Thom Raiwhat?
Jack sprinted down the street, zig-zagging almost drunkenly as he tried to get rid of the dog-faced men. Not wanting to take the risk of looking back, he had no idea that one of his attackers had stayed behind in the clothing store as he raced towards a certain cafe...
"P-Police?" the shop assistant babbled into a mobile phone as she locked the all-too-flimsy wooden door that seperated the front of the shop from the back* . "I'm in the clothing store, 18 Rutherford Street... There are two men with guns... I think they're after me..."
Anyway here's Blackwall
He was fast. Every move she tried to make he would anticipate and block, with that aggravating smirk on his ugly face, but he didn't attack, he just watched.
He was just playing with her.
She pulled back, trying to control her rage. She had to do something unexpected, something that would really surprise him, enough for her to perhaps kill him dead.
No. First the stupid syringe, then his face.
Her arm brushed back against her coat to feel the gun pressed underneath. Head bowed, calculating, she hid a smirk and wiped the sweat off her face.
"N Yah!!" she exhlaed as she threw the knife as fast and as accurately as she could. Not bothering to check whether it hit, knowing it didn't, she rushed to his side and kicked his leg, ducking under his arm to the underside of his chin, jerked the knife to slash across the chest, dodged out of his arms and flipped, kicking at his shins again. She was moving faster than she had ever before, leaping, dodging, always attacking him from the side or behind, not letting him see the attack till she did, and she felt him faltering, could almost see a clear way to the syringe-
"Enough!" he snarled, hand jerking out to grab her arm and throwing her onto the floor, her head slamming into the concrete, and the world spun and red light flashed behind her eyes as she blinked and she knew she had to get up but she didn't know why.
"You're an annoying little bitch, I'll give you that," he smirked, turning his fingers around to show her the blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth, and he chuckled as she tried to sit up, "But I'm afriad we were beyond discussing this quite a while ago. See you in the afterlife, princess."
One drop of the liquid dripped onto her cheek and she screamed.
When I walk on the street counting my steps, magic keeps silent and reality stalks me.
Ilsa panted but ran faster. Her footsteps were dull as her boots collided with the sidewalk. Her skirt was getting stuck to her legs and she gritted her teeth, slowing down as a car almost hit her.
The green almost slowed down, as if waiting for her.
"I really hope that I'm not crazy."
She steadied herself and continued following it.
Soon, it led to a cafe. Because this is where everyone meets everyone, no?
「MENACING」
"...See you in the afterlife, princess," Narxis said, watching her squirm. He lowered the needle to her arm...
Shuck.
The needle that had been there only a moment before... Wasn't. And now a feathered arrow was sprouting out of the roof a few feet away, the shattered needle scattered around it.
"What?" Narxis drew back, turning as he snorted angrily. "That thing was reinforced!" Another arrow struck him in the chest, sending him falling backwards. The addict recovered quickly, rolling aside as a third shaft hit where he'd been.
Visible on the rooftops was another figure, smaller than even Narxis' drug-shrunken frame, and toting what appeared to be a massive longbow. It planted its feet and fired again, the arrow shimmering with a spectrum of colors. Narxis raised his hand and a red barrier surrounded him, absorbing the impact of the arrow. He let it drop. "Damn it, who-" He blinked, squinting at something that was just barely on the edge of his vision...
The figure attacking him was wearing a flowing white cloak.
Narxis gleefully swung a hand through the air, a red projectile blasting off towards the distant figure. "A White Officer! I'll get mad props for this, hu!" He had completely forgotten about Arianna.
The three Wisps deflated at their failure. They began to dart in front of him, trying to push him back towards the door, but it didn't seem to be working.
"Tat...too?" muttered Simon, not knowing what the crow was talking about.
Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
Only One Avatar
Alex turned around a corner into a hallway. The impossible door was out of sight. Small shops were on both sides of the hallway, and at the end was a short flight of steps in the center, and a ramp on each side, leading to an exit door out of the mall.
The wisps incessantly hovered about Alex, trying to catch his attention. He was the only person who noticed them. He reached the glass doors and saw his reflection with the three wisps. They would never go away. He wondered if he'd live the rest of his life like this. These things would surely drive him insane within a week.
If he wasn't already insane.
The sinking feeling in Alex's chest became deeper. Then it moved up to his throat, like the feeling you get before you sob. "Why are you doing this to me?" he said to the reflections in the glass. "Are you even sentient?" His jaw wobbled a little, but then it stopped and his right hand clenched into a fist.
Alex glanced at his ankle and suddenly kicked the glass door without thinking. He broke a small hole through it. "Oh crap!" he stifled with his hands upon his mouth, and hunched down. Glancing left, right, and behind, apparently nobody had noticed yet. But, the hole wasn't infinitesimal. There was no way he could pay for this.
As a child, he'd once dropped a jar of pickles in a grocery; he'd cried and cried long after it was paid for. Flashing back to the present, he noticed a family about to come in from the outside. He turned around and went back down the hallway, walking a fast as he could without being conspicuous. The impossible door was still there.
"What's the worse that could happen?" Alex said. The wisps hovered about his head, and then flew over to the peculiar exit. He entered.
edited 4th Jun '11 2:26:00 AM by Grain
Anime geemu wo shinasai!
Jason sat down at one of the tables, and called to a waiter, ordering a flat latte.
"No sugar, please."
As the waiter took his order and then walked away, he leaned back in his seat, and observed the people around him. Ah, the diversity of life.
The complete and utter monotony of life. His life, anyway. He worked at a fast food chain outlet and collected books. He had no life.
He tapped his foot impatiently. At this rate, he would be late for work. The mysterious mark on his hand was still a mystery to him, though. Oh well. He would solve it later.
Then, he noticed the grizzled, tough looking man some distance away from him, who seemed to be in a bit of a confused state.
But it wasn't the man that caught his interest. It was the green trail of... letters?
With every step he took, glowing green symbols sparked into existence on the ground, before slowly fading away. Looking at them now, he could almost swear that the world had gone monochrome around the man...
He adjusted his spectacles.
Then he noticed different blue symbols surrounding him like an aura, floating around him and emitting a pale cyan light. They were... the same ones as on his hand?
Curiouser and curiouser.
The waiter tapped the strange, spectacled man on the shoulder, who seemed to be in a bit of a trance.
"Sir? Your latte."
He shook his head once, and then gave a start.
"Huh? What... - Oh. Yes. Hmm. Thank you." He seemed very distracted.
He accepted the steaming cup and saucer, placing it gingerly on the table before passing a five-dollar note to the waiter. "Here. A tip." Even as he said those words, he was hurriedly taking sips of the hot beverage, though trying not to scald his lips in the process.
The waiter nodded curtly and then turned around at a call from another table, shaking his head as he hurried to it. Customers these days...
edited 4th Jun '11 3:34:56 AM by troydenite
She only saw a blur of colour just in front of her eyes before there was a crunch sound and the man was drawing back from her, away from her, away, thank God.
Arianna started to collect herself, aching, aching all over. Whatever she had done to get her body to throw itself onto the roof of the building, it had taken so much energy that she felt sick in the stomach, and it took almost all her effort to reach a hand to her temples. It was cold, so that was good. But seeing him propelling red flashes of colour that blurred in her eyes made her freeze cold. He was different. Didn't cooperate with the laws of possibility that were burnt in her mind; no-one lived after being shot in the face. No-one could dodge something they couldn't see coming. No-one that high (high like the many indebt drug addicts she had murdered in the back alleys) could do anything but beg for mercy. It was impossible.
Don't think, just get out of here, she told herself. She tried to sit up, but the instant she tried she knew she wouldn't make it. Crawl, could she crawl? Yes she could, but barely. Where were her weapons? The stilleto was too far, much too far away, but what about the gun? There. She managed to slide it towards her and shoved it into her pocket.
Now crawl, she told herself again. As quickly and quietly as she could, she dragged herself away from the fighting pair, wincing at the sound her boots made against the concrete. Maybe, if she got away quickly enough, and if they were a close enough match, she might be able to disappear and never see them again.
edited 4th Jun '11 5:57:18 AM by Aralyn
When I walk on the street counting my steps, magic keeps silent and reality stalks me.
「MENACING」
The bird's head shook from side to side. "Yes, ya dope, a tattoo. Might be anywhere..." The bird stopped, then all at once leapt onto the air and flapped around to behind Simon, then returned to the car. "Just as I thought. You've got one, but you can't see it. Hold on..."
The red symbol on the bird's chest began to glow, and briefly was superimposhed by the image of a disheveled teen who looked like a natural delinquint. The image vanished, but a square section in the air suddenly wasn't clear... Instead, it showed a view of the parking lot, specifically focused on Simon's neck.
"See? There it is."
Alex would find himself in a small room, made entirely of a light brown wood. A lantern hung in the center, casting an orange tint over everything.
There was a desk, with a chair in front. There was a large man standing beside the desk- Unkempt like a jungle king, with a thick beard and muscles like a bear, clad in a patchwork green and purple robe- It didn't seem to suit him much. He grinned jovially. "See, Johann? I told you they'd get one!"
The thing sitting at the desk gave the impression of a nod. The eye would naturally slide over it- perhaps that an attempt by the thing to conceal itself, or perhaps it was a method of self-preservation by the eye. It looked like a pillar of shadows, in which faces and images were briefly visible before vanishing back into the seemingly infinite depths. They all were personal and specific to the viewer, as the creature unconciously reached into their memories and plucked out what would unnerve them, distract them, whatever emotion it needed at the time. For now, they would only appear as vague, comforting images.
It was, apparently, named Johann- Though there was the impression that a few extra syllables had been said but not quite caught.
The only thing solid about 'Johann' was a featureless white mask positioned a little above midway up the shadows (which were about six and a half feet tall). Nevertheless, it gave the impression of looking straight at Alex. "So it appears. I underestimated them." The three Wisps bobbed in unison. "However, I suspect he hardly came of his own volition." A single black tendril rose and beckoned. "Come in, Gifted." Alex would find himself pulled forward towards the chair. "We have time, for now."
The White Officer wasn't even dodging his shots, Narxis was beginning to realize. They were hitting the officer, blasting chunks away from the rooftop... But still the arrows kept coming! He was beginning to get frusterated, even.
An arrow hit him in the leg, but his senses were too dulled to care. His loss-maybe he would have noticed that this arrow was bulging dangerously at the tip. It exploded with massive force, tearing apart the Cultist's lower body. Narxis landed hard on his back, the pain starting to push its way through his drugged senses. He writhed, trying to heal- Slowly, something began to appear at the destroyed parts-
Then, the White Officer was standing over him, the cloak obscuring it's features. He tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
The Officer pulled a knife from its cloak and jammed it into Narxis's head. The healing couldn't cope, and the Omega Cultist died.
Slowly at first, but gathering speed, his body vanished- Stripping away into reddish-black sand that vanished into the air, exposing flesh, muscle, bone, and finally only a vaguely man-shaped scattering of sand marked where he'd been.
Satisfied, the white cloaked figure turned to face Arianna. It spoke in an old, matronly voice. "Dearie, I'd advise letting yourself rest. You've got some nasty toxins in you." The Officer lowered its hood, exposing wrinkled face of an ancient old woman with piercing gray eyes. "You're safe now."
That was, of course, discounting all the Gifted gathering at this establishment. If the whole place didn't burn to the ground, it would be a miracle.
The wolflike creature burst down the flimsy door protecting the shopkeeper with casual ease, leering at her.
Over the radio, a depressed sounding voice said, "'pologies, but we can't help you." He spoke with a robotic quality.
"Yep," the monster said, "We own the police too." Then his massive tongue rose like a snake, the spines raising. "And I'm hungry."
He was a very clean eater. There wouldn't be a trace.
The second monster kept pace with Jack, but not on the ground- It kept to the rooftops, leaping deftly across even streets. It planned to leap down in front of Jack and cut him off- Preferably in an alley or something.
Only One Avatar
There was a strangely dressed bear and a monster. Alex wasn't into bear types, and he was as terrified of monsters as any normal person would be. Naturally, he began panicking and screaming. He was a pretty strong guy, but he couldn't break loose of the dark tendril. In the shadows, he saw images of his childhood in Easton; they appeared and faded without warning. The only constant thing was that mask, talk about uncanny valley! He shut his eyes hard and developed a pitiful countenance.
Anime geemu wo shinasai!
The Maid
Rachel got on the bike behind Clive giving only a sidelong glance at the numerous Gifted walking into the coffee shop before she drove off And not one of them seem like an Omega...
Rachel headed not too far away from their location... actually they just entered an alley besides the coffee shop they left, stopping only a couple of meters from the Infinatus Officer and the young Gifted she was helping.
"Hello there old Fossil" The rider greeted with a cheery voice "How's the recruiting for the hopeless cause coming up?"
It was certainly a risk to show up in front of the Officer... however Rachel was confident that a fight wouldn't start between them. If the old woman had taken the time to save this girl then that could only mean that she was a recruit to their side. Ideally, the Officer wouldn't risk a fight with Rachel knowing she could put more than a couple of bullets into the girl before there was any chance of the Omega Cultist being taken down for good.
A risk certainly, but one she was sure wouldn't bring too much trouble... and there were an unnaturally high number of recruits walking into that coffee shop. Besides Rachel hardly ever had a chance to chat with a blue knight.
If I'm sure of something it's that I'm not sure of anything.
「MENACING」
"Johann!" The large man looked annoyed. "That's not how you deal with Gifted! At least let him walk over!"
"He would have run away. I took a necessary action. Silence, Gifted!" The creature withdrew the power pulling Alex foreward as the door slammed shut. "Listen. I am an ally, not a monster. You woke up with a strange mark, correct?" Briefly, the x-and-o symbol appeared on its mask. "With no memory of its arrival?"
"It means you've been drawn up into something big, I'm afraid. You won't be safe on your own, nor will your family." Johann leaned forward, the mask moving closer to Alex. "I am the member of a group composed of those like you. We can help you. Protect your family, protect you... As long as you help us in return. You've been given power by that mark- Magic, strength... Even immortality will be yours in time." The shadows studied him for a moment, then, slowly- "Aanki, tell me- What is his innate?"
"Eh? Oh, it's-" Aanki stopped, his beaded face paling. "... Curse."
Johann's voice sounded bizarrely cheerful. "This complicates things! Aanki, get the Room to where the rest of the Gifted are gathering."
The big man stepped over to and through a wall, leaving Johann alone with Alex. "I... Apologize. You have a hard road ahead of you. Harder than most." The shadows lapsed back, the images inside beginning to vanish entirely... But it was a protective motion. Johann almost seemed frightened.
The Officer's bow was already up when Rachel spoke, but it slowly lowered. "You I don't know," she muttered, then, louder, "Hum! I'm frail in the body, maybe, but not in the head- Not like your faction's leaders!" Her eyes drifted to Clive. "And who's recruiting for a useless cause? That boy looks weaker than a Wisp, while this girl fought a Cultist and lived!" Hopefully, she added in her head. Arianna didn't seem especially healthy at the moment, that was true.
The Maid
"Ha! I'd hardly call surviving an encounter with Narxis an accomplishment. His brain has a habit to drip through his ears every time he leans his head any both ways" Rachel commented with great amusement " As for my boy... Well I think at your age you should have learned not to judge on appearances"
"But enough about that... I think we have something more serious to discuss. Like what kind of magic concoction they must be brewing in that establishment to gather the Gifted with way more success than any recruiter I have ever met" The rider said, looking back at the way she came "There must be a fair number of potential greens in there"
edited 4th Jun '11 2:27:00 PM by daltar
If I'm sure of something it's that I'm not sure of anything.
Only One Avatar
"Oh God, I really am crazy." Alex said. He fell on all four and was on the verge of tears. He was terrifies to open his eyes, but there was nothing else he could do. He'd heard the door slam shut; there was no escape. He peeped his eyes open. The thing—Johann—was making itself seem unimposing, but it was still freaky. Its shape reminded Alex of a Japanese movie; this was probably all from his unconcscious.
"Will you hurt me? I'll do. . . please don't hurt me. I'll do what you want, but I have no idea what the Hell is going on. All I did was wake up like usual, and it seems like my whole world is thorougly insane! Whether I'm insane or not, there's no way I can," his voice became meek, "escape this. Where did that guy go? What are you? What's happening to me?"
edited 4th Jun '11 2:41:39 PM by Grain
Anime geemu wo shinasai!
Guy that posts sometimes
After regaining his bearings and ordering an iced coffee, Ferald took a seat at a table in a corner of the establishment, eyeing the strange spectacled man taking frantic sips from his drink. For some reason, he could tell that the man was not too unlike the pair he had seen outside, and he suspected that he would glow in a similar fashion, but the moment had passed, leaving him with merely a faint sense of the man's nature.
I'm probably just being paranoid, too many years spent in the wrong parts of towns with the wrong reputation... he thought to himself, despite the fact that his right hand was still resting on the hilt of his blade. One way or another, this day is going to end badly, I can tell.
I think every idea is a good one, except for the ones that are bad.
Thom Raiwhat?
Jack raced down the street, sprinting past the coffee shop as he tried to escape.
Where did those things even go? I can't keep running forever...
He skidded to a halt, taking a few ragged, deep breaths before heading off down a side alley...
Anyway here's BlackwallThe green figure soon turned into a flock of green birds. They entered the cafe and Ilsa stopped. They no longer turned around and waited for her.
Should she enter? Hadn't she already been in here?
The woman sighed and pushed the door open, peeking inside. The flock of birds was gone.
A sudden gust of wind arrived, blowing from inside the shop to outside. Ilsa's eyes followed it, her hair and clothes swishing. Was it only her that noticed the wind coming from inside?
For a split second she saw the green, and released the door, following it. It was getting higher and higher.
Ilsa looked up, waiting for it to come down. Maybe she really was just seeing things?
The woman sighed and leaned against a wall, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched the sky.
「MENACING」
The Officer nodded slowly. Yes, there are a lot of them, aren't they? But I've never been one to hit someone who doesn't know why they're being hit, so I'm not interested in them. There's one of mine in there too, though, so I've got to-" She broke off. "What? She'd just spotted Jack sprinting into the alley with them. "Well, that's new, they don't usually come to me."
The wolf creature skidded to a halt, all four limbs working to slow down as he saw the two Cultists down the way. "Er..." He smoothly became human again, dusting himself off and smiling dazzlingly. "Don't mind me, just passing through," he said, turning to leave.
"...This guy for real?" The Officer sounded incredulous. "Who sent you, that their standards are so low?"
The wolf creature flinched, then turned back sheepishly. "You know I can't tell you."
"Well, then it appears you're going back home." The White Officer raised her bow, an arrow on the string.
"No!" The creature dropped its disguise again, settling into a combat stance. It thrashed its head violently, sending a rain of spikes to strike the other side of the area.
Johann's mask tilted slightly. "You have been chosen- no, that is not the right word. There was no 'choice' involved. You have had the fortune or misfortune to become a Gifted- Given power by one of the three factions in order to fight for them and bring them to godhood. You are of the Lesser Powers, as am I and King Aanki, the man who just left. He is simply moving us to a new destination, so we may pick up some others like you. And I? I am a Saint."
The denizens of the cafe might notice an 'Exit' door appearing where there should have been a wall... However, looking closer might reveal a few key details. For example, the letters flickered between 'exit' and 'exist', and the door appeared to be shining dully.
edited 4th Jun '11 7:21:30 PM by Hydrall
Simon looked at the air...he moved his neck and so did the person's neck in the image...
I'm talking to a crow with a symbol on it's chest...and I have the same symbol on my neck...
Taking in what was happening right now, Simon said "This...this is just Surreal..."
edited 4th Jun '11 6:48:49 PM by JustaUsername
Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
Only One Avatar
"I don't know how to fight. I work out sometimes, but I've never fought back in my life! Do I really have to do this? What makes you think that I have any power to help you anyway?"
"Wait. There are others? Do they have this mark too?" Alex got on one knee and pulled down his right sock. "Is this thing a. . . a curse?"
edited 4th Jun '11 10:25:07 PM by Grain
Anime geemu wo shinasai!
「MENACING」
"Yeah, yeah, you'll get used to it pretty quick. It's not so bad, just stay away from anything that's white-green or gold and never ever trust someone with a symbol around their eye." The bird pecked at the car. "Now, listen. There's a girl named Rachel, rides a motercycle- Very distinctive. You'll be able to recognize her- Something will just click, you'll see a color or smell something. Trust her, she's one of ours. Oh, and keep an eye out for people with symbols other than the Omega one- They're enemies." The bird took wing, flying skyward. "Good luck, kid! If we ever meet again, the name's Karth Adega!"
There was a sound, deep and rumbling- Johann was laughing. "No. That is the source of what will be your power. It focuses the Lesser Powers' magic so you can use it. What... What Aanki meant was that you are innately attuned to using... No. Now is not the time. It will be explained when the others are here."
Aanki reappearead, stepping out of the wall. "We're here," he announced. "Hopefully we just get ours, there are a bunch of them in there."
The three Wisps bobbed out, seeking out the Lesser Powers' Gifted and trying to coax them inside...
edited 4th Jun '11 7:19:57 PM by Hydrall
"Simon Sapphire" responded the man as Karth Adega started to leave.
How did I get in this mess...it sounds like I'm a middle in a battle. Something clicked in Simon's head...he had served in less than desirable places as an aid worker, some devastated by battle. If this city is in a battle...what would happen to this city...
Simon got in his car and started driving, he started to think about going home and barricading his house.
Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
Only One Avatar
Alex began to compose himself, rising to his feet. Knowing that there were others made this seem less scary. In a short-sighted and paradoxical way, he was excited to meet them, whoever they may be.
Anime geemu wo shinasai!
Great. The hallucinations were getting worse.
That wasn't there before.....
Putting down his coffee, Jason got up and walked towards the strange, dimly glowing door.
Putting his hand on the doorknob, he turned it -
It was real. He could feel it. Now this was getting a bit out of hand.
Every single instinct he had told him to run away. Screw that. He would get to the bottom of this.
Or he could see a doctor.
He opened the door and walked in.
Ferald had nearly reached the coffee shop when his vision began to blur violently. He stumbled to a stop, trying to focus his eyes as he noticed that the pair on the motorcycle had suddenly started glowing a faint red. What the hell is it now? he wondered, before staggering into the cafe.
He decided he might not be as awake as he thought.
I think every idea is a good one, except for the ones that are bad.