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Post by Jina on Dec 21, 2009 23:21:53 GMT -5
Mage Manor Owen knocked again. Nobody came, so he instead decided to just walk in. "Hello?"
Where is everyone?
Then, the walls started to move. Owen found himself next to a set of stairs, leading down. He looked at them. Weird... but I'll bite.
He went down the stairs, and saw Lupehunter and Omni. "Hi there. Would this, by any chance, be the Mage's Guild?"
Tabloid Town Hospital The catboy arrived and told the shapeshifters to stop fighting. Sandra gave a large troll-sigh that would smell horrible to Kwoi. She looked up at Patri, and gave her a meaningful glare. Then, she looked back at the other shapeshifter.
Patri fired a few blasts at the other shapeshifter. Sandra rolled backwards off of Kwoi, then grabbed Vyt and hoisted him into the air. She roared loudly right in his face
Patri spoke. "She says "Shut up, go away, and stop interfering, or she'll throw you in the hospital and let the Underdeep take you away." I would agree with her, if I were you." Then, she looked back at Kwoi. "And that goes for you, too."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2009 23:40:45 GMT -5
((Kiddo: That's what I was intending. ^^))
<<Mage Manor>>
"No one. Just...no one."
The figure, Aly realized after a moment, wasn't all there, or at least she didn't look it. That was odd--she'd seen things, and she'd 'seen' completely invisibility, but nothing inbetween. If she had to guess, the mage would have called her a spirit or ghost, but...that didn't seem right? Or was it? Maybe a mage I don't know. There are a lot of odd people around here--
It took off running, falling to all fours before fading from view. Aly swore and sprinted off to catch up, Lika running beside her. Sra, if it's invisible...
She no sooner thought it than she heard scratching against the floor, followed by a heavy thud that made both wince. The Manor's defenses, Aly thought, surprised. Great. I need this thing cornered. Hopefully, the Manor would respond to her wishes.
Okay, she still had no idea what the thing was...and judging from Lika's curious gaze, she didn't either. First things first. She didn't want to get any closer than the few feet she'd skidded to the stranger, so she backed up and concentrated instead.
Uneven lines of crimson flame sprang up from the floor, cutting off the two hallways. Aly hastily unstrung her bow and placed it in the quiver, settling for daggers instead. That thing moved fast, and she didn't want to test how close-range she could shoot. Plus, she couldn't trust flame to box things in--crazy people and idiots tended to run straight through it, if they had to.
"Seriously, what are you?" she asked. "And what do you want?" Questions that had been repeated so often they'd practically worn a groove in the English language, but they were still useful.
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Post by Nasuella on Dec 22, 2009 0:38:50 GMT -5
Nasue's mind
"Wait a minute. You're saying I'm dreaming?"
Yes, Nasue. You are dreaming. Don't worry, you'll wake up shortly.
"Hey. There's a few things I'd like to know. Who are you?"
Well, I'm--
"More important - how the [EDIT] did you get in my head?!"
...it's kinda like Neon Genesis Evangelion, only not.
"Yeah, that really answers my question so clearly."
...
"I... think I'll wake up now."
You sure? The thing that knocked you out is still there, y'know.
"Yeah, but it can't be any worse than you."
*
The lab that is beneath Merpo's place - and it's tempting to make this longer than the post, but I don't want to post filler. But at least I can still make it needlessly long. You know, because it's far more fun than it should be.
A small groan came from the coati on the table. If people were looking at her at that moment, they would see that the tip of her tail was twitching... as was her ear, and perhaps even her eyelid (in an eyelid-y way).
There was still a strong pain in her head, and that ringing noise was still there. But at least she was awake now. Whether she'd be able to speak was another question (as was whether it would disrupt the potentially awesome scene in any way).
--
The River Tigris
"What do you need help with, my old friend?"
"Well," the panther began with a sigh, "I'm investigating the disappearances."
"...disappearances?"
"The recent ones. People disappearing over the last few months. Only a small handful returned, and they were ranting about how the end of the world was nigh. They still are," he added, remembering his failed interrogation of the old man.
He had been told that his version of interrogation was close to most peoples' version of torture. Even with the use of force lessened, it still wasn't working. If anything, he thought, I should've used more force...
"So, what?" The centaur-like creature downed half a pint of beer in one gulp before continuing. "You want my help finding the survivors?"
"I already found two. They weren't very cooperative." At this moment, part of Oncara was glad that the wine had washed the blood from his teeth. "You're part of the city watch. I need you to do research on the other survivors - and the people who weren't found."
"W-wha--" His contact almost spluttered.
"Find out their backgrounds, what guilds they're in - if any - their families. Get as much information as possible."
There was a silence between the two. The centaur-like creature knew what "as much as possible" meant; with Oncara, there was only one way to work with him that wouldn't end in tragedy. Follow his orders to the letter. And considering how violent he could be...
"O-okay."
"Good."
With that, the centaur got up and rushed out of the tavern. A few minutes later the feline also left, leaving a small number of patrons. And the bartender and janitor.
"Didn't need to be that harsh," the janitor muttered to himself.
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Post by Amneiger on Dec 22, 2009 2:41:45 GMT -5
((Merpo's lab of doom))
"A gem? Would that be like the gem from - "
Amneiger only got that far when the weird stranger from before had suddenly burst back out of the Underdeep and demanded to know who he was working for.
Now that the stranger was facing him and speaking him, Amneiger recognized him. It was definitely Commander Strife, looking rather thinner and angrier and with more lines worn into his face as if he'd spent the past year abandoned alone in the desert. But it was still recognizably him.
Amneiger heard Fraze's voice over communicator he'd left on the table next to him. It was easily audible to anybody else in the room, including the Pirates and Commander Strife.
Amneiger was thinking about picking up the communicator, telling Fraze that Commander Strife was here, and then handing the communicator to Strife so that they could just talk it out or something when Hunty jumped out in front of Strife and asked him why he was trying to contact Spacefleet anyway.
So Amneiger decided to just skip that last step for the moment. He stepped discreetly away from the two, pressed the transmit button for the communicator and said, "I'm in the basement of a mansion at - " here he gave the coordinates of Merpo's mansion " - with the Pirates. Commander Strife has returned; he's here right now. He's got this big motorcycle and just went into and out of an entrance to the Underdeep."
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Post by Vyt: Down, but Not Out on Dec 22, 2009 3:08:56 GMT -5
Vyt contemplated the things said to him as the troll threw him up in the air. The Underdeep? The Ninja Superior had only told him about it, and yet he could not understand its existence. Is the Underdeep some place where even stranger things happen? Somehow, he found that to be a bit on the "don't go there" list, for the troll threatened that it would take him away.
Landing was a simple task for the feline, and he could have gone for that. Instead, he clinged on to a window ledge a few meters away from the ground. The catboy either was foolish to ignore the troll's warning, or was really not intimidated by it.
He glanced at the one previously targeted by the troll. He casted a glare that said "I'll deal with you later" before returning back to the girl and the troll.
"Shapeshifting? That's the most coward ability ever. Slither around like a bloody snake and strike only during the most opportune times."
Vyt let go of the ledge and dropped down. The tail behind him wiggled in extreme excitement. Once more, the adrenaline rushed through his system, slightly numbing the pain on his shoulder.
"Too bad I'm an expert at hunting down snakes like you."
On the catboy's hand that grabbed the ledge before was some bits of glass shards that he instantly hurdled towards the troll. He himself also broke into a dash, heading straight for his prey.
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Post by Rikku on Dec 22, 2009 3:13:51 GMT -5
Brassport
Yes, things were going slowly. So Rikku wasn’t terribly surprised when Celestial broke all the windows, popped some balloons and made a rather dramatic exit.
Surprised? No. Annoyed? So very yes.
“Oi!” she shouted irritably at the receding purple blob. “I was going to kill the leader! This is not in the plan!”
Then she looked around. The assembly hall, while not exactly packed, still had a decent number of people in it.
“But hey,” she added, thoughtfully, “who needs plans?”
There was still a hollow kind of feeling in her ribcage, a kind of ache, from her inadvisable foray into darkness magic back at the basement. Normally, this would mean that she wouldn’t even consider using magic, not if she wanted to live.
But right now, Rikku was far from normal.
Of course, even when her usual only mildly deranged self, there wasn’t that much she could do here. She was a necromancer. About the only way she’d be able to use the kind of fast-and-dirty magic needed for combat would be if she was lucky enough to be standing in a graveyard or abattoir or something. She looked around for inspiration, and spotted – yes. That would do. It was far from ideal, and tenuous to boot; but it wasn’t like she had any choice
(no choice. no thoughts. nothing i can do, said a very small voice, somewhere in the only-mildly-deranged part. no choice at all.)
and besides which, this might even be fun. Yes? That’s what Damien was always going on about, wasn’t it? The oh-so-dramatic gradual slide to darkness that all of their kind slipped down?
She lifted up her wand. The bone was aged but strong, pale as ivory. She lifted it over her head and focused, trying not to let reality interfere with rationalisation. She had to ignore the way things really worked if she wanted to be able to do this.
Necromancers dealt with death. And right now, a thousand mirror fragments had died a thousand tiny deaths, thanks to Celestial’s ripple of kinetic force or whatever. The shards of glass were scattered on the ground outside like broken dreams. Was glass alive? No. Certainly not. But if unbroken glass was alive, then this glass was most undeniably dead.
Rikku focused on it, her hand so tight on the wand her nails drew blood from her skin, her teeth bared in mockery of a grin, her face tight with the strain and oh, this was killing her inside, in more ways than one, but it was worth it, as the shining fragments of glass stirred and shook and drifted into the assembly hall and coalesced, dust swirling into a planet, planets swirling around a sun, shifting and clanking into –
Two creatures, shaped vaguely like men but twice the size, bristling with jagged edges. Bladed limbs, bladed fingers, blades everywhere, they were a veritable encyclopaedia of all things sharp.
And they were hers to command.
“Kill the people,” she called to them, cheerfully. “Kill them all.”
She paused, sensing a bit of a loophole there.
“Except me,” she added.
The glass monsters moved slowly, ponderously into movement, limbs grating against each other. They lumbered slowly in the direction of the nearest people. Oh, they were far from perfect, they’d shatter at the first serious impact, but all the same, they ought to give her enough of a distraction to get away, if she so desired.
Besides which. This was fun. She was using her power to hurt people, to manipulate, to go beyond the boundaries of natural life. Yes, she was using her power, all right.
Just as she’d always feared.
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Post by Strife on Dec 22, 2009 5:04:42 GMT -5
((Los Merpos Labos))
The moment Strife asked his question, the flame on Huntress' sword had gone out, basking the room in darkness. He didn't pay attention to it, however, because what he heard from Amneiger's communication device caught him my complete surprise.
"Amneiger, this is Commander Fraze. Have you made any progress?"
Fraze? Special Ops Fraze? He was almost certain that Keng had taken over his command duties during his absence. No matter... his question was already answered. He smirked.
Just then, the room regained its original brightness. Strife looked in the direction of Huntress, who gave him a grin - the kind of unfriendly grin you give someone when you have an ace up your sleeve.
"You're facing a court martial if you show your face in the Spacefleet again," she spat out. "Why'd you want to deal with them?"
Strife gave her a look of disgust. Was she insulting his intelligence? Of course he knew there'd be trouble if he showed his face to the Fleeters. He didn't care in the least. If anything, it would give him the opportunity for a good fight before he reclaimed his command.
He didn't feel like saying all of this to her in his deep, unnatural voice, though. He'd only speak if his facial expressions couldn't do the job for him.
"Not that you would care, pirate," he said. "And I think you know the answer."
He took a few steps towards Huntress. "What is your business with Spacefleet?"
Amneiger took no time in informing Commander Fraze of Strife's return. Strife didn't give the him so much as a quick glance, choosing to focus his gaze on the pirate.
"I'm in the basement of a mansion at - " here he gave the coordinates of Merpo's mansion " - with the Pirates. Commander Strife has returned; he's here right now. He's got this big motorcycle and just went into and out of an entrance to the Underdeep."
Commander Strife... You got that right, buster. And the Underdeep... Is that was it was called? This was getting interesting.
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Post by Kiddo on Dec 22, 2009 8:13:34 GMT -5
Mage Manor
"Seriously, what are you?" she asked. "And what do you want?"
The fire was brilliant in Kiddo's gaze and it was tinted with the same colors that burned in the mage she currently faced. Both exits were blocked and the mage was close enough to see partly through her veil. She could always attack. But something told her that attacking a mage on their home turf was not a good idea. Despite the Ninja HQ's lack of defenses it was... useful... to have home territory. Fights went better that way.
So she dropped into a crouch, putting her ears flat back against her head, and regarded Aly with lavender eyes.
"I-I'm not entirely certain," Kiddo said slowly, "Funny how you can dream of something for long and still never put a name to it."
She held up one hand, as if looking at it for the first time. The fingers were long and delicate, tipped with black claws, and there were only four of them. The darker stripes along wiry arms were erratic and faintly resembled a tiger's markings - at best.
"We were attacked," she continued, pausing in confusion again. "Or maybe, maybe I was attacked? He didn't go for any of the other ninjas... did he? Sev. That was his name. Sev. And he used the phoenix fire - a false fire! - and it consumed us both."
"So I'm here. Looking for answers." Her eyes narrowed, little slits of light. "I still have loyalty to the ninjas. So you better have answers for me, or home territory or not - I'll tear you apart."
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on Dec 22, 2009 11:58:03 GMT -5
Mage Manor
"Hi there. Would this, by any chance, be the Mage's Guild?"
Lupehunter was slightly startled when he heard the voice suddenly appear. He had been too focused on the crumbling Underdeep entrance that he was completely tuned out to his surroundings. He made a mental note to himself not to be too focused on a single task again.
"Yeah, it is. What do you want from us? As you can see right now, we're a little bit busy," he replied to the voice without turning around to face it.
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Post by Huntress on Dec 22, 2009 12:18:41 GMT -5
((That research place of that crazy scientist guy wossname))
Oh, did this ever bring back memories. Hunty and the nutjob Commander - well, ex-Commander, as far as she was concerned - glaring at each other and hurling insults back and forth. Good old times. He was, admittedly, right; she didn't really care what'd happen to the guy and it was also pretty obvious what he was after. But there were some things you just had to ask in a situation like that if you wanted to tell a good story at a tavern twenty years from now.
"What is your business with Spacefleet?" came the next question, as Strife took a few menacing steps closer. Hunty gave it a quick thought and then, against all odds, backed off a few steps with something like a sheepish grimace that nevertheless had a hint of mockery in it.
"Spacefleet? Me?" She raised both hands in a gesture that... would have been slightly better at signifying peaceful feelings and no intention of harm if she hadn't been holding a sword in one hand. "By all means, I have no business with them whatsoever. Meddling in another guild's business is the last thing I'd ever dream of." Her eyes narrowed as she spun the sword around, leaving a hazy silvery shield between herself and Strife.
"However," she said, as the grin reappeared, "our guilds are currently allied, which, to be quite honest, means that I've come to owe them a huge bunch of favors over the time. If I suddenly get a chance to repay some of it by handing them your skin on a silver platter, I'll be glad to use that chance. You and I have some unfinished business anyway, as I recall." She paused and scowled. "Although I'm not sure why you bother; it's not like you have anywhere to go back to. Show your face in the Fleet and they'll lock you up. Even if you manage to fight your way to the top, the entire bottom will probably mutiny on you. I have a reason to fight you but you don't really have a reason to fight me, is what I'm saying."
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Post by Fraze on Dec 22, 2009 14:25:07 GMT -5
"I'm in the basement of a mansion," came Amneiger's answer, followed by coordinates. " - with the Pirates. Commander Strife has returned; he's here right now. He's got this big motorcycle and just went into and out of an entrance to the Underdeep."
Fraze dearly wanted to think that he had misheard that. Why do these things always happen all at once? If Strife hadn't changed--and based on Amnei's descriptions of his actions, he hadn't--then he would still be both as powerful and as ready to fight as he was a year ago. Fraze felt a surge of protective impulse. Not only was one of his good friends and underlings there, but Huntress was probably there as well... "Understood, thank you." He turned back and ran to the spaceport. Once there, he used executive power to borrow a spacebike, which he then turned toward where Amneiger had indicated. The levitating vehicle was designed for short-range space travel--its upper practical distance was a jump between neighboring rocks in an asteroid belt. It was, obviously, mostly used to get between the planet and the moon.
Of course, when used as a planetside vehicle, it was rather fast. Fraze stopped accelerating when he felt the wind resistance was about to push him off. He rose to several hundred feet above the surface, high enough that most people would simply think he was a bird and not spare a second glance. The streets of Tabloid Town were below him. It looked as though someone had tied a dozen sewing machines to a dozen chickens, scattered cracked corn on a large piece of cloth, and called the result a patchwork quilt. Roads twisted and turned, bumped into one another with halfhearted mumbled apologies, and occasionally reached some point, realized they had forgotten to get something, and turned around to go back home. Once he approached the higher class residential area, the roads became somewhat more organized. Somewhat. He found the house indicated, decelerated and descended. A few city guards got the scare of a lifetime, but other than that not too many people seemed to notice the flying vehicle descending from the sky.
Just one more thing. He didn't want Strife taking this thing...he tapped a few buttons, input several command codes, and overrode the security systems. He didn't like to use his rank to throw his weight around, but it was a different matter with machines. There. That should be enough to prevent Strife from "borrowing" the vehicle. He allowed himself a quick smirk while considering the similarity of transport chosen by the past and current 'Fleet commanders, before entering the building. He was greeted with clouds of dust and broken furniture. Someone, somewhere, had done a lot of damage to a rather nice mansion.
Hold up. If there was going to be a fight, he would need to be properly armed. Hah. Arm. With a bit of wiggling, Fraze managed to bare his left shoulder and tricep. Hiding along the contours of his arm, barely noticeable at first, was a wide, low welt. He took a fingernail and pressed it, hard, into the welt. It seemed to coalesce, decreasing in radius but raising farther and farther up. Fraze clenched his teeth together--they could have made the process painless, but for some reason that was never considered. The welt expanded until his skin broke, and a slightly bloody box, about the size and shape of a ring box, emerged. He pressed the thumblock on the box, and it opened. In abject defiance of Euclidean geometry, he jumped into it. He was greeted with a warehouse. The walls were barely distinct, the whole massive room was suffused with a soft but bright white glow. Rows and rows of shelves were in front of him. A weapon stockpile. He chose what he thought he would need--plasma rifle with extra cartridges, several grenades--both explosive and stun--and a flechette gun with extra ammo. This was the same one he had during the second Guild War some time ago. It had been acting strangely ever since then. That should be enough. He strapped the additional clips and grenades to his armor, slung the plasma rifle over one shoulder, put the flechette gun in a holster, and climbed a ladder out of the box. He closed the box; it locked instantly. He pressed the box against his wounded and bleeding shoulder, and the entire previous process reversed itself. The hole in his arm wrapped around the box and closed over, and the box itself diffused. But now, there was an angry red spot on his arm, and it burned like hellfire.
Voices. Down there. He followed the sound around a corner, through a hallway, and down a narrow staircase that now looked more like a ramp.
"...to fight your way to the top, the entire bottom will probably mutiny on you. I have a reason to fight you but you don't really have a reason to fight me, is what I'm saying."
"He's got more than enough reason to fight me," Fraze interjected. Sometimes, dramatic timing was everything.
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Post by Strife on Dec 22, 2009 15:29:55 GMT -5
((Merpo's Place Where One Conducts Scientific Experiments))
"...to fight your way to the top, the entire bottom will probably mutiny on you. I have a reason to fight you but you don't really have a reason to fight me, is what I'm saying."
Just as Huntress finished speaking to Strife, Commander Fraze himself bolted into the room. For a moment, Strife was confused at the sheer speed in which he arrived on the scene, but on the other hand, he was likely already close to the mansion.
"He's got more than enough reason to fight me," said Fraze.
Strife looked around the laboratory, with his motor bike still nestled upside-down on his shoulder, gazing at all the people who had gravitated towards this exact location. He hadn't been here for more than a couple of minutes, and the lab was already flooded with pirates and Fleeters who would like nothing less than to tear him to pieces. To a lesser - or rather, living - person, this would be more an enough to warrant an immediate surrender. Not him, though.
Strife chuckled, and his chuckles soon grew into outright laughter. Given the condition of his voice, his laugh was a painfully demented noise that could only be described as a healthy dose of nightmare fuel.
"I don't need a reason to fight," he said, bringing his laughter to a sudden halt. "Fire doesn't need a reason to burn. Disease doesn't need a reason to spread."
Strife lifted his goggles and gazed at the people in front of him with the two demonic torches that were his eyes.
"This... Underdeep... We both want it destroyed, don't we? Well then, I offer you a choice. If you want to get it over with as soon as possible, I would strongly advise you to step aside and let me continue my mission. If, however, you decide to raise your arms against me..."
Strife lowered his motor bike off his shoulder, grabbing it with both hands and pointing it forward like a shotgun.
"...then you will have to face a man who, as you say, has nothing to go back to. A man who has nothing to lose, and will gladly shed every ounce of his blood for the sheer pleasure of conflict. A man who would have great satisfaction in knowing that his opponents are just as vengeful and barbaric as he. Don't think for one second that I am intimidated by your numbers. I will take all of you on. Right here. Right now."
"So... what is your will, Captain? Commander?"
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Post by Fraze on Dec 22, 2009 18:24:57 GMT -5
"You know," Fraze began, "I've never cared much for all this...posing." He walked over to a table, now scattered with debris. He picked up a small scrap of paper and started to fiddle with it, but never let his gaze drop from the man in front of him. "Seems like just so much hot air. First off, please put the bike down, you'll put someone's eye out. "Second, I cannot allow you to destroy the Underdeep--at least, not yet. By destroying this...thing...we have no idea what may happen. Such a task might cause incredible amounts of damage to the planet's surface. Whatever magic is in there may break free and wreak havoc. For all we know, it may even destroy the planet altogether." The piece of paper was now folded in some complex pattern. He glanced down at it, adjusted a few things, and carefully set it down on the table before continuing. "If we can safely ascertain that the ill effects of destroying the Underdeep are outweighed by the benefits, then you may do so. But until then, I must ask you for patience. "Third, how do you intend to destroy it in the first place? All that I understand of it is that it causes a person's or group's worst fears to materialize. That really doesn't seem like something that has a brain that you can blast out, or a heart to pierce. If you know something about it that I don't, then please, tell me. I may be able to help you with your goal, if it's decided that destroying it is a good idea."
Something had been nagging at the back of his mind. Something, yes, vague, faint recollections. He had seen the Commander with...someone, back before he left. The glances they had shared--that must have been it. "Fourth," he continued, surprising even himself. "You do have something to go back to. Someone. Do you remember our chief medic? She's still here. Do you want to talk to her?"
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Post by Strife on Dec 22, 2009 19:31:34 GMT -5
((El Merpo Labo))
As Fraze made his way toward a nearby table, Strife immediately stiffened up. The adrenaline filling his system started to cool down, though, when the acting Commander began speaking diplomatically instead of attacking. Smart move, he thought to himself.
When Fraze politely asked him to lower the bike, he casually lifted it back onto his shoulder, as he still didn't quite know what the others were planning to do. He listened intently to the Commander's words.
"...If you know something about it that I don't, then please, tell me. I may be able to help you with your goal, if it's decided that destroying it is a good idea."
Strife opened his mouth, but before he could begin speaking, Fraze jumped in with a rather unexpected question.
"Fourth, you do have something to go back to. Someone. Do you remember our chief medic? She's still here. Do you want to talk to her?"
Chief medic... A light in the back of his mind flickered faintly like a candle on its last shred of wax. He tried to remember what he knew about her... what he felt about her... but for one reason or another, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. That being said, he instead took Fraze's remark in a different way.
"If you expect me to cooperate, the least you could do is not insist that I require medical help."
Strife briefly looked behind him at the Underdeep portal, then back at Fraze. "As for the Underdeep," - he snickered - "I know things, alright. I was trapped in there for months... years, even. I've seen the face of fear itself. I've lived and died a thousand times. Through the fire and flames of my own worst nightmares, I came to realize how to embrace that which terrifies me the most..."
He carefully slid his goggles back over his eyes. "...and when I did, the Underdeep no longer controlled my destiny. I was in control. My fear was my strength. I embraced it. If you and your swashbucklers ever hope to seal the Underdeep, I would advise you to do the same."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2009 22:09:11 GMT -5
<<Brassport>>"So, what do you want me to--" The glass shattered, and Asta was suddenly very, very glad for her overcoat. She ducked and threw it up at the sound, slapping the goggles over her head onto her eyes and shielding her face. She looked up after a moment. The glass...wait, all the glass had burst...outward? What the hell is this? There hadn't been an explosion in the Assembly Hall, had there? Things seemed to happen backwards, because after the glass, the air by one of the newcomers burst into flame. Asta grimaced at the heat of the blast and tugged her blade from its sheath. The one responsible was flying away, a reptilian beast soaring into the sky. A dragon. Where's the other one?That answer came with an ear-assaulting grating. The woman whirled around and found herself looking at two glittering humanoid figures, rough and sharp and made of...glass? Alright. Laws of physics defied, check one. Her fingers brushed against her belt, and she took a pair of small capsules, snapping them open and tossing. They burst in rapid succession as they touched one of the glass creatures, and Asta turned to let her coat catch any shards that might have been loosened by the blast. A patch of white caught her eye in the chaos. A bird? It was a few feet away. With a quick glance back, she walked over to it and picked it up. Shrreeersrsrrh...Asta brought her blade behind her just in time. Shards of glass broke from the creature, most falling to the floor in broken bits, a few cutting at her face or collar. She reached to put a hand to her throat, remembered the bird, and elbowed the coat over it and her arm. The glass creature, its back and shoulders looking distinctly barren of glass shards, lurched, shoving her back. "A little help?!" *** <<Mage Manor>>"Funny how you can dream of something for long and still never put a name to it."Aly couldn't tell if the feline...thing, was confused or trying to mess with her. "We were attacked. Or maybe, maybe I was attacked?" Definitely confused. Maybe just a little dazed. "He didn't go for any of the other ninjas... did he? Sev. That was his name. Sev. And he used the phoenix fire - a false fire! - and it consumed us both."Aly and Lika glanced at each other briefly, both thinking the same thing. Sev?!And it lived through phoenix fire? Well, maybe that explained the misty, half-seen quality the intruder had. Maybe it hadn't lived through it? I'm not going to count on it."So I'm here. Looking for answers. I still have loyalty to the ninjas. So you better have answers for me, or home territory or not - I'll tear you apart."The pain had crept up on her gradually, and that was the only way that Aly was keeping a straight face right now. She winced inwardly, feeling an ache in her chest again, but resisted putting a hand to it. "Ninjas?" she said, matching the thing's glare with her own. "Well, whatever guild you're from, I can't just trust you and I don't even know what questions you're asking." Sra. What was with this? Maybe, it was from eating too much too fast, or something in the food... If you think it's the food, it isn't. The mage held back a grimace and let the flames die, feeling a pressure fade with the fire. Maybe she had been straining herself. "Here," she said, still keeping a tight grip on the daggers. "Whatever the heck you're seeking answers to, if I can help, I will. But try asking me first." Even if it had just threatened to tear her apart, it probably wasn't a good idea to kill another guild member. Probably. She'd take the chance if she had to.
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