Atrocitus was walking away from the clearing, Crocker's blind idiocy finally taking a toll on the Red Lantern's patience. If there were to be a time when he who have said to have killed someone in cold blood for merely being extremely stupid is would have been THAT time. Plus the fact his tested magic reflecting technology with himself as the shooter IN PUBLIC proved the man was both stupid AND dangerous, and everyone outside of Earth long acquainted with its inhabitants knows those humans are often the deadliest.
However, the authority's acceptance of the rather flimsy excuse given by that one Science team member* was a bit more baffling. In his dimension, when someone displayed the type of stupidity Crocker had just shown, humans would either scream in panic and run away, or they would stare and gawk at it, sometimes taking pictures on their primitive mobile computers, until it became openly hostile. If he had come here before various significant events, Atrocitus would have convinced that humans were one of the stupidest races in existence*. What just happened suggested something far.....far deeper than mere avoidance of possible danger........it shown of something else at work.......
Atrocitus grunted. Such paranoia was distracting to the current mission. Said paranoia probably attributed to the memories he was slowly regaining.
Before walking away, to clear his head out of the widespread stupid Crocker seemed to emit, he had heard murmurings of things called "Fiends" among the crowd. They way they spoke, it was probably why the use of disguises was invoked by Moja. He would have to ask about them in detail later. Right now, he shifted his concerns to the impending tournament, not wanting to be late. He looked at the colored rod in his hand. He hoped to face off against one of the Science Members in the prelims, as their early eliminations would mean a greater chance of his team to win the ship piece. He also wished that these would be easy victories, as their abilities might be considered as magic due to how primitive the technology seemingly is and they would have to avoid using them to keep up the charade, but the Red Lantern as not holding his breath.
DAMMIT MARK, STOP HOTTING HELPY!!
huzzaaaaaaaah
Crocker smiled, snapping his claw in a rhytmic beat. He gave Axl a pat on the shoulder:
"Thank you! When I capture those little FAIRY GODPARENTS!"
He looked around after his short little spasm:
"I'll let you have a lot of wishes! Then again, maybe I won't. No, I definitely will. Or will I? Won't I? Won't I will I won't?"
Sky was amazed to see a medieval-type fair after he took his own wooden rod.
Definitely interesting.
He went to look at the bell from a short distance, wondering about the significance of the bell in the fair itself. While the ranger/SPD officer wanted to ask, Sky decided to look around the fair and see what the place has to offer.
Stealth Bomber
"A tournament?" we said. "Sounds like I'm in my element."
We signed up, then turned to the new Science team member having spasms. We made a mental note: This one makes Chaosrealmers look mentally stable in comparison. Possibly suffering from every version of schizophrenia at once. Do not fight this man directly. If forced to fight him, restrain him and toss him as far away as possible.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
sword of promised halp
Sheik drew a light hand across the strings, and the music stopped with a gentle glissando. Looking at the stick she now held in her right hand (it did seem much like drawing lots, or even a game of chance in this aspect), she glanced over at the corresponding tent (which appeared to be at the north end), before immediately placing her harp on her back and slipping over to the entrance, passing practically everyone else in the two teams without so much as a perfunctory glance - no matter how absurd the behavior on display might have been.
She had not fought a duel for a very long time. She would need to prepare herself.
edited 22nd Apr '12 6:07:40 AM by troydenite
'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023
(Avatar by Coffee)
Ratheln rubbed his beard as he leaned on his staff and considered the facts he learned. The fact that magic was nonexistent amongst humans puzzled him. He couldn't really understand what caused them to be deprived of the talent to work spells. Perhaps this was a matter worth investigating.
Turning around, he returned to Melchior's stall.
"Pardon me, good sir," he said, "but I have some questions for you."
The Mighty Pen
Urza carefully tucked the wooden rod he was given away in one of his pockets, and seeing as how there was a little time before the tournament began, walked over to observe the history of the kingdom and the archaelogical exhibits. The planeswalker's mind drank down knowledge as the desert did water and within a few moments, he had completely absorbed all the information on display. He mulled over what he had learned on the way back to the tent, still keeping an eye out for anything unusual-besides the activities of the other champions, of course. Most of them had no idea how to properly blend in.
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. -Lao Tzu
Bitch pills
Apparently left to his own devices, Kane had made his way out and into the fairgrounds. He seemed to be taking in the sights in silence, though occasionally glaring fixedly at other folks who didn't get out of his way quickly enough. He still had a somewhat baffled look on his face as he wandered the fair, stopping near the historical exhibits. He frowned deeply as he looked those over, especially the one regarding Magus and a legendary warrior. He seemed nearly stricken as he took that one in just staring at it mutely without moving, hands fisted at his sides.
Easing back into life one step at a time
Sky went to look around the fair to see if he can spot anyone familiar, friendly or not.
I just hope that we don't get to a fight around here.
Kribnefka's illusion did indeed grab the attention of the people nearby. A small group of children that had been playing in the area cheered, prompting the adult who was minding them to herd them into the crowd that was gathering. "So what will the rest of the show cost us?" someone called out.
Shantotto, who was watching Kribnefka from a short distance away (she had signed up for the tournament while she was down there), absentmindedly playing catch with the wooden rod with the blue band. She had already explained to the Dragonborn that she couldn't help with the show right away because she wanted to get a personal feel for what would be helpful against their opponents... and it would be a shame if she would have to go an entire mission without some fun.
Pocketing it, she began the walk back to the tents, this time paying more attention to the attractions in case something potentially entertaining caught her eye.
The other old man
◊ looked up from his stall of weapons* at Ratheln with an interested smile. "Oh? Come to see an old man's craftsmanship? Or perhaps another one interested in the old stories about the lost age of magic? You certainly seem like more of the latter... in any case, I am Melchior. And who might you be?"
edited 23rd Apr '12 7:03:56 AM by Anura
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.
WHAT HAS SCIENCE WROUGHT
"10 G or 2 Silver Points, and anyone under the age of 10 gets in free." Kribnefka said, slamming down his cane as the curtains behind him drew back, revealing a wooden box. He waved his hand, pulling out a tube which he began shaking out into a top hat, which he put on.
...and that's terrible.
(Avatar by Coffee)
"I am called Ratheln, good sir," said Ratheln, "and I am a scholar errant."
He smiled and bowed slightly. "Truth be told, a little of both, but mainly the second. I am interested in stories of magic, for the phenomenon fascinates me."
Kraut, I think you can handle the show from here.
Melchior smiled. "You're certainly not the only one. Many have wondered why that force can only be summoned by the Fiends, and what could be done of it if humans possessed the capability. Well, I have collected a lot of knowledge in my time regarding the Kingdom of Zeal, as it was called, as I pursued it's secrets to heighten my craft. More knowledge than most, apparently, which is a shame. Was there anything in particular that you wanted to know?"
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.
(Avatar by Coffee)
"Yes..." Ratheln said slowly. "I have heard talk that long ago, humans could use magic... Is it true? If it is, do you have any idea what caused them to lose this ability...?"
While he asked those questions, he inspected the weaponsmith's merchandise, looking for daggers and the like.
WHAT HAS SCIENCE WROUGHT
Kribnefka took off the hat, showing the audience before reaching in and grasping for something. He sighed before setting it on what seemed to the audience to be thin air before going off stage for a minute and withdrawing a fishing pole which he placed into the hat before removing a key. He took the key over to the wooden box, which fell over revealing it was only a piece of plywood. Looking embarassed, he set it back up and turned the lock on it... revealing a small room behind it where a lion sat sleeping. He knocked on the side and motioned for the cat to come out, much to the surprise of the audience. He scratched under its chin before pointing for it to get his hat and bring it back, which it did rather quickly, placing it on his head before sitting down next to him. He motioned off stage to Twilight.
"Now, if my lovely assistant would join us?"
...and that's terrible.
Aww, son of a bitch
Twilight had, unsurprisingly, elected not to participate in the tournament.
While she assumed that the competition was meant to be nonlethal, she was by no means a physical combatant and she doubted she'd last more than a few seconds out there in her current form and without the assistance of magic. For now, she was glad she could take the time and unwind, enjoy the festival. She hadn't been to a great many festivals, all told. Besides, it wasn't often that she got the chance to get out and explore a new world. Most of the missions so far had merely thrown the group headfirst into conflict with little regard for safety or academic curiosity.
It was probably best that she keep her distance from the Science team members as well. While science in and of itself was far from malicious, it didn't have the most charming representatives. A few of the new arrivals managed to unnerve her on some level. One was a muscled hulk of a man, broad-shouldered and grizzled, clad in a leather jacket. The other that she cared to take notice of was nowhere near as intimidating, though there was still something unsettling about him. Rail-thin, unnaturally pale and hunched over, with thick plastic-rimmed glasses and was that an ear on his neck? The apprentice would do good to avoid them.
Rolling her eyes, she trotted up onstage with Kribnefka, standing at his side and giving a small bow to the audience. She may as well play along, and hopefully get this over with quickly. Her experience with stage magicians was rather unflattering, though she admitted there was a certain appeal to it. The dragon certainly had a talent for showmanship, that was for certain. It was difficult to see what part of his act was sorcery and what was simply sleight of hand.
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
Mercer wandered around the faire, searching for an opportunity.
Now that Axl was using Taggart's face, he needed a new disguise in case something went down - and some mugger wouldn't be missed much.
So he hanged around any shady alley he could find, looking like a naive rich boy, until he found a mark - or rather let it find him. A dealer, offering some sort of a local drug - it didn't matter much what it was.
After allowing himself to be led into an alley, the viral monster unleashed. A sharp inhuman claw ripped into the dealer's throat, turning a birthing scream into a silent wet gurgle. Second arm transformed into a bone blade and slashed through the body, completely opening up the abdomen and showering the monster in gore.
But none of the cadaver have went to waste. Mercer's own body unwhirled into a mass of minuscule tentacles, catching every drop and pulling the remains inside, to be consumed and adapted.
The whole process took nary a second and soon Mercer has left the alley in his new mask, it's memories quickly integrating into his mass of knowledge.
WHAT HAS SCIENCE WROUGHT
As the older males of the audience whistled at Twilight, Kribnefka's next trick was to walk the lion- a polymorphed Mr. Fudge- into another wooden box and take out a few swords, which he jabbed into the box. There was a large yowling as he looked into the box and motioned Twilight over, handing her several kittens from within the box as she came before removing the swords and putting the cats back in, but not before moving the box. As he opened it again, Mr. Fudge stepped out as a lion and roared for the audience.
edited 25th Apr '12 7:24:12 AM by Krautman
...and that's terrible.
Sky went to walk all the way to the Western side of the fair, hoping for something to be very interesting.
Even if it means showing off his fighting skills to the public.
Did you know this section has a character limit?
Sec exited the makeshift library, heading towards the qualifier tents.
Interesting history and mythology. I honestly wish I could go back to these worlds to study it more in-depth.
huzzaaaaaaaah
Crocker, by now, had already begun to wander off into the fair. He had already transformed his hand back to normal, using a bit of leftover magic, and then proceeded to watch Kribnefka's show. Once the lion came out of the box, he pulled out his magic detector, and pressed a few buttons:
"Hm... if this man is using my magic... then all I have to do is configure my magic tracker to detect nearby signs of magic!"
He let out a maniacal laugh before returning to his tracker and pressing a few more buttons, all of them making appropriate sounds.
"Well, there isn't very much in the way of historical records. I mean, this was all thousands of years ago, and anything left would have been passed down by word of mouth and embellished over the centuries. "
"But there is a common theme among how it all ended: their hubris got the better of them, they meddled with a force beyond their control, and it caused a cataclysm that destroyed their floating cities. Said cities fell into the ocean, raising great waves that flooded much of the surface world as well."
"But that's all. Every story says something different about exactly what it was they did; they tried to raise themselves to divinity, or bring divinity down to them, or they found a power greater then even theirs deep under the earth and tried to harness it without properly thinking it through."
"Some more recent ideas say that they even somehow offended an extraterrestrial species which exacted bloody revenge on them, although aliens have been a popular idea for a while, so it's not that surprising that someone tried to connect the two."
The weapons on display were mostly swords, and very well made ones as well. There were a few other types available, including some daggers, of similarly fine quality.
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.
(Avatar by Coffee)
Hopefully this is OK...
Ratheln spotted a dagger he thought would accompany his staff. He picked it up and inspected the blade; he has learnt a few things about metallurgy from his travels with Aiglondur and his company.
"I see," he said. "Anyway... How much is this dagger?"
Atrocitus stood at the very edge of crowd watching Kribnefka's magic show. He gained some silver points from a milk bottle game, allowing him entry*. He looked on in mild amusement, seeing the God of Deceit using mere parlor tricks merely for the sake of keeping up appearances. The Ryutian knew he was capable of mere than this.
"Man, this is kiddy stuff," a voice said next to the Red Lantern. "At least the assistant's hot."
Atrocitus turned to see the burly man with the mechanical arm from earlier. "By the way, name's Jack," the man introduced himself.
"Atticus," Atrocitus responded, opting to use his false name. "How were you able to gain entry?" he asked.
"Balloon popping stall," Jack answered. "Decided to give me a good amount of point after I popped all the balloons. With one swing. With all the knives out once. I think I made the guy require a fresh pair of pants."
"I smashed a stack of glued together milk bottles that were actually metal," Atrocitus said.
"Nice."
A beat.
"You know, that blue ring of yours kinda clashes with the whole red and black thing you're goin' with," Jack pointed out.
Atrocitus merely grunted.
"Saw you at the signups for the tourny," Jack continued. "Which division you're going into?"
"West."
"Shit, really? Me too! Think we might face each other during it?"
"I don't care," the Red Lantern answered. "All I am concerned with is the prize. As long as at least one of my allies is able to claim, I care not for victory."
"Same with me," Jack answered. "But I really give a damn about the prize. I'm just interested to kicking ass......"
"I do not take pleasure in fighting. The act of physically harming another is merely a means to an end. Nothing more."
"Huh. You're a real square then. You should lighten up."
"And you're the type that should take things more seriously.......Deathwatch champion......"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know that?"
"Everyone's blood tells a story," Atrocitus explained. "I can read those stories. However, some stories speak to me louder than others. Such as yours......."
Jack actually smirked at this. The kind that signified pride.....
"Yeah, I admit that I'm awesome," Jack said. "Won four of those, the last one after a hiatus even. You're impressed, right?"
"Only by the sheer coincidence that all the blood on your hands came from those worse than you," Atrocitus said. "Otherwise you're killing lacked true meaning beyond the mere sake of it."
"You actually gotta have a legit reason to kill?" Jack said.
"Yes," the Red Lantern answered. "My reason is the only legitimate reason."
"And that would be......?" It was clear Jack did not think the man he was taking had a true justifiable reason.
"To quell the screams of vengeance cried out by the victims of the wicked," Atrocitus answered. "To burn away the invasive and choking weeds so that the the flowers of the future may bloom healthy and strong."
"Poetic piece of metaphorical bull as I as ever heard," Jack said. "A monster that kills in the name of justice is still a monster."
"I completely agree with you," Atrocitus agreed.
This answer actually surprised the Chaser.
"You may mock my reasons as much as you want," the Red Lantern continued. "I stand by them to the end. When the universe no longer has to suffer from evil and the screams of pain become a distance memory, that is when my job shall be complete......."
"Then I guess retirement is out of your reach then," Jack countered.
"So be it." With that the conversation came to an end, the two warriors continuing to watch the magic show.
edited 29th Apr '12 7:32:14 PM by UdtheImp
DAMMIT MARK, STOP HOTTING HELPY!!
Kribnefka sighed, explaining to the guards that he'd competed in the tournament when he was younger and wanted to see how the current generation looked. He wasn't impressed. Plus, he needed to wait for some of his supplies to be unloaded before he could set up his magic act.
—-
After taking Shantotto around the fair to get ideas for where to observe the fights discreetly, he found an empty lot and grinned.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I, Kris The Great, present my first trick for free."
He pulled on a rope and a curtain fell away, revealing a stage and several seats. Checking the ground would reveal a canvas painted to look like the surrounding area, but the illusion was quite an attention-grabber.
edited 18th Apr '12 7:05:20 PM by Krautman
...and that's terrible.