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

[bluerocker]

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Lost to Love
inuart's story​

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Inuart listened to the young woman's story quietly, making note of the strange hands swallowing up the corpses of the soldiers with a grimace. Strange magic seemed to be at work here. Additionally, her rather blase attitude about the entirety of the situation was incredibly off-putting, and made Inuart more than a little suspicious about the current circumstance. What he could draw, however, based off of what Alesha had said told him a few things.

One, she was a person of importance in this world; presumably some kind of priestess, if the mention of Rites and the enemies attacking her entourage were anywhere to go by.

Two, He was most likely not in his home world (or rather, what had *become* his home).

Three, by sticking with this woman, it was possible he could gain his bearings as well as figure out how the hell to get back. The magic on the battlefield was sign enough that stronger magics were possible, and he could use that as a means of return, potentially. Additionally, if Alesha's pull was so much that she had literal armies were fighting over her, he could use that to his advantage as well - maybe even call in a favor.

All of this accounted for, the bard sheathed his sword and spoke quietly, "I am known as Inuart, son of Ipris. Aside from that, I am no one of importance; I just happened to be passing through." He paused, letting that information sink in before he 'graciously' offered, "If... your procession is truly destroyed as you mentioned, this cannot be a safe place for you to be alone. Seeing as I don't know where I am, I think it would beneficial for both of us to stick together, I as your temporary bodyguard, and if possible, you could answer a few questions I have. If nothing else, if we are able to find someone who won'tattack you, and get some directions back to your destination, it will take you somewhere safe. That'd be conducive to your duties, I imagine."

 

[Texas Joker 52]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Child in Chains | Some Freaky-Ass Jungle
"Wait, what do the Muppets have to do with all this? Oh..."
B.C.​

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"Call me Syl! And we need to turn right! We need to turn right immediately! Cherie! TURN NOW!"

The sudden tug to her right had the Anarchist swallowing a series of curses, both in English as well as several other rather entertaining languages from beyond the stars, but she followed the chained-up madwoman before the two of them darted deeper into the brush. She was about to open her mouth to finally protest when she heard a rumble behind them. So she hazarded a backward glance.

Whatever the Convict and the Exhibitionist were running from now, it was big, it was angry, and it was shooting a bright, arcing beam of golden light from a giant, toothy maw. Right at the soldiers they were previously running from, as a matter of fact. That was enough to send all manner of critters running, and for good reason. It was a goddamned dinosaur that was firing off frickin' laser beams out of it's mouth! And she already wanted one. B.C. had begun to muse that those poor bastards were having one hell of a day when she was pushed to the ground. The next moment, she had boobs upside her head as it was being cradled by a pair of arms.

"Stay quiet! This is the territory of the Dahmahwa. If you are so reckless you will wake more from their daylight slumber."

"I don't do quiet, Miss Tits McHugeKnockers!" she hissed under her breath as she struggled to aim a disgruntled glare upward.

Then she focused more on the... Mahnamahna. Whatever that dinosaur-looking ************ was. And it did look like a dinosaur, feathers and all. The lasers were definitely different, though. The way the feathers lit up when it was firing it's laser made her think of some kind of discount Godzilla with it's atomic breath. But, that aside, it was an impressive beastie, especially since that beam seemed to obliterate almost anything it hit.

All of which made her want to ride it.

She frowned thoughtfully. Impulsive as she was, and as fun as the idea of riding a laser-spitting dinosaur sounded, she wasn't stupid. Just because she was out of the rather oppressive setting that was the Rising Dawn, which plainly reeked of being "For the Greater Good!", didn't mean she had to throw all caution to the wind. Just most. So she pushed Syl off of her and laid on her side, propping up her head with one hand as she made a relaxed pose.

"Alright, while the Mahnamahna snacks on those dipshits over there, care to explain where we are? I'm sort of from out-of-town, if you couldn't already tell." she asked blandly, before she added irritably, "And please tell me that that ***** Balance isn't involved with this crap."

While she saw that stupid fucking crystal crash down and shatter, and even bleed for some odd reason, she didn't trust that it was actually, really dead. Especially if it would be far more inconvenient if it was still alive. Given her luck with infuriating authority figures, she had a feeling Balance wasn't just alive and well. Balance was probably more powerful than she could even imagine after it was struck down.

 

[Zepherus14]

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Origin Plains
Remember kids, having a density of 91kg/m3 is murder on the hands​

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"You finally woke up!" Hillary cheerfully greeted the woken Ton Ton, leaning over him as he lay in her lap. She'd pull back sharply as the little Tonberry shouted his brother's name. Having met the two of them when she'd first arrived on the Dawn, Hillary instinctively started to look around at her surroundings for the little turtle dragon. Judging by the various disturbed patches, nothing really looked small enough to be Cadolbolg, he was in trouble before so he must been alone. The area around them was largely just rolling hills of grass and some spare trees. Hillary wished she had her colour vision, the contrast would make this quite a bit easier.

"Ton Ton, do you know where he last was? Maybe we can..." Hillary started to say until she suddenly stopped, squinting her eyes and craning her neck a bit as her mound pushed her up that little bit more. Hillary wasn't entirely sure, but she could have sworn she'd seen a reflective glint in one of the trees nearby. Nothing overly impressive, but what little she knew of trees she did know one thing, trees don't glint. Focusing in on the tree, Hillary would make out what appeared to be a... wing? "I-I think I see him! Uh, come here." Hillary stammered, scooting up to the Tonberry and trying to pick him up in her arms absentmindedly. Ton Ton would remain on the ground, but Hillary would succeed in brutally breaking her hands, most of her fingers and even some of her palms falling apart. "Um... right... Get on then." Hillary pointed to her pseudopod with her remaining good hand. "I'm pretty sure Hillary saw him up in a tree!" She explained.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

rugal's story

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"Rugal Bernstein," Livia repeated, licking her lips. She leaned against the cobblestone wall, "fitting name for a outsider, don't you think my slave?"

The handmaiden bowed, careful not to spill any of the wine in the jug she carried, "Etiam est, me domina."

Livia gave her servant an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder and sent her scurrying into the estate proper. "Your services will not be necessary, Bernstein. It is the will of Jove that travelers in need be taken care of for as long as they need. You will have the utmost of what I can afford you in my humble province while you are here." She touched her hands on Rugal's sides and smiled, looking up to his older, imposing figure. She put her hands under his chin and gently brought his face down to hers and pressed her cheeks against his, once on each side, "When you are able, then you are welcome to show me your gratitude."

She started down the road to the entrance of her villa. Kyuubey followed behind in her footsteps, tail waving in the twilight of the setting sun.

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The inside of the villa was quaint by Rugal's standards. It was two stories of white concrete decorated with colorful frescoes and murals. The scenes depicted were mostly of women harvesting and tending the land, as well as a several illustrations of Jove and a swan. The main entrance lead into an open air atrium. Several types of exotic plants bloomed in carefully tended displays. Two benches and a game board lay in the center. Around the atrium were several small hallways leading to other rooms, they were all rather small, built for a people much shorter than Rugal was, so he had to duck any time he wanted to pass through the doorways.

The bustle of the kitchens echoed through the villa, carried far by the concrete walls. The sweet smell of baking bread dominated everything.

"I hope you'll like our fare. Bread, grapes, and cheeses are about all we have here. Game is scarce and our farmlands are not fertile enough to raise cattle for slaughter," Livia said as she led him down several winding hallways. Several slaves hurried alongside the young mistress to light the sconces that lined the villa. All of the slaves were blonde and blue eyed.

In fact Livia's own appearance, with her head of straight scarlet hair, cerulean eyes, and alabaster skin didn't seem to fit his impression of the tan, brown-and-curly haired Roman.

"Feel free to help yourself to any of my slaves if you would like," Livia said as she opened the curtain to a bedroom, "They're from Britannia, so they should be quite compatible with a German as yourself." She paused, looking at Rugal and then added coyly, "They were gifts from my brother, he led a legion with the Plautius boy. He said the girls were strong despite being pretty and slight. He gathered as many as he could and shipped them back here. Bless his heart and may he rest kindly in Elysium. The stupid boy died trying to scale the White Cliffs."

The bedroom was pretty, but not lavish. There was a couch with padded pillows and a neat folded wool blanket. The walls were decorated with geometric frescoes, and several colorful stone vessels were placed on stands near the walls. The windows were alabaster stone, carved so thin that dying sunlight filtered in through the sheet of rock.

"These vases were courting gifts from a Persian trader," Livia said. She put a finger on the stone and gently brushed over it. She smiled and leaned back on her heels, "He thought that he could win me over with such pleasantries. He was not a bad man, all things considered, but he wanted me to be a part of his harem. I would have no such thing, in good faith though, he left me with these vases. They are the treasure of this family and no small part of our wealth."

She turned to leave, beckoning Rugal to follow, "Come, food has been prepared."

[hr]

The meal was simple and instead of being served in the atrium by slaves, it was served in the kitchens. A long wooden table ran alongside the kitchens, and servants were sitting quietly along the wall. It was mostly fresh bread. Heaps and heaps of it in baskets along the table. Several dishes of olive oil lay intermittently along the length of the table. Other bowls held some fruits and cheeses.

Two slaves showed Rugal a seat near the end of the table where Livia sat herself, neatly adjusting her robes so that they didn't catch on her seat. Despite the size of the villa and the breadth of the table, Rugal couldn't find the man of the house. Or in fact, any able-bodied masters of these servants. Out of all of the women, and all but the guards were women, the only one wearing normal clothes was Livia.

"Eat," she said coolly, taking a bite out of a piece of bread, "then sleep. When the sun breaks I leave for Pompeii. If you came with me, I'm sure you would make the acquaintance of many powerful men if you visit the brothels. Some might even be able to help you with your... problem." Livia smiled genuinely. "I don't know anything about the Rising Dawn or whatever, but I know a lost soul when I see one."

Spoiler: Inuart

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Lost to Love

inuart's story

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"Son of Ipris!?" Alesha said. She clasped her hands as she turned around, her bosom heaved with the sudden movement. She seemed more than delighted. She seemed positively ecstatic. "I am the Daughter of Ypris!" She embraced him affectionately and suddenly. Her warmth was intense. Inuart could feel the thrum of her heartbeat. It echoed inside of him with the same strength as that of a dragon's. "It is fate then! It is fate that have brought us together here. Me to you, and you to me."

The winds changed. It came across the plain and stopped around Inuart and Alesha. It held them gently in a gentle vortex. The very earth rumbled beneath them. Then the world seemed to sigh, everything stopped and there was utter silence in the plain. Even the sun, as it was climbing overhead, felt immaterial. The weight of the heat had just vanished.

"Should I call you brother?" Alesha mused as she lifted her head from Inuart's shoulder, "Ah, I am getting ahead of myself. I accept you, Inuart, Son of Ipris, to be my owner. You will have all of me, as you wish for as long as you live."

Alesha was smiling to happily, cupid bow lips and all. What's more she was so... trusting.

"You lead, and I'll follow you to the end of the world."

Spoiler: Nina

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Table for Two

nina's story

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"I will fetch her for you." Crown said. A grin crept across his face. He raised his right arm up dramatically and then threw his arm out, stretching his arm across the train cars, through the doors for a moment before pulling it back. A woman landed awkwardly next to Crown as his arm snapped taught and he let go of the poor lady.

"Arachne, introduce yourself."

Arachne nodded, still somewhat disoriented from her sudden and unannounced snatching. She was a woman of middling height dressed well in a shoulder-less white dress. A big black spider flitted around her head like a living hat, white silk raining down in rings around her shoulders. "H... hello... my name is Arachne, the Weaver. But you can just call me Faea... if you would like."

"You shouldn't abuse your authority to snatch people without telling them, Crown." Talavie laughed.

"Oh, I doubt my snatching was a surprise. Tell them Arachne." Crown pat her on her head. Her spider hissed in response.

"It's true. I can hear everything that goes on in this train through my silk threads. I was aware of your conversation." She turned to Nina and stuck her fingertips together and pulled them away, revealing a sticky web of silk. "I assume this human girl is Nina. You're so thin! Is Phillip not feeding you properly? Oh no, it's such a shame. Girls should be nice and juicy, it's so much more satisfying to wrap them up when there's meat on their bones!"

Faea set to work, weaving a web in the air around Nina. The spider on her head popped off and landed and Nina, scurrying in and out of her clothes, her innerwear, and worming its way into every private corner of her body, looping it's silken thread as it did. Faea sighed, "It's so sad. Must be the norm for girls nowadays. The other human girl was also this thin, though she had a little more to work with around the bosom."

"Other. Human?" Crown asked, he leaned back, interested.

"There's another human on this train?"

"Oh my, yes! She came on alone, she had a ticket from the Matron and everything. I didn't get too good of a look for her since she was wearing a big thick cloak, but Issim took her measurements."

Suddenly the train lurched, the engine howling, and the scenery began to shift. They tore out of the station like a hound out of hell. In one moment the posh architecture was sheltering them, and in the next they were racing across the surface of a nebula a million light years in breadth like it was a shallow lake. They kicked up clouds of stars in their wake, sending brilliant specs of light deep into oblivion as they passed.

"There we go, to the edge of the universe. What a trip. The Matron truly is amazing to have constructed such a marvel."

Faea pulled her silk tight and Nina's clothes exploded off her body, replaced by an elegant dress woven from white silk. It didn't leave a lot to the imagination, but it covered what it needed to, leaving her shoulders, cleavage, hips, and naval bare. The dress ran down to just above her knees, ending in a series of jingling beads. Her hair was braided back now, brilliant shining crystalline silk pieced together in each strand of hair. Faea ran her fingers over Nina's scalp, "Oh you look so appetizing, I might just eat you before the food comes!"

Spoiler: B.C.

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Child in Chains

bonnie's story

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Syl visibly flinched when B.C. said the name "Balance." It was as if that name itself carried some sort of weight in this world, and it wasn't good.

A lancing beam from above cut the silence short. Explosions rocked the earth as the vehicle above attacked the Dahmahwa. It stumbled backwards, letting out a rippling roar before stamping down, bristling with lightning and then launching another onslaught of gold light heavensward. It bellowed, the foliage around it catching ablaze from the stray arcs of energy discharging from it's feathers. It ran forward and caught one of the soldiers in it's jaws, before throwing him so far that he vanished into the forest, leaving nothing but a trail of broken trees to mark his existence.

"You speak my language, but do now know where you are?" Syl said incredulously as she started to crawl away from the implacable death lizard. "This world is called Suwa. It is my home, and home to many many others."

Syl paused, looking over B.C., sighed, and then dropped all pretensions of being just a beautiful amazon in a jungle world. "This is Suwa, an ultra-Earth in the Talmus cluster. It's the homeworld to the Dahmahwa, of which that thing," she pointed to the dinosaur continuing to rampage toward the soldiers, "is but a soldier drone. They're an intergalactic space-faring biological race that have terrorized this part of the Galaxy for the last several hundred years." She pointed at the soldiers now currently being eat alive by the monster. "Those guys are pirates here to capture and sell the native humans as sex slaves. Idiots if you ask me, they're so much more useful for navigating the underworld here. They're the only thing that the Dahmahwa don't attack on sight, for god knows whatever reason."

Syl threw herself over B.C. smothered her again as a second Dahmahwa passed overhead on it's way to the blood bath. It's massive talons uprooting trees as it passed. "Now who are you, and how in the name of high heavens do you know Balance."

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[[Side Story]]​

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Rebellion
lucifer's story​

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The air here was so thick with her influence that Teresa felt ill. Everywhere she looked, everywhere she turned, it just reeked of Alice. But on the bright side, it didn't seem like she was conscious at the moment since Teresa hadn't been immediately eviscerated from the inside out by a thousand different shadowy hands.

Even though she wanted to talk to people, she couldn't find her voice or her will. The world seemed so incomprehensibly large. Now she felt more alone than ever. She couldn't feel the minds of her NPCs, nor see the nook and crannies of the world. She was in someone else's home, someone else's world.

She was at the mercy of her older sister, whenever she decided to awaken and return.

The weight of the sun was crushing her shoulders. It was unbearable. She collapsed onto the grass and curled up, hiding behind the veil of her mantle, wishing for succor from this massive open world.

She wanted to cry out for help, to ask for someone to still the mad beating of her heart, but all that came out of her mouth was a weak, "Nnnaaaaaaaaaa..."

 

[Silence]

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Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

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The gun suprised Anjali, but she did not even flinch. The thing inside her was waking again, and it lured, would have sprung at Freya the second she would have made her move. Anjali did now that she did not have to fear, but she feared for the life of this woman. She knew she was no vampire, but from what she slowly learned about herself, she was not less of a reason to fear. And in this swamp, that fueled her, she knew that there would have been no stopping her.

Luckily, the automaton, the person that was not a person, stopped Freya. And introduced itself as Vil. It was nice, and she knew that she liked it. Maybe there was something about it, that reminded her of herself. Other than Freya. While Freya was a human, her personality was quite different from her own, and Anjali knew that she was not really a human anymore.

"I am Anjali." she spoke. "I am ... something. I'm sorry, I do not know what. But you do not have to fear me, I do not want to hurt anyone." She tried her best to put on a smile that was not unsettling in any way. "I never visited this place, and ... I did not go anywhere. I was somewhere different, and ..." She noticed that her spear, the weapon that she had left in her room, was sticking out of the mud. "And something happened. A person was shot? It does make no sense. I am sorry."

"I hope you forgive me, but I should get my weapon. As I see, you are also wearing some, so if we need to defend ourselved ..." She hopped down from the air raft, got the spear, but held it down, unthreateningly. "If you are willing to help me out ... to find out what has happened, and how I get back to where I was before, I can ... I think I can help you, too. I don't know how yet, but I think there is a reason why I am here."

As she climbed onto the air raft again, a red-eyed snake seemed to slither beneath the mud, past them, not paying any attention.

 

[Silence]

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The Origin Planes
Queen *****
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It was quiet. And peaceful. Diana dreamt of kittens ...
"Heeeellllooooo~ Hello! Please wake up please!"
Someone was pressing a pillow into her face. Trying to wake her up. Lucky them, a hand would have been bitten off. Diana groaned. And the girl?s voice was already gone.

Annoyed, she opened her eyes, and saw the grass moving away. Running to another. Diana was confused. And she remembered. She had just attended a party, and now... ? "For fuck's sake!" she called out loudly, and got up. Her dress was full of grass. And she was quite annoyed, her eyes glowing an uncanny cold blue ice.

She tried to dust herself off, but instead just got grass on her hands. Even more annoyed, she decided to change, right then and there. Her makeup got darker, her heels even higher, getting spikes and changing into thigh-high platform boots. Instead of a dress, she used a black mini-skirt with a large belt, and a short black latex top with a V-neckline, that accentuated her features even more.

It seemed to do most of the trick of making her outside look perfect again, without any patches of grass. And the black lipstick was helping to see her mood, which had not changed. She quickly strutted over to the grass person, the little thing and the man, and made herself heard. "Alright, which one of you little bitches is responsible for this shit?" Though, the man seemed to leave already. Her expression did not soften, as the grass monster and the little monster were starting to look for more people. "And who the fuck is responsible for ruining my outfit?"

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Anjali

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Reason to Rise

anjali's story

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Frey threw a blanket over Vil to cover the porcelain body. The figure clutched the cloth like a cloak with it's one good hand. It gazed at Anjali and observed a brief silence. "Do not be sorry," Vil said, leaning forward. It's mask was so close now that Anjali could make out the shallow scratches on the material's surface. "The world is a vast place. To not know is natural. We do not begrudge you for not knowing why you are here."

"You sound like a grandparent over there Vil," Freya called over from the steering wheel. The raft was sailing smoothly over the muck and over the yawning roots of the mangrove trees. Soon the mud and vegetation began to give away to true water. They were travelling upstream.

"Ah, forgive my rambling. It has been too long, too long, since I've seen a person like you." Vil paused, smiling underneath its etched grin, "A person like me." It retracted it's face back into it's body, ducking down into the blanket as they broke from the cover of the mangrove trees.

The river flowing past them was clear as crystal, Anjali could see the bottom of the riverbed a hundred feet down. The water surface was still, but the fish swimming madly against the currents spoke of a storm below the surface. There were small fish, large fish, crabs and frogs, snakes and salamanders, even turtles that lived inside of boulders. The water was a wellspring of all sorts of life.

A trout rose to the surface and leaped out of the river, splashing some of the ice-cold water onto Anjali and Vil. The water was refreshing, inscrutably pure despite the variety of life living within.

Up ahead some distant miles were the silhouette of buildings laid out over the river's wider bends. A city on the flowing waters, tethered by way of giant crystals to the sky. "Dulce, the Alchemist's Refuge," Freya called out, "It's not much, but it's where Vil and I live for the time being. Since Vil likes you so much, you're welcome to stay with us until you get your bearings."

[hr]

Dulce was not large, but neither was it small. There were about two thousand residents, many of them alchemists of some sort like Freya, but also families seeking asylum from the warring nations outside. The buildings were thrown together in clashing ideals, with beautifully decorated and ornate filigrees coexisting next to brutalist concrete hovels. The artisans all had their own spin on their homes and communities, and the Guild Hall was just as over-designed.

It say in the middle of the city, held aloft by four gleaming crystals in the sky. six stories tall, and twice as wide, all sorts of strange vehicles and mechanical marvels littered it's lot. Freya pulled their air raft into a small covered section of the lot and turned off the engine.

"Well, this is home, more or less. If you can, help Vil unload all of the scraps we got. I'll meet up with ya'll in the blast furnace once I get clearance from the administrators." Freya hopped off of the air raft and started to jog toward the Guild Hall.

Vil stepped off of the raft slowly, keeping his small slouched stature and blanket over himself. Vil handed a second blanket to Anjali, "Please, cover yourself lest others take you for a Child of the Night."

Vil loaded what scraps there were into a big basket and then scooped it up with his bladed arm, slinging it behind his back like a basket woven of metal. "So Anjali, please, won't you humor an old monster and tell me about yourself while we walk? What are you? Where are you from? What do you want?"

 

[Zepherus14]

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Table for Two

nina's story

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"Oh it's not trouble, we... don't... have... to... [sub]just yet....[/sub]" Nina started to say, her voice trailing off as she watched Crown's arm just extend and extend and extend! She tried to get her straw back in her mouth, but she couldn't break her eyes off of this ubsurd scene. After failing several times with her mouth, she'd eventually broke down and grabbed it with her fingers. "Oooo, s-sor-... sorry." She winced as new woman in white was pulled into the traincar, sure she wanted new clothes but this was way out of line even for her. "Don't worry about it." "But, look at her. He just dragged her from who knows where!" "She knew he was coming."

Nina would give Faea a friendly but meek wave, feeling a guilty as she didn't understand yet the Weaver's eavesdropping webs. But in time she'd feel a little better about the whole situation, Faea seemed to be alright with the situation as well. The dancing strands of silk magically coming forth from Arachne's fingertips was surprising, Nina leaned back in the booth, watching curiously. "I assume this human girl is Nina. You're so thin! Is Phillip not feeding you properly? Oh no, it's such a shame. Girls should be nice and juicy, it's so much more satisfying to wrap them up when there's meat on their bones!" "Well no actually, Phillip's actually really particular about what he prepares for me. 3 square meals, lots of snacks when I want, I think it's more just a really strong meta-A-BOL-ISM! AH!" Nina tried to explain herself a bit, not initially noticing the strands of silk circling her. She would look back to the Weaver just in time to see her pet spider leap onto her head.

In all fairness, Nina wasn't entirely afraid of spiders but the sheer surprise was enough to get her squeeling like a little girl, even more so when the nameless arachnid found it proper to crawl underneath her clothing. Phillip pulled the root beer away as Nina flailed, flinging off her hat in the process as she clumsily stood up from the booth and started to dance in place. "AH! Get out of there! Haha-ha! N-no not there! Ehehehe! Nuuuu!" She cried, a mixture of swift tickles, sensitive swipes and utter embarrassment assaulted her body and prevented her from listening to Phillip as he asked for her to settle down. "Gah, must you always be this loud." he mumbled to himself as he kept Nina's keepsake hat close, giving Faea a bemused stare as to why she'd think this was the best idea.

"Oh my, yes! She came on alone, she had a ticket from the Matron and everything. I didn't get too good of a look for her since she was wearing a big thick cloak, but Issim took her measurements." Nina would barely keep herself upright as the train suddenly lurched forward, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she'd been laughing too much. She wouldn't win any river dance competitions with the amount of hand waving she was doing, but her leg work was stellar. Embarrassment and gross out factors aside, she was actually loving this but one can't simply turn off their reaction to such unorthadox stimulus. "OH HO NO! No! OUT! I-I can't breath! Ahahaha!!" "This human you speak of, she must be much further down the train, since I have not seen her. What did she look like?" Phillip asked, figuring Nina might want to know that information once she had a chance to calm down.

With a punctual snap and burst of fabric, Nina was left panting with her hands covering herself frontally. Her cheeks rosy, she was at a lose for words for what had transpired. The dress was quite tight to her goosebumped skin, almost defying gravity in some places. Additionally to the dress, Nina also had a set of gloves and socks fashioned from the silk, adorned with similar beads to the dress near the ankles and wrists where they ended, as well as a corset that had several beads around the collarbone area. Still left breathless, Nina looked down at the scraps of her old outfit as Faea traced her well groomed nails across Nina's scalp playfully saying a line echoed so frequently in smut it was almost criminal.

She bit her lip, leaning down to pick up her smartphone from the floor, exploding clothing make pockets far less functional. Her vision was unfocused, there were a lot of different thoughts angrily attempting to grab at Nina's voice box at this point. Phillip lightly waving her hat back and forth in the background, perfectly fine unlike everything else she'd had on her body. She'd eventually look into Faea's eyes and said shakily. "Bathroom, I really need a bathroom. Or powder room, or whatever it's called." "I'll take care of it, I see it from here." Phillip answered quickly, climbing onto the booth table, and reaching his tentacles up and catapulted himself onto Nina's bare shoulders as Nina quickly made her way out.

 

[bluerocker]

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Lost to Love
inuart's story​

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When the very earth seemed to bow before Inuart and this strange woman; her magics, if they were in fact their own, left him in a stunned silence. He had felt this before, this strange heat, this sense of invulnerability, a very long time ago.

"Our hearts are now as one. If you die, I die. Don't get us killed."

The serpent's name hung on his lips, a ghost haunting the back corners of his mind; and with it, came a gripping fear. Were his songs lost to him again? Did he once again throw away the one thing that was helping him rebuild his swiftly crumbling life? The younger man backed away from Alesha, his eyes wild and staring at nothing as panic gnawed at his gut, hand reflexively reaching for the band around his neck, where the old brand lay hidden, before he stopped.

There was only one way to prove of whether or not what he feared had come to pass. A familiar tune came to mind, one learned from his friends, and the bard nervously hummed the first few bars, shaking with his frayed nerves. The notes hung in his ears, and Inuart sighed in relief. He had not made the same mistake twice. His ability for song remained.

Taking a moment to breathe, Inuart had to remind mentally himself - woman of immense power right in front of him. Some kind of priestess, probably has some degree of political power, and for whatever reason, thought his father's name was really keen. Really doesn't understand the concept of personal space and coming on super strong, but useful. He opened his eyes again, did his best to smile (could she even see his face?), and offered his hand for the blind-folded woman to grasp, "My apologies, that little display was...unexpected. It was a little overwhelming."

Looking around at the seemingly empty landscape, he added sardonically, "You say you'll follow me, but I'm afraid it's a case of the blind leading the blind. I don't have any idea where we are, or where we should go. The only thing I know for certain is that I am very far from my home. Unless you've a suggestion, I'm going to start walking in a random direction."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

..."Welcome to show me your gratitude"? Slavery?...Oh god, it's the G20 Summit all over again... Rugal merely thought before he followed his "Host" to her estate, recalling some of his interactions with both previous "Nobility" as well as their property.
===
It didn't take long for Rugal to feel like he was in the wrong place, least part of him felt like that.

All the slaves, the gifts from suitors and the smug sense of superiority over others you deem to be lesser?
It was-...jarring to say the least, given how long he tried to distance himself from his old lifestyle and, well, life.
He was rather stoic as he examined the residence, pacing around slightly with his arms crossed with a hint of disapproval in his expression, especially when he was offered to "Use" one of the slaves.
"I am a happily wed man with a family. Despite your brother's labors, I do not require such services. Apologies."[footnote]I'm assuming that everyone is speaking Latin so no need for the Square Brackets[/footnote] He explained to Livia, realizing the kind of life many of these women had endured before he arrived. (As well as trying to remember if he himself attempted some mad feat at the Cliffs of Dover himself!)
He was still sure to follow proper mannerisms and decorum for this era as he examined some of the food on offering, mentally musing if the lack of modern day food regulations would make for a better or a worse meal then any modern day supermarket's fruit section.
Letting his strange false eye go over the room, he did notice the slight..."Sappho and Alcman" vibe about the place, but decided against speaking about it nor would he let himself dwell on the implications.
Hm...Perhaps a lack of interest in me is for the best. I have little desire to become my own ancestor...

Alas, that was neither here or there as he quickly went for his staple: Red Wine.
His expression softened slightly as he sampled the nose of his cup, Ah, now THIS was more like it, "Hmmmm...If there is only one thing you should learn from my being here, it's that the Roman's love of Wine shall be preserved in future generations."
Taking a sip of it, he then addressed the matter at hand: "I have little time to waste in brothels and even less for the men who use them. While I hail from a distant-..."time" for lack of a better term, I must find a means to return there as soon as possible. For the sake of my family and those I care about. I thank you for your advice, but I don't require the help of some nepotistic general or god forbid, Nero...Wait-...[sub]was he even born yet?[/sub]...Hm. Regardless, the type of power that I would require would not be power over man, but of nature and magic...So unless they happen to be common in Pompeii, I wouldn't find myself travelling there..."

Part of him felt like warning about the terrible eruption happening in about 30 years from now but, really, what would it do? It was a hard fact to forget that everyone he was speaking to had long since died before he was ever born.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Inuart

[hr]

Lost to Love
inuart's story​

[hr]

"Out of all of us, Alesha is the most childish. She has strange fantasies and stranger ideas of relationships."​

Alesha clung to Inuart's arm and leaned into his body, "In whatever way we go, providence will deliver us." This world was strange, capricious, and contradictory. It was in the soil, the wind, and even the light of the sun. It all felt alive. Inuart began to move, and in his second step his foot landed on hard brick road.

The town was a bustling hub of people. The aroma of roasting meats dominated the air. The buildings were wood and stone, neat and tidy with white walls and sloped roofs. The wind swept around the couple in the street, whipping up Alesha's brown cloak. She grabbed onto the ornate cloth and pulled it back over herself, as if to cover her modesty.

Funny, Inuart didn't remember that she was wearing a cloak. Nor, in fact, did he remember arriving at this town.

But it was definitely a town, and as he looked around he felt the name dance on his tongue even though he did not hear it from anyone. Kaltrope, Hinterland Crossroad. As he looked around he could read the words on the signs, he could understand the language of this people although he knew that they did not speak his tongue nor write in a script that he was familiar with.

It was as if the Ypris itself had suddenly accepted Inuart, Son of Ipris, as one of it's own.

Alesha leaned into Inuart, moving his arm so that she could fit in near his chest. "I knew such a wonderful person like you wouldn't fail." She smiled, "Oh what a knight in shining armor you are."

The town was quite large and boasted a native population of four thousand and a transient population of eight thousand. Most of the people here were traders on the route between the two warring Empires that encircled the hinterlands. Crior, a theocratic monarchy, held the West while Farren, a democratic republic, held the East. Both nations hated each other, but did not have economies that were self-sufficient.

As a result, independent border cities like Kaltrope became incredibly important, and also incredibly wealthy.

Kaltrope had two large guilds that governed its transient and permanent residents. The first of which was the Adventurer's Guild, which had it's roots in the founding of the town as a base of operations for mercenaries. The second, and larger of the two, was the Merchant's Guild. The two guild halls stood at the opposites edges of the downtown. Massive structures that glared at each other from across the circular concourse that made up the commercial district.

But at any rate, that explained the number of armed mercenaries that seemed to just litter the streets.

Beyond the mass of moving traders, merchants, and peddlers was a fountain where adventurers gathered. They filled their cups and canteens with the cold pure water and chatted about arbitrary things. Their families, their jobs, the girl that they fancied the next town over.

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

"If you're looking for someone of powerful magical affinity, I would recommend a devotee of Bacchus. It is in his dominion that things such as boundaries and sorcery lie," Livia drank deeply from her cup - but it was not wine. Her cup was served from a separate pitcher than that for all others. "The devotees of Bacchus, who once were called the Menaeds, are mostly women too. Wives and mistresses of powerful men. Otherwise you'd look for sorcerers which live far in the outskirts of old Thrace and Eastern Greece."

"Nonetheless, unless you wish to seek out the mystics in the outlands by yourself, I still suggest making the acquaintance of those in Pompeii. However, if you do not wish to do so and cling to such defenses due to some degree of either impotence or infertility, then I will not force you. My estate is afforded to you as a place to stay for as long as you are in need. I, with or without my esteemed guest, will leave for Pompeii tomorrow morning." She picked up another roll and started to pick at it with small bites.

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two
Pow Wow in the Porcelain God Domain

Nina's story

​

[hr]
Nina would quickly make her way in through the door, surveying the powder room she'd entered. Much the same as the other halls, it was larger than the dimensions of what the train should be able to allow. Nina would head over to the mirror in the room, looking herself over as the crystalline silk woven into her hear clattering against the countertop. "You do realize if you keep doing this people will start thinking you have a bladder problem or something, right?" He commented as Nina slowly combed her fingers through her braided hair curiously.

"I panicked okay, there was a lot of things that I wanted to say, and not a lot of them were the right thing to say. Can I see my hat please?" She requested, reaching a gloved hand up to him. Tumbling her keepsake in her fingers, she'd let out a relieved sigh. The silk dampened her sense of touch, but she could still tell it hadn't suffered the same fate as the rest of her clothing. "Oh thank god it's safe. I hate to say it, but I nearly would have tackled her if it wasn't for you waving it behind her." She said as she hugged the cap close to her chest. "Like I get it, this is easily the most expensive, beautiful and down right kinky thing I've ever had the privilege of wearing... [sub]but couldn't she've least asked if I wanted to save anything?[/sub]" She asked rhetorically, cupping on of her hand's across her jaw.

"You've heard how this world works, it's more surprising you'd think it would be." Phillip stated as his mass crawled down Nina's front and plopped onto the sink. "I-I know that, trust me I do. This place sounds like oodles of different commissions I've drawn up. Even the one liner she used, I've definitely used before, word for word. Argh! It would have been so much better if she was some handsome dude spider. A nice suit, sauve, maybe a bit taller..." "...Nina?" "Right, sorry. But the question I still don't know is if this is like something I'd make, or something else." She would attempt to unlock her phone, only to realize the silk gloves wouldn't allow the screen to work.

"Could you unlock this for me please?" She asked, handing off the phone to Phillip. While she waited she'd tug at various spots of the outfit, mostly pulling her skin along as she did it. Feeling this she confirmed what she was feeling already, the dress's interior incorperated sticky webbing. Only the flappy part by the thigh seemed to be void of this. "And then she practically glued me in here, somewhat. Like I could probably rip it off with enough force but I'm not getting out of this without destroying it." She stated, attempting to get a finger underneath the choker on her neck and failing quite spectacularily. "And that's a problem?" Phillip said, presenting the phone to her. "Of course it is! This is a piece of art, I'm part of a work of art!" She exclaimed, patting her bust with an open hand. "Argh, she's reading me like a book! She stripped me in front of everyone! Dressed me up in this masterpiece that she knows I won't get out of for a multitude of reasons! And I can't even be mad at her because I'd have done practically the exact same thing!" She groaned, shaking her head and causing a clattering of her hair hitting the counter top again.

"Are you good now?" Phillip said flatly, sounding quite bored with her belly aching. "Ya, I think so... Thanks for listening to me, and as a reward..." Nina smiled slyly as she bent down to lean her elbow on the countertop and twirling her hair around her finger. "Guess who figured out a way to fix that cook boook~" She sung, knowing this would immediately peak Phillip's interest. She couldn't have been more right as Phillip visibly start to shake."When, how!?" "We gotta use that bug juice stuff, the stuff you made that spaghetti out of. It's inky, and we found it basically in the same place right? They gotta be connected somehow, right? We could do it now, no one's here."

Like a light being snuffed out, Phillip slumped to a sad limpness. "We can't, not now." "What do you mean?" "Ever since we got here, all the stuff I've been carrying, it seems to be gone." "Everything?! Phillip what do you mean, nearly all our stuff is in there!" "I know. Something is clearly wrong, its... like when your arm goes numb while you sleep. I can still feel something, but for now I'm empty." "It doesn't hurt though, right?" "Not at all, just... different."

With this said, Nina stood up and crossed her arms. "That's a relief at least, but still, that's just one more thing to add to the weirdness bucket. This whole thing just strange." She said with a sigh before looking at the door. "We should probably get back, what are we even going to tell them." She pondered until Phillip interupted her. "You've already gushed about how you love that dress to Arachne, so take that off the list." Unaware of the mistake she'd made looked back down at the abomination. "I just said I'd go to the bathroom to her. I haven't said anything about the dress?" To which Phillip shook his tentacles. "She has silk strings all over this train, three of which are in this room. There, there and there." He said, nonchalantly pointing to spots Nina had no hope in seeing the fine webbing hidden there. "I thought you knew that..?"

And with that the room was left in silence, only the slow deep breathing of Nina could be heard, one could only assume she was trying to go over just what all she'd spilled in this short span of time. Faea's charms working on Nina, Nina insulting Faea, Phillip and Nina's relationship being quite different than a simple pet and master scheme, some weird cookbook that may or may not be fueled by bug juice, and that Nina letting on she was putting on an act to a degree. "...We'll be right back..." She eventually spoke, fully expecting some sort of comeuppance for her actions but praying she was overblowing this like she normally did.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Nina

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

[hr]

"I have my reservations about Miriam. She's too unstable. Most times it seems like she's fighting for control of her own body."​

When Nina returned, Faea flashed Nina a knowing smile from behind a fan of her fingers. Her eyes glimmered in the yellow lamplight. The scenery outside grew dark as they left the warm light of drifting stars for the true abyss. The outside was utterly black, an infinite incomprehensible expanse of space.

Then in the distance light sparkled forth from the nothingness. They broke the stillness of the abyss as a dolphin breaks water, leaping out into existence in a flurry of exploding color and lights. They traveled alongside the train, dipping in and out of darkness as if it were the surface of some vast sea. They were creatures of pure creation, flickering light and transient ideas. They were hope, light, life, chaos, and order in the simple form of shooting stars.

"They're so pretty!" Talavie gasped as she sat down in awe. The dancing lights ebbed in and out of time, through space, and combined with one another like living fireworks. Nocturne chimed in agreement, stretching himself to capture more of their wonderful light.

Crown smirked, "If we are the creatures of eldritch horror, they are the creatures of eldritch wonder. Even defying mortal understanding, they give rise to hope instead of despair. It could be said that they are the embodiment of all that is right in the universe."

"Who exactly are you explaining this to, Crown?" Faea asked. She shot Crown a truly terrifying smile.

"Ah, force of habit... I suppose," Crown answered as he turned away, pulling down the brim of his hat to hide Faea's face.

Faea moved close to Nina and grabbed the human girl by her waist. She pulled her close and gently whispered in her ear "You don't have to worry, I'm straight as an arrow. I was talking about," she nibbled on the lobe of Nina's ear, "the sweet nectar pumping through your veins."

Then a massive roar of light filled the train car as a god dipped into reality before them, illuminating the abyss of the empty universe with flowing ribbons of color. It was a twirling mass of color and emotion, like some sort of cosmic ball of string, tethered to all corners of creation at the same time. It twisted and turned, playing a venerable symphony on it's ribbons of light that had been cast out into the abyss. It twisted and twirled, ducking in and out of reality. With each breach of the surface of oblivion, more of it's brilliant star-like core became visible. It and it's kin were like an escort of angels for the train travelling through to the ends of space.

"What is that!?" Talavie gasped, enamored by the scene before them.

"Though, I do wonder what kind of world do you come from, Nina..." Faea voice tickled the inside of Nina's ear and sent a shiver down her spine, "where humans aren't food, homes, or incubators. You must tell me once we are in private." Faea let go of Nina, making sure to draw her sharp nails lightly over the sensitive skin around Nina's neck.

Crown leaned against the booth chairs and lifted his glasses up to get a closer look at the splendor before them. "That is one of the primordial elder beings, and it's flock I suppose. It's natural that you would not know of them. They do not fall under your domain of Death, Darkness, nor mine of Dominion. They on a scale unique to themselves. To witness their coming is a honor the Matron gives to few indeed."

Bells rang throughout the train car, heralded by a small furry creature carrying golden bells in two of its six arms. Behind it came a burly man, an ogre more like, pushing and pulling two carts laden with plates. Soup. A cart filled to the brim with hot viscous, aromatic broth with all sorts of mysterious spices. The mysterious display of the Outer God outside only heightened the ethereal aroma of the soup being served to each patron in the car.

And when the cart got to Nina's table, two small furry creatures carried plates to Nina and Phillips while the ogre dashed each porcelain vessel with a thin covering of the white liquid. A second furry creature rolled over and threw some red seeds onto the surface of it and garnished it with a sprig of some foreign plant before rolling off on it's hands and legs.

"My, this is a little early to be starting the feast. But, I suppose that that Lockstar girl couldn't pass up a chance to try and eclipse a Great Outer God with her cooking."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

...Did she just suggest I can't-
"I'll ask you to keep the incorrect assumptions of my personal life to yourself. I have little patience for such nonsense. Still, if it will get me in touch with the Menaeds, I will join you in your travels to Pompeii." Rugal finally relented, while he tried not to let it show, the jab at "Infertility" got under his skin a lot more then he would like to admit.
It was then that he turned his attention to one of the Slave servants standing by the table before asking "...Tell me, these Slaves of yours...What are the terms of their contract? I personally find the practice rather distasteful so I do hope for your sake that they are treated fairly and as humans rather then mere property..."
While he knew this could stir up a bit of a hornets nest, he then made a rather bold move as he waved one of the Servants over and asked "Tell me servant, how does Livia treat you? Don't wait for her to tell you her answer, I would like to hear your own. Nor would I fear of a reprisal or punishment for such an action. I for one, wouldn't allow it nor do I feel our host would want to be impolite to her guest..."

He took another sip of his wine as he waited for his answer, keeping a close eye on the noblewoman while silently hoping she would give him an excuse.
He had long lived as she had, off the pain and misery of others in pure unadulterated self-gratification, and he was keen to make other's learn from his mistakes.
He then began to channel his own energies for a moment, hoping to sense any other Ki or Magic-based auras on the estate.
Last thing he'd want would be to catch unaware...

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

"Tell me, these slaves of yours, what are the terms of their contract? I personally find the practice rather distasteful so I do hope, for your sake, that they are treated fairly and as humans rather than as mere property."

Livia seemed lost. She tilted her head, "Contract? You find what distasteful? The food? The wine?"

"Tell me, servant, how does Livia treat you? Don't wait for her to tell you her answer, I would like to hear your own. I would not fear a reprisal or punishment for such an action. I for one, wouldn't allow it nor do I feel our host would want to be impolite to her guest."

There was silence. There was a stirring. Rugal could feel antagonistic energy whipping up in the room, but it wasn't what he was expecting. Livia's corner was silent, like the eye of a hurricane. All others however, they held such a profound shock and hatred in the pit of their hearts that it left Rugal baffled. Surely he hadn't offended the servants somehow?

(There is a time and a place for everything, Rugal Bernstein.)

The blonde girl slapped Rugal across the face. Her eyes were twisted in a mix of anger and disbelief. "You dare!?" she bellowed. Her long hair settled over her shoulders like the mane of a lion. "You dare insult the Master like that at her own dinner!? I am ashamed to share the color of my skin and hair with you, you, you uncultured swi-"

"Einwen! That's enough!" Livia barked. She had her hands locked together to hide her mouth. Her glare could kill. "I appreciate your passion, but never assault a guest no matter how outrageous his manners may be."

"Master! Master! I... I don't. I can't! It's not right! I know that your gods say that-" Einwen pleaded, putting down the pitcher of wine she was carrying and dropping to her knees.

"They are your gods now too Einwen. Do not forget, to serve me is to become part of my family, and a family does not disobey. When I strike, you strike. At all other times you are to obey." Livia's last word echoed throughout the kitchen. The other slaves looked on in a mix of fury and fear. The aura of the room was as chaotic as it was united.

"A thousand pardons, Master Lucretius," Einwen prostrated herself.

"Make sure it does not happen again, that is the same for the rest of you." She turned toward Rugal, "And you, my esteemed guest, should know that even if you were some officer or official in your old home, you are far from that realm. Remember that you are a guest and while I have a duty to respect and care for you, you must refrain from intentionally stepping on the toes of your host"

She cleared her throat, "I do not know how it is in your realm, but here in Rome, slaves are a part of our household. A master and servant are bonded inseparably when they are joined. In public, their actions are my actions, and my triumphs are their triumphs. Any one of these girls would die for me at a moment's notice, they would cut themselves apart and strangle themselves with their own innards if I commanded it.

"This is my home, my genus, and these are my people. We do whatever we must against the other genus to secure our right to exist. If you wish to push your foreign worldview on us, then feel free to do so from the outside of my property and away from my people."

 

[bluerocker]

Origin Planes​

[hr]

Ton Ton was about to run off the moment Hillary mentioned seeing silver, but was frozen when Diana approached and gave a very angry tongue lashing to the little gathering. Ton Ton inwardly winced when he heard all the swear words, remembering another time when such language was considered taboo amongst his stuffed animal kind. Now that he was the personal minder of another child, albeit one that was more capable than most, Ton Ton found himself speaking before he could stop himself, [color=15650D]"You know there's kids around here right? That's not very nice language."[/color]

At the top of the tree, Cadolbolg stirred from his slumber at a bunch of noise, lifting his head from the branch with a yawn. Stretching himself out like a cat, he spread his wings and lazily hovered down towards the grouping of David, Hillary, Ton Ton and Diana. Once he reached about head level with all the tall people, he gave a wave and yawned loudly, "I dunno how, but I was in a tree. I thought we were on the Dawn?"

In the midst of all the goings on, a Cleric and her lupine companion were waking up whomever wasn't already awake at this point, and found that a group of Dawn members were already up and about! She also heard a bit of loud voices, and wandered over, Garm in tow.
As she approached, she began to ask, [color=0E59E4]"Hey, I heard some yelling, is everyone okaaaa,"[/color] trailing off the moment she saw Diana, her expression livid as she stared down Hillary, David, Ton Ton and Cadolbolg; and heard something about a ruined outfit. As far as the young cleric was concerned, everyone's clothes seemed just fine, if a little unsuited for the great outdoors. Then again, considering the last thing she could remember was the party before they all woke up at the Origin Planes, then that was probably where everyone was prior to this strange turn of events. She gave a weak little wave, unconsciously moving a little closer to Garm as she asked, [color=0E59E4]"Um... I've just been going around and waking people up. Is anyone hurt?"[/color]

A little further away from the rest of the awakening Dawn members, Lucifer- no, Luke walked over to Teresa and tilted his head at her curled up form. Crossing his arms, the devil in disguise joked, [color=eca222]"You know, I've been around the block a few times, but this certainly isn't a conversation technique I've ever heard of..."[/color] As he looked over her prone form, his shoulders slumped and his joking tone switched to one that a little more sympathetic, especially considering all the goings on with Venia and The Boss, [color=eca222]"You alright, Teresa? We have a giant airship over there - if you need to lay down, I think a bed will do you a lot more good than all this grass."[/color]

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two
Spider no biting, Spider no biting, Spider noooooo biting!

Nina's story

​

[hr]

Spoiler

She should have known that Faea would have kept her new found information to herself, it's classic spider lady business at its finest. Manipulative little curmudgens that only put on a warm face long enough so they can get you alone and gobble you up. That little smile alone was telling enough that Faea hadn't mentioned to anyone else what she'd heard, probably thinking she could use it to hold it against Nina in some way. It was something she'd seen numerous of times before, and that connection to the familiar helped to ground her. If this was a wonderland of lewdness, maybe she wasn't as far out of her element as she thought she was? Faea fell somewhere on that spectrum of eldritch horror, she just needed to figure out exactly where she was.

'I couldn't have been in the bathroom that long, when did it become nighttime?' She thought only to bare witness to the light breaking the abyss. Nina was oblivious to whether these wonders had similar mind shattering capabilites as their horror cousins, but their beauty was certainly not wasted. Reaching instinctually for her phone in her nonexistent pockets, she realized Phillip still held it within his tendrils. Without breaking her gaze from the dancing flood of light, she whispered. "Phillip, do you mind snapping some pictures of this for me?" She asked to which Phillip merely shrugged but complied. The pictures with him never came out quite right, so these would be no different, but why argue in the moment. "They truly are beautiful~" Nina commented as Crown explained the phenomena in front of them.

Her euphoria was short lived however as Faea made her move, pulling her in close and breathing into her ear. It certainly didn't take long for Faea to show her true colours, definitely sorting into the 'something else' category she was hoping it wouldn't come to. The nibbling was a tad much, Nina's hand clenching as if ready to box the spider's ears in, but held off. She wouldn't do anything specifically dangerous, not with everyone around, not while she was still technically Phillip's companion. "Close your eyes." Phillip warned as he brought several tentacles in front of Nina's face as a blast of light radiated into the train car. "What is that!?" She said with Talavie, squinting at the god's presence within the abyss.

And with the entire cabin distracted once more, the spider found it in her interest to toy with Nina again. As she pulled her finger nail over Nina's underjaw, she find herself stopped as Phillip intervened. The clamy touch of his tentacle stopped her finger there, and slowly lifted it like a record needle from its record. "I would recommend against that. Insufferable as you may be with Nina, I wouldn't want you repeating the last spider's meal." Phillip spoke softly but firm in a way sounding like a statement than a threat. There was no ill will towards her, he seemed to genuinely offer this advice from experience for her own sake. "And while Phillip has your attention, I'd be happy to tell you stories." Nina turned her gaze to meet Faea's "Heck I might even skip over the boring bits like tax returns or trips to the laundry mat for some nice heels out of the stuff in my hair. But I must thank you, all that just now-" She said as she waggled her finger all over the Weaver's direction. "Really helped me get over that initial honeymoon phase of our relationship real quick. Nothing personal, kinky little nutbar I might be, but I'm not, nor ever will be, food." She would then take her leave, Phillip brushing away the spider's hand as Nina sat back down with Crown, Talavie and Nocturne.

"Sorry about leaving there, that elder being sure is bright huh? Wish I'd brought some sunglasses." Nina half joked, bringing her hand up to help cut off some of the light. Try as she might, she couldn't get a good look at marvel outside the window, only catching the brief glimpses of its followers indirectly from the far sides of the train. Her head perked up with the bell ring and the parade of fuzzy folk and orcish fellows served out the initial dish. Perhaps Nina's palette was rather unrefined, but the sparce sprinkling of broth, beans and loose veg didn't seem to peak her interest overtly. Sure it was fancy and smelled great but this was barely enough to be considered a light snack? "Well I guess we should see how she did I suppose?" Nina replied to Crown's proclaimation, and gingerly took a spoonful to her mouth.

It was good sure, but with Talavie's description of 'food one could die for', this was severly lacking. Heck Phillip's french onion soup the day before was easily riding the coat tails of this, and it was made from instant noodles and random bits from some bachelor's unstocked apartment! "It's good." She said, trying to mask her disappointment, only for Phillip to pipe up himself. "In fairness, you're only tasting about a half of the flavour in that bowl and it's primarily meant to wet your appetite rather than to bring satisfaction to your belly. It is lacking, especially compared to Crown's claim just now." Phillip stated, dipping a tentacle into the bowl as the contents seemed to be absorbed into it.

"So, if you don't mind me asking Crown, what is it that you eldritch beings do on... on um..." "Anazorzia.""Right, Anazorzia. From what I've gather it's... a bit different than what we have going on Earth." Nina asked, hoping that she might drum up some conversation after the meager helping of an appetizer.

 

[Zepherus14]

Origin Planes​

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"Alright, which one of you little bitches is responsible for this shit? And who the fuck is responsible for ruining my outfit?" Hillary was remarkably confused by this woman's angry outburst. The newly reformed dress looked perfectly fine, why was she so upset. Although she was too weak and flimsy to lift up Ton Ton currently, she would pivot on her pseudopod to position Ton Ton behind her torso portion, keeping an arm to his back to make sure he didn't fall off. "I don't know what happened exactly, one moment Hillary was in the ship, and then she woke up here. Mr Um... David! Mr David has said we need to make sure everyone's alright and not hurt because something super bad has happened! So could you please not be so angry and vulgar, Angelus is a very nice mother of these two little ones and Ton Ton is right. You shouldn't say such mean things!"

Hearing Teri call out to them, Hillary would pivot once more and let out a breathy gasp due to the loose grass blades that made up her form. "TERI! You are awake as well! And Garm too! Hillary was not harmed, and it appears Ton Ton wasn't either!" She smiled a healthy green with a friendly wave which slowly dusted portions of her arm off her.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Nina

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Table for Two

Nina's story

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Faea slipped away into the train cars as the servers arrived, the tinkling of her shoes and webs hidden by the rhythmic din of goblin bells and squeaking trolleys. Faea had earned her nickname as "the Spider" in a way that was oddly ironic, given her web-spinning and weaving tendencies. She was cute, but she still had an insidious bite. It was a reminder that despite the carefree and silly nature of many of these people, they were still man-eating monsters.

Nevertheless as the soup continued to be consumed, there was little to no fanfare among the crowd in this particular crowed. The ribbons of light streaming out from the elder gold twirled inside the car, sending rays of soft red, blue, and green light dancing across wood and cloth.

Crown considered Nina's question carefully as he spooned the broth into his mouth, "That's a difficult question, miss meatsack," Crown said. He adjusted his sunglasses and peered down toward Nina, leaning over her head. She couldn't be sure just where Crown was looking as he spoke... but she knew it wasn't her eyes. "We do whatever it is we please, mostly. Though, that sort of language makes it sound a little too carefree. No. We are not without rules."

He cleared his throat and pushed the plate away.

"If you need to go work honey, go. It's been more than a pleasure having you by my side, even if just for a little bit," Talavie said as she ran her finger lightly on Nocturne's forehead, "Go see if Cuelle and her friends are doing alright while your doing patrol, kay?"

Nocturne chimed and slithered away, dodging the streams of light as he did. Talavie brought the broth to her mouth and squealed, "This is anthroposcia! I didn't know you could get it so light!"

"We are bound to 'families,' different from the way that you humans understand the term, which help define our domain. Each family has a head, which has power over all others in their family, and their influence trickles down as you go down the ranks." Crown pointed at two gentlemen sitting in the booth on the opposite side of the train car. "Take them for example. The one on the left is Groa, the White and the one of the right is Logan, the Black. They both used to be humans, before they were adopted into Wonder's family. And from his dominion they gained influence over White and Black magics respectively. Groa has two daughters; Aesa, the Faithful and Tabula, the Undying. And Tabula has a son and a daughter, Lowry, the Chemist and Lea, the Scalpel. As a family goes down, each entity's dominion becomes more narrow and refined. What they lack in the raw power of their parents they make up with creativity and skill. As you can imagine, Tabula has dominion over medicine, and her children specialize in drugs and surgery respectively."

"The further down you get on the totem pole, the closer to human you are. One of us eldritch, the term we use is dwamme, which approximates to 'traveler', are unique. In that sense there are no other in out species of which for us to reproduce with. Fortunately most of us are compatible with humans... to some extent. So to have offspring, we use humans. Mostly their women, for reproduction." Crown put his gloved hands on the table and folded up his napkin, "This continues, and so as we go down in generations from an Elder Being, we become more and more human-like, until we reach the levels of which we are more mundane that eldritch - like goblins and ogres. That said, we do whatever it is we want, as long as we obey our progenitor."

Crown put his napkin away as he looked on toward the Elder Being still following the train across the vast expanse of space, "But even to high-ranking individuals like us, that one is something of an enigma. One of the nameless Great Elders that existed since before the existence of even Anazorzia itself. It's essence is so pure that it's children are consumed and become the same celestial creature as it's progenitor. A true marvel."

A second dish was being sent up the car. It was fragrant, thick, succulent red meat. Seared on the outside to a crisp fatty crunch and bloody raw on the inside. It was served with a sweet blackberry sauce and garnished with a mix of crushed coriander, cumin, and allspice.

The ogre cut through the meat, bone and all, in one lazy cleave of it's knife. The goblin server carried it to each of the soup plates still on the table. As soon as the meat touched the left-over soup in the plate, the meat expanded, dripping thick sweet smelling juice from between it's tender fibers. The combined aroma changed the feel of the dish completely, setting a scent in the air that was like earl grey tea spiked with pomegranate juice. The savor was almost palpable, a rich and complex umami welled in Nina's mouth even before she could pick up a knife and fork.

Talavie looked head-over-heels. Her eyes sparkled and she could barely hold her composure. "This is... meat from a kabande... how is this even possible?"

Crown laughed and shrugged, feeling more than happy to explain to Nina, "A kabande is an immortal that travels from world to world, consuming the energy of each planet's core. It's said to be completely immortal, if a piece of it is cut off, it will travel under it's own power to rejoin it's main body. It can evolve endlessly to it's environment, and is even capable of mimicking sapient life to return to it's home. So to see it... cooked and served is a bit of a strange occasion. What's more is that it's reacting with the soul residue that was in the broth from earlier. It's almost like the two ingredients are waging war at some microscopic level while we consume them." Crown laughed. "Well, dig in."