Elisa Maza & Matt Bluestone - Near Intrepid
“Ever since this morning,” Elisa said, glancing over at the mostly empty sea, now noticing that Riker’s Island was both visible and somewhere it should not have been. “Okay…
“Well, everyone’s been noticing things. I was over by that portal a few hours ago. Back then, we didn’t know anyone could go through it until people started appearing from it. I don’t know if I missed anything while on duty, but from what I heard Xanatos and his associate were the only ones who went through it, and Xanatos isn’t the type of person who’d share that information unless it suited him. I’ll have to visit this red demon of yours the next time I’m over there.”
And maybe she’d share this with the Gargoyles, just so they’d know where she was.
Maggie Reed - Sakura Dungeon -> Manhattan
After… whatever that was, and confused by whatever the two were fighting about, Maggie continued on her path to the city, lifting up her hood to help conceal her more monstrous features.
David Xanatos - Common Room
While waiting to see if Anna had anything else to say, his eyes glanced over at the Shadow Queen and Beldam, and how quickly they departed from the Common Room after their arrival.
Soon after, others emerged from that same portal. Unlike the representative and her cohort, most of them seemed ordinary save for the giant turtle/dinosaur-like creature. The woman’s dress and crown suggested royalty, so it was likely that she was connected to whatever authority existed in her chunk, though the Shadow Queen looked as though she possessed more primordial power.
Whatever arrangements he might hope to make with the new arrivals would have to wait momentarily. It seemed like The Seed Family was willing to explain some of the basics of Battleworld, even if The Cure was within walking distance. In any case, he tried to keep an eye on the conversation from where he was now, to see if here was any opportunity to offer a helping hand. Even if the Mushroom Kingdom was on the other side of the any business would still help in rebuilding his global industry.
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Common Room, With Mario & Co.
"Indeed," a man in a voluminous cape and all-encompassing purple mask concurred with the Seed patriarch, injecting himself into the conversation with the Mushroom Kingdom denizens while he strode in from the side, "I am afraid we are all the prisoners of the so-called 'Cure', now destined to spend our days warring with one another for his entertainment. I must say, however, this is quite rare. I didn't expect to find myself in the presence of royalty today."
"Allow me to introduce myself." Whipping a spindly hand out of his cape with flair, he held it over his heart and offered a moderate, theatrical bow. "My name is Zero. I represent the locale known as Area 11, also known as Japan. Might I have Your Highness' name? And, forgive me if this is presumptuous, but are you of any relation to the 'Shadow Queen'?"
Edited by darksidevoid on Jul 7th 2018 at 11:22:53 AM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Things were just so busy that Ren couldn't really find a way to interject himself into the organized chaos going on around- especially considering the fact that the hubbub involved two dimensional paper constructs of all things. Though he's seen some pretty strange beings in his life, the paper people were still pretty out there- especially considering how much laws of physics they outright broke.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder to see that Ryoma was pointing towards a certain grouping that seemed to be more easily approachable than the serious government types or the other various people loitering around, the high-schooler gave a nod of thanks to the Monster before heading on over towards SEES' cookie platter with Junpei and Akihiro hanging about there.
"So... er... how's it hanging?" Giving an unsure smile, the redhead rubbed the back of his head sheepishly even as his eyes flitted back and forth, a sign of nervous energy that worried on if he'd attract the wrong sort of attention. "I'm a little new here and you guys are my age so I guess it'd be less awkward talking with you first?"
Edited by Makaioh on Jul 7th 2018 at 11:14:45 AM
Unless all of those names on the globe were just random people, and the Cure had no idea how to properly notate a map, then Ozen would be talking out of her ass. But fortunately for everyone, Ozen doesn't have a mouth there.
"Yes, he was noted down among others, marked by name on a grand map of the whole world. He isn't doing a very good job at leading, no? Leaving you all in the dark."
The Lord leaned down to talk to them, her back loudly creaking as she hunched over. "Maybe...the two of you and I can go visit that red demon, now? Find out where Xanatos went since entering that room. I know I might have...messed up a little back on the Intrepid, but believe me. I have a way with words. I can convince him to tell all of Manhattan the truth about this."
Nostalgia.
She recalled visions of a dark, moonlit night in the long-since cut down forests around Mt. Ooe, hunting down that most rare and sneaky of youkai, the Nue. All of her hunting buddies had given up at sunset to go back and drink (as usual), but she persisted.
Only when she saw tiger's feet with a snake's tail dragging behind them, just in the corner of her vision, was the chase truly on. With nothing more than her bare hands and a cloak of tiger's skin, she chased that Nue until sunup.
And, even after grabbing a hold of it once with her divine grip, she came back the next morning with nothing in hand.
Tonight was going to be different.
Spurned on by that wonderful sense of being young again, Yuugi leaped headfirst towards the direction of the roar - literally. She was going to start this out by goring the beast with her horn!
"Okay, I'll stop for now," Kisume said, finally leaning back in her bucket seat. "By the way, Parsee, she's real fun to mess around with"
"I'll keep that in mind," Parsee whispered back, before putting back on the usual calm and dainty voice she had used. "Yes, this is what we need to make a proper outfit," she said to Ryuuou, "and we should be all ready. Thank you for most graciously showing us to the right people for it~"
Kisume didn't expect to receive even more of that disgusting thing known as physical affection, but right now, if she wanted to maintain the illusion that she was a cute little girl to anyone that wasn't Ryuuou* she was gonna have to act cute.
She looked up with those big eyes of hers, mid chew on a dango, and said "Thanks for the bucket, I'll wuv it for as long as I can."
Common Room (Anna): Does Xanatos Have A Shiny Suit of Armor to Save the Day In?
The soft smile on Anna's face shot off at the sight of a figure in her peripherals. A quick glance at the portals and David Xanatos might guess the reason behind the cold draft that had swept across his new associate's face: a woman in a lab coat, marching over to the edge of the room just as a muscular man in an orange bandanna went to intercept her.
"Hell's Gate Tokyo is an ugly place, Mr. Xanatos." reprised Anna. "The natives hate foreigners almost as much as they love to abuse them."
She turned her eyes to the dozen or so people lying, leaning, and sitting at the Common Room's edge. While the age, genders and ethnicity of the figures varied, two features were constant between the lot: they all wore hospital gowns, and they all shared the distant, spacey, half-eyed expression of one who wasn't entirely awake.
"The Dolls are a special class of people capable of seeing beyond the limits of one's eyes. Just one of them could safeguard a skyscraper better than a slue of security cameras ever could. Yet those ugly people from Hell's Gate Tokyo want to take them back. They wish to reclaim those tired, those poor, those huddled masses yearning to breathe free, and stuff them all into tubes in an observatory. They want to use their powers to spy, not secure; to oppress, not to protect."
Anna's anger-laced words dissolved with a sigh, the sort of fair-minded expression the high class use as a substitute for "Oh well, it can't be helped."
"Yet I fear those ugly people will get what they want." Anna continued. "Daichi is a formidable man, but he cannot defend the Dolls for long, especially not in here. I do hope this serves as a deterrent against your curiosity, Mr. Xanatos: Hell's Gate Tokyo is not a state to be trifled with. They'll soon have eyes everywhere."
Meeting Room: Answers Raising More Questions
Misaki tried to keep an impartial face through Trevor's explanation. Truth be told, she already knew a lot of what Belmont was telling her, but there were some jarring phrases that not even Chief Kirihara's steely gaze could weather untarnished: "that Amber takes the blame for," "a unique sort of Contractor," and (summarized) "The Black Reaper doesn't want to be associated with his old war allies."
She took a deep breath to stall for time, trying to pinpoint where she should start detangling all this.
"I don't think I've fully explained what my job is. I'm the Chief of Section Four in Tokyo's Public Security Bureau, which is an elaborate way of saying that I lead a team of detectives who handle Contractor-based incidents in the city. The Contractor with the Messier code BK-201, the man you call Hei, has been one of our most active and elusive suspects in the past few months. Up until this morning, I couldn't have told you the first thing about his motives or who he works for; now, I can only tell you the latter, and even that's no longer accurate. If you asked me about his case file, I'd tell you that there isn't much that seemed out of the ordinary. Apart from a flare for the dramatic and his near-frightening efficiency, there's little about BK-201 that makes him stand out from most other Contractors I've encountered. Except for maybe one incident..."
A moment after she realized she'd driven into her own head, Misaki coughed and continued. "I was there when the Forfeiter Havoc was brought to Tokyo. I sat in during her initial interview with Mr. Nishijima. She definitely wasn't the psychotic woman now roaming around the planet, but she wasn't what I'd call 'warm' either. She looked broken. Like a starving animal tired of fighting off the end.
"BK—Hei—and his team managed to capture Havoc. During her transport to PANDORA, they cut us off from the rest of the convoy and snatched her right from under our noses. For about two hours, we had no idea where they'd gone. Then we caught a glimpse of Havoc and Hei entering the quarantine zone surrounding Hell's Gate. We assumed they were trying to revive Havoc's powers somehow—to turn her back into the monster you've crossed paths with—but at the last minute, they stopped. Havoc's star stopped shining, and they started backtracking into the city. We couldn't afford to waste time speculating back then, but now...I think Havoc decided she didn't want to fight anymore, and Hei agreed.
"An associate of mine came to a different conclusion and killed Havoc soon afterwards. During the skirmish that followed, Hei was cornered and offered a chance to surrender. The standard Contractor's response would be to accept the terms and live another day. Instead, Hei lashed out and continued fighting. According to my associate, Hei couldn't have known he would escape, but he didn't seem to care. That fight had become personal, and what had started out as a package retrieval had turned into a desperate act of revenge..."
Misaki's brow unfurled as she stopped staring at the table and looked Trevor in the eye. "Is that what you mean by a 'unique Contractor'? Someone who doesn't follow the same drive for self-preservation? The same...logical, self-centered view of the world?"
Former Hell, Chireiden: Listen to Your Heart (if You Have One!)
"You don't know...if I have a heart?"
The first reaction to the question might've been to elaborate, or even take back the earlier comment. Thankfully, Koishi wouldn't need to bother. The masked child began giggling a little too manically to seem "adorable." Perhaps closer to "deep into sugar rush" territory.
"Sure I do!" he exclaimed as he took his index fingers and traced the bulk of his mask. "It might be a little darker and spikier than most, but anyone who's got eyes can see there's a heart here!"
Delighted at his own joke, the masked child floated high into cathedral-height ceiling. As it admired the windows and the long, long, way down to the marble floor, Majora quietly considered if it could follow this entertaining girl's example: could it close its heart (or whatever its equivalent could be) to everything and anyone, for the rest of its life? It was already ancient, and didn't care about any living thing on this or any world, but was that enough?
This girl...she reminded Majora of Goht. Someone who wanted to be happy, and who wanted others to be happy with her. It wondered if she could answer the riddle its friend couldn't live long enough to solve...
So just like that, Majora knew it couldn't take Koishi's route: there were four beings that its heart could never lock out.
"I wanna see what this glass box thing is." the child answered as he floated down to join his host. "Think we can hide in there?"
Rose, Sakura Dungeon Arena
”Right,” Rose nodded to Wonder Woman. ”I am not certain what to do now that I am trapped here, but I suppose for now, this will have to be the new world I will protect. And Paradise Island, you say? Well, it does sound rather inviting. Perhaps I will have to stop by sometime.”
Rose tilted her head at Yang.
”So these forcefields are commonplace in your world? Strange, though I suppose you would have the same reaction if I started speaking about Classes or Aspects.”
Jade, Underground (Asgore’s Home)
Jade listened to Yin’s explanation, looking increasingly worried.
”This guy sounds dangerous… why is Hei trying to take him on by himself?”
Common Room, Mario Gang
“Prisoners?!” Peach exclaimed. “I can’t believe this… I’m so sorry, everyone.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Luigi reassured her. “Looks like this “Cure” guy got the best of a lot of people, by the looks of it.”
Mario nodded in agreement.
“Right… well, it’s nice to meet you, Zero. I’m Princess Peach.”
She sounded worried at the last thing he asked.
“Wait, did you just say the Shadow Queen?!”
The rest of the Mario gang fell silent when they noticed the Shadow Queen’s name over the portal to the Kingdom.
“The Shadow Queen is not part of my lineage. She is a powerful, tyrannical demon with an army at her command. Be very wary of her. She attacked us earlier, and while I don’t know what she’s going to do next, I cannot imagine it will be anything good.”
“Aw geez,” Bowser huffed. “This is all wrong. I’m not the one who’s supposed to get kidnapped here!”
The King of Koopas sighed.
“So… Battleworld, huh? What, is this some game show where we have to beat each other up and the winner goes free? Cause man, this is incredibly inconvenient.”
Chaldea Oceans
“Sure thing, Kintoki!” he nodded to the Servant. “This Dracula guy doesn’t sound particularly friendly, so I don’t think I’m going to hang around in this Castlevania place.”
The slightly drunk man turned to the two, waging his finger in the air. "Aye, you see? You see? They know what I speak of is true!"
"We all know the monster exists, bills are all over the city. What we're arguing is that it can't just go through walls and that random pink haired boys are controlling it."
"Your minds, they're closed to the possibilities!"
"Closed to being drunk, rather."
"Ignore them, they will never understand." The drunk said as he waved a hand, dismissing them. "But aye, that was the one. Are you seeking it? Then you must seek the pink haired boy. It is he, not the monster, who is the true threat. A demon in human skin. If you wish to complete your task, you must slay him."
"Gods damnit man, don't tell these kids to go running around killing any boy with pink hair! You wanna get arrested?"
"Oh, them? Sure, they were talking about going toward that big mountain that appeared to the west. I don't know what they thought they would find there, but if you're looking for them, that's where they're at."
"Sure you don't want to buy some magic scrolls?"
Suddenly faced with a fleeing man, the trio looked at each other. Makoto, naturally, spoke first, pointing at a set of thick bushes.
"Hide!"
She would push the guy in that direction if he did not start moving, then turn to the other two.
"Ok, here's the plan....."
A few moments later, a shrill scream would alert whoever was chasing the guy to something going on. When then ran to investigate, they would find Ann grabbing Yusuke, scared out of her mind and grabbing the poor guy, who just looked very, very shocked and confused. In front of them, Makoto was down on the ground, face red from what appeared to be a hard slap or punch. She would look up as the guard showed up, and point in the complete opposite direction of where she had told the guy to hide.
"He went that way! Hurry!"
Vayne nodded. "Very good. In we go then, mind your step, and don't touch anything."
The door opened, and they stepped in, only for a metal boot to slam into the wall directly next to them.
"What did I say about knocking before you enter!?" A loud voice yelled. "And why was no one watching the door while the experment was in progress!?"
"Terribly sorry, Doctor."
"Out!"
A man quickly started walking away, practicly sprinting past the two and paying them no mind. Toe man himself, Cid, was busy writing on a clipboard.
"Results, too much energy. Will need to reduce the thrust, or...." He paused, turning to look at....empty space. Then nodded. "Yes, better, find a way to control it. And what would you recommend?" He paused a moment, then nodded and jotted down a note.
"Doctor Cid, if I may?" Vayne asked, stepping forward.
"Ah, Vayne, good to see you. What brings you here?" He asked as he put down the clipboard. On it was a highly detailed blueprint that seemed to be for some form of jet boots.
"This here is Mr Eric Nishijima, of Pandora. He represents an organization of scholars and scientists who wishes to make arrangements for a long term partnership. And naturally, who better to begin with then the man who single handily propelled us into a new era?"
"Ah, Vayne, Vayne, you do know how to flatter." He then turned to Nishijima. "But it is time that we men of learning speak."
"He was curious about how our airships operated, how they remain in the air."
"Bah, one of my earliest innovations, any child on the street could explain that to him. You did not need to bother me for that. Be silent, let us speak."
It was perhaps a testament to the respect Cid was afforded that he not only spoke that way to the prince of a sovereign nation, but that Vayne simply nodded in return, and stepped back to a wall.
"Now, tell me what you truly wish to learn about. I speak not of mere machines, but of the underlying concepts. Understanding what a skystone is is not as important as understanding why it is, what makes it a skystone and not just a hunk of rock, where does it come from, how is it made."
He began to pace back and forth, as if lecturing one of his junior researchers.
"Let us begin with a simple question, one that much of our research is linked to, and one I ask every researcher who enters our doors. What is the difference between science and magic?"
Lucha Libre goddess
Paradise Island Baths- Cutest that’s than the cutest .
When the servant touched her head, Wondergirl blushed out of embarrassment while looking away. “Stop it,” she muttered. But a small smile from her betrayed her true feelings.
And as Lisa was hanging out in the baths, she might be able to notice how one of the Amazons present was a woman wielding a spear.
She stood out among the others, because all amazons were forming a circle around her.
“Playtime is over. Thanks to Lisa, we now know there is an enemy army hiding in the jungle, we got work to do. We’re moving now,” the Amazon said. “I am lieutenant Menalippe,” she said to Lisa. “You don’t need to concern yourself about this anymore. I’ll ask for you to be escorted to a safe place.”
“Menalippe, I do think Lisa, should be in charge of this mission,” Lyla said to Menalipe.
”No! I am the highest officer here. ,” Menalippe replied to Lyla with a frown. “She just arrived, and you want to give her, a role of command? Every one of us could be in mortal danger. She doesn’t even dress as a warrior—She pointed at Lisa’s clothes— What if she is helping them?”
“I had a dream. She is important,” Lyla said with her eyes closed and a nod. “ I know in her hands lies our future. I believe we must follow her.” Lyla then turned to Lisa. “The sisters of fate have no control over you. It’s your choice. But if you chose to lead us, you won’t have to worry about your pet pig. “You’ve my word we will take care of it.”
Wondergirl then flew in the middle of the group. “I wouldn’t mind following Lisa, she is very clever.”
“It’s my call,” Menalipe sighed while touching her forehead. “And my call is to trust your judgment Lyla. I just hope you’re right.“
Menalipe then pointed at the amazons nearby naming each one of them as she did, so Lisa would be aware of the people that would be under her command, if she agreed to do so : Penelope
,Persephone
◊ ( whom Lisa might remember was in the entrance, and had come after a turn shift), Lyla
, Aleka
, Mala
◊, Venelia
◊, and Orana
◊
The lieutenant turned to Lisa. “By the gods, I hope I’m not doing the wrong choice. May Athena’s wisdom guides your hand,” she said to Lisa.
——-
Teen titans—Common room
Evening Primrose—This magic you speak off is indeed magic.Starfire smiled at Luca with a grin that went hear to hear. Just the fact that Luca had given her the precious gift of friendship warmed her heart. “Your laughter brings me the joy, Luca.”
Then when the blond-haired contractor replied to Cyborg he closed his arms. “I used to believe that. But not anymore. I’m not supposed to go beyond the limits of what my cybernetic body was designed to do. But I did that. I learned that limits are only in your mind.”
Then when Luca intervened, Robin stepped in. A simple shrug wouldn’t stop him from encouraging his new friends anyway. “You’re still human, ” Robin said to Luca. “Power is just a tool. Nothing more. Only you can define who you are. As for what you can do, your limits—He smirked— Only you can decide that.
When Jai decided to go and eat, Beast boy ran after him to take a slice of vegetarian pizza. “Man, I’m also starving. Fighting evil dictators always make my stomach to grumble.” He said as he touched his stomach. “So, what can you tell me about you? Besides your obvious good taste on pizza.”
Starfire’s grin was replaced with a frown when Luca asked about her origin. “It is the saddest tale. I was captured as a slave for the gordanians as my people were at war with a most fearsome. But I managed to escape and meet my friends. I have decided to call the earth my home. Your planet is such a wondrous place. Meeting humans have been the biggest gift as it is your delightful traditions like drinking mustard.“
Her smile returned in an instant. “What about you Luca? I do desire to learn more about your past. I want to be close to you. You shall always have someone that will listen to you.”
—-
“All power has a price,” Raven replied to Daichi with her arms crossed. Amber’s price is not getting younger. Her power is simply too powerful to be ignored. ”
“But she won’t have to be alone!” Robin said. “Not as long as we are here.”
“No problem,” Cyborg told him as he left. “Uh wonder who that lady is,” he thought to himself while scratching his head.
While Hanna was being comforted, the young contractor would notice how Robin offered his hand to her. “It’s ok to feel vulnerable, Hanna. I know you want to be a strong girl, and that’s alright. Just remember you can trust that your friends will look after you.”
Meanwhile, Maki’s words made Cyborg and beast boy look up with nervousness.
“It’s normal to want to feel useful. Just ask yourself, would they care about you if you didn’t have powers?”
Beast boy would turn into a dog, “Yeah I don’t care what powers you’ve.” He would then run in circles around him while moving his tail. I only care about belly rubs.” The shapeshifter would then put his belly up.
“You don’t reach your full potential, by obeying some crazy guy. You reach it by fighting for your friends,” Cyborg said as he looked at Maki’s eyes. “ I once met a man like that one. Trust me they will drop you the moment you aren’t useful to them. If you want a family you’ve got one with us.” He smiled at Maki while offering his hand to her.
Edited by FallenLegend on Jul 9th 2018 at 1:38:19 AM
Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.
Vampire Hunter
Trevor, Meeting Room
"Yes, that is what is meant when I said Hei was a unique Contractor," Trevor waved his hand as if to he was repeating a written statement. "Contractors are cold, rational, emotionless beings who pay a price for the powers they have."
"That is not what Hei is," Trevor shook his head. "No, Hei has emotions... human ones. He's worried about his sister. He gets paranoid. He's driven more by his emotions than by any rational thought process."
"He does not pay a price for his powers, but he can also control them," Trevor followed up this statement with the conclusion. "Hei may be a Contractor by the loosest sense of the term, but what he is is closer to what the other supernatural people on Battleworld are than a Contractor proper."
Morrigan, Sakura Dungeon Abyss
"So Kerrigan and Tanith?" Morrigan cooed at the two, agreeing with Foxy's assessment of the two. "Tell me, is Foxy right about you two being clever."
"I do so enjoy cleverness," Morrigan smirked at the two, showing off her voluptuous body to them. "So just how clever are you two?"
Lilith, Sakura Dungeon Shop
"Mmmm..." Lilith nodded as she was relaxed by the massaging of her shoulders, and if Circe or Yomi had a good eye, they would swear that Lilith got just a littlest bit taller, her waist got the littlest bit thinner, and... Lilith's bust had gotten bigger and her clothing grew to fit. It did not seem that the succubus actually noticed this though. As Circe showed off what magic she imbued into one of the necklaces, Lilith seemed unimpressed with a glorified flashlight. However, when the sorceress talked about an illusion charm, Lilith looked more interested.
"You can add an illusion charm to one of these necklaces?"
Wizard Needs Food Badly
The Cure's voice would sound in the heads of the Chunk Representatives "I am adding a new land. Please welcome Luna Nova to the Battleworld"
The map flickered and changed
Those who find their land brought to the Battleworld will find that, in the course of their normal (or not so normal) day, they and everyone in their land had suddenly fell asleep. They would wake up to find themselves on the Battleworld, where anyone near a chunk border would note the clear changes to their surroundings. Whoever had been chosen as the chunk representative (this being the main character) would find a note in their hand.
Greetings. Right now, I am sure you have questions. What happened? Who is responsible for this? If you are outside or near a window, you may have already noticed the changes outside. Suffice it to say, you are no longer on your world. Now, you are in MY world. You are far from the only ones I have brought here, however. Should you wish answers, then you should enter the blue portal that now stands before you, or leave your current quarters and follow the hall. All questions you have shall be addressed there.
As they finished the note, they would indeed find a blue portal had appeared in front of them, waiting to take them inside. Inside, blank white walls stood on all sides of them, with only a giant round table in the center stopping it from looking like a white void. In the center of said table stood a rotating globe, with the map of the new world on it, each land clearly marked with the name of the land and the name of their chosen representative (That is, the one who received the note) under it. Above it, in gigantic letters, was the name of the world, Battleworld.
Around the table were chairs, some of which had names on the back. The leader would find a chair with their name on it, and other chairs would have names that matched the names on the globe. One chair, The Cure's giant black throne, stood away from the rest. About 20 or so feet in front of it stood a large, black obelisk, with a digital screen on it that seemed to have a list of names on it. Inside said chair was the giant form of The Cure. He sat about 20 feet tall, with blood red skin, fully black eyes, and a grin that showed his rotting teeth. He extended a hand as they entered, waving them over. As he did so, he briefly adressed the latest question directed at him from Nora.
"That is information that I do not reveal."
He then fell silent, clearly not planning to say more.
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Common Room, with Mario & Co.
"So this 'Shadow Queen' is a tyrant and a demon..." Zero reiterated, partly for his own benefit as he absorbed the reality of the situation. He rested one of his elbows on a folded arm, and began tapping his mask ponderously. "I see. It's fortunate that we've met, then. I happen to specialize in the removal of tyrants. I'll need to hear more of your situation before I can take any action, however. To start off with, do you happen to have a map of the Mushroom Kingdom I could reference?"
Common Room, SEES Chairs
"Yo! Hey man, whaddup?" Junpei waved to the redheaded newcomer, with his white-haired partner in the chair offering a nod as well. "You need, like, a Battleworld crash course?" He glanced toward his friend. "We can do that, right?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not." Akihiko's answer came easily as he stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles. "We chunkless have to stick together, after all."
"I'm Iori Junpei, he's Sanada Akihiko. We're with SEES. We're a... diplomatic sort of outfit. Do some demon-hunting on the side." Junpei finished their half of the introductions with no flair. "So, whatcha wanna know about first? Important stuff that's happened? Groups n' factions n' shit?"
Area 11/Underground Border
"Uhhhhh..." The man with the bag continued the deer-in-headlights look up until Makoto pushed him in the direction of the bushes, at which point he sprang for the cover and laid low to the ground.
The two soldiers with rifles on their backs who burst upon the metaphorical fork in the road instants afterward had nothing to distinguish them at first, except that one was shorter, for both were wearing full face masks. The taller of the pair, however, let out a loud gasp at the sight of the brunette's face, and from then on it became clear that his volume was set permanently on "high".
"HE HIT AN INNOCENT GIRL?! THAT RAT BASTARD ELEVEN! I'LL PUT A HURT ON HIM LIKE HE'S NEVER EVEN IMAGINED!" He turned immediately in the direction the brown-haired girl had pointed and sprinted onward, without noticeably stopping to breathe. "YOU HEAR THAT, YOU MISERABLE, THIEVING SON OF A BITCH? WHEN I FIND YOU I AM GOING TO BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR PATHETIC LIFE! DON'T THINK YOU CAN OUTRUN THE LAW!"
The other soldier paused as the first ran off, and flashed the trio a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the tip." Then, as she pivoted to follow after her fellow, she stopped as if in afterthought. "...Hey, what are you kids doing out here, anyway? This is a dangerous, unknown wilderness. It's not safe out here for civilians like you."
Edited by darksidevoid on Jul 10th 2018 at 9:23:41 AM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
I have a plan.
Common Room—The Seed Family
Joseph Seed nodded to Zero in acknowledgement, then turned to address the others, with his siblings at his side."I don't really know what the point of this all is," Joseph responded to Bowser. "But I for one, don't want any part of this, this game that we're trapped in. I might have problems of my own at the moment, but I won't let that prevent me from carrying out my purpose, to help people."
John and Jacob Seed stepped closer to their brother as he spoke, both with cautious glances at Bowser, while Faith quietly stood off to the side. "My name is Joseph Seed. This is my family with me, John, Jacob, and Faith. We're gonna find another chunk to settle in, so we're not all toilin' so close to the demon in charge here, and when we're there, we're gonna find a way out of Battleworld."
The patriarch smiled.
"All are welcome to join us."
"@[=g3,8d]&fbb=-q]/hk%fg"
"Yeah, I must be really blind," Koishi said, "you've got one right on the outside, just like me! Yours might even be the biggest one I've ever seen!"
She felt the urge to start rubbing her finger along the outline of his mask just as he did - until he stopped her - but she found herself following where his big old eyes led.
Was there a secret message for them in that window, or something like that? There wasn't the few thousand times she had looked at it before, but maybe that changed recently.
Broken out of her trance by Majora actually wanting to continue playing hide and seek, her head snapped to his and she said "That's a great spot! There's plenty of things to hide in, there!"
Perhaps, but it was a little bit small anyway.
Chireiden's Entertainment Room was about as Jedah had left it a few hours ago, minus the bird that was so transfixed and got him to leave in the first place. The only evidence she had been there was a plate of half-eaten chocolate cake sitting on the floor.
A small, narrow, but brightly lit and gaudily decorated room with its pink wallpaper and floral patterns along most of the furniture, it was at least comfy looking.
The chairs had some fluffy-ass pillows on them, there were boxes and plush things piled deeply in the corners of the room, and an array of shelves and cabinets provided much space to hide in if you moved out all the boring stuff (like board games, family photos, etc.)
Across from the chairs and the wide table in the middle was that mysterious glass box. It looked more wooden, honestly. The only glass part was the bulging pane at the front, which had a constantly shifting pattern of black and white static on it. Static also described the noise it was blaring from the speakers in it.
"This is it!" Koishi held her hands up with all the wonder of showing someone the Grand Canyon for the first time, even if this place would struggle to seat ten. "It's probably at least within the top 25 of my favorite rooms in this house! I forgot what number it is."
She skipped over to one of the cabinets, pulled out a blanket, and then proceeded to sit down on one of the seats and pull the blanket over her head. Leaving only a hatted-girl-shaped lump in her place, Koishi vanished into thin air! "Okay, get in," she asked of her guest.
Archades - Claymores
"I see. I'm sorry, miss, we're not looking to buy anything at the moment. Thank you for your time, we'll be on our way," Miria said, taking out a nice silver coin from her coinpurse and setting it down on the counter before leaving."Yeah, thanks!" Raki added, leaving with Clare, who simply nodded at Charlotte.
Once they were barely a dozen paces out of the store, Miria stopped suddenly, and the other two halted. "Raki, pull out your map. She said the mountain appeared to the west - it wasn't there before. That means it is part of another territory, and every territory has a portal for entry. The portal for this city is nearby, we should be able to cut our travel time down to minutes, rather than hours. It would give us a significant lead over our quarry if they were forced to take the overland route."
"Sure thing! Let me just... right here...." Raki pulled out his hand-drawn copy of the map and held it open for the three of them to look at, then put his finger on Archades and moved it about. "We're right here, somewhere in Archades. I don't really know exactly where since I don't know how far away the coast is, or how wide this nation is... maybe we should have checked on that, huh? Haaaa...." Raki awkwardly laughed and put one hand to the back of his neck.
Miria and Clare just stared at him.
"Uh... anyway!" He cleared his throat. "The only two places bordering Archades to the west are 'The Underground' and 'Area 11'. But Area 11 is a little bit too much to the south, so we have to be going to the other one. I'm not sure why a place called The Underground would be called that if they had a big mountain - maybe it's too hard to build on the slope?"
"That's got to be the place, let's go then!" Clare said.
And then they did so.
Common Room - Claymores
Miria, Clare, and Raki stepped out of the Archades portal and back into the Common Room. And apparently, so had a few dozen other people who hadn't been there a short while before."What in the hell...." Raki mumbled.
"You there, what's caused so many people to gather here?" Miria asked the first person who didn't seem busy - Demitri.
Eternal Princess
In its little corner of the common room a blue portal formed signifying the arrival of yet another strange new land on Battleworld. For many minutes it seemed that was all the evidence to their existence. The portal remained motionless save for the pronged end of a wand poking through at continued intervals, as if testing the waters. Finally, as if sick of waiting, the portal seemed cough out a young browned haired Japanese girl in a school uniform. She struggled to regain her footing from the sudden forced entrance before failing and falling flat on her face. As she laid there groaning into the ground, another girl popped her head through the portal, a ghostly looking girl who's light purple hair covered one of her eyes. She spoke out, her voice monotonous.
"Hmm, so the portal wasn't a trap."
A third girl, a short haired blonde with thick round glasses, came rushing through. She quickly came to her friends side, helping the Japanese girl to her feet.
"A-Akko! Are you ok?"
"Yeah, but Sucy didn't have to push me! I was just about to go through."
The Japanese girl shot a look back at the ghostly looking girl, but it seemed the Sucy's attention was else where as she walked into the common room proper. Akko followed her friend's gaze to the rest of the room. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. People of all sorts, in clashing fashion, sat about chatting away as they ate pizza. It looked like a Halloween party, though one where they took minimalist decorating to an extreme. The brunette couldn't hide her dumbfounded expression. Was this the reason they were taken? A pizza party? She supposed there were weirder things in the magical world. For the rest of the common room, they would see trio of high school girls
◊ dressed in their school uniform, each with a matching red sash around their waist.
The fidgeting of her glasses wearing friend brought Akko's attention away from the rest of the room and back to her companions.
"Um, are you sure we shouldn't get a teacher? This seems like it can be really serious."
"I'm not sure how we are going to explain Akko managing to misplace the entire school."
Akko flinched at the monotonous words and turned to the purple haired witch.
"It wasn't me~!"
"It's always you Akko."
"It wasn't this time, I swear! You believe me right Lotte?"
She turned to the short haired girl, obviously frustrated to the verge tears. Despite her protests, Akko really wasn't sure. She just woke up with this note in her hand and the ocean on the far horizon. What she was sure of was if professor Finnelann could find any reason to link her to this incident, she was going to have it. They might actually expel her for real this time! For her part, Lotte tried to soothe her friend with gentle pats.
"Of course, I do. So let's go find the person who left you the note and ask them to help fix this. Maybe we can set everything back to normal before anyone finds out."
"Lotte~ Oh, wait. Who did send the note?"
"Probably him."
The monotone words of caught Akko's attention, and she followed Sucy's outstretched hand to the giant demon waving them over. While the pizza situation seemed to dispel the antagonistic nature of everyone in the room, the demon on his throne retained his dreadful aura. While she tried to keep a poker face, Akko couldn't help but show concern at meeting that thing.
"That princess looks like she might know something, lets ask her instead."
Sucy grunted with annoyance. If Akko was going to continue dragging her feet, then she will just have to give her another push in the right direction. Getting behind the Japanese girl, Sucy began to push her in the right direction.
"Sucy~! Wait a minute~!"
Sucy was soon joined by Lotte behind Akko, who was more trying to hide behind her friend for comfort then assist in moving the girl. As they closed in, Akko's face straightened and her eyes widen. She was used to to the troll and cyclops around campus, but this guy was something else entirely. She stood silently staring before turning to right in an attempt to talk to Lotte.
"S-say, isn't talking to supernatural things your specialty?"
"No! I'm sorry! I can't!"
The blonde haired girl buried her face into Akko's back, as if she was trying to hide. Sucy had taken to resting her chin on Akko's left shoulder and began coaching her friend.
"Is this your first time talking with a demon?"
"Yes."
"There is a very strict etiquette when dealing with their kind. Breaking these rules can end in having your soul devoured or worse~."
"Eh?"
"First, you must show them whose boss. Tell him he's ugly and his breath stinks."
"Eh!?"
Akko looked at her friend, who gave her a reassuring nod. Gulping hard, she yelled out to the demon, any authority in the words lost due to nervousness in her voice.
"H-hey ugly! Your breath stinks!"
"Now ask him why he bought us here, or else"
"W-why did you bring us here? You better tell me or you going to get it mister!"
"Now bark like a dog."
"Bow wow wow!"
"Now rub your belly and pat your head."
In her nervousness, she rubbed both as she closed her eyes, waiting to see if Sucy's coaching was any effective. The other witch however couldn't help but smile, showing a grin of sharp teeth and letting out a snicker.
How do you kill that which has no life?
"Er... pleasure to meet you as well?" Being a bit less enthused about the whole situation but still making a conscious effort to try to acclimate as soon as possible as well as be polite, the redhead gave a shaky thumbs up towards the suggestion.
"That'd be nice, really. I just hope that the American military or the JSDF isn't involved as well..." Mouth quirking in distaste as he remembered that whole fiasco with the armed services trying to use their very suspect methods to control Monsters as well as the pain caused to the girls involved, the boy couldn't help but clench his fist tightly for a few seconds before loosening it. "A-anyway, I'm Homura Ren. And this is my partner, Ryoma."
"Verily, it is our pleasure to meet you as well, SEES." The tall man strutting around in a red kimono responded rather more easily than his human summoner, cheerfully rubbing his chin as he speculatively looked them over. "As for this information exchange, we'll defer to your suggestion of important events and the factions involved. Knowledge is power after all and it is better to know than to not in situations as these."
"You're a good kid. And alright! Go go go!" Chortling with glee at the thought of having new material to engage in, Kintoki then shot his motorcycle back into Chaldea in a streak of yellow lightning... before slowing down greatly and just sort of puttering his way through the portal because it'd be bad manners to disrupt things with a million horsepower engine at full rev. "Alright, go grab your things. I'll wait for you here."
"My apologies. I shall endeavor to explain things to the best of my abilities." A faint sheepishness crept into the tinny tone of the mechanical man even as he resettled himself and began to give an earnest explanation. "From what Chaldea could gather, this... Cure... resides in the Common Room, which is a special space that can only be accessed by specific people of their respective territories or factions via the usage of a portal of which there only exists one for each land. The faction representatives seem to be the ones who make the wishes and the being is pleased by people engaging in conflict with each other for whatever reason, though if I had to garner it would be for the simple entertainment purposes."
"Well, a luchador is not something native to my culture as well but from what I can gather it is a ritualistic performer slash combatant that engages in the flashy grappling arts in such a way that appeals to the audience?" Sounding unsure herself, Nitocris simply decided to show off a picture of the eponymous Quetzalcoatl
to give the foxgirl a better understanding about what it entailed even if she herself wasn't one hundred percent sure of the sport.
Basking in the sheer happiness and enthusiasm the sphinx cubs were showing the newcomer, Nitocris' relaxed face was blissfully out of it until she reluctantly got herself back together again at remembering she was still a host and representing the Sun King even if he wasn't here at this point in time. "It's no problem! As a pharaoh, one must treat their guests with proper courtesy and you have been a most excellent one thus far so it is my honor to receive you!" Speaking a bit louder than a normal person would as was her wont due to nervousness, the purple-haired royalty gave a nod of assent. "And I would love to accompany you!"
Vampire Hunter
Jedah, Common Room To Mushroom Kingdom
Interested at the appearance of the Shadow Queen and confused as to why three humans and a turtle dragon popped out of the portal immediately after, Jedah moved closer to the conversation they were having with some other human, though one with similar fashion sense to Demitri. As he listened in, he learned that the Shadow Queen was a powerful, tyrannical demon, which meant an alliance with her might allow him to gather up souls. Being careful to avoid notice from either the Mushroom Kingdom's contingent or Demitri and B.B. Hood who both knew of him, Jedah Dohma just moved himself through the portal into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Demitri, Common Room
Demitri looked annoyed at Miria when she asked him a question. Looking over the three, only one of them seemed human, so he decided to answer them.
"I believe that one of the lands had vanished and anyone non-native to said lands was sent into this Common Room," Demitri answered and crossed his arms. "And there were a lot of non-native beings in that particular land."
And then the three high school aged witches walked up to the Cure from their own portal from Luna Nova, "And it does not help that the Cure seems to get bored of lands rather quickly and keeps bringing new lands in, since that means people come here and demand answers from the Cure."
Edited by GameGuruGG on Jul 11th 2018 at 1:11:48 PM
Wizard Needs Food Badly
Common Room (Maki): ...Well That Went Wonderfully...
Maki had caught glimpses of the Cure while he and the others stood around the Common Room, but this was the first time he'd seen it...well, move. The red figure painfully stood out in the immaculate white room, but it also seemed too unreal to be alive. The Cure was more statuesque than what Maki could imagine a world-maker to be—not that he'd had to imagine what a world-maker would be like before today. Amber hadn't shared this thing's existence with the bulk of the EPR, let alone with him.
So when the Cure's lips moved to answer Nora, Maki's hand subconsciously squeezed the Hunter's. It took the boy a moment to recover from the shock of knowing this demon was alive. Even then, it took another moment to understand that this demon wouldn't answer their question.
"So could you..." the words had leaped out of his mouth before he'd compiled an actual question. Now that he was partway through asking one, he decided to risk a follow-up:
"...could you at least tell us why they disappeared?"
The swiftness of the response was one thing, but that blink's length of eye contact between him and the Cure was what discouraged Maki from pressing further. The fear he felt wasn't fabricated. This thing wasn't some prop in a haunted house; it could kill him if it really wanted to.
"Th-Thank you for your time."
Nora would feel another pulse of pressure in her grasped hand as her Contractor friend bowed to the Cure, only to turn around and spot the words etched in the obelisk facing the black throne.
A list of all the people, collectives, and cities that had fallen to the same fate as Instructor Moonstar, S.H.I.E.L.D., and everyone in Genosha. Even without their names on the little screen, that list was not short.
"How..."
Maki squeezed Nora's hands as much as his grip (and the room) would allow, then tried to swiftly lead his friend away from the Cure over to the globe, now twitching with static to herald a new land on the map.
"How can everyone...be okay with this?"
His murmuring voice cracked as he swept his free hand across his eyes, wiping away tears before they could fully form. Much as he didn't mind the personal changes, he didn't like the idea of becoming a crybaby.
"Anyone could disappear at any time, right? I could vanish. You could vanish. And we're all supposed to just accept that? How are you supposed to live when everything you know could be obliterated in a second?!"
"Is that really much different from life back home?"
Maki froze at the familiar bass voice, and turned around to see Amagiri. He was accompanied by the bartender, the dreadlocks man, and that angry guy from Stigma.
"You can't control your fate." the big man said, one eye closed. "But you can control how you look at it. Instead of dreading the inevitable, try to focus on who you'd miss, and treasure the time you still have with them."
Amagiri glanced at Nora with both eyes before turning his focus back to the boy. A hint of a smile flashed on his lips. "Looks like you're on the right track."
"We don't got much time." the angry man from Stigma grunted to Amagiri. "Let's gather your pals and get this show on the road."
Common Room (Dmitri and Maria): A Likely Story!...Oh Shit, It Really Is Likely
The supposed "message from Amber" didn't faze the Contractors any more than the supposed "message to Amagiri" did. If these strangers knew the name of the second-in-command, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to know the boss' name too.
"Like I said," Maria replied with a slight strain in her voice, "tell me the message, and I'll give it to him."
The mention of the Syndicate turned Dmitri's head towards the portals. He caught sight of the lab coat woman just as Jaune gave his warning.
"Shit. Maria, I think they're onto something."
"Chingada madre. Fine! Get everyone over to the round table, we need to find Amagiri and—"
"No need. I'm already here."
Behind Pyrrha and Jaune loomed a large man with receding red hair, staring down at them with only one eye open.
"Go ahead and gather the others, Maria. Get your allies from yesterday if you can. If the Syndicate's watching us from that Specter, I want them to know that we're not alone."
"These kids say they've got a message for you." Dmitri thumbed to the Hunters. "From the boss herself."
Amagiri's closed eye slid open as he turned to Pyrrha and Jaune. "And what would that be?"
Universal Exports: Till We Meet Again!
So with that final handshake, Decade made his way back to the lift and exited Universal Exports. All in all, he couldn't have wished for a better outcome. He entered the Common Room proper with a smile on his face, only to have it melt away at the sight of the bulk of the Evening Primrose gathering in the center of the room.
Much as he wanted to make a fuss about this, Decade knew better than to meddle in affairs he shouldn't know about. Apart from Q and his staff, no one present knew—or should know—that he was a Director for MI-6. So he avoided the bulk of the gathering and circled around to the portals, stepping through the one to Hell's Gate Tokyo without a word.
Meeting Room: So What's This Special Boy Up To?
Misaki's brow furled up all over again. "Setting aside how that's possible, do you know what Hei's been doing for the past four days? Apart from two brief encounters in the Common Room, I haven't seen or heard anything about him."
The Underground, Dreemurr Residence: He's Being An Idiot, That's What
"Like I said, Hei isn't always a team player." Mao replied to the Dog-Girl. "If he were thinking rationally about everything, he wouldn't have gone dark on us. Now as much as I'd like to start putting up 'Missing Person' signs, I think this demon brings up more pressing problems for Your Majesty."
The cat's bell collar jingled as he turned on the table to face Asgore. "Asriel told us a bit about the Underground yesterday, but not much about your defense capabilities. Is there a way for the Monsters here to protect themselves against a creature like this demon? Something that could help root it out if it's lurking nearby?"
Archades, Draklor Laboratories: The Difference Between A Nerd and A Geek!
Nishijima's first step into the workshop of Doctor Cid was immediately followed by an obstruction from his escort, who had stepped in front of him to act as a human (well, Synthetic) shield in case the other boot decided to follow its pair.
The Research Director frowned. That little jump scare made him accidentally bite his lip! So now with the faint taste of blood in his mouth, Nishijima entered the workshop with slightly more respect for his subordinates back at PANDORA. Genius or not, this Doctor Cid had a careless streak about him. Not even Schroeder left his experiments unchained like that!
The brief discussion between the Archadian figureheads gave Nishijima a few moments to recover from the little injury. He stood straight, in a sort of improvised parade rest, and noted Lord Vayne's humility in the face of an intellectual pioneer. Too bad Princess Azula wouldn't get a chance to learn that lesson.
Nishijima remained silent until the doctor addressed him with a question. True to his word, the riddle truly was a simple one.
"In a word: comprehension." Eric smiled. "Magic is the name that mystics and the uneducated apply to phenomena they do not understand, either from circumstance or through willful ignorance. It is a lazy term that does not demand a 'what' or a 'why' or a 'how' from anyone. It simply 'is,' and must subsequently be treasured or feared for arbitrary reasons.
"Meanwhile," the Research Director's glasses reflected the room's light as he tilted his head a few angles higher, blocking sight of his eyes, "science is the practice of studying phenomena on all levels of existence, from quantum mechanics to cosmology. It is an insatiable field that does not end with one, one thousand, or one million experiments, and it therefore demands that all practitioners never cease asking 'how,' 'why,' or 'why not.' The laymen inevitably mistake scientists for some sort of a mysterious, unknowable, 'higher' person: a witch, a wizard, an arrogant figure that should be punished for 'playing God.' The scientist knows better. The scientist comprehends that his hard-earned knowledge is just a drop in the ocean, and that there is always more to learn. Science has no end because there can be no end to understanding.
"I do not believe in magic, Doctor Cid. With all due respect, I must disagree with your previous statement: I doubt any child on the street could explain to me what a skystone is; not in any meaningful way, at least. They would reach an end to their understanding, and resign themselves to believing that there is nothing left to be learned about it. Such is the way of the ignorant masses.
"A scientist would not turn away from the questions. A scientist would not confine himself to the limited findings of his predecessors. A scientist would not even see his city's abduction to a multidimensional conglomerate as a tragedy. A scientist would leap at the opportunity to understand the phenomena of another world.
"Which is why, Doctor Cid..." concluded Nishijima, his eyes returning to view as a polite smile creased his face, "I have come to speak with you."
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Jul 11th 2018 at 12:46:19 PM
Common Room - Team Claymore
"I understand, thank you," Miria thanked Demitri and then continued on her way. The three of them stopped by the map and noted that two of the territories had changed names. A quick line in the words "GENOSHA" and "SANTA DESTROY" later, and the three of them had penciled in the new territory names on their maps.While they were there, they took advantage of the list of leader names, copying that down on the back of their pieces of paper, and noting that the leader of the Underground had the name "Lord Asgore Dreemurr". That done, they could continue on their way.
The things going on in the room did seem of interest, but as they were pressed for time it would be best to table their curiosity for now.
With all of their business taken care of and Raki's maps updated, they marched over to the portal labeled "The Underground".
The Underground Portal - Claymores
Apprehensively, Miria and Clare stepped through the portal, entering the Underground. A moment later, Raki walked in behind them.Chaldea - Cjeste Pyramid - Halloweentown 3
"Oh wonderful, then let's be off at once, if you'd be so kind, Caster," Hiriko said, turning to address Helena."Though..." she added, looking at the sphinx cub she had cuddled in her arms. "If it's alright with you, I think I'd like to keep this one with me just a little bit longer while we continue this tour - would you permit me that indulgence, Miss Medjed Caster?"
Sakura Dungeon Alley -> Sakura Dungeon Inn
"It set my heart at ease to know you find it to be so well-suited," Maeve said, giving Kisume one last headpat before withdrawing. "You see now, don't you, Ryuuou? the appreciation of helpless babes"Ryuuou looked at Maeve for a monet, dumbfounded, and curled her hands up into fists as if she was about to do something. But in the end, she simply harrumphed by making a sound that sounded like 'harrumph', but didn't make any movement to move away from the human as she led her ahead.
"Excellent, let's be off to see Isabella, then," Maeve said, leading the way with Ryuuou in tow. Her two servants just sorta... lurked behind them, following.
"Innkeeper, we have returned with the items you sought!" Maeve proclaimed as she practically threw the door to the inn open.
"Oh, is that so? Give it here, I'll go whip your clothes up in no time at all," Isabella said eagerly, trying to tug the sack out of Parsee's hand so that she could go off and do exactly what she just said.
"Will your wedding have an open bar?" asked the Fox Miko, who was still tagging along with them. She looked like she could really us a drink.
Sakura Dungeon Abyss
"Teehee, more than she'd know," Tanith said, pointing at the Nine Tails while scowling."Nine Tails think they're so smart just because they have nine tails, and us succubi only have one," Kerrigan opined. "But there are things two monsters can do that a single one can't, no matter how many tails they have."
"Yeah, stick with us and we'll show you!" the first succubus added.
"Such desperate creatures," the Nine Tails exhaled, as if bored. "They promise the world, but in the end they are selfish in love, just as they are in the rest of their lives. They care more for dominance and assertion than anything else, and how quickly they grow tired of their pursuits. Once the thrill of the hunt subsides, they find themselves empty and seeking something to fill the hole inside them, only to fail time and time again. "
"Hey! We weren't talking to you!" the succubi shouted, almost in unison.
Through the sheer virture of overwhelming firepower and shock tactics, all of the guards were killed and/or defeated. However, before anyone had a chance to do anything, a series of gunshots hitting Balthier's ship would prompt him to start moving away from the tower, a series of helicoptors flying after him. One ship, howeever, turned to the big hole in the tower. This one
was unlike any of the others that had before been seen. It waited only a second before it started shooting in a manner much like a minigun on a regular chopper, but rather then normal bullets, it fired out pulse rounds which would do considerably more damage to an unarmored target.
Nyarly allowed her to lay there for a moment, before raising his hand.
Mediacrama
Havoc would begin to feel her wounds healing.
We are done here. I do hope you have learned your lesson. You will not have another opportunity. Now, get up.
He would wait for her to pull herself to her feet, then a portal would appear behind her.
Santa Destroy is no longer an option for your hideout. I have made arrangements for an alternate location. Go.
As Havoc entered, she would find herself in a fancy study. A note lay on the table before her, next to a large bag filled with something heavy.
You now stand in an apartment in the city of Archades, a recent addition to this planet, and thus an unlikely target for anyone searching for you. This city is heavily leaned towards the rich and wealthy, who look down on those less fortunate then them. They will be much less accepting of open violence then Santa Destroy, but this city, the capital of a warmongering empire, has all manner of weapons, armor, and other assortments available for easy purchase. You have been provided with a large sum of the local currency, known as "Gil". Use it, shop around the markets, and equip yourself as you see fit. I have ensured that none will question your sudden presence in the city, and so long as you make sure to put on some of the clothes in the closet before you walk out the door, none will take note of you.
The apartment itself would be on the upper side of nice. Not exactly a 5 star hotel but probably better then anything she had lived in before, including the other hideout at Santa Destroy. Within a closet, she would find clothing that would probably instantly make her think "Jackass rich guy".
Makoto started to get up as the loud guy ran off and the other one asked a question. "Well, we're kind of....lost, I think? We were starting to walk home when suddenly, we all fell asleep. Not sure why, too much study craming? Anyway, we kept walking, and then suddenly, we're in this weird forest. So we start walking around, really confused, pretty sure we went in circles once or twice, and then that guy suddenly ran up. I tried to ask him where we are, but he just punched me and ran off!"
Ann, picking up on what Makoto was thinking, let go of Yusuke and said "Miss, could you tell us what's going on? Where did everything go? We live in that direction." She said as she pointed at where the giant mountain now stood. "Is.....is our homes still there?"
"Wait....what shall we do if our homes are gone?" Yusuke asked. "We have nowhere to stay, no money to buy food with.....what will happen to us?"
Cid broke out in a wide smile as Nishijima spoke. "You remind me of myself when I was young, when I first entered this field, as a young, idealistic man. You are, of course, correct. For thousands of years, mankind has bowed to that which they do not understand. Religions that demand workship, that demand one spill the blood of their fellow man. Rulers who forge empires, who gather legions by claiming that the gods have chosen them and them alone to lead the world. How many millions have died in the name of beings that they never see, that they do not comprehend, that were led astray? It is this that I wish to correct."
"For mankind to overcome its past, we must reach enlightenment, not the false enlightenment of the gods, but true, physical enlightenment. Man must rise up, and claim their own history. No more would we serve at the beck and call of so called "gods", no more would the church command power above even kings and emperors, no more would man bow to gods. Think about it. History, back in the hands of man, and man alone."
He walked over to a table, and motioned for Nishijima to join him. "With this in mind, it was that which common men call "Magic" that I first began my research on. And do not be fooled. It does exist. But when I speak of magic, it is with a very specific definition in mind. You see, magic, in whatever form it may take, is powered by what we have called "Mist".
He reached down and picked up a large container with a heavy seal on it. Inside was some form of yellow, gas like substance. "It is a substance, usually invisible to the naked eye, that resides everywhere, hidden within the air. Even now, you are unknowingly breathing it in. It is this substance that gives magic its power. Those who call on magic call on this substance, gives it a physical form, one that is highly malleable, and then unleashes it. One can call on fireballs, heal wounds, quicken the mind or body, forge shields of pure power....and these are just the basic applications!"
"Any man, regardless of bloodline, social class, race, can learn how to call on these powers. it simply requires the knowledge of how to properly call on the Mist, and then how to form it. In places of great power, ancient ruins of civilizations long dead, lands long untouched by the hands of man, the mist is thicker and can be seen, and magic grows yet stronger."
The Cure lifted his hand, and suddenly, Sucy would find herself being choked for a moment by an invisible force. "You, be silent, unless you have a death wish that you would like me to fulfill." He lowered the hand, and the force would vanish. "Now then. You may call me The Cure. Allow me to explain what is going on. You and your people are now on my world, the Battleworld. This world of my own making is a patchwork world, where I have brought chunks of lands from worlds across the multiverse together. Some lands where technology has evolved to levels you could not begin to comprehend, others lands where magic is the dominant force in the universe. Each land, different in their own way, with their own strengths and weaknesses. I have brought these lands together to war with each other for my own amusement."
"Your people are one of these lands. I do not demand you war with anyone in particular, ally with who you will, oppose who you will, it matters not to me. I do not even demand you actively invade others. For if you do not choose to become the aggressor, at some point, you will become the defender, and I will get what I want regardless. There are people of all colors, valiant heroes, evil villains, and everything inbetween here. I am sure you will find someone to fight at some point."
"Do as I ask, and at points I will offer you rewards, allow you to request whatever it is you may wish for, within limits. Be it the revival of a dead person, a new weapon, someone from your world that did not come with you. Nothing is beyond my reach. Refuse to play the game, and I will ensure your people pay the price."
Edited by Meanken on Jul 11th 2018 at 2:38:10 AM
City 17
"God damn it, you killed everyone!" Helen grumbled. She hadn't had a chance to do anything.But then, the helicopter showed up, and she managed to at least smile as she dove for cover behind a section of wall.
"Well, here goes nothing..." she said, tongue curling up to one side of her lips as she focused, holding the pilfered rocket launcher in front of her. Taking note of where she was standing and where the vehicle was flying, she closed one eye as if taking aim.
Stretching her arms out a dozen meters while holding the rocket launcher so that it was that it went through the hole and was just that much closer to its target, she pointed it the damned thing and pulled the trigger.
Mono glanced away from the pegasus and towards the collective women with confusion and surprise on his face. His eyes moved from Yuugi to Tomoe, and then over to Alexa as the latter two offered to watch him. Eyes going wide as the blonde oni began asking the white-haired one something very serious, the androgyne lifted his hands up into the air. "You don't need to say that! I mean, you don't even really know me... I wouldn't want to doing something that serious for me. I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."
So when Tomoe replied in such a dour and serious way, the white-haired teen shrunk in on himself; Hiding away behind his hair once again as guilt settled in his stomach. "...I could help fight too." He said after a short period of silence.
The two young soldiers glanced at each other briefly as they waited for the shouting to die down. A drunk wasn't the best source of information one could hope for, but it was all they had at the moment. And how common could pink hair be, anyway? Tatsu spoke up once again, addressing the drunk man. "So this pink-haired boy was controlling the creature, right? Was he alone? Or did he have someone with him?"
The Grand Re-Vizier
Oracle suppressed the urge to chuckle. It was true that they had faced down gods and monsters on what felt like a fairly regular basis, but that was more a result of the company they chose to keep than anything else. As she tried to figure out how to explain the answer to Amber's question, Batman stood up and started walking down to an area that was, disturbingly given how much time she'd spent in the Batcave, completely unknown to Oracle.
Checking things over as discretely as she could, she found that an entirely new chamber had been added on to the schematics of one of the lower levels, beyond a security door as large and high-tech as the one used to guard the main entrance, and that new protocols were available for the Cave's systems that controlled the function of both that door and what looked like...a mockup of the Common Room's portal system?
Well, at least Bruce was done sulking and reflecting and back to plotting as usual.
"Our regular enemies are actually pretty standard. Some shapeshifters, some really weird serial killers, guys with advanced high tech weaponry or banned supersoldier formulas, a lady who can control plants, a mutant crocodile man. Damian's grandfather's been reincarnating for a minimum of five-hundred years and wants to use sorcery, terrorism and mass murder to bring humanity into some kind of new Golden Age or something but other than that we mostly stay away from magic. I think you two would get along well, actually. There's this one...kid...or...guy or something who I'm pretty sure has equal power to the Cure, but he's more interested in putting us in weird situations for his own amusement than making us fight to the death, usually.Oh, and there's a clown. It's hard to explain but he's definitely the worst. He's just like, crazy, scary and smarter than you realize, by the time you realize he's not kidding around it's almost always too late and he's done something horrifying. But the real reason we're so used to all this is because, well even though it may not seem like it, that guy in the bat costume has made some crazy powerful friends with equally powerful enemies. So we've learned to prepare accordingly whenever they show up in town."
Oracle paused for a second.
"Sorry if this is all a little much for you. We've all had years if not decades to get used to a world full of super-intelligent jet-powered apes, time travel and alternate dimensions. As hard to believe as it may seem, that man there is usually one of the most reliably heroic people I know. Even if he has issues and tends to get too caught up in controlling and protecting people 'for their own good' and fall into dark phases, that's not the whole of him. From the sound of things, there was probably a time when you could've related to that."
Was she really trying the whole 'maybe there's still good in you' on a girl who'd destroyed half a continent? Did she even actually believe that? Well, Nightwing was busy and she wasn't, so she might as well try.
Dick was right, he needed a change of perspective. Needed to rebuild his image and stabilize, work on public relations and forming alliances and so far he was getting nowhere doing that as Batman. He needed to make real headway into his investigations of Battleworld. Speaking of which...
"Dresden. I was wondering how your deep cover operations were going. The line is secure, so I can give you that report now. Genosha launched some form of chemical attack against a majority of Battleworld. Most people were just rendered ill, some gained superhuman abilities. We have the alleged perpetrator of the attack in holding in the Batcave, but since Genosha's gone we've just been left with more questions than answers there. Several new groups and landmasses have been added and subtracted, I'd think on The Cure's whim. I'm aware of the general situation that lead up to what I'm forced to assume is an ongoing battle in City 17, but because of so many groups having shifted in and out, I wasn't able to get any eyes on site. I was injured after the Empire Event and certain other...complications have kept me from At the moment I'm considering a change in strategy, pursuing operations with...a different face and giving things a more subtle personal touch. Stay in contact, let me know if you need anything."
With that, Bruce disengaged the locks on the Batsuit's headpiece, prepped to put on an entirely different kind of suit, and started planning.
Time for Bruce Wayne to try his hand at Battleworld instead.
Eternal Princess
Sucy's chuckling was cut short as an invisible force wrapped around her neck.
"Urgk!"
The grin straighten to a line as oxygen flow was cut off. So the demon wanted to play it that way? While she was just messing with Akko, she supposed she really did have to show this demon how the dynamic between witches and demons are suppose to go. A wand extended in her hand, its tip glowing.
"..."
Or not. Nothing seemed to be happen. An anti magic field? It look like she might actually die. That was bit inconvenient. Her friends both looked to her in concern. Lotte, shaken and unsure how to help. Akko on the other hand began to rub her stomach and head even faster, as if she was trying to start a fire with friction in both places.
"Sucy! Its not working!"
As the life was being choked out of her, Sucy watched her friend doing a nonsensical ritual she made up just to mess with Akko. She wondered if this was karma of some sort. Now that she thought about it, it definitely was, for being friends with such an idiot. Even if it would help, she was doing it wrong anyway. But if it was the last thing she was going to see, she suppose she could do worse.
The chocking stopped and Sucy fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. Both Akko and Lotte quickly rushed to her side to see if they could help.
"...cough...if...cough...it was just aliitle...tightier..."
Her friend's noticed her cheeks were flushed, and on her face was a smile not unlike the one she had when she learned they were going to be sacrifices for Vajarois the Grieving. Their concern shifted from Sucy's physical health to her mental one. But after a moment to catch her breath, Sucy was on her feet looking as gloomy and nonchalant as ever, as if nothing happened.
The Cure revealed all to the trio. Akko and Lotte stood captivated by every word. Sucy might of been thinking about mushrooms. It was hard to tell, the girl had an amazing poker face. But as the cure finished the last word, Akko simply stood there, staring at him blankly. With the face she was making, it was hard to tell if she was dumbfounded or just dumb.
"...umm..."
The Japanese girl's eyes wandered to the rest of the room. For all the foreboding in the giant demon's words, it seemed no one else got memo. There was more conflict at lunch time in Luna Nova then here. Have you ever sat at the table with Sarah and Elfriede as they compete for the tile of Spice Queen? Now that was an intense situation.
She suppose there was that little boy. It looked like he was about ready to cry after the Cure talked to him. She was about ready to call out the Cure for being a bully, but she really didn't understand the context of what was going on. It would be pretty bad if she stepped in and started mouthing off if all the Cure was doing was keeping from spoiling the child. Especially since when she was a kid herself, she had cried more then once when her mom wouldn't buy her that special Shiny Chariot card. Wait! If some random stranger stepped in back then out of nowhere, does that mean she could of had the complete set now!? Maybe she should have butted in on that boy's behalf...oh well too late now.
There was also the other problem which made it hard to take the Cure at his word. Luna Nova was kind of...Luna Nova. Even with the witches and magic and all that stuff, it still was just kind of a school. Using it and war in the same sentence didn't really connect. Even after the maintenance staff rioted when the strike came to a peek, its hard still not to see them as big softies, or little softies in a number of cases. The idea of Professor Finnelan or Babcock wearing fatigues and a witch hat with Born to kill written on it almost had Akko bursting out laughing from the absurdity of it all. It didn't really make a lot of sense. Then something clicked in the girl's mind.
"Ah, I see. I think there was a misunderstanding. I was fooled by Luna Nova's reputation at first too. I mean its the place Chariot went to, who would have thought in reality it would be like that. It's ok I make mistakes all the time too. You might have better luck with the Riders of the Wild Hunt or some one else. Now that we have cleared that up, it would be greatly appreciated if you can return Luna Nova where it came from. I'd hate to seem pushy, but doing so before anyone else notices we are here would help out a lot. Thanks, and bye."
Akko began walking back to the portal, waving at the Cure. She sure was glad that whole mess was settled, this could be have been really big problem.
How do you kill that which has no life?
Chaldea - Cjeste Pyramid - Halloween Central
"I think your kittens have taken a liking to me," Hiriko bobbed her head up and down to press against the kitty's face. "Perhaps whenever I come, I'll pay a visit to pet your pussycats," she continued. "I imagine I'll have to stop by regularly to check in on my soldiers and see how their tasks are going, and how things are with Theosophical Caster.""I'm afraid I've never heard of a luchador before, nor can AI find anything in her databanks to try determining its meaning, you'll need to explain that one to me if I'm to understand it." She stood up, still cradling the one sphinx in her arms while the others climbed around on her or whatever it was that they were wont to do. Her tail wagged around - left and right, left and right, up and down, and again and again - as they clambered around nearby.
"But I do hope I haven't taken up too much of your time, or chased away your other guests." She looked towards the exit the gargoyles had taken. "Though if your business was concluded, Miss Caster was just showing me around, if you'd care to accompany us....?"
Sakura Dungeon Arena
"Oh no!" Ceri gasped, looking at Artemis run her sword through Blake, and then called for a healer of some sort. "I have a healing potion around here... oh."And as soon as it had happened, Blake poofed out of existence. Or at least, her clone did. Still holding the potion in her hand, she looked over at Blake for a moment, to see if she had any lasting damage. She sighed in relief and put the potion back in her pocket. So far it seemed like Blake was unscathed, so she was fine. Although Artemis wasn't looking so hot right now - or more accurately, she seemed injured - but she wasn't complaining or asking for any help, so she was probably fine for now.
Probably.
"I'm... I said I'm a human...." she repeated shyly for Yang's benefit.
Sakura Dungeon Shop
"You - and your coinpurse - are always welcome," Charlotte still had her eyes glazed over looking at all that gold Circe had given her."And who's to say that I want to be rid of you?" Yomi said to Circe with a sly smile. "I do believe that my dungeon would be a livelier place if you came here often, wouldn't you say so?"
Sakura Dungeon Back Alley
"Don't touch me, I said I am fine!" Ryuuou insisted, tone adamant, and pulling her arm away from Yamame to try and refuse any help. "If it was any problem I would have had Tatsu and Yori deal with it, I just needed to put Vesta in her place."Said servants just stood there.
Continuing, Ryuuou pointed at Kisume. "And you, I am not here for your amusement or benefit, cease your mindless prattling."
"I got the little animal her bucket, are you pleased, Maeve?" she asked Maeve with just a teeny tiny hint of sarcasm.
"And don't you people have a wedding to deal with?" she added sharply, glaring at Parsee and Yamame, who had the fortune, or misfortune, of being who she addressed last. She raised a finger and pointed at Parsee's sack. "Is that what you needed or did you get caught up in yet another distraction?"
"I am well aware that you can handle things by yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to," Maeve replied. "And I won't turn down a chance to get my own licks in." She kicked the unconscious Vesta in the gut, making her roll over a few times until her body slapped itself right up against a wall. "Besides, it means a great deal to me that you were, regardless of your own wishes, able to help this one out on my account."
She held her hand out and shooed the cat away, trying to pat Kisume on the head instead. "After all, I was the one who owed this child a debt of a new bucket, and it seems as though you have managed to take care of that without issue - former Dungeon Lords notwithstanding."