Kel smiles a bit, shaking his head.
"-no, though with the amount of times I've had to patch myself up you'd think I'd qualify..."
He stretches his arms above his head, looking around for a moment. The treeline here is actually too dense to clearly see any of the satellite dishes making up the array, so after a moment, he focuses back on James.
"I'm an astronomer. Well... that's what I have the whole fancy paper saying I went to school for, anyway. I think it's still hanging up somewhere in the base..."
He seems to be lost in thought for a moment again before speaking up, somewhat abruptly.
"-but before I wound up wherever 'here' is my job was maintaining and operating the Alpen Signal Observatorium. Which... is where you are right now. Seems like the entire base and all the giant satellites got moved with me. It's a nice place, I suppose. If you're willing to ignore all the weird stuff that happens in the forest where it was put..."
Silence, again. It's clear Kel hasn't had a proper conversation in ages.
"Which isn't here. I haven't gotten any contact from anyone in the past few days. Wherever we are, Think it's safe to say we aren't gonna get much help. At least I don't have to deal with the sun trying to melt me into a puddle again. Or angry yellow orbs trying to tear my limbs off."
what
aeiou: the second"Oh, you're all alone there? That seems... rather inappropriate. Potentially breaks a few laws, depending on where you're from—"
Inappropriate is one way to put it. James really reckons that this entire operation stinks of utter illegality, especially if this man is alone the whole time.
The scientist shakes his head, lips curling a little as Kel explains his job description. "But, an astronomer? That's very interesting — I've a doctorate in astrophysics, although I mainly dabbled in the logistics of time travel until... never mind."
He takes a step forward. Then a few more, and he probably will be on his way to going down his ramp if it wasn't for Kel continuing to talk, his relaxed features shifting into horror the more the other man speaks.
"I... beg your pardon? The sun tried to melt you into a puddle?" He's quite unable to hide the horrified tone in his voice.
Edited by SymeSynth on Mar 20th 2025 at 3:07:28 AM
Creator of the Avatar Arena and its Discord server.THE ANGEL DESCENDS
They fly now?! Xeku man says. No one reply to him, most likely, so he just stay silent for a few moments as he contemplates two majors shifts in the battlefield : the angel taking off as well as his awkward wording, which the narrator decides to further complicates by describing how forcefully he shoves his new white projectile down his enormous bazooka, holding the explosive tightly, almost lovingly as he crams it down the tube, even spinning it a bit as if to insure it's holding tight in there.
His Mobile Suit get going, moving along as it propels itself at speed too high for a metal monster its bulk and height. So it can fly thanks to those jets? Most likely they could be clayed off. It having the high ground could be pretty catastrophic if it realized that Julieta couldn't really fend off the beam on her own (from what he'd seen, whips were a poor shield). And already, those targets it began picking off looked like they'd struggle making it out alive.
He needed a distraction, and also a way not to accidentally blow up the lunatic on the damn thing.
You two! And the Grazes! I'll try to block its jets with my clay! Keep your fire on it and move to protect that weird Mobile Suit! Xeku tells the Zinin Squad and the nearby Graze Soldiers. He hoped they'd provide protection as his propulsors turn off, the massive mecha being left in the air for a little moment before brutally impacting the ground, leaving a trail as it drags its multi-tons mass forward, putting aside its machinegun to aim accurately with the Bazooka.
The small red dot in its cyclopean visor get smaller and smaller as it aims for one jet and...
Go!
With that, should he succeed, he immediately grab another white projectile and try to shoot his load with great pleasure.
ALLY CALLOUTS
ZININ (GOATS) SQUAD : Help distract the Hashmal-Sid with firepower.'
GRAZE SOLDIERS' : Help shield those attacked by Hashmal-Sid with their shields and distract it.'
Edited by Bolded1 on Mar 20th 2025 at 11:25:07 AM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterG0lly
Morpho Knight glances at Sylux.
"An enemy, which I have driven off."
—
Collector Samus, the Lennas, and Snake all have projectile weaponry. They all immediately turn and shoot at G0lly. Snake uses a pistol instead of an RPG.
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."Gumby - Vs. Nazo
Despite having his stomp no-selled by Nazo, Gumby is determined to continue his fight against the almighty hedgehog. This baddie is strong, but Gumby's imagination is stronger! Willing his imagination again, Gumby summons the help of Pokey the Horse, who attempts to give Nazo a taste of horse hooves!
Yuka and Laura - Kaiju Investigation Mission
Without skipping a beat, Yuka communicates with the High Command, " There's a giant lizard about to approach your property. Engaging with the monster with your arsenal will make things worse. "
Knowing her luck, they'll do the stupidest thing possible in this situation. May ENIAC and Yggdrasil have mercy on her...
Morph Moth and Commander Yammark - Vs. Hashmal Repair Sid
Although the Hashmal-Sid flew away from their gunfire, both Jestas stay in position and continue trying to fire at the monstrous robot. They are determined to shoot down this annoying bird, it seems.
Morph Moth comments, "Great... I kn-know X felt when he f-fought us..."
Commander Yammark adds, "You can say that again... And he still managed to beat us."
G0lly
"Good. Let's keep exploring then. The sooner we beat this thing, the sooner we can finally get out of here."
With their prize, Sylux thinks to themselves as they start moving back to the monitor room. The east side of the upper floor hasn't been explored yet, after all.
—
The Good Hunter won't really find anything of interest yet back down that hall. And yet they may get the feeling that's about to change very soon.
—
No immediate sign of Star Boy's location.
—
The group's entire onslaught hits G0lly dead-on... making the Child laugh as the scales, once tipped fully, go back to neutral.
Scales: 5 - 5
"Sorry, not sorry. Overkill doesn't carry over. Otherwise you'd have won right here and now, and we can't have that, now can we?"
"This is so incredible!" , G0lly happily says.
"Do you mind if I up the pace a bit?"
"To make things even more exciting! I'll use a five-lane monster just for you!"
"Excellent idea. We'll play this game again. But this time..."
"You're gonna have to keep moving."
G0lly and the Child disappear again from sight. Then the entire place starts to rumble, harshly enough that both the kids fall over. Karzahni manages to stay standing, his mask glowing and the chain in his hand catching on fire.
"..."
He suddenly starts running back towards where the path splits, now going right (originally up, the direction that Sylux and the Good Hunter initially took).
The kids get back on their feet.
"... I don't like where this is going.", the wary one says. And then, from the same pathway that the War Bohrok appeared from...
Scales: 5 - 5
Edited by DevilPsyco on Mar 20th 2025 at 12:43:34 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Casper
....yeah she got it. He just hoped he hadn't suffocated her too much today. This would be good, right. Two of them working. More reprieve from eachother so they didn't get sick of eachother. She could provide for herself. Get the life she missed out on. It would be fine...
He was looking at a Men's Fashion Magazine when the envelope fell out. Being through perfectly timed moments befire, he gave the man behind the desk a side-eye before lifting up the envelope to his kwn face. He cut it open with his teeth and looked ar its contents...
AwawaMark strained further into the creature, as though no longer trying to push it back and now push it over, before realizing those efforts could prove only in vain. So he pushed away, and it was a good thing he did it when he did: the beast had decided now was the time for rapid diversification of its portfolio, and by portfolio, well, lets jusr say. Haha. His selfd.
The hero hovered away as the Thing navigated to another building, brows furrowing beneath white goggles. ”Hey!” He again shot forwards, yet this time aimed his weight mixed with momentum at the entity’s legs, aiming to know it down and open it up to assault from the others.
And as for the Umbra speeding for Taye—
Schwoop!
Like an arrow, the Warframe dropped from the heavens following the destruction left by the Entity’s razor-sharp whip. A set of arrows nocked, a set of arrows shot simultaneously at the spherical scapegraces. Into the concrete in front of the woman smashed the Warframe Jade, ever a guardian angel. On her back the bow Evensong, decorating her hip Cantare throwing knives, and in one hand she bore the double-sided scythe Harmony, stretched out before Taye. ”Go,” She delivered a sharp order despite the clear lack of lips.
With great power…you know the rest.LIVE IN FEAR // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE IN FEAR
Situation III
"We’ll get him next time,” Mehmet offered to Lily, yet it was cold comfort. Liam was stirring, and her gaze went to the four corpses staining the room. Corpses that, only some minutes prior, had been people, people she’d known her entire life. She didn’t want to just leave them there, yet for now…there was nothing to be done. Already some were weeping, some were dumbstruck laughing, and some were utterly silent, struck by shock. Somebody needed to seize control of the situation. Lily thought of what she’d say—
"Everyone, listen up!"
Silence settled over the room. Even Lily looked, mouth still open and filled with unspoken words, at where the voice which sounded so shockingly like her quiet, reserved brother, yet couldn’t possibly be him had come from.
"I was looking at old maps before we came here…" Before they came there. The previous day’s morning, less than 48 hours ago, yet it felt such a long time. In the span of only two days so much had happened to him. He’d died and come back. Settra had been defeated, the pharaoh’s Great Truth passed down onto him. Now, all this…yet he forced himself to continue. "There’s a bunker in the city, known only to the Children of Man. It’ll be safe for the time being. Ethan’ll be safe there." That part he directed to Macta, looking worryingly at his friend in her arms, yet purged that worry from his voice when he spoke. He couldn’t let them know he was scared. If the weakest among them acted strong, he reckoned, then nobody else had any reason not to, even not now, after the most devastating blow their class—nevermind the entire Children of Man—had been dealt in years.
Unbeknownst to any of them, it would only get worse.
"Ricky." He said so low it was almost a whisper. "Jeanne. Olivia. Marcus. I…I loved all four of them, like all of you, as sisters and brothers. But we can’t hinder ourselves now. They’d know we need to keep moving, because until the sun rises and we’re as far from this city as anyone could ever possibly be, we’re not truly safe. We’ll come back for them, give them…give them a proper burial, like they deserve, but for now…" He shook his head. "We need to go. Grab our injured. I’ll lead the way."
As Liam swept past her, Lily was…proud. Deeply, unspeakably proud. He’d never done anything like that before, put himself out there, but most surprising of that entire incident was that leadership actually seemed to fit him. But an accidental glance at the bloody mess that had been Ricky sobered her, put her feet back on the ground. She forced her eyes away, landing on Macta. "Need some help?"
As soon as they exited the building, though, their hearts dropped back into their stomachs. There, in the ruined garden, waited for them Kain. An impossible smile spread over his warped lips. He beelined through the group, slowly, stopping by Macta, Ethan, and Lily, the latter of which with her fists raised and eyes fierce. One little movement was all the excuse she’d need, but she never got it. Kain’s grin only shrunk into a smirk as he looked down at the unconscious Ethan, leaning in as close as Macta would allow and whispering. "Goodnight, sweet prince." Then he reared back up to full height and, with arms behind his back, passed innocently through the rest of the crowd, disappearing into the building they’d just exited.
The groan of a distant horde served both to alert the class of the state of the city, and to remind them of their lack of time and lack of safety. Liam swallowed his fear and set out, followed by the shadows he’d spent his entire life living in, for this bunker.
SITUATION III — FIN
Situation IV — Luin
Luin hazarded a glance behind her when she crossed the rubicon through the doorway and took her first steps into the modern dungeon. Not to say it’s what she expected, but if she had seen nothing but the cold, empty air behind her when she looked back, Luin didn’t think she’d be particularly surprised. What she saw instead was every last soul that had remained on that rooftop, even the (as of this moment, nameless) pilot. Her descent down the stairs slowed and she lingered for a moment, looking over the group willing to venture into Hell’s bowels at her side.
Let’s give ‘em hell, Luin!
Congratulations, by the way. I'm very happy for you.
If you're headed down into the pits of Chaos, then I guess I am too.
Yeah, I also lost a buddy on the way here too— I can't leave without her.
That grim expression which she harbored already was cured, if only momentarily, by a warm smile. Luin forced herself to turn away once her eyes grew misty, keeping on quietly. Yet as they delved deeper in the dark, her mind, so full of hopeful gratitude only moments earlier, was now riddled with concern. Cairo was a big city, could they really find Aelun and stave off the undead at the same time? It was one thing to defend against them when they had the high ground, but to be down there, among the hordes themselves…
Or, worse yet, what if they did find him?
Don’t think like that, herself she reprimanded. Aelun would be unhurt when they found him, and breathing yet. He had to be; no king would succumb so easily. And, as he promised her so often, only a dragon can fell a dragon.
Situation IV — Aelun
After Thorn disappeared into the hall roof and Vel’Koz had quite literally made a way through for them, Annie turned her head sharply to the hallway, then to Aelun. ”She’s gone,” she stated plainly, only the second sentence ever he’d heard from her.
"It matters not!" He relieved another undead of its legs, beginning gradually to ascend the steps backwards. Just a few more and they’d be able to turn and run for it without any zombies right on their heels. "If she’s dead, that is what fate has decreed, but we breathe yet!” The man’s mask slipped ever so slightly as Amy struck a final blow against the last two lumbering rot posing an immediate problem, giving them this last single moment to go! before more took their place. In this critical second, Annie made a split-second decision. Leaving the Sith on her own…normally Leonhart would’ve allowed anybody else to go off and die, but there was something about this one. Besides only that she’d resolved already to protect her, so she could bring her before the General and maybe even induct this woman of undeniable power and skill into their own ranks. And on the topic of that power and skill, Leonhart didn’t doubt she was very capable of making it on her own, but…
What else is in this building?
So Annie broke off from the others, dashing through the doorway and out into the hall. "Leave her," said Aelun to the others as she went, "run!" Her eyes traveled up into the hole through which the Sith had traveled, and her ODM gear hissed as the scout followed. Yet ultimately it led her, in Thorn’s wake, only a few seconds ahead of the rest. Vel’Koz was first, of course, being the trailblazer; then Sebastien with his enhanced physical abilities and Amy right by him, and finally Aelun lastly of all. Behind their footfalls, the stairway crumbled under the Force, forsaking the undead of their access. Aelun’s bloodstained helm turned between Annie and Thorn alike and she could practically feel the glare beneath it, but didn’t particularly care. All the General asks is that he lives. He doesn’t have to like me. The king brushed past them, continuing up the stairs albeit being afforded a slower, more leisurely pace now as a result of Thorn’s efforts. Not that he’d admit it, of course. He preoccupied his mind instead with thoughts of the object of his search.
She’s a fighter, he reminded himself to dispel the concern. Maybe even a greater warrior than him, and that was more willing to admit, albeit hardly. She’s survived worse before I came along.
But still, Aelun prodded at the worse case scenario, that he’d find her dead, if even he did find her at all. She was the only thing about him that was real, if she died now, he had no clue what he’d do.
Situation IV — Luin
—But the sweeping fingers of Death passed apathetically through mortal promises. Stop! The shout hissed in her ear, the cry to keep these thoughts back and fend them away as though they were a pile of undead, and could be dealt with just as easily. It was the little girl still in her that denied possibility, the girl she thought had died long ago. Again she flushed that fragile side of her, forced her deep down as though to protect her. Any small gleam of untarnished innocence was precious to her, especially so once the group had reached—
Situation IV — Aelun
—but could he ever love another, the same way he loved her? And here was a part of his mind he didn’t often explore, and would be just fine going the rest of his life without confronting it. The vulnerable part. The weak part. The mind of a boy, unscarred by the fires of his childhood and adult life thus far. I never wished to see it again. He tried again to kill the boy, but the waif slipped past the clutches of his mind and squirmed back through the cracks, disappearing again from the light of day as though so fragile that he could be set aflame by it. Good thing the boy slithered away when he did, too, because he could afford no weakness on—
Situation IV — The Thirteenth Floor.
They nearly crashed into eachother as their paths met upon the stair. There was a moment of stunned silence, then came the embrace. And in the throes of their reunion, Annie Leonhart breathed a sigh of relief herself that Luin still lived; not for any personal connection to the woman, but rather because she was now integral to the General’s plans: priority number one. Meanwhile, Avdol looked out over the group below his, taking in all of their faces with a hefty degree of interest, though the one to which his attention was drawn most was, of course, the giant, purple, floating eyeball with a triad of tendrils stemming from it. Over Aelun’s shoulder as she leaned into him, Luin saw Sebastien, a great grin spreading widely at this very welcome surprise.
Yet before the reunion could stretch on for too long—although providing ample time for Venti with Vel’Koz, as well as Mark and Nick with Amy—the entire stairwell shuddered. Not the stairwell, Annie deduced. The building. Something very heavy was very close, and she—along with Thorn, most likely—knew exactly what. She had just enough to part her lips to spread the warning when the rumbling worsened by several degrees of magnitude, an ear-rupturing round suddenly filling the space with them. No throat produced this roar. It was the sound of concrete tearing apart, strained past its breaking point, and immediately following that roar did the entire area suddenly shift into a steep slant. Aelun, followed then by Avdol and likely most others fell over onto the ground and tumbled through that landing’s door and out into the sloped hall, sliding down towards an open gash at the far end, with only the empty night behind it.
Into the air lifted a collective yell from who knows which lips, sliding out of the building and free-falling some stories down onto a wide-open terrace balcony on the seventh floor, harboring a swimming pool, some picnic tables, a desolate bar, and a number of other hotel-based commodities. Luin smashed into the ground and left a deep imprint but was entirely unharmed by the fall, thanks to Hunter Logic. Avdol had slowed his own fall with a consistent and focused jet of flame from Magician’s Red, the Stand materializing halfway from the torso up and proved similarly unharmed. Leonhart’s ODM gear was the key to her own survival, zipping around the building and coming to a stop on the terrace only once she’d slowed enough that the sudden stop wouldn’t be fatal.
But for Aelun, and whoever else had no reasonable means of surviving the drop, there was Venti to slow their fall. They’d float like feathers on the wind, coming to a graceful and harmless stop at last around the pool.
A number of eyes traveled upward, at the great shadow cast over them, blotting out the moon: the building’s entire upper half was now tilted at an angle overhead, suspended only by a few intact pillars and a faint notion of structural integrity. The perpetrator of this act dropped like a dark teardrop from the larger shadow, and the seventeen foot Tarkus—lacking one of his hands—crashed into the balcony. In the other, still intact hand he held a massive waraxe, bearing hefty cast-iron chains from its pommel that connected it to the much larger undead. Annie scowled and wasted no time in reloading her blades with new razors, zipping around like an armed insect to the nape of Tarkus’ neck by instinct alone. Preventing her from delivering that blow to end this battle before it even began was another undead knocking the scout out of the sky, this one much more reasonably sized yet also unreasonably agile, singlehandedly defying the “zombies are slow and lumbering creatures” stereotype. As Annie was thrown through a poolside cabana, collapsing the cloth structure, eight foot Bruford dropped beside his rotting brother-in-arms. Above him his dark hair seemed to waver as its own entity entirely, and at his hip rested the sheathed blade Luck.
"It’s just one thing after another…" Luin sighed miserably, though found hope within her when to her side came Aelun, already wordlessly brandishing his own sword. Annie hissed and pushed herself to her feet, the scrapes left by the rough landing disappearing in clouds of steam, while Avdol only lifted his own arms and stretched them out at the enemy, the shimmering trace of Magician’s Red behind him.
LIVE IN FEAR // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE // LIVE // DIE IN FEAR
Edited by ISZATSO on Mar 20th 2025 at 10:50:16 AM
With great power…you know the rest.Sombra is on his guard around Eiki, though he loosens up a little when she praises him. He tries to return her smile, but as usual when his deeds as the Dark King are mentioned, his eyes aren't quite smiling.
"Judgments aside, why have you led us back here?" Konngara asks. "Our mission is not yet over. Surely you have more in mind than pleasantries."
Edited by Arachnos on Mar 21st 2025 at 11:39:57 AM
Estraole
"Yes."
He's silent for a moment, before realizing James looks horrified, resulting in Kel looking kind of guilty.
"Sorry, I just... got used to a lot of it. I was terrified when it happened, though it never happened since. Same could be said for a lot of the things I encountered in that forest..."
He sighs, and for a moment it seems like the weight of the world sits upon his shoulders. He looks up at the sky for a moment before looking back at James.
"I've seen notes left behind by others. Whatever had been going on in this base, they knew. They knew it was dangerous and they still sent people here- people like me. I... Yeah, I've seen things."
Cairo
Situation IV - 'The Pilot'
The pilot was about to make another remark before the very floor beneath their feet rumbled and shifted, the sudden disorientation alongside his considerable weight (thanks to him carrying a typically vehicle-mounted heavy stubber) forcing him into a slide that quickly met its end when he went tumbling off the side.
Instead of going splat or being slowed by the wind itself, he tossed his gun forward towards the pool, before sticking a Three-Point Landing and fracturing the concrete below. He does take a moment to get up, however, and the hand and knees he took the fall on are visibly bloodied.
"Well, takes a lot more than that to keep me down."
As he righted himself, he saw the two undead arriving, and his eyes narrowed. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to retrieve his gun from the pool, and he doubted any of the arms stashed away on his person (with the exception of his plasma pistol, perhaps) would make much of a dent.
But he did have something that would.
He didn't have too much time to steady himself, and he was a bit rattled from the fall, so it'd be a risk.
But, in the absence of many other options, it was a risk he was willing to take.
Bolts of electricity bearing a shifting hue leapt across his body as he focused, before he shot both hands forward with a cry of effort and launched a concentrated bolt of that same lightning at Tarkus. At the same time, his eyes were alight with a brilliant glow, though it quickly subsided as the lightning did, leaving him looking slightly winded.
He drew his plasma pistol.
"Right- Probably shouldn't do that again."
Is all he said as he got ready for what was coming next. Whatever it was he had just used, he didn't seem to have much experience actually using it.
Situation IV - Alison
When the entire building had shifted, Alison was forced to ground herself elsewhere, her mana exhausted. She watched the fight from a distance, but was a bit more concerned by the undead she knew she was going to have to fight off to keep her place on wherever she had decided to ground herself... Well, it's why she always kept an entire longsword tucked away in her bag. For good luck. Clearly.
Situation III - Macta
Macta didn't make an indication of if she actually needed any help, though she carried Ethan just fine. She still looked worried, however, and was visibly more defensive when Kain came close- a shudder leaving her body as they finally snuck off.
"I believe I'll be fine, but... My liege has pushed himself too far. I worry for his safety, with all that's happening... Because I can hear it. Nature crying out in fear. A great terror is approaching... or perhaps it's already here, among this city. I can't be sure."
Center of the Mind - Ethan
"...what're you doing asleep, dummy?"
Ethan's eyes snapped open. He found himself inside a shining cathedral, overtaken by a vast system of plantlife and roots. All of this sat upon a small island- there were others like it nearby, but they were lifeless. Disconnected. Far below sat a shimmering light, almost too faint to make out...
"Huh..? Who's... am I dead?"
As he sat up, an echoing laugh reached his ears. He... remembered that laugh. Had heard it upon the breeze, in the rustling of leaves...
"-wait, Yggdrasil?"
"Yup! I'm still here. Well... kinda. My whole consciousness was lost when I transferred my power to you. This is... more of my memory, really. All of it's all bound up in these plants! So's my power."
So that's why it looked like that.
Ethan's Vril, as he had found one of the times he fell asleep and awoke here before- took the form of an ornate, white-and-gold cathedral. The power Yggdrasil had given to him had taken the form of those roots- just a single sprout at first, but it had slowly grown, overtaking his own soul.
He hadn't understood what it meant until now.
"I'm dying, aren't I. Your power... I don't know how to properly use it, much less make it my own. So it's feeding off my soul..."
In front of him sat a ghostly apparition of the former Vril-ya herself. At Ethan's words, she looked sad.
"I'm afraid it's true. The more you use my power, the more you feed it with your own Vril. Keep going, and you might cease to exist... I suppose that's why we're only supposed to implant ourselves into a fallen body. So we can properly mend what's left of the soul with our own. But what we did..."
"...means it might cause both of us to truly die beyond saving from any power. Or cause me to forget everything entirely... Leaving me as a blank slate bearing the power of nature."
Both sat in silence for a moment. Neither really knew... what to say. And it was like that for a good while.
"...is there any way to stop it?"
"I can't be sure... you have to remember that you're a hybrid of both human and Sylvan... And I think the human part of you- the part that made up the underlying well of your Vril, making you as powerful as you were -is rejecting my power. And with so much of your soul made up of the human part of you..."
"...everything I ever was is being rejected. Leaving me with less and less power each time I push myself beyond my limits like I did before- maybe even just every time I use our power."
The memory simply nods. Humanity was supposed to be this incredible, unbreakable spirit- so why was it that Ethan felt so hopeless?
Edited by RainbyPlays on Mar 20th 2025 at 12:06:01 PM
aeiou: the secondCairo
Those falling saw Venti casually fall ahead of them before he took out a lyre. Strumming some strings, he played a melody
and all parties simply began to float down as anemo gathered at their feet, granting a soft landing.
"Now where is Vel'koz?"
Said just moments before the creature slammed its tentacles I the earth, landing while staring at the rest of the party ominously.
"Luin possesses a low terminal velocity. Unheard of in humans. Fascinating. I'll discuss this with you later."
That's when it's main violet orb landed upon Venti, and the two casually approached eachother. Though their respetive energies swirled around eachother as they locked glances. Just as their expressions began to narrow...
"How you doing!"
Venti's expression turned far more casual, his eyes shimmering while Vel'koz bashfully twirled a tentacle.
"Studying all instances which seem to violate the physical Laws of Causality. Additionally the pyschokinetic properties common in the mammals of this dimension." The two formed their own glasses of tea out of void and anemo respectively as they stood amongst the wreckage and remains.
"I was looking all over for you, I needed to ask you something."
"My purpose was to attempt to deglove one of the psychokinetically advanced organisms present to-"
The casual discussion was interrupted as the towering undead lunged at them. Even disarmed it seemed more than capapabe of killing the people present.
The two looked to eachother and nodded, with Venti drawing back their bow as a typhoon-force gale billowing around them. Vel'koz was versely clicking his brow eyes with some sort of dark pink energy, while his carapace widened.
Both powering up something fierce.
Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Mar 20th 2025 at 9:22:21 AM
AwawaITS SYNCING TIME
With a racketous chitter, the Ninjask rears back in the air, multicolored light beginning to stream around it as it readies its Sync, Power Precision Acrobatics. Meanwhile, Torterra takes the brunt of the impact and groans out one last as its legs collapse under it, sliding from Sleep to a proper KO.
>NYOOM
/\。。/\Untold Loss
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Jerrod just watched the battle continue without him, knowing that he can't meaningfully contribute to it any more than he could have already done and watching in morbid fascination as Ana split the very sky itself open. Moreover, he can't help but whistle when Croque tore open her arm again using what seems to be the same trick that he was told about when they were still in the meeting room. "Second verse same as the first, I suppose." is all he muttered as he stood up and stretched his legs, knowing that this fight is about to be wrapped up soon enough.
What he didn't expect is Ana, who has been physically dominating him and his allies throughout this entire ordeal, decided to suddenly pull something different. The ichor dripping from her shattered limb seemed to slow as the sunlight turned into something strange. The light seeped into his mind, something that almost reminded me of what granted him his EGOs. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that this is
different.
"...hm, this isn't how sunlight is supposed to work."
Jerrod immediately braced himself for the psychic influence, his powerful will clashing against the thing that's trying to clear out everything that makes him him, but it was just a little too late. In his moment of negligence that stemmed from his current lack of desire to fight, the man failed to brace himself for potential attacks against the mind, and now it has managed to reach just deep enough that he can no longer simply repel it.
The man's face contorted with genuine, unfiltered shock as he realized that this may actually be how he meets his end, while he fell to one knee due to the sheer stress it's placing his mind under. The power of his ritual will ensure that he can never be controlled, but if he lets this thing continue drilling into his mind, he will lose the one thing that he holds dear above most even as he remains a free man.
Yet, despite this horrid circumstance, all he can think of is how to best drive his own fist into Ana's cranium and gouge out her brains.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH." The man slammed his golden gauntlet into the ground, creating a massive crater, the stress of the crisis drawing out more of his physical strength than he usually is capable of. "Toys? TOYS?" One of his teeth cracked from how hard he's gritting them as his powerful will warred against the eldritch influence. "Let's see how you like it when I FEED YOU YOUR OWN EYEBALLS!"
Jerrod seethed with fury rivaling a thousand suns as he felt his own EGOS- all four of them- crash against the influence of the light, with The Form of Identity fighting especially hard. Despite it all going on inside his head, it hurt in a way he can't describe. It's like trying to pull out a parasite by its roots when it has already taken a bite into you.
As much as he wants to borrow a power in order to defend his mind, he has no clue about the nature of this baleful light, meaning that he can't immediately borrow a convenient countermeasure to break this agonizing stalemate.
"No. No no no no NO NO NO NO NO! THIS IS BULLSHIT!"
The ritual-bearer felt blood drip from his nose as he tried to battle the splitting headache, as he slammed his fist into the ground again and again as he realized how his prized strengths are failing him.
The body that he views as a beautiful temple of strength and agency? Irrelevant.
The mind that he guards with a powerful EGO of dreams and unreality? Compromised.
The will that allowed him to attune with four EGOs? Stalemated.
The ritual that started it all for him? Useless, held back by himself.
"I AM JERIDAN CHEN."
Jerrod screamed at the top of his lungs as his iris expanded, filled with patterns of interconnected links.
"I GET WHAT I FUCKING WANT, HOW I FUCKING WANT IT! THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL EVER WIN AGAINST ME IS THE COMPLETE AND UTTER ANNIHILATION OF MY BEING! I WILL NOT FALL HERE!"
Everyone everywhere in every world felt the slightest tremor, with other Jeridan variations jolting with discomfort.
"I WILL OBTAIN THE CONTROL I DESIRE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!"
The pattern began to spin, resembling an endless spiral of bindings and chains that connect to every single person in every single world as he drew in a deep breath.
"You may shatter my body and gouge out my brain. You may crush me with overwhelming strength that I am hesitant to obtain. You may even torment me for eternity, but..."
Jerrod's body suddenly stilled, and so did the conflict within his very mind and soul.
"I.
DO.
NOT.
BREAK."
That manic yet genuine declaration and the threat of his very identity being erased spurred the ritual to change.
Chains, tens and hundreds and thousands of them, burst out of every orifice on his body, some even bursting through the seams between his nails and fingertips. Every inch of his skin writhed as veiled links burst forth from his soul and moved through his body, adjusting to him and him alone. Every being across the multiverse cried out ever so slightly in submission, even if the cry is so miniscule that they don't even know it ever happened.
Jerrod can only let out a gargled, yet smug and satisfied laugh as the chains made him feel reinvigorated and in completely control of himself, allowing his own will and own EGOs to drive out the filthy influence that dared to violate the sanctity of his being. At the same time, his mind began to grasp what exactly this change is, recognizing it as a phenomenon that only occurred because of the sheer stress he's placed under, his unyielding resolve to be what he is without a shred of regret, and the danger he experienced.
It's both a change made under an extremely precarious situation to save its user, but it's also a reward for his tenacity.
After all, what better way than to reward such a selfish determination than to grant him a symbol of absolute control over himself?
The moment of glory and affirmation would eventually pass, and the chains receded back into Jerrod, giving him a moment to catch his breath and process this change. The man is currently too tired and overwhelmed to do anything against Ana at the moment, but he's filled with a satisfaction so intense that he wasn't even aware is possible. This is the first step towards his desire for control, and he's going to take another.
I'd say he'd do it no matter the cost, but that's not quite right.
How about... on his own terms, and only on his own terms?
The Angel Descends
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Charlian is surprised by the new ability that made him completely miss his attack. Hindsight is a bitch, but he supposed that it's something he could've considered when watching the new MA attach itself to Hashmal. The brief surprise made him overextend and fly a little too far from the fallen angel, but it's no distance he can't quickly trace back by turning around and boosting towards Hashmal Sid Repair again as he vowed not to make the same mistake twice.
Instead of committing to a single powerful slash, Astaroth Origin grabbed its hammer sheath with its left hand and held the sword with his right, before chucking the former at the Mobile Armor's opened beak in an attempt to break its beam weapon, or jam it at the very least. That's done right as he flew at Hashmal again and right before he engaged the fallen angel in a vicious melee match, delivering relentless slashes against its body to keep it occupied as Charlian turned on ally-comms to reach everybody in the vicinity. This is timed so it happens around the same time the Xeku tries to block its jets with a clay bazooka to help it land.
"Fire at the Mobile Armor!" is the first thing he called out. "Those with beam weapons, target the black wings! Those with solid projectiles, target the body! Just unload your firepower at it while I keep it engaged at close range!" True to his words, whenever Hashmal Sid Repair would try to disengage from the conflict, Astaroth Origin would use his Flight Form to catch up with it and keep it behind the lines, using his hammer sheath for blocking and parrying while using the γ Nanolaminate Sword as his primary offensive tool.
Charlian Jackson
- Bolded Text: Loudspeaker / Comms
- Gundam Astaroth (Origin)
(Full Aspect Replication)
- Height: 18.5 meters
- Weight: 32.2 metric tons
- Weapons: 150mm Shotgun, Sledgehammer, γ Nanolaminate Sword
- Special: Twin Ahab Reactors, Ahab Thrusters, Thermal Phase Transition Thrusters, Nanolaminate Armor, Flight Form
Edited by cyzja922 on Mar 20th 2025 at 11:37:38 AM
Esche — random ork tagent
Flint is wary of the orks, he activates—
Alda sees the truck on the way, aims up, and immediately opens fire, before the trucks going their way got within range as well.
"Ova 'ere! We'll give ya a hand free o' charge!"
The armored man realizes he can't control her and goes with the flow, acting as the geriatric's bullet sponge. Both of them are aware of the greenskins' knack for a good fight. Alda's rifle turns into a rocket-launcher that she rapid fires, they aren't really aimed at anything, just a lot of loud explosions that'll maybe get them riled up in a good way.
"LET US ON 'EM!!"
"What's the plan now hag"
"We'll se~~e!"
Situation IV
The moment Mark catches up with Nick, the entire floor seemingly collapses on them. With quick thinking, Nick hands Mark one of the teleporting knives. Their descent slows down but they're quick to follow through with their own plans first.
This allows the adventurer to safely warp up a few meters before landing on the ground. As for the mage, it allows him to warp himself face-first into a puddle of water.
"Life's payback for earlier, bitch."
Nick groans, but he's strangely uninjured.
"Damnit... Wait is that—"
The puddle suddenly bursts him away as it reforms back into Amy, who splatted moments earlier from the Aelun's group falling. She heals Mark up, their eyes lock but no words are exchange. She tries looking for anyone else hurt.
"...Eh?"
"She's mad at you, dumbass. Not that it matters right now!"
Mark decides to grow up a little and walks up to her while Annie's stalling Tarkus.
"Hey, sorry, I got lost in the middle of all the fighting."
"Fine, I'll take it-"
"But how the hell did that happen?"
"Broken pipes. But we did end up in the same building, so all is good!"
Guilt seeps in but no time to dwell on that any further with another threat around. He starts building momentum on his chains and runs up to Tarkus. Hoping to whip them or wrap, tug, and burn if he's lucky. Amy backs him up with a sudden burst of holy water before running for the pool to rehydrate her body.
Nick runs off, a bar full of random stuff is perfect for him. He starts turning bottles of hard liquors, napkins, utensils, chairs, and tables into familiars. He'll be busy amassing the small army in the background.
Edited by BoniniBanana on Mar 21st 2025 at 5:39:30 PM
real"Oh, I'm so sorry." There's a vaguely nauseous look on James' face as he says that, most likely thanks to the additional revelations that Kel had just provided.
"So the people who hired you were completely aware of the danger you'd face, and yet they did it anyway... and they expected you to endure this alone."
He runs his hand through his hair once more, which is doing a rather good job of messing it up even further in the process. There are several emotions in his eyes as he does: hard to discern with this distance, but visible nonetheless.
There's something he's considering, that's for certain, but whatever that is, it is aborted in favour of him finally stepping down the ramp and onto the grass, taking a deep breath as he does.
"How long have you been alone here? Before, err — you lost contact."
Creator of the Avatar Arena and its Discord server.UNTOLD LOSS
Power and her Spirit Guardian both get their asses roundly kicked and slammed. But Power partially LOOWEERRRR THE DDDAAMMAAGGEEEE by slamming her hands into the ground, cracking it apart and causing it to burst as she uses her "crystal blood fists" to become blood pool, diminishing the impact by slamming herself into a pool of her own blood, which she licks up as she's sent ragdolling across the air by the slam, her petite and stupid form looking like a lost little mote of dust across the chaos and punishment happening within the torn battlefield.
But Power does not lose hope, and if she can do it, she independently give the spirit guardian STAN Ding by her side a command hold her down when I give you the order! if she can't, then she just lands on a piece of upturned land and fling herself on it, her Super Powered form giving her the speed and ability to bounce from piece of debris to piece of debris one after the other. But still, she can feel its power flickering a little as one jump take her slightly less far away. All while one of her teammates is... yelling loudly or something, is he insane?
She wouldn't blame him. Who wouldn't be? Power herself is unaffected by the light and uncaring of it as a result, her eyes snapping unto a different fixture - the fact that Ana lost her arm and shoulder. This was it. Power lands on a piece of rock and gathers all of her superfiendish power on her often-fandrawn legs, flinging herself at Ana, past Ana, like a sort of gremlin missile. But her goal isn't to try to attack her : mouth opened like a stupid shark, with just about as many bloody teeth, she try to eat Ana's severed limb and her golden ichor to power herself up. And power up what will likly be her final attack in this form.
BEHOLD ME! I AM POWER! THE VERY INCARNATION OF WHAT MAKE LIFE ITSELF POSSIBLE! I'M A FUCKING DEVIL FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL HERE TO DRAG YOU DOWN FURTHER DOWN INTO IT!!! BUT I'M NOT GOING THERE WITH YOU! I'M GONNA GO HOME, OUTLIVE YOUR DUMB ASS, AND THINK ABOUT YOU WHENEVER I HAPPEN TO TAKE A HUGE SHIT THAT I WONT FLUSH DOWN! AND THAT WAY IT'LL STILL HAVE MORE DIGNITY THAN YOU EVER HAD! BECAUSE I'M
Which she does by gathering her arms at her side, sending all the blood in her body away from it, all of it, and making it float out from underneath her nails to gather into an orb of blood. If Power succeeds in stealing Ana's ichor, the golden essence flows around the orb of blood, forming a sort of yellow shell.
FLUSHING YOU
Power thrusts her hands forward after cupping them by her side, keeping one hand above the other, both having their fingers curled, forearms hugging each other, as she thrusts a HUGE BLOOD BEAM hopefully point blank of Ana's dumb face! It goes off into the air like a blood red spear of light, cutting the sky in half as the ground around Power and Ana explode, a huge red light illuminating the battlefield as many more cracks of red energy spreads from the impact point, looking and acting like red hot lava.
The mention of "huge shit" is when the Guardian may try to restrain Ana any way it sees fit.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterUntold Loss
The last time this had happened, Croque was still a machine.
Soulless but thinking, the light had little effect. It was probably why she had flourished the first time- there wasn't much to influence that wasn't solidly defined by logic and silicon. But now?
Now Croque had a soul, had a mind of flesh- thus, she heard the whispers. She couldn't make sense of them.
"What... is this..?"
Part of her realized. Her will was waning. The memories this light dragged up, of happier times...
"Professor..?"
...she wanted to go back.
But she knew she never could.
"No, this- this isn't real, none of it is..."
Yet, somewhere deep within her soul, something stubbornly refused to change. The will of innovation shouldn't be torn up and twisted by anyone else- it should remain free to do what it wants. To keep driving the world forward, one step at a time.
And in that moment...
"...I understand it now."
As she watched everyone else push themselves beyond their limits, she realized something.
All those times she had made something had been to bring her closer to this moment. Whether she knew it or not, everything led up to this moment.
And upon realizing this...
...Croque recognized her true purpose, and made that stolen power her own.
INCARNATION OF INNOVATION - GEARSHIFT I
no this isn't a one piece bit, fuck off
She could feel her mind expanding to cover all of her selves. All the knowledge she could ever want at her fingertips...
...but more importantly, she figured out what defined her power as a deity.
Before, she had simply been an engine. Providing power, yes, but only so much under the circumstances.
Now, it was like she had added a transmission. Working together to push herself even further.
"Toys? I'm sure you weren't thinking that a moment ago. You see, that's the funny thing about humans-"
Croque grins as she recognizes what Jerrod just accomplished. The circumstances fit well enough, she supposed.
As for herself, she held her arm skywards, light-green energy gathering around her as she readies herself.
"Every time they find something they can't beat, they invent things until they can. Even if the whole world stood up in arms, the spark that drives this species forward has no limit."
There's a grin on Croque's face as she pours all her energy into making a giant drill.
Why?
Because she'll always be a mecha nerd at heart, and the one that resonated with her most is what shaped her take on the world...
"To innovate, you have to have the will to change the world as it is! Driving yourself forward, never looking back- y'could say, ignoring everything else, that that's how a drill works!"
Croque's grin only widens as she shoots herself into the air, the drill growing bigger...
And for a moment, one can see what seems like thousands of different Croques, from all across the infinite universes, all helping hold the drill and guiding it towards its intended target.
Ana.
"I've always wanted to do this."
Letting out an ear-splitting yell, Croque charges forward on the backs of all of her that exist within this place of infinite places.
"GIGA..."
"DRILL..!"
"BRRRRRRRREAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEEEER!!!"
Charging forward, the drill pierces anything in its way. Quickly reaching its intended target.
This drill isn't just a physical object. It's the culmination of Croque's will- to keep driving humanity forward, no matter what.
Because that's what she was created to do.
And she isn't going to stop now. Not ever.
aeiou: the secondGlitchhunter
The Hunter might or might not be in range of the DIGGERNAUT. Either way, they obviously realize that something is wrong, especially if they see the others running. And by this point, they've learned well about the beasts of this world : some are simply beyond the reach of their blade.
Thus, with little weight in their heart, they start gunning for it.
THE CAIRO TRAGEDY
MEGUMI FUSHIGURO - THORN
run alongside on both groups, and wind up encountering each other as well as their respective groups. Thorn contemplate the near-immediate embrace with surprise at first, swiftly replaced by a look of disgust at them. Though she was convinced that Love was a key aspect to power, Aelun and Luin assumed the worst of it in her view. They loved each other so much that, should one of them pass, the other would surely falter instead of taking this as an opportunity to strengthen themselves.
They tied each other with what they wanted to be bonds of steel. But, tied to the waists of some tribal leader and his royal cow, those bonds were as solid as mere rope. All too easily severed by a common blade.
Megumi, for his part, is a bit awkward but doesn't comment on it, smiling at their reunion. He's glad Luin found her someone so soon, especially because this significantly strengthen their own group, making finding other survivors easier. And at least, Luin could fight on knowing her beloved was by her side, ready to fight on.
Bonds like these could be a curse on their own right, but as someone who fought hard for those he loved (albeit platonically) Megumi thought them to be more of a blessing. Fighting for oneself was basic instinct, no different from a beast fighting for survival. Fighting for someone else? Now that gave someone heart and courage.
I look forward to the birth of the royal calf. But my time with you here is done. This city's fate won't be mine. Thorn says, walking past Aelun and Luin, but signaling for Annie to follow her. Her powers were interesting if anything, and so far, she'd managed to be reliable and competent. On top of having unusual powers that could be put to good use - if the Arena's inahbitants were so troublesome due their bizarre abilities, why not recruit into them?
But before she can leave, the scenery at their feet crumble as the whole building shudders, making the entire team fall down a new hole. And Thorn is only able to stop herself from falling by using the Force on the piece of scenery she was standing by, quickly making a flaring red circle around herself using her lightsaber, reflexes near-instant as she then floated down using it as a platform, putting the back of her right hand on her hip, letting the other hold her lightsaber.
Wow! Megumi quickly summons Nue, but take note that his allies all have varifying forms of mitigating damage for themselves or each other. Luin! he yells, seeing the Huntress smacks into the ground, sincere horror making way for a gasp of surprise when she just... get up. From a fall that'd have left him torn up. How? He'd have to ask for her workout routine after this. But either way, both fighters are able to land in time to see someone give Tarkus a hand.
Metaphorically. Thank god they couldn't regrow limbs like Curses. As Tarkus is joined by Brudford, the latter displaying unusual grace and agility for an undead, Megumi's eyes lock unto his hair, moving as if it were an entity of its own. Bad news. Dealing with him would be bad, for he could surely put the group in a place where the mighty Tarkus could land more hits.
And if not on them...
Megumi looked up to the crumbling infrastructure around them. Damage like that isn't going to leave this building standing for long... He thinks to himself. Kneeling, and unsummoning Nue since it'd be at a disadvantage in tight quarters, he kneels to the ground. This one's hair could be a problem. You, with the... lightsword, take care of it. I'll-
Worm, do you think yourself in a position to give a Sith Lady instructions? I will finish my work. Let the weaklings amongst you test your blades on the weak one. And off Thorn goes, running at Tarkus. She raises her hand and attempts to make a risky play by making some further piece of the roof fall down on him, at which point, she goes in for several stabs and slices of her saber, attempting to overwhelm and outspeed the giant.
... You had to put up with her for how long? Megumi asks the rest of the group. Kneeling, he considers unleashing his Domain, but consider the fact their surroundings are far too unstable for that. That, and he had an idea on being useful. Gama Megumi put his hands in a certain position, and from nearby shadows sprung frogs of large size, each of them standing placidly and not moving with Megumi as he moved to engage Brudford, seizing his knife in a reverse-handed grip and trying to stab and slash at him.
Your armor - You're a Knight. What business do you have assisting DIO in massacring innocents by the hundreds?! He asked. Regardless of the answer, he try blocking Luck. And his frogs spring their tongues forth, attempting to grab Brudford's legs and arms with strength, in a bid to paralyze him and neutralize his agility.
Edited by Bolded1 on Mar 21st 2025 at 12:18:48 PM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterEstraole
"Before I lost contact..?"
Kel seems to have to think on that for a moment, recounting his time spent here before nodding to himself.
"Has to have been... a month? Maybe two? I've kept a journal, but so much went on that I lost track of time... Not to mention there was a time where my logs just... stopped making sense."
Yet here he is now, with (relatively) stable sanity and a well-kept appearance, all things considered. He does still seem a bit jumpy, though- even the rustling of trees in the wind seems to make him look about with worry.
"...pretty sure I almost died those days. It's all a haze, but... I remember... them."
He's silent for a moment, looking back at his backpack- there's a small, crudely-made plushie replica of him bound to it, dangling from a small length of paracord.
"For the longest time, I swore I was hallucinating- weird things would happen around the base, and I'd swear I saw something, but there was never anything there-"
He let out a long, shaky sigh, calming himself back down.
"I mean, I'd seen their ships. Gotten signals and even emails from them, as unreadable as they were... But I guess I should've expected aliens were real when all this other weird shit was happening."
He chuckles slightly, remembering waking up in their camp, barely aware of what was going on. Badly injured, and missing an arm from one of those wisps...
"They call themselves Arirals. I think. Really tall cat-alien things that seem to have evolved to survive in conditions that span enough to let them survive on Earth- it seems insane, I know."
At this, he pulls off a glove he usually kept on his right hand- revealing that the hand (and the entire arm) was made of a sleek white material, with small seams allowing for a full range of movement.
"But yeah. They were real. And were it not for them, I probably would've died when that wisp... thing had caught up to me and torn my arm right off."
He shudders, the memory of the pain coming back to the forefront of his mind, though he quickly pushes it back down.
...he seems to realize he's been rambling for a bit, and chuckles sheepishly.
"Heheh... Sorry, I kinda just kept talking. I think... you can understand why. Been alone for way too long."
aeiou: the secondTo be fair to Kel, James does seem particularly intent to listen, even though he is somewhat prone to interrupting and adding his own commentary as the other scientist(?) speaks.
"Over a month?" he begins, eyebrows pinching together. "Do you have some kind of garden there, or a stockpile of supplies?"
Beat. He makes a face.
"Err, never mind that. Aliens are real where you're from?" That answers his question of whether Kel is from an alternate Earth, at least. He tugs a little at his ear as he considers his words. "Well, I suppose proof of aliens is the better phrase there..."
And then he just keeps going on, because of course this man happens to natter quite a bit, interspersing the other man's rambling with his own.
"From your description, those might be extraterrestrial extremophiles, or at least incredibly adaptive, although that raises a lot of questions about their biology... which I am not qualified enough to accurately answer. Not my field, no."
His gaze, having wandered a bit earlier in the midst of his talking, finally refocuses back on Kel — just in time to see the man reveal the prosthetic, his eyes widening at the sight. At least, he is assuming it to be a prosthetic, considering its material (as far as he can see).
"I guess it's a good thing you've lived to tell the tale, at least," he tries to reassure, his train of thought interrupted by the rather sobering sight of permanent injuries, "even if you really didn't deserve any of that — the inhumane treatment and employers."
Creator of the Avatar Arena and its Discord server.Hub Centralis, Mall
Wearing a black Led Zeppelin tank top and denim shorts with a red flannel shirt tied around her waist and black boots, Torunn can be seen enthusiastically jamming out to (not that) Dio's Rainbow in the Dark
in the mall's local music store as it blares from a nearby speaker.
Cairo, Sit 4
Sebastien felt some visible relief upon seeing Luin not dead or undead. He smiled back at her but then all hell broke loose (again). As they fell he opted to use the vaunted video game tactic of double jumping right before reaching the ground to give the middle finger to the laws of physics, holing the (heavy) Glimmer as he did so.
No rest for the weary unfortunately, as Tarkus makes his return alongside his ally. Sebastien frowns, setting down Glimmer as he readies his Dual Blades; preparing to activate Demon Mode at the first sign of their opponents making a move. He opts to focus on Tarkus for now as their new location gives him an idea...
"That was a pointless encounter with a pointless person."

The Good Hunter
does the "OK" sign towards Star Boy, nodding. They've been surprised too, in the past.
That damn WELL.
Regardless, the Good Hunter begins sprinting forward. Whatever path they see, they take. gOlly moved around. They could be somewhere Star Boy didn't find them at.
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter