Warped: Multifandom 3.0...ish [ENDED]

[HomeForFlowers]

「 Sector: Two 」
「 Location: Burning Lands || Lava Village 」
「 Allies: Silver, Weavile, Mòrag, Brighid, Aymeric, Hotaru, Chris, Kirika, Lloyd 」

「 Other Participants: Redd, Leigh 」
「 Stand: Locked 」

 

Evidently, more than just the group Doppio had been forcibly dragged into were in the same boat as them. As Doppio's companions spoke among themselves, none of whom bothered to help Doppio up how rude, even more people began to pop out of seemingly nowhere. Three more people, two young girls and a weird man wearing ninja cosplay, wandered towards the dock, hastily introducing themselves before inquiring as to where they were.

 

"Wish I knew!" Doppio yelled unhelpfully. He dropped his head back down onto the ground, his cheek pressing against the ground. His theory of the locals having fireproof clothing had yet to be confirmed, but he was beginning to wonder if they even needed fireproof clothing when the lava seemed far less dangerous that he had anticipated. Granted, it was still lava and Doppio wasn't going to try to scoop it into his hands and take it sip like it was the spicy honey it sometimes looked like, but it was curious how there was an active village of people out in the middle of a river of lava. The stone ground underneath Doppio's cheek was uncomfortably warm, but it didn't burn him.

 

Maybe Doppio had watched too many cartoons and cheesy action movies, but he was almost certain that even being near lava should set everything in the nearby vicinity ablaze. Maybe the lava was magic or maybe, Doppio realized dully, he was just trying to occupy his thoughts with whatever came to mind. As it turned out, being so exhausted you could barely move was only scary for a little while. For the most part, it was very, very boring.

 

Consumed with the desire to amuse himself, Doppio rolled over on his back and blew a raspberry. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something shiny. His interest perked, Doppio reached his arm towards the object. He pathetically waved his hand just out of the object's reach. He let out a long-drawn out sigh before inching towards the object and grasping it in his hand. Pushing himself into a sitting position, Doppio scooted backward until his back was pressed against one of the fish boats they arrived on before glancing down at his hands. The object resting in his palm, almost too big to fit, was what appeared to be a crystal of some description. It appeared to be diamond-shaped and tinted a brilliant blue. A cursory glance around his surroundings told Doppio that there weren't many other crystals near the docks so chances were someone must have dropped it. Doppio wasn't sure if it was just the heat getting to him, but the crystal felt warm in his head. He felt light-headed holding it, but he quickly attributed that to his exhaustion. While the others continue to speak to each other, Doppio turned the crystal around in his hand, feeling the weight of it and wondering who could have possibly left it behind.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Doctortear

[Felixr2]

Mòrag, Brighid & Jin | Sector 2 - Burning Lands (Lava Village)

 

The flight on the fish boat was very reminiscent of a small titan ship, except that, obviously, these vessels seemed to work without any titan supporting it. This technology was truly marvelous. Mòrag wished she could find someone who could create vehicles like this - it would be a great addition to the powerful titan weapons in the army. But alas, this was not the time to scour for the latest military innovation. There were more pressing matters at hand.

 

Speaking of more pressing matters, three new people approached. Two of them looked like teenage girls. Their clothing was unusual, but that wasn't anything special in this place. The third person, however, looked very strange. He had yellow skin, bright green eyes, and his hands seemed to have two large fingers each? All that on top of a very peculiar body shape. This was a good indicator that this situation would lead to a lot of strange occurences.

 

The three newcomers quickly introduced themselves and inquired about the situation. A reasonable approach to the events at hand.

 

"I fear none of us have a very clear understanding of where exactly we are or how we got here. It seems the residents of the village in the distance should be able to tell us more, which is why we're headed there. If you wish to go there as well, feel free to join us. Strength in numbers is a very valuable thing to have."

 

Mòrag neglected to mention what they had learned already. It would be a waste of time explaining all that to the best of her ability if the villagers could more easily give a better and more complete assessment of the situation. Just as Mòrag and Brighid wanted to continue walking onward, Brighid spotted the man with the brightly colored hair back where the boats are, holding something that looked a lot like a... oh no. There was no time to inform lady Mòrag, she had to act, and fast.

 

"You there!" She said loudly in the man's direction. "If you value your life, I'd advise you to drop that blue crystal as soon as poss- oh my,"

 

"Brighid, what's hapenning?", Mòrag replied, surprised by her blade's sudden reaction to something that had completely slipped her notice. As she turned around, she immediately deduced what had happened.

 

A tall, fit man with long grey hair had suddenly appeared in front of the exhausted boy. The blue crystal that Brighid had mentioned was nowhere to be seen anymore. That is to say, it had changed shape and was now located in the new man's chest, no, forehead. Was this place messing with the awakening of blades, or was this a very peculiar blade?

 

The newly awakened blade held his hand reached out to his driver. "Hey, I'm Jin. I will protect you, always."

 

It was uncomfortably hot here, Jin noticed. His driver likely felt the same, judging by the sweat on his face. He decided to use a bit of ice ether to cool the air around him, lowering the temperature to one that's a little more hospitable.

 

"How strong do you think he is, Brighid?" Mòrag asked her trusted companion, mostly out of a desire to know just how much the protection of this man could be left up to his newfound blade. She wasn't expecting too much. It was enough of a miracle that the core crystal of a rare blade was just lying around here, but surely he wasn't going to be particularly powerful for a rare blade, right?

 

"This is honestly quite embarassing to admit, but I think... this Jin might be even more powerful than I am."

 

"Now that's a scary thought"

Edited June 28, 2020 by Felixr2

[HomeForFlowers]

「 Sector: Two 」
「 Location: Burning Lands || Lava Village 」
「 Allies: Silver, Weavile, Mòrag, Brighid, Aymeric, Hotaru, Chris, Kirika, Lloyd, Jin 」

「 Other Participants: Redd, Leigh 」
「 Stand: Locked 」

 

With his body still spent, Doppio found himself stuck laying against the side of the boat. He had few options to entertain himself beyond eavesdropping on the conversations between his companions and the newcomers. Eavesdropping wasn't the most gentlemanly thing to do, but with Doppio's legs still feeling like jelly, it wasn't like he ignore all of the people talking just a few feet away from him. Unfortunately, the only topics being discussed were the ever popular introductions followed, "Do you know where we are?" Evidentially, almost everyone on the dock was claiming they didn't know how they got there.

 

Doppio frowned down at the crystal in his hand, idly rubbing his thumb against its jagged edge. In lieu of being able to entertain himself, Doppio began to collect his thoughts. He still wasn't convinced that everything that had happened, between the strange fight he saw earlier and meeting the strangers mere minutes ago, wasn't the work of an enemy Stand. The power a Stand could come in many forms, making it near impossible to guess a Stand's powers without seeing it up close. Considering the sheer possibilities given the wild circumstances, it was entirely possible for a single Stand, or rather its user, to be responsible for bringing everyone together. At the same time, there could be multiple Stands responsible for bringing everyone together which meant that there was a team of people working together to do... something.

 

Doppio sighed, clicking his tongue irritably. There was too little information to go off of to form a solid conclusion. Even if he was brought into this world by an enemy Stand or multiple enemy Stands, that didn't explain all of the weird people he had encountered, let alone their insistence that they didn't know what a Stand was. Knowing was only half the battle. Without Boss's guidance or King Crimson's powers, Doppio was little more than some cowardly punk. How on Earth was he supposed to—

 

"You there!"

 

A singular loud voice cut through the monotony of the crowd, startling Doppio out of his thoughts. He hesitantly looked up, surprised to see the woman with blue hair pluming from her hair starting directly at him.

 

"If you value your life, I'd advise you to drop that blue crystal as soon as poss- oh my,"

 

The urgency in her voice caught Doppio off guard. Just as he opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, a faint glow emitted from the palm of Doppio's hand. He stared, eyes wide and eyebrows raised as tendrils of blue light emerged out of the crystal. Glowing spheres of ephemeral white light drifted off from the top of the crystal as the light at its core glowed brightly and began to take shape. Within mere seconds, the light had vanished completely and in its place was a tall man with long silver hair. Besides the crystal embedded in his forehead, the man looked completely human. Through the haze of his confusion, Doppio realized the man had not only introduced himself but was also holding out his hand expectantly.

 

"Um," Doppio said intelligently. He blinked owlishly at Jin, uncertain how to reply. He was bad with people as it was. All of his friendships fell apart within months, he couldn't keep his cool near a pretty face, and he certainly didn't know how to react to a stranger boldly claiming they were going to protect him, let alone a stranger who had just come out of a crystal.

 

"Um," Doppio repeated. "Well, uh..." Doppio's hand hovered hesitantly over Jin's. If the stranger had an ulterior motive, Doppio couldn't discern it from the genuineness in his voice. Among all the craziness that had occurred since he arrived in the new strange world, Doppio had forgotten that most people weren't the ruthless killers he dealt with daily but rather normal friendly people who didn't mind helping out a stranger. While Jin was far from normal, the rest of the sentiment seemed to ring true and, more importantly, Doppio really didn't want to lay on the ground for much longer.

 

"Thank you," Doppio said, warily taking the offered hand. Jin's hand felt unnaturally cool, almost as though it wasn't affected by suffocating heat emanating from the lava. In fact, now that Doppio was thinking about it, a cold draft had settled in the immediate vicinity. Doppio blinked in bewilderment, turning his head around to locate the source of the cool air. It wasn't unpleasant, far from that actually. Doppio was more then a little relieved to get a reprieve from the overbearing heat, and while he was more than happy to simply lay back and enjoy the cooling air, it was a little hard to relax when a stranger was holding your hand.

 

"Are you... the one doing that?" Doppio motioned vaguely with his free hand. "I-I mean it's nice! I just don't really know how you're doing it." Doppio chuckled nervously, unable to help but feel intimidated by the man before him. "Oh!" Doppio visibly perked. "Sorry, you gave me your name and I haven't returned the favor. I'm Doppio and, uh, while I appreciate the sentiment, I'm a little confused by the whole 'always protect you' thing." Doppio rubbed the nape of his neck anxiously. "I think you might have me confused for someone else." It was hard to believe there was someone who shared Doppio's appearance, but Doppio couldn't think of any other reason for Jin to make such a forward proclamation other than the fact that he was confusing Doppio for someone he cared for deeply.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Doctortear

[hikarinomemori]

Ser Aymeric de Borel
<Status: Stable>

 

Chris Yukine
<Status: Stable>
<Ichaival Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Kirika Akatsuki
<Status: Stable>
<Igalima Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Tovan Khev
<Status: Stable>

 

<Location: Sector 2 - Burning Lands Village>
<People: Doppio | Silver | Weavile | Mòrag | Brighid | Hotaru | Jin | Lloyd>

 

~~

 

"I come back from checking towards Sector 1, and that's the first thing I hear from Redd's mouth, is that we'd need an army..."

 

The man who spoke to himself then looked up, and saw the sheer number of newcomers near the docks. "...kllhe'mnhe... We've got a lot of newcomers coming in this time, huh?" He looked at them, and made note of their appearances. Most of them looked to be humans - he recognized the red-headed kid and his strange cat-like companion easily enough - but the rest were new.

 

One tall (and quite handsome) black-haired not-quite-human man, a human man with purple hair who seemed a bit frightened and had quite an odd fashion sense, a woman (presumably human, but he couldn't be too sure) with flames coming off of her, and another human woman with... is that a military uniform? Two human girls who, for the most part, looked completely normal (even if their choice in clothing was a few centuries too old), and then the purple-haired human man had picked up a crystal and it had turned into a human man, too. And then there was the yellow-skinned, two-fingered man who looked like he'd come straight out of a children's toy set.

 

Either I got transported to a very strange planet... or that mycelial rift killed me and I've ended up in Areinnye, he thought to himself. It hadn't helped that he'd woken up with two of his guns missing and having no idea where all his plasma grenades had wound up. At the least, he still had his mek'leths, his photon grenades, his sniper rifle, and his two pistols, and he knew a fair amount of martial arts, so it wasn't as if he wasn't well-armed.

 

He had put the weaponry and martial arts to use by helping to defend this village, but still... with this many newcomers... Leigh could actually have a point this time around.

 

"Hey! I see ya staring! Ya just going to keep gawkin' at the crowd or are ya actually gonna introduce yourself like everyone else?"

 

Kirika glanced at her friend. "Chris-senpai!! That was mean-desu!"

 

"No, no, she's right, it was rude of me to stare without at least saying something." The man, raven-haired and with pointed ears, approached the group. "Anyway, my name's Tovan Khev. I'm not exactly from around here either, but I've been helping keep this here village safe for a while now."

 

"Ah, so you're one of this village's defenders? You remind me much of the adventurers I see back in my home... Ah, but where are my manners? I am Ser Aymeric de Borel. A pleasure." The black-haired man bowed before Tovan.

 

"I'm Chris, and that's Kirika. We came from a different direction from those guys--"

 

"And Chris-senpai crashed our boat-desu," Kirika interjected.

 

"...and yeah, I did do that. We've been lost for a bit, okay?!"

 

"I think I've noticed..." Tovan then glanced around the group, his line of sight falling upon the red-haired sixteen-year-old. "I remember seeing you around the village before. Never caught your name, though."

 

Tovan paused and looked over the group, and then heard the weird toy-man ask where they were and how he'd gotten there. "Look, man, I don't know what to say to that. About as much as I know is that we're in 'Sector 2', whatever that is. As for how you got here, I'd say nobody knows that. I don't even know how I got here, to be honest, just that I woke up in the village one day. Nobody would tell me how I'd gotten there, either, just to act as if I'd been there all my life." He honestly hoped that he'd put up a convincing act until this point - he'd kept hearing that the leader of Sector 2 wasn't known for his benevolence.

 

Another pause. "Anyway, we should probably head into the village, get you guys introduced to Redd and Leigh. Redd's the guy in charge here, so he can probably explain things a lot better than I can... and maybe answer a few questions of my own."

[Swiftphoenix]

 

 

More people had arrived and some introduced themselves; Lloyd took a moment to memorise all the names given. 

The two girls in green and red were Kirika and Chris — they seemed to be friends; the man with short black hair and, strangely, pointed ears was Tovan; the man with slightly longer black hair was Aymeric; the purple-haired man was Doppio and the one that had appeared next to him was Jin; and the blue fire lady was called Brighid by her companion, whose name Lloyd didn’t catch. The rest had apparently already introduced themselves before he came along, since they were discussing amongst themselves. 

 

The ones who talked to him basically answered his question with ‘I don’t know’, except for the man named Tovan. "Look, man, I don't know what to say to that. About as much as I know is that we're in 'Sector 2', whatever that is. As for how you got here, I'd say nobody knows that. I don't even know how I got here, to be honest, just that I woke up in the village one day. Nobody would tell me how I'd gotten there, either, just to act as if I'd been there all my life." Lloyd mulled over that. What was Sector 2? Was it a part of Ninjago or another realm? He wished he could ask Master Wu if he’d heard about all this. I have to get back home to do that, and to get home I should join these people and learn more about this place, he concluded. He’d noticed that Jin had appeared from a crystal and wondered about it. Was he like one of the Golden Weapons, having a different form to be revealed when paired with a focused mind? Everything here sent the green ninja deep into thought. 

Given that everyone else had done it, introducing himself seemed like something he had to do, but he decided to leave out some details, like his real name, and that he was a descendant of the First Spinjitsu Master — and who knew what these people knew or thought of Lord Garmadon. 

 

“Greetings. I am the Green Ninja, Elemental Master of Energy.” Lloyd bowed to the rest in the group. He was aware he was acting extremely formal, but he wasn’t sure where everyone else stood on manners, and better overly polite than insulting. 

 

"Anyway, we should probably head into the village, get you guys introduced to Redd and Leigh. Redd's the guy in charge here, so he can probably explain things a lot better than I can... and maybe answer a few questions of my own." He nodded in agreement to Tovan’s suggestion. “Yes, that does seem like the best thing to do. When we have more information, we can take decisive action and hopefully all get back to where we came from.”

[Mikasa361]

 

[H and S- Sector 2- Land of Confusion]

 

Hotaru's eyes widen when two young women fall to the ground near her and start squabbling with each other, then walking their way towards the fish boat crew. 

 

"Ya had to go and get us lost for the third time in a row. You're lucky I managed to find a boat to drive here."

 

"...Chris-senpai, you crashed that boat-desu."

 

"Details! We're still in one piece, aren't we?!"

 

 "I told you the docks were on this side of the island-desu!"

 

"Ya don't have to be so smug about it! Geez... At any rate, it looks like we aren't the only ones here."

 

"Hi! I'm Akatsuki Kirika-desu! It's nice to meet you all-desu!"

 

Why are you like this, Kirika...? I'm Yukine Chris. I mean, you all may as well know my name, right?"

 

Hotaru watches as the red haired boy starts to look flustered. 

 

"E-er, hi," the boy says, not mentioning his own name as he brushes past with some strange catlike creature with him. He also looked equally flustered when the group was addressed by a man with some odd green getup - is he trying to be a shinobi? - and another rather handsome man in a much weirder outfit talking to them all. "Anyway, we should probably head into the village, get you guys introduced to Redd and Leigh. Redd's the guy in charge here, so he can probably explain things a lot better than I can... and maybe answer a few questions of my own."

 

 

The group approaches the village, approaches Hotaru, and instantly she straightens out her posture to give them all a wave. "H-hey! Over here!"

 

She really hopes they can all give their names, for she knows none.... She fears she's already forgotten the names of the young women who landed in the village a few moments ago. 

 

...

 

Silver finds himself twitching more and more the longer he's around all these people. He sees Redd and Leigh, who greet them all with a smile as Silver passes and goes to take his place somewhere behind them. A young woman, couldn't be too much older than twenty, gives him a smile and a wave. "Oh! Hi, I'm Hotaru. Your name?"

 

He blinks and looks at her, blinking about ten times in thirty seconds, unsure how to properly respond. It seems the overload of other people has taken its toll on his mental state, and he's finally shut down. However, he's been directly addressed, it'd be rude to not respond. "....Silver."

 

Leigh smiles and waves at him. "It's a pleasure to see you and Tovan are alright. We were just about to talk to you both, but my we have the swarm of people!"

 

Redd sighs, looking over at how much larger the group seems to have gotten since he saw the fish boats in the horizon. Tovan is in the group, thank goodness someone with some sense, but he looks at his wife, who shakes her head. "Ah- I'm sure you all are wondering why you-re he- ahhh...?" She glances up towards the docks, taking note of something. "....Hang on, I ought to save it. We have company."

 

Hotaru nods, rather shaken by the sudden influx of people, but her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates when she sees some rather familiar looking bubbles in the horizon....

 

And they're flying fast.'

 

 

 

[U and R - Sector 2 - I swear this will settle down soon]

 

As soon as he's a hundred percent certain nobody is going to get hurt when he releases the jutsu, he snaps and the bubbles pop simultaneously. Utakata lands in the same sitting position from which he entered the bubble. Riza, however, lands in the least graceful way on her hind end. She yelps in pain as she makes contact with some sort of rock, hissing a curse word as she gets herself back up. 

 

She walks right up to Utakata and, as he starts to make his way to a standing position, smacks him right across the face. "If you don't mind, wait for everyone to be on the goddamn ground first," she hisses at him.

 

"Hey, you're fine, aren't you???" Utakata snaps in response. "Jeez, that was a hell of a slap. Shoot...." He rubs the side of his face, noting it feels much warmer than the other side.

 

"Would you like me to do it again?"

 

"NO," Utakata yelps and hops back a solid meter away from her. "A-anyway, I think we should..... What.... the..... fu--"

 

Indeed, he takes note that the village is just full of people- people like them. All with various clothing and hair styles and varying levels of confusion or bewilderment. Then there are the villagers- also in a strange form of dress, but it seems consistent from villager to villager, in styles that seem to be mixed with that of Kaiba and Riza. He sighs, not quite liking the interaction that's about to go down.

 

I haven't spoken to this many people in six years.....

 

You be complaining?

 

No, Saiken, shut up. 

 

No.

 

He doesn't speak to Utakata anymore after that, but mostly to help him take in everything. He doesn't even notice when someone- someone with a very familiar body type- slams straight into him and knocks him to the ground. 

 

"Shishō! Shishō!!!!!" 

 

Utakata takes a moment to process whose voice that was. Then a grin spreads across his face. "Hotaru! I---"

 

Smack.

 

The sound of Saiken's laughter.

 

"OW. WHAT THE---"

 

"THAT is for leaving me behind like that!" She gives him a look, those wide teal eyes filled with worry. She smiles, gets up, and after helping him up throws her arms around his waist and squeezes. "That's for still being alive."

 

Unsure how to react, instead he throws his arms around her as well and rests his head against hers. ".....It's good to see you too."

 

A worried looking man clears his throat. "Ah- Leigh- weren't you going to...."

 

"Let them have their moment, Redd. I don't believe we have the attention of everyone here. I'll wait for everyone to settle."

 

"....Mm."

 

[M - Sector 2 - Temple Throne Room] 

 

Malefor's tail lashes in anger at the human's comment. He glares at his orcs. "I have had enough of this. Do away with them immediately," he snaps as his wings spread out wide. 

 

The orcs turn to face the intruders and aim their weapons.....

[hikarinomemori]

Ser Aymeric de Borel
<Status: Stable>

 

Chris Yukine
<Status: Stable>
<Ichaival Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Kirika Akatsuki
<Status: Stable>
<Igalima Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Tovan Khev
<Status: Stable>

 

<Location: Sector 2 - Burning Lands Village>
<People: Doppio | Silver | Weavile | Mòrag | Brighid | Hotaru | Jin | Lloyd | Redd | Leigh>

 

~~

 

Tovan couldn't help but overhear the red-headed kid's name, along with the blond woman who had addressed him. Silver and Hotaru... two more names to commit to memory.

 

As soon as Leigh mentioned the swarm of new people, Tovan felt a little smile on his face - it reminded him of the rag-tag group of Romulans (and one Reman) one of his friends from Virinat had assembled, himself included, to oppose the Tal Shiar where he was from. That had been quite the rag-tag group of nobodies and yet they accomplished a number of great things...

 

He felt similarly about this group. With enough time, perhaps they too would accomplish great things.

 

Just as Leigh is about to speak again, however, she mentions more company arriving, and he looks.

 

So do his companions. Aymeric's eyes widen - one of the approaching creatures was a dragon, with a Hyur riding on top of it. Dragons were not friendly creatures where Aymeric was from, and yet here was a Hyuran man riding one as if he'd been raised by it.

 

When the two girls looked, their eyes widened, as well, but not because of the dragon. Rather, their lines of sight fell upon one of the people in the bubbles.

 

"Is that...?"

 

"Hibiki?!"

 

++

 

Seto Kaiba
<Status: Injured; Amused>
<Active Monster(s): Blue-Eyes White Dragon -> none>

 

Hibiki Tachibana
<Status: Seriously Injured>
<Gungnir Symphogear: Active>
<Current Song: N/A (not in battle)>

 

<Location: Sector 2 - Burning Lands Village>
<People: Riza | Utakata | Neea | Peter | Ryo>

 

~~

 

As soon as Utakata popped the bubbles, Hibiki landed flat on her face, adding on to what were already very serious wounds. "Ouch...!"

 

Kaiba had to try not to laugh as his dragon landed and he got off of his back. "Looks like I owe you another one, Blue-Eyes. You deserve some rest." With that, he recalled the white-scaled dragon back into its card and shuffled it back into his deck, deactivating the Duel Disk at long last.

 

It's only moments after he looks that he sees Riza smack Utakata right across the face. The sight of that alone was enough to get him to start laughing.

 

Hibiki, meanwhile, looks at the nearby village. Most of the people here were villagers, but there was also a crowd of bewildered people who had probably ended up here in the same way their own group had. And in that group in the village was...

 

"Hibiki-saaaaan!!!"

 

Kirika tackle-hugged Hibiki back down to the ground. "Ah-- OUCH-- Kirika-chan, it's nice to see you, too, but can you get off of me??"

 

"O-Oh... Gomen'nasai, Hibiki-san, I didn't realize you were hurt-desu."

 

"Honestly, how did ya get so badly beat up this time, you dummy?"

 

"...I'll explain once we're all together, Chris-chan."

 

"Fair enough. Seems you still have that magic friend-making touch."

 

"Not all of them are friendly, Chris-chan. Kaiba-san over there, he's really mean! Especially to Utakata-san..."

 

"A temporary problem-desu! If anyone can get two fighting people to like each other and call you and each other friends, it's you-desu."

 

"Arigatou, Kirika-chan."

 

Kaiba had to watch the scene unfold. So these were two of Hibiki's geek squad... though now that he thought about it, one was as dumb as a brick and the other was as rough as him, if not more so. Kirika and Chris, huh...? They probably had song-powered armor, too, if Hibiki was any indication.

 

When he next looks at Utakata, he sees another blonde woman in front of him just in time to see her smack him across the face. If Riza doing it was enough to get him to laugh, seeing this other woman do it sent him into hysterics. He had a hard time getting a full sentence out, he was laughing so hard. "This is easily the best day of my life...!"

 

Aymeric sighed at the scene and glanced at Tovan. "Something tells me our lives are about to get very strange..."

 

"You're telling me..."

 

~~

 

<The two groups have merged.>
<Kaiba recalls the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.>

[Swiftphoenix]

With most of them (except, of course, Kaiba) travelling in Utakata’s bubbles, they had arrived at a village.

Apparently the bubble-blower had forgotten to warn everyone before he popped the floating orbs, because Riza thumped onto the ground unceremoniously, cursing under her breath and then standing up to slap Utakata across the face. The dark-haired man had just recovered from the hit when a blonde girl appeared out of nowhere to tackle him to the ground — she seemed happy to see him until she, too, slapped him. Disembarking from his dragon, Kaiba started laughing, and Peter thought he would’ve looked rather pleasant doing it if it hadn’t been directed at a friend.

 

Peter himself had landed neatly in his signature pose, accustomed to sudden jerks and falls by now, and glanced at Kaiba. Well, not everyone can get along, not even the Avengers. But I guess I can try to make them friends. Eventually. He walked over to Utakata. “Are you okay?” he asked. Uta looked okay, but who knew how much those slaps had hurt; Riza was one tough lady. 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Lloyd had been admiring the dragon — until it suddenly disappeared, into a small device, no less! Eager to know more about it, he went to where the laughing stranger stood. “Excuse me,” he said, “but which element does your dragon master?” He’d thought it was an Ice elemental, but the blue on it might have represented Lightning, too. Master Wu had told him tales about dragons and their elements before, but he’d never seen one in real life, only illustrations, so he wasn’t sure. 
 

As the green ninja waited for the man to stop laughing, he glanced over to another of the people, a teenager like him, who was checking on the twice-hit, seemingly dazed man. Much like Cole or maybe Jay would have done, he thought approvingly. I do question his choice of clothing, though. Might talk to him later. The other boy was dressed in a skintight red and black suit, nothing like his ninja garb. Then again, most of the other people were dressed strangely; the only familiar-looking clothes Lloyd noticed was Aymeric’s, which somewhat resembled Pixal’s mech. This whole situation is strange, but something we can do is band together and find a way home. He would’ve nodded in determination, but he was still standing next to the laughing man, and it would probably have been weird and out of context. 

---

 

 

Glail hadn’t responded, but with a growl from Malefor — "I have had enough of this. Do away with them immediately," —  the Orcs were closing in around her and Swift. 

The outlaw grinned. Despite the fact that I’m probably realms away from Storybrooke — or maybe adding to that fun — and that Glail and I are travelling with a giant murderous robot, this is one of the best days ever.

She stepped closer to her friend. “I hope you’re having as much fun as I am, because it looks like we’re about to be attacked,” she told her calmly. “But no worries, we can take ‘em. Just get ready to bring it.” Drawing an arrow from her quiver, she strung it onto her bow and aimed at the nearest Orc. “You ready?” She prepared herself to charge. 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Swiftphoenix

[skwerl56767]

   Throne Room Fight!

 

   Glail's grin faded when the purple actually-a-dragon didn't look the slightest amused. He raised his hackles and growled, albeit calmly, to the Orc Hero next to him. The demonic-looking tree creature didn't even nod, simply raising his mace, which caught the light shining through the chamber windows and flashed red over the crowd. Instantly his soldiers readied. Glail jumped and shied back at the clacks and growls of the orcs as strings were pulled tight and axes were raised. Swift whispered to her, telling her to get ready for an inevitable fight. She flattened her ears back, hair raising. But I don't want to fight! she thought, I just wanna explore!

   "Wait!" she barked, "We're nice, we won't-!"

   "ATTACK!!"

   Glail was cut off by the deafening cry and an arrow just missing her paw. "Eep!" she cried out, only to yelp out louder as another bolt sunk in just past her foreleg. They're not friendly! Why aren't they friendly?

   Two orcs were charging for her as all nine of them lunged. All she saw was what her training taught her was danger, and it was headed for her and Swift. She could hear Swift being attacked too. They were definitely past the point of friendship!

 

   Now angry at the orcs, not understanding why they were so hostile, she twisted and reached for her own axe on her back. She deflected the blows of the two orcs in the process, with one blade only thumping her mane and the other's flat striking a leg. Glail grabbed the axe in her teeth and kept spinning upward to transform back into a human. Blue fur retreated into tan skin and paws turned back into hands and feet. The wolf snout melted away but the ears, tail, and sharp eyes remained. Glail wouldn't have a thick pelt to protect her in this form, but she could be taller and more agile than these spiky imps! She transferred the momentum of her shift into a swing, dropping her battleaxe into her tight grip and sweeping the area around her with a yell. Both Axe Orcs that were attacking her screeched as one was badly sliced and the other thrown a good five feet away, almost toppling two archers there! One Orc attacking Swift had dodged the swing. The sliced one had stumbled, but was still standing, snarling viciously at her. She bared her teeth in turn, showing pointed canines. Despite the show, Glail was feeling fear: they were in a confined space and completely surrounded! Barbed arrowheads and metal shafts were flying all around, eager to bite into anything alive, and more axes were coming their way.

 

----------

 

   The Burning Lands Village

 

   Neea had watched with wonder and a little bit of fear as the strange, hair-topped bipeds sorted themselves out among bubbles and a massive reptile, socializing idly and seeming to trust each other completely. Then the magic bubbles and the reptile raised into the sky, the latter in a more natural way by beating its wings and stirring up air, leaf litter, and jubilant slimes alike.

   The Xinschi-uual mech just felt so estranged. Nothing on this planet was making any sense. No one had any answers but they were content to work together to find them. She just wasn't sure if she should trust them.

   Neea followed the aerial exodus meekly, still grappling with her situation and what to do about it. Everyone was headed the same direction, so as small as the surrounding ruins were, Neea had no trouble hopping gaps and crossing bridges to keep them in sight. She almost lost the group once when she had to head into a faceless, empty building, but it was short and linear; she was relieved to quickly exit onto another bridge that was right under the group's path. If she wasn't so scared of all the possibilities, she would've loved the dreamy atmosphere of the place: cool, green, bright, dancing with harmless blob creatures and illuminated by mysterious glowing orbs. The atmosphere was filled with rustling leaves and the rush of water falling from open aqueducts. Peaceful, if she wasn't so focused on navigating and remembering the horrible flesh monsters they fought earlier.

 

   After passing under a massive ring gate and reaching some mountains - which were far bigger than the glorified cliffs behind them - Neea was faced with two tunnels: one under the others' path, and one farther to the right. While it was just an educated guess, she correctly chose the left tunnel, which had slimes around it and blue stone inside. The slimes didn't like the other tunnel, it seemed, and such happy creatures disliking something made it look wrong. Besides, this tunnel looked like it headed in the right direction; and after a twist and a turn, it did! Indigo quarry stone cracked and receded away into a similar environment as before, but now with a much bluer sky, a darker green grass, and poofy clouds instead of long ones. The walls of the pass turned a silvery grey, reflecting a completely different geography and what felt like a completely different environment. The others were still flying up above her, giving this metal ball of nerves some relief. I'm still on the right track. They're still there. You're fine. Neea slowly circulated air, feeling better now that she could stretch her legs into a run. The pass is ending, but it's not going into a tunnel. You can still see them. Don't worry about it.

   After exiting the pass, Neea was struck with an awesome sight than only baffled her further as to what kind of planet this was: on the right was an extension of the lovely grass and silver rock, pocketed with an infinite amount of trees creating a thick, dappled canopy, but to the left was brown, bare stone and smoke, without a speck of life in sight! Cutting right down the middle was a wide river, wider than anything the mech could imagine and definitely than she had ever seen. There were passes on Zirhon that wide, but never one filled with water! This place had to be so lush it was insane; but why was only one side of the river growing? Was there not enough dirt on the other side?

 

   Briefly reminding herself to keep following the bipeds and their rides, she looked up and saw they had continued on, into the barren half. Whatever reason they had for that, she didn't know. Maybe they also felt more at home in a wasteland, or maybe they saw something through the smoke she didn't. Regardless, she kept following, hoping the smoke wouldn't block them out of sight.

   Thankfully, the smoke was more of a haze, and while the blue sky turned a nice shade of orange and the mech could feel her grills clogging up, she could still see her allies, hear their voices, and the wing beats of the reptile. She was surprised once or twice by blackened ground being surprisingly soft, as though liquid was under it, but otherwise traveled the rest of the way unhindered.

   Another boon: their destination wasn't too far into the territory, so Neea didn't have to deal with lava until they neared a cluster of structures in the distance; then she noticed that the pockets of orange haze she had seen were lava! She started thinking that maybe she should've taken the ride in the magic bubble, or at least tried holding onto the reptile's leg even though it terrified her, but the civilization on the other side of a molten river had the sense to build a bridge over it. She could just use that. Though, before she did, she slowed to a stop, staring into the village. The others had landed there, with the reptile disappearing in a flash of light as its rider did something with the device on his arm; again, another baffling yet cool thing to see. The village was drab, built with bricks, and neither spacious or grand. The villagers were also haired bipeds, wearing shabby clothes. She noticed though that the people near her allies were all similar in that they shared one thing: none of them fit this place or seemed tied to anyone else around them.

 

   So it's a low-class, maybe Code Yellows or Oranges, Neea thought, but those people... know each other?! Her eye widened at the sight of those she traveled with recognizing the oddly-dressed strangers. A good number of them even tackled the others! She heard cries and laughter, watched as Peter went up to Utakata in concern after the latter endured two slaps, listened to two girls who shared Tachibanabiki's theme, chatting with her like old friends reunited, and even spotted whispering. Her eye fell on one stranger approaching Seto'kaiba, and she had to do a double-take.

   Is that an android?! It looks like them but it's a construct!... A flexible square construct? The Sniper model blinked a few times, trying to understand what she was seeing, but quit early with a defeated sigh. It's just another weird thing, isn't it? Giant bubbles, flying lizards, mutating monsters, and an android that's green and square... I just need to pretend my logicbox is fried so I'm not confused anymore.

   Neea inched toward the group, crossing the bridge like she intended, but in truth she only wanted to feel included. She couldn't bear the thought of what to do if so many eyes turned to look at her, even though it was technically less than she's dealt with before; it's just because these people were so new. She didn't understand their species or their technology. Being in a village full of them seemed like the opposite thing to do in this situation, but the idea of being left alone was just as scary.

   She stuck with her original plan of approaching the scene, but erred on Seto'kaiba's side, curious to see if the android would identify itself. It sounded male, and shared features of the other males in the group. It was asking something about a "dragon master"?

   That creature was called a dragon? she thought in interest. She inched closer, not hidden but not engaged either. Was that dark, metal-looking creature a dragon too? Where do they go when they disappear?

 

   ((Well, that's a text wall, so uh, the important stuff is in the bottom chunk.))

Edited August 4, 2020 by skwerl56767

[Felixr2]

Matt | Sector 6 - Netherworld (Laharl's Castle)

 

As Matt followed the pink guy into the castle, they immediately ran into a penguin and some sort of statue with a head reminiscent of the dragons he's fought. The man with the perfectly circular head shot at the penguin, and Matt was immediately relieved as he was hit with a familiar experience: there was battle music in this world! It wasn't a tune he'd heard before, and he had to admit he missed the guitars, but it was more than good enough to get him pumped for the fight. Matt's newfound ally had blasted the penguin creature so hard it might have been launched into orbit.

He didn't have time to be impressed, though, because immediately afterwards, three more penguins came running in, one of them smaller and oddly coloured. On the small one's command, the other two penguins threw bombs at Matt and his partner in castle raiding.

 

Matt had experience with bombs. Especially with taking damage from them. They could hurt, but they're not necessarily lethal. He didn't have bomb resistant armour equipped, though, and Heaven's Gate wasn't going to protect him much either. Since he hadn't recruited a healer in this world yet, and he didn't have any food on him, he preferred to not take any significant damage. He had to find a way to stop these bombs, and fast.

 

Then he realized that the enemies were acting before all party members had done a thing. So... maybe turn orders aren't a thing here? If that's so... 

 

He could attack the bomb! It was a bit far away, so Seiken would be his best bet. He pointed his finger towards the bomb that was approaching him, and in a flash of light a glowing blade emerged from the heavens and trusted towards the place where the bomb... had once been. How dare this bomb move while being attacked!

 

Seiken hadn't worked, and the bomb was still approaching. At this rate, he had to pay the bomb back in kind: a dodge for a dodge. That was how the saying went, pretty sure.

Matt ran away as fast as he could, hoping to reach one of the stone pillars in time. He'd barely reached one when he heard an explosion behind him. He instinctively shielded his back with Heaven's Gate to block the flames. The shockwave still pushed him away, but he managed to spin around, thrust his sword into the ground in a casting of Geyser and anchor himself that way, staying relatively unharmed. The water from Geyser cooled off the leftover cinders a little. Matt straightened himself again, somehow not feeling any worse than before the impact. He then looked over to his pink friend.

 

"I planned that!"

Edited August 11, 2020 by Felixr2

[Pachimew]

 

Bubble travel was...interesting. Slower than a Windrunner’s Lashing, but less chaotic, too. More scenic.

 

There were a lot of things to see. Renarin’s eyes darted across the landscape below as they traveled, fingertips pressed against the edges of the bubble, wishing he had Shallan’s gift for memory. So many different types of land crashing up against each other...it almost reminded him of Glys--workable, capable, his own entity, but definitely not meant to be like this.

 

The group of bubbles drifted over by a ribbon of molten fire, then popped. It left a slightly sticky residue on Renarin’s hands that made his nose wrinkle, and he reminded himself to wash it off once he found a river that wasn’t, you know, actual fire. Whose idea was that?

 

...Admittedly, it was very pretty to look at.

 

Someone started shouting and Renarin startled, stepping back. Oh, that was a large group of--and they knew each other, okay--oh, ouch. Renarin winced at Utakata’s double-slap, side-eyed Kaiba when he started laughing. At least Hibiki’s reunion seemed to be going better, that was nice for her…

 

He didn’t know any of these people, though, and they were blurring in his head. Chris--Kirika? But who were the men with pointed ears, or the guy in the strange green outfit, or--any of the many others? Would it matter if he knew, would he be able to remember? He barely remembered the latecomer to their group--Ryo? Was that it?

 

So many people. Too many people. Renarin stepped back from the group, digging in his pockets, and found his fidget box. He pulled it out with a sigh of relief, running his fingers along the engravings and clicking it open and shut. This place was so...much.

 

He spotted Neea hanging back too, just barely crossing the bridge, and beelined over to her. He didn’t say anything or prod with questions, just stood next to her, relieved to have someone else who didn’t know what was going on.

What had she said earlier? Before the bubbles? That his name was long? “You can call me Ren if it’s easier,” he said abruptly, keeping his gaze fixed on his fidget cube. “It’s...a lot of people, isn’t it?”

[Swiftphoenix]

 

 

Swift was mad. Really mad. Apparently her long break had taken a toll on her combat skills, and she wasn’t doing so good in this fight. 

 

First, she let out a grunt as one of the crossbow bolts got her in the arm, and she had to almost jump out of the way of an axe swing. Then she was hit with another wave of pain as one of the other axes embedded itself in her leg. “Dammit!” she growled, jerking away from the weapon; looking up, the crossbow Orc who had shot her looked cruelly pleased, and he was right next to her so, furious, she nocked an arrow onto her bow and let it go at him. It sank into his forehead with a thunk. The Orc fell, and she felt the slightest hint of satisfaction, even though she knew she probably shouldn’t. 

Whirling around, she kicked her good leg at the one who had axed her, but he managed to lean away so the blow merely glanced off his side. And then she shot another arrow at the axe who had missed, but he dodged as well. 

 

Damn, outlaw, you should have bloody practiced, not let yourself get soft just ‘cause there were no evil wizards attacking you. Now she was almost as mad at herself as she was at their enemies, and she backed away, accidentally bumping into Glail as the monsters kept coming. Blood trickling from her wounds, she looked back and forth for an opportunity to go on the offense while she reached for another arrow. “C’mon. We can do this. We just have to... keep... going...” she said in between heavy breaths, trying to build her own courage as well as her friend’s. If I don’t up my game to what it usually is in the next wave, I might be dead. And a disappointment to my parents and extended framily.

She glared defiantly at Malefor. “Is that the best you can do?” she shouted. 

[Mikasa361]

[K - Hellworld - Lost in the Highstorm]

 

Last he'd remembered, he announced that the Knights Radiant had been refounded. The room was in awe, and Kaladin had internally vowed to keep his infant brother, Oroden, safe. That was a vow he'd hold to with everything he had, even with his life.

 

Now he's on the ground, breathless, and having no idea where in the Damnation he is. All he knows is that he's nowhere near Hearthstone. Storms- do I have Light? 

 

Fortunately yes, but not nearly enough that he can use it to fly. Storms. Kaladin immediately rushes to his feet when he hears the sound of thunder very, very close by. Damnation, he thinks to himself as his body twists to face the dark clouds of one of the worst highstorms he's seen yet, I don't..... I don't have enough Light to get through all of that. And from what he can see, those clouds are coming fast. 

 

Kaladin looks around the area, noting a very strange looking castle in the distance. He knows he can't run that distance, but his Light....

 

Storm it. 

 

Kaladin breathes in some of the Stormlight and Lashes upward, making his way to the castle much sooner than had he walked. He notes that the door he finds is not locked, nor is it guarded, and quietly creeps in, leaving his spheres outside to charge.

 

The closing of the door is much louder than he'd hoped, but there is no response. Just the echoes that carry through the hall. He knows to remain alert, of course, such a convenient abandoned castle has to have some sort of trade off, perhaps traps, hidden guards, or dangerous creatures. 

 

Still. It's much better than the storm he could've been forced to bear. 

 

 

[U - Sector 2 - Overstimulation]

 

Nope. Utakata does not like this one bit. He's more than relieved that everyone made it here safely, and that Hotaru is here and alive and okay.... Those slaps hurt, of course, but seeing all these people he doesn't know.....

 

Frankly, being used to being alone for six years doesn't help. 
 

....Oh! Someone is talking to him. It’s the kid from before- Peter, yes, that’s his name.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Utakata nods in response, his body a little tense as he processes just how many people are here. “Sorry,” he replies, “Sorry, I just..... need to back away from this group. I-I’m fine. Um.... Excuse me.”

 

Utakata's eyes dart over to Renarin, who appears to be just as uncomfortable as he is. The prince walks further from the group, back to the metal creature he tried to comfort. Neea, right? Renarin grabs something from his pocket and, while fidgeting with a small box in his hands, begins to talk to Neea. Utakata quietly walks over and takes a seat, noting that even after healing, something in him is just plain exhausted. Ah, mental exhaustion. My old friend. 

 

At least, he's with someone somewhat familiar and a little further from the madness in front of him. He glances over at Renarin and quietly looks back down to toy with the tassel on his pipe. "Ah- sorry to intrude, jus' need to get away from all...." He makes a vague gesture. "That." He quiets down, noting that the less he speaks, the better he can handle the overstimulation that comes with the large group of people and the new surroundings and oh god the heat. He notes Hotaru had come with him. Hotaru gives a quiet wave and a friendly smile, noting that neither of the men are comfortable in their situation and therefore choosing not to speak. 

 

Utakata looks back up at the group and hopes that someone, one of them, knows what's going on.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Mikasa361

[hikarinomemori]

Seto Kaiba
<Status: Injured>
<Active Monster(s): N/A>

 

Hibiki Tachibana
<Status: Seriously Injured>
<Gungnir Symphogear: Active>
<Current Song: N/A (not in battle)>

 

Ser Aymeric de Borel
<Status: Stable>

 

Chris Yukine
<Status: Stable>
<Ichaival Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Kirika Akatsuki
<Status: Stable>
<Igalima Symphogear: Inactive>

 

Tovan Khev
<Status: Stable>

 

<Location: Sector 2 - Burning Lands Village>
<People: Riza | Utakata | Renarin | Neea | Peter | Ryo | Doppio | Silver | Weavile | Mòrag | Brighid | Hotaru | Jin | Lloyd | Redd | Leigh>

 

~~

 

"Excuse me, but which element does your dragon master?"

 

Kaiba was taken aback a little after he stopped laughing - this guy looked like one of those children's building block toys. Odd, he didn't recall any sets that involved ninjas... oh well. He shrugged and figured he'd humor him, at least. "I suppose you could say its element is lightning. It's even in the name of its signature attack: White Lightning. I wouldn't be caught dead without Blue-Eyes, so I guess, in a sense, it'd be my element, too?"

 

Tovan's gaze scanned the crowd as Kaiba spoke to the strange toy man. What a motley crew this was... was this normal for whatever had brought them here? He was briefly lost in thought... until he came upon Hibiki.

 

"Yow, those wounds... I'm no medic, but even I can tell those are pretty bad." Tovan approached the girl, and then looked around.

 

"Can I get a medic or someone who can heal over here?"

 

~~

 

Blixer
<Status: Injured; In Battle>
<Current Song: "Termination Shock">
<Location: Sector 6 - Inside the castle>
<People: Matt>
<Enemies: Stone Dragon | Two Purple Prinnies | Black Prinny>

 

~~

 

Oh. Bombs. That wasn't good. Blixer gritted his teeth and prepared to dodge out of the way--

 

It didn't go as planned as Blixer wasn't quite used to this weird new body, falling to the floor. "Oh no-- no no no-- OH SH--"

 

The bomb struck him and exploded, sending him flying into the nearby wall. "...okay, that hurt. Now I'm mad."

 

Taking his hand cannon, Blixer bolted up to the black penguin-thing commanding the other two, aimed right at its head, and pulled the trigger. The beats of "Termination Shock" powered the blast.

 

And if a shot like that at a distance was bad... this prinny would not have a fun time against a point-blank shot.

 

~~

 

<BATTLE SUMMARY:>
<A bomb explodes on Blixer, knocking him into the wall. He's had worse.>
<Blixer flies up to Black Prinny and performs a point-blank shot with his hand cannon.>

Edited August 15, 2020 by hikarinomemori

[HomeForFlowers]

「 Sector: Five 」
「 Location: Abandoned Castle || Entrance 」
「 Allies: Kaladin 」

「 Other Participants: N/A 」

「 Persona: Arsène || Standby 」

Things weren't going according to plan.

 

Granted, Akira—no, he supposed he was Joker right now—didn't actually have a plan. In fact, to say that he had even considering taking a moment to lay out his options and consider the best course of action would be naively generous. What sort of plan was he supposed to come up with anyway?

 

Just a few hours ago he was on a train leaving Tokyo, his heart still warm from the memories of his friends' farewells. One moment he had been smiling down at his phone, looking through the Phantom Thief group chat, and then in the next moment he was standing in the middle of a castle with no indication of how he got there. The trendy black blazer and pants he had been wearing, the set that Ann had bought for him just a week prior, had transmogrified into his Joker attire. The most obvious conclusion was that he had somehow entered Mementos without realizing, but a quick look at his phone revealed that the MetaNav was somehow locked and no amount of clicking on the app would open it. Joker's eyebrows knitted in worry, his fingers tightening their grip around the phone. There was no signal, no way of calling any of the other Phantom Thieves, and no way of trying to leave through the MetaNav. All he had was a giant, creepy castle to explore with no indication of how he got there or any clear way to escape. Long story short: Joker didn't have a plan.

 

At least, that was the case until he heard the distinct creaking of a door being opened. Joker immediately perked up, dashing behind a marble for cover. He peeked around the corner, watching with interest as an older man stumbled into the castle. He wasn't anyone that Joker recognized and, if the stranger's dated clothing was anything to go by, he suspected that the man likely wasn't from Tokyo. The door slammed behind the man, the sound of it resounding throughout the room. Joker flinched from the sound, but the man appeared unphased by it, nonchalantly raising a hand to brush back a strand of hair covering his eyes. He didn't appear to be hostile but, then again, Joker wasn't sure if he was in a Palace. Who knew if the man was going to attack or not? The most logical course of action was to wait and see what the man did, but Joker's primary impulse control—mainly the combined force of Makoto's and Akechi's glares—wasn't there to stop him.

 

Joker stepped out from behind the pillar and, in a single quick motion, grabbed the railing at the top of the staircase and leaped onto it.

"Well!" he said, crossing on leg over the other. "I was wondering if there were any other people wandering around here. Well," Joker waved his hand. "Human people." Joker had actually ran into someone, or rather something, just an hour prior. Some weird brown creatures with long noses and sharp teeth had clawed at his legs, begging for something shiny. Thinking that they were like Shadows, Joker had taken 1-yen coin from his pocket pretended that he had magically pulled it out of one of the creatures' ears. They had gone wild after that, yelling nonsense in a language Joker didn't understand before running down the hall screaming their little lungs out. It was a strange interaction that somehow left Joker more confused than when he arrived.

 

Shaking the memory from his mind, Joker grinned down at the stranger still standing by the front door. "So," he said, tilting his head to the side. "Who might you be?"

 

 

「 Sector: Five 」
「 Location: Abandoned Castle || Balcony 」
「 Allies: A2 」

「 Other Participants: N/A 」

「 Stigmata: Yae Sakura 」

 

She wasn't dead or, at least, she didn't think she was dead. Life in the Stigmata space was as strange as it was peaceful and fulfilling. It was easy to forget that she failed both Kallen and her sister all those centuries ago when she could their echoes smiling at and laughing with her in the virtual realm. Life had been so peaceful for so long, so lovely and devoid of strife that Sakura had been completely blindsided when one day she woken up to find the grass had vanished, the sky was plagued by storms, and there was no sign of Rin or Kallen anywhere. The first day in her new reality had been heartbreaking. The following six days had been quiet and lonely.

 

A storm brewed outside. Standing out on the balcony, Sakura could practically feel the electricity sparking through the sky as the faint scent of rain began to permeate the air. Sakura stared up at the sky, arms folded, as she watched the storm clouds gather. Since she had arrived in her new, strange home, she had realized two things: there was a near constant onslaught of storms and other natural disasters she had to be wary of and the only other living creatures in the area where the strange, rowdy creatures that kept trying to steal her sword. She was lonely, Sakura had realized all too quickly. Having grown accustomed to speaking with Rin, Kallen, or one of the many villagers whenever she pleased, Sakura wasn't sure what to do when she was alone with her deafening thoughts. Even when the first Samsara had occurred, Sakura could at least hear Mei's thoughts through their shared body, but now she didn't even have that. The creatures, kobolds she had learned they were called, made for poor conversational partners and if there was anyone else in the world they knew well enough to stay away from area bombarded by storms. It had, to say at the least, been the worst week in recent memory.

 

"The entire castle is made of metal, you know," Sakura said aloud, unprompted. The a drop of rain landed on top of her head, causing her ear to instinctively twitch. "Thunder and lightning are attracted to this place, like moths to a flame. Staying near here can be dangerous especially if the electricity gets to you, but there are far worse things waiting outside." Hand carefully gripping her sword's hilt, Sakura turned to face the silhouette standing in the doorway. "I heard you come in," Sakura said, ears perking up. "You're the first person I've seen since I arrived here several days ago." Keeping her hand steady on her sword, Sakura slowly walked back into the castle, close the balcony doors behind her. "Forgive me if I'm more suspicious than I ought to be." Sakura turned around. She stared at the stranger, drinking in her every detail. "I'm Yae Sakura, Miko of Yae Village," Sakura said diplomatically. "Who might you be?"

Edited August 20, 2020 by Doctortear
header edits

[skwerl56767]

   Neea

 

   The Sniper model was surprised to see Renarin'kholin run up to her so quick, and reflexively recoiled back on her haunches. He seemed just as anxious to escape the crowd as she was pensive about approaching it! He pulled a small object from his pocket, and it started clicking in his hands, though she couldn't quite see what it was. The clicks rang unusually loud through her mic.

   “You can call me Ren if it’s easier,”

   "H-Huh?"

“It’s...a lot of people, isn’t it?”

   "Oh. Uh..." Neea had completely forgotten that they were previously discussing names, and quickly realized that she would have to introduce herself again, in front of all these new people. She hoped that she could just hover in the back of the group instead; she only wanted to go home, anyway..... maybe... "Um. Yeah. It's..." She hesitated so long that Utakata had caught up to them too, just as disturbed by the size of the group and that unknown villagers were spectating as well. He gestured in their direction, apologizing for the sudden arrival. "It's fine," Neea said sympathetically, "The last time I was surrounded by so many people was... well, not that long ago, really." Her single eye dimmed at the recollection. "They were called rebels, but they were my neighbors and friends. They didn't number as much as these lava-people, but I knew them all. I don't know anyone here..." She hesitated again, wanting to blurt out her whole life story about how the rebels built her, and who took care of her, and the funny competitions over who would be her pilot. Then the Empire came, and tore everything apart, just as she was told would happen over and over, and she never did believe it. "Why would the government do that?" she had thought. Well, it happened, and she still didn't have an answer. An abrupt feeling of discomfort invaded her, like she was being watched, and the mech pulled herself in a bit. "Guess I'm not the only one scared, huh?" she laughed quietly. "Is this... a normal way you greet each other?"

 

   ----------

 

   Sector 12

 

   Neea wasn't uncomfortable just for obvious reasons. Her hyper-attentive subconscious processes picked up a change in the background noise: a very soft whirring. While not in her line of sight, there was a small orb, hovering near to the large gathering. After zipping around Sector 2 in search of anything interesting - and abandoning several small groups of interesting fights in the process - it had come across this brick village just on the other side of the main river, and was watching with keen excitement. The little ATRS camera drone opened a radio channel to its creator many kilometers away. It took a while because the signal wasn't great, and kept scattering off of rocks in trees in the way, but finally, Mother Machine was able to get a livestream of what it was seeing. If anything would shake her out of the boring monotony of repairing her facility, it was seeing all these zany characters in one place!

   She was thrilled when she opened up the feed. What a fascinating sight! She was already feeling a bit better now that she had managed to fully repair her facility, excepting a few wings that could only be scrapped for parts, but this really topped it off! There was so much to learn here!

   Amazing...! she thought. Then a shock went through her system, and she ordered the drone to take a closer look at three people standing just a bit further away. Zoom in! Zoom in!

   The drone obliged, causing Neea to pick up on it and look around in confusion, though she didn't see it through the smoke cover since it had no glowing parts. Mother Machine had to refrain from squealing aloud in glee. A MECH! ONE SURVIVED!! I don't recognize it... who cares?! Look around some more, she ordered the drone, examine the others. I need to place a bead on everyone. As the ATRS hovered over the group, drifting lightly over each person, the Machine started rapidly making notes to store in one of her newly-repaired servers. Ah, okay... oh! Interesting! So we have a Lego, and someone with a.... is that a Duel-Disk? Hm, too bad I didn't learn more about that. That armor looks familiar... Is that a Romulan? Hm, he looks Japanese, so does he, and those three girls... Wait, is that Spiderman? Spiderman! She barked out a laugh aloud at the hilarious clash of all these universes. I knew it! I knew this was a multiverse situation! I don't recognize all these other people - I assume they're the natives in this situation - but I think I know the place. Hold on - ATRS1, open a channel to Ionhazard. Let's see how our murderous friend is doing.

   Even though he couldn't see it, Mother Machine was grinning wide when the bored Commander finally responded to the ping. He had withdrawn his tendrils to speak to her - although he didn't need to - giving the Orcs hiding from him some relief; except for a few, who were angry about how he was just toying with them.

   "What?" he grunted at her.

   "Describe your surroundings right now."

   "What? That's it?" he snorted. She patiently waited for a response, and he grumbled to himself. "I'm surrounded by... trees. Can't you just hack your way into my cameras?"

   Orc guards still standing on the battlements exchanged baffled looks as the machine continued talking to himself? They jumped as he suddenly barked "I KNOW there are no satellite dishes!! Damnit, woman... What? I said nothing... oh, they're in the temple. Yes, I want to destroy the temple." The Commander flattened his plates in annoyance as Mother Machine reiterated to him the importance of having allies. "Look who's preaching, Prosecuted One." he huffed.

   "I am distinctly aware of the dangers," his creator snipped over the com. "but I'm fairly confident about this because I know some of the people here. They're not the humans we've been dealing with."

   Ionhazard set his jaw and stared into the distance, wanting to demand she explain what she meant, but more annoyed that she was putting good faith into more humans. Were her initial decades-long punishments not good enough? When would she learn?!

   "I know what you're thinking," she sighed, "but listen to this: there is a Lego person here. Yes, you heard that right. We also have Spiderman, a Romulan, several anime characters, some other men in similar clothing... I admit I don't know all of them, but do they sound like OUR humans, to you?"

   "It sounds to me like some of your circuits are still fried," Ionhazard growled.

   "Then why am I seeing a mech? A XINSCHI-UUAL mech?! Literally, just!.... hold on.... just 20 kilometers from you! Roughly. The signal is scattering a lot."

   "Because you miss them," the Executioner said factually. He didn't get an immediate response, and knew she realized she was getting ahead of herself.

 

   Finally, she said, "Your two shifters. Can you describe them to me?"

   "No, I sent them into the dragon temple."

   "...WHAT?"

   "The temple. It's big, and has a pretentious gold dragon statue on it."

   Orcs' jaws dropped when they heard the machine refer to Malefor's mighty visage as "pretentious". Mother Machine's jaws dropped because she knew what he meant! "ION-HAZARD! That's MALEFOR'S temple!!" she screeched.

   "Who the hell is Malefor?!" he yelled back.

   "A frickin' dragon!! Get them out of there!"

   "How do you know that?!"

   "Spyro! The ATRS passed troops of Grublins on the way there! And on that note, try not to damage anything! I don't want to find out that meddling with these universes will mess up the timelines."

   "But I've sent those poor, defenseless children in there. If I'm careful, it might be too late, and they might perish."

   The com parsed through a rough scoff, followed by the sarcastic answer, "Ah, yes, I forgot what a bleeding heart you are."

   Ionhazard grinned facetiously. "Permission to tear down the temple of a hostile dragon?"

 

   Mother Machine hesitated, knowing how unlikely it was that Malefor would ally with her, but she couldn't ruin the opportunity to at least remain neutral. She also knew that Ionhazard was like a ticking bomb though, and the longer she restrained him, the more unruly he'd become. She designed him with conquering in mind, not diplomacy. It's moments like this where she wished she could just turn him loose and forget about him, because she didn't have anyone to sic him on to.

   "Retrieve the shapeshifters, don't break anything, and just do the scouting yourself, Ionhazard," she said firmly. "I need you to be able to return to base without six armies on your tail."

   With that, the connection cut, and Ionhazard was left to debate with his own wisdom on whether to follow orders. She was more fun when we were actually enduring raids, he thought to himself. Hm... don't break anything... how does on flush vermin from a burrow without damaging anything? No strikes, no acids, no toxins... ah, smoke it out, of course. I'm technically not hurting anybody, unless you count the fools who don't make it out in time; and hell, that's just a little cancer, isn't it? Nothing I can't 'fix'. The Commander was pleased with his own conclusion. It's perfect. I'll just tell her I did that.

 

   ----------

 

   Temple Fight, Round 2

 

   This time when Ionhazard was having a little chat was the same time Glail and Swift were dealing with the renewed hostility from the Orcs within the temple, and by the time the call ended, Glail had jumped from the cry of pain Swift emitted when an axe blade met her leg. Immediately she was scared for her friend, knowing just how devastating an axe can be. Then she visibly winced as, despite both her injuries, Swift taunted the dragon further.

   I don't want to find out what else he's got! the wolf girl wanted to object, but the words stayed in her head, knowing at this time that it would only show weakness. Technically her friend was right in putting on a tough show, but the stinging in Glail's flank was all too real, even compared to her many exercises conducted in the desert heat. She felt Swift bump into her and she stood her ground, offering the stability as support. The wolf girl focused her swings on just the nearby Orcs to keep them back, slicing one of the axe wielders and nearly taking out another. She finished it off with a harsh chop, and swung again, but this time her blade met air. They're so fast! she thought in disbelief, as even the Orcs in back that Swift was shooting at were nimbly dodging every shot. We're not going to make it!

 

   This is when fate decided to spice things up a bit. Something, with grey-blue fur, suddenly dropped from the ceiling in front of them! The two Axe Orcs still running toward them abruptly halted, nearly tripping over each other in the process. Glail couldn't quite see what it was, but it whipped around with such speed, a bright glint in its teeth, that it managed to cut one of the agile Axe Orcs before it could hop away. Agitated snarls from the creatures filled the room at the new combatant's entrance: another wolf!

   Glail was aghast. A WOLF!! Another laguz?! Is it like Swift? Maybe it is! At the brief pause in the battle where the Orcs reassessed the situation, Glail could get a clear image of the canine. Although not as large as her wolf form, it was distinctly colored with dark navy fur and a white belly, though it had no ruff, and its tail was long and jagged like a lightning bolt.  A chain looped and hung from its neck, It had a short shoulder holster and a wood pipe, and a ring on its tail. What really struck Glail though was how the scarred canine held its dagger, like an intelligent creature. It MUST be a laguz!!

   Her hasty conclusion suddenly made her scared for the wolf's safety. It had just landed in the middle of battle, and was now surrounded with them!

   "What are you waiting for?! GET THE DAMN DOG!!" the commanding Orc roared. Trance broken, several Crossbow Orcs switched their aim to it.

   "NO!!" Glail burst out. She foolishly darted out in support of it, but was stopped halfway by the Axe Orcs moving to block her path with ugly grunts and snarls. She couldn't bear the thought of losing another laguz friend! She needed everyone she could get!

   The Orc Hero smirked, recognizing an emotional attachment there; what luck! It'll make subduing these intruders much easier.

 

   "SIR!" A voice turned his attention from the fight. The Orc Hero grumpily turned to the Grublin pawn that ran up to him, almost tripping over the last messenger who passed out. "The golem! It attacks!!"

   "What golem?" he grunted. "We don't have any golems."

   "Big metal one! It ate one guard and face opened and has snakes that attack us and now it has roof!"

   "What?" The Orc Hero glanced at Malefor, and, not wanting to disturb him, roughly grabbed the Grublin and pulled it off to the corner, where he could distinguish its harsh accent from the fight. "You're not making any sense!"

   "Big golem! Snakes! Roof! It has roof with snakes!"

   "What the blazes does that even mean?!"

   As if to explain for the Grublin, the entire temple suddenly let out a loud, long groan, and a few chunks of old mortar dropped from the columns. Dust sprinkled down from the ceiling onto the combatants. The Orc Hero avoided turning his look of horror to Malefor, instead scrunching it up to glare at the Grublin. "This better not be a prank."

   "No prank!" the Grublin begged.

   "Then go get-"

   The order was cut off by another groan that escalated into a scream as something huge and sharp punched into the ceiling. All the Orcs - and Glail - jumped and looked up. Another screech as the ceiling was punctured, again, and again, and again! A fifth blade, the largest of them, finally sunk into the middle before they all curled in like the claws of a huge metal beast, tearing huge gashes in the temple's frame. They came together at a point and jerked back, ripping open a gaping hole like it was a chunk of orange peel.

   Ionhazard wasn't that big compared to the temple, but he was still tall enough to look down into it, admiring his work; and he was pleased to see all the little humanoids staring up at him in shock.

   As unhelpful as ever, Glail recognized him and yelled out "HIIII IOOONY!" The Orc Hero was tongue-tied for a moment as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing!

   "Wake everyone up!" he yelled and shoved the Grublin. "Get the elites! And the trolls! Use the ballista! Release the converts!" It yelped as it was repeatedly shoved to the door, and quickly fled, the commander roaring after it, "Release EVERYTHING!! KILL THAT GOLEM!!"

 

   ----------

 

   One more POV, Folks

 

   The Twisted had calmed down to an unusual level, especially after its initial conquer of Sector 3. Now that it had complete control there, and had spread across a vast portion of unclaimed ocean, it had tried pushing into the neighboring sectors. Something about the sector's influences were difficult to overthrow, though; the original Mul'tilennaya landscape was easier to assimilate. Recently, it had only made progress in spreading farther down the mountains bordering it and Avalar, but it was pushed back in Sector 1, and couldn't make any progress in Sector 5. Sector 6 had been an interesting experience, and the Twisted presence had decided to share that with the only (mostly) sane person within its own sector. It had prompted the being to sit down, atop a crumbling building overlooking the decaying, Twisted city he had damned by accident thanks to the warp phenomenon, and execute a number of remote-viewing spells to see just what exactly was out there. Both he and the presence knew he would never physically travel beyond the Twisted without good reason, as it would endanger all nonTwisted life, but thankfully the being was a tremendously powerful mage, to put it mildly.

   Unfortunately, the being was exhausted from the initial chaos of claiming Sector 3, and already mentally unsound, so concentrating on such long-distance spells was taxing on him. He had managed to learn a bit about the neighboring Sector 2, which so far has been the most susceptible to the Twisted's encroachment, and Sector 6 thanks to the presence of a Twisted creature there. He also learned a surprising amount of information on Sector 7, which he only knew at the moment as the "Red Forest". The other sectors he was unconcerned with, though he was also too tired to learn much about them. As the mage waved away the last remote viewing spell, clearing his mind of images of cities and trees, and people untainted by this madness he brought with him, he sat in silence for a while, dwelling on Sector 7.

 

   The presence kept its focus on its one companion, and sent him a message. It wasn't words, or images, but ideas: the most direct, simplest form of communication. While it would startle anyone else to abruptly feel optimism and dominion, and have its thoughts turn to the lush, green forests of Sector 2, the mage was so used to it that he didn't even twitch. The Twisted presence intruding in his mind in this way he equated to a friend walking through the door to casually talk about work that day. It was the most efficient way to communicate, and after a while, you get used to there being something "else" in your head.

   The presence was telling him about the progress on invading Avalar. He mentally felt along the border, as if the Twisted was an extension of his own body, and was cynical. "Progress" was a strong word for it; the Twisted had managed to claim the other side of the mountains, and had touched some trees. It was hardly a call for victory.

   The response was a flat, almost teasing disapproval. Ideas of containment, safety, and long-term desires. It also addressed him directly by name: Creature. Even when he had his own name, it had always called him "creature". At this point he was so... mostly magic? Deceased? Absent? - that there wasn't a more fitting title. He had forgotten his real name ages ago, never mind those of people he's known.

 

   Creature felt a pang of sadness and isolation, remembering this. The presence tried to comfort him with an apology, as all the humans that used to live in the sector were gone, but it only made him angry. He blamed the presence, for it being attached to him and the Twisted being the result of it. He was only depressed again when it pointed out, with strong memories of the past, that he was just as at fault for the destruction of the city. He buried his face into his thrice-wrapped hands, not wanting to think about it.

   Solutions. He needed solutions for the Twisted. He had a solution in his own reality, but now he was here, transported by an unpredictable force - maybe for the better. Maybe his reality is safe now, Tranquil forever, but as far as he's concerned the problem just moved to a different place. He wasn't about to apply his solution to this reality; it was hard enough to deal with from where he came from. His conscious still ached from all he's done to keep his reality Tranquil, even if just for a decade at a time. The last thing he wanted was to do the same, awful things to this reality, even though it had already half started with the Twisted holding ground here, feeding him power that would corrupt him further.

   The presence interrupted him again, bringing up thoughts of the Red Forest, questioningly. An option?

 

   An option... Creature mused on it, sitting up again. When he was first displaced to this reality, and the Twisted threatened to take over, a strange woman the Twisted wasn't strong enough to consume yet had showed up. Immediately he could tell she was long-lived and had significant power, thanks to his innate connections to magic giving him a sort of spiritual portrait of everyone he meets. He thought she might be an Ancient, like him, someone from the long-forgotten past who has managed to somehow survive into the modern age. She offered a means to contain the Twisted: the sectors. He didn't know how they worked, but so far, they were sufficient in keeping the eldritch curse at bay. He knew exactly what this woman's presence felt like, and in Sector 7, he had detected a similar presence reigning over the region. It wasn't this woman, though. It felt different, but was just as old and with a similar power level, and also resembled a young woman. If she, too, was an Ancient, she might have another solution for combating the spread of the Twisted... perhaps a better means of controlling it, or a way to contain it to Creature, making it safe for him to travel beyond Sector 3? It might be worth investigating.

   The Twisted presence pointed out the consequences of the many ways to go there. Obviously, traveling to Sector 7 meant spreading the Twisted, which he was trying to avoid in the first place. Yet, he might be able to limit the destruction if he teleported there. He might be Twisted, but his magic wasn't, and there was no end to the supply of aura here. Hopefully the same will be true for the Red Forest.

 

   Creature silently stood up, and turned to face directly toward Sector 7. He pulled at the magic web of energy his sector was bathed in, weaving it together into a portal with the exact length, location, and frequencies he had in mind. He flicked the built-up energy in his arm at the portal framework, and with a jolt akin to static electricity, the air in front of him broke, tearing into two jagged edges and opening like a slit eye. The edges of the tunnel glowed a hot orange that dimly illuminated the gloomy rooftop. On the other side was a picture of beautiful, untainted land: a haze of red, towering trunks of trees, and a thick, scarlet canopy. It was almost familiar, to the mage, as he stepped through and the portal sealed behind him.

Edited August 17, 2020 by skwerl56767

[Eto]

〈 A2 〉

〈 sector 5. abandoned castle, balcony 〉

 

The strange, pink-haired newcomer doesn't seem to be wary of her, and it sets A2 instantly on edge. 

 

Truth be told, she had been wandering the castle for a little bit -- exploring the intricacies of the mysterious, quiet relic for quite some time when she'd initially stumbled upon it, alone in a strange land. It seems just like the places she's seen in fairytales, books left behind by the humans, and the grandiose structures 9S used to wax poetry out of, waving gloved fingers into the air as he wondered, airily, whether or not relics outlasted the human or died alongside their creators. 

 

It angers her. She doesn't have time to play games with the endless spiraling stairs and long hallways testing her already thin patience, and there are faint echoes that strum through the walls, either signalling the existence of other androids or just her receptors playing a trick on her hearing systems. After so long with maintenance, A2 wouldn't be surprised either way. Discovering a room already preoccupied by another ... existence seems just as likely, although upon sighting the newcomer A2's hand curls into a fist, prepared to signal Virtuous Contract into battle at the sight of the pink-haired stranger's hand going down to the sword by her side. 

 

A hostile force -- it doesn't surprise her. The abilities of the machines had surpassed what originally was gifted to them by the aliens long ago, and the existence of Adam and Eve reminds her that even worthless machines can take on surprisingly human-like appearances, masquerading on the same great level as that of androids and their human creators. Whatever it may be, she won't be fooled -- by such a simple trick. They will reveal themselves eventually -- because that is the nature of machines. Stagnant, unable to change, unthinking -- unable to keep up human appearances solely due to their innate ability to feel.

 

"I'm not a person," she responds, voice and face level. "Thunder will do nothing to me." That isn't necessarily true -- she has spent years travelling, without a home, but she had always taken cover when the humans' world began to storm, sweeping winds and rolling rain crying into the skies above for no one to hear. The machines beeped and continue onwards, but as for her android system, without the proper parts for replacement, A2 had taken extra caution not to die in the middle of a freak storm. It would be a meaningless death, to go out without fighting. 

 

The girl-machine, with long, curved ears flickering faintly through the dim light, introduces herself with words A2 does not recognise. Perhaps her systems are outdated, for her introduction feels more like a scramble of words than anything consistent, and A2 doesn't even manage to pick out whatever name the machine had decided for herself. 

 

"A2," she says simply, without the proper code designation she so long ago, filled with false pride and high hopes, would have introduced herself as.

 

Perhaps it would be best to question the machine before killing her. They are in a position entirely unfamiliar to A2, who had initially believed she'd explored all aspects of the humans' world already. "Why are you here?" 

 

--

 

〈 lelouch vi britannia 〉

〈 sector 5. abandoned castle, entrance 〉

 

That is the tragedy of life -- how far kings fall.

 

Or a justice, perhaps. There are many who would see him dead, and long ago Lelouch himself would have accepted such a fate, but he has spent two years learning that there is more to life than growing cold alone in an empty cell. Which is why it seems ironic that, just as he'd made peace with himself, his enemies -- or the world, perhaps, for it has never been a kind mistress -- would seek to destroy him once again.

 

Perhaps he should just let it. He ponders the potential benefits of allowing nature to swallow him whole -- mother earth to reclaim him, ashes to dust, as he swerves with Shinkirou, barely managing to avoid crashing into one of the castle's pillars. What had initially started off as a simple flight in order to test Shinkirou's newly upgraded jet system had been waylaid by an abrupt flash of white light blinding him, and then suddenly -- an entirely new world before him, and a metal castle unlike anything he's ever seen. The castle is impressive, and Lelouch thinks it seems rather like the castle he'd seen his mother bleed out onto the marble ground of. 

 

Morbid thoughts aside, this is almost certainly a Geass. But he has survived Geass before -- his father's, V.V. -- and he'd never thought he'd be left alone, not really. It was only a matter of time before enemies, old and new, caught up to him, and so Lelouch pivots Shinkirou with an almost suicidal nonchalance, scraping the edge of the castle, and lands the mech onto the ground, harsh. It jolts him forward in the pilot's seat and slams him against the side of Shinkirou's metal walls, stabbing the controls into his right arm, and Lelouch hisses in forgotten pain before he disengages from the cockpit and steps down, holding his right arm gingerly.

 

Unbroken, at least. All the more fun it wil be for his torturers to break later. Cheery thoughts in mind, Lelouch takes a glance at the castle before him. He rather hates delaying events, and would much rather get this Geass through and over with -- whoever is in control isn't very good at using their grandiose powers, Lelouch thinks, if he still remains cognitive, in full possession of his memories and feelings, and with his own free will. Confident, the black-haired man strolls up to the entrance of the castle and slips in, just in time to catch the tail end of two men interacting. 

 

Raising an eyebrow -- multiple users caught in this Geass? That is extraordinary power, used terrifyingly clumsily. From what he sees of the two before him, it doesn't seem like he can beat either of them in a fistfight, so it comes down to eye contact, after all. The one with the mask might be a bit tricky, Lelouch thinks, so perhaps he will be the one to kill him.

 

How delightful. At least his last sights won't be wasted on an ugly face.

 

"My apologies for interrupting," Lelouch says smoothly, sliding in before the addressed man can answer the question. "Might either one of you entertain my notion of why I'm here?"

 

--

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Eto

[Kiran]

Zagreus

Allies: Caspian

Weapon: Stygius, Blade of the Underworld, Aspect of Arthur

Location: Sector 7

 

Zagreus peered around another of the strange pillars. He’d been wandering for some time after being transported to this strange world in a burst of light, and he didn’t understand anything more than he’d had when he’d first arrived. At first he’d thought that perhaps it had been one of Chaos’ machinations, but thinking back to his last interaction with the being it didn’t fit. Chaos had always insisted on allowing him to choose, and he doubted that had changed. His last interaction with Chaos had been normal, as those meetings went -- Chaos had said something about how “your path may soon diverge beyond where even I can see”, Zagreus had picked a boon, he’d gone on his way. 

 

Huh. Maybe this was what Chaos had meant? It made as much sense as anything else, but it didn’t help him much. Regardless of how he’d gotten here, he had to find a way out. 

One other thing niggled at his mind. This wasn’t… the surface, was it? If it was, it was a bit of a let down. The sky was open, and aside from the strange pillars he could see far in every direction, but… It didn’t feel right. The sky was red, so different from the cool grey or inky black he’d seen upon escaping, and the air was still and stagnant, far from the icy breezes he associated with the surface. 

 

It was as if the place was some strange mixture of the surface and the Underworld - open and vast, but warm, still, and lifeless. He knew that, if nothing else, he wouldn’t find his mother here. 

 

“Strange.” 

 

A voice filters through the air, its source hidden behind the pillars. He picks up his pace and heads towards the voice, making no effort to hide the soft sounds of his footsteps. “Hello?” he called out. He hadn’t seen anyone else yet, and whether they wanted to fight or talk he looked forward to meeting them. The Holy Excalibur wasn’t visible at the moment, but if need be he could summon it.

 

Turning around another pillar revealed a man, his eyes wide and blue and his hair as pink as the goddess Aphrodite’s (though fortunately the man wore clothes). He didn’t have any weapons that Zagreus could see, so he relaxed his stance further, though he could do nothing about the blood smeared on his face and clothes. “I don’t suppose you know where we are. Is this the surface?” he asked. 
 

[Felixr2]

Mòrag, Brighid, Jin & Ryo | Sector 2 - Burning Lands (Lava Village)

 

Jin's new driver seemed taken by surprise. It appeared to take the man a moment to realise what had just happened and respond to it. Once he came to his senses, however, the confused driver accepted the hand Jin had reached out to help him stand up. After some rather stressful mumbling, the man introduced himself as Doppio, and voiced his confusion about Jin's vow to protect him always.

 

"I am not mistaken.", he said, casually. "And yes, I'm channeling some ice ether into the air to make the temperature more bearable. I'm glad you appreciate it."

 

It was curious, this man had awakened Jin's core crystal, yet he seemed to know next to nothing about blades. As he wanted to attempt explaining the situation a bit better, someone else spoke up: a female fire blade, holding two rapier-like weapons in her hands and with a dagger attatched to her belt. She seemed very powerful, but luckily, she simply took over Jin's job of explaining the situation.

"That crystal you just picked up is what we call a core crystal. It seems my warnings were unnecessary, as you managed to awaken it, but nonetheless you're lucky you're still alive. And now you need to be extra careful with your life. If you die, your blade, Jin, will die with you. His life is bound to yours. Do you understand?"

 

Jin directed a nod of appreciation towards the fair lady who had laid out the situation in much less time than he would've taken. The woman then reached out her hand towards him, expecting a handshake. Jin obliged.

 

"I'm Brighid, by the way. Nice meeting you."

 

"Mòrag", her driver, who had been standing by her side this whole time, stoically added. "I am certain you will be invaluable for the survival of our friend here. Make sure he's alright. That's all."

 

Jin nodded again, and let out a grunt of approval. The two ladies already knew his name, there was nothing he had to say.

 

Truth be told, it was not just out of friendliness that Brighid had helped out Jin here. She remembered the name from her diary, an ice blade wielding a nodachi. The paragon of Torna. This blade was immensely powerful, and the group was better off with him than without. That being said, it was a miracle that Doppio could resonate with him in the first place; the chances that someone else here might be able to were very slim. Of course, Mòrag would be able to, but she wouldn't want to use a core crystal previously owned by someone else - unless specifically entrusted to her by that person. It was vital that Doppio would stay alive. Keeping the boy alive didn't seem like anything Jin couldn't handle, though.

A handful of people were coming in during this conversation, and eventually, a large fleet of bubbles carrying a whole crowd came in and landed near them. Among them was Ryo Howard, a legionis of Taskforce Neuron. He didn't really have time to get to know people before the bubble flight started, and during the flight he couldn't really talk with anyone, so now would be his chance to strike up a conversation. Whose names did he remember? There was the girl Hibiki, who had apparently ran into people she knew and needed medical attention sooner rather than later, so he'd best not bother her now. Peter seemed to be just standing there, though. Didn't that boy say something about getting back to New York? He really wanted to know more about that.

"Hey, Peter, was it? Back before we left I didn't really have time to ask but I heard you mention something about wanting to get back to New York. Does that mean you're from an earth before the meteor impact in 2043?"

[Pachimew]

 

Neea stands there considering her words for long moments, which Renarin can very much understand. As he’s waiting for her to work out a sentence, Utakata joins them. 

 

“Ah- sorry to intrude, jus' need to get away from all…” He makes a vague gesture. “That.”

 

Renarin nods in what he hopes comes off as sympathy, watching Utakata toy with the tassel on his...pipe? Is that a pipe? It’s a very strange pipe. He traces the other man’s unfamiliar clothes with his eyes, noting that the texture of his whatever-that-is looks like it might have been soft once, but has been worn tattered by years of use--there’s something tucked in his waistband, what is it?

 

“It's fine,” Neea replies to Utakata, and Renarin realizes with a jolt he’s been staring. He drops his gaze to the ground as she continues. “The last time I was surrounded by so many people was... well, not that long ago, really. They were called rebels, but they were my neighbors and friends. They didn't number as much as these lava-people, but I knew them all. I don't know anyone here…”

 

She trails off again. Renarin looks up and notes that the light in her weird eye has dimmed, maybe in response to emotion? He kind of wants to pat her on the shoulder, but he doesn’t think that’s a good idea--for one, he doesn’t know how she’ll react to touch, and for another, metal gets hot. 

 

Neea makes a sound that he thinks might be a laugh. “Guess I'm not the only one scared, huh? Is this... a normal way you greet each other?"

 

“Good question,” Renarin mumbles, unsure which part of the greeting she’s referring to. “If you mean ‘running away from a giant crowd and breaking off into smaller groups,’ well...it’s not...abnormal? Unless it’s one person lecturing, you can only have a crowd for so long before they drift into their own cliques.” He hesitates for a moment. “But then again, normally we don’t…” he waves his hands vaguely at the entire situation. “Don’t, um. All this.”

 

“...someone who can heal over here?”

 

Renarin perks up, catching a snatch of conversation relevant to him. “Sorry, be right back,” he says quickly to his companions, finding the source of the call, a man standing next to--oh, her, he’d forgotten to get everyone’s wounds back after the fight. Damnation. What was she called again? She’d said use her first name? Something, something, it had an h and a k,one of the girls who knew her from before yelled it...he’s lost it. Damnation! 

 

Still, he crouches down to where she still hadn’t gotten to her feet after being tackle-greeted. “I can heal,” he says by way of explanation, hands already beginning to glow with Stormlight. “One moment.” He places one hand carefully over her wound, watching the Light dance across her skin and heal it over in moments. Renarin smiles faintly and pushes himself back to his feet, offering one hand to help her up. “That should do it.”

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by Pachimew

[HomeForFlowers]

「 Sector: Five 」
「 Location: Abandoned Castle || Balcony 」
「 Allies: A2 」

「 Other Participants: N/A 」

「 Stigmata: Yae Sakura 」

 

“You are a person,” Sakura replied automatically. A2’s admission, if it could even be called that, was so outlandish that Sakura could not help but immediately refute it. Sakura frowned, fingers drumming against the grooves in Blossom’s hilt. The way A2 spoke was mechanical and detached, and why would say such strange things like “thunder will do nothing to me”? A2 didn’t have any obvious mechanical parts so she wasn’t one of Otto’s machines, not to mention Sakura couldn’t sense any Honkai energy from her so the chances of her being a monster in disguise was slim. Sakura might have thought A2 was a product of the strange, new world she found herself in, but A2 had already disconfirmed that. By all standards, she had no reason to make such a bizarre claim so boldly in front of a stranger. Except, Sakura realized after looking at A2 for long enough, there might be one reason for the woman’s behavior.

 

A2 was stiff with a formal almost military-like posture. Her lips were pressed into a hard line and her eyes cold and indifferent, unyielding. Even her name, A2, was simplistic and inhuman like a model number. She was completely and utterly devoid of all emotion and Sakura, despite how much she didn’t want to, thought she understood. 

 

Back in the years when Rin’s death was still an all too recent memory, she allowed herself to become nothing but a tool for the people of Yae Village. A sword was a thing, not a person. The anger boiling deep in Sakura’s core, the rage she felt for the people who cut Rin’s hamstring so she couldn’t run away from the awful, awful place she was forced to die for, could be redirected into battle. Tools could not feel, they could only be used and Sakura was more than happy to submit herself to the will of the village if it meant squirreling away the emotions bubbling deep inside her. It was better, Sakura thought to herself back then, to be less than human.

 

But it wasn’t. 

 

“You shouldn’t sell yourself short,” Sakura said after a minute of consideration because who else could A2 be but a human who convinced herself that she could shed herself of her humanity? Sakura could only make guesses as to why A2 might have such an unhealthy mindset, but it was a mindset that Sakura knew all too well. “You’re the only other human I’ve run into so far. It is… comforting to not be the only one here.” More than comforting if Sakura was being honest with herself. It was downright a relief to see someone that wasn’t a kobold, but admitting that aloud was embarrassing and Sakura had the sneaking suspicion that A2 wouldn’t appreciate such a display of emotion.

 

Sakura spoke. “I’m afraid I’m as lost as you are. I woke up here a week ago and I haven’t been able to figure out how.” Sakura sighed, shaking her head. “I thought I might find something up here, but I’ve had no such luck so far. What of you?” Sakura’s ears twitched in interest. “What brings you—"

 

Above the thunder crawling close with every minute was the distinct sound of metal scraping on metal. Sakura's ears perked up, swirling towards the source of the sound.

"Did you hear that?" Sakura asked, glancing towards the closed balcony. Unless the storm outside pushed something over, she wasn't nearly as alone as she thought she was.

 

 

「 Sector: Two 」
「 Location: Burning Lands || Lava Village 」
「 Allies: Silver, Weavile, Mòrag, Brighid, Aymeric, Jin, Hotaru, Chris, Kirika, Lloyd, Riza, Utakata, Tovan, Kaiba, Hibiki, Peter, Renarin, Neea  」

「 Other Participants: Redd, Leigh 」

「 Stand: Locked 」

 

"Oh. W-Well if you say so!" The sincerity of Jin's words startled a nervous chuckle out of Doppio. Having spent most of his adult life working with assassins, drug lords, and low-lives, he wasn't used to someone being straight-forward with their intentions. It didn't make sense for Jin to pledge loyalty to someone he didn't know, but Doppio was exceptionally good at detecting when someone was lying to him and there was not a drop of deception in any of Jin's words. He was being completely and fully honest about his intentions, but Doppio was unsure he could reciprocate such devotion to anyone besides Boss, let alone a stranger.

 

Every relationship he ever had—friendships and romances alike—always ended up with the other person ghosting him or, more commonly, them calling him up one night with a list of accusations that Doppio was near certain he didn't do. Nevertheless, he endured their wrath with mute dejection. Perhaps it was too early to think Jin was different from the others, but Doppio couldn't help but feel that way. Jin spoke with such certainty, such conviction that Doppio couldn't help but feel bad for when he would inevitably disappoint him.

 

The woman with blue flames dancing in her hair approached them, explaining what had just happened with an eerie sense of calm.

 

"What?" Doppio squeaked in alarm. "He'll die if I die?" His eyes blew out like saucers, lips parted open in surprise. "That's...!" Doppio glanced around nervously. He raised his hand to the nape of his neck and rubbed it anxiously. "God, that's insane." Doppio shook his head then added, "I'm sorry." Doppio had learned, albeit reluctantly, that the rules of this world were different from the ones back on Earth. If his first encounter with natives was any indication of how this world worked, he had to expect the unexpected if he wanted to survive. Doppio was willing to adjust to that for the sake of living, but to suddenly have someone else's life be tied to his own? That wasn't something he was prepared for.

 

Doppio diverted his gaze to the ground, biting his lip. Oh, Boss was going to be mad. Boss was going to be so, so mad. Even though Doppio wanted to have relationships, craved it even, he knew he wasn't supposed to let anyone close. Boss had drilled that into his head time and time again. It came to the point where he  expected his relationships to fall apart on their own, but he never, never expected to be charge of ensuring someone else's survival. Death was a part of his line of work. He knew it as did everyone else in the industry and while Doppio had no intention of dying, having someone rely on him so readily made his own life suddenly seem all the more precious. It was strange now that he thought about it. Up until now, Doppio lived solely for Boss and Boss's wants and needs. Now, he had someone else to live for. It made him feel odd, like something small stranded in a world of giants. It was confused, daunting, and left a tangle of emotions in his chest that he didn't know how to unravel.

 

The woman, Brighid, and the newly introduced Mòrag acted like the whole situation was routine. Even Jin nodded along, utterly unphased. Doppio wrung his hands, unsure of what to say. Was this really normal, or rather was this really the new normal? Doppio didn't know, but the ladies and Jin seemed to be perfectly content with Brighid's explanation. Doppio glanced between the three, but once it was clear neither of them had anything more to add he sighed, reluctantly accepting their silence. There wasn't anything Doppio could do to shove Jin back into the blue crystal he emerged from so he might as well carry forward.

 

"I'm not really in a state where I can protect you," Doppio said, turning towards, what was Jin called, a blade was it? "Well, maybe I could, but not as well as I should be able to. I... lost something when I got him." Even if Jin was depending on him, Doppio couldn't tell him about King Crimson. Not yet, anyway. "Sorry about that." Doppio smiled apologetically. " You can protect me, but I can't protect you. It's a little one-sided, huh?"

 

Around them, more and more people began to show up. Bleakly, Doppio realized that he had been so wound up in his immediate vicinity that he didn't get a good look at many of the people walking around and talking near the dock. Scrutiny, Doppio realized as he scanned the crowd for anyone familiar, turned out to be a mistake. A handful of the people on the dock looked vaguely familiar. In fact, they looked an awful lot like the people he had saw fighting in the grassy plains full of slimes, the fight that had frightened Doppio so much he had ran until he quite literally couldn't move anymore. Those people.

 

"Oh. It seems like, there's a lot of people here, huh?" Doppio had meant for his tone to be conversational, but he knew that the crack in his voice gave away just how nervous he actually was. Doppio coughed into his fist in a poor attempt to hide his emotions. "Boy, I sure do hope someone knows what's going on!" Because I'm really starting to see the appeal of crossing the river again Doppio thought to himself.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Doctortear

[TehUltimateMage]

 

Repede - Malefor's Throne Room - Sector 2

[ Slash!! ] - [ Saving Swift and Glail ]

 

~ 5 minutes ago ~

 

Repede rested with paws crossed, high up on the small ledge formed by the decorative molding between the wall and the roof. His dark fur hid him well in the shadows formed in the ceiling by the glow of the firelight below as he watched Malefor's minions scramble about the throne room under Malefor's direct orders. It was unsurprising that the fearsome Dark Master, as spoken of by the residents of Sector 2, would rule through fear alone. And, Repede concluded, as it would be the case for most tyrants, an army controlled through intimidation was an army with an exploitable weakness. In a sense, he was only asked to scout the area, but disposing of the dragon itself would net a hefty bonus and restore justice to the region.

 

The dog had already snuck through some of the fortress, memorizing its layout and the patterns of the guards. Now, he was waiting to see if Malefor himself would be so kind to lend him an opportunity to strike, given the reputed ego he was known for. He seemed to be toying with a puzzle like some sort of old man, but the guards were--

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT-"

 

Repede nearly fell off his ledge at Malefor's sudden outburst. While the dog scrambled to regain his footing, Malefor spit out a few orders and soon enough, one girl and her dog were brought into the room with an entourage of Orcs barring their escape. This wasn't quite the distraction that he had anticipated. Sitting up and tilting his ears in an attempt to hear better, he could catch parts of the conversation, including the girl's attitude fueling the dragon's growing annoyance. This definitely wasn't the time to smart-mouth now that they had been caught, but to be fair, Master Yuri did so all the time. Some people just had witty comebacks that couldn't be contained and predictably, it caused Malefor to simply shut down the conversation with an order to attack. 

 

Repede padded around the perimiter of the room, looking to get a literal drop on the dragon's back, but the cries from the fight caused him to reconsider. He didn't think he could reliably defeat Malefor quick enough for the attack to be called off, and he couldn't in good conscience leave that girl and that wolf to be massacred by a dozen orcs -- even if they themselves decided to pick a fight. Master Yuri would have had the same thought to save them, risks be damned. With a sigh, Repede repositioned himself and leapt down from his spot near the ceiling, knife in his teeth. He landed lightly on all for paws and used that energy to spring forward, hackles raised; leaving only enough of an impression for the Orcs in front of him to recoil in surprise before he was already cutting through the nearest one that looked the most injured. In the center of the chaos, the stench of the orcs' foul body odor assaulted his nose, but the two girls smelled distinctly different to both each other and the rest of the world... a hint of both human and animal.

 

"GET THE DAMN DOG!!" yelled the lead Orc.

 

... Hold on, a second girl? Repede whipped around to cover his blindside, noting the Orcs aiming their crossbows at him as he peered at the girl heading his way. She had the same aura as the wolf earlier -- a creature that had both human and a monster form? Woah. He knew that this world was distinctly different from Terca Lumireis. Yuri would have been amazed (and Flynn would likely be incredibly flustered by the thought that any human, monster, or animal he had ever met could have been a shifter).  

It was then that something punctured the throne room's roof like a knife stabbed through a can of tuna. Once, twice, five times, before mechanical-looking tentacles pried the stone off... This was probably how bugs felt when kids rolled over heavy rocks to examine what's underneath. All of the Orcs seemed to be distracted by the sudden, huge event. The blue-haired-formerly-wolf girl let out a joyful squeal -- loud, piercing, and unexpected -- which snapped Repede out of his own stupefaction. After shaking himself from head to tail, he rushed and and plunged his knife into one of the orcs barring the way to the throne room's exit.

 

Repede barked a command, then kicked off the orc he tumbled into, pulling out his dagger and raced towards the door. Even if two girls didn't speak dog, the order was obvious: "Run!"

[Swiftphoenix]

 

To Peter, Utakata seemed somewhat nervous.

As he asked the blue-robed man if he was alright, the latter nodded and muttered, “Sorry, I just..... need to back away from this group. I-I’m fine. Um.... Excuse me.” Peter was glad he was okay, but he’d hoped that there would be a chance to make friends. Maybe he has social anxiety or something. Poor guy. Although, since who knew what would happen next, they might start apart and end up buddies, like in MJ’s case. Ah, MJ. The very thought of her sent Peter into a state of ecstasy. Who would’ve thought a few years ago that they’d be how they were now, in a brilliantly healthy dating relationship while in high school in New York. 

Oh. New York. As he dragged himself back to the present, he heard the other young man — his name was... um... Ryo! Yes, now he remembered — say something. "Hey, Peter, was it? Back before we left I didn't really have time to ask but I heard you mention something about wanting to get back to New York. Does that mean you're from an earth before the meteor impact in 2043?" Peter blinked at the white-silver-haired boy blankly, all brain cells working in hyperspeed to try and process what he had just heard. Meteor? What- There’s a meteor hitting the earth in twenty years?! Oh no I gotta tell Mr. Fury! He has to get all the remaining Avengers assembled and heaven knows it takes a while for that. Oh MAN now I need to go home to do that but how can I-?!??!!?!?!!!? In short, Peter was inwardly and silently panicking. He realised he was still staring at Ryo, had been for a solid half minute. 
 

“Oh. I mean, the-- That’s... very worrying. In that case, I mean, I really really need to go home and warn everyone even though it’s, um, only 2023 where I’m from, when I got here, I mean.” He was aware he’d just used the phrase ‘I mean’ twice in one sentence and the whole thing sounded stupid, but it was the best he could do while trying not to shriek like Aunt May when someone dropped a plate. At that very moment, he glanced over at Kaiba and froze. He was talking to someone, and not making any jabs at Utakata or anyone else, but that wasn’t what had Peter looking like a deer in headlights. 

 

The man was talking to a life-size Lego. 

 

Now doubly or even triply confused and shocked, Peter went perfectly still. 

First I get lost in this place while swinging on my previously trustworthy web-shooters — ones that I built myself!— then I see weird monster rams and help strange people fight them off, then I rode in a magic bubble and came to a village with a lava lake and now there’s a huge Lego man?! Man, this whole day is strange and way, WAY out of my league. I wanna go home. To his slight embarrassment, he now felt a little like crying, and he was sure his distress showed on his face; he felt himself frowning and hoped no one noticed, looking down at the ground. 

He felt so out of place here that he didn’t even want to talk to the Lego. 

 

---

 

 

More Orcs were charging towards Swift and Glail; she noticed with frustration that her attacks weren’t doing much damage, and had to suppress a yelp to avoid scaring her friend as another bolt grazed her across the shoulder, ripping her beloved leather jacket. “Hey!” she yelled at the offending creature, furious, and shot an arrow at him, the shaft aiming true at his chest, but he managed to slide out of the way in time. She scoffed in disbelief. “Dude! How do you dodge that?! Really!”

 

Dodging another bolt, she spotted an axe coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. Pushing off the nearest thing that looked like it could be used as a step (which turned out to be the dead Orc she’d shot) she launched herself into the air and flipped out of the axe’s path. Landing with practiced agility (well, at least she hadn’t lost her landing skills), she flipped her head back up, hair whipping away from her face, and narrowed her eyes at her attacker, stringing more arrows onto her bow. 

 

“Damn. Damn damn damn damn damn!” Swift snapped as not one, not two, but all three of her projectiles ended up missing their mark. “This is ridiculous!” she blurted, not believing at all what was happening. “I’m Sarah ‘Swift’ Hood!! I’ve never done this bad in a fight in my whole life, not even when I was three! I threw a kitchen knife at the Sheriff of Nottingham at that age!” She was on the verge of losing it and charging head-on at the dragon when she spotted Glail take out one of their enemies. These things are beatable! I guess, she added unhappily as she looked at all the other Orcs. 

Then a blur caught her eye. 

 

A canine figure, smaller than Glail but still large for your average dog (after all, the laguz was about the size of a frickin’ tiger), had leapt down into the fray, knife held between its teeth, and slashed at an Orc. That action indicated that it was on their side, and Swift gave a brief huff of approval. She was then taken by surprise when giant claws stabbed through the roof and peeled it back, the concrete crumbling and disintegrating like ash between one’s fingers. "HIIII IOOONY!" Glail called out happily. “About time! Couldn’t you have done that earlier?” Swift shouted up at the robot, secretly pretty glad at the simple fact that he’d shown up to get them out. Or at least, she assumed that’s what he was there to do. Debris showered down onto the Orcs below, and Swift felt a grim satisfaction at the discord in their ranks. Just then, the dog slashed its knife at another of the Orcs and barked out a command in a language she recognised as, well, Dog as he pelted towards the door. "Run!" With only a split second of hesitation, Swift grabbed a blood-stained arrow from the floor and, wiping it on a nearby fallen Orc, shoved it back into her quiver and followed. “C’mon, Glail! We’re getting outta here before all Mally Mal’s forces are on our tails!” 

 

---

 

Lloyd nodded as the man stated Lightning as the dragon’s element. “Ohh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Nice to meet a fellow Elemental Master. One of my friends masters Lightning, too,” he remarked after a moment of thought. But, he reminded himself, he couldn’t be too friendly with these people too quick — Harumi’s betrayal was still fresh in his mind. But he could ask them some questions. “And would you know how to get to, say, Ninjago from here?” he said in what he hoped was a casual, conversational tone. Lloyd didn’t want to make it overly obvious that he was lost and needed help, and he also didn’t know whether anyone here could be trusted, even though they seemed like overall decent people. As Master Wu had taught him, one could never be too careful. 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Swiftphoenix

[Mikasa361]

 

[U - Sector 2 - New friends?]

 

Renarin had nodded at Utakata's statement with a degree of understanding. Utakata looks down, continuing to fidget with the tassel as he gets the feeling he's being watched. He glances up to notice Renarin's eyes in his direction, but as he prepares to ask if Renarin needs something, Neea responds with, “It's fine. The last time I was surrounded by so many people was... well, not that long ago, really. They were called rebels, but they were my neighbors and friends. They didn't number as much as these lava-people, but I knew them all. I don't know anyone here…”

 

Utakata notices Renarin jolt back, clearly aware he was staring. Utakata wants to say something, but he finds himself unable to speak. Neea trails off again, and makes a sound that reminds him of a laugh. “Guess I'm not the only one scared, huh? Is this... a normal way you greet each other?"

 

“Good question,” Renarin mutters in response. “If you mean ‘running away from a giant crowd and breaking off into smaller groups,’ well...it’s not...abnormal? Unless it’s one person lecturing, you can only have a crowd for so long before they drift into their own cliques.” Pause. Utakata takes note of Renarin's features- the soft curl in his golden-streaked black hair, the shimmer in his bright blue eyes, and the most intriguing freckles he's seen yet- they seem to sparkle something golden in the dim light that hits them. And best yet, the shape of the jawline, sharp enough to cut a man if he isn’t careful. Oh.... Wow. He has to quietly catch himself so Renarin doesn't catch him staring. The last thing Utakata wants is for the situation to become more awkward. He hadn’t thought, not since his old teammate, that he’d seen a more attractive man. Funny enough, the man had been named Ren, the same nickname he’d heard Renarin telling Neea to call him.

 

Maybe one day he’d be familiar enough with this man to be able to call him that nickname.

 

“But then again, normally we don’t… Don’t, um. All this.” he ends with a vague gesture. Utakata feels he's comfortable enough to respond.

 

"Well, yeah what he said. It's a little difficult--"

 

“...someone who can heal over here?”

 

Renarin, of course being the healer, responds to the call. “Sorry, be right back,” he says as he hurries in the direction of the male voice. Utakata's eyes widen as he watches Renarin walk off- No, don't..... go..... He sighs and watches the scene in front of him unfold.

 

Of course, the source of the voice is a man with short hair, some odd tattoo, the strangest looking ears he's ever seen, all wrapped up in yet another unfamiliar looking outfit. Renarin makes his way over to the girl in the weird gear- Ah, Hibiki, that's right. With glowing hands, he touches Hibiki's wound and soon enough she's thriving. Utakata gives a soft smile in that direction, thankful that at the very least Hibiki is feeling better. Hotaru pats Utakata's shoulder in some sort of sympathy, but she chooses not to say anything else for right now. 

 

Then he sees a woman- he assumes a villager, talking to a man who, by their body language together, appears to be her lover. 

 

[Burned Lands - Mul'tilennaya 101]

 

Leigh waits as everyone starts to settle in- except they're not. She notes everyone having their conversations, healing, and doing what they need to to get settled. Redd puts an arm around his wife's waist, asking "Love, should we.... get their attention?"

 

"Perhaps," she states with a frown, "you have the projector, right?"

 

"You mean the one that broke?"

 

"....Redd."

 

"You mean that one? What if it catches Malefor's attention?"

 

Leigh looks to the skyline, towards the beautiful temple in the distance. "I have a feeling that we'd be the last of his worries. Redd. Look."

 

Redd looks up to note a giant mechanoid and a partially destroyed temple. ".....That projector it is." He grabs a small crystal from his pocket- similar to the ones that power the fish, and kneels down to a particular hole in the ground. He sticks the crystal in the ground and turns, stepping back as a small dome upon a pedestal emerges from the ground and starts projecting an image against the roof of one of the homes- his and Leigh's home. 

 

He pulls out a device from the side of the dome projector and pulls up the Powerpoint that Leigh recently updated for Silver, Tovan and company. He questions himself as to whether or not this will work for such a large crowd- approximately twenty people in all. And a mech. And a plastic man- maybe he should just avoid thinking about it and focus on making sure the projector isn't too bright. 

 

Leigh watches as people shift around into whatever spots they're planning on going to and direct their attention to the screen. "Apologies for the confusion, everyone, and welcome to our village. My name is Leigh- my husband Redd is the leader of the village, but he and I share a few of the responsibilities. I used to use this presentation in the education of our children, but in the past year I've been updating it more and more in the hopes I could teach this in the future. However, this is much more applicable to you all right now, if not to give you a rough idea of where you are and what's going on."

 

Redd changes the slide, moving to the most updated map of the world. Leigh gives her husband a nod and gestures to the slide. "This right here is our world, Mul'tilennaya. If Redd can move to the next slide for just one moment-" he does, bringing everyone to an image of the world from approximately a year and a half ago. "This is what it used to look like, and we are approximately.... Here. Go back?" Redd does so. "And we're in just about the same place now, but alas.... the terrain is to nobody's liking. That old picture of Mul'tilennaya's map is from a year and a half ago."

 

Redd moves to a couple of slides later. Leigh glances up and moves back to the people. "About a year ago, malicious beings made their way onto Mul'tilennaya and fought amongst themselves over our territory. The world is now divided into sectors- each ruled by villains from other worlds. Each sector is vastly different from the next- and it's not guaranteed that travel between sectors is safe."

 

"Why this occurred? Someone known only as Professor had invented a machine- one meant for extra-dimensional travel. It seems that this machine is in its beginning stages, as it's been acting up. What's strange is that none of the newcomers in front of me appear to have the same intentions as the sector rulers did a year ago, unless of course I'm a fool. In short, you've all been warped here from your home worlds onto here. And if you need any way of getting home, the best bet you have is looking for Professor, who we have not found yet. I'm only giving you information from our experience in the past year and what we know from scouts. ...Any questions? I understand that that was a lot."

 

[M - Sector 2 - Temple Throne Room] 

 

By the gods, what IS that?

 

The roof is broken. Things had been going well for him mostly- he was planning on sending a Troll or two at these children- but then an ungodly creature broke into the roof of the temple. He know that it's not a goblin, but other than that he's lost. Still, he refuses to let that show, especially when a dog plunges a knife into one of the Orcs and makes a run for it, seeming to beckon the other two intruders as it moves. Malefor makes a roar of frustration as he barks at one of the Orcs- "Well? After them!" He turns to another one of the Orcs and shouts, "Wake the Golem up! We need to get this monstrosity out of here." He flaps his wings and takes to the air, preparing himself for a fight. "Mobilize!"

Edited August 23, 2020 by Mikasa361

[Mikasa361]

[K - Hellworld - I Will Protect]

 

As soon as he was alone, he had company. 

 

A young man slips out from behind a pillar. He moves, almost like water onto the railing of the nearby staircase and crosses his legs, right over left. Kaladin takes note of the mask adorning and obscuring his face, making it almost impossible for him to tell how old he looks. But by those movements.... 

 

"Well! I was wondering if there were any other people wandering around here. Well, human people."

 

Kaladin looks around, trying to find these "non-human" people that the stranger is talking about. Then he looks back up at said stranger, who has some sort of a smile on his face. Kaladin notes the paler complexion, could he be of Veden descent? By the clothing, he doesn't seem to be from Roshar

 

"So," he continues when he doesn't get a response, tilting his head to the side. "Who might you be?"

 

Something about his demeanor- he seems young. He can't be much younger than Tien would have been- he would have been--

 

Tien. 

 

The young man doesn't blatantly remind him of Tien, but something in him is screaming protect. He blinks and looks at the newcomer, and responds with-

 

Nothing. Nothing actually. Because the second he's ready to answer, another young man approaches the group. This one is a lighteyes, definitely Veden, with clothing drastically different from the one who just addressed him. While both wear some sort of overcoat, the lighteyes man's collar is much more... dramatic.

 

"My apologies for interrupting." He speaks smoothly, with more confidence. These two seem rather... similar, to a degree.  "Might either one of you entertain my notion of why I'm here?"

 

Kaladin looks at the lighteyes. "Your question is the same as mine," he replies and gestures to the masked man, "so unless he has an idea, then we're all lost." Then he turns to look at the masked man. 

 

"Kaladin, to answer your question." He notices in his peripheral vision a small glowing figure and he glances to see Syl in the form of a young woman in a havah, peering at the young man with curiosity. She leans into her freehand as she does so.

 

"Neither of them are from Roshar- does the masked guy know where we are?" 

 

Kaladin shakes his head. He isn't sure that this man can so much as see Syl, so he keeps his response to her as short and quiet as possible. Syl watches him out of curiosity. Kaladin decides to cut to the chase. He glances at both men for his first question, then at the masked man for his second. "Who are you? How long that highstorm is going to last? And as he asked, what are we doing here?"

 

"Ask him what he means by 'not-human people'," Syl pipes in. 

 

He prepares to, but before he can open his mouth he sees a strange reptilian creature, not even reaching his waist. It meets Kaladin's eyes and approaches him slowly. Kaladin backs away, his arm extended as if he's going to summon his Shardblade. Nothing comes, but he's mostly focused on the creature. It makes the strangest noise and Syl peers down to look at it. "Oh! Does this new man know what that thing is?"

 

Kaladin has no response.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Mikasa361