Manhattan, City Hall
The two women follow the man into the Mayor’s office, where the two pokewomen shake Osborn’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ray says as she gives Norman a reasonably firm, but not too firm as to be painful, handshake. “Mayor Osborne.”
“Your hospitality is much appreciated,” Lucia says as she shakes his hand. It’s possible to tell a subtle, but noticeable difference in personality just from how she grips his hand. It is incredibly soft and gentle, as though she believes she will break it if she isn’t careful. Which might not be an entirely unreasonable worry, to be frank.
“I’d be quite grateful for some green tea right about now,” Ray replied. “Or whatever tea you have on hand - I am not picky.”
“Just some water,” Lucia responded. “Thank you.”
The two women sit down on the couch and cross their legs.
“Hm… there is indeed much we should discuss, though I’m truthfully uncertain where to start. I suppose I’ll begin by asking if there’s anything about Manhattan I should know. I’m… not human, as I’m certain you could tell, and I try not to make any assumptions about people, lands, and cultures that are not like my own. Manhattan does look remarkably similar to Castelia aside from being populated by humans instead of Pokemon, but you never know.”
Castelia City, Pokemon Stadium
“Bro,” Charlie sounded touched by Brobot’s enthusiasm. “You truly understand the pokemon spirit! I love it!”
The battle rages on, utilizing various little gimmicks for variety. The various mechanisms that make up the stadium spin and whirr as the arena transforms into a rocky canyon full of lava pits. The Garchomp barely avoids being lavadunked by embedding her claws into a rock wall. There’s a brief struggle where each tries to overpower the other, until eventually their fists meet each other at the same time and they’re dramatically sent flying across the stage. Both end up landing on small rock platforms floating in the lava, and the two stare each other down for a moment.
All of a sudden, a couple of lions
◊ on apparently lava resistant surfboards approach the fighters while riding a huge wave of lava. The two fighters press a button and suddenly two MORE apparently lava resistant surfboards fall from the sky and the Mienshao and Garchomp board them. Before you can even question this, suddenly the duo are fighting lions on a wave of lava while doing gnarly ‘board tricks. The Mienshao does a Tatsumaki that kicks a Pyroar in the head multiple times until they’re KO’d because Castelia isn’t afraid of Capcom’s legal department, while the Garchomp unceremoniously punches hers into the lava. Thankfully being doused in flames and lava is just sort of a normal fact of life when it comes to pokemon battles, plus they’re a fire type, so this doesn’t really harm them too notably. They crawl out of the lava and shake it off like a wet dog.
“An amusing diversion,” Garchomp noted. “But let’s continue.”
Mienshao nods.
“Indeed.”
The Mienshao makes her way over to some button conspicuously in the middle of the arena and presses it. Suddenly the arena changes once again. Now it is filled with ice, with large crystalline spikes littering the area.
“Now the tables have turned!”
The Mienshao grabs an icicle spear and charges Garchomp while gliding across the frozen ground. The Garchomp simply breathes fire at the icicle, melting it and burning the Mienshao for her troubles.
“Owww! So you were prepared…”
“As if I wouldn’t be.”
“Well then… it is time to go all out!”
Mienshao pushes a button on her wrist, and she suddenly grows to a much larger size. Garchomp does the same, and before you can question what’s happening, Announcer Meowth helpfully interjects over the loudspeaker.
“And now they’re Dynamaxing, folks! What a spectacle to see! Hm… whatever happened to Mega-evolutions, though? Arceus just sorta gave up on those after a while- woops! Forgot this was still on.”
The two giant gladiators grab ice out of the ground, forming them into huge swords. They fence viciously, chill winds being sent through the stands with the sheer force of each impact as ice meets ice. This keeps going on for a while until both of them knock each other’s blades out of their hands at the same time, the two of them skidding across the stadium.
It sort of just comes down to an unarmed brawl at this point as the two try to beat the hell out of each other. But eventually, Mienshao gets the upper hand. She grabs Garchomp and does a…
Mother.
Fucking.
Suplex.
The ultimate fighting maneuver. The ice arena cracks, and you feel the seats rumble as a powerful force emanates from the impact. The mighty dragon can fight no longer, given that she now lays on the ground, panting.
“What an underdog victory!” Meowth calls out. “It seems the winner of this battle is Meiling the Mienshao!”
Voices can be heard from the crowd.
“Let’s go, Meiling!”
“Oh no! I bet all my NF Ts against her!”
“I keep telling you, NF Ts aren’t real. That was just a fever dream you had.”
“Thank god! I’m not broke, just completely insane!”
The arena turns back to normal, and soon too do the un-dynamaxing combatants. The two of them soon are giving interviews to the press - must be reasonably high profile athletes.
With the fight now done, Charlie looks over to Brobot.
“That was pretty intense! Well, you wanna go get something to eat? I’m famished.”
Charlie then remembers something.
“Oh… wait, you’re a robot. Uh… how the heck did I forget that? Sorry about that. We can do other stuff, though. I’m cool with basically whatever you feel like.”
The Hill, A New Challenger Appears
Amidst the chatter of the hillgoers, a pink... psychic cat person
...? floats above the ground and towards the others with a curious glint in their eyes. They do not seem lost, but simply just passing through.
"Ah," they say as the examine the crowd. "What an interesting bunch."
It's hard to tell if they're a boy or girl or what age they are. Though they do sound like an young adult, so there is that.
"You all are... humans, I believe?"
The Mew scratches their chin.
"Forgive me, I'm a little new to this whole interdimensional mishmash thing."
Edited by HilarityEnsues on Jan 23rd 2023 at 9:09:01 AM
Ordon Village, Rusl and Uli's Residence: Krosmoz 101 with Professor Qilby
Qilby followed Rusl to a small hut alongside a stream that cut through the village. Once inside, the eliatrope greeted the lady of the house with sagely warmness, casually introducing her to the universal tongue and reassuring her that her concern was perfectly normal...assuming of course that she hadn't picked up on the discovery already.
The twig-framed man accepted a chair at the table in the center of the hut. Since he was the oldest among this group of visitors—and evidently the frailest of them by-far—Qilby was offered food first, which he thanked the hosts for with polite appreciation. Now that he had a few morsels in his stomach, the eliatrope seemed to have regained a small bit of his strength. At the very least, he wasn't keeling over at a roaring stomach.
"You mentioned that this 'Alrest' realm involved a sea of clouds and habitable giants, correct?" Qilby asked Nia. When either she or Pyra confirmed it, the sagely man would set his spoon down to stroke his beard. "Fascinating. What a unique symbiotic relationship!"
The mention of meeting after death raised an eyebrow, but perhaps Nia would be more surprised by where Qilby chose to set his eyes. "Yes," he meditated, "I suppose complete penetration through the sternum would prove fatal for someone like you. We're fortunate to know a healer as skilled as Pyra, then."
The talk of adventure brought a small, almost nostalgic smile to Qilby's face. "I'm not certain I'd call them adventures. My little brother Yugo certainly would, but I would call them 'excursions' or 'expeditions.' 'Odysseys,' if I were feeling dramatic."
With a bit of a studious glance around the hut, Qilby asked: "Is it safe to assume that none of you come from a civilization capable of traveling beyond the sky, to the stars?"
He waited for replies from all present, with only young Kayne replying that her people could do that once, but the technology was lost long ago. This earned her a sad smile, and the eliatrope's condolences.
Qilby raised his hand to the air as he summoned a small blue-green aura in his palm. As if to inform his audience that he was not about to do anything dangerous, he smiled and said: "I find visuals can be quite helpful."
With that, bursts of tiny lights enveloped the room, clustered together in groups from three to thirty, all swirling around each other in a mesmerizing dance, collecting (if one were to step back far enough to notice) into a very specific shape:
An egg. Or, more precisely: a dragon's egg.
"Eons ago, my people discovered a means to travel beyond the limits of our original planet, and enter the realms of the stars. Should you ever stare up at the night sky and wonder what lies beyond, you may be shocked to know that somewhere near those distant lights, there may be creatures wondering the exact same thing. Countless lives across countless worlds traveling around countless stars, in an eternal dance that my people have dubbed 'The Krosmoz.'
"Though we have given it a name, it'd be arrogant to claim that we know much about the Krosmoz. What is it? Does it have a beginning? Or an end? Does anything exist beyond it, and can anything exist beyond it? These are the questions that my siblings and I have spent many, many years trying to answer. It very well may be that we are the only civilization that can."
The egg condensed, its myriad lights merging and taking a new shapes within this oval form: a pair of fetuses curled with their sleeping eyes facing each other, a draconic yin to a humanoid yang.
"I am an Eliatrope, sometimes known as a Portal Walker, or Dragonkin. We are a race born from the union between our Goddess mother and the First Dragon, and as such we are each born with a dragon twin; noble beings who wield immense strength and can change form at will. We and our dragon brothers and sisters live extraordinarily long lives thanks to the divine blood flowing through us—though I confess that in order to provide an estimate, I would need examples of your smallest measurement of time, and work my way up from there—and an eliatrope's inherent magical abilities favor transporting objects from one location to another. Death is no true obstacle to us, either; when our bodies expire, our Wakfu—our 'life essence,' by one definition—returns to the egg from which we first hatched, and gestates until we and our dragon twins are ready to be born anew. Immortality, albeit a rather indirect form of it."
"In short," the eliatrope smiled, "we have the power to control space, and have all the time in existence to do it. So why not spend it exploring the Krosmoz?"
"I have seen many things in my long, long life, my friends; both beautiful, and horrifying. Though perhaps the most amazing journey I've been on is the one I'm on right now! I have never encountered a place or creature that can seize anything from individuals to ecosystems from across the Krosmoz, and drop them all on one planet together! Can you imagine what kind of energy such a feat would require, or if its a conscious effort: the level of perspective someone would need to pull this off? This on-top of providing a means for us all to communicate with each other, no language lessons required! It's almost as if we've been brought to the center of the Krosmoz itself! To share what we've learned from our different walks of life, and to build something truly unifying! Like no one else in existence can!"
The smile on Qilby's face was bright, but it paled in comparison to the shine in the sagely man's eyes. What had started as the gentle narration of a storyteller had taken a swift turn into the enthusiastic tone of a preacher explaining the goodness in their scripture, or an inventor imagining how their invention could change the world. It was an excitement spurred by good intentions, given the language, but it was still a lot of excitement, and it seemed that Qilby was the last person to notice it.
"...my apologies." he blinked, and sheepishly slouched back in his seat. "This is all a new experience for me. And I haven't had a genuinely 'new experience' in a very long time. I suppose this is just...my way of processing that."
Mountains, Mountain Pass: Just Wait Till These Maidens Learn Seath's Actually An Incel
Another pause, though this time it would probably be safe to assume that Felkin simply didn't know the answer. Or perhaps to be fair to the friendly Channeler: he didn't know the answer for this situation. Being abducted from one's kingdom and surrounded by strangers tended to mess with diplomatic policy.
"In truth, fair maiden: I must confess that I know not." he replied in a sullen tone. "His Grace preoccupies himself with his studies, experimenting new sorceries for the betterment of all. As a Channeler, tis my sworn duty to venture out into the world and collect the rare resources His Grace doth require for his work. We serve as his eyes, so that he may focus on his art."
Another bow. "And as His Grace's eyes, permit me to deduce that there is much to see of this Ivalice—especially if her people can produce such sorceries as thee, or fight with such ferocity as thee, young maiden! Shouldst thou permit it, I, Felkin of Vindheim, may serve as His Grace's envoy to the Land of Ivalice."
"An audience with His Grace, or the Crystal Knight who acts as his steward, may need to wait for another day. We know next to nought of the lands beyond the archives; I doubt either shall be pleased to see eight armed warriors marching to our borders, especially not a party led by mineself. No doubt the boars would take thee for Undead, and attack on sight! No, no, correspondence with His Grace ought to use a lighter touch. A letter, perhaps."
Felkin straightened his back as a smile returned to his voice. "In the meantime, shall I accompany thee through the mountains? I hath had little time to study the terrain, what with those Izalith pests to dispatch."
Vampire Hunter
Sypha & Carmilla, Mountains to the Southeast of Castlevania
"Why are you still following me?" Sypha complained to Carmilla. They had made the journey through the forest, having apparently lost their pursuers. Now they were climbing through mountains. Sypha occasionally threw a magic spell Carmilla's way, but she dodged each and every one of them.
"I want to get a better look at the landscape, and see what the land looks like before I decide where I want to go," Carmilla smirked, humorously at Sypha. "At the moment, we only know of that village."
Eventually, the two reached a high enough point in the mountains that they could see the surrounding area. Dracula's Castle was to the northwest. Over the mountains was the closest city. To the south and southwest of it were three futuristic cities. Beyond that, all they could really see was the village that they had just ran from.
Sypha sat down where she was, taking this opportunity to catch her breath. Carmilla sat down to catch her breath as well. Maybe someone would be able to find them.
The Aliorumnas assigned to find out what Belmont was looking for kept her distance while being under a Cape of Invisibility.
Trevor, Alucard, & Grant, Mountains to the Northeast of Manhattan
"Ugh, I hate this mountain climbing," Trevor complained to Alucard and Grant. It didn't help that both Alucard and Grant had abilities that could minimize the difficulty of mountain climbing. Grant was an expert climber and Alucard could just turn into a bat and fly. It was so unfair.
"Please, I need to stop and catch my breath," Trevor told the other two, sitting down to catch his breath. Grant climbed up to the highest nearby point to get a good look at the surroundings. To the south were not only Manhattan, but also two other cities like, one on each side. Over the mountains was another city, but it was the city that Sypha would most likely head to. Maybe someone would be able to find them.
Wizard Needs Food Badly
Wulfrik, Ruins
-His new ally under attack from the Kurgan-kin, magic flying everywhere, Wulfrik is unsure of who to strike. To aid the dragonkin would be unbecoming for both, seen as an admission of weakness on the reptile's part and a greed for battle on his own.-
-His second decision to head for cover is changed as the building begins to fall apart under Ridley's assault. Snarling, Wulfrik changes direction, heading for the closest covered area. That battle is finally offered to him and that he cannot find a foe is a new test the gods have devised for him.-
Edited by Chabal2 on Jan 25th 2023 at 5:19:58 PM
she/her friend to the hooved
Elaine, Eastern Ruins, Center
Ducking a split-second too late to avoid being spotted, Elaine hisses an obscenity to herself as she hears the thing cackle and start making its way over. Had the beam not done anything? Even without an outright type disadvantage, it shouldn't have shrugged off her strongest attack... unless it's resistant and she's drastically misjudged typing, which occurs to her when she feels a surge of heat from beneath as the building she'd taken cover in begins to tremble.
Fire? But the flying... dammit. Okay, Ellie, be cool. You've got options.
With precious little time to revise her plans, Elaine backs away from the window and hurriedly glances around the decrepit interior of the place until she spots her escape route: a window on the opposite side of the building. Three stories up, but she's taken worse tumbles.
With a swift but careful tread so as not to alert the creature to what she's doing, she makes her way over and dives out onto the alleyway below, landing hard but on her feet, and just in time too—the building begins to sag and buckle under the assault, foundation and load-bearing inner structures turning molten. Hopefully the monster still assumes her to be inside, as her next move hinges on it.
Clear of the destruction, she slinks down a side-alley to the right and peers around the corner just far and long enough to reacquire her target and witness it coming under attack from Conan. In addition, someone had just fired a shimmering arrow? She doesn't linger long enough to identify whoever had done that or where they are before she ducks back and readies her next attack. Time to give you a bath.
Mouth open, a familiar blue light grows in the back of her throat before, with barely a second of buildup, she peeks around again and a stream of bubbles fires out aimed directly at the winged creature's eye just as it reacts to Conan. Contrary to its appearance, this beam carries enough force to crack solid rock and, should it strike true, the target would find itself rendered momentarily sluggish.
Midbus
Castlevania
Raven Beak couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Apparently, Dracula lost his wife to the hands of humans, driving him to revenge, and his son to oppose him.
To think such a seemingly powerful being was driven by something so trivial.
Not that Raven Beak really cared. Ever since his race lost fertility, getting a wife was not an option, even for personal pleasure.
Not like the cruel warchief was able to be very compassionate in the first place.
"I never really thought much of humans in the first place. Aran is the exception, but it is because she has such close ties with my race. But I suppose they would be of better use alive than dead, indeed. They could serve as a good workforce. Though I suppose even this change of plan would not be enough to bring your son to reason." Raven Beak acquiesced to Dracula.
Wordlessly, the Mawkin commander observed as Elizabeth made her last commands to her Aliorumnas, and watched as they flew into the distance.
"I do not know the full capacity of those creatures you have at your command. I trust they will be able to succeed. Do you require my assistance in any other way, Lady Bartley?" he asked the countess.
Eastern Ruins
As the pirates kept firing, Yoriichi decided to play seriously from the beginning. In one instant, he got near the Urtraghusian and the Aether one.
"What-?!" the Urtraghusian exclaimed. Though he dodged at the last moment, he still ended up screeching in pain as he received a good scar on his face, that unfortunately cauterized immediately. The other one had better reflexes and ducked.
"What the?! Damn, kid... I couldn't even see him! I thought the Hunter was the only one able to reach such speed! And it seems he got some kind of Plasma technology into his blade. But if he thinks that'll be enough..." the Aether pirate growled.
"Gaaah...! I'll get this brat's head!" the Urtrahusian screamed as the Aether one carried him away, retreating.
"Little bastards are stronger than we thought... Hmph!" the Tallon IV pirate hissed, stopping his firing, and turning on his energy scythe.
Grunting, the Tallon IV pirate got closer, seconded by the Zebesian and the flying Kihunter, still firing energy beams and acid respectively, as he approached Amako and prepared to slash at her, as they shamelessly ganged on her.
Of course, the purple Zebesian scientist was quick to flee the scene at the sight of two of his companions being injured as if they were garbage. That was a feat only Samus Aran was capable of. He hid behind a pillar, shaking.
"Shit, shit, shit..." he muttered, frantically holding a remote and looking at Kraid.
Perhaps it would be wise to turn the monster to his original monster size. The situation was growing alarmingly out of control.
At least, for the grunts. Kraid and Ridley were far more durable.
Speaking of which, Kraid grunted in frustration. Those people may not be that accursed Hunter he grew to hate, but some of them were clearly skilled.
Yoriichi especially became a problem. With Kraid's arms deflected, the monster was seemingly wide open for the kill.
But the sword didn't hit its target. Kraid... caught it with his powerful jaw before it could try to decapitate him. He didn't have the strength to bring the katana whole in his "diminished" state, but he was strong enough to trap it with his jaw.
It hurt. Holding a superheated sword in your mouth hurt, even if you were a big, nasty alien. But Kraid was just as resilient as his sturdy skin was.
With Yoriichi's blade now caught with the monster's teeth, Kraid raised his arms. Though Yoriichi failed to cut them down, there were some ugly burn marks on them, courtesy of his ignited Katana.
As if his previous attack wasn't disgusting enough, Kraid's sharp fingers... detached themselves from his hands. The claws were sent flying at Yoriichi's back.
The situation with Ridley however got worse.
Conan, at least, successfully stabbed the monster in the back with his sword, causing an eruption of blood. The beast's back started to bleed, causing him to screech in surprise and pain. However, he jerked his head backward, causing Link's arrow to completely miss its target.
That was it, unfortunately.
Ridley grunted in surprise as he turned his head to face Conan on his back, before spotting some kind of ugly golem thing far away. His shock got quickly replaced with murderous glee.
The monster burst into mad laughter.
"Ah... Really? Do you think those primitives weapons would work on me? From behind? You clearly have no idea who you are dealing with. But I like you... You've got guts, monkey. So I'm going to tell you something." Ridley said to Conan, all the while glancing at the Goron.
The beast didn't recognize Link, at least not yet, even with the green hat. And of course, Tatl was far away.
Still, he recognized that determined frown. The kind of frown his hated nemesis would throw at him and would scream "You're not going to hurt anyone".
How Ridley loved to crush their confidence. He didn't even try to retaliate by flying toward Link. He had another target.
Ridley already got off-guard twice. Once by Elaine's Ice beam, another time by Link's arrow, which he dodged by sheer luck. But he had spotted that damn sneaky blue thing's bubbles coming in his direction. He wouldn't fall for that again.
The cruel dragon did a very dirty move. With a single jump, he turned around and positioned himself in order to have Conan being hit by them.
"I am Ridley! The Cunning God of Death!" Ridley roared as he prepared to take flight with Conan on his back. Whether Elaine's attack hit the barbarian or not, the dragon would still attempt to grab and capture him with his long tail before flying.
Edited by Scipion3 on Jan 25th 2023 at 6:54:05 PM
"Now it is time! Now we will fight! Then you will lose! And you will cry!"
Mitakihara East
"Same here, Howard," Fernandez replied.
"I'll stay up," Pennington said less cordially from behind the mask, leaving the seat for Howard to retake.
"Questions for money, huh?" Fernandez was able to ponder for a moment before the soft click of a firearm safety being disengaged could be heard from behind him, followed by a second click of the safety re-engaging. Fernandez got the message: "I could try, but it'd have to be OK by him first."
????, Alleyway
Homura’s hand had actually started to move a bit towards her back when the bum started becoming very mercenary about even the most basic of questions. She didn’t have any cold, hard yen on her to offer, cash or electronic, but she did have some cold, hard lea-
"Erm, we need some time to consider it, sir." Mami stepped in with a polite smile after noticing the dissatisfied look on Homura's face and moving to defuse the situation. She turned her face away from the man and towards Homura. "Perhaps we should spread out first to see what we can gather on our own? It would help narrow down what we would need to ask."
“A commercial exchange can go in both directions, can it not?” Oriko took a step forward, drawing the attention of the other two girls and stopping whatever train of thought they might have had. "If we were to pay you for an answer to our inquiries, wouldn't it be only fair if the same were done to us for answering yours?"
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Western Frontiers
To the West of Fuuka, and East of Kurono, a beautiful, shifting rainbow aurora stretched across the horizon, and there was a rumbling that sounded like an earthquake, though no actual shaking. When it faded, there was a new civilization sitting between the two locations, a circular city that might seem to be from a time slightly after the modern day, with massive, free-standing solar panels, and three distinct tiers built atop one another, the higher levels held up by massive pillars. Some ways North of that, a large volcanic mountain appeared, or rather the shell of a mountain, with vast sections of it mined and covered with metal.
Subsequently, the radar on Searrs' naval vessels to the South of the city proper pinged something large approaching... from beneath the waves. Shortly thereafter, a truly massive and somewhat unusually shaped submarine
◊ surfaced as it cruised toward the nearest ship, and a message began to be broadcast on most radio frequencies, featuring a man who sounded somewhat harried:
"This is Captain Kaname Ohgi of the SS Ashtapadi. We are non-aggressive; repeat, non-aggressive. Requesting safe passage for our vessel and a line of communication with the officer in charge of your operations."
SS Ashtapadi, Mess Hall
Lunch was a choice between steak and potatoes with veggies, freshly crafted, authentic Japanese sushi, or the more modern but always popular pizza. That last one was a necessity on the menu due to the insistence of the woman who everyone knew was Zero's real second-in-command rather than Ohgi.
"So, my new Canadian roomie," the redheaded, teenaged revolutionary Karen Kouzuki said cheerfully to the United Assassins Association's #2, Alice Twilight, as they tried to find a spot to sit that would accommodate the latter's five extra mechanical arms and tail, "I've been wanting to ask: what is the world you come from like, without Britannia dominating and throwing their weight around? Am I wrong to guess that it's a lot more peaceful? Ah, sorry, I guess you don't really have context to answer... let's just say that Britannia has been going on wars of conquest for the past three decades straight and counting, if not longer."
Fuuka/Manhattan Border
"Who're you, Pennington, his CO?" Howard chuckled as he gathered up the cards and shuffled them. "Heh, alright, whatever. Well, how's about we just have him pre-approve whatever question you put into the pot as you're doing it? That should be fine, right?" He concluded by dealing around the table to his two comrades and Fernandez.
????? ???????? ?????, Alleyway
"Yeesh, a giant bug!" The bum shivered at the sight of Leif. "You want answers, it'll cost ya, just like the rest!" he asserted somewhat nervously.
It was at this point that the Mitakiharans intervened.
"Hmmmmm..." The bum considered Oriko's offer. "Y'know what? I may prefer money, but I really am curious 'bout you people. Alright, a question for a question. Where're ya from?"
"Some of us are from Tatsumi Port Island, and the rest of us are from Mitakihara," Minako answered succinctly.
"Tatsumi? Inn't that..." He thumbed through his phone for several seconds. "Yeah, knew I'd hearda that place! Never hearda no place called Mitakihara, though. What're ya doin so far North? You're in Tokyo, y'know?"
"I didn't know, but now I do~!" Minako cheered. "Next question: Are those flying vehicles from Tokyo?"
"How'd you come outta the wall?" he countered.
"There's a door there that only certain people can see and access," Minako explained with a cheeky grin.
"Really? Damn, that's crazy... But no, those things ain't a parta Tokyo. We may have rampant AI use, but no flying cars n' shit like that, least outsidea movies... You know what, that just reminds me about how much the second halfa this century sucks. Let's talk about something else."
"Alright... Is Tokyo where it's supposed to be?"
"Why'd you ask that?" the bum asked, eyebrows shooting up.
"Does that count as your question?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Because we've been displaced from our home universes. Or, judging from what you've said so far, maybe we've returned to my home universe, but it doesn't include Mitakihara. And also it looks like we came back to the wrong time period, cause it was near the start of the 21st century when we left."
"Goddamn... I mean, holy shit, that sounds rough..." The bum scratched his head. "Yeah, seems like somethin' like that's happened to us, too. Whole rest of the country's gone, and Tokyo's suddenly bordering who the hell knows where. Sounds like ya got some experience with that sorta thing."
"Only about a week, but yeah, you could say that!" Minako agreed, bobbing her head. "Okay, that's all my questions for now! You Mitakihara ladies have any?"
Meanwhile, the door to the Velvet Room opened while they were talking, and out stepped Elizabeth, offering Leif a large, opaque blue poncho. "For concealing your features, Sir Leif!" she said with a kindly smile. "I can't imagine why, but for some reason, my Master was concerned that you might stir a panic otherwise."
Earth 11945, Amusement Park
"Humans?!" the clownlike Machine exclaimed in disbelief. "No way! Humans live on the Moon and never come down for anything, so what are you doing here?! Did you... did you come to make peace with us Machines? Is the war finally coming to an end?! O, joyous day! O, exultant jollifications! I must tell the others!"
As it talked, the Machine began jumping up and down and waving its arms in excitement, but it paused as something important occurred to it. "O-Oh! And you're our first ever human visitors! We must make sure that your time here is as special as it can be! I should give you something special to commemorate the occasion, too!" it decided, processing for a second, and then its enthusiasm deflated into sorrow. "Ohhhh, but I don't have anything interesting... I don't even have any flowers left! I wish I could give you each a whole bouquet! I'm sorry... I'm a failure as a park greeter..."
Eastern Ruins, Northwest
At Makura's query about the hill, Nel simply smiled mysteriously and shook her head in the negative. As the monkey woman noted the logical inconsistency in guarding something that disintegrated anything alive in the vicinity, the green-haired one hummed pensively, then shook her head again.
"It's technically inaccurate to say that any living thing that comes near the seal will disintegrate. Some people who are particularly powerful in certain ways, like most of my friends and I, can survive," she explained after a few moments of consideration. "Not to mention it doesn't affect machines, so in theory someone could open the seal remotely using a robot."
"That said..." she continued, offering one of the fruit she'd picked to Kongara as she continued to fill her basket, "You mentioned civilizations visible from the West? Have any clues to what sort of places they are?"
Eastern Ruins, Central
Amako snarled in challenge as the Zebesian and the Kihunter approached, manipulating the flaming stone disc in her possession seemingly by short-range telekinesis to block the slashing strike while she dodged the acid and energy beams as best she could with some truly fleet footwork. Then, something odd happened. Although it hadn't been there the moment before, there was suddenly a streak of intensely hot flame leading from the edge of the stone disc to wrap around the Kihunter, which then streaked down to wrap around the Zebesian in the same way, seemingly instantaneously. It wouldn't restrain them at all except insofar as it would be extraordinarily painful or debilitating depending on their heat tolerance, but apparently it was an attack of some kind.
Meanwhile, in the building Wulfrik had chosen, after the sounds of movement in the form of some metallic tapping, a single red light glowed in the shadows before him like some sort of ominous eye. Then, what seemed to be a red-hot, superheated knife was flung in his direction at great speed, aiming for his sword-arm.
Southern Forest, with Igno
"Hmmmm..." the Machine considered, then nodded. "Aye, that soundeth verily tangled, indeed! I supposeth if thou art neither android nor human, then thou art not necessarily a threat to mine sovereign or kingdom... Very well! Thou may passeth, strange creature!" He thumped the butt of his spear on the ground again for emphasis.
"That said, I needs stayeth here to standeth guard 'gainst our myriad enemies, so I cannot accompanyeth thee," he explained with evident regret. "I shall passeth along word of thee to mine brethren so that thou wilt be assaileth not, however!"
That Village In The Northeast
The instincts of the remaining, uninjured soldier were apparently keener than one might expect, as he rushed out of the now-blazing house to spray bullets at Carmilla's back as she retreated into the woods, though whether any of his bullets hit their mark - or made any lasting injuries, considering vampires are generally known for their regenerative powers - was another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, the drone turned to follow Sypha to the edge of the woods, then doubled back to circle around the partly-ruined town for a bit, observing such things as more soldiers rushing toward the Eastern edge of the hamlet, where the intruders had come from, including at least one beige tank with a glowing radiator...
Manhattan, Church
"Oh, thank you, Trevor...?" Father Frost said a little uncertainly at being handed the holy water. "But surely you must need it more than me? I can make my own, after all!"
After attempting to hand the gift back to the vampire hunter, the priest nonetheless bid the trio of men a hearty farewell: "Take care, and good luck to you and your friend, lads!"
Manhattan, Police Station Roof
"Hmmm, so you're a psychic, huh? That's pretty neat, even if it wasn't under the best circumstances!" Spidey said with a nod of understanding. "You wouldn't believe the amount of weird stuff I've seen, though, especially in the past few days. Whatever brought us here doesn't necessarily have to be aliens - although if you want to get technical, they're obviously alien to our home universes. Could be some natural magic phenomenon, could be a god or a demon, could be some mad scientist with delusions trapped us in a simulation, you name it! I'm thinking figuring that puzzle out is gonna be a long-term project for everybody stuck on this rock."
"In the meantime, though, you haven't said who you all answer to back home, so I'm curious! You did mention aliens were invading the whole planet, so I'm guessing you're like an international military alliance? UN Peacekeepers or related, maybe?"
Manhattan, City Hall
The Mayor's aide, Ronald, nodded at the officials and stepped outside to go retrieve their drink orders. Meanwhile, Norman listened carefully to their words and mirrored their pose as he sat in one of the adjacent chairs. "General information about Manhattan... hm... Well, I could give you the classic city sales pitch, but I'll spare you and just tell you what's pertinent, heh," he began with a chuckle, cracking a grin. "Manhattan, although not the nation's capital, is part of the greater New York City - or NYC - metropolitan area, and an important center of finance, commerce, and culture for the United States of America, AKA America, a vast country that stretches some 2,680 miles in width and 1,650 miles from North to South, from one side of the North American continent to the other. NYC is home to about 8.8 million people, about 1.63 million of which live in Manhattan, with the population being larger during the day as people commute in for work, via subway line or car. As a city built by successive waves of immigrants from around the world, Manhattan is a diverse melting pot of peoples and cultures that embraces liberty and tolerance, a sort of microcosm of what's true for our country on the larger level. We're also home to many museums and monuments, as well as the United Nations Headquarters, where the diplomats and leaders of our world, even mutual enemies, would meet to discuss matters of importance to the globe.
"Two days ago, we were pulled into a patchwork planet that its crafter christened 'Battleworld'. Our captor, an incredibly powerful demon who called himself 'The Cure', wanted us to fight one another for his entertainment, or as we eventually found out, to avoid stagnation by instigating conflict and hardship. Well, we arrived partway through his project, survived that, and during the morning of the third day he said that we were all going to go back to our respective homes. But we didn't end up back home, and instead we're here, your new neighbors, with The Cure nowhere to be seen.
"As you might imagine, we're currently in the middle of something of a housing crisis, with those who commuted in stranded here on the island with no way home, not to mention the degree of homelessness already present. Thankfully, Manhattanites are known for pulling together and helping one another out when times get tough, and many people have opened their homes for these... 'commuter refugees', we're tentatively calling them. Still, it remains a concern.
At this point, Ronald returned with their drinks, each as requested, and set them on coasters in front of them on the table. "Thanks," Norman offered distractedly, taking a sip of his coffee to wet his throat.
"Unfortunately, even before we were... multiversally displaced, we were in the middle of a major crime wave," he continued after setting down his cup, "most prominently including a gang of terrorists who bombed City Hall a few weeks ago in an attempt to assassinate me and have been trying to sow chaos and discord in the city streets. They wear masks fashioned after opera masks that represent demons in the Far East, so the press has taken to calling them 'The Demons'. Because we weren't getting enough support from higher levels of government, in order to combat these 'Demons', I'd brought in a world-class private military contractor on my own dime soon before we found ourselves on Battleworld, and they've been doing a good job keeping this as orderly and safe as is reasonably possible, in conjunction with our excellent and well-resourced police department.
"Lastly, or at least the last part of this brief overview - I'm being pretty long-winded, my apologies, haha! - something that makes us rather unique as a city is that we're home to a crime-fighting superhero called Spider-Man, a man with the proportionate strength and abilities of a spider. Although he's officially a vigilante, we passed an ordinance soon after we were, uh, moved that officially allows his actions for as long as we're away from our home universe. He has his vocal detractors, but he's wildly popular with the vast majority of the public, as our own neighborhood hero, and he's been very helpful in cooperating with us on getting information out to the public, keeping a lid on crime, and even serving as an ambassador to other locales."
Having said all of that, Norman raised his coffee and took another drag. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to learn a little something about my new neighbors in Castelia," he finished with a winsome smile at the two ladies across from him.
Castelia
"If you're hungry, I don't mind going to get something to eat, Bro!" Brobot assured Charlie, using his limited range of motion to slap the Charizard on the arm with a metal hand. "Even if I can't eat, I bet I can learn something interesting from watching you eat! I've never eaten before, after all! Gosh, though, that show sure was great! Do they have these often?"
Hyrule, Ordon Village, Sera’s Sundries
Sera (the portly woman) blinked several times in slight confusion at the archaic accent her newest customer was putting on, but gathered that the poor (or by her looks, rich) girl was looking for a map. "Oh, why of course, my dear!" she crooned, reaching underneath the counter and pulling out a sizable, furled scroll, presumably the map the lady desired. "My finest map of the Kingdom, hand-drawn by Castle Town's own master cartographers! A rare and valuable piece of artistry, but for you, it's only 200 rupees!"
Hyrule, Ordon Village, Rusl's House
"Oh, why thank you kindly, Kayne dear!" Uli said with a big, beaming smile as she accepted the bundle of herbs, setting them to the side and tasting a small bit of each kind. "Ah! This one should go nicely with our soup!" She pulled a generous number of leaves of that particular spice off and added it to her bubbling mixture of pumpkin, goat cheese, and miscellaneous vegetables.
"My word!" Rusl exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up at Nia and Pyra's story. "Well, I'm certainly glad you're alright, Nia! That sounds like quite the harrowing thing to have survived! My deepest sympathies for having to endure such troubles. Rest assured, as long as you're in this village, no harm shall come to you, or my name isn't Rusl!"
It seemed the blond man's eyebrows wouldn't get a chance to relax, however, as Qilby took the conversation over and quickly began talking of topics so far beyond the scope of an ordinary man that comprehending it would be dizzying, to say the least. Rusl, though he looked otherwise, was not an ordinary man, and was actually quite learned relative to the rest of the kingdom, thanks to the sorts of company he kept. In fact, Qilby's enthusiasm reminded him somewhat of the breathless gabbing of a certain scholar friend of his discussing the land's mysteries.
Even for someone who knew as much as Rusl did, however, the thought of the countless stars in the sky being Suns to worlds just as innumerable left him scratching his head a bit. The stars couldn't be the home of other worlds, could they? After all, the goddesses had fixed them in the sky for various purposes, but no mention had ever been made of other worlds being near them. The only other realms in Hyrule, besides the obvious neighboring lands, were Realms of altogether different planes, the Sacred and the Twilight and so forth.
But then, it wasn't impossible, was it? Nothing was stated about it in lay religion or what passed for sacred texts, but nothing said the Goddesses hadn't affixed other worlds in the vast reaches of the sky, just as they had the stars. The more Rusl considered, the more he thought that it might be true. "...If what you say is the truth, you've done us a great service by explaining this... Krosmoz to us, Sir Qilby, broadened our horizons beyond what I'd ever thought was possible," he said at length with a friendly smile lighting up his face, which had before been wearing a thoughtful frown. "I have a good friend whom I'd wager would love to meet you, as well; he's quite the scholar, and I'm sure this whole notion would be quite the revelation for him - as it is for me, I must confess, haha! But the sheer length of your people's lifetimes is something I can scarcely imagine, to be honest... Well, I suppose that just means you'd have stories to tell until the day I'm old and withered, ha!"
"Still, if this is a rare new experience for you, I'm happy to have shared it with you, my new friend," he concluded, eyes shining with sincerity. "It's a rare event for us to have new travelers in the village, for that matter, so I'm grateful to all of you for bringing some spice into our lives - figuratively and literally, hahaha! Now, what about yourselves, Kayne and Moko? What sort of land do you come from?"
Edited by darksidevoid on Jan 26th 2023 at 10:29:16 AM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Ghost slowly started to draw his pistol, before Zhang waved a hand to order him to stand down. "We don't need to start fights with locals."
He looked to the Spidered Man directly. "Yes we are an international group, UN isn't inaccurate per say. We are just known as X-Com, and to go into further details would require clearance you don't have access to as a civilian. Not even major law enforcement know the full details behind what we do."
"This is for the sake of everyone," Brockman said. "We had to deal with a infiltrator group known as EXALT who sought to stop our operations and use the alien technology and genetics for their own personal gain."
"They are bastards," Annette spat.
O'Neil quirked a brow as he watched Zhang talk. Zhang had a reputation of having a level head, leaving the Triads for moral objections to the obviously evil bullshit involving the X-rays certainly marked him as smarter.
"Commander are we certain we should let him talk?"
"Sure let him talk with the mutant dressed in bright red and blue, it's for the good of everyone here," O'Neil commented. "In this case it'd be like trying to hide a fire by claiming it's the aurora borealis."
Bradford just stared at O'Neil, who sighed. "Nobody ever gets my Simpsons references, come on! Sure the later seasons are crap but the first 7 are classics! Even seasons 8 to 11 have some decent episodes in them!"
Breath of the Sun
Eastern Ruins, Northwest
Kongara happily accepted the fruit. Seitaka scampered over to split it with him. Makura smiled at her friends' antics, before turning to Nel curiously.
"Ah, I see. That makes sense." She nodded. On the subject of other civilizations, she hummed as she considered the question. "Well, there's a couple of different cities scattered around. They all looked slightly different. Like, architecture-wise. I'm guessing these places were all pulled in from different worlds too."
Makura put the dots together fairly quickly. "That's how you got here, isn't it? You're from one of these places."
Eastern Ruins, Center
In any other circumstance, attempting to disarm your opponent by grabbing their weapon probably would have worked. But what Kraid could not have foreseen is that the mere, tiny human attacking him possessed an impossible strength.
8th Form: Sunflower Thrust
Rather than try to pull it free, Yoriichi thrust the searing crimson blade deeper into the beast's maw with a flash of fire. Then, an instant later, he drew it back, prying it free from Kraid's mouth with a small grunt of effort.
His muscles strained, but Yoriichi did not falter. He merely kicked off Kraid's chest and spun.
3rd Form: Raging Sun
Two quick slashes shattered the incoming claws. Stray fragments scratched his cheek and arm, but he did not flinch. He gazed down as he fell, and raised his sword.
1st Form: Dance
He brought the blade down in a killing arc. A brilliant crescent of flame swirled down, and it was clear from the motion that Yoriichi intended to cleave Kraid clean in half.
Those who looked up at that moment would not see a man, but a servant of the sun goddess, descending from heaven to destroy evil.
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Eternal Princess
The Phantom of Bravery, the flying battle ship the Jellyfish Special forces, kept its distance from the coast. For some time now the special forces unit had to rely on guile. They were branded terrorists by the current regime, even as the newly elected Dr Brahman worked to undo everything they swore to protect. In this situation with all its uncertainties, it was in a soldier's best interest to err on side of caution.
Upon waking in this new world, most of the soldiers would simply return to their duties. Like clock work. Even if their world had changed, their position in it had not. They were soldiers of the Jellyfish Special forces all the same. Crew would instantly man their stations aboard battle ship. Information on their new predicament was quantified into reports and passed up the chain of command. Those who had no immediate duties stood at attention, awaiting their new orders. The only ones who had the luxury of contemplating the gravity of their new situation was the chief engineer, and the Commander.
Commander Yuri Gerneaux held a grim expression. The why's and how's of their current situation was a secondary concern. Ultimately, regardless of the reasons, they found themselves in their current predicament all the same. What mattered was the mission, and what steps they would need to take to complete it. Adapting to changing battlefield conditions was necessary skill for any military commander. But in this circumstance, the mission may no longer operable due to their change of location.
The World Pillar was no where to be seen. Hekseville gone along side it. The strange massive land mass before them was unlike anything recorded. Reports stated Rift Planes could contain truly bizarre environments, though this was the first time many of them would witness one first hand. It was easy to conclude they no longer existed on the same plane of reality as the city they had sworn to protect.
Their mission, to protect Hekseville, remained the same however. They would seek what means to return. Until then, it was imperative that they remain in fighting condition so they would be able to act should the opportunity arise. Perhaps even taking advantage of their situation to bolster their forces. Then there were the dangers this world held. As long as they existed, there was a non-zero chance they could find their way to their home. To that end, it was their duty to eliminate these dangers before they could ever become a threat. But their first objective was the first in any battlefield situation. Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
Their prescience was already spotted. A resistance group hiding out in the ruined city hailed them. Perhaps fate had brought one resistance group to another. It didn't really matter either way. What was important was this group had intel. The commander would go and meet with this group in person, accompanied by a number of soldiers, including their aces Sea Wasp and Sea Slug.
How do you kill that which has no life?
Ordon Village, Sera's Sundries: You Drive A Hard Bargain!
Zelda's eyes wavered slightly, but tried to pretend that she understood everything the shopkeeper said. It was hard to translate every syllable Sera uttered; not only was it an ancient dialect that likely predated the rise of Sheikah technology, she also spoke with a strong accent. As such, the hype talk went largely untranslated, which might give Sera the impression that her rich and fancy customer wasn't buying the pitch.
Thankfully for the princess, the numerical terms had not changed as much as the other words. 200 rupees was an absurd price for a map, but then again it wasn't like she knew anything about this history's economy. She had found herself in an era of myths, where the only connections to the past were stories of the Great Calamity and the two figures destined to combat it. For all she knew, inflation was out of control in this day and age. She couldn't gauge the map's true worth in this Hyrule's rupees, and haggling down the price would require her to convincingly keep up with the woman's dialect—a nearly impossible task.
So she bit the bullet. With a nod, the princess opened up her coin purse and placed 2 silver rupees on the table. An astronomical sum to be sure, but perhaps it would take Sera's expression for Zelda to realize what she was doing.
In the princess' era, the value of a single silver rupee was worth 100 green rupees: the lowest level of currency in Hyrule. In Sera's era, the value of a single silver rupee was worth 200 green rupees. This rich stranger had not only met the astronomical price the shopkeeper was grifting—she was unwittingly paying double that amount!
Now it was up to Sera to choose what to do with this knowledge. Correct Little Miss Moneybags, or say nothing?
Dracula's Castle, Foyeur: Majora Would Make an Excellent Metroid Villain
Judging by the body language advertised by child-like husk, it become rather obvious that Majora was growing really impatient and bored.
"If your kid's soooooo great, why doesn't she do all this stuff without that fancy armor?" the mask sneered at the Mawkin Chief, which earned it a warning glare from Ganondorf.
The mask floated off the ground and lifted its body up to Raven Beak's level. It stared at him with at an inquisitive angle, its lone glowing eye seeming to stare straight through the Chief's armor and into the Mawkin beneath.
"Any mortal can be strong if they've got the right toys and know how to use 'em. So why not crack her open like a clam? Rip her out of that armor and call it a day!"
"You underestimate the wit and resilience mortals possess."
"Who cares what they've got if you just use overwhelming force?" the mask replied with a groan. "I hate all this planning and scheming and talk talk talk talktalktalktalktalktalktalkTALKING! That's not my style! I like to go big and loud! I scar the earth with my fun! If you walk into a town and don't walk out of a crater, then what's the freaking point?!"
"Perhaps it'd be best to dismiss the masks, my lord." the Gerudo King proposed to Dracula. "They have been accounted for, but I suspect that these matters are above their ken."
Castelia City, Outskirts: If Only These Giants Were Ladies...
Were any Castelians curious about the medieval city, they may spot a few specs of silver and gold emerge from the sunset city's gates. A procession of knights some 10 soldiers strong had begun the journey to their Southern neighbors. Some came armed with swords, others with spears, but all wore matching pairs of lustrous armor that shimmered in the morning sun.
Accompanying the 10 knights were 2 other figures, and these were by-far the more eye-catching of the group: two royal sentinels
slowly marched as the procession's rearguard. Standing at roughly 12 feet in height—with their golden halberds reaching about 15 feet—these giants towered over their man-sized companions.
Once they had reached the borders of Castelia City (or once they were approached by a curious gijinka, whichever happened first) the knight at the head of the procession would raise his right fist, signaling for his companions to halt.
"Hail, and well met!" the leader would greet the first Castelian to cross their path. "We come in peace, and seek an audience with thy ruling lords and ladies. Hath thou any ken of the whereabouts of Lady Lucia, Lady Helia, or Lady Zariah?"
Should any of the legendary birds be there to greet the visitors, well...it was probably evident that the soldiers present had been elsewhere when the trio arrived in Anor Londo.
Anor Londo, Border Mountains: A Million Dollar View
As the two parties of vampire hunters (and guest) reached their respective mountain peaks, they would see a magnificent city sprawled out before them: a shining city bathed in golden rays of sunset—a sight that must have felt either comforting, or a bizarre sense of deja-vu. While it maintained a similar stasis as Count Dracula's castle, this city appeared to be some form of antithesis to the vampire's domain. Eternal sunset instead of eternal night.
The largest structure in the city stood proudly near the Northern edge: a Gothic palace with dozens of steeples reaching for the sky. From their position along the mountains, Trevor, Grant, and Alucard would be able to see that the palace's entrance strongly resembled that of a cathedral, and that it was accessible by a stone bridge that connected it to the building nearest the three vampire hunters. In fact, an isolated rampart that led to this nearby building was well within climbing distance, so long as they descended carefully.
The witch and vampire would find themselves further Northeast than the others, near a lone towering structure that loomed over the sunset-bathed city on top of a steep cliff. Surrounded by forest, the structure seemed to be made of a different material from the city below it; a less Gothic style, as well. Perhaps it was built later?
Regardless, Sypha and Carmilla would find themselves in a relatively short distance from the building's walls. From there, they could probably find an entrance.
An Ordinary Oddball
Kayne & Moko—Hyrule, Ordon Village
"I'm not sure how to explain it," Kayne admitted quietly. "Without bringing down the mood of the gathering, I mean. Maybe I should save it for after the meal. It's a rather long story, of how my land came to be the way it was."
"Yes, it's a rather long story," Moko agreed. "But perhaps you could leave out most of the history. Even barebones, however, it's unlikely to be anything but sordid."
"Um, well, there was a war, long, long, long before my time. 'A war to end all wars,' as it was told to me," Kayne said, reluctantly. "Calamity on such a scale never seen before and which will never be seen again. A war that tore open the firmament of...the firmament of the world, I guess, allowing all sorts of monsters and beings from other worlds into ours."
"Such as I," Moko added helpfully. "Not all of the invaders were harmful. Some of them were confused, such as we are now. But enough were, that in the chaos, hotter heads prevailed. And some of the natives said 'no more' and all those fortunate enough to be able to do so retreated into high-walled cities, leaving those stuck outside in the wastelands to fend for themselves."
"Those left behind became the Scavengers, split up into different wandering tribes and clans. They took in whoever they could, from their world or others, even those that arrived from other times, and they made do. They survived," Kayne responded, speaking in rhythm with Moko. "They survived and adapted and recovered whatever scraps of knowledge they could, from before the war. We were small and weak but we used whatever we knew to live the best we could, fending off monsters from a world so much bigger than us."
"Those inside the cities looked out from inside their gilded prisons, and grew bitter. They wished the world to return to the way it was before, where they could make their power felt across the whole world, and they feared the changes that came after the war," was Moko's rejoinder. "So they coveted the Scavengers' knowledge and sought the power that the new arrivals from other worlds and times bought with them. Feared it, too. Which was why they would hunt down anything or anyone they deemed unsafe."
"The gods tried to help, but with the firmament of the world so weakened, some were needed elsewhere to maintain it. In the beginning, they favored the Scavengers, letting them raise the wrath of nature against those that would harm them," Kayne continued. "But gradually, as more and more knowledge was either taken or destroyed, nobody knew how to worship or remember the gods anymore. It was known that they existed, but as the memory of them faded, so did they. Some cast themselves down to earth and from their bodies and essence did spring new life and new forests with new dangers, so that as long as any Scavenger had the will to live, they could take refuge there. But for the most part, the gods are gone, and the land is torn with war."
"My clan was a lore-keeping clan. My parents in particular tasked themselves with curing this—I guess you would call it a poison—in the land, twisting new births and sometimes preventing children from being born. In the process of their research, they found a way to grow a child using an artificial womb, and I was the result," Kayne finished. "But I guess they couldn't escape their final fate either, and with their research destroyed too, I'm left to carry on their legacy alone."
"What she means is," Moko hastened to add. "That she's very, very grateful to be here and not back where she was. We are both very grateful, in fact. Very grateful. It's a kinder clime here and perhaps we can make something better of ourselves now that we're not where we were."
Kayne just nodded absent-mindedly, seeming solemn, though her tone was mildly matter of fact throughout her whole tale. As if she were used to such horror. She rubbed the seam connecting her prosthetic to the stump of her arm as she thought.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 25th 2023 at 11:26:42 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Conan, Eastern Ruins - Center
"They're enough to make you bleed, beast! Together we shall see if you have guts yourself!" Emboldened by the fountain of blood flowing from the dragon's flesh, Conan snarled his teeth at his inhuman opponent, while giving a glance behind him to see the odd rocky being that seemed to have launched the arrow. Well, he wasn't one to complain about an unexpected ally, and he had more pressing matters to attend.
Like the sudden rush of solid water hitting his back with the force of an hammer. The hardy barbarian was solid enough to go through such an ordeal, but he still found himself feeling heavier from this accursed sorcery! "Crom!"
And yet still he didn't let go, even when a scaly tail wrapped around his muscular body. Just the opposite, in fact, as one of his hands moved to grab onto Ridley's waist while his other one kept pushing the blade into his wound. If the thing wanted to carry him away, it'd better hang on through the consequences! "I am Conan of Cimmeria, and a God of Death ought to remain in the Underworld!"
Edited by Alecoene on Jan 29th 2023 at 10:59:32 AM
Eastern Ruins (North) -> Eastern Ruins (Northwest)
After what felt like seeing nothing but ruins of some lost civilization, there was finally life to be found as both Beoulves noticed Chocobos and some other sort of creature making a run for it from them. Before either could ask why they were so quick to get out of there, their answer was given to them in the form of hearing a roar from the south. That was enough to put Ramza on alert, but the addition of feeling like he was being watched had him putting himself in front of his sister, making sure that if anything approached from the front, they'd have to get through him first to get to her.
Upon reaching the mansion, and noticing that life seemed unable to exist in its vicinity, Ramza spoke up without taking his eyes off of what lay before him.
"Stay behind me. Watch my back. Get down if I tell you to." He told her, and firmly led Alma away from the mansion that spelled nothing but death, which meant that their passage was now taking them to the northwest, unknowingly coming closer and closer to the duo that was Nel and Makura in the distance.
Mountains, Mountain Pass
Truthfully, no one in the party had expected that meeting the mysterious Seath would be as simple as walking up to his living space and asking politely, so being told such did little to dampen the party's spirits. Hearing the counteroffer of the Channeler continuing to travel with them, however, was a welcome surprise, which led to the female Knight accepting on the party's behalf.
"We'd be honored to have you. Perhaps as we travel, we can share stories of our respective homelands. Nothing confidential, of course, I wouldn't ask that of you." The woman suggested, feeling ever so slightly at ease, more so than when she and her companions had started this journey.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Vampire Hunter
Mai, Athena, and Yuri, The Hill
"I'm Mai Shiranui," Mai was about to slip the business card into her clothing and pose for Reisen when she noticed The Glare. The Glare that signified disgust and envy at her for being... well-endowed. She frowned slightly, "Don't worry... I'm already taken."
Whether Reisen considered that bragging or not is all up to her. Meanwhile, Athena took the card from Mai and pocketed it.
"I'm Athena Asami—" Athena was mid-sentence in introducing herself when Link got on Epona and rode off before Athena could stop him.
"You're just a kid!" Athena yelled in Link's general direction. "You can't just ride off like that!"
Unfortunately, there was nothing Athena could do to stop him from riding off into danger. When the floating catperson showed up, Athena looked over at them.
"Um, I'm Athena Asamiya, and this is Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki," Athena introduced her team. "Who are you?"
"There's three people who float in the air here!" Yuri smiled at Athena, who just shook her head.
Elizabeth Bartley, Castlevania
"They can fly without help and know how to summon fireballs, and with the Capes of Invisibility, they won't be seen except if they try to attack," Bartley explained to the Mawkin commander. "There is nothing further that needs to be done other than reporting to Dracula and Raven Beak of our work."
Dracula, Foyer, Dracula's Castle
"...The kid has a point," Dracula shook his head. "As we all continue planning and scheming here, our enemies are uniting against us. One has already sent a spy drone, and who knows what they recorded!"
"I apologize for my rudeness... Feel free to go play," Dracula looked over to Majora. "Find a nearby town and have your fun."
"The rest of you..." Dracula looked at Raven Beak and Ganondorf. "Unless you've got something important to add or need clarification on, perhaps we should end this meeting as soon as Bartley returns."
Trevor, Alucard, & Grant, Southeast Mountains, Anor Londo
Unfortunately, Father Frost didn't accept Trevor's gift, but he and the others did say their goodbyes to him and left. Maybe it was how he worded it. In any case, Trevor, Alucard, and Grant found themselves observing a perpetual sunset which was a breathtaking sight for Trevor and Grant.
"We must be cautious," Alucard warned Trevor and Grant. "Whoever rules this land has something that is as powerful as one of the two greatest treasures of the vampires."
"You think it's someone nasty like Dracula?" Grant asked Alucard.
"Perhaps," Alucard gave his opinion. "But perhaps, they may be a potential ally."
"Ugh," Trevor looked annoyed as he spotted the rampart, which looked to be the only way to get to the building that led to the stone bridge that led to the gothic palace.
Alucard turned into a bat and flew down to land at the bottom of the rampart next to the building. Next, Grant would stab one of his daggers into the ground, and Trevor would wrap the end of the Vampire Killer around it. Trevor would then slowly and carefully descend the rampart using the Vampire Killer as a form of rope. He was the weakest of the three with movement, but with Alucard at the bottom and Grant at the top, Trevor would likely be able to climb down safely. Once Travor was safely with Alucard at the bottom of the rampart, Grant pulled out his dagger, allowing Trevor to claim his Vampire Killer. Meanwhile, Grant was able to climb down the rampart with very little trouble. Of the three, he was the most adept at climbing, so he knew how to get down safely.
Once all three were at the bottom of the rampart, they entered the building right next to them and began exploring.
Sypha & Carmilla, Northeast Mountains, Anor Londo
Sypha and Carmilla found themselves observing a perpetual sunset which was only a breathtaking sight for Sypha. Carmilla had only been grazed by the bullets, though the wounds did sting like hell as they healed. In any case, it left the vampire in a very foul mood.
"What the..." Carmilla seemed like she was about to curse out expletives when looking at the unnatural perpetual sunset. "A Shroud of Sunset?!"
"What's so different from it and Dracula's Eternal Night," Sypha asked Carmilla. "Other than going with a beautiful sunset?"
"That is just it," Carmilla answered. "Whoever rules here could be as powerful as a Lord of the Castle, ruler of a Demon Castle like Dracula's."
The Aliorumnas almost revealed herself from shock at the revelation that this land could be a Demon Castle ruled by a Lord of the Castle. She immediately got back under the Cape of Invisibility to try to hide from Sypha and Carmilla.
"Whatever," Sypha dismissed Carmilla's concerns as she walked around the nearby towering building looking for an entrance. Carmilla started keeping her distance from Sypha, only staying close enough to keep her in her sights. The Aliorumnas also kept her eyes on Sypha as the witch looked for an entrance into the building.
Aliorumnases, Village in the Northeast
The two Aliorumnases who were left to observe the spy drone saw the exact same things as the spy drone would have seen. It seems like Sypha Belnades and Carmilla had pissed off the locals here... Dracula could work with this.
When a metal monstrosity with a glowing radiator showed up, the two Aliorumnases flew a bit higher to discuss things privately. That was a potential threat.
"What do we do about that?"
"We can't do anything about that."
"One of us needs to go back to tell Dracula even if it is against orders."
"Right."
One of them decided to fly off back to Dracula to tell him what they had observed while the other had stayed with the spy drone, though very much keeping her distance from both the drone and the tank.
Edited by GameGuruGG on Jun 14th 2023 at 11:54:41 AM
Wizard Needs Food Badly
Manhattan, City Hall
There was quite a bit of information to take in, but thankfully Ray and Lucia had many common reference points to draw from. They sipped their drinks as Norman continued his detailed summary of Manhattan.
“Thank you for the thorough explanation,” Ray replied with a smile of her own. “I have a much clearer picture of things now.”
The two women took a sip of their respective drinks before Ray continues.
“Castelia is actually not too dissimilar from Manhattan at all, by the sound of it. We are also a major hub for finance and commerce in the region - which we call Unova. We too are home to a diverse array of people and cultures and pokemon species - pretty much every kind of pokemon that exists in the pokemon world can be found in Unova, which is reflected in our Castelia’s population. Lucia and I are actually originally from the Johto and Hoenn regions respectively, in fact. One difference between us is that we’re not dealing with a housing crisis because our population is significantly smaller than yours, and not every pokemon has the same needs as a human in the first place. We thankfully have quite a bit of room for ourselves and displaced persons that may want to come live here.”
She ruminated on the fact that the first such person was a robot that tried to kill her - she really does know how to pick em.
“We’re definitely not free of crime, though - I doubt any city is. In our case, we’ve had to deal with organized crime in the past - racketeering, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, kidnapping, things of that nature. There have also been pokemon with far greater aims - ones who sought to conquer regions or the entire pokemon world - but all of them were thwarted. Of course, we remain vigilant for the day when Castelia’s safety may be threatened once again.”
“Come to think of it, did anyone brief you on what pokemon were to begin with? Well, in any case… simply put, it’s an umbrella term that refers to a variety of species that can switch between a more humanoid and bestial form, each with its own array of powers and abilities. Imagine if your entire population were people like this Spider-man you speak of. A crude comparison, but hopefully that helps to communicate the gravity of the difference between human and pokemon society.”
“And this is a difference that undeniably poses some pretty serious problems at times. In the past, I have had to personally stop Groudon and Kyogre - pokemon that have the power to bring drought and floods respectively - from bringing ruin to Hoenn and beyond with their squabbling. Two normal humans, no matter how violent their fighting, cannot bring destruction anywhere near the level as those two living forces of nature. Unova itself was founded in the wake of a war between Zekrom and Reshiram, two dragons of incredible power, so it’s not as though this land doesn’t have its own violent history. And though these Pokemon I’ve mentioned are some of the most powerful ones that exist, pokemon on average are very strong. This has provided the pokemon world with a persistent question - what do you do when a fight between two individuals has the potential to level entire buildings? Effect the surrounding natural world? In truth, this is a problem that will never have a perfect solution. There will always be those who do not wield their power responsibly, after all.”
“But what we eventually settled upon was to have these tumultuous battles in a controlled environment, which we call the Pokemon Stadium. Nowadays, we have televised battles that show off everyone’s abilities for sport. People who have a love for competition, grudges to settle, or whatever their reasons may be, come to the Stadium to settle things in a less destructive manner. It’s not as though I expect this to somehow solve all our problems, but it has certainly improved things.”
“In spite of what I’ve said… I really don’t want to give off the impression that Castelia is dangerous. It is safe for humans, or whatever other species may exist in this unusual new world of ours, to visit and live in. I’m just trying to outline that we have our own unique challenges we deal with.”
Ray takes another long sip of her tea.
“Hopefully this provides some insight into our city.”
Castelia, Cafe Sonata
“Oh really?” Charlie mused. “Well thanks for being a good sport, Brobot! I know just the place!”
Charlie takes Brobot over to Cafe Sonata, where a captivating musician
plays on a stage located in front of all the assorted tables, her tune delighting the many patrons who have gathered for feast and merriment. Brobot does get some occasional curious glances because he is neither a bestial pokemon nor a humanoid of any kind. Still, nobody elects to make a scene, with the most he gets being a whisper or two from the crowd. They’re more focused on each other and the Meloetta girl currently on stage, regardless.
Charlie are seated at their tables and approached by a very dreary looking waitress. Is her spooky pokemon species responsible for her demeanor, or is it the horror of working in the food service industry? The world may never know.
“Welcome Mister Charizard,” she greets Charlie. “I am Cassandra, your server for today. I see you’ve brought an… interesting friend.”
“Oh, that’s Brobot! He’s a cool robo-dude from some non-pokemon place who was looking for a place to live, so he came here.”
“I see… I have heard that reality itself has shifted, and that Castelia is no longer part of the pokemon world. But… well, I still have a couple hours left on my shift, and a bottle of wine and a video game library to dig into after that. There is little time to ponder the implications of such things for the modern woman. So… what will you be ordering?”
“Uh… not really sure, actually. You got any recommendations?”
“Certainly. The fish tacos are to… die for.”
“Sounds good! I’ll have that with a lemonade, please. Oh and uh… yeah he doesn’t eat or drink, so you don’t have to worry about him.”
“Right… well, I’ll be right on it. I hope you two enjoy your stay.”
With that, Cassandra left the table, leaving the two of them alone. Except for the… young girl with a giant hammer who apparently is here by herself
◊.
“Wow,” she says as she suddenly approaches Brobot and inspects him curiously. “You’re not a steel type, I can tell. You’re… a robot! I wonder if the metal that made you would make my hammer look prettier…”
“Whoa now!” Charlie interjects. “There will be no turning Brobot into a hammer or whatever. Who are you, even?”
“I’m Tiffany the Tinkaton!” she says proudly, effortlessly spinning around the massive hammer in a circle like it was an empty cardboard box. “I love smithing, I love hammers, and I hate Corviknights!”
Charlie was very confused at this point. “Why do you hate Corviknights? What have they done to you?”
“Ooogh!” Tiffany exclaimed. “They’re just… they fly around in the sky, looking down with their Galarian chauvinism on the hard-working men and women that built this country!”
Charlie shook his head.
“It’s not like that. I mean, some of ‘em are probably snobby, but you can’t generalize an entire species of pokemon like that.”
“That sounds like something a member of the bourgeoisie would say!”
Charlie had his face in his hands at this point.
“Dude… come on now. How do you even know what that word means?”
He really wasn’t sure she actually did.
“Lotta hard livin’, that’s how! Anyways, I want to learn more about your robot friend!”
“Uh… alright,” Charlie was sort of becoming resigned to the fact that this gremlin might make a scene if he shoos her away. “Just uh… chillax a little.”
“Ok!” She beams, turning to Brobot. “So, is it true that you can turn into a car like those robots do in the movies?”
It was going to be a very long day.
Castelia City, Outskirts -> Bell Tower
The giants would be met by a Flygon gijinka who stands at a positively paltry 6 and a half feet tall and is packing heat. Why does a dragon carry guns? Well…
…
That’s a pretty good question. Don’t think about it too much.
Anyways, she greets the giants with a cheery demeanor.
“Hello there!” she waves to the approaching group. “Yes, I have been given word that Ladies Lucia, Helia, and Zariah had a meeting with a representative from Anor Londo. Miss Lucia is currently busy with other matters, but I can take you to see Miss Helia. Come, follow me.”
She leads the giants through the city - which earns a lot of oohing and aahing and picture taking from the curious populace - and eventually you all make your way to a large tower that looks a lot more distinctly Japanese than the architecture you’ve been able to glean so far.
“Lady Helia!” The Flygon calls from outside. You have visitors from Anor Londo! …Huh? Where is Lady Helia?”
She looks concerned when she doesn’t hear a response - until she notices a gigantic phoenix roosting atop the tower in meditation.
“Oh, way up there! Hey!”
Helia, apparently no longer in a humanoid gijinka form, hears the call this time.
“Ah… is that you, Faye? My apologies - I was just doing a bit of meditation.”
“Uwah!” Faye exclaimed. “Uh, my bad! I didn’t mean to interrupt you!”
The Ho-oh smiles, somehow still having the human facial features to do so despite being in a distinctly non-human form.
“It’s quite alright. I can do this at any time - I think business with our new neighbors is a little more consequential and is something worth prioritizing.”
Faye breathed a sigh of relief, then Helia flew off her perch and landed on the ground. Now that she was face to face with all of you, she was even taller in this form - about eye level with the giants gathered here. Why is everyone so tall? Why is everyone a furry? Two of the greatest mysteries of our time, but two that would have to be answered another time.
Helia looks at the giants before realizing something.
“Ah, right… I don’t recall if I ever explained this to Sir Gwyndolin, but each pokemon has a much less… human form they can take in addition to our humanoid guises. This is mine. Now… I’m sure you have much to discuss. But first… would like any tea?”
Edited by HilarityEnsues on Jan 29th 2023 at 7:36:06 AM
Ruins, Center: Rollin' Around at the Speed of Sound
The goron gritted his teeth in a look that cried "Oh no you don't!" before curling up in a ball and began rolling towards the dragon taking flight. Unfortunately, he didn't reach Conan and Ridley in time, and the pair took to the skies before the rock creature could grab Ridley's tail.
Link's round purple eyes shifted their gaze, his mind running through a list of options to free Mr. Smallclothes from the Space Pirate's grasp. Arrows? Probably wouldn't work; Ridley was a lot nimbler than he thought, and even if he could land a hit, there was a chance that the dragon would just use his hostage as a living shield—just like he'd just done with those weird bubbles!
Hurling a bomb was too dangerous, and it'd definitely hurt the guy on Ridley's back. They were too far out of range, so hookshot wasn't an option. Giant's mask might work, but he'd also have to worry about the people by his feet. The terrain wouldn't do him many favors with that option, either. Zora Mask? Same problem as the hookshot. None of his songs could harm the dragon, there were no flowers to spring him skyward, bombchus wouldn't hit a flying target...so what could he do?!
The goron blinked at the realization. He could always try Fierce Deity, couldn't he? If there was anything that could make short work of this Bad Guy, it was him, right? The mask made fighting Nyarlababablathoptup a walk in the park! And Ridley couldn't possibly hold a candle to that monster. It'd be a breeze! Hey look at that, he already had it in his hand!
"Don't even think about it!"
The shrill command shouted in his ear made the goron wince and shake his head a little. She didn't need to do that right in his ear.
"You remember how we left Satori's mansion? You want an encore of that mess?! I know these are just piles of rock, but there's people among these rocks! I'm not gonna let you go berserk if someone might get hurt!"
The goron turned to the little fairy and pointed towards the purple dragon. A small whine paired with his pleading face.
"I know you want to save him, but we can't do that without risking that stinky lizard using his captive as a shield again. The good news is that I don't think they can stay in the air forever. This 'Cunning God of Death' drama queen's built like a twig; doubt he can carry the extra weight of a full grown guy for very long. I'll keep an eye on where they're headed. In the meantime..."
The fairy turned herself towards the other combatants: two human-looking figures against five monsters with strange weapons.
"Find a new target!"
Once the fairy had given her orders, she began flying up towards the heights of the ruins. While it wouldn't be impossible for Ridley to spot a lone floating light with wings, she probably wouldn't be the most eye-catching figure. Even if she were spotted, it's not like the Space Pirate didn't have bigger priorities (literally) on his shoulders.
Meanwhile, her partner nodded in agreement and scanned the battlefield for a new opponent. The guy with the garo sword had a lot of enemies to deal with, but at least it looked like he was handling himself. On the other hand, it looked like the lady with the dog ears was more-or-less on the defensive.
The goron frowned. The dirty cheaters. Fighting a flying enemy and an armored enemy at the same time was just plain unfair! So as he tucked the Fierce Deity mask away, Link began to make preparations to help even the odds.
From her semi-hidden cover less than ten feet from the weird Regirock creature, Ellie would be able to see what the goron was planning from start to finish. First, he curled up into a ball, just like he did to quickly cover the distance earlier. Next, he began rolling in place; a rather clumsy exercise that tended to spit up dirt and pebbles behind him. But as he rolled faster and faster in place, something strange started to happen: an orange aura started to build up with the rotations, growing bolder and bolder as the seconds passed until the energy downright engulfed the rolling rock. And then—without any warningnote —the goron grew massive spikes around his rolling body and ZOOMED straight for the red Zebesian attacking Amako.
Assuming that the Space Pirate was occupied with his current opponent, chances were high that he proooooobably wouldn't expect a steel-spiked rock monster to roll itself into him at 40 miles per hour. Whether that took the Zebesian out of the fight completely or just knocked it over for a minute obviously remained to be seen. If the Space Pirate was particularly observant, was warned ahead of time, or just happened to have inhuman agility, then perhaps the spiky death ball would miss its mark completely—and likely slam right into some ruins as a result!
But regardless of the outcome, at least Amako would know that there was someone else here who had her back!
Mountains, Mountain Pass: Tales From the Multiverse!
"An excellent proposition!" The Channeler cried, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet at the word "excellent." "Ne'er hath I heard of this wondrous land of Ivalice. T'would be a marvelous exchange!"
Assuming that the rest of the party was ready to depart, Felkin of Vindheim would begin the journey with them, standing beside the young knightess he had evidently taken a liking to.
"Knowest thou of Lord Gwyn, and the Age of Fire? Mine suspicions say 'nay,' which wouldst make the simplest place for mine tale to begin."
Presumably, the young maiden (or any of her companions) answered that they did not know of any "Lord Gwyn." And so began the Channeler's tale:
"Long ago, the world was nought but stone—its features static and immortal. The Eternal Dragons ruled over this Age of Stone, and they hath decreed that the forefathers of lordlings and humanity must be banished deep underground. There they resided...until one day, a wretched creature stumbled upon a light so bright, it was beyond imagination. This was the First Flame, and the creature who discovered it used its might to become the figure known today as Lord Gwyn.
"With the power of the First Flame, Lord Gwyn was granted a powerful soul which burned the wretchedness from his flesh. He shared fragments of this mighty soul with those who followed him, and before long he hath acquired enough followers to raise an army to contest the Eternal Dragons themselves!
"But the First Flame selected other champions as well: Nito, the first of the dead, as well as the Witch of Izalith and her seven daughters. And still one other chose to aid the lordlings against the tyranny of the Eternal Dragons—none other than His Grace, Seath the Scaleless! His Grace welcomed this budding Age of Disparity that Lord Gwyn promised to build, and opposed the vile creatures who wished for nothing but perfect consistency; I know not of thine opinion, young maiden, but to mine ears, this thought is akin to wishing for a living death. What a terrible philosophy.
"Though it took many years, and the sacrifice of many lives, in the end Lord Gwyn and his allies were indeed victorious. Thus began the Age of Fire—a time of peace, prosperity, and above all else: progress. Lord Gwyn founded his kingdom of Lordran, and built the legendary city f Anor Londo to serve as its capital. Humanity flourished throughout the world, and established kingdoms of their own. Vindheim is just one of many such kingdoms!
"As thanks for his invaluable aid, Lord Gwyn granted Seath the Scaleless the title of Duke, and awarded him with a private archives overlooking Anor Londo. There His Grace has remained, studying the sources of magic to create sorceries for the world."
The Channeler's cylindrical helmet shifted towards the knightess. "And what of Ivalice, young maiden? How did thine kingdom come to be?"
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Jan 29th 2023 at 5:42:07 AM
Eternal Princess
It was strange how turning one's mind eye inward only heighten one's awareness of their surroundings. As one loses their sense of self, only the world around them remains. This submarine was foreign ground for the assassin, something that made it self all too obvious. The vibrations of the hull, the staleness of the air, the way sound carried in this hollow vessel beneath the waves, the honed senses of the warrior was all too aware of all of it.
So it would seem Alice was slightly absent minded, having to turn her attention from some inner thoughts to the question Karen had posed her. An impression that was perhaps reinforced as Alice did not answer right away, instead choosing to mull over the question in silent contemplation. It was a difficult question, cruel in its innocents. She crossed her legs and rested her hand on her chin as she thought how best to describe the fever dream of a mad god that was her world. She stared far off into the ether. When she spoke, her voice was even.
"On July 3rd 1998 it was claimed all international incidents had been resolved. It was to be believed world peace had been achieved. To demonstrate this, the nuclear armed nations of the world agreed to a public mass disarmament display. They would fire and detonate their weapon out side the earth's orbit. The resultant explosions could be seen from the surface, and millions watched. They looked like fire works.
But the truth was, for as many weapons that were decommissioned that day, each nation still had many more. War had not gone away, merely the scope and conditions of the conflict had changed to reflect modern interests. Terrorist and criminal groups thrived. The use of highly skilled assassins became common place.
Though a curious thing happened. A group calling them selves the UAA saw fit to rank these assassins. And just like that, rather then tools used to an end, these assassins pointed their blade toward one another. Killing each other became priority. A pointless bloody endless cycle. Though the intrigue of seeing one who had dedicated their entire being into the art of the kill face off against another who had done the same was not lost on the UAA. So they filmed it.
It started off as perverse curiosity. Viewings regulated to the underworld and those with the money. But the popularity of these ranked matches soon found its way to the light. When the people of the world saw the blood on display, they cheered. Numb or addicted to the carnage. These bouts of violence became an every day occurrence. They continued to grow in scope as the demand for more and more blood grew. And these assassins who threw away their lives for nothing were often viewed with some twisted reverence. Some imagined virtue that would have others view them as heroes."
A small humorless smile formed on her lips. It was a cruel joke. One which she was tired of.
Alice's eyes shifted to look at the revolutionary, as if noticing Karen for the first time. They were oddly kind eyes, if lacking in light. Motherly in affection with a hint of sorrow. She smiled at Karen reassuringly, as if to encourage her to not dwell too deeply on her rambling. She could not help feel a bit embarrassed as well. She seemed to have got absorbed in her own thoughts and had not actually considered the purpose of the question. The young revolutionary was trying to glimpse a world without the evils of her own. A world that awaited her after all the tribulations she now faced. It was a world Alice was ashamed to say she could not show the young girl.
"I suppose if it was a world of peace, the Cure would have no use for it."
While she was still interested in their fellow human, It was hard for Kat to ignore the robot when it say something about humans on the moon!
"Huh!?"
A lot of what the robot was saying was going right over her head. War!? Peace!? Jollyfication!? From what she could gather, they were the first human customers they had in a long time. It sounded like there might even be some bad blood. Not that she could imagine why. They were just little robots running an amusement park, what was there to hate about that!?
"Hmm. I can't speak for the moon people. But I don't think you have anything to fear from most humans. Maybe just a snooty complainer or two. You know what...yeah! Let me go ahead and declare peace from all humans that aren't a jerks! If any one does gives you any problems, just come to me and I'll sort it out."
Kat had a smug smile, feeling rather proud of her self. Though the self assured pose quickly turned to panic as the robot became dejected. She hurriedly tried to reassure the little clown.
"No no no! You are doing a great job! Um, what was your name again? I mean this flower alone is great! Its a great flower! Right guys? Right?"
The Gravity shifter turned to her fleshy compatriots, looking for help in cheering up the down bot. Raven for her part however kept her eyes fixed on the CEO, trying to get a feel for who exactly was this mysterious woman.
How do you kill that which has no life?
Midbus
Castlevania
Raven Beak simply folded his arms stoically in annoyance as Majora ranted at his face.
No wonder why his commander called him "animal". That pest was just as insufferable as Ridley was. Even their "strategies" were the same.
"Lord Ganondorf is right. Certainly, you have not forgotten about that boy clad in green. I do not know the details, but I understand this child has somehow been a problem to him as he was to you. How is it you were unable to destroy him yourself?" he sternly pointed out before glancing at his arm cannon.
Perhaps one day, he will show that annoying thing what made the Chozo so feared in the past, and finish Link's work.
Regardless, Dracula decided to cut short the meeting, just as Bartley and the Chozo commander returned.
"My Lords. It is done. Three sorceresses were sent after the interlopers." he reported, kneeling at Dracula, Ganondorf, and Raven Beak, while of course ignoring the "small beast" with them.
Satisfied, Raven Beak nodded at Dracula.
"You are correct, my Lord. Though since our friend here is so eager to "play" and is so confident in his abilities... Perhaps he should prove his worth by taking care of the spies once they are identified. If he must have "fun", he should not waste it by plundering random towns like a Space Pirate would." Raven Beak suggested before thinking for a moment, remembering that he had Quiet Robe with him now.
There wasn't much the old Thoha could do on Itorash. But Raven Beak did not intend to let his captive rest doing nothing in the castle's walls.
"I have one last thing to request of you, Count Dracula. Does this castle have a laboratory or at least a library of some kind? I might as well put Quiet Robe to work and see what the scientist could produce for us in the tools in the fortress." he asked.
Eastern Ruins
As they kept firing at Amako, the Zebesian and the Kihunter got wrapped in flames.
The red Zebesian simply grunted in pain, but still kept firing at her. He was more than used to this kind of heat, having served in Norfair before.
That wasn't the case with the green Kihunter, not suited for such heat. Screeching, he flew away, trying to get rid of the flames.
But Amako forgot to take care of the Tallon IV pirate and his energy scythe that she was clashing with. And the reptilian pirate was physically much stronger than her.
The red Zebesian would have gladly made matters more difficult were it not for a big, spiky boulder that threw himself right at him.
Screeching, the Zebesian was sent flying into a wall, the spikes having injured him. Still alive, he got up and stared furiously at Link.
"The... hell was that??" he screamed.
Meanwhile, Yoriichi igniting his blade further caused Kraid's grasp on the blade to weaken for just a moment, allowing him to retrieve his katana. With the sharp nails destroyed, he moved in for the kill.
Unfortunately, the Zebesian scientist, still hidden, had already pressed the remote on his switch while pointing at Kraid.
The sword... merely scratched the bottom of a yellow, sturdy skin, where Kraid was supposed to be.
When he, Link, and Amako would look up, they would see Kraid staring down at them, in his real massive size.
Kraid was a giant. Bigger than the vast majority of the building. The biggest barely reached his head. Perhaps the others that were in the ruins would be able to see the hulking lizard.
Kraid stared down at and he visibly narrowed his eyes at Yoriichi in particular. He took a few strong, but slow steps forward, his feets emitting loud noises every time he took a step, before roaring in anger.
Only Samus managed to anger the creature that much. At this point, he wanted Yoriichi dead, one way or another.
He may not have been much of a threat before, but Kraid's main strength resided in his huge size. Now that he had it back, the real fight could begin.
The alien raised his feet in the air, preparing to crush the trio immediately. The Tallon IV Pirate noticed it and quickly got out of the way.
Ridley couldn't help but snark in disbelief.
Did that human seriously believe him to be a God after his little boast? Gosh, that stupid human was even more of a monkey than he first thought.
He still curiously watched as Kraid assumed his real size not too far away. How curious. It would seem the other pests were not so weak after all.
Unlike the stupid human on his back.
The Pirate mockingly smirked at Link trying to reach him and failing, before turning to where Elaine had fired her bubbles.
"I got a dog to catch and bring back home. I have plans for it. And you'll help me! Certainly, you wouldn't mind, because that pest clearly doesn't mind hurting you. And it's not like a worthless monkey like yourself can defeat me with that pathetic toothpick!" he cackled.
Ridley plunged towards the ground, then flew to where Elaine was, with the clear intent to capture her. Roaring in delight, the dragon forcefully removed Conan from his body with his tail wrapped around him. All the dragon needed to do next was to cauterize the wound by breathing fire at it.
It hurt, of course. But Ridley has seen much worse. Like being turned into a cyborg alive.
Then, as he kept flying towards Elaine, Ridley used his tail to savagely drag the barbarian across the rocky ground.
And without armor, that dirty attack would certainly hurt Conan a lot more than his sword would be able to hurt the resilient dragon.
Edited by Scipion3 on Jan 30th 2023 at 12:33:02 PM
"Now it is time! Now we will fight! Then you will lose! And you will cry!"
she/her friend to the hooved
Elaine, Eastern Ruins, Center
Elaine winces as the thing whips around and puts Conan in the way of her attack in a move that she herself might have pulled if the shoe were on the other foot... but on the plus side, all it seems to do is piss the human off as he continues his assault. She doesn't usually hit other pokémon that hard, let alone unprotected humans, and by her estimation that hit ought to have knocked him out cold at best. Okay, this guy's made of tougher stuff.
It's right then, though, that the one who'd fired that shimmering arrow chooses to make themselves visible and join the fray. She squints hard.
A... Regirock? Graveler? Golem? Who th-
Then the stranger curls up into a ball again and starts rolling in place, evidently targeting one of the Scyther-things in a move she assumes to be some odd fiery variant of Rollout, even growing spikes before rocketing off toward the poor bug-type shmuck that she suddenly finds herself almost feeling sorry for. Almost. Have fun with that.
More worryingly, she catches sight of the fat one out of the corner of her eye, who then seemingly undergoes a process that one might mistake for Dynamaxing, growing several times what she'd assumed to be his normal height. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshit. One thing at a time, Ellie, the rest of the team's got this.
I think.
She turns her full attention back to the winged one, who'd since begun to swoop down toward her. A berserker, as she'd gathered from the fight thus far, and a particularly bloodthirsty one made of claws and teeth with evident intent to capture her for reasons she'd frankly rather not think about too much. She was wise to keep her distance and strike from afar, but this has done disappointingly little; she could duck and hide again, playing a fruitless game of Persian-and-Pichu until the sun sets, but as amusing as that would be with the beast's fowl temper, another idea comes to her.
A plan brewing, she steps out of cover and stares 'Ridley, the God of Death' down, in a gaze that practically screams 'is that all you've got?'
"Okay, you wanna dance, asshole?" she jeers, standing her ground as the beast approaches, anticipating an attempt to grab or swipe at her... only the instant it comes close enough to do this, it would find itself with a handful of empty air. In a judicious use of Quick Attack that surely would have disqualified her from an officiated battle, she puts herself behind the monstrous dragon—and beside the bound Conan—in the blink of an eye and immediately lashes out with another maximum-force Bubble Beam aimed squarely at its tail, near the base and almost point-blank, in a move that she hopes will at least free her human comrade.
Edited by Chortleous on Jan 30th 2023 at 10:01:39 AM
Anor Londo, Hall of Ornstein: "Well, You Are A Rare Visitor..."
As the three (male) visitors climbed their way down to the rampart and beyond, they might notice that there was one thing that the idyllic city lacked that Dracula's Castle had in spades:
Guards.
No flapping of demonic wings, no rustling of chainmail, no STOMP STOMP STOMP of heavily-plated giants. It was as if the city had been abducted in its entirety, while leaving the population back at home.
That was, until they reached a balcony serving as a peculiar fork in the road. To their backs was the spacious hall and the stairwell built into the cliffs, which they used to descend from the rampart. Straight ahead appeared to be a nearly identical hall, but where the hall behind them had a statue of a knight with a lion-faced helm, the statue straight ahead depicted a fat man with a massive hammer. Over to the right side of the hall straight ahead was another opening, one which likely led to stairs and—judging by the direction—the lone facility up at the highest point of the city.
To their right was a peculiar gazebo with a circular white design on the floor. Should either Trevor, Grant, or Alucard study the design for more of a moment, they might hear the grind of unseen gears as the floor suddenly disappeared—descending out of sight as a strange open-air elevator leading towards the bridge to the palace.
But perhaps all of these directions would come secondary to the visitors, for it was what lay to their left that would've caught their attention first: leaning on the edge of a comparatively small doorway into the building's interior, the vampire hunters would find a knight in gold and silver plate armor.
"Well, you three are rare visitors." she said with a smile in her voice. "Come down from the mountains, have you? That was the sole means of entrance before today, but now..."
She paused, apparently lost in thought for a moment.
"No matter. Welcome to the lost city of Anor Londo, visitors. Am I to assume that none of you bear the Dark Sign, branding you as chosen Undead?"
Anor Londo, Entrance to Duke's Archives: Even Rarer Visitors
The path to an entrance was a little more troublesome for Sypha and Carmilla; evidently, the front entrance to this building was considerably farther down the cliffside, but throughout the area there were the occasional doorway that allowed access to the forests surrounding the place.
And beyond, if the two ladies managed to spot the hidden footpaths to these doors.
Getting inside, unfortunately, proved to be yet another hassle. The doors they found all appeared to be locked. They would need to use some force to break the locknote , but it wouldn't put up much of a fight.
Once inside, the visitors would learn what this building almost immediately: it was a library that easily rivaled the Belmont's archives.
Stacked with books stretching to the heavens, and a web of staircases that appeared to spin to grant access across the sheer canyon the library's structure created.
For now, it appeared that the duo had not been spotted. That left them with some options as to what they could do: they could explore the first floor of this library, look outside a nearby balcony to try and assess their location, or they could climb the nearby staircase to head for the next floor.
Dracula's Castle, Foyeur: Is That A Triple-Dog Dare, Raven Beak?
"He's still alive because he's cheating, that's how! He's a stupid cheater with a stupid cheater face and some stupid time-cheating magic!" The mask thumbed over to Dracula. "Mister told me all about it!"
Almost as if to validate the Count's claim (wherever that came from), Ganondorf shrugged his shoulders: "The boy's sage-anointed moniker is 'The Hero of Time;' though I know not his methods of distorting history, I do not doubt my lord's sources on the matter. They match the tales from my kingdom—and I know firsthand what sort of allies he could gather back in Hyrule."
Triumphantly puffing out its chest, Majora greedily accepted the Count's invitation to make itself known to the local villages. In fact, it was already half a dozen steps away from the front doors when Raven Beak made a new proposal. The mask had some options here: ignore the patronizing words and walk out, take the metal bird up on the offer just to shut him up, or option three:
Test the waters.
The mask turned back towards the party of schemers. "'TaKe CaRe Of ThE sPiEs OnCe ThEy ArE iDeNtIfIeD!' You're not the boss of me! Mister said I'm excused, so I'm gonna go do what I think is fun. You wanna tell me what to do, mortal?"
The Husk dispersed in a puff of smoke, leaving only the maimed mask behind. Though as soon as it banished its child-like frame, the mask itself began to expand, growing into a something five feet wide from spike to spike, with a few dozen tendrils plummeting to the ground behind it.
"Show me you're even half as big as Mister is!"
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Feb 1st 2023 at 4:11:19 AM
Nia and Pyra, Hyrule, Ordon Village: Well, Someone's Excited
Pyra nodded at the Eliatrope's inquiry on the nature of her world's giant beasts, "Indeed. All our civilizations depend on the Titans to provide living space and resources to make them flourish."
A part of Nia caused her to pause when Qilby looked at her chest where she was stabbed. She didn't show it, but her pulse started to heighten its pace. Does he...?, she thought as she looked at Pyra. The Aegis smiles as she replies, "I'm not particularly a healer, but I had to help her out. It just seems natural to."
That smile of hers and the assuring tone helped calm her down a bit, if only it would help her change the subject. Then, the question of technology reaching the stars was asked and both of them shook their heads. It was from that point that Qilby tells the story of his people and what the "Krozmos" is.
They exchanged knowing looks at each other, wondering what would happen if Alrest's nations would have the means to travel to the stars. Surely, they would have already used it to escape their current predicament, but there would run the risk of being stuck on a different planet, which would be a lot more than they could manage, but perhaps they could keep on standing if they put their differences aside. Problem is, two of them are on the brink of war, one of them is annexed by one of said nations, one is likely planning to profit from a war, and while she isn't aware of the other nations, Nia had a feeling they would not get along so easily either.
The excitement definitely reached the two, but with differing results. Pyra was curious about the existence of other worlds while Nia was more skeptical over the whole thing. In the end of Qilby's spiel, Pyra spoke first, "Well, I thought it was enlightening. To think that we're so small in a greater world, it's humbling to say the least. Yet, you have brought quite a lot of insight that I could hardly imagine having."
Nia on the other hand was a bit more focused on the fact that Eliatropes and their twin dragons can never truly die, just reborn after their mortal form perishes. She couldn't help but think out loud, "Just like Blades, huh?"
Seeing as she would have to explain that part to the (likely) inquisitive travelers, she clears her throat for a bit, "In our world, we've got something similar in Blades. Not the whole portal thing, but the part where they come "back from the dead." Blades are bonded with a Driver, the person who resonated with them. Their lives are tied to each other's so if the Driver snuffs it, the Blade's reverted back into the Core Crystal they came from, waiting to be reawakened. Only, when they are, every memory they have with the previous Driver is gone. Their names, their powers, their likes and dislikes, they're still there, but the experiences and time they had with them are wiped away."
Then came Kayne and Moko's story with Pyra's curiosity giving way to a sad, sympathetic look, "I'm so sorry to hear that."
Her head was lowered, and her expression darkened, seemingly cut off from the rest of the group until Nia asks her name. She looked to see her Driver's concern and she responded, "It's nothing. It's just that hearing you go through all that is... terrible."
Nia noticed that the mention of a war started the change, but she kept it to herself as she responded to the other duo with a similarly morose tone, "Yeah. That's a lot to go through."
For the Rhogul-eyed (or eagle for the non-Alrestians) among the group, it would appear that the brightly-colored duo's reactions to the artificer's story may contradict Nia's point on Blades losing their memory.
Leif, ?????, Alleyway: Blending in with Blue
Seeing the man react in shock Leif muttered to himself, "This is going to be a thing, isn't it?"
With the introductions of Minako and the Magical Girls out of the way, the moth introduces himself, "We're from Bugaria, a land of, well, bugs. Just about any bug you can think of can be found here, only around our size, for some reason. Oh, and to clarify, "we" doesn't mean them," he motions to the humans around him.
From behind, he turned and saw one of the workers for the strange man with a massive proboscis and looked at the poncho with a bit of curiosity, even if his eyes didn't show it. He took the poncho and thought, We could ask for a little scarf or something, but beggars can't be choosers.
He drapes it over his head and nods to Elizabeth, "Thanks."
Kabbu and Vi, Bugaria, Bee Kingdom -> Golden Settlement -> Golden Hills: Snakemouth Sets Sail!
After a few meets, greets, and a trip to the local baker for his famous donuts, Vi and Kabbu wave goodbye to Defiant Root before taking the tunnel from the Anthill. From there, they relayed the Queen Bee's message and their plan to explore out of Bugaria to one of the castle's servants to keep Elizant II informed. Next, they took the tunnel headed for the Golden Settlement.
From here, they can see the town, not as lively compared to when they first visited a few moons ago, but nonetheless, it remains a bustling place where all kinds of bugs go to live in a land of perpetual fall. A quaint farming village with a few houses on the east, some plots of land full of crops and aphids and an entrance to a Bee Kingdom-owned power plant to the west, and at the center, an inn, a store along with a famous chef, and a giant statue depicting the goddess, Venus. In front of the statue, a hooded mantis can be seen uttering prayers
, "We thank you for your bountiful harvest, Venus. May we prosper under your watch."
The two of Team Snakemouth walked on the platform as the mantis finishes her prayer, "Well met, Team Snakemouth. I've heard of your current plight through the workers. You have my deepest sympathies."
Kabbu bows his head, "Thank you, Aria. We've been searching high and low across Bugaria, perhaps we'll find our answers here."
Aria smiles as she responds, "I pray for you to find your friend. Venus be with you."
at the foot of the wooden elevator. A soft, welcoming voice came from the flower, "Welcome back!"
Vi responded back, "Hey Venus! We're gonna need your help!"
The bud tilted her head, "I assume this is about Leif, am I right?"
Kabbu nodded his head, "We came to you for a way out of Bugaria. I suspect Leif may not be here because of the shift between worlds."
"The shift...? Oh! Those strange sleeping episodes?"
"These powers affected you too?"
"Yeah. I rarely, if ever, sleep, so once is weird, but twice in a short span of time?" A pause before the bud's "head" tilts again. "Hmmmm... Perhaps a boat might work? I can't sense any land from the West. It all just cuts off at a certain point instead of just fading out."
"A boat? We wouldn't wish to use your resources so friv-"
"I respect your courtesy, but I insist. You wish to find your friend, don't you?"
"I do... Thank you, Venus. My faith in you has never been stronger."
"Yeah, what Kabbu said!"
With the new goal in place, the two-thirds of Team Snakemouth along with Venus, went on to build a boat. As the daylight burns, they gathered up wood for the boat itself, petals for the sail, vines for the rope, rocks for the anchor, anything they need to build the boat. After the items are assembled, they worked on constructing the boat, which took them around an hour before they complete it and set it by the coastline. Indeed, the boat is floating as planned, and the sail is ready to be unfurled. As the bee and beetle climb aboard the boat, they look back and see the bud of Venus waving its "arm" to them. They got a brief lesson on how to use the sailboat and the oars just in case just so they won't end up in the bottom of the ocean. With a push, they set sail, first starting on the isolated island.
A certain island full of warrior women would soon find themselves with a pair of bugs coming to their home.
"I treasure every day with you, darling." "No need to be so sappy, love." "You know that's how she is, Nia." - AU!Pyra, Nia, Mythra
Midbus
Castlevania
Raven Beak barely had the time to receive Dracula's answer that Majora came back, not very happy with the Mawkin chieftain. It got rid of its husk and grew in size, spawning tentacles from its back.
Immediately, the Mawkin commander grabbed his spear and turned to Majora in a battle-like stance.
"You primitive scum!!" the Chozo shouted, loyal to the point he was ready to fight Majora just because he disrespected his chieftain. That attitude pleased Raven Beak.
"No." he still sternly said.
"My Lord?" the Mawkin commander asked, confused.
"Go outside, and inform the rest of your comrades back on Itorash what has transpired there when they return. From there, and once you have dealt with Quiet Robe, you will acquaint yourselves with the creatures and other magicians in this castle. Lord Dracula expects preparations. We will not disappoint our host. His words and those of the King of Hyrule are as absolute as mine." Raven Beak ordered.
The Chozo looked at his Lord, then at Majora before kneeling, though a bit reluctantly.
"At once, my Lord."
Raven Beak then calmly turned towards the giant mask and folded his arm with an audible smug scoff.
If Majora hoped to impress the chieftain, he completely missed. Raven Beak was certainly intrigued. It would seem the mask itself was an entity on its own. He was quite curious as to why Dracula recruited it.
But most of all, the creature's insolence was testing his patience.
The mask is short-sighted and juvenile; it will not recognize Raven Beak's authority until its sees your Chief's power for itself. Ganondorf once said to his subordinate. Raven Beak was more than willing to do that. It would seem that the arrogant demon needed a brutal lesson to learn its place, Mawkin style. And the ruthless warrior could hardly refuse a challenge.
Unlike Majora though, Raven Beak didn't forget that he was in someone else's domain. He didn't forget about the Cure's rule of balance, which was likely a thing still in this new world. As much as he hated the idea, he could not destroy the mask. Showing him his place should be more than enough to shut it up.
Raven Beak silently turned his head to Dracula, silently asking for his host's approval or non-approval.
Edited by Scipion3 on Feb 1st 2023 at 11:11:37 AM
"Now it is time! Now we will fight! Then you will lose! And you will cry!"
Nia and Pyra, Hyrule, Ordon Village: The Story So Far
The duo from Alrest took Rusl's offer, knowing that they too haven't eaten since they got to this strange patchwork world, entered his house and introduced themselves. The quaint village didn't give them any reason to stay on guard, so they parked themselves on the table. Pyra spoke to the wife of the household when she sees that she has a kid on the way, "Congratulations!"
When Rusl wanted to know what kind of adventures the group was in before they ended up here, Pyra started off, "Nia and I," she looks at the furry-eared girl, "only met each other for a day but we were on a mission to get to Elysium, where I was born. She's the reason I'm out and about. She stowed away on a trip to salvage a ship I was on."
Nia added to Pyra's telling, "Hard to believe it, but we met after I died. Had my chest run through and everything. And it's because of her that I'm still around. She was all sealed up and I got her out. We fought the bas-" she corrected herself for the sake of the two children present, "We fought the man who killed me, and we got saved by some kid and his Titan."
"And that's the story so far." Pyra looked at her companions, curious about them as well. "What about you? Have any of you been on any adventures?"
Leif, ?????, Alleyway: Odd Bug Out
The tall moth nodded as he introduced himself to the magical girls, "We're Leif."
When the scruffy man brought about how he's willing to give information about this place at a price, he reached out for a pouch to get some Berries out, but when he mentioned that everything's "eee-lek-tro-ick", he takes his empty hand out. From what he could gather, it doesn't involve physical money and can be done through that glassy square with pictures. Leif knows he's a bug out of time, but this almost looks like something out of one of those science fiction novels. He couldn't help but think Are those what these Giants were like back then? as he looks at the exchange between Minako and the hobo.
The flying crafts filling the skies got Leif's attention, even in the narrow view from the alley. It's almost dizzying from the lights and the numbers, he had to wonder if he could take one and make a beeline to Bugaria. Surely, one out of dozens wouldn't be missed too much, right? He looked at the bum and asked, "Are they part of your city?"
Kabbu and Vi, Bugaria, Bee Kingdom: Thinking Up Ships
The two-thirds of Team Snakemouth and the researcher explain the situation to the Queen of the Bees as she patiently listens to the unusual predicament. The first time round was concerning, but the second? It was practically absurd! Yet, she knows that they aren't lying. Heck, she even saw the lands herself during the time when the land was called "Battleworld"! Which brings the question; Are they incentivized to wage war on each other or are they truly out of this outer god's grasp? A thought for later. Now, there's the matter of the new neighbors and a missing teammate. The grasshopper speaks to the Queen, "What should we do now?"
Queen Bianca places a hand to her chin, taking a few moments to think this over. After a few, she replies, "We should remain vigilant for any changes both in and out of Bugaria. We cannot branch out with what we have, but if anything from out here arrives here, we keep an eye on it."
Kabbu asked his question, "And about Leif?"
"We'll set up a search party within our borders. I've gotten word that the Ants have started their own by the time you arrived."
Kabbu felt some relief, "We really appreciate your assistance."
The Queen of all Bees smiled sincerely, "You're quite welcome. Hopefully we'll find your friend soon."
With a bow from the beetle and a short nod from the short bee, they walk out to the Hive's entrance. Vi asked the question, "What now? We can't be waiting on them to find Leif!"
"I have faith in their search, but we can never be too sure."
"What about that ship back at the Ant Kingdom?"
"I'm doubtful that the owner would willingly give up his ship and it's stuck at the Metal Lake."
"Dang it! Is there anything we could use?"
Kabbu closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts. Then, a breakthrough! He looked at Vi, "Of course! You may be right the first time, Vi!"
The bee was surprised at the statement, "I was? I mean, of course I was!" A few moments of pride and silence before Vi asks, "What was I right about again?"
"Venus! She cannot sense Leif, nor can she possibly reach out further than here. What if we were to ask her to construct a vessel?"
"Like get a goddess to build a boat?"
"It may be our best shot. To the East, there's the Wasp Kingdom, which for obvious reasons, we wish to avoid. South of here and the Ant Kingdom lays the Forsaken Lands, where many bugs vanish, never to be seen again."
"I see where you're going with this. I'm liking it, I'm liking it."
"Then perhaps from our contact with Venus, perhaps she can assist us in finding Leif outside of Bugaria's borders!"
"Heck yeah! A reward for our hard work and a little bonus? Sign me up!"
Kabbu paused to restrain himself from sighing in disappointment. And from here, our insectoid heroes make their way to the Golden Settlement on their next step of their search for Leif.
"I treasure every day with you, darling." "No need to be so sappy, love." "You know that's how she is, Nia." - AU!Pyra, Nia, Mythra