Final Kingdom MUSH - User contributions [en]

A Researcher's Interlude V

2014-03-31T08:57:08Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/03/31 |Location=Montressor Spaceport |Synopsis=Hours after the debacle at the Traverse Town prison facility, Warden and Rhia wind down at a sh..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/31
|Location=Montressor Spaceport
|Synopsis=Hours after the debacle at the Traverse Town prison facility, Warden and Rhia wind down at a shady dive in Montressor...ironically the perfect place to lay low. Chita finds them, and a short conversation is had.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen, Chita, Warden Thache
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' A FEW HOURS AGO "...It's a damn shame." A man dressed in the black garb of Traverse Town's security forces laments, lightning up a cigarette as he looked on at the ruined prison facility in front of him. "They got greedy, thought they could handle it on their own. Look how it turned out..." Beside him another man sighed and shook his head. "...Taking in a high profile prisoner like that. The Director was obviously looking for glory. ...And that judge just dropped her right into his hands, and endangered how many lives?" He tched and shook his head again, clearly irritated with the aftermath. "Naivety in it's finest. Should have known better. ...And the Director should have tossed her to more capable people first thing. ...Multiple faults, and this is the turnout. Man..." The two men sighed and fell silent, observing the smoking, ruined structure as relief teams moved about, assessing the damage and treating the wounded. "Gonna be a PR nightmare for sure." PRESENTLY At a rather shady looking dive in Montressor, about a mile away... "My, quite a place here." Rhia mused, looking about from the corner table they sat at in the moment. The place was packed with a bevy of unsavorable types of all manner of races, some looking more alien and weird than the others. Truly a spaceport if any. "It certainly has a certain...image about it." And the fact that no one seemed to care about them made it even better. A perfect place to relax, unsavory atmosphere aside.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden smiles, hat tipped up to reveal his smiling cat's eyes that glimmer in the guttering light of tavern lanterns. "I only bring you to the best places." He replies lightly. His own humor evident in his tone as he relaxes back in his chair. Blancing back on two legs of his chair the captain looks compleatly at ease here, one arm thrown carelessly over the back of his chair. The other is curled around a bottle that he leans slightly forward to fill a glass with two fingers of sweet rum and slide it across the table to the Doctor, before filling one of his own. "I like the place. Most people here know better than to ask questions."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Well, Chita eventually had to trust something or someone other than himself... he wouldn't have even blamed them, unless they /knew/ they couldn't handle her. He thought they could... they seemed functional enough. But perhaps that was the issue. When he finally heard about the ordeal happening he ran there straight away only to be told that she'd been broken out. By the time he got there, though, people were already cleaning up. People from Shinra, a raccoon, and a cat pirate... and something about grenades and elves and holes in the wall and guns not working. Throughout it all, he could only parse and understand a few things, and the one thing he picked out of that, which might be a lead he could follow up on, /was/ exactly that. A pirate and a Raccoon. Where could he find a pirate on short notice? Ships... strange technology... he'd run into him at Bodhum. Perhaps Montressor? Thus, that's where the Vieran Judge went, not getting as much information has he thought he might from the locals. He went from bar to bar, trying to get information on someone of Warden's description, paying bribes here and there and not getting much. Though one drunk fellow finally mentioned a human with her hair done up and a cat pirate made their way towards a certain direction. Finally getting there and pushing the door open, he was immediately out of place and everyone there knew it. A bunch looked his way and stared, and eventually paid him no mind because hey, seemed blind. Maybe they'd rob him later or something. Yet, with the sword on his hips, as he stepped forward and let his hand rest on the hilt, the sudden flood of thoughts on his mind as the weapon SAW her gave way that she was here. kill her now there she is, end it Chita forced hiself to ignore the weapon and actually took his hand off it entirely for a moment before grasping the hilt again lightly with his hand and making his way over to where she was. "Well, you certainly dug your grave deeper, even after I tried to lock you somewhere that even you could not make it worse."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Good. Undue questions would not sit well right now." And no one did ask. Some looked at the doctor with a faint glimmer of familiarity, but no one was dumb enough to actually come out and say anything to their faces. But there was a whisper here and there. Something like 'Wonder how much that chick'll fetch with the locals?' 'Gotta be a nice sum!' 'I ain't about to lose my head for her! You wanna try?' 'Hell no!' And then a round of chuckles and more drinks. What a laid back place. ...When it wanted to be. Chuckling herself, Rhiannon took the offered glass. Bringing it up to her nose to take in the aroma. Not out of suspicion, though she really should be by this point. But rather, out of appreciation for the drink itself. After assessing it's aroma, the glass was brought to her lips and a sip was taken. "My, this is strong." Nonetheless, it didn't seem like she had any trouble with it. "A shame Alise could not be bothered to join us." The woman intoned in a fake show of concern, hand to her cheek. "Far too professional, that one." Another sip. "So, if I might ask, why /did/ you come for me?" The doctor finally asked, brow arched in curiosity towards the captain. "Surely, there must have been something in it for you, yes?" There was a moment of thoughtful countenance then before Rhiannon added. "I can hardly imagine Shinra or Alise paid you either. The former is far too worried for their internal affairs, and the latter would never ask an outsider for help." Someone had entered the bar at that point, but Rhia had initially paid it no mind. Not until she realized that things had gone silent for a moment or two. That spurred her on to look as well. Ah, curious, more than the rabbit, that sword at his side drew her eye. ...Not that it mattered now. She had more important things to worry about. As Chita approached, she didn't offer any immediate outwards reaction, simply taking another sip from her glass. "I recall doing nothing special. It was hardly my fault that certain people saw fit to assault the facility you so poorly chose." A chuckle and a glance towards Warden. "I believe we have passed the point of conversation between us however. You know where the door is." A dismissive wave of the hand followed that statement. Looks like she had nothing to say to him. "Now where were we?" The woman asked, glancing back at Warden to bring up their previous conversation, as if Chita wasn't even there.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden shrugs slightly. "Most of the things here are a touch strong. Its the nature of the place itself." The pirate replies as he releases the bottle shifts his hand. That hand moves to his belt and he draws a pistol, setting the weapon almost casually on the table. Perhaps he heard someone talking about selling his drinking compaion. "As for why? Well sometimes I have to take a chance. I figured getting you out might be a larger payout in the future than leaving you to rot." The pirate explains with a chuckle towards her. "So consider it...an investment. Mostly due to my own curiousity. I find myself facinated about what you might do next." He takes a pull of his own drink, his pistol still on the table as he raises his eyes towards Chita with a smirk half-hidden behind his glass. "Well well well, look what the cat dragg--" A pause. "...wait. No. No I didn't. You dragged yourself in here on your own accord. Seems that you and the good doctor have had a falling out then?" A shrug before he smirks back towards Rhia. "None of my business really."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita stood there silently as she spoke, being flippant towards him. Well, that was expected. He DID kind of drug her and capture her and throw her into a magical-sealing facility prison that could in theory handle her. "I suppose that sounds true enough." He visibly winced a little as the weapon was screaming at him in his mind, enough that he was forced to pull his hand from the weapon again, instead crossing his arms. "And no... we are not. While you've every right to be upset at me, or whatever it is you are feeling, you brought it on yourself. You should feel grateful I did not use the other bottle of water I had with me. On the way back, I checked your satchel and realized you brought what I asked." For her sake, he didn't say she brought the /teddy bear/ he bought her. "Couldn't bring myself to do anything else, so I took you there so you would be safe, from yourself as well as others." That was kind of his way of trying to say he /did/ still care about her. Hell, she was kind of with his child at the moment, or so she's maintained. For all he knows she could be lying, but he saw no reason not to believe her on that. He turned towards Warden, then, and dug out a bag of munny from his cloak and offered it to the pirate. "My thanks for keeping her safe, even if you went and screwed her chances harder by helping to break her out." Using one foot he hooked the chair behind him and pulled it over to sit down on, backwards, facing them. "And I SWEAR if you do not stop telling me to kill her, I am going to break you in half right here." The sword didn't stop, but perhaps Rhia knew who or WHAT he was talking to. While the rest probably think he's insane.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "So love," Warden drawls at Chita yells at the sword. "Has he always been mad, or is this a new thing?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' She simply stared at Chita, chin resting in her palm, and the other around her drink. "Mhmn." A dismissive sound of bare acknowledgement from her. Yes, her things. Thankfully she didn't have anything truly sensitive with her. The tablet was just a glorified notepad, and then some other minor material things he'd find no use of. The mention of that silly bear caused her to shake her head just a bit. "Of course." "Whatever I may feel is also none of your business. And I believe we have established that there is nothing further to discuss. Laws, heroics, must stop experiments and save everyone, yes, yes. Indeed, I have heard it all." And frankly, she didn't want to hear it again at this point. ...But she probably would eventually. Ah, and to think that there was another mess waiting for her when she got back to HQ. She took a sip of her drink, forgetting about that little detail for the moment. As Chita yelled at his sword...well, technically her sword, but she wouldn't split hairs, she just chuckled and asided to Warden. "He has always been mad. But yelling at swords /is/ new, I must say~" Her free hand was brought to her mouth as she giggled. Of course, she knew just what Chita was going through, but it was funnier to say he was mad. ...Not that she had room to talk really.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Well," The pirate replies as he smiles just slightly. "It takes all kinds doesn't it?" The man seems compleatly at ease with a madwoman at the table with him and a madman yelling at his sword. Of course he spends his free time in Hollow Bastion. Who is he to talk. Warden flashes a grin for a moment. "She didn't need much in the way of protection, and I have to admit I wasn't the only one to help. However, you're welcome." A pause. "And she didn't /have/ a chance you know. She would have been executed one way or the other, isn't that the way of things? I find it more entertaining to let her out." A pause. "Besides, its against my nature to leave someone locked up."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Chita didn't respond to the accusations of being mad, though when Warden mentioned they were going to execute her either way, there was a small growl from his throat. "I explicitly stated I only brought her there on the condition that execution... was not an option." Then again, what authority did he even have to demand such? "And no, Rhiannon. You may not want me around... but I still want no harm to come to you. So consider this a grace from me, or do not, I do not care. I... am done pursuing you, for justice or anything else. Likewise, I would have you rescind Shinra trying to take this sword back." He wasn't even holding it in his hand now, and the weapon was getting to him, still hanging in the makeshift scabard at his side. Chita shivered a little at that and tried to shake it off only to stand up and put the chair back in place a little sloppy. "Or do whatever you want. You do anyways. Be safe Rhiannon... I would hate to see you hurt." And with that, he intended to leave, having said his piece. He came to try and apprehend her, but with the weapon trying to force him to kill her, he refuses to take the chance. Onec again he should have known that would happen though.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Likewise." Was the curt response in return. "I am quite done with your heroic theatrics herself." Another sip, and then the glass was set down. "Do you really think those glory hounds would listen to a word you say?" She cracked a smirk at that. "I imagine the moment you were out of the vicinity, they had set about devising the best way to attain glory from 'having captured me'." She rolled her eyes. "Have you met with the Director? He is...quite an ambitious man." Ambitious...that was one word to describe him. Probably one of the kinder ones. Rest assured, Many had wanted to do to him what Alise had hauled off and done earlier. "So, if you are done pursuing me, then why not run along to your nosey little flower girl? I imagine she must be beside herself with worry right about now." The statement drew a faint chuckle out of the woman before she raised the glass to her lips once more. In the meantime, she observed him, watching his subtle changes in mannerisms and body langauge. She wondered how long he would be able to handle that weapon. Surely it must have been worse than the original Black Omen. Lowering her glass, Rhiannon watched as Chita stood, seemingly making to leave. "My, my. And here I had thought that you came to try and apprehend me." Her smile grew a little. "/They/ must be screaming so incessantly right about now, hm? I wonder..." A finger was brought to her cheek thoughtfully. "How much longer can you withstand that sword?" She said nothing about calling off Shinra from the search. ...As far as she was concerned, if she had brought things upon herself, then so had he. No one got to have their cake and eat it too. Ah, but how many cakes did Chita lose by now? The thought got a giggle out of her. Warden is given a slightly more genuine smile then. "I suppose I have yet to thank you." Her tone wasn't much genuine however. But then, that was Rhia for you. "The guards on duty were constantly telling me how execution was being called for."

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' A thoughtful smile dances across Warden's face as he watches the byplay between Rhiannon and Chita. For the most part he lets the pair of them fence as his hand moves back to the bottle and he leans forwards to top of Rhiannon's drink. She must be getting a touch low by now. Sweet rum won't drink itself and all. "Tell me friend," He finally drawls as he tosses a question towards Chita. "Which is more of a mercy? Dying all at once, or dying slowly over the years. Inches at a time." One shoulder lifts in a shrug. "I'd take the bullet in the head over that." Those oddly slitted eyes slide towards Rhia for a moment. "No offence ment." He obviously hasn't heard the story of just /how/ she got to be in jail in the first place. He tilts his head once more at Chita's departing words. He doesn't move for the weapon or to stop the bunny. Instead the pirate just chuckles quietly. "Now I'm not sure if that was a threat or something else. Could be either." Again however it seems he takes it as /mostly/ none of his buisiness. Thats betwen the mad scientist and the misunderstood bunny. The pirate intends to stay out of that line of fire. However he's put himself in several different ones tonight. Mostly for the hell of it. Its just how he is. "Well," The genuine smile and the not-quite-so tone is met with a vulpine smile of his own. Is he wondering if that thanks was genuine? No. Either it is or it isn't. Worring which one it happens to be won't change how it is. He'll just hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Story of his life. "I'm glad it didn't come to execution. Much more difficult to break one out from that." Voice of experiance there. "And as for thanks, well we can discuss that later. Over breakfast perhaps!"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' With the various questions tossed his way, Rhiannon making fun of him, picking at him like she always has, Warden making a valid point, Chita turns and looks like he wanted to say something, but couldn't quite manage. "Death does not settle well with me, pirate. The concept terrifies me, and quite frankly, I would rather die slowly over many years than suddenly. But, that's me. Oh, and Rhiannon? Here." Turning, Chita offered the woman back her tablet and her satchel she had with her. Pointedly, they were separate and not all together. As he stepped closer to place it on the table near her, though, she got to see him bothered by the sword again in that he jerked his hand away from it and hissed out a low sound of frustration. "Theatrics... perhaps that really is all it is." the Judge chuckled at the thought. "I suppose that is so true... never really thought of it like that. But, hey, that's me." He gave a bit of a shrug as he tried to laugh away the fact that the sword was actually starting to get to him. "Oh, and... I guess you never really checked, but I put something inside the gift I gave you a while back, if you care to look. I was going to point that out if you had actually given me access to the research or stopped acting as you were, but i did not have the chance. No harm in saying it now though. Enjoy, and again... please stay safe. I would very much like the chance to see the child in the future, with you there as well... wether you are behind bars, or otherwise." And with that he quickly makes his way out, trying to ignore the weapon screaming at him to go back and finish it. But what was inside the bear? She'd have to check and see!

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Hm, yes, I can entertain that much. It should be quite intriguing." She answered the captain regarding breakfast, smile remaining on her face. She seemed rather easygoing, compared to certain other people. Her company was probably one that shouldn't be kept too long though. Rhia's thoughts on death...well, she didn't seem to think much of it, but she'd never actually voiced her thoughts on the matter often. Warden is given a nonchalant shrug. "No harm done." She hardly cared in the end. Beyond a faint bit of amusement. Seeing Chita turn around and then return her belongings, got a curious look out of her. So that's where they were. She'd wondered where her things had gotten off to in the time she was out. Nevertheless, she took her things, but didn't check. Not immediately. Perhaps later. When things had calmed down. "I see." She supposed she should have offered some form of gratitude, but the Viera had made a show of vacating the premises rather quickly. Thus leaving her without the chance. His hasty exit just got a chuckle and a shake of the head from her. "Well then..." Left to deliberate on Chita's parting words, as well as Warden's own comments, the scientist chose to drink, taking her recently filled glass at a faster rate this time. Once she'd finished, the glass was set down and Warden was given a glance. "Shall we be on our ways? I imagine Alise will not wait much longer after all." Indeed, her missionwas to take the woman to Shinra HQ...who knew what waited for her there.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "A man that fears death shouldn't have the power to pronounce it on others," Warden's opinion on the subject isn't varnished or polished. It is simply thrown out there, like most of the thoughts the man seems to have. "If you fear it, then you can't use that power properly. Makes it more dangerous than it could be." The bunny was already on his way out however and the Captain wasn't one to call him back. Instead he reaches up to take his pistol, slipping it away in the folds of his coat before he nods once. "Of course, if we keep Alise waiting /too/ much longer. She might organize a raid on the bar. Those never go over well and I think she's been though enough tonight." A smirk. "The woman is too professional to smile isn't she?" Regardless of the answer he raises in one smooth motion before again offering Rhia his arm with a roguish grin. "Yes, back home with you. Anything else can wait till later." He doesn't intend to make this a habit, but...its been an amusing distraction for an evening. That is something he can live with. Who knows. It might even be profitable! ...and he is going to have to ask later if the bunny was serious about a child. Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser.

A Researcher's Jailbreak

2014-03-31T05:35:31Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/30
|Location=Traverse Town - District 3
|Synopsis=Days after Rhiannon's capture, several forces converge on the prison facility holding her. Things go well. ...Or not. Depending on your perspective.
|Cast of Characters=Vex, Mercade Alexander, Angantyr Vespar, Don Corneo, Rhiannon Zellen, Warden Thache, Alise, Zerum
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Several days ago, a certain Vieran Judge had captured Rhiannon Zellen, resident scientist of Shinra. Be it by guile, or mere happenstance, there was no one around to witness just how it had happened. Nevertheless, she was taken to Traverse Town and locked into a prison facility. Specifically in a block meant to restrain magic users. The area was surprisingly well kept. It looked more like a mental asylum than a prison, if anything. White floors, walls, and doors made up the appearance of the place, starkly constrasted by the security staff with their black uniforms. There was a guard posted at each door, an electrical nightstick in hand and firearm holstered at their side. The cells themselves were what made this block of the prison building mildly intriguing. They were stark white, just like the outer halls, but running along the walls in a uniform manner were glowing lines of varying colors. They lead all across the walls, connecting ultimately to a pair of bulky shackles that imprisoned mages were attached to. The shackles were intricately designed, and obscured the entire hand and forearm. It was more like a large cylinder. Closer observation would reveal that these shackles were siphoning power from prisoners constantly, as evidenced by the flow of energy moving away from the shackles and flowing to other parts of the facility. Prisoners were kept powerless and restrained in this manner. Panning over to Rhiannon's room, she too had recieved the same treatment, shackled to that magic draining device. Having been told of her crimes, as well as her present condition, minor allowances were made for care, but after those short reprieves, it was back to being restrained. It went to be said that prison security was on high alert, having to contain such a high profile inmate. "......" She'd said little the entire time. Her expression had never betrayed anything in the way of sadness or anger. When addressed, the woman only smiled in a manner that was somehow infuriating. Several guards needed to have their shifts changed due to 'conversing' with her, and almost giving in to the urge to harm her. It was quite a handful really. And on this day, it seemed that all was quiet. There was a new guard posted at her cell, one that had yet to try and make conversation. "The higher ups are still deciding what to do with you." The guard, a man in his middle age, said. He faced forward, never once looking at the scientist. "There've been calls for execution even. You know that, right?" Asking that, a sidelong glance was spared into the cell. Rhia said nothing in response, she just smiled, keeping her eyes closed. The guard just tched and rolled his eyes. "Figures. Got nothing to say to the common man, eh?" He shook his head and faced forward again. The Director had told them not to engage in too much conversation. She had a way of getting into people's heads. Driving them to irrational anger. He couldn't fall victim to that. More infuriating silence was her given answer to the guard's remarks however. She was oddly patient, despite the fact that days have passed without outside incident. After several minutes, Rhiannon's eyes slowly opened, that calm smile still on her face. Her gaze was fixed forward, eyeing what little of the halls that she could see from her suspended position. "...I do wonder..." She mumbled quietly to herself, smile remaining on her face despite...

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' It wasn't that Zerum enjoyed combat, because he prefered the more professional route to solving problems, but in the unlikely(hopefully) event that developments escalated into violence, he didn't want to be unprepared, so he was decked out in his dark-knight apparel. His signature thorned crown, which offered an unspeakably stalwart aegis, was always contrasted by the fact that it unendingly sapped his health, so when possible, he'd either implement his draining techniques, a standard earmark of his trade, or he'd be attended by someone capable of offering some medicinal aid; on this day(or evening, in the Traverse Area, the position of the natural sun was hard to distinguish), the armored drow was accompanied by yet another dark elf, a female, whose stature wasn't quite as exceptional as his own.... but this should not have been a factor that would've diminished her worth! On the contrary, her getup was notably more unique than his own, what with her possessing a few add-on cybernetic limbs(maybe akin to Dr Octopus??) that gave her the ability to multi-task. Hailing from his own world of origin, which had technology far beyond that of many others that fused into the World of Ruin, it was very likely that Zerum's sidekick's external framework was either born of the kind of stuff that could be found in certain parts of The Blue Planet, or maybe it was a blend of that, plus whatever she could scrounge from Montressor Spaceport? No, she wasn't apt to skyrocket into outerspace or warp between dimensions, but having the potential to slap several irritating folks at once was pretty darn useful, which could very well make her the envy of any nanny the world over. Zerum Valos didn't mind being outshone visually by his subordinate, even so... he was content to know that he was the one running the show, even if the audience only saw the she-elf who was starring center-stage, within the dark elf posse. Not to be totally dwarfed by his companion, he had a nifty little talent that was a rarity in the World of Ruin, and he was about to apply it, or at least make a valiant attempt. "I can now comprehend fully why we were compensated so loftily, Miss Vex. I would like you to loosen things up a bit, so that I need not strain myself as much.... Perspiration quite a bother, after all." That was her cue to start shooting at one of the walls so that Zerum could follow up by ripping out the metal scaffoldings.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Elsewhere in the building, a small group of people have gathered around a large table. Though the accomodations are somewhat lacking, as the facility is not designed for making people comfortable, the standard-form office chairs that have been wheeled in for the occasional are likely a great deal more pleasant than the prison shackles. On one side of the table a lone young woman sits with her arms crossed gently over each other so as not to wrinkle the expensively tailored suit she wears. Two nondescript figures in fully body armor complete with face-obscuring helmets stand at attention a few feet behind her, each of them bearing the familiar insignia of ShinRa on their uniforms. Alise sighs softly and drums her fingers against her bicep, glancing at the empty seat across from her. The man who has occupied it on and off for the last several hours is no where to be seen having ducked out for 'private discussion' related to the matter at hand for atleast the tenth time during their negotations. This was taking too long. She knew it was going to be difficult but so far all they'd managed to do was establish the mere possibility that negotation was a option and even that had been like pulling the fangs from a zolum. She'd like to think it was her natural charm that had won them over but the truth of the matter is that she'd been reduced to veiled threats merely to get in the door and things had not improved much since then. Damn that woman.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Normally, Vex would rarely be so kitted out for combat. But, how could she deny joining an old friend? Not that she'd refer to the man as such. After all, to her, anything but advancement is useless...ideally. Her frail flesh, while less than ideal, still exists, and along with it the emotions that ride along. "Given the amount of compensation we were given, I estimate a point-five-three-seven percentage increase in operational efficiency upon using a Shinra-Brand Ifrit-Mark-Three White Phosphorous Grenade as opposed to merely shooting the local girders. The fifteen-point-five percent chance of bodily injury to bystanders is below the acceptable amount of collatoral damage." Rattles off the woman. And indeed, she rattles. Swathed in red, voluminous robes that cover all but her gloved hands, the five-foot, three inch woman's race can only be seen by a pair of ears sticking out from her cowel; holes cut out for them. The rest of her is in shadows...aside from the two, metallic appendages that snake out of the back of her robes. One is launched with what appears to be some form of rifle, while the other seems to be a common shinra grenade launcher. Despite her earlier comments, the appendage wobbles, tilts, and then fires the gun straight at the aforementioned scaffolding.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Indeed, Alise was being given a rather obvious runaround to the matter of releasing Rhiannon. After another 'strategic break', the prison director stepped back into the room, clearing his throat and adjusting his suit and tie. It was less impressive than Alise's ...Something that likely struck his pride. He was an older man, in his 40s and balding a bit. But he still endeavored to take care of his appearance as best as he could. He was joined by two security guards, less impressively decked out than the Shinsec, but close enough. "My apologies for the wait, Miss. This is a sensitive issue, you see?" More mindless, time wasting prattle. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. We were just about to discuss the possibility of negotiating the fate of Rhiannon Zellen." He leaned back in his seat, producing a cigarette from a box in his breast pocket, having it lit by a guard. "Smoke?" He offered the box towards the Turk, a lazy smile on his face. ...Wasn't it against regulations to smoke inside? This was corporate red tape, if there ever was any. This useless posturing was suddenly cut off as a distant sound of stone and metal being rended could be heard, followed by a loud siren. Seconds later, a third guard burst into the room. "Director! We've got a problem! Intruders!" The Director's eyes widened at that. "What!?" The demand caused the back end of his cigarette to be crushed between his teeth before falling to the ground. "Damn it! I knew this was going to happen!" He spouted out angrily, a fist impacting against the desk. "Reinforce our position at the prisoner's cell! And send a team to intercept these intruders! Tell all others to keep their posts but be on high alert! Now go, go, go!" Alise was given a smile and a clear of the throat. "Ahem. My apologies, Miss Alise. But these discussions will have to wait another day. Please, my men will escort you and your men out of the building and to safety." He didn't ask for help. His pride and the capabilities of his facility were on the line! MEANWHILE Zerum and Vex's efforts to break in were met with the facility alarm going off...followed by guards converging on their location rapidly. About ten men, armed with pistols trained on them. "Stop right there! Surrender yourselves immediately! Do not resist! I repeat, do NOT resist!" They held their ground, some kneeling to take better firing positions. The game was on.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' Zerum rotates his head towards Vex, after she elaborates on how she intends to deal with the problematic barrier that has presented itself to the both of them; not an engineer himself, he can't exactly confirm that her calculations are accurate until the attempt as been made, so he nods his head, surmising that the expert is experienced enough to know what she's talking about, giving her permission to go forth, "So be it." He then taps his chin in consideration, ".....But, I cannot extrapolate as to why you're even remotely fixated on the the potential for casualties that'd involved, be they grander or fewer. As far as /I/ was aware.... we were hired to carry out a jailbreak, not to evaluate the worth of the lives of the citizenry.... that seems like a totally irrelevant part of the equation, Miss Vex." All conjecture aside, he's grateful that she's using her brain, even if some of it involved a little bit of digression, for excessive thinking was superior to suboptimal quantities of contemplation, in his view, unless it pertained to a prospective victim, in which case, he hoped that they would be dullard, thus more easily conquered. When the sirens went off, that was the one thing that immediately agitated Zerum the most, because of the loud nature of the ringing that went through his ears, which was only compounded by the ramblings of the troopers who were now trying to bar his path into the inner sanctum. "I don't have a hearing problem, good sirs; if you told me not to resist the first time, I assure you that I will disregard your piteous warning the second time, as well." With that, he attempts to exert influence over their guns(made of metal?) to either dismantle them, or rip the armaments right out of their hands, since they were not miles away; when metal was within proximity, he could manhandle it with the force of a gigas, but once it was distant.... it became a problem for him. Assuming Zerum succeeds in wrenching some/all of their weapons from them, he will attempt to knock some on them unconscious by pistol-whipping them using their own weapons, but if he fails, he'll probably have to explore other avenues.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' From the look of concern that spreads on her face, it's clear that the explosions took Alise off guard as well. She glances in the direction that she believes the sound originated from for a moment but her attention is drawn back to the Director upon his outburst, expecting him to associate the attack with their presence but it seems such a thought never occured to the man as he sends his guards storming away without pause. Alise slowly unfolds her arms, lifting a single finger to press against the bridge of her slender glasses. As the metal frames slide up against her face, they catch the light in an ominous way, reflecting twin ovals of pure white that obscures her narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Director, but I no longer have the luxury of playing this game." The Turk rises from her seat, flipping the entire table up into the air in a single heave. Her fist explodes through the wooden barrier now hovering in the air between herself and the annoying politician, smashing into his chest and sending the man flying into the far wall with a dull crunching sound. Withdrawing her arm from the ruined table, Alise motions to the two ShinSec guards who have already prepared their weapons and the pair of them move to cover the doorway while she takes care of a quick matter. The Turk withdraws her cellphone from its holster on her belt and kneels beside the unconscious Director. Moving with a purpose, she fiddles with her gadget for a moment before pressing each of the man's fingers against its screen one-by-one. The machine whirrs softly each time, recording the data incase they need it to bypass any of the security. She gets a retinal scan for good measure too. "Okay, we're good. Move out and pray those floor plans we acquired are accurate."

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Not one to leave someone, especially a potential business associate in trouble, Don has takent he liberty of heading his zeppelin and crew over to Traverse Town. His men, group of SOLDIER 3rd and a few scattered 2nd class, looking a bit more rag tag than they might have been under the company, descend upon the facility from the dirigible via jetpack. One must always have a sufficient amount of these things on hand when one runs an airship, he finds, also jetpacks are awesome. The Don kept close contact with them via radio, of course. "Alright boys, standard search and destroy I think--err, Search and Rescue, scratch that last one--looks like someone's already gotten their attention now, in fact," the alarms were going off already, whoops. Zerum and Vex would suddenly find they were having some company join them... a bunch of blue and red armored modernized soldiers come trooping around to the broken portion of the wall, peering at the two through high-tech goggles. A few have a few... personalizations to their armor, the 'LOVE' tattoo with the arrow through it that the don so proudly bears, though a few of theirs have a sword or a dagger going through the heart rather than a cupid-esque arrow, ouch.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' "Casualties incurred may decrease the potential work pool for the nearby Montressor Spaceport, thereby decreasing the overall maintenance of the Hallowed Space-Faring Vehicles within. This may lead to an increase of five-point-seven degrees of the Holy Spirits within to become most wroth, thereby ceasing to perform their Most Logical and Divine Function." Explains Vex as though this were obvious. The woman is, by all account, weird, and likely missing a few screws somewhere in her head. Perhaps literally. Even as she's speaking, as the guards arrive, she peers at them from beneath her cowel. That rifle of hers fires off two shots before the lead guard is even done speaking. Another metal arm snakes out from her robes, fiddling with her grenade launcher as she provides covering fire, attempting to keep the men before her pinned down.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "What the--?" "Hey! My firearm is-" "Damn it! Another magic slinging freak! Fall back! Fall back and-gah!" Those were the various exclamations made as Zerum exerted his power over metal, whipping the weapons from the hands of some of the guards, finding themselves assaulted by their own weapons. A few escaped the catastrophe of Vex and Zerum. Three exactly. They managed to avoid being struck by their pistols or taken out by Vex by some miracle, and doubled back into the facility, producing radios from their belts. "All personnel, we've engaged with two elf-types, plus a band of unknown soldiers! They've got some kind of strange magic! Metallic weapons are useless! I repeat-" The other guard running nodded to one of his two companions. "You warn the others and form a counter strategy! I'm heading to the prisoner! And you fall back and hold the line! Backup will be here soon! Godspeed!" A nod, and then the three of them broke off in different directions. Ready to fulfill their missions even if it meant the end of them. MEANWHILE The Director arched a brow as Alise adjusted her glasses. "Game? Who are you to say that this is a ga-WHA!" The table flip obscured his vision, and then a fist came crashing through, sending him flying back. He must have been level one because that took him out immediately. The guards that were with him each looked at each other, and then at Alise. If the director were a more honorable man, they may have moved to stop the Turk, but now? ...They thought it better to let the man sleep. Right now, they were more worried about their comrades. The red tape could wait till later. And so they took off, listening to their radios and following the flow of information given. MEANWHILE. "...Oh my." Rhiannon mumbled, having obviously heard all the commotion by this point. "Having trouble out there?" She asked casually at the guard who was on duty. Said guard grit his teeth at the radio contact and narrowed his eyes. "Shut your mouth, you witch." He grumbled, tucking his nightstick away and producing a machinegun that was slung onto his back. "Damn it. Figures this <GOOSEHONK> would happen the moment we bring in someone like you." Other guards were turning up now, taking position and discussing strategy. "That damn rabbit had to have seen this <GOOSEHONK> coming..."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. Mercade Alexander is out and about, working his way through Traverse Town for a specific reason: Chita told him that Rhiannon was captured. Mercade was planning on going to viit her. And that's when he hears the explosions and gunfire. Mercade tips his hat, looking under the brim as he sees the chaos begin to unfold. "Huh." He says. "Wow, that's a lot of visitors tonight." Merccade walks up past the fleeing people, and stands behind Vex and Zerum. "Hi guys." Mercade drawls pleasantly. "I know you both want to get in fast, but cutting the line and committing excessive violence like this just isn't polite. Now, I'm going to have to ask you guys to get back in line and stop lowing up the prison." Mercade looks relaxed and unsuspecting to the untrained observer. His posture, however, is loose, prepared to move at any time. Because he's pretty sure he's going to have to.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr steps out from behind the guards. "Gentlemen, you are a bit out of your league here. Step back and allow me." He says towards the guards, "Try sealing the parameter, in case they get by me." he say, calmly and raises a hand up, in the face of people coming to break out a prisoner...one that NEEDS to die, or at least stay in a box for the rest of her unnatural life, Angantyr would give surprisingly discounted rates. A keyblade forms, a silver weapon with dark vine-like pieces wrapping around the silver. The Tyrant Breaker, as it is called, as it points towards Vex, Zerum, and assorted company. "You heard the man, I'm here to show you the door."

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' When he's joined by the SOLDIERs, Zerum peers over at Don's troops, suspecting that they're on the premises as a means of securing Rhiannon from her captors, which already causes him to feel comforted.... better odds, he ponders inwardly, though not dubious in the slightest that he'd've had the tenacity to attempt this on his own. Always one to debate an argument coming his way, he looked sidelong at Vex, "That sounds fairly indistinct. Indirectly related, co-arising interdependent phenomena are highly difficult to calculate, especially when they are obscurred by the fact that you don't have specs on /who/ we could be killing." He frowns, "....Logical and Divine function of the spaceport? Now you're just exposing your affection for engineering institutions." He sighs, and shoots a glare at one of the sirens emitting volumous noise, causing it to explode, before he turns his attention back to Vex, "Let's continue this discussion another time. The air is becoming thick in here.... to quote the proverb often used by the populace...." Speaking of thickness, and density, he points to another wall, indicating that he yearns for Vex to destabilize it, so that he can finish the job, thereby granting them access to more rooms in the building. He knew where Rhiannon was, but getting there would take some doing. If he had to go to upper or lower levels, that would've been easy enough, as well; he and Vex would puncture a floor/ceiling, then he'd magnetize the both of them to arise or descend to the appropriate level.... Yet, before he can reach any of the other floors, he's solicited by Mercade, who starts making requests, "Excessive violence? Don't speak nonsense. I was out for a stroll, and it just so happened that this wall was blocking my trajectory. When I rearranged it a little bit, people started threatening me and telling me to stop my procession. I dislike being given commands." Promptly, he looks at Vex, "Give him our business card, and let him submit a complaint to our agent..... or do whatever else you can think of to dismiss him, if you please." It's at this point that Angantyr appears with a rather intimidating weapon in his hand, and Zerum Valos narrows his eyes a bit, "Show me to Rhiannon's door, and we'll have no issues." But.... as a precautionary measure, he conjures up a strange magical force which grants him added protection from incoming attacks, yet.... he takes no offensive action! ....So far.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' The ShinSec allow the prison guards to pass for the moment and Alise doesn't bother ordering otherwise. They aren't here to destroy this group and killing people pointlessly isn't her style, regardless of how ruthless her superiors may expect her to be. So long as the mission is accomplished she has a great deal of leniency as to the methods thanks to being a Turk. After checking to make sure the Director is alive, the woman motions to her escorts and they both nod at once before darting into the hallway. She waits a few seconds and then follows after them, instinctively heading in the direction that will take them to the lower levels of the prison. She's studied the map they bought from someone on the inside well enough to know it mostly by memory but all the same she calls it up on her phone, glancing at the screen every so often to ensure they keep on the right path. Fortunately, most of the guards have been called off to deal with the incursion but it's only a matter of time before someone notices them. Rhiannon's cell isn't likely to be lightly guarded either since it's pretty obvious to anyone she's the main target of this jailbreak.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' "Okay, looks like there are some others there, also possibly some other people with guns--maybe the TURKS came to bust her out," Corneo is busy in communication with his lead soldier, one of the 2nd classers with red gear. He's actually watching all of the action from his zeppelin via a shoulder-mounted camera and can pretty much see whatever they see, not just speak via radio. "Now we don't want to let too many of these guys out so don't wreck the place," he cautions, tapping a finger against his desk as he watched the show. "I bet they're not expecting something like us though boys, so lets do this," and with that the Corneo henchmen are getting to work, readying smoke canisters and priming themselves to go in like some kind of SWAT unit. Their target? Well a lady of course, why else would Don be here? There would be the THUNK'ing of metal containers and gas would suddenly be pouring out from several grenades thrown the prison guards way, punctuated by some random bursts of machine gun fire. Or maybe those were just stun rounds? Possibly. Of course, if the prison guards had guns too, fine--the SOLDIER unit Corneo employed also had a few toys of it's own. The team doesn't seem to notice Mercade at first, however they do notice Angantyr. "Can't let you do that, sta--woah, look at that big fellow there, be on guard boys," the Don frowns as he saw the somewhat bad quality video through on his end, suddenly feeling like he and his team had their work cut out for them here. "Welp, make him not a problem I guess," he shrugs and gives the order.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Who are-" A pause as one of the guards sized up Angantyr, and then looked off towards the intruders. Well, technically, this one was an intruder as well, but if he said he was going to help...Who was he to refuse? A quick nod was given. "Right. You do whatever it is you do. I'm calling a sealing of the perimeter, but it's going to take some time! If you're going to help, buy me that time!" With the demand given, the remaining guard fell back out of the combat zone, radio to his ear. "I need an update! Where is that Shinra correspondant? Has she left the building?" ... "What do you mean she took out the director and ran off? Damn it! This is NOT the time!" He cursed his fate as he yelled into the radio. "Any available hands, I need you to search the building for that woman! She is NOT to be left at large! We will lose OUR heads if the prisoner is taken! Now go! Go!" It would seem the security forces have their hands full. Crap was hitting the fan faster than the blades could turn. This was going to be a PR nightmare for sure. MEANWHILE A lone guard rushed through the hallway, talking into his radio quickly, taking and given information on the situation. "Yes! I'm on the second floor, on my way to the third! I plan to rendevous with the protection team and-huh?" He slid to a stop as he spotted Alise and her Shinsec guards...all alone and at large apparently. "...You! Right there! Hold it!" He demanded, training his rifle at the Turk and her company. "Where is the director and why are you still here? Answer me! Now!" He was prepared to fire.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Vex turns to the group that's led by the Don. She gazes at them momentarily, before turning away. They might be allies, but right now? She has guards to deal with. "...Agreed. We shall continue this later." Agrees the woman with her fellow elf, before her attention is split by mercade. Luckily, it seems it's time to reload her rifle, one of her appendages fiddling. The warnings of the guards hardly seem to phase her. "Incorrect. Current levels of lethality are below the maximum threshold of eighty-seven-point-three-five percent mortality." Her appendages cease fiddling, as grenades are changed out, and ammo is reloaded. Her rifle is trained on Mercade, but doesn't yet fire. That grenade launcher, however, lets out a loud 'plunk!' sound as it fires a grenade. "...Calculating...current level of operation efficiency and building damage still below acceptable maximums. Awaiting further parameters."

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise spots the straggling guard first, her eyes snapping sideways a moment before her head turns. She doesn't answer the man because there's no time to waste on small fry like this. For all she knows, this group is prepared to execute their prisoner in case of an event such as this. She needs to get down to the scientist immediately. The Turk reaches up and grabs one of the small spherical bulbs dangling from her ears, tossing the flashbang disguised as an earring into the middle of the hall between them. She closes her eyes for a few moments and presses up against the wall to avoid any errant panic fire from the guard but once the bright flare snaps off she takes action. Tearing down the hallway at a dead run, Alise closes the distance in a few short breaths and launches into a series of basic but brutal CQC maneuvers, smashing her heel into the man's ankle and then twisting his arm behind his back to relieve him of the gun he carries.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Alise would find that this one was no run of the mill soldier. He had skills. Skills and moves. And moves and skills. "What the-HEY!" He blinked quickly to clear away the flash, but then reflexively dodged the combo of brutal attacks that otherwiser would have incapacitated him otherwise. Weaving in and out between blows like a veteran. He was no mook apparently. "I'm warning you! Back down!" He growled, his rifle turned aside, but not disarmed completely. He spun with the momentum of the attempted disarmament, leading into a roundhouse kick toward's the Turk's head. And then followed it up by leaping back and creating distance. "You are in contempt of the law! What reason do you have to assist a criminal!? Are you mad!?" He demanded, setting a cartridge into his rifle and aiming it. "I won't warn you again! Fall back!" Then a volley of shots were fired. ...Rubber bullets. Warning shots in other words MEANWHILE Walls were being destroyed, grenades were detonating...it was chaos. And the troops were doing all they could to keep it from spilling further into the facility. The emergency perimeter lock hadn't engaged yet....yet. But soon enough, it would. Ang and Mercade just needed to buy that time. But who knew what would happen? MEANWHILE "...Are you sure you have things handled out there?" Rhiannon asked casually, an amused smile on her face as she watched the guards pacing and discussing outside her cell. She was ignored in favor of bigger problems. "How is the engagement near the entrance? We have backup? Good! Make sure they hold the line! I have reports that the Shinra correspondant is being engaged as well! Don't lose our positions! We need to keep her here at all costs!" The stakes were increasing.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Alright, it seems that intimidation doesn't work. Never does." Angantyr says, and then just...MOVES with fluidity that is just wrong for someone his size. He is fast, and brutal, as he swings the blade down right towards the first of the Don's Men, aiming to hit him with enough force to crack bones, before he steps forward again, swinging. "The name is Angantyr Vespar. Mark it well, because I'm going to ingrain the name into your pathetic souls." he says, once more with the fierce exterior, maybe they'll be smart and run away, preventing this from going on any farther. Darkness starts surrounding the dark knight, as he starts focusing his power from the darkness between the stars...to here.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Well. Isn't this a mess. A figure watches the proceedings from nearby. Someone obviously not from around here. A tricorn hat, pirate's coat, the smirking face and the twitching cat's ears marks this figure as a pirate captain familiar to some. A dagger in one hand is casually thrown up in the air to catch as he regards the mess that people are making of a jailbreak. The man sighs quietly to himself. "No appriciation for art anymore. They just blow a hole in the wall. Tragic really, its like they are asking for a fight." He seems to shrug slightly, peering down from the roof of a nearby building. He tilts back his head and takes a long pull on the flask that seems to have appeared in his hand by magic, then dissipear just as fast. "Might as well join them." He leaps right off the building without hesitation in the least. What comes with him is a little solar sailboard. Surfing down on gravity waves alone as he cuts as gold-tinged path towards the chaos. At the last second he leaps off the sailor and the compact little craft crashes into the side of the hole that Vex and Zerum just made. Accidently widening it. Possibily making them nervous. The cat-captain rolls to his feet, hands on the hilts of his swords and a wide grin slashed across his feline features. "I hope no one minds if I cut in?"

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Not expecting such a display of skill from what she assumed was an ordinary guard, Alise is momentarily caught aback by his swift recovery. She leans back in time to avoid the roundhouse but the rubber bullets are sprayed in a wide enough cone that there's no hope of avoiding them all. Throwing her arm up to protect her head, the Turk ducks long enough to recover her balance and then rushes directly into the hail of gunfire. Even if they were actual bullets, the suits that Turks wear are more than just stylish, they double as protective gear. Not that she'd be so eager to dive in head first if that was read lead flying her way. "Sorry, but I have a job to do!" Alise's leg snaps up as the last couple inches between them vanish, attempting to smash the gun aside with a hard kick. She follows through seemlessly, flowing into a straight punch into the guard's side. A small flick of her wrist triggers a slender blade hidden inside of her sleeve and springs outwards like a pilebunker then just as quickly retracts. She doesn't have time to play nice with this one.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' More assurance that providence was smiling at him for the moment, Zerum had every reason to believe that his 'allies' were competent, given some of the weapons they were employing. The drow himself hadn't been involved in too many jailbreaks, but he judged that gaining experience was a helpful tool, if it didn't revolve around losing his life. Sizing up Angantyr, the armored drow decides that the man's grip on the silver blade was tight enough that it would require too much focus to try ripping the thing from his hands, plus, he wouldn't be able to take the large fellow by surprise with that trick, since it had been displayed when dealing with the troops.... This would mean that Lord Valos couldn't take the path of least resistance. Demolishing a wall should have been the first clue that labor would be involved in the entire affair, but when Warden decides to join the fray, Zerum circles around towards him, instead, since he's only carrying a dagger. Casting yet another barrier around himself, he follows up by levitating so that he's a foot above the ground, and he begins his interrogation, "When you say 'cut in'..... do you actually mean 'cut up'? That thing you're carrying doesn't look primarily designed for ceremonial purposes, I confess...."

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Of course, the Don's men do carry shields as well as machine guns, along with their other gear, and Angantyr's fist would THUD a bit painfully against the first he tried to give a fistign to, the soldier backing up a bit and looking a little surprised. He and the rest of the squad bring their MP5s and other weapons to bear and fire. Hey, they aren't complaining. And so the battle is joined more or less, Don Corneo watching it all intently from the office of his zeppelin, likely a beer clutched in hand as he sits there. "Go for the gold, boys! and by gold I mean the woman. Is she even hot? I should have asked to get a picture or something, damnit."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' That's cute. The Don's men fire things at him, the darts hit, but he brushes off the attack, aiming to swing his fist again. Luckily for them, all he hits is metal. The baton hits, and he hardly feels it, his eyes flare up. "Never is the easy way.." he says, before Warden swings down, boy oh boy...another face he didn't want to see. "What...nevermind, do whatever you want.." Until it interferes with his goals, then it'll likely come to blows. Angantyr swings the weapon around again, this time darkness trails off of it...as if the weapon itself is cutting the air and giving you a vision of the abyss beyond the light. Angantyr swings a fist, aiming to rip a shield off, before he drives the blade forward, aiming to shatter the defenses of the men.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' This is entirely too messy. Mercade frowns at the responses from Zerum. "Please don't assume I'm an idiot, sir. Though if you are here for Rhiannon, I am afraid that I will have to deny you entrance." Mercade then hears Vex, and frowns. "Are you serious? No wait, of course you are." He sighs. "All right, I guess we'll have to solve this the other way." Mercade says, tensing... As Warden drops in. "Wha..." He blinks. "Hey, aren't you..." He pauses. All he remembers is 'the guy Avira is always complaining about.' "Um... That guy Avira is always complaining about?" Oh well, may as well. "I think that entirely depends on who you're planning on cutting, though." Mercade thrusts his hand out, opening his Heart. "I know what I have to do, however." There is an explosion of Light as he draws out his Keyblade, the weapon a bold, ornate brassy design, with a star-like eye in the keyhead. "Please leave." Mercade says to Zerum and Vex. "I insist. I won't be letting you kill anyone else." He lashes out with the Twilight Seeker Keyblade, a whiplike lash of light striking out towards Vex and attempting to encircle them, before Mercade pulls back, cleaving across with an arc of multicolored light that cuts through the air in a wave before he spins, lunging at Vex with an explosive blast of erasing energy.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Gnh!" The soldier's gun was knocked aside, that time, but he didn't pay it any further mind. The battle was still on. The blade however caught him off guard. What? Fighting secret agents isn't part of his job description! So the hidden blade managed to puncture his protective gear, the point stabbing into his side just slightly. "...Ugh, poison? You have no honor!" He growled, stumbling back for a second before suddenly lurching forward. He ducked low, lashing out with a combination of punches before ending in an elbow thrust to push the woman away. Whether or not that succeeded, he would leap back to create more distance, pulling out another firearm that was slung behind him. Some manner of shotgun. "Fine! If you want to stand against the law, then I'll be your opponent!" He then took aim and fired. But what was fired was more than just a standard shotgun spray, it was augmented with some manner of magic light. This soldier was definitely not a mook. MEANWHILE "Achoo!" Sniffling, Rhiannon looked about curiously for a second. "...I feel like someone is talking about me. The rotund, strange variety too." How specific. "Quiet in there!" One of the guards yelled back into her cel before resuming his vigil. "...They'd better not get through. We have enough trouble already..." He grasped his radio with one hand tightly, hoping for SOME good news. Anything!

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' "Alright, darts are in, that should slow him down, fire, fire!" Don is sort of an arm chair general in a few regards, well, he definitely seems like the type that might be into RTS games, however in this case the game is for real. The darts inject Angantyr with some kind of toxic sedative, likely designed to subdue rather than kill. The followup by the stun baton here and there is likewise, though thanks to how the Dark Knight is up so close, they might be finding it better to respond with more persuasive force. The second punching lands directly on one of the Soldier's and he's pushed back, his comrades are there waiting to back him up, however, guns blazin'.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' The shotgun blast catches Alise square in the chest at short range, literall lifting her off her feet and sending her sprawling in the corridor. She lies on the ground for a moment or two, wincing at the pain but none of the shot managed to penetrate. That bruise is going to be a nasty one in the morning though. Seeing that their commander is struggling, the two ShinSec bring their own firearms to bear and open up on the prison guard with a few controlled bursts of automatic fire. The Turk remains prone to avoid any friendly fire accidents but a quick motion from her causes the soldiers to fall back behind cover. Alise flips to her feet nimbly despite the injury and levels a punch at the side of the guard's head, followed by another to his torso that causes a small explosion of raw force. "Honor is a luxury of those with strength. Unfortunately, I am a weak woman and all I care about are results."

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Cut in my friend! Dancing term. Just me being polite asking if you don't mind me joining this little fight." Warden's voice is cheerful as the magie levitates up into the sky. His grin only grows before he taps his heel on the ground. His boots light up, the tech on them humming as he flots into the air as well. The pirate seems to stand on air just as well as on solid ground. Casually almost he grins towards Zerum. "Oh these? No no. Not ceremonial..." He pats the hilts of the pair of sabres at his side. "Pirate's don't usually carry ceremonial weapons. I'm just here because of the entire mess you've made of this jailbreak. It offends my sensibilities!" A glance is cast first towards Aug and then Mercade. "Ah! Lord Idiot is here! That explains the explosions!" He adds cheerfullly before Mercade gets his attention. "...Avira is always complaining abou---OH! Are you Lord Puppy?" A pause. "You must be! Warden Thache, a pleasure on meeting you." A pause. "Shouldn't you be with your lady friend, since she /did/ turn herself into a popsicle recently?" His eyes twinkle however as he shrugs. "And no, I'm not planning on cutting you today!" Today being the operative word. Its hard to tell just what the murcurial pirate is planning. His gaze retursn to Zerum. "I'm afraid however I was paid to be here. So...if you object, well please. Feel free to go ahead and do so!" The pirate still doesn't draw his weapons or attack, just content to sit there and chat for the moment it seems. MEANWHILE... "How did the cap'n talk me into this..." mutters a little racoon. One with a small satchel and a pirate's bandana wrapped around his head. One with a little skull and crossbones embrodered on it. "Oh Spooks, it'll be easy! Just crawl in though the vents. See how the doctor is doing. No difficulties at all!" He drags himself though the vents in question, covered in spider webs and with an annoyed look on his face. "He gets this job next time!!" The racoon continues to grumble as he shuffles his way to the vent as near as he could manage to Rhiannon's cell.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr swings the weapon with purpose, darts aim for him again, but this time the blade cuts through them, sending them landing harmlessly on the ground. A Baton strikes him on the chest...but the armor protects him from it, and he looks down at the soldier, not to be confused with SOLDIER. He swings again, both hands on the keyblade as darkness trails behind it like a hungry beast. Then he steps forward, once more aiming to swing his hand out to tear through the shield that the men might have, and swings the blade upwards, aiming to bounce them into the walls for DOUBLE DAMAGE... Oh wait, wrong system. Uh... damn it's been years sense I played FF7..

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' When Mercade frowns at Zerum's response, the drow tosses another morsel his way, "I said I was out for a stroll. I did /NOT/ clarify upon where my eventual destination would be, did I? But you are correct in /YOUR/ assumptions; I am interested in finding Rhiannon. I'd rather you take this up with my assistant, on the other hand, seeing I'm preoccupied at this instant...", which was Vex, obviously. Conveniently enough, Mercade does just that, leaving Zerum to his devices, as well as those of Warden, for the time being. The momentary flash of light does force Lord Valos to shield his eyes a little, since like sound, high-intensity illumination was uncomfortable for a creature whose very race evolved in the darkest of the depths, despite the fact that miraculously, he wasn't as blind as many organisms that dwelt in the deeper places of the world. Cats, being noctural predators, probably knew something of the art of crawling around in the dark, so perchance it was that Zer would have preferential odds facing him, versus the man who pulls keyblades out of his chest. But.... would aggressive activities between them ever actually erupt? It seemed apparent the two were going to duel with verbiage rather than scuffle, on account of neither taking action against the other. Zerum does take the opportunity to invoke a curative(of sorts) spell on himself, besides his subordinate, in the meantime, since Warden has refrained from administering any blows, "I won't object to your presence if you don't interfere with my progression. You see these folks over here...., and here....?" He points to Angantyr, Mercade, Vex, and Don Corneo's guards, "They're all distracted with one another, because the mechanics of the universe are such that they aren't able to do more than one task at a time, it seems. That frees me up to pierce this facility while they are busy. So you can either stand in my way, or you can allow me to go liberate Miss Rhiannon. Do you copy?" And, just as he promised, he starts moving inwards, unless Warden objects in some mode that consists of something more substantial than vocalizations.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Actually, the soldiers here totally were former SOLDIER, at least before the unit went rogue. As for the Dark Knight, he's proving to be something of a problem, several of the unit getting wounded in while their shields are punctured by his attack. Responding in kind, severa lf the soldiers seem to be girding them for a rushing attack on him, using their numbers and trying to flank him. It would seem to be devolving into a kind of a brawl by now, but one against so many! Can he hold out folks??

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Tch!" The Prison guard cursed inwardly, falling back to avoid to support fire from the troops behind Alise. Some of the rounds grazed his body as he moved to get out of the way of the firing zone. But that action set him up perfectly for the Turk's follow up attack. "Gah!" The combination of blows sent the man toppling to the ground, but he tucked into a roll and recovered, retreating behind cover. "Fitting words for one dressed like you! Are you a spy?" The question was given a chance to be answered as he moved out of cover, strafing and firing several bursts of shotgun ammo before closing the distance and aiming a gun butt to her chest. "Stand down already! The prisoner is not worth it!" MEANWHILE "Hrm?" Rhia mumbled, choosing not to antagonize the troops this time. Instead, her attention was drawn to a grate above, leading into the ventilation shafts. She could have sworn she heard a noise... "...?" And a tilt of her head followed. She was restrained rather dramatically by the magic siphoning device the room was outfitted with, so movement was minimal. She didn't call out, lest it actually turn out that someone was there.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' The coweled woman seems to just /stare/ at Mercade for a few moments. Her limbs bob and shift flexibly. She may well seem to be confused, before simply nodding. "Correct. You will not cease the operation of this mission." She says bluntly enough as Zerum works his magic. Her weapon never quite seems to cease being pointed at merchade. The elf-woman even starts to stride forward towards the facility...up until the point that Mercade launches a keyblade-generated blast of energy her way. It hits her straight in the chest, sending her flying into a wall. She collides with a heavy metallic thunk, collapsing to the ground. Her robes, however, prove resilient. At least there's a little blood leaking from her sleeves now. The fall seems to have knocked her rifle slightly crooked, and it fires uselessly into the ground. The grenade launcher, however, works just fine. Plunk! A fragmentation grenade goes flying towards Mercade. "Continued resistance shall result in a thirty-point-eight percent increased chance in mortality, and a ninety-seven percent chance increase of bodily injury." She helpfully informs Mercade in a slightly monotone voice.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Tempting, tempting..." Warden singsongs to Zerum's offer. The cat taps a fingertip against his thigh as he seems to contemplate things. "Oh I copy well enough. I just am bad at following orders is all...so..." His arm snaps out to the side and what seems to be animated rope made of some kind of glowing golden energy unspools. It whips towards Zerum intending to tangle him up. A way of objecting at least. Even it doesn't employ guns. "I'm affraid I'd going to have to insist you stick around and entertain me for at least a few more minuites!" MEANWHILE!! Rhia might be able to see a pair of glowing eyes, and the switching nose of a sentiant racoon peering down at her though the grate. Spooks raises one claw to his lips in the universal sign for silence as he works around to try to get a good view of her guards. Making sure they arn't looking his way as he starts to remove the grate.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' "I'm a Turk," Alise answers honestly without a hint of sarcasm. "The details of the job vary." The shotgun proves marvelously effective at giving the quick-moving woman no where to go in the confined spaces of the hall and she's forced to take the brunt of another pair of blasts as the guard rushes her again. Looks like she's going to have to switch tactics here. The butt of the shotgun smashes squarely into Alise's chest but rather than fall away she bends and rolls with the strike, allowing the majority of the force to deflect away to the side. It's still painful but pain isn't important right now. The Turk reaches out to grab ahold of the weapon and hold it against her body, hoping to keep her opponent from taking another shot at such close range.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Punches and kicks beat into the body of Angantyr, he weathers the storm like the Dark Knight that he is, manuevering into another brutal blow, aiming to tear through more of their armor. Even as they flank him, he just accepts the blows and steps forward. His eyes flare, before, he aims to grab the nearest of the Don's men. "Alright, enough play time!" he says, aiming to litterally drag the man into the air. Darkness pools around him, the blood of those who spilt it this fight pools around him...before claws tear through the ground, aiming to litterally tear and scrape at the SOLDIERs fighting him, aiming to toss the whole lot into the ground infront of Angantyr... "Tyrant..." he starts, the sword starting to glow brilliantly, before he thrusts it forward, a brilliant light aiming to fill the hallway, aiming to tear through the Don's men, aiming to blast them right out of the facility... "BREAKER!"

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' As Warden considers Zerum's proposition, the drow is already weaving through the masses with his levitation skill, believing that there may be a chance that the feline fellow is finished with debating, and planning to leave, but the dark elf is in no such luck, for a cord launches outwards at him, seeking to coil about his person, and detain him temporarily. One arm and one leg become ensnared by the strange tendril, causing him to desist for a few moments so that he can rip free of the things, but his leg stays a little more tangled, so he doesn't immediately relieve himself of those constraints. Retaliation is swift, and Lord Valos draws his blade from its holster in a singular motion, while releasing an onslaught of incisors of purely congealed darkness in Warden's direction, deciding to dispense with words, until further notice.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' There are howling screams as one of the soldiers seems to be /torn apart/ in a red mist as the rest of the unit are thrown back. "Hey, what am I paying you guys for!? Getup and fight, already!" Don slams his fist down against the table, rocking the display and sending his beer toppling over and running out onto the carpet. Damnit, that would need to be wet-vacuumed out. "Alright, if you can't take the heat then get out," he says with a sigh, hand covering his mouth as the order goes out for the Don's men to retreat.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The gambit worked well enough. The guard was kept close at hand this time, attempting to wrench his shotgun away from Alise. Seems he valued that gun more than his rifle, which he'd discarded nearby earlier. "You're a tough one, 'Turk'. I'll remember that name when this is over!" He stated, meeting the woman's eyes in their deadlock. "Are you so confident in your job and your company that you'd break the law for them?" He growled angrily at her. "I won't have it! That Zellen woman needs to be executed! Her crimes are too great for there to be any chance of redemption in this world!" He felt strongly about that. Maybe it was personal. Regardless, he didn't have the chance to attack due to struggling to get his firearm away from Alise. MEANWHILE Rhia blinked slowly, staring up at the pair of eyes in the vent. Well, this was new. But then, she had a hunch that this sort of thing could happen. They were so busy fortifying their magic defenses, that they neglected their material defensive protocols. Silly. She lowered her gaze back to the guards in the meantime, as if she'd seen nothing at all. They were all standing tensely in the hall, lined up on either side of her cell. ...There was a window between them and in front of Rhiannon's cell. ...Maybe. Just maybe. MEANWHILE Another grating alarm sounded off across the entire facility as the emergency perimeter sealing gates had apparently been activated. Steel walls slowly began to lower, cutting off various corridors...

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr doesn't stop their retreat. They should have done it sooner. He looks at the really mauled guy, and sighs, throwing a potion on him. Maybe he'll stablize and maybe the guards will bring him to a white mage and then shove him into a box for attacking a prison. He's at least tried. And then Angantyr focuses his power again, drawing it into himself. "NEXT?!" He calls out towards the other two.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise's stony stoic expression finally breaks as she gives the guard a light smirk in reply. "You keep going on about 'the law'. Haven't you realized that your laws don't apply to the entire world? As a citizen of Midgar, Doctor Zellen's ultimate fate is our business. You're the ones taking justice into your own hands." She twists suddenly, snapping the gun in her hands hard to the side to try and dislodge it from the man's grip with an old CQC trick. As before, she flows quickly from strike to strike, immediately wheeling around to plant the heel of her expensive leather dresshoes into his solar plexus to try and knock the wind out of him, followed by yet another bone-shattering punch to drive him into the floor.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Magic and blades arc towards the pirate and the man just smiles shortly towards the predicted responce. Warden kicks off thin air to leap towards the drow mage, the daggers and darkness /just/ missing him. Darkness tugs on the edge of his coat but finds no purchace on the man himself. He dashes forwards his ears back and a fierce light in his eyes to pass close by on Zerum's left side. Close enough to speak at least. Close enough to rake at the drow with a neon purple claw that seems to almost explode into existance and form around his left hand. Obviously something Grid based. MEANWHILE! Spooks carefully unscrews the grate, his eyes on the little window and the guards. He waits. Waits. Waits till no one is looking before dropping into the room. Using the limited field of view and the good Doctor's restraints as cover he crawls up to try to find how to pick apart her magic sapping prison. Clever paws have skill with locks, but he isn't sure how this one is put together. Him and his bag of tricks might be able to figure something out. He's like an evil Felix. "...evenin' love," The racoon mutters quietly. "Gimme a jiffy and I'll see if I can have you out. Cap'n is causin' a ruckus up above."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade grimaces as Vex replies to him, and he narrows his eyes as he hears the thoomp of the grenade at his feet. Mercade's eyes widen and he vanishes in a detonation, a bright flash radiating out as he is engulfed in fire and smoke. And then Mercade launches himself forwards out of the smoke, hexagonal barriers vanishing around him as he throws his singed and wounded body out of the explosion. "NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!" Mercade yells back, raising his Keyblade as he swings his Keyblade around, firing a spray of gleaming particles across the area. He lands, turning and slamming forward to swing hard with the Keyblade, flashing downwards and hitting a ground and trying to launch Vex with what leverage he can muster. A moment later, Mercade lashes out with another lasso, trying to pull Vex out of the air and slamming her towards the ground.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' With his knee bent inwards, tucked against his buttocks, Zerum was unbalanced, and was certainly displeased with his capability. Electing to wholly shear off the ropes that were constricting his lower appendage to his thigh, the dark elf swipes at the coils, dispatching them neatly, so that he can tend to his enemy with a little bit of dignity, as any nobleman would surely wish. When Warden speaks to him, he growls, as though agitated by something his accoster relayed, though whatever it was, is very well anybody's guess. Following this, the violet-pigmented talon bursts after slashing at Valos, causing him to wince in anguish, eyes shutting halfway, but he doesn't yelp; probably because habitually-speaking, adding to cacophony only made things more painful, and he'd trained himself not to make a lot of sound even if he still very much expresses pain in a visual medium.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' His eyes narrowed at Alise's words. "So you're saying Midgar would pardon this woman for her crimes? Is that it!?" That smirk somehow really annoyed him. He was losing his cool! But no, he needed to calm down. He was soldier, the mission was of utmost importance, not his feelings. Alise successfully got the gun out of his grasp. The following blow left his breathless, and then the next sent him tumbling to the floor. "Guh..." A deep sigh, and then he stood. This one was stubborn. "Whatever the case may be, she is in our lands and will adhere to our laws. I've been ordered to keep her here. And here is where she's staying." That was uttered calmly, and then he dashed forward, launching into an array of brutal, but efficient CQC manuevers. A series of punches to test her guard, a kick from the direction she wasn't favoring, and then an uppercut to the chin in an attempt to send the Turk flying. MEANWHILE Spooks would find that there were keyholes on both cylindrical shackles. They were apparently both made up of two halves locked together in place. It could probably be picked open. ...Maybe. "...Well, you're a new one." Rhia muttered quietly, arching a brow at Spooks. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure." A small smile. The mention of captain set the cogs in her head turning and soon. "...Oh, that man." Warden. Well, she was expecting Shinra. But a pirate would do.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Gleaming lights slams down upon Vex, but the elf-woman takes the blow nearly without complaint. Thunk-thunk-sizzle of burning metal...and eventually flesh would reach Mercade. Blood pours...and blackish ooze. It may well smell of oil. Unlike the last, however, she doesn't seem adversely effected. The slamming keyblade, however, is met with the butt of her rifle. Mechanical arm and gun alike bend against its power, but then holds. Unwilling to use a grenade launcher so close, she instead deploys her manipulator arm. What appears to be a thin claw on the end opens, and then quite simply reaches for Mercade's neck. Should she grab, she'll attempt to strangle the man with her mechanical arm, lifting him up into the air. Her broken rifle fires off randomly. It could very well accidentally hit the man, so wild and sparking is its associated arm!

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden's usual tatics were to /not/ leave his opponents with any dignity. However the cat was being...a cat. He was playing with his food today. There is a touch of a smile at the annoyance in Zerum's face. He delights in annoying nobles. Its in his blood. He can't help himself. The ropes comes back in, trying to tangle up the elf as the captain goes bounding by again. Again that gauntlet flashes in the darkness. The feline moves like his namesake, sure and quick as a hunting cat. This time he lands...well...ends up upside down. On the ceiling. Just stuck there thanks to his boots, one hand holding his hat in place. "We enjoying ourselves yet?" MEANWHILE! "You can call me Spooks. Cap'n sent me," The racoon mutters as he flicks his gaze from the shackles to the door itself. Trying to make sure he's not seen. "Yes. That man. Dunno if someone payed him or he's doing it on a whim, but he's up there doing...something. While I do the work as usual." Clever claws pull out a set of lockpicks. One held in one hand, the other in his mouth. "Giffme a moment." He says around the pick, his voice muffled. "See wha I can do."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr stays on the outside of the prison...if they failed to keep her in, Rhi would have to get out through him. He lets Warden and Mercade handle their fights, though he looks towards Mercade, "You got this?" He asks.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise reacts with practiced and efficient maneuvers of her own, swatting aside the majority of the punches in a flurry of motion that carries the two back and forth as if in some elaborate dance. However, as such things can go, she misreads his movements at the end and the kick slams into her ribcabe, sending a sharp crack through the air. The follow up strike meets no resistance as she doubles over and the woman's head snaps back, sending her glasses flying into the wall where they shatter dramatically into little glass fragments. There is a moment of stunned silence from the two ShinSec guards as it looks like their commander, one of the famed Turks, has been laid low by some punchclock goon. They recover their wits quickly however and raise their weapons at fire again the moment she hits the ground. But that moment never comes. Alise takes a step back to catch herself and lets out a pained grunt. She slowly brings her head back around, sending a searing bolt of lightning through her mind that almost drops her to the floor yet again but she lifts a wrist up to her mouth and bites one of the buttons off, swallowing it whole. A flood of numbness flows through her body only moments later as the disguised painkiller goes to work. It won't last long but it should be enough to keep her in the fight. Alise takes a deep breath and spits, leaving a blood-stained smear on the polished floor. "I don't know what fate lies in store for her. It's not my place to judge. But I've been ordered to bring her back, so that's what I'm going to do." She narrows her eyes, getting a serious expression once again. "This is your last chance to stand aside."

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' The truth was, the pained expression from his sentiments were a deception, because the things he was told were hardly disagreeable, while on the other hand, the cat and mouse game was definitely annoying, even if Lord Valos was still in extremely good health, if not almost in a perfect status. Both of them were exchanging feeble blows that were more for show, because Zerum was too mindful of keeping up appearances, which were perpetually being thwarted by the cat. "Vex. I'm going in. Rendezvous at the designated location, later....." Zerum calls out, as Warden's ropes surge forth and aim to wind him up, only to be severed cleanly by the blade of the dark-knight(the elven one). He was already in the air and zooming through the corridors of the facility by now, and suspected that Warden would be hot on his tail-- whether he reached Rhiannon on not, he was going to put on a good show, and that meant at least getting through a few sectors before making his retreat. The feline may have had no idea that this was what Zerum was doing, however, after a little while, if he didn't come across the good doctor, he'd abandon his quest and bust another hole in some wall somewhere, then flee.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Not happening." The guard replied smoothly, doubling backwards to collection if magic imbued shotgun in the lull of the conflict. This woman was good. Probably better than he was. But he couldn't just give up. "You have your orders and I have mine. Neither of us are going to just back down, are we?" That question needed no answer. "There's only one thing to do here. And that's to complete my mission." That said, the guard aimed his shotgun tentatively, taking a deep breath to focus and feel out the current situation. Those Shinsec could fire at him at any time. And he had no backup. The forces were tied up elsewhere. This was a tricky situation. Time to take a gambit. He dove forward, regardless of Sinsec's actions and released a burst of shotgun fire, and then another, and then as the distance was closed, he took aim once more, aiming point blank at Alise. But instead of shotgun ammo, a ball of electricity formed on the tip of the firearm before blasting outwards in a burst of chain lightning. "I warned you!" MEANWHILE "I see..." Rhia mumbled quietly, nodding to herself. It sounded like what she'd seen of that man so far. If he was paid, she had to wonder who. ...Not that it really mattered. "Well, do as you must." She hardly had room to complain. Odd that the guards outside the cell weren't paying attention to them though. What was happening? "What was that? A path was opened and the intruders are making their way inside?" One of them guards spoke into a radio. "Damn it! We'll keep our positions here! All men, ready your weapons! We're going to offer them a pleasant greeting!" And then a grin from a few of them. "Hope they aren't allergic to bullets! ...Actually, let's hope they are!" And a collective laugh. Morons.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade twists, spinning the Keyblade as he struggles against the rifle. Sparks fly as Mercade is forced backwards. His technique is... not the best. It's clear he's not used to using the weapon even if it is powerful. As the arm comes in, Mercade yells and whips the Keyblade aside, barely knocking it aside to keep it from grappling him. "GAH!" Mercade yells. "Who are you, anyway? Why do you care about Rhiannon?" Mercade says, bringing the Keyblade around to slash repeated crescent waves of multicolored light at the cybernetic being. "And why do you have all of those arms?" He likes questions, okay?

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' "It would seem not," Alise says levelly, her stern glare fading into a blank mask. This is a duel between two professionals. Regardless of her feelings for that snake of a woman, she has been ordered to bring her back and her own personal sense of honor won't let her accept failure so easily. Or perhaps it's just some sort of unhealthy obession, a driving need to fulfill her obligations. Either way, there's no time to think about it now. This time the Turk doesn't even bother to dodge. She holds her ground as the guard rushes her, knowing full well his intentions to use the weapon that's served him best thus far. Alise shields herself from the full brunt of the attack, crossing both arms infront of her body. The durable fabric of her suit blunts the assault somewhat but even through the hazy tingle of her drug-induced numbness she can feel the impacts rattling her bones. As the guard draws within reach, she finally unleashes her own gambit. The lightning arcs into her body but instead of searing her flesh with magical voltage, the crackling bolts merely pass right through her as if she were a ghost. No, even worse than that - the magic flows into her body, spiderwebs of tiny blue bolts crawling across the surface of her skin. "Sorry," she says, as her eyes begin to glow with a dull yellow light. "It's not going to be that easy." Alise lurches forward, bringing her fist into the man's torso fast as greased lightning. The concealed blade snaps out again but this time instead of a single thrust she jams it into his body over and over, pumping the man full of deadly venoms. Her fist draws back a final time and she brings it home with a solid whump that rocks the entire building with kinetic force.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden frowns just slightly as he finds his attacks parried. The pirate tilts his head to one side as Zerum speaks. "...hey now friend, you arn't planning on runnin--" Zerum leaves the magical equivelent of a dustcloud behind him. "...yes. I think he is. Come back here! You can't run in the middle of a fight!" He calls as he gives chase though the halls and corridors of the prison. The glowing gauntlet on his hand shifts form to that of a glowing submachine guns and he sprays gunfire after the fleeing drow. Not /accurate/ gunfire. In fact it seems to put more holes in walls than targets. It looks impressive however, and it keeps attention on him. He'll give chase for quite awhile, and do what he can to put many holes in many walls. MEANWHILE! Spooks continues to work, franticly pulling and pushing on tumblers in an attempt to get the shackles to click open. He's using all the distraction of the guards that he can against them. "So," He adds quietly. "Are you going to be able to handle yourself once I get these open, or am I going to have to try to deal with the guards with cunning and gas grenades?"

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' "The requested information is currently not available. Please fill out form Three-One-A, and submit to the indicated address." Her manipulator arm, as it's knocked away, reaches into her robes. There's a suspiciously printer-like sound, and she pulls out a form. The one-page document is in three point font, and the address is almost microscopic. It's offered rather gently to Mercade. Then, she's hit neatly by the blade, and once more goes flying...straight through a wall. She lands with a thud of metal, and what may actually be a curse. That grenade launcher goes off one final time, making a 'chunk' as her ammo finally runs out. "...Praise the Machine. Blessed Ammo remaining: eighteen incendiary rifle rounds. Zero fragmentation grenades. One white phosphorous grenade."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Alise somehow managed to survive the assault, which drew surprise out of the soldier. Even more when his lightning charged gambit was turned against him apparently. The counter attack came in full force, finally taking the resilient guard down. He laid upon the floor, bleeding with several puncture wounds and poisons flowing through his body. "....." Silence as he weakly lifted his communications radio. "...M-Mission failed...Shinra...Correspondant...incoming...." And with that, he let his arm fall, eyes closing. Was he dead? ...Nope. He breathing was there. If only slight. A medical team would get to him perhaps. And with that, Alise was free to move onward. MEANWHILE Rhia remained quiet from then on, till the bonds were finally undone. With a faint click, and a whirr of steam, the halves separated, finally freeing her arms. With those out of the way, she stood, rubbing her wrists. "Hrm?" Spooks was given a brief look at the question. "Well, my magic has been drained. I have some physical prowess, but I am not fully up to form." A smile followed that. "Therefore, I will leave things in your capable hands no doubt, but I can assist as necessary." A stare towards the cell door. "Shall we then?" Not even a thank you.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise stares at the fallen body of her opponent with something akin to respect. But she doesn't have time to make sure he lives, she's already running on borrowed time. When those pain killers wear off... well, she'll keep going but it's not going to be pleasant. Then again, her work rarely can be described as such. Cleaning up after a corrupt government's dirty little secrets isn't the sort of thing most children dream about when they're sorting out what to do with their adult lives. Unfortunately, the guard's final transmission means that there will be more people waiting for her, assuming the interlopers from outside haven't dealt with them yet. She motions to the ShinSec, who finally stop gaping at what they just witnessed and rush ahead to clear the way for her. Alise follows them at a steady pace, trying to keep her heart rate low so the medicine will last longer.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks at the papers handed to him with a blink. He pulls out a magnifying glass, letting the Keyblade hang in the air next to him as he zooms in. "What, are you kidding? I can't even follow the jargon in this. What kind of hellhole did you design this form in?" He is answered with grenade. Mercade is sent flying, the forms smouldering as they flutter through the air and he hits the ground hard. The Keyblade flashes, the Detective having grabbed it in his passage as he flicks it at the rifle, sending several bullets flying out of the weapon's magazine. "I can't say that I understand you... But I will say this." Mercade stands, energy gathering around him as he begins to focus himself. Gentle points of light flicker into existence, gathering around him in a faint aura. "I can't let this go on any longer."

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden slows down with a smirk on his lips as Zerum gets away from him. The pirate hovers there in midair for a moment, glancing down the ruined hallways with a soft chuckle bubbling out. "Hrmmm. Well then. That was fun." He murmurs as he turns, pulling a little tracking device out of his pocket and starting to stroll towards where Spooks is currently helping the doctor out. It might take him a bit to get there but he strolls on. Leaving Zerun to run on his merry way. Speaking of Spooks. Urgh. Almost making the little guy do the heavy lifting. "Right then." He says stoutly as he fishes a small filter mask out of his satchel and passes it to Rhia. "Just hide next to the door and I'll see if I can clean the way out for the rest of your Shinra folks." Should Rhia make herself scarse? Spooks will walk up to the door to her cell and knock on it. Trying to get the guards attention, in his hot little paws are a pair of knock out grenades just waiting for them to open the door. "Cap'n says that there are enough holes in the outer walls that a small army could walk out without being missed. Think we arn't going to have a problem there." He adds as he waits.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' The woman seems to be having a bit of trouble. Sparks come from beneath her robes, and she seems to be having trouble getting to her feet. She simply stares at Mercade for some time. "...Critical levels of damage sustained. Mission moving beyond parameters. Evacuating." With that, she starts to limp away towards her evacuation point. This time, it's her hand that reaches into her robes, and chucks a sizzling grenade in Mercade's direction. It explodes with white fire.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Is that so?" Rhia did as she was asked of, stepped aside and letting Spooks knock on the cell door. "Huh? A knock? From the cell?" One of the guards turned around, opening the door cell door cautiously, and clearly bewildered by the situation. ...Only to find a racoon on it's hind legs. "......HUH? What the hell are yo-wait..." Silence. ...More silence. "GRENADES." He called out to the others in a panic. There was a scramble at that point as several of the guards on point retreated down the hall and out of the blast zone, only to find...Warden. "Another intruder! Don't hesitate, men! Riddle him with bullets!" A bunch of them took aim, fingers moving for the triggers, but for the quick-footed Warden, they may well have been moving in slow motion... "Oh my..." Rhiannon giggled to herself as the ensuing chaos took place, a hand resting against her cheek. "This is quite amusing, I must say." For now, it would seem that the soldiers had retreated out of their way in the meantime...and right into Warden. Another attachment retreated in the other direction, finding themselves face to face with Alise. "...It's the Shinra correspondant!" And they took aim as well. "Stop where you are!" ...These ones looked far less capable than the man she'd taken out earlier.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' The white phosphorous grenade detonates, the flame scorching past Mercade as he leaps backwards. The edges of the detonation blacken his coat and body, causing him to land with a wince. He's going to be feeling this one in the morning... He looks up under the brim os his hat at the retreating Vex. "No." Mercade says. "You do not get to walk in here and talk about killing people and then just walk off." Energy focuses around him as he raises his Keyblade, pouring his Will and Heart into his weapon as he calls out to it... And through it, Power responds. There is a shearing beam of white light that explodes upwards as he raises it to the darkened sky, a bolt that pierces the darkness and slams down around Vex, six white cylinders radiating power and crackling with fence-like arcs of energy as they rotate, drawing inwards to hem in and lock down Vex. "You want to get into the jail? Allow me to assist." Mercade says, before he hurls the Keyblade into the air. It hangs over Vex, a sizzling point of light gathering at the end of the Keyblade. A pencil-thin beam fires downwards, coruscating with energy as it grows, Mercade pouring everything he has into the magical strike. The beam widens, engulfing the gave in a column of light... And the Keyblade descends, slamming downwards to strike the ground in a silent implosion.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise isn't in the mood for being nice anymore, that luxury has been taken away from her. She motions to the ShinSec and they open fire on the guards, displaying the incredible skill and precision for which Midgar's elite fighting force is known, dispatching them in short order. The small group continues along their predetermined route and within a minute they stand before the the helpfully labeled high security prison ward. Once again, the soldiers lead the way to help ease the burden on their escort but the majority of the guards have been called away by the battle or taken out through the trickery of Warden and his little helper. Alise drops out of her measured jog, covering her face with a handkerchief quickly as the gas billows out of one of the cells not far away. The vapor irritates her eyes but she's been trained to deal with such things. "Doctor Zellen? Are you there?"

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Caught neatly in the column, the woman seems to concentrate. Electricity dances around her entire body, her sparks only increasing as light blast down into her. When it all ends, there's the scent of fried cloth, flesh, and machinery. But the woman still stands. Two of her robotic appendages are smoking. The last one reaches up to the beams...and ignites. Black smoke fills the area. There's a hissing sound...and then a flaring of what sounds distinctly like a jetpack. Vex rockets into the sky...for about fifteen seconds. She's forced to abort a bit, sending her kareening towards her evacuation point. Face first! Wham!

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Gentlemen!" Warden greets the fellows with the guns with a smile as they stare in shock at the cat captain. "If you pardon me. I don't have time to play anymore!" The cat raises the pistol-like weapon and it empties bright purple death into the cluster of guards as the cat rakes his aim though the few poor men left there. Not all of those are kill shots, but all of them are ment to put the people down. He doesn't have time he wants to waste either. Whisling as he strolls though the carnage he kicks one man that might have been either twitching or reaching for a com system to put him back on the ground. On he trots as he spots the billowing gas that he knows oh so well. "Ah ha! Spooks! Well done!" He calls out as he rounds the corner, waving his left hand as if a magician as the pistol returns to a simple purple bracelet. "Rhiannon? I trust my friend took good care of--" Alise breaks around the corner and the cat spins to face her only to smile a lopsided smile. "And...Alise wasn't it? Miss 'you should smile more'." He winks once towards her. "After you my dear."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh?" Rhia arched a brow at a familiar voice down the hall and poked her head out of her cell after Spooks, to see Alise and several Shinsec guards coming. "Well now. You are rather late. But nonetheless, I suppose your efforts should be...applauded." A smirk followed that statement, having assessed the Turk's current condition. And then Warden. "Aha, the captain himself has come. How dashing." Couldn't tell if that was genuine, or some kind of joke. But nonetheless, she let her arms slip into her sleeves as she looked between Alise and Warden. "...So, am I correct in assuming that this is some manner off prison break?" Her smile grew a little at that. "You realize this will be a nightmare, yes?" Not that she cared. "Shall we then?"

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Even if she wanted to smile right now, which is bloody unlikely considering the flippant pirate and woman responsible for her current unpleasant situation are both in the same place, she's too far in the zone to worry about such trivial displays of emotion. It might just be the painkillers. "If you have a way out," she says, glancing to Warden without bothering to answer Rhiannon's jab. "I'm all ears." The ShinSec troopers move to the Turk's rear, keeping an eye on the hallway incase more guards show up, their senses far more alert than hers at the moment. Infact, she's starting to get a little dizzy. Not much time left. "But be quick about it," she adds.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "There are enough holes in the outer walls that the place looks like a cheese wedge my dear," Warden drawls with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I can lead you out one in the side walls. This way if you would." He smirks slightly at Rhiannon's description of dashing and in a moment actually offers the doctor his arm as if escorting her out of a ball and not out of a jailbreak. "Of course it will." A smirk. "You're involved." He winks once towards her before gesturing out in the other direction, and presumeably freedom. "Now. We shall."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Warden's arm was taken, going with the joke all the while. "Well now, come along Alise, it would not do for you to be left behind, mhmhmhm~" And a chuckle followed that. And soon enough, they were off, leaving a ruined prison facility, and an impending PR nightmare in their wake. There were incapacitated soldiers all around, there were massive holes in walls everywhere, and the director had to be hospitalized. ...All in a day's work apparently.

A Researcher's Jailbreak

2014-03-31T05:28:20Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/03/30 |Location=Traverse Town - District 3 |Synopsis=Days after Rhiannon's capture, several forces converge on the prison facility holding her..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/30
|Location=Traverse Town - District 3
|Synopsis=Days after Rhiannon's capture, several forces converge on the prison facility holding her. Things go well. ...Or not. Depending on your perspective.
|Cast of Characters=Vex, Mercade Alexander, Angantyr Vespar, Don Corneo, Rhiannon Zellen, Warden Thache, Alise, Zerum
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Several days ago, a certain Vieran Judge had captured Rhiannon Zellen, resident scientist of Shinra. Be it by guile, or mere happenstance, there was no one around to witness just how it had happened. Nevertheless, she was taken to Traverse Town and locked into a prison facility. Specifically in a block meant to restrain magic users. The area was surprisingly well kept. It looked more like a mental asylum than a prison, if anything. White floors, walls, and doors made up the appearance of the place, starkly constrasted by the security staff with their black uniforms. There was a guard posted at each door, an electrical nightstick in hand and firearm holstered at their side. The cells themselves were what made this block of the prison building mildly intriguing. They were stark white, just like the outer halls, but running along the walls in a uniform manner were glowing lines of varying colors. They lead all across the walls, connecting ultimately to a pair of bulky shackles that imprisoned mages were attached to. The shackles were intricately designed, and obscured the entire hand and forearm. It was more like a large cylinder. Closer observation would reveal that these shackles were siphoning power from prisoners constantly, as evidenced by the flow of energy moving away from the shackles and flowing to other parts of the facility. Prisoners were kept powerless and restrained in this manner. Panning over to Rhiannon's room, she too had recieved the same treatment, shackled to that magic draining device. Having been told of her crimes, as well as her present condition, minor allowances were made for care, but after those short reprieves, it was back to being restrained. It went to be said that prison security was on high alert, having to contain such a high profile inmate. "......" She'd said little the entire time. Her expression had never betrayed anything in the way of sadness or anger. When addressed, the woman only smiled in a manner that was somehow infuriating. Several guards needed to have their shifts changed due to 'conversing' with her, and almost giving in to the urge to harm her. It was quite a handful really. And on this day, it seemed that all was quiet. There was a new guard posted at her cell, one that had yet to try and make conversation. "The higher ups are still deciding what to do with you." The guard, a man in his middle age, said. He faced forward, never once looking at the scientist. "There've been calls for execution even. You know that, right?" Asking that, a sidelong glance was spared into the cell. Rhia said nothing in response, she just smiled, keeping her eyes closed. The guard just tched and rolled his eyes. "Figures. Got nothing to say to the common man, eh?" He shook his head and faced forward again. The Director had told them not to engage in too much conversation. She had a way of getting into people's heads. Driving them to irrational anger. He couldn't fall victim to that. More infuriating silence was her given answer to the guard's remarks however. She was oddly patient, despite the fact that days have passed without outside incident. After several minutes, Rhiannon's eyes slowly opened, that calm smile still on her face. Her gaze was fixed forward, eyeing what little of the halls that she could see from her suspended position. "...I do wonder..." She mumbled quietly to herself, smile remaining on her face despite...

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' It wasn't that Zerum enjoyed combat, because he prefered the more professional route to solving problems, but in the unlikely(hopefully) event that developments escalated into violence, he didn't want to be unprepared, so he was decked out in his dark-knight apparel. His signature thorned crown, which offered an unspeakably stalwart aegis, was always contrasted by the fact that it unendingly sapped his health, so when possible, he'd either implement his draining techniques, a standard earmark of his trade, or he'd be attended by someone capable of offering some medicinal aid; on this day(or evening, in the Traverse Area, the position of the natural sun was hard to distinguish), the armored drow was accompanied by yet another dark elf, a female, whose stature wasn't quite as exceptional as his own.... but this should not have been a factor that would've diminished her worth! On the contrary, her getup was notably more unique than his own, what with her possessing a few add-on cybernetic limbs(maybe akin to Dr Octopus??) that gave her the ability to multi-task. Hailing from his own world of origin, which had technology far beyond that of many others that fused into the World of Ruin, it was very likely that Zerum's sidekick's external framework was either born of the kind of stuff that could be found in certain parts of The Blue Planet, or maybe it was a blend of that, plus whatever she could scrounge from Montressor Spaceport? No, she wasn't apt to skyrocket into outerspace or warp between dimensions, but having the potential to slap several irritating folks at once was pretty darn useful, which could very well make her the envy of any nanny the world over. Zerum Valos didn't mind being outshone visually by his subordinate, even so... he was content to know that he was the one running the show, even if the audience only saw the she-elf who was starring center-stage, within the dark elf posse. Not to be totally dwarfed by his companion, he had a nifty little talent that was a rarity in the World of Ruin, and he was about to apply it, or at least make a valiant attempt. "I can now comprehend fully why we were compensated so loftily, Miss Vex. I would like you to loosen things up a bit, so that I need not strain myself as much.... Perspiration quite a bother, after all." That was her cue to start shooting at one of the walls so that Zerum could follow up by ripping out the metal scaffoldings.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Elsewhere in the building, a small group of people have gathered around a large table. Though the accomodations are somewhat lacking, as the facility is not designed for making people comfortable, the standard-form office chairs that have been wheeled in for the occasional are likely a great deal more pleasant than the prison shackles. On one side of the table a lone young woman sits with her arms crossed gently over each other so as not to wrinkle the expensively tailored suit she wears. Two nondescript figures in fully body armor complete with face-obscuring helmets stand at attention a few feet behind her, each of them bearing the familiar insignia of ShinRa on their uniforms. Alise sighs softly and drums her fingers against her bicep, glancing at the empty seat across from her. The man who has occupied it on and off for the last several hours is no where to be seen having ducked out for 'private discussion' related to the matter at hand for atleast the tenth time during their negotations. This was taking too long. She knew it was going to be difficult but so far all they'd managed to do was establish the mere possibility that negotation was a option and even that had been like pulling the fangs from a zolum. She'd like to think it was her natural charm that had won them over but the truth of the matter is that she'd been reduced to veiled threats merely to get in the door and things had not improved much since then. Damn that woman.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Normally, Vex would rarely be so kitted out for combat. But, how could she deny joining an old friend? Not that she'd refer to the man as such. After all, to her, anything but advancement is useless...ideally. Her frail flesh, while less than ideal, still exists, and along with it the emotions that ride along. "Given the amount of compensation we were given, I estimate a point-five-three-seven percentage increase in operational efficiency upon using a Shinra-Brand Ifrit-Mark-Three White Phosphorous Grenade as opposed to merely shooting the local girders. The fifteen-point-five percent chance of bodily injury to bystanders is below the acceptable amount of collatoral damage." Rattles off the woman. And indeed, she rattles. Swathed in red, voluminous robes that cover all but her gloved hands, the five-foot, three inch woman's race can only be seen by a pair of ears sticking out from her cowel; holes cut out for them. The rest of her is in shadows...aside from the two, metallic appendages that snake out of the back of her robes. One is launched with what appears to be some form of rifle, while the other seems to be a common shinra grenade launcher. Despite her earlier comments, the appendage wobbles, tilts, and then fires the gun straight at the aforementioned scaffolding.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Indeed, Alise was being given a rather obvious runaround to the matter of releasing Rhiannon. After another 'strategic break', the prison director stepped back into the room, clearing his throat and adjusting his suit and tie. It was less impressive than Alise's ...Something that likely struck his pride. He was an older man, in his 40s and balding a bit. But he still endeavored to take care of his appearance as best as he could. He was joined by two security guards, less impressively decked out than the Shinsec, but close enough. "My apologies for the wait, Miss. This is a sensitive issue, you see?" More mindless, time wasting prattle. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. We were just about to discuss the possibility of negotiating the fate of Rhiannon Zellen." He leaned back in his seat, producing a cigarette from a box in his breast pocket, having it lit by a guard. "Smoke?" He offered the box towards the Turk, a lazy smile on his face. ...Wasn't it against regulations to smoke inside? This was corporate red tape, if there ever was any. This useless posturing was suddenly cut off as a distant sound of stone and metal being rended could be heard, followed by a loud siren. Seconds later, a third guard burst into the room. "Director! We've got a problem! Intruders!" The Director's eyes widened at that. "What!?" The demand caused the back end of his cigarette to be crushed between his teeth before falling to the ground. "Damn it! I knew this was going to happen!" He spouted out angrily, a fist impacting against the desk. "Reinforce our position at the prisoner's cell! And send a team to intercept these intruders! Tell all others to keep their posts but be on high alert! Now go, go, go!" Alise was given a smile and a clear of the throat. "Ahem. My apologies, Miss Alise. But these discussions will have to wait another day. Please, my men will escort you and your men out of the building and to safety." He didn't ask for help. His pride and the capabilities of his facility were on the line! MEANWHILE Zerum and Vex's efforts to break in were met with the facility alarm going off...followed by guards converging on their location rapidly. About ten men, armed with pistols trained on them. "Stop right there! Surrender yourselves immediately! Do not resist! I repeat, do NOT resist!" They held their ground, some kneeling to take better firing positions. The game was on.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' Zerum rotates his head towards Vex, after she elaborates on how she intends to deal with the problematic barrier that has presented itself to the both of them; not an engineer himself, he can't exactly confirm that her calculations are accurate until the attempt as been made, so he nods his head, surmising that the expert is experienced enough to know what she's talking about, giving her permission to go forth, "So be it." He then taps his chin in consideration, ".....But, I cannot extrapolate as to why you're even remotely fixated on the the potential for casualties that'd involved, be they grander or fewer. As far as /I/ was aware.... we were hired to carry out a jailbreak, not to evaluate the worth of the lives of the citizenry.... that seems like a totally irrelevant part of the equation, Miss Vex." All conjecture aside, he's grateful that she's using her brain, even if some of it involved a little bit of digression, for excessive thinking was superior to suboptimal quantities of contemplation, in his view, unless it pertained to a prospective victim, in which case, he hoped that they would be dullard, thus more easily conquered. When the sirens went off, that was the one thing that immediately agitated Zerum the most, because of the loud nature of the ringing that went through his ears, which was only compounded by the ramblings of the troopers who were now trying to bar his path into the inner sanctum. "I don't have a hearing problem, good sirs; if you told me not to resist the first time, I assure you that I will disregard your piteous warning the second time, as well." With that, he attempts to exert influence over their guns(made of metal?) to either dismantle them, or rip the armaments right out of their hands, since they were not miles away; when metal was within proximity, he could manhandle it with the force of a gigas, but once it was distant.... it became a problem for him. Assuming Zerum succeeds in wrenching some/all of their weapons from them, he will attempt to knock some on them unconscious by pistol-whipping them using their own weapons, but if he fails, he'll probably have to explore other avenues.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' From the look of concern that spreads on her face, it's clear that the explosions took Alise off guard as well. She glances in the direction that she believes the sound originated from for a moment but her attention is drawn back to the Director upon his outburst, expecting him to associate the attack with their presence but it seems such a thought never occured to the man as he sends his guards storming away without pause. Alise slowly unfolds her arms, lifting a single finger to press against the bridge of her slender glasses. As the metal frames slide up against her face, they catch the light in an ominous way, reflecting twin ovals of pure white that obscures her narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Director, but I no longer have the luxury of playing this game." The Turk rises from her seat, flipping the entire table up into the air in a single heave. Her fist explodes through the wooden barrier now hovering in the air between herself and the annoying politician, smashing into his chest and sending the man flying into the far wall with a dull crunching sound. Withdrawing her arm from the ruined table, Alise motions to the two ShinSec guards who have already prepared their weapons and the pair of them move to cover the doorway while she takes care of a quick matter. The Turk withdraws her cellphone from its holster on her belt and kneels beside the unconscious Director. Moving with a purpose, she fiddles with her gadget for a moment before pressing each of the man's fingers against its screen one-by-one. The machine whirrs softly each time, recording the data incase they need it to bypass any of the security. She gets a retinal scan for good measure too. "Okay, we're good. Move out and pray those floor plans we acquired are accurate."

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Not one to leave someone, especially a potential business associate in trouble, Don has takent he liberty of heading his zeppelin and crew over to Traverse Town. His men, group of SOLDIER 3rd and a few scattered 2nd class, looking a bit more rag tag than they might have been under the company, descend upon the facility from the dirigible via jetpack. One must always have a sufficient amount of these things on hand when one runs an airship, he finds, also jetpacks are awesome. The Don kept close contact with them via radio, of course. "Alright boys, standard search and destroy I think--err, Search and Rescue, scratch that last one--looks like someone's already gotten their attention now, in fact," the alarms were going off already, whoops. Zerum and Vex would suddenly find they were having some company join them... a bunch of blue and red armored modernized soldiers come trooping around to the broken portion of the wall, peering at the two through high-tech goggles. A few have a few... personalizations to their armor, the 'LOVE' tattoo with the arrow through it that the don so proudly bears, though a few of theirs have a sword or a dagger going through the heart rather than a cupid-esque arrow, ouch.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' "Casualties incurred may decrease the potential work pool for the nearby Montressor Spaceport, thereby decreasing the overall maintenance of the Hallowed Space-Faring Vehicles within. This may lead to an increase of five-point-seven degrees of the Holy Spirits within to become most wroth, thereby ceasing to perform their Most Logical and Divine Function." Explains Vex as though this were obvious. The woman is, by all account, weird, and likely missing a few screws somewhere in her head. Perhaps literally. Even as she's speaking, as the guards arrive, she peers at them from beneath her cowel. That rifle of hers fires off two shots before the lead guard is even done speaking. Another metal arm snakes out from her robes, fiddling with her grenade launcher as she provides covering fire, attempting to keep the men before her pinned down.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "What the--?" "Hey! My firearm is-" "Damn it! Another magic slinging freak! Fall back! Fall back and-gah!" Those were the various exclamations made as Zerum exerted his power over metal, whipping the weapons from the hands of some of the guards, finding themselves assaulted by their own weapons. A few escaped the catastrophe of Vex and Zerum. Three exactly. They managed to avoid being struck by their pistols or taken out by Vex by some miracle, and doubled back into the facility, producing radios from their belts. "All personnel, we've engaged with two elf-types, plus a band of unknown soldiers! They've got some kind of strange magic! Metallic weapons are useless! I repeat-" The other guard running nodded to one of his two companions. "You warn the others and form a counter strategy! I'm heading to the prisoner! And you fall back and hold the line! Backup will be here soon! Godspeed!" A nod, and then the three of them broke off in different directions. Ready to fulfill their missions even if it meant the end of them. MEANWHILE The Director arched a brow as Alise adjusted her glasses. "Game? Who are you to say that this is a ga-WHA!" The table flip obscured his vision, and then a fist came crashing through, sending him flying back. He must have been level one because that took him out immediately. The guards that were with him each looked at each other, and then at Alise. If the director were a more honorable man, they may have moved to stop the Turk, but now? ...They thought it better to let the man sleep. Right now, they were more worried about their comrades. The red tape could wait till later. And so they took off, listening to their radios and following the flow of information given. MEANWHILE. "...Oh my." Rhiannon mumbled, having obviously heard all the commotion by this point. "Having trouble out there?" She asked casually at the guard who was on duty. Said guard grit his teeth at the radio contact and narrowed his eyes. "Shut your mouth, you witch." He grumbled, tucking his nightstick away and producing a machinegun that was slung onto his back. "Damn it. Figures this <GOOSEHONK> would happen the moment we bring in someone like you." Other guards were turning up now, taking position and discussing strategy. "That damn rabbit had to have seen this <GOOSEHONK> coming..."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. Mercade Alexander is out and about, working his way through Traverse Town for a specific reason: Chita told him that Rhiannon was captured. Mercade was planning on going to viit her. And that's when he hears the explosions and gunfire. Mercade tips his hat, looking under the brim as he sees the chaos begin to unfold. "Huh." He says. "Wow, that's a lot of visitors tonight." Merccade walks up past the fleeing people, and stands behind Vex and Zerum. "Hi guys." Mercade drawls pleasantly. "I know you both want to get in fast, but cutting the line and committing excessive violence like this just isn't polite. Now, I'm going to have to ask you guys to get back in line and stop lowing up the prison." Mercade looks relaxed and unsuspecting to the untrained observer. His posture, however, is loose, prepared to move at any time. Because he's pretty sure he's going to have to.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr steps out from behind the guards. "Gentlemen, you are a bit out of your league here. Step back and allow me." He says towards the guards, "Try sealing the parameter, in case they get by me." he say, calmly and raises a hand up, in the face of people coming to break out a prisoner...one that NEEDS to die, or at least stay in a box for the rest of her unnatural life, Angantyr would give surprisingly discounted rates. A keyblade forms, a silver weapon with dark vine-like pieces wrapping around the silver. The Tyrant Breaker, as it is called, as it points towards Vex, Zerum, and assorted company. "You heard the man, I'm here to show you the door."

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' When he's joined by the SOLDIERs, Zerum peers over at Don's troops, suspecting that they're on the premises as a means of securing Rhiannon from her captors, which already causes him to feel comforted.... better odds, he ponders inwardly, though not dubious in the slightest that he'd've had the tenacity to attempt this on his own. Always one to debate an argument coming his way, he looked sidelong at Vex, "That sounds fairly indistinct. Indirectly related, co-arising interdependent phenomena are highly difficult to calculate, especially when they are obscurred by the fact that you don't have specs on /who/ we could be killing." He frowns, "....Logical and Divine function of the spaceport? Now you're just exposing your affection for engineering institutions." He sighs, and shoots a glare at one of the sirens emitting volumous noise, causing it to explode, before he turns his attention back to Vex, "Let's continue this discussion another time. The air is becoming thick in here.... to quote the proverb often used by the populace...." Speaking of thickness, and density, he points to another wall, indicating that he yearns for Vex to destabilize it, so that he can finish the job, thereby granting them access to more rooms in the building. He knew where Rhiannon was, but getting there would take some doing. If he had to go to upper or lower levels, that would've been easy enough, as well; he and Vex would puncture a floor/ceiling, then he'd magnetize the both of them to arise or descend to the appropriate level.... Yet, before he can reach any of the other floors, he's solicited by Mercade, who starts making requests, "Excessive violence? Don't speak nonsense. I was out for a stroll, and it just so happened that this wall was blocking my trajectory. When I rearranged it a little bit, people started threatening me and telling me to stop my procession. I dislike being given commands." Promptly, he looks at Vex, "Give him our business card, and let him submit a complaint to our agent..... or do whatever else you can think of to dismiss him, if you please." It's at this point that Angantyr appears with a rather intimidating weapon in his hand, and Zerum Valos narrows his eyes a bit, "Show me to Rhiannon's door, and we'll have no issues." But.... as a precautionary measure, he conjures up a strange magical force which grants him added protection from incoming attacks, yet.... he takes no offensive action! ....So far.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' The ShinSec allow the prison guards to pass for the moment and Alise doesn't bother ordering otherwise. They aren't here to destroy this group and killing people pointlessly isn't her style, regardless of how ruthless her superiors may expect her to be. So long as the mission is accomplished she has a great deal of leniency as to the methods thanks to being a Turk. After checking to make sure the Director is alive, the woman motions to her escorts and they both nod at once before darting into the hallway. She waits a few seconds and then follows after them, instinctively heading in the direction that will take them to the lower levels of the prison. She's studied the map they bought from someone on the inside well enough to know it mostly by memory but all the same she calls it up on her phone, glancing at the screen every so often to ensure they keep on the right path. Fortunately, most of the guards have been called off to deal with the incursion but it's only a matter of time before someone notices them. Rhiannon's cell isn't likely to be lightly guarded either since it's pretty obvious to anyone she's the main target of this jailbreak.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' "Okay, looks like there are some others there, also possibly some other people with guns--maybe the TURKS came to bust her out," Corneo is busy in communication with his lead soldier, one of the 2nd classers with red gear. He's actually watching all of the action from his zeppelin via a shoulder-mounted camera and can pretty much see whatever they see, not just speak via radio. "Now we don't want to let too many of these guys out so don't wreck the place," he cautions, tapping a finger against his desk as he watched the show. "I bet they're not expecting something like us though boys, so lets do this," and with that the Corneo henchmen are getting to work, readying smoke canisters and priming themselves to go in like some kind of SWAT unit. Their target? Well a lady of course, why else would Don be here? There would be the THUNK'ing of metal containers and gas would suddenly be pouring out from several grenades thrown the prison guards way, punctuated by some random bursts of machine gun fire. Or maybe those were just stun rounds? Possibly. Of course, if the prison guards had guns too, fine--the SOLDIER unit Corneo employed also had a few toys of it's own. The team doesn't seem to notice Mercade at first, however they do notice Angantyr. "Can't let you do that, sta--woah, look at that big fellow there, be on guard boys," the Don frowns as he saw the somewhat bad quality video through on his end, suddenly feeling like he and his team had their work cut out for them here. "Welp, make him not a problem I guess," he shrugs and gives the order.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Who are-" A pause as one of the guards sized up Angantyr, and then looked off towards the intruders. Well, technically, this one was an intruder as well, but if he said he was going to help...Who was he to refuse? A quick nod was given. "Right. You do whatever it is you do. I'm calling a sealing of the perimeter, but it's going to take some time! If you're going to help, buy me that time!" With the demand given, the remaining guard fell back out of the combat zone, radio to his ear. "I need an update! Where is that Shinra correspondant? Has she left the building?" ... "What do you mean she took out the director and ran off? Damn it! This is NOT the time!" He cursed his fate as he yelled into the radio. "Any available hands, I need you to search the building for that woman! She is NOT to be left at large! We will lose OUR heads if the prisoner is taken! Now go! Go!" It would seem the security forces have their hands full. Crap was hitting the fan faster than the blades could turn. This was going to be a PR nightmare for sure. MEANWHILE A lone guard rushed through the hallway, talking into his radio quickly, taking and given information on the situation. "Yes! I'm on the second floor, on my way to the third! I plan to rendevous with the protection team and-huh?" He slid to a stop as he spotted Alise and her Shinsec guards...all alone and at large apparently. "...You! Right there! Hold it!" He demanded, training his rifle at the Turk and her company. "Where is the director and why are you still here? Answer me! Now!" He was prepared to fire.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Vex turns to the group that's led by the Don. She gazes at them momentarily, before turning away. They might be allies, but right now? She has guards to deal with. "...Agreed. We shall continue this later." Agrees the woman with her fellow elf, before her attention is split by mercade. Luckily, it seems it's time to reload her rifle, one of her appendages fiddling. The warnings of the guards hardly seem to phase her. "Incorrect. Current levels of lethality are below the maximum threshold of eighty-seven-point-three-five percent mortality." Her appendages cease fiddling, as grenades are changed out, and ammo is reloaded. Her rifle is trained on Mercade, but doesn't yet fire. That grenade launcher, however, lets out a loud 'plunk!' sound as it fires a grenade. "...Calculating...current level of operation efficiency and building damage still below acceptable maximums. Awaiting further parameters."

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise spots the straggling guard first, her eyes snapping sideways a moment before her head turns. She doesn't answer the man because there's no time to waste on small fry like this. For all she knows, this group is prepared to execute their prisoner in case of an event such as this. She needs to get down to the scientist immediately. The Turk reaches up and grabs one of the small spherical bulbs dangling from her ears, tossing the flashbang disguised as an earring into the middle of the hall between them. She closes her eyes for a few moments and presses up against the wall to avoid any errant panic fire from the guard but once the bright flare snaps off she takes action. Tearing down the hallway at a dead run, Alise closes the distance in a few short breaths and launches into a series of basic but brutal CQC maneuvers, smashing her heel into the man's ankle and then twisting his arm behind his back to relieve him of the gun he carries.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Alise would find that this one was no run of the mill soldier. He had skills. Skills and moves. And moves and skills. "What the-HEY!" He blinked quickly to clear away the flash, but then reflexively dodged the combo of brutal attacks that otherwiser would have incapacitated him otherwise. Weaving in and out between blows like a veteran. He was no mook apparently. "I'm warning you! Back down!" He growled, his rifle turned aside, but not disarmed completely. He spun with the momentum of the attempted disarmament, leading into a roundhouse kick toward's the Turk's head. And then followed it up by leaping back and creating distance. "You are in contempt of the law! What reason do you have to assist a criminal!? Are you mad!?" He demanded, setting a cartridge into his rifle and aiming it. "I won't warn you again! Fall back!" Then a volley of shots were fired. ...Rubber bullets. Warning shots in other words MEANWHILE Walls were being destroyed, grenades were detonating...it was chaos. And the troops were doing all they could to keep it from spilling further into the facility. The emergency perimeter lock hadn't engaged yet....yet. But soon enough, it would. Ang and Mercade just needed to buy that time. But who knew what would happen? MEANWHILE "...Are you sure you have things handled out there?" Rhiannon asked casually, an amused smile on her face as she watched the guards pacing and discussing outside her cell. She was ignored in favor of bigger problems. "How is the engagement near the entrance? We have backup? Good! Make sure they hold the line! I have reports that the Shinra correspondant is being engaged as well! Don't lose our positions! We need to keep her here at all costs!" The stakes were increasing.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Alright, it seems that intimidation doesn't work. Never does." Angantyr says, and then just...MOVES with fluidity that is just wrong for someone his size. He is fast, and brutal, as he swings the blade down right towards the first of the Don's Men, aiming to hit him with enough force to crack bones, before he steps forward again, swinging. "The name is Angantyr Vespar. Mark it well, because I'm going to ingrain the name into your pathetic souls." he says, once more with the fierce exterior, maybe they'll be smart and run away, preventing this from going on any farther. Darkness starts surrounding the dark knight, as he starts focusing his power from the darkness between the stars...to here.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Well. Isn't this a mess. A figure watches the proceedings from nearby. Someone obviously not from around here. A tricorn hat, pirate's coat, the smirking face and the twitching cat's ears marks this figure as a pirate captain familiar to some. A dagger in one hand is casually thrown up in the air to catch as he regards the mess that people are making of a jailbreak. The man sighs quietly to himself. "No appriciation for art anymore. They just blow a hole in the wall. Tragic really, its like they are asking for a fight." He seems to shrug slightly, peering down from the roof of a nearby building. He tilts back his head and takes a long pull on the flask that seems to have appeared in his hand by magic, then dissipear just as fast. "Might as well join them." He leaps right off the building without hesitation in the least. What comes with him is a little solar sailboard. Surfing down on gravity waves alone as he cuts as gold-tinged path towards the chaos. At the last second he leaps off the sailor and the compact little craft crashes into the side of the hole that Vex and Zerum just made. Accidently widening it. Possibily making them nervous. The cat-captain rolls to his feet, hands on the hilts of his swords and a wide grin slashed across his feline features. "I hope no one minds if I cut in?"

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Not expecting such a display of skill from what she assumed was an ordinary guard, Alise is momentarily caught aback by his swift recovery. She leans back in time to avoid the roundhouse but the rubber bullets are sprayed in a wide enough cone that there's no hope of avoiding them all. Throwing her arm up to protect her head, the Turk ducks long enough to recover her balance and then rushes directly into the hail of gunfire. Even if they were actual bullets, the suits that Turks wear are more than just stylish, they double as protective gear. Not that she'd be so eager to dive in head first if that was read lead flying her way. "Sorry, but I have a job to do!" Alise's leg snaps up as the last couple inches between them vanish, attempting to smash the gun aside with a hard kick. She follows through seemlessly, flowing into a straight punch into the guard's side. A small flick of her wrist triggers a slender blade hidden inside of her sleeve and springs outwards like a pilebunker then just as quickly retracts. She doesn't have time to play nice with this one.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' More assurance that providence was smiling at him for the moment, Zerum had every reason to believe that his 'allies' were competent, given some of the weapons they were employing. The drow himself hadn't been involved in too many jailbreaks, but he judged that gaining experience was a helpful tool, if it didn't revolve around losing his life. Sizing up Angantyr, the armored drow decides that the man's grip on the silver blade was tight enough that it would require too much focus to try ripping the thing from his hands, plus, he wouldn't be able to take the large fellow by surprise with that trick, since it had been displayed when dealing with the troops.... This would mean that Lord Valos couldn't take the path of least resistance. Demolishing a wall should have been the first clue that labor would be involved in the entire affair, but when Warden decides to join the fray, Zerum circles around towards him, instead, since he's only carrying a dagger. Casting yet another barrier around himself, he follows up by levitating so that he's a foot above the ground, and he begins his interrogation, "When you say 'cut in'..... do you actually mean 'cut up'? That thing you're carrying doesn't look primarily designed for ceremonial purposes, I confess...."

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Of course, the Don's men do carry shields as well as machine guns, along with their other gear, and Angantyr's fist would THUD a bit painfully against the first he tried to give a fistign to, the soldier backing up a bit and looking a little surprised. He and the rest of the squad bring their MP5s and other weapons to bear and fire. Hey, they aren't complaining. And so the battle is joined more or less, Don Corneo watching it all intently from the office of his zeppelin, likely a beer clutched in hand as he sits there. "Go for the gold, boys! and by gold I mean the woman. Is she even hot? I should have asked to get a picture or something, damnit."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' That's cute. The Don's men fire things at him, the darts hit, but he brushes off the attack, aiming to swing his fist again. Luckily for them, all he hits is metal. The baton hits, and he hardly feels it, his eyes flare up. "Never is the easy way.." he says, before Warden swings down, boy oh boy...another face he didn't want to see. "What...nevermind, do whatever you want.." Until it interferes with his goals, then it'll likely come to blows. Angantyr swings the weapon around again, this time darkness trails off of it...as if the weapon itself is cutting the air and giving you a vision of the abyss beyond the light. Angantyr swings a fist, aiming to rip a shield off, before he drives the blade forward, aiming to shatter the defenses of the men.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' This is entirely too messy. Mercade frowns at the responses from Zerum. "Please don't assume I'm an idiot, sir. Though if you are here for Rhiannon, I am afraid that I will have to deny you entrance." Mercade then hears Vex, and frowns. "Are you serious? No wait, of course you are." He sighs. "All right, I guess we'll have to solve this the other way." Mercade says, tensing... As Warden drops in. "Wha..." He blinks. "Hey, aren't you..." He pauses. All he remembers is 'the guy Avira is always complaining about.' "Um... That guy Avira is always complaining about?" Oh well, may as well. "I think that entirely depends on who you're planning on cutting, though." Mercade thrusts his hand out, opening his Heart. "I know what I have to do, however." There is an explosion of Light as he draws out his Keyblade, the weapon a bold, ornate brassy design, with a star-like eye in the keyhead. "Please leave." Mercade says to Zerum and Vex. "I insist. I won't be letting you kill anyone else." He lashes out with the Twilight Seeker Keyblade, a whiplike lash of light striking out towards Vex and attempting to encircle them, before Mercade pulls back, cleaving across with an arc of multicolored light that cuts through the air in a wave before he spins, lunging at Vex with an explosive blast of erasing energy.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Gnh!" The soldier's gun was knocked aside, that time, but he didn't pay it any further mind. The battle was still on. The blade however caught him off guard. What? Fighting secret agents isn't part of his job description! So the hidden blade managed to puncture his protective gear, the point stabbing into his side just slightly. "...Ugh, poison? You have no honor!" He growled, stumbling back for a second before suddenly lurching forward. He ducked low, lashing out with a combination of punches before ending in an elbow thrust to push the woman away. Whether or not that succeeded, he would leap back to create more distance, pulling out another firearm that was slung behind him. Some manner of shotgun. "Fine! If you want to stand against the law, then I'll be your opponent!" He then took aim and fired. But what was fired was more than just a standard shotgun spray, it was augmented with some manner of magic light. This soldier was definitely not a mook. MEANWHILE "Achoo!" Sniffling, Rhiannon looked about curiously for a second. "...I feel like someone is talking about me. The rotund, strange variety too." How specific. "Quiet in there!" One of the guards yelled back into her cel before resuming his vigil. "...They'd better not get through. We have enough trouble already..." He grasped his radio with one hand tightly, hoping for SOME good news. Anything!

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' "Alright, darts are in, that should slow him down, fire, fire!" Don is sort of an arm chair general in a few regards, well, he definitely seems like the type that might be into RTS games, however in this case the game is for real. The darts inject Angantyr with some kind of toxic sedative, likely designed to subdue rather than kill. The followup by the stun baton here and there is likewise, though thanks to how the Dark Knight is up so close, they might be finding it better to respond with more persuasive force. The second punching lands directly on one of the Soldier's and he's pushed back, his comrades are there waiting to back him up, however, guns blazin'.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' The shotgun blast catches Alise square in the chest at short range, literall lifting her off her feet and sending her sprawling in the corridor. She lies on the ground for a moment or two, wincing at the pain but none of the shot managed to penetrate. That bruise is going to be a nasty one in the morning though. Seeing that their commander is struggling, the two ShinSec bring their own firearms to bear and open up on the prison guard with a few controlled bursts of automatic fire. The Turk remains prone to avoid any friendly fire accidents but a quick motion from her causes the soldiers to fall back behind cover. Alise flips to her feet nimbly despite the injury and levels a punch at the side of the guard's head, followed by another to his torso that causes a small explosion of raw force. "Honor is a luxury of those with strength. Unfortunately, I am a weak woman and all I care about are results."

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Cut in my friend! Dancing term. Just me being polite asking if you don't mind me joining this little fight." Warden's voice is cheerful as the magie levitates up into the sky. His grin only grows before he taps his heel on the ground. His boots light up, the tech on them humming as he flots into the air as well. The pirate seems to stand on air just as well as on solid ground. Casually almost he grins towards Zerum. "Oh these? No no. Not ceremonial..." He pats the hilts of the pair of sabres at his side. "Pirate's don't usually carry ceremonial weapons. I'm just here because of the entire mess you've made of this jailbreak. It offends my sensibilities!" A glance is cast first towards Aug and then Mercade. "Ah! Lord Idiot is here! That explains the explosions!" He adds cheerfullly before Mercade gets his attention. "...Avira is always complaining abou---OH! Are you Lord Puppy?" A pause. "You must be! Warden Thache, a pleasure on meeting you." A pause. "Shouldn't you be with your lady friend, since she /did/ turn herself into a popsicle recently?" His eyes twinkle however as he shrugs. "And no, I'm not planning on cutting you today!" Today being the operative word. Its hard to tell just what the murcurial pirate is planning. His gaze retursn to Zerum. "I'm afraid however I was paid to be here. So...if you object, well please. Feel free to go ahead and do so!" The pirate still doesn't draw his weapons or attack, just content to sit there and chat for the moment it seems. MEANWHILE... "How did the cap'n talk me into this..." mutters a little racoon. One with a small satchel and a pirate's bandana wrapped around his head. One with a little skull and crossbones embrodered on it. "Oh Spooks, it'll be easy! Just crawl in though the vents. See how the doctor is doing. No difficulties at all!" He drags himself though the vents in question, covered in spider webs and with an annoyed look on his face. "He gets this job next time!!" The racoon continues to grumble as he shuffles his way to the vent as near as he could manage to Rhiannon's cell.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr swings the weapon with purpose, darts aim for him again, but this time the blade cuts through them, sending them landing harmlessly on the ground. A Baton strikes him on the chest...but the armor protects him from it, and he looks down at the soldier, not to be confused with SOLDIER. He swings again, both hands on the keyblade as darkness trails behind it like a hungry beast. Then he steps forward, once more aiming to swing his hand out to tear through the shield that the men might have, and swings the blade upwards, aiming to bounce them into the walls for DOUBLE DAMAGE... Oh wait, wrong system. Uh... damn it's been years sense I played FF7..

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' When Mercade frowns at Zerum's response, the drow tosses another morsel his way, "I said I was out for a stroll. I did /NOT/ clarify upon where my eventual destination would be, did I? But you are correct in /YOUR/ assumptions; I am interested in finding Rhiannon. I'd rather you take this up with my assistant, on the other hand, seeing I'm preoccupied at this instant...", which was Vex, obviously. Conveniently enough, Mercade does just that, leaving Zerum to his devices, as well as those of Warden, for the time being. The momentary flash of light does force Lord Valos to shield his eyes a little, since like sound, high-intensity illumination was uncomfortable for a creature whose very race evolved in the darkest of the depths, despite the fact that miraculously, he wasn't as blind as many organisms that dwelt in the deeper places of the world. Cats, being noctural predators, probably knew something of the art of crawling around in the dark, so perchance it was that Zer would have preferential odds facing him, versus the man who pulls keyblades out of his chest. But.... would aggressive activities between them ever actually erupt? It seemed apparent the two were going to duel with verbiage rather than scuffle, on account of neither taking action against the other. Zerum does take the opportunity to invoke a curative(of sorts) spell on himself, besides his subordinate, in the meantime, since Warden has refrained from administering any blows, "I won't object to your presence if you don't interfere with my progression. You see these folks over here...., and here....?" He points to Angantyr, Mercade, Vex, and Don Corneo's guards, "They're all distracted with one another, because the mechanics of the universe are such that they aren't able to do more than one task at a time, it seems. That frees me up to pierce this facility while they are busy. So you can either stand in my way, or you can allow me to go liberate Miss Rhiannon. Do you copy?" And, just as he promised, he starts moving inwards, unless Warden objects in some mode that consists of something more substantial than vocalizations.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' Actually, the soldiers here totally were former SOLDIER, at least before the unit went rogue. As for the Dark Knight, he's proving to be something of a problem, several of the unit getting wounded in while their shields are punctured by his attack. Responding in kind, severa lf the soldiers seem to be girding them for a rushing attack on him, using their numbers and trying to flank him. It would seem to be devolving into a kind of a brawl by now, but one against so many! Can he hold out folks??

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Tch!" The Prison guard cursed inwardly, falling back to avoid to support fire from the troops behind Alise. Some of the rounds grazed his body as he moved to get out of the way of the firing zone. But that action set him up perfectly for the Turk's follow up attack. "Gah!" The combination of blows sent the man toppling to the ground, but he tucked into a roll and recovered, retreating behind cover. "Fitting words for one dressed like you! Are you a spy?" The question was given a chance to be answered as he moved out of cover, strafing and firing several bursts of shotgun ammo before closing the distance and aiming a gun butt to her chest. "Stand down already! The prisoner is not worth it!" MEANWHILE "Hrm?" Rhia mumbled, choosing not to antagonize the troops this time. Instead, her attention was drawn to a grate above, leading into the ventilation shafts. She could have sworn she heard a noise... "...?" And a tilt of her head followed. She was restrained rather dramatically by the magic siphoning device the room was outfitted with, so movement was minimal. She didn't call out, lest it actually turn out that someone was there.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' The coweled woman seems to just /stare/ at Mercade for a few moments. Her limbs bob and shift flexibly. She may well seem to be confused, before simply nodding. "Correct. You will not cease the operation of this mission." She says bluntly enough as Zerum works his magic. Her weapon never quite seems to cease being pointed at merchade. The elf-woman even starts to stride forward towards the facility...up until the point that Mercade launches a keyblade-generated blast of energy her way. It hits her straight in the chest, sending her flying into a wall. She collides with a heavy metallic thunk, collapsing to the ground. Her robes, however, prove resilient. At least there's a little blood leaking from her sleeves now. The fall seems to have knocked her rifle slightly crooked, and it fires uselessly into the ground. The grenade launcher, however, works just fine. Plunk! A fragmentation grenade goes flying towards Mercade. "Continued resistance shall result in a thirty-point-eight percent increased chance in mortality, and a ninety-seven percent chance increase of bodily injury." She helpfully informs Mercade in a slightly monotone voice.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Tempting, tempting..." Warden singsongs to Zerum's offer. The cat taps a fingertip against his thigh as he seems to contemplate things. "Oh I copy well enough. I just am bad at following orders is all...so..." His arm snaps out to the side and what seems to be animated rope made of some kind of glowing golden energy unspools. It whips towards Zerum intending to tangle him up. A way of objecting at least. Even it doesn't employ guns. "I'm affraid I'd going to have to insist you stick around and entertain me for at least a few more minuites!" MEANWHILE!! Rhia might be able to see a pair of glowing eyes, and the switching nose of a sentiant racoon peering down at her though the grate. Spooks raises one claw to his lips in the universal sign for silence as he works around to try to get a good view of her guards. Making sure they arn't looking his way as he starts to remove the grate.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' "I'm a Turk," Alise answers honestly without a hint of sarcasm. "The details of the job vary." The shotgun proves marvelously effective at giving the quick-moving woman no where to go in the confined spaces of the hall and she's forced to take the brunt of another pair of blasts as the guard rushes her again. Looks like she's going to have to switch tactics here. The butt of the shotgun smashes squarely into Alise's chest but rather than fall away she bends and rolls with the strike, allowing the majority of the force to deflect away to the side. It's still painful but pain isn't important right now. The Turk reaches out to grab ahold of the weapon and hold it against her body, hoping to keep her opponent from taking another shot at such close range.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Punches and kicks beat into the body of Angantyr, he weathers the storm like the Dark Knight that he is, manuevering into another brutal blow, aiming to tear through more of their armor. Even as they flank him, he just accepts the blows and steps forward. His eyes flare, before, he aims to grab the nearest of the Don's men. "Alright, enough play time!" he says, aiming to litterally drag the man into the air. Darkness pools around him, the blood of those who spilt it this fight pools around him...before claws tear through the ground, aiming to litterally tear and scrape at the SOLDIERs fighting him, aiming to toss the whole lot into the ground infront of Angantyr... "Tyrant..." he starts, the sword starting to glow brilliantly, before he thrusts it forward, a brilliant light aiming to fill the hallway, aiming to tear through the Don's men, aiming to blast them right out of the facility... "BREAKER!"

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' As Warden considers Zerum's proposition, the drow is already weaving through the masses with his levitation skill, believing that there may be a chance that the feline fellow is finished with debating, and planning to leave, but the dark elf is in no such luck, for a cord launches outwards at him, seeking to coil about his person, and detain him temporarily. One arm and one leg become ensnared by the strange tendril, causing him to desist for a few moments so that he can rip free of the things, but his leg stays a little more tangled, so he doesn't immediately relieve himself of those constraints. Retaliation is swift, and Lord Valos draws his blade from its holster in a singular motion, while releasing an onslaught of incisors of purely congealed darkness in Warden's direction, deciding to dispense with words, until further notice.

:'''[[Don Corneo]] has posed:''' There are howling screams as one of the soldiers seems to be /torn apart/ in a red mist as the rest of the unit are thrown back. "Hey, what am I paying you guys for!? Getup and fight, already!" Don slams his fist down against the table, rocking the display and sending his beer toppling over and running out onto the carpet. Damnit, that would need to be wet-vacuumed out. "Alright, if you can't take the heat then get out," he says with a sigh, hand covering his mouth as the order goes out for the Don's men to retreat.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The gambit worked well enough. The guard was kept close at hand this time, attempting to wrench his shotgun away from Alise. Seems he valued that gun more than his rifle, which he'd discarded nearby earlier. "You're a tough one, 'Turk'. I'll remember that name when this is over!" He stated, meeting the woman's eyes in their deadlock. "Are you so confident in your job and your company that you'd break the law for them?" He growled angrily at her. "I won't have it! That Zellen woman needs to be executed! Her crimes are too great for there to be any chance of redemption in this world!" He felt strongly about that. Maybe it was personal. Regardless, he didn't have the chance to attack due to struggling to get his firearm away from Alise. MEANWHILE Rhia blinked slowly, staring up at the pair of eyes in the vent. Well, this was new. But then, she had a hunch that this sort of thing could happen. They were so busy fortifying their magic defenses, that they neglected their material defensive protocols. Silly. She lowered her gaze back to the guards in the meantime, as if she'd seen nothing at all. They were all standing tensely in the hall, lined up on either side of her cell. ...There was a window between them and in front of Rhiannon's cell. ...Maybe. Just maybe. MEANWHILE Another grating alarm sounded off across the entire facility as the emergency perimeter sealing gates had apparently been activated. Steel walls slowly began to lower, cutting off various corridors...

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr doesn't stop their retreat. They should have done it sooner. He looks at the really mauled guy, and sighs, throwing a potion on him. Maybe he'll stablize and maybe the guards will bring him to a white mage and then shove him into a box for attacking a prison. He's at least tried. And then Angantyr focuses his power again, drawing it into himself. "NEXT?!" He calls out towards the other two.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise's stony stoic expression finally breaks as she gives the guard a light smirk in reply. "You keep going on about 'the law'. Haven't you realized that your laws don't apply to the entire world? As a citizen of Midgar, Doctor Zellen's ultimate fate is our business. You're the ones taking justice into your own hands." She twists suddenly, snapping the gun in her hands hard to the side to try and dislodge it from the man's grip with an old CQC trick. As before, she flows quickly from strike to strike, immediately wheeling around to plant the heel of her expensive leather dresshoes into his solar plexus to try and knock the wind out of him, followed by yet another bone-shattering punch to drive him into the floor.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Magic and blades arc towards the pirate and the man just smiles shortly towards the predicted responce. Warden kicks off thin air to leap towards the drow mage, the daggers and darkness /just/ missing him. Darkness tugs on the edge of his coat but finds no purchace on the man himself. He dashes forwards his ears back and a fierce light in his eyes to pass close by on Zerum's left side. Close enough to speak at least. Close enough to rake at the drow with a neon purple claw that seems to almost explode into existance and form around his left hand. Obviously something Grid based. MEANWHILE! Spooks carefully unscrews the grate, his eyes on the little window and the guards. He waits. Waits. Waits till no one is looking before dropping into the room. Using the limited field of view and the good Doctor's restraints as cover he crawls up to try to find how to pick apart her magic sapping prison. Clever paws have skill with locks, but he isn't sure how this one is put together. Him and his bag of tricks might be able to figure something out. He's like an evil Felix. "...evenin' love," The racoon mutters quietly. "Gimme a jiffy and I'll see if I can have you out. Cap'n is causin' a ruckus up above."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade grimaces as Vex replies to him, and he narrows his eyes as he hears the thoomp of the grenade at his feet. Mercade's eyes widen and he vanishes in a detonation, a bright flash radiating out as he is engulfed in fire and smoke. And then Mercade launches himself forwards out of the smoke, hexagonal barriers vanishing around him as he throws his singed and wounded body out of the explosion. "NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!" Mercade yells back, raising his Keyblade as he swings his Keyblade around, firing a spray of gleaming particles across the area. He lands, turning and slamming forward to swing hard with the Keyblade, flashing downwards and hitting a ground and trying to launch Vex with what leverage he can muster. A moment later, Mercade lashes out with another lasso, trying to pull Vex out of the air and slamming her towards the ground.

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' With his knee bent inwards, tucked against his buttocks, Zerum was unbalanced, and was certainly displeased with his capability. Electing to wholly shear off the ropes that were constricting his lower appendage to his thigh, the dark elf swipes at the coils, dispatching them neatly, so that he can tend to his enemy with a little bit of dignity, as any nobleman would surely wish. When Warden speaks to him, he growls, as though agitated by something his accoster relayed, though whatever it was, is very well anybody's guess. Following this, the violet-pigmented talon bursts after slashing at Valos, causing him to wince in anguish, eyes shutting halfway, but he doesn't yelp; probably because habitually-speaking, adding to cacophony only made things more painful, and he'd trained himself not to make a lot of sound even if he still very much expresses pain in a visual medium.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' His eyes narrowed at Alise's words. "So you're saying Midgar would pardon this woman for her crimes? Is that it!?" That smirk somehow really annoyed him. He was losing his cool! But no, he needed to calm down. He was soldier, the mission was of utmost importance, not his feelings. Alise successfully got the gun out of his grasp. The following blow left his breathless, and then the next sent him tumbling to the floor. "Guh..." A deep sigh, and then he stood. This one was stubborn. "Whatever the case may be, she is in our lands and will adhere to our laws. I've been ordered to keep her here. And here is where she's staying." That was uttered calmly, and then he dashed forward, launching into an array of brutal, but efficient CQC manuevers. A series of punches to test her guard, a kick from the direction she wasn't favoring, and then an uppercut to the chin in an attempt to send the Turk flying. MEANWHILE Spooks would find that there were keyholes on both cylindrical shackles. They were apparently both made up of two halves locked together in place. It could probably be picked open. ...Maybe. "...Well, you're a new one." Rhia muttered quietly, arching a brow at Spooks. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure." A small smile. The mention of captain set the cogs in her head turning and soon. "...Oh, that man." Warden. Well, she was expecting Shinra. But a pirate would do.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Gleaming lights slams down upon Vex, but the elf-woman takes the blow nearly without complaint. Thunk-thunk-sizzle of burning metal...and eventually flesh would reach Mercade. Blood pours...and blackish ooze. It may well smell of oil. Unlike the last, however, she doesn't seem adversely effected. The slamming keyblade, however, is met with the butt of her rifle. Mechanical arm and gun alike bend against its power, but then holds. Unwilling to use a grenade launcher so close, she instead deploys her manipulator arm. What appears to be a thin claw on the end opens, and then quite simply reaches for Mercade's neck. Should she grab, she'll attempt to strangle the man with her mechanical arm, lifting him up into the air. Her broken rifle fires off randomly. It could very well accidentally hit the man, so wild and sparking is its associated arm!

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden's usual tatics were to /not/ leave his opponents with any dignity. However the cat was being...a cat. He was playing with his food today. There is a touch of a smile at the annoyance in Zerum's face. He delights in annoying nobles. Its in his blood. He can't help himself. The ropes comes back in, trying to tangle up the elf as the captain goes bounding by again. Again that gauntlet flashes in the darkness. The feline moves like his namesake, sure and quick as a hunting cat. This time he lands...well...ends up upside down. On the ceiling. Just stuck there thanks to his boots, one hand holding his hat in place. "We enjoying ourselves yet?" MEANWHILE! "You can call me Spooks. Cap'n sent me," The racoon mutters as he flicks his gaze from the shackles to the door itself. Trying to make sure he's not seen. "Yes. That man. Dunno if someone payed him or he's doing it on a whim, but he's up there doing...something. While I do the work as usual." Clever claws pull out a set of lockpicks. One held in one hand, the other in his mouth. "Giffme a moment." He says around the pick, his voice muffled. "See wha I can do."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr stays on the outside of the prison...if they failed to keep her in, Rhi would have to get out through him. He lets Warden and Mercade handle their fights, though he looks towards Mercade, "You got this?" He asks.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise reacts with practiced and efficient maneuvers of her own, swatting aside the majority of the punches in a flurry of motion that carries the two back and forth as if in some elaborate dance. However, as such things can go, she misreads his movements at the end and the kick slams into her ribcabe, sending a sharp crack through the air. The follow up strike meets no resistance as she doubles over and the woman's head snaps back, sending her glasses flying into the wall where they shatter dramatically into little glass fragments. There is a moment of stunned silence from the two ShinSec guards as it looks like their commander, one of the famed Turks, has been laid low by some punchclock goon. They recover their wits quickly however and raise their weapons at fire again the moment she hits the ground. But that moment never comes. Alise takes a step back to catch herself and lets out a pained grunt. She slowly brings her head back around, sending a searing bolt of lightning through her mind that almost drops her to the floor yet again but she lifts a wrist up to her mouth and bites one of the buttons off, swallowing it whole. A flood of numbness flows through her body only moments later as the disguised painkiller goes to work. It won't last long but it should be enough to keep her in the fight. Alise takes a deep breath and spits, leaving a blood-stained smear on the polished floor. "I don't know what fate lies in store for her. It's not my place to judge. But I've been ordered to bring her back, so that's what I'm going to do." She narrows her eyes, getting a serious expression once again. "This is your last chance to stand aside."

:'''[[Zerum]] has posed:''' The truth was, the pained expression from his sentiments were a deception, because the things he was told were hardly disagreeable, while on the other hand, the cat and mouse game was definitely annoying, even if Lord Valos was still in extremely good health, if not almost in a perfect status. Both of them were exchanging feeble blows that were more for show, because Zerum was too mindful of keeping up appearances, which were perpetually being thwarted by the cat. "Vex. I'm going in. Rendezvous at the designated location, later....." Zerum calls out, as Warden's ropes surge forth and aim to wind him up, only to be severed cleanly by the blade of the dark-knight(the elven one). He was already in the air and zooming through the corridors of the facility by now, and suspected that Warden would be hot on his tail-- whether he reached Rhiannon on not, he was going to put on a good show, and that meant at least getting through a few sectors before making his retreat. The feline may have had no idea that this was what Zerum was doing, however, after a little while, if he didn't come across the good doctor, he'd abandon his quest and bust another hole in some wall somewhere, then flee.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Not happening." The guard replied smoothly, doubling backwards to collection if magic imbued shotgun in the lull of the conflict. This woman was good. Probably better than he was. But he couldn't just give up. "You have your orders and I have mine. Neither of us are going to just back down, are we?" That question needed no answer. "There's only one thing to do here. And that's to complete my mission." That said, the guard aimed his shotgun tentatively, taking a deep breath to focus and feel out the current situation. Those Shinsec could fire at him at any time. And he had no backup. The forces were tied up elsewhere. This was a tricky situation. Time to take a gambit. He dove forward, regardless of Sinsec's actions and released a burst of shotgun fire, and then another, and then as the distance was closed, he took aim once more, aiming point blank at Alise. But instead of shotgun ammo, a ball of electricity formed on the tip of the firearm before blasting outwards in a burst of chain lightning. "I warned you!" MEANWHILE "I see..." Rhia mumbled quietly, nodding to herself. It sounded like what she'd seen of that man so far. If he was paid, she had to wonder who. ...Not that it really mattered. "Well, do as you must." She hardly had room to complain. Odd that the guards outside the cell weren't paying attention to them though. What was happening? "What was that? A path was opened and the intruders are making their way inside?" One of them guards spoke into a radio. "Damn it! We'll keep our positions here! All men, ready your weapons! We're going to offer them a pleasant greeting!" And then a grin from a few of them. "Hope they aren't allergic to bullets! ...Actually, let's hope they are!" And a collective laugh. Morons.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade twists, spinning the Keyblade as he struggles against the rifle. Sparks fly as Mercade is forced backwards. His technique is... not the best. It's clear he's not used to using the weapon even if it is powerful. As the arm comes in, Mercade yells and whips the Keyblade aside, barely knocking it aside to keep it from grappling him. "GAH!" Mercade yells. "Who are you, anyway? Why do you care about Rhiannon?" Mercade says, bringing the Keyblade around to slash repeated crescent waves of multicolored light at the cybernetic being. "And why do you have all of those arms?" He likes questions, okay?

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' "It would seem not," Alise says levelly, her stern glare fading into a blank mask. This is a duel between two professionals. Regardless of her feelings for that snake of a woman, she has been ordered to bring her back and her own personal sense of honor won't let her accept failure so easily. Or perhaps it's just some sort of unhealthy obession, a driving need to fulfill her obligations. Either way, there's no time to think about it now. This time the Turk doesn't even bother to dodge. She holds her ground as the guard rushes her, knowing full well his intentions to use the weapon that's served him best thus far. Alise shields herself from the full brunt of the attack, crossing both arms infront of her body. The durable fabric of her suit blunts the assault somewhat but even through the hazy tingle of her drug-induced numbness she can feel the impacts rattling her bones. As the guard draws within reach, she finally unleashes her own gambit. The lightning arcs into her body but instead of searing her flesh with magical voltage, the crackling bolts merely pass right through her as if she were a ghost. No, even worse than that - the magic flows into her body, spiderwebs of tiny blue bolts crawling across the surface of her skin. "Sorry," she says, as her eyes begin to glow with a dull yellow light. "It's not going to be that easy." Alise lurches forward, bringing her fist into the man's torso fast as greased lightning. The concealed blade snaps out again but this time instead of a single thrust she jams it into his body over and over, pumping the man full of deadly venoms. Her fist draws back a final time and she brings it home with a solid whump that rocks the entire building with kinetic force.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden frowns just slightly as he finds his attacks parried. The pirate tilts his head to one side as Zerum speaks. "...hey now friend, you arn't planning on runnin--" Zerum leaves the magical equivelent of a dustcloud behind him. "...yes. I think he is. Come back here! You can't run in the middle of a fight!" He calls as he gives chase though the halls and corridors of the prison. The glowing gauntlet on his hand shifts form to that of a glowing submachine guns and he sprays gunfire after the fleeing drow. Not /accurate/ gunfire. In fact it seems to put more holes in walls than targets. It looks impressive however, and it keeps attention on him. He'll give chase for quite awhile, and do what he can to put many holes in many walls. MEANWHILE! Spooks continues to work, franticly pulling and pushing on tumblers in an attempt to get the shackles to click open. He's using all the distraction of the guards that he can against them. "So," He adds quietly. "Are you going to be able to handle yourself once I get these open, or am I going to have to try to deal with the guards with cunning and gas grenades?"

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' "The requested information is currently not available. Please fill out form Three-One-A, and submit to the indicated address." Her manipulator arm, as it's knocked away, reaches into her robes. There's a suspiciously printer-like sound, and she pulls out a form. The one-page document is in three point font, and the address is almost microscopic. It's offered rather gently to Mercade. Then, she's hit neatly by the blade, and once more goes flying...straight through a wall. She lands with a thud of metal, and what may actually be a curse. That grenade launcher goes off one final time, making a 'chunk' as her ammo finally runs out. "...Praise the Machine. Blessed Ammo remaining: eighteen incendiary rifle rounds. Zero fragmentation grenades. One white phosphorous grenade."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Alise somehow managed to survive the assault, which drew surprise out of the soldier. Even more when his lightning charged gambit was turned against him apparently. The counter attack came in full force, finally taking the resilient guard down. He laid upon the floor, bleeding with several puncture wounds and poisons flowing through his body. "....." Silence as he weakly lifted his communications radio. "...M-Mission failed...Shinra...Correspondant...incoming...." And with that, he let his arm fall, eyes closing. Was he dead? ...Nope. He breathing was there. If only slight. A medical team would get to him perhaps. And with that, Alise was free to move onward. MEANWHILE Rhia remained quiet from then on, till the bonds were finally undone. With a faint click, and a whirr of steam, the halves separated, finally freeing her arms. With those out of the way, she stood, rubbing her wrists. "Hrm?" Spooks was given a brief look at the question. "Well, my magic has been drained. I have some physical prowess, but I am not fully up to form." A smile followed that. "Therefore, I will leave things in your capable hands no doubt, but I can assist as necessary." A stare towards the cell door. "Shall we then?" Not even a thank you.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise stares at the fallen body of her opponent with something akin to respect. But she doesn't have time to make sure he lives, she's already running on borrowed time. When those pain killers wear off... well, she'll keep going but it's not going to be pleasant. Then again, her work rarely can be described as such. Cleaning up after a corrupt government's dirty little secrets isn't the sort of thing most children dream about when they're sorting out what to do with their adult lives. Unfortunately, the guard's final transmission means that there will be more people waiting for her, assuming the interlopers from outside haven't dealt with them yet. She motions to the ShinSec, who finally stop gaping at what they just witnessed and rush ahead to clear the way for her. Alise follows them at a steady pace, trying to keep her heart rate low so the medicine will last longer.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks at the papers handed to him with a blink. He pulls out a magnifying glass, letting the Keyblade hang in the air next to him as he zooms in. "What, are you kidding? I can't even follow the jargon in this. What kind of hellhole did you design this form in?" He is answered with grenade. Mercade is sent flying, the forms smouldering as they flutter through the air and he hits the ground hard. The Keyblade flashes, the Detective having grabbed it in his passage as he flicks it at the rifle, sending several bullets flying out of the weapon's magazine. "I can't say that I understand you... But I will say this." Mercade stands, energy gathering around him as he begins to focus himself. Gentle points of light flicker into existence, gathering around him in a faint aura. "I can't let this go on any longer."

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' Warden slows down with a smirk on his lips as Zerum gets away from him. The pirate hovers there in midair for a moment, glancing down the ruined hallways with a soft chuckle bubbling out. "Hrmmm. Well then. That was fun." He murmurs as he turns, pulling a little tracking device out of his pocket and starting to stroll towards where Spooks is currently helping the doctor out. It might take him a bit to get there but he strolls on. Leaving Zerun to run on his merry way. Speaking of Spooks. Urgh. Almost making the little guy do the heavy lifting. "Right then." He says stoutly as he fishes a small filter mask out of his satchel and passes it to Rhia. "Just hide next to the door and I'll see if I can clean the way out for the rest of your Shinra folks." Should Rhia make herself scarse? Spooks will walk up to the door to her cell and knock on it. Trying to get the guards attention, in his hot little paws are a pair of knock out grenades just waiting for them to open the door. "Cap'n says that there are enough holes in the outer walls that a small army could walk out without being missed. Think we arn't going to have a problem there." He adds as he waits.

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' The woman seems to be having a bit of trouble. Sparks come from beneath her robes, and she seems to be having trouble getting to her feet. She simply stares at Mercade for some time. "...Critical levels of damage sustained. Mission moving beyond parameters. Evacuating." With that, she starts to limp away towards her evacuation point. This time, it's her hand that reaches into her robes, and chucks a sizzling grenade in Mercade's direction. It explodes with white fire.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Is that so?" Rhia did as she was asked of, stepped aside and letting Spooks knock on the cell door. "Huh? A knock? From the cell?" One of the guards turned around, opening the door cell door cautiously, and clearly bewildered by the situation. ...Only to find a racoon on it's hind legs. "......HUH? What the hell are yo-wait..." Silence. ...More silence. "GRENADES." He called out to the others in a panic. There was a scramble at that point as several of the guards on point retreated down the hall and out of the blast zone, only to find...Warden. "Another intruder! Don't hesitate, men! Riddle him with bullets!" A bunch of them took aim, fingers moving for the triggers, but for the quick-footed Warden, they may well have been moving in slow motion... "Oh my..." Rhiannon giggled to herself as the ensuing chaos took place, a hand resting against her cheek. "This is quite amusing, I must say." For now, it would seem that the soldiers had retreated out of their way in the meantime...and right into Warden. Another attachment retreated in the other direction, finding themselves face to face with Alise. "...It's the Shinra correspondant!" And they took aim as well. "Stop where you are!" ...These ones looked far less capable than the man she'd taken out earlier.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' The white phosphorous grenade detonates, the flame scorching past Mercade as he leaps backwards. The edges of the detonation blacken his coat and body, causing him to land with a wince. He's going to be feeling this one in the morning... He looks up under the brim os his hat at the retreating Vex. "No." Mercade says. "You do not get to walk in here and talk about killing people and then just walk off." Energy focuses around him as he raises his Keyblade, pouring his Will and Heart into his weapon as he calls out to it... And through it, Power responds. There is a shearing beam of white light that explodes upwards as he raises it to the darkened sky, a bolt that pierces the darkness and slams down around Vex, six white cylinders radiating power and crackling with fence-like arcs of energy as they rotate, drawing inwards to hem in and lock down Vex. "You want to get into the jail? Allow me to assist." Mercade says, before he hurls the Keyblade into the air. It hangs over Vex, a sizzling point of light gathering at the end of the Keyblade. A pencil-thin beam fires downwards, coruscating with energy as it grows, Mercade pouring everything he has into the magical strike. The beam widens, engulfing the gave in a column of light... And the Keyblade descends, slamming downwards to strike the ground in a silent implosion.

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Alise isn't in the mood for being nice anymore, that luxury has been taken away from her. She motions to the ShinSec and they open fire on the guards, displaying the incredible skill and precision for which Midgar's elite fighting force is known, dispatching them in short order. The small group continues along their predetermined route and within a minute they stand before the the helpfully labeled high security prison ward. Once again, the soldiers lead the way to help ease the burden on their escort but the majority of the guards have been called away by the battle or taken out through the trickery of Warden and his little helper. Alise drops out of her measured jog, covering her face with a handkerchief quickly as the gas billows out of one of the cells not far away. The vapor irritates her eyes but she's been trained to deal with such things. "Doctor Zellen? Are you there?"

:'''[[Vex]] has posed:''' Caught neatly in the column, the woman seems to concentrate. Electricity dances around her entire body, her sparks only increasing as light blast down into her. When it all ends, there's the scent of fried cloth, flesh, and machinery. But the woman still stands. Two of her robotic appendages are smoking. The last one reaches up to the beams...and ignites. Black smoke fills the area. There's a hissing sound...and then a flaring of what sounds distinctly like a jetpack. Vex rockets into the sky...for about fifteen seconds. She's forced to abort a bit, sending her kareening towards her evacuation point. Face first! Wham!

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "Gentlemen!" Warden greets the fellows with the guns with a smile as they stare in shock at the cat captain. "If you pardon me. I don't have time to play anymore!" The cat raises the pistol-like weapon and it empties bright purple death into the cluster of guards as the cat rakes his aim though the few poor men left there. Not all of those are kill shots, but all of them are ment to put the people down. He doesn't have time he wants to waste either. Whisling as he strolls though the carnage he kicks one man that might have been either twitching or reaching for a com system to put him back on the ground. On he trots as he spots the billowing gas that he knows oh so well. "Ah ha! Spooks! Well done!" He calls out as he rounds the corner, waving his left hand as if a magician as the pistol returns to a simple purple bracelet. "Rhiannon? I trust my friend took good care of--" Alise breaks around the corner and the cat spins to face her only to smile a lopsided smile. "And...Alise wasn't it? Miss 'you should smile more'." He winks once towards her. "After you my dear."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh?" Rhia arched a brow at a familiar voice down the hall and poked her head out of her cell after Spooks, to see Alise and several Shinsec guards coming. "Well now. You are rather late. But nonetheless, I suppose your efforts should be...applauded." A smirk followed that statement, having assessed the Turk's current condition. And then Warden. "Aha, the captain himself has come. How dashing." Couldn't tell if that was genuine, or some kind of joke. But nonetheless, she let her arms slip into her sleeves as she looked between Alise and Warden. "...So, am I correct in assuming that this is some manner off prison break?" Her smile grew a little at that. "You realize this will be a nightmare, yes?" Not that she cared. "Shall we then?"

:'''[[Alise]] has posed:''' Even if she wanted to smile right now, which is bloody unlikely considering the flippant pirate and woman responsible for her current unpleasant situation are both in the same place, she's too far in the zone to worry about such trivial displays of emotion. It might just be the painkillers. "If you have a way out," she says, glancing to Warden without bothering to answer Rhiannon's jab. "I'm all ears." The ShinSec troopers move to the Turk's rear, keeping an eye on the hallway incase more guards show up, their senses far more alert than hers at the moment. Infact, she's starting to get a little dizzy. Not much time left. "But be quick about it," she adds.

:'''[[Warden Thache]] has posed:''' "There are enough holes in the outer walls that the place looks like a cheese wedge my dear," Warden drawls with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I can lead you out one in the side walls. This way if you would." He smirks slightly at Rhiannon's description of dashing and in a moment actually offers the doctor his arm as if escorting her out of a ball and not out of a jailbreak. "Of course it will." A smirk. "You're involved." He winks once towards her before gesturing out in the other direction, and presumeably freedom. "Now. We shall."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Warden's arm was taken, going with the joke all the while. "Well now, come along Alise, it would not do for you to be left behind, mhmhmhm~" And a chuckle followed that. And soon enough, they were off, leaving a ruined prison facility, and an impending PR nightmare in their wake. There were incapacitated soldiers all around, there were massive holes in walls everywhere, and the director had to be hospitalized. ...All in a day's work apparently.

Rhiannon Zellen

2014-03-16T19:53:18Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Alise]]
| A new addition to the Turks. Quite obviously dislikes the scientist a fair degree. Which is a surprise to no one. Rhiannon finds her to be amusing in her own special way.
|-
| [[Montag]]
| Quite frankly, Rhia is surprised Montag is still alive as a Shinra Security Operative. She's also impressed, in a way. Doesn't stop her from poking fun at the man any chance she gets.
|-
| [[Reno]]
| Reno is all kinds of entertaining to Rhia. The two don't especially know one another too well, but nonetheless, he is plenty fun to watch work.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| Another Turk. His peculiar abilities interest Rhia, but he seems to be all too adept at avoiding winding up on a testing table. A shame.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Aerith]]
| Rhiannon is aware of how much Aerith hates her at this point. But she could not care any less than she already does; which is not at all. The girl is of little consequence, regardless of how much Hojo wants to get his hands on her. Might serve as minor entertainment to deliver her to the man however.
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| In Rhia's eyes; a self righteous, violent hypocrite with an oversized key. She is interested in procuring a blood sample, but is not at all moved by his sweeping threats or violent tendencies. If anything, his frothing at the mouth flailing to try and kill her only provides a good laugh.
|-
| [[Chita]]
| A goody two-shoes Judge that has essentially been a thorn in the side of her life and her research for a very, very long time. Recent happenings have sent what little she thought of the man to plummet into mediocrity with the rest of the people she barely commits to memory. While Rhia holds no particular regrets over what she's done with him, she is breathing easier outside of his all too overbearing moral presence.
|-
| [[Cirra Constantine]]
| An Archadian Judge who has taken it upon herself to try and arrest Rhiannon for her 'crimes against the world(s)'. The attempt has done nothing but provide ample laughter ammo. She still thinks Cirra is far out of her field of jurisdiction, but nonetheless, lets the judge do as she thinks she can.
|-
| [[Garland]]
| One of the initial benefactors of the Black Beast experiment. Rhia has since passed the results of her tests and experiments on, for the man to use as he sees fit. All a part of the initial deal of course. Which can't be good for anyone really.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Maira]]
| Seen as nothing but Angantyr's squeeze in Rhia's eyes. The woman can barely remember Maira's name, let alone acknowledge her existence for more than five seconds. Another name to tack onto the 'trying to kill me' list.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|-
| [[Warden Thache]]
| A roguish pirate captain she's seen about now and then. One of the few that don't actually want her dead on sight. he has interesting ideas. For better or worse. Probably worse for everyone else.
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Rhiannon Zellen

2014-03-16T04:51:56Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Alise]]
| A new addition to the Turks. Quite obviously dislikes the scientist a fair degree. Which is a surprise to no one. Rhiannon finds her to be amusing in her own special way.
|-
| [[Montag]]
| Quite frankly, Rhia is surprised Montag is still alive as a Shinra Security Operative. She's also impressed, in a way. Doesn't stop her from poking fun at the man any chance she gets.
|-
| [[Reno]]
| Reno is all kinds of entertaining to Rhia. The two don't especially know one another too well, but nonetheless, he is plenty fun to watch work.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| Another Turk. His peculiar abilities interest Rhia, but he seems to be all too adept at avoiding winding up on a testing table. A shame.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Aerith]]
| Rhiannon is aware of how much Aerith hates her at this point. But she could not care any less than she already does; which is not at all. The girl is of little consequence, regardless of how much Hojo wants to get his hands on her. Might serve as minor entertainment to deliver him to the man however.
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| In Rhia's eyes; a self righteous, violent hypocrite with an oversized key. She is interested in procuring a blood sample, but is not at all moved by his sweeping threats or violent tendencies. If anything, his frothing at the mouth flailing to try and kill her only provides a good laugh.
|-
| [[Chita]]
| A goody two-shoes Judge that has essentially been a thorn in the side of her life and her research for a very, very long time. Recent happenings have sent what little she thought of the man to plummet into mediocrity with the rest of the people she barely commits to memory. While Rhia holds no particular regrets over what she's done with him, she is breathing easier outside of his all too overbearing moral presence.
|-
| [[Cirra Constantine]]
| An Archadian Judge who has taken it upon herself to try and arrest Rhiannon for her 'crimes against the world(s)'. The attempt has done nothing but provide ample laughter ammo. She still thinks Cirra is far out of her field of jurisdiction, but nonetheless, lets the judge do as she thinks she can.
|-
| [[Garland]]
| One of the initial benefactors of the Black Beast experiment. Rhia has since passed the results of her tests and experiments on, for the man to use as he sees fit. All a part of the initial deal of course. Which can't be good for anyone really.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Maira]]
| Seen as nothing but Angantyr's squeeze in Rhia's eyes. The woman can barely remember Maira's name, let alone acknowledge her existence for more than five seconds. Another name to tack onto the 'trying to kill me' list.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|-
| [[Warden Thache]]
| A roguish pirate captain she's seen about now and then. One of the few that don't actually want her dead on sight. he has interesting ideas. For better or worse. Probably worse for everyone else.
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Venturing Into The Depths

2014-03-12T07:08:24Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/03/03 |Location=Mountainside |Synopsis=A greedy elf and a wise-cracking joker plunge into the depths of a ruined, underground city in search o..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/03
|Location=Mountainside
|Synopsis=A greedy elf and a wise-cracking joker plunge into the depths of a ruined, underground city in search of a rumored wishing spring. Nonsense ensues.
|Cast of Characters=Lumeria, Raine Arland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' It's been a while since...well, things happened. The worlds hadn't heard much from Raine, or Lumeria, in a while. What /were/ these two up to anyway? Pan over to the Northeastern Mountainside on the Northern Continent of the World of Ruin and you'd have your answer. "I'm beginning to wonder if that information broker wasn't totally just jipping us..." Raine mumbled, hands grasping an opened map in front of his as he casually walked along the rough, mostly unbeaten path before them. The road was rocky and rife with obstacles. Large stones to climb over, gaps to jump, and the occasional monster. Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasure trip. "A legendary spring said to grant any wish to the one who comes upon it...sounds pretty enticing, huh Lumeria?" Grinning, the young man looked away from his map and slightly behind him at the elven girl in his company. How /was/ she holding up with the mountain hike anyway?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "If it were easy to access, the spring would have been drained a lot time ago." Lumeria is starting to think it's unlikely as well but it was worth looking into. She's clearly tired from all the climbing. While she was in a bit better shape then before she's still a squishy mage. She dusts herself off a bit taking a moment to rest.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Huh, I guess you're right." Nodding, Raine looked back ahead. Just in time for for-- "Bwah!" ...He walked facefirst into a boulder bigger than they were. ".......Ow." He grumbled, stepping back and rubbing his nose from the blunder. "Tch, I swear this road is only getting more and more impassable." Rolling his eyes, the swordman moved to step around it. "ANYway...Try not to fall too far behind now! I hear there are some reaaaaaaaaal creepy crawlies out here that love feasting on elf flesh~" Smiling creepily, Raine wriggled his fingers in an ominous way to go with the words he was uttering. "I hear they'll grab you by your legs, and then drag you underground and strip the flesh from your bones...all while you're still conscious enough to feel it~" How pleasant.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria rolls her eyes at that, "If that's the case, then maybe I should wish that you were an elf so they'll eat you. Besides just because I look like a dainty teenage girl doesn't mean I'm helpless. I think you would have figured that out already." She's certainly brimming with confidence. She finds it easier to get around the boulder than he does.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Of course you're not helpless!" Raine shrugged as he followed along, chuckling to himself. "If you were, you wouldn't be here. I guess that makes you a lot more capable than the random townsperson, huuuuh?" He said that, but the grin on his face suggested that he was still making fun of her. Regardless of that, they were making progress. It must have been afternoon by now. They'd left in the morning. So plenty of time had passed. With the occasional conversation and stupid joke thrown out. "Right, so say this wish granting spring does exist? What the heck are we going to do with it?" As he asked, he folded his arms behind his head in a lazy fashion, staring off at the path ahead while making sure to not trip on some random rock or anything.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Make a wish of course, I though that's why we were going through all this trouble to begin with? Otherwise, we're doing all this climbing for nothing." Lumeria's certainly not doing this for her healthy. "Of course, I'm the greatest white mage, I'm a lot more capable than some random townsperson." She doesn't pick up the the fact that he's making fun of her.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Make a wish...but what /kind/ of wish?" He asked, still looking entertained with himself. "I mean, I don't particularly have a wish...Kinda adverse that whole thing. I'm sure you know why." Raine laughed a little to himself at that, and kept onwards. "Plus, I gotta say, I'm not entirely sure I'd trust /you/ to make a wish." Totally teasing her. And Lumeria only added more ammo to Raine's arsenal. Hearing her call herself 'the greatest white mage', the swordsman had to keep himself from choking with laughter. "Ohhhh really?" And then suddenly, his left eye lit up blue. And in a flash of white light, he was right in front of the girl, arms crossed in a smug manner. "So what kind of 'greatest white mage' can't even cast warp, huh?" He was grinning from ear to ear by now.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria turns a bit red at that, "The kind that's still learning dark magic and why are you going through all this trouble if you don't intend to make a wish? I could be in a library reading right now inside of going through all this trouble if I weren't going to." She's not big on physical activity after all. "Why, what do you think I'm going to wish for? To be empress of the world?" Of course she's not going to say what she has in mind.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Ahahahahaha!" And of course, he burst out laughing at her rebuttal. "Ohhhh, this'll never get old." Raine sighed, turning around and resuming his walking. Whoops, better avoid that gap there. Twisting an ankle would just spell trouble for a long trip. Lumeria's question bounced around in the young man's mind meanwhile. Why was he investigating this spring? "...Let's just say I'm curious." He finally answered after several moments of silence. "Something that sounds too good to be true? I've got to see it for myself of course." Asking that, Raine glanced aside at his company. "...Empress of the world?" And then a smirk. "I wouldn't put it past you." And his smirk widened a little at that. "Either that, or a massive mountain of gold~" Their comedy routine was cut off at that point however, as the ground began to shake. It was slow at first, but then began to grow more and more violent. "Wh-Whoa! An earthquake!?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "A mountain of gold...hmmm..." Lumeria pauses a moment to think the idea over. "It would likely fall on me." She's savvy enough to realize wishing for something that large would likely backfire on her. She can feel the ground begin to shake and nearly falls over as she tries to stay balanced. "What's going on?!" It was all so sudden.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine didn't get the time to make a snarky comeback regarding the gold comment, he was too busy trying to stay upright in the midst of the sudden quake. "I don't know what's going on here, but I think it'd be best if we--HUH?" The ground began to break apart beneath his feet and suddenly, something burst up, looking vaguely like a hand, or a claw, and grasped Raine's leg. "....What the hell is thi--Gah!" And then he was pulled downwards, ground breaking apart as the young man was dragged beneath the earth. "I was just joking about all of thaaaaaaaaaaat...!" Was his fading cry as his body vanished below the earth, leaving a sizable sinkhole that led into darkness... It would seem that Lumeria herself was missed. So much for elf flesh! ...What now?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's doing her best to not fall into the hole that suddenly formed as Raine's dragged down below. "I would comment on the irony of that, but I doubt he can hear me." Of course now's she stranded alone on the mountain. It would be difficult to climb back down on her own. She looks down into the sinkhole casting a light spell to see into the darkness below and where Raine might have ended up.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Casting the light down into the opening below, Lumeria would see what seems to be the beginning of curious stone structures. What she can see is rather dilapidated, and it's seen better days. But it is definitely man made. Like some manner of ancient city long lost to the eyes of man. She should decide to descend, she'll find the hole narrow at first, but eventually widening out into a series of underground ruins. A ledge overlooking the ruins beyind would become her foothold, with a bit of a climb to get down to the actual ancient city below. Raine was nowhere to be found. Not even a peep.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Of course the stone structures make Lumeria curious, so she decides to descend using a rope to climb down instead of jumping. That and she doesn't have really other choice here. She might be right about what she said before and the spring might be long since gone. Of course that still leaves the question to where Raine might have gone.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' As Lumeria made her way down into the ruined city, a shadow quickly dipped by and vanished behind a building. The same thing happened in another location. And then another. ...She wasn't alone down here, that was for sure. But what could it be? Who knew. Indeed, Raine was nowhere to be found still, not even a single clue as to where he might have gotten off to. And there were quite a few stone buildings about. If there were anything that could be considering important or a kind of landmark, one would have to look to the center, and an empty water fountain within the abandoned square. There was also a tall building nearby. A sort of tower that reached about the roofs of the other structures. Now, where would she go...?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria notices the faint shadows, she knows Raine has to be down here somewhere but were they not alone? She notices the empty water fountain and frowns a bit. The people that lived her had to have had water at some point and that means it was likely the same source as the spring. She figures there might be a library, archives or somewhere else where knowledge is kept and that might be worth looking into. Of course it was odd there was no bones or anything left of the city's former residents. She makes her way towards the tower figuring it would make a good vantage point to see the rest of the town.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Several more quick movements were made as the girl moved through the ruined streets. But no hostile movements were made. As Lumeria made her way to the tower doors, something peculiar happened as she walked under an overpass. ...Something wet and slimy landed on her shoulder. A clear substance that must have been saliva, or drool or something. Well that wasn't exactly pleasant. ...What was up there?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria can feel the saliva hit her bare shoulder and cringes a bit at that. She must be heading the right direction at least as she opens the tower doors. It was the only lead she has to work with at the moment. Hopefully, there wasn't some kind of giant lizard monster waiting inside to try and eat her alive.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' It's probably a good thing that she didn't look up. As she passed, a shuffling, scraping sound could be heard and then the presence was gone. The Tower doors were unlocked and opened. Surprisingly, they were in okay condition, considering the rest of the place. Was someone here? Only one way to find out. Entering into the tower, Lumeria would find the place rather unkempt. There was a spiral staircase that lead upwards along the walls, and each level was on a circular plane. Even more interestingly though, there were shelves packed with books. Books on top of books. Some had fallen into disrepair, others were strewen about the rottong tables, their pages opened and unread for ages. And it was dark. Hopelessly dark. Thankfully the girl could create light. Otherwise she'd be in real trouble... Shuffling sounds from the floor above didn't inspire confidence however...

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria briefly looks at all the books doing her best not to be distracted by them. There would be time to look at them later. Right now she needed to find Raine and whatever else might be inside waiting for her. Sure, they didn't get along at times, but they're still working together. All this exercise was starting to tire her, but she was doing her best to remain focused on the task at hand.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' There was the sound of a low hiss, followed by the sound of something cracking slowly... Suddenly, one of the walls near the door burst open, sending stone shrapnel everywhere inside. And finally, one of those mysterious shadows revealed itself. It was a bipedal, repilian creature, not quite a dragon, but not just some run of the mill lizard either. It's body was covered in brown scales and each of it's legs held a set of razor sharp claws. Hissing much more ferociously, the creature opened it's mouth, revealing several sets of terrifying looking fangs. And best of all, it was much bigger than the average human, at least twice, and it was on all fours. Imagine if it stood on two. Without giving the girl much time to process what was happening, the creature let forth a jet stream of crimson flame from it's mouth, attempting to envelop the elf in fire.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria lets out a loud scream as she sees the lizard. She's afraid of them and runs back down the stairs as she tries to avoid being lit on fire. Of course she's quite fatigued at this point, so she's lost a step or two. She's starting to regret coming down here. Looks like Raine's on his own, unless if he can somehow convince her to quit running.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Unfortunately for Lumeria, that thing wasn't going to just leave her alone. It scrambled after her, letting out angry hisses and roars as it remained on her trail. She was always just a hair away from a claw swipe or a blast of flame, but somehow, she'd managed to avoid getting caught...for now. As she ran back out into the streets, she'd see that more of those things were waiting for her. Hanging on ledges, crawling on the sides of buildings, and in the street. There was more of them than there really was any business being. However, a sudden pillar of white light shined off in the distance from one of the other buildings, blasting a hole through the rooftop. ...Well, with monsters blocking the way all around, it seemed like that was the best best. The reptilian creature chasing her stopped as well, staring off at the light in a vaguely confused manner. Could this be her chance?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria notices the pillar of light coming from one of the buildings, it seemed to distracted the reptiles so she figures it would be best to stay close to it. She wonders if their eyes were hurt by bright lights from being underground for so long but she's not going to let them get close enough to test that if possible.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Lumeria is free to make a mad dash for the pillar of light. The monsters all around her were too busy growling and shaking their heads from the sudden flash of light. As she neared the building, she might notice the sound of metal and wood crashing inside. A few seconds later, the door was blasted open by a surge of light. "You're not having a bite out of me today!" Came Raine's voice, yelling through the light and wielding a broken chair. He swung it in a wide arc, but then-- "Huh?" --He stopped just short of breaking it over the girl's head. "...Oh. Lumeria. Fancy seeing you out there." He grinned sheepishly, lowering the furniture piece and rubbing the back of his head. And angry roar from inside jolted him back to action though. "Crap! No time to talk, come on!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her along to run again. "I saw something interesting nearby, but we've got to lose these things!" The light pillar was apparently made by Raine. Must have been some sort of spell as it dissipated soon after.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Oh you're still alive, I see." Lumeria knew she wouldn't get rid of him that easily. "Careful, with that, I don't think you want to drag me out of here." She imagines that would be rather difficult. She doesn't struggle as he grabs her arm, she's not going to argue with him at this point. Hopefully he found a good hiding place, because she's not really up for heavy fighting right now.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Yeah. They tried to eat me. I gave em a rude awakening." Raine answered coolly while continuing to run along. He was leading them in the direction of what looked to be a ziggurat-like structure at the edge of the city. The fading light and the angry hisses of the monsters were just noise in the distance by this point. They'd put enough distance from their assailants to slow down and not worry about being immediately set upon. "See that temple looking thing there?" The young man asked, pointing over towards it. "That's got to be some sort of special ruin. I bet it holds something at the very least interesting!" Or it could be another monster nest. Hard to tell. "...Either way, let's try to avoid combat, yeah?" He wasn't carrying any weapons now that one actually looked. What a dumb move!

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, the books I saw earlier looked informative. I didn't get a chance to actually read them. But treasure's also good." Books and possible gold, this might be worth all the trouble after all. "You can still warp us out of here, if something goes wrong right?" There's no telling if the temple might be trapped or there's more reptiles waiting inside for them. She stays close to him, in case they do need to leave here in a hurry.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "You and your books." He mumbled, rolling his eyes in the process. Oh well, he couldn't knock the thirst for further knowledge. Even if he didn't really partake in it himself. "Well, yeah. I should be able to warp us out if anything goes /too/ wrong." And then he grinned as he plodded on, arriving at the steps leading up into the stone pyramid. "Just watch out. I miiiiiight forget to take you with me, so try to remind me." He must have been kidding. ...Probably. "Anyway, let's see what we've got in here..." Raine spoke distractedly, looking on ahead. CLICK. "...What was that?" He asked, looking down at his feet. ...It turned out that he just stepped on floor panel. Was that a tra-- FWIP. What must have been an arrow whizzed by between Raine and Lumeria's heads. ".....Whoops." And a tweening sound coming from further in suggested more were coming...

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, excuse me for actually being able to read." Lumeria can't help she's had the best of everything including tutors. "If you leave me behind here and I die, I'll make sure to haunt you for an eternity." She certainly don't want to be stuck. Hearing the sound of more arrows, she hits the floor not wanting to get a faceful of them.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Huh? Hey wait, wha--WHOAOWOWOWOW!" Raine growled out painfully as an arrow embedded itself into his shoulder. "OKAY BAD IDEA." Exclaiming that, he hit the floor, not about to become a pincushion for the rest of the volley of arrows. One was enough! And that hurt enough as it was! "....Wait a second, are you implying that I can't read!?" He suddenly spoke up, going all the way back to that jab Lumeria had made before the arrow rain struck. "I can tell you right now that I--Ow, damn it!" Forget that, arrow to the shoulder hurt! Once the assault had passed, the swordsmand sat up, grasping his shoulder and sighing in exasperation. "What kind of luck do I even have to get hit by this?" That was a rheotrical question apparently, as he grinned despite the pain and went on. "Haunt me for an eternity...Does that mean you'd watch me shower and get dressed too?" Idiot.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria sighs a bit at that, "I don't mean non-stop, you think I wouldn't have other things to do in the afterlife? Besides you might enjoy that. I swear you would be dead right now if I wasn't here." She can't believe him sometimes. "This better be worth all the trouble we're going through." Sometimes she wonders why she even tags along.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "pfffft-- ahahahahahaOW" Raine had begun laughing at first, but the pain in his shoulder cut him off once again. "I would totally not be dead if you were--" Pause as he eyed the arrow in his shoulder. "...Okay fine." He sighed and the grabbed it. Taking a deep breath, he then wrenched it back out suddenly. "Gah! Ow! Damn it! Remind me not to get hit by arrows again!" Discarding the wooden projectile, he glanced at Lumeria and gestures to his wound with a sheepish smile. "Heeeeeeey...since you're supposed to be the greatest white mage ever, mind working a little of that healing magic? Or do I have to pay you for that?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, I'm sure I'll have to remind you of that." Lumeria's pretty certain that's not the last time it'll happen. "I suppose healing you is in my best interest." Better for him to get hit then her, it didn't take much physical force to take the girl down after all. She gets back onto her feet and waves her hand a bit creating green sparkles to mend his shoulder.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Whoa ho~ I /don/t have to pay you?" Raine exclaimed in a teasing tone as Lumeria's magic washed over his shoulder, the pain ebbing away and the wound closing. Soon, all that was left was just a simple hole in his jacket sleeve. "Heh, not bad." He mumbled, patting his shoulder to test it. "Too bad healing magic can't fix clothes, huh?" He mused aloud, grinning as he stood up. "Imagine how useful that would be? Get all torn up and tossed about, and then a little bout of healing fixes everything! Heh heh..." Apparently that was amusing to him as he'd chuckled at the end. Once that was over with, Raine glanced over at the dark and imposing opening leading further into the ruined pyramid. "...Well, no point standing around. Let's get a move on."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I think you enjoy testing my patience." Lumeria rolls her eyes a bit as they making their way further instead. "Do I llook like a crawler to you? On second thought don't answer that." She's just hoping there isn't a lounge of lizards waiting inside to attack them. That would just make things worse.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Do I? I dunno about that." Raine replied casually, crossing his arms behind his head as they approached and made their way inside. Hearing the girl's question, the young man smirked and opened his mouth to respond in kind. "A crawler? Well if I /really/ had to say..." His answer was cut off by the sound of hissing and scuffling in the pitch black darkness. "...Wow. It's really dark in here. Let's get some light set up, sheesh!" Holding out a hand, Raine formed a ball of light to illuminate the immediate area. What greeted them were lizards. The same kinds they just escaped from. On the floor, on the ceiling, on the walls, everywhere. And they all stopped to stare as the chamber was lit up. ".......Lumeria?" Raine asided to his companion, keeping his eyes on the monsters. "...Somehow, I know this is your fault." And then every single one of them let out angry hisses and roars in unison.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria gasps at all the lizards, "How can the ecosystem of this place support all of them?" It doesn't seem like it could be possible. "My fault? You were the one who fell down here!" She hides behind Raine as much good as that'll do. "I hate lizards! If it were up to me they wouldn't exist at all." As much as she hate to admit it even she doesn't have that kind of power. "I don't suppose you could teleport us out of here about now?" She asks in her sweetest voice.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Yeah, well, it's not /my/ fault they dragged me down here!" Raine shot back, eyes surveying the situation at hand. There were a lot of them. More than he really wanted to fight. Sure, he could ask for Lumeria's Soul Blade, but that was too much trouble. "Heh heh...Really? Why do you hate them so much anyway? What'd they do you?" Despite the situation, he found it in him to ask, sounding entertained anyhow. "Well anyway...sorry, princess, but we've got to keep on going. No man gains anything by turning tail at the first sign of trouble." Smiling wryly after that, he suddenly increased the size of the ball of light he was maintaining. "Close your eyes!" And then it exploded in a flash, blinding the monsters. "Alright, get a move on while they're distracted!" Raine said quickly, breaking out into a run past the various lizard creatures, howling and flailing around blindly.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' emit Well it much pretty serious, if Lumeria's willing to give up treasure to get away. "They'll probably eat my soft, delicate flesh they don't want your leathery corpse." Of course she's not going to state the real reason but she figures that's good enough of an excuse. The girl runs surprisingly fast at least for her at least.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Well it must be pretty serious, if Lumeria's willing to give up treasure to get away. "They'll probably eat my soft, delicate flesh they don't want your leathery corpse." Of course she's not going to state the real reason but she figures that's good enough of an excuse. The girl runs surprisingly fast at least for her at least.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Excuse me? I totally take offense to that!" Raine complained as they ran into the next corridor. "I mean, come on! They dragged /me/ down here first! That means they obviously wanted a piece of this amazing manflesh here!" His face turned to one of supreme amusement, even as they were rushing off. Leave it to them to argue about who would be the most appetizing though. "Not that I can blame them! I mean, c'mon! Look at me! Manliness incarnate right here!" Coming out into the next chamber, it was revealed to be a straight and narrow stone bridge leading all the way across to the next area. Problem was that there were no guard rails and below was a steep drop into the abyss. So of course it would be their luck that right as they ran cross the middle, a crack in the bridge would widen, and then cause a chain reaction that would send the entire structure tumbling under their feet. "E-Eh? Ehhhhhh? Hey wait-!" Raine cried as their footing abandoned them, almost comically leaving the two to stand in mid-air for a second, before gravity decided to reassert it's dominance. And down they went. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh craaaaaaaaaap! This is NOT cool!" Complained as the momentum of falling, and the wind rushed against his face, the swordsman saw fit to curse their fate even more. "Whose idea was this anyway!? ...Wait, it was mine! Damn it!" Flailing as they fell deeper and deeper into the depths, he glanced toward Lumeria quickly. "Hey, hey! You're the mage here! You know anything to keep us from becoming human and elven pancakes!?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria can't believe their luck as the stone bridge gives way under their feet and they begin to fall. She does her best to remain calm despite their current situation, "Yes, but you'll likely complain about it." Still, it's better than being crushed into the ground below. She begins casting a spell on them and the pair begin to quickly decrease greatly in size. The mage figures the lost of mass should enable them to survive the fall provided there isn't spikes or anything else waiting below.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Heh? Complain about what? I'd rather not get splattere--ehhhh?" Raine's midair reply was abruptly cut off as he realized that their surroundings were growing smaller and smaller... "Wait a second! What the heck is this? Why is everything suddenly so small!?" There was a moment of thought, and then realization. "Ohh! I get it! It's Mini, right?" Well whatever it was, it was working relatively. They were still sailing through the air, but with their dramatically decreased size, by the time they actually landed, the impact wasn't life threatening. Just kind of painful. "Gah! Ow, ow...!" He grumbled, rubbing his back in irritation. Thankfully the debris from the fallen bridge landed first, else they would have had to contend with a stone rain. "Okay, I think we're okay. Albeit, bruised here and there..." Raine stood then, rubbing the side of his head and laughing lightly to himself. "Nice work, Lumeria. We've managed to avoid becoming a statistic. Now...care to return us to normal?" Being small was just weird!

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's breathing deeply, she took the fall a bit harder than Raine did. "Ow!" Well, at least they're alive. "Give me a second, that was still a serious fall." She begins chanting in a tiny voice and a small amount of magical energy surrounds them before fizzling out. "I think I overdid it...well the spell should wear off on it's own. Eventually..." She turns a bit red at that.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "....Well crap." Raine muttered after witnessing her magic fizzle out into nothing. "So you're saying we've got to run around like this till it wears off? Tch!" Raine huffed and shoved a hand into a pocket, the other raising to form a ball of light again. "So basically, we just need to hope we don't become bite sized snacks for some lizard. Greaaaaaaat." Lighting up their immediate surroundings proved to be a bit harder than before due to their own smaller size. But after a bit of searching, they eventually found a doorway leading out. Stepping through, the two of them found themselves in a single corridor going straight. Lining the walls of each side were armored stone statues of a bygone era. And considering their smaller size, they only looked even more imposing. Standing tall and straight, each of them grasping a blade pointed downwards and embedded into the floor. "Wow...get a load of these things!" Raine exclained as they walked through. "Man, wouldn't it be funny if these big guys came to life and tried to kill us? Ahahaha!" ...... Almost as if waiting for it to happen, Raine paused and stared up at them as they passed. Thankfully they did not. "Whew! Okay, so we're not completely out of luck! Let's get a move on! I feel like we've got to start making progress now!" The young man exclaimed, pointing onward with an excited flourish. Despite all that had happened so far...this was kind of fun.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "You're lucky I can't use silence magic." Lumeria doesn't sound too happy about Raine's comment. "I'm guessing we're too small to trigger those." One thing she's learned is that ancient statues in temples will always come to life if possible, it's some kind law. Of course it's also harder for them to make progress quickly given their size. "Of course if we find the fountain like this, we'll probably drown if we go in it."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Silence magic? Now why would you /ever/ want to silence this angelic voice?" Raine shrugged nonchalantly as they approached final stretch of the corridor, totally blaise about the whole thing, now he knew the statues couldn't detect them. "I guess there's some good points to be small. ...Some." He reiterated, just to make sure. Stepping out of that ominous room, they came out to an interesting sight; a spiral staircase leading downwards. Except, they couldn't see the bottom. The sight was almost stomach turning at how high they were. "...Wow." The swordsman muttered, peering over the edge of the stairs from where they stood. "I can't see the bottom. No telling what's down there." But after that was said, Raine simply smiled and moved onwards, climbing down with a bit of difficulty due to their size. "...So when is this spell going to wear off, huh?" He randomly asked, glacing aside at Lumeria. "For someone who's supposed to be 'the greatest white mage', your track record is kind of awful right now, you know?" And that was topped off with an entertained chuckle. "Man, this is going to take forever at this rate!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, I could have let you splattered against the ground." Lumeria's quick to defend herself. She has some trouble getting down the stairs. Jumping's a bit tempting at this point, but they had no one idea what awaited them below. She stops a moment to catch her breath. "All of this is really wearing me out." She had managed to somehow get even squisher than she normally was.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Point taken." Raine sighed as well and stopped at the next step, sitting down at the edge. "...Hey, let's take a break. We've been moving constantly for a while now. And now that we've got to expend even more energy to move how we would normally..." He left the rest unsaid and simply pat the space beside him in invitation. "I've still got some supplies from when we set out. I dunno about you, but I'm hungry!" The young man exclaimed, reaching into a side pack and producing a hunk of bread. He took a bite out of it before waving it in Lumeria's direction. "Want some?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes a seat next to him and eagerly grabs the hunk of bread. "Of course we would be moving a lot faster normally. I don't even know how long we've been down here for." It seemed like days at this point. She begins eating, not beliving how good it tasted right now. "So why do you put up with me? I'm sure you could have found one of those selfless healer types to take along with you."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine smiled a little, amused at Lumeria eagerly tearing into that bread he'd taken out. "Whoa hey now, slow down or you'll choke." He warned, chuckling after as he produced a bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a long sip. "Ah...man, I needed that." He sighed in relief, looking aside at the girl as she asked her questions. "Hm? What a silly question." Raine responded without a second thought. "I 'put up with you' because you're interesting." Saying that simply he took another sip of his water before going on. "You only live one life, so shouldn't you spend it doing interesting things with interesting people?" After that was said, he offered the water bottle, in case she wanted a drink.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes the water bottle and has a sip. "Thank you. Interesting, I guess that's one way of putting it." She'll take that as a compliment. She looks around to make sure no else is watching, they were pretty vulnerable in their current state. "Hopefully, we're getting close to the fountain or whatever's in here."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Well, us moving depends entirely on you." Raine replied easily enough, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head as he stared upwards. "Do you think you've got what it takes to return us to normal? Or do you want to waste more energy going as we are?" Either way, it didn't seem like he was in any huge rush to keep going. Thankfully it didn't seem like there were any monsters are environmental hazards out to make their lives miserable again. Seems like those monstrous lizards didn't nest this deep in either. That was one less thing to worry about. "So? What'll it be?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria focuses once again, now that's she's had a chance to relax a bit. She begins casting a spell and the two of them are covered in blue energy and start to return to their normal size. The mage remains quiet otherwise as she does so since she doesn't want to break her concentration. She feels a bit sore from her early bruises and sudden increase in mass. "I think I can make it to the bottom now."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine paused as the spell was cast, feeling himself growing bigger. Soon the two of them were taking up more than one step, their legs covering a few more. "Huh...that's going to take some getting used to." He mumbled to himself, scratching his cheek with a finger. With the bread finished and the water not too far behind, he stood up and stretched his arms out. "Okay. Looks like we're good to go!" He grinned then and offered Lumeria a hand to stand with. "I guess this is one mark to the success side of the board. Now, let's keep going. We've got to find something down there."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes Raine's hand stumbling a bit as she gets back onto her feet. "It's hard to adjust from the change in size." She's just about hit her limit of what she can take. All this physical activity was starting to wear the mage out. She certainly hopes so, it would be disappoint to go all this way for nothing.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' After helping her up, Raine glanced down over the edge of the stairs, studying their progress. ...Which wasn't much at all. Thankfully they were bigger now. They would be able to make better progress now. And without any further word, the two of them made the journey down the winding spiral staircase. As they made it deeper and deeper downward, they would be able to hear the sound of faintly flowing water. That drew Raine's attention. "Hm? ...You hear that?" He asked, pausing for a moment to cup a hand around one of his ears to listen. "...Yeah, that sounds like water. Could that be it?" Grinning in anticipation, he began to move faster, stepping down the stairs with a bit more energy in his steps. They were on the verge of something, definitely. It also helped that they ran into no incidents on the way, and a careful glance down revealed that they could see the bottom! From where they were, all they saw was water, but surely there was more than that. Only one way to find out. "C'mon! Don't slow down now. We're almost there!" Raine exclaimed, glancing at Lumeria momentarily before continuing down.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria hears the sound of rushing water as well and starts to pick up the pace a bit. Was the fountain real? there was only one way to found out. "I hope this isn't just an underground lake." There was no way to tell from here if it was an chanted or not. At least the coast seem to be clear as they make their way down.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Well, we'll just have to see!" Nearing the bottom, Raine decided to skip the whole stair walking thing and leapt off the side of the stairs from where he stood. "Look out beloooooow!" He called to no one in particular, soon resulting in a splash of water. "Whoa ho! Check this out! It's not a bad sight! Hurry and get down here, Lumeria. You're missing out!" He called upwards to the girl, not questioning how she went about doing it.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's glad he leapt first, even if it's water below there's not telling what might be underneath it. Seeing that's it safe though, she dives into the water as well. Her outfit's already a mess so getting wet at those point wasn't that big of deal. Plus, she's a bit excited to see what he's referring to.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Standing up, the water went about as high as their thighs, making movement a bit harder, but not impossible. At least they didn't have to swim. The area was a large, circular chamber filled with water. Vines lined the walls and went all around, dotted with flowers and moss here and there. A spiral staircase lined one side of the wall and went upwards, where they just came from, and there was only one way to go from there; a single ornate, ivory gate showed the way. It was joined on either side by a pair of armored statues, similar to what they'd seen in the last corridor above. They would be able to see a faint light shining within as well. "See? I told you it was a sight to behold." Raine said casually, hands resting on his hips as he nodded to himself. The statues gaze the swordsman pause however. ".....It's those things again." He quirked a brow, not moving to get closer to the way further in. "Oh well! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" And with that, Raine threw caution to the wind and waded through the water to approach. He was rewarded with an ominous light flickering within the helmets of the two statues, followed by the creaking of their stone bodies moving. Pulling their swords out of the water, the statues crossed their blades over the other, barring Raine's entrance. Their helmeted gaze betrayed no expressions, but the vibe they gaze off clearly stated 'You will not pass'. "...Well crap. Looks like we're not getting through this one easily."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria wades through the water behind him but stays close. She looks at the statues blocking their path. "This is what I had to see? Well, I don't think you to shrink down again so any idea on how to get past?" Attacking the statues directly didn't seem like a good idea. She looks around to see if there's any levers or anything that might make the statues move out of the way.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Well no. Not exactly." Raine chuckled, backing up at the imposing actions of the statues. "Let's just call this an...unfortunate addition to the scenery? Heh heh..." Not that it did anything to help the situation at all really. Raine's action caused the two statues to follow, lifting their blades and stepping forward threateningly. One of them took the initiative, following through with a wide swing in the swordsman's direction. "Whoa hey!" He cried, leaping back out of range and landing with a splash by Lumeria, the missed strike impacted with the water, kicking up a cloud of water mist. "Okay, these things are hostile! Nothing to do but to fight!" He cursed his luck and sighed. "Should have bought a weapon! Crap!" There was no going around this one now. His elven companion was given a look. "So hey, since I don't have any weapons, mind if I borrow that tarnished blade of yours again? Like, right now would be great!" Indeed, while the statue that attacked was righting itself from missing, the second one was advancing on their position menacingly.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Why didn't you bring any weapons with you?" Lumeria glares at him. She's not a physical fighter so it was understandable in her case but for him to do so? "I suppose, but you better protect me. I'm left wide open when you do that." It's also feels somewhat unpleasant but doubtly less so then getting stabbed by the knights.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Because I forgot to buy one?" Raine admitted, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Whoa-!" Unfortunately, the armored sentinels weren't going to wait around for them to finish their comedy routine. "Excuse me for a second!" Without any further ado, he grabbed Lumeria by the waist and jumped back, kicking up more water. When they landed, the swordsman's left eye immediatel lit up with a blue aura. "Right! Protect you, don't break it! Got it!" And with that, a magic glyph formed over Lumeria's chest and Raine thrust his arm in, grasping at something immaterial, and yet, material at the same time. "Paradise, is here!" There was a flash of light as he pulled back, revealing the same tarnished blade of light that he'd used before. It flickered in and out, not keeping one distinct shape, but rather wildly fluctuating, like a flame. "Sheesh! I see this thing hasn't gotten any lighter, huh?" The young man complained, shaking his head. "Anyway, get moving! And search the walls! If you find anything like a switch or some kind of panel, activate it! Go! Go!" He shooed her off with an arm before suddenly being forced to defend as one of the statues bore down upon Raine with an overhead strike. "Guh...! Damn, these things are strong!" He muttered, gritting his teeth in exertion. "But I've got the magic of the 'greatest white mage' in my hands! So I can't possibly lose!" Famous last words.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria looks around for the switch, while Raine covers her. Without her magic there isn't much else she can do at the moment. It seems like he's still manage to struggle. After swimming around for a bit she manages to find a lever and pulls it. She grabs her chest as she struggles to stay afloat the effects having her soul ripped from her body are starting to take effect.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' As Raine struggled to defend against attacks from both armored golems, he perked up as he heard a sound in the center of the area. It looked like something was opening up, creating a whirlpool. "...Oh! I see! It's a draining hole! Nice find!" He called out Lumeria, rolling aside and out of the way of another swing. "Okay, I can use this!" Raine said quickly, coming to a kneeling position. Rearing back with the soul blade, he focused, causing the weapon to flare up and grow more powerful as well a in length. "And down you both go! Haaaaaaaaah!" And then he swung, aiming to send both statues careening into the whirlpool. Well, it worked. Somewhat. One of them was bowled over and right into the hole, falling into some unknown depths. The other statue, while having been hit, managed to get out one more swing before it fell into the depths after it's partner. That swing caught the swordsman across the torso, sending him flying back and into a wall. "Gah!" The impact sounded entirely unpleasant...Oh and there was a grisly wound opened up. It was staining the water red. "Heh...looks like that was...a little too reckless, huh?" He mumbled, chuckling for a moment before coughing, a trail of blood leaving the corner of his mouth then. "Thanks for letting...use this." Raine mumbled a bit more, raising Lumeria's soul blade, for her to take back, if she could. His vision was getting blurry and he couldn't very well stand to do it himself.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria grabs her soul blade and sticks into her chest. After a moment to recover she comes to her senses. She looks at the wound and sighs a bit. "I'm going to have to heal you again aren't I? Well, I guess I owe you for not getting me killed." She places her hands on his torso getting blood all over them. Larger green sparkles then before begin to mend the wound. "Just don't make a habit of this, I can't have people thinking I'm going soft."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Heh heh, hey c'mon..." Raine chuckled as her healing magic worked on his wounds. "...What sort of white mage is afraid of people thinking they've gone soft?" He asked, pretty much entirely in jest. Leave it to him to be able to joke around at a time like this. "Between the two of us...I've say we've got the worst luck in the world, huh?" It hurt like hell, but the magic was doing it's job. Soon his wounds were closing, and the pain had lessened, but magic wouldn't replace lost blood. Which still left Raine feeling dizzy. "Ah man..." He grumbled to himself, raising a hand to rub the side of his head. "Looks like the path is clear now." And the water that was in the chamber had all drained down into that hole Lumeria had opened with the lever. "Well, just a little bit more, I guess. And then we can find out what exactly is at the end of this all." With that, he shakily stood to his feet, taking a deep breath to gather his bearings once he was up. "...Anyway, thanks. I mean it." He said, smiling a little down at his companion. "I'd be dead right now if you weren't here." A rare moment of sincerity from the joker. Gasp.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I'm not your typical white mage in-case you hadn't noticed." Lumeria's quick to point out. "Well, I'm from a wealthy family so I guess this the universe's way of evening things out. That might explain all the trouble she seems to be dragged into. "I'll remember that the next time you mock me." She moves onwards before they have a chance to run into anything else.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Yeah, yeah, no need to tell to me that." Raine quipped, abeit a bit sarcastically. He also rolled his eyes at her response to his gratitude, but smiled to himself all the same. Things would never get old like this. "Right then." Another deep breath and then they were off. Past the drop, past the gates, past a short, featureless corridor. In the end, they came out into the sight of a small spring. There were some marble steps leading down into a small body of water. An intricately designed fixture held it, circulating water in and around itself. And deep within, one could deep magic particles and light flowing within. "....Wow, is this it?" Raine mumbled curiously, peering down into the spring.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria gasps as they approach the spring, was it real? She almost can't believe it. Of course they still didn't know if it could actually grant wishes or not. "The question is how to use it. Do you throw money in there, drink from it, what?" There might have been something in the books upstairs but she didn't get a chance to read them.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "I...." Raine began, bringing a hand to his chin. He didn't approach and stayed at the top of the stairs. "...Have no idea." He admitted after a moment's thought. Really, how /were/ they supposed to use this thing? "...I couldn't say. Why don't you try throwing yourself in there? Heh heh heh~" The young man suggested teasingly, if not a bit tiredly, managing a smirk for his efforts. He shrugged after that, continuing to watch. He wasn't interested in making a wish, so he was content to bear witness to whatever would happen.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria glares at him as she responds, "Oh sure, you would love me to strip naked and jump in there." That would be rather embarrassing even if the fountain did grant wishes. That and she would have to reveal her secret to him in order to get what she wanted to wish for.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "I would actually." Raine nodded unabashedly, smirking wider and nodding at the mental image. "Maybe I should wish for it even? Ah, a wish for a noble cause~" But despite the teasing, he didn't move to make a wish. In fact, he just sunk down, sitting cross legged with an elbow resting against a leg and his chin in his hand. "Well? You gonna try anything, or are you just going to stare into the water all day?" He asked, arching a brow at Lumeria's hesitance. "Come on, you've got to have a wish. You of all people!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Alright fine, I'll try something if that'll make you happy." Of course she's not going to go with the strip naked method unless she has to. Lumeria removes a coin from her pocket before tossing into the fountain. "I wish I was more skilled with more skilled with black magic." If she was more powerful perhaps she could remove the curse herself.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine watched as she tossed the coin into the well. It fell in with a plop and sunk to the bottom as the wish was uttered. "....More skilled with black magic, huh?" Raine intoned almost boredly, eyeing the rippling surface of the water. But then there was suddenly a bright flash! ...And the coin Lumeria threw in was spat back out, bouncing off of her forehead before clattering onto the stairs uselessly. Raine blinked a few times at that, and then wound up bursting out into a fit of laughter. "Pffft! Ahahahahahaha! Oh wow! Oh man...!" He laughed for a little while longer, gasping for breath occasionally before finally managed to speak again. "S=So, feel any more skilled?" Hint; she wouldn't.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria has a look on her face like she could kill someone right now. "Ugh, don't tell me I have to wish for something noble or something like that. That or throwing money in it doesn't work. Or maybe that's too much to ask. Fine, I'll ask for something more practical." Well, it looks like she's going to have try something else because her first wish didn't work at all. She leans over and drinks from the fountain. "I wish for a new dress! One that's gorgeous and looks great on me!"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Heh~" Raine's laugh had died down to just a chuckle now. Oh boy he was too right about this being amazingly hilarious. He couldn't get enough. And so he eventually managed to calm down enough to go back to watching quietly as Lumeria made another wish. "A new dress?" He muttered, arching a brow once again, and looking ludicrously at the girl as well. "Well, I guess that's not too bad. Still kind of lame." This time, the fountain took on a calmer glow, it's waters shimmering with magical light. Lumeria's clothes took on the same glow, and then there was another blinding flash. "Ergh!" Raine had to shield his eyes from the flash, waiting for it to subside before looking again. Once he did, he saw that the elf's usual blue and white dress was gone, replaced by....a wedding dress. It left her shoulders and neck bare, and covered her chest before continuing downwards. It was white with gold embroidery. A sash was tied around her waist, serving as a visual divider between the top and the bottom. And below was fitted with layers upon layers of skirts, lace, and frills. It was so much that her feet couldn't even be seen. ".........Whoa." Raine muttered, taking in the sight. Unfortunately for Lumeria, the fountain lost it's glow. right after that, looking like a regular old body of water. ...Wait, was that it?

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Well, it's a nice dress certainly but Lumeria looks disappointed as the fountain loses it's glow. "That's it, I only get one wish? Or maybe I'm the only one it works for now, because I drank from it." She figures it could be possible, there was only one way to find out. She leans over and takes another sip before gagging. . Suddenly, her body begins to twist and turn becoming a lot more slippy. She shrinks down and her limbs become tiny. Where Lumeria's standing there's a silver frog sitting on the layers of the dress.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Whoa now, you got exactly what you asked for, don't greedy no-eh?" Raine had begun to warn Lumeria, watching as she drank from the decidedly dulled spring again, but paused she she gagged. "Uh...are you okay?" He asked, brows furrowing in worry. "......" Stunned silence was all he could offer in the aftermath of the girl's sudden transformation. "Did she just...disappear?" He mumbled, rising to his feet and getting closer to check and see. Kneeling down to the piles and layers of the dress, Raine did eventually spot a silver frog on top. "......No way." He muttered again, peering at the frog closely. "...Lumeria?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, it's me. Let's get out of here. If it's what I think it is, it should wear off on it's own." Lumeria speaks in a raspy voice as she crosses her arms. "Make sure to get my dress too." She didn't come all this way to hop away empty-handed. Hopefully he wouldn't ask further questions.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Oh, so you can talk." Raine nodded casually, as if everything made sense. "Right then, let's get you out of here and-WAIT A DAMN MINUTE! THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL!" And abruptly, he snaps into a comical outrage, pointing a finger at Lumeria's currently amphibious body. "What the heck is this all about? Why are you suddenly a frog? What's going on here? And you can talk? Crazy!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "It's complicated, I'll tell you some time. But right now we should get out of here." Lumeria doesn't want the lizards to suddenly show up and make things even worse. This was already embarrassing for her, no need for it to turn dangerous. "I can't use magic like this, in-case you're wondering why I don't just turn myself back to normal."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Huh..." He mumbled, still confused, but nodding nonetheless. "Right then. I guess we got what we came for." He picked up Lumeria and placed her on his shoulder before gathering up the extravagant dress and standing. "I'll be expecting an explanation when we get back to Palamecia." The young man said as his left eye took on a blue glow, Hecate's magic going to work. As the spell readied itself, Raine took one last look at the spring, peering into the depths. "...Heh." And then he cracked a smile. "It was totally worth it." At that, Raine, Lumeria, and the dress were enveloped in light, and then Warp took effect, whisking them away from the depths of these dangerous ruins and back to the gates of Palamecia.

A Researcher's Inquiry VII

2014-02-28T08:16:06Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/27 |Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area |Synopsis=Rhiannon calls enemies and friends alike to Shinra HQ to hold an open dialogue...."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/27
|Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area
|Synopsis=Rhiannon calls enemies and friends alike to Shinra HQ to hold an open dialogue. ...Things don't quite go as planned. At all. But nonetheless, this turnout could be interesting as well.
|Cast of Characters=Tifa Lockhart, Cirra Constantine, Aerith, Angantyr Vespar, Leida, Rhiannon Zellen, Montag, Chita, Zack Fair, Zero-One
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Today was the day. Nearly a week ago, Rhiannon Zellen had put out an open invitation for any and all to come to Shinra HQ in Goug, in which they would have a nice, mature dicussion. Without the need for hauling off to violence without so much as a word of provocation. That was the plan anyhow. All visitors here for the sake of this meeting would be lead into the building and up to one of the higher floors by Shinsec. All conventional weapons were to be left at the front desk for retrieval upon departure. Unconventional weapons and magic were strictly forbidden from being used. To enforce these terms, Shinsec guards were armed to the teeth. Armored vests, visored helmets that hid their faces, machine guns, swords, and of course; Materia. This was not a game. They would eventually find themselves lead into a large meeting room. There was a long table situated in the center of the room with various seats placed around it. Much like the setting of an executive meeting. Seated at the head was none other than Rhiannon Zellen herself. With legs crossed, arms resting in her lap, and her usual lab coat hanging on the chair rather than being worn, it would seem that this meeting actually was happening. If the details before didn't convince them enough. "Well, hello there. I hope...the accomodations have been to your liking." If having tense, armed guards leading up the front and the rear were favorable accomodations. Speaking of those guards, they filed into the meeting room and took up the perimeter, silent and ready to take action at any wrong move. "Now, come on in." The woman said, gesturing to the chairs about invitingly and with a pleasant smile. "Have a seat. And we may begin."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is the leader of the Shinsec detail, he knows how bad things could be. Montag should be noticanly the officer bars on his uniform giving him away along with the added sniper rifle across his back, which was in addtional to the standard machinegun, also well the grapple launchers mounted on a harncess over his gear was the most notable give away to him. He's quiet for the moment as he looks at the people who have come, he's got a job to do, and knows this could end up being a simple talk, or another fine mess.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' In addition to Rhiannon having already been the meeting room, there was another there present as well, in a chair not directly next to her so much as on the same end of the table, to the side. A Viera who currently looked to not be in the best shape, still bandaged up and in pain from having taken the brunt of the attack from the amalgamation of hearts in Narshe the other day, among other things. He had no armor or any such on, and today his attire mostly consisted of a simple set of loose pants, jeans actually, and a shirt that was loose enough to not really hug against his form, a few sizes too large. Of course, when all the fuss began and people started to enter he raised up from where he had otherwise been resting his forearms on the table in front of him and sat upright in the chair. He turned just a bit and faced towards the door, waiting and listening, trying to get an idea of how many there were and where they went. His reasons for being here were different than most others, after all.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Today is a day of firsts for Leida. Despite being sequestered in Manhattan for the past several months, away from the rough and tumble life of the adventurer she had so briefly attempted to engross herself in, the small girl is the first of the guests to arrive at the massive tower among the scattered remnants of ShinRa's former megacity. How, exactly, she acquired news of the good doctor's invitation while attempting to distance herself as much as possible from such things is anyone's guess. The sheer size of the building made finding the dauntingly huge tower an easy task. Navigating the twisting streets of Goug failed to provide her any difficulty either, having grown accustomed to sprawling urban areas since her move to the Big Apple. Despite never having set foot in this city before, she finds her way without the slightest hesistation. When she arrives, there is no hesistation or signs of fear. For the first time since she vanished into the depths of a mundane life, or as close as someone such as herself can manage, Leida is neither timid nor afraid. The girl approaches the guards as if she belongs, quietly following in their guarded ring of guns and grim silence. Their armored visors prevent her from seeing their expressions but none of them give pause at her unique appearance. Perhaps, then, she has been expected. The diminuative demon slips into the large meeting hall without a word, pausing only to cast a short glance at their host before taking a seat at the far end of the table opposite the scientist and the other guest. Once she has settled in, sitting as primly as possible in the cushy chair that is much too large for her, Leida's stoic mask finally melts into a coy smile. "Doctor," she says in a soft playful tone. "Zellen, was it? It has been some time since we last met."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Hours earlier... A Shinra agent is beaten mercilessly against a wall. Now, a rather tall and imposing SinSec agent is at the back of the room, posted at the door, a mask covering his face. He is carrying the strange blade/gun combination the SinSec carry, and is scanning people through the door. He is gruff, and to the point, his gaze scanning the room every once in a while...though the viser protects his eyes from what he is really watching. Somewhere else, the guard awakens in a locker room, tied up. He makes muffled sounds, but with the SinSec on deployment... For the moment, nothing untold happens.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart always was able to see the Shinra tower from where she worked. Ever since she got in Midgar at least. What part of it wasn't hiding behind the plates at least. And even now in Goug its ever-looming over the town, seen from her bar. Well, she got the invitation, sorta, and given her track record with Shinra, she couldn't pass up the chance of sneaking in as well and snoop on what's going on. Of course, it would be too simple to spot her if she was dressed as usual. So she tried to look a bit more unremarkable, wearing a hood, and some glasses. Hey, it worked for someone in Smallville, didn't it? As long as someone doesn't look straight at her face she should be okay at least. She moves in to one of the chairs, as far away as she can be to avoid immediate detection at least.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' As the various visitors filter in and begin to take their seats, Rhia's eyes move from side to side, taking in all present. The Shinsec personnel weren't really in her focus at the moment, so that suspiciously tall guard off to the side there was noted, but ignored for now. Of course Montag knew who his men were! "Leida, my love." The scientist greeted in a similarly playful manner, smile widened a tad at the sight of the girl. "Indeed, it has been too long." Resting a hand against her cheek with her elbow in her lap, the woman continued. "To think that you would show up even. My invitation has stretched further than I predicted it would." Surely that was a lie. Tifa was given a brief look. Rhiannon's gaze lingered for a second longer than usual, but she simply kept her smile and looked elsewhere after. "Now then! I called this meeting in order to address a few issues that seem to linger." Her hand left her cheek and went to her chin, rubbing thoughtfully. "Now, I have heard the complaints. That my methods of research are wrong, and that I cannot be allowed to continue to do what I do." There was a second's pause before she added. "Well, now comes the time for you to make yourselves heard." She smiled all over again at that. "Speak your minds. Tell me, what are you thinking? And if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them."

:'''[[Zack Fair]] has posed:''' Zack Fair has had a weird week. Well. Zack Fair has had a weird *life*. This week has just been a capper in the most recent weirdness of said life. First, it was the phone message - SHOW SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM, with the usual timer. Then it was the Heartless that chased him up and down the World of Ruin, until he managed to arive at Cloud Nine. Since then, he's been staying over at Cloud Nine, sleeping and eating and generally keeping himself busy and around Tifa as often as he can. It's been a nice break from the usual insanity of his life. The break is over. His phone rang today with a new message - INVADE SHINRA: TODAY ONLY! Gosh, Zack had thought, that wasn't difficult at *all*. So, like Tifa, Zack has made himself as inconspicuous as possible. He's hanging out with her, in fact, though he is not wearing a hoodie - instead, Zack has managed to force his mass of hair under a hat (somehow; shrink materia...?), put on a reasonable suit, and make his entry. He's doing his best to remain inconspicuous, checking his phone at every possible interval. He doesn't want to be here any longer than he has to. He leans over and mumbles something to Tifa.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "To think, I thought more would show up." Chita's voice was soft, tired, but he didn't interfere with anything that was going on. In fact, he turned back towards the table and waited silently, listening to what was going on, where it was going on. Such are the problems of one who cannot see. Leida, though? That was a name he hadn't heard in some time. Since he stopped really associating with the Shard Seekers. But who else was it that came? They hadn't made themselves clear on who they were. No speaking, nothing of that sort. A light shuffle of a hand in a pocket heard a light click and when his hand raised Chita pushed something into his mouth, a piece of gum or some candy or something, though it may be more clear it was likely medicine when he took a drink of the bottled water he had previously had resting between his legs to keep it out of sight and off the table.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The big soldier in the back doesn't do anything... His eyes moving back and forth behind the mask. On the inside, light shines, indicating pong is being played if you get /really/ super close. He sighs, this is going to be one of those missions, he no doubtedly thinks. He doesn't contemplate shooting Rhi, not at all. Such a silly question!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The pair slitted yellow cat-like eyes peeking from just below Leida's haphazard bangs slide halfway closed at the overly friendly moniker but, rather than seem offended, she only looks more amused. "My love? I remember giving you my blood, not a wedding ring." The girl leans back in the office chair, allowing herself to sink into the cushions. She takes a few moments to scan the faces of the other occupants, quirking an eyebrow at the pair of totally not suspicious individuals whispering amongst themselves, but otherwise giving little reaction. There were plenty of reasons someone might want to hide their identity in a place like this. Once Rhiannon lays out the reasoning for their 'invitation', Leida leans forward again, sitting up as straight as she can so her arms are able to rest on the edge of the large table without the position being awkward. "Yes, I do recall something about that when you first approached me. I have been... ah, 'out of the loop'? - I think that's the term - for quite some time. I must admit to being curious what you have done with my contribution to your research."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag remains there watching over things as people talk. It can't be seen but he's clearly keeping an eye on everyone here. Montag may or may not be playing pong as well, as he keeps an eye on things too. He's a bit on edge, but it's not so much the people who has come to talk, as the one who asked them here. Montag seems to be concerned but he's not quite sure why.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh? You don't feel the same way as I do? What a shame, what a shame!" She just laughed lightly at her own words and shook her head, leaning back in her seat after. Falling silent after a few moments, Rhiannon pondered on the question posed by the girl. "Indeed, what did I do with your contribution to my research." That didn't appear to be a question, with the way it was said. But soon enough, Leida would have her answer. Reaching forward, Rhia grabbed a small remote from the table and directed it behind her, pressing a button. A large TV screen then descended from the ceiling with a mechanical creak. "Why tell you, when I can just show you?" And with a smile, Rhia hit another button. Following that, a video appeared on screen. It was a recording. What it showed was the Black Beast's first attack on Goug. The creature was as black as the night, with multiple heads likened to a snake. It was massive, towering over most buildings. The city below was in ruins with helicopters, moogle mecha, and various heroes doing battle with it. The fight eventually came to an end as the creature was felled, and then shrunk down into the shape of an oddly shaped sword. The feed cut off there. What followed that was an additional video. This time, the Black Beast was raging in a snowy town that was clearly not Goug. People were running in panic below and several keyblade wielders and their companions could be seen doing battle with the entity in the feed. This one cut off before a victory could be seen, Rhia herself having grown bored of it. "Does that answer your question?" She asked, smiling towards the girl as if nothing was wrong at all.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' The lights suddenly cut out in the hall, a few seconds of murmurs and worried mumbling about Rhia's presentation/confession and a spotlight turns back on focused on the rafters. There an armored woman stands with hands on her hips, an although the helmet with it's swept back demon horns covers most of her face, the long white hair spilling down her back might identify her to some people. "That's all the confession I need. By the Law that I judge, I find you guilty of crimes that endanger the lands under Archades rule and alliance. I judge Constantine place you udner arrest." One hand rests at the odddly hilted sword at her side. "Come along quietly." "Or don't, please. I haven't had a decent work out in ages."

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' Everything goes dark. In the distance, one can hear a low rumble, as of air moving quickly. It is not the wind.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The man at the door moves forward as Judge Constantine comes down... And drops the gun. His hand comes up, grasping a Keyblade, a very familar keyblade. The weapon points towards the Scientist as he growls a bit. "Lets not make this a habbit, judge." he says, calmly, "I saw what this woman did to Narshe first hand, and stopped the beast for good there.." he says, as he notices something move.. "Crap." he says, and turns towards the soliders, "Get the people out of here now, /SOMETHING/ you can't fight is coming. Infact...all it wants is her." he the figure turns his attention back towards Rhi.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Confusion was present on the Vieran Judges face as he heard sound suddenly, then someone, a Judge, speaking. Constantine... of Archades? Wait, Goug was aligned with Archades? Shinra was? Moving to stand, suddenly angantyr spoke and Chita growled out a rather foul word before saying, "Guards, someone infiltraded your ranks, whoeover just spoke is not a Shinra Guard, but someone who is out to kill Rhiannon! Protect her!" Moving to stand and trying to place himself between Rhiannong and the now-revealed Angantyr's voice, Chita says towards Cirra. "You are a woman of the law, yes? Then you know as well as I do that letting someone senselessly kill another you intend to take to justice when you can is not an option. Help me protect her. Besides, that man, last I heard, had a death sentence on his head care of Judge Gabranth himself." Chita's hand reaches out and he tries to summon his Judge Sword to it, but winds up instead grasping it as the weight of it drags it towards the floor, barely able to hold it. "Damn... still too weak..." yet... that sound... "no... damnit, not now..."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart isn't sure what's going on either. She looks toward Zack as they exchange a few whispers, watching over the room. There are many she knows about at least. But still not sure of what the meeting is about. She has that uneasy feeling too. She looks toward Ang, wondering what he's talking about. Something is coming? She looks at Zack again "What do you make of this?"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida inclines her head slightly as the screen lowers, curiosity dancing in her inhuman gaze. The girl reclines in her seat as if it were a cushy throne once the picture flickers to life, both hands returning to her lap as she watches the scenes of monstrous devastation unfold in high definition before those gathered in the room. Oddly, the girl who's usual response at the thought of her darkness being used for harm is to devolve into a quivering pile of timidness and fear, seems completely unphased by what she sees. In fact, she's smiling. "My... but you do know how to get results. But I -." The next statement is cut short as the lights go dark. A look of mild concern wrinkles the girl's features in the darkness but even without the lights she can see quite clearly. Her gaze is cast about the room, searching for something that might illuminate the current situation but Cirra's showy introduction does that for her. The demoness frowns slightly but when she hears a familiar voice ring out from behind her expression shifts to one of true surprise. "No! Not yet! I'm not ready for them to know!", she hisses softly. Paralyzed momentarily by indecision, her attention is once more drawn away, this time by something much darker than even the student of Garland's deadly aura. Her eyes widen slowly for a moment as realization dawns on her but her surprise is almost instantly replaced by a wicked grin. "I see..." she mutters, leaning back into her chair. "Then let us see the fruits of your efforts."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag says "..." Several hand signals are made by Montag with little fanfair, it's a command to his men to be on their guard and get ready. Some of the Shinsec's slip, there's a few faint clicks are safeties are flipped on their weapons. Montag does not show outward reactions but he's engaged, if she was going to deploy such a weapon do it on their enemies. Now she's let it lose on their own citizenry, he's not happy but he's got a job to do and he knows what's about to happen. Several of the other Shinsecs shift seemingly unhappy or on edge. They know what's about to happen. Everything is about to hit the fan, Montag also spots footage of himself on this. He's taken note, there are going to be words with his superiors about this he's not sure anyone /knew/ about this and wait she also sicked it on one of their customers? Montag needs a drink, another stiff drink. The lights go dark his helmets low light systems kick in, and then comes Cirra as she drops int. "Ma'me keep your weapons where I can see them, you have no jurisdiction here, stand down." Montag is going for his rifle, he does not sound happy, no he sounds like he's happy at all about this mess. If it's about the invasion or Rhia protecting Rhia? Who knows? Dear heavens, there will be words if he lives through this. And Then Ang, they do not pay him enough for this.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia remained all too calm as the lights went out. And then Cirra appeared, making her sweeping proclamation to place the scientist under arrest. "Hooooh? Well now, what have we here?" The woman intoned with a fair bit of amusement, yet also curiosity. "Are you not several hundred thousand miles out of your field of jurisdiction?" She asked, smile growing wider all the same. The big solder in the back suddenly joined the Judge's side, wielding a familiar keyblade, which drew Rhia's attention. "Oh my, so you were here too. As expected, of course." She commented, hand against her cheek. In the meantime, she set the monitor's remote down and casually gave the windows a sidelong glance. That sounds... ...That wasn't the wind. "Oh dear." She'd figured that that 'thing' would have stayed put a little while longer. Suppose that things never went so easily, hrm? Chita's proclamations went uncommented by her all the way through. "....My, my, my...Is this how mature, civil discussions are had in your country?" Rhia asked after the Viera was done talking. Still though, that creature was coming. And at the worst possible time. Sighing lightly, the scientist turned to Leida, listening to her. A small smile was offered before her attention turned to Montag. "Montag. Prepare your men. Something is coming. Something...dangerous." But it would seem the man was already putting his years of expertise to use. Good.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Well then, that did it. Aerith was here, she was listening in, and somehow she hadn't been dragged to some far corner of the R&D labs for further poking. Maybe it was Tifa's presence that made her feel better, but being so close to Rhiannon without doing anything, even after what happened in Narshe, was infuriating. She was lucky that Chita couldn't see her... or much of anything at all. She could however hear the clicks of weapons as confrontation became inevitable... and her eyes narrowed. "I know exactly what to make of this, Tifa." She turned toward her, her voice still soft. "This is not going to be fun." Not like it was before, but now she would at least have a chance to vent some frustration.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' "My jurisdiction is where ever I see fit." Is Cirra's reply to Montag. "I am a /Judge/ not a police officer." The reveal of Angantyr makes Cirra frown, and she looks at the Veirra Judge protecting Rhiannon. "You two. You aren't my targets today, but if either of you interfer with her arrest...." THE sound pulls at Cirra's ears, and she draws out the Gunblade from herside. "...I think perhaps your own crimes have come for you."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr laughs, "Help her? I am going to help you dispose of the witch, once and for all. Those souls...those of Maira's home...and of Narshe! They come witch, today you will pay for your crimes against life itself. There will be no more suffering...save your own." Angantyr says, getting ready to launch the attack. He looks towards Leida, "I'd suggest staying out of the way, I ain't got nothing aginst you.." a pause, "Though we're overdue aren't we?" He pauses, "Eh, later. Kill witch now, smack Bunny out of tall building. Stop horrible abomination coming to eat anything and everything on the way," Ang has a three point plan.

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' A faint rushing noise pushes up against the windows of Shinra HQ, setting the windows to rattle slightly. Nothing unusual, correct? The important issue comes when one looks out the window. Above the lights of Goug, something approaches. It is a vaguely humanoid figure that stands approximately twelve feet tall. It seems to be made of a strange, ridged white flesh, innumerable flaps trailing behind it as it rushes at superhuman speed, flickering towards the building. There are ridged, mouthlike maws ridged with square proturbances in a hemispherical pattern around the 'chest' area, with another topping the strange flapping area where a neck and head may be. The arms and legs seem to be conical, solid things, flexing in a strange, boneless manner. You can hear a faint song cutting through the muzak of Shinra's lobby. A song that tingles at the edge of awareness. Something familiar, but distant, on the edge of memory. The windows then explode as a keening chorus cuts through the air like a knife, glass shards falling past like a thousand crystals glittering in the night. Those who do not move fast enough might find them cutting into their bodies, propelled with terrible force. There is a voice amidst the terrible song. we have come for you <================================> - <<>> - <================================> - A POWERFUL FOE HAS ARRIVED - - CHORUS - - REQUIEM FOR THE LOST - - PREPARE FOR BATTLE - <================================> - <<>> - <================================> BGM: http://youtu.be/VHMQMW8WTYk

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag gets a tip off, he speaks into his much and about the tower shin-sec, drones and a few SOLIDERs the tower's upper levels are going into lock-down as people flee to the safety of the upper levels. Drones are deploying and Montag's men are in the middle of this, I have a job to do. He knows what he and his men have to do, and this is going to be bloody as hell. The Shinsecs weapons are armed ready. "You have no legal power here Ma'me." Montag is moving between her and Rhia, his weapons' ready. Montag is a Shinsec but he's an old one, he's lived through the Wutai war it is unknown what he's up to. He's not going to fire the first shot it seems like, no let the Judge make the first move. "By Athena..." Montag mutters as the things comes in, ripping through the wall, the Shinsecs respond rapidly opening fire, bullets are flying at the creature. "Spread out avoid melee keep at range" If Montag is going to get bush waked by the other her he shows no signs of concern. He's got a another horror Rhia's birthed to worry about. He'd offer Ang an on the spot contact but he knows damn well Ang would refuse it in a situation like this.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "I, too, an a Judge, but not of Achades. Yet you have no ground to stand upon to prance around and assert your law where it pleases. I am quite sure Judge Magisters Zargabaath and Gabranth would both tell you that if given the opportunity. They are proud men, righteous, and they serve Archadia. You, being here, does not serve them in the least, unless it is by order of Archades itself or its' laws and lands. Hold back now or you will do nothing but cause senseless harm and death!" No one could say Chita wasn't /trying/, even as he tried, blind and injured as he was, to do everything he could to keep more death or suffering from happening. Though it didn't help that the very thing that put him in this state of pain suddenly blew the windows out and he was sent flying from the force of it, skidding across the ground and slowly pushing himself up. "Rhiannon, get out of here NOW! Get somewhere safe! Now is not the time for this!" Even though he could barely lift his weapon Chita still tried his best, a faint glow coming to his body as he tried to push himself up and quickly make his way back towards Rhiannon, listening for some sound to give clue. But in this cluster... in this room, with that giant creature creating so much noise he can barely tell what was going on... it was pointless. He had no idea where anything was right now.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' She could feel it coming, a malevolence that wanted to simply eat everything in its path, regardless of who or what it was. And yet... She couldn't understand just what her senses picked up. Did it hunger, yes. Did it rage, yes. But.... It was all she could think of before the windows shattered forcing her to whirl her staff to protect herself from the shards. "Well, this is certainly an interesting development." Her materia flared beneath the sleeves of her jacket, and defensive spells manifested around those nearby.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart quickly jumps over her chair, using it to get cover when the doors explode. She doesn't want to be in the blast of whatever comes out, considering her position. She kicks Zack's hair down too, so he tumbles backward with her. A bit of a surprise maybe, but she's not taking chances here. "Well you were right about that at least Aerith. Guess the party's just starting after all." She sighs. Its always one thing or another here. The hoodie gets torn a bit with the few stray pieces that fly her way. "Guess we'll have to fight our way out. At least its not fighting Shinsecs..." She kicks her chair up, and with a strong spinning kick, she sends it flying like a projectile at the incoming danger, aiming it at the residual clouds of the explosion.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' And as the creature burst into the office, glass schrapnel flying off every which way, Rhia could only sigh as she looked on at the appearance of the the thing she had a hand in creating. A piece of glass flew by and grazed her cheek. Blood was drawn and ran down her cheek, but much like before, it simply stopped, and then reversed flow back into her face, the wound closing afterward. "Truly, what a troublesome thing..." She mumbled, eying the chaos as Montag and his men opened fire, as well as Chita preparing himself for combat. She'd heard his call to retreat to a safe place, but... "Retreat? Where? Your judge friend and her violent associate stand between me and the door." The woman cracked a smile at that, unmoving from her chair still, even as combat started up. "I suppose this is what one calls a rock and a hard place?" She giggled as her own out of place joke and shrugged a shoulder carelessly. "That being the case..." Not finishing her sentence, she waved a hand, index finger extended with a wisp of magic trailing along. She was casting a few helpful spells on Montag and Chita. Her only allies at the moment she supposed.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' At Angantyr's warning, Leida gives a feigned show of obedience, inclining her head towards him in a concilatory manner. "I would not dream of interfering, Angantyr." The girl's thin-lipped smile turns positively mischievious and her eyes begin to glow with a soft inner light. A faint titter flows through the room in an ominous manner, its haunting tone echoing in an unnatural way as if coming from the shadows themselves. "I do not think it will be necessary." There is a short instance of silence before the wave of discordant noise hits shattering the walls of glass into a shotgun blast of razor-thin shrapnel. The small demon girl doesn't even flinch as she turns her gaze towards the twisted flying horror. The darkness all around her seems to grow deeper, more substantial as if wrapping her in a cocoon and the flying glass projectiles impact soundlessly against the walls of shadow, sinking into the blackness as if striking tar. Once the danger has passed, the shards rain down to the floor around her in a semi-circle, marking the edge of her defensive barrier in tinkling glass.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Cirra is ready to ignore Chita, but then the sound of song pulls her attention away. She looks at the windows as it draws closer. "Get the civlians out of here..." She says grimly. "Get them out-!" The windows break in, glass shattering in every direction. THe Chorus rings in Cirra's ears in a strange deafening non-sound that makes her cringe. She can see this thing, but it doesn't look right. Everything in the universe has ....lets call it a Value. A core that resonantes in various ways. This one does not. A zero value. Nothing. "The void..." Cirra scowls at Angantyr. "Sorry, but I'm not helping with revenge, not for you." The dark knight hold out one hand and begin chanting udner her breath, setting up battle spells in preperation for having to fight this...non-creature. "I won't let this thing run amok while there are civillians in its way."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr scoffs, "Revenge? This isn't about revenge, it is about STOPPING that monster." he points at Rhiannan... "It wants /HER/." He says looking at Chita, "You are next, you darkness supping conspiratior. You /aid/ the Shadow Lords, you daft fool, and you protect that woman who continues to unleash horrors on this world.." There is a pause...Cirra makes a point, a good one... "Tch.." he says, gripped by indecissiveness for a brief moment...the woman had a point, if the monster continued to exist, it would continue to threaten civilians...innocents. "Alright, you win Judge, my wrath can hold for the moment...but if she escapes, on your head it will be." he turns, towards the monster and channels the space between stars. Those with senses can tell it is much more focused, even as it wraps itself into his armor, he uses it to enhance his physical characteristics, arming himself with the strength of the Abyss...but something seems to protect him from being consumed, even as the Keyblade points towards the beast. "I am getting tired of cleaning up the messes of this witch."

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' The chair spins, shattering against the pure white flesh of the creature and leaving a deep indentation. It pauses, the sounds altering slightly as it seems to fold slightly, as if inspecting the wound. This becomes less relevant as the Shinsec open fire. Bullets hammer into the creature, and Montac puts a powerful sniper round into the thing, knocking it back as the voices shriek and shrillly cry out in pain and hollow anger. How does it see? Where is its face? All seems to come from the many mounts on the creature as it turns, the voices whispering. you cannot run you will pay monster savage Unfortunately for those present, it does not appear to be selective in its rage, as the howling voices focus into shrieking, painful waves of sound, roiling bolts of shimmering air slamming into the hall like cannonballs, shredding anything they strike without regard for the local area or anyone between it and Rhiannon. Like most of the room.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Quite surprised that he heard Angantyr suddenly back off trying to kill Rhiannon and instead seemingly focus on the lost hearts beast, Chita didn't look that gift horse any near the mouth, or face for that matter, despite the threats or talking bigger than one is. Instead, since he was so confused as to where everything was except one thing, he focused on that. Chita focused solely on the creation that had went astray, of the hearts that were in pain. "Is this what you want?! To hurt anyone that gets in your way! That doesn't make you any better than she is! It will not make you feel better, and it will only hurt others more! All these people have friend, family... children... all you would do is deprive them of one another, just like she did to you, to your families! Revenge is not the answer, justice is! Law, order!" By chance or purpose the attacks from the best somehow missed him, which was a blessing, and allowed him to push forward closer before saying, "Please... let me help you like I tried to do for so long. I am still willing to find a way." And when he finally got closer to the chaos, near the end of the table where Rhiannon had been originally, he held out a hand, even though he was pretty sure it wouldn't care, to offer the creature help. Chita knew the pain it was going through after all.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr bounces off the walls and the ceiling, because air juggling is super overpowered and some people can't write fair and balanced systems. Angantyr, manages to pry himself off of the ceiling, growling with annoyance, and Dives towards the ground, aiming to cause a shockwave of power as he swings the massive keyblade, aiming to tear through the beast as he swings upwards, causing a massive wave of darknes to leak from where he swings, aiming to consume the beast from the inside out. Then he swings again, aiming to blow the beast back, aiming to drive it towards the witch, because why can't he do two things at once? "OH MY GOD, GET OFF THE GODS <GOOSEHONK>ING SOAPBOX!" Angantyr shouts, "KILL IT FASTER!"

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' The voices... Spirits, she could hear the voices, feel their intent. When Angantyr said they wanted Rhiannon, he wasn't kidding. The Cetra had half a mind to simply let the thing, whatever it was, eat the scientist. It would be a fair and fitting end to this, and would solve so much. And then she heard Chita, and smiled. "Poor guy..." Her attention snaps toward Tifa as she gets rammed into by the shockwaves. Her spirit falters slightly, but still holds strong. Aerith gives her a bit of a boost anyway. Pale green light flashes in an aura around miss bar lady, and she would feel somewhat refreshed.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart gets a hit in at least, even if its using an expedient. But the counter attack doesn't give her much chances of escape, after she got rid of her 'shield' like that. The sonic attack doesn't really bounce off shields anyway, so there's that. She shouldn't have come here, she sees that plainly now. She just wishs he can get out of here now. "I've seen this before, that feeling..." She looks at Aerith, but she can't really put her finger on it. But no matter, punchy time. She needs to put a bigger dent in it. She makes sure she doesn't get in the line of fire from the Shinsecs either, as she rushes in low, driving a hard punch upward, and then a kick while its airborne, pushing it higher and better into the Shinsec aims. Having a backup like Aerith is always beneficial in this kind of battle too, helps close up the nastier wounds at least.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The voices. Some of then actually sounded familiar. "Ah, yes, I recognize you. And you. And you. You as well." There was a smile as the scientist settled her gaze upon the creature. "How is that body treating all of you? It must be entirely too cumbersome to have countless hearts and thoughts moving one body. How do you cope?" And even as death was staring her in the face, Rhiannon asked questions of the entity, as if this were some manner of casual interview. With her question spiel interrupted by a familiar destructive wave of sound, the woman simply watched. Once Angantyr attempted to toss the creature her way, she cast a wind spell, rising up into the air and out of the main range of the attack. Her hands covered her ears until the sound passed and it's body passed, if it would. "My, my...such power. Intriguing. And yet, all you wish to do is kill me? What a waste of potential. Surely you could do so much more than that." Angantyr is given a look then. "I would ask if you minded not trying to bowl me over with with unknown entities, but I am rather sure you do." With another chuckle, Rhia waved her hand again, releasing another round of supportive spells on Montag alone this time. He was at least being useful in her eyes.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida continues to watch as the unholy abomination unleashes its supernatural vengence upon anyone and everything that tries to get in its way. Shrill explosions of sound and glass continue to rain around her in a storm of death, twinkling impotently against her defenses. Its obsession with revenge is what drives the monster, gives it power - with a little help from her own essence. To think that the scientist was quite so ambitious as to simply add her blood into whatever twisted formula created this creature, as if it were merely an extra spice to be thrown into a recipe. Humans are always so unpredictable. But that's what makes them so fun. Silently, the demon continues to watch from the sidelines, waiting to see how this drama will unfold. She almost wishes she had some of that wonderful snack she was introduced to in Manhattan. Popcorn, yes, that was it.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' It's a good thing Cirra got those spells up when she did. The shock from the beast knocks Cirra over and into a table, spilling its contents. "Tch..." She quickly stands up again and brings the Gunblade up in both hands, moving in to slice upwards diagonaly. She pulls back one foot and spins about on her heel, swinging the blade out one handd to achieve maximum speed as the weapon comes for the Nothing again. A hop back and Cirra swings the blade around and stabs the weapon into the ground, firing it's gunpowder cartridge once, and sending a shockwave of runic energy through the ground and up into the creature to try and eliminate the effet of its song.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag says "Already on it evacuation and lock-down is under way!" There's something Cirra and Montag agree on, creature first, other problems second He makes note Chita, Ang and Cirra, for the moment things are under control. Just for the moment the other Shinsecs are moving to try to keep mobile and actually watch their fire about the melee combatants. Montag is getting smacked about but, the Shinsec knows how to roll with it. He can't argue with the creature's comment about what Rhia is but he's not about to send his men into the graveyard over this if he has to and President Shinra needs to be informed about what's going on with Rhia. Montag is not sure if anyone high up is aware of this. If she was going to make a horror why couldn't she have thrown it at Wuatai, no one would miss that wretched place. He shoves such thoughts out of his mind as he goes up he comes back down had and he's got his rifle in hand as he lines up a new shot with the creature. "Put that thing down!" Some Shinra go flying some are down, but not dead they grown trying to get up while one is dragged away by another. Montag pulls the trigger sending another single round into the creature. Support magic is flying about, and thanks to Rhia Montag seems to be doing a bit better to her, but it's clear the earlier spell may be helping the grunts at the very least.

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' The Darkness reaches out... And finds nothing there. The imyou knew of her sins and you say nothing Tifa hammers into the beast, her Zangan-Style Martial Arts making a powerful argument in why it should worry. However, the impacts only drive it back as it is flung through the room, the creature oddly light as it takes the strikes. you know her crimes and you hear nothing Cirra unleashes the power of her deadly Gunblade, but the runic assault strikes a defensive field, a hexagonal barrier briefly flashing into existence and spreading outwards, dissipating the assault around it. you know her evil and you see nothing There is a sudden rise in intensity as the creature hangs over the center of the room, sound swirling around it and growing rapidly. all that matters is vengeance eye for an eye heart for a heart And then there is wave of annihilating sound, a rising blast of force that begins buckling the floor and crushing anything in its path. Some are more fortunate than others.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith grits her teeth as another sonic disturbance rams her way, this time in her direction! Her ears are tormented by the sound, but she remains standing, her eyes narrowed. The voices are right... they are deadly, horribly right. And yet Rhiannon seems unaffected by any of it. Aerith knows it can't hear her, so she doesn't respond. But... Someday she would answer that call. Just not now. "This isn't the time," she muttered as she weaved spells, making her best attempt to defend those who tried to stop this from getting worse.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "Stubborn... but so am I. I will stop you from making this mistake, and I will save you, wether you like it or not!" Chita growled out, somehow missed by the attacks again. Was this thing not attacking him on purpose? That was something. That meant it wasn't blind rage, it was focused... focused enough to knowt that Chita meant it no harm despite it all. "So go away and quit hurting everyone else but Rhiannon until such a time as I can save you from your own misery!" Gripping the Judge sword tighter Chita finally did something. He leapt straight towards the creature, right into the fray, before bringing his sword straight overhead and down, trying to pierce through the creatures defenses. "Suffering begets more suffering, and violence more violence! The cycle has to stop somewhere and if you won't do it yourself, damnit, I will do it for you! It stops now! No more bloodshed!" After the sword slammed towards the creature, Chita slammed down towards the long desk beneath them, the conference table, and tried to slam it with all his might. He was hoping that it would snap and somehow hit the creature of hearts, trying to knock it back out the window and away from the conference room.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Apparently, being airborne herself has put her out of the attention of the beast, so she escapes its latest attack. But in that moment, she comes slamming back down into the beast's back with her fists, staying there for a few moments as she drives several more punches right down into it, and then jumping back away before it decides to do something else that would be nasty. Never trust the darkness to play fair either way.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Really?" Rhia arched a brow at the voices, their poem of despair that reached her ears. But nonetheless, she wasn't moved much at all. "You have countless souls existing inside of you, and yet...this is the aggregate total of your ambition?" She clucked her tongue almost mockingly, shaking her head in a pitying fashion. "And here I thought I created something greater than that." Smile returning, Rhiannon simply watched as it let out another destructive sonic wave, aiming to destroy anything in it's path. At first, it almost looked like she was torn apart, but in the blink of an eye, Rhia was instead behind the creature, casually examining one of it's arms closely. "Truly, mommy is disappointed. You should aspire for greater things than petty revenge." "You could do...so much more. You could be so much more...And yet, you chase me around like a puppy chasing it's mother's tail." Giggling at that, she added. "It is rather adorable, but nonetheless..." She wasn't speaking in the interest of her well being. Or it's. It seemed more like she was speaking purely out of scientific interest. Evil science...is scary.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "Oh my." Leida's tone of feigned concern slips out just as the beast unleashes its cacophanous detonation. There is movement in the walls of darkness that surround the small girl, shifting shapes that take form from the shadows. A dull and sickly purple glow erupts from the nothingness to engulf the demon and the hammering waves of sound smash uselessly against the fel energies that protect her. The same cannot be said for the building, however. The floor crumples and shatters beneath the pressure of the horrible screams, adding concrete and plaster shards to the cocktail of shrapnel already swirling about the room. The dark unholy cocoon of light slowly unfurls in the wake of this newest assault, massive arms of inky claws engulfed in purple fire extending outwards to anchor themselves in the walls. A new wave of darkness fills the room, both similar and yet completely different than that pouring uncontrolled from the abomination. At the center, the arms connect to the young demoness' back, holding her aloft above the ruined meeting hall floor. Leida smirks at the creature, waggling a finger at it like a naughty child. "Ah, ah, ah... temper." Her gaze shifts to Rhiannon once more, looking rather disappointed. Her previous playful demeanor vanishes almost instantly. "I expected more, doctor. Can you not even manage control over a simple beast such as this?"

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is being agressive as heck, he stood and fought the day his world fell as many of the shinsec here did with them. A shocking number of them made it through the darkness together they are not gong down here. The creature that science has brought into being. Or prehaps it is more. He knows what she did he knows what he has to do but there's a rule of law in the Shinra. He prays to Minerva that? the Presitent will put a stop to stop to this...later. For now he's got ot fight. This time he's reloadin and prepare and he's getting the snot knocked out of him too it might take him a moment to recogver from what just happend to him.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' The strange anti-sound hits Cirra again, with much more devestating effects this time. The shockwave slams the Judge down into the floor, smashing the wind out of her lungs and leaving her breathless. The magical shield she put up flickers under the assault, appearing as concentric runed circles in the air. Playing this gentle is getting Cirra no where. The Judge sucks in a breath through her teeth and kicks up her feet, splitting her legs in the air to spin them around striking at the back of the creature's knees. She hops back to her feet and swings the gunblade, trying to slice through the Nothing's arm and then brings the weapon around and down, aiming to cut through the beast's neck. "HHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAA!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr growls...lucky him, even as the healing magic washes over him, he focuses his will. Angantyr steps into it's line of attack again, before allowing his Keyblade to explode...but not in darkness, but in light. Brilliant energy channels through the blade, primordial power flowing through it, and it doesn't burn his hand off. There is no mastery to this, not yet, but it is brutal, powerful, and with a sudden vicious swing, he aims to drive the blade in a overheaded slash down towards the front of the monster. "BE FREE!" He demands, aiming to drive the powerful blade of light right through it, aiming to split it in two...and free the souls with the power of the keyblade. "I'll carry your revenge on for you."

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' Chita strikes, unleashing the sum total of his attempt to stop the beast from slaying the scientist... And shattering through the defensive barrier to cleave into its skin, opening another rend in it with his massive blade. The Chorus slumps slightly, staggering in the air under the blow... But it does worse than respond to Chita. It doesn't respond at all. It seems it is out of things to say to the repeated pleas. If he's going to get through to the Chorus, he's going to need to try something more persuasive. Tifa, meanwhile, keeps hammering into it relentlessly. This is proving effective, even if the creature is insanely durable. As long as it is focused on Rhiannon, maybe she can simply bring it down without further harm... Cirra then rises from behind, showing her stern intensity as she hammers forward, cleaving into the back of the its legs. Gots of wisping blackness quickly dissipate, as it arches backwards, leaving itself wide open for Cirra to cleave one arm away. The eppendage severs, flying away and dissolving into a strange nothingness, vaporizing rapidly. It's then that someone might look inside and notice: The thing is hollow. There is literally nothing inside it. No viscera, no darkness, no energy. Just... Nothing. And that's when Cirra cleaves into the neck, creating another powerful gash through the creature, but not severing the monstrous neck. Not quite. Angantyr leaps up, cleaving into the Choir with a blade of light, untamed, overwhelming, scything another large rip into the creature. The Choir begins to sound like a pipe organ out of tune as it howls, the rip flapping in the air as it screams... But as Rhiannon touches it, it jerks backwards as if she was made of pure fire. Her disappointment seems to not register on the Choir as it seems to howl endlessly, focusing itself on the person who just put themselves in a position where it can hit them... without hitting anyone else for once. Hope you didn't need that wall.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Well, that seemed to hit something, somewhere... something happened. Yet... it didn't respond. It didn't respond to him striking it. He knew he was weak but was that truly all it was? Only... Rhiannon spoke, to it. ... she was right next to it. No, why would she...! "No, don't!" and it was too late, he heard the creature turn and then pure pain flooded him, so much noise at once, his ears covered as he doubled over and tried to clench his hands over them. Damn his ears, one of the few times he hasn't wanted to hear things so much better than others did.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The collateral damage is kind of getting out of control now. Even for Rhia. This /was/ this her place of work and residence. She didn't need more to answer to President Shinra for after this. And she was sure word was going to get around now. "Oh my, so stubborn you are." Leida's comment about her being unable to control this thing earned the girl a shrug. "Alas, it is a prototype. I have little means to ascertain it's makeup without a...thorough examination." Her attention was drawn back to the creature at that point as if unleashed another fierce sound wave. Oh boy. More collateral damage. The wall was completely destroyed, as well as the office next door. It looked like Rhia was blown through the wall as well, but once again, it only lasted a moment before the scientist was standing right next to the creature, staring off at it's handiwork. "My, my...You certainly do hold a great measure of power though. Imagine if I had actually gotten hit?" Wait, what? How did she do that!? Smiling like the cheshire cat, Rhiannon once again placed a hand onto this unknown being, said hand beginning to glow with light. "Now, I would very much like to examine you, so...would you be a dear and go to sleep for mommy?" The light intensified at that point, beginning to leak out rays from between before a flash of searing, holy light exploded from between them, aiming to inflict damage upon it.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr watches... Damn, it wasn't enough! Damn it all.. Worse, Rhiannon is doing something to it. He was drained from that show of force, so he draws the power of darkness back into himself, once more trying to draw upon the power from the abyss itself. He levels the weapon again, refocusing himself. He can't let her get ahold of it...the Black Beast was bad enough? This would be horrific.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The demon girl flinches slightly as the critically injured abomination unleashes one final bellow of defiance at the woman it blames for the torment of its existence, her eyes sliding half shut in annoyance. But even this last stand earns it little prestige as the tricky scientist somehow manages to avoid even that. "Tch. This won't do at all," she mutters as Rhiannon deals the fatal blow to her creation. The massive skeletal arms of ink and shadow withdraw from their handholds in the wall, gently lowering Leida back to the crumpled floor before with drawing into her body as if sucked into an invisible abyss. She steps over several jutting piles of rubble and debris to stand next to the doctor and her creation, watching it carefully in its death throes and pondering a way to salvage her investment in this debacle.

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' The Choir writhes as Rhiannon grasps it. The voices shrill, babbling as they feel what is coming. mother help it hurts we will not forget The light grows... leave me alone we are it hurts no where am i father nothing And there is a terrifying thunderclap, an explosion of light and force that consumes the Choir. And from that explosion, there is a whipping noise, a shape whirling past the battlers, across the room to bury itself into the floor. The object is a large, ornate blade of pure, featureless white, apparently made in a single piece. The pommel is flared, almost heart-like in shape, the grip ridged, and the crosspiece spiked. From the center of the crosspiece, a long, heavy-looking blade extends, wavering in a flamberge pattern as the flared point keeps it anchored into the floor. Steam and nothingness wafts up around it.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia watched as the creature went through it's 'death' throes, before consuming everything in a blinding flash of light. She simply closed her eyes and waited for everything to recede. And once it did, she opened them and looked off towards where she'd heard the noise go. "Hrm." Eyeing the blade, Rhia approached and set a hand upon the handle. "So. This is what you turned into." She examined the blade further, lifting it just a little to check out the lower features. "........." And then she smiled. "Montag. This meeting is adjourned. I have much to do, so...do escort our guests out, would you?" She looked pointedly at all present, especially Angantyr, Cirra, and Aerith. Tifa was noticed a long while ago as well. "It would seem that my research has not yet ended."

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Theres... nothing inside? Cirra stares as she cuts open the Chorus, "What the hell is this...?" She stares as Rhianno approaches the nearly debilitated thing and grasps it. One eye staring at the so called scientist through the slit in her helmet. Her voice comes low and demanding, rising to cressendo to be heard of the lightning storm unleashed on the beast. "what The HELL DID YOU /MAKE/!?"

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' As Rhiannon touches the blade, the weapon crackles, and writhes in her hand as if in pain. There is a dull explosion of energy, as if it is trying to keep her away from itself.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' There's a lot of damage everywher the sounds of the wounded can be heard, montag barks out an order. "Covering fire! I'm gong to line up a shot." those Shinsec in the fight comply opening fire but it seems to not be enough he lowers his rifle for the moment holding back the shot and watches as siomehing appears on the ground he holds up his hand to keep his men back as he takes a step towards it. "Yes ma'me." He looks to the he turns he barks some orders to get the wounded out of here then turns to the guests. "So what's it going to be? You going to depart or am I going to have to make it a bit more forceful. I'd prefer to end this peacefully." Montag doens't like this he's got the willies but idf he did something stupid here he'd end up with no where to go.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has a bit of shiver at the look she's given from Rhiannon. Despite trying to hide herself... she probably got spotted. All she managed to see today was even more chaos created at the hand of a mad scientist... at least she knows who it comes from now. Makes for easier tracking of potential threats at least... She looks at Aerith "You heard the lady... we should leave while we're ahead."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith grits her teeth. So there is another one... and this one is far, far more dangerous. They need to get out of here while they still could. She takes one good look at Chita, without saying anyting. He has to understand what she is... one day he will. To respond to Cirra's question though... "She made a nightmare. An emotionless, heartless, soulless nightmare that's turned into a weapon. And she's going to use it." Aerith spares Montag a glance. He had to do something sooner or later, she could tell he was not excited about being here. "Agreed, Tifa. Before she makes us her first subjects."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida steps sideways as the nothingness dies in a sharp pop, barely avoiding the whirling blade that is tossed through the air like a buzzsaw in its demise. Her demonic eyes latch onto the object curiously and she turns to draw closer. Her gaze narrows sharply, however, when the scientist gets in her way. "A moment, if you will, 'my love'." The small demoness stalks purposefully towards Rhiannon, her mischievous smile returning all the quicker when she sees the blade's adverse reaction to being handled. The sickly purple fire from before begins to flicker around her outline in a nimbus of dark energy. "I believe that the claim to that weapon is mine."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Cowards." He says, towards Aerith and Tifa. "Run if you want...but I am not going to allow that weapon to exist as I draw breath." he says, the keyblade is leveled again. The ShinSec get in his way...and he frowns, "So I see, that is what the Shinra is all about, they care nothing for their own people..." the ground shakes, Angantyr focuses his power through the weapon, as Leida makes the claim...well, it would come to this, he supposed. He wondered when she grew a spine, or rather...when the demon got control again. However, he is more powerful...but he is drained. It would be iffy, but he can't afford to stop here. He doesn't know where the Judge stands either... Angantyr barrels through, fine, then lets do this.. He aims, not to strike the guards, but to break through their forces, aiming to swing the blade in a downwards strike...he aims to try and strike the blade with everything he has left.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Coward she might be, but after seeing what Rhiannon was capable of here, there was no way she would stick around to become a science fair project again. One day, it would happen... just not today. But she can't help but watch as he strikes, trying to do to this weapon what he'd done to the Black Beast. She took a quick glance around the room... the soldier, the judge, Rhiannon, and Leida. Leida especially, since her aura had changed radically. What happened was anyone's guess, but Aerith did not like his chances. "Wait," she muttered. "I want to see this. But get ready to move just in case this goes bad."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Slowly pushing himself up, Chita listens as the chaos died down and people spoke. Wait... it turned into something else? Another weapon? Heh... when would this madness end. Not sure what to make of it, he heard Rhiannon approach the sound that impacted nearby, the Shinsec move to get in the way, Leida say something about it being hers and... everyone else saying they were going to leave, except Angantyr. That Judge was currently unaccounted for as to what they would do. "No, none of you are going to do a damned thing to it, take it or otherwise! You already unleashed that beast on us once, Angantyr, and you will not do it again!" Quickly jumping towards the weapon and stumbling just a bit on some rubble on the ground, as Angantyr tried to get through Shinsec towards them, he said, "Give me the weapon, Rhia, now, or move away so I can get it myself!" It wasn't a grab as in 'I'm going to take this and run' so much as he seemed to have some idea regarding it. Plus... with him having the weapon, it was two targets, not just one, for those interested.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montagsays "Think what you like I got a job to do." There will be hell to raise, he is going to possibly chew the higher ups faces up but one thing at a time and knowing where Rhia is means he can keep an eye on what she's doing. He watches Ang make his choice, he moves, his reflexes are not inhuman, yet? He's damn fast the rifle's moved up into firing postion and he fires off a shot he'd loaded to deal with the creature there's. He pulls the triger, there's a thunder crack a the round is fired.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "What did I--Whoa ho!" The burst of energy forced Rhia's hand off the blade, and she frowned, disappointed. "Still stubborn I see." She mumbled, shaking her hand a little and letting the sword be. Her gaze flitted to Cirra and she smiled. "Simply, a scientific curiosity." That wasn't much of an answer. But it would have to do as her attention then switched to Leida. "Oh?" Curiosity overwhelming, Rhia held her hands up in a motion that pretty much said. 'go ahead'. She took a step or two back to give Leida room. "Well then, my love. Do go ahead and try. Even if I can't touch it, seeing it from afar is enough for me." And in the meantime, she watched the others file out...of the wrecked room. Sheesh, this was going to cost another fortune. Thankfully Shinra had plenty of those. Angantyr though began to barrel through, aiming to do just as he'd done back in Narshe; put an end to her scientific dreams early. And yet...she didn't lift a finger to stop him. Between Leida, Shinsec, and Chita. What did she have to do anyway? "Ahhhh, as violent as usual I see." The woman commented from off to the side, hand resting against her cheek as she took in the proceedings with an almost casual air. Glancing at Chita, she simply rolled her eyes. "Well, I currently have no say in this matter. I would say that you would need to go through your dear friend, Angantyr, my love, Leida, and our ever capable Montag."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "I think not." Gone is the usual childish playfulness in Leida's tone as she bares her proverbial fangs at those attempting to get between her and the dark blade. Her aura of hazy energy flares from a faint tingling sense of unease to a roaring bonfire of swirling negative power. Black skeletal hands of ink and purple fire erupt from the ground, dozens of grasping clawed limbs that attempt to latch onto the legs and feet of both Angantyr and Chita and pin them down or atleast slow them for a few moments. The massive demonic arms of ink emerge from her back and shoot forward, some filling the air around the blade in a protective sheath with others attempt to swat away the would-be interlopers. Leida herself leaps, pulled foward by her supernatural limbs towards the blade, stretching out her hand for its handle. This could be just the thing she needs... the final item to prepare the way.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' THe fighting breaks out again, Leida goes for the sword of nothingness. Cirra's eyes narrow as Montag says 'I got a job to do'. "So do I." Cirra clenches her fist as darkness curls around it, her eyes glowing golden like a Black Mage's. She reaches her hand out towards Leida as if to grasp her at this distance and then slams down. Gravity itself attempting to drag her to the ground. "I'm going to put that thing in a deep dark hole!" Cirra spins around, smashing debries with her gunblade, sending the chunks flying at the demoness. "And if you don't want to be in one too, get out of my way!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Guns start leveling on Angantyr, he fights through it, even as he comes up on some poor ShinSec guard, he punches him right in the face. He attempts to break through the line, even as darkness from Leida tries to slow him down, he trunts, his fist swinging as they latch on...the strength of the Dark Knight simply seems to be too much to be hindered as such. He roars, unwilling to stop even as darkness tries to sap his life away, and he growls again, "IF YOU THINK THAT IS ENOUGH, LITTLE DEMON, YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN!" he growls, "It seems I failed to instill enough lessons in you...or someone else beat me to the punch." he says, "And you...Rabbit. You're interfearance will end now. You call me the one to blame for this creature, but if I had not stopped the Black Beast, it would have /consumed more hearts/. This creature would have been stronger...but you continue to blame me, while you STAND with Shadow Lords?!" he says, as the brilliant energy of the Keyblade shines again. He roars, running full speed as the light seems to trail behind him. "I will not allow ANY MORE INNOCENTS TO BE TAKEN BY THIS WITCH! REMEMBER MY NAME, SHINRA! I AM ANGANTYR VESPAR...STRENGTH TEMPERED BY COMPASSION!" he swings the weapon, a brilliant light as the weapon litterally seems to be extended, aiming to swing in a wide arch. The light doesn't just tear through things, but litterally everything infront of him.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's eyes widened. This was no longer a good place to be. She'd seen his Tyrant Breaker before, and knew of its devastation. But she had to watch... so she shielded herself and Tifa from the devastation. At the very least, she would know who came out with the weapon in the end, so she could do something about it later, depending on the results. Besides... she was worried about Chita. It was certain that he was not taking this well, and having a keyblade leveled at him did not make things any better. There was no getting involved for her. So as the debris bounced off of her magical barriers, she watched and waited.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh dear...all of this chaos..." Rhia had fallen back to a far end of the room, seating herself on a miraculously still intact office chair. Crossing her legs and resting her hands in her lap again, she took in the scene happening before her eyes. "Nothing is more entertaining than the squabbling of mortal beings. Vying to prove that their way is true and just...Mhmhmhm~" An amused giggle followed. She didn't really care at this point what happened. Well, of course she had an interest in the sword, so it going into the hands of someone who wouldn't destroy it would be ideal. But for now... She'd watch and wait.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Suddenly he felt something surrounding him and Chita curled up a bit, trying to guard himself from the attack and grunting in pain as it tried to claw at him and hold him to the ground. Of course, much at the same time he got pinned down, Angantyr started gain, stroking his ego by pretending he was compassionate. Compassionate even as earlier he claimed the only one suffering would be Rhiannon, or constantly trying to kill others. He took a chance and summoned his weapon before throwing it straight towards Angantyr, the Judge Sword passing harmlessly through to cut away at his defenses as he curled up and took a painful attack. He still stood, though. "Yes, I blame you, you dumb, arrogant bastard! All you have done for so long is try to murder and kill your way through anything that gets in front of you! I have been working for nearly the last half year to keep any more bloodshed from happening and when you destroyed the blade in Narshe, you unleashed all the pent-up suffering hearts inside before I could find a way to end their pain! You released them, and they came back as this! NOT AGAIN! YOU WILL NOT DO THAT AGAIN! GO PLAY HERO SOMEWHERE ELSE!" Not having any other weapons, Chita pulled the only thing in his inventory out, a piece of a broken spear. It was one broken in half long ago, the top half. He never used it because he had other weapons, but now, thanks to Rhiannon's idiocy in calling this meeting, he had none. Except this. "The only reason I left you alone before was because Maira begged and begged me not to turn you into Archades, not to execute the warrant for your death! I am through, I have tried to deal with you for far too long and been far too lenient!" The spear fragment glowed as he quickly slashed away the magic arms and such holding him down before jumping back and throwing the spear straight for Angantyr. This spear, unlike so many others before, unlike so many recent fights... wasn't to defend. He was aiming to gut Angantyr with it here and now to prevent any more issues from coming up. He'd have to deal with the remorse later. Remorse, even for him.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is already reloading his rifle again as things are going mad. "Miss Zellen I suggest you withdraw from here right away." he's tot to keep doing his job, there will be much booze later for now he's linng up his shot he takes aim at Ang and snaps off a shot at him, before moving his aim to someone else he seems to have someone else in his sights too, that being Ledia from the looks of it here. He opens fire without another word on her as he pulls back he's got others to deal with he listens to Chita but doesn't know much about what he's saying. He doesn't encounter those people very often honestly and he wants to see this mess cleaned up sooner rather than larter, the shell casing form his shots have hit the floor at this point and he's already moving to reload.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Completely focused on the two obvious threats to the sword, Leida is caught completely offguard when Cirra steps into the fight as well. The gravity blast slams her down hard, further shattering the already ruined floor and peppering the small girl with dozens of tiny cuts. Black blood flies from the wounds, spattering the area around her with with hissing droplets that scour the ground. A girlish squeal escapes the tiny demon as she bounces and comes to a halt, her breakneck rush for the blade stopped several feet short. It doesn't take her but a moment to recover, however, and Leida turns to face the new threat with a wry grin. "Human, you wield the darkness as if it were a blunt club like some sort of muscle-bound ogre. Typical of your foolish kind. Allow me to show you how a true artist wields the shadows!" The wounds littering Leida's body simply seal themselves shut before the eyes of all, the thin slices left by the storm of rocks vanishing with small puffs of smoke as if cauterized into nothingness. She lifts a hand as if to call upon her power again but the bellowing of another voice interrupts her plans. Whirling around to face Angantyr, Leida hisses at his words and her shadowy appendages mesh together protectively over the blade, forming an impenetrable wall of darkness. The light sears into them, boiling away the inky limbs in a pillar of ash and steam but still the barrier holds. The demon recoils as if struck, clutching at her arms in pain but her determination holds fast. "You will not interfere, Angantyr! Nor you, woman! I cannot allow it!" As if on cue, a tidal wave of darkness rises up from the ground, pouring out of the dark corners of the poorly-lit room to crash about the dark knight. It clings to her body like some foul viscous ooze, attempting to seep into the cracks in their armor, the exposed flesh of their previous wounds. They can feel its touch attempting to draw the resolve from their bodies, the resistance from their very souls, even as it corrupts everything it touches. A shot rings out and the slender demonette staggers heavily as a large caliber round penetrates through her body wholesale to embed in the floor at her feet. She grits her teeth in pain and frustration and with an angry glare, turns her darkness upon the ShinRa troops as well. "No one will stop me!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The judge, who was supposed to be supprisingly injured decided to unleash the power he was saving up. It was all, obviously for this moment where he would turn the tide against them. Angantyr should have expected this, should have realized that Chita was using this as his chance. Angantyr's eyes go wide, trying to parry the blade... But Angantyr does not fall. Angantyr grips the shaft of the lance and breaks it easily at the shaft, his eyes blazing with pain and anger. He can't even bark out a proper retort, having blood come out of your throat makes this kind of hard. He tries to tap into the strength of the Berserker, he needed something, anything, to stop this from becoming a horrible monstrosity...from more lives becoming consumed. "Better to play at hero.." he manages one retort, "Than fail at being a villain, you self grandizing little <GOOSEHONK>." Then Shinsec finish the job that Chita started, firing rounds into his back. Angantyr staggers from the blow, turning to lash out at them...he even gets a few, punching them out. They didn't know better, but right now...they were dooming this world. Angantyr's rage at failing was only triumphed by the fact that he was loosing blood. Another shot comes from behind, and he finally sinks to his knees. The keyblade disappears and he groans...Damn it... Not like this. /NOT LIKE THIS/!

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is not a happy man, he's not happy at all. Things are going to hell in a handbasket and he's going to pay for it later pretty dearly in all likely hood. Montag isn't down and out it yet. He's going to deal with it as he now moves in to see that Chita is also a problem. He has concerns about them going for the weapon. "Get the hell away from the weapon rabbit man, this is your only warning." Montag now turns his gun not on Cirra, but on Leida and he fires a quick burst shot at her, she nees to be brought down quickly as well. Leida's powers do a number on Montag he's never been that good with magical defence but as her powers go though him and his men who still stand. "I think not." Montag fires again at Ledia, going for the center of mass.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita can hear Angantyr get hit, can hear him start to fall, mutter out his response, then nothing after a shot. He winces, looking rather upset with it all. He didn't want to have to do that... didn't want to have to hurt him after all this time. As much as he hated Angantyr... he knew Maira cared for him. He didn't want to upset her. Yet... what was done was done. Slowly raising from where he landed, no further attacks came his way before he heard... the voice of the Shinra Security officer... Montag, wasn't it? He thought he heard Rhiannon call him that. His voice was... familiar, but he couldn't place where. "I have no calm with you, Montag is it? I do not want to use that blade, all I want is to dissolve it fully and release those who were suffering and trapped inside. I was here at Goug when the first Black Beast was unleashed... I helped to destroy it, and I am working to keep Rhiannon safe too! I do not want any more violence! Please, do not stop me from taking it elsewhere. If you take it... and Rhiannon gets her hands on it again, she could bind it to herself as she did the last one and be able to summon it right back to her from there on. It would be impossible to get it away and safely taken care of if that happens, without killing her." The soft pleading came as he grasped around on the ground for something, anything, to use as a weapon. There was still that Judge, who was fighting Leida... why was Leida acting like this? Wasn't she... different before? "The weapon will not be misused any further, and no one else in that weapon has to suffer! No more lives should be needlessly lost! Just back off and let me erase it from existence without setting loose another mistake like this was!" And once again he oriented himself after a moment and lunged for the weapon, hoping to grab it and get it away from Cirra and Leida. Montag seemed like a decent, honest, man. So, he gave him the benefit of the doubt that he could believe what he was saying. Plus, Rhiannon /had/ vouched that he could keep that Judge Sword on him, so perhaps that was credit towards his intentions.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia whistled in appreciation at the display of powers being thrown about. "My...I am honestly impressed that man is still standing." She mused, eyes following the battle. Angantyr has fallen in a rather dramatic display, taking down a number of Shinsec officers with him. That just left Chita, Leida, and Cirra. "...Perhaps I should vacate the area." For reasons other than her own safety. "I will find out what happens later, no doubt." Chucklig at that, the woman sidled along out of the way of the combat zone. And in the meantime, she threw out a few orders to some Shinsec personnel to kindly deposit Angantyr's body to a hospital. Having him wake up in Shinra HQ after all of this would be a problem. Hopefully Cirra would forget about arresting her.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Cirra quickly crushes a vial in her hand. The blue glow suffusing her body before the darkness wave smashes into her and can invade it. She comes through the tidal wave with arms up over her head, protecting her from the damage at least partialy. "Unlike /your/ kind I'm not wholely dependant on it either!" She spins the gunblade at herside. "And you artistry? Very well." The Judge moves, leaping from the ground to an almost impossible height to grasp the edge of a concrete pillar, tastefully descorated with a ShinRa banner. Cirra grabs the banner and runs directly around the column and swings off byy the cloth banner in her grip, spinning through the air with the red cloth trailing behind her in a spinning vortex as she comes down at Leida. THe Gunblade is swung. *BLAM* the cartridge fires, propelling it, and her faster around. *BLAM* it fires again, Cirra raising the weapon up in an ascending. *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* The weapon keeps firing, sending Cirra in a spiral of slashes until the cylander is expended of all it's amunition and as the Judge goes into her final spin she slides the weapon back into it's sheath at her side and grasps the other end of the spiraling red cloth to wrap it around the back of Leida's head to pull her closer. Closer.... And right ont he lips, Cirra kisses the demonic woman, and starts pulling her energy out of her.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' So that was his plan, was it? Even as Angantyr fell, she wanted to do something else to help, but definitely could not move for the time being. She was busy keeping her shields up, just to keep herself and Tifa from being shot up or crushed by the rocks. Then Chita dove for the weapon. He was right about one thing... it would have to be him, or no one. Rhiannon would use it to kill again. Leida would use it for far worse things. It would have to be smashed apart again, or...

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Several more bullets rip through the air mercilessly tearing gaping holes through the small girl's body, but the injuries just don't seem to last. Every cut, gash, and puncture simply fills up with bubbling darkness and returns to the state it was before. Even her clothing seems to be mending itself as if it too were a part of her demonic existence. Despite her extraordinary resilience, however, it's obvious that being the center of attention is taking its toll on the demonette. She can do little but defend herself, locked into a disadvantageous position with her need to defend the blade. The demonic arms of shadowfire lash at Chita, tearing ragged trails of purple corruption through the air in a volume that completely prevents him from approaching the sword unless he wants to test his own fortitude. A few reach up to swing at Cirra as well but her graceful acrobatics manage to evade every attempt, allowing her to add her own volume of fire to the barrage against the small demon. Leida staggers over and over, intent merely on biding her time until the moment is right. Her attention is very forcibly grabbed, however, when the dark knight uses a tactic she most certainly didn't expect. The slitted gold and red eyes go wide for a moment but as she feels her essence being drawn away it takes all of her effort not to simply laugh. She doesn't succeed completely. Pushing away enough to break the kiss, Leida gives her attacker a coy smirk. "Really, if that's what you were after there are easier ways to ask. But let's not ruin the moment." Several more shadowy arms erupt from the ground, a massive gaggle of stretching inky limbs that encircle both of the women, pressing them together into a tight vice-like embrace. An overwhelming wave of darkness floods outwards from Leida, seeping into the judge's body and much like her kiss, it draws at her very life force, pulling at the edges of her soul. As an added insult, Leida resumes the kiss, squeezing Cirra tightly against her wispy body.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag looks over to Aerith for a moment at Aerith and barks out at him. "Take Ang ang get him out of here, him ending up in a Lab tube is going to be bad news for everyone. Get Ang and take him out of here." It won't do anything for Montag in the long run to make sure Ang gets out, but it's what he can do and better than letting Rhia get her hands on him. He gets a radio that both is good news and then something that chills him. That one he doesn't have to get the blade. The thing that scares him as Rhia says there are other ways to get one. She might make more and that makes him feel sick. His rifle's empty at this point and he needs to reload. Montag reloads his weapon spared Leida's wrath for the moment. "I got my orders, leave now."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' With everyone distracted and apparently Montag deciding to trust him(as far as he's aware, he has no idea about any orders), Chita grabs the blade and yelps. He didn't know how large it was and grabbed a hand around the blade itself. Hand bleeding, however, he now knew which way the blade was facing and ran the back of his fingers quickly up to find the hilt of it and grabbed at it, pulling it out and jumping backwards with it before saying, "You are outnumbered and the blade is taken! I will not give it up without my death coming first and surely you both know that will not happen before Shinra's security forces gun you down." The weapon, as held by Chita, was held in a reverse grip and blade up behind him to try and half protect others from getting to it. Hopefully they didn't call him on his remark, because while it was true, he was running out of strength fast. He had enough for one big burst, but... beyond that, he's pretty well exhausted.

:'''[[Zero-One]] has posed:''' Some distance away, standing on the roof of a Goug building, two beings in shrouding black coats and hoods look up at the continuing battle within Shinra HQ. One of them looks through a pair of binoculars. The other speaks impatiently. "Well?" The figure with the binoculars lowers them and offers them over without looking. "It's bad. They got to it first." The second figure takes the binoculars and looks up through them at the battle. "Well, that's a hell of a mess." There in a pause. "Almost makes me want to join in." "That's against orders. No contact." The first figure snatches the binoculars back. "Let's get out of here. We have a report to make." "Shouldn't we wait to see who gets the remnants?" "Won't matter. They'll be obvious enough." The second grunts, and the pair turn to leave through a Portal of Darkness.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Every. Freaking. Time. She uses this it ends up being someone that can turn it against her! Cirra needs to find a new way of draining someone's life force. "On the contrary." Cirra says in the break in the kiss. Leida tries to turn it back onher, but Cirra turns aside keeping the kiss to a corner of her mouth, a spark of life force returning to Leida regardless. One hand releases the cloth banner and Cirra spins around aiming to wrap it around Leida's leg liek a whip. "I like spontaneity." she yanks on the cloth, attempting pull the demonette right off her feet.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith gave a nod. Yes, that's fair enough. He had it, but the question was... would he be able to do what he'd said? This was an entirely different weapon, with different priorities. It had a single minded focus to destroy the target of its ire, and that kind of determination was difficult to stifle. Maybe she would pay him a visit when this was over. For now, she directed her attention to Angantyr, and made her best attempts to get him out. After all, this Montag was only doing his job. Maybe he would come down to Seventh Heaven and have a drink... and maybe the first round would be on her.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida plants her thin-lipped kiss but manages to miss the target, drawing out only a meager tickle of the precious life-energy that she needed after such a demanding battle. Even worse, her distraction proved the ideal time for that loud-mouthed rabbit to snatch away the blade. The demon girl grits her teeth and growls but before she can get out a witty comeback, the cloth snags her legs from behind and yanks them out from under her. Letting out a surprised squeak, Leida falls backwards and lands heavily. Her head slams heavily against a jutting bit of the ruined floor and a sickening crack can be heard. The girl lies still, allowing the wound to remain open long enough to spill some blood out on the ground. Hopefully, she can buy a few moments by pretending to be out for the count. Motionless, she draws upon her inner reserves, flooding her body with fresh shadows that she slowly siphons from the dark room. It might just be the edge she needs to keep going.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag sees Chita pick up the blade, he's got his orders, he knows Rhia is capable of doing and what would happen if the blade gets away. He warned Chita to keep baxk he's got the blade and he shake his head. More people will die if that blade is taken away, for Rhia will attempt to remake it, if his ploy to his superiors fail it's bad news again. "I said drop it, sorry got my orders." He notices Ang's being healed and he says something itno his mic while the Shinsecs are moving back to secure the entry point Grunts and Death Sweeper drones can be coming for this room. As for Montag he gets up ane he takes aim attemptuing to shoot the blade out of Chita's hands. "Nothing personal."

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Cirra watches Leida take a tumble and crack her head. Oh well someone will pheonix down her. It's foolish but /someone/ will do it. Cirra discards the banner and turns towards Chita as he picks up the sword. "Tch, fool!" She grasps the hilt of her gunblade and moves back across the room in a swift run, raising the blade of the weapon and then slaming it down on the ground to send another crack through the floor to try and trip the Veirra up.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' After a few long moments, Leida hears movement away from her prone body. She cracks a single eye ever so slightly in time to see Cirra moving away to assault the new owner of the dark blade; though he's unlikely to be its owner for long in his condition. Rolling over onto the front, the demon pushes back to her feet noiselessly and summons up her dark energies once more. Unholy healing floods through her small frame, sealing over the wound in her head as if it never were and knitting away at the lingering bullet holes. She's still banged up but the fight hasn't gone out of her yet. Once more the inky hands of shadow erupt from the ground as she lifts her own into the air, drawing them from the darkness as a puppeteer might. They claw and grasp at everything in range, attempting to pin the remaining soldiers against the walls and the floor while Cirra and especially Chita get the majority of the attention. Larger, more deadly looking claws erupt from the air itself, swirling vortexes into empty voids spitting out disembodied limbs that swing their deadly claws like scythes at the pair of armored warriors. "That sword /will/ be mine!"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Panting and looking worse for the wear, one party seems to drop and all that leaves is... Shinsec, in the form of Montag, and... the Judge. Damnit, why a Judge. Why does he have to fight a Judge. He had no problem with her, and for that matter, he had no problem with Montag either. They were both doing their job, seemingly, and for that matter both probably had the same intention. Well, he didn't know WHAT Montag's intentions were, other than 'doing his job', and Cirra had mentioned locking it away in a hole. Of course, before he could respond, he heard something in his mind. "N-no, I will not! No more blood shall be shed, least of all by you, so be quiet while I find a way out!" Chita talks aloud, not towards anyone specific... was he talking to the weapon. Then Montag spoke, and Chita curled up and brought the sword in front of his chest, center mass. He couldn't see remotely where Montag was aiming, but from his time in a clan, a moogle he knew had taught him how to try and defend against ranged attackers. Guard center mass, if they're smart, they won't aim at outer targets. Of course, he still got hit by the bullet, and while it did hit the blade, he was knocked backwards by the force of it. And eventually knocked onto his back by the attack from Cirra. "Stop! There doesn't have to be any more bloodshed! I will not use this weapon to hurt any of you, period! I will not hurt you with it! All I want is to see it safely destroyed! SAFELY!" Of course, Montag had orders and likely wouldn't back off and he knew nothing of Cirra... he had to do something before he was gunned down. Something... but what. Then suddenly Leida was back and another attack came. Chita was grasped at, cut, legs bleeding. He did the only thing that came to mind, then. He staggered to a stand, shifted the weapon into his left hand, only to do something that would likely cause even more damage to the structure, and possibly put his own safety in danger. He summoned his Judge Sword into his right hand, leapt up, and struck straight down at the floor between where Cirra and Montag, and Leida were. He literally tried to blow the floor out from under them and cause them to fall down through the floor.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr's body jerks when he recieves just enough healing to stand, but not enough to keep fighting. He hisses, throwing his arm back, his eyes blazing at Aerith. "You...You could have /stopped/ this, you could have aided us, and STOPPED this. The lives that will be lost, come on your head.." he hisses at Aerith, "Don't touch me." her unwillingness to help was noted...he tands, there is mostly a hole in his chest, the spear still there, as he looks to the retreating bunny...damn. But this place was too busy, Leida was still alive...and he knows first hand her strength. He looks at the Judge. "Constantine. If you want to to either continue living, and not be used as a breeding experiment by Shinra, follow me." he says, and a corridor opens, before jumping inside. He can't do much but escape.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is able to get off a shot as Leida gets back up and turns her power upon him. He manafes to just endure it as Leida gets back up. "Tch just like a Raven." Montag lines up a shot with Leida, the screamin demon thing that is wanting the blade, is the worst thing they could go for it then comes chiat's attack he looks at it. "Go." Is all Montag says to Cirra and Ang, he staggers lines up a shot on Leida and then opens fire emptying the entire clip trying to catch her, while she goes for Chita.

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Arhg, the demon is still awake. Cirra turns after attacking Chita and the giant claws tear through the ground, "Damn and blast!" She leaps backwards as her armor is torn into. she stumbles backwards as the Judge Sword fractures the floor even more. "Are you insane?!" She questions the thought processes of the other Judge and leaps upwards, grasping a lighting fixture and swingign from it by one hand. "Are you trying to kill everyone or just yourself?!"

:'''[[Cirra Constantine]] has posed:''' Cirra tchs, "Another time, Beserker." She swings from the lighting fixture and lets go, covering herself with her arms and pulling up her legs as she breaks through one of the remaining windows. It shatters outwards as the Judge plumets through the air. Cirra uncurls and plants her feet on a cable, sliding down the steel cable with sparks flying from her armored boots. THe cable curves downwards untill it runs along side a passing train that winds down towards the lower city. Cirra calmly steps off the cable and onto the passing train, carried away deeper into the city.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' More gunfire results in more demonic blood staining the already thoroughly ruined floor. Leida winces and diverts some of her attention to protecting herself from the relentless onslaught of the ShinRa troops. One in particular seems quite hellbent on keeping everyone away from that blade, though for what purposes she can't seem to grasp. She takes a step towards the blade but the floor shifts and groans even at her light step. The demon hesistates for a moment at the noise, suddenly aware of how fragile the footing is - but it's too late. A large section of the meeting room collapses underneath her sending the demon plummeting into the darkness below with several tons of rubble right behind. From the resounding crashes, it's probable she went through a couple more floors before stopping. The dust settles and after several seconds of stillness it seems that they demon girl has finally been driven off.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith huffed and dusted her jeans off. "So that's the thanks I get for saving his life..." She sported a grimace now. "And Tifa decided to leave while I was protecting us, too. How am I going to explain this to Maira..." She sighed and glanced toward Chita. Well, now she knew who the weapon was going to. Whatever Montag's orders were, it could not stay in this building. Rhiannon might build another one... but only if it's destroyed. If she had a hold of it, she'd use it. "Look, all due respect..." she glanced toward the still armed, still hostile man. "I don't like you. Your people tortured me and turned me into an experiment when I was the age of two. But I'm going to give you some advice... let him have it." She turned her full attention toward Montag now. "What happened to Goug and Narshe will be considerably pleasant compared to what Rhiannon will do if she keeps this weapon. Let it leave this building and I assure you, the worst that could happen is that it'll get buried and lost to time." She had no idea what the best case scenario would be. But she had to reassure him of something. "It's either have more deaths on your head, or stop this now and have far less incidents."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' As Cirra makes her exit, after questioning his sanity, and his plan to break the floor works with Leida falling through, it just left the exhausted Judge standing atop where the conference table used to be, panting and holding the blade behind him with one arm, the other now without a weapon. It was just him... Montag... And the security forces that were working to keep the rest safe. Wait... now he recalled. That voice... it was the one who helped him take down the Black Beast to begin with all that time ago. He was there the night it all began. "You... I remember you now. You were the gunner on the rooftops who helped me to penetrate the beasts weak spot and bring it down when it was unleashed on Goug." Chita spoke softly, obviously tired, not tryin to fight Montag at the moment, but not turning his back on him. "I was the Dragoon you saw... the one in the robes that likely looked female. You know I mean good... you know I am not going to let this blade kill anyone else. You helped me take down the black beast before... and now here we are again. Are you going to help me destroy what is left of it safely..." He paused there, facing Montag with his chest fully exposed, "Or are you going to shoot a blind man who is only trying to help keep others safe, and return this blade to the very one who killed so many? If you try the latter, I will destroy this part of the building when I fall and make sure no one gets the weapon. Or you can let me go, and go check on your wounded... and come after me at another time. I have no reason to hide my intentions. Now is the time for words, not further violence or bloodshed, Montag. Be the man you were when you saved all those lives... don't let it go again. Do not..."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag breathing is ragged, he's going to line up anotehr shot with Leida but then she seems to go on her own. His life is going to be pain for Ang escapingm but? That's better than Rhia getting her mitts on him or worse Hojo. He now has to focus on what's left. That's being Chita's more Shinsec are moving in with Grunt drones in the lead. "Drop the blade, I have orders to recover the weapon." There is that hole in the wall, Chita might want to use it to get out of here. Montag is moving to pull the trigger, he seems to be not be planning to let him as he moves to line up a shot and pull the trigger. "She'll make a replacement if I don't recover it." He fires, Chita best fun.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Wait... he just realized. Aerith was here. Only... Just as Montag lined up the shot, Chita went still. Something was wrong. Something was... The sword. Chita stepped back and looked like he was uncertain about something, looking around as if he actually saw something before staring up at the ceiling and cringing back. Then as if suddenly realizing something was wrong he said, "Damnit, stop that! I already know!" What was that coming from underneath the silken band around his eyes? Was that... tears? Just a bit, he got control of it fast enough before realizing what Montag just said. 'She'll make a replacement if I don't recover it.' He grinned at that. "Yes, she will... if you let her, Montag. Do not... oh, and please don't hurt Rhia either, if you must stop her, she is with child." he said before bringing up the Nobody Sword and quickly spinning around to try and avoid any incoming attacks. "Aerith, protect him!" is all he said from then on out as he took a chance and leapt towards the wall. One last summon and fling of his other sword, the Judge Sword, was aimed right at the ceiling. He was trying to create enough of a distractino that Montag couldn't follow as he took a leap of faith out the window, the window he knew was there because Cirra broke it and made quite clear it was now an escape method and just where it was. If the Judge did it... there must be something there he can escape with. Or if not he'll have to make do somehow.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's eyes widen as she sees his tears, just enough for her to try and respond... until he begins to throw his primary weapon against the ceiling. Oh yes, it would more than likely smash them both, if it weren't for the pale blue defensive barrier she placed around the both of them. "Chita, you have the worst timing." So that was why he was protecting her instead of taking her to the cleaners. Why could things never be simple? Now she couldn't rightfully touch her, putting everyone back on the defensive. "I would take his advice," she yelled over the collapse. "If you let this happen, it's all on you! I don't like you people, but you seem different, so I'm going to let your involvement in this slide! Stop her from making another!"

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag had his plans but it hinged on his superiors not being happy for all he knows. President shinra is going tow ant to throw these things at the Shadow Lords or Wutai but it's woth a try howeve the strike makes it so he can't follow him. He's forced back as are the other shinsecs the grunts start to chase but they are a moment too flow and he hears Aerith's words on her way out. "...Secure the area, move make sure there's nothing else or no one else crawling about. Get medical teams down here stat and do not let them get sent up to the lab levels." Oh Montag so needed a drink...

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith made her way out of the building through a path only she knew about. Fortunately for her, it was the same old tower, and the same old layout... and she knew this escape route because it was the one she took, all those years ago, with her mother. She never thought she would have to use it again, but things never went her way these days, did they? Once outside the building, she glanced toward the slums. She had to pack her things all over again... there was a rabbit to follow. She had to know what exactly happened before he left. It was as if he saw something, cringed back in shock from something she couldn't trace. If that were the case... there was no way he was in control of this new, terrible blade. She had to at least know how he was going to accomplish this.

Mir Clarence

2014-02-24T20:45:58Z

MirageV:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Mirallia
|lastname=Clarence
|age=Old enough
|image=FK - Mir2.png
|species=Demihuman
|sex=Female
|height=5'0
|weight=None of your business
|series=Final Fantasy 9
|styles=Wind Lancer
|hometown=Lindblum,
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Unaffiliated
|occupation=Baker
|quote=Make sure you clean your plate!
|footer=Not sharing the adventurous exuberance of her peers, she's just getting by selling her goods and avoiding too much trouble.
}}
= Profile =

Mir is a simple girl. She runs her own bakery and cafe, which she's since moved to a different city than her hometown. She's got a bad attitude, but a good heart underneath. It doesn't take much to make her resort to knocking heads, and even less for her to fly off the handle. But she's overall, a good girl. She has a home in Goug, but she mainly travels to different cities and locales, selling baked goods while on the go.

She is not an adventurer and will be the first to tell you such. Combat is not her forte and, though she can swing a sword or a lance, she would be the last to actually do so. Not confident in her strength, Mir is more than content to leave the 'heavy lifting' to other more capable people. She's more at home traveling from city to city with her bakery cart, selling off the various cakes, pies, bread, and other creations of hers.

Though rare, she does sometimes head out to remote, or dangerous areas to search for rare or mundane ingredients for her dishes. It's about the only thing that she will stick her neck out for. Despite this however, if push comes to shove, Mir can't bring herself to abandon someone in need. As long as whatever is needed of her doesn't trade her life for another's, she will help out in the best way she can.

= Abilities =

Mir is not a natural combatant, but she does posses some skills, mostly out of the necessity for self defense, rather than any blown up need to be some strong mercenary warrior. She has some training experience with swords and lances. And can at least put up a bit of a fight with them when necessary. She will almost always lose out to anyone who actually partakes in that sort of thing for a living however. Practical experience trumps theory after all.

More naturally, she is capable of casting a plethora of elemental magics, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Being a wind fairy, it naturally goes to reason that her strongest element is wind. It's natural. Something she just 'knows' how to do, by virtue of her racial heritage. Other magic such as light, water, fire, and so on are less and less effective, going in that order. Her range of magic usage goes from raw offensive magic, weapon imbuing, and spells to support and assist others. With the latter being that which she excels at. She'd like to learn how to heal, but she hasn't found the time or a proper teacher.

Non-combat wise, Mir is an excellent cook, though she focuses on baking out of preference for the trade. She travels from city to city, selling goods that she'd baked herself, but she also owns a small cafe in Goug. While she's out, a friend and business partner happily runs it in her stead. Mir is very passionate about cuisine in general, and is always on the lookout for new and interesting ingredients to use for her creations. Though she has a brain, and won't come up with crazy dishes that obviously would not work. And beware, wasting food is one of the most unspeakable crimes to her. Never do it in her sight or she won't let the culprit hear the end of it.

As another racial trait, Mir possesses fairy wings. They seem to be made of pure light and emanate a green magical aura. Observant people may notice that the glow of her wings also directly corresponds to the magical energy she has. When it's plentiful, her wings glow brightly, when it's low, the glow becomes more subdued. When she's got no energy left, they will retract back into her back. They are capable of flight as well, though Mir doesn't fly as much as people might think. Flying isn't all that beneficial to her business, considering she's got to lug a huge cart around. Mir can also will them away when she doesn't want them out. And usually, that's the case.

Not so much abilities and more just possessions, she owns a large, red baker's cart that she travels around with, one fitted with a magic stone to perpetually emanate heat, which keeps her goods warm. And pulling that cart is a yellow Pulse Chocobo by the name of Coco. Mir treats Coco more like a friend than a simple mount or a pet. She seems to have conversations with him and asks his opinion on things, which turns the heads of more normal people. Nevertheless, Mir sees nothing wrong with it.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

File:FK - Mir2.png

2014-02-24T20:45:11Z

MirageV:

A Researcher's Interlude IV

2014-02-21T07:25:45Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/20 |Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area |Synopsis=The next day, after resting from the trip back, Rhia entertains some discussion wi..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/20
|Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area
|Synopsis=The next day, after resting from the trip back, Rhia entertains some discussion with Chita. Certain facts are revealed and decisions are made.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen, Chita
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' That previous day had passed, Rhia getting more sleep than she'd anticipated getting. But nonetheless, what's done is done. Choosing not to leave her bed, feeling unwilling to do much of anything just yet, she remained. Sitting up with her back against a few pillows and blanket drawn up around her lap, she casually thumbed through a book, eyes slowly moving from left to right, reading the pages observantly. She'd told Chita that she expected him to show himself out once he was finished resting, and thus, paid no attention to him at all. Her eyes were focused solely on the contents of the book in her hands, turning a page delicately once neccesary. It was a novel. Certainly a change of pace from the research notes, and journals, and other work related things she'd usually pored over. Suppose this was the closest thing to a break for now. ...For now.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita, himself, had slept much in an uncharacteristic way. If Rhia had ever paid attention to such before, he was the type who slept on his side, enjoyed hugging something(Pillow, or her, during those time or two when she was being a bit more sociable about such). During this period of sleep, however, he was practically dead on his back. Little to no movement at all as if he really was just that exhausted. Even when she woke up he didn't show signs of stirring and it wasn't until a good hour after that before he finally let out a confused sound and went to push himself further upright. Not even having used the blankets or any such, he was dressed without the exception of his shirt. "Mmph..." He wasn't even sure how long he'd slept, or what time of day it was, or for that matter if Rhiannon had already left. Then he heard the page of a book turn. "...how long did I sleep?" came the rather tired question as he felt around beside him for the shirt he'd taken of only to realize it likely fell onto the floor. He hadn't quite came to the realization that anything that had happened the previous day was anything other than a strange dream.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Longer than predicted." Was her short answer. A subtle smirk made it's way onto her face at that as she read the next passage. Something about a band of travelers fallen under a dark curse in an unfamiliar land. It was an entertaining read. "I imagine you will spend a bit longer recalibrating your senses." It was left at that and silence fell in again. She had nothing to ask him, nothing to say, and no conversations to start. If any of that was going to be had, then it would fall on him to do it. And she turned another page in her book.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Listening and trying to make sense of everything that was going on, chita started to speak, then stopped, then started to speak again before just shaking his head and saying nothing. What could he even say about that? He barely any idea what was going on. Slowly standing and carefully making his way towards the other side of the room he then walked towards the bathroom that also had the shower in it. "I am going to clean up." he said rather matter of factly and took it upon himself to step into the shower. If she really didn't want him there she'd say so after all. Inside he goes, the door doesn't even close behind him because he doesn't care enough to bother with that, and after the water comes on and the sound of him stepping under it can be heard - he asks, "Are you... truly with child, or did I just have some odd dream where I was locked in some strange room and you said such after?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia continued to read, not looking at what Chita was doing. He could handle himself. Chuckling faintly to herself at the next passage, she took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Hm?" Finally looking away from her book, she turned her gaze to the direction of the bathroom, whose door was still open. Not that it mattered. "No, that was not a dream. And yes. I was feeling odd some months ago, which is strange considering my body being what it is." That being heavily self experimented on. Her attention returned to the book at that point, another page turning. "So I tested myself to be sure. And it turned out that indeed, that is the case." The scientist rolled her eyes at that. "An unexpected development. ...However, what is done is done." And then a shrug followed that statement. "Come what may, I shall see where this goes."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' The sound of the water running and a bit of steam was all the response she got for several minutes before a faint laugh could be heard. It was more a laugh of resignation than amusement, as if he had just finally accepted that it was all actually happening. "I see... I see. And as much as I like to pretend otherwise that you are ... a better being than you are at times, is there any proof of this? How can you even..." then he grumbled out something about 'probably some strange science thing' and saying, "...no, nevermind. I suppose, then, the question remains." He doesn't fill in what question that was, though, perhaps leaving that up to her to fill in the blanks of. Or maybe not knowing what the question is.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia giggled to herself at Chita's question, barring the long stretch of silence. "Do I need to explain the birds and the bees to you?" She asked, mostly in jest. "Regardless of what you might think of me, you are the only male I have engaged in intimate activity with in the past year." Setting her book in her lap, she rested her chin in her palm and stared off towards the bathroom again. "In your world, you may not be able to verify a pregnancy with any great accuracy. But in my world, the technology exists." But this was ridiculous. In all her life, she never thought she would need to prove the vailidty of a pregnancy to someone. Let alone her own. Life was funny like that. All of that said however, the woman looked off towards her room's window, gazing at what little of the city she could see through the curtains. "If you're trembling in your mind, afraid that I will tell you to take responsibility, then lay your fears to rest. I am not interested in that."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' And such was answered. The water turned off and after a few moments a half-wet Viera stood in the doorway with a towel being used to wring out his hair bit by bit. "No, you do not need to explain it to me. But I had to ask, Rhiannon. None can truly know another, ever, and if it turns out otherwise I would at least like the comfort of knowing I did ask. And.. no, I am not trembling in my mind. At least, not for that reason." He didn't quite care about his own lack of clothing and conveniently a dresser blocked his lower half from sight from the bed as it was. "I am more than willing to... do everything I can to take care of the child, and you, now and as for as long as I need to. As long as I can. I simply do not know what to do with you since you have gone and, yet again, unleashed the weapon on a city. You have yet again done something that makes everyone else want to kill you, and me... want to see you locked up. What am I going to do with you, Rhia... why can you not just be..." and then he mumbled something like 'less crazy' before he brought the towel from his head down to start drying the rest of his body.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Please, save the speech." Rhia said, after the fact, which kind of made it pointless. "I just got done saying that I was not interested. You should walk the other way while you still can, lest I drain you for every useful function you might contain." The woman smiled mischievously at that. "As for what happened. What's done is done." A nonchalant shrug. "Let those righteous heroes stew in their indignation." She waved a hand dismissively, also uninterested in the Viera's current state of dress. Or lack thereof. "You have nothing to do with me. You can go about your merry little life any time you please. You choose to keep coming back. Not once have I told you what to do in relation to the choice of your continued involvement." Chuckling then, she turned her attention back to her book, resuming reading. "As it stands now, they have no way of bringing me to harm anyhow." That smug look returned to her face as she said that. "For one, they have had trouble killing me in the past. Secondly, an unrelated life now stands between them and me. And thirdly...You won't let them, will you?" That last question was posed to Chita as Rhia looked back to him, looking all sorts of entertained with the situation.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "I never knew my parents, Rhiannon. I was taken from them when I was young to live in a village with the other menfolk of my kind, protected and kept away from the outside world. If all of this is real... I do not want the same for this child. Nor do I want them to turn out like you." A bit blunt, but they both knew what he meant. "You are a brilliant woman... more intelligent than most could ever hope for. But you are like you are now for some reason or another and nothing can change that. Most of them I freely believe would not harm you as you are now, because of this. Because... it would harm another too. But there is one who would harm even so. A crazed animal we both know who was there the other night. Until he has been executed by Archades for his crimes, or he is dead by some other means, I will not give him the slightest chance to harm you or that child." Despite his tone, or anything about the 'speech' of it... something about him seemed a bit different. It didn't seem to be the 'heroic' aspect of it that he was protecting her, or trying to be a good guy by doing it. His tone and demeanor were almost personal with such. Pulling the pair of pants he had on earlier from the rack nearby he slipped them on before making his way to the bed and taking a seat on the end of it near Rhia's feet. "You surely can understand my... concern."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' And She listened. Listened as Chita explained his lack of presence from his real parents, how he was raised away from others because of who he was. All while periodically turning pages and reading. It almost seemed like she was ignoring him, but she was listening. "This child will have a family." She stated plainly. "And I hardly see the need for you to be present." Another page turn. "The way I turned out...that is not something that just happens." Indeed, her current state as a person...wasn't run of the mill. Hardly anyone could become like she did. And she did by choice. ...Why was she debating this anyhow? "Do you fear I might use my own son or daughter as a test subject for any random number of experiments I might think up?" That question was posed with a smirk. All that said though, she set her book down, this time closing it, with a light sigh. "You sure do love to speak about that man though..." Rhia commented casually, resting her hands in her lap with her fingers steepled. "Have you not realized that he is currently attached to that girl? Would you really think him such a hypocrite that he would turn his blade on a pregnant woman while courting another?" She wasn't defending Angantyr. She was just speaking logically.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' The first part of her responses didn't go answered. He wasn't sure how to respond to that anyways. What part of that did he fear the most? She had no morality and he knew that, so he didn't put anything past her. Yet, as she spoke about Angantyr, he shook his head. "Girl? What girl? No, is the answer, and... no, I do not love talking about him, he terrifies me. His madness, his insanity... he is a rabid dog with a weapon that could in theory save us all from the Heartless, as far as I can tell. Somehow, despite him being a rabid dog... despite attacking anything that gets in his way... despite having trying to murder me more than twice in cold blood with the only reasons being my occupation or respect for another... people still treat him as if nothing he does is wrong. They treat him like a hero. They... justify all of his madness, including his murderous intentions. He has friends, respect... love..." And at that Chita trailed off, quiet. At least for a moment. "As much as others call you evil, and while I agree with them that your actions are just that... you can be reasoned with. He is blind in his madness, and unreasonable. Yes... he would hurt you. He would maim you and laugh while doing it, all because he can. He revels in causing others pain and gets away with it for some reason I cannot fathom. Seemingly good people allow him to go unchecked." Turning towards Rhiannon, Chita reaches out a hand to rest on her foot. "I am not certain I can protect you from that. Monsters, heartless... yes, but..."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Of course he didn't respond. She'd expected that much for her first statement. It was left aside. "What girl? That girly little blonde in the red that is constantly wrapped around his arm. What was her name? .....Miara? Cairo? Merideth? Murgleberstein? I cannot remember." As usual of her, inimportant people's names were purged from her mind without care or a second thought. His talk of Angantyr caused the woman to arch a brow. "Really now." It was curious that somehow, he, such a violent and dark man, obtained a weapon of what was supposedly pure light and justice, and so forth. Who in the keyblade granting chain of command was fired for that mishap, she wondered. "I noticed how that man is treated. Hardly my business or concern though." But it was bordering on hypocracy, not that she cared what people thought of her in the end. All that mattered were the results. Expected and unexpected. "...Well now, you will be quite interested to know that I have already scheduled a conference, inviting those so called righteous heroes here to discuss things in a civil, mature manner." Indeed. That invitation was done on the way back to Goug at some point. And evenn with this knowledge, she wouldn't change the plan. "Whether or not people are hypocrites, whether they kill and destroy others, and get away with it, is not my concern." She moved her leg away then, moving to get out of bed. "In any case, I have business to attend to." She didn't say where or what and just proceeded to get dressed instead.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "...are you really that suicidal, Rhiannon? Or do you just want to see me killed trying to keep you and our future child safe? Because, as it stands... that is how it will turn out if such happens." What a woman... what an idiot. Chita is truly going to have to do everything in his power to convince Shinsec to lend a large group of security to keep potential 'heroes' from trying to murder Rhiannon in her own lab, or wherever it was she intended to have them come. Sure, if it was Fluorgis he may be able to wrangle the Judges into enforcing a no-fighting area, but... not here. Not unless... someone with a law card. No, no, he couldn't possibly. That would be a far abuse of his power and he would never. He really should check in with the Judges, though, now that he thought about it. As he felt Rhiannon pull her foot away and turn to stand he faced her and listened idly as she went about her business before saying, "Unless your business is private, I wuold come along. I have no intention of interfering in any such, but until I can be assured you are not going to invite unstable idiots to come and try to murder you, I feel the need to make sure you remain as safe as possible." And with that, he, too, stand and made his way to the other side of the bed to find the rest of his clothing and shoes and socks and such. "By the way... what ever did you do with that bear I gave you? Hopefully not a trash can?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Are you really that afraid of one man? Child or no, I am not going to be killed by a single man." It might have sounded like blind confidence, but it was at least partly true. "There will be security and countermeasures in place. That aside, I have no intention of blowing up any towns or stealing any hearts. Unless your so called heroes are so mad and rabid, that they would attack on sight with no provocation?" She didn't wait for that question to be answer and slipped on her lab coat and heels. "Don't fancy yourself my protector now. I am just going to survey the after effects of the other day's experiment." She didn't wait for a reply to that either, and once she deemed herself ready, stepped out the door of her room and proceeded along down the hallway, whether Chita was ready to go or not. The bear question went sorely unanswered. But alas, if only the poor sod could see. He'd notice it sitting atop her windowsill, coincidentally staring right at him.

A Researcher's Interlude III

2014-02-21T07:23:40Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/18 |Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area |Synopsis=Returning to Goug from her exploits in Narshe, Rhia heads to a certain room in Shi..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/18
|Location=Goug - ShinRa HQ - Reception Area
|Synopsis=Returning to Goug from her exploits in Narshe, Rhia heads to a certain room in Shinra HQ to see just how her unintended test subject fared in the VR Observation Chamber. Discussion is had and things are revealed.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen, Chita
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Not even certain what had appened beyond there was chaos and fighting going on, then nothing, when Chita finally felt ground beneath his feet it made it even more confusing for him. "What the hell? Where... is this inside the weapon?" For all he knew, it was. Or it wasn't. Surely he wasn't dead, because Hades didn't want him, and just the same if he was dead, he could probably see once again. As of the moment, he couldn't. Couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel... anything. Just... nothing. Just what sounded like an ocean... and a strange clinging coldness that he couldn't shake. A fidgeting shuffle of one hand led him to rub at the silver ring with a red x on it idly as if unsure what the situation was before calling out, "Is anyone there?! Can anyone from Goug hear me?!" He didn't hear any voices, any cries for help, any suffering. Or maybe he did? The tiniest of sounds caused him to turn towards what he thought it was and 'stare' off at nothing. "Am I imagining things?" he mumbled softly before heading in that direction slowly, spear drawn forth and used to walk with just in case he tripped on something. What /was/ this place? And why did everything seem so... strange? Confusing?

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Chita would have been left like that for at least a day and some change as Rhia made her way back to Goug. Not possessing any convenient teleportation magics, and the dark portals of the Black Omen now a thing of the past, she'd taken the trip on a Shinra aircraft, sailing through the skies with a few breaks, before they arrived in the city, touching down onto a helipad on the roof by the afternoon. Stepping off of the vehicle, the woman brushed her hair out of her face with a hand, over the roar of the wind, and then took steps over to the waiting elevator, making her way down to the floor with the laboratories. "Hmn. I wonder how he's fared. It should have been at least a day by now..." And a playful smirk followed that uttered thought. Arriving at the designated floor, Rhia stepped off and made her way through the halls, heading not for her own lab, but to a more specialized room. Stepping past the automatic sliding doors, it was revealed to be some manner of white walled room. It was divided into two parts. One larger section for a subject, and a smaller observation area, it's windows engineered in such a way that the subject couldn't see through them. Or realize they were there once the room was active. And inside this room was Chita. The scientist settled herself into a seat with a faint sigh before glancing through the window. "...Oh dear." And then she looked down at the various computer screens and key displays, observing one particular screen. It seemed to show what the actual environment inside was. A VR simulation? After a moment's contemplation, Rhia shrugged to herself and brought her hand to a certain lever, dialing it down from 100, all the way down to 0. Effectively shutting off the VR environment, and dispelling the sounds and 'feelings' with it. "...Well, hello in there~" The woman greeted with a mischievous tone. "Did you enjoy your stay?"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Being a stubborn pig-headedly aggressive fool when it came to his own goals, all indications of what he'd been doing or not would have pointed towards him actively doing SOMETHING during the entire period, be it searching, or trying to find the mysterious sounds, or trying to find something. Anything. Some indication that this was all real and not just in his head. Or an indication of where the hell he was, or what was going on. Is this why they were so scared inside of it? Unable to muster up the courage to get out or try? They were lost, in this darkness? If that was the case he could fully understand. It /was/ quite worrying, even for him. But he had to keep going. He had to... otherwise everything he had tried, and done, was for nothing. Going on nearly fourty hours awake - the time inside this place combined with the period of time he was awake before the vents at Narshe had ocurred, he was looking quite tired. His posture wasn't the best, but he was hardly dragging so much as leaning a bit more on his weapon than he had before. The sudden lack of the cold and biting sensation that was the overwhelming darkness caused him to stop moving and perk up a bit more, tall ears listening to what was going on. "What is--" then a voice. Rhiannon? A hand came to his chest and he held it over his heart as if uncertain if she somehow had control of the weapon and, thus, it and him. "What is going on? I cannot imagine you were left to walk away unmolested from wherever it was that you..." a small growl of frustration left his throat as he trailed off from actually saying what he'd intended to.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Actuuuuaaaaally..." Rhiannon drawled playfully, leaning back in her chair and looking through the window at the sleep deprived Viera. "...I was." She smirked at that and left the particulars to the side. "It's amazing, the things one can get away with one your apparent adversaries are tired out." Or so she would say anyway. Not minding his valiant effort to keep his anger down, Rhia continued to smile as she observed Chita's movements. "So. How do you feel? Any more questions?" She asked that, knowing full well that he had more to ask. That in mind, she patiently sat by and waited. Whether she'd actually answer any in a satisfactory manner was another issue entirely though.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' All in all, no matter what was going on, ultimately Chita had no idea what was going on. And in the end, it all mattered very little outside of a single thing. "What happened?" he finally asked, "What is going on? Wait... no, this all makes a fair bit of sense. I must have succeeded in being drawn into the weapon somehow. Yet... I have heard nothing of those trapped within." The sound was coming from all around, an almost omniscient way of speaking. He still hadn't realized he wasn't inside the weapon, and assumed she was simply communicating to him through it like he'd intended to do on a less pressed schedule. There was nothing he could do if he couldn't find those inside the weapon... nothing he could do to try and encourage them, help them get stronger... work together to destroy the thing from the insdie out and get some satisfaction even after their unfortunate demise... or possibly even complete it. If he couldn't do it... It was all for nothing. "...I failed, I can only imagine." he said softly before leaning more heavily onto his weapon. "All those months of planning, forced to act too soon, and I failed. Why... why then? Why now? Why... did you throw away everything I tried to do?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Because the overall project, though largely informative, was ultimately a failure." She replied simply, almost boredly in fact. "My theory came to a grinding halt the moment I came to discover that what is essentially a bound heartless cannot truly be completed, or 'redeemed'." And then there was an amused giggle to follow. "As for the Black Omen itself, it was destroyed quite handily by your dear friend, Angantyr. The hearts contained were released into a fluttering cloud. Drifting off to wherever captive hearts go." Rhia chuckled to herself at that, and then shook her head. "Nonetheless, the data was gathered and the next experiment can begin thus." She let that hang in the air for the moment, browsing some of the recorded results for the past day before speaking up again. "And by now, I'm sure you realize that you were never drawn into it. The project was destablized with the amount of damage taken, and thus, a countermeasure was activated, one that lead to another curiousity of mine." Smiling to herself, hand against her cheek. "Suffice to say, you are in an observation room in Shinra's Goug headquarters. I imagine you must have been here for the past day or so, hm?"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Chita stood there silently as Rhiannon spoke, not saying anything until she stopped after making the remark she did. There was no reason not to believe what she was saying. As much as nothing else made sense, that, surpisingly made the most sense. It... made sense that everything he had tried for was now for nothing, and although the captive hearts inside the weapon were released... their deaths were for nothing now too. But, her next experiment? A wave of cold sickness ran through him finally as his grip on the spear tightened a bit and he resisted the urge to shout, or say something stupid, or even do something. He couldn't. He couldn't act out or he could just as easily be locked away in here forever until he died or, for that matter, was simply arrested for trying to hurt her on Shinra grounds. "If I am in an observation room... how have i been walking and wandering in someplace cold and... open and far more spacious than a room for the last day?" He turned slightly, perhaps by chance now facing her on the other side of the window, "And why... are you telling me any of this? For what reason are you possibly involving me when you know as well as I do that I have no plans to let you do this again if I can help it." His voice might belay just how much he was holding back his various thoughts and feelings, the slight waver in such, as if he wanted to just spit it all out along with plenty of other things, but isn't.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Simple." Rhia remained smiling, wagging a finger admonishingly, though mostly for her own amusement. "That room affects one's sensory perception, making them feel things, think things are there, when really...they were not. Quite a fascinating little toy, really." Giggling to herself, the scientist looked away, pondering some idle thought to herself then, drunning her fingers idly along the chair's armrest. "As for why I am telling you..." There was a pause. "...You have no way of hurting me." Well that was cryptic.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' All of the built-up stress and tiredness, and all of the overwhelming amount of uncertainty finally gets to the Viera and the spear vanishes as he sinks down to his knees. Winding up sitting in a slightly sideways position with one hand on the ground he looks a bit, well, numb. Too much at once, not enough sleep, suddenly having to deal with all of his goals being made moot and not having any clue or indication at all as to what comes next. "No, I do not. Not without killing you, of course." And if he could muster the nerve for that was still a matter of debate. Chances were, though, he couldn't. "Am I being held here or am I free to leave this room? And what next? Please, Rhia, no more death. What will it take of me to get you to stop?" His voice was tired, his tone... even more so. He was worn out in trying and didn't really know what to do at this point, and as such, he simply asked - what would it take. "What possible knowledge could you desire so much? What is it, ultimately, that drives you?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rolling her eyes, Rhia leaned back in her seat and chuckled to herself. "Not without killing me. And not without harming your child." Wait, what? She didn't stop at the subject though, and reached over, hitting a button on the various array of computer keys and dials. A door opened with an audible mechanical whirr, tipping Chita off as to the direction of the way out of the room. He should be able to find his way out of the small passage to the hallway from there. "And if you must know, my more pertinent work will be put on a hiatus for now." For obvious reasons. Or maybe not if he was dense. "Thus, you can rest easy at night, Mr. Hero." A wry smile formed as that was said. "Now go. Be on your way." Interesting that she didn't actually answer his last question though. But then, that was usual.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Yet again, Chita didn't really seem to know how to respond to everything going on, or all the things being said. And Rhiannon mouthing off in such a fashion regarding that didn't help simplify things either. He had no way to possibly know if she was lying, or telling the truth, or -- child? The sound of the door caused him to shift a bit and 'look' towards it before beginning to push himself to a stand. He didn't quite make it, though, on the first attempt. It took a second push to get past the disorienting feeling that came with his being that tired and blind as well. "I would... ask how... but I can only imagine your response." He knew full well she was a smartass and the response to such would be the blatant one. It had to be... But, of course, by the time he walked slowly towards the doorway and felt around with his hand to find the wall and guide him towards it, he couldn't help but begin to laugh softly about it all. Surely he was going crazy and this was all some cocked-up dream, or some illusion by Seith. But Seith didn't know about such, did he? So... Either she was lying to him, quite badly, or reality was about to hit him a lot harder than he'd intended. "Does this even lead into the same room as you, or am I going to wander out elsewhere and confuse others, and myself, when I do?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "You will wind up in the hallway of course." Rhia responded smoothly, arching a brow at the question. "What sort of self respecting team of scientists connects the subject area to the observation area?" That should have been obvious. At least she thought so. That said though, Rhia powered off the equipment in the room, including the mic that was feeding into the subject area. That done, she stood and headed for the door, walking past as it slid open, and then closed. There was a click as the area locked itself and the woman stood to wait for Chita to emerge from another door that lead to the subject chamber. ...There were probably other doors that lead to other areas, maybe even outside. but she'd used the hallway door. Must have been rather confident in herself.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' When Chita finally got to the hallway, he stopped and listened briefly. No sounds he recognized or any such. But hadn't he heard, briefly, a familiar sound of heels? "So... did the girl in the lobby ever work up the courage?" He asked curiously, testing briefly if she was even there, or not. It was a simple enough way to seem like he was more aware than he was, and not at all deceiving. His attire beneath the cloak that he still had on might be a bit more visible than it had been in Narshe. Comfortable traveling clothing, simple denim fabric pants and a shirt beneath the more 'old world' cloak. He wasn't the most fashionable of Viera's after all. And he was holding back on asking more about anything until he found out if she was there. He didn't put up a fight or any such, though, nor did he seem particular aggressive. More than anything he looked like he didn't want any conflict at all, judging by his tone and posture.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Her?" The scientist shrugged nonchalantly and turned away, speaking and walking. "She approached him, sputtered some half intelligable gibberish, and then shoved a lunch box into his hands and ran away." She rolled her eyes at that, smiling meanly. "It was an entertaining sight really. I am rather glad I happened to be passing by that day." She didn't check to see whether Chita was following or not, but she knew him well enough now to figure he would. In the meantime, she headed off, strolling through the halls on the way to her personal laboratory. Home sweet home. At last.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "Lunch... box?" The concept was lost on Chita. Growing up as he had, where he had, that kind of banality never went realized. "Still, I am glad she tried, even if it was in such an... odd manner." Wait, walking away? Sigh, some things never change. Which meant he could simply leave, or follow. What would he even ask right now? What could he possibly ask that would make a difference and would she even answer? ...what did he even really want at the moment? Sleep. He wanted sleep. And he most certainly wasn't going to find such in her lab. But, on the same measure... he also had no desire to simply leave the woman so soon after what she'd just said. Was she even heading to her lab? Could she be heading towards her room? Possibly. Might as well follow and find out. "What now, then?" came a question from him finally. "After all that... after it... failed... what did that ultimately provide to you that you could not have gotten any other way?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "What now indeed." Rhia replied in her usual cryptic manner, arms settling into her sleeves and obscuring them, an old habit. As she arrived at her lab, she quickly unlocked the door and walked past thee sliding doors, heading over to her desk space. Chita's question hung in the air for a while as the woman arrived, setting a laptop computer onto the desk surface, followed by some notepads and other scientific and medical baubles. "-First hand experience." Or close enough to it. That was apparently her answer though. Once done with that, she turned and walked right past Chita, heading back out into the hallway again, leaving the Viera to follow once more. Maybe she was actually going to her room this time. She did say she wouldn't be working on anything big for a while. "Have you satisfied your curiosity yet?"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Following along mostly quietly, Chita didn't seem to have much to say when she didn't. If she wasn't going to answer his question the first time, why would she answer it after being asked again if he didn't have any reason to compel her to answer. And yet, no matter how frustrating she was... that was just her. And he barely even had time to relax for too long against a table inside the lab before she was off again. Surely she wasn't /trying/ to lose him, otherwise she would have simply told him to begone. Yet... what could she possibly be doing? The question surprised him and the only resopnse he could think of was a simple, "No." there was no further elaboration on that at the moment. Instead, he returned to following behind her once again, still more than a bit lost from everything that's going on to think of much. Hell, he was at the point she could probably just suggest something and he'd do it without thinking about it unless it was 'kill _____'. "What are you doing? I admit I am unsure why I am following you around, but likewise... you also do not seem to mind."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Like a lost puppy." She mumbled, amused with the notion herself. "What am I doing? Must you alwaus question every move I make?" Rhia asked, genuinely curious, enough to actually glance at the man for once. "What if I told you I was going to the washroom to handle feminine matters. Would you try and seek entry to make sure I don't conjure up a Black Beast while inside?" An entertained smirk spread on her face at that. "Or what if I told you I was going on a date. Would you follow me around the city to make sure I don't turn the poor man into a syringe pin cushion?" She'd looked on ahead at this point, arriving at the live-in residential area, and passing by the numerous room doors for her own. "Or how about if I said I was going to see a patient; I do have a medical license after all. Would you sit in on what could be confidential matters and make sure I don't transmit some disease to my patient for my own scientific curiosity?" Her smirk grew wider and she began to giggle to herself, hand covering her mouth. "You clearly need something to do with yourself."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' As he listened, rather a bit too exhausted to quip back, it was only the last bit that got a tired chuckle out of him. "I suppose I do, yes. And as per your questions... you are a grown woman, and as much as I have grown to hate a good portion of you, I am not your steward, nor your guardian. Right now, all I am is too tired to think about much and..." Taking a few quick steps to close the distance between himself and the sound of her heels, just when she finally paused for a moment, he reached out wth both hands to gently place them on her sides. "You have said little to nothing to me about anyting worthwhile since I left that room and I am far too... disoriented and lack-of-sighted at the moment to consider much of anything that requires thought. So I am asking you again... what are you doing?" Truly, he was just asking, not even remotely attempting to nose in on anything. "I want to know so I can decide if I am going to follow you for the time being or try and crawl my way to the closest place to sleep for a couple of days.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' She was good at saying nothing with a lot of words. Pausing at Chita stopped her, right in front of her room door ironically, she glanced down at his hands. "If you really must know, I am going to my room. I've been feeling under the weather as of late. I'm sure you can guess why." Reaching out, she unlocked her room door and moved out of the Viera's grasp and into the limits of her living quarters. "I plan to sleep for a bit. Now go be a good boy and chase another tail for the time being, hm?" That was said with a degree of sarcasm, among her usual flighty and careless tone. "There are no Black Omens, stolen hearts, or heinous experiments to be found here today." Touchy.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita didn't say anything to that, even as she spoke and briefly sounded a bit snippy. "In that case..." he finally proposed, "...may I stay as well?" A bed to sleep in sounded quite nice right now. He wasn't even remotely thinking about trying to talk her into anything else, nor were there any hidden reasons in that. As many problems as he may have queue'd up with Rhiannon at the moment... above all else... Sleep's call was a siren he couldn't say no to and Rhiannons bed was the closest at the moment. "Besides, i am the one with the tail here, unless you grew one since the last time I checked?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "......." Rhia would have offered some witty reply, but she really was growing tired. Tired and uncharacteristically frustrated. Somewhat. Nonetheless, her bed was large enough for two. So after a moment's thought, she nodded. "Very well. Get your rest. And keep your hands to yourself." That said, she hung up her lab coat and kicked off her heels before climbing into her bed and getting comfortable. The door would close on it's own. "I expect you will show yourself out when you finish." That wasn't a question. With that said, her eyes closed as she attempted to welcome sleep and put her thoughts aside for the moment.

A Researcher's Inquiry VI

2014-02-21T06:48:58Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/13 |Location=Narsche - Outskirts |Synopsis=The Black Beast is unleashed upon Narshe in another field test by Rhiannon Zellen, scientist of ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/13
|Location=Narsche - Outskirts
|Synopsis=The Black Beast is unleashed upon Narshe in another field test by Rhiannon Zellen, scientist of Shinra. Luckily some saviors happen to be here to put a stop to it's rampage. But is it really the end...?
|Cast of Characters=Deidra, Mercade Alexander, Maira, Aerith, Angantyr Vespar, Rhiannon Zellen, Chita
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Narshe. A mining town currently located at the upper west end of the Northern Continent. The town mostly consists of laborors working the maze-like mines and unearthing the valuable jewels contained within. However the town did see visitation from merchants and travelers occasionally. On this one particular snowy day, several merchants could be seen riding out of town with their carts. Ranging from Seeq to Humans to Moogles and anything inbetween. Lucky for them that they were unknowingly leaving what would soon become ground zero... MEANWHILE "Mhmhmhm~" A lone voice chuckles from up on high. Donning a white lab coat over a short, blue oriental dress with a pink floral patterns, and her hair done up into twin buns, it was Shinra's own Rhiannon Estellise Zellen. Not seeming to be bothered by the cold, she stood upon a rooftop, unknown to the populace below at the moment. In her arm was a laptop that she was typing into with her other hand at a fast pace, going through some preliminary calculations. Calculations for what, right might ask? Well, the disfigured black sword levitating in lazy circles around her form might be a clue. It was disturbing to see. Almost seeming to have a mind of it's own, it shed waves of darkness all around it, subtly covering the town below in shadow. Anyone sensitive to darkness or magic in general might have been able to pick up on it. "Preliminary tests are complete." The scientist mumbled to herself, nodding in satisfaction at the readings on her laptop screen. "Time to begin Phase Three." Having said that, she reached out and grabbed the sword from the air, raising it to the sky. "Awaken my lovely, it is time to feast." In response to the woman, red lines of energy began to trace paths all over the weapon, and then those lines of energy began to form cracks in the surface. The misshapen sword began to change, grow, it's shape rapidly going through some form of metamorphosis. Like a high speed evolution. Various massive tube-like tendrils of blackness grew upwards. Rhia in the meantime casually let go of the growing entity and made her way out of the soon to be warzone, taking her place at another rooftop a safe distance away to monitor the happenings and energy flucuations with her laptop. Soon the transformation was complete. Towering above even the tallest buildings and overlooking nearly the entire town, was a monstrous entity of darkness. With six snake-like heads and red eyes unblinking, the creature stared down at all below. There was a universal moment of silence as the townspeople, remaining merchants, and miners all looked up to meet the gaze of the fearsome beast. And then there was panic. "What in the world is that thing!?" "Where did it come from!? You think we would have seen something this huge coming a mile away!" "Everyone! Stop panicking! To the mines! Go to the mines! Anyone not capable of fighting, hide there!" "They said this place was safe! Damn it!" The varying reactions of the people below were like music to Rhiannon's ears. A smile that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous spread across her face. "Oh yes. Struggle and fight. Panic and fright. It makes your hearts all the more ripe for the picking." The monstrous entity, with all six of it's heads, let out a collective earth shaking roar. ...And then they lunged, hungering for hearts. The Black Beast has returned.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Sometimes, what people say is right. If you want adventure, you go to a tavern. Mercade Alexander didn't want adventure. He was just there for... Business. Gemstone business. Stop looking at him like that, Maira. Regardless, relaxing in Narshe with a refreshing cola gives him a front seat view of the situation, as the panic spreads and Mercade suddenly falls flat on his back. "What the crap is going on out there!?" He yells. He swivels his head to look out of a window at a massive eye. "Oh... Oh my." Mercade is outside a moment later, leaping out of the window as the bar explodes into shards and splinters. He tucks and rolls, coming to a stop as he skids along the snowy road. He stands, looking up at the Black Beast. "Well then." He says, and tips his hat forward slightly, the brim hiding his eyes as the chill wind blows, whipping his trenchcoat around him as he holds out his hand. His Heart opens, and Light responds, flowing around his hand and resolving into the Twilight Seeker Keyblade. "I'm sorry. I can't allow you to take those hearts." Mercade states quietly. He knows the Black Beast cannot hear him through its anger and its rage. And so it is that while others flee, Mercade charges forward. "Let's do this!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Somewhere else... Angantyr is getting out of bed, finally healed enough to actually do something for a change. His first thoughts are to head to Cinderella's castle.. But something tugs at his darkness...something he doesn't remember. He felt this tug before, but was too hurt to do anything about it at the time, but...this time.. It was too far to run, but there was a link to it, he opens a corridor, chancing the darkness, and steps through. Only to look up at the beast. He frowns, oh he knows what might be at the bottom of this. He has a guess. And the guess makes him angry. Anger threatens to take control, but he manages to harness it. The beast, towering over them all, was nothing more than a monster tugging at the darkness that it itself knew nothing for. Where is the creater? She had to be somewhere...and when she revealed herself, no power in this world would stop what happened next. With the Dragon on the loose...there was no time to deal with this. He draws the Keyblade, through his own heart, the Tyrant Breaker, and levels it. He reaches into himself, channeling the darkness as a bulwark. His right hand glows as it explodes from it, slowly starting to cover his body, sealing his body in the Abyssal armor, his head snapping up, crimson orbs staring up at the beast. "Time to die."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira yawns, rolling over and rubbing her eyes? What's going on? What's that horrible feeling? Maira blinks the sleep from her eyes to find Angantyr going through a portal. "H-HEY! You are suppose to be resting!" she calls, then scrambles out of bed dragging a sheet with her as she latches onto Angan's back like a barnicle. Portals are terrible, but so be it! Once through, Maira grumbles something fierce as she detaches and lights up, her form igniting in magical flame, some of which she channels toward Angantyr, sighing heavily.

:'''[[Deidra]] has posed:''' Mercade would not be alone, Deidra is here, while she's been busy on a side job for the TDA? She has not left hersel unaware of what's going on in the world at large. So here she is she's not got power like Mercade does but she's stull useful in a fitght and can support him. She'd heard of the black beast before but does know of the thing that attacked Goug. Mercade would look to the human for a moment and grin. "Right shall we get to it." he starts to prepare herself for the fight that's going to break out. Her wings flare out as she's very likely about to start flying here.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita himself wasn't even here at the moment, and was on an entirely unrelated mission. Riding his Chocobo and bundled up in a large fluffy cloak the Viera was moving through Gagazet towards Zanarkand to try and find some people who were around to figure out what the hell was going on with it. He couldn't see, but the Chocobo was trained well enough for things and being pointed in the occasional right direction by someone else along the way helped. Yet, even from a good distance away, the beast became visible to the Chocobo and the sound of it also caught his ears. "...oh no, please tell me she did not..." he mumbled softly before letting out a rather explicit phrase and kicking the Chocobo towards the sound, "Go, get me there as fast as you can! Find Rhiannon!" And with that, Senra, the not-quite-aptly-named Chocobo, lets out a hearty wark of some sort and begins to go as fast as it could towards Narshe and the beast. Of course, what could Chita even do right now? He hadn't been able to learn anything about the Darkness, or how to control it, or even navigate it. He hadn't had time... or opportunity. And now he was blind as well.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Hrm. Even out here, in the middle of nowhere, you find the virtuous and heroic." Rhia mused to herself, arching a brow as she spied a trenchcoat wearing figure with peculiar looking weapon in hand. One that her general breadth of knowledge led her to believe to be a keyblade. "Well, no matter. This is what makes things interesting." Indeed. New variables introduced to an experimental environment always proved to be...intriguing. At the very least. "Now. Let us see how they fare. It hungers for hearts...Hungers for light..." Hand resting against her cheek, the scientist giggled a bit, violet eyes scanning the streets below as more and more showed up to form the resistance force against the terrible monstrosity. Down at street level however, the six heads of the entity known as the Black Beast were given pause. ".........." Something drew it's attention more than the weak, struggling hearts of the townspeople. Something...much more valuable. One of the massive heads locked onto Mercade and Deidra. Another was fixtated on Angantyr and Maira. Taking in the forms of those willing to stand between it and it's mission, it's desire; to devour hearts. It was not pleased. It would start with their hearts first. All at once, the six heads of the beast, coiling about each other and rising up, let out a blood curdling roar. And then they dove downwards, red lines of energy cracking along under their eyes, and then opening to reveal mouths filled with nothing but bright red on the inside. The creature bore down upon all who would oppose it, aiming bite into the very earth itself, to swallow up those unfortunate enough to be in harm's way. And if not, the stone and wood debris being kicked up all around certainly would prove to be another point of contention. Especially for those without armor.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr comes in, the beasts bites, the force of the blow is enough to send him flying, but, he manages to recover in a roll, before running back at full force, but the head is too far away before he can swing. Damn. He looks back towards Maira, "Watch yourself. Just focus on killing it as quickly as possible...we can talk later!" He says, before he swings, aiming to slash up at the beast, getting within it's inside reach, before the darkness on the blade flares, aiming to try and tear through the Black Beast, each strike aiming to cut through it, before he slams his foot down, aiming to try and use brute force to draw it's attention. There was another Keyblade here...and other heros of light. "THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, RABBIT! AIDING YOUR MISTRESS?! WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH IT, YOUR NEXT!"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks to one side. Maira and Angantyr. To his other, Deidra. He smiles. He can't ask for much better help in this kind of situation. "Attack from multiple sides!" He calls to Ang and Maira. "Force it to split its attacks!" Mercade launches to one side, circling the huge beast as the massive beast slams down upon him. As the huge mouth bites down, Mercade looks up, grimacing as he is engulfed, the creature biting down upon him. The head comes up, rock and soil breaking away in the massive jaws... But they cannot close. Ther rock flakes away, revealing Mercade struggling to keep the mouth pried open with his Keyblade, the contact sizzling against the powerful Heartless. "UGH! This is so gross!" Mercade proclaims, as he struggles with the fiendish tongue and dark fangs. He focuses then, holding the Keyblade up. "I'll give you something to eat..." He says, as there is a rushing noise... And then there is a flash of light as a tiny explosion of light radiates out from the beast's mouth, hurling Mercade out with one hand on the Blade and the other on his hat. "WHOOOOA!" He says, before he turns and whips the Keyblade at the Black Beast. A lash of light whips around, curling around one of the huge necks as Mercade swings, trying to sail up and around to GET UP ON THE BLACK BEAST'S BACK. IT worked for hydras, why not cerebri? He then raises the Keyblade, and drives it down into one of the heads, trying to disable it quickly.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira dives out of the way of a particularly large piece of debris, eyes widening at the Black Beast. "Ooh it just figures! There sure are a lot of giant darkness wielding baddies around lately, aren't there!?" she quips, nodding to Angan. They pretty much spent most of their time injured in some way, but at least if she came with she knew she'd be there to heal the people who would undoubtedly be there to protect the world from these types of things. She'd be there, too, with holy flame and stubborn determination. Talk later? Uh oh, is she in trouble? Oh hey Mercade is here! She waves brightly to him. "Hi Mercade! Will do! Let me know if you need healing okay!?" Turning then, she follows Angan's gaze to....Chita? Oh dear. This is bad. She absolutely cannot focus on him however. If he has any sense he'll get out of here. Not that she's one to judge for doing crazy things. Kill the beast quickly. That's the order of business. Maira takes a deep breath and weaves her magic, a lash of flame snapping out from her to strike at the huge beast, cracking like a whip.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Even as fast as his Chocobo was, it wasn't an immediate thing getting from where he was towards the commotion going on at Narshe. Somehow, though, by the time he got there various people who seemed to know him were already there, at least one of which screaming death threats already and making wild assumptions despite nothing going on and no indication of such either. Ignoring everything else except the sound of the beast as best he could tell, Chita tried to listen, to figure out what was going on. If this thing was here, either someone else took it from Rhiannon, likely by killing her, and released it... Or she was nearby, and she's the one who did such. "Damnit, why, after everything I tried..." another half mumble before shouting out, "Stop this madness, you fool! You don't have to do this! Don't kill anyone else for this damned research of yours!" An attempt, he knew was well in vain if it /was/ her, but he couldn't not try. Chita's Chocobo quickly ran around and hopped up and onto the top of a small house before making his way onto a larger one, the Judge pulling out a large halberd of a lance and throwing it as hard as he could towards the sound of one of the beasts heads roaring and making a big fuss - coincidentally the one that Mercade was dealing with. Hand clenching on the rein of the chocobo afterwards to keep a hold, he idly fidgets with the ring on his right hand, uncertain what was going to happen, or if this was even real. "If you can hear me, you bastard, and care at all about control and order, help me stop this thing from killing all these innocent people! There's no reason for them to die... no reason for them to suffer the darkness inside that creature!"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Mhmhmhm~" Rhia giggled again, eyes fixated upon the chaos taking place in the town. "Truly, people are at their best when they struggle against herculean forces." Making that idle comment, the woman tore her gaze away from the melee below and to her laptop screen. "Hmm...I am getting quite interesting readings." She mused to herself, studying the numbers and graphics streaming by on screen. An open app on the side of the screen came to life with an audio wave, playing a live voice from the battlefield. 'Stop this madness, you fool! You don't have to do this! Don't kill anyone else for this damned research of yours!'. Rhia simply kept her smile, shaking her head. "What nonsense." Saying that, Rhiannon's eyes moved away from the screen, taking in the current battle once again. Angantyr's flurry of slashes leaves the targeted head reeling back, letting out an angry roar, more out of annoyance than pain. Surely Rhia wasn't dumb enough to engineer this thing to feel pain. Of course not. And so, the slashed up head comes back around without much pause, with jaws wide open, and bloody red energy billowing from it's mouth. Once it is upon the dark knight, it bites down, with all the strength it can muster. Another head of the beast locks eyes upon Maira after barely avoiding a stream of flame. "........" Something about this girl. Something about her... Light. Heart. Light. Heart. Light. HEART. LIGHT. And immediately, the head of the beast bursts forward, aiming to hungrily take a bite out of the fire mage. Such a heart could not be ignored. It needed to be devoured. This was paramount to the Black Beast, even as it's other heads came under fire. Mercade's assault seemed to do the trick for the head that he was working on. Blown back a bit from the surprise burst of light, followed by the weapons of Chita's making contact, the monstrous entity had no time to ascertain the light whipping around it. Mercade made it up to the top of the beasts head, successfully stabbing into it. However, the strike was not enough to bring the heartless down. Not nearly enough. With an angry bellow, the monster swung itself aside, aiming to slam the back of it's head against the side of a building, Mercade and all. Chita meanwhile was offered a pleasant tail whip for his greeting of steel.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' The Beast's jaws close around Angantyr, for a brief moment it looks like he was swallowed, until the beast's jaw is torn open by multiple swipes of the keyblade, causing a moment where the Beast is vulnerable, as he flies out aiming to flip onto his head. Landing on it's head...he stabs the blade in and starts swinging down, slowly aiming to try and ride the weapon down like a zip line. As he tears into the beast, he aims to pump darkness like a burning wild fire into the beast, causing horrible pain whereever he strikes...darkness is indeed effective against darkness. Landing, he looks at another place to strike...somewhere devistationg. This thing has to be stopped...perminately. But where..?

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Late. Why did she always have to be late to these things? But then again, wasn't that always the case? Aerith took her own chocobo, rented from the farms just outside Goug, and pushed him as hard as she could to reach this place. Once the darkness flowed forth, Aerith could sense it even from Seventh Heaven... and it was all too familiar. "Not again..." She stood just on a nearby rooftop as she watched the battle. "He's somewhere in there, I can feel it." She scanned for others, and found Mercade and Maira there as well. Good, at least they had a shot at stopping this from getting any worse. Aerith took in a breath, lifted her right hand, and closed it around a mote of pale green light. A split second later, the six foot long Spirit Staff appeared where the sphere of energy used to be, and she whirled it over her head before pointing it... toward the defenders. Pale blue light surrounded two of them, as well as herself, before she watched from her vantage point, waiting for a good time to make her next move.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira watches from a sort of detached place in her mind as the beast becomes aware of her, catching her scent in the way that Heartless do. Alarm registers, but she won't be struck frozen by fear. This thing wanted to eat her heart, and would do the same to everyone here if it wasn't stopped. It would be stopped though, she's completely confident that those with her are capable of taking care of this. She just needs to maybe give thema little help. Angantyr disappears into the maw of the beast and Maira gasps, only to watch him tear his way out with keyblade flashing a moment later. Maira then dives aside as the beast zeros in on her, trying to swallow her next. Teeth pierce her arm, but the beast is likely to get some very nasty burns for its effort as Maira wears the fire like a shroud, enveloping her completely as a sort armor. Armor of burny pain. She blasts herself backward, clutching her arm as she tears herself free. Taking Mercade's suggestion, Maira uses that same air magic to launch herself away, flaring her light to try to make the beast want to follow, turning its back on the others and hopefully leaving itself open to attack. Maira, now human rocket. Follow the tasty tasty heart, you big beast.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' MErcade is holding on for dear life to the head as it thrashes about. "Huh?" He says, turning his head as he hears someone yelling. "Chita, is that you?" He blinks for a moment, and then yells as the distraction proves painful. Mercade is slammed into the wall, and the Detective grunts in pain as he is put straight through, sending him sprawling upon quite painful objects. MErcade lies there for a moment, groaning, before he sits up. "Damn, that thing packs a punch. Why did I sign up for this again?" He peeks his head out of the building, and he thinks for a moment. What can he do about this? Well, with a lack of knowledge about what it is besides 'a giant HEartless', he's got to resort to doing what he can: Hitting it with a Keyblade repeatedly. However, if he just rushes in... Aerith shows up, and provides a magical barrier. Awesome. Mercade waves down to her. "Thanks!" He then looks back and thinks. "Hmm..." He nods to himself, and he holds out his Keyblade, power gathering around him in an aura. A glittering film draws around him, a faint aura like moonlight and starlight as he draws upon his power... And with a flick of a Keyblade, imparts that power to the person he knows can use it best. "Maira! Give them what for!"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Angantyr's efforts are absolutely devastating the beast. Is it really this weak? ...No. It soon becomes apparent that this isn't a problem that will be solved by aimless attacking, as the torn up head begins to regenerate, it's wounds sealing up at an alarming pace. What needed to happen was not for these heads to be slain, but...for a weak point to be found. This creature surely had to have one. No one thing is perfect. For the two keyblade wielders, who had taken rides on top of their respective targeted heads, they may have noticed a peculiar spot where all six heads converged. Crimson energy gathered there, before being dispersed to each head. Maybe. ...Just maybe. The head targeting Maira is dumb enough to do just what she expects it to; follow big, tasty looking heart! With jaws wide open, it chases the girl about, snapping at her every time it got close enough to almost get a taste, but never quite catching her. The Black Beast is getting angrier and angrier, fed up with the flies buzzing around below. As a collective decision, all six heads come together, eyes glowing and leading trails of red as the creature took on a similar aura of energy, gathering and building up... Rhiannon meanwhile couldn't help but smile, casually leaning her head aside to avoid a flying chuck of stone. "My, I do believe this will soon be reaching the decisive moment..." She mused, tapping her chin with a finger. Seeing protective magic cast from afar, the scientist's eyes were drawn to Aerith's distant form. "Ah, and we have more visitors. Excellent." No particular feelings on the girl. She was more interested in the turn out of this particular experiment.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Throughout all the chaos going on, Chita wasn't picking up on too many specifics. Giant monster, no more screams in his direction and nothing is directly said that he catches. Instead, just as he pulls out his Judge Sword to throw it towards the Heartless, before Senra could react, the large tail hits Chita square across the head and knocks him flying backwards off the Chocobo onto the ground. Landing with a hearty thud on the roof top nearby, he skids a bit and looks like he may have been knocked out. There was a faint glow from the Viera, though, so perhaps he wasn't. He didn't directly do anything to get back up at the moment or attack the beast though, even as his Chocobo quickly turned and jumped towards him to lean down and try to nudge him to get him up.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Well...that red light seemed to be it. At the very least, he'd give it something to think about before regenerating again. Angantyr looks to Mercade, "Hey, get ready. This is going to be your shot." He says, and decides to try and clear the way for the other Keyblade user. He knows Maira knows what to do, but... He explodes in darkness, his right hand tearing through the beast, aiming to try and claw it's way to that light...trying to tear through any defenses it might have. He roars in rage, controling himself, focusing it onto a specific point... Before he grabs the Keyblade again, Jumping back and holding the thing above his head. Light generates, a LOT of light...he weirds it like a massive wave, aiming to tear down through it at first... "TYRANT..." He shouts, before swinging the blade in a massive arc towards the Black beast's core... "BREAKER!"

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's eyes narrowed. It wasn't about to get any better if that buildup of negative energies was any indication. She aimed toward one of the heads... and then she saw it. Weak point. Just at the base of all six necks. She was quickly proven right when Angantyr's assault proved fruitless, and Aerith made a quick decision. She would draw attention to the weakness. With a flick of her wrist, she changed her target to the glowing mark. Pale green floes of energy drew upward from the tiles she stood on and into her body... and then she snarled as a sphere of flames shot outward from the front end of her weapon Yet this wasn't her usual magic. It was twice as big and twice as fast. And it was timed, coincidentally, just as the Tyrant Breaker hit. Fireball go boom. Big time.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is so very glad she's been training. Fire comes as naturally as breathing, but air (ironically) takes work. With that gigantic maw snapping at her as she rockets backward, well, that's a lot of incentive to be speedy! She comes to rest in a snow drift as planned, though the snow immediately begins to melt around her. Another energy flows over her, a protective spell from Aerith, then another, more invigorating energy floods her, and Maira grins. She knows this one! Mercade calls toward her to confirm, and she gives him the thumbs up before going nova. Which she then does. The fire the envelopes her becomes blinding, a star exploding in the sky--the snow around her for twenty feet simply melts in a flash. From within the raging center of the inferno Maira watches Angantyr tear into the beast, waiting for him to fall back far enough for her to nuke the thing from afar and not catch him in the blast! The inferno is unleashed, a glowing beam of brilliant energy. Kapow.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks from the hole on the second floor building down to Angantyr, and nods, tipping his hat. "Thanks." He says. The gathered heroes go to work, striking at the beast to expose its apparent weak point and smash it with extreme justice. Mercade watches everything proceed, and he looks down, apparently meditating once more. There is a surge of Power from the Keyblade as the Detective begins to pour everything he can through the weapon... And then he looks up, hurling it into the dark, chill air over the Black Beast. There is a low hum... And then six columns of light slams down around the beast, surrounding it, locking it down and slowly rotating as they force the Black Beast in... And then there is a blast, as a drop of Light falls from the Keyblade, descending upon the Beast and detonating with a soundless white explosion. Mercade holds his hand out, and then he nods, clenching his hand and drawing it down. In response, the Twilight Seeker falls down into the center of the white detonation, cleaving in a single strike as it attempts to home in on that weak point and deliver a critical wound. "Be at peace." Mercade says. "You'll be going home soon."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Groaning in pain and slowly trying to stand up with the Chocobo's aid, something passes Chita's mind. "Purpose? What the hell are you... talking about..." the entire purpose of this was to have the beast grow, consume more hearts... to complete it. It would continue to happen until the weapon was destroyed, at which point Rhiannon would likely make another... or she was killed, or... It was completed. But... if they destroy the beast here, it could explode like it did in Goug, fill the streets with a deadly lightning. Did they have a chance? From the screams of the beast they were doing SOMETHING. "Stop... stop!" Chita yelled as loud as he can, "If you destroy the beast here, in the city, it might explode and kill a lot of people! Please, for the sake of those hiding, drag it out of the city first somehow!" But, of course, what are the chances they'd listen to him? Angantyr would probably just assume he's lying and try to kill them both even harder, and he wasn't even sure who else was there. Wait... was that Mercade he heard faintly? "Mercade, please! If that's you, stop that idiot Dark Knight from destroying this thing here or it could kill everyone!" Climbing onto Senra he says in a soft voice, "Get me onto the back... hopefully it's weak enough that I can try to do what I intended to all along. Once I'm there, run, and take others to safety with you if you can." Wavering a bit on such, Senra finally shot forward and began to run towards the Black Beast before leaping into the air and jumping onto it's back, towards the neck, and stopping. "YOU WANT HEARTS?! FINE, HAVE MINE!" It was his plan, after all, to try and control the Beast from within if necessary, if he couldn't try to do it with the dormant Sword version. Pulling out a spear, he spun it down as he heard the Chocobo jump away and stabbed it straight down, trying to link himself somehow with the beast in the hopes that all of his planning over the last many months, and efforts, did not end in vain.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The furious assault, starting with Angantyr's incredible Tyrant Breaker lead for way for the others to get their attacks in. With several of the heads torn up and in the process of regenerating, Aerith's fireballs set them alfame and kept stalled the regeneration process a bit. Just in time for Mercade to launch his gambit. But the Black Beast would not take it sitting down. The remaining three heads all lifted at the same time, mouths opening as beams of crimson energy were fired upwards to contend with the Detective's assault. It would seem as if the creature was successfully pushing the keyblade back. ...Until a blast of flame and light from Maira threw the monstrous entity off course. Distracted, the heads wind up losing their trajectory and the terrible beams of searing energy begin to fire off in random other directions, razing parts of the town and tearing through distant buildings. With the way opened, Mercade's gabit finally pushes through, piercing the beast and pinning it down. With the gathering point pierced however, Chita's foolish decision to jump in on top of the creature, offering his heart...was only made even more foolish. "Oh dear. That fool." Rhiannon rolled her eyes, palm against her cheek and head shaking. "Did he really think...?" Oh well. It was took late to stop it now. If the rabbit wanted to be hero, then she would have to let him. This certainly wasn't a part of the plan. ...But the smile on her face regardless, suggested that this was all the more interesting for it. The body of the Black Beast, begins to draw Chita in. No, not taking his heart. But actually /dragging/ him into the darkness itself. He sunk beneath the body of the beast, entering the Realm of Darkness. He would find no solace there. Only cold, empty darkness, and limitless heartless. He would find himself thrown onto a darkened beach, with no one to converse with. Nothing to look at, but the sea and the night sky... Back in Narshe, the Black Beast began to shrink, it's shape gradually growing smaller and smaller, until it returned to the form of a blackened, melted down sword... "...Well now." Rhiannon mused, closing her laptop. "Experiment complete." She then utilized Wind Magic, leaping off the roof and then landing smack dab in the middle of the proceedings. "Hello, everyone~" She greeted, pleasant smile on her face despite the chaos she'd just caused. "You have my thanks for participating in this field test."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith grimaced as she glanced toward the instigator of this whole mess. "Chita, do you see now," she muttered as she leapt down from the roof. "This is who she is. This is what she does." She stopped five feet away. No need to come any closer to the one that started this madness. "Field test, you say?" Aerith made herself as civil as possible. "Interesting... does that field test involve the loss of all these lives, or was it just collateral?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr watches as the rabit disappears inside of it... Well...uh... However, their plan worked, the beast was driven back...but instead of dying, instead of being driven into heartless...it... Shrunk? A blade? Angantyr doesn't waste time, he jumps, leaping towards the weapon, ignoring Rhiannon, and driving his keyblade down right at the new weapon forged. He tries to break the sword with his own keyblade, trying to destroy the beast once and for all.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira gasps, hand coming up to cover her mouth for a moment as she watches Chita be swallowed by the beast then disappear into darkness. She runs over, then, eyes on Rhiannon as Angantyr goes to try to destroy the blade. "Where has he gone? What happened?" she asks Rhiannon, still very much on fire and ready to take on Rhiannon.

:'''[[Deidra]] has posed:''' Deidra had been mostly support at this point yet she's been very stunned this has been bad even for how things have been. She can only stare in shock and a good deal of horror. Why? It's due to Chita's action and she's left at a loss for words as he feels himself to the beast. She takes a step abck and stares, what might be birthed from this? The Gargyole has no idea.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Angantyr wastes no time and diving forward, bearing down onto the black sword. The impact created a shower of sparks. Small chains of red lightning scattered in various directions, just missing those present as it ran up walls and along the ground, leaving a smoking trail. But in the end...after the smoke cleared, the curious looking implement remained...not destroyed. "Oh my, so eager." Rhiannon drawled out, palm remaining against her cheek as she glanced back at the results. "You won't be destroying that with a simple swing of your key now. You will have to try a bit harder." An amused chuckle escaped from the scientist then as she glanced Aerith's way. "Loss of lives? Please. They were not collateral." She explained casually, reaching out and picking the sword that Chita was just drawn into a moment ago, studying it. "Rather, their lives were...intrumental to the process. They are serving the greater good. The pursuit of knowledge." Maira is given a look after and Rhia just smiled. "Him? Oh, that fool should currently be wandering the Realm of Darkness. A fitting price for blind heroism, wouldn't you say? Mhmhmhmhm~" And another giggle to top it off. She wasn't sorry in the least. This was all data and knowledge to her.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr levels a stare at Rhiannon. He doesn't respond...he can do this, but he needs... More strength, he draws upon his vast wells of power, trying to draw upon more strength. And then he swings again, aiming to drive his keyblade again down, aiming to try and shatter the weapon, aiming to break the thing here and now.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's fists tightened around the staff, but otherwise she remained indifferent, her tone even and level. "I think I'm starting to see what this is now..." Her eyes narrowed. "You're just like everyone else you work for. You just don't care what happens, as long as you get what you want." She looked around at the devastation. "No knowledge... is worth this."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira steps forward, leaving Angan to do his work on the sword. Hopefully, that will succeeed. But Maira? She isn't going to talk to Rhiannon anymore. She simply walks up and smacks Rhiannon across the face. "You are a monster! A monster worse than the one you created!"

:'''[[Deidra]] has posed:''' Deidra eyes turn red as she hears Thiannons' wrds she stares at them and moves to press the record fucntion on her tablet tombe as she just has enough presence of mind to record this for later use. She does not seem happy she does not seem happy at all about this. She's not ranting at her but it's clear she's sickened bty the whole affair she trust Angan to do hsi work on the blade. "She doesn't care what you think Maira. There's only one way to effect her..."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "And that, my dear, is where you are wrong." Rhiannon countered Aerith, waving the sword at her casually as if it were a teacher's pointer or something before setting it aside. "Throughout history, mortal beings have only ever accomplished great things, reached new heights, advanced their civilizations, through the effort of those who will go where no one else has. Who will do the things that others refuse to do." "People are growing stagnant. They need to evolve. They must evolve. Or else, they will be left behind in a world that no longer needs them." Angantyr gathered his energy and took another swing at the black blade, to try and shatter it. There is another clash, another shower of sparks, but it seems like there was actually an effect this time. Cracks began to appear along the surface, bleeding red and dripping to the ground. Then something new happens. The blade began to distort, morphing into a grotesque set of jaws with a handle. The creepy weapon let out angry howl as it began to melt down into a black puddle on the ground, and then slowly sizzle up into nothing. What followed what a flash of light, and a veritable cloud of 'hearts' drifting upwards and away... And then Maira happens. Rhia made no move to dodge and the girl smacked her across the face. Her head turned with the force, but after a moment, she just looked back and smiled still. "How cute. Do you feel better now?" She asked, eying the display of hearts drifting up and away. "Well, I suppose that marks the end of this experiment. A shame, I wanted to do so much more." And then there was the matter of Chita. "Hrm, you should probably worry about getting your rabbit friend out of the dark depths he so foolosihly threw himself into, hm?" The scientist glanced at the time on a cellular device of some sort, nodding to herself. "Alas, it's time for me to go. Ta ta~" And she turned and walked off, as if she had the right to just leave this destruction behind.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith watched as Maira sauntered up and gave Rhiannon a good piece of her mind. And her hand, at that. But for all she knew, that wouldn't work. Monsters... did not listen to reason. Monsters didn't think, they didn't feel, they only hungered. Rhiannon wanted her data and to 'know', but what horrible knowledge did she seek? What would it take before she was satisfied? A far corner of her mind knew the answer. She wouldn't ever be satisfied. And those words proved it. "And you would be the one that does this... by doing /this/?" She finally started to lose her temper. "This is how you would have us evolve... how everyone has to grow and change?" But no, she was gone. Leaving. She glanced toward Maira. "She's right about one thing... we have to find Chita and get him out of where he's been sent. I can't sense his energy anymore... but that doesn't mean much in a place where so many worlds are mashed together." She glanced toward Rhiannon as she made her exit. "One thing is for sure... we have to do what no one else will. she's acting like she can just do this again, and she might be right. We have to finish her next time."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira glares hotly (which is pretty much the only temperature she has) at Rhiannon. "We will stop you. I don't like to see people die. Not even people like you. But if you keep going like this? You'll be killed--because /we will come for you/. You are not better, you are not a daring leader of humanity pushing us to new horizons. You are /insane/. You are sick in your soul...and when you are destroyed it will be no one's fault but your own." Maira looks to Aerith then, frowning. "You'll go after him then? I...can't," she says, beginning to let her flames die out, gesturing off toward where she's tossed that sheet she'd brought with her, wrapping it around herself once she's no longer concealed with fire. She's been asleep like, twenty minutes ago! Sheesh.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith nodded. "I will. But I won't go alone." She glanced around. "I'm sure there's someone here that's resistant to the effects of that place... mostly tall, dark, and heavily armored here." She smiled toward Angantyr. "But..." She turned toward Maira. "...I'm not even sure Chita will want to come back. This is probably part of some plan of his." What plan, she wouldn't share. Besides, that was over... the Black Beast was done, gone now. She hoped. Then again, Rhiannon could always start another... just like Chita suspected she might. If she could just make another one and destroy everything like this... Aerith shook her head. "I don't like having to choose between two dangers, knowing either one could be bad for everyone."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Aerith thinks Angantyr would go with her to get Chita? Maira almost laughs out loud.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith glanced toward Maira, an eyebrow raised. "Lemme guess... those two are not the best of friends." She didn't even have to put that to a question. "Give me the short version, then. I'd at least like to know why I'm picking someone who the Heartless find more edible."

:'''[[Deidra]] has posed:''' Deidra put a hand on Maira's shoulder she knows her friend isnt' so well off the thought Ang would go after chita? Deidra can't see that happening to be honest. She has a good idea of what Angantyr things of them. She's honestly got no skill and going after them may just feed more people to the darkness at this point. If something is to be done someone else will have to be talked to.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr shatters the blade, hearts fly out of it...a blade...made out of hearts? His eyes narrow, but not before the mad scientist made her way out. However, Aerith asked something hilarious. Angantyr laughs, loudly, "To the nine hells with that fool. Nothing he did helped today, and has done NOTHING but aid the forces of darkness. If anything, this is probably a boon to us. If you want to save him, do so on your own. I, however, have to deal with a giant world sundering dragon." he moves to place his cloak around Maira.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira sighs heavily. "I'm sorry Aerith. I can't go myself, and I wouldn't ask my friends to risk themselves...like Angan said, Chita has worked against us time and time again. The first time, even the second I understood...but..but I can't ask anyone to do this. I'm sorry. I know you will find others to go with you, and I do hope you find him--and I hope when you do, that you can talk some sense into his head. But like Angan says, we have to deal with Shinryu--and I have other things I /need/ to do so...good luck Aerith," she says. Maira pulls the cloak around her and looks up to Angan, flashing him a brief but undeniably warm smile in thanks for the gesture.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith shook her head as she turned toward the remains of the blade. They were right... with his trying to help Rhiannon and redeem everyone he met, it wasn't a difficult leap to assume he was on the wrong side, no matter how much she really knew about him. They made sense. It was better that she leave him alone for a bit. "Need to do you say?" Aerith turned toward her and smiled. "You know what? Maybe I can help with that." Yes, it was better this way. Let him work whatever plans he had. After all, it was what he wanted. "Tell me what's going on?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Chita! No!" Mercade yells as the Viera offers themselves. And then they are gone. It is too late. "Damn..." Mercade grimaces as the Keyblade reappears in his hand in the aftermath of the Beast's destruction, and then... The blade. Mercade looks down at the strange, malformed weapon lying on the ground, and then he sees Angantyr raise his weapon. "ANGANTYR! DON'T-" But it's too late. Mercade watches the Black Blade shatter, the Hearts floating up into the sky... "Huh. Just like that, huh?" He says, and then leaps down from the building, stepping towards Rhiannon. "So. You did this?" He asks, and then sets his shoulders, as if preparing to deal with an unpleasant task. "Where is Chita?" Mercade yells after the scientist woman, who is already leaving. "Don't you have any sense of responsibility whatsoever? Do you think you can just walk away from all of this?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira blinks. "W-what? You aren't going to go after him? But isn't he your friend?" she asks Aerith. "Sure it was his plan but its a completely suicidal plan!" Maira looks to Mercade, hoping for assistance here.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks back to Maira, and shrugs. "If Chita's going to get any help at all, we need to know where he went. I don't know what happened to him. For all I know, he might be..." He gestures after the cloud of floating Hearts.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "The Relm of Darkness...Mercade." Angantyr shakes his head. "He is as good as lost, and that place is not one for us. Even if you could get there, getting out is impossible. Save for someone who can traverse such places...like Garland, or a shadow lord of no small power. You might as well beg them for a pony."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Not only does she think she can walk away from it all, she's actually doing it. She'd already told the others where Chita foolishly let himself get sucked into. She had nothing more to say. And before long, she turned a corner and waltzed out of sight. "...Today's experiment was a success." The scientist mumbled to herself, opening her laptop and perusing the data she'd gathered from the fight. "...The next experiment will be all the more intriguing with this data. No doubt about it. Mhmhmhm~" Her giggles was all that was left, carried by the wind as the people of Narshe began to leave the mines, to check and see if everything was safe.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "... That woman..." Mercade shakes his head, and then sighs. "Evil science is immortal." He shakes his head, and then looks to Angantyr. "The Realm of Darkness, huh. And you say that the Shadow Lords can go there?" He thinks for a moment. "It might not be a pony, but I wonder..."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Sufficiently powerful ones, I think." Angantyr says, "It's how I met Garland. I accidently threw myself into that place...long long ago."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira nods, having suspected as much, swallowing hard. Angan confirms what she'd feared. "There is a way out of there...but will he find it? And if he does, will he even be the same?" she asks, thinking of Aqua. Maira pulls the cloak closer around herself, extremely ill at ease with anyone being lost in the darkness, nevermind someone she knows and cared about. She looks to Mercade questioningly before channeling a bit of healing out to anyone who got hurt. Maira is surprisingly fine for once! Nice change of pace there.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira blinks, looking back toward Angan. "You did? You've got to tell me that story..."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith nodded. "It is his plan. And it is suicidal. And maybe that's what he wants... to pay for what he's done." Aerith shrugged. "You know what? I'm tired of him pushing me away. If this is what he wants... I won't stop him. Besides, he's too stubborn to die." She looked toward Maira. "I'm more concerned about you right now. You said you had something to do... and I can at least help you."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade squints at Aerith. "Is there something between you and Chita?" He asks. But he leans back and thinks for a moment, and then shakes his head. "I've got an idea, but it's not exactly optimal."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith decided not to answer that. Perhaps it was best left for another day. "I suppose I should hear this out. It might be an option for later." That was, if she ever decided to go looking for him.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Well, the idea is to basically find a Shadow Lord who isn't a complete douchebag and trade them something to help." Mercade explains. "The problem is I don't think there /are/ any."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira purses her lips. "Well...that /might/ be possible...if there is enough munny involved...." "There is Warden."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr laughs. He laughs and laughs and laughs... And then Maira mentions Warden. And then Angantyr laughs louder.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks up and Angantyr, then reaches to tug his hair gently while making this face :|

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr stops laughing. He pauses...he takes a long drawn out breath.. And then he starts laughing again.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade tilts his head as he watches Maira and Ang. With a frown, he folds his arms. "Poor Maira." He comments to no one in particular.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses, looks at Mercade... "Yeah, basicly." he says. To make the scene sys pick this up.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith frowned for a moment. So that was his plan? It wasn't exactly optimal, just like he said. A Shadow Lord at that! She could see why Angantyr laughed so hard, she almost wanted to do it herself. "While I can see the merits, there are more flaws in that plan than I'd like to risk." She'd have to trust Chita on this one. "Okay so... what do we do from here besides worry about a world-eating dragon?" She glanced toward Maira. "If there's anything I can do..."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks to Mercade, blinks. "Huh? Why poor me?" she asks. Then she looks to Angantyr, confused! To Aerith, she nods. "Hmm maybe. I'll tell you about it another time, k? Don't want to talk about it here," people could be listening! Or something.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith nodded. "Okay, you let me know." She glanced toward Angantyr. Interesting fellow... she'd have to speak to him sometime, get to know him a bit. Maybe if he could explain what happened between him and Chita, things would make a bit more sense. But that was a conversation for later. "Is there any way we could contact each other, Maira?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade is asked why poor Maira. He just looks over to Ang. And then back to Maira. "Yeah." Is all he says on that. And then he looks back to Aerith. "Well, the first thing you'll need to do is go to Fruit Village. Or where it used to be, and look into ways to fix what's happening there. Because for all I can tell, it seems like the World of Ruin is starting to slowly come apart at the seams."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira purses her lips, but eventually gives up on figuring this out. She'll leans back against Angantyr. Good thing she doesn't get cold. She's not wearing any shoes! Maira looks to Mercade, frowning deeply as she nods. "Its bad. Really bad."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith nodded. "Duly noted... though I doubt we're going to solve that one immediately. I'll see what's going on, though." She fished in her pockets for something... ah, there it was. She handed Maira a small phone. "See this? My number is on it. Call me if you want to talk... or /need/ to talk."

Rhiannon Zellen

2014-02-09T22:56:58Z

MirageV: Undo revision 7921 by MirageV (talk)

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Complicated ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Chita]]
| Complicated is the only real word to describe her relationship with Chita. She claims that he is nothing more than a tool. A means to an end that only she can see. But despite that, she allows him to get close, perhaps too close. She entertains his witty banter and responds in kind. And she shares with him information that by all rights, she has zero reason to ever share in the first place. It would be easy to say that Rhiannon is crazy and that her actions always make no sense, but there must be something logical hidden under there.
|}

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Montag]]
| "A Shinra soldier who has survived long past the general life expectancy of basic soldiers under Shinra's employ. I simply must procure a blood sample! Your genes may hold the key for the ultimate super soldier! ...I do not mean that silly SOLDIER project they have those others working on."
|-
| [[Reno]]
| A senior Turk. Seems to have little care of formalities and protocol, but manages to get his job done regardless. Nevertheless, he can be rather entertaining.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| An amusing young Turk with rather peculiar abilities. Rhia's interested in...studying him some time. Which means Sammy should stay far, faaaaaaaar away.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Aerith]]
| Rhiannon only knows of Aerith in passing. Sure, Shinra is on the lookout for her, but she doesn't particularly care. She did go have a look for herself once, out of sheer curiosity, but nothing more. Rhiannon is completely unaware of Aerith's seething hatred for her.
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| A typical violent brute in Rhia's eyes. Despite the critical levels of danger, she will go out of her way to antagonize him. After all, she never did get that blood sample she wanted...
|-
| [[Count Valos]]
| A dark elf met in passing long ago. She agreed to keep tabs on an individual named 'Morrighan Alazne' for him. But after catching wind that he's passed on, that work had been suspended indefinitely.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Mir Clarence

2014-02-09T19:26:14Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Character Infobox |firstname=Mirallia |lastname=Clarence |age=Old enough |image=FK - Mir.png |species=Demihuman |sex=Female |height=5'0 |weight=None of your business |series..."

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Mirallia
|lastname=Clarence
|age=Old enough
|image=FK - Mir.png
|species=Demihuman
|sex=Female
|height=5'0
|weight=None of your business
|series=Final Fantasy 9
|styles=Wind Lancer
|hometown=Lindblum,
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Unaffiliated
|occupation=Baker
|quote=Make sure you clean your plate!
|footer=Not sharing the adventurous exuberance of her peers, she's just getting by selling her goods and avoiding too much trouble.
}}
= Profile =

Mir is a simple girl. She runs her own bakery and cafe, which she's since moved to a different city than her hometown. She's got a bad attitude, but a good heart underneath. It doesn't take much to make her resort to knocking heads, and even less for her to fly off the handle. But she's overall, a good girl. She has a home in Goug, but she mainly travels to different cities and locales, selling baked goods while on the go.

She is not an adventurer and will be the first to tell you such. Combat is not her forte and, though she can swing a sword or a lance, she would be the last to actually do so. Not confident in her strength, Mir is more than content to leave the 'heavy lifting' to other more capable people. She's more at home traveling from city to city with her bakery cart, selling off the various cakes, pies, bread, and other creations of hers.

Though rare, she does sometimes head out to remote, or dangerous areas to search for rare or mundane ingredients for her dishes. It's about the only thing that she will stick her neck out for. Despite this however, if push comes to shove, Mir can't bring herself to abandon someone in need. As long as whatever is needed of her doesn't trade her life for another's, she will help out in the best way she can.

= Abilities =

Mir is not a natural combatant, but she does posses some skills, mostly out of the necessity for self defense, rather than any blown up need to be some strong mercenary warrior. She has some training experience with swords and lances. And can at least put up a bit of a fight with them when necessary. She will almost always lose out to anyone who actually partakes in that sort of thing for a living however. Practical experience trumps theory after all.

More naturally, she is capable of casting a plethora of elemental magics, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Being a wind fairy, it naturally goes to reason that her strongest element is wind. It's natural. Something she just 'knows' how to do, by virtue of her racial heritage. Other magic such as light, water, fire, and so on are less and less effective, going in that order. Her range of magic usage goes from raw offensive magic, weapon imbuing, and spells to support and assist others. With the latter being that which she excels at. She'd like to learn how to heal, but she hasn't found the time or a proper teacher.

Non-combat wise, Mir is an excellent cook, though she focuses on baking out of preference for the trade. She travels from city to city, selling goods that she'd baked herself, but she also owns a small cafe in Goug. While she's out, a friend and business partner happily runs it in her stead. Mir is very passionate about cuisine in general, and is always on the lookout for new and interesting ingredients to use for her creations. Though she has a brain, and won't come up with crazy dishes that obviously would not work. And beware, wasting food is one of the most unspeakable crimes to her. Never do it in her sight or she won't let the culprit hear the end of it.

As another racial trait, Mir possesses fairy wings. They seem to be made of pure light and emanate a green magical aura. Observant people may notice that the glow of her wings also directly corresponds to the magical energy she has. When it's plentiful, her wings glow brightly, when it's low, the glow becomes more subdued. When she's got no energy left, they will retract back into her back. They are capable of flight as well, though Mir doesn't fly as much as people might think. Flying isn't all that beneficial to her business, considering she's got to lug a huge cart around. Mir can also will them away when she doesn't want them out. And usually, that's the case.

Not so much abilities and more just possessions, she owns a large, red baker's cart that she travels around with, one fitted with a magic stone to perpetually emanate heat, which keeps her goods warm. And pulling that cart is a yellow Pulse Chocobo by the name of Coco. Mir treats Coco more like a friend than a simple mount or a pet. She seems to have conversations with him and asks his opinion on things, which turns the heads of more normal people. Nevertheless, Mir sees nothing wrong with it.

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

File:FK - Mir.png

2014-02-09T19:21:21Z

MirageV:

Raine Arland

2014-01-13T00:32:45Z

MirageV: Blanked the page

Rhiannon Zellen

2014-01-13T00:32:01Z

MirageV: Blanked the page

Morrighan Alazne

2014-01-13T00:31:13Z

MirageV: Blanked the page

Priel Aylin

2014-01-13T00:29:45Z

MirageV: Blanked the page

The Five Apostles

2013-12-27T05:35:09Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{tinyplot}}"

The Light of Creation

2013-12-27T04:13:53Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/12/26 |Location=Dias Plains |Synopsis=Raine and Lumeria track the magic signal they've been following to a broken down Shrine nestled in the D..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/12/26
|Location=Dias Plains
|Synopsis=Raine and Lumeria track the magic signal they've been following to a broken down Shrine nestled in the Dias Plains. Truths are revealed and things change.
|Cast of Characters=Lumeria, Raine Arland
|Tinyplot=The Five Apostles
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' It was time. Having taken their break in Baron, Raine and Lumeria set off some indeterminable amount of time after. On the Dias Plains, a dark portal opened up and out from it stepped Raine, followed by Lumeria, whose hand he was holding. It was necessary, lest she potentially find herself verring off, adrift in the darkness. At least they didn't have to walk! "Here we are." Raine spoke evenly, keeping hold of the elf's hand for a moment longer than necessary before remembering to let go. "You said it was around here, right?" He asked, glancing at his companion with an arched brow. He looked away a second after to survey the plains. "Mysidia's off in that direction...but I've got a feeling that the village itself isn't what we're after." He mumbled, bringing a hand to his chin. "I mean...there's no way they'd just hole up in a populated area." Another glance at Lumeria. "What do you think?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, maybe they're looking for something?" Lumeria figures that might be the case. She still looks a bit uneasy from the portal teleport but continues, "If you were searching for something magical, Mysidia certainly wouldn't be a bad place to start." She's done her share of research there. Of course starting trouble there wouldn't be a good idea either.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Another chin rub. "...Yeah, that said, it might be better to avoid the town itself. Don't want to cause trouble and end up getting magically dogpiled by a bunch of mages." A grin and chuckle came from him as he briefly imagined the possibility. "Let's search in that direction, but not directly towards it." A nod as he then pat the girl's shoulder and gestured for them to move on. Turning north-east, he began to walk off in that direction. "...Might be a bit of a dumb question, but I've got to ask-" Lumeria was given a sidelong glance as they walked. "Other than magic, do you know how do use any weapons? You keep anything in case of an emergency?" Says the guy who isn't carrying a single weapon himself. Hypocrite!

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "That's a not a bad plan." Lumeria sounds a bit diappointed, she wanted to check out library but business first. "I'm sure I could handle any mages but I might have to end up having to protect you." She certainly was confident. "Between my research and other matters I haven't had time to take part in much weapons training." The girl didn't look like someone who took part in a lot of physical fights.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Oh boy, the great and powerful Lumeria protecting my sorry self!" Raine teased in a sarcastic manner, hands held up defensively. "Well, someone's confident. But still." He shook his head and held out a hand slightly, palm facing upwards. A small red glyph formed above his hand. From it, a small black object rose up from it, eventually coming to float above the glyph at a slow pace. It was a knife. About the length of an average hand from fingertip to wrist. "Here. Hold onto this." The young man spoke, extending his arm out to Lumeria to take the knife from the glyph. "Magic is all well and good, but you need some insurance. Everyone needs a little insurance." Well, at least the mystery of his carrying no weapons or items seemed to be partially solved.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria grabs a hold of the knife looking a bit uneasy as she does. She could feel the darkness coming from the weapon. It wasn't something she felt entirely comfortable with, but he did have a point. Without her magic she was pretty helpless. She swings the blade a few times, trying to get a feel for it. There's clearly not a lot of force when she does. "Is everything you do tied with the darkness?"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' As if actually giving Lumeria's question serious thought, he adopted a thinking pose with his hand on his chin after she took the blade. "Darkness? What is darkness anyway? It's just another source of power. It's not inherently evil~" A nonchalant shrug followed that statement, his tone cavalier. "What's wrong? Is little Lumeria afraid of the dark~?" Raine asked in a mocking manner, grinning teasingly as he looked at her. As they bantered, the walk began to take them to a lightly forested area. There were broken red pillars and stone debris beginning to show up amongst the forested path, and Raine silently took note amidst his teasing. "...(This looks like...)" A shake of the head banished the thought from his mind. He needed more proof.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria frowned a bit at that before a small amount of holy energy shot forth from her hand at him as she walks. "I'm not scared, it's just not my speciality." That was putting it lightly. "I'm sure you're not any better when comes to light." Given the amount of dark energy he seemed to wield.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' The shot hit his head, causing Raine to stumble off to the side comically. "Bwah!" He yelled out dramatically, regaining his footing after. Once he was settled, he started walking again, crossing his arms and smirking. "Oh really? All I can hear from here is 'I'm so scared~! Mommy don't turn off the light!'" Jerk. Still, the comment about him being no better at light earned Lumeria an amused shrug. "It depends. I could be formidable at light...depending on certain factors." Well, that certainly wasn't cryptic enough. Maybe he should try a little harder! The subject was left to drift by the wayside however as they walked deeper into the forest. Eventually Raine spoke up again. "So, you've still got your family right? You get along with them?" What a random question.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, excuse me for being good at what I inherited!" Lumeria crosses her arms clearly not in the best of moods right now. "Just like everything else, my relationship with my family is complicated. But yes, they're still alive if that's what you mean." That was putting it lightly. She looks around trying to not completely lose her focus on what's going around them. She notices the pillars and debris, did someone live here at one point?

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Ahahahahaha~" Teasing this girl was too much fun. "Oh man, I'm sorry, but I can't resist!" He sputtered out between laughing fits. "Your face just has this quality that says 'please make fun of me!'" ...Did it really? "Okay, okay...! Phew!" A few deep breaths and Raine recovered enough to regain his focus. He nodded at the mention of her family and smiled slightly to himself as he looked on ahead. "That's good. Family is important." Well that was vague. But his attention at this point was on what looked to be ruined oriental shrine. The red arch that signifyed the entrance was broken down into pieces, as if it had been that way for a long time. And further on ahead was a long flight of stairs that lead upwards. They were so voluminous in fact that the main shrine itself couldn't be seen from where they stood at the bottom of the staircase. "...Well, looks like we've got quite a climb ahead of us." He grinned and glanced at Lumera. "Need me to carry you~?" He asked teasingly, mocking her stamina now.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's completely red at this point, "What's so funny about my face?" It's not like she can see it without a mirror. "You don't think I could take you on if I wanted to?" She has a feeling he doesn't take her seriously. It was hard for her not to get distracted by the conversation. She wonders what happened to the shrine, "Is this originally from your world? Yes, I can climb up there, it's not like it's a mountain or anything." She begins make her way up the stairs to prove her point.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Ahahahaha! There it is! You're doing it again!" He laughed quite obnoxiously, pointing straight at her. "And take me on? Psssh! Forget about it!" He laughed further, waving a hand dismissively. "We don't fight each other! Save that for the monsters and heartless~" But he sure was making it hard not punch his face in. Part of his charm. Maybe. Finished making fun of Lumeria once again, Raine sighed and stared up at the shrine steps. "Yeah, this is definitely from my world. In the same state of disrepair and everything. But the question is...how did it get here?" Smirking at the elf's insistence to prove her worth, Raine began to head up the stairs as well. There really was a lot of them however. The stretched far upwards. The top looked like a far off dream, but...they'd eventually make it. Eventually. "Just let me know when you feel like dropping dead~" Another jab, but also a minor concern as well. No point getting there winded. Who knew what could be up there.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Then stop trying to pick a fight." Lumeria can't believe how many stairs there are, "I don't spend all day in a library you know. I do a fair amount of traveling." Still as determined as she is, the girl was on the frail side. She's trying to prove how tough she is to him but is starting to fall behind. She wishes she knew float or warp about now.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "I'm not picking a fight!" Raine exclaimed, faking appallment at her accusation. Well okay, maybe he wasn't, but it still would turn out that way. Nonetheless, Raine finally relented and turned his attention up to the long stairway. He was holding out much better than Lumeria was, having been accustomed to traveling long distances and over rough terrain. As their trek continued and the elf began to fall behind, Raine glanced back at her a few steps down and slowed down. His face devoid of it's usual mocking humor, he offered a hand to her. "Need a little help?" Seemed he was serious this time, not going to make fun of her for her faults...at the moment anyway. There was something bothering him. They were definitely zeroing in on an Apostle and his senses were screaming at him about such. Only one way to find out though. Make it to the top.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, please." Lumeria nods at that, part of the trade off of being a long-lived race was that you got tired easier. She really is doing her best to try and keep up but it's clearly a struggle for her. He must be serious if he wasn't cracking any jokes at her. Of course she didn't really have the energy to do so either at the moment.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Taking her hand, Raine pulled Lumeria closer, grinning with some manner of misdeed in his mind. "Well then, time to ride the Raine Express! Up we go!" And unceremoniously, he scooped the elf up into his arms, carrying her bridal style before proceeding to jog up the rest of the stairs. Idiot. Well, with this, they were making good time, the stairs were passing at a faster pace and the top was coming closer and closer as Raine ran the course.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria doesn't argue with him, it beats trying to climb more stairs on her own. Of course she's not too heavy so there shouldn't be too much effort involved on his part. "Just don't get any funny ideas about this. I'm helping you out for the knowledge and treasure, I'm not your girlfriend now or anything like that."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Please! I'm not interested in someone whose face is so exploitable." Raine chuckled as he ran up the stairs. "If anyone were that delusional, I'd laugh my head off at them! Heh heh!" And he actually began to laugh a little at that. "We're business partners, and you just happen to have a pathetic constitution. Nothing more than that~" Well, it was true. Still, they'd arrived at the top of the steps at last afterward. Sighing in relief, Raine let Lumeria down before stepping on ahead of her. He was more interested in what was ahead. And in his mind, a voice rang out. '...Intriguing. I can feel 'her' presence.' That earned a smirk from the young man and he looked about at the shrine area. There was a wide stone path leading straight ahead to an open square. And on the three sides of the stone clearing, were four shrine buildings in disrepair. "I see it..." He mumbled to himself, staring dead ahead at what seemed to be a figure seated on the porch of one of the shrine buildings. It was definitely female, but her back was turned as she sat, obscured by a head of long black hair, seemingly in meditation. "Bingo." Raine grinned as he stared dead at the meditating figure.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, I doubt you'll look this good when you're 76 years old either." Lumeria can't help but to be a bit defensive about that as well. She takes a deep breath once she's back down on her feet. "And I'm not interested in someone who's a total jerk." Even if she is haughty. She notices the meditating figure but stays a bit behind him. "I take this is who you're looking for.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "............" Opening her eyes, thee figure remained in her seated position, staring at the ruins of the shrine in front of her. "You've come, Dark One." The voice of a female spoke, sounding around late teens to early twenties. Turning her head a bit, as if able to see them from just that, she remained still again as she spoke. "...and for what reason have you decided to find me?" Upon asking such though, she stood slowly, picking up a prayer staff that was laying at her side, before turning to face the two of them. Her skin was oddly gray with red markings all over, but her ears were rounded like a human's. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes were a deep blue. Her attire was something akin to an oriental priestess. All in all...she hardly looked like a terrible god that destroyed things. Raine narrowed his eyes, letting Lumeria's insults slide as he stared at the figure before them. "...Hecate. Apostle of Creation." He quipped, lowering his arms to his side. "...You know why I'm here." As he spoke, he took a step back towards Lumeria and asided to her. "Move aside." He whispered quietly.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria nods and moves out of the way. The woman wasn't what she was expecting either, but she knows not to judge by apperances. It sounded like she was equal to a god. If that were truly the case then they had their work cut out from them. Still she's a bit heistant about this, she didn't have anything personally against Hecate.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "......" Hecate made no move to attack. No move to spur them into action, she just stared impassively at Raine, and then her gaze slowly turned to Lumeria. "...So, you have dragged an innocent onto your bloodstained path, Dark One." The Apostle spoke evenly, narrowing her eyes slightly at the swordsman before her. Raine just frowned at Hecate's words. "Bloodstained path? What would you know about that? You were nothing but a soul inside of a weapon until not too long ago!" He exclaimed, pointing directly at her to refute her statement. Hecate offered no action as a response and just cooly replied, staring at Raine as if he were a worm, or even less than that. "...You use, kill, and betray others, you scheme and skulk about for your own gain." The girl said calmly, eyes remaining narrow. "I must wonder, how long will that shell last?" And at that point, her eyes returned to Lumeria. "And you, child. Am I to assume that you have not been informed of the truth? Otherwise, there is no way that you would follow this fiend." Raine grit his teeth at her words, clenching a fist as well. "What are you even babbling about now? I've never done any of those things!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's isn't quite what you could call completely innocent. Still what Hecate says makes her heistate, she didn't a lot about Raine besides what he had told her. She hadn't even met anyone else from his world up until now. Which was a bit supicious. "Do you have any proof to what you're claiming?" Still she knows they're both acting in their own interests.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Proof? You would demand proof?" Hecate shook her head calmly and closed her eyes. "Very well. It is proof that you seek. Then it is proof that you shall gain." And with that, Lumeria and even Raine would begin to feel a massive pulse of pure magical energy coming from the Apostle. Her eyes remained closed as the winds kicked up, tousling everyone's hair and clothes, and the energy began to roll off of her in waves. If there was ever proof that this figure before them was a god, then perhaps this would be it for sure. "I will expose the truths that have been hidden from your eyes right at this very moment." What followed that was a bright and powerful flash of light, forcing Raine to shield his eyes. Once it receded, they would be able to tell that Hecate's form had changed. Her hair had turned white, her left eye held a flame similar to Raine's own, and her staff had changed form as well, cloaked in spiritual wisps of light. "Tch, this just keep looking worse and worse...!" The swordsman hissed to himself as he observed Hecate's Apostle transformation. "Now what!?" He seemingly asked no one, but a voice in his mind answered. 'At this point, nothing. I had expected them to be as weak as I had become. This is a problem...' More so for the voice than for Raine. But the mysterious voice seemed to be resigned to the exposure of the truth in some fashion of another. "And now, your true form will be revealed, Dark One." Hecate pointed her glowing staff at Raine and immediately, he began to seize up. "Ghk...!" hunching over, he held a hand over his left eye. "W-What the hell are you doing!? Stop!" He yelled at the Apostle, but she didn't stop. A red glow began to overtake Raine, encompassing his entire body instead of just his eye, and it began to intensify more and more with each moment passed.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria feels the wind and is nearly blown over by it. She certainly wasn't expecting this at all, this didn't sound like it was going according to plan. They were clearly in over their heads here. But what should she do? She doubts her magic would be effective against a being of light. "Enough! You've proven your point." Of course Lumeria's quite confused about all of this. She knew there was something odd about Raine but she wasn't quite expecting this. There's no way they could fight her either if she can overwhelm him so easily.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Wrong. My point has yet to be proven." Hecate responded impassively to Lumeria, her gaze still on Raine as she worked some manner of spell over him. "Ahhhhhhhhhhgh!" He screamed loudly, holding his head in his hands as the red aura overtook him. From there, the crimson energy left his body and gathered together in the air as a formless mass of energy. With the energy out of his body, Raine's left eye had become normal and green, just like his right, and he collapsed to the ground. "...It is done." Hecate spoke calmly, lowering her staff and staring balefully at the floating cluster of energy that came from Raine. "...This is Laevateiin. The Apostle of Destruction. And the Dark One I spoke of." She explained, eyes narrowed at the floating mass, paying Raine's body no mind. "That boy was simply a host." "...You continue to stand in the way of plans, Hecate. As always." A voice rang out from the energy collective. A deep, booming male voice. Despite that said, this Laevateiin didn't make any sudden moves just yet, biding it's time. Lumeria is given a glance from the priestess then. "...Now. I ask you; do you want the truth of the matter here?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "So I would assume that Laevateiin was trying to seal the rest of you away so you no longer pose a threat?" Lumeria does her best to remain calm despite what just happened. This was unexpected, she didn't think she was work alongside one of the Apostles all along. She looks over at Raine's body concerned for his will-being. "Or am I wrong?" She was trying to piece together what was going on here.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine Arland says, "Heh heh heh..." Laevateiin laughed at Lumeria's guess, but made no attempt to correct her. "Foolish woman..." Hecate shook her head and calmly responded, ignoring the energy mass' insult towards the elf. "Wrong. That fiend you see before you, is a traitorous abberation. We Apostles are beings that watch over and protect the world." She nodded towards Laevateiin. "He seeks to destroy us in order to solidify his own seat of power amongst us uncontested, and then bring the world under his own corrupt rule." Setting her staff into the ground, the Apostle narrowed her eyes as she explained. "He fabricated lies and events, turned us all against each other, and then somehow rallied mankind against us. He almost succeeded, had it not been for the humans indicriminately felling him before he could act along with the rest of us." Hecate certainly didn't seem happy about that. "I've no doubt that he used that boy to engineer his escape, by way of some tempting lie, and then brought on the fall of our world through the darkness." She raised her staff, and then brought it back into the ground forcefully as she spoke, as if restraining her anger. Laevateiin remained quiet all the while till now, where another laugh emanated from his form. "Heh heh heh...ahahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHA!" The energy began to fluctuate with the laugh. "And to think...that I would have gotten away with it too! If only you and those other fools would have quietly submitted under the flag that my paradise will fly!" Hecate glared, but a movement below caught her attention. Someone struggling to stand back up. "So then...all this time...you were lying to me?" It was Raine, somehow, through sheer force of will, he stood. "...So then, my wish! Was that a lie too!?""

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Well, it looks like a change of plans just had happen here. Of course Lumeria's not quite sure what to do now but it sounds like she just went from one problem to another. She sighs a bit, "Your wish? What made you get involve with all this mess to begin with?" It must have been something huge if he had let a deity of destruction use his body as a host.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine panted a bit, catching his breath from the previous ordeal. "...I..." He didn't think he'd actually share this with anyone. Hecate remained quiet, watching Laevateiin with a glare as she listened. Laevateiin, though only a ball of energy at the moment, somehow still managed to seem mocking. "...He promised me that if I gathered the other four Apostles, that he'd be able to bring my family back to life..." A sardonic chuckle escaped from the black clad youth in that moment. "Heh...stupid, huh?" "You were a fine tool, boy." Laevateiin said easily, a chuckle escaping from him after. "But it seems like you're no longer necessary." "You." Hecate took a step forward, but a gesture from Raine stopped her. She paused, looking at him warily. "No...Hecate, stand back." He took a deep breath then and stood up straight. With Laevateiin drawn out of him, Raine no longer had any weapons or darkness to take advantage of. None...except one. "This is my fight. I'm going to finish him off. Not you." Hecate stared at the young man as he made that proclamation, and stayed back as requested. "...Very well, but if you fail, I will intervene." Laevateiin meanwhile burst out into raucous laughter. "Hah....haha...hahahahahaha! You? Defeat me?" If he had an actual physical form, he'd probably be smiling wildly right now. "Even in my current state, you are no match for me! All of your power came from me in fact! Without me, you're useless!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria can't help but to feel a bit sorry for Raine right now. Sure, she's not on the best terms with her family but they're still alive. "Are you sure you can handle him like this?" Even if Laeveiin wasn't at full power right now, he wasn't in the best shape either. Plus it would pose a problem if he got possessed again. It doesn't seem like the best choice but it was fight after all.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "....Nope." He glanced over at Lumeria and grinned like an idiot. "I don't stand a chance right now." Wait, then what the heck was he going to do? He seemed to have an idea regardless. "That's why I need your help, Lumeria." He seemed sincere enough. "Enough of this foolishness! Disappear!" But Laevateiin wasn't going to give him time to be mushy and heroic. Bloody red tendrils began to expand from the energy mass, whipping out towards Raine. "Whoa!" He scrambled back, leaping from side to side and stumbling a bit as he dodged and got a few nicks and scratches on himself. It seemed like he didn't have a weapon either...what was he going to do? "Lumeria, I know this is going seem like a stupid question, but...do you trust me?" Did this have something to do with his plan? Dodging another flurry of attacks, he leapt back and to her side, glancing at her for the answer.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, I wouldn't have came all this way if I didn't trust you." Lumeria's quick to point out, this was no time mess around. Sure, they weren't on the best terms but she didn't want him to killed either. It wasn't either of their best interests after all. She's not quite sure what he has in mind, but she goes along with it.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' He nodded. "Good. Then I can use it." That said, Raine turned to face her, ignoring Laevateiin as he put his faith in things just going right. "I know one single actually useful magic spell, and I'm going to use it with you. So don't panic when I do it." Seemingly confident in his plan, the black clad youth went on. "In the meantime, I need you to do whatever you can to project some kind of magic barrier behind me, and fast!" Fast indeed as Laevateiin starts up his attack again, this time causing several red orbs to separate from himself before firing towards the two of them rapidly. "Your stalling will not save you! Be obedient like you have been and die!" "....." Hecate meanwhile just stood by and observed, calmly keeping still and awaiting the outcome. This battle would decide more than a few things to come. She knew that.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Behind him? Lumeria's not sure what good that will do but she goes along with it. She begins casting a spell, and holy energy gathers behind him forming a barrier. She's not sure what spell he's going to cast on her, but she does best to remain calm and keep the shield up as long as possible. Hopefully, this would work or they would be in some serious trouble.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Just as Lumeria erects the barrier, Laevateiin's energy began to rain onto the barrier, which was now serving as the only protection between him and them. "Every second counts. Here goes..." He closed his eyes and began to focus, raising a hand, palm outwards, towards Lumeria's chest. After a moment longer, a white magic glyph formed over her, slowly revolving. "What nonsense are you planning?" The spirit demanded, energy output increasing, intensifying the rate of fire against the barrier Lumeria had set out. The pressure was becoming heavier and heavier, who know how much longer the barrier would hold? "You will not be able to hold me off for much longer!" Raine ignored the struggling happening against the barrier then and opened his eyes, locked onto the magic glyph above the elf's chest. Without further ado, thrust his hand forward, and into the glyph. His arm passed through and 'into' Lumeria. Reaching for something, Raine eventually found it and grasped at it. Lumeria would be able to feel a strange sensation of her heart or soul being grasped, but not painfully. At that point, the incantation was uttered. "Paradise, is here!" There was a powerful and blinding flash of holy light from the elven girl's body as Raine pulled 'something' out. Once it receded, the swordsman could be seen facing Laevateiin, arm holding up something. It was...a sword? In the vaguest sense of the term, yes. It was a sword. But it's form was...nonexistent. Rather, it just seemed to be pure white light given a vague, wispy, sword-like shape. At least for the first few seconds. Afterward, that brilliant light dimmed down to a tarnished, but still white blade. It's luster was mostly gone, as if something was holding it back. But no matter, Raine looked supremely confident. "....With this, I can even up the odds." It should be noted that Lumeria would feel like she was currently 'missing' something. And if Raine's words meant anything, then that something should be obvious.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria cringes in pain as she feels her soul get torn from her. Of course she's a bit surprised not actually having seen it before. Just then the barrier is overwhelmed as she's no longer able to keep it in place without her full power. She's hoping that he finishes this quickly seeing how she feels kind of empty on the inside right now.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' ".....So this is how he plans to overcome it." Hecate mumbled to herself, watching the battle still. Her tensed body relaxed a bit at this point, almost confident in which side would win. ...Almost. She wouldn't drop her guard just yet. Especially considering the decidedly lackluster state of Lumeria's Soul Blade. It seemed so brilliant and powerful for a moment. But then...it died. "A soul blade? Really now? You plan to endanger someone's life by wielding their very soul? And such a tarnished one at that? It seems you and I aren't all that dissimilar after all, boy." Laevateiin chuckled and kept up his assault on the two of them, a flurry of crimson energy raining from his form. "You're wrong! This is called trust! Even if the sword the tarnished, with it I'll cut you down to size!" Raine proclaimed angrily before dashing forward into a run. "Lumeria, get back!" He yelled back to her as he weaved left and right through the magical assault. "Haaaaaaah!" Leaping into the air to meet Laevateiin, Raine brought the soul blade down upon the energy mass. But it would not be so easy. Clashing with several tendrils of energy, the swordsman remained locked in a struggle for dominance, both sides pushing to overcome the other.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria steps back not being able to provide much more help at this point. Was she really that bad? I mean sure she likes money and attention but her intentions are good...mostly. And she is pretty powerful at least with white magic. Maybe the curse was holding it back, she thinks watching the battle between Raine and Laevateinn.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' It seemed like there would be no clear winner here. Raine and Laevateiine kept at it for a while longer still with no result. ".....!" And then seemingly having an idea, Raine threw caution to the wind. "Lumeria!" He called out to her twisting his body in mid-air. Her soul blade was flung back at her in that moment. The same glyph from before appeared over her chest and the sword passed right through. She'd feel a lot less empty now that it was returned. "And now...!" He thrust his other arm out right towards Laevateiin. Interestingly, a red magic glyph formed just before he'd done it. Wait, was he...? "What are you...No! You cannot be! You think you can take my Soul Blade? Ahahaha! Fool!" Laevateiin was panicking despite his words, several shadowy tendrils emerged from him and they all sped towards Raine as he 'grasped' the soul. "Haaaaaaaaaaaaah!" There was a flash of red, and then the incantation was uttered, just as the sharp tendrils were to make contact. "Paradise, is here!" Hecate shielded her eyes with an arm casually, still making no move to stop anything going on. "...Taking his opponent's soul blade. ...A daring move. If not foolish." The red began to die down then, revealing just what had happened...

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria feels the soul blade reenter her body and lets out a sigh of relief. Of course she's still somewhat fatigued both from the earlier climb and having her soul weaponized. Still she manages to cover her eyes from the flash of red not wanting to be blinded by it. She's not sure what just took place given the fact her vision is blocked.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Once the red clears what the two of them see is Raine standing in the center square, a spiked, black sword in one hand and his other hand grasping his sword arm as blood ran down it. He was wounded pretty badly in other places, but it seemed like Laevateiin wasn't anywhere to be found. "...Heh...since he was just a soul to start with...taking his Soul Blade would render him unable to do anything...yeah?" Hecate stared at the wounded Raine for a moment before sighing lightly. "...A most foolish plan. But...it succeeded." She nodded and lowered her staff. "But now I must ask you, boy; what do you plan to do now that you know the truth?" He looked down sadly at that, the gravity of everything he'd done and lost finally hitting him. ".....I did a lot of terrible things for Laevateiin, thinking he was going to grant my wish...I helped him break free and destroy our world..." He shook his head after. "And I won't be seeing my family again, not my mom, not my dad, or my sister...they're gone." He couldn't work up the effort to be angry at Hecate for her and the other Apostle's war killing countless people, including his own family. "....But there is something I can do." He looked up then and held up the black sword that was Laevateiin's soul. "Destroy it." Hecated nodded and pointed her staff towards the blade. There was a flash of light before white cracks appeared over the blade. Then it shattered into pieces. All of them dissipating into nothing after.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Raine...I'm sorry..." Lumeria sounds sincere as she says that. She can't imagine what it must be like to lose your entire family. "I know it won't make things better but..." She begins casting a spell and green sparkles covers his body beginning to mend his wounds. Even her magic can't bring back the dead but it was the least she could do.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Lumeria is given a small smile and a nod. "...Thanks. You're doing your best. No need to overdo it either." Pot, meet the kettle. Either way, he sighed as he could feel his wounds getting better. Once it was well enough for him to stop grasping his arm, Raine let it fall as he approached Hecate and Lumeria. "...I spent all this time trying to kill you all in order to help his plot. But...that's not what I want to do now." Hecate nodded silently, letting Lumeria do her work. In the meantime, her Apostle transformation died down and she returned to her normal look. "I see. Well it's good that you understand. And that you no longer are at the whims of that fiend. The world is better off without him." She let that hang in the air for a moment before speaking up again. "What do you plan to do now then?" Raine crossed his arms, wincing a bit, but less than he would have if Lumeria hadn't healed him. "...I want to find the other Apostles still. I want to find them and work together to restore our world. I helped Laevateiin destroy it...but maybe we can work together and find the world shards to bring it back." He smiled sheepishly and looked towards Lumeria then. "And I guess I should apologize to you. I dragged you off into such an evil mission without even fully realizing it myself. And now...I still need to ask for your help in this new mission" Grinning despite his wounds, he went on. "So, will you still help me? I'll double the pay!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's eyes light up when she hears the part about doubling the pay. "Sure, why not. Maybe I'll further my research too while I'm at." It's not every day you get to study the rebuilding of a world after all. Plus, maybe one of the Apostles could remove her curse while they're at it. "Well, I wasn't expecting to be easy else you wouldn't need my help to begin with." At least it was a challenge worthy of her talent. "I need some sleep first though, that was exhausting." It also tested her abilities to the limit.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "I see." Hecate mumbled, nodding in understanding. That is an admirable mission. One that I can say that I would support. Indeed, the restoration of their world was paramount amongst the goals of the Apostles. "Heh..." Raine knew that the promise of increased pay would move her. Still his funds were going to cry at him later on down the line. "Right then. I guess we should get going." He turned away and glanced at Hecate. "I'll see you around, Hecate." He bid the apostle farewell, apparently having no desire to fight her. "Hold." She spoke evenly, calling for the two of them. "...I have a request." "....?" Raine arched a brow and turned to face the priestess then. "A request? What do you need?" Yeah, did a /god/ need from him? "...I would also like to assist in the restoration of our world. However, I cannot move from this place." Such was admitted hesitantly and she looked away. "...I imagine the other Apostles are in similar situations. We are confined to areas that came from our original worlds, unable to venture far beyond them on our own." Raine frowned at that, bringing a hand to his chin. "So that's why finding you was pure hell!" He exclaimed almost indignantly. "So how can I help?" Hecate nodded slowly and went on. "...Form a contract with me, similar to the one you did with Laevateiin. I will be able to exist off of your own life energy and be able to leave this place to accompany you." She raised a hand at that then. "But my power will be reduced, and I will also be reduced to a spiritual form that resides within you. My power can be used somewhat and I can be spoken with, but I cannot be summoned." "......" Raine thought about it for a moment before glancing at Lumeria. "It sounds okay, what do you think?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria will end up owning half Raine's world wealth at this rate. Still if he wants to give her money she's not going to argue with him. "It might not be a bad idea, plus I rather not have my soul weaponized again if it's avoidable." Him having more power would prevent that after all. "Are you sure the remaining Apostles will go along with this?" Sure they might not be flat out evil, but they still have to get them agree with the plan.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Yeah, I guess I'll go with it then." He nodded, bringing a hand to his chin. "Besides, your Soul Blade was kinda lacking. I mean, it was REALLY bright at first, but...the it died." How blunt. "Is there something bothering you?" Even blunter. Hecate rolled her eyes at their banter and sighed. She closed her eyes then and was enveloped in an aura of light. Her form then reduced to that of a mass of light that then unceremoniously flew right into Raine's chest, cutting him off. The act caused a pillar of light to briefly shoot up from Raine's form and his eye, which used to be red, then went to green with the loss of Laevateiin, now turned blue. "Oh...well, I guess it's done." He brought a hand to his left eye, feeling Hecate's presence there. "...as for the other Apostles, there's only one way to find out. And that's to find them." He nodded then and turned away. "Okay, let's get out of here!" There was a pause then as he realized something. "...Wait, I can't use darkness anymore. ...I think we have to walk. Ehehehe..." He chuckled sheepishly, scratching his cheek with a finger.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Well, it still was powerful enough wasn't it?" Lumeria says a bit defensively. "Maybe you couldn't handle it fully." It was the first time he had handled it after all. She looks down at the stairs before groaning a bit, "Now that I think it about it, the darkness teleport wasn't so bad." At least it beat heavy physical activity on her part.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "It was pretty strong, yeah, but something was holding it back. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't me!" He replied easily enough. "I mean, I have no effect on the Soul Blade's power. It's all on the host and the state of their soul, which means..." He gave Lumeria a pointed look. "Someone's got iiiiiiiiiiisuues~" He teased, pointing at her with both fingers. ...This moron just went through something big and he was finding the time to tease someone else despite? Maybe it was solace for him. At that moment however a voice rang out inside Raine's head. It was Hecate. 'You have access to white magic now. Just cast Warp, you fool.' "...Oh." He grinned sheepishly and spoke up. "Okay, false alarm! Apparently I should be able to cast Warp." He announced to Lumeria, stepping forward to look down at the stairs. All the stairs ever. "...Eesh, not even I want to bother going down all of that."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Maybe I'm not as innocent and helpless as you thought?" Lumeria points out to him. "I'll give you a discount if teach me that!" She sounds quite eager about learning the spell. "Anyways, let's get out of here. I've had enough of this place." She could go for a nice warm shower about now.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Not innocent? ...Sure, I can believe that." Raine shot back without an ounce of hesitation. "Not helpless? .....Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." He really drew it out, but didn't actually say anything one way or another, just to annoy her. But then the mention of a discount caught his attention. "A discount? Count me in!" He said immediately, raising both arms to cast the spell. White light formed in his palms and then expanded to envelop them both. The light covered their sights and after a brief rush, the light receded as they found themselves standing in front of the gates of Baron. "...Oh, guess that's it. That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be." He nodded to Lumeria and then strode on into the city. "Now then! Time to get to grub and rest!"

Raine Arland

2013-12-11T20:43:44Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Raine
|lastname=Arland
|age=18
|image=FK - Raine.png
|species=Human
|sex=Male
|height=5'8
|weight=184 lbs
|series=Final Kingdom
|styles=Dark Enforcer
|hometown=Capital City of Sera
|alignment=Wandering Force
|group=Unaffiliated
|occupation=None
|themesong=[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RodLJh3Bri8 Yuki Kajiura - Remaining Sense of Pain]
|quote="I won't pity you. I won't offer you sympathy. I won't tell you to change. Just accept who you are and carry it with you for the rest of your days."
|footer=Arriving at The Crossroads fairly recently, Raine must figure out what to do...
}}
= Profile =
A boy of mystery, Raine travels the various worlds, with seemingly little in the way of a purpose. He simply drifts along only acting on the whims of his evil sword; Laevateiin. Raine is not a hero. Yet, he is also not a villain. He does what he sees fit as the situation calls. He has no care for the struggles of good versus evil, or light and darkness. None of that matters to him. All Raine seems to care about is living past the next day and finding a place for himself to belong. A purpose for himself to undertake. A meaning for this cursed existence. Yet, such a thing hardly seems to exist for him.

= Skills =

Dark is not evil ...Or maybe it is, Definitely not the main character, Annoying Talking Sword, Way too flashy moves, Nice eye. Where can I get one?, Totally not being duped, Made a deal with the devil, I am a being of solitude, Appearances mean everything, Cake? Where!?

= Abilities =

'''Swordplay:''' In his previous years, Raine threw himself into the art of swordplay wholeheartedly as a way to distract himself from life. The result is that he has become a rather capable swordsman. Even if he were to somehow be separated from Laevateiin; a feat that is not without challenge, Raine will still prove to be more than a capable opponent. Employing a style of swordplay that he has made his own, Raine combines flair with functionality.

'''Parkour:''' Nothing is more uplifting than running. Running and using the world as your playground. Everything in his path is an obstacle to be overcome. Gates, fences, walls, rooftops, railings, you name it, he'll scale it. Or try anyway.

'''Strong Will:''' Laevateiin is constantly prattling on in Raine's head, attempting to coerce him into doing dark deeds, to give himself over completely. Raine refuses to have any of it and has so far, not given in. His will has proven to be nigh unshakable thus far, but the future is unknown. Who knows what will assail him before long?

'''Weapon Summoner:''' Raine has the ability to store and project Laevateiin at will. When this is done however, Laevateiin's presence leaves his mind and becomes capable of speech outside and inside of his mental space. A double edged sword to be sure.

'''Darkness:''' Raine himself is not a true master or source of darkness. However Laevateiin is. It is through Laevateiin that Raine channels these powers. Though the entity's strength is not what it used to be. Raine utilizes Darkness in combat rather heavily as well as using dark portals to travel.

==Relationships==

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Laevateiin]]||"Stupid talking sword. But still, he's the best chance I've got at finding those damn Apostles and... Well anyway, I just wish he'd shut up now and then."
|-
|[[Lumeria]]||"Looks like we're gonna be working together for a while. Try not to fall too far behind, okay? Heh heh..."
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[????]]||"No enemies to speak of. Less trouble for me."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Avira]]||"As I figured, she expects a favor. Just continue to play dumb and maybe she'll forget all about it. Maybe."
|-
|[[Aerith]]||"Laevateiin thinks she could be useful. I don't. We agree to disagree."
|-
|[[Souji Murasame]]||"Seems like the kind of guy who goes straight to the point. No messing around. Knows exactly what he wants too. I guess I can respect that. Something's off about him though."
|-
|[[Chita]]||"Some rabbit dude. Entirely too open with his intentions. I guess that's a blessing and a curse at the same time. Heh."
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Of Deals and Deeds to Come

2013-12-06T04:15:17Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/12/05 |Location=Baron - City |Synopsis=Raine meets with Lumeria to discuss a possible deal and partnership. Some things are explained, and pre..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/12/05
|Location=Baron - City
|Synopsis=Raine meets with Lumeria to discuss a possible deal and partnership. Some things are explained, and preparations must now be made.
|Cast of Characters=Lumeria, Raine Arland
|Tinyplot=The Five Apostles
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' It was a while since Raine had seen Lumeria. It probably would have stayed that way too if it weren't for the fact that he had business with her currently. Having had one of his 'markers' tripped and then subsequently destroyed, he finally found a clue that would take him one step closer to actually moving forward with his journey. ...The only problem now was that his ability to scan the traces in magical items sat at a comfortable level of near zero. Great. That in mind, he decided to make use of one of his contacts. By way of MaBelle device, Raine had contacted Lumeria, asking her to come to Baron, if she could spare the time. He said that it was for important business, but knowing him and his antics, maybe it was a prank? Nah, it couldn't be. And so, here Raine sat in a humble little cafe, in the outdoor section. Seated at a table with a slice of cake in front of him, he boredly looked out at the streets, waiting for whether his company should show or not. "...Surely she doesn't hate me /that/ much, right?" And there was no one there to answer.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' It took some for Lumeria to arrive, she really needs to find a faster way to get about. She finally does show up, clearly a bit exhausted from her journey. She takes a seat and takes a moment to catch her breath before responded to him. "This better be important to drag me all the way out here." If it was just to tease her again, she wouldn't hold back this time.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine's eyes eventually did catch sight of the Lumeria as she approached, passed the cafe gate, and then sat as his table. Seeing her usual look caused him to smirk a little. It was the kind of look that just begged to be messed with. "Aw, you wound me. That's your first thought? That I called you all the way out here to tease you?" A chuckle followed that statement as the young man reached into his jacket for something. "Come ooooon, I can tease you any time I want. But right now? Right now we've got business to attend to." That said, he shrugged nonchalantly and gestured to the menu. "But before we get to that, you look all tuckered out! Tough journey?" Grinning as if he was just holding back from teasing, Raine went on. "Why don't you order something and regain your composure before we get to it, huh?" Well, it was a valid concern. Mostly.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, it has been a long journey." Lumeria nods at that. She sounds a bit frustrated wanting to be taken seriously. Of course, it's been a bit difficult when you look like a teenager. She notices the piece of cake on the table and is instantly tempted by it. The girl was a bit hungry and the food wasn't helping, "Can I get a piece of that too?" She asks the waitress before continuing. "Not all of us can travel through the darkness." She notes his method of departure before. "Since, it'll be a bit before the food arrives. Why don't you tell me why you had me come all the way out here?"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine just leaned back in his seat and took up his fork, sinking it into the cake and lifting the cut piece. "Hmm..." He held it in front of his face rather tantalizingly, observing the texture and the aroma for a moment before taking the bite. ...He was teasing her again. "Yeah, traveling through the darkness is convenient. But it does have it's catches." Wagging a finger like some sort of school professor, he spoke on. "You see, I need to have been somewhere before I can just waltz on through the darkness to it. I can just go in blind. Otherwise, I might end up portaling into the middle of the ocean of something! That'd be a tragedy!" That was topped off by another bite of his cake. "Ah this is heavenly." Setting his fork down, Raine reached into his jacket and pulled out a sizable black stone, setting it onto the table and towards her. It was slightly cracked and there was a faint aura of magic energy emanating from it. Weak, and likely getting weaker. "I had you come all the way out here because, it's nearby where I had placed this" He explained, gesturing to the stone. "Do you know what this is?" It was a paltry magic item to a mage of Lumeria's level, but he asked anyway. To make sure.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "That would really be a huge loss, I might even shed a tear or two." He wasn't the only one who could be mocking. "Anyways, it tracks those who have magical powers. Or at least it would, if it worked properly." Lumeria looks at the stone a moment before revealling to him what it was. "Where did you find it?" It might be worth looking into. As she waits for his response her own piece of cake arrives.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Oh, you would? I feel so loved now." Raine exclaimed dramatically, wiping away a fake tear from the corner of his eye. His laughed a bit after, taking a few moments to calm down. "Phew! Okay, okay...about the stone. I...sort of had it made for me." He admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger sheepishly. He didn't say who though. "But that's not the important thing, what matters here is that it's broken!" Ah, so that was it. "I have a bunch more of these set up in other continents and locations, but this is the first one that's been deliberately broken..." Nodding his point, Raine watched as Lumeria's cake had arrived. "...What I want to ask is..." He trailed off, grinning in what could only be some sort of grand mischief. Then he suddenly reached over the table, attempting to sink his fork into her slice. "Think fast!" Even during business, it was still a game.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I see, so someone discovered they were being spied on." Lumeria would likely have broke the stone herself if that were the case. "I still don't see what the big deal is, if you placed a lot of them, it was bound to happen sooner or later." Her patience was already wearing thin for him as she sees him go for her cake. She picks up the stone off the table and hurls it him. There's not much force behind it, she's a squishy mage after all but it should get his attention at least.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Bwah!" The stone bounced off of his forehead and landed back onto the table, stalling his mischief and saving her caking from the invading fork of another. Fortunate. For her anyway. "Heh heh, not bad! The passion of defending one's slice of cake runs through your veins!" Despite the bruise forming on his forehead, Raine grinned and sat back down properly. "Okay, you can keep your cake for now. But watch out!" Chuckling at that, he went back to the point. "Hmn...you would be correct normally, but this stone was specifically engineered to search out a certain kind of magical signature." He explained, resting his elbows onto the table. "All others are ignored. So really, no one has any reason to destroy any of these...unless it's the being whose signature was detected." Looking a fair bit more serious than he usually did, Raine went on. "Which is exactly why I called you out here. "I need your help, Lumeria." Having said that rather frankly, Raine took a moment to let it sink in. "My magical expertise is limited, but with you, I just might be able to find what I'm looking for. I need you to come with me to the place where this was broken and use your magic to figure out where they could have gone." His cake went ignored as he looked seriously into the elf's eyes expectantly. "Can I count on you?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's fork is stuck into her cake to keep him from trying to claim it further. He has own to eat after all. She decides to try a bit of it before responding to him. It certainly was good. "So, someone you're after realized they were being tracked and destroyed the stone?" This did sound a bit interesting to her. "You must really be desperate if you're coming to me of all people." Considering how he's treated her in the past. Though if there's powerful magic involved she might humor him a bit. "Well, at least you're aware of my talent." She smiles a bit at that. "I guess it's worth looking into, I might find something of interest after all. Where are you planning on having me go?" It wouldn't hurt to know.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Yes, stroke the ego. It always worked. Mostly. Usually. ...At least she was actually skilled to accompany it. Raine smirked a little at her and nodded. "Yes. Someone I'm searching for must have tripped the stone and destroyed it. But the damage has already been done." His smirk widened a bit at that. "If I can get a lock on their magical signature, I can follow it and go right to wherever they might be hiding." As he said this, his left eye began to take on a red glow. That wasn't good. He needed to calm down before the power in him escalated. Looking away then, the young man took a deep breath to calm himself. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm desperate." He said afterward, glancing back at Lumeria. "After all, isn't it normal to go to the people in your circle first before outsourcing?" That was an incredibly mercenary-like way of putting it though. Finally losing his serious aura, Raine took another bite from his cake, chewing thoughtfully for a bit before answering her last question. "Don't worry, I'll be coming with you." He pointed to the stone on the table as he spoke. "We're going to go to the Dias Plains with this stone. I need you to whip up some magic, or whatever you mages do, and figure out where that magic signature went. And if it's also possible, reverse engineer this stone to detect it?" It sounded like quite a bit of work. "I know it sounds a bit much, but I can pay if necessary!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "That stone is powered by darkness isn't?" Lumeria figures that's likely the case given the aura it's giving off. If that's the case, it might be a problem. She wouldn't likely be able to recharge it. "The signature might be gone by the time we get there. It's barely noticable." Her eyes light up at the mention of payment. "I'll give it an attempt at least though." It sounded like it might be worth the trouble of putting up with him.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Grinning in a rather evasive way, Raine averted his eyes, tilting his head a bit as he responded. "Yeaaaaaah, I guess you could say that it is." He sighed at her initial verdict and shook his head. "Really? Well, still I'd like to try anyway. If we portal there now, we might be able to pick up /something/, right?" He was so close. This was the closest lead he's ever gotten to. He couldn't have it slip away without a fight! "I know you must be tired and everything, but if we go now, I promise, I'll pay for room and board for the night! ...In addition to paying you for your services." Well, the deal just got better. He must have money to spare if he can afford to make offers like that. Demolishing the rest of his cake, Raine stood up, stretching his arms a bit before glancing at his company. "So, what do you say? Ready to go?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Darkness magic isn't my speciality." Lumeria puts it lightly. In fact she could barely use it. She finishes up her piece of cake as well before she continues speaking. "I don't think I can repair the stone." She might be able to track the other signature but who knows how far it is by now. "Is it safe for other people to step through your portals?" She wonders about that as well.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine waved a hand dismissively at Lumeria's question, opening up a portal in the same moment. "Oh it's fine! Nothing's going to happen to you. It's just a portal!" ...Though truthfully, he's never taken anyone with him through a portal before. Maybe some precaution was needed. "...Though I guess we should be careful." Holding out a hand, he offered for the elf to take it. "Keep hold of my hand. That way, we won't get separated going through on our own. Just to make sure, yeah?" And with that said, the young man smiled a tad, mostly in amusement. "Is that okay with you now?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes ahold of his hand clutching tightly. If he tries to ditch her inside, she would make sure she takes his arm with her. "Well, if I do learn teleportation magic I suppose I'll have to do this sooner or later." It was one way to study what takes place after all.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Like he would joke around about this sort of thing. Even Raine had his limit. Still, he held onto her hand tightly in response before leading her into the portal. It closed behind him and what followed next was a feeling akin to rushing water, or was it wind? Either way, it felt like a sort of high speed movement was taking place. Yet, there was nothing to be seen in the pitch black darkness. Soon enough, a glimmer of light appeared ahead, and then expanded rapidly, revealing the Dias Plains. "Here we are." Raine announced, stepping through and leading Lumeria out of the portal. "See, was that so bad?" He asked, grinning slightly as he looked back at her. "Did you learn anything? Or were you too scared stiff to take any notes?" He went on to ask, unable to resist teasing her as well. He kept hold of her hand despite the fact that it wasn't necessary any longer. Must've forgotten. Or not. Who knows.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria feels a bit uneasy, even airships didn't travel that fast, "It feels like the darkness was trying to pull me in..." No doubt the powerful white magic she possessed made her a tempting target. There's no telling what might have happened if she had tried to enter on her own. It takes her a moment to get her bearings. She certainly hasn't been here before. She then realizes they're still holding hands and promptly releases her grip. "I can feel something very faint."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "True...it's worse if you're especially well versed in white magic or what have you." Raine spoke casually, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head with the hand that was freed from hers. "Anyway we're all here now, so...let's have a look." He turned away then and ventured on ahead. "Come on, the place where I put the stone was a little further up. So if you can feel something now, then it should be stronger ahead!" A pause then. "...Hopefully."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' That would explains why Lumeria felt that way. She might have to learn a different method of teleportation if that's the case. She looks up a bit, hopefully this wouldn't involve too much climbing. She's already a bit fatigued as it is. She lets him lead the way since he knows where to go. "So is it awkward being around me at all?" She's kind of curious now.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Thankfully there wasn't much climbing, just a few steps over some rocks and one short climb up a low hanging cliff. The rest was straight walking. As they walked, Raine glanced back at Lumeria and arched a brow. "Awkward? Being around you? Why would it be?" He then grinned, getting a stupid idea. "Is there something you're not telling me? Like, you're really a guy? Or maybe this form you're taking is a ruse and you're really an old lady? Is that it?" Laughing to himself, the young mand looked back on ahead and shrugged. "But really, what's there to be awkward about? You're fine to me. Cute, easy to make fun of, incredibly entertaining reactions." ...None of that sounded good. Well, except the first part. "Don't worry too hard about it, okay?" If anything, he thought it might have been awkward for her to be around him, but that went unsaid. Eventually, he slowed down as they reached the top of a certain hill, kneeling down to inspect the ground. "Here we are."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "You said that I reminded you of someone before." Lumeria recalls that as they reach the top of the hill. "In human years, I would be an old lady. Of course that doesn't really apply now, does it?" It might be bit less awkward around humans though. "This wouldn't have to do with the Apostles, now would it?" She still somewhat remembers their first meeting. It would explain why he dragged her all the way out here.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Guh. He had hoped that she'd have forgotten about that. Looking at her face and and seeing her reactions was enough to kill him, figuratively. But he had found a way to cope with it all. At least, he had. "...Yeah, someone from a long while ago. Don't worry about it." Raine mumbled, shaking his head a little. The response regarding his old lady jab drew a chuckle from him and he grinned in a way to try to shuffle the subject off to the side. "I guess it doesn't. Should I call you grandma? Heh heh..." Chuckling at Lumeria's expense, Raine remained knelt down as he stared out across the hill and down at the landscape below. "...You remember that. I'm touched." His mocking smirk dialed back a tad into something a bit more genuine then. "Yeah, it's the Apostles. Or at least, what I suspect to be one."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Maybe in another five hundred years or so...I can understand that feeling." Lumeria can sympthize with him on a bit on that. Still, she doesn't like to think about the subjects too much. "I don't think you ever tell me why you were looking for them in the first place." She wonders why he's going through all this trouble to begin with.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Wow, another five hundred years? Does that imply that you're already at or over that?" Rained asked, arching a brow as he stood to face the elf next to him. "I feel like I should treat you with a bit more respect now, but..." He brought a hand to his chin, looking her up and down before grinning mischievously. "Nope! Sorry, can't do it! Ahahaha!" And then he laughed for a bit, turning away as he did so. It took a bit for him to sober up and he considered her question. "...I'm looking for them because their deaths are the key to a new possibility." Well that was both vague, yet informative. Funny.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I'm 75, it implies I can live that long." Lumeria frowns a bit at that. "And I doubt you'll still be around, so it's pretty much a null point." At least there's something she can shove in his face. "So, you're trying to kill them then?" If that were the case, then she's doesn't feel quite right about going through this.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Oh. Well that's just a bit underwhelming." Raine replied upon learning of her actual age. "Oh well!" He chuckled and let the subject drop. Yeah, he probably wouldn't be around by then. Maybe. Who knew? Settling down at that, the swordsman just crossed his arms and turned to face Lumeria again. "Well, it's more complicated than killing them." He brought a hand to his chin, thinking for a bit. "...How to explain this better..." He fell quiet then, trying to think of a way to tell the elf exactly what he planned to do. "......" He couldn't figure one out. At least nothing beyond 'tell the truth'.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's clearly a bit uneasy about this. If not kill them them what exactly was he planning to do? Plus would it really worth to be dragged into this mess. "What exactly are you try to accomplish by doing this?" Maybe that would explaing things better.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "......" A sigh as Raine rubbed the side of his head. Now she was getting suspicious. Not that it surprised him. Suppose the only way around this was to just say it straight. "Alright then. I'll explain." As he said that, his left eye pulsed a deep red as a voice in his head spoke. 'Kid, what are you-' He ignored it however and went on. "Sit down. This is going to take a while." He added, sinking down to sit in a cross-legged position, patting the grass after with a wry smirk on his face.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes a seat on the grass next to him wondering what exactly was going on here. It wouldn't hurt to know before she committed to anything. Despite her attitude at times, she really wasn't the killing type. She was trying to avoid doing so if possible.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Once Lumeria had herself a seat, Raine nodded and began to speak. "Well, you see in the world where I came from, the people were ruled by a group of entities known as 'The Five Apostles'." This was old territory, but he had to reiterate for perspective. "They ruled over all mortal beings, set laws, and watched over the world. Sounds nice, huh? Having 'gods' keeping their eyes on you." He shrugged at that though, not looking too pleased. "Well, something happened, and eventually the Apostles changed their ways, they issued all sorts of demanding decrees to the people. Naturally, the people submitted at first." He rest his elbows into his lap and his chin in his hands. "...But eventually, the people grew fed up. They took up their swords and waged war against the Apostles." Raine paused for a bit to let it all sink in. Then he spoke up again. "After years of hard battle, the people managed to seal the Apostles away. Some years later, my world fell into darkness" ...By Raine's own hand, but he decided not to repeat that. He'd always said it before anyway. "But now, I'm searching for the Apostles because I know that they escaped their seals when the world was falling. I need to defeat them and seal them away again. If I do that..." He brought a hand to his left eye, thinking for a moment. "...My wish will be granted."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I see, are you asking for my help in doing so? Or do you just need them to track them down?" Lumeria's curious now to what he has in mind for her. Of course these Apostles could cause problems for others as well. Though there might be something she can learn as well from all of this. "What's your wish?" It would explain why he's going through all this trouble to begin with.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine paused a bit and thought about that. "...I hadn't thought that far ahead. I really just needed someone well versed in magic to leng a hand just tracking them down to start." He admitted sheepishly, smiling an idiotic smile in the process. "I mean, I've tried for so long with no dice whatsoever. So just walking around and looking with my eyes hasn't gotten me anywhere." He took out the broken tracking stone at that moment, indicating it as he spoke. "But with the help of a skilled mage, I might be able to lock onto their magic signatures and find them that way." He set the stone down onto the grass then and nodded again. "...As for how to actually /beat/ them...that's a good question. I'm not sure, really...haha. All I know is that I need to pull them back into a sealing vessel. Actually getting them to do it is another thing entirely." How promising.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria puts a hand to forehead with that. "You hadn't even thought this through?! Did you just expect them to submit?! Do you have the sealing vessels at least?" She wonders how he plans to defeat beings that likely have the power level of a deity. "How did I let myself getting dragged into this?" Sure, she's powerful but even she has her limits. "And were you planning on to doing this alone?" She can't help but to add.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Whoa, hey, hey, hey!" Raine started, hands held up defensively, her outburst caused him to lean back a tad as well. "I have a sealing vessel! It's okay, it's okay!" No it's not. "And yeah, I was going to go it alone...I mean, I figure I could handle it." Handle forcing beings on the level of gods to submit to sealing? Yeah right. "It would have worked out! And it'll still work out! C'mon!" Not that much better.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Ugh...I'm a talented mage but there's no way the two of us can pull this off." If Lumeria couldn't even defeat Rue what chance did she have against a deity? "We'll likely end up dead, or worse enslaved for all of eternity." There certainly were things she still wanted to do. "Do you even know what these Apostles are capable of? Have you done any research at all?"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Oh come on! I came from their world! I know all there is to know about them!" A pause. And then he grinned sheepishly. "I mean, I know hearsay about their power and general abilities based off of old texts written by their former followers and all." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head at that. Only a bit better than no research. "Have a little faith! If the people of my world were capable of sealing them away, then we can totally do the same! Where's your confidence! Stick out your chest and go 'I CAN DO IT!'" And to illustrate his point, he did just that. Puffing up his chest and taking a deep breath before... "I CAN DO IT!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "How many of them did take to seal them away?" Lumeria can't help but to wonder now. She's pretty sure that the number is higher than two. "I have plenty of confidence but we shouldn't just blindly jump into this. Besides you mock me and then turn around and expect me to take on a deity?" She doesn't understand him at all.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Ah, ah, ah" Raine chided, wagging a finger in an admonishing way. "I don't want you to take on any deities. I just need help finding them. I'll do all the taking on!" Well, that was something. Stupid, yes. But it was something. Interestingly, her question of the number of people it took to seal the Apostles away went unanswered. Probably to keep her from balking even more at the whole thing. "Now that we've established that; what do you think?" He asked, fixing his sitting posture. "Can you help me find them? No fighting in it for you at all?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "If you get killed, who's going to pay me?" Lumeria tries to hide the guilt she's feeling. She's been backed into a corner here. "Besides, I doubt they'll just let me run away." They didn't sound like the merciful type. "Looks like I have no choice but to help." Well, it would be one way to test what's she capable of and there's always the chance she could learn something whlle doing so.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Should I leave the pay in a will then?" Raine asked, smirking mockingly at Lumeria. He stood up then and nodded at her answers to his question. "Oh, you have a choice. But I'm glad you chose to help me." His smirk turned into a bit more genuine of a smile as he offered her a hand to stand up with. "Trust me, I'll make this work. You're not going to end up six feet under or anything." Famous last words, Raine. Famous last words.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria takes his hand with that, "So why do you trust me of all people with this? You know I'm not exactly the selfless type." They don't even really know each other that well. It was quite a bit of faith to place in her, "You don't see me as a threat?"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' The question gave him pause. "....." He didn't answer initially, instead just looking off into the distance. Once she had stood, Raine released the grasp and crossed his arms. "...I don't know." He answered honestly then. "Maybe it's because you remind me of someone..." He ventured to guess a moment after. He thought for a bit more before adding a bit jokingly. "Or maybe I'm an idiot who had too much faith in people still." A shrug. "Who knows?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "I guess, it's best if we don't get distracted by this. Don't want to get overly attached or anything." Lumeria figures it would be best not to think about this too much. That and she has an image to uphold. "The magic does feel a bit stronger up here." She figures it might be a good idea to get back to things before the trail goes cold completely.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "Yeah, of course." Raine nodded his agreement and kept his eyes on the landscape. "So, before we lose this trail completely, is there anything you can discern? The direction of it would be the most important thing I guess." He added at the end, scratching the side of his head with a finger. That said, he held the stone over to Lumeria to use as reference as she needed and stood off to the side to get out of her way. If there was even a way to get out of to begin with. Maybe there was!

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria holds the stone up examining it a bit. It was a bit difficult for her to match the direction the magic was coming from with the darkness present. "It seems to be to the north, but there's large amount of magic coming from that direction to begin with."

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine watched as Lumeria did her thing with the stone, hand resting on a hip, and the other hanging low. Once she finally discerned where it was coming from, he nodded and looked off in that direction. "...That's Mysidia, isn't it?" He commented calmly. "I've never been in that direction." He glanced Lumeria then and off towards Baron's general direction. "This could be big. We'll need to prepare I think. Want to return to Baron and rest for the day?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' "Yes, that would be a good idea." All this physical activity was starting to take it's toll on Lumeria. For all her magical power she was a bit frail. The journey here had been fairly long as well. Still she was doing her best to try and keep up with him.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' He figured, which was why he offered. Opening up a dark portal, Raine offered her a hand before they went through and back to Baron to rest. It would be pertinent for them to rest before they took on whatever was waiting for them tomorrow. To be honest, he was a bit worried, but there was no time for that. All he needed to do was what needed to be done; seal away the Apostle and move on to the next one.

A Daring Rescue

2013-11-29T17:57:08Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/11/27 |Location=Southern Manhattan |Synopsis=Avira, Maira, and Angantyr arrive at a nightclub in downtown Manhattan to crash a party...lite..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/27
|Location=Southern Manhattan
|Synopsis=Avira, Maira, and Angantyr arrive at a nightclub in downtown Manhattan to crash a party...literally.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Maira, Morrighan Alazne, Angantyr Vespar, Echo
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' The nightclub's front is like a shining beacon in the night. The place is called From Dusk till Dawn, in cursive gothic script. There doesn't seem to be a ton of people coming and going, but there does seem to be people inside, activity, as well as booming music coming from inside. The signs outside proclaim that there are live bands and girls inside... And curiously there don't seem to be any bouncers, at least on the outside.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' And somewhere in the back, Morrighan lie, locked in a cage. Not one of her proudest moments. Her dress had been stripped away from her and she was instead dressed like one of the regular dancers. It was beyond demeaning to the elf. Having recovered from...well, various things that had happened before, Morrighan gripped the bars of the cage and shook it furiously. "Let me out!" Another round of shaking. "I said let me out THIS INSTANT!" The angry shaking of the cage bars continued for a while longer, Morrighan's shrill voice piercing through the air. "I know you fools can hear me! You can't do this to me! Come back here and open this contraption right now!" ...Well, seems she was okay. Mostly. Perhaps.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Now wouldn't that be a familiar situation for CERTAIN PEOPLE. CERTAIN PEOPLE that were secretly making their way into this CLUB in Manhattan. It had taken a few days to sort out portals and tracking people through them, but the noses of her wolves did not fail her. They unerringly lead her to this particular nightclub and for the past day or so, she's had people set up to watch the club, taking note of bouncers (or lack thereof) and the usual dress of the clientel. After this assessment was made, a daring plan to sneak in, retrieve the elf, and fight their way out given whatever happens afterwards. To prepare, Avira had to introduce Maira to the world of gothic fashion. Avira herself is currently decked out in black leather pants, a black tank top, and several chain bracelets. Around her neck is a spiked collar and her braid has been split into two seperate ones decorated with black bows. Her weapon, the Spine, has been disguised into a very elaborate decoration on her back. Therefore, dressed as any other patron, Avira and crew will walk right in. Locals do seem to stop and stare at her for a few seconds before going about their business. It could be the aura of confidence she's emitting or...something else.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Gothic fashion! Basically, she figured, all she had to do was dress the way she looked in Halloween town. Thus, Maira has opted for the gothic lolita look. She wears a knee-length black velvet dress with a motif of blue candelabra along the hem, black lace victorian style ruffles along the neckline, and slightly puffed sleeves. The ruffles of her petticoat peek out slightly from beneath, and from there down she wears thigh high socks trimmed in--you guessed it--black lace ruffles. Heeled black Mary Jane's and a mini-top hat with a bit of mesh lace that falls over one eye completes the outfit. Maira follows in after Avira, humming Malice Mizer and smiling brightly and looking excitable. Someone missed the 'goths are mopey' memo. She looks around with obvious interest.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' It wouldn't take very much to find Morrighan, what with her screeching, though not only that it seems like whoever had her before has just sort of... left her out for people to find. A trap or an act of mercy? Or maybe an act of torture on the poor saps whoever passed her onto that have to listen to her? It is unclear. "Well well, what do we have here?" There is the thudding of what sound like boots as a figure emerges from the back of the club, from the loose crowd that was dancing and admiring the dancers that were there. This is a figure in a full length orange fur coat... wait, that's not actually just a coat, it's actually a full length violet purple cloak, with big excessive fur ruff and everything... and it's wearer? There is a large beastial humanoid head with bat ears, deep cobalt blue fur and what appear to be sunglasses, it reveals a mouth rimmed with diamond plated fangs and teeth. "Any of you fine lookin' ladies like what you see here at my club, hmm?" Meet Dizzy-B, vampire and pimp extraordinaire. His suede vest and slacks are lined in rhinestones, and his boots? Long platforms filled with waters, undead goldfish swimming therein.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "EXCUUUUUUUUUUSE ME! I'M TALKING HERE!" Morrighan voice screeched out over Dizzy-B's greeting. "I will find you and hurt you, you hear me? HURT YOU!" Another round of shaking the bars angrily. "You think you can keep me in here forever? When I get out, I will blow everything up! Just wait! You will rue the day you ever thought it would have been a good idea to kidnap me!" ...Maybe they should have kept the gag on after all. Too late for that now.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' These people that kidnapped Morrighan should have asked Avira for tips. She has experience, you see! She would have told them to cast mute on her or atleast keep them from talking for their own sanity. Hadn't they heard her complaining in the woods as Avira was taking her to the camp? "...well you're sure not from around here." Avira drawls at Dizzy-B, her eyes focusing right onto the big ears and fur. It's funny, a year ago the cross-world integration wasn't all that much of a thing. But now... The Gargoyles would be happy. "Yeah. I'm looking at the noisy one right there." Avira says, bluntly pointing at Morrighan. "I'll gladly take /her/ off your hands for you. In fact, giving the way she's yapping right now, you oughta pay me to take her!" she pauses, looks directly at Morrighan and lifts a hand to the side of her mouth. There's a small smirk on her face before... "Ohohohohoho!!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks at Dead Golfish Man, gawking. "Huuuuh..." he says, looking him over. "Ou what are you? Oh my gosh are those fish in your SHOES?" she asks. Oh hey, Morrighan. Maira looks to her, blinking several times. BLINK BLINK BLINK. She's practically naked! Now she feels bad for Morrighan...but Avira is playing at something, so she should probably play along. Quick, look stoic and disinterested!

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Those goldfish are not dead. They are undead. Red pinpricks of light shine from their sunken eyes. "You like that one? she's one of the dancers at my fiiine establishment," he raised a furred hand tipped with long gold-capped nails. He snaps his fingers and the cage containing Morrighan slowly lowers and is brought around for the other adventurers to see, she's definitely... not as clothed as she used to be in that black leather bikini top and thong, as well as those stiletto heels. Dizzy-B does seem a bit taken back by the noise from Morrighan's screeching of course, putting hands up around those big ears of his, wincing. "Damn girl, why you gotta hurt daddy like that? As for taking her, heeeeeeeck naw, unless you got a lot of money to buy her contract out," he grinned again, the sparkling from those dazzlingly diamond encrusted fangs is blinding. "She got an off switch on her, d'ya know?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Avira's 'ohohoho', caused Morrighan to glare angrily in her direction. ...It actually took a couple seconds before the elf realized who they were. ".....!" Her first thought was: 'WHY ARE THEY HERE!?. Her second thought: 'DID THEY COME TO LAUGH AT ME?'. Which then of course led to the elven woman pointing a hand down at Avira and attempting to do...something. The fizzling smoke coming from her open palm seemed to suggest that she was trying to cast a spell...and failing. Dizzy-B's talking only made her angrier of course. "Excuse me? Who exactly is 'Daddy'? And I am under no contract! None! I signed nothing!" Giving up on nuking Avira and company, she went back to shaking the bars noisily. "An 'off switch'? Are you serious? I dare you try something like that!" ...That off switch was desperately needed right now.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Priceless! It takes every fiber in her body to not burst out laughing at Morrighan like she would regularly laugh and not the haughty bitch laugh she's had to listen to from Morrighan previously. "Oh yeah, I like her veeery much." Smirking, Avira slinks closer to the cage, unbothered by Morrighan's yelling...or at least it seems. In fact, she's quite bothered by this. She doesn't really get any feeling of victory to see Morrighan in this position. She just kind of feels...disgusted at the people that did this to her. "Money, huh? Hmmm." Avira steps forward and traces a finger down one of the bars of the cage, looking thoughtful. "How about this." Lazily, she looks over her shoulder at Dizzy-B. "I'll pay you one Ang for her."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' A Dark Corridor appears right behind Avira and Maira. Out steps A man clad in dark armor, darkness exhudes from him as he starts walking passed Avira and Maira. Angantyr's bounty is /enormous/. Litterally, enormous, as he was the man who assassinated the Emperor of Arcades, as well as assaulted a group of Templars and a Inqusitor of the Glabados faith. Note that said person was a vampire...but what other faith is full of monsters? Oh and wayward Student of Garland. He is holding a keyblade, a silver blade combined with twisted dark dangerous looking edges. He pauses, to look at Morrighan, letting out a small whistle, "Needs a gag." he comments, and then looks right towards Dizzy-B. The darkness starts to roll over Angantyr, before slowly sliding into his armor and starts to transform it. His entire body is covered with Darker armor, dangerous and deadly, sealing the man inside, but the armor itself is like staring into the Abyss itself, as his head snaps up, as crimson eyes glow from where slits are cut into the armor. "I am going to destroy this entire facility." he says, "Starting with you."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira watches Avira, waiting for the signal. At mention of Ang, well. That's the signal! Maira steps aside to make way for Agan to arrive via dark portal. "Well, here we goooo," she says, then begins casting some protective spells.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' "Woah, slow your roll Andre, no one has to get violent--" Dizzy-B is cut off with a slight squeek of the noticeable and nearly tangible aggression coming his way, and darts back from the group of people apparently come to kick ass. "Alright, if that's how it's gonna be," he floats up now that the spell usage has come about, the chain holding Morrighan's cage retracts and pulls her up into the air to hang there like a caged canary for just a bit longer, and the pimpire begins casting a spell.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Wow, this all happened suddenly. Morrighan was pretty much stunned silent to find Ang come out of a dark portal. "....HUH?" Wait a second, that was impossible! These people actually came here to help her? What nonsense! The mention of needing a gag caused a blush to appear on Morrighan's face and she indignantly pointed at the dark keyblade wielder angrily. "I do NOT need a gag! Watch your mouth you--WHA" She hardly had the time to complain before she found her cage yanked back up into the air. And she was so close to the ground before too! Grabbing the bars, the dark elf glared down at Dizzy-B and then to Avira and company. Seriously! She still had no idea why she was even in this position to begin with! Too much trouble and no answers!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr does not stand ready to be hit with a spell, when the Pimpire moves to cast... Angantyr DIVES towards him, aiming to litterally lash out with his fist, the fist itself starting to glow dark with the power of...well come on, you should know this one by now! He turns, raising the nasty looking weapon in a swing for the Vampire's legs, followed by a second slash straight down, aiming to tear through his armor and leave a nasty wicked gash down his front. "We have some questions, and you're going to give us answers. First of all, why did you order my friend's Kidnapping? Answer quickly now...you may not be long for this world." Angantyr says, with a wicked grin.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' As the cage suddenly lifts into the air, Avira is quick to seize one of the bars so she can ride it up into the air. Scrambling quickly, she climbs up the side of the cage with the agility of a monkey and slips on top of it. The spell still strikes her and Avira's quick to retaliate with a thin burst of air cast from her hand. Not much follows afterwards as she clings to the side of the cage, using her legs to dangle downward and get to work on the lock. She may or may not have been taking more lessons from Max.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira smoothes her petticoat, frowning slightly. This is such a nice outfit...she actually wants to keep it, not have it burned up and turned to ash. She really should have thought about that, and worn something she didn't care about. Oh bother. Thus, Maira moved to the side of the action for a moment before beggining to wiggle out of her clothes in preperation to set herself on fire. Yeah, that's totally normal. She places the folded bundle of clothes aside, then lets her body ignite. Wrapped in flame, she walks forward, the fire actually moving around her in such a way it looks almost like a dress, flickering and glowing, throwing off a generous amount of heat. "Answer his question. I don't want to burn your establishment down," she begins, then pauses, reconsidering. "Actually, I do," she ammends, raising a hand and lashing out with a whip of flame aimed for the Pimpire(tm).

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' "Don't worry honey, will take care of this and buy you a new fur coat, promise--ughh!" There is a screech as the fisting attack assaulted the vamp, not expecting there to be suddenly a mantorpedo rushing right toward him. The blade passes harmlessly through the purple fur cloak, apparently having a sort of mistifying effect, as if to ward off physical blows. "I ain't tellin' you nothin, cracka!" the cloaked figure snarled and raised a clawed, furred hand--sending a volley of shard-like sharp objects flying at the crew--a membrane of tengible looking magical energy forming around him from the rhinestones studding his suit. "Ahhhhh! Slow down honey!" the pimpire lashes back on fire, spreading his purple velvet cloak outwards, forming a spell to suck out the mana that is going around in the room--or rather destroy it.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Are you people crazy?" Morrighan asked indignantly towards Avira as she got to work on the lock. "Why didn't you show up sooner!?" ...Figures. "The things I have had to endure because of lord knows why! Ugh!" Seeing the owner of this fine establishment move to cast more spells, Morrighan's eyes widened and she covered her head with her heads. "Watch it there! I'm hanging here still, you buffoon!" She yelled towards the vampire, shaking a fist afterward. Oh what she wouldn't give to be able to nuke that fool right now.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr is familar with Vampires, the Mist trick isn't something he's never seen before...though not on a Vampire. Then the soul sucking energies of the blizard drive through Angantyr, which he attempts to avoid instead of going straight into it... "Morrighan, another word out of you that isn't jeering this <GOOSEHONK> and I'll cut that thing down and let you drop." He says, and you know him. He will do it. The balde swings, but not before Angantyr reaches up towards the Vampire, aiming to DRAG him back to the ground with the power of darkness. The air litterally manifests a dark hand, aiming to grip the vampire and just YANK him down. "And now.." he says, swinging the blade once, aiming to drive a large furrious fire like darkness through him with the blade as he swings again, the same thing coming from the other side! "ANSWER NOW OR I'LL JUST END YOUR MISERABLE EXISTANCE!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' As the vampire mage throws an energy draining blizzard spell in their direction, Maira raises her arms lika a conductor at the symphony calling for a crescendo. The flames that surround her intensify and grow, flaring outward. The energy of the blizzard spell evaporates to steam before it can really reach her. "That isn't going to work," she says. A nearby table has caught flame, but Maira doesn't seem worried. She is actually fairly confident right now that she can pull it back if the fire got out of control. "Really, I don't want to hurt you--I don't want to see Angan kill you either. But he totally will. If you think he's bluffing, you're very wrong. Why is she here? Why did you have her kidnapped?" Maira asks, moving closer, the heat radiating from her like a bonfire.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Ang! Focus on the bat, please!" Avira calls out, cringing as she endures another blast of magic. This one doesn't seem to really hurt her outwardly as it does dig into her soul in an unpleasant way she's never really experienced before. She digs her hands a little harder against the bars to hold on. "But seriously, you're welcome, Morrighan. Now could you be quiet for a moment? I need to concentrate on picking this lock." She's still trying! And still waiting! This might take some time and fortunately, other people seem to be taking care of the question-asking.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Poor Ang, jokes on him, the vampire had been pulled down and come to a landing long ago, due to the various attacks leveled on him. "Alright Jive Turkeys, lets see how you deal with a bit of Dizzy-B's special flow~" the pimpire then conjured up a giant flare wave all around them, holding up a crimson ruby in one hand, signalling the power was not entirely his own, but was being focused through the gem by some arcane force. Just then the vamp sent a rushing giant fireball that would try to ping-pong back and forth between each of the three attackers, before he opened his large diamond-plated fangs maw and emitted a gutteral inhaling sound, the force of it dragging in wind and practically creating a whirlwind as he attempted to drain the poor heroes very life essence away. Or maybe he just wanted to pull them closer to bite them, he did have some pretty pimpin' fangs, you know.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Hmph...!" Morrighan huffed and crossed her arms, resigning herself to hanging there and letting the big damn heroes be...big damn heroes. "Fine!" That being said, all the elf could do now was watch and wait. She was certain they wouldn't lose, but...then again, you never know. ...But they /were/ caught off guard last time. Now they were prepared. "Whatever you do, you had better not lose." Morrighan grumbled before falling quiet again. She didn't want to become a dancer in some seedy nightclub! She could feel the magic and energy flying about in the air. It was very irritating actually. All this energy going every which way was messing with her senses!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr braces, the fireball slamming through him, even as his life is drained by the Vampire... "Oh, you like draining life essence.." Angantyr grins...his own darkness starts to storm around him as he slowly slams the keyblade into the ground. Slowly the keyblade starts to generate a brilliant light, as he counters the light with his own natural darkness. The two anti forces of the universe, combined together...unwillingly to harm the other. BGM Change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfN8n4lH6pY "Then allow me to show you..." he says, taking the keyblade once more, the brilliant light with the unseeable darkness starts to turn slowly towards the Vampire. "/HOW IT'S DONE!" Angantyr swings, aiming to smash the Vampire into the ground once more...and then suddenly spins, aiming to drive the blade once more through him. Darkness slashes out, aiming to repeatedly tear at the vampire from the ground, draining the stolen essence back into him... "TYRANT..." he starts, the brilliant light of the Keyblade starts to act now, as he takes a step forward...swinging the blade in a single devistating blow, as the massive wave of light aims to tear out...aiming to consume the Vampire... "BREAKER!" he screams, this time the force of the light explodes all around them, aiming to litterally tear through the establishment in all directions.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' When the ball of fire bouncing around the room nears her, Maira's brows draw together in concentration to try to steer it away from herself as she moves to the side to dodge. Between these efforts, she's pretty safe from that at least. What she is not safe from, is being drawn toward the vampire and having some of her life essence drained from her. She grabs onto the flaming table, then uses a blast of air to propel herself back and away from him. Because Away is totally where she wants to be right now, judging by Angantyr's expression. Maira watches the attack with awe, wondering how the pimp will ever survive such a thing. She looks up then to Avir and Morri, wondering if Avira is making any progress with that lock. She could melt the bars probably, but it would burn Morrighan. Come on Avira, level up that lockpick skill! Maira exchanges a few words over the radio, then smiles in Angan's direction, giving him a thumbs up. Then, she turns toward the vampire. "I really did warn you..." she says, then lets the light of her heart fuel the spell she's beginning to cast. The flames that envelope her go from golden to white, sparkling with the beautiful and utterly fatal (to undead) power of Holy. KABOOM! The Holy spell rushes toward the vampire with all the power of a falling hammer and all the righteous might that leads many to believe this power is granted by some god or another. Oh, is it going to burn, baby, burn.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Man, this isn't working at all." Avira sighs as she jams a small lockpick into the keyhole. "Max is gonna kill me-ohh, here we go!" Something clicks in the lock. Trusting that it was broken now, Avira swung herself back up on top of the cage. Only now does she elect to draw her weapon, only to drop to her knees shortly afterwards as pimpmaster vampire draws away some of her lifeforce. "Okay that's it! I've had ENOUGH of these <GOOSEHONK> vampires in my <GOOSEHONK> town!" White light suddenly envelops the short, scarred huntress. Every native in the room can feel it now and gazing upon her, they can see it. Light. The light of the world heart. Like a meteor, Avira dives off the side of the cage and crashes into the vampire pimp. With her impact, a blast of ice spreads through the club, leaving a layer of frost upon everything it touches.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' The voracious swipe done by Angantyr slices through the pimpire's defenses, sending rhinestones flying here and there. "My threads! Not the threads! I don't care watchu do to me but-- Dizzy-B swung his head over to look at Avira who was vaulting onto the top of the cage, catching him with his glinting fangs dumbfounded. "OSHIIIII--" the sudden burst of ice sends them both careening across the room, ice finding the vamprie tasty and spreading quickly over his body--and when they collide with the opposing wall... he just shatters. Ice shards of little bits of Dizzy-B and his attire go everywhere, a huge blue and white mist going up which smells vaguely of purple drank, as the dust settles on the room...

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr looks back at Avira. "Nice." he says, apprecitive. "I see we're still going to need some training," he looks back towards Maira, "But very nice ladies." he says, looking up at Morrighan. "Though I wasn't anticipating needing a set of clothes for her..." He says, "But ladies, if I might suggest you all leave. I have an example to make."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' With the lock finally out of the way, Morrighan shoved the cage door open just in time to see Avira vault off and give Dizzy-B her opinion of...well, everything thus far. It was flashy. "Are you people done down there?" She asked in a huff, not actually leaving the cage yet because...well, it was still suspended well above a height she felt safe jumping from without magic aid. But beyond that, it felt like there was something she was forgetting here...

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr also is holding one arm out, waiting to catch Morrighan. "Unless you want Avira to do it, I think she totes could right now."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan looked between Avira and Angantyr. "......" She wouldn't give the huntress something ELSE to laugh about. But she was confident that there would have been no difference no matter who it was. They were both gorillas after all. "...Hmph!" She let herself drop from the cage then, sailing down towards the dark knight.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira curses as her attack misses. Damn speedy vampires! She's extremely disappointed. Especially so, when Angan says she needs more training. Dejected, Maira extinguishes her flame. "...Sorry..." she says, frowning deeply. Well, Avira did the job. This was her world. You don't mess with Avira in Manhattan. Or anywhere, really. "If you want to burn this place down I can at least help with that," she says, crossing her arms....at which point she realized she's naked. Rather than be horrily embarrassed, Maira just lets out a long suffering sigh and walks over to retrieve the dress she took off and put it back on, grumbling.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr catches and sets her down without fanfare. "Now. We're going to have to have a few hundred training sessions.." he says, and takes a long look after Maira. Man, today is just his lucky day. "I am getting sick of the Kidnapping. Seriously. We're going to need to break the villians of this..." He says, "And no not burn down. Fire in this city might spread...in a bad way."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' "I can control it. I have gotten a lot better about that," she interjects, tugging her dress down, huffily. A few hundred training sessions!? Aaarrgh... Wait. No. Yay? Conflicted!

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Meanwhile, as what heat and fires there were still remained in the room, choice sections of the ice begins to melt... and a loathsome purple mist rises from the floor and slowly escapes out the door and windows. DUN DUN DUUUUN.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "YEAH THAT'S RIGHT! YOU DO NOT MESS WITH MY TURF!" Thora calls out as they collide. In short order, she stands amongst vampire bits. She dusts herself off and quickly extracts herself from the fine mist of purple drank. "No burning down this building. Not in New York City-that'll cause way too many problems. Spreading and stuff. I can get this place reported to the police for human trafficking or something." Pauses, "..elf trafficking."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "No worries. The person responsible will shortly know the jig is up." he says, assuredly. Angantyr /IS/ familar with vampires, but now...he's going to smash his stuff. Because <GOOSEHONK> you, is why.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' She wasn't expecting fanfare anyway. Upon being set down, she just stepped aside and rubbed her arms, still just vaguely angry at everything. "Yes. The one who did this wasn't that tacky fool you people took out just now. It was that white furred mongrel from back in the forest!" She could at least say that much. "The mangy rat was nowhere to be seen after I awoke. It was just that detestable woman." Grumbling, Morrighan rubbed her arms some more, finding the outfit she was forced into entirely cold and uncomfortable. Avira is given a tired glare after. "...Do elves even have rights in Manhattan?" The cynic in her had to ask! "...But yes, I suppose it should at least be reported."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr gives Morrighan a stare... "You know, looking at that kinda thing all the time makes things worse, I find." he says, "Expect the worst in people, and that's all you'll ever see." "Besides we did just save you...and I haven't even heard a thank you once." "I'd also hit on you now, but it'd be in bad taste I think." a pause, "Here. Seriously, this place is scummier than the worst of Arcades lower sections."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks to Morrighan, flashing her a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright Morrighan," she says. "I'll um...see if I can find you some clothes to wear or something..." she says, beginning to poke around. Any burning fires that remain she snuffs out. Maira looks back over her shoulder at Ang's comment, wide-eyed. Morrighan!? Maira looks to Avira, unable to hide her expression.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "You of all people are telling me that? Hmph...!" Morrighan just scoffed and looked away in a huff, closing her eyes as well. "You expect me to /thank/ you as well?" Crossing her arms, the elf let a moment of silence set in before opening one eye to give the man a sidelong glance. "...Thank you." She shuddered at those words, as if saying them actually hurt her. They didn't. "Yes, that would be in incredibly poor taste." She resumed looking away again, grumbling at everything. Maira was given a long stare after, one that actually turned into a glare for a few moments. ".....You..." She really felt like she should have been angry at this girl for some reason, but... "..." ...She couldn't remember! The glare lightened up as Morrighan smiled a bit and nodded. "...Yes, I could do with some new clothes. This..." She glanced down to tug at one of the straps to the gaudy bikini currently framing her body. "...Does not suit me at all." A glance in the direction that the owner had previously been in revealed at he was...quite gone. "...Oh. That fool is gone."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "This world doesn't have elves." Avira points out, "Or if it does, they haven't really made themselves known. This world is primarily humans. It was only with the worlds mingling that non-humans have really been accepted."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks back to Morrighan to find herself being glared at! Maira returns this stare! Yeah, she's not sure why either.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Yup." Angantyr says, "It's okay. We don't have the ability to kill him right now, we weren't prepared to." Angantyr proceeds to start smashing random expensive looking objects, before looking at Morrighan, "Yeah, I am. Experience and worldview, also didn't you learn anything from having your soul carved?" Angantyr says. "Also, he'll carry the message to his boss. We'll see if she gets angry or not...I hope they do." he grins. "I so love enacting...what did you call it Avira? Behavior Corrective actions." VIA face punching.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Yes, I learned something." Morrighan growled, crossing her arms. "Basically I'm a terrible person that everything I ever did I brought it all on myself and all other sorts of wonderful things. I know that." Letting her arms fall, she brought one to rub the side of her head in frustration, deciding to just be upfront for once. "This is difficult. How am I supposed to interact with people who previously wanted nothing to do with me?" That hand went to her chin then, rubbing thoughtfully. "...But then, I suppose that is also my fault." She threw her hands into the air then, uncaring of her state of dress in that moment. "Basically everything is my fault and I should be glad Garland is too busy to bother coming to do it all over again!" A wry laugh followed that sweeping statement and Morrighan just sighed after. "Why, this kidnapping is likely my fault in some abstract way I fail to understand as well."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira has located a button down shirt someone had left laying over a chair, which she brings over to Morrighan, in case she wanted to cover up. She stands a couple feet away, listening to their conversation with a gentle frown. Morrighan had made a lot of mistakes. But doesnt everyone? Maira trusts Avira, and Avira believes Morrighan is really trying to change. And when someone is trying to change, they need someone to believe in them. So before she really even knows what she's doing, she steps forward and gives Morrighan a tentative hug. Because thats just the king of person she is. "It's okay. This wasn't your fault...I know how it is. Uh, being kidnapped," she replies. While she hadn't had her soul carved(?) she had had the life practically drained from her by some jerks from Vector who decided her raw magic would be just lovely for a magitek knight. The process had been extremely painful.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "No." Angantyr says, "It is likely not all your fault." Angantyr says, "Your upbringing and life likely locked you into a way of doing things." "It's almost like I hadn't been like this, manipulated and nearly destroyed by Garland. But.." he says, turning to look right at Morrighan, "People can change, they can realize their faults, what has been done to them...and desire to change it. Not all people are awful, not everyone will hurt you, or scorn you. I mean, seriously, even with your attitude, we came to your rescue, did we not? I like to think I am not an awful person...and I know these two ladies are not. They saw the light in my heart when I refused to find it...and your presence before them now indicates there is some in you too." "You're gona wana have to find it, and bring it out. As for the Garland thing...yes you are lucky. But that makes two of us. Everyone here is a target for that monster." "The only way to live is to look forward, not back."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan took the offered shirt, putting it on without question. Not her first choice, but between a stripper getup and a button up shirt, she'd take the latter. "Thank you--Eh?" She sputtered upon Maira hugging her. "...E...Eh...um...?" Sincere physical contact was an alien concept to the woman. She froze up, utterly confused and lost as to what to do. "...I...um...you've been kidnapped before? That is...rough." Way to state the obvious, Morrighan. Ang is looked at after, his words being heard. "...." She looks down after, shaking her head. "I do want to change. But...I don't know how to even begin with that. What do I do?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Cackling and complaining aside, Avira really did believe that Morrighan was slowly changing. She might not be super best friend material but she did believe that the dark elf wasn't totally evil anymore. After what Morrighan had endured, though... "If anything I bet your capture was my fault. Those hunters might have been after me and settled for taking you when they had the chance. And well...you are pretty attractive, so taking you somewhere like here..." She trails off and shudders. "I think you can start by watching other people, seeing what they do. Following their example."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr shrugs, "Stepping forward." He says, nodding to Avira. "And also examining yourself. Find out what motivates you...and why...then try and understand yourself from there."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira actually tears up a bit at Angantyr's words, reminded of all that he's been through--all they've been through. It sure has been one heck of a ride. Maira lets Morrighan go, knowing she's uncomfortable. Still, the gesture was made! A door has been opened. "Yeah...few times.." she replies quietly. Maybe they could bond over it later. Sniffling a little, Maira then goes and reaches for Ang's hand, giving it a squeeze of support and shared memory. She then smiles warmly to her best friend, nodding in agreement. "You'll find your way. You just have to learn to listen to your heart again."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Stream of life advice! She took a bit to let it all sink in, nodding slowly in understanding. "...Step forward and listen to my heart." Morrighan mumbled, bringing a hand to her chest. Her eyes closed and she thought on it for a bit. "...I'll try my best." And with that said, she let her hand drop and looked towards the entrance to the club. "So..." Angantyr is given a pointed glance. "Are you finished breaking things? Or do we need to wait about some more?" A smirk followed that question as her eyes moved between all three of them.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Ehhhh..." Angantyr then shatters the large disco ball. "Okay done." Maira grabs his hand, and he smiles a little at her. "The way forward isn't so hard once you start walking. Just finding how to make the first step is sometimes the trick."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Right then." Morrighan nodded and turned, leading the way out of the now horribly ruined nightclub. "I still have no idea why any of this even happened, or if it's actually connected to you, Avira." A pause. "...But I will find out some way or another! No one gets away with doing this to me! NO ONE!" And that was a promise left on the wind as tey made it back out into the streets of Manhattan.

The Best Laid Plans...

2013-11-24T05:57:02Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/11/23 |Location=Golmore Jungle |Synopsis=...Apparently succeed. Echo and Phrego swoop in on an unsuspecting Avira and Morrighan. Combat ensues..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/23
|Location=Golmore Jungle
|Synopsis=...Apparently succeed. Echo and Phrego swoop in on an unsuspecting Avira and Morrighan. Combat ensues and in the end, the cavalry arrives too late as Morrighan is whisked away. ...What happens now?
|Cast of Characters=Phrego Larson, Avira, Maira, Morrighan Alazne, Angantyr Vespar, Echo
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "UGH." Ah, what a familiar growl. Whoever could that be? "Are you /kidding/ me?" It was Morrighan Alazne. Walking through the Golmore Jungle, in approach of a certain workshop/campsite, the dark elf held her skirts up with her hands as she stepped over logs and avoided puddles and mud. "I know I expected your 'hideout' to be shabby, but this is beyond all reason! What madness possesses you to live in a hopeless dump like this!?" Complain, complain, complain. That was pretty much all she had done to her companion, Avira, the entire time since they arrived in this forest. The chocobos were tied up and resting a small ways back as they made the rest of the very short distance to camp on foot. "But then, I suppose that a gorilla /would/ be at home in a jungle! Ohohohoho~" Bringing a hand to her face, Morrighan laughed haughtily while keeping her skirts up with her other hand. The less they touched the filthy ground, the better! ...Maybe she should have worn her own white mage outfit for this trip. Maybe.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Gosh, didn't THIS sound familiar? Morrighan is far from alone-Avira is the unfortunate escort to this elf, baring this burden to her semi-secret gummi ship test site. It was, in fact, at her suggestion that she come along and for a very specific, secret purpose she hadn't spoken a word about since they had left Alazne's residence back in Mullonde. Considering that the dark elf had done nothing but whine since they set out...Avira's strongly wishing she had a set of headphones and a walkman to make this trip more tolerable. "Shabby?!" Avira huffs, "We've literally spent months fixing up and improving this site! It is well on its way to becoming an actual facility!" She's clearly quite offended! This campsite had been her and Arthur's pride and joy for some time now. Oddly enough, the gorilla barb doesn't even really get to Avira. Like she's come to expect those sort of insults hurled at her from Morrighan.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Echo, being a bat naturally is in a tree high up, waiting above 'em. She didn't seem to exactly mind that she was stuck int his dank, hot malodorous jungle either in just a dress and sandals, either. Girl's gotta eat after all, and she was going to see this job through and get paid, somehow. She made hand signals to wait to the burmecian nearby and waited, a trigger held in her right hand. As Avira and Morrighan cross a certain point down in the forest floor below, there is suddenly a thunderous crash and explosion--leaves and dirt and bits of wood--even entire logs going up as birds and beasts alike rush away in a cry. Bombs!

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' Phrego Larson, ex-Burmecian soldier, ex-Father, and now certified madman, drunk, and expert terrorist and all-around explosives lover sets his hat on straight. It's a grey fadora, matching his tattered grey suit that has enough alcohol stains and other highly-flammable madness that it's a wonderful his constant chain smoking doesn't light him on fire. The rat's companion may well, beneath the haze of alcohol and pipe smoke, be able to smell gunpowder and other exotic explosives hidden beneath his overcoat. He's tall, and as rattish as a certain paladin, but brown furred with heavy patches of what might be mange or some other skin disease. Stick then, tall, he's a perfect example of what can go /wrong/ with a nezumi. The rat blows on his pipe, grinning, stifling a laugh as the bombs go off. He resists the urge to pull the other trigger. He'd hidden a few more, just for fun. While he'd rather not get killed by his employers for failure, it's really all the same in the end. Phrego Larson died a long time ago, with only this shell left. Pulling something out of his coat, he discretely lights it. A quick toss, and there's a molotov cocktail flying to the underbrush near Avira and Morrighan. Whatever underbrush might survive is soon on fire to boot.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "An actual facility? For what? Raising pigs?" Morrighan snarked back at Avira as they stepped through. "If that's the case, then I could believe it! After all-" KABOOM. "Whaaaaa--!" Whatever sarcastic quip she had prepared was dashed to the wind as suddenly explosions went off. "What manner of devilry is this!?" The elf demanded, immediately thrusting her arms forward and erecting a magical barrier around both herself and Avira, once the surprise had worn off. She may not be a master combatant, but she'd seen enough danger to whip her reflexes into at least passable shape. "Is this your idea of a joke, Avira!?" She demanded, glaring aside at her companion. "Because if it is, it's hardly humorous at all!" Yes, blame the huntress for the bombs in her campsite. It wasn't marauders, or assassins, or bandits, or kidnappers or anything. Nope!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Already, Avira is waving a dismissive hand at Morrighan. While she doesn't want to admit that...yes, they have a pig or two on site as a way to deal with food scraps and emergency bacon, that wasn't the PURPOSE of her camp! She could go into detail about what they were doing there...once they had set foot on the grounds. Never know who may be listening, after all, even just a few hundred yards from the gates to the camp itself. Perhaps it is mercy that the explosion cuts off the complaining of her travel companion. Immediately, Avira jolts and throws her hands up in front of her to protect her face. "No! I didn't order any tests today!" she exclaims, as if explosions are somehow something that normally occurs at the research site (they kind of are, actually). Just next to her, the bushes suddenly explode in flams, bits of shrapnel from the moltov plinking off Morrighan's magical barrier. "That's not my fault either!: she exclaims, knowing that if Maira was to blame, she would have been warned. A hand swings to the suddenly flaming underbush and a gust of icy wind is quickly directed upon it.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' With debris already hailing down on the two women from above, Echo swoops down from the trees, her wings acting like a parachute as she swings down and towards the two females, sandaled feet impacting the now upturned end of a log, alighting on it. "Sorry, you didn't invite us, so we thought we'd CRASH!" half crouched, the bat sorceress raised a hand and the air in front of it was suddenly rippling with heat energy, raising her hand as a bolt of fire was sent directly toward them, still falling debris catching fire.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' With Echo attacking from above, their ambush decently coming together, the ragged rat reaches under his hat. He takes out something round and spherical, before emerging from behind a tree. The round object is tossed towards the two women. Phrego idly smokes his pipe with one hand while the other reaches into his coat, the little object bouncing about. Despite how casually he threw it, it's an excellent throw. BAM! White and noise fills the heads of anyone caught in the Flashbang grenade, the Burmecian already lighting up a stick of dynamite. It has a very small fuse, and the rat seems to be taking his time with things. Walking towards the pair, he seems to be barely paying attention, casually holding the dynamite as though he'd forgotten he'd lit it. "Stay still. Waste o' good powder."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Sure it's not! I totally believ-" And then Echo descended, landing upon an upturned log. "...Nevermind." She asided to Avira for a second before glaring at the bat before her. "Crash? And just who the devil are you!?" Morrighan demanded, quickly stepping aside as the fiery attack went sailing for Avira. Her barrier had worn off by then so the huntress was on her own. Just at that moment however, something came rolling into their general vicinity. "Hm?" She glanced down to look and spotted a small, spherical object on the ground. "....Oh for the love of--" And then came the explosion, Morrighan shielded her eyes with an arm meanwhile as the debris made a few minor cuts into her arms and dress. "Hey! This dress was expensive!" Holding her other arm out, the elf began to summon a sphere of dark energy that grew exponentially, before firing off in Phrego's general direction. It was a blind shot. But once the smoke cleared, Morrighan lowered her arm from her face to see the bat's accomplice. "Are you serious?" She asked incredulously, quickly taking a moment to look between the two. "I don't believe I know either one of you!" While she spoke, she raised her arms one pointed at each. "Who you are fools and what do you want!?" She paused for less than a second before amending her question. "Actually considering your first impression...I hardly care! Just get out of our sights!" And with that said, dark energy began to spread, seeping through the immediate area and gathering around both Echo and Phrego, dark essence that seemed to corrupt whatever it lingered on for too long.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' So Morrighan sidesteps. Avira's actually already ready to lunge at the sorceress, blowing through the fire leveled at her with reckless abandon if only to strike back. As the seconds tick by, she starts to get a sinking feeling that...wait, maybe it was her fault. Maybe these attackers were here on behalf of Baron? "Who cares what they want!" Avira chimes in, "They're trying to blow us up! That is unacceptable!" She doesn't stay still, much to Phrego's annoyance no doubt. She rolls sideways and pulls into a crouched position. Reaching behind her, the odd-looking weapon she carries-a serrated sword called the Spine-is tugged free. With its draw, wind magic spreads down the blade and slaps outwards towards the nezumi. In an equally swift follow-up, she stands, then slams the point of her blade into the jungle floor. Massive crystals of ice suddenly shoot upwards to try to encase both Phrego and Echo.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' The heat Echo sent at Avira was not exactly severe, but on contact she'd find herself coated with a suspiciously oily substance, one that was rather dark green. It didn't exactly smell like something like petrol, or gasoline, but it was suspiciously thick and greasy. Apparently Echo had chosen to focus on Avira, while the bilge rat went after the both of them in kind, did she not think of the dark elf as a threat, exactly? Or wished to divide them up somehow? Springing into the air, being touched by Morrighan's dark magic but ahead of the rushing ice that runs across the jungle floor, getting clear of them. Raising her arms she called up a blaze that ran across the ground--even over the ice crystal cage toward the brown haired girl.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' "Well, /Miss/..." starts off Phrego, in between long puffs of his pipe. "As to the first question, it doesn't rightly matter. Second one? We're just here to collect a few things, tha's all. Nothin' to worry your pretty little head over. Just be good, eh? Then I won't have to hurt ya too much. Be a reeeal shame if I 'ad to blow off a limb or two." The shot goes right through Phrego's hat, the rat stopping just as the elf's corrupting magics take hold of him. Grasping his chest, he coughs, spitting out black sludge that looks all-too-much like the tar that's probably coating his lungs. It's then that combination of wind slashing across his chest, followed by bleeding inside a cage made of ice that the rat finally remembers he has a dynamite stick in his hand. Casually, he chucks it, fur singed by his own blast as the cage is blown apart. Groaning, bleeding, and now stuck with parts of the cage in his body thanks to his own actions, he pulls out something long and shiney. Much like the dynamite, it's lit, and tossed into the air over both his own and Echo's heads. Pop! A fine mist falls, soothing healing washing over the pair. Phrego grins, cracked and blackened teeth showing. He points to Avira. "...Must the brains of the operation. She /gets/ it. Now just lay down, lasses. No need for all tha' strugglin'."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Leaving Avira to handle the bat, Morrighan turned her focus on Phrego, eye twitching slightly as an expression of utter disgust came over her. "Ergh, you truly are unpleasant." Shuddering after uttering those words, Morrighan raised her hands again. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of following along with whatever plans you two have!" Her hands began to glow as a dark aura flickered to life about her form. Waving both arms outwards, an array of spectral swords appeared in the air around her. They all then fired forward, converging on the burmecian. Once they had all made their move, whether embedding themselves into the rat or the ground, the blades then lit up before flashing in a chain of dark explosions.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Once she gets away from this pair, Avira will be sure to take a very thorough shower. She actually has suspicions about the substance she's coated in, actually, because there are several species of monster in Ivalice that attack with secretions that are very flammable. As it would follow, it made the following fire spells that much more devastating. Case in point-now Avira was on fire and it wasn't going out anytime soon, even as she tries to use her wind magic to quickly extinguish it. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going to be coming with either of you!" Avira announces. "And I'll have you know my camp is not far away. I will have a half dozen people running here to help us in seconds." Despite being on fire, she manuvers her way over to Morrighan, curiously enough, using her own bits of basic magic to help them both. For a sorceress as advanced as Morrighan it's probably laughable.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Waving away some of the smoke, Echo held a hand over her head and a transparent membrane appeared over her, circular, but seeming to throb and pulse as if tangible. There wasn't much talking from her, she was single minded in her task. Darting her head back at Phrego's misfortune, she stepped up her game with a rising brow to the young girl with the odd bone-like sword, energy surging in her hand until she let it loose with a snarl--the magical fire energy streaming out, seemingly unfettered by the barrier around her.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' Phrego finds out that dark explosions hurt just as much as non-magical ones. Blown neatly several feet back after being stuck with them, the rat is sporting more red on his even more tattered clothes than usual. One might be able to see a rib or two at this point. There's also slightly less mange, on the upside. It seems Morri was a vet in a previous life. "Bring 'em. We'll all have a /barrel/ of fun! Aren't you havein' fun girl?" Calls out Phrego to Avira tauntingly, only to blow smoke in Morrighan's general direction, like an arse. He's quite good at it, even at range. "Sorry I ain't pleasin'. Here. Have a gift as my apologies." The Burmecian tosses a half-foot by half-foot square right in between Morrighan and Avira. Reaching into his coat, he pulls out yet /another/ trigger. It's pulled. The dark elf may just spy a letter and word on that square. 'C-4'. The explosion that results leaves several trees without their trunks, wood shards flying everywhere, and a nice patch of ground missing. Hopefully Avira or Morrighan won't step onto the land-mines that are hidden about, thanks to the devious rat...or their friends, for that matter.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Laughable it may be, but Morrighan was far too busy to laugh at Avira's magical prowess. Not to mention; it did help. Though you'd hear no thanks from the dark elf. "Hmph...!" She huffed at the rat as he blew smoke in her direction. Smoking was disgusting! She took a step back just to avoid the smoke, but the action distracted her long enough to register the C-4 a bit too late. "Eh? ...Oh great--!" Though a futile effort, Morrighan rushed to erect another magic barrier. She wasn't in time at all and the heat of the explosion washed over her, singing her dress in places, causing debris to cut at her, and leaving ash all over. The barrier managed to keep it from being lethal however. So perhaps it helped a bit. "Well, there goes this dress!" She grumbled, staring down at the tatters that her clothes were quickly becoming. "Note to self; it's time time to dress more conveniently!" Amazing how she was more worried for her clothing than the situation at hand. Turning at attention back to Phrego, the elf thrust an arm forward, manipulating dark curse energy again around the burmecian. "Well, I suppose I will have to take care of that after you two are out of my way!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Funny, Morrighan's magical barrier doesn't seem to be protecting Avira very much. Maybe it's because Morrighan made it and Avira is...Avira. IT HAPPENS. "Bring them?" Avira mutters as she snarls under the weight of a fresh gout of flames. Getting double teamed was definitely NOT working out for her tonight, it seems. "Damn straight I will." Yeah, too late. Avira putting out an alert to the rest of VALKYRI because she is definitely not interested in being taken in. Amusingly, Avira does know what C-4 is-so she's fully aware of what's blowing her up into a pile of broken trees. It actually takes her a few moments to get back up and at this rate, she's actually not looking so hot right now. But bleeding and busted, times like this, "...being pushed like this only makes me push harder!!" A silvery pulse of light peels off her as she claws free of the debris and suddenly simply seems to /fly/ across the jungle floor. It becomes difficult to track her as she seems to bounce between striking at Echo then striking at Phrego with a flurry of blows from the Spine. In her wake, the air seems to shimmer as if under the effects of heavy heat. In one final flash, the aura around her disappates with a wave of force.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Echo's eyes open wide as the sudden onslaught of terror is sent her and Phrego's way, the rat seemingly steeling himself for the blow while she herself pulling herself back in midflight and dodging away from each of Avira's attacks, her wings and magic seemingly keeping her in a state of anti-gravity. Once she stops, the bat zeroes in on the sword bearing heroine, eyes narrowing cruelly as a laser of red, baleful light first eminates from Echo's outstretched palm, then a huge gout of flame barrels out directly towards her!

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' Burmecians are survivors, and more than willing to scamper away if necessary. Phrego, death-seeker or not, still has instincts. Every strike from Avira is met with seemingly drunken dodges. That blade cuts, deep...but not enough to kill. Phrego has been a professional bomber and terrorist to simply lay down and die. He falls to his knees, only for that wave of force to slam him into, and then /through/ a tree. Landing in a heap, he coughs, grrr'ing. His teeth grind together. "..Gotta finish this." Rather simply, as he coughs and chokes, the tendrils of Morrighan's dark curse creeping up his legs, the nezumi pulls out what seems to be a ball of webbing. Within the ball, far too many grenades are tied together. Spinning it like a sling, he tosses the bundle at Morrighan. Sounds of pins coming out fills the air, as the bundle arcs for her. Hopefully her dress can survive the wave of shrapnel from the explosion.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Okay so there was a thing, a battle near the camp. Angantyr didn't even have time to pick his armor up, he runs full force towards the battle that is being joined a long way away. Angantyr is now, shirtless, running towards the forest trying to get to his fighting allies and friends. The Keyblade is out, ready to cut through anything dumb enough to get in his way. Who is dumb enough?

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira doesn't run terribly fast, and she's still recovering (again, bloody undead!) so she has little choice but to hitch a ride. Insert Angantyr. Of course she didn't know he'd been apparently in the middle of bathing and hadn't bothered to put on a shirt until after she latched on. He probably hardly even noticed her there. But they arive, Maira red-faced and wide-eyed. "AVIIRAAA!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Ergh...!" There was so much happening at once! Morrighan had taken a bit to admire Avira's admittedly impressive display of combat prowess. There was no time to bother talking however as Echo prepared her counter attack. The blast of fiery red energy wasn't aimed at her, but the sheer heat emanating from it was enough force Morrighan to shield herself with her arms, causing burns and holes in her arm length gloves. Glaring at the bat flying in the air, Morrighan decided to leave it to Avira. There were two of them after all! Turning her attention back to Phrego, the dark elf was just in time to catch sight of a bundle of explosives sailing through the air towards her. "...You must be kidding m-" There wasn't even time to defend herself, the explosion happened right in front of her, the force sending her sailing back through the air before landing roughly on the ground. "Ugh...!" Thankfully, Avira's minor spell kept her from conking out right off the bat. It was useful after all. Struggling back up to her feet, Morrighan wobbled slightly as voices could be heard coming through the trees. They sounded familiar. And then they arrived. Maira and Angantyr. "...You two are /far/ too late!" She yelled at them, anger rising up within her. "Enough of this!" Turning back to face the battle at hand, Morrighan clapped her hands together, eyes taking on a harsh, red glow that made her look more like a demon than an elf. "I refuse to be toyed around with any longer! Begone!" And then her arms spread, creating a sickly, purple magic glyph. The dark aura resonating from her intensified as the glyph impressed itself upon the ground and then expanded to cover a wide area. Enough to catch both assailants in it's range. Suddenly, the ground cracked under the pressure as powerful dark forces erupted from below, blasting upwards into the sky as multiple shadowy beams fired straight upwards, breaking the ground and kicking up a huge amount of debris and tree remnants.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' It's likely a good thing that there's so much Dark Knight in between Maira and the ground. Why would this be? Well, some rats are rather sneaky, and good with setting up explosives before assaulting their targets. Case in point: Phrego Larson. This section of the forest is going to need someone to sweep it to fully clear them all out. It'll take a while, as even their half-drunk planter doesn't remember where they all are. There's a clicking sound beneath Angantyr's foot. This clicking turns into a myriad of beeps, ticks, tocks, and other very alarming noises as roughly fifteen feet of forest floor explodes simulataneously. Fortunately, for Maira's sake, there's a dud in the bunch. The few that might have been cooked off in the chain reaction doesn't set, combined with the protection Angantyr provides.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' EXPLOSIONS?! Angantyr with pure willpower, reaction time, and instinct throws Maira forward, "DODGE!" he screams and rolls forward...he was caught in the explosion... Typically, this would fall a normal man. Angantyr, however, is not normal. He is through the explsions...hurt. But those who know him know that a Hurt Angantyr...is a /even more dangerous/ Angantyr. "WHO EVER SET THOSE EXPLOSIVES IS A DEAD MAN!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Impressive display it might be..it didn't change the fact that the bat had somehow managed to stay out of her reach. Scowling, Avira falls back for a second, slipping behind a half-shattered tree to avoid the next fire spell that gets flung her way. The camp was nearby-it shouldn't be much longer to hang on. Peeking around the tree, she sees explosives being thrown at Morrighan, "HEY! Look out!!!" she calls out suddenly, only to be too late as it explodes in her face. Poor Morrighan! Her sympathy fades a little when she hears her berate her friends though. Morrighan's magic follows and even Avira is backing away to avoid being caught up in the blast or the collateral damage. It works pretty well. Poor Avira only gets a glimpse of shirtless Angantyr before he and Maira are obscured by explosions.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' Echo flapped in the air and seemed beguiled by the floating magical glyph, unsure of what it was and having no understanding of what the character actually meant--until she's caught in it and... wounded, apparently. Spitting out a bit of blood that was forced up from the powerful magical attack, working her hands quickly as her body began to glow with a red, haste-like aura. A strong force would seek to draw the very life energy out of Avira and Morrighan, collecting it front of Echo until it was again forced back out in solid projectiles made of visceral red fluid.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is about to tell Angan he's her favorite meat shield when he launches her forward and out of the explosion radius. SHE'S FLYIING! Luckily, she is prepared to softed her fall with a quick cushion of air, getting to her feet again no worse for wear. She runs over to Avira's side. "We're here!" she states the obvious, looking Avira over quickly. "Are you alright!?" she asks. "Is Morrighan alright? Ouu what was that thing?" she asks as Morrighan casts a powerful spell. She keenly feels the dark magics in that blast, even when not meant for her. Maira then blinks, spotting Echo. "Oh! It's you! HEY NO, STOP THAT!" she shouts as Echo begins to glow and cast a draining spell, recognizing it for what it was as a fellow mage.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' A familiar ringing fills Frego's ears, the rat smirking as the chaos and joy of pure, mindless destruction surrounds him. For a moment, he takes a deep breath of gunpowder, dirt, dust, and the smell of blood; both his own, and others'. /This/ is all he has to live for now, and he /enjoys/ it. The massive beam of red that erupts from the grounds is it's own undoing, at least when it comes to Phrego. As the ground cracks, a beep sounds, and yet another explosion cooks off...right next to the rat. Send flying away from the beam that would have ripped him in twain, he lands quite neatly next to the downed body of Morrighan. Without a word, he does two things: sling the unconscious elf over his shoulder, and light a bundle of short-fused dynamite. It's casually chucked Avira's way. "A few scarrs, maybe some missing limbs to remember me by, lass. Better luck next time. We'll be back for ya." Without even looking back, the rat is fleeing with his prize. Hopefully Echo will cover him!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr, right as Phrego launches the dynamite...IT'S TNT...Angnatyr suddenly stands in the way, over Avira covering her. "That, friend, was a mistake. Twice, you hit me with explosions...and I don't /rightfully/ like that!" he says, swinging the blade once... And then He comes in full boar, as he steps forward, darkness pouring around him...but in his hand the Keyblade shines. "And now...YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR ARROGANCE, RAT!" he shouts, as the right hand of Angantyr comes in, turning into a twisted claw of a monster, aiming to grab Phrego by the throat... The blood spilled in his battle responds, lahsing out from the very ground, aiming to repeatedly hit him like a torrent of blades... "BE CONSUMED!" he shouts, as the darkness that twisted his arm into a claw explodes, returning his arm to normal.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Seeing her last gambit do the job, but not /enough/ of the job, Morrighan just stood there, tired and wracked with pain. Even as Echo's blood projectile came sailing right for her, she didn't even move. Too tired, too fed up. What could she do? And just like this, she was struck square in the chest, sailing backwards...and right into Phrego's grasp. "....." Vaguely, as her eyes struggle to remain open, she can feel herself being moved roughly, due to Angantyr's attack. It also did the job of knocking the last vestiges of consciousness from the elf. "...(Why me?)" That was the last thought she had before slipping out of the waking world.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Several very unexpected things happen in quick succession. Avira has her energy drained, then thrown back at her-this is actually surprisingly effective considering the sheer intensity and will that the scarred huntress usually battles with. Explosives are hurled at her, only to be intercepted by Angantyr who shields her from a shot that would have likely dropped her. When the explosions clear, she sees Morrighan stagger and drop to the ground. Shortly after the rat retrieves her, drawing confusion. "What the-hey, leave her alone! Aren't you-" A growl escapes her, directed at the rat. No, these bounty hunters wouldn't have her. Not now, not ever. To Maira, Avira looks pretty worse for wear. In fact, she's probably supposed to have passed out already but some kind of unnatural endurace is keeping her going.

:'''[[Phrego Larson]] has posed:''' The claw grabs...and comes away with a hat, as well as part of what little remains of poor Morrighan's dress. Phrego's movements are pure drunk, scared, and a desire to simply get /away/. "A neat little trick. Too bad. Not good enoug..." His taunt's cut off, as blood lashes out, slicing into the Burmecian. The male leaps away, two more sticks of dynamite falling from his coat. Boom! The explosion sends the rat, and his prize, tumbling through the air. LIke some kind of heavily wounded, bleeding cat, Phrego lands and ducks through the trees. Weaving, bobbing, he quite simply gets out of dodge, elf in tow.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:''' After that point in the battle, Echo swoops off disappearing... however, so does Morrighan.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "AND I'VE GOT ENOUGH SCARS ALREADY!" Avira calls out, thoroughly frustrated now. Furthermore, Avira could use a new outfit. This one is unacceptably crispy.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira curses as the rat escapes with Morrighan, despite being hit by the Angantyr train. Gently she'd put her hand on Avira's shoulder, channeling a cure spell into her with the touch. "I'm sorry we didn't get here any sooner..."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr makes a sideways look at Avira, in the lack of outfit. "Alright, lets get healed up, they can't probably go too far...so we can get healed up and then search for clues." A pause... Angantyr has a hat. "Well. Avira, I think I got something for your wolves." he says, holding the hat.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira tries to preserve Avira's modesty by standing in front of her. "Looks like we all need some fire proof clothes..." Maira looks to Angan and the hat he holds, then smiles a little. "Heh, we can track them!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira seems less than concerned about the amount of skin she's showing around Maira and Angantyr. She trusts them both! "Damn straight we can track them! And I bet those wolves would love to meet that rat." Or not. They might catch mange from him.

Rhiannon Zellen

2013-11-21T21:54:23Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Complicated ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Chita]]
| Complicated is the only real word to describe her relationship with Chita. She claims that he is nothing more than a tool. A means to an end that only she can see. But despite that, she allows him to get close, perhaps too close. She entertains his witty banter and responds in kind. And she shares with him information that by all rights, she has zero reason to ever share in the first place. It would be easy to say that Rhiannon is crazy and that her actions always make no sense, but there must be something logical hidden under there.
|}

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Montag]]
| "A Shinra soldier who has survived long past the general life expectancy of basic soldiers under Shinra's employ. I simply must procure a blood sample! Your genes may hold the key for the ultimate super soldier! ...I do not mean that silly SOLDIER project they have those others working on."
|-
| [[Reno]]
| A senior Turk. Seems to have little care of formalities and protocol, but manages to get his job done regardless. Nevertheless, he can be rather entertaining.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| An amusing young Turk with rather peculiar abilities. Rhia's interested in...studying him some time. Which means Sammy should stay far, faaaaaaaar away.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Aerith]]
| Rhiannon only knows of Aerith in passing. Sure, Shinra is on the lookout for her, but she doesn't particularly care. She did go have a look for herself once, out of sheer curiosity, but nothing more. Rhiannon is completely unaware of Aerith's seething hatred for her.
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| A typical violent brute in Rhia's eyes. Despite the critical levels of danger, she will go out of her way to antagonize him. After all, she never did get that blood sample she wanted...
|-
| [[Count Valos]]
| A dark elf met in passing long ago. She agreed to keep tabs on an individual named 'Morrighan Alazne' for him. But after catching wind that he's passed on, that work had been suspended indefinitely.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Rhiannon Zellen

2013-11-21T21:49:36Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Complicated ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Chita]]
| Complicated is the only real word to describe her relationship with Chita. She claims that he is nothing more than a tool. A means to an end that only she can see. But despite that, she allows him to get close, perhaps too close. She entertains his witty banter and responds in kind. And she shares with him information that by all rights, she has zero reason to ever share in the first place. It would be easy to say that Rhiannon is crazy and that her actions always make no sense, but there must be something logical hidden under there.
|}

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Montag]]
| "A Shinra soldier who has survived long past the general life expectancy of basic soldiers under Shinra's employ. I simply must procure a blood sample! Your genes may hold the key for the ultimate super soldier! ...I do not mean that silly SOLDIER project they have those others working on."
|-
| [[Reno]]
| A senior Turk. Seems to have little care of formalities and protocol, but manages to get his job done regardless. Nevertheless, he can be rather entertaining.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| An amusing young Turk with rather peculiar abilities. Rhia's interested in...studying him some time. Which means Sammy should stay far, faaaaaaaar away.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| A typical violent brute in Rhia's eyes. Despite the critical levels of danger, she will go out of her way to antagonize him. After all, she never did get that blood sample she wanted...
|-
| [[Count Valos]]
| A dark elf met in passing long ago. She agreed to keep tabs on an individual named 'Morrighan Alazne' for him. But after catching wind that he's passed on, that work had been suspended indefinitely.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Rhiannon Zellen

2013-11-21T21:48:06Z

MirageV: /* Relationships */

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Rhiannon
|middlename=Estellise
|lastname=Zellen
|age=24
|image=FK - Rhia.png
|species=Human
|sex=Female
|height=5'6
|weight=I apologize, did you say something just now?
|series=Final Fantasy 7
|styles=Eight Extremities Fist, High Magic
|hometown=Wutai,
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shinra
|occupation=Scientist
|quote="Oh hello! Have you come to be dissected?"
|footer=Holed up in a ShinRa laboratory. ...Probably.
}}
= Profile =
Rhia is a scientist in the employ of ShinRa. Though possessing a genius level intellect, she has absolutely no care for normal social niceties, resulting in a rather stilted personality. She can seem outward kind and forthcoming, but the reality is that she sees most other people as nothing more than data or test subjects. Being called by name is a privilege reserved only for those who are useful to her. Otherwise, they are quickly dismissed from memory and forgotten. Scientific research, technological advancement, and the study of magic and biology are all that drives Rhia. She is not someone to go to in the case of a moral conundrum, even if she may give off that impression at first.

The long and short of it is; she just might be insane.

= Personality =
Rhia is a fickle person. She does whatever she feels like, regardless of what her superiors or subordinates say. Usually though, this is because she can think of better ways to go about what has been ordered of her. After all, she knows her field of work better than those who demand that the work be done.

She can be quite passionate about technological research and tends to disregard people as 'insufficient', unless they are useful to her in same way. While she can be outwardly polite, patient, and forthcoming to just about anyone, she also finds complete and utter amusement in pushing people's buttons. To her, their reactions tell more about who they are as people than their words ever do. It can also be said that she values research and technological advancements over the lives of people at the end of the day and in that same vein, seeks no real meaningful human interaction.

Rhia can also be quite kooky, coming up with insane ideas for inventions that have no immediate practical application. Needless to say, people tend to leave her alone when she getd wrapped up into the latest crazy idea of the week. The results of her attempts at making such things realities can also be seen all throughout her lab as ShinRa. Be wary of touching them. Some might blow up unexpectedly.

All in all, Rhia is kind and forthcoming enough, but also a bit loopy and unpredictable. Approach with a fair bit of caution.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=7>
File:FK - Rhia.png
File:FK - Rhia3.png
File:FK - Rhia4.jpg
File:FK - Rhia5.png
File:FK - Rhia6.jpg
</gallery>

= Relationships =

=== Complicated ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Chita]]
| Complicated is the only real word to describe her relationship with Chita. She claims that he is nothing more than a tool. A means to an end that only she can see. But despite that, she allows him to get close, perhaps too close. She entertains his witty banter and responds in kind. And she shares with him information that by all rights, she has zero reason to ever share in the first place. It would be easy to say that Rhiannon is crazy and that her actions always make no sense, but there must be something logical hidden under there.
|}

=== Co-Workers ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Montag]]
| "A Shinra soldier who has survived long past the general life expectancy of basic soldiers under Shinra's employ. I simply must procure a blood sample! Your genes may hold the key for the ultimate super soldier! ...I do not mean SOLDIER."
|-
| [[Reno]]
| A senior Turk. Seems to have little care of formalities and protocol, but manages to get his job done regardless. Nevertheless, he can be rather entertaining.
|-
| [[Sammy Colt]]
| An amusing young Turk with rather peculiar abilities. Rhia's interested in...studying him some time. Which means Sammy should stay far, faaaaaaaar away.
|}

=== Supposed Enemies ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[AVALANCHE]]
| No particular feelings on this group. The only reason she's obligated to oppose them is because they oppose Shinra, and she is a part of Shinra. Nonetheless, some of it's members may prove interesting. Or not. She's too busy to care.
|}

=== Those Other People ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
| [[Angantyr Vespar]]
| A typical violent brute in Rhia's eyes. Despite the critical levels of danger, she will go out of her way to antagonize him. After all, she never did get that blood sample she wanted...
|-
| [[Count Valos]]
| A dark elf met in passing long ago. She agreed to keep tabs on an individual named 'Morrighan Alazne' for him. But after catching wind that he's passed on, that work had been suspended indefinitely.
|-
| [[Leida]]
| Rhia is completely enamored with Leida....'s blood. Or maybe Leida herself. Hard to tell. Sometimes, it seems like Rhia is genuinely being sincere and caring, the next, she's trying to drag the poor girl into her lab.
|-
| [[Megavolt]]
| *No comment found, too busy preparing the Megavolt Droids*
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

A Researcher's Inquiry V

2013-11-20T17:26:00Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/11/17 |Location=Goug |Synopsis=Chita returns to Goug with the intention of catching Rhia for a discussion. He does get ahold of her. However, ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/17
|Location=Goug
|Synopsis=Chita returns to Goug with the intention of catching Rhia for a discussion. He does get ahold of her. However, things unexpectedly go south, creating a situation that was perhaps inevitable, yet undesirable all the same. And all the while, a certain someone eavesdrops.
|Cast of Characters=Aerith, Rhiannon Zellen, Chita
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' It was rare for Rhiannon to leave the comfort of her lab and all it's wonderous scientific glories. But on this day, she was absent. The lights in her lab were off and the various employees of the building all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The air felt as if it had been relieved of a certain tension. At least temporarily. It was because The Wutai Witch was out today! Visiting a branch facility to stock up on some lab materials. Chemicals and other implements to be used in research. It was serious work! Having finished with that task, Rhia had long left the facility and was on her way back to the Shinra Main HQ. Coming onto the city block that led to the building's front doors, the oriental woman held a mid-sized box of supplies in her arms, humming a faint tune to herself as she went. My, wasn't she in a good mood? She surely wasn't expecting any company either.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Having stopped by to speak with Rhiannon about something, and been told that she was out and wasn't quite sure when she would return, Chita had accepted such and stepped back outside the Shinra HQ to leave and planned to come back later. Of course, as he was walking away from the front doors, the blind Viera wandered carefully with a pole held out in front of him. Not the typical 'Blind person' whack the pole around thing to avoid hitting something so much as 'Hey, I can't see move aside please' kind of thing. It generally worked, only the occasional bump and most people didn't try to blame the blind fella for such. As he walked along, though, he stopped and his ears wiggled a bit. Sure, there was a lot of sounds going around, but something stood out. A strange sound that he heard now and then, but generally only from a certain individual, due to the shoes they wore clacking against the ground. "Rhiannon?" he asks aloud as he stood there, trying to pick up exactly where that sound was coming from. Given his ears were an extra foot atop his head he was probably quite easy to spot, even for a short hume.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' She rarely came this close to Shinra's headquarters, for obvious reasons. When she did, she wore a pale gray cloak with a hood to hide her features, to at least maintain some semblance of anonymity. After all, the Turks, ShinSec, and several other entities that wanted her either captured, exploited, or dead would be all over her if she just waltzed in. That said, the place still had some very good stuff for sale, and the shop was open for anyone who had the money for it. So as Aerith walked out with her goods, she was surprised to find... No, wait. Images flashed through her head at the sight of him. Things she could not un-see or ignore, any more than the fact that water was wet. It only took a brief moment, but she was no longer surprised to find Chita here. Nor was she surprised to see someone she never hoped to see again... and she found herself fortunate that she was anonymous for the time being. Rhiannon. And she was in a good mood, which meant trouble. Aerith moved to the cover of a nearby building and made her best attempt to pick up any bits of conversation she could. She'd promised not to hurt the amoral witch... but she would be cursed twice over if she couldn't find out what was going on here.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Mmhmhmmmhmm~" Rhia's humming continued as she came closer to the front doors, weaving through a few passer bys. Completely minding her own business, mostly out of a lack of care for the average man, Rhia was ready to head inside and return to her lab work. But then her name was called. Here, out in the street. That was actually vaguely annoying. Like being stopped right when you're all geared up to do something. "Oh?" But the voice was familiar. It only took a cursory sweep of her surroundings to pinpoint the origin of the voice. Rhia might not be the tallest person, but there was no missing those ears. Smiling in an amused way, the scientist forged on ahead, coming to a stop right in front of Chita. "Well, if it isn't the blind man." She greeted cheerfuly, waving up at him despite knowing he couldn't see. "Is there something you needed today? Hmmn?" And then her tone turned a bit mischievous. "Or are you just frustrated and seeking another night of stress relief?" A giggle followed that joking assumption and she shifted the weight of the box in her arms a bit, staring up at the viera and awaiting his response.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "...really now." His tone was a mixture of amused and, honestly, a bit embarrassed he got called out on such. "My intention of coming here was... not that, no. However I would be lying if I said that is not an appealing thought, or offer, unsure which." To that he stuck his tongue out at her a bit childishly only to rest both hands atop the pole he had with him and leave it standing in front of him as he 'looked' down towards Rhiannon. "I had actually come to learn something from you, though those inside had informed me you were not there at the moment and something about being unsure when you would be back. Lucky me hearing those shoes of yours out here." His own choice of attire today was actually rather banal, a simple pair of black slacks and a button-down flannel shirt, the top couple of buttons undone.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Perhaps it was. Or perhaps it was not. Who knows?" Speaking cryptically as usual, Rhia shrugged her shoulders lightly while keeping hold of her supplies. Hearing that the viera had wanted to learn something, she arched a brow. Ah, she wondered what that could be. "You wanted to learn something, hm?" Tilting her head a bit, braids swaying with the motion, the scientist stared up at him for a moment before asking. "And what, pray tell, might that me?" She smiled again then and added. "I was under the impression that you were all ready to go and do something silly all on your own now."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Hearing something strange when she shifted, it took him a moment to realize she was holding something. "I could carry that for you if you like." He wasn't sure how much of anything that was there, though he had assumed she had just went shopping for something or another, possibly food or supplies. "And yes, I did wish to learn something, though I do feel rather odd talking about such out here in the open where anyone with bad intentions could hear things." Not that he actually had any remote idea they were being snooped on. That's just how he was, he didn't like talking about /business/ out in the open. "And yes, I was, and quite am ready to take further steps towards my goal and plan. A question came to mind, though, and possibly an important one - and I had hoped to find some answer to it first. Not that I have proof you would tell me the truth, but I also cannot imagine you have a reason to lie about it either." One hand dropping off the pole and holding itself palm up towards her, as if offering to carry whatever her load of stuff was, he added, "I have a room rented at a nearby inn if you care to speak there? Or would you rather speak further at your lab?" Not that Rhiannon could see such, but Chita rolled his eyes at his own remark, knowing full well he was going to be teased now for inviting her back to his place despite not having said it with any intentions.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Inviting me back to your room?" Rhia gasped dramatically, taking the bait without a single ounce of shame. "Oh my, you truly are an animal!" Giggling to herself, Rhia spent a few moments beside herself with mirth before eventually sobering up a bit. "...Indeed, I suppose we should talk elsewhere." She took a moment then to stare up at Shinra HQ, considering her options. She really did want to get back into her lab and continue her work. She was performing experiments on Leida's blood! That was always fun! But...ah, she could perhaps spare a bit of time for a detour. "No need for you to carry anything. Hold on a for a moment." And with that, she turned and walked into Shinra HQ, leaving the box at the reception desk with orders to have it sent up to her lab. That out of the way, she soon emerged outside and spoke again. "Okay, lead the way~"

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Right, they were moving. Now came the part where she would have to make several choices, some of them potentially bad. But as long as she determined just what Chita was attempting to accomplish, it would be worth it. Considering his plan was not a good one to begin with, getting further into it would not be advisable. But she wouldn't stop him from doing it. That didn't mean she couldn't find out the particulars of this... new step... so she could drag him out of it when something went wrong. Note the key word here: when.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "Less an animal and more a creature of habit." Chita responds casually as he took a slow breath and sighed it out, enjoying the giggle despite it all. How did such a crazy, moral-lacking evil scientist have such an adorable giggle anyways? He never did understand that. Well, the cute ones always were crazy. When she excused herself he nodded and tried to figure out where he was again briefly. He was walking down the sidewalk, but which way was he facing? Where was the nearest street, the nearest wall? Sigh. "Hey." he said softly as someone walked next to him, "What way is the closest wall?" The Moogle started to point before smacking his forehead with a palm and flitted up before saying, "That way, Kupo." and pulling his hand roughly towards the wall. "Thanks." Chita responded and walked over towards the wall, coincidentally next to where Aerith was in the alley nearby. He didn't know she was there as he leaned against the wall nearby. A grumbling sound came out of him as he said, "Sometimes I wonder if I really am just making up excuses to see her." The remark was more grumbling at himself than anything. Eventually Rhiannon returned and he stood up from his lean against the wall and said, "Alright then. Well, the inn is..." he turned a bit towards Shinra HQ, pointed a finger, then slowly turned and nodded his head to the left, "Down that way to the left. I think." He gave the street name and address to possibly help if she knew.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Listening to the address instructions, Rhia folded her arms into her sleeves, a characteristic motion from her when she was doing nothing else, and looked up in thought. "...Ah, yes, I know where that is. I suppose you will have to follow me then." Nodding to herself at that, Rhia turned and began to walk off, leading Chita through the streets by the sound of her shoes. It didn't take too long before they had arrived, walking through the doors of the inn. passing the front desk, the one on duty recognized Chita as a guest and allowed them to pass. Up the stairs they went then. As they did so, Rhia spoke up. "So, room number?" She asked casually. The whole time, the woman was unaware that they were being followed. Imagine her amusement if she knew they were.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' He followed along quietly, one hand resting on her lower back as he did, an excuse, perhaps, to get close, but still a decent enough way to make sure he didn't lose her in the crowd and wind up taking a half hour to get there on his own. Once they got there, though, and the question was asked, he nodded up and said, "Fourth floor, room sixteen." Normally Chita was quite perceptive even with his blindness, quite good hearing and a sense of smell, but Aerith didn't seem to register, to him, as having some distinctive sound he could associate with her. Aerith's normal choice of boots were a lot more common than the platformed shoes that Rhiannon wore. And with that, he points towards where the elevator is and up they go to said room, which he opens with a card key and steps inside of. Once inside he stretches and reaches down to his pockets to take out a few belongings and set them on a nearby table, wanting to avoid accidentally having them fall out of his pockets in a chair or on the bed when he sat down and missing them. "Wish to have a seat, Rhia, or would you rather stand?" As he asked that he walked towards the bed and leaned against the end of it, one leg bent and his hands on the bed, faced towards her. The room itself was quite simple, a chair, a bed, a side room with a shower and bathroom in such. A TV that was likely not even used and, not having thought about it, he hadn't even turned the lights on, leaving the room quite dark and the only light coming inside would be the light filtering through the curtains that he'd never bothered with.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Upon locating his room and entering, Rhia immediately took note of the darkness. But then, she couldn't fault the blind man for not turning on the lights. Instead, she turned them on herself as she stepped inside, closing the door after. "I believe I will have a seat." She responded after, moving to set next to Chita on the edge of the bed. "I had never asked before, but; are you permanently blinded?" A random question to be sure. But hey, she was curious. "It has been a while since that 'accident' took place, yes?" Not that she was worried about him ...Maybe. It was for science! Yes.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "Possibly." Chita's response came as she sat down next to him, though he didn't seem too upset about it. "I have continued to get the healings done as I was instructed to, though it has not helped much. As weak as I am to magic... I am lucky it did not kill me." he paused there then turned towards Rhiannon and leaned to playfully phbtt against the side of her head, carefully, though he was a decent judge of distance up close. "That is why, at the hospital, you laid me onto the floor so easily with that magic of yours, though I am not sure you realized that at the time. Be careful with that, hm? If something happens to me, I doubt the others would let you finish your research. It is only by my request, and refusal to say who you are, that they have not stormed Shinra to drag you out by the ears and crucify you." The lights being on didn't even register with him, there was no reaction to it all beyond an ear having flicked at the sound of the switch.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' First obstacle; getting into the building. It wasn't that hard to do, she just had to wait a bit for them to go in, then head after them. She waited for them to get into an elevator before getting a room for herself, just for the day, and taking a seperate elevator up. The room next to theirs would have to do, and she removed the cloak and hood immediately, putting her goods onto the bed before heading over to the wall and pressing her ear against it. What they said was garbled, but she could still make it out. This would have to do...

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh?" She intoned lightly, giving Chita a sidelong glance as he explained his weakness to magic. No, she hadn't realized it at the time. Especially because she didn't bother to look back to see her handiwork that time at the hospital. But what he said after was a bit more intriguing. For better or for worse. "Oh my, if I did not knew better, then I would think that you were blackmailing me." She smiled at that and added. "But tell me; if you do happen to die, who will be there to tell anyone about what I have done?" A pause then as Rhia slowly came to realize something from one of their past conversations. "...Ah, besides that one mysterious person whom you refuse to name." Yes, there was that loose end. And there was no dragging their identity out of Chita. Bah.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "Ah, but I will not die, that is just it." Chita said rather simply. "Hades made certain of that after all, or something of the sort. I know not exactly what, but I will likely never go to the underworld. Maybe I will come back as a ghost or something." A rather morbid chuckle comes at his own expense. "And hardly blackmail. I am not the type and you know that. But... I am not ignorant, either. If I am gone or incapable of carrying on with my intentions, someone else will have to do it their own way." There was actually another who, to an extent, knew about Rhiannon. He didn't say such, though. Unintentional insurance. No matter how fun it was to play with the deadly creature, it's always nice to have some antidote ready if it bites, so to speak. And with that, he laid back onto the bed and rested idly with his hands behind his head, knees and feet dangling over the end. "As far as what I had meant to ask..." He thought about how to word it then said, "The weapon, did you design it for your own purposes and research... or were you designing it for someone? I cannot recall. I did not wish to inadvertently take it to whom you were making it for, with all the effort I have put into keeping it out of the wrong hands."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' There. There it was. The question she had been waiting for. She hadn't been listening intently for anything, just for the right question. And thus, her patience rewarded her. This Black Beast was a dangerous thing in the wrong hands... Spirits, it was dangerous in ANYONE's hands! But if she knew its final purpose, then she could at least be ready for what happened. What she would do about it would come later.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "My, you certainly do have a penchant for getting yourself into worlds of trouble." She mumbled, resisting the urge to laugh lightly at his expense. And then finally it came. That question. "...Mhmhm...You know, I was wondering if you would ever ask." Rhia revealed, staying upright as she rest her hands in her lap. "And the answer to that question is...a secret~" She winked playfully, though he couldn't see it. Mostly for her own amusement then. And like that, the buildup to the answer fell completely flat. "Though, I do need to see it now that I think about it." She went on to say, glancing at Chita. "You have with you, yes?"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Normally Chita wouldn't press the issue, but he did say, after she brushed it aside, "No secrets, Rhiannon. I want to know and I expect an answer. I have played to your intentions for quite a long time now, I have acted to protect you of my own choosing and, quite frankly, I have always been good to you despite the fact that I do consider you completely without your sanity." His tone and voice were as soft as ever, enough that when he added, "And if you wish to see or handle the weapon, it will only happen if you tell me, to my satisfaction, the answer to that." He had bent over backwards with this one, though mostly it was for his own sake of feeling good about himself or not feeling bad, were such the case, for having caused someone pain or their demise. Still, he did think she should at least feel remotely grateful enough that he'd played along that he was entitled to the answer to that question.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "....Ehehehehe~" And with that, Rhia broke out into a giggle fit. "No secrets? I hardly find myself obligated to share with you even the slightest detail. All that I gave you, I did out of sheer amusement. You are nothing more than a means to an end." Rolling her eyes, Rhia raised a hand, index finger extended and glowing blue. "And surely, you did not discount the fact that I would have countermeasures, did you?" With that said, she began to draw out a small summoning circle into the air with her finger. "There was a reason I so freely gave that weapon to you." And then as if interrupting herself, she made an aside. "Oh, and I have a name for it now! The Black Omen! Catchy, hm~?" She wasn't helping the whole crazy thing now. "Ah, but where was I?" The scientist mused to herself, having paused in the middle of drawing the circle. "Oh yes! I so freely allowed you to keep hold of it all this time because...I can reacquire it any time I wish."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith grimaced. So that was the trick, was it. She only wanted him to have it because it served some purpose that she wasn't giving away. If she wanted to, she could get it back and do something unspeakable with it. Chita would be no better off... in fact, everyone would be far worse if this were to fall into Shinra's hands. The Black Omen... sounded far worse than what Chita called it. It didn't help matters at all that this thing had to eat hearts in order to be complete. Aerith managed to restrain herself as she continued to listen. Rhiannon was definitely not helping her odds, though she didn't quite know it yet.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita laid there, listening and actually rather angry now. After all that, after everything, that is how it was? All he had done, and as good as he had been in not simply shoving a spear through her... and he is a means to an end? She could take it back at any point? He felt the bit of magic and, despite not knowing what it was, did not exactly like that she was doing such as she spoke about taking it back at any time. Thus, unless she responded faster than he moved, she would find herself grabbed and pinned to the bed with him atop her, each of his hands grabbing hers, fingers laced between hers, and squeezing them tightly. With his face near hears Chita growls out, "Now listen here, Rhiannon. Just because I have been good to you and have gone out of my way to avoid any situation that would cause you harm... do not push me on this. I have spent far too long coming up with a way to deal with this situation. To finish the weapon, to keep you from harm, to keep you from harming others and... quite honestly I am beginning to care little if you get hurt or are in pain." It was a strange contrast to how the Viera normally was, especially since he was squeezing his hands even tighter, nails probably digging into her at the moment quite heavily, as if making his point. He was trying to make her rethink how she treated him, and how she thought of him, and while he'd feel bad about this later it was a necessary evil in his mind. "So think carefully before you run your mouth again. You have been lucky. Do not push it. Or you may find out just how much of an animal I truly /can/ be."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia is too busy finishing drawing the circle when she found herself grabbed and pinned. With the spell abruptly interrupted, the circle dissipated. Meanwhile, Rhia just stared up at Chita from she lay on the bed. Her expression for once was of surprise and pain, but it eventually edged back out into a smile. "Is that so? Well you should know that it was never your concern to have in the first place." Her smile grew a little wider as she spoke on. "All of this protecting, thinking, and dancing around is all because you chose to do it. Therefore, to hold anything against me is laughable." Anything besides killing countless people and feeding them to the Black Beast anyway. Despite the fact that blood was slowly beginning to run from her hands from Chita's nails digging in, Rhia remained amused and mocking, as if she truly did not fear death at all. "If you are attempting to scare me, then sadly, your attempt has failed gloriously." She would have playfully poked his nose if she wasn't pinned right now. "Find out just how much of an animal you can be? What do you plan on doing in this position? Raping me? Or perhaps you will take the most obvious solution and finally just kill me like you should have from the very beginning." If it wasn't obvious before, then now it was. Death was a joke to her. A complete joke.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "No." he said softly. "I would not stoop to such." His grip did not loosen in the least, not taking the chance that she was going to simply blast him away against the wall if he did. Instead, he stayed right where he was and listened to what she had to say. And his response, finally, was rather simple. "I know you do not fear Death, and there can only be one true reason why. Well... two, now that I think about it. Either you think you could continue to learn and study things after you die... or likewise, you know Hades will not let you rot away in the underworld and could use that to your advantage." His voice was soft as he continued to hold her to the bed, the grip slowly tightening even further until he finally stopped squeezing harder and stayed still entirely, legs carefully positioned so she couldn't simply jerk a knee up and hit him right where it would hurt the most. "The only thing that matters to you is knowledge. You want to know everything. The only thing I could ever hold over you... is your own ability to learn or further science. I would have to take away your ability to think, to learn..." But how could he possibly do that? "You see... if I take your heart, or find some way to destroy it, or release it, I surmise you will no longer be able to amuse yourself with your hobby of knowing things."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Both incorrect, but interesting guesses nonetheless." She responded casually, testing his grip by attempting to move a bit. He held strong, and thus she was stuck for now. Kneeing him between the legs would have been a good option...if her wait wasn't being straddled. That's out then. Thus, all Rhia could do for now was listen as Chita theorized the possibility of destroying her heart. Either that, or taking it somehow. "...Oh? And how do you plan to do that?" Any thoughts or feelings she may have had on the matter, she did an excellent job of keeping suppressed. And truthfully, she could think of an immediate way to accomplish the task. Not that she would tell him.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "A rather fitting way, I think, may work. The same way you stole the hearts of all those in Goug when you unleased the Black Beast upon them. I may not know everything... but I think I know more than enough to finally use it and keep you from abusing my good nature ever again. I /have/ been good to you, Rhiannon, and while I do not expect you to be grateful, I never thought you were so ignorant that you would push me this far." Leaning close, Chita whispered against her ear, "One last chance before I take your heart here and now. You have pushed me far too much, Rhiannon, to ignore your intentions any longer." As sad as he seemed... like this was hurting him... there was no bluffing in this. There was no deceit. Hades' curse prevented such. She had pushed him to the point where he would voluntarily break his own moral code if he had to and hurt her to keep everyone else safe, if she refused to buckle at this point in some fashion. He didn't want to... maybe it was really that obvious he had started to grow feelings for her. Why? Hard to say. Perhaps he just had a thing where he wanted to keep others safe, and became attached to those he did. Regardless of that, though, her fate was in her hands at the moment.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith's eyes widened. So he was really going to do what he should have done earlier? She almost couldn't believe it... then she remembered Hades' curse, and did believe it. Entirely. This was no bluff. She wouldn't tell him, though. Rhiannon was beyond any sort of morals or sanity. She could have just unleashed the Black Beast on Goug simply for sadistic curiosity, or because she had nothing better to do. Aerith hadn't the faintest idea... and she didn't want to know. The one thing she did know was that it was about to get explosive. Chita had been manipulated one time too many, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. But she elected to do nothing, for now. No, let this be a lesson... not everything in the darkness could be trusted.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "....Aha, so you have a brain after all~" Rhia smoke gleefully, grinning after in a way that was just creepy. "...But do you think that would actually work?" She added after a moment of silence. The question hung in the air for a few moments. Heavy and uncomfortable. And then she spoke again. "Then I propose an experiment." The scientist said freely. "I can think of twelve different ways to escape from you grasp right at this very moment. All twelve of them just might kill you." A pause as she let that sink in. "...But rather than that, why don't you go and use the Black Omen on me. Go ahead and try. If you truly believe that it will work." Grinning wider as she goaded him on, she said it again. "Please, do try, my dear~"

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "ENOUGH!" Chita's voice raised as he raised up and slammed her hands back against the bed, growling down at her, "I tire of your attitude! After everything I have done for your purposes, as lenient as I have been with you in not jailing you or killing you outright, you act like this?!" Her behavior had confused him so much that he actually felt rather sick about it. The likely painful grip on her hands began to slacken just a bit before he shifts out on top of her in an almost sensual manner, hands pulling hers above her head and together before he pulls his right hand free and pins both of her hands down with one hand. She might be able to pull them away at this point, though it may surprise her that... The Black Omen appeared in her right hand and he gripped it by the hilt before taking the blade tip of the malformed weapon and jabbed it into her side, hard enough to cut through the clothing and force it directly against her bare flesh, possibly even cutting into her. He wasn't actually trying to /stab/ her so much as force her to experience the same torment and pain he had when he first touched that bare blade. The pain of all those lives.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "You are angry simply because you fail to understand." Rhia responded evenly, continuing to smile patiently despite the current predicament. "You try so hard to understand, and yet, you know deep down that you can't." Her hands are then re-pinned with one of his. "Why do you continue to try? Why do you care so much?" She wasn't pleading or fearing for her life or anything. She was just curious. Simple scientific curiosity. "For one to try so hard for such an impossible cause..." She trailed off, watching as the Black Omen was called forth. "...I would almost suspect that you were in love with me." And then came the stab. Or close enough anyhow. Tearing through her dress, the blade cut into her skin somewhat as contact was made. The effect was immediate. 'Please, help me!' 'What did I do to deserve this!?' 'I was going to propose to her that day...' 'This isn't fair!' 'Mommy? Daddy? Where are you?' Rhia's eyes glazed over as the countless thoughts invaded her mind. Rather than scream and cry from the overwhelming feeling that would likely cause lesser men to buckle. "....Ehehehe...so these are the kind of thoughts that dwell within this weapon." She mused to herself, apparently still in control of her mental facilities. "...How pathetic. No wonder these fools' hearts succumbed to the beast. Truly a sad display of strength and will." ...This woman was something else.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Chita has always been a gentleman of sorts. He has fought women, knocked them out, used his weapons in the past to deal with females... but something he has never done is ball up his fist and hurt a woman with his bare hands. Out of combat. Out of anger. As he knelt there over her, the weapon pressed into her side, he listened to what was happening, unable to see. And then she laughed, and spoke, and a rather feral sound came from his throat. An angry growl, as if he was trying to hold back from strangling Rhiannon where she lay and killing her. She just laughed at a childs suffering... she /laughed/ at the last thoughts and fears of a child that was consumed by that weapon. Of all the countless people who had lost their lives. Of all the memories he had to work so hard to stomach the pain from... She LAUGHED. "I... was." he mumbled softly before he snapped. He snapped, and using his grip on her hand he attempted to twist her arm the wrong way and, with all intention and purpose of making her suffer and scream in pain just like them, attempted to break her arm at the elbow, backwards. "DON'T YOU EVER LAUGH AT A CHILDS PAIN YOU...!" he couldn't even finish his line of thought he was so angry, so disgusted. He had never been brought to this point in his life where he wanted to break someones neck with his own hands.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' In the other room, it was a different story. Aerith covered her hands over her mouth to hold back her squeals of terror. The oppressive aura of the Black Omen was back, and this time it was fueled by Chita's willingness to act. It was still hungry, and it wanted more than Rhiannon's heart. It wanted everything in this city to fall to the blackness, and never come back. Oh, but it especially wanted her... Yet something held it back, made its aura retract from her. The fear was not something that could go away easily, but it abated just enough for her to regain some of her senses. Aerith took in a few breaths, made her best attempt at slowing her heart down, just to get the sound of the pounding blood out of her ears. Yet at the same time, she could hear it. Rhiannon was laughing at something... and then the words she said almost made Aerith cry. She'd caused that much death and suffering, and she laughed at it. Chita's roar, his shout, just about made her ears ring again. But it made her heart calm even further, and she lowered her hands and smiled. There it was, his truth. However violent and brutal he was right now, the one thing that still stood true was that he could not let the innocent suffer, whether alive or dead. His sense of justice still remained.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' And her arm broke. It broke, bent the wrong way. But there was no cry of pain, no scream, no tears. Just a grimace and a cold sweat forming. "...Ugh...I suppose it is impossible to completely dull pain receptors..." She grumbled to herself for a moment, staring at her twisted arm. Dull pain receptors? What has this woman done to herself anyway? ...Well, some people knew. But they weren't here now. Only they knew the true extent. "Ah, but I suppose this is an opening." Completely uncaring of her arm, she used her legs to quickly scoot backwards, enough to kneel and then jump over him, even if her other arm broke in the process, it hardly seemed to matter to her at all.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' How was one /to/ respond to such? With one hand on the weapon and the other having still been laced into the fingers of the hand on the now-broken arm, her lack of response past the grumbling, that he could tell, and her sudden movement caused him to try and roll over and grab towards her. Despite being a Dragoon, he was practically laying on top of her, flat, before that. He didn't have the chance to react. What he did have the chance to do, though, was to summon a spear into each hand as he turned and raised up and listened for her to land. He listened for any sound of her touching something in the room before throwing both spears at near point-blank range right at her body. He wasn't playing. He aimed those spears knowing full well that they would likely hit her in the chest or stomach and probably pin her to the wall if she didn't have some way to avoid them. Blind or not, he could still figure out where things were with his ears to a point. And this room was quite small.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Okay, now it was explosive. Aerith pulled away from the wall, having heard all she needed to hear. She made her way toward the bed, just near the center of the room, and folded her cloak. The ruckus in the other room didn't bother her in the least, now that the Black Omen returned to whatever space it occupied when Chita wasn't calling it forth. Whatever happened to Rhiannon was none of her business... yet. They'd talk later, Chita and her. And she hoped to all that was sacred that he would tell her what she wanted so badly to hear... That the gloves were off.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Indeed, the moment she landed, Rhia found two spears thrown in her direction. With her remaining arm, she held a hand out and erected a magic barrier. The spears clashed against it, struggling for a moment before eventually losing their power of velocity and falling to the ground. "My, my, so violent." She spoke casually, staring her broken arm again. But then something strange began to happen. All of the blood that may have escaped her body or was still running down from her hand and sides began to take on a rainbow hue. All of the blood particles floated, becoming airborne as they re-entered her wounds. Her cuts and bruises then began to close and heal without any proactive spellcasting from the scientist. More unnervingly however, the bones in her broken arm began to shift, returning to proper shape. Once it was done, which only took a couple seconds, Rhia tested her wrist again before nodding. "Annnd done~" Using that fixed arm, she opened the door leading out and waved cutely, only for her own amusement again. "I believe I will be taking my leave now. Do expect the Black Omen to vanish from your possession very soon. After all, I continue to hold control over it." She continued to smile as she stepped out and then added one last bit. "With this, our dealings are over. Tata~" And then the door shut, leaving Chita to his own devices. Rhia sighed as she walked down the hallway towards the elevator. "Quite troublesome. I suppose I need to take up the experiment yet again..." And she disappeared into the elevator after, descending to the lower floors.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "If it does, Rhiannon, I will personally make sure that the world knows who you are and everything you have done... and if Shinra tries to protect you, I will bring them down on top of you. If you ever try to reclaim this weapon, Rhiannon, or make a new one, or I hear of you harming another, your life is forfeit, if you care or not." Chita calls out after her as she leaves as he tries to stand and reaches for his weapons, but in his haste and blindness he winds up stumbling and landing on the floor of the doorway as she moves to leave. Then she was gone. And the moment the elevator closes and starts to descend Aerith(And Rhiannon) could hear him slam his fist into the floor probably hard enough to injure it in anger. How could this day have devolved into this... how did he come so close, possibly gotten to the point of, losing everything he had worked towards over the last so many months.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith heard the sound of something slamming down from the other room, but it only made her turn her head for a brief moment. Ah, but she could feel his pain and anger... and it made him feel for him that much more. "To find out this way," she muttered, "Is the worst thing of all." With that, she tucked her folded cloak beneath the pillow, put her goods away, and lay down for a bit of a nap. She'd gotten the room after all, might as well use it.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' She heard a faint thump, and looked up as the elevator descended. "......" She had no words. Without heeding Chita's warning at all, Rhia resumed the drawing of the summoning circle while taking the ride. She completed drawing it into the air in due time and held a hand out to cast the spell. There was a flash of light and then the handle of the Black Omen appeared. Without any protection, Rhia grasped it and pulled. "And now to take this back to where it should be."

A Researcher's Interlude II

2013-11-18T18:46:59Z

MirageV:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/18
|Location=Goug - Shinra HQ
|Synopsis=In a private moment, Rhia thinks to herself, letting down her barriers for a single moment. And in that moment, opens her mind to a new possibility.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
}}
It was another day in Goug. People filled the streets, going about their daily grind. Cars sped along, people walked along the sidewalks, business were in operation and all was as it should be.

Over at Shinra HQ, a certain scientist was holed up in her laboratory as usual. Sitting in a comfy office chair, it was faced against her desk. On it was a disfigured black sword, which pulsed periodically with red energy. It was definitely alive somehow.
This was, of course, the lab of Rhiannon Zellen, researcher currently in the employ of Shinra. Hardly one to be seen outside the confines of her lab, the Shinra building, and much less Goug itself, she was a difficult one to catch. For very good reason; her usual activities hardly called for her to be outside. Nor did she find going out to be a particularly attractive thought most of the time.
It on was this day that the Wutai native would find herself…unable to focus. Elbow resting on the desk’s surface and her chin in her hand, she stared aimlessly at a glass vial of black blood held up in her other hand.

“…”

There were experiments to perform. Leida’s blood was quite something after all. It was terribly fascinating really. But not even this could drive her to focus. Instead, her thoughts lingered to the events of just the previous day.

“…Tch.”

Putting the vial back in its rack with the others, the scientist straightened up and crossed her arms, frowning deeply. “Why can I not focus? There is much work to do after all…” Asking no one but herself, Rhia knew the answer deep down. Despite her usual demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel a faint tinge of regret for what happened. “…Blasted emotions. I try so hard to rid myself of them, and yet…”
She brought a hand to the side of her head, finger tangling with a braid idly. “…that fool should never have gotten involved to begin with. That naïve, idealistic, fool…He thinks he can affect change upon the world? …Nonsense.” Mumbling to herself in uncharacteristic anger, she trailed off after, lowering her hands into her lap as she observed the blade on the desk before her. Dubbed ‘The Black Omen’, she had finally given it a proper name.

“…Perhaps I should at least test his hypothesis.”

Admitting that to herself, Rhia reached and grabbed the handle of the ebony sword without protection. As usual, the effect upon contact was immediate. Her mind was invaded with a plethora of thoughts and feelings from the hearts of those dwelling inside.

‘Help me!’

‘It’s not fair!’

‘I just want to go home!’

‘What did I do to deserve this?’

‘…I’m sorry, everyone.’

Rhia remained in control of herself, a testament to her own strength of will, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and spoke.

“…Hello, all of you.”

All of the crying and despair stopped then. There was a deathly silence for a moment before a response came.

‘Who are you?’

Rhia put on her usual disarming smile and answered sincerely.

“…A friend.”

A Researcher's Interlude II

2013-11-18T18:39:26Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/11/18 |Location=Goug - Shinra HQ |Synopsis=In a private moment, Rhia thinks to herself, letting down her barriers for a single moment. An..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/18
|Location=Goug - Shinra HQ
|Synopsis=In a private moment, Rhia thinks to herself, letting down her barriers for a single moment. And in that moment, opens her mind to a new possibility.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen
}}
It was another day in Goug. People filled the streets, going about their daily grind. Cars sped along, people walked along the sidewalks, business were in operation and all was as it should be.

Over at Shinra HQ, a certain scientist was holed up in her laboratory as usual. Sitting in a comfy office chair, it was faced against her desk. On it was a disfigured black sword, which pulsed periodically with red energy. It was definitely alive somehow.
This was, of course, the lab of Rhiannon Zellen, researcher currently in the employ of Shinra. Hardly one to be seen outside the confines of her lab, the Shinra building, and much less Goug itself, she was a difficult one to catch. For very good reason; her usual activities hardly called for her to be outside. Nor did she find going out to be a particularly attractive thought most of the time.
It on was this day that the Wutai native would find herself…unable to focus. Elbow resting on the desk’s surface and her chin in her hand, she stared aimlessly at a glass vial of black blood held up in her other hand.

“…”

There were experiments to perform. Leida’s blood was quite something after all. It was terribly fascinating really. But not even this could drive her to focus. Instead, her thoughts lingered to the events of just the previous day.

“…Tch.”

Putting the vial back in its rack with the others, the scientist straightened up and crossed her arms, frowning deeply. “Why can I not focus? There is much work to do after all…” Asking no one but herself, Rhia knew the answer deep down. Despite her usual demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel a faint tinge of regret for what happened. “…Blasted emotions. I try so hard to rid myself of them, and yet…”
She brought a hand to the side of her head, finger tangling with a braid idly. “…that fool should never have gotten involved to begin with. That naïve, idealistic, fool…He thinks he can affect change upon the world? …Nonsense.” Mumbling to herself in uncharacteristic anger, she trailed off after, lowering her hands into her lap as she observed the blade on the desk before her. Dubbed ‘The Black Omen’, she had finally given it a proper name.

“…Perhaps I should at least test his hypothesis.”

Admitting that to herself, Rhia reached and grabbed the handle of the ebony sword without protection. As usual, the effect upon contact was immediate. Her mind was invaded with a plethora of thoughts and feelings from the hearts of those dwelling inside.

‘Help me!’

‘It’s not fair!’

‘I just want to go home!’

‘What did I do to deserve this?’

‘…I’m sorry, everyone.’

Rhia remained in control of herself, a testament to her own strength of will, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and spoke.

“…Hello, all of you.”

All of the crying and despair stopped then. There was a deathly silence for a moment before a response came.

‘Who are you?’

Rhia put on her usual disarming smile and answered sincerely.

“…A friend.”

Memories Forgotten - Part 2

2013-11-17T20:07:48Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/11/16 |Location=Farplane - The Edge |Synopsis=Morrighan, following a trail of subtle clues, finally comes face to face with....herself. Words ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/11/16
|Location=Farplane - The Edge
|Synopsis=Morrighan, following a trail of subtle clues, finally comes face to face with....herself. Words are exchanged, loved ones are spotted, magic flies, and finally; things come to an end.
|Cast of Characters=Faruja Senra, Deelel, Morrighan Alazne, Shadow, Queegmaa
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The Edge of The Farplane. A wonderous place. And yet, also a eerie one. Starting as a large set of stone steps leading up to, and into a cavern, it eventually gave way to several more flights of stairs. An arduous journey to be sure. At the top awaits a great plateau, seemingly airborne. Far, far below, one may lay their eyes upon the Farplane in all it's mysterious glory. Breathtaking forests, striking waterfalls and flowerfields that stretch as far as the eye can see. And among it all, eerie pyreflies drift about, their ghostly whispers carried on the wind. It is here that a certain figure awaits. Adorned in an extravagant black dress, her eyes glow an eerie blue, and her skin quite fair. Spilling out from behind her is a head of extremely long raven hair. This mysterious elven woman seems content to stand upon the plateau, staring down into the Farplane and casually playing with any pyreflies that chose to drift about her form curiously. Why was she here? That was a good question. Perhaps the answer could be found far, far below, through the vast cavern and down the flights of stairs outside. Approaching the ancient steps and coming to stand below, a tan skinned woman stared up with furrowed brows. A dark elf to be precise, if appearances were anything to go by. She wore a rather fancy cream colored dress, and her long hair was held up in a thick ponytail. She did not look all too happy. After all, this was hardly a pleasure trip. Weeks of searching and subtle clues, almost as if left on purpose, finally led her to this place. She knew that what she was seeking was up there. It was time to face it and put an end to this game of cat and mouse.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' The church had not had Morrighan in their service for some time, due to the fact that she'd lost her identity, disallowing her to inform them that she'd wandered off to various parts of the world under the guise of 'Kara', but that hadn't meant they'd stopped harboring interest in such a prominent member of their flock. When Faruja had met up with her after she'd regained some fragments of her whole being, the church had been a little reluctant to bring her back into their midst immediately, because she was.... practically obsolete, considering that her powers had abandoned her-- no, Glabados didn't forsake her entirely, but they didn't place any large investments in the woman until they knew there would be potential payback of some kind! With there being rumors that there was another entity akin to the dark elf, a new hope appeared on the horizon for the church to reclaim one of its most powerful magicians, and so they sent Templar Faruja Senra, one of their most expenda....exceptional members to try and aid her, to the best of his ability; this was Emerald's idea in particular, since Jaren had essentially washed his hands of the Nezumi, after their little spat over what utilitarian purpose Faruja was actually providing in the ranks of Mullonde's elite warriors, when accounting for his various botched missions. If Cardinal Jaren had it his own way, Faru would've spent the rest of his days rusting on guard duty at the head cathedral, doing mundane tasks, but Bishop Emerald convinced him to put a little more faith in the ratling. As if to embolden Jaren's inclination towards subscribing to this little enterprise, he sought aid from her equally morally-perverted ally Admiral Rakassa of the empire, to send her finest Mtek to accompany Faruja, since the empire was occasionally known for hiring out to private contractors in order to make a little extra munny, if, and only if it didn't conflict with the interest of the imperial agenda! Not one to get into mud-slinging contests, and a cringer, Queegmaa was the first she offered the job to, but he declined, using some dog-eat-homework excuse as to why he couldn't do it at that moment, which meant the job fell to Vohstras, the most formidable retainer in Vector! Higher up militarily, but less so politically, he was definitely better suited to combat than Queegmaa, and in more ways than one; part of his suit of armor included one of the pieces of the fabeled Oni-Yoroi, which, in this particular case, granted him the power to telepathically communicate with Faruja without need to speak, that as it just so happened was necessary to relay any strategies pertaining to team-dynamics, since his voice-box had been severed by the corrupted warlord Rohy, some time back. He was sporting his signature platinum attire(save for the one alien piece belonging to the Oni-Yoroi set, which was dark violet) which glistened like snow, which had sky-blue trim, which all further accentuated his affinity with the element of water.... or more specifically, ice. His weapon was a kama-yari, as seen before by some folk in the battle inside the Mtek factory, and it was a rather long one, as was the case last time, to accommodate the fact that the captain himself was abundantly statured, at a height of six and a half feet, or thereabouts. It was true that Rakassa didn't like even a single morsel of the demon-armor getting out of her sight, but it was also true she couldn't let on that she was anything but ignorant to its nature, ergo, if Vohstras wanted to wear his own segment of the thing to combat, she couldn't even go so far as to hint that she found the notion objectionable. It was just as well, if Vohstras was to be an effective support to the Glabados' cause, the Mtek had to have some way of exchanging battle plans with Faruja, henceforth, he would probably be seen wearing this out-of-place addition to his otherwise-fashionable ensemble! Upon reaching the area where Morrighan was located, he attempted to send a telepathic message to her, and her alone, ignoring the dark-haired woman for the time being, unless the ponytailed girl rejected, or blocked it.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja Senra's week has not been the best. Problems with his boss, and then vampire bats have made the rat desperate for something to go right for once. The idea that he can help a fellow member of the Church is a welcome one, particularly given he's not having to chase after any annoying intelligent Heretics. The Burmecian isn't sure what to make of Vohstra, especially his odd style of communicating. But he doesn't complain. It's the knowledge that a certain ninja may well be joining them, thanks to the efforts of a certain Bishop and a lot of coin. Whatever the hiring of the man might say for the rat's supposed competence, Shadow has been nothing but useful and professional when they've worked together. It's a comfort, really. But the knight's focus is on Morri. Walking hardly a step behind her, he pauses as she does. Even now, his spear is at his side, the knight gazing about with all the paranoia of a tried and true bodyguard. As far as he's concerned, this Yevonite holding is a hotbed of Heresy, and he'll be damned if he's going to let the dark elf be taken in by it. Even if she seems to think answers can be found here. "Be cautious, Lady Alazne. This place bodes ill. We shall protect thee, however, M'Lady, with our lives." He nods to Vohstra in particular, as if seeking agreement on that statement.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' In a world largely driven by good feeling and a positive moral compass, the figure of Shadow is a relic of the past. It is a reminder that the worlds that join together were not always so fortunate and that darkness requires many tools to advance its agenda or have it driven back. An engima driven by coin and something else that resonates in the hearts of many honor-bound fighters-- though most are relucant to admit having something in common with an assassin. The ninja and his dog pass in a silent fashion alongside the Burmecian and the Imperial Retainer. The Cardinal did spend quite a bit of coin on his services-- and it came with a single, if not odd, side condition of an audience with Rakassa herself. In times of old Vectorian understood that "a job is a job" and held an economic stronghold on premium services. It is not personal-- though it just takes one emotional leader to block the ninja out of an entire providence's work. Unfortunate for the nation-- it benefits no one. Interceptor barks to Faru's declaration of protection. Yes, the dog is more a paladin with his little dog helmet on and fierce loyalty to cause and women everywhere. This occurs regardless of Shadow's disposition-- as it mirrors his heart more than he cares to communicate. The truth is that he sees Faru as reliable and formidable-- and many Vectorians, Q and V included, in the same category. All this is said with a well placed, "..."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' One of Morrighan's eyes twitched a bit at the telepathic message that invaded her mind. Having been devoid of magic power, and left unable to respond in kind, the (mental)action was nothing more than an annoyance. Of course, she could reply verbally, but simply chose not to. If anything, she seemed more annoyed than anything at the entourage plodding along behind her. After all, she hadn't given Glabados many details, nor did she ask for any sort of assistance. And yet here she stood with a rat, a mute, a dog, and a suspicious looking ninja for company. "...You needn't tell me that." The elven woman replied to Faruja, still keeping her gaze on the sight above. "I may not have much magic power at the moment, but I can still feel how utterly abhorrent this place is to the living." But nevertheless, she wasn't going to turn around and give up just because of a few ghostly whispers on the wind and some chills up her spine. "...We're going." She announced after a moment longer before taking the first step as she began to climb the stairs leading to the cavern above. "Just a fair warning; I am not responsible for what happens if I do find what I suspect is here. I never asked you all to come after all." How pleasant. Or maybe that was her way of trying to spare their lives? ...Nah, of course not. This was Morrighan we were talking about after all.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras turns to Faruja and stares at him silently, for a second, then casts his gaze forward once more, without indication that he agrees with the rat's sentiment-- he doesn't believe in redundancy, and since the good Captain would have no vested interest in this affair were it not for Faruja's institution's sake, it should've gone without saying that he was there to offer backup with his compatriot, Faruja Senra. It's not the most reassuring thing to have a man who's supposed to be guarding the Nezumi's flank to receive the cold-shoulder when addressed, even with something as minor as a nod, but the fallen samurai has no cause to offer pleasantries to one who had /yet/ to earn his respect in any sense of the word; Shadow was a completely different story. Vohstras would render unto Shadow what was Shadow's, and to the undeserving.... nothing-- Shadow had proven himself in their last duel, and he -does- actually get a bow of acknowledgement. Morrighan, on the other hand, receives no further transmission, since her most recent remarks have no bearing on Vohstras' sentiments, for he already knew she wasn't responsible for his life.... and honestly, his life practically /didn't matter/, because it was far more important to live honorably, than to live at all, plus, thus far, he'd already shamed himself once by surrendering, instead of dying in battle like any reasonable retainer would do. She didn't ask for help, but Vohstras didn't even ask to be born, however, that being as it may, since he was made to exist by his parental units that had cast him aside almost upon his day of birth, he had to serve some cause.... and so, what he did was not because Morri asked, but because his master asked; on another day, he might be just as soon ordered to slay her, and he'd do it, too, without the slightest reluctance. A samurai does not question their master, a samurai lives to serve; how convenient, too, since the lustful, decadent, self-entitled Shadow Lord Rakassa /adores/ being served. He probably wasn't as mean-spirited as Morri, in his own defense, he didn't show anyone delibate contempt, at worst, he ignored folks, whereas the dark elf was prone towards occasionally acting spiteful towards others, probably brought on by a harsh past, or something equally traumatic! Vohstras might have had more in common with her than he knew, but he wasn't about to break protocol and inquire, even if.... in truth, he was remotely curious about her! At the very least, he follows the woman, since it's his job, and maybe along the way, he'll learn a few things about this unusual woman.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' The Lord works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, in fuzzy, canine, samurai-ly, or stealthy ways. Faruja smirks just slightly at Morrighan's retort. "...Still the same." He seems /pleased/ by this, not that he'd admit it. His gaze turns back to Shadow as Interceptor barks. The dog gets a nod. The rat and dog are on the same page. "Ser Shadow, you are the swiftest amongst us. Should the time become appropriate, see the Lady to safety, hmm?" Another nod to the man. He doesn't need confirmation, Shadow is too /good/ at his job to not do so. The lack of response from Vohstras has the rat's eye twitching in irritation. So very rude! He'll have to complain later about such lack of proper conduct. "Orders my dear, orders. Even if it were nay..." He glares into the Farplane hatefully. "None should go into such a place alone. 'Tis a risk I am willing to take." The Burmecian starts up the stairs beside her, motioning towards Morrighan's flank to Vohstra. HOpefully the man will comply.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Of all the placements for the ninja-- he makes excellent background decoration. Where there is a spotlight there is often a blind spot created by the glare-- and that is where Shadow tends to stand. Though there are greetings that are in order. His motions are brief but direct. Vohstras gets a simple nod of respect and acknowlegement-- sparring provides more understanding than many nights drinking at any tavern. Faru, in turn, gets his nod-- though it is also in response to the evacuation orders. "I will," he responds. It is important to frame the expectations of his employment-- a mere nod wouldn't work there. It also means that he would leave Faru and Voh to fend themselves-- a risk that all soldiers understand when guarding a VIP. His gaze turns to Morrighan-- an unpleasant pair of vacant eyes that will monitoring from here on out. Interceptor lightens it up with a noble 'Woof!' which clearly means 'No fear, I will protect you!'

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Orders. Of course." She muttered, rolling her eyes. A thought came to her mind after and she asked. "If you were ordered to leap into a pit of lava for the good of the church, would you?" Posing that question, Morrighan lead the way, walking along the stone path and up the flights of stone steps until eventually, they found their way into a vast cavern. It was quite spacious, but beyond that, the eerie feeling that they had felt outside was more pronounced within. "..." The feeling made the dark elf's skin crawl and her eyes narrowed. She spied a few stray pyreflies drifting through the air and frowned. What were those supposed to be? Lights? Ghosts? ...They didn't particularly give her a good feeling. "...What is she doing in a place like this?" She muttered to herself quietly. But alas, there was no finding an answer just standing here and marveling at the sights. Leaving that aside, Morrighan proceeded to move on, not all that keen to stick around and see what exactly those wisps were for. No, she had more important things to focus on right now. "...Mhmhmhm~" Like that faint laugh she could hear on the wind right now! Wait a moment- "...That laugh..." That was definitely Morrighan's voice. But she hadn't laughed! So what she was seeking /was/ here after all. Regardless, hearing your own voice despite not speaking was delightfully unnerving. She'd give her unwanted companions another warning, but they'd already given their responses to the matter. Instead, the elven woman proceeded to climb the expanse leading up to the plateau above... She wasn't exactly looking forward to what she was going to find up there, but it was necessary.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' When Faruja gestures for Vohstras to follow up behind Morrighan, he's quick to do so. Not only will this give him superior access to safeguard the drow if danger comes her way, but this means he also gets to steal a few glances at her rump, which is a rather attractive one. He intended to keep his mind on the task at hand once any threats became imminent, but if given the choice between looking at rat-b*tt, ninja-b*tt, or dog-b*tt, he'll gladly pick a view that places him right behind the beautiful sylvan female. Now, dogs may be in the habit of sniffing other animals' rear-ends, but while Vohstras is situated near prime real-estate, he doesn't take the opportunity to inhale whatever scents Morri might have down there-- it's definitely good to gaze at, but the Captain wasn't going to steal Interceptor's thunder; let the pup-paladin do what he's most qualified to do! As they all ascend the stairway, taking the scenic(and only) route to the top, Vohstras peers at the odd flitting pulses of spiritual energy fluttering around, getting a sense that something was supernatural about them-- this should've been obvious already, but the Oni-Yoroi's ability to detect spirit energy made it all the more evident that something was amiss about the Farplane. With no loved ones dead, no memories manifested into forms before him to derail his thought processes, and thus, no emotional outbursts would be witnessed from his behalf! He kept a relaxed, but stable grip on his weapon, ready to strike as needed, even so.... he might have to call forth his elemental powers, since phantoms occasionally mitigated physical attacks. The takeo(dark samurai) doesn't trust this place any more than Morrighan, and though they probably both have trust issues even without the abnormalities at play, this only intensified his paranoia. When Morrighan brought up something about 'that laugh', Vohstras attempted to send her another message psychically, unless she willfully prevented it, because... all in all, he'd never heard Morrighan laugh, and though it could be construed that it sounded similar to the dark elf's voice, erring on the side of caution was best in these situations..... It could be the drow was just talking to herself, which is something Vohstra never understood, which, if that was the case, clarification was definitely needed for the one who had some ignorances towards humanity, or that of relatively similar species.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's eye squints at Morrighan, peering balefully. "Have more /FAITH/, Lady Alazne! I would give my life for any fellow Child of Faram. But to spend it wastefully would be a sin. And a crispy Burmecian is of little use to the Church. I doubt I would taste well fried." Shadow, the rat could hug you right now. Finding a person who actually acknowledges the plan is refreshing. Faruja tries not to overthink the idea that the stoic ninja is one of the more chatty members of the group. It's slightly frightening. Into the caverns they go! Faruja's fur visibly stands on end, the ratling waving away a few pyreflies. Brow rising, he looks to Morri again. What does she mean by 'her'? A familiar laugh, and the rat double checks to make sure it's not the elf before him! "M'Lady, what is going on here?" He has a feeling he won't like the answer, and closes ranks closer to the dark elf protectively. His spear is already out, glowing white. An ominous feeling passes through the rat, clenching his fingers around his spear's shaft. They feel ice-cold.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Traveling around is Shadow's default state. As a result he has a very relaxed and sheathed approach. When a threat is nearby his senses kick in. What he doesnt sense, Interceptor often does. If neither kick in-- then the threat has well earned the element of surprise. He wastes little energy in the anticipation-- more the snap reaction when it is required. Still his senses stay sharp to the environ-- serving as both sword and shield while keeping in party formation towards the back of the group. For a moment his eyes wander in the cavern. Lights play on his imagination. Lives may rarely be claimed in this world-- but the ones that were have a way of haunting with the flit of light from a pyrefly. The ninja has little trouble climbing, but the dog is less versed for it. The sort of synergy the two have together is well seen in how they help each other get up. It is more if they were the same person, seperated only in the physical shells they were split and poured into.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The mute's telepathic message was gotten, but not immediately replied to. The elf was too busy frowning upwards as she climbed the stone steps. Faruja's question following Vohstras' finally gave the woman slight pause, in which she gave them a fittingly vague response. "...I could waste time explaining. But I have a good feeling that you all will begin to understand the moment we arrive up top." Leaving the matter at that, she proceeded onwards, plodding up the final stretch of stairs till they came out of the cavern and onto the top of a raised plateau. It was quite wide and the number of pyreflies about were much more numerous. Great. Well, this WAS the farplane. Far be it for dead spirits to be lingering in a place of the dead. Shaking aside those sarcastic thoughts, Morrighan's crimson eyes swept the area quickly before they locked onto a figure some distance ahead. Her back was turned to the group, and a head of long, long black hair obscured a lot of her figure. "So you were here after all." The dark elf commented, clenching a fist by her side as she stepped forward. The figure gave no reply for a moment. "..." But then they slowly turned around, revealing an elven woman that was nearly identical to Morrighan, save for a few minor details. Her skin was fair instead of tan, her eyes were blue instead of red, and her hair was black. She wore a similar dress, but it was black instead of white. All in all, she was a dead ringer for Morrighan, color differences aside. "Finally, you caught up to me. I was beginning to think that I had made myself too subtle..." The woman spoke in a voice that was exactly Morrighan's. A smile played upon her face as she brought a hand up to her cheek, observing the others through half lidded, azure eyes. "And I see you brought friends. How nice."

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Having lived a hard life in the wilderness in isolation, at times, as part of his training, Vohstra had on occasion, eaten fried rat, so when the Burmecian claims doubts as to how delicious he'd be cooked, the corrupted samurai immediately recalls to memory some of those fine rodent-steaks he'd had when larger prey was scarce. Yes, Faru was sapient, but if Vohstras could kill it, as well as fry it up, and he needed sustenance, there was no question in his mind as to whether or not what he'd do when faced with starvation, versus a full belly from ingestion of someone for whom he didn't care much one way or another; mayhap ironically, he would still allow Faruja a totally fair chance in a solo duel to preserve himself, rather than something so cravenly as a spontaneous ambush.... whereas, life that was merely sentient was not afforded such honor, or privilege. When they arrive up top, finally, Vohstras inches to the side, so that Morri isn't /directly/ in front of him, he can still protect her backside from this position, except that if he needs to shoot a deluge of frost at the creepy, but equally attractive pale-skinned elf, the Mtek Captain can do it without accidentally striking his ally.... Vohstras was more ice-elemental anyway, so friendly-fire would've been out of character for him. He has no words for anyone, at this point in time, since mutes aren't conversationalists, and it required a bit more effort to talk telepathically than verbally, which meant words were best used, and not wasted.... The blue-haired man with the robotic arm and the yari-spear wasn't a diplomat, anyway, so he wasn't going to carry on a long conversation with some psychotic elven witch; that was a job for theraputic shamans who had narcolepsy, who might or might not have assisted Morrighan on her last quest. Immediately, as a precautionary measure(we did mention that he plays it safe), he calls forth a barrier of energy to protect himself, conjuring the 'Safe' spell, which some infusees were endowed with, if they received certain esper benefactors. He doesn't want to provoke an unnecessary attack, so he doesn't use any adverse spells that might cause anybody harm, but he's certainly within his rights to erect a barrier around himself, if he so chooses; even Bobby Brown would agree.... it's his prerogative!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja is soon frowning. Morrighan's answer is /definitely/ not helpful. Worse, it's foreboding, which he's already feeling thanks to how unnerving the Farplane is. A sharp ear might notice him mumbling something about really needing that last raise. The Templar crests the top of the stairs, peering about the area, before his eye spies the elven beauty atop them. His muzzle hangs open for a full second, before he pulls it back up. The rat's brain tries to process the whole sight before him, looking from elf, to other elf, and back again. The pair speak. Faruja lets out a low, frustrated sigh. Part of him wants to begin sobbing. Two Morrighans. Really, on some level, he likes the woman. Despite her haughty arrogance, there's a good heart under there. He's learned that. He still wants to strangle her sometimes, and /two/ is almost too much for the Burmecian. The point of his spear levels at the Morrighan doppelganger, Vohstra's actions actually meeting the rat's approval. "...Who, or for that matter, /WHAT/ are you? And without the Lady's usual biting sarcasm and wit, if you please." Demands the rat. He takes a step closer, to better guard the dark elf's side in case this vision decides to attack. Pyreflies thicken. To the rat's side, they gather. Like so many others, the knight has those he loved. Called by his presence, the ghostly creatures slowly solidfy, though the rat doesn't yet notice...

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Everyone has ghosts and skeletons they'd soon wish didn't exist. They are a deep part of the heart-- be it of a person who was once close and torn away or a scar of guilt for being the one doing the tearing. Shadow remains nonplussed by the encounter. If there were not so many distractions it would be easier to detect that he is 'at the ready'. However Shadow is not a diplomat here-- nor the person doing the talking. This discussion is between the two elvish beauties and they both get equal measures of his attention. If things get hostile... well... he has his orders to carry out. Until then he remains a standby ninja with a standby dog who gives a standby bark to the massing pyreflies nearby. Bark bark. BARK BARK. BARKBARKBARK. It is unnerving for the dog. Although Shadow ignores it in favor of focusing on the VIP elf and the her twin, there are a great number of pyreflies around the assassin. People he has terminated-- notably-- do not take kindly to him being here. The reaper is always one step behind Shadow-- and he decided to show up to his neighborhood uninvited. Only one pyrefly bothers to take form-- a young man, a rogue, who watches the scene silently. This cresendo of tension has an audience now.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "My, already spoiling for a fight I see. How utterly barbaric~" The mysterious woman spoke derisively, bringing a hand to the side of her face. "But alas, I suppose that you simply cannot force a monkey into a suit and expect his manners to change, ohohohoho~" Right there. Morrighan's trademark haughty laugh. It was being used by someone ELSE. Simply hearing and seeing the motions caused Morrighan to grit her teeth in anger. Was she always this insufferable? It was like looking in a mirror! "I concur with what Faruja has said; I know what you are, but WHO are you, and why did you bother to lead me all the way here?" The dark elf demanded of her high elf counterpart. The woman simply stared about, watching as Morrighan's companions found themselves visited by various...others. They had an audience. How quaint. Putting that aside, the dark haired elf responded casually, shrugging her shoulders lightly and closed her eyes. A gesture of complete nonchalance. "Why did I lead you here? ...I wonder." Fitting. A non-answer "As for who I am..." She opened her eyes then, resting a hand upon her chest as she spoke. "You may call me Eir Atropos Alazne, dear sister." Upon introducing herself, Eir began to pace about, tapping her chin with a finger, propping up that arm with her other. She was either supremely confident in her abilities, or simply didn't care. Morrighan frowned at the introduction and asided to Faruja and the others. "Do not be fooled. She is no sister of mine. She is a fiend. A fragment of my soul given life by ancient magicks." "Oh my, so cold!" Eir gasped in faux-drama, a hand brought to her mouth to complete the gesture. "I am hurt. My own sister rejects my existence! So, so sad..." The woman recovered quickly after, pausing in her pacing to face the group. "...But I must ask you; you have come just as I intended you to, but what exactly do you hope to accomplish?" The question was then posed to all. "What do all of you hope to accomplish?" She then spread her arms. "Do you plan to kill me? ...With all these people watching?"

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstra may receive approval by Faruja, but he doesn't show appreciation or shunning; he simply does his job to the letter, and whether his allies have personal feelings about it, he doesn't care, lest those feelings be so strong that they bleed into pragmatic aspects of his affairs, in which case, the sentiments matter more than the sentimentality surrounding said sentiments. Vohstras keeps the back third of his spear tucked under his arm and trailing behind him, while the middle covers his navel, and the front sticks out before him-- the true eastern style of bojutsu revolves around the number three. Twirling the pole three-quarters of a circle to get good momentum, as well as keeping the spear mentally divided in three sections, so as to maximize the command, besides the stability, that one has over their weapon. Having a spear outstretched when lunging is optimal if the thrust is for but just a moment, but ideally, for the sake of perfect balance, the samurai shall keep their weapon gripped with two fists, subsecting the pike into thirds, to keep the best hold over it that is physically possible. This also allows the center of the haft to function as a makeshift shield, albeit one that requires motion to deflect with, since a pole is but a thin object substituting for a true barricade. Vohstra /does/ briefly side-glance at the young man who takes shape near Shadow, and he blinks.... which is the most real 'interest' he's shown on an emotional level this entire time, beyond when he got to scope out Morrighan's posterioral assets. During the fight, some time back, Rohy had denounced Shadow for betraying some kind of ally of his, and running like a coward; shortly before having his larynx slashed by the ninja, Rohy had almost given out a name of some kind, too, that started with the letters 'k', 'u', and 'r'. Was this man haunting Shadow named 'Kur', or had that been Shadow's own name at one time? One thing was for certain..... it was very possible that this was the person who Shadow had 'left behind', according to a certain, millenium-old demon-bushi who had captured himself, and Cadence, before Shadow had assisted in their rescue. Vohstras is practically /dying/ to ask questions, but if that did indeed happen, then he might be keeping Shadow company in a less corporeal fashion than he was currently, so it was a better option to stay alive.... at least for now. His eyes retrain themselves on the imposter-Morrighan, and veer away from 'Kuraido', for the moment, but Vohstras /will/ bite the bullet and ask Shadow at least -one- question at the end of all of this, if they're both alive. To Morrighan, Vohstras sends yet another signal, indicating that he was at her service, regardless of whether it meant becoming sororicidal, or not. The dark elf's pleas for innocence from being labeled as an inhuman, bloodthirsty monster fall on deaf ears-- if Morrighan chooses to kill her sister, or a total stranger, so be it.... To one who has feelings, such as Faruja, it might be a true testament to her redeeming qualities that Morrighan would hesitate to harm someone of her own blood, but to the Mtek, blood and water were the same; honor was the only thing that mattered, and honor was found in the midst of war.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Every muscle in the rat's body clenches, the urge to run the other-Morri through rising as it has so many times with the real thing. Teeth grinding together, he fixes a baleful stare until the haughty fair-skinned elf. "Do be so kind as to watch one's own manners before besmirching another's! Why, I do believe the fair Lady beside me could teach thee a thing or two. And a sight more beautiful at that." Really, he'll take the real elf over this one any day. Falling silent, however, he briefly glances to the dark elf. Listening to the exchange, his face grows grave. A fiend, unholy amalgam of spirit and the effects of this Heretical place...truly, proof of the misdeeds and corruption of the Yevonites! Hopefully the holy energy bleeding off of the rat's afronted form doesn't effect pyreflies! "Then a fragment that must be returned, methinks." Whispers the rat to the dark elf. If he has his way, that 'returning' will involve a spear to the throat. He could use some stress relief after all that's befallen him recently! Still, he doesn't act on the impulse. The shade asks its question, and he nods to Morrighan. The ball's in the elf's court. Really, this entire operation is her show, and he defers to her judgement. His stance is defensive, ready to act at the elven woman's behest. Interceptor's barks catch the rat's ear. That single eye of his shifts just slightly. What greets the rat, from his reaction, is hardly something he expected. Those pyreflies solidify into three figures. The first, a tall Burmecian woman, with pure white fur, and kindly red eyes. She regards Faruja with a loving gaze, her long black hair so very mirroring the Templar's own. Indeed, aside from their height difference and gender, the two look so very alike. A clawed hand reaches out, the touch to Faruja's cheek tender. Sliding to the bandaged, missing eye, the woman's gaze is full of sorrow. Beside her, short like the Burmecian himself, the dark-furred visage of a male Burmecian can be made out. Though not so tender as the woman, the gaze upon Faruja is appraising...and approving. Pride and love mix in the eyes of the male, nodding. The male salutes the golden-armored Templar. Behind them both stands a figure that both Faruja and Morrighan would recognize. It's none other than Valos, the very one who helped Morrighan enter the Church, and secured her so much worth. Faruja's face, already white thanks to the fur, manages to go several shades lower. He very much looks as though he's seen ghosts, heart stopping for a moment as he gazes upon his parents, so recently lost. Unshamed tears spill from his eye, a hand moving from his weapon. His hand runs through his mother, pyreflies dispersing, then reforming as he once again grips his weapon. A sleeve wipes away his own tears. "Mother, Father...it has been...so long." Mutters the rat, voice choked. He holds back the tears. "I love you. But this place is not thine own, 'tis evil. Go to the Lord's side. Do...by Ajora, do not linger in this wretched place." His voice, low, uncharacteristically so, is pained beyond description. Finally, his gaze falls to Valos. A hand touches the silver dagger hidden within his robes. "...Lord Valos. I ask this one thing: take them from here, to the Lord's side, if ye've any faith left. If...this is naught mere evil, mere taunting illusion...please." Begs the rat quietly of the spirit. Crossing his chest, Faruja says a low prayer for the souls of all three. He takes a deep breath. He has a job to do. With a Church to cleanse, and faith within him to be restored to those within it, he nods to the three. "I must focus on the living, and the future. The past is done. Begone, aparitions. Trouble me naught, and find rest within the Lord's arms. Amen." Features hardening, he turns away to face the image of Morrighan's double. Pain, loss, and even grief remains as the pyreflies begin to dissipate. Purpose remains, the Templar making peace with his past. Valos dissappears, as if leading the way, only for his parents to smile. Both shedding tears that drift away as pyreflies, they follow the dead Count. Faruja, silent, stands guard beside Morrighan, attention fully now upon the false elf.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Shadow certainly would kill her, if asked to. One of the many things that is covered under Platinum Ninja Services from Shadow Inc. Judging from the confrontation, the ninja suspects that shouldn't be necessary or desired. At least the dog and his companion are keeping quiet as good party guests. Although the 'manifested' figure in Shadow's little ghost troupe edges closer, he does not speak. He isn't here to interupt the Alazne sisters-- just breathe down Shadow's neck. Literally. Shadow simply ignores him. Baram always was a bit of a jerk. He might even be enough of a jerk to make Shadow's life just a little harder than it already is by... well... perhaps that is a sidequest for another time. The ninja's focus remains on his job-- on Morrighan and her sister-- and judging when a throat needs to be greeted with a sharp object.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...?" Up till now, Morrighan was focused solely on Eir, but the mention of 'all these people' caused her to shift her gaze away from her counterpart to see just what she meant. And then it became clear. "...Who...?" She muttered faintly as two Burmecian figures came into view. Watchingg Faruja have his moment, Morrighan's frown lightened a few degree. Were they his parents? ...Huh, parents. She wasn't sure about all that. No one was going to come and visit her. She was sure of that. But spying a taller figure behind them, the dark elf's eyes widened a bit. "...It's you." She grumbled in irritation, eyes lingering on Valos' form. After a moment more, the frown disappeared and she simply sighed. "I should apologize." Morrighan finally said, looking away in the process. "...I was terrible to you the entirety of the time we knew each other. And throughout it all you were patient." She turned her body away entirely at that, looking downwards. "Whatever you're doing now, I hope you're at peace." A pause, and then she added. "...Actually, I imagine you'll find some convoluted way to refute that statement, so I rescind it." Crossing her arms, the dark elf frowned at Valos and shook her head. "Take them away from here. We have business to attend to." And with that said, she returned her attention to Eir, just in time for the high elf to start clapping. "Bravo, bravo~ Good show, you people~" Smiling, apparently entertained, she spoke on. "Though your friend in black could do with some more colorful reactions, I suppose I will give you all an A grade regardless~" Morrighan's eyes narrowed and she shook her head at all that her counterpart had said. "That's enough out of you." She trailed off, thinking hard for a moment. "And I have an answer to your question; I'll be taking you back into myself!" Abruptly, she pulled her, now signature, gun and pointed it at Eir. "Now die!" Her finger moved to pull the trigger then, but... "....?" For some reason, she couldn't. "Ah, ah, ah~" Eir intoned playfully, wagging a finger. Apparently just that action was enough to seize control of Morrighan by way of magic. "You really thought you could touch me? We're the same person. You can't harm me. Not even a little bit~" Arm outstretched, the fair skinned woman then clenched her opened hand into a fist. "On the contrary, I believe I will be taking YOU into MYSELF." With an evil grin, she watched as Morrighan sunk to her knees, clutching her chest in some sort of pain. "Ugh....ergh...ghk...!" Eir's gaze turned impassive as she looked upon the others and held out her other arm. "...As for you lot...please disappear." With with a waved of her hand, magics began to take form. Fire, ice, and lightning were summoned forth to do the deed.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras observes as Faruja engages the memories of those for whom he had much compassion in life, undoubtedly, two parental figures, and a third, whom might have been a patron of some kind whom Faruja served as a member of a noble family? As unfeeling as Vohstra is, his lip emits a shadow of a quiver as he observes this heart-wrenching sight, being that he himself had never known his parents, and allegedly..... his mother had cared for him, enough to have him ferried away before his traitorous father could sacrifice him due to his deformities-- yes, we did not mention this before, but Vohstra has two cutaneous horns arising from his forehead like that of Diabolos himself. An omen.... a terrible omen. Not condemning Faruja for having wept ever so lightly, the fallen retainer fixates on the scene for but a moment, as the spearman returns his attention to the enemy at hand. Normally, he finds emotional displays unacceptable during a job, but since he's not here to judge others, the Mtek decides his job is to send someone /TO/ be judged, perhaps-- Morrighan's evil clone. Like Shadow, Vohstras must keep his mind on introducing blade to flesh.... or false flesh, if Eir is not quite composed of matter reminiscent of her 'sister'. Before this day is done.... there will be more death, even if not a drop of blood is spilt; the death of a memory, the death of a figment of one's imagination, or the death of time itself, but Vohstras hopes it's not the latter, for having hours of his life spent for naught is highly frustrating, especially after the tedium he endured to get to this strange place, after putting up with Morrighan's pomposity at different junctures. At least there was one satisfying element to all of this-- he got to see the wench get a taste of her own medicine. Then.... the drow began to get into a lengthy monologue with the 'Valos' character, perplexing Vohstra.... that fellow must have been a real benefactor, if someone who spewed as much poison as Morrighan did, could have even a solitary compliment reserved for the taller apparition. This distracted him for just long enough for Eir to unleash an elemental onslaught on Vohstra that had such force that it propelled him backwards, and.... off the edge of the cliff! Was he dead?! Not a chance. There was a singular finger clinging to the very borders of the plateau, made of metal. No human finger had enough strength to support an entire body with the added power of an aerial trajectory, but a robotic one? Yes. That one finger helped him cling to the edge, and Vohstras immediately yanked himself back atop the strange mesa, where he extended his organic hand, fingers curling inward as a titanic glacier of pure crystal surges towards Eir. The lightning portion of Eir's attack had so much potency against Vohstra that it'd sent him soaring, and he was going to extend to her a similar courtesy! With Morrighan looking pained, the samurai wasn't taking chances.... he was attacking! No war-cries from him, though, and nothing to signify Eir's attack was agonizing.... beyond some gritting of teeth, that is; he's a mute, so what could one expect?

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' So too is Faruja barraged by the elements, the ratling squeaking out in pain as magical energies engulf him quite nicely. Leaping away from the blast, he ends roughly in front of Morrighan, the rat coughing and gasping as he lands. Looking more than a little singed at this point, he's definitely going to need some new armor. Frowning as Morrighan takes to a knee, unable to shoot, he stands guard for her. Vohstra attacks, and Faruja takes the chance to wash a Regen spell over himself and his allies. They'll need to be there for the long haul if they're to return this fragment of Morrighan to her! Nor does he miss the conversation between elf, elf, and spirit of Valos. "...Fiend indeed. Lady Alazne, hold fast! We shall have thy errant soul-bit back where it rightfully belongs." Tank stance go!

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' Lack of color is what Shadow does best. Something about the name. Something about his black clothing. But-- it had to be magic. It had to be something not confined by the ground, as well. It leaves few options for him-- and the ones he does act on leaves him burnt, frozen, and shocked in no particular order. Smoldering would be a good way to describe what is left after he gets his bearings once more. Holding his hands together he focuses-- creating a stillness and distortion that chills over his persona. It extends to those nearby him that had to deal with the similar attack-- Interceptor, Faru, and V. When the stillness is complete, Shadow drops into a fighting stance. He will have to find an opening. The healing helps.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan glared at Eir through half lidded eyes. The pain in her chest was becoming unbearable. It was like someone was grasping her very being and squeezing it. She couldn't assist in battle like this. Watching her companions get bombarded by an array of magic spells, /her/ magic spells, just made it even more infuriating. That was her power that clone was throwing about! "Oh my, you people should do a better job of paying attention, ahahahaha~" Laughing, quite amused with the turnout of her initial assault, Eir watched as Vohstras' response came right for her. The attack hit it's mark for sure, but there was no visible indication of such on the elf. Rather, her body just flickered a bit and she frowned. "...Hmn...I suppose I should make an effort to avoid too much damage..." Watching as Shadow and Faruja took ready and defensive stances respectively, Eir weighed her options before snapping her fingers and casting another set of spells. "Well then, let us see how you fare against this!" Following that, a massive orb of silvery, non-elemental energy formed above before descending onto the plateau with crushing force.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Still not able to recover his spear, which was knocked out of his hands when he was blasted off the side and nearly into the abyss, Vohstras needed a secure window to collect it, but in the meantime, he wasn't helpless. A trick that Queegmaa had 'up his sleeves' was something Vohstras himself possessed-- something akin to a bola-rope which was actually a metal wire, could be projected from his mechanical arm, amongst the many adaptors and special features it lodged. Rakassa was a twisted individual, and since Vohstra was a student of this wicked lady of shadows, who was the embodiment of 'lust', he had profited in some ways by the designs of her backwards mind. Rakassa was oft compared to a black widow spider, who ensnared male consorts she found appealing, and kept them prisoner while they served her ever whim, thus, it had taken form in Vohstras' arsenal as a cord that would shoot out and tangle up his opponents, either fully incapacitating them, or just partially, for a temporal interval. Sometimes he could bind their arms, sometimes their legs.... or if he was really lucky, he could wrap the thing around their throat and choke them into unconsciousness; such a thing might've been useless on Eir, but he was going to seek to hamper her movements somehow or other. Rolling to the side, he got up on a knee, and launched this surujin at her, but at the very same moment he did this, the high-elf engulfed him with a compressing sphere of magnified pressure, causing sparks to fly from his bionic arm as some of the valves were clamped shut, whilst simultaneous to this, some of his armor began to warp as it bent inward, save for the piece of Oni-Yoroi which was all but /unaffected completely/ by the massive blast... as though it had the very density of a neutron star-- something that might catch the eye of Eir, if she's greedy and likes collecting powerful pieces of equipment.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Silvery light slices into Faruja, blood staining the stone upon the farplane from the force of the spell. Dents and cracks in his armor appear, the rat certain a few of his ribs are broken. Agony runs through his body. /Rage/ fills him, at this abomination daring to desire to consume a child of Faram. Holy light flares from the rat, as he spits out blood and a tooth or two. "/VILE ABOMINATION/! Ye whom would presume to hold the construct of this woman's soul! Thee wretched, filthy fiend! Hold naught upon this mortal plane! Go, GO to thy owner, returned from whence ye came! By the Light of Holy Faram, and by the strength of the Holy Prophet, be PURGED AND SET TO RIGHTEOUSNESS!" Leaping into the air, his holy energy burns and wraps around his spear as he Jumps, spear pointed towards the chest of the fake Morrighan. The holy power explodes, cutting into the very stone. It's all a distraction, an over-long feint. Knowing well the vulnerabilities of undead, his tail reaches into his robes. A knife is drawn; a silver dagger, belonging to a certain Count. Quite simply, he attempts to perform a holy-infused, silver shanking into the pyreflie-gut of Eir.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' This time the magical assault meets different results. The soul hazing makes it more difficult to hit him-- like a raincoat in rain. Shadow sprints towards the attack-- aiming to get past the silvery ball of doom before it lands right on his ninja face. The evasive options are still razor-hair thin-- with the sapping effects of both a Drain and Bio only missing his persona by a razor's width. He slides the last moment-- bypassing the Ruinous magic's impact point as he aims upwards towards the elvish attacker. The wave of magic has Shadow ride the force forward as salvo of projections erupts-- a combination of metal shrapnel to mix with a single 'herbal' filled orb. If Faru is going to go from the top, Shadow is going to go from the bottom. And V-- well that must mean V has the center.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Eir's eyes were indeed fixated upon Vohstras' rather intriguing contraption. So much so that Faruja and Shadow were given clear openings to land their attacks. As usual, there was no satisfying crunch or otherwise physical indications of damage, but the magic power behind them, especially Faruja's, caused the elf to wince in pain. "Grh...!" Given pause, she looked away, deeming the mute's possessions to be a non issue at the moment, no matter how interesting they might have been! "I see, you people are not too bad...Well then...." Smirking openly, Eir straightened herself up and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes. "Time to unleash a fair bit more of my power. I really do need you fools to vanish after all." And with that, the pyreflies drifting about the plateau would find themselves drawn towards the high elf, gathering as a force akin to a black hole began to form. More and more spirits were forcibly gathered and then compressed. They crystallized, forming a massive black cluster that looked more like a dread glacier. "Dear sister, I'm afraid you will be bidding your friends farewell soon!" Then sharply, her eyes opened and her arms thrust forward. "Disappear from my sight!" And with that, the dark fragment descended onto the plateau, aiming to crush and shatter, sending magical force exploding outwards at high velocity.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras didn't have any magical weapons like silver daggers, or holy powers to use against phantoms of the night, but he did have a nice piece of armor that allowed him to speak telepathically, besides offering unequalled protection.... even if it only covered one small part of his body! His cybernetic arm had a few tricks to it, but what he prided himself upon was his spear-play, and he was going to reclaim his signature weapon if it was the last thing he did.... which, at the rate things were going, it might very well have been such! Closing the distance between himself and his weapon, he continued to meander across the battlefield until he reached the thing, and seized the end of it. The impact from that initial barrage by Eir had actually sent the spear into a hunk of rock where it'd become embedded, so Vohstra needed to use all his strength to emancipate the destructive device. For now.... Shadow, Vohstra didn't have center; this fellow couldn't die honorably without a weapon in his hand, or in his body, and since Eir was using mysticism to dish out the punishment, that meant the only armament he could rely on having on(or in) his person was his own! The dark glacier has such tremendous might behind it that it pulverizes a fair percentage of Vohstra's armor as he's blown clear of the place where he was trying to remove his yari. Fortunately, as he clenched his eyes shut in a mixture of dealing with the pain and exerting sufficient force to retrieve his spear, that the added power of the blast /assists/ with ripping it free of its confines. Shaking his head, the Mtek now has a weapon in his hand, even if he's on the dizzy side.... that last bombardment was considerably menacing, and he needed a moment to recollect himself.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Where has Deelel been? "I do not think so, that is enough out of you!" Deelel runs a few commands and engages a fire wall protocall somehow. Queegmaa and Faruja would find that this is not magic but it is something close enough. So now with her allies protected somewhat, she pulls the disc off her back and it humms to live. "Got a bit lost, sorry about that, shall we get it and my apologises Morri..."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' And power the Fiend has, that dark fragment exploding into the Burmecian. Sent flying, he skitters like a stone flicked across a lake, landing at the edge of the stairs. Coughing, hacking up blood, his spear is sent careening down the very stairs. Pain assaults his senses, dark magics flowing into him, pain wracking his body. Crawling forward, all he has is a knife on him, and even his magic falters. Spying his allies, he does what he can; feeling himself bolstered as psuedo-magic falls upon him. Slowly, he gets to his feet. "By Ajora, Deel! I /swear/ that boy is rubbing off on you!" Clearly Deelel has contracted a case of the Reizeitis. Green light flashes over himself and Shadow, the most wounded of all of them; twin curatives attempting to seal their wounds.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' It looks like that is the end of Shadow. Even Interceptor gives one last bark as the dark figure evades 'into' the attack. Its almost as if the guy is some sort of fatalist-- or if he is trying to prove something to his ghostly friend that is watching. The reaper comes for everyone-- and when the dark glacial attack lands-- it seems as if that is the end. Game Over. Continue? . . . And there he is. Cue the trumpets. Cue the well-placed green glow from a Faru that returns some much needed vitality. Cue-- offensive ninja. Finally the blade is unsheathed from Shadow's side with the sort of silvery blurr one expects from the whizz of a bullet. Yet that isn't the worst of it-- its all for positioning. The bottom of his sword's hilt detaches with a thin metal wire-- attempting to grapple with the sorceress and stiffle her voice. He gambles that the last attack left her just weak enough to pull it off. But the true action-star of this? Interceptor-- who is already charging and waiting for his ninja to grapple the foe right into pounce-chomping time.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Hmn...Shame. I must have miscalculated the power on that spell." Eir mumbled, disappointed at the turnout afterward. Yes, she did manage to deal a good bit of damage, but no one was gone. What a shame. And now they have a chance to recover. The appearance of Deelel gave the elf pause as she arched a brow. "...Oh, so there were more of you. Wonderful." At this point, Eir was growing rather fed up. Shadow's quick combination was met with the barest defenses as it came as a bit of a surprise. "Tch...!" Jumping back to put distance between them, the fair skilled elf eyed Morrighan who at this point, could feel that hold on her waning. "...Why don't you just give up and become part of me already?" The question was met with a scoff as Morrighan rolled her eyes, taking a few moments to catch her breath. "...You realize that is a far off dream, yes? After all...I'm the original here. ...If we come back together, I'll be the one in control." This statement was met with silence from Eir, who then began to laugh. "A-Ahahahahaha! Nonsense! That is complete nonsense! Why would I have called you out here just to become a part of you again!? Are you mad!?" Morrighan just stared for a moment and then smirked. "...But isn't that exactly what you were after? You were just too awkward to say it outright." Another bout of silence between them. At that point, Morrighan set down her gun and shakily stood, an arm held out to signal the others to hold their ground. "...Am I wrong?" The dark elf asked then, staring holes into her counterpart.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Morrighan's word is law, and though he was still at a moderate level of health(over half), with enough vitality to keep fighting physically, exercised restraint by standing by for further instructions. His job was to 'keep Morrighan safe', and if the attacks stopped from Eir's end, there was no threat, especially since now the drow had regained enough strength that she could stand.... even if she was staggering while doing so. Vohstras kept his spear leveled, ready to strike Eir at the first sign of trouble re-emerging, but for now, he'd silently regenerate some of his health in his own, unique way; the esper he'd been infused with was a creature of ice, and water.... The water aspect meant he had gained some healing properties, so unlike the destructive side, which involved freezing things into total stasis and death, he could rejuvenate over time, if slowly. Panting, he'd been given a thorough workout, but he was a tough nut to crack, which was why he was in better shape than Faruja, even though both of them had taken the same attacks, and in defiance of the fact that Faruja was also an armored fighter! Perhaps now the Nezumi will believe Queegmaa's boastful claim about how stalwart those Magitek Knights were!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Bloody, battered, and beaten, Faruja very much holds his ground. Slowly getting up, he limps to stand towards Morrighan's flank, nothing more tha Valos' silver dagger in his hand. He didn't have the strength to summon up another spear, instead holding to his single weapon left. It's through sheer willpower that he moves to try to protect the woman, staying true to his word to the dark elf. If he died today, he'd have few regrets. Indeed, the magitek knight's abilities certain play in some corner of Faruja's mind. But most of it tends to his allies. The Burmecian works healing magics onto himself, and others, even as he speaks. "...Do not deceive thyself. You know with whom you belong. Join to her, and cease this conflict." Speaks the rat to the light skinned elf.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' The ninja has his sword pointed at Eir. That cold look is similar to the final moments that would follow some serious damage. Yet Shadow notices Morrighan's command and without a hint of pride he sheaths his razor sharp blade. Interceptor whines-- being more childish of the two. He already had a taste of her from the last attack and has this 'But I can beeeaaatttt heerrrr' in his puppy dog eyes. To this Shadow shoots a chastising glare. The client comes first, dog, remember this. Shadow paces to Morrighan's side. His tertiary function is still evacuation-- and if whatever happens next leaves the elf threatened-- his priority is not as an assassin, but as a transporter. This has been prepaid for under line item eight of the platinum ninja clause.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is glad to lend her aid to her friends, even to Morrighan herself. She smirks a bit at the comment about there being more. "What can, I say?" She glances over to her companionsm taking stock of their condtion. I could be worse but both are alive. The imperial gets a look, however prehaps things are even between them now. Shadow and Faruja are alive, Interceptor is also noted as being all right as well. "Being broken is no easy thing, I have been there...if you join you will be one step closer to being whole."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "......This is hardly fair." Eir grumbled after several moments of considering Morrighan's words. Quietly, she eyed everyone present, contemplating letting off another magical barrage. She had enough strength to let off that spell again, and more. ...But what was the point? Even if she won, she'd still lose control to Morrighan. Morrighan meanwhile just closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...When is anything ever fair? You and I both know how that is. We're the same person after all, you and I." Stepping forward cautiously, and then another, and another, slowly approaching her counterpart, Morrighan eventually reached her and they stared eye to eye for a moment. "...Fine then." Eir grumbled, letting her arms lower to her sides. "I'm done, do as you will." Morrighan nodded and closed to distance. In a decidedly uncharacteristic action, Morrighan pulled her 'sister' into a rather motherly seeming hug, smoothing out her hair as she spoke. "It was lonely, wasn't it?" Silence was all Morrighan got for an answer, but it was enough. Eir soon broke down into wisps of light, becoming drawn into Morrighan's body. There is a brief flash of light for a moment before it subsides, and all that remains is Morrighan alone. "...Phew." Opening her eyes, the elven woman looked around and then checked herself. "Looks like that worked." And immediately to test, she held out a hand and focused a little. Without any struggle or effort, a large plume of flame burst to life above her hand, flickering wildly. ".../Finally/!" Confirming the completion, Morrighan let the flame die and turned to look at the group. "It seems as if the job is done. And no one died. Congratulations~" Speaking clearly in a good mood, Morrighan approached, arms spread, and she immediately began exercising her good old healing magic to help heal everyone's wounds. "Now then, let us depart from this dreaded place. I'm sure you all are rather weary of it. I know I am!" Unbeknownst to Morrighan however, two figures were beginning to take form from the pyreflies drifting about... One of them was an older man. His skin was of a dark complexion, almost grey. His hair was short and white and he was extremely tall, at least Valos' height. He must have been a dark elf. His expression was somber, almost apologetic as he beheld Morrighan's form. Standing at his side was a much smaller woman. A high elf if her fair skin was anything to go by. Her hair was long and brown and she wore a rather regal looking dress, one certainly not fit for travel. As she regarded Morrighan, she smiled sincerely, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, which she reached to wipe away quickly. ...Who were these people? Morrighan was currently oblivious to them, but her companions could definitely see them.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' Vohstras peers over at Deelel, but says not a thing implying that he feels they're on good or bad terms, he's fairly neutral about everyone here, since this is a private contract. On the other hand, he was the one who didn't give the hordes of soldiers leave to pursue Maira to recapture her, so combined with that fact that he'd aided Morrighan, maybe these two things impressed Deelel to the extent that she no longer begrudged him. Though he doesn't say it, he actually had nothing to do with Maira's kidnapping, her confinement, or anything other than guarding whoever(or whatever) Admiral Rakassa brought to the Magitek Factory upon which to be experimented. Not quite in paramount condition, but already showing signs of robustness from his perpetual rejuvenation process, the ice-elemental Mtek who could sometimes influence time(mainly slowing or stopping it, as cold tends to do for movement) began to breathe more lightly as his health was becoming more abundant. The man named Vohstras could truly take a licking and keep on ticking, but it made no difference, because Morrighan had dealt the finishing blow to Eir, who in essence, was destroyed.... in that she ceased being who she was.... a meager fragment that was lost, instead, returning to her source, reincarnated as a whole entity-- Morrighan Alazne! Vohstra stood upright, quietly, and put away his yari in its holster, since he assumed the fighting was done with; all that was left was to return to his master and receive his reward for a job well done. And unlike some wimps who served the sadistic matron of the navy of Vector cajolingly, who'd settle for second-rate treatment, he expected no patronization from his superior officer, and no sarcasm, having earned a genuine reception full of warm gratitude..... even if the warmth was phony, since, after all, Rakassa wasn't capable of being sincerely compassionate towards others. Vohstra glanced over at the newly arrived elves, and tilted his head to the side, questioningly, then.... he was reminded of something. Shooting a glance to Shadow, he sent the ninja a telepathic message that only the assassin alone could hear inside of his mind.....

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' ....There would be no proof of anything, regardless of how Shadow answered....

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja stares back at Morrighan, a smile coming to his muzzle as two become one. "...Quite. A rousing success. I must say, the Lady hath a fine point. Let us quit this place. Enough of this place for a lifetime, methinks... Healing magic has Faruja moving, the rat offering a nod to the dark elf as he starts to turn away. Pausing, several figures catch his eye. His body stills. Gaze sweeping over them, he burns those figures into his memory, taking in every detail he can. Faruja, ever a loving homebody at heart, knows a family when he sees one. He'll be cursed if he won't remember this one. Kneeling briefly, he crosses his chest, muttering a prayer for the departed. Then, standing, he offers a bow to the figures present. A smiles comes to his face. "She shall be fine. Go to the Lord, with pride of thy kin." With that, Faruja turns sharply, walking out beside his companions today; heart far less burdened than when he entered.

:'''[[Shadow]] has posed:''' The worst of the threat is done, but there is still the matter of leaving the party in safe ground. This is hardly safe ground. Shadow lets his accumualted momentium return to a natural stillness as he moves away with the others. Interceptor barks once-- feeling as if he missed out on some sort of climax. The ninja appreciates it more like a fine drink you can savor-- in a tavern-- with the money he earned. The assassin got the message-- but the reply to it is wordless. A typical, "..." with a cold glare back to Vohstras. Some secrets are better left in the dark. Thats what he prefers at least. Among the watching spirits, the shady form of the rogue claps his hands together slowly and sarcastically. As Shadow goes to leave-- the spirit breaks the assassin's stride by stepping in front of him. "We need to talk." Shadow stares at him. Cold blue eyes. No. They don't need to talk. Shadow steps around the figure and continues with the team. He has a job to do. He has a payment to deliver. He has an Admiral to meet later. He-- has all the reasons he needs to run away. Again.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan never did see those figures. By the time she glanced back, curious as to who Faruja was praying to, they had already vanished into the farplane. "....?" Left confused and with no answer, she shrugged and followed after the others with a smile on her face. Finally, she was complete. Garland's little game had been bested and she was whole again. That's really all that mattered to her. Having retrieved her gun on the way out, she tucked it away before rushing along to not get left behind.

:'''[[Queegmaa]] has posed:''' With Morrighan whole, Faruja already leaving, and Shadow showing no interest in providing any answers, Vohstra gazes at the spirit who asked Shadow to speak to him. Interviewing 'Baram' might have done some good, except that as Shadow is departing, the magic of the pyreflies loses potency, thus preventing the spirit from maintaining cohesion when the only remaining person here is one with whom the ghost had no attachments. No answers are to be had, but Vohstra has a feeling that this was the one.... how the ancient demon varg knew of Shadow's past, is beyond Vohstra.... but he is a small player in this vast, tangled web, a newcomer.... whereas Shadow and Rohy had been around much longer, and Morrighan.... she, being a dark elf, was probably also far more 'in the know' than himself. Sighing silently, as no real sound erupts from his mouth, the Mtek begins his descent to the bottom, so that he can get his payment, and from the very same person who Shadow was going to see; despite that, the chances were, the two would not see each other again for some time.

Morrighan Alazne

2013-11-16T12:33:21Z

MirageV:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Morrighan
|middlename=Lachesis
|lastname=Alazne
|age=Looks to be about 19
|image=FK - MorrighanNew.png
|species=Dark Elf
|sex=Female
|height=5'5
|weight=Excuse me?
|series=Final Fantasy 1
|styles=Dark Impulse
|hometown=Elfheim
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Church Of Glabados
|occupation=Healer
|quote="I have little love for trouble and shenanigans. Keep it far away from me."
|footer=Regained her memories. Now on the hunt for her other half.
}}
=== Personality ===

Since regaining her memories, Morrighan has more or less lightened up. Her speech is a little more casual, and she smiles genuinely more often. Realizing that she's been a terrible person for a long time, she seeks to make amends, though not outright saying it. Despite that, Morrighan is still haughty, mocking, and obnoxious. She just has a bit more of a heart now. For better or worse.

=== Background ===

Since regaining her memories, Morrighan can recall that she's a dark elf that was raised in Elfheim; a village of light elves. One can imagine how well that went for her. But regardless, she doesn't let it drag her down anymore. Now, Morrighan focuses not on the past, but the future.

=== Abilities ===

'''Ether Gun:''' A simple weapon provided to her by the kind man who took her in. Professing that he wouldn't stop her if she wanted to leave and look around, figuring that maybe it would spark something. He gave her an Ether Gun to defend herself with. It's fairly easy to use. Just point and shoot. The weapon fires rounds of magic energy based on the Ether Cartridge currently loaded. One can potentially use many different Ether Cartridges to fire different kinds of elemental bullets.

Her magic powers are still missing despite recovering her memories...

==Stats and Abilities==
Inapplicable.

==Relationships==

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"Rebuilding..."
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"Rebuilding..."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"Rebuilding..."
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

File:FK - MorrighanNew.png

2013-11-16T12:25:20Z

MirageV:

Memories Forgotten - Part 1

2013-09-06T04:36:40Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/09/05 |Location=Targ Woods |Synopsis=Rumors begin to fly about the Southern Continent regarding a creature lurking within the depths of the Ta..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/09/05
|Location=Targ Woods
|Synopsis=Rumors begin to fly about the Southern Continent regarding a creature lurking within the depths of the Targ Wood. Various individuals convene to get to the bottom of this. And truths are unraveled.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Deelel, Morrighan Alazne, Angantyr Vespar, Chita, Blivon
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Location: Targ Wood - Several Hours Ago... They come. They continue to come. Again and again. These humans and their curious ways. And yet, it is that curiosity that provides the forest sustenance. Another foolish mercenary had entered these woods, likely with the aim of bringing /it/ down. Yet the forest knew that he would not succeed. They knew very well the results of this endeavor before it even happened. The sellsword stepped into the clearing. The forest stirred. The sellsword drew his blade, fueled by the promise of riches. The forest took shape. The sellsword steeled himself and charged. ...The forest struck. There was nary a chance for this unfortunate mercenary to utter a scream before the forest devoured him. His heart and body being assimilated into the life of the greenery. The forest returned to rest and all was well. ...For now. Location: Targ Wood - Presently... Walking along the road that lead into the depths of Targ Wood, was a single dark elven girl. Her eyes lacked a certain light and her gaze was ever curious. But on this day, something more than curiosity drew her to these woods. It was not the stories she had heard from those in Junon either. Something more...instinctual drove the girl to come. Something she could not begin to place. "...Wow...there are so many trees..." Morrighan, or rather, the girl currently believing her name to be Kara, spoke out in awe. She had seen trees before of course, but not in such large volume at once. It was a woonderous sight for the dark elf. But something compelled her to keep moving rather than take in the sights. Something deep inside of her urged her on. Keep going. It's here. This is where you need to be. And so, this girl, almost completely unarmed save for a single Ether Gun, made her way into the depths of Targ Wood, unaware of any others that could have been coming to answer the call to investigate.

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' The Targ Woods was teeming with fierce fiends, but also full of useful fungus, which was precisely why Blivon had come to the forest. As per the usual, he was collecting ingredients, making his usual rounds through the World of Ruin so as to not only assist Rosemarie with her potion-making, but for herbal remedies to medicate those who sought out his help; was it a coincidence that there were others that had congregated in the wood on this particular day? It was true that as a spiritual advisor, the shaman did like to keep tabs on the unfoldings of particularly active paranormally-inclined regions, but since he didn't actually plan on performing an exorcism, he'd only come in the hopes of procuring fauna for his stock. All the same.... Blivon had his staff equipped in the event that he had to deal with rowdy spirits or demons! Quite by coincidence, as he was plucking some tidbits, having arrived at his current location only minutes prior, unbeknownst to him that hours ago someone had been swallowed, Morrighan(or Kara, as it were) encroached on his location, causing him to pause, look up at her, and grin, "Salutations, again!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' At this time, other events do not matter to Avira. Previous scuffles or expeditions or tasks in progress have been set aside for now and she focuses entirely on the mission at hand. As was routine for her when she selected Marks or missions, she had done her homework. Calling on contacts and inquiring with locals had lead to the troubling but familiar trend of mercenaries departing to investigate or slay the beast, only to fail to return. For the very mortal Avira, failure was always an option. However, being timid and shying away from danger was not. She'd come prepared with a small backpack, ready to spend a few nights in these woods if she had to. A variety of healing supplies were on hand for herself and, buried deep in one of her pouches, rested a gummi grenade 'borrowed' from her joint test site with Arthur Drover. Her movements through the wood are swift and metholodical. To the observer, should she actually be spotted, she certainly knows what she's doing. In fact, she seems quite at home moving through the forest and very neatly stays out of sight-for now. Especially as she hears a jovial greeting in the distance from a voice she did not know.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel has been quiet she's been working her new club job in Manhatan unaware of pulling a daft punk by always doing her DJ shows with her helmet on. It would be amusing if she ever found out. She was just recalling two other music programs she knew of besides she liked going by the title of Basic Girl. There was just some strange program humour at work there. She'd however pulled her self awary at this point just to get out also she's been concerned for Morrighan ever since the incident with a certain letcher. Shiki and Deelel were very close likely punching him a but over waht he'd done. Still she was aware that Morrighan had not been a good person before, first hand even. Still she was basically a stray at that point and Deelel would be lying if there was no compassion for her there. Well should she encounter, she's got a bit of a time being stealthy given she emits some form of light normally but she certainly is trying, one might be able to spot her if they were paying attention.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Of course, not all parties who happened to be within the Targ woods were actually /within/ it. Some where above. Or, rather, at least one was above. A Viera wearing not very much in the way of armor save what looked like a modified assassins attire for a male was currently standing on top of one of the trees of the forest while otherwise looking out over it, waiting for something to catch his attention. Something that sounded off, looked off. Maybe a tree just snapping in the distance. A scream. Or some monstrous sound. Something to go by. Something had to be there for the rumors to have started and it had to be fairly large if it couldn't have been taken down more easily. Or maybe it was simply Heartless. Or both.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...Mmn?" Kara hummed lightly at the familiar voice, turning her gaze over to Blivon distractedly. She spent a moment staring at him before it dawned on her that she knew him. "Oh....you're....that person. ...Blivon?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, unsure of herself. The elf spent little time, if any at all on greetings and her gaze gradually returned to the depths of the forest. "...I have to...go..." That said, Kara proceeded to step onwards, moving past and out of the Shaman's area of work. "...Something...is waiting for me..." And without spending any further time lingering there, the elven girl was off. MEANWHILE The forest can sense it. New intruders. They come in larger number than before. They have no right. And yet, they are here. Can you sense it? /She/ approaches. Interesting. Let them come then. While the 'forest' proceeded to converse with itself, several subtle things began to happen. Vines began to slither along the ground. Flowers swayed to and fro despite there being not enough wind force for such. And the trees shook ever so slightly. And withi a certain clearing that was drawing closer and closer to those within(or above), something was congregating...taking form...

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Having a considerable advantage in woodsy places full of organic matter, especially that of the nature element, Blivon was most likely already mildly aware of other presences without initial, ocular evidence of their arrival-- this was not to say that he was incapable of seeing them when they came into his line of vision, though, which they probably would, in eventuality. But whether he announces his awareness of other 'visitors' to the green-laden realm or not was another matter entirely, for as an unobtrusive sort, there was no cause to herald the emergence of others unless they made their occupancy undeniably obvious; let those who wish to be anonymous, to be anonymous. The fact that Deelel and Avira didn't proclaim their presences notwithstanding, the holy-man was also not in the habit of addressing people preemptively, since it would've been discourteous, in his mind, to garner attention to himself if he didn't have any real business with them, and thus, could potentially be wasting their time, or distracting them, by trying to flag them down. Kara made herself a bit more plain to see, and when she responded to the guru, he remarked, "I am." Her other sentiments were a bit more peculiar, but he had no place to dictate where Kara should or shouldn't venture, so he simply nodded to her, and spoke, "If it awaits you, then let us hope it has the same amount of patience to match your diligence in rendezvousing with it! Good fortune to you, Miss." She'd never introduced herself, and being non-intrusive, he didn't ask, so 'miss' would have to do. He did begin to pick up on the irregularities of the forest's transformation, and desisted in gathering herbs for a minute, tying up his pouch; something amiss could easily lead to something worse afoot, and if that happened, Blivon would like to have available a hand-- or two!

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel had known of the monster but she'd been distracted by noticing Morrighan here. She'd come to hunt the beast, but the user turned stray was also something to consider. She hears her talk to Blivion, and she has to wonder about it a bit longer. She wasn't sure what it was but it seemed perhaps the monster was hunting Morri? She's not sure but she does continue on, pressing head she has to wonder. Just what was lurking out there in the dark? She would find out sooner or later for the moment? She was going to push on head and keep as some sort of rear guard. The forest didn't feel right to her, even less so than organic life felt often to the digital being. There was so much in this world that had no purpose she could figure out. She's not notice Avira just yet but once she does? Having her on site? It would prove to be something that would leave Deelel very much less hesitant than she was currently. Blivon on the other hand is an unknown factor and having insufficient data was something that always did bother her. Just who were they and what were they up to?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Silently, Avira listens in. The second voice is immediately recognized, even if she hasn't spoken with 'Kara' for a while. The hesitant, unsure and almost childlike response she gives to Blivion's greeting is a dead giveaway. A spike of worry suddenly jabs into her mind-what WAS Kara doing out here in this dangerous forest? The very forest where several adventurers had recently lost their lives in pursuit of the mysterious beast inside? She doesn't abandon her stealth but does opt to move closer, listening in on the confused dark elf. Her continued words do not bode well and Avira grits her teeth in response, making herself visible just as Kara takes off into the woods. At that precise moment, the presence in the forest seems to acknowledge her and the hairs on the back of her neck stand. "Kara, don't!" Avira calls out abruptly, her pursuit halting suddenly as something happens in her field of vision, just out a view. A moving vine with no animal in sight responsible. A swaying tree when the wind was clearly not blowing. "Kara, come back, it's dangerous!" She pauses, looking to...Blivion she called him? "We need to get her out of here before the thing in this forest takes her."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "You have a large heart." A voice says as a portal appears. "Sorry about being late," Angantyr says, looking towards Avira and then across at Deelel. Two people he knows...the Rabbit is not immediately recongized, probably for his benifit. His eyes looked back towards the words, "Something is out there, that is for sure...I can feel it from here, I fear." He says, "Or perhaps it is just the atmosphere of these words. Reguardless, If you're gona follow her, now would be a good time." He offers advice, and turns to follow after Morrighan. "Sorry about being late." he assides, "I was caught up in handling another issue with a heartless near home. Those things are persistant lately."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Was that clearing... moving? Was the entire woods here alive? Even atop the treeline as he was, staring on, his ears pick up on the rustling of things. Viera were, in the end, creatures of the woods. They could sense subtle things, hear subtle things in some cases. Or in this matter hear some kind of conversation relatively nearby, likely on the forest floor. Choices and decisions. Go towards the clearing and try to find out what was causing the woods to move/stop it, or... warn those down below. If the woods were alive, though - did they even have the ability to escape? Chita sighed before hopping off the tree and down to the ground with a light thud of landing, the assassins attire making him a good bit more quiet than the armor he used to wear. "You should all leave, now." he says, voice soft but clearly male, "These woods are alive, and... moving somehow. Towards you all." He wasn't looking at them so much as he landed between the clearing he had seen from above, and them. Back to them in fact.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan, or Kara, would not heed Avira's words. Something bigger compelled her to move onwards. Never stopping. Passing through the trees, over vines and flowers, through the grass. All the way until she eventually found her way into a large clearing of the forest. "... This is...?" Dead ahead of the elf was a massive, wriggling collection of...plantlife. Roots, vines, leaves, flowers, branches. All come together to form some manner of nature based monstrosity. Frozen in her place, Kara stared as the 'thing' unfurled itself. Raising high above the ground and the tree line. It was vaguely serpentine in appearance, the head formed out of a thick stitching of vines and other plants to form the head of a dragon. This was it. This was the creature that has been ending lives in this forest over the past few weeks. How did something like this even slip in unnoticed? No one could say. Save for one. Kara stared up at the creature, oddly without fear. "...I know you." She spoke softly, meeting the plant dragon's gaze calmly. "You were the one that's been...eating people. ...I saw you in my dreams..." The creature's eyes glowed a bright yellow as they swept across the landscape below. It was high enough to catch sight of all current intruders to the forest. Blivon, Deelel, Avira, Chita, and now Angantyr. It's massive body rustled, leaves fluttering from it's form. And then a voice echoed outwards. A childlike voice. One that certainly didn't fit the appearance of what they were seeing before them. "We finally meet. ...Mother." The dragon lowered it's head somewhat as an opening formed in the general vicinity of the forehead, revealing...something human-like. No, that's not right. It was an elf. A dark elf. But a child. The most chilling aspect; she looked just like Morrighan. "Why have you come?" This question was directed at all others as the dark elven child that revealed itself from the head of the dragon directed a chilling glare down in their general area. "More mercenaries come to throw their lives away in futility?" And through all of this, all Morrighan could do was furrow her brows in confusion. "...Mother?"

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Tucking the pouch neatly under his belt, which was probably makeshift enough to qualify as more than just a standard belt, enabling it to securely hold fast things that normal cords would not, the sage pressed his feet firmly against the ground, straining his gastronemius muscles as he arose into a standing position. No sooner did he ascend than did Avira come around the bend(or whatever one might entitle the place from whence she came!), at which point she informed him that a female was in danger, which most certainly was an allusion to the drow who'd just passed by. Nodding his approval, and seeing no qualms about granting Avira's request. As he prepared to chase down Morrighan, a viera descended from above, causing Blivon to tilt his head to the side and remark, "Things are always in motion, to some degree. But I appreciate your concern, in defiance of my resistance to take your advice, for the moment....", conveying an expression of earnest gratitude for the assassin's attempt to aid. He had some aiding to do, in his own right, which revolved around helping Avira rescue(?) Morrighan. Approaching the consolidation of amassed wreathes, Blivon halted his stride when his quarry, the mature Morrighan, was confronted by some manner of vegetative beast, listening to the being's queries with unprejudiced feelings, and a willingness to accommodate, "The answer to that question, as far as I am concerned, is multi-faceted..... Do you have time for an in-depth discourse?" As for being a mercenary? That was hardly the appropriate term for Blivon, and he couldn't speak for anyone else, so he couldn't truthfully enlighten 'Biollante' as to whether they were there to discard their lives meaninglessly.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr stands forward almost pushing ahead of the group when the monster made itself visible. Angantyr resists the urge to play his hand...though the Keyblade almost jumped into his hands at the sight, at what he sensed...years of training under Garland's employ, he's learned how to sense both darkness and the taint of chaos. He is less surrounded in Chaos these days, thanks to some very special people, but... "Well, it seems my former master gets around." Angantyr says, addressing the child, "So you can fill us in on the details, I am guessing of what Garland did to her. I am imagining it was more than just make her forget who she was," He muses. "No, my former master was much more...maticilous than that, and vengeful. So who, or what are you?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Morrighan not listening to her? Doesn't THIS feel familiar to Avira. "Angantyr!" Avira doesn't slow as she continues after Kara. "You've made it! Good!" There was no sense in warning him about the presence as Angantyr could obviously feel it himself. As nature itself reshapes into a beast before her, Avira slows and quickly draws her weapon. "This must be it. Nobody's ever gotten away to say what it looks like." Kara starts walking towards it and Avira starts reaching out to stop her, only to stop herself as Kara starts speaking. Then the dragon starts speaking. "Mother?" Sje repeats incredulously. She's a little too stunned to confirm or deny that she's here to kill the vicious forest monster/apparent small child. "...Garland can do something like this?" Her confusion and horror are laid bare. "How?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel was not expecting this heavy backup, if Angantyr is here? She's not going to question it at all she also stops skulking at this point given there's no need at this point. "Greetings, Angantyr. Good to see you and I know how that can be. My own home is suffering issues as well. It's ... managed to keep Clu distracted for the most part." Chita gets a notice for a moment he says "What else would they be? Oh I see. I'm not backing down, sorry it's not in my nature to do so." Kara does not heed the words of Avira and see Deelel is moving to tail her before she gets eaten by something or another. Speaking of eating Kara has found the creature ahead of them she's not sure what to think of it as she looks at the thing ahead she's reaching for the Disc at the point. It speaks she did n to expect that or it to sound like a user child either. That is more unexpected, the thing then has what seems to be a child come out of it. Deelel is remaining silent for the moment also wait did it call Kara mother?! Deelel just manages to avoid blue screening herself at this point. "Just what, are you?" She doesn't make a move to attack gauging the thing and what her allies are going to do at this point. However she does not make for her weapon even Angantyr is asking questions so she just holds her hands for the moment wondering just what this girl? Was. Seriously what the heck is going on here. She does notice Chita still but well Deelel has not listened too well now has she? She generally knew everyone here but Blvion and was admittedly curious about this but given who Ang's former master is? That could be a huge problem with the nature of this child. "He is a twisted thing the darkness has long consumed."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' The entirety of what was actually going on here slipped past Chita, not knowing many of those here. In fact, he only 'knew' three of them, and how well he knew them was limited. That, and no one much seemed to pay attention to his advice to back off as it was. Only one even seemed to respond. "So be it." Then suddenly there was a draconic plant creature thing staring down at them. And some kind of humanesque child that seemed unhuman yet. And talk of things he didn't know of. And mention of Angantyr. "...sigh." Chita finally leapt aside and away from the creature and whoever it was talking to, making certain his back wasn't towards Angantyr(if they really were here) and looking around to get a better scope of what was going on. Then that thing asked a question. "I came... with hopes of ceasing the bloodshed. That is all."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Who am I?" The child muttered, repeating their question rhetorically. Her crimson gaze narrowed, and then she turned her gaze back down to the currently confused Morrighan. "...It really is a shame to see you like this. But then, I wouldn't exist if you hadn't been." That vague comment aside, the little girl let herself fall back, vines, roots, and wood covering up the spot she had emerged from, and assimilated her back into the dragon. Her voice echoed outwards then, addressing all. "I am the Life Dragon; Origin. It is through my will that all life shall be devoured. Devoured and returned to the origin. To the earth." The creature calling itself Origin then let out a loud bellow, it's maw opening wide to accomodate as it kicked up a forceful gust of wind. "I will devour you all, and your hearts shall become the fuel that will spur me ever onwards." Through all of this, Morrighan, or Kara just stared up at 'Origin' cluelessly, not at all sure as to what it was talking about. But somehow, she knew that this thing and her were one and the same. "...Origin...? Why do I-WHAAA!" But alas, the adult dark elf was given no time to try and think about this as the dragon had grabbed onto her with a vine, pulling her towards the body of the dragon and dragging her inside. "H-Hey! What are you--Stop! Hey! I said sto--" Her complaints her cut off as she was pulled into the creature, disappearing within the depths. That done, Origin's voice echoed outwards again. "...And now, Mother has joined with me. There is little that can stop me now." The congregation of plantlife coiled up and stared intensely at all present. "Prevent bloodshed? Laughable. The world is built upon bloodshed. Every world in every age. Bloodshed is all that mortal creatures know. In order to prove their own existence, they fight. Endlessly, they fight. It is an inevitable truth gleaned from ages of history long past." While it spoke, Origin began to build up it's own energy, preparing to attack. "To say otherwise would be to tell the most common lie ever conceived."

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Knowing almost nothing of Angantyr, Garland, or even the enigmatic girl who he was actually trying to steal away from the extremely ghastly forest, as well as its resident 'master', Blivon decided to remain silent as the considerably tall fellow began to interrogate the amalgamation of plant-matter that exuded a disconcerting aura. As more names are tossed around by Avira, the guru tries to assemble a storyline that describes what might've transpired, labeling protagonists and antagonists alike, silently. Although given his ignorance on this situation, a clearer picture will be improbable until the dust has cleared..... and judging from how formidable Biollante appeared to be, at least in its physical embodiment, the dust might end up clearing in its favor-- that wouldn't mean that the druid would bail out, regardless. Looking over to Chita as he admitted that his ambition was to stymie the continued violence, Blivon nodded his approval once more whilst smiling, inwardly already developing a fondness for the sleek, garbed ninja-viera's disposition, even at these early stages. Looking a little displeased as the great dragon swallowed up Morrighan, the guru readied his shield to try and deflect upcoming assaults aimed at his person, although he's mildly irritated that his inquiry went disregarded. Deciding it wasn't an important question, anyway, since he offered to converse for the 'dragon's sake, Blivon craned his neck back to look upwards at the lofty devil, responding to what has been uttered, "That would be incorrect. Stillborns are mortal, living only temporarily, but never come to know of the concept of bloodshed." He states, in a factual manner. He could provide other evidence as well, but, he wasn't sure that Origin was actually interested in debating for the sake of attaining truth, so much as validating its own agenda.... which was to kill everyone who was present! With that, he casted a few spells on himself, to give him added bonuses in avoiding damage-intake.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr wasn't fast enough to react to the vines, he does not curse...this was honestly her own fault...and now they would have to clean up her mess. When it states it's purpose, Angantyr shakes his head, "Sounds about right.." he mutters and his hand moves infront of him. A flash of light reveals the keyblade, The Tyrant Breaker (http://tinyurl.com/lzv3sxj) appears. It is a wicked looking Keyblade, dark crimson blades, but wrapped in silvery metal. Strength tempered by compassion, as he was told once. "You are certainly a creation of Garland...because /every/ one of you <GOOSEHONK>s are long winded, arrogant, and moralizing. Sure, it's the 'ho ho ho human nature's true colors' and all that...but still, it gets old. Get off the soap box." Then there was a flash of darkness, a technique showed to him, mastering of his own inner darkness. Shadows wrap around his form, clinging to his armor and sheilding him from the outside. A heat haze appears around him as he gathers the shadows to summon the abyssal armor. "Alright people! Dragon flanking positions! Remember to give it some breath to avoid the tentacles. Call out if you get grabbed! Deelel! You're quick, run around the dragon and cut anyone out that gets caught!" he starts calling out. "You, monster, can call me Angantyr Vespar, name it well, I am the mercinary who will strike you down! Don't be afraid people!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' According to Angantyr...yes. Yes Garland would do something like this. More than just erasure of memory, a part of Morrighan had been taken and warped into this fiend. Her grip tightens considerably on her unique-looking weapon as Origin unleashes a roar in their faces. Right afterwards, she shouts out again, calling for Kara to back away. Only it's too late. Any other time this could be written off as street justice but in her current state, Morrighan was an innocent. She'd already suffered enough that she didn't deserve to meet the miserable end of dragon food. "She certainly sounds like Garland though. With the...endlessly fighting mortals bit. That comes up quite often." Avira's already moving at 'dragon flanking positions'-at least, for what it was worth, because it was pretty clear that this creature was made entirely out of vines, which already was an unpleasant red flag for Avira. She's fought things with motile vines before. "Deelel! Angantyr!" Avira throws a hand back behind her, red motes of light swirling around her outstretched palm. Time magic, Angantyr would instantly recognize moments before a haste spell settles around him.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Well they had tried to talk? But it does not seeming to go very well. She listens as they give their name as the Life Dragon. Odd name fort a horror and clearly it's a twisted and there's no real choice at this point as it grans Kara. Oh this is going to end up bad. She tilts her head for a moment as she looks at the dragon for a moment. "Your blind to what I am. It does not matter if you wish to be a virus? Then you will be Derezzed before you can harm others." She goes for her disc but does not attack out right, no she's running a number of command line to boost her combat functions at this point. It is going to be something she needed and now she's very happy that Angantyr has a keyblade. From this things words hinting at it's likely nature they are so going to need the back up like this. She feels something from Avira effecting her and it's most welcome. "Thanks!" Her disc is now grabbed and it powers up humming to life.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' "..." Why does so many things, so many peoples, in this world insist on bloodshed. Then again, it may simply be that such is all they know. In fact, if that was the case... who was he to try and dissuade this creature, this creation - possibly child, given it had referred to the young-looking woman as 'mother' earlier, from all they knew. "There are ways to conflict without bloodshed. There is a land known as Jylland, a land governed by the magic of Laws which, when followed, can prevent death and senseless violence while still settling conflicts. I offer you that... as a last warning. I will not destroy you child, I will not cull a life even if necessary... but I highly doubt most others here have such compunction. Please. Return the woman and resolve to a peaceful ending." He had to try. Had to... even if he was quite aware that a creature who only knew such would never change, nor have any desire to. At least in such a situation. Which is why a lengthy spear was drawn, though it wasn't familiar to any who had seen Chita before. A long, silvery ornate spear, but not one made of the Judges Crystalline metal. A spear from his days as a Clansman. While in his other hand that fake keyblade that had been crafted for him in Duagerreo, the mockery that he had hoped would have some power(it didn't), simply to serve as some defense in case he had to use it.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Not taking the bait, Origin calmly and carefully considered all current possibilities. There were five of them. usually this would not be a problem. But that loud one with the key shaped sword and the magically formed armor was mildly worrying. And the others seemed to be a few steps above the usual run of the mill mercenary or greedy sellsword, the likes of which it had eaten droves of beforehand. In fact, they could probably spot loose weapons and armor littering the clearing here and there. A testament to past failures. "If you think I will just drop everything and go, then you are sadly mistaken." Was all Origin had to say in response to Chita's imploration. "I am a being with a single purpose. And I will carry out that purpose no matter what stands in my way." Prepared to strike, the creature let several vines lash out from it's body, moving to grasp any not fast enough to evade and restrict their movements. What followed was it's maw opening wide and firing a stream of solar energy down at all present, aiming to sear them in nature's energy while they were being held. And to finish it off, any who were held would find themselves raised into the air, and then thrown straight into the ground.

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Blivon was fairly grateful to have assistance on this occasion, but he wasn't entirely sure if his objectives were the best idea ever, or not-- however, doubts always playing the eternal part in his evaluation of choices, all he could do was quietly acknowledge that he would do what he would do, and be what he would be, which, in this instance, meant trying to retrieve a dark elf from the bowels of one of Godzilla's worst nightmares. The fact that Angantyr took point and sought for others to notify him if they were caught was something the shaman was thankful for, and revered as noble, for it meant that the Keyblade user was not just a destroyer, but willing to perform the duties of a savior, even if it meant delegating the task to Deelel; albeit, if yet that too could not be said about the knight.... then it could still be said that had a flair for fashion, since his Tyrant-Breaker was pretty darn nifty! As for Origin, the shaman could argue that there was a subdivision of vegans known as 'fruitarians', who didn't indulge in any animal product whatsoever, which meant that, in essence, assuming that these folks didn't wage war against man or beast, that no bloodshed of /any/ kind would be spilt on their behalf.... yet, just the fact that the dragon itself was perfectly content to start eradicating sapient life should've been indicative of an entity who had little interest in consistency in their argumentation. "I don't understand why you are concerned with what one thinks, unless you desire to police others' thoughts. You should be more concerned with what one actually does, I wager, good sir!" he calls out to the viney villain. Not dissuaded by words, Origin blasts the guru with its energy ray, but fails to ensnare him for the time being. Knocked back from the blast, Blivon is dizzied for a moment, and shakes his head to recompose himself, and then casts some more buffing spells..... on Chita!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Don't argue with the giant chaos plant dragon! JUST STAB IT!" Angantyr shouts, "It's one of Garland's children! It's as much of a windbag as the old man is!" Angantyr says, with a smirk. Even as the vines do a number on him, Angantyr isn't without tricks of his own, as Vines move to grab him, ne TWISTS his weapon around, aiming to cut through Vines that get too close. "Oh no you don't!" he says as it rises into the air, and his right hand moves to make a grabing motion towards the sky, aiming to wrap tendrils of darkness around the giant monster... And DRAG it back to the earth. Once there, Ang jumps right towards it, aiming to slash and cut, darkness ripping out from his blade to try and consume whatever parts of the monster he can strike. "COME on! I can sense your fear monster! Let me let you in on a secret, the man that created you, trained me. I know your tricks. And /I can kill you/."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Looks like there's going to be a significant discarded armor/weapon payout for this mark. Assuming they can actually destroy Origin and not die in the process. Her prior fears are realized as vines lash out at all angles from its body, calling into question whether or not flanking tactics would be worth it. With a shout, the Spine is swung before her, the motion combined with a blast of air magic that neatly shreds the incoming vines into inert pieces. She only spends a moments worth of time pausing to execute this and is soon up and running again. If anything, it'd make her a difficult target to ensare. Continuing to loop around Origin, Avira slips behind the dragon and jabs the Spine down into the earth before her. Both hands grasp onto the pelvic bone hilt of the weapon and glow blue, ice magic called forth this time that channels itself through the mythril coating of blade and disappears into the ground. Moments later, massive spires of ice emerge from the ground all around Origin, seeking to cage it in a prison of vicious icicles.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "Then that's one thing we both understand to be born for a purpose but ... i have managed to grow past just doing what I was made for." She feels the power Avira has loaned her and she watches as the vines comes at Deelel she's just too fast as she weaves in and out managing to just get out of harms way from the attack landing neatly on the ground thankfully having avoided her first encounter with the tentacles as she launches her disc at the things head then will catch the weapon ion the return regardless of what happens. She sees some of her comrades are not doing so well but she has no way to heal others she can only manage to run a few commands to repair her own damaged code. She runs at the beast fast as she can even as Avira makes her own move and she now making use of the terrain and perhaps the vines that have been lurking about a she launches her disc several more times at it. "However I will not let you rampage, not will I let you have your way with Kara. So get glitched."

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' The Viera felt magic wrapping around him, beneficial magic, and before he had a chance to turn to see who was casting it the plant creation responded and lashed out. The sheer amount of natural energy present, of 'living things' around him and being angry/aggressive/whatnot, drowned out the Vieras natural senses enough that he was simply wrapped up fully in the vines and didn't have much of a chance to try and escape when the next attack came. He simply brought the false keyblade up, and his spear, and crossed them in front of his head while trying to duck down as much as he could and hopefully slice through it, to slice it away from himself. Given Bunny wound up in a smouldering heap a bit away after the blast hit him, bouncing a couple of times and looking half-cooked(albeit alive), one could imagine he doesn't do too well against this type of opponent.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The immediate concern at this very moment were twofold. That armored freak with the key, and that lady that had apparently ripped out someone's spine and was now using it as a weapon. How vicious. The yellow glow of the dragon's eyes narrowed somewhat as it heard Angantyr's speech, how he knew Garland and how he knew everything it could do. To all of this, Origin had one thing to say; "My fear? You are mistaken. A being such as I feels no fear. Fear is a mortal emotion." The creature held fast however, remaining aerial even as parts of it's body continued to be consumed by the encroaching shadow. The dark knight would note however that all portions the darkness consumed, nature would replace with new vines and foilage. It was a back and forth process of destruction and creation. Spying Avira out of the corner of it's eye, Origin lashed out with several vines, totally deflecting away the various ice clusters that were fired at or forming around it. "A valiant effort." Of course, wasting time taunting Avira gave Deelel just the time she needed to launch her disc straight at the beast. The flying weapon tears through vine and foilage, briefly revealing a glimpse of Morrighan inside before the dragon drew on the forest to restore it's form once more, repairing the damage quickly. It should also be noted that the damage to the environment was also being repaired constantly. Strange. "You say you know how to defeat me. We shall have to test that theory." And all at once, Origin lowered itself to the ground, eyes gleaming a golden yellow as the earth itself began to quake. The ground began to break apart as earth energy and rock clusters shot upwards across the entire clearing. But the dragon did not stop there. Weaving through the flying debris, it bared it's fangs, aiming to bite into any in it's path. MEANWHILE INSIDE-- "...Who are you?" Morrighan asked, staring at the little girl before her. One who looked...just like her. "I told you already. I am the Life Dra-" "No, I mean, really. Why do you look like me?" Morrighan cut off Origin then with another question. "...Because, I happen to be a part of you." Origin answered distractedly, working double time to repair the damage to herself and the environment. It was tough work. "...You're a part of me? ...How does that work?" "Ugh, why did that man have to leave you completely brain dead?" The child muttered, feeling a tick of irritation over the older dark elf's constant questions. "I am a fragment of yourself. One that represents a part of you, that YOU yourself do not even realize exists." "......?" Morrighan just tilted her head and stared in confusion, but fell quiet then, thinking about it. It wasn't like she could escape or anythin-"WHOA!" She cried as Deelel's disc tore through, revealing the outside world. At least before Origin immediately restored the opening. "Aww..."

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Hoping that Angantyr wasn't speaking to him, Blivon bets on the fact that the Keyblade user was directing his words to the other folks who were disputing the plant's professions filled with fraudulent logic, for, after all.... the guru did not have the ability to really stab anything in immediacy, given that he was opposed to carrying blades or pointed objects, therefore utterly disqualifying him from being able to comply. Presently.... all he really had was a shield, and whatever fabric or animal-skins adorning his person, but even if he couldn't(or desire to) actually inflict harm on the horror from Hades(or from Garland, more appropriately, not that the god of death couldn't've been just as inventive about manufacturing revolting hellions), he /COULD/ still try to bolster those convened around himself, and more importantly.... Chita was looking somewhat worse-for-wear after Swamp-Thing's last bombardment, so the shaman felt inclined towards refreshing an ally in need! There's also something to be said for the fact that he's a druid; he's got a special place in his heart for woodland creatures, which becomes more obvious when he calls forth a Nightingale to go forth and heal, accompanied by another helpful spell or two. While Blivon may be a fan of 'pat the bunny', his avian friend is more pronated towards -pecking- the bunny.... but this kind of behavior is generally restorative in nature, whether one should believe it, or not.....? To Origin, he calls out, again "Incorrect. Immortals also feel fear. Fear is a symptom that causes excessive rate of cardiovascular activity, which is brought on by the presence of a contingent that displeases, or worries a particular entity. If an entity can die, or feel any kind of displeasurable stimuli, and seeks to resist said stimuli, it effectively feels fear." Boy, this plant-beast really had no sense. But then.... plants were lower on the evolutionary scale than humans, were they not? And proving that he was more capable than the primitive lycopod, he manages to repel the onslaught with his shield.... go Blivon!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr's blade swipes left to right, continuing to cut vines that get too close to him. His weapon is fast, faster than the vines this time as he see's an opening in the attack of the Origin...He swings, instead of dives, aiming to blast the force of the attack away with pure strength, and grins. However Blivon makes his eyes glaze over as they continue to speak. "Look seriously, what the hell are you even...no...just no..." he says, ugh. Seriously, he was sure Blivon just did more damage than Origin did... "Oh that's okay! You don't feel it...you'll learn the emotion shortly enough." Angantyr quips, as he grabs at the monster once again, aiming to try and DIG at the monster...trying to BURN it with the dark fire that does not stop. He steps forward again, once more darkness aiming to burn as he swings, aiming to steal the vitality of the monster with each blow... And drain it back into himself.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Why /thank you/!" Avira shoots back all too cheerfully, harkening back to a time when in spite of Morrighan's outright rudeness, she had instead opted to be painfully polite to the dark elf. There's no doubt in her mind that Origin meant that to be mocking. Avira doesn't care! Just as Avira yanks her weapon free, the earth breaks around her and she's thrown off her feet, flying into an upended tree. A groan escapes her as she paws her way through the foliage. This delay at least prevents her from getting a face full of fangs. As she crawls free, she pushes a hand against herself, setting another time spell upon herself-this one a 'regen.' Drawing her hand away, she turns it toward Chita. She's only vaguely aware of who that is. It didn't matter, really, because he was clearly hurt pretty badly. Her time magic is spread to the viera as well.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel has to wonder if this thing eats life force? Would it even feed on her? She does think she's alive but she's not life as this world would know it. He nature is an alien thing she's very much aware of, however she's pretty sure shes' got a heart so? Ya it's a good idea to not die here to this thing. Also, she's starting to see why users don't like tentacles at all. She hopes her own method of sleeping won't bug Avira after this, however she's got to worry about this. "If it's coded it can be deleted." Deelel counters she's just working so fast she's not taking that extra second to translate into a bit more normal way of speaking. She lets her disc fly but not with the intent of doing much damage as she aims to hurt them as she best can. She listens to the argument but has to focus. She does catch sight of where Kara is however and she presses on attempting to make the Dragon's life a bit more interesting.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' What was that? The Viera who was laying, half-charred on the ground, was suddenly being healed? From multiple sources? He groaned a bit and almost began to stir before suddenly the ground began to break and shatter and the form of the fallen Viera was launched upwards amidst one chunk before being battered around and slammed back into the ground with a rather disheartening thud. Chita slowly pushed himself to a stand and began to feel around for his weapons only to realize that the spear he had, and the false keyblade, were laying not too far away - completely shattered and destroyed. Trying to cleave through that original attack with such banal and paltry weapons didn't do a thing. "Mmph..." The cloth that had been wrapped around his face to act as a deterrent for poisonous pollen that may perhaps have been in some of these woods trees, or even with this creature. There had been fear of a Malboro until he got here and didn't smell anything of the sort. "...is this going to be it?" He could barely stand at this point, looking around at all the others fighting, faring better or worse in this chaos. "Alright then. Well, I suppose you have... cough... left me no choice." As he coughed a bit of blood left his lips, straightening his body up as much as he could and pulling out two long lances. THESE would be far more familiar to those who had seen them before. Something only one Judge seemed to have, or one person for that matter. That Vieran Judge. It might be /far/ more recognizable for the three who knew him given the area around began to grow darker and he began to glow before he leapt up into the air and threw both spears as hard as he could towards the 'head' of the dragon, trying to pin the plant-creature down long enough for the others to finish it. Hopefully before he was done in himself. And not just two spears, but four, six, eight, ghostly images of the spears that looked to be made almost of light were launched from the actual spears he had in his hands before they all vanished and the energy gathered into a single spear which he launched down towards the beast. That was his all... though perhaps they would notice something else. The explosions that would come upon impact, hitting the dragon of plants or otherwise, were targeted to explode the area around them, trying to clear the 'clearing' further out, destroy anything that may be plantlife in the immediate area. Chita was trying to cut off any ability this creature had to regenerate or escape if at all possible. "I hope that... you may find peace in the end, at your end... whatever may give you such."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' By this point, Origin was oddly in agreement with Angantyr. Choosing not to enter into a debate with the Shaman. There were more pressing matters at hand. Like the fact that four others were attempting to eradicate it. Seeing as it's earthquake gambit was rendered mostly ineffective, Origin drew back, taking time to gather itself again for another strike. Seeing the keyblade wielder coming, the dragon could feel the fires of darkness burning into it again. Inside, Morrighan squealed, covering her head as dark embers fluttered down from above, which earned her a 'BE QUIET' from the child controlling the plant monster. Origin could feel it's energy waning from the continued effort of restoring the damage caused. It needed a reprieve. "I don't imagine that I will. But I suppose you will try your hardest to make sure that I do." The child's voice echoed out to Ang, following his quip. Deelel's disc hits the mark again...but oddly does no damage at all. This drew suspicion, but there was no time to dwell on it. For something more pressing was coming. Ah, over there. That rabbit it had tossed aside multiple times. Or twice. Yes, it was twice. He looked serious now. And those lances looked sharp. Origin stared as Chita leapt into the air, tossing down the two spears with great force. No wait, there were more. Four? Five? Six? The creature was sure that an attack of this calibur would have been sure to cause considerable damage... Which is why several vines bound themselves together, lashing out all at once to contact with the spear of light. There was a brief struggle as it looked like Chita's gambit would prevail! ...But then at the lost moment, the attack was turned aside, flying past Origin and into the depths of the forest, causing an explosion further out. "...You tried." Came the voice of Origin. It was monotone, but somehow, one could tell she was mocking him. Somehow. The plant dragon took no chance to attack this time however. Falling back and drawing in nature's energies to recover...

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' .....And as the hand of fate deigns that time move forward, it also decrees that Blivon's loquacious denunciation of Origin's proclamations are deemed..... annoying. The main personfication of his words being an irritant first comes in the form of Anagantyr's chiding, who is probably a lot more sensible than the guru in a number of ways, starting with the fact that Blivon is clueless to the fact that his words would be /more/ useful if they fell on deaf ears, than the ears through which they resound. The Green Giant is not moved by the shaman's words in the least, and if anything, everybody else is starting to tire of his intellectual jousting with the attack from the killer green tomato. One thing is true of Blivon-- he /tries/ to oblige others, and since he's doing an utterly horrendous job helping his allies, and not convincing Origin to reconsider his ideological standpoints, the insufferable therapist decides to take the keyblade-user's advice and pipe down for the remainder of the battle.... or at least, until someone(besides the monster) actually desires information from him; knowing when to keep one's mouth shut is an art that is under-appreciated by Blivon. Maybe he can work on that a bit. As if to atone for being a nuisance, the sagacious one endows Angantyr with some beneficial magics! Again the adorable little bird swoops down and showers those in need with healing energies, while Blivon causes his own visage, as well as that of the swordsman's to become blurry. The unusually tall guru also makes a note to steer clear of Chita, since he's on the warpath..... because if Blivon ends up being the victim of that devastating attack, there will be no question as to Who should be blamed, but Ravager Rabbit....

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Tch, it's regenerating." Avira scowls, then scowls some more as the plant dragon casually turns away Chita's lances. Having first had experience on the business end of those lances, she knows how much damage they can do. When they hit. It actually made Avira a little angry to see that happen-anger on behalf of Chita, even! A shimmering silvery light clings to Avira quite suddenly and Angantyr will feel the swell of light energy within the huntress. It's a state he's witnessed before, though normally it took Avira much longer to achieve. Angantyr will know, coordination over their VALKYRI frequency aside, that Avira is ready to go. With little warning or shouting, she launches herself into the plant dragon. There is no witty banter or heroic catchphrases shouted in the process-in fact, her approach is completely silent save for the whipping of wind against her hair and clothing. Unless Origin is watching her, it wouldn't even know until the Spine is suddenly sawing through the vines and plants the creature is made from. She saw a glimpse of Kara still in there and Deelel was able to confirm the spot. With vicious dogged determination, she /will/ drag the dark elf free.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr nods once to Blivon...okay he will accept the long windedness of the healer. You respect healers. The Keyblade moves ready to strike again but the thing focuses on itself... "NOW! DESTROY IT NOW!" he says. The light of the keyblade starting to glow brightly. "This is the fear I will show you, monster. Those of chaos, and those who think the world is for their whims only." "Know who I am before you meet your match, I am Angantyr Vespar, warrior of the light and defender against those who are oppressed...tempered by the darkness. Former apprentance of the man you call Garland...your creator. Know this name, creature, and know your end." he says. Morrighan was somewhere in there...but Angantyr knew where to put his weapon. Light started to shine off of the keyblade, a bright light as he takes a step forward. A strong wing explodes from him... BGM Change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfN8n4lH6pY "TYRANT..." he booms, and swing once. Darkness washes out, aiming to tear through the vines...with that, he hopes to find the weak point...the head from earlier... Angantyr thrusts, at where it is... "BREAKER!" he booms, aiming to drive the beam of light forward, a large wind follows behind it, as the power of darkness and light work together as one...

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' And it was all for naught. Chita had poured everything he had into that and the creature just brushed it aside somehow. Not to mention it didn't seem like the others were doing too well against it either. "..." Well now, that wasn't a bit ridiculous. "Yes, I did." It mocked him too. But he had tried. And failed. "And failed." he responded accordingly. "But you just swallowed that girl and I /will/ have her back, even though I know not who she is. So spit her out now!" And injuries aside, albeit quite heavy, the Viera leapt straight towards the creature and tried to ignore his pain long enough to jam the two spears themselves straight into the forehead of the best, hoping that somehow it would be a weakspot. He hadn't been able to look around but, then again, foreheads didn't tend to be too 'not weakspot' as far as aiming towards things went. And as insult to injury he attempted to give it a final kick while trying to leap to relative safety.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is paying attention to many things, her earlier strike was just a set up for what she was about to do. Avira has made her plan clear. Deelel is gong to attack but make sure to avoid where Kara is. Rescuing Kara is up to Avira, at this point. She's going to follow up Ang's very well put suggestion now, to murder the heck out of this thing. "Not done yet, I fought greater things than you..." Memories of Lexus come to mind for a moment as she's forced to put them aside to focus on the fight at hand. She launches into a run at the Dragon. She does not stop as he runs as fast as she can, which is a bit faste5r than a typical human of her build could manage she's got her disc in hand and she's going to use it as as melee weapons. Deelel gets up close and starts tying to use it to carve up other portions of the hulking thing. Even as it regenerates? Deelel is confident it can't do it forever, as you can not get something from nothing after all. She continues on her attack. "Game over." She pulls away now not wanting to get caught up in a counter attack should it survive the assault form everyone somehow.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Angantyr, being the loud one had Origin's attention at the moment. "Destroy me? Nonsense." It spoke in monotone, watching as The keyblader made his heroic speech. It remained completely silent and just listened. And then watched as his keyblade began to give off an unsettling shine. Perhaps if things were different, the chaos spawn would have been afraid. But as it stood now. It simply...was not. "You prattle on, human. About light. About darkness. About defending the oppressed..." Speaking slowly, it formed a barrier of vines, weathering the wave of darkness that washed over it, completely eroding away the vines to reveal the creature behind it. But it's job was completed. Following up, Origin opened it's massive maw, letting loose a blast of solar energy to push back against the light of the keyblade. There was a beam struggle for several seconds before both died down...with no result. Origin still stood. At least before Avira came swooping in like some sort of Ninja, tearing into the vines and foilage of it's body quite viciously. "....!" The attack revealed Morrighan once again encaged within the body of the creature. Along with the child. The 'fiend' created from Morrighan's fractured Soul. "Eh? ...Avira?" The older dark elf asked cluelessly, spotting the leader of VALKRI mid attack. Origin's true form glared at Avira for a second before raising a hand and directing nature's energies to seal the opening. Before her 'Mother' got any funny ideas and tried to break out of her hold. To Chita's attempt, Origin resumed control of the foilage dragon. Turning the creature's eyes upon him and deftly delfecting the oncoming attack with several vines. One wrapped around his leg and casually tossed him aside, leaving him to land all wrong. Not that Origin was going to bother looking to make sure. "Greater things than I? ...Perhaps that may be the case. My power is negligible in the grand scheme of things. Which is why I endeavor to gather more." The child's voice echoed out in response to Deelel. But the program was fast. Probably the fastest here. It was hard to keep her within sight as she moved about, carving up sections of it's body. Of course, each spot regenerated, but it was becoming slower and slower with each pass... Origin's energy must be waning. "I quickly begin to tire of your games." The child muttered, an aura of darkness beginning to emanate around her. "It is time. I will return you all to the origin point! To the earth!" The dragon body Origin constructed raised up and let out a loud bellow, creating vibrations in the air as various vines burst out from it's body. The ends were all razor sharp and aiming to slice up the group without mercy. As this was happening, the creature opened it's massive jaw again, rays of light emanating from it, building up to create a blast that would no doubt leave quite a bit of damage in it's wake. "Out of my sight!" And then it released an aura of azure energy, firing from it's mouth and splitting apart. The energy array rained down across the entire clearing, aiming to sweep all up into the destruction and be rid of them once and for all.

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Any gestural thanks administered to Blivon is short-lived, for just as he finishes casting his defensive charms, he spontaneously succumbs to his 'hyper-narcoplepsy' issue, which results in his body slumping over atop his shield, which digs into the ground and miraculously ends up positioned such that it supports him so that he remains upright. Right as he's falling asleep, though, he isn't alert enough to bother to raise his shield, and the cascading, destructive photonic barrage engulfs him, causing him to grit his teeth, demonstrating that he was experiencing some pain, heedless of the fact that he was rapidly giving way to his somnolence. Not to be rendered useless, in spite of being unconscious, his faithful cat comes to his defense!.... Now, regrettably, it was a pole-cat, which might've put off some of the folks who were in the perimeter, since odors could easily carry throughout the enclosure with little trouble. On the other hand, Blivon's pet skunk blazes into the clearing(or what might improvise as one), then pivots on her distal limbs and rears her tail up, quickly thereafter followed by a spray of putrid mist that is chemically incompatible with almost any nasal passage in existence, hence the creature has managed to survive so long in spite of there being much bigger, nastier things in the wilderness that would otherwise make a meal of her. The plume of foulness is aimed directly at the evil snap-dragon, but this isn't to say that others present won't get a whiff of the stench by incidence. Angantyr might be willing to tolerate the long-windedness of the healer, but.... is he going to be particularly happy about the healer's pet's rancid-windedness? That's yet to be seen! And... while on the topic, maybe others will be a little disgruntled about the emission being released, but as if to demonstrate that she's a team-player, hastily after letting loose the perfume of doom, the skunk launches at one of the creature's vines/limbs/something-edible(unless Angantyr blew them away and only the trunk remains), and tries to bite down hard!!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!! Blivon may be a pacifist.... but his minions are not! The skunk is more of a puke-a-fist.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Light beats into the form of Angantyr. However, when the bright light faded, the Dark Knight stood, his keyblade having divided the beam in half. The armor of the abyss was gone, and Angantyr looked a bit worse for ware... But he was still alive "I've had better." he says, sarcastically, "You are not the worse thing I faced, you are not even within the top ten." He says, and takes a step forward, and another. The blade moves to cut away the vines that gather near him... and then his right hand transforms into the claw of darkness. "SHATTER!" he commands, and then reaches up INTO the beast...the blood that was spilled, not just from him, but from all around him forms into blades and repeatedly strike into the creature, trying to drag it down and rend into it. And then Angantyr drives the blade forward again, right towards that dragon head. "There is no second strike."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Kara!" Avira yells out, rather exaspirated as it suddenly occurs to her that the whole time she was chasing after the Dark Elf, trying to pull her back, the woman had /no idea/ Avira was there. No idea! It would explain why she hadn't listened to the warnings but still, of all the indignant-! Face to face with the fiend, Avira glowers at the childlike entity then reaches out for Kara with one hand. "Grab on!" she calls, "I'll pull you out!" She is perhaps inches away from seizing the dark elf when vines burst all around her and violently expell Avira from the creature. Blood splatters and stains the ground in Avira's wake, the razor-sharp edges slicing through skin and armor alike. It could be worse, she tells herself as she gets back up on her feet. Lazily, she fires an ice spell at it, if only to try to keep it away from the other people here.

:'''[[Chita]] has posed:''' Well, it wasn't hard to see the Viera was having no luck at the moment dealing with this creature. All attempts at even /hurting/ it were ignored and retorted with levels of attacks that he simply couldn't possibly combat with. No different was the rain of energy that pelted into the Viera, leaving him just about to fall over. It was only thanks to the fact that he had landed in a crouch and impaled his spear into the ground that he was 'upright'. At least until a foul stench passed through the area. "HURK!" And a rather spent Viera almost begins to make a mess of things before he simply collapses forward onto the ground next to his spear, quite unconscious. Foul smells + Viera... they do not mix. Not to mention getting kicked around by that plant creature so badly.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is able to unload a very powerful attack but that's it she's pressed herself hard, as skilled as Deelel has becomes at fighting? She's still gt the limitations of not being a combat grade program in design. She needs a moment to recover from what she's been dishing out as the child mutters about games. She looks at them for a moment. "I am not of the earth I am not of any world of flesh." Deelel at that is pulling back and flipping away from the hellish attack coming her way evading the energy blast and having some time to recover a little bit. She should be good to go once more in a moment.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Avira!" Morrighan had called out, reaching out for the offered hand, at least before Origin sealed up the opening and sent Avira fkying back outside. So much for that. "......" She had no real knowledge of fighting, or what was going on here in the broader sense, so...better to stay put. Meanwhile outside, the form of the serpentine dragon, damaged, and on the brink of defeat, yet still standing, proceeded to tower over the battlefield. "........." And then all at once, the vines and plants began to crumble away. Everything that was making up the dragon unceremoniously began to peel off. Like flesh leaving the bone. The creature crashed to the ground, unable to keep up it's form with what little energy was left. The plants withered and eroded to nothing, soon leaving just the head, which followed eventually. At that point, all that was left was the Origin's true form; that little child, standing her ground in front of a confused Morrighan. "....You people are not like the others..." She spoke calmly, though a bit winded. Her crimson gaze surveyed the battlefield, the smell passing her nose and causing it to wrinkle, but otherwise, she reacted little. "...As it stands, I have no more energy to fight you with." The child conceded, taking a deep breath, and then falling to her knees, beginning to pant heavily. It looked like all the power she was building up over the past few weeks had been used up fighting them all off. "Um..." Morrighan interjected then, unsure of herself. "...Are you okay?" And despite everything that's happened, she asks the other part of herself if she was well. Morrighan's gaze then moved over to the others. "...What happens to her now?"

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Still in slumber, Blivon can't do very much to really evade any oncoming blows aimed at caushing him grief, but that isn't to say he didn't have other tools at his disposal! If he couldn't defend himself, maybe he could still receive regenerative bonuses that were passive, or, invoked by other beings. For one, his 'Dragon Spirit' ability would occasionally activate automatically when harm registered on his body, or mind, and since this had happened, his Reaction Ability that he'd learned while in the wars of Ivalice had a possibility of eventually coming into play, but it hadn't triggered yet, for unknown reasons. Evidently, this would not come to pass, since the scuffle had now drawn to a close. Barring , he also had a trusty steed named Diyanuh who happened to be one of the holiest of creatures, radiating light and health to those in desperate need; this animal was known as.... a unicorn! Exploding into the area, while 'skunky' now returned to her master to try and nudge him to consciousness, Diyan waved her head around and emanating from her was a robust, invigorating essence that glimmered about the area near Blivon, randomly effecting various folks who were graced by destiny. No.... the retroactive healing wasn't /essential/, now that the monster was gone, but since the unicorn's healing energies would stabilize, or repair wounds, it probably would've alleviated some of the pain Avira and Angantyr were feeling. Blivon? He was still dozing off, and it didn't look like he was going to wake, because even skunky's efforts were to no avail. Alas. He'd done that for which he'd been needed, and now, he could get some much needed rest!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr walks forward, the blade still in his hand as the power of the Unicorn washes through him. "Thank you." he says back towards Blivon. However, the blade does not fade from his hand. Angantyr pauses... "You are a agent of Chaos, if we let you go you will do what you did here again...more will die. Or are you telling me you have chosen to give up on your nature and not follow the path of blood?"

:'''[[Blivon]] has posed:''' Unable to respond to Angantyr, the guru would've been indeed delighted that the warrior had thanked him, but being asleep, this is not the case. On the other hand, the fact that his temporary ally doesn't try to rouse him from his pleasant slumber is a considerable manifestation of gratitude, to the effect that if the master swordsman's aims where to do Blivon a service for the healing.... well, he just might have done it! All in all, Diyanuh's work is not done, and she trots over to Chita, lowering her head so that the end of the horn is in considerable proximal range to the viera, which should endow Chita with some stamina, hopefully replenishing some of the lagomorph's reserves....

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Origin raised her head tiredly, staring up at Angantyr. ".....You want me to stop? Foolishness. After all, you know well what I--mppmh-" Whatever the child was going to say was immediately muffled by Morrighan's hand covering her mouth. "Ahhhhhhh what she's going to say was 'yes Mr. Scary Armor Man! I won't do anything bad anymore!'" Origin immediately glared at Morrighan for interrupting.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is a bit surprised to see the thing is standing Morri seems to be all right and they have an interesting problem here. Avira however nails it on the head even as she makes some preparation to move depending on what the beast's answer is. This is not her call to make as finishing something that can't fight back? does not sit well with her, meanwhile she focus on recovering. For if things continue to go on it may take a bit more heat to put this thing to rest.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "You are going to take responsibility for this then?" Angantyr says, "You realize what you say? She will kill, and kill again. It might not be you, but those you surround yourself with?" he says, the blade does not go away, and he eyes the creature. "At least she is honest." Angantyr says and looks upon Morrighan. "Do you wish to know what I think happened?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...?" Morrighan blinked a couple times, staring up at Angantyr curiously. "What you think happened?" There was a pause then as she considered his words. "...And what's that?" As for taking responsibility, she didn't have an answer for that one really. Not immediately anyway. But the thought swirled around in her mind, even as Origin remained quiet, reduced to glaring at everyone around her since she had no power to fight with.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "You, before you were reduced to what you are now...tore a piece of a manifestation of chaos named Garland and formed something named Lich. A fiend. I know this because I was his apprentance at the time. He was /extremly/ vexed at what you did...well, you as in you before...whatever happened to you did and made you what you are now. He did the same to you. Ripping a piece of you out...and making Origin. It is a manfestation of chaos, and your soul. This thing...is litterally a piece of your soul." "I...think I can return it to you."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan listened intently to Angantyr's recounting, eyes slowly widening upon hearing what has happened. "...I...did that?" Tearing a piece of someone out of them and forming some creature? ...She could do that? Trying to think on it just drew total blanks, but Origin interjected then. "He is correct. You sought to perform a ritual in order to wrest control of a being known as a 'Fiend' from the clutches of Garland." The smaller elf recounted, apparently having a good majority of Morrighan's memories. "...But it turned out to be too much for us to handle. And now you are like this." Pause. "And I exist." Morrighan didn't totally understand, but "Basically...I did something bad and then...that person had their revenge?" It was oversimplified. Or maybe it was just simple enough, but Origin just nodded. Hearing the possibility of being returned to Morrighan, Origin just sighed. "...Perhaps that may be for the best." Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Ang. "Besides, I imagine that if I were to refuse, you would just kill me anyhow, yes?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "I experienced this in a dream once...when I first uncovered the Keyblade. The power of the Keyblade is...more than just a weapon against the heartless. It has the power to unlock things...or restore things." "...Though the power to do so I do not think is fully granted to me yet..." but ... It was either kill it, which probably will not solve anything...or restore it. He takes a breath... He holds the blade towards the child. The keyblade reacts at this point, working of it's own accord...it guides Angantyr, slowly he moves forward, touching the chest of the child gently, and pushing insider her chest painlessly...and then it pulls out. Light may take over the form of the child next...but Angantyr has done all he could... "I fear I still have much to learn on this subject...I have to track down someone. A few people."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Upon being touched by the keyblade, Origin could feel her form unraveling, changing from that of an elven child, to that of...a simple ball of light. Having lost a shell in which to talk and convey herself, all she could do was float towards Morrighan... Staring as a piece of her soul literally floated right in front of her, Morrighan was stuck in a trance, offering no adverse reaction when the soul piece phased past her and went straight into her. There was a brief shine of light before everything subsided. Once it was all done, Morrighan stood alone, and Origin was nowhere to be found. Having closed her eyes from the light, the dark elf opened them slowly, revealing that the color had returned to her eyes. They were red again. Just like they had been previously. "...Ugh...What have I been...?" She grumbled, bringing a hand up to rub the side of her head groggily, as if she had just woken up from a long, long sleep.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Oh no, don't thank me. Please. Your kind face and soon to be haughty words will be enough." Angantyr says sarcastically. The keyblade still lays in his hand. "More specifically, are you alright? Reaping what you sow asside, even I have standards."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel just stands back at this pint and watches. Perhaps this is the best option? Who knows what killing it would do to Morri, then again there's chaos in this. there isn't a happy choice but it's perhaps the least horrible. Killing the thing might do something far worse to Kara, she wonders for a moment staring at what happens. She locks the disc on to her back, hoping there will be no more fighting at this point.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "......." Morrighan just stared. And stared. And then stared some more. "....You! You are that uncouth barbarian who--" She paused suddenly as all of 'Kara's memories' came flooding back to her. ".....Helped me." Another pause as Morrighan took time to consider this truth. "........" After a painfully long moment of glaring, her look relaxed into a smile. A genuine smile in fact. Probably a first from Morrighan. The /real/ Morrighan. "....Thank you." Settling her hands in front of herself, she bowed slightly in gratitude. "...I suppose you are not quite /that/ terrible. If you have one of those infernal keys in any case." And then she straightened up, immediately glaring over at Avira. "....And YOU!" She pointed. "How dare you give me such a terrible name! Kara? Really!?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses... He just blinks after a moment, "I...your welcome." he says after a moment. "I wasn't expecting that." he says, and shrugs. "Now lets be fair, you did do the maid thing. So she named you Kara. I call that even. Now, I guess we should go celibrate you not being a wreck of a person...and perhaps you should think about what to do now." he says, and dismisses the weapon. "Because to be honest, you are not safe yet. Garland is sure to know what happened here. Your repreave from what you were may be temporarily. Lets talk, and lets speak of what happened, and how it happened."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira watches this, shading her eyes when needed. Origin was gone and Morrighan remained. Or was it Kara? Slowly she had a sinking feeling about this. If the Dark Elf returned in full...well... ...but they couldn't leave Origin as is. A fiend on the lose would only... With a heavy heart, Avira slips the Spine away and waits, folding her arms over her chest. She waits. Okay, there was a thank you, that wasn't the real Morrighan at all. Maybe she- Oh wait, she's insulting her and glaring at her. Avira sighs, "Welcome back."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan settled her glare into a smile and approached Avira. ".....As much as I abhor your very existence sometimes..." She trailed off, averting her eyes. "...I suppose I should thank you for not taking advantage of me when I was...not well." That was an understatement. Name aside. "...So thank you, Avira." And then she offered her a hand. "...Friends? ...Or at the very least, not bitter enemies out for each other's blood?" Her smile turned sheepish and unsure. After all, she had done so many terrible things in the past, but...something was different this time. Something...profound. Angantyr gets a look then and Morrighan nodded slowly, her expression darkening. "...I remember everything now...I believe we do need to talk." Pause. "AND WHAT AM I WEARING!?" Memories come flooding back then. "W-Wait! Ivo! That scoundrel! He kissed me! Where is he!? I demand his head!" Catching up was going to take some time...

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr puts a hand on her shoulder, firm but reassuring. "Calm. Ivo will get what is coming to him eventually. Patience. Rushing head first got you into this." He says, calmly. "I vote we go get stupid drunk and celibrate."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "That name wasn't meant to be humiliating or anything, Angantyr!" she asides to him, "I didn't even know it was Morrighan at the time, she acted so differently. Beides, I thought Kara was a good name." It had plenty of a's in it. A 50 percent letter A inclusion. That was pretty good. Speaking of faintable things, it was one thing to see Angantyr being thanked. He's the one that did his keyblade magic. But for her..? "You're welcome." she says, meeting Morrighan's gaze. There's still some suspicion. Like she's waiting for more yelling. Wait what? Friends? "We can start with not bitter enemies out for each other's blood. Once I get over the shock, we'll see about friends." She reaches over, grasping Morrighan's offered hand and squeezing tightly. It's a short lived joy, though, because Angantyr brings up the now very real situation of Garland Retribution. Of which there will most certainly be. "I second Angantyr's vote! Let's get out of here!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Hehe...right then." Morrighan looked over to the others and Deelel, nodding to them as well. "Thank you as well." And then her attention turned back to Ang, "Yes, I suppose a drink would not hurt. ...And I need to change out of these gaudy clothes!" That said, she moved behind Avira and Angantyr, ushering them off. "Now let us be off. We have plenty to talk about!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Hmmm...I dunno, I am a fan of the clothes Shows off the figure well." Angantyr points out.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel looks over to Morri for a moment "Your welcome and you seem to have regained yourself. If your to be cross with anyone it's Ivo. I haven't seen him since Shiki and I went hunting for him. We been trying to find him. I'm sorry I didn't catch on sooner. My people are not quite wired like that, I am sorry. On the other hand I'm with Ang lets go party somewhere far away from here Morrighan. I'll even provide the music." she'll even let People get her to play something that isn't Techo or some variation of that music form. She moves to follow after Morri, Ang and Avira.

Nightmare or Memory?

2013-07-21T22:09:18Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/07/09 |Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ |Synopsis=Whilst sleeping at night, Morrighan is beset by a strange and horrifying dream. Emi and ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/07/09
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ
|Synopsis=Whilst sleeping at night, Morrighan is beset by a strange and horrifying dream. Emi and Imi are present to respond. But was it a dream? Or perhaps a memory? Or something else?
|Cast of Characters=Morrighan Alazne, Emi Dennou
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' It had been about a couple days since Morrighan...or rather, Kara had arrived at the Shard Seekers' HQ. There was much confusion and taking advantage of my certain parties that will go unnamed, but she eventually settled in. ...Maybe. On this particular night, the elf managed to not fall asleep in the male dormitory. Instead, she was asleep on the bed belonging to Priel. Her things were still around too, untouched since the wayward dragon still had yet to return. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. Eventually however, her face began to scrunch up as if in pain. "....Ugh.....ah...." Kara mumbled out in her sleep. What was happening? Well, let's dive into her mind for a moment. It's a forest path in the middle of the night. Kara can feel herself rushing through the trees, leaves and branches parting as she advanced. Soon she came upon the sight of a merchant caravan hurrying along the beaten path. They were holding torches to light their way in the darkness. One of them paused and looked back upon hearing a rustle. "Eh? You hear that just now?" "Hear what? That rustle? Probably just some harmless animal! Come on! We're almost through." And then another rustle as she emerged from the treeline. "W-Wait a second! What the hell is that thing!?" "What thing are you-WHOA!" What followed was an angry roar as Kara felt herself rush forward, the sensation of her mouth opening leaving a strange feeling in her mind. And then she snapped awake, screaming awfully loudly.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Not falling on Priel is a good idea. Naturally, The Network cannot read minds that aren't their own. Not unless they are digital minds anyway, then it comes a bit more easily to say the least. Still, they wouldn't be very surprised to hear that 'Kara' is having nightmares. Imi is already present in the Shard Seeker HQ and hears Morrighan screaming. Emi was actually on her way ironically, perhaps, to try and maybe stay the night and talk to Morrighan in the morning. She has no real 'purpose' behind this visitation, she just wants to see a friend(???) again and, certainly, this happens to be a friend who could probably use more companionship than less in the coming days. Emi rushes in through the front doors, but Imi is already heading on upstairs to the girl's dorm, knocking lightly on it. "Kara?" She asks.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Panting heavily and covered in a cold sweat, Kara just shuddered in her bed, clutching the blanket around herself in fear for several moments after the knocking. She heard a voice on the other side. But she still didn't respond to the tentative greeting. ...But hey, the door wasn't locked. Instead, Kara just pulled the blanket over her head, covering herself as if it would keep all the nightmares and bad things away from her forever.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi pushes the door open. "Kara, are you okay?" She asks, leaving the door open via Emi's mental request--she is climbing up the stairs as well. She isn't really rushing, she is confident in Imi's ability to talk to people, in fact Emi is wondering if maybe she should just hang back a bit for the moment and let Imi handle matters. "Aw c'mon..." Imi smiles faintly, approaching the bed. "Do you--you don't want to talk about it?" She glances behind her briefly but the bulk of her focus is on Kara.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...I...I saw something...bad..." Kara finally replied after a while, her voice was muffled as she refused to come out from under the blanket. "...It was scary...and messy...and- and...." She stopped talking after that, giving up on trying to explain and just returning to shuddering under the blanket by herself.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi rests her hand on the door, looking away for the moment. Imi is quiet for a moment, too, but then she says, "May I stay with you a while? Or, The Network considers, if you wish to be alone right now we can depart--" She suspects she wants company but she doesn't know the nature of the 'bad dream'. It might not neccessarily be something she wants help with, after all.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara stayed still and quiet for a while longer after Imi's question, but eventually nodded slowly, or at least it looked like a nod under that blanket. Hesitantly, she peeked out at Imi, and then noticed Emi at the door as well. "...Don't go. Please...I don't want to get eaten." Eaten? What was she talking about? Ah, it must have been the dream. Is this the sort of thing a girl with no memories dreams of? No, it has to be something else...

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Did Garland literally nom down on Morrighan's soul?, Imi wonders. Is that possible? Are souls philosopher stones? Is he going to unite Amestris only to--okay, maybe that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves. "Don't worry," Imi murmurs. "The Network will watch over you, you will not get eaten. We will politely inform anyone intending to eat you that you are not nutritious in the slightest." Imi rubs Morrighan's shoulder through the covers, making a small joke to try and lighten the mood, she sits on the edge of the bed. Imi herself has had some issues with not 'being herself', recently. She knows to some extent what it might be like to be Morrighan right now--of course, not to such an extent but she has some idea. "Hi," Emi notices Morrighan peeking at her. She's a bit awkward at this moment. "This one does not wish to crowd--"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...Thank you." She responds, managing a small smile at Imi as she reached up to wipe her eyes of forming tears. Another moment of silence passed before Kara lowered the blanket from her head a little more, finally revealing herself mostly. She then shook her head at Emi's statement. "No, it's okay...come in. You're not bothering me, Emi. You're my friend after all." Nodding at that, the dark elf's smile grew a little bit more. "...Maybe if more people are here, I won't be eaten. So please...don't go."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi steps inside, closing the door behind her. She smiles a bit herself. The Network rarely feels alone but it's not hard for her to feel lonely at time. She approaches Morrighan as well but stops near the bed, there's not really comfortable space for them to both sit down. She poutyfaces at Imi briefly. "You won't get eaten." She says, pausing thoughtfully. "--Was it a dream or...do you think it's something more...mm..magical? The Network can try to keep a look out--did it look like anything?" Imi siiighs, "We should be trying to get her mind /off/ of it, Emi."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara briefly looks scared all over again, but tried to remind herself that both Imi and Emi were here. "...I don't know. I just..." She trailed off for a bit, looking down at the sheets of the bed as she tried to think of a way to say it. In the meantime, she moved aside to give Emi space to sit on the bedside. "...I was in a forest I think. It was dark. And I was rushing through the trees and the air...and then I found these people walking along the road..." Another pause, and then Kara continued. "...They were holding torches, but when they saw me, they began to yell and get scared." Shuddering at what was coming next, the dark elf hugged herself, huddling up a bit more as she explained. "...I dove down at them and it felt like my mouth was opening as I got near them. I could feel /something/ going into my mouth. Like meat and sauce ...And then I woke up." Finished explaining, Kara brought a hand to her mouth, making sure there was nothing there. "...It felt so real..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Wait--" Emi says. "The way you describe that." She pauses. "It sounds like from the way you're describing it, you are the one doing the...ah... well, the eating, I guess..." She frowns a bit. Because, really, that is in no way going to make it sound better most likely. "...But it cannot possibly be you, this one supposes, because if it was you would not be in bed." She peers at Kara's mouth as if to see if there's human brains in there or something. She doesn't immediately find any. Even Morrighan wouldn't have done that, The Network thinks to themselves.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...But I saw the dream from my own eyes...And it felt like it was me..." Kara explained slowly, shaking her head. "...It doesn't make any sense since I'm sitting here now, but...I don't know. I just..." Unable to figure out a way to explain herself effectively, she wound up just quieting down and shaking her head again. Well, whatever it was, it certainly has shaken her up.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi leans over, intending to hug Morrighan herself. Hug. And also: hug? It's basically just hugs, though, it's not tight, it's actually rather light, though Imi does lean in a bit. "Don't worry." She murmurs. "We'll look into this, okay?" She smiles faintly. "We'll get to the bottom of this, one way or another. You're going to be okay." She pauses. "Probably." "The Network suggests it'd be more effective without the probably." Emi adds, deadpan as ever. She looks back to Morrighan. "But we are serious. Any aid you need, we will provide."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara didn't resist Imi's hug and closed her eyes, smiling a bit in response. "Thanks...I'm sorry for causing trouble so late at night too, but..." It couldn't be helped. The probably bit sailed right over her head though, thankfully. "But...I'm not sure how you'll even start..." Kara lowered her gaze at that and sighed. "...It was dark and I've never seen that forest before anyway..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi tightens the hug. "Don't you worry. We're detectives!" She is quiet for a moment. "Though hm...reviewing what we know. It was dark, it was in some sort of forest, but with a road passing through it. Hmm...hmm.... ... ... yeah, there doesn't seem to be enough. Oh noo..." Imi presses the side of her head with both her hands. "...Mm..." Emi considers. "...The only way--would be if there were certain details you neglected to mention or don't recall. Do you know what sort of men they were? Soldiers? Merchants?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan couldn't possibly stay sad at this point and wound up hugging Imi back, keeping her arms wrapped around the girl while she spoke a little more cheerfully. "Um...Well, those men I saw were pulling some sort of box on wheels....a cart?" That's what they're called, right? Nodding to herself to make sure, she then went on. "But...other than that, I didn't make out much else. It was dark and the only light came from the lanterns they were carrying..." Well! All that said, maybe there would be an abandoned cart and some snuffed out lanterns in a forest somewhere. All they needed to do was figure out...which one?

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi is already at the edge of the bed as well, but even with this extra information...it's not much. Perhaps if they started at forests nearby--maybe it IS nearby--it sounds like a low tech area (relative to where she's from), but she at least gets to a good angle and gives Morrighan a hug. Hey, she's got a lot on her mind too. All the hugs. If only Priel was here to see all the hugs happening on her bed! Would it drive her to madness?! "We will check the nearer forests first." She says, closing her eyes for a moment, then thinking, "--Ah, that is...unless you've been to any recently yourself--" It might be something following her, she suddenly realizes, too.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' With a shake of the head, she responded to the question. "I...don't think so? I got a ride to Fluorgis on one of those airship thingies, and I've been here since." Kara had paused then, trying to think of anything that might help. "Um...from what little I saw in the light, there were big roots running along the ground, making the road bumpy. ...The cart kept shaking left and right..." That said, she pulled out of the hug slightly to look between the two of them. "Is that...any help?" An apologetic look crossed her face then and she added. "I can't think of much more though..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi hmms. "Big roots...." Maybe she should ask the others for help. "It might be." She lets Morrighan pull free and sits aside as well. "But I cannot be sure, this one will have to aks around if they have any ideas. They might have more knowledge than this one on the subject." She nods slowly. "This one will look into it. For now--perhaps--you should try to get back to sleep? We will stay with you until morning ... you have nothing to fear then." She smiles. "Is that...acceptable? We are not good at lullabies, The Network warns."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Nodding, Kara settled back, returning to laying in bed and covering herself normally. "Okay...I'll try and go back to sleep then, but..." A pause as she stared at Emi with a confused expression on her face. "...What are lullabies?" Ah, of course it wasn't complete without a stupid question.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi is asked what lullabies are. "Ah..they are songs...they help people go to sleep." SHe is quiet, awkwardly, for several moments. Imi has also gone silent. They look at each other for several seconds. "....Would...would you like us to try to sing you one?" Emi asks awkwardly. "...The Network isn't good at them, but will try, if you think it will help you." They look at their laps simultaneously. Neither of them the singing type maybe?

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...Songs that help people...sleep?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and only looking more confused. "That doesn't make any sense." As usual. "How can making noise help with sleep? Wouldn't that keep you up instead?" Well, it was logical. Noise generally worked against rest and silence! ...But now she was curious. Even if it didn't make sense, it seemed interesting. And so the dark elf nodded a bit. "I think that I...want to hear one." They couldn't possibly be /that/ bad after all! ...Right?

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi looks towards Imi and then towards Morrighan. "Alright." She says. "The purpose of a lullaby is to sing soothily rather than noisily. Words carefully selected to induce a sophoric state ... ... The Network is not so certain in its ability to do this..." She glances to Imi and Imi back to her again and then they go ahead and start singing together, their voices are not especially special but they can harmonize with each other easily. "Golden slumbers kiss your eyes~, smiles await you when you rise~, Sleep, dear Kara, do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby~..." And then just spoken. "The Network says while wondering to themselves why lullabies always mention they are lullabies." Emi pauses for a moment, pensive. But then the two pick up again, "Cares you know not, therefore sleep. While over you a watch I'll keep. Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry. And we will sing a lullaby~" They cover their mouths this time disrupting their verbal tic.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "The network shouldn't worry about such things and simply give it a try. How bad could it possibly be?" She asked, smiling a bit and looking between the two curiously. Once it began, Morrighan laid back in bed and listened as the twins sang their song. The lyrics honestly made little sense to her, but the tone at which they were singing was enough for her to understand the intent behind it. ...It was relaxing. But still it seemed like a strange way to make someone sleep, using noise which generally goes against that notion. Despite this though, the elf's eyes gradually began to close. "Uhh...I suddenly...feel..." Tired, was what she was going to say, but the word neve left her mouth. Instead, her eyes closed completely and her breathing began to even out to a relaxed pace. It began apparent soon after that she really had fallen back to sleep since she was unable to offer any comment on the fact that lullabies tend to refer to themselves as such. It would seem that they had done their job well enough though. Morrighan looked much more relaxed and peaceful now, rather than writing about in nightmare induced terror...

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Hey!! It worked! Emi and Imi fistbump each other mentally, and then, just as much in their heads, performs a complex sensation of emitted empathic sensations in a preestablished pattern the purpose of which is to primarily to evoke a 'we did it!' kind of dialogue. Of course the two have little to communicate with each other without the presence of an external observer--they know what each other is thinking, they always do. Emi and Imi shift a bit on the edge of the bed to make themselves comfortable and keep watch throughout the night, as promised.

Morrighan Alazne

2013-06-27T20:00:01Z

MirageV:

Morrighan Alazne

2013-06-27T19:58:07Z

MirageV:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Morrighan
|middlename=Lachesis
|lastname=Alazne
|age=Looks to be about 19
|image=FK - MorrighanRevise2.png
|species=Dark Elf
|sex=Female
|height=5'5
|weight=Weight.....I don't know.
|series=Final Fantasy 1
|styles=Dark Impulse
|hometown=Elfheim
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shadow Lords, Church Of Glabados
|occupation=Amnesiac
|quote="...Who am I? I...feel like there's something...important that I..."
|footer=Lost all her memories and now must find out who she is again.
}}
=== Personality ===

Anything that remains of the old Morrighan has vanished. Her old reactions, preferences, and general attitude have disappeared mysterious for all anyone knows. Now, she displays a quiet countenance, curious of many things, and unsure of herself. She is overall a nice person, but one can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with her.

=== Background ===

Everything has been forgotten. Who she is, her name, where she came from. Everything gone.

=== Abilities ===

<s>'''Healing Magic:''' Her main ability. Morrighan is primarily a healer and was initially trained as such. She can heal most major open wounds and mend broken bones. However, the more grievous the injury, the more energy she must expend to administer healing.</s> All knowledge of healing has disappeared from her mind. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Light Magic:''' As an extension of Healing Magic, Morrighan is also well versed in the holy arts. Able to conjure up searing light blasts, arrays of light swords, pillars of light, and other such things.</s> She has forgotten that she ever even knew magic. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Dark Magic:''' Applying the same theories derived from Light Magic, Morrighan has applied them to Darkness, enabling her to utilize her offensive abilities in an identical manner, only with the element changed. Additional abilities derived from darkness are health and magic draining as well as dark corridors. However, she can only go to places that she has been to previously.</s> Despite working so hard to take hold of it, her knowledge of Dark magic has vanished. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Time Magic:''' Known as Chronomancy or the 'Time Factor', Morrighan seems to possess an innate ability to control the flow of time to a limited degree. Such control includes several seconds of sped up time, or time slowed to a crawl. Or even paused completely. These changes only apply to herself however. Morrighan cannot directly control the time of other people. Time Magic is almost abhorrently taxing, thus she does not employ these abilities unless she really needs to.</s> She has forgotten. ''(General consent required)'' ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Magecraft:''' The ability to construct magical objects from various materials. Be it weapons or other utility devices. Morrighan employs this ability to construct magic orbs that primarily serve as extra 'eyes' as well as magic blades that orbit around her and strike on command.</s> ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Hexes:''' A more sinister form of magic. Morrighan can construct hexes to curse specific people. They usually are not directly harmful, and are limited to things such as reduced luck and other minor misfortunes. ''(Target's consent required)''</s> ''(Locked)''

'''Ether Gun:''' A simple weapon provided to her by the kind man who took her in. Professing that he wouldn't stop her if she wanted to leave and look around, figuring that maybe it would spark something. He gave her an Ether Gun to defend herself with. It's fairly easy to use. Just point and shoot. The weapon fires rounds of magic energy based on the Ether Cartridge currently loaded. One can potentially use many different Ether Cartridges to fire different kinds of elemental bullets.

==Stats and Abilities==
Inapplicable.

==Relationships==

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of friends and allies have been lost."
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of possible adversaries have been lost."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of acquaintances have been lost."
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

Morrighan Alazne

2013-06-27T19:54:15Z

MirageV:

{{Character Infobox
|firstname=Morrighan
|middlename=Lachesis
|lastname=Alazne
|age=Looks to be about 19
|image=FK - MorrighanRevise2.png
|species=Dark Elf
|sex=Female
|height=5'5
|weight=That's a secret~
|series=Final Fantasy 1
|styles=Dark Impulse
|hometown=Elfheim
|alignment=Forces of Ruin
|group=Shadow Lords, Church Of Glabados
|occupation=Dark Mistress
|quote="I have far bigger goals in mind than you can even hope to imagine. All you have to do is stay out of my way. Or is that too much for your peasant mind to comprehend?"
|footer=Accepted an offer to join the Church of Glabados. For now at the very least...
}}
=== Personality ===

Anything that remains of the old Morrighan has vanished. Her old reactions, preferences, and general attitude have disappeared mysterious for all anyone knows. Now, she displays a quiet countenance, curious of many things, and unsure of herself. She is overall a nice person, but one can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with her.

=== Background ===

Everything has been forgotten. Who she is, her name, where she came from. Everything gone.

=== Abilities ===

<s>'''Healing Magic:''' Her main ability. Morrighan is primarily a healer and was initially trained as such. She can heal most major open wounds and mend broken bones. However, the more grievous the injury, the more energy she must expend to administer healing.</s> All knowledge of healing has disappeared from her mind. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Light Magic:''' As an extension of Healing Magic, Morrighan is also well versed in the holy arts. Able to conjure up searing light blasts, arrays of light swords, pillars of light, and other such things.</s> She has forgotten that she ever even knew magic. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Dark Magic:''' Applying the same theories derived from Light Magic, Morrighan has applied them to Darkness, enabling her to utilize her offensive abilities in an identical manner, only with the element changed. Additional abilities derived from darkness are health and magic draining as well as dark corridors. However, she can only go to places that she has been to previously.</s> Despite working so hard to take hold of it, her knowledge of Dark magic has vanished. ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Time Magic:''' Known as Chronomancy or the 'Time Factor', Morrighan seems to possess an innate ability to control the flow of time to a limited degree. Such control includes several seconds of sped up time, or time slowed to a crawl. Or even paused completely. These changes only apply to herself however. Morrighan cannot directly control the time of other people. Time Magic is almost abhorrently taxing, thus she does not employ these abilities unless she really needs to.</s> She has forgotten. ''(General consent required)'' ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Magecraft:''' The ability to construct magical objects from various materials. Be it weapons or other utility devices. Morrighan employs this ability to construct magic orbs that primarily serve as extra 'eyes' as well as magic blades that orbit around her and strike on command.</s> ''(Locked)''

<s>'''Hexes:''' A more sinister form of magic. Morrighan can construct hexes to curse specific people. They usually are not directly harmful, and are limited to things such as reduced luck and other minor misfortunes. ''(Target's consent required)''</s> ''(Locked)''

'''Ether Gun:''' A simple weapon provided to her by the kind man who took her in. Professing that he wouldn't stop her if she wanted to leave and look around, figuring that maybe it would spark something. He gave her an Ether Gun to defend herself with. It's fairly easy to use. Just point and shoot. The weapon fires rounds of magic energy based on the Ether Cartridge currently loaded. One can potentially use many different Ether Cartridges to fire different kinds of elemental bullets.

==Stats and Abilities==
[[File:Morrighan-FK-Profile.gif]]

==Relationships==

===Allies===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of friends and allies have been lost."
|}

===Adversaries===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of possible adversaries have been lost."
|}

===Acquaintances===
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! scope="col" width="100" | Name
! scope="col" width="500" | Thoughts
|-
|[[Data Lost]]||"All knowledge of acquaintances have been lost."
|}

= Logs =
{{Character Logs}}
= Cutscenes =
{{Character Logs|Cutscenes}}

File:FK - MorrighanRevise2.png

2013-06-27T19:40:51Z

MirageV:

When All is Lost

2013-06-27T15:00:21Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/27 |Location=Traverse Town - District 1 |Synopsis=A girl with no memories wanders Traverse Town. A kind soul offers assistance that he..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/27
|Location=Traverse Town - District 1
|Synopsis=A girl with no memories wanders Traverse Town. A kind soul offers assistance that he probably never had to give to begin with. This is only the beginning for this lost girl.
|Cast of Characters=Morrighan Alazne
}}

Traverse Town - District 1, 7:40 PM

As usual, Traverse Town kept itself busy at almost all hours of the day. The distinct lack of daylight at any time really threw off one's perception. At least initially, but those who have lived here for a while have eventually gotten used to the grind and can accurate tell when to go rest in their homes. And it would seem that now was right about that time.

Most of the shops and cafes were closing for the day...night....whatever! But to one such shopkeeper, an odd sight hindered his own progress. He was an older man. Human, about past his forties, slightly graying brown hair(something he was not proud of!), and a bushy mustache to match. Probably had already had a family with kids all grown up and everything, and lived his life as normally as he could considering the state of the world(s). But on this night, his eyes could not help but notice something strange as he turned, in the middle of locking the doors to his place of business.

A girl.

A strange looking girl with a blank expression on her face, looking utterly lost. Some of those wandering the streets still gave her a wide berth, whispering things to each other, but this man had no idea of such things. The girl had dark skin, strikingly long silver or white hair, and pointy ears, marking her as a non-human of some sort. Perhaps an elf? Her eyes though...they were empty. Empty and gray. Sensing something fundamentally wrong, the man finished locking up before he turned and hailed the girl. "Excuse me miss, ya look a bit lost!" He called out. His statement got the girl's attention who just slowly stared in his direction, adopting a mildly confused expression.

"......?" Silently, she tilted her head slightly and pointed at herself, as if asking 'You mean me?'. The older man nodded, wiping his hands off before moving to approach. "Ya look out of it, is what I'm saying. Maybe I can help ya with somethin'" He asked gesturing with a hand as he spoke. "It's gettin' late. ...Not that anyone'd be able to tell without lookin' at a clock, but anyway- Is there some place in particular yer' lookin' for?" His question drew a blank stare from the girl who shook her head slowly, deciding to speak up this time.

"I...I...don't...know..." She replied slowly, as if she had to remember how to speak. Her answer struck the man as odd and he crossed his arms, harumphing in puzzlement. This was definitely out of the ordinary. Even for Traverse Town. "Ya don't say..." He paused to look over the girl for a moment. She wore what looked like a hospital gown. It looked like it was marred slightly with blood stains here and there, but she didn't look hurt at all...did she escape from a hospital? He couldn't imagine such a case. "...If ya don't mind me askin', what's yer name, girl? Maybe I can find someone that oughta know ya." Another suggestion from the man, this one offered somewhat hopefully, but it too was met with a painfully long moment of silence.

The girl blinked slowly at the question, thinking on the subject for what must have been a minute or so.

"...I.....don't know." She answered again, her expression going dour at that. Who was she exactly? A name? ...Did she have a name?

A worrying answer. A girl with no name, a blood marred hospital gown, this just seemed all sorts of suspicious. His rational mind told him that maybe this was an issue that was /way/ above his pay grade, but...no one else dared to approach this girl and find out what was wrong. A quick glance around proved that fact. People were minding their own business in an almost artificial way as they vacated the area, eager to go on with their lives. This drew a sigh from him. "Aw hell, well I can't rightly leave ya here knowin' this now." He admitted with a sigh, running his hand through his hair in resignation. He took another glance at the girl before him then. Her gaze was lowered to the ground, not meeting his eyes.

"Come with me. Ya look like a mess. I'm bettin' you could use some food and a bath too. ...And some clothes." The man smiled wryly at that. "My daughter's just about yer size actually. I'm willin' to bet she's got some clothes that might fit." And a reassuring smile at that. "Whaddya say?"

"......Okay." The girl with no name nodded, raising her gaze a little and smiling an unsure smile. "....." Nothing more was said and the two set off.

"Hell, I know my wife's gonna murder me for this." He groused after as he led on. "But hell, a good deed's a good deed."

Random kindness from a complete stranger... Perhaps this girl was more fortunate than she knew.

Well, when you hit bottom, the only place left to go from there is up.

Right?

Paying For One's Sins

2013-06-27T14:57:06Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/26 |Location=The Ame-no-Torifune |Synopsis=Morrighan returns to Murasame's flagship for her appointed checkup. It is then that the trap is ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/26
|Location=The Ame-no-Torifune
|Synopsis=Morrighan returns to Murasame's flagship for her appointed checkup. It is then that the trap is sprung. And most of all, Garland finally metes out the retribution planned for so long.
|Cast of Characters=Feige Abramson, Morrighan Alazne, Garland
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' The medical office of Feige is a touch auspicious as is, wires cross the floor leading to obscure devices, though most notably generators. Considerable reading material lines bookshelves across the way--most technical or medical in nature, the most shocking book is probably the bible--and there's at least one book in an archaic language that Morrighan can't understand, even from the cover. Two tubes, one empty, the other filled with a watery substance that just seems a touch offcolor compared to normal water. "Oh excuse me, excuse me," A woman's voice calls from further inside. "Don't mind the mess, we're still getting situated. Yes, yes, back here--much better for a checkup." 'back here' is a more traditional medical bay like what one might expect. There's a sink, a med table, cups, needles, and even a lady--wearing a stethoscope around her neck and a labcoat around her body--busy pulling on plastic sanitary gloves. She turns around--she wears goggles. "Name's Feige Abramson, nice to meet you, nice to meet you! May I get you anything? We'll be sure to make this as quick and painless as possible, mm?" Feige doesn't seem bothered by issues of skin color or ear pointiness

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The 'medical bay' didn't turn out to be anything like Morrighan had expected it to be. Strange machines, wires and cables all over the floor, and shelves of strange reading material caused the elf to arch a brow slightly. Was this really where she was supposed to have her examination? It appeared far too shady for her tastes. The sound of someone's voice further in, a woman by the sound of it roused Morrighan out of her curious staring and she decided to forget about the strangeness of the front end, heading further in until she arrived 'back there'. "Oh. Well this is much more what I expected..." She mumbled faintly to herself, nodding as she surveyed the area briefly. The woman's greeting was met with a nod as Morrighan approached. "I suppose you must already know my name. And no, I require nothing at the moment." A pause. The way this doctor had said quick and painless caused her eyebrow to twitch slightly, but in the end, she shook it off. "I suppose we should get started then." She glanced at the woman at that, her arms loosely crossed. "Now, what exactly do you need me to do?"

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Feige Abramson says, "Ah well, the sad truth is that my labs were compromised so I had to move some inventory here. The frontal office had more space. There are those determined to engage in corporate espionage. I'm a pharmaceutical researcher, foremost, but a basic checkup is easily within my capacity." She picks up a small flashlight and asks, "Are you afraid of needles? It's to check for blood disease, Murasame has insisted I be quite thorough." She approaches and says, "Keep eyes open please." She shines the flashlight for the eyes, squinting through inspection. "Yes, yes, no problems." She snaps the light off and makes a mark ona clipboard.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "I see. Well then, I suppose one must work with whatever they get now." Morrighan replied. Following Feige's request, she kept her eyes open, even as the light shined into her eyes. That was irritating. But it was done before she knew it and she blinked a couple times after to recover. "And no, I have no fear of needles." That gave her pause though. "Blood disease? I do not recall having anything of the sort. But I suppose a checkup is a checkup..." A sigh escaped from Morrighan then. She wasn't exactly a stranger to medical practices, but being on the patient end of it was not something she usually experienced. "In any case, I suppose you need to take blood from me now?" A rhetorical question as the elf was already removing one of her long arm gloves, exposing her skin for whatever this doctor had in mind.

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' "Yeppers!" Feige says, she's very chipper. In fact, she's pretty much always smiling. Obviously, this is to put patients at ease and not a sign of mental illness. Nevertheless, she nods to Morrighan. "Yes yes." She draws out a small needle from near the sink. "Don't worry it's quite clean." And well--she attempts to stick Morrighan with it, shortly after rubbing some alcohol and cotton on the skin. Which is all very unassuming and polite and professional. Which may distract Morrighan long enough for Feige's other hand, holding another needle, stabbing for Morrighan's spine--this one with quick acting anasthesiac to put her to sleep, for a while. Her strength is, in fact, surprising considering her small, unassuming frame. in a way, it is unnatural.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Feige's upbeat attitude was just annoying to Morrighan. But it's not like she would make a fuss about it. Especially not during a medical checkup. Besides, it would be over eventually, right? Moving over to a nearby counter, she winced slightly once the needle pierced her arm. Ugh, even if one didn't fear needles, they were still bothersome. But then was another piercing feeling. This one at her spine? The elf's eyes widened on shock at this and she immediately glared at Feige. "W-What is the meaning of this!?" She demanded, raising her other arm as magic began to take form, but then a wave of fatigue suddenly washed over her. "What...have you...." She didn't get to finish her question before she crumpled to the floor, the medicine having forced her into an unconscious state...

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Feige is very chipper. "Don't worry, don't worry. You won't be out for long. Couple of days, tops! Dream of something nice, would you? It might be the last time you can." Time passes. There are dreams, and whispers, but they don't seem to be Morrighan's own dreams. An inky blackness, darker than the darkness of closed eyes, flits across the edges of conciousness. Someone, or something, is trying to communicate. Most of the words are incomprehensible, but one phrase sticks out: 'To die, to sleep, to sleep perchance, to dream'. Visions of a universe of light, tragically speckled with black blots of darkness. It wants to crawl inside you. And rest. And hibernate. Tendrils reach out--but before they can reach-- You wake up! Unfortunately you're also strapped to a medtable, in a hospital gown. Arms and legs are secured by clasps. Magic doesn't seem to work just yet. Not even the time magc. In fact, especially not the time magic. Feige is nearby, washing blood off her gloves. She is humming to herself. A few used needles are nearby the sink. There's pain in your back and abdomen, the stronger pain hits the former. A breathing mask, attached to an oxygen bag, is on your face. Your head kind of hurts too. "Awake yet?" Feige asks.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Everything went black. And then it felt an eternity, staring into the darkness as words passed her by. The majority were incomprehensible, but...there was one statement that she could understand. 'What is this supposed to...' And then several black tendrils appear, aiming to grab at her and- "AH!" Morrighan's eyes open with a start. She would have sat up as well, but she seemed to have been restrained. Well that was weird, but not a problem if she could just conjure up....no, nevermind. Her magic wasn't responding. "Where...am I?" She asked groggily, eyes haf lidded to avoid the light. The fact that her usual dress was absent escaped her notice for now. Hearing Feige's irritatingly cheerful voice nearby caused her to remember though. "You! What have you--argh!" Her speech was muffled by the oxygen mask and there were pains echoing all throughout her body. Unable to keeping yelling through the pain, Morrighan wound up squeezing her eyes shut to try and make it go away. What was going on here!?

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Feige speaks, as if talking to herself, or maybe delivering a lecture. "You know, I must admit I thought I would never even meet you. I think I'm glad I signed on with Murasame." She washes her hands. "In my original world, they didn't know how to use me. They didn't know how to. You know why?" She slams her hands against the counter, denting it shockingly with her power. "Because they were fools! They thought they knew everything because they saw a glimpse of the true universe, but you know what they say about when you assume." She turns around. "When you assume you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Now don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong at all." She snaps the gloves off. "I was very impressed. You should be proud, actually. It isn't very easy to piss off certain individuals. It takes a bit more than mere insolence. After all, there's a fine, fine line between contempt and anger and for these sorts of people--ahem--beings--it takes a certain level of...Alexandrian creativity, I mean the Conquerer not the academy, to pull off. You are an inspiration to your people, Morrighan, I was thinking about that the whole day. I /was/ going to call up Sevarius--we play Cards Against Humanity every saturday--and maybe turn you into an elfbearpig? But wisely, yes, wisely I knew you were precious! I could not do that to such a fine specimen...with such a wonderful experimental mind. Yes, everyone is an experiment. Me, you, the universe--but anybody can become an elfbearpig, Morrighan." "Not you!" She declares. "You are destined for grander things." She adjusts her goggles, but doesn't remove them. "Now as for what I've done to you. First, and perhaps most importantly, is the tracking chip I've implanted in your spine." She pauses, and then with what would seem like honest concern from anybody else adds, "And as your medical doctor, I must strongly, /strongly/ urge you to not remove it." She looks down at Morrighan and adds, "But that of course is just the preventative measure, hardly the science! Any fool with a scalpel can implant a tracking chip slash bomb!" She laughs maniacally for 5 seconds.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan just blinked slowly as she got used to the light again and opened her eyes fully. Most of this crazy woman's ranting was lost on her. Or rather, she wasn't in the right mind to actually listen to it all. Something about assumptions, and angering certain individuals...wait a moment. "What...what are you...talking about...?" She asked wearily, struggling to move again despite the fact that she was quite thoroughly restrained. "Is this...about that bounty...? What do you mean grander things? I do not understand one bit..." Her question was left by the wayside however as she learned just what had been done to her. "Tracking...chip? You did WHAT?" The elf's voice grew indignant then. "A bomb? Who gave you permission to plant a BOMB in my spine? Have you lost your mind!? Remove it right this instant! NOW!" Yelling angrily, Morrighan struggled against her bonds again, a futile effort of course. "And what do you mean first? You did something else!?"

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Feige seems like someone who has had to restrain people to a table against their will. She had an excellent teacher too. And most of her friends are, well, people who /understand/. Feige has few redeeming characteristics, but she is not a jealous mad scientist. She cares little for credit so long as she can work and she is happy to work with other mad scientists. Because in the end, are you doing mad science to show those fools who never understood? Or are you doing science because you love to understand and learn? For Feige it is the latter. Okay maybe a little of column A too. "Permission?" Feige is shocked. "I was given permission the moment you came inside and I had received no specific instructions to the contrary. I could have put your mind in a dog, or turned you into--wait, we covered elfbearpig already." Feige waggles a hand uncaringly. "But I felt modding out your body would not just be a waste, but also way too temporary. Oh I don't know the ultimate plans for you, otherwise--believe me--I would tell you, but I would not be especially attached to that thing. After all this effort, I can't imagine you will be killed, that would--again--be such a waste." Morrighan sort of asks for more details. This makes Feige immeasurably happy. "I'm glad you asked!" "First..." Feige holds up an index finger. "Er second..." She holds up her middle finger too. "I have gone to the liberty of performing a neural scan. With that, along with the genetic sample you actually, heh, consented to provide--I do believe I can make you a backup body, you know, just in case. If not, well, I am certain we could use your knowledge on magic, maybe a brain-based-computer? I do worry some knowledge will be lost in the modification process but ahh--I am getting ahead of myself." Feige beams brightly, "And of course I've taken the liberty of removing some of your, ah, eggs. Not enough time for as many as I would have liked but I assure you, they will be well used." She drums her index finger across her cheek. "Say... while on the subject, do you prefer boys or girls? And--what exactly are you looking for in a backup body. You want a precise copy? I don't know, that's kind of boring, do you have any input? Your gazongas are rather large, would you prefer smaller?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' ".........." Morrighan's eyes just narrowed at all this this nonsense escaping Feige's mouth. "A BACK UP body? Are you serious? Why would need one? I do not want a back up body! And I especially would not...." She trailed off then as the obviously mad scientist went on to say that she had...aha, removed some eggs. That was new. "W-WHAT!?" Morrighan sputtered indignantly, struggling against the bonds keeping her still again. Oh why wasn't her magic working now? "You took some of my...EGGS? How in the world did you even, no, no! I don't care about HOW. What gives you the right to even- Argh!" Apparently she was too angry to even form a coherent sentence now. "What do you mean if I prefer..." She was going to ask, but then decided she wouldn't entertain this ridiculousness. "I am fine just the way I am! And leave the size of my--forget it! Just forget it!" Oh boy, that headache was getting worse with all this angry yelling. "I want you to /destroy/ whatever genetic material you took from me and LET ME GO!" Yeah, like /that/ was going to happen.

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' "Oh it actually was the easiest procedure." Feige says. "Honestly where I'm from it's not an uncommon practice. You know, I WAS thinking boys, I feel I am giving off the wrong impression by having largely dealt with cloning girls at this point. You've actually, aheh, met some of my projects before. Frankly the situation has left me with some limits--that's the other good thing about this solution, don't you see? With time--other roads may open themselves up--but if nothing else I'd rather make sure the dark elf people don't stop existing." She frowns a bit. "...You know, if I even knew one elf--light skinned variety--that was a guy I would totally try the half-breed route just to screw with people. I'm not very fond of prejudice, Morrighan. My people too have suffered from it." She smiles faintly. "Honestly, Nazis, what can you do?" She spins on her heel and walks away from the table for a moment, seeming to hear the protests for the first time. "Yes, yes." She says. "I think actually a mix would be best. Boys and girls, just to be on the safe side." She looks over her shoulder towards Morrighan. "And yet all these protests. I'm doing you a favor, honestly, just allowing you to be the mother of these experiments. I'll even let you name them, if you promise not to be too snarky." She smiles, walking closer, slowly lowering her head to look into Morrighan's eyes. "You have burnt every bridge." She whispers. "I won't stop, I won't be letting you go, I won't be destroying the future. I had hoped you would understand what I was doing, but I don't need you to. Oh, you're so cute, so alluring...no wonder so many fell under your sway, mm?" She runs an index finger across Morrighan's cheek.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "...Met some of them? That is..." She would have asked /who/, but frankly, there were more pressing matters to deal with right now. Namely, the predicament she was very much still in. "What do you mean make sure the dark elves do not stop existing? I was not aware that they were disappearing!" ...Actually, Valos and Rosemarie were the only other ones she knew. And now Valos was dead. Whoops. Pushing that aside for now, it seemed like her protests were falling on deaf ears. Or rathers, ears that certainly couldn't care less anyway. Still, this was hardly a favor! "How is taking my eggs and, what I presume will be inseminating them, ANY sort of favor to me!? I have no desire to be a mother! You cannot do this!" As Feige drew closer, Morrighan tried to lean her head away, which only did so much. But it was true. She had burned just about every bridge open to her. "How am I to understand your ravings? Why are you doing this to me!? What have I done to you!?" She was fighting back tears now. She hardly deserved to cry after the things she's done though. She knew that, and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a finger run across her cheek. "Just....Just get it over with! I no longer care! Just have your fun and then leave me!"

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' "Fascinating," the horrible, terrible dark voice echoes. Morrighan would recognize it almost immediately; when last it had spoken to her, it had hurled curses and threats upon her name, vowing to pay back unto her a hundred fold what she had done to its owner. It had been filled with a rage beyond mortal propensity, the sort of rage that has sat and stirred for ten thousand years, just waiting for the right moment to be unleashed. Now that terrible voice is filled with amusement - it delights in the suffering of others, and the one who suffers now, who cries out with tears barely restrained, is one the voice's owner takes a special delight in watching suffer. The Ironclad Nightmare strides out of the shadows calmly, silently, like a ghost carried on the fluttering of night; no noise heralds him but the low, black laughter, the grim amusement; no light illuminates him, the shadows simply retreating in the presence of a greater, fouler darkness than mere light can produce. He pauses in front of Morrighan, his great clawed gauntlets disappearing under his cape. "On the field of battle, you spoke to me. You declared yourself my superior - my /better/. You stole power from me; you cut into my soul, ripped it open, and dragged forth my demons for all to see, in the misguided belief that /my/ Fiends might give you power." Garland's voice remains low; Garland does not need to shout to get his point across, not here, not now, not with Morrighan helpless under Feige's control. The slow tap-tapping of his iron claws begins, the rhythmic beat of a heart that may not exist anywhere beneath that iron body; it fills the room, drowning out the sounds of machinery and science in favor of the simple beat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. "No one is permitted to steal that which is Garland's. None are permitted to reach into my soul, my Heart, and play with it as though it were a toy. In my infinite mercy, I offered you salvation. I offered you the chance to back away, you and your would-be philosophical knight. I gave to you what many would consider *too much* kindness - and like a child, you abused it. You believed that my words were empty and hollow - that you could seek protection from Garland, that you could run and hide and skitter to the winds and that I would never find you." Garland leans in close to her ear. He does not breathe, but his presence, his proximity, the cold of his iron...oh, she would feel that in an instant. "I am patient, girl. You are a child compared to me; all your history, all your age, all your life, is but a speck in the eyes of Garland." He straightens, giving her a momentary relief from both his proximity and the endless tap-tap, thump-thump, clang-clang. Garland walks away from her for a moment; his back faces her, his helmet tilted downwards in thought. "And yet, speck, you have done something that few in history have managed." "Your burning ambition has etched your name into my memory. In ten thousand years, when your family line is dead and gone and all those you have ever felt even a spark of caring for are dust in the Earth, your name will ring in Garland's ears for eternity as one whose arrogance managed to reach into the realm of a god." Garland's voice suddenly lightens up. Just a bit. It's perhaps even more sinister, the sudden dark cheer that overtakes his words. The words themselves may be even more sinister. "I feel...that you deserve a /reward/ for such ambition."

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' "Done to me?" Feige asks. "--Oh, you think this is out of malice? No no no! It's nothing to do with that." Feige promises. "I'm doing this because I /like/ you." For a moment, she almost seems distraught. "Well," She admits. "I must admit it's impossible to do an exhaustive study, but I only know of a small handful that exist. It is entirely within the margin of error of you dying out, provided there is no hidden populace. You see? It is a favor. Especially since you may be dead or worse soon. I don't bear you any ill will, of course, but I'm not a rabbi. Could work on my bedside manner." She leans in further, her lips lightly press against Morrighan's cheek, leaving a faint salivic impression before pulling back. "As you wish. I'll put you back out now. How I wish I could keep you forever, but nothing lasts forever. Well, almost nothing." She steps back and, if nothing else, it seems like Morrighan might get that relief, but then--well-- Garland. Feige is surprised to see him. Her eyes widen faintly and she steps back to allow Garland to speak. And /do/. The surprise fades quickly, she steps back a bit so Morrighan can't see her. For now.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Well. This was entirely unexpected. In fact, Morrighan would have taken Feige's scientific insanity over anything /but/ this. But it was far too late now. Garland is here. She didn't need to look to be able to tell. His voice made himself perfectly recognizable. His words were calm and cold, only exacerbating her growing fear. Was this Souji's whole plan? Fool her into dropping her guard, and then hand her off to Garland? Part of her could appreciate how evil this plan was, and another part of her cursed him for it. The elf's thoughts were dashed away the moment she could hear his voice a little too close for comfort. And here she was, unable to move in any sort of way. ".....!" No words. There was nothing she could find to say. Instead, all she could do was listen. Feige's own ravings were nearly forgotten in the face of this. But he soon backed off, contemplating to himself and speaking of her ambition. Nothing this /entity/ was saying was offering her comfort. As well it shouldn't. Considering just what she had done to him... A reward? ...She didn't want a reward. Not at all. "What...what are you talking about? I don't..." want a reward. But the words wouldn't leave her mouth. She was paralyzed with fear. First Feige, now this. Was her life over? It certainly felt that way now.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' "You do not what? Do npt want a reward? Do not desire compensation, recognition of your valorous efforts?" One can almost hear the sneer in Garland's voice as he turns, the twin pinpricks of crimson light that are his eyes focusing onto hers, burning with that same intensity that he speaks. Garland does not need to glower and glare to make his point, after all, not with eyes like those. "Dr. Abramson certainly desired a reward. Why else do you think she would contact me? *She* will be rewarded well for her efforts." He paces back over to her, the clang of his boots against the floor very well /certain/. He's allowing them to make noise for dramatics' sake; ten thousand years of common sense, and the man(?) still obeys all the rules of drama. His metal fist clangs against the table, and he leans in nice and close so that the poor Dark Elf gets just a glimpse, just a momentary, fleeting, ever-so-swift glimpse of the terrible thing underneath the armor. "Are you rejecting my generosity a second time?" And then Garland leans back, again offering her respite. The cruelest of cruelties is not a torture inflicted for hours without end; it is a torture inflicted for five minutes, allowing the mind to fill the respite with misery and terror at the prospect of its continuation. Garland has had a long time to master such techniques, after all. "I thought, perhaps, that since you desired Fiends of your own to command, that I might /give/ you Fiends of your own to command." Garland taps his gauntlet against his armored chin, as though he were deep in thought. "But, of course...you understand how Fiends are made, don't you? You couldn't have done all that research without learning a /hint/, a /touch/, of what the Fiends truly are...?" "Oh...or perhaps you did no research at all...you simply found a book with a magic spell that told you it would grant you power, and like the ignorant little girl you are, you grabbed at it, grasped at it, and read from the Book at the right place, waiting to see what sprang forth?" Garland lets out a low 'tsk'. "Which is it, then, my dear? Have you any idea what it is that Fiends are made from?" Garland turns away from her, looking back at Feige. "As for you, Doctor, your efforts will be well-rewarded. Garland never forgets those who do him well...or ill. You have but to name your price and it shall be yours."

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Garland's involvement would certainly explain why Feige didn't do anything too radical to Morrighan herself. Feige's expression cannot be seen by Morrighan but Garland might see a quirked eyebrow at his words. Well truly, Feige does love rewards. That, at least, is certainly true. She nods slowly at Garland's offer. It's a strange one, but she elects to take it at face value. Garland knows her general desire. This time, she writes down something on a piece of paper--the very notepad, in fact, she was taking Morrighan's 'information' when she first showed up in the office. She doesn't want Morrighan to know it or she doesn't want to disrupt Garland's work via speaking on it beyond a 'Of course, Lord Garland'.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan grit her teeth, averting her eyes to look left and right, anywhere but at Garland, and now his supposed accomplice. Wonderful. This was a trap, and she fell into it gloriously. As Garland leaned closer again, she could feel her skin crawl. Being this close, she could almost /see/ what was under that armor, but dared not to try and comprehend it. "I..." She shut her eyes and then finally responded clearly. "Do not insult me! I know full well what they are!" Finding a backbone for that moment, the dark elf spoke onwards. "A Fiend is....a Fiend is created from host soul! They exist and draw power from that soul!" Starting a shake under the pressure, she went on with her explanation, almost tripping over her words in the process. "Which would explain why that thing that came from you was so obscenely powerful!" Having finished, Morrighan paused to think about what was previously said just a few moments before. "Wait...my own fiends? You don't mean that you plan to...no! No!" Struggling against the bonds and restrain her again, she tried to break free, to no avail. She tried to conjure up some manner of spell, light swords, dark fire, none of it was responding. She was stuck and there was no way out. "Let me go! LET ME GO!" She cried, as if they would do such a thing just because she demanded it. Of course not.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland puts his hand on Morrighan's shoulder. If one looked beneath his helmet, they /might/ perhaps find a smile, should it be so that Garland had a mouth capable of such things - let alone a mouth at all. However, if one looks beneath Garland's helmet, they would likely not be in shape to talk about what they saw. "Do not fear, child. Your bravery is being *rewarded*. You would not insult my generosity a third time, would you, young lady?" Garland's horrible metal claws brush against the side of her head, some horrible parody of gentility; the iron is almost cold enough to burn. Not quite...but it is certainly very, very cold. "I consider this a mercy beyond what you deserve, little elf. Above and beyond what you deserve. Were I in a fouler mood, I would flay the skin from your bones; I would chain you up in a dungeon so far from the light that even your vaunted dark elf eyes would dim and die the instant the sun touched your face again; I would take all that you are proud of - your beauty, your intellect, your magic - and turn it upon you until you cursed the day you were given those gifts only for Garland to rip them away. I would rip out your heart and feed it to the hungry children in the darkness, and you would become nothing but a shadow of your former self." "You knew the consequences when you betrayed the Shadow Lords. When you betrayed *me*. Do not pretend as if you are innocent, some suffering victim who deserves none of what is about to happen to you; given the circumstances of this arrangement, even the torture I am about to inflict on you is a mild one. In your heart of hearts, you and I both know that an eternity of loneliness and pain as the demons in your soul are ripped forth to drive away any who dare touch your heart is a /kindness/ and /mercy/ you do not deserve. I know it. Doctor Abramson knew it. You know it, though your pride protects you from admitting it. Even those who stood by you to save you from me were discarded without a second thought. Anyone who has ever shown you a touch of kindness has been cast aside and discarded like so much trash, ignored, or exploited, haven't they?" Garland's fingers flare with arcane light as he crushes magic into his palm with raw physical force, muscles forcing Mist to bend to his whim. "No one will come to your rescue this time. Your time is up. You have escaped your suffering long enough." "Now I will carve up your soul." "Your wish...is granted."

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Feige is watching intently! ....and takes notes! This is very fascinating! She doesn't even cackle.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Garland's hand upon her shoulder did little to allay her fears. In fact, all it did was make it worse. All the better, no? At least she stopped thrashing about for now. Yet, for all of her cries for this not to happen, Morrighan knew deep down that this was far more merciful than she deserved. But that didn't stop her from wishing nothing would happen at all. A fool's desire. "No! No! Stop it! Let me go! Someone, anyone!" But no one would come. Who in their right mind to come to her aid even if her cries /could/ be heard? Certainly no one she knew. And thus, Garland's plans to continue on, unhindered.

The Perfect Trap

2013-06-24T02:35:05Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/23 |Location=The Ame-no-Torifune |Synopsis=Morrighan meets with Souji Murasame in order to discuss matters long past due for such. The deal..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/23
|Location=The Ame-no-Torifune
|Synopsis=Morrighan meets with Souji Murasame in order to discuss matters long past due for such. The deal offered is far too good to be true. But Morrighan, having had her paranoia whittled down over the months suspects nothing...
|Cast of Characters=Morrighan Alazne, Souji Murasame
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Archades. Yes, Morrighan had heard about the...incidents that have befallen this area. She had absolutely nothing to do with it however, and thus, never resolved to come this way. This would have stayed such were it not for other factors. What other factors? Well, the fact that Murasame and his business was currently located in the area. She remembered a while back...a party in Carwen was it? Something about a job offer. Not to say that Morrighan was actively seeking new employment. The church had it's conveniences, zealotry and corruption aside. But it never hurt to explore one's options. And it was with this thought in mind that the dark elf came to the city, or more specifically; approached Murasame Corp's flagship vessel, the Ame-no-Torifune. An impressive work of craftsmanship really. But for a corporation to be run out of an airship...were they falling on bad times? It certainly didn't seem that way with the manner their heir carried himself. That aside, Morrighan approached the the most obvious entrance she could locate, hailing down the nearest attendant and asking for Souji Murasame himself. She gave her name and mentioned that he had offered to discuss job oppertunities some time in the past. "I do wonder exactly what I would be doing in a company like this however..." They seemed rather modern for her usual set of skills, which were arcane in nature. But then, she'd know when they talked finally.

:'''[[Souji Murasame]] has posed:''' The Ame-no-Torifune is a marvel of magitechnology. The ship itself holds to many classic lines, sailing through the air on stormclouds. Lightning crackles down around its glowing neon energy sails, striking lightning rods that radiate from a horseshoe-shaped attatchment that circles around the ship horizontally. Upon each end of the 'horseshoe' there is a crackling cannon that holds a great deal of pent-up energy. The back of the ship thrums with powerful engines, leaving blue-white ion trails through the clouds. The office and study of Souji Murasame is well-appointed, in rich, dark woods, but generally functional. There is a well-crafted table of ebony, upon which rests a tea service. In a cabinet to one side is a wine cooler and liquor cabinet, as well as a set of crystal glasses. There is an office desk in the corner, the glimmer of a magitechnological computer present. There are several folders on the desk, as well as a framed picture of a teenaged woman in a pure white dress. Windows on the sides of the cabin afford a view of the area outside, while a locked door leads further in, presumably to private sleeping quarters. The business is clearly handled here. Souji himself is present on the ship, the nerve center of the rebuilding Murasame Zaibatsu. Despite the 'hard times' they have fallen upon, Souji and Morrighan both share a simple tenet: Never let them see you bleed. Morrighan is passed from an attendant to a secretary with strange red eyes and an... 'impish' disposition. Before she can give Morrighan trouble, however, she is called into the office heretofore described. Souji himself stands at his desk, eyes sharp behind his glasses as he looks upon Morrighan. "Welcome to my office. Please, sit. Would you care for some refreshments?" He asks. His tone is pleasant and businesslike. Once she is seated, Souji shakes his head. "We do not limit ourselves like some organizations. We make use of both magical and technological initatives to allow for a unified approach to deal with the challenges of the worlds we live in."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Entering into the airship, Morrighan remains quiet, but mentally marvels at the sights that pass her eyes. This probably had to be one of the more impressive airships that the elf had come across in quite some time. Baron prided itself on their aerial competence, but none of their ships came anywhere close to the majesty that this ship presented. Both inside and out. "To be expected of such a company I suppose..." She mused to herself, arms loosely crossed as she looked left and right, up and down, following the attendant along vaguely. She was passed along to a secretary soon after, but they spent so little time together that Morrighan hadn't even committed many pertinent details of the girl to memory. Entering into Souji's personal study, she paused in the doorway. "We meet again." She would have said that it was a pleasure, but...not quite yet. She needed to know what was being offered first and foremost. That thought in mind, she stepped further inside, taking a cursory glance of the surroundings. Her eyes briefly settled on a portrait of a woman in a white dress, causing her to raise an eyebrow. But she dwelled on it no longer and proceeded to take her seat. "Some tea would do fine I suppose. Surprise me." Morrighan chose, smiling pleasantly at Souji and settling her hands into her lap. "That is admirable. Both magic and technology have great benefits. To choose one and revile the other is only a quick means to deny oneself off possibilities." A nod then. "Though I admit I am not quite as well versed in much of this 'modern technology'. Those MaBelles as they call them are the only advanced tech I have learned to utilize thus far." She shook her head then and decided to set the topic aside for now. "Now, that aside, I suppose I should ask; what do you and your company want from me exactly?"

:'''[[Souji Murasame]] has posed:''' Souji knew better than to leave Morrighan in the care of Helena Celba for long. She, like all secretaries, is designed to filter out people from bothering him. She takes to her purpose a little /too/ exuberantly. Souji nods, and turns to move towards the table with the tea set. He moves with precision and grace as he creates a small flame beneath the teapot with a flick of his hand. The heir can use magic as well, it seems. With ritualistic motions, he sets the pot to boil to a precise temprature, measuring out loose tea leaves and setting it to steep within the pot. While he waits for the brew to complete, Souji nods. "You will find that magic is an intrinsic part of our corporations' operations. Some of it will be familiar to you. Some will not. It gives ample room to adapt to new possibilities and changing times." He pours the steaming brew carefully into two delicately painted ceramic cups. One is brought to Morrighan, the other is taken for himself. A small caddy of additives is placed on the desk within reach of Morrighan should she wish to add to hers. Souji takes his straight. "From you? Well, you have made a reputation for yourself during your time in Baron as a woman who can get things done. Your skills in magic, both for healing and offense are useful to the Zaibatsu, especially in our biotech operations. There is a great deal of war going on, and frankly, medical supplies are in high demand, which means they can be sold at a premium." He takes a sip of his tea, pleasant even while discussing the economics of war.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "I see. That makes sense. I am not opposed to gaining new knowledge. One only stagnates if they stay still for too long after all." A nod is given then as Morrighan took the offered cup, adding a few extra ingredients from the offered display without thinking much of it. Once done, she took a tentative sip. Seemingly pleased, she set the cup down listening to Souji's explanations of what exactly he wanted in the meantime. "Is that so...I was not aware that word had spread of me to that degree." Well, that was a lie. Her name flew all over the airwaves after that tree incident. Not to mention various other Baron shenanigans before it. Still, in this case, she chose to play it down. "I can understand the sentiment however. Where there is war, there is business. And where there is business, there is money to be made." She took up the cup again, taking another sip before adding to her statement. "And the services of healers, magic or mundane, are invaluable during such times." Setting the cup down after another sip she folded her hands into her lap, an amused smile on her face. "So in essence, you wish to add my skills to your company. In order to further your overall goals." It was simple enough. But it was also what she expected. That was generally why any organization sought her out. "But then, I must ask; what exactly can you put on the table to make me leave my current post for you? The Church of Glabados has provided quite a convenient situation for me after all."

:'''[[Souji Murasame]] has posed:''' "I can appreciate your realistic grasp of the situation." Souji says, summarizing a great deal of prior discussion. "I will summarize our offer, however." Souji says. "You will be well-paid for your expertise. You will be placed in charge of our magical biotech research branch, given resources to pursue whatever research you like as long as it will bring us profit. We are not encumbered by certain strictures you may be familiar with in your experience with your current post." He pauses. "Additionally, you will receive the protection and assistance that you no doubt are familiar with from your current association. You will have an opportunity to grow your skills and gain access to new opportunities."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Well. Morrighan listened patiently as she took up her cup, drinking her tea slowly to savor the flavor. "I see. That sounds quite tempting." Souji could probably figure that the church prevented her from performing certain kinds of research or magical experiments and rituals based on religion and faith and all that good stuff. "The ability to freely research the magical arts as I please is something that I...have not had the pleasure of having recently." It was true. The church shut down all research based on whether or not it offended their sensibilities. And with Baron, she was run ragged with their warmongering campaigns to be able to research and learn different magicks. The dark elf paused at this, staring downwards into her tea cup, observing her own reflection. It almost sounded too good to be true, really. Were she the same woman she were several months ago, she probably would have said no out of paranoia, but... "This sounds leaps and bounds more ideal than my previous assignments. I believe that I...will take this offer."

:'''[[Souji Murasame]] has posed:''' Well, he /does/ have to offer something Glabados doesn't. They are an established, rich organization. The only thing Souji can offer to compete is the most valuable thing in the world. Freedom. At least, relative freedom. It's simple economics. You have to offer something of value to gain something of value. And for someone like Morrighan... "Excellent. We are pleased to hear it." Souji allows himself a faint smile. He pulls a thin sheaf of paper out of his desk, various contractual information visible on it. "Feel free to read this over and sign it." He offers her a fountain pen with which to do so.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan would feel bad for abandoning Glabados, but...let's be real, she didn't look back when she left Baron. Though technically that was more of a forced ejection on the part of not wanting to claim ownership of her outrageous deeds at the Iifa Tree. Regardless- "Of course." Taking the paper, she set the cup aside and began to scan the page intently, reading for any ridiculous sort of fine print that would cause problems down the line. Finding nothing too outlandish, she eventually nodded her assent to the terms and took up the pen, bringing it to the line below and leaving her signature. "There you go." Finished signing, she turned the sheet around and pushed it back over to Souji over the surface of the desk. "Is there anything else I should be aware of at this juncture?" She had no suspicions about this, at all. It sounded perfect. ...And in a sense, it was perfect. A perfect trap, that was.

:'''[[Souji Murasame]] has posed:''' The contract is standard employment boilerplate. Both of them understand the real techncialities of their agreement won't appear on any paper. The undercurrent of realism between the two is refreshing, really. Souji would almost regret doing this if he had any capacity left for it. He takes the pen and signs it himself, scrupulously dating the paper before turning and placing it into a folder. "At this point, all you will need to do is report to our medical area for a physical examination. Our employees health is important. You can't work if you're sick or injured, after all." He pauses. "You should have no issues there. Tomorrow, you can begin your new job." Unfortunately for Morrighan, her new job is going to not be what she expects. Were Souji more aware of Morrighan's actions, he might appreciate the irony of this a bit more. Regardless, the work is done. "I look forward to working with you." He says, holding out his hand with that faint smile for a handshake.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "An examination..." That was new. Baron and Glabados certainly didn't care enough for one of those. At least not on startup. Still, thinking nothing of the notion, she nodded. "Very well. I will do just that then." That said, she reached forward and took Souji's hand, shaking it. She smiled faintly as well. Actually believing that this was some new opportunity. How mistaken she was. "I will see you tomorrow then." And with deal done, Morrighan stood from her seat and turned, making her way to the door. One final glance was spared to the Murasame heir before she stepped out, presumably to be led back out by some attendant.

A Researcher's Inquiry

2013-06-16T05:03:38Z

MirageV: Created page with "{{tinyplot}}"

A Researcher's Inquiry I

2013-06-16T05:00:46Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/23
|Location=Traverse Town - VALKYRI HQ
|Synopsis=Halting her research for the moment, Rhia departs from Shinra HQ and travels in order to gather additional information. First on her list; Avira.
|Cast of Characters=Avira, Rhiannon Zellen
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Ah, Traverse Town. A haven for lost souls displaced from their original worlds. THe place was cobbled together with no real clear plans and obvious deviated from it's original plans. With more people coming in from the worlds every day, it was a wonder how the town kept up with the flow of refugees! It was on this day...night...whatever, that a certain Shinra scientist could be seen strolling through the streets at a casual pace. Her gaze swept about, taking in the details of what she saw and what kind of people were around. Her expression altered slightly with each person she laid eyes upon, smirking somewhat all the while. It was Rhiannon Zellen and while this loon usually never left her lab in Goug...today was an exception. Why? For research of course! And it was for this exact same research that the oriental woman found herself standing in front of VALKRYI HQ. "I do believe this is the location." She muttered quietly to herself, reaching for the door handle and attempting the gain entry after.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' The door to the VALKYRI HQ has been replaced! Again! Sometimes one has to wonder why they even bother with doors anymore and don't just put up a curtain. (Well, because sometimes the VALKYRI sleep in there and they want their privacy.) Right now, the door is unlocked because one of the members is within-perhaps expecting company today. Back and forth Avira paces, clearly in some degree of agitation. She cycles between tidying up things around the guild hall and preparing some kind of duffle bag upon one of the beds. Upon closer observation, she seems like she's packing for a trip. Avira pauses once the door opens and looks down the hall to spot the unusual-looking woman entering. Confusion flashes upon her face before she adopts a smile. "Hello there." she greets politely, "Welcome to VALKYRI. I'm Avira...is there something I can help you with today?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Upon entering, Rhia took a moment to have a brief look about her immediate surroundings. Rather basic living quarters. Nothing she could complain about. Expected of normal people in the end. She nodded to herself after that, just in time for Avira to come into sight. Bingo. Just the one she was looking for too. And Rhia was prepared to go through tiresome social niceties in order to get to her target. "Hello, hello. I must apologize for intrusion." The scientist spoke, smiling graciously at Avira's question. "I came to see you specifically, Avira was it?" Asking that, Rhia closed the door behind herself and strode a little deeper in, pausing to wait before attempting further entry. "I have some questions I want to ask you, if you don't mind?" The woman tilted her head slightly at that, braids swaying at the movement. "Unless this is a bad time?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' This woman seemed friendly enough-not immediately armed, not teeming with horriblehelldarknesschaos or whatever it was those arrayed against her lately felt like packing. (Seriously it felt like a new thing every day). But since this is a guest that she was facing, Avira adopts a more formal, more polite stance with her hands clasped behind her back. An eyebrow lifts as this woman professes that she was here to speak to none other than Avira herself. Rhia slips in closer and Avira moves forward from deeper within the guild hall to meet her. "You did?" Body language seems to indicate that she has no issues with Rhia being inside. "No, this isn't a bad time at all." Her trip could wait a little longer, couldn't it? "What are your questions?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Satisfied that it didn't seem like she was going to be immediately shooed out, Rhia relaxed a little and removed a tablet device from her lab coat, powering it on before producing a stylus pen. "Thank you for your cooperation then. I suppose I should introduce myself." Continuing to smile, Rhia glanced back to Avira, indicating herself vaguely as she spoke. "My name is Rhiannon Estellise Zellen. I happen to be a scientist in the employ of Shinra. You may or may have heard of us. Perhaps. But I'm not arrogant enough to be sure that you have." Leaving that aside, the scientist looked back down to her tablet, moving things around with her finger before bringing up a notepad app. "Getting to the proverbial point of my visit, I am currently in the middle of some research. But I have hit a wall. Thus, I've come out to collect a bit more information before moving forward." That said, Rhia turned her attention back to Avira. "Now, according to my information, there were two periods of time where you were...not exactly yourself. Perhaps less in mind and more in body. Am I right?" Asking that rhetorical question, she went on. "My questions are regarding those periods of time."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Rhiannon will notice Avira's body tensing just a little bit when ShinRa is mentioned. That moment is quick to pass as she forces herself back into neutrality shortly afterwards, silently hoping that this visit wasn't /actually/ about Maira. Not only had Maira professed to know about Shinra in the past, but there had been an unusually large number of creeps making her life difficult lately. Not that she'd pegged Rhia as a creep already. Still, couldn't be too careful. "I have indeed heard of ShinRa. It's hard not to for people who travel throughout the worlds. Now..." she seems appreciative that Rhia is so swift to arrive to the point of her visit. Though learning what it is brings visible discomfort to her. "You must mean when I was a mutate." she concludes. "Not the best time of my life, but yes. Go on."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Hm. Interesting. Her body language was most interesting. The way she tensed at the mention of Shinra. Though not strongly, it was enough to tell her that she had heard of them. And perhaps it was not good. No matter. She was here to ask her questions and continue her research, not to defend her employer, whom really, she couldn't care any less about than she already did. "So I can imagine. The term is 'Mutate' then. I'll note that down." Rhia took a moment to do just that before turning her attention back to Avira. "In any case, I suppose the most pertinent question would be; how exactly did that sort of thing happen to you? Since there were two separate occasions, I suppose I should expect two different answers." Or none, depending on Avira's willingness to answer. Either way, the woman's eyes her trained directly onto Avira, watching her every movement. And though she smiled pleasantly, her eyes seemed to lack a certain...light. Almost as if she was looking at the huntress as a thing rather than a person. It was an eerie feeling really. Still, Rhia hardly seemed to be the type to jump to violence.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Yes, that is the technical term for that...um...effect." Condition? It felt bad to call it a condition since she knew that there were mutates living as they were in the Labyrinth. Still, it wasn't a form that Avira had wanted to keep at the time. "Well...the first time and I believe technically the second, the source was a mutagen created by an amoral geneticist that had been researching Heartless. I was injected unwillingly during an altercation and the substance was activated when I was exposed to a large amount of darkness." she says honestly. She still has those research notes too, but this fact goes unsaid. "On both accounts." she adds, "The condition was cured by the God of Death, Hades. His magic clearly trumped genetics." The way she was looking at her definitely made her very...uncomfortable. At the moment, Avira couldn't place why.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Darkness, I see..." Yes, Rhia had come to that conclusion herself, which is why she was even standing here right now. But verifying this information was of the utmost importance. "So it was caused by a manufactured substance. Interesting..." Nodding to herself, she noted this down, making scribbles and other notes in her own way. It'd probably be a huge, indecipherable mess to anyone else who tried to read it. "So it was man made, but cured by a god's magic. Hmn." That caused her to frown. Magic always muddled things up. No logic to the good majority of it. Especially those of higher beings. Seriously. Gods were irritating. But despite her thoughts, Rhia smiled still. "Well than allow me to ask. When you were in that form, did your basic biological makeup change?" Tapping the pen against her lips, the scientist thought up a way to say this in laymen's terms. "I suppose what I am trying to ask rather is; did the vast volume of darkness introduced affect your internal functions? Such as breathing, blood flow, senses, those sorts of things." And as she asked, Rhia's eyes slowly moved up and down, examining Avira's form as if she were under a microscope. Not very subtle.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "It was very interesting, in retrospect, but also very painful." Avira continues to reflect, putting a hand to her chin, "The darkness was not compatible with me at all. Or at least not that particular...darkness. There are many kinds of darkness, though you might already know that from your research." Her cheeks redden a little as she thinks about the whole ordeal. She was fortunately free of Hades's debt, but the shame of the whole deal still remained in her mind. "Well, yes, it changed quite a bit. Diet, in particular, stood out and it became difficult to eat in a non-carnivorous way." she pauses as Rhia re-explains the question. "...I'm not sure. I think the animal DNA had more of an effect on me than the darkness." Avira takes a step backwards, as if it could give her more personal space from Rhia's prying eyes.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "I see, I see...so you weren't compatible. I suppose that makes sense in the grand scheme of things." She mused aloud, quickly scribbling down notes. Her smile widened a tad, amused at Avira's reactions. People made such interesting subjects really. "A change in diet though..." Well, that was useless. She was not researching the animal parts of this particular situation. Nodding to herself, thinking that were was little left to ask Avira, the scientist began to power down her tablet, tucking the implement back into her lab coat. "Well, I must thank you for your time. This has been rather enlightening." Normally, she would have asked for a sample of her blood as well, but...there was little point is taking a blood sample from someone who was incompatible to begin with. That was useless to her. "I should apologize for taking up your time. But I believe that my inquiries have been dealt with. Once again, thank you for your cooperation." Turning around, Rhia then began to move towards the door leading out, opening it a tad before glancing back. "I will be on my way now. Unless there is something you wish to ask me before then?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well that was simple enough, if a little uncomfortable. She seemed quite focused on the 'incompatibility', though that gave her hope that the focus was absolute and perhaps these questions would end soon. "Oh, it was no problem at all, you hardly took any of my time." she says politely, making no comment about topic. "Well, I do. A question and a warning. Why would Shinra interest themselves in implanted darkness? I think such research can only end in tragedy so I caution you against pursuing it so recklessly."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Shinra?" A pause as Rhia tilted her head slightly. After a moment of thought, her smile widened a tad. For what reason though, it remained to be seen. "This has nothing to do with Shinra. This is my own personal research. I desire...knowledge. Knowledge of all things. Light, darkness, technology, magic, biology, psychology..." Calmly rattling off different fields of study, she didn't bat an eye despite the warnings. "As for the dangers and alleged tragedies you speak of...those sorts of outcomes only take place because those of weak minds were at the helm, no?" She seemed pretty sure of that fact even. People with weak minds would fall victim to their own research time and time again. It was inevitable. "Nevertheless, one cannot discover what lies within the great unknown...what lies within the boundary without being willing to step forward without a guiding light." And those were the words that Rhia would leave Avira with as she stepped on through the door. "Farewell~" And with that, the door closed, leaving Avira by her lonesome again.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Then I wish you safety in your work." Avira says evenly, scrutinizing the woman even closer now. Was she the type who would capture random people off the street for her experiments? It was...hard to tell, actually. Avira's not a spectacular judge of character that can see these things. Avira follows the woman as she leaves their guild hall, as if to determine that she really is leaving. Once she has left, Avira elects to lock the door and shudders. "And to think, I wanted to be a scienist one day too."

A Researcher's Inquiry II

2013-06-16T05:00:25Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/29
|Location=Targ Woods
|Synopsis=Taking time out to assist in some Shinra work, Rhia has the good fortune of running into one of those on her list of people to question. ...It turns out to be a little more complicated than that. All hell breaks loose.
|Cast of Characters=Maira, Reno, Angantyr Vespar, Rhiannon Zellen, Montag, Ramza Beoulve, Cissnei
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' The sun was shining brightly in the small grassy meadow nestled in the Torg woods. Birds chirped and sang their territorial songs to one another from the tall branches of trees, and somewhere in the middling distance, a cockatrice was rooting about beneath a bush, munching on a petrified squirrel corpse. The red-haired unkempt Turk known as Reno squinted as he looked up and about. He raised his hand to shield his eyes (above which rested his never-used but always stylish tinted goggles), as he turned towards where Rhiannon was poking about with her equipment. "You almost ready to plant that beacon? We know there's mako energy 'round here, is this hill really that much better than the last one?" He complained. It had passed noon about an hour ago, Reno still hadn't taken his lunch break and the warm sunshine unfiltered by the various smogs of the city was starting to make him drowsy. The turk leaned back against the parked ShinRa transport helicopter and enjoyed the small shady spot beneath the chopper's blades. "So boooored" He murmered beneath his breath. But not too loudly, lest his fellow employees berate him for it. As it turned out, there was apparently a nice untapped vein of mako energy just waiting for a reactor to be built out here, and Reno was just about ready to wrap up this prospecting mission. Well, more or less he was just the pilot and security detail, he left the Sciency-stuff to the scientists.

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei yawns a bit, having returned from a trip to Traverse Town where she had been keeping tabs on the Cetra..Things seemed pretty quiet over there however, and she'd eventually been summoned to the Torg woods to help oversee another important procedure. Knowing that this area might be mako rich has her a little intrigued, although she's not particularly scientifically incined either, so all she can really do is watch and wait. When she spots Reno, she smiles a little, having not seen him since first stumbling into the world of ruin. It's good to see a familiar face however and she waves cheerfully to him as she comes towards him. "Reno, good to see you again..How go things here? We about ready to wrap things up?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Now, now, patience my dear Turk. All things in good time." Rhia responded rather airily, not minding the noise or the situation as a whole. It was a pain, but she still worked for Shinra, thus when she was called in to do some recon work, the scientist put her own research on hold to fulfill their needs. Her own would be taken care of in due time after all. Haste makes waste and all that. "And yes, this hill certainly will prove to be much more desireable than the last one. He must go the highest point available for the greatest effect. Accept no substitutes and all that~" That said, Rhia resumed her prep work, fiddling with a keyboard and checking on an array of stats while the others did their thing. "You complain about boredom an awful lot, you know. If it pleases you, why don't you go out and take care of that rumored Crushatrice that's been plaguing travellers. I hear there's a rather handsome reward for it's hide~" Of course that same Crushatrice, Klesta, did a number on Fluorgis before, so...maybe not. Leave it to her to make life threatening suggestions though! "In any case, once this beacon is planted, our work here will be all done. Now just sit back and make sure that no curious critters come to close~" That probably included humans. ...Knowing her, definitely.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag had not got the full briefing had he got the full briefing he's be backing the hell off from this. Given hojo's likely involved on this somewhere and he looks over at Reno for a moment "Being bored is good it meanss we're not dealing with AVALANCHE, crazed SOLIDERs, screaming hippies, or rag tag adventuring sorts." He notes but it was admittly good to get out o f the tower. "So we need to keep things off the becons right? Maybe I can catch us dinner if it comes to it." So for the moment he's fairly unaware of what's up.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' There was rumors of a powerful mark haunting the Torg woods, Angantyr was known to seek out these kinds of marks, money was good to have prestige and the fame that came with them helped him get free drinks and meals...and it generally keeps the hostile population of the world down. Sure there are more monsters than Ang could ever kill in a lifetime, but...it doesn't mean that he can't make a sizable dent and make a few species endangered if not outright extint. Maira was clinging to him today, which isn't a problem...with him was probably the safest place for her, all things considered... Now: A CRUSHATRICE screach can be heard screaming through the forest, as it goes into death throws. Angantyr and Maira can be seen from a distance if anyone goes to investigate it, Angantyr's body looks as if a dark heat haze is rising above his body. He backs away from the creature, looking back at Maira. "Nice job." he says to her, "You're getting better at supporting and controling that magic." he says, with a small smile. The darkness starts to die, as the power flowing through it is sent back into him. "Well, lets see if we can get anything good off of it, and take the part so we can get the bounty."

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Chocobo feet pad through the forest behind the young leader of the Braves, who was taking a walk today.. Artemis was like to kill him, or at least maim him severely then double the guard over him for the next fortnight. But events as of late necessitated him to have time to himself, to consider.. well, everything. Boco, was not so easily ducked. The fowl always seemed to know when he was about to do this, as if he were simply that in tune with his rider's thoughts. The bird had slipped away at the same time that he had. Their camp was currently entrenched on the opposite side of the Targ Woods.. Zack was snoring away, as always. The man went through fits of hyperactivity followed by fits of lethargy which were just as extreme. The last battle they were in, he'd actually slept until the second round. Else he'd probably be running circles around the Targ Woods, or shadow boxing with Artemis.. He'd hear the screech of the Crushatrice death, and vaguely he began to wonder if Artemis was out hunting.. possibly for him. Something might have just gotten in her way. As he ranged closer to the pair, he'd just look over the damage they'd wrought, before chuckling. "Well met, Ser Vespar.. Lady Maira. Let noone ever aver that you're unable to handle yourselves. What brings you this far afield? Mark hunting, I'd wager."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "No dinner." Angantyr quips, with a slightly friendlier tone, "Yes, a mark. I've had Crushatrice...not very good."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira isn't /clinging/ she is following! Traveling! Adventuring! Trying not to make a nuisance of herself. She's useful to have around, and she's hunted marks before too! Still, when complimented she smiles widely, clearly pleased, her fire extinguishing as she approaches the downed monster, scorched in many places from her flames. "Heh, thanks. I've been practicing a lot," she replies, circling the great beast with curiosity. "This should pay well at least!" hurray for being able to buy things! Things like food, clothes, shelter, maybe something shiny.... Maira will let Angan handle taking whatever they needed to claim the bounty, while she investigates the general area. What do you know! She finds a knight on chocobo! "Eee!" she says, spotting Ramza, surprised by his sudden appearance. It takes her a moment to recognize him. "Oh, Ser Ramza! Uh, yes. A mark," she says, smiling anew. "What are you doing out here?"

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' "So have I." He replies back, "And let me tell you, it doesn't taste any better with nutmeg, despite Sheryl insisting on the contrary." And he'd just smile at Maira, "Camping mostly. We're always on the move, for.. well let's just say it's a necessity, given the life we've chosen."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira nods. "Right, cause you're heretics," she says nonchalantly. Faruja, he talks a lot sometimes! She doesn't really share his opinion on the matter anyway. "Camping, huh?" she says, looking toward Angantyr. Are they camping? They seem to mostly stay at Inns. "Heh, we travel around a lot too. Its kind of a VALKYRI requirement!"

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Reno grins back at Cissnei. "Yeah. ...Well, maybe?" Reno shrugged and nudged his head towards Rhiannon fiddling with her makeshift outdoor work-station (which was little more than a computer and some gadgets set up on a folding table in the field a few paces from the helicopter). Their scientist had gotten that glazed over 'oooh, science to do!' look in here eye- and that meant it was more or less useless if not outright counterproductive to try and say anything to her. "So how you been, Ciss? Traverse Town been quiet lately?" Reno hadn't really gotten a good chance to chat with his colleague in a good while (they'd read reports from one another and left notes around the office, but that was hardly a social call). Since their world's fall to darkness, ShinRa has spread the turks a bit thin, sending them far and wide gathering information. But Cissnei seemed in goods spirits. Maybe she was finally getting over that SOLDIER crush of hers that went rogue and escaped? They never did track him down before the darkness chips hit the fan. Suddenly, the dying screech of crushatrice tears through the air and sends a flock of more mundane birds flying off in alarm. "Dinner huh?" Reno turns towards Montag. "Sounds like you ain't the only one with that on your mind, yo. We should prob'ly find out what made that before it comes crashin' through the treeline and wreckin' our stuff. Who wants to come with?" He asked, making a sudden brisk walk towards the origin of the noise and unsheathing his electro-prod weapon in anticipation.

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei smiles and nods at her 'big bro'. "A little too quiet if you ask me. But I suppose I shouldn't be picky. Afterall, there seems to be enough apocalypses happening all the time, what with the heartless and all." She shrugs, "Just did some information gathering at Traverse. Keeping an eye on the Cetra and her..Interesting friends. Met a survivor from Nibelheim who seems to be keeping an inn and tavern in Traverse and Goug. Another useful source of information.. She leans in a little closer, a bit more conspiratorially. "I..Also hear that Zack may be alive.." There is hope in her eyes as she says that, although she is distracted from her private thoughts as Rhiannon speaks up about patience, and whatever findings she has discovered thus far. The young Turk cant help but smirk at her suggestion, nodding. "Hmmm not a bad idea..I could totally go for dinner later, too." She flashes a smile at Montag as he mentions that. However, at the sound of a battle on the horizon, she frowns a little, nodding to Reno, "Let's go check it out." And she follows after, wielding her Rekka.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag says "Right right lets find out what it is. Also heh back on the job eh Ciss? Good, to see the darkness didn't eatcha." Montag seems to mean a lot of Shinra grunts know they are still alive only due to Turk intervention over the years. It pays to have a good working reltionship with them after all. he mvoes to get up and move "Come on lets go see what it is."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Maybe is hardly an answer for anything. You should try to be more definite. It helps. In more ways than one~" Rhia spoke distractedly, her eyes very much glazed over with that 'Ohoho, I'm a mad scientist doing mad scientist things' look as her fingers went clickety clack on the keyboard. Soon enough the beacon was programmed and ready for insertion into the ground. Rhia wasted no time starting up the process and began to remotely control some sort of robotic utility droid to do just that. Far be it for a scientist to get their hands dirty now! It was in the middle of the planting though that the sounds of some creature being escorted to death's door caught her ears. Being brought out of her working trance, Rhia turned her head, braids following in a way only gravity could dictate as she looked off in that direction. "My, well that certainly sounds troublesome." Now, normally, the scientist would leave the dangerous stuff to the Turks and soldiers posted. But it sounded as if whatever was out there was already in the middle of being killed. "Hmn...Hold on for a moment. I do believe I will accompany you." A couple commands typed into the console's keyboard and Rhia had programmed the droid to go through the motions automatically. With that, the wutai native hopped off her seat and followed after the others, trailing behind safely. She kept her arms folded into her sleeves as she watched. Eventually, the group would come upon the sight of Angantyr, Maira, and...Ramza? Who was this? Either way, Rhia's interest was piqued and she removed a hand to wave slightly at them. "Hello there~ Was the death of that creature out there your responsibility?" It seemed that question was directed only towards Ang. Tunnel vision much? "This is highly convenient though. I was looking for you." Pause. It seemed like she was trying to remember his name. "...Angantyr Vespar, yes?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr laughs a little.. "I know, right? Nothing I have tried...even making jerky from it hasn't managed to make it taste good...but there are good quality parts to make things out of at least." he asys, and pulls out a knife... DOT DOT DOT... Now they have all the money making parts. Yes, this is FF logic. Screw you. "Well, we're just trying to make a bit of money, Ramza...gota have it for traveling." They do camp out if they aren't near a city by nightfall, it happens sometimes. ..And when Ang is really frugal. That happens more than anything. Ang is kinda cheap. "Yeah...well, Heretics gota stay tog-..." he pauses... "Someone's coming...I hope it is not scavengers." he says grunting... The sight of the ShinRa causes Angantyr to grip the mace and smash into the ground infront of him....it is drawn, but it is also down. Signifying it is READY to be used, but he isn't crushing their skulls in yet. The Wutai native addresses him, and he gives her a stare. "Yes, I heard you were looking for me, for whatever reason. I haven't done anything to the ShinRa, and thought we had a nice working relationship going?" he looks towards Montag. Then to the two Turks...the Turks have a reputation... "So why are you looking for me?"

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Reno pushes through the underbrush on his way, ducks under a branch, edges around some briars, instinctively electrocutes some hapless L.1 monster that happened to pick the wrong target to launch an ambush at, stubs his toe briefly on a rock hidden under a leaf pile, and then finally comes to an even smaller clearing of trees to find.... A two knights and a lady around the corpse of an immensely rotund bird. "Uh... hey. Sup." Reno said in greeting to the other group, then to Rhiannon and back. "YEahhhh, and you are, umm..." Reno snaps his fingers. "Maira, right? You were in Traverse town with the VALKYRIs when that dark knight attacked, right?

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr then looks vaguely guilty at Reno's words. He whistles....

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' He'd chuckle, "Well you're welcome in our camp tonight if you'd like something a touch more palatable for your repast.." And then the Shinra force would appear, and after they spoke Ramza Beoulve would just, glance sidelong to Maira and Angantyr, "These charming ladies and gentlemen don't appear as if they'll be inviting us to a sinister tea party. More's the pity, I would bring Artemis." Ramza didn't know the Turks by reputation, but he certainly knew what Shinra was... their eyesore was ruining the landscape in the Land of Dragons. After his little jape, he let Angantyr do the talking, since the group appeared to be after him. He didn't lay his hand on his swordhilt, but he tensed up, as if he expected it to be a battle in short order.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' The red haired woman jumps when more people suddenly come out of the bushes, Angantyr letting his obscenely gigantic weapon make his intimidate check for him. Maira has no idea who the scientist is who arrives, but she is ready to channel her magic to defend them if she has to. Then Reno follows, and she tilts her head. "Oh! You were there when Leon came that time..." she says, recognizing him. He'd beat up Leon pretty good, too...He was with Shinra? Well /that/ sucks, he'd helped her. She thought he was probably a pretty cool guy. Suppose he still could be! She is wary of Shinra though, for fairly good reason. "Uh...yeah, Maira. Hi there..." she says, waving lightly before she looks between Angan and Rhiannon. Why exactly was she looking for him? When Angantyr whistles, Maira is shifty eyed. Any more dark knights want to attack Traverse Town? Want to make a tradition of it?

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei follows the others, pausing at the sight of the adventurers who felled the monster, and smiles a disarming smile. "Oh, good evening. Seems we have quite a reputation. And who might you all be?" She arches a brow at Rhiannon, then peers at Angantyr. "Oh, you know this guy?" nodding to the others, she offers a polite bow. "My name is Cissnei. Pleased to meet you all.." She probably has some catching up to do..

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Simple, simple~" Rhia replied to Angantyr, reaching into her characteristic labcoat and removing a tablet device from a pocket. Powering it on and opening a notepad app, she looked ready to interrogate. Or perhaps the less suspicious term would be...interview. yes. "I simply had some questions that I wished to ask you rewarding some research that I currently have on hold." She smiled pleasantly, acting as if she weren't totally suspicious. But then again, being a scientist, that probably came with the territory, either way, it didn't seem like she was out for a fight, even if most everyone else was tensed up for the possibility of one. In fact, she strode forward past her group a tad to speak clearer. "You see, I am seeking out a very specific group of people in order to gather information. You just happen to be one of the people on that list. Now, are you willing to listen and provide a few answers? Hardly anything troublesome, yes~?" She seemed genuine enough, but there was just something off about the way she was looking at them. It was like the way a butcher looked at livestock.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza Beoulve actually looked bored as he looked at her labcoat, "She speaks in nothings, so I'm going to stop bandying about words and start translating. She's likely one of those mad scientists from that ridiculous culture that seems to have sprouted up from all the worlds as it fell, and she actually wants to use you to study the darkness, or perhaps to grow some sort of clone of you to do the same." ...What, you didn't think he didn't read his share of science fiction? Mad Science was a culture, but he came from a world that lacked SENSITIVITY TRAINING.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Not interested." Angantyr dismisses Rhiannon out of hand, "I don't want anything your selling. You don't want to know anything I use. You might think you do, but you don't. Also..." Angantyr says, staring right at her, "You creep me out. You creep me out and I was trained by a personification of the darkness itself. I just want you to know that." He says, "You might wana get someone to give you an image change. Maybe take some acting classes or go through whatever passes as basic social classes." he says, pointedly. He looks towards the others.... "Nice to meet you two, thanks for helping Maira." he says to Reno, and a nod to the other turk. Cissnei seems rather young to him...but it takes all types, he muses. Montag similarly gets a nod, "Any new jobs?" he asks.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' So just what are they running into and he's shorly behind Reno as he arrives and his helemt is over his face hiding mostly who he is hopefully no one really remeber his rifle well there's always that hope however and he raises one hidden eyebrow at things he's not about to mouth off about things. He pauses as Rhiannon starts to ask questions about Resarch oh dea where could this be going...and he thinks for a moment. "Could have one the mithril mines are still quite a mess even with the joint venture going on there. Another heavy hitter on for that might be a good thing. Actually."

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Reno waits until Ramza finishes translating. "Yep. Sir sums-a-lot kinda hit the nail on the head, yo. And that IS a job, ain't it? You do a little...." Reno waves his hand vaguely, reaching for an accurate term "...darknessy-stuff in a shielded room with some gadgets looking at you and dudes in white coats taking notes behind reinforced glass, and then we pay ya. Easy munny." Reno turns back towards where the chopper was parked. "Hey, we even got transport. If ya don't mind sitting on the Shinsec's lap, we could even give ya a ride." Reno said, gesturing his thumb at Montag with a smirk on his face.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' You know, if Angantyr didn't want Rhiannon interested in him, he probably should have left out that whole 'trained by supreme darkness being' thing. Really, she's just going to be /more/ interested now! Maira shuffles her feet awkwardly. This is a really odd meeting, and she feels like it may go south at any given moment. At least between Rhiannon and Angantyr. Would the other Shinra folk back Rhiannon up if she tried to force the issue? Would anyone survive!? Maira looks back to Ramza for a moment, smiling so. "Oh, I'd love to come to your camp that sounds like fun," she answers. Back to Reno. Maira begins to look decidedly uneasy. If Shinra wanted to test Angan, they may well want to test her too. Rhiannon looked like she was eager to dissect something. Then Reno mentions his transport and Maira gets completely derailed, moving forward and up on tip-toe to catch sight of the helicopter. "OUUUUU!" Want....to....fly....helicopter....! Not bad enough to get tested by Shinra though. Nope.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' And Ramza actually... facepalms, running a hand across his face, as Reno confirms it, he did appreciate that the man was being blunt at least, rather than trying to deceive Angantyr, which would have led to possibly an even worse outcome. He'd nod to Reno, and Montag, "Well.. it was a pleasure meeting you good Sers, regardless of what might just happen.." And then he'd nod to Cissnei, "And you as well, M'lady.." But he didn't offer anything to Rhiannon because like Angantyr... she creeped Ramza the <GOOSEHONK> out.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' A tilt of the head was all Rhia had to reply with considering Ramza and Angantyr's observations. "Oh come now. I'm not selling anything. And contrary to popular belief-" Ramza is given a look. "-I have no plans to-" Experiment on his body was what she was going to say. But it seemed like Reno cut in first. Oh well, correcting him now would just be boring. Let's see how this all plays out, shall we? Deciding to keep silent, Rhia backed out of combat range, tucking her tablet device away. "Play nice now, you all~" Nope, it didn't seem like she was going to expend the effort to make this right at all. Why? Because this was entertaining. Was she going to help them? Nope. A glance is thrown towards Maira as well and the scientist smirked mischievously. "But why stop there? Seeing just what lies inside you-" And then a glance to Ramza. "-And you, would be just delightful~"

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' "Personification of Darkness, you say?" Cissnei arches a brow at Angan as he says that, finding that piece of information particularly interesting. "Hmm, I suppose I can see why..." Why Rhiannon might be interested in him. But she suspects the scientist has other plans for him, other than simply asking him questions. Scientists are pretty curious and creepy that way.. She smiles at Maira and nods. "Well, we have the chopper, but if you're looking for a ride, there's not that much space to fit all of you. I'm sure we could show it to you, though.."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Okay. Guys. I'll do you all one better. If you want to keep me in a workable relationship, you'll keep that <GOOSEHONK> either locked up or away from me." Angantyr says with decidedly more aggressive tones. "I I am not being poked or tested. If you WANT to see my darkness so bad.." He says, and the ground starts to rumble. "I can show it to you, here and now. However, I don't think you'll appreciate the force I use it on you..." Angantyr's eyes start to blaze...and darkness starts pouring around him. It reforms over his body, sealing itself into his armor, before it litterally CREATES a new armor on his body. The armor was completely encasing him, looking at it was like looking into the abyss itself. The helmet was the only source of light, as two red crimson eyes looked towards those assembled. "I'm not looking for a fight, but I am not going to be used as a lab rat either...if this gets started.." he shrugs. The mace comes back into his hands as he readies himself. "Yes. Garland. A shadow lord of no small power. We've had a falling out, lately. However, his lessons are still very much imparted onto me."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Ooooooh~" Rhia cooed, reproducing her tablet and beginning to jot down notes at Ang's armor creation. "This works just as well~" She spoke mostly to herself, but could still be heard as she wrote. "Change of plans! Engage in combat with him. I should be able to gather quite a bit of useful data from this little bout~" And now she was using her companions as bait while she stayed off to the side and made notes. Scientists.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira's eyes widen in alarm at Rhiannon's words. Well, she really DID want to dissect her! Maira is obviously /not/ okay with this. She holds up one of her hands, making a fist--which is then wreathed in flame, coating her fist like a glove, licking at her skin without burning her, the flames slowly crawling up her arm before she releases the fist and uses her index and middle finger to draw a circle around them, a glowing green circle of energy surrounding herself, Angantyr, and Ramza. It is decidedly less impressive than Angantyr's magical darkness armor. Really, that's a pretty impressive sight. The chances of her going nova however, are rising by the moment.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' "That was ill done, though I can't claim that I'm particularly suprised." He just sort of flicks his wrist towards Angantyr and Maira, "Precious light, be our armor and protect us." And crystalline barriers would spring to life in front of each of them, at first they're opaque, multi-faceted and purple. But then they become translucent, and unobtrusive. They'd only flare to life whenever something hostile came into play. And then he'd casually climb atop Boco, who was standing beside him, taking the reins. He'd then direct him by the reins to stand just beside Angantyr. "Now, shall we keep things civil here, and allow us to withdraw, or do we plan to..." He'd close his eyes, breathing out a sigh, "Why does every single person choose /head-on assault/ when faced with a very angry Dark Knight? Goffard was wont to say, that he found that dead men routed more easily. You'll find us more merciful than he was, at least.." And then he'd snake a hand through Angantyr's darkness, unperturbed by it, and press a hand against him, opening the Chakra gate closest to his heart, improving his blood flow. He'd then do the same to Maira.

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' At Rhiannon's prompting of 'yes, fight that dangerous dark-magic weilding man with the gigantic bladed cudgel, for SCIENCE!', Reno gives a very slow turn with a hard look at the scientists direction, holding that pose for a few beats. "Really?" With a sigh, Reno holds up a finger to Ang and his apparently rough and ready posse. "Uh, give us a sec, yo." Reno turns his back and takes a step over towards Cissnei and Montag, flipping open his phone and punching a number in with one thumb. How was he even getting service out here? Shinra Technology at it's second-finest. (the first finest of ShinRa Tech was the stuff that exploded, obviously). "Yeah, hey it's me, yo... Yeah we're done with that now. We met this 'Angantyr Vespar' guy in the woods with some a' his friends, and Rhia wants to study us fighting him...." "...Really?" Reno glanced back at the dark knight, ready to go. "...Uh-huh. Pshhht, I'm callin' time and a half on this BS, but whatever. You're the boss, yo." Reno flipped his phone closed and pocketed it, turning back around, briefly checking to see that all his combat gear was in place. "Whelp, aaaaalrighty then. Lets go kick their asses."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is having a very bad day, he's having a very bad day and gives the turks this look of Oh dear god are you guys insane and then he remebers. Reno's a pro he doesn't hold grudges her does his job and he does not seem very happy at all about this. "Doc, this guy could likely rip Angela, or even Geneissi in two! Are serious?!" One lass plee for sanity which he know is futile but maybe Ang won't kill him ... cause of it?

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh come now. I doubt you people would die even if you were killed. Just focus on the battle now! The best data is gathered at the most heated moments!" Nope. Sanity check failed. Also a gross ad likely intentional miscalculation of their survival abilities. "You need only engage him for a bit. If you feel the need to flee...do so~" Sound advice. Still, it looked like Rhia herself wasn't going to actually engage Angantyr's crew. Three on three. Fair enough!

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei arches a brow at Rhiannon and facepalms when Reno states her subtleties in words. Well, that's not gonna look good for them. "Oh...A demonstration? You really want to do this, Rhiannon?" She shrugs and sighs. "Hmm, very well. How about we have a friendly sparring match then?" Better than the alternative at least. For now, she focuses on the defensive however..

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza Beoulve just casually reaches into his cloak, and withdraws two blue orbs, about the size of his palms. And then he just tosses them in the air, with an underhand swing, like he was pitching at softball, rather than seriously trying to hit them. Once they came closer to just flying straight over the group's heads, he'd raise both his hands, and with a tiny gesture with his fingers, he'd use a geomancer's trick to pick up the winds, causing the orbs to suddenly dip in their trajectory. Then cutting across with his hands, the winds, which were under his command would slash through each orb, setting them off... With the enhanced air continuing forward to find gaps in their magical protections, slicing into them. An aura of superchilled air would explode out of each of them, coating Rhiannon and Reno with rime... assuming they didn't get out of the way quickly enough. And then he'd look towards Maira and Angantyr, stating in a casual tone. "All yours."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' How do you stop a nearly seven foot tall, three hundred pound man in HULKING darkness armor? You dive out of his way, Angantyr leaps into the air, aiming to bypass the two Turks, they were just doing their jobs, there was no hard feelings... The mace comes up, aiming to lash a very powerful strike down towards the scientist. He aims to litterally to DRIVE the weapon through the pad she has, aiming to repeatedly SMASH it into the ground repeatedly... And then he turns around, aiming to drive the weapon RIGHT into the woman, the weapon aiming to litterally PART her at her center as the darkness attempts to litterally eat at her body like dark flames. "If you want it so bad...then let me give it to you."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira makes a squeaky sort of noise of surprise when Ramza reaches out and pokes her. Oouu...Ramza's touch feels funky! What did he just do? Whatever it was, it was lovely and invigorating! "Oou, what did you do?" she asks him, wondering if he can teach her. Maira looks back then to discover that this is indeed turning into a fight! Rhiannon wants a demonstration, and apparently Reno's boss has given them the go-ahead. Oh dear. This is bad. For them. Maira really feels she cannot in good conscience /not/ warn them. She looks to Cissnei, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no you don't understand. Angantyr doesn't do friendly sparring matches. Angan doesn't know how to go easy. You /really/ shouldn't do this!" she cautions. Alas, but it is too late isn't it? Angantyr flies for Rhiannon, mace first. Ramza does a nice little trick, but Maira doesn't know what to do! Wait, yes she does. Light things on fire. DUH. The fire mage loosens the leash on her magic--it is a wild thing, the fire always lurking. She doesn't summon it when she fights so much as she represses it when she doesn't. Furthermore, just having the darkness Angantyr wields around makes control more difficult. "You /really/ should run," she the pyre of a woman says, then gesturing outward, sending a blast of fire blooming toward Rhiannon, and Reno, because he's there. She feels bad about it though!

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Eh?" Rhia glanced upwards just in time to find Ramza's ice trick burst, showering her in frost. Shielding herself with an arm, Rhia staved off some of the damage, but that left her wide open to Angantyr's heavy attack. There was no defending. It hit the mark completely. And something utterly gruesome happens. Angantyr's attempt to literally part her through...works. Rhia's top half goes flying a few meters and her bottom half just unceremoniously falls over with an ugly splatter. Silence. Did Ang really just succeed in killing Rhia just like that? It would seem so-wait no...something's not quite right. The blood that's beginning to pool takes on a strange glow and it began to retract back into her body halves. The bottom and top halves gravitate towards each other after that and reconnect. The gruesome death scene of previous looked as if it never even happened. Needless to say, Maira's flames missed the mark a while ago. With her body back in working form, Rhia sat up and ran a hand through her hair. "Phew! You really should watch it with that mace of yours. You could kill someone!" The scientist spoke cheerfully to Angantyr, seemingly nonplussed about her apparent death just moments earlier. The only remaining clue now is the fact that her clothes are totally torn, but her body itself looks...fine. "...But nevertheless, I did get some good data from..." Pause. Where was her tablet? Oh, right there. On the ground. Totally demolished. "Oh. Well that's a shame." Seemingly nonplussed about the loss of her tablet, Rhia stood up and tapped a finger against her head. "Nevertheless, I still have everything right here~ Now if you would please continue? I have so much more data to collect." Creeeeeeepy....

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Reno gets suddenly magic-bombed by a wind propelled frost grenade, courtesy of Ramza. "What the hell, dude? We only need HIM to fight. ShinRa already knows how GRENADES work!" Oh well, Reno seldom held grudges against clever trickery. If they wanted to do things this way, well.... Reno saw the fires coming and leapt backwards, letting the flames scorch the green leaves nearabouts where he was just standing. "Yeah, thanks for the warning..." Reno responded as Ang launched himself overhead, and proceded to smash to the ground the quite expensive piece of technological equipment. Well... there goes the entire reason for the fi---continue? What!? Rhia's craziness apparently knew no boundries. At this rate, Reno might even stop trying to hit on her whenever they had a private moment. Maybe. "Rhiannon, NO. SCIENCE DON'T WORK THAT WAY!" Argh! Reno threw up his hands, then pointed to Cissnei and Montag. "I'll get a spare from the chopper, you two focus on the big guy and don't let him break our scientist!! and with that, Reno ran off at full sprint through the woods....... Back to the makeshift heli-pad.

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei arches a brow at Maira, pretty much just staying on the sidelines for now, unless Rhiannon decides to order her to fight again. These people seem quite nice however and she's not really in a mood to pick a fight. "Oh, is that so? That's too bad.." she sighs, "However, if you plan to join too, I guess I have no choice.." She tosses a smoke bomb towards Rhiannon, then casts a mirage spell around her, hoping to obscure her form a little from Ang's fury.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is about to say somerhing else but before he can Ang is there coming down like a Junon Canon shot is just ripping into the Doctor and the worst part is Montag realise she might enjoy it or be getting the data she wanted and not caring how she got it. Then he looks like she's dead, inwardly he knows it's making him horribilr but if she's dead the op is over and they can get out of here he's about to say something as she just ends up reforming like he lowers his gun in a look of stunned horror. It was just like a Raven. "Right boss but Damn it I don't think she can be broken." her abilityt o do that raises all sorts of disturbuing questions in Montag's mind. He's moving in to back up Cissnei, hoever as he brings up his weapon. "You know this ain't personal on our end right?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr grins... "Now that's o-" And then Rhiannon starts putting herself back together. Angantyr looks..Horrified. That isn't how things are supposed to work, bodies don't DO THAT. Oh wait, Ang's in armor, he doesn't look horrified to you guys, he looks like an imposing force of darkness clad in shadow. Rhiannon makes her declaration...and Angantyr responds the only way he knows how. The magic comes to protect her, and Angatyr strikes out, his fist covered in darkness leads the way as he aims to smash it into the Scientist first, the magic protecting her will find itself failing quickly, litterally shattered by the darkness, corrupting the effects, before Ang turns, and dives towards Cissnei as well, aiming to shatter and corrupt her spells too. He finally stops, turning to draw the mace back into a single hand...the thing is easily taller than some people as he looks towards Montag. "I'd advise you of a different carreer field." Before he takes a machine gun to the chest. He grunts, diving towards him with his fist, aiming to punch Montag right across the face with his own darkness.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza Beoulve's expression would actually twitch as he watched Rhiannon seperate, then regenerate back together. Not once, not twice, but thrice. And then he'd look at Maira and Angantyr, giving them an impassive look. "Right, please spare the.. others.. kill that one with fire." He'd actually remove the peaceknot from his Saya, and start to spur Boco forward towards Rhiannon. He'd inch the katana out of the peaceknot, revealing it's naked steel. A blue aura would lim his body, a crackling corona which.. as he draws the blade, would flow into the blade, wisps of smoke beginning to rise.. And then the blade would burst into life with ghastly blue flames as he drew it. Boco would suddenly pick up speed and.. then... /Blink/ Ramza totally cheated. He made it appear like it was a cavalry charge, but then he had teleported behind her, moving to bisect her with the flaming blade, and cauterize what was left behind. Zantetsuken Thank you Zack and Artemis. Boco suddenly swivelled about, then ran to safety behind Maira. And then as he flowed past Rhiannon, he'd lift a hand, "Strike the ground with glittering Blades!" Lightning would arc down through Rhiannon's form if she failed to get out of the way.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Well Maira, don't feel too bad, you didn't hit either of them! SIGH. What happens next is a truly gruesome sight she will not forget any time soon. It is the most violent, gory thing she has quite possibly ever seen. It is right up there with Garland ripping off Isaac's arm. She blanches, though her fire continues to burn. Her head spins. Maira can handle this. Yup, totally. This is okay. ....Nope. Maira turns around and promptly retches. By the time she dares look up again, Rhiannon has somehow put herself back together!? WHAT!? Okay. Okay. That is the creepiest thing she has ever seen. KILL IT WITH FIRE! Maira goes nova. The light inside of her is screaming 'BAD THING!' and flaring in wild terror. The air around her grows uncomfortably warm for a good distance, shimmering like the air above asphalt on a hot day. She moves a little so she has a clear shot of Rhiannon, then simply begins blasting her with fire. Unfortunately, Cissnei may get hit as well.

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Engines on: check. Stabilizers set: check all gage levels positive: check tactical handling system online: check weapon systems armed: check External speaker system set to Wagner's Ride of the Valkeries?.... A fierce mechanichal wind ruffles the canopy of the trees beyond the scene of the battle. On this field of might and magic, a flying behemoth arises to deal death from above. A chill runs through every spine as a rising crescendo of strings heightened the tension of the moment suspended in air.... Before divulging seemlessly into a catchy chorus of bouncy J-pop (or whatever Gaia's equivelant would be). Up in the cockpit, Reno rolled his eyes at the sound-system. "Damnit Cissnei, quit messin with my presets!" he said into the mouthpiece of his headphones. Oh well, down to business. The targeting display had locked onto Angantyr's noticably large form, and Reno flipped open the covering to the button on the joystick, and fired away. Two Missiles fired out of the underside of the chopper and accelerated to near-sonic speeds before exploding right in Ang's proximity with a burst of cloying fire that would cling to the dark knight, burning away the shadows clinging to him... maybe? Reno wasn't quite sure how this darkness power stuff worked yet, hence this live arms exercise. Reno tapped into the comm system again to talk right to Cissnei and Montag's channels. "Get Rhia back to the clearing so she can at least properly record this crap. I'm gonna shoot him with missiles, yo."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia just blinked and watches as Reno ran off to secure the helicopter, and then turned back to see the looks on Ramza and Maira's faces. "Oh? Is somethe matter?" It's like they've never seen someone put themselves back together after clearly being killed before! What peasants! Haven't they ever SCIENCE'D before!? Nonetheless, their reactions draw a chuckle from the scientist who just brought a hand to her mouth to try and stifle it. Even as Angantyr moved to strike, Rhia just vanished, appearing off the side. Ramza's charge was clearly seen and even when he totally cheated and appeared behind her to cleave her apart-- again, she was prepared. "Ah, ah, ah~ not this time. While I do so enjoy having to piece myself back together, I would rather avoid bodily damage, you know~?" And much like the way she had dodge Ang, Rhia just vanishes from sight and regains footing outside of the strike's initial range. "Hmn, I do notice that you all are quite adamant on targeting me however." Bringing a hand to her chin, the wutai native smiled in amusement at this turn of events and gave the three before her a look. "...I do so despise engaging in combat, but I suppose I have little choice this time. Excuse me~" Bowing respectfully, Rhia then vanished from sight again, appearing right in front of Ang. Apparently not using any sort of weaponry, Rhia lashed out with her own two hands, aiming an elbow strike right into the center of the torso of the armor, and then following up with a palm strike. Each attack seemed to be powered by something more than just mere physical strength. If they were to connect, the dark knight would feel some sort of spiritual force behind them. And then here came Reno with the chopper! "...Oh dear. Perhaps I should....go over there." Not wanting to get caught up in the missle fire, Rhia vanished again, which was more like just fast movement.

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' Cissnei sweatdrops as Reno runs off, hopefully he has some sort of plan in mind..Oh right, the chopper. Good idea. She glances at Rhiannon, frowning a bit. Ahh, that doesn't look good. No more pussy footing around. "Alright, hurry back! I'll take it from here.." Then Ang comes at her with his mace. Usually pretty fast on her feet, Cissnei is still hit by his and Maira's attacks even as she leaps out of the way. The Turk manages to evade a direct blow, but it still hurts, and will likely leave a bruise. "Ugh!" She then leaps skywards, hurling her shuriken down at Ang, releasing a shower of electricity from her flying weapon. She then darts in close, trying to stab at him rapidly with her rekka. As for Rhiannon, she's .....Totally trying not to look in that direction. She's seen a lot of gruesome things in Shinra labs before, that's just the tip of the iceburg. Heh..

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' "What was it that you said? Not this time?" And then he /Blinks/ right in front of Angantyr, taking the elbow strike to the torso, which caused him to be instantly winded, as a rush of air left his lungs. This was followed up by a palm strike as he was beaten back, rubbing his chest. And then he'd just smile like it was all a big jape to him, despite gasping for breath, stating this casually to Angantyr, "What was it my father said? Be the very soul of a Knight?" And then he raised a hand, and a healing breeze rushed through Angantyr and himself. "Life's refreshing breeze, blow with energy." And then he'd totally get out of the way because he didn't want to be in the way when Angantyr did.. well what he was likely to do next.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag looks as Reno heads off to get more firepower it seems to be a good idea. This is ang more firepower is needed, and then Ang basically drags the chopper down and he looks to Rhia who also regenerates he'll be passing word around the barracks. He need s a drink he so needs a drink right now as he attemps to mvoe in on ang firing several more shots as he does so.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr curses... She moves to taunt him, and he starts getting ready to try and defend... Ramza dives to cover him, and shields him from harm. He grins, "Thanks." he says to the heretic, as he see's a chopper start to lift off and start firing missiles. Missiles start breaking over the area around him, and points a hand towards the chopper...darkness aims to litterally grab the aircraft by the bottom of the landing bars...and DRAGS it to the ground to the ground. He gives A glare towards the Turk. The other Turk comes at him, she tries to out juke him, aiming to try and keep him off balanced....but despite being so well armored, he swings his mace in a powerful swing down, aiming to catch her off guard, while the mace aims to tear through her body. However, Montag opens up on him, waring him down...armor being blasted away as he starts to hurt. However, he raises the mace upwards...darkness flowing into him as he takes a step towards Rhi, aiming to try and DRAG her into the air as the blood he started to lose starts draining the area around him, dark claws rise from the blood, aiming to repeatedly assault the scientist mutant, before more claws tear towards Cissnei as well, doing the same to her. Then the darkness shatters, aiming to add more injury, aiming to send the energy into the dark knight to revitalize him.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Alright, Maira is still pretty much just barely /not/ freaking out. She's holding onto her calm by a thread because seriously, that was really terrible and she's going to be having nightmares tonight. Reno comes back in his helicopter. It plays some catchy music. Maira blinks. Right. Uh.... Maira turns her attention to Angantyr, as Rhiannon has finally decided to fight back. She gasps when Ramza is suddenly there, taking a hit for Angantyr, then promptly getting out of Ang's way so he can go on being the wrecking ball that he is. Angan has been hit. It can be hard to tell through the darkness, but he is bleeding. Luckily, she can also just /ask/ him over shared frequency. Handy! Maira moves toward Angantyr, stretching her hand out toward him, healing energy flowing outward to wash over him and heal all the damage she possibly could. As much as she would really like to make Rhiannon a thing that didn't exist anymore, maybe they should think about retreating!

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Reno spirals to the ground as little red lights blink warnings at him, several arcane gagues signiling desperate loss of altitude at him. "ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap" Reno had only a small idea what was happening to his ride, but he knew what to do. Reno wrestled with the joystick controls of the Chopper, angling the nose downward and spiraling off towards the only relatively tree-less spot just below him.... The fighting ground. Leaves and twigs were shredded to a fine salad-y cloud as the chopper blades hit into them, the chopper itself Landing with a hard THUD heard above the whir of the engine and the high-pitched roar of the rotors mowing the foliage. "Shit... what the hell just happened?" Reno called into the comm link before getting ready to pull the chopper airborn as quickly as possilbe.

:'''[[Cissnei]] has posed:''' It seems Cissnei's not having much luck today. Angantyr slams his mace into her again, bringing her to the ground and managing to avoid all her attacks. "Damn..He's fast..And strong!" of course the others probably figured that out by now. Reno struggles in the air with the chopper and her frown deepens. Phew, they're not doing so good on the ground here.."Come on Reno, nuke him.." She drinks a couple of potions to heal her damaged body before attempting to bruise Ang again, darting in quickly with energy draining stabs.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' THat rock totally just bounced off of Rhia's face, and it drew qute a bit of blood from her nose and mouth. ...But the blood escaping from her wounds seems to suspend, and then retract back into her body after a moment. The scarring heals over as well. Was Rhia immortal!? ...No. There was one not so readily apparent flaw to this supposed instant regeneration. While her body was being healed automatically, mentally, her energy was nearing a low point. The more damage she took, the more tired and worn out she became...mentally. "Heh heh heh...I have gathered quite a bit of useful data from this excursion. I really must thank you and your companions for showing us a good time." Despite the sitation at hand, she smiled pleasantly, as if they weren't locked in combat. But then her hands just dropped. "Be that as it may though, I believe that I have collected all pertinent information. While I do lament the loss of my convenient little device-" No, she didn't. She had spares all over. "-I still have the information collected in my mind. Therefore, I believe that it would be beneficial to both sides to cease this as of now, fruitless combat." Her smile endured even though she was making rather brazen calls for peace now. "So, what do you say? Shall we call this a day and go our separate ways? While I would love to open you all up and examine your innards...the data collected from this bout is more than sufficient~"

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' There were several basic rules that everyone must know in the New Zodiac Braves. Rule #1: Noone in this Company dies. Rule #2: See Rule #1. Rule #3: Don't eat Sheryl's Cooking. Rule #4: Don't mess with Artemis' tea. Rule #5: See Rule #4 if you want to keep that hand, seriously. Noone dies but you can live without a hand. Rule #6: When in doubt, what would Ramza do? ...Ramza hated rule #6, he suspected Mustadio made it up to make some jape of him, but he had to admit it was apt. And while somewhere, deep down, he had /some/ desire to act like the warrior.. Prudence instead demanded that support the strongest member of their side, who was starting to look rather injured. A hand was raised, and he spoke several incantations in quick succession, "Precious Light, be our armor and protect us. Silent Light, shield us from bloody iniquity. Life's Refreshing Breeze, blow with energy!" Yeah.. Noone dies. Except it didn't seem to matter, since Rhiannon decided to EVIL SCIENCE IS IMMORTAL monologue stopping the battle. Ramza would actually put a hand to his chin, stroking it, then look sidelong to Angantyr. He'd then look towards Rhiannon once again, "I truly despise scientists who treat people like they're chattel and conduct sinister examinations. She reminds me of that Dark Knight we faced in Fluorgis and Wutai.. Even so, I think we should quit the field for now. What say you?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr can't hear you, there is a HELECOPTER ON HIM. However, he suddenly RIPS through it, his eyes red as he swings the weapon RIGHT towards the copter, bashing gunfire and missiles away even as he BURNS. Cisseni tries to take advantage of this, and back stab him. He turns suddenly, and SWINGS it to litterally BASH her out of the area. She'll probably wake up a few hours later in a different zone. Rhi tries to shout at him, but he can't hear her, his eyes blazing...his darkness overflowing...he was going to destroy her any way he could. And once more, he tries to grab her, blood pooling around him as HUNDREDS of claws rip out of the blood to repeatedly dig at her, trying to rip out the yummy inside. More flies right towards Reno's helecopter.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira gulps. She knows which dark knight Ramza is talking about. She looks to him, waving her hands. "You met him!? Well I fixed him--for now, so if you see him don't attack him okay!?" There will be time for explanations later. Maira doesn't know if it is in Angantyr to just stop fighting, but she really hopes that he will. She wants to be far, far away from this woman until they can lure her into a volcano or something. A helicopter lands on Angantyr. Maira screams and runs toward it, only to then see Angantyr smash his way out of it, still up and fighting. Still, he's hurt, and even with her and Ramza healing him...Maira just want to get out of here!? She yells over the radio, running toward him, flailing her arms and trying to signal they should just get out of here. The darkness is raging in him, and she's not sure what to do. She just tries to reach out to take his hand and give it a gentle tug, calling his name.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Oh. Angantyr was still on the attack. Did he not hear her? Then again, there was a helicopter sorta DROWNING OUT THE NOISE. Narrowing her eyes and dropping the smile, Rhia watched as Ang moved to tear through both her and Helicopter alike. Not this time. Right when it seemed like he was going to be upon her, Rhia vanished from the range of those bloody claws. "Another interesting bit of data..." Feeling no need to press a counter attack, the scientist turned away and looked towards Reno and the copter. "PULL OUT. WE ARE LEAVING." She shouted towards him before beginning to retreat back the way they came. A smile began to grow onto her face as she sped away. "Today has been rather...educational."

:'''[[Reno]] has posed:''' Renopulls up on the joystick and then angles his vehicle to the side, strafing unexpectly out of the way of the blood claws. Reno of course couldn't hear what was going on outside the vehicle, but he had a pretty clear picture, and there was a berzerk dark kinght knocking his teammates around like finely-tailored baseballs. It was time. for the BIG RED BUTTON. *beep* Ang's form locked into Reno's sights before a rediculous volley of missiles exploded out of all sides of the battle chopper, before turning mid-air and arcing all downward to the one spot where the man stood. Maira better get the heck out of the way, but Reno figured a firemage like her would probably be fine. And if not? Eh, they'd science her back together or something. You can't sweat the details like that in the heat of battle.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr litterally stands infront of the missiles... This is a bad idea. Everything explodes, and when the fires die down, Angantyr steps out of the flames, staring right at Reno. The armor is blasted away, and Angantyr's basic armor is returned, though horribly battered from the high yeild explosives. Maira was caught in the blast, he realizes...and he's grown annoyed...this isn't going anywhere, because despite doing something about the scientist, she won anyway. Woo. Makes him feel real great. He points his weapon back, opening a portal. He can deal with ShinRa another day. "Portal, now." he says towards his companions, before walking through.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Oh, Maira goes through the portal. Oh yes. Because Angan is often scarier than the people trying to kill them, and he is really pissed. ...Zort?

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza Beoulve normally would have issues with walking through corridors of Darkness. After the missiles he's not objecting any longer, Boco and him both rush through without a complaint.

A Researcher's Inquiry III

2013-06-16T04:59:56Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/04
|Location=Wutai - City
|Synopsis=After failing to secure Angantyr's willing cooperation, Rhia decides to go higher. Plans are revealed and plots are set in motion.
|Cast of Characters=Garland, Rhiannon Zellen
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Wutai. Rhiannon hadn't come back to this particular location in a long time. Having essentially abandoned her family on the never ending quest for knowledge, it stood to reason that the country held nothing of value to her. Allegedly anyway. But not this day. There was business to be done. And so the scientist had arrived. Deeming that actually entering the city would invite needless trouble, she chose to wait further outside the city, calmly and patiently awaiting...someone or something. It had been a couple days since that little fiasco in Targ Woods with Angantyr, Ramza, and Maira. While they were not the group's initial objective, Rhia and the Turks that had been assigned to accompany her happened upon them while working. Needless to say, interesting things happened. Reno and Cissnei must have had a grand old time explaining to Tseng why they blew up a state of the art chopper. In any case, that was all behind them and Rhia herself came away with some...interesting data. Nevermind the fact that she thoroughly creeped every single one of them out in the process of doing so. But those are minor details of course! And with her inner monologue complete, the scientist roused herself back to reality, taking a moment to casually survey the city outskirts again. "....." Well, they do say that patience is a virtue. And thus, she would keep waiting. Waiting until the appointed time.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Patience is a virtue. Waiting until the proper time, the proper sequence of events, the proper moments, can be madness-inducing. Some people break down, anticipation and desire overwhelming their rational thoughts, jeapordizing all their plans for something as paltry as immediate gratification. Meanwhile, others have the rarified self-control and self-discipline to know better. They wait for days, weeks, months, ensuring that nothing is out of place. They wait to act until exactly the precise moment, and strike while the iron is, metaphorically hot. Then...there are those like Garland. The Ironclad Nightmare's patience spans millenia. His self-control and self-discipline are wrapped around a fury without compare; he cannot afford even tiny cracks in his control, lest his anger rage out of control and destabilize centuries of meticulous ticking and plotting with bursts of all-too-satisfying violence. Once, long ago, he had been like that - lashing out at the world for its sins, he had justified himself by the world's unfairness, by the world's apathy. Garland - or the thing that wears his name - no longer required such justifications to do evil. Space cracks; time bends; light turns to darkness, causality shattering as Garland steps through the portal in time and space created by his passing, one terrible iron foot silently landing upon the ground. He does not announce his presence; either the one who beckoned him will be aware of it, or they aren't worth his time. It's rare enough that Garland takes a personal interest in such summons and supplications, after all. The portal shuts behind him; Garland folds his arms behind his back, his billowing cape coming to a rest as he surveys the area. One of his drop-off points. A tiny spike of excitement fills his black heart at the thoughts of what he would do to the pitiful drow once he got his claws on her, of the tortures of the soul he would inflict upon her - of the scarring he would give to her as she had dared scar him. None steal from Garland without consequences. Still, he composes himself. He must be patient. Patience, after all, is his greatest virtue.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The moment space began to bend, Rhia's eyes flickered. "Oho..." Right on time. Or perhaps not. There was never a set time allotted. But still, figuratively speaking, the timing was perfect. And the figure whom stepped through that portal, they certainly lived up the the rumors. Black armor, billowing cape, a fearsome helmet. He looked the part of a dread knight, but...Rhia could feel something much more to him than that. Just being in the same area almost seemed to be eating away at her spiritually. Any lesser men would have fled for their lives the moment they laid eyes upon the one known as Garland. But not this one. Instead, she merely smiled and stepped forward, moving into the entity's line of sight. "Hello there! You must be Garland." And so the scientist greeted the Ironclad Nightmare as if he weren't a force of nature whose presence alone caused grown men to buckle in fear. "Now, I am sure that you must be quite a busy man, but I simply must have your attention for the moment." Stopping once she was only about two steps away, Rhia stared up at Garland, speaking in a calm, but cheerful tone; that which she used for almost everyone. "You see, I happen to be doing some research, and you-" She started, nodding towards him. "-Are quite adept in that which I am researching." A pause to let it all sink in. And then she continued. "As I understand, you are quite a master of the dark arts, and perhaps more. I can see the results of your teachings in that man known as...ah, what was his name again...?" The oriental woman paused, bringing a finger to her cheek in thought. "Oh, yes; Angantyr Vespar was his name." How can someone almost forget the name of someone who literally split them in half? Ridiculous.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' The fact that she wasn't fleeing was impressive. Garland doesn't say anything at first; he simply waits, listening, like the distant and angry god that he is. Supplications from dark cultists of Chaos were nothing new him; he was exceptionally good at pretending to care about mortals. "You *must*?" Garland's voice rumbles, crashing through the field as he takes a step forward. He doesn't say anything more, merely allowing the ominous phrase to hang there in the air and join the rest of his dark, foreboding miasma. Rhiannon continues to talk; Garland continues to wait. "And what do you *want* from me?" Garland demands once Rhiannon is through. Sure, *her* time was more valuable than his was - *he* had infinity, *she* was mortal and ticking away - but Garland never needed to let other people know that. "And more importantly, what can you *offer* me?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Yes. I must." Folding her arms into her sleeves, Rhia assumed a rather passive stance, remaining unfliching even as his voice finally came to the surface. "What I want is simple. Yet, it is also complicated." She then went on to say, continuing to smile as she raised a finger to accencuate her point. "What I want simply is information. Information on a subject that I have little doubt that you are the most experienced in." Folding her arms back again, the scientist paused for a moment, considering which direction to take this. "You are familiar with the 'Keyblade', yes?" Rhia asked, staring up at Garland still and tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "A weapon of pure light that banishes the darkness wherever it may be...a weapon wielded only by those whose hearts are devoid of darkness...A fascinating thing, really." Trailing off that, she shook her head, apparently keeping herself from going on some manner of scientific tangent. "...But if there exists a weapon of absolute light such as that, then surely the opposite must also hold true, yes?" Oh. Now it was making sense. What she wanted then, must be... "I want to test this theory. I want to forge a Keyblade of Darkness." ...For science. Finished with her initial explanation, Rhia's eyes returned to Garland's...helmet. Yes. "Does this sound like something what would interest you?"

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland's silence is telling. He's a very expressive ancient entity of absolute darkness; an inclination of his head just so, standing in just the right spot, says more than anything he could possibly vocalize. For example, right this instant, the inclination of Garland's head says that he's not impressed even a little bit with her arrogance. Demanding the attention of the Champion of Chaos does not please him; however, the fact that she dared to do so at all...interests him. It's that dichotomy again - the usual supplicants were the sort to scrape and beg and whine, and while there was a dark and sadistic joy from such grovelling, they were rarely supplicants of real worth. They were disposable minions, lacking in any real ambition. 'Please give me wealth; please make me handsome; please help me gain vengeance against my enemies; please grant me what belongs to my neighbor.' This rare, exalted sort of arrogance in a supplicant was...intriuging, if nothing else. Displeasing...but intriuging enough to be forgiven. "I know of the keyblade," Garland replies calmly as Rhiannon speaks. His hands slide out from under his cape, moving to his side as he walks forward, looming in front of the scientist calmly. "And what makes you believe that you deserve such a weapon?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Me? Oh please!" Rhia brought a hand to her mouth, unable to keep herself from laughing lightly. "Ehehehe, you think I want to wield such a weapon? Nonsense!" Laughing a bit longer, despite the increased proximity. "I have absolutely no desire to wield a keyblade in either of it's theorized forms." And that was the truth. Even through her arrogance, it was easy enough to tell that such a weapon would have been worthless in her hands. "...I want to forge a Keyblade of Darkness not for the attainment of a fearsome weapon, but for the knowledge that would be acquired from such an endeavor. The process by which such armaments are created would no doubt be a valuable asset." A shake of the head and she went on. "If you desire to hang it on your wall, I really would not mind. All I desire is knowledge. Knowledge of all matters." Nevermind the sacrifices one might make, either of themselves or others to attain knowledge. Through all this talking however, Rhia has remained still and calm, but now that she was speaking of her plans, she began to pace back and forth.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Garland inclines his head a touch. He says nothing; he simply begins to pace back and forth, his usual silent predatory pace as he considers every angle. "I see." "You want nothing more than to be involved in such a project. Nothing but knowledge. Wisdom. Learning." Garland's shoulders lower a bit. "There are things that human beings are not meant to know. Are you prepared to learn such darkness? Do you truly understand the journey you are about to embark upon - the nightmares you will face, the shadows that will dance in your mind, and the madness that will eat away at your soul? If you value yourself, turn back now. The mercy of Garland is infinite." Garland straightens. "However...if you wish to carry on..." He holds out his arm to the side, a low, dark chuckle welling up from his armor.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia pauses her pacing at the question, turning to face Garland once more. "I happen to hear that statement rather often." She started. "I never did abide by it. If the information exists, then it can be learned. Ergo, rather than there being things that 'human beings are not meant to know' ...I would say that 'most human beings are too weak to know the truths of the world'" And apparently she placed herself into the latter category. After all of that, she does not budge. "I am well prepared to learn of the darkness. Of this journey I have already embarked on. Nightmares? ...Let them come. If my soul is eaten away from all of this, then all that means is that I was too weak to withstand the truth. And I have no plans to let the truth overcome my quest for knowledge." And that seemed to be that. Her decision was made long before she had even come here. Smiling still, Rhia watched patiently as Garland raised an arm, chuckling darkly.

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' Yes, that was what he expected. Many of those who sought knowledge at all costs...well, were willing to pay all costs. They walked into the darkness, arms wide open, ready to embrace whatever they came across for the sake of understanding. "Believe it or not, it is your peril. However...if you are so willing to commit yourself to the path, then we shall see what I can offer you." Garland closes his hand into a fist. When he opens it again, there's a tiny ball of...nothingness. It doesn't spark or crackle, there's no black lightning...it just is, a tiny little ball of black nothingness. He removes his hand, and the tiny black ball hangs there in the middle of the air. "Shadow. Take it; forge it into a weapon. Turn it into something powerful. Once you have mastered forging this much...you will have more. And then..." Garland waves his hand again.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Then my peril it will be." Rhia hardly seemed to fear death. For better or for worse. Watching Garland's movements, the scientist removed a notebook from her coat, quickly jotting things down with a pen as the darkness was turned into solid matter, simply hanging in the air. Her eyes widened in wonder. Not at the amount given, that was negligible, but the greater implications of such abilities. "I see." She noted, tucking her notebook away and then producing a pair of tweezers and a sample container. "I will indeed make good use of this." Going on to say, Rhia took the solidified shadow and place it into the container, tucking it all back into a pocket in her coat. "You have my thanks. I will begin the experiments immediately. And when I have results, I will let you know immediately." A nod was given then. This wasn't being sanctioned by Shinra, was it? No. Not at all. The thought of the board of directors freaking out caused an amused smile to appear on Rhia's face and she had to shake her head slightly to dispel the thought. "In any case, I believe that our business here is concluded. Till next time, yes?"

:'''[[Garland]] has posed:''' "I look forward to the results of your research," Garland agrees as space and time tear themselves asunder. He casts his cape aside and enters the portal. Indeed...he looked forward to those results quite fiercely. This would suit his purpose.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' With her objective complete, Rhia stood there for a couple moments longer, and then stared back into the direction of the city. ...There was no reason to head into the city proper. Shaking her head, she turned and began to walk off, her destination being the Shinra helicopter that had been grounded nearby. Probably Montag or some other poor soldier made to give her a ride and then wait. Alas. "Step one is complete. Now for step two..." This would be...very educational.

A Researcher's Inquiry IV

2013-06-16T04:59:37Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/06
|Location=Manhattan - Central Park
|Synopsis=Missing one final piece to her experiment, Rhia sets out for Manhattan to locate Leida. Things go...better than she expected, really.
|Cast of Characters=Leida, Rhiannon Zellen
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' It has been a couple days since Rhia's meeting with Garland, and even more time since her run in with Angantyr and company. Needless to say, things have been...interesting. But there was hardly time to reflect on past events. For her, time was of the essence. The attainment of knowledge was nearly at her fingertips and she would not rest until it was obtained in full. To this end, the Shinra researcher turned her sights onto the next item on her list. ...Okay, perhaps item wasn't the right term. Let's use 'person'. Yes, that's much more human! "Hmn...If my information is correct..." The scientist mused to herself as she strode on onto Central Park. "...The one known as Leida was last seen in Manhattan." Pause as Rhia slowed down to a stop, looking left and right. "But alas, the information ends there." Indeed, now she had to /actually/ use her own two eyes to find the girl! The horror! Wherever she was. Oh well! Good things never came easy! It was time for her to search in earnest! And so she shook her head of idle thoughts and pressed onwards, continuing to walk into the park in search of anyone matching her target's description.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Unfortunately for Leida, she wasn't a very difficult person to find if one knew what to look for. Though her unsual appearance had, and still did, cause plenty of stares, there are apparently enough weirdos in this 'modern' world that go around wearing odd outfits that her horns weren't a cause for massive public concern. Infact, aside from the stiffled laughs, quirked eyebrows, and the occasional question, they rarely brought trouble down upon her and she has become more comfortable going about without her hood up. Though it's a fair distance from the small antique store where she now works, Central Park is a place the small girl comes to often. Despite the sheer overwhelming number of people in this city the expansive fields of trees and grass always have some hidden nook or clearing free of other people for her to sit down and relax away from the noise of the machines. Today Leida has brought her lunch along. The owner of her shop has taken ill and closed up early, which gives her the rest of the long day to fill with some manner of entertainment. Right now she's tossing little hunks of bread to ducks in one of the large ponds, dangling her bare feet in the water and giving little squeaks when one of the bolder water foul mistakes her toes for snacks.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Walking further into the park, Rhia took little heed of the locals, ignoring the occasional stares, beggar asking for change, curious looks, and rude catcalls here and there. Amusing as it was, today was not a day for amusement. Thus, her gaze remained straight and her disposition remained calm. Eventually though, her search paid off. "Oho, look at what I found." Rhia mumbled to herself, mouth curling up into a smile. There was no mistaking those horns in any case. Sure, most people would just think that the girl was cosplaying or such, but no. She knew better. The researcher took a moment to just stand back and watch as Leida fed the ducks. ...Ah, what a shame that she was going to have to interrupt this. But no matter! It was for SCIENCE! That aside, Rhia moved forward, approaching Leida until she stopped right next to the girl. "You are Leida, correct? My, has it been a while." She greeted casually, hunching down to the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest level, lab coat billowing out behind her. Was she invited? Nope. Did she care? ...Nope. "...Having fun, I see."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida gives a small start when the voice drifts over to her from behind. She wasn't expecting anyone but this person clearly knew her name. The princess turns her head to regard her visitor and her expression immediately sours. A name to attach to the face isn't forthcoming but she knows this person. They work for ShinRa, alongside that annoying Sammy. Openly wearing her annoyance and distrust on her face, Leida's eyes narrow and she turns away from the scientist to throw more bread into the water before the ducks decide to return to trying to eat her toes. The birds seem quite content to stick with the bread for the time being. "Forgive me, I do not recall your name."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Hardly a problem. I do not believe that I ever gave it." True enough, introductions hardly happened with her. It was more just 'GIMME YOUR BLOOD' ...But nevermind that! Rhia just smiled still even as Leida clearly displayed annoyance and distrust at her appearance. Like that was anything new. "My name is Rhiannon Estellise Zellen." Pause. "...I understand that it can be a bit of a bother to say, so you can just call me Rhia~" She spoke cheerfully, wagging a finger at the last bit. Resting her chin in a palm, she went back to watching the birds flock about for the thrown bits of bread for a bit before speaking up. "Now, I understand that you have had problems with /us/ in the past, but I assure you that I am not here today to represent them." Well, she seemed sincere enough. "I have some personal business to attend to, and I require just a bit of your assistance."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida bites her lip to prevent herself from immediately saying no. Whatever it was this woman wants, the princess likely desires nothing to do with it, however she is not so rude as to refuse to hear her out. At the very least, the woman has proven cordial, if not a bit too forward, in their short encounters which is more than she can say for some people. "Rhia-san, then." She nods once as if the gesture somehow aided in commiting the name to memory. Her gaze slides sidways to peer at the older woman from the corner of her corrupted eyes but it just as quickly returns to the water at her feet. "I make no promises but... tell me what it is you wish of me."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "That is all that I ask of you for now." She replied in kind, continuing to smile pleasantly. Nodding a tad, not minding the name she was being addressed by either, she began to explain herself. "You see, I am conducting some research and preparation for an experiment that I plan to perform soon. I have left my lab for a quite a while now to travel the worlds and seek out those who I can think can assist me either in matters of information or otherwise." Giving Leida a sindelong glance, the scientist went on. "I have had quite an interesting couple of experiences actually." A chuckle at that understatement and then she added. "Would you believe how violent some people are? One those that I had searched out went off and split me in half. And all I wanted to ask were a few questions!" ...Wait, split in half? Why was she sitting here talking then? ...Perhaps it's best not to ask. "In any case, I have collected a few materials for this experiment, and now, only a single material remains to light the fire of this procedure." With that said, Rhia trailed off, turning her head to glance at the princess beside her fully. "I need a small sample of your blood. To use as a stablizer." Wait, what? "After running countless simulations, it was determined that yours would be the most compatible. After that, no further involvement from you will be necessary." Pause, and then she smiled wryly. "And for the record, I have no desire to strap you to a table and vivisect you." Just covering her bases!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida suppresses the desire to groan and roll her eyes at the same time. She manages to turn her sentiment into an exasperated sigh. So after all that she was still after the demonic blood running through her veins. "What sort of... of experiment requires tainted blood?" The princess finally looks at Rhiannon properly, locking the narrow slits of her red demonic eyes on the bright purples of the scientist. Hearing that this person's exploits had ended in violence does not terribly surprise the girl though she is somewhat curious if her claims of being split in half are metaphorical or literal. She'd be surprised by neither at this point. "Nothing good can come of this."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh come now." Rhia giggled, waving a hand nonchalantly at the question. "This experiment is simple! In theory anyway. Hmn..." Bringing a hand to her chin, she rubbed it thoughtfully. "You know what a keyblade is, right?" She asked after a moment of thought, looks like she was bothering to explain instead of laughing it off this time. "Weapon of pure light, can only be wielded by those whose hearts are nearly devoid of darkness, power of friendship, etc, etc-" Rattling off details about the weapon as if it were inconsequential, the researcher soon moved on to the heart of the matter. "Well, as they say, one cannot have light without darkness. The same /must/ hold true for the Keyblade." It should be easy to infer what she is after by this point, but better to say it! People couldn't read minds after all. "I want to find out if it is possible for the opposite to exist; A Keyblade of Darkness." Saying that, Rhia raised a hand, wagging a finger. "Of course, I have no interest in such a weapon to wield, rather, it is the process that intrigues me. And in order to find out if this holds true, I need tainted blood that is compatible with the darkness."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' A Keyblade? The mention of the strange weapon gives the girl pause. She'd certainly heard the talk about such a thing and had even witnessed Sora in action once or twice but other than its odd shape, it hadn't seemed a particularly special thing. Perhaps its true power had escaped her notice. She has not been a major part of the restoration of the worlds, besides her short role in distracting the Shadow Lords, so its not impossible. But if a Keyblade was a weapon of light and friendship, what would its opposite be the master of? Shadows and hatred? Pain and darkness? Did it work that way or was the shadow cast by this light merely a part of the same whole? She couldn't say; but then perhaps that was the entire point that Rhiannon was trying to make. However, the ultimate question to put forth to science when striding into unexplored territory is not 'can I' but 'should I'. Leida looks down at the ground as she ponders this. "I am... uncertain. This subject puts me ill at ease. What purpose serves this knowledge if you seek not to wield it for your own gain?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Simple. Whether it be good or bad, when one strides into the unknown and does what others have not, the results can be recorded." Rhia responded lightly, looking upwards idly as she spoke. "Whether I succeed or fail, whoever comes after me may use my work to further their own. And then we will be one step closer to the truth than we are now." t Having said that, she glanced back at Leida, continuing to smile unfalteringly. "Surely that is not something to insane, is it? To seek knowledge where it has not been found?" She chuckled after that and went back to staring at the lake. "Though I suppose it is rather suspect for one to want to create a theoretically absolute weapon without wanting to wield it themselves." And then a shrug. "But regardless. This is my plan. I want to see it through and find out just how it works and what will happen. Whether a Keyblade of Darkness turns out to be good or bad? ...Who knows? But would it not be interesting to find out~?"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' There is another pregnant silence as the princess considers this new viewpoint. Knowledge is not inherently evil. The manner in which it is used can change something beneficial to society into a terrible atrocity and even the most hideous weapon could be turned upon a threat to preserve peace. Could the darkness in her heart also be thus? She wants to believe it is so. No sane person seeks out the label of evil and she certainly had no designs on world domination or murder or anything of the sort. Darkness was certainly different from the things that those who lived in the light had come to expect. Sometimes it demanded sacrifices and altered appearances but in the end it is how it is used that determines its worth. "I... suppose there is no harm in seeking out the truth," she finally says with an aquiescent sigh. "But... should this darkness prove too much to control... you must destroy it. I have enough guilt to bear without the sin of being mother to a weapon of great evil on my shoulders."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Remaining silent, Rhia let Leida think upon the matter for as long as she needed. There was no rush for her after all.Well, perhaps she was eager to continue the experiment, but not so much that she'd rush things. Drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of the girl's voice, she glanced back at her, listening. "Oh, of course. Certainly you do not think that I would let some 'evil' weapon run rampant? If it turns out to be a failure, I will destroy it immediately." Nodding once at her own statement, the researcher reached into a pocket and produced a small case. Opening it revealed a needle, an empty vial, and some cleaning implements. Impromptu blood drawing kit? Apparently. "Now then, shall we get started? This will only take a moment~"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida glances at the small field kit through the veil of her bangs, looking a little hesistant. Such impliments did not exist in her own world; when one wanted blood, a blade was required. She would be lying to say that she was not nervous at the thought of handing over the curse that flows through her veins for any reason - but she had already voiced her decision and it second-guessing herself now would only make her look weak. The princess slowly turns to face Rhiannon, tucking her feet underneath her bottom in a kneeling seated position. The plain coat that covers her torso is removed and set neatly aside, her anxiety fueling a sudden desire to be meticulously proper. When that is done she lifts her arm questioningly towards the scientist, not quite sure what it is she intends to do with the needle.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia noticed Leida's nervousness. Suppose that she hadn't ever been subject to blood drawn from a needle. Not a surprise given the ridiculous mashup of worlds. But surely it would be a better process than what the scientist assumed was the alternative. Smiling in amusement, she took the princess' arm, wiping a cleaning swab over the area to be punctured. "I suppose you have never had a needle used on you, hm?" She asked, making idle conversation. "I suppose it does look rather intimidating, but I can assure you, it is the easiest way." Setting the used swab aside, she took up the needle and searched for a vein. "Do try to stay still now." Once one was found, she stuck the needle in and then began to pull the top up with her thumb, gradually drawing blood out and into the needle's container. After a couple moments, the task was finished and the blood was drawn. removing the needle from Leida's arm, Rhia cleaned the point of insertion again before wrapping it in bandage. "There. All done. Was that so bad now?" That said and done, the needle with the blood was placed back into the case along with any unused supplies before getting tucked back into her coat. "Now, as promised, you no longer have anything to do with this. I will not find you, I will not interrupt your daily life again."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "N-no... we did not have such implements where I am from." Leida takes in a sharp breath as the cold metal pierces her delicate skin, her eyes squeezing shut in the anticipation of pain. Surprisingly, there is little, though the sharp pinch of the initial puncture causes her to whimper a little. The princess slowly opens her eyes just as the syringe is being withdrawn and she stares quietly at the oily black contents within the clear tube. She has seen her own demonic blood on more than one occasion in the past thanks to the perilous conditions that surrounded her short few months among the Shard Seekers but for some reason the small container does not elicit the usual reaction of worry. Leida lowers her arm once the process is over, rubbing the sore spot on her arm tenatively before donning her jacket once more. She stares at the ground again as Rhiannon prepares to leave. "U-um..." The girl clears shyly wrings her hands together for a few moments but eventually glances up at her again. "When you find out..."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Finished packing up, Rhia stood from her spot, brushing off any grass that had gotten on her. "Hm? Was there something else?" She asked, glancing down at Leida with an arched brow. "What is it that you wish to know?" A pause as the researcher let the cogs turn in her own mind. It only took a moment before she got it. "Ah, I think I know..." She smiled pleasantly and then went on. "You would like to know if in the end, there is a capacity for good in this? Am I right?" After asking, she knelt down again, meeting Leida's eye level face to face. "Or was it something else you wanted to ask?"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The girl fights back an instinctive urge to look away upon being so openly scrutinized and instead meets the gaze with her own. She nods once in reply after a few seconds of silent deliberation. "Yes... this darkness has brought little but sadness and pain. I would know if there remains a chance to make something good from it." Or if I am cursed down to the core, she thinks. Perhaps if this weapon of darkness can be made safely, she might find a use for it. Certainly there are enough threats to the peace of the worlds and if it possesses the same properties as a normal keyblade she might well have a proper tool for driving back the Heartless. Maybe then she'd feel a little less useless. "In either case... please, let me know."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Very well." Nodding at that, Rhia stood up again. "When the results are in, I will be sure to let you know exactly how it went. For better or worse. Knowledge is knowledge after all." And it hardly mattered otherwise. Good, bad, light, darkness, none of it. All she cared about was 'knowing'. Mysteries were things to be solved. And this was one mystery that she would spare no effort to solve. "Now then, if that is all, then I will be on my way." Turning away, Rhia raised a hand slightly in farewell as she began to walk off. "Have a nice day now." And with that, her form grew smaller and smaller until she was out of the park and disappeared into the city again. "And thus the last step is complete." The scientist murmured to herself, smiling lightly. Soon, it would be time to begin the experiment...

A Researcher's Gambit I

2013-06-16T04:56:47Z

MirageV:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/11
|Location=Goug - Shinra HQ
|Synopsis=With all the materials gathered together, Rhia finally begins...the experiment. The final gambit that she has been working towards. The Black Beast has risen. And Goug is within it's sights.
|Cast of Characters=Rhiannon Zellen,
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
}}
Goug - Shinra Headquarters: Lab 0012 - 04:58 AM

Standing in front of a familiar stasis pod, a certain Shina scientist smiled darkly, idly twirling a long, thin cartridge filled with a black substance between her fingers. Within the pod, a small ball of dark material floated within, pulsing periodically as if awaiting her next move...

"The time has come. All the materials have been gathered."

Rhiannon's voice echoed softly through the confines of her laboratory. Still playing with the liquid cartridge rather carelessly, she used her other hand to type into the computer console below. "Time to begin the process." After a couple moments of typing, Rhia hit the enter key, causing a small slot off to the side of the console's keyboard to open up. Without missing a beat, she inserted the object held between her fingers; a small cartridge containing Leida's blood. The computer accepted the offering and the black blood quickly began to drain from the small receptacle containing it, funneling through a network of tubes till finally, it drained into the stasis pod.

The ensuing reaction was immediate.

The ball of darkness began to draw in the blood, absorbing it and adding it to it's own mass. It grew larger for a moment, and then, red cracks began to appear across it's surface. "Good, good, an excellent reaction. The blood turned out to work perfectly. I will have to thank Leida and Garland again personally later." The scientist's smile grew a tad wider as the dark substance in the tank continued to grow ever larger...and larger....and larger. Soon it grew too large to be contained by the pod holding it. The glass began to crack ever so surely. Silently, Rhia took a couple steps back and as if on cue, the glass of the pod completely shattered with great force, sending glass shards flying every which way. A piece of shrapnel grazed her cheek, drawing blood momentarily, but just as soon as she had been wounded, her blood retreated back into her cheek and her wound sealed itself.

"Excellent. All according to plan."

She nodded to herself, bringing a hand to her cheek as she observed the growing mass of darkness and red energy. And it did not stop there. There was a momentary pause before suddenly the process sped up by multiples. From within the mass, an otherworldly howl echoed outwards, and likely throughout all of Shinra HQ.

And then it happened.

The darkness began to split up, growing two...three...four...five...six heads. No, even more than that. Each time she thought she finished counting, more appeared. They were long and vaguely akin to a snake, each head growing a pair of slanted red eyes. At this point, the ceiling of the lab could no longer hold the creature and it burst upwards into the next floor, and the next, and continued upwards still. Several of the heads' eyes locked onto Rhia, scrutinizing her for a moment before suddenly losing interest. Not her. She did not have what they wanted.

'Hearts'

It was hungry.

All at once, the creature's heads darted out through the the opened ceiling and burst through walls. The ensuing screams and yells were all Rhia needed to hear to know that things were going just as planned. "Yes, my dear. Go on. Eat your fill. Become a beautiful weapon of darkness~" Giggling in amusement at the following debacle, she just stood there, arms loosely crossed as mass of darkness; The Black Beast, began to feast. Devouring everything in it's path.

"What the hell IS that thing!?"

"Oh gods, look at it!"

"It ate him! Ate him whole!"

"Stop panicking and SHOOT! Someone call for backup! We need to push this thing back NOW!"

Such were the screams and yells of despair to be heard from Shinra Soldiers and other employees on duty at the time as the Black Beast raged. They stood little chance. With each heart devoured, it grew larger, and larger...soon, Shinra HQ was not big enough to hold it. It burst out of the building and right into the streets of Goug, an immeasurable amount of heads scrambling and coiling about. Curious citizens opened their windows to the sounds of raging howls of anger and hunger echoing through the night skies only to find...a beast of darkness towering over their buildings.

Those too close barely managed to scream in terror before they were devoured, their hearts added to the collective. And so the beast would grow just a slight bit larger...and larger...and larger. Eventually, flames began to appear around the epicenter of the beast, it's numerous heads having tripped wires and fuel bunkers, causing explosions and fires, destroying cars and other vehicles...

"Perfect. Eat as many hearts as you can..." Rhia murmured to herself, sitting upon the Black Beast from some point and watching the veritable carnage with a hand brought to her cheek and a pleasant smile on her face. As far as she was concerned, this was ALL for the sake of science. So what if a couple hundred thousand people were potentially sacrificed to the darkness for the cause?

The time of reckoning as come for Goug...

The Blast Beast has risen.

A Researcher's Finale I

2013-06-16T04:55:42Z

MirageV:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/15
|Location=Goug City
|Synopsis=Several heroes step up to stand against the Black Beast and defend Goug from it's rampage. A fierce battle is undertaken and revelations are made. In the end however, certain individuals lack the will to do all that is necessary.
|Cast of Characters=Tifa Lockhart, Rhiannon Zellen, Kim Possible, Montag, Evja, Artemis Eurus, Alberic Lux
|Tinyplot=A Researcher's Inquiry
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Goug - City Streets: Destroyed Block A - 10:45 AM The Black Beast's rampage has roused all of Goug from their idle slumber and now the entire city is in turmoil. Shinra helicopters patrol the skies, launching missles at the beast and down below, several companies of moogles armed with the latest MoogleTron 5000s take the battle directly to the beast, firing an endless array of bullets, magic, and bombs. The Black Beast lets out an angry roar and it's innumerable number of heads lash out, one crushing a Shinra helicopter in it's crushing jaws. Another sweeping several MoogleTron 5000s away. A chorus of 'KUPOOOO's all that is left in their wake. The battle is an uphill one and it seems like whatever damage they inflict is quickly healed. How are they supposed to topple this massive monstrosity!? Over on a distant rooftop, a certain scientist stood, watching the epic battle with a faint smile on her face. The wind tousled her braided hair and caused her white lab coat to billow out behind her. But she cared little for that. There was an experiment ongoing now. As she stood, a laptop could be seen being held up in one of her arms casually as her eyes occasionally reference data from the beasts wild rampage. Several streams of relevant data were displayed on screen and the most prominent of them was a single gauge with a heart icon to the side. The number seemed to be gradually climbing and the gauge slowly increasing towards the end as another heart was devoured. "Just a little longer. Devour more hearts and soon, it will be time for the next step." Her voice spoke softly as if encouraging the beast's rage. Well, of course she was. Several more Shinra Helicopters came flying in after, reinforcing the company already there and ground soldiers were dispatched to support the Moogle forces in the battle at street level. Broken streets, caved in buildings, fires all around, the sound of bullets flying every which way, and innocent citizens desperately trying to evacuate, left the Blast Beast devour them... It was utter chaos was what it was. All necessary turnouts for the sake of the experiment in this scientist's eyes.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag has been deployed along with his men he's barkced orders to try to get people out of there he damn well knows he's not feeidn his men to that and getting the compmany's customer base out at this point. He was not a happy man unaware of Rhiannon has now hit about .8 hojos at this point he's got his grappleing system ready as he calls out orders over the comm system at this point. He's also standing on top of a building for the moment he checks hsi grapples and the back brave for a moment then he lets out a woop as he deploys the grapples flanking each hip the grapples launch and Montag's in the air now swinging across the street towards it. Also several Shinra armored units are joining the fight the tanks are having a hard time to bring their weapons to bear but also at this point HELI Gunners are being deployed to back up the combat choppers and death sweeper drones enter the street. Montag's rifle is already opening firing as he remains air born as the gapples keep going. "COME ON YOU WUTAI SPAWN! I'm sending you back to hell! Beta team hurry up it's heading your way GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THERE!" Montag is not sitting still as he keeps launching his grapple and basically is falling with style all over the place. Another high powered shot is fired as he attempts to shoot one of the heads. "Damn it where are the Guard Scorps?!" BGM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyc6UA2oAgE Attack on Titan

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' "The 'Black Beast'... rather uncreative, for a creature of that magnitude." There's a man standing on the same rooftop as the woman in the labcoat. He wasn't there a moment ago; there was no sound to indicate his approach. He steps up to the edge next to her, standing on her right, his hands in the pockets of his green, threadbare coat as he leans forward. He peers at the monster with his one inquisitive eye. There's a slight smile on his face. "In my experience," he continues, speaking to her as if to an old friend, "a good name is what sets one biomechanical monstrosity apart from another. Why, you may as well call it 'Giant Snake Monster' and be done with it at this rate. Have you considered something more... evocative? Perhaps a noun-verb or noun-adjective combination. Heartrender, Soultaker, that sort of thing. Though I suppose times may have changed..." He trails off. The man straightens, leaning a little to the left. He peers at her laptop, scanning the screen with his one eye. "Mm. Curious. This is your creation, then? Or did you simply..." His eye slides to her face. His gaze is remarkably chilling for a man with only half of one. "...dig it up?"

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' A colossal black beast is rampaging through Goug. Unsurprisingly, word on this travels quite quickly through the various radio networks, ma belles and linkpearls. Likely also unsurprising, upon hearing about this, Artemis Eurus now of the Zodiac Braves has come to assist with a small company of allies. A terrifying monster, killing and eating people's hearts? How could this not draw the attention of the warrior? "Move out to protect civilians, help with an escape out of the city. Stay tuned to your linkpearls. I am going to engage the beast directly," she informs the other heretics, then unsheathes her sword and runs into the city, teleporting several times to charge herself forward and eventually land on a rooftop nearby the raging beast, raising her sword toward it. If ever there was a time to be fully armored in blue and gold, her mask matching, a cape flying, it was now. Without a word she slices toward it with her katana, sending a wave of cutting force forward to get the monster's attention while the heretics defend the non-combatants and try to help get them out of the area.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Meanwhile, Kim Possible is making her way into the area as well. Except her entrance isn't exactly as noticeable as one might think. Instead of just running into the area, she's swiftly moving from one hiding spot to the next,occasionally stopping to survey the general area. Namely in a way that keeps her out of the sight of that big awful beast. "Wade, have you got any info on this?" Kim asks as she rushes from one hiding spot to another. "I mean, this is waaaay beyond uncool! It's worse than having to do extra homework on the weekend!" "Not really, Kim, sorry," Wade replies, sounding very sympathetic. "Thanks anyway, Wade. And don't worry about me, I can do anything!" Kim shuts off her wrist communicator, then fires a grappling hook, shooting herself up onto a nearby roof before assuming a combat stance. She stares at the beast with narrowed eyes, and then a smirk forms on her face as she continues to stare at it. "You picked the wrong girl to mess with," Kim says as she cracks her knuckles. "You're going back to the darkness where you belong!"

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "You have a bad habit of attracting trouble." It was a mumble at most, though if it was to himself or directed at the barmaid the Viera had come to see remains to actually be noted. And it never does get noted. Evja didn't even have his armor on at the moment either, not having had a chance or reason to have it on. Then that damnable Black Beast appeared and brought about the chaos outside. Perhaps it was simply fate at work, having come to Goug to invite Tifa to Macalania for Chocobo things. Fate that no matter where he went, there was always trouble. "Oh well. Time to get to work. Hopefully that Shinra Scientist is alright." Rhiannon /was/ the only real person he knew in Goug anyways besides Tifa. And as far as he was aware, Rhiannon was perfectly sweet and nice, if not a bit interested in blood. Which was creepy, hardly actually a bad thing. Walking through the streets towards the general direction of the body, Evja sidestepped approaching fleeing people, letting them on their way. When they were finally close enough he took to hopping upwards onto the roof tops before leaping into the air a grand total of three times to try and get a proper look - and possibly look like a tasty treat - at the Black Beast. Was there even ANY possible spots to attack other than just picking a head and wailing on it? Anything that looked remotely central? Weak spots? No big red x's on it or cores or anything?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Unlike Artemis, Tifa is always lightly armored, which isn't really served her that well in the past either, but she's pretty sturdy, fortunately for her. Imagine if not, close ranged fighting like she is... At least magical healing doesn't leave too scars it seems, because she'd probably be riddled with them all over by now. Thank god for fantasy worlds, where a night's sleep cures almost everything short of death. Evja had caught her as she was getting out of the bar, moving to get her chocobo out of the stable. A lovely red-feathered chocobo that has proven to be docile and smart too. Looks like Tifa takes good care of her. She hadn't put on her linkpearls or Ma Belle... so she's actually in the dark about the Black Beast, pun unintended if not 'of circcumstance' here. Its actually about now that she understands soemthing's going on, with the screams and officers pushing people to safety. "Great, here goes the holiday." Well, not that she's really angry about it either, its annoying, but people's safety always been her prime directive. Fighting for others is what she does best, and its easier when its not a humanoid figure she can relate too... Monsters and heartless she doesn't need any holding back. "How is that my fault? I'm not the one summoning monsters here. Let's talk about it later, looks like we got something... well, bigger and blacker to take care of right now." She shakes her head, and jumps over the railing, going full sprint along the street toward the center of the commotion in town. There's going to be some rightly deserved punches given before it gets anywhere near her bar. She takes the time to buff herself up before she gets in range of the monster.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "You have a valid point." The Wutai native spoke calmly, eyeing her laptop screen. Alberic's appearance didn't cause her to start or anything. She was far too engrossed in the experiment to be surprised now. But a small smile graced her features as she used her other hand to type into the keyboard of the laptop at a quick pace. "I actually have not given it a name." She admitted lightly, her eyes raising to observe the battle in the distance. " 'Black Beast' is actually the name that /they/ have been calling it. Intriguing really. But I do suppose it cuts to the heart of the matter. Ehehe, heart." Giggling to herself, Rhia shook her head and observed the heart gauge on screen. It was climbing just a bit higher... "As for your other inquiries; yes, I did create this creature. A mixture of darkness and tainted blood amplified to extreme levels and this is the result." The scientist noted, freely giving away the details. After all, the cogs were already in motion. All that remained was for the next step to be taken at the right moment. It should be noted that she never gave the man beside her a look. Her eyes were solely on the beast in the distance and her laptop's data. MEANWHILE The heroes were hard at work on our wonderful heart eating monstrosity. A scream filled the air as another innocent was snapped up into one of the beast's jaws, never to speak again. Montag's zipping about the rooftops catches the attention of one of the heads and that one lashes outward towards him, jaws opened to devour in a single instant. It wanted his heart. Artemis' cutting wave does it's job, distractng several of the heads from snapping up another bunch of civilians long enough for them to run away to safety. They look at Artemis, eyes and jaws glowing with an unnaturally red aura. And then they struck, several heads converging on her at once as they aimed to crush her body. Evja's aerial vantage point would reveal to him that the beast's 'body' was solid black in color with a faint red aura about it. Along each of the heads, red veins could be seen, creating a network that seemed to pulse occasionally and they all traveled to the central point between all the heads. But it was a small space. ...Was there something there?

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Well now, that was a possible weak point, but there was no certainty in it. He could try and attack it now, but chances were, that giant beast would simply go after him the moment he got anywhere near. He needed some kind of distraction... or perhaps even an assistant. His eyes ventured around as he hovered there in the air for a moment with the aid of his Faerie Shoes before he started to fall once again and then he spotted it. Shinra Helicopter. But those things were firing at the beast. If he got anywhere near it, chances were they'd probably go after him too. Damn. Perhaps if he found someone on the ground instead and got them to relay a message if possible. And if he simply threw weapons at it, the beast, as large as it was, might simply eat them. And then what. WheeeeeeeeeeeeewWHUMP, Evja lands on top of a nearby roof rather gracefully just in time to see the creature attacking Montag. Wait, he was familiar somehow... oh, right, the one with the gun that she'd seen a while back during the mission with the Behemoth. "Watch out!" he called, putting on the false female voice that he always used when out and about, especially since he was still disguised as ever. Cloak, veil, etc. Not that a giant head attempting to eat him wasn't obvious. Crouching, Evja vanished and leapt straight towards the side of the head, towards the eye, and attempted to jam a long spear straight into it to try and distract it. Or better yet wound it.

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' Now, the many headed beast thing...is this a hydra in truth? Or does it simply have multiple heads? Only one way to find out, currently. As the heads turn toward her and try to converge and take her out with superior size, Artemis dances to the side, moving with nimble, swift efficiency into a downward strike with her katana, attempting to delivery a brutal chop at the head to see if she can manage to take the thing clean off--and if two will grow back in its place. The samurai charges forward, leaping upward to pounce upon the other nearby head, slamming her katana downward, trying to skewer the thing's skull. In comparison to the beast Artemis is small, but her arm is strong and chi enhanced to boot. She's a nice distraction.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' The beast may look freaky to some, but for Kim, it's just a simple case of something totally uncool. "Eww, that this is disgusting," Kim says while making a face that emphasises her point. "I'm gonna have to teach it what I do to uncool things like that!" She looks around, and then jumps to another rooftop, attemping to get a little closer. After a moment, Kim spots a nearby helicopter and gets an idea. "Looks like I'm gonna be hitching a ride with you guys!" Kim says as she fires her grappling hook at the rail of a helicopter, using it to swing towards the beast and deliver a swift kick. After that, Kim attempts to follow it up with another kick, albeit with a more custom touch to it, and then finish it up with a swift punch.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart isn't going to let it eat another... she's too late for that one though, seeing the citizen ripped to shreds makes her a bit queasy too, blah. She's going to make sure there's no more of those right away. With the boost of speed and power, you can hear the 'stompstompstomp' noise of her boots on the concrete, moving at high speed too, almost like you could hear a train chugging through a tunnel, comming at you full tilt. And that's pretty much what happens here, except she's not a train, only human. But hits hard nonetheless! When she gets in range of the beast, its met with a boot square between the eyes, a jump kick to get its attention. Better her than any other random, fleeing in panic citizen at least. Another kick, and she uses the impact to flip backward, landing just a few steps back. And as she touches ground, her arms crossed in front of her face, as she goes for a charge attack, body slamming it backwards. She's rather light compared to the beast, so it might not do much more than ring bells in its head.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' Alberic isn't terribly surprised -- he gets the same way when he's really into an experiment. Sometimes he doesn't even notice the world coming apart around him. He briefly considers taking advantage of her total focus, but decides against it. There's something much more interesting he could be doing. "Darkness again," he sighs. "I thought as much. I suppose I should not be surprised -- it has become something of a catalyst for all manner of slap-dash creations." Lux taps his jaw with one finger, thinking. "Mmm... Damocles," he says, tone changing as if addressing someone entirely different, "release batch twelve onto street level. They should do well in this environment." There's a chime, as if tapping a crystal container. The sword-like object on Lux's back lifts off of its own volition. It floats silently to the edge of the rooftop, hanging in mid-air. It seems to glow from within, the colors and outline standing out sharply against the growing ruin below. The air in the rubble-strewn street ripples and tears, sliced neatly as if with a knife. It falls open, a gap in space leading to a mist-shrouded place with no distinct objects in sight. A sort of fog quickly rolls out of it, giving the street a dreamlike quality. "Allow me to add another variable to your experiment," Lux asides, the soul of generousity. A dozen creatures yellow eyes, and a large, ragged hole straight through their chests. The portal snaps closed. The creatures scan the area around them with motions like hounds on the hunt. They let out an undulating cry as one, possessing a strange, breathless quality to it. Then, they run off, scattering down the streets, each of them hunting... something. Two of them charge straight at the Black Beast. Rubble seems to stick to them as they go, eyes stay the same. The two strange Heartless charge the Black Beast, leaping at it and pounding on the creature with powerful arms and no sense of self-preservation. Their undulating cry has turned into a deep, rumbling roar, rattling the few intact windows nearby in their frames, clearly audible amongst the carnage. The rest of the Heartless are somewhere in the city... but where?

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is unaware of the meeting of the inhuman, he's too busy making like Spider Man, amd trying to not die while he kills this horror. Which he's certain Wutai is behind. He uis kinda off the mark on this but either way the beast is more of a problem right now. Figuring out who did it and dealing witht hem is something to worry about later. Montag is zipping about and maning to avoid any major counter attack for the moment however. Montag heads the warning and shifts his mmentu firing off the off grapple and going again as he's trying to line up another shot and he's just keeping in the air he watches the unknown Dragoon make a move. He gets an idea and is trying to bring himself about to follow her up. "Damn need to come around for another shot." he'd not had enough time to ID Evja as he'd been going too fast but her warning was welcome.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The Black Beast make no effort to dodge any strikes. All were taken and all seemed to do not quite as much damage as they hoped or did nothing at all. The head attacking Montag were stopped short by Evja, a spear getting jammed into it's eye. Despite the gruesome attack, all the Viera's efforts seemed to do was anger that head all the more. The damaged eye, which was leaking an inky black substance seemed to be drawing Evja's weapon inwards. It was going to be absorbed if not reclaimed soon. But the beast would not wait. Opening it's maw wide, it fired out a ray of destructive red light at the pair, aiming to incinerate. And then their hearts would belong to the creature at last. Artemis's strikes were well aimed and masterful in their form, yet...the beast simply growled. The strikes bounced off the creature and it's temporary pause came to an end. It was time to feast. One of the heads burst forward past the others, maw open wide in order to devour the Samurai. In the streets below, the beast's multiple tails tore through the ground, bearing into Shinra tanks and MoogleTron 5000s with no mercy. Their valiant efforts would not be forgotten as their hearts were snapped up in an instant. A wayward head aimed to strike a fleeing moogle when suddenly, Tifa came flying in, feet first. The powerful blow sent the head hurtling back into the air, the momentum keeping it from it's prey. It roared in anger and then turned it's sights onto the barmaid, a tail came from around a building on the side, whipping outwards with high speed to bat the member of AVALANCHE away. Kim's daring attack is all for naught as the Black Beast seems unhurt whatsoever. Put some more heart into it, girl! The beast wastes no time following up driving forward, jaws wide open in order to crush Kim and the helicopter in a single blow. MEANWHILE Rhia smiled as she watched the numbers stream by on screen. The heart meter was reading 85 percent complete. "Just a few more minutes now..." She mused aloud, not really speaking to anyone, but rather, voicing her thoughts. The comment about adding an additional variable to the experiment did not pause Rhia any and she nodded absentmindedly, seeing some rather intriguing machinations out of the corner of her eye. "Do feel free. Additional variables at this stage of the experiment will be quite interesting and they will not halt the main objective any." A nod then as she watched those strange grey creatures drop down to street level to assault the beast. "Intriguing indeed. Were I not in the middle of an experiment already, I would have wanted to study those entities myself."

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' Artemis growls low in her throat as the beast's tough hide seems to deflect her attacks. She's wiggled off the head before she can plunge her sword deep enough to make any difference. Falling now, she 'blinks' back upward to another nearby rooftop, watching the beast rage at the others trying to fight it. Shinra eh? They have bloody helicopters full of missiles. Of course, danger of destroying even more of the city... Artemis sighs. Nothing for it. She regathers herself, reaching for a waterskin at her waist, opening it up and bringing it to her lips, her throat moving as she gulps down the contents. Oh yes ladies and gentleman. BATTLE TEA.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "Hey, you use a gun, right! If you can aim well, come with me! I think I might have found a weak point on it, but I want someone who can hit it from a distance to try it first and find out before I go in for a killing blow!" Evja shouted her quick message towards Montag before slipping in close and realizing that, oh crap, suddenly that thing had firepower! It could shoot something at them instead of just snapping. Then suddenly that weapon Evja was holding onto was sinking in. "No!" he couldn't let it sink in. Which is why as it began to charge, Evja leapt straight up from the roof after landing before grabbing onto it and spinning around it like a gymnast, only to place his feet against the side of the beasts head and rip it out as hard as he could before leaping away from the blasting mouth to keep out of range. Damn. Well, whatever, he'd made it obvious. "Get up high! From above you can see where the pulsing lines meet. Try hitting it there and if it responds, I'll go in after!" But this wasn't before the Viera took a moment to back off and try to concentrate a bit, to rest, recooperate, and try to give the sniper a chance to find out if that point was indeed a weak spot. In the meantime Evja began to leap from rooftop to rooftop away and around, attempting to cover as much distance as possible while watching it, and trying to keep an eye on the distant Montag, to see when(if) he attacked and the response that came from the beast.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart is surprised by the speed of that beast, despite the size its not quite as sluggish as she expected, and the map snaps on her, cutting at her skin, but nothing too serious that she can't keep fighting. She got the beast's attention, that's what she wanted. The citizens can feel more safely now. she looks up at Evja, its not something she can do from down here, but she can keep its attention down at least, keeping the possibly more squishy backside for the others that are more airborne than she is. She jumps to the side, aiming to punch right into its eyes. Every beast has eyes, and quite possibly squishy too, so she's going to try to get more of its attention by enraging it even further "I'll keep its attention as much as I can, keep striking it!" She doesn't know where that monster came from or what its even doing here, but its not a good thing that it attacks people either way, so she can try to get answers later, when its dealt with.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Kim finds that her evasive skills are a little rusty, as the strange being strikes her hard. And it leaves her feeling kind of strange as well. "Owww, what just happened?!" Kim mutters to herself as the strange sensation burns through her body. Slowly it dawns upon her that she's apparently been poisoned. This definitely does not sit well with Kim though, who finds herself quite angry now as she takes out what looks like a small lipstick case. "Time for the kiss of death," Kim says with a sarcastic tone as she presses a button, and a laser bolt is fired from the lipstick case at the beast.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag calsl out. "I can!" Montag follows the Dragomn at least he thinsk the bynny woman is a dragoon even as he. Given the thing is feeding on hearts the shinra military is pulling back they send in drones in the place of life troops at this pioint. He's following up Evja at this point. "Copy that." Montag is swinging up again and gets some good air time he loads a breach round and then fires the shot that will explode a few sections after pentrating the target if it can even get through.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' "Perhaps another time," Alberic says. "I would not want to strain your focus." In the streets, the odd Heartless attack! They don't do much good. Crushing force doesn't seem to be the way to go, here, but they aren't smart enough to do something different. One of them gets caught in the heat beam, the rubble its made of fusing together into a solid lump. It drops to the street, the Heartless slithering out of it and looking around again for a new thing to inhabit. One of the downed choppers starts moving. It makes a sound like metal groaning, and then rolls over, crunching in on itself. The propellers shatter, torn in half and changing position. It lifts itself up off the ground, hovering despite the smaller propellers being obviously insufficient to move it, and the tail bends beneath it like a massive stinger. Those eyes glow from the shattered cockpit. Another one?! The chopper-monster flies right at the Black Beast. Its tail rotor spins up and makes a sound like a table saw. It flies back and forth past the monster, doing its level best to slice it to pieces with the possessed ShinRa vehicle... or whats left of it. On the ground, the second stone creature keeps trying to crush it, slowly scaling the Black Beast with its powerful hands. "Adequate," Lux murmurs to himself. "Damocles." The weapon(?) floats back to him, replacing itself on his back. He folds his hands in front of him and watches the battle unfold.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' With a plan of attack forming above, Several of the heads had their attention drawn to Tifa down below. With Artemis no longer an object of interest, those heads left her. Tifa's combo of punches seemed to at least put a bit of a dent into the beast. But not quite as much as it could have. Either way, the main objective was fulfilled; distracting the beast for those above. The same could not be said for Kim's own attempt. The fired laser bears down onto one of the heads...and simply deflects as if bouncing off of a mirror surface. You need more heart than that, girl! But nevertheless the job was done. Alberic's strange creatures sure were making quite a spectacle, taking on all manner of forms and distracting a number of heads from their mission of devouring hearts. It was slowing progress, but not halting it. Still, what an intriguing display of ability. The opportunity was ripe for Montag to take the shot, however. And he did so with supreme accuracy. The explosive round speeds downwards past the heads and into the small opening between the heads. A few moments later...BOOM. An explosion can be heard. The Black Beast actually visibly faltered for a considerable moment after that shot! MEANWHILE "Hmn, so they discovered the location of the Core. About time. I was wondering whether my calculations of their cognitive abilities were inaccurate." Rhia mused as she observed the data on screen. The heart meter was a bit higher now and she smiled all the same. It didn't matter whether or not they defeated the creature. Her objective was elsewhere...and it was almost fulfilled. Almost. BACK TO GROUND ZERO The creature of darkness recovered by now and let out an otherworldly howl. The point that had exploded was now gaping open and an inky black and red substance was leaking out...Some manner of blood? Regardless, the wound was gradually beginning to close... Of course it was not going to take this sitting down. several of the heads all rose up into the air, granting the ground forces a bit of a reprieve. ...But something was wrong. The head's eyes began to glow harshly and energy could be seen building up in their jaws. ...Now would probably be a good time to haul ass! Once the build up seemed to be finished, all of the heads opened their mouths, firing a jet stream of reddish energy outwards in multiple directions and at multiple targets. At helicopters, at those fighting on the rooftops, and at those on ground level, holding down the fort. Rhia meanwhile watched as all of this happened, nodding slowly. "My, quite a powerful creature...it will indeed make a wonderful Keyblade of Darkness..." Once again thinking out loud, her eyes went back to the laptop screen, watching as the heart gauge rose a bit higher...

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' Focused to a keen edge, Artemis hesitates no further to re-enter the battle, waiting until the beast is below her to jump from the roof and land down upon the body. Having observed the glowing red veins and their place of convergence, Artemis is aiming for it, falling from the sky with a ferocious battle cry like a Valkyrie charging onto the field, glowing with power like a falling star. Unfortunately, she leaps right through the beam of energy burped forth by the black beast, which is a rather unpleasant surprise. Despite taking heavy damage her aim in unwavering. She lands, attempts to plunge her blade into the beast to strike right at the core of it, plunging the blade hilt-deep if she can. Then, she twists the blade viciously, hoping this does the trick.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Thankfully for the Judge, he was fast on his feet. Which is why when he saw it beginning to charge up another attack, he got the hell OUT OF THE WAY. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't far enough out of the way and the attack blew up the roof of the building he tried to hop to and sent him flying off and landing in a heap with a pained cough, smoking, tufts of hair on the tip of his ears looking to be smoking too. "Oooowww.... damn. That thing certainly isn't playing around, but I suppose if I was a big nasty thing like that I wouldn't be either! But it seems that attack worked, so time to try and finish this here and now!" Pushing himself to a stand, Evja leapt onto a rooftop again and began to speed around the giant beast as much as he could before leaping straight at it - trying to dodge through the network of necks and body parts to get behind at least one head so he could leap straight up into the air. The area around him began to grow dark as the light pooled towards him, charging into him, almost as if he was using the very light itself to form an attack. A giant spear began to form in one hand before he slammed downwards with the weapon, leapt back up and showered the beast with copies of the spear from high above. The copies of the spears were 'solid' for a time before he clenched his hand and they exploded en masse in an attempt to distract the creature. Really, he was trying to buy himself time... Time to descend once again, as he did when he began to fall, with a single spear held in both hands to plunge the glowing-with-light weapon as deep as he could into the core.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag is back at ground Zero and then some he sees some troops fleeing while drones are mindlessly moving in agains the creature. He wonder where this thing has come rom he's not seen anything from it. Montag pulls and catches on a radio tower and he rises up into the sky as it's strkes agianst him just barely mis he pulsl again coming about again as he loads another breach round into his rifle. He times his shot aiming for the weak point. At the apex of the his jump more or less he twists and has a shot lined up he loses his helmet an is going to have to free fire this shot he looks down scorp. "Dad always said the socpe removed all lies before it." he fires a single shot, will it be enough?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart was knocked away been bad. The 'flick' for a monster that size is equivalent of a freight truck hitting at a 100 mph, and that's not a good thing either. That 'flick' literally sends the barmaid flying, crashing into the wall of a nearby house... and with the poor state it was with the beast's rampage before, it literally crashes down, burying the girl under countless debris, pieces of wood and metal piling all over her. Oh, that can't be good at all. It takes several seconds for everything to finish moving, and pile up over her... and everything is still for a second, as if making sure of it first. And then a large piece of the trash is pushed up, pivoting along the ground, and sent tilting backward instead, leaving the barmaid with a leg outstretched, that she used to push the large peice of the roof off herself. She looks alright at least! Wounded, bleeding even, but still standing, that's a small victory in itself, right? She grumbles a bit after dark monsters too. Noone would really be joyous after sucha show.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' The chopper-monster and brick-beast keep pounding on the Black Beast. They seem to be drawn to it, pulled in by something about it and trying to rip it to pieces to get to the creamy center. Its wounds seem to keep healing, but it doesn't look like they've noticed; they just keep on going. The streets fill with red. The second brick-beast is instantly annihilated, pulverized to powder. The creature inside of it hisses like it sprung a leak, shriveling up and folding in on itself, disappearing into thin air. The chopper is low when the breath flies outward, near the street level -- a street which suddenly pulls itself up, a thing that looks like a solid wall of stone with eyes and legs springing up and interposing itself between the blast and the chopper. The reddish energy pounds into it, but doesn't breach the barrier; it merely scorches it, and sends it rocking, off-balance. The chopper is joined. Machine-men made of pipes, pistons, gearworks and shards of metal suddenly leap into action. They burst out of buildings, more than a half-dozen of them diving at it from windows and crushed structures. They tick and whirr, long claws springing out of their hands. They cling and climb, running at a frantic pace towards the center of the creature, yellow-eyed monsters ignoring the assorted heroes for the purpose of cutting the heart out of this thing in front of them. On the roof, Alberic quirks a brow. He looks sidelong at Rhiannon, watching her and the screen of her laptop carefully. "A Keyblade of Darkness," he comments aloud. "Is that what this is about? You really must look into more subtle methods of constructing weaponry, my dear. Who knows who might seek to take such a thing away from you?" He's smiling again, a broad thing, lips parted slightly to show teeth. The expression is a little off. The good humor doesn't reach his eye.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' And all at once, the heroes make a comeback. Montag took an additional shot and it struck true, preventing the Black Beast from regenerating. And then Evja and Artemis came swooping in almost at the same time, their weapons bearing into the creature's core and massively damaging it. The beast's many heads let out an angry roar, flailing about in the air. Several of the heads turned their attention inwards, multiple sets of eyes locked onto the Judge and the Valkyrie. And then they lashed out to strike the both of them, in a last attempt to devour their hearts. But the relentless pounding from Alberic's creatures are the last straw and the heads falter, all of them tumbling over and crashing into the streets. The beast was defeated finally. Or at the very least neutralized for now. MEANWHILE "Oh my, they did it." The scientist commented lightly, eyeing the combat zone in the distance and looking none too concerned for the fact that her baby totally just got taken down. Alberic's comment finally make her look at the man that's been keeping her company all the while. "Oh please. I have absolutely no intention of wielding such a weapon myself." She casually corrected, waving her free hand dismissively and smiling in amusement all the same. "Rather, I am simply doing this for the sake of knowledge. Surely you must understand." That said, Rhia turned her eyes back to the computer screen. "Ah, and it's done. Now for the second step..." She spoke calmly, reaching forward with her free hand. A magic glyph formed in front of her outstretched palm, arcs of black lightning crackling from it... BACK TO GROUND ZERO The fallen beast was now completely silent, as were all that had risked their lives to fight it. ...And then all at once, people began to cheer! Sure, Goug took severe damage in the proces, but they saved the city and took down the Black Beast! Several excited Shinra soldiers and Moogles began to radio out their success on MaBelles and Linkpearles. ...But then something happened. The entirety of the Black Beast began to take on a reddish glow again as lightning started to crackle all along it's form. Over on the rooftop, Rhia began to slowly curl her fingers inwards, gradually forming a fist. Her face and hands, the only visible parts of skin on her, took on a white glow as magic markings appeared, having faded into sight. They glowed intensely and as if following her hand's movement, the beast's body began to constrict...shrink...gradually shrinking more and more. But that was not all. It was clearly made dangerous as red lighting raced through the streets and along the surface of nearby buildings, frying anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way! The fallen creature was shrinking...but for what?

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Whew. Sigh of relief. Evja landed on the ground nearby after leaping away to try and distance himself from the fallen beast. Well, if that thing was sucking his weapon inside of it earlier, there's no telling what might happen to the physical consistency of it now. He'd dealt with flans before and knew very well what some type of creatures could do with their bodies. Then things began to happen. It began to shrink. Sparks of lightning began to form and go elsewhere. Just as it was about to pass beneath him, Evja leapt into the air and went as high as he could in the hopes that it would be gone by the time he landed... but what was happening. He watched quietly the creature as it began to shrink, waiting to see.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has half a mind to bury herself back into the debris... she has a bad feeling about it "I don't think this is good at all, I'd suggest to put as much distance as we can!" And with that, she's running off... limping a bit with the beating she took, but she's not standing around to see what happens with the beast shrinks anymore than this... Better safe than sorry. If the others (Evja) want to stick around, its their business. She gave her suggestion, up to them to listen to her or not really.

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag comes in for a landing as then the thing start going up like a lighting storm? Montag swears violently. he then launchs his grapples aggin and starts to flee the blast but what the heck is happning to it, seriously what the heck is going on here?!

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Kim has finally noticed Tifa, and she rushes over to help her buddy up, giving her a shoulder to remain steady on. "We did great there, Tifa," Kim says with a smile and a thumbs up. "But that thing was beyond uncool."

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' The Heartless don't stop. Even as the lightning starts to race through the streets and the monster begins shrinking, they keep hacking and slashing and ripping and tearing. They are incredibly mono-focused on rendering this thing into a pile of ripped-up goo. Anyone watching it shrink will get a delightful view of what look like odd Heartless wailing on the Black Beast as it shrinks in size. One of them gets in the path of the lightning, exploding into its component pieces and launching burning shrapnel all across the city block. Lux tsks quietly. "Damocles, add a notation to the following: combat units designated 'Empties,' development batch twelve. Adaptability is acceptable, but control methods require additional research. I suspect light-aspected energy levels were too high during creation." He rubs his chin, narrating to the weapon on his back. "That, or Dr. Abramson tipped a vial of Bacchus's Wine into the vat," he adds flatly. "Again." There's that crystalline chime again. He looks back to Rhiannon. "Of course. Then you have a suitable wielder in mind? I would very much like to speak to them for my own research, if they would consent to be interviewed. The impact of an artifact composed primarily of darkness on the wielder is... very much relevent." He's still smiling. And, of course, watching her do magic. He knows a fair bit about that.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' The lightning raced through the streets and eventually began to calm down as the beast's body shrunk down and down and down...eventually it was reduced to a simple black mass, about the size of a man. It then began to shrink even further. Details were forming now. A key chain, a black handle vaguely shaped like the end of a key, and finally, a long ornate blade resembling a key as well. It was a keyblade. A keyblade of darkness. "Perfect. It's perfect. And now..." Rhia raised her clenched fist, the dark keyblade levitating into the air. It was done. So there COULD be a Keyblade of Darkness to counter a Keyblade of Light. The scientist smiled wider at the sight of her creation. A powerful weapon of darkness formed from the hearts of many. ...But something went wrong. A sound could be heard, like the sound of a heartbeat that echoed all around. It continued to echo outwards throughout the city, many soldiers, moogles, and other citizens watching the floating keyblade curiously. "...Hold on a moment. Something is not right..." She mumbled, frowning as her eyes remained locked onto the dark weapon. It was perfect in every way, yet something was wrong anyhow. The keyblade began to distort, it's form melting into something else. "Oh dear. I had better put a stop to the tempering process then." Sighing to herself, Rhia's eyes flashed a bright blue, a contrast to her usual violet and following that, the echoing heartbeat stopped. What remained of the 'keyblade' now was a vaguely sword shaped mass of darkness, occasionally pulsing as lines of red energy ran across it's form. The weapon then fell from the sky and embedded itself blade first into the ground. ...That was it. That was the weapon so many lives were sacrificed to created. And it was unable to keep the form of a keyblade after all... "Oh well, I suppose it was a partial success." She glanced at Alberic then, his self monologue on the nature of his own creatures only partly heard through her own musings. "I am afraid that I do not have a particular wielder in mind just yet. Though I did promise a man by the name of Garland that I would let him know how it all went." She shrugged at that and looked outwards at the black, corrupted sword of darkness. "Hmn. Well in any case, I suppose I should collect it now." That said, the scientist simply hopped off the roof, using magic to slow her descend as she gradually lowered herself down to street level. She smoothly went right into walking the moment she landed, approaching ground zero...

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "..." Evja watched, stared, mouth open as he was entranced with the object. Was that... a keyblade? He had seen one before. Sora's. And the false one that he had tried to have the Weaponsmith from Duagerreo make. When he, too, simply thought that a key-shaped weapon wielded by someone with good intentions was enough. As if on cue Evja pulls out from beneath the cloak his own 'false' keyblade. It certainly looked more key-shaped, though there was no light or darkness to it. It had no 'power' as a proper keyblade might. Simply an imitation. Looking between it, and the seemingly real one, the heartbeat confused the Viera as he fell towards the ground, preparing to land. Throbbing, growing weaker, then the keyblade seemed to fail and return to something more swordlike. "...what... could that possibly be. Is this how Keyblades are made? If so, why does it feel so..." he asks, walking towards it as well once he lands with a thud, ignorant of Rhiannon doing the same nearby, almost as if he was going to try and pick it up himself. "...dark..."

:'''[[Montag]] has posed:''' Montag comes in for a landing at this pint unaware of who just made the monster and let it lose int eh first place. He's wipes hsi brow and mutters. "Damn it lost my helmet." he bugs another shinra grunt for his to make use of hsi comm to call into command, oi this was quite the mess.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' The Heartless -- Empties -- are left without a target. They look around for a moment, shuffling aimlessly. The mounds of trash they've inhabited fall away, abandoned. The remaining creatures melt into the ground, vanishing amidst the thin mist that permeates this section of the city from no clear source. Lux doesn't seem to care that they're going to run loose, if that's really whats happening. He follows Rhiannon off the roof in his own manner. She drifts to the ground, and he's down there behind her when she starts off. He seems intrigued by the prospect of this weapon made of Darkness. "Garland," he murmurs. A name to remember, then. Something about it seems... "I doubt it is a 'true' Keyblade," Lux says, loudly enough for Evja to hear him. "However, I would quite like to see what an unstable construct composed primarily of Darkness and a conglomeration of individuals' life forces would do to someone who touched it. So, please." He nods a little at the weapon. It isn't even his; he's mostly just curious to see if Evja will be destroyed if that blade gets touched before it's fully stable.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Considering that the creation of the keyblade's form was a failure, I theorize that the resulting weapon is simply one of overwhelming darkness. Rather disappointing, I must say. But for a moment, it /was/ a keyblade..." Rubbing her chin as she walked, she engaged in scientific conjecture with Alberic behind her. It's a wonder he hasn't cut her down yet really. "The process was rough, but I do believe that it was a step in the right direction. I will need to make adjustments. I suppose the method of collection was a bit crude." Yes Rhia, creating a monstrous beast to eat hearts is kinda not cool! And it seemed that Rhia was in no rush to claim her 'property' either. She just slowed down to a stop, watching as Evja reached out and grasped the handle of the corrupted sword and smiling all the while. "I am interested as well. Let's see what happens." Using the Viera as a literal test subject right there, her eyes, which had gone back to violet at this point, watched everything with clear interest. As Evja's hand grasped the weapon, all at once, he could feel a massive rush of energy. It was exhilarating...powerful...amazing. But that was not all. Voices began to congregate in his mind, yelling and screaming all manner of cries and pleas. "I don't want to die!" "Help me!" "Mommy! Daddy!" "And to think I was going to propose tomorrow..." "I just wish I could have had one more drink..." "It's not fair!" "Why me? What did I ever do!" "Someone help me! Please!" ...It was enough to drive a man insane. Were these the voices of the victims? The surface of the sword also began to pulse faster as lines of red raced across it's form in tune with the voices yelling.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Darkness. Pure Darkness. Evja had felt that kind of rush before. Had it consume him. Wrap him fully from the tips of his ears to his toes. The darkness of Hades when he was first ordered, via contract, to try and end Mercades life. The Darkness that had hit him so suddenly courtesy of Seith's fight with him. The cold feeling ran through him like a shiver and he couldn't quite let go as suddenly as he wanted to. Unfortunately that meant his mind was now filled with the screams of terror, the regrets, the fear, the begging - the last words and thoughts and feelings of those who had just lost their hearts, or worse, to this beast. To this... weapon. Evja didn't show any signs of hearing Alberic or Rhiannon even as he stood there before the Judge slumped to his knees, features rather lost in his own confusion, own sorrow at hearing such personal, private things that no one should ever know. It brought about recollection of his own recent bout with desperation, of hopelessness with the contract still looming over him. The despair that came from thinking that when he finally found a way to tell Hades 'No', that it may be the last thing he does. Fear. Bunny was a thing of light, or rather, attempted to be as best he could. With the fake keyblade in his right and the weapon of darkness in his left he simply knelt where he was, lost in the thoughts that were flooding him. Shivering slightly, unable to quite let go of it because the thought was pushed out of his mind by all the others flooding it. Of course that meant Rhiannon could easily just take the weapon from him, or leave him holding it while he was there and feeling the despair of all those lost.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' Lux hasn't brutally murdered Rhiannon because he sees a certain potential in her. If she can't be turned, then she'll be executed. Alberic has a pretty straightforward method of thinking, really. Evja reaches out and touches the blade. Alberic tilts his head slightly. He watches his reaction; he can practically smell the fear and see the gradual slip of a stable mind into something much more broken from the merest contact. He frowns slightly, watching for another span of seconds. Then, he clicks his tongue, murmuring, "I /do/ have a duty..." Alberic Lux walks past Rhiannon. He lifts his right hand, intoning, "Damocles." The weapon on his back jumps up and into his grip, thrumming with power. It forms a cruciform guard above his hand, the square tip forming into a sharp point and the blunt edges suddenly sharpening to razor-fine. He steps up next to Evja, taking Damocles in both hands and touching the point to the Viera's chest. He inhales slowly, wrinkling his nose as if he smelled something rank. "Cleanse yourself through suffering," Lux says, voice full of pity, "you poor, foolish creature." The area around Lux suddenly lights up, bright as noon despite it being better than an hour off. Rays of pure sunlight shine from the edge of the weapon he calls Damocles, and the patch over his eye alights from the same. The l'Cie channels holy might into his chosen instrument, gathering it up to combat the source of immense darkness within arm's reach -- and then pours it all into Evja, all at once. It hurts. It hurts like Light should never hurt. It hurts, but it scours men clean, purging the cloying darkness from their bodies, and, Lux thinks, from their hearts. He doesn't want to kill Evja; that would defeat the purpose. He simply wants to break the hold the Darkness has over him, from barest contact with that accursed sword. It doesn't mean he has to be /gentle/ about it.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh my" Rhia, mumbled, bringing a hand to her cheek as she watched Alberic pretty much 'purge' Evja. But the effect of the corrupted weapon before then was all she needed to see. It was not a keyblade of darkness, but such overwhelming dark power...It could have a use. Perhaps a some point. Either way, she wasted no further time, stepping forward and at Evja's side. She produced a cloth from her lab coat and used that to take hold of the sword by the handle and remove it from the Judge's grasp. It would be troublesome to have him going berserk on them or something. "Well now. I suppose I should place this sword in quarantine until further notice." All that said, the scientist seemed to have zero worry for Evja or anyone else who had risked their lives. Nor the people whose hearts become part of this dreadful weapon. Having secured the sword though, Rhia took several steps back, letting Alberic and Evja finish up their little 'purging' session. My, that /was/ interesting to watch though. Meanwhile Shinra solders approached her, asking if she was okay and how she escaped all this chaos and where she was the whole time, engaging in idle chat, she waved off several soldiers, assuring them that she was fine and unharmed. ...Probably best not to say she caused all of this. Even she knew when to keep her mouth shut. Some looked rather uncomfortable with the fact that she was holding thst sword...all those lives in her grasp, but she hardly seemed worried about it at all. Fixing all of this was going to take some time.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' It wasn't until the pain actually became readily apparent that Evja even showed any signs of responding. Then it was a rather pained sound that... really didn't quite match the apparent form that was shown. It wasn't a soft cry of pain, or even a feminine scream. It was actually deeper. Not by far, but it was obvious at this point that it hurt like hell. Evja wasn't even in the right frame of mind to even think about the logic of 'Better try and sound like a female. It did break the hold he had on the weapon of darkness, though, and when he finally began to come around and take account of what was going on, he saw a familiar face. And a non-familiar one. "...what just happened? You are Rhiannon, yes?" Apparently he hadn't even realized what had just taken place so much as he was just confused. And breathing heavily in the least.

:'''[[Alberic Lux]] has posed:''' Lux stops right about when Evja starts to appear in control of his faculties. He idly marks the scream as incogruous to the Viera's appearance, but doesn't say anything. Alberic lowers Damocles and tosses it lightly in his hand, releasing his hold on the weapon. It shifts back to its apparently harmless shape as a weapon without an edge or a point and drifts back to where it hangs over his shoulder. Evja will probably ache for a while, but there's a certain pleasant warmth that comes from not being filled with vile darkness anymore. "You did something ill-advised," Alberic says lightly, "which I encouraged as a part of an experiment. She," he says, nodding at the retreating Rhiannon, "created that monster you fought as a step to create the weapon you touched, which she now holds. Isn't that fascinating?" Lux turns on a heel and starts off in a random direction. He hums a little as he goes, apparently done with whatever he was doing here. He offers no further explaination.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' And thus the cover is blown. At least to Evja. Rhia had waved off the Shinra soldiers buzzing incessantly about her a couple seconds earlier. "Hm?" Rhia smiled all the same. Evja's change of voice tone was not touched on at all. Probably due to other factors that shall not be touched on at the moment. "Oh hello there. Your name is...." She forgot. "Well! You seem to be doing well!" Nevermind the fact that countless voices of despair and darkness flooded his mind just earlier. That's simply a minor detail. She watched as Alberic simply walked off in some random direction, seeing no need to offer any parting words, she let him go on him way. She had a feeling they'd meet again anyhow. SCIENCE and all. "Well! I do believe I am finished here myself." And so Rhia turned tail and made to walk off without any sort of explanation either. Funny how that worked out.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "..." That man just outright said she made the monster that he fought... to create the weapon. Could that possibly be true? That nice woman? Evja staaaaaared towards him as he walked away, then looked towards her, expression almost blank enough to be mistaken for not having registered what was said. But then she turns to leave. "Stop." he said softly, voice back to how it normally was, the soft, fake-female tone he often used. "Accompany me elsewhere or I shall make a spectacle here to have my questions answered." It was a simple remark. Request. No, it was a statement rather than a request, of simple fact. He would make a spectacle if his accompanying elsewhere with her didn't happen. Slowly the Viera goes to stand. He was still a tiny bit wobbly but a spear that is quickly produced makes a good prop for him to lean against for a moment to get his bearings. "We need to speak. Now."

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Well, there went the idea of being able to simply walk away and let clean up crews handle everything. Rhia stopped short as Evja stated that he...she would make a spectacle if not accomodated. Oh well. What's the worse that could happen? "Very well. Follow me then. I hardly believe that the city streets are a good place to talk." Especially considering that moogle cleanup crews and other services were coming out to assess all the damage and now it was becoming a huge mess. Well, one could suppose that it was the storm come after the calm. That said though, she simply began to walk, gesturing for Evja to follow along. No words were exchanged as they headed through the ruined streets and past caved in buildings. Eventually Shinra HQ could be seen up ahead. Suppose that was her choice of destination. The building had it's side partially destroyed, but it seemed like that was no going to be a problem.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Evja follows along quietly once she agrees, but not before replacing the fake keyblade of his own beneath the cloak he had on and wrapping the cloak further around himself. The coldness from touching that weapon was still haunting him. With nothing to say and keeping to his word, Evja simply watched the woman carefully along the way. Watched to make sure she didn't try to do anything like lose him in the process, or make him out to be an assailant to get the ShinSec to deal with him while she absconded. All in all though he didn't want to believe her responsible. The last and first time they met she seemed so nice. Was that man simply lying? She didn't deny it, or go after him, so surely she must have /some/ knowledge of it. ...and if she did, she knows how to create a keyblade. Even if she failed.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Waving off some greetings and words of relief that she wasn't eaten, Rhia entered into the lobby of Shinra HQ, and then continued on past the reception area and to the staircase that would lead either to the upper floors or down into the basement levels. She chose to go down to the basement levels. Untouched by the black beast by the simple virtue of being below ground level, the basement floors looked just fine in fact. Walking through a hallway, she opened up the door to what seemed to be a lounge or waiting room or some such. "This should do." Rhia commented lightly, stepping further in. The room was furnished with a pair of couches off to the side, some game consoles and a TV, as well as magazines and such. Looks like either the Turks or the soldiers spent their time goofing off here. ...Probably both. Either way, Rhia sat down on a nearby couch, crossing one leg over the other. She then set the black sword onto the couch beside her, leaving it for now. "So, you needed to speak with me, yes?" She asked, looking over at the Viera curiously.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "So you did truly do this." he asked rather simply. There was no glancing around, no taking in the surroundings, or any such. He simply got right to the point. "That beast... all those people whose lives were taken... consumed... YOU DID THIS?!" he roared angrily, the false tone to his vanishing instantly as the anger bubbled up. He was shaking, physically, looking like he might simply do something quite rash. Maybe it was simply the pure willpower he had not to do the 'wrong thing' that kept him from simply attacking the woman. Would that be the wrong thing? He wanted to. He wanted to end her here and now. And if she /had/ done it, the world would be better off for it. But...

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' So it was that after all. That man had done quite a tiresome thing. Ah well, time to deal with it. Not like she was expecting there to be no backlash. But less was better than more, no? "Hm, you must be referring to what that man had said earlier." Rhia spoke simply, keeping calm and collected in the face of Evja's anger. "Why yes. I did. That beast was simply a part of the answer to a question." Raising a finger slightly, she explained herself quite openly, smiling slightly as she did so. "And the weapon you see beside me is the other part of the answer to that question." That said, she lowered her hands back into her lap before continuing on. "What was that question? Simple really. It was to see if it were possible to create a Keyblade of Darkness." All the while, her violet eyes remained on the Judge before her, as if expecting him to give in to his impulses and do 'the wrong thing'. It would be amusing either way. Hah. "After all, the Keyblade exists as a weapon of pure light, wielded by those whose hearts are devoid of darkness...But light cannot exist without darkness. Ergo, a counter must exist; a Keyblade of Darkness." Explaining that much, Rhia brought a hand to her cheek, brows furrowing and she broke eye contact to look at the malformed sword beside her. "My methods were sound, but as you can see...the final product does not live up to expectations. I suppose I must refine the process for the next experiment." The NEXT experiment?

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' The Judges mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. Nothing made sense. How could anyone be so callous? So devoid of any care for life? Did she think herself doing something for a greater good? Did she even /care/ about good? Was this for her own benefit? Was she trying to gain a keyblade too? How did she even know to begin with how to do something like this? So many questions. "A Keyblade is a weapon made to fight against the Heartless. To lock and unlock the hearts of things. So to must a Keyblade of Darkness be. If you are creating monsters, and hurting others like this, you surely cannot care about fighting against the Heartless." And then Evja just fell silent, looking lost for words. Lost for what to say. "Why... why could you possibly want to make a keyblade if not to protect others? What could possibly be gained from hurting so many for such a thing?"

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' "Oh, I have no interest in wielding a Keyblade." Rhia said, having to correct someone on that fact for like, the millionth time since sharing her plans with someone. Did she really seem like the kind of person to go swinging about a giant key? The thought caused her to chuckle, which may have been a little insensitive in the face of the current issue. But anyway! "I know well what a Keyblade is and what it does. Both are simply two sides of the same coin." A shrug then as her eyes left the corrupted sword by her side and went bak to Evja. "As I said, I have little want for such a weapon. I am a scientist after all. My job is to theorize, experiment, discover. Protecting others and unlocking worlds? Someone else can do that." And she said so with a simple wave of her hand. She did not seem to be particularly evil or anything, she was just...telling the truth. Cutting to the heart of the matter entirely. "Now, if I do succeed in the creation of a keyblade, then I hardly would care for who wields it after. All that matters to me is that it is created." All that said, she uncrossed and then crossed her legs the other way, resting an elbow on her knee and her chin in her open palm. "I suppose I will have to hold off for now and compile the data. ...Yes that would be the prudent thing to do." And so she straightened up, producing her laptop in which she immediately began typing away, regardless of Evja's presence. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask?" Her voiced spoke to Evja, eyes locked onto the computer screen and not looking his way.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Evja stood completely still and closed his eyes as he tried to compose himself. He had to do something. To stop her. To keep this madwoman from destroying the lives of more and more people. But a Keyblade, if taken, could be used to save millions... billions of people. Worlds full of peoples. If the Keyblade Wielder fell... the only one he knew of, then who would be left? There had to be a Keyblade Wielder. And he didn't know what would happen to Sora's if something happened to him. If... his heart fell to darkness. "This world... these worlds... all of them... must be protected, the people within, must be protected." then he whispered softly while feeling rather sick to his stomach, "...at any cost..." As much as he hated to admit it, if such a power could be used to protect others, could be used to restore the worlds and possibly one day destroy the heartless... it was worth it, right? "The weapons you create... the Keyblade... if you do not care who has them, then I will be simple with this." One of the Viera's spears came to his hand and he spun it swiftly before leveling the tip towards Rhiannon. "You will surrender them, all, to me. Or I will destroy you here and your madness will be done. As much as it pains me to think this way... if a second keyblade can indeed be made, then we stand twice a chance at saving everyone, and all the worlds, from the Heartless. If that costs lives..." he stops short of saying it was worth it.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia's eyes remained on the computer screen, her fingers tapping away on the keyboard at expert speed as she documented her findings contained within the deep recesses of her mind. All the while, she listened to Evja's demands without a change in expression. "I suppose it would be convenient if the worlds were saved and such. And a keyblade is necessary to that end. Nevertheless..." She hit the enter key on her keyboard, saving her progress before her gaze lifted to the spear tip pointed directly at her. "I am afraid that I cannot hand this weapon over to you just yet. Or any weapon that I create. I still need to document my findings, and study it's form, as well as hold tests regarding it's usage. All relevant information for the next experiment." She smiled pleasantly despite the threat of death staring her in the face and remained where she sat, closing her laptop smoothly. "But if that does not sit well with you, then please. Do go ahead and kill me." A pause. "If you believe yourself capable of the task."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' The spear that was leveled at her throat was steady for the entire time until she actually challenged him to do it. He started to lean forward, but the spear began to shake a little. His arm began to wobble. Just a bit. It was as if he was having trouble actually getting up the nerve to do it. "Why..." he mumbled softly, almost angrily, at himself. Why couldn't he bring himself to do it. Why couldn't he protect so many others by simply killing this horrible woman. "Why does this decision have to fall upon me." He still mumbled, but surely she could hear him. He had to do something. He had to stop her somehow. He had to do SOMETHING. Someone had to put an end to this madness. It had to be him. If he didn't do it now, more would die. But just the thought of killing someone was making him too weak to actually follow through with it. It's what was making it so hard to deal with Hades contract. If it wasn't for the Law magic forcing him to do it... ... the Law magics. But they could do nothing here. He could do nothing. He had no jurisdiction. He was underneath Shinra, surrounded by their military. All she had to do was claim he was attacking her. Hurting her. And they'd come for him. And then there was the matter of the keyblade. This weapon, the to-be keyblade, had cost so many something so precious. "I..." "I..." He can't do it. The spear shakes until it finally falls away from her throat and down towards her lap.

:'''[[Rhiannon Zellen]] has posed:''' Rhia watched as Evja had his internal struggle, her eyes not faltering any even as the spear's tip came closer to her throat. Really, he was so close. Why hadn't he done it yet? And then the weapon fell away from her throat, lowering towards her lap. "I figured." Almost sounding bored now. Rhia tucked her laptop away before carefully taking up the sword laying beside her again, taking care not to make direct skin to surface contact. Though considering who she was, an incessant amount of screaming voices in her head would probably just be a minor annoyance at best! Still, no need to feel that sensation. "I believe our business here has concluded. You can show yourself out, yes?" Not waiting for an answer, Rhia stood, carrying the blade as she passed the Viera and headed for the door leading to the hallway. "Now, if you have something interesting to share another time, I am all ears. But for now, it's back to work for me. Farewell." And with that, she disappeared out into the hallway, the sounds of her shoes tapping on the marble floors gradually waning...

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' And in the background, Rhiannon might hear something mechanical being destroyed in what was likely the break room. Likely some kind of vending machine. Destroyed but what was likely an extremely angry Viera having the internal conflict regarding killing.