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

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn Hanger
Alert! Alert! Final Boss Encounter!
Major Rhodes | Kazuya Mishima | Rising Dawn/G-Corp intelligence officers​

[hr]

While the battle raged in the city, the support teams of both the Rising Dawn and (what was left of) G-Corp's finest did what they could to both assist the heroes and try to limit the amount of civilians harmed in the cross-fire.
Kazuya watched from his make-shift office, still nursing the wounds he received while watching the Dawn fight once more, regrets about this entire operation weighing heavily on him.
As such, he soon overheard a comment made by one of his officers: "Mr. Mishima, we're detecting what appears to be a distress signal from World Marshall's HQ. But-...it's strange, there's no audio message..."
"...What do you mean there is no audio?"
"It's-...hard to tell what it is. There is a lot of data being sent out but-...it's on a secure channel with extremely heavy encryption. It appears to be heading to a location outside of the cit-"
The realization was swift as Kazuya barked "Then it's not a distress signal! It's Armstrong's golden parachute. He's sending his mainframe's data to a backup site, no doubt it's a safe house of his. Track the location of it and prepare a transport. I'll kill that bastard if it's the last thing I do on this earth..."
With his orders relayed, he then went to attempt to suit up, something he'd find a bit hard to do with only one arm.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

Homelands

selmy's story​

[hr]

"Does it really matter what my name is? You called for me and I came. I am your salvation."​

"Ah... thank you..." Gisella said meekly as she wrapped the cloak around herself. She looked at Benedict and blushed, unsure at how to react at such a display of knighthood. She put a hand to her cheek and turned away. She felt shame for causing shame - where Gisella was perfectly trained to be comfortable without wearing any clothing at all, the idea that someone in the room didn't want to see her stripped bare made her feel unusual and awkward.

Maria turned her head toward Katya and began to speak softly. In the quiet of the library Maria's voice carried on forever. It danced among the shelves and struck the stone walls. It flickered between the flames of torches red and skimmed over the water flowing. Maria hummed and the stone sang, Maria called and the darkness answered. With her voice came colors and textures, smells and tastes, as well as deep satisfaction. Once the echoes of her voice inhabited the emptiness of the library, Maria began the story in earnest. The world seemed to melt away around them, the stone turned to grass and the shadows to light. The dancing shadows on the wall became distant mountains and sweeping forests. And they became engrossed in a memory so vivid that it was indiscernible from reality.

[HEADING=2]"The story of the First Paladin."[/HEADING]​

[hr]

"A thousand-thousand years ago, long in the time of myth when heroes had but a single name. The Age of the First Names it was called, when the fairies still fluttered through the sky and the earth was rich and heaving with chaotic magic. Humanity had first come to the land we now call Midas through the Eden Gate to flee the disaster that befell the land before. The first Calamity that mankind had ever known. Where we had reached too deeply into the realm of Gods and drew power we were unable to control.

The abyss came spewing forth from the aether and corrupted our old home - giving birth to monstrosities that could not be felled by magic nor steel. With the abyss came the abyss striders, the abyss dragons, with it came the race of witches and daemons which feast upon the fear and pain of humans. With it came chaos, who sought to undo all of life. The world then had ended, brought to destruction by the weapon now known as the Black Shard. As those chosen by Eden fled through the gate into the pure land of Midas, the king of humankind - not long ago a princeling still - stayed to guard the gate. His name was Midas, and for him this new cradle of life was named. For it was his bravery that held the abyss at bay while humanity ran."

[hr]

Katya was running down the steps of the grand palace. Eden's gate loomed overhead, it's massive maw drawing in the wind and flame of the city around him. St. Alaasam had been such a beautiful city. It's massive limestone towers held huge lacrima crystals in their three pronged zenith, showering their magic over the whole city. It had once been the seat of magic, where all of humanity gathered to prosper. The food was plentiful and the river Io ran pure through the center of the city. From his perch atop the palace peak Katya could see all of the city burning. For a hundred miles in each direction there was black flame. The river ran red with blood and the call of abyss dragons echoed through the air.

A huge black shape swept over the sky and cast the entire palace in it's shadow. The abyss dragon circled overhead with sharp veins of angry red burning in it's pitch black hide. It roared, sending weakness into Katya's legs. He could not stand under the utter despair that these creatures brought. To his side wood roared in response. Ballistae ripped through the sky and tore into the wings of the creature, sending it spiraling down into the city below. It's body crashed and threw dust and rubble hundreds of meters into the sky. The smoke added to the spiral of clouds that hid the sunlight.

"Prince Midas! Prince Midas!" a man screamed at Katya as he scrambled toward him. He was a huge man clad in white armor stained with bloody hand prints. His eyes were tired and bloodshot and his thick beard was covered in soot and dried blood. He held a small girl in his arms. "I found Althia... I... I found Althia... but..." He held the small body close. His face twisted in pain.

"What happened to Althia!?" Katya screamed, his voice hoarse already from a day of screaming. He ran forward and grabbed his sister's body. It was cold, but there were no scars on her body. No blood. Yet her veins ran black and the specter of decay had taken over the beating of her heart.

"It was a strider... the entire district was just dead on the floor, rotting from the inside... there was... there was nothing... we were too late." Boros held Althia's body close. He had always been fond of the little princess, Katya knew. With the striders came death. There was nothing they could do. Even more fearsome than the dragons of the dark, the abyss striders were huge faceless monstrosities that walked on two legs. They stalked across the country alone, they paid no attention to anything. They leveled mountains and turned rivers to ash. They wilted forests and turned the crops to stone. They felt nothing and could not be stopped. Their bodies huge, weightless, ephemeral. They were uncaring, they did not seek to do harm as the flight of abyss dragons did. They did not prey upon mankind like the witches, they were the very embodiment of inevitability. They saw no friend or foe, they simply spread the corruption. "We have to get her body to the other side. She has to... she has to be remembered."

Katya drew his sword and placed it on Boros' shoulder, "No, leave her. We can let none of the corruption reach the new land. Not ever."

"But she's your sister Midas!" Boros screamed. He was shedding uncontrollable tears. So loyal, so in love. It made Katya's own heart ache.

"Don't you think I know that! Don't you think it hurts me too!?" He pointed at the line of refugees fleeing into the Eden Gate's gaping maw, "But look at that. That's humanity's last bastion. We can't do anything to jeopardize those that still yet live!"

There was a pause as Katya and Boros stared at each other. Another deafening roar flattened Katya against the ground, the very earth shook. From the sky the air broke and a line of black flame ripped through the city naught but a mile away from where the princeling stood. One of the high lacrima towers collapsed from the sudden strain on reality. The thick limestone broke into pieces and rained down in dust while the crystal above exploded, sending deadly debris raining down on the entire district. Boros threw himself over Katya as the blue crystals rained down, lodging themselves into his armor and the stone around them. When the rain was over Katya pushed Boros over. The old man had been struck on the back of the head with the crystal rain. The blue of the lacrima drew red blood from his wounded head and bits of brain oozed out of his skull. That blue crystal flickered with a black flame - a corruption that grew from each and every source of magic.

The mages had been the first to go - consumed by the sudden appearance of the abyss in the world. They could not fight it's influence and they became witches. Their flesh melted and their vices grew rampant. They could only think like animals and desired more magic. They took it where they could, from the earth, from the living, and at times out of the bodies of those few magus' that had the power to fight the corruption. Now but four battlemages remained - none of them of the Grand Magus'. Nay, they were the White Mages of the sect of Somnus. Their purification of their own bodies had kept the darkness at bay for the past few months. Enough time for them to finish the ritual to summon Eden into the world at any rate.

Another dragon descended upon the gate, drawn by mass of refugees.

"BALLISTAE!" Katya roared over the clamor of the crowd. He raised his gold sword to direct the massive batteries. With a roar that rivaled the dreadful screech of the dragon, a hail of thick metal arrows soared into the air and struck the dragon in it's breast, sending it careening into another part of the city. He didn't know how many men he had left under his command. The Kingsguard were all but dead, and the royal legions were spread thin out in the city dealing with the small spawn that sought to overrun the high ground of the palace. There could be no more than a day until the last man perished in St. Alaasam, and with him would perish the last living creature on the entire world.

From the clouds three more dragons erupted from the maelstrom. With them came another sundering of reality and soon there after the crackle of black flame as the abyss rushed to fill the empty existence. The fire raked the palace grounds and the entire palace began to crumble. The sundering had torn the ground in half and huge slabs of limestone and marble collapsed into an empty gaping maw. The earth tilted and the screams of the refugees became panicked hysterics. The legions scrambled to save as many as they could with practiced efficiency. They launched ropes from crossbows on bolts that latched themselves into what little solid structure remained, and from those ropes the knights of St. Alasaam swung and grasped the hands of those falling into the gaping ravine.

Katya stood up, legs weak. The sight of both Boros' and Althia's dead and now decaying bodies filled his stomach with dread. He felt sick. The ground shook as another of the huge lacrima towers crashed into the earth. Katya looked out at his kingdom. It had fallen. The dragons where now countless in number with more pouring in from the dark maelstrom. They could not hold out for another day, they could not even hold out for even another hour. With the palace grounds broken the last of the ballistae were inoperable, and the last battlemages were stopping the corruption from breaching the Gate. The dragons descended upon the refugees and feasted in wanton delight. The legions could not stop them, their thick black hides with lines of angry red, their eyeless black skull-like faces, and their wings as black as night. Their claws spread black flame across the stone as they landed, turning the rock into nothing but ash.

"Is there nothing that can stop this... is there truly no God that can overpower this darkness. Nothing that can save humanity?" Katya lamented. The dragons clashed against the barrier that held the corruption at bay. Their snapping maws tried to crush the magical dome. Below, the refugees ran followed closely by the legion. There were none left to fight. There was no more room for bravery. There was barely any room for survival. The young prince took several steps forward and then broke into a run.

All was lost. He had to make it to the gate. Above him the cacophony of leathery wings turned quickly into a whirlwind. Their massive bodies ripped through the air like missiles as they threw themselves against the barrier. Each time they impacted, white lightning and black flame splashed out from the wound in the barrier.

Katya got closer and closer, his legs burned with strain and his lungs no longer could find the strength to draw breath. It was a desperate sprint as the dragons overhead swept across the burning sky and lashed at the last bastion for survival.

The barrier would not hold for long. And soon the gate would close.

Then one of the dragons came barreling close to the ground, it's wings tucked close to it's body as it slammed into the barrier - and this one Katya saw got it's maw through the milky white barrier. Katya's heart sank and his legs lost their strength. The barrier exploded, launching the flight of dragons back into the sky and obliterating what was left of the palace grounds.

Katya blacked out.

[hr]

It was hard to breathe, the dust was so thick. His legs hurt, his arms hurt, he felt the trickle of blood down his face and he could smell burning and rotting flesh. The world had ended. The Gate had fallen. He raised his head to look around and indeed there was nothing but black flame around him. Stone, ash, rotten flesh. The wispy remains of the abyss dragon that had broken the barrier as it's corporeal body returned to the aether from where it was born.

He looked at the gate... and it wasn't closed. One of the dragons had it's head stuck between the massive doors. It struggled, but the door could nether open nor close. But Katya couldn't move. There was no strength left in his body. Then came the beating wings of another abyss dragon as it landed before him. It's massive blank face glared at him, as if recognizing that he was the king of this ruined land. The gods knew a king when they saw one, he supposed. It opened it's maw. It was black beyond black, like a gateway directly into the underworld.

Katya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it.

But death never came.

When he opened his eyes, he found a radiant figure standing over him. Her long blonde hair was whipping in the ashen wind. She had four blades that hung behind her like the wings of an angel, and her sword of gold held the struggling maw of the abyss dragon at bay. It struggled against the golden radiance of the angel.

"Hey King Midas, get up. You still have a country to lead." She said, turning her head back to look at him. She had the most beautiful green eyes - unnaturally fierce and strong. As if they were made to peer directly into the hearts of men.

"Who... no, what... what are you?" Katya whispered through his injuries.

The woman looked back and grinned, "Does it really matter what my name is? You called for me and I came. I am your salvation."

"But you can call me Selmy if it makes you feel better. Dolores Selmy."​

[hr]

 

[Kalastryn]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Denver
Alert! Alert! Final Boss Encounter!
Anyone and Everyone that wants to take part in the Final Boss Encounter​

[hr]

It all happened so fast. Too fast for the mind to easily comprehend. Some... creature of truly massive proportion burst from the ground, the rubble of the streets of Denver levitating around it as from it spawned forth more monsters nightmarish in their own right. The ominous tone of bells ringing through the air from nowhere... it was a lot to take in considering moments ago Kalastryn had just started descending upon a much... simpler, battlefield. There was little time to ponder that however, as one of the pieces of rubble that lifted from the ground forced her into a sudden and rough landing. Rolling bodily away from the impact of being uppercut with a rock larger than her entire body, Kala had a hard time standing up after the fact. Oh, not because of the dizziness very likely caused by a concussion, nor from the absolute terror of beholding such a being. It was likely more because of the inability to separate her shoulder from an iron pipe that it had been impaled upon. Separated from the rest of the Rising Dawn at this point, there was little to calm her thoughts. She'd faced a lot of monstrous creatures in her time, even a few giants, but nothing like this. She wanted to get up, to fight back, to do something. Though, what could even be done? Utterly hopeless, she lay propped up against the wall of a ruined building wracking her brain as to how to get out of this alive, and was left wanting for answers.

[hr]

In the rubble of World Marshall's prison beneath Denver, ARES was buried alive. That... is not much of a surprise, considering how many kilometers of the ground had just collapsed in letting this "instant Kaiju" out of whatever confines it had previously been subjected to. Thankfully, unlike a human woman of actual flesh and blood, ARES didn't really need to breathe. Now granted, despite having survived the cave in, being stuck underneath of it was no situation to be thankful for. Digging her way out with all her strength (which if the fact that she can even lift some of the heavier weapons she is equipped with doesn't tell you anything, she could give a professional body builder a run for their money) she was understandably shocked and awed. The extent of the destruction around herself and the fact that she was faced with a monster at least 10 times the size of the nearest miraculously-not-destroyed building would be enough to make anyone hesitate in her position. Though... if World Marshall unleashed this beast, they must have had a way to leash it in the first place. ARES went about trying to find any of World Marshall's employees who survived... but they'd get no kindness from her if she found them. She was of the mindset to beat the first World Marshall employee who refused to give her that information so hard his or her offspring would feel the pain for the next seven generations, if they survived.

 

[Zepherus14]

Spoiler: The Hat-Venture: Chapter One - Brim-ming with Questions

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Airship Rising Dawn | Crew Quarters
Hat-iquette #4: Chinese culture dictates that green hats on husbands indicate unfaithfulness, don't be caught out!
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski and Phillip!​

[hr]

As Denver burned in ruins, littered with hordes upon hordes of monsters, and the fate of Nina's stash of unmentionables back at her house hung in the balance, Nina stopped in her tracks as she heard Ruby call out to her, briefly looking back and forth with her eyes alone before then turning back to the approaching Ruby. Appearing to have been lost in thought, Nina turned back around as Ruby caught up to her, scratching her cheek with a painted yellow nail. "Sorry about that Ruby, that was rude of me to just start walking without you~" Nina apologized sheepishly, at least until she registered Ruby insinuating that Nina was even buddy buddy with Eddie let alone best of bestest friends. "Ya about that..." Nina started to reply as they both got moving down the hall again but Ruby quickly compounded onto her question, with more questions!

"Okay, whoa hold on for a second." Nina prefaced, trying to stem the torrent of 20 questions at least so that she could get some answers in. "Now where to start..?"

"Okay so first off, I didn't get here with Eddie. He actually... well he got thrown up here oddly enough by this hulking wall of muscle named Wrath. [small]Kinda wonder if they're secretly an item or something..?[/small]" Nina mused with her hand to her chin and clearly not looking where she was going. Without a word, an inky black tentacle swiftly coiled around Nina's neck and chin, Phillip corrected Nina's attention just in time to narrowly avoid colliding with another person. Apparently the bundle of noodles didn't feel like being hit with a forehead a second time as a generic working within the Rising Dawn ran passed, obviously busy with the current situation outside. "Phew, that was close; she should really watch where she's going! Anyways! We spent so much time down there because until some hours ago, I was not in Denver, heck this is the first time I've ever been in Denver. Finding a pastry shop is like finding a needle in a haystack. But that was Eddie's idea." Nina explained, either oblivious to the hypocrisy of her comment or simply feinting it, it was hard to tell with her.

Initially as the two journeyed through the hallway, Phillip seemed to silently lurk behind Nina's hair like a spector. A light slap of his rubbery appendages, a slurping gurgle, and the occasional ruffle of Nina's clothing were the only sounds he made, while periodically as Nina would turn to look at a window or a posting on the wall some of his tentacles would poke out from behind that curtain of hair. Despite the mediocre at best hiding spot, Ruby would seem to be constantly aware Phillip was indeed there Although as the conversation continued, Ruby noticed something rather odd poke out from Nina's backside. It wouldn't take much to figure out what exactly it was as Phillip's tentacles pulled it forth, opened it, and started flipping through the pages. It was a book! Yes, this book in fact! [https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51136MNN53L.jpg] A couple of tendrils held the book open, while one gingerly thumbed through it like a smug linguist, finger lick included.

"Wait; hold on a second, Phillip?" Nina paused the conversation, looking over her shoulder to the spaghetti monster, who momentarily lowered his book closing it partly. "I'm delighted to see you reading more than just cookbooks, but could you use your inside voice while we're talking alright?" Nina asked politely, to which Phillip simply went back to his book. "Anyways, what were we talking about again? Oh ya!"

Nina would open a doorway that led into an interior portion of the Rising Dawn, getting pretty close to where she'd used the elevator earlier. "But let me guess Ruby, Eddie wanted you to stay put and told you that if you did you'd get pastries? Farber had you do something that Eddie didn't like, and then that's why Eddie's now mad at Farber?" Nina asked, trying to figure out what had gotten Eddie 'disappointed'. "As long as you just needed to stay on the ship, I can't see how he'd get mad you were wandering the hallways with me." Nina answered on her own interpretation of Ruby's home rules for the moment.

While Ruby was working on her answer, she would possibly notice Nina was obviously counting something as they went down the hall. At first it seemed like Nina was counting the doors on their left as they passed, but oddly at #4 Nina's finger raised, yet no door was present to warrant the count increasing.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

I apologize in advance if this seems a bit on the railroady side of things but I believe the time has come to finish this arc. I know that some of you have already posted your responses for the final boss encounter but I hope you'll understand that this isn't so much an F.U. to this arc so much as I think it's high time to give TheMehKingdom a chance to assume the mantle of GM. It's with this in mind that I give you the final post for the arc.

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Denver
Alert! Alert! Final Boss Encounter!
Anyone and Everyone that wants to take part in the Final Boss Encounter​

[hr]

Snow had began to fall gently on the skeletal bones of the Denverian Ruins. It appeared that it was going to be a white Christmas that year, save for the fact that what was falling from the sky was ash and the fact that there was a giant, cybernetic ***** in the middle of Denver trying to literally paint the town red... and was succeeding for the most part. Those in the employ of the World Marshall were not a lucky bunch considering those who had been lucky enough to escape the destruction of their underground base were being snatched up by shark toothed hell babies with wings and being toted off towards their mom's nether regions to be converted into more shark toothed hell babies.

The crew of the Rising Dawn was fairing much better than those unfortunate souls belonging to the World Marshall, but not by much. While none of their number had been consumed and converted into a Nightmarish Rendition of Baby Jesus, the team was having quite a bit of trouble breaking the tree layers of shielding that the World Marshall had strapped onto the Empress' mechanical body. Affected by the gravitational anomalies, projectiles found their trajectories wildly altered while the crew members that charged up to the Grotesquerie Empress' face found themselves either pinned to the ground or jumping over their intended landing spots. Even those who could fly found it difficult to dodge the debris that was floating every which way.

Of these two groups, however, none was as unlucky as the parents of the world. You see, it was Christmas Eve and, as every good little boy and girl is aware, Christmas Eve is that magical time of year where Santa Claus piles 353,430 tons worth of goods made in China and delivers them to all the good little boys and girls (who will have the unfortunate pleasure of getting lead poisoning in the future). In order to accomplish such a feat, the Jolly Fat Man travels at 650 miles per second along a very well planned route that took him to all 91.8 million homes within 33 hours. For anyone with a mind for physics, you might have picked up on a few key numbers to be saved for later.

Normally traveling at over 3000 times the speed of sound would be protection enough from most things but when it came to wild fluctuations in gravitation fields traveling fast became more hazardous than helpful... and this was just one case of that little fact.

The first sign of trouble was the sleigh's sudden and dramatic loss of altitude, nearly 5,000 feet in a little under 3 seconds, causing a tremendous amount of strain on harnesses that caused a chain reaction of failures. The failures cause the separation of the sleigh from reindeer that had been pulling it.

"HO! HO! WHOA!!!!" The Jolly Fat Man started yelling as he found himself plunging not towards the ground, but a rather large looking woman with mechanical legs and lots of little children. It looks like he had found his next delivery.

Now for the fun stuff, grab your calculators. As had previously been stated the loaded weight of the sleigh was 353,430 tons traveling at 650 miles per second. Using simple Neutonian physics one can calculate that the force of impact on the Grotesquerie Empress would be 46217000 Kilotons of TNT. Keeping in mind that the yield for the Hiroshima bomb was 15 Kilotons of TNT, that would make the impact of Santa's Sleigh equivalent to 3081133 and 1/3 Hiroshima bombs. Fun fact, this is also the equivalent of a 1,000 meter wide asteroid impacting the Earth at 45 degrees.

Needless to say, the force of impact of Santa's sleigh was large enough to break through the Grotesquerie Empress' shielding and blast her into a parallel dimension five doors down.

But what of the crew? What of Santa? Well, since the shields installed on the Empress worked both ways, the impact was channeled through the path of least resistance, the hole that the sleigh had made in the shielding. A large pillar of light split the heavens and with it, the Final Boss was no more.

"Oh oh oh," came a grunt from bridge of the Rising Dawn as Santa Claus.

This is the end of the arc. Any final reactions you want to add are entirely up to you.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

Spoiler: The Hat-Venture: Chapter One - Filled to the Brim with Girlish Glee

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Airship Rising Dawn | Crew Quarters
Hat-iquette #5: A chef's Hat should never be worn at a buffet.
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski | Phillip!!!​

[hr]

Walking alongside the duo, one blonde woman with a penchant for going in head first and the other an invertebrate mass of appendages, Ruby Babbage-Lovelace could not help but be reminded of a rider and a horse nor could she help but absently wonder if the hat that Miss Zaczoltski sought was infact a helmet rather than a proper hat. Of course this was prior to the revelation that Miss Zaczoltski and Mister Eddie were not, as the Princess in Pink had assumed, bestestestest friends. In fact, if Ruby were to make another assumption, it would have been that they were not friends at all, which made the already guilt riddled nine-year-old feel a bit more guilty since she was not in any of the places that she was supposed to be. To be fair, at this point, she didn't exactly remember where she should have been, though a safe bet would have been somewhere other than an Airship involved in a pitched battle with the forces of Evil.

Phillip, as Miss Zaczoltski had introduced him, was a bit of an oddity, not so much because of his species but rather in his mannerisms. In the nine year old novice mage's experience, the majority of creatures like Phillip were not... as polite and that was putting it mildly. Even more surprising was his choice in reading material. Having read the nine-year old girl version of Chicken Soup for the Soup, it felt a bit strange for Phillip to be reading it instead of a Soup Noodle Soup recipe or something of the sort. Of course, this was a blatantly bigoted view of tentacle monsters, one that would require a change of perspective if Phillip was to be one of the Rising Dawn's... long term passengers.

"But let me guess Ruby, Eddie wanted you to stay put and told you that if you did you'd get pastries? Farber had you do something that Eddie didn't like, and then that's why Eddie's now mad at Farber?" Miss Zaczoltski asked, trying to figure out what had gotten Mister Eddie 'disappointed'. "As long as you just needed to stay on the ship, I can't see how he'd get mad you were wandering the hallways with me."

In truth, it had been a while since she'd thought about her Ish BFF. Ruby briefly wondered where he'd run off to, though, knowing Farber, it was probably somewhere that would get him into trouble with one of the Rising Dawn's crew members. In the time that Ruby had known him, he'd not only gotten into trouble with Miss Katya and Dolly but Mister Eddie as well. He was not exactly the sort of influence that either of Ruby's mothers would have probably wanted around their daughter but there was a distinct shortage of people Ruby's age aboard the Airship.

"Something like that... Miss Zaczoltski." Ruby responded briefly, "Farber and I didn't just not stay in the Canteen like Mister Eddie asked but we snuck into the brig and Mister Eddie probably heard about that. I heard it wasn't a safe place to be but it was really kinda boring."

Ruby paused for a moment when she noticed Miss Zaczoltski counting on her fingers and curiously she wasn't counting doors. What was she counting?

"Excuse me, Miss Zaczoltski? What are you counting?"

Spoiler: Neo-Paradigm Story

Escapist Avatar Adventures | Candor | The Dungeon | Librarian's Quarters
Worst VR Experience Ever...
Katya Rostikova | Antoinette de la Trou | Benedict Warrington | Gissella Vonn Stradteit "il" Callaxiakio | Maria the Librarian​

[hr]

"BAAAAAAARF!" Katya grunted as she evacutated the contents of her stomach all over the library floor. For the same reason that she avoided watching "Let's Play" videos involving First Person Shooters, namely motion sickness, the Rising Dawn's Resident Regurgitator found herself unable to stop the gastro-intestinal upheaval caused by her vision of this world's origins. With the nausea knocking at the back of her throat, like some sort of reverse tentacle monster trying to explode out of her mouth instead of explode into her mouth, the Weak Kneed Young Woman staggered over to a seat, conveniently nearest the softest looking spot in the room, Jizzy. Glancing over at the Busty Bombshell known as Gisella, the weak kneed young woman frowned when she remembered that the Non-Practicing Perverted Priest had offered a cloak to cover up the offering to the Echii Gods.

"Sigh" The Barf Breathed Debugger sighed feeling a combination of a bit homesick and a bit confused and a bit actually sick. Had she been imagining things? Did she really, truly see Dolly in that vision or was her mind, her demented and devious mind, playing tricks on her? Was it really possible that this First Paladin was in fact Dolly? The Rising Dawn's Resident UnRealist felt somewhat unhinged by the entire situation, as if she'd gone slightly nutty from seeing the Abyssal Dragons and the Striders that had assaulted the original home world. What was the black shard that Maria had mentioned? So many questions floated about Katya's mind that she thought that her head would explode.

*Rummage Rummage Rummage*

"This may help your stomach," The Familiar Fatherly voice said as Benedict handed his comrade a pack of soup crackers, "They were of great help when Antoinette was practicing her teleportation magicks."

"You did not have to help me, you know this." Came a French accented interjection from the Benedict's Apprentice.

"Yes, I did. I needed to ensure that you were safe if you accidentally teleported into the midst of one of the Father's battlecamps." Came the retort before the Priest that probably had more than a few skeletons hiding in his closet (probably due to Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation) before he turned his attention to their host, Maria, "Our thanks for your story, Lady Maria. You were being quite modest when you said that you were the best storyteller in the land for I have never been so transported in my entire existence. I dare say that it is for the opportunity to hear one of your tales is the reason why adventurers would brave the dungeons beyond your doors."

"Is he flirting with her?" Katya queried both Jizzy and Twit before turning her head to ask the same question to Benedict himself or would have if she hadn't turned her head too quickly and lost her balance, causing her head to "accidentally" land on Gisella's lap, "Baka...."

Turning to see his youngest charge in such a state, Benedict frowned at the such a lewd sight before returning his attention to their host.

"The topic of adventurers does remind me of a question that I had meant to ask. Why did your staff seem so surprised when you slew the adventurers who entered your domain? Surely this is not a new thing?" Benedict asked before being interrupted by Antoinette.

"Perhaps our gracious host, Lady Maria, could explain this over some refreshments and a light repast? Young Katya seems to be in need of something to ease her nausea and delirium." Twit said as she stabbed a finger in Katya's direction, where the Rising Dawn's Resident "Romantic" was rubbing her face against Gisella's bare thighs.

"Teeheeee! Teeheeee! Teeheeee!" Katya giggled, her mind having lost some of its earlier focus and reverted to some sort of extremely childish version of her normal behavior, "Your thighs are really really soft, Jizzy. Has anyone ever tried to stuff you with feathers and use you as a pillow and hug you and squeeze you and hold you forever and ever and ever and ever..."

 

[BlackHarte]

[HEADING=2]Rising Dawn: Officer's Quarters ------------------------------------------------------- 10:30 PM[/HEADING][hr][HEADING=3]Lt. Dolores Selmy[/HEADING]

"Lieutenant," Isaac said as he took a knee, "the battle reports have arrived. The fight is over. World Marshall has been defeated, and the monster has been banished." He hung his head and put his hand over his heart. My god it was embarrassing.

"Um..." I leaned forward and put my hand on his shoulder. My back cried in protest of my movement. "Isaac... you, you don't need to do this."

He looked up and his eyes gleamed in the light of my room. I could hear Laeta stifle laughter behind me. "Private Mohsen, milady," he corrected.

Did the other officers have such troublesome subordinates? "Um... no... please don't." I said. I turned away from him. His eyes were locked onto me with such... single-mindedness. I pulled my sheet over my chest to try and shield myself from him. He means well. I know he means well. But still.

"What is it milady?" he asked.

"You need to stop!" I said. It was far more forceful than I had meant. I snapped my eyes back to him, afraid that I might have hurt his feelings. Instead I found his confused face staring back at me. Olive skin, slick black hair and big brown eyes. He was like some sort of lost puppy. Despite his strangeness, he was well groomed and handsome with a strong square chin and broad shoulders.

"Stop what milady?"

"Stop this! This!" the words were practically exploding out of my chest. "The kneeling, the milady, the oaths, the swearing, all of this!" I motioned frantically in front of me with my hands. I wasn't really sure what kind of message I was trying to convey, but I wanted to make sure I encapsulated just... all of him. "You don't have to wear your dress coat everywhere and you can take your gloves off too! You don't need to have your dogtag around your wrist and you don't have to always be wearing your combat harness! And please, please, please stop calling me Lady Lola when we're in private!" I felt Laeta's chest slam into the back of my neck suddenly. I turned around and continued, "And you! It's not nice to laugh!"

Laeta doubled over and hit the floor, no longer able to contain her utter jubilation. Her stupid guffaws were almost as animated as the bouncing of her chest. Saren was smirking too, sitting on my bed with her head buried in a field manual - though she was holding it upside down.

Isaac bowed his head again, "My apologies milady... ah no..." He shook his head as if confused. "Lieutenant Selmy," he settled on.

I shook my head now, "No. You can just call me Dolores. It's okay. We're not children anymore. You don't have to do all those things I told you to do when we were kids. You don't have to call me Lola."

"I gave you my vow, that I would treat you like a princess. And that I would serve you." Which he had done. The minute he had heard that I had joined the Rising Dawn, he abandoned his position in the military to apply here. His loyalty was as baffling as it was outdated. Back then I had to call him "Captain Mohsen" but now he was kneeling in front of my wheelchair trying to figure out what he was going to use to address me.

"Ten years ago. You took that vow ten years ago. And I had never expected you to do it at all!" He wasn't so much like this through high school as much as I could remember. He had always been at least somewhat normal. "Why start all of this again now anyway?"

He stood up. I had never noticed how tall he was. Isaac was actually quite intimidating. The lines on his face were sharp and fierce. Strong and firm, and his lips were stretched thin. The shadows made him look so much older than he was. "Because of my own indiscretion you're in a wheelchair now. Not only that but it was nothing less than a miracle that you survived your ordeal at all Lola. There is none that I am more upset at for your condition than myself. As your subordinate, I should have given my own life before yours was put in danger. I should have been there to stop you."

"What's done is done Isaac. There's no point crying over spilled milk." I sank back into my chair. The canvas stretched slightly at my weight. "Just... stop your theatrics. It's really embarrassing, even if we're in private."

"Hooooo boy, Lola. This ain't private. I've been recording this the entiiiire time sis." Saren said, dropping the field manual to reveal the smartphone she held in her hands. "I'm live-streaming right now, 'cute teen cucks soldier,' it'll be all over Facebook in a few."

Laeta's guffaws came back with renewed vigor.

"Just need to get to the part where the clothes explode off your body."

Isaac was fast, faster than I had ever expected anyone to be. Saren let out a yelp of surprise as she lost her grip on her phone.

"It... wasn't on." Isaac cleared his throat and handed it back to Saren. His cheeks were somewhat flushed.

"Yeah, because it was a joke doofus!" Saren screamed as she snatched her phone back.

Isaac shuffled a little, "I... uh... I'm sorry."

Laeta continued her imitation of a dying fish.

I massaged my temples, "Let's not think too much of it all, okay Isaac? You can lighten up some. You're far too serious." I pulled several letters from within my blanket. "Here. Take these to the others. See that they deliver these to their respective charges." I handed Isaac the letters.

"I will see to it. Dolores," my name seemed forced. Almost as if it pained him to say it. He left quickly.

"Asshole," Saren spat as soon as the door closed.

I turned to face Saren, "Actually, I have a question. Couldn't you have sensed him coming? You have that electromagnetic radar thing that sharks have right?"

Saren snapped, her dark brown hair falling in long thick strands around her neck, "They're called ampullae. And it annoys me too that I didn't see him coming." She ran her fingers over the skin on her neck and traced it down her forearms on each side. Then she cupped her chest and let her fingers run down all the way down to her thighs. She was feeling up the soft jelly-like membrane that lay just below her skin - like an exo-skeleton made of hyper-sensitive nerves. "Everything's in working order too."

"Maybe you short circuited. Do you want me to turn you off and on again?" Laeta teased as she rolled over on the floor. "I bet I could really - shock - your system."

"The last thing I want is to have your masochistic ass working me over, I'll chalk it up as a freak occurrence." Saren leaned back and let her head rest on the lacquered wood bed frame.

"Oh yeah, pull Losko out of the pillow now. He's been in there for quite a long time now hasn't he?"[hr]

---​

[hr]

[HEADING=2]Rising Dawn: Hero's Cabin -------------------------------------------------------------- 10:47 PM[/HEADING][hr][HEADING=3]263rd Support Squadron[/HEADING]

Spoiler: Anjali

Pvt. Ilana Emmerson

The atmosphere outside of the room was thick - it was hard to breath and reminded Ilana of a swamp. There was this essence of stagnant water and dark shadows, flickering insects and the horrible twisted sense of life that sprung from decay. It was as if the scaled body of a snake had wound around her chest and had begun to ever so subtlety squeeze the air out of her.

She shook off the feeling and knocked heavily against the door. She waited for some time and then knocked again.

"Ms. Khatri, I have a message for you." Ilana said loudly.

Then she knocked again and waited.

Spoiler: Rugal

Pvt. Marcus Lassirbeen

Marcus found Rugal on the "bridge" or at least what the Heroes thought was "the Bridge." In fact the rising Dawn was outfitted with three bridges, each one was a command center in charge of a different set of components of the vessel. The lower bridge was weapons and engineering, and had a clear vantage for bombardment and combat. The upper bridge was locked away deep in the superstructure of the crew's cabin. That held all the strategic personnel. Then there was this one which served as the navigation bridge and a showroom for any of those unacquainted with ship design.

The hulking man was hunched over a console, no doubt immersing himself in how incapable he was at reading actual tactical information. Marcus almost spat. Heroes should stick to punching things. Strategy is best left to those who have fear of death. He cleared his throat to get Rugal's attention.

"'Captain,' here you have a letter." Marcus held out the folded piece of parchment to him.

Spoiler: Nina and Phillip

Pvt. Kristen Elvenwald

"Ms. Nina, Ms. Nina!" Kristen called out as she ran down the hallway dodging other staff members doing their duties. It looked like the young woman had just not long returned from an excursion to the library. Kristen was glad, the fact that Nina was here and alive meant that there was one less thing that could break the Lieutenant's fragile heart.

Kristen caught up to Nina and had to fight back a sudden wave of unease. She took a few steps back and thrust out her hand to give Nina her letter.

"From- from the Lieutenant!" Kirsten screamed. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The urge to vomit was increasing. Must be the monster that she keeps in that dufflebag. "Pl-please take it! I need to leave immediately!"

Spoiler: Eddie the Dead

Pvt. Steel "Joseph" Rose

"That can't be your real name!" Penelope said incredulously as the two walked into the Canteen. Steel ran his fingers through his hair and laughed. He was a very handsome man. Clean cut with a rugged strength to him. He wore his uniform half-buttoned to show off his toned abs and never once had his sleeved extended full. It would hide his guns.

Not his real guns. The guns that nature had gifted him. He took out his sunglasses and put them on as he entered the Canteen, "I swear to you babe, my real name is Steel. Jospeh's the name I picked for myself."

As the two passed the table with the always cool Eddie the Dead, Steel slipped him a letter and flashed him a smile and a look from over his sunglasses. "Oh, and before I forget. My CO wanted me to give this to you, cool guy."

Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off with that incredulous girl Penelope in tow.

Spoiler: Angelus and Caim

Pvt. Joshua Thomas Jefferson (No relation.)

Joshua hurried along the hangar floor. By the lord it was large! Huge hulking shuttles came in and out of rapid launch devices as the Airship continued to limp closer and closer to the Cloudtop Citadel. He was never the most fit in his class, not by along shot. The expedient journey that he took all the way from strategic command down to the forefront of the hangar array and already knocked the breath out of him. With the roar of the engines and biting cold from the atmosphere outside, he was sure that he would pass out before he reached his charge. Joshua held the letter firmly in both hands to keep the winds from ruffling the parchment.

Just as he was about to pass out, the telltale beat of leathery wings gave away his quarry. As the great red dragon landed in on the floor from one of the hangar doors, Joshua called out to them. "Master Caim! Master Angelus!" he said, "I have something for you!" He huffed and he puffed as he waddle-ran all the way up to the dragon and presented the Lieutenant's letter. A piece of cream parchment written with a pen in golden ink. "From the Lieutenant..." he wheezed.

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

[b]Homelands[/b]

maria's story​

[hr]

"You were never free. I just made you aware of your prison."​

"Hum... I think Gisella has had lots of different things shoved up inside her, but I do believe that feathers is something that has not. At least to my knowledge." Maria mused as she clapped her hands. From some hiding place behind the bookshelves several small golems hurried out with a table, a tablecloth, some chairs, a tea set, and a lavish array of small desserts. They set up the impromptu tea-picnic in a panic before vanishing again into the darkness of the Library. "You've have had lots of sleepless nights when you were younger, right Gisella?"

Gisella didn't say anything. Instead she just stroked Katya's hair with her hand as she coddled the teen.

Maria knocked on her head with her palm, "Ah right, that's a touchy subject if I recall. I shall speak no more of it then."

She lowered herself to Benedict's height, "Instead I will speak to you with your honeyed words," Maria leaned in on him, letting her flesh get a good feel of his body. "It is as you surmise, priest. While death is not so foreign here, there are those that live in our world that we deem "heroes." And they alone possess an innate talent, a blessed spirit that returns even after they have died. They are truly remarkable. The more they kill, the stronger they become, and the stronger they become, the more they can kill." She spun around Benedict, her body wistfully curling on itself like undulating waves in a sea. "It's a strange thing really. Once they become very strong, they start to seek stronger things to slay. You know, for excitement. They collect treasures, trophies from their enemies or gear from their treasuries. They adorn themselves with these things because they believe it makes them strong. And to some degree, it does."

Maria picked up a cup of tea and began to drink from it. "Yes. To have the power to bring permanent death to a 'Hero' is an aberrant skill indeed. It goes against the very nature of our world. Our existence. In fact, I dare say that this skill comes from a place, 'outside of reason.'" She set down her cup and turned to Benedict. "Mmm, indeed. You have quite the good eye to recognize my skill. I am indeed of great prowess. And not only that, but of both beauty and intelligence as well."

There was a flutter of butterflies as blue light illuminated the area, casting the world in shadows of light lavender. "I return from my duties, Lady Maria." Jiyam said as she landed on the stone floor.

"Mmm... ah yes. Jiyamuanna, if you could I would like you to go fetch my sister. I believe she will be needed to send this troupe home."

Jiyam nodded, "Yes, Lady Maria." Then she took off in another storm of the luminous butterflies. In the distance they could see the ball of blue light leaping from bridge to bridge as she descended deeper in the abyss of the Library.

 

[bluerocker]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Denver
Mr. Bison Goes To Washington Arc Epilogue/Segway into the Next Arc:
Reunions and Partings
Mood Music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1KI3qdpZTs]​

[hr]

It was strange, how quickly the tide of one's circumstance could change so quickly. In one moment, the Empress had descended on the ruins of Denver, her song echoing in the air like an awful din - and in the next, it had been cut short by the harbinger of Christmas cheer; an almost literal example of hope triumphing over despair. After the Queen and her brood had been taken so quickly, the members of the Dawn were left to pick up the pieces.

Angelus breathed a happy, if somewhat exhausted, sigh of relief. While her pride may have dictated she take down foes with her claws and flame - this was the sole exception. Opening her mind to the pact link, another pleasant surprise found her being lead to the ruins on the ground, Caim standing over the corpse of one of the former broodlings. Giving her a friendly wave, the dragon could hear in her mind a simple, "Hey."

Anger overtook her relief, and the dragon landed heavily on the ground and stood tall, allowing her full bulk to tower over her human partner as she bellowed, "You have some nerve! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! I had to mind the little ones on my own and they were asking questions! 'Where is father, why hasn't he rejoined us yet?' Do you understand how much it pained me to dodge around the fact that you were captured? Possibly being tortured or gods knows what else? And you simply say 'hey' to me like nothing is wrong! Well, Caim? Answer me!"

Caim's blinked slowly at the vocal onslaught, and simply lifted a hand towards her great head. Even if he couldn't reach her, the intent was more than clear. With a huff, the dragon saw fit to lower her great head, her human's hand finding itself running up and down the bridge of her nose. A comforting gesture, and one well missed in her companion's absence. He bowed his head to the dragon before him, his forehead barely touching her snout as she heard a faint "Sorry" enter her mind. That did draw some pause with the red dragon, who blinked in surprise before speaking again, "You never apologize."
"I know. You never say you're worried about me. I'd rather you weren't."
"You shouldn't be surprised. You made yourself a distraction, got captured, and our communications were cut off."
"One, that wasn't entirely my fault.. Two, I'm not used to it, you being...Worried. Angry, or annoyed? Sure. Easy. Actual 'worry', that's kind of a new one."
"HMPH! Then you are more of a fool than I thought if this is the first time you've noticed."
"Well you do call me a fool frequently."
"..? What's wrong with you, Caim? You're supposed to blow me off or protest my claims."
Caim remained silent for a time, before pulling himself closer to the dragon, the mixture of warm flesh and cold metal making for a strange combination of sensations against Angelus' scales as his mind 'spoke' to her's again, "It's been rough. I didn't like it when it was quiet. I missed you.... Still mad at me?"
"Absolutely livid." She chuckled softly, before stretching her wings and (albeit reluctantly) pulled herself away from Caim, inclining her head upwards, "For now, let us return to the ship. The little ones will be happy to know you're safe and sound."

However, when the duo found themselves back in the hangar of the Dawn, they were immediately beset upon by one Private Jefferson, who held forth a letter that apparently addressed to the two of them by "The Lieutenant". Both partners looked at each other in confusion, before Caim "said" from the PDA on his hip,

"Didn't start any trouble without me, did you?"

with a huff of hot air and some smoke the dragon answered in kind, "I am not like you, willing to start up a fight at every turn. Open the parchment."

Unfolding the envelope and with a giant dragon looking over his shoulder, Caim opened the letter to find...?

---

In the interim of his parents reuniting and having their little chat, Cadolbolg returned back to the Dawn on his own, quickly reuniting with his partner (and sometimes minder), Ton Ton. The tiny turtle dragon gave a happy wave and a "Hallow~" to his pact partner as he fluttered over. When he reached the Tonberry, his tail began wag excitedly, "So you know how father said he was gonna meet up with us again?"
Ton Ton nodded carefully, the memories from the night before with Angelus' somewhat panicked self coming to mind - at least, before Ton Ton excitedly spoke again, "Mother found Father again~! She sounded a little upset, so I bet she's kinda grumpy he took so long - not that I can really blame her. So, I decided to leave em alone for a while; Mother gets grumpy after stuff like this."

The Tonberry among them relaxed visibly when told this news and gave a sigh of relief, [color=15650D]"Well that's good to hear. Between the stuff going down on the ground and everything else, I was getting a little worried myself! And who'da thunk that Santa of all people would come save the day? I guess the Mistress was right about him being real..."[/color]

Cadolbolg only tilted his head curiously at the sentiment, as he asked plainly, "Santa? You mean that red guy who hit that big monster?"

Now dear reader, I must reiterate - prior to being a creature of the flesh and blood, our friend Ton Ton had once been but an imitation of a Tonberry, a toy version. However, all good sentient toys in the Western world know the tale of Saint Nick and understand the importance of the magic and the spirit of giving that he brought to young children. Even if he wasn't believed to be a physical entity among his circle of toys, the very idea of a being who brought joy to a toy's child was a sacred ideal all toys wanted to live up to. For Cadolbolg, a creature that was so youthful, to be so sorely lacking in this knowledge was, frankly, shocking to Ton Ton's system. With a dramatic gasp, and his little hands landing on round green cheeks, Ton Ton couldn't help but stammer, [color=15650D]"You don't know who Santa is?! How old are you, Cadolbolg?"[/color]
"Uuhh... Well, Mother says dragon ages can get a little murky and don't always line up with physical development like it does with humans. Why?"
[color=15650D]"Well that needs to be fixed immediately! Come on, I saw him land on the bridge!"[/color]
Grabbing his foster brother by a paw, Ton Ton sped along as best as his little feeties could take him, Cadolbolg being curious, but not entirely unreleased at the thought of his older brother leading him to someone very important.

---

This segment was written in collaboration with dis guy.

Garm waited anxiously in the transport as it began to circle down on the ground level for remaining Dawn members from the previous battle, and found that he was beginning to pace as the transport flew around. However, that was when a familiar scent entered his nostrils. Ears pointed forward and tail going rigid still, the wolf didn't need further prompting before he lept from his spot to the ground below, ignoring the shouts of protest from those inside. Barreling forward, Garm picked up his pace, searching about until he saw a flash of white among the sea of gray and black, combined with an all too familiar scent. He was asked to describe it once, and the best he could place it was a mixture of "incense, rain, cleaning alcohol, and shampoo"; but it was a smell of a friend, a battle partner, a pack member (or as humans called them, family), and someone he had been sorely missing. He continued forward, his voice joyfully shouting, [color=356D60]"TEAR-RI!"[/color]

At the sound, the Cleric whirled around, her eyes widening with what could be best described as joy when she called back, [color=0E59E4]"GARM!"[/color] and held her arms open in a wide hug. The massive wolf was able to stop himself before he knocked the girl over, and he found he pulled into a nice, warm hug instead - a perfect compliment to the newly falling snow.

They stayed like that for a while, before Garm pulled away, his ears twitching with interest as he said, [color=356D60]"Tear-ri, I hear something. Over there, in the rubble."[/color]
Turning back towards the mess that the (former) Grotesquirie Queen left behind, Teri gingerly poked at the rubble with her quarterstaff, to unearth a familiar figure. The young Cleric stepped back in surprise, the silver weapon raised defensively as she whispered, [color=0E59E4]"It's Adel!"[/color]

Garm's ears immediately fell back, his teeth bared into a snarl, [color=356D60]"We should leave him behind. He hurt us and dragged you off to that prison."[/color]
Teri's lips drew into a thin line as she thought over what her partner was very reasonably suggesting; after all, Adel had brought her nothing but trouble and pain before. However, she did know - even if it was a matter of knowledge she gained during her tenure as one of the Authors - that Adel was more than just a random thug and many powerful men were after him; she shook her head, [color=0E59E4]"No... I think it's more complicated than that. There's a person under all that metal, and I bet Armstrong did something bad to him. Trust me on this one, please Garm?"[/color]
Garm looked ready to protest again, before huffing, [color=356D60]"...You're too nice to people. If he hurts you - I'm not gonna be nice. Get him on my back, I can carry you both."[/color]

The Cleric smiled again and gave her wolf companion a very big hug, before going back and dragging Fulgore - no, Adelheid, out of the rubble. After several more minutes of positioning the former hellion on Garm's back, Teri pulled her tablet close and asked [color=0E59E4]"Dimitri, can you get Viscus on the line? I'm gonna need both of you to help me out with something..."[/color]

With that, the Cleric and wolf began their journey back towards the now upset transport pilots, and from there - the Dawn and it's Med Bay.

---

Further away from all of this, Inuart watched as the Dawn members slowly began to pick themselves up from the madness that had consumed Denver moments ago. He shuffled, changing weight from one foot to another as he tried to think of the best course of action to take. If what he heard really was true - his comrades really were aboard the ship and he was but a hair's breadth from seeing them all again; as well as possibly bringing them to the fresh air of freedom...Only there were two big problems with that line of thought. The first of which, he was sorely outnumbered. The second, he had no resources outside of himself. Even with the virus Wesker had synthesized affecting his body; there was no possible chance he could take on the entirety of the Dawn alone. Back when he had Legna as a (somewhat) reliable helper? That made it a mite bit more plausible, but that still left a certain other red dragon, as well as the number of other air forces Inuart had seen thus far. If he wanted to do this right at all, he'd have to be sneaky, as well as patient. On top of it all, he needed to think of a plan.

A chilly gust of wind blew in his direction, the slicked back style of his hair offering no protection for his face as the flakes stung like tiny flies. In spite of that - the bard scarcely moved a muscle. He could only watch, after all; and he didn't want to miss a thing.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Denver
Mr. Bison Goes To Washington Arc Epilogue and Endings
Mood Music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE7S4nLrThs]​

[hr]

Spoiler: Epilogues

Hey, thanks again for putting up with my arc for as long as you guys did.
I'm sorry about how it turned out, I just got so wrapped up in all the schemes and plots I had going on that I honestly forgot to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves.
So to wrap everything off, I've made these short endings to take care of any loose ends as to not take up more of your time.

Thanks again for all the support you've given me over the years and I am sorry again for the quality of my writing over the last 3 years.

Spoiler: Bison and the Cartel

Bison and Co: Crime and Punishment

[color=004d]"Following the destruction of Denver, it went without saying that the former presidential hopeful and his allies would be tried for their crimes. Their charges ranked amoung, but not limited to, Treason, Fraud of the Tax-Payer, Lying to Congress, Sexual Harassment and Drug Dealing. They would soon be handed off the UNIT, once an investigation of the offices Bison and his colleges had held had been completed to ensure there weren't any more nasty surprises from the fallen Dictator. Until then, they would remain in the Rising Dawn's brig, bickering with each other until their trial date.

Inuart was spared much of the legalities, following an official confession from Wesker that stated "He didn't have any idea what was going on. Hell, he didn't even know there was an election on."[/color]

Bruiser: "Bless Me Father, for I have sinned."

"Bruiser, once again brought back from the brink of death, was now a changed man (Well, Pokemon but you get the idea). Following his salvation from World Marshall, he quickly shed his past persona and began to become heavily involved in religion in a bid to find peace with himself for a life of sin and inflicting misery upon others. He even went so far as to request permission to construct a small chapel and spent most of his days silently praying in his cell, rarely making conversation with others."

Spoiler: Kazuya and G-Corp

Kazuya and G-Corp: Destructible Times

"While his objective to bring Bison and his cohorts to justice was mostly successful, just about every other aspect of the entire operation was a embarrassing failure. Withdrawing his forces from the Rising Dawn along with the "New Recruits" he had collected from Black Mesa, his company would cease trading for a few weeks for as he put it "Internal Restructuring". Not long after that announcement, rumors on social media began to spread of an explosion at the top of the Millennium Tower and a man who heavily resembled Kazuya falling from the top of the building before getting impaled on a statue of the man himself. The board of directors of the new "North Oceania Defense Corporation" or N.O.D. dismissed the rumors as quote "Total Bullshit." and added "Mr. Mishima is just on vacation. As for why he left in the middle of a company-wide overhaul-...well, have you met the guy? He's a total asshole. Hell, even if those rumors were true, which they totally aren't, would anyone even miss him?"
Before long, life would resume in Japan as usual and the legend of Kazuya Mishima would soon fade from public memory..."

"Violet was mostly spared from the restructuring and, in fact, was barely aware it even happened. Rather then go back with his employer, he spent most of his days with Jenny on the Rising Dawn, undoing the phobias and mental distress Diane had inflicted upon him. His fashion brand "Violet Girls" didn't fare too well and before long was rebooted into "Psycho Girls", a rather cringe worthy attempt to mimic Victoria's Secret that was soon riddled with scandals and lawsuits. Not that he was aware of it mind, he was too busy rebuilding his psyche to even notice."

Spoiler: Armstrong and World Marshall

Armstrong and World Marshall: Death of a Statesman

[color=006566]"Following the mess that was both his bid for presidency and his attempts to destroy the Rising Dawn, Steven Armstrong attempted to flee the country in disgrace using what little remained of his wealth to try and build a new life for himself in China. Before he could even leave the country, he was tracked down by Mustafia, a notorious middle eastern terrorist. Following a 7 hour long, protracted and frankly desperate attempt by the Senator in order to save his life, he soon ended his life at her request, quickly putting an end to any more resistance from his men and to any hopes to escape his failings. Whist few would morn his passing, many were more then happy with how things turned out. Provided he had the decency to keep his mouth shut before biting the bullet...

As for World Marshall, they were quickly dismantled and all their equipment and research seized by the government though a large amount of their Angel-based technology and research seemed to vanish into the wind before it could be processed..."[/color]

Hiryu: Back in Business

"In the confusion following the senator's demise, Hiryu managed to disable the kill switch in his skull before seemingly vanishing from the face of the earth. While this disheartened his students to no end, it was rather short lived as he was soon found disguised as a member of the Rising Dawns medical team, midway though his 5th bottle of sake and standing over the remains of the traitor Hien. He has since vowed to never again let his students be harmed and is now currently purging any who would follow Hien's example from the Striders. The pictures taken of his drunken bender however would shame him for the rest of his years..."

Adelhied: Begin again

"Adelhied, also known as FULGORE, would be retrieved from the rubble of the World Marshall detention center at Teri's request. He would then undergo rather intensive treatment at the Rising Dawn's medical bay, both to mend his troubled mind and remove the implants forcefully wielded to his body. It was said that Kazuya visited him before he withdrew from the Dawn, but apart from that, he was just another wounded soldier among the many that fought in Denver. Once he was awake, he had little memory of his past, a fact that seemed to bring him comfort more so then grief yet he had no idea why. His true origins would remain a secret, for now at least..."

 

[Texas Joker 52]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Rising Dawn | Canteen
"That's not good..."
Sloth | Envy | Selena | Luke | Tania la Fey​

[hr]

True to his reputation, Lucifer Morningstar was a cunning, crafty, and cautious individual. Even as he explained, verbally, that of course he had a job there, he was the bartender for the Rising Dawn, Envy got a very different answer, mentally. One that did little to really tell her much, despite how verbose the response was.

~[color=eca222]Though if you mean something along the lines of what I'm 'really' doing here, that's none of your concern. My primary influence with mortals in this 'great' power struggle of heaven and hell is in the realm of mortals, is it not? It shouldn't be too strange that I stick around. I have secretaries in the Black Palace, they can manage the paperwork while I'm away.[/color]~

~That doesn't really--~ she started, only to flinch backward as a harsh, metal shearing sound seemed to echo through the Canteen.

It was odd, really. The sound itself wasn't particularly loud, but it carried well, and had a certain ominous weight to it. The kind of weight that pulled at one's insides as dread truly settled in. One of her hands trembled a little as it reached down to her belt buckle. It resembled a seven-pointed star, and it looked heavily warped and was nearly ripped all the way across, top-to-bottom.

~O-oh. Sloth...?~ she asked shakily as she turned to 'look' downward at her companion.

Sloth, who had been in the sleep of the dead mere moments before, was now wide awake, his eyes alert as he forced himself to his feet, one hand on the medallion stitched to the front of his robes. Like Envy's belt buckle, it too had a seven-pointed star on it. And the metal looked ragged as it was nearly torn in half.

"Yes, I noticed it too. Woke me up." said the Embodiment of Entropy curtly.

Lifting one hand, Sloth immediately opened a hole in the world and motioned for Envy to step in first.

"You'll have to excuse us. Something important has come up." he apologized, locking his eyes with Luke's before both he and Envy stepped in.

Then the portal closed, and they were gone.

[hr]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | World Marshall, Undisclosed Location | (Un)Secured Evidence Lockup
"Oh, you make my body talk, baby, oh yes..."
B.C.​

[hr]

The moment King Nothing was reunited with his, admittedly uncomfortable but totally ballin' crown, the Space Convict took his... What, resurrection? Reformation? Re-corporeal... Ah, fuck it. She took the opportunity to get the hell out of there while he went totally ham on the horde of tentacle porn-bots. The both he and the Hot ***** were enough to really kill the good mood she had been in earlier, so she needed to step back, and get back on track.

Which meant finding her stuff, getting more guns, and causing more trouble, presumably during and after her inevitable escape. After all, they've yet to make a prison that she couldn't eventually find a way out of, and in this primitive joint, they didn't stand a chance of keeping the likes of her there. But first, she needed to find her personal effects.

As she practically skipped down the hallways, mowing down tentacle porn-bots, guards, and even fellow inmates alike in hails of uncontrolled gunfire, she checked each door she came across. Most weren't quite what she was looking for. Barracks, guard posts and security checkpoints. The checkpoints were interesting though, and she took the time there to do what she could to mess with the place. It was easy enough: Just press all the buttons. Especially big, red ones.

Still, it took her a few minutes of searching to finally find what she wanted: The Evidence Lockup. The door itself was secure and electronically locked, but that only served to keep her out for another fifteen seconds, her dancing fingers over the keypad, followed by the liberal application of a gun-butt solved that problem.

It only took her another minute to find the box her things were stored in.

"Ah, here we are. The height of prison fashion, fit for any self-conscious, interstellar criminal and anarchist!" said B.C. as she slipped into the familiar orange jump-suit.

It had her number on it, and putting it back on instantly made her feel more at-home. After all, the jumpsuits they had given her here were ugly as virtue and didn't even have a zipper that she could neglect to zip-up. Pulling out the pair of boots she had stolen from a guard at her last prison, she pulled them on and them reached in to grab her Beamer.

As an afterthought, she pulled out the sheet of hardcopy that was in the lid and looked it over to see what they had decided to label it as. She giggled when she noticed that her Beamer was listed as "Childrens Retro Blaster Toy". Really, they couldn't have been further from the truth, she thought as she hefted the red, plastic pistol.

She spun it around on one finger as she turned to leave, only to stop as she spotted the room right across from Evidence Lockup.

Armory.


After applying the same finesse on this door lock as she had on the last, she stepped in and let out a little gasp, clasping her hands between her breasts. So many beautiful slug-throwers, firearms of all shapes and sizes with multitudes of ammo and--Hold on. Were those grenade belts?

[hr]

When she finally stepped out, she was in the best mood in months. A trio of grenade belts were layered around her waist with her Beamer tucked between them, and in each hand she had a fully loaded MP7, just waiting to unleash a storm of lead on any unfortunate fool that crossed her path. She was gonna have some fun!

 

[Zepherus14]

Spoiler: The Hat-Venture: Chapter One - I am the one who knocks!

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Airship Rising Dawn | Ship Interior?
Hat-iquette #6: Never go on a hat adventure expecting to have a long boss fight in the background so you have plenty of time to do stuff. Santa will inevitably come and murder the monster and make you wonder just how much time you got to promptly complete an adventure
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski | Phillip​

[hr]

'So if that's the case, then Mister Garbage Gobbler shouldn't be getting his nickers in a knot if Ruby follows along with me as long as I don't go to the brig? Wherever that is. Since she wasn't in that canteen now he must have let her off the leash for now.' Nina paused herself as she counted, considering if only for a moment if Eddie would have another meltdown, figuring if he was going to have one, he'd find something to complain about even if she was careful.

But Ruby's question for Nina was rather important, just what exactly was she counting if it wasn't doors? Perhaps some sort of grate, maybe odd pattern with the flooring? Perhaps she was counting the number of times Phillip said chicken as he read his book? It could be anything at this point given it clearing wasn't... "Oh, just the doors we passed." Nina answered back, to the probable confusion of Ruby and even this very writer. Didn't I specifically say her pinkie finger shouldn't be up yet, #4 was definitely an empty wall, no door what so ever. This fact however didn't seem to deter Nina as even now she was looking over Ruby's head at the wall that also was quite doorless, despite Nina forgoing her counting now. "Someone apparently thought it was funny to mess with the doors, but I'm looking for the #7th door on the right. So joke's on them!" Nina stated, abruptly stopping as she crossed behind Ruby. It was a quick enough movement that Ruby would probably still take another couple of steps before stopping herself

What was once air slightly off from the wall space, a door handle formed in her hand as she grasped it. Like paint being splattered across an invisible object bringing it into the world, so too did this handle seem to appear floating out of nowhere initially, but soon oozed existence onto the wall that still had no door. Ornate with a dark brass finish, Nina simply twisted the lever like any other door, and opened the door like any normal door. Albeit for poor Ruby, her perspective on this event was quite a bit different. See, as Nina twisted the lever and pulled, the wall slowly bulged like sickly skin being pushed outwards, like someone had painted over a door with latex and was now forcing the trapped door open. As bits of wall hung like strings of sinew hung limp wondering what to do with itself, the splotchy nature of how the door handle appeared started to spread further. Like paint splattering across the surface of the now hinging portion of the wall, the wall was quickly converted into the appearance of a nearly black door with a glossy finish. The dangling bits that had been present now were meshed into the door itself, giving it a subtle curling pattern across its entire surface and even made a door frame on the wall itself for the now fully formed door to rest upon.

"It's cute and all that you called me Miss, but really Nina's just fine Ruby~" Nina said, completely unaware of what of what had just gone on as she stepped through. Looking inside, Ruby would see what appeared to be a foggy filled stairway leading into an alleyway of bricks and cobblestone. Once Nina's hand was off the door however, it did start to slowly pull itself shut again, at least until Nina noticed it. "Oh, actually Phillip can you hold the door open for Ruby while I figure out where we went next? [small]Now I'm pretty sure it was right next, right?[/small]" She mumbled to herself while Phillip extended a tentacle outwards to force the door open again.

Now if Ruby was bold enough to follow, she?d be finding herself along with Nina and Phillip in a fog drenched market districted of some old style European town. What looked like oil lamps lined the streets, a cart sat on the street if you could call it that. All the colours from the buildings to the paths were washed out, even more so than one would expect from the fog. Most of all, there was a sky; they were definitely outside despite only moments before being in the inner portions of the Rising Dawn. Nina would continue walking down the sidewalk, obviously able to see the area as well as she looked at a sign for a clothing store she passed before walking further into the fog.

Or perhaps she had a sense that maybe she shouldn?t be going into random doors that eldritchly appeared out of thin? wall. Despite what Ruby may have experienced with magic through her life, what had just happened was definitely outside of what normally would constitute as magic. In fact it would probably be better to describe it more as Nina giving reality a very bad touch, making it cry, and as some hopeless ploy to try and stop Nina from doing it again made what Nina perceived to be there a reality.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Caim and Angelus

Pvt. Joshua Thomas Jefferson

The parchment unbound gave way to words inked in gold. Handwritten, beautiful, sparkling in the harsh artificial light of the hangar bay.

To Ms. Angelus,

I am Lieutenant Dolores Selmy of the 263rd Support Squadron, though you may know me better as "that girl who faints a lot on missions." I was recently transferred to the combat unit at my request. Funny how terrible that worked out. I can't thank you enough for your kindness the other day when you found me collapsed in the training room. The doctors say that if you didn't help me that time I would have suffered severe heat stroke.

Though, this is not what this letter is about. Instead, I would like to invite you and anyone you wish to bring to a party that I am hosting tomorrow afternoon at 15:00.

I wanted to bridge the divide between the staff members and the heroes on this ship, since in recent years it has been rather difficult for the crew to have much interaction you heroes in a non-professional setting. I think this would be a good experience for everyone to see each other as people, and less as weapons. It would be a great honor to me and the 263rd if you would attend this event. There will be catering provided by none other than the 1021st, whom I am having flown down here tomorrow morning from their station on the Soul of Tomorrow.

I expect to see you there, so reply to this only if you decline to attend.

Respectfully,
Dolores N. Selmy
Rising Dawn 263rd Squadron

Private Jefferson held his hand in salute, "And that is all."

 

[Orinon]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn: Selena, Icarus, Danny Boy​

Icarus was within the Void, He had managed to change things he was... home. As glided through the large gate as he surprised a horde of Gate a horde of Raven took flight cawing in protest,He smiled as he flew over the keep, He landed and walked through the grand door entering the Castle. in the entrance hall he saw his sister was there along with his mother he smiled and landed the two hugged him closely "F-finally I'm home' He smiled tears welling up in his eyes. He heard someone Coming down the stairs, he turned and saw the familiar figure of his father his hood was up but He didn't care and broke free of his family embrace and ran up and grappled his father into a hug "D-Dad! I've waited so long, I did it I changed the future......"
"OH you did did you?" his father asked but something about his voice was off Icarus Looked up to see a horrifying skull that appeared to be snarling at him he tried to scream but his throat had closed up and he shuddered as he felt his body literally freeze.

Icarus awoke in his bed Someone was gently stroking his hair, he realized his head was resting on someone's Lap lap. A Lock of hair Had tumbled down and was resting on his cheek "Hmm? Mom?" he asked confused, he could hear a short laugh "No Its me ya silly" a familiar voice replied.
Icarus Blinked his vision cleared he could see Selena was looming over him. she sat up and her hair lifted off of his cheek.
"Wha, How did I get here?"
Selena sighed "You fell unconscious you weren't as fully healed as you thought, I told you to take it easy. They brought you back here So I watched over you."
Icarus blushed a bit and sat up. "Oh Umm thanks" Smiling at her Selena smiled back and leaned in a bit. "there's a bit of a celebration Party going on, We won"
Icarus sighed "that's good to know"
"What's the matter?"
"I guess I'm just upset because I wasn't much of a hero...."
"You're my hero...."

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn, Canteen:Cabrion​

Cabrion awoke once again he had been magically compelled to fall asleep Nythium liked to teleport him in his sleep and knock him out often, it made him feel like he was drunkenly stumbling through life, not that he didn't love getting drunk, He could really go for some whiskey right about now. He looked around and was rather confused he was in some sort of lounge on what seemed to be a blimp considering the window indicated he was up in the clouds

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn: Above Denver-Ruins
Back to business
​

[hr]

Rising Dawn: Navigation Bridge: Rugal Bernstein, Pvt. Marcus Lassirbeen

After the battle of Denver and the clean up afterwards, Rugal's first priority was his daughter and, while she seemed to be okay, she seemed more concerned with a few of the wounded of the battle then anything else.
Not unsurprising and seeing her care so much did fill him with a silent pride.
But once he had seen a news story in his PDA inbox about a "Winged Japanese Man Impaled on Mishima Statue" as well as the announcement of G-Corp's rebranding to NOD, it did take a bit of the wind out of his sails.
He was never really close to Kazuya over the years but the implied fate of the demonic CEO was still something that weighed heavily on him, making him ponder what he could-...no, should have done differently.
Needless to say, it was somewhat distracting...

"...Captain....Captain!"
Rugal was finally snapped out of his trace as he looked away from his PDA before turning towards the Private, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Ah, apologies. My mind was-...elsewhere. What do you need?" He then asked before being handed a letter of sorts.
Giving a nod of thanks, he then shut down the news feed before unfolding the letter and reading it.

Rising Dawn: Medical Bay: Adelheid, Teri

"...uhh-..."
Adelheid couldn't remember much from before he woke up in the medical bay, his head ringing and nearly every nerve ending on his body flaring up with intense pain.
He attempted to open his eyes, an act that was just about as enjoyable as every other aspect of his existence right now, as the blurry shapes of the Rising Dawn's medical bay began to come into focus.
He gasped slightly from a rather uncomfortable breathing tube that had been inserted into his chest
He tried to move and sit up, an action that was quickly discouraged by the fact it REALLY hurt to try those things.
A number of questions were running though his mind, why was he here? What happened to him? Why were there strange robotic parts in his chest? And so forth.
"....uh-...ngh..." he attempted to speak though damaged and numbed focal cords, soon silencing himself once he realized that wasn't going to get him anywhere either.
So in the end, he just laid there, examining his surroundings as he tried to remember anything about his situation...

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

Pvt. Marcus Lassirbeen

Marcus gave Rugal a sarcastic salute as the large man read from the parchment. The paper was smooth, thick, and warm. For a moment it almost felt like he was holding skin in his hands. The words written in golden ink, which glimmered in the lights of the bridge danced on the paper in handwritten script.

To Rugal Bernstein,

Hi honorary Captain Bernstein. You probably don't know me, but I'm Dolores Selmy, one of the Lieutenants under the Rising Dawn group. I used to manage all of the supply chain deliveries that keep the Rising Dawn well stocked. That aside, I want to extend an invitation to you for a party I am hosting at 15:00 tomorrow afternoon in the crew cabin.

I want for the heroes and the crew to get better acquainted. The devastation wrought by the last engagement has made me painfully aware of the awful divide between the staff and the heroes. There is not only a rivalry but also both an envy and an animosity. My hope with this event is to facilitate relationships between our two parties. Hopefully we can come to see each other as more than just weapons.

There will be fine food and good entertainment.

RSVP, regrets only.

Regards,
Dolores N. Selmy
Rising Dawn 263rd Support Squadron

Marcus clicked his boots together after he saw Rugal finish reading. He held his hand out, "And shall I give your regrets to the Lieutenant?"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | Rising Dawn: Above Denver-Ruins
​

[hr]

Rising Dawn: Navigation Bridge: Rugal Bernstein, Pvt. Marcus Lassirbeen

"A party?...Hm..."
Rugal's reaction was a little mixed, not that he hated the idea mind, just he currently wasn't in a very festive mood.
Still, it was on tomorrow so his mood might have lifted by the time it was on and it would just be rude to refuse a hand written invitation, something that he would know something about from the years he played host to the KOF finals.
"Do pass them on, Private. And inform her should she require assistance in catering or just setting things up to merely ask. She desires to better relations between the two factions and it seems like the least I could do." He then answered before neatly folding the letter back up and handing it back.
He thought about the letter's sender, trying to recall where he had heard that name before (as well as proving her point about the divide between the "Heroes" and staff when he had such a hard time remembering).
"She was the daughter of the Major, wasn't she? And was wounded in the battle, correct? Apologies if I seem a bit shatter-brained. I've had a lot on my mind this day..."

Rising Dawn: Living Quarters: King Leoric

"Ahhh...Truly fit for a king..." The Undead Monarch stated as he examined his new "Residence".
With the battle for the kingdom of "Denver Colorado" won, he began to seek out a new land to reign over and the strange flying metal fortress this "Rising Dawn" seemed to be as good as any.
He didn't have any nerve endings anymore, what with being a skeleton and all, but it did little to stop his enjoyment of the kind-sized bed he laid on.
It was already better then his cell in World Marshall's prison and whilst he didn't understand all the "Technology" they used, he still could picture himself being rather happy here.
Besides, he still owed B.C. both treasure and his protection in exchange for his crown and he would not be seen dead (undead?) going back on his word.
For now? It was time to rest and recuperate as well as get used to this new world around him, as well as clean himself.
He had been imprisoned for several weeks and had little else to wear but his battle armor, had he still had sweat glands, he'd smell like a cattle shed.
So clad in what he thought was Regal Attire [https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1v8tzLVXXXXXfXpXXq6xXFXXXK/-font-b-Pink-b-font-font-b-Silk-b-font-Kimono-font-b-Robes-b.jpg] and a pair of Strange soft shoes [http://www.cmgestore.com/eng6/Elements/d8987.jpg], he began to seek out the bath-house on this fortress.
He had heard good things from the servants and High Heavens knows, his old bones needed to be returned to their former glory.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

Spoiler: Neo-Paradigm Story

Escapist Avatar Adventures | Candor | The Dungeon | Librarian's Quarters

Antoinette de la Trou | Benedict Warrington | Katya Rostikova | Gissella Vonn Stradteit "il" Callaxiakio | Maria the Librarian​

[hr]

Antoinette de la Trou had largely remained silent since their arrival on Candor choosing to observe the events that transpired around her rather than influence them directly. Like her mentor, she considered the enslavement of the demi-human population rather barbaric but unlike him, she was not about to intervene on their behalf and be slain in the process. Equally offensive was the daily invasion of these "heroes" into the home territory of Maria and her followers for sport.

"What else can I find in there?" The demented young woman called Katya muttered as she continued to rest her head on Gisella's lap, largely ignoring the food that had been presented before her. Removing an apple from the table, Antoinette sliced the fruit and placed it on a platter with some cheese before handing it to the Katya's involuntary caretaker before sitting herself at the table that had been laid out by the golems, her eyes feasting on the spread that was laid before her for she'd never seen a meal so opulent.

Taking small plate of various fruits, nuts and a sliver of sandwich, the Silent Student continued to listen as the Librarian Maria spoke on at length on the topic of these "heroes" and her ability to destroy them utterly. Maria's skill and the plight of those who resided in this "dungeon" was not all that different from the Members of the Blasphemer's Brigade back in her world, who had the ability to destroy members of the Host. Eyeing the Librarian as she curled her massive body around that of her mentor, the warrior known as Twit thought on the matter that was presented before them.

"It is as you surmise, priest. While death is not so foreign here, there are those that live in our world that we deem "heroes." And they alone possess an innate talent, a blessed spirit that returns even after they have died. They are truly remarkable. The more they kill, the stronger they become, and the stronger they become, the more they can kill." Maria said to the former priest.

The older of the group's two women, paid that comment particular interest. If this was true of some humans in this world, was it true of Katya, Benedict and Twit as well? Could they become stronger without fear of death? If Maria's skill was so powerful, why did she not halt these invasions altogether by launching one of her own? Could this skill be taught to others? Antoinette sipped from the small and fragile looking teacup as she thought. Placing down her cup, Antoinette opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the arrival of their second guide, Jiyam.

"I return from my duties, Lady Maria." Jiyam stated as she landed gracefully, her aura bringing a welcome amount of light into the darkness.

"Mmm... ah yes. Jiyamuanna, if you could I would like you to go fetch my sister. I believe she will be needed to send this troupe home."

"Milady Maria, if I might have a word with you before you send us away. If I read my Master correctly, he and I are sympathetic to you and your's. In the world that we come from, we too are hunted down by those who would consider us monstrous and evil. In return for your assistance and your hospitality, if you ever have need of our service in ridding these so called 'heroes' from your home, I humbly request that you allow he and myself to assist." Antoinette stated with a bow, "Without your former pupil, we may have been left in the void for eternity and we owe you our lives and we would like any opportunity to repay you in kind."

"White knight much?" The Rising Dawn's Resident Drama Queen muttered as she sat up, looking at Gisella with slightly flushed cheeks"But yeah, ditto on that. If we could grind out a bunch of levels, we could totez trash Hero town and make it so that I can come back and visit Jizzy whenever I want. She mah home girl, yo!"

"The more she speaks, the more I wonder if she's speaking English..." Benedict mused before returning his attention to Maria, "My pupil is correct. Should you ever need our assistance, you need not do anything but ask. I assume that since you are able to send us back, you'll be able to contact us?"

Spoiler: The Hat-Venture: Chapter One - Hoping it's not a Portal to Fire and Brim-Stone.

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Airship Rising Dawn | Crew Quarters
Hat-iquette #7: In certain regions of the world, children are required by law to wear hat mounted flag poles on their head
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace | Nina Zaczoltski | Phillip!!!​

[hr]

Were Ruby Babbage-Lovelace privy to the graphic nature of the description used to describe the door that had suddenly materialized from out of nowhere, she might have covered her eyes and ears and, just to be safe, her mouth. You see, sinew was, and still is in emergency situations, used in lieu of any thread. Having heard this particular fact once, and wanting to make a rather authentic looking Native American costume for Halloween, the Nine-Year Old Pink-a-mancer had experimented with muscle sinew with some rather grisly results. Needless to say the results were... somewhat messy and the house smelled of rotten venison for a few days until the last of the chunks were discovered behind the refrigerator. It was from that point on that Ruby's Mothers, Deborah and Titania, had outlawed the use of animal parts in the sewing of clothing.

Seeing as how Ruby was already heavily invested in this particular adventure, given that the Airship was a rather massive air vehicle and that they had walked from somewhere near the nose of the ship to the aft portion of the ship, the girl did not hesitate before passing through the Otherworldly Portal into the Gods knew where... Down Town Disneyland perhaps?

Where ever it was that they were, the morsel of a mage felt uneasy for some unknown reason. Was it because she might have felt the slightest twinge of guilt for once again wandering away from the Airship or did it have to do with the location they were in? Whatever the actual reason, the girl seemed to get over it quickly as she drifted off towards a small stall filled with bolts of cloth. What else was she supposed to do since Miss Nina was busy looking for another door?

 

[Texas Joker 52]

The Escapist Avatar Adventures | The Rising Dawn | Canteen
"A nice cold beer is just the thing to top off a prison break."
B.C. | Mio | Luke | Others​

[hr]

One she had picked up her effects, among a few other things in the World Marshall Facility, it hadn't taken her long to find her way back to the group she left. After all, it seemed like a decent idea to stick around with them for the time being, if only to get the lay of the land, maybe even mooch off of them for a little bit. Not only that, but Teri seemed like a nice enough sort, even if she reeked of virtue and goodness, and Mio seemed fun, if a little too interested in her tits.

The Space Convict was also quickly getting used to just how weird these people were, especially after catching a glimpse of a dragon on their way to what she presumed to be their home, base, hideout... Whatever they decided to call it.

As it turned out, it was a ship, which was a little bit of a surprise. From what little she encountered in the prison, the tech level of this dimension or timeline or whatever seemed kind of primitive compared to what she was used to. But the group she fell in with seemed to have a perfectly functional ship. Interesting. Perhaps she could "commandeer" it later on.

When the others went their separate ways, B.C. continued to stick with Mio, and the two of them made their way to something that she immediately recognized the moment they stepped inside.

"A bar! Mio, you sure know how to treat a girl right." she told her companion with a playful wink as she bounded over to the counter.

"Bartender! I'll take a pint of the cheapest beer you got on tap, and start up a tab for me, would ya?" she asked, giving Luke a suggestive grin before looking back over her shoulder at Mio, "And what'll you have, Mio? We can have it put on my new tab."

Shimmying onto one of the bar stools, she leaned back against the bar and looked around the canteen. It was predictably sterile given that this struck her as a very military ship, but even then it had a sort of charm that even Confederate Military Clubs she was familiar with sorely lacked.

"Not a bad little place, all-in-all. Granted, I'd prefer a seedy little dive on a backwater pirate station, but this'll do for now. You get much business?" B.C. asked, glancing back at Luke with her ever-present smirk.

 

[Neuromancer]

Past Tense | The Rising Yawn | Anjali's Cabin
[color=5B9C64]Eddie the Dead[/color] - Bikini Snake Girl​

"...People seem much more accepting towards my ... condition, as well. I thought I was a freak, but it seems there are mostly freaks here." she chuckled, and he chuckled along. The Yawn sure seemed to be brimming with... unique personalities. Most of them contemptabe, and people that Eddie wouldn't wanna share the same universal cluster with, but that was besides the point. He wasn't there to talk about undesirables, but her. She looked interesting. Her plight was sympathetic. And most importantly she didn't make him wanna facepalm every time she opened her mouth.

"But I'm still not used to it. I eat ... raw meat. This is weird. But I felt like I had to."

Nothing too serious. If it'd had been living flesh, though, now that would be something to worry about.

"And then ... there were these two people - I think they were faeries, but only kind of? - they only spoke in riddles, and showed me weird dreams.Something like a bond towards the Rising Dawn, but also ..."

Faeries in the Yawn? Grand. Nothing quite like having the universal equivalent of internet trolls on the ship. They would at least provide a good source of stress relief, though.


"It's not normal here to just torture little faeries, right?"

'Course it was. He did it all the time!

"Even if they can be summoned again?"

That just means you don't have to worry about spoiling the goods!

"We are the good guys, right?"

Pointless question. Morality is arbitrary.

"Not just ... I don't know. I don't really like violence."

A pacifist? Now that was a surprise. Given her clothes and equipment she looked like she came from a hunter-gatherer society, hardly the place for those with aversion to violence. He made a mental note to try and discern her place of origin and investigate it.

"But I'm sorry, I'm talking far too much."

[color=5B9C64]"You're confused. Better to let it out than keep it in."[/color]

All in all, she seemed to be handling things well. Confusion and existential angst is the least one would expect from someone who was recently returned to the world of the living. Though, he supposed that this being a ship of 'freaks' as she put it helped with that. It's easier to cope with your own unique branch of absurdity when you come into contact with others even more absurd.

"How are you doing, Eddie?" she asked, as she started getting dressed, "What is your role here, anyways?"

[color=5B9C64]"Hah!"[/color] he laughed, clearly amused by the question. [color=5B9C64]"Must I have a role to play? Can I not simply exist and do as I will?"[/color] he shrugged, grinning, [color=5B9C64]"I suppose you could say the role that I play is the role that I myself am. People may call that role arbitrator, troublemaker, peacekeeper, hero, hell, even villain! Such labels are meaningless to me. I do as I wish, whenever I wish, whatever my mood wishes!"[/color]

[color=5B9C64]"Confused, yet?"[/color] he said playfully, [color=5B9C64]"Don't be. All you need to understand is that I hold nothing sacred and act accordingly. Lemme spare you further philosophising, then, and answer your first question: How am I? Rather annoyed. My ward has no interest in staying in one place or listen to me. You've met her. 8-year-old, likes needlework. So, rather than busy myself with an exercise in futility by trying to reign her in, I'll let her do as she pleases until the time comes where I have to authoritavely step in, or she comes to me."[/color] He turned his head to his left, as though staring at the wall. [color=5B9C64]"To that end, I'm keeping her monitored."[/color]

He turned to Anjali [color=5B9C64]"That out of the way, I don't suppose you got any plans for the day? If not, wanna hang out? We could stay in the canteen, have a drink or two, laugh at the freaks, exchange stories, that kinda stuff? Or we could take a trip to Vegas. Show you a taste of how this world's like."[/color] he scratched his cheek, [color=5B9C64]"At least, that's if you feel like it. It'd be understandable if you need some time for yourself."[/color]

----​

Current Time | The Rising Frown | Canteen
[color=5B9C64]Eddie the Dead[/color]​

He slouched on the chair, drinking tequila and smoking cigars.

They were a good brand, too. Cuban-made, the very same Castro used to smoke. He had a good supply for them, part of the reward of a job he had done some time ago.

The tequila was good too, had a sharp bite to it, and left a lingering sweetness on the tongue.

All in all, not a bad way to wait. His spirits had improved, and his irritation had lessened, though was not yet completely gone.

Then a man walked in. He was tall, muscular, and had an air of confidence about him. You could even say he reminded Eddie of someone. More importantly, though, along with him walked a pretty sweet-lookin' babe, who, given the guy's body language and words, he was looking to bang.


"I swear to you babe, my real name is Steel. Joseph's the name I picked for myself."

What kinda parent named their child Steel, anyway? Eddie smoked his cigar, watching perused the man work his 'art'. To his surprise, however, the eager, young, space cadet passed his table and left a letter.

"Oh, and before I forget. My CO wanted me to give this to you, cool guy."

Eddie lifted an eyebrow, then grinned and exhaled smoke through his nostrils. This all seemed pretty amusing. So, he searched his pocket, and pulled out two large gold coins. Aztec gold, exceptionally crafted, each coin worth many times its weight in currency.

He flipped the first of the coins in the air, and whether through luck or technique it landed right in front of the now leaving duo of Steel and and babe.

[color=5B9C64]"For services rendered,"[/color] he said without turning to them, opening up the letter. As he did, he flipped the other coin, which either through luck or technique landed on top of the other one. [color=5B9C64]"And that's for letting your CO know that next time they want something from me they can come themselves."[/color] Uninterested in regards to their reaction, he smoked his cigar and started reading the letter.