An Ordinary Oddball
Wilma (3)
"Interested parties? You don't say!" Wilma had gone back for a while to help out with the cleanup after the explosion had gone off, but she got back just in time to hear out Ignis' offer. "That's a big help! But there's one more thing..."
Wilma put her hands on her hips.
"You're saying we shouldn't expect any treachery or mid-war malfeasance from you. That's only one person, yet you're bringing more people in? And where are they now?" she asked. "I'm wary about this whole thing, I'm sure you can understand, and I want to meet the people we're going to be working with. The promises must come from their own mouths."
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Psychic Brothers
Cole looked at Wilma and wondered where she was going with this, and figured it'd be good to get a measure of what Ignis could commit to the field.
Ignis visibly pinched the bridge of his nose, and then sighed, "Not a one of my allies would do anything during the war. This is far too grave a circumstance to fool around or toy with ideas of treachery. In as far as where they are now, they're in Atelier Numeros, my personal world. And...if you insist."
With that, the communication seemed to come to an end.
Followed by a large portal opening up close by Metallic Raider, with the unmasked Ignis stepping out, seeming rather irate with Wilma's insistence. He was followed out by four more people to start, the four Numbers he could bring who were not on assignment;
A crystalline looking young woman with long hair covered in what looked like armor made of black lacquer, carrying a long ornate spear.
A pale young woman in a black cocktail dress outfitted with odd fetishes and ornaments, long dark brown hair and icy blue eyes.
Ignis stated, "These are my available Numbers, those who follow me. Respectively, Verre and Death Shaman. Now...as for others interested in preserving this world's independence. One notable figure."
Another portal opened up and a voice came out in advance of the golden figure walking through, "First vanquished and now you wish my assistance...? How unsightly! But I have little choice in the matter. The Saviors are vastly more offensive."
The figure that walked out and stepped up was no less than Sommerset.
Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 28th 2020 at 3:30:08 AM
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
An Ordinary Oddball
Wilma (3)
Wilma shrugged. "Just checking. You only said that about yourself, so I had to make sure. Nice to meet you all, I look forward to working with you in the future," she said to the Numbers, twitching her left hand to TRANSMUTE a small portion of the ground in front of Ignis and the Numbers into paper. With a wave of her other hand, roses would miraculously sprout out of it, stark white and mostly lacking in thorns.
Another twitch of her hand, and the roses themselves would TRANSFORM into ones reflecting their intended recipients—Ignis' rose seemed to be exalted into an even more impossibly bright white; Verre's rose's petals warped and hardened to a sharp, crystalline structure much like herself; Death Shaman's rose seemed to be black smoke bent and flattened into the shape of a rose.
"The covenant is sealed, then. No matter whatever else we've been called to do by higher powers. We can return to beating each other down after we pulp the Saviors. Or whatever," she said, seemingly speaking to the whole group, yet meaning most of her words for Lord Sommerset. Two parts of Gilliano's rune on Wilma's hand faded. She gave Sommerset a look that clearly communicated the idea of "I don't know if you want a gift made from my powers, so I'm not going to give you one. And I'm also showing off my powers and what I can do. Don't cross me!" before continuing to smile genially at all present.
Renegade leaned forward in the back of Wilma's mind and cackled with sheer delight at the thought of Sommerset's discomfort. He claimed credit for the idea, but Wilma politely disagreed and passed the buttered popcorn. Both were charged with anticipation.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 28th 2020 at 3:29:01 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Psychic Brothers
Cole was admittedly astonished when no less than Sommerset emerged now too, and he looked at Wilma. She didn't seem bothered by this, and he supposed he should not put it past Ignis to somehow rope Sommerset into this too. And admittedly, if this alliance held, then this would make defending the world easier. They wouldn't have to worry about power plays in the background, and most likely the Saviors wouldn't be prepared for this.
Ignis observed the flowers, as did Metallic Raider, Verre and Death Shaman;
"Mm, is this perchance commentary on my armor...?"
"...It reminds me of my glass. Interesting."
"Ohh, I like it, shadowy, dark and twisted like smoke."
Metallic Raider looked over at the events ongoing with the falling building and seemed to figure he might be able to help. He first ran up to Sam and then silently helped him steady. The robotic Number said nothing - not exactly the talkative type.
Ignis smiled and stated, "Very well, I agree to this covenant. I, my forces, and my allies...shall assist in any way or manner necessary to see the Saviors extirpated."
Sommerset however seemed to stare for a moment as if incredulous at Wilma, and then turned away with a look like he wanted to just bite his lip in frustration. Crossing his arms behind his back, the elf tyrant seemed to focus on what was currently going on.
Cole noticed this but decided his brother was his priority. Stepping forward, breathing and clearing himself of a lingering sense of reluctance in the face of this... "Welcome on board, Brother. I'm not going to speak for the others, but I hope you still keep that as important as ever."
He offered a hand, that Ignis quickly shook, and stated in response, "Of course, Cole. In fact, this may well be a learning experience."
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
An Ordinary Oddball
Wilma (2)
"Hmm, hmm," Wilma hummed with satisfaction at Sommerset's reaction, with Renegade slapping his knee and wheezing with laughter behind the pale, nearly upending the popcorn bowl. The mental Wilma recoiled to keep the popcorn safe.
Wilma then joined the others in clearing out the rubble, further using her Inspired powers to lift the debris in search of anything that could be salvaged.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 31st 2020 at 10:08:51 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Vivian-The Cells
Viv turned away from the Saint. She still felt a little irritated with herself over that outburst. Even if he was a villain and a potential danger to them, blowing her top and antagonizing him made no sense.
"No one of concern around, huh?" she muttered to Mahvash. As she spoke, an alert popped up on her wrist. Thankfully the Foundation's backup power was still working and she was greeted by the delightful sight of Cole shaking hands with his gonorrheic turd of a brother and a cluster of other folks who were no doubt sh*tbricks of a similar class.
She'd be lying if her first, second and twenty-fifth impulse wasn't to leap out the door and challenge Ignis again. She was stronger now. Better. It would end differently. No. It wouldn't. You need to have a lot more power before you face him. Enough that you can crush him like an insect under a boot. A boot with an acid sole and big spikes on the bottom that also rip out his teeth one by one and then gouge his eyes out and fill the sockets with bullet ants-
Viv shook her head, trying to drive the thoughts of her head. That won't help us right now. Kill him later. She turned to Mahvash. "Let's get started."
Edited by Booky on Jan 31st 2020 at 6:19:44 AM
Deranged X-Mas Figure
September 4th, 2021 — Saint University
In the wake of the destruction of Foundation HQ, to say that the city was upset or distraught would be putting it lightly. Even after the revelation that the Saint was an imposter, the HQ was still a bright shining beacon, standing tall and weathering the storm regardless of what befell it. And now it was gone. Reduced to a shambling, incinerated corpse. Their last symbol of hope had fallen, and there was no telling if it would ever be restored. A wave of panic had washed over the city, drowning it in a sea of depression and fear. As if this was it.
None of this was helped by a dramatic spike in the city's crime rate. With the Foundation reduced to rubble, the criminal population took it as a sign to begin the crime spree of the century. Bank robberies, acts of vandalism, and so many other felonies had exploded in activity, with the Foundation unable to do a thing about it. All they could do was send out who they could to patrol the city and keep things from getting any worse. Even if it may have been an exercise in futility.
If nothing else, it was clear the Foundation needed a new place of operations, at least until they could get things under control. Unfortunately, there weren't that many places available on short notice. Certainly not with the proper accommodations to support an entire branch of an organization. There was only one place that fit the bill, even if many of them thought they'd never see it again.
Saint University.
Interceptor had already spoken with Kilgore to make the necessary arrangments. Thankfully, the new term wasn't set to start for another week, making it easy to reformat the place into a base of operations while they sought a more long term solution. Still, while the Foundation wasn't as shaken as the rest of the city, they were still rattled. Reinbach was particularly upset at the destruction of his lab, though Armada had managed to salvage most of their 'babies' from the wreckage. Regardless, everyone knew that as bad as things were, this was only the tip of the iceberg. The proverbial shit had not even begun to approach the fan, and they needed to be ready for when it did. Still, for now, all they could do was douse the flames, ready their defenses, and prepare for the worst.
God help them.
??? — Some Weeks Ago
In a dark, dank cavern, far beneath the rest of the city, something stirred. Perhaps it was the sheer sense of chaos and anarchy that was being unleashed up above, or maybe it was the appalling sense of dread that would soon englulf it. Or perhaps it was simply time. Either way, with a loud, droning beep, it soon awakened.
As for what 'it' was, that was self-evident. A lone cylinder had been placed in the middle of the cavern, hooked up to a series of wires and illuminated only by a small red light overhead. There was a sillohoute filling most of it, the only clue to its identity being a gold emblem on the bottom. It bore the letters 'LL', as though it should have been obvious to anyone what it meant.
In moments, the light turned white and lit up the entire cavern as soon as the alarm was sounded, and the cylinder opened in a flash. A tall man with an incredible physique emerged, nearly stumbling onto the cold cavern floors before regaining his balance. His bald head shined under the light like a cueball, his only imperfection. And yet, his dark green eyes were filled with nothing but hatred. Hatred and ambition. And not a scrap of mercy for anyone who stood in his way.
In any case, he knew what he had to do. There were enemies to take vengeance on. Wrongs to make right. And a whole world to show what he was truly made of.
Time to get to work.
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
An Unjust Patrol
"Alright, give me all your money bitch. Walking around town looking like you do...seriously pisses me off." A dyed red haired thief and his tall and short underlings had surrounded a local woman, who was pressing herself against the wall of an alleyway. The red haired thief was merrily waving around a knife.
Marky saw what was going on in the midst of his patrol, and was just about to swing in and try and intervene...
But the thief evidently decided to go ahead and indulge himself a little in disfiguring the victim. He raised his knife even as Stalwart moved to try and leap in.
Sommerset's beam was faster still.
A red beam, bending and flying through the air, engulfed the red haired thief's hand and much of his forearm before colliding with a pile of garbage in the background. The thief would bring his arm down only to see a smoldering, burnt half of his arm remaining.
"Oh I do apologize..." The elf tyrant announced as he drifted downward from the top of a nearby building, "My hand slipped. Now, shall I see my hand slip a few dozen more times...?"
The thieves visibly freaked out and attempted to run off, but Stalwart finally arrived and headed them off, knocking each of them out and trying to make sure they were arrayed for police to come pick up. He touched at a burn scar on his collar bone. He'd gotten out of that burning building, sure, but not without some lingering burns.
Once the thieves were good and in custody, he ran over to his "partner" for this operation. "Did you really need to disfigure that one?"
Sommerset cheerfully clasped his chin, "No. Not particularly. Though I do suppose the misfortunate creature he was attacking might voice gratitude for taking it off his hands posthaste. You know, afore I would've feared you, boy, but now I simply find you...interesting."
Marky sighed, and the two of them kept moving.
Psychic Brothers.
"Ignis, is there any hint of—-"
"No, Cole." Ignis had set up a field base in downtown Super City as well as one closer to what had once been the Foundation's now downed building. The one they were currently in was the latter. Anyone of the "alliance" was free to make use of it and its facilities, in light of the amount of threat at play now.
The psychic overlord was looking over the dimensional wavelengths and hints at any more incursions. "I get it. You're anxious. But so is everyone else. If you walk around on knife's edge, you're just contributing by this point."
Cole sighed and then paced a little bit back and forth before asking, "So there's no updates?"
"No, Cole, not yet. Have you heard from the others?" Ignis knew even a moment could be deadly and change the way things were going, so he always made sure positions and such were marked down and status was updated whenever able.
Cole nodded, "...Marky and that tyrant went off to go deal with some three man gang that got pretty infamous. I think the others are still doing their own things." He looked at the floor of the field base. This was bad, and the Saviors hadn't even showed up yet.
Edited by NickTheSwing on Feb 1st 2020 at 5:17:58 AM
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
King among Xanas
I.W.-Martin
Martin was nervous, he had been for quite some time. Things were going from bad to worse in the city ever since his alternate self had essentially declared war on their entire system. Whats worse was the state of the city was essentially proving the bastard correct. They didn't have enough heroes or police to deal with the massive crime wave burning through the city. Heroes were burning themselves out to the point where any attempt at defending themselves when the time came would be hampered at best. So he made the hardest decision he had ever had to made.
Rather then working on the streets and fighting against the villains crawling out of the dark he had spent time resting, building on his own strength, and above all else filling any amount of time he could with planning for the battle ahead. While he couldn't be on the frontline against his other self for fear of his abilities being copied, there were other things he could do. "All I can do at this point is wait," he muttered to himself, obviously troubled.
Messiah-Saviorverse
"Eight hours," Messiah addressed those of the Saviors he trusted enough to have as generals or major operators in the war to come. "The invasion and overall taking of the alternate Super City must be done in eight hours, at least sixty percent of the city under our full control or a full retreat order will be given." he knew there would be arguments, so he simply raised a hand against them. "With the rebels still operational we can't afford to fight a protracted battle on one side only for our escape to be taken. We are bringing all of our heavy hitters to this fight, those left behind will only be able to hold against whatever Mikeal might throw at us for that amount of time." this was the hitching point of the entire plan, a small token force would be sent to keep other countries away for long enough to take the city, after that they could use the factories and technology within the city to push outward.
"Are there any arguments or questions as to the plan?"
Be better, because what is the harm in trying?
The Saviorverse-A Hidden Lab And A Secret Is Out
As soon as there is life, there is danger. Ralph Waldo Emerson
It was an efficient, spartan place. Hi-tech machines sat next to cutting-edge computers. Mechanical tools and textbooks were piled beside sheets of paper and maps. Sliding drawers more suited to a coroner's office filled a corner, and a small door with a handle set into the wall clearly led to some sort of disposal facility. This laboratory didn't have the grotesquely cold and clean lines of Liam's workspace, or really anything but evidence of a mind's obsessive dedication towards a single goal.
The blood and damage, however, had clearly not been part of that plan. Charred and mutilated remains of possibly twelve people lay scattered across the floor, walls and ceiling-though a closer examination would show that some of them were from cadavers and not fresh.
Great holes and craters were evident in several areas, with an especially large one set in the center of the main room. Its edges were glassy and still smoking. A faint beam of sunlight could be seen from above, signaling that it reached up to the outside world.
The centerpiece of the laboratory had clearly been a large tank in which something had been stored. It was shattered, with large pieces of transparensteel scattered about the room (and in one case stabbed through the torso of one of the dead bodies). A short path of blackened footprints led from it to directly below the largest hole.
In a corner lay a battered and torn pile of machinery. Even Armada or Vivian herself would have struggled to recognize them as the body of her duplicate in this world.
Edited by Booky on Feb 1st 2020 at 5:34:07 AM
AKA Nixer
Holiday – Saint University (Squad 2)
“Good morning.”
Holiday's tone was by no means clipped—in fact it was quite cheery, all things considered—but she seemed to quickly recognize the mood and didn't decorate her greetings any further. Martin received a lingering glance that might've been of worry or careful observation (or perhaps both) before she settled herself in his general vicinity and began to form checks on her left arm.
“...ACPs are spread out, ready as ever,” she mentioned, tone slower and more severe than usual even as she tinkered with the mechanics near her elbow. “Backups prepared. I'm... here. Excluding shock, I assume the others are the same. Or at least here. You, though...”
She motioned with her off hand, letting the plating on her left arm rapidly reconfigure back to normal before leaning forward slightly in interest.
“Thoughts? Any of them. I heard something about waiting with my robot ears. Think you can handle that okay?”
Her voice had become audibly more softened and concerned if only for that last sentence, primarily because she was realising how much of a support pillar Martin was to the squad. Barring Mahvash, of course, but she was a different kind of pillar. She recognized that he was being held back a lot recently, if not necessarily for his detriment. It was a difficult situation.
If nothing else she could get his own viewpoint.
Lily – Saint University (Squad 1)
The Aquatos had arrived.
It was difficult to say for sure if it was all of them. But it sure felt like it did. There were crowds of them by now scattered about the school, some congregated in the lobby while the others gathered in the cafeteria. Though appearing relaxed, it was clear that they were wary. To see whole swathes of people young and old so uniformly tense and ready to act was admittedly a little unnerving.
Especially for Lily. And this was her family.
She was among them now, a little uncomfortable but doing her best to keep the mood from dropping too low and apparently meeting up with some old friends and relatives while she had the opportunity. In truth, she was anxious beyond belief. It was one thing being in a fight herself, but to see members of the her immediate family putting their lives on the line in unison? It was harrowing.
She honestly didn't know what would happen to them. She elected not to think about it. They would fight to their full strength until their enemies fell. That was it. That was all she needed.
It was all she had to focus on.
bork
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
IW - the Cell (In Days Past)
"Don't worry," Mahvash did not need to look between Saint and Vivian and the gesture would be too much anyway. "Everyone can be made useful, and concerning in that sense. You just wouldn't trouble me if you were lost. That's all."
"And I'll clean up here," She shook her head at Vivian's implication. "The bulk of my IW are above ground. They can keep you safe if you go confront the Streiss family." One part uninterested. One part its covered. "Besides, why would you want to go show off what you can do before you confront him again?"
IW - Dying Like Animals
Good to see the townsfolk have been building character all this time... She idly wondered if they went to pieces whenever a school football game was cancelled for rain. The Foundation did its job. Not even technically. The Foundation did its job. Their people and assets absorbed an attack that otherwise would've hit the civilian populace.
Mahvash didn't do extra patrols but then she rarely did regular patrols.note She simply sat on the grapevine and listened out—well had mother's people listen out—for people with loose lips, even the most basic planning of capers, or rumors of violence, etc. Then she could eliminate a network at her leisure. Or put them to work.
IW - Fighting for Survival
Thomas+Selby's ACPs made themselves very visible. The police were too busy to practice regularly—she still made them practice for the major events—but she'd also drilled coordination with the ACPs into them. And they had their own training. Her mother's people made themselves very invisible, embedding themselves in official organizations but allowed to show off.
While she did take the time to scout out the city again, teleportation changed things. The Guardians went straight for the university to take the last Macguffin. If Nitram wanted to take the city as a staging area to move further, he had more options. note Her people really should take the initiative and attack first more often. Mial did have the place pretty wired up but it only took one hole. And thinking of that, Mason better damn well have set up his counter to Mial's machines that he would inevitably be bringing over.
"Yo!" Mahvash appeared before Martin and Holiday as she did, after her activities. Simple greeting. "Did you eat?" And simple question. But a very easy, very vital thing to look over. And easily remedied while they said whatever was on their minds. Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
King among Xanas
I.W.-Martin-Saint University
He let out a sigh of relief and offered a smile to Holiday as she told him about the ACP's being out on the streets, at least it did something to help the guilt he was feeling over not being down on the streets and fighting against the rising wave of crime. "Its good to know we have people on the street. Uh, robots on the street." he paused for a moment and looked at Holiday. "I'm not sure if either of those are offensive, sorry. I'm just glad we have backing is what I'm trying to get at," despite being well rested Martin seemed like he was on the edge of a knife with all the waiting. "I'll be honest, if I had a choice I would rather be out on the streets right now trying to do something. But the second the enemy gets here they will hit us with everything expecting us to be exhausted trying to deal with the chaos." that was the hard truth he had to face, that trying to go out and save people would lead to more people getting killed. He wasn't an omnipotent god who could protect everyone, no matter how bitter of a pill that was to swallow for someone who built their identity on heroism.
When Mahvash appeared he smiled genuinely for a moment before nodding. "Nine hours of sleep, full meals, water on hand." he hadn't been this well rested since, well the fact he couldn't recall the last time probably spoke volumes enough on the matter. "Its good you're both here, I had a question I needed to ask both of you." he looked between Holiday and Mahvash for a moment before sighing. "You're both way smarter then me, and probably smarter then anyone who doesn't have genius listed as a meta power." it was an honest compliment in that regard. "So I want to ask you guys something. What are our odds with things as they stand?"
Be better, because what is the harm in trying?
Returning From Patrol
As Marky and Sommerset returned from patrol, they saw the large number of Aquatos Family members on the walk about through the school. Marky had never figured that Lily's family was this big. He knew she had a big family, but for it to be both this big and this combat capable...he just hoped nothing bad happened with them.
Sommerset commented upon seeing these people, "...Oh, how fascinating, humans with divine blood." Tapping his chin as the two of them passed by on the way to report back in to Command HQ, which consisted currently of Martin and some of the others, Sommerset seemed to consider something.
"It really is too bad." The elf said aloud, "Samuel seems, in spite of his...heritage, a truly gifted sort. Yet he insists on corroding himself down. I've seen people overuse their gifts before, to truly disastrous effect...someone SHOULD keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't push himself too far."
Marky looked at Sommerset as if wondering what the tyrant was doing.
Meanwhile...
Liam looked over an energy construct map being projected from one of his devices, showing the map of the area they'd be invading. The water front needed to be destroyed with extreme prejudice so that an attrition game with supplies couldn't be done, and the known actors and new actors needed to be downed fast. It'd be for the best if they could just blitz the positions.
Thankfully, Liam's mechanized production, the anciliary Saviors, and other methods left a good invasion force in the cards. He'd been using his machines to get a pretty good read on the current situation in the city.
There were however a number of unknown factors in the works. "I don't have any objections. I'd prefer to be doing my scientific work, but this works as a field test."
Liam looked at the door to their room, and saw Barnett running around outside.
He then continued, "There are some actors in this scenario we have little info on. The Baern Elf King was...not somebody I expected to see go with this. And it seems another bad guy who's joined with the defense force is a dimension conqueror...and twin brother to one of the defenders...huh. Blood's thicker than water."
Edited by NickTheSwing on Feb 2nd 2020 at 12:23:27 PM
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
AKA Nixer
Holiday – Saint University (Squad 2)
“Neither were offensive; no worries. ‘Robot’ is simply accurate. ‘People’ is a compliment if anything,” Holiday smiled, nodding at Mahvash in greeting as she appeared in her typical fashion. Her sensors only ever registered an extremely sudden presence, yet never in a way that she noticed until she actually saw the daeva. It was like some bizarre psychological effect that somehow worked on machines. She knew the exact moment when Mahvash appeared, but only after she'd seen her and thought back on it.
What a fascinating anomaly she was.
“Yet more compliments. Why aren't I around you more?” she chuckled, before leaning back a little to contemplate the question. “Our chances, hmm? Let's see... I'd estimate a 60/40 split?” she guessed, shrugging a little. “The 40% being us. But we are prepared. The difficult thing is we don't know how prepared they are. Anyway, that's what my robo-brain tells me. The irrational puny human side of me thinks we'll win. And you know what I think about that,” she scoffed with an exaggerated air of pompousness, before dropping it just as quickly and smiling broadly to the both of them.
“So yes. I think we'll win.”
She seemed to contemplate something, before an odd glint of what could only be compared to childish excitement seemed to manifested in her eyes. Her look shifted into one about to tell some great secret, before her whole figure paused again in thought and instead decided to raise her open palm.
“We have an advantage,” she ventured, “Of ignorance. Or surprise, I suppose. On our end anyway. I'm sure many of you do too, because truth be told not all of us have taken the opportunity to show off. Well I think this would be an exceptional opportunity. So with that all in mind...”
She let her fist clench tightly and suddenly, yet the sheer force and speed behind it seemed to ripple outwards—the ground seeming to tremble ominously as a result from the shock. A nearby window wobbled dangerously, before eventually giving out from the force; simply shattering into pieces on the floor.
“We'll definitely win. Now excuse me while I fix a window...” she finished weakly, remembering where she was and wincing slightly as she turned to face the splintered remains of the glass. Without another word, she got up to address it. Though not without a cheery salute in their direction.
Dramatics were difficult when cleanup was an integral part of her programming.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 2nd 2020 at 11:59:46 AM
bork
Where am I? What's going on?
Iris - Squad 2
Iris felt... awkward. In the current circumstances, it wasn't like she could just disappear again, for several reasons. However, that meant interacting with the people that she had been avoiding since her... outburst... last month. People that were just as aware as she was of the kind of monster she had become.
She hesitantly approached where a good chunk of her Squad had gathered, Martin and Mahvash standing by while Holiday busied herself with fixing a window. Not really knowing what to say, Iris brushed a hand through her hair. A fake hand through her fake hair, since everything about her human form was a farce.
Her hand encountered something hard. That was new. Was that a... horn?
Rebecca - Squad 3
It had taken the better part of 2 days for Rebecca to recover after how much she'd exerted herself holding the Foundation up. Still, it was worth it. By the time the building finally came down, both it and the surrounding area had been fully evacuated.
Saint University, huh? This was Rebecca's first time here since the remodel. She would've loved to attend college with everyone, but she'd gotten too wrapped up in her own pity party. That seemed to be a common theme. Whenever things went bad, she'd get so caught up in beating herself up that she became completely useless. She wasn't gonna let that happen this time.
Currently, she was in the school cafeteria, recovering her strength with a large meal. Nobody knew when the Saviors would strike, but she'd be ready to fend them off with everything she had.
Edited by PossiblyQuiteInsane on Feb 2nd 2020 at 1:25:00 PM
Breath of the Sun
Squad 1 - Saint University - Nariko
She hadn't attended the university, so there were no memories here for her. But she knew it held memories nonetheless. She wondered how the others felt about coming back to this place. Was it a symbol of hope for them, even now, or did it bring only melancholy?
Nariko pushed those thoughts from her mind, instead focusing on her approaching teammate. Her legs dangled over the edge of the rooftop as she watched Marky walk in, along with that elf - apparently a villain who had joined forces with them. Sommerset was certainly arrogant enough to be a villain, though Nariko couldn't care less at the moment.
Instead she dropped from the roof, casually sliding down the wall before dashing over to Marky. The other hero would have no warning before a pair of furry arms wrapped around him from behind in a tight hug. Nariko pressed her chest against his back.
"Hi, Marky." She said, warmly. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've all just be waiting around for the inevitable fight, so I was wondering if you wanted to..." The tip of her tail found its way to Marky's stomach, before slowly beginning to drift down. "Kill some time, with me?"
Nariko hoped he wasn't put off. Ever since the Laurie incident, she'd begun to realize that Marky actually sort of was her type; he was, after all, an athlete.
Even if skateboarding was normally more skill-based than physically demanding, Marky was apparently also a bodybuilder, or at least enjoyed going to the gym. More than once in the past few days had she envisioned Marky pinning her to a yoga mat.
Whether they were actually that compatible, she didn't know. But she didn't mind a quick fling, and was hoping that Marky wouldn't either.
Saviors
"It doesn't matter how many people they get on their side, Liam." Ellie said, electricity crackling along her horn in annoyance.
"We'll crush them all. Mikael" And here she spat his name in disgust. "Won't get a chance to try anything. That world will be ours, and then we can raise an army big enough to crush the Abyss once and for all. I swear it. Just tell me who I need to kill."
City Streets
Amidst the streets was the whisper of rebellion.
Those heroes who still patrolled would find, now and again, that some crimes would be stopped before they arrived. A civilian would halt a mugger, or defend someone from a gang member.
The civilians that did this were, more often than not, demons. The number of demons in the city had, ever so slightly, increased.
What this meant was unclear; the overall trend was so slight that it was difficult to notice unless one's attention was drawn to it. But once you looked, it was easy to see. Especially as many of these demons wore a particular emblem:
A horse's hoof, descending from a storm cloud, with twin rifles crossed over it.
Edited by kagescorpionakki on Feb 3rd 2020 at 1:26:29 PM
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Up on Melancholy hill.
Zach - Squad 1
Zach wasn't entirely sure he was ready for another full scale war, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. He was scared this time around. Worried. He knew this was going to be a situation where he could easily up. He liked to imagine he was versatile as the next guy, maybe even more so, but he was also a huge liability. This was going to be a test of him and everything he'd learned as a hero.
He just hoped he would be enough to help out anyone.
He currently sat in the corner of the base, decently well away from everyone and looking over texts, pictures on his phone of the things that mattered, and praying knowing he was fighting for them was enough to keep him focused. Pictures of friends. pictures of family Pictures of everything he held dear.
He didn't know how long until the final battle rained so all he could do was...mentally prepare.
Mason(s) - Squad 3
"We're aware of what we need to do?"
"Barely."
"Pointless. We go in. We find this Liam guy. We show him not to mess with us. We kick his ass. We finish him off. We snap back together and we go from there."
Sighing, Mason grumbled, "Mom wouldn't like that we're doing this for revenge and revenge alone-"
"Well mom isn't fucking HERE is she?" The light half snapped, and a wave of regret came over his face. He shook his head. "Besides, this is a time for action. Unlike some people around here we're going to get what needs to be done done."
"But this isn't right-it can't be right." He sighed. "There needs to be something we haven't thought of-"
"Well until you can come up with something, we're going with my plan." He clicked the Genesis driver into position. "Deal with it."
Zach - Saviorverse.
Zach was silent but what else was new. The fact he was watching diligently was little concern either. Zach believed Messiah. Zach believed him when he told him that he could make everything right.
That he could be whole again.
That they'd come back.
They just needed to fight these other thems. Weaker thems. They were the only thing that was stopping them from being happy.
Kill the others. Get their wishes. Their dreams. Their desires. Be happy again.
Zach's form rippled, and his claws erupted from his fingers, and he relished the idea of battle. Messiah's words echoing in him.
Zach believed Messiah.
Because if he couldn't...he didn't know what else he could believe.
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
Surrounded by weirdoes
Squad 1
"So, calling for the war?" Chris commented, crossing his arms and giving his sons a stern look.
"Dad" Sam said, trying to be more imposing "I told you to leave the city"
"Give it up, little man" Noel said, leaning against the nearest wall. "This is one fight you won't win"
Sam regretted getting them here in the first place, but as it is, he doubted he could take them out of the fight.
"This is the fight of our lives" He warned "And we can't leave mom alone"
"If nothing else, she can take care of Kat" Noel answered "And we have to make sure you survive"
"I intend to see tomorrow after all this" Sam commented "No matter what happens, and that's why I won't lose" When you fight the dead, in any sense, your wish to live must shine the brightest
He left to check on the others, no matter what, he'll protect them.
Saviorverse
"Go in, win fast and come back to squash anyone that feels clever" Samuel said, without even a smidge of emotion.
Another step in the plan, another battle.
An animal like him just had that to look forward to.
A pair of blue eyes looked on him in pity, as life left them, and an agony beyond anything he's ever felt exploded as his arm suddenly exploded with icy spikes growing out of control
No emotion, just the mission. It is all that is left.
Squad 2
"It doesn't matter, really" Ryuu commented "If it's a 90% or a one in a million chance, you must believe you can win, or else this is pointless"
Ryuu checked his own scrolls. At least he can summon things, seal anything dangerous and had Sorano to look after him.
He'll have to make do.
Edited by Blueace on Feb 2nd 2020 at 10:23:56 AM
Wake me up at your own risk.
Marky + Somm
Sommerset seemed to take a sense of amusement at the fact Nariko was blatantly flirting with Marky, and noted aloud, "My...the copy of the Saint has quite some interesting tastes. You two go on, I'll go on ahead back in." And with that, the elf walked off, the sound of his armor-made form clacking against the floor well after he left view.
Marky looked at Nariko and smiled. She was treating him surprisingly good. He was moving past the image of himself as just a copy of the Saint. In more ways than one. He'd been training with Cole, and while he couldn't measure up in terms of overt psycho-kinetic powers, he could manipulate stuff really close by to him. Not as much as he would've liked, but it was something.
"Yeah...I think I'm good to kill some time." He said with a slight smile, looking at her. He did admit he had other worries now, mostly to do with their new allies, but he'd worked with...mm, Verre and Metallic Raider once already now. He thought he had a pretty good feel for their temperaments and how to work with them.
Squad 3 - Cole (50)
After making sure the field bases were online in both places, Cole flew off heading back toward the "main camp" so to speak, the University.
Landing just outside the cafeteria on a balcony, Cole proceeded inside and saw Rebecca just sitting there. Alone. He felt bad, always being on the move, the chief liaison now, and near constantly dealing with something in the city. It was a great weight on him now - with how chaotic things were, he was left in a similar position to the one he started in. Just...dealing, day by day, with a situation worse and worse.
At least he didn't have to deal with that nightmare from the very start.
Breathing, Cole walked over to Rebecca and telekinetically pulled a bag of beef jerkey to his hand from one of the food displays. "Hey. So...this is probably a...pretty big departure from how things usually go. You wanna talk about it?"
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
An Ordinary Oddball
Cain (2)
Cain had done some significant cleaning up of the city, using his vampiric strength to further clear away the large swaths of rubble that had resulted from the bombs. He was acting friendlier than usual lately, however much he tried to deny it.
He stretched his neck to see Marky and Nariko having a moment and let out a small "Heh." Then he quickly got back to work before they could notice him staring at them. Ah, to be young and in love again...
Wilma (3)
Wilma had been painting murals all over the city ever since the bombs hit. It had been slow and painstaking work, but she'd managed to set up some places where candles could be placed if people wanted to hold vigils for those lost to the bombs. You couldn't forget mourning, even if disaster seemed imminent. It was what made people human, or whatever race they happened to be.
She made the paper she'd been using as extra limbs fold up into a compact textbook-sized block and put it in her backpack. She properly stored the spray paint plus her other various equipment and then set off back to the University, humming a merry tune.
She sighed as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with a handkerchief. Darn! If she'd fought a little harder against Prophet...maybe this wouldn't be happening. Though she had gained a new friend. Renegade snored on his couch. His blanket slid itself up and tucked itself in around his chin. Better. Hmm.
Perhaps she should take a look at more of the alternate futures. She'd been doing that every day after she was done with her hero work. It was maddening. It was like sifting through a library with no classification system. It wasted her power's charges. Her journal was filled with gibberish. She had dark circles under her eyes. Perhaps she should take a break.
She opened the door for Lord Sommerset. "Pardon. Wanna go get some hot tea in the break room?" she jerked her head in the general direction of the Place of Blessedly Hot Tea Leaves, i.e. the break room. The coffee had run out a few days in (excluding that from peoples' personal stashes). There was only tea now. The only person who was okay with this was Wilma, and possibly a few others. Incidentally, this was the first time that Wilma had ever spoken to Sommerset since the day of the alliance.
Curse Prophet and his dastardly victory through caffeine-deprivation scheme!
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 3rd 2020 at 10:05:50 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Breath of the Sun
Squad 1 - Saint University - Nariko
Nariko kept the corner of her eye on Sommerset as he walked away. She still didn't trust him, but it seemed Marky did, at least enough to patrol with him. So for now she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.
Doubt could wait. For now, she just wanted to feel Marky against her.
She spun around to Marky's front, throwing her arms around his shoulders and quickly pressing her muzzle against his lips.
"Come on." She said, taking a step back and gently tugging on his shoulder with one hand, gesturing towards the dorms with another. "I nabbed a dorm room for myself when we moved over to this place."
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Where am I? What's going on?
Rebecca - Squad 3
Rebecca looked up from her food as Cole sat down. "What is there to talk about, really? I mean, I'm worried about what's coming up, obviously, but you'd have to be insane not to be."
Rebecca sat quietly for a moment, as if lost in thought.
"Okay, I guess that's not all of it. Not really. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I'm a fragile person." She took a deep breath and started in a shaky voice.
"I almost died back in my first year at the Academy, you know. We were attacked. A villain nullified my powers, grabbed me, and held a gun to my head. We'd been training for weeks at most. I was certain that that was going to be my end. I never really got over it. Even now, whenever someone points a gun at me, I freeze. It's why I never go on solo patrols."
Rebecca sighed, trying to compose herself.
"That's... not a story I like to tell. But the point is, this whole situation is basically a loaded gun pointed at each and every one of us, and I'm terrified I'm going to freeze. Or worse, shatter... like I did when the Saint died."
Edited by PossiblyQuiteInsane on Feb 3rd 2020 at 4:52:11 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
IW - The Game of Thrones
"They said it," Mahvash said her piece simply. Or pointed to Holiday's and Ryuu's. "Dearest, we've been here before. An army of lambs out to change the world as you know it is like a year-end party around here."
And a couple years ago, she had worried about things getting slow. Oh those interesting people had just being offering up their best and brightest to her for years. Literally on an industrial scale in the case of Gaea and Nitram. And all of them were screaming about golden new eras. Okay, this was a good idea. Lovely species. I love you all so much.
"This is different actually. Nitram doesn't have a chunk of the local population obviously on his side. Saint's gone and for good this time. So, you'll have people watching you. And looking to you." She narrowed her eyes then. "Not that you're allowed to charge into the middle of the enemy screaming, but you all know how to work this."
"Iris," she said it abruptly, without yet looking at the girl off on her own. "You know I wasn't actually going turn you over my knee for disappearing right now. Come on. This is one of the few chances you get to gush on how much you want a piece of Martin. The Nitram one. Holiday has something that she can barely contain, but I guess we'll have to wait and see it." Yes, that everyone wanted a piece of Nitram would be part of her humor for...ever. And if it started to get Iris's mind off of things.
Mahvash left unsaid the huge issue of after the battle. Nitram had to land an expedition in the middle of heavy opposition in a city that had ample recent experience with this kind of thing and then fight all over Earth, leaving his home planet wide open the whole time.
Her IW could turn them back here. That would be easiest but not worth sacrificing them. They really had to break Nitram's army and stay at near full ability. Kenon, Sommerset, Firebrand, the ACPs, all reminders that that her own people had to come out of this with power increased not just intact. There were too many people waiting if Nitram wiped himself out and took her own down with him.
And the Saint. How long would that epiphany last should he end up back on his throne in otherworld? And what would replace Saint Foundations as they knew it? How would the Human-Machine Front grow if people saw Kenon repelling invaders on live tv? What things, besides Shirin's, were trying to fill in the gaps while Saint Foundations was busy rebuilding and her IW were focused on a battle? Not to mention who and how of rebuilding the city. The locals had to have noticed a pattern by now. Whose to say the Foundation—or more importantly her own group—doesn't become a thing no one wants in their backyard.
Which led again, to her interest in this challenge. Turning back Nitram was not actually winning. Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
IW - Practice in the Cells
Mahvash observed Vivian's tirade and quietly planned out responses. This little inferno was a great position to start in. And she had delayed in informing her squad, so no one of concern was around if Vivian really wanted her fight.
She just tilted her head when Vivian about faced. Well, that worked too. Thank you, Holiday. Mahvash continued her work, smothering the fire and observing Saint. Saint's accounted for too. His containment isn't. And he might make himself useful. In short: Don't be rash. I have Vivian for that.
As for new company, the others would recognize a Savior and Foundation members or the like would identify themselves if they had standards. And unfamiliar aura. Note: have Shirin tag more people. Rebecca is supporting the building, so you have some more time before it collapses but don't linger. As for your guests up there, no harm in seeing what they want but I'm sure Katherine told you about things that are too good to be true. Someone wants to take advantage. So, Saint never got around to teaching Nitram grand strategy. There are plenty of third parties ready to take whatever either of us 'wins' after things. And my IW aren't about to suffer that.
"Cleaning up the mess will do," Mahvash said it to Saint upon returning. "Nitram, well, your Martin, has been in power for a month? There might be time for you reach your Saviors."
And disrupt their rear. She wouldn't have to verify that he stayed reliable fighting alongside her wonders. And the potential options in otherworld: Saint pulled off a counter-coup and would use his own people to handle Nitram, he'd split the Saviors down the middle in civil war, or get his head put on a pike and cause trouble on their homeworld. None of those depended upon Saint staying 'loyal'. In the short-term. In the long-term it'd probably be better to finish off his government if Saint won and before he could get things back in order. Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives