[Yukimoji-minato-Akamori]
Adam tilted his head. "Are you blind in that eye? I have a friend who's blind in one eye too, though she wears an eyepatch instead. Maybe if we run into each other again, you can introduce her to your friend!"
"If" Jackson said, "We're not from the same world. For all we know, once we wake back up, we won't even have the means to run into each other. Also, we might not even remember any of this."
"...Dude," Nick said, "Lighten the hell up!" He swung an arm over Adam's shoulder, "Ignore him; I'm sure we'll run into each other again."
Adam's cheeks turned red and he looked down, to Nick's confusion. Jackson just shrugged and walked to Rin.
"You see anything yet?" he asked.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
"Here, in my world," Rin found it odd to say that part, "we sometimes use magically enhanced items to replace lost eyes, though, they are much simpler than what you have." She thought of one of the Southern Fleet's officers, And some people are not bothered by loosing an eye. Or an arm.
The Admiral glared at Jackson, she gave a deadpan answer, "Trees." She stopped to point towards the castle tower she had indicated earlier. "Do you see that building there? It is located on the southern edge of Yukijou-minato. We are almost there."
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer put the eye back in place and turned her head towards Adam.
"Oh, I see just fine with both of 'em," she answered. "Just meant that it's weird to look myself in the face like that."
She scratched her chin, listening as the boys kept talking to each other. Jackson was probably right, but she didn't feel the need to tell them that. They would all find out eventually anyhow.
She kept walking, and glanced over at Rin, shrugging.
"Heh, if your mages are anything like ours, they'll catch up eventually. Once they start working on something, they ain't stopping until they make it work. Or until something explodes."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Misery Manor (Sinistrina, Gabe, Half)]
At this, Gabe could only raise an eyebrow. With clear concern, he said, "your... son?" He raised an eyebrow in mild alarm and said, with wry sarcasm, "I don't suppose we can look forward to a touching family reunion?" He idly spun one of his closed fans between his fingers, thinking. "And yes, something does feel different. Half," he looked over at the being, "you seem to be doing a bit better. We might be able to make it outside. Do you think we've found ourselves some place worse?" He stopped spinning the fans and let it vanish in a puff of gold. "It has been that sort of day, hasn't it?"
[Akamori (im gonna be lazy lol]
Oh so you're a smartass. Jackson thought, visibly annoyed, I see.
He cleared his throat. "I would never have guessed that the forest had trees. Thank you for enlightening me." He turned towards his friends, "Nick, Adam! Haul your asses! We're almost there!"
"Don't tell us twice." Nick said, gently grabbing Adam's arm, "We'll race ya!"
With that, the two boys zoomed past Jackson, who gave an annoyed sigh.
"Hey!" he screamed, chasing after them, "Wait for me, Jackass!"
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
The Admiral nodded in agreement with Gwenafer's statement, "That describes our mages and scientists to a T. That is how I ended up with my sword," She patted the hilt of Tōshō, "The combined application of magic and science. Something like this would have been inconceivable a hundred years ago."
Moving further along the road, Rin frowned at Jackson's sarcasm, before sighing. It wasn't worth it to fuss over it. She shook her head as the boys dashed off down the snowy road. At the rate they were going, they'd be likely to slip on some ice along the way.
Further down the road, the forest abruptly transitioned to an open, snow-covered field. To the right, a river flowed in from the east, before turning north and flowing down a canal alongside the road. The road continued for a quarter mile before turning left at the headquarters of the Northern Fleet, "Snow Castle".
From the vantage point of the edge of Akamori, one could see that the castle was reminiscent of a small, majestic mountain, built upon a massive stone foundation. The castle grounds consisted of three concentric baileys, or kuruwa, each one higher than the last. Each of the kuruwa was topped by blue and white palisades, with two-story watchtowers at strategic points atop the walls. In the highest, central most kuruwa was the opulent main keep, towering above the rest of the castle grounds.
edited 23rd Nov '16 7:52:30 PM by WillDeRegio
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
"The combined application of magic and science."
Gwenafer raised her eyebrow at the way Rin had phrased it. It felt a bit like saying "chicken soup and food" or something like that. No point in dwelling on it though. Different world, different culture, different... probably a lot of things.
She watched the boys rush past her and glanced up at the now fully visible building in front of them. The tiered walls and tall main structure gave it a somewhat intimidating look, which was probably the point.
"Fancy fortress," she commented with a bit of a smirk.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Beta Town (Gon, Ari, Ruka)
In response to Ruka's mention of being able to detect any Messengers, Galaxeon nodded his space-helmeted head. "That is reassuring, but nevertheless, it is wise to remain vigilant." He turned to face his Keeper for a moment. "Gon, I will be waiting on the top of that building." He pointed up to a domed building several robots were moving in and out of. "I am sure that if a non-Mystrican threat arrives, even Lord Metatronic will take it seriously, but four eyes and a detection device are better than two." Activating the anti-gravity soles of his boots, he flew up to the top of the building and stood atop it, searching.
Meanwhile, when Ruka mentioned spooking most potential pets with a bio-electric field, Natsu perked her butterfly head up. "Did you say electricity?" Promptly she left Ari's head and fluttered over to Ruka's, perching atop it, clutching her stubby legs onto her helmet. "I think your head actually feels better!"
Gon put on an awkward smirk. "Seriously, what is with oversized insects loving to perch on heads!? Aki does that all the time to me... ah well, better insects than birds."
Ari did smile a tiny bit when Natsu re-perched, but otherwise she was interested in something else Ruka said. "What's AEGIS? They're not one of those secret arms dealers on the Dark Net, are they?"
Gon's eyes widened as he looked at Ari. "Don't tell me you've been looking at the Dark Net! I hope that's not how you..." He saw Ari shaking her head. "Of course... thank Kinaga you're not that naive. Hehehe..." And like he always did, he rubbed the back of his head.
Misery Manor (Sinistrina, Gabe, Half)
Sinistrina's cheeks flushed gray when she heard Gabe's sarcastic remark. I should have known he'd have that reaction... it's not like a dead woman can have children. "Oh, well - actually, he's more like my creation - he's not human, but he is like a son to me." And now she had to think of a way to change the subject - fortunately, Gabe was talking to Half about the new location.
"Well, now that we are in a new location," Sinistrina contributed, tapping her staff on the cellar floor and taking a few steps towards the stairs leading to the living room, "I see no harm in leaving the manor and taking a look around." In fact, she preferred that they left the manor, in case Gabe got any more ideas about destroying it. "Shall we?"
As she walked up the steps, she glanced behind at Gabe, where she also noticed that the ravens and the picture of her former self were no longer there. And when she motioned her staff around to call them, they didn't come. Strange... are we in a new dimension such that they don't exist anymore? However, just then she heard groaning noises coming from the living room, and shortly enough, a man peeked in through the doorway. A dead man, with a slumped posture and an empty look in his eyes, wearing an apron and holding a feather duster.
"Well... this means we are not only in a new location, but a new dimensionnote , in which this place is called the Deathly Manor. Look, my oldnote servants are even back." She turned around to face the housekeeping zombie, raising her staff to him - a couple of non-housekeeping zombies that had responded to her summoning peeked out from behind him. "You may take that off now. We have guests." Obeying, the zombie dropped the duster, took off the apron, and moved aside along with the others so Sinistrina could lead Gabe and Half out of the manor.
edited 26th Nov '16 9:28:05 PM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Akamori]
Once the building was close enough, all three of the boys stopped to catch their breath. While Adam and Jackson held their legs panting, Nick looked up and whistled.
"Damn." Nick said, "Talk about showing off."
"Well, with a place like this," Jackson, "There's bound to be warmth and food."
Adam tilted his head. "Can you really get hungry when you're in a dream world?"
"Perhaps." Jackson said, "There's only one way to find out." He turned to Rin, "You know anbody here?"
Drummer Boy
[Farm (inside barn)]
Ren Yangchao tried to grab Seilaan's arm before she rounded on Mazra, but the two young women vanished, leaving only a handful of snowflakes floating to the ground.
"I can't reach her." They put their fingers on their temples and closed their eyes. "She's drawing on my power, but I can't figure out where she is. This damned dream is like a fog."
[Marble Corridor]
"Did I hear you sighing just now? What the hell is wrong with you? They were in pain!" This time Seilaan wasn't surprised to find that she was in her armor again. Nor did she seem fazed by her new surroundings. The white marble corridor was almost completely bare. The high, arched windows let in pale winter sunlight. Outside, there were only endless planes of untouched snow.
I know how you people think. Anything that doesn't serve your hedonistic ass is just an inconvenience, isn't it? She wrapped her fingers around her sheathed sword. And the worst part is you never even try to listen. You see pain, and you simply turn away.
Seilaan took a deep breath, waiting for Mazra's response. Yinha would have done the same, right? She wouldn't let anyone get away with showing Mazra's attitude towards the world around her. It was simply unacceptable. Especially for a public servant. Sure, it was just a sigh. But a politician had to know that even the smallest gesture could speak volumes.
[Ritter Clinic (kitchen —> parlor)]
"Don't worry about coats, I've got plenty of those. Just gotta let Iveya know what's going on first."
Friedrich returned to the parlor. Iveya did not strike him as the kind of person who'd be content to just stay behind and hold down the fort, especially given Henry's injuries, but...
"Hey." He spoke quietly so that Heinrich and Ruth wouldn't hear. "I need to head outside and check on something. There's just... something doesn't seem quite right. And I'm going to put some more lights outside while I'm at it. It might help more lost folks find their way here. Henry insists on coming with me, says he's too paranoid to be left idle. Which leaves you to take care of things around here, unless you wanna try talking him out of it."
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[Beta Town] (Ruka, Ari, Gon)
Ruka glanced up at when Natsu alighted on her helmet. "Yeah, my body constantly builds up an electrical charge. Though, since all of that power gets put into my suit, I don't think you'll notice it much." She collapsed her helmet again, disturbing the fuzzy butterfly from her perch momentarily, "There." After adjusting the flow of power in her suit, her hair began to gradually take on a frizzy, pale blue glow.
Turning towards Ari, Ruka responded to her question, "No, AEGIS is an internationally funded organization that exists to combat various threats outside the normal capabilities of various governments, such as rogue members of the supernatural community, invading aliens, psychotic psychics, devious time travelers, or people toting enough firepower to level a mountain."
Ruka looked around at the city. Apart from being attacked by rogue robots (something that the half ghost was used to by now), it seemed nice. It sure beats wandering around the inside of a giant robot. That thought started gears turning in her mind. "Wait. I just had a thought. If I can be scanned, wouldn't that technically make me appear to be a Mystrian. And wouldn't that also apply to a Messenger?" She asked, slightly worried.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
Admiral Rin, forced to catch up with the others, brushed a hand through her hair. Rin gave a short and simple "Yes" to the various statements and questions brought up. She intertwined her fingers, "This is the headquarters of the Imperial Senjimese Navy's Northern Fleet, Yuki-jō. As Admiral of said fleet, I am the... de jure owner of this property."
She cleared the last of the snow on the road, it had been removed by shovel days earlier, revealing the dark gray stone paving of the town roads. Walking along the road, Rin headed towards the bridge crossing the moat to the southern walled courtyard protecting the south entrance. Turning around, she bowed her head briefly, "You will be welcomed guests in my home. I shall see to it that you all are fed and..." She looked over the three boys, her gaze lingering on Adam, causing her to frown slightly, "Warmer clothes." The Admiral turned back around and continued heading towards the sturdy wood bridge.
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
"Oh, so it's your place?" Gwenafer said, following Rin towards the bridge. Well, the woman had said that she was an admiral, so some kind of fancy base of operations was probably to be expected. Oddly enough though, Gwenafer couldn't spot any obvious mooring towers or similar structures on the fortress ahead. Maybe they used some other method?
"I guess I should thank you for welcoming us then."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
The Prince of Foolish Relevations
The Graveyard, (Friedrich, Sentinel, Patches, Moreena, Caleb)
Still troubled by the sounds that were ringing in their minds, Patches looked up at Friedrich as he approached- Her eyes still half-closed, yet once he asked her all she did was lightly nod in approval. However...
No, this- him, it is his fault! - to say this isn't wise. You can't risk us like this... Perfect, really! She's just a- her soul! But fine, be that way! She can't even hear us like this... Nothing left but to embrace-
Yet as the two spoke and as Friedrich worked his unknown magic, Patches' body suddenly becomes rigid- And inside a place even she doesn't know, the third spoke. He's here, he's already here...
Thus at those words, the power within her flares, and a field of enveloped lightning suddenly pushes Friedrich away- Harmless yet roughly, done in haste. Scrambling to pull her mask back on, her body shivering in terror, a sound suddenly pierces the material air.
Soft, almost composed, was the growl released from the Armory Knight. Looking at the group with wildly darting eyes, the four-legged creature growls- Louder, more bestial. Snarling at the group, it almost seems to scoff before growling softly again.
Yet as a cannon forms from its gunmetal grey body, to Patches it shone brightly against her darkened world- And in her eyes, an even brighter existence yet without true form, its hand rested on Armory Knight's left blade horn.
Looking her way, it tries to speak to her, only to scowl when she didn't hear a thing. Yet, if anyone else could perceive this divine- No, impossible existence, this is what they would of heard: "Come, no longer do we serve others- Oh, you're incomplete? More effort then..."
Thus, did the beast scream, as a massive beam of light shot forth from the cannon on its back.
"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."
[Akamori]
Adam gave a friendly bow. "Thank you, Ms. Rin."
"Great!" Nick said, "Can we please get inside already? I'm freezing my balls off."
Jackson merely smirked. The winters in Oxford were a lot harsher than what Nick was complaining about. Truly, if he went there, the poor lad would probably freeze to death in seconds. Were all Americans this wimpy towards cold weather?
To dream is my right
Graveyard
Calcify new humeri from athrophized femura. Fuse carpals. Connect lungs to pneumatic cavities.
Six bones lined the edge of space. Six vertices to an octahedron. Eight faces to a sphere. One heartbeat to a movement, a surge of blood in the brain and the amorphous muscles pushing and pulling on smooth bones.
Expand upper lungs. Condense diggested lower viscera. Divide scales by crystal type.
On the center was the self. On the center were the compasses. A great heart beating to the same rhythm, a row of blades, a brain and spine projecting nerves across the darkness.
Produce keratinous tegumentary appendices. Form tunnels in carapace.
It was immersed in dense liquid. It was immersed in light. It was immersed in pain. Not the pain of shedding, which was gone as soon as the old form was unformed, but the pain of light, irradiating the darkness with not radiance, but pain. The energy that destroyed another space, or echoes thereof, penetrated the bounded space the self was in, slowly eroding its amorphous body.
Thoughtform could mend it. Light would dissipate it. Effort could complete it. Lucidity could repel further destruction. If there were still two it would be fast. Other left self however. Other left inner space.
Self had already completed the bauplan changes. Now only a few muscles, some skin...
A piercing scream pierced self's concentration, and forced her to open eyes in the dark. With a surge, sharp, thin claws pierced the cocoon from inside, opening a long tear from which clear liquid poured down like a fountain. Then more claws cut it and wide wings burst it open, revealing the tall and slender form of the creature inside, as the pocket-watch and bird faded from that plane like mist in the morning.
Feathered wings shuddered to repel the liquid, three of four arms with needlelike claws crossed themselves over the being's armored chest while the third rested inert besides her body. Two powerful legs and taloned feet covered in red scales prepared to run, and the feathers near the hooked tip of her tail spread like a fan. In her still humanlike face, her golden eyes scanned the enviorment for danger.
She was unprepared. Her lower left arm was weak, almost limp, and the upper one's flesh was not fully covered by skin. She didn't have time to get used to her wings, and the red and silver carapace that covered her body was incomplete, with holes exposing redish and wet skin. Had she misjudged the spirit, or was it simply unfortunate timing?
It didn't matter. The steel beast was aggressive, and both the pyrokinectic girl and the animatum boy were in its reach. Their deaths would be unnecessary distractions. It was time for Sentinel to run.
With the speed of a cheetah, she crossed the distance with silent fire in her eyes, forgetting the pain the wild energies of the clater inflicted upon her. A weapon emerged from the monster's body, almost as if it was daring her to prove how fast she could be.
She was not as gigantic as before, but thankfully her armspan was still much greater than that of a human, and her grip the strongest under the sun. As she grabbed each of the little ones with one of her hands, she also spread her wings and flapped them to jump, flying out as the being relased its ray of searing light. Hopefully the girl wouldn't blow up her army or something.
edited 2nd Dec '16 3:04:04 PM by EternaMemoria
"The dried flowers are so beautiful, and it applies to all things living and dead."
It's a bird.
The Graveyard (Moreena, Caleb, Friedrich, Patches, Sentinel)
Moreena's eyes darted over towards Friedrich, but he seemed mostly unharmed by the patchwork girl's sudden display of her abilities.
"Well, that was uncalled f...," she began to say, but was immediately distracted by a growl. Some kind of armored - or perhaps mechanical? - creature had appeared, with just a hint of... something else at it's side. There was a vague sensation of familiarity here, somewhat similar to what Moreena had first felt from the Sentinel, but there was no time to dwell on it, as the beast readied a massive weapon on it's back.
"Get down!" she growled herself from between her rapidly sharpening teeth as she dropped her crown to the ground and raised a hand in front of her. She channeled her essence, the power from the Storm of Creation that had once spawned her, into the air between her and her companions, and the armored beast, warping and twisting the already tempestuous reality of the Graveyard. It formed into something that was even more chaotic than before, but somehow much less violent; a state of infinite, contradicting possibilities existing in an odd harmony of sorts.
Finally, just as the beast fired it's deadly beam of light, Moreena imposed her Will upon the raw magic, drawing out a few carefully selected strands of potential from the swirling mass, and weaved them into a spell. A shield was conjured into being, appearing as a jagged distortion in the air somewhat similar to a cracked pane of dark glass. She continued to channel her power into it, hoping it would grow strong enough to block at least most of the force from the inevitable impact...
edited 3rd Dec '16 3:32:14 AM by Corvidae
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori —> Snow Castle (Southern Outer Ward)] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
The Admiral frowned slightly at Nick. The boy was very vocal about his displeasure about the cold. She was starting to come to the conclusion that he must have come from a more tropical locale. Then again, one of the few people she knew from the southern portions of the Senjimese Empire was surprisingly cold tolerant.
As they crossed the bridge into the southern courtyard, they passed by a pair of nondescript guards on duty. They gave the group inquisitive looks before saluting as Rin passed by them. Upon passing through the open gate, the group entered into the relatively small and empty courtyard, the stone roadway turning left and then right again towards the southern entrance proper.
The entrance was built into fifteen-foot tall sheer stone wall that comprised the outer layer of the lowest foundation, with a wide guard tower built over head. Once through the entrance, the was a ramp to the raised surface on the right. Upon reaching the top of the ramp, the group arrived in a large courtyard.
"It is quite easy to get lost here, so please, do not wander off." Rin said. She headed towards one of the paths on the right side of the courtyard at a relatively brisk pace.
edited 3rd Dec '16 8:33:16 PM by WillDeRegio
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Twilight Ball
At some point, yet another landscape materialized out of the dream fog. It appeared to be the outskirts of a town, with a few small house-sized buildings scattered about, but no paved roads - just dirt, with a few odd grasses growing here and there. The sun sat right on the horizon over the sea in the far distance, glowing a warm, deep red but yet tinting the sky a more purplish hue - and in the opposite direction, the sky faded nearly to black where a single bright indigo-coloured star shone.
In the center of this area was a grand hall made of the finest wood. It was open to the air, its round ceiling supported by spiraling yellow and purple columns. The rim of the ceiling consisted of varicolored wooden beams, but most of it consisted of a round glass window. And a good thing it did, for it gave a clear view of the four moons hovering in the twilit sky. One was more like a shiny golden asteroid since it wasn't round; the two smaller round ones were either silvery white or forest-like green, and a very large dark blue one hovered ominously behind them. All the moons were quite close together on this particular... morning? Evening? Whichever it was.
On the tiled stone floor, several tables and chairs sat haphazardly around the hall, around which several nondescriptnote people gathered. But in the very front of the hall, facing the sun (which a very strategically placed wall at the far end was blocking), was a stage, atop which a musical performance was happening. Singing, dancing, the playing of both unusual and unusual instruments... all by four women with narrow capes draping over the insect-like wings on their backs, in distinctly coloured outfits that collectively made up the entire rainbow.
They had just finished a song, and the audience applauded. At that point a pointy-eared man walked up onto the stage, standing behind one of four little crystal balls on top of sticks lining the front of the stage. "And that was the Four Bardic Sisters," he announced; the crystal ball acted just like a microphone so that his voice could be heard throughout the hall, "from the legendary Baoshra family in the town of Drenlin! What a treat it was to hear them on this rare event when all the moons and stars gather! Ladies, would you care to introduce yourselves one last time and perhaps give us one more song afterward?"
The lead singer of the group stepped forward so that her soft, round, white face tinted purplish in the diffracted sunlight, and the deep blue gem on her metallic circlet glistened, matching the hue and shine of the short wavy hair below. Throughout the performance she had stood mostly still with her oval-shaped black-veined wings held down near her sides, where the simple long blue and black dress she wore attached at the neck to her wide and billowing blue cape. Gesturing an arm covered with a long and wide sleeve all around the audience and gazing around with her indigo-hued eyes, she spoke, in a very clear and melodic voice.
"I am Gliosem, the eldest of us, and I hope you all enjoyed the songs and tales we had to offer."
Next to her stood a musical instrument consisting of two rows of glass pipes arranged in a semicircle, and behind it stood the tallest and lankiest of the four. When she turned her emerald-green eyes briefly to face her sister, the shorter curved strands of her otherwise long lavender hair bounced around to where they framed the chin of her rather long light brownish face, and the audience caught a better glimpse of the feathered barrettes that seemed to extend her otherwise small rounded ears. Her wings were a pale green and more butterfly-like, extending barely past her shoulders where her long green cape was attached. She wore a green and purple dress a lot like Gliosem's, except lower-cut to show the purple star pendant she wore, and more tightly fitting. Here she raised an exposed forearm to be level with the instrument, and when she swept a simple metallic wand across it, an ethereal and almost amelodic sound (or was it a sound, or more like a feeling of a sound?) echoed all around the hall.
"I am Ferisen. The combined energy of the moons has amplified the magic about this place - it showed from within the latria." She gave a brief glance downward to the odd glass instrument.
Nearby, a small and nimble pink-skinned woman ceased her idle dancing and re-folded her large triangular maroon-veined wings, which reached almost to the ground when she stood up straight. She was the only one of the four wearing pants, bright red and white ones flaring out just past the knee, matching the skimpy red top exposing her midriff and the thick white neck cuff extending into her cape. As an afterthought, she flipped forward onto her hands and re-extended her wings, where she floated up slightly before landing and holding out her well-toned arms. One of which reached behind her head to adjust the ribbon-wrapped braid in her straight raspberry-hued hair, and she blinked her also raspberry-hued eyes and cleared her throat before speaking - since she had remained mostly silent throughout the performance.
"I am Emriel." She gave a cheeky wink and turned to wave at the blushing announcer before re-addressing the audience. "And I don't have much to say."
The smallest of the four giggled at Emriel's little joke, pressing a small chubby hand over her mouth, the curls in her poofy amber pigtails bouncing a bit. She had the widest eyes of the four, of a golden yellow hue, and also had a few freckles on her cheeks. Even the yellow and orange dress she wore was poofy, especially in the almost spherical sleeves around her shoulders which fastened her short yellow cape. She had a lot of flowers on her outfit, including one large one on each of her shoes, several along the trim of her dress, a few tiny ones on her circlet of twigs, and several that she tossed all around into the air, where they hovered around for a bit along with the little flute she had been playing. Emerging from behind the what looked like an oversized lute and a stack of small drums, shyly fluttering her wavy golden-veined wings, she moved close to one of the mounted crystal balls.
"And I am Amiluet, the youngest of us. And our host is correct - we do have one more song for you all. Reel, you'll have to help us sing this one."
Emriel scowled, folding her arms. "You kidding me? I don't sing!"
"Of course she is joking!" Gliosem chimed. "But we shall not joke about the war that is upon us, and it saddens me that this will be the final Twilight Ball because of it. A war between day and night - and so, we dedicate this final song to the harmony between the two. Fair?"
Nodding, Ferisen raised her wand, pointing it gradually at each one of her sisters as if it were a conductor's baton. And so they began, starting with Amiluet psychokinetically scattering the little drums all around where Emriel had already begun her dance. Both Gliosem and Ferisen sang this one, a song about the importance of the balance between darkness and light and how they are dependent on one another - though Ferisen had a solo in the middle on the stange instrument that was the latria. Amiluet functioned as a backup singer, but mainly played the lute-like instrument that produced sounds that were somewhere between guitar and violin and made little flowers dance alongside Emriel, who made little bells ring and tapped a few of the little drums with every elabrate movement.
Once they were done and applause rang out once more, the Four Bardic Sisters took a collective bow. Some time afterward, Ferisen and Amiluet remained on the stage to gather together thr instruments and equipment, while Gliosem followed to where Emriel jumped off the stage.
"And where are you going?" the singer asked the dancer.
"To the buffet of course," Emriel replied. "All that dancing took a lot out of me, and the sunlight isn't that strong here. Care to come with me, Glee?"
Gliosem sighed with, well... glee. "And you just ate prior to our performance. No thanks - I think I will step outside for a bit." Slowly and gracefully, she walked towards the side of the stage, where the sky out there was darker.
Back on the stage, Amiluet had just finished collecting all the flowers she had scattered about the area, as well as the little drums and a couple of crystal balls that ended up unused, while Ferisen brought over a large wooden box on wheels and opened up the front of it.
"Lute, can you help me move the latria in here?" Ferisen asked - the thing was too heavy for any of them to lift, even Emriel.
With a wide smile on her face, Amiluet walked towards the glass-piped instrument and thrust her palms forward. "Mina-me ka lurel, kura-ya." At those words, several of the flowers she had collected twirled around on the ground and gathered underneath where Ferisen was levitating the latria.
Ferisen lightly shook her head. "You don't need a spell for that."
Amiluet giggled. "It's good practice." Gently, the two of them, along with the animated flowers, guided the large instrument into the box.
Graveyard (Friedrich, Sentinel, Patches, Moreena, Caleb)
I'm surprised neither Sentinel nor Moreena reacted to the voice that tried to speak to Noire... I would think that being goddesses, they would have definitely been able to perceive it.
Friedrich's spell seemed to calm Patches down... well, for a while. Out of nowhere, the masked albino conjured an energy sphere of some sort, pushing him backward - thankfully, not too far or too harshly. What - did I somehow harm her instead? he thought as he found his footing again. But wait, my mother told me once... of a couple of times she tried to heal someone and instead ended up killing them. If I have the same magic...
He would have dwelt on it more, but just then he heard a growl, causing him to snap back to warped reality. Not an ordinary growl though - like the ticking inside his artificial heart, it held a nuance that bore some kind of messagenote ... though he couldn't decipher it. Instead he looked over and saw a monstrous four-legged beast, with a brightly-lit being of some sort hovering near its shoulder. What is that?
Before he could think much else of it, the beast fired up a cannon on its back, and a huge beam of light aimed at the group. Immediately Friedrich gasped in surprise, drawing the dagger sheathed at his hip. Black mists flowed through the blade as he extended it and then traced a circle in the air - but though they swirled around inside the shadowy circle, no matter how Friedrich willed it, it just wouldn't solidify. Come on...
But just before the beam could hit, he felt something picking him up and carrying him out of the way. This caused him to drop his dagger, upon which the shadowy circle vanished - but via a sort of psychokinesis, the dagger floated up and returned to his hand. Upon closer inspection, the blade was thin and dull - more like a letter opener (or magic wand, in this case) than an actual weapon. Not having paid attention to the Sentinel's emergence, he was puzzled by the winged being lifting him into the air.
By the time he looked back over at the beast, he had also missed the first part of Moreena's spell, and only saw the shadowy disc emerge before her. At this, Friedrich's eyes widened.
"Sinistr... oh, it's Moreena. That spell though..."
He was a bit disheartened, as he had just tried to use a similar spell - and given the fragility of his body, he wished he knew how to do it. If only she had taught me that specifically...
Turning back to the winged creature carrying him, he asked, "Are you Arm..." But no, there was a familiar feel about this being, one that matched that of the... "Oh, I mean, is this your new form? And who is that?" He pointed his dagger at the beast. Almost unknowingly, the wisps of shadow surrounded the blade once more, this time turning into a beam of his own, though much thinner than Armory Knight's and made of shadow. Then again, he didn't know that was Armory Knight, as nobody ever specified before it attacked. Regardless, the little beam of shadow aimed right at the being of light... but at the last minute, Friedrich re-directed it at the beast's cannon (it bent at an angle in the air). I'll bet that being of light is Armory Knight... and if so, Patches said explicitly not to hurt him.
edited 4th Dec '16 1:15:06 AM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
To dream is my right
Graveyard
Having escaped the ray of light, Sentinel looked back towards the creature and was surprised to discover both of her initial companions were still alive, protected behing an uneven shield of shadow-matter with afterimages of unbounded chaos, and that Friedrich projected something towards the beast. All those manifestations were enigmas, things she never saw regular sorcerers do so naturally.
Landing smoothly on the debris-covered ground, she dropped both of the children and prepared to fight the beast if necessary, and whatever force directed it. Two ruby plates of her knight-like armor divided briefily, and with one of her hands she removed a silver scale from it. With the poise and posture of worthy of her position, she said with clear and deep voice:
"Stand back."
edited 4th Dec '16 5:02:17 AM by EternaMemoria
"The dried flowers are so beautiful, and it applies to all things living and dead."
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori —> Snow Castle (Southern Outer Ward)] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer glanced over at Nick, holding back a chuckle at his choice of words.
"Aw, come on," she said. "It can't be that bad, can it?"
She followed Rin into the fortress, giving the guards a pair of exaggerated waves and smiles as she passed them. Back home, getting into the headquarters of the League's navy would have been very difficult for someone like her, unless she got herself arrested, of course.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Graveyard
Caleb was shocked off balance by Patch's lightning, but stopped himself from falling. Then he heard the growl and saw the grey beast. It was probably Armory Knight, but may have just been a native. Either way, the cannon was clearly pointed at them. A gust of wind behind him (Sentinel flying past) managed to knock Caleb down; when he picked himself up he saw the cannon start to glow, but also Moreena doing something strange with the air in front of them.
A shield maybe? That seemed to be what the context suggested, and Moreena seemed to have many powers. An idea came to him, and Caleb unslung his gun and shuffled to the side of the distortion. Armory Knight's blast had already started when Caleb got there, and that was stimulus enough for him to take aim and fire (his gun has moderate armor penetration, but ultimately fires ordinary bullets).
You say I am loved, when I don’t feel a thing. You say I am strong, when I think I am weak. You say I am held, when I am falling short.
[Ritter Clinic]
Iveya raised an eyebrow at this. "Meandering out in the cold with a wound?" Iveya said, her voice just as low as Friedrich's. "Oh, men." She bit her lip and then added, "I don't suppose you have another coat, do you? Your brother can hold this place down as well as I, and I haven't had that much to drink. Better two than one to carry him if needs must." And besides, the Eyes and Teeth was curious to get a better look at the presence it had still refrained from mentioning to Iveya.
[Snow Castle]
The guards were slightly intimating, but thankfully, they were able to get bye without too much trouble. It was nice of Rin to dream up some friendly guards.
Nick quirked an eyebrow. "You think I want to wander off in this place? I would be stuck here forever!"
"Then I would suggest that you stick with the group." Jackson quipped back.
Nick shot him a glare. "Thanks for repeating what I just said, ass." He rolled his eyes, then turned his attention back to Rin, "You got some hot drinks in here?"
Adam seemed distracted, mostly focusing on the size of the castle. He had to wonder how Rin could navigate in a place this large; back in California, he could barely get around his old humongous house. How could one navigate in a castle?
Misery Manor
Half let out a brief "hm" at Gabe's comment about "that kind of day" and responded with "I suppose it has. It's been some time since I was assaulted by the Manor's visions, but that may just be temporary. I wish to leave."
Wanting to ask about her creations, Sinistrina changed the subject before he could, and Half decided to leave it for later. The Manor seemed different as he followed her to the main floor. The dead-men, of course; but also something more subtle and profound. She said it was another dimension, but wasn't this still the dream world? Thinking no more of it, Half walked to the entrance and saw a spectacle of images as he witnessed the battle outside (against Armory Knight). Turning back to Sinistrina he said, "if your son's out there you may want to see this."
You say I am loved, when I don’t feel a thing. You say I am strong, when I think I am weak. You say I am held, when I am falling short.
Graveyard
"Voices?" Caleb's tone softened as he crouched next to Patches, "what do you mean?" He shook his head and continued, "like I said, you should really stay back until the situation's resolved. Why not wait until the Sentinel is out and we can split up then?"
He felt a shiver go down him as he experienced the effects of saying her name, he resolved not to do so lightly. Caleb also glanced at the papery bird. He almost sent his eidolon towards it, but stopped the breath from going out; it wasn't likely safe to do so here.
edited 19th Nov '16 8:30:34 PM by Novis
You say I am loved, when I don’t feel a thing. You say I am strong, when I think I am weak. You say I am held, when I am falling short.