[IC] Myriad Reality

[Artifact]

<Snipped quote by Valiance>

*Tracks your position with the beam, keeping it trained on your movement*

@System

*Uses the distraction to barrel over the river's edge and slam my claws into your neck*
Of course you wouldn't be one of the ones to speak.

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

Man, weren’t you talking about being weak? What’s this?
*Paces in a small circle slowly*

@Stratocracy

*A drop of water falls from the sky and hits the ground, which ripples like a still puddle and becomes reflective of its fading surroundings as the circle of movement extends in all directions*

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

*A drop of water falls from the sky and hits the ground, which ripples like a still puddle and becomes reflective of its fading surroundings as the circle of movement extends in all directions*

@Etcetera

There’s only one metric of strength I believe in, and honestly, I don’t think you have the ability to measure up. At least, not without help…

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

There’s only one metric of strength I believe in, and honestly, I don’t think you have the ability to measure up. At least, not without help…

@Stratocracy

*My voice echoes throughout the area*
Mmmmmhm—
*Four sharpened nails scrape across your abdomen in the darkness*

[Valiance]

<Snipped quote by Valiance>

*Tracks your position with the beam, keeping it trained on your movement*

@System

*Flips around and kicks off the air, shooting to the side with a sudden burst of speed, and then does it again, zigzagging back toward you and barreling foot-first into the side of your head with an explosive kick- all while Chickpea insulates my foot from direct contact with shielding*

<Snipped quote by System>

*Uses the distraction to barrel over the river's edge and slam my claws into your neck*
Of course you wouldn't be one of the ones to speak.

@Artifact

Honestly, he’s smart for it.

[System]

<Snipped quote by System>

*Uses the distraction to barrel over the river's edge and slam my claws into your neck*
Of course you wouldn't be one of the ones to speak.

@Artifact

<Snipped quote by System>

*Flips around and kicks off the air, shooting to the side with a sudden burst of speed, and then does it again, zigzagging back toward you and barreling foot-first into the side of your head with an explosive kick- all while Chickpea insulates my foot from direct contact with shielding*

<Snipped quote by Artifact>

Honestly, he’s smart for it.

@Valiance

*Roars in the recoil of the attack, and the river explodes into golden walls reaching up into space, which split the city into four and expand in all directions, closing in on both of you*

[Artifact]

<Snipped quote by Artifact>

<Snipped quote by Valiance>

*Roars in the recoil of the attack, and the river explodes into golden walls reaching up into space, which split the city into four and expand in all directions, closing in on both of you*

@System

Worthless creatures.
*Grabs your jaws by the hinge and holds them open, twisting them directly toward Roland*

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

*My voice echoes throughout the area*
Mmmmmhm—
*Four sharpened nails scrape across your abdomen in the darkness*

@Etcetera

*They tear at my shirt, but not at my skin*
You’re so broken that you’ll never have what you need. I would love to see that no longer be the case, though. Misty, you lack true… Conviction.
*The tangible pressure around me manifests visibly now, as it does for you even without a current physical form. It shifts from absolutely transparent to a crimson red aura for me, and for you, it radiates multicolored shades of lighter yet dull blues and greens*

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*They tear at my shirt, but not at my skin*
You’re so broken that you’ll never have what you need. I would love to see that no longer be the case, though. Misty, you lack true… Conviction.
*The tangible pressure around me manifests visibly now, as it does for you even without a current physical form. It shifts from absolutely transparent to a crimson red aura for me, and for you, it radiates multicolored shades of lighter yet dull blues and greens*

@Stratocracy

*Fully forms in front of you with a near-insulted expression and punches at your stomach, which initially stops at the border of your aura as if at a solid object, but with additional effort pulls away from the skin and flesh, leaving solid bone that connects with you*

[Valiance]

<Snipped quote by System>

Worthless creatures.
*Grabs your jaws by the hinge and holds them open, twisting them directly toward Roland*

@Artifact

*Rears back and unleashes a volley of blows similar to the last, once again directed at his mouth*

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

*Fully forms in front of you with a near-insulted expression and punches at your stomach, which initially stops at the border of your aura as if at a solid object, but with additional effort pulls away from the skin and flesh, leaving solid bone that connects with you*

@Etcetera

*Gently grabs your wrist and softens the contact with me as the swing lands*
There’s your hint about me. The word that makes me tick.
*Leans in close to you*
You know what my conviction is, right now? What I believe in?

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Gently grabs your wrist and softens the contact with me as the swing lands*
There’s your hint about me. The word that makes me tick.
*Leans in close to you*
You know what my conviction is, right now? What I believe in?

@Stratocracy

*Grits my teeth together and smashes my thumbs into your eyes*

[System]

<Snipped quote by Artifact>

*Rears back and unleashes a volley of blows similar to the last, once again directed at his mouth*

@Valiance

*Gurgles in the liquid gold and crashes into the river, creating a tidal wave of hot metal*

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

*Grits my teeth together and smashes my thumbs into your eyes*

@Etcetera

*Lets you press against them for a moment as I speak, even though as you apply force it feels truly like I am more and more immutable*
I believe in someone else’s conviction. A belief that you are worthy.
*Grabs your other wrist, forces your arms to the side and lets your fall forward into a hug from me*
And if she believes it, so do I.

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Lets you press against them for a moment as I speak, even though as you apply force it feels truly like I am more and more immutable*
I believe in someone else’s conviction. A belief that you are worthy.
*Grabs your other wrist, forces your arms to the side and lets your fall forward into a hug from me*
And if she believes it, so do I.

@Stratocracy

*In a flash of sheer rage, bites your nose*
You make me sick!

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

*In a flash of sheer rage, bites your nose*
You make me sick!

@Etcetera

*Looks down at you after you do*
Is that true? I definitely don’t feel your belief in that either.

[Valiance]

<Snipped quote by Valiance>

*Gurgles in the liquid gold and crashes into the river, creating a tidal wave of hot metal*

@System

*Looks down at the river as you land, but before you are completely submerged, a series of spontaneous chain explosions relentlessly bombard the surface of the disturbed liquid, clearing the area with such force as to not let the liquid submerge you. I look upward into the sky after this happens for just a moment*

[Etcetera]

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Looks down at you after you do*
Is that true? I definitely don’t feel your belief in that either.

@Stratocracy

If any of you cared, you would have killed me by now.
*The water-like surface below us rushes up and fills the spaces with a viscous, tar-like goo that warps at our limbs in unnatural directions*

[Artifact]

<Snipped quote by System>

*Looks down at the river as you land, but before you are completely submerged, a series of spontaneous chain explosions relentlessly bombard the surface of the disturbed liquid, clearing the area with such force as to not let the liquid submerge you. I look upward into the sky after this happens for just a moment*

@Valiance

Nicely done!
*Lands onto its torso and rips into the dragon's chest, tearing out a slowing heart*

[Stratocracy]

<Snipped quote by Stratocracy>

If any of you cared, you would have killed me by now.
*The water-like surface below us rushes up and fills the spaces with a viscous, tar-like goo that warps at our limbs in unnatural directions*

@Etcetera

*Looks up and down my body as the space around it is warped but without breaching my body, to the point I appear like an anchor of stability in the chaos*
Getting rid of you would be something I would do if I didn’t. And deep down, you know that too, because there is something you care about enough to stick around.