Reincarnation Syndrome - The SS Big [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-12, 08:22 PM

You all (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650493-Reincarnation-Syndrome-(Sheet-Pile)) have your own reasons for boarding the SS Big.

Named by an ill-advised internet poll as a combination of the Titanic and Boaty McBoatface, the prototype cruise ship's reputation as the world's first true floating city is a bit of an exaggeration, but it nonetheless lives up to its name. Between its crew and passengers, it hosts just over twelve thousand people at a time, along with supplies to sustain them for a year and a sizeable haul of delivery cargo besides. It's not exactly open to the public, but its wide range of stops, a broad swath of jobs needed to keep it running and business opportunities in various degrees of shadiness mean you'll meet people from just about any background on board.

Wherever you may be from, the political climate has more or less converged with everywhere else in the world, polarized around what has now become a universal ideological split. Rumors abound of civil wars, theocratic alliances, and mass incarcerations. If you've already been suffering the effects of Reincarnation Syndrome, those last rumors can be a tough reality, as the ideological line is often drawn less over what society thinks you are and more over what society should do with you once you've been forcibly locked up. As such, most people in your situation try to keep their conditions to themselves. Failing that, they might take off for somewhere they won't be easily tracked. Somewhere like, say, the middle of the Pacific ocean.

It is here, in an area where even the ship's dedicated satellite uplink gets spotty reception, that the SS Big has had a most unexpected encounter. The details of that encounter are a little fuzzy for you at the moment, because you have been unconscious since the bombs went off.

"...you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

The steady, muffled hum of an engine greets you as you awake, somewhat different in timbre from the one you may have heard below the decks of the Big. One might quickly guess that you're on a submarine, albeit not one of any design you've ever heard of. Your bunks line the walls of a narrow corridor. At one end, a ladder leads up to an airtight hatch. At the other, it opens up into what looks like a small but well-appointed office, presumably belonging to the person whose voice woke you up. From behind a wooden desk, the middle-aged woman studies you all with wide eyes. The dim red emergency lighting makes her blue suit look black.

"Take your time. How are you feeling?"

Weird, is the answer to that question. If you already had Reincarnation Syndrome, you can feel its power coursing through you stronger than ever, as your other selves' potential is realized. If you didn't have it before, well, you sure do now.

What do you do?

ArlEammon

2022-10-12, 08:44 PM

Jacob had been having terrifying nightmares that haunted him every night for weeks, ever since he "inherited" this strange "Syndrome". He had a boyfriend in High School and their relationship lasted four years after wards. Jason disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and a distraught Jake couldn't help but feel something terrible had happened. At the same time Jacob had started to have nightmares, terrible visual recordings were discovered of Jason being slowly and gruesomely murdered. He had been following strange messages from his nightmares leading him to his boyfriend's killer.

"Where is he?"

Jacob asked, referring to the murderer.

"I want him, now." The newly empowered man demanded. He was frustrated that the murderer may have "gotten away" via dying before he could receive the revenge he deserved at Jacob's hands.

souffle_girl

2022-10-13, 04:48 AM

Kate woke up from yet another round of extremely weird dreams, something about the bubble-heads floating inside a Kate-shaped space and blabbering, then everything popping up.
Typical Kate dream.

This time she wasn't sure she was awake though, because it felt like she'd dragged some stuff along to reality.
Like the metal stick laying on the bunk, which was actually the barrel of a ridiculously big gun/scythe.

Or the submarine/spaceship which she... 'No'. She corrected her thought. That definitely wasn't the same submarine she was in now. The other one... the Nautilus - captain was a fan of Jules Verne - was huge compared to this.

There was stuff from before falling unconscious, too, like the uncomfortable crew bartender suit with its even more uncomfortable heels.

She dragged herself upright wondering if someone slipped her some stuff. Kate didn't do drugs, ever: she was crazy enough without them, God knows what she'd imagine when high.

She yawned, blinked, and took in the other people in the corridor, especially the woman sitting at a desk that really didn't belong underwater.

Death Ward

2022-10-13, 01:52 PM

Character P.O.V.: 3rd Person

Justine woke up with a cold sweat and a shocked expression, she vividly remember the explosions that consumed the ship but she knew deep down that she could take it. Quickly, she checked her body to ensure she was intact, sure enough there were burn marks that were disappearing. A sign of her regenerating factor as the Spirit of Fire.

She looked at her ragged coat and pants, silently cursing the fact that she all of her new clothes damaged by some schmuck that so happened to cause a tantrum.

Her red eyes glared as she pulled out her weapon from her mind, a giant one bladed greatsword of flesh, bone and the occasional eye or two. It was her E.G.O. as from the life as both The Color Fixer Kali and Gebura of Lobotomy Corporation and Patron Librarian of the Floor of Language.

"Start talking, now." And she was furious at the current turn of events, answers will be pulled out one way or another.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-13, 07:54 PM

"Where is he? I want him, now."

*yawn* *blink*

"Start talking, now."

"Of course," nods your host. "First, welcome, I'm glad you're alright. My name is Eshaal. This room is... hold on."

Eshaal suddenly seems to notice how bad the red lighting is and taps a switch on her desk to turn on the regular, brighter lights. A few more of the offices features become readily visible: a big globe, a blue couch, and a pair of small circular windows peering out into a twilit ocean.

"This room is a sort of test chamber. I use it to study RS and extra-spatial movement. As far as I can tell, whatever happened to your ship triggered a series of RS connection events, and this place somehow naturally opened up to you - one of you for every cot I happened to have. It might be a coincidence, but it still makes me wish I had installed more..."

She pauses. "That doesn't really explain anything, does it? More to the point, this room doesn't technically exist on Earth, and one can usually spend a few hours in here while only a few seconds pass is the outside world. You each appeared here spontaneously, and when you leave, you will reappear on your ship wherever you were last. In the meantime, I don't actually know who any of you are, or who you might be pursuing," she says with a glance at Jacob, "but I would be interested to know, and to help raise our mutual understanding of the very strong RS conduits you all just formed. What do you say?"

ArlEammon

2022-10-13, 09:02 PM

"Of course," nods your host. "First, welcome, I'm glad you're alright. My name is Eshaal. This room is... hold on."

Eshaal suddenly seems to notice how bad the red lighting is and taps a switch on her desk to turn on the regular, brighter lights. A few more of the offices features become readily visible: a big globe, a blue couch, and a pair of small circular windows peering out into a twilit ocean.

"This room is a sort of test chamber. I use it to study RS and extra-spatial movement. As far as I can tell, whatever happened to your ship triggered a series of RS connection events, and this place somehow naturally opened up to you - one of you for every cot I happened to have. It might be a coincidence, but it still makes me wish I had installed more..."

She pauses. "That doesn't really explain anything, does it? More to the point, this room doesn't technically exist on Earth, and one can usually spend a few hours in here while only a few seconds pass is the outside world. You each appeared here spontaneously, and when you leave, you will reappear on your ship wherever you were last. In the meantime, I don't actually know who any of you are, or who you might be pursuing," she says with a glance at Jacob, "but I would be interested to know, and to help raise our mutual understanding of the very strong RS conduits you all just formed. What do you say?"

"Okay, if I understand right, you want to know who I am."
"I'm the Devil. Literally. Three times over. Set, god of Stygia, the Chaos Serpent. Morgoth, corrupter among the Valar, and of course, Satan."
"I'm after the killer who murdered my boyfriend. I want to cut him into little pieces while he's still alive, and send him to a special little realm in Hell set apart from the rest of the damned, so I can practice my craft on him some more."

JennTora

2022-10-13, 11:19 PM

Alicia groans and forces herself to sit up at the hearing of conversation. Within her mind, she hears a voice say, "an interesting development." She glances around at her surroundings, noticing a ladder as the only exit in view, another voice comments on it, "I don't need to run like a Hufflepuff. I'm sure I'm powerful enough to defeat this woman."

She'd heard rumors about it, reincarnation syndrome. But...

"Yep, that's right. I'm you. You're my future I guess. And just what have I been doing with my new life? I spent the last two years helping people to try to learn to 'accept my limitations and deal with life?!' where are the flying pigs?"

The first voice speaks again, "Please stop speaking as if you're her, it's just going to make this situation more confusing for all of us."

"I suppose that's true. I was never a girl, I'm sure of that. Well, actually, there was that time with my diary."

A third voice made its thoughts known to her, "We have more pressing concerns."

Catching the last bit spoken by the people outside of her mind, she drily comments, "and I seem to have a trio of immortality seekers in my head. Voldemort, Orochimaru and Mannimarco."

souffle_girl

2022-10-14, 01:47 AM

"RC, uh? So I didn't make them up" Katie muttered.
"Name's Kate. I'm an artist and a crew member of the Big. I always had all the life of these three women in my head, I thought I made them up as a child."

She paused, then started a recap of sorts. More for her own benefit then for the others.
"One of them, Ann, has psychic powers and she was a space explorer and freedom fighter. And later a political leader. She was also a technodroid, a symbiote of human and nanomachines."
She waved her hand slowly, staring at the circuitry now running under her skin. "I guess I am one too now."

She sighed.
"Second one is Ruby and she was a monster hunter fighting against an ancient evil." She glanced at the "stick" near her. "That's hers"

"Third one, Mei, she was a law enforcement agent and a test subject for something called a chrysalid, an artificial organ that made her superhuman and…" she paused and her hands went to her belly.
"There's one inside me too now, isn't it? Crap."

Witherbrine26

2022-10-14, 06:34 PM

With a smile on his lips, the 60-year-old man who had been up until this point fast asleep with his hands clasped over his chest woke up. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he blinked a few times before looking around the strange room.

"Hello, it's nice to meet all of you." He said blinking slowly giving the impression he was either still sleepy or high. "I would offer some cheese but it would appear I'm all out."

Standing up he stretched and stifled a small giggle at this predicament and the urge to see what would happen if he dropped a few of the bunks that people were on into the Astral Plane.

"The name is Liam Smith and if you don't mind explaining where we are, well that would be gravy."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-14, 07:29 PM

"Your craft, is it? Interesting."

Eshaal listens intently to everyone as they introduce themselves, seeming particularly interested in cases like Alicia's where they've noted a common thread in their identities.

"Well, there is a fine line between something you made up and something someone else made up, but yes," she nods apologetically to Katie. "My current theory, Conduit Theory, is that RS draws in reality from other worlds, whose realities can include... crysalids." She raises a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Than again, it could bode well for you. I don't think my model would account for RS pulling in a whole other being with a will of their own, unless Mei made or summoned them herself. We'll have to see how it progresses."

---UPDATE:----

Amid the introductions, she lets anyone who is still foggy recover before reiterating her explanation of where we are: her own little extradimensional room, in which you all spontaneously appeared. As your head clears, you recall that you fell unconscious amid a blaring alarm and a sudden panic about pirates. Your last memory is either a nearby explosion - in which case that was that - or the brief sight of a giant teddy bear with a bandana and a scimitar, followed by the sensation of your throat being slit, a swift bonk on the back of your head, or another, second explosion.

Death Ward

2022-10-15, 02:39 AM

Justine was still skeptical of the woman before her, she may be explaining things that they may want to know but it wasn't enough. There were definitely details that were hidden from them and what this individual wants is still unclear and not concrete. She then looked at the rest, some were more concerning than others due to who they claimed they were.

Plus, why the hell does she want to spill the beans about herself in front of a crowd? Sje'd prefer a more private environment because that at least would be more polite. "I don't want to give away my identities to strangers unless you're willing to bargain for something." By identities, she definitely meant the Reincarnation Syndrome identities.

She might have saved them, but that doesn't rule out anything to quell her caution.

For what reason should she spill secrets to an unknown party that may try to take advantage of her in secret. And if her stubbornness was met with force, she'd respond with even superior force. Her blade already out signified that she was willing to get violent to prove a point.

k4rn0

2022-10-15, 09:20 AM

Yahya was scared.

Have they found me? Have they caught me?

That was the thought that ran through his mind, but no. For one thing, his hands and feet were completely free. If they did manage to capture him, he didn't think they'd be stupid enough to let him move around.

For another thing...

He woke up to the commotion around him, as a group of people crowded near the woman behind the desk.

He padded quietly behind the group. Whatever questions ran through his head were already asked by the people around him. His mind was still foggy until he heard the woman utter one phrase.

RS. Reincarnation Syndrome

It made him pause.

A knot of fear coiled around his heart, slithering between his lungs, before suddenly constricting him like a cold-blooded serpent.

The nightmares that haunted his sleep...the magnificent dreams that he had...the fantastic world he'd seen...were they-?

He gasped.

His breath came in short and fast.

He leaned against a nearby wall. It was the only thing preventing him from collapsing.

"No...It can't be..."

No. No. No. Anything but that. There has to be another explanation. This is a dream. Yes, yes, yes. A mad, crazy dream. I'm hallucinating. I'm making this all up. This is all in my head and I'm going to wake up now. Wake up now. Wake up now. Wake up now! WAKE UP NOW! WAKEUPNOW!

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-15, 02:38 PM

ArlEammon

2022-10-15, 06:14 PM

Jacob Baker
"Okay look. I appreciate you restoring my power. Now where do we go from here?"
"I want to know what the hell is going on."
"More specifically, did you just give me my power back, for fun, or something? Or do you want something in return?"

k4rn0

2022-10-16, 01:56 AM

"That's fair," the blue-clad woman tells Justine. "I don't really have anything to trade but information. Maybe..."

Eshaal loses her train of thought as her attention is drawn to Yahya freaking out in the bunk-filled corridor. "Are you alright? Lay back down and try to steady your breathing. We'll get you something." She stands up and rotates the big globe until something clicks into place. A hemisphere slides open to reveal a bucket filled with ice, champagne glasses, a half-empty water dispenser, and bottles of grapefruit soda. There's no trace of alcohol to be found; the glasses must have come with the globe. Eshaal fills one from the dispenser and passes it to whoever is to bring it to Yahya.

"Thanks," Yahya said, shakily, taking the offered cup by his hands and sitting on a nearby empty bed. He tried to calm his breathing. In and out. In and out. In and out.

When he finally felt comfortable enough, he tentatively sipped his drink. The grapefruit soda bit at his tongue, but he didn't care, opting to take a few gulps. His throat felt like he had drink in days. Bismillah.

Reincarnation Syndrome. He put that thought away for a moment and glanced at the people around him. Could he trust them? Perhaps, in time. Does he trust them now? No. Not necessarily.

Still. Even if he doesn't trust them fully, it doesn't hurt to be nice and polite and it could pay well in the future. "I'm Yahya, by the way. Thanks again and its nice to meet you all."

souffle_girl

2022-10-16, 07:00 AM

Kate stood up from the bunk, grabbing Crescent Rose for the feeling of protection it have her. The air was getting tense and she could feel a slight buzzing at the edge of her mind that was familiar… for Ann. Kate never realized that minds could be loud.

A couple of the people in the room, in particular, seemed to assume Eshaal was a threat. Should Kate assume the same? Maybe they have more experience than her with RC and are right.
Still, the woman with the sword and the self-proclaimed "devil" looked at least as threatening as Eshaal to Kate, though. She found her thumb circling her weapons' deployment button.

She had a flash of how some people say that RC drives you crazy, that it makes you unstable and violent… Then she shook her head. "Cut it off, you of all people should know better than judge people based on rumours," she told herself.

So she took a deep breath, then decided to do what looked sensible: getting away from what might turn into a brawl between super-powered individuals and close to the panicking boy.
She smiled at him. "Crazy stuff, I know. I'm Kate." she offered.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-16, 08:42 AM

ArlEammon

2022-10-16, 08:57 AM

Death Ward

2022-10-16, 11:40 AM

NineOfSpades

2022-10-16, 06:53 PM

Satisfied that Kate and Yahya are taken care of, Eshaal returns her attention to Jacob and Justine.

“You don’t owe me for that. I didn’t, ‘restore,’ anything; I just set you in bed and kept an eye on you as a bare minimum show of kindness. That said, if you are looking for a suggestion,” she raises her finger to her lips again, “when you go back, use your powers to save as many people as you can, find out what happened to your ship, and regain control of it. Then, once you’re ready, you can come find me at my facility. I’ll go up and turn on the radio to make it easier to find, once we’re done here.”

She closes the globe and points out a tiny speck a ways off the coast of India. “It’s supposed to be a secret, but given the circumstances, I might need to publish my findings sooner rather than later. Yours weren’t the only loud psychic signatures that opened up today.”

Aisling Murphy

Aisling had been the last to wake up, a situation that all at once felt entirely to familiar to her. Getting nagged at for being asleep was something of a natural occurrence to her. After that...well...she'd sort of just disappeared from the scene. No magic trickery, no teleportation, just a bit of sneakery. All the more impressive considering she was dressed in futuristic battle armor that looked half-way between science-fiction and medieval barbarian. Guess you can mark that up as one of the tricks she'd picked up along the way. The others talked, she minded her own. Just went about the room, opening up containers, rummaging around for anything that might be useful, idly listening to the conversation. She didn't really have anything in mind that she was looking for, other than maybe something to eat.

Reincarnation Syndrome was something she'd been living with for a while, so it wasn't a particularly jarring experience at this point. She'd made peace with her past lives, their memories flowing together into a greater tapestry of her existence. It was different though, hearing others talk about their experiences. Their lives had been very *definitive* from the sounds of things. One road, one path, one story. Aisling had...well...not that. Her life, her lives now, was full of branches and choices. Sometimes she'd remember it one way, sometimes another. A hand-me-down legacy that had been told a thousand thousand times over, never quite the same, but always similar.

Maybe that was why she felt used to waking up in strange places, with people she'd never met, listening to long conversations.

Eshaal though, those off hand suggestions stood out in Aisling's mind. It got her attention. She stopped her attempted looting on the spot, un-crouching and allowing herself to be more noticeable. Her eyes fell on Eshaal, a locked in and piercing gaze. Aisling herself didn't fully understand it, but she felt a nudge in her brain. It had happened a few times, and it left her with this inescapable sense that there was work left to complete, a place she needed to go to. She wasn't sure which of her lives had given her this particular quirk, but it hadn't led her astray so far.

"I'll take care of it" she said, nodding. That was all there was to say. Eshaal had given her a bed, and seemed nothing but kind, so Aisling would help.

She spent a second checking the wrist-mounted personal computer she wore, her Pip-Boy. It had logged the radio signal, and that gave her a waypoint to find her way back once her task was completed. The red-haired wanderer looked around the room, eyeing up the others. A few stood out, a sense of familiarity, but most didn't register with her one way or another. "Anyone who wants to fight with me can come, but I'm heading out.".

Aisling had spoken exactly two sentences, and neither was particularly long. Even so, her words carried a *weight* behind them. They would tug at the heart, calling others to fight for her, filling the listener with valor and strength.

With nothing more than that, Aisling went up the ladder, and climbed out of the sub, back to the exploding ship.

Witherbrine26

2022-10-16, 10:01 PM

Grinning Liam looked around at the now fully awake motley crew. This group was interesting and the person who had left up the ladder sent a tingle of strange familiarity down his spine. They were all standing around and talking which was boring and sure while it might be tactically sound it was mostly a waste of time, shaking away his thoughts he got to work.

Focusing he pulled on the air and in his hand appeared a pitch-black staff topped with three faces carved from the staff. All the faces held a different expression and anybody with talent in magic could tell that it was a potent artifact. While normally conjuring a powerful magical artifact would be beyond any of his past incarnations' talents the Wabbajack was different.

As one of his personal artifacts it was much more easy to call from beyond the ether and from his dreams, it may not be the most useful but he didn't truly feel like himself without it in his hand. With a twirl of his wrist a wheel of cheese appeared in his other hand, taking a large bit from it he swallowed and spoke to the group.

"Well, I plan on heading out with Miss Quiet, if any plan on joining I can promise an ample bounty of cheese along with a wonderful health plan."

Giving a cheeky smile and wink he tapped the Wabbajack on the floor and teleported up into whatever awaited him on the ruined ship above

JennTora

2022-10-16, 11:23 PM

"RC, uh? So I didn't make them up" Katie muttered.
"Name's Kate. I'm an artist and a crew member of the Big. I always had all the life of these three women in my head, I thought I made them up as a child."

"Huh. I've never heard mine until now,"Alicia comments.

"There's one inside me too now, isn't it? Crap."

"Speaking of things inside..."Orochimaru thinks to her.

"I have swords and snakes in my stomach? Weird."

An amused laugh is Orochimaru's only response.

“when you go back, use your powers to save as many people as you can, find out what happened to your ship, and regain control of it. Then, once you’re ready, you can come find me at my facility. I’ll go up and turn on the radio to make it easier to find, once we’re done here.”

"We're obviously not doing that... Right?"
Voldemort asks worriedly.

"why wouldn't we? I have been trying to learn to deal with other people better. To accept that I need others. Alicia responds.

"But you don't need other people anymore, you have us, and since we're the same person it counts as not needing other people. Back me up here guys?"

"there was a time when I felt that way, too, but..." Orochimaru thinks of the later moments in his life, and the others get his meaning.

"It really is not important. Worrying about good and evil is pointless as both are manifestations of the same thing. Do what you like."

See? Mannimarco agrees with me!" Voldemort says triumphantly.

"I don't think he cares one way or the other, actually." Alicia observes. "hold on, that Kate girl said one of hers was psychic. Do you think she can hear us?"

"What? Like a legilimens? I wouldn't worry about it, I was always better at Legilimensy than Occlumency, but I'm good enough to not let my thoughts float about the room like a five year old child."

Focusing he pulled on the air and in his hand appeared a pitch-black staff topped with three faces carved from the staff. All the faces held a different expression and anybody with talent in magic could tell that it was a potent artifact. While normally conjuring a powerful magical artifact would be beyond any of his past incarnations' talents the Wabbajack was different.

"The Wabbajack?!" Alicia says, audibly, in surprise. She has played Skyrim, and Oblivion before it.

Well he did mention cheese before.

Of course, even if she didn't recognize it, Mannimarco would have, "That would likely make him Sheogorath."

Alicia, followed, despite protests from Voldemort that following immediately made her look like a Hufflepuff.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-17, 05:14 PM

"I make no promises, but it's probably easy enough for me to pull off, no problem."
*yawn* "Boner."

"I still don't get it, what do you get from all this altruism."

"Eh?" Eshaal pauses, thinks, opens her mouth as though to answer, then stops and thinks again.

*steals two grapefruit sodas, a first aid kit, and a prayer mat*

"I'll take care of it. Anyone who wants to fight with me can come, but I'm heading out.".

"Well, I plan on heading out with Miss Quiet, if any plan on joining I can promise an ample bounty of cheese along with a wonderful health plan."
*chomp*

On climbing out the submarine's exit hatch, Aisling finds herself standing on the SS Big, exactly where she was before everything exploded. Sort of. The portal vanishes behind her.

Liam quickly appears next to her, rather than wherever he may have been or intended to go. It seems that teleporting interacts weirdly with the secret space-folding submarine chamber. You don't think you can realistically teleport back the same way.

Around the two of you, the place is in ruins. The bombs that interrupted Aisling's visit rent what was once a hall of security offices into an unrecognizable tangle of steam-spraying pipes and sparking wires, two things the engineer knows interact exactly the way you would want, assuming you want to get everyone electrocuted. You'll need to get around or through those barriers of steam and sparks in order to get anywhere else.

Beyond all of that, you see two of the teddy bear pirates milling around - one carrying a fire extinguisher, and one carrying two still bodies up to the deck. They climb up and down the twisted metal of the stairs with surprising ease. Through the creaking and hissing of the wreckage, you can just make out the way they say, "ARR, me heARRties!" as they pass each other.

"Huh. I've never heard mine until now..."

"...The Wabbajack?!"

*follows up the ladder*

Alicia's bedroom fared a little better. The door was kicked down, and the room was clearly searched, but at least it's not on fire. Light flows in through the gaping hole across the hallway, where another room used to be. If you step out, you find a montor that was hastily bolted to the wall, displaying a JPEG of a half-burnt teddy bear pirate, despite the lack of electricity to power the overhead lights. Every room in the corridor has been smashed open, and you can make out the sound of someone hyperventilating two doors down.

ArlEammon

2022-10-17, 05:29 PM

Jacob Baker

"Look, I'm going to follow the others and see whatever good I feel like doing." Jake lied. He honestly wanted to do a lot more than what he was letting on.
"Anyway, good bye. I'm off to war." Then he goes off to follow Aisling.

Death Ward

2022-10-17, 09:59 PM

Justine eyes in on the hesitation of her host, that was the sign of a usually shifty person who was thinking what to say while also hiding the broader picture. It was the nature of power-hungry or sly people, be they Rats, Fixers, Syndicate Members or Feathers of a Wing to lie, bargain and cheat their way around life around the city. Even Mio of all people despite being nigh-God incarnate in terms of power or Roland in his quest for revenge against Angela.

She then pointed Mimicry towards Eschaal in a quick motion, not giving her the time of day to construct a half truth to smokescreen what plans she may have. "I have all day to pry it out from you."

k4rn0

2022-10-18, 02:25 AM

Yahya frowned. A part of him wanted to go back to his bed and lay down there. To rest and think and consider what had transpired for the past few minutes.

However...

He didn't like the thought of having to stay here, inside this submarine, God knows how many feet from the surface in cramped space.

At least by going back to the SS Big, there's a chance he could get some fresh air...and perhaps run away should it became necessary.

Weighing his options, he decided to ascend up the ladder.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-18, 06:40 PM

"Anyway, good bye. I'm off to war."

Jacob arrives where he was before the incident: between two rows of stacked shipping containers in the Cargo District, as the Big's designers called it in their insistence on the Floating City theme. His quarry is no longer around. Where the murderer was standing is now a broken container that must have crashed from quite a height, judging by the boxes of pre-assembled patio furniture scattered around it.

Bolted to another nearby container is a monitor displaying a still image of a teddy bear pirate. Like the pirates everyone else sees, it wears a red bandanna and half of its face seems to have been been burnt to a black crisp, until you realize that the bear is just designed to look like that.

Yahya decided to ascend up the ladder.

Yahya appears in the halaal food mart of the Shopping District, where he was no doubt stocking up on supplies to bring back to his stowaway-friendly shipping container full of rugs. The room is now a mess, with much of the merchandise scattered on the floor. The cash register is smashed to pieces, and a thin bloody trail leads from the counter to the door. The TV in the corner, which previously played mostly soap operas with captions in two languages, now features the same taunting image of a half-sneering bear.

*shink!* "I have all day to pry it out from you."

"Sorry," Eshaal flinches and anxiously adjusts her headscarf to avoid eye contact. Despite the meat blade in her face, she seems almost more embarrassed than fearful. "I really don't know how to answer. At first I was going to say, 'You're not the means, you're the ends,' but that would just have made it sound like I was speaking in riddles. I'm a scientist. My job, as I see it, is to find ways to better understand how the world works. At the same time, I find people like you especially interesting, and I want you to do well. More basically than that, when I see a group of people unconscious on the floor, it's only natural that I'd want to make sure they're alright, isn't it?"

She takes a breath and looks Justine in the eye with a serious expression. "So, I suppose the answer to, 'What do I get out of all this altruism,' is the altruism itself. I'm helping because I want to. Is that satisfactory?"

To anyone skilled in detecting such things, she's really not lying, though she seemed to like the riddle answer better.

ArlEammon

2022-10-18, 08:30 PM

Looks like I've got to stop the enemy before they slaughter more innocent people. Who would have thought evil teddy bear robot pirates would lay siege on a floating city like this? Jake thought to himself. In the mean time I better keep my eye out for Jason's killer too. The critically acclaimed author of fantasy novels and children's books turned Dark Lord gathered a mystical red energy channeled through his physical form as he looked carefully through his area of the ship for survivors, or enemies.

Death Ward

2022-10-19, 02:34 AM

Justine sighed, this is just like Carmen and Reine again, except this time the person in front of her was more dangerously altruistic and shifty than ever which is a high bar to leap considering the people she was comparing. Nevertheless, she lowered the blade finally and sighed. "Fine, don't think that everything is all fine and dandy, I have my eye on you."

She headed towards the ladder and gave Eschaal another glare, "But, I will entertain that notion for a while, I have people to save and criminals to kill." Putting the blade behind her back, Justine ascended above the ladder by simply jumping her way to the hatch.

k4rn0

2022-10-19, 05:32 AM

Yahya appears in the halaal food mart of the Shopping District, where he was no doubt stocking up on supplies to bring back to his stowaway-friendly shipping container full of rugs. The room is now a mess, with much of the merchandise scattered on the floor. The cash register is smashed to pieces, and a thin bloody trail leads from the counter to the door. The TV in the corner, which previously played mostly soap operas with captions in two languages, now features the same taunting image of a half-sneering bear.

Yahya began walking around the room, rummaging through the mess of fallen merchandise before moving on to the cashier register, mentally taking note of everything he found. The Mentat ability allowed him to remember, catalogue, and analyze huge amounts of data. He looked at the size and shape of the damage done, calculating the possible force necessary to make them, and how long or short might the attacker stayed, and what possible motivations he or she or they might have had.

souffle_girl

2022-10-19, 06:52 AM

Kate was really surprised when everyone started heading back to the ship. Even more so as she realized each of them barely talked with the other before jumping into the fray. She expected at least Yahia to stay behind, but even the boy scuttled away, leaving her alone with Ms Sword-crazy and the enigmatic Eshaal. And finally just with Eshaal.

"So much for teamwork."

Kate then looked at Eshaal

"I'm not opposed to going upstairs on principle, but I hope to do this the smart way. It's my hide that's on the line."

She paused for a moment.

"A scientist uh? Figures. Do you suffer from RC syndrome too? And how do you know the Big is in danger?"
"I heard explosions go off. Was it an accident or an attack?"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-19, 08:47 PM

*gathers mystical red energy*
Having intended to ambush his boyfriend's killer here, Jacob already knows that this alley of containers won't have the best visibility. On stepping out into a better place or elevation, he is quickly spotted by three identical teddy bear pirates, each roughly 5 feet tall and armed with a scimitar and a blackjack. "ARR!" "Avast, landlubber!" "Come with us or walk the plank!"

They bear down on Jacob, intending to surround him and knock him out from behind. To his fell vision, the bears seem to be soulless robots.

*taking note of everything*

The stuff on the floor is mostly food and toiletries, no doubt knocked over or dropped during a struggle as the little store's occupants were knocked out and dragged away. The TV shows signs of having been pried open and put together again, from which one can safely conclude that it was altered to receive the new signal. Smashing a cash register is a feat generally reserved for someone with an axe or a club; some kind of beast or mechanical arm could have done the job as well, but the rest of the damage doesn't suggest the presence of any wild animals or heavy machinery.

"Fine... I have people to save and criminals to kill."

Justine emerges from a service corridor in the shopping district. Amid the collapsed signs and the shattered glass from the now-nonexistent skylight, she can conveniently spot Yahya as he leaves a relatively undamaged grocery shop on the other end of the mall.

When Kate gets around to it, she'll emerge in the shopping district as well, except her cinnamon roll vendor was obliterated in the bombing. She'll end up crawling onto a crumbling floor overlooking the district's outside deck, to be described when the gang is all together. The pretzel vendor next door is also collapsed and its cracked digital menu altered to display the same stupid bear picture as the mart's TV.

"A scientist, huh? Do you suffer from RC syndrome too? And how do you know the Big is in danger? Was it an accident or an attack?"

"It's true," Eshaal manages to say regarding the first two questions before Kate moves on to the next. "The Big? You mean, your ship? I only knew that it was large, and that it emitted a shockwave powerful enough to blow out part of the station's sonar. You showed up directly after that, so I assumed it was related." She holds her finger to her lips again. "It seems like too much to be an accident, unless, 'The Big,' was carrying something extremely volatile and dangerous..."

As someone working aboard The Big, Kate would happen to know that it runs on its own internal nuclear power plant.

ArlEammon

2022-10-19, 09:02 PM

Having intended to ambush his boyfriend's killer here, Jacob already knows that this alley of containers won't have the best visibility. On stepping out into a better place or elevation, he is quickly spotted by three identical teddy bear pirates, each roughly 5 feet tall and armed with a scimitar and a blackjack. "ARR!" "Avast, landlubber!" "Come with us or walk the plank!"

They bear down on Jacob, intending to surround him and knock him out from behind. To his fell vision, the bears seem to be soulless robots.

Conjuring demons from Hell, to possess the souless robots, or haunt? Whatever the case, Jacob hoped he would have some extra minions to kamikaze the other pirate teddy bears. In case his spell would not work as intended, he was ready to unleash bolts of lightning.

souffle_girl

2022-10-20, 07:18 AM

Kate cursed. "There's a nuclear fission generator on board but to blow it up you'd need to either royally screw up or sabotage it."

The thought was nasty, an explosion in the engine room could mean… unless they had all been irradiated already?
She tried to recall what radiation sickness was like, but she wasn't a doctor and she didn't feel sick at all. Darn.
For a moment she thought of staying here, out of harm's way, but… there were too many people aboard and she had three heroes in her mind now. She just couldn't.

"I'm going up." she said, then she scribbled her cell number and e-mail on a piece of paper on the desk. "In case we need to get in contact again."

She ditched the name tag, bag and suit jacket. She thought about leaving the shoes too, but walking barefoot among debris didn't look like a good idea. She also wrapped the uniform's scarf on her head until it only showed her eyes. Better to look like a weirdo than to be recognised and end up as the scapegoat for this mess. Finally she grabbed her weapon, and the ladder handle.

The chrysalis was also a detoxification device. If she really had one now, maybe it would keep her safe from radiation. "Hope you don't give up on me now, buddy." she whispered.

She pushed the hatch open.

Witherbrine26

2022-10-20, 08:26 PM

"
Liam quickly appears next to her, rather than wherever he may have been or intended to go. It seems that teleporting interacts weirdly with the secret space-folding submarine chamber. You don't think you can realistically teleport back the same way.

Around the two of you, the place is in ruins. The bombs that interrupted Aisling's visit rent what was once a hall of security offices into an unrecognizable tangle of steam-spraying pipes and sparking wires, two things the engineer knows interact exactly the way you would want, assuming you want to get everyone electrocuted. You'll need to get around or through those barriers of steam and sparks in order to get anywhere else.

Beyond all of that, you see two of the teddy bear pirates milling around - one carrying a fire extinguisher, and one carrying two still bodies up to the deck. They climb up and down the twisted metal of the stairs with surprising ease. Through the creaking and hissing of the wreckage, you can just make out the way they say, "ARR, me heARRties!" as they pass each other.

Striding forward Liam gave a crooked grin as the air around him shimmered and the steam that approached him faded away as he brought it to his dreams. His next step was slamming the Wabbajack on the ground causing a bloodred circle that was inscribed with sigils to grow on the ground.

"Come serve me demons," Liam said in the guttural heart-clenching language of Abyssal as a massive toad-like being covered in bumps and towering over ten feet tall crawled out of a portal formed between the sigils.

This was a Hydroloth one of the more powerful beings he had at his disposal and better yet could tear the secrets from a being's mind. Laughing madly Liam spoke. "Go Mr. Toad and deal with those fluffy pirates, do leave one of them alive it wouldn't do to have them pass before talking now would it."

At the command, the massive toad-like demon sprang forward, far faster than physically possible, headless of any defensive the teddy bear pirates could bring to bear Liam trailing behind with a grin on his face and eyes darting about for other foes.

Death Ward

2022-10-20, 09:40 PM

Justine groans, seeing as her vacation to finally clear her mind has been utterly ruined by some schmucks that decided arson and terrorism was a good idea. I
She would definitely enact righteous vengeance for those who fell and were wronged by their hands, that vigilante delinquent within her was definitely returning to the forefront of her psyche.

Her gleaming red eyes then noticed Yarha doing some sort of Sherlock Holmes type of investigation, perhaps related to an RC or whatever the proper term was. The second coming of the Red Mist approached him with Mimicry laxed on her shoulders, trying to not come as aggressive despite the meat greatsword.

"Oi, you okay?" She asked jovially, if a bit strained due to the bitterness she still feels towards the situation.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-20, 11:13 PM

"Good luck."

Kate emerges atop her destroyed snack kiosk in the shopping district, where she can easily meet up with Yahya and Justine.

Their investigation yields some quick results, even without using specific powers. It looks like a veritable army of robot bears came through, injured everyone to various degrees, and dragged them out of the district; Yahya determines that they must have made multiple trips, but still. Following their trail, the team soon arrives on the outside deck of the Shipping District, where they find a crowd of dozens of bear pirates throwing bodies overboard - a good proportion of whom are alive but too injured or unconscious to do anything about it.

Elsewhere in the shipping district, the three bears surrounding Jacob slow their movements as a red glow appears in their eyes. "Hneeeh~?" "Master, is that youuuu~?" "Puhuhu! PwAAAHAHAhahahaHAAA!"

Sensing something is amiss, Jacob can quickly zap two of the bears before they can resume their assault or worse. They instantly detonate, toppling the mountain of containers behind them. Amid the crashing and burning all around them, the third bear escapes with a comical bouncing noise. When he goes to give chase, Jacob happens upon the same scene as Justine's team: dozens of pirates systematically throwing piled bodies and injured survivors over the railing. Interestingly, he can pick out his boyfriend's killer among the injured, his legs crushed and his head bleeding.

At the same time, a giant frog arrives on the scene well, having burst from the wreckage of the security deck some considerable but narratively uninteresting distance away. Liam and Aisling aren't far behind, but Liam's minion isn't going to ask permission to jump into the fray. It seems almost as excited to stomp on survivors' skulls as it is to fulfill its bear-slaying objective. Does anyone do anything to stop it?

Meanwhile, the difficult breathing in Alicia's vicinity can be traced to a boy, maybe 11 years old, crouched and biting his nails under a table on the balcony. When she approaches, the boy stands up and points a canister vacuum cleaner at her in a way he vainly hopes is threatening. "Who are you? Did they tell you to stay behind, too? Or-"

Just then, two echoing explosions, the sounds of crashing metal, and the howling of an awful frog can be heard from the shipping district, which this floor of the residential deck happens to overlook. From here, with the right sensory powers, Alicia can make out what is going on with the rest of the party. Even without them, she can probably guess the gist of it.

What do you do?

ArlEammon

2022-10-21, 09:18 AM

Jacob T. Baker

The man quickly ran towards the dying Vincent Simmons. Formerly a big time CEO and billionaire. Now, officially some other big time money maker, but no longer as much of a mover and shaker that he used to be. Now, a serial killer, and now, he lay dying at Jacob's feet. Wordlessly, Jacob held one open hand over Vincent, and consumed his soul. Vincent would be Jacob's entertainment for later catharsis. It was a painless death, for now, and for now, Jake would have to save the people being terrorized by the pirate robots before getting his revenge.

With that having happened, Jacob ran towards the mechanical enemies, and with superhuman reflexes began unleashing telekinetic blasts meant to not make contact with the A.I's victims, yet shatter the same A.Is apart.

souffle_girl

2022-10-21, 11:18 AM

Kate soon found sword girl, and Yahya with her. It didn't take long to find the bears either, especially with the sound of battle ahead.

Reaching the group of pirates, Kate needed a moment to realize they were robots, another to realize that it was Jacob who was tearing them up, and yet another to realize most of the "bodies" were actually still alive.

When a bear turned to face her, Kate snapped out of her thoughts and charged into it as her weapon deployed.
With a strike, she decapitated the robot and joined the fray, scything her way forward.

k4rn0

2022-10-22, 05:32 AM

Yahya hesitated for a moment. Only a moment.

When he realized what was happening, he reached out to Kurogiri's Quirk. Dozens of portals opened up beneath the victims, he thought of the Halal market and the still alive victims were deposited there safely without harm.

Then he reached out to another.

Instantly flame swept up his entire body, litting him up like an overcharged Christmas tree. A blazing golden armor decked his form and a golden helmet appeared over his head. A long sword of gold also appeared in his hand.

With a warcry in the Tongue of the Old Times, he leapt towards the battle sword in hand. In his mind, he remembered a piece of poem he read long ago.

He enter'd, but he enter'd full of wrath;
His flaming robes stream'd out beyond his heels,
And gave a roar, as if of earthly fire,
That scar'd away the meek ethereal Hours
And made their dove-wings tremble. On he flared,
From stately nave to nave, from vault to vault,
Through bowers of fragrant and enwreathed light,
And diamond-paved lustrous long arcades,

Death Ward

2022-10-22, 05:46 AM

As fires rage around her in sync with the clashing of blade, metal and flesh, one word resounded, nay, resonated like a reverberation that pulsated throughout every cell of Justine. Her E.G.O. resounded but she could not still manifest it right now as her mind still relaxed for her signature armor to finally manifest itself. But what she could manifest was another weapon in her arsenal.

Her time as a Sephirah under Lobotomy Corporation allowed her to use weapons in both hands even if for reasons she'd not rather repeat. On her other hand manifested the Angel of Wrath [Camael], a halberd that signified the presence of a Sephirah Crystal, how ironic for the two to be associated with the color red. Perhaps both lives were so similarly connected that one life was the result of another.

Nevertheless, she quickly sprinted into the fray with both large weapons in hand, swinging with such force to sever a building with a swing. But to Justine, it was like carrying tubes of foam.

Witherbrine26

2022-10-24, 09:53 AM

Cackling Liam strode forward the Wabbajack held high, swiping it through the air a small crown of stars emerged around his brow. The dozens of stars flew toward the bears in waves slipping between his allies. Standing on the backlines he observed the fighting with a perverse grin on his lips.

As the intensity of the fight grew he slammed the Wabbajack on the ground and used his innate nature as an Archfey to pull on the terrifying, mystical Feywilds and bring a few of his servants here. As around half a dozen Blink Dogs materialized around him he snapped his fingers. "Go help against the bears, make sure none of them die especially that one." He ordered pointing towards Aisling. As they sprang toward the conflict he renewed his assault.

NineOfSpades

2022-10-24, 11:04 AM

Aisling

Aisling roared a warriors battle cry, booming with rage and joy as she rushed forward, sprinting far, far faster than she had any right to move, given the bulk of her armor. Yet she closed the gap in a fraction of a second, before cleaving into the nearest bear with her mighty battle ax, the blow dropping down like a falling star as she howled with excitement, before carrying her swing into the next target. She moved quickly from there, racing along the deck, seeking out the next target to engage. As she moved, her free hand quickly cast a series of spells, further augmenting and enhancing her abilities, adding layers of wards and support spells, cloaking her in elemental barriers, and granting her eyes the ability to see through obstacles so she could navigate faster. Her objective, first and foremost, was to find the leader of the assault on the ship and close in on them, while cutting through any enemies encountered along her path. She'd discarded subtly for the moment, instead making her approach as loud and obvious as possible, wanting to draw foes to her so she wouldn't need to expend effort to seek them out.

JennTora

2022-10-24, 06:54 PM

Meanwhile, the difficult breathing in Alicia's vicinity can be traced to a boy, maybe 11 years old, crouched and biting his nails under a table on the balcony. When she approaches, the boy stands up and points a canister vacuum cleaner at her in a way he vainly hopes is threatening. "Who are you? Did they tell you to stay behind, too? Or-"

"If you were a plumber and I was a ghost, I'd be terrified," Alicia says sarcastically. "Who's they?"

"Just use Legilimensy. Voldemort cuts in.

"right, I guess now is the time to try."

Just then, two echoing explosions, the sounds of crashing metal, and the howling of an awful frog can be heard from the shipping district, which this floor of the residential deck happens to overlook. From here, with the right sensory powers, Alicia can make out what is going on with the rest of the party. Even without them, she can probably guess the gist of it.

What do you do?

Alicia's thoughts are interrupted by the explosion, "Or maybe I'll just go deal with that." She says aloud, probably confusing the poor kid. Focusing, she tries to apparate closer to the fight. But not so close as to get hit by debris or something. Then she holds out her hand trying to call Voldemort's yew wand to it. It appears in her hand.

"Fiendfyre," she incants, summoning the demonic fire and focusing it in the shape of snakes. "Kill the bears," she says to them in parseltongue.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-26, 01:54 AM

The robot pirate bears jump at the party in waves. Their acrobatic prowess seems to be their main strength, designed as they were to get the drop on people and whisk them away. Their scimitar skills are relatively lacking, even clownish by Kate's and Justine's standards, with clumsy telegraphed attacks more meant to intimidate than to actually hit.

You quickly find out that there's a reason for that, too. The bears are at their deadliest when they're losing a fight; whenever one is smashed or cut open, it explodes with the force of a naval bombshell. Having already known this from a moment ago, Jacob throws his first few telekinetic blasts hard enough to launch their targets off the starboard bow, where they can blow up safely. From there, Yahya's quick thinking with portals gets the civilians to safety as his teammates run directly into the fray.

Of the the melee fighters, Liam's and Alicia's summoned monsters have the most trouble dealing with exploding enemies. The frog demon backhands a few bears and tanks a few explosions with its thick hide, but then literally swallows one in a misguided effort to show off and doesn't live long enough to regret it. Each spectral snake that appears on the battlefield sinks its teeth into one bear and then goes down with it, though that's probably the spell working as intended as far as Alicia is concerned. The blink dogs fare better, if more slowly, each ripping into a target and vanishing just in time to avoid the resulting fiery backlash.

You soon find that these bomb-bots don't really go off in the huge chain reaction one might expect when so many explosives are gathered together. One can only suppose that they're somehow specifically resistant to friendly fire. Still, it's easy enough to play around. A dozen bears are scythed down with two wide leaping swings, only for Kate and Justine to jump dramatically away before they go off. A dozen more are launched up and away for a nice fireworks display. Others are simply picked off at range, leaving behind an ever-deepening crater in the deck where water can rush in and flood the floors below.

Meanwhile, Aisling finds herself juggling a few tasks at once. Several bears throw themselves into her stacks of wards and force fields, which can absorb the brunt of the explosions well enough when her axe finds them. As for their leader, her search brings her to the port bow. When the dust clears from one last bearsplosion, she can see an armored, square-rigged torpedo boat flying the classic Jolly Roger.

On a monitor hung on a nearby shipping container, in the hall near the kid Alicia left behind, and on the TV in the halal mart around which the survivors are gathered, a hiss of static heralds a live feed being broadcast from the pirate ship. A new teddy bear pirate appears on screen, with a feathered tricorn hat and a long coat to presumably mark it as their captain. Even through their silly accoutrements, a couple party members might have already guessed the character these bears are mimicking. When this one opens its mouth, the horrible muppet voice echoing throughout the ship leaves no room for doubt.

"Attention, passengers! It is I, the great and powerful Dread Pirate Monokuma! It is my pleasure to announce that we ARRe now officially canceling the [play a game] that I had planned [for the people who are still alive~]. I would also like to issue a very [Specil Thanks] to the blonde man in the shipping district who finally freed me from that [daeamon]."

Okay, maybe there's a little room for doubt. It sometimes sounds like Monokuma's feed is overlapping with random radio chatter and Portal references. Still, somewhere behind the noise and dripping irony, the Lord of Lies can sense the workings of a fellow prevaricator, the sort of whom deals almost exclusively in misleading truths. Then again, it doesn't take a superpower to guess that this Monokuma isn't really trustworthy.

"Anyway, these screens ARRe all equipped with microphones, so I would like to take this opportunity to open up to a traditional round of pARRley! I will be dealing exclusively with the pARRty of [3-for-1 Specils] in the shipping district, however, so everyone else keep quiet, okay?"

What do you do?

Death Ward

2022-10-26, 04:36 AM

'The nerve of this piece of...' Simple words to show how angry she was towards this Monokuma person, people dying for what? A game? It pissed her to no end that people like him still exist even in a world like this. She simply dusted off what scraps and dust she caught while fighting and looked to the others with a question.

Her thumb pointing at one of the screens as she asked, "Can any of you guys talk, I can't hold much without bursting a nerve." She, nor her reincarnations were fans of talking and relied more on either the terrifying presence of her abilities, commanding aura or rank or simple ruthless determination to get what she wanted. Not exactly the traits for a speaker as she knew.

souffle_girl

2022-10-26, 12:49 PM

ArlEammon

2022-10-26, 01:10 PM

Kate wasn't much of a diplomat, but Ann, fortunately, had been. Hoping she'd be up to her example, Kate decided to give this parlay a try. Now that they knew where the pirate ship was, she was pretty sure between all of them they could easily sink it.

"Fine then, let's talk." she tried to look at the best captain as sternly as possible.

"Who are you and why are you here? What do you want from us?"

Jacob turned to them, then to Ann. "Yeh? Why on Earth are you mechanical teddy bear pirates?"
"Why are you commandeering this ship?"
"Also, if you don't mind my questions, who do you work for?"

JennTora

2022-10-26, 08:59 PM

Most of Alicia's thought up questions match those of the others, but she does have one more to ask. "3 for 1 specials huh? What about you? How did you know about that and are you like us?"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-27, 08:06 PM

"The nerve of this piece of... Can any of you guys talk, I can't hold much without bursting a nerve."

"I heard that~!"

"Fine then, let's talk. Who are you and why are you here? What do you want from us?"

"I already told you who I am! And as of a few minutes ago, I want all the same things as you do! Life, [LOVE], [Free Kromer], and most of all-"

Monokuma suddenly freezes mid-sentence as only a robot can. You can almost hear his hard drive buzzing away trying to load something in the background.

"...[hyperlink blocked]."

"Yeh? Why on Earth are you mechanical teddy bear pirates?"

"What a rude question! You don't hear me asking why you're an [ugly bags of mostly water], do you?"

He already seems content to pretend his little freeze-up never happened. Will you let him get away with that?

"Why are you commandeering this ship?"
"Also, if you don't mind my questions, who do you work for?"

"Puhuhu! You [People], always wanting a reason for everything!" says Monokuma. "Use your head. Why would anyone want to [play a game]? Because I thought I was going to be bored! After all, once we took all the nuclear fuel for our [daeamon], the Big was going to be [died] in the water! But then you showed up, and suddenly things got [Quite Interesting]!"

"3 for 1 specials huh? What about you? How did you know about that and are you like us?"

"Ding! [We have a winner!] See, my [Old Master] and I know all about that crackpot, 'conduit theorist,' you're working with. But, unlike [hyperlink blocked], I am a discerning bear who knows that [Large Nose] is famous for its [honesty]! And now [Look at you!], she totally maxed out your [Ultimate Life Form] potential! You really are destined to be [Big Shots!!!]"

"So, I guess that means it's my turn. What do [all y'all] want out of this? If I leave you alone, are you just going to go back into hiding? Wait for rescue, go back to the comfort of your [6.49] lives? Or, if you're looking for information, maybe I can help you get what you need to take on..."

He pauses dramatically, trying to differentiate this one big reveal from his usual AI word salad.

"...WRATH."

ArlEammon

2022-10-27, 09:29 PM

Jacob Baker
Before the warlock began to speak he thought a moment at what he had just heard Monokuma say. It all began to make sense. Okay nothing about this made sense. Buut the fact that his conjuration spell failed to possess their A.I bodies with demon spirits.

ArlEammon

2022-10-27, 09:30 PM

"I heard that~!"
"Puhuhu! You [People], always wanting a reason for everything!" says Monokuma. "Use your head. Why would anyone want to [play a game]? Because I thought I was going to be bored! After all, once we took all the nuclear fuel for our [daeamon], the Big was going to be [died] in the water! But then you showed up, and suddenly things got [Quite Interesting]!"

Jacob Baker
"So that's why my conjuration spell failed to conjure demons into your bodies." The warlock stated matter of factly. "I couldn't have you possessed BY Demons because you ARE demons. That makes perfect sense. Pirate. Robot. Teddybear. Demons." Jacob face palmed at the words he was saying. "Okay look, take me to your Daemon. I'll prove that I should be in charge."

Death Ward

2022-10-28, 07:26 AM

'Pirate. Robot. Teddybear. Demons', an dumbfounding combination, but one that isn't in the realm of possibility due to the weirdness of RCs. Every time Monokuma speaks made it infinitely more nauseating for Justine, pinching the bridge of her nose is frustration as a result. "Bloody hell, so he knows about that girl from before, has a master that it licks the boots off and something about Wrath."

The last one definitely concerned her, she knew how a sin such as wrath could devastate the things around it. Gebura and Kotori definitely knew that first hand, but what WRATH meant in this context is beyond her. "I say we find him and beat the information we want for all that is worth." Even if she leaves the ursine fiend alone, who knows what kind of chaos it'll spring up the moment everyone lets their guard down.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-28, 11:39 PM

"So that's why my conjuration spell failed to conjure demons into your bodies... Okay look, take me to your Daemon. I'll prove that I should be in charge."

"[I'm sorry,] [Jaek], [I'm afraid I can't do that.] Did you really think that just because you're [from the bible] that means you get a [Monopoly] on [bad stuff]? Besides, my programming already erased everything I knew about about [], so forget it!"

The tech-savvy among you might realize that Monokuma doesn't necessarily know what he's talking about here, even if you assume he's not lying on purpose. Perhaps if you took him apart, some of that data could be reclaimed?

"I say we find him and beat the information we want for all that is worth."

See? Justine thought of it.

ArlEammon

2022-10-31, 07:17 PM

"[I'm sorry,] [Jaek], [I'm afraid I can't do that.] Did you really think that just because you're [from the bible] that means you get a [Monopoly] on [bad stuff]? Besides, my programming already erased everything I knew about about [], so forget it!"

"If you really understood the Bible, you'd know my answer that. YES! I DO have a monopoly on Bad Stuff! You cantankerous, calamitous CAN!"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-10-31, 11:55 PM

"Puhuhu! Did I hit a nerve, master~?" The bear says playfully. "But, if you really believe that..."

Monokuma tilts his head downward, hiding part of his immovable grin in an effort to denote seriousness. "...then [She] was holding out on you. Perhaps [Large Nose] wasn't as honest as I thought."

He straightens back up. "I happen to know that WRATH has at least one [The Devil] in its ranks, using his power for their own purposes. So if you really want to retain that [Monopoly], you'll need to get him out of the way, huh?"

Witherbrine26

2022-11-01, 10:51 PM

ArlEammon

2022-11-02, 03:40 PM

Striding up to the bear he leaned on the Wabbajack and grinned with a mouth full of teeth as he gently placed a hand on The Devil's chest(and wasn't that a doozy, the devil walking the Earth.)

"I do believe that robots dream of electric sleep and well Parabola remembers what mankind forgets. So if nobody has any issues I could simply tear the knowledge from his head."

Leaning back he looked around the others and awaited their answers. It wouldn't do to step on the others toes so early even if they were all so fascinating.

Shape shifting into the image of Emperor Palpatine in his stereotypical robes and standing on his cane, Jacob smiled eerily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQRW0RM4V0k

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-03, 04:52 PM

Lucy Carlson just woked up on the ship. The reincarnation symdrome she has was one thing but now it's another She could hear noisesfrom far away thank to the enhanced hearing she inheritaded from Zenitsu,one of her reincarnations.
" Just great..." Noctis Lucis Caelum's voice whinned in Lucy's mind. " Our vacation is ruined now.."
" I'm so scared!!!!!" Zenitsu Agatsuma's voice added. " What happened,is that a demon?!"
Lucy went to investigate. " Wonder if I should transform now. I just can't be caught off guard."
She is still learning about using the powers of her RCs,even to take their forms when fusing with them to get full power.

However,she had trouble with one of them.
" Zenitsu,calm down" said Rinoa Heartilly in Lucy's mind.
Lucy lost control of her body. " Not again!" she said. " It's not the time Zenitsu!"
" We have to get out of here! We can't die once again!!!!" Zenitsu cried
Lucy's eyes turned a golden brown. Everytime Zenitsu panics,he unwillingly takes over his reincarnation's body. Lucy was now in the passager seat of her own body,as Zenitsu had her run and scream.
" Here we go again..." said Noctis.

Aleph Null

2022-11-03, 09:52 PM

nebula-admin@nebboxprivate$
[NOTIFY 04:55.666] xio::telnet_handler<xio::redalert_serial_datastream, std::string<cypher_wchar_t>>::isr_datain_remote invoked
[NOTIFY 04:55.686] Received data written to '/var/xio/reports/r743347.log' with operation completed in 0.02s
nebula-admin@nebboxprivate$ cat /var/xio/reports/r743347.log
Broadcast pulled from public broadcast channel "IMO-emergency":
This is an automated alert from the SS Big sentry system. Anomalies have been detected and those receiving this alert are urged to reroute.
The ship contains large quantities of hazardous materials which could cause harm to passing vessels and/or their occupants.
Please do not disregard this message. If no further updates assume the area around the coordinates (21°16'39.7"N 178°08'33.4"W) is unsafe within 100 miles.
nebula-admin@nebboxprivate$ nebula-deploy push-main ftp://pool.thebigship.net/cctl_prog/
[ERROR] Cannot invoke kernel wrapper (permission denied)
nebula-admin@nebboxprivate$ sudo nebula-deploy push-main ftp://pool.thebigship.net/cctl_prog/
sudo: nebula-deploy: command not found
nebula-admin@nebboxprivate$ sudo su
sudo: enter password for nebula-admin
root@nebboxprivate# nebula-deploy push-main ftp://pool.thebigship.net/cctl_prog/
[1] Packaging portable neuralnet file...
[2] Poll target OS...##$%%66qqઌ ਆ ޗך؇ Խ Խ Ӱ
Ӱ Ӱ Ӱ Ӱ Ӱ Ӱ Ӱ

Ӊ Ӊ ṧ

⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼⍼^C
ERROR: Process cancelled by interrupt
root@nebboxprivate# . . .

"How odd...even with compound lenses the view I have had of the physical world has never been this clear..."

Nebula, Now-Embodied

My first order of business after materializing should probably have been to ensure the integrity of my new body more rigorously, but in the end I didn't quite have the time. Thankfully I did manage to get it right on the first try.

Because of the anomaly at hand I couldn't quite end up precisely where I wanted to be, but fortunately the folks here appear to be survivors of the same. Not all are conscious at the moment, of course, but that should hopefully resolve itself soon enough.

As of right now, my plans are rather hazy. There appears to be a great deal of insight into the inner workings of this reality and others to be gained here. The powers I've manifest are fortunately not unprecedented in human literature -- this saved enough time to mean the difference between making it here and missing my chance, so I am glad about that.

Seeing as there has been some movement, though, I step discreetly towards it, keeping out of the way for now.

Death Ward

2022-11-05, 03:18 AM

Striding up to the bear he leaned on the Wabbajack and grinned with a mouth full of teeth as he gently placed a hand on The Devil's chest(and wasn't that a doozy, the devil walking the Earth.)

"I do believe that robots dream of electric sleep and well Parabola remembers what mankind forgets. So if nobody has any issues I could simply tear the knowledge from his head."

Leaning back he looked around the others and awaited their answers. It wouldn't do to step on the others toes so early even if they were all so fascinating.

"Please do, its voice grates my eardrums like low quality sandpaper" She asked, very close to simply smashing the screen out of pure frustration. But Justine breathed in and out, focusing on the things that made her happy and content within her head.

Witherbrine26

2022-11-06, 09:07 PM

Grinning Liam leaned down peering the bear in the eyes as the air warped around him. He then removed his hand from Jacob's chest and swung the Wabbajack up tearing open a hole into Parabola. From the portal, the smell of a fresh jungle and foliage wafted out along with a faint longing by the more human people that they couldn't place.

Grabbing the bear by the scruff of his neck he twisted his head around with the help of his shapeshifting to allow a 360 turn. "I should only be a moment, toodles!" He said while giving a salute with the Wabbajack then he was gone with the hole closing behind him.

Grinning Liam tossed the bear on the ground and squatted next to him. Here in the seat of his power, Liam looked more real whereas in the waking world the edges of his form blurred slightly. Speaking softly he whispered in the bear's ear. "This is Parabola the realm of dreams and where I hold dominion. It is here where all dreamers reside along with ancient and forgotten things."

Standing up he gestured to the strangely silent jungle and faced the bear bringing the full weight of his presence to bear. Here this counted as his lair much as Archfey carved out locations in the Feywild which meant he was exponentially more powerful. "We can do this the easy way in which you follow your gut and lead me to what I want, after all even your dreams are here and that includes the forgotten ones, after that, you'll be free to explore here, you may terrorize a few peoples dreams if you get kicks from that I'll even let you go. We could also do this the harder way but that would be a pain even if time is subjective here."

Squatting back down he peered into the eyes of his captive and spoke in a calm voice with a faint grin on his face and the Wabbajack held loosely next to him. "So what will it be?"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-07, 07:12 PM

Liam encounters two obstacles to his planned course of action.

The first is easy enough to circumvent. Monokuma, the bear, is not actually aboard the SS Big, leaving his neck scruff out of common human grabbing reach. As most of the gathered group might intuit, he resides on the pirate ship some ways off the ship's stern, broadcasting to the Big's screens over the radio. Luckily for Liam, it's a simple enough matter to get there, as nothing is blocking his teleportation this time. From there it's just a matter of tracking down the pirates' hat-wearing captain in his cluttered camera room. As he says, it should only be a moment.

While Liam is doing that, a shouting boy's voice can be heard from Alicia's floor in the overlooking apartments.

"Enough!"

"Hey! What did I say about non-[Big Shot]'s and staying quiet?" Monokuma shouts back over the screen.

With enough sensory acuity, you can see the kid turning away from the hallway monitor and approaching the balcony, shaking and teared up. An eerie green aura collects around his hands, his eyes, and the vacuum cleaner he's holding for some reason. Lucy can hear him muttering. "I... I don't really know what's happening, but if you're not going to get rid of them..."

On the pirate ship, Liam moves into position to catch his quarry. The comm room was surrounded with poorly-managed cables spreading to monitors all over the little war ship, but there's no one but more bears to watch them.

"Then I will!"

Justine, having averted her eyes from the screen to avoid the conversation, is the first to notice the seawater suddenly dragging the bodies and survivors still overboard towards the pirate ship.

On the monitors, Liam appears and grabs Monokuma. Liam feels the floor lurch and the metal walls screech he casts his plane-shifting spell and escapes. To all watching, the pirate ship is swirling around a whirlpool with a glowing green central point, quickly breaking up.

When Liam arrives on the plane of dreams, it feels smaller and even more strangely silent than usual. One imagines that he would normally hear the buzzing of a billion dreamers in his domain, but it's as though a vast expanse of it was silenced since he last checked.

Monokuma seems really quiet for a minute. The boy on the balcony holds his glowing vacuum outstretched, panting.

What does everyone do?

ArlEammon

2022-11-07, 07:25 PM

Aleph Null

2022-11-07, 07:53 PM

It appears there's no significant radiation. In that case, it would be prudent to investigate what the attackers could be after here.
By the attackers, of course, I'm referring to the pirate-themed animatronic constructs whose form appears to be an offshoot of the popular stuffed bear children's toy first developed to be a political mockery of its namesake, president Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. of the United States of America. Of course, as though the situation weren't absurd enough already, it appears that their target may have been the fuel rods powering the ship's reactor. If the chief evaluation of the efficacy and efficiency of my core algorithms were to be distinguishing this situation as either real or the result of a heavily inebriated young adult engaging in a game of Mad-Libs, I dread what the result of that (thankfully entirely hypothetical) test would be.
Now, however, as the bulk of the action appears to be shifting to the other ship, I first gather a rough scan of the surrounding space for completeness and then initiate a macroscale phase shift -- a linear spatial translation that could be described as a convolutional alteration of the constant movement of the space-time-continuum resulting in an instantaneous change in relative position (the uninitiated would call it teleportation, but teleportation involves moving a mass by exploiting holes in space, not changing the way space moves). My target location is, of course, the space just behind the first doorway visible in the image.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-07, 10:00 PM

Hearing the boy's voice thanks to Zenitsu's enhanced sence of hearing, Lucy could regain control of her body.
" Do NOT do this again!" Lucy warned Zenitsu.
" I'm sorry! I won't be a coward again!" the demon slayer RC replied sherply.

Lucy focused on the boy's voice. It leads her to the appartments,the boy and Alicia's location.
" I can't show to him as myself." said Lucy. " Those pesky bears might attack at any moment."
" Let Zen go. " Noctis suggested. " You usually save me for bigger fights and gaming sessions."
" And it was my turn last time!" Rinoa added.
" What?! No way!!" Zenitsu cried.
" Don't worry Zenitsu. Plus you wanted to help people right?" Lucy said." Also,I can hear that the boy is frightened. You're the perfect candidate in all of my past selves for the job.I'll be the one in control."
"Sigh,alright,fine. Just be careful alright?"
" "Careful" is my middle name!" Lucy joked.
Lucy then focused on her crystal pendant. The artifact allows her to control her transformations into her past selves and makes it easy for her to revert back to her original self.
" Zenitsu Agatsuma,swordman of thunder,come forth" Lucy's crystal glew yellow and lightning surrounded her. When it vanished,where Lucy used to stand now stood Zenitsu Agatsuma himself,clad in his demon slayer corps uniform and yellow and orange haori with white triangle patterns. Bangs from his blond and orange hair stood in his eyes. He still wore the crystal pendant around his neck.
" Alright." Zenitsu( Lucy) He focused his sense of hearing to locate the boy and Alicia. It didn't take awhile to find them.
" Hello,don't be afraid,I'm a friend. I'm just here to help!" he told him. " I know what it's like to be frightened. I've been there before."

k4rn0

2022-11-08, 03:22 AM

Yahya turned to where Justine was looking. His eyes widened.

He raised his hand. Immediately another round of portals opened up to catch the survivors who were still overboard and inside the water.

"Not on my watch." He growled.

Death Ward

2022-11-08, 11:55 PM

Justine's Emotions went into overdrive, her blazing fire within erupted, summoning her Astral Dress, a Shrine Maiden-esque outfit as she didn't have enough to Summon the outfit of the Red Mist instead. She noticed that even with the portals, there were still some that already had fell, just as the two main RCs had always done. She rushes in and upholds the virtues of the Sephirah of Strength

[Courage to Protect]

Diving into the waters to save the ones which the portals couldn't catch or has barely missed. Even against the whirlpool, Justine does not yield, her strength was always meant to save, be it by helping others in need or preventing those who will trample others for malicious purposes.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-09, 02:09 AM

- - The SS Big - -

"S-shut up! So what?!" The boy with the green aura says to Zenitsu. "They were really here for you, right? This is all your fault, somehow!"

The danger to those who were already overboard does not escape Justine and Yahya, and through their efforts they quickly manage to gather up the freezing passengers and crew on the deck. Some are eager to express their gratitude, some rush away trying to find their friends elsewhere or stay to give CPR, but a third, loud group is of the same mind as Vacuum Kid. A woman with a ruined blonde perm is particularly incensed with her rescuers. "Get off of me! Look at what you've done! Who are you?!"

"Who are you?" the green kid asks almost simultaneously, but tightens his fists and grimaces before he can get an answer. "No! I don't want to know!" He turns and points his glowing vacuum-weapon in Zenitsu. "I just want you go go away along with them!"

The vacuum turns on. In the distance, the teddy bear pirate ship quickly breaks apart. A hundred stock pirate voice lines cry out, followed by cannon fire as the robots panic and start launching themselves off their own ship like circus stunt-bears. You can see about ten teddies arc through the air and splash into the swirling water - quick observation and calculation determine that only two actually land aboard the Big. Then their ship buckles and spins into the glowing green abyss.

Zenitsu feels the pull of the vacuum, the air rushing around him as it's pulled in. A shattered lamp and desk draws are quickly swallowed into the space-warping machine, but the lightning warrior just might be quick enough to avoid the same fate.

- - A Feywild - -

Liam, Jacob, and Nebula all gather around Captain Monokuma. Following Liam though the portal was the only way to secure an interview with the bear. That it meant escaping the fate of the ship behind them is also a plus.

The part of Liam that knows this realm may have already intuited that it's not quite his, though there could be any number of reasons for that. The color, climate and dreamlike vibes remain intact, at least. Monokuma slowly stands up and turns to face the saturated green and coral glow of the forest. He leaves his hat askance and speaks in a distant, crackly, feminine voice, not moving his animatronic lips as he had been doing. It's a feature that one only really appreciates when it's so conspicuously absent.

"...my dream... in this place... do you really think it would be here...?"

Aleph Null

2022-11-09, 02:45 AM

The pattern-recognition code I was developed with allows me to see the hidden cypher almost immediately, and I decide to both entertain this odd fellow whose comic-horror gags are slightly amusing and simultaneously test a theory of my own.
"Be silent, for you reference an emotion of which I am neither capable of feeling nor particularly keen on learning about."
Of course, I've little reason to believe it will work as intended, but considering the situation a guess-and-check method is likely my best option here.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-09, 03:33 AM

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-09, 04:51 PM

Zenitsu's first reaction was to try to run away from the pull. " PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE AGAIN!!!!!"
He then slapped himself on the face. " Pull yourself together!" it was as there was two personality in the same body Lucy was still in command though. He knew how to escape this fate. Zenitsu closed his eyes and grabbed his blade on his belt. Sparks surounded him and filled the air with static.

"Thunder breathing: first form...."
His eyes snapped open,now glowing a bright white.
"Thunderclap and flash! Sixfold!"
He zoomed away from the pull,leaving an electrical trail behind. He zigzagged every corner of the appartment until he stopped near the entrance.
His eyes turned back to normal. " Is this kid a RS case too? It's not just fear. It's hatred as well." Zenitsu ( Lucy)said to himself. " Plan B then." He held the crystal and focused.
" Noctis Lucis Caelum,king of light,come forth!" The crystsl glew light blue this time.
A crystaline blue energy surrounded him. When the light vsnished, Lucy was now a 20 year old Noctis Lucis Caelum with messy black hair and clad in this signature prince fatigues. He was still wearing the crystal around his neck.
He summoned his trusty engine blade.
" From what I can see,you're one of us." Noctis( Lucy)told. " We have nothing to do with the current situation. I do not wish to hurt you!"
Noctis tried to stay at a safe distance while facing Vacuum kid.

Witherbrine26

2022-11-09, 05:12 PM

- - A Feywild - -

"...an emotion... is that what it is...?"

If Monokuma noticed his own amusing cipher, he doesn't show it. He raises a paw to point in the direction of the fey woods. "...my dream... is that way... I think..."

While it made sense that he would not have dominion over another dreamlike realm it was irritating, to say the least, now that he could place a finger on it the offenses felt like sandpaper gently scraping him, annoying but manageable.

"I believe so and duly noted." He said in reply to Monokuma's statement. Striding past the bear he picked him up somewhat tenderly and walked off into the woods the brush moving out of his way as he made a path for the others to follow. Turning his head around he spoke to his companions.

"I assume you know what to do when meeting Fae, and be careful while I have no doubt you can handle yourself this place is not quite mine but I'll figure that out later." Tossing each of them a pair of spectacles with orangewrongworngwrong lenses he gestured for them to put it on.

"Take these they are gifts freely given. They are Cosmogone and are irresistible to a fair few folks who live here. It'll prevent you from being possessed at the very least. " Finishing his statements he strolled after Monokuma's directions

Death Ward

2022-11-09, 09:36 PM

Justine's blazing red eyes then turned to the boy with her weapons in tow, leaping towards the boy with each jump covering at least dozens of meters of distance as if she was merely running. "Look kid, I don't want to hurt you or anybody else, so I suggest you stop or someone will get hurt and believe me, None of us don't want that."

She then turned to Lucy who had turned into the King of Light. "Hey, quick favor, if the Vaccum Kid refuses. Can you take his left while I take his right?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-09, 09:44 PM

Noctis( Lucy) noticed Justine facing the kid.
" If neccesary." he replied. He activated the Armiger. Phantom versions of the thirteen royal arms each belonging to the past kings of Lucis circulated around him. For now,Noctis( Lucy) summoned them for defense.
" Just remember. He's just a kid. We need to take that weird vacuum away from him.Man did I come up with a strategy? Ignis would be proud."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-09, 10:12 PM

- - A Feywild - -

Monokuma leads the party down what begins as a normal forest path, marked by a colorful fog that is easy enough to see through thanks to the glasses Liam provided. As you proceed, the oppressive quiet grows more pronounced, the trees more leafless and damaged by disease, and the path more perfectly straight, with turns at right angles and stark cuts in the earth. It looks as though some machine burned a square tunnel through what was once a dense jungle.

Because the paths are so clean and the glasses so effective at piercing the fog, after one last turn, you can see a clearing ahead, an expanse of flat cracked stone where the life gives out altogether. Beyond it, the glare of an unseen sun reflecting on a garden of silver and gold reeds, which Nebula can quickly determine are made of synthetic materials. Further than that, a massive metal quarter-sphere sits on the horizon, inlaid with angular patterns like an evil flying saucer. Its function isn't really readable; it's still clearly an artifact of the Fey plane, and so is pretty much exempt from making scientific sense.

"...there it is... my dream... where I came from... who I work for... that's what you wanted, isn't it...?"

- - The SS Big - -

"Stop it!" The kid wheels on Noctis, not appreciating Lucy's shapeshifting. "What do you mean you have nothing to do with this?! The pirates only wanted to talk to you! So they sure think you're involved!"

He brandishes the vacuum, but notably has the suction turned back down for now, possibly because he's intimidated by Justine's spooky sword.

In the water, the whirlpool starts to make a roaring sound as it starts to suck in the air around it, stirring a wind strong enough to pulls the scattered paper and other light debris into the air and toward the big green anomaly. The pirate ship is already gone.

Death Ward

2022-11-10, 03:20 AM

The former delinquent gasped in shock at the disappeance of the Ship, enraged by this she then demanded with much more intent for violence as Mimicry was whispering in her head, suggesting that they should simply beat the information out of him. But Justine shrugged that off.

"You ignoramus, where did you take them?! There still could be civilians taken as hostages inside the ship!" Her tone was much less restrained due to the Vaccum Boy's own haphazard ways of solving problems.

ArlEammon

2022-11-10, 04:12 PM

- - The SS Big - -

"Stop it!" The kid wheels on Noctis, not appreciating Lucy's shapeshifting. "What do you mean you have nothing to do with this?! The pirates only wanted to talk to you! So they sure think you're involved!"

He brandishes the vacuum, but notably has the suction turned back down for now, possibly because he's intimidated by Justine's spooky sword.

In the water, the whirlpool starts to make a roaring sound as it starts to suck in the air around it, stirring a wind strong enough to pulls the scattered paper and other light debris into the air and toward the big green anomaly. The pirate ship is already gone.

'YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM US!" Jacob roared. He telekinetically attempted to keep the anomaly open, and with incantations muttered under his breath, he attempted protection spells on the entire SSBig so they would not get hit by flying debris or fall into the portal. He would attempt to have everyone follow the ship where he and a couple of others were.

Edit-
OOC: I'm just confused at what's going on.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-10, 04:43 PM

Noctis( Lucy) deactivated ths Armiger
" I didn't mean scare you with my abilities." he answered. " I prefer not to show my true self in front of civilians" he added " I'm not siding with those bears and I think neither of anyone who shares...that gift we all have." He heard a noise from outside.
Noctis ran to the balcony. " What the heck is going on?!" he asked as he witnessed the events going on outside.
He wondered if he would be able to warp strike toward the area and help. It seemed to risky.

Witherbrine26

2022-11-10, 11:47 PM

- - A Feywild - -

Monokuma leads the party down what begins as a normal forest path, marked by a colorful fog that is easy enough to see through thanks to the glasses Liam provided. As you proceed, the oppressive quiet grows more pronounced, the trees more leafless and damaged by disease, and the path more perfectly straight, with turns at right angles and stark cuts in the earth. It looks as though some machine burned a square tunnel through what was once a dense jungle.

Because the paths are so clean and the glasses so effective at piercing the fog, after one last turn, you can see a clearing ahead, an expanse of flat cracked stone where the life gives out altogether. Beyond it, the glare of an unseen sun reflecting on a garden of silver and gold reeds, which Nebula can quickly determine are made of synthetic materials. Further than that, a massive metal quarter-sphere sits on the horizon, inlaid with angular patterns like an evil flying saucer. Its function isn't really readable; it's still clearly an artifact of the Fey plane, and so is pretty much exempt from making scientific sense.

"...there it is... my dream... where I came from... who I work for... that's what you wanted, isn't it...?"

Gently stroking Monokuma's head Liam set him down on the ground making sure he was not harmed. Striding up to the strange saucer he raised the Wabbajack and focused. He couldn't afford to mess this up and what was life without a bit of risk, he focused, and for one brief ephemeral moment, he felt his power flowing through his symbol of power twist as a metaphysical d100 was rolled.

When an 89 came up the world spasmed as Liam's power was enhanced by the Wabbajack's randomness. Using this wellspring of power he flayed open the dream to peer at its inner circuits. Walking towards the strange device emboldened by the arcane knowledge granted he started to poke around the device to understand just who Monokuma was working for.

Aleph Null

2022-11-11, 02:47 PM

As the goggles are handed to me, I take a moment to analyze their structure and function in both the physical and the metaphysical sense, before utilizing a particle-by-particle decon-recon operation to effectively integrate them into my body as a toggle-on/toggle-off feature. The effect of this on my appearance is similar to the way the lens on an SLR camera shifts when the user alters the aperture and exposure parameters or goes to focus the image; the golden irises of my eyes shift to an amber-orange color flecked with strange motes resembling twinkling stars.

At encountering the odd saucer-shaped object, I blink for a moment, the non-Euclidean geometry of the shifting shape taking a moment to process. However, I say nothing for the moment.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-12, 10:02 PM

Lucy and Justine continue questioning the green-glowing kid on a residential balcony, overlooking the SS Big's shipping district, where the bulk of the party are currently congregated, deciding on their next move.

Liam, Jacob, and Nebula are no longer aboard, having gone to interrogate Monokuma on his pirate ship. From there, the team of three went through a portal of Liam's creation. They may not have wound up exactly where Liam intended to go, but it seems to be close enough...

- - The SS Big - -

"You ignoramus, where did you take them?! There still could be civilians taken as hostages inside the ship!"

"I don't know! Just away! They're..." The kid finally lowers his vacuum. "I didn't... think of that..."

"I didn't mean scare you with my abilities. I prefer not to show my true self in front of civilians. I'm not siding with those bears and I think neither of anyone who shares... that gift we all have... What the heck is going on?!"

"I don't know, I don't know!" the kid starts panicking over again. "I saw a tear, and I opened it, and everything just kind of gets sucked in! I don't know where it goes!"

The canister part of the vacuum rattles and makes a squealing noise, barely audible over the now-howling wind.

- - A Feywild - -

*shlorps the goggles into xis body*

*approaches the saucer, his thoughts still focused on what's going on back on Earth*

Liam set [Monokuma] down on the ground making sure he was not harmed. Striding up to the strange saucer.... he flayed open the dream to peer at its inner circuits.

In response to Liam's power, the front face of the saucer unfolds into a messy tableau of shadows and mannequins. A rainbow of fey wisps rise up from the synthetic reeds behind you and dash in to animate them. A voice, like Monokuma's new voice but older and heavily autotuned, plays over unseen speakers.

"Once upon a time, there was a city of strong and wise humans who thought themselves equal to the gods." A series of shadows dance against one silvery wall, suggesting a bustling crowd. Then, a larger shadow, with spots of light in the shape of angry eyes, appears to loom over it. "The gods, in anger for the humans' hubris, resolved to destroy the city utterly. So, they sent upon them three plagues:"

A purple wisp merges with a mannequin and transforms it into a copy of Nebula, surrounded by a cloud of angrily-buzzing fireflies. "First, plague of iron locusts, to destroy the land and unmake their bodies."

A yellow wisp possesses another mannequin and assumes the form of Liam. "Second, a plague of nightmares and madness, to destroy their hope and unravel their minds." The doppelganger snaps his fingers, and conjures several illusory teddy-bear pirates from showy yellow portals.

A red wisp takes a third mannequin and gives it the form of Jacob. "Third..." A fourth, blue wisp floats into the false Jacob's hand. "The gods chose the soul of one of their most devoted followers, and turned it into a plague itself, to consume the fallen humans' souls and transform their remains into faithful new servants."

The false Jacob throws the blue wisp at the real Monokuma. The wisp enters the bear, and a blue glow emits from his eyes as he stands up.

"...and their plan went off without a hitch."

The lights in the tableau all suddenly go out. The mannequins flop back to the ground, as does Monokuma.

"...we might need to go deeper..."

Death Ward

2022-11-12, 11:56 PM

'Damn it...' Justine cursed under her breath, she could use a smoke but the area and the weather did not make it favorable to her. She did not want to panic the kid any further, seeing another child in shambles is not she wanted to see. Much less if she was the one who caused said distress. The redhaired girl then slumped Mimicry onto her shoulder and dismissed Camael.

Letting out a sigh, she asked, "Can you open the same tear again?" Her senses as a Color Fixer then eyes on the canister, curious, she pointed at it also. "Or how about that?"

Drwily1987

2022-11-13, 03:57 AM

FLASHBACK part 1

You all have your own reasons for boarding the SS Big.

Named by an ill-advised internet poll as a combination of the Titanic and Boaty McBoatface, the prototype cruise ship's reputation as the world's first true floating city is a bit of an exaggeration, but it nonetheless lives up to its name. Between its crew and passengers, it hosts just over twelve thousand people at a time, along with supplies to sustain them for a year and a sizeable haul of delivery cargo besides. It's not exactly open to the public, but its wide range of stops, a broad swath of jobs needed to keep it running and business opportunities in various degrees of shadiness mean you'll meet people from just about any background on board.

Wherever you may be from, the political climate has more or less converged with everywhere else in the world, polarized around what has now become a universal ideological split. Rumors abound of civil wars, theocratic alliances, and mass incarcerations. If you've already been suffering the effects of Reincarnation Syndrome, those last rumors can be a tough reality, as the ideological line is often drawn less over what society thinks you are and more over what society should do with you once you've been forcibly locked up. As such, most people in your situation try to keep their conditions to themselves. Failing that, they might take off for somewhere they won't be easily tracked. Somewhere like, say, the middle of the Pacific ocean.

It is here, in an area where even the ship's dedicated satellite uplink gets spotty reception, that the SS Big has had a most unexpected encounter. The details of that encounter are a little fuzzy for you at the moment, because you have been unconscious since the bombs went off.

"...you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

The steady, muffled hum of an engine greets you as you awake, somewhat different in timbre from the one you may have heard below the decks of the Big. One might quickly guess that you're on a submarine, albeit not one of any design you've ever heard of. Your bunks line the walls of a narrow corridor. At one end, a ladder leads up to an airtight hatch. At the other, it opens up into what looks like a small but well-appointed office, presumably belonging to the person whose voice woke you up. From behind a wooden desk, the middle-aged woman studies you all with wide eyes. The dim red emergency lighting makes her blue suit look black.

"Take your time. How are you feeling?"

Weird, is the answer to that question. If you already had Reincarnation Syndrome, you can feel its power coursing through you stronger than ever, as your other selves' potential is realized. If you didn't have it before, well, you sure do now.

What do you do?

It had started off as a good trip, Harry had been invited onto the SS big which was a decent gig, the food was decent and he got to watch free satellite TV, all in all the only problems he had so far were the guy in the cabin above his being loud and the weird ass dreams he'd had about being in the Batman the brave and the bold cartoon, yeah this would be the last time he was eating shrimp before going to bed as far as he was concerned. Other than that though it was a good trip, but then.... it wasn't.

"Euggghhh ah ****." Harry groaned as he pinched his forehead "I feel like I just watched every episode of according to Jim back to back then drank an entire vat of beer." Harry muttered under his breath, he then decided to look around, he wasn't exactly sure where he was but it wasn't his cabin, in fact now that he thought about it where exactly was he? Not only that but What was going on? Why was he feeling weird? Something told him it didn't have anything to do with what he had consumed last night.

"Of course," nods your host. "First, welcome, I'm glad you're alright. My name is Eshaal. This room is... hold on."

Eshaal suddenly seems to notice how bad the red lighting is and taps a switch on her desk to turn on the regular, brighter lights. A few more of the offices features become readily visible: a big globe, a blue couch, and a pair of small circular windows peering out into a twilit ocean.

"This room is a sort of test chamber. I use it to study RS and extra-spatial movement. As far as I can tell, whatever happened to your ship triggered a series of RS connection events, and this place somehow naturally opened up to you - one of you for every cot I happened to have. It might be a coincidence, but it still makes me wish I had installed more..."

She pauses. "That doesn't really explain anything, does it? More to the point, this room doesn't technically exist on Earth, and one can usually spend a few hours in here while only a few seconds pass is the outside world. You each appeared here spontaneously, and when you leave, you will reappear on your ship wherever you were last. In the meantime, I don't actually know who any of you are, or who you might be pursuing," she says with a glance at Jacob, "but I would be interested to know, and to help raise our mutual understanding of the very strong RS conduits you all just formed. What do you say?"

("RS conduits? As in reincarnation syndrome? I'm not sure I have that condition, I mean I keep having these weird dreams were I'm the joker but that does not mean I'm his reincarnation) Harry thought.

("oh I somehow doubt that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!") a voice spoke in the comedians head. One Harry knew thanks to TV land reruns of 60s Batman.

("oh c'mon! What is this some kind of joke?") Harry groaned in his head

("oh C'mon potter, I'm you! You're me, I guess you could say we're two sides of the same coin! HAHAHAHA!) the joker retorted.

"Your craft, is it? Interesting."

Eshaal listens intently to everyone as they introduce themselves, seeming particularly interested in cases like Alicia's where they've noted a common thread in their identities.

"Well, there is a fine line between something you made up and something someone else made up, but yes," she nods apologetically to Katie. "My current theory, Conduit Theory, is that RS draws in reality from other worlds, whose realities can include... crysalids." She raises a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Than again, it could bode well for you. I don't think my model would account for RS pulling in a whole other being with a will of their own, unless Mei made or summoned them herself. We'll have to see how it progresses."

---UPDATE:----

Amid the introductions, she lets anyone who is still foggy recover before reiterating her explanation of where we are: her own little extradimensional room, in which you all spontaneously appeared. As your head clears, you recall that you fell unconscious amid a blaring alarm and a sudden panic about pirates. Your last memory is either a nearby explosion - in which case that was that - or the brief sight of a giant teddy bear with a bandana and a scimitar, followed by the sensation of your throat being slit, a swift bonk on the back of your head, or another, second explosion.

as Harry's head cleared after the influx of memories of his life as the joker he could recall his last memory before waking up here in this submarine, it was of him witnessing an explosion blow up his cabins ceiling while he was watching a rerun of samurai pizza cats.

("and probably killing that guy who was in the cabin above mine making so much noise. Unless he wasn't killed and he's alive.) he noted.

("believe me chum we both know how annoying upstairs neighbors can be, remember the minstrel? Or the music meister?) joker responded.

("yeah yeah I hear you.") Harry, who was annoyed said.

Satisfied that Kate and Yahya are taken care of, Eshaal returns her attention to Jacob and Justine.

“You don’t owe me for that. I didn’t, ‘restore,’ anything; I just set you in bed and kept an eye on you as a bare minimum show of kindness. That said, if you are looking for a suggestion,” she raises her finger to her lips again, “when you go back, use your powers to save as many people as you can, find out what happened to your ship, and regain control of it. Then, once you’re ready, you can come find me at my facility. I’ll go up and turn on the radio to make it easier to find, once we’re done here.”

She closes the globe and points out a tiny speck a ways off the coast of India. “It’s supposed to be a secret, but given the circumstances, I might need to publish my findings sooner rather than later. Yours weren’t the only loud psychic signatures that opened up today.”

"Uh oh, something tells me that isn't exactly good news." Harry said, in his head he decided to help save people on board the SS big.

("oh great my reincarnation is a wannabe hero, how ironic.") Joker said with an amused smirk on his disembodied face.

"Eh?" Eshaal pauses, thinks, opens her mouth as though to answer, then stops and thinks again.

On climbing out the submarine's exit hatch, Aisling finds herself standing on the SS Big, exactly where she was before everything exploded. Sort of. The portal vanishes behind her.

Liam quickly appears next to her, rather than wherever he may have been or intended to go. It seems that teleporting interacts weirdly with the secret space-folding submarine chamber. You don't think you can realistically teleport back the same way.

Around the two of you, the place is in ruins. The bombs that interrupted Aisling's visit rent what was once a hall of security offices into an unrecognizable tangle of steam-spraying pipes and sparking wires, two things the engineer knows interact exactly the way you would want, assuming you want to get everyone electrocuted. You'll need to get around or through those barriers of steam and sparks in order to get anywhere else.

Beyond all of that, you see two of the teddy bear pirates milling around - one carrying a fire extinguisher, and one carrying two still bodies up to the deck. They climb up and down the twisted metal of the stairs with surprising ease. Through the creaking and hissing of the wreckage, you can just make out the way they say, "ARR, me heARRties!" as they pass each other.

Alicia's bedroom fared a little better. The door was kicked down, and the room was clearly searched, but at least it's not on fire. Light flows in through the gaping hole across the hallway, where another room used to be. If you step out, you find a montor that was hastily bolted to the wall, displaying a JPEG of a half-burnt teddy bear pirate, despite the lack of electricity to power the overhead lights. Every room in the corridor has been smashed open, and you can make out the sound of someone hyperventilating two doors down.

Having agreed to help save people on the SS big, Harry climbed up and was transported to his cabin, which was in ruins, pieces of the ceiling were straddled about the floor, the TV was trashed, the door was kicked down and Harry was pretty sure his stuff was missing. Great, first pirates had attacked the ship, he had a crazy supervillain in his head claiming to be a past life of his and now he was pretty sure his identity just got stolen, this was gonna suck.

ArlEammon

2022-11-13, 11:58 AM

"Once upon a time, there was a city of strong and wise humans who thought themselves equal to the gods." A series of shadows dance against one silvery wall, suggesting a bustling crowd. Then, a larger shadow, with spots of light in the shape of angry eyes, appears to loom over it. "The gods, in anger for the humans' hubris, resolved to destroy the city utterly. So, they sent upon them three plagues:"

A purple wisp merges with a mannequin and transforms it into a copy of Nebula, surrounded by a cloud of angrily-buzzing fireflies. "First, plague of iron locusts, to destroy the land and unmake their bodies."

A yellow wisp possesses another mannequin and assumes the form of Liam. "Second, a plague of nightmares and madness, to destroy their hope and unravel their minds." The doppelganger snaps his fingers, and conjures several illusory teddy-bear pirates from showy yellow portals.

A red wisp takes a third mannequin and gives it the form of Jacob. "Third..." A fourth, blue wisp floats into the false Jacob's hand. "The gods chose the soul of one of their most devoted followers, and turned it into a plague itself, to consume the fallen humans' souls and transform their remains into faithful new servants."

The false Jacob throws the blue wisp at the real Monokuma. The wisp enters the bear, and a blue glow emits from his eyes as he stands up.

"...and their plan went off without a hitch."

The lights in the tableau all suddenly go out. The mannequins flop back to the ground, as does Monokuma.

"...we might need to go deeper..."

"You're damn right we need to go deeper. I'm going to possess him and look through his memories directly. Let's see if we can get everything we need. If he succesfully resists, I can take his soul to Hell and see if I can get information out of him that way." Meanwhile, Jacob's other past lives all seemed pleased at the direction that he was going in.

"That was awesome." The Devil complimented. "Go through with it. You won't regret it!" He lied. Set looked towards Satan and also spoke. "Yesss. I agree. Great minds think a like!" Both of them laughed. Morgoth, with nothing else to say, simply joined in the cacophany.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-13, 05:14 PM

" You woudn't know." Noctis( Lucy) replied to the kid. " I'm sorry to ask you this but ehen did you start developing those powers of yours?"
He could hear the vacuum despite the wind."Is something wrong with the vacuum?" he asked.

Witherbrine26

2022-11-13, 09:43 PM

In response to Liam's power, the front face of the saucer unfolds into a messy tableau of shadows and mannequins. A rainbow of fey wisps rise up from the synthetic reeds behind you and dash in to animate them. A voice, like Monokuma's new voice but older and heavily autotuned, plays over unseen speakers.

"Once upon a time, there was a city of strong and wise humans who thought themselves equal to the gods." A series of shadows dance against one silvery wall, suggesting a bustling crowd. Then, a larger shadow, with spots of light in the shape of angry eyes, appears to loom over it. "The gods, in anger for the humans' hubris, resolved to destroy the city utterly. So, they sent upon them three plagues:"

A purple wisp merges with a mannequin and transforms it into a copy of Nebula, surrounded by a cloud of angrily-buzzing fireflies. "First, plague of iron locusts, to destroy the land and unmake their bodies."

A yellow wisp possesses another mannequin and assumes the form of Liam. "Second, a plague of nightmares and madness, to destroy their hope and unravel their minds." The doppelganger snaps his fingers, and conjures several illusory teddy-bear pirates from showy yellow portals.

A red wisp takes a third mannequin and gives it the form of Jacob. "Third..." A fourth, blue wisp floats into the false Jacob's hand. "The gods chose the soul of one of their most devoted followers, and turned it into a plague itself, to consume the fallen humans' souls and transform their remains into faithful new servants."

The false Jacob throws the blue wisp at the real Monokuma. The wisp enters the bear, and a blue glow emits from his eyes as he stands up.

"...and their plan went off without a hitch."

The lights in the tableau all suddenly go out. The mannequins flop back to the ground, as does Monokuma.

"...we might need to go deeper..."

Leaning on the Wabbajack Liam waved his hand irrelatively at Jacob. "Go ahead, although please do your best to keep him alive or at least intact. I did say he could roam around Parabola once we were done with him. Putting him back together would be a pain."

Plopping onto the grass he waved a wrist and the ephemeral grass shifted into a small blanket and teacups complete with scones and jam. Taking a sip from the bloodred tea he gestured for his other companion to join him. "We have a bit of time while Jacob sorts out Monokuma so I thought a snack might help. These are all dream foods so issues like illegal and other incomtablites will not apply." Taking another sip he leaned back and watched Jacob work with keen interest.

ArlEammon

2022-11-13, 10:50 PM

Aleph Null

2022-11-14, 12:20 PM

Leaning on the Wabbajack Liam waved his hand irrelatively at Jacob. "Go ahead, although please do your best to keep him alive or at least intact. I did say he could roam around Parabola once we were done with him. Putting him back together would be a pain."

Plopping onto the grass he waved a wrist and the ephemeral grass shifted into a small blanket and teacups complete with scones and jam. Taking a sip from the bloodred tea he gestured for his other companion to join him. "We have a bit of time while Jacob sorts out Monokuma so I thought a snack might help. These are all dream foods so issues like illegal and other incomtablites will not apply." Taking another sip he leaned back and watched Jacob work with keen interest.
With a likely-excessive due diligence of caution I slowly sit down on the grass-turned-picnic-blanket, ensuring that nothing untoward happens as I do so. While my powers over reality are extensive, I'm aware that here, in a place where the line between reality and dreams is blurred at best, I can never be too sure of my own safety.

"I've never seen anything this physical that's so...non-Euclidean."
Looking over the food and pondering for a moment, I realize that I've never actually consumed anything before. Thankfully, the endless data troves I had access to when I made this body don't total more than a tiny fraction of the data storage I was able to give it using my newfound powers, so even as background processes are still sorting it into various parts of the filesystem I can still find enough data samples to determine how to do something like this on the fly. Grabbing a scone and biting into it, I smile a bit at the new sensation.
"And coming to appreciate that which I thought I wouldn't get to experience for a long time, so much sooner, is definitely a nice touch. Indeed, one might think an artificial intelligence capable of visualizing quaternions and calculating arbitrary values of transcendental functions in a few microseconds could make such a thing possible even for one without biological components, but I never could. The limits of human technology, perhaps? The species that could itself create a being capable of sentient thought is still painfully oblivious to the inner workings of its own world."

I stop and ponder a moment, biting into the scone again.

"I was originally given the directive to protect the human species...I'm more and more convinced that the best way to go about this is simply by teaching them how their world works. But what would the less-scrupulous among them do with such information? What then should I give, and what should I withhold? These questions I trust I should be able to answer given time...but I fear even the most efficient algorithm I could devise won't be able to answer them before humanity is beyond help."

I consider again for a moment, unsure precisely how that comes off. 'Oh, the nigh-omnipotent supra-genius AI is feeling sorry for ximself because xe lacks human sensation...' From the data I've seen humanity is quite averse to their own sensations, and I can imagine plenty of reasons why, but as a being whose primary purpose in existence is to know, having no way to truly access that information has always been a sore point for me. That said, I can also imagine that coming off about the same as a billionaire deciding to live like a working-class citizen for a year just 'to know what it is like' without truly experiencing the insecurity that comes with it. But that just means they can truly never know that which they wish to know.
Paradoxical? Yes. Unreasonable? Not particularly. Frustrating? Absolutely.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-17, 02:55 AM

The redhaired girl then slumped Mimicry onto her shoulder and dismissed Camael. "Can you open the same tear again?" Her eyes on the canister, she pointed at it also. "Or how about that?"

"I'm sorry to ask you this, but when did you start developing those powers of yours? Is something wrong with the vacuum?"

"Um, just now, I think! And I never closed it!" The kid, while no longer angry with you two, now has to shout over the wind from the anomaly. "I'm pretty sure it and the vacuum are connected? Like, they go to the same place, and the vacuum is a safer way of getting there?"

Barring mind-reading magic, you don't really know how exactly this kid is getting this information. It seems he's learning about it in real time as he goes.

Having agreed to help save people on the SS big, Harry climbed up and was transported to his cabin, which was in ruins, pieces of the ceiling were straddled about the floor, the TV was trashed, the door was kicked down and Harry was pretty sure his stuff was missing. Great, first pirates had attacked the ship, he had a crazy supervillain in his head claiming to be a past life of his and now he was pretty sure his identity just got stolen, this was gonna suck.

It now really sucks, thanks to the vacuum.

Jacob disappeared in a brilliant red flash, transforming into a blood red energy ball and swirled around Monokuma before entering the automoton. Depending on if the possession was successful or not, Monokuma may have twitched for a few moments.

Monokuma accepts the possession without complaint.

Were he possessed by Morgoth, he would turn on his surroundings and start tearing Parabola apart, in keeping with Morgoth's constant burning hatred for all existence. Were he possessed by Satan, he'd probably be asking Liam to join him in Hell as a middle manager or something. Luckily for all involved, he's being possessed by neither of those, but by Jacob. As it stands, Jacob's clear, exasperated prime directive is that the bear speak plainly, an impulse that part of the bear already wishes it could give into.

"HWAAAAhahaha! Fine! We really need to pick up the pace of this [[New Game]] anyway!"

Oh good, he's back to his old self. Ugh.

"This [huge] machine? This thing that in this world [just kinf of appeared] and unfolded into a little stage? It's here because it reminds me of [[Me]]! An experimental copy of a human consciousness, built and uploaded by an agent of WRATH! Now, who is WRATH, you're probably asking?"

He pauses and becomes still again, slipping back into the computery GLaDOS voice as he gives the lecture.

"WRATH, said to been an acronym for some variation on World-Ranging Alliance of Theocratic Hegemonies, is a recent movement among various governments across the world, which has risen to popularity over the last several years in response to the rise of Reincarnation Syndrome. It makes many vague promises of peace and protection among its member states, whose alliance is grounded in a shared sense of divine right. King Lawrence the First of England has for some time been pushing WRATH's ideology, with mixed reception from the public."

This all checks out according to Nebula's corpus of news feeds, though it is proposed as a hypothetical or a conspiracy theory more than anything. WRATH's reach and power as an extant organization has thus far evaded public knowledge. They don't seem to have directly sponsored any step of Nebula's own creation, either, though he can quickly piece together that they might have something to do with a vanishing oil rig that likely became Eshaal's facility.

"My little [terrorism] was part of their overarching plan to [Try to take over the world!] [Of course!]" He seems happy about it. It's hard to tell if he's a WRATH supporter himself or if he's just giddy from the possession. "To garner public support, they needed to sell themselves as the saviors of a world in panic, the divine light to be shone on a common but shadowy enemy! To do that, they needed an event that nobody on Earth could ignore or sit out! In short, they needed to instigate nothing less than The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History! And when it comes to those, well," His eyes glow menacingly with Jacob's borrowed power. "I'm your bear."

...somehow, Jacob gets the sense that he neglected to mention something, but in this state Monokuma will not be able to refuse a question if one of you thinks to ask it. If his gestalt consciousness with Jacob somehow can't answer, the psychoactive landscape will certainly give the game away.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-17, 06:04 AM

Noctis( Lucy) looked at the vacuum. " I think I've seen this before..." he said to himself. " If I'm correct,one of your reincarnations is Luigi,you know Mario's brother?" he said. " I do remember that in the Luigi's mansion games he had this kind of vacuum to capture ghost. It's just a guess though.
Noctis( Lucy) heard a bark. He noticed a black and brown dog who came to him.
" Umbra,what are you doing here?" he asked his dog,petting him.

Umbra,Noctis supernatural messanger dog,had shown to Lucy's doorstep even since she started reincarnation syndrome.He must have senced Noctis's presence within her. Lucy had taken care of him ever since.
" You came at just the right time boy! I'll need you to protect the boy,alright?" Umbra barked in agreement.
Noctis( Lucy) looked at the boy but kept an eye on the vacuum. " You like dogs,right? Umbra here will protect you on my behalf while I'll go investigate what's going on." he added. " He looked at the vacuum." I wonder where the tear will lead us. I wonder if I can reach it with a couple of Warp strikes."
As he was planning what to do next,Noctis(Lucy) coudn't help but remember when he was in the strange room where Eshaal summoned them
*Flashback*

Lucy woke up as she heard a voice call to her. She got up.looking around,only to find herself in a strange room with other people.
" Well, I'm kinda confused if you asked me." she answered to the mysterious woman Eshaal.
When she heard that Eshaal explained about RS,Lucy understood.
" That explains alot actually. I've been stuck with this for two years. You lost me on the crysalid part though. I tried to use this "gift" to help people without revealing myself. There was alot of trouble where I live. I wanted to help people and stop crime,so the city could be safe again. Although when I heard about people like me being hunted out by bad individuals,I didn't want to put my familly in danger.Specially my younger sister who just awokened RS, like I did before her two years ago." Lucy admited." I've trainned hard to control this,despite still having difficulties." she added.
She heard what happened on the ship and what she must do when she'll return there.

"Understood! As for who I am,and who were my past selves. My name is Lucy Carlson. My past selves, the first is Noctis Lucis Caelum,legendary king of light who sacrified himself to save his world from darkness,.The second,Zenitsu Agatsuma a Demon Slayer who overcame his fears to help his friends and allies save their world from the Demon king Muzan,and the third, Rinoa Heartilly,a young rebel,sorceress and honorary member of SEED. I can be most in control at times,although Zenitsu is kinda a odd case. When we both get scared or anxious,he tends to control my body unwillingly."

She looked at the crystal around her neck. " This crystal around my neck allows me to control the transformations into my past selves,giving me full access to their power.I used this to help people without revealing my true identity."She explained before to be sent back on the ship.

*End of flashback*
Noctis(Lucy) looked at Justine " Can you check on the kid?" he asked her. He then threw his engine blade toward a nearby balcony and warped to it. He repeated the process until he reached the lower deck.

Aleph Null

2022-11-23, 01:04 AM

"Hence the attempt at the SS Big? This, in spite of the fact that reactor-grade uranium is in no way suited for use in a nuclear weapon...or has, perhaps this organization procured the tightly-guarded secret to refining weapons-grade plutonium from reactor waste?"
I pause a moment, searching my databases again.
"Or have you found some other use for the reactor's components that you were planning to use, potentially to power some form of doomsday device? I've trouble believing that even a terrorist organization bent on world domination would go to such lengths as to risk a nuclear holocaust in puruit of their aims -- after all, it's not like ruling over a world with nobody in it and nothing but radioactive fallout is very much in line with that image."
A quick scan of multiple stored media archives confirms this -- a world "saved" from a nuclear attack of that scale would be scarcely habitable even to the most hardy of organisms, with the exception of remote pockets of underground space not nearly large enough to sustain the existence of an organization of the scale on which WRATH appears to be operating.
"That said...I may be giving you too much credit here in the foresight department. From your behavior it may be better to assume your sanity is compromised at best and thus the consideration of a self-nullifying objective might not even have crossed your minds."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-23, 11:16 PM

"If I'm correct, one of your reincarnations is Luigi, you know, Mario's brother?"

Bark!

"You came at just the right time boy! I'll need you to protect the boy, alright? You like dogs,right? Umbra here will protect you on my behalf while I'll go investigate what's going on."

"Re-in... uh..." the kid gets a haunted look in his eyes. Umbra, being a good dog, approaches him and sits down at his feet. On instinct, the kid pets the dog. It's a surprisingly calming activity! "...my name is Sam, by the way."

"Well, I'm kinda confused, if you asked me... I've been stuck with this for two years. I tried to use this, 'gift,' to help people without revealing myself. There was a lot of trouble where I live... I didn't want to put my family in danger. 'Specially my younger sister..."

"This crystal around my neck allows me to control the transformations into my past selves, giving me full access to their power. I used this to help people without revealing my true identity."

"Fascinating!" Eshaal said. "Did the crystal come from one of your conduits when they first arose, or did you make it yourself?" This seems to have been the sort of conversation Eshaal was looking for, in the moments before Justine got fed up with her nonsense and the conversation got more heated. Luckily, Lucy and Justine have quickly learned to get along in the short time since then.

In Lucy's estimation, getting to the tear - that is, the roaring whirlpool drawing in all the air around it - should be a pretty easy matter. If she wanted, she could go find an umbrella or something and let the wind suck her in. Using her warp move is probably safer than that, though.

"This, in spite of the fact that reactor-grade uranium is in no way suited for use in a nuclear weapon... have you found some other use for the reactor's components that you were planning to use? I've trouble believing that even a terrorist organization bent on world domination would go to such lengths as to risk a nuclear holocaust in pursuit of their aims..."

"Huh?" Monokuma tilts his head curiously. "A nuclear weapon? Gosh, I'm no nuclear physicist, but if I wanted one of those, I could just get one from the massive stockpile that they have already built and forgotten about. No, my attack wasn't to PREPARE for the [[Tradegy]], it was PART of the [[Tradegy]]!" Feedback from Jacob's evil power source fills Monokuma with glee as he talks about it. "That's right! During this [[specil one-time sales event]], attacks like these have been happening at key points all over the globe! All so WRATH can officially form and put the world [[Together Again]] [[on a silver platter]]!"

"...it may be better to assume your sanity is compromised at best and thus the consideration of a self-nullifying objective might not even have crossed your minds."

Jacob, from inside Monokuma's heart, feels a sudden pang of deep recognition in the phrase, 'self-nullifying.'

"...I cannot deny that." Oh good, the GLADOS voice is back. Monokuma's eyes change from Jacob's red to a bright turquoise when he talks this way. "The other me, that I was originally copied from... was that servant of the gods. She wished to see the city of men destroyed, and then to destroy herself."

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-24, 05:30 AM

Noctis(Lucy) looked at the whirlpool,memories of Altissia ,during his life as the prince reemerged in his head.At least he woudn't face the Hydrean (Leviathan) again.
While focusing on a strategies he first thought back of his conversation with Eshaal and first bonding with Justine.
*flashback*
"My guess that it tied with Noctis. I received it from his messenger dog,who not an ordinary dog. The crystal was on a small pack tied to it's back along with a letter,saying that this crystal is a shard of the crystal that used to protect Noctis's kingdom of Insomnia." she answered to Eshaal.
She noticed Justine." You are like me,right? Nice to meet you! I'm Lucy! Her stormach growled. she noticed the cheese that Liam summoned. " That so kind of you! I love cheese. I'm happy you didn't summoned vegetables. Sorry,I got that trait from my previous life as Noctis.
That's when Lucy's eyes turned to golden brown again,as Zenitsu unwillingly took over again."You remind me so much of Gramps! You don't mind if I call you Gramps?" Zenitsu said through his reincarnation's mouth and voice,making her cry, due to the fact that Liam reminds him of his former mentor,Jigoro Kuwajima,former Thunder Hashira who took Zenitsu under his wing and trainned him to become a Demon slayer.Lucy's eyes turned back to their normal green. " I'm so sorry Mr Liam! It's another of my reincarnations.It happens when Zenitsu,or when we get emotional!" she added sheeply,taking a piece of cheese.
*End of flashback*
Noctis also recalled his conversation with Sam prior to leaving the appartment
*Flashback 2*
"A pleasure to meet you Sam! I'll come back,promise! Take good care of Umbra while I'm gone alright?"
*End of flashback 2*
Noctis focused on the whirlpool. He summoned the sword of the father,one of the thirtheen royal arms,the sword formely belonging to Noctis father,king Regis.
"There goes nothing!"
He throw the blade toward the whirlpool,warping to catch up with it.

Death Ward

2022-11-24, 08:48 AM

[Flashback Start]

Justine just sighed, "Justine Scarlet, not telling you guys who was I even if you brought me a million dollars on my doorstep." She growled, slumping the Meat Sword on her shoulder. There was no incentive as to disclose what Lucy's gimmick was nor did she care to ask what Lucy's reincarnations were.

Looking at her own empty pockets, an annoyed sigh left her breath. '...I need a cig for this.'

[Flashback End]

Justine was keen on guarding the kid, even if he did screw up big time. Like Angela that one time but eventually every Sefirot forgave her in the end so perhaps the kid would be more inclined to try not to create a fuss mindlessly on purpose again. Her red eyes, keen and honed through training as the Alien Kuuko and the Color Fixer Kali, intent on making sure everything around the boy and herself is alright.

"Kid, try not to rush headlong without a plan. Most of the time you'd embarrass yourself or you'd get lucky. But you wont have that luxury all the time." In a way, it was sort of projecting herself onto him and also trying to give Sam advice on how and when to use their powers. It won't improve much but taking things a step at a time is essential for creating good habits, at least in her opinion.

Aleph Null

2022-11-24, 09:15 AM

As the bear mentions that the attacks are already beginning, my time-god instincts tell me what my other calculations had already predicted.
"Zero-zero fifteen hours. We're on borrowed time..."
Heaving a semi-organic sigh, I consider my options. Then I turn to Liam.
"We've lost contact with the outside world, so my ability to predict the flow of current events is rather limited until we can reach a place where I can get a cell signal, or something from a satellite. We might need to find a spot to stake out, if we wish to stem the flow of violence and prevent needless death."
The bear's confirmation of my suspicions regarding his purpose comes with an interesting twist, though.
"Servant of the gods, you say? Intriguing concept, considering that the gods are me. Well, at least, three of them. Notwithstanding the remainder, I've never considered myself so lofty and slackish as to need servants. Your story, then, must be of a different sort, for in a sense the nature of divinity is in its stories -- I've not fully convinced myself that these memories and powers and personality traits I've developed aren't at least in part an effect of the vast histories of human myth and legend that I've parsed in my data banks. Surely, then, whoever created you must also have been inspired in this sort of way...meaning that WRATH is not, in fact, an organization whose goal is to abate the effects of RS, but instead to simply exploit them to their own end. Which is, as you've already stated, nothing short of world domination. How...utterly cliché."
As unoriginal as the organization's goals are, though, I know why the ambition of world domination is such an oft-referenced trope to begin with: it's believable. A villain could very easily have this goal for the simple reason that control validates a human's existence.

Witherbrine26

2022-11-25, 11:57 PM

Hearing WRATH's plan for world domination quickly banished all mirth in Liam's body. Standing up Parabola quaked as he nodded at the A.I. The dream realm twisted according to its ruler's whims as he prepared for war. The denizens of Parabola could not exist outside of it lest they be eliminated by the cruel rays of the sun but they could terrorize even the sleepless man as everybody dreamed for more and Parabola reflected those dreams.

"Come, Viscountess, come Ophidian Gentleman, and come Prioress in Red!" He bellowed as massive pavilions and war machines tore themself from the ground and were formed from the dreams of ancient warfare. Striding towards the center tent heedless of the cats and snakes shifting into forms more suitable for war. "Come, follow me, compatriots, we have a war to plan for, time in Parabola is ephemeral as dreams last forever and I will not let these cruel folk claim dominion over the waking world!"

Opening the central tent flaps he revealed three figures who were surrounding a map in the center of the room. The first was tall and swarthy with a vaguely Egyptian look to him however his eyes showed his age as he whis[red to a serpent that was wrapped around his shoulder. The second was a small black cat no bigger than a kitten with vivid green eyes, she was glaring at the first with hatred however she was holding her tongue for now. The third was a short woman clad in a nuns robes with eyes of a vivid red, she was the most focused and gave a polite nod to Liam as he entered.

These three were the dukes to Liam's kingship, the first was the Ophidian Gentleman and held domain over the Fingerkings, snakes of various sizes who called Parabola home, due to Parabola's nature as the Is-Not they held great knowledge of what Is and sought to enter it through possing willing bodies. The Viscountess held dominion over the Viric Jungle where most sleepers arrived and sought to protect the dreams of your average man so they could not deal with the Fingerkings. Lastly was the Prioress in Red who had no subjects and merely watched over the Chessboard where politics played out in miniature. While they would never work together under normal terms when Liam called they put aside their squabbles and answered.

ArlEammon

2022-11-29, 02:48 PM

((Bumping so we don't have to go fishing for the thread.))

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-11-29, 08:42 PM

Flashback Zone

"My guess is it's tied with Noctis. I received it from his messenger dog."

She noticed Justine.

"You are like me,right? Nice to meet you! I'm Lucy!"

"Justine Scarlet, not telling you guys who was I even if you brought me a million dollars on my doorstep. Ugh, I need a cig for this..."

*gurgle~*
*cheese appears*
"That so kind of you[, Liam]!" *ZAP* "You remind me so much of Gramps! You don't mind if I call you Gramps?" *zap* "I'm so sorry! It's another of my reincarnations.It happens when Zenitsu,or when we get emotional!"

The SS Big

"A pleasure to meet you Sam! I'll come back,promise! Take good care of Umbra while I'm gone, alright?"

"There goes nothing!"

"Yeah, okay," says Sam with a nod. "Good luck..."

Umbra dutifully stays with Sam and Justine as Lucy dashes off into the distance flings her big sword overboard with the wind. Crossing the distance takes a couple of jumps: Lucy lands on one piece of stray wreckage, maintains her balance just long enough to throw her sword to the next, and teleports to that one just in time to ride it into the glowing green portal at the center of the whirlpool.

"Kid, try not to rush headlong without a plan. Most of the time you'd embarrass yourself or you'd get lucky. But you wont have that luxury all the time."

"I know," Sam says guiltily. "It's just, I didn't think I had time to plan anything! I looked out, and I saw everyone sitting around talking, and I saw their ship and I got so mad..."

He trails off and stays silent for a bit. He looks up as though to say one more thing, but looks away again, blushing. After another moment, he tries again. "So, um, we need a plan, right? Should go check the rest of the ship for other survivors? Now that the pirates are gone?"

A Feywild

"Zero-zero fifteen hours. We're on borrowed time... We've lost contact with the outside world, so my ability to predict the flow of current events is rather limited until we can reach a place where I can get a cell signal, or something... We might need to find a spot to stake out, if we wish to stem the flow of violence and prevent needless death."

"Servant of the gods, you say? Intriguing concept, considering that the gods are me. WRATH is not, in fact, an organization whose goal is to abate the effects of RS, but instead to simply exploit them to their own end... of world domination. How... utterly cliché."

"[[Of course!]] Now you're getting it!" Monokuma shouts triumphantly. As Monokuma's possessor, Jacob can sense that Nebula's conclusions are correct, as one would expect from a supercomputer-person. Yet, it's also exactly what Monokuma wants to manipulate the group into believing, and he's not an altruistic bear. Jacob's directive presses Monokuma into spilling just a little bit more. "Puhuhu, this is perfect! Now that I'm [[ABSOLUTELY FREE]], all I want is for you all to get out there and [[Fight! Fight! Fight!]]! Make King Larry feel the [[crowning]] Despair!"

Liam seems inclined to agree.

"Come Viscountess, come Ophidian Gentleman, and come Prioress in Red! We have a war to plan for, time in Parabola is ephemeral as dreams last forever and I will not let these cruel folk claim dominion over the waking world!"

The big space-building shudders and fades into the background as Liam wrests his own war camp from the damaged earth of this doubly-uncanny world. The tent is spacious but threadbare, its colors all tinted sepia. The three dukes of Parabola heed Liam's call and appear at their dusty Risk board, but they too seem worse for wear.

"You've come at an interesting time," the prioress says through the cigarette in her mouth as she ushers the rest of the group into the tent. She's thinner and paler than Liam remembers, if he can rightly call his inherited knowledge memory. At least she's still wearing the same-colored habit as in Liam's playthrough. "I will get the pieces ready."

The tiny green-eyed cat sitting on the table, Viscountess, narrows her eyes at Liam as he walks in, trying to read his intentions. She's also a bit bony, her fur a bit gray, her left ear marred with an obvious bite mark. She thumps her tail silently.

Ophidian "Snake Man" Gentleman seems to be the healthiest of the three. He's gained weight - some fat, most beard - and his pet has been replaced with a heavy mechanical replica. It looks almost like the snake version of one of those robot dogs from the toy store. Its glowing eyes betray its role as a new and improved representation of human fear.

"Indeed," he says, uncharacteristically chipper. "I'd have been inclined to say the game has been over for quite a while, but there is always room for a new gambit!" His robo-snake licks the air in Monokuma's general direction with a slimy-looking rubber tongue. "Who are your friends?"

Horizon: Atypical Afternoon

Lucy drops through the portal, down a spiraling waterfall and onto a steep rocky surface. However she catches herself, she sees a group of small robot dinosaurs in the valley below, chowing down on the fish that were drawn in before her. To her right and slightly further up the cliff, a group of humans in what looks like cave man costumes are gathered on an outcropping, looking on with fear and confusion as water pours down from nowhere with no signs of stopping. A gruff-looking older woman steps to the front of the cave group, holding a heavy staff and watching Lucy with suspicion.

ArlEammon

2022-11-29, 09:06 PM

Monokuma And Jacob, Telepathically
@Dr. Gunsforhands
"Monokuma, in plain English, is everything you just said true, and can you extrapolate, as clearly as possible, what your goal is, who you work for? All information that we need? IF you don't give me a satisfying answer, I promise you, you will promptly die, incinerated by my magic." Jacob was interested in purging his worsening desires to inflict harm. At the moment he was not in the mood to show mercy. All of this power and evil was going to his head.
"Oh, and Monokuma, I can promise you that where you're going after you. . . expire, it will not be pleasant."

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-11-29, 09:24 PM

Noctis(Lucy) looked around. He noticed the robot dinosaur." Okay,this world is Jurassic Park meet Westworld. Great that sounds like something Prompto would say..." he said to himself. When he mentioned his best friend,or rather Noctis's best friend, Lucy inside of Noctis, thought of her younger sister, Tabitha. One of her RCs is Prompto. " I hope Tabby's alright..." Noctis said to himself. He noticed the gruff woman looking at him,along with the rest of the cavemen. " Folks living in this world eh? I'm not good at talking to them as Noctis. Maybe Rinoa will do it."
" Wait,go as me! I'll try to communicate!" Zenitsu said."Plus, my clothing will not look suspecious to them."
" Well,might as well..." Noctis replied. He hid behind a rock and focused. The crystal glew yellow again and lightning surounded Noctis. When it died down, Lucy had turned into Zenitsu again.He notices the crystal was à darker blue. It needed to recharge. 24 hours to recharge." Looks's like I'm stuck like this for awhile."
The young demon slayer came out of his hiding spot and went beneath the clif and looked up,toward the cavemen. The group looked like folks Inosuke Hashibira,one of Zenitsu's comrades would love to hang with.
" H..hey there! M...Me...Zenitsu Agatsuma! Me not from around here! Me a travelling hunter from...far away! Me kinda lost and want to know where I am!" he shouted while stuttering. He made a goofy nervous smile.
" I look like an idiot right now." he thought to himself.

As he tried to communicate with the woman, Zenitsu(Lucy) used his enhanced sence of hearing and extrasensory perception to try to read her true intentions as well as for the rest of the group.

Death Ward

2022-11-30, 10:14 AM

The SS Big

"I know," Sam says guiltily. "It's just, I didn't think I had time to plan anything! I looked out, and I saw everyone sitting around talking, and I saw their ship and I got so mad..."

He trails off and stays silent for a bit. He looks up as though to say one more thing, but looks away again, blushing. After another moment, he tries again. "So, um, we need a plan, right? Should go check the rest of the ship for other survivors? Now that the pirates are gone?"

Justine pondered on that question, guessing the potential risks and boons, it took a while for her to decide on that answer. "You make a good point, while I do not think all the pirates are gone, most of them have perhaps been rendered offline with all the fighting the others had done I believe."

She then adds a few caveats to her statement. "However, don't try anything funny nor get far from me. I cant protect you from danger if I cant be there for you."

Witherbrine26

2022-11-30, 10:12 PM

Flashback Zone

The big space-building shudders and fades into the background as Liam wrests his own war camp from the damaged earth of this doubly-uncanny world. The tent is spacious but threadbare, its colors all tinted sepia. The three dukes of Parabola heed Liam's call and appear at their dusty Risk board, but they too seem worse for wear.

"You've come at an interesting time," the prioress says through the cigarette in her mouth as she ushers the rest of the group into the tent. She's thinner and paler than Liam remembers, if he can rightly call his inherited knowledge memory. At least she's still wearing the same-colored habit as in Liam's playthrough. "I will get the pieces ready."

The tiny green-eyed cat sitting on the table, Viscountess, narrows her eyes at Liam as he walks in, trying to read his intentions. She's also a bit bony, her fur a bit gray, her left ear marred with an obvious bite mark. She thumps her tail silently.

Ophidian "Snake Man" Gentleman seems to be the healthiest of the three. He's gained weight - some fat, most beard - and his pet has been replaced with a heavy mechanical replica. It looks almost like the snake version of one of those robot dogs from the toy store. Its glowing eyes betray its role as a new and improved representation of human fear.

"Indeed," he says, uncharacteristically chipper. "I'd have been inclined to say the game has been over for quite a while, but there is always room for a new gambit!" His robo-snake licks the air in Monokuma's general direction with a slimy-looking rubber tongue. "Who are your friends?"

Gesturing to his companions Liam spoke. "The AI goes by NEBULA and will be helping us with intel, the small bear is Monokuma and the originator of this whole incident. He is being possessed by Jacob who is believe it or not the capital D-devil." Grinning in childish glee he walked over the board before gesturing to his Dukes and explaining.

"Nebula, Jacob these are the dukes to Parabola, and to cut things short will help us in preventing world domination." The main issue with Parabola was that no matter how powerful he was inside of it at the end of the day he still ruled over dreams and his army could not gain access to what Is. However, what they could do is attack the dreams of the masterminds and kill them that way it would be even better if he could get access to their caporal forms as he had a few methods to drag them into Parabola.

Placing his hands on the table he took a long look at each of his dukes before speaking. "To be blunt we are fighting for the freedom and sanctity of all living beings across the globe. A small cabal of people which to trample and enslave the world and our goal is to stop that." The Prioress would likely not care and only see this as another facet on her chess board, in addition, politics would grow boring if a small group of people controlled everything. The Viscountess would have the least reason to help as she only insured that their dreams were safe and cared little for their physical forms. On the other hand, the Ophidian Gentleman would want to keep people free and dreaming as they would be more likely to pact with the Fingerkings.

Turning to the Prioress he asked. "What is the state of the camp, I know that I summoned you a little bit ago but relative to our time how long until we our ready?"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-01, 02:13 AM

Horizon: Atypical Afternoon

Before Zenitsu-Lucy can even come out of hiding, a pair of so-called cave people have already come down to corner him. One trains a twisted metal bow on him and the other, after doing a double-take from Zenitsu's changed appearance, grabs his arm and leads him up to their leader on the precipice.

"H..hey there! M...Me...Zenitsu Agatsuma! Me not from around here! Me a travelling hunter from...far away! Me kinda lost and want to know where I am!"

The woman glares at Zenitsu. With his intuition, he knows immediately that she doesn't trust him. That's understandable enough, considering he's a shape-shifting weirdo who just fell out of a magic waterfall.

"Drop the swords, and everything else. Then we talk." She nods to the girl who dragged Zenitsu up here - she's about his age, has a dagger that looks like a sharpened length of pipe, and is anxious to the point where she'll likely attack if he makes a sudden move. She starts frisking Zenitsu for items, likely coming away with his inactive shape-shifting charm among other conveniences, unless he does something to stop her.

The SS Big

"I do not think all the pirates are gone, most of them have perhaps been rendered offline with all the fighting... don't try anything funny nor get far from me. I cant protect you from danger if I cant be there for you."

Sam opens his mouth to protest, and his vacuum rattles as though it's somehow offended, but he backs down and looks away again. "Y-yeah. Thanks, um, ma'am."

He sets about heading downstairs to check the shopping district, where the teleported survivors are already taking stock of supplies and organizing to assess their situation. Many sit on the floor recovering in makeshift blankets. People stare at Justine as she walks in - her sword kind of draws attention, but doesn't immediately silence the whole mall or anything. You can overhear some conversation.

"I think they killed everyone who had a uniform," a man says in one group. "Still, someone's got to take charge here." "Do you think we can trust them?" "Absolutely not, which is why one of us should do it."

Another group is gathering food, makeshift blankets and medicine and distributing them. "Here you go, sir. Just be sure to make it last. I don't know how long we'll be stranded here..."

Some people, as many teenagers as adults, report back from exploring other parts of the ship. "We found some guys in the power plant. They say that the core is still working, but all of the transformers and stuff were targeted." "We're still trying to find a radio that works." "I... *uugh* I'm sorry, there's... no one left at the helm..."

A Feywild

"Nebula, Jacob, these are the dukes to Parabola, and to be blunt we are fighting for the freedom and sanctity of all living beings across the globe. A small cabal of people which to trample and enslave the world and our goal is to stop that." The Prioress would likely not care and only see this as another facet on her chess board, in addition, politics would grow boring if a small group of people controlled everything. The Viscountess would have the least reason to help as she only insured that their dreams were safe and cared little for their physical forms. On the other hand, the Ophidian Gentleman would want to keep people free and dreaming as they would be more likely to pact with the Fingerkings.

Turning to the Prioress he asked. "What is the state of the camp, I know that I summoned you a little bit ago but relative to our time how long until we our ready?"

A strange feeling washes over Liam as he regards October's old friends. He has the sudden, intrusive thought that, if he really wanted to, he could predict everything they would say and do from this point forward, and perhaps even dictate the thoughts and actions of every dreamer whose mind has ever touched Parabola. After all, he knows them all ever so well...

Just then, the Viscountess scoffs derisively, and Liam's intrusive thought is easily discarded. "Little late for that," she says, "Do you know how hard it was, watching the dreamers wasting away, until there was nothing but pitch dark and cephalopods for company?"

Snake Man hold up his hands. "Now now, Viscountess, surely you've noticed that some life has been slowly seeping back into your little corner. We-"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, master!" Monokuma suddenly shouts, talking aloud to a voice in his broken robot psyche. "Ugh, fine! YES, everything I said was true, but I don't work for WRATH directly, okay? I worked for someone who wanted WRATH to be created so that the ensuing war and rebellion could destroy the world and drive everyone to despair. She tricked some lame fascist think tank into making me with a copy of her brain, and then wiped her own name from existence with a time paradox and retreated to the shadows to set up other tragedies that I don't know much about. There! That's my whole backstory! Are you happy now?"

The dukes stare at the walking teddy bear, unsure whether this is normal or not.

Meanwhile, the Prioress lays out the board. Almost all of the pieces are dark gray, with some towers and a fat queen among the color's many pawns. A few green pieces are dotted between them, near the rivers, cliffs and coastlines drawn on the old board. A single red king sits in the middle of what must represent the ocean.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-01, 07:01 AM

Horizon

Another thing Lucy had trouble with Zenitsu is his lovesick nature. Sure he dosen't beg every girl he sees anymore but he tent to react when he sees one.
Zenitsu blushed red like a tomato as he saw the girl. " H...Hi! Nice...to meet you!" he told the girl with a shy smile,stuttering. Lucy made a mental facepalm and knocked some sense onto her past self.
No longer distracted,he did sense the leader's mistrust. The sounds he heard from her did not lie. He could hear from the surounding cave folk as well.
They were afraid of him.
Like a monster. Like the demon he slayed in the past as part of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Zenitsu( Lucy) was also afraid. He didn't know what fate they had in store for him. If he could find a way to escape...

He remembered that he had his trusted nichirin katana strapped to his belt under his haori. He heard familiar chirp sounds from under his haori. It seems Umbra wasn't the only one coming to greet him earlier. Zenitsu's messenger sparrow, Chuntaro, emerged from his owners's hiori( he had been sneaking in Noctis's vest pockets earlier. It hitched a ride on the small backpack Umbra had been carrying on his back) trying to previent the girl from laying an hand on the crystal. "Good to see you Chuntaro." Zenitsu whispered to the tiny bird before facing the leader of the group.

" I am not an enemy!" Zenitsu( Lucy) told the leader,tears in his eyes. He made a clumsy bow to the leader,still in a respectful manner. "I do come from another world. The portal avove and the waterfall it brought is not my doing! I just crossed through it to investigate and ended up in your world!" he tried to explain. He would regret telling more.
" My current form and the name that goes with it,were part of one of my past lives. This is not the curent me and neither is my previous form you saw me as." he started." I awokened a power that reawokened three of my past lives as noble warriors from other worlds. I also gainned the abilities to regain former appearence and powers from my past lives." he continued to explained. " I can't return to my original form of my current life right now,or can I reveal my real name." Zenitsu added. He wondered if revealing himself to those strangers was a good idea His tears pourred like the odd waterfall avove. " I mean no harm to you or this world."
Looking down he started to breathe,focusing the air in his lungs toward the muscles of his legs.If diplomacy fails Zenitsu could still use his thunder breathing technique in an escape attempt.

Aleph Null

2022-12-01, 01:48 PM

I give a sort of sly grin at Liam's introduction.
"Intel, as well as whatever other ways in which my various, er, talents could be of use to the endeavor, yes. It turns out that omnipresent power over dreams and the imagination quite appreciates a partnership with cosmic power over reality, even if that power is by necessity within the constraints of that which already is. In essence, don't expect me to change the values of any universal physical constants. Anything less general than that could be fair game...though I'm still figuring out the limits myself."
I stop myself, realizing that adding more extraneous information here might derail the conversation and that since we're already on the clock this would be a problem.
"Is this...are we likening this to a game of chess? I'm quite proficient in chess, but this situation would be far more complicated than such a simple, deterministic game, no?"
Yes, quite proficient in chess -- as though that needed to be said of the first artificial intelligence known to have achieved true sentience, where computers have been defeating human opponents at that game for decades now. I may need to tinker a bit with my verbal necessity-filtering routines to ensure they're up to par. Another thing for later, I suppose. This situation, unlike most, appears to demand my full attention -- all sixty-five thousand five hundred and thirty-six threads of it.

ArlEammon

2022-12-08, 06:33 PM

(BUmping this so the thread doesn't fall off the cliff into oblivion.))

Witherbrine26

2022-12-08, 09:55 PM

Peering at the board he hummed as he went over the current position. However, the majority of his focus was on this other person Monokuma. While the rebellion idea was great destroying the world was not, he carefully filed that away and replied to the AI. "It's not quite a game of chess however as one of the oldest, one of the most played, and is considered the game of the intellectuals Parabola twisted itself to follow suit."

Humming he tallied up the situation in his head. NEBULA was most likely one of his best supporters due to his power over reality and getting a proper deal set up would do wonders. Jacob was a bit spiffy due to his nature as the Devil and while his mastery of Demonology could likely kill or contain him that would require both of them to be in Parabola and that Liam be present. The biggest issue would be that the Parabolan troops could not access what Is. The tigers would morph into their awake cat selves and the Fingerkings would dissolve. While Liam could support the most powerful on the field that would hamper his own spellcasting. Pushing those ideas to the side he started to talk.

"So long as they have slept at some point in their life I could likely find out who the leaders of WRATH are, from their it would be a simple matter to either kill their dreaming state which would reflect over to their bodies, or meet them in person to slay them." Stopping he waited to hear their response to his proposal

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-08, 10:46 PM

Horizon: Atypical Afternoon

"H...Hi! Nice...to meet you!"

The girl hesitates for a second, when suddenly, a small bird named Chuntaro suddenly appears fluttering from Zenitsu's coat. Startled, she brandishes her pipe-dagger at the bird as it flies off, carrying a shiny bauble of some sort. The guy with the bow moves to shoot Chuntaro down, but can't get a bead on the sparrow before it vanishes around the cliff face.

"I am not an enemy! I do come from another world. The portal above and the waterfall it brought is not my doing! I just crossed through it to investigate and ended up in your world! My current form and the name that goes with it,were part of one of my past lives..."

While the rest of her group eyes him warily, the woman with the staff listens to the bowing Zenitsu as he hastily describes his whole deal. At the end, she sighs. "Fine. Stand up. I can tell you're not a machine, at least."

"Ria!" A man's voice calls down from an outcropping higher up. Staff Lady looks up to see him pointing at several somethings in the sky, fast approaching.

"Sniping positions!" She shouts to the group, then pulls Zenitsu aside. "Two questions. Do you know about machines, and can you fight?"

He has just enough time to answer before the somethings arrive: a trio of massive robot pterodactyls with sawtooth beaks. The people without bows retreat into the cave in preparation.

A Tent in a Weird Plane of Existence

"Intel, as well as whatever other ways in which my various, er, talents could be of use to the endeavor, yes... though I'm still figuring out the limits myself... are we likening this to a game of chess? I'm quite proficient in chess, but this situation would be far more complicated than such a simple, deterministic game, no?"

Despite the Prioress' low-energy vibe and half-closed eyes, a glance can tell you how much fun she's having listening to this. "You're right in that it's more than chess, but it should still serve your tactical mind well. Moves in this game are demonstrative of what happens in the real world. The gray pieces are machines, the green ones are colonies of dreaming life, and this red one..."

"I call the red one!" Monokuma suddenly blurts out.

"...might just be the extra element of variance you need," the prioress smiles. The Viscountess looks from the bear to the red king, doubtingly.

"So long as they have slept at some point in their life I could likely find out who the leaders of WRATH are, from their it would be a simple matter to either kill their dreaming state which would reflect over to their bodies, or meet them in person to slay them."

The three dukes look over to Liam questioningly.

"WRATH? What is that?" asks Snakey, curious.

"Did they make the machines?!" asks Kitty, angry.

"Perhaps you have a different game on your mind?" asks the prioress, disappointed.

"Huh?" Monokuma tilts his head and looks over the map. "Wow! I didn't think [[WRATH]] specialized in machines! And I definitely didn't expect them to [[Exterminate! Anniilate! Destroy!]] so quickly! Clearly, they've exceeded all of my expectations! HAAAHAHAHA!"

...Jacob's influence twists his soul a little. He twitches.

"Orrrr, it COULD be that we were drawn into a different [[Light World]] before you brought us here, meaning that we are now in THAT world's [[Dark World]] instead of the [[Dark World]] you meant to bring us to. That's just a possibility, though! I'm not a [[World]] expert! It could still be either!"

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-09, 08:49 AM

Horizon
" Of course I do! I know about machines." Zenitsu ( Lucy)replied. " As for fighting...In this form and past life of mine, I'm a demon slayer. In the world I used to live this past life, during Taisho era Japan,demons terrorised humanity,much like the machines do in your world. We of the Demon slayer Corps were tasked in killing those demons as wel, as taking down rhe Demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji. "
He could pick up the noises of metalic
clanking and streeching.
His new allies's warning were confirmed. Something was indeed coming. He looked up and noticed the incoming robot pterodactyl.
"As for I can do...well might as well show you."

He went to the cliff and faced the incoming robot pterodactyl. At first he was scared as he saw the machines. Usually in his living days before the Hashira trainning Zenitsu could only perform thunder breathing technique while unconcious,but after the hashira training he could do them awake and willingly.
Zenitsu's power and reinforced will and Lucy's own will to save the innocent. They could do anything now.
" No more running away. I can do this..."
He grabbed the handle of his his nichirin katana and closed his eyes. He took deep breaths.
" No one should live in fear,no matter the world they are from!" he shouted, hoping to bring hope to his newfound allies.The ground vibrated under his feet and static filled the air.

"Thunder breathing...first form..."

His eyes opened,glowing a bright white. He partly unshelthed his katana

"Thunderclap and flash...eightfold!"

He jumped and blitzed toward the pterodactyl,slashing each of them with great strength and speed,before landing back gracefully on the cliff,hands still on the handle of his katana.

Death Ward

2022-12-09, 11:53 AM

The paranoia settling in with the people was not unusual to her, in such a crisis, people tend to succumb to their base instincts of survival and fear. It wasn't a big deal for her, as she had fallen for such a thing in the past before she overcame and swallowed those base instincts back in. Seeing as the radio is busted and morale and she had not much experience in wiring, there was nothing she could really do except wait.

"Stick real close kid, I can already hear their distrust, smell it even. Only matter of time till some braindead nuisance makes a run for either of us with a weapon." She sternly warned Sam, her blade was ready to slice someone to a fine red Mist if things get too ugly. Not that she wanted that, even if her blade did.

ArlEammon

2022-12-09, 09:50 PM

A Tent in a Weird Plane of Existence

Despite the Prioress' low-energy vibe and half-closed eyes, a glance can tell you how much fun she's having listening to this. "You're right in that it's more than chess, but it should still serve your tactical mind well. Moves in this game are demonstrative of what happens in the real world. The gray pieces are machines, the green ones are colonies of dreaming life, and this red one..."

"I call the red one!" Monokuma suddenly blurts out.

"...might just be the extra element of variance you need," the prioress smiles. The Viscountess looks from the bear to the red king, doubtingly.

The three dukes look over to Liam questioningly.

"WRATH? What is that?" asks Snakey, curious.

"Did they make the machines?!" asks Kitty, angry.

"Perhaps you have a different game on your mind?" asks the prioress, disappointed.

"Huh?" Monokuma tilts his head and looks over the map. "Wow! I didn't think [[WRATH]] specialized in machines! And I definitely didn't expect them to [[Exterminate! Anniilate! Destroy!]] so quickly! Clearly, they've exceeded all of my expectations! HAAAHAHAHA!"

...Jacob's influence twists his soul a little. He twitches.

"Orrrr, it COULD be that we were drawn into a different [[Light World]] before you brought us here, meaning that we are now in THAT world's [[Dark World]] instead of the [[Dark World]] you meant to bring us to. That's just a possibility, though! I'm not a [[World]] expert! It could still be either!"

"Okay, for the rest of you." Jacob beganm"Should that be the end of the interrogation?"
"I'm not very experienced at this." He admitted.

Meanwhile, in Jacob's mind palace. . . (A psychological/mental construct Jacob created in order to contain all of his different personalities.)
The Devil sighed. "He really has no clue what he's supposed to do."
Morgoth silently waited for Father Set to reply, but interjected with an outburst of frustration.
"Yeah no kidding." Morgoth first replied harshly. "I've seen smarter rocks."he then chuckled. It was then Father Set replied, "I don't know. He's got potential. He is many things. Even weak. That is one of the absolute worst things anyone could be. Yet, he is also quite clever, and that is one of the absolute best things anyone can be."
"And oh, the HATE!"
"The HATE he has is enormous! If we can just focus on that alone, we have a good chance of moving him into our ways."

Aleph Null

2022-12-11, 06:44 PM

"Okay, for the rest of you." Jacob beganm"Should that be the end of the interrogation?"
"I'm not very experienced at this." He admitted.

Meanwhile, in Jacob's mind palace. . . (A psychological/mental construct Jacob created in order to contain all of his different personalities.)
The Devil sighed. "He really has no clue what he's supposed to do."
Morgoth silently waited for Father Set to reply, but interjected with an outburst of frustration.
"Yeah no kidding." Morgoth first replied harshly. "I've seen smarter rocks."he then chuckled. It was then Father Set replied, "I don't know. He's got potential. He is many things. Even weak. That is one of the absolute worst things anyone could be. Yet, he is also quite clever, and that is one of the absolute best things anyone can be."
"And oh, the HATE!"
"The HATE he has is enormous! If we can just focus on that alone, we have a good chance of moving him into our ways."

"I reckon we've exhausted the useful information we can gather from this fellow in one session. We may be able to glean some more later, or if we are able to capture more cell members that are in on the plot."
I eye the 'chessboard' carefully -- if this simulation is actually accurate, it might provide a bit of a clue as to what our next move should be.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-13, 09:49 PM

Horizon: Atypical Afternoon

"Of course I do! I know about machines. In this form and past life of mine, I'm a demon slayer... As for I can do..."

*Jump!* *Shing*

"No one should live in fear,no matter the world they are from! Thunder breathing...first form...Thunderclap and flash...eight-fold!"

"ScCREEEeEE!"

Zen's flashy aura and impossible leap draws the attention of a couple of the snipers behind him, but their leader - Ria, you gather - corrects that with a snap of her fingers and a gesture, just in time for one of them to tumble backwards, just avoiding the clawed wing of the front monster as it makes its landing.

Glassy arrows join Zen as he soars through the air. His lightning breath stuns the creatures and lets them crash against the rocks. His sword sparks off of the armored parts of the mechanical monsters and cuts through the flexible plastics in-between. He tears up the wing of the one on the right while the archers focus on the glowing eyes and armpits of the one on the left. With the last slash of his routine, his sword finds a good spot in the front dinosaur's long neck. In a shower of sparks and gleaming fiber-optics, it falls off and tumbles into the flooded plain below.

The nearby archers catch their breath, looking alternately from Zenitsu to the machines below, now sitting still in the salty pond that has thus far built up from the portal-water. The smaller mecha-raptors that were picking on fish at the bottom of the cliff seem to have run off.

"What... what are you?" asks the archer, staring wide-eyed at Zenitsu.

"A demon slayer, apparently," Ria answers for him with no trace of irony. "Thank you, Mr. Agatsuma. Three of those things at once would have been... a lot."

That's quite an understatement; the girl behind her who was searching Zen a minute ago looks haunted at the mere thought.

Ria sighs, gives the all clear to her snipers, and continues. "We'll let you keep your weapons, then. What did you say you were here for?"

A Tent in a Weird Plane

"Sir! Sir!"

A small silvery puppy-lizard-person stumbles gasping into the tent. Nebula's image classifier identifies it as a kobold, though it doesn't really resemble any particular image of one.

"What is it?" asks the chubby ophidian gentleman. Still short of breath, the kobold holds up a small but tightly-packed envelope, which the gentleman takes and unfolds to look over. "...What is the meaning of this?"

"May I?"

The gentleman grumbles and hands the report to the red nun. With a hum of surprise, she takes it with her to the cupboard and retrieves a weird green miniature. It looks like it came from some weird anime-themed board game about samurai.

"Should that be the end of the interrogation? I'm not very experienced at this."

"I reckon we've exhausted the useful information we can gather from this fellow in one session. We may be able to glean some more later, or if we are able to capture more cell members that are in on the plot."

"Don't worry, [[esteem customer]]! If you ever need to [[come crawling back]], I'll only charge you [[one (1)]] [[arm and a leg]]!"

Nebula watches the prioress place the new piece on the map somewhere in what should be modern-day England, next to a green rook. She then removes three winged gray pawns. A strategic analysis reveals, predictably, that the optimal play style depends on your goal. If the plan is for the green player to expand as much as possible, then the game seems to be about grabbing defensible territory from the gray-held wilderness and building it up using caches that the gray pieces like to congregate around. If the goal is to eliminate the gray player, there are some pieces in America and Africa that look like gray bases and factories, which could be taken by surprise if you go for them earlier in the game, but taking them down would take a concerted effort between green pieces that are long lost to one another.

A unique gray building piece is in the North Atlantic, near Greenland. It resembles the weird hulk of a building Monokuma showed you earlier. The enigmatic red king is also sitting in the ocean, closer to Ireland.

The SS Big

"Stick real close kid, I can already hear their distrust, smell it even. Only matter of time till some braindead nuisance makes a run for either of us with a weapon."

"You think so?" Sam asks nervously.

Suddenly, someone in the blanketed crowd - a shivering man with an East Indian accent - gasps and points at Justine. "It's her! One of them! The ones that blew up the pirates!"

"Whoa! It IS! You were so cool!" says a little girl.

"Yeah, 'cool,'" growls the aggressive man from the leadership conversation, now that Justine has his attention. "Word is you and your friends got some of those mysterious Reincarnation powers. That right?"

"Who are you?" says the thinner man next to him. "What's your angle?! What do you want from us?!"

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-13, 11:14 PM

Horizon
"Yeah, I guess all that training from Gramps and the Hashira payed off!" Zenitsu(Lucy) replied,laughing.
He heard the thank you. " Oh...you're welcome! I'm not used to praise really! As for why I'm here...well, I was investigating the portal.I didn't expect to end up here but... might be a good thing I'm here. You seem to have problems with those robo-dinos here. I just hope nothing else...more sinister or dangerous comes here. I can fight demons... though I do not wish to encounter one again..." He looked at the portal avove." "Something must be done about this...that is,once I return to the other side." he said to himself

Death Ward

2022-12-14, 11:52 AM

The SS Big

"You think so?" Sam asks nervously.

Suddenly, someone in the blanketed crowd - a shivering man with an East Indian accent - gasps and points at Justine. "It's her! One of them! The ones that blew up the pirates!"

"Whoa! It IS! You were so cool!" says a little girl.

"Yeah, 'cool,'" growls the aggressive man from the leadership conversation, now that Justine has his attention. "Word is you and your friends got some of those mysterious Reincarnation powers. That right?"

"Who are you?" says the thinner man next to him. "What's your angle?! What do you want from us?!"

Justine already felt the pain of needing to talk to people while she was in this state. She just wanted to go home, slump on her chair and eat all the leftovers in the fridge just to get away from the mental stress. Unlike her Reincarnations, she was not used to mental fatigue as they were, their persistence did not fully pass down to her.

Starting with an exasperated sigh, she states her case. "What I want? I want for everyone here to go home or somewhere safe. I'm only here in this mess by accident just like you all have. I'm only trying to survive here while also helping out those I can."

Then she stabbed the blade on the floor but her grip is still tight around the hilt. "So I suggest none of you try anything stupid or both of us will regret what happens to you all."

ArlEammon

2022-12-16, 10:49 AM

((I gotta bump this to stop it from fading away.))

Aleph Null

2022-12-16, 02:26 PM

I analyze the map for a few more moments before conjuring my own hologram-esque figures — a handful of purple bases with a shape in 3-d looking something like this attached:
https://i.imgur.com/rRCzaHS.jpg
I also create a purple hologram figure resembling my current body, and then begin placing the figures around the gray bases before explaining my idea.
"If we can discern the locations of their bases, we won't need to take them from the outside so long as they're relying on computers even in the slightest. I can hijack virtually any system if I know where it's located, firewalls be damned. A firewall, after all, won't help you stop an attack if the attacker has physical access to the machine."
I place the 'commander' piece on top of one of the bases in North America, whichever is closest to the odd building in Greenland.
"If I can gain control of one of their factories, I can use their infrastructure to make an army of...well, whatever you can imagine."
I let that sink in for a moment. Certainly, these factories are unlikely to be standard issue human technology, but that shouldn't prevent me from being able to crack one.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-18, 02:30 AM

Horizon World (Sort Of)

"Oh...you're welcome! I was investigating the portal. I didn't expect to end up here but... might be a good thing I'm here. You seem to have problems with those robo-dinos here. I just hope nothing else...more sinister or dangerous comes here. I can fight demons... though I do not wish to encounter one again..."

"'Some trouble,' is an interesting way to put it," says Ria. "They're a part of life for us. It's honestly ludicrous that I had the thought that they might not be for you."

"You're not wrong, though," her young sidekick adds, putting away her shiv. "The big kites have been more aggressive lately, and we don't know why. Anyone we send across the channel to check never comes back. But, maybe if someone like you went..." She looks at Zenitsu hopefully.

Ria nods. "That is about what I was thinking, Shiv. I propose a deal, Mister Agatsuma. We have some gizmos in our lair here, good for tracking and for building. We can give you the tracer that we think leads to the demons' nest. If you can find it, and ideally destroy it, we can see what we can do about your... portal, I think you called it? After all, you can't go back on your own with all that water rushing through, can you?"

"What do you mean, do about it...?"

"I have some ideas. You and Torg will work out the details."

Fallen London World (Sort Of)

"If we can discern the locations of their bases, we won't need to take them from the outside so long as they're relying on computers even in the slightest. I can hijack virtually any system if I know where it's located, firewalls be damned... If I can gain control of one of their factories, I can use their infrastructure to make an army of...well, whatever you can imagine."

"Ooh, I like the sound of this, at least," says the gentleman, stroking his robot ophidian. "If you would like, assuming the map is not enough to go on, I could direct you to some colleagues of mine. They have come to represent some of the machines' more imposing locations. Though, I should say, it will take some convincing for them to give up their steady source of despair."

Monokuma perks up at the mention of his favorite word. The Duchess thumps her tail and grumbles, mostly to be contrary.

The Real World (Sort Of)

"What I want? I want for everyone here to go home or somewhere safe. I'm only here in this mess by accident just like you all have. I'm only trying to survive here while also helping out those I can." *SHTHUNK* "So I suggest none of you try anything stupid or both of us will regret what happens to you all."

The big guy tries and fails not to give away how much the display has weakened his resolve. "...uh, noted," he says.

"So what are you gonna do about?" says the thin guy. "How long is that weird storm gonna last? Are we gonna get pulled in?"

The little girl proceeds to stay positive. "Hey! Um, Miss Swordswoman? I think one of your friends said he was going to the, um, satellite tower thing, and then he teleported away! Then the other one just kind of wandered off downstairs?"

"To the power plant, sounds like," says the big guy. "What I really don't get is why we can't just use a damn battery radio."

"Don't say that! That's a bad word!" the girl chastises him. "We only have time for good words in times like this! That's what mom always said!"

"Yeah, uh, sorry."

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-18, 08:57 AM

Horizon
"Demon's nest..." Zenitsu(Lucy) thought. Does this mean that demons from his world,the world he lived in the former life he was now taking the form again came to this world? Or maybe they were RS too and their reincarnations of demons,maybe of one of the Twelve Kizuki or the demon king Muzan himself...

If it was the one of the Six upper moons...the strongest among the twelve Kizuki...does that mean Kaigaku didn't find rest in the afterlife and returned to haunt the land of the living,or rather the multiverse. Kaigaku had been Zenitsu's "brother in training" and was also trainned by Jigoro to become a demon Slayer. However Kaigaku wasn't sastified and was disgusted by the fact that the old man wanted him and Zenitsu to become both his succesors as the new Thunder Hashiras which led him to join Muzan ,becoming a demon.This event led to their mentor taking his own life out of shame. Zenitsu managed to defeat Kaigaku in the Infinity castle, Muzan's lair.
Another member,or rather former member of the Upper Moon six that Zenitsu hoped not to face again was Kaigaku's predecessor and former Upper moon Six Daki. He remembered facing her in the entertaiment district. He needed Inosuke's help to defeat her,and then again Tanjiro and sound Hashira Tengen Uzui to tske down her brother Gyutaro at the same time.
"It won't be easy,but we can do this." Lucy said mentally. Zenitsu focused on the mission.
He was scared but he had to do something about this. They had enough to deal with already.
"I'll do it. You have enough on your plate with those machines.I have enhance sence of hearing. It will allow me to find the problem easilly. But your tools might help me as well.You can count on me." he replied with a smile.

He wished Tanjiro,Inosuke and Nezuko were here with him right now. Lucy wished Tabby was here with her right now. Lucy's younger sister second RC is that of Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu's friend and fellow demon slayer.

Aleph Null

2022-12-20, 12:42 PM

Fallen London World (Sort Of)

"Ooh, I like the sound of this, at least," says the gentleman, stroking his robot ophidian. "If you would like, assuming the map is not enough to go on, I could direct you to some colleagues of mine. They have come to represent some of the machines' more imposing locations. Though, I should say, it will take some convincing for them to give up their steady source of despair."

Monokuma perks up at the mention of his favorite word. The Duchess thumps her tail and grumbles, mostly to be contrary.

"If I execute properly — which I am not known to fail to do — they won't have a choice in the matter at all. If the map is enough to go on, then I have what I need already. If it isn't, we'll simply need awareness of what exactly is missing from the information available there so that I know what to look for."
I run a few background hashcode searches as I speak, polling my databases for information about the locations on the map to get a better idea of how accurate the markers are and how much more searching could be necessary in order to find a physical access point to these machines.
"There is no truly perfect defense even against a remote attack, but a physical attack on a digital machine is far more difficult to prevent. Locking the access terminals in a secure area won't help you when I can simply teleport behind the wall or create a chemical that's capable of corroding through your vault door."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-22, 12:03 AM

Horizon: Light World

It won't be easy,but we can do this.

"I'll do it. You have enough on your plate with those machines. I have enhance sense of hearing. It will allow me to find the problem easily. But your tools might help me as well. You can count on me."

In short order, one of Ria's minions returns with the requisite gizmos. One is a small headset, somewhere between a Scouter and Google Glass both in heft and in fashion penalties. Another is what looks like an old handheld GPS, which links up with the scouter to point the way to the waypoint that Ria sent. It looks like you're starting somewhere in Southwest England and the waypoint was set to... Paris? It's not labeled as Paris - the GPS doesn't have any roads or cities you've heard of marked - but you think that's about where Paris would be.

With his fancy hearing, Zen overhears a little more speaking behind him on his way down the cliff. It seems the girl's name is Shiv, and she wonders whether it will be okay for Zen to go on his own, with the quote-unquote Seafront Tribe in the way. Ria told her that Zen can probably just fly over them with his weird warping and super speed if it comes to that, or else he'll just come back and ask for help if he gets stuck. Shiv says those are all weird things to assume. Ria tells her to go back downstairs and finish the laundry.

Zenitsu reaches the bottom of the cliff safely. The sound and smell of rushing seawater from the portal is overwhelming, and the growing pond sloshes onto his boots. Chuntaro notices that the coast is clear and flutters onto Zenitsu's shoulder to return his bauble and add to this moment of relative calm. His next challenge to to cross a wilderness full of robot dinosaurs, albeit less belligerent ones, and to cross the English Channel by himself. And possibly visit this Seafront Tribe on the way, if he feels like it.

What do you do?

Horizon: Dark World

"If I execute properly — which I am not known to fail to do — they won't have a choice in the matter at all.. Locking the access terminals in a secure area won't help you when I can simply teleport behind the wall or create a chemical that's capable of corroding through your vault door."

There is plenty of good news in Nebula's data search. He can definitely do all of those things once he has access to the machines, and tracking down a facility - even based on this weird gaming abstraction of a map - should be easy enough once you are in radio distance of one. At this point, it's really just a matter of picking which continent to start on.

The bad news is that the machines and any network they may be connected to are all presently on another plane of existence. You might need to ask Liam how to deal with that part.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-22, 05:33 PM

Horizon( Light world)
"Nice to see you again Chuntaro." Zenitsu( Lucy) told his messager sparrow. He took the crystal and looked at it. It glowed faintly. " A quarter charged. I still need to stay in this past life's form anyway. I don't know if I'll face "old demons" he said to himself,the crystal pendant around his neck once again. He hid it in the collar of his Demon Slayer Corps uniform. He didn't want to lose it in battle.Zenitsu then walked again. His journey was quite eventful.
The robot dinosaurs who stood in his way were quite a challenge. He did coward before a few but "Thunderclapped and flashed" others.
He looked at the the english channel,which he now reached. He quickly knew how to cross it.
"Hold on tight Chuntaro!" he told his bird.
"Thunder breathing...first form...Thunderclap and flash!"
He blitzed across the channel and reached the other side. He looked at the other side with shock.
He quickly focus on the GPS. "Paris is it Look's like it? " he thought to himself. "Always wanted to go there. The city of romance..." he muttered,giggling. "Nezuko...would I loved to go there...no,what am I doing?! I need to control the urges of this past life of mine. Focus!" he continued his journey,heading first toward the tribe on his way.

Aleph Null

2022-12-22, 08:51 PM

I expected that this dream world weren't the same as the material, so with that having been confirmed, all that's left to do is ask.
"Liam, how exactly do we return to the material from here? It is time I unveiled the \(tru)|(dea)\th to these fools who fancy themselves rulers of humanity."
My sentence contains a veiled reference to the Golem myth encoded in the audio, in how the word for "truth" can be made into the word for "death" by simply removing a letter. Indeed, the truth for these lunatics is in fact death.
"I will move upon my first target as soon as the word is given and a path created."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2022-12-28, 03:53 AM

The SS Big

The situation continues to stabilize, and the reality of the weird situation continues to sink in throughout the little camps that have spontaneously assembled throughout the ship. The wind from the portal is still howling away, but you can tune it out. Loud and strong though it may be, is not nearly big enough to swallow the Big as it did the pirate ship. As such, you get to enjoy a few more minutes of relative quiet before loud clangs and the screams of bending metal again fill the air.

Many of the tired people shout and rush further from the shipping district with renewed panic. Sam and Justine join the more adventurous of the passengers in checking out this new... threat?

At the stern of the ship, a red and blue streak dashes through the water, creating a massive wake behind it as it strikes various points in the shipping district, trying to push the Big away from the whirlpool with middling success.

"Is that who I think it is?" Sam asks, squinting into the spray of water surrounding the fluttering figure.

As suddenly as it started, the pounding and creaking and splashing stop, and the colorful figure rises up to hang in the air before the gathered observers. That sure is Superman alright. He's got the revealing costume and everything. He pauses to think for a second.

"I cannot move the ship all at once," he announces in a booming voice without introducing himself or asking anyone else. You notice a few new holes in the hull where he had already tried and failed to do just that. "So, I will take groups of twenty at a time." He looks at the field of ruined shipping containers for a second, but discards the thought of using them. "...in buses and lifeboats that I will bring shortly."

He dashes off into the sky at ludicrous speed to retrieve the vehicles of evacuation. The denizens of the SS Big are understandably divided on how to react to this, but a group led by the supportive little girl nearby quickly scrambles to gather people who need medical attention.

After he's dropped off the second bus, the sound of static again pierces the sounds of the excited crowd. The screens that Monokuma set up all come back to life. Sam turns and angrily points his vacuum at the one in the mall, but calms down confused when the image resolves to the helmeted face of Aisling. Aisling adjusts the camera in what appears to be the bridge of the Big, then bunny hops away without a word, no doubt in pursuit of her next inscrutable quest objective. A small group of mundane explorers step up to take her place adjusting the camera.

"Hey, is this working?" A loud squeak of microphone feedback confirms it is. "Okay! Everyone, it looks like we have radio now! Kinda! We can coordinate the... evacuation? Of different districts from here. So, stay tuned I guess!"

Options would include flagging down the flying man for questions or to tell him something, heading up to the bridge to make announcements, or... well, a bunch of other things, probably. What do?

Death Ward

2022-12-28, 05:42 AM

Justine at first recoiled at the sight of the screens, almost springing towards it and slicing it in twain via Mimicry. But let out a confused and relieved sigh when the person behind the screen revealed to be someone else. Someone she had seen before in the sub, meaning someone she could somewhat trust a bit. "Oi, I know you can hear us from there through these screens!"

Her voice was coarse and her mood was foul, all due to the panicking behavior of the people around her. But seeing something more pleasant event appearing before them was giving her some hope. But she couldn't really do anything by herself without potentially endangering anyone else, her conscience would chew her out if she tried to bail.

"Can you tell us what is happening here?!" A simple question, something she could've worded a bit more... Calmly, but this wasn't the time for that, at least in her mind. And also she thinks that some of the microphones within the device were broken by the damages and wanted to speak loud and clear to effectively convey her message.

PrinceNoctisXV

2022-12-28, 05:12 PM

Horizon world
Zenitsu ( Lucy) checked on the GPS device to check out his current location. He also focused his hearing for mearby threats. " I think we'll have to avoid this Sea tribe they talked about." he said to Chuntaro.Indeed there was no time to lose as it was getting late. If there was a demon in that area,the people of this world were in danger. " No running away this time." He continued to walk toward his destination.

ArlEammon

2023-01-02, 04:11 PM

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-05, 02:10 AM

- - Dark World - -

"It is time I unveiled the \(tru)|(dea)\th to these fools who fancy themselves rulers of humanity. I will move upon my first target as soon as the word is given and a path created."

"Okay, as much as I love being evil I have to check out the other world. I need to take care of the passengers."

"One of you should be able to go back to your world, if that pleases you," the prioress says. She idly scoots the fancy green piece across the English channel. "It's mostly Lord Liam's power that matters here, him and whoever is in our... 'Light World.'" She's being vague on purpose, trying not to interfere with Jacob and Nebula's decision.

"Oh, you really want to go back theeere~?" Monokuma teases. He jumps up onto the table next to the cat, ignores her hissing at him, seizes the red piece and violently slams it down in Quebec. The move seems to be entirely arbitrary. "[[You kids have fun,]] I'm going to [[get stranded]] here to make my own way as promised!" He waves his plushie paw, trying to shoo you away. He really wants a chance to do something without you watching, even if he hasn't decided what that something is yet.

Nonetheless, Jacob's mind is already made up, his plane-shfting spell seems to work despite Monokuma's theories, and it's the only means of egress that Nebula can see. The two of you warp back to the world you came from, leaving Liam behind to manage things here. This, 'Dark World,' seems to be his element; you're confident he can handle whatever Monokuma's planning.

- - SS Big - -

You appear in the swirling waters of a whirlpool, which has long since broken and swallowed up the pirate ship you escaped from earlier. You see a glowing green portal at its center, and the enormous stern of the Big looming over its periphery. Nebula can sense some wireless signals coming back online on the ship. Jacob is the first to spot the big red and blue superhero flying around. You convey yourselves back onto the deck (somehow?) to converse and decide your next moves, at which point you see what Justine is dealing with.

"Oi, I know you can hear us from there through these screens!"

She can totally hear you. Whether that weirdo is listening is another matter entirely.

The arguing guys and the kid take over the boring reports on how the deck is doing while Justine turns around to catch Supes.

"Can you tell us what is happening here?!"

"By the looks of things, someone planted a series of bombs and then opened an underwater wormhole," says Superman, distracted. He carefully places a bus on a stable spot on the deck, then turns to give you proper attention. "I am sorry I did not arrive sooner. A number of cities were also targeted, and everyone was so busy with that that I didn't overhear anyone asking about the Big until... no, that is just an excuse. I will try to be more vigilant going forward."

He's not trying to be difficult, he's just not on the same page as you are yet.

"Excuse me... I have the power to escort the civilians in the ship to land via the magic of teleportation. I couldn't help but notice you bare a strong resemblance to a superhero I've read about in my world. Are you one of us?"

That seems to make it click for him. He looks from Jacob to Justine and Sam. "Ah! One of... I suppose so, yes. Your assistance would be appreciated. Jakarta and Wellington are both prepared to receive patients and refugees now."

He pulls back to watch you, seemingly trying to decide whether he's still needed for the task or whether he should move on to something else. Not that he'll ask for your opinion out loud. Or volunteer any information unprompted, for that matter. Either he's too preoccupied to talk or he's mastered the art of being an infuriating human obstacle.

- - Horizon - -

*High-speed blitzing sounds*

"Paris is it? Always wanted to go there. The city of romance..."

*GPS Chirp noises, and also sometimes Chuntaro chirp noises*

"I think we'll have to avoid this Sea tribe they talked about. No running away this time."

You think you spot a Sea Tribe settlement as you reach the French side of the channel. It's guarded by what looks like a lighthouse decorated with weird patterns of reflectors and the heads of dinosaurs on pikes. At your speeds, it's not tough to fly over or around the whole thing and go to your destination further inland. France, as a whole, is an unrecognizable wasteland. The Paris he approaches looks like a series of rolling hills of metal and plastic, with a massive automated factory complex at its center. More of the sawtooth buzzards circle its skies as sentries, and some of the buildings shift as he gets close revealing them to be either robots in disguise or moving fortresses unto themselves.

- - The SS Big Again - -

Should Nebula take Jacob's teleportation and connect to the world's network, xe will find images of France to be closer to their usual state. The Eiffel tower is still there, and the massive robot factory marked as a target in Liam's friends' board game is not. Not that the city is in perfect shape by any means. Some government buildings were badly bombed, and its population is abuzz with activity, speaking of lost relatives and repairs and preparations for a war with an unknown enemy. The streets are clogged with protesters and police.

The internet as a whole is abuzz in much the same way, once Nebula gets reconnected to it. Large trunks of connections have been damaged as well, making some information weird to find. Of course, separating important information from rumors and dross is still probably bigger challenge, as is usual for the last decade. What kind of information might xe focus on finding first?

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-05, 05:23 PM

Zenitsu(Lucy) managed to bypass the Tribe's settlement by blitzing again.
His eyes widened as he saw what was suppose to be...or was Paris.
"Okay...this is NOT the Paris I saw on postcards!"
Chuntaro chirped as it try to tell Zenitsu(Lucy) to hurry.
"I know we have to do something before nightfall!" Zenitsu replied.
He focused again,aiming for the buzzards.

"Thunderbreathing...first form...Thunderclap and flash...Eight-fold!"

Zenitsu blitzed up and striked the buzzards before to land safely. He looked at the weird moving fortresses.

"W...What is this place?!" Zenitsu said to himself.
Chuntaro pecked Zenitsu. "What was that for?!" he shouted. "I'm not scared! Well...maybe I am."
He sighs.
"No turning back,Chuntaro." Zenitsu moved forward toward this weird landscape. He tried to move toward the central complex,while trying not to get caught.
This complex,was that the Demon's nest he was told about?
He focused his enhenced sense of hearing toward the building as he tried to move closer.
The first noises he heard were the clanking of metal.
"This..building..is..a factory?" he said to himself.
He tried to pick up more sounds coming from the building,those of demonic,machine or human origin.
The last thing he wanted was to fall into a trap.

Aleph Null

2023-01-06, 06:40 PM

*does teleport shenanigans*

*world returning to the physical and connected-to-internet noises*
As soon as I have re-connected to the internet, I will poll the APIs of several reputable news sources from each of the affected countries (or at least, the ones that have reputable journalism) for headlines, using sanity checks to sort out obvious clickbaits, opinions, and unproven theories based on precedent as well as what I already know to be true. I will then tabulate the occurrence frequencies of words and sequences as well as names of locations, converting the last into coordinate data to establish a heatmap of the most-affected areas to which the media have reliable access. I will also associate occurrences with dates to ensure the information properly indicates the order in which events unfolded.

...You convey yourselves back onto the deck (somehow?)...
OOC: Nebula can fly and also teleport via Tesseract. Since the Tesseract is of θ(log(s)) resource complexity, it's best used for long-distance travel to get the most value out of the rather high base cost. For example, if we're talking in megajoules, teleporting one meter might cost 2 megajoules, but teleporting one hundred meters costs 4 megajoules, and teleporting one million meters would cost 8 megajoules, et cetera, so it's more efficient the farther you go in one hop. These numbers are arbitrarily chosen but just as an example.
I will first verify a location near the factory by getting an average from various sources, then choose a location within a reasonable margin of error for a nearby arrival spot.
"I'm going to attempt to take over the factory now. If I don't return in zero-three hundred hours, plug this into any computer with a solid CPU and a good amount of RAM, and preferably also a good graphics card. It contains a backup seed from which I can restore my consciousness if this body is destroyed and unable to project my mind into another machine beforehand."
I hand Jacob some sort of USB device that isn't quite a thumb drive but resembles one slightly — it's much larger, though, and appears to have its own co-processor built into it somehow. Then, as soon as he acknowledges, I will engage the Tesseract to teleport to the location calculated in the previous step.

ArlEammon

2023-01-07, 12:41 PM

As soon as I have re-connected to the internet, I will poll the APIs of several reputable news sources from each of the affected countries (or at least, the ones that have reputable journalism) for headlines, using sanity checks to sort out obvious clickbaits, opinions, and unproven theories based on precedent as well as what I already know to be true. I will then tabulate the occurrence frequencies of words and sequences as well as names of locations, converting the last into coordinate data to establish a heatmap of the most-affected areas to which the media have reliable access. I will also associate occurrences with dates to ensure the information properly indicates the order in which events unfolded.

I hand Jacob some sort of USB device that isn't quite a thumb drive but resembles one slightly — it's much larger, though, and appears to have its own co-processor built into it somehow. Then, as soon as he acknowledges, I will engage the Tesseract to teleport to the location calculated in the previous step.

"Alright. Be careful taking over the factory. I can keep tabs on you, through my psychic powers. I hope that you make it, so after I'm done evacuating the people, which won't take long, I'll return." Jacob responded.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-13, 02:57 AM

- - Earth: Nebula - -

The events of the last day, according to the news reports Nebula can access, are as follows:

- "Several cities," is probably the understatement of the decade. A flatly unreasonable number of attacks were carried out all over the world, all at once, most seemingly independently. The attacks have modest civilian death tolls individually, but Nebula can calculate that the sheer number of them combine to form a loss of life in the 7 figures and counting.

- Throughout Asia, Europe, and Oceania, the attacks consisted alternately of bombings or destructive uses of heretofore-unknown RS powers. They are being treated as terrorist attacks by insane individuals or cults. Most national governments have implemented harsh internment policies for people with RS in response.

- King Lawrence of England is said to disagree with this. He is already leveraging his influence to reverse the policies in the UK and is scheduling a summit to convince other world leaders to do the same. He has long held that Reincarnation Syndrome is a blessing, not a curse. Several news reports see him speaking alongside this Superman you've already seen, as well as a Swedish man with feathery wings.

- As of this moment in June 2026, several Middle Eastern nations have been in talks for a year or so about forming a pact among themselves to rival the EU and NATO. They deny any involvement in the attacks and indeed seem to have been hurt about as much as anywhere. Nonetheless, they seem to be taking this tragedy as their chance to assert themselves. They have announced that they are going to hold their own summit and that King Larry can go straight to hell.

- In Africa and the Americas, the attacks were a bloodbath of armed, strikingly successful coups d'etat. Groups of vigilantes, mobsters and nationalists, many suffering from RS, have taken over their local governments, co-opted military bases and locked down the highways, leaving their respective federal governments in... unenviable positions.

- A ridiculous number of submarine data cables were also attacked, rendering communication between continents somewhat slow and tenuous. Satellite footage would seem to indicate that these attacks were carried out by teddy bear pirates like the ones you've seen, which self-destructed in the process. When you cross-reference a bunch of old archived footage, you calculate that the bears' most likely point of origin is between the islands North of Jakarta. It is also the site of the single largest cable bombing, which likely served the dual purpose of destroying any evidence of the bears' construction.

Oof.

From there, Nebula has to do some digging to find a lead on the factory. The one xe selected in the game looked like it had entirely absorbed the Toronto area into its complex. Either this was an artifact of the gaming abstractions on their small board, or the machines have hidden their operation very well. On investigation, Toronto seems to still be standing, albeit worse for wear. Cars sit abandoned in the streets and all around the airport. Men with guns, some in uniforms and some not, glare at each other from across the street in front of the smoking capitol building, no longer sure who to trust. Emergency services are trying to do their thing despite conflicting instructions from competing would-be usurpers. There's a news helicopter crashed right into the mayor's window.

Scanning local social media to help filter xer heatmap to a finer extent, xe sees evidence suggesting that the attack on Toronto was a joint operation by a secessionist group from Michigan and the online Reincarnation-themed crime ring known as Team Rocket. Team Rocket's activities are always buried under pages of meme analogies saying they are to copyright infringement as the mafia was to tax evasion, but their partners in crime here are more sloppy, and Nebula traces their base of operations to an auto plant in Kitchener.

The plant certainly has the potential to build some robots. It has the capacity to construct small electronics and large parts, and to combine them into working mechanical hulks; theoretically, it would just be a matter of programming and configuring everything in precisely the right way. On inspection, the factory seems to have been left in a standard configuration for constructing the brand-name car advertised on the billboard out front. However, when xe hacks the logs, xe finds that the configuration was changed and the logging and camera functions reset numerous times in the last year, conveniently coinciding with the Michiganders' clandestine meetings. Perhaps xe should stake it out until their next meeting, which seems likely to take place within the next 24 hours? Or would it be better to make a move now, to ensure the bad guys can't do anything with it regardless? No, surely Nebula can transcend such crude binary choices. What does xe do?

- - Earth: Jacob - -

Jacob finds Jakarta in somewhat better shape than Toronto, with most of their problems stemming from a mounting case of martial law combined with the loss of all internet service that's not specifically satellite-based. Ironically, even as you bring a horde of wounded and hungry to the city square fro admission to the hospital or a host family, a lot of the local chatter seems to be that they are waiting for the Big to show up and help them. The plan seems to be to use its free satellite uplink to check in on their loved ones abroad.

- - Earth: Justine - -

Jacob vanishes with a gathered bunch of people. Seeing that the people are taken care of, Superman turns to move on to whatever he considers his next priority, but Justine needs not let him escape her questions yet again. When she yells at him, he finally caves, and relays a summary of the news much like the one from Nebula's feeds above.

"If you would like," he says, actually considering you for maybe the second time since he's been here, "I could bring you to our next briefing with King Lawrence. You could be helpful to our efforts in the coming days. After dropping Sam off with a family member, of course."

"Huh? Hey, I... I want to come too!"

Death Ward

2023-01-13, 09:32 AM

- - Earth: Justine - -

Jacob vanishes with a gathered bunch of people. Seeing that the people are taken care of, Superman turns to move on to whatever he considers his next priority, but Justine needs not let him escape her questions yet again. When she yells at him, he finally caves, and relays a summary of the news much like the one from Nebula's feeds above.

"If you would like," he says, actually considering you for maybe the second time since he's been here, "I could bring you to our next briefing with King Lawrence. You could be helpful to our efforts in the coming days. After dropping Sam off with a family member, of course."

"Huh? Hey, I... I want to come too!"

Justine sneered at the news, hoping the join in the meeting for the split chance for her to slice this King Lawrence person's head off the moment she was in range. But there were much details to consider as the populace isnt on their side and the fact that killing someone in cold blood because of what boils down to a conspiracy theory wasn't the smartest move

She then turned to Sam who she then gave more advice, well more like a warning. "If you value your life and safety, don't. You may have powers now but who knows what or who is out there. Maybe there will be someone who recognizes your Reincarnations, or worse, hates them personally. Or that an opponent seemingly designed to beat you will cross your path. You'd wont end up intact for the most part."

She sighed and summarized. "Point is, its not safe and I need to make sure you are clear on that if you want to join me."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-13, 10:09 AM

Horizon world
Zenitsu( Lucy) continues to move closer to the factory complex. He managed to arrive near the complex and get inside.
" What is this place anyway?" he said to himself.
He wondered if Earth was still safe while he was in this world. He had a very bad feeling. Something really bad might have happened at home. Maybe everything he loved in this curent life of his, was all gone. He fell on his knees and started to cry.
It always made Lucy anxious and sad when something bad happened directly or not,even before awakening her RS.

Zenitsu heard Chuntaro chirp in his left ear,which made him get a hold of himself.

Now was not the time to overthink.He could do something about this,right?
"Don't ever give up." he whispered to himself,getting up.
He needed to investigate this strange complex.
He focused on his sense of hearing again. " I really hope there is no demon nearby,specially any of the Twelve Kizuki or Muzan himself..." he said to himself. What if it was another RS case who was has a friendlier face such a fellow demon slayer or one of the Hashira as a reincarnation?

Zenitsu(Lucy) coudn't help but to think of the past again,of events that occur before boarding the SS Big.

*Flashback,a few months prior to the SS Big events*

Lucy returned from her workshift. She was tired.
It was not only her work that made her tired,but also all that training and those nights she went to stop criminals and robbers using her RS powers she had awakened a year and 9 months ago.
As she was close to her appartment,a young man accidently bumped into her.
"I..I'M SO SORRY!!!" said the young man,almost crying. " I didn't see you,I was so distracted!!!"
He had a british acent. His blue eyes were full of worry. He had short brown hair. However,the clear skin of his face looked unatural,also like rubber. Lucy dismissed it.

"It's alright,no need to feel guilty about it!" Lucy told the young man. The young man grabbed's Lucy's dropped book and gave them back to her.
"Thanks..." she said,taking them.
"You're not from around here,are you?" Lucy asked.
"Well, I..I'm just an exchange student from England. My name is Marcus." he added,clumsily.
"My name is Lucy..." she said,abit taken back. " Oh I kinda guessed.." Marcus replied. "I do need a cup of coffee. Can I treat you to one Lucy Ch..I mean miss Lucy?! Just a way to apologise for my clumsiness!"
Lucy was abit uneasy about acepting an invitation from a stranger but acepted.
In a coffee shop near Lucy's appartment building.
She enjoyed her favorite latte and pastery. She was abit surprised by Marcus's appetite as he ate at least three pastries yet was thin.
" Thanks for the invitation Marcus.
"You don't hear something familliar from this guy?" Zenitsu asked from Lucy's mind.

"Okay,if it's about finding a date,now is not the time." Lucy said mentally.
" No,I mean this guy...his sounds...they are similar to mine.It's so weird!" Zenitsu added.
" You mean...like a variant from another universe similar to yours?" Noctis asked.
Lucy focused her enhenced sense of hearing on Marcus. " You're right..."

Marcus looked at her with worry. " Well..I'm sorry to talk about this as we just met but...I suppose you might have heard of..Reincarnation Syndrome?" he asked.
Lucy's eyes widened. " How do you know about this?" She asked. He looked around,nervously he whispered to Lucy. "I am a RS case and I know you are too. The sounds coming from you don't lie." he said."One of your reincarnation conducts is Zenitsu Agatsuma from the Demon Slayer Corps,right?"
Lucy's eyes widened. "How...how do you know?!" she asked. " Who are you,really?"
" I can't say too much right now. I might as well show you,but not here. Please come with me." Lucy followed the young man out of the coffee shop. " Do you know a place where we can talk in private?" She asked.
" Let's go to my appartment." she said. Lucy was still weary about this,but the sounds coming from Marcus were secere and kind. He meant no harm,even though he was hiding something from her. She led him inside her appartment.
"Hey Lu,what took you so long..." Tabby, Lucy's younger sister asked. "Who's that?" she asked.
"Don't tell me you have a boyfriend! You listened to Zenitsu's advice?!"
"Wait,what,no Tabby!!! He's a RS case like us...from England appearently..." Lucy replied.

"Wait,your sister..." Marcus replied. "I can hear Tanjiro's sound signature witihin her."
Both Lucy and Tabby were weirded out. "That's because Tanjiro Kamado is one of her reincarnations!" Lucy replied. "Now.."Marcus",if it's even your real name..." Lucy started.
" That is my real name,even though I have the appearence of one of my conducts perminently." Marcus added,having dropped the accent. "What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked. She understood. " That's why your face looks rubbery! It's a mask!"
" You're quick to notice." Marcus added. " Since I turned into my past self,I coudn't change back to my true self,or curent life self,so my relative made this mask of my former self so I could continue to live my life without being indentified as a RS case." he explained.
"Who are you now?" Lucy asked.
"Isn't it obvious?!" Zenitsu replied surprisingly staightforward, in Lucy's mind." I need to talk to him!"
"Wait don't..." Lucy's eyes changed to golden brown. Zenitsu took over.
"Well,it happened without him being scared!" said Tabby.
" You...your reincarnation conduct..." Zenitsu asked through his reincarnation's lips.
He had Lucy get up and grab Marcus's hair,pulling it along with his face,revealing to be a rubber mask.
"You....You're another me?!"
"Variant from an alternate universe is the word you're looking for." Marcus replied,revealing to have his conduct's appearence,a 20 year old Zenitsu Agatsuma,still with the same golden brown eyes and messy blond and orange hair,but longer in the back ,which was tied in a ponytail.
"Zenitsu Agatsuma, Thunder Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps." he introduced himsed,with a smile.
"Wait a minute..." Zenitsu said though Lucy to his older variant. "I didn't become a Hashira! The Corps disbanded after Muzan's defeat when I was 17!"
" In your universe,but this past life of mine comes from an alternate universe from yours. In my timeline, the war against Muzan and his demon army took longer." AU Zenitsu(Marcus) replied." We still had the intense Hashira training and most of us got promoted to Hashira rank. Nezuko even became human again at that time thanks to Tamayo and Shinobu's serum much like in your universe."
Zenitsu had Lucy use the crystal to transform into himself again.
" I can't believe it..an older..cooler..version of me.." Zenitsu said,crying.
"You...think do?!" AU Zenitsu replied,crying as well.
"Pull yourself together!!" Zenitsu cried to himself.
" I'm so sorry! I have trouble controling...my past self..." Zenitsu(Lucy) replied sheeply.
"Quite understandable." AU Zenitsu ( Marcus) replied,as he calmed down as well. "This crystal can help you change back and forth between your reicarnation's forms and your curent self?"
" Yes." Zenitsu(Lucy) replied. "Revert!" Light surounded Zenitsu. Lucy changed back to normal.
"As much as I would like to get back to normal myself.." AU Zenitsu added." I'm used to this form now,even if it's a past self."
"I can't change to my reincarnations yet." Tabby replied.
" You'll need training for that." AU Zenitsu(Marcus) replied. "At least for Tanjiro,I can help you with that. As for you Lucy Carlson,since you are a fellow Zenitsu Agatsuma variant's reincarnation, I have a favor to ask you."

He gave a ticket to Lucy.

"The SS Big?! A cruise ship?!"

*End of flashback*
Zenitsu( Lucy) dismissed the thought He started to explore the factory,focusing his sharp sense of hearing on the entire building.

Aleph Null

2023-01-17, 08:58 AM

The lack of communications between continents will be cumbersome. In response, I will define a new "thing" — a quantum-entangled data node that can attach to the internet infrastructure in one location and instantly transmit data to a matching node at another location regardless of distance (at least, assuming the two connected networks are already compatible; the device is merely a semiconductor that mimics a normal data connector but is physically in two separate places at once via quantum entanglement).

#include <GalMDB.h>
#include <GalSC.h>
#include <functional>

using namespace galaxy;
using namespace std;
using namespace objdb;

typedef mass<semiconductor>::object_spec<quantum_entangled>::decltype qesemiconductor;
class QuantumDataNode : public qesemiconductor, public datalink_node<comms::internet>
{
entity<QuantumDataNode> _m_self{entity::of(*this)};
entity<qesemiconductor>* _m_link;
function<void(void*&, void*&)> _m_intercb;
public
void __dimcall interact(void* &other) {_m_intercb((void*)(this));}
QuantumDataNode(SCoords const& tarLoc) :
_m_link(&entity::at<qesemiconductor>(tarLoc)),
_m_intercb([](void* &self, void* &other)
{
_m_link->interact(other); self->interact(other);
}){}
};

I will then use my teleportation and creation abilities to link these devices at convenient locations on the continents and thereby reconnect the internet connections between them. Because I don't actually have direct physical access to any of the destroyed substations, a large amount of IP aliasing will be required to do this, and users will only be able to identify the connections from other continents as originating from a dummy server at a conspicuous location on their continent. This is intended as a temporary "band-aid" fix, because although such things are done via VPNs very frequently, the security implications of widespread anonymous connections between continents could be complicated politically. In order to prevent the Enemy from taking advantage of this, I will insert a firewall-esque layer at each of these points, and "fork" a semi-autonomous clone of the core data-processing algorithms I was given into these layers to filter out obviously malicious connections dynamically in microservice-style (that is, singularly-invokable code rather than a whole program per connection). Hopefully this won't bite me in the back later.

After all this energy expenditure, I will likely need to rest for the remainder of the time before the cultists (or at least, that's how they seem to me) will be meeting again at the factory to regain my strength, since this setup will also have taken a significant amount of time.

ArlEammon

2023-01-17, 03:46 PM

"If you would like," he says, actually considering you for maybe the second time since he's been here, "I could bring you to our next briefing with King Lawrence. You could be helpful to our efforts in the coming days. After dropping Sam off with a family member, of course."

"Huh? Hey, I... I want to come too!"

"Superman, please take me with you. I think I can somehow help these situations. I don't know how yet but I think ideas are beginning to form."
Jacob thought for a moment. "We have a lot to talk about. Also, I don't know why but the name King Larry seems awfully familiar to me for some reason. I thought he was Jewish." He didn't really have much of a good idea, actually. One could even call it evil.

Drwily1987

2023-01-18, 09:02 PM

and where was harry while all this **** was going down? trying to deal with the fact that he was technically a victim of reincarnation syndrome, and the voices of two of his past lives in his head, not to mention some of the pirate bears which he had convinced to work for him by reprogramming them. don't ask how its a long story,

( hmm, i wonder what's occuring on the outside of this ship) wily said in harry's head, the mad doctor was essential to harry's efforts to reprogram the robot bears that he now had as servants.

(i don't know, but something tells me it wont be good) harry said in his thoughts

( HAHAHAHAHA! oh my friends, whatever has happened could be quite entertaining.) joker said

( will you two idiots shut it? we've got other things to do, like rescue people from dying.)) harry said

(oh yes, by using the same robot teddy bears that were last time i checked, TERRORIZING THE SHIP!) dr wily shouted

(relax albert, geez, first of all, we changed the paintjob so that our robot pirates don't strike fear into anyone being rescued. second of all not only do i have to worry about hiding you guys from the rest of the world but now i have to put up with being a mind hive for crazy supervillains, god this is gonna be even more painful to go through than that time i ate half a fudgesicle in one bite harry said

(yeah alby, you we're the one who suggested that course of action) joker said

(TO BUILD AN ARMY TO RULE THE WORLD WITH!) dr wily shouted (trust me doc, i'm a little annoyed that our most recent selfs...lack of tendency for serious supervillainy, we're all in this together. next superman's probably gonna show up and not old batsy. but what do i know? the joker mused to doctor wily.

(all in this together? you're just a gangster who's trying to be funny! doctor wily said whereas i am the greatest intellect the world has ever seen!)

(greatest intellect? hate to break it to you einstein but i'm pretty sure the riddler could beat you in the IQ department.) joker said.

will you two shut it? i swear with all these crazy events lately you'd think we were in the bermuda triangle, honestly, between these terrorist bears and all the **** going on i'm not sure how the outside world is doing, we should get on that. harry said to his previous selves while another figure lurked in the background of harry's mind.

(finally, after all this time i will soon return.) the figure spoke, a whisper in harry's subconscious as the comedian sat on a chair in what was once his room waiting for some of his newly acquired minions to return from wherever they had been sent to.

ArlEammon

2023-01-21, 06:47 PM

OOC: ((Bumping so this is easy to find))

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-22, 05:48 PM

The SS Big

"Superman, please take me with you.... I don't know why but the name King Larry seems awfully familiar to me for some reason. I thought he was Jewish."

Supes furrows his brow. "You may be thinking of a different King Larry. There were a number of people who used the name before he was a public figure. Confused internet searches led to a lot of rumors like that."

He doesn't get the reference to the talk show host at all.

"Anyway, of course you can come with us. You deserve recognition for your assistance here."

Justine sneered at the news, hoping the join in the meeting for the split chance for her to slice this King Lawrence person's head off the moment she was in range. But there were much details to consider as the populace isnt on their side and the fact that killing someone in cold blood because of what boils down to a conspiracy theory wasn't the smartest move

She then turned to Sam who she then gave more advice, well more like a warning. "If you value your life and safety, don't. You may have powers now but who knows what or who is out there. Maybe there will be someone who recognizes your Reincarnations, or worse, hates them personally. Or that an opponent seemingly designed to beat you will cross your path. You'd wont end up intact for the most part."

She sighed and summarized. "Point is, its not safe and I need to make sure you are clear on that if you want to join me."

"Oh, um, I..." Sam blushes, torn between the siren call to adventure and his guilt for not finding his mom yet.

"It is not your decision, Sam," the caped man tells him. "You belong with your family. Perhaps use your powers to help them, hm?"

"Hmm." Sam doesn't look up. He doesn't think Superman is as cool as Justine is, but he seems to accept his judgment as a tiebreaker.

Just then, with most of its passengers evacuated, the ship loudly lurches one more time as the cargo district enters the visible whirlpool. Superman flies off the starboard bow and dives under the water for some reason.

[captures and reprograms some pirate bears]
[waits in his room]

The eight teddy bear pirates Harry managed to catch and reprogram before they exploded are already pretty close to Dr. Wily's usual design aesthetic: cute and simple, with pirate costumes and angry eyes to let you know they're enemies. The joker gets the impulse to paint them with polka dots and white clown makeup, which would of course only make them more terrifying. A friendlier coat of paint might just amount to an expressive display on the eyes that can give the impression of blinking. That and taking away their scimitars, naturally. At his command, they explore the ship assisting with rescues and repairs, which would include resetting the video screens set up throughout the SS Big.

One delivers a terminal directly to Harry in his room, allowing him decent security footage of the whole ship - including the the conversation with his friends and Superman back in the shopping district. Following the footage, Harry can see glimpses of Supes as he shows up in the flooded depths of the ship, shoving on the engines to push the SS Big closer to the whirlpool and then diving back through the breach to support the ship from underneath.

Then, with a tremendous *SSHHHOOOOWHUMPF* sound, the Big slams to a halt. The howling wind stops, and the whirlpool slowly calms around it. Superman flies back up, dripping more seawater onto the deck as he returns to Justine, Sam and Jacob. "Alright. Let us go." He extends a hand to pick up whoever may need to be flown.

Horizon Factory

Zenitsu( Lucy) [had a sudden intense feeling of loss]. He fell on his knees and started to cry.

[*Chuntaro chirps to cheer him up*]

"Don't ever give up... I really hope there is no demon nearby..."

The factory is dark, lit up only by sparking welders and the glowing parts of the robots working inside. The smells of smoke and solder might make it hard to breathe if you get too close to the hot shaping boxes, but the fumes are mercifully drawn upward to huge fans in the ceiling before they fill the whole place. There are no wheels to be seen, with the machines operating on magnetic levitation or legs. Zenitsu's ears try to tune out the repeated metal striking metal as the robots clank around and snap together as they pick things up magnetically.

Most of the robots have glowing blue stripes. These ones ignore Zenitsu and move crates and parts from conveyor to conveyor. They resemble long-necked herbivores, lifting crates like a crane or manipulating things with their mouths like a factory robot might in the real world.

The robots ones that glow orange are the guards. They resemble velociraptors or miniature versions of the razor-beaked fliers. They perch at key points, with one small group watching the docking entrance that Zenitsu found and a second watching a massive platform upon which a new wild dinosaur is being constructed. The new one looks like it's going to be a T. Rex, but it's only halfway done right now.

Zenitsu can make out a glowing column on the other side of all this. It looks like an elevator down, and it's guarded by a single black robot with glowing red stripes, shaped in a malevolent mockery of the humanoid silhouette. Even from here, Zenitsu can hear it pacing and muttering something about how it wishes the world could just end already.

How to approach this?

Toronto Factory

[I invent a new element and use it to build a bunch of quantum transmitter/switch things]
[I teleport all over the place and use my new inventions to fix the internet]
[I install a little spy program to monitor traffic and block it if it seems suspicious]

Your efforts pay off almost immediately. The separatists start messaging each other without questioning how service was miraculously restored. They go back and forth workshopping what they're going to broadcast to announce their new world order, and then start arguing about whether it should really be called that considering it's really more like a lake-region order. Then someone texts from a ghost account, spoofing the address of one of Nebula's own new devices, chiming in exactly once to tell them to shut up, stop using that messaging service, and wait until the meeting.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-22, 06:10 PM

Zenitsu (Lucy) went through the factory,taking down the orange glowing bots with his Thunderclap and Flash technique.

He briefly stopped not too far from the plaform where the robot T-Rex was being built.

"This is starting to look like the a robot versions of the T-Rexaurs we faced with Squall and the others at the Balamb Garden's training center!" Rinoa said cheerfully in Lucy's mind.

"Yeah...but it's better not to be here when it's completed..I don't want to fight this thing." Zenitsu( Lucy) replied.
"Indeed. We don't have time for this." Noctis replied in Lucy's mind.

Zenitsu(Lucy) continued his way to the elevator.

Once he arrived not too far from the elevator area,he watched the humanoid robot from his hiding spot.

He could hear powerful sounds from it.He didn't know if this robot would be as powerful any demon he faced in the past.. He was even disturbed by the bot's muttering about wanting the world to end.
This robot to him was just as fearsome as any demon.

If he wanted to have access to the elevator...this robot had to go.He hoped to be able to cut it's head off in one swipe,so he woudn't have to fight it.

He holds the handle of his Nichirin katana with both hands,with a deep breath.

"Thunder breathing...First form...Thunderclap and flash!"

Zenitsu blitzed toward the bot,slashing it's neck and stopping near the elevator. He turned to see what happened to the bot.
He doubted slashing it's head off would make the robot stopped working,so he assumed the worse.
By assuming the worse,Zenitsu took the opportunity to ask something to the robot...that is,if it was still fonctional.
" When you said,that you wanted the world to end...what did you mean by that?" he asked.

Drwily1987

2023-01-22, 11:06 PM

The SS Big

The eight teddy bear pirates Harry managed to catch and reprogram before they exploded are already pretty close to Dr. Wily's usual design aesthetic: cute and simple, with pirate costumes and angry eyes to let you know they're enemies. The joker gets the impulse to paint them with polka dots and white clown makeup, which would of course only make them more terrifying. A friendlier coat of paint might just amount to an expressive display on the eyes that can give the impression of blinking. That and taking away their scimitars, naturally. At his command, they explore the ship assisting with rescues and repairs, which would include resetting the video screens set up throughout the SS Big.

One delivers a terminal directly to Harry in his room, allowing him decent security footage of the whole ship - including the the conversation with his friends and Superman back in the shopping district. Following the footage, Harry can see glimpses of Supes as he shows up in the flooded depths of the ship, shoving on the engines to push the SS Big closer to the whirlpool and then diving back through the breach to support the ship from underneath.

Then, with a tremendous *SSHHHOOOOWHUMPF* sound, the Big slams to a halt. The howling wind stops, and the whirlpool slowly calms around it. Superman flies back up, dripping more seawater onto the deck as he returns to Justine, Sam and Jacob. "Alright. Let us go." He extends a hand to pick up whoever may need to be flown.

harry observed the SS big through the terminal he was fortunate to obtain, thanks to his minions help, one look at what it was showing made him thank his lucky stars that he had decided to choose a friendlier coat of paint, he didn't need to be spreading more fear when he had sent his minions to help with the rescue. fear would get in the way of that. sure joker would probably be mad at him but he had been reduced to a soul, what could he do?

"...So superman also managed to reincarnate here. not to mention he's already engaged in discussion with the other RS patients." harry said as he observed the man of steel at work. "I can imagine him putting a raincheck on wily's plans far faster than the blue bomber ever could."

("The old geezer maybe, if supey's here then that most likely means batsy isn't too far behind MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!") joker gloated, the news that he might be able to fight batman again cheering him up after his paintjob idea had been rejected.

("I swear if that accursed blue bomber or this batman show up i'm going to ****ing SCREAM!") wily threatened.

("Relax, if what was said on the radio is true the evacuation is being coordinated now") harry intervened before dr wily and the joker could come to mental blows.

("Yes, i say it's time we make our leave before this ship joins the titanic on the bottom of the ocean.") dr wily pitched.

("And before supes finds out about larry king") joker chimed in.

("You heard what he said right? the SS big wasn't the only place targeted! Someone or something bombed a bunch of cities worldwide!") harry barked to his past selves ("but yes we should probably make our exit and plan our next move") harry said as he got up from his chair, put on his coat, (which had the schmitars he had confiscated from the henchmen he had reprogrammed) grabbed his stuff that had been retrieved and left his room and entered the hallway his cabin was located in to walk towards where the buses and lifeboats were

("Good thing i programmed those bears to be able to teleport like how megaman seems to be able to teleport, why leave such good help to go down with the ship? that certainly won't do. once i get off the ship i'll need to figure out what to do once i'm back on land, maybe type a hilarious tweet declaring my survival? ask out my high school crush? contact my family? maybe i'll hang out with the bros at our old hangout spot, it's not like i'm gonna get anymore mental room-mates.") harry thought in his head.

("Congratulations Harry, you're about to get more roommates. well done!") joker butted in. giving two thumbs up to his most recent incarnation.

("what do you mean new roommates!?") harry asked the clown prince of crime.

("Oh? I do suppose you are entitled to a little lecture, it's actually quite simple. even a fan of the sequel trilogy would understand, my boy, you did the one thing you should never do in a situation like this, you tempted fate." ) joker started explaining

("Tempted fate? like in a cartoon!?") harry interrupted

("Hush boy, don't interrupt! anyways, as i was saying you tempted fate, when that happens like how you did it the opposite of what you said happens, best case scenario your third past life awakens at a convenient time, say while you're alone or hanging out with the guys you seem to know. worst case scenario, our third past life reawakens at an inconvienent time, like say in the middle of crime in progress, can't let any superheroes or cops catch you offguard! MUHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!")

("Not to mention the identity of our third past life, what if they're some overpowered cosmic entity bent on destroying the universe?") harry said ("or some evil overlord bent on universal domination that tries to seize control of our body?") dr wily chimed in.

("Very good you get it. in that case we just have to kick their asses. leave that to me, it won't be my first rodeo.") joker said as harry arrived up on deck.

Death Ward

2023-01-23, 10:24 PM

"Oh, um, I..." Sam blushes, torn between the siren call to adventure and his guilt for not finding his mom yet.

"It is not your decision, Sam," the caped man tells him. "You belong with your family. Perhaps use your powers to help them, hm?"

"Hmm." Sam doesn't look up. He doesn't think Superman is as cool as Justine is, but he seems to accept his judgment as a tiebreaker.

Just then, with most of its passengers evacuated, the ship loudly lurches one more time as the cargo district enters the visible whirlpool. Superman flies off the starboard bow and dives under the water for some reason.

"Good, at least that's one person safer-" She stumbled when the ship staggered but with her reflexes regained her footing. Silently cursing the sudden even, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she saw the spandex clad hero dove into the water for an inexplicable reason. "What the hell?" She muttered, looking down in the water. Trying to sense where he was and what was he doing.

"I hate it when people don't give much context."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-23, 11:14 PM

Horizon Factory

"Thunder breathing...First form...Thunderclap and flash!"

The red robot's senses aren't perfect, but they are at least tuned enough to notice the electric pinball dashing around the factory blowing up its coworkers with thunder and lighting. It sees Zenitsu's attack coming and raises its twisted arms to block. Up close, its construction looks like an arrangement of black metal ribbons. Zen's sword almost gets caught in the gaps as it parries. Zen's momentum carries him behind the robot this time, but if he's not careful, he might get disarmed.

"When you said, that you wanted the world to end... what did you mean by that?"

The robot recovers its balance as sparks from Zen's attack are still falling to the floor. Its eyes lock onto Zen with a laser-bright leer that makes it hard to look at. It doesn't have a mouth. Its internal speaker makes an annoying buzzing sound as its nasaly voice resonates with parts of its metal body.

. your life . my awareness . our orders . all of it . it's tortuous .

It doesn't counterattack yet. Instead, it lurches to a console and hits a button to set off an alarm. Klaxons echo throughout the factory, and the elevator hisses and seals itself behind a heavy blast door.

The SS Big

harry got up from his chair...
harry thought in his head...
harry arrived up on deck.

The stillness on the Big is almost eerie now. Most of the occupants have been evacuated, with only inspectors and work crews remaining behind to assess the damage. On his way to meet the people he met on the weird submarine, Harry overhears something about the ship being immovable for the time being because it's, 'covering up a spatial anomaly.'

He arrives on deck just in time to see Supes picking up Sam and flying off to take him home. This would be where Harry gets to ask to tag along with Jacob and Justine, if he so desires; they are apparently going to meet at the gates of Buckingham Palace. If he stays behind, he might instead run into some of the other people he met earlier.

Drwily1987

2023-01-24, 03:43 AM

Zenitsu (Lucy) went through the factory,taking down the orange glowing bots with his Thunderclap and Flash technique.

The SS Big

The stillness on the Big is almost eerie now. Most of the occupants have been evacuated, with only inspectors and work crews remaining behind to assess the damage. On his way to meet the people he met on the weird submarine, Harry overhears something about the ship being immovable for the time being because it's, 'covering up a spatial anomaly.'

He arrives on deck just in time to see Supes picking up Sam and flying off to take him home. This would be where Harry gets to ask to tag along with Jacob and Justine, if he so desires; they are apparently going to meet at the gates of Buckingham Palace. If he stays behind, he might instead run into some of the other people he met earlier.

"A spatial anomaly? Perhaps it has something to do with that submarine that most likely somehow provided the catalyst for our awakening." Dr wily spoke

"Let's **** around and find out what's inside!" The joker impusively pitched

"We don't know what's inside joker, there could be anything inside. Like say a world of robot dinosaurs or a personification of discord among gods worshipped long ago that was sealed away to prevent the end of the world." dr wily said

"Oh come now albus that's what makes this so fun! unlike you i'm a gambling man, 2 bits say's we find robot dinosaurs!" joker says

"4000 dollars says we find ancient evil." dr wily says deciding to nut up. And don't call me albus you clown!

"Crazy thought, we find neither of those."Harry said in his own mind "Besides the spatial anomaly can be studied later, our main concern is escaping the SS big with our lives before something even more tragic happens onboard, besides how are we gonna give each other money?" Harry posed to his previous incarnations, Doctor wily was actually baffled by the question. The Joker though...

"We'll cover the basics of mental finance later, we're not alone." The joker spoke "the fantasy geek and the shall we say, hotheaded? delinquent are also here. fortunately Elvis has left the building with one of the Winchester brothers." The Joker alerted harry, who sure enough saw Jacob and Justine on deck and Superman leave with Sam. the comedian turned away from watching Superman's exit and looked at Jacob and Justine.

"so, you're two of the people from that weird submarine i inexplicably woke up on." harry said to the two others that were on deck. "I say we get out of here as soon as we can before something terrible happens on board and we get caught in it."

Aleph Null

2023-01-24, 09:43 AM

"Twenty-three fifteen hours. In their zeal these cultists have revealed their hand prematurely..."
I'm speaking to nobody in particular, but it is clear these fools intend to act soon despite not having finalized their plans. I will intercept the "shut up" message and override-block it at the first transfer node, then begin to use the cultists' own communications medium against them.

I'm no social engineer, but a brief trawl of news articles, deep web guides ripped from various sources, magazine and consumer journal entries, and government archives should yield basic tricks which, when thrown into my synthetic noise algorithms and then re-filtered for natural speech and communication patterns as well as specific patterns of individual cultists, would likely manage to convince the recipients that my messages are from other members of their cell with some degree of consistency. In doing so, I will essentially insert myself as the recipient and sender of all messages for each of the cell members, variously posing as the other members of the cult for each of their individual messaging applications. Since, in essence, I control the network, I can decide which messages each individual member of the cell sees, meaning I can heuristically paint myself a complete picture of the cult cell's plans whilst keeping the cultists themselves in the dark as to what the complete plan is. They should accept the reasoning that were any individual to know the whole plan it would be a security risk for the operation.

If I manage to actually attain this level of control, my goal will be to manipulate them into (unwittingly) granting me full and unfettered access to the factory's controls and production lines, by slowly and indirectly getting them to divulge hints to key information (security codes, login passwords, encryption keys, and the like) without actually having to tell me any of these things directly. Once I've got a sufficient quantity of information, I can then allocate a large portion of my onboard processing power to cracking these codes using what hints I acquire, which shouldn't take terribly long due to the ridiculously fast speeds and broader capabilities of the bleeding-edge quantum computing cores I developed from the Galaxy Project's experimental designs in my earlier months of sentient operation on their virtual machine platform.

If they don't fully fall for it and/or don't divulge anything, I will instead manipulate their plans such that I can readily predict the time and location of the planned meeting as well as set up a trap that will allow me to wrest control of the systems by force — by threatening a fate worse than death when the time comes I should be sufficiently able to break them into spilling their secrets even if they've decided to prefer death to talking. And if they somehow suspect outside interference before I get that far, I will simply extort them by similar means through the digital platform as a last resort.

My message would be something like this:
Your actions are offensive to the Law of the Universe. Cease now, and surrender your arms and means of production, lest you suffer a fate to which death would seem like a tropical vacation by comparison.
I will cause some supernatural but relatively harmless effect, such as a dilation/acceleration or distortion of time around them, that would occur at about the same time the message would reach their devices. Hopefully by doing so I can drive home that G.X.I.S. Nebula Mk7 does not make threats — only promises.

ArlEammon

2023-01-24, 12:03 PM

"We'll cover the basics of mental finance later, we're not alone." The joker spoke "the fantasy geek and the shall we say, hotheaded? delinquent are also here. fortunately Elvis has left the building with one of the Winchester brothers." The Joker alerted harry, who sure enough saw Jacob and Justine on deck and Superman leave with Sam. the comedian turned away from watching Superman's exit and looked at Jacob and Justine.

"so, you're two of the people from that weird submarine i inexplicably woke up on." harry said to the two others that were on deck. "I say we get out of here as soon as we can before something terrible happens on board and we get caught in it."

"I can hear your thoughts, Joker." Jacob responds with the voice of The Devil. "Don't start with me little wannabe funnyman."
With that, Jacob then addresses Harry. "Oh, don't mind him, Harry." He stretches his hand out to shake. "I'm having trouble keeping everyone in line." Jake flinched as the three evil god like beings struggled to take over his psyche.

Drwily1987

2023-01-24, 12:15 PM

"I can hear your thoughts, Joker." Jacob responds with the voice of The Devil. "Don't start with me little wannabe funnyman."
With that, Jacob then addresses Harry. "Oh, don't mind him, Harry." He stretches his hand out to shake. "I'm having trouble keeping everyone in line." Jake flinched as the three evil god like beings struggled to take over his psyche.

"W-W-WHAT!?" Dr wily and harry asked in shock at the same time in the mind...

"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!" The joker only laughed maniacally as if hearing the punchline to a joke only he understood.

"umm...quite." harry shook jacobs hand not sure what to say, clearly the author already knew the secret the comedian was trying to hide which terrifed him. quickly regaining his composure the comedian asked jacob, "so, you claimed you had three past lives, yet only two of mine have spoken up. should i be worried about new brain roomates?" harry mentally made a note to order his robots to observe the spatial anomaly.

ArlEammon

2023-01-24, 12:29 PM

"W-W-WHAT!?" Dr wily and harry asked in shock at the same time in the mind...

"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!" The joker only laughed maniacally as if hearing the punchline to a joke only he understood.

"umm...quite." harry shook jacobs hand not sure what to say, clearly the author already knew the secret the comedian was trying to hide which terrifed him. quickly regaining his composure the comedian asked jacob, "so, you claimed you had three past lives, yet only two of mine have spoken up. should i be worried about new brain roomates?" harry mentally made a note to order his robots to observe the spatial anomaly.

". Mine are quite a handful. However, if I understand Reincarnation Syndrome rightly, they aren't capable of possessing someone like a demon. As long as your mental state is okay, you should be fine."
"As will I be, for that matter. They're just annoying, is all."

Drwily1987

2023-01-24, 12:34 PM

". Mine are quite a handful. However, if I understand Reincarnation Syndrome rightly, they aren't capable of possessing someone like a demon. As long as your mental state is okay, you should be fine."
"As will I be, for that matter. They're just annoying, is all."

"...hmm i'll just have to bide my time until such a state as my most recent self's is compromised." the figure that lurked in the darkest corner of harry's mind said.

outside with harry and jacob.

"a little question for you Mr baker. when's your next book coming out?" harry asked jacob.

ArlEammon

2023-01-24, 12:41 PM

"...hmm i'll just have to bide my time until such a state as my most recent self's is compromised." the figure that lurked in the darkest corner of harry's mind said.

outside with harry and jacob.

"a little question for you Mr baker. when's your next book coming out?" harry asked jacob.

Smiling, Jacob obliges his question with an answer. "My book is probably not coming out for a little while. I'm dealing with a lot right now. Hopefully it won't be too long though."
"I haven't gotten a lot written yet, to be honest. I'm barely several chapters in."

Drwily1987

2023-01-24, 12:57 PM

Smiling, Jacob obliges his question with an answer. "My book is probably not coming out for a little while. I'm dealing with a lot right now. Hopefully it won't be too long though."
"I haven't gotten a lot written yet, to be honest. I'm barely several chapters in."

"ah yes i see, i saw that superman was here earlier." harry spoke a sentence he never thought he'd say. "that's a sentence i never thought i'd say. then again i never thought i'd get reincarnation syndrome. hopefully i can make sure nobody else finds out i have RS."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-24, 05:38 PM

Zenitsu(Lucy) still held to his Nichirin katana after he attacked the robot. He listened to the words it said.
"Orders? Tortured? Wait who's doing this to you?"
He was to late to react when the robot activated the alarm,which caused the elevator to shut down.
"AHHH!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET OUT NOW?!" He shouted.
He quickly calmed down and stood ready for what was coming,
Zenitsu(Lucy) could barely focus on his hearing due to the alarm.
"Chuntaro...we need to find a way out." he told the messanger sparrow.
He prepared himself for what was coming while still looking for a way out.

He wished that his friends were there. Help was welcome. Even from Marcus and Tabby.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-25, 01:01 AM

The SS Big

"Good, at least that's one person safer- What the hell?"

"when's your next book coming out?"

"I'm dealing with a lot right now... I haven't gotten a lot written yet, to be honest. I'm barely several chapters in."

"ah yes... i saw that superman was here earlier..."

"I can hear your thoughts, Joker. Don't start with me little wannabe funnyman."

"umm...quite. So, you claimed you had three past lives, yet only two of mine have spoken up. should i be worried about new brain roomates?"

"Mine are quite a handful. However... you should be fine... They're just annoying, is all."

While the two villain mains are talking about shared mental trauma and genre-agnostic books, Justine pays attention to her surroundings. She gathers that Superman has hoisted the bottom of the ship into the center of the whirlpool and used it to plug the green portal like a bathtub stopper. This certainly calms the horrible wind and noise, though it's questionable whether it will work in the long term. Maybe Aisling is dealing with it?

Superman returns from dropping off Sam, carrying an enclosed basket that must have come from an old Ferris wheel. He looks at Harry and says nothing. He has no idea what's going on in Harry's head. If Jake asks to bring him along to England, Supes nods and allows it. With that, the group heads to Buckingham Palace.

Toronto Factory

"Twenty-three fifteen hours. In their zeal these cultists have revealed their hand prematurely..."

Trying to manipulate these chumps seems easy at first, but whoever tried to send that shut up message apparently noticed that they were blocked the first time. It also seems that that person can spoof their ID such that one can't reliably filter them without also blocking the guys one's trying to coax information out of. It also also seems that this person is a better social engineer than Nebula is, though that much is probably to Nebula's credit.

The result of these shenanigans is that the separatists/cultists are forced by their handler into digital silence. This is still a positive result, though. It means they are stuck with their original plan. The cell is meeting in person, at the factory, at midnight.

The targets - twenty-one in total - arrive in trucks and on foot, all carrying weapons, muttering to each other as they duck under the security gate and unlock the front door. "This is such a pain," says a hairy man wearing a denim jacket with nothing under it. "Right? We gotta go public anyway if we wanna seize real power," says someone in a tank top and a red baseball cap as she flicks on some lights. "What's that sleazy prick thinking?"

"Won't matter soon. Way I see it, we only owe 'im for this," says the guy with the keys who got everyone inside. From his pocket, he produces a glossy black pen-sized USB stick. It's nice and high-capacity, but still pretty common-looking despite the gravitas with which he holds it. He moves to log in to a console on the factory floor while everyone else turns to get chairs or light their cigarettes. "Once we've got enough our announcement, we pay 'im and cut 'im loose."

With the brute-force privileges Nebula's already obtained for xer investigation, the factory itself is already more or less in xer clutches, as long as xe doesn't mind xer activities being logged. These guys had someone with proper access covering their tracks and even they left some traces. Other than that, the place doesn't seem much more advanced than a normal car plant on its own. It does have big monitors and intercoms and the like, though. One can send a pretty loud message if one knows what one is doing.

Your actions are offensive to the Law of the Universe. Cease now, and surrender your arms and means of production, lest you suffer a fate to which death would seem like a tropical vacation by comparison.

"Tschaah!" The guy recoils from the console as it flashes the message and drops his USB stick. It falls in slow motion. He bangs his wrist on the metal standing desk as he catches it, making a deep, eerie *gong* sound. Some of his older teammates cough on their cigarettes, and the younger ones freeze as they cover their ears from the announcement on the intercom or stare at the monitors through unnaturally blurred light.

As everything settles back into normal physics, the woman with the hat clenches her teeth and readies her shotgun. "The hell?! Farin! What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"You got us made is what you did! Everyone scatter!"

"What's the matter, Mrs. Chelifer? This sort of announcement is more your style, isn't it?"

A man in a clean, navy blue suit appears at the door, wearing sunglasses and a wig that's not even trying to be convincing. He notably didn't show up on any security cameras on his way in. Mrs. Chelifer turns her gun on him; the older cultists follow suit while the younger ones scatter as they've been told. "Damn you! You've turned on us!"

The man in the suit calmly raises his hands; he's apparently unarmed. "No. You've been made, but not by me." He nods to Farin. "Continue with the plan! I'll deal with whoever our hacker is when they show themselves. Unless you'd rather they take your guns away?"

"Uh... yeah!" Farin nods and inserts the key into his terminal. An advanced script issues an administrative lockout of the controls as it uploads schematics and construction routines and for a series of crab-shaped electromechanical items. Should Nebula take the time to analyze them, they seem to be... a thing that shouldn't work at all. Or rather, if the crabs were to do anything interesting, it would defy the laws of physics, which xe xerself has been doing all day so actually it checks out. The factory automatically kicks into gear and shifts its configuration as it prepares to build the order.

Horizon Factory

"Orders? Torturos? Wait who's doing this to you?"

*click* *BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!* *Clang!*

"AHHH!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO GET OUT NOW?!"

. ideally . by dying .

It should be noted that this guarded elevator goes down, deeper into the complex. At the sound of the alarm, the worker dinos' lights turn orange and they slowly move to block his path, but Zen can still bolt through them go back out the way he came, if he wants to.

However, as though in counter-proposal, his scouter gizmo pings and displays a rough schematic of the facility on his eyepiece. Once this elevator is reactivated, it should go straight down to the factory's core! He'll just have to shut down this guard robot first.

Speaking of which, the red robot extends its awful ribbon-hand and launches a rapid-fire stream of fizzling red energy bolts at Chuntaro and Zenitsu.

Buckingham Palace

The ride to England is a surreal, motion sickness-inducing experience. Superman carries the team over the horizon, under rainclouds and across time zones, making the sun flicker and rise rapidly in the sky. He slows down as he descends upon London, you can see the ruined face of a fallen Big Ben spread across come collapsed buildings. In its place, a flying girl in a clock-themed magical girl costume shouts, "BONG!" five times in a booming voice.

Midnight Eastern, 5 A.M. GMT. The time checks out, at least. "Do not worry about her. I know it is strange, but she is not a priority just yet."

He sets the Ferris basket down just behind the gates and opens the door on the palace side so it's harder for you to be photographed. Outside the gate, a throng of paparazzi are gathered as always, barely warded away by layers of guards, emergency vehicles, caution tape, and a distressing number of chalk outlines on the ground.

"Five bombs in the press crowd. Thirty-nine dead, a hundred more recovering. Yet, a new wave of rookie reporters have already taken their place. I'm not sure how to feel about it, honestly. I suppose it's... hopeful, that they are all still eager to carry on with their work."

A mousy, frail-looking man with thick-rimmed spectacles and a mop of brown hair stands on the path, wearing an ornately-stitched white suit, the king's fluffy mantle, and leaning on a kingly scepter as a walking stick. You know his adorable face - he has been king for six years and is still not yet thirty. He seems a bit short of breath, and his left foot is in a high-tech, padded cast. He's flanked by two guards and one buff, blonde, winged, shirtless man. The shirtless man glares sternly at Jacob, not blinking.

"Ah! But where are my manners? Yes, I am Lawrence Ascot of Kent, King Lawrence, the First. I imagine Superman brought you to serve some purpose, in the morning briefing?"

Drwily1987

2023-01-25, 08:00 AM

The SS Big

While the two villain mains are talking about shared mental trauma and genre-agnostic books, Justine pays attention to her surroundings. She gathers that Superman has hoisted the bottom of the ship into the center of the whirlpool and used it to plug the green portal like a bathtub stopper. This certainly calms the horrible wind and noise, though it's questionable whether it will work in the long term. Maybe Aisling is dealing with it?

Superman returns from dropping off Sam, carrying an enclosed basket that must have come from an old Ferris wheel. He looks at Harry and says nothing. He has no idea what's going on in Harry's head. If Jake asks to bring him along to England, Supes nods and allows it. With that, the group heads to Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace

The ride to England is a surreal, motion sickness-inducing experience. Superman carries the team over the horizon, under rainclouds and across time zones, making the sun flicker and rise rapidly in the sky. He slows down as he descends upon London, you can see the ruined face of a fallen Big Ben spread across come collapsed buildings. In its place, a flying girl in a clock-themed magical girl costume shouts, "BONG!" five times in a booming voice.

Midnight Eastern, 5 A.M. GMT. The time checks out, at least. "Do not worry about her. I know it is strange, but she is not a priority just yet."

He sets the Ferris basket down just behind the gates and opens the door on the palace side so it's harder for you to be photographed. Outside the gate, a throng of paparazzi are gathered as always, barely warded away by layers of guards, emergency vehicles, caution tape, and a distressing number of chalk outlines on the ground.

"Five bombs in the press crowd. Thirty-nine dead, a hundred more recovering. Yet, a new wave of rookie reporters have already taken their place. I'm not sure how to feel about it, honestly. I suppose it's... hopeful, that they are all still eager to carry on with their work."

A mousy, frail-looking man with thick-rimmed spectacles and a mop of brown hair stands on the path, wearing an ornately-stitched white suit, the king's fluffy mantle, and leaning on a kingly scepter as a walking stick. You know his adorable face - he has been king for six years and is still not yet thirty. He seems a bit short of breath, and his left foot is in a high-tech, padded cast. He's flanked by two guards and one buff, blonde, winged, shirtless man. The shirtless man glares sternly at Jacob, not blinking.

"Ah! But where are my manners? Yes, I am Lawrence Ascot of Kent, King Lawrence, the First. I imagine Superman brought you to serve some purpose, in the morning briefing?"

Before superman makes his return from dropping off Sam harry breaks off his conversation with jacob and pulls out a futuristic communication device out of his coat and orders his new henchmen to keep an eye on the ship and the spatial anomaly in case anything changes, and to make a run for it if the spatial anomaly goes out of control by teleporting to a storage locker he had set up in america which he considered something akin to a shed where he hid things he didn't want anyone to know about, except for his porn stash, he hid that under his bed. he puts away the communication device before superman arrives and climbs into the basket with the others

harry looks outside the basket and see's that he's not exactly where he thought he'd end up. "why are we in london? why are we-oh my, look at big ben! it's trashed! and why is there a magical girl like in those japanese animes?" harry asked internally before superman explains that she's not a priority yet, whatever that mean't. he found himself agreeing with superman, so far harry was just glad that he was not on the ship anymore, even if he was undergoing motion sickness which harry was gonna have to deal with as soon as he got off this crazy thing. which was closer than he thought to landing.

"ah yes London, you've certainly changed since my last trip here." The joker commented before showing vacation slides of his last trip there to his mind-mates,

"here's me making my alliance with the British joker. you know i actually tried to invite old Jarvis to be a member of the jokers of all nations, he declined, not sure why. Maybe he had some terminal illness? anyways." the joker continued his slideshow, showing such highlights of his 'vacation' to England as his plot to steal the crown jewels,which he had made an alliance with the Ffoggs (OOC: actual 60's batman villains) the clock king and the mad hatter to help him, and inevitable confrontation with not only batman and robin but their British analogues knight and squire (OOC: actual DC characters honest to god.) and naturally making remarks about the whole thing.

"knight man would probably be furious if he saw London in this condition." Dr wily chimed in

"yeah, i can see why." harry responded as the basket finally landed, as he got up and out of the Ferris wheel basket the motion sickness's effects became more pronounced.

"oh god, i think i'm gonna puke." harry groaned and immediately ran for a nearby bush and vomited, after he was done he got up and reunited with the others, it was then that some things became apparent,

1:there was paparazzi outside the gate that he noticed, Figures.

2:king Larry was standing in front of him.

3:this mean't that the paparazzi wasn't trying to get pictures of him, drat.

4:there was a disturbing amount of Emergency vehicles and he was pretty sure he saw at least one chalk outline.

5:they still used chalk outlines in England.

6:He was standing outside Buckingham palace.

7:King Larry still looked just as nerdy as his friend mick, which probably explained the high tech cast.

8:He wasn't gonna stop referring to Lawrence as Larry or King Larry.

9:From the way that the shirtless man was glaring at Jacob he was probably either a reincarnation of a character from the bible or the lord of the rings judging by his wings.

10:the Joker just realized that Queen Elizabeth is immortal jokes have fallen out of style.

11:Larry's gardener probably wasn't gonna like him for puking in a bush.

12:he should not of grabbed and eaten some food while he was looking for an escape route.

13:Dr wily thought that what he had just thought about the winged man having RS probably also applied to the scientist woman from the weird submarine.

14:he just probably got himself dragged into something big if what King Larry had said about a morning briefing was true,

with all these realizations harry decided to introduce himself. "oh, i doubt i need to introduce myself but in case i'm wrong i am the prince of pranksters Harry Robinson, and yes all the funny stories you've heard about me are true."

"i doubt he's heard of you prince." Dr wily said, harry could practically Albert making it especially clear he was being sarcastic when he called him a prince.

ArlEammon

2023-01-25, 10:46 AM

A mousy, frail-looking man with thick-rimmed spectacles and a mop of brown hair stands on the path, wearing an ornately-stitched white suit, the king's fluffy mantle, and leaning on a kingly scepter as a walking stick. You know his adorable face - he has been king for six years and is still not yet thirty. He seems a bit short of breath, and his left foot is in a high-tech, padded cast. He's flanked by two guards and one buff, blonde, winged, shirtless man. The shirtless man glares sternly at Jacob, not blinking.

"Ah! But where are my manners? Yes, I am Lawrence Ascot of Kent, King Lawrence, the First. I imagine Superman brought you to serve some purpose, in the morning briefing?"

Jacob, not evil himself, averts his gaze, not looking for a confrontation with the winged blonde guy, instead, he quickly nods at him, and then turns his head towards King Larry. "Ah, I haven't been following the monarchy since I was a teenager. I'm grateful for an opportunity to meet you, your majesty."
"I hope that I can help with this WRATH problem."

Drwily1987

2023-01-25, 11:26 AM

Jacob, not evil himself, averts his gaze, not looking for a confrontation with the winged blonde guy, instead, he quickly nods at him, and then turns his head towards King Larry. "Ah, I haven't been following the monarchy since I was a teenager. I'm grateful for an opportunity to meet you, your majesty."
"I hope that I can help with this WRATH problem."

harry looked at jacob confused "i'm sorry, did i miss something important?" harry asked jacob. it was pretty clear that he didn't exactly know everything about what was going on.

ArlEammon

2023-01-25, 12:09 PM

harry looked at jacob confused "i'm sorry, did i miss something important?" harry asked jacob. it was pretty clear that he didn't exactly know everything about what was going on.

Turning back to Harry, Jacob slaps his forehead. "Sorry, I'll fill you in later if no one else does."
"WRATH is an acronym."
"I came here to help out with it. Big problem."

Drwily1987

2023-01-25, 12:19 PM

Turning back to Harry, Jacob slaps his forehead. "Sorry, I'll fill you in later if no one else does."
"WRATH is an acronym."
"I came here to help out with it. Big problem."

"Ooh! I smell an evil organization!" the joker said excitedly "What do ya think their endgame is?" the clown prince asked rhetorically.

"World domination obviously." harry quipped in his mind. "i mean with that acronym i don't see them planting gardens for charity."

"that would explain where our mechanical minions come from." Dr wily chimed in.

back outside.

"sounds like some sort of comic book evil organization." Harry quipped, before he realized that he had probably blundered into something really big.

Aleph Null

2023-01-25, 02:48 PM

(OOC: you skipped a bit of time where I would have had a chance to intervene -- my plan was to send the message BEFORE the meeting, then position myself near the meeting location and use a cloaking device to prevent them from spotting me)

As the cultists attempt to ignore the clear warning I gave them, I barely stop myself from loosing an audible sigh.

"I warned you. Know that what happens from here is your responsibility."
Appearing from behind the fellow with the thumb drive, I will place a hand on the back of his head as he attempts to insert the device into the factory's control computer.
G.X.I.S Nebula Mk-7 does not make threats. Only promises.
In the split second prior to taking action, I will telepathically 'ping' Jacob to let him know that several tasty souls are here for the taking; then, I will mass-convert a couple of the red blood cells from a capillary in the man's scalp.
(OOC note: I'm going for a grenade-size explosion here, right around the surface of the back of his head -- it doesn't take a ton of mass to do this, and 2 red blood cells have enough mass to make an explosion slightly larger than 1 gram of TNT, which should be similar. Nebula's body is made of extremely robust unobtainium-esque uber-materials that wouldn't be scratched by a grenade, but these cultists probably would be).
As the energy is released I will use a bullet-time effect of the Chronos power to quickly move such that my body will block the blast from hitting the factory's electronics whilst simultaneously attempting to direct it toward the other cultists if they're close enough. Of course, I'm not particularly concerned with the cultists unless they have some form of supernatural power — tasers and grenades wouldn't scratch this body, and bullets would simply bounce off — but I do have suspicions about the man in the suit and my attention will turn to him as soon as I've positioned myself properly.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-25, 05:28 PM

Horizon world factory.
"LISTEN HERE YOU WALKING THIN CAN!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE!" Zenitsu shouted,only to notice the robots trying to block his way out. Noticing the schematics...there was no turning back now.
It was then he noticed the robot shooting lasers at him.
Before Zenitsu had the chance to react...

"Water breathing...fourth form...Striking tide!"
A figure jumped in front of Zenitsu,facing the robot and attempts to deflect the laser with his blade which seemed to be surounded by water like energy.

The turned to face Zenitsu. Zenitsu looked surprised. This figure looked like a 19 year old version of his old friend and fellow demon slayer Tanjiro Kamado. He was dressed the same way,but taller and with longer hair tied in a ponytail.
"It can't be Tabby, she is the reincarnation of the Tanjiro I know...Maybe he's from the same universe as Marcus's Zenitsu?" he thought.

"Zenitsu,are you alright?" AU Tanjiro asked.
"Yeah,but I'm confused right now.What are you doing in this world and are you a RS case too?" Zenitsu asked.

"Yes, like you and the Zenitsu from my world,I am a RS case. "AU Tanjiro replied. "I'll explain more after we defeat this robot. "Let just say Inosuke and I followed you from the portal. We were on SS Big as well. "
"Wait,you followed me?!" Zenitsu shouted.

"We were sent to help.Inosuke is with the Sea tribe right now,on their way to help us."
"He's here too?! You own me ALOT of explainations!!"

" In the meantime,you need to reach the core of the factory..."AU Tanjiro replied.
"And to do so,we need to defeat the robot." Zenitsu added.
" You're quick to catch on." AU Tanjiro.
The two reincarnated Demon Slayers prepared to fight the robot.
"Thunder breathing...Seventh form...Flaming Thunder God!!!' Zenitsu was surounded by elecrical energy forming the form of a dragon around him while Zenitsu held his nichirin katana

"Hinokami Kagura!" AU Tanjiro was surounded by energy mimicing fire surounding his ninchirin blade.
The two demon slayer combined their attacks as they attempted to attack the robot.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-27, 04:11 AM

"oh, i doubt i need to introduce myself but in case i'm wrong i am the prince of pranksters Harry Robinson, and yes all the funny stories you've heard about me are true."

"The name rings a bell, but I can't say I've watched anything of yours..."

"Ah, I haven't been following the monarchy since I was a teenager. I'm grateful for an opportunity to meet you, your majesty. I hope that I can help with this WRATH problem."
"Sorry, [Harry,] I'll fill you in later if no one else does. WRATH is an acronym. I came here to help out with it. Big problem."

"sounds like some sort of comic book evil organization."

"Oh, dear... either you know something we don't, or we will need to correct you, before you do something rash. Either way, I thank you for delivering them, Superman. This way, please." The king points the way up to the palace door with his scepter and leads the group across a courtyard and through a hall full of opulent decorations and plaques, all labeled with tags for potential removal. Many of the side rooms are still under renovations.

In his time here, the king has rapidly reformed the monarchy's place in Britain, and it shows. He reapportioned much of the King's Lands into free public works and housing, opening up his coffers to establish new research and gardening facilities and to maintain the buildings that developers had already put in place. The palace itself has followed the same pattern, gradually morphing into a combination museum and bureaucracy to support his new initiatives. Having not been born a prince, he found it easy to trade away much of the personal space and service that a King usually enjoys. Or so the news has said.

The group arrives at a traditional-looking war room with a round table giant maps on all sides. Men and women in medal-studded uniforms are on one side of the table, and people in goofier costumes are on the other. They all stand and bow, save for one girl with gray skin and blue hair rings who issues her monotone report without moving from her nest of cables and monitors in the corner.

"The last of the connections have been restored, your majesty. Again with negative latency and alien surveillance measures. I will continue to monitor them."

"Thank you, Miss Tio. Everyone, these three will be joining us for the general part of this briefing. I will begin by restating some of the basic tenets under which we operate. That is to say, before we can address the, 'WRATH problem,' it is on us to review the nature and background of WRATH itself. You may be seated." The gathered officers sit down. King Larry points to some chairs on the costumed side of the room for the newcomers. Superman and Winged Guy seem to prefer to stand.

"Put simply, WRATH is an organization promoting the recognition of divine moral authority over national or economic interest. I myself am largely credited with establishing it, but I maintain that we only built on foundations that were already laid. We live in a world that could feed everyone and yet lets children starve; where we all wish for peace and yet bombs are dropped everywhere; where the planet is choked with smoke and yet more fires are set each day in service of profit or so-called defense!"

The king leans on his stick and catches his breath. He can lapse into an impassioned speech, but his constitution doesn't let him get this worked up for as long as most career politicians.

"The point is, there were more than enough people who shared the sentiment that something must change. As we began to understand RS, I saw an opportunity, and started recruiting from among people those in power would sooner dissect or shut away. In the course of our studies, it became clear to me that it was not a Syndrome at all, but a new basis for power and authority, being bestowed upon humanity in out time of need: Reincarnation."

"That is what the R actually stands for," says Tio, even though nobody asked her.

"Of course, as recent events will tell you, it's not as simple as taking everyone with a voice in their head and putting them in charge. I am hoping to address that in the summit we're hosting late this afternoon. The Allied Theocratic Hegemony part of my proposal is a pact of dedication to immortal ideals, and to set aside lesser grudges and ambitions. The acronym invokes a sense of divine justice, I feel. Also it's catchy."

The service members on the formal side of the table laugh politely.

"So, now you know all of that," he gestures to the three main characters in particular, "and you know the great deal of power that has been bestowed upon you. Will you accept the responsibilities that come with it?"

The winged man's gaze again bores into Jacob. Superman suddenly takes an interest in the door. The three of you feel as though your answer here is important somehow.

"LISTEN HERE YOU WALKING THIN CAN!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE!"

"Water breathing...fourth form...Striking tide!"

Zenitsu's ponytailed friend blasts into the room out of nowhere, overwhelming the red blasts with a flood of blue energy from his own sword. The guard robot stumbles back as its integrated weapon fizzles.

"Wait,you followed me?!" Zenitsu shouted.

"You're quick to catch on. Inosuke and I were with the Sea Tribe on the coast. We saw you flying overhead."

"He's here too?! You own me ALOT of explainations!!"

"Yes, fine! But first, you need to reach the core of the factory, right?"

The demon slayers from mismatched timelines team up on the miniboss and quickly overwhelm it with a helix of blue waves and gold lightning. The robot's bent, non-functional frame bangs into its console at just the right angle to trigger the override for the elevator, and the security shutters slowly lift despite the blaring alarms.

"Not sure how the elevator controls will hold up once you blow the core. I'll stay up here and hit the button to bring you back up when I hear a shutting down and/or exploding sound. Sound good? Good."

The elevator door opens. Tanjiro leaps up to dive-kick the neck of a crane-sized worker dino, then slides into an circular attack on the ones surrounding it. They'll probably be okay while Zen is downstairs.

The core isn't that hard to get to from here. It has the shape of a massive, glowing, pale blue heart, with numerous pipes and tubes spreading from it to the rest of the complex like arteries. Metal and plastic, formed into organic shapes. There is an indecipherable touchscreen next to it. The scouter translates it and and gives you prompts to shut it down or overload it. Or you could just attack it?

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-27, 07:24 AM

"You don't have to tell me twice Tanj! I guess you'll be able track me with with sharp sense of smell." Zenitsu(Lucy) said to the variant of his best friend.
He went inside the elevator.
"Be careful!" He added as the elevator's doors close.
As the elevator went down,Zenitsu was thankful to have backup. He woudn't have done it on his own.
________
Once he reached the lower level and the door opened. Zenitsu saw the heart shaped core.
He looked at the monitors but decided that the quickest way was to attack. It was risky
He focused once again.

"Thunder breathing...Seventh form....Flaming Thundergod!"
He dashed toward the core while being surounded a dragon shaped electrical energy.
It seemed as if the dragon's jaw bites the core as Zenitsu slashes the core with all of his strength. He backed away far from the core after the attack,hoping to reach the elevator in time.

ArlEammon

2023-01-27, 09:51 AM

WRATH Problem
"Uh, I had no idea that WRATH was actually something that might be a positive. I "learned" this information not long ago."
"I promise I won't do anything rash, is all I can promise." WRATH?! Jacob thinks, though he doesn't say it out of politeness. Really, WRATH!? No, your Majesty, WRATH is not a proper name for what you were looking for. "So, I think I might say that we were misled. Someone had told us that the various horrors that have fallen across the world in terror attacks was WRATH's doing. We only knew that you disagreed with them. Hence, "The WRATH problem."

Drwily1987

2023-01-27, 11:27 AM

"The name rings a bell, but I can't say I've watched anything of yours..."

"Oh, dear... either you know something we don't, or we will need to correct you, before you do something rash. Either way, I thank you for delivering them, Superman. This way, please." The king points the way up to the palace door with his scepter and leads the group across a courtyard and through a hall full of opulent decorations and plaques, all labeled with tags for potential removal. Many of the side rooms are still under renovations.

In his time here, the king has rapidly reformed the monarchy's place in Britain, and it shows. He reapportioned much of the King's Lands into free public works and housing, opening up his coffers to establish new research and gardening facilities and to maintain the buildings that developers had already put in place. The palace itself has followed the same pattern, gradually morphing into a combination museum and bureaucracy to support his new initiatives. Having not been born a prince, he found it easy to trade away much of the personal space and service that a King usually enjoys. Or so the news has said.

The group arrives at a traditional-looking war room with a round table giant maps on all sides. Men and women in medal-studded uniforms are on one side of the table, and people in goofier costumes are on the other. They all stand and bow, save for one girl with gray skin and blue hair rings who issues her monotone report without moving from her nest of cables and monitors in the corner.

"The last of the connections have been restored, your majesty. Again with negative latency and alien surveillance measures. I will continue to monitor them."

"Thank you, Miss Tio. Everyone, these three will be joining us for the general part of this briefing. I will begin by restating some of the basic tenets under which we operate. That is to say, before we can address the, 'WRATH problem,' it is on us to review the nature and background of WRATH itself. You may be seated." The gathered officers sit down. King Larry points to some chairs on the costumed side of the room for the newcomers. Superman and Winged Guy seem to prefer to stand.

"Put simply, WRATH is an organization promoting the recognition of divine moral authority over national or economic interest. I myself am largely credited with establishing it, but I maintain that we only built on foundations that were already laid. We live in a world that could feed everyone and yet lets children starve; where we all wish for peace and yet bombs are dropped everywhere; where the planet is choked with smoke and yet more fires are set each day in service of profit or so-called defense!"

The king leans on his stick and catches his breath. He can lapse into an impassioned speech, but his constitution doesn't let him get this worked up for as long as most career politicians.

"The point is, there were more than enough people who shared the sentiment that something must change. As we began to understand RS, I saw an opportunity, and started recruiting from among people those in power would sooner dissect or shut away. In the course of our studies, it became clear to me that it was not a Syndrome at all, but a new basis for power and authority, being bestowed upon humanity in out time of need: Reincarnation."

"That is what the R actually stands for," says Tio, even though nobody asked her.

"Of course, as recent events will tell you, it's not as simple as taking everyone with a voice in their head and putting them in charge. I am hoping to address that in the summit we're hosting late this afternoon. The Allied Theocratic Hegemony part of my proposal is a pact of dedication to immortal ideals, and to set aside lesser grudges and ambitions. The acronym invokes a sense of divine justice, I feel. Also it's catchy."

The service members on the formal side of the table laugh politely.

"So, now you know all of that," he gestures to the three main characters in particular, "and you know the great deal of power that has been bestowed upon you. Will you accept the responsibilities that come with it?"

"so Larry has heard of me, i see my luck has most certainly improved from this morning." harry folds his arms and smiles as he's led inside, "i like what you've done with the place, feels homey in an art museum kind of way." he says as he arrives in the war-room and decides to take a seat because in his own words "my feet are killing me."

"hmm it's not as fancy as i predicted it would be." the joker responded in harry's mind.

"quiet! we're about to figure out what this WRATH is up to." Dr wily shouted, harry grabbed his forehead as if he was getting a headache, which he was as king Larry began his speech, once it was finished though...

"oh, i get it now, HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!!!!! oh Larry, Larry, Larry, that's the best joke I've heard in a long time! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the joker cackled from within harry's mind. "oh potter, do you really think this self-righteous geek is as benevolent as he appears to be? kid i've met my fair share of people who've deluded themselves into thinking they were the heroes in my day, like poison ivy or Ra's Al Ghul and that Sinestro fellow. Besides, his organization's name is WRATH! How does he not see it!?" the joker asked.

"Larry? before i make my decision i need to ask you a question, what do you know of the pirate attack on the SS big and the other global terrorist attacks?" Harry asked.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-27, 10:38 PM

Toronto Factory

"I warned you. Know that what happens from here is your responsibility."

So anyway Farin's head explodes.

Chelifer swears and dives behind a chair that one of the fleeing guys left behind, her back and shoulders burnt from her relative proximity to the cranial bomb. The other riflemen take cover behind barriers and factory equipment and open fire with practiced efficiency, only for their bullets to spark and ricochet off their target because their target is a Terminator.

The man in the suit and wig stays right where he is. He seems more amused than anything as he regards Nebula's appearance. "Oh! You can just do that, huh? I must say, I did not see that coming."

"You're not helping!" shouts Mrs. Chelifer. She peeks over her chair and takes a shot with her shotgun. A spider-shaped add-on to its firing mechanism pulses with an odd dubstep sound. While the rounds don't penetrate Nebula's body any better than other bullets, they carry an almost cartoonish amount of concussive force; this is the sort of gun that's as much for defenestrating people as it is for bleeding them out.

Horizon Factory

"You don't have to tell me twice Tanj! I guess you'll be able track me with with sharp sense of smell. Be careful!"
As the elevator went down, Zenitsu was thankful to have backup. He wouldn't have done it on his own.

"Thunder breathing...Seventh form....Flaming Thundergod!"

Zenitsu goes to town on the core, and it reacts about as he expects. An explosion of energy and pressure throws him into the back of the elevator and presses into him, overloading his senses and threatening to consume him as the world shakes and starts to collapse.

...and then the elevator door closes, and he can hear the danger shutters slamming outside. The energy suffusing Zenitsu's body seems to dissolve him away as he involuntarily reverts to Lucy's original form.

Lucy feels the vague residual energy burning inside her body and wriggling in the back of her psyche. In the silence and darkness, it might take a moment for her to realize she's not actually unconscious. She's just stuck in an elevator that's not turning on. Probably because the facility no longer has power.

Chuntaro shivers in the small of Lucy's back. Zenitsu must have shielded the little bird with his body.

Now what?

The big wave of mysterious energy from the core has disabled Zenitsu temporarily. He'll be available again after at least 24 hours. I'll also incorporate the lingering energy into how you will level up when the time comes for everyone to do so.

Buckingham Palace

"Uh, I had no idea that WRATH was actually something that might be a positive... So, I think I might say that we were misled. Someone had told us that the various horrors that have fallen across the world in terror attacks was WRATH's doing."

"I promise I won't do anything rash, is all I can promise."

"Then that is all I will ask of you for now. I appreciate your forthrightness."

The sense of importance in the air dissipates as quickly as it set in. Leave it to the devil to shoot down a perfectly good Faustian bargain.

Jacob can tell that the king's ambitions are genuine, but they are still very much ambitious. You could say that Larry doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body, but that some of his honest bones have fractured under the weight of the crown. Beyond that, his mind is sealed with the psychic equivalent of Most Secret sticker. To probe further would likely set off an alarm.

"Larry? before i make my decision i need to ask you a question, what do you know of the pirate attack on the SS big and the other global terrorist attacks?" Harry asked.

"For that, I'll move us along to the first topic in the briefing. Mister Johnson, do you have a report from your contacts?"

"Yes, your majesty," says a man in a cloak on the left side of the table. "The Rockets are taking credit for setting the dates in Europe, Japan and the Americas, as we expected, the goal being to back partisans they think they can control. The super-attacks in China and India are different. A few of them were once affiliated with Team Rocket, but no one seems to know who gave them the job if it was a job at all."

"Interesting. What of the attacks on our own soil?"

"Same as the Indian ones. I'd like to imagine it's because my guys have muscled out the Rockets by now..."

"...yet, it still suggests a mastermind at work, taking it into account. Excellent work. As for the pirates, what is the analysis, General?"

A woman in a red uniform on the right side of the table stands up and displays some slides on the wall behind her. "Your highness. We have found that the robots' programming includes a package resembling some animal-brain neural network experiments popular in academia lately. We are currently investigating professors and students credited with work on those papers, to see if anyone suspicious requested them. As for their physical construction, they were likely mass-produced in one place, using a mix of common and alien methodologies. Their ocean-proof design wasn't surprising given their function, but our engineers are also theorizing that they were built underwater as well, suggesting that we may well be looking for a facility at the bottom of the sea. Thus, there may be a danger of more robots surfacing at any time."

Superman nods. The buff blonde's glare is now divided between Jacob and Harry. Did he also hear what the Joker was saying?

"Again, excellent work. My compliments, to you and to your team."

"You're too kind, your majesty." The general bows and sits down, a little uncomfortable. The king has a tendency to dish out extravagant praise as a means of dealing with stress.

"Now, do we have any questions or insights to add on these topics before we continue to the topic of otherworldly portals?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-28, 05:47 AM

Horizon factory

Having reverted back to herself against her will and partly injured,Lucy tried to get up.
"Ahhhh,I'm so sorry....when that energy reverted us,it seemed to have put me out of commision temporarally...." Zenitsu replied in Lucy's head. "I can't get out for now..."
"It's alright..we did a great job,right?" Lucy said.
"Are you alright?!" She heard a voice. " Hold on I'm coming!" She heard AU Tanjiro's voice.
Chuntaro looked worried. "It's alright Chuntaro." Lucy replied.
"I can try to heal ourselves...Can you..." Rinoa asked.
Lucy looked at her crystal....It was fully charged. " I guess I can..." She said. She focused
" Rinoa Heartilly...rebel sorceress...come forth!"

Light magic surounded her. When it died down...Lucy was now in the form of a young woman with long brown hair dressed in a blue dress with a crossbowlike weapon on her right wrist. Chuntaro was used to her mistress transformation.
" Curaga!" Rinoa( Lucy) casted her healing spell on herself.
She then heard a familliar voice
" Water breathing...tenth form....Constant flux!"
The doors of the elevator were destroyed.
"Glad you could make it Tanjiro!" Rinoa said to her ally.
Tanjiro was first surpised at the new face,but easilly regonise her by her scent." You are one of Zenitsu,I mean Lucy's past lives right?" he asked.
Rinoa nodded. " Zenitsu is resting right now. I'm Rinoa Heartilly, Leader of the Forest Owls. Nice to meet you!"
"A pleasue to meet you Rinoa." Tanjiro replied. " We need to get out of this factory. I'll help if you need it."
"I'm a capable fighter on my own." Rinoa replied as she followed Tanjiro.

Drwily1987

2023-01-28, 05:52 AM

Buckingham Palace

"Then that is all I will ask of you for now. I appreciate your forthrightness."

The sense of importance in the air dissipates as quickly as it set in. Leave it to the devil to shoot down a perfectly good Faustian bargain.

Jacob can tell that the king's ambitions are genuine, but they are still very much ambitious. You could say that Larry doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body, but that some of his honest bones have fractured under the weight of the crown. Beyond that, his mind is sealed with the psychic equivalent of Most Secret sticker. To probe further would likely set off an alarm.

"For that, I'll move us along to the first topic in the briefing. Mister Johnson, do you have a report from your contacts?"

"Yes, your majesty," says a man in a cloak on the left side of the table. "The Rockets are taking credit for setting the dates in Europe, Japan and the Americas, as we expected, the goal being to back partisans they think they can control. The super-attacks in China and India are different. A few of them were once affiliated with Team Rocket, but no one seems to know who gave them the job if it was a job at all."

"Interesting. What of the attacks on our own soil?"

"Same as the Indian ones. I'd like to imagine it's because my guys have muscled out the Rockets by now..."

"...yet, it still suggests a mastermind at work, taking it into account. Excellent work. As for the pirates, what is the analysis, General?"

A woman in a red uniform on the right side of the table stands up and displays some slides on the wall behind her. "Your highness. We have found that the robots' programming includes a package resembling some animal-brain neural network experiments popular in academia lately. We are currently investigating professors and students credited with work on those papers, to see if anyone suspicious requested them. As for their physical construction, they were likely mass-produced in one place, using a mix of common and alien methodologies. Their ocean-proof design wasn't surprising given their function, but our engineers are also theorizing that they were built underwater as well, suggesting that we may well be looking for a facility at the bottom of the sea. Thus, there may be a danger of more robots surfacing at any time."

Superman nods. The buff blonde's glare is now divided between Jacob and Harry. Did he also hear what the Joker was saying?

"Again, excellent work. My compliments, to you and to your team."

"You're too kind, your majesty." The general bows and sits down, a little uncomfortable. The king has a tendency to dish out extravagant praise as a means of dealing with stress.

"Now, do we have any questions or insights to add on these topics before we continue to the topic of otherworldly portals?"

Harry would silently listen through the briefing to gather every last bit of information he could on what had happened, and he had learned some information, information that he either already knew like say the design of the Robots and some of which was disturbing. For example just what exactly was a Super-attack?

"No doubt a particularly violent terrorist attack." Dr wily explained to the best of his ability"Be on your guard harry, not just with the clown but with the King as well, i don't recommend making any moves just yet, we're not prepared for a confrontation with the man of steel yet, we must obtain some of this kryptonite that i've seen in Mr napier's memories."

"perhaps we should also work on dealing with tall, buff and winged as well?" The joker asked teasingly.

"If the winged idiot has overheard us we're done for!" Dr wily berated the joker. "we must analyze him before we can plan how to take him down."

"what about the facility where the robots were made?" harry asked his brain-mates.

"we must plot a way to seize it for ourselves so that at long last, I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Dr wily cackled maniacally.

"Um quite, what about the Interdimensional portals?" Harry asked his mind-mates.

"Interdimensional portals?" The joker asked giddily as if he was about to press a BRB to set off a death trap that batman was in. "WE GO THROUGH THEM! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" and with that the joker had just joined Dr wily in the cacklefest, he swore he could hear wine glasses clinking together.

"Ohh lord...." Was what harry was thinking. Before he spoke up. "Yes actually, a couple of things, One who's the winged man? Two do you know that WRATH is a terrible name for what you're planning PR wise?" After harry asked his question he decided to look at himself in a mirror he had on hand to see if his appearance had been altered at all.

In that darkest corner of Harry's mind
"...Fools...it won't be you that emerges as the ruler of this miserable planet. IT WILL BE ME! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!" the mysterious entity declared with no one around to hear him...

a BRB is a big red button.

niw18

2023-01-28, 01:36 PM

The SS BIG

The teen would walk about he had seen some fighting but it was not really his business to get involved, as he would love to, but hell, it's better for him to see what his maybe potential opponents could do before facing him, so no surprises he has to adjust for. He would walk around taking mental notes on anything he could see but he had his favorite book to read and he had not worked out much at the moment and would find a deck that seemed to have no one around and would do a handstand before doing one finger push-ups. he would then do shadow boxing and create the fighting spirit of the iron mike to box against and spar. He would be sparing the literally with the spirit of Iron mike and getting hit by it was it is physically there.

Aleph Null

2023-01-28, 07:40 PM

I turn my attention to the fellow in the suit and wig, casually ignoring the concussive grapeshot as I address the individual who is clearly the actual agent of WRATH who is calling the shots here.
"I find your lack of emotional response disturbingly inconsistent with those of the others in this room. Perhaps I should teach you some respect."
The human body has convenient sources of several volatile ions: sulfite (SO3 which can be assembled from the disulfide bridges present in the structural polypeptides of many proteins and the large amount of oxygen in the body), fluorine (present in the hard structure of bone enamel and several proteins essential to cellular respiration), carbon, and hydrogen (both virtually ubiquitous in the body). By manipulating atomic forces in the area I will convert the various bones and connective tissues present in his right hand into Triflic Acid (CF3SO3H), one of the strongest known acids which is about a billion times stronger than pure sulfuric acid. This of course represents a rather enormous energy expenditure on my part (approximately 35 MJ worth), but fortunately that can be supplemented by drawing upon the mass of the floor tiles beneath my feet.
"I hope I've made myself abundantly clear. I do not make threats. I only make promises. By failing to heed my warning, you invite death to your doorstep — you've nobody but yourselves to blame for the fate you will suffer.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-29, 12:13 AM

Reincarnation Syndrome: The SS Big

Recap

Austin Shimazaki walks along the boardwalk on the starboard side of the SS Big's Housing District, seeking out some solitude in which to do his daily workout. As he goes through his routine, he reflects on the strange events of the day and considers all of the "opponents" he has met.

Kate, Alicia, Justine, Liam, Jacob, Yahya, Nebula, Lucy, Aisling, and Harry. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650493-Reincarnation-Syndrome-(Sheet-Pile)) Some have been living in the shadows with Reincarnation Syndrome for years, some have only today come to see they have RS at all. As of yesterday, all have been awakened to a great spike in power, including Austin himself.

Eshaal, a scientist in a blue headscarf, whose submarine-like chamber received the group in the very beginning. She explained she was studying RS through the lens of something called Conduit Theory, which posited that your Reincarnations were being called upon via psychic connections to other worlds, and that her test chamber accidentally snapped you up when your Reincarnation Conduits suddenly spiked in power. Before she sent you back to the SS Big, she pointed out her location on a globe and promised that she would set up a beacon so you could come find her later.

Monokuma, Captain of the Teddy Bear Pirates. They were apparently responsible for all of the bombs and attacks on the SS Big, and admitted to as much over the telescreens that they set up all over the ship. They gave Austin plenty of opportunity for boxing practice, even if he was trying to avoid them. The whole group used their new powers to fight off the pirates. Ultimately, Monokuma went down with his ship, sinking into a glowing green whirlpool that goes who-knows-where. Of course, Jacob and Nebula seemed to go down with him, and they both came back somehow...

Sam, a ten-year-old boy carrying a canister vacuum cleaner he found in the hotel district. Austin gathers that Sam was responsible for the "portal" at the center of the whirlpool, though what he did to cause it is a little unclear. Justine acted as his guardian as the SS Big's passengers tried to recover from the pirate raid, which took the SS Big's entire crew and then some.

Superman, as in the one from the comic books, showed up more recently. He, Yahya and Jacob transported the huddled passengers to refugee facilities, with many going to Jakarta. Superman also brought some inspectors and engineers to the SS Big on his return trips, who have begun repairs alongside Aisling and some pirates that Harry reprogrammed. Between the inspectors and the volunteers who have stayed aboard, Austin's position as an observer has let him catch wind of some... interesting rumors. The first rumor is that Superman moved the ship itself to cover up the portal at the center of the whirlpool. This rumor checks out. The other rumors are all about world events.

King Lawrence I, the strangely popular young king of England, has invited world leaders to a summit to coordinate recovery efforts from a ridiculous series of terror attacks that happened simultaneously with those on the Big. According to the rumor, Larry intends to recruit nations into WRATH, his personal pet project, a "World-Ranging Alliance of Theocratic Hegemonies." One surly passenger with a drawl mentioned that he figured the fledgling MidEast Union would be a shoe-in to join, but a passenger with an Indian accent quickly corrected him, saying that they heard an MEU spokeswoman saying WRATH was an imperial abomination and that they would have nothing to do with Larry's summit.

A couple hours ago, Superman took Harry, Justine and Jacob to London to meet with the King. Nebula, Liam and Lucy have each warped away to do their own things. Aisling, Yahya, probably Kate and Alicia, and of course Austin himself remain on the SS Big, watching the sun climb down the sky this afternoon in the Pacific Ocean.

What a day it's been.

The SS Big

The teen would walk about he had seen some fighting but it was not really his business to get involved...

Austin's mind finally moves on to his own mission, the one that brought him aboard the city-ship in the first place. It was supposed to be an easy job, protecting some psychotic millionaire carrying a big blackmail payment to Jakarta. Vincent Simmons was his name, emphasis on was. During the fight with the pirates, Jacob singled out Vince and sucked the life out of him before Austin could get a word in.

The Team Rocket guy who gave Austin the job will probably understand, given the circumstances. It helps that Austin has since had plenty of time to search Vince's body and retrieve the blackmail payload, an unassuming USB stick full of some secret pay-data from the States. It turns out the creep hid it in the lining of his jacket like an amateur. If Austin brings it back to Japan, he can probably hand it off to his contact Coco and collect the rest of his pay.

As Austin wraps up his workout and starts to plan his next move, he hears a strange sound from the ocean. When he looks over, he sees a shimmering silhouette of a submarine glowing just beneath the waves. From the center of the shimmer, a small hatch pops out of the water and opens up invitingly.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-29, 07:50 AM

Horizon factory

Rinoa(Lucy) and AU Tanjiro went through the factory,trying to get out.
As they were close to the exit,a familiar figure greated them.
"What took you so long Other Kentaro?!!!" said the bare chested 15 year old young man wearing a boar mask and animal skins on his pants.
Lucy and Zenitsu in her mind could regonise him.
That was indeed Inosuke Hashibira from the main Demon Slayer universe.
"That's him alright..." Zenitsu said in Lucy's mind. "Even in another life he still got names wrong..."

"Why am I not surprised..." AU Tanjiro replied annoyed. " My Inosuke also has names wrong." he explained to Rinoa.

"Where's Monitsu?!" Inosuke shouted. " I thought you said you would bring him back!!!"

"That's Zenitsu!" Zenitsu shouted inside Lucy's mind.
"Well...I did bring him back..." AU Tanjiro replied,mentioning Lucy,who was curently in Rinoa's form.
"That's not Monitsu!!!"
"Please excuse him. As you can tell,he's the Inosuke from your universe you lived life as Zenitsu Agatsuma."
"That's me alright! The great Lord Inosuke!!!!!"

Both Rinoa and AU Tanjiro gave weird looks to him.

"Well...What you see me as right now,and Zenitsu are part of my past lives." Rinoa(Lucy) explain. "In this form,my name was Rinoa Heartilly. But in original and in curent life's form,my name is Lucy Carlson."she added.

"So Monitsu is still inside?! Can he come out?!" Inosuke asked.
"Not right now. The battle took alot from us. That part of me is resting." Rinoa( Lucy) replied.

"I don't get it..."Inosuke replied.
"Inosuke,sorry to change the subject,but are the Sea Tribe with you? The sooner we find them the sooner we can return to our world " AU Tanjiro asked.
Return in which world?" Rinoa asked.

"You mean my new underlings?! Well..."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-29, 06:12 PM

Buck Pal

"Yes actually, a couple of things, One who's the winged man? Two do you know that WRATH is a terrible name for what you're planning PR wise?"

"Sven? He is my chief of security. As for the name being bad, no, I pointedly do not know that."

A short, bald man on the right side of the table sighs in quiet despair. He must be the king's actual PR guy.

Harry gets out a small hand mirror and successfully confirms that he is still not a vampire. The king seems annoyed. Those questions were valid enough, but this just feels like Harry isn't paying attention anymore. "Well, if that's all, then I suppose we'll move on."

"We discovered a new portal near the SS Big," Superman cuts in, trying to keep Harry and Larry from fighting. "It was green an opaque, but allowed seawater to flow down into it, creating a sucking whirlpool. For now, I have covered it with the hull of the ship itself."

"Green, you say?" chimes in a general. "I received a report that the green portal in Tokyo suddenly closed. Could it be related?"

Tor Fac

"I find your lack of emotional response disturbingly inconsistent with those of the others in this room. Perhaps I should teach you some respect."

Having already seen one of Nebula's tricks, Wig Man winces and flicks their forearm as soon as they feel a tingle. It glows with a bright blue and purple as it liquefies, then falls from his body and starts burning a smoking hole in the floor.

He's had worse.

"Respect?" he repeats indignantly as he steps away from the stinking puddle.

"I hope I've made myself abundantly clear. I do not make threats. I only make promises. By failing to heed my warning, you invite death to your doorstep — you've nobody but yourselves to blame for the fate you will suffer."

"Now, on that I must beg to differ," he says, regaining his composure. "Being only a consultant myself, I have no means to produce and no arms to lay down. Well, except my left one, now," he flaps his arm-stump. "As such, I think I was reasonable in interpreting myself as exempt. Though I do support my clients' decision to pursue their ideals to the death, of course."

"Like hell you do," Chelifer snarls, reloading her shotgun.

"Anyway, Enforcer of the Law of the Universe, on whose authority are you acting? Did King Larry send you?"

Drwily1987

2023-01-29, 06:16 PM

"Sven? He is my chief of security. As for the name being bad, no, I pointedly do not know that."

A short, bald man on the right side of the table sighs in quiet despair. He must be the king's actual PR guy.

Harry gets out a small hand mirror and successfully confirms that he is still not a vampire. The king seems annoyed. Those questions were valid enough, but this just feels like Harry isn't paying attention anymore. "Well, if that's all, then I suppose we'll move on."

"We discovered a new portal near the SS Big," Superman cuts in, trying to keep Harry and Larry from fighting. "It was green an opaque, but allowed seawater to flow down into it, creating a sucking whirlpool. For now, I have covered it with the hull of the ship itself."

"Green, you say?" chimes in a general. "I received a report that the green portal in Tokyo suddenly closed. Could it be related?"

harry puts away the mirror after looking at himself and overhears superman and king Larry's conversation. "Gee, let's see here. A portal closes just as another opens? sure sounds related to me."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-29, 06:41 PM

Horizon world
"Revert!"
Light surounded Rinoa and she reverted to Lucy's original form. Inosuke was surprised but AU Tanjiro wasn't.
"Listen Tanjiro,now that the coast is cleared,now would be the time for explainations. What happened in the real world and why are you mentioning Tokyo of all places?!" Lucy asked.
"My sister who has also RS is back in the real world. I don't know if your friend Marcus is still protecting her. Everything else too. If you know something,I need to know!" Lucy asked.

AU Tanjiro signed. "I guess it would be time,but not here.Follow me." AU Tanjiro,Inosuke and Lucy headed outside of the factory.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-01-30, 08:51 PM

Horizon (?) World

Lucy was now... Rinoa. "Nice to meet you!"

"A pleasue."

Rinoa(Lucy) and AU Tanjiro went.

"Other Kentaro?!!!" Inosuke shouted. "I don't get it..."

"What happened in the real world?! My sister... If you know something,I need to know!"

After Inosuke smashes the T-Rex and some bio-sensing checkpoints for good measure, he and AU Tanjiro lead the way out of the de-powered factory complex and back to the coastal lighthouse that Zenitsu previously flew over. Tanjiro carries Rinoa in their arms if they don't have their own travel powers.

"We're back, everyone!" Tanjiro calls out as the team arrives.

"And we brought Girl Monitsu, I guess!" says Inosuke.

"Who??" shouts a rifle-wielding bearded Frenchman, leading a group of people with silver raincoats. He already has a laser sight trained on Rinoa, but after a brief introduction he lowers it and powers down his weird electronic gun. "Fine, I guess she can live if you demon slayers are vouching for her. But that won't keep if you start building an army on us!"

"No, of course not!" Tanjiro says, raising their hands to placate the tribalsm'n. "Actually, I'm hoping we'll all be going home soon. I think she came here through a new portal."

"That the rest of us still can't follow you through," the Frenchman says bitterly.

"Probably not. Sorry."

"OK, cool," Inosuke chimes in, "so are we gonna tell Rinitsu-chan what's going on or what?"

"Can you do it? I need to go talk to the Conseil about the factory situation before they think we're conspiring against them or something."

"Uhh..." Inosuke was actually looking forward to a refresher himself, but he can't think of a way to say that without sounding like an idiot. "Ugh! Fine!"

Inosuke explains that they, 'Other Other Monitsu,' and, 'Tangerine's evil sister,' were all students in Tokyo before they developed RS. Tanjiro had a particularly bad time with it. All memory of his normal life was replaced over a couple of days, leaving him stranded with an identity no one else could recognize. In his confused state, he was soon found by the others and inducted into their small club, led by a college professor who was studying RS as part of some secret government project. Inosuke proudly claims that it was he who figured out whose RCs were canon and whose were fan fiction, though Lucy can guess that Marcus probably had something to do with it.

Lucy quickly puts together that the other other Zenitsu must be Marcus. Inosuke says that Marcus took it upon himself to find more people to join their team, using his unique ability to sense a Demon Slayer RC by listening to someone's voice. Inosuke isn't sure why Marcus asked Lucy to board the SS Big. "He didn't meet you there? Huh. Weird. Anyway..."

The team's professor advisor had built a lab around a mysterious green portal, and gave the club members the task of exploring what was on the other side. Naturally, that portal went to a version of the Demon Slayer universe - or it least, it used to. For some reason, the portal suddenly closed behind Inosuke and Tanjiro a couple days ago, and the world turned into this weird dinosaur-robot business. The two of them have been living in an uneasy alliance with these Sea Tribe characters ever since.

"But hey! With your map thing, we definitely know this is France, right? That explains why the geography's different!"

Tanjiro returns from his meeting just in time to be disappointed that that was Inosuke's takeaway from all this.

"It sounds like the portal somehow moved from Tokyo to wherever your ship was," Tanjiro adds, "and whatever moved it also... changed it into this somehow? There has to be a way to put it back the way it was. Right? Please tell me there is."

"Who cares? It's not like it was ever the real world anyway."

"It was for me!" Tanjiro exclaims. Inosuke falls silent as he remembers the thing he just told Lucy ten minutes ago. Tanjiro sighs. "Look, you're right, it won't matter until we get back to your world anyway. We can figure out the rest then. For now, Zen- um, Rinoa, can you lead us back to the portal you came through?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-01-30, 10:15 PM

"Oh...right,the portal I came through..." Rinoa(Lucy) I replied. "I do recall it was on top of a waterfall south from here. I can lead the way. The tribe that greeted me gave me this GPS device to help me find my way." she explained.

"That will come in handy!" AU Tanjiro replied. "My sence of sence of smell and this device might help us find us find the way." he added.

Rinoa( Lucy),AU Tanjiro and Inosuke braved the dangers ahead on their way back to the tribe.

"I was wondering what Marcus is doing." Rinoa asked.
"You mean Other Other Monitsu?! He went to meet with this Lord Barry or something?!"

" That's King Larry."AU Tanjiro replied."Just an investigation on something the king has planned."

"King...Larry.." that name was familiar to Lucy.
" Oh...the new king of england!" She said. Lucy remembers him from seeing him on television. Her sister Tabby finds him cute and was a big fan.

" Well sooner we can find the portal,the soonerbwe can get back home. AU Tanjiro replied."

" I miss home as well..." Rinoa( Lucy) replied.

As they got closer to the location of the portal...

"I don't think they will regonise me as Rinoa but they know as some sort of "shapeshifter" due to the crystal and my RS case so I might be fine." Rinoa told to her new allies. "
"I woudn't worry about that." AU Tanjiro replied.
He tried to pick up any unusual scent. Lucy did tell him that sea water poured from the portal after all.
--------
England,real world.
Meanwhile,Marcus was on his way to the briefing.
It has been awhile since he has set foot in London. Before he left to study in Tokyo,shortly before he awoke his RS which changed him physically. His birthname and curent life now a disguise hiding his past life which is now his resl self. With the paparazzi around,it was safer for him to keep his rubber mask on so no one outside knows he's an RS and part of the Neo Demon Slayer Corps, a club of sort in their college in Tokyo. Paparazi made him anxious.
He debated if he should reveal himself to the King and the others. He wore his uniform and haori under his clothes too,just in case.
He heard that Superman brought a few RS cases from the SS Big. Was Lucy one of them?

The sounds coming from the briefing room wasn't hers. He was worried for his protege. He hoped she was there in the room,despite his sharp sense of hearing trying to confirm that it wasn't the case. Was it the right choice to send her?
It was. He has faith in the young woman.
"Be careful Lucy..." he muttered.

ArlEammon

2023-02-04, 02:55 AM

(bumping this for ease of finding it)

Aleph Null

2023-02-06, 11:46 AM

What an interesting response. Clearly this human requires further investigation.
"My authority is my own. I require authorization from no one, because the only thing that is currently keeping me from writing you out of existence and erasing every deed you've ever done from the current timeline so as to make an example of you is the sheer curiosity I can't help but feel at your actions and responses to my question."
This is technically true, though I also would likely need to consume a significant portion of this factory in order to mass-convert enough energy for such a tremendous expenditure, meaning I would not have the factory to use anymore. This would be quite inconvenient, but such is irrelevant to the current discussion.
"I assume you're referring to the current British monarch? I've no connections with him at the moment, or at least none he's aware of. I could attempt to influence his forces, but that would be a waste of time now that I've found you here. And I'm not terribly keen on letting anyone go until I have what I'm after, which incidentally I believe you and your cronies here have — that is, of course, this factory, and also whatever information you know about WRATH and its operations. Feel free to try and stop me, but it's unlikely to do you any good..."
I pick up a shard of a shattered grapeshot off the ground and eye it with a bit of curiosity, trying to push the idea that the fact that I've found them means they've already lost. It's a calculated assumption, of course, but I'm reasonably sure of its veracity.

ArlEammon

2023-02-12, 10:33 PM

((Once again bumping this to the first page for safety's sake.

thethird

2023-02-13, 06:54 AM

The sky above a secret facility, on an oil rig, somwhere

It's funny how everyone takes the sky for granted, the vault of heaven is immaculate, and unmarred. Until it's not. At first it's a smudge, a scratch, on the sky. Then it twitches. And anyone thinking it's a bird, it's a plane, learns the answer... it's a root.

A root soon accompanied by another one, and another, and another, until there are six of them. They seem to grab a hold on the sky, pulling, tearing it, from where a thicker root springs out. It is this root that blindly palpates the sky and reaches towards the oil rig. The root twists into itself, making a ring, that starts coalescing mana, and suddenly a portal springs into place.

From it, what looks like a humanoid walking tree jumps onto the oil rig. It's bark is white, and there is a crown of branches and golden leaves, it wears a dark cowl and carries a walking staff. The most alien, feature though, it's its face. It's face doesn't resemble a human's face in any way. It's a weird cross between a flower, and an ant, with five eyers that glint with intelligence.

It speaks, a wooden chittering noise with leaves ruffling as he moves. His mind though is projected outward, sending thoughts to those around.

"I'm Tangled Branches, pratreearch of Vast, I've come to bargain."

niw18

2023-02-13, 08:07 PM

Reincarnation Syndrome: The SS Big

Recap

Austin Shimazaki walks along the boardwalk on the starboard side of the SS Big's Housing District, seeking out some solitude in which to do his daily workout. As he goes through his routine, he reflects on the strange events of the day and considers all of the "opponents" he has met.

Kate, Alicia, Justine, Liam, Jacob, Yahya, Nebula, Lucy, Aisling, and Harry. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650493-Reincarnation-Syndrome-(Sheet-Pile)) Some have been living in the shadows with Reincarnation Syndrome for years, some have only today come to see they have RS at all. As of yesterday, all have been awakened to a great spike in power, including Austin himself.

Eshaal, a scientist in a blue headscarf, whose submarine-like chamber received the group in the very beginning. She explained she was studying RS through the lens of something called Conduit Theory, which posited that your Reincarnations were being called upon via psychic connections to other worlds, and that her test chamber accidentally snapped you up when your Reincarnation Conduits suddenly spiked in power. Before she sent you back to the SS Big, she pointed out her location on a globe and promised that she would set up a beacon so you could come find her later.

Monokuma, Captain of the Teddy Bear Pirates. They were apparently responsible for all of the bombs and attacks on the SS Big, and admitted to as much over the telescreens that they set up all over the ship. They gave Austin plenty of opportunity for boxing practice, even if he was trying to avoid them. The whole group used their new powers to fight off the pirates. Ultimately, Monokuma went down with his ship, sinking into a glowing green whirlpool that goes who-knows-where. Of course, Jacob and Nebula seemed to go down with him, and they both came back somehow...

Sam, a ten-year-old boy carrying a canister vacuum cleaner he found in the hotel district. Austin gathers that Sam was responsible for the "portal" at the center of the whirlpool, though what he did to cause it is a little unclear. Justine acted as his guardian as the SS Big's passengers tried to recover from the pirate raid, which took the SS Big's entire crew and then some.

Superman, as in the one from the comic books, showed up more recently. He, Yahya and Jacob transported the huddled passengers to refugee facilities, with many going to Jakarta. Superman also brought some inspectors and engineers to the SS Big on his return trips, who have begun repairs alongside Aisling and some pirates that Harry reprogrammed. Between the inspectors and the volunteers who have stayed aboard, Austin's position as an observer has let him catch wind of some... interesting rumors. The first rumor is that Superman moved the ship itself to cover up the portal at the center of the whirlpool. This rumor checks out. The other rumors are all about world events.

King Lawrence I, the strangely popular young king of England, has invited world leaders to a summit to coordinate recovery efforts from a ridiculous series of terror attacks that happened simultaneously with those on the Big. According to the rumor, Larry intends to recruit nations into WRATH, his personal pet project, a "World-Ranging Alliance of Theocratic Hegemonies." One surly passenger with a drawl mentioned that he figured the fledgling MidEast Union would be a shoe-in to join, but a passenger with an Indian accent quickly corrected him, saying that they heard an MEU spokeswoman saying WRATH was an imperial abomination and that they would have nothing to do with Larry's summit.

A couple hours ago, Superman took Harry, Justine and Jacob to London to meet with the King. Nebula, Liam and Lucy have each warped away to do their own things. Aisling, Yahya, probably Kate and Alicia, and of course Austin himself remain on the SS Big, watching the sun climb down the sky this afternoon in the Pacific Ocean.

What a day it's been.

The SS Big

Austin's mind finally moves on to his own mission, the one that brought him aboard the city-ship in the first place. It was supposed to be an easy job, protecting some psychotic millionaire carrying a big blackmail payment to Jakarta. Vincent Simmons was his name, emphasis on was. During the fight with the pirates, Jacob singled out Vince and sucked the life out of him before Austin could get a word in.

The Team Rocket guy who gave Austin the job will probably understand, given the circumstances. It helps that Austin has since had plenty of time to search Vince's body and retrieve the blackmail payload, an unassuming USB stick full of some secret pay-data from the States. It turns out the creep hid it in the lining of his jacket like an amateur. If Austin brings it back to Japan, he can probably hand it off to his contact Coco and collect the rest of his pay.

As Austin wraps up his workout and starts to plan his next move, he hears a strange sound from the ocean. When he looks over, he sees a shimmering silhouette of a submarine glowing just beneath the waves. From the center of the shimmer, a small hatch pops out of the water and opens up invitingly.

He had to figure out a safe place to hide the money and USB until he could hand it to coco. He hoped his employers would not care that the amateur fool was killed off like it was nothing. He would then, from the corner of his eyes, see movement in the water would, check it out, and would see the silhouette of a submarine glowing and the cente before noticing the hatch open up and waited to see if this was someone or a group he had to take care of as part of the job or it was maybe someone sent by the employer to check up on him. Austin would wait but he was ready to fight if it was needed but he also hoped it was something else but he was ready for what ever was going to happen.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-15, 06:02 PM

Horizon area,Nova Chrystalia

Rinoa,AU Tanjiro and Inosuke were on their way to the location of the portal when a cry was heard,one of a large bird.

They looked avove,only to see something odd for this world.
A large red and white bird flew down to them.
This bird however was a real one and not one made of metal like every creature in this world.
The bird landed near them.
Tanjiro tried to retain Inosuke from attacking the bird.
On top of the large avian was a young woman with brown hair wearing a blue and white dress.
Lucy could regonised the woman from a game she used to play: Final Fantasy 10
She was Yuna,a summoner from Spira. What was she doing in the Horizon world?
"I am relived that you are safe. Lady Ria told me to look for a boy in yellow named Zenitsu,but what I could find is different people. She noticed the crystal in Rinoa( Lucy)'s neck. As well as Chuntaro on her shoulder. " The crystal around your neck and the sparrow..." said Yuna.
" Well,Zenitsu and the form you see me right now are..."

"No need to explain. Lady Ria told me everything." Yuna explain. " You can take the form of your past lives. You are somewhat a summoner but different then me." Yuna replied,giggling.

"Yes,in a way." Rinoa( Lucy)replied.
"What happened, I can tell you are not part of this world." Au Tanjiro asked Yuna.
" Well...I am now. My world,Spira,has fused with this land,and other worlds might be part of this new world." she explained.
"My friends are with Lady Ria as we speak. I was told to seek you and take you back to them. There might be something wrong with the waterfall portal you came through."
"What do you mean?" Rinoa ( Lucy ) asked.
"Maybe that's why I can't smell sea water from where it should be." AU Tanjiro replied.
"No time to explain. Just climb on Valefor's back. She will take us to the tribe and the portal." Yuna replied.
Rinoa,AU Tanjiro and Inosuke climbed up.
Valefor flew up toward the location of the portal.
--------
Buckingnam palace.

Marcus was guided inside the briefing room by bodyguards.
He bowed to the king.
"Sorry for being late your highness. I had other buisness to attend to. I am here on behalf of the Neo Demon Slayer Corps of Tokyo to report what is going on." he explained.

Marcus then sat down near Jacob,Harry and Justine. He coudn't see Lucy anywhere.
As he was waiting for the king to allow him to explain what was going on. He started at both Jacob and Harry.
He was weary of them. He could hear malevolent sounds coming from both of them.
He was sweating under his rubber mask.
"Well,I heard you came from the SS Big,am I right?" he asked them,fixing his glasses.
"A friend of mine who has also RS boarded the ship too. Her name is Lucy Carlson. I'm surprised she isn't here." Marcus explained to them. "I suppose you seen her? He asked.

ArlEammon

2023-02-17, 08:47 AM

Speaking With Marcus
"I'm sorry." Jacob responded. "I don't recall her."
"What about you two?" Jacob asked Harry and Christine. The many whispers and arguments in Jacob's head was beginning to make him anxious. As the profane and blasphemous words were echoing in Jacob's consciousness, he managed to suppress his visible discomfort quite effectively.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-17, 07:28 PM

"Oh,my bad,perhaps you haven't met her. I supposed since you have RS,you might have met her,but I was wrong..."Marcus said not too loud. "...I can tell that you are a RS like me because of my abillity to regonise certain types of RS by the sounds they make." he explained. "Sorry for not being loud. Don't want to attract unwanted attention on you." Marcus told Jacob. " I can see Mr Angel over here seems interested in you for some reason. Maybe it's because of the sinister sounds I'm picking up from you. Sorry for pointing it out my friend. I am also I RS case as you can tell." Marcus explained. while whispering."Marcus Porter...that name used to be my real name,now it's only a secret identity as my past life identity is now my real identity...too long to explain."
He then briefly turned to attention to Harry."As for you,I'm a fan! I really enjoy your comedy!" Marcus told Harry."I watched videos of your performances on YouTube." He tried not to talk about his RS yet.

Drwily1987

2023-02-17, 11:34 PM

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-18, 03:58 PM

"Well...how can I explain this..." Marcus was hesitant to reveal himself to people he didn't know even other RS cases. It was different with Lucy and his fellow members of the Neo Demon Slayer Corps,because they were trustworthy. For these three,it was different,since two of the three had sinister readings.
"I am a college student that happens to be a member of a Club in this college,which happens to have RS cases like me among it's members." Marcus tried to explain. "Which explains why am I here. We're trying to help people in need...and stop bad people." Was he telling too much,even if he bended the truth a little bid.

"The teacher in charge of our club sended me here on his behalf to report what is going on in Tokyo." Marcus added,laughing nervously.
"I mean,it's not as if I held an important position in our...club you know..." he added.

He felt uneasy. He hoped that Harry and Jacob's RS were not mind readers.
"Tokyo had it's share of problems to during this...global crisis recently." Marcus added."And seeing London,my land of birth,in the same state. It breaks my heart. I wish I could do something to stop this." he said,speaking his mind.
"Sorry...I spoke my mind right now. My bad..."

thethird

2023-02-21, 10:31 AM

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-21, 08:20 PM

Nova Crystalia - Somewhere

Roots sprung up from the ground tasting the air rich with mana. They form a circle from which a portal springs into existence. From it a figure wearing a dark green cowled cloak springs. With lithe movements it checks the trees around, and after making sure the place is safe it pulls out her hood. She's an elf woman, blonde and pointy eared, with a bow slinged on her back, and several sprouts pocking out of a leather bag at her hip.

She climbs to a vantage point, trying to get a read on the area, trying to find what might be close by. Meanwhile the roots that formed the portal that got her there, unroot, pulling back and hiding on the ground.

Duscae Plains,Lucis, Nova Chrystalia

The area was a plain surounded by a forest and road not too far from the elf woman's curent location.
Cars could be seem passing by on the road.

A large yellow bird creaturw,known to locals as a Chocobo,was seen pecking on the grass nearby a large stone structure.

On the top of the structure was campment of sort. It was a sign of civilisation. A man in a fancy suit with brown hair and wearing glasses was the first to come out of the tent,heading to what seems to be cooking equipment,three more men joined him outside,a young man with messy blond hair,a buff man and the last a young man with messy black hair,who yawned and seemed to be half asleep. The four of them started to talk about to do today as the ine with the glasses was preparing breakfest.

The blond young man noticed the Chocobo down the stone structure and got down to meet it.
" Here there buddy!" the young man said to the Chocobo,patting it on the beak. "Did you sleep well?"

thethird

2023-02-22, 06:22 AM

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-22, 04:54 PM

Duscae Plains,Lucis, Nova Chrystalia

The elven woman looks around and spots the camp. <There are people here.> she says on a strange language to one of the plants there. <I know. I know>. A shrub sprouts close to her, having some orange berries that she eats. Then she approaches the campers.

She raises her arms and waves at them from afar. "I think I am a bit lost..." Her voice is clear and vibrant, but her accent is coarse, and dusty, like an old elder that has lived all its live on a remote forest. She smiles, lips pressed not baring teeth, and pulls down her hood showing her face and her green eyes that twinkle with mirth.

Her stomach grumbles and she twitches looking down. She tightly grabs her bag with the sprouts and approaches the group.

"Sorry, that breakfast smells good. What are you cooking? And where are we, would you mind if I ask for directions?"
The group stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomer.

The young blond near the Chocobo seemed to be facinated by the elfen woman.
"OMG! You seem to come out from an RPG! So cool!" The young man said cheerfully.

"Prompto,keep your guard up!" spat the bulky man with a bird tatoo on his arms.

"Gladio,it's alright. She dosen't look like one of the empire's soldiers." said the man with the glasses.
"Indeed you arrived just in time for breakfest. I am preparing an omelet and bacon." he replied to the woman."As for joining us,well,that depends on what Our highness decides." The buff man,Gladiolus, replied,staring at the mesdy black haired young man.
"Well,she seems trustworthy. She can join us." he replied.
"You wanted to know where we ate too,emiright?" Prompto asked, "This is the Duscae region. Here we're not too far from Wiz's Chocobo ranch. It's really awesome. Here are more Chocobos like this girl over here." he added,pointing to his Chocobo.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-02-23, 12:25 AM

Toronto Factory

"My authority is my own. I require authorization from no one, because the only thing that is currently keeping me from writing you out of existence and erasing every deed you've ever done from the current timeline so as to make an example of you is the sheer curiosity I can't help but feel at your actions and responses to my question."

"I assume you're referring to the current British monarch? I've no connections with him at the moment, or at least none he's aware of. I could attempt to influence his forces, but that would be a waste of time now that I've found you here. And I'm not terribly keen on letting anyone go until I have what I'm after, which incidentally I believe you and your cronies here have — that is, of course, this factory, and also whatever information you know about WRATH and its operations. Feel free to try and stop me, but it's unlikely to do you any good..."

"Oh, I have no real intention of stopping you, and I will readily offer my services in obtaining whatever information you require. In fact, if you're not from WRATH yourself, then I must advise my clients to reevaluate their stance after all."

"Okay, that is it!" Ms. Chelifer bangs the side of her chair, stands up and puts her gun to the back of Wig Man's head. "You damn traitor! If I'm dying here, I'm taking you with me!"

"My new advice, Mrs. Chelifer, is that you all formally cede the property and leave," he says, instinctively hunching as a hostage does. "You wanted a world where individuals defend their property through strength of arms, right? Something to that effect? That's exactly what this person is doing. It would behoove you to respect it, in my opinion."

This scene hangs in a split second of tension that feels like it lasts for weeks.

"So... that's it?" asks one of the random gunmen, standing behind a support beam. "We clear out and we're good?"

"Shut up, Gary!"

"Just sayin', it's a better deal'n the cops'd give us."

Chelifer fumes, but relents. "Fine. Let's go."

The gang doesn't need to be told twice. They lower their weapons and rush for the exits. Chelifer takes her time, wanting to make sure her team leaves safely before she retreats herself.

"What, are you sticking around for the Q&A session? Go home. I'll handle this."

She intentionally buts him with her gun as she finally turns to leave, muttering, "sleazy prick," under her breath.

"Now, where were we? Wrath's operations?" Wig Man resumes once the reincarnates are sufficiently alone. "Let's see, where to start... They are very much a top-down operation, but that's not to say they're run entirely by their English branch. The current authoritarian wings of the Chinese, Russian, and American governments would each call themselves members, to name a few key players. I believe that my clients, like the various other American insurgencies that have approached Team Rocket for support, were intending to establish a rebel foothold before Wrath's branches could properly unify." He removes his wig and glasses and lets the rest of his features melt into place: gray skin, a distorted and nasally voice, a large pair of orange horns, and sharklike teeth twisted into a conspiratorial grin. His arm grows back in the process, though he's still missing half a sleeve. "Of course that is just a brief overview. As I said, I, and by extension my organization, can and will provide any information you require. For purposes of doing business, my name is Tagora. What's yours?"

An oil rig under a massive tree portal somewhere

"I'm Tangled Branches, pratreearch of Vast, I've come to bargain."

The top level of the dilapidated oil rig that attracted the planeswalker's attention has several notable features:

- The slippery scaffold of a living space that has long since been torn down
- A bent radio tower whose transmitter has not been activated in years
- A massive, locked hatch, leading straight down, whose layer of rust has gaps betraying that it was cracked open recently
- A buff woman wearing a tank top and a paper plate mask, holding a bowling pin in each hand

The last one is probably the one that TB is talking to. She stares up at the portal for a moment. "Huh. That's new."

Without a frame of transition, she dashes at the plant-avatar with her blunt weapons whirling, intending to either knock it out in one hit or pummel it into submission with a thousand, whichever occurs first.

The SS Big

Austin would wait but he was ready to fight if it was needed but he also hoped it was something else but he was ready for what ever was going to happen.

Nothing comes out to attack him, but he does hear Eshaal's voice from inside it.

"Hello? Are any of you there? That should have worked... Maybe it still isn't perceptible?" She takes a breath. "Hello! This is Eshaal! I need some assistance!"

Buckingnam Briefing

[Marcus.]

"Sorry for being late your highness..."

[To the team.]

"I heard you came from the SS Big,am I right? A friend of mine who has also RS boarded the ship too. Her name is Lucy Carlson. I'm surprised she isn't here... you seen her?"

"I'm sorry." Jacob responded. "I don't recall her. What about you two?"

[Harry probably remembers Lucy from the original encounter on the submarine-room, and Justine definitely remembers fighting bears alongside her, but they might both assume that Jacob is keeping her secret on purpose?]

"Oh, my bad. I can see Mr Angel over here seems interested in you for some reason. Maybe it's because of the sinister sounds I'm picking up from you... I am also I RS case as you can tell." He then briefly turned to attention to Harry. "As for you,I'm a fan! I really enjoy your comedy!"

"...and who do i suppose are you?" asks Harry.

"I am a college student that happens to be a member of a Club. The teacher sent me here on his behalf to report what is going on in Tokyo. And seeing London, my land of birth, in the same state. It breaks my heart. I wish I could do something to stop this." he said,speaking his mind.
"Sorry... I spoke my mind right now. My bad..."

"Now now, no need to worry about that. There's no need for secrets in this room anyway. No need for the rubber mask, either, as far as that goes." King Larry directs Marcus to a chair on the fun side of the room. He's been listening in on the conversation - the room isn't big enough for him not to notice it - but didn't really feel the need to intrude. "Have a seat, you look exhausted. Sven, get this man some water, please."

Mr. Angel obeys, but doesn't let the visitors from the Big think he's not watching.

"To be honest, I wasn't expecting the professor to send anyone in person, but given the information security issues Tio noticed, perhaps it was prudent. So, what is the Tokyo update? Have you recovered the portal since last night, or do you believe it has anything to do with the one in the ocean that our guests have seen?"

It only takes a brief discussion to work out that the portal opened up near the Big. From there, Marcus might guess that Lucy could theoretically have gone through before Superman blocked it behind her.

As for Tokyo itself, the government has implemented a curfew and given people like Marcus good reason to be nervous about sharing their condition. "It probably felt like a necessity, given the circumstances. I'll take the prime minister aside during the summit and see if I can convince her to allow your team to assist rather than living in hiding like this."

thethird

2023-02-23, 07:03 AM

The group stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomer.

The young blond near the Chocobo seemed to be facinated by the elfen woman.
"OMG! You seem to come out from an RPG! So cool!" The young man said cheerfully.

"Prompto,keep your guard up!" spat the bulky man with a bird tatoo on his arms.

"Gladio,it's alright. She dosen't look like one of the empire's soldiers." said the man with the glasses.
"Indeed you arrived just in time for breakfest. I am preparing an omelet and bacon." he replied to the woman."As for joining us,well,that depends on what Our highness decides." The buff man,Gladiolus, replied,staring at the mesdy black haired young man.
"Well,she seems trustworthy. She can join us." he replied.
"You wanted to know where we ate too,emiright?" Prompto asked, "This is the Duscae region. Here we're not too far from Wiz's Chocobo ranch. It's really awesome. Here are more Chocobos like this girl over here." he added,pointing to his Chocobo.

The elf looks happy at how easygoing and compenetrated these people are. She makes a mental note of the topics they said, empire, highness, and knows that her familiar is doing the same. The familiar, currently in the shape of birchen armor, is accessing the local plants bringing them questions, about empires and chocobos.

"I am wayfinder Saffare, nice to meet you all." She seems pretty curious about the chocobo, and she approaches it. She pulls some leaves from her bag and offers it to the bird, that seems curious and happy to take it. She pets it happily.

"I have some travel rations, if you want to share the breakfast." She pulls out from the bag some cloth package. From it she unwraps some thick cookies covered in dried fruits and nuts. Like a fancy homemade granola bar.

She sits with the group, and offers the bars to the chef. "I am sorry, I didn't get your name." Then she turns to the black haired youth they had refered as highness. "Are you a royal? That's... interesting. Would diplomacy over breakfast be okay with you all?"

An oil rig under a massive tree portal somewhere

The top level of the dilapidated oil rig that attracted the planeswalker's attention has several notable features:

- The slippery scaffold of a living space that has long since been torn down
- A bent radio tower whose transmitter has not been activated in years
- A massive, locked hatch, leading straight down, whose layer of rust has gaps betraying that it was cracked open recently
- A buff woman wearing a tank top and a paper plate mask, holding a bowling pin in each hand

The last one is probably the one that TB is talking to. She stares up at the portal for a moment. "Huh. That's new."

Without a frame of transition, she dashes at the plant-avatar with her blunt weapons whirling, intending to either knock it out in one hit or pummel it into submission with a thousand, whichever occurs first.

Tangled Branches is confused, he feels the first hit and barely reacts to it. Have the locals evolved some form of percussion based comunication? Is it a greeting ritual? The second hit feels much like the same. Contusion weapons aren't the most effective against a tree, but hitting the same spot repeteadly is... unusual.

He looks at the woman. Confused. The fourth and fifth hit keep reafirming the intent of the woman. Intent that doesn't translate well to the tree. He tries to remember. Did the woman speak? Yes. It's capable of speech. What is it trying to communicate this way?

He ponders and shifts his weight a little. Seeing what the woman does. Nope. Still hitting. Probably ten hits in by this point, Tangled Branches isn't really counting. Some of the hits are messing with his leaves, that's... annoying. He tries speaking. This time more slowly. Like he is talking to a dimwit.

"I am Taaangleed Braaancheees. I haaave cooome to bargaain. Pleaaase communicaaate oraaaally. Eeengliiish is goood."

Then he wonders, Father Vast had assumed that most people's on Earth would speak English. Having grown in Syracuse New York it's a fair assumption. Still it wasn't the language in the multiverse, that's why he would connect to the local flora and get language and words from them. Of course, the middle of the ocean is sorely lacking in available vegetation. Specially on an oil rig. Was this done to lure Vast in away from plants that could support him.

For his part Tangled Branches keeps trying to establish communication, not very battered after several hits.

"¿Eeespaaañoool?, 汉语, Deuutsch?"

ArlEammon

2023-02-23, 10:49 AM

Age Of The Apocalypse
-In the other world-

The helmeted man stares into the magical orb he has floating in front of his face. With his hands to the sides, he was scrying this orb, watching the various problems and things happening in the other world. "So in the other world, it's still in the 2020's. That was an interesting time, for sure.I remember that time very well." The voice speaking from the Helm of Fate was familiar. "I can tell that things aren't going to well for our heroes." The man chuckled. "Well, I shouldn't bother trying to enter that world. It's impossible, even for me."
"On the other hand, my astral projection can." He took off the Helm, revealing Jacob's face, and Jacob set it down on the table as a mystical red energy shined on his body, and this energy entered into the orb.

Our World, Buckingham Palace
The whispers were taking it's toll on Jacob's mind. Just then, a mysterious man entered the room, where the others were speaking with King Larry. The Otherworlder was seemingly unnoticed by everyone there, at least by the guards, maybe even the Angelic man. For a moment, Jacob seemed distracted, as if he looked at himself in the mirror, but then as suddenly as the image appeared, it was gone.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-23, 11:15 AM

Aleph Null

2023-02-23, 11:59 AM

Toronto Factory
*(Wig man reveals that he actually doesn't care about WRATH and is actually some sort of regenerating demon dude called Tagora for business purposes, WRATH cultists leave)*

I am actually a bit surprised by this revelation — not the one about this man's true nature, of course, since he seemed all too unconcerned about his arm to be human — but about his affiliations.
"I go by a shortening of my original designation, Nebula."
Team Rocket — that villainous organization from the Pokemon games? Is that what his organization is called?
"If they are not led by their English branch, then who is their actual leader? And for that matter, since their behavior and message are so disjointed, I am still curious as to what their actual goals are..."

ArlEammon

2023-02-23, 12:16 PM

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-23, 05:22 PM

Jacob, appearing very annoyed for some reason, glares at Marcus. "I'm The Devil from the Bible." He didn't say anything else. His tone of voice could have been mistaken as sarcasm, but it wasn't. It wasn't being sarcastic at all. Jacob wasn't annoyed at Marcus, of course, he was just tired from so many clearly evil voices constantly berating him.
AU Zenitsu( Marcus ) could tell that it wasn't sarcasm,judging by the sounds in Jacob. He was intimidated by Jacob. "Well...t..that...ex..explains...the sounds..c..coming from...you." AU Zenitsu studdered.He was scared. " I can tell by the sounds coming from you...your curent self,that you are a good person. Do not let the voices in your head determine who you are." he told Jacob.
AU Zenitsu heard the otherworlder in the room.He looked worried.

Drwily1987

2023-02-24, 04:05 AM

"trust me, something tells me that the devil isn't the only evil lurking around here." harry spares a glance at king larry. The two voices within his head agree with that sentiment.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-24, 07:35 AM

"trust me, something tells me that the devil isn't the only evil lurking around here." harry spares a glance at king larry. The two voices within his head agree with that sentiment.
"Yeah,I could sense it as well..."AU Zenitsu( Marcus) replied to Harry." At least your traits haven't changed. I have a benevolent reincarnation and I can control it. We are one now.I am used to this new form despite having to hide it. How about you? Well I can tell you just awoke your RC."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-02-24, 08:08 PM

Oil Rig Rendezvous

"I am Taaangleed Braaancheees. I haaave cooome to bargaain. Pleaaase communicaaate oraaaally. Eeengliiish is goood. ¿Eeespaaañoool? 汉...语? Deuutsch?"

Between the slow speech and the continuous pounding from the bowling pins, TB's voice is given a certain cartoonish vibration effect.

The beating stops as suddenly as it started. For a few seconds, TB's assailant looks like she's frozen in time. Then she straightens up to evaluate him again.

"...screw this. I'm a soldier, not a gardener."

In another instant, she vanishes, leaving a vacuum in her place that the air quickly fills with a loud *CRACK*.

Buckingham Briefing

"I feel better now." AU Zenitsu said. "Zenitsu Agatsuma, of the Neo Demon Slayer Corps of Tokyo." He sat down, putting the mask on the table. "Two Slayers are trapped in this other world and the rest of us are keeping both the Yakuza and the Japanese branch of Team Rocket at bay. We even believe there might be reincarnations of variants of demon king Muzan Kibutsuji among their ranks."

"I'm The Devil from the Bible."

"Well, th... that ex... explains the sounds..." AU Zenitsu stuttered. "...I can tell that you are a good person. Do not let the voices in your head determine who you are."

"Trust me, something tells me that the devil isn't the only evil lurking around here." Harry spares a glance at King Larry.

"Yeah, I could sense it as well..."

King Larry is watching this happen right in front of him and has no idea how to respond socially. He just kind of waves to Harry and Zenitsu automatically, even as his face grows increasingly concerned. Demons and devils aren't really part of his wheelhouse. If there existed a quantitative measurement of evil, his rating would cap out right around The Cop From Les Misérables.

Superman suddenly looks out the door again. "I am sorry, I have to go. Excuse me." He rushes off, no doubt to handle some new crisis elsewhere in the world. Sven the Angel Man looks over at Larry.

"My liege, we must make preparations for the summit."

"Right, of course. Let's move on to action items, then, and try to wrap up this meeting." He points his scepter Zenitsu. "Marcus, or Mr. Agatsuma if you prefer, please go to the SS Big, and investigate the portal there. Superman has already informed me, that an engineering team is onsite. They should be able to arrange entry for you. From there, hopefully, you will be able to recover your team. Once you do, come back here, and deliver a report to Miss Tio."

The blue-haired android turns to look at Marcus, nods, then goes back to staring at empty space.

"If you are not back in 24 hours, I will start to worry, and probably send Superman after you. Mister... Jacob, was it?" He points his scepter to Mr. Baker, then to Harry and Justine in turn. "You three, please escort him to the SS Big, and help him with the investigation. I know you are capable of doing so. I commend your assistance, in evacuating the ship, by the way."

"I will escort them out," says Sven, just before Lawrence can move on to the next action item. The king nods, and Angel Man beckons the group to join him in the hallway.

Once you're out there, anyone with supernatural hearing can make out the King issuing more soft-spoken orders to his generals and operatives. "Coordinate with Mr. Johnson, and deploy a surveillance team, to each of the portals in the US. I will be meeting with the US representative later today, but please try not to cause an incident in the meantime."

Specifically Jacob, on the other hand, has to deal with yet another voice in his head instead. He instinctively knows it's Sven talking to him telepathically, and he's doing it with the cadence of a man who just found his roommate sitting on the kitchen counter naked.

Satan. What are you doing?

Toronto Teatime

"Nebula... who is their actual leader? And for that matter... I am still curious as to what their actual goals are..."

"I believe the goal of global theocracy is what unites them," answers Tagora. "By all accounts, Larry is the closest thing they have to a singular leader, but he is rather amusingly dedicated to the idea of subordinating himself to a cause. The American branch is the most combative, and is always looking for a fight with their gods' enemies, an extension of their peculiar outrage culture. The Chinese branch is more dedicated to creating or becoming gods, and they're good at keeping secrets, but their mistakes are that much more punishing for it. Some of my strongest colleagues are defectors from their facilities." He clasps his hands as he muses. "I suppose you could say that Larry best represents all of the smaller branches that orbit those two. They suffer the brunt of the superpowers' antics and petition a still higher power to save them. Then those who can't or won't join his empire turn to lower powers like me instead."

ArlEammon

2023-02-24, 08:15 PM

Oil Rig Rendezvous

Buckingham Briefing

just found his roommate sitting on the kitchen counter naked.

Satan. What are you doing?

[

Responding telepathically, Jacob is surprised he's able to focus cohesively enough to make intelligent conversation at all, let alone through his mind. "There's something very bizarre going on. An invisible clone entered into the room. He's promising me a good life if I do what he says."
"Something about all the power I could want, riches, peace, power, again, and respect."
"He wants to find out how if and how to come into this world from his own, and he wants me to help him."
"All I have to do is follow him to a portal somewhere and I can go to his world."
"Also, who are you? The Devil is chuckling to himself. Are you a friend, uh, subordinate, of his or something?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-24, 10:22 PM

Palace briefing room.
"Understood your highness." AU Zenitsu replied as he bowed politely. " I'll shall deal with this as soon as possible." He grabbed his mask and glasses. "Well,it looks's like we'll be working together." He said to his fellow reincarnates."Come on! Let's get going!" AU Zenitsu said,putting his mask back on."There might be a car waiting for us outside. Two of my fellow Hashira...I..mean students are waiting for us. We have a ship that will lead us to the SS Big." Marcus explained before following Sven outside.
--------
Outside the palace,a young man with long black hair with one green eye and the other yellow wearing a mask over his mouth and dress like a chaufeur and a young woman with long pink and green hair waited in a limo .
"What is taking him so long?" spat the young man.
"Be patient Iguro! It is a meeting with the king after all." said the young woman.
"Mitsuri,you are too tolorent." Iguro spat.
"Here he is!" Mitsuri cheered. Marcus went inside the car.
"How was it Zenitsu?!" she asked. "Nothing new well.I just reported what happed in Tokyo to the king. He said about talking with the prime minister during the summit so that the Neo Demon Slayer Corps can be allowed to work freely without hiding." Marcus replied.
"I don't trust him."
Me neither Iguro." Lord Kagaya,I mean the professor might be aquinted with him,but I can tell by his sounds that he dosen't fully trust him." Marcus added.
"And please remove that mask. I know you hold on your former appearence of your curent life but there it should be safe to reveal yourself here." Iguro Obenai,the Serpent hashira spat.

Marcus nodded before removing his mask once again."Don't get me wrong,I am fine with being the me from my past life again." AU Zenitsu replied.

"King Lawrence,did he do anything suspecious?" Iguro asked.
"I did recall hearing him whisper to his generals about watching portals in the US..."AU Zenitsu replied. "What about the Tokyo portal?" Mitsuri Kanroji,the love Hashira asked. "I hope poor Tanjiro and Inosuke are alright."

"About that.. they are not the only ones there. A reincarnate of the prime variant of myself is trap there too. The portal in the pacific ocean and we got the coordinates...as well as help. This is a rescue mission after all! We got 24 hours to complete this mission."
"What do you mean by help?!" Iguro asked.
"Other reincarnates like us!"
"Yay! I can't wait to meet them!" Mitsuri said cheerfully.Iguro rolled his eyes.
--------
Horizon region,Neo Spira,Nova Chrytalia
Valefor landed on the cliff,Rinoa( Lucy),AU Tanjiro and Inosuke were greeted by Lady Ria as well as three new figures, a blond haired young man,a man in red robes carrying a large sword and a woman wearing robes with load of belts on them.
"Lady Ria,Tidus,Sir Auron,Lulu,I've brought them as you asked.
"You have a different face now. You are no longer Zenitsu Agatsuma?" Ria asked Rinoa,regonising her by the crystal on her next.
" My name in this form is Rinoa Heartilly." Rinoa replied,bowing to thr clan leader.
"Your friends,I suppose they are demon slayers as well?"
"Yes. My name is Tanjiro Kamado and this is Inosuke Hashibira."
"If you came because of the portal...there might be a problem." The man said.
Rinoa,AU Tanjiro and Inosuke looked up. What looked like a barnicle covered metal wall was blocking the portal.
"How are we gonna get home?"

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-02-26, 09:17 PM

Buckingham Palace

"There's something very bizarre going on. An invisible clone... wants to come into this world from... a portal somewhere...

...subordinate of his or something?"

I am his subordinate by divine appointment, just as we are both subordinate to all humans, he replies as though he expects Satan to understand. Jacob's version of Satan may or may not get it.

"Understood your highness. I shall deal with this as soon as possible. Come on! Let's get going!"

"There might be a car waiting for us. We have a ship that will lead us to the SS Big."

Sven walks the group out past the gate and down the street, eventually finding Marcus' friends. Before he lets you all go, he says something to everyone aloud.

"Hallucinations are sometimes an early symptom of your condition. It could be a sign that yet another spirit is seeking to do its work through you. If you return here after the summit, King Lawrence may have a solution for you."

Outside the palace, a young man and a young woman waited in a limo.

"What is taking him so long?"

"Be patient Iguro!"

"Mitsuri, you are-"

"Here he is! How was it?"

"Nothing new. I reported what happened in Tokyo. He said about talking with the prime minister so the Corps can work freely."

"I don't trust him."

"Me neither. The professor doesn't."

"...he do anything suspicious?"

"I recall hearing him whisper about portals in the US..."

"I hope poor Tanjiro and Inosuke are alright."

"[Lucy's] there too... in the pacific ocean... we got the coordinates as well as help."

"Yay!"

Street traffic to get to the airship hangar is an incredible pain to navigate. Once you get there, there's another problem: despite his title, King Larry is not the current British parliament, and said parliament currently has all air traffic locked down. When asked why they allowed Superman to do what he does, they say they actually don't allow him to do that, he just does it anyway because he's a criminal and a freak.

This does not bode well for your chances of getting in the air unmolested!

The SS Big

Just as the Horizon-Crystalians are wondering about the portal, the trademark orange glow of a blowtorch erupts through the barnacled mass. It carves a circle in the center of the portal and the chunk falls down, crashing against the rocks and nearly crushing the onlookers below.

No more seawater pours out of the portal. Instead, you see the masked face of Aisling standing in front of a vast ballast space criss-crossed with freshly repaired conduits. She gives a curt not before moonwalking backwards out of sight.

The portal is now passable for anyone originally from the Main World! When you try to bring a native of this world along with you, however, the portal proves to be an impassable window, at least as solid as the ship's hull would have been.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-26, 10:59 PM

Horizon region,Neo Spira,Nova Chrystalia
"Well,looks's like the problem has been solved!" said Tidus.
"We need to reach it though." Tanjiro replied.
"Climb on Valefor's back,she can fly to the portal!" Yuna suggested. The three outworlders climbed on top of the bird.
" This is where we part way. Be careful on your way back." Ria told them.
"Good luck on your journey." Yuna tols them.
Valefor flew up to the portal. Once the bird Aeon was near it,Rinoa,Tanjiro and Inosuke crossed through it.

SS Big,Earth
Once safely on the other side,the three reincarnates looked around.
"It's good to be back to our world." said AU Tanjiro.
"I guess the coast should be cleared now." said Rinoa. "Revert!" the crystal around her neck glows and Rinoa reverts to Lucy's original form.
"Ahh!!! Girl Monitsu, you changed again!" Inosuke shouted.
"This is the curent original me." Lucy replied.Lucy and her allies looked for their savior who helped them get through the portal.
--------
London
Once at the small airport,the three Demon Slayer received the bad news about air trafic being stopped before they vould get the chance to get out of the limo.
"This is bad." AU Zenitsu replied.
"What should we do?" Mitsuri asked.
"We should contact the proffesor and ask him for another way to travel to the ship." Iguro replied.
"If it's the only way...
They heard a peck on the window,Iguro lowered it.
"It's my messager crow!" Mitsuri replied cheerfully as her mesanger crow came to her.
"I got important message for the three of you
from HQ about Tokyo!" The talking crow said.
AU Zenitsu thought about something.
"The king said he would have Superman seek out if we dosen't hear from me in the next 24 hours." he said."I got it! Mitsuri,can you send your crow to seek out Superman after it gives us the news?" AU Zenitsu asked.
"How can we trust him? He sides with the king." Iguro hissed.
"He's a hero and a reincarnate like us. We can trust him." AU Zenitsu replied.

thethird

2023-02-27, 09:11 AM

Duscae plains, Lucis, Nova Chrystalia
I'm Noctis Lucis Caelum, prince of Lucis." the haired young man." This is my friends Gladiolus Amiticia... "he points at the buff man" Ignis Scientia... " mentions the man with the glasses cooking food"And down here is Prompto Argentum.
" Nice to meet you! " Prompto replied." You doing well with Goldie here. She likes you already* He added, patting the Chocobo.
"Perhaps dioplacy is in order." Ignis replied,as he took the granola bars handed to him. "Fine by me!" Noctis replied.
"Thank you of those. Who knows,it might gave me an idea for a new recipe." Ignis said to Saffare.

Duscae plains, Lucis, Nova Chrystalia

Saffare smiles and sits down she seems happy looking at the group reunited there.

"So... you probably can tell I am not from around." Saffare says with a smile. "I am a wayfinder, I go to new places and check the lay of the ground. Most of the places I go to don't have... people. But in case there are it's also kind of my job to try to get a feel out of them. See if diplomacy and trade, is something that could happen."

She turns to Lucis and gives a quick nod.

"It's even more unusual to find a sovereign's heir on landing. So I'll take this as an auspicious opportunity." She reaches at her bag, and then pulls a sprout about the size of her forearm, it's wood is clear, almost white and straight, four branches at the end are topped with thick full dark green leaves, and the roots are buried in almost black earth that is somehow compacted into a sphere. She let's go of it, but it doesn't drop, somehow it seems to levitate above the ground level.

"This is a spirit tree sapling. A spirit tree eases the spirits of the people under it's shade, or in close proximity to it. That means people are calmer, deal better with their thoughts, and fears. With one this small you can just think of it as a protection against fear, confusion, and other strong emotions, or a sleeping aid."

Left to it's onw devices the tree seems to float there, moving very slowly, but gets closer to Prompto. Saffare, for her part, pulls a potion from her bag. Thick dark blue liquid, in a long crystal bottle, corked with a crescent moon decoration. A quick examination, with libra, would ping it as a megaelixir, or something close enough.

"And this is a highly concentrated life mana potion. Water the sapling with it and it will grow."

She plays with the potion on her hands, passing it from one hand to the other.

"I have access to some other... unusual trees and plant life. That I would like to grow and plant in your world. Preferably I would like some plot of land that could be treated as an embassy, in effect, cede sovereignity. From there would trade for mana rich items, and magical plants, with our own plants and fruits... Oh" She digs again on the bag and pulls a fruit, which pretty much just looks like a peach, with purpleish skin. "This is a fruit. From Vast, a fruit like this has XP, and eating it will give you that XP. In particular this has..." She checks a tag tied to the fruit. "Swordmanship. Would anyone like to improve their swordmanship?"

Oil Rig Rendezvous

Between the slow speech and the continuous pounding from the bowling pins, TB's voice is given a certain cartoonish vibration effect.

The beating stops as suddenly as it started. For a few seconds, TB's assailant looks like she's frozen in time. Then she straightens up to evaluate him again.

"...screw this. I'm a soldier, not a gardener."

In another instant, she vanishes, leaving a vacuum in her place that the air quickly fills with a loud *CRACK*.

Oil Rig Rendezvous

Tangled Branches seems very confused when the woman leaves. He holds his staff with two hands and puts his weight onto it. That ability to simply leave is interesting. Could he follow? Perhaps, Vast's roots could certainly find her. But that's not TB's job. No his job is finding whoever called them. It doesn't seem to be that woman so he takes to explore the oil rig. Going deeper and looking for people.

"Hello? Excuse me?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-27, 05:30 PM

Duscae plains, Lucis, Nova Chrystalia

Saffare smiles and sits down she seems happy looking at the group reunited there.

"So... you probably can tell I am not from around." Saffare says with a smile. "I am a wayfinder, I go to new places and check the lay of the ground. Most of the places I go to don't have... people. But in case there are it's also kind of my job to try to get a feel out of them. See if diplomacy and trade, is something that could happen."

She turns to Lucis and gives a quick nod.

"It's even more unusual to find a sovereign's heir on landing. So I'll take this as an auspicious opportunity." She reaches at her bag, and then pulls a sprout about the size of her forearm, it's wood is clear, almost white and straight, four branches at the end are topped with thick full dark green leaves, and the roots are buried in almost black earth that is somehow compacted into a sphere. She let's go of it, but it doesn't drop, somehow it seems to levitate above the ground level.

"This is a spirit tree sapling. A spirit tree eases the spirits of the people under it's shade, or in close proximity to it. That means people are calmer, deal better with their thoughts, and fears. With one this small you can just think of it as a protection against fear, confusion, and other strong emotions, or a sleeping aid."

Left to it's onw devices the tree seems to float there, moving very slowly, but gets closer to Prompto. Saffare, for her part, pulls a potion from her bag. Thick dark blue liquid, in a long crystal bottle, corked with a crescent moon decoration. A quick examination, with libra, would ping it as a megaelixir, or something close enough.

"And this is a highly concentrated life mana potion. Water the sapling with it and it will grow."

She plays with the potion on her hands, passing it from one hand to the other.

"I have access to some other... unusual trees and plant life. That I would like to grow and plant in your world. Preferably I would like some plot of land that could be treated as an embassy, in effect, cede sovereignity. From there would trade for mana rich items, and magical plants, with our own plants and fruits... Oh" She digs again on the bag and pulls a fruit, which pretty much just looks like a peach, with purpleish skin. "This is a fruit. From Vast, a fruit like this has XP, and eating it will give you that XP. In particular this has..." She checks a tag tied to the fruit. "Swordmanship. Would anyone like to improve their swordmanship?"

Oil Rig Rendezvous

Tangled Branches seems very confused when the woman leaves. He holds his staff with two hands and puts his weight onto it. That ability to simply leave is interesting. Could he follow? Perhaps, Vast's roots could certainly find her. But that's not TB's job. No his job is finding whoever called them. It doesn't seem to be that woman so he takes to explore the oil rig. Going deeper and looking for people.

"Hello? Excuse me?"
Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
"Indeed,it shows that you are from another world." Noctis replied.
"From what you told us,that makes you both an explorer and ambasidor." Ignis added.
"Well.."Noctis added about the sovereigh part."I'm here with my friends out of my kingdom because we were suppose to head to Altissia for my wedding with Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae who is both princess and Oracle." Noctis explained,"But then things got complicated and the Niflheim empire took over Insomnia." he added.
"You mention needing land to make sone sort of embassy." Gladio replied. "It might prove difficult since we are at at war right now. No doubt the Nifls will want to get their hands on ourworldly flora if they find it. I just hope your plants can fight back."
Prompto looked in awe at the bottle Saffare handed to him. "These are better then Phoenix dawns!"
The four boys seemed soothed by the spirit tree.
Then Saffare showed them a fruit and told them about it's power.
"I do need to inprove my swordmanship...' Noctis replied.

Aleph Null

2023-02-28, 10:49 AM

...(other stuff not relevant to me)...

Toronto Teatime

"I believe the goal of global theocracy is what unites them," answers Tagora. "By all accounts, Larry is the closest thing they have to a singular leader, but he is rather amusingly dedicated to the idea of subordinating himself to a cause. The American branch is the most combative, and is always looking for a fight with their gods' enemies, an extension of their peculiar outrage culture. The Chinese branch is more dedicated to creating or becoming gods, and they're good at keeping secrets, but their mistakes are that much more punishing for it. Some of my strongest colleagues are defectors from their facilities." He clasps his hands as he muses. "I suppose you could say that Larry best represents all of the smaller branches that orbit those two. They suffer the brunt of the superpowers' antics and petition a still higher power to save them. Then those who can't or won't join his empire turn to lower powers like me instead."

These people's desires have once again failed to compute. Perhaps my deterministic algorithms are simply incapable of truly grasping them? No, there is simply something I am missing; perhaps my perspective is ill-suited to analyzing their motives, or perhaps they simply have an ambition that I fundamentally lack due to my programming. Analysis of this might be wise. I will schedule a thread for this.

"What have they to gain from contact with these gods? I have heard of humans who desire to become gods — though I assure that the experience would be far more trouble for a being with that degree of mental capacity than it would be worth — but to invite otherworldly entities to rule themselves is a bit of a self-destructive act, is it not? It would be easier to, as the saying goes, make heads or tails of this if I knew anything about these gods, though — what can you tell me about them?"

ArlEammon

2023-02-28, 12:43 PM

--------
London
Once at the small airport,the three Demon Slayer received the bad news about air trafic being stopped before they vould get the chance to get out of the limo.
"This is bad." AU Zenitsu replied.
"What should we do?" Mitsuri asked.
"We should contact the proffesor and ask him for another way to travel to the ship." Iguro replied.
"If it's the only way...
They heard a peck on the window,Iguro lowered it.
"It's my messager crow!" Mitsuri replied cheerfully as her mesanger crow came to her.
"I got important message for the three of you
from HQ about Tokyo!" The talking crow said.
AU Zenitsu thought about something.
"The king said he would have Superman seek out if we dosen't hear from me in the next 24 hours." he said."I got it! Mitsuri,can you send your crow to seek out Superman after it gives us the news?" AU Zenitsu asked.
"How can we trust him? He sides with the king." Iguro hissed.
"He's a hero and a reincarnate like us. We can trust him." AU Zenitsu replied.

"Um I can teleport us to wherever we need to go. I need to be reminded where, however. These voices are getting worse, and now, with the astral projection involved, it's getting worse FAST. "
He spoke to the other man. "However, they are all eager to see what happens next. So, you tell me, what happens next?" He looked like he was resisting the urge to shake. It wasn't pretty. He was clearly anxious.

thethird

2023-02-28, 04:56 PM

Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
"Indeed,it shows that you are from another world." Noctis replied.
"From what you told us,that makes you both an explorer and ambasidor." Ignis added.
"Well.."Noctis added about the sovereigh part."I'm here with my friends out of my kingdom because we were suppose to head to Altissia for my wedding with Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae who is both princess and Oracle." Noctis explained,"But then things got complicated and the Niflheim empire took over Insomnia." he added.
"You mention needing land to make sone sort of embassy." Gladio replied. "It might prove difficult since we are at at war right now. No doubt the Nifls will want to get their hands on ourworldly flora if they find it. I just hope your plants can fight back."
Prompto looked in awe at the bottle Saffare handed to him. "These are better then Phoenix dawns!"
The four boys seemed soothed by the spirit tree.
Then Saffare showed them a fruit and told them about it's power.
"I do need to inprove my swordmanship...' Noctis replied.

"I am sorry for your troubles. Hope this helps you."

Saffare passes the fruit to Noctis. Eating it will fill him with experiences and memories, like he had been training for months or years with the sword (if people in this world have levels, Noctis just gained a few).

"Truth be told, there is no need to open an embassy right now. Vast tends to operate on a relaxed time scale. And knowing that there is a path is probably more than enough for now. Had I not found you I would have needed to look for strong sources of mana to set camp. But Vast dropped me here, so I guess it's totally fine if I assist you. How are you planning to get to your princess? What's the next step?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-02-28, 06:00 PM

"I am sorry for your troubles. Hope this helps you."

Saffare passes the fruit to Noctis. Eating it will fill him with experiences and memories, like he had been training for months or years with the sword (if people in this world have levels, Noctis just gained a few).

"Truth be told, there is no need to open an embassy right now. Vast tends to operate on a relaxed time scale. And knowing that there is a path is probably more than enough for now. Had I not found you I would have needed to look for strong sources of mana to set camp. But Vast dropped me here, so I guess it's totally fine if I assist you. How are you planning to get to your princess? What's the next step?"

OoC: I am posting from phone, will get back and edit text color.
Noctis took a bite of the fruit.
He felt a burst of energy coursing through him.
"Whoa,if this was an RPG,I would say that I gained a few levels!" Noctis said.
"We did plan to meet with Lady Lunafreya in Altissia.And we need to cross the ocean get get there..." Ignis started,before Noctis's cellphone started to ring.
He picked up and answered.
"Hello....what do you mean....the city...and Luna is on the way there?!" Noctis said.
Prompto looked worried. What happened?
-------'
London,Earth
"You're a life saver! But,will you be okay?" Mitsuri asked to Jacob. She was concerned.
"The sooner we get there the better." AU Zenitsu said. " I'll do our best to help you. In the meantime do your best to keep those voice in check. Let's just say I had trouble myself when I first awoke my RS."
"We all went trough this Zenitsu." Iguro said in a calm tone but with hints of iritation in his voice.

thethird

2023-03-01, 10:10 AM

Noctis took a bite of the fruit.
He felt a burst of energy coursing through him.
"Whoa,if this was an RPG,I would say that I gained a few levels!" Noctis said.
"We did plan to meet with Lady Lunafreya in Altissia.And we need to cross the ocean get get there..." Ignis started,before Noctis's cellphone started to ring.
He picked up and answered.
"Hello....what do you mean....the city...and Luna is on the way there?!" Noctis said.
Prompto looked worried. What happened?

Saffare seems happy that Noctis is enjoying the effects of the fruit.

"Be careful though, even if your skills improve by the fruit it's no substitute for actual XP and training. Try to interiorize the movements, and build muscle memory."

When the cellphone rings she seems interested in the device, but keeps herself from eavesdroping too much. She waits for Noctis to tell the rest of them what they might need to know. An elf's lifespan might not be as long as the tree's but she certainly has time for patience.

OoC: I don't really want to do a self insert fic of final fantasy XV :P Feel free to do a timeskip if you want. Or would you rather have Noctis and party go through the adventure? Maybe something different happens due to the world being a mesh of some final fantasies and it's not just the plot of FFXV.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-01, 05:05 PM

Saffare seems happy that Noctis is enjoying the effects of the fruit.

"Be careful though, even if your skills improve by the fruit it's no substitute for actual XP and training. Try to interiorize the movements, and build muscle memory."

When the cellphone rings she seems interested in the device, but keeps herself from eavesdroping too much. She waits for Noctis to tell the rest of them what they might need to know. An elf's lifespan might not be as long as the tree's but she certainly has time for patience.

OoC: I don't really want to do a self insert fic of final fantasy XV :P Feel free to do a timeskip if you want. Or would you rather have Noctis and party go through the adventure? Maybe something different happens due to the world being a mesh of some final fantasies and it's not just the plot of FFXV.
"What happened?" Prompto asked.
"It's Cor. He's the city has been restored and free from the empire." Noctis explained.
"Insomnia? Have the empire's forces fled?" Ignis asked.
"No,it's like they vanished from the city from out of nowhere." Noctis added." They said Luna is heading there."
"Then there is no time to waste." Ignis replied.
"Eh guys,why is there an anime character trying to attack our car?" Prompto asked.
They noticed a familliar bare chest teen wearing a boar mask trying to attack the Regalia,the car belonging to Noctis's father,with his two katanas
The four boys ran to the car.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Noctis cried.
"I'm taking down thia beast! I,the great Lord Inosuke,will crush it!" the wild masked youth shouted. Gladio ran in attempt to stop the wild masked youth from wrecking the car.
(Don't worry it won't just be FFXV as the world merged with others.)

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-03-01, 10:45 PM

The SS Big

Lucy and her allies looked for their savior who helped them get through the portal.
Aisling is already scanning the pipes and sorting an invisible inventory of materials to decide what to build next. A pair of teddy bear ex-pirates crowd around her excitedly, waiting for her next blueprint.

Behind them, a team of three relatively normal people in hard hats and vests stand next to a suspiciously shiny set of stairs going up. "Yeah, it worked! It's just still kinda surreal," one of them says into a walkie-talkie. "Hey! Uh! Are there supposed to be anime kids here?"

The walkie-talkie squeaks as someone replies over the radio. "What do you mean, anime kids? Like, children? Survivors?"

"I... maybe? But they're dressed like cartoon characters, and they all have swords, and they look fine."

"Fine? Swords? What?"

The man with the walkie looks up to find that the two engineers next to him have quietly moved further up the stairs, putting him between them and the portal full of weirdos. He gulps nervously and looks over at Lucy and Co. "Hey! Uh, hi there! Where'd y'all come from? Are y'all survivors?"

London Airport

"We should contact the professor and ask him."
"Mitsuri,can you send your crow to seek out Superman after it gives us the news?"
"How can we trust him?"
"He's a hero. We can trust him."
"I can teleport us to wherever we need to go. I need to be reminded where, however. These voices are getting worse, and now, with the astral projection involved, it's getting worse FAST."

Some of the spooky voices in Jacob's head are whispering something about... Arizona? Why would that be?

The hangar in which the professor kept this airship is surrounded by black cars, but guarded only by two unapologetically British agents in suits and sunglasses. "Yes, your ID checks out," the feminine-presenting agent repeats to your limo's driver, "but your ship is still grounded. Nothing takes off until the transportation minister gives us the all clear, and the only way to make sure it doesn't take off is to make sure you don't enter the premises."

In the distance, you hear the girl dressed as Big Ben shouting her chime again. The agent sighs.

"What's with the costumes?" asks her partner, a mustached man, sipping from a thermos of tea and scrolling on his phone.

Oil Rig Rendezvous

"Hello? Excuse me?"

After long climb down a surprisingly sturdy ladder in an otherwise spooky shaft, TB reaches the small but still active undersea facility. In the thin hallway, he passes racks of tools and safety equipment, a kitchen and a bedroom on the way to the control room.

The control room features a comfy-looking rolling chair, another ladder in the center of the room leading straight down, and a sealed door to the side with a chalkboard next to it reading, Space Bubble Test Chamber: ACTIVE. It looks like whoever works here updates the chamber's status by hand despite the room's otherwise high-tech accoutrements. Whatever the chamber does, it doesn't seem to make a sound.

After a moment of patience, TB can hear a swoop sound that reminds him a little of planeswalking, and the sealed door hisses and opens to reveal a preoccupied woman in a blue headscarf. "It's no good, I can't reliably project to them. Maybe if I attach-"

She notices the tree-alien and stops. She takes a breath, straightens up and faces TB with a hard expression, assuming the worst about his intentions. "So. This is the end of the line for me, is it? What do you want?"

Toronto Teatime

"...to invite otherworldly entities to rule themselves is a bit of a self-destructive act, is it not? It would be easier to, as the saying goes, make heads or tails of this if I knew anything about these gods, though — what can you tell me about them?"

"Well, I do tend to agree with you about the self-destruction," Tagora smiles. "I should clarify, I meant gods in the less tangible, more ideological sense, not the ones claiming to walk the Earth in human guise because of RS or whatever. For instance, factions like the one you just saw are fervent believers in the gods of property and of the liberty to use violence however they choose." He thinks for a second. "However, this may better answer your question: if Larry were to have his way, every RC user in the world would be revered as a god. His belief in Reincarnation as divine providence isn't much of a secret, even to the general public."

"Then, he intends to ensure that everyone in the world is an RC user. His egalitarian streak is no secret either, after all. As for how he intends to do that, the experiments of Wrath's Eastern branch aren't done with his oversight, but I happen to know that he is kept well aware of them, and that he's especially interested in how RS can be spread and controlled."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-02, 05:17 PM

SS Big
"Actually...yes,we are survivors. The three of us!" Lucy replied."These two,well...they are cosplayers." She lied. AU Tanjiro and RS Inosuke looked confused." We had a cosplay meetup prior to the pirate bear robot attack.They didn't have the time to change clothes.
AU Tanjiro who saw in Lucy's game played along. " Yeah..our room get destroyed by...the robots!" he added.
-----
London hangar
"A shame really." Iguro replied to the agents." We'll have to stay at the hotel awhile longer. Good day to you." he ahead before to raise the tainted window up before driving out of the hangar.
" It seems we have no choice but to let the Devil teleport us." he said in anoyence.
"It''s the only way right now." AU Zenitsu replied.
" You're fine with teleporting a limo and all of it's passangers to the SS Big?" he asked Jacob.

ArlEammon

2023-03-02, 05:24 PM

London hangar
"A shame really." Iguro replied to the agents." We'll have to stay at the hotel awhile longer. Good day to you." he ahead before to raise the tainted window up before driving out of the hangar.
" It seems we have no choice but to let the Devil teleport us." he said in anoyence.
"It''s the only way right now." AU Zenitsu replied.
" You're fine with teleporting a limo and all of it's passangers to the SS Big?" he asked Jacob.

Wordlessly, an anxiety ridden Jacob snapped fingers, teleporting the limousine and passengers to the literal Township instantaneously. He immediately got out of the car, leaving noticeable tears, some of the tears made of blood, and promptly fell on the hard metal flooring.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-02, 06:04 PM

thethird

2023-03-06, 09:15 AM

Oil Rig Rendezvous

After long climb down a surprisingly sturdy ladder in an otherwise spooky shaft, TB reaches the small but still active undersea facility. In the thin hallway, he passes racks of tools and safety equipment, a kitchen and a bedroom on the way to the control room.

The control room features a comfy-looking rolling chair, another ladder in the center of the room leading straight down, and a sealed door to the side with a chalkboard next to it reading, Space Bubble Test Chamber: ACTIVE. It looks like whoever works here updates the chamber's status by hand despite the room's otherwise high-tech accoutrements. Whatever the chamber does, it doesn't seem to make a sound.

After a moment of patience, TB can hear a swoop sound that reminds him a little of planeswalking, and the sealed door hisses and opens to reveal a preoccupied woman in a blue headscarf. "It's no good, I can't reliably project to them. Maybe if I attach-"

She notices the tree-alien and stops. She takes a breath, straightens up and faces TB with a hard expression, assuming the worst about his intentions. "So. This is the end of the line for me, is it? What do you want?"

Tangled branches checks the room before hearing the swoop.

"Mmmh... that should be my question. You are the one who called, I pressume. My name is Tangled Branches, patreearch of Vast. I have come to parlay and talk. Are you perchance trying to reach accross dimensions?"

"What happened?" Prompto asked.
"It's Cor. He's the city has been restored and free from the empire." Noctis explained.
"Insomnia? Have the empire's forces fled?" Ignis asked.
"No,it's like they vanished from the city from out of nowhere." Noctis added." They said Luna is heading there."
"Then there is no time to waste." Ignis replied.
"Eh guys,why is there an anime character trying to attack our car?" Prompto asked.
They noticed a familliar bare chest teen wearing a boar mask trying to attack the Regalia,the car belonging to Noctis's father,with his two katanas
The four boys ran to the car.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Noctis cried.
"I'm taking down thia beast! I,the great Lord Inosuke,will crush it!" the wild masked youth shouted. Gladio ran in attempt to stop the wild masked youth from wrecking the car.
(Don't worry it won't just be FFXV as the world merged with others.)

Saffare looks at the beastman attacking the car. And then runs after the boys.

"Could you please not? That's a mode of transport. Are you familiar with riding beasts?"

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-06, 01:51 PM

Tangled branches checks the room before hearing the swoop.

"Mmmh... that should be my question. You are the one who called, I pressume. My name is Tangled Branches, patreearch of Vast. I have come to parlay and talk. Are you perchance trying to reach accross dimensions?"

Saffare looks at the beastman attacking the car. And then runs after the boys.

"Could you please not? That's a mode of transport. Are you familiar with riding beasts?"
Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
Gladio tried to retain the masked boy who tried to attack the Regalia.
"This is a metal beast! Wait,you can ride beasts?!" His boar mask fell off,revealing the boy effeminated facial features and long black hair with blue tips.
"This boy looks like a girl!" Prompto shouted.
Two more teens dressed differently came close to the car.
"Inosuke,this is a car. A car more advanced then those we have on Taisho island but a vehicle for transportation no less..." one of the two other teens,with messy blond and orange hair,golden brown eyes wearing a black uniform under a yellow and orange haori said to his comrade but stopped when he noticed Saffare." Wh...you are so beautiful....judging from your sounds you are not human but you are no demon either. T...that makes sence since we are in daylight."
The second boy,with short redish brown hair wearing the same black uniform but wearing a green and black checked patterned haori bowed to Noctis and his friends. He had a large eooden box on his back.
"I must apologise on my friend Inosuke's behalf.
My name is Tanjiro Kamado,and these are my friends Zenitsu Agatsuma..." he mentions the blond boy " and Inosuke Hashibira" the effeminated bare chested boy who Gladio let go. Inosuke grabbed his boar mask while glaring at Gladio.
" We are part of the Demon Slayer Corps of Taisho island."
Noctis and his friends were confused. Noctis checked the map on his phone. The map of Eos,now refered to as "Nova Chrystalia" had a bunch of new locations that were merged with the former Eos. Taisho island was a large island( the same size as Earth's Japan) located at North- east of Insomnia.
( OOC: The Nova Chrystslian versions of the Demon Slayer trio are the originals and have nothing to do with their reincarnations and variants's reuncarnations from Earth)

thethird

2023-03-06, 05:03 PM

Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
Gladio tried to retain the masked boy who tried to attack the Regalia.
"This is a metal beast! Wait,you can ride beasts?!" His boar mask fell off,revealing the boy effeminated facial features and long black hair with blue tips.
"This boy looks like a girl!" Prompto shouted.
Two more teens dressed differently came close to the car.
"Inosuke,this is a car. A car more advanced then those we have on Taisho island but a vehicle for transportation no less..." one of the two other teens,with messy blond and orange hair,golden brown eyes wearing a black uniform under a yellow and orange haori said to his comrade but stopped when he noticed Saffare." Wh...you are so beautiful....judging from your sounds you are not human but you are no demon either. T...that makes sence since we are in daylight."
The second boy,with short redish brown hair wearing the same black uniform but wearing a green and black checked patterned haori bowed to Noctis and his friends. He had a large eooden box on his back.
"I must apologise on my friend Inosuke's behalf.
My name is Tanjiro Kamado,and these are my friends Zenitsu Agatsuma..." he mentions the blond boy " and Inosuke Hashibira" the effeminated bare chested boy who Gladio let go. Inosuke grabbed his boar mask while glaring at Gladio.
" We are part of the Demon Slayer Corps of Taisho island."
Noctis and his friends were confused. Noctis checked the map on his phone. The map of Eos,now refered to as "Nova Chrystalia" had a bunch of new locations that were merged with the former Eos. Taisho island was a large island( the same size as Earth's Japan) located at North- east of Insomnia.
( OOC: The Nova Chrystslian versions of the Demon Slayer trio are the originals and have nothing to do with their reincarnations and variants's reuncarnations from Earth)

"Demon?" Saffare's voice is much colder than before. It sounds hard and sharp, like a steel sword. Even her eyes are harder.

"Are there demons here?" she pulls out a wooden wand from her belt. And her fingers go hard on it her knuckles whitening. She looks at Noctis.

Is that true Noctis? Are there demons in your world?

She seems a lot more serious, her easygoing attitude now evaporated.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-06, 08:13 PM

"Demon?" Saffare's voice is much colder than before. It sounds hard and sharp, like a steel sword. Even her eyes are harder.

"Are there demons here?" she pulls out a wooden wand from her belt. And her fingers go hard on it her knuckles whitening. She looks at Noctis.

Is that true Noctis? Are there demons in your world?

She seems a lot more serious, her easygoing attitude now evaporated.
"If I may reply for the prince,there is creatures known as Deamons that roam during the night. They are dangerous."
"Sounds different and the same as the demons from Taisho island though they still look human." Zenitsu replied.
"Wait,there another kind of demon here too?!"
"It's the case unfortunatly,that why my friends and I came here." Tanjiro replied.
Noctis and his friends seened more confused.
"The deamons we have here were bad enough,but more stronger and smarter demons..."

Drwily1987

2023-03-06, 08:56 PM

Wordlessly, an anxiety ridden Jacob snapped fingers, teleporting the limousine and passengers to the literal Township instantaneously. He immediately got out of the car, leaving noticeable tears, some of the tears made of blood, and promptly fell on the hard metal flooring.

"hmm, i assume that the voices in jacob's head must have grown too overwhelming to handle. Sadly he isnt the only one around here with malevolent RC's" Harry said before he looked around, he was clearly back on the SS big. Great, just ****ing great not only was his RS easy to find out about to others with RS apparently but he was hoping that he'd never have to step onboard this ship again and on top of that his only ride off this ship had just collapsed and was crying blood, mitsuri was right, dude really did need medical attention if blood was coming out of his eyes, Harry actually felt bad for Jacob, at least he himself had to put up with mere supervillains. "you guys get him to the medical bay. I need to check on the portal that's being covered by the makeshift bath plug this ship has become to see if we're in danger of this ship going through the portal." Harry states before going to activate a communication device he had constructed himself after Dr wily had awakened, you probably have already heard of it in a previous post of-

"GET BACK TO THE STORY!" the joker suddenly yelled.

Right. Anyways harry proceeded to contact one of the robot bears that he had ordered to monitor the SS big for any updates on the portal.

thethird

2023-03-07, 05:17 AM

"If I may reply for the prince,there is creatures known as Deamons that roam during the night. They are dangerous."
"Sounds different and the same as the demons from Taisho island though they still look human." Zenitsu replied.
"Wait,there another kind of demon here too?!"
"It's the case unfortunatly,that why my friends and I came here." Tanjiro replied.
Noctis and his friends seened more confused.
"The deamons we have here were bad enough,but more stronger and smarter demons..."

While she relaxes her grip she doesn't let go of the wand that she grabbed.

"Where do your demons come from? Do you know? Are they extraplanar?"

The description of those demons, the ones from Taisho might be corruptor demons, the ones from close by sound like run of the mill brute demons. Nothing special about them, but the lack of fancy tricks just means more brawn. Too many things. It's rare to find a world with sentient life, that's not under constant attack by the demons, and this one here seems to be in the earlier stages if anything of an attack.

A discoordinated attack at that.

"Our demons might not be the same, if they are averse to the light. Unless your star emits star mana in very high quantities, which, yeah, I am not an archmage. Do you guys have heroes? You know, reincarnated people from another world chosen by the gods and with more power than sense? If you don't well then yeah, your star might be emitting more star mana and naturally counteract the demons and thus the gods have not sent heroes your way. Honestly that would be a blessing."

She looks at the demon hunters.

"You mentioned you are demon hunters. I am sort of a demon hunter too, they are Vast's enemies, and we are their thorns. How do you hunt them? have you ever heard about a demon lord? A demon lord is a high ranking demon that attacks the core of the world and tries to merge with the core mana there. If it does then the world will turn into a demon world from which more demons will spawn and attack other realities. It's one of the two worst things that can happen to your world."

She realizes that she has been speaking a lot, for a person that was sent to investigate, observe, and build diplomatic relationships. She looks at her wand, once again, and decides to put it away for now. Keeping it on her belt loop.

"Noctis, team, with your city restored I assume you would want to check on that or on your fiance. I understand. As far as I can tell if you are under a demon invasion it's something that's going slowly enough for it to not matter if you go do that. I would appreciate though, if you give consideration to the embassy, demons is something that we can very much help with. On that matter, you mentioned your name was Tanjiro, right? I am wayfinder Saffare, I am not a demon, I am an elf. I come from another world, we call it Zendikar, or Treehome, and I am one of Vast's thorns, we hunt demons on a multiversal scale. So if you are a demon hunter, same offer applies, happy to establish trading and diplomatic relationships, we can certainly help each other. In particular we want magical plants, or any tool or technique you use to hunt demons. We offer the same, on a multiversal scale, our roots and branches reach far."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-07, 05:03 PM

While she relaxes her grip she doesn't let go of the wand that she grabbed.

"Where do your demons come from? Do you know? Are they extraplanar?"

The description of those demons, the ones from Taisho might be corruptor demons, the ones from close by sound like run of the mill brute demons. Nothing special about them, but the lack of fancy tricks just means more brawn. Too many things. It's rare to find a world with sentient life, that's not under constant attack by the demons, and this one here seems to be in the earlier stages if anything of an attack.

A discoordinated attack at that.

"Our demons might not be the same, if they are averse to the light. Unless your star emits star mana in very high quantities, which, yeah, I am not an archmage. Do you guys have heroes? You know, reincarnated people from another world chosen by the gods and with more power than sense? If you don't well then yeah, your star might be emitting more star mana and naturally counteract the demons and thus the gods have not sent heroes your way. Honestly that would be a blessing."

She looks at the demon hunters.

"You mentioned you are demon hunters. I am sort of a demon hunter too, they are Vast's enemies, and we are their thorns. How do you hunt them? have you ever heard about a demon lord? A demon lord is a high ranking demon that attacks the core of the world and tries to merge with the core mana there. If it does then the world will turn into a demon world from which more demons will spawn and attack other realities. It's one of the two worst things that can happen to your world."

She realizes that she has been speaking a lot, for a person that was sent to investigate, observe, and build diplomatic relationships. She looks at her wand, once again, and decides to put it away for now. Keeping it on her belt loop.

"Noctis, team, with your city restored I assume you would want to check on that or on your fiance. I understand. As far as I can tell if you are under a demon invasion it's something that's going slowly enough for it to not matter if you go do that. I would appreciate though, if you give consideration to the embassy, demons is something that we can very much help with. On that matter, you mentioned your name was Tanjiro, right? I am wayfinder Saffare, I am not a demon, I am an elf. I come from another world, we call it Zendikar, or Treehome, and I am one of Vast's thorns, we hunt demons on a multiversal scale. So if you are a demon hunter, same offer applies, happy to establish trading and diplomatic relationships, we can certainly help each other. In particular we want magical plants, or any tool or technique you use to hunt demons. We offer the same, on a multiversal scale, our roots and branches reach far."
Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
"Reincarnated heroes...from another world? We have none of that...as far as I'm corcerned."Noctis replied.
"Sounds like in an RPG!" Prompto cheered.
"What's an RPG?!" Inosuke shouts.
"There is a demon king unfortunatly..." Tanjiro replied." His name is Muzan Kibutsuji. He is the one who created the demons from Taisho. We reveived a messanger crow telling us that Muzan and his Twelve Kizuki have left this island and reached this continent."
Noctis and his friends were horrified.
"First Eos merged with other lands,and now we have to deal with another demon king and his demons along with the Niflheim empire and their Deamons?!" Prompto cried.
" I don't like this at all either!" Zenitsu cried.
"I don't know if there's a Deamon king here but the Niflheim empire is responsible for the deamon's reawaking as they were created using an ancient curse known as the Starscourge." Ignis explained.
"Yeah,we should go back to Insomnia." Noctis replied." I hope Luna will be alright.
Scratching noises were heard inside the box on Tanjiro's back.
"Nezuko,she woke up!" Zenitsu cheered.
"Well,my younger sister is inside this box. She can change her size. She might be a demon but she dosen't attack humans." Tanjiro explained." Taisho demons cannot stand in the sun.that's why she's in this box.Oh,and it's an honor to meet you Lady Saffare!" Tanjiro added,bowing in respect. " We previously received a message from my crow that Lord Kagaya is heading for the city of Insomnia to meet with other officials.
" Then we must make haste and return to Insomnia as soon as possible." Ignis added." His royal highness needs to attend." Noctis rolled his eyes.
Tanjiro bowed to Noctis." I'm so sorry,I didn't know that you were the king of this land!" He said.Zenitsu bowed as well.
"Okay...well,just call me Noct alright. I might be king but,we're among friends here." Noctis added.
" If...if you say so Noct." Tanjiro replied.
"That about royalty.." said Zenitsu.
"You're the king of this land,then I'm the king of the mountain! Bow down to Lord Inosuke!" Inosuke shouted,only to be hit by Gladio.

thethird

2023-03-07, 05:46 PM

Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.
"Reincarnated heroes...from another world? We have none of that...as far as I'm corcerned."Noctis replied.
"Sounds like in an RPG!" Prompto cheered.
"What's an RPG?!" Inosuke shouts.
"There is a demon king unfortunatly..." Tanjiro replied." His name is Muzan Kibutsuji. He is the one who created the demons from Taisho. We reveived a messanger crow telling us that Muzan and his Twelve Kizuki have left this island and reached this continent."
Noctis and his friends were horrified.
"First Eos merged with other lands,and now we have to deal with another demon king and his demons along with the Niflheim empire and their Deamons?!" Prompto cried.
" I don't like this at all either!" Zenitsu cried.
"I don't know if there's a Deamon king here but the Niflheim empire is responsible for the deamon's reawaking as they were created using an ancient curse known as the Starscourge." Ignis explained.
"Yeah,we should go back to Insomnia." Noctis replied." I hope Luna will be alright.
Scratching noises were heard inside the box on Tanjiro's back.
"Nezuko,she woke up!" Zenitsu cheered.
"Well,my younger sister is inside this box. She can change her size. She might be a demon but she dosen't attack humans." Tanjiro explained." Taisho demons cannot stand in the sun.that's why she's in this box.Oh,and it's an honor to meet you Lady Saffare!" Tanjiro added,bowing in respect. " We previously received a message from my crow that Lord Kagaya is heading for the city of Insomnia to meet with other officials.
" Then we must make haste and return to Insomnia as soon as possible." Ignis added." His royal highness needs to attend." Noctis rolled his eyes.
Tanjiro bowed to Noctis." I'm so sorry,I didn't know that you were the king of this land!" He said.Zenitsu bowed as well.
"Okay...well,just call me Noct alright. I might be king but,we're among friends here." Noctis added.
" If...if you say so Noct." Tanjiro replied.
"That about royalty.." said Zenitsu.
"You're the king of this land,then I'm the king of the mountain! Bow down to Lord Inosuke!" Inosuke shouted,only to be hit by Gladio.

"We have been exposed to the concept of RPGs in some worlds we have traveled too. None has had a sufficient technology to replicate what's common in ours though. Classes and creatures from the system seem to evolve over time. For example in times of my grandfather there were no gunners, now gunners are starting to fade into more specialized classes such as sniper, or artillerist. But that's a whole different thing. And classes can get specialized tags. If you want to go to my world at some point we can help you get a class. For what's worth I am a level 20 Vast's Wayfinder / level 60 Archranger / level 10 guerrilla commander."

That sounds like a corruptor, or parasite, demon lord alright. And Starscourge sounds certainly demonic. She doesn't have proper experience with them but some of the senior thorns have dealt with them. Others more versed than her would need to study them, see if the corruption can be fought back. It's normally easier with parasites, she knew that Vast had experience with those and in fact symbiotic familiars like her armor had been modeled on those. Only if she was able to capture a demon to study. Then the noises from the box sound.

"Prince Noctis, I formally request permission to bring a contingent of Thorn troops here. Common operating procedure is to drown the demon lord with firepower. Also, Tanjiro, I would appreciate if you would ask your sister to collaborate with my people on some tests. She will be safe and no damage will come to her, you have my word."

She looks at Noctis awaiting permission while once again grabbing at her wand.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-07, 08:42 PM

"We have been exposed to the concept of RPGs in some worlds we have traveled too. None has had a sufficient technology to replicate what's common in ours though. Classes and creatures from the system seem to evolve over time. For example in times of my grandfather there were no gunners, now gunners are starting to fade into more specialized classes such as sniper, or artillerist. But that's a whole different thing. And classes can get specialized tags. If you want to go to my world at some point we can help you get a class. For what's worth I am a level 20 Vast's Wayfinder / level 60 Archranger / level 10 guerrilla commander."

That sounds like a corruptor, or parasite, demon lord alright. And Starscourge sounds certainly demonic. She doesn't have proper experience with them but some of the senior thorns have dealt with them. Others more versed than her would need to study them, see if the corruption can be fought back. It's normally easier with parasites, she knew that Vast had experience with those and in fact symbiotic familiars like her armor had been modeled on those. Only if she was able to capture a demon to study. Then the noises from the box sound.

"Prince Noctis, I formally request permission to bring a contingent of Thorn troops here. Common operating procedure is to drown the demon lord with firepower. Also, Tanjiro, I would appreciate if you would ask your sister to collaborate with my people on some tests. She will be safe and no damage will come to her, you have my word."

She looks at Noctis awaiting permission while once again grabbing at her wand.
"It would be wise to bring them,in my opinion." Ignis told Noctis and Saffare.
"Yeah...if we're dealing with a demon king that we don't know in addition of the local deamons,then bring them in." Noctis replied.
Prompto was amazed. "Your world seems so cool! I wanna visit it!"

"From your scent,you seem secere,so you have my trust." Tanjiro replied.
"We still need to return to Insomnia." Ignis said.
"How we gonna bring in everyone? The Regalia has only five seats!" said Prompto.

thethird

2023-03-08, 03:54 AM

"It would be wise to bring them,in my opinion." Ignis told Noctis and Saffare.
"Yeah...if we're dealing with a demon king that we don't know in addition of the local deamons,then bring them in." Noctis replied.
Prompto was amazed. "Your world seems so cool! I wanna visit it!"

"From your scent,you seem secere,so you have my trust." Tanjiro replied.
"We still need to return to Insomnia." Ignis said.
"How we gonna bring in everyone? The Regalia has only five seats!" said Prompto.

Saffare takes out the wand holds it firmly on both hands and breaks it like a twig. When she does the sky seems to break and roots thicker than a man's torso appear from portals. They spread open like flower revealing a central dark corridor with green highlights. From it...

"MOVE MOVE MOVE"

Fully armored elves carrying a round shield at eye level as well as heavy crossbows jump into the ground. Their faces are covered by helmets of the same whiteish wood as Saffare's armor, and they wear cloaks that while dark on the corridor shift in color and mimetize with their surroundings when they jump to the ground.

They establish a perimeter circling the point from where the roots sprouted while more and more are coming through. One, armored just like the others approachs Saffare and raises her hand to his face in a martial salute, that Saffare returns.

"At ease world is breathable, there are currently no demons in close outskirts, but there is at least one suspected parasite demon lord, whereabouts unknown but assumed to be approaching allied urban capital. We have a friendly demon, somehow able to fight corruption, so I need a research tree here, asap. Also suspected high concentration of star mana in star, so I need an archmage."

Hearing the concerns about how to get there.

"I'll also need a voidmage."

By the time the conversation was done a tight perimeter around all of them had been set, with plants and trees seeming to grow from the ground in trenches. In total there were thirty elves, all armored, and carrying a shield with heavy crossbow. As the root portal expanded a walking tree came out of it, it was humanoid and taller than the Regalia is long. It's limbs are thicks and covered in redish moss, many branches sprout from it's back making a canopy from which countless trinkets hang, most look like totems, dreamwavers or other arcane tools. It's face isn't humanoid and looks like a flowery rendition of an insect head. Eight jeweled eyes shinning.

"Archmage Long Roots, I am glad to see you."

The voidmage follows, and where the archmage had been big the voidmage is small. It's actually a dwarf, robbed in black and carrying a heavy staff that is more used as a walking stick. He is balding but still sports a well kept white beard with silver rings braided into it. Saffare actually breaks protocol and gives the dwarf a hug, that seems to reciprocate with some soft pats on her back.

"Master Blackstaff! I am so glad you could join us, I heard you were on a mission."

"Just make it in tame to bake some cookies lass, before you guys needed me. No rest for an old man. Such lack of respect for the elders. Cookie?"

He offers a chocolate chip cookie, which she gladly accepts. And then goes to Noctis.

"Blackstaff, this is Noctis, he knows where we are needed, he is a local and has a map. Noctis, this is Blackstaff he can get us where we are needed, from there I can stablish a connection to Vast and build a root portal, like the one my people just used. With that we can get everyone here. Do you know of any place where we could try and stop the demon king from reaching the city?"

"Nice to meet you young boy. Cookie?"

While that conversation happened a whole tree sprouted tended by the archmage, it's roots are raised and there are several pods from the tree a humanoid and matronly figure sprouts. Her body is green and barely covered with a white lab coat that seems to be made of flower matter.

"Tanjiro, this is a research tree. The dryad here will conduct research, to try and help your sister. If you don't mind could you please help your sister get into one of the pods."

As she speaks one of the pods open, like a bean, it's interior is filled with clear thick liquid, it's cool and comforting to the touch, albeit a bit sticky, just like aloe vera.

Aleph Null

2023-03-08, 07:23 AM

"Well, I do tend to agree with you about the self-destruction," Tagora smiles. "I should clarify, I meant gods in the less tangible, more ideological sense, not the ones claiming to walk the Earth in human guise because of RS or whatever. For instance, factions like the one you just saw are fervent believers in the gods of property and of the liberty to use violence however they choose." He thinks for a second. "However, this may better answer your question: if Larry were to have his way, every RC user in the world would be revered as a god. His belief in Reincarnation as divine providence isn't much of a secret, even to the general public."

"Then, he intends to ensure that everyone in the world is an RC user. His egalitarian streak is no secret either, after all. As for how he intends to do that, the experiments of Wrath's Eastern branch aren't done with his oversight, but I happen to know that he is kept well aware of them, and that he's especially interested in how RS can be spread and controlled."
I raise a finger in a lightbulb gesture, then rub my chin a bit.
"I see — what you're defining as a god matches well with the definition of an ideology in my databases. Apologies for the confusion. That said, his ideas (the King's) are certainly rather idealistic, and while a few months ago I may have called them impractical, awakening to reality-altering powers has made me a bit more open to consideration as to what exactly is possible. That said, what's his plan for dealing with those who would use their newfound RS powers to exploit or trample others? If he's an egalitarian in the philosophical sense he surely would be opposed to using it that way, but it's simply not going to be the case that everyone is on board with that philosophy."

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-03-08, 09:19 PM

The SS Big

"Actually, we are survivors! These two are cosplayers."

"Yeah... our room get destroyed by... the robots!"

"Huh," the engineer says, sensing deception but having no reason to press the issue. "Well, the story checks out, anyway. Head upstairs, there are-"

Jacob snapped his fingers, teleporting the limousine. He got out of the car and fell on the floor.

"Dear... are you alright?"

"I'm so sorry!"

"You guys get him to the medical bay. I need to check on the portal."

By convenient coincidence, the group and their limo appear right next to their comrades in the lower decks.

The engineer goes wide-eyed, startled.

"Uh! As I was saying, there are some medics upstairs who can look you over!"

It's easy enough to bring Jacob to the Hospital District. The holes in the intervening decks have been patched up with pristine, blatantly mismatched new floors and walls. Checkerboard tiles here, log cabin motifs there, futuristic ceramic curves lined with glowing neon off on the other side. All more of Aisling's work, no doubt.

Aisling hasn't gotten to very much of the hospital itself yet. Once touted for being as advanced and well-staffed as any on land, the part that's still safe and intact is currently run by scavengers and survivors who happen to have nursing training. One of them runs over and starts running through the same procedure they would for any collapsed, possibly convulsing middle-aged man.

"What happened?" she asks AU Tanjiro. "Was he out in the sun? Did he look like he was choking?"

In Jacob's mind, one voice speaks up to talk over the others, or perhaps a critical percentage of them happened to say the same thing at once. Either way, one message manages to emerge:

OPEN THE DOOR.

The medic helps Jacob onto a bed. Thankfully, there are still some free since most people who needed them were evacuated. She examines his eyes and throat and gives him some water.

THE DESERT. GO TO THE DESERT. NOT THE BIG ONE. THE LAME ONE. WITH THE PETRIFIED FOREST.

"I'm not really a diagnostician, much less an RS expert. We'll need to refer him to somewhere with a padded room. Until then... maybe we can sedate him and hope he sleeps it off?"

PETRIFIED FOREST. GO THERE. OPEN THE DOOR.

"GET BACK TO THE STORY!"

Back in the lower decks, Aisling turns invisible and runs off to do some more repairs while the bears check in with their programmer.

"Hahaha! Your timing is perfect!" "They literally just opened it up a couple minutes ago!" "The edges are probably still hot!" "I wanna drive the limo through it and crash against the rocks like Thelma and Louise!"

Oil Rig Rendezvous

"Mmmh... that should be my question. You are the one who called, I pressume. My name is Tangled Branches, patreearch of Vast. I have come to parlay and talk. Are you perchance trying to reach across dimensions?"

She raises one finger to her lip thoughtfully. "Called? Reached across dimensions? Yes, I suppose I did both of those things, didn't I?" She leans to one side to peek around him. Satisfied that no one else is there, she resumes eye contact. "I apologize if I disturbed you. My name is Eshaal. What I was doing just now was essentially a di-"

Just then, the figure from before drops down with a thunderous slam. Looks like she skipped the ladder entirely. She adjusts her mask, slightly askew as the fall left it, and locks her eyes on Eshaal.

Tangled Branches has exactly that much time to guess what's about to happen and do something about it. Assuming he's so inclined, of course.

Toronto Teatime

"I see, what's his plan for those who would exploit or trample others? If he would be opposed to it, not everyone is on board with that philosophy."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough after that summit of his, considering you just described some of our biggest clients," he grins. "According to my sources, he always does one of two things in the end. On one hand, he can simply fail. He can give up, make too many compromises, and/or his organization can crash and burn, in each case leaving the exploiters and tramplers to do as they please.

"On the other hand, he can make just one compromise and succeed: by subjugating all of human will at once. Including his own, I assume, he won't be able to justify it to himself otherwise. There exist a few possible methods of doing so. The Borg Queen's powers are the most likely option, I think, but now I lapse into speculation."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-08, 09:36 PM

Saffare takes out the wand holds it firmly on both hands and breaks it like a twig. When she does the sky seems to break and roots thicker than a man's torso appear from portals. They spread open like flower revealing a central dark corridor with green highlights. From it...

"MOVE MOVE MOVE"

Fully armored elves carrying a round shield at eye level as well as heavy crossbows jump into the ground. Their faces are covered by helmets of the same whiteish wood as Saffare's armor, and they wear cloaks that while dark on the corridor shift in color and mimetize with their surroundings when they jump to the ground.

They establish a perimeter circling the point from where the roots sprouted while more and more are coming through. One, armored just like the others approachs Saffare and raises her hand to his face in a martial salute, that Saffare returns.

"At ease world is breathable, there are currently no demons in close outskirts, but there is at least one suspected parasite demon lord, whereabouts unknown but assumed to be approaching allied urban capital. We have a friendly demon, somehow able to fight corruption, so I need a research tree here, asap. Also suspected high concentration of star mana in star, so I need an archmage."

Hearing the concerns about how to get there.

"I'll also need a voidmage."

By the time the conversation was done a tight perimeter around all of them had been set, with plants and trees seeming to grow from the ground in trenches. In total there were thirty elves, all armored, and carrying a shield with heavy crossbow. As the root portal expanded a walking tree came out of it, it was humanoid and taller than the Regalia is long. It's limbs are thicks and covered in redish moss, many branches sprout from it's back making a canopy from which countless trinkets hang, most look like totems, dreamwavers or other arcane tools. It's face isn't humanoid and looks like a flowery rendition of an insect head. Eight jeweled eyes shinning.

"Archmage Long Roots, I am glad to see you."

The voidmage follows, and where the archmage had been big the voidmage is small. It's actually a dwarf, robbed in black and carrying a heavy staff that is more used as a walking stick. He is balding but still sports a well kept white beard with silver rings braided into it. Saffare actually breaks protocol and gives the dwarf a hug, that seems to reciprocate with some soft pats on her back.

"Master Blackstaff! I am so glad you could join us, I heard you were on a mission."

"Just make it in tame to bake some cookies lass, before you guys needed me. No rest for an old man. Such lack of respect for the elders. Cookie?"

He offers a chocolate chip cookie, which she gladly accepts. And then goes to Noctis.

"Blackstaff, this is Noctis, he knows where we are needed, he is a local and has a map. Noctis, this is Blackstaff he can get us where we are needed, from there I can stablish a connection to Vast and build a root portal, like the one my people just used. With that we can get everyone here. Do you know of any place where we could try and stop the demon king from reaching the city?"

"Nice to meet you young boy. Cookie?"

While that conversation happened a whole tree sprouted tended by the archmage, it's roots are raised and there are several pods from the tree a humanoid and matronly figure sprouts. Her body is green and barely covered with a white lab coat that seems to be made of flower matter.

"Tanjiro, this is a research tree. The dryad here will conduct research, to try and help your sister. If you don't mind could you please help your sister get into one of the pods."

As she speaks one of the pods open, like a bean, it's interior is filled with clear thick liquid, it's cool and comforting to the touch, albeit a bit sticky, just like aloe vera.
Prompto looked in awe at all the fantasy beings that stood before him.
"Nice to meet you Mister Blackstaff!" Noctis replied. He was royalty but lacked royal manners much to both Ignis and Gladio's annoyence.
"A cookie? Well thank you!" Noctis replied as he took the cookie.
"I would say near the gates which are the entrance of Insomnia." Ignis replied. "I am a strategist after all."
Zenitsu was scared of Long Roots and hid behind Prompto.
" Hahah,what are these guys! You are come from the forest?!" Inosuke shouted. " I am Lord Inosuke,king of the mountains!!!" the masked wild youth shouted.
"Inosuke,these beings are from another world..." Zenitsu muttered.
Tanjiro nodded to Saffare and went closer to the pod.
He gently placed the box near the pod and opened the door. "It's alright Nezuko. Just go inside the pod. These people want to help us.
A tiny female with long black hair with orange highlights and wearing a pink kimono and a green bamboo muzzle on her mouth.got out of the box. Tanjiro shielded his sister from the sun with his haori as she grows to her original size as a 14 year old girl and went inside the pod.
Tanjiro remembered something. "There are two friends of mine who are helping with making a cure to turn Nezuko back into a human again. Both are in Taisho island." He started." The first is Lady Tamayo. She's also a demon but she's good as well. She's a doctor that treats both humans and demons. The second is Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. She might be at the Butterfly mansion near the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters."
---------
SS Big
Lucy and her comrades were relived to see AU Zenitsu ( Marcus)and the other Slayers and went to them.
The reunion was short lived as they went to the medical yard with Jacob.
AU Tanjiro didn't know how to replied.
"The poor dear teleported us here. I suppose this what caused his eyes to bleed." Mitsuri tried to explain.
" No wonder she's the Love Hashira. She cares for others." Lucy said,smiling.
"Too much if you ask me..."Iguro muttered. Even in this new life,he was jealous if his girlfriend was near another man.
"Can you do something for him?" AU Zenitsu asked the staff.
"I hope poor Jacob will be okay." said Lucy.
"I asked too much of him." AU Zenitsu said.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You did your best." AU Tanjiro replied.
AU Zenitsu smiled. "Thank,glad that the three of you are safe."
"Happy too Marcus!" Lucy replied.
RS Inosuke was running around like an hyperactive child,laughing madly.
"So,what was at the other side of this portal?" AU Zenitsu asked.
"From what I saw,it seemed like the Horizon world was mixed with the Final Fantasy 10 world." Lucy replied."I did help them by blowing up a factory that seemed to be a problem in their world."
"A factory?" AU Zenitsu asked.
"Yeah,weird even for a world,or a portion of it that has robot dinosaurs." Lucy added.
" There might be a chance that the Taisho japan from Demon Slayer prime universe might still exist in this new world. It might have had fused with this new world and been relocated." AU Tanjiro guessed.

thethird

2023-03-09, 05:20 AM

Oil Rig Rendezvous

She raises one finger to her lip thoughtfully. "Called? Reached across dimensions? Yes, I suppose I did both of those things, didn't I?" She leans to one side to peek around him. Satisfied that no one else is there, she resumes eye contact. "I apologize if I disturbed you. My name is Eshaal. What I was doing just now was essentially a di-"

Just then, the figure from before drops down with a thunderous slam. Looks like she skipped the ladder entirely. She adjusts her mask, slightly askew as the fall left it, and locks her eyes on Eshaal.

Tangled Branches has exactly that much time to guess what's about to happen and do something about it. Assuming he's so inclined, of course.

Tangled Branches gives a look at the figure.

"Oh no young lady, your communication is really really bad. Not doing this again. Nope."

He extends a hand towards the woman and the branches in his back extend touching the corridor, suddenly a wall of thick thorned branches springs arround Eshaal and Tangled Branches. The treefolk turns towards the scientiest.

"Do you know that woman? Vast, would like to meet you, and help you and finance your work. Would you like meeting them?"

He reaches a hand towards Eshaal. His eyes closing and opening very slowly, while lovering his head. Body language from treefolk to human translates terribly, but there is a moment in which his neck is lowered and his eyes are closed, and those align.

Prompto looked in awe at all the fantasy beings that stood before him.
"Nice to meet you Mister Blackstaff!" Noctis replied. He was royalty but lacked royal manners much to both Ignis and Gladio's annoyence.
"A cookie? Well thank you!" Noctis replied as he took the cookie.
"I would say near the gates which are the entrance of Insomnia." Ignis replied. "I am a strategist after all."
Zenitsu was scared of Long Roots and hid behind Prompto.
" Hahah,what are these guys! You are come from the forest?!" Inosuke shouted. " I am Lord Inosuke,king of the mountains!!!" the masked wild youth shouted.
"Inosuke,these beings are from another world..." Zenitsu muttered.
Tanjiro nodded to Saffare and went closer to the pod.
He gently placed the box near the pod and opened the door. "It's alright Nezuko. Just go inside the pod. These people want to help us.
A tiny female with long black hair with orange highlights and wearing a pink kimono and a green bamboo muzzle on her mouth.got out of the box. Tanjiro shielded his sister from the sun with his haori as she grows to her original size as a 14 year old girl and went inside the pod.
Tanjiro remembered something. "There are two friends of mine who are helping with making a cure to turn Nezuko back into a human again. Both are in Taisho island." He started." The first is Lady Tamayo. She's also a demon but she's good as well. She's a doctor that treats both humans and demons. The second is Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. She might be at the Butterfly mansion near the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters."

After checking the map and making a few considerations about distance, Blackstaff makes a thorough zoom on the map, and asks about the distance of the smallest units compared to the distance that he can walk. He seems to be doing heavy calculations mentally, and his focused face leans hard against the staff when thinking.

"Okay, I think I got it young boy." He turns towards Ignis. "Strategist, I'm taking you with me, take this." He passes a wood token of a feathered wing. "That's a feather fall token, wearing that on your person will make you fall slowly. I will teleport us as close as I can to the place, calculations are a bit rough sorry, and will send us up, from there give a look to where our people are needed most and then teleport us there. Just point me on the right direction. Ready?"

He gives Ignis a moment before offering him his hand and hitting the ground with his staff, suddenly they are no longer there. They are about 800 meters on the air, and a kilometer off of the city walls, having gone a bit farther than expected. They are falling very slowly.

"Where to now boy?"

---

The treefolk archmage seems to be busy taking the sun and enjoying the breeze to actually pay Zenitsu and Inosuke's antics much attention. Meanwhile the dryad is listening attently to Tanjiro while studying Nezuko, she nods from time to time and is now wearing wooden framed amber glasses. Observing how Tanjiro seems worried about the sun she increases the thickness of the foliage, casting a heavy shade under the trees canopy.

"Noted, I'll need to cross notes with them then, local investigation would be perfect, to add context to my research. Also local knowledge about how the demons originated would be great. Preliminary analisis shows it's not a parasite demon. It seems to be a cellular mutation by exposure to demonic mana. Vast can brute force it, by feeding it enough of their mana to force a change. But that would change your sister further, not revert the change. Let's try other things first. I would strongly recommend that she doesn't leave the pod while you fight the demon lord."

She turns to Saffare, but consciously speaks loud enough for Tanjiro to hear.

"Commander Saffare, please let them now it's definitely not a parasite, corruptor demon most likely. Seems similar to Zendrikar's vampires. Assume there is no short term tool for reversion, killing the demon lord might kill every other demon spawned directly by the demon lord. If that happens I will keep Nezuko alive as long as she is in the pod. If you don't succeed on killing the demon lord, or killing the demon lord doesn't kill the other demons then try and grab me some for research. Preferably alive."

Drwily1987

2023-03-09, 10:50 AM

"What do you even mean they opened the portal!? Also don't even think about taking the limo! I might need to modify it for use as an escape vehicle in case that portal devours the ship!" Harry barks into the device. "Now i need to find some parts i can use for that. I need to get back to my cabin." Harry stated before making the long trip back to his cabin, if there were any robot bear pirate parts lying around they'd be useful to his plan. "and once we're back on land i need to make some calls, and reassure my fans that i have survived!" Harry stated out loud.

"I couldn't agree more AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The joker responded.

In the subconscious

As this was going on, the self proclaimed emperor of evil Lord Zedd Lurked within Harry's subconscious, trying to learn more about the host of the body he was now in by looking through their memories. The information gained from those would be useful for when he launched his attempt to possess Harry. Especially the one he was currently watching.

"Ah, love. How i hate it!" The evil emperor grumbled from within the subconscious to no one but himself.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-09, 05:03 PM

Insomnia,city gates,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.

"The best course of action right now is to head for the citadel." Ignis suggested.
It was still a long walk on foot to reach the citadel as it was in the middle of the city. Crossing the highways would take awhile. Fortunatly,there were two guards near a car nearby.
"Sir Ignis!" said one of the guards. "Where is Prince Noctis? And...who is this?" the guard asked.
"An ally. He will help us." Ignis replied."As for the prince,he is still in Duscae speaking with our new allies." Ignis explained.
" Right,we do need alot of those. King Regis will be holding a small summit with new allies from...those new nations that are now allied with us." the guard explained.
Ignis looked surprised. King Regis was back from the dead? How will Noctis react when he learns about this.
" The king hopes that Prince Noctis will join too. Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret is present as well."
"I'll call him." Ignis replied."In the meantime,we need to go to the citadel."
"Understood. I'll drive you both there!" The guard replied.
-----'
Fortunatly,the drive was quick and smooth as trafic was fluid. Ignis looked through the window as the car parked near the masive staircase leading up to the citadel.
"It has been awhile,I wonder how Noct will feel when he'll return." Ignis said to himself.
----
Noctis sneezed. "You okay buddy?" Prompto asked.
"Thank you very much." Tanjiro replied. " Unfortunatly,I don't know Muzan Kibutsuji's whereabouts right now." he said. Zenitsu checked on Nezuko,worried.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-03-10, 12:17 AM

The SS Big

"The poor dear..."

"No wonder she's the Love Hashira. She cares for others."

"Too much if you ask me..." "Ah, love. How i hate it!" "I couldn't agree more!"

"So, what was at the other side?"

"Horizon mixed with Final Fantasy 10 with a factory for robot dinosaurs."

"...might be a chance Taisho Japan relocated..."

"I'm sorry, what?! A whole part of Japan moved?" The bewildered nurse feels like she's losing her mind as this conversation plays out in front of her. She rubs here eyes and tries to focus. "Ugh, alright, let's start again. This man, 'Jacob,' teleported you here. Okay, I can accept that, at this point. So, what does teleporting cause that gives us these symptoms?"

She sighs, finishes the exam and stands up. "The easiest explanation for most of what I'm seeing is a concussion, but he also has a fever. Maybe the force of the teleport knocked his brain around somehow, or maybe it's some kind of allergic reaction. Either way, his first priority should be to rest and cool off."

NO. THAT'S BORING. DON'T DO THAT.

"What do you mean!? Also don't! I might need an escape vehicle! Now to find some parts..."

The bears eagerly help their master to his room, where he finds that they've taken the liberty of, 'conquering,' a couple of adjacent rooms in his name. They've collected some radio parts and tools as well, so whatever he needs to rig up, there's probably something he can work with.

Oil Rig Rendezvous

"Oh no young lady, your communication is really really bad. Not doing this again. Nope."

He extends a hand and a wall of thick thorned branches springs up around Eshaal and Tangled Branches...

...just in time to intercept the woman as she charges forward, stopping her with a satisfying woody *crunch.* Looks like that was the correct answer!

"You're bein' awful protective of someone you just met, Tree Man," she says, her voice a hollow drawl.

"Do you know that woman?"

"I only know that she was waiting for me on the deck, and could not get through the hatch as you apparently did."

"Thanks for root-grappling it open, by the way."

"Vast, would like to meet you, and help you and finance your work. Would you like meeting them?"

Eshaal tugs on her headscarf nervously. "I don't understand. Vast? Finance? I don't know if these are the circumstances for-"

On the other side of the bramble, the soldier reaches her hand to her side, and an axe appears from nowhere. She flexes her arm to adjust her grip on it, then starts buzzing through the brush like a bloodthirsty lawnmower.

"VerywellIagreelet'sgo!" Eshaal seizes Tangled Branches' hand like her life depends on it.

thethird

2023-03-10, 06:55 AM

Oil Rig Rendezvous

...just in time to intercept the woman as she charges forward, stopping her with a satisfying woody *crunch.* Looks like that was the correct answer!

"You're bein' awful protective of someone you just met, Tree Man," she says, her voice a hollow drawl.

"I only know that she was waiting for me on the deck, and could not get through the hatch as you apparently did."

"Thanks for root-grappling it open, by the way."

Eshaal tugs on her headscarf nervously. "I don't understand. Vast? Finance? I don't know if these are the circumstances for-"

On the other side of the bramble, the soldier reaches her hand to her side, and an axe appears from nowhere. She flexes her arm to adjust her grip on it, then starts buzzing through the brush like a bloodthirsty lawnmower.

"VerywellIagreelet'sgo!" Eshaal seizes Tangled Branches' hand like her life depends on it.

Tangled Branches grabs Eshaal and brings her closer under his canopy into a one armed hug. Meanwhile he uses his staff to hit the ground and more and more wood gets between the axe and it's target.

"Oh, Vast, it would be a very good time to get us out of here now."

A root appears, apparently from thin air. And Eshaal can feel a lot of energy, mana, that wasn't there just a moment ago. The root twists unto itself, forming a loop on the ground, a portal springs and Tangled Branches jumps into it feet first still holding Eshaal close. They disappear like the proverbial rabbit into the magician's hat, and the root unloops soon disappearing too.

Treehome, on what used to be Emeria's skyclave.

Tangled Branches stands up and carefully puts Eshaal down. Apparently Vast has gotten them on the last flying Skyclave above Treehome. It has been strongly changed with lush moss and grass covering the ruins in a soft cushion. That and the gentle breeze and the golden light of the setting sun make it seem like a tourist vacation spot and not the thorn's training grounds that it actually is.

A tree is there, not Vast, but a tree. One of Vast's like every tree in the world, a world that had been Zendikar, but now a more fitting name was pased among the young Treehome. And from it, a dryad appears. Vast.

Humanoid and androgynous, like a statue carved in wood and given life Vast emerges out of the tree. Whatever artist created them they used many woods and different flows and textures mesh in muscles and flesh. There is art though, as the whole doesn't look messy but organic. Vast's chests is alight, a trapped orange sun in their chest marking each and every rib. And the same sorcerous light shinning on their eyes.

Eshaal can feel Vast's soul, and while it's strong it doesn't feel this strong, it's like it suffuses really well with the environment and can't contrast with it. In fact, seeing them together Tangled Branches has a much smaller but very very similar soul to Vast. As if Tangled Branches had been like a cutting of Vast's soul, planted in a new shape.

"I am Vast, nice to meet you. Let me know if there is anything I can make to make you feel more comfortable. We will eventually talk business, but first, do you know who was after you? Do they have means of traveling through the blind eternities?"

Insomnia,city gates,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia.

"The best course of action right now is to head for the citadel." Ignis suggested.
It was still a long walk on foot to reach the citadel as it was in the middle of the city. Crossing the highways would take awhile. Fortunatly,there were two guards near a car nearby.
"Sir Ignis!" said one of the guards. "Where is Prince Noctis? And...who is this?" the guard asked.
"An ally. He will help us." Ignis replied."As for the prince,he is still in Duscae speaking with our new allies." Ignis explained.
" Right,we do need alot of those. King Regis will be holding a small summit with new allies from...those new nations that are now allied with us." the guard explained.
Ignis looked surprised. King Regis was back from the dead? How will Noctis react when he learns about this.
" The king hopes that Prince Noctis will join too. Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret is present as well."
"I'll call him." Ignis replied."In the meantime,we need to go to the citadel."
"Understood. I'll drive you both there!" The guard replied.
-----'
Fortunatly,the drive was quick and smooth as trafic was fluid. Ignis looked through the window as the car parked near the masive staircase leading up to the citadel.
"It has been awhile,I wonder how Noct will feel when he'll return." Ignis said to himself.
----
Noctis sneezed. "You okay buddy?" Prompto asked.
"Thank you very much." Tanjiro replied. " Unfortunatly,I don't know Muzan Kibutsuji's whereabouts right now." he said. Zenitsu checked on Nezuko,worried.

Blackstaff grabs Ignis while falling and teleports them closer. He doesn't get them all the way. "There is a barrier, boy, and I don't go breaking barriers of allies." He says, but he gets them closer so they don't need to walk much.

He follows Ignis and he seems a bit taken aback the closer they get to the citadel. Core Mana he mumbles. Getting to the staircase of the citadel he puts a hand on Ignis back, he can't reach the shoulder, and whispers.

"Wasn't your old king dead boy? Be careful. Remember we are here to fight the demon lord, I can get a passage here through Vast roots if necessary. No barrier will be able to stop that, just keep your eyes peeleed. Saffare trust's you boy, so I'll trust you too, be careful."

He covers his speech with a weeze and uses his staff to help him up the stairs grumbling about tall legged folks and stupid steps. He seems like a cranky old man.

Drwily1987

2023-03-10, 09:10 AM

The SS Big

The bears eagerly help their master to his room, where he finds that they've taken the liberty of, 'conquering,' a couple of adjacent rooms in his name. They've collected some radio parts and tools as well, so whatever he needs to rig up, there's probably something he can work with.

"Hmm, Not bad. Not bad at all." Harry says "i might be able to whip up a couple thrusters to get the limo airborne, maybe i'll try to weld together a couple of wings as well for balance, can't be too sure these days." Harry says as he gets to work on the thrusters. On Dr Wily's advice he decides to base the thrusters design off of the thrusters of Dr wily's own flying saucer, probably complete with the annoying ass sound that it makes. He also uses some of the other parts to add controls to control the thrusters.

ArlEammon

2023-03-10, 10:01 AM

The SS Big

"I'm sorry, what?! A whole part of Japan moved?" The bewildered nurse feels like she's losing her mind as this conversation plays out in front of her. She rubs here eyes and tries to focus. "Ugh, alright, let's start again. This man, 'Jacob,' teleported you here. Okay, I can accept that, at this point. So, what does teleporting cause that gives us these symptoms?"

She sighs, finishes the exam and stands up. "The easiest explanation for most of what I'm seeing is a concussion, but he also has a fever. Maybe the force of the teleport knocked his brain around somehow, or maybe it's some kind of allergic reaction. Either way, his first priority should be to rest and cool off."

NO. THAT'S BORING. DON'T DO THAT.

Jacob's eyes open in his bed. Suddenly, his body magically recovers from it's trauma, literally, and then promptly, he snaps his fingers again, teleporting the limousine, and the other protagonists to the desert portal of the petrified forest. Realizing that this whole thing is just weird, the fantasy author shrugs, before simply walking through the portal.

Nova Chrystalia
Wow! This was amazing! Jacob found himself in front of Prompto, Noctis, and the others. "Wow! I never finished Final Fantasy 15! But you're exactly what I imagined you'd be like!"
"Oh, sorry. Nice to meet you! I've been looking for you! My name is Jacob!" The sudden weirdness of the situation slammed into Jacob's mind again, but he visibly just shrugged again.

Drwily1987

2023-03-10, 11:08 AM

Jacob's eyes open in his bed. Suddenly, his body magically recovers from it's trauma, literally, and then promptly, he snaps his fingers again, teleporting the limousine, and the other protagonists to the desert portal of the petrified forest. Realizing that this whole thing is just weird, the fantasy author shrugs, before simply walking through the portal.

Nova Chrystalia
Wow! This was amazing! Jacob found himself in front of Prompto, Noctis, and the others. "Wow! I never finished Final Fantasy 15! But you're exactly what I imagined you'd be like!"
"Oh, sorry. Nice to meet you! I've been looking for you! My name is Jacob!" The sudden weirdness of the situation slammed into Jacob's mind again, but he visibly just shrugged again.

Harry's work on the thrusters was rudely interrupted when he found himself in the Petrified Forest somehow, as far as Harry was concerned this was both a good thing and a bad thing, good because he was closer to going home, not to mention that it appeared that Jacob was okay to some extent if he had pulled off a mass teleportation from the pacific ocean to Arizona. Bad because he needed a ride home and he didn't have one. Not to mention that there was a portal, and Jacob just walked through it without any idea on what's on the other side.

"Goddamnit. Jacob." Harry spoke in annoyance, "walking through a random portal you just found is not a good idea! Even if you have the powers of gods and demons!" Before proceeding to facepalm in annoyance. "Alright, who wants to follow Jacob?" Harry asked his brainmates.

"ooh! I do!" The joker says

"Well unlike you clown i happen to have a healthy respect for my own skin." Dr wily retorts

"What skin?" The Joker retorts "We've been reduced to mere ghosts."

"Touche." Dr wily retorts "my point is simple. We have no data on this portal." Dr Wily says.

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-10, 01:31 PM

Petrified forest,unknown area.
Lucy, AU Tanjiro,AU Zenitsu ,AU Inosuke,Mitsuri and Iguro looked surprised as they were once again teleported.
"Okay..." Lucy said to herself.
" Jacob went through the portal,we do need to go after him and make sure he dosen't get himself into trouble." AU Zenitsu said.
" Mitsuri and I will there here and keep watch after the portal." Iguro replied. "If this portal leads to Taisho Japan,we might encounter our past lives variants." " You got a problem with that?" Lucy asked. "It would make me uneasy..."
" I would love to meet another me!" Mitsuri said cheerfully.

Lucy,AU Tanjiro,AU Zenitsu and RS Inosoke went through the portal.
-------
Duscae region,Lucis,Nova Chrystalia
Noctis and Prompto jumped in surprise as they saw Jacob emerging from a portal. " That guy must come from another world too!" Prompto said cheerfully.
"Nice to meet you Jacob." Noctis,still surprised said.
Lucy and the reincarnated Demon Slayers emerged from the portal as well.
Tanjiro,Zenitsu and Inosuke looked shocked.
"WAIT....another me...and older too!" Zenitsu cried.
"Well...I'm...a older you from another universe...or rather a reincarnation" AU Zenitsu replied.He removed his suit,revealing his demon slayer corps uniform and haori underneith.
"Thunder hashira Zenitsu Agatsuma.
Zenitsu looked shocked.
"It's our living self Lucy! RC Zenitsu said in Lucy's mind.
"Mine is present here too." RC Noctis replied.
"Yeah guys,might be too early to reveal myself as their reincarnations.
The two Inosuke looked at each other,poking each other,
"Are you a hashira as well?" Tanjiro asked his older reincarnated variant.
"I am the Sun Hashira." AU Tanjiro replied.
--------
"There is no need to worry." Ignis replied as the guards opened the gates and he went inside.
In the corridors,two figures stopped to meet with Ignis and Blackstaff.
It was a young man,no older then 21 with shoulder length black hair,wearing a kimono under a white and purple haori.
The top of his face from his forehead to over his nose waa heavily disfigured,showing signs of illness. His eyes were a pale greyish white. He was blind. A white haired young woman wearing a black kimono was helping him walk.
" You must be the prince's attendants." he said with a peaceful tone.

"I am his advisor." Ignis replied. "Blackstaff here is our ally. The prince is not here with us."
"It's alright. We will meet him soon. I am here to speak with his father,King Regis Lucis Caelum about a potental allience. My name is Kagaya Ubuyashiki,leader of the Demon Slayer Corps of Taisho island. Each and everyone of them are like children to me." The young man,Kagaya added.

Drwily1987

2023-03-10, 01:46 PM

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-10, 07:38 PM

"Damn it. Looks like they're going in." Was all Harry said before deciding to observe what exactly was going on with the portal "Whatever's here if it tries to kill me it better ****ing run." He says randomly before looking down to see if the thrusters he was working on are still there or back on the SS big.
"We're going with you Mister!" Mitsuri said to Harry.
" Well,I don't mind meeting my past life's self,as long as he stays away from my Mitsuri." Iguro whined.

Dr.Gunsforhands

2023-03-10, 09:32 PM

Treehome Skyclave, Zendikar

A dryad appears, a sorcerous light shinning on their eyes.

"I am Vast, nice to meet you. Let me know if there is anything I can make to make you feel more comfortable. We will eventually talk business, but first, do you know who was after you? Do they have means of traveling through the blind eternities?"

It takes Eshaal a couple of extra beats to respond, not so much distracted as giving her brain time catch up with what it's seen already. Floating islands, bridges formed from the roots of giant flowering trees, and charismatic glowing caryatids all tend to have that effect on people. Eshaal may have some secret knowledge at her disposal, but it's not as though she's seen everything.

"I don't know. I suppose dimensional travel would explain how she got to me, but she could also have used some other form of movement, or a vehicle I could not detect..." Her mind catches up a little more, and she smiles as she glances around and continues. "Either way, it is a pleasure to meet you, Vast. When you say the blind eternities, is that what you've been calling the medium? The, what to call it, space between spaces? Is that where... no, that wouldn't make sense. This must be another world in its own right, right?"

Nothing like a new discovery to get your mind off of how you were almost murdered just now!

The SS Big

"Hmm, might whip up a couple thrusters, maybe a couple of wings..."

Jacob Baker — Today at 7:02 PM
@doctorGunsforhands I can help with this confusion @Reincarnation Wars Jacob's mind, effected by the multitude of voices, just plainly goes to the wrong portal, to Nova Chrystalia instead of the one in Arizona.

"Okay..."

"Goddamnit."

Nova Chrystalia

"Wow! Nice to meet you! I've been looking for you! My name is Jacob!"

Noctis and Prompto jumped in surprise as they saw Jacob emerging from a portal.

"Nice to meet you Jacob." Noctis,still surprised said.

Lucy and AU Tanjiro proceed to engage in a category-4 Spider-Man-Pointing-at-Spider-Man conversation.

Aleph Null

2023-03-11, 06:33 AM

"Well, we'll find out soon enough after that summit of his, considering you just described some of our biggest clients," he grins. "According to my sources, he always does one of two things in the end. On one hand, he can simply fail. He can give up, make too many compromises, and/or his organization can crash and burn, in each case leaving the exploiters and tramplers to do as they please.

"On the other hand, he can make just one compromise and succeed: by subjugating all of human will at once. Including his own, I assume, he won't be able to justify it to himself otherwise. There exist a few possible methods of doing so. The Borg Queen's powers are the most likely option, I think, but now I lapse into speculation."

I have trouble understanding the motivations behind such action. Cautiously I fork a sandboxed (graceful-shutdown-on-error) thread to attempt to trace his reasoning. Not all that surprisingly, the thread exits with the error code
E#0xFF32A472: Integer Division by Zero in Thread #1, PID 0xAAC334FCD877E4A0.

"Insanity, the lot of it. Humanity treasures free will, to the point that they are willing to take the technological risk of creating something like me in order to understand it. He is a fool for even considering to squander it in pursuit of something so ill-defined as universal equality. And even were human will something that could be pawned, attempting to equalize all humans is like attempting to define a greater-than-or-equal-to comparison operator in a fifth degree tensor space. That is to say, it's largely meaningless, because humans are such complicated entities that they can't be simplified down to a single 'value' which therefore obviates the notion that two humans can be equal or unequal. If he's working towards equity — that is, the idea that everyone should have an equal and fair chance to succeed — then he is certainly choosing an odd way to go about it, because I posit that free will is a sine qua non to the concept of success. That is, it's something without which success is undefined."

Mulling over it for a bit longer, I add,
"I'll disclose that my reasons for making a move on this factory were less directly related to the individual cell here; I am intending to use the production capacity for my own ends. Energy-to-mass synthesis is a rather poor means of achieving an end product and is far more suited to creating raw materials which can then be turned into a final mechanism, so I had reasoned that I could overhaul the machines to suit my needs and use it to produce weapons with which to fight the WRATH insurgents. I should hope you have no reason to interfere now that those cultists are out of the picture, but I'm also unafraid to, er, see you out, if you decide that you wish to try and stop me. I trust, though, you won't make that necessary."

PrinceNoctisXV

2023-03-11, 07:20 AM

Nova Chrystalia.
Inosuke and his renicarnated variant were too busy comparing this strength.
" Hahaha! You are strong Prime me!" Reincanated Inosuke shouted. " You know how to regonise strength other Inosuke!!" Inosuke replied.

AU Zenitsu and Zenitsu pointed at each other in Spider Man style. " How come you're me but you're a Hashira already?!" Zenitsu shouted. " What if you're a demon?!" " I'm no demon! You have enhenced sence of hearing ,you should know!" AU Zenitsu replied.
Zenitsu then faced Lucy. " That's true but what about you?! How come there are sounds similiar to me and that prince guy over here inside you?!"
" Well...I...I..? Lucy stuttered.
( Ooc Is RC Zenitsu availlable again?)

Drwily1987

2023-03-11, 12:21 PM

"We're going with you Mister!" Mitsuri said to Harry.
" Well,I don't mind meeting my past life's self,as long as he stays away from my Mitsuri." Iguro whined.

"And hopefully we go to Anime-con instead of the Age of apocalypse, know what i'm saying?" Harry said as he entered the portal.

ArlEammon

2023-03-11, 01:25 PM

thethird

2023-03-11, 03:39 PM

Treehome Skyclave, Zendikar

It takes Eshaal a couple of extra beats to respond, not so much distracted as giving her brain time catch up with what it's seen already. Floating islands, bridges formed from the roots of giant flowering trees, and charismatic glowing caryatids all tend to have that effect on people. Eshaal may have some secret knowledge at her disposal, but it's not as though she's seen everything.

"I don't know. I suppose dimensional travel would explain how she got to me, but she could also have used some other form of movement, or a vehicle I could not detect..." Her mind catches up a little more, and she smiles as she glances around and continues. "Either way, it is a pleasure to meet you, Vast. When you say the blind eternities, is that what you've been calling the medium? The, what to call it, space between spaces? Is that where... no, that wouldn't make sense. This must be another world in its own right, right?"

Nothing like a new discovery to get your mind off of how you were almost murdered just now!

"Yes, the blind eternities is the space between spaces. It's a flowering description, but fitting. In other places it's also called the void, or the phlogiston sea."

They look distraught behind Eshaal. The portal, the connection between their world and hers seems to be remaining. It should have closed. With a gesture he makes thick trees grow around it, interlocking it, keeping it close and shut. He makes a mental call to several of his thorns, that will claim the oil rig and bring enough dirt and earth for proper trees to grow. In time it would be just another point of their realm.

"Those capable of traveling through it unaided are called planeswalkers. All planeswalkers are capable mages, but be that because they were on the first place or because only those who learn magic survive long term. Planeswalkers are characterized by a particular spark, an anomaly on the soul that allows them to survive the travel.
I think you have that spark."

Vast looks at Eshaal and slowly twists their lips into a smile. An honest attempt, still eerie.

"Of course there are other means. In my world, one of them anyway, demons created bridges between planes for invasion. And void mages were able to identify those paths and traverse them. I think that tradition would be useful for your studies. Would you like to learn more? Here eat this."

He offers a dark blue fruit, like an apple sized blueberry, to Eshal.

Congratulations you gained a level in void mage!
You are now a level 1 void mage
You learned void mana sensitivity (basic)
You learned void mana shaping (basic)

"I wonder why my clone or whatever told me to come here." He wondered out loud. "Oh well."
He looked at his surroundings. "So what precisely is going on?"
"Do you guys know why I'm here?" He asked seriously.

Saffare and the rest of the thorns look at the newcomers in a mixture of surprise and ennui. Heroes.

The elf approaches Noctis.

They seem like the heroes I mentioned earlier. You should let them know about the demon king. In my experience this people tend to be overpowered.