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    Dance With the Devil

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 3rd September 2023, 2:44 pm

    Maker

    words: 980. tag: @Mercury Arseneault . notes:
    The time had come.

    It had been several months since Maker and Mercury had confronted Vandrad in an attempt to appeal to any kind of kind-hearted nature he had inside and settle the differences from their past. But the future king had, understandably, refused any kind of accord, which hadn’t surprised Maker in the least. So he’d sent out Raici in an attempt to turn the situation in his favor; to force Vandrad’s attention elsewhere. It would have worked had it not been for the surprising intrusion of Patricia Reeves, bearing a new form and an unprecedented power. It had nearly killed him and would have done so successfully had it not been for Mercury’s intervention. She had prevented whatever power Patricia had used from sapping his lifeforce, an act that superseded her former desire to be free of his control. Indeed, despite everything, Maker believed that Mercury could have freed herself in that moment and killed him outright, settling the score she had once proclaimed sat between them.

    It had confounded him. He had hoped, of course, that the Silver Wolf Ace would have heard his words through their time together and believed him -- as they were true. He saw potential in her; not only as an ally but as a partner. Someone that would challenge him and make him better and together, through their own ways, would be able to turn the world towards the correct path. But trying to predict what Mercury would do or even think was incalculable; he knew so little about the Xocili race, even after examining and studying her for almost a year. Her biology was fascinating and he desired, more than anything, to be able to process like she did. Jealousy wasn’t the right word for how he felt but rather amazement. The problem was recently, he couldn’t tell if it was just because of her species or her personally. He’d said that Mercury herself was what interested him and he hadn’t been entirely lying but the more time he spent with her, the more it became a harder truth.

    He’d kept many things from her, even in spite of her snooping. There were projects, studies and resources that he kept so well hidden, no one in the universe could find them without his approval. He’d been pondering, even since she had saved him, if perhaps he could trust her to work with him without restraints, without safeguards. Trusting in someone else was… difficult, mostly because he had never done so before. He’d always relied on himself and used others to fulfill whatever task he had planned. To find someone that he could work with wholly and without hindrance was something he believed wasn’t possible at one point in his life, and yet…

    He entered the laboratory that they usually worked in together as if it were any other day. Though they spent most nights in the same bed together, their morning routines were hardly the same and rarely reconvened before it was time to work. Rather than going to his usual station, he came around to her and gently took her hand in his, encouraging her to turn to him. “Mercury…” he started, his eyes not quite able to reach her face. “I have been… wrestling with some decisions lately, as I’m sure you no doubt have noticed. Ever since our unfortunate attempt to parlay with Vandrad, I have been moved by your willingness to save me. I have done terrible things to you, things you didn’t deserve and you rightly could have let me perish without offering a hand of salvation. But… you did. There are not enough words in any language to express my gratitude and my appreciation. But perhaps action may provide a path of understanding. Please, come with me.” He would take her hand fully in his and lead her out of the laboratory and down the hall.

    “As I’m sure you’re aware, I have kept other parts of my research a secret. I’m aware you’ve infiltrated secure locations and scratched away at the surface of some of my secrets but there are more that are far more personal, such as Knowhere.” he spoke evenly as they walked. “When Princess Sabine attacked Vandrad, it was with a weapon I had forged. I had foolishly left it out in my laboratory and she had snatched it when my back was turned. The blade was, for lack of a better term, a receptacle for a power I have yet to identify. A phenomenon that I once believed was related to magic but I now believe far surpasses it.”

    He led her to a dead end, one of which she had most likely come across and seen several times. The living ship had plenty of them en masse without much explanation. Maker reached out and pressed his hand against the wall and a light emerged from the surface of it, highlighting his hand fully. A box of similar light carved itself into the wall fully until opening up, revealing a sealed room. “I was able to create biologically-encoded safe rooms that don’t exist until my DNA makes them so. This is one such room,” he held his hand out to let her enter first.


    The room wasn’t very large but it was filled with different computing devices, all linked up to a single encased podium in the center. Within the glass was what could only be described as a miniature galaxy-looking object, slowly swirling about. Unlike other galaxies that were filled with bright light near the core and around the edges, this one was almost completely black. He followed her inside and stood beside her. “It is beyond any element that exists in our galaxy or any beyond. It lacks a true name but I’ve named it ‘Myn’. I’m not entirely certain why; it just sort of… came to me.”







    Last edited by Vandrad Ragnos on 7th September 2023, 9:46 pm; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 691
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 3rd September 2023, 4:44 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    There were days that Mercury wondered if she shouldn’t have just let Patricia kill Maker when they’d had the chance. The Xocili knew that she had made the right choice in saving her enemy, if only because she still needed him to make sure she could actually help save the rest of his and Blade’s people, but that didn’t stop occasional days where deep down she felt like it would have been simpler to just let him die and be over with everything. It may have taken a while, but she was confident she could have unlocked the secrets hidden inside the ship with time.

    And the truth was, time was quickly running out. At least, as far as Grubar’s patience was concerned. The Scengar hadn’t said as much outright, but it was obvious that his willingness to let Genesis’ freedom continue was running thin. Mercury hated feeling like she was abusing her friend’s generosity, but the type of work she was doing was tedious and time consuming. If she had one misstep, one slip, her cover would be broken and everything would fall apart and be for nothing. There was little she could do to usher things along at a faster pace. She was sure Grubar understood that, and that it was the reason he had allowed his timetable to extend past the due date and then some, but she still felt bad. His livelihood was being staked on this as much as everything else.

    Still, she powered on, forcing herself to look ahead and stay focused, not worrying about changes before they came. Her clone had set up quite the little life with Maker in his hidden pocket universe. In an effort to continue to earn his trust, Mercury really hadn’t done a whole lot more of snooping since moving in. A little here and there, but even that was mostly just to keep him on his toes, the woman not digging for secrets so much as enticing him with her ability to stay ahead of the curve when it came to finding needed information regarding whatever various project they were working on at any given time.

    The Xocili didn’t move or turn to look at him as he joined her in the lab, focusing on her work as normal. She expected a number of things when he entered: a slap on her rump or a quick and naughty little word in her ear to bring an extra measure of joviality into the room before they continued on with their duties for the day. “Hmm?” she asked idly, still looking through the microscope in front of her. It wasn’t until he continued speaking that she realized something was different about today, Mercury pulling her eyes away from her work to fix him with a curious frown, giving him the entirety of her attention as he admitted that he’d had something on his mind for a while. She’d been aware of that, of course – she’d spent enough time with the Terran at this point to recognize when he was struggling with something, particularly now that the effects of his blood marker were no longer effective against her. He’d never indicated a want to talk about it, though, so she’d carried on without forcing the issue, knowing that he’d speak when he was ready.

    Apparently, he was ready now.

    He admitted to struggling with a few decisions since their last encounter with Vandrad, decisions that had come about as a result of her unexpected choice to save Maker instead of letting him perish. He owned up to mistreating her in the past, recognizing that she had the right to let him die and that he was still juggling the fact that she hadn’t. He was grateful, more so than he could ever say, but hoped that if words couldn’t suffice then hopefully action would. A thoughtful frown lingered on her face, the woman lacking a verbal response for the time being where she would normally have already littered the conversation with a playful or teasing comment of some sort. Yet, she could see that this was not the time. Maker surely wouldn’t be offended by a trademark remark from her to lighten the mood a little, something he always appreciated, but whatever was happening right now was a big deal and Mercury could sense it. So rather than joke, she met him with uncharacteristic seriousness that was on par with his own level.

    “Alright,” was her simple response, allowing him to take her by the hand and lead her through the ship. As they walked, Maker continued, stating the obvious that he still had a lot of secrets he had been keeping from her. He was well aware that she’d done her share of digging, but it had only been at the tip of the iceberg. There were other things, far more personal ones, that had eluded her.

    Mercury maintained her silent frown as they walked, listening attentively without interruption as he touched briefly on Sabine. Maker claimed the Midian had sniped the blade that had been used to grievously injure Vandrad without Maker’s intention. Mercury wasn’t sure how much she believed that, but she let him carry on nonetheless like it was fact. He described the blade as a receptacle for power that he hadn’t been able to identify, one he had originally believed fell into the realm of magic but eventually learned was nothing of the sort.

    By this point he had led them to one of the ship’s many dead ends. It was a design factor that Mercury had always silently scrutinized, unable to believe that there were hallways that led to nowhere. She had suspected secrets of some kind in those unadorned corners, but never sought to bear fruit to those theories as she hadn’t wanted to jeopardize her mission. It seemed her curiosity was about to be sated, now. She watched as he pushed a hand against the wall, the panel lighting up to scan the readout before a passageway opened up before them. Mercury’s brows raised, intrigued if not necessarily surprised, as he explained that there were rooms on the ship that were encoded to his DNA so only he could access them. “Clever,” she said, her response shortened by her increasing curiosity that was bordering on concern regarding his behavior, but no less genuine of a statement.

    He gestured for her to enter and she hesitated only a moment before stepping inside. Within, she found a small room that was filled with a number of different types of machines that were all linked to a glass covered podium. Within the case was a swirling mass that was all too familiar to Mercury, the Xocili drawing on every ounce of discipline she had to keep her face contained to confusion without any hint of recognition. She knew what it was even before Maker explained it: the energy that had been contained within the blade, the substance that Maker had stolen from Omothol and used to cripple Vandrad. It had no name that he was aware of, though some sort of instinct had eventually prompted him to refer to it as “Myn”.

    She approached the case cautiously, observing it with her face reasonably close to the glass but making no move to touch the case itself – if only out of a sense of self preservation, despite knowing that it was unlikely the material could affect her through the clear panes. Mercury was silent for a long time as she studied the energy, taking it in and fully appreciating its existence as any true scientist would. “Maker, this is…” her voice trailed off as she failed to find words to adequately describe what she was thinking.

    Finally, finding her bearings once more, she continued. “I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never even heard of anything like this. Where did you find it? How did you even find a way to contain it, let alone a way to use it?” If he hadn’t been able to identify it outside of something that was beyond the scope of their reality, it seemed almost incalculable to her that he had been able to make something of it. But clearly he had, and if he was showing it to her now then surely he also expected that she would have some questions, if only from a scientific standpoint.

    WORDS: 1401 | @Vandrad Ragnos
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 3rd September 2023, 7:18 pm

    Maker

    words: 537/1517. tag: @Mercury Arseneault . notes:
    Mercury was, understandably, quiet as he spoke of his thought process, letting him get out what he needed to. Despite his misgivings, she always seemed to understand when he just needed to speak his mind, listening intently and taking in what he had to say. Though he didn’t provide much detail, he took her hand and asked her to come with him and she obeyed, walking along with him as he led her through the living ship. Soon enough they arrived at one of the many dead ends that the ship possessed, a factor that she had, no doubt, questioned during her time aboard. He stepped forward and pressed his hand against an invisible panel, which lit up and opened a door to a hidden room. One it was clear, he allowed her to enter first, which she did pensively.

    Once she had, she was presented with the sight of the mysterious element that he had acquired, the Terran explaining the minimal amount he knew about it and presenting the name he had granted it. Mercury was, understandably, surprised and awestruck at the sight, trying to find words to speak but soon just trailing into silence. After a moment of staring at the element, she was able to wrap her thoughts into a viable stream of consciousness. She had questions, insisting that she had no idea what she was looking at. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, he couldn’t help but give her a small, playful smile. “Nice to know I can still surprise you,” he teased softly before he nodded towards the element. “It was inside of me. Something that was siphoned up from Teras Prime when my accident happened. It was threatening to tear me up from inside so I removed it and used Knowhere to help me construct something to contain it. It lacks explanation; based on all my readings, it shouldn’t even exist.”

    He crossed his arms as he continued. “Once I knew how to contain it, I knew I could reproduce similar receptacles in different shapes. The blade was one example that I hoped to test against some of the beasts of the world in a contained facility. Unfortunately, the blade was stolen but I had managed to install a destruction mechanism inside of it. As mysterious as this element is, it was rather easily destroyed. The reason I was able to manipulate it at all is because it operates similar to magical essence. It can be funneled into objects akin to magic weapons and items. But I found that it actually destroys magic; neutralizes the ethernano completely by disintegrating it. It seems corny to call it anti-magic but… it operates in the same manner to oblivium from the nation of Pergrande.”

    He turned to look at her. “It is a very dangerous element, as was seen with what it did to Vandrad. I’ve kept it close because I couldn’t allow it to get out. In the wrong hands, it could wreak havoc. But I don’t want to keep things from you anymore. If anything, your insight might help me figure out its origin and how it can be manipulated to benefit the world rather than put it in danger.”





    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 691
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 4th September 2023, 11:30 am

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    She smirked softly at his remark about surprising her. “I doubt you’ll be losing your touch in that regard any time soon.”

    Mercury, of course, knew a fair bit more about what she was looking at than Maker suspected did. Her time in Omothol, while brief, had shed a fair share of light on the origins of the energy now swirling in its container before her. She couldn’t confirm whether Myn was its correct name or not, but from the way he spoke about his journey with the odd material, it seemed highly likely that Maker wasn’t aware that it came from the Time Before. All he knew was that he had absorbed it during his “accident”, and had very nearly eviscerated him from the inside out. The only reason he survived at all was because Knowhere gave him the means, much like with the consciousness of his people, to contain it separately from himself. But despite the fact that he was there before them plain as day, he had no answers except the understanding that it had no right to exist.

    However, he had been able to learn a few things about it. Since it could be contained, he had experimented with the types of things that could hold it, which was how he had crafted the sword that had eventually been used by Sabine. Luckily, or so he claimed, he had managed to install a failsafe that allowed him to destroy it. Conveniently after Vandrad had been injured, of course, but destroyed nonetheless. Maker confirmed that the material was capable of being destroyed with relative ease, and said the reason he’d been able to manipulate it at all was because it acted in similar essence as magic did. But it primarily seemed to destroy magic, neutralizing ethernano entirely much like Oblivium did. He kept it close to the chest, knowing it would be unwise to let it get out into the universe and into the wrong hands.

    That said, he no longer wished to keep it a secret from her, expressing his hope that perhaps she could help him unlock more secrets about it. For the betterment of the galaxy, of course.

    “I’ll admit, I can’t readily think of many ways such a force of destruction can be crafted for benevolent purposes,” she replied after a moment of thought. “But, I suppose we wouldn’t really know until we applied ourselves.” Truthfully, she had no intentions of truly helping him unlock the mysteries of Myn. More than anything else, she wanted to destroy it, relieved to know that it wasn’t necessarily going to be an impossible task to do so.

    But even more pressing was the realization that this might be the key to solving the problem that was Seberg as well. They had discussed the idea of using Maker’s work to deal with the wayward Rhaegarian, but there was nothing she could do to synthesize this element. She would need to steal a portion of it and get it back to Patricia’s lab. If she could do that… then maybe, just maybe, they could finally start to get somewhere with all this.

    In order to do that she would need more information, but first she pulled away from the element to approach Maker. She slipped her arms around his waist like a lover and looked up at him, emerald eyes full of appreciation. “I’ll do everything I can to see how I can help,” Mercury told him gently. “If anyone can unlock its secrets, I know it’s the two of us working together. Thank you.” Leaning in, she gave him a soft kiss that lingered for several seconds without evolving into anything more than what it was.

    When they were done sharing a moment, only then would she pull away to return to the contents of the room, this time looking over his equipment. “Alright, if I’m going to help then I’m going to need to get up to speed. What tests have you already run, and what kind of tools have you tried? Do you have any reports on your results? If I can get a reading on the data you’ve pulled so far, that will help me analyze it so I try to determine where else we can go from here.”

    WORDS: 715/2116 | @Vandrad Ragnos
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 4th September 2023, 1:07 pm

    Maker

    words: 463/1980. tag: @Mercury Arseneault . notes:
    Of course he told her that the power could be used for benevolent reasons and he wasn’t entirely lying about that. As he saw it, such a show of dominance provided by the material would be enough to bring any would-be warlord or violence hungry ruler to a grinding halt. He didn’t say it but he even believed it would be the perfect weapon against the Nazru, to finally wipe them out and set her people free. Mercury didn’t really see much room for how it could be used for peace but she also didn’t want to make assumptions on that until they created some applications out of it. Nonetheless, she was intrigued; that much he could tell from the way she observed the element. After taking a moment to consider her thoughts further, she finally turned and wrapped herself about him, her arms at his waist, as she sidled up close and looked at him. She insisted that she would do everything she could to help, believing that with the two of them working in tandem, they could unlock the full potential of the Myn. He smiled as she leaned in to kiss him, the Terran returned the favor.

    Once she pulled back, he nodded. “No, thank you. I’ve been going about this by myself for so long. I’ve never, in my entire life, felt like I could trust someone like I’ve begun to trust you. I firmly believe that the two of us have the potential to solve every mystery in the cosmos… and it starts right here.” It was about the closest to a love letter someone like Maker could ever create. With that said and her decision made, she insisted that she needed more information. She requested to know what kind of tests he had already performed and what equipment he had utilized. His smile remained, enthused and warmly enjoying the sight of her excitement as she asked about his results. “If you check that monitor right there, you’ll find a full readout of every experiment I’ve run, listed categorically by date, which dictates all of the equipment used, the hypothesis I followed and what the results were. There are quite a few but I’m sure someone with your brilliant mind will be able to get through them quickly. I’m going to go up to the ship’s console and program your biometric signature into the lock. That’ll grant you access to the room without me.”

    He began to leave but, forgetting that he had not properly greeted her like he usually did, he walked up and slid his hand over her ass. “I hope you’re as excited as I am for this new venture,” he whispered to her teasingly before he finally stepped away and out of the room.





    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 691
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 4th September 2023, 4:48 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    There had been a time not so long ago where Mercury would have felt guilty over hearing his admission about trusting her like he’d never been able to trust anyone before. However, that moment had crumbled to ash weeks prior once Vandrad had exposed Maker’s true nature – and the use of the Terran’s blood marker. Her desire and commitment to her mission had been renewed upon understanding that he was still every bit the enemy that he had always been, and while there was no denying that a dark part of her did truly enjoy Maker’s company and cared for him in her own way, it was not going to stop her from doing what she needed to do to get justice for all those he had hurt and killed.

    So they had their moment, and she played herself off as touched and enamored as she had been for some time without much effort, before they got down to business. Mercury requested to see what information he already had so she could get caught up on his work, and Maker pointed out a monitor where she could download everything, understanding that it would help her get up to speed in a matter of minutes. She was already working on doing just that when he informed her that he was going to make a trip to the ship’s console to get her biometric signature locked in so she could gain access to the room even if he wasn’t with her. Mercury nodded her acknowledgement, though she was clearly more focused on getting to work, integrating with the computer so she could start logging all the necessary information.

    Her concentration was broken briefly by him coming up behind her and slipping a familiar hand over her ass, causing her to hum with delight as she turned to look back at him with a pleased grin. “I hope you’re ready for how much you’re going to get laid for this,” Mercury teased back. Then he was gone, giving her a moment of privacy.

    The instant all the information was downloaded, the real Mercury was dropping everything to hustle to New Rhaegar, practically skidding into Patricia’s lab even as she was sending messages off to Vandrad, Ever, Dudley, Blade, and anyone else that might be useful for that kind of work. This had officially become an all hands on deck situation as far as she was concerned, and just because they didn’t have a sample of Myn to test didn’t mean they couldn’t start deciphering the research Maker had already done for them and work out a game plan on how to proceed.

    At the end of the day, however, she understood that nothing they did would come to fruition if she didn’t find a way to smuggle a piece of the energy out for them to use. So while Patty and everyone else that elected to get involved worked on crafting a suitable weapon receptacle, Mercury set all of her other duties aside to focus on securing a sliver of Myn for themselves, trusting the others to handle putting the stolen research to use.

    As always, Maker’s technological savvy was impressive. The more she studied his equipment, the more she learned about how complex his protections were for the energy. He left her alone with the substance often enough that she certainly had plenty of opportunity. However, the problem was that he had the mass measured so acutely that his computers would easily be able to confirm if even the slightest pinch of the stuff was removed. She would have to think of a way to acquire a piece of Myn without him realizing it had lost a portion of substance.

    Luckily, she believed the answer to that was fairly simple, if not necessarily easy to execute. Mercury didn’t need to think of a way to keep the energy from shrinking its mass – she just had to keep the computer from recognizing that the mass had shrunk. Mercury, the real one, spent several days carefully and tirelessly pouring through the schematics and coding of Maker’s computer, even using her magic to conjure an exact replica of the machine so she could run tests freely without having to run the risk of catching Maker’s attention. The end result was a passive, undetectable virus that, after several trials, successfully seemed to interfere with the computer’s ability to detect a decrease in mass of energy within the container, so long as she didn’t not take more than a certain amount.

    Unfortunately, she knew there were some missing factors with her testing. For one, she was experimenting with a different energy type, specifically magical ones. There was no telling if the computer would read Myn differently than ethernano, but based on everything Maker’s research confirmed about the material’s similarity to magic, she calculated that there was a ninety-five percent chance that she would get the same result. Additionally, while the virus itself was designed in such a way as to not set off any alarms, Maker’s technology was advanced enough that she was sure he would at least recognize if a new file had been uploaded into the system, which meant she’d have to come up with a believable cover as to why she was introducing new programming to his system.

    Mercury wasn’t terribly worried about that, however. He had brought her into this in the hopes that she could help him unlock the secrets of the energy, and as such it was expected that she might introduce new tools or software to run tests with. All it meant was that she also needed to take the time to craft a genuine software that he would agree to having installed, and embed the silent virus within it so it could be uploaded without notice.

    Four days after Maker had gotten her access to the room, Mercury’s clone would look up from her monitor to glance at her companion. “I think I want to try something,” she informed him, her tone academic. “I’ve noticed that you have done a lot of comparisons of Myn to ethernano, but I don’t see much by way of comparing it to other forms of power that are more common throughout the universe; electric, nuclear, kinetic… those kinds of things. You got a couple hypotheses, and based on your other data I strongly suspect that your theories are correct, but for the sake of the scientific method I think it would behoove us to actually put those theories to the test and make certain without question that we are operating within the correct parameters. If you don’t mind, I’ve designed an instrument that should be able to measure the readout of energy – I just need to upload the software into the system so that you can properly read and record the data.”

    Presuming he agreed, Mercury would use her magic to materialize the tool in question, taking a moment to load her software into his computer and make sure it read the instrument properly. She gave it a couple zaps of lightning, measuring the readout to ensure it was accurate, and then doing the same with light and sonic energy until they were both certain that everything was working properly – and also buying her enough time to let her virus get to work, as well as making sure he didn’t pick up on the fact that there was more to her software than met the eye.

    It was a tense moment… but luckily, he didn’t seem to have caught on. Once everything was as ready as it could ever be, and with a silent prayer to the cosmos for luck, she dematerialized the instrument and resummoned it inside the container. The computer immediately started spitting out readings, both of them seemingly glued to the monitor as they read the output and discussed the various numbers and wavelength charts as they rippled across the screen. A portion of Mercury’s consciousness, however, was focused on the instrument itself, which was absorbing a small, trace amount of the substance and storing it inside of a hidden core. She was meticulously monitoring the amount it absorbed, as well as the readings from Maker’s computer that measured its mass.

    Thankfully, the measurement remained steady. Letting it get as close as she dared before closing it off, the device continuing to measure the Myn without absorbing any more of it. Once the testing was complete, she once more dematerialized the device. This time, when she conjured it again, it was an exact replica of the original that they could use to continue testing with other types of energy as she saw fit.

    Meanwhile, back on new Rhaegar, the doors to Patricia’s lab would swing open once more as Mercury stood in the doorway. She raised the device up with her hand, her clone having deposited into her magical pocket universe where the real Mercury could retrieve it instantly. With small heaving breaths like she had just finished a workout, a triumphant smile slowly grew on her lips.

    “I got it.”

    WORDS: 1515/3631 | @Vandrad Ragnos
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
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    Posts : 800
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    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 6th September 2023, 5:14 pm

    Maker

    words: 1491/3471. tag: @Mercury Arseneault . notes:
    “An added benefit? Well perhaps I should have done this sooner,” Maker tossed her one last tease before he departed, leaving her alone with his equipment. He wasn’t gone long by what most people would consider usual standards but long enough that she was able to record the information she needed. And Maker, having grown the ability to trust her, didn’t even ponder the possibility that he was opening a door he had best left locked and hidden. Nonetheless, he fulfilled his portion of the deal; he’d added her biometric data to the ship’s locking system, allowing her access to that room. That way if inspiration struck her, which it so often did, she could hurry over and test whatever theory had come to her.

    Meanwhile, Mercury’s friends were all suddenly awash with messages from her, informing them of her access to new information. It was not very long that she was alone in Patricia’s lab, with a swarm of tech-savvy Rhaegarians, Earthlanders and one Terran there to look at what she had taken and what they could begin working on. It was all of Maker’s findings on the mysterious substance he labeled as ‘Myn’; how had tested it, how he had discovered it and, more importantly, how he had stored it in multiple different receptacles, including ones that could utilize it. That was well and good and it would provide them a means of preparing for the next step but that actual next step involved getting access to a portion of the material in which to utilize. That meant Mercury still had work to do so the actual construction of the weapon they needed, as well as the breaking down of the provided information, was left in the hands of the brilliant minds of the alliance.

    As the days went by, Maker worked with Mercury to further understand the substance, now happily having a sounding board and another body of intellect in which to share ideas and thoughts with. Though they hadn’t made much in terms of grand breakthroughs, it was good to have a fresh pair of eyes on everything to offer a different perspective. Finally, around the fourth day since his reveal, she looked up at him while in the middle of working and offered a new path. She’d noticed that while he had measured Myn against readings that came to ethernano, he hadn’t done any in regards to other scales of measurement that were more universally calculated by. He’d certainly thought about it and wrote down his ideas but he hadn’t done any actual testing, which she suggested they do for the sake of narrowing their search spectrum. She offered an instrument of her own design that should allow them to provide a comprehensive analysis of the energy’s readout. It was just a matter of uploading it to his system. “Of course,” he said, his tone surprisingly eager. “Please,” he continued, gesturing to the main computer. It took her a moment to install it, after testing it with her own magic, but after a few long seconds, she rematerialized the device inside of his computer. The screen lit up with readings and the spectrometer-linked printer began spitting out chart after chart. “Look at that,” he said, pulling up the sheets and reading them. Completely unaware of the deceptive actions of the Xocili beside him, he focused on the printouts without even a further, worrisome consideration.

    On New Rhaegar, the real Mercury arrived with a device in hand and claimed that she had the material. “Perfect. Bring it here,” Patricia summoned her over to where her, Dudley and Everance were gathered. It took a moment for them to create a locking chamber so the material could be stored and then transferred but Ever’s magic was, as always, capable of creating most things she required.

    “Alright, now we just lock it in and connect the tubes…” Everance hummed as she pulled a few knobs and switches before she pressed down on a button. A loud clunk reverberated in the room as the locks were put in. “And the handsome devil pulls the lever…” she gestured to Dudley with a smirk.

    The giant chuckled but did as she requested, pulling down on the hand lever easily. The room shook slightly as pressure was applied to the machine and a few of the monitors flickered… before everything came to a rest. Patricia walked around to the opposite side of the machine and unlocked the metal hatch. Steam poured out from the door as it was opened and she reached in… pulling out what looked like to be a metal meat injector. She held it carefully in her hand as she brought it back to the other three. There was a small oval in the canister that was clear and inside, the eerie Myn glowed a dark, swirling black light. ““We made it as compact as we could, since the general plan is to have Saffron store it in her arm. Safest place to transport it until it’s needed. I’m sure with some configuring, we can build a delivery device that’ll allow it to snap out and depress the moment it makes contact with Seberg’s skin. Ever and I also programmed it so that it’ll recognize a Blood Marker as a form of magic. If Maker’s calculations are correct, it’ll attack his Blood Marker much like it did Vandrad’s magical core and render it benign.”

    Patricia offered a small, sincere smile. ““With that, we have our weapon. Now… we just need a plan of attack. We should notify everyone and arrange a meeting. The time to finally stop Maker in his tracks is nigh.”

    Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only thing that was. Not even that far away, somewhere on the forested top area of New Rhaegar, Grubar was napping. He and Hosrius had long since parked their ships on the island, as it served as a perfect place to keep them hidden without any chance of being discovered. He’d had a long night partying, as he almost always did. The Rhaegar women were always happy to get together with him and party and it was nice to have beautiful women that actually thought he was attractive around. The Scengar let out a loud snore before suddenly a loud beeping awoke him.

    “Huh? What?!” he grumbled as he fell out of his bed with a loud thud. Forcing himself to his feet, he stumbled into the main area of his ship, where the long range communicator was set. He walked up and placed his hands on the panel, giving his head a shake, before he turned off the alert and flicked on the notification of who was trying to reach him.

    “Oh… shit…” he cursed with a scowl. He reared back slightly, as if he was trying to decide if he just wanted to walk away, pretend he hadn’t heard it. With a low growl, more out of annoyance at himself than anything else, he finally reached down and pressed the receive button.

    The holographic projectors hummed to life as the connection was made, warbling lightly before it created a static image. A humanoid looking man appeared. The colors were off, given the hologram, but his skin seemed of a pale gray-greenish kind of color. Indents in his bald scalp ran the length of his head down across his face. A few tattoos were present on his temples that matched the crimson glowing orbs that were his eyes. A breathing apparatus of some kind covered his nose and lower half of his mouth. “Waxx,” the mechanical voice of the man spoke with indignation.

    “Zetziz, been awhile. How’s tricks?” Grubar asked, trying to sound jovial.

    “I don’t have time for your idiotic banter, Waxx. Have you located the target? It has been two years since you and Hosrius were dispatched.”

    “We’re working on it separately. You know that Genesis guy, he’s a crafty bugger.”

    Two years, Waxx. No other target has taken either one of you this long. Do you two believe this is a vacation? Some kind of getaway? Do I need to remind you of the terms of your contract?”

    Grubar’s playful smirk faded away, his eyes darkening with anger. But despite how furious he looked, he didn’t snap. His lips twitched slightly before he sighed. “No.”

    “Good. Time is up. The client has requested immediate completion of the Genesis contract. You have three days to provide proof of death or a living body. Otherwise, it’ll be your contract that is being put up alongside Genesis for desertion of bounty. Whoever brings me proof fulfills the contract; the other becomes the winner’s target. Punishment for the delay.” The man leaned forward. “Three days, Waxx. If I were you, I suggest you go hunting…separately.”

    With that, the hologram flickered and cut off, ending the communication. Grubar stared at the spot where the hologram had been for a long moment before finally speaking.

    “Fuck.”





    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 6th September 2023, 8:44 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    A meeting had been called, and the members of the Sinclair-Ragnos household had pushed all other errands aside to make sure they were in attendance. Some days ago Serilda and Mythal had received word from their New Rhaegar allies that Mercury had made a breakthrough in her sleuthing, the Xocili having earned enough of Maker’s trust that he had not only revealed to her the location of the mystery element from Omothol, but that he’d also granted her permission and free access to it, as well as to all of his extensive research on it thus far. It was remarkable news, though there wasn’t much need for the Rune Knight leaders to get involved at that point since there was little they could do at that point. However, it seemed there had been a new development and the result was that an immediate and urgent gathering was being called.

    Thus, Serilda, Mythal, Hosrius, Patricia, and even Vriko – who had not long ago insisted on becoming involved and contributing however she could – all piled through a portal at the appointed time and onto the island. The group made their way up to the conference room where all but Mythal’s sister had been to multiple times by this point, chatting idly with everyone else in the room while waiting for the rest to arrive. Most of the island residents were already there, though Mercury had disappeared briefly to go collect Genesis and Dinah, the trio appearing only a few minutes after Serilda and the others showed up. Saffron was one of the last to show, clearly having come straight from rehearsal by use of a different device that Everance had made for her that allowed her to travel instantly back and forth from the island at the blonde’s own leisure.

    Once everyone was present, Mercury wasted no time in getting things started. “You’re all aware that I was able to get access to Maker’s research on the element he is calling Myn; the element that was used to injure Vandrad’s magical core. Earlier today, I was able to successfully smuggle a piece of it off of Maker’s ship, and thanks to the efforts of everyone helping Patty in the labs the last few days, we have crafted a weapon that we feel is our best chance at handling Seberg.” She wasn’t sure how much Seri and Mythal had filled Vriko in on things, but for the sake of not rehashing over details the vast majority of people were well aware of, she chose to stay focused on new information and leave it to others to fill in context for Vriko as necessary as they went along.

    “Vandrad and I have discussed it with each other, and with Themmy, and we feel that we are now at a place of serious discussion to plan our assaults on both Maker and Seberg, which is why we have gathered everyone together. It’s important that we strike both men at the same time so that they cannot rely on each other’s help, which means not only do we need to come up with a feasible plan for getting Maker out in the open, but we also need to locate Seberg or find a way to lure him out.”

    “Unfortunately, locating Seberg is easier said than done. Despite everything I’ve managed to get my hands on with Maker, he has been very diligent about never mentioning him to me, and I’ve never come across any research notes that make an open reference to him. That said, he has spoken a couple of times about a dangerous ally of his, and where that ally can be found. I have no guarantee that this is Seberg.. But I’ve crunched the numbers, and the changes of it being someone else are extremely low, based on the context I received from him. Unfortunately, we just won’t know until we’re in the thick of it.”

    Saffron had glanced at Scourge upon the first mention that the weapon was completed, the blonde shifting to sit forward eagerly in her seat with her gaze transfixed on Mercury. “The weapon – will it help hinder his blood marker?”

    “In a manner of speaking. The element seems to destroy ethernano, and thus magic, and doesn’t necessarily harm other forms of energy outright. There isn’t much we can do to alter the element itself. It’s just too unknown of a substance, and a dangerous one at that. However, with Maker’s research, Patty, Ever, and Dudley were able to enchant the weapon itself in a way that they believe should trick the element into recognizing the blood marker as magic. We’re as confident as we can hope to be with it, but there’s no way to know if it will work without testing it, which we simply don’t have the luxury of doing.”

    Saffron opened her mouth and by her posture it was clear she was about to say that was enough for her, to volunteer to give it a try for better or worse, but she was cut off with a gentle raised hand from Mercury, a silent gesture that it was already assumed she and Scourge would be handling that end of the fight. “Don’t worry, Saff. They designed it so that we can install it directly into your arm. It’s ready to go, but given the destructive power of the item and the kind of danger it poses to everyone here, it’s locked away in safe keeping for the moment. We’ll give it to you once we’re ready to make our move.”

    “Works for me.”

    Mercury nodded, then continued, turning her attention back on the rest of the room. “We do want to hear some ideas, but there is one other thing we also need to remember to consider in these plans: Knowhere. Quentin mentioned that he might know of a way to help save the consciousnesses of Blade’s people, and I think the only time we’re going to get a shot at that is while Maker is distracted with our attack, which means this is now a three pronged assault. Maker keeps clones of himself on his ship that run a lot of his day to day projects. They are not nearly as powerful as he is, but they share his full intellect, memories, knowledge, portions of his magic… the works. So, that is another factor we need to consider with this discussion.”

    “I think I’ve covered all the new information, but if I’ve forgotten anything please feel free to speak up. Otherwise, anyone who wants to start spitballing some ideas to get us started, please do so.”

    WORDS: 1106/4737 | @Vandrad Ragnos
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 7th September 2023, 9:45 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o


    The speed in which everyone gathered for the meeting was remarkable, even considering how well informed they were before hand. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Mercury got her hands on the element, now that she had made it into Maker’s inner sanctum of trust. While the scientific and technologically sound members of the alliance came together to work on crafting the needed housing component, the rest waited until they were given notice that Mercury had completed the second, arguably more important part of her mission. The truth of the matter was, once they had the element and could properly use it as a weapon, delaying the plan of attack would be fruitless. They had to strike while the iron was hot, as the old adage went. Luckily, they would barely have to wait half a week before they were confirmed that they had gotten the element and stored it proper.

    Things came together quickly and only a few hours later, late in the afternoon, the group had gathered once more with the addition of Vriko. Though the former bandit wasn’t necessarily married to any reason for taking part, she’d long ago agreed to help out when things came to a head and she was there to honor her word. Serilda and company were the first to arrive, followed shortly by Mercury, Genesis and Dinah and then Scourge. Saffron was the one pulling up the rear, having quickly arrived right out of practice for the band she had joined. Once she had taken her seat and everyone was settled, it was time to start. Mercury summarized the point of the meeting; she had gotten her hand on Maker’s research and the element that he had named Myn. Thanks to the efforts of the people working in the New Rhaegarian labs, they had constructed a weapon meant to be used on Seberg. Though Vriko had only gotten second hand explanations on what was happening, she still listened intently, her usual eye-rolling at anything Mercury had to say easily ignored. If anything, she was impressed that Mercury was capable of being serious without throwing out innuendos or sidling up to people.

    The Xocili continued, stating that between herself, Vandrad and Themesycia, it was time to plan their assault on both Maker and Seberg, requiring the assistance of everyone. They had to strike both of the aliens at once to keep them off balance and prevent them from coming together to work as a team. That meant they had to lure Maker out of hiding and actually locate where Seberg had been housing himself. The rogue Rhaegarian hadn’t shown himself since he’d fought Scourge and Saffron and Maker had absolutely no information regarding his whereabouts. But, he had mentioned an ally and labeled him as dangerous, giving Mercury a rudimentary idea of where he could be found. Though it wasn’t a guarantee, there was a high chance that it was the man in question.

    Scourge’s eyes flicked over to Saffron as he sat with his arms crossed. It was an unspoken understanding between them that they would be going after Seberg, given the way he’d come at them and beat them the last time. The Fairy Tail wizard asked if the weapon would affect his Blood Marker, to which Mercury confirmed it would, in a sense. Myn’s primary usage, thus far and through studying, seemed to only affect ethernano -- vaporizing it nearly on touch. Altering the element was impossible without further study and interacting, something they didn’t have time for. But they were able to create a housing item that would recognize Seberg’s Blood Marker as a magical source, thereby tricking the element into destroying it. Of course it wasn’t a one hundred percent guarantee, mostly because they didn’t have time to test it but based on everything they had researched, they were confident.

    Saffron was already preparing to speak up to offer herself as the volunteer but Mercury silenced her with a gentle hand. They knew that the pair intended on taking on the mission, as dangerous and risky as it was and they had created the weapon to fit in Saffron’s arm. At the moment, it was kept under lock and key, considerin how dangerous it was. But once it was go time, she would be the one to get it installed. It made perfect sense; her arm provided her a lot of benefits when it came to surprising most enemies and while Seberg had the extraordinary ability to keep getting stronger while fighting, there was no way he could possibly predict the use of the element.

    Before Mercury opened the floor to any additional ideas, she did bring up the other hitch in their plans; Knowhere. Quentin had mentioned that he might be able to save what was left of the spiritual energies that made up Blade’s people and their best opportunity to do that was while Maker was under assault. Essentially, their two attacks had expanded to three, with the person or persons going to Knowhere having to contend with Maker’s clones. They weren’t as strong as the man himself but they contained the same amount of intellect and a bit of his magic. With that put out there, she opened it up for anyone to make suggestions.

    It was, strangely, Quentin who spoke up first, manifesting beside Mythal. “Being able to do that is quite convenient,” he commented with a chuckle before he cleared his throat. As I said in the last meeting I attended, I believe the Soul Stone should be able to combine the missing pieces of the Terran people and make them whole again, albeit as one living conglomerate inside of machinery. The main problem is that I need to be at the place where their souls are trapped, namely on the planet of Teras Prime. In addition to that, I need something to act as a beacon of sorts; a connection that I can channel spiritual energy through into Knowhere. That way I can work on the complicated process of knitting each lost spirit with the correct consciousness; a time-consuming project for me but luckily time will move differently for me in the Spirit Realm. What will take hours for me will only take a few minutes here.”[/color]

    “And I’m guessin’... you can’t just zip over to Teras Prime yourself, right?” Mythal asked.

    “Unfortunately not. I need to channel energy right from the Soul Stone and I can’t do that billions of lightyears away,” Quentin said with a sheepish smile.

    “Some sage you are,” the Director idly teased before he sighed. “Looks like I’m goin’ to space then. Which means I’ll need Serilda with me to be able to get me there and back. That takes us off the board.” Mythal didn’t exactly look pleased with the knowledge, however inevitable that it was.

    "Then we need a small team that Mercury can get to Knowhere. But before we worry about that, we need to figure out how to get Maker out of the ship that he conveniently has stashed away beyond our grasp. Mercury has mentioned some kind of teleportation device that Maker has control of but that would require her hacking and using it, which gives away the advantage of him not knowing her true allegiance. And I can’t exactly claim that I’ve rethought my decision about ending our conflict; he’d see right through that for the trap that it is.” Vandrad spoke up.

    “I actually had a thought about that,” Patricia said. “When we first brought Raici to the island, we performed a series of scans. It verified a lot of information, including his crafted genealogy as well as the alternative branch of Energy Monarch he possessed. But he also had a residual energy that was still clinging to him that was alien to his natural form; remnants of the energy that Maker used to teleport him during their meeting. It was an alien signature I had never seen before and seemed beyond my capabilities of utilizing. But Professor possesses a unique ability to analyze things that I cannot. I opted to… switch to her during a moment of hypothesizing and she was not only able to unravel the wavelength but she was able to isolate its signature. It would take her about a day or so to construct a device but I may be able to hijack the teleporter aboard the living ship and forcibly bring him and Mercury to us, wherever we set up.”

    "Would you be able to send people to the ship to take care of Knowhere?”

    Patricia frowned. “Hypothetically, yes. But doing so would be leaving the teleporter open and accessible. I can force Maker out of hiding but in order to keep him from retreating, I have to shut the machine off using my device. If I leave it on, he’ll just teleport back to safety. It might be more beneficial to have Mercury program her handheld device to take whomever can deal with Knowhere to the ship. That or… I can attempt to teleport the entire ship out of the pocket universe. It would require a lot more energy and a bigger device but… theoretically it’s possible.”

    “So then we just need to find a reasonable battlefield away from civilization where we can either drop Maker or an entire ship,” Genesis remarked.

    Blade turned his gaze to Quentin. “Is the ship and, by extension, Knowhere being in the pocket universe going to cause any issues with our channeling?”

    Quentin frowned in thought. “I wouldn’t think so… but it’s entirely possible that being in an alternate realm could keep me from making a direct and stable connection.”

    The Terran nodded. “Then we pull the entire ship out. And while Maker and ‘Mercury’ are confronting the assault team, the rescue team gets inside and to Knowhere.”

    "I’m dealing with Maker, as I imagine Blade and Mercury will as well,” he asked, getting a confirmed nod from the Terran. "Hosrius and Genesis; you both lack magic; perhaps its better that you stay back?”

    “Sorry Vandrad but this is a hunt that I need to finish. I may not have magic like the rest of you but I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” Hosrius said confidence.

    “And I have a whole bunch of fun tricks as well so don’t you worry about me,” Genesis added with a grin.

    But if it wasn’t any of them… then who could possibly lead the rescue team?






    Words: 1751/5222 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault  | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

    Developer/GFX Artist- Main Account- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Of Ishgar- Ten Wizard Saint Member- Guild Master- Custom Slayer- God Slayer- Z-Rank- Y-Rank- X-Rank- H-Rank- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- So Extra- EXP Grinder- Job Creator- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- Teaming Up!- Limited Edition- Hired Help- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Helper- Guild Creator- Achiever- Expert Achiever- Over Achiever- Buddy Buddy- Obligatory Beach Episode- Shipped- Dank Memer- Taskmaster- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 2- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Obtain A Secondary Magic!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Tertiary Magic- Senior [500]- Novice [250]- 1st Place Event/Contest Winner- X-Mas Event Participant- Motor City Rush- Best GFX Artist Award- Player 
    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
    Position : Goddess of Conviction
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1482
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 9th September 2023, 9:24 am

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    Serilda was quiet through the meeting as she listened to the discussion, which mostly started with Mercury giving an overview of the latest updates in her mission to get everyone up to speed. Everything had come together so fast, and while the Voidwalker and her fiance had more than enough world threatening things on their plate, it was refreshing to be involved in a situation where they weren’t as wrapped up in red tape and could actually act however the lot of them saw fit. The objectives were clear: Confronting Maker and Seberg, hopefully killing them both, and also saving the souls of Blade’s people.

    After the discussion was placed on the table, Quentin was the first to interject, materializing into the room with a quick comment on how conveniently he was able to do so these days. The aside lasted only a moment before he launched into the details of his part in rescuing the Terrans, reexplaining that he should be able to utilize the Soul Stone to heal the damage that was done to the Terrans during Knowhere’s crafting, inserting their consciousness into a new machine. They would still be a heightened form of artificial life, but at the very least would maintain their individuality and be reunited with their spirits. However, in order to do so he needed to be on Terras Prime. He would also need something to act as a beacon that he could channel the energy through to the current Knowhere on Maker’s ship where he could then begin the tedious task of reforming each soul with its corresponding consciousness.

    Unfortunately, he would not be able to get to Teras Prime on his own. Or rather, he couldn’t do the work so far away from the Soul Stone, meaning that Mythal would have to be present with him. Mythal wasn’t as easily capable of space travel as Serilda was, so that meant that she would have to accompany him. The noblewoman nodded her agreement. “A shame that we can’t lend ourselves to one or both of the fights, but… As much as I know we need to dispose of Maker and Seberg, I can’t deny that restoring the Terrans as much as they can be restored is just as important, if not more so. We’ll have other opportunities to fight, if it comes to that, but it’s almost assured that we will not get another one to fix this particular wrong.”

    She certainly couldn’t say that this should take priority over the executions of their two named enemies, as more than just Earthland was in danger from their continued existences, but if push came to shove and the only part of this assault that wound up being successful was saving Blade’s people… well, the field marshal would consider it a win. Particularly given that Blade’s own time was drawing ever more short.

    With her and Mythal already assigned their part, Vandrad shifted things into discussing how to get access to Maker, and thus to the ship as well. Mercury hacking the teleporter was a no-go since it would blow her cover too early. Likewise, he couldn’t claim to have rethought Maker’s prior offer as it would obviously be a trap. Perhaps one that Maker would consider walking into, if only out of arrogance, but things would ideally be much simpler and smoother if they could catch Maker off guard.

    Patty spoke up next with some of her findings, ultimately revealing that through the discovery of some lingering energy on Raici, she believed Professor could craft a device that could forcibly pull both Maker and the Mercury clone out of the pocket universe to any place they desire. At the future king’s questioning, she also confirmed that she could theoretically transport a team to the ship as well, but doing so would leave a two way gate open that Maker could just as easily use to return to the pocket universe, which certainly wasn’t ideal. A better alternative, she suggested, was simply pulling the entire ship along with Maker. It would require more work and a larger device, but the results would be more favorable. Particularly since Quentin admitted that it would be a safer bet he could perform his work unhindered if Knowhere was present in their current universe instead of a pocket one. This, in turn, would also make it easier for a strike team to get in to deal with Knowhere.

    Vandrad confirmed that he would be confronting Maker, as he assumed Blade and Mercury would as well. Blade nodded his agreement before Vandrad turned to Hosrius and Genesis to see where they stood on the matter. Unsurprisingly, both were firm in their stances to take part in the battle, assuring him that they could hold their own despite their lack of magic.

    This left the question open of who would be stepping up to handle the Earthland side of addressing Knowhere. Mercury sighed softly. “While I know my skills and my exposure to the ship would be advantageous in assisting with Knowhere, I am going to insist on being involved in the fight,” Mercury stated plainly. “This grudge is too personal at this point, and he’s hurt and killed far too many people that I care about. I owe him a receipt, and I plan on delivering it personally. That, and he’s already proven himself to be far too squirrelly in the past. I need to be there to offset his quick thinking intelligence, not to mention I have taken care to place further advantages for myself over this time that he’s not aware of which could prove useful in the battle.”

    “Normally, I’d simply suggest handling things through another clone of myself, but… I’m afraid it can’t be that simple. My clones, much like Maker’s, share my personality, memories, and intellect, but they don’t share the full extent of my power and abilities. If anything went wrong, a clone wouldn’t be able to handle it as efficiently. The task will require a true person. If I’m being honest, it will probably require a Xocili. The technology is simply too alien and too advanced, and while I am confident that there are plenty people here who could learn to navigate it over time… time is not a luxury we will have. We’ll need someone with Xocili processing speed, so to speak.”

    “Then I will go.” Zemenar’s voice rose up to meet the call, drawing everyone’s eyes over to him. “I was planning on staying to help maintain Patri– er… Professor’s device to ensure she has plenty of backup in case something goes wrong, but if there is a need that I can fill, especially for something so important, then I will happily do so.”

    That seemed to be the end of the matter… but it was only a brief pause later when Mercury spoke up again. “No,” was her gentle response, the Silver Wolf ace shaking her head slowly and clearly not happy about having to give the answer.

    Her father’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why not?”

    “Dad, I trust that you can handle the technical aspect of the job, but don’t forget that the person who handles this job also needs to be prepared to confront dozens of Maker’s clones… and the simple truth is that you’re not the soldier you once were. You haven’t had the opportunity to keep your fighting skills or your battle instincts sharp in over twenty years. You’re not equipped for this.” She wasn’t intending to be cruel, but facts were facts.

    Zemenar didn’t say anything for a long moment, but eventually his shoulders drooped slightly in resignation. “I suppose you’re right. I guess I was just hoping I could make myself useful in some fashion. After everything that was done to help our people, it feels right that I find a way to pay it forward to another race in need of rescue.”

    “How about communications?” Serilda offered, her status and experience as a seasoned military leader prompting her to speak up toward a need that had yet to be filled or even addressed. “A mission with so many fronts will certainly require a central command station, as well as a communications center that can keep everyone up to date in real time. We will need smaller teams that can focus on processing and filtering information from each team so that it can be relayed back to other teams, or even to those who will be working and supporting behind the scenes. It’s not directly involved in any fighting or field work, I know… but it is a critical position, and I can think of none better suited for the work than you.”

    The former Enforcer’s brow raised in consideration, even as Mercury nodded her silent thanks to Serilda for speaking up and giving them the benefit of her experience in these kinds of matters. Finally, Zemenar nodded as well. “I think that is a wise idea. I can easily think of a few Xocili and a couple Rhaegarians that I think would be ideal to help with this as well, so it should be a simple matter of putting a team together that can make sure everyone in the field is equipped with secure communication devices. We can make sure everything is relayed directly to Themesycia.”

    It was yet one more aspect of their plan covered, and yet there still was no answer as to who would take the lead on handling things with Knowhere from the ship. A cursory glance from the Voidwalker caused her gaze to linger on Mercury. The lavender haired woman’s eyes were fixed to a spot on the table in front of her with a troubled and contemplative frown on her face. “Mercury..?” The Xocili glanced up to see Serilda expectant eyes on her. “You appear to have something on your mind.”

    Mercury’s gaze held Serilda’s a moment longer before drifting back off in continued thought. After a moment more of silence, she finally spoke. “I have an idea… but none of you are going to like it.”

    “An ill advised idea is better than none at all.”

    With a beat more of thought, Mercury straightened her posture, raising her gaze up to the rest of the room with a sense of resolution. “We need someone on the ship that is skilled and experienced in combat and infiltration, that also has a Xocili’s affinity for technology.”

    “We need Khelben.”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 9th September 2023, 11:42 am

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o


    It was a shame that they wouldn’t be able to help out with the fight but Mythal was of the same mind as Serilda. The fights, two of them that weren’t fully guaranteed to come out into victory, were important, as was taking both Maker and Seberg out. But doing so would leave Blade as the last Terran and not for much longer; the corruption was already eating away at him and he would be forced to end his life sooner rather than later, resulting in the complete extinction of his entire race. Though restoring the Terrans within Knowhere wasn’t the same as bringing them fully back to life, it was, at least, guaranteeing the knowledge of his people would live on and perhaps, with time, an avenue in which to bring them back as individuals would present itself. Though Mythal teased Quentin about his lacking ability to just perform the ritual from a distance Mythal didn’t dare try to calculate, it was still a very impressive feat being able to complete the act altogether. If it required a bit of legwork on his and Seri’s part, that was the least they could do to help out there.

    After that, it was about figuring out how to get Maker out of his ship. But Patricia came up with an alternative solution; hijacking the teleporter that the rogue Terran used and forcing the living ship outside of the pocket dimension he had utilized. With him and ‘Mercury’ brought out into the open, she would forcibly shut down the machine and allow not only the strike team to address Maker but also allow the preplanned rescue team to sneak aboard and make the connection that Quentin needed. Mercury confirmed that while her knowledge of the ship and her skills would be beneficial when it came to working with Knowhere, she was planning on fighting Maker. His actions had hurt and even killed too many people she cared about and she couldn’t just let that slide without taking the opportunity to give him punishment. Plus, Mercury would be able to throw him off his game by utilizing her presence and several other advantages that she had laid in place for when the time came to finally bring him down.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that a Xocili was the best suited for the operation, since the ship was extraterrestrial and far too advanced for them to crash course just anyone into. Utilizing the Xocili’s hyper-quick processing speed would provide the clearest and cleanest path to completing that portion of the mission. Zemenar was quick to respond and insisted that he would go. He’d planned on staying back to help the maintenance of Patricia and Professor’s machine but if there was a role he could fill otherwise, he would do so happily. That seemed to fill the void until Mercury spoke up, declining his offer and when he inquired as to why, she explained that why he had the means technically, they needed someone who could also fight numerous of Maker’s clones. Zemenar was no longer the soldier he once was and he hadn’t been keeping up his training to try and get back into fighting shape. It was a sad truth but a truth nonetheless and he understood it, agreeing with the sentiment, though he still wished there was something he could do to help to make up for all the assistance that had been given to his people.

    Serilda offered an alternative; they would need someone to handle all of the communications that would be coming and going from all the different groups. Especially for Mythal, Serilda and whoever was going to be getting to Knowhere, they would need information being passed back from one to the other quickly to assess what was needed or or needed to be adjusted. It wasn’t a field position and didn’t put him in the thick of danger but it was still as important. That picked up Zemenar’s mood and helped him refocus, agreeing to the task and extending the cooperation of other Xocili and Rhaegarians that had already come to mind. They would outfit each team member with communication devices that were secure for them and would allow them the ability to filter information to the other teams and Themesycia herself.

    “My thanks, Zemenar. With the strongest wizards heading in different directions, Gren and I will remain here not only to provide overwatch on the several different missions but also to act as a vanguard for New Rhaegar. Though I doubt Maker has found out about the island, I’d rather not gamble on assumption and put the Xocili and Rhaegarian people at risk. The two of us would be more than capable to handle anything coming our way,” Themesycia added, giving the former Rune Knight a nod.

    “Usually I’d be throwin’ my hat in to fight that bastard but… Themmy is right. We gotta secure the homefront as well, just in case,” Gren agreed.

    That still left the position of what Xocili to send into the living ship. Serilda happened to glance at Mercury and asked her what she seemed to be churning around in her head. The Silver Wolf Ace didn’t answer right away but when she did, she stated she had an idea that was not going to be well appreciated by anyone there. After Serilda encouraged her that any idea was better than none, Mercury continued, stating they would need someone who could fight and infiltrate, had gained the skills to do both and had plenty of experience, along with having a Xocili’s affinity in technology. In the end, she suggested Khelben.

    There was a visceral reaction from most of the people in the room. Though only a few of them knew truly why her brother had been incarcerated, it was enough to know that he had been imprisoned for there to be concern. Most of the attention went to Vandrad, Mythal’s gaze flicking between his adoptive brother and father. Gren’s face had stiffened at the suggestion, his muscles tensing. Vandrad looked… pensive more than anything. And his heartbeat seemed steady, unchanged by the revelation like the Darkness Slayer expected.

    “I really don’t think-” Gren started to speak.

    "If he’s willing and capable, I see no reason not to,” Vandrad interrupted. He didn’t wait for Gren to whirl on him in surprise, which he did, to continue his thought. "Whatever crimes and guilt that have been put upon his shoulders, he provides the best opportunity for the mission to succeed. My personal feelings about him shouldn’t interfere with what is best for the mission, nor should anyone’s personal gripes,” he said, turning his gaze to his father. Their eyes remained focused on one another for a long moment, Gren weighing his son’s words against his own emotions while the future king stood by his statement. After several long seconds, Gren sighed and resigned himself, his shoulders drooping slightly. Themesycia reached over and took his hand in her’s, squeezing it gently.

    "But he is not going alone. I will need someone to accompany him. Though I don’t figure him for the fleeing type, I’d rather not send in anyone into that ship by themselves. There is already enough speculation about our chances of success on the other two fronts; I would like to, at least, guarantee that we can save Blade’s people the right way.” It was an added stipulation but not an unreasonable one. As far as Vandrad saw it, Khelben being treated as not only a member of their society but as an useful resource came down, in the end, to what Mercury felt about him. And if she was the one making the suggestion, who was he to interfere with her reasons?

    “I’ll go with him,” Vriko spoke up. “My Blessing can still only be used in short bursts, not enough to be useful against what I’m guessing is going to be a full scale fucking onslaught. If you say that his clones have a portion of his power, we should be able to handle it. That way he can focus on making the connection or whatever and I can carve up that smug bastard’s doubles.” She ignored the look she got from Gren and Mythal, focusing her attention on Vandrad. “I assume that’s fine?”

    He gave her a small nod. "That works for me. Maker will be expecting a lot but I highly doubt he’s ready for your swordsman skills. When Patricia slash Professor brings the ship to our battleground, you and Khelben will get in using whatever information Mercury can give you as far as a back way in. The rest will settle itself.”

    It seemed that they had finally solved all the problems and had situated everyone where they needed to be. It was then that Hosrius spoke up about the one, large missing piece of their company. “Where is Grubar? I don’t know how I didn’t notice he wasn’t here before. He’s rather hard to miss.”

    “Shows how observant you are,” the Scengar spoke up as he entered the room. Unlike the rather casual fit that he’d usually be wearing about New Rhaegar, the bounty hunter was fully equipped in his armor. Even his weapons were attached to his belt.

    “Finally decided to join the party and all ready for the battle too. I hate to tell you, Grubar, but we’re probably still a day or two away from actually fighting,” Hosrius said with a chuckle.

    “Doesn’t matter. I won’t be there.”

    Whatever amusement may have been attempting to enter the room came to a screeching halt. “What?” the Jirian asked, his laughter dead in his throat.

    “Time’s up, Hosrius. Desertion of bounty is now on the table. I have three days to bring Genesis back. That means I’m leaving today so I can get there on time.” Grubar pointed at the homunculus. “And you’re coming with me.”







    Words: 1650/6872 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault  | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
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    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1482
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 9th September 2023, 3:59 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    The tension in the room was tangible.

    On the one hand, Serilda was surprised. On the other, she really wasn’t. She hadn’t considered the incarcerated Xocili as an option, but once Mercury mentioned him, and once Serilda got over her initial discomfort over the idea, she had to admit that it was a sound one. She really didn’t know much about Mercury’s brother aside from what he’d done to Mercury and the position he once held with the Nazru, but that was enough to know that he was suited to the task as much as anyone could be. The Voidwalker wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of recruiting the man, but desperate times…

    Like Mythal’s, her gaze flicked carefully to both Vandrad and Gren, the two that were likely to have the strongest opinions on the matter. Gren was clearly ruffled by the idea, his jaw tight, while Vandrad’s expression was more unreadable than anything else. Just as his father was speaking up in protest, the former prince cut the older man off to insist that there was no reason to rule Khelben out, provided he was up to the task. Gren practically whipped his neck around to look at Vandrad, but his son continued, stating that his crimes were immaterial to the fact that he was suited to the role they needed to fill, and his skills would give them the best chance at success. He refused to let his personal feelings get in the way of completing the mission, and in fact insisted that everyone else do the same.

    Though the comment was more clearly aimed at his father than anyone else, the two men looking at one another in a wordless standoff that no one dared interrupt. It was Gren who eventually backed off, the former Rune Knight looking down with a resigned sigh even as Themmy consoled him silently. Like that, it appeared that Mythal and Serilda would be working with the criminal, whether they wished to or not. There must have been a betrayal of distast in her face as Mercury looked back toward the Fioren military leaders. “Will that be okay..?” she asked them, genuinely wanting to make sure the arrangement wasn’t going to cause any problems, seeing as how they were the ones that would be working alongside him. Serilda shifted slightly in her seat, relaxing her posture which had gone more stiff than she’d meant.

    With a quick glance to Mythal to make sure they were on the same page, she said, “I can’t say I’m thrilled, but it won’t be an issue. If nothing else, I have no doubts that he will do the job right and see it through to the end. I’ve certainly utilized less reputable contacts in the past. We’ll make it work.”

    Vandrad insisted, however, that Khelben – should he agree to the mission – would not go alone. He trusted that Khelben wouldn’t use the opportunity to escape imprisonment, but there was no sense in sending anyone, even a criminal, into such a dangerous and unknown place alone. Aside from the clones that would await him there, Vandrad also understood that this was the only chance they’d get to access Knowhere, and he did not want to needlessly risk failure on this front. As such, he insisted that they find someone to accompany him to the ship.

    All eyes turned to Vriko as she finally spoke, not hesitating to volunteer for the assignment. She explained that her Blessing was still usable only in short bursts, which meant that she would be of little use in the two major fights. However, the less imposing clones, while strong in their own rights, were more likely in line with what she could reasonably assist with. She could focus on keeping Khelben safe so that he, in turn, could focus on getting Quentin properly connected to Knowhere. The raven haired woman locked eyes with Vandrad, ignoring her brother and adoptive father outright, to make sure the arrangement was acceptable. The former prince agreed, stating that Maker likely wouldn’t be expecting a woman of her fighting caliber.

    “Actually, Vriko… there’s something else I think you can help with while you’re there. It may require leaving Khelben unprotected for a short time, but I wouldn’t suggest it if it weren’t important. In fact, it may be the most important part of this entire assault, even over rescuing the Terrans.” Mercury held the woman’s eyes steadily, a look that affirmed just how serious the Xocili was about the claim. “I need you to destroy the Myn. It shouldn’t be difficult; Maker admitted it was fairly easy to dispose of, and all his research supports that fact. I can’t really speak to how dangerous or not of a task it might be but… that energy was not meant to exist in our time. It needs to go, so that no one can ever use it again; not even us.”

    Mercury had promised Cyrene that she would do everything she could to make sure no one could ever use the weapon they’d crafted to destroy a Blood Marker ever again, and this was the only way she could think to ensure that the Rhaegarians would never have to worry about such a thing in the future. Without the Myn, not even Mercury would be able to craft an item that would put a Rhaegarian at risk in that way again. Once Myn was destroyed, and once Saffron and Scourge had used the last trace of it to infect Seberg, it would be wholly and fully erased from their reality once and for all.

    Presuming Vriko agreed to the task, Mercury would give her a surprisingly serious and heartfelt look. “Thank you – for that, and for agreeing to help protect my brother.” While everyone else clearly held a stigma and negative opinion of Khelben, it was obvious that the man’s safety meant a great deal to the woman, who seemed to be the only one outside of Zemenar that displayed any compassion toward the man, though even Zemenar was more quiet on the matter.

    Once the moment had passed, Hosrius spoke up to voice his sudden realization that Grubar wasn’t present. No sooner had the words left his lips than the man himself walked through the door just in time to hear the comment and chastise his coworker about his lack of observation skills. The Scengar was armed and fully armored, which caused many in the room to regard him with confusion, Saffron staring at him with an outright frown. Hosrius attempted a bit of banter, but Grubar didn’t bite. In fact, he opened right up and said that he was not going to be helping with the mission, which caused an even bigger reaction around the room than even Mercury’s suggestion at bringing Khelben in.

    It seemed his time had run out. He’d been threatened with desertion of bounty by his handlers and had been given three days to bring Genesis in. If he was going to complete the task on time, he and Genesis needed to leave immediately. Dina shifted in her chair, not standing up but moving into a position that would be easier for her to act in protection of Genesis, her steady eyes locked on Grubar.

    “Damnit..” Mercury muttered quietly, leaning forward to rest her head in her hands with a weary and resigned look. “I’m sorry, Grubar. I had hoped it wouldn’t get this far…” She felt a certain level of responsibility for the Scengar being thrust in this position. The loss of him and Genesis in the fight would be felt, not just because the homunculus had the right to face his creator, but also because they were both capable warriors whose assistance would have been beneficial. But, as she had told him before, all Grubar would have to do was say the word and Mercury would support his decision to leave. The timeline he’d set had already long expired, and she had no intentions of abusing his patience, as was evidenced by the sorrowful look that she gave Genesis from across the table.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 9th September 2023, 6:32 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o


    Mythal wasn’t sure how to feel about working with Khelben. On the one hand, Vandrad was right; this mission was too important and carried too much weight to simply dismiss him as a resource when he could be useful. But on the other hand… well, his crime was one of the worst that the Darkness Slayer had ever heard of and he’d heard plenty. Putting aside the fact that Mercury was his sister, what Khelben had done to her was truly horrendous and he was both amazed and horrified that the Silver Wolf ace was willing to even speak his name, let alone suggest he join up with the mission. Then again, she had allowed him outside during the day of remembrance, which was arguably more emotional than what they were currently dealing with. Mythal’s eyes had drifted to the table in front of them as he had retreated into his head to think about the matter. It wasn’t until Mercury spoke up and seemingly directed her question to both him and Serilda that he popped back to paying attention.

    Serilda admitted that she wasn’t happy about the arrangement but it wouldn’t cause her any distress or give her pause. She was sure he would complete the job and stated that they had worked with far less reputable people in the past. Scourge barely hid his amused smirk as Mythal shrugged. “What she said. It ain’t a problem unless it becomes one. Then we’ll handle it. But I ain’t worried ‘bout it.” That seemed to solve the problem until Vandrad made an addendum, wishing for someone to accompany Khelben into the ship. It was Vriko of all people who offered to go with him, stating that she would be better utilized dealing with clones than with Maker himself or even Seberg.

    Mercury also spoke up again, asking Vriko to take on an additional task, one that she deemed important enough that it may have even ranked about saving the Terrans. It would require her to leave Khelben alone for a short amount of time but that just further verified how important it was. Vriko’s gaze stayed glued to Mercury’s as she asked that she destroy the Myn, the element that Maker had used to hurt Vandrad. Apparently it was fairly easy to destroy but she couldn’t possibly predict how easy it would be to get to. Nonetheless, it wasn’t meant to still exist and it was up to her to right that wrong. She nodded softly. “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll make sure it’s not even ash.”

    “Thank you both,” Cyrene added, directing her attention to Vriko and Mercury. She knew it was a big ask, especially given how useful it could be in the future against other enemies. But the danger it posed far outweighed the benefits and while she had originally asked in the defense of the Rhaegarians, she believed all people could become a target for the Myn if it were allowed to continue existing. Destroying it was in everyone’s best interests and she appreciated that Mercury recognized that.

    It seemed everything had settled, up until Hosrius mentioned that Grubar hadn’t been present for the meeting. As if queued up for that moment, in came the Scengar in his full armor, armed as if he was ready for battle that very minute. It didn’t take an empath to sense the concerning, conflicting emotions inside of the extraterrestrial, Vandrad turning in his seat as he stared at Grubar. Hosrius tried to make light of the situation but Grubar was quick to bring it to a screeching halt, stating quite clearly that not only was he going to be at the battle but he had now come to collect on the bounty that he’d held off on for months. He was leaving and Genesis was coming with him.

    “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. He agreed to come; I’m not looking for a fight,” Grubar told Dina, having recognized the slight shift in her chair. He didn’t have anything to say to Mercury’s apology, glancing over at her briefly before his gaze returned to Genesis. “Let’s go.”

    Before he could fully take a step towards him, Hosrius was up and in front of him. “So that’s it then? Right before we’re able to finally settle the matter with Maker, you’re going to duck and run to claim your bounty?”

    “I have held off for months, Hos. We had him dead to rights and could have settled this matter back when we found him. I generously agreed to give you all three months and even let that go by out of the goodness of my heart. But I’m not willing to risk desertion of bounty. And you shouldn’t either; whoever brings him in gets off, the other gets marked. Zetziz is done lettin’ us have our vacation.”

    “And so what if he has? This is more important than clearing our ledgers, than Zetziz and the rest of that organization. Maker is a universal threat and they need everyone on their side to help out.” Hosrius scoffed. “They want to come and get us, let them.”

    “Did you catch stupid while you’re here? They will send dozens of bounty hunters after us and genesis. People that don’t give a damn about interacting with the locals. They will burn entire cities to the ground just to find us and, magic or not, you and everyone else in this room that’s seen even a fraction of the rest of the galaxy’s technology knows that magic can only go so far against an army of armed and dangerous people out for blood. You’re being selfish because you don’t want to leave.” Grubar growled. “You think I do? But we came here for a job. We always knew this was going to end and we’d have to leave. I’m taking Genesis and I suggest you get the hell off this planet so that no one you care about gets caught in the crossfire when I’m sent to come after you.”

    “I’m not leaving,” Hosrius snapped back. “I’m going to stay and fight. If you have any care at all for me and these people, you’ll tell them that you put me in the ground.”

    “I am done doing favors for you, Jirian!” Grubar roared as he grabbed Hosrius by the scruff of his clothing and hauled him upwards. He bared his teeth, snarling as he stared into the eyes of the other alien. But rather than fear or even shock, the only thing he found staring back at him was hardened determination… and disappointment. It frustrated him to no end. How the hell could Hosrius have gotten so soft? Where was Archangel, that had beaten Grubar on every hunt, at every turn? The alien that he could prank because of how focused he was on the mission, who barely interacted with the locals other than to occasionally find someone to occupy his bed. All he wanted to do was tear the fraud in his hand apart…

    But the worst part was he didn’t. The truly terrible part of it all was that he felt how Hosrius did. He could try and deny it all he wanted but Grubar wanted to stay too. Yet he couldn’t. If he did, the bounty organization would send other hunters to the planet and it would become an even larger warzone than it already was. Grubar held Hosrius for a moment longer before lowering him down. “Fine. Give me your puck.”

    Hosrius reached into his jacket and pulled out the bounty puck. He looked at it for a moment longer before he placed it in Grubar’s extended hand. “I wish you’d rethink this, Grubar.”

    The Scengar didn’t say anything. He pocketed the puck and turned to look at Genesis. “You’re not going to put up a fight, are you?”

    “No, no. You’ve been very patient, Grubar and I would hate to delay you any longer. And I am a man of his word.” The homunculus put a hand on Dina’s shoulder, letting her know she could relax. “Dina, you have been a tremendous bodyguard and an even better friend. I wish you all the luck in the world.” Then he turned to the rest of the table. “I’m not one for long goodbyes, especially when there’s a countdown ticking down for all of us. Please know that it has been an honor to get to know all of you and an even bigger honor for those I got to know intimately,” he added the second part with a flashy, flirtatious grin. “Though I won’t be here to help you with Maker, I hope you’ll give him a shot or two and think of me.”

    With that, he stood up and stretched. “Now then. I suppose that’ll bring an end to the meeting.”






    Words: 1477/8349 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault  | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Saffron Remington
    Saffron Remington

    Player 
    Lineage : Aspect of Pluto
    Position : None
    Posts : 272
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,996

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Saffron Remington 9th September 2023, 9:11 pm



    COME AT ME AND YOU'LL SEE
    I'M MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

    --- YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BREAK ME, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN TIME ---
    Aside from the discussion of the weapon that had been crafted to fight Seberg, Saffron didn’t really have much to contribute to the discussion at hand. Her role was already assigned, so at this point all she really had left to do was listen to the rest of the plan so she could at least be on the same page as everyone else. Aside from maybe Vriko, Saffron was outranked by nearly everyone here when it came to planning and enacting things like this. She was a soldier; she received orders and followed them through. She didn’t issue them, nor did she have any experience with anything more than basic military tactics and strategy, so at the end of the day there was little she’d really be able to offer besides her fists and determination.

    Her reaction wasn’t nearly as shocked as everyone else when it came for Mercury’s suggestion to involve Khelben. Like most others in the room, Saffron was wholly unaware of the greater reasons for the Xocili’s imprisonment. She was aware of who Khelben was, of course, and that he’d been the one who kidnapped Mercury. Saffron had always assumed that was the reason he’d been put in jail, though a part of her had always recognized that her assumption was missing some logic. If it was merely because he’d kidnapped her and put her in danger, then surely they would have put him in jail immediately. Instead, he’d been allowed to live free for months until suddenly he wasn’t. Saffron had never asked cause it wasn’t her business, but looking around now at some of the more pointed reactions from others in the room… well, she had to wonder just what exactly he had done.

    Regardless, everything seemed to be settled enough that everyone knew their assignments and could take steps over the next day or two to prepare themselves. Saffron had also noticed some time toward the start of the meeting that Grubar wasn’t present, but it seemed inappropriate to interrupt the proceedings to ask about the Scengar’s whereabouts. Hosrius saw fit to do so then, and it was only a moment later that Grubar entered. Saffron stared at him in open confusion and suspicion, her purple eyes trailing over his armor and weaponry with a scrutinizing look as a sudden sense of inexplicable unease formed a tight knot in her stomach. She simply looked at him and had a bad feeling… and it seems her instincts were right.

    As Grubar announced he was leaving and taking Genesis with him, all Saffron could do was stare in disbelief. She’d always known he would leave someday. Him and Hosrius both. It was a point of contention within herself that she had refused to acknowledge, the very thought of it putting her in a dark mindset, unready and unwilling to face the truth of it. So she’d pushed the matter aside, which became easier and easier to do as time went by and no solid confirmation of them leaving ever occurred.

    But now the moment was here, and as the argument quickly brewed between her two alien friends Saffron felt like her head was swimming, like she was glued to her chair. Her eyes had drifted away from them at some point, staring off in the distance with an unreadable look, their voices and words somehow muffled in her ear while simultaneously being clear as day. She was completely unaware of Dina’s refusal to back down from Genesis’ defense, the only one in the room who didn’t jump or seem to have any reaction when things got physical between the two extraterrestrials. It was like she wasn’t even in the room at all, her mind seemingly hundreds of miles away as she fought with the numbness of denial.

    But something Grubar said managed to land home. While her blank expression hadn’t changed, there was a deep anger that had begun to simmer beneath the surface, so deep that it hadn’t even reached her eyes despite how rapidly it was growing. Yet, she stayed silent and seemingly detached, even as Hosrius and Grubar seemed to settle matters between them, the former offering up his bounty puck while the latter addressed Genesis one more time to see if he was going to resist.

    Dina did relax under Genesis’ touch, if begrudgingly. She hadn’t intended on fighting Grubar when the time came. Genesis had been very clear about his promise to go willingly, but she knew that he had hoped to be a part of this fight. It wasn’t that Grubar was taking him, it was that he was insisting on taking him now. It was too soon. Longer than the extraterrestrial had given them originally, but too soon all the same. With a sigh, she relented and shook her head, her posture relaxing. She did her best to give him a wry smirk that didn’t look nearly as brave as she wanted it to. “Just try not to cozy up too much to your jailers wherever they take you. Believe it or not, not everyone finds you as charming and attractive as you seem to think.” Her expression sobered and she leaned over, pulling him into a tight hug with moisture at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for everything you’ve given me, my friend.”

    The emotions around the rest of the room varied as Genesis turned to give a brief farewell to the group as a unified whole. Serilda appeared somber, as did Zemenar. Mercury was trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Voices scattered their own goodbyes against one another, and finally the homunculus stood, formally announcing what he presumed was the end of the meeting.

    A loud and violent crack brought everything and everyone else in the room to a jarring standstill as Saffron slammed her fist so hard onto the table top that the surface had dented and split beneath her arm. Her eyes were such a bright red that they were practically on fire, her body trembling with anger in a way that not even Vandrad or Scourge had witnessed before; an anger that Seberg himself had not been afforded.

    “You.. fucking… coward. Her words were slow, her voice soft though it easily carried through the thick silence of the rest of the room.

    Mercury shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Saff…” she started, attempting to gently intervene. “That’s not fai–”

    Saffron wasn’t listening. Violently, she shoved herself back from the table, her chair falling to the floor behind her with a loud clatter as she stormed across the room, pushing herself carelessly through Genesis and Hosrius to get right into Grubar’s face. The fact that he was several feet taller than her did little to diminish the fact that she was practically looming over him. “Is that how it’s going to be, you absolute fucking jackass? Fine. Just go, get the hell out of here. No one here is going to stop you.”

    Somehow, she leaned even further forward than she already had been, enough that if he wanted any of his personal space he would be forced to step back to get it. “But if you ever come back, just know that the first person that’s going to be standing in the ‘crossfire’ is me.” This close to her face, the Scengar would see what no one else could: the heavy flecks of blue speckled between the red of her wet eyes as she glared up at home with a pained and hurt expression. It wasn’t about him leaving, though that was certainly part of it. It had been the casual admittance that he would be indiscriminate about who he would have to go through to follow orders and get to Hosrius, the flat out admission that he would kill anyone that got in his way and tried to stop him. People he claimed that Hosrius – and Hosrius alone, apparently – cared about… And that included her.

    “Assuming, of course, that I even survive.”

    The last comment was soft but shattering. Saffron was under no illusions as to what awaited her little more than a day or two from now. She was far from qualified for this fight with Seberg, and while no one had called it that outright, there was no denying that it was a suicide mission. Grubar was leaving, and the next time he returned it could be to the very real possibility that Saffron was gone, and the last thing he would have imparted to her was that their friendship obviously didn’t mean as much to him as it had to her.

    With a final, shuddered breath sucked down through her nostrils as she fought to keep herself from breaking down into sobs in front of everyone, she finally pushed Grubar out of her way and stormed out of the room.

    Her mood had not improved much over the course of the next day, though she’d done her absolute best to block out all the pain, frustration, and fear. At the very least she’d managed to get herself in control enough that her eyes were not betraying her, but she still kept herself locked up in her room at the guild, refusing to see or talk to anyone. As the day went on, her determination to push Grubar out of her mind became more firm, the blonde choosing to focus on her upcoming mission.

    Yet even that turned her mind toward other emotions that she was having difficulty coping with. Her thoughts continued to churn over and over in her head, repeatedly returning to the ever impending reality that by this time tomorrow… she might not be around any longer. The blonde stared blankly around her room as if in a trance, taking in the sight of some of her possessions: her guitars, her extra drum set, her gaming consoles. Was that really what her life would amount to? Was that what she would be leaving behind? She didn’t regret any part of her life, and knew that it held far more meaning and value than her material objects of course, but the longer the day went on, the more she realized that if tomorrow was her last day… well, there were some things she needed to take care of, people that deserved answers.

    So she found herself on her bike in the waning afternoon, speeding along to Reinford until she found herself pulling up to the guildhall for Confidence International. She hadn’t told Trevor that she was coming, nor had she mentioned anything to Emma and Nik. In truth, she sort of hoped she wouldn’t see either of the other two, unsure of how she would handle this if it became a crowd. Shutting off the engine, she swung off the bike and entered through the front doors.

    By now most people at the guild knew her, and despite the fact that she wasn’t a member she’d been afforded special permissions to enter non-confidential areas of the building. As such, Saffron was fairly familiar with the layout of the guild, or at least of the areas where she was allowed to wander freely. It was no trouble at all to make her way up to the higher levels where the on site housing was. Several people waved to her or greeted her as she passed, but none of them stopped her. She waved back to them, though the motion was more instinct than anything else, and she didn’t stop for anyone or anything until she was standing in front of the door to Trevor’s quarters.

    Saffron stood there numbly for a moment, briefly rethinking the course of action in front of her. But then she found her courage again, or at least her stubborn determination, and with a soft sigh to settle herself she reached up and knocked. “Trevor? You there? It’s Saff…”
    deltra of gangnam style

    WORDS: 1979 | TAGS: @Vandrad Ragnos @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 223
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,722,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Xavier Clarent 10th September 2023, 1:50 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    X Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Ancient Ruins

    Truths and Consequences

    Grubar was on his path and nothing was going to change that. He, himself, was heartbroken over the fact that not only did he have to leave but he would most likely would never return. If he stayed, if he chose to stand and fight not only against Maker but against the bounty hunters that were sure to come, he would be actively putting the people of Earthland in danger. And despite his words speaking otherwise, he did care about them. He hated himself for it, willingly letting himself let his guard down and care for other people other than himself and Hosrius. But a true fact was still that and he wouldn’t put them in any worse danger than they already were. So he took on the role of bad guy, sliding back into the persona of the bounty hunter that didn’t care. He knew Hosrius could see right through his bullshit, which only served to make him angrier. But the fact that the Jirian was willing to fight for his friends… that’s what really pissed him off. It was equal parts selfish and selfless, having faith in the people around him and knowing he could not only protect them but they would protect themselves.

    He just couldn’t risk it. Not again.

    He couldn’t even bear to look in Saffron’s direction as he put on his show, doing whatever he could to make himself look the villain. In the end, Genesis acquiesced to his request willingly, leaving some caring parting words for Dina and the people gathered. It seemed he would be able to get out without any further issue… until the table audibly cracked. All the attention of the room turned to Saffron, her hand still planted in the debris of the wooden structure she had punched into. The rage she felt was palpable, the weight of it pressing down on Vandrad’s shoulders the most, given his empathic abilities but certainly not lost on anyone else present. She called him a coward and approached him, ignoring Mercury’s attempt to settle the matter before it escalated.

    Saffron came to a stop right before him, her tiny form barely measuring up to his waist but her presence towering over him twice fold. She scolded him, telling him to get out because no one would try and stop him. But she warned him that if he came back and followed through on his word on having to hunt Hosrius down without consideration for the people around him, she would be the first to stand in his way. Her furious, pained expression was hard to look at but he still did, his features as stoic and cold as they had been when he had come in. His own words were being thrown back at him like knives, meant to pierce his thick hide that he presented. Whether they did or not, he didn’t seem to show… until she remarked that she would only be in his way if she survived her ordeal with Seberg.

    It was the first time anyone had actually said it outloud but it was no less the truth. The fight against Seberg was, at best, a gamble. At worse, a suicide mission. The engineers had prepared a weapon that would hopefully give Scourge and Saffron the edge but there was no guarantee. Their mission was to stop Seberg… if they could. But truly, they were meant to keep the rogue Rhaegarian from coming to Maker’s aid. They both knew what they had agreed to and everyone else had but the weight of that truth, that horrible reality, was one that no one dared approach, if only because it was too terrible a thing to talk about. But she had said it right to him, a stabbing comment meant to dig right to the point. And as she departed, Grubar made the smallest of movements, the shifting of his feet, as if he was going to follow after her. The smallest of breaks in his facade, in the role he was trying to play, had nearly given away at the horrible knowledge.

    Yet he stopped. And soon enough she was gone, leaving the room in dead silence. After a moment, Grubar spoke up. “Let’s go, homunculus,” he said softly, his tone weaker than it had been. His eyes never turned back to the group as he stomped out of the room with Genesis in tow, his footfalls somehow gentler than they had been. The trip to his ship was a short one; he’d brought it over to the mansion so that they wouldn’t have to walk through the forested area. As he walked up the ramp into the ship, he waited for Genesis to enter through the entryway before he closed the door shut.

    As he turned to head towards the cockpit, Genesis spoke. “She’s right, you know,” he said gently, eyes focused on Grubar’s back. “Not about the coward part; I understand why you’re doing what you are.”

    “You don’t know a damn thing about me,” Grubar snapped back.

    “Quite the contrary; I know everything about you, Grubar Waxx. But that’s hardly the point. I understand why you’re putting on this charade. If I were in your shoes, if I had the past you do, I might’ve done the same. But there is a very real possibility that Saffron is going to die. I won’t tell you the chances of it but… the likelihood that both or either of them survive is low.” Genesis told him with as much kindness as one could given the details. “I’m not saying this to try and save my own life; I agreed to go with you or Hosrius willingly and I’m a man of my words. And I’m not saying that you would tip the scales in their favor but… well, you’d be surprised what the human spirit can do when they’re not emotionally unbalanced.”

    Grubar didn’t speak for a long few beats. He didn’t turn to look at the homunculus nor did he move, his body only shifting slightly with his slow, shuddering breaths. Finally he let out a snort. “Shut up,” was all he said before he stomped off towards the cockpit, leaving Genesis to stand and hang his head.

    He was long gone before anyone else left the room and he was far into space by the next day. Communication between the alliance had been ongoing since the ending of the meeting, as Professor got to work on her hacking device. Vandrad and Hosrius had attempted to reach out to Saffron to no avail. Scourge had sent her a message of support but nothing else; he knew the last thing she wanted was to see anyone and he chose to respect that rather than impose on her. But it wasn’t him that she went to see, when her own churning emotions took over and practically put her on autopilot. As the end of the day began to settle in, the sun dipping low in the sky, Professor had informed everyone that she had completed the testing on her device and had successfully forced a link between the teleporter and her trapping device. And Vandrad had informed everyone that, with that breakthrough, they would begin their missions in the morning. Of course that meant that Serilda and Mythal pretty much had to leave right then and there; with Blade providing the coordinates to Mercury, who then was able to open a portal to the planet that Serilda could then get to and open a more stable portal for Mythal to come through. Quentin had told them they would need time to set up before the beginning of the process and given the lightyears between, the time Mythal and Serilda would be on Teras Prime would be shortened based on when Earthland’s morning would be.

    All that was coming together and yet Saffron had gone to Confidence International. Xavier was far less gauche than he usually was, given that he wasn’t expecting to be entertaining any company. He sat at the desk in his private quarters, looking over some notes on his computer about a few cases that his guildmates were suggesting. He had a glass of wine in his hand as he looked over the details, sipping from it occasionally as he progressed. No one had alerted him to Saffron’s surprise arrival so when he heard the knock on the door and the sound of the blonde’s voice, he was earnestly surprised.

    Rather than just summon her in, he put his glass down and walked over to open the door himself. "Hey Saff,” he said, his smile widening at the sight of her… at first. But as he took in the sight of her, his smile quickly faded into a frown. "Hey… you okay? Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let her step in.


    @Saffron Remington | 1476 words • Notes •



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Saffron Remington
    Saffron Remington

    Player 
    Lineage : Aspect of Pluto
    Position : None
    Posts : 272
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,996

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Saffron Remington 10th September 2023, 4:27 pm



    COME AT ME AND YOU'LL SEE
    I'M MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

    --- YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BREAK ME, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN TIME ---
    In truth, there were a lot of people that Saffron wanted to go see, a lot of people that deserved the chance to hear from her exactly where she was going and why. But there simply wasn’t enough time, not to mention that it wasn’t exactly the kind of conversation one could have over a phone. But more than that, she felt like taking the time to reach out to every single person that wasn’t already in the loop to essentially tell them goodbye was both cliche and defeatist. While Saffron was a realist and understood that the chances of her walking away from this were low, it wasn’t like there was zero possibility. There was hope, if not much of it, so she wasn’t about to cause a mass panic among her loved ones that she would just have to quell should she happen to come out alive on the other side.

    But she did want to at least tell Trevor. Saffron would have a chance to speak with Scourge before they faced Seberg, but she may not have another chance to speak with the other man in her life, whom she’d steadily been getting closer to over the course of the last several weeks. Things between her and Trevor had really started to take off, the two of them all but in an official relationship. Saffron wasn’t in love with him, at least not as far as she was aware, but she did care for him just as much as she cared for Scourge – not that she would ever admit that to either of the insufferably charming bastards out loud. Still, she knew that if she didn’t say something to him he and the others would be left to wonder, and as difficult as she knew this was going to be, he deserved to hear it from her.

    So she’d made her way to his guild and up to his room without stopping for anyone else, rapping on the door and announcing herself. Thankfully, it sounded like he was there. She could hear the backing of his chair and the sound of his feet as he made his way over to the door. Trevor opened it with a smile, surprised and happy to see her… only for him to immediately recognize that something was wrong. He invited her in, stepping aside to let her pass as he asked if she was okay.

    “Thanks,” was her quiet reply as she stepped inside, waiting for him to close the door behind them. Purple eyes glanced around the room with an almost blank expression like she wasn’t totally there in that moment, mentally speaking. Her mind was churning with how to begin, a process that she’d given thought to nearly her entire ride from Magnolia to Reinford, but now that she was standing here in front of him all of her rehearsed words and practiced speeches were miles away from her mind.

    Finally, she sighed and turned to look at him. “Look, there’s not really any way I can put this that will soften the blow, so I’m just going to say it straight: I’m leaving in the morning to go take care of something, and there’s a very real possibility that I won’t be coming back.”

    Saffron gave him a beat to process what she’d said, using the same pause to steel herself enough to continue. “I told you a while back that I still acted as a civilian contractor from time to time. That wasn’t really a lie, but… it also wasn’t entirely the truth. I’m not exactly hired to help with missions; it’s more that I have a lot of friends in high places, ones that have a lot of powerful enemies. And I don’t mean your average, run of the mill, political rivals – I’m talking universal threats. The kind of people that pose dangers to the whole planet, not just Fiore.”

    “We’ve been carefully casing one of them for over a year, and yesterday we had a breakthrough. Me and my friend, the… one I mentioned to you before…” Saffron hadn’t used Scourge’s name, mostly because the thought of admitting she knew anyone that went by “Scourge” was cringy at best and embarrassing at worst, but Trevor was at least aware that she had been sleeping around casually with another man before him. “You remember that mission I told you about? Where we sold ourselves into slavery? The guy we fought that day is allies with the one my friends have been hunting. They’re both massive fucking dicks, and stupid levels of powerful. I can’t really get into it more than that.”

    She wasn’t going to give him any details, treating this more or less like a classified situation, mostly because that’s exactly how she viewed it. It wasn’t her business to talk about the Rhaegarians or anything else, and she didn’t have the time to get into all that even if she was willing to. “We’re going on the offensive tomorrow morning. My friend and I, we have a score to settle with the asshole we fought last time, so we’re going to be confronting him to keep him from being able to back up our primary target. We’ve prepared as best we can for his magic,” she simply referred to it as magic, rather than getting into the nuance of Blood Markers, “But we won’t know if our plan is going to work or not until we’re already in the thick of it. He almost killed us last time, and I don’t think he’ll let us get away as easily the second time around.”

    “I just wanted you to know. If I… If I suddenly disappear and don’t come back… Well, I didn’t want you to be left without any answers.” She shifted awkwardly where she stood, her synthetic limb reaching up to rub her other arm, her posture stiff with barely suppressed apprehension. “I’m sorry. I really don’t want to put you and Emma and Nik in a spot to lose another drummer, but this is… it’s too important. And too personal. I have to help, even if it…” She cut herself off gently, rethinking the sharp bluntness of the words she was going to say, though he’d likely be able to fill them in on his own. “...Even if I don’t come back,” Saffron finally finished, choosing a kinder and less visceral way to end the statement.
    deltra of gangnam style

    WORDS: 1076/3055 | TAGS: @Vandrad Ragnos @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 223
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,722,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Xavier Clarent 10th September 2023, 5:19 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    X Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Ancient Ruins

    Truths and Consequences

    Xavier could tell something was bothering her from the moment he opened the door. Usually when she came over, she let him know she was coming and when they met, she was her usual, jovial and playful self. The woman standing before him was weighed down with emotion, withdrawn into herself. He asked her to come in and she thanked him, stepping into the room as he closed it behind her. She stared off and around the room and he stood behind her, unsure how or even if he should approach. He’d never seen her like this and witnessing it was throwing him for a loop.

    After a few moments, she finally turned to him and started out her explanation. She said she didn’t really have a safe way of explaining her situation so she’d just speak plainly; she was going on some kind of mission or job in the morning and the reality was that there was a good chance she wasn’t coming back. His eyes widened slightly at the statement, her entire body stiffening in a mixture of emotions. Confusion, bewilderment, surprise and shock all ran through him as he struggled to even process her words. "Ah… what?” he managed to get out, his mastery of language all but failing him.

    She continued, reminding him of when she’d said she had been a contractor, which had been an oversimplification. She doesn’t get hired to help on missions but instead is utilized by friends who held high ranking positions when they require help. And it wasn’t just dealing with small-time, run-of-the-mill jobs either. She had been involved in highly dangerous missions, ones that she scaled as dangerous beyond the borders of Fiore and incorporated the entirety of the world. Her current target had been tracked for well over a year and they had finally made a breakthrough only the day prior. She spoke of her other friend, the other man that she’d made him aware of. The mysterious ally that she had been hooking up with regularly before the two of them had gotten together. Apparently the mission where she had been sold into slavery with her friend and had gone against a particularly dangerous enemy had come back around. It seemed her target and that enemy were conspirators. They were both dangerous and powerful but that was about all she could tell him.

    In the morning, they were going on the attack. Her friend and her were going against the enemy from before in hopes of keeping him from aiding his ally. They had made some strides of preparation to counter his magic but they wouldn’t know if it worked until they were utilizing it. He’d very nearly ended them before and she imagined he would hold back even less the second time around. In that case, she wanted him to know what had happened to her if she didn’t come back. She hadn’t wanted him and the rest of the band to be down a drummer again but she couldn’t simply turn down the mission. It was important and personal to her and she had to participate, even if it cost her her life. She didn’t say as much but her amendment to her sentence was more than enough for him to understand.

    Xavier felt like the floor was unsteady or perhaps that was his legs. His heart was throbbing in his ears and as he took a shaky swallow, he realized his mouth was dry as well. He didn’t even realize that he had been standing there in complete silence, staring at her as she orated to him. He blinked a few times to shake the dry, scratchy feeling he felt and took a shaky breath in. "I-I see…” he said softly, hating himself for sounding so weak and powerless in that moment.

    Of course, what he really wanted to do was to beg her not to go. Or to take him with her, so that he could provide some kind of support. Neither option would fly, his better judgment told him. Not only was she compelled to go but she was so ingrained in it personally that it would be an offense to herself to stay and hide. And he knew saying or asking as much would only complicate matters. She had been a soldier and to treat her like some weak, powerless person now would be an affront to everything she had been and was in the present. He could never do that to her. He took a small step forward and reached out to take her hands into his. "I… won’t pretend to understand what it is you’re going to do. It sounds like… a lot. And I won’t make you promise to come back or anything, I know that would be unfair… I just really hope you do,” he admitted with a small, shaking and dry laugh. "I won’t say goodbye though. I believe you’ll come back and I’m not letting that hope go for nothing.” He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

    "Can… can you stay here tonight? With me?”

    @Saffron Remington | 849/2325 words • Notes •



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Saffron Remington
    Saffron Remington

    Player 
    Lineage : Aspect of Pluto
    Position : None
    Posts : 272
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,996

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Saffron Remington 10th September 2023, 8:48 pm



    COME AT ME AND YOU'LL SEE
    I'M MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

    --- YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BREAK ME, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN TIME ---
    Her words hit him about as hard as she expected it would, the man unprepared for what she was opening up to him about. Trevor stared and stammered at her, his body going rigid as he all but lost in voice. Afraid she wouldn’t be able to finish if she didn’t keep going, Saffron continued with her speech, giving him as much information as he could so he could understand the depth of the situation without giving him so many details that she revealed too much of what was going on.

    He was silent through the entire thing, and when she finally finished there was a long pause as both of them struggled with what to say. Saffron forced herself to keep her gaze steady on him, though her eyes kept darting with the effort it took to keep from instinctively look away. She could see him trying to work moisture into his mouth, and when he did speak again his voice had no strength to it. She was prepared for him to argue, to protest, to do or say something to fight the truth that was in front of him. She’d seen it plenty of times before in others. Hell, it’s what she would have done.

    Instead, he took a moment to steady himself and stepped to her. Saffron didn’t fight as he took her hands, though she did draw in a breath that was hitched the slightest bit by an overwhelming sensation of emotion that she stubbornly kicked down. With a calm tone, he admitted that he didn’t understand the particulars of where she was going or what she would be doing, nor did he plan on making her promise to come back – which he knew was not something she could keep, though he expressed his wish that she would. He laughed lightly, but it lacked any sense of mirth, more sad than anything else. It made her heart wrench… but she stayed quiet as he continued. Trevor insisted that he wasn’t going to say goodbye. Instead, he would hold on to his belief and his hope that, no matter how unlikely, she would come back.

    It wasn’t until he asked if she could stay with him for the night that her eyes finally caught up to her, turning a deep shade of blue, her brows twitchy with the effort it took to keep her face under control. “I would love nothing more,” she told him, her voice hitched and coarse from the effort it was taking to stay reigned in. When she spoke again, it was more clear. “But I can’t. If I stayed… If I stayed, I don’t think I’d have the strength to leave. And I can’t afford to back down. I’m sorry.”

    She dropped her gaze for a moment, drawing in a deep sniff and taking a breath to steady herself, her hands tight on his. “Please don’t tell Emma and Nik. Not yet. I don’t… I don’t want them to worry. If I make it through this, I promise I will reach out as soon as I can to let you know. It may be a few days; the last fight, I was unconscious for a day or two afterward recovering. If… if you don’t hear from me after a week…” Saffron didn’t have to finish the sentence for him to understand. If after a week she still hadn’t reached out to him, it would probably be safe for him to assume she died.

    Clearing her throat, she pulled one of her hands away and reached into a pocket. “I hate to ask, but… could you do me a favor?” She withdrew a sealed envelope that was labeled and stamped with postage, holding it out to him. “If the time comes, could you… put this in the mail for me? It’s for my dad and my sister. I… they don’t know about.. Any of this. I know I should call them, they deserve to hear it from me but… I just… I don’t think I can.” If talking to Trevor about this was hard, telling her father and her only sibling that she might be dying would be near impossible to cope with, and might be just as likely to make her back down as staying with him would.

    Presuming he agreed and took the letter, she’d thank him. Once more they’d find themselves at a verbal and emotional impasse. Saffron found herself lingering, wishing she had more to say if only to have an excuse to stay longer… but she knew she had to go before her emotion outweighed her reason. Finally, she gave him a shaky smile and a small chuckle that fell flat. “Well… no goodbyes, right?” She forced herself to pull her hands away and take a step back, feeling cold from the space between them. Clearing her throat, Saffron gave him a nod. “See you later, then.”

    Before she lost her nerve, she walked past him and to the door, opening it so she could leave. The blonde paused in the doorway briefly like she might turn back to look at him… but ultimately, she pushed herself forward, pulling the door shut behind him and moving as quickly as she could without flat out running to get back to her bike.

    The next morning, she found herself back on the island, walking to the conference room. Saffron honestly wasn’t sure how much sleep she’d gotten. More than she’d expected, but less than she would have liked. Most everyone else was already there. The blonde more or less had herself under control, her steps sure as she moved into the room, her face a stoic mask that hid the numbed turmoil beneath a thick layer of determination. She was keenly aware of the fact that the last time everyone had seen her she had caused quite the scene – and a bit of property damage. She also knew that a couple people had attempted to reach out to her with no response, something she’d have to address sooner rather than later, though she was sure none of them held it against her.

    The room was a hub of activity as Xocili and Rhaegarians alike finished up with their final preparations. Mythal and Serilda had already left to set themselves up on Teras Prime, but nearly all the others were there. All save for Genesis and Grubar. Thankfully, she was distracted from that trail of thought as someone directed her to a table where an earpiece had been fitted for her, the blonde taking a moment to secure it in her ear and testing it to make sure the two way feed was working before muting it for the time being. Once that was settled, she gave a deep sigh and approached the small group that had formed of others that would be out in the field, including Vandrad, Mercury, and Hosrius.

    She cleared her through, drawing their attention to her. “I’m sorry,” she told them plainly, though no less sincerely, coming right out with it. “For ignoring you. And, uh.. For breaking your table… which it looks like someone already fixed. I know you were just trying to check in on me, and I appreciated it. I wasn’t intending to take it out on any of you, I just… needed some space.”

    Once that was settled one way or another, Saffron waited as everyone else made their final preparations, wordlessly finding a spot to stand next to Scourge. Khelben was there now, looking a bit anxious but there was a fortitude about him that betrayed his willingness to be there. Mercury really hadn’t needed to twist his arm at all; he had been aware of Maker already, having learned about him before his fallout with Mercury after Vandrad had been attacked, so he already had a bit of information to go off of to know how important this strike was. He hadn’t hesitated to agree to the assignment, happy to lend his skills. He was dressed in simple but sturdy combat attire, with his large broadsword strapped to his back and his long hair pulled back away from his face in a ponytail.

    Eventually, Mercury and Vandrad called everyone together, and quietness befell the room. “You should have all received your communicators by now, but if you haven’t please see my father before we break. I only have a few more things I need to hand out and then I’ll turn things over to Vandrad.” She turned to Khelben and Vriko. Approaching the latter, she offered the woman a watch with a wide screen and a glove that had a flesh like exterior. “Since I don’t have the luxury of wirelessly uploading a map in your mind like I can with Khelben, this watch will have to do. It should keep you from getting lost in the ship, and I’ve marked it with the locations of both Knowhere and the Myn. The glove contains traces of my biology; you should be able to use it to trick any scanners into believing you are me, and it will get you access to any place on the ship where I have clearance to enter, including to the Myn.” To Khelben, she waved her hand and summoned a duplicate of her translocation ray, which he took carefully. “I’ve preset this so that it will deposit you both into the ship close to Knowhere, that way you don’t have to worry about trying to sneak inside without Maker – the real one – noticing you. But it won’t take long for the clones to catch on, so get set up as quickly as you can.”

    He nodded. “Understood. We’ll get it done.”

    Pressing forward, Mercury continued. “Patty?” Presuming the doctor brought forth the weapon, Mercury would meet her in front of Saffron. Wordlessly, the blonde popped her synthetic arm off and handed it to the Xocili, who fussed with it and, together with Patricia’s help, carefully installed the large syringe into the limb. When Mercury offered it back to Saffron, the Fairy Tail mage resecured it with a sense of caution and delicacy. “Please be careful with it, and don’t use it until you know you have a sure strike. He’ll only give you one chance.”

    “The one is all we’ll need,” Saffron replied, her tone firm and confident.

    Mercury put a hand on Saffron’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze and passing a look to Scourge before breaking away to rejoin Vandrad. “Seri? Mythal? Are you two reading me?”

    “Loud and clear,” came Serilda’s voice through everyone’s earpieces. “We’re set up and ready to go.”

    Turning to her fiance, Mercury gave him a nod to indicate that she was done with her preparations.
    deltra of gangnam style

    WORDS: 1791/4846 | TAGS: @Vandrad Ragnos @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 11th September 2023, 12:56 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o

    Of course she couldn’t stay, he knew that. It was a long shot at best but even he could sense that if she agreed, she may not have the strength to leave after being with him. And she told him that almost verbatim, resulting in him nodding softly. “Yeah, that makes sense.” It broke his heart a little but he understood, his eyes flicking downwards slightly. After a brief moment of both of them having to accept that, she continued, asking that he hold of on telling Nik and Emma so as not to worry them. She didn’t want to have him let them know and result in needless anxiety when she wound up alive and okay in the end. The last time she’d gone through this, she’d been out for two days. So she asked that he give it a week before he assumed the worst. He nodded softly again, the knowledge and impending timer that would begin the moment she was gone already hanging over him.

    She surprised him by pulling a hand back and pulling out an envelope, asking him to do her a favor. If the time limit ran out, if she didn’t confirm after a week that she was alive, she wanted him to put the letter in the mail for her. It was intended for her family; she hadn’t told them about any of her plans and while she knew she should probably tell them, she didn’t think she had the willpower to do it. He reached up and gently took the letter. “I will. But it won’t matter; next time we see one another, you’ll be askin’ for this back,” he said, his tone semi-firm in its resolve. With his agreement, they were once more left in silence, words unspoken flying unseen between them. Finally she smiled, one filled with sadness, before she agreed to his terms of no goodbyes and after another moment after she had stepped back, she finally forced herself to leave.

    Every fiber in his being told him to grab her and kiss here then. But if she was anything like him, and he believed she was in this regard, that would have utterly devastated her fortitude. So he held back his equal parts better and worse nature as she paused in the door for only a moment and then left, the door slamming shut behind him and leaving him alone with this thoughts and swirling emotions.

    Whether anyone slept well that night seemed irrelevant as they gathered on New Rhaegar. The meeting room had become a hub of activity, with Rhaegarian and Xocili alike taking up places at different communication consoles. By the time Saffron had arrived and been led to her communication device, the rest of the groups were already present save for the ones that had already left. Grubar and Genesis were already gone, of course, but Mythal and Serilda were also absent, at least physically. Vandrad was dressed in his full combat armor, as was Hosrius. Scourge, unsurprisingly, had come dressed in his usual loose black outfit, opting for the weightlessness of his outfit rather than extra protection.

    Saffron came over and apologized for ignoring most everyone, as well as the damage to the table. She hadn’t intended to ignore anyone for any malicious reasons but she had just needed space. “Think nothing of it,” Vandrad said. “There are more important matters than needing to apologize for a reasonable outburst.”

    “That… is surprisingly profound of you, Vandrad,” Scourge remarked with a slight smirk.

    “Grubar chose his words poorly. He was trying to make himself out the villain, so it was easier to leave. He succeeded but he wasn’t happy about it. Still, Saffron had every right to give him grief over it,” the future king explained without turning to look at Scourge. He turned his gaze to Saffron. “Don’t let him or anything else distract you. You’ll need your wits about you if you’re going to get through this. You’re strong enough; I made sure of that.” It was about the closest thing to a pep talk that Vandrad was capable of, at least in front of several different people. With that out of the way, Saffron moved over to stand beside Scourge. Vriko had entered in her own battle outfit and moved over to Khelben, greeting him with a nod. Her anxiety over seeing him again was on hold at the moment, her mind focused on the task at hand as she went to pick up her communicator and then took a spot next to the Xocili.

    With everyone present that needed to be, the briefing could begin. Mercury spoke up first, making sure everyone had grabbed their communicators and, if not, directing them to Zemenar to retrieve them. Her first task was to approach Vriko and Khelben, offering the former bandit a watch and glove. As Vriko slipped them on, she explained what they were for; the watch displayed a map of the ship that she had created, highlighting the two areas for Knowhere and the Myn’s location. The glove was programmed with her biological matter, which should trick the scanner that kept the Myn room hidden into revealing itself and giving Vriko access. The former bandit pushed down the need to make a remark about having any of Mercury’s genetic material anywhere near her, deciding to save it for when the mission was complete. With Vriko set, she handed a copy of her translocation gun to Khelben and explained that she had programmed it to bring them close to Knowhere so as not to be spotted by the real Maker.

    When Mercury called for Patricia, she was already there, holding the injector in hand. She met Mercury in front of Saffron and waited until Mercury had safely connected to Saffron’s arm and opened it up with enough room for the injector. With their weapon now installed, she handed it back to the Fairy Tail mage, asking that she be as careful as possible with it and that she pick her shot perfectly. “I would suggest you inject him somewhere in the sternum; Seberg’s heart should pump the Myn through his body and into the core of Blood Marker faster that way. Anywhere else and it may take a few moments that he may use to punish you for injuring him,” Patricia added in her thoughts before Saffron insisted that she would only need the one for what they needed to do.

    The final check was with Mythal and Serilda, hundreds of lightyears away on the surface of Teras Prime. But it wasn’t much to look at; as Mythal stood looking out at the wasteland, he could feel the lingering spiritual energy all over. In fact, it was so palpable that he was sure even Serilda would feel uneasy. “Incredible how far magic and technology has advanced these days,” Quentin replied with a small chuckle as he looked over the transmission device. “I’ll begin the process of assembling the spiritual energy here; I have a lot of explaining to do to individual spirits. Once I’ve collected them all within the bounds of the ritual, we’ll just need a connection and we’ll be right as rain. Luckily I was able to guilt Lux into helping out; he’s already rounding up spirits as we speak.”

    “Sooner the better. I’d rather not leave Khelben and Vriko on that ship any longer than we have to,” Mythal said softly.

    Back on Earthland, Mercury turned to Vandrad and gave him a nod. The future king returned it and then looked out at the gathered people. “You all know your assignments. Let’s get to it.”

    That seemed to be all he was willing to say on the matter. “Speeeech,” Scourge playfully called out.

    Nervous chuckles rumbled out from the group, the small moment of reprieve against the tension surprisingly welcome. Vandrad stared at Scourge for a long moment before he gave a small nod. “This will not be easy. Whatever plans and alternative plans we’ve made, trust that Maker most likely has some kind of response to it. I can’t speak for Seberg but given the little that I know, I imagine he will be just as difficult to lure into our plan. Things will go wrong but do not stop fighting. Do not give up. We have come this far and we will not allow these arrogant bastards to get away with their crimes. There must be justice and we’re here to deliver it, for those that can’t.” He paused as he looked around once more. “Above all else, I only have one command of all of you; come back alive. Or else, Mercury and Blade know of a necromancer that can put me in contact with you and you won’t like what I have to say to you.”

    Another chuckle, this one carrying a bit more mirth, rumbled out from the gathered crowd. “I’ll see you on the other side. Best of luck out there.”

    A spattering of applause and the room filled with noise again as everyone got ready. Scourge turned to Saffron. “Just going to grab the location from Vandrad and then we’ll be good to go,” he said as he turned and walked over to the future king. “Got coordinates for me, your future highness?”

    Vandrad held out the small piece of paper for the former Dread Master, who took it and read it. “It’s where Bacchus, Beatrix, Ever, Simon and my mother first arrived on Earthland. Ruins of a small town. Apparently Maker was able to triangulate where they showed up because there are still particles from Rhaegar there. No surprise Seberg set up there.”

    “Missing his dear old sister, I imagine. Maybe I can get him to calm down if I let him know you’re the one that killed her?” he asked, flashing Vandrad a playful grin. “Good luck out there, Vandrad,” he gave the future king a small salute and turned.

    “Scourge.” Vandrad’s voice stopped the former Dread Master. “She better come back alive.”

    “She will.” Scourge didn’t need to question who he meant, nor wait a beat for dramatic reasons. His answer came quick and confident.

    “And…” Vandrad continued. “I expect you to be right along with her.”

    The former Dread Master smirked, unseen by Vandrad. “Come now, Vandrad. We both know when things get too crazy, I get out. I will always look after number one.”

    With that said, Scourge went back to Saffron. Once he’d made sure she was ready, he would place his hand on her shoulder and two fingers on his forehead and in a flash, they were gone. They would arrive several miles away from the target spot, at a small, abandoned cottage on the rolling hillsides of Bellum. “Once we receive word that Patty has Maker nabbed, we’ll move in,” he said as he walked over to the window and glanced out into the early morning light.

    Vandrad walked over to Mercury, Blade, Hosrius and Patricia. “Ready?” he asked the collective group.

    “As I’ll ever be,” Hosrius said as he finished putting in some command on his wrist bracer.

    “I’ve been ready for this day for a long time,” Blade replied.

    “The device is ready, that much I’m sure of. And I’m sure Ego is quite ready to get her hands on Maker again,” Patricia said as she was double checking the device.

    Vandrad turned to Mercury and once she had signified how ready she was, he would give her the go-ahead nod. Once she had opened a portal to their target grounds, he would lead them through. The remnants of the du Wolff compound were still in a sorry state after Maker’s bomb had annihilated the land around it for nearly two miles. What had once been a providence of natural beauty was nothing more dead earth and ashen remnants of wildlife. A sorry sight for a place he had called home for decades, the place that he’d grown up at…

    But Vandrad couldn’t focus on that at the moment. Patricia got to work immediately, the device humming as she programmed it. “Ten minutes. I’m locked in but I have bypass layers upon layers of encryption code, not including hijacking the frequency of the teleportation device that is just as alien to Maker. Ten minutes tops,” she assured him and everyone listening. The countdown had begun.






    Words: 2063 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Mythal Ragnos @Saffron Remington | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Saffron Remington
    Saffron Remington

    Player 
    Lineage : Aspect of Pluto
    Position : None
    Posts : 272
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,996

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Saffron Remington 11th September 2023, 6:09 pm



    COME AT ME AND YOU'LL SEE
    I'M MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

    --- YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BREAK ME, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN TIME ---
    Vandrad didn’t hesitate to assure her that no one had been bothered by her outburst the day prior, which he claimed was reasonable. When Scourge teased him, Vandrad merely doubled down. Grubar had accomplished what he wanted to, for better or worse, but whether he had meant his words or not did little to dissuade the future king’s opinion that Grubar had earned the blonde’s ire. Saffron’s gaze was neutral as she met Vandrad’s eyes, the man encouraging her to stay focused. The battle before her would not be an easy one, and distractions could prove her downfall, but he was confident that she was up to the task – something he apparently took credit for. “Not really sure half a dozen beatings every week counts,” she murmured with a wry smirk. But ultimately, she nodded. “Don’t worry about me, boss. I got the dramatics out of my system and I’m good to go now.”

    Once everyone was gathered for the final proceedings, Mercury passed out a few last minute items to those who needed them. Saffron was armed, quite literally, with the Myn injector and as she slid her prosthetic back in place Mercury impressed them both the importance of their caution and precision with the item. Patty added her own thoughts, suggesting that they try to wound their target as close to the sternum as possible, as that would help make sure the element was washed through Seberg’s blood stream as quickly as possible, which in turn would hopefully save them a little pain.

    It wasn’t long after that when Mercury indicated to Vandrad that it was his turn to take things over, and it seemed the Fairy Tail ace intended on keeping things short and sweet. When Scourge spoke up to call for a speech, Saffron groaned even as everyone else chuckled. She fixed her eyes on him. “Nobody likes you,” she announced flatly, despite the fact that pretty much everyone at this point knew that the two of them had been regularly intimate for some time. Yet, his single word had broken the tension some and even Saffron had felt it, her eyes twinkling with a smidgen of mirth, the slightest of tugs on her lips.

    Vandrad must have been feeling charitable, as he uncharacteristically acquiesced to the playful request. He affirmed what they all knew, that their tasks were not going to be easy, and the likelihood that they would have to change tactics beyond what they had planned for was inevitable on account of the craftiness of their enemies. No matter what, they needed to press on past any speed bumps to the finish line. They were doing this not only for themselves, but for those who no longer had the voice or ability to seek their own justice. His only demand was that they all return alive… with the threat that if they did not, he would actively seek out the necromancer – Cillian – to make sure they heard his disappointment firsthand.

    Though she didn’t clap with everyone else, mostly because she had standards when it came to not being cringe, Saffron was smirking and shaking her head by the end of it. Scourge turned to let her know he was just going to go get Seberg’s location from Vandrad. “Word, just grab me when you’re ready.” While he was taking care of that, Saffron wandered over to Vriko and, by extension, Khelben. She gave the Xocili her standard upward nod in greeting. “Sup. Welcome to shitshow.”

    Mercury’s brother gave her a slight look of bewilderment, but then chuckled lightly as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Thanks… I guess. Just honored to be given a chance to help.”

    “Seems counterintuitive to make an introduction now, but seeing as how we might not get another chance: I’m Saffron.”

    “Khelben. Pleasure to meet you. Good luck with your fight… sounds like you and Scourge will have your hands full.”

    “Ah, Seberg ain’t ready for the storm coming his way, I can tell you that.” She shot him a toothy grin. Then, she turned her attention over to Vriko. “See you at training?” Neither of the women were much for heartfelt moments, which was part of the reason why Vriko had wound up taking an unexpected shine to the blonde. “Try not to get beat up too much. I need you fresh if you’re gonna keep up with me.”

    That seemed to be the end of the chat, but as Saffron turned around to walk away, there was a brief moment where she was still facing Vriko with her back to Khelben. Nodding behind her slightly toward the Xocili, she gave Vriko a look and silently mouthed, “He cute.”

    Saffron could already see Scourge was heading in her direction, but there was at least one more person she wanted to talk to before they left. Approaching the Jirian, her demeanor became a bit more somber for a moment. It was difficult to know what to say to her friend, the random alien whose life she had more or less pushed her way into. She’d never told him as much, but she considered Hosrius her best friend. A part of her wanted to tell him… but the bigger part of her that refused to act like a defeatist sap insisted that she’d tell him when this was over. Assuming she got the chance.

    She raised her hand for a simple fist bump. “Kick his ass.” The tone behind her words conveyed much more, of course, in regard to her desire for him to be careful and make it out of all this in one piece. But much like with everyone else, she refused to say more, determined to cling to the hope that this wasn’t the last time they would see one another, no matter how slim the chances.

    When Scourge was ready, Saffron forced herself not to take one last glance around the room. The former Dread Master put his hand on her shoulder, and then they were gone.

    Mercury was making adjustments to her own tactical gear when Vandrad joined them, asking if they were ready. “Let’s do this.”[/color] Activating her cloaker, her visage shimmered and shifted, taking on the image of her Merciala counterpart, complete with the bow strapped to her back. Tossing open a quick portal, Vandrad led the charge to the desolate wasteland that was once his family home. Mercury had seen it since the attack, of course, since she’d snuck back to search for anything of the du Wolffs that had survived the bombing – which wasn’t much. But, that didn’t mean the sight of it still didn’t bother her. Patricia set up her device and announced that she would need ten minutes tops to perform the deed. Mercury waited patiently beside Vandrad and the other as the doctor worked. Then, with just the slightest playfulness, smirked. “Man’s it’s gonna be weird to not be dead anymore.”

    Meanwhile, in a different area of Bellum, Source and Saffron found themselves in a place equally as destitute and abandoned. The former Dread Master announced that they would wait for Patty’s trap to spring for the two of them to move in, which according to the information Zemenar relayed over the comms would be roughly ten minutes or less. “Man I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see the look on this asshole’s face when we come strolling in.”

    She seemed to be back to form, the blonde having compartmentalized the vast majority of her anxiety and depression, whether healthily or not. But she still had other thoughts simmering beneath the surface. Things with her and Trevor had moved down a path that Saffron honestly hadn’t ever expected, and a natural byproduct of that was that she and Scourge hadn’t really been as much of an item as of late. They still hung out and watched shows together, and there certainly had been no end to their flirting, but they had both wordlessly taken a slight step back. Saffron didn’t regret growing closer to Trevor… but deep down, she was well aware that she harbored feelings for Scourge, too; feelings that she’d pushed aside and let go of because both of them had made it fairly clear from the beginning that they weren’t looking for any commitments. It was what it was, and Saffron wasn’t going to waste time or effort being broken up about it…

    …but he was the one she was there with now, and once again they were about to move forward side by side in a very real fight for their lives. Reaching up, she momentarily muted the microphone on her earpiece, motioning for him to do the same. “Hey…” Saffron started, her voice soft. “Listen… I don’t want to like.. Make this gay, or anything. But… I’ve spent a lot of time the last twenty-four hours bottling up all my shit and dancing around all of this with everyone I care about because it’s… well, it’s a lot. But since we’re here, and there’s no witnesses…”

    She gave him a light smirk before the expression softened again. “I just… I want you to know that… Out of all the people I could be here with, everyone that could be fighting beside and… spending what could be my last living moments with… I’m glad it’s with you.” Her gaze flicked up to him and he’d find her irises had turned a new color that hadn’t ever come up before: a light and delicate shade of pink, almost like that of a blush. Refusing to stop now that she had started, and finally caving into the need to have some kind of physical comfort while she could, she took a step that was hesitant at first before finding her confidence, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly, her face buried against his chest. She wasn’t trembling, but there was certainly a tension to her that betrayed her nerves, and eve if he ridiculed her endlessly for it later, Saffron stubbornly took the time to have a rare tender moment with a man that, much like Trevor, she cared for a great deal… both as a friend, and more.
    deltra of gangnam style

    WORDS: 1707 | TAGS: @Vandrad Ragnos @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 800
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,088,767

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 11th September 2023, 9:51 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o

    Vriko’s gaze slid over to Saffron as she approached, regarding the woman with a respect she very rarely showed anyone. The Fairy Tail mage turned her attention to Khelben first, properly introducing herself and giving him her usual Saffron sass. Khelben wished her luck, to which she easily played off her nerves with confidence. Then her gaze turned to the former bandit and checked to make sure she would see her at the next training session, telling her not to get too damaged from her side of the mission. Vriko snorted in amusement, a wry smirk tugging at her lips. “Being beat up might actually put us on an even level for once. Give me a chance to stop holding back.” Her eyes twinkled with a playfulness that was only, truly, saved for Saffron, the only other woman she respected as an equal. There were no heartfelt goodbyes because that wasn’t their style but if it was the last thing they said to one another, Vriko was happy it had been in amusement rather than something somber.

    Then she came over to Hosrius, the Jirian looking down at the spitfire blonde. The woman that he’d first befriended on Earthland and truly, was as dear to him as he was to her. There were a hundred different things he wanted to say; both for himself and for Grubar. But he, too, couldn’t find it in him to say it, afraid it would unravel whatever little nerve he had. In the end, she held her fist out to him and instructed him to whup Maker’s butt. He smiled and brought his hand up to gently pound her fist with his own. “Knock ‘em dead, blondie,” he returned her words with a similar, subtextually-lined sentence.

    And with what conversations finished, she moved back over to Scourge just as he finished up with Vandrad and the two of them whisked off into the ether, reappearing in the safehouse that had been prepared before. It wasn’t much; a dilapidated cottage that had long been abandoned by its rightful owners. Once they arrived, Scourge stepped towards the windows to take a quick look around, ironically stopping to stare in the direction of where they would be headed. Zemenar chirped up in his ear, informing him that Patricia would have control of the ship in ten minutes. Saffron remarked about her excitement at seeing Seberg’s face when they came walking into his hiding place. The former Dread Master snorted a laugh. “Usually I’d say we go in hot and swinging, take him by surprise… but I’m kind of feeling like a showoff today. He’s not going to know what to say when he sees we’ve tracked him down.”

    He was happy to leave it there, his mind turning towards the mission. But a cursory glance towards Saffron, who had been quiet after that comment, brought him the sight of her silently asking him to silence his earpiece. Frowning slightly, he reached up and put it on mute. With that done, she began to speak, her voice softer now than it had been before. She knew that they didn’t really talk about emotions or get all mushy but seeing as she had spent the last day or so shoving all of her emotions into a metaphorical bottle and avoiding speaking about the weight of their mission to anyone, if only for the sake of keeping from breaking down. But they were alone and without anyone to see, a lighthearted comment that earned her a single brow raise from the former Dread Master.

    But she carried on, stating that she wanted him to know that out of everyone she knew who she could be going into her final battle with, spending the last moments of her life with, she was happy that it was him. That… hit surprisingly harder than he expected. His face must have looked an utter mess, given how shocked he was at her statement. Even more so as he saw a brand new pink color taint her irises, a look he had never seen before. As he stood there staring at her, she took things a step further and stepped into him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest.

    He didn’t know how to process what was happening. His heart was pounding in his chest and in his ears. Instinct told him to calm her down, to talk her off of that emotional ledge that she stepped to and not get all worked up before the battle. Experience and training resisted everything that was happening in that moment but on top of that, the heavy coating of denial that he pretended he wasn’t aware of but could always feel in his most intimate, secretive moments. And somewhere in that mess, something reached out and took over driving. “Me too, Saffron,” he said softly, his own arms wrapping around her to hold her even tighter against him. “Me too.”

    Meanwhile, several miles in the ruins of what was once du Wolff land, Vandrad stood waiting with Mercury. She celebrated the prospect of finally getting to be alive again, drawing a smirk from the future king. "Not much of a chance, really,” he told her as he glanced over at her. "Though Merciala seemed far less slutty out in the open.” Unlike Scourge and Saffron, wrestling over feelings that neither one of them had spoken to one another or admitted to themselves, at least on one side, Vandrad was quite comfortable with where he stood. "We’ll need to knock him off balance. Unsettle his confidence and hit him where we know it’ll hurt. You know what to do,” he told Mercury as he glanced over at Hosrius and Blade. "It’s best if you set up on the ridgeline so you can use your weapon. We know Maker has some form of Energy Monarch so he can increase his speed rapidly, far beyond what you’ll be prepared for. Prime yourself and when you have a perfect shot, either take him out or disable him.”

    “Right,” the Jirian confirmed with a nod, turning and heading up the ashen hill. Though the bomb that had destroyed the area had created quite a large range of devastation, there were still plenty of rocky and dirt growths sticking up, perfect places for Hosrius to set up and be hard to see.

    Vandrad turned his gaze to Blade, who held up a hand. “I may not have magic but I have plenty of other abilities that will allow me to keep pace with the rest of you.”

    The future king stared at the Terran for a moment longer before he nodded. “Vandrad,” Patricia called out from a few feet away, drawing the collective gaze of the three that remained to her. “It’s ready.”

    Vandrad inhaled deeply, putting himself in battle mode. "Then it’s time. Bring him here, Patricia.”

    "It’s time to end this.”




    In Maker’s pocket realm, the living ship stood alight but as still as it ever was. Though it was still early in the morning, it wasn’t early enough for either Maker or ‘Mercury’ to be awake. Though the Xocili was quite vocal about her dislike of early mornings, she still dragged herself out of bed everyday, refusing to even speak a word to him until she’d had coffee. It had been nearly an hour and a half since then and they had begun work on their respective projects.

    But the Terran was feeling… feisty. He wasn’t sure why but he woke up in a rather pleasant, albeit stimulated mood. He got a few calculations written out before he’d moved over to Mercury’s side of the lab, sliding up behind her and running his hands over her. He’d already propped her up on the laboratory table and was in the process of taking off both her and his tops when alarms began to sound all through the ship. It brought him to a complete halt, a look of confused and even slight worry. “I’ve never heard that alarm before…” he muttered to her before suddenly, the entirety of the ship jerked. It was enough to knock them both off balance, with Maker grabbing the table and her hand to keep them both from toppling to the ground.

    Pulling his clothing back on, he led Mercury out of the lab in a full sprint towards the cockpit as the jerk jerked again, this time in the opposite direction. All they could do was lean against the railing of the hallway to keep from tumbling to the floor or even over the bannister. The alarms grew louder and an intense humming began to join the orchestra of cacophonous sounds. That was something Maker recognized. “The ship is… trying to teleport itself!” he growled as he activated his magic, lifting himself from the ground in a float. He took hold of Mercury’s hand as he zipped forward, soaring through the air and through the hallways. The intensity of the hum had become a buzzing crackling as the core of the ship’s teleportation device began to activate.

    Mercury and Maker reached the cockpit in record time, the Terran bringing her and himself right to the console. “We have to shut everything down before we-” But it was far too late. The hum reached a breaking point and the rushing of air filled their ears as the window displayed the rushing of light and darkness all in one. A different light suddenly burst into existence through the glass, forcing them both to look away as a loud, ship-wide thud caused the vessel to shake once more and then came to a rest. Maker didn’t even wait a second to run around the console and approach the window, looking out at the horizon at first before his eyes trailed downwards. And there, standing nearly a hundred stories down on the ground before the ship, now disguised in its castle form, was Vandrad du Wolff. Arms crossed, face firm in its usual steely demeanor and dark eyes that seemed to stare right up at the Terran even with how far away they were from one another.

    “Vandrad…” Maker muttered. Despite himself, the Terran couldn’t help but crack an utterly flabbergasted, near angry smile. The audacity of the man to take control of things he didn’t understand. “Mercury… it seems your ex has requested another meeting…” Maker said, fully adjusting his shirt as he turned to look at her. “What say we go and greet him properly?”

    Somewhere not too far away in Bellum, Scourge and Saffron walked into the ancient remnants of a town. It would be better described as a hamlet at best, with only a handful of buildings that had all been eroded by time and nature to their foundations. Despite the sun being out, the air and sky above them seemed to darken as they entered the main square area of the town.

    “Well, well, well…” A voice spoke out loud enough to draw their attention to it. On the opposite side of the hamlet was what remained of a church, several stone shards embedded in the ground from its former steeple. But one large, jagged shard remained standing up straight, tall enough to tower over the rest of the run down structures. On its peak, hunkered, was the man they had come to fight. Seberg Tiri grinned a wicked, animalistic grin. “If it isn’t my two favorite punching bags.”






    Words: 1910/3973 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Mythal Ragnos @Saffron Remington | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 691
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 12th September 2023, 12:53 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Vandrad, at least, found humor in her comment. Scourge had been a godsend, if Mercury could ever consider such a term a compliment. Even she had found herself a bit out of sorts with the seriousness of the situation at hand, having trouble being her usual bubbly self, but when the former Dread Master had teasingly spoken up for Vandrad to give a speech, Mercury’s grin had been wide with appreciation, the Xocili chuckling as Saffron informed the man that he wasn’t liked by anyone there. Since that moment, however, Mercury felt more true to form, which was a good thing. Yes, the situation was dire, but she couldn’t think about that. It would serve her no good to worry about everyone else until she was given a reason to worry, particularly when she had her own fight ahead of her, a fight she had been working her ass off toward for quite some time.

    It seemed like only yesterday since she’d been ambushed by Dread Master cronies and come up with an in the moment plan to let them believe they had succeeded in killing her. Mercury had been laying the groundwork for today for quite some time. There had been pitfalls here and there as they searched for answers about the Myn, as they learned about Blade’s fate, and even a momentary hesitation on her part when Maker had very nearly deceived her about the truth of his aims and moralities. But that was all settled and cleared at this point, and Mercury was no longer troubled by conflicting feelings about Maker’s fate. Vandrad had seen through the Terran when she could not, and now she was more firm in her stance than ever before. Maker had been fun as a rival, the worthiest she’d had in… well, probably her entire life, and she couldn’t deny that a larger part of her than she cared to admit would be saddened and disappointed by his loss. But that was far overshadowed by her hatred of him and her desire to seek justice for everyone he had ever hurt, particularly those she cared for.

    There would be no mercy.

    With the tension gone, Mercury was almost giddy now, though much of that was likely just the nerves and adrenaline in anticipation of the battle to come. So she made her comment about coming back to life, earning a smirk from her future husband who remarked that it wasn’t going to be much of a change, other than that she wouldn’t have to hide her slutty nature as much anymore. “Well, I could hardly go on acting too much like myself. Disguise or no, anyone who knows me well enough would have picked up on it enough to at least be suspicious.” Mercury never half assed anything, least of all her commitment to playing a role when needed. Vandrad reaffirmed that they would need to keep Maker off his guard, and it was up to her to unsettle his confidence at the first sure opportunity. Mercury’s grin was slow, confident, and wolfish, a look that presented a bit differently under her Merciala disguise but was no less in its delivery. “With pleasure.

    The future king suggested that Hosrius set himself up on a nearby ridge where he would be at a greater advantage with his sniper rifle, particularly since Maker’s use of Energy Monarch meant that he could get to Hosrius very quickly if he desired. The Jirian wasted no time in hoofing it off to his chosen location, Mercury tracking his location on her sensors as he went. Blade was no of any mind to put any distance between himself and the fight, stating that his abilities would allow him to keep up with everyone else even if he didn’t have magic. It was only a few minutes later when Patricia announced that the device was ready, and Vandrad gave the go ahead to bring their foe in.

    Mercury gave one final nod to everyone present, and then quickly slipped off into the rubble with Blade and Patricia to hide, leaving Vandrad alone in the open for the time being.

    A few hundred miles away, Saffron had been all too keen to the knowledge that she had been far more open than Scourge had been prepared for. She honestly hadn’t meant to be quite as heartfelt as she’d wound up being, but… that didn’t make her comment any less true, and she didn’t regret what she said. There were plenty of other things she could have said about how much she cared about him, things in equal measure to what she had wanted to say to Trevor the night before. Normally such a complication would have caused her to retreat inward and keep to herself; Saffron was not the type to juggle partners, even when things were casual like they had been so far with Scourge and then with Trevor, whom she still intended on returning to one all this was over, should she live to do so. For as much as she liked Scourge, she understood that there was no future there with him, if only because he held no interest in such things… but that didn’t she could walk forward into the unknown without at least giving him some kind of understanding toward how much she really did respect and like him.

    And while it certainly wasn’t a confession of love or anything silly like that, it was still a visceral admission that had clearly had a profound effect on him. Scourge was visibly stunned, almos rooted to the floor as he stared at her. She could tell by the look on his face that her eyes had changed color, likely to something that he hadn’t seen before, though she wouldn’t have been able to tell what without looking in a mirror. Knowing time was short, she finally allowed herself a moment of physical comfort, closing the distance between them to hug him tightly.

    It took him a beat or two to know how to react. Frankly, she expected him to tease her – if kindly – and tell her to relax. Instead, in a show of sincerity that was equally as surprising from him as her own had been moments before, Saffron found him returning her hug just as firmly, voicing his shared sentiment in a soft tone that was equally as uncharacteristic. They simply stood there for several long moments holding one another, finding comfort and security without much of anything more to say.

    “The device is ready to go and Vandrad has given the command to activate it. Scourge and Saffron, you’re clear to move out. Mythal and Serilda, remain on standby; Vriko and Khelben will move in as soon as the battle with Maker is underway.”

    A part of Saffron was reluctant when the call came in, but surprising not too much. The longer they simply stood there with one another, the calmer the blonde became until finally her nerves had settled. She and Scourge may have had the toughest battle of this mission ahead of them, tougher even than Maker, but as she pulled herself away and looked up at him, there was a tangible peace about the small smile on her face. Reaching up, she unmuted her communicator. “Copy that. We’re heading in now. Good luck, everyone.”

    Cracking her knuckles and stretching out her neck, her wicked grin finally returned as she looked out toward their destination. “Let’s go ruin this prick’s day.”


    Clonecury was in the thick of what had become a normal routine for her, waking up earlier than she voiced any pleasure in doing, but once she had a cup of coffee in her she was much more receptive to the world around her. They had been up and moving for over an hour when Maker elected to shake up their day a little.

    …Not as much as Mercury was about to shake up their day, but still.

    She giggled as he physically made his intentions known, his hands running over her. “Excuse you, sir, some of us are trying to get some work done,” Mercury protested playfully. Despite that, she made no resistance when he lifted her up on the table, the two making out as they fumbled with one another’s clothes, until a new sounds brought their actions to a grinding halt. Mercury glanced around in as much confusion as he did, her worry increasing when he warned her that he had never heard this kind of alarm before. Before she could say anything the ship jerked violently. Mercury yelped in surprise, just barely hanging on tight enough to Maker and the table to keep from falling down onto her ass.

    “Are we being attacked..?!” she asked, more confused and concerned than anything else as she stumbled after him, likewise trying to put her outfit back together. The ship rocked again, this time in the other direction, causing Mercury to latch herself onto the bannister to stay upright, her face now awash in full blown panic as the alarm increased and was joined in by an unfamiliar hum. Maker, however, recognized the new sound. Growling, he confirmed that the ship was attempting to teleport. “It can do that??” Mercury didn’t protest as he tapped into his magic and scooped her up, pulling them both forward at a faster pace to get to the cockpit as quickly as possible. He was in the process of saying they needed to shut everything down when the hum of the engine roared to full blown life. The Xocili watched in wide eyed awe and horror as the world beyond the large front window changed, light and darkness alike bending around them as they were thrust forward to an unknown destination.

    When the ship finally came to a stop, revealing the open skies of an early morning sun, Mercury rushed forward with Maker to get a better look at their destination, her radars already scrambling to reorient herself. “These coordinates. We’re in Bellum, at the du Wolff manor.” Or at least, what was left of it. She took the time to look around in a bit more awe, seeing as how this was supposedly her first time witnessing the remains of the destruction Maker had wrought there, but even as Maker pointed him out her gaze fell to Vandrad. The former prince stood defiantly before them on the ground, waiting in expectant patience.

    “Kaunobrosa robsa chhke nhi,” she swore under her breath in Xocili, the woman far less amused than her partner. Together, they finished making sure they were presentable before making their way outside.

    By the time they disembarked from the ship, Mercury had calmed her anger into a cool scowl, the pair stopping a reasonable distance before her former beaux. Crossing her arms, she merely looked at him in silent consideration before giving a small, sad shake of her head. “Vandrad. I suspected that you would choose not to leave well enough alone, but even this is a bit dramatic, don’t you think? And also wildly outside your wheelhouse. I assume that little trick was Patty’s handiwork?”

    Whether or not he confirmed anything seemed to mean little to her. She sighed. “I don’t know why you bothered with having your accomplices hide. You know I can track their lifesigns.” As if on cue, the others stepped into view, three individuals that revealed themselves from behind the cover of the rubble. Mercury’s expression softened somewhat as her eyes settled on the only other familiar face. “Hi, Patricia.” There was a gentleness about the Xocili at the sight of the doctor, one that showed she was both happy to see her one time friend but also not happen, given what the circumstance for their visit was leading toward.

    Mercury turned her gaze ever so slightly to the other side to take in Blade. There was no familiarity in her glance as she looked him over with a curious and scrutinizing glance, taking in his features, many of which were similar to Maker. “Minotia, I take it?” she asked, more to Maker than to Blade, careful to use the incorrect name that Maker had given her for Blade weeks ago. “Your brother is certainly adept at collecting allies, at the very least.”

    She turned then to look at the individual behind them, her brows slowly furrowing at the sight of the unknown woman with electric green hair. Finally, after a momentary pause, Mercury admitted, “I… have no idea who the hell you are.” Her tone was more curious and intrigued than anything else.

    The other woman shrugged, adjusting her grip on the bow in her hands, though the weapon wasn’t notched with an arrow, nor was it currently pointing in their direction, merely out and at the ready. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about me,” she informed Mercury simply, her tone not as playful as her words. “You don’t need to know who I am, just that I’m here for you and the Terran.”

    Mercury’s clone tilted her head in thought. After a moment of silence to “search her databases”, she gave a small hum of consideration. “Emilyse Merciala, registered hunter with Tasuridian Star System’s bounty collection agency.” Though she was still facing the supposed bounty hunter, the information was clearly more for Maker’s benefit. And also maybe to get under the other woman’s skin at being able to seemingly pluck such details from thin air.

    Merciala scowled, drawing the slightest of self-pleased smirked from Mercury before the Xocili turned back to Vandrad. Her expression softed once more, though it was otherwise a mask. “I don’t want to fight you, Vandrad, but I will. Out of respect for you and your family, I’m giving you one chance to drop this. Please.


    Scourge and Saffron hadn’t been in the ruins for longer than a minute or two before Seberg discovered them, his voice calling out his pleasure and drawing their attention over toward what appeared to have been a church once upon a time. He was hunkered on the tip of a tall piece of rubble, grinning down at them with excitement and remarking about them being his two favorite punching bags.

    Saffron snorted, smirking a bit smugly in his direction as she crossed her arms, seemingly relaxed. “You hear that? He has the audacity to call us his favorites when he had the nerve to bitch out and abandon us last time after Mommy Maker ordered him home, like a good little boy. That wasn’t very Bonita of you, buddy,” she informed their enemy playfully.  “Absolutely maidenless behavior if you ask me.”

    She glanced around poignantly, as if taking in their surroundings for the first time with an overly innocent expression. “Well, I don’t see your shitheel master around to protect you, now. What about you, Scourge?” Saffron uncrossed her arms, stretching her limbs with a malicious grin on her face.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
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    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 12th September 2023, 3:53 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    Dance With the Devil RJtajUnz_o

    There was no tactical advantage to having the other members of the group hide but that was the point. It was meant to play with Maker and ‘Mercury’s’ estimation of their capabilities and of Vandrad’s ability to prepare for a fight with them. Off went Mercury, Patricia and Blade, finding different overgrowths to hide behind as the device locked onto Maker’s ship and violently ripped it out of the subspace it was stored in. If the situation were not as serious, it may have been amusing; watching the massive castle projection flickering in and out of existence as it fought against the hijacking, only to fail. The castle phased into reality already embedded into the ground, smoke kicking up around it as it occupied space that had once been dirt and ash. Vandrad didn’t need to see Maker to know where he and the clone were; he could feel their confusion and anger all the way up near the top of the castle. There he stared, unknowingly locking eyes with the Terran.

    It took the pair a few moments to come down from their perch, making their way through the ‘ship’ before exiting out of the massive doorway that fed into an entry hall. A convincing mirage but it was hardly the point of interest for the future king as he stood facing the two approaching extraterrestrials, his arms folded over his chest. Finally they came to a stop across from him, mere yards away. Maker stood with the same regal poise he always seemed to occupy or at least he did in the two times he’d seen Vandrad face to face. He wasn’t the first to speak; instead, ‘Mercury’ addressed him first, stating that she hadn’t expected him to back down but she was surprised at the showy effort he had put into getting the two of them back in front of him. She also knew it was above his pay grade, correctly assuming that Patricia had aided him in the effort.

    He remained silent even as she sighed and insisted that having the rest of his people hiding was useless against her scanners. Still he didn’t flinch, even as the other three stepped out from their spots and began to approach. “Mercury,” Patricia returned the greeting, wincing slightly. “I’d say it’s nice to see you… but frankly, this isn’t a pleasant portrait.”

    ‘Mercury’ turned her attention to Blade, studying him for a moment before addressing him by the name that Maker had used. His brow furrowed in confusion, eyes narrowing at the strange title given to him. “I have no name any longer. I am Blade… but Minotia was never my name,” he said coolly, his gaze glued to Maker despite answering ‘Mercury’

    “Come now, brother, there is no reason to lie to us. I am the only other Terran that remains; we should speak with one another using our given names, shouldn’t we?” Maker finally spoke, his eyes flicking off of Vandrad to look at his sibling.

    “You disavowed your name when you turned our planet, our people, to ash, Maker. And I renounced mine for my mission of making you pay for your actions, both there and here.” Blade hissed back, his grip on his sword tightening.

    Maker let out a small snort of amusement even as ‘Mercury’ turned her gaze to Merciala, stating that she didn’t have any idea who she was. The woman snapped back and told her that it wasn’t important; the only thing that mattered was that she had come for her and Maker. But her attempts to be shrewd and mysterious unraveled a moment later when Mercury plucked her name and occupation out of her database. “Ah, another bounty hunter. Here I thought I would only have Hosrius and Grubar Waxx to contend with. Yet I only see one… hello there, Archangel,” Maker shifted his gaze past the group and raised a single hand in a half-wave to the Jirian, hidden among the rubble. “Come to collect on the bounty you already turned in? You know the agency doesn’t look kindly on that kind of thing.”

    Finally the attention turned back to the still silent Vandrad. Mercury insisted that she didn’t want them to come to blows but she would if need be. She asked out of respect for him and his family that he walk away. Finally he spoke. "Respect?” he asked sharply. "Your value of respect turned to nothing the moment that you chose this bastard. The egotistical madman who attempted to kill me, kill my family. If you had any shred of respect for me and mine, you would have walked away from him. But you can’t, can you? Once a slave, always a slave; you just needed someone new to tighten the leash.” His words were daggers flung in her direction, heartless and cold that resonated with an indignation that was palpable and very real. He’d merely pivoted his rage at Maker towards her, to sell the moment, to commit to the plan they had put in motion.

    “You will speak to her with respect, Vandrad. Angry or not, she chose this path to save her people. A goal I intend to help her with but I will not allow you to throw disrespect her way-” Maker spoke up, his own self-amused smirk gone in a very real anger at the future king.

    "And you…” Vandrad’s narrowed gaze snapped to Maker. "You think your words mean anything to me, now that I know everything about you. You tried to use your charm to win me over. It failed. The time for talking is at an end. We did not come here to trade barbs or debate matters. I came here to kill you.” Vandrad pulled his hands free of themselves and tucked them against his sides. In a rush of magic, his Cobalt Empowerment swept over him. "And if she stands with you, then she’ll share your fate.”

    Maker’s jaw tightened, his head lifting slightly as he looked down his nose at Vandrad, cloaked in a billowing aura of magical power. “I am sorry, Mercury. I tried,” he apologized to her softly. One hand came forward from behind his back, held out to the side. A blade of magic crackled to life around his knife-pointed hand. “Very well, Vandrad. It seems it’s time to bring things to an end.”

    “It’s about DAMN TIME!” Ego’s words left Patricia’s mouth before she’d even fully transformed into her. Green, fiery energy wrapped around her hand as she swung her arm forward, sending a blazing ball in Maker’s direction. The rogue Terran swiped his bladed arm up diagonally almost casually, cutting the fire in half and dissipating the attack. But Vandrad had already moved, snapped into action and planted himself right in front of Maker. His arm traveled upwards and slammed into the flat end of the Terran’s arm and launched him up into the air, his aura roaring to life as he took off after him.

    Blade had already enchanted himself with flying, rolling, glowing runes surrounding him as he leapt after Maker and Vandrad. Meanwhile Ego turned her attention to ‘Mercury’ alongside Merciala. “Nothing personal, Merc. But you heard Vandrad. You chose your side,” Ego apologized, despite the raging smile across her face. Reigniting her hands in energy flames, she yelled as she launched herself at the clone, looking to engage her close range while Merciala stayed at range.




    The battle had begun some miles away but the flashes of magical might could be felt even where Scourge and Saffron were. They stood in the center of the ruined town, Seberg perched above them and used his introduction to taunt them. The Fairy Tail mage was amused at the remark, claiming he didn’t have any right to call them his favorites, considering he had run with his tail between his legs last time. She hurled insults at him easily and cleverly, Scourge even impressed at just how quickly her wit had volleyed his miniscule remark into a full blown barrage.

    As she asked about Seberg’s missing master, Scourge chuckled. “Well, you have to let the bitch off the leash every once in a while. Let them wander, sniff around, let them think they have freedom. It keeps them pliable, you know?” Scourge piled on.

    Seberg rolled his eyes, even as he chuckled. “Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap…” he half-groaned as he stood up to full height. “Why do all of you always feel the need to try and impress me with your words? Like insulting me, undercutting me, is going to make me act out? It’s like watching… What are they on your world? Ah, right, it’s like watching a mouse screech at a cat, hollering with all its pitiful, pathetic might at the larger creature like that’s going to change the ending. I left you alive because I wanted you alive. But please, go on about how I’m the Terran’s attack mutt. Whatever helps build your confidence before I crush it under heel.”

    “Now look who is the arrogant one. It’s not wise to wager on a victory without knowing your enemies,” Scourge remarked.

    “No, it’s not. Yet I still do. Because so far, everytime I have, I have proven myself right.” Seberg stepped a single leg off the peak and fell to the ground, easily landing on the soil silently in a crouch before he stood back up. “You cannot comprehend the amount of people I’ve killed. The two of you are young, I can tell. Still filled with that righteousness that comes with youth. I am hundreds of years old. I’ve bathed in blood more times than the sun has gone around your planet during your lifetimes.”

    “Weren’t you just talking about trying to impress people with words? Sure looking like a hypocrite right now,” Scourge said with a snort.

    “Possibly. But I speak from experience; you speak from bravado.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device that looked like a two-way radio. “Funny thing; ‘Mommy Maker’ sent an encoded message a few minutes ago. He only does that if he needs me right this moment.” Seberg grinned. “And how timely your arrival is. It’s almost like that was planned.” He twirled the radio on his finger. “If I were to guess… you two are here to keep me from getting to him, right?” He didn’t need an answer, it was clear he knew he was right.

    He let the radio fall into his hand… and then casually tossed it onto the ground. He lifted his foot and stepped down on the device, breaking it in two easily. “Well, looks like I didn’t get the message. Besides, we didn’t get to finish what we started last time, right? So… no more abandoning. No more bitching out. You both are far too interesting for me to leave. You, who has something special about her,” he said, eyes flicking to Saffron before his gaze returned to Scourge. “And you… who has an undeniable willpower to live and fight. You both have so much potential but I only need one of you. So one of you isn’t walking away at the end of this,” he sighed dramatically, reaching back to scratch the back of his head. “I guess I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.”

    “Only one not walking away from this… is you,” Scourge said coldly. And just like Vandrad, his Empowerment overtook him, thrusting him straight to the peak of his magical transformation.

    Seberg shivered in delight, chuckling behind bared teeth. “Three thousand and twenty one,” was all he said before suddenly he was gone. He’d moved so swiftly, so silently, that neither Saffron or Scourge would know where he was until he was already upon the two, appearing from behind in a spinning, wild flurry of kicks that would separate the two of them before he launched himself at Saffron with a cackle, hands already slashing at her like the wild animal he seemed to embody.






    Words: 2111/6084 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Serilda Sinclair @Mythal Ragnos @Saffron Remington | © marzia at shine & gs.


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    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 12th September 2023, 6:46 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    Mercury didn’t have much to say in response to Patty’s comment, merely giving her a silent nod of understanding in regard to the doctor’s stance. She tilted her head curiously at Blade’s confused insistence that Minotia had never been his name, but otherwise remained silent as the brothers exchanged words with one another, Blade’s tone far more combative than Maker’s. Her exchange with herself was, unsurprisingly, perfectly executed, with Mercury dropping just enough information for a believable fib to explain the “new” woman’s strange presence enough that Maker wouldn’t think too deeply into it. He was more than used to bounty hunters by that point in his life. His only true surprise was that only one between Hosrius and Grubar had arrived, the Terran waving in the Jirian’s direction. Mercury played up peering curiously over toward the other bounty hunter’s hiding spot as though she hadn’t been aware of him before, which really was only to live up to Maker’s understanding of the limits of her senses.

    She attempted to placate Vandrad, which went over about as well as anyone would have guessed. Even Mercury didn’t appear very surprised or thrown off by his bitter response, the Xocili knowing him well enough to expect his anger and staunch refusal to listen. However, her eyes did narrow darkly at the insinuation that she had chosen to run off with Maker out of a need to keep herself leashed to slavery, the former prince hand picking what he knew was her deepest pet peeve: being treated like a servant. Before she could say anything back to him, Maker stepped in, snapping at Vandrad. Gone was the Terran’s smug arrogance and in its place was a genuine anger, demanding that Vandrad speak to Mercury with more respect.

    The act only served to turn Vandrad’s ire toward Maker, berating him for thinking the Terran held any sway whatsoever with him. Vandrad was here for one reason, and one reason only: to kill Maker. And if Mercury stood in his way, then she would die, too.

    That seemed to be all there was to say. Even as Maker summoned an energy blade from the copy of his Energy Monarch, Mercury withdrew Mercy from her holster. “As did I,” was her only sad response to Maker’s apology, the Xocili showing a final moment of sorrow toward her one time partner. Without hesitation, Ego finally clawed her way up from Patty’s subconscious eagerly, hurling a ball of green fire at Maker. Mercury dodged to the side, putting some space between herself and Maker so that their enemies would be equally forced to split apart to confront them, with Vandrad and Blade breaking off to chase the Terran, leaving Mercury alone with Ego and… well, herself. The Xocili easily maneuvered herself around Ego’s close range attacks, a smirk on her face despite everything. “No offense taken, Patty-Cake. Besides, with me out of the picture, maybe you’ll finally have a shot with grumpy yourself. You’ve certainly been thirsting over him long enough.” She dipped to dodge a glass arrow that Merciala had fired at her from behind, not even turning to look as she aimed her pistol behind her and took a few well aimed shots of her own.


    Back on New Rhaegar, Khelben had been a quiet, if intense, statue of calm as they waited for the fight to break out. As he settled his blade at his back, he turned to Vriko. “I should be fine for a bit on my own if you want to pursue the Myn first. I don’t possess any magic, but I should be more than capable of defending myself against multiple opponents for a time, and your mission is the more critical one between the two of ours. Once I’m in, I’ll see what I can do to distract them to buy you as much time as you need.”

    It was only a couple minutes after that when he got the nod from his father from across the room, where Zemenar stood behind a small row of other Xocili and Rhaegarians that were set up at computer stations, each of them focused on monitoring a specific group of allies. Though they were in the same room still, they would hear him more clearly through their communicators than from the source of the man’s voice. “Vriko, Khelben, you’re up. Please be careful… both of you.”

    “I’m always careful,” Khelben informed him, a slight moment of the playfulness he used to have shining through for the briefest of moments as he raised the teleporter up and opened the portal.

    “No you’re not,” Zemenar retorted softly in their ears with a brief snort.

    Both of them stepped through, finding themselves standing inside the ship, though the interior looked more like what one would find in a castle. At least, from what he could see from where they currently were, which seemed to be a very small closet with flagstone walls. Khelben grunted in surprise at the tightly enclosed space as the portal disappeared behind them. Mercury had told him she had picked an unassuming starting point where they weren’t likely to be within immediate detection of any clones, but he hadn’t been expecting something so intimate. He and Vriko were practically on top of one another. “Sorry. Excuse me. Let me just..”

    Worming his way around her, he finally got his hand on the knob, but paused before opening it, both to orient himself and to let his radars do an initial scan for alarms and lifeforms. “No alarms that I can detect,” he told her, his voice barely a whisper. “The clones all seem to be clustered in one of the labs at the moment, so as long as we don’t run into any surprises…” Khelben shrugged candidly, suggesting that it was easily as likely that there would be surprises as not. “Ready?”

    Assuming she was, Khelben would activate a function on his tactical suit that turned him completely invisible, even as he quietly turned the knob and opened the door without making a sound. He let Vriko out and gave her a head start to get moving while he shut the door behind them just as tediously before making his way as hastily as he could toward Knowhere, his focus more on silence than on speed.

    When he finally reached the room with the super computer, even he couldn’t help but to stop and stare at the sight in wonder. It truly was as beautiful as Mercury had described it. But unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to admire it as much as he would have liked. Making sure the door was shut, he dropped his cloaking and approached the interface, interlinking with it wirelessly as he got to work. “Lord Mythal, Lady Serilda, I’m at the console now. This technology is unlike anything I’ve ever worked with before, but my sister uploaded all of her knowledge of Knowhere and her experience working with it directly to me yesterday. I should have it open for connection in less than two minutes.”

    “Understood,” was Serilda's response. Up until this point, she and Mythal had little to do other than to stand around and take in the sight of the foreign planet that had once been Blade and Maker’s home. A beautiful world, though haunting in the complete lack of any kind of life, even that of animals or insects. “On your mark, Khelben.”

    The Xocili raced through the mainframe until he found the area that controlled the access points to the machine. He was aware of a silent alarm that was triggered as he forced his way past the encryptions, choosing to let it slide in the hopes that the clones would come immediately to him without realizing there was a second intruder in a different area of the ship. Finally, he made the necessary adjustments to switch the access mode to a wireless connection, opening up the range of the receiver and specifying it to a unique frequency that Quentin had instructed him to use. “Mark!” From there, he started uploading several of his own encryptions to protect the connection.


    Seberg, as usual, wasn’t altogether impressed with the witty banter that Scourge and Saffron sent his way, stating as much out loud, though that only served to further encourage them both. The blonde watched with a smirk as Seberg dropped down to the ground amidst his banter with Scourge, going on and on about the number of people he had killed and the naivety that came from their youth.

    Scourge called him out on the hypocrisy, and Saffron snorted. “For real.” Seberg admitted to Scourge’s point, but insisted that his confidence came from proven experience, while theirs came from bravado. “Umm… yeah? I mean, have you looked at us? What isn’t there to boast about?” Saffron gestured to both herself and Scourge, giving her partner a playfully incredulous look as if to say, “Do you even hear this guy?”

    Of course a shred of their bluster paused as Seberg pulled out a communication device, announcing that Maker had already reached out to him to request his aid, the timing of which he couldn’t help but notice was all too coincidental with Scourge and Saffron’s arrival. It was a slight hitch, them having lost the element of surprise and wondering for the briefest moment if Seberg was going to leave just to make their job harder…

    Yet it was unsurprising when the Rhaegarian instead elected to drop the device, crushing it under his heel and claiming that he had never actually received the message after all. Saffron’s smirk deepened, partially out of relief and partially out of focus, as Seberg admitted that he was far more interested in continuing where their last fight had left off. “I am pretty special,” the blonde playfully agreed, just before Seberg also commented on his respect for Scourge’s determination. He claimed both of them had vast amounts of potential, but he only needed one of them, and as such only intended on allowing one of them to live to fight another day… though who he picked remained to be seen.

    Saffron said nothing to follow up Scourge’s proclamation that Seberg would be the only one not walking away from the fight, but the stony look on her face and the readiness of her posture was more than enough to convey the shared sentiment. She had only enough time for a perplexed twitch of her eyebrows as Seberg randomly spouted off a number without context before he burst toward them both, launching a series of kicks that forced them to separate from one another. Not waiting to have to take several blows before she could keep up with him, Saffron immediately injected a large quantity of stored energy from her arm into the rest of her body, her strength, speed, and durability increasing tenfold within an instant as she launched right into trading blows with him, focusing not on evading his attacks but redirecting them from critical areas so she could still absorb the kinetic energy from his strikes without being crippled by them.

    Serilda Sinclair



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    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    Dance With the Devil Empty Re: Dance With the Devil

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 13th September 2023, 9:58 am

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Vriko was waiting patiently, her arms crossed over her chest, as she watched the motley crew of Xocili and Rhaegarians chatter through the different communications coming through. She could hear the updates through the earpiece, which was annoyingly strange to have in her ear. She’d never used any kind of tech like it so it was a very weird feeling to be experiencing for the first time. It actually made her ear a bit itchy but she fought the inclination to reach up and scratch it. Her gaze shifted over to Khelben as he spoke up, stating that she could go after the Myn, as he was more than capable of handling himself and, considering her objective was more critical, he would use whatever abilities he had to distract the clones to give her the time and clearance she needed. “Works for me. Just don’t get overwhelmed; I’d rather not have to explain why you have more broken bones than expected.” Vriko wasn’t like other people who may have insisted on staying with him and making sure he was secure before moving onto the next step. She took him at his word; if he believed he could hold his own, who was she to say otherwise?

    They wouldn’t have to wait long before Zemenar gave them a nod and then told them through their headsets that they were good to go. Khelben actually managed some slightly humorous banter with his father before they stepped through the portal… into a closet. As she stepped through, she found herself squished against him, even as the portal closed behind them. “The… fuck?” she muttered as she tried to pivot in any direction to give him room and found it lacking. Khelben started to shimmy around her towards the door. She did what she could to give him space, which resulted in her essentially sliding up against him in the opposite direction. She lost her footing and reached out to grab something to steady her fall… and certainly found something that she was able to hold onto. But she became quickly aware that she had essentially fully groped his ass. The blush on her face appeared so quickly that it practically glowed against her naturally paler skin. Khelben was saying something about no alarms and the clones being in a lab or something. “Yup, mhm, let’s go,” she said without directly looking at him, her anxiety unfortunately flaring up due to the unfortunate grab.

    She shuffled past the now invisible Khelben and gave her head a shake as she brought up the watch Mercury had given her. They were fairly close to Knowhere but not as close to the location of the Myn. It looked like she would have to go down a couple of levels. Reading the blueprints carefully, she found a descending hallway she could walk down that would take her to the level she needed. She moved slowly and quietly, relying on her former abilities as an assassin to move without detection. Of course she would have no idea when the Maker clones were alerted unless there was some kind of audible alarm but she’d just have to deal with that when she came to it.

    Khelben had reached Knowhere in record time it seemed, as he spoke over the earpiece and alerted them that he would begin working and would have it open for connection in two minutes time. Mythal had moved a few feet away from the device that they’d set up, staring out at the abandoned city. His eyes turned away from the backdrop and over to a few figures, stuck in different poses. Time had eroded the harder features that identified them as humanoid but their shapes were still relatively the same. He could feel… something within them. He imagined it was the residual spiritual energy that had been left behind when Maker had absorbed their consciousnesses. “A damn shame,” he muttered as Khelben gave the signal, opening the connection. Their device hummed to life, securing the encrypted connection before accessing it.

    “Alright Mythal, you’re going to feel a slight drain at first,” Quentin’s voice echoed in his head. The Darkness Slayer felt exactly that, wincing as he felt the draw from the Soul Stone. He could almost physically feel the spiritual energy fade away from the ashy statues and siphon towards the machine…

    Only for glowing purple eyes to flare to life in the statues. A croaking, inhumane growl rumbled out from the figures as they suddenly came to life, the ash solidifying to their forms. Purple, jagged veins weaved through their bodies as they began to move, arms rising as they moved towards Serilda and Mythal. “What the hell?!” Mythal shouted as he pulled out his leather whip. With a crack, he sent it flying into the closest husk, knocking it back and against a wall. But its groaning continued as it began to rise up once more. “Quentin, what the hell is goin’ on?!”

    “I… I don’t know. I’m connecting to the spirits. These husks shouldn’t be alive at all. It’s like something was keeping their souls locked in place and its fighting back now that we’re trying to free them!” the first Sage replied in his mind.

    “Can we destroy the bodies? Do you need them for the spirits?” Mythal asked quickly.

    “No, I won’t. But I’m already beginning the ritual and I’ve connected to nearly a thousand Terrans souls. That number is just going to go up…”

    “Which means that for every Terran you get, we’re dealing with a husk…” Mythal concluded the thought. That meant they were going to be looking at billions, if not trillions of brainless husks. “Seri, we need to form some kind of perimeter. These things are just gonna keep comin’!” In a quick flurry of hand movement, he had attached the leather whip to his belt and brought both of his hands up. Darkness rushed to him from all around and he pushed it outwards, slamming a wall of dark magic against the nearest husks and sending them out of the immediate area. Then he drew a circle in the air with his hands and the wall wrapped around them.

    “You won’t be able to keep that up for long, Mythal. The magical drain on the Soul Stone is only going to get worse. You’ll be almost completely empty by the end of the ritual,” Quentin chirped in his head.

    Mythal growled. “Seri… this ritual is gonna drain me of magic. Yer gonna have to keep them back at some point and I… won’t be able to help you.” They were supposed to have the easy part of the mission. But now… well, it almost felt as suicidal as what Scourge and Saffron were dealing with.

    Speaking of, it seemed Seberg had finished talking and had decided to initiate the fight. Having separated them, his focus turned to the blonde, his fists and clawed hands finding purchase on her, though not necessarily where he intended. As he recalled, she had grown stronger from being damaged when they last fought, having been beaten around and come out more powerful for it. A tactician may have tried to figure out an alternative around that quirk or chosen to go after Scourge. But not Seberg; he wanted her stronger. It would only make him stronger in the end. So his attacks came with full force, still fighting like a wild animal.

    The only time he separated was when he had to move out of the way of a crystal-like shard of magic zooming past right where his head had been. He turned his head just enough to look at Scourge, keeping his distance and sending attacks from afar. Just like last time. Apparently they hadn’t learned. Seberg’s head swiveled around back to Saffron and his fighting suddenly took a hard left turn. He waited for her next punch and grabbed it, wrapping his hands around the limb and then turning fully around to send her flying towards Scourge. But the moment between him throwing her and reappearing above her was quick, she would barely make it within ten feet of the former Dread Master before Scourge came crashing down onto her with a falling drop kick, attempting to plant her into the ground with a forceful hit to her stomach. Yet his gaze was Scourge, a wicked and wild grin on his face.

    The former Dread Master sneered as he rushed forward, igniting his hand in a pink blade of magic. He leapt at Seberg, swiping at his sternum and finding no impact as the rogue Rhaegarian backflipped over the attack. Scourge kept up the offense, giving Saffron a moment to collect herself. But just as she was about to rejoin the fight, Seberg once more altered his fighting style and landed a hard kick into Scourge’s side, sending the pink-haired man soaring through the cathedral ruins he’d been perched on before. The former Dread Master disappeared in a cloud of crashing rock and stone dust while Seberg turned his attention back to Saffron and engaged her once more.

    Back on Maker’s ship. Vriko had come to the end of the hallway that supposedly held the secret door she needed to open. “Sure hope this works,” she said as she looked at the glove. With a shrug, she placed her hand against the wall. A panel appeared around it, beeping as it analyzed the DNA… and then gave a verifying chirp. A door appeared in the material of the ship and then slid open, revealing the small lab. And the Myn was right in the center of it.

    Footsteps caught her attention. She turned her head enough to see three Maker clones approaching from behind her. “The alarm was for Knowhere; do we have two intruders?” one of them asked as they ignited their own magic swords around their hands.

    Vriko smirked and snorted. “You’d think for a genius spaceman, you’d have better security watching your shit,” she replied as she held up one of her hands. Held in it, already primed, was a fire bomb. She tossed it up and kicked it into the lab, spinning around and landing in a semi-crouch that gave her just the right amount of forward motion to dash towards the three clones. They had barely identified the threat to the Myn before Vriko’s sword had swiftly slashed through all three of their necks, the former bandit holding one of her katana’s in her hand as she came to a stop on the other side of them. As the heads toppled to the ground and the bodies collapsed right after, she had only a moment of peace before the fire bomb detonated, sending magical flames erupting in the small lab. She personally watched the container with the Myn get wrapped in flames. The glass shattered and the element quickly was put to the torch, bending out of shape from the fire as it smoked and sizzled. Within seconds, it was gone, reduced to ash as the rest of the lab burned. Whatever was keeping the room in existence malfunctioned from burning and flickered before disappearing, the panel melting off of the wall as well.

    With that settled, she took off in a run. “Myn is destroyed. The clones are aware of me now so hopefully you’re not getting your ass kicked, Khelben,” she provided her update as she raced back the way she came, sword in one hand and her other raised to provide her the quickest means to Knowhere.

    The real Maker heard the explosion from a distance. He couldn’t connect to his clones at the moment; his focus needed to be on fighting Vandrad and Blade. But any kind of explosion at the ship was not good; he should have guessed that this would be a multi-pronged attack. "Eyes on me, bastard!” His concern had distracted him and as he spun around, there was Vandrad, fist already rushing in. Maker had just enough time to bring up his magic-covered hand to block the attack but it still sent him flying nonetheless. His head shifted just enough to look over his shoulder to see Blade waiting in his path, sword set to slice him in two.

    Maker flipped over the swing of the weapon and kicked Blade away in one smooth backflipping motion, his magic carrying him away from his spiraling brother. His other hand came up and filled with magic, which then erupted in the form of several blasts heading towards the off guard Terran.

    But Vandrad was already there, throwing himself in front of the blasts with his arms crossed in front of him. As magical shields coated his body, the blasts smashed against him, magical fire flaring up and dissipating into smoke as the future king held his ground in the air. Once Blade had caught himself and moved out of the way, Vandrad dropped out of the cone of fire, soaring down in an arc that allowed him to fire his own magic blasts back, forcing Maker on the retreat once more.



    STATISTICS
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    Spells Used: list them here
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    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



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      Current date/time is 5th December 2024, 9:09 am