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Nick Wilde

He could tell it was going to be a bad day. After all, it wasn't just any old day that he found himself waking up on the cold ground with absolutely no recollection of how he had ended up there in the first place. Spitting out the dirt that had somehow ended up in his mouth, he planted his paws firmly on the ground and arched his back up, working himself up onto two legs so he could stand up properly. His head pounded with what was possibly the worst headache he had felt in his life, but after finding himself sprawled out on the ground in the first place he wasn't all that surprised.

Nicholas P. Wilde dusted dirt off his shirt and pants as he took the time to get himself acquainted with the area around him. It didn't look like any area of the city he knew since there were no sidewalks to speak of and the trees didn't resemble the tropical variety found in some areas of the city. It was just trees. Trees and trees and trees for what could very well be miles. Did that mean he wasn't in the city at all? He prided himself very much on knowing every scrap of the city by heart and none of this looked familiar in the slightest.

Clearly, the only conclusion was that someone had knocked him out and dumped him outside of the city somewhere. But why?

No, that was a stupid question. He had made enough enemies that several animals would love to get rid of him. Smiling slightly to himself, he shook his head and shrugged ever so slightly. Alright then. He was somewhere beyond the limits of the city in a forest. So it was just a matter of getting out of the forest and back to the city. So he just needed to find some kind of civilization. Nick scratched his head as he closed his eyes. Well, that was easier said than done. He had no idea what direction to even start going. He could very well just end up more lost than he already was if he wandered off in a random direction.

"I need to look around," he declared out loud, spinning around in a quick circle before spying a tree with a few lower branches. Quickly making his way over, he gingerly touched one of the lowest branches, testing his weight on it. It seemed a bit flimsy but he didn't weigh all that much so it would probably do.

 

 

Chat Noir

Chat Noir had been in the midst of fighting when he suddenly found his vision going dark. Stumbling for an instant in the dark, he planted his staff on the ground as his vision returned to him, the spots of dark fading just as quickly as they had come, leaving him only with an upset stomach. That was... Odd. Placing a hand on his stomach in puzzlement, he paused for just a moment before looking upwards, startled out of his slight daze by a loud, beeping car. Darting out of the street as the car zoomed past, his greens eyes blinked in surprise at the driver's swears.

"English?" He asked in confusion, noting the strange architecture of the city around him that was clearly not from his own home city of Paris. But that was impossible! He had been in France only moments before and the villain he had been fighting with Ladybug hadn't hit him with anything that would make him wind up all the way in... What was this, America? The accent seemed to suggest so. As did the flag hanging from a nearby building.

But if he was in America, how was he supposed to get home? He was an ocean away, stranded with no money or contacts. He couldn't just call up his father either. That conversation wouldn't go very well at all. How was he supposed to explain that not only was he not where he was supposed to be, but also in an entirely different country halfway across the world? He'd never be let out of the house again.

Grimacing at the idea, Chat Noir quickly moved off the street, scaling a nearby building with ease and jumping onto the roof. Crouching there, he looked out across the city with a frown. There was no denying this was America. He could see the famous green sculpture he had read about lurking out in the water just beyond the borders of the city. The Statue of Liberty.

Great.

 

 

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Chell

 

Oh, she was dizzy. Her vision swam and stomach, well, if her stomach had enough food in it, she would probably vomit. Instead, she retched silently for a few seconds. Nothing but thick, viscous acid spilled from her mouth and onto the plush green ground. Wait. Green. As in...grass? Instantly did her attention shift from her stomach to the area around her.

 

Green. There was so much green. Everywhere. And it was...beautiful. The woman leaned against a tree, hands drifting across the rough surface of the bark. GLAD0S was right. The surface is amazing. The real world...Just thinking about it made her dizzy! It was only when she looked on the other side of the tree did her bout of euphoria end.

 

A thing. A small, fuzzy thing. Was this a deer? The sort of deer GLAD0S talked about? She was unsure. Wrinkling her brow, she hesitantly extended a hand towards the orange creature. It looked so...soft. She just wanted to touch it. Just a little.

 

Lawrence & The Scout

 

"Yo snipes, ya alhight?"

This familiar voice was what roused the middle aged assassin from unconsciousness. That, and the cool metal of a baseball bat against his face. The Scout nudged him gently with his melee weapon, concern wrinkling his usually smooth face. The youngest and the oldest of the team. Together again. They hadn't seen one another ever since they'd been fired. And man, it was good to see the Sniper in one piece. Though... It looked like he had been torn open pretty recently. And from the gruesome procedures the not-so-licensed Medic did, he was cut open to show...everything. And no Medigun to heal him up. That was the opposite of good.

 

"Oh bloody hell..." Lawrence rolled onto his side, groaning as all the pain hit him at once. Bile crept at the back of his throat, threatening a mess if he wasn't careful.

"It's...a long story mate. Seems as if fate has been treating you well."

"Couldn't say tha' same for you. Looks like ya got hit by the medi-van! ...Or maybe the Mundymobile?

Ugh. That piece of garbage was another object of the medic's he'd rather not think about. It put shame to his lovely camper van. Though, his camper had a considerably smaller amount of organs.

"Say...where's everyone else? Where's that Heavy fellow?" That old man deserved a good bullet to the head. He had nothing but bad intentions.

 

"Why don't we talk about where we are instead! I mean, Jeesus man, I don't recall takin' a flight back t' New York!"

Come to think of it, neither had he. They had been in Australia minutes ago.

"And why...why does everything look so...so..."

"Futuristic." The Sniper finished, sitting up slowly. His weapons and the remainder of his clothes lay next to him in a neat pile, like he has simply taken off his shirt and fallen asleep. But that couldn't be the case. That was impossible. And everything was so shiny and bright and nothing looked familiar. Leave it to Scout to know where they were. After all, this part of the states were his home.

Edited by shadow_claw

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Lu/Ciel

 

"You're very important to me, and I need you. So I don't want you to die."

He turned, looking at the young girl as the two floated in the abyss, their souls glowing, their bodies cast aside back in the mortal plane. Sparkling stars of white and blue cascaded around them as they stood here now. It felt as though time had stopped

Even though she was merely a soul, tears still fell from her eyes, drops of water that glittered due to the sheer amount of light beaming from all different directions. She rubbed her eyes to remove them but they kept coming.

I don't want to see her crying.

The thought permeated his mind and he reached for her head, patting it softly.

She doesn't deserve any of this cruelty.

She looked up at him, confused. He noticed a hint of mischief in her eyes but he could only assume this contract she was planning was special.

But does it matter?

He hugged her close as she stopped sobbing. Even her soul felt warm.

Here, in this cold abyss, she is still the only warmth, the only, truly living thing he had ever encountered.

"I can save us both." she whispered, clutching him. "But you must promise to serve me."

Serve her? What had she meant when she said that?

It took him only a moment of deliberation.

"I am yours, my Queen." he whispered within the depths of his heart. "I will keep you safe. If it will make you happy again, I give myself to you."

She laughed softly, and then loudly, as the contract was completed, and his soul and hers were forever bound into one. From that point onward, would the two of them become inseparable.

And he never regretted it. Not once.

 

----

 

He laid upon the soft earth below him as birds of various sizes chirped from afar. The noise was loud and boisterous, affecting every part of him. He coughed as he realized he'd swallowed a bit of dirt when he had... landed? He spat, trying to clear his mouth of the horrible taste.

But now his mind was entirely on her.

"L....Lu?..." he whispered, beginning to grow nervous. "Lu?!"

He turned to his right but found himself unable to stand. His body felt numb. Had they been captured?! Trapped?! His heart began to race.

"Lu!" he shouted a bit louder, his training preventing him from shouting too loudly. If he drew attention to himself.

He turned to his left with all of his strength and then relaxed.

She was slumbering peacefully, one hand curled near her face. He relaxed, seeing no visible wounds or signs of trauma. He could lay like this forever, as long as he knew she was safe. Just admiring her adorable features and being content.

But this was not the time for that. She was safe as it appeared and he needed to keep it that way. He began to relax his muscles, then force them to move, waiting until he could feel enough. It took a few minutes but finally he could move his arms again. He pushed against the Earth, lifting himself from the ground and sitting on one knee.

From what he could see, this land was similar to Elrios. Beautiful, expansive, green, alive. But something felt off. The air wasn't the same. The sounds weren't the same. But the most telling feature was a humongous group of large, silver constructs in the distance and the sounds of some form of loud blaring.

"C...iel...."

Ciel turned, looking down at Lu quickly. Was she actually hurt?!

She yawned, putting a hand to her mouth and then stretched, pulling her arm over her head and then looking at him with tired eyes.

"No breakfast this morning...? You're slacking..." she whispered, fatigued. "And I was looking forward to it too... I had this lovely dream..."

"Lu!" Ciel said, putting his hands on her shoulders and then pointing at the city frantically.

"Huh?" Lu took a moment, then turned back to him after appraising the city.

"What about it...?" she asked, cocking her head.

"This isn't Elrios, Lu! Have you ever seen any technology like that back home?!" Ciel asked.

"Huh? Not Elrios...?" Lu suddenly became serious. "...What happened?"

"I don't know! I woke up like this shortly before you did." Ciel claimed, holding out both hands in a shrug. "All I remember is tucking you in last night and then falling asleep!"

"And why aren't we in the soul realm...?" Lu asked, rubbing her eyes a bit more. "Gods... I need tea to deal with this. We're getting too anxious."

"Right. Anxiety won't solve any of this. I'll prepare some." Ciel said, snapping his fingers. From the soul realm were a kettle and pair of cups produced.

"Hm..... This morning I'm feeling.... Earl Grey?....." Lu tapped her chin. "Hmm hmm hmm...."

"What about King's Breakfast?" Ciel replied, searching through his coat for the different packets.

"Vanilla Chai..." Lu's eyes began to sparkle. "Yes... something relaxing like that."

"As you wish, my Queen." Ciel complied, tearing open the packet and dispersing the tea leaves. As they sat waiting for the water to boil, Lu leaned her head on him.

"What is that loud noise anyway? It's irritating." she stated, eyes closed.

"I have no idea. I've never heard anything like it." Ciel turned back to the city. "But it doesn't sound like a beast either."

"I suppose that's promising." Lu yawned again. "I'm not feeling in the mood for a fight right now. Too sleepy."

"Agreed." Ciel responded. "Shall I perform a patrol, just to be safe?"

"Nooo...." Lu moaned. "Don't worry about it. I don't sense any magical auras anyway."

"As you wish."

There was a long moment of silence. A wind blew across the grass and a few birds began to chirp again. Ciel actually felt he didn't much mind this new environment. It was much better than waking up in a prison cell or a torture chamber. Compared to most things that could have happened, this didn't seem too bad.

Finally, the silence was broken by the bubbling of the kettle. Ciel took the handle gingerly as Lu held out her cup excitedly.

"Thank goodness." she said as she stirred in a bit of sugar. "I needed this. Most definitely."

"The first step to a good morning is a healthy bit of tea and breakfast." Ciel held up a finger.

"Then where's the breakfast?" Lu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That depends. What would you like this morning?" Ciel asked, smiling.

"Hmmmm..... Fruit." Lu began, rubbing her chin with her free hand.

"Fruit?"

"And pancakes."

"Will that be all?" Ciel asked.

"Yes, thank you." Lu said, sipping gingerly.

Ciel snapped his fingers again. From the depths of the soul realm came a small, wood stove, a pan, and various other tools needed to complete his new task. He began peeling an apple, handing her the skin as he finished.

"I suppose this isn't the worst situation we've been in." Lu said, sighing.

"Not at all."

"But it isn't exactly ideal, either. Where are those other trouble makers we've seemingly been conscripted by?" she asked, looking about.

"No clue."

"So we're alone here?"

"It seems that way, my Queen."

"Like old times?"

"Precisely."

"Well, I suppose I can be grateful for the fact that whoever brought us here took the time to bring you as well. How courteous."

"Yes. I would have been very saddened and afraid if I had not seen you when I woke up."

Lu got herself some more tea, having finished her cup very recently.

"Ah well, in any case, the first thing we should do is explore."

"That place?"

"Of course. It's loud. And active. It has to be SOME form of civilization, no matter HOW strange it is."

"Very well." Ciel said as he finished cooking, handing her a plate.

"Then let us eat and enjoy this peaceful setting before we delve into that madness."

"Yes. Let's." Lu said, hungrily accepting the breakfast she was given.

 

-----

 

Isaac Clarke

 

So much flesh. So much blood. So much screaming.

So much madness. So much pain. So much loss.

The gun fire. The loud noises in the expanse of space. The dull thuds as the bodies fell, one after another, only to rise again to seek out more victims in their disgusting march of undeath.

And her face. Over and over. Her face. Haunting him even when he felt safe, never leaving him alone.

Nicole....

 

Isaaaaac.... wake up Isaac.

You were just telling me about your mission to that ship. That mining vessel. What was its name?

 

The Ishimura.

 

He awoke in a cold sweat, grasping his skull with both hands as he tried to make sense of his dreams. Even with the Marker gone and his dementia quieting, he still felt as though madness was trying to grab hold of him. But it was over. It had to be over.

He held his chest as, with his other hand, he brought up his menu to check his RIG.

"Pulmonary Systems: Normal. Respiratory: Accelerated....." the menu began to go down the line but Isaac stopped it halfway through, sighing. He was at least, for the moment, safe.

Wait..

He cleared his eyes, blinking, as he looked around at his surroundings. What the hell was this? A blue sky? Grass? A chill breeze? He stood up slowly, putting his hand on the tree behind him to steady himself.

"...What..." he whispered. "This... this can't be real. It has to be one of the simulations... This is what old Earth..."

He vomited, coughing. For some reason he felt sick, and not just because of this situation. Something had made him have heavy vertigo.

"Ellie..." he whispered, pushing himself forward as he began to walk from the hilltop. But he tripped, falling, and began to roll down the hill. Pain coursed through his body as he rolled, yelling obscenities until he finally hit the bottom of the slope.

He coughed. That hadn't help his vertigo at all. He could barely walk or stand. He checked his RIG, then groaned.

It was yellow. He must have been wounded earlier. Did he have any medpacks? He checked his inventory.

A few small, a medium, and one large.... He'd have to keep that one. He didn't know where he was, nor if they even had medpacks here.

He took the medpack and performed the necessary actions to bind it to his RIG. Soon, healing medication was spreading through his body. His RIG began to turn green again.

"Well..." he began, coughing. "That's one problem solved, I guess."

He sat down, leaning his head against the bottom of the slope, his vision blurry.

"None of this could be real, right?" he asked himself, hand on his head. "None of it. I was miles away from Earth..."

But the Sun, the blue sky, all of it... It only fit one description. Not only that, but his body felt like it was... home. As though this is where he belonged.

Earth.

Edited by Thaelasan

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Nick Wilde

Nick had found his footing on the lowest branch only a few inches off the ground when his eyes caught movement in his peripheral vision. Looking away from the top of the tree he had been aiming to scale, the fox turned his head to stare at the hand slowly moving towards his body. Glancing momentarily between it and the face nearby before settling back down on the hand, his short muzzle pinched up slightly as he frowned. Dropping one hand away from the trunk of the tree, he swatted the hand away from his body and looked at the face of an animal that had been trying to touch him. “Yeah, no,” he declared, stepping down from the branch and walking around in a half circle away from it before turning to face the animal that had been trying to touch him. Setting his arms on his hips, he eyed the animal, his ears extending slightly backwards. He didn’t like being touched by other animals, especially not ones bigger than him. Touching usually wasn’t a polite handshake or a nice hug, but instead just someone, somewhere deciding to shove him out of a store or push him for whatever reason. Now, he couldn’t deny he was a con-man but a thief? Please, only on tax forms.

 

The animal that had tried to touch him looked like a mammal but looked like none he had ever seen before. To start, he didn’t know all that many that had five fingers instead of four, or at least none came to mind. Beyond that, this mammal looked fairy large but had absolutely no fur to speak of. Well, that wasn’t quite true. It looked like it had just a little on the top of its head, a bit like a lion but less dense than a mane. Well, at least he knew it was intelligent since it was wearing clothing and walking around like any normal animal would. So it must simply be a matter of him not knowing what type instead of it being something else. “Wait, where did you come from?” He suddenly asked, his ears leaping up immediately and his eyes widening ever so sightly. Looking around left and right, he tried to peer through the trees before stepping forward again, moving closer to the animal. What an idiot he was, trying to focus on what kind of animal this thing was instead of where it had come from. “Is there a city or a town nearby that you came from? I need to get back to Zootopia.”

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Chell

 

The fuzzy thing can talk! Oh, that changes a lot! Chell flinched as her hand was swatted at, her lips pursing into a small frown. Okay. Stepping back a few paces, the woman watched the animal's arms go akimbo. Maybe she could glean some answers from him!

 

...Never mind. Chell's frown deepened even more as she was spoken to. She couldn't answer that question even if she wanted to. Well, not vocally. Instead, she gestured to the writing on her tank top. The only writing on her shirt was APERTURE LABS and its corresponding logo. As if this wasn't enough, she untied her jumpsuit and pulled a small card from one of its pockets. The said card was extended to the fox with a small frown.

 

CHELL [REDACTED]

 

Aperture Labs Test Subject

 

Other than this, the card contained valuable information such as her subject ID number, blood type, weight, height, and noted allergies (none, it should be mentioned). After handing over the card, she merely shrugged. Chell didn't know where she was either.

Edited by shadow_claw

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Dante

 

One second of confusion, some unspecific amount of time of darkness.

 

Dante groaned and pushed himself off the ground a little. Why did that happen? Why was he face down? Did a Marionette actually successfully set up an ambush for once in their lives...?

 

A moment later and he realised that he was no longer on the cobblestone streets he knew, just grass, dirt... the only civilisation he could see was a skyline a good distance off.

 

He rubbed the back of his arm across his face. Must've had one too many, he assumed. Looking around - he didn't feel like bothering to stand up just yet - a guitar case lay not too far off. Just out of arm's reach, actually.

 

Well, there was an incentive to stop looking like a fool on the ground. With some muttered language, Dante pushed himself upright and took all of one step forward to grab that case. And then he ran his fingers through his white hair. Checked for his amulet. Discovered Ebony and Ivory still safely in their holsters. And upon checking out the distant skyline for a second time - yeah, that didn't look familiar, at all. The hell had happened?

 

"Definitely had one too many," he told himself.

 

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Lu/Ciel

 

The two began their walk across the grassy grounds of their new environment, keeping close to one another. Ciel had his gunblades at the ready, walking with them around his shoulder at the other hanging at his side. Lu just casually walked, still slightly groggy.

The sounds of the city were growing louder, and so was this constant blaring. Ciel grew anxious. He had no idea what those sounds were. He turned to Lu, confused.

"Don't look at me!" she shrugged. "Why would I know? I'm as lost as you."

Ciel sighed. He supposed all they had for it was to keep walking. And hoping nothing bad happened.

Though, to be honest, it normally did.

 

-----

 

Isaac Clarke

 

He finally had amassed the nervous ability to stand, albeit weakly. He searched his surroundings. In his blurry sight, he at least managed to spot another man, far in the distance, reaching for a guitar case.

"...Hey..." he whispered, trying to get over to him. "Hey... buddy.... Can.."

He stumbled, then managed to at least get a better grasp of his movement.

He had never seen this man before, not on the station, not on the ship... never. He looked like some young kid. And what kind of clothes were those?

Finally, he was a few yards away from the man. He suddenly noticed a pair of guns the man was looking at and immediately grew apprehensive. He quickly accessed his own inventory and pulled the plasma cutter from its holdings in material space.

"Hey... HEY!" he yelled, concerned. "Are we alone here? Is this some sort of sick game? Where's Ellie?!"

He wasn't aiming the gun but he was ready to. Something about this situation didn't feel right at all.

"Look this doesn't have to become some kind of gunfight but those weapons you have there don't look friendly, ok?" Isaac calmed down a moment, trying to be a bit more civilized. "Are you hurt? I feel like garbage."

He stepped a bit closer, sighing.

"Do you at least know where we are?" he asked, hopeful. The gun was still clenched in both hands but he didn't feel any dangerous vibes from this guy - not yet.

But, he didn't exactly look friendly himself. Even with his helmet off, Isaac's engineering suit definitely felt out of place here.

 

-----

 

Corrin and Kinu

 

You are chosen, Corrin. Chosen to lead your people against those you once called family. You chose this path.

BUT I DIDN'T WANT THIS!

That matters not. It is now your destiny. And you must fulfill it.

 

His white hair blew softly in the breeze. But that's not what woke him up. He felt a tickling sensation from his forehead. He opened his eyes quickly, confused.

"Piyo piyo.~"

Above him, a familiar, female face stared down over him, head slightly to the side in confusion.

"Kinu, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" the woman asked. "Poking you with a leaf!"

"Why?"

"Because you weren't waking up, silly!" she replied, smiling. "I was gettin' kinda worried there for a second!"

Corrin sat up, gently taking a hold of Kinu's shoulder as he sat to his full height, eyes half open.

"Where the devil are we?" Corrin asked, brushing his own shoulder of sand and dirt.

"I have no clue!" Kinu said. "Isn't it exciting?"

"Sure..." Corrin replied quietly. But this wasn't good at all. He couldn't show Kinu his anxiety but being alone was frightening, especially during this time of war. Had they been separated from the main army? Think, Corrin. What had happened last night?

A march against Nohr's forces. A tactical move through the forest. Kinu took his arm. The two went silently through the trees away from everyone else to try and get an ambush from the back of the enemy force. A finger to her lips. A silent whisper. A playful smile.

And then blackness.

"Did... did we miss the conflict...?" Corrin asked, standing to his feet, his armor making a slight noise as he did so.

"I dunno." Kinu replied, blowing on the leaf and making shrill, musical notes. The sound was melodious.

"That sounds lovely, Kinu." Corrin said, after a moment of silence, with only the notes pervading the breeze.

"Thanks!" Kinu replied, tossing the leaf. "But I'm done with that for now. You know what I really want?"

"What?" Corrin turned slightly.

"FOOD!" Kinu said, leaping up into the air in a mock cheer. "Something tasty. Meat!"

Corrin checked his armor and bags thoroughly until he finally found his ration sack.

"It's not fresh, but I still have some jerky here, dear." Corrin said, holding it out to her.

Kinu wagged her tail playfully as she took it from him between her teeth, chewing on it thoughtfully. She smiled.

"Is it good?" Corrin asked.

"Yeah!" Kinu said between bites. "Thanks! I feel a lot better now. I was feeling a bit sick, you know?"

"Sick? Are you ok?" Corrin asked, concerned, removing his glove and then checking her forehead.

She held still as he put his glove back on.

"No fever. That's a rel-"

Kinu had put her hand on his head, the other hand still holding the jerky to her lips.

"You feel fine!" Kinu stated certainly, putting her hand back down to her side.

"Thank you. I actually was feeling a bit nauseous too." Corrin said, but as an aside to himself he noted it could also have been the anxiety. He held his hand over his eyes as he surveyed the landscape, then pulled a map from his side. He unfurled it while Kinu looked over his shoulder, still chewing on the jerky.

"....This doesn't look at all like what the scouts reported..." Corrin said, scratching the side of his head. "Water? There's not an ocean nearby.. and this looks far larger than a lake or sea...."

"Smells like an ocean too!" Kinu said, sniffing. "Lots of salt. I've never been to an ocean but Papa says they're fun to swim in!"

"Does that mean what I think-" Corrin began, before Kinu had already taken off her top layer of clothing, thrown it into his hands, and leaped into the water. She was barely wearing anything save her undergarments and an overshirt. Corrin scoffed.

"Here? Now? What if the enemy is still here?" Corrin asked, confused.

"You need to relax anyway." Kinu said, holding out her hand. "Now hurry up and get in the water. It feels fine!"

"....I suppose..." Corrin couldn't really refuse her here. There wasn't a sound save the water, Kinu's playful noises as she splashed, and the wind blowing.

He turned, surveying his surroundings as he removed some of his outer layers of armor. Behind them both, the beach ended with a cliff face, where a forest overlooked the sandy beaches. He could see nothing but beach for miles to his left but to his right...

What on earth were those giant, silver pillars? Was he seeing things? And out on the water... were those boats? Enemy ships? He couldn't tell from this distance. But this was no time to worry about it. Kinu was right.

Finally, he was down into nothing save his underclothes and cloth pants. He even removed his shirt, leaving everything in a nice pile. Yato, however, stayed in its sheath at his side.

"Heeey... don't bring that in the water." Kinu commanded, frowning. "It'll be fine. We'll be right here, right?"

Corrin hesitated, reaching for the clasp that kept the trusty blade tied to his side. This sword had saved them both many times. But Kinu was right... salt water probably wasn't good for it anyway and he couldn't see any enemies for miles, unless they were hiding in the trees behind them....

He breathed deeply.

"Very well." he agreed, unlatching the belt and placing Yato gently on his armor and her clothes pile. Giving it one, final, reluctant glance, he turned back to Kinu and stepped out into the water. She watched him eagerly, only the top half of her head unsubmerged.

The water slid gently over his feet as he got deeper within the water. Fish darted away from his presence as he moved into the less shallow area of it, allowing his body to be almost completely submerged.

Kinu swam closer to him, spitting water over to her left as she spat.

"Ugh! Don't try drinking this! Blegh! Blech!" she coughed, shaking her head. "This tastes awful!"

Corrin laughed, finally feeling a bit more at ease in this new environment. Kinu, of course, was always relaxed, but her face was contorted in one of disgust.

"It's salt water, Kinu. We don't drink salt water." Corrin informed, holding out his hand full of it. "You boil it first, or you drink water from lakes and rivers. Freshwater."

"Ohhhh..." Kinu cocked her head, getting a bit of water out of her ears. "That makes a bit more sense.

"But it's very warm and nice, Kinu. You were right." Corrin nodded softly.

"Of course I was." Kinu stood up, hands on her hips. Her shirt was almost stuck to her body from the weight of the water. Corrin blinked a moment.

"You've got some seaweed on you."

"Hmm?" Kinu said, looking down. On the stomach, arms, and chest of her shirt, patches of green plant life had decided to take refuge.

"YUCK!" she shuddered, pulling it off. "Ocean water is GRIMY! And it doesn't taste good either."

"It's nature, Kinu. Like a forest, ... just wet." Corrin shrugged. "Just enjoy it."

"Hey I'm the one who should be saying that!" Kinu said, sitting back down in the water.

They both sat in silence for a while, Corrin with one arm around Kinu's shoulders as she bobbed up and down beside him.

"After we finish here.." Corrin said suddenly. "We should go explore a bit."

"Yeah!" Kinu said, excited. "This place looks so bright and new!"

"But we need to find our way back to the camp too. It can't be far." Corrin instructed. "We were supposed to set one up northwest of the battlefield."

"I wonder if Papa is ok..." Kinu suddenly said, frowning.

"I'm sure he is." Corrin assured. "He's as strong as you are. All of them were. They'll be fine. We'll get back home in no time."

"You're right!" Kinu nodded. "I'm sure of it!"

But somewhere in the back of Corrin's mind, as the two swam gently together, he felt like something was terribly... terribly...

Wrong.

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Nick Wilde

Nick tilted his head to the side when the animal did not answer him, but instead pointed to the shirt she was wearing. Or more specifically, the writing on said shirt. Leaning forward slightly, he eyed the writing before leaning backwards again, looking only more confused than before. “Aperture Labs?” He asked, reaching out with a hand and plucking the card from her grip with one paw. Holding it carefully by the corners, he looked down at the card, his eyes glancing over the writing written there. “I’ve never heard of any Aperture Labs.” So it wasn’t from Zootopia, then.

 

At the writing on the card, however, his confused frown deepened into a full-out scowl. Test Subject? That sounded horrible. And the other information there only seemed to reinforce that fact. “Test subject?” He muttered to himself, shifting his weight slightly as he turned the card over, looking for some more information but finding nothing relevant or useful aside from the animal’s name. “Test subject for what?” He frowned as he flipped the card over a few more times, as if looking for something else he was missing but, finding nothing, held the card back out to her. “Well then, Chell, I suppose we are in the same situation,” He looked over at the tree he had been about to climb and shrugged, moving towards it yet again. Back at square one. Placing one foot on the lowest tree branch, he paused to look back at her. “I don’t suppose you are a natural climber? I don’t know what kind of animal you are.” While Nick certainly had his own natural skills, he wasn’t known for his ability to climb trees. Or, at least not as naturally as some animals could. Like squirrels or something. Rodents usually were good at climbing trees. Maybe bears as well, though he had only heard that before, never witnessed it himself.

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Chell

 

Test subject indeed. Chell's eyebrows knit together as her thoughts flickered back to Aperture. She, well, she'd been through a lot. A lot she didn't want to really think about. But for the sake of this new-found being, she would do her best. Waving her free hand, she slipped the portal gun from her arm and waved it around. She tested the gun. And the boots. But mostly, she tested GLAD0S's patience. And testing the limits of how long someone could go without eating.

 

Which reminded her. She was starving. Maybe climbing up the tree could help them find a place to eat? Yeah, that was a good idea. Chell glanced at Nick, shrugged, and began to back up. She had a plan, and it would be a risky one. Once deemed far enough away, she took off running towards the tree. Springing against it feet first, the jump boost from Longfall boots got her up pretty high.

 

And had her scrabbling for branches as she came back down. Luckily, however, she caught hold of a sturdier branch and hauled herself up. Though, she was only about five feet up. It didn't give her much of a view, but...

 

She could see people. People eating.

 

That was all it took. Chell dropped from the tree and took off towards the meadow, sprinting at full speed. Being an experienced runner, she was decently fast. So seeing a uniformed woman with a strange weapon in one hand and a downright ravenous look, well, it was rather intimidating. She was starving. She couldn't help it.

 

 

Undyne

 

Oh boy, that didn't feel good. Undyne was quick to get up from the alley she lay in, though, she wasn't quick to leave. Her eye...was glued to the sky. The sky. Actual, actual sunlight! The sky was blue! No more cave walls! She whooped, hollers of excitement escaping her mouth.

"You promised! You promised and you made good on it! Oh kid, I really gotta...kid?" Her victorious cheers soon faded as she glanced about. She was in an alley, alone. None of her friends were around. Her huge smile faded, before disappearing entirely. She was on the surface, alright, but...she was alone.

 

Downcast, Undyne exited the alley she had awoken in. As soon as she left, she came across a...human. Another one. She couldn't feel their soul like she could Frisk's. She couldn't see it either. Huh. But, he was definitely a human. All solid and no magic.

"I...uh." She stopped, clearing her throat. Being nervous wouldn't help anything. Straightening up, Undyne forced herself to give eye constant. "This is the surface, right? This is...the surface." Again did he gaze flicker back up to the sky. It was so beautiful. Tears welled in her eye just looking at it.

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Clarion ((I guess everyone's doing the name of their characters emboldened at the top of their posts, so I'll do that too.))

 

The girl opened her eyes after a long sleep. She still felt tired from the night before. She looked up, and much to her confusion she could see the sky and the tops of trees. Birdsong made itself heard in the area, and the city in the distance.

 

Something's not right here... Aside from the fact that I didn't take myself here.

 

Clarion sat up and immediately took notice of the presence next to her- the accursed Book of Claws that transformed her into a monster.

 

"So, you're still here." She addressed the book coldly, glaring at it.

 

The mysterious tome continued to ooze blood onto the grass beneath it, and did not answer. Clarion continued to stare down the book, demanding an answer.

 

"Why am I here? I know you brought me here for a reason."

 

The Book of Claws continued to be silent.

 

Clarion sighed to herself and picked up the book as best as she could with her claws. They weren't dexterous like fingers, but they got the job done- albeit awkwardly. That was just one of the more obvious changes to her life since she was cursed by the world's most evil library book.

 

Quickly examining her surroundings, Clarion decided that she was going to find someone to help her destroy this blasted book. If it was going to teleport her around the countryside, she wasn't going to cooperate with it.

 

She started walking, for no particular reason other than to try and forget her hatred of her burden, and then she heard other footsteps than her own. Clarion froze, and mentally prepared herself for combat.

 

One of the side-effects of reading the Book of Claws was that Clarion was now a killing machine. Her claws were deadly, and her nightmares gave her plenty of reasons to use them. To be sure, this had to be a hostile monster, given that the book had taken her here for some sort of elaborate death trap.

 

Clarion was assuming it was the kind she was used to. Perhaps the book had learned its lesson and made something stronger this time? Nothing surprised her more than what she saw.

 

... People?

 

Clarion looked at the two newcomers; they were very strangely dressed. Both were clad in blue and silver, but otherwise were very different. The man was definitely an adult and bore dual swords, but the girl looked older than she was herself. They were chatting, as if old friends.

 

The clawed girl didn't move, simply observing the two of them with a hint of confusion on her face, clutching her book against her chest.

 

This has to be a trap. It must be... Right?

Edited by Coryn02

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Dante

 

Movement from up ahead, and a sudden shout. Dante blinked - where did this kid come from? - and they were ready to threaten him with something. On reaction, Ivory was held up, pointed straight at the newcomer's face.

 

Not for long, fortunately. "You know how to make a dramatic entrance," Dante said, lowering his gun. "What's your problem?"

 

Ah, this kid was as lost as he was. The grip on Ivory tightened slightly as the newcomer neared, but then, in complete disregard of what armament the other held, swiftly returned it back to its holster. "I'm as lost as you are, kid," he stated bluntly. Though, looking at this bizarre clothing... "...Maybe not nearly as lost."

 

And shortly after, cries rising from not far off.

 

At first, all Dante could greet this weird... fish-monster...thing... with was an utterly baffled look. This a Demon? ...Nah. It looked far too absurd, even by Demon standards. And it didn't try to kill him on sight. Nice change of pace.

 

"The surface?" Dante looked around at the ground, arms out in some gesture towards everything around them. "Pretty sure it is. Never seen it before? You come out from Limbo or something?" He set the guitar case down and crossed his arms. "Heard you hollerin' away over there." This literal fish-out-of-water - he'd have to call her that if she didn't give him her name, it was too good - certainly seemed joyous about being here. Wherever 'here' was.

 

As par the course, this friendly banter was but a facade. It was always fun to mess around with Demons before they finally showed their true colours. Naturally, that applied to everything, including weird fish monsters.

Edited by rampaging wyvern

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Lu/Ciel

 

Remember, Ciel, this gun belonged to the royal family I was born into. It's used by our guardians and its strength is based on the soul of the user. I'm giving it to you because I know you'll use it to protect me - because I trust you'll learn to use it effectively.

So... keep keeping me safe, ok? We still have a lot to do before I can be queen again. But always remember.. you need to stay safe too.

Don't you dare run off and get into trouble without me, Ciel.

 

---

 

Within an instant, Marbas was born in his hands, aimed at the girl with the bloody claws, his face stern.

"Lu, is it a demon?" Ciel asked, turning to her but keeping his eyes on Clarion.

"A demon?..." Lu said.

She appraised the girl before them both with a small smile, her finger to her lips. After a long moment of silence, she shook her head.

"No. She's merely cursed." Lu said, sounding slightly sad - though if she actually was or was just mocking Clarion, it was uncertain. "By what, I don't know. But I can sense something has grabbed a hold of her soul and refuses to let her escape."

"I see. What about the book?" Ciel asked, motioning to it with the barrel of Marbas.

"Hmm....." Lu said, stepping from behind Ciel. Ciel noticeably changed his aura as she stepped before him, placing a hand on his gun so he lowered it.

"She is not a threat to us." Lu assured, holding out her hand as she motioned at the girl. "At all. In fact, like us, she is also hunted."

"How can you be so sure?" Ciel asked, concerned.

"We had relics such as that book back in our plane." Lu informed, arms crossed. "Relics which fed upon the soul of the user, twisting them, corrupting them... turning them into things beyond what they were."

"How wretched.." Ciel relaxed, preparing to move again, but a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A girl, running at full speed at the both of them, bearing...

"LU! GET DOWN!" Ciel commanded, Lu falling behind him and groaning angrily as Ciel aimed Marbas at the newcomer.

"Dammit, Ciel!" Lu grunted, shaking her face from where she was. "What have I told you about overreacting to threats?!"

"Overreacting?! She has a GUN!" Ciel said, motioning frantically.

"Has she AIMED it at us?" Lu asked, brushing herself off.

"No but..."

"Then quit! Put your gun away before you do something I make you regret." Lu commanded, kicking him in the leg slightly hard. "Pushing me down like that. Am I NOT your Queen!? Your beloved other half?!"

"Yes but..." Ciel winced, sighing. "Fine. Fine..."

Marbas evaporated into dust and souls, disappearing back into the soul realm as Ciel retrieved his gunblades from his side. He rubbed his leg slightly where she had kicked him.

"Honestly, Ciel, I'm not defenseless anymore." Lu scoffed, turning her head away from him. "Treating me like a child again."

"I apologize." Ciel bowed. "But you must admit, in this strange landscape..."

"That we can forget our virtues and our kindnesses and start firing bullets at the first thing we see? How is that a royal thing to do?" Lu turned back to him, hands on her hips. "Oh yes, my royal vassal is so good at his job! He kills civilians!"

"Lu!" Ciel said, irritated. "I'm sorry. For goodness sake!"

"Alright. Maybe I AM yelling at you for nothing. Fine. We were BOTH mistaken." Lu sighed. "But now let's work to AMEND that."

"Agreed." Ciel relaxed more as the newcomer approached.

"Hello there,... peasant.." Lu began, noticing the look of the new person. "My name is Luciela, and my trigger-happy other half is Ciel."

"Greetings..." Ciel said sheepishly, bowing again. "My deepest apologies for my actions, ma'am."

Lu looked the girl over, frowning. Well, she supposed maybe this was some sort of new fashion? She couldn't imagine it catching on. What a tacky shade of orange. Blue was so much more luxurious.

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Nick Wilde

Nick turned to follow the animal as she backed up from the tree. Oh, so she was going to climb it then? Maybe a running start would help, though he looked a bit skeptical. Running start seemed more like she would just smack face first into the tree. It wasn’t like this huge animal was a rabbit or a kangaroo. Although, those strange things she was wearing on her feet were certainly interesting enough. He’d never seen anything like them before. “You know,” he said as the animal stopped a distance away from the tree. “Maybe I should just climb it. This doesn’t seem like a good id-“ Suddenly, the animal sprinted forward, jumping an incredible distance into the air and bouncing against the tree itself to spring her higher into the air. His mouth opened in shock as he took a step backwards from the tree, watching as the animal scrambled to catch onto a branch. So, she hadn’t made it all that far up but it was still a good effort. Even if she had startled him with a fairly impressive jump, all things considering. He didn’t know many creatures with such a large spring in their step.

 

“See anything?” he asked as she look around. Apparently she didn’t need to look for long as she quickly hopped down and took off at a swift pace, leaving Nick to roll his eyes. “Apparently that’s a yes,” He declared as he took off after her, tail lifted up just a few inches off the ground as he followed her through the trees. It didn’t take all that long for the forest to suddenly fade away into a large, open meadow area. While Chell kept carrying on, Nick immediately paused as he spotted two more of the same animal creatures. Man, for a mammal species he had never seen before, they sure did seem common in this area. Not only that but there was some strange third creature. Well, this was just not his day. All he could hope was that they could help him find his way back to Zootopia and wouldn’t be too prejudice against his kind. Foxes got a bad rep in the city but hey, maybe these animals were more friendly.

Or, more likely, they wouldn’t be and he’d be pushed around like always. Having arrived several moments after Chell, he started to walk closer just in time to hear an introduction from the two animals similar to Chell.

 

“Oh, you two can talk,” He said loudly as a way of announcing himself as he walked away from the forest and towards Chell. “That is fantastic. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to speak since this one here hasn’t said a word since I met her.” He gestured with his head towards Chell, pausing several feet away from the two strangers. A safe distance away, in case they turned out less than friendly. He may not be a cheetah but a fox could be pretty fast as well. When he was actually trying, of course.

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Clarion

 

Clarion was about to ask some questions to the young girl about how much she could tell her on the Book of Claws, or maybe even how to destroy it. After all, she seemed very knowledgeable, and seemed capable of restraining her friend- or was he some kind of butler?

 

Almost before she'd processed what happened, something came running towards Clarion and the other two. She immediately turned around and dashed as fast as she could, passing into the trees and out of immediate sight.

 

After a moment, Clarion heard the other two loudly arguing about the apparently non-existent dangers of this new person, she almost laughed at herself for being so afraid.

 

My nightmares try to kill me on a regular basis, and I bolt because I get startled? I'd say I need more sleep, but that's honestly the last thing I want to do right now.

 

Cautiously, she walked back across the trees again. The three seemed to be on good terms so far. Unlike the pair of Lu and Ciel, the young woman was wearing an entirely diifferent appare of white and orange. She was also carrying some strange gun, not unlike that which you'd find at a science-fiction convention.

 

Clarion adressed the entire group when she spoke:

 

"My name is Clarion."

 

She then curtsied to the three others. It would likely have seemed far more elegant had she not borne claws instead of hands.

 

Clarion then addressed Luciela directly, showing her the cover of the Book of Claws. Its symbol glowed a bright red due to the blood covering her claws.

 

"What else can you tell me about this?"

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Lu/Ciel

 

"That fox just talked." Lu remarked.

"THAT FOX JUST TALKED." they both said at once.

"It spoke." Ciel said, mouth agape.

They took a moment to understand this information.

"Is it related to Ara?" Lu asked, scratching her head.

"Is it some form of demon?" Ciel whispered, leaning over a bit to Lu's ear.

"Doesn't seem to be." Lu replied, hands on her hips.

"Then what is... he?"

"No clue."

"Oi, Mister Fox man." Ciel started, slightly nervous. "What... exactly... are you?"

He had never seen a talking fox on two legs. Even Eun, Ara's goddess, was at least on four legs, and spoke very little to anyone but Ara. But this Fox was wearing a SUIT. Confused, Ciel could only gaze over the being while Lu shared his concern.

"A strange, red clawed girl, a woman with a gun and tacky fashion sense, and now a talking fox. What sort of messed up alternate reality IS this?" Lu asked, hand on her face.

"I couldn't tell you, my Queen." Ciel said, scratching the back of his head.

In the back of his mind was the constant, nagging urge to hug this cute thing, even if it was male. It was a talking, adorable, fuzzy fox....

He shook his head. Not here. Especially not in front of Lu with everything that had happened.

"My name is Clarion."

Lu turned, intrigued, as Ciel followed the motion. The two of them watched her curtsy with a very elegant air. Lu nodded with approval, turning to Ciel slightly.

"Look at that, how very courteous of her. She knows her place." Lu gestured.

"How rude." Ciel commented. "Not everyone has to serve you, you know."

"I jest, Ciel. I'm merely saying that at least SOMEONE here is civilized besides us both. It would be absolutely exasperating if we had to deal with nothing but uncivilized rot."

"I suppose you do have a point." Ciel replied, nodding.

Soon, the book was in front of Lu's face, the blood-red symbol on the front of it making it look quite ominous, even in this daylight.

"What else can you tell me about this?" the young... unfortunate abomination asked. Lu actually felt sorrow for her in her current state.

Lu sighed.

"I'm not having a discussion about anything while I'm forced to stand for longer than I must. Ciel?"

Ciel obliged, snapping his fingers alongside her as her throne materialized and a large table covered in various teas and breakfast foods came into being.

"You see, having a soul realm has many perks." Lu smiled. "Please, have a seat. I'll need a moment to look over that book. Rest assured, I have no intention of causing your curse to get worse, young.. girl. Does the book allow you to give it to others?"

Ciel poured a few cups of tea for the various newcomers, handing them out quietly as Lu spoke. This was his element. Both his beloved's caretaker, defender, and servant. This is where he felt the most comfortable.

Some would say she was the dominant one, but this was not so. Neither of them held thrall over the other, truthfully. Ciel just allowed her to speak her mind and wished to ensure that others did not cause her pain. So long as these newcomers kept their peace and didn't attempt anything cruel to Lu, there would be no need for him to speak beyond questions asked of him.

 

----

 

Corrin and Kinu

 

He had almost fallen asleep here in the ocean water, with how relaxing the heat of the sun was upon his face. But he couldn't sleep here.

Kinu, however, was busy splashing around and toying with a fish she had found. But it had been quite a while since they had gotten into the water, so Corrin tapped her on the shoulder calmly.

"Come, Kinu. We need to go and have a look around. We can come back later, with everyone else, alright?"

"Ok!" Kinu replied happily, standing to her full height. "Yeah, it'd be much better with everyone else here."

Corrin began to gather up his things, then turned. He didn't need to put his armor on yet, not while he was soaked with brine anyway. The two of them began to step along the warm sands of the beachfront, looking around with curiosity.

Corrin looked over at her as she walked a bit in front of him. Her beautiful face, her cute personality, her loving affection for everything... At least she was here to keep him company, definitely. And she was safe.

But what about the rest of the troops? An entire army, disappeared. And if that HAD been the battleground, where was the blood? Discarded weapons? Fragments of armor? Bodies could be disposed of, certainly. Buried. But some things would have taken longer to get rid of...

None of this made any sense. He rubbed his face.

Meanwhile, Kinu turned over to him, confused. She had always worried about his state of mind. He never seemed to enjoy himself, really. Always bothered by things that shouldn't have bothered him.

She didn't know much about the war nor why it was happening. All she knew was what her Papa had told her. Kaden, one of Corrin's trusted advisors.

All she knew was that Corrin was troubled and as she had become closer to him, it began to hurt her more on the inside to see him so distant and wounded. But Kaden said he could still smile, so it was ok.

"Don't worry, little Kinu." Kaden had said, patting his daughter's head. "I think as long as you're there for Corrin, it'll be alright. He needs someone playful like you to keep him happy and active."

"Really?" she had asked, ears inquisitive.

"Yes, really!" Kaden replied, finishing his cleaning. "Corrin is a man with a lot of things to handle and a lot of burdens on his shoulders. But he always seems to forget people are there for him. He really just needs to remember what he's fighting for."

"What's that?"

"Us. And you." Kaden said, walking past her. "So never let him forget you're there for him, right?"

Kinu nodded furiously, her father laughing gently as he headed back out of the tent.

She held up a fist even now, determined.

"CORRIN!" Kinu suddenly said, stopping.

"Huh!?" Corrin, replied, backing up a bit.

"I'M HERE FOR YOU!" she yelled, turning. "OK?"

"Why are we screaming?!" Corrin asked, confused.

"Oh! Sorry." Kinu shook her head. "But YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT, OK?"

Corrin stared at her for a long time. Her eyes were full of determination and will. And all he could do was chuckle slightly.

"I know. I know that." Corrin said, hugging her close. "I really do. When this is all over, you and I... we'll go see a lot of the world together, things you've never seen before, that I've never seen before."

"Really?!" Kinu asked, eyes wide.

"Of COURSE!" Corrin pledged. "Things that you only hear of in legends and stories! We'll see it all! Everything you've ever wanted to do. I swear it by Yato, and by my name."

"You're... the best, Corrin." Kinu said, smiling wide. "Just... thank you so much!"

She embraced him lovingly, her fox tail swaying back and forth. Corrin held her close for a long while.

"But first..." Corrin moved back a bit. "We must find the others. There is still a war to fight."

"Right!" Kinu said, spinning. "Papa is probably worried sick."

"You're right. We should find them quickly." Corrin replied, stepping forward across the sands of the beach. "Come on, there's still daylight to spend!"

"Hey! You're not going to beat me there!" Kinu said indignantly, running ahead of him.

"A race.. huh?" Corrin smirked, beginning to pick up his pace. "Fine then!"

 

------

 

Isaac Clarke

 

Isaac lowered his gun entirely.

Kid?

Did this man just call him kid?

"Son I'm forty-nine years old." Isaac scoffed, putting the gun back into material space. "Where do you get off calling me kid?"

He stepped over to the man and was about to keep speaking when a fish being walked up to them.

"Dammit!" Isaac said, pulling his gun back out. "A necro-...morph..?"

He stopped as she noticed the fish-woman was crying tears of joy.

".....Uh... am I missing something here?" Isaac asked, confused.

Edited by Thaelasan

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Clarion ((Stopping here for tonight, to give everyone else a chance to respond and me a chance to get some sleep.))

 

A talking fox? Now, Clarion was sure this wasn't a trap set by the book.

 

None of the worlds that wretched thing made had any living animals in them.

 

Clarion's suspicion about Ciel being a butler was confirmed after he was called upon to conjure a dining table complete with tea and snacks. Lu herself sat on a resplendent throne, as though she were a queen.

 

Lu appeared to approve of Clarion's manners, and seemed to want to help her. A ray of hope began to shine in Clarion's heart.

 

Finally! Someone who can help me! I might be back home by Christmas at this rate.

 

She took a seat, but politely declined the tea and snacks. She never got hungry, and was unable to properly drink from a tea cup due to her claws being somewhat unwieldy at finer applications.

 

Lu then asked if others could handle the book as well.

 

I don't know exactly... Nobody else has held it since I got it.

 

"Since I got it, nobody but me has had it. But I did get it from a library, meaning someone else must have had it before me, unless it got there on its own..."

 

Clarion's voice trailed off at the idea of the book having the ability to move around independently. As strange as it sounded, this proved to be true: her attempts to destroy or dispose of the Book of Claws proved unsuccessful, and every morning it reappeared in mint condition at her bedside. If the book wanted to be read- and Clarion was of the opinion it had a mind of its own- what better place than a library?

 

After a short pause, Clarion added her personal thoughts about the book.

 

"I... I think it's alive. I've tried to get rid of it, but it always finds its way back to me, and it never gets damaged at all."

 

The clawed girl didn't know what to do anymore. She had her thoughts, but who could she really turn to for advice about the book at the academy? If someone found out what she'd turned into, Clarion would become a lab rat for the rest of her life, and that wouldn't do. She wanted to go back home.

Edited by Coryn02

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Lu/Ciel

 

Lu pondered for a long time, taking a drink from her cup and then turning to Ciel.

"The poor girl's claws make it hard for her to drink." she commented.

"What do you propose then?" Ciel asked.

"You could help her, I suppose, if she wishes." Lu said, taking another sip. "I don't like to think of a guest being unable to enjoy a simple glass of tea."

"As you wish." Ciel bowed. He stepped over to Clarion as Lu spoke. He grabbed a cup of tea gently and held it to Clarion's face, seeing if she gave approval.

Meanwhile, Lu put down her cup and leaned back in her chair, tapping her chin.

"I've heard of relics which have a mind of their own, to be sure." Lu began, holding her left leg between her hands. "The Dark El itself is a symbol of this. It corrupts and it gives power of its own volition. Then there is the Bone of the Dread God. The Seal of Abaddon. The Blade of Thanatos. The list goes on. Names for objects that, by themselves, seem to possess a darkened soul. But your book is not of my world, at least."

Lu leaned forward slightly.

"But I can tell you this. When books are involved, there is also a story, young Clare." Lu said coyly. "There is always a story. A legend. A myth. You are now the main focus of this twisted book's tale and it is trying to make its story heard. In order to cure yourself, my only suggestion is to find out what story this book is trying to tell. This isn't a curse so much as... being drawn into the book itself. Ciel, do me a favor. Open the book."

Ciel stopped a moment.

"Eh?"

"You won't be drawn in, if I'm correct. That book is not of our world, thus we don't abide by its laws." Lu explained, elaborating.

Ciel obeyed, frowning.

"I better not regret this..."

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Nick Wilde

The fox raised one eyebrow at the response to his own speech. It seemed stupid to him that these animals were so surprised that he spoke. Leaning backwards slightly, he looked between the two of them as they spoke back and forth briefly, looking not just surprised at their reaction, but almost disbelieving. “What am I?” He asked, repeating the question before gesturing with his left paw to his body. Wasn’t it obvious? They had been answering that question all along. “I’m a lion,” He replied, answering the stupid question with an equally stupid answer. His ear twitched slightly as they both angled backwards slightly, showing not just his slight irritation with the entire conversation, but also his general boredom. These strange creatures were not just foreign to him, but also seemed rather stupid didn’t they? They’d probably ask what his cell phone was next.

 

His cellphone! Eyes wide, he turned away from the group, quickly patting down his pockets before locating the rectangular object in his pants. Pulling it out, he smiled, his ears jumping to attention as he pressed the button on the top of the phone to turn it on. His smile quickly slipped away, however, when the screen remained dark and the symbol of a battery instead appeared on the screen of his smartphone. “Really?” He asked, tapping the button again as if this would somehow miraculously charge up the phone. “Out of battery. Great.” Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he turned around, focusing instead on the table that had appeared. Huh. That was a nifty trick, wasn’t it? Still, he didn’t want to sit around and idly sip tea like some kind of high-class elitist. He wanted to get back home, or at least to civilization with rational animals. Not strange ones that asked stupid questions and rambled on about curses and such. And, apparently, pulled tables and tea out of thin air. This was all too weird for him.

 

“Look,” he started, stepping towards the table. Thanks to his short height, the table came up to his chest and it would likely be difficult for him to climb up onto the chairs, so he opted not to. “I hate to interrupt but I’m just trying to get back home. I don’t suppose any of you know which direction civilization is? I’m trying to get back to the city. You know, Zootopia.” His tail gently swayed from side to side as he stood there, remaining in a fairly neutral position despite his earlier agitation and sarcasm directed at the two strangers. Then again, he was a fox. Was he really that surprised when animals suggested he couldn’t talk? Or read? Or write? Not really. But they didn’t seem rude or sarcastic, just startled. Prejudice like that must be really deeply ingrained if that was their response. These animals must be pretty sheltered or something.

 

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Chell

 

The woman took little time interacting with the others. Although she seemed to have dodged a bullet. That man didn't seem very happy to see her wielding her portal gun. It wasn't like she could even use it! There was nothing white here! Nothing! Face scrunching up at the pair, her gunmetal blue gaze flickered to the other girl.

 

The girl with claw hands.

 

Aperture Labs had produced some awful things, many she was lucky enough not to encounter, but this...this was new. At least she seemed pretty...nice? Yes, that had to be the word. Though, if what the girl says is true, Chell wasn't getting near that book at all.

 

The arrival of more food and her new friend seemed to brighten her spirits significantly. Slipping her hand from her 'weapon', she dove into the newly appeared food. Well, not literally. But she was grabbing everything edible in sight. Bite after bite of food was shoved into her mouth, until it looked like she couldn't even chew. Surprisingly, however, she downed her first mouthful quickly. Like she was used to having to eat as much as she could handle as fast as she could. As soon as she seemed finished, she stopped, leaned across the table, and began to eat even more. In fact, it seemed as if she was stocking up now. Eating until she felt fit to burst because she honestly had no idea when she would eat again.

 

Undyne

 

"Sorry, this is just...this is a lot." Undyne wiped her eye with the back of her hand, sniffling softly. The surface. The sun. It was so beautiful and yet...Her friends weren't here to share it with her. Where were they?

 

These questions dissolved as weapons were toted about. Instantly threatened, a glowing blue spear materialized in her hands. In an instant, her overjoyed demeanor was gone. She was cautious, the softness to get yellow gaze gone. Gills on the side of her neck flared up as well. Taking a step back, Undyne eyed both men suspiciously.

 

"Asgore was right. You humans are nothing but killing machines." She growled. Her ear fins angled backwards in a mix of distrust and dismay. She had expected it to be different. To be better. She was wrong. Frisk must've been an exception, not an example. Casting one last look at the two men, her spear dissolved, and she pushed past them.

 

Lawrence & The Scout.

 

"How's about you do your job and look around, kid." As Lawrence tried to stand, the Scout took his arm and helped him up. The older, heavier man relied almost entirely on Scout's support.

"Oh no, ya Aussie censorkip.gif***, I ain't leavin' any time soon."

"New Zealand"

"What?"

"M' not Australian, mate. M' parents...my real parents...had themselves locked in some chamber in New Zealand. Even after all the water killed everyone else. They...they uh..." He cringed, thinking about his mistake. His dad hasn't come back. He'd probably never see that bloody lunatic again. Instead, he got to bullets two the abdomen and was dead for about twelve hours.

"Hey, s' okay. Ya can tahlk later, first thing's first, let's go find ya some help."

Edited by shadow_claw

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Isaac Clarke

 

The sudden retrieval of a crystal-blue spear put Isaac on immediate edge. But, to be frank, he didn't sense a violent desire, more like self-defense.

That wasn't a necromorph's way of thinking. This couldn't be one of them. They didn't understand self-worth or protecting their own lives.

And that look of sorrow DEFINITELY wasn't anything he'd ever seen a necromorph use.

"Hey... hey wait a minute." Isaac said, holding a hand in front of the woman kindly. "Wait wait wait. We got off on the wrong foot here."

He stopped, putting his weapon away entirely. He paused, holding out his hands.

"My name is Isaac. Isaac Clarke. I'm an engineer, for the C.E.C. Do you know what that is?" he asked, looking at the two of them. "I don't know what's going on here either but this... this entire city, this grassy plain, this... this WARMTH... this air.. all of it matches simulations of Old Earth, before we left to build the space stations and the mining ships. But that's impossible. I was far, far from here only minutes ago...."

But he realized this was in vain. The guy in the weird suit. The fish-woman. Sure there had been strange, alien creatures like the fish girl so it wasn't entirely new to him to accept her but the guy? What was with his clothes? Either way, it wasn't a good idea for them to split up, so he paused again.

"Alright, so... Basically I think we really need to work together on this, right?" Isaac asked, hopeful. "Wandering around this new area alone probably isn't a good idea. I don't know how I got here but I've woken up in strange, new places before, and the last time it happened, well... things... didn't go so well."

The memories of Titan Station still filled his mind. The people on that station hadn't deserved any of that. No one did. But that wasn't the problem now. He had left Titan Station behind. He'd killed Tiedemann. Everything should have been fine, right? The Marker was gone...

"So what I'm saying is... uh.... lady?" he said, uncertain, trying not to be rude. "And... boy,-" he said to Dante, frowning,"-it's probably not a good idea to go wandering off. We can work together on this, right? Can you trust me, for at least until we get a better grasp on our surroundings?"

 

-----

 

Corrin and Kinu

 

They had been in his room again in the tent, comfortable, happy. They had kissed. They had embraced. And they had been happy.

But as the conversation had drawn on, Corrin had noticed a sort of change in Kinu's demeanor, and soon she was crying slightly, dismayed.

"....Kinu..?" he began, holding out his hand.

"You know... I've never been afraid of anything. But, when I think about you not being here, I get... really scared." she said quietly, anxious.

"...What?"

"Hey... you... you won't go anywhere, right?" Kinu asked, concerned. "Be...cause, I love you.

 

I don't want to let you go."

 

----

 

Corrin halted as he remembered those words, his running stopping short. Why had he been so fortunate? Why did he mean so much to this free-spirited young woman?

"Eh? Corrin?" Kinu slowed to a stop ahead of him, turning quickly, confused. "Is something wrong? You feeling tired already?"

But Corrin could only stare at her as she stood still, head tilted slightly. Her face, her form, her beauty... she relied on him now for his strength and his loyalty. She had come to enjoy being around him, every moment. He had to keep his resolve. He had to stand against anything that would oppose a world where she was happy. He needed to make sure she stayed the way she was - undaunted and unafraid of life.

Kinu gazed at him, worried that maybe he really WAS worrying about things again. Her face grew slightly sad, taking a step to him.

"Heeyyy..." she said. "You do know you can... tell me if you're feeling bad, right? You wouldn't say you were happy if you weren't, right?"

"Of... of course!" Corrin replied almost immediately, moving to catch up with her. "Sorry... it's just,..."

"..Just?"

"Just nothing. Here, you should be dry enough by now to put these back on, right?" Corrin asked, handing her her overclothes and gloves.

"Ohhhh..." Kinu put a finger to her mouth, smirking. "Did you not like seeing me like this? How sad...."

Corrin laughed slightly as he began to buckle Yato back around his waist, pulling his armor back on.

"I suppose I did. But this is no time to be walking around in practically nothing, unfortunately." Corrin sighed, finishing with his chestpiece. "Maybe later."

"Ohh?" Kinu leaned a bit closer, grinning. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you desire, my playful, little fox." Corrin rubbed her head, then turned back forward, pointing. "For now, we need landmarks to try and find our way back to base camp. I need to get our bearings."

"And then what?" Kinu stretched, holding her arm over her head and moving a bit to the left.

"And then we just see where we go from there. Unfortunately, I don't know the distance from here to those pillars, but at least a mile..."

"Do you hear something?" Kinu asked, concerned. She narrowed her eyes.

"Huh? Like what?"

"Like a loud blaring. It's kinda dull, but I can hear it." she winced. "It's not pleasant."

"Do you know where it's coming from?"

"The pillars." Kinu was certain. "It sounds like it's coming from them. And it's not just one blaring. I can hear a lot of them, all mixed together."

"War horns....?" Corrin turned, concerned. Had the camp been found?! What if these pillars were part of some spell? This wasn't good at all! If they were in danger...

"Kinu we need to move. Now! I don't like the feeling of this at all!" Corrin took her hand gently but firmly and began moving forward at a quick pace, dashing along the sand. He was seriously considering taking on his other form now, just to move faster. The thought boiled within him. He could already feel the scales in the back of his mind, the wings unfurling...

He shook his head. If there was already a conflict, he had no idea which side was the enemy or which side his allies were on. If he brought Kinu into the side with the enemies, the two of them would be swarmed in an instant. He was sure she could handle herself, of course, and he knew how to fight... but the numbers...

Gods, too many things he didn't know at this point!

Kinu, however, was just enjoying the feeling of running. Corrin was moving much faster now, even if she didn't fully understand why. She understood he was frightened, though. That was easy to see.

"You're ok, right!?" Kinu called forward as the two of them ran. "Don't get so anxious! You're not one to be frightened!"

Corrin turned his head to look back at her for a moment, then nodded. She was right. This was no time to lose his mind and start thinking of everything that could be wrong. They would see, soon enough, what those silver pillars meant...

Meanwhile, Kinu was looking at the sky for a moment, at a glint of shining metal, far in the distance.

"What kind of bird is that?" she wondered aloud, looking far up past the clouds at the winged, metal creature that seemed to be soaring farther off into the distance.

Corrin looked up at it slightly, his eyes showing his confusion.

"Some kind of... summoned demon?" Corrin was at a loss, unable to think properly as he ran.

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Clarion ((Second page all ready? Wow.))

 

Clarion happily nodded and sipped some of the tea offered to her by Ciel. This was one of the things she'd missed since finding that book.

 

Tastes just like home. Now, back to business...

 

Lu's words were absolutely preposterous. While it made a lot of sense, she seemed to be suggesting that the way to get rid of the book was to indulge it, to have even more to do with it. To read it again... The effects of the Book of Claws were quite dramatic, but it was actually a pretty boring read from what she could tell. And at any rate, she'd already transformed completely and run away from the academy, so what did she have to lose?

 

When Ciel touched the Book of Claws, nothing seemed to happen. In fact, the symbol on the front stopped glowing, though blood continued to seep out of the bindings.

 

Clarion didn't remember much about what was in the Book of Claws, while she could read it. She'd done nothing but try to be rid of it beyond the day she got it, when she did read it. From what Clarion grasped, the first section she read was a sort of primer to the occult arts, an attempt to explain the position of humanity in the cosmos. She very quickly gave up, as this sort of thing was beyond her comprehension as a schoolchild, but that short reading was enough to transform her into her current state.

 

The pages were on normal white paper, but they didn't seem weathered at all; aside from what could be attributed to age, they were in perfect condition. The writing of the book seemed hand-written, in dark red ink. It was in flawless English, with a sharp angular script, like someone was carving their words into a rock.

 

Still, nothing happened.

 

"I guess this means the book's only after me, then. Or it just won't work on you, one or the other."

 

The Book of Claws started creating a new pool of blood beneath itself on the table, forcing Clarion to take it back, lest all the blood start getting into the food.

 

Then, the fox started talking again. Clarion could do nothing but stare at it while it asked for directions back to civilisation. Something called Zootopia.

 

There isn't a place like that on Earth! What is he talking about?

 

"I'm not sure we can help you. If wherever you live the animals can talk, I don't think we come from the same place."

 

Clarion wondered at the meaning of this. Lu and Ciel seemed to come from totally different places as well; did this mean they all came from other worlds?

 

How do I explain this? Nothing makes sense anymore... And with that moldy old book around, that's saying something.

Edited by Coryn02

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Lu/Ciel

 

The fox began speaking again, and seemed to be talking DOWN to them. Lu's face was obviously displeased, her nose scrunching up slightly with disgust.

"Oh, I believe I may have forgot to mention, I am a... no, THE Queen of demons, fox-beast." she corrected herself, tracing her finger over the surface of the table. "I don't appreciate jokes or humor that insult my intelligence. You see, though it may be normal for you, our animals... do not speak."

She held out her hand and Ciel stopped her just short before an Evil Claw almost wrenched from the earth, obviously aimed to clamp down on the fox's mouth. Thankfully, only a single finger emerged from the ground before seeping back down into the soul realm from whence it came.

"Ciel..." Lu hissed in a hushed voice. "Don't you agree that he's being rather ridiculous?"

"It's obvious he just needs help. So do we." Ciel whispered back, gesturing. "So does the claw girl and the... woman... over..."

He turned slightly to Chell, who seemed to be busy engorging herself on anything that was edible. The two of them stared for a while. Lu was horrified.

"Tacky clothes AND horrible table manners? Where on earth was this girl raised?" Lu said, in a slightly louder voice. "The only guest here with any civility is a GIRL WITH BLOODY CLAWS."

The last part was loud enough to be heard, at least by the person in question.

"Anyway... I suppose it's unimportant." Lu rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "What did the book say?"

"It seemed to be a simple spell tome at first glance, albeit bloody and obviously written by some dark magus." Ciel reported, filling her cup back up with tea and stirring in a small amount of sugar. "The first page alone seemed to be describing some form of gateway to other realities, and something about unlocking the path to the nightmares within..."

"Oh. Lovely." Lu replied, drinking. "Anything else of note?"

"It did mention that its bearer is some form of harbinger meant to open these realities but..." Ciel scratched the back of his head. "She closed it before I could read anything further. Honestly, it all sounds like the blabbering of one madman or several."

"Well that's normally the case with these sorts of things. Only madmen create madness." she said, turning to Clarion. "You did hear all of that, right? There's a slight chance we may be able to help you more than you know."

She smiled fondly at the last part, her face absolutely pleasant.

"After all, I know how it feels to be an outcast." she assured, touching her own chest with her free hand. "Demons aren't exactly welcomed in upper Elrios."

"That's quite the understatement..." Ciel replied quietly, taking a sip of his own drink from where he sat next to Lu.

"And as for Mister Fox-Beast..." Lu turned, hand on her chin. "Is Zootopia near Lanox or something? Sander? Hamel? Or is in the upper provinces? Elysion?"

She tapped her chin as she tried to think of any location by that name.

 

-----

 

Corrin and Kinu

 

Sand flew in all directions as Corrin stomped further down the beach, carrying Kinu on his shoulders. He wasn't sure how this situation had come about, to be frank, but it wasn't unpleasant. Kinu was laughing joyously as the two sped down the length of the ocean, the water nearby cascading onto the ground below them. It was probably a beautiful scene...

If it weren't for the fact they were currently hurrying to try and stop a probable war from taking place and minimize casualties (at least on Corrin's side, Hoshido.)

"This is GREAT, Corrin!" Kinu yelled happily, leaning back slightly. "I can see more of the ocean from up here. It's BEAUTIFUL!"

"Just don't fall off!" Corrin warned, hurrying forward at a brisk pace. "I don't want you getting hurt!"

But the silver pillars were slowly getting closer... they were VERY shiny, and VERY tall, and now that Corrin could see them a bit better....

They were... humongous...

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Nick Wilde

Nick looked over at the lobster-clawed animal, his ears quickly swiveling back to lay fairly flat in alignment with his head. At the confirmation from the apparent royalty, his confusion only grew. “What do you mean animals can’t talk?” He asked, taking a small step around the table but otherwise not moving all that much. Looking mystified, he gestured to the four of them gathered around the table. “You’re all animals and you’re all talking. Well, most of you anyway.” He glanced at Chell briefly but shrugged, dismissing her lack of speech as simply a singular issue. After all, the other two looked similar enough to be the same species and they were talking. The small difference he saw was probably just like the differences found between two timber wolves or something as opposed to them being different creatures. As for the clawed one…well, he wouldn’t pretend to know about her or her book. Honestly, he hadn’t been paying much attention to the creepy looking book she had. These animals were all so weird and honestly, their behavior was getting on his nerves.

 

Raising a paw up to pinch the bit of fur on his muzzle between his eyes, he shook his head briefly before looking up. Fine, fine. He’d play this game for the time being. At this point, nothing much was surprising him and he could deal with entertaining the whims of a child who fancied herself a Queen, even if such a barbaric concept was very outdated as far as he was aware. And demons were just some kind of silly children’s story like the boogeyman. “You know what?” he replied, stepping around the area in the dirt the strange worm had arisen from only seconds before, only to retreat a few moments later. This land was weird, that was for sure. “You are absolutely right. Where are my manners?” While not bowing or any kind of nonsense like that, he did adjust his shirt just slightly and stood up straighter. “My name is Nick Wilde. I am a humble fox and nothing more or less than exactly that.” As for the names of the places she mentioned, none of them rang any bells. For that matter, none of them even told him what kind of animals lived there. Most of the time, small-town places tended to be named after the most prevalent population of animal that lived there. Zootopia really was the largest mixture of animal while others were much more divided and contained much less diversity. “Look, I can find my own way back home if I can just get to some civilization. Do any of you know where the closest town is? I can at least charge my phone and figure out my way back from there."

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Lu/Ciel

 

"He was much smarter than I first gave him credit for. That really is a nice suit." Lu commented, taking another sip. "Yes, I would rather help someone who treats others with the respect they are due. Though... animals?"

That last part she'd just have to ignore, she supposed. To a fox, everything else was an animal. And, to be frank, humans and demons were animals of SOME sort, she supposed. Sighing, she pointed a single finger in the direction of the large buildings in the distance, where the sound of blaring was strong.

"If I know anything about humans from what I've gathered in my travels with Ciel," Lu began, putting the cup down. "They like to make their cities obnoxiously large and loud. Not that demons are really any different but we normally keep to ourselves - not flock around and mingle like wild dogs in a pack."

She realized the last remark she made and frowned.

"Oh... right. You probably don't know wild dogs. Only ones that speak like you do, right?" Lu asked.

"What an interesting city you must be a part of. I'd love to visit it, if the majority of them can be as civil as you are."

"Really, Lu? Visiting a city full of talking animals?" Ciel whispered, concerned.

"What about it? He's at least cleaner than the woman in orange over there. The scent is horrid." Lu waved her hand in front of her nose.

"Yes but can we really afford to do that without knowing where the rest of those-"

"If you're about to suggest we're not allowed to go off without the PERMISSION of that red-headed brat and his friends, then may I remind you that I am the Queen of my own destiny. Just because our fates intertwined for a brief moment by no means means that I am now his SLAVE or his FOLLOWER, much less his FRIEND." she emphasized, poking Ciel's chest. "The only person who means anything to me right now is you, and anyone else is a liability and merely a distraction."

She leaned back in her chair, taking another drink.

"Before that boy and his friends showed up, we were more than happy to walk around together fighting demons by ourselves and seeing the views of Elrios." Lu stated firmly, arms crossed. "And then they said it was HIS choice to go off and beat the Fire Priestess. Elsword and ELESIS stopped the demon invasion. THEY killed Scar. And what were we but two demons caught up in it all? Not even the least bit of respect from Lanox. And we're just EXPECTED to FOLLOW this little...."

Her hands were tensing up as demonic energy began to flare around her. Ciel laid a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"It's ok. They're not here. You're right. We are fully allowed to go as we please. I just thought you... may have come to like them."

"I mutually respected them. But we were not friends." Lu stated flatly. "That's the end of it."

"Alright. As you say." Ciel stood back to his full height, then took his seat back by her, grabbing a small breakfast pastry.

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Dante

 

Dante made to pick up his guitar case - he probably shouldn't leave that unattended around such colourful characters - and sort of turned his back on Isaac and Fish-Lady. "I prefer to work alone," he informed Isaac. "And you - Fish-Lady - probably shouldn't judge books by their covers. Listen to the old man here!" Oh, he was so ready for that thing to lash out with that bizarre blue spear. "But y'know..." He made eye contact with Isaac. "If supernatural forces are behind all this, you'll need someone to watch your back, old man." A confident grin showed itself as Dante held out his hand in greeting. "Name's Redgrave. Tony Redgrave."

 

Nah, he really shouldn't screw around with these two any more. They were as lost as he was. "Actually it's Dante. Owner of Devil May Cry, Demon-hunter for hire. And you're Isaac...? Barely followed a word of what you said a minute back."

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