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

[Zepherus14]

Rising Dawn Airship: In the Belly of the Beast
Time: 9:31 AM

'What the?' Hillary thought as she became aware of herself. She was in a hallway of some sort? It was hard to tell with her limited vision as a puddle.

As Hillary slowly compiled herself, her form gradually becoming more humanoid as a torso formed, it pivoted down to look at an object on the ground. It was her figurine! Why was it on the ground!? Leaning down a bit more, the pseudopod forming her torso extended from the top reaching downwards as its drippy form enveloped the figurine. Lifting it up, Hillary's features became more visible, her arms separated from her torso fully, her pseudopod split as her legs solidified below her and her head lulled back as the weight of her hair dragged it back.

Pulling her head forward, she spun the figurine in her newly formed hands. Looking at the three on its base. The small Slime at its center, with a blindfolded teenager to the one side which an older woman of medetaranian descent on the other. They looked quite happy together, like a family photo made into a 3D model.

And as her formation finalized with her eyes and vocal sack, she let out a sigh of relief as she confirmed it hadn't been damaged. "That is a relief, how clumsy of Hillary to have a nap in the middle of a hallway." She said as she looked around at the surrounding area. She wasn't in the Hero's lounge area, nor the hangars, nor the brigs, or the lounge. She was somewhere in the inner networks of the Dawn, rather lost and alone. "Although... this... doesn't look like the Laplace? This looks like..."

"O-Oh dear." Hillary exclaimed as she looked this way and that. "H-Hello? Can someone hear me? Hillary would love to hear from someone because I think Hillary got lost again?" The matte'd light grey woman called out, her hair was angular yet smooth, wearing no clothing but still meeting the classification of nude. "HELLO?!"

 

[Kalastryn]

Rising Dawn Airship: In the Belly of the Beast
Time: 9:31 AM

"H-Hello? Can someone hear me? Hillary would love to hear from someone because I think Hillary got lost again?" The matte'd light grey woman called out, her hair was angular yet smooth, wearing no clothing but still meeting the classification of nude. "HELLO?!"

While she was attempting to extend an olive branch of a sort to Viscus, while turning to look through the security cameras as she heard what sounded like a call for help from someone lost in the Dawn (an understandable predicament, as attached as she'd become to the airship- literally at this point, it was fairly labyrinthine. "Hold that thought a moment." ARES said as she activated the intercom for that area. "Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" she asked, turning to Viscus again as she affirmed her intentions. "Do not think I have forgotten your previous actions, but as current you are in the employ of Captain Bernstein, or I suppose at current, acting Captain "Mio?" I thought we might leave these as "water under the bridge" as some would say. My previous reception to your aid was needlessly coarse, and I would simply inform you that I will provide no further obstruction to you."

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greece: Athens
Time: 8:00 AM

Never a day goes by when it isn't crowded in Athens, the capital and heart of Greece. The city within grows ever larger, history of it's ancient and powerful empire is still well known today, and most importantly ... it is here, that the Temple of Zeus still stands.

The shadows stretched out from every pillar, lining up with the eyes until the sun greeted you on the other side every time. It almost felt cinematic being here, going down the pathway towards the ruins of a once, respected temple that honored the god of all gods. While this may be what people came here for ... a lot more came for one particular reason, or more specifically, one particular person.

"Is it true papa?" The father paused, despite people were trying to get around the man. His wife alongside him, also paused to see what their daughter had to say. She was sitting on the man's shoulders, each leg hanging off the sides of his neck. "Yes Heather?"

"... That there's a cen-taar here?"

"Centaur, sweetie. Although, don't get your hopes up, it's likely just ..."

"Just what daddy?" She asked, a look of confusion present on her face, the mother cutting in. "It could be, a way to make tourists, like ourselves, come here to check it out. We've already went over this honey, it's likely just a robot."

"... Awwwww ..." She groaned, slumping a little as the dad gave a small scorned look at his wife, before trying to uplift her spirit. "Heeeey now, if it's gaining this much attention, it can't be just some robot. We won't know until we see this centaur for ourselves." Shifting his shoulders to position his beloved little girl properly; they continued walking down, all while the husband and wife secretly exchanging whispers as the daughter was too distracted by the beauty this place bore.

"Bet you $20 it's some lady resting in a hole within the horse's neck gap. Likely a statue or prop."

"I wager it's a hologram ... we live in the future where anything's possible now."

Eventually, the family came upon the temple itself, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. However, no one's eyes were drawn on this fallen place of worship. Rather, a large gathering was around a certain individual whom stood in the center of it all. The father tried his best to scoot along the masses, ensuring his daughter could get a better look. So much talking, shouting, laughter- all of it booming in their eardrums. The wife looked displeased with this, but their curiosity (and wanting to make their daughter happy) made them advance forward. Finally, they got to the front and all three got to see it for themselves.

It was, almost unreal to them. The figurine was perfectly in tact, nothing about it seemed fake whatsoever. While the horse legs were moving about and the tail swiftly swaying side to side, the upper torso was that of a human's, connected with no seams of any kind. In fact, her height must of been at least over 200 centimeters tall. A staggering 6.9 feet tall, the girl's stomach and arms being even beefier than the man standing there feeling struck with disbelief.

She was speaking in Greek, exchanging that old tongue with the common folk, smiling at them as they 'argued' with her back. The family had no clue whether it was them questioning her existence, begging for an autograph, or wanting to ride her, it could of been anything. Her eyes scanned the circle that surrounded her, looking all so pleased to have their company. The daughter on the father's shoulders started to kick a little, a small cry of glee escaped her lips. "Look daddy! I told you, it's a cen-tarrrr!! C-can I pet her? Pleassseeee?"

"... Ah." He snapped out of his gaze before looking up to his now lively daughter. "... O-of course! Don't know how we'll get her attention though, she ... seems awfully busy-"

Suddenly, the dad jolted when he heard her voice loud and clear, realizing she was now directly looking at him (well, down on him) with a gentle smile. The daughter giggled, clapping her hands as the father had been caught with no words to say. "Uuuuhhhhh .. .. . h ... hey there, yooou."

She tilted her head, before picking up on the language and with that, begun speaking English. [color=0000A0]"Are you guys American Tourists? If so, welcome to Greece!"[/color] The wife was just as baffled, if not taken out of this before both parents slowly turned to one another. Turns out, this was a real talking centaur. However, the dad couldn't help but actually speak his mind here. ". .. So, are ... you really a centaur? ... .. Is this for real?"

She took a few paces back, before placing both hands behind her head, lifting one horse leg, and giving a huge smile to match her pose. [color=0000A0]"A centaur in the flesh! But, you can just call me Alexandra instead."[/color]

 

[Zepherus14]

Rising Dawn Airship: In the Belly of the Beast
Time: 9:31 AM

"Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" Hillary quickly looked around at the bodiless voice, initially looking quite thrilled only for it to become more sour when she saw no one around her. "Y-Yes! Hillary woke up in... this place. And it doesn't look like the Laplace! I think Hillary's somewhere on the Rising Dawn, but not sure where. Could you help Hillary get out of here please?" She asked, oddly sounding more distressed than you'd imagine someone in her situation being. Her blank eyes hid some of her anxiousness, but the way she held herself close was worrisome.

She wasn't picked up on a few of the scanners, the thermal scans specifically, as if she was the same temperature of the room itself.

 

[Kalastryn]

Rising Dawn Airship: In the Belly of the Beast
Time: 9:31 AM

"Y-Yes! Hillary woke up in... this place. And it doesn't look like the Laplace! I think Hillary's somewhere on the Rising Dawn, but not sure where. Could you help Hillary get out of here please?" She asked, oddly sounding more distressed than you'd imagine someone in her situation being. Her blank eyes hid some of her anxiousness, but the way she held herself close was worrisome.

She wasn't picked up on a few of the scanners, the thermal scans specifically, as if she was the same temperature of the room itself.

ARES was curious about this, as she was curious about the entirety of her appearance through the security camera. Still, she was at least attempting to be helpful. "I would be happy to help you navigate outside, however, that is not advisable considering that the Rising Dawn is currently in flight. That being said, while he has an urgent matter to attend to, I might be able to assist you in greeting our captain, and he could likely arrange for you to disembark. Please, remain where you are and I will be along to guide you shortly." ARES said, shrugging to Viscus. "Well... I'll return later I suppose." before her projection in cyberspace faded out, uploading back into her body and walking to collect the sentient slime. Rounding the corner, the heavily armored robot greeted her with a wave. "Now then, if you'd follow me, we can probably go find Captain Bernstein." She offered with a smile, using the map of the airship she had just been observing as reference to where to go, having a sight better chance of finding the captain.

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greece: Athens
Time: 9:31 AM

Time had passed, and in Greece ... it goes ever so slowly. Because you see, in this country, no one's ever in a rush. There's even a saying when people express the term 'in Greece time' because if you say you'll meet someone in 15 minutes, what you really mean is in 30-45 in Greek time. Alexandra, despite she wanted to go on the move, would never be so rude to her people (and even the tourists) whom wanted to visit her. When it normally would of taken her twenty minutes to reach the city, it nearly took her over an hour and a half because she wanted to spend time with the community at the temple. She eventually did managed to enter the city, but not without a large sum of people tagging right behind her. Cameras flashing, loud voices in multiple languages (mostly Greek) and cars driving by slowly to catch sight of the centaur.

On her back, the little girl was sitting on her horseback, having the time of her life. The parents stood to Alexandra's right side, silently walking with her heads filled with a thousand questions as everyone else was speaking with Alexandra, so much chattering that it may of been a little much for most people to tolerate in such tight spaces. Eventually, they did reach a small restaurant that Alexandra couldn't help but notice, before prancing on over to a table. Those sitting at the tables all stopped eating, eyes drawn to the mythical creature as she pulled a chair out, and ... just stood there? To be fair, there's no way any of those chairs could support Alexandra's weight. Even if they somehow magically could, a centaur sitting in a chair would be, very uncomfortable.

For anyone trying to get by in this single pathway up the stairs, they'd be out of luck. It was so crowded, all Alexandra could see was a sea of people's heads below her view. Poor waiter, he was trying so hard to get around without dropping the ordered food. It took roughly a dozen minutes just for the man to finally get in, panting as he adjusted his suit.

The parents couldn't understand what they were saying to one another, it was in Greek. Seemed simple enough, before she turned to face them after the waiter tried pushing past the crowd once more. [color=0000A0]"You two look tired. Please, have a seat! I'll even pay for your meals! I'll pay for everyone here if they wish to feast!"[/color] She repeated those words, but now translating them to her people, all in which a booming roar from the masses caused the parents to cover their ears. Laughing, the centaur folded her hands as the daughter hugged her backside, with a big grin. "Can we keep her daddy?! She's soooooo cool!!"

". .. .. Sweetie ..." He groaned, as the wife shook her head as a natural response to their daughter's odd request.

As they got seated, the waiter in no time came back with a tray of three burritos ... except with closer inspection, they were far from that. The tortillas were filled with mushrooms, green bell peppers, butternut squashes, zucchinis, and other ingredients. It also included fries within too. Noticing their curious looks at her order, she asked them, [color=0000A0]"Never had Vegetarian Souvlaki before?"[/color]

".. Looks good at least." The dad admitted, though he was just really out of it taking in the reality a real life centaur was right before them. She grabbed one of them and started to hand it to the wife, in which she responded by placing her palm out with all five fingers, "I'm good, thanks." However, the crowd grew quiet and stared at the wife, faces looking rather upset by this action. Alexandra came to the rescue though, speaking Greek to them that she doesn't know better, before explaining to the wife, [color=0000A0]"You meant well, but what you just did is the moutza."[/color]

"T-the what now?" She asked, taking her hand back with utter concern and confusion.

[color=0000A0]"When you extend your palm out, to you Americans, you mean it in saying 'stop' or 'no'.
But here, that's giving us Greeks the middle finger."[/color] Despite she was smiling, the wife grew horrified and began apologizing right away, afraid she had committed the worst possible sin. Alexandra was not offended in the slightest, even laughing before placing a hand on her shoulder. [color=0000A0]"In Greek, the citizens are very aware of the American people having different ways of saying things. You didn't know, it is okay! I- Ahhh! The food arrives!!"[/color] All heads turned to the waiters and waitresses, all carrying massive trays of food, allowing everyone in reach to grab food off of them. They didn't even stop, they kept walking through as anyone could grab a meal off the huge circular food trays, a walk by buffet!

The parents understood that the money here consisted of Euros, not dollars, but even still- this was going to cost Alexandra a small fortune for all these meals! [color=0000A0]"There's no hospitality like the Greeks! We feed you until you blow up, and then feed you some more until you blow up again~"[/color] She teased, before taking her Souvlaki and biting more than half of it off, her mouth stuffed, cheeks extended. She swallowed it whole, with ease. She slid the rest into her mouth no problem, and chewed for some seconds before gulping it down, which most people could not do in that amount of time without choking. The parents began to try getting some food to show respect, before slowly eating away, mixed emotions flourishing through their faces as they try to 'enjoy' the food provided for them.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Rising Dawn Airship
Time: 9:30 AM

Jenny

"And for what it's worth, just wanted to say you're probably the toughest psion I've ever met, so I'm not too surprised you're up and about. But truly, are you okay?"

Jenny seemed to freeze for a moment as Kala talked to her, her expression-...glitching almost between a smile and a frown.
"I-...I-......*Sigh* ....I was hoping I could-....Here, let me show you..." She grimly said before her form started to flicker and the true nature of her condition was revealed.
Hiding behind a psionic projection, it faded as her body showed several bandages, medical equipment around her midsection and the side of her head as well as an IV grip feeding into her arm, looking more like some cyberpunk frankenstein.
Her prideful waltz turned to a slight limp as she seemed rather embarrassed by her current state, a patchwork thanks to the malice of World Marshall's cybernetics program.


"...My recovery is going well, though...it's not as easy to use my powers of projection as it once was. The hard part about removing Cybernetics is helping the body heal back the body mass it loss while at the same time preventing infections from the metal parts still lodged inside. They weren't designed to be removed or disconnected from each other. Most likely an insurance policy. But for now, I'd rather not think about it. I'm just thankful I was able to disconnect some of my pain receptors from the rest of my nervous system, otherwise I'd need be so sedated I'd barely be able to think." She grimly explained before slowly letting her projection return, masking her true state once again behind her "Normal" appearance, the perks of being Psychic.
"But I'll manage. I've gotten a lot better at Recovering from such events. Another few days with the medical team and I'll be fit as a fiddle. Hell, as strange as it might sound, I actually kinda prefer this bout to some of the others I've had over the years. My only regret was not learning how to turn off the mind's ability to feel pain sooner. God, that would have made some of my other Recovery's soooooooo much easier..." She smiled warmly before resuming her walk with Kala in tow.
"And yourself? Been a while since I was able to check up on you. Trying to catch up on my patient backlog right now actually. I know, I know, I should be resting but I'm very committed to the mental health of others..."


Viscus

The Cyberspace for the systems that Viscus controlled was more-...barren and dark then the rest of it, largely because the AI didn't see the point in prettying the place up.
So long as he was able to perform his functions, that was what mattered.

[Your observation is noted. The error must have occurred mid-systems reboot. I would have resolved the error but it would require a administrative order from the Acting Captain. Until that order has been given, Mio is considered to be the Captain of this vessel and has all the permissions that role entails. User: Rugal Bernstein has been dispatched to obtain this order...or at least attempt to. I care little so long as ship system operations are maintained.]

He droned back at her without so much as looking away from his work.

[If that is all you wish to discuss, I will ask that you terminate this conversation and let me resume system diagnostics.]

He coldly added, a reminder that his social graces were clearly in need of an upgrade.

 

[Kalastryn]

Rising Dawn Airship
Time: 9:30 AM

[If that is all you wish to discuss, I will ask that you terminate this conversation and let me resume system diagnostics.]

He coldly added, a reminder that his social graces were clearly in need of an upgrade.

ARES

ARES didn't mind his cold demeanor. She would not say so to his face as there was little point in being so overtly hostile or self aggrandizing, but most machines were not designed to be capable of sentience. Intelligence? Absolutely, but not sentience to the degree of a person. As such, she did not take his insult to heart as she already had intended to leave the cyberspace and assist Hillary in trying to find a way off the ship. Still, she had seen herself out. Standing now in front of the slime, she also offered. "If he's unreachable at current, I could take you to the canteen, let you socialize a bit while you wait?" she suggested.

Kalastryn

Her look soured a bit as Jenny revealed her true condition. Still, she tried to be comforting at least. "Hey, it's not... well it's not so bad. I'm just glad that you survived. As for my mental state... well, I have a lot to think about. More on my mind than most of the time." she confessed. "It's... difficult to know where to start. But, I suppose it just feels like I have to do more of... everything." she sighed, pulling out her spellbook. "For example, I've felt like I have to pass on my knowledge for a long time. Effective immortality felt exhilarating at first, but it made me realize how... lonesome it is going to be. I've wanted to take a student for a long time even before then, and I'll be honest, I sort of... settled, when it came to finding one. I don't think Miia is without potential... but I'll have my work cut out for me teaching her. Just another chore on the pile though... feels like I've completely forgotten how to relax."

 

[Zepherus14]

Rising Dawn Airship: In the Belly of the Beast
Time: 9:42 AM

ARES was curious about this, as she was curious about the entirety of her appearance through the security camera. Still, she was at least attempting to be helpful. "I would be happy to help you navigate outside, however, that is not advisable considering that the Rising Dawn is currently in flight. That being said, while he has an urgent matter to attend to, I might be able to assist you in greeting our captain, and he could likely arrange for you to disembark. Please, remain where you are and I will be along to guide you shortly." ARES said, shrugging to Viscus. "Well... I'll return later I suppose." before her projection in cyberspace faded out, uploading back into her body and walking to collect the sentient slime. Rounding the corner, the heavily armored robot greeted her with a wave. "Now then, if you'd follow me, we can probably go find Captain Bernstein." She offered with a smile, using the map of the airship she had just been observing as reference to where to go, having a sight better chance of finding the captain.

The meeting with the Slime was a tad bit different than what ARES had likely expected. In her time, she likely had met a great deal many people with interesting personalities. Many likely had misgivings about her titanic form of metal and wires, but as the woman made of the floor itself looked up at her, what she saw back the briefest moment of curiosity. It was brief as the instant ARES uttered a single note, Hillary's anxious face was washed away to one of pure relief. The Slime stood up and walked, not ran, as fast as she could to ARES' side, hugging whatever part was most available at the time; be it her foot, leg or side. "I would like Hillary to go see anyone right now, yes. Mr. Rugal or otherwise." She nodded, clinging to ARES.

This Hillary was a strange one, the time it took couldn't have been that long and yet she was acting like she'd been isolated for far far longer. Still, what likely caught ARES' eye wasn't Hillary's pitiable display, but the sudden change in her appearance as she hugged the machine! Gone was the grey colour of the flooring of this hallway, and in its place was the sleek metallic finish of ARES' hull. Even the paint job was practically identical, yet Hillary still largely kept her shape, albeit with some minor alterations. If ARES had the means to scan the matter that made up Hillary, she'd find it virtually identical as well.

And yet Hillary didn't pay any mind as her body changed to adopt its new form and instead continued to hold ARES. "Thank you for coming to get me."

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greece: Athens
Time: 11:25 AM

[color=0000A0]"Remember, it's very hot in the lands of Greece. Make sure to be wearing a hat, use plenty of sunblock, and drink plenty of water!"[/color]

At this rate, Alexandra was walking through the Plaka Distract, well known for being the best place to shop for tourists. Normally, the centaur would not bother coming through here despite enjoying the view, but due to the American tourists along a handful of others not too far behind, she figured it would be for the best. Heck, it was a bit fun playing the role of a Tour Guide, all while allowing at least seven children to ride her; the centaur ensuring each of them were well seated. Besides, she enjoyed their laughter and playful 'giddy ups' or 'faster' now and again.

The dad began to cough a little, quite a lot of people walking about smoking. Alexandra leaned over, giving him a heads up.
[color=0000A0]"No matter how much I love Greece, we do have our faults. For one, everyone's likely to smoke."[/color]

"Gghhrr, y-yea i've noticed." He coughed once more, the wife unable to stop waving her hand to 'shake off' the smoke that lingered in the air, tickling her nostrils. "And the crowd following you, they keep shouting in our ears. Are they anger with you?"

[color=0000A0]"Not at all, they're happily chattering with one another and at me. Tourists tend to believe Greeks constantly argue, but that's not the case. It's just how we talk! Sometimes people think i'm arguing as well, but it's just me being engaged with the topic with a passion."[/color]

Many heads turned to see the centaur leading the pack of people, some chose to join, others watched from afar. Teens and young adults grew excited, flipping out their IPhones to record, one even began to use a webcam to 'Stream' the moment on their laptop. Alexandra didn't mind at all, all she cared about was the children's safety and giving the followers a good time, maybe even something to remember for years to come.

The dad brought out his credit card, looking around since his wife was beginning to look quite bothered with the heat. "Hey hon, let me go get you a water or something. I'll be righ-"

[color=0000A0]"Is that a credit card? Just so you're aware, a lot of Greeks here only accept cash, and nearly all accept Euros."[/color]

"Of course they do .." He sighed, tucking his credit card away but out of surprise, one of the men following behind handed him a sealed water bottle. He must of understood English to of just given him the drink, in which the father slowly accepted before saying ".. T-thank you sir." He handed it to his wife, in which she swept away, popped the cap off, right before splashing some water against her face, not even caring if her makeup gets ruined. As they continued onward, people were passing by them, shoulder to shoulder. Even as some paused midway to glance at Alexandra or purposely stood in front to get a good view, she did not mind it. One fellow bumped into the father, making the tourist turn to the stranger with the typical "Oh i'm so sorry! Excuse me!", but before the guy could advance further, he was out of nowhere, lifted off the ground? Alexandra held him by the back of his hood, like you would hold a cat by their fur- the guy froze with shock. Rolling her eyes, she used the other hand to grab something from the man's grip and offered it to the father. As the husband examined it closely, it was his own wallet. ".. Wait, is that my .."

[color=0000A0]"Pickpockets are not too common, but ... his sweater in this type of weather gave it away."[/color]

The crowed gathered, booing at the thief as they began slapping him (not too harshly but) with the criminal trying to defend himself, causing Alexandra to speak out in Greek, making them stop the assault as she placed the man down gently. She told him something in their language, and with a quick nod, the stranger jolted away in shame. [color=0000A0]"In broad daylight too. The nerve of some people."[/color]

The kids on her back all clapped, celebrating her heroism, even the daughter was jumping up and down in her seat. "Ahhh dad! She stopped the baddie from taking your money!"

". .. . . Why yes she did." He admitted, looking up to Alexandra, whom felt sheepish with such attention being bestowed onto her.
[color=0000A0]"Anyone can be a hero guys; if they're willing to help others. It's really that simple."[/color]

 

[Kalastryn]

"Thank you for coming to get me."

"Think nothing of it," ARES said, mildly put off by her clingy behavior, but not so much that she thought to mention it. The added weight from Hillary copying her armor's material however, was enough to cause her to lean, struggling under her unintentional grapple as the slime became a highly dense reinforced steel, the metal floor under the combined weight of the pair groaning as though it were about ready to sink in on itself. "... That being said, I find your ability to change your form intriguing, but I must ask you not do so for now. I'm quite heavy enough as it is." She said, waiting for the slime to let go before leading her to the canteen.

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greek: Athens
Time: 5:46 PM

[color=0000A0]"Beautiful, isn't it? ..."[/color] Alexandra smiled as she glanced across the roof towards The Parthenon, the temple devoted to Athena herself. Having some Greek coffee, she sipped it to savor the flavor, since her taste buds were far more sensitive than humans (the average person has a total of 10,000 taste buds, while a centaur is known to have 2x that, being roughly 30,000 instead). The old man nodded, grooming his beard as he enjoyed the view, the sun reaching it's highest peak in the sky, coating the entire landscape with such brilliant light. To her, this was indeed an amazing day she's had.

As for what happened to the crowd of people that was following her? She bid them farewell as she headed off to this very home, all while giving everyone group hugs in hopes she had made a difference in their lives, even if it was a fraction of a difference, in some manner, Alexandra hoped it was a positive impact.

"It sure is, Alexandra. Never a day goes by that I don't come up here just to appreciate the beauty given to us by mother nature, and those who've passed away." Felipe stated as the both of them were having a conversation in Greek. You see, Felipe is a retired plumber, enjoying his last years in this peaceful retirement of his whom hasn't seen Alexandra in ages. The last time they met, was overseas ... which is a rather long story. Let's just say, Alexandra considers Felipe to be one of her very few good friends in all of Greece.

"Tell me, my friend ... what are your plans now?"

[color=0000A0]".. I, haven't really decided yet. I wanted to remain here for at least one more week, if not just one more day ... before heading out into the new world."[/color]

"Being a guardian of man is in your blood, after all. I don't blame you for wanting to enjoy your time here before exploring other countries in pursuit of making life a better place for everyone."

Her vision had some water forming from the bottom view, so she quickly blinked before continuing to not break her smile. [color=0000A0]"... You know me all too well, Felipe. Truth be told, I feel the moment I step out of Greece ... i'm going to immediately be homesick."[/color]

The old man began to chuckle, patting his lap before raising his cup to Alexandra, informing her, "My girl, you'll recover. Soon, the sights that you'll see and the goal you'll be trying to meet, will distract you long enough. Being honest, I believe if you were to continue being a tourist attraction, it'll eventually drive you mad."

[color=0000A0]"Maybe, but I believe standing by the sidelines as the world continues facing country-threat levels is going to be the real reason I start pulling my hair out."[/color] She began swirling her finger into the cup, the fumes coming off the liquid still rising into the centaur's face. Alexandra stared into her own reflection, wondering if she will be able to make a difference for others. Felipe could tell she was bothered, so he leaned forward before placing a hand onto Alexandra's shoulder, him being on a chair while the centaur laid on the floor like a horse would, each leg folded inward.

"Do not worry about the "what ifs", for if you were to have that mind set, you may start doubting yourself. Test yourself against all odds, and you will see ... just how far you can go." Alexandra shed a single tear, before Felipe wiped her tear away. "Now, now. Don't go getting emotional again, you haven't even begun your journey yet! Save it for when it really counts."

[color=0000A]"It's tears of joy for having such a wonderful person like you in my life Felipe."[/color]

"Is it now? ..." He smirked, before patting her head like one would with their daughter, at least he considered her family so it was nothing strange to Alexandra. Sitting back in his chair, he took another sip with his smile slowly fading. ". . .. Do promise me this, that you won't forget about me. Would break an old man's heart if you don't pay a visit after you ..."

[color=0000A0]"Of course Felipe! After all we've been through, there's no doubt in my heart I would ever forget your face!"[/color]

His smile returned, making him look down sheepishly as he took it well enough. "Good, good. And Alexandra, do not worry ... you *will* be the hero we all need in due time. Even if the sky turns red, the cities begin to crumble, and all hope is lost- it isn't truly over until you give in to that despair. Being a hero is more than just 'protecting the innocent' Alexandra, it is ... so much more, dear girl. Even going out of your way to show you care about a small problem can shape someone's future in the long run."

[color=0000A0]"Like how you've saved my mother after she gave me life?"[/color] She winked, Felipe couldn't help but grin like an idiot to that remark. "Yes, yes. It was nothing really. I'm sure if anyone else was there at the time of you being brought into this world, they would of done the same. It so happened I was there, and the rest ... is history." Alexandra in return, gave him a gentle smile as she raised her glass, tipping it to his as both of them celebrated their last reunion before the centaur would take her leave the next morning.

[hr]

Present Day:

Greece: Athens
Time: 10 AM

Using her IPhone, she took several photos as the camera rapidly fired flash after flash, and as a result, the flashes made her eyes appear to be soul piercing, but Alexandra felt it wouldn't matter since she wasn't trying to get perfect shots of herself, so she didn't bother trying to take anymore pictures.

Looking down on her personal device as she started uploading her favorite take to Instagram, she began talking to herself,
[color=0000A0]"I'll call this picture ... Day 1: Goodbye Greece! Hello America!. Yea, that sounds about right."[/color]

 

[Zepherus14]

"Think nothing of it," ARES said, mildly put off by her clingy behavior, but not so much that she thought to mention it. The added weight from Hillary copying her armor's material however, was enough to cause her to lean, struggling under her unintentional grapple as the slime became a highly dense reinforced steel, the metal floor under the combined weight of the pair groaning as though it were about ready to sink in on itself. "... That being said, I find your ability to change your form intriguing, but I must ask you not do so for now. I'm quite heavy enough as it is." She said, waiting for the slime to let go before leading her to the canteen.

It took Hillary a good second to recognize what was happening and what ARES had asked of her, had she not heard her? Initially she didn't let go, simply turning her head to look down at the floor. "Huh..? Oh no." Hillary said, breaking the hug yet still keeping a hand on her. Her body quickly shifted back to the grey floor below them, the material crawling up her legs first. "Sorry, Hillary didn't mean to ruin your floor. Hillary wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." She said with a genuine sincerity as she looked between the dented floor and ARES' face. "But, Hillary hasn't met you before? What's your name? My name is Hillary!" The Slime introduced herself, despite literally saying her name multiple times prior.

"Actually, if you have light junk, Hillary could hold onto that so she doesn't hurt the floor again?" She requested, unsure if ARES had anything like a piece of paper or some wood or a paper clip. That way she wouldn't have to worry about focusing on the floor as they walked.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

The Phantom Thief
The Brilliant, Beautiful, and Fabulous Latte!​

[hr]

The first footfall after planeswalking was always difficult. Latte was swimming through shadows, following the subtle eddies of multiple aetherwakes. Echoes of other travelers rippled back and forth between the shifting boundaries of eternity. Latte had been trying to triangulate the location of this particular world ever since the phenomena a week prior. The event had rippled out to nearly every other world in the multiverse and set planeswalkers of all walks of life alight with chatter. An energetic discharge of unprecedented scale - as if a world had suddenly been snapped back into existence after a prolonged absence. Latte had made it her mission to find out what had happened ever since she first heard the excited rumors among her fellow travelers.

She took another step through Eternity, sliding pass a large wall of surging aetherial energy. By the depth of the aetherwakes, she was one of a great many with such plans.

The echoes of the other travelers were converging now. The space between aetherwakes tightened and the interference between each of their unique planeswalking styles began to ebb. Then suddenly she felt her feet hit solid ground.

Latte stumbled into a bright, hot, and terribly humid world. She steadied herself, reaching out instinctively with her hands to stabilize herself. She caught a hot, hard surface and grabbed firmly. Her body came to an abrupt stop. She took a deep breath. Her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the native star.

The world was dotted with stone buildings, layers of white and blue stacked upon hot dirt hills filled with shrubs and grasses. She let go of the stone she was holding onto. It was a block of marble, grey and faded. It was so old.

Latte's desert garbs served her well in the heat, but the wetness of the air immediately made her skin itch. It was sticky and hot and each breath she took filled her lungs with hot, heavy air. She grimaced.

She reached back into the Blind Eternities and pulled the image of one of her lands into her mind's eye. The islands of that faraway plane grew closer and closer in the shifting nature of Eternity until it was finally close enough to link. Latte gave it one last tug before the link manifested and she could feel the aether flow into her body from the worldsoul that governed those islands.

The zephyr gull manifested before her out of the streams of blue aether. Through the eyes of her summon, she could see the world around her clearly.

"Go!" Latte commanded as she gave the bird the push it needed to catch the thermals rising over the city. Everything seemed normal enough. Though, the level of advancement of the artificers on this world seemed to be quite advanced. Good artificers meant good artifacts, and good artifacts were always valuable targets.

The people of this world seemed to be exclusively human. Latte frowned. Human-abundant worlds always meant one of two things, either they were lacking in aether, which in turn decreased the likelihood of valuable artifacts on the plane, or that the world had experienced some sort of human-supremacy purge of the mythical, which would prove hostile to a spellcaster such as herself. As she was mulling it over in her head, her gull familiar spotted something particular in the crowds... or rather, someone particular.

A centaur.

Latte didn't regularly like to converse with centaurs, the nature-loving druid pain-in-the-ass that they were on most worlds, but given the look of the other denizens, the nature-loving druid pain-in-the-ass centaurs might actually be the better party to entreat. Latte looked up at the blue sky, squinting against the glare of the sun off of the wispy white clouds. Especially if even a fraction of the owners of those aetherwakes made it in.

She called upon the energies stored within her amulet and summoned forth the energetic forces of fire and spend off toward the centaur.

---​

"Hey!" Latte called out to Alexandra as she approached over the rooftops of the stone buildings. "Wait up, I've got things I need to ask you!" The zephyr gull swooped down next to Alexandra, perching on at the edge of a veranda.

Latte landed not much farther away, the crackling lightning of her footsteps faded away as soon as she stopped.

"Centaur lady," Latte said, "can you assist me? I am lost and under 'special' circumstances. I am not from Hellenes." Latte's Greek was... not great, but it was understandable at the very least. She had pulled the knowledge of the language out of a passing's local's mind with a simple copy spell, but her mouth was still unused to to fluid motions required in the tongue.

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greek: Athens
Time: 10:31 AM

While it would be a ways to go, Alexandra walked the crowded streets towards the Athens International Airport. She certainly could of went for a cruise instead, but she figured it would be wiser taking flight instead, since those tend to be a lot faster, and sometimes even cheaper. Eventually she did take a brief break, wanting to enjoy the view of those ancient temples in the background.

[color=0000A]".. .. . That reminds me. Before I head off into America, I should know what's going on there. Politics and news are bound to be brought up in a conversation, so I should keep myself up to date."[/color] Whipping out her IPhone, she went to Youtube for a recent news video (I mean who watches TV and cable these days? Don't answer that.)

[color=0000A0]".. Wait, this isn't a youtube video. It's a live stream with an abnormal amount of viewers. Did something big happen?"[/color] Alexandra confessed, knowing full well streams like these aren't usually this big unless something serious took place. She immediately entered the live stream, waiting for it to properly buffer. Her eyes were glued to the little screen with such curiosity.

Spoiler: FGC Network News

When she turned on the news, it was in the middle of covering that horrible outbreak of violence in the American City of Denver and how it appeared to have been caused by a US senator of all people and a private military company he happened to own. She turned it on a bit late but the news anchors gave her enough to get the main gist of that horrible war crime.
They spoke about how a combined effort from both the world famous Rising Dawn and the US National Guard was able to bring order following-...well, they didn't know exactly the extent of what happened. Many claimed that it was a breakout of some terrible Area 51-style jail where the company was imprisoning countless strange creatures from other worlds.

Others pointed out that several Cyborg military forces were deployed in before apparently getting into a fight with the Rising Dawn. And the usual crackpots were claiming it was a government coverup in order to make it look like that it was NOT all caused by the US Government being mind controlled by a certain congressman.
Whatever the case, the most "Official and Credible" story was the one that was being reported.

"-In what will be soon referred to as "The Denver Treson". The State of Colorado has begun efforts to rebuild the city and outlying areas with much of the funding and equipment coming from the former main employer of the city, World Marshall. The CEO and mastermind behind the attack, US Senator Steven Armstrong, was confirmed dead by US forces following the removal of the Psionic control over the population. Eyewitness accounts of the attack remain difficult to attain as most of the people in the town experienced some form of mind control.

While many claim that the other front runner in the race, California Congressman Vincent "The Bison" Vega, was part of the scheme and the source of such influence, Federal Authorities released several statements pointing how "Stupid" it was for media outlets to suggest that a being with such power was running around influencing government policy and revealed several devices of unknown origin in possession of the company with similar capabilities. The congressman himself was considered part of the casualties caused by World Marshall's attack on the city."

Ah yes, Vincent Vega of Santa Monica. A rising star and an Independant, he became a household name in a matter of months as he ran a campaign that many experts were quoted as saying "Defied Belief and logic".
Some of the more "Creative" minds in the country claimed that he did have the ability to control the minds of people and was using that to shore up his political capital.
But seeing how he as well seemed to be a victim of that horrible attack, his secrets of campaign mobilization seemed to have died with him.

"You know, I find it very interesting that right after it's revealed that Vega could have been using some sort of psychic power on his own voters that the National Guard find equipment that it was Armstrong that did it. If he had the ability to mind control people, why did he launch an attack on his own home city? and more importantly, how many in the US Government have fallen under such influence?"

"Well, details are still coming in and the full story has yet to develop. We will keep tracking this story as it unfolds. And this just in, as part of a global effort to help the devastated city, Northern Oceania Defence Corp has announced they are going to donate manpower and much needed funding to the state. The CEO, Kazuya Mishima, was not available for comment but one of his spokesmen was able to give the following statement:"

===

The news then cut to a news conference in Osaka, Japan.
Even if you lived under a rock, you would know that much of the company was controlled/protected/puppeted by G-Corporation and it's CEO, Kazuya Mishima, "The Devil of the East".
His efforts basically turned the entire government of the country into an extension of the company and was often cited as a "Capitalist Dystopia" but despite outcry from many on the national stage, G-Corp was vindicated as all of their efforts were spent developing various means to help defend the local population from everything from Kaiju Attacks to free education.
While Kazuya was often seen as a cold and ruthless man, the nation of Japan was considered one of the most safe and developed nations on the planet with many of the local population thankful for the "Sci Fi utopia" levels of life quality and safety. But instead of the man himself, a European man with a scarred face clad in a dark maroon business suit referred to as "Executive COO Daniel Eason" took center stage, addressing a large crowd at the foot of the Millennium Tower, the headquarters of this corporate government.

"...This is a new era for G-Corp. I understand that many in the country are wondering why we changed our name and our brand. During the Election, talks were underway internally on how to not only deliver the services we have provided to the Japanese people but to the rest of the world at large. Therore, G-Corporation and all its assets have been merged into a single entity dedicated to protecting the islands and seas of the Pacific Ocean. The Northern Oceania Defence Corporation. Now, this wasn't how we meant to reveal this change but...it was clear that the need for our security experts, defence systems and logistic solutions reached far beyond the borders of this country. To assist with the redevelopment and rebuilding of Denver, NOD plans to deliver these services and much needed supplies to the region with the blessing of the US Government."

"Our CEO was in talks with several high ranking officials about our expansion into the US Market and clearly, all hands are needed on deck to combat this horrible crisis. And, I know how cynical this might sound to many, our services are standing by for any country in need. First World, 3rd World, we care not about profit but about the preservation of human life and the rights they are born with. Naysayers will claim this is just us trying to exert influence but I remind you that the values of Kazuya Mishima instilled in this company-"



"What about that Video of Kazuya Mishima falling from the Millennium Tower?! THE PEOPLE DEMAND TO KNOW-"
The man's speech was interrupted by a number of protestors, one of them holding up a monitor that showed a trending video of what *seemed* to be Kazuya Mishima falling from the building and being impaled right on the skull of a statue of himself, a statue that the European was standing right in front of.
His business smile quickly soured to annoyance as he muttered something under his breath before resuming his speech.

"ohhhh, there we go...Someone get that moron out of here! Come on, we don't know who put up the video but I can promise you once we find out who made that load of crap up they'll be hearing from our legal team! Think about it, if he was dead, I wouldn't be here! We respect the wishes of the CEO and we damn well wouldn't be planning such an ambiguous expansion if he wasn't here to sign off on it! And I'm not letting some rubbish some 300 pound troll in Russia prevent us from delivering aid and much needed assistance to all those who need it. That's how we do business. Mr. Mishima made it clear from the inception of this great journey I and countless other NOD employees have joined him on that we are NOT some heartless capitalists looking to make a quick profit. No, all of our efforts and resources are for the betterment of the human race, Japanese, American, African, European, Latin, Russian, we are all in this together in a world that seems beset by no end of peril. And I promise you, we will not be stopped from our mission. I thank you for your time and I look forward to helping bring his vision for the world to the rest of the human race."

The man then quickly retreated to a limo while reporters attempted to ask about the company's past relationship with the famous Rising Dawn and if it would continue. Several bodyguards put an end to that as he left the scene, loud pop music and a rather large amount of secondhand smoke pouring out of the vehicle as it was escorted out of sight.

The stream ended there, as hundreds of comments overflowed in the right-hand side of the screen, going so fast there was no possible way to read each line. It was a blur, and many, and I mean MANY emojis being spammed alongside the comments.

Putting her IPhone back into her side pouch on the red silken saddle, Alexandra couldn't help but think aloud, [color=0000A]"It's worse than I thought. Here I am, thinking maybe some political issues were stirring up my neighboring countries, but mind control schemes? A massive attack on Denver that was filled with so many innocents?

... It feels like this is fate, that my gut instinct to head off to America was right. I must go there at once."[/color] Now Alexandra began to power walk, which isn't a normal thing to do here since no one's ever in a rush. But, this was different.

"Hey!" Latte called out to Alexandra as she approached over the rooftops of the stone buildings. The centaur sharply turned her head to look up, seeing what appeared to be a blonde girl calling out to her. "Wait up, I've got things I need to ask you!" The zephyr gull swooped down next to Alexandra, perching on at the edge of a veranda.

Her eyes darted to the very unnatural looking bird, then back at the mysterious girl with a confused expression. Even the nearby passengers and civilians stopped to look at the sight, some whispering to one another, others cautiously aware this could mean trouble. In either case, most stopped to see what was happening.

Latte landed not much farther away, the crackling lightning of her footsteps faded away as soon as she stopped. This was the eye opener for Alexandra, now realizing she wasn't dealing with an ordinary girl. Rarely, if ever, has she seen magic like this before, and it wasn't something to take lightly. So many questions began pouring into her head now.

"Centaur lady," Latte said, "can you assist me? I am lost and under 'special' circumstances. I am not from Hellenes." Latte's Greek was... not great, but it was understandable at the very least. She had pulled the knowledge of the language out of a passing's local's mind with a simple copy spell, but her mouth was still unused to to fluid motions required in the tongue.

[color=0000A0].. Her Greek isn't fluent .. she's likely not from here. I'm not sensing any hostility, so I feel it'll be okay to talk here. The moment she wants to start trouble, i'll move, away from the people.[/color]

[color=0000A0]"Are you more familiar with the English language? I am good at speaking it, if you'd rather communicate that way."[/color] She said in English, then in Greek, just in case. Still, Alexandra was quite dumbfounded by this sudden approach from the girl and her (admittedly) majestic looking bird. Remembering to appear friendly and offer a smile, she did state, [color=0000A0]"And you said you're in need of some help? Before I willingly go along with your request, would you mind telling me ... who you might be?"[/color]

 

[Kalastryn]

"Actually, if you have light junk, Hillary could hold onto that so she doesn't hurt the floor again?" She requested, unsure if ARES had anything like a piece of paper or some wood or a paper clip. That way she wouldn't have to worry about focusing on the floor as they walked.

ARES did not carry much of anything lighter than the steel armor she'd made, but Hillary didn't seem to be doing any damage to the floor while... being the floor- a concept which still somewhat confounded the construct. "I don't really have anything lighter I'm afraid, but you should be fine if you simply refrain from touching my armor. Once at the canteen, I'm sure you can find something suitable." she said, walking not far ahead of Hillary as she guided her there. "Oh, and I am ARES unit 35, though most just prefer ARES around here, given the lack of other units to distinguish me from. she explained as they set off.

Once arriving at the canteen, ARES took a seat at one of the nearby tables, offering Hillary a menu. "So- and this is just a wild guess here... so I guess you turn into what you touch? That seems... wildly unstable and difficult to deal with." she said, not even aware of Hillary's "normal" slime-like appearance due to her naturally having contact with the floor the entire time they were here.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

The Phantom Thief
The Brilliant, Beautiful, and Fabulous Latte!​

[hr]

Latte frowned and tried to discern the language that Alexandra had changed to. It was different from the smooth tongue of the Hellenes, more prone to full stops and strange fricatives. Though, she supposed, it was not unlike the human languages of Candor. "English..." Latte mimicked, tasting the syllables on her lips. She held out her hand and pulled what information she could on the language out of Alexandra's memories.

"Yes, English will do." Latte replied after a brief pause. This language was easier to enunciate, but was more irregular in its construction, lacking the normal conjugations she had come to expect from most tongues. "My name is Latte. I am from a place far away from here. Very far away, in fact. Though I do not believe that I will be the only of my kind travelling here today."

She paused. It was not advantageous to be truthful at this exact moment about the reason why she had come. It didn't sound to terribly appealing, even to herself, to say that she was here to steal any valuable spells or artifacts that might be laying around. To a centaur, whose kind was prone to being stalwart defenders of all things truth, justice, and all things foresty, it would be an even worse idea.

"I am looking for a group of exceptional individuals. People with powers like mine." Latte finally said after a moment of internal reflection. She had decided not to lie, in case the centaur was blessed with natural powers of empathetic scrying. "I collect things. Stories, trinkets, histories, records of remarkable people. Whatever I can get my hands on. I am here because something remarkable happened to this world recently. The echoes of that cataclysm still reverberate through worlds past the realm of your reality. I am most curious to discover the source of the event and any artifacts that might remain."

That was the pleasant sounding version of the truth, but the irrefutable truth.

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greek: Athens
Time: 10:40 AM

"English..." As the blonde lass held out her hand, it wasn't clear as to what she was trying to do, making Alexandra wonder what she was trying to accomplish with this gesture. Almost as if she somehow 'grasped' the knowledge now, did she say, "Yes, English will do."
"My name is Latte. I am from a place far away from here. Very far away, in fact. Though I do not believe that I will be the only of my kind travelling here today."

[color=0000A0].. That's not a reference to Star Wars, was it?[/color] However, the centaur knew better than to assume Latte was trying to bring pop culture into this conversation. So with that, she stayed silent and allowed the stranger to express her reasons for being here.

"I am looking for a group of exceptional individuals. People with powers like mine." Latte finally said after a moment of internal reflection. She had decided not to lie, in case the centaur was blessed with natural powers of empathetic scrying. "I collect things. Stories, trinkets, histories, records of remarkable people. Whatever I can get my hands on. I am here because something remarkable happened to this world recently. The echoes of that cataclysm still reverberate through worlds past the realm of your reality. I am most curious to discover the source of the event and any artifacts that might remain." That was the pleasant sounding version of the truth, but the irrefutable truth.

[color=0000A0]"Sorry, i'm a bit lost here. Did you just say something happened to this world recently? And a realm that ..."[/color] She questioned, now her mind being puzzled with this strange bit of news. It almost sounded like superstition, if not something out of a long forgotten prophecy. [color=0000A0]".. And did you also mention 'worlds' .. ?"[/color] She couldn't help but feel, conflicted. On one hand, she didn't think Latte was pulling her leg here, but on the other hand, this quickly went from 'hey lady, I need your help' escalating to 'universe levels of time and space collapsing on itself, worlds colliding, time overlapping through realms' in one sitting.

Bringing the side of her hand, cuffing it into a fist before softly coughing into it, [color=0000A0]Mmh Hhm.[/color], she began to recover from this 'mind shattering info' before briefly smiling again. [color=0000A0]"Well, in any case, it's .. . . ?"[/color] She heard a set of sirens in the distance, turning her head to see a vehicle stop a dozen feet away from them before multiple figurines stepped out of the car.

A few, at least five to six Hellenic Police officers came forth, walking up to both Alexandra and Latte. They didn't even pay attention to her bird, or maybe they did but kept their eyes peeled on the two.

(We were told that there was a disturbance in the area ...) One of the officers addressed, Alexandra remained calm with a gentle smile.

(I am sorry if we startled the public, but I assure you, there are no problems here. We can go somewhere else to carry on with our conversation.)

".. That won't be necessary." The other commented, this time in English. Indeed, the police here knew multiple languages, but their primary of the two were Greek, and English. "Some eye witnesses claiming that they saw what appeared to be a 'bolt of lightning' dashing through the roof tops, and some property damage with it." Alexandra couldn't help but look sheepish now, realizing her new 'friend' might of not realized these buildings were pretty old, so walking on them could cause some of the marble, or even wood within, to weaken and crumble. This in turn, led Alexandra to chuckle nervously.

[color=0000A0]"I'll, pay for everything that needs to be repaid. Sincerest apologies. Haha ..."[/color]

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

The Phantom Thief
The Brilliant, Beautiful, and Fabulous Latte!​

[hr]

If there was one thing that Latte hated it was authority, especially the police, the symbol of government authority. As the men spoke to Alexandra, Latte was already nurturing the connection between this world and another one of the numerous lands that she had claimed in the multiverse. The image of tall rocky crags and hot winds grew in her mind. The electric energy of dry lightning storms rumbling over teetering peaks of a dragon-infested world. Then she pulled on the connection as their astral bodies drifted close to one another.

Latte tensed as she felt the sudden influx of red aether cascade into her body. Then, with the subtle movements of her fingers, she cast a simple enchantment on one of the officers. Their pockets grew heavy and suddenly the gold began to drop out of his vest and pants in an unending stream of coins. Soon the stream became a torrent, and a geyser of gold drachma rained down on the street.

"That will settle your damages several times over," Latte said brusquely. The gold was cursed and drew the ravenous greed out of the people who bore witness to it. In some time the gold would return to the aether from which it was drawn, but for now it was as real as any physical gold found on the plane. She turned away from the officers and offered her hand to Alexandra.

"Shall we go? Police are always corrupt no matter the time nor place. It is best not to be in their presence." Latte's eyes glowed blue as she began to channel the energies of her pendant and the islands that she had linked before. A bright portal began to open up behind her.

 

[Caramel Frappe]

Greece: Athens
Time: 10:44 AM

Once the gold began pouring into the streets, people from all around began to rush on over, collecting the coin like there was no tomorrow; even going so far as to fight one another despite there was plenty to go around. The other police officers immediately did their best to try assisting 'the vessel' from this fate, yet eventually they too, succumbed to the curse and began gathering as much gold to stuff their pockets, with greed in their eyes. Only one of them, apart from the unfortunate soul whom couldn't move because so much gold weighed him down- tried to get through the crowd of people, shouting at Alexandra and Latte with his gun drawn.

"Shall we go? Police are always corrupt no matter the time nor place. It is best not to be in their presence."

Alexandra was quite speechless, for she had never seen such a thing. She knew magic existed, and being able to create lightning or fire was one thing, but causing a person to become a human fountain of never ending coins flooding?

[color=0000A0]". .. . . I don't even .."[/color] Her brain felt a little scrambled, reality sinking in that this was actually happening. She was also quite conflicted, seeing such good people becoming, vicious and hungry for the gold, that they no longer looked like civilized human beings. Seeing officers of the law, standing for justice, becoming no better than the men fighting in a corner, trying to pry some coin from each other despite so much was around them. The constant clinging of gold hitting the pavement ringing in her ears, her heart was a bit torn. Deciding it was time to act, she ignored Latte and began to head towards the crowd.

As she was trying to get by the mass of bodies to reach the man inflicted with the curse, the officer sprung out with his gun pointing at her. "You! What has your friend done! Answer me!" The cop ordered to Alexandra, the barrel staring right into her line of sight. She tried her best to sound reasonable, trying to talk over the volumes of people arguing and shouting at one another, in hopes to calm the him down. [color=0000A0]". .. Please, I am sure we can talk this out .. ! Just let me through-"[/color]

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE, NOW!" His face filled with rage, clicking down on the hammer piece to show he was more than ready to fire his weapon. Despite this, she tried to look over him to the man that was standing still, coin flying out of his pockets with fear in his eyes. [color=0000A0]"Let me help your friend! ... O .. Officer?!"[/color] As Alexandra tried to get his attention, the officer lowered his gun as his eyes couldn't ignore the gold any longer. He dropped his gun, the centaur catching it in case the gun could of accidentally fired, now watching the once sane policeman dropping to his knees before trying to pick out the gold, even pushing a woman away from the one coin she wanted, in the sea of gold that showered around them, flowing down the street. [color=0000A0]".. .."[/color] Looking over to Latte once again, she also noticed a portal was created before her very eyes. She then put the gun away into her pouch, before more and more people swarmed in from all over to collect the gold with such wicked desire.

[color=0000A0]Am I dreaming? .. This all feels, like a fantasy that's running wild.[/color] She looked back at her beloved people, then at the police, then figuring out the only real way to stop this, was to reach Latte, the one responsible, and ask her to end this. Alexandra rushed over to the planeswalker, placing both hands onto the blonde girl's shoulders, begging her [color=0000A0]"Latte, please, remove this spell of yours. If you do, i'll go along and help you, just ... I can't let my people act so deprived and hurt one another like this!"[/color] It wasn't an order, for there was no anger in Alexandra's voice. It was more of concern, wanting to ensure no one would be seriously harmed in this turn of events.