The Island, Avar-Laren

On a small island of dirt not far from the hut were footprints of a humanoid variety, clearly hastily made by the force with which they had been notched into the wettened soil—but that wasn’t all.

They were in the mudbank, etched lightly and gently: tracks matching those on the scroll Petra had given him. They did not follow a concrete decoration, ending and restarting at different points as though the culprit had jumped or flown the distance. The scene was the aftermath of a graceful dance, yet evidently a very deadly one: submerged beneath the waist-high water were discarded limbs and cloven corpses. There was not a flaw to be found along the bloody wounds where they had been cleaved into pieces; whatever blade or edge had been responsible was sharp.

Their chitin and wood armor, the stubbiness of their bodies, their crude and primal weapons, their skin’s pale pigment…Lucien would be able to easily tell who the victims were, for he had encountered others of their sort before.

——

The Deepdwellers were slammed back into the metal floor after their impromptu airtime, some even bouncing from the raw force of it. Two got back to their feet with limp and dislocated arms and a dazed look in their eyes as they staggered about; one did not rise at all.

Ten out of ten! The helper cheered. While the enemy is stunned, you have the perfect chance to unleash the killing blow! All exos are capable of two things above all else: an "OVERCLOCK" mode, which can be activated after enough spare Momentum—the source of exo’s energy—has been built up and stored away inside of it, and an "ULTIMATE" ability unique to them, which takes time to prepare. ZEPHYR’s “ULTIMATE” is “SAPPHIRE VORTEX”, a whirlwind orb of energy that travels where you command it to go. The winds surrounding it are strong enough to pick up most Deepdwellers and suck them into the SAPPHIRE VORTEX, holding them there with a crushing strength directly proportional to how many have been caught in the orb: get a good few enemies stuck there, and the pressure will break their bodies apart against eachother! Get enough, and the pressure will squeeze them together into a ball of bloody flesh and splintered bone! Awesomesauce! However, SAPPHIR VORTEX has a major downside: it takes fifteen seconds at peak efficiency to charge and unleash, fifteen seconds of waiting, fifteen seconds you most likely will not have—fifteen seconds in a fight is akin to an hour out of one!

So, then, what is the solution? Why, to go beyond peak efficiency, of course! This is where OVERCLOC King comes in: using the energy charged up over the course of a fight, the safety limiters can be temporarily bypassed, and ZEPHYR can operate at MAXIMUM CAPACITY! During this time, not only is recharge time for all your abilities—including SAPPHIRE VORTEX—cut down to practically zero, but shock absorbers will also be disabled, allowing your attacks to be even stronger, and the speed cap is removed as well, letting ZEPHYR move at a speed normally limited to prevent the pilot’s brain from turning to slush—side note: if you experience headaches or bleeding from the nose, please exit OVERCHARGE and visit a doctor immediately.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! In addition to these, OVERCHARGE mode also grants you a new ability—backwards-facing blades of pressurized wind will sprout from your batons, capable of pulverizing cutting even steel! But what’s more—with them, you can send razor-sharp arcs of wind through the air at your foe, and slice them in half! All of these combined make one thing VERY clear: OVERCLOCK mode is what allows ZEPHYR to reach his truest potential!

Edited by ISZATSO on Apr 14th 2024 at 12:31:35 PM

Astil

PC!Areui takes notice of Refia, and it seems that by this point they know each other well enough for him to instantly guess what's bothering her, because Refia may just feel his hand on her shoulder as he's talking to Iris.

"If you're gonna be going up against a god, you're gonna need all the help you can get. You should take the both of us along with you, 'cause I wanna help but I'm not going in alone."

"You wanna come too?", Iris asks, surprised. "But you both don't have any stake in this, right?"

"Neither does my counterpart over there. The only difference here is that one of your friends has a history with him that he doesn't with me or Refia. But so what? We're experienced in this sort of thing too, so is there any reason to say no?"

Iris ponders aloud.

"I guess there's not, huh?"

PC!Areui turns back to Refia and briefly whispers to her.

"Aside from the potential of god ass-kicking, I don't trust this Gor deity one bit. If we end up dealing with Odin and things go wrong all of a sudden, they're gonna need some help."

Surprisingly thoughtful given his usual attitude. Goes to show he takes this situation seriously.

Areui suddenly gasps though as he remembers something.

"Shoot, Yazur! We were looking for him!"

"Who?"

"My friend, he's a messenger angel. We lost sight of him a while back and I'm worried about him."

Iris smiles.

"How about we round this up first and then I'll help you look for him. As thanks for joining us."

"That... would be really appreciated, thank you.", Areui says, briefly surprising PC!Areui with his politeness. Maybe there are some differences after all.

Regardless, Iris turns back to PC!Areui and Refia, though looks mostly at the latter.

"So Refia, do you wanna join in too?"

Game

When Jax lands his hit on Buff Helpy, the giant muscular animatronic bear flashes red and recoils despite being in his defensive stance, which'll probably look and feel very cathartic given that it's very clear that the attack did a lot of damage.

Debilitation strikes next, leading to Buff Helpy flashing red on and off, making it look like a real burn/poison video game effect. Judging by the amount of flashes that keep happening, he is losing MP fast!

Charlie's Jumpscare connects next, and it seems the effect went off as Buff Helpy, despite not changing stances, seems to move a bit more unfocused. Snare also takes effect, but indeed, since Buff Helpy's floating it doesn't do much of anything. ... though at least this means he can't potentially kick people anymore if he were planning on doing that.

Gregory, through Grape, goes for Call-on-Freddy, then points for Buff Helpy's head. The Data Freddy now jumps and lands on top of Buff Helpy, pushing him down onto the electric tile.

OFFENSE POSE

It seems the shock of being stuck in a piercing damage tile on top of Sebek's Blessing granting piercing damage is doing an insane amount of damage, given that Buff Helpy full-on broke his stance. Perhaps the electric tile and Sebek's blessing are somehow adding on top of each other, which would mean Buff Helpy is receiving double damage as long as he's stuck there. He then flashes for a moment as if he's about to teleport back up... but the Snare around his legs grows and interrupts. Seems he can't teleport at all anymore, and the pain is clearly adding up because he starts to scream in agony.

Beer glasses now start to spawn in random locations around the battlefield. Some fly towards the party, but thanks to Intoxication, some also fly directly at Buff Helpy himself. And since Sebek's Blessing is active for the remainder of this turn, any beer glasses that hit Buff Helpy also deal piercing damage.

Noah uses his turn to see if he can check Buff Helpy's stats again and looks surprised at what he sees. His HP is, of course, still glitched, but...

"Go for some strong moves and we'll be able to end it this turn. His MP has hit single digit numbers."

"Really? This fast? He was even weaker than the dinosaurs, I thought he was the third boss?", Gregory asks while awaiting his move input.

"Either the game is throwing pity at us for that monstrous mini-boss from before, or it's because this boss was clearly not designed to survive off of MP. Look at it, does that thing look like a magic enemy to you?", Noah snarks. "Clearly it was meant to be a HP sponge tank boss, but now we get to take advantage of this game breaking apart at the seams. Finish him off!"

Edited by DevilPsyco on Apr 14th 2024 at 7:19:37 PM

Sebastien nods, then realizes that probably looks stupid when he's addressing a voice in his head. OVERCLOCK sounds rather dangerous but with his foes staggered like this, then perhaps this is the best time to test it out rather than against an actual opponent trying to murder him. So he activates it with some trepidation before initiating SAPPHIRE VORTEX as well to get a feel for it and aiming it at the two goons.

Edited by shroobot3000 on Apr 14th 2024 at 8:56:47 PM

When Sebastien activated the alternate mode, he might’ve felt a strain on his own mind—the length of OVERCLOCK seemed less reliant on how much energy had been saved up, and more on how much the pilot themselves felt they could bear.

It wasn’t an important thing to note now, but in the future, if Sebastien were to use the suit more, he’d note that the strain he felt the first time entering OVERCLOCK had subsided the more time he spent within ZEPHYR, as though his brain, over time, had gotten more and more adapted to the sensation.

But back to the present—his ultimate was summoned in a matter of two and a half seconds, and without resistance, the Deepdwellers were sucked into the Sapphire Vortex. They whirled around violently within, slamming against eachother and fighting to escape its pull but failing.

But that is not all SAPPHIRE VORTEX can do. Having this ability present will rapidly drain your Momentum, which may not be a concern in OVERCLOCK, but outside of it, means you likely will only have the Momentum required to keep it around for between ten and twenty seconds. Once you’re ready to get rid of it, you can either simply dispel it—lame!—or get rid of it the fun way. SAPPHIRE VORTEX moves at a relatively slow pace (15mph) ordinarily, but, once you decide to end the ability…

Another hologram appeared, this one in the vague shape and size that might’ve been familiar to Sebastien as a Tetsucabra. It stood still, and did not move.

Choose a direction, and you can shoot it like a bullet! SAPPHIRE VORTEX will not go out without a bang. It’ll suck as much as it can into its path as it’s fired along at a target, before exploding with deadly power once it makes contact with your selected object!

Edited by ISZATSO on Apr 14th 2024 at 2:18:32 PM

Sebastien winces. He'll only keep this up for the rest of this attack he decides. He quickly directs the Sapphire Vortex to fly at the Tetranadon and burst spectacularly, hopefully destroying the facsimile and the Deepdwellers inside as well. Only then does he dispel Overclock and clutch his head... or tries to anyway but he's in a mech that matches his movements oop.

Viscera made of blue light flew every which way as the Deepdwellers burst into simulated guts and chunks, dissolving before they hit the ground. The fake Tetranodon itself was killed instantly by the blast, which decimated its front half and left only the hind legs, hip, and tail. Even a significant portion of the shell had been eradicated, with what remained slumping down as though to cover the azure gore beneath.

Excellent work! And with that, the tutorial is—

ALERT! HONORDOME INTRUSION; UNKNOWN “BRAWLER” CLASS DEEPDWELLER DETECTED—CALLING ON ALL AVAILABLE PILOTS! A video-game style “waypoint” appeared in Sebastien’s sight, bright red in color and leading him in the direction from which he had come.

That's a bit gruesome. He has no time to dwell on it of course, with that big announcement happening. He quickly begins running and dashing to the direction of the waypoint, wondering if this means something bad happened with Luin (again) or if this is something unrelated. Either way he makes sure his batons are at the ready.

When Sebastien reached the entrance once more, he was met with the sight of a silhouette standing between him and the exo holding room: a Brachydios, though far smaller than the one in the arena and seemingly less dead. It snarled and grunted at him, creeping nearer to ZEPHYR…

"Stop that! Come on!" Luin shouted, exasperated. She rushed from the darkness and gave the baby brute wyvern a tap on the head, her tone conveying weariness of the creature already. Curiously, she was outside of her exo. The kinship stone on her wrist gleamed. "Oh, hi Sebastien! How’d that tutorial thing go?"

Suguru Geto, huh? Nice to finally have a name for the suspicious-looking face. Wriggle mentioning that the Suicide Squad had fallen victim to one of Geto's dungeon traps does cause Red Hood to raise an eyebrow behind his helmet.

"Trust me, it's a fitting name. They get saddled with the jobs you might not get a return trip home from. Well, some members have a higher chance of surviving than others," he explains.

Now Jason had to wonder what unlucky teammates Killer Moth had been saddled with when he became Geto's unwitting test subject. Polka-Dot Man? Weasel? Ratcatcher? Hell, Captain Boomerang of all people had better luck than any of them and he was a guy who seriously thought taking on the Flash with boomerangs was a good idea.

"So, guess this means I'd better keep an eye out for when Geto's next test'll be. Might be worth a shot to join it, see if I can't screw up whatever trap he's preparing and maybe even put him down," he says.

Empire Arms Hotel

Fliers had been distributed around town by mysterious hands, some stuck unto the side of buildings or boards, others tossed about in the air to hit a random stranger in the face, some being merely teleported in front of nearby strangers. Mages or busybodies, their face blanks, quickly distributed the materials and left, apparently thinking that people with questions would have them answered anyway.

Gunter had been careful not to tip off Kenjaku too much - outright advertising that he was looking for the man's head (quite literally) would tip him off and Kenjaku had the means to be quite undetectable anyhow. Thus, it was better to go the ambiguous way. For Gunter knew that human curiosity was more often than not able to overcome human logic.

GATHERING A TEAM OF ADVENTURERS FOR AN ASSIGNMENT!

LOOKING FOR GENEROUS REWARDS AND DANGER ALIKE?

EMPIRE ARMS HOTEL 77th FLOOR IS WHERE YOU WANNA BE!

It was cheesy but Gunter knew from experience that it'd work. And he spent last night preparing his suite appropriately in case skeptics would be convinced. His suite was quite like Corrin and Beruka's, but outfitted with copious amount of food on the main table, with a projector and small screen installed for "plan B", plenty of chairs and a couch in front of said projector (for lazy people!) and little decorations at the back of said room.

Mostly orbs, jutted on golden pedestals (some big and square, others thin and tall) all around the room. Approaching the orbs would allow one to suddenly feel a sense of happiness, sadness, anger or other emotions they could feel were not theirs. Or, alternatively, they might suddenly reminisce about running down a grassfield or embracing a pet for the first time in their life.

They hanged at the back of the room for a reason though. Those were Gunter's orbs. And he thought poorly of letting people grab his stuff eo easily.

Corrin and Beruka both respected this, the young man munching on a cookie while Beruka sat next to him on the couch, standing tall and stoic. It's good to see you alive and well - You look well-rested too.

Yes. We slept right away. She was back in her armor, and so was Corrin, the young man offering her a cookie she was quick to gently reject with the tip of her finger, until it got pushed into Corrin's mouth.

Gunter glared slightly at seeing the chocolate crubs hit the couch.

I'm glad to hear this.

Empire Arms Hotel

Pyre taps her foot on the ground as she waits for the elevator to climb. Why'd this stupid metal contraption have to move so slow, anyway? Why can't it just teleport to a higher floor like those cool systems she'd seen when she found a mage's tower?

"Ugh... can't this thing go any faster?"

Much to the annoyance of the people in the elevator with her, she'd been complaining the whole time. When it finally reaches the 77th floor, she nearly leaps off of the elevator...

...and falls flat on her face, her horns bonking against the floor.

"-ow..."

She pushes herself up, dusting herself off before looking around, and then down at the paper in her hands.

"...if there was a room everyone was meeting in, they shoulda listed it!"

So she wanders, eventually happening on the room by pure chance. If she'd taken the time to move her damn hand, she'd have seen the room number on the paper, but...

...y'know.

She lets out a huff.

"I'm gonna assume that this is where this paper was supposed to lead? To an old man and a couple? No offence, but I ain't seen nobody that old that still wears armor. Unless they're undead, but those're usually bones. Well, except for... eh, you probably wouldn't know if I mentioned it. People here are weird."

...she's got a mouth on her, huh?

Pyre looks over at the large amount of food. Her stomach growls- she hasn't eaten anything actually substantial in weeks. So she gets to stuffing her face with food, not caring about the others... for now. Because hey, free food.

Avar-Laren

"I got the hang of how this thing works." Sebastien said, then looked at the baby Brute. "And hopefully that alarm about a "BRAWLER CLASS DEEPDWELLER" that it spat out at me was just talking about this guy. Or we might have extra company."

Right, that reminds him he should figure out how to get out of this thing.

HC

   "I see... Will that be all?"    Wriggle asks, not particularly interested anymore.    "I did promise a friend of mine to meet her soon."   

Hotel (Maybe)

Save:

• Calendar Girl

It’s Sunday, and after testing a few Dual Moves (the one where Ravenos attaches to “Pyra”’s back to give them wings and flight is frankly awesome), Ravenos is sent on a solo mission.

When the trio were cycling home yesterday, they caught a flyer to a big event. Being interested yet wary, the three decided to send Ravenos to the hotel as a mostly invisible scout while “Pyra” and Ui stays at the apartment to log the information, organise stuff and maybe prepare for the adventure.

Edited by TheTropingAlliancer on Apr 14th 2024 at 10:14:35 AM

Red Hood nods, having pretty much said everything he wanted to say.

"Guess so. Tell Killer Moth if I take out Geto before he does, I'll make sure to bring him his head. You know, so we're even for him giving me this intel," he says.

HC

   "Hm."    Wriggle hums noncomittaly before spreading her wings and taking off, soon followed one by one by the other insects present. Including Charaxes who gives Red Hood a long look before leaving.

It's during the trip in the air that Wriggle stops, letting the other bugs fly off to parts unknown save for Charaxes.

   "Sorry but this is a girls night thing."    she says, poking Charaxes on the chest.    "Why don't you go fly home? I'm sure this will all seem like a bad dream when you wake up."   

With those ominous words, Wriggle departs, leaving Charaxes to stare before instinctually flying to Drury Walker's mediocre apartment to rest and return to his normal form.

After eating the neighbor's annoying dog first.

Red Hood simply meets Charaxes' stare before the transformed rogue flies off with Wriggle and the rest of the Insect swarm. Wondering what could've been going through Walker's head, he makes his way to a nearby ladder, then climbs out onto the streets of Hub Centralis. No sooner does he take his first steps, though, that he notices one of Gunter's fliers on a nearby telephone pole.

"An ad for a dangerous quest... just after Geto sicced Owlman and those other two thugs on this place. That's a little convenient."

Still, his gaze does flicker to the Empire Arms Hotel.

The church was silent as Pucci swept the aisles.

Another sermon passed—his impromptu and three-month time away from the home of Gor’s faithful had finally come to an end these past few weeks, after a muse by the name of Lucas had reignited his vigor for life and religion. Even now he smiled as he thought of the grand treasures and adventures life held in store for him—his lack of sight had proven a major disruption of his everyday life in the months following Hyrule, but now, he knew how to work around it. Secrets had been revealed to him, and he would use them as best he could.

But for now, he used nothing but his broom, endlessly sweeping across an empty hall.

Not empty, Pucci realized with a start as a man’s breath cut through the air. His head wheeled in the direction of its source, near the corner of the room, and his grip tightened on the broom—the Skaven might’ve taken his sight, but they’d given him the blessing of paranoia.

"Is this your book?"

That came from directly behind him. Pucci whirled to face the voice, making out through the haze a man in clothes that were clearly pompous and extravagant, though he saw none of their finer details. Pucci narrowed his eyes, hoping to see more of the man, yet he failed. But now that he mentioned it…

His clergy robes felt light, and Pucci didn’t need to press a hand to the inner pockets to know that the journal was missing. The journal, the very same he’d bought from the merchant in Nohr at the end of a long and tiring, yet thrilling day, the first day of the rest of his life. He made sure to always keep it on his person, no matter what—the cryptica within had intrigued him to no end, had drawn him towards dedicating himself to unlocking the esoteric secrets hidden in its pages. It had almost been lost on the last day of the rest of his life. Almost.

He had always taken such great care to make sure he knew where it was at all times…so, then, how had this happened?

He heard the wanton rustling of paper.    "Careful!"    He lunged towards the blurry man, trying to snatch the book from his hands, but failed to move fast enough. Somehow, the man was gone in an instant, and when he spoke again, it was to Pucci’s right:

"I remember this…faintly, but I do. The steps listed within…do you know what they’re steps towards?" Slowly, hesitantly, Pucci nodded.

   "Who are you?"   

"Who I am is not nearly so important as who you are. A question that I don’t think even you know, Father."

   "What do you mean?"    Pucci questioned, more curious now than suspicious of the man. There was something alluring in his voice, but in a strange way. He spoke as if they were friends, though they’d never met before this day, at least, not as far as he could remember…had they met?

"You seek adventure."

This caught him off guard.    "Huh? How do..?"   

"You can tell a lot about a man by looking at him, the way he speaks…his desires, his hesitations, his failures. You hold a dark secret, Father, about your family…you revealed only a a bit of it, you thought it would make it feel better, but it only makes you feel worse, one half in the light, the other in the dark…"

   "I’ll ask again. Who are you?"    He seethed quietly. How did he know about that, about his brother?

"Your god preaches betterment, does He not? Tell me, then, Father…why keep your secret? Why give sermons of forgiveness, when you cannot even forgive yourself?"

Pucci’s anger disappeared instantly, replaced with shame. The stranger was right. He scoured inwardly for an answer, but found nothing. Why couldn’t he?    "I…I guess…"    The priest stammered, finally, slowly drawing towards a conclusion.    "I guess…I’m afraid. Of what they’ll think?"   

"They?"

   "The world."    Pucci admitted.

"Why do you care what the world thinks, Father? No great man in history has ever allowed the opinions of “the world” to get in their way—they allowed only the judgement of themselves and their superiors to affect their choices. If you allow the world’s judgement to affect you, Father, then what does that say about you? Who is your superior? Your world, or your god?"

   "Gor."    Pucci answered immediately.    "Gor’s judgement is all that matters…not anyone else’s."    He realized, speaking the revelation as it came to him. The thin, nearly unseen line on the stranger’s face curled into a smile.

"Good." He stood and stepped near Pucci. The man shied away, as though expecting pain, or a strike…but found only that the book’s faded leather binding had been pushed gently into his chest. He took it without hesitation and tucked it away, back in his robe. As he did, a paper fell out from its pages…it wasn’t of the book, he could tell immediately. The slip was far too clean, too recent…this was something different. Pucci caught it as it fell and squinted at the ink-black lettering upon it, but could make out nothing of what it said. Thankfully, the stranger was there to recite it for him: "”Gathering a team of adventurers for an assignment; Looking for generous rewards and dangers alike? Empire Arms Hotel 77th floor is where you want to be”. I came across it, attached to a telephone pole. It intrigued me, not because I was interested, but because it felt like someone else would be. Like it was a message I was destined to come across, to share with someone who needed to hear it, but couldn’t find it on his own."

Pucci scoffed, and in an instant, the daze he’d been locked in by the man’s words dissipated.    "You couldn’t have made your trap any more obvious."   

"It’s not a trap." The man shook his head. There was an undeniable truthfulness to his words, a tone the priest felt inclined to believe. "At least, not one I’ve orchestrated. I am many things, Father, but a liar is not one. Dishonesty is the tool of cowards. Perhaps “destiny” was not the proper word…but I felt something. A pull. Do you believe in gravity, Father?"

   "Of course."    Pucci scoffed. What kind of question was that? Of course he did…    "Is there anyone doesn’t believe in it?"   

"A different kind of gravity. Just as we are bound to the earth, I believe we are bound to other things: People are pulled to other people, other events…there’s an undeniable rhythm to the machinations of our world, as though some things are meant to happen, because everything that’s led to their happening, every little mistake, every joy, every person in their way or out before the meeting of two things…they’re all just forms of gravity, the little thing subtly influencing much larger objects into colliding."

Pucci was left speechless as the stranger’s hands gently took his own, pushing the fingers shut and wrapping the paper in his palm.

"Go. Find out the type of man you are, and who you’re meant to be. And remember, Father: lesser men let the world control them, but great men control the world."

And with that, he departed. Pucci was left alone with his thoughts.

He stewed on these thoughts for the next few hours, contemplating in the church, silent once more…it might’ve been a trap, it felt like a trap, but there was something in the way the man had spoke, an essence of honestly…

Before he knew it, Father Pucci had arrived at the Empire Arms hotel.

He entered hesitantly, and found his way into an elevator with a complaining woman he could not see, but certainly heard. On any other day he might’ve been annoyed by her, but today he didn’t even register the sound, for he was drowning in his own thoughts.

   "Is this the right room?"    He asked timidly, stepping foot into it behind Pyre and hoping he hadn’t just blindly strolled into an unsuspecting stranger’s hotel room.

Hub Centralis, Empire Arms Hotel

As Red Hood steps into one of the fancy hotel's elevators, he finds himself joined by none other than Bucky Barnes.◊ The doors close, and the two begin their ascent to the building's 77th floor.

"So... you saw the ads, too?"

"Saw one just as I was leaving that cafe."

"I caught one after fighting monsters and chasing a mothman through the sewers."

"Huh. Sounds like it was another day in the field for you."

-

In another elevator, Vi◊ can't help but scowl at her surroundings throughout her ride. To her, this place's clientele seemed like every stuck-up Piltovan who ever looked down their noses at the less fortunate Zaunites from their fancy mansions and elaborate balcony parties. That said, it seemed like there were some decent people living here, though, if that flier she'd caught was anything to go by.

It was probably just wishful thinking, she knew, but the pink-haired brawler admittedly hoped there was a chance the one Piltie she didn't completely hate might be staying here. She had a feeling she might like this place.

"At least now I know she's probably not here. She would've blown this whole place to hell and back by now, if she were."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Apr 14th 2024 at 11:21:21 AM

Pica-Verse

The group walks into the Downtown, and goes through the portal, leading to...

Los Heroes, Spain

A bustling city located in an uncertain location in Spain (most certainly it's not Madrid). The architecture of the city is closer to an American city than a Spanish one.

People were living just another busy day at the city, until a loud crashing noise was heard: a huge monster, with the appearance of a tyranosaur, is crushing the buildings of the city.

Yikes! A monster is destroying the place?

"Could it be another of Goyo's minions...?"

We have to hunt that huge lizard! Its head would look nice at my backyard!

Empire Arms Hotel, 77th floor

The three ITIEI Agents◊ (Bombuccia, Loinball, and their leader, Rosa) arrived into the hotel trough a portal, with a new member of the group... Zamba, a time-traveler boy.

Greetings, people. We are agents from ITIEI, specialized around time travels. I'm Rosita, and they are Bombuccia, Loinball, and Zamba.

The boy tried to not laugh at the name of Loinball.

Edited by BombonBombin on Apr 14th 2024 at 9:01:58 AM

"Well, I haven’t seen anything else that could be called a “brawler”…but still, we’d ought to get moving, I think." Luin reasoned aloud, before clicking her tongue. She clambered back into her NIMBUS and motioned for the baby brachy to follow with a wave of the hand and a “come on”.

"I’ll need a name for you," she said as they emerged into the evening. The fog had cleared a bit and, clearly, they could see the smoldering sun setting amidst an ember-colored sky. "I like Apollo, that’s good…or maybe Bomber? Nah, how about Rocky, or Tyson….."

Sebastien nodded as they left and presumably soon parted ways to make their own preparations. When dealing with an unknown Elder Dragon, there wasn't such a thing as overprepared.

"I'll be seeing you in Cragspire then." he said, referring to the nearest Estraolian settlement to the Oltura pit they were recommended to investigate.

Edited by Bolded1 on Apr 15th 2024 at 10:04:33 AM

Hub Centralis - Some Time Ago...

Hardly could it be put into words, the feeling that clung to Nia like a shadow.

She had found their apartment. Her, and Melia's, apartment, in Hub Centralis. It had not moved, or shaken, by Ana's attack. Nothing was out of place. Nothing was broken. There was no blood on the walls like she had thought that there would be. There was no loving smear of red that used to be—

Now, Nia was on the couch, and she was waiting. If there were something so elegant as a clock with clockwork pieces, she might listen to it and hear the tick, tick, tick of the seconds counting up to some end.

The feeling wouldn't let go. Grabbing her by the wrists and the joint of her elbows, it dragged her into the couch. Nia stared at her hands, breathing a little too quickly, her heart refusing to beat any slower than just a little too fast. She leaned forward, running her fingers across the side of her head, and let out a deep and shaky exhale.

This is what Ana wanted.

That is what Nia thought, and could not stop thinking. She didn't feel safe here, anymore. And where was Melia, who she had thought she was ready to lose until she felt like she might have without knowing? Where was she? Why hadn't she come back yet?

Somewhere in Hub Centralis there was a stain on the floor, unrecognizable except a few bloody white feathers pressed against the wall, and that—

wasn't true, of course, she hoped, but it...

Was what Ana wanted.

To push the powerful queen Nia to the edge of despair, and drop her into the pits of paranoia.

What combination of thoughts would push her past this?

The seconds kept on walking, treading water, ticking past, and she sunk deeper into the cushions of the couch, listlessly staring at the ceiling and watching the fan circle 'round. Nia had meant to say something to Melia, before today. She had been meaning to, waiting for the right moment. And how silly that felt now, "the perfect moment?" How little had she learned in all her years of living, to think it was wise to wait? Here she was.

And now the chance was spent. She would return home to deliver the news: That their empress had died doing nothing in particular, in a world that cared nothing for her, because her bleeding heart allowed for nothing else. Somehow, Nia felt herself think that way, even though she knew a moment later that it was wrong and that good people die for stupid reasons all the time, and that Melia had done plenty enough good in her life and that even if she hadn't— even if she hadn't—

...It wouldn't have been for nothing. And then someone knocked on the door.

Nia's eyes slid to it. She stared, for a very short moment, and then climbed to her feet.

The air was stale and cold, she felt, blood rushed to her head, and she took a step. And then again, another, towards the door at the far end of the apartment's entry hallway. There was another knock, this one louder, and Nia thought it sounded frantic and wanting and she shook, a frigid feeling running down her spine, as she thought about opening the door.

Her lips felt dry somehow, and she spoke. Her voice was hoarser than she expected it to be.

"Who is it?"

She said, and placed her hand on the knob of the door. And then came the voice behind it, muffled by the partition.

It was a voice Nia had heard before.

Soft and passionate, practiced as a melody, she heard it, and flung the door open before she heard the end of her roommate's response.

What she wore was tattered and the look on her face was nearly as harrowed as Nia's own. It was with imprecise notice that Nia figured she must have lost what she wore out today and had it replaced, but it did not much matter, really.

Nia flung her arms around Melia, who stood there incredulously. Warmth bloomed through Nia's heart, and she understood quickly why it had been so hard to be alone. Instantly relieved, she laughed, and Melia laughed too, and they leaned together, and Nia remembered what it was she had failed to say.

Melia's wings perked up, and she wrapped her arms around Nia too.

"I have had a very bad day." She said. Her voice was weak and tired but full of affection.

Her eyes were a little wet with tears. Nia's were not a little wet. She was certainly crying.

"Yeah, my day was pretty shit too. I love you."

Melia did not retreat, and Nia thought that was good. She looked at Melia's face, and her eyes were wide. She put a hand over her mouth agape, closing her lips with a shocked little gasp that Nia thought, might be the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

If it meant she never said it, then waiting for the right moment was a silly thing to do.

"How do you have room for it?" Melia said gently, rather than all the things Nia thought she might say. Her face was red.

"Well I've got a lot of love in my heart to give out now stop beating around the bloody bush," Nia said.

Melia's wings fluttered, and she let out a breath.

"I love you too, Nia." She said, and although she was not the one with wings, Nia's heart soared.

One of them pulled the other into a kiss, and it was terrible, because Melia had never kissed anyone before.

The two of them went to the couch, and talked about how bad their days had been.

Onyxis - Beach

Luna looks out into the horizon of the vast ocean, stareing off into the distance for any signs of her mother - but nothing. Eventually, pieces of wreckage from the ship came into view.

Huh? T-That's... The ship... T-That means... That means... Mama...

Luna somehow realized that her mother was gone forever, but she had a sliver of hope that she was still alive, somewhere...

Mama can't... Mama's still alive! She's still fine! She's probably looking for me... I'll find you, somehow...

Now, she must learn to walk alone. Luna could no longer spend her time crying. For now, she must make her own way. Even looking for her mother have to be postponed until she somehow figures out how to survive by herself.

Edited by ThatBlindGamer on Apr 15th 2024 at 3:03:15 AM

DEBRIEFING ROOM

Gunter stares at the gathered assembly. The ones who were gathered now and the ones still in the elevator. Everyone, including even Ravenos (if it has a sufficiently complex mind) will feel a slight, very temporary, cold little prick on the side of their head.. But as soon as it appears, they'll simply forget about it. Or will simply find themselves largely unworried about it even when they should know better. All depends on their general willpower or any built-in resistance, but the effect is strong and fast.

Regardless of what happens though, they won't feel any particular change nor are their memories, personalities etc going to be probed.

Meanwhile, the couple turned to see Pyre, Beruka glaring at her in disapproval whereas Corrin simply look a bit surprised, then slightly annoyed. Seeing Pucci coming in right after, he get up from his seat upon seeing he was blind. You're... that man from Nohr! Father Pucci, right? Would you mind if I help you to a seat? You're in the right room inded, I'm Corrin, you might reconize m...... y voice. He says, nervously approaching the man and trying to lead him to the couch to sit there.

He remembered the priest mostly for being the one to rob Garon of his stand DISK along with Jeridan, a crucial save that prevented Garon from simply spamming alternate selves until he felt like it. And he didn't know what had happened to the man since then, but obviously he's had a crappier time than Corrin, prompting the young prince to escort the priest to sit on the couch.

There's food near the table. Would you want anything?

Beruka thought he was coddling him, but she wasn't about to stop Corrin from doing something kind. The young man, if given the go-ahead, turned to her to see Beruka holding up a glass of water and a plate full of food to be given to the man of Gor. While it was good to see someone she could trust, she feared his blindness could prove to be an obstacle. And the rest of the team also didn't quite fill her with confidence.

She couldn't see Ravenos most likely but he might have looked a bit more serious an ally than Pyre or the three bozos. Bucky, Red Hood and Vi looked more serious, but with the starting handicap... Ah, perhaps they'd pull through? She knew better than to dismiss someone's competence based on how they acted or looked by now.

As for Gunter, all he sees are an unruly bunch. He hides it behind a stern but composed face, greeting the newcomers with little "hellos" each. And depending on Ravenos's complexity with his brain, he can see that someone has had enough interest to check the situation on... without showing their hand. He dislikes it, but he can sense that it's not a Cursed Spirit, so he doesn't feel the need to point it out to others.

Who might fumble getting it out of the way anyway. But that part luckily didn't matter too much, because Gunter knew that under his guidance they could act optimally anyhow. They were just scattered brains begging for someone to put them together and he was willing to take up the challenge.

There are two ways we can do this - I can use my newfound powers to beam the information into your heads. Don't worry, I lack the skill and the will to prod your memories. I can only send you a message with your consent. But if you mind that, then that's fine. And the visuals are not he glances at Pucci. Necessary

I trust you.

I don't.

Gunter wait for everyone to give their accord. People who were successfully stung will see that Gunter's way of entering their mind come with a different sensation : it's far less painful and much quicker, leaving about as soon as it deposit the required information. If the previous mental "sting" was quick, cold and harsh, this one feel like a slightly warm summer breeze. And is as agreeable as one.

Corrin frowns, but because of what he sees moreso than because of the sensation. And Beruka hold his hand as Gunter activate the projector, the lights on the room dimming themselves on their own.

Nohr is a nation of great prestige but little resources following a Blight from centuries past. All you need to know about it is that Nohr was ruled by a tyrannical king, Garon. A descendant of the Dragon of Dusk who founded this country - On the screen and in their mind, there appear the image of a land of crooked trees, with a chain of active volcanoes in the background, a pale moon hanging over them, with Krakenburg somewhere closer to the foreground. Standing in the middle of said foreground is a chibified Garon, standing with a nasty smirk on his face, resting his hands on his hips and chuckling threateningly to himself. Garon was an evil tyrant who used foreign magic to make himself immortal and invulnerable. He surrounded himself with sycophants and broke the will of his children, such that they served him in his ambitions to conquer the world.

Next to Garon appears Xander, Elise, Camilla and Leo, all looking sad and depressed, with beady black eyes and a crescent black mouth.

This Garon's evil was so overwhelmingly... banal that, when a group of unknown warriors appeared in his domain one day, he scarcely bothered with knowing how or why they had appeared. He simply ordered them to be put to death. Chibified Samsara, Lucina, Ryoma, amongst others, appears, alongside Corrin and Beruka. Garon grab and lift them overhead to drag them to the palace but Beruka slips out of the mess at the last second, picking herself up and running after them.

The real Beruka winces. Not because of her being depicted that small and stupid, but because Corrin start to tense up, breathing picking up bit by bit, his hands sweaty as he keep trying to rub them together to wringle out the stress.

Their explanation would have been perhaps hard to believe - little did he know, those were the Shepherds, warriors operating in this very realm that is the Arena. They had accidentally been flung to Nohr following a catastrophic battle, putting them to dire straits. But luckily for them, their allies followed them into Nohr proper. Nicole, of course Yamame the beloved, Subaru (both not looking much different, let's be honest), Pucci, Jeridan, amongst others, drop out of the sky next to Beruka, who jump in surprise.

They were a chaotic group. A very chaotic group. But they managed to convince Garon's children to side with them, recruited unconventional allies, saved the Shepherds and gathered weaponry to slay Garon. The "screen" change to an inside of Krakenburg, with the group happily plopping up and down across, chibified versions of Salazar, Merlin, Whammu and others appear, alongside the royal family. Corrin himself is suddenly part of the group, with no mention of his torture, and his trip to Valla is slimmered down to him briefly leaving the screen and returning with unique-looking weaponry.

The group confronted Garon and his army. And slew him. The group pull up to Garon on the execution platform and, altogether, slam into him. Garon grunts and transform into his mudman form. The group slam into him again, and he becomes a bigger mudman. They slam into him again, and he becomes Dragaron, a dragon made out of solidified mud. They slam into him again, and the screen pan back as he become 'Garolympus, a gigantic mountain made out of mud and pure hatred.

Which the group slam into, the mountain letting out an unconvincing grunt and opening itself up for the group to jump down into it. There, Corrin and a few others access Garon's true form and slam into it one more time, destroying it.

They saved the world in doing so... and other worlds, as they soon discovered.

The arrivals of the Shepherds caused a confusion in the grand cosmic tapestry of the universes. Barriers that held worlds apart briefly shattered. And while a greater will allowed them to be repaired after Garon's death, the consequences of worlds crossing together would linger.

Exclusively to people who'd agreed to be mind-probed, the next "memory" is much more serious than the rest of the debriefing. By being a first-person perspective of Gunter, axe in hand, standing on top of a bunch of ruins and covering his eyes as he watch Garolympus's complete death and defeat, the abomination's massive body being crossed by bright white cracks all over before it collapses and disappears.

And while this happens, a particularly worrying-looking hole in the sky quickly disappear, the sky being blue as it shines upon the ruins of Windmire, the capital of Nohr. The group will feel Gunter's self-satisfied relief as he raise his fist at the very distant group driving down the length of Garon's enormous body right before it collapses.

But yet, shards of the hole linger. Debris in space-time are flung about, and one particular big one head for Gunter. Wounded and tired, the relief turn to horror, shock and sadness as Gunter's body is bloodlessly impaled by the shard, allowing the group to feel a piercing cold in their chest. One that knocks the older man over, although that sensation is thankfully not recreated.

Corrin exhales sharply - he had no idea that Gunter was being afflicted by this. How could he have been so happy while his father was suffering like that?

Gunter lingers there, and clutch his stomach to see no hole. Nor any sign of injury. And as he raise his hands, wild purple sparks fly out from them.

I had somehow become imbued with supernatural powers off this random contact with the shard. How? I don't know why. But I trained with them. With my failing body being what it is, I eagerly embraced an opportunity to sharpen my mind. With Nohr needing to be repaired, and in dire need of mending its past relationships, I even believed myself an advisor, who could peer into minds to deduce who wanted a genuine reform and who sought to betray us.

I saw myself an architect of Nohr along with Xander and Pucci, who helped with the reconstruction. Sadly for me, trouble would befall us again with the appearance of Kenjaku. Whose overwhelming evil I could have felt without my powers. Another POV shot of Gunter prowling the much cleaner streets of Windmire, with a new, much more streamlined castle being built where Krakenburg stood.

He observes the structure from a distance, seemingly proud, and then he turns his head to the left rather sharply. At a part of the city still under construction, lurks Kenjaku, who appears to be checking under a rock for something. Gunter doesn't approach or yell at him straight away, instead observing as Kenjaku grabs a chunk of mud from Garon. One that's still alive and churning in Kenjaku's hand.

The Sorcerer smile - and when Gunter approach him, he turns around and smirks a ghastly smile, vanishing in an evil inky portal with a sarcastic wave of his hand.

I spoke of this to King Xander and Leo - and it was decided I would track Kenjaku down, with Leo sending me across the worlds on my own. We could still spare very little in the way of forces, and were wary of carelessly toying with the fabric of the universe. I knew of the Arena - and decided heading there would be a priority to get access to potent help with the means of easily tracking down Kenjaku.

I chased him in the shadows, trying not to get too people involved so as to minimize suspicions. I established some contacts, tracked him, and discovered all-too-late the wicked experiments he is currently partaking in, Gunter goes to the other side of the room and, from a nearby shelf, pull out a particular diary. One still covered in peculiar soot and snow, although the content was still readable. I must admit, it was by pure luck that I managed to encounter a grieviously wounded man. A victim from one of his past experiments. I sought to help him,but it was too late for him. I could only access his diary. The content of which you can read here and now.

Tyrant's Letter 1

Tyrant's Letter 2

Tyrant's Letter 3

Tyrant's Letter 4

Tyrant's Letter 5

Tyrant's Letter 6

It's a short read. It won't take the group much time to read it.

Having last spotted him around Corrin and Beruka's house, I sought to warn them yesterday of a potential danger on their head. For Kenjaku is an ancient evil - his actual body merely the host of a parasitic brain.

Said body must be neutralized cautiously, hence my current approach to the problem. Kenjaku can match our quantity and quality with his host body's ability to summon an army of specters, some incredibly powerful. And upon death, they will be unleashed forth as an unending tide of illness and disasters. We will need to let him get his guard down and neutralize him.

Thus, my idea is to be bold. We will play Kenjaku's twisted little game and use the diary's knowledge to our advantage and neutralize any potential danger. It is an incredibly dangerous scenario but by working together and using our knowledge intelligently, we may be able to avoid our predecessor's mistakes.

Questions are fine. Recommended, even. Though you'll excuse me if I take some time to clear my throat - I haven't spoken this long since my wedding. Gunter says, chuckling a little bit to himself. Beruka doesn't laugh.

Why didn't you warn me of these powers, Gunter? That had to be a pretty traumatic experience for you and I would have helped you with anything you'd need.

You left Nohr, milord. Gunter says, Corrin immediately clicking his tongue, the older man giving a deep, sorrowful sigh. I can understand why you would not want to see Nohr again however, after all that had happened. Still... I was surprised at how prompt your departure was. Had I died of my injuries, you would have been aware of this. Gunter shakes his head. This is why I... why I didn't contact you until it was too late. I simply feared you would run away, allowing Kenjaku to follow suit.

Corrin looks down, ashamed and embarrassed. Gunter approach him through the other's question, putting a hand on his shoulder and griping it slightly. Nonetheless, I forgive you. I know what you have been... afflicted with in Nohr. And I know you overcame it and emerged a greater warrior than I ever was. You are brave - You will need to reach deeper to redinkle that bravery now, but I know it's still there.

Edited by Bolded1 on Apr 15th 2024 at 11:44:36 AM