Sutoratosu

December 16, 2017

"Don't think you've been forgotten over there," the knight responded to the other prisoner "I meant what I said just now... now hold still, this shouldn't take but a moment."

L15, Break Prisoner A's Chains!

December 16, 2017

Light, fire, sound, and fury all rode as brothers in that fateful blast. Light found his mount unwilling, and his path blocked by the insurmountable walls of fate, but the other 3 continued on, and on, thundering a righteous path straight into Lucille's eardrum- louder than any gunshot, louder than any other expulsion of raw, unbridled energy she'd ever experienced.

The raw agony started in her eardrums before slithering insidiously through her head. All at once, her hearing flared like a city on the eve of destruction, silhouetted by the bloom of nuclear fire, and her other senses followed soon after, in a rolling ungodly wave of force. Force which hit her physically as well, as her entire body was flung back from the desk. Several things- small, warm -pelted her... her beast? the remains of her beast? the remains of those in the testing lab? She did not know... she could not know... the world...

The world was nothing to her. She still clenched her ears, hoping to somehow end the pain, and through them she felt it- warm, wet, sticking to her hair, running down her cheeks and her neck. The world...was nothing. The sound... was gone.

Locked in darkness. Bathed in silence. For the first time in a long time, she was a mere child yet again, trapped in the nightmare of her own creation, shackled by the binds of slumber. Or was it death? It might as well have been death, for all she knew. Surely, the pain and the slick warmth meant only one thing, and that thing was for her, the revocation of almost everything she knew. Everything she had. Everything she was.

She lay there, in the corner of the observation booth, curled, shivering, not from the cold, but dread. Something was touching her sides, shaking her, trying to rouse her. Something was washing over her, something.... something nice, something almost soothing. Even with her ears as worthless as her eyes, somehow, someway, she was vaguely aware of the shapes around her. 6. 6 small, tiny signatures. 6 beacons that cried out to her, tried to tie her down with their collective conscious... 6 little panicking souls each with something familiar riding them.

6 reasons to stay she didn't recognize. 6 pleas she turned, and ignored... as the world outside was soon forgotten, and the world within took hold.

Spoiler

Putrid. Rotting. Sickening winds carried a foul heat and fouler odors. The tang of iron hung heavy all around, the mocking caws of vultures above. Waves, sluggish, slow, gentle, all around, every motion she made, birthing yet more. Warmth, both from an unmerficul sun which even now beat down on her face, and from whatever had her up to the waist.

Warm... hot, even. Nigh boiling. Metallic, iron... thick....

Putrid. Rotting.

Blood. Bodies. Too many to count... but all there just the same, as she clicked her tongue. Bodies stranded here too long, bodies forgotten in some unknown war in a known world.

Small bodies. Young bodies.

The winds thick with tension. Hate. Pure, virgin, unbridled. Avarice, Fury, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth Treachery. All of them, watching, waiting. Hungry, starving, wanting, wanting, but never getting enough. Whispering sweet nothings. Taunting her, tempting her... Great, ungodly shapes, many mouths, countless hands, a thousand tongues. Each besat on a throned dias, shifting, warping, distorted and bloated. Each of them with a globe in hand....

CARESSING.

COVETING.

LOATHING.

DEVOURING.

"So I have found you."

A voice echoes from on high. The princes halt in their feast. The globes quiver, squelch, squirm, like worms. Many arms, many legs, many screams. All of them, conjoined, fused, writhing. Death is an afterthought. Life is an endless hell.

Turning, all of them, they face their king. As their king gazes into the girl...

And the girl gazes back into the abyss. And all in the same moment, Lucille is that girl, and the princes feasting. And she is the vultures and the ravens and the crows. And she is the bodies of the slain. And she is the blood of the slain.

And she is the king.

And she is nothing. Nothing but a shell.

"You have done well, my little friends, to evade me thusly. To lock yourself inside the child? Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmh oooooh clever, clever clever, cleeeeeveeeer. Clever... but cowardly beyond measure. Face me not, will you? Send mere proxies mere proxies and farces, shreds of yourselves? You claim yourselves an instant, yet here I challenge you, the first and only to dare dispute the reign... and you RUN? YOU DARE TO RUN FROM ME!?"

Fire. Fire born all around her. Horrid, sweltering, stinging, clinging to her flesh. Screaming, panic, she flails, she dives, deep, deep into the blood. But blood does nothing. Blood makes it worse. And so she gasped. Let it fill her lungs, let it end all of this, escape from this madness, from these beings, from this.... this...

TITAN.

"HahahahaaahahahahahahehehehehehehehehehehehaHAHAHAHAHA! Ooooooh yes. Look, even the child mimics your cowardice."

Something retrieving her, yanking her to surface, cleansing her lengths, extinguishing the flames. Hatred underscored by amusement. The voice continues. The princes begin to feast again. But they laugh with it. Booming, terrifying bursts of static and crackle. Something... not meant to exists. Nothing is meant to exists.

And yet, here it is. Here, it does.

Then she realizes, the crackle is from her.

"Enough. I have hunted you long enough. You are but another morsel to cleanse the pallete. No matter how many of you there are, no matter how many times you make dopplegangers, It matters not-"

"He comes." A prince speaks.

"So he does...but will he make it? HMHMHMHMHhmmmmmmm. There is more than one way to skin GOD. Heir apparent or no, you girl, shall be the first witness to my long overdue triumph. Rejoice, for I gift onto you... SIGHT!"

And so it was that she could see. And that immediately, she wished she could not. What hovered there, infront of her, foul, inhuman, nigh elderich- Eyes as numerous as the stars in the night scar, fanged mouths as aplenty as planets in the cosmos, horns as numbered as the galaxies. Arms of silken ebony, stretching out into every direction. Body like pure smoke.

Light. The only light. Enveloping her, welling up within her. Pressure, heat.... surrounding her, crushing...crushing...crushing, hurting, killing, destroying her. Breath, fleeing her lungs, heart racing, mind pacing. Their voices, their screams. Finally, she hears them.

"And in exchange, I take from you... my prey!"

"He draws near" a prince mutters.

"He yet stays afar" another retorts.

"He will smite you" a third adds.

Useless to her, their conversation. Burning, Crushing, dying. She feels the limits breaking, the fortress crumbling. She feels them preparing to flee, preparing for war.

Preparing for a futile battle, in a realm they can not hope to salvage. She feels them abandoning her, leaving, using her... as the conduit.

A broken conduit. To be used, abused, and discarded. A Proxy and a paxy, a scapegoat and a fool. All to bear the wrath of this king in their name.

And in the last moments of her life, she shuts the gates. Fury builds. Anguish lingers. Tears flow hot, pain surmounts. And like that, the bridge is burned, the doors sealed, and the occupants of the castle left to burn with it. If they were so willing to leave her to die, they would go with her.

Of that much, Lucille Blood would make sure of. Will focusing inward, locks shifting, barriers forming, gates, doors, cells, prisons...

But neither of them died. The pressure released, slowly, surely. The heat faded. The light died.... the king rumbled, waves of blood picking up in the wake of his voice.

"....No. NO. NO NO NO NO! HER!? THE CHILD!? SHE is.... she is....damn you....all....both prisoner, and warden, a double locked system. DAMN. YOU. ALL."

"He is nigh upon you. The pawn will falter. The tower will fall."

"The path to destruction is nigh complete."

"Beyond the beaten path lies the same fate..."

"Death. Not even you might escape... Andral. Such is the fate of mortals who play at GOD."

"SILENCE! FINE GIRL. THIS RESOLUTION WILL NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS I HOPED. Whether you know it or not, you have bought yourself the precious gift of time. But at what cost, I wonder? Hmmmmmmmmm.... no, no, perhaps, this is still in my favor. HAHAHAH yes, do you sense this, little ones? You bit the brat, but the brat bit right back. Hmhmhmhmhmh. Enjoy being powerless. For it shall make MY ascent all the easier. As for the exchange earlier... I take back the sight I have given here. And for your insolence in delaying the inevitable, I shall take the sight you've have drawn your thralls as well. Enjoy, Lucille. Next we meet, it will be nowhere near as pleasant."

Nothing. Nothing, but black... as he.... no, nay, not just he- Andral -made good on his promise. And just as quickly as she'd been given sight, once more she was plunged into darkness. Even greater darkness than he'd plunged her into all these years ago. But by no means, no greater than what Lucille suspected he'd try, when they next met....

And by the gods, if this is what his research had yeilded, if this was how much his power had grown, that he could conjure such illusions, such artifical realms, and casts the line of fate so far from Arganor's shores, across gods know how many worlds.... if there was anything she dreaded now...

It was that next meeting.

Almost as much... as what she suspected she'd unwittingly done during this one.

She still shivered, once her hearing returned. Her beasts surrounded her, working seemingly of their own initiative, the bonds between them reaching out, communicating, coordinating. Like some hiveminded creature. A young dragon's breath cooled and soothed the pain in her skull and ear, and one of them lapped up the dried blood, cleaning it from her face.

But she made no move to get up. Not yet.

Not after what she'd just heard.... what...what she had seen. Seen for the first time, through eyes that were hers, and hers alone.

Eyes that were gone now. Useless and broken again, as they always had been.

And eyes that more than ever, after all of it, she was glad she could not use.

No amount of revelation was worth the sights of that hell.

December 16, 2017

"You have a fair point, aye..." The knight nods as he sheathes the weapon "as for the angel and the light, well... from what I've experienced so far, there seems to be no shortage of mana flowing through this world, just as with mine. I see no reason why a Divine creature wouldn't be able to possibly... recreate the processes used in my home, if they knew of similar methodology."

With that said, he rose from the small chair- it was barely even a chair, really, just a small wooden slab that barely came up to his shin, with four legs supporting it -and looked at Aquila expectantly, clearly his cue to lead the way

"On the subject of divines.... this girl who rose the angel- Freya, you said? The necromancer? Interesting...the ones back home only conjured up wraiths. Are there any more of the things about, or did she only extract the one?"

December 16, 2017

"Hmmm, I see you lot were up to quite a bit as I explored, then..." the knight said "As for the sword- it's been enhanced by the arcane. In my world, there is a substance which flows freely, fills the air and everything else that is or might be- we call it 'Mana'. Most folks, those who don't take up killing for a living, they'll go their whole lives only knowing the faintest bit about the stuff, only ever hearing it in passing or on the odd occasion. Even as it constantly flows through their bodies like water does through a sieve.

Then.... there are others. Those who actively study the flow of our world's mana; warriors, mages, scholars... like myself. We make ourselves aware of the mana flowing through us, and we take strides to trap some of it as it does, let it build up into reservoirs of power we can draw upon... and from this power, we weave spells according to whatever elemental affinities we are versed in, and through those spells, we harness the ability to create and to destroy... like the gods themselves did, before they left us."

He finally finished the polishing. The cloth, once white and virgin, came away tainted a thick crimson, before a dark aura overtook, and a phantasmal laugh echoed in the room as some dark god feasted on the blood offering Stellio hadn't even intended to give him. The knight ignored it though, holding the blade up high to inspect it. And as he did, he funneled yet more mana through the metal, resonating with that which was already there and making the black aura expand before Aquila's eyes.

"Weapons like this one are relatively common in my homeworld. Arms and Armor which are imbued with both raw mana, and woven spells from mana, during the forging process. This blade you see is no different- I was present when our Commander had it forged... and I personally infused it with the darkness that now calls it home."

December 16, 2017

The knight's face is stoney and unreadable for a few moments, as he simply stares at Aquila. Eventually though, he finally sighes, shaking his head.

"Do try not to become compulsive with it," he said, "It may seem like a wise idea in the moment, but looting it will be pointless if we already have too much to carry; this brig, arcane or not, is likely to only have so much space in it's armory. And with this smithy dead and cold as it is, it will be a while before anyone can begin melting down any excess into something useful... speaking of which-"

He took his blade from it's sheath as pulled some ancient stool from the corner, and set it up before the anvil. With a virgin white cloth produced from his armor, he went to work cleaning off the minute blood still left on the blade, despite his earlier cleansing ritual.

Aquila might note the nigh unearthly quality of the metal- lined with a thick, pulsating aura, black as sin, nay, darker than black, even, as no end of whispers escaped from it in a haunting, yet magnificient cadence as the knight worked the cloth up and down it's length.

"You ever seen a ship that has a smith in it's belly, with all the wood exposed? A fool must've designed this chamber..."

December 15, 2017

Toss the Heal(30/30), the Barrier(11/15), and the Vulnerary(3/3) into the convoy

Buy the Mend-200, and the Energy Ring-500, for Maya

Use the Energy Ring on Maya

Take the Heal (30/30) back out of the convoy

December 14, 2017

"Alright...." Already she went to work weaving her way through the many intricacies of the cells she could sense still floating all around the chamber- this time would be different, she told herself. She'd figured a thing or two since her attempt, had some time to think it over, taken notes on why and how she'd failed before. Perhaps she'd been going about it all wrong... maybe instead of trying to act like an outside force pulling them together....

She had to condition one of her bonds to seem like it was one of them, like it was... a core. imitate the very thing the cells were programmed to flock to... She took a breath, focused herself, and began the process of reaching out with one of her bonds and slowly emanating the same types of signals she'd picked up from living aragami...

"Here goes....something?"

Spoiler

Christmas NecroEthereal RWBY - Today at 3:24 PM
Alright
cracks knucles
Letsa go
Crafting roll: 37 vs 15: Well this is a no brainer.
Quality of Oracle Dominance: 82: Pretty darn good.
Goggy Randomness: 82 (Again): Positive random effect!

Through her repeated efforts to control oracle cells, Lucille learns the following trick:

Oracle Beacon (Trick)*- Lucille, through cleverly managing her beastheart ability can exert control over enigmatic Oracle Cells who lack a core [Thaumic technique. Lucille can exert control over ambient Oracle Cells who lack a core, using her one of her own bonds to replicate a core's effect. She may gather Loose cells that are within an Int meter radius around her, and once gathered, Loose cells will bind together into coherent form until Lucille either releases them from her control, or the gathered form takes sufficient damage to destroy it. In addition, when Lucille first binds Oracle Cells, she can give them a random element out of these four: Fire, Lightning, Ice, and Divinity.]

Using Oracle Beacon, Lucille manages to convene the ambient cells in the testing chamber into a coherent form, creating an Artificial Aragami as they form around her Bond like it's a Core!

Spoiler

Raiju
Sex: N/A
Race: Ogrebouros Aragami.

-This creature is an argami; a wide range of enigmatic creatures who are formed from millions if not billions of individual "Oracle Cells" who are bound together using a "Core" or a set of oracle cells which exert control over all the others. Oracle cells are extremely versatile and resillient, and can adapt to nigh any environment, and this fact is only further bolstered by Aragami assimilating the traits of whatever they consume.

This particular Aragami is a long snake, with a flat head plated with steel, with rising ridges covering most of it's black body. It's two large fangs crackle lightly with electricity, and while not too threatening, might be able to cause some nasty paralysis. Curiously, it doesn't have a core, but rather it is it held together by lucille using one of her bonds in order to mimic a Core's signals.

Stats:
Essence: 1
Constitution: 0
Dexterity: 4
Intelligence: 2
Resistance: 2
Strength: 1
Synergy: 3

Actions:

Actives:
Snakebite: Sinks it’s fangs into the enemy, dealing 1d6+Syn damage.

Passives:
Electric Fangs: Due to this creature’s electrified fangs, it has the chance to paralyze opponents with every bite. When attacking with an action that uses this unit’s fangs, the enemy must make a Con save against the unit’s Syn. If they fail, they are paralyzed for 2 moves and have a 50% chance to lose a move.

A black mist formed in the testing chamber, high above the heads of those gathered within. Soon it became a ball of shifting darkness, ebony ichor which floated in the air, gradually elongating it's shape, growing larger, denser, until finally the sphere fell to the ground with a wet thud as it slithered it's way out of the room. Before it even crossed the door frame, the steely glint of its head began to peek through, as did the black ridges on it's side. The Crackling pop of it's fangs was the last those in the test chamber heard of it before it disappeared...

And in the observation room, it promptly reared it's head. It stared at those assembled in the hall, from Harry to Satomi to Calvera and Jun, before finally it set it's sights on lucille, and slithered up her arm as she reached down to pick it up.

"I-I.... Holy crap it actually worked.... I guess third time really is the charm. Uh, well..."

"Dnma lirg, you'er ustj ufll of rsruseisp! Onw cis htat tnigh no Od!" a certain steel pigeon squaked from nearby.

Lucille simply ignored her as she addressed harry again "I'm... fairly certain most, if not all, of the loose cells are bound up in this guy now... so, that probably takes care of them floating around..." she set the snake down, letting the snake slither onto the desk where it sat, watching the testing chamber where it'd been born mere moments ago "Since that's dealt with, What exactly did you guys have in mind to contain Soma, once you unfroze her or severed her powers or... something? Proditor could probably try to see if there's anything... left of her, while he's doing whatever... he's gonna do. And if there isn't..."

She trails off, expression going dark before "Um, no, nevermind... forget it for now. Let's just see if he can reach her, while he's messing with her abilities. And if you want, I can still go in there and scribe the diagram, just encase..."

December 14, 2017

Spoiler

It looks like the armory was stripped by whoever had the ship before it ended up here. Either that, or all the weapons were taken by the ship's garrison. Stellio finds a small hammer, a few whetstones, and a wrench, but nothing else of value.

Stellio had, rather disappointedly, finished his scouring of the armory by the time Aquilla appeared. He tossed the hammer, wrench, and hand-held whetstones on the anvil as he nodded to the other man... and actually noticed the armor

"What in the goddamn are you wearing, man?" he asked rather bluntly as he looked the suit up and down. It seemed like some...gaudy fusion of armor not too unlike what they had back home, meshed with all manners of foreign elements that looked they'd been....no...they didn't. Stellio shook his head, of course they had. He didn't know why he was surprised, given the habits of looting fallen foes back home... but well, there was a difference between collecting a decent weapon from a deadman's hands, or removing an enchanted ring or necklace from his person, and outright stripping him down to the skivvies for his armor and leaving his naked corpse to rot under the Valerian sun. Plus it wasted far too much time. Even his colleagues and underlings in the Whitewall had more restraint than that.

Well, alright, most of them had that restraint. There were of course always a few footmen hungry for spoils, who wouldn't hesitate to loot down to the skivvies, when an officer like himself wasn't around to keep them in line...hell, sometimes even damn commanders fell to such depths out of greed...

"How many...?" the knight sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose "Did you at least leave the poor fools the dignity of their undergarbs and linens?"

December 14, 2017

In the moments that passed, Lucille took the time to think, reveiw the past few hours, specifically those they'd spent on this world, short as it'd been compared to everything else. As she did though, it didn't take long for her to begin sensing something familiar, something she'd brushed very close with during her studies on the battlefield.

"W-wait..." she called to Harry and the others just as they began to consider torching the place "That.... might not be nessacary. I can try to control any ambient cells still floating in the room- made a few attempts earlier, but.... didn't really stick. Third time might be the charm though. And even if I fail to get them under control, I can help keep her from breaking out- all I'd need is maybe a minute to scribe a circuit on the floor, and I could keep her from exiting its boundaries. I can even set the activation trigger for whenever you guys.... undo whatever froze her like this."

December 14, 2017

Turn 1

Ghost uses her hand razors to make a concealed strike on Officer B! She induces a Spatial Rend in the process, adding her raw magic ability to the attack and slashing up the soldier for [32] Damage, ignoring res! (27 v 21) The officer feels something hot and wet begin to drip down his side, and realizes he’s bleeding!

Victoria uses some old fashioned tactics, boosting Walmond and Lambda’s Init by 9!

Aurora fires a few golden strands of light at Officer B! (25 v 20) They pierced his flesh like butter, causing the knight to yelp in a very unmanly manner. Soon enough however, he realizes he feels no pain despite the attack…laughing it off, he advances, but what he doesn’t know is that everything but his basic actions have been sealed for the next 3 turns.

Officer B attempts to conjure up a fireball to hurl at ghost...only to find that nothing happens due to the spider’s strange magic! He does bleed for [7] damage for his trouble though.

Walmond, having received tactical advice from vicky, electrocutes Rampart, somehow granting him a damage boost of [14] for his next 2 attacks in the process and causing Ghost to shake her head and sigh as she mutters something!

Lambda meanwhile activates a few mods, voiding the warranty of her base game but boosting her damage reduction by 50% for a ridiculous number of turns!

Mira slashes at Officer B, dealing only [7] damage to him as a good half of the blow is stopped by his armor!

Officer D conjures a fireball and hurls it at Mira, dealing a whopping [11] damage to her, and inflicting her with a burn that deals…. [2] damage for 3 turns.

Soldier Squad A attempts to prevail where their officer failed, all five of them slashing at Mira for [5] damage each, for a total of [25]

Empi gives Navin a lesson in affection, which he’ll surely need for Mitsu later! He will gain +11 to his Str or Syn upon completing the following actions: Flurry of explosions, Concussive Blast, Piercing Strikes

Soldier Squad B strike at Ghost and Lambda. Two of them strike ghost, dealing [12] damage total, while three strike Lambda, dealing [12] damage to her after her defense mods!

Lahmu A attempts to Impale Lambda (5), Dealing a whopping… jesus christ, [0] damage after her defense modifications!

Bel Lahmu A also attempts to take a crack at the robotic walnut known as Lambda, pulling off a sick Flyby that deals [0] damage even before her defense mods! The creature roars indignantly as it wheels about in the sky!

DT Archer Squad B takes aim at Empi and Navin! 2 of them loose shots into Empi, dealing [22] damage! The other 3 loose shots into Navin for [18] damage!

Rampart locks and loads as they pull out heavier weaponry, boosting their strength by (4) for 2 turns!

Lahmu B attempts to impale Victoria (1)... it charges towards her with unnatural speed, stabbing into her flesh with the fury of a thousand suns for [18] damage!

Bel Lahmu B performs a Flyby on Kino, slashing into her flesh for [10] damage!

DT Archer Squad A takes aim at Aurora and Walmond! 2 loose shots into Aurora, but most of the impact is stopped by her carapace, only doing [6] damage total! Meanwhile 3 loose shots into Walmond, who has no benefit of natural armor and takes a whopping [36] damage!

Officer A conjures an arc of lightning which he hurls at Mira, dealing [17] damage to her!

Officer C decides to complete the triangle, conjuring a spear of ice which he fires at Mira, dealing… [10] damage! The jokes on Mira though, because the freezing cold aura reduces her init by 2!

Kino summons her dead sister. We’ve done this song and dance before…

Enma attacks officer C, dealing [7] damage to him! Kino follows her sisters attack up for [25] damage!

Navin goes absolutely ham on poor Officer C, possibly having a nam flashback as he unleashes explosive punch after punch into his chest, dealing [13] damage 4 times for a total of [52] damage! Officer C is left kneeling and whimpering as he tries to crawl away, his armor hanging off his body in devastated pieces!

The Castle fires its cannon at Bel Lahmu A, spewing acid over its form for [36] damage and lowering it’s res by 5! The creature crashes to the ground for 1 turn as a result of the impact and acid coating its wings!

Spoiler

Init:

Ghost: 27
Victoria: 25
Aurora: 25
Officer B: 24
Walmond/Lambda: 22
Mira: 19
Officer D: 17
Soldier Squad A: 16
Empi: 15
Soldier Squad B: 14
Lahmu A: 14
Bel Lahmu A: 14
DT Archer Squad B: 14
Rampart: 10
Lahmu B: 9
Bel Lahmu B: 9
DT Archer Squad A: 9
Officer A: 9
Officer C: 7
Enma
Kino: 6
Navin: 6
Castle

STATUS

Spoiler

ALLIES

Ghost 42/54

Aurora 56/62

Walmond 15/51

Lambda 45/57, Defense Mod (50% damage reduction, 5/6 turns)

Rampart 57/57, Electric Current(+14 base dmg, 2/2 attacks), Lock & Load(+4 str, 2/2 turns)(+2 res)

Empi 40/62

Victoria 52/70

Mira 15/78

Enma

Kino 72/82

Navin 36/54, LiA (Concussive Blast, Piercing Strike; gains +11 Str on fin)

Castle 1000/1000, Regens 30 HP each turn

FOES

Officer A, Fine

Officer B, Battered, Bleeding (1d8, 1/2 turns), Sealed (Basic Actions only, 2/3 turns)

Officer C, On Death’s Door

Officer D, Fine

Lahmu A, Fine

Lahmu B, Fine

Bel Lahmu A, Battered, -5 Res, grounded (1 turn)

Bel Lahmu B, Fine

Soldier Squad A (5) Fine

Soldier Squad B (5) Fine

Dragontooth Archer Squad A (5) Intact

Dragontooth Archer Squad B (5) Intact

Notes

Spoiler

Hmmmm.... "Grounded" status? why, I wonder whatever that could mean 🤔

December 14, 2017

"Yes, indeed you did. It wasn't forgotten, nor did it go unappreciated- in fact, I do thank you for that, at the least. But so far it seems myself and my fellow prisoners have been spilling the lion's share of guard blood. Besides, what does my, or any, of our opinions matter to you- you hold most of the card's here, afterall, you made quite sure of that.... you control the past, through the secrets you've scrounged up about each of us, the present with the opportunity you've given us here, and you might as well hold the future as well, given the fact of those other two.

Do not make yourself out to be the benevolent liberator, who does this simply out of the good of his heart of for the sake of justice and the common decency of man. Your actions in setting this all up bespoke of one who needs to lead through control and coercion, not inspiration. Even if I were blind, I could recognize the fact that I have merely exchanged one master for another this day, all of us have. I simply pray the very hatred for my old one- which even now binds this broken body together long after it's been beaten into submission -is not given reason to extend to you as well."

Nothingness. Despite the fire one might expect, behind such words, there was.... nothing. Nothing but inanimate, glacial cold, like the wrath of winter itself given human form. He turned back to the prisoner, and simply nodded as he rested the lance on his shoulder. Contrary to mere moments ago, there was a look of what nearly qualified as reassurance on his face.

"Aye, stay behind us, and your days being ground under their heels may soon be over. Our way out of here is just over yonder, and their numbers have grown thin. If we make haste, we can break clear before more show up."

December 14, 2017

"I...I can try..." the girl answered, not quite sure herself. It.... it should be relatively though, right? She didn't need to bind them right afterall, simply poking at.... the abomination taking over maybe-sorta-kinda friend would be enough to start off. If Soma was still anywhere near the helm in there, she simply wouldn't even pick it up... or so lucille assumed, the other girl wasn't sensitive to this stuff like she or Proditor was, to her knowledge. Mavens knew what manner of fuckery and biological changes had occurred within her by now...

For all I know, maybe the Aragami Cells have eaten through her brain and assimilated it.... like they probably did most of the other "Shut up..." she muttered to herself.

December 14, 2017

On 12/7/2017 at 11:16 PM, EXLink32 said:

"Not to sound like I don't appreciate what you've done, but how exactly are we suppose to escape with cuffs on our hands? As soon as we begin to attempt we'd just get our teeth kicked in by a guard." One of the prisoners spoke depressingly.

"Y-yea, not everyone is fighting fit. If we try to run away we'd only get killed." The other one added meekly.

The knight's voice echoed nearby as he approached the prisoners...

"Guards? What guards, man? all I see here are the corpses of disgraced failures..." he idly jabbed his lance in the direction the group had come from, letting it sweep over the vista of death and destruction they'd wrought. Even the weapon itself was still coated in the gore of the men he'd slain "Sure, they seem big and bad, when they're beating you into the dirt... but once the field is leveled, the truth becomes painfully clear. These fools have grown too complacent, they lack the competence to put down even as small a rebellion as a couple greenhorns, a knight who's a former shell of himself, and the two-bit rogue leading them all. So long as any of us are standing, you've precious little to worry about from our former....wardens."

"It doesn't matter if you can fight or not. Stay behind us and you won't have to worry about them kicking your teeth in. As for your shackles....let me inspect them..."

M16, Break Prisoner B's Chains!

December 12, 2017

"Soma? What-" she didn't bother to finish the thought. It was literal child's play to trace her bond to the chameleon she'd entrusted to the other girl, and the creature had been all too able to show her his perspective from a desk somewhere, peering through a large window at...

At something lucille didn't even begin to know how to describe. It seemed like others had already moved in, and whatever had happened, for now it seemed.... contained. She had the beast focus on the creature frozen in place, and the nigh instant recognition in the creature's mind of the one who she'd told it to follow the orders of was enough to set a sinking weight in the pit of her stomach.

It was ironic really. She barely knew any of them by name. And of those she did no by name, none of them really felt like anything more than loose acquaintances at best- except for one. And now, somehow that lone individual had begun the process of metamorphosing into some abomination that was barely recognizable as human. To think they had even talked a little about that, not even more than a few hours ago.... and now it was happening. It may not be the explicit result of either of their abilities, from what lucille could tell, bo lo and behold...

One way or another, the fleshhorror was happening.

"....I'm going with you." Lucille said as she dropped her hold of the beast's senses. She'd already seen far more than enough; infact it was times like these where she was outright thankful to lack sight of her own "I'm not gonna stay up here and do nothing while she's....she's like that..."

December 12, 2017

"Any of it?" She seemed to almost talk it as a challenge, really. A hand was raised, a fist clenched, and the skin began to ripple, ever so slightly. And then that hand was gone, leaving nothing but shimmering air as the very waves of the light spectrum were bent, bowed, and broken. And then her arm followed, and her shoulder, until she decided that was enough.

There'd been a brief signal from her, an internal pulse that had carried over the network of the many pieces of her mind. And from one part in particular, there came a response, a flare of repeated impulses that seemed to beam... packets of instructions to the core of her mind. And thus the core took those instructions, and applied them. Like jury rigging a peice of machinery to have a new function, certain parts of her physiology had... addendums added to them- Orders of how to grow or restructure, etc. Many of these addendums linked together to form their own networks.

But it was also clear that something held it back from its logical conclusion. Perhaps it was some unconscious self-preservation, or perhaps it was the subtle cry of refusal Proditor would've sensed from her body, after a certain point. Either way, the mind stopped trying to apply the edits, and simply worked with what it had managed.

"I may have sold it a bit short earlier, when I called them a bunch of glorified leashes... guess there's only one way to find out though. If you're willing to try teaching me something, that is..."

December 11, 2017

"...." Silence. Pure and simple. He would've felt something though, just beneath the surface. But unlike the last time- whatever emotion it was, it was fainter by at least several orders of magnitude, comparable to a faint murmur among a storm of static, or muffled movement in some backroom with a locked door. A door which guarded the way to something that should not be let free, or even gazed upon for that matter.

It was ancient. It was subtle. It was the tip of the iceberg. And in the brief few moments that the impulse lasted, it became clear that it was not Lucille herself.

"I know." The girl finally answered him "At least, I figured as much, when you mentioned...'altering how someone sees the world' and 'wresting control from them'." It almost seems as though there's the urge to say something more, but again, there is the ancient pulse, as the girl thinks better of it. And just as moments before, it's mere presence is enough to cast a wave of interference like static, before it clears.

It was clearly chatter. And it was clearly aware of him.

Lucille seems to take no notice of it, as she changes the subject "Um, look, that aside... you're right in a way, I'm not exactly trained with this- best I had was what my brother taught me to do, and the rest.... well..." Gunfire. The sound of automatic weaponry that is quickly cut off by the roar of something massive and a single scream before a sickening, wet squelch and the tearing of flesh takes over. It cuts in, lasts mere seconds, and then she continues "...what else is possible with this power? If I can replicate the other parts of it using my bonds, could you... teach it?"

December 11, 2017

"What principles do 'Psionics', function exactly?" the girl responded almost immediately, " I mean... this isn't exactly the first time I've talked to someone like this, so I presume it has at least something in common with how I use my Bonds. But, from what I can tell, your shape isn't even touching the floor right now... and all I can manage to do with them is give instructions to anything that can't rationally think for itself, tow them around on invisible leashes-"

There was a sudden disruption in the link, as Lucille almost tumbled to floor. She felt a familiar weight walking off her shoulders and heard a cat's hiss retreating to another part of the room, and along with it came the metallic flap of heavy, steely bird wings as Vera took flight, chirping something in quite the indignant tone as she circled just out of Do's reach

"Gte yawa rmof em, uyo lnfeie aasgve!"

Whatever the hell it meant, it only seemed to anger the kitty. Each stroke of his paw grew stronger, each leap to try and catch her higher

"Ouy ilwl nrvee eb erh avrofiet, a haehnte kiel oyu si modode ot iemdciyrto!"

Again, whatever the hell it meant, it only served to rile him up even more. But this time the feline got clever about his approach, and instead of feebly clawing and leaping up at her, he took off towards the nearest wall, pounced with his might, turning in the air to plant his hind legs on the plain white facade, before pushing off with all the deftness befitting a cat. The bird never stood a chance, and by the time she realized the danger she was in, Do had her pinned in the floor, teeth trying- and failing -to bite through the steel-like facade of her plumage as he hissed and growled. And soon enough, she realized she is no real danger at all, given how much difficulty he was having. And so she took this time to fire off another quip

"Onir si srfote nhta estel, duabsms!"

His futile gnawing intensified...

The dragons simply watched from afar, morbidly curious as to which would prevail. Lucille finally managed to push herself up from the floor, and the first thing she did was assert control over Do, sending a command over there link so utterly powerful, it caused the cat to jump in fear as the raw force rocked his mind and his little world like a hurricane

"NO."

He retreated both from Astra, who nigh immediately hopped to her feet unscatched, and lucille as well, scurrying over towards....the Ethereal, ironically. He tried to hide under the folds of his robe, until yet another command came, and the cat was reluctantly trotting back to the girl, whose expression had gone more frigid than glacial ice

"She's not food, you little vagrant..." she muttered "None of them, are. You don't try to hunt the others....you don't try to eat the others. You understand me?"

"Meeeeeeeeeew..." The cat replied, sinking his head low and retreating a few inches, obviously trying to make himself smaller. If Lucille was a bit more naive, she'd have thought the cat himself understood the words coming out of her mouth. But she knew he didn't. Any response resembling sapient thought was simply the subconscious part of herself riding in his mind acknowledging the order.... she knew he felt her anger though, it was impossible for him not to.

Vera of course took the opportunity to return to her rightful place on her master's shoulder, looking down at the cat with an expression that was somehow.... coy, or as coy as a bird could be as she uttered "Htsi si eht enw redor fo ihtnsg, ckuf ybo. Eihret vlie in ym wen orlwd, or ide in ouyr old eon."

Do again looked like he was about to pounce. Lucille simply raised an eyebrow as she focused on the pigeon "And you- stop the chatter for a bit, would you? You're not exactly helping the situation, with your gibberish."

There was no response, the bird simply began to clean her wings... still wearing that impossibly coy expression. Do continued to eye the winged rat mercilessly, the intent to kill so palpaple it actually took Lucille back a bit. But with a bit of coaxing it was easy enough to make him stand down.

"Um...." Once more the connection between her and Proditor was there, as she sighed "so you probably...saw and heard most of that, I'm guessing. Like I said... just a bunch of animals on glorified leashes. In all honesty though, I don't really exert full force with the leashes unless I actually need one of them to help me, a lot of the time it's just simple prompting or leaving them to do whatever... and of course stuff like this happens. And uh.... before you ask why I keep talking to them, when I'm already inside their heads... I don't know. I just do. Force of habit or something..."

Or the slow and crushing realization of how engufing one's isolation was. Or that no matter many times they lied to themselves and said they were fine and they needed no one and they had a job to do and couldn't be distracted but such pointless things as conversations, it was just that- a lie. Of course, she didn't say any of that. But the ethereal would doubtlessly have sensed something to that same effect. The girl was either lacking any form of serious practice with her telepathy, or at the least, she wasn't trying terribly hard to not wear her emotions on her sleeve...

December 10, 2017

So, I heard you guys like Maids from hell? What, you don't? Huh.... well too bad. Because this reserve character is a maid from hell

STRATOS RESERVE CHARACTERS:

Avalon, the Devil's Handmaid

Spoiler

Name: Khepri "Avalon" Alavi
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Appearance: Stands at 5'08. A Moorish skinned young woman with a soft featured, heart shaped face and button nose some might call 'Cute' or 'pretty'. She is seldom seen without a wide, friendly smile constantly plastered on her face, no matter how bad things have deteriorated or what's going on. Her almond-shaped, burnt-amber eyes seem to constantly glimmer and dance with unnatural light, further leading an eerie air to her in certain....situations. Her silver locks are tied back in a long braid coming down to her hip, while short, jagged bangs frame her face. Her standard attire consists of her uniform- a typical maid outfit, complete with a frilly bonnet, blouse, waist apron, and skirt that goes down to just above the knees, with black stockings coming up to mid thighs and standard dress shoes.

Personality: A young woman who greets everyone she comes across with an amiable smile and polite tone, regardless who they are and what they've done. Ever courteous and helpful, going out of her way to cook, clean, and look after things as a maid is wont to do. She is obedient to her master's orders to a tee, seemingly incapable of conspiriting against or disobeying him. So loyal and reliable is she, that he has outright called her the 'Paragon of Maids', and regards as one of his most prized assistants. While everything seems relatively normal however, that evaluation will quickly be called into question during despicable or dire situations, where instead of her face and voice showing any sign of digust, outrage, horror, sorrow, etc as a normal human would, all Avalon can do is simply smile, nod, and continue speaking in her calm, friendly cadence.
Despite what one might assume after witnessing such a strange occurrence though, Avalon is not totally monotone in expression. Though her face and her lips may say one thing, the shifts in her eyes and the subtle cues of her body language often say something quite different... and one would be wise to pay attention to them.

Merit: 0

HP: 24/24(+3)->27/27
Moves: 4/average dex

Stats: 21/21
Essence: 5
Constitution: 2
Dexterity: 4
Intelligence: 2
Resistance: 2(+3)=5
Strength: 6
Synergy: 0

Perks:

Warpath (Level 2): Ars Syn, a power manifested as a means to an end. Spawned by Avalon's determination to ensure her survival and that of the younger urchins she sheparded, through victory and absolute dominance over the threats posed against them on the streets. Both her fighting instincts and her physical attributes are amplified far beyond the average person can hope to achieve. [During Close Quarters Combat (CQC) related checks, Avalon rolls twice, and takes the better result. Additionally, her Ess is added to all Close Quarters Combat (CQC) related checks.]

Kneel, or be knelt: A secondary effect of the Ars Syn, manifested to account for situations when simply beating a threat to death was either impractical or undesirable. Avalon carries with her a presence like no other, one that seems to flare at will into a silently roaring aura that can make even the most foolhardy of thugs think better of striking, and the most shrewd of street merchants consider lowering their prices to something less than asinine. [During Persuasion/ Intimidation checks, Avalon rolls twice for success and takes the better result. This perk can also be used to forcibly trigger such checks, using Avalon's Essence.]

Flaws:
Courteous Curse: Avalon used to be a deadpan snarking, rebellious, angsty little squirt like you once. Then she tried to and steal from the Prince of Deadpan Snarking himself. She is incapable of wiping the friendly smile eternally plastered on her face, no matter how dire or unfitting the situation. Nor is she allowed to break the façade of courteous calm she wears, nor her polite tone and diction in conversation, no matter how much that douche bag over yonder deserves a good chewing out with every swear word in the book. And yes, Her master likes her better this way, and has no intention of undoing it. [Avalon is cursed to physically portray the perpetual façade of a courteous, amiable maid. At GM Discretion, this facade can have negative impacts on interactions with other parties when smiling would be.... ill advised. These impacts can range from effects such as: Causing them to question her mental health, creeping them out and making them less willing to cooperate or be in her company, making them suspicious or outright angered at how a woman can watch hundreds of thousands die and simply smile and nod, etc. When invoked, this flaw prevents her from rerolling checks with "Kneel or be Knelt" but does not stop her from forcing them to be made.]

Actions:

-Actives

Hurricane Sweep: A technique named for the 360 degree spin serving as it's foundation. The user builds up speed and momentum with the spin, before unleashing it in a lightning fast, devestating Kick. [Deals 2d6+Str damage. First Strike.]

Fists & Theivery: Avalon dashes up to the target, delivering a suckerpunch as a distraction while she snatches something valuable off their person. [Deals 1d6+Dex damage. On hit, triggers a Dex v Int check, if the user succeeds, they obtain something of value the Target was carrying (such as gear, money, etc)]

Disarm: Avalon makes a deft unarmed maneuver to strike the opponent on a critical point along their arm or equivalent appendage, forcing them to drop their weapon [The user makes a Str v Con check against the target. If they succeed, the target is forced to remove and drop a piece of their equipment, with pieces of weaponry taking priority. If the user fails, the target keeps their gear, but takes 1d6+Str damage.]

-Passives
Strong Mind, Strong Body: The Ars Syn has increased Avalon's durability, stamina, strength and agility through sheer force of willpower. She could easily outlast any common thug in a physical confrontation [The user has +3mHP. This ability does not take up an action slot.]

Devil's Handmaid: Avalon is a maid afterall. Capable of cracking skulls or no, she still has many mundane responsibilities besides taking care of undesirables who cross her master. Took a lot of practice before she could finally meet the master's high standards [Avalon gains a +3 bonus to all checks involving cooking or cleaning]

-Trumps

-Tricks
Hell's Dragoon (Trick): Avalon crouches down, gathering up her might, before pushing off the ground with immense force and making a soaring leap, landing safely at a new position.... [In and Out of combat, Avalon can make a leap of up to Str Meters in a vertical or horizontal direction as a free action, allowing her to quickly close or increase the distance between her and a target, or to hit flying targets with melee attacks. In the latter case, Avalon cannot take fall damage upon landing from this jump, so long as the length of her descent doesn't exceed that of her initial leap.]

Equipment:
Morning Star Subarmor: one of the finest products produced by the Venus Corporation in it's line of subarmors, meshed body suits meant to be worn under one's everyday attire. It provides discreet protection to the user through state of the art textile technology which hardens into a protective surface when struck by violent force. [Grants +3 Res while equipped.]

Morning Star Devestators: A matching set of bracers and anklets manufactured by Venus Co, made from high quality materials with even higher quality manufacturing techniques. These devices are activated whenever their internal senses detect the user punching or kicking, and upon impact launch a devestating shockwave that tears through the target. One would seldom know Avalon is even wearing them, given she discretely hides them under her Sleeves and stockings [Grants +3 damage when making Unarmed Melee Attacks]

Reserve:

Spoiler

Feather Duster: As a maid is wont to carry. Has a nice, sturdy handle made out of mahogany. The feathers are from some exotic bird whose name is too complicated for Avalon to pronounce

Handkerchief: a small square of white cloth with a red trim. Useful for a variety of things, from cleaning, to a makeshift face mask, an accessory, etc.

White Gloves: For those particularly delicate/ceremonial jobs where gloves are warranted/required out of formality. Made of a highly stain resistant material and water-proof as well, making them ideal for cleaning up.... particularly troublesome messes.

Notepad & Pen: For writing down the master's instructions, whenever he gives particularly specific or long-term tasks.

Avalon's Journal: A small, leather-bound journal which contains the last vestiges of Avalon's true personality, she's had it ever since she was young. Filled with a lot of memories, a lot of snark, and a lot of reflection about how things turned out, ideas she has had to get out of this torment, the results of said ideas, and many other things. She is forbidden from directly showing its contents to anyone due to her curse.

Blank Loadout

Spoiler

Avalon

27/27 HP

Essence: 5
Constitution: 2
Dexterity: 4
Intelligence: 2
Resistance: 5
Strength: 6
Synergy: 0

Relevant Perks

Warpath (Level 2): [During Close Quarters Combat (CQC) related checks, Avalon rolls twice, and takes the better result. Additionally, her Ess is added to all Close Quarters Combat (CQC) related checks.]

Kneel, or be knelt: [During Persuasion/ Intimidation checks, Avalon rolls twice for success and takes the better result. This perk can also be used to forcibly trigger such checks, using Avalon's Essence.]

Slots: 5

Actives

Passives

Trumps

Tricks

Equipment

December 9, 2017

On 12/6/2017 at 3:43 PM, GodofGamingRWBY said:

Proditor

“An event from many years ago showed me the truth about flames. Consider it a fear of pure destruction. I am also what is known as an Ethereal"

"Ethereals?" Not a race she'd heard of, but that wasn't surprising by this point. She had been about to think of another question, when her attention momentarily had lasped, and her senses focused on the confrontation between Arminius and Mirri. Even if they'd been whispering, she'd still have picked them up with little effort- the volume they discussed their little spat however, was practically like a beacon to her. It all had something about.... Testing and a high chance of death? Power? Apparently there was an offer to try and become like the two men they'd met earlier... and it carried it's own special hell if it failed.

How ironic.... sounded very familiar. Too familiar almost, in basic concept. The girl had only pursed her lips as they finished arguing and there was a set of footsteps fading from the room. She returned her focus to the mutual bond with the Ethereal, and Proditor likely would've sensed the ample waves of conflict from her, given she neither made an effort to hide it.

".....well, anyway...what exactly is an ethereal, if you don't mind me asking? Do you always communicate like this? Is there more you can do inside other's peoples heads beyond just beaming thoughts?"

A subtle shudder followed that last...question.

December 7, 2017

L17, Hold

December 6, 2017

Finals are engaging on all fronts at this moment. But rest assured, once the battles are over, a sheet for this will rise from the ashes...

December 6, 2017

"Oh....uh, sorry about that..." The girl responded sheepishly... "was just...testing something out, it.... it worked a bit better than I expected. And no, I don't think we have either, I'm Lucille. Um.... is there a particular reason why you're not a fan of fire?" she paused for a moment, considering the size of the Ethereal's sonar blip compared to literally everyone and everything "also... what exactly... are you? You're way to tall to be a normal human... and your frame definitely isn't wide enough to be some type of giant..."

December 6, 2017

1 hour ago, GodofGamingRWBY said:

Proditor

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Lucille jumped as the sudden scolding echoed through her skull, falling back on the floor unceremoniously. She listened around the room, trying to find the source of the accursed noise which hath no volume control, only to find that despite how fuck all loud it was, she could picked nary hide nor hair of an echo. There wasn't even a subtle vibration through the floors or walls suggesting frequencies too high for even her to detect, and in all honesty she wouldn't have trusted them even if there were. Whoever spoke those words, they definitely weren't a hyper pitched child...

"What, who, where, how!?" She shook her head, trying to calm herself. Standing back up and dusting herself off, she went through the possibilities... and slowly realized that how that voice had entered her senses... was quite familiar. Not exactly the same as a mutual bond, but... close enough.

Close enough Lucille was willing to prod outward at the shapes she sensed, using a few of her bonds. It was more of an invitation to talk, than an attempt to assimilate and ride, and she poked at each of them in turn, giving the same message

"H-Hello? W...Was that you...just now?"

and feeling for any response over the link. Or at the very least, if not a response, she listened for any tell-tale shuffling of clothing or bodies turning around...

Proditor would've easily felt the girl's mental hailing, once she finally got around to targeting the tallest shape in the room- unwitting of the fact the ethereal even existed or what he even was...

December 5, 2017

Lucille listened to the conversations, but did not request anything herself. Finding an empty spot- which was exceedingly empty given the room was barren -she went to work on her staff. Not the one Parias had given her, but rather the boring, simple quartz one she'd been using for so many years. From what testing she'd already done with Soma outside, the Cane had far more potential, and it would be easy enough to transfer its most important traits over. All she had to do was take out the crystal from it's setting, and once it was free she began to chant, as her hands once more searched the Cane for an ideal spot...

Spoiler

Craft roll: 33 vs 12: Freaking destroyed
Quality: 45: Average
Randomness: 54: Nothing here

You succeed in creating a Darksteel Quarzt Cane with flying colors

The Quartz Staff is dismantled and its crystal component combined with the Dark Steel Rebar Cane, creating the following:

Darksteel Quartz Cane: A cane made of out of a peice of rebar which was converted to Darksteel and bent into proper shape. An attuned Quartz Crystal is set into it's hilt. Can be used for walking or as an improvised weapon.
Level 1: [Deals 1d6+Dex damage. The user can spend an action to ignite this weapon with holy fire, making it deal an additional Ess/4 damage for 2 turns. Grants +3 Int when casting thaumic spells]
Level 2: [Bound. Now grants +6 Int while using Thaumic Spells, instead of +3]
Level 3: [Now does 2d6+Dex Damage]

The wooden shaft of the quartz staff becomes a reserve/scrap item:

Ornate Wooden Shaft: An old, oak wood shaft which has been ornately carved across its whole length. Its tall enough to easily be used as a walking stick, or perhaps something else, if some work is put into it.

And found one she did. Slipping the Crystal into the spot she'd molded and firmly melding the metal around it was easy; just like that, the old staff had been reduced to nothing but a wooden shaft, and she could feel the thrum of the crystal as it seemed to take to it's new housing.

She of course... was not done yet. The thing practically begged to be used, and use it lucille did. Once more her focus brought fire to it's length, gleaming, pearly white licks of flame, flame that even now was waiting to incinerate something, much like an attack dog barely restrained on its leash. She was no stranger to directing energy with precision, however, and rather than let the flames run wild and free, she treated them much like she would a thaumic spell; did the proper calculations, double checked them, then issued the orders to the energies within the cane, all in the span of not even half a second....

A small pop of fire came, but that was about it. She tried again, and again, she heard a bit of noise, felt the temperature rise just a bit and the air pressure shift as it shot forward just a bit, but she knew from how brief it was, it had failed to carry out the instructions she'd so carefully crafted.

That was when she got another idea- perhaps it ran on a different operating factor.... much like her Bonds. Perhaps the energy was designed to rely on neural triggers and sheer willpower instead of careful, meticulous math. She tried to direct the fire again, this time doing so much like she'd direct one of her animals, and low and behold, the roar of flames and the sheer intensity of the heat spike left her speechless, hair flying back as a gout of pearly embers erupted from the cane's tip in a furious storm of might.

They swirled, coalesced, intermingled until they formed an inferno fully fledged, setting the very air itself alight, quite literally, as Lucille could smell burnt ozone. She willed the storm to stop, and it did, leaving no smoldering embers, no lingering flames, just the stench of burning atmosphere. Despite the heat of her experiment, the floor and walls showed no sign of damage whatsoever, as she hovered a hand near them.

All she could do was smirk. She may not have seen the intensity of the fire, but she had felt it all too well, like an extension of herself bursting outwards in an endless torrent. The roar, the heat on her face and hands, the pressure which squeezed against her very being, the scent of charred atmospheric elements.... so this was what it would likely feel like, casting something using one's will? She could only guess, her Bonds were entirely in nature, not meant for such.... flashy displays. of course the feeling of using them had been totally different.... but she could not say that she disliked it. No, quite the contrary....

The power of the cane reminded her of the power she'd tasted before, flowing through her, around her. The raw, unbridled stream of possibilities spawned by effectively unlimited power. This hadn't even been a fraction of that sensation, but it had been nice enough to wet her appetite, and make her realize what she'd been oblivious to all this time.... though she knew full well that it could easily sweep her up, and she could get lost in it and never find her way back.... her mind, her body, her very soul, they WANTED that power again, they hungered and thirsted for it like wild beasts imprisoned in cages hungered for the hunt. And they cared nothing for the consequences that would come with drawing it out again- were her senses lacking in clarity and her judgement muddled, she would've thought little of.... dipping a toe in again, trying once more to fight the restrictions and break open the gates.

But the rational, sane part of her shook its head, scoffing at just how easily the temptation had come. The powers she'd used to create the tree were even more.... engulfing than she'd first assessed, if they're sweet whispers lingered even now. And rather than encourage her, the idea made her wonder- what would happen if she really did give in, what would become of her if she let it overtake her.... the rational part of her honestly didn't want to find out.

Nor did she want to feel the pain of death all over again.

December 5, 2017

"Lucille...." was all lucille introduced her with, no description of what she could do, nothing to add to what the others had already said, not even a surname. Even if the rest of them had apparently abandoned all idea of trying to lie their way through until they could reveal everything, she remembered last time. Plus she'd heard mentions of databases and heard one of the natives communicating over telecommunications earlier- chances are this world had enough intelligence gathering devices to know what she did, much like the PRT....

well no, not like the PRT. She still felt their estimate grossly underwhelming.

Either way, if they somehow didn't have any inkling, the cabal of young animals which followed at her heels would've given an idea, at the very least. the steel pigeon- Vera, as lucille had named during the flight -perched on her shoulder as Do and the dragons scampered behind, and all of them positively fixated on the blonde haired man- Johannes. It actually took a bit of direct cajoling to prevent Astra from outright attacking the man- she seemed to have a bad habit of that, and lucille made a mental note to check it later. The others seemed content to merely glare at him, and soon enough Lucille could almost taste the unease, it coursed so heavily throughout each of them. She even started to feel on edge herself, as she stood there....

Astra's impulse had been no real surprise, and was easy enough to quash before the little dragon could even act. But for the rest of them to be so.... weary of him right off the bat? Almost struck her as odd. But then, the more that Director Johannes talked, the more and more samples of his voice lucille had to analyze and cross section in her mind. And it started to make a little bit more sense as she did. The strict, cold cadence down to his tone of oh so subtle superiority regardless who he was talking to....

it reminded her all too much of Andral Co. This fucker was probably just another despot in a noble leader's clothes.... just waiting to burst out.

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