Chuli’s descent through and down the skyscraper-sized towers of trees in the direction of smoke which split the sky went smoothly enough.
Until—this being the word that crushed many a hope of smoothness—she found the path blocked by a Great Tree cleft down the middle, a fortress of silk restricting the two sides from falling all the way off, keeping them in a forked way. Although it wasn’t the web-wall that would likely pique Chuli’s interest so much as it was what was bound to the webs: a piece of metal wing lodged in the silk, a dark stain amidst the sea of white. Around it were bodies in bulky armor,
all entirely motionless as they hung in the silk.
It was quite possible to simply forge a new path around the spider’s manse and circumvent it entirely, but so too was there a hole in its center leading into darkness, like the entrance to a cavern, that no doubt would prove a quicker path straight through…at the risk, of course, of running into whatever thing had made this.
With great power…you know the rest."Glad to hear it. We're gonna need all the bodies we can throw at Sukuna if we don't want a repeat of last time," Jason replies before grimacing slightly behind his helmet. "Kenjaku's already dead, though. He died when Sukuna turned on him and reduced the whole city to a giant crater, and I doubt anyone actually liked that twisted psychopath enough to toss whatever was left of him into a Lazarus Pit."
It then occurs to him that neither he nor Nymbulda actually knew each other's name.
"Name's Jason Todd, by the way," he says. "Aka the Red Hood."
"Ah."
It would be a bold faced lie to claim she wasn't expecting resistance, but the sheer dismissiveness Ghidorah maybe-intentionally-maybe-unintentionally treated her with did catch the Regent off guard. She remains in place for a bit too long, uncertain about how to contribute to the battle, running through possibilities in her mind. A cursory glance at the military's hardware being proven similarly useless against the barrier makes her rule out a few of the ideas she had, instead she decides to go with the old reliable.
Namely, giving someone else the tools to succeed at what she wanted to do. Since Godzilla seems to be doing fine right now, she can probably help someone else out first. Namely, Kong - the gravity beams are nasty things, but maybe she could help him maneuver around those safely.
{I hope you know how to use this...} "Empowerment - Haste."
An orange orb of energy zips off to the side in an arc, making sure to keep well away from Ghidorah so he doesn't get an opportunity to tamper with it just in case, and heading as directly as it can for Kong. Once it reaches the big guy, he'll get a solid buff to movement, striking speed, reaction times... You know the drill.
If that axe that Kong is wielding happens to be the iconic goji species dorsal plate axe, it might resonate with the energy in some way itself. Not much, but just enough to be a notable detail. One that the Regent herself won't notice yet.
Some time after the letters have come up, two people... okay, one probably-a-person and one definitely-a-person arrive at the building. One of them, a certain black-and-red painted metal woman, still carrying a slight air of bitterness to her given how unsuccessful her first time doing something in this world had been. She stands at the bottom of the tower for a while, silently bracing herself in the off chance anyone who showed up recognizes her... Then steels herself, walking into the building proper and making her way up to the meeting room.
The other arrival is a tad different. Some pale bloke with longish black hair, wearing sunglasses and a headset, going around in a casual navy-and-black hoodie. Not someone with the appearance of grand level notability, and in fact walking around in public with that kind of headset alone is probably enough to qualify him as a fashion disaster on some level. But he did show up here, so either he's an idiot, or he's an idiot who knows exactly what he's getting into.
He also seems to be talking to himself.
"Chat. Hear me out. If the reward is money, I can buy more keys. And if I can buy more keys, I can do another unboxing video sooner..."
After a moment of thought, and possibly of communicating with "chat", he decides to commit fully. He briefly pulls out a weirdly orange-coloured rocket launcher that looks a bit like it was part of some toyset, then thinks better of ascending the building that way and walks inside via the conventional manner, making his way up to the meeting room.
The fact that only 140 characters are allowed here is honestly so disappointing to me.They’d find the Monkeyzone closer to the center, a number of concrete walkways surrounded by fenced patches of green filled with chattering primates, distressed amidst the chaos. The mammoths had smashed through the barriers and were delicately plucking one primate off the ground at a time, coiling them in their trunk as they turned and exited in lines with coordinate precision. The pachyderms would then literally disappear into their huddled masses. Even Homelander’s sight, as he peered down from above, would fail to reveal where the apes went after the mammoths carrying them were lost amidst this thermal sea of body heat.
But before they could investigate further…
"YOU, DRAGON!" A voice rattled from below. "DO US ALL A FAVOR AND KNOCK THAT HERO, OUT OF THE SKY!" On the ground, separate from the mammoth mass, was a…character, for sure. Standing at some twenty or so feet with tree trunk legs—yet a curious slimness for his size—and covered in shaggy ginger fur, with a set of trunks curving out from his head, was a human…oid? A mammoth man? "I AM MANMOTH—" Ah, Manmoth. "—AND I BESEECH YOU!"
With great power…you know the rest.The Zoo
Watching all this go down, Guivre rattled his hide as he looked up to Homelander after being addressed by the pachyderm.
"I think our interpretation of hero is very loose then. I've wanted to knock him out of the sky for ages now."
The dragon laughed a little, resting his neck atop a bench as he looked to the elephants moving all the primates to the center.
"Mister Manmoth, what is your intention with these primates?"
AwawaUTOPIA
The waves of Utopia spread across the Astral Sea.
Despairing citizes of Cairo. If you can hear me, know that there is a shelter waiting for you in Hub Centralis! And airships coming over towards any survivor looking for assistance on the long journey over.
Citizens of Super Earth! We beg you to stop suffering for the mistakes and madnesses of your ruling body - over here at UTOPIA, you will see freedom and safety! To offer body and soul to tyrants is no patriotism!
Dwellers of Zaun! Our facilities can purge the Shimmer from your body! We will cure your bodies and offer you the light you've been robbed from by Piltover over the years!
...
Miquella doesn't immediately take center stage. He figures letting the fighters recognize each other and bond would be a good thing to start the operation with. And, true, there was a decent chance these fighters could recognize one another from a battlefield and abruptly settle the score. But Miquella was not a believer that people who'd readily help a community such as this one, even for gains, would be willing to just settle these scores in such a petty manner. And indeed, he was glad to see that many of them appeared to be bonding, with Nymbulda and Captain America (odd, Miquella thought, to pattern oneself after a country) especially talking with their fellows.
As he saw a dog, Miquella would crouch and offer it his hand, producing a treat thanks to a bit of magic and patting the dog. He assumes it's lost and hungry, but he pays attention to it in the mass, ensuring it isn't stomped over by an imprudent fighter.
But there is slight trouble in paradise when one of the fighters abruptly recognize another and walk to her in a way, and with a tone, that briefly makes Miquella unfolds his arms in case he find himself in need of an Incantation to perform. Nothing violent though, he only meant to raise a magical barrier. Nothing that'd stop words, but something that could stop violence. And thankfully, words were the only thing that the mechanical being looked to spare with its fellow.
Although Miquella frowned at the mention of such a name - Uzi. That was her name, she'd told him such when he visited her. Had she accidentally upset this fellow? Miquella waits for Doll to give her answer before speaking, as a courtesy. And that same courtesy means that he himself is interrupted by a yelp coming from the side of the room, with Miquella turning to see his brave knight, Leda, holding up a masked fellow by the shoulder.
Said "masked" fellow having done so by just slipping his hat in front of his face - blinding him and allowing him to comfortably slam his head against a potted plant near the stage, with Leda only intervening after seeing that he wasn't a random imbecile - he was an eccentric who happened to be hiding his face near the group. And when the young man tipped his hat unto his head, Miquella realized exactly why.
Whoopsie! Hi, Hydraxon! N said, waving his hand at the group. Hi, Doll! Nice shirt! The shape has so many... edges to it! I'd be really intimidated if you were to throw it at me like a ninja shuriken!
A strange occurrence we unfortunately do not have time to witness for ourselves. Intervenes Miquella, looking a bit more awkward. You, who has been blessed by metal, will get the opportunity to settle your difference with Uzi Doorman, my friend. I only ask for your patience on this matter - she is, at the moment, compromised.
Compromised? You mean she got taken away by a creep with very greasy head-fur! N huffs.
Elsewhere, the Emperor remains neutral, barely reacting to any of the people present. Only Casper draws his attention and, upon reading the letters, his usually emotionless face briefly, and amazingly, shows the slightest hints of surprise and anger. Human... Totem. Am I supposed to be intimidated by your unsuccessful attempt at bringing down our language by arranging its letters into such a crude shape? Were I not a merciful one, I would turn your brain to mush. But I fear such punishment may only make you smarter.
Miquella claps his hands together, in an attempt to dispel any nascent dispute while bringing the attention to himself.
Arenagoers! Miracles and praises be placed upon you for answering our distress call! The world of UTOPIA is in dire need of your proficiency at handling matters of clashing worlds. And I can promise you, daunting as the task might be, that each and every one of you will be given a task to complete to the best of our varied abilities! But with the fate of our city at hand, there is little more I can say without wasting time : allow me to skip the formalities and introduce you to my peers. Miquella says, separating his clapped hands from one another and slowly bringing them apart, creating a circle of light... that also appears at the group's feet, being a big glowing white circle that quickly take them and Leda and Miquella in. Unusually, said light is agreable to the eyes of beholders within the circle.
At this point, should the process occurs, a pillar of light will engulf the group. And it will shoot high into the heavens, leaving the Arena entirely, crossing the Astral Sea and arriving within an instant to...
UTOPIA
Where the group will appears in what looks to be a waiting room, although a particularly fanciful one. With a big opened window to display the city of UTOPIA in all its grandeur - colossal golden buildings and smaller, quieter blocks of nature with houses alike. The actual lobby itself is golden, with a red carpet in the middle and several comfortable red couches for one to sit on. Two such couches are being used by no less than Akira Nishikiyama and his buddy Kiryu Kazama, both of whom appeared to just be waiting.
Wow! Nishiki reach back covering his eyes while Kiryu simply stands cooly, taking the full brunt of the light "blast" and simply squinting slightly.
Totally rad... He says.
The third man waiting in the room is less amused - he lowers his newspaper, which is somehow powerful enough to shield him from the light, to show the face of nothing less than Kusakabe, another veteran of Moonrise Crypt. His face doesn't actually emote as he looks at the group, but he folds the newspaper. Hello, Kusakabe. Greets the Emperor, warmth in his mental voice.
Yeah no. Kusakabe get up to leave. No offense but I was kind of hoping that Moonrise Crypt would be my last time seeing any of you. Especially the squ- However, before he can actually leave, and perhaps sensing his distress, Tony Stark enters the room the very same door that a confused, slightly panicked Kusakabe meant to use to "escape". He unwittingly slam the door open in a show of power, prompting Kusakabe to jump back with a yelp.
Welcome to UTOPIA! I'd quite love to give you guys a tour of the property. But we might have to wait a bit - whole... danger over our idyllic city of dreams thing. Tony speaks. Cap and Casper will notice alike his tone is overall much healthier than it was last time, with none of the strain from the Mad Arena's influence upon him. It seems like returning to UTOPIA has done him some good, mentally wise, and he offers a free handshake to anyone approaching him.
If Casper does it, then Tony leans forwards slightly. How goes the miss? He asks, hoping to be secretive. He might be helped by Amanda Waller's entrance, much more subdued than Tony's, but carrying gravitas to it by mere act of her showing much less warmth than anyone else, looking at the group with perhaps righteous contempt. After all, they looked all kind of... ragtag.
Yakuzas, Murder Drones, bionicles, Siths, Superheroes, Ghosts, a literal dog, a child...?
Miquella, Stark, are these to be our savior? The situation is not so desperate enough that you'd need to kidnap a canine across dimensions. Waller says, pointing at the Annoying Dog. I thought there would be a vetting process. I wouldn't trust half these people to get me a coffee and I'd trust even less not to drink it while bringing it over.
Wh-oh? What are you doing here? Miquella says, looking down in surprise at the Annoying Dog. Well, we can always bring it something to eat while the others are briefed. Miquella says, smiling.
Don't worry Waller. From my experience, ragtags groups with nothing in common have a very high success rate at saving the day when it counts! giveortakeafewdisputesandobligatoryfights Tony counters.
The Emperor ignores their banter, instead focusing on Waller. He can't pick up any signal out of her. Odd She isn't a flesh and blood human at all, but instead... a machine? He could push his powers farther to try to get something, but he doesn't view it as anything to really feel the need to do at the moment.
Especially because the final member of the council slips into the scene - the blue eyed, black-haired (with bits of greying temple), extraordinarily wide at the shoulders Bruce Wayne, wearing a black suit whereas even Waller has bothered to put on her blue powersuit and Stark is wearing a hawaian shirt. His thoughts are clear - he is not a robot.
I would have to concur with Stark. And I can already tell you that I'd trust some of our gathered warriors with my life. Bruce Wayne says, eyes moving over to Red Hood and Captain America, amongst others.
But I would much rather skip the two phases and move on to the one where we get going. The problem... is not a big one, but it's of a delicate nature. And for various reasons, we thought it would be best to outsource the work to you. Bruce says. You will naturally get as much help as possible from us, and a reward afterwards. But there is trouble in our little paradise and we would like to see it solved quickly. There are many innocents live within UTOPIA we would like to see preserved.
As Bruce speaks, a green dot blinks on his chest. For less than a fickle second. Kiryu raises an eyebrow. N, who looks like he really want to say his piece, likewise has a moment of doubt.
We will need to organize you all quickly. There are three tasks that will be assigned to three groups.
The green dot returns and trace a smile across Wayne's chest. For a split second again. Waller's eyes widen and Tony raises his hand to push him.
It will be tied to your overall-
A single bullet cracks through the reinforced glass to strike Bruce dead on in the stomach
after he narrowly dodge to the side, blood spill from his back as he falls to the ground - and as more bullets smash into the glass, with a reckless shooter somewhere very very far away apparently unloading a shitload of bullets into the room straight away. Each looking to be of very high caliber despite their sheer firing speed.
Given their spread and scope, simply defending oneself from them will be difficult - although some, particularly the strongest ones present will not be affected by mere bullets, everyone else is.
ATTACK : HAIL OF BULLETS! UNDODGEABLE : DEFEND YOURSELVES THROUGH PROTECTIONS OR VIA ALLIES!
GATHERED ALLIES: THE EMPEROR, KIRYU/NISHIKI, KUSAKABE, MIQUELLA, TONY STARK, NEEDLE KNIGHT LEDA, N
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterSituation IX
Perceval snaps to Luin's front and places a hand against the ground, filling the encroaching cracks with his darkness to extinguish the destructive light before it can erupt.
He turns back to his Driver.
"My specialty is in drawing the enemy's attention. If I attack, you will likely become the enemy's primary target."
By the look in his eyes, he doesn't expect her to suggest to refrain from fighting altogether.
"Choose an opponent."
Reyna dodge rolls away from the Annihilation Nergigante's opening attack. She prepares to strike back, but sees Nagadilotep come crashing into Annie and, figuring he has it handled, shifts her focus to Soulstealer Xeno'jiiva.
She uses Dragonfire Dive
, rocketing up into the air and leaving a swirl of blue light on the ground. Then she lands on Soulstealer's left forefoot with a fiery explosion on impact. Combining the Dragoon technique with similar Insect Glaive moves, her Kinsect comes spiraling down after her to snatch up red and white extracts.
Marth, left untargeted by the monsters, selects Annie as his target. Rushing into the fray, he slashes at the Annihilation Nergigante's right foreleg with the Genesis Falchion. Its inherent dragon-slaying power should make it even more effective than an elemental weakness, and it further increases his speed and strength due to an inherent property from striking first.
Souleater Gore Magala slams its wingarms down on the ground in front of it. But this is not an attack. The slam erects a barrier that blocks Annie's fire.
It then starts haphazardly spitting Frenzy balls in random directions, save for one that directly targets Yuji, sensing his Cursed Energy. If anyone is hit, the Frenzy Virus will begin to gestate within them, requiring them to attack their foes relentlessly to overcome its debilitating effects.
Except Annie and Soulstealer because Elder Dragons are immune to the Frenzy.
UTOPIA
Whether the guy noticed Casper's comment or not is unclear. There are a lot of people here, after all. He cleans his ear with his pinkie finger.
Young Sephiroth remains silent as he narrows his eyes at Miquella.
And then everything goes crazy.
Young Sephiroth draws Nameless, a shorter katana than his signature Masamune, and rapidly deflects the bullets.
Hoodie guy looks around in a panic before diving for the Emperor.
"WEIRD SQUID GUY HEEELP I CAN'T BLOCK THAT MANY BULLETS"
Edited by KiriK on Jun 7th 2025 at 2:21:14 PM
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."Blackreach Alliance Headquarters
Shadow gives Pseudo and Helryx an amused smile.
"Hey, you've got to give credit where it's due. Majima may be a criminal, yeah, but he's got a strong sense of honor. A very complicated one, what with having a near-countless number of alternate conflicting personas bouncing around in his head at any given moment, but he takes care of his own."
He then sighs at the mention of Krika.
"Ah, Krika…definitely one of the more…complicated members of the Brotherhood. Honor unwavering, no matter the situation. You'd probably be surprised to hear there's been times in alternate universal variants where my siblings and I've been able to get the other members of the Brotherhood to follow his example and see that Teridax was using them from the beginning. The Makuta were, after all, originally meant to be a force for good before Teridax’s coup, and Krika follows that creed strongly. Honor and loyalty, unfortunately, could conflict in some cases, but in others, they can meld strongly into a force to be reckoned with."
He then gives a blank look to Helryx, blinking.
"…ok."
He raises a finger.
"…for the record, I said, 'You are very well-learned, my good Toa'. But now I'm curious, how did you learn exactly one word of Latin?"
He watches as Pilly ushers Yumuse and Eneru out of the office, and waves back to them, smiling. He then takes on a blank expression, blinking, when he hears that Ken had, in fact, been eavesdropping, giving a sheepish smile.
"…ookay, I guess so…thought I'd made it clear that I needed time to cool off before dealing with his shenanigans again, but, ah, I'm in a better headspace right now, so maybe we can apologize to each other later."
He nods to Helryx and Pseudo.
"Right…the benefactor. Mara was just about to draw her blade when she was cut off by a sharp command from an unseen source. She practically flipped her lid when she heard this, frantically telling her unseen companion not to reveal himself because I was with the enemy. Her companion said that he wished to speak to me, so she stepped aside, and revealed that her shadow had been obscuring the entrance to a portal. A portal to a place you may know as…the Nightmare Realm."
He produces a new set of dossiers, handing them out.
"On the other side of the portal, I could see who Mara had been talking to."
He manifests an image of the winged being.
"I believe you may be somewhat familiar with this individual, and his actions regarding some of our friends. Well, turns out he's actually some level of Divine being, and he's working alongside Mara…though very begrudgingly, as he actually despises the Assassins."
He frowns.
"You see, he’s not actually as wicked as he looks. Like me, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. He apologized for his previous actions, giving solid explanations for each one, which you'll find in that dossier. He also said that the reason he stopped Mara from attacking me is that he'd been watching me for a long time, and that…"
He pauses, before putting a hand on his heart.
"…he wanted to meet me, because he looked up to me. He said that everything my siblings and I do, from our securing the safety of the Omniverse, to my more personal ties to my friends here in the Arena, echoed what he wanted to do for those he cares for, be they for his friends outside the Nightmare Realm, or the Nightfolk trapped inside."
He glances down, sighing.
"You see, he's…not exactly in a great state of mind right now. He's made it clear to me that he's a benevolent being, and I trust him. He's simply trapped in a situation that he sees no out from, having told me that he'd completely given up on hope long ago, and even physically lost much of himself due to the effects of being sealed in the Nightmare Realm, the veil of which no Divine beings can penetrate. Trust me, I tried. I pushed on it and it wouldn't budge. Not having a name to call him by, and with Mara being unwilling to let him offer one for obvious reasons, he was open to me giving him the pseudonym Lar Viales, Latin for 'Guardian of the Crossroads', echoing his role as a shepherd for the Nightfolk and others who find themselves on the wrong side of the Nightmare Realm. He said that, should I wish to speak with him again, all I have to do is call him by that name."
He tilts his head.
"When the portal to the Nightmare Realm manifested, I experienced a brief moment of minor disorientation that faded when I actively tuned out the Nightmare Realm itself and focused instead on Lar. I brought this up to him, since, notably, despite Mara, and presumably Lar himself, being Divine, they were completely unaffected, and Lar seemed nervous when I brought this up. He'd initially suggested it had something to do with the energies released by the Nightmare Realm, then to the presence of the Nightfolk. I told Lar I'd had plenty of experience with Nightfolk in other realms, and yet never felt something like this from them before, and…"
His eyes widen.
"…the poor guy completely lost his composure, shaking with anxiety to the point Mara, in a rare moment of compassion for another being, practically begged me to calm him down and ease his fears. It turns out that Lar hadn't even considered the possibility that the Nightmare Realm could be the only place with a Nightfolk population, and the picture of not just one world, but countless others in the Omniverse, containing what he described as 'lost souls', near-completely broke him. I was able to bring him back by telling him that my siblings and I had been very successful in treating Nightfolk in other worlds…"
He clears his throat, smiling brightly.
"…which is true, by the way…"
"…tracking down the original bodies of those Nightfolk who'd been Dreamers who'd had their bodies stolen, returning body-stealing Nightfolk to their own realms, and…even encountering some benevolent Nightfolk, who were some of their realm's original population. It's from them that my siblings and I learned why the less friendly Nightfolk do what they do, not out of malice, but out of desperation. When all you have to experience for your entire life is a world of darkness, then, when a chance to escape it presents itself, it can seem irresistible, no matter what line you might have to cross to reach it."
He sighs, placing his hand on his heart again.
"…as an Aspect of Unity, that's something I understand all too well, given my own origin. My words seemed to ease Lar’s mind significantly, and he seemed open to the idea of meeting with the benevolent Nightfolk - who my siblings and I still work with, providing vessels for them in return for their knowledge on how the Nightfolk operate - in the future, but seemed resigned to his current fate, wording it as if freedom was a dream that he’d never achieve."
"As for why he's aiding Mara, and what their side-project is, neither were willing to say, but Lar did offer that he hates the Assassins just as much as I do, and the only reason he's working with them at all is that he believes that their ultimate goal aligns in a way that will benefit his, believing it's the only way to reach it in his current situation, no matter how sickened he is by the Assassins' actions in the meantime. Also…"
"…Mara let slip that Lar begged her to join the Assassins in the first place. She initially wasn't going to join up, but Lar reached out to her, seeing a road to their common goal. And through this…well…I…"
He coughs.
"…I…kinda' know Divine Guardian now. Part of my Divine Portfolio is that, after a brief moment of exposure to a new language, I learn it near-instantly, and can fluently comprehend spoken words and read written script, being able to write, and speak, that language just as fluently as if I'd been speaking it my entire life. But listen to me…it's imperative that this knowledge doesn't leave this organization right now. Not only would Mara and the Assassins naturally go ballistic if they realized Mara made such a major mistake in my presence, but I haven't had a chance to clear this with the other Divine Guardians either, yet, so having their native tongue in the hands of others might be something they'd take harshly to. I like to believe the Great Light and I are friends, as we've done a lot of major favors for each other in the past, so I'm going to try to bring it up with them next time I see them, so that they can put in a good word with the other Guardians, make sure they don’t react too poorly."
"Life isn't a fairytale. There isn't always a 'Happily Ever After' waiting for you at the end of the road." ~ Isengrim Heath-StalkerCap stared strangely at the interaction between the Emperor and Totem. He responded to the latter’s comment as the elbow was wedged into his bicep: "I…suppose?"
Uzi? Indeed, the robot being brought in by the knight caught Steve’s attention, bringing to mind Spider-Man’s description of the two. He glanced back at Casper. "It was good catching up, Casper. I’ll see you on the field." Once farewells had been worked through, he made his way again through the crowd, this time to the bot. "You’re N? I’m Steve Rogers, here on behalf of Spider-Man. I wanted you to know I’ll do everything in my power to help you get Uzi back."
Somewhere a fair distance away, Lorelai sighed and shook her head. Enough wallowing. Time to get up—which she did—and head back to the MOC—which she did not. The strings of the Force were like ropes bound around her wrists; she was a prison to their path, and Lorelai felt them pulling her.
She gave in.
The Sith tried to force herself to be curious and rejoin the group, only to hear them out. If she didn’t like the sound of things, she could always turn around and leave for real—
UTOPIA
"What the fuck!" The Pureblood Sith’s head whipped violently around as she took in her new surroundings, decidedly not Hub Centralis or even the Arena in general; the flow of the Force here was…strange. Different, somehow. "What the—! Hey!"
It’s a bit…gaudy, isn’t it? Steve Rogers was decidedly cooler about the change in scenery, glancing out the window. The view harkened to mind the rare occasions he had visited the heavenly homeworld of his coworker; though the second time hadn’t allowed for much leisure when they had a god to battle. His eyes then pivoted to another coworker as he entered, greeting him with a nod: "Tony. You look good." Lastly, his eyes went to Bruce, just as—
"HOLY FUCK!" Lorelai dove for cover, hands flexed over the back of her head, while Steve wasted no time in sliding to Bruce’s side. He unhooked his shield, sheltering himself and as much as Bruce as he could behind it, while reaching a hand to apply pressure on the bullet wound.
"We need a medic!"
Edited by ISZATSO on Jun 7th 2025 at 3:49:12 PM
With great power…you know the rest.UTOPIA
The couple of Machín and Wendy arrive fancily late to the gathering. He parks the car next to the Hoodmobile, and walk into the meeting.
Oh! There are those ghostbusters!
And the ghosts!
Wendy points where the three ghosts are, who at the same time, hear the clown girl's voice.
Wendy, my love!
The two parties were about to meet again, when Miquella's light teleports the group to another place.
The ghosts size everybody gathered there.
Many people, a cat, a dog... An octopus?
It's just like a Halloween party! Just look at that witch, she should win the first place! Gonzalete says pointing at Queca, who looks angrily.
Meanwhile, Machín and Wendy look unamused during the briefing... Thet is, until the shoot-out began.
They're attacking us!
Quickly, Machín and Wendy grab Tony and Queca, respectively, using them as ectoplasm shields.
This isn't way to treat a lady!
Meanwhile, Gonzalete teleports to another place, and by waving his hands, he makes the bullets about to hit him drop on the floor.
Quick! Get behind me!
Edited by BombonBombin on Jun 7th 2025 at 1:33:36 PM
Three freaking ghosts!UTOPIA
As the Emperor threatens Casper, all he could do is blankly stare at the Ilithid, as I'd proving it's point that brain damage could actually repair him. When he finished, The Totem nudged the Captain America with his elbow.
"He's so fucking cool."
Aftwr Jason introduced himself, shs now had a name to add to his... face? His mask?
"Nymbulda... tha names Nymbulda."
Jason could tell she was a tad distracted. Looking to Miquella elegantly, if awkwardly, trying to cater to the masses gathered. Such refinement, that even with an unimposing stature he demanded respect. As far as Nymbulda was concerned, she'd rather have him as a boss. Idealic childhood visions of knighthood had been rekindled in just this brief interaction-
Which immediately went out the window as soon as she saw Stark.
As soon as Casper saw Stark coming forward, he cracked a very faint smile. Professionalism, Baz had been trying to teach him professionalism. Especially after he did let them live in his apartments with no rent. So he did accept the handshake.
"She's fine. Commercial Passenger Pilot... Or is it Commercial Airliner Pilot... Anyways, she's got that gig going-"
Both Nymbulda and Casper were taken aback by Waller's introduction. Despite their completely opposing backgrounds, their methods, and their day to day lives, both could recognize a incredibly draconian, ruthless, and possibly effective agent of a three-letter agency when they saw one.
While Casper looked forward to ways to push her buttons, Nymbulda sighed. Despite her attention to rhe presentation presented by these heads of Utopia, she couldn't help but lament having more amicable company-
Which was quickly put away as suddenly a hail of bullets came through the windows. Without any hesitation she leapt into action, slithering forward and lowering her horns and raising her shield. She hoped her brawn and hard defenses could make an effective bullet shield against the gunfire headed towards this assembly.
Casper meanwhile was currently dissolving into mist, reforming into the elastic and mostly horrifying visage of Taffy Jones. Quickly forming one of his arms into a whip he tried to grab something heavy in the room and slap it over the point of entry:
"คง໐i໓ thē ຟiຖ໓໐ຟŞ Şillฯ ๖໐ຖēŞ!"
"Remember me, " I ask.
"Remember me, " I sing.
AwawaUTOPIA
Shootout
Save
- Utopian Shootout
The briefing was, well, brief and uneventful, and even the teleport-y pillar of light into another venue candidate isn’t too demanding on the eyes (as much as the drummer seems like she would like to comically convulse on the ground from the light), so the Rock Trio still seems like they’re really just passing by and accidentally caught up in UTOPIA business…
Until a bullet hits Bruce and more bullets starts to head towards the big group.
|The Guitarist|
“Geez! Pal, this is what you had to put up with last time?”
|The Bassist|
“…It wasn’t this early last time.”
Either way, the guitarist pulls out what seems to be a sci-fi styled healing capsule from her bag, echolocates the location of those surrounding the wounded, and throws the capsule towards the group.
|The Guitarist|
“I hope this Medium Heal will help stabilising the wounded! Catch!”
As for the drummer, she pulls out what seems to be a pair of fans and starts using them, creating strong winds from the fan and is seemingly trying to use these winds to deflect the bullets.
Meanwhile, a Mario-styled warp pipe appears amidst the barrage, and out jumps a group of 5 bipedal turtles who probably had a warp accident with that pipe. Said pipe decided to immediately book it as if it doesn’t want to get involved in whatever is happening right now.
|Hammer Bro|
{I know we’re here to explore this new area and find our comrades, but how the Underwhere did we end up in the middle of a shootout?}
|The Bassist|
“Oh, nice to see you guys here. Quick! Find cover!”
TRICK: BENCH PRESS
The bassist summons a metal sit up bench with small holes in them.
(Coin for scale.)
Not completely bullet-tight, but can feasibly function as temporary cover for up to four people sitting side by side though you can also sit behind the four people. Flipping it on its side with the help of their partners, the Rock Trio quickly hides behind the bench and use some duct tape to seal the holes.
Inventory
- Multi-Range Electrocane
- 50x slingshot ammunition
- Quake Spear
Tools:
- Holo-Apples
- Backup Command Blocks
- Acoustic Guitar
- Portable Multicooker
- Cellphone for communication
Support:
- 4x Medium Heal
Personal Skill:
- Echolocation
- Hand Shocker
- Orihime and Hikoboshi
- Moonrise Hammer
Tools:
- Victoria to use SONG Drives
- Wristwatch that Lily hides in
- Cellphone for communication (has Ui)
Support:
- Summon Ravenos
- Summon Coalin
Personal Skills:
- “Pyra” Blast
- Smokescreen Generation
- Azure Cloth Blade
- Coated Trident
Tools:
- Combat Tengu Fans [IN USE]
- Cellphone for communication
Support:
- 5x Mason jars filled with an unknown acid (may also contain a figurine)
Personal Skills:
- Scald Cannon (a kettle that can turn into a rocket launcher)
Tools:
- Corey’s Fingers
- Sound Condensing Solution
- 1x roll of duct tape
- 5m of nylon rope
- A camping stove
Support:
- Trick Recharger x5
Songs:
- Make It! (Usable/Recharging)
- Agent Yoru o Yuku
- Snow Halation
Active Tricks and Songs
- Bench Press (2 turns)
Edited by TheTropingAlliancer on Jun 7th 2025 at 9:41:06 AM
Du-Du-Wa-Do-It, Arena Katsudou"Good to meet you, Nym."
While Jason did indeed notice that Nymbulda seemed distracted, Miquella had resumed speaking. That discussion would probably have to wait until later.
As Jason listens to Miquella's speech while hoping the latter's words weren't meant to cover up anything sinister, he regards N with a look of mild curiosity. Was whatever these odd robots were talking about evidence that he was right to come look into Utopia, or simply unfinished business of Hydraxon's that was clearly a big deal? Before he can think about the matter any further, though, he and the rest of those gathered are suddenly warped through space and time to Utopia proper.
Upon arriving, Jason looks around at both the surprisingly glamorous-looking lobby and the greater view of Utopia proper from out the window. As for who'd been waiting for them, while Nishiki and Kiryu were both unfamiliar to him, the sight of Kusakabe of all Moonrise Crypt veterans almost causes him to do a double take. Hopefully, the guy wouldn't take too long doing whatever that Jason would need to yell at him to get a move on again.
Then the other leaders of Utopia step forth. While Jason wasn't personally familiar with Stark, he did remember everything Bucky had ever told him about the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist.
Next comes Amanda Waller of all people. Between her cunning, her past schemes, and the fact that she could pose a credible threat to the Justice League of all people, Jason makes a mental note to definitely investigate whatever she might potentially be planning behind the scenes of their golden paradise.
"Nice to see you, too, Waller," he replies dryly, suppressing a light chuckle at the Suicide Squad's founder's incredibly blunt straightforwardness. "I thought you'd be too busy sending Quinn and Captain Boomerang off to die fighting Circe to make it."
The third speaker, however, definitely grabs his undivided attention. Stepping up to the podium to speak now was none other than Bruce Wayne, Jason's adoptive father and head of the Bat Family. From behind his signature crimson helmet, he can't help but crack a slight smile as he offers Bruce a nod.
His smile almost immediately fades, though, once he notices the telltale bead of a sniper's laser sight practically dancing on Bruce's chest.
"Bruce, get down! Now!"
But his warning comes too late. A gunshot rings out, and Bruce goes down as what was supposed to have been a simple briefing suddenly erupts into a cacophony of gunfire and chaos.
"Bruce!"
He almost goes sprinting towards the downed Dark Knight, though a different Captain America from the one Bucky had recruited to help the party at Moonrise Crypt provides him with some much-needed cover first. Instead, Jason rushes towards Nymbulda's position. While his body armor protects him from the hail of bullets for the most part, several shots manage to penetrate his flesh, causing him to grunt in pain as he quickly takes cover behind Nymbulda's shield.
"Ow... so much for getting a chance to catch up with Bruce," he remarks, bringing out his AK-47 as he looks to Stark. "If you've got any tech that'll give us eyes on the shooter, now might be a really good time to use it!"
He briefly checks his wrist-mounted grapple gun before briefly glancing at Miquella.
"Tell me you can whip up some kind of magic shields or something. We'll need all the cover we can get right now," he says before sighing. "There's never a Kryptonian or an Amazon around when you actually need one."
Raising his gun above the shield, Jason unhesitatingly snaps off multiple retaliatory shots in the direction the mysterious shooter's gunfire was coming from.
Edited by IchigoMontoya on Jun 8th 2025 at 7:04:35 AM
UTOPIA
"BLEUGH-"
Seeker is momentarily very disoriented by the sudden teleportation, much more used to crossing the Astral Plane himself than having other things do it for him. He listens to the banter and general discussion, before...
"Ah shit."
All hell breaks loose. Bullets are raining down everywhere- but Seeker didn't survive what he's went through by not having some kind of counter to bullets. Briefly shifting into intangibility (which was oddly hard to maintain here... Perhaps they had some form of dimensional barrier in effect that kept people from easily shifting in or out?) he rushes for the nearest bit of cover. An... overturned metal bench? That wasn't there a moment ago. Oh hey there's people behind it.
He glances at the three for a moment, seeming to be lost in an old memory before he shakes his head to focus.
"Neat trick. Watch this."
Seeker grabs his guitar off his back (I am not providing music for every spell he casts that would take way too much work for me) and starts to play...
Shimmering into existence are a bunch of astrally-formed (and thus ghostly-looking) SWAT personnel with riot shields, making some sort of modern phalanx right in front of the bench. The shields seem more resistant than they logically should, but when bullets hit them, they do start to crack.
"-that still works but my phasing is hard to maintain? ...I'm going to hate this world real quick, aren't I."
aeiou: the secondUTOPIA (the event)
The dog looks up at Miquella, looking happy to be offered a treat and a pet, both of which it gladly accepts with a little yip sound.
Hydraxon turns to look, eyes narrowing when seeing N. But before he can do anything, whether it's speaking or showing hostility, Miquella's words find him and get his attention.
"She was taken? By who? Does she still have the badge?"
But his questions would have to wait. He, the dog, and the boy are soon enveloped by the circle of light. The boy is initially a little offput for some strange reason, but goes back to a more neutral expression once actually enveloped by it. For a moment he grabs his sunglasses, as if considering taking them off (you'd think he'd want to keep them on while inside a circle of light). But he ends up not going with the idea.
UTOPIA (the place)
Once the group has arrived and are allowed to look at the sights, Anthony lets out a low whistle, sounding slightly impressed.
"Kinda nice to be on this end of this sort of scenery for a change.", he offhandedly says to nobody in particular.
Hydraxon stays quiet. While impressed with his new surroundings, his mind is still focused on his mission. And with Uzi kidnapped, that means having to go along with this (assuming that N doesn't have the badge). He doesn't really look at anyone else at first.
He sees the human that enters the room (Tony) and seems confused by the handshake gesture. It's clearly a friendly gesture though, so while somewhat hesitant, he does raise his hand to return the handshake. Given that Hydraxon is about twice Tony's size, it's a little awkward, but hey, it's a showing of peace.
The dog simply barks once, then starts running in a circle to entertain itself, only stopping once Miquella acknowledges it.
When Amanda Waller enters the room and criticizes the group, one would expect Hydraxon to grow angry with the insult. Instead his expression shows a sense of familiarity. While more negative than her, something about Waller reminds him of his own boss, Toa Helryx. And that makes it so he doesn't mind the criticism.
Anthony now looks at her too, pushing his sunglasses down just enough for his eyes to slightly peek out from above. He seems to be scrutinizing her. And... are... his pupils glowing? It's faint and dim... maybe it's just an illusory effect of the gold from the room reflecting off of his sunglasses?
Bruce then enters the room and starts explaining things more clearly. Hydraxon seems to be paying closer attention once the innocent people are mentioned. He'd been so preoccupied with his own mission that he hadn't fully taken in what exactly these people had gathered for.
He looks alarmed when a green dot appears more than once on the man. He looks like he's going to intervene when he gets an idea of what's about to happen, but he too is too late and Bruce gets shot. The dog is startled by the shot and Anthony snaps to attention, pushing his sunglasses back up to cover his eyes.
Hydraxon may not be immune to bullets, but the metal covering his body would provide him some protection from them. He immediately moves near the window, taking some shots as he tries to ascertain where the bullets are coming from. The blaster on his shoulder moves, trying to take aim.
"Yeah, you go ahead and get shot, I'm taking cover!", Anthony says as he tries to find any good spot to hide in. Given that he's small, he should have more options than most of the others. If he can't find any good hiding spots, he'll just straight-up hide behind Hydraxon, since the titan towers over him.
The Annoying Dog runs and tries to hide along with Anthony. The boy chooses to let the dog into his hiding spot.
Anthony looks at Bruce. He could maybe do something for the guy, but there's no way he's moving as long as they're being shot at. Hopefully Bruce holds out long enough or gets healed by someone, otherwise, too bad.
Blackreach Alliance Headquarters
Helryx looks at Shadow with an intense gaze.
"You converted the Brotherhood in multiple worlds? Is that right?"
It sounds like she's about to judge him for his decision.
"... I'm impressed. Just be sure to keep an eye on them just in case."
That may not have been where he thought it'd be going. It definitely wasn't where Pseudo thought this was going. But he's relieved for it.
She then moves her head to the right once to gesture something like 'in the other room'.
"The wizard said it once and I asked what it meant. Axonn confirmed the word was real after Weber agreed to tell me. Don't ask me why he obliged me, he must have been bored. I like the sound of the word."
Their attention is back on Shadow's explanation, with them both looking alarmed when the Nightmare Realm is mentioned.
"The winged being from the Nightmare Realm. The one who attacked Wanda and Ninten and tried to intervene with our efforts to contact Springtrap's spirit.", Pseudo says. "He's in cahoots with the Assassins..."
"So that's what he looks like.", Helryx says as she takes the dossier. "I asked Ninten but he didn't want to talk about it."
She then looks at Shadow again.
"He... apologized.", she says, clearly not believing it. At least until Shadow explains further. Pseudo actually starts taking notes of his own at some point. It's clear that this information is extremely valuable to him.
"So what you're saying is that the winged being, or Lar as you've dubbed him, was a benevolent and empathetic being who has lost his mind. That is tragic, as well as foreboding. A mind like that doesn't always follow logic and consistency. He could be more dangerous than we believed.", Helryx says.
"Their ultimate goal aligns in a way that will benefit his, you say...", Pseudo says. He doesn't look nearly as surprised by the revelation that Mara initially refused to join the Assassins as Shadow probably expected him to.
"... I see. That lines up with the log entry that Lucas found and gave us. It's safe to assume then that the information found in these logs is mostly truthful."
"I still find it suspicious that they just left those log entries just lying around for anyone to find. It could be a trap."
"Yes, but it could also be that the information found so far simply does not aid us in actually putting a stop to their plan, whatever it may be."
He then nods.
"You being able to speak Mara's native language is information that won't leave this room. It could provide a huge advantage, allowing us to be a step ahead of them for a change."
He then tilts his head.
"I was not aware that you and the Great Light have history."
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.UTOPIA
Shootout
Save
- Utopian Shootout
The guitarist would be tuning her own guitar as the Seeker comes over and joins them in hiding behind cover. Actually tuning the guitar is a bit challenging due to her visual impairment making it hard to make out the details of things without switching on echolocation, but the guitarist makes up for it by honing her hearing to hear if the guitar still sounds off.
The Seeker has his own guitar, and is using it as a… casting focus? Maybe playing music together can amplify the effects of SONG Drives that the bassist can activate with their bass.
The bassist notes that idea down with their floating mobile phone that may or may not be sentient, and muses about the guys the Seeker summoned with his guitar.
|The Bassist|
“ I wonder if we can launch six of these riot police looking guys and have them form a protective circle by linking their arms with their shields facing out, like a human cannonball.”
|The Drummer|
[Like that Indian movie?
]
As for the Bros who I forgot to mention in the main reply, they would be jumping around between groups and cover, attempting to counterattack in the direction the bullets are coming from via a barrage of their OWN projectiles (hammers, fireballs, iceballs, boomerangs, and… coins thrown like Frisbees)! This is the first time the Bros are at the business end of a Bullet Hell but you’ve probably heard of these Little Timmy levels in Super Mario Maker where they spam Hammer Bros, so it’s not like the Bros don’t understand that feeling.
Edited by TheTropingAlliancer on Jun 7th 2025 at 10:32:59 AM
Du-Du-Wa-Do-It, Arena KatsudouThe Dream That Will Never Die
Physically, Omori is no more or less injured than when he was banished.
"...I was in White Space. The nexus of my...of Sunny's dreams."
Omori slumps against Mugetsu's shoulder, as if collapsing in a sudden wave of fatigue.
"It was lonely."
Fanto looks up at Mugetsu.
"I...can try..."
"This victory is meaningless."
Ginnungagap suddenly reappears, good as new. Charlie quickly turns to face her, teeth gritting.
"The palace is consumed by the void. Freyja is gone. You are too late to save her. Too late to stop me. All dreams, and all those who live within them, will inevitably fade into nothing."
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."The Dream That Will Never Die
Evan relaxes more... only to tense up again when Ginnungagap reappears again. With Shadow Bonnie reattached to him, his agony is already building back up again.
He's glaring daggers at her.
"And won't you fade away with them?", he then asks her.
Gregory, still near Cassie, looks very worried, and for understandable reasons.
Queen Mary moves in front of Fanto protectively, just in case Ginnungagap is the 'you've outlived your usefulness' kind of enemy.
Cassidy, Mike, Ninten, Glitchtrap, Giegue and Niiue have mostly gotten back up, all looking alarmed again because Ginnungagap is back. Yes, even Glitchtrap, because from what he's seen and heard so far it's clear that she's a threat to him as well.
He begins to make his way back to the still-on-the-ground Grape.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Vanilla - Utopia
Vanilla glances at the mustachioed businessmannote and asks, "Can you get behind cover, please?"
Out of desperation, Vanilla quickly creates a Stone Prison earthen barrier to shield against the gunshots heading her way. Normally, this spell is meant to restrict enemies in place, but this is the quickest spell that comes to mind for Vanilla.
Vanilla is calling in assistance from Tony Stark.
UTOPIA
Everyone's talking about Sukuna... William wants to put his two-cents in as someone who may or may not have had an early encounter with him. He just watches in the sidelines and not-very-subtly eavesdrop on what Jason, Casper, and Nymbulda are up to with him. He's accustomed to people like Waller complaining, usually, what would happen is that there would be an initial trial wherein theres—
He seems a bit despondent when detecting that... Iron... Man?
"Woah... An Arc Reactor..." His pondering cuts to an end when Bruce gets shot.
"Sorry in advance!"
William tackles Tony Stark and absorbs a tiny bit of his Arc Reactor's output. Despite what felt like a few percent of its supply taken away, a massive barrier expands outwards destroying the bullets coming their way. Attempting to cover as much area as possible to protect everyone within the vicinity or give them a hand in blocking what they can.
What tiny bit of power he did use up is probably mitigated in optics by the fact he looked like he jumped a random guy and tried ripping his heart out.
He's trying to pinpoint the shooter via the slight deviation of the bullets coming their way but its probably a waste of time.
Edited by BoniniBanana on Jun 7th 2025 at 8:11:13 PM
realBlackreach Alliance Headquarters
Shadow stiffens under Helryx' scrutiny, unsure of what she'd think about his efforts, seeming both sheepish and apprehensive...
—Beat—
...but then, when he's complimented instead of reprimanded, he sighs, letting his posture relax with a smile.
"Thanks. It actually helps that there's an established world variant where the Brotherhood of Makuta never defected to begin with, but, ah, that was because the Great Beings never built Mata Nui to begin with, finding another way to restore Spherus Magna instead, but still creating the Matoran and Toa, although their statures were swapped. I believe the incarnation of Teridax from that world, a righteous Paladin in his own right, often ends up migrating over to your timeline in many worlds, because he was switched with Vultraz after he and Mazeka ended up there. An instance of this benevolent incarnation of Teridax is a good friend of mine, and he's had a pretty good track record of winning over the other Makuta."
He then clicks his tongue, shaking his head with amusement.
"Had to have been Weber, eh?"
When Pseudo and Helryx are reacting to his description of the Winged Being, he nods to Pseudo.
"Yeah, seems that way, but, like I said, not by choice."
He then looks at Helryx, narrowing his eyes and raising a finger, but he pauses, his mouth open...
—Beat—
...before he closes his mouth and lowers his finger, sighing.
"Listen, I get what you're saying, but...hey. I'm not exactly sane either. I've been through things that would render most people a babbling, quivering mess, and come out of it with a fair deal of eccentricities and idiosyncracies, as well as several lifetimes' worth of emotional and psychological baggage. You think it's a choice to act this batty all the time? I've got countless chaotic impulses and I've only been holding so many back through raw effort. I actively channel my own madness into benevolence. What I'm trying to say is...I get why Lar's the way he is. I told him that I'd try to find a way to free him from the Nightmare Realm at some point, but...he didn't seem too convinced. He said I'm welcome to try, but he's long since given up hope of actually getting out of there. I said I'd talk to my Nightfolk friends about it."
He then nods to Pseudo.
"Right, those notes. Yeah, seems that way, but still, we now know that Lar was involved with Mara way back then, meaning his and her connection predates the Assassins recruiting her. Notably, I ended up picking up on Mara's language when she tried to make aside comments to Lar with it, meaning he understands it too."
He then gives a sheepish smile to Pseudo.
"Oh, y'know...there's some pretty big things I'm not quite ready to share yet. At some point soon, hopefully, but not right now. But, ah...let's just say they've helped me with a ton of stuff and I offered to help them with some in return. Started off way back around the Kings' Game, if you remember that. The latest thing I've been helping the Light with to pay them back is helping you guys with Tobajas, in fact...which is, of course, something that's rather complicated by the whole 'Cyber' situation..."
"Life isn't a fairytale. There isn't always a 'Happily Ever After' waiting for you at the end of the road." ~ Isengrim Heath-StalkerBlackreach Alliance Headquarters
"There is?", Helryx asks, genuinely shocked.
"... I hope to meet this paladin Teridax someday. Perhaps he would make a good ally."
She then nods in response to the Weber question.
Then Shadow continues. Pseudo puts his hands together in a thinking pose as he listens.
"... if we had a guarantee that he would cease his cooperation with the Assassins, I would not be against the notion of helping in trying to free him. If he quits, Mara would likely quit as well based on what you've told me. That would be two large obstacles removed, and he would be free."
Helryx ponders.
"... Shadow, I'm not sure if you're already aware, but Botar has awoken and is back on duty. could he not potentially just warp into that realm, grab him and warp out? Botar may look 'divine' by human standards, but only the Great Spirit would fall under that category. Perhaps Botar's warping could get them both out of the Nightmare Realm. It's worth a shot, but only if we can be sure that he would no longer be our enemy in return."
She then looks confused.
"'King's Game'? ... oh, is that what Vezon participated in?"
"Talk about a blast from the past. It seems like an eternity ago now. But I remember it all."
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.The Dream That Will Never Die
Mugetsu leans down and... gives Omori a big hug. She pats him on the back as she holds him.
Then Ginnungagap appears. She holds him protectively as she glares at their foe.
"Oh and we're supposed to believe you, when you'd have everything to gain from lying and demotivating us?" she snarks.
Edited by shroobot3000 on Jun 8th 2025 at 12:15:02 PM
"That was a pointless encounter with a pointless person."The Dream That Will Never Die
"Mugetsu is right," Triandra says, breaking her streak of being a silent observer. "Why should we trust you, our mortal enemy?"
Ginnungagap looks around at her opposition.
"You...what reason have you to fight for dreams?" she asks. "Why do you persist at every turn?"
"Because dreams inspire hope!" Charlie says.
"They give us somethin' to strive for!" Baiken says.
"They let us believe in the impossible!" Cassie says.
"Because...because dreams are alive," Fanto says. "They deserve to exist as much as the waking world."
The rift begins to shrink back and grow blurry.
"Reality sucks," Omori says. "Dreams are a necessary shelter from the pain."
Sancho looks at the others and sighs. "My Father...can I really banish this evil, if it means your good must be snuffed out once again?"
Don Quixote nods. "Of course, Sancho. My light remains within you forevermore."
Sancho smiles, raising her lance, back in its iron jousting lance form, as she turns to face Ginnungagap.
"We need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?"
The rift shrinks more.
Edited by KiriK on Jun 7th 2025 at 8:41:57 AM
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

UTOPIA!!!
And friends :))
Nymbulda was surprised Jason responded. He always was the stoic type she felt, and when she briefly encountered him she didn't actually recall much of a dialogue.
Asa was there too... Maki must have put in a good word for her.
"Sukuna is but one foe, and trust me, I'll be there for him too. Though it is Kenjaku that has alluded me. By my honor as Knight-Errand I'll purge the curses and devils from this land!"
As she held her fist before her chest, Casper meanwhile blinked a couple times. Mister Rogers here wad an old fella, it wad easy to forget.
"I know a dinosaur myself... kinda. Ish. Anyways, with this crew together do you think they can keep up? I've found some new spirits as of late that... are willing to help."
He still proud about his theatrics, before sighing.
"This is essentially some grand "SOS" isn't it. I don't see anyone from this new group I've been invited to there... means something went down. Knew Utopia soundes too good.
...also that guy in the grey hoody looks like a Cantonese version of me. Or am I an American version of him?"
Awawa