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EchoingSilence Since: Jun, 2013
#1126: Nov 28th 2022 at 7:36:32 AM

Zone 5 - Streets

Vivy would suddenly get treated to a very different voice ringing in her "ears".

"Live and from Concordia, Johnny Silverhand on the scene!"

And then... "Ignore him, just some malware I can't get rid of."

"Hey it's my turn driving this brain, you said you wanted to get some muscle memory down of how to play a guitar. Think Panam is gonna go for it?"

V/Johnny was still smiling and adjusted his aviators once more. At this point, Vivy might even see beside him another V, who was looking pretty annoyed.

wikkit Since: Sep, 2009
#1127: Dec 1st 2022 at 6:01:35 PM

Seija Kijin, Zone 5 - Barovian Backdoor Bash
I can bet you right now, firmly and wholeheartedly, that Prushka knew deep down in her tiny heart that it wouldn't do jack shit. That's just the kind of person Seija is! That's what she, surely, has come to expect from her: stupid decisions justified by flippant disregard for everything around her, with the overall problem resolution capability of a child. That rotten Seija...

She came to a stop in physical action but not in motion after Prushka's chiding. She stood still, but seemed to coast along slowly across the carpet as if it were ice, as she simply levitated very carefully above it. "What, you people aren't important to me? Guess you're the one deciding that, Prushka." She scoffed. "Anyway, we'll come back inside and get real drunk and real high. It's not going to be a long wait...and besides, I didn't even know your daddy let you do this stuff."

Ooh, healthy parental relationship burn.

She was a little more cautious with Zima's own warning. The bear, for her many flaws, was probably the one here who was both grounded enough to be sensible and not be a little chickenshit named Prushka. After all, some people had to be sensible, otherwise everyone would listen to Seija and everything would end too quickly.

But did she listen to Zima?

"I'll tell you what it smells like afterward!"

Naaaaaaaaah.

Edited by wikkit on Dec 1st 2022 at 6:04:01 AM

Oni-Lord Since: May, 2010
#1128: Dec 3rd 2022 at 5:25:37 PM

Zone 6, 214th Street Cannery

Oh god the purple woman was here.

Crowe had no idea why, but it seemed like that pink-haired beauty went out of her way to mess with him. She never really spoke, so he knew nothing about her other than she was the boss's body guard. Was it some sort of hazing? He thought he was in good standing though.

Thankfully, Satsuki's response to his questioning helped take his mind off of his tormentor. A pleased smirk crossed Crowe's face as he took in her words, glad that she was keeping with the same plan as before. He preferred to help the people than to fight the power honestly.

"As long as you keep the people in mind, you don't have to worry about trust. Keep proving you're a good leader and we'll follow." Crowe casually boasted with a grin.


Helena - Zone Five, Bavarian Backdoor Bar

Now that the diet meeting was over, Mr. Kaiba retreated to his usual workshop. Building a dragon-shaped jet or something silly. That meant that his secretary was free for a while. That means spending time at her favorite place in Concordia. Not for the alcohol or the music or anything dumb like that.

Its for the vampires of course!

The door swung open and the trainer skipped in, purple dress and dark hair fluttering behind her. Disturbing smile spread all across her face to match the strange look in her eyes. This was normal though, and anyone that knew her knew she was harmless.

Making her way to the bar, Helena pull herself into a stool and turned to place her hands on the counter. Anyone watching close enough might have been able to notice that her shadow was always directly behind her no matter where the lighting in the room was.

Edited by Oni-Lord on Dec 3rd 2022 at 5:26:36 AM

darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Ancient one) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#1129: Dec 5th 2022 at 2:16:04 PM

Zone Five, Streets

Malware, eh? Matsumoto chimes in via his wireless connection to me. Reminds me of when we first met, Vivy! He switches to a staid monotone. 'Archive. Can you hear me? I've been infiltrated by a virus.' 'Archive, please eradicate this virus now.' Hmph! If you ask me, treating an independent, free-thinking being like malware is barbarism!

I frown and deftly deal him another chop with a corresponding CLANG!

That was different, Matsumoto. I assert. You were an uninvited program that entered my Archive, so obviously I thought you were a virus. He is talking about muscle memory in relation to his brain, so obviously he is a human. I would never consider a human being to be malware, even if his circumstances are evidently... unusual.

I return to addressing the man in front of me - or rather, two men in front of me - and smile. It is nice to meet you properly, Johnny and Johnny's friend whose name I do not know. I am unsure if my own skill in playing the guitar can be transferred to you using this connection, but either way, I will be happy to assist you however I can.

GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
EchoingSilence Since: Jun, 2013
#1130: Dec 5th 2022 at 6:56:12 PM

Zone Five - Streets

"Johnny" grinned, only for the person beside him to roll his eyes, grab Johnny, and in an instant Vivy and Matsumoto would see a visual glitch... and if they had the scanners a report that the body suddenly flatlined.

The glitch ended and there was a deep heaving, and the identical stranger was gone. Now instead there was a dark haired man wearing aviators, with a silver left arm. "Spoil sport."

"Shut up Johnny, I wanted my body back," V answered.

"Well, I'm Johnny Silverhand, this is V. I'm the Malware V has been referring to."

V grunted. "He's a engram construct, stuck on a biochip I can't remove from my head."

lynkzero13 from Gatorville Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
#1131: Dec 6th 2022 at 7:53:46 PM

The Revelry Commune - Zone Five - The Barovian Backdoor Special

Lyudmila spun around to resume preparing drinks once the Esteemed Guardian Theophilus left her field of view. Witch wasn't going to be happy about this. "Coming right up," she said to her guests at the counter, and only seconds later passed a pair of glasses down the line along with a plate of snack pretzels. "Let me know if you boys need anything else," she said with a small smile.

Another visitor entered the bar and made their way to the counter, this one instantly recognizable. The whispers had already started; It was one of their favorites, entourage included. She caught several of the others throwing greetings her way already.

"Helena!" she said, smiling again as she finished wiping out a glass and set it down under the counter. "The usual?" she asked, and turned without waiting for an answer, procuring a mug and an assortment of tea and placing it down in front of the girl. She turned again and began filling a pitcher from the hot water tap, then walked over to a nearby cabinet and removed a small platter of muffins and sweet rolls before shutting off the tap and delivering pitcher and plate both to her frightfully-inclined guest.

Footsteps grew louder as another approached the counter, this time one of her fellows of the Commune. "Darling!" the man said, throwing his arms wide as he stopped a few feet behind Helena. He was gazing into the girl's shadow. "Don't tell me you're going to sulk and hide forever! Come give Uncle Dmitri a hug!"

At least Helena wasn't the type to be scared off by Dmitri's overly-friendly antics. As far as anyone could tell, it was the servers rather than the service that she came her for. She had no problem fitting in, even if she was a little young for the bar's... intended purposes.

"How's your day been, hon?" Lyudmila asked, dragging her eyes away from her coworker and back towards her newest client.

whizzerd Transcender of Gender from Scotland Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Transcender of Gender
#1132: Dec 8th 2022 at 12:10:06 PM

Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor

Leonardo Watch - Boys Night

"Eh- ah- M-me?" The rosiness of Leo's cheeks owed itself a little less to the alcohol as he stuttered and cast his eyes away, suddenly very interested in Sonic's errant pursuit of an ice cube. "I think... she's cool! Yeah, Prush is cool. Super cool."

He laughed, high and stuttered, an instinctive reaction to try and force away the painful awkwardness of not being able to drudge up a single other descriptor. His second glass arrived and he downed a hearty mouthful, his body shuddering both from the kick and the urge to spit it back out. He slammed the drink against the counter and then tried a different answer.

"I mean it's, is it that bad if she has some older friends? My friend, he's... well, I dunno actually. I never asked. I think he's a kid- definitely acts like one if you give him something he likes- but for all I know he could be a hundred. Not really something that mattered in that city... Just so long as they're not being taken advantage of, right?"

Leo took another drink, this time allowing himself to savour it. "And, um... I think Prush is really nice, and she seems happy all the time, and like she wants to get along with everyone. But she's honest, too. She's brave. I'm not saying, y'know, there's not a risk at all, but... I think she could handle herself, if she needed to. I'm obviously not a parent, or anything- probably not as easy as just saying "Hey, there's nothing to worry about, so stop worrying!" but... I guess that's kinda what I'm saying?"

He flashed a self-conscious grin. This flavour of honesty wasn't usually something that could be dug up so easily, but the alcohol was helping a lot in soothing the anxious tremors that usually encumbered Leo. He chuckled again, this time genuine, and his hand came up to rub against his neck. "If I'm being honest, I'm actually kinda envious of her? I wish I had her kind of confidence..."

J.J. Macfield - Girls Night 2

It was around the time that you entered high school that your sweet tooth stopped being "cute". Your mother was always careful to emphasize that she was only looking out for your health; that you couldn't subsist on desserts and sweets alone; that it'd rot your teeth and then your brain. You always believed her, you still believe her, but over the years you came to realize that her intentions were not so narrow in scope. Your mother had an image of a child that preferred meat to candy, stripes to frills, actions to thoughts, and any deviance from her expectations were simply creases to be ironed out. It made sense, didn't it? Who but the mother could possibly know more about J.J. Macfield?

You still ate sweets. It wasn't a grand rebellion, or at least you didn't conceptualize it as one. Every child sought the right to self-expression and fought against their parents' wishes at one point or another. You weren't special in that regard. Still, you can't help but wonder. How much of J.J. is real? How much only came about from spite? And, knowing that you're not special, is it simply human to have parts of you formed from other's distaste?

You also wonder, as you lap up the sweetness that clings to your fingers, why this thought came to mind when Witch entered the room.

"I only just arrived myself," you say, skirting past the point of bribery. As far as you know, Witch is nothing if not honest in her dealings with you. Almost to the point that you'd prefer a bout of deceit, in the same way that you'd prefer a faulty engine to a vehicle going at constant full speed. You bring your coffee to your lips, the scent reminding you of late nights studying and later nights writing. You wish you had some cream to put in with the sugar. FK also wishes for cream, and you're not sure why.

Witch is quick to take you to the heart of the matter, which at least saves you the trouble of pretending like you're any good at small talk. She's tired, in many ways that you recognise and many more that you'd need more than one lifetime to decipher. You wonder how much she sleeps at night, and how much of it is stolen by her conscience. Sympathy has never gotten you far, but that doesn't mean you're immune to it. "If I offered you every question I had then we'd be here all night. Far too much has been happening in this city, and I can only imagine how much more has been stirring behind closed doors."

You lean to put the mug back on the table - as you do, you cross one leg over the other. It's very close to an ingrained action, and it'll annoy you right up until it sinks into your subconscious. "Well, they always say to start at the beginning. Last time we talked, you were still hunting for the full circumstances behind the attack on Kayne and the resultant fallout. Has the course been plotted, or are we still waiting on the time to act?"

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob
lynkzero13 from Gatorville Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
#1133: Dec 8th 2022 at 8:47:48 PM

Witch - Zone Five - The Barovian Backdoor Special

"If only I could tell you even half of it."

By the time the thought had crossed your mind to perhaps not give it voice the words had already fled your mouth, and reflexively you broke eye contact. There was no mirth behind them, merely understanding. You could scream secrets from the rooftops and all it would accomplish was endangering more people. That was why you kept secrets, not to protect those who wished to keep them, but protect those they would harm if they got out. For all the blood on your hands, buying silence with violence was a line you deeply resented crossing. You asked J.J. here so that you could help each other, not put her in danger.

You found yourself lounging in the booth seat again, left arm resting along the seatback as your right swirled the mug in your hand. You took another sip and turned your gaze back towards your accomplice.

"The whole of Concordia will find out soon enough. There is no evidence to support his direct involvement, but for his continued negligence and enabling of corruption Guardian Theophilus Houraisan has been stripped of his rank and authority, and has been publicly disowned by his house. The individuals directly responsible are believed to have acted alone, spurred on by growing tensions and rank entitlement afforded by their previous positions, but are nonetheless a cog in a greater problem."

"My investigation exposed a great number of similar cases. Miss Ainsel is an outlier only in her tenacity and social connections. We have reason to believe that such happenings were not uncommon occurences throughout Zone Five."

You sighed, and took in a deep breath. You were getting distracted. You needed to refocus, get your breathing regular again. Had you finally grown tired of the constant facade, or were you simply less skilled at it than you previously believed?

"As a result, a full fifteen percent of the Peacekeeper force of Zone Five has been terminated and now have warrants out for their arrest, with potentially another ten percent to follow pending further investigation and review. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has gotten involved. Change is coming, Macfield, and as is tradition it begins with and is sustained by blood spilled on the streets. That is why I asked you here."

You set the mug down, pushed it to the side and leaned forward, hands clasped together before you, elbows on the table, shoulders hunched.

"I need your help, J.J." It slipped out, again. You prided yourself on your professionalism, and yet here you were playing familiar with a reporter as though she was a friend. She needs to be, some part of you felt. It wasn't so much a thought as an impulse. A result of your communion with the spurned's blade, perhaps? The connection never entirely faded from the back of your mind; You had to admit, its advice was more useful than you would've anticipated.

"...Something is coming, and I've wasted too much time failing to fix things on my own." Admitting failure was nothing new to you; The circumstances, however, were. Usually such admissions came to those with power over you. College student J.J. Macfield theoretically had none. Her theoretical shortcomings mattered little here; You refused to turn your sword against her pen, and that lent her immense power. "I need all the help I can get ensuring that everything that has happened and is going to happen is not allowed to be forgotten. In the recorded history of Concordia Lady Kaguya Houraisan has never denounced one of her descendants, until today."

You glanced down at your hands. It was only for a few seconds, but as your thoughts ran rampant you could almost swear the clock spun in spite of you.

"I... understand if you wish not to, but the records indicate you were present for the interrogation of Lorem Ipsum. Is there anything that transpired you could share that... didn't make it onto the official reports?"

DarknessAwaits from R'lyeh Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
#1134: Dec 11th 2022 at 1:09:44 PM

Zone Five

A New Voyage! Aboard The Great Ship Concordia (6)

"Jon jon du... I'm afraid I cannot do that..."

Yuudias replies. He sighs sadly, and shakes his head, but refuses to elaborate any further as to why. Instead, he thinks to himself for a moment, before producing a few torn envelopes made out of plastic and aluminum, bearing- in english, no less- the writing 'RUSH DUEL' in bright yellow while the rest of the pack is red. He holds them out to the monk, and adds:

"If anything from my universe will do, then these are perfect! They were given to me by the same person who saved me when I first came to Earth, and they allowed me to begin my quest to find Rush Duels and use them to save my people!!"

He explains enthusiastically, completely unaware that his interlocutor is more likely than not to raise an eyebrow at this explanation given about booster card packs of all things.

"I believe they shall suffice in your needs. I part ways with relics of such importance with some regret, but the mission to find my friends is more important!"

troydenite sword of promised halp from Somewhere South Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
sword of promised halp
#1135: Dec 12th 2022 at 4:31:33 AM

A Brief Diversion On The Circumstances In Which Those In The Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse Find Themselves

The effects of the girlcube are well-known, but defy strict categorization. Some sages say that they derive their potency from the eternal essence of femininity, which itself is instantiated in the pinkness of the dust. Others, like Jay-Bee-Jacky-Bee-Jay of the Pornographers' Guild, attribute this effect entirely to ankles. Still others claim that the girlcube does not have any psychoactive ingredients at all, and that its vaunted benefits are simply the result of mass hysteria, similar to the effect caused when large groups of young teenagers listen to Councilor Areum.

All of these interpretations are accurate, but none of them are complete.

A fact often overlooked is that the girlcube runs off a very specific kind of girl, called magical in the vulgar parlance, whose essence can be distilled into sparkles, rainbow dust, music and little pink hearts. When the hopes and dreams of a magical girl accrue in such measure as to become manifest, then girldust is produced, which will eventually create a girlbeam of great girlpower.

Fortunately, the saturation point needed to create a girlbeam is approximately forty girlpower.

Unfortunately, the ambient girlpower is rapidly increasing thanks to one Tsukino Usagi.


Tsukino Usagi, Becca, Idunn; Zone Five - Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct)

Ichi tells me to follow Idunn, so I put the Cosmic Heart Brooch back in my pocket and don't transform.

"Aww, but I don't wanna. Hey, Becca, did anyone ever tell you that you kinda look like a cucumberrrrrrrrrr-"

Wow, we're going real fast! She's got big strong arms, but she's really short, so she'll never get a boyfriend. I think Violet should get big strong arms too, so she can help me open the Bovirl when it gets stuck.

"Officer Tsukino, this is your commander."

Woah! It's Jengy! He sounds so cool! Too bad he's ugly.

"The essence of the witch is in her jewel. She keeps it in her body and gives it her commands. Destroy it. Do not allow her to speak. Obey Idunn. These are direct orders."

I press the speaky-thing until it lets me talk.

"Hey Jengy, like, I really appreciate it and all, but I don't see any witches?"

Monsters look like monsters, and witches are old and ugly. Magical Girl Rosy Bastet is young and pretty, so she has to be one of the good guys. That means the real bad guys must be inside the warehouse!

"And I need to transform. I can't transform just like that. Hey Becca, Idunn, do you see any witches?"

All the pink dust is getting even pinker. It's like I'm making it prettier!


Violet, Ichiban, Jengbish; Zone Five - Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct)

"You're lying. Don't think I know you aren't. You think you can get to me like this? I know you! You're all liars!!"

Rebecca, Officer Idunn, and Usagi have made their way around to the other side of Magical Girl Rosy Bastet, but something has gone wrong. Instead of striking the enemy as commanded, Usagi is scratching her head and saying something about witches.

I am glad that Usagi is not enlisted.

"Officer Violet, remove Officer Kasuga from the firing line."

I salute.

"Moving out, Sir."

Officer Kasuga is negotiating, but when the order is given, it must be obeyed.

"Forgive me, Officer."

I seize Officer Kasuga by the shoulders and remove him from the firing line. My legs are strong enough to bear the two of us, but the arms chafe with his weight. As I take him into the air, a large piece of rubble hits the enemy in the face.

"Yo-"

Her head vanishes in a spray of pink and white, and her body lands on the ground. I place Officer Kasuga next to the commander and return to rest stance.

Deaths like this are cleaner and better. When the head is destroyed before the body, there is less pain and no screaming. When the body is destroyed before the head, then you struggle and fight, even though you cannot. It is as if you find yourself a corpse.

A corpse...

"Sir. She's not dead, Sir."

In the war there were stories about men who would come back, even from the brink of death. I did not believe them until my arms fell off and I still did not die. There was something inside of me screaming to live, and I obeyed it even though I did not know where it was from.

But this is different. This is not the brink of death.

She is forming herself from her own remains. The pink and white that composes her brain is crawling back inside her. Her tongue reforms around teeth that scramble back into her leering mouth. Her esophagus, a long torn worm, wriggles back into position, and every piece of her matted scalp knits back into place.

She is red with blood and hideous. Her wail is full of bubbles.

"Why? Why did you do that?"

Tears pour from her eyes, but they are so red and thick that I suspect they are blood. Her nose is pouring.

"I just want you to go away! Leave me alone! Go away! You're just like them, you're just like all the rest of them-"

She raises her wand. It glows pink, then bursts asunder. The fragments do not scatter like her head did. They stay in her outstretched hands, like flak at the moment of detonation.

She is starting to melt again.

"SPARKLING ROSY MAELSTROM - "

"MOOOOOOON SPIRALLLLLLL HEAAAAAAAAAART ATTAAAAAAAAAACK!"

The pink dust turns bright gold. A large pink heart lands on Rosy Bastet, like the missiles of the Lovely Heart Delirium but bigger. Her wand vanishes entirely. Her flesh bulges and starts to crack, and she screams.

"Lovel-"

When I can see again she is gone.

Usagi is standing with a wide grin and her left hand out in a victory 'V'. She is wearing a sailor's uniform with a short blue skirt. There are bright red circles in her hair. It is exactly what she was wearing the first time I saw her.

"Found the witch!" she cheers. "Silly Jengy, why didn't you just say she was evil?"

In her right hand is a pink rod with a crown atop it, just like Rosy Bastet's.

Edited by troydenite on Dec 13th 2022 at 1:40:52 AM

'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023
Oni-Lord Since: May, 2010
#1136: Dec 18th 2022 at 5:40:34 PM

The Whole Gang - Helena - The Bavarian Backdoor

The maniac's grin widened into a smile as she was greeted by her favorite people. Taking her seat, she took the mug of tea and nodded her head in appreciation. After taking a brief sip, she looked up at Lyudmila and responded. "The usual, the best way to finish a day."

When she noticed the pitcher of water and the platter of muffins, Helena reached down to her waist and pressed the buttons of the orbs arrayed there. With several flashes of light, the bar was suddenly crowded with a variety of creatures surrounding her. Helena didn't usually let out her full team in public, but this was one of the few places that wouldn't raise a stink about it.

Dante came out of his pokeball at attention, standing near his trainer and sweeping his gaze around the room at every person in eyesight. The houndoom knew this was a sanctuary, but still felt it was his job to play watchdog while Helena relaxed. After a few moments the dog-shaped pokemon allowed himself to lay on the floor next to her chair and rest his head on his paws.

Margret the Froslass floated gracefully around the side of Helena before picking up the pitcher of water. Reaching a hand inside for a moment before pulling put chunks of ice, roughly the size of an average ice cube. She would float around, placing ice in people's drinks in what she viewed as her helping the friendly staff of this establishment.

Diana reached up and pulled herself up into the seat next to Helena, barely able to look over the edge of the counter. Placing her hand to the side of her head, the Kirlia exerted her telekinetic abilities to levitate one of the muffins over to herself and begin idly munching on it while casting her gaze around. Whenever she saw anything unorganized, such as an unclosed cabinet or stack of plates, she would fix it telekinetically with a soft scowl.

Anthony stood next to his trainer's feet and looked up at her. Helena took a muffin and passed it down to the Ariados with a smile. He took it in his mandibles and skittered off to a corner of the room, climbing up the wall and sitting in the corner of the ceiling to eat his snack in peace.

Charles came out of his ball and immediately took to hiding behind Helena's dress as best he could. She bent down and scooped him up in her arms, setting the little Mimikyu in her lap so that the head of his disguise barely poked above the counter. The trainer took one of the muffins and handed it to the little pokemon's shadowy hand, watching it disappear beneath his outfit.

As soon as Dimitri made himself know, a pair of eyes sprouted vertically from Helena's shadow's torso. It began to pool into a ball of darkness on the floor before rising into the air dramatically. The sphere burst with a pop and Marie the Gengar flew into Dimitri's arms happily. Her large grinning mouth opened as she licked his face with her massive tongue.

In response to Lyudmila's question, the hex maniac put her elbow on the counter and rest her face in her hand. "Oh you know, more of the same. There was a diet meeting so I had to be near with Mr. Kaiba's documents in case he needed them. Took forever as usual. Then once it was done I got to listen to his usual complaining. blah blah blah waste of time blah blah blah profits blah blah Dweebs blah." Her impression of Seto Kaiba could use a bit of work, but was fine for people who did not know him.

"So, you know, normal. How about you? Anything new? Anything cool or creepy?"

troydenite sword of promised halp from Somewhere South Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
sword of promised halp
#1137: Dec 21st 2022 at 1:14:27 AM

Zone Five; Streets - Amaterasu, Elimo, Dr. Grey

The wave of force breaks against your shield, dissipating into the walls, sending trash flying around like bits of paper. The boy doesn’t hear anything. You can smell the dark magic on him, shrieking and picking at his veins like rats.

You’re being watched. Not just by him, or by the terrified louts at the end of the aisle. There is something else there, watching you.

But why?

   "Prove? There’s nothing to prove! We don’t exist to them!"   

He bounds towards Doctor Grey. His skin bulges, then bursts into so many toothed spines, arcing around to strike at the mad scientist like so many spears.


Zone Five; Barovian Backdoor - Drifter

Theo looks like he has eaten a raw onion. The look only intensifies when you kiss him on the forehead. You can feel his teeth twitching.

"I think I’ll take my leave," he says, very slowly. You hear his tongue scraping against the top of his mouth.

He peels your fingers off his chin, then stands and opens the door.

"You’ll hear from my men soon," he says. "Try not to get into too much trouble until then. That’s what happened to Greed, see. He flew too far and too fast, and look what happened to him."

He pauses.

"Mama bird," he adds at last. You're not sure whether that's him being sarcastic, or defeated.

The smell of liquor wafts in from outside. You have the feeling that something big is about to happen.

"Ah," says the waitress. "Drink, sir?"

'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023
Stratofarius huzzaaaaaaaah Since: Aug, 2011
huzzaaaaaaaah
#1138: Dec 22nd 2022 at 12:26:22 AM

Zone Five; Barovian Backdoor - Drifter

The Drifter let his fingers float down to the able, drumming them incessantly as Theo made his way outside. For once, he let his outside match his inside, as a sneer sprouted from the corner of his lips, his brows furrowing and his fingertips just barely threatening to grab the table so they could unleash their fury upon that beautiful mahogany.

But then, a waitress made herself known, and the playful Drifter returned to its seat of power. "Yes, darlin'." He said, the twang and the smirk plastered upon his face like they had never left. "Give me a round of somethin' strong, that hurts goin' down. And then send some of it to that fella over there?" His eyes landed on a four-armed red-skinned man sitting at the edge of the bar, with the kind of look that meant he either had business or pleasure in his mind. "Tell him it's from me. Say I'm fascinated by his eyes, won'tcha?"

With that sly remark delivered, the Drifter leaned back and surveyed his domain. "Mama Bird's got to feed, don't she?" He remarked- to no one but himself.

whizzerd Transcender of Gender from Scotland Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Transcender of Gender
#1139: Dec 22nd 2022 at 4:58:36 PM

Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor - J.J. Macfield, Girls Night 2

If you really wanted to, you could take your leave right now. An exclusive scoop on Theophilus' and the Peacekeepers' fall from grace would be more than enough to satiate Triple J's thirst for controversy and justice. Who knows, he might be so overjoyed that he only pelts you with one scathing critique of your writing style instead of the usual five. Truly, an irresistible temptation.

So tempting, in fact, that you can see it play out in your mind's eye: lying through your teeth that Lorem's interrogation went exactly as described, vowing to help Witch by doing the bare minimum required of your job, and then squirreling back into your shell while the people around you take the flag forward. You've had your fun, had your little taste of risk-taking, and now you can take the backstep before you actually have to deal with anything of consequence. The thought is insidious and comforting in equal measure, so much so you can't even find it in yourself to be angry at it.

You lean down to hook your bag by the handle and tug it over towards you. "An attempted questioning of Lorem Ipsum proved unfruitful," you say, repeating your article in all but verbatim. "The creature failed to proved anything of insight, and instead took whatever answers he had with him to the grave."

Up on your lap the leather goes, and you pry it open to hunt around for your segue into the next topic. You open your mouth to continue, and then you close it, struck head to toe with a violent chill that sends goosebumps popping along your skin. You nearly let your guard down. Witch's beleaguered countenance is as enchanting as her name implied, inviting you into professing all you know for the sake of fair trade. Go on, J.J., tell her that one of the people who talked to Lorem could be a traitor. Tell her that it could be you. Get that information spread around and then wake up one night with a dagger in your heart, and then another in your head when they realise that doesn't work.

Witch wouldn't tattle like that.

And how do you know that, princess?

"Councillor Myn was also at the interrogation," you say, because you have to say something. You pause in your task to take the coffee and whet your dry throat, all but damning you to suspicion. Fear of provoking the Diet's wrath would be incentive enough to keep anyone quiet, but Witch is too shrewd to think that your hesitance has anything to do with that. "He... wasn't too pleased with what the monster had to say. Part of the reason he didn't want anyone knowing he was there, I suppose."

Casting suspicion on the councillor's involvement is a better play, but you fear it still isn't sufficient. Still, there's not much you can do about it now besides curse your own misstep. You continue to root through your bag, giving you an excuse not to catch Witch's eye. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the mess over in Zone Two, would it? My colleague was the one covering that story, so I don't know the specifics... even so, those two monsters and the one out in the Incoherence are obviously more than just a coincidence."

You pause, you tap the side of the bag, and then you lean over, sliding Witch's mug back in front of her. At the last second, you remember to smirk. "Not that I should be giving you more to chew on."


Zone Five, Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct) - Ichiban Kasuga

Ichiban falls where Violet releases him, unable to wrest himself from her iron grip but sharp enough in instinct to parse what has happened in the time it takes her to let go. He stares at the spot where Rosy Bastet had been just a second before, now no more than gold dust in the air. He stares for a very long time, perhaps hoping his vision will adjust and pop the girl back where she's supposed to be.

It doesn't. While Ichiban's mind is many things, it's never so cruel as to trick him into thinking the worst has happened.

Shock gives away quickly to anger, because he's never learned a better way to process grief than to repackage it into the familiar and violent. He snaps up his bat from where it'd been rolling away and hounds on Jengbish with a snarl in his throat and fire flickering along his profile.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" The bat comes down on the commander's armour, which is about as effective as one would expect. Rather, it might be that exact impervious nature that doesn't stop Ichiban from holding back. "She was a fucking kid!"

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob
lynkzero13 from Gatorville Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
#1140: Dec 23rd 2022 at 8:39:26 PM

Rebecca - Zone Five - Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct)

"No, I don't see any fucking witches!" she said, setting the school girl down near the entrance of the factory. "What kinda question is that?!"

She turned back to face their attacker, only to find her suddenly missing her head, a shower of pink mist cascading out behind her. "Oh. Well, shit." She looked back towards Jengbish and found the other girl with metal arms - Violet - had dragged Ichiban out of the line of fire. "Fight's over, I guess?"

Somehow it wasn't. Violet said something, and Rebecca snapped back to look at the decapitated girl again. Her head was regrowing, chunk by meaty chunk. "Oh fuck off!" she said as she raised her shotgun to aim.

And then the explosion happened behind her. Except, it wasn't exactly an explosion. There was very little pressure relative to the size of the blast, and it was too focused. It was more like a beam of energy, but there was no way it could be that. None of the corps back home had anything nearly that powerful, and neither did anyone in the City because both the Diet and Zone Five still existed. It overloaded her optics, but she still got enough of an info feed to tell where she was facing. When the light faded, the girl was gone, and there was a new hole in the wall.

She turned around to find Usagi still behind her, now wearing a different outfit and holding a ridiculous looking toy wand or something. She looked like she was standing in what should've been the direct path of that blast, but none the worse for wear, and she certainly didn't have any weapons on her. "The fuck? You dress in layers or something, girl scout? Tell me you at least saw where that shot came from?"

There was a clang of metal on metal from behind which startled her. She hadn't spotted any other combatants, so what could it possibly be? By the time she turned again she heard the shouting, and her eyes shot wide open. "Ichi!" she shouted as she rushed over to her friend. "The fuck you doing, choom?!" As soon as she got up to him she attempted to grab hold of his arms and pull him away from Jengbish. "We ain't done here! There's work left! Get your head straight!" Her arms gave her an advantage, but the man was still twice her size, making it an uphill battle. That'd never stopped her before.

Witch - Zone Five - The Barovian Backdoor Special

She spoke, and you fell silent. Anger began to well up in your chest; You were certain you would be shaking if were you still living, if adrenaline still held any sway over you. Instead, you merely looked solemn.

You noticed you had stopped breathing again. "I'm sorry, J.J.," you said, shoulders drooping as you regained your rhythm. "You've been placed in great danger."

She was telling the truth, and it infuriated you. Not for her knowledge, or the possibility of her dangling said knowledge before you. You were angry because Myn had been present. It would be impossible for her to even conceive of such an occurrence otherwise, so thorough was his public image. You were still waiting on approval to access the full transcript, but you'd been relayed the general outline. So why, then, had Councilor Myn, so obsessed with control and secrets as you knew him to be, allowed two public reporters to participate in the interrogation, knowing full well the potential implications? It would've been simplicity itself to prepare a sanitized report and demand the papers publish it as a first-hand account, but instead he exposed them to the very sort of state secrets you personally knew he was willing to kill to keep. It was little wonder why she was nervous.

Beyond nervous. She was avoiding your gaze. There was more at play here. You were in a precarious situation, walking a delicate balance between your desire for more information and your desire to avoid endangering the young woman any further. You bit your tongue and choked down the burning wish to strangle Myn the next you saw him.

"Of course they are," you answered, picking up your mug with a nod and taking another sip. You leaned back into the booth seat again. The anger still flickered in your eyes, but there was something you needed to say first.

"But I cannot in good conscience answer further. If you're telling the truth, which I have no reason to doubt, then you've already confirmed several of my suspicions and are in possession of knowledge I am astounded you were allowed access to. It is therefore my professional recommendation that you remain here long enough to avoid raising further suspicion, and upon leaving pretend this conversation never happened. Run a story on the Peacekeepers if you wish, but you learned nothing before the arrests began. I have no intention of-"

She found what she was looking for, and you heard her bag hit the floor at her feet. "...Bringing you to further harm," you finished. You raised an eyebrow, lending a doubting look as though to ask 'Are you sure?'. When she didn't budge, you set the mug down on the table and brought your hand up to massage your temples. Your expression morphed into a frown, then turned to a grin as you began to chuckle to yourself, a resigned and heartening affair. You had found a new companion in misery, and no-one could take that from you.

When finally you spoke again you had settled upon a warm, coy smile. "You're incorrigible, you know that? Very well," you said, and sighed an altogether infrequent sigh signifying not weariness, but the resolute beginning of a new journey. "There's no turning back now, my dear partner in crime. I will guide you into the jaws of Hell and back to help you find what you seek, and not even God shall be able stop us. But I have but one condition."

"You tell me what deaths you've endured to earn that resolve. I cannot guide your step if I don't know how far you've seen." You extended your bare hand, slightly warmed from the heat of the mug. "Do we have a deal?"

The Revelry Commune - Zone Five - The Barovian Backdoor Special

Upstairs, Alenka stepped aside to let Theophilus pass and gave a short bow. "Have a nice day, sir." Once the Peacekeeper had left, she turned back to the Drifter and said "You know you're supposed to leave business at the door, sonny," frowning. She collected the empty glasses and moved to head downstairs. "Two drinks comin' up."

Dmitri brought the ghost in for a hug, laughing uproariously as he spun around on his heels and tossed Marie into the air. "Oh, it's so good to see you again, darling!" He said, as she descended and he caught her, then began vigorously scratching her head. "Tell me, have you gotten up to any good mischief lately? I'm a sucker for a good surprise door slam when there's no wind."

"Thanks, dear," Lyudmila said as the diminutive psychic straightened up one of the shelves. "Yeah, that doesn't sound like any fun," She smiled, wiping out another empty glass and stowing it below the counter. "Not that any of those suits would know fun if it jumped out and bit them." At Helena's question, she sighed and pointed her thumb over her shoulder, then shot a withering sideways glance at Dmitri. Behind her was a jar on the window counter with several rats suspended in fluid. "As a matter of fact, some of the street kids found a rat king in the alley next door, and Dmitri just had to put it on display."

"I told you, Mila, it's festive!" said Dmitri, placing a small feathered hat on Marie's head then taking a step back to admire his handiwork.

"Sure it is, D, sure it is. Anyway, not much else going on for spooks lately save yours and mine." Her gaze drifted towards the spider happily devouring a muffin in the corner. "You know," she said to Helena. "We can leave the webs up in that spot for him if he likes. But it'll be his responsibility to keep it tidy. What do you think?"

Edited by lynkzero13 on Dec 24th 2022 at 5:53:54 AM

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#1141: Dec 24th 2022 at 12:34:56 AM

Idunn; Zone Five - Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct)

Officer Usagi asks if there are any witches. In the broadest definition, I have learned that any woman with the capability to use magic is a witch, but this does not seem to be the definition Officer Usagi is using. I think, but I cannot find a way to ask her what she means without sending her off on a tangent.

Officer Evergarden breaks off from the group to forcibly pull Officer Kasuga away, where he is still attempting to negotiate with the magical girl. Moments later, the commander throws a large chunk of rubble at the magical girl's head, which disappears in a cloud of sparkles. This is short-lived, as the magical girl soon partially reforms with the expected amount of blood and guts. She is promptly struck by a large pink heart and explodes, and when the dust settles I also see Officer Usagi, who has changed clothes. Perhaps that is her magical girl transformation. I hope she does not explode messily like this one.

Officer Kasuga begins striking the commander with his bat, to predictable effect, while yelling remarks to the effect that the magical girl was a child and, presumably, did not deserve her fate. Rebecca runs up to him and attempts to pull him off the commander, but she is not gaining much ground. It is a fascinating situation.

I look back at Officers Evergarden and Usagi to make sure they have not caused a problem, then walk over to the struggle. "This constitutes insubordination and violence against a superior officer," I say in an attempt to discourage Officer Kasuga from continuing his assault. He does not, so I glance at Rebecca and attempt to push him in the direction she is pulling him, so as to help her in the task. She seems sufficiently concerned about his welfare to be reliable in this, but I wonder what has happened to her to make her so adept with large weaponry. It is not relevant, though, so I do not.


Elimo; Zone Five - Streets

Elimo looked at Amaterasu, her expression revealing a trace of irritation. "Recall your ...friend before he tries something more dangerous, if you would," she said, and then turned back to the scene. The boy shrieked something about there being nothing to prove and lunged at Doctor Grey, his skin bursting into spines. She waved her hand and a whirlpool erupted around the boy's feet, blinding and restraining him, and as she concentrated to purify the water and throw up a quick shield for Doctor Grey she wondered what exactly all this was for. If whatever had been in that syringe could be easily reproduced, all its creator needed was people who immensely disliked the Diet, which in Zone Five were in no short supply. Perhaps this was a trial, which would explain the sensation of observation. She certainly didn't appreciate the latter - being watched from inside her head was bad enough.

She took a deep, habitual breath. That all could wait. She would argue with herself later.

"Amaterasu, your aid in purifying him, as we did before. Miss Nightshade, Peacekeeper - remove his friends safely and discover who or what is observing us. We must act swiftly if his mind is to be saved."

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
Mindris Mad Scientist from [REDACTED] Since: Dec, 2018
Mad Scientist
#1142: Dec 24th 2022 at 7:30:45 AM

Zone 5, Streets of Impending Impalement; Dr. Nathan Grey

I've been in a lot of situations in which I should have died.

Some more... "should have" than others. Like when my hideout got exploded by those Maelstrom bastards. Or when that vat of chemicals exploded in my face and everyone in the area. Or... well, mostly explosions.

...

Well, this seems like another one of those times.

I lunged, attempting to dodge the incoming spikes coming my way, dropping my bag on the floor. Nothing should break, since it was close to the floor already, thankfully. We don't need something like an outbreak or mass poisoning right now.

Despite this, I was struck. Once. A stab of pain rising up within me.

"...argh."

I pushed it down, and grabbed my pistol. I can take care of it later, I don't think anyone noticed.

"We need to take him down, he's too unstable for treatment!" I yelled. Hopefully, they got the message.

I scrambled my way towards cover, and fired at the blighter.

Xabbynip09 Local idiot who is a sucker for cute 2d boys from America Since: Jul, 2021 Relationship Status: I know
Local idiot who is a sucker for cute 2d boys
#1143: Dec 26th 2022 at 1:09:54 AM

Zone 5, streets ~ Kiel

Well, regardless of what any of us said in any other opinion we all have, his mind isn't stable enough that he almost killed a innocent guy. Apparently we're being watch for some reason and that's probably bad for anyone regardless if you're either a Peacekeepers or not. So, I guess Miss Nightshade and I have to find his friends safely if we want to calm him.

Oh, that part is easy! I'll go and find his friends while making sure they're not attacking us for any dumb reason they can use. Miss Nightshade and I will be doing that part then!

So, with that in mind, I head out to look for any of his friends while making sure not to attack him.

“You bowl with 3 middle fingers” Oh hey, a troper wall
OG-Sama Mancunian Candidate Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
Mancunian Candidate
#1144: Dec 26th 2022 at 12:03:06 PM

Zone Five; Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct) - Jengbish

Before the great uplift, before the father of Jaghatai and his great jihad across the arch of Heaven, there were no witches on Chogoris. The scholars of Terra noted this well. The ancient sages took the gods with whom they were familiar, white yaksha and the black, and held themselves to discipline and wisdom. The path of Heaven is narrow and treacherous, any power corrosive when not levied with restrain, but when they strayed the failure was their own, of judgment or of discipline. Their monstrosity, on the occasions it arrived, was born simply of humanity.

The witch is betrayer in spirit, given over in mind and body to foreign dominion. Before the Imperium, such things had no coherency. Heaven could could no more spite the earth than a mountain could spite the sea.

She was a child, he tells you. You honestly could not tell.

The cudgel glances from the vambrace of your augmetic, raised at the moment Ichiban began to swing. Your sword arm barely twitches. You look past him as he roars, at the motes of light escaping from Tsukino's skirts and the pink steam rising slowly from ground at which she struck, and wonder when it was you let the word become so lodged in you.

"So is she," you say. You look him in the eye as he rallies, cheeks streaming with his frenzy, and smack the cudgel from his hands when it returns. The killer is upon him them, intent to stay his suicide, and Idunn glides against his other side. You do not think he hears them. Without a weapon it will be fists, and when they break his teeth. The man has lost himself. This, too, is simple humanity.

"And so are you. Idunn, arrest this man. Place him in a cell until he can control himself. The Guardian will decide his fate come morning. I will oversee things here."


Zone Five; Barovian Backdoor Special, First Floor Barovian Fire Escape- Asuka Langley Soryu

The moon went out while we were inside. I guess it finally ran dry on backup power, maybe, or whatever got blown in the grid spun up into a cascade while nobody was looking and winked it out like a CRT. It probably doesn't matter. The sodium light above the fire escape still works and there's fog rolling in from somewhere else the climate systems died instead, shrouding us in a piss-yellow halo, but down in the streets without the lampposts or the neon signs there's nothing but blackness and vague silhouettes. I hate it. There's a reedy bassline of voices and shit music filtering through the brickwork, and then there's just the wind and the fog and the slightest smell of something burning. Nobody wants to be out in this.

Without thinking about it or really meaning to I realise I’m looking at Zima again, and Zima isn’t really looking at much of anything. She’s staring over the railing, fumbling with her cigarettes and pulling her stupid perfect chin into a hard straight line, all flattened into monochrome. Which makes sense, I guess. There's nothing to look at. One fat man with a killswitch and the world might as well disappear at the edge of the railing, like our grip here was just that fucking weak. Like it’s just us left.

Her fingers are shaking under her sleeves. I don’t know what she wanted to find out here, but I guess she hates it too.

“This is bad,” I say, because the other option is silence, even if it all falls out by rote, limp and obvious. I know she won't ask me to explain. "It feels like everyone just up and died."

I can't see anything down there lit up like this, but I can hear something dripping from a gutter, the steady hum of the backdoor's aircon. There's a door down there, I think. There's a ground-floor fire escape or there's a backdoor to the storerooms or something they leave open for the staff who smoke, and there's no bouncers in sight. They're not going to want to go far, I think. Seija doesn't have the attention span and Susie doesn't have the imagination. These are probably front row seats.

I think Zima's realised too. The vodka's still warm in me, seething in my stomach, and as I state into the cold damp dark beneath us all I can imagine is a stranger leant up limp under a fusebox, totally anonymous, forehead cracked open by someone he'd never met for reasons he'll never get to hear. I think I should probably have eaten something.

"Seija's just gonna run away if something happens," I say, propelled by the wind. "I dunno about Susie, but they're gonna kick her ass when she gets back to the Shrinewell. I know how they operate even if they don't wanna tell me. They're just trying to look tough."

It's true. Irvine might actually have a stroke, and if it makes it back to Satsuki she's gonna be rotating non-stop between the shittiest details they can find for her until her ears stop ringing. I think. There's no way she could be in for this long and not know that, not after everything over this past couple of months, not with all the shit she tries to make out they trust her with. She's kinda dumb, sure, but there's no way she's that dumb, not if they let her in in the first place.

"Right?" I say, quietly.

I realise, slowly and then all at once, that I really, really want a cigarette.

Edited by OG-Sama on Dec 27th 2022 at 4:58:03 PM

kagescorpionakki Breath of the Sun from Long Ago Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Breath of the Sun
#1145: Jan 2nd 2023 at 5:34:03 PM

Zone Five - Streets - Amaterasu

"I have no idea what it is. He injected his arm with something, and just... turned into that." Benkei shrugs, nonplussed by the power being thrown around.

Then the thing charges at Grey, and Benkei's eyes widen. "Shit, move!" He makes to grab the doctor and run, but the doc has already wisely gotten the hell out of dodge.

The monster strikes a wall of trees, springing up from nothing at Amaterasu's command. The doctor is still scratched, but the boy is slowed.

He takes up position near the doctor, blades drawn, ready to intercept if the beast charges again.

Amaterasu felt her hackles rise. Someone was watching them, she knew. No doubt it was someone involved with this boy's transformation. The shadow behind the curtain.

"Right!" She calls out to her fellow goddess, repositioning to intercept the boy again. She paints on the world once more, and on the wall a radiant sun springs into existence, bathing the transformed boy in holy light. She makes another circle, and this time casts Bloom on him directly, hoping to weaken whatever curse has him in its thrall.

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#1146: Jan 2nd 2023 at 9:50:17 PM

Areum, ??? (somewhere very far away from the Girl’s night out), Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor Special

I want to go home.

It's a completely childish thought because at this point, it is pretty clear to me we probably are never going home. That we're stuck here for the foreseeable future. But I can't help but feel this way because I'm tired of all of this. Of… all of this.

I’ve been having a lot of terrible thoughts, too. Like going off into the Incoherence and killing myself. I mean… what’s stopping me, really? Is there really that much to even live for in this city? I don’t really see it. All I see right now are people suffering. The results of the mistakes I’ve made. Things would be better off if I weren’t here.

‘Even so, we will live.’

That’s a phrase that is often said to mean that the people of this city have the determination to get through anything, that together we can face any challenge and come away better.

But it’s not true.

No, Concordia doesn’t live. It’s an abortion. It has always been shit, and always will be.

At some point, my mind just sort of blanks. I end up walking near the edge of Concordia, where all that follows is the Incoherence. I stare into the abyss and I think about… the massacre that happened in Zone 5. I think about Kayne being assaulted. I think about everyone that Jengbish has wrongfully killed under our watch. The Eggman fiasco. I think about the fact that during all these crises the only thing we can apparently think of to do is to keep pouring money into the peacekeepers even though we all know it’s not helping anything. I think about all the freedoms we’ve purged, all the lives we’ve destroyed, the city that we could’ve built but failed to. All we had to offer to explain ourselves was the bullshit philosophies of Kaguya and Jengbish. Myn’s perfectly rehearsed speeches. Some bromides about law and order from Swain. Various brands of snake oil applied over severed limbs.

I think about the fact that throughout all of this, I’ve had no fucking idea of what I was even supposed to do. How I could shift the Diet towards something more equitable and just. I don’t know how! I don’t know what to do but ruminate on everything that has gone wrong over the years and scream like a goddamn mental patient! I feel this massive, massive burden on my shoulders and I just start crying under the weight of it all. I didn’t want to fuck everything up! I wanted to help people!

My eyes are wet with tears. I look at the path before me and I genuinely struggle to think of reasons why I shouldn’t take it.

And then I think about all the people I knew before Concordia that I had to leave behind, that might as well be dead at this point for all the chance that I’ll ever see them again. And that’s the final push that I need.

I keep inching forwards, honestly feeling for a moment like I’m perfectly ok with dying. I could just go into the distance and leave Concordia behind. Leave everything behind.

But I stopped. Why? What keeps me from doing it?

Leo. I remember speaking with him during the investigation. Looking back, I feel like I burdened him with way, way too much emotionally, but he didn’t care. He was there for me. So was Witch when I opened up to her. If I hadn’t gone on the investigation, if I had stayed home and not spoken to either of them…

No, I can’t think about that. The point is that I can’t make them sad. These two people, in this strange moment of heightened emotion, feel like the only two people in the entire world. And it is for the world that I must keep going.

I make my way back to the Barovian Backdoor Special, trying to avoid looking at anyone else. I’ve covered myself from head to toe in a black cloak, and made my hair straight and eyes a dull brown and have put my hair down. Also used a bit more magic to shrink my height considerably - frankly, I don’t know if any of this is really sufficient to disguise my identity given who I am, but I’m doing my best.

I go over to the bartender - I don’t remember who’s supposed to be working there today.

“Give me the best you’ve got.”

Maggie, Zone Five Streets

Elimo instructs me to get onlookers to safety. Frankly I’m not sure what is running through the heads of anyone who decided to stick around after witnessing that grotesque transformation.

I go over to the young boys who have yet to leave.

“Don’t just stand there, this is dangerous! You need to evacuate immediately!”

I shoo them off the premises, then look around for anyone suspicious. I’m not really sure what sort of person I’m looking for, though. I think for a fleeting moment it might be him, but... no, that'd be far too convenient. Even if he actually is involved in all of this, he would not be so foolish as to linger around the scene like some sort of supervillain and give the game away. Right? So who is our mysterious visitor?

LittleMako A dogged fellow, aren't we? from the Great Indoors Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
A dogged fellow, aren't we?
#1147: Jan 3rd 2023 at 6:25:48 PM

Zima – Zone 5, First Floor Barovian Fire Escape

The blackout had totally transformed the city. The awning out front of the soup kitchen, the serrated line of warehouse roofs across the street, the arches of the down-radial aqueduct – once-familiar shapes only outlined now by fog and a bit of second-hand light wash from the club.

It made it way too easy to imagine the worst. Fire-char and ruins like rows of broken teeth. But at least it’s quiet.

Somehow Zima managed to get a cigarette lit despite her jittery fingers, shaking the match out and flicking it into the darkness as she held the first pull. It helped, but it’s still pretty awful. Concordia’s finest tobacco my ass. She spit the smoke back out into the wind, just as Asuka spokes up, this is bad.

For a second, Zima thought she meant the cigarette too, and the realisation of the obvious, of reality, made her snort at the absurdity. Two faint plumes of residual smoke washing over her chest. Wordlessly, she flipped the lid back off her smokes and held the box out to the other girl, and once Asuka fished one out she turned in place, back against the railing, matchbook in her other hand extended in turn. She didn’t trust her fingers enough yet to hold the match for her.

Besides, watching her friend light up with a deft focus, shielding the flame like she’d taught her, gave her a stupid little flicker of pride.

“Susie’s an idiot.” Zima finally spoke up, with all possible affection, taking another drag. “But Seija’s crazy. You didn’t see her at the protest today. She’s loving this, all of it. God knows what she’s actually going to do.”

The pause in the conversation stretched out into a long silence. Zima’s mind latched onto the muffled music coming from inside, maybe in an attempt to avoid thinking about ill-advised bouts of retributive violence.

It didn't work. So she looked over at Asuka instead, watching her smoke. All gangly limbs and hair, glancing back at her through a plume of amber-lit smoke, confused and maybe worried.

The pit of dread in Zima’s gut twisted into a new, but familiar shape.

A voice said, this isn’t right. She is one of mine and I have to get her out. My responsibility. My fault.

Which was stupid, and unfair. Asuka was not a babe in the woods, and Zima didn’t start this fire.

And yet.

“The shrine well. Everyone says you guys have your own electricity. That true?”

She couldn’t even try to keep the question nonchalant. The cigarette packet she’d forgotten to put away crumpled a little as she thumbed the lid over and over.

“And you grow your own food, right? Kiryuin must have been stockpiling shit for years.”

Edited by LittleMako on Jan 4th 2023 at 12:30:22 AM

OG-Sama Mancunian Candidate Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
Mancunian Candidate
#1148: Jan 4th 2023 at 3:32:04 AM

Zone Five; Barovian Backdoor Special, First Floor Barovian Fire Escape- Asuka Langley Soryu

Zima smokes like she hates it, short breaths and scowls, like she's only willing to make the concession until the instant she feels it working and kicks it out as soon as the purpose is done. Sometimes the smell makes her nose wrinkle. I don't know if it's habit or if she just doesn't want then getting the wrong idea about who's running the show, but somewhere down in all the mannerisms and the spite there's something weirdly compelling about just watching her subdue the thing. Its like a free seat at the dojo, a master at work, small joint manipulation from the lungs out. Whenever she puts in her mouth she has it in a headlock.

That or the cigarettes here just aren't very good, I guess. I wouldn't know. They taste exactly the way they smell and they smelled the same back home. I light mine in mechanical rote and the muted burning in my lungs earths up through my shoulders and into my head, something chemical, something binding, and for a few moments what's left of the world up here has just a few fewer hard edges. By soft absence, I realize how hungry I must have been a second ago. I let myself sag, just by a fraction of an inch. That's all I ever want from them.

I flick the match over the railing, trailing smoke like a doomed rocket. I think, idly but candidly, with thrilling dispassion, about the feeling of a fuselage giving way under my heel and things bursting on my shoulders like fat greasy raindrops. I think that I wouldn't bet the nearest hospital to here still has power. I think that the sword on his hip didn't look like he was wearing it just to accessorize. Zima's right. Susie's an idiot and Seija's crazy, which means between them they're always exactly as dumb as they need to be.

I don't say anything, and for a while neither does she, and the tinny bassline finally wins out. Things are just that little closer in alignment now, like the calculus behind it all is only just out of view and the numbers refuse to change. I chew on my filter and thumb Zima's matches, and Zima thumbs at the lid of her cigarette packet. I guess we lost that one pretty fucking quick.

I hate thinking like this. I hate what I can see so easily down in the alleyway and I hate the world of the living terminating three feet off the edge of the fire escape. I don't care about Seija, not now and probably not ever in any way that really matters, but I hate that I can't put just a little bit more faith in Susie's constant stupid bullshit and I hate Susie for making me have to call her stupid fucking bluff. I hate that she's so strong and I hate her teeth and I hate that sometimes it feels like she's twice my size, and I hate that I still have no idea whatsoever if she even understands the difference between fucking around playfighting and fighting to survive. I hope she chops his fucking head off.

I hope she chops his fucking head off and I hope Satsuki has her cleaning out the cisterns until she's thirty.

There's a strange and sudden urgency in the way Zima's looking at me, enough that when she speaks it takes me a second to realise what it is she's asking, and then there's that calculus again. I breathe out and watch the amber plume disappear where it meets the darkness.

"There's a power plant at the top," I say, "near where all the water's coming from. Once it's through the turbines there's a bunch of hydroponics and stuff. It's mostly rice. Um. There's a guy who raises squid or cuttlefish or something like that. I think we're getting eggs from somewhere, too? It's weird."

I take another drag, long and slow, not like hers, and roll my cigarette lamely between my teeth. I know that wasn't what she was asking. I might as well hate that too.

"I don't know if there's a stockpile, Zima," I say, quietly. "They don't like me going up there when Satsuki's not around. There's gotta be something though, right? I don't know what she's planning, but she acts like she has to look after half the Zone now. I don't think she can back down. Not over something like this."

It's a low wind tonight. If the power was still on, you wouldn't be able to hear it at all.

"How bad do you think things are gonna get?"

Edited by OG-Sama on Jan 4th 2023 at 11:56:16 AM

DoctorThunder Since: Sep, 2010
#1149: Jan 5th 2023 at 3:10:15 PM

Zone Two; Underneath the Imperial Char Siew Roast Duck Restaurant - Myn

(previous post, because it's been two months I'm still in this game I swear)

Myn allows the Concordanite's pleas to hang in the air for a second; just long enough to let the discomfort of silence tug at the poor creature. He circles around the chair, disappearing from the Concordanite's view, then place both hands on the chair's back, just behind his captive's shoulder blades.

"We both know that isn't true. If you weren't with them, then that little incident this afternoon wouldn't have happened, would it?" Myn's voice slips into a soothing cadence, with a smile in his words the Concordanite is unable to see. Maia, stood across from their prisoner, sees Myn's face clearly, his expression flat and devoid of affectation. He looks as if he could laugh without smiling.

"You told our friend here," Myn murmurs next to the Concordanite's ear, hands now cupping his captive's cheeks to ensure he's looking right at Maia, "that you'd seen her in a vision. I heard you tell her that. That's why I brought you here. That's the only reason I brought you here."

Myn sees how pale the Concordanite's face has become, and he removes his hands from the poor creature's face.

"You misunderstand. This is where you want to be. Being here means you have something Concordia wants, and that means we can make a deal. If you didn't have anything to offer us, we'd have killed you, dangerous as you are." Myn says noncommittally. He slowly pivots back to standing between Maia and the Concordanite.

"I already told her everything," the Concordanite blurts out, looking past Myn and at Maia, his eyes wide and panicked. "There were girl robots, just like her, and mouths. Big meaty mouths. That was all. There isn't..."

Myn's hand is on the Concordanite's shoulder. When did it get there? His thin fingers close around it, lithe and manicured. They look like they might scuff if mishandled. With the most minute of pressure from Myn's fingertips, his prisoner feels invisible needle points drilling into his bones, as if his entire shoulder had been pierced straight through. His muscles are on fire, his tendons clench and stiffen on reflex, the pain courses down his arm in waves, ending in blunt jolts at the tips of his fingers that feel as if his nails might tear off or splinter. It's what he was doing in front of the apartments to seal in whatever being exists inside the Concordanite. There was no pain then. That time, it was meant to contain; to pacify.

The noise that leaves the prisoner's mouth is intercepted by the soundproofed walls of the interrogation chamber.

"Do you think I have all fucking day for this?" Cuan anu Nelei-Myn asks softly. His expression is blank. Look at this thing. See how it whines like a beaten dog. See how it would prostrate itself if it were given the right. It is male but certainly not a man. Anger is too good for it. "You have seen more than that, and you will tell me all of it, or-."

"Okay!!" the Concordanite howls, agonized tears released from his eyes when they're squeezed shut. "Three things. They said three things."

Myn's grip loosens. The pain is gone. Do you see? It's just that easy. Cooperation is a beautiful thing, isn't it?

"Listen to the spores. Obey the green eyes. Kill Darien Brand. That was all. That's it. You have to believe me..." His voice comes in gasps. Even in the absence of pain, his the muscles in his arm are still seizing under his skin. It takes another second of silence for those to calm themselves as well, and now all evidence of his pain is gone, like it never happened.

"Thank you. Now, would you be so kind as to tell us what the spores are, who or what the green eyes are, and why you've been told to kill Darien Brand?" Myn finally smiles, just for him. "You've been so helpful so far. If you could just tell us those few things, I'm sure we can arrange something quite comfortable for you; better than this, at least."

Myn chuckles softly. They have fun here. He turns to address Maia, still smiling.

"And I'm sure you have questions for him as well. By all means, ask away. I have a feeling he's going to be very cooperative now. Isn't that right?" Myn says, stepping lightly to one side so as not to impede Maia's view of their prisoner.

Edited by DoctorThunder on Jan 7th 2023 at 3:45:55 PM

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#1150: Jan 5th 2023 at 10:28:25 PM

Idunn; Zone Five, Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct) -> Precinct 9

The commander instructs me to arrest Officer Kasuga, and so I do. He struggles against my grip with noteworthy force for a human. I judge that he is still not in possession of a rational mind, so I do not push back. I contemplate transforming, but that would make transporting Officer Kasuga to a cell difficult, so I do not. Eventually he subsides.

I have forgotten to bring handcuffs, but Officer Kasuga has a pair hanging from his belt, and as I restrain him and begin to direct him toward the precinct he bristles in what I think is indignation. Initially I think that it is simply that I am using the handcuffs he previously had in his possession, but once we reach the precinct I have thought about the matter more clearly. I give him the courtesy of asking him to remove all of his possessions from his person, rather than the procedure of forcefully doing so, which he does with an aggrieved sigh. I check that he has not hidden anything away, and then I usher him into an open cell and lock the door. He looks at me as if I have wronged him.

"I do not think I have unduly harmed you," I say, "though correct me if I am wrong. Guardian Witch will meet with you in the morning." I pause, unsure of what to say.

"Rebecca is a child, as is Officer Usagi. If you object to the blood, one gets used to it after a sufficient period of time."

He does not respond.


Elimo; Zone Five, Streets

The doctor had managed to get himself hit in the millisecond between the monster's attack and her shield. Honestly. If it had been a more appropriate setting, Elimo would have reprimanded him. She lent his shield an extra bit of purification magic, but she was rather distracted.

A second, and a whirlpool erupted around his feet and soon grew into an encasing churn, enveloping him in holy water - levying the power of two goddesses against whatever monster had taken him. In the corner of her eye, she can see the Peacekeeper and Maggie attempt to clear out the boy's friends, who were still present for some reas-

...Had the doctor really tried to shoot the boy? Yes, he had. Normally, she would have excused it as a gut reaction or fight-or-flight instinct, but she had recently acquired a very shortened tolerance for people who were making her job harder.

"We are currently attempting to treat him, doctor," she said, trying to tamp her voice down so it didn't come out as a yell. It was really all she could do. "Do not shoot at him. If you try again, I will stop you."


Irvine; Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor Special

The Backdoor wasn't the worst place to be on babysitting duty, he thinks, especially while you had a nice glass of- well, it was some sort of fruit juice. Cranberry, maybe. It didn't have alcohol in it, a small victory he had achieved after a minimal amount of haranguing by the bartender to pick something that contained the reason people went to bars.

Besides, half the fun was people-watching, and you couldn't do that if you were too drunk to function. Like watching the tall woman in a black cloak trying not to look at anyone else as she made her way to the bartender.

She walks a little closer to the bar, and it was like someone had set off an alarm in his head - she's obviously hiding something about herself, given the sheer amount of magical power she was radiating. He doesn't fall off his chair and scramble for the door - he's been trained better than that - but the urge is definitely there, at least for a little while. Once the shock settles and he relaxes, he takes stock of the situation. She's obviously hiding something, he wonders, but what, exactly? She might be here for an assassination, he thinks, but then he discards the possibility - if she wanted to kill someone, she could do it easily and with markedly fewer witnesses. Surveillance is another possibility, but she's not trying to get a seat in the corner or even look around. The most obvious thing is that she wants a drink. She's had a hard day, given that she's slouching while looking for a seat.

She chooses one next to him, not even looking at him as she does so, and it's like sitting next to a roaring fire. A thought flashes - could this be Areum, possibly? It's outlandish, but then, this is Concordia, and the woman having a polar opposite fashion sense would make sense if she was actually Areum trying to go incognito.

"I'll pay for that, if you feel like it," he says to her, low enough for it to be lost in the rest of the bar chatter if anyone else happens to be listening. "Or do you want me to move and stop bothering you? I'd rather not make your day worse."

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr

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