hair and a dark sword appeared around a corner. Breathing a sigh of relief, the man allowed his shoulders to slump as his PDA rattled off,

Code:

"There you are."

"Father!"
[color=15650D]"Mister Caim!"[/color]

The quiet warrior was assaulted by a lump of scales and feathers, as Cadolbolg bolted into Caim's arms (and in turn, carried Ton Ton with him). There was no protest from the raven-haired man, only a small smile flitting across his features as the duo found their way to his shoulders, Cadolbolg rubbing his face against one of Caim's cheeks and a happy trilling noise echoing out of his throat. Ton Ton, on the other hand, had already begun to relay the events that had transpired moments ago via pact-bonds; which in turn had Caim's features turn grim again, his attentions turning to the party before his PDA announced,

Code:

 "I've been sent to fetch all of you. The Dawn is leaving very soon, and we need to get on as soon as possible. Let's go, lest we be abandoned by the retreat."

bluerocker · Aug 18, 2017

NotYetForsaken said:
this dude wrote some things~

One, two, three flaps of the Prince of Darkness' wings passed as he looked across the landscape, his brows furrowing the more he took in. On a superficial level - things looked normal enough - the sky wasn't falling, a pleasant breeze was blowing, and the clouds were felted in an oh-so-puffy manner. Yet, Luke could sense something was... off, in that same uncanny sense one got when looking at china dolls, or that sensation of something darting away in the corner of your eye. A strange sense of malaise settled in his gut, before Lucifer finally decided, [color=eca222]"Well that tears it. If The Boss isn't going to answer, I might as well knock on her door."[/color]

Focusing on magical energy and rote, Lucifer concentrated for a moment before flapping his wings once more - and winking out of "this realm's" perception of existence.

The Outside was dark. Darker than he had ever seen. Where the horizons had once been filled with twinkling stars, pinpricks of light that represented distant worlds, now there was nothing but a heavy cloud of swirling dust. The scale was vast, far more unthinkable than he could have even begun to imagine. It stretched from one end of his vision to the other, an encapsulating shroud so large that to break it was unthinkable. Luckily, he did not need to travel normally. He summoned forth his magic once again and slipped through space-time, travelling closer and closer to the cloud of darkness on the horizon. When he reached the cloud itself, he felt it's presence. It was corporeal, solid, and opaque. He reached forward with his mind, trying to pierce the veil that had been cast around the world, but he found nothing. In a million billion miles in each direction, there was absolute oblivion. A darkness so deep that it was lacking in even cold or stillness.

Yet, there was something stirring on the other side. He could not sense what. But he could feel the movement, like the moon pulling the tides.

Lucifer inadvertently found himself swallowing, his throat suddenly feeling parched as a desert. What...what was this thing? This strange writhing thing beyond him. Where the hell was he even? This strange space between spaces (or was it even a space between those spaces?) wasn't something Lucifer was familiar with - and that was really saying something. Yet the question remained - should he attempt to push "further" (whatever "further" was at this point) in an attempt to "pass" this creature - and subsequently, back to the realm he presided over; or should he try to retreat, to go back and be a shield for those he cared about, even in light of the strange "blockage" himself and his dearest discovered not too long ago. On one hand, if he pushed "forward" and succeeded, he could pull in reinforcements - make the claim is stepping on his and the Boss' turf, a temporary alliance this side of Tomoya's insurgence. On the other hand, if he did not succeed in his push - what if he was captured by this "thing"? What would it do to him? What did it even want? Could such an alien thing even "want"?

Yet, the more Lucifer pondered, the more he began to feel a nagging feeling in his gut - if he were to return empty handed - what good would he be? How could he come back to a disappointed face and say 'I got nothing'? He was the Prince of Darkness - not a spring chicken who barely molted into his wings! He was the very angel who was entrusted to take God's command to rebel and lead the falling of a third of the sky's stars, the one who established "choice" and "will" in his realm! What was he doing to be quailing in fear, especially when he was seeking out the Boss Herself? Why should he fear the consequence of this risk? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

With an indignant huff, Lucifer focused on his magics once more, thinking of all that had lead him up to this point - and pushed.

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

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Doom needs Yoghurt, Badly

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Doom needs Yoghurt, Badly

New member

Living undeath to the fullest

All hail the Pun Meister!

Queen of Cockblocking and Misery

Queen of Cockblocking and Misery