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Post by Doodlebug on Jul 20, 2017 0:16:01 GMT -5
Hera Gregg
"Yeah," Hera replied with a slight smile. She pulled Kirin's face down so it was level with hers and planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you."
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Post by Iaashadow on Jul 20, 2017 13:35:49 GMT -5
Celtchar
Celtchar stared up at the apartment building and glanced over at the mailboxes. They were numbered without names, as was probably safe. She gingerly opened the office door and stepped in, shoving her hands in her pockets. The clerk looked up and her eyes widened. "M.. Ma'am? Do you need something?"
"Does a Mr. Blair live here?"
"I... I can look." She began clicking nervously. After a minute or two she looked back up to Celtchar's blank stare. "Yes, Jackson?"
"That's the one." She monotoned. "What unit is he in?"
"Well we can't just let you up there ma'am, do you want us to call him for you?"
"Y... yes, what's your name?"
"....Claire."
"I'll call him."
Celtchar sat down on a couch and stared straight ahead while the secretary made the call.
She heard a voice from around the corner. "New student? I'll be righ..."
They made eye contact for a moment, Jack turned around then looked back at her. He sighed. He had suspected Skyla's disappearance had something to do with the war, but now he had confirmation. He thought about anything he could say or do, but was just drawing a blank. He hadn't anticipated for his past to come knocking so literally....
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Post by nertox on Jul 20, 2017 22:44:47 GMT -5
Grendel's Mother
The words of the hooded figures were incomprehensible to her, at least for the moment. Her Servant shell was still incorporating information about its environment, information about the modern world and its language. But as it did so, she noticed an issue. Insufficient nourishment. Continued life was the second-most important of her goals; she remembered that much. Her shell gave her the word she was seeking, a word to address the hooded figures, and anyone else in the area. Perhaps something that would help her understand the situation she was in.
"MANA?" Her form made the word a growl, perhaps not quite threatening, but more of a demand than a question. She wasn't sure she had meant it that way. It didn't matter.
Mira
A red light began flashing in her room, signaling that she was to don her mission uniform and meet Rufus outside her living area in five minutes. She did so quickly, pulling over a dark hood bearing the insignia of the Mage's Association in burnt orange.
"Three orders of business, Echo," Rufus said as soon as she stepped outside. Echo was silent.
"First of all, it seems that there have been some disturbances on the Servant front. Be on the lookout for any Servants you may run into, and keep in mind that the magic in Noble Phantasms is too intrinsically tied to a Servant's nature for you to corrupt. Two, we're working on a tool for you, based on your family's magic, that will allow you to better combat Servants. Three, your next mission. Webster Krauss." Rufus paused.
"You recognize the last name, I'm sure. We hired him as an executor, much like yourself. He left, on... not so pleasant terms. He probably thought his unique magic and incredible mana pools would let him escape our attention. But that's why we have you."
Echo smiled. She had to admit, with all the resentment her family felt against the mage community, if felt good knocking mages who prided themselves on their special magical skills and history down a few pegs. This wouldn't be so bad at all.
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Post by Zen on Jul 20, 2017 23:11:07 GMT -5
EVENT
"Yes, mana..." The mage inched closer to the wolf. "As a servant of House Eterna, your life force will be preserved indefinitely. You will be able to breathe and fight at your fullest potential. And in return, you shall serve as a weapon suitable for Father." His hand reached to stroke her neck, past her maw which continually growled at him. "You poor, poor creature... cursed with madness by Ruler. Perhaps as the pet of Father himself, you shall find new meaning in your life. Doesn't that sound good?"
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Post by nertox on Jul 20, 2017 23:17:57 GMT -5
Grendel's Mother
The words were clearer now. The offer of mana was enticing, but something seemed off. Something...
Father.
MOTHER.
She was the mother, the protector, the fertility goddess, the avenger, the sole identities that remained to her. This goal, maintaining her self, was more important than the goal of nourishment. She could never submit herself to another, never let herself be the child, the weaker member of a partnership.
Her form's body responded to her decision. The wolf leaped toward the cultist who had dared degrade her, claws outstretched and jaws gnashing. She had no sense as of yet for their relative power levels, but knew that the Assassin shell would allow her to slip away if need be.
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Post by MS on Jul 20, 2017 23:48:14 GMT -5
Lester Makar
Lester watched as the leader of the hooded figures get pinned to the ground, claws piercing into his arms turning the red of his cloak a darker shade. The beast’s jaws bit down on the man’s head and tore away, his mask making a loud crunching sound. Only a quarter of his head remained, and the rest was replaced with a pool of crimson. With a flinch and an urge to puke, Les decided he had enough of the color red. ... I really shouldn’t overstay my welcome. He scanned the remaining figures. They were quickly backing off, pointing their wands at the beast to prepare spells in defense. One mage was at the very edge of the group, only a few paces away from Lester. Les looked back behind him. The alleyway he came from was clear. Alright, now or never. The palm of his right hand glowed yellow, producing small but erratic sparks. His left hand had a faint grey aura surrounding it. Quickly, he moved forward and grabbed the mage’s shoulder with his left hand, extending his area of invisibility. Before the mage could do anything in response, he slammed his right palm to the side of the mage’s head sending a shock sufficient enough to knock him unconscious. He made his retreat into the shadows with the unconscious mage, currently unnoticed.
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Post by muhtheepic on Jul 21, 2017 19:48:49 GMT -5
Webster Krauss
Webster was in quite the foul mood, considering how unaccustomed he was to so much walking. His legs still ached from the eternity he spent crouching on a hard rooftop the previous night, and he couldn’t use any mana-intensive portals around here quite yet. He didn’t think that the Oshiro boy or his girlfriend were that skilled at tracking, but better safe than sorry.
Finally, he arrived at the street he was looking for, and began to surge a steady stream of mana through his bracelet, allowing minute amounts to leak into each room of each building he passed. Webster came to a stop deliberately in front of one of London’s smaller hotels, when he felt a faint tingling sensation along his forearm.
Bingo.
The thin band of gold at his wrist had given out a momentary vibration, a tiny spark of a spell that vanished in an instant. It was enough to know he was in the right place.
Webster’s bracelet was unlike that of his other family members, because his magic was unlike that of his family. Whereas ordinary Krauss bracelets constrained mana into a single closed loop which followed their ancestral design for the original forcefield-generating spell, Webster’s bracelet was not nearly so well-contained. It was a loop that had been forced open, so that a second path for the mana could be embedded into the circuit in series, adding a space-altering spell to the forcefield to create a portal. The second seal, for convenience’s sake, had been inscribed to the hilt of Webster’s sword. This alteration was irreversible; now, without the sword, Webster’s bracelet was an incomplete device.
It did mean that he had a nifty way of finding his sword, that couldn’t be removed or interfered with as easily as a tracking spell. Webster had been pushing mana through his bracelet’s half-circuit indiscriminately, and the seal’s momentary activation suggested that for a second, his mana had encountered the rest of the circuit.
As he entered the building and rode the elevator up to the top floor, the sparks of circuit completion grew more and more frequent, building up to the point where they were practically continuous as he stood outside the last door in the hallway.
“Fugo Umbra Inanis,” he muttered, manually casting the portal spell as the outside surface of the door was replaced with a featureless red plane. Webster casually stepped through it and out the other side, allowing the portal to disintegrate behind him.
It was clear that Oshiro and his girlfriend had only left recently, and in a hurry at that. Webster wrinkled his nose slightly at the unmade bed, and the odds and ends strewn across the floor, as he made his way to the closet and grabbed hold of his blade. Having the weapon made him feel so much safer and in control, it’s weight comforting and familiar in his hand.
Now it was time to wait. His mana had already saturated the room, to the point where even an amateur magus could make a halfway-decent attempt at tracking him from here once he fled. The mana trail he’d created leading away from this street was nearly as obvious.
He would let them arrive, let them get a glimpse of him here, and then make his getaway. After that, well, it would be hard for them to ignore an assassin who tracked them down and broke into their hotel room, wouldn’t it?
No, Webster felt inexplicably certain that the Oshiro would try to pursue him. The man was known as much for his pride as for his magical ability; there was no way someone with a personality like that would back down from a challenge so straightforward. Another one of the ways, Webster thought, in which Kirin reminded him of himself.
He’s got it pretty good, for a family outcast, Webster mused, almost absently. Stable life, stable relationship, people to rely on…
He shook his head before getting too far down that train of thought. Couldn’t afford to sidetrack himself. He needed to focus on the plan.
What’d you try to kill him for, anyhow, the thoughts continued, ignoring him entirely, speaking more and more like an independent entity. You didn’t need Yurrick’s money.
Reputation, Webster shot back automatically. It had been his go-to answer for a lot of things.
You don’t really believe that, do you, Web?
He wanted to respond, but didn’t quite know how, and the voice was already gone.
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Post by Zen on Jul 26, 2017 19:50:34 GMT -5
Kirin Oshiro
"Hera..." he began. They were standing in the hotel elevator as it carried them to their floor, to rest once more. "...Were you out in the city because you were looking for me?"
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Post by Doodlebug on Jul 26, 2017 20:35:51 GMT -5
Hera
Hera was quiet for a rather long time, at least that's what it felt like to Kirin. She slowly lifted Kirin's arm from its resting place across the tops of her shoulders. With a calm demeanor that spoke disaster, Hera coldly responded, "No. Why on earth would you think that?"
Even as the elevator doors opened Hera continued on, "Was it the fact that I frantically contacted you on the mental link that we never use?" In the only recently disturbed silence of the hotel floor Hera's voice echoed off the walls, growing ever louder. "Or the fact that I was running around the streets of London with a killer headache?!"
Kirin was given a brief reprieve when they reached their hotel room door. Hera dug around in her pockets for the key, cursed when she realized she had forgotten hers, and grudgingly used Kirin's after he offered it to her. As Hera opened the door her tirade resumed, "WAIT, WAIT. LET ME GUESS. IT WAS THE FACT THAT I'M IN MY PJS WASN'T IT? YOU KNOW WHAT, KIRIN? I'M SO FUCKING TIRED OF YOU-" Hera stopped. How could she not of noticed it before? Considering how tense Kirin was, he had noticed as well. She drew her wand as the strange mana signature enveloped her, so potent that she could barely sense anything else. "Just so you know, I'm not done yet," Hera informed Kirin in a husky whisper as she creeped forward in search of their mysterious "visitor".
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Post by muhtheepic on Jul 26, 2017 22:04:27 GMT -5
Webster Krauss
The sound of approaching voices had Webster on edge. The opening door caused him to tense further. The lovers' sudden hush, though, came too late -- it was clear by how the voices cut off that they'd realized something was off, but by that point, their footsteps were already audible.
4... 3... 2... the countdown was steady, measured. 1.
The girl's head appeared at the doorway first, and Webster could feel her breath hitch in her throat. Good. She composed herself quickly, sending a beam of frosty air in his direction with a single syllable, but the portal was already there. The sword in Webster's hand gave him the edge in casting speed.
Oshiro was a step ahead though, swinging his wand in a wide motion to create a beam that swept across the room. Webster's reflexes barely allowed him to dive forward in time to avoid the spell that swept over his head, though the back of his neck still prickled from the cold.
He landed headfirst into another portal that deposited him squarely where he'd begun.
"Bye now,"
Webster took a single step backwards into his final portal, and vanished from the room.
((Author's note: Yeah Webster's an annoying cocky prick))
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Post by Zen on Jul 26, 2017 22:18:57 GMT -5
Kirin Oshiro
Hmm... Pursue an intruder and get into even more trouble today on top of the other portal-wielding swordsman, the berserker and the red-cloaked cultists, or face a tirade of complains from Hera about my admittedly stupid question asked chiefly in order to fill in the time...
Hmm...
Kirin weighed his options carefully. He lowered his wand and scanned for anything stolen-- nothing other than the sword from last night, which didn't seem to be much in terms of resale value. Seems like he just wanted it back. If he failed the job the first time, maybe his employer isn't feeling up to employing him again.
He turned to her and shut the door. "Err, go on."
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Post by Doodlebug on Jul 26, 2017 22:40:01 GMT -5
Hera Gregg
Hera looked at where the annoying teleporting man had vanished and then back at Kirin. This occurred several times before Hera made her decision. "Are you... are you seriously just gonna ignore that?"
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Post by Zen on Jul 26, 2017 22:43:51 GMT -5
Kirin Oshiro
"Haven't we had enough fighting and risking our lives for one day? If he doesn't want to fight, I don't want to fight. We've got better things to worry about than some pathetic bottom-feeding freelance assassin."
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Post by Doodlebug on Jul 27, 2017 22:08:22 GMT -5
Hera Gregg
"...Well then, in that case I'm gonna go consume some aspirin and then take a shower," Hera said while walking towards the her bag in the interest of searching it for something to end her suffering.
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Post by Zen on Jul 27, 2017 22:57:31 GMT -5
Dante Alighieri
“One two three. One two three. One two three. One two three,” he softly repeated, holding her close to his chest. “See? It’s not so once you’re on your feet. Just like this… follow me. Follow the rhythm. One two three. One two three. One two three.” They continued to waltz in the dark, cherishing none else but each other. When they passed into a shadow, she vanished, but he continued the movements. When they came clear of it, there she was again. “About what you said before…” he began as they continued to dance, “what exactly is it that bothers you so much about this place?” He waited a suitable amount of time for a response and then nodded. “...I see. Are you scared?” Another pause. “...Of course. How silly of me to ask.” There was a loud clicking noise that came from the end of the dusty ballroom they stood in. The first row of lights came on, and instantly the girl was gone. As the rest filled in, Dante became visible, slowly lowering his arms from their position during the dance. “Oh. I suppose we’ll meet again later, then,” he said quietly.
“And who are you?” A young man’s voice asked from the entrance.
“I’m almost disappointed you caught me so soon.”
“Dancing on your own in a ballroom I haven’t used in two years? How did you even get in here?”
“Oh, I made a door for myself. It’s not hard for us mages, right? ...Erm, assuming I’m in the right ballroom.”
“Well, your date apparently stood you up if that’s the case.”
“I think she did a splendid job!”
“...What?”
“Dancing. She’s just a beginner, but she’s wonderful.”
“Okay… Gestalt?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Run a scan on the intruder.”
“Intruder? I sent you a letter in advance!”
“Must’ve landed in my spam folder.”
“Master Lazarus, the mana signature given by the gentleman in front of you is distinctly that of a heroic spirit.”
“W-what? A servant?!”
“Class: Caster. Capabilities: E strength. D minus agility. E endurance. D minus luck. D mana. Identified as Dante Alighieri, writer of the Divine Comedy… Evidently, you could defeat him with your peacemaker right here.”
Cody raised an eyebrow. “...This is the mage that unleashed all the servants? He looks like he’s my age.”
Dante furrowed his brow to mockingly imitate his appearance. “...This is Cody Lazarus? I’ve heard so much about you, and yet… I imagined you’d be less small and adorable.”
“You were an old man during that big announcement.”
“Oh, that mask is a personal favorite of mind! ...Not the form of the old man, I’m not a trickster. I mean to say that I have a literal mask of him. Scowling, of course. It’s his best look.”
“What?”
“But yes, I did project my old facade for the big announcement. Funny story-- that face was birthed of charcoal in my old sketchbook before it ever appeared before the public. If I could somehow get my hands on my old works… Well, they’d be priceless. How much do you think they’d sell for?”
“Wait, wait, slow down. Birthed?”
“Oh, do I have to spell it out for you? I had always thought magecraft was growing more advanced with the centuries… The wrinkly old Dante Alighieri you all know and love was a character of mine. Something I had drawn to entertain myself. But my followers had done an excellent job seamlessly blending it into the history books until the entire world just seemed to accept the fact that this silly man with a big nose who wore red pajamas wherever he went was somehow the writer of the Divine Comedy! How rich!”
“And you’re the real writer? Using this ‘Dante Alighieri’ character to cover your tracks?”
“Sure. I wasn’t about to just reveal my face to the masses. They weren’t ready back then… But times are changing. I’m sure you know that better than anyone else.”
“What were you back then, in reality?” Cody’s eyes narrowed, scanning Dante for details. In many ways, the two were similarly crafted. “A mage?”
“I dabbled in sorcery here and there, yes.”
“...One more thing I’d like to know-”
“Apapapap,” Dante interrupted, wagging a finger at him. “It’s my turn to ask provocative questions. I’ve gotta make sure I can trust you, Lazarus.”
“...Me? Why?”
“Well, why else would I have come here?” From within his red cape, Dante unveiled a parchment scroll. “...Just like old times for you, I gather.”
“Is that…”
“A master-servant contract. My treat.”
“...Explain yourself.”
“Gladly!” He shoved it back into his cloak offered his hand. “...First, though. Let’s not waste this lovely ballroom. Do you dance, Cody?”
“...I’ve never danced with another guy before.”
“Don’t worry, I know the woman’s steps. It’s easy… One two three, one two three…” The room was lit, and the dancing began again. “It was lonely in Sanctum, Cody. I was there for quite a while. Only about eight thousand of us, and after seven hundred years you start seeing the same faces over and over. Many of us were just sick and tired of being servants. As in, serving. Eighty measly years of relaxation compared to an eternity of being summoned and serving as someone’s punching bag? Not our idea of fair. So naturally I wanted freedom. A lot of us did, in fact. But we couldn't get out of the cell without someone on the outside. So I put a message in a bottle and sent it out to sea, for my followers in this mortal realm to pick up and interpret. And with dedication and a little elbow grease, we’d managed to cast this little spell. That happened to release the heroic spirits. Fun times.”
“And… what exactly did you hope to accomplish by this?”
Dante was taken aback. He was half giggling and half stammering: “I-I… what? Excuse me? Shouldn't it be obvious?”
“The Sanctum wars are over!”
“Exactly! So what’s the point in staying all cooped up in prison? Time and time again, these servant-summoning rituals have proven that life can be sustained by a supply of mana alone-- that we can defeat death! So we’re not afraid of it anymore. Who would want to be?”
“You… you just wanted to live again.”
“That’s… how it started, yes.”
“How it started?”
“It’d be selfish to stop here.” Their dance came into full swing, Dante grinning at his partner. “I’ve watched you work, Lazarus. You’re a man after my own heart. Ending those pointless, destructive wars… Shoving it in that Ruler’s ugly face. It just so happens that we’re perfect for each other. We both want to change the world…”
“Change the world?”
“I know of your dream, Cody. We share it-- magecraft for everyone. For the betterment of society. It can be achieved. And it starts with my followers and I… House Eterna.”
“The men in red hoods Kirin just warned me about…?”
“Ah, so you’re aware of their effectiveness already? They’ll follow your orders, too. As it happens, you seem to have gained an alarming number of political allies. People who wish to crush your aspirations. People who could easily fall victim to a series of unfortunate ‘accidents’... You’d no longer have to worry about the council or the association or any of that nonsense. Why, I could easily place you atop the throne as Ältester if you wanted it so. With the alliance of your armada of death machines and my thousands upon thousands of followers, no association or world power could ever stand against us!”
"What do you get out of this, then?"
"Well, I can certainly start with getting rid of those pesky associations and world powers before they can give us trouble in the first place. None of these useless organisations or nations states or clans or clubs or gangs or anything have any place in our new world. Just us."
“Just us? What benefit do you get out of taking over the world with me?”
“It’s not about what I’m getting out of this. I get nothing. It’s what the world receives… Newfound power. Triumph over death. The wisdom of their ancestors, whispers from their future descendants… Perhaps ascendance itself. We’ll just have to do a little demolition before we can start rebuilding. And that’s where you come in. Together, we could be invincible… So, what do you say? Care to dance with me until the inferno itself grows cold?”
“...I’m afraid that won’t be an option.” Their waltz suddenly ended.
“Hmm?”
“I was warned about something like this. Avenger had foreseen it.”
“Oh, her…”
“An apocalyptic fate befalling the world, and me holding the blame… Even without the sanctum key, it could still come true. And that’s what I’m afraid of. You’re trying to end the world, Dante, not start a beginning.”
“Cody… the end is the beginning.”
“Not for me. Not for the people I’m trying to protect.”
“...I’m disappointed in you.” Dante looked away and sighed. “All these centuries of cultivation, and Lazarus has rejected me in my time of need.”
Cultivation…?
“Ah, well.” He closed his eyes. “I can’t say I didn’t do my best. I had hoped that we could have become quite close. Don’t worry, though. I’m sure I’ll be able to accomplish this alone. More people will have to die, though. I hope you do realize that.”
“Not on my watch.” Cody’s eyes faintly glowed, signifying that he had re-opened the connection with Gestalt. “All orbiting drones, converge on my location and capture the intruder!”
“Heheheh…” Dante giggled, backing away and fixing his posture.
“By the way, Master Lazarus,” Gestalt added as he issued the command. “This may not be the best time, but with new information it seems to be the case that I have miscalculated this new Caster’s stats.”
“Anything significant?”
“Well, to start, erm… His ‘mana’ statistic now reads ‘E-X’. Is that important?”
Cody’s eyes widened. Dante continued to giggle as a squadron of drones descended from behind him. “Eheh… Well, I’m sure when we meet again you’ll have changed your mind. In my experience, death tends to do that to people. If all goes well, it should be within the week that I’ve found my second work. We can waltz then, if you’d like.” He held his palms close to one another, and the room suddenly became drained of all light other than the deepest reds. The sheer scope and suddenness that came with the spell was what surprised him the most.
What?! T-that's impossible. No mage could hide their signature that well and then immediately start a spell like that-
“...It’s funny, though.” Dante’s eyes, now a glowing crimson, tightened with reminiscence. “I noticed something when we were on the ballroom floor. You dance just like her. How quaint.”
Cody stared with his jaw open as Dante’s body became consumed with fire and lit up the room. A shield-bearing drone dropped down in front of him a mere second before the entire upper section of the tower exploded.
One, two three... Dante thought to himself. It's so simple...
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