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Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

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ArbiterOfTheBog Parasmagate from The Mortal Realms Since: Feb, 2022 Relationship Status: Cast away
Parasmagate
#391626: Nov 14th 2024 at 2:33:57 PM

The Arcade

Nymbulda immediately has to think through that this all means. She is not blind to connecting cause and effect, with the cause and effect present here. But she also hates that Noble Denji has been infected with whatever this parasite is. The gears in her head are moving and she soon hatches an idea.

She jumps up, allowing Denji to get a flying kick in, and whatever combo is available before using her characters sliding animation to slip out of it and uses the flail to knock his dude back.

"Any sort of worm creature you're familiar with? Asking because the Buckethead Pail, you know him, was asking about it. Said it seemed to like grow on people's anger."

She continued to play against him, feeling satisfied with herself for getting the hang of the game so smoothly. Before continuing the discussion.

"Though he couldn't tell if it was anger or pride... the two could be synonymous..."

Awawa
josh6243 Betty "Blast Hornet" Blanctorche Doppler from Digital Realm Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Betty "Blast Hornet" Blanctorche Doppler
#391627: Nov 14th 2024 at 3:53:06 PM

Mahke Etstop - Sword Tournament

Mahke leaps away from the wind blades, getting nicked here and there due to her overconfidence. For the love of Tagah Rumid, Mahke's going to win this fight, come hell or high-water!

In an attempt at countering the stab at her heart before it can mahke its mark, Mahke infuses her katana with pure electricity and attempts to interrupt the stab with a powerful Ultimate Cutter slash attack.

Blast Hornet - ESTRAOLE NORTH - REFUGEE CAMPS - SHATTERED FAITHS P1

Blast Hornet clears her throat to the best of her ability. This was an important person she's dealing with at the moment. As such, there will be no quirky speech tics during this conversation.

Acting completely serious for once, Blast Hornet explains, "How can we help out the civilians around this area? Are there any special procedures we need to do before hand?"

KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#391628: Nov 14th 2024 at 4:06:51 PM

Fort Dawnguard

"I have come to join the Neo Shepherds," Past Alear states plainly.

"Will you accept me?"


Remains of Blazing Hell

The blades gouge into the Rahkshi's metal hide. Molten rock sprays out like blood as it stumbles back. It catches itself, planting its back foot, then whirls around to slash at Konngara with its flaming claw.

Right after, flames spin in the air around it, taking solid form as six Ta-Metru Kanoka disks that combine into three, then load themselves into the Rahkshi's launchers. It jumps away, with the emitters on its waist giving it a thruster boost, while it points its "normal" right-hand shooter at William's feet. The forward-facing flame projector attached to the shooter activates, building up extra flame around the disk.

While it charges this shot, it fires the other two disks from the shooters on its extra arms up into the air. Those disks come down on its enemies like mortar shells, exploding with enough force to leave craters.

Edited by KiriK on Nov 14th 2024 at 6:08:01 AM

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391629: Nov 14th 2024 at 4:10:05 PM

Fort Dawnguard

Beruka initially attempts to ignore the newcomer, instead setting up a dummy. But then she realizes they're unlikely to leave and briefly lean forward to stick her forehead on the dummy, sighing in irritation.

But then, she has a nifty idea - it's fresh meat. The more of those people she can pit against Sukuna later, the better. Hence...

I am fine with that, she says, turning around. She walks over to a table to lay down her axe at, placing it down amongst some whetstones and grabbing a nearby towel to quick herself a quick wash.

But you will need to be worth recruiting. For your sake and the Neo Shepherds's, weaklings are... not to be tolerated.

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
DevilPsyco from The Underworld (pretty deep down in the ground) Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
#391630: Nov 14th 2024 at 4:17:29 PM

Seiros, Seteth and Flayn turn to Beruka too, the first of them approaching.

"I assure you that we are no weaklings. Alear, myself and Seteth are warriors, and Flayn is a potent healer. Not to mention that we share an enemy. We have encountered these 'Einherjar' once before."

In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#391631: Nov 15th 2024 at 11:07:51 AM

Fort Dawnguard

"..."

Something about Beruka's statement bothers Alear. The idea of being a 'weakling'... Of being worthless. A defect.

"Fight me," she says abruptly.

"Right here and now. I... I want to prove myself."

Edited by KiriK on Nov 15th 2024 at 1:08:14 PM

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391632: Nov 15th 2024 at 12:50:55 PM

Dawnguard

Beruka blinks, listening to the quatuor. The three of them looked useful... And chances are they weren't charlatans - the Shepherds had managed to get by with worse-seeming. And as for Alear...

Beruka nods. And goes to pick up her axe.

Very well. She walks to the middle of the lobby for extra space.

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
DevilPsyco from The Underworld (pretty deep down in the ground) Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
#391633: Nov 15th 2024 at 12:57:14 PM

Dawnguard

"Hold on one second-", Seteth begins to say, but Seiros holds her hand out to motion for him to stop. She looks back at him.

"She can do this. Let her."

Seiros' faith in Alear's skills does catch Seteth off guard a bit. Flayn pulls his sleeve, silently pointing out that if things look bad she can still heal Alear.

Seteth then nods.

"Very well. If this is important to you, Alear."

They'll move to the sides of the lobby as to not get in the way.

In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.
shroobot3000 Witch of Scarlet Dreams from Behind you Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Witch of Scarlet Dreams
#391634: Nov 15th 2024 at 12:59:40 PM

Hollow Rock

You don't need to tell her twice. Elizabeth and Harvey joined the others in skedaddling, the former sending projectiles back just in case any pursuers tried to follow them. Course they then abruptly vanish anyway...

The room they find themselves in is a welcome reprieve. She sighs with some relief then looks awed by the immense beast outside, in contrast to Luisa.

"It's almost graceful if you ask me." she hums, then looks to Anders. "How come it's focused on you though?"

She sounds more curious than anything. Harvey meanwhile approaches Luisa and nudges her with his head in presumably an attempt to comfort her.


Burning Sandstorm in Lourent - Aftermath

"Right. I already have her on board." Amelias says to Charlian. There's some mumbling from Stella over the comms but she doesn't seem to be in a talkative mood yet. Nevertheless the Phoenix Gundam forms up to follow Charlian's lead. Nena huffs and follows them as well, not eager to linger here.

If they're going to do any salvaging it's probably best they do it fast, judging by how the Zeon units are moving in.


Hollows (not Rock)

Seeing as how the others are also moving, the vishap with some reluctance follows suit. Hopefully whoever lives here is less fearful than the humans it usually meets. Or at least if they are they respond less aggressively.

"That was a pointless encounter with a pointless person."
DevilPsyco from The Underworld (pretty deep down in the ground) Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
#391635: Nov 15th 2024 at 1:31:07 PM

The Wrong End

Gau takes some deep, angry breaths as his hands return to normal. With this battle over, his Rage subsides.

"Friends... saved..."

He looks calmer when he sees Baz's glance. And, perhaps by instinct, he can tell she's grateful. He hops over to her as she lays down to rest. Gau looks concerned, not just for her, but also Matthew and Siffrin.

"Gau help! Gau-"

He looks up, startled by the sudden noise. Realizing more is happening and fearing for Soan, he quickly runs up the stairs again.

"Gau back soon! Don't die!", he calls down to his allies.

-

Soan is about to strike, only to have to move as Beruka attacks first instead. She goes down (though is still alive), and Corrin jumps into action. Soan knows better than to physically jump into a brawl like this, so he instead turns to Beruka as Corrin deals with the Mulyawonk.

His eyes look conflicted. Despite what he'd said, he does feel bad about the situation. But there's nothing he can do for her on his own...

He notices what Night Weaver is about to try.

"Stop, that's not a good idea! If you cannot defeat him, he will kill you and then come for us next!"

"Soan!", Gau then yells as he hops back onto this level. Soan turns to him, hoping that Night Weaver will listen to him. Given that Caspar seems to have control back, he shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"Gau. You're alright. Heal Beruka."

Gau tilts his head in confusion.

"But... she enemy."

Soan ignores any other potential protests.

"Who knows how Corrin will react if she perishes. She may be able to calm him."

Gau still doesn't look very sure, eyebrows furrowed. The two stare at one another for a moment, but Gau eventually walks over to Beruka and casts Cure. It won't heal her back to full health, but far enough that she'll live.

"... thank you."

Everything's gone quiet inside the fort. The girl wonders if that means the fighting is over.

... she's still not gonna take the risk though, choosing to stay outside. As long as there's no immediate threats around her, there's no reason to go anywhere but here anyway.

In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391636: Nov 15th 2024 at 1:41:50 PM

The Wrong End

Solomon Reed is a FIA Agent. He's seen horrible things and, more damningly, he's done horrible things. To people who were mostly guilty of getting into the way of his government. Drug smugglers, weapon dealers, unscrupulous mercenaries, fellow agents are but a handful of individuals that Reed had been forced to call "choom" over his long and violent life.

So he was used to the depths of human cruelty. The worst kind of use, mind you. He didn't condone it nor did he delight in it. He just didn't care about seeing or committing massacres if it suited his needs. Nor did he even take delight in punishing overzealous agents - it was a waste of talent, as far as he knew. But who was he to question his orders for long? Reed hemmed and hawwed but, ultimately, he always flinched. And because of that, he considered himself one of the worst people in the world - someone who wasn't even, ironically, human enough to do horrible things because he found joy in them.

He was content simply enabling these people to do these horrible things and get away with it.

In a way, the Mad Arena had been almost therapeutic for Reed. Cosmic chaos was a tad easier on the morals than suffering done by humans. And most threats within it were too lethal for raiders to live long and prosper beneath them - and too alien, even at their basest, to replicate what Reed had seen and done earlier.

So when Reed suspected Beruka of doing something bad, he was expecting to see something dangerous and disgusting but not disgusting to him. Just one more grisly sight for the agent to take in before shrugging and moving on with his objective, right? He didn't even particularly mind being only accompanied by Ekaterina. Out of everyone on his team, he trusted her the most. Which wasn't much - he'd shoot her if he had to.

The way down led to stairs, then, immediately, to narrow, dark hallways. These ones are barely lit as an afterthought - the light and warmth of the main hall, along with Gau, Zeloai, Baz and Matthew's voices are quickly engulfed by cold darkness, enveloping Reed and Ekaterina alike. But the darkness or cold both aren't the problem - it's the smell. The immediate smell. Faded detergent, cleaning products. Reed would have been less worried with anything else, but smelling that makes him lurch forward, with Ekaterina drawing her sword, aghast at the new, confusing smell.

What is this? She angrily hisses.

Cleaning product. And I doubt it's for her laundry. Reed retorts with a mumble, advancing further down the halls, bypassing doors that led to cold bedrooms. He now precisely understand why she'd brought that earlier - and chiding himself for not noticing a tiny detail that had been much more aggressively obvious than he'd realized.

Much earlier...

You were terrified you'd never see our bags, huh? Beruka doesn't engage in small talk - she immediately goes off to grab some food and cleaning products off the shelve, trusting Reed with grabbing her what she needs for herself.

DECADENT DAWNGUARD

Overpowering the detergent at closer range is the smell of rent flesh. Pestilent putrefaction seizes Ekaterina and Reed's nostrils, irridating their entire beings, almost threatening to make them flinch. It can't be described as anything less than rancid - something not even the flies would be willing to fly around of. It's an overpowering stench that fills the nose and mouth, then cascad down the throat to bloom deep within one's stomach, never to leave.

But the smell alone isn't reason enough for them to back off. It's the whimpering, the begging. Which get closer and closer the more they approach a door at the end of the hallway. Someone has heard their footsteps and someone was hoping to find release from their torment. And though common sense dictated that Reed should turn back and bolster his cause with the literal Jedi, the superhero(es) or the rogue, he and Ekaterina almost feared that the door would vanish, if left unopened. Like it was a unique glimpse into the truth.

It was a coordinated frenzy that two veterans of the battlefield should not develop together - that Reed and Ekaterina would be left glancing at each other, holding their weapons tightly, as if they feared the darkness around them was going to come alive and eat them was comedic given their standards. And yet, in this instance, both elite soldiers had become shivering children, cowering helplessly at a mere door. As if their wrathful father was behind it.

When Reed opens the door, he doesn’t do it as a trained soldier of the FIA would. He snap it open and walk in, gun held out, with his finger ready to squeeze the trigger at any moment. And if the stench was foul a moment ago, it's now physically repulsive, making the experienced agent and the experienced dragonrider behind him both flinch. The room that they're in is dark, with no lights nor torches to it.

But sadly, it isn't dark enough

What the duo sees is something so foul, so awful, as to instantly make them revisit their prior definitions of "awful". Men and women writhe in darkness, some tied to chains, some cut apart so much that they don't even need to be tied down, for they cannot possibly escape on their own. Caked blood and much fresher crimson spills has worn at the stone as to make it brown. Writhing things fill the floor. Gruesome steel contraptions, hastily bolted to the stone, lies with them, though some of them were torn apart.

But none of them are as damaged as the human beings within the room. Reed and Ekaterina both refuse to admit that the things that are staring at them (for some) are sentient, conscious, organic beings. The damage done to them is both barbaric yet precise. Maximized to avoid letting the victims bleed out - as to prevent them from respawning later. Princesses, tacticians, warriors, all lie crippled at Reed and Ekaterina's feet, some of them barely conscious enough to simply look up pleadingly as flies buzz overhead.

A wave of nausea overtake Reed - and he reflexively move his gun over to them.

But the one to truly bear the shock is Ekaterina - Ekaterina, who has gotten up to even worse things than Reed. Ekaterina, who had devoted her life to the triumph of King Aelun, only for cosmic whims to reap him and his queen apart. Ekaterina, who had seen her kingdom fall apart at a time where it needed to stand together against the consequences of the Defilement. She'd fought, and fought, and fought... For what?

It only clicks in now - after slowly building up over time, seeing the class disparity in Twillight Town. Seeing "Aelun" and his minions. Watching great beings fight on carelessly at the edge of the horizon, their battles engulfing entire landscapes and pulverizing hordes of survivors and beasts alike. Her entire life, she'd inflicted immense suffering. And for what? No matter where she ran, there was danger and pain.

And despite her trying to get used to that, despite her pretending she had a fine control over it, the sinking realization was worse than the smell assaulting her nostrils.

There had to be a meaning to this. It couldn't just boil down to meaningless violence. Nothing in this world was random - her entire life hadn't been ruined just because of something random, right?

And then it finally hit her - they were all monsters. The people in this Arena had engorged themselves upon fighting for too long, and had endured rightful punishment. They were righteous prisoners, trapped in this realm as ironic punishment for having indulged in their bloodlust for so long. There was no other way to explain it all - the murder, the atrocities. The dragon gods had been dissapointed by Aelun and had taken the decision to seal him. Seal everyone into a twisted, ugly, gruesome realm that fit its captive prisoners.

None of them were innocent - Baz, Matthew, Zeloai, Siffrin, Captain America. Their suffering was intended. There was no escape possible. And even if there was, where could Ekaterina possibly go? The Arena had been her birthplace. And because of that, she was marked by sin. She couldn't go anywhere else without bringing misery and malice.

As Ekaterina loomed in the background, cold blue eyes clicking upon Reed, the latter looked up to see a shivering mass in the middle of the room. One barely more mobile than the corpses or husks around him. He was a being of flesh and scales, the latter clicking in place as he moved a bloodthirsty red eye over to the two survivors.    i'm sorry...   

To Reed's horror, he was gnawing on something. Something that the muzzle flash of his handgun thankfully didn't reveal, as he unloaded bullets after bullets unto it. Even with panic gripping him, Reed was nothing if not precise, his eyes blank as he attempted to gun down the horror. And though one of his bullets punctured the flesh of the being, they bounced off the rest of its scales. And only when they did did the being screech, getting up as scales appeared to cover the rest of his flesh, his body contorting itself to take a new, sleeker, deadlier shape.

Run! Ekaterina did not wait for Reed's command, to the latter's half-surprise as he glanced back. The two of them began running down the hallway, attempting to put in some distance between it and whatever they found. But as it came rushing down at them, a screaming, screeching obsidan mass of scales and power, he understood that he wouldn't be able to make it in time. The hallway was just wide enough for it to run through - and while Ekaterina could make it to the somewhat slimmer doorway to buy time, Reed couldn't.

He could already feel its hot breath on its back - like wet putrescence dripping down his shoulders. Or perhaps it was its saliva, mingled with blood and sweat. Reed's next move was instinctive, poorly planned. A desperate attempt at escaping that could, if it worked, only grant him a few more seconds of life. The agent bent his legs forward, swayed slightly to the right and jumped unto one of the nearby doorways. Within his legs, powerful mechanics clicked together just slightly faster than they usually seemed to, from Reed's perspective, cold metal galvanized by fear.

Power came to his legs as his feet pressed upon the stone. And Reed was thankful that the federal budget had bought him those Fortified Ankles. Or his gun, whose bullets he tried to discharge into the dragon's face at the last moment, in a desperate bid to slow it down for even a moment.

Reed leapt to the side, his larger frame propelled forward by the power of his legs. The older man then bent his back forward, raising his arms to shield his head, neck and upper chest. And for his stomach, Reed brought his legs up, this one a mere reflex. A reflex that an agent of his caliber should know better than to accomplish even on accident. His skin was fitted with sub-dermal armor that could block high caliber ammo, you see. And thus, he should have trusted it to do the job in preserving his stomach.

And yet, as the metal screamed on impact, and as Reed felt himself being flung out of the air to be helplessly ragdolled into the room, the FIA agent was sent careening through the air to slam into the tough stone. Either way, the sight of the stone wall very quickly approaching was the last thing that Reed saw before his entire world briefly went dark.

... And it persisted as he groaned himself awake.

Good news : he was alive, his limbs were attached to his body, his sub-dermal armor had fully cushioned the impact of being flung into stone (though it didn't do much for the pain) and, as he quickly turned unto his back, he didn't find the dragon standing over him, mouth watering at the prospect of an easy kill.

Bad news : he'd been out cold for a little while. What had happened to the others? Shamefully, Reed leapt to his feet and didn't immediately head down the hallway to check on them. The agent instead stumbled out of his doorway, holding his side with one hand, keeping his (useless) gun on the other. He glanced down at the doorway where the beast had been, and looked at the other rooms, trying to find an easy escape path that didn't involve going back the way it had ran to.

But Reed didn't check everything - hearing some dialogue going in upstairs made him stumble unto the recently-finished scene, with a decapited Ekaterina laying at the feet of Zeloai. And further down, he could see a badly wounded Beruka by Corrin's side, with Gau and Soan by their side. Nearby were two other monsters - one was dead, its insides spilled out all in front of it, and another was... had to be Totem.

The Spy was also nearby. He and Reed certainly had no intention of sparing Beruka and Corrin.

But Captain America did.

He steps in front of Totem, shield up, but not poised to strike him. No. He says. I can understand being disgusted with her, but we won't be any better executing her. And killing her might piss that monster off - we don't need or want another fight. Let's try to contact Stark and get to that shelter - it ought to be much safer.

... Worse come to worse, let's make it a vote. Cap eventually tempers. But we gotta remember we don't have time to do this. We'd all be much better off just contacting the man who sent us here - Tony Stark. He's gone silent, lately, and I'd like to get to the bottom of this.

Cap steps aside.

HERE COMES A CHOICE

'EXECUTES BERUKA : Beruka quietly accepts her fate. For someone who's led such a violent life, the punishment inflicted upon her is cathartic. Corrin is similarly moribund, briefly jerking his head in surprise... before simply putting it closer to Beruka, as if to feel her as they both began to choke.

This put them in proper range for Rick to wait for a few seconds for them to feel the air go away before the scientist raise his gun, which is a revolver modified with some of Rick's technology.

And by modified, I mean he literally taped over some advanced stuff unto the regular weapon - lining up blue diodes over its cannon and slapping a little ampulet at the end of the weapon, replacing the safety lock. As Rick squeezes the trigger lightly, several blue diodes, put together by the edge of the cannon, light up at once as the weapon gather power.

And then, Rick's entire arm is flung over his shoulder as he fires a miniature railgun shell out of the barrel of his gun, impacting Beruka and Corrin's heads and reducing both to ashes - literally. Beruka is gone, and Corrin's giant draconic body is left in place with a blazing stump where his head was, with smoke filtering out of it and the crater produced by Rick.

... I wanted them to let them suffer before they died. Rick adds, coldly. But I'm not fucking satisfied. Where's Morty? N-no, screw that. Rick sighs, feeling a golden ticket appear on his pocket, nudging his portal gun. ... I'm so fucking tired.

If Beruka is saved from being weaved: Reed and the Spy are taken aback and irritated both. But with the former groggy from his fight, and the latter only having a common revolver to take against Gau and Soan, there's little either can think to do. They could try to reason, but they doubt Gau would understand. And Soan was obviously very intelligent and wise. If he'd taken the decision to spare Beruka, in spite of everything she'd done, then it was for a reason.

Rick, however, doesn't vibe with that.

Not at all.

She fucking BUTCHERED MORTY! SHE FED PEOPLE TO HER RABID BOYFRIEND! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SHIELDING HER?! WHY?! Rick yells, his rage and disbelief evident in his voice, with no time for sarcasm or quips. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY! I'M KILLING HER! I'M KILLING HER! He says, beginning to light up the diodes on his revolver. As for Beruka, she glances at Bau as a sign of thanks, then turns to Rick, helpless to defend herself due to being barely restored.

Cap stands resolute, looking ready to defend her if needed.

... I'm sorry.

Elsewhere, in the other room, Matthew winces, with an unconscious Baz's head still resting on his lap. In the first case, the gunfire is what bothers him. In the second, it's Rick preparing to shoot at his allies that get him worried, with the young man moving over to Baz as if to shield her with his body.

She groans slightly, but is otherwise out of it for this round, only unconsciously moving her body to rest better on the wooden bench.

And lastly, Siffrin, Zeloai and Cap will all hear some buzzing from the devices Stark use to communicate with them. They went inert when the group visited Twilight Town (which didn't seem to be noticed by any of them).

Hello? The contact cut off. You mind reporting ASAP? STARK COMMUNICATES THROUGH THE EARPIECES. It's loud enough that the others react to it, turning to the trio.

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#391637: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:03:13 PM

Fort Dawnguard

"I can do this..."

Alear's grip on her sword tightens. She steadies her breath as she stands across from Beruka.

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Arachnos (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#391638: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:05:37 PM

As the primary object of her ire perishes, Blade's burning wrath simmers back down to a slow boil as she takes stock of the situation. She knows that she has painted a target on her back, and now, there is a very real chance that she may have to contend with both of the foes who survived her onslaught. She has no ire towards them in particular, but if she is to win this, she will need them out of her way.

She judges both survivors and their state. The man in black armor is mighty - she has experienced his unearthly strength when he splattered her like an overly ripe fruit - but his weapon is large and unwieldy, and he is in a much worse state after her all-out attack. She needs to kill him swiftly before she can focus on the fellow samurai, avoiding a clash of blades that she would probably lose.

Blade sheathes the wakizashi, leaps off the roof, picks up the Ender of Paths and begins charging Guts - keeping her speed lower than what she's truly capable of to hopefully lure him into a false sense of security. She is hoping to bait out a swing from the Dragonslayer that she will hopefully be able to dodge and answer with what she hopes will be a quick and fatal blow.

Konngara turns around in time to block the claw swing with her katana, but the sheer force behind that strike disarms her. Good thing she has three more swords. She switches to dual-wielding the original and Treasure vajras when she notices something oozing from the cuts on the Rahkshi.

Is the Shadowed One's child... bleeding? That's definitely not normal blood, but...

"Something's amiss... spirits can't normally be damaged like mortal bodies," she remarks. This monster won't allow talking as a free action, though, so before she can elaborate, she has to fight.

When the Rahkshi jumps away, Konngara gives chase. She jumps to the side to dodge the mortar disk and keeps closing in until she's in reach for a three-part slash combo. She swings left with the left hand, right with the right hand, and overhead with both at once, aiming for the Rahkshi's right hand in the hopes of disrupting its charge.

Edited by Arachnos on Nov 15th 2024 at 5:20:58 AM

Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391639: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:35:07 PM

Sukuna

   You're pretty good too.    Sukuna retorts to Jerrod. His Reversed Cursed Energy activates, quickly healing up his hand, at the consequence of digging into his Cursed Energy reserves good. Such speed is unnatural in the Arena, where healing factors tend to work slower than they should. But that was because Sukuna had done a Binding Vow

And Sukuna then demonstrates his power further by healing the wounds that Jerrod had done to him, albeit partly due to how deep they are and the special way they were formed. At the very least though, they shouldn't be able to sting and slow or hamper him like they could when they were larger. But still, they look gnarly even when healed. And Sukuna once again has to grab some Cursed Energy to do it.

Overall, his reserves still got dipped into quite nicely, he had to give Jerrod that - Sukuna would not have healed those wounds if he felt they weren't going to be a little troublesome.

With Cursed Reinforcement useless due to Jerrod's armor, Sukuna had traded his Reinforcement Away for better Dismantles and Reversed Cursed Technique. Using Corrin's base physical power, speed and durability compensated the downside (which was still a rather monstrous trade off) and gave him an ability to hurt Jerrod with his punches, giving himself more ways to kill him besides using Dismantles, the Moonlight Greatsword or his water power.

This means Sukuna isn't too worried about him expanding a domain-like ability. Even if his eyes do widen a bit at the sight of such an impressive "illusion".

Impressive either way.

When Jerrod try using a golden portal, Sukuna resorts to a wordless, castless Dismantle to try to slice him out of the air as he falls through a golden portal. He try doing so before Jerrod can get into a second portal. Basically slicing him out of the air as Jerrod is coming down for an overhead strike.

With Sukuna attempting to then gutpunch him out of the air, his arm warping the air as it try to impact Jerrod's flesh with an open palm attack... before Sukuna slam down at the water, attempting to grab Jerrod at the same time to prevent him from escaping. He doesn't try to cast Cleave - instead smiling widely as he attempts to drown Jerrod to death!

Gyhahaha! Thanks for providing me with water! Sukuna says, trying to keep a firm grip on him.

Beruka

Beruka twirls her axe, giving Alear a chance to get into the zone before she suddenly dash at her. She holds her axe as if readying herself to do a wide strike with it, grabbing the handle with her two hands and swinging it overhead...

... But then she jabs at Alear's face with the weapon instead, right at the nose.

Then, Beruka twirls the weapon in her hand to have the flat end pointed at Alear before she chops at her side with an horizontal slice!

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
DevilPsyco from The Underworld (pretty deep down in the ground) Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
#391640: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:38:02 PM

Fort Dawnguard

Seiros looks confident in Alear's skills. She, Seteth and Flayn stand to the side. Seteth would use this opportunity to gauge what this Beruka is like. He wants to know if what's been said about the Shepherds was right or not.

So far, he is impressed at how easily Beruka handles an axe.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the fort...

Sothis is floating right above the roof, napping as usual.


Remains of Blazing Hell

This could be bad. William holds the Demon Shield over his head to block the disk coming from above, but the blast drives him down to one knee. He quickly puts the shield forward to protect himself from the next attack, with no time to attempt a counterattack of his own.


The Wrong End

Soan glances at Beruka and Corrin.

"... I only vouch for sparing them so that Corrin will hopefully not attack us. But I will accept whatever decision is made. But know that if Corrin attacks us because of this choice, I will not risk my life or Gau's to save yours."

Gau looks angry.

"Lady attacked friends. But... Gau feel bad for them.", he says, having taken notice of the fact that the monstrous dragon seemed to care about her, and vice versa.

"Gau... Gau not vote. Gau go back down and heal Matthew.", he says, turning and running back to the stairs to do just that.

In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#391641: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:50:47 PM

Fort Dawnguard

Alear stumbles back in surprise, putting a hand over her nose. However, she reacts to the main attack in time to backflip over Beruka's axe swing, landing on her feet and retaliating with a slash of her own as she rushes in.

From the surrounding mountains, Medusa's Creature jumps down and lands on the fort's roof. She unsheathes her limbs and sits up, looking at Sothis.

"Been looking for you."


Remains of Blazing Hell

The bad news is, the weapon the Rahkshi wields is affixed firmly to its hand, and disarming it is out of the question. The good news is, Konngara hitting the disk launcher destabilizes the charging shot.

The worse news, this means the shot explodes in her and the Rahkshi's faces with earth-shaking power, and the latter skids back from the explosion looking not much worse for wear.

It jets toward William, jumps in the middle of its dash, and does a front flip, slashing down at him with the fire swords in its extra arms while it's over his head. Upon landing, it holds its right arm out at its side and creates a large blade of fire from the projector built into its right-hand shooter, then slashes inward at him with it.

Next

Edited by KiriK on Nov 18th 2024 at 3:43:11 AM

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
ISZATSO The Web-Slinger from Queens Since: Apr, 2020 Relationship Status: All is for my lord
The Web-Slinger
#391642: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:51:31 PM

Hollows, Imperials, Tunnels, Heroes

Days? Oni wasn’t certain he heard him right, but sure enough, he suddenly noticed his hunger flaring. A craving for food, not cooked or processed but natural, raw. As Randall spoke of the creatures down here, he mused on the matter. Rather than immediately attack him, as it seemed they had Randall and probably the other humans in their catastrophic mission, they’d merely treated him with the regular amount of alarm and suspicion to be expected of a foreign lifeform in a new place.

Oni scoffed subconsciously. It was ironic, wasn’t it? All his life he’d been the freak, the unwanted beast that grew disgusted eyes everywhere he went. His clients had to put their foots in their mouths to give him work, and when it was done, he was no longer welcome. But now he was in a place where the tables were turned. Here, the humans were unwanted. His scoff became a faint smile, and his wandering mind didn’t return to the situation at hand until the slim jim bounced off his course hide and to the dirt. He looked down and absently stared at the strip of jerky.

   "I’ve seen her as well."    He rumbled in regard to the wild woman.    "She might be into you, yes. Into eating you as a meal. Still…such a creature would imply other humans down here, wouldn’t it?"    The monster-hunting monster mused out loud. He was well acquainted with the sirens, nure-onna, and selkies of the world: everywhere he went was a monster which preferred to disguise itself as an alluring maiden to draw their feeble-minded prey in.

β€”β€”

It was a seedy place, that much was plain as day to her the moment she entered, but Lorelai wouldn’t have preferred it any other way. Easier to fit in here, amongst crooks and lowlives. She beelined to the bar and quietly put in a food order, depositing credit chips on the counter before finding a chair to wait at. As she looked around she found her hand resting by her hip, just inches away from the concealed silver weapon hidden beneath the faded robes. The once acolyte has long discarded her Sith garments in favor of something a little less evil, though had bought these from a trader on her way here now that she needed something to obscure herself with again.

She should’ve kept her eyes down and minded herself until food cameβ€”it was easy enough, after allβ€”but her mind wandered and absent curiosity took over its job. Her automatically operated gaze flickered across the bar, from the big and scary men playing cards in the corner to a bounty hunter speaking to a man behind the counter. Hm…something about her looked vaguely familiar. Had she seen her on the way into town..?

Lorelai caught herself staring much too long and quickly drew her eyes away, hoping the mercenary hadn’t noticed. Stupid..

β€”β€”

At the mention of her name, Luisa looked up at the source of her voice, findingβ€”"Konngara,"β€”she remembered her, of course, from the inciting event of this whole affair. That first distortion in reality and the church where they’d found Enkidu and Charles, those two and Elizabeth plus the schoolgirl’s pet…thing. Said thing which was now rubbing against her. Cautiously she tried to scratch itβ€”uncertain of whether the creature would appreciate itβ€”while trying to stay away from its teeth. Those things looked like they could bite straight through her arm.

A moment of hesitance preceded her response to the Yaksha’s hand, but in the end she took it and its help, rising to her feet again. "I…" She smiled softly. "Yeah. Thank you." She forgot, sometimes. For all the would-be evildoers of the Arena and the vast, vast infinitum of other realms connected to it, there were, in equal measure, those who wished for peace and justice. It was such an easy thing to forget…

"Honestly, I don’t really know what they are either." Luisa shook her head with a faint laugh, looking at the one with them in the bathroom now while the other scouted ahead. "But I’ll try to keep them useful. Them and me both."

β€”β€”

Within Hub Centralis, the vast, continent-sized city, an almost infinite range of urban centers can be found. There’s old towns and cities of the future, there’s areas ruled by crimes and spotless utopias, floating bulbous buildings and grounded oppressionist architecture…vast, vast multitudes. But our saga focuses on one little Tri-District area, near the grand hub of the Arena’s center.

District 8 is the retro city of the past, dominated by a never-ending war between bought cops and criminal gangs. Even during the day, District 8 seems dark. The trillionaire playboy Wayne’s dark edifice casts a vast shadow over the slums of the city, while a dark guardian patrols the crime-ridden streets at night.

The ill-omened District 13 is much the same in many ways, though vast swathes of this futuristic neon neighborhood have long since been lost to depraved and cybernetically-enhanced gangs. Modern day warlords run their blocks and hire out gunslinging samurai to do the work they can’t afford to have connected to their names. Where they lack an elusive vigilante with a warped sense of justice, they make up with a militarized police force driven by brutality and excessive violence.

Situated between these two cities is unfortunate District 21. From the silver city’s sleek buildings, you can see District 8’s skyline, straight out of a past best left forgotten, and District 13’s skyline, a window into a dark future. Still, the Arena has a habit of birthing unlikely allies, and despite the threefold river running between all three districts, they maintain a powerful sense of solidarity with one another. For that reason, in the immediate wake of a devastating attack on the greater part of Hub Centralis at the hands of an extraterrestrial host of transforming machines, a special tri-district council was held which decided on the marshaling of a team of designated hero to defend the Tri-District Area from further threat.

And today was, at last, the day those lucky few to join would be decided…

District 21

"My husband died in those attacks! To hear you talk about that tragedy like…like…like it was anything less than an alien attack on humanityβ€”"

"Well, I’m sorry about your husband miss, but maybe you should stop complaining at me, and start complaining to the people who set this whole thing up! Mayors Johnson, Martinez, and O’Reilly announced over a month ago their plans to assemble a team of specialized and inhuman killers, oh so supposedly to defend us, but we know the truth! We ALLLLL know the truth! Hold your children tight, dear listeners! Keep your families close! A secret government organization that claims to have your best interests in mind? Enforcing the peace? Where’ve we heard that before? Oh, I know! Died 1945, born 2024, welcome back schutzstaffel! Wake up, sheeple! You might as well start tattooing yourselves now, becauseβ€”"

"Man, turn that shit off! Can’t fuckin’ drive with all that shit in my ear, blah blah blah.."

"Heh, alright uncle T…" The center console’s volume bar lowered as the audio did, the deranged newscaster’s yammering fading out. The Daily Bugle with J. Jonah Jameson will be right back after these…

Rumbling filled the car, undertoned by the sounds of the city. "You excited?" His uncle said after some time in the quiet.

"Hell yeah. Next time you see me, I’ma be big time. No more little league. No more pulling cats out of trees, putting out fires, little kid’s party tricks…I’m done with that shit."

"I’ll bet. I know you got this, you know that?"

"Yeah, why?"

"’Cause you’re a good kid."

"Hah."

"I’m serious, man. You know how many of these guys smile and dance for the TV, then go home and beat the piss outta their girls, their kids? I’ll tell you now, it’s most of them…but not you. You’re too good to get mixed up in that shit. Your moms, she raised you right…better than we ever were. That’s how I know you got this."

…

"This is a fucking stupid idea."

The girl rolled her eyes as her friend voiced her very honest opinion. "You’re such a downer, Tammy. Come on, it’ll be fun! Worst case scenario, we get rejectedβ€”"

"Like when you tried applying to the Avengers? They laughed you out of the room, Joce. That one bitch with the mind shit literally made the door hit you on the way out."

"That was different! Fuck the Avengers. Who needs β€˜em. But this? I’ve got a good feeling in my gut about this…"

"I’m sorry, Joce, but I just don’t trust your gut anymore. You remember Ethan? You had a β€œgood feeling” about him too.”

β€œEthan can also fuck himself. He can fuck himself with the Avengers for all I care, it’s just one big fuckening. The Avengers were pricks. Ethan was a jerkoff. But this…Tammy, this could be life changing! Think about it! Your mom wouldn’t have to worry about paying rent anymore, my brother wouldn’t have to work three jobs just to keep food coming in…"

Tammy sighed. "Fine. But if you’re wrong about this…"

"I’m not, Tammy. Trust me."

…

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Amelie, mon coeur?"

"Where are you going?"

The man combed another hand through his silver-and-gray hair, straightening it again before reaching for the girl’s head and resting it there. "To try out for something. I’ll be right back."

"Superhero tryout?"

He laughed softly. "You’re a perceptive one, Amelie. How did you know?"

"I saw the paper you took from that store…it had a robot on it." She giggled. "I like robots."

"I like robots too. Now try and get some sleep. I’ll be back soon." The father lifted the blanket and tucked it against his daughter. But as he rose and made for the door of the darkened room…

"Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you trying to be a superhero?"

He turned and smile at her, teeth gleaming in the light of the hallway outside.

"For you, mon coeur."

…

The room was stark white and undecorated, painted in LED without so much as a hint of light from outsideβ€”not that it would’ve mattered much, given it was well into the evening by now. At one end was a single sliding door that served as the room’s only entrance or exit, and directly opposite that, an entire wall was glass; a window into the vast training area below. It was into this wide room that aspiring heroes had been corralled, and in the end, a not-insignificant amount of twenty-seven hopefuls had been amassed, having come in search of the opportunity to be Hub Centralis’ next big darling.

They’d been left alone with little to keep them busy except each other, though finally as the clocks neared the midnight hour, the door slid open one last time and the final attendant entered, an orange robot with shining emerald eyes. He strolled sturdily through the crowd and took up his spot right before the window, turning sharply to face everyone.

"My apologies for the delay. Let us begin." He spoke in a calm, tinnyβ€”but not quite roboticβ€”voice. "My name is Robot. I’m glad to see such an impressive turnout. Thank you all for coming. At present, we are looking to fill three positions in this team; beside me, a fourth is already secured, albeit recovering from his wounds following the attack on Hub Centralis. The process by which we will decide which of you joins is twofold; first you will be pitted against me, to form a baseline for your abilities, and then against eachother. In a week we’ll have made our decision, and you will be informed. If there are no objections…" He paused, "…then we will proceed. First, from left to right, please state your name and give a brief demonstration of what you can do. Just be mindful of the others around you. We don’t need another…incident."

…

The training area was just one area of the greater Tri-District Defense Operations Center, a lush plaza of smaller buildings all congregated around the towering Skyspear at the center. While the hopefuls congregated in the basement beneath the Skyspear, a meeting was being held in the much smaller and cubic administrations building at the edge of the plaza…

"Director Stedman, Mr. Luthor is here. Should I bring him up?"

In his office, Cecil sighed and clicked out of the tab on his laptop. His desktop took the place of the rabbit holes he’d allowed himself to fall much too deep into once more, the news sites and the government reports in smaller tabs to the side slowly giving way to the default wallpaper as he axed them, one by one, before at last pressing a finger against the buzzer. "Please do. Thanks, Nancy."

"No problem, Director Stedman."

Outside his office, down the hall, and in the waiting room, the aged cleric smiled gently at the man before her. "You’re good to go, sweetie. Fourth door to the right."

Edited by ISZATSO on Nov 15th 2024 at 5:57:00 AM

With great power…you know the rest.
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391643: Nov 15th 2024 at 2:56:26 PM

Dawnguard

Beruka raises her axe to block the slash, sparks flying off the collision point between the sharp steel. She briefly flinch seeing Alear pull off such a backflip - and it earns something of an approving nod from her.

Yet, she follows up at it with a kick to Alear's right shin, likewise suddenly giving way to the right to try to trip her up to the ground.

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
DevilPsyco from The Underworld (pretty deep down in the ground) Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
#391644: Nov 15th 2024 at 3:19:12 PM

Dawnguard

Sothis is awoken by the sound of Medusa's Creature hitting the ground/roof, though only barely opens one eye in slight annoyance at being disturbed.

"And who might you be?"'', she asks.

In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.
cyzja922 Since: Jul, 2021
#391645: Nov 15th 2024 at 3:40:50 PM

Tropique

Previous Post: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14315151240A21923900&page=15664#comment-391577

Partner Post: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14315151240A21923900&page=15666#comment-391639


Tropique

While both the golden portal and the spatial tear can be used to displace Jerrod, they have some major differences.

  • The spatial tear allows the EGO user to linger in another dimension and prepare his attack from any angle, but it requires Jerrod to actually create by slicing a section of the space around him with an energy blade produced using Spatial Infractor, which can be difficult in a battle where he's heavily occupied.
  • On the other hand, the golden portals don't require him to perform any bodily motion at all, meaning that it has practically no time lag. However, the portal's destination cannot be changed once it is opened, meaning that the enemy can to spot exactly where it's going if the exit is created in their field of view.

This, plus the fact that he opened the portal right in front of him as he fell allowed Jerrod to escape being sliced out of the air and successfully enter the second portal and, as mentioned before, shoot towards the sorcerer from his left backside, his gauntlet raised so that he would unleash a bone-shattering impact that would crush and disable Sukuna's left arm from his left shoulder blade.


Burning Sandstorm in Lourent

Previous Post: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14315151240A21923900&page=15664#comment-391577

DM Post: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14315151240A21923900&page=15666#comment-391634


Tabalia, Lourent

Without any further hesitation, the young man used his phone to contact workers of the Visionary Hotel to salvage the three Graze units that are just laying around the battlefield. It didn't take long for various large white doors to appear and several humanoid androids in dirty uniforms to shuffle out and carry the Graze Commander, Schild, and Ground-type into the Hotel with some assistance from a few vehicles, throwing the pilots out onto the ground in the process and basically telling them to leave, not caring where they might run to.

Once that's finished, Charlian replied to Artemis' mental message. If I have time, I'll introduce you to Jeremy and Jerrod. They're pretty experienced in borrowing powers from other medias, and I think they're more than willing to help you master your powers. The Boxer then made his way North, using his comms to reach out to Amelias and Chavah. "Amelias, I'll go where you go to ensure that Stella gets proper help. Chavah, you just take Artemis to a safe location and drop her off. Let's go."

With that said, the Huckebein Boxer would use a combination of jumping and boosting to leave Tabalia, following Amelias if she has a destination in mind.


Charlian Jackson

  • Bolded Text: Loudspeaker / Comms
  • Huckebein Boxer (Replication)
    • Height: 28.4 meters
    • Weight: 113.7 metric tons
    • Weapons: Vulcan Cannons, Roche Saber, Fang Slashers, Photon Rifle (swappable), Graviton Rifle, Geist Knuckle, Catapult Kick
    • Special Maneuver: ???
    • Equipment: T-Link System, Uranus System, Gravi-Con System (G Territory)
    • Ability: Afterimage

Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391646: Nov 15th 2024 at 4:03:39 PM

Vanek Elthur

has a sharp eye. And sometimes, having a sharp eye meant noticing that another eye was on you. Or maybe it was Baz being a nervous lass. Either way, she notices that she's watched and her head snaps up a little, glancing about at the bar. In this kind of business, being stared at wasn't unusual. Baz had specifically chosen an outfit and general mannerism that'd stand out.

Although she was a bit dismayed to find that sometimes the outfit stood out more than the gun or mannerisms - it was flattering but she also wasn't looking to accumulate more material that way, see? Either way, there were also times where people did look at the gun and gave her work. It paid less handsomely than the bar owner did, but it helped her get bigger jobs due to competency.

And it helped the nervous Baz to imagine herself a lifeline - if the officers discovered her ploy, she could say she was trying to make the locals eventually more welcoming of Empire occupation if they were to see them as peacekeepers. A poor excuse, and one that'd likely get her killed anyway, but the idea that she had a backup plan to fall upon in case things were to get dicey comforted Baz.

She was already in so deep - imagining that she had a rope she could grab to get hoisted out of her predicament did wonder for her nerves.

Anyway, Baz noticed a hooded stranger staring at her. And she did not immediately think that was a Sith. Nor did she believe the traveler was concealing their face for security purposes. It was a harsh environment outside, and even Baz had gear to conceal and protect her features. It could be trouble, but either way, she didn't think that immediately, because she wasn't so paranoid yet.

Even when she should be.

As the owner kept counting, Baz Bambozine thought of simply letting him count and retiring. She was in too deep. Her current mission was done. The latest batch wasn't necessary already - it was a plan B for in case Tomaz and a few others were to get too hungry again. But Vanek Elthur thought that she needed more action and appreciation - and the stranger, while her attire was pragmatic and sensible, also gave off... Hm...

... Well, they looked interesting either way. Not your usual straggler looking to sit down and drink booze, you know? It was someone interesting. The same way Vanek Elthur was interesting. And when interesting people were so close to another, they had to meet.

The young woman smiled and got off her seat to sit closer to the hooded figure, swaying her hips slightly at first, then, upon realizing it looked ridiculous, not-so-subtly switching to a walk that was confident but not a strut either. Once done, she went and sat down, putting her elbow on the table, and then her face on her fist. Her other hand, she rested on the top of her gun, as if to highlight it to a prospective customer.

I can get staring. But don't be so shy! She drawls, leaning unto the left and knocking on the wood with her fist, as to lure the bartender closer to her. I bailed ya out this time, but next time you see someone interesting, don't stick to a corner! You might miss 'em.

God, she loved that. The confidence, the accent (tested out with Kotark), the swagger.

Maybe she was looking for a reason not to jump back into her boring old uniform yet.

Edited by Bolded1 on Nov 15th 2024 at 2:17:26 PM

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
ArbiterOfTheBog Parasmagate from The Mortal Realms Since: Feb, 2022 Relationship Status: Cast away
Parasmagate
#391647: Nov 15th 2024 at 4:28:35 PM

Hollows

"If they're down here with us... Probably as crazy as her. Like look where we are right now!"

The abandoned facility did have an air of, unwelcoming that permeated it's ruined visage. Every claw mark, every dark stain on the edges of the wall, some remains now made into broken yellowed fragments... this was a place of the dead. That they were currently squatting in for the sake of survival.

The dude looked to the untouched jerky stick, tapping his fingers against his knees.

"So... what's the plan compadre? We can really make this garage... livable!"


Hub Centralis: The Tryouts

Amidst all the others, there was a pretty average dude. Wearing a yellow hoodie and leaning with a pretty obvious hunch. His blank bangs shined slightly, as well as he tried to beam back a smile with his somewhat wide grin.

When it was his turn to speak, he walked forward away from the others. He could afford to be a little extra.

"Casper Ester, folks who don't need to know that though call me Totem. Look, I'm just here because of parole, need to join for community service. So I don't get fined, you know?"

He then realized that they might not realize this is a joke and sobered up, his face growing more of a neutral grimace as he spoke up.

"I kid. As for what I can bring, I am a vessel, a Totem for spirits to enter. Currently I can assume the form of eight, as far as I know."

He coughed into his hand, and clapped his hands together, becoming consumed by smoke. His voice came from within the mist, addressing robot and the others in a more ghostly cadence:

"Each form has its strengths, and weaknesses, all that jazz."

Before a powerfully built chitinous fist came out of the mist. It swiped away the fog revealing a vaguely theropod like creature, with well-developed arms that seemed to operate with some sort of bio-mechanical "jackhammer" system. Its body was exo-skeletal, and colored like some ornate watercolored beast, a faintly polished black pearl, boney exterior with flaming reds,oranges, and whites around the fists and the blunt nosed, saurian-corinthian face. It stood at some 17 feet in height, cracking its knuckles together as it went to assumme a loosely boxers inspired position.

"𝕂𝕠𝕝'π•€π•œπ•’π•ͺ𝕒. π”Ύπ• π•π•–π•ž, 𝕒π•₯ π•ͺ𝕠𝕦𝕣 π•€π•–π•£π•§π•šπ•”π•–."

He addressed Robot in a Russian baritone, taking a knee to address the man.


The Wrong End

Whatever devision they made, Casper would leave the nightmarish form of Night Weaver, the creature looking for a moment like a skinned man before Casper turned outside in. He didn't seem to like any option, and addressed Cap on the matter.

"...I want you to know, that there are reasons why I seem distant. I've died before. I know what its like. I know what its like to be ripped from that and back into a living body. All my forms do...

The Mulyawonk is an animal. A smart animal, all Wardens are. But they're an animal. What the people back here did, I wouldn't even call it desperation. They ate a kid Steve. Probably lured him in with the idea of comfort and safety like they did us.

We're not monsters Steve... and I know that this is going to eat at you.

But we can't help everyone here. Many are too far gone to be helped. I'm not saying we go around killing everyone, that's gonna make things worse.

But we need to be a tad ruthless to make it out of here."

That's when he hears Tony Stark's voice and suddenly went quiet. Awfully convenient, but if it meant a way out for some of them... all the more power to them.

Awawa
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391648: Nov 15th 2024 at 5:04:16 PM

Denji

Does not react to what Nymbulda say too kindly. The snake on his neck actually grows as she offers him a free shot. And he glares back at her with a gaze that's profoundly imbued with...

... more than anger, like everyone else on the list.

Like, sure, anger, but as he looks back at her, there's something akin to sadness on his features. Something that makes the snake shivers, as if struck by something.

S-stop it! Stop lettin' me get free hits coz you pity me!

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter
ArbiterOfTheBog Parasmagate from The Mortal Realms Since: Feb, 2022 Relationship Status: Cast away
Parasmagate
#391649: Nov 15th 2024 at 5:16:54 PM

The Arcade

Seeing him shiver she realizes she had struck a chord, seeing the snake even itself get hurt. What emotion was this again-

...shame? The creature fed on anger, but cowered in the presence of shame?

Did she shame Denji?

She looked back down at him with a more neutral expression, looking to that horrible human faced serpent on his neck with a predatory glare. Before turning to Denji.

"...I do not pity you Denji. As in, pity as in its derogatory use. I feel compassion for you."

She stopped playing the game and got onto her knuckles, looking back at him with a soft smile, resisting the desire to purr from the company of someone she enjoyed.

"I have looked forward to this day all week... But something is wrong. Not with you, something in this arcade is dangerous, I can see visage of terrible things attached to the others, attached to you. I see you as a equal Denji, and right now, I'm worried. I need your help with this."

She wasn't focused on the game, and instead picked up her shield and lance, but stood on Denji's right now, looking at the rest of the arcade.

"It is not something I'm familiar with. Could it be a devil, Denji?"

She looked to him in a way he probably hadn't seen before. She was giving him, in this moment, authority.

Awawa
Bolded1 Fate, guide me from behind you!!!!!!!! Since: Mar, 2015
Fate, guide me
#391650: Nov 15th 2024 at 5:47:05 PM

Denji

considers Nymbulda quietly, his anger growing in his gaze. But as she speaks to him, another expression melds in, this one much less clearer. To his credit, he lowers his arm, glancing down at the floor. But as he gazes off at the rest of the room, he doesn't see what she's talking about.

Coz everyone look... regular. But mad.

Like very mad.

As mad as he feels, seeing her waste his fucking time with hallucinations when they had a duel to settle. But as he turns to her, reason barely is able to step in to stop Denji from trying to do something he'd regret forever;

... Y-yo, Nymbulda! He winces. And hold his neck to the left.

If ya see anything on me - can ya rip it off?

Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter

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