Glory to Arachnos
The Yordles would find themselves in a weird place with plently of people walking around, buildings with changing pictures and symbols, and plently of vehicles around here. This kind of reminded them of Piltover and Zaun...though this place gave a more piltover-ish vibe, considering Zaun looked less fancy and more smog filled than this land.
The trio would then be adressed by some kind of people that looked like the police force of this place, telling them to stay back from the portal. Fizz would smile at the guards before speaking to them. "We just came from that portal, it ain't really that dangerous, miss."
Tristana would speak next. "Yeah, considering we didn't got liquified from coming from that, this thing ain't that dangerous compared to some of the things we saw in the great war." The two would approach the officers, before saluting them. "We're part of Omega Squad, Bandle City's best commando squad. We're here to see if the land here is friendly or hostile. Hope you guys wouldn't mind giving us and our human friend over here a tour?"
If Teemo looked threatened by the tribeswoman pointing a spear in front of his face, he really didn't showed it at all. He crossed his arms while staring at the woman, his glance not faltering from her.
"Heard you were heading off to go back with your tribe. I'd like to see if they're as tough as the other people here are saying they are. Besides, i'd like to have some fun in the jungles or forests again."
The yordle and rat would enter the building, giving a time for the fox knight to witness the strange beings they're looking at before answering her.
"I'm a yordle. He's a rat."
"We're pretty cute, eh? We accept a pat in the hea-ow!" Twitch said, before getting smacked in the shoulder by Veigar.
"I'll do the talking!" Veigar scolded Twitch, before returning his attention to the fox knight. "Anyways, I heard you were looking for recruits for your guild. We're here to join for whatever tasks you have. You won't regret having the best Bandle City commandos on your guild!"
Edited by Darkomega245 on Mar 18th 2019 at 5:16:38 AM
-Spider Lizard Noises-
Delfi glanced over at the dark-haired woman, wondering just how old she was. She didn't look much older than herself, maybe a few years, but the way she said it made it seem like it was a much larger gap. Or maybe the girl was just as weird as she seemed. Considering she came from this place...
"I imagine there were a bunch of reasons you refused the marriage." The blonde girl stated, glancing blatantly in Yomi's direction before fixing the other girl with a blank look for a moment. "Unless I'm mistaken and that is a common thing here."
Turning away, Delfi wheeled herself towards the closest shelf and began to look over the books within her reach. Trying to find any that stood out to her. Should Ceri follow her, she'd then ask. "So what does an adventurer do then?"
"Above or in the clouds, yeah." Tatsu confirmed as he smiled lightly at the girl. "And even if you're spotted with radar, trying to find a target in a cloud bank can be hard. Or at least adds a bit more defense."
Then he spun around, walking backwards as he faced Amber directly, forcing the occasional person to step out of their captain's way. Pointing towards her he asked. "But what about on a clear day? When there's no clouds? You'd be a sitting duck, or have to keep out of sight. And what about when you want to get lower than the current cloud cover allows?"
Reaching a stairwell, Tatsu turned back around began to move down it. They passed several levels, walking down the sparse metal steps as they moved deeper into the ship. As they did, the young captain kept his focus on his surroundings. An eye and ear out for anything out of the ordinary. If someone was going to hide out on his ship, the mess of pipes and metal that made up its heart would be a good bet.
"Because I've seen someone block bullets with a sword before." Garnet replied and crossed his arms, now looking unimpressed. He was starting to hope whoever was coming hurried up, or whatever Tatsu was going to do happened soon, so he could get rid of these people. They weren't in the position for visitors, and especially not nosy ones from place they knew nothing about. "Our captain can do it, and a lot more."
A look of genuine surprise, and a hint of embarrassment, showed on Garnet's face at the demonstration of the cellphones. It was quickly squashed however, and replaced by another scowl. "So you've got a really small radio. So what." One of the soldiers rolled their eyes behind him, in view of the girls.
Then his attention turned towards B.B, and his face soured. "Really, you figure that out all on your own kid? I told you all you weren't coming in here. It might be a bit hard for you to understand yet, but letting random people wander around because they swear there's someone bad that somehow might have snuck onto your ship is pretty fucking dumb." Then he glanced at the others. "And I'm honestly not sure what you all expected to happen."
Thankfully, before the situation could worsen, Alfred stepped into the room at the far end of the hall. He moved forward at a steady pace, face flat as he looked over the group standing just in front of the portal. He moved up to the barricade, and with a side glance at the other young man that shut him up, stepped out and met them personally. Drawing on his experience as a soldier, he put on his professional demeanour; Inclining his head to them in greeting. When he spoke, his tone was clear and smooth. "My name is Alfred Mc Innes, and the captain sent me to talk to you all. I've heard you have reason to believe that a threat has managed to get aboard somehow. I'd like to hear everything you can tell me about them, and what makes you believe that. Doesn't matter how small the detail might be. Is that possible? I'm sure you can understand why this isn't a claim we're taking at face value."
Edited by Alleydodger on Mar 19th 2019 at 3:58:05 AM
Eternal Princess
Croix gave the Pandora man a look, as if carefully considering the meaning behind words. Yes, that would be acceptable. So he didn't want her editing the material, but being able to decide the curriculum would work just as well. She gave a smile, never quite losing that look of confidence, even as her thoughts went all over the place.
"Ofcourse, we can create physical copies. If everyone is in agreement, I can begin cataloging our archive in preparation for an easy transition. Though..."
Croix looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing.
"A number of the books may prove problematic. Many are several hundred years old and written in older English dialect. Others in latin or even languages that I am not sure your dimension has a direct parallel for, such as Dragon or Fish. On top of that, understanding a whole new field such as magic can be prove difficult without a little guidance. Would you like, I can provide translation notes and create an outline to help guide the research of your team. Starting with a book on advanced fringe theories would only serve to confuse if you haven't grasped the core concepts first."
She kept a helpful friendly demeanor as she looked at him. With control over what sources are provided, she was already thinking of crafting a narrative that benefited her through choice selection. Pushing information that focused on the strength of witches and minimizing those that spoke of their weaknesses. While her offer would help streamline the whole effort, she was more interested to see Nishijima's reaction. Was he willing to relinquish more control to her in this deal, or was he shrewd enough to think that perhaps she already had too much as it was?
As nice as this little chat was, Holbrooke could not help but smile at the prospect of adjourning the meeting. Especially since scones were involved. She looked toward the visitors in a chipper mood.
"Shall we take our newest student come with us? There is much material we will have to cover if we hope to catch her up to speed."
Finnelan said nothing, but the look in her eyes suggested that she had several hours worth of lectures she was all too prepared to get started on.
Badcock smiled all too widely, subconsciously rubbing her hands together. Her eyes were closed, perhaps to appear more friendly, or perhaps to hide the money signs in her eyes. She couldn't help but notice how expensive that suit looked and wonder how his bank account looked.
"We can finalize the billing process whenever your convenience."
Lukic hearing she was no longer needed was all too ready to take her leave. Her old bones stood up and started walking off without a word, though muttering under her breath about getting back to trying to develop a new plague.
Diana was curious to see how this was going to play out. She would like to think that perhaps this could simply be a partnership that benefits both parties for the better. But she knows from her aunt and the politicians she has rubbed elbows with all her life, how selfish people can be. All too willing to take if merely given the opportunity. Only diligence can stem tragedy. She will keep a close eye on what is to come of this. But as it is, there is much needed to be done.
"If my presence is no longer needed, then I will get back to reviewing student requests for permission to leave school grounds."
She gave the visitors a polite bow as she was to make her leave, picking up professor Pisces as she left.
The fishy professor's bowl had been covered with notes Pisces had been making during the meeting. So much so that it was hard to make out the fish behind all that writing. Her mind had long left the meeting. There was just so many questions raised in this little discussion that it hard to contain her self. The existence of Dracula alone raised a plethora of intrigue that demanded investigation. Fiction made real. Is this the byproduct of infinite universes? Eventually all possibilities equate to true merely due to the scale of infinity, even one where literary villains walk the earth.
Though the logical conclusion of the hypothesis would suggest that even in this moment there are simultaneously happening all conceivable possibilities, as well as all inconceivable. As she swam in her bowl, alternate dimensions has had them already escape, fall to tragedy, or have the Cure sit in this room as he discusses how to overcome a god like Pisces. What did such a system suggest in the matter of free will? If all possibilities equal true due infinite parallel universes, does choice actually exist? Do they have any more free will then a ball in a pachinko machine? Merely being pulled by invisible forces, reacting in a completely predictable way that only appears random in their very limited perspective.
The movement of her water as the bowl was picked up snapped her back to the present. She was quite surprised to see the meeting was already over, and seemed to be lost in thought through the most of it. As she was being carried off she gave the visitors a fare well, sounding a bit flustered from being caught inattentive. At least as flustered as a fish making bubbles could sound.
"Bloop bloop" note
When everyone was gone, Croix put away her phone, giving Nishijima her full attention.
"Hmmh..."
The short Germanic witch's bushy eye brows laid flat. Was this really what they were going with? It wasn't like she needed their help. She worked better alone anyway. Having lost interest in the discussion, Constanze pulled out a remote and conjured up a 3D map of Battleworld. She'd just take the necessary materials where she could acquire them and forge a god killing weapon on her own.
Lotte seemed much more excited to hear Sypha was on board. Perhaps they could actually have a nice little adventure this time. One that didn't end up with them in danger or trouble with the teachers. She clasped Sypha's hands with hers.
"It is a good plan right? I know it will work."
Akko her self seemed to be pretty smug at hearing people praise her idea. Its not like its every day people take a shine to her brilliance. In fact it was usually the opposite. So why not enjoy it when her time finally does come around?
Reisen seemed unconvinced by the idea however. She leaned on the kitchen counter with a hand on her chin. She bobbed her head from side to side as if rolling the thought around her head as she rolled the sweet around her mouth. After swallowing down the treat she looked at the others.
"I'm not sure...if Cure was the type to feel any sort of empathy, I kind of get the feeling he wouldn't be the type to run something like Battleworld in the first place. But if we are going with this idea, how are we actually going to go about it?"
"Hue hue hue."
Akko smiled, raised a finger, and opened her mouth, all too ready to lecture the bunny girl on how this was going to work. Except nothing came out, even as the others leaned in to see if there was something wrong with the Japanese witch. Well, something wrong with her besides what was already been established. After a moment of silence, Akko's hands dropped to her side and she turned toward Lotte with a cocked head.
"Any ideas?"
"Ah, oh, um...maybe if he had a copy of Night Fall he would be so entertained as a new fan that he wouldn't need Battleworld any more?"
"Hmm...no, no. Guys aren't really into that series. Its not like we have anyone to ask around here for guys perspective either. Hmm, Oh! I know! Boys love that Super Sentai stuff! I remember the boys around by neighbor hood always dressing up and playing in the park when I was little. We just have to become...the Mega Magical Masked Witch Rangers."
Akko stuck a dynamic pose accentuate the idea, then held it as she gave the others time to digest the plan. Lotte just seemed confused. What was super sentai? The mention did however cause Constanze to look up, seemingly interested in the plan again. Reisen however still seemed unconvinced.
"If he wanted a super sentai team, couldn't he just bring one in?"
How do you kill that which has no life?
I have a plan.
The corridors of the imperial palace slowly returned to resembling a barren factory as the Empire's special guests left the throne room and headed towards the armory. As they passed through the the dimly-lit and dingy halls, the outsiders would find themselves being stared at by several of the Empire's elite soldiers, covered completely in steel armor, before finally arriving at the massive metal doors that lead into the armory proper. Luckily, General Christophe had already done the favor of opening the doors to the Empire's vault.
The armory was just as industrial and gray as the rest of the Imperial Palace, but there were a few decorations in this room, namely the swords and shields hanging high up on the walls. In the middle of the room, General Christophe was busy unlocking various glass display cases lined up in neat rows, before noticing his visitors arriving in the armory.
"There you are! I've taken the liberty of unlocking a few cases so you can get a proper look at what we have to provide. I'm not entirely familiar with what sort of armaments you all be'd comfortable with, but the Empire has just about everything you could think of in this room. Maybe I could provide some suggestions."
General Christophe reached down into the case he just opened and lifted out a large crossbow. "This here is an experimental model. We've been experimenting with the concept of an automatic crossbow, but so far, only a semi-automatic model has been sufficient. It can carry up to 7 bolts at a time, and it fires as fast as your finger can pull the trigger. It's a bit heavy, though."
The General put the crossbow back into its box, and headed over to another display case. In there, he lifted a chainsaw. Yes, a chainsaw. "This here's an experimental chainsaw weapon. Normally, these are only good for logging, but our top engineers were able to make a pretty effective weapon based off our previous models. It's gas powered, pretty noisy, but it's powerful enough to cut through concrete. Not too heavy, either."
Christophe put the chainsaw back down. "Or perhaps you're looking for some more traditional weapons? We have swords, spears, even some katana. A few more experimental devices. Just ask me what you're looking for, and I'll see if we have it available."
Vector — Lower West Side
Misaki and the Dog would immediately be hit by a strong, unpleasant smell when they crossed the portal from the Common Room into Vector. Vector wasn't just the capital of an empire, it was an industrial powerhouse, and in the distance, countless factories and refineries were dumping unidentifiable chemicals into the air, leading to the sour scent in the air. Some distance in front of Misaki and the Dog was a makeshift wooden gallows, currently in the process of being torn down by hardy men in blue shirts. Next to the gallows was a wooden cart, with the body of a red-haired man sitting in the back.
The gallows wasn't really the most obvious piece in the town square. Standing right next to the portal was a man clad in a banana yellow (and banana-shaped)
◊ raincoat. He didn't even seem to notice Vector's two newest visitors leaving, as he was instead captivated by the portal itself, looking deep into the brilliant blue phenomenon. A soldier in heavy armor tapped the man on the shoulder.
"Sir. We have visitors."
The raincoat wearing man still took a bit to notice Misaki and the Dog. "...Oh! I didn't notice you there!"
The heavily armored soldier rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, I've heard we'd be receiving visitors from far across the universe, but I wasn't expecting for you to arrive in such a strange manner such as this gateway. I am Cid Del Norte Marquez. Welcome to Vector, capital city of the proud Gestahlian Empire. I was just about to study this fascinating gateway that you've both just arrived in, but I suppose that can wait."
He paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. "Oh. Right. Were you interested in speaking to the Emperor? He's opened a banquet for everyone visiting Vector. Between you and me, the Emperor's banquets are highly overrated, and he's always so rude to his guests."
Cid paused again. "Oh, you have to forgive me. I hardly ever get to leave the research facility these days, so when I finally get to meet visitors, I don't know what to say to them! Well, I can assure you that you'll find whatever you're looking for in Vector. I should probably get going, back to work, in that accursed research facility..."
"@[=g3,8d]&fbb=-q]/hk%fg"
Sidorovich’s
“Let me see one of the FNs,” Homura replied as she took the RG-6 into her possession, followed by the rounds for said launcher one by one. The mill job had highlighted to her the current gap in her armory regarding submachine guns, where a full rifle was too large but pistols were too small; shotguns like the Winchester she picked up had their uses but required their own ammo and sometimes she needed a constant stream of bullets. The mention of a grenade launcher made her hesitant to immediate go for it, though — in her experience she wasn't sure if a firearm large enough to have a grenade launcher would fit into the role she had in mind. At least there were other options if this turned out to be a problem.
Mirai Mall (?)
Down goes Kanda like a sack of potatoes.
The elevator itself, at least, was an ordinary elevator, the doors giving way outward under the pressure of the projectiles. A cry of surprise might be heard among the noise, followed by that same voice shouting again: “Are you OK?!” A moment would pass before the face of a blue-haired teen would peer into the hole of the elevator doors, the pointy end of a cutlass nearby ready to strike. "Hello?!" It would take her a couple more moments to find Cana. "Hey, are you OK?"
What a teenage girl was doing serving as a first responder rescue service would probably have to wait until later.
Zone, Army Warehouse: Smoke Weed Everyday? No? Awww. :'(
The trio followed their escort through the front gates, all but repeating the same behavior of greeting three soldiers who smelled way too skunky to prove an effective fighting force. It was "all but" because Ariel had resorted to following the Director's mute lead, no thanks in small part due to feeling the eyes of every soldier within eyesight (and maybe even some out of sight) had locked their gaze on her.
A militia full of stoned, shit-faced, and sex-starved soldiers. No thank you.
The guard's warning seemed to fall on deaf ears—or rather four deaf ears and one empty head, since Puck seemed to delightedly focus on the image of an exploding body than the underlying threat. Far as Ariel or Director Horai were concerned, they found the story rather superfluous; this faction was heavily armed, and that was deterrence enough.
After Puck was forced to speak for the three (not that he minded chatting with fellow party-lovers, apparently) the visitors were welcomed inside. Perhaps being the most eager to leave, for previously stated reasons, Ariel turned towards the Screw and Uncle Yar. Director Horai turned for Lukash, and Puck turned to Ganja's bar until he felt the strong grip of a robotic hand on his shoulder, and followed his boss instead.
Archades, Cafe: When I Said "We Don't Need No Heroes," I MEANT It!!!"
I have found this 'Vergil.'
Five little words were all it took to give Huang a goddamn heart attack. They'd struck the mark? So soon?!
"Jack," Huang growled, "remember what I said: we don't need no heroes. Keep your distance and wait for backup."
...no response.
"Jack?" Mao's voice rang through the radios. "Do you copy?"
...still no response.
Huang clenched his teeth and reached a shaking hand into his coat for another cigarette. He tried to hold the lighter steady, but his thumb failed to spark the flame. All thanks to the adrenaline a pure rage coursing though his body right now.
"God fuckin' DAMMIT!"
The old man threw the unlit cigarette on the ground, rose from his chair, and smothered it with as much fury as he could channel into his foot. He'd get a few stares from the other patrons in the little cafe—the place he'd established as their base of operations, since it supplied Yin with water and could tuck them away in a corner—but he'd quickly shy away again and let everyone else resume their business.
"Find out where that bridge is." he said to Yin. Then, turning into his radio while pulling out his cell phone, Huang alerted Mao (and Jack if, hope beyond hope, he was still listening):
"I'm makin' the call."
Common Room: That's Scott Shao Kahn, He's A Dick!
"Our chivalry, for what it is worth, does not extend to those who fight like savages." Goro reassured the small shirtless elf. "Those who wish to spill innocent blood do not deserve our patience or mercy."
And, judging by the twinge of pressure pulsing through the Overlord's hand, it seemed the frowning man really meant that.
"Alas, the Netherworld has just such a savage neighbor to the West." Goro turned his attention to the large globe in the center of the room. "Outworld has made few appearances in this demilitarized zone known by most as the Common Room, yet it remains the sole state to have conquered another kingdom. A most impressive feat, if one considers that the Koopa Kingdom fell to Shao Kahn on the first day of this planet's history, and had remained in Outworld's control ever since."
Goro turned his eyes back (down, what a petite Tyrant Overlord he was) to Laharl with an ever-creasing frown.
"Collectively, Shao Kahn is despised by the rest of the planet. He has made no attempts to hide his desire for expanding Outworld's control, and accepts only complete and undying loyalty from his subjects. Otherwise, they serve no purpose to him, and he eliminates them. Should Outworld lay eyes on the Netherworld as its next campaign, feel free to request assistance here. Perhaps you may need it, or perhaps not; regardless, you would find more allies than enemies."
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle Gates: When A Super Crown Princess Meets Two Scantly-Clad Demon Guards
Princess Jai's interruption on her stroll to Food Town earned the demon guards a subtle yet clearly distinguishable look of...uhhh...annoyance? Maybe? It was really subtle. Or not there.
Anyway, she turned from one guard to the other to the other guard to the other guard to the you get it. It was almost as if her blank/bored/tired expression was in response to being roadblocked for obvious reasons; reasons which were obviously unnecessary and dumb. Did they not even look at her crown?
Whatever. Without another (or maybe even a first) thought, Princess Jai pointed a gloved and dainty finger past the gates and said:
"Here for the event."
What event was that? A ball? A banquet? A game of Parcheesi? Didn't matter. Sure as princesses were welcomed anywhere they wanted to be, there was always something happening in a giant castle.
Hopefully, something that involved lots of food.
Red Sprite, Halls: Enough With the Twenty Questions and Just SPIT IT OUT!
Amber paused and pretended to consider an answer as long as she deemed polite. Truth of the matter was, she hadn't the faintest idea and was growing a little irritated by being pulled around by the nose like this.
Wow. No wonder Hei didn't appreciate her riddles.
Knowing that this was all leading up to a great reveal, Amber smiled and shook her head in playful defeat. "Sorry, Captain. I'm stumped: how do you do it?"
Maybe Tatsu would recognize that his newest crew member was choosing to give up too easily; maybe he didn't care, since at least his ears were focused on something else. Whatever the case, Amber was sure the tour would lead them to this natural and/or technological marvel hidden deep within the Red Sprite.
Luna Nova, Meeting Room: Now You're Speakin' My Language! ;)
Nishijima bottled his disappointment before it could have a chance to shine in his eyes. Dragon and fish languages—he was afraid of something like that. Perhaps he'd been a little too optimistic to suspect Professor Pisces was a unique house pet; the product of some experiment or other.
And then there was Croix's offer; she'd read between the lines clearly enough with Nishijima's request for physical copies, but how could he refuse or change a request as simple as offering footnotes? It'd be too bold to decline texts in those scripts outright—even if they were written by mythical creatures, that didn't necessarily mean the subjects were irrelevant.
It was a difficult challenge to maneuver...assuming, of course, one hadn't realized the obstacle didn't exist at all.
A chuckle erupted from behind the Research Director's closed lips, perhaps a little less polite than it should be. He wagered the professors hadn't had much experience with residents of other states, so how couldn't he find this ignorance entertaining? After all, he was practically sitting on the greatest act of magic any of them had ever witnessed, and it had taken the entire meeting for them to notice it.
"Tell me, Croix: what language am I speaking now?"
It was a bizarre question that made even Tsuchi turn her head.
"The Cure is aware that when one plucks civilizations from across the multiverse, there's bound to be some things...lost in translation. Right now, I'm speaking my native tongue of Japanese. Perhaps you're fluent in it, but I've spoken to people who hail from post-apocalyptic America, and several shades of dimensions with only tangent similarities to China, Germany, Ancient Rome, and the United Kingdom. While I happen to be a fluent English speaker, I know only a handful of Chinese, and absolutely no German or Latin, yet I understood these individuals as well as I understand you now, or you me. If this means anything, it at least suggests that we will do just fine with the texts of our own dimension. That, and Dr. Schroeder will understand Professor Pisces without the need of a potion."
A light chuckle, and he continued.
"So perhaps a little experiment is in order: permit me a moment to glance at these dragon or fish texts myself—it hardly matters which page or which book—and we can determine if the Cure's influence extends so far into the written word."
As the Research Director leaned back in his chair with a smile, Tsuchi's eyes widened with shock. She'd assumed everyone here spoke Japanese, since she knew no other language—was this universal language that streamlined? Enough for people to not even notice it?
"That said," Nishijima conceded with a small bow of the head, "Croix is absolutely right: just because we can read and understand the words on the page does not mean we fully comprehend them. After all, the poetry of one language may still fall of deaf ears to a non-native speaker. Your notes—so long as they're physical like the texts—would be much appreciated."
He deemed it a fair middle ground; perhaps even more in Croix's favor than anything. But still, he'd demonstrated that he knew more about the workings of Battleworld than they did, and that he knew how to use that knowledge to his advantage.
That, and perhaps lightly rustle Croix's "prepared for anything" attitude for those present.
As all but Croix left the meeting room, Nishijima bid one last farewell to his niece and a promise to meet with Badcock once he was finished speaking to the magitronics professor. To the rest, he wished a good day and an eagerness to meet them all again soon.
Once they were alone, Nishijima began to quietly turn to his cell phone. As he updated himself on the goings-on back home ("A pop-star group? What's going on in that head of yours, Goro?") he crossed his legs and casually leaned back in his chair.
In an amusing reversal of their attitudes through the majority of the meeting, the Research Director began the private chat with a bomb:
"Luna Nova has been here for the lion's share of a day. Miss Kagari should be given her first wish before evening; do you think Chariot will be a great asset to the school?"
He paused for a moment, still studying his phone as his ears kept sharp for any bold reactions. It was a shot in the dark and he knew it; hell, she probably knew it too, but still...
"I stated in the meeting that PANDORA gathers whatever intelligence we have through interactions in the Common Room." he said, as if to answer the question before it was asked. "Miss Kagari mentioned a woman called Chariot in response to the Cure's gladiatorial demands. Naturally, the first assumption is to believe Chariot is a powerful witch, and I've no evidence one way or another about that. Then again, Miss Kagari does not seem to be held in high regards with the other professors, and...well, I know a hero-worshipper when I see one."
All caught up, the phone was placed on the table and Eric looked Croix eye-to-eye.
"The Cure can grant almost any wish the state's delegate desires. I've seen many use these miracles to raise the dead, or summon figures from a different point in time, or create a cure for otherwise incurable conditions. In the right hands, this power can be the silver bullet against a state's aggressors. In the wrong hands...it's just a waste. Now I know almost nothing about Miss Kagari apart from her name, appearance, and what few facts or suspicions I've just shared. Care to guess if I think Luna Nova's in the right hands?"
Perhaps this was too aggressive. Perhaps Akko was one of Croix's class favorites. Perhaps he was completely wrong about this woman and what he thought she believed, but he was undoubtedly meddling in Luna Nova's affairs. If he was wrong about Croix, that would come back to haunt him.
"The Cure does not choose delegates based on their position or influence in society; the appointment of Miss Kagari should be evidence of this. Yet what if I were to tell you that there have been examples of delegates who fell out of favor?"
A smile creased on the Research Director's lips.
"What if I told you that Cure can change his mind?"
Luna Nova, (Towards) Cafeteria: The New Girl at School
Tsuchi followed the professors out of the meeting room to the cafeteria. She held a solidly nervous expression throughout, though the professors were likely sympathetic to her predicament. She wasn't just leaving her home city or country behind, but her home dimension as well; that couldn't be an easy adjustment, especially for someone her age.
They'd probably be sympathetic, but wholly for the wrong reasons. Reasons she could never share with anyone here....
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Mar 20th 2019 at 3:58:30 AM
Glory to Arachnos
For Ariel, after a few minutes of walking and a few pointing of directions from some members of Freedom (But not without some curious staring from seeing a woman in the Zone), she would be pointed to a helipad that has been repurporsed
to a workshop, with plently of tools, boxes and things that a mechanic would like to have.
As she would approach the helipad, she would suddenly hear the noise of a loudspeaker. One would assume that it would broadcast propaganda to recruit people to Freedom....
...Right?
....Eh...not really.
"EYYYYY YAAAAR, We got a used gun you have a look?'"
"Oh boy, bad dick joke incoming." A Freedomer that was patrolling near Ariel would mutter to himself before walking away.
"That will be 20 dollars, Ashot."
"Hey come on. Yesterday's joke no funny today!"
"Alright bring your stupid gun over here."
"I no can leave my shop alone, you come to me eh?"
"How 'bout you just use that damn gun right in your shop in the most unnatural way possible?"
"EY YO GO SUCK MY-"
A third voice would ring out of the intercom, sounding annoyed and interrupting the loudspeaker argument.
"Cut the bullshit, you bozos! You're making the whole base sound like a used car dealership!"
As the Intercom argument ended, she would see one of them close to a microphone
, laughing out loud. Meanwhile, there was another freedomer who wore a mask, laughing along with him.
"Does Lingov know you both do that crap to intentionally piss him off?" Screw said to Yar, as he reached for a drink of his vodka.
"Nooope. Still glad he hasn't know yet." Yar said, before noticing the arrival of Ariel to their workplace. "Ah, hello there! Nice to see a fellow visitor to our wonderful place. I assume you need something fixed, eh?"
Meanwhile for Horai and Puck, after a few pointings from Freedomers, they would enter a small building, finding themselves in a office building with a few decorations and the banner of Freedom placed in one of the walls of the room. They would find a bearded man with a hood
, with two exoskeleton bodyguards in each of his side.
He would take notice of the duo, and would smile at them. "Greetings, visitors. Nice to see some new people over here. What is your business here?" He asked.
Sidorovich would nod as Homura asked for the FN, and would move to one of the gun racks of his bunker. After a few seconds, he would put the FN F2000 in the table
, so Homura could examine and study if she was fine with the gun or if she wanted something else.
"You take it, or want something else?" He asked.
Strelok examined the weapons that Christophe was showing. The crossbow didn't interested him that much, considering he felt he preffered his AK-74, though the chainsaw was somewhat interesting. Hell, if it's true about it being able to cut through concrete, maybe it could even do plently of damage to a Pseudogiant.
"The chainsaw is the one that interests me the most, though I'd like to see what other experimental weapons you have, just to see any other options you might have."
Edited by Darkomega245 on Mar 20th 2019 at 4:59:02 AM
-Spider Lizard Noises-
Did you know this section has a character limit?
Bond - Observe And Report; Common Room
Well, then. That was interesting.
Not only did the Thieves already have lookouts in the Common Room (he expected that from any chunk worth it's salt, but it was more than he expected from a group of teens), but Minako had a different target in mind.
A more dangerous one.
Combine that with the Thieves trying to keep eyes on Lady too, and Bond knew he had to relay a report even before they left the Common Room. The text read thusly:
SEES is yet to leave Common Room, but has recruited group of teens called The Phantom Thieves and a presumed male, short black hair, wearing black longcoat and a white mask with a neutral facial expression and a blue lightning bolt over it's right eye, likely from Hell's Gate Tokyo.
Worse news is that they have observers in the Common Room looking for you, and are actively avoiding locations you're in. Third party, either above figure or representative Misaki Kirihara, has told them that they think you're out to kill them. Minako disputes this, Thieves are on the fence. Recommend avoiding Common Room if you're coming after them, will inform you when they move out.
FYI, Thieves claim to have similar "skillset" to SEES. Mind filling me in?
Bond fired that message off in Lady's direction, and went back to observing the situation.
Ruby and Yang - Reversing The Polarity of the Neutron Flow; Portal Alleyway, Mitakihara
Both girls listened to Mami explaining about Witches, and found themselves appalled. Creature that induce despair in their victims, killing through suicide? Those must be hell to fight against. Their respect for the two girls in front of them rose by a few notches.
As Mami mentioned the Witch who'd attacked openly only a few days ago, Ruby realized what she was referring to. She muttered "Walpurgisnacht" under her breath, unsure of whether to say it openly in front of the soldiers.
"Does that track all magic, or just Witches?" Yang asked. "If we could get it to track Vergil's magic, that might make our odds better."
They do have medals for almost, and they're called silver!
For the group at Former Hell, they would hear Lady's text message alert tone.
Ca-ching!
Which happened to be the sound of an opening cash register. Lady was many things. Subtle was not one of them. She reached for her pocket as Weiss spoke to the demon, and Demitri might notice a spark of furious rage fly across her face before she got it under control. She rapidly pounded out a reply.
Going after that thing is, for all purposes, the same thing as going after Vergil. This thing is a ghost, no one can predict what it's going to do next, it leaves no tracable trail, and even if you can find it, no one's been able to so much as stagger it. Someone blew its head off with a shotgun yesterday and it laughed. The only way they're going to be able to try to make headway is by targeting the only known associate of this thing. That being Vergil.
Unless you have a way to get rid of them, there's nothing I can do about being observed, save maybe coordinating with a friend of mine to distract them when I go through. She's good at that. But not using the common room is not an option, there's no way I'm going to be able to rapidly react to anything otherwise.
I've secured non-lethal bullets from a trusted source, that's what I intend to use against these kids if my hand is forced. I don't know where this rumor came from that I plan to kill kids, I threatened to stop Minako, not kill her.
As for SEES, they have somehow acquired the ability to summon demons on command to fight for them, many of them sharing the same names as mythological gods, demons, and other such entities. They seem to be sorted among the elements of wind, fire, ice, and lightning, some are strong against some elements, and weak against others. Same goes for physical attacks, they seem to be sorted between blunt, peircing, and slashing.
And now you're telling me there's ANOTHER group of these kids running around?
"So, here's a thought." Ryuji said. "This woman's going to shoot us on sight, right?"
"We don't know that."
"But if she does, I don't like the idea of getting shot in the back. We know where she is, right? Why don't we just go down there and jump her?"
To their credit, the other two girls just stared at him like he was a fucking idiot.
"I'm not saying we kill her!" Ryuji, who must have sensed the misunderstanding, protested, raising his hands. "We just like, knock her out, tie her up. Sure she has a lot of guns, but we have....you know...."
Makoto shook her head. "I could give lots of reasons that's a bad idea, let me settle for one. She's most likely not alone."
Ann nodded. "She had 3 other people with her when she left, not that you noticed, Ryuji."
"And I'm guessing that around the same time, activity picked up here? Lots of people going into portals?" Ann nodded. "She's recruited her own team. She'd be stupid not to. They're most likely doing the same thing we are, different groups checking different places. And if I was her...."
She slowed, coming to a sudden realization.
"If you were her, what?" Ryuji asked. "I'll be honest, the image of you with a rocket launcher scares the shit out of me."
Makoto slowly looked around the room, eyes not lingering on any one person. Then she motioned for the team to lean in, and if it wasen't for the fact that Bond had super high end bugs, this would be the point where he lost the conversation completely.
....'clock, don't look...glasses....how long...
...minutes.
....right after......through?
Ann nodded.
Probably.....her...... anything?
Just.....there. Hasn't moved......inch.
Edited by Meanken on Mar 21st 2019 at 3:49:00 AM
Laharl, Common Room
Laharl thinks over what it will mean to live near this “Outworld”, an apparently violent kingdom that has already taken out one of its rivals.
“From what it sounds like to me, things would be a lot simpler right now if you all would’ve just formed an alliance to kill Shao Kahn and his followers while the territory they controlled was still small. What a wasted opportunity.”
Granted, it’d be easier said than done for him to take this unknown foe out on his own. Somehow, he had been weakened from his full power since arriving here. Demons quantified their power to the point of obsession, so that was hardly something that would escape his notice. That’s really the only reason he didn’t unleash his wrath upon the Cure at their first meeting.
“But there’s no point lamenting the past. Goro, this Outworld Tyrant sounds like someone that’s going to be quite a nuisance for the both of us. I see no problem a strategic alliance to protect our lands from this threat.”
He then turned to Jedah.
"Well, that's simple. I defeated everyone else who was vying for the throne."
The Netherworld, Castle Gates
The two tough as nails yet scantily clad demon women gave a confused look before one of them responded.
“Event? What event?”
The other woman decided to get straight to the point.
“...Wait a minute. I can tell from that look in your eyes. You’re after the Royal Pudding, aren’t you?”
She said this as though it were the most serious accusation one could possibly make.
Edited by HilarityEnsues on Mar 21st 2019 at 6:56:18 AM
Did you know this section has a character limit?
Ren and Nora - Unofficial Observation; RWBYJNPR Dorms
Ren nodded along with Maki's little story, not quite sure what to make of it. On the one hand, Maki's opinion of this Hibachi was good, but on the other, someone who taught card-sharking to a child was at least a little suspect.
Well, it wasn't like Ikebukuro was around anymore.
"We were just going to invite you to come with us." Nora said, cheerily. "Turns out Team RWBY are looking for this one guy, and they want us to keep an eye out too. Se we're thinking about exploring some of Battleworld, see the sights, make new friends, and maybe help them find this Vergil guy while we're at it.
And hopefully not run in to Amber while they were at it, she failed to add.
Blake - Hopefully Not Running Into Amber; Dining Hall, Red Sprite
"We don't expect you to let us in." Blake sighed. "We just want to be sure you've done a proper search for the teleporting murderer who can heal from his wounds in seconds."
Blake turned to look at Alfred, slightly annoyed that they'd have to repeat this information all over again, but hoping this one was more receptive.
"We're looking for a man named Vergil. He has white hair, wears a blue coat, and carries a katana, a curved shortsword. He's extremely dangerous, and holds no regard for life. He's killed dozens of people already here, and he's working with a creature who has attempted to destroy this entire planet. We don't know for sure that he's on board, but this is one of the few locations we haven't ruled out. He's capable of teleportation, healing from grievous wounds incredibly quickly, and is a master swordsman. If he is here, or he comes here, we'd rather you don't approach him, and contact Devil May Cry in the Common Room."
Bond - Seen, But Not Spotted; Common Room
Oh, they were very good. They picked out his lack of activity and his arrival soon after Lady left, and came up with suspicious. He'd have to ditch this face as soon as he could.
Lady's text came in, and Bond read through it carefully. The only way to get to Nyarlathotep was through Vergil, these kids were demon summoners apparently, and Lady had acquired non-lethal bullets, somehow.
Bond composed a quick text back, a simple "Apparently so." before ruminating over his options in regards to the Thieves. While they were suspicious, they hadn't quite rumbled him yet. Altering his behaviour in any way would tip them off that he had ears on them. He hadn't moved in a while, suddenly moving when they were talking about him would be too much of a coincidence.
So Bond's only option, his best option, was to continue what he was doing: pretending to compose texts on his smartphone, being utterly absorbed in the screen. While he had arrived minutes after Lady left, he hadn't lifted his eyes to the Common Room in that entire time, engrossed in the phone. That would make for a shockingly bad lookout, but a competent businessman simply availing of the Peace Field of the Common Room.
He had to thank Q for the glasses, honestly. They let him watch and hear everything even if he wasn't even looking in the right direction.
They do have medals for almost, and they're called silver!
Times Square, Manhattan - Juvia
"Oh it's no problem at all, I can handle myself, miss, don't worry!" Juvia called back to the man. So there were men here after all. They didn't look like slaves or prisoners either. Guess Manhattan wasn't named for being man-haters after all. "And I have to agree with them, we did manage to travel through it without any trouble."
She leaned in and looked at the tape, squinting at it.
"Police? That's odd..." She looked around and didn't see anything that she considered to be a police officer. There were some folks in strange matching uniforms, but they didn't carry staves or register the strong enough magical aura that you'd have expected. More interestingly, the writing on the yellow tape appeared to just be... writing. Legible writing. Nothing that looked like a spell barrier of any sort.
She held up a hand and slowly extended it, poking at the yellow tape with curiosity. Then she held up her other hand and pushed it out, beyond the invisible wall that the tape would have contained with a barrier spell.
"Did someone forget to put a spell on this?" she asked, more to herself than anyone else.
Palace Armory - Vector - Ryuuou and Maeve (and Staff)
Heading down the halls of the Vector palace and towards the Armory, Maeve kept looking around all of the places they passed through, taking a glance at just about every architectural detail or facet of decoration. Ryuuou, of course, managed to wear an expression that was the perfect blend of disinterest and dissatisfaction that one could imagine. She sure had a lot of practice with it, it seemed.
"Impressive that your saw-sword can do such a thing without any effort, and your crossbow can fire sevenfold without being redrawn," Maeve commented after the explanations. "Are all of your soldiers equipped with weapons such as these?"
Ryuuou yawned and looked at her fingernails.
"I can already do all these things for myself, or have my servants do them for me. I don't see the point of needing some of your human tools to do the same thing." Well, nobody could accuse Ryuuou of beating around the bush. Figuratively, at least. Still, she made no sign of leaving, so it seemed as if Maeve was free to continue the playdate in the armory.
"I wouldn't be opposed to trying out that crossbow," Maeve said. "Though I can't deny being a bit curious as to what else you have in this place."
Elevator of Terror - Mirai Mall - Cana
"Yeah! Gimme a second!"
Cana bent over to pick up Kanda and threw her over her shoulder, apologizing all the while, then looked at their rescuer again through the narrowed door.
"I'm fine, but Kanda doesn't seem to be doing so hot," she explained to their rescuer. "And there's some mega creep saying weird stuff into our heads, I think she put her under some sort of spell because she tried to attack me all of a sudden. I can tell you more after we get the hell out of here!"
She put her free arm in the doorway, bracing it against one door, and then started to push on the other.
"Help me outta here already!"
Rostok - The Zone - Lucy and Happy
"General Voronin?" Lucy asked. Rhetorically, of course, since she immediately continued. "Well I'm Lucy, and this is Happy-"
"Aye sir!" Happy, of course, added his contribution to the conversation.
"And I heard that you guys were all about protecting the innocent and fighting monsters and things like that." Lucy put her hands on her hips. "And, well, we're pretty damn good at doing those things." Lucy was about to continue, but Happy chose that moment to speak up.
"And you're also good at being a plus-sized underwear model heheheheeeeeee-" he taunted and started to snicker.
"UGH! SHUT UP!" Lucy shouted, punching Happy in the face so that he staggered back and slammed into the wall, still laughing as he tumbled onto the ground.
"ANYWAY! I already helped clear out a bandit base on the way over here, thought I could help out. Your guy outside said to come in here and see what's up."
Sakura Dungeon Gardens
The Tribeswoman growled a bit, looking cross as she stared at Teemo, sizing him up.
"Why?" she finally said to the Yordle, hissing out the question. "You don't look very tough. The woods are no place for lost puppies."
Sakura Dungeon House/"Adventurers Guild"
"Err...." The Fox Knight stalled for a second as she processed what the two visitors had said. "Great!"
She walked over to the bulletin board and patted her hand on the one and only piece of paper on it. It said "Defend Panda Town'" in big bold letters on the top, and then there was some smaller miscellaneous handwriting below it containing some more specifics.
"This is our first and only request," she said cheerfully. "Some of the Pandas made a village over in the bamboo forest, but keep getting into fights with the locals so they could use a little more muscle. Well maybe not muscle, have you seen a panda? Any one of them could probably break your skull in those cute... fuzzy hands of hers. But they could use some more fighters, that's what I mean. Sounds good?"
She looked at them hopefully.
"Anyway, I'm Amalie and I'm the Guild Master!" she cheered. Then she turned her neck to look back at the (mostly) empty room behind her, and then back at the Omega pals. "Well............ For as much as this guild can have a master. My guild's headquarters... and the guild itself sort of... don't exist in this world anymore. But that's why I made a new guild! Otherwise how are monsters like me going to go on adventures? So it's still kind of new, but I just know all sorts of monsters are going to join up soon."
Sakura Dungeon Library
Ceri blushed slightly at Delfi's words, but after following her to her new spot she nodded and leaned in to whisper.
"They wanted me to marry... a man," she said quietly, her voice squeaking slightly. She shook her head and shuddered. She let out a calming breath and
"Well an adventurer, you know... adventures...." She gave an explanation showing of the finest skills of elocution and knowledge that one could likely find in the entirety of Battleworld. "Go into dungeons, fight things. I was pretty good at it too. Fighting whatever creatures were in the depths of all sorts of dungeons, even hellhounds and other really scary things. I thought this dungeon would be my last job, but it turned into something else...."
Edited by nman on Mar 22nd 2019 at 3:51:35 AM
Sid’s
When the weapon was placed on the table Homura would go to pick it up and try to handle it. The underslung grenade launcher made it bulkier and heavier than she had been expecting, but it didn’t seem like a deal breaker. Given she was also getting a separate grenade launcher, Homura wondered whether the attachment would be redundant, but a few moments’ thinking of combat situations she’s found herself in led her to conclude that perhaps it wouldn’t be — especially now that the Cure had screwed with her Time Shield, it would likely be the case that trying to switch between the two could cost her valuable seconds if a situation arose where she needed to use explosives at a distance right away.
To Sid, she asked the more important question: “How many rounds can you give me for each of these?” She motioned to both the F2000 and the RG-6. A gun without ammunition to fire was just a heavy paperweight.
Mitakihara Industrial Area
<Yeah.> Even in telepathic form Kyoko’s voice was quiet, like she wanted Ruby to keep it under wraps in front of the Americans.
Mami thought for a moment about Yang’s question, her eyes looking at her own Soul Gem. “It...might be possible. I don’t know how well it would do since it hasn’t been tried like that before, though.”
“So do you have any idea where to look for this guy?” Sergeant Anderson chimed back in after giving some nonverbal instructions to his comrades.
“I think...for now we will search for Witches that may be active. If Vergil is looking for such sources of magical power here, it’s likely he would try to find one as well.”
“Alright, do you know where they usually lurk?”
“Conceivably anywhere, since they are usually undetectable to normal humans. Though places where a lot of death and despair linger tend to be more likely, like the hospital.”
“The hospital?”
Mami nodded. “I’ve run into more than one Witch in that area.”
“Geez...Alright, since Base has collaborated your story from Lady, we’ll let you go once your guests give names and what kind of weapons you have.”
Mami looked back at the others, noticing that Anderson had included Kyoko in the supposed guest group. “Ah, well, she’s actually from here.”
“Kyoko Kiku.” Mami blinked in surprise, both at Kyoko suddenly speaking up and at her giving a false last name.
“Right, I’m guessing you’re a Magical Girl like her?” If Anderson noticed Mami’s surprise, he didn’t comment on it.
“Yeah.”
“How come we don’t have any record of someone like you going through the portal?”
“Been out a while.”
The tinge of impatience in Kyoko’s voice would push Mami into action: “Sir, with all due respect we would rather not spend more time here than necessary. It can take a long time to cover the city looking for Witches.” Without much more forthcoming, the sergeant turned to the actual visitors from out of town.
Elevator - Mall?
"Right! Madoka, get back!" Sayaka would also start pulling on the other door; between the two of them the elevator would slowly give way, loudly complaining the whole while until it was wide enough for Cana to escape.
Though...what exactly did she escape into? The hallway they were in didn't have good lighting, and what little of the surroundings that could be easily distinguished didn't look as though it was in a Mitakihara building, what with the odd angles between the wall and floor and the unstable blotches of red all over. The elevator itself would be most decidedly out of order now, suddenly dropping about six inches with a loud screech almost as soon as Cana and Kanda were out of danger before coming to a rest, the light inside flickering. (On the bright side, the voices in her head seemed to have stopped now.)
There was enough lighting, though, to get a decent view of Cana's teen rescuer, decked out in a fancy blue outfit and white cape. With her a short distance away were two more teens in more usual civilian clothes. One was Madoka; the other was someone also unconscious, her long green hair draped over her slumped form that Madoka was doing all she could to hold her up on her back.
While Sayaka needed a moment to catch her breath and look around to make sure there weren't any threats, Madoka would take the lead: "Are you OK? Is she OK?"
Edited by megarockman on Mar 21st 2019 at 12:14:06 PM
The Grand Re-Vizier
Samurai Jack and the Demon Swordsman
Jack did not respond to such taunts or boasting. Instead, he simply waited for his fellow warrior to finish and loose his blade in the sheath as Jack had done prior, then launched himself forward in a dashing lunge. He unsheathed his sword and struck at the same moment.
He put all of his speed and skill into the left hip-to-right-shoulder iaijutsu strike, aiming to bisect the demon swordsman if he could. He had faced many inhuman opponents before, but from his talk it seemed that this Vergil had yet to face a human who could keep up with him and assumed Jack's only advantage was his sword.
Perhaps it would be his undoing.
Vergil's reaction to the incoming iaijutsu strike was to lift his blade, still unsheathed an inch, and meet Jack's sword edge with his own, tilted at such an angle that the blade would get caught on the corner between the blade edge and the cross guard.
"Foolishness!"
The reason for this unusual block would become clear when, an instant later, Vergil ripped his hardened sheath off of the blade, and sent the end of the sheath hurtling toward Jack's midsection in the same motion, an attempt to stun the swordsman and create a small amount of distance.
"Is rushing in blind all you can do?"
If this worked as planned, he would follow up with a three hit combo, two swift vertical strikes, one downward and another upward, and after a half seconds pause, another, stronger downward strike for the third.
Alas, when he pulled out his phone, Hwang would be met with the bane of all people trying to use cell phones.
No reception. No amount of movement around the area would fix this unexpected problem
Edited by Meanken on Mar 22nd 2019 at 7:38:19 AM
The Grand Re-Vizier
Samurai Jack and the Demon Swordsman
Jack was impressed when the white-haired warrior caught his strike in such a precise manner, but as soon as the first strike failed, the samurai prince pulled his own sheath free of his obi in a follow-up technique. Ordinarily he would have used this in a similar stunning strike as the one Vergil attempted, but this time around the end result was that he parried his opponent's sheath with his own.
He quickly rotated his body until it was barely out of the way of the first downward slash, reversed his grip on his sheath and used it to try and pin Vergil's sword in place briefly before pulling his blade back in and closer to his chest and unleashing a series of short, shallow stabs at Vergil's head and chest aiming to create some space between them with a technique out of chinese swordsmanship instead.
Annoyance creeped into Vergil's eyes as Jack preformed a move that very much reminded him of his brother and his reckless way of fighting, although admittedly, he had attempted to render Vergil's defenses limited first. He raised the sheath, parrying the first few blows. This was not something he would be able to keep up, not with a sheath and without full range of movement due to keeping his hand on the blade. But he didn't have to.
A blue, translucent sword
◊ appeared on Vergil's left hand side, and began to move at once, spinning toward Jack and threatening to cut him. as it moved, another one appeared behind it, and this pattern would continue until 6 appeared around him. Meanwhile, Vergil himself would attempt to use this distraction to yank his blade free and create some distance between the two, slowly re-sheathing his blade if he did.
Edited by Meanken on Mar 22nd 2019 at 9:23:28 AM
Vector, Lower West Side: There's Uhhhh...Always Money with the Banana Man...?
That unexpected stench was enough to stop Misaki's legs for a moment; even the Dog felt the urge to cover her nose. Couple that with the smokestacks in the distance and the gallows in the forefront, and this was already a marvelous first-impression.
Then the two turned their heads, and the clown came into view. Studying the portals was a seemingly normal reaction for newcomers to the planet, but the good doctor (in manners not unlike another 'good doctor' under Nishijima's employ) kept babbling about things that...well if they weren't scrambled thoughts, they were at the very least brash. Insulting the Emperor in the introduction didn't speak well for Doctor Cid. Not that the gallows and the stench weren't already persuading Misaki to reconsider this visit.
So as the researcher shied away in an all-too-obvious attempt to invite Vector's latest arrivals, Misaki and her bodyguard shared a quick glance.
"Would you like to show us your research facility?" the Section Chief asked. It was hard not to add that low monotonous tone of someone answering a pathetically implied request, but she somehow did it.
Freedom Base, Helipad: You Guys Have One Weird Ass Wildlife Problem
Thinly veiling her immense distaste for just...everything about this place, Ariel approached the bickering idiots and waited for someone to notice her—preferably without the cat-calling.
When Yar didn't jump straight to her sex, she gave the mechanic a flick of a smile, along with a shade of respect.
"We hit something with our car not too far from here." she explained. "Wouldn't really call it human, but some of its fabric got caught on the hood. Know anything about a four-legged thing with something jutting out of is spine?"
Freedom Base, Lukash's Office: Greetings, From Hell's Gate Tokyo!
Although the older (and more professional) of the two strangers walked in front, it was the younger purple-clad man who answered Lukash.
"Hey there, how y'doing? Call me Puck. This is my boss: Director Yoshimitsu Horai. We were just in the neighborhood when we hit one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life, and our car broke down. Our associate's chatting with your mechanics about getting it up and running again, but in the meantime we thought it'd be a good idea to meet the man in charge! Well, he thought it'd be a good idea, I guess. Not that I want to be rude, or anything; it's just not everyday you get offered a drink and a joint from total strangers in a...wait, what the hell's this place called, again?"
As Puck provided the summary, Director Horai was busy typing on his cell phone. Though before Lukash could accuse the older stranger of being rude, the leader of Freedom would be shown the message on the phone's screen:
It was a lie, of course; a lie that even Ariel and Puck believed, since it was the best way he could ensure their support. If anyone knew Horai was actually fleeing from his home city before the truth about those three hundred "missing patients" came out, well. He wouldn't have many places to hide if they found out.
Horai took back his phone and began writing a new message. Puck, meanwhile, had begun asking the Freedom leader where he got these choice pieces of recreation—where it was from, what type of soil it was planted in, whether it had natural sunlight or was grown indoors, had he experimented with any flavoring, and so on until Horai turned to his bodyguard and thumbed at the door. Taking the hint, Puck left the room and waited outside.
With the distraction removed, Horai showed Lukash the new message:
Common Room: We're More of A Cloak and Dagger Group, tbh
"If only Outworld were our sole concern." was all Goro had to say about leaving Shao Kahn alone for so long. He was willing to let that subject lie for now, since Laharl was already on board.
"Should you seek our aide, I swear to do everything in my power to assist Netherworld."
He paused for a beat to let the implication sink in, then added: "For better or worse, there are no Tyrant Overlords in Tokyo."
Turning to the practically vampyric gentleman, Goro greeted the stranger with his cemented frown. "Within one's homeland or without, I assume nobility fails to change. A pleasure, Mr. Dohma. I am Goro Kobayashi, a civil servant of Hell's Gate Tokyo."
He listened to Laharl's boasting with a pinch of salt. It wasn't that he doubted the little elf's strength so much as he knew nothing to compare it to. For all he knew, every demon in the Netherworld were of the Tyrant Overlord's size and stature. Nevertheless, he studied the green-skinned nobleman's reaction. Landless or not, there was no harm in learning more about the approachable residents of this planet.
...or the seemingly approachable.
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle Gates: Princess Privileges
They KNEW!
The gig was up—Jai's plans had been thwarted before she had even came up with them! Curses!
...but wait! Perhaps hope was not lost! There was still one trick up her sleeve...
With a shift in expression(?) to show the grave insult in this accusation, Princess Jai raised a finger over her head, to point at the crown on her head.
"Royal." she stated. It's not like anyone could wear a crown. Especially not one that made you so pretty!
"So let me pass."
This was quite the gamble, threatening to go over these gorgeous dead-eyed guards by tossing around the weight of her social status. Who were they to deny a princess? Did they have any idea what sort of political fire they were playing with? She could call upon the full force of her kingdom and have their heads on a plate by sundown!
Hell hath no fury to rival the rage of a pampered pretty (and puddingless) princess!
Commons Corridor, RWBYRWMS: Meeting Your Heroes
Maki smiled, and immediately began packing some supplies for the trip; most importantly, a thermos he filled with steaming hot water from the kitchen, which he tucked in a small backpack he'd been given during his time at S.H.I.E.L.D. With his potential future payments taken care of (and oblivious to any silent concerns Ren or Nora might have to that) Maki left the Hunters' dorms with his friends.
Out in the Common Room, Maki took a quick look around to see if he recognized anyone from yesterday. Nope. Nobody but the big red monster in its throne. So he turned his mismatched eyes to the globe, and began to read the names of chunks and their reps:
Outworld: Shao Kahn, Hope's Peak: Monokuma, Manhattan: Spider-Man—
"Spider-Man?"
Was he seeing things? He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and read the name again.
"SPIDER-MAN!"
In a heartbeat, Maki had flipped from a calm and collected (former) terrorist to...well, an excited ten year old about to meet his favorite superhero. He whipped his head towards Ren and Nora with a grin neither of them had ever seen on the boy—one that Maki had rarely seen himself.
"Ren! Nora!" he grabbed Nora's and and tugged her towards Manhattan's portal. "We have to go to Manhattan! SPIDER-MAN's here!"
Archades, Cafe: Where's A Series of Mountaintop Bonfires When You Need Them?!
No signal. Not when he stood up. Not when he moved around the cafe. Not even when he stepped outside. This entire goddamn city was one cellular dead zone!
Cursing again (under his breath this time, to avoid more attention), Huang returned to his table and muttered new orders to Mao:
"Change of plans: I can't get a call through. Furball, you'll have to get through the portal and warn the others at Devil May Cry."
"WHAT?!" the cat cried from the other line. "Why can't you do it?!"
"Because I can't leave Yin here and she needs to find a trail to Jack." Huang answered through gritted teeth. "Like it or not, you're the only one who's free to move. Now follow my orders and get to it!"
"Dammit. Fine, I'm on my way. I'll contact you when I return with backup."
Huang sat back in his chair, his heart pounding out of his chest. It just had to be them to find him. The group who's only muscle was a wannabe hero plucked from Medieval times. He couldn't guess how long it'd take Mao to reach Devil May Cry and sound the alarm, but however long it took, Huang couldn't help but fear it'd be too late.
Maybe it was too late already.
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Mar 22nd 2019 at 2:00:46 AM
Phantom Elevator - Mirai Mall(?) - Mitakihara
Cana didn't have to be told twice, and pushed her way through the elevator as soon as she could, sprawling out on the ground with Kanda's dead weight draped over one side. She sat up with her legs stretched out in front, propping Kanda up into a seated position at her side (had to make sure she didn't choke on her tongue... or was that only if you were drunk?) and looked back.
"Wow...." Cana stared at the elevator's new position. It had suddenly lurched as soon as they had gotten out. "I'm fine, Kanda's got some weird mind thing going on. I had to knock her out so she would stop trying to punch me but I didn't do any lasting damage. At least now the damned voices have stopped going off - I need a drink...."
She somehow pulled an oversized bottle of liquor out and held it in between her thighs, quickly popping out the cork with one hand, its range of motion limited with Kanda still in whatever state she was in. The stuff inside the bottle tasted like gasoline and smelled twice as strong, but she lifted it up by the neck with her free hand without hesitation and drank a long pull of the stuff. After a couple seconds she withdrew the bottle and wiped her forehead, exhaling.
"Thanks for the help," she said, tilting the bottle towards Madoka and company to offer some if they wanted any. "So uh.... who are you guys?" She pointed a thumb at the green-haired girl. "And who's your friend?"
They were asking to see his weapons, and Nero diden't have a problem with that. Long as they weren't gonna try to take em. He reached for his back, yanking his sword
◊ off of it.
"Alright, you want to see em? This here's Red Queen." He twisted the handle, and the thing then revved like a motorcycle engine, appearing to glow red for a moment before returning to normal. Then he reached into his coat and pulled out the biggest fucking revolver
◊ these people were likely to ever see in their lives, with a baffling two gun barrels on top of each other.
"And this is Blue Rose."
Edited by Meanken on Mar 22nd 2019 at 2:31:08 AM
Netherworld Castle Gates → Laharl’s Castle
Two two guards looked at Jai’s crown and considered their responses carefully. An uninvited guest marching up to the Overlord’s castle was certainly strange, but at the same time… it was not uncommon for royals to make visits to neighboring kingdoms and discuss political goings ons. Perhaps that was why they ultimately decided to relent with their questioning. Or perhaps the Netherworld was currently suffering a gas leak and everyone’s judgment was being hindered. That’s not important. What’s important is that we get this lady her pudding!
“...Very well,” one guard finally said. “Other regents are permitted to meet with our lord if they wish.”
With that, the gates were opened and Jai was allowed to pass.
“Make sure not to cause any trouble during your stay.”
Once Jai entered the castle, she would see an array of vastly different looking beings roaming its massive halls. Giant mothmen huddled around a lamp, buxom succubi that could give the beautiful Princess Jai a run for her money, Scantily clad women with cat ears and claws, among many other types of demons. It was enough to make you wonder if Halloween came early this year. Most of them were too busy with their own affairs to pay much attention to Jai.
One person that stood out was a cheery blonde girl
with a smile that could melt the heart of the cruelest Overlords. She looked over at Jai, specifically the beautiful crown adorning her head.
“Oh wow!” she said in surprise. “I didn’t realize we were having a Princess over! Hi Princess, I’m Flonne! If you’re looking for the Overlord, I’m afraid I’m not sure where he is right now. Still, make yourself at home until he gets back!”
There was also a banquet of food near the entrance hall with a variety of delectable morsels, but… unfortunately, no pudding.
Glory to Arachnos
Yar and Screw cringed after Ariel mentioned the strange being their car bumped into.
"Owch." Yar spoke. "Seems like you unfortunately bumped into a Snork. These things are basically stalkers or soldiers who were driven insane by the radiation or anomalies of the Zone and are now crazed beasts that follow nothing but their instincts now, and crawl on all four because their mutation affected their spine."
Yar would clear his throat. "Let's forget that nasty subject, though. I believe I can help you with that. Me and Screw have plenty of tools around to help get your car back to perfect condition. Best of all, I'll do it for ya free! No price or anything, just protect me from any possible nastiness while I'm working in your car and it's all good!"
Screw would raise a eyebrow at Yar. "Just for free like that? Could at least ask her for a bottle of vodka."
Yar shrugged. "Don't really need payment. The gratitude of other stalkers is good enough for me. So, what you say, miss?"
Lukash examined the newcomers with curiosity as they spoke...well, one of them at least, as the older man seemed unable to speak at all. As Lukash told Puck where the weed was from (Imported from the border of Belarus, brand new and refined!) he was shooed away by his boss. He looked at the text message from Horai, before nodding.
"Sure, I explain you this place and Freedom's goals. In the year of 2006, for some reason unknown, a second explosion happened in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. At first, people thought it would just be like the first Chernobyl incident...but it was different, far more different. People reported the skies turning blood red, distortions in the ground, the animal wildlife horribly mutated, strange object with positive properties....that year was when the Zone was born, and the year of 2008 was when the Stalker phenomenon expanded. As for our goals, we are Freedom, a group of stalkers with the belief that the Zone is a positive force for the future of humanity. We believe the scientific developments of this place, the artifacts with their positive properties like curing radiation, healing wounds or granting bulletproof resistance can help humanity if sent to the outside world. We believe every development of the Zone should be shared equally to all of humanity, and everyone should be able to live in The Zone. We'd gladly accept the alliance with you so we can help each other. Lately, the monolithians attacks have become extremely violent and we will need all the help we can get."
"I believe 3 ammo magazines and 2 grenades for the built in launcher would be good enough."
He would grab a crate and would pull out 3 5.56 ammo magazines for the FN, and 2 grenades for the launcher, before putting it on the table so Homura could pick it up.
"Good enough?"
"Size doesn't mean everything. Don't be so quick to judge." Teemo said to the tribeswoman who seemed to think he wouldn't be tough enough for her. If only she seen what he had seen...
"How about giving me a chance? I've been through the worst battlefields, between dark insect filled jungles, to freezing winter mountains. I won't disappoint you.."
"Ohhhhh, nice to meet you! I'm Twitch, the grumpy guy insecure of his size is Veigar! I'm sure your guild will be filled back to it's former self in time." Twitch said to Amalie, earning a angry glare from Veigar that screamed at him to shut up before returning his attention to the guild master.
"Anyways...We accept the defense mission! Any details of the locals attacking these pandas, and directions where we find this bamboo forest?" Veigar said.
Edited by Darkomega245 on Mar 22nd 2019 at 6:59:33 AM
-Spider Lizard Noises-
The Grand Re-Vizier
Samurai Jack and the Demon Swordsman
Instead of getting cut or stepping back from the swirling energy blades, Jack stood his ground and twisted into a fast, shallow cut, aimed both at the blades themselves and Vergil more shallowly. The magic sword had cut through and absorbed many types of energy both sorcerous and scientific and Jack had no reason to doubt that he could both defeat the technique and injure his opponent at the same time even though the angle for such a cut was awkward at best.
With a not inconsiderable effort, Vergil tore his blade free from being held down in time to raise his blade and block the sword cutting himself. However, it easily slashed through two of the spinning blades, the swords shattering like glass. Vergil hopped backward, creating about 10 feet between them. 4 spinning blades were still out, with a noticeable gap where the other two once were in the formation. Then they suddenly vanished, and reappeared above his head, pointed directly at Jack. One by one, they shot at him with about a quarter second delay between each one.
What happened after that would depend on Jack's response. If he evaded, rolled, or otherwise elected to dodge in such a way that his eyes would leave Vergil's position for even a split second, Vergil would suddenly vanish in a flash of blue, only to reappear about 10 feet behind Jack and rush forward fast enough that he almost seemed to be sliding across the ground, delivering an iaijutsu strike of his own in the process. If he stood his ground and used his sword to block, destroy, or deflect them, Vergil would still vanish in the same way, only now he would reappear 10 feet above Jack, and fall, attempting to deliver a brutal vertical slash with his full force behind it, aimed for the top of Jack's head.
Times Square, Manhattan
Juvia, Tristana, and Fizz would emerge onto a triangular island of grey brick amidst a bustling nexus of foot traffic. In front of them was a sea of people in multiple layers of clothing making their way across several crosswalks. To their right were a busy four lanes of automobile traffic. To their left was a the back of a small coffee stand at the edge of a red brick sidewalk (obvious from the large "COFFEE" sign on top), framed by several large pots of flowers and a couple of orange and white cones, bright yellow tape with the black words "POLICE LINE - DO NOT CROSS" wrapped around the latter and a couple of the streetside poles to form a rough trapezoid of forbidden space. Above their heads, a dazzling array of huge screens advertised a wide variety of motion pictures on the sides of sky-scraping buildings of concrete and glass.
By the front edge of the tape was a small cadre of men in sky-colored uniforms talking in low voices with a black-haired woman in a dark leather jacket. The latter paused and glanced briefly back at the restless blue portal, then did a double-take. "Hey, you three!" she barked with a stern ring of authority in her voice as the blue-shirted men turned to see what she was looking at, "Get away from there, it's dangerous!"
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs