[Castle (1st Floor)]

By the time the chase stopped, Nick felt like his legs were gonna give out on him. He grabbed onto a wall to catch his breath. Adam fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Jackson, rather than wait for Maggie to respond, stormed up to her, flicked her forehead, and glared at her.

"You little shit!" he said, "What the hell made you think this was a good idea?"

"J-Jacky..." Nick said through his panting, "She's a kid, don't yell at her-"

"I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with these, and she thinks it's some sort of game! She could've gotten hurt, or been like Adam!"

Adam gave a slight annoyed glare. "Thank you."

"S-sorry, no offense." Jackson turned back to Maggie, "Just...goddamn it, don't do this shit again!"

The gems were still glowing, but dimmer this time.

edited 17th Mar '17 8:11:05 PM by Masterofchaos

Field of Souls (Ferisen, Tagui, Ruka)

Soon after she finished speaking, Ferisen heard another voice... the voice of the person who at first reminded her of Gliosem due to her hair. And she was asking how they could leave the place. As Ferisen looked at her, she was a little bit impressed by how well she was handling herself so far - though she saw the half-ghost's aura detach a little bit from her body, it was tethered surprisingly well. Well then... I suppose the key to surviving in this place would be to forget all about magic and focus on practicality. Still, I predict that that woman may be more familiar with spirits than any of us...

"Physically, it is very easy to get lost in this place," she said to Ruka. "The best way out of here would be to either follow an external beacon, or to hope and pray that another path like the one I opened before shows itself. How much experience do you have with being detached from your body?"

Speaking of detached from the body, when she glanced at Tagui, two things stood out to her. One, he was suddenly slightly further away, both in mind and in body, and two, he had some sort of psychic shield set up around him, coming from six strategically placed enchanted objects around him (she could see the latter as little points of aural "light"). As soon as she became curious about it, the distance between them closed, and before long she was just outside the hexagonal shield he had set up. But the self that was there was a spectral form; her body was still next to Ruka and her latria.

Beyond him, she saw an odd structure off in the distance, but could not discern whether it was an actual structure, or yet another image conjured up in the mists. Searching her memory of what lay in this land, she could not find such a recollection of such a structure...

"What is that place?" she asked Tagui. "Is it a place you know?" Because she sure didn't know it.

And again, the entire time, she didn't even realize that she was out of her body while speaking to Tagui. Back next to Ruka and her latria, her body collapsed, her knees giving out as she slumped into a sitting position right next to the cart. It was still alive... but her consciousness was with Tagui, experiencing the exact separation she had warned about earlier.

Snow Castle - Parlor (Rin, Gliosem, Alice)

For some reason, when Alice mentioned weapons being "messy", Gliosem looked over in the direction of the door the flower queen had walked out of, and the same door that the lady with the artificial eye was now walking out of. All over a few glowing lights that were only exploding because of one sarcastic remark that she herself made. It all seemed very absurd to Gliosem, who instead decided to listen to what Rin was saying about the war.

The message about not being too in over one's head was clear. Not panicking or losing a sense of purpose in the face of conflict... it was a classic tale of warrior's wisdom. And yet, listening to Rin's tale, more questions popped up than did answers. Such that once the admiral was finished, Gliosem immediately went on to her question.

"That is admirable indeed, that you were able to take control in such a situation. But that is exactly what has been bothering me. I am not a fighter. I am a musician. The reason my sisters and I entered this dream in the first place was because we were stuck on this notion. How does one handle a war occuring around them when they have not the skills to fight in it? And in my case, no desire to fight in it in the first place? The only two options I could see are to flee and hide, or to face our own inevitable death."

Her voice was shaking a tiny bit toward the end, and once finished, she gazed down at the small amount of her tea remaining, as if wondering what to do with what was left of that as well.

Graveyard (Moreena, Sinistrina, Dark Priest)

Sinistrina's first instinct was to doubt what Moreena was saying about how the dead had a "path" to follow. In fact, she almost saw it as an insult. A natural path to follow? Then would she say that I am going against my own path by continuing to exist in the mortal plane and keeping my soul confined to one spot?

In fact, she was more inclined to agree with the Dark Priest - when he spoke, she actually put on a small smile after draining her second glass of blood. All the mention of putting an end to such an existence... Though the memory was more distant than ever, she recalled the vision of death induced by some unknown source, where she felt that same sense of oblivion, and how it was meant to be faced with satisfaction. This, she knew, was why immortality was often viewed as a curse, that when one grew weary of the world, they had a way to end their existence and be recycled into a new life. I reiterate that once more. That death is perhaps the greatest Gift that God ever gave us.

But when she opened her mouth to speak, the goddess of death - and/or perhaps the warden of souls - said something else, something that caused her to refocus her attention on all the damaged souls flying around. Once again she was reminded of the sensation of life she had suddenly experienced, the one the pulled her very soul out of the pictures on the manor walls. In fact, when she gazed at the souls flying around, she just had to wonder if her own soul was in a similar state to them. Confused, aroused, damaged...

But the mention of atonement was what really got to her, such that she couldn't even bring herself to turn to face Moreena, nor pour herself another glass. Placing both the bottle and the goblet back in the hands of the zombie who had just now joined her side, she tilted her head back up at the fragile souls, subconsciously grasping her staff in her right hand as she spoke. "It would take an entire new existence to atone for everything that I have done. This is far from the first time that I tried to use my magic to serve a noble end, and wound up causing harm instead." Her voice started to tremble towards the end, though it was as low and solemn as ever. Especially now, after thinking that helping the Golden Being out would have been a chance to break that cycle. "I do not know why I even thought it could be used to a noble end. With respect to those souls, all I could do is taint them again, so that they would be trapped in the Deathly Glade as before."

Suddenly she wished that the will-o-wisps had not entered her heart, for she could just now feel again all the guilt and sorrow she had felt before when situations like this came up back when she was alive. Back when her magic was weaker, but still of the same nature. Yet it didn't last - just as before, and just as with the black mists from the purification of the ether, she simply absorbed those feelings, such that she could look to the Dark Priest calmly.

"I would not say that suffering is all of existence - I would even say that is why so many people believe in Heaven, and in reincarnation. But your words are true indeed. There are some things that simply cannot be atoned for - in which case the only option is to let it go."

She wanted to say more, and knew exactly what she wanted to say, and yet somehow, something inside her desperately did not want to meet that fate. If anything, the zombie butler next to her was still standing.

edited 18th Mar '17 11:27:40 AM by ladytanuki

Snow Castle - Hallway (Gwenafer, Magdalene, Megumi, Adam, Nick, Jackson)

Gwenafer caught up with the others, just in time to see Megumi drop down from the rafters. Her eyes darted between the other members of the group, glaring at them with varying levels of disapproval before stopping at Magdalene.

"Now what the Depths was the point of all this?" she asked, visibly annoyed. "Just hand those bloody things over before they give you one of these..." - she gestured towards her mechanical eye, and the scars surrounding it - "Please..?"

Graveyard

In the moment of comtemplation after their offer while others beckoned the troubled troublesome being of light to listen, there was little thought in the spirit's mind, no forces directed to them to steal some momentum, some existence from. Their lessons would be unheard, their blessings and curses were no longer needed. Their chosen was adrift in her own mind, the frigid waters of her inner ocean sapping their will away. It wouldn't take long for them to need to rest together in a tomb, waiting for awakening, unless they were touched by will and flame, either willingly or by an unknowing enemy.

And so it happended, the passionate speech of the Destroyer sparking a tempest of thought, fueling a manifestation demanded by itself, a entity reaching from somewhere beyond reality and submerging another part of its undeterminable form, another winged shadow, anotger face to the same paradigm, this one darker and more solid, like a human, or a memory of a human that had most of their features erased or comsumed by a deep shadow cast over their form, clothed in an amorphous deep blue mantle that much like the spirit itself had no matter and little soul, a fragmented thought pierced together and given form.

"The true path is to survive and change.", The manifestation spoke, their voice no longer even and calm, but broken, changing between man and woman, young and old, contempt and hatred. "Whatever you break the tomb's doors and escape the circles or fill the halls with music and the worlds with wisdow. To suffer in hatred or in loss. To preserve or to create anew."

"One can find meaning in suffering, even while they fight to escape or lessen it, given strenght to look back. Your victory has no fruits.", they said with their normal voice to the great sinner. Then to the undead one they said:

"There is much you can accomplish when time is not your worst enemy.", they said then touched her with their mind, showing the image of a woman standing on a lone tower over an abyss with no begining or end, a feet on solid ground, another hanging over the void. Then the image reversed, looking upwards to blank skies and a single endless spire reaching beyond vision and drifting away while the air grew denser and the sky grew darker by each second.

"Vaguely I remember the smell of flame without light, smoke or embers. The numbing chill eroded all senses, and the loud deafening silence. The distance was a millstone of the mind, grinding until memory was air, thought was depth and nothing was all."

The vision changed again, back to the woman turning her back to the abyss instead of falling into it, to face a world of shapes and colurs not there before, that could only be glimpsed for a moment before the vision faded.

"No mind can understand the nature of eternity, even if they think they do. Time is the greatest of gifts, it only takes more time than others to appreciate."

If the others were paying attention, they would realize that during the last phrase another voice started mixing with the spirit's voice. Their heir's voice, as Sentinel drifted much closer to life and her body slowly began to move.

edited 18th Mar '17 8:08:57 AM by EternaMemoria

[Field of Souls] (Ruka, Tagui, Ferisen)

Ruka nodded as she folded her arms. "I've had a few out-of-body experiences. I'm not particularly fond of them, for reasons you wouldn't expect," she said to Ferisen. Ruka then frowned slightly.

She glanced up and noticed that Tagui had set up a barrier around himself, shielding himself from the effects of the Field of Souls. Ruka silently wished that she could do something like that, she hadn't thought of bringing any kind of portable barriers with her when she decided to explore the Gaelatain. Then again, when she had initially set off, she didn't think she would need any... how wrong she ended up being.

Ruka jumped back slightly when Ferisen slumped to her knees, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Are you alrig- huh?" Ruka reached out a hand to help the sumiri up, only for her hand to pass harmlessly through Ferisen's body. The next few attempts were met with no success, Ruka was unable to make physical contact.

Ruka grew cold when it dawned on her. She was separated from her body, just as Ferisen had warned them about earlier. Here she was, her ghost half wandering about a place called the Field of Souls, and as such, had no access to most of her abilities.

Frantically looking about the field, Ruka couldn't spot her body anywhere. She must have gotten separated before arriving here in the Field of Souls. Thinking about it, she came to the conclusion that she probably got separated when she passed out in the forest before meeting Ferisen and Tagui. And considering the nature of the forest... Ruka buried her head in her hands. Her body could quite literally be anywhere.

She wandered over to where Tagui had set up his barrier, slightly out of it. Her attention snapped back to the present when she noticed that Ferisen was standing there with the man. Ruka whipped around to make sure that yes, the sumiri was in two places at once.

After dealing with a temporary bout of annoyed mouth twitching, the currently full ghost pointed towards the building in the distance. "So... that looks real enough. Would it constitute an external beacon, or should I start hoping for another way out of here?" Ruka asked of the two, sounding a bit out of it.

Snow Castle (Magdalene, Megumi, Nick, Jackson, Adam, Gwenafer)

"'Not welcome?'" Magdalene asked, tilting her head to one side with a curious expression on her face, "The ad-meer-all said to take it outside, so I did. Um...was going to."

Then she turned her attention to the three boys. She seemed a little confused at how tired they were, but before she got the chance to comment on it Jackson flicked her in the forehead. In the span of a moment she went from cheerful to shooting Jackson a glare several times more venomous than the one he was giving her, whilst rubbing the spot where he flicked her. The next few words out of her mouth were accompanied by her jabbing her scepter in Jackson's face.

"Don't! Touch! Me!"

A few moments later, her glare subsided, and she waved her scepter in Jackson's direction. In response, the possessed gems floated over to him. Once he had grabbed them, the souls inside them flew out and back into Magdalene's outstretched hand. As she reabsorbed them, her wings vanished.

"...Also, how are you so tired?" she finally asked Nick and Adam, transgression seemingly forgotten. She looked around, as if trying to find the room they all came from. "We didn't go that far, did we...?"

[farm]

Vince tore off a little piece of flatbread and passed it to a goat that had put its front hooves on the fence to get closer to them, the same way a dog might.

"Changing the world," he repeated. "That something you're interested in trying? It's more than a little overrated in my opinion, but I tend to be unlucky. Maybe if you try it, it won't overstay its welcome."

He turned to Varris. The little wyvern looked like one of those show-stock wyverns he was starting to see with Mialian socialites. Tefurean socialites tended to prefer colored feathers on their wyverns, while the Mialorians preferred exotic scale and eye colors. He got it that it was a different world where it was normal for those things to talk, but what he couldn't understand is how a teen girl with money problems has managed to keep- to him -a wyvern with terribly impractical coloring looking as fine and healthy as an actual show animal.

Tsadro turned around and leaned against a post at the corner of the duck pen, listening for how the conversation would unfold. He finished the last of his flatbread, idly giving Lise face scratches with his free hand.

[Castle (1st Floor)]

Jackson didn't have any time to react before he suddenly felt the specter jam his face. He let out a brief cry of pain and fell to his knees, covering his face.

"'FUCK!" he screamed, "'GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!'"

Adam and Nick didn't answer her question; instead, they looked on in horror and raced to their friend's side. Nick shot Maggie a glare, balling his metal hand into a fist.

"You little monster!" Nick yelled, "Get the fuck back!"

Adam, to his own surprise, stood up and pulled out his bow and arrow, taking several steps away from Maggie, but kept made sure the arrow remained pointed at her specter.

"St-stay away!" he said fearfully, "Don't come any closer! M-Ms. Megumi, get her away! She can't come back with us!"

The gems started glowing again.

edited 19th Mar '17 12:47:39 PM by Masterofchaos

Snow Castle: Parlor -> Hallway (Gliosem, Nick, Adam, Jackson, Gwenafer, Magdalene, Megumi)

While awaiting Rin's reply, Gliosem heard some shrill cries from the hallway, followed by a scream. Immediately she looked up from her tea, and though she couldn't see what was happening, something in the sound of their cries told her something was wrong.

"I will be right back..."

Grabbing the abacus-like instrument she had brought and re-stashing it underneath her cape, the blue-clad sumiri stood up and rushed out of the parlor, at one point spreading out her wings and gliding a short ways along the hall. Once she had found the source of the commotion, she saw Magdalene pull the souls out of the three gems. Jackson looked furious, Adam and Nick looked quite apprehensive as well, Magdalene looked to a combination of surprised and confused, and Megumi and Gwenafer seemed to be expressing a calm annoyance.

"Please calm yourselves!" she cried out into the hallway, positioning herself right next to Jackson and Magdalene. "If those stones do react to force, fighting will only make it worse. Now, can we put those stones back calmly and return to the parlor?" She glanced between the two, paying special attention to any more hints of adversity in their auras.

edited 19th Mar '17 1:17:11 PM by ladytanuki

[Yukijou-minato ~ Snow Castle (Main Keep 1st Floor ~ Hallway)] (Megumi, Gwenafer, Magdalene, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Gliosem)

Megumi rubbed the bridge of her nose. Surprisingly enough, Gliosem came flying down the hall in attempt to stop the fighting. The maid sighed before stepping between Maggie and the boys. Making a quick, sweeping gesture, she tucked her fingertips against the lower knuckles of each hand, grasping long, steel needles between her fingers.

"As currently welcomed guests here, please, cease and desist all hostilities at once, or I will be forced to remove you from the premises," the maid said, glaring at each party. "You are all children, for heaven's sake. You shouldn't be defaulting to needless violence, especially when you might not know your own strength."

Megumi swept her gaze between the belligerent youths and the emotionally unstable girl, "Now, we can all do as Ms. Gliosem suggested, and peaceably return to the parlor, or, if you really want, I can put you all into separate rooms." She raised a trio of gleaming needles, "By force if necessary."

Snow Castle - Hallway (Gwenafer, Magdalene, Megumi, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Gliosem)

Gwenafer instinctively reached for her own weapons, but the feline maid already seemed to have taken control of the situation. Or attempted to, at least. Unless she was very quick, those claw-like weapons of hers wouldn't be of much use against an angry mage.

"Gods damn it..." Gwenafer muttered to herself, before taking a step closer. She faced Magdalene and the boys, gesturing towards Gliosem and Megumi. "Just listen to them, will ya? Is there any chance we could not all kill each other over this crap?"

Snow Castle (Magdalene, Megumi, Gwenafer, Gliosem, Nick, Adam, Jackson)

Magdalene's eyes widened a little and the edges of her lips took a downturn upon seeing that she actually hurt Jackson that badly. Then Nick and Adam started calling her a "monster."

She froze. As the moments passed, however, the hand holding her scepter clutched it so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her body started shaking with rage, and the look she gave the three boys couldn't be described as anything less than pure hatred.

Gliosem's and Gwenafer's pleas fell on deaf ears as her wings reappeared again. She didn't even so much as flinch at Megumi's threat. For a few more moments, she alternated her glare between the three boys and the maid.

Then everything went straight to hell.

Some kind of transparent yellow sphere surrounded Magdalene before seemingly vanishing. Then the same yellow flash that had previously appeared on the mat and the gems appeared around Megumi as Magdalene attempted to forcefully seize control of her soul. She would feel herself losing control over her own body and her will being forcefully suppressed and replaced by Magdalene's own.

While the maid was dealing (or not dealing) with that, the floor beneath the group exploded as massive, thorny vines appeared and attempted to seize the three boys. If any of them succeeded in getting a grip, they would then proceed to wrap themselves around the boys like pythons, restraining their limbs and keeping them from moving. The vines would also be lashing out at Megumi as well if she managed to resist getting possessed. More of the same vines appeared behind Magdalene, ready to lash and tear at anyone who dared get too close.

Unless they accidentally got hit by the vines aimed at the boys and possibly Megumi, Gliosem and Gwenafer were ignored.

edited 20th Mar '17 8:49:21 AM by Yomegami

The Eldritch Factory - Heart Dome (Noire, Ashleigh, Emriel)

Having let the things Ashleigh and Emriel sink, trying to process what to say, it was clear this new information was more overwhelming than anything else. Planting her sword against the ground and leaning against it for support, Noire brings her left hand to her head. Breathing becoming ragged and her petite chest heaving in tune, she finally brings herself to look at Emriel.

"Your people... They..." Her voice unusually quiet and disoriented, they begin glowing. Pulling her body up, sword gripped in her hand, Noire drags it behind her as she begins semi-stumbling about. Circling around the white disc in the room, sluggishly turning to look at Emriel with a deadened expression, Noire speaks up again.

"You knew, you knew, you knew..." Though her mouth stops saying words, by the small movements of it and the twitching of her right cheek, it was clear she was still saying it to herself. So, following up on such normal behavior... The disc unfolding like a lotus flower blooming, and the walls of the room beginning to spin, does a certain familiar voice speak cooingly.

"Oh, you hurt my feelings like that... Truly, you must not be a ladies kind of woman if you couldn't tell. Well, I suppose telling you the truth wouldn't hurt... I'm right there in front of you of course!" With that a light shines on Noire as she moves about, increasingly looking like she might just snap suddenly.

"You know, the notion of a singular God is actually a false concept as well. Convincing even just some of the Brittles honestly surprised me- But aggressively slinging slander against all the real things helped sell it. Still, a bit of me weeps that the Brittles are convinced they have no power of their own."

Stopping in her paces, Noire grasps her head with her free hand- Clearly wincing as if in pain, before letting loose an utterly rage-filled screech. Turning towards Emriel with a notably distressed expression, Noire scratches out. "Just what the hell is going on!? She claims to be an angel, you imply that's your species, I-I-I..."

Holding her sword aloft behind her back, her sword triples in size as Noire cries out in anger & confusion- Hateful tears running down her eyes as if wanting to kill someone who utterly wronged her being just out of reach. "Are your people responsible or not for giving humanity magic? Of forcing us into an eternal shadow war? I-I-I can't allow the enemy of Earth to be free, and I'm getting so confused!"

edited 20th Mar '17 10:41:13 AM by Kkutwar

[Castle (1st floor)]

Well, fuck. Was all Jackson thought the moment he removed his hands from his face, then found himself wrapped in vine.

"Shit!" Nick yelled as he also found himself wrapped in vine, "Uh, guys, I think we can use a little hand here!"

Adam managed to take several steps away before the vines had the chance of taking him. Once he was sure he was at a safe distance, he began firing at the vines. He then looked nervously at Glisoem, Megumi, and Gwen, hoping at least someone would restrain Maggie.

Nick, meanwhile, was struggling; he couldn't grab or break the vines with his hands, much to his annoyance. Reluctantly, he bit on one of the vines.

Jackson kept squirming around, hoping to eventually set himself free.

[Snow Castle - Parlor (Rin, Alice)]

Alice sighed and closed her eyes. She could sense the battle, the arcane might being thrown about. She turned to Rin. "I can sense it. There is a problem. That insane soul-collector is wreaking havoc." She glanced in the direction she sensed Magdalene, then turned back to Rin. "This is your dreamscape, your castle, and some mad-god with the mind of a child is making a mockery of your authority as Admiral." Her expression grew grave. "Even now, she spits on the ancient laws of hospitality. I'd kill her if I were you, but it's your choice how to deal with her. Just remember, this is more than your castle, it's your own creation. Take advantage of that."

Alice's own aura expanded, nearing its full potential as she let the cool hatred of everything Magdalene represented surround her, envelop her. Even getting near her with a spell would be impossible.

edited 20th Mar '17 5:28:52 PM by KillerClowns

[Yukijou-minato ~ Snow Castle (Main Keep 1st Floor ~ Hallway)] (Megumi, Gliosem, Magdalene, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Gwenafer)

Megumi found herself surrounded by yellow as Magdalene assumed direct control... of something white and fluffy.

The business end of a feather duster floated in mid air as Megumi landed on the ground a few yards away, holding a steel blade in her off hand. Simultaneously, three of the free-flailing vines bent over as they were pinned to the ground by thrown needles.

The maid dashed over to the boys, a flash of steel neatly severing the vines binding Nick. Megumi turned around, staring unamused at the enraged girl currently growing a small jungle in the interior of the castle. A flick of the wrist resulted in another trio of needles flying towards vines.

Megumi gestured for the boys to stand down and step back before staring Maggie down. "Young Miss," the maid stated, taking a clearly authoritative tone, "I recommend that you cease your temper tantrum and calm. Down. NOW."

Needles clattered to the floor. Megumi noticed that there was a faint yellow glow to herself. Her trick with the feather duster had failed... which meant...

Trickles of blood flowed from shallow cuts on Nick's limbs from where Megumi's blade cut a little too far. Needles which failed to fully hit there mark were scattered wide in all directions. And Megumi found herself sliding across the floor as she was knocked out of Magdalene's way by one of the vines.

[Yukijou-minato ~ Snow Castle (Main Keep 1st Floor ~ Parlor → Main Keep 1st Floor ~ Hallway)] (Rin, Gliosem, Alice)

Rin glanced over as Gliosem hastily departed from the room after the others. Moments later, Alice announced that Magdalene had started a fight with the others. The Admiral gave an irritated sigh before getting up from her seat.

"You are right. I will not allow a disruptive little child run amok in my house. However, she is still a child. I will not murder her in cold blood, even if this is a dream," she said, before storming out of the room.

Hand at the hilt of her sword, she marched down the hallway, only to collapse to the floor, paralyzed. Oh no. It has begun again... she thought, mind racing.

edited 21st Mar '17 5:31:54 PM by WillDeRegio

Snow Castle - Hallway (Megumi, Magdalene, Nick, Adam, Jackson, Gwenafer, Gliosem)

After making her plea for calmness, Gliosem saw Megumi appear next to her, carrying some sort of needles in her hand. And her words were clearly a threat. Gasping in surprise, the sumiri turned to the maid.

"Please don't attack her! That'll only-"

She was interrupted by a cracking sound, and looked over to see thorny vines sprouting up from the ground, ensnaring the teen boys. One of them even sprouted right next to her. Since they seemed aimed specifically at the boys, there could only be one culprit...

It was too bad Gliosem spent that split second thinking rather than running away, for just then she produced a shrill scream of her own, as one of the needles that Megumi had misfired instead ended up nailing down Gliosem's foot. At last she decided to run away, but tripped due to trying to do so on one foot, and fell forward, twisting said foot on the needle in the process.

As she lay there, the pain really caught up to her, such that all she could do was lie face-fown clutching at the floor, just as paralyzed as Rin was further down the hall save for her trembling. She didn't even notice what happened to Megumi afterward, though seeing her soul being ripped out of her body wouldn't have been a pretty sight anyway.

edited 22nd Mar '17 8:59:27 PM by ladytanuki

Field of Souls

A beacon? Tagui missed most of what was said in his heightened focus, yet as his vision gave away to darkness the world could touch his other senses more easily and he could notice Ruka and Ferisen bombarding his spent mind with questions he ignored, more due to lack of any intent than ill intent.

Instead he tried to get hold on his senses, dulled by the strain placed upon his nervous system. But all there seemed so indistinct, hollow, with no features to hold on to besides his branch, nothing to keep track of besides space and time, and the two women pestering him. And what was that thing lying on the...

A corpse was his first guess, which made his mind race as he recognized its features. Ferisen? What the...

No, that was wrong. Shifting his focus he noticed Ferisen was also on his island's edge, and he perceived her signature after some time. So she simply dropped out of her body? And Ruka seemed to not be quite there as well, but tgere was no sign of her abandoning her body. But then, did she have one in first place?

"You are dead.", he said in shock to the two, gripping his staff so hard a soft snapping sound escaped from between his fingers. "Don't try to cross the barrier! I need to think.". Maybe if I had help... but how do I figure out if I should trust them or not?

[Twilight Ball/Lauren]

Lauren quickly ducked undercover, pulling her pistol out while she did. With extreme precision she was able to dispatch two of the 'elves' with ease.

Peeking out from her cover she saw the others with a means of escape and quickly ran towards them. She heard June suggest staying and fighting before taking out another 'elf'. "Are you crazy? We're clearly out numbered! We need to evacuate and make a plan of retaliation."

[Clinic-Parlor/Henry]

Henry didn't like where this conversation was going when Henrich brought up his children.

"I....uh....Don't know. He never brought them up." He lied. Letting his paranoia get to him he subtly reached in his jacket pocket to check for his other pistol.

Twilight Ball (Amiluet, June, Lauren)

As the elflike warriors approached, Amiluet was astonished once more as June summoned more magic-infused weapons out of thin air. Whoa, she wasn't kidding when she sais she was that powerful a mage! And then she heard loud explosions, and looked to the side to see Lauren firing some sort of really fast projectile weapon at two more of the soldiers. Both of her targets toppled over backward, not having any time to react. Two more, meanwhile, planted their axes on the ground and conjured flames from them that arced along the floor right around June, heading right for Amiluet.

Panicking, Amiluet thrust both arms to the sides. "Soru inei da-ya!" With the hurried incantation, little bursts of wind flew out of her outstretched arms, pushed even further with the same psychic energy that she had formed into a shield earlier. It wasn't that strong, only enough to deflect the flames backward, but that bought her just enough time to move closer to June and hide behind her.

"I'm with Lauren!" she cried. "You may wield powerful magic, but what about us? I don't even have any weapons - and if I did, I don't know how to use them! Let's - what? Retaliation!?" She looked back at Lauren. "We need to ''get out of here!"

Just as she said it, two more of the elf-like beings, this time wielding staffs, approached right behind what was now a quartet of warriors with bladed weapons (two with axes, two with swords). When they both planted their staffs on the floor, the ground began to shake, throwing Amiluet right off balance - and if she hadn't flapped her wings to rise a few inches off the ground, she would have fallen flat on her face.

Snow Castle - Hallway (Gwenafer, Megumi, Magdalene, Nick, Adam, Jackson, Gliosem)

Well... fuck.

Gwenafer dashed away from the erupting vines, just barely avoiding one of Megumi's wayward needles in the process. She spun around, and her eyes wandered between her pistols and her hammer, and the enraged mage girl. Good Merwon, no... She had to stop this before it got any worse, but not like that.

She moved over to the nearest wall, trying to hide herself behind a pillar while her hands raced across the different pouches on her belt. Eventually, Gwenafer opened a tiny but reinforced and padded satchel, and grabbed one of the two glass vials contained within. Hesitating for just a second, she then threw it as hard as she could at the floor right next to Magdalene's feet.

The flash grains would create a loud explosion and a painfully blinding, disorienting light - and maybe a small burn or two if Magdalene got unlucky - but it was better than any other alternative Gwenafer could think of.

"I'm sorry..."

[Twilight Ball] (June, Lauren, Amiluet)

June harrumphed, before snapping her fingers. The embedded spears exploded, sending icy shrapnel flying towards the elfin aliens. Flicking her hand, the incoming fire attack, which had been repelled by Amiluet, and took control of it. It reformed itself into a immense white European-style dragon, that turned around to unleash a sweeping torrent of pale flames.

As the ground began shaking, June rolled her eyes. She leaped into the air, before alighting beside Lauren. With another flick of her hand, a circular section of ground beneath Lauren lifted up, taking the armed woman with it. Another finger snap resulted in an air stream coming up from behind Amiluet to aid her in her flight. Glancing at the two staff wielders, June stomped three times, causing cracks to ripple out around her in the ground, sending up chunks of debris as she enhanced the tremors.

June shrugged, "Okay, we shall retreat. Where to, oh winged one?" she asked of the sumiri. Remembering what Amiluet had said a few moments ago, she snapped her fingers, "Oh, right, powerful magic... pick an element, any element." June grinned eagerly at her two companions, a mad twinkle in her eyes as she ferried them away from the fight.

edited 23rd Mar '17 3:53:37 PM by WillDeRegio

The Eldritch Factory - ??? (Ayako, Durnem, The Midnight Stitcher)

Though he hadn't responded to Ayako questioning if he was okay, figuring that was obvious, a little thought went through his head. "Someone... Cares about my safety? So strange to consider..." Still, the unnatural man picked up the fact she was trying to ask him something, only to willingly stop herself. Looking at her notably perplexed, it soon gave way to a stoic approval of her ability to illuminate.

Still, the moment Durnem told him it was no time to be sad, The Midnight Stitcher kind of just... Stared at her, as if she said something arcane he was trying to figure out. Bringing his left hand to gently let his tears run onto his fingers, the grey man holds out his hand to show Durnem before speaking as he usually does.

"You are mistakened, my eyes are not black correct? I do not understand why this water is coming from my face, but I can assure you I do not currently feel sad." Yet as he spoke to Durnem, she could see with her own that The Midnight Stitcher's eyes have blacken. Still, as he was facing away from Ayako, she wouldn't notice. Not this place, no... H-how could they just...?

Puzzling over the things Durnem said, The Midnight Stitcher speaks to her once again. "You do realize that thing wasn't an Eldritchian? Though, mage girl and I met whilst fighting a false incarnation of the Skeletal Conqueror... Any proposal for what to do about this, Cerebral Dungeon? It is beginning to remind me of my... First hunt, which was not pleasant."

Yet as The Midnight Stitcher spoke, a thought crosses Durnem's mind. "He's either lying or already affected, but his eyes have turned black. So, if something is going on, how to confirm he's still on my side? With the speed he has demonstrated..." With that shifting through her brain, something else seems to occur to Ayako...

As she steps closer to that glint, Ayako would be capable of seeing it was some raw resources- Things perfect for any magical girl or international peacekeeping force. Still, she could feel something nagging at her, like- "Oh crap, how much were we supposed to collect?"

Regarding Durnem, I would say Psyche-chan is currently making her doubt Stitcher-kun's reliability. As for Ayako... I would definitely say she's making Ayako think she's back home, letting an illusion scenario play out first. Psyche is, well, wanting to make her fear Midnight Stitcher but is first making sure her mind accepts the scenario. I did improvised this on the spot, but it makes the most sense for Psyche to do.

[The Eldritch Factory ~ Cerebral Dungeon] (Ayako, Durnem, The Midnight Stitcher)

Oblivious to her surroundings, Ayako approached the source of the gleam. It was a metallic, wiry material that the magical girl didn't recognize. She grab some, testing it out. It freely flexed, resiliant to tearing, and seemed to conduct energy well.

Smiling softly, Ayako realized this would be very useful. And then she realized, How much should I take? Frowning slightly, she shrugged, deciding to take as much as she could carry. Utilizing her abilities, she wove the material into her outfit, spreading more magic to make the burden of carrying twice her outfit's weight in the metal.

And then she noticed the cold hand on her shoulder.

Ayako tensed up, glancing down at the blue nails, nay, talons, on a pale hand digging into her dress, icy needles of cold shooting through the material as if it wasn't there. Black hair cascaded down from above, followed by the upside down face of a young girl with gleaming blue eyes with black sclera. She was grinning an unfriendly, predatory grin, baring her. Either side of her face was framed by the ends of a red scarf.

Ayako tried to take a step back, but couldn't. "Y-Yuki?" she stammered, before nervously gulping.

There was a slight pressure on her shoulder, and then Yuki flipped over her head, slowly landing on her feet. She was dressed in a deep blue kimono- How did she manage that?! -the scarf wrapped around her neck forming a nice little window of cleavage... not that there was much to see.

Hair dropping in front of her face, Yuki reached out, tracing down Ayako's nose with the point of her nail.

"Yuki, what are you..." Ayako started to ask, before shivering as the nail crossed her lips. She recalled watching a horror movie about a ghost with Yuki once, and despite the ditzy girl practically hiding under Ayako's dress at the time, she enthusiastically stated she wanted to be like that one day. Ayako didn't realize her friend had actually meant that.

"Hello~    Sweetie.   "

Ayako's widened as Yuki fastened her hand in an ice cold vice-grip around her neck. The magical girl struggled under her teammate's grasp, kicking weakly to no avail. And then an icy flower bloomed in her chest, agitating her broken ribs. Glancing down, she saw Yuki's arm, phasing through into her chest. She could feel ghostly fingers gripping her heart. No...

And then a black tendril drilled right through Yuki's head. There was an explosion of ice as blue flames shrieked away, crystallizing into a new body to combat the bored looking Midnight Stitcher. Ayako stumbled backwards, clutching her chest, desperate to get away from the very dangerous duo.

A gale of freezing wind blew through the corridor, extinguishing Ayako's fallen light. There was a brief scuffle, followed by the sound of more ice shattering, and again the ghostly form of Yuki appeared, only this time screaming before it disappeared into a web of shadows with a sickening crunch.

Plunged back into darkness, Ayako sunk to her knees, sobbing in confusion, pain, and despair.

Yuki's a hallucination and the torch has gone out.

Snow Castle (Magdalene, Megumi, Nick, Adam, Jackson, Gliosem, Gwenafer)

Try as they might, Nick and Jackson would find themselves unable to free themselves from the vines. With every movement they made the vines just squeezed tighter, and whatever vines were hacked away were soon replaced by even thicker vines. In a matter of moments, the vines holding Nick and Jackson had grown into a thick construct vaguely resembling an arm, with the entrapped boys each forming a "finger."

The few needles that had been inadvertently tossed in Magdalene's direction simply bounced off the shield she had created at the start of the fight, the places where they came into contact temporarily revealing the sphere's presence. She herself ignored them in favor of giving the escaping Adam an even fiercer glare.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU BULLY!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the vine construct she made reared back...and that was when Gwenafer's flashbang hit. The shield again blocked any physical damage it might had done, but the effect it had on Magdalene's sight and hearing was immediately obvious as she recoiled.

The scene then got even more chaotic as the vines lashed out like whips at whatever had a soul nearby, with the vine construct holding Nick and Jackson repeatedly lunging in Adam's direction as Magdalene attempted to ensnare him too despite not being able to really see him the moment. While this meant Nick and Jackson were getting slammed against the floor repeatedly, it also meant the grip the vines had on them was also steadily starting to loosen because of this.

Meanwhile, Magdalene started to exert her control over Megumi as she attempted to force the maid to get up and look in the direction Adam had gone, largely making use of her still-functional sight and hearing while Magdalene's own recovered.

edited 26th Mar '17 11:57:46 AM by Yomegami