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The Hunt, A Modern Fantasy Smorgasbord RP

^{Interactions: Amanda @Kumbaris, Micheal Crane @BigPapaBelial, Xaviron @Martian, Morgana @King Cosmos}

---

While Faye was still feeling a bit bad and guilty about the outcome of the mission, Amanda's words were still very comforting to her, helping to at least take some of the guilt from Faye's shoulders.

"I'm glad to see you are fine... Although... It might still take me a while to get used to seeing such procedure being performed..." Faye said with a nervous smile to Amanda. Even after hearing Amanda's own confirmation that she was fine and didn't feel pain while her parts were being changed, it was still a rather disturbing procedure to watch. At least for Faye.

"Still... Thank you for your words. I just felt I should have done more... I froze when that creature was about to hit me... Even though I could have done something and It caused you to be... damaged." Faye said, searching for the proper words to say.

"I-I will. Thank you, Amanda." Faye replied as Amanda told her to rest, with a warm smile before going to her room to get some well deserved rest.

---

Taking the rest of the day to rest and almost the entire flight back to Frankfurt, which Faye mostly slept through, seemed to have done wonders both to her mood and her body. By the end of the flight, Faye had returned to her usual, bubbly and cheerful self.

"Hi~! It took us a bit but we're finally back! You won't believe what we had to go through! It was honestly such a-" Faye said, waving towards Madeleine, Xaviron and Morgana with a smile before she excitedly began talking about the stuff they went through on their mission, just before Amanda spoke up.

"Sorry~ Please continue." Faye said with a playful expression as Amanda asked for silence. sitting down and paying attention to Amanda's words.

When Amanda gave the news that the Frankfurt office was calling the staff to both process and organize their findings, Faye was honestly surprised. She honestly didn't expect them to be so effective. The identity and location of the infamous 'Mr. X' was still unknown, although it would likely not remain so for too long. If they were lucky, the information they had already gathered would most likely, after it was properly organized by the office, start giving them some good leads to finally shed tome light on that particular mystery.

Amanda's reminder of how widespread the use of eldritch magic was by My. X and it's associates was a disturbing reminder to Faye of what she would still have to go through. While definitely a threat that should be dealt with, it was still very uncomfortable for Faye to be near focuses of Eldritch magic.

"The idea of this Mr. X being a deity doesn't sound that impossible now... I mean... This guy has both knowledge about some rather obscure magical knowledge and enough connections to gather weapons and resources from lots of places, doesn't it?" Faye said, thinking about Amanda's words.

"Somehow... They seem to have a hand on almost everything we end up stumbling in. Both weapons, magic and even seemed to have a mole inside the Minsk office... Even for powerful people, having this degree of magic knowledge and such widespread influence would be considerably hard... But for a deity... it might not be THAT impossible." Faye said. It was just a theory, of course but it was one Faye did think had quite the possibility of being true.

"If we consider this Mr. X really being a Deity, it would help us a lot to narrow down the suspects. We would just need to know who among the known deities would have reasons and knowledge to mess with Eldritch magic..." Faye said, looking to the rest of the team, wanting to hear their thoughts about her theory.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

"Unfortunately, we don't have many options at the moment." Alice replied as she heard Kleo grumbling as she handed her a bag with medical supplies.

Soon after, with the warning of the arrival of more enemy units, Echo approached them, suggesting for Alice to load Kleo into the unit carrier section of his warform and continue the treatment inside.

"Will do, thank you, Echo." Alice said, quickly getting up, putting the bag of medical supplies inside Echo and preparing to carry Kleo.

"I would like to avoid injecting any more stims... But considering extraction is not an option at the moment..." Alice said to Ilshar with a heavy sigh as she began carrying Kleo to the back of the warform, albeit with a bit of difficulty.

"We will see. Depending on how the treatment goes, I might be forced to use more stims." She said, replying to Ilshar just as she finished loading Kleo and getting herself into Echo's back.

"We're good, Echo. Please take care of us, for the time being." Alice said as she turned to Kleo in order to begin the treatment.

She knew things were about to get real hot outside once again, but considering Kleo's state, she would have to trust that her teammates would be able to deal with it. At least until Kleo was properly treated and out of immediate danger, then she might be able to go out and help. Her wound were minor and superficial when compared to Kleo's, after all...

"As I said previously, I would like to avoid using any more stims... But tell me if the pain is truly unbearable and I'll try to inject just a little bit more." Alice said as she opened the medical bag and began taking off the old, improvised bandage in order to properly treat Kleo's wounds. Including trying to take off any fragments that might be lodged inside, with Kleo's help, of course and closing the wound afterwards.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Having the team's confirmation that they had control of the artillery piece was definitely a good thing. In the other hand... Kleo's instructions were... strange at best. Regardless, she was the one with proper medical knowledge... So Alice was sure she had a reason for mixing rum with the IV. Still, with no proper resources, the best Alice could do for now was to staunch any bleeding and bandage Kleo as best as she could. At least until they were extracted or somehow found some medical supplies.

"Well... I don't know how to say this but... Cigarettes and rum might be easier to find right now than proper medical supplies. Regardless, we still need to staunch the bleeding and bandage you." Alice said, before she stood up, went to one of the tents scattered through the enemy encampment and quickly ripped a strip of the material they were made of, to use as an improvised bandage.

"I don't really want to give you any more painkillers or adrenaline unless it's absolutely necessary, but I still have a few of them remaining if we fail to find medical supplies in time." Alice said as she bandaged Kleo.

"Hold your breath for a second Kleo, this might hurt a bit." She said as she got ready to dress her wounds.

It definitely wasn't pleasant for Kleo, due both to her wounds and the fact that Alice had to bandage her quite tightly in order to staunch the bleeding, but still, Alice tried her best to not cause more pain to Kleo than it was necessary.

It was at that moment that Ilshar approached them, asking if everything was under control. While the answer to that first question wasn't exactly a positive one, receiving the news that they would soon be extracted was definitely something that Alice was looking forward to.

"No medical supplies. We are doing the best I can with improvised bandages but we need more... IV bags, O positive blood and... well... Rum and cigarettes, right, Kleo?" Alice said, confirming her previous instructions.

"My wounds aren't grave. It seems the shrapnel didn't hit any organs or anything vital. Pain is manageable as well due to the stimulants I took. As I said before, I want to avoid giving any more stims to Kleo but if we really need it, I can give her another dose to buy us time until we get extracted... or somehow find proper medical supplies." Alice finished, looking to Ilshar after she was done bandaging Kleo.

As if marking the success of their mission, the blinding white-blue light and the noises of the cannon firing punctuated Alice's conversation with Kleo and Ilshar. The way the light illuminated the sky would be beautiful... If Alice didn't know exactly what it was and the reason for it's construction and almost as if only to confirm that thought, the sound of a big explosion, marking the target being successfully hit came soon after.

Still, the relief and the celebration of victory were short lived, as they soon received a very concerning message. Something armored and very fast, was approaching their position.

Worried, especially as she heard Salvator's orders through the comms, Alice quickly looked to Ilshar with a worried expression before talking through comms herself. She was well aware that hoping the armored forces weren't hostile and taking a diplomatic approach was a naive and foolish thing to do but still, they had wounded members and entering into another conflict right now was the last thing they needed.

"Salvator, Kleo needs proper medical supplies. The best we can do with what we have at hand is improvised bandages to staunch the bleeding. We need to ask for extraction... Or at least to be air-dropped some proper medical supplies." Alice reported, hoping the new ongoing situation with the unknown armored unit wouldn't devolve into a lengthy conflict.

The Five Senses - Second Arc (Accepting New Players!)

Karina Frost

Upon hearing Tayla's reply as she pointed towards where Sil went, Karina was almost getting ready to leave, when she heard a strange voice coming from the center of the guest room. Almost at the same time as Tayla, Karina immediately drew her rapier, turning around to face the stranger, surprised by not having noticed them there earlier.

Much to her surprise, the stranger was no one other than one of the servants whom they had seen in the mansion. In fact, she was the very first servant who greeted them as they arrived. While Karina was unsure if she should trust the servant or not, the information she brought them were definitely good ones. Although the reason for her doing so... If she was on the side of whoever was responsible for the trap they fell into or not was something that remained to be seen.

"Good news as those might be, is there a particular reason why we should trust you?" Karina asked, her sharp eyes watching every movement the servant made.

"I hope you understand how bad this situation looks. For us, everything, even being invited to this mansion sounds like a huge trap." Karina completed, her sharp eyes still watching the servant.

The moment she mentioned a word Karina know very well... and hated, Karina opened her eyes wide, surprised...

'Pactmakers'...

"Where have you heard this damn word...?" Karina asked in a very hostile tone.

The servant's next words were sharp ones. Words that would normally made Karina kill her on the very spot if they were on any other situation. But she needed information. Not only about the whole 'pact' thing, but about the entire situation they were in and exactly who were the groups they, as 'pactmakers' were against.

Karina was in silence as the servant talked, but she noticed Tayla's stare and Tayla would definitely notice how Karina's hand was tightening around her rapier.

Whether it was just by pure luck or just part of the mysterious servant's plans, they were offered help to get out of that situation. Not much information or even time for questions was given them as the servant immediately told them to follow them in order to take off the bracelets and telling them how her 'followers' were distracting the ambushers.

"As much as i hate this entire situation... We have no choice but to follow her." Karina said in a low tone to Tayla as she began following the woman. With that said, Karina still didn't sheathe her rapier and had it ready on her hand as she did so.

"I am sure you do not expect us to stay silent. I am quite aware you would prefer not to answer any questions, but whatever was your reason to help us, you used your chips on this bet and it would be on your best interest to get something for them..." Karina said with a serious tone.

"There are many questions I need to make... But just to start... Who exactly are you, how do you know about the pact and most importantly... You mentioned 'shattering' it..." Karina said, still paying attention to every reaction the mysterious woman might have.

"Most of us weren't exactly willing volunteers to be pactmakers... Some of us were... less than willing..." She completed.

It was a bet. Karina knew that well, but it was a bet worth taking. The way the servant spoke made it look as if she wasn't exactly on the pactmakers side nor on... whatever 'other' side there was and instead, was just on her own side. Such... neutrality was, right now, the closest thing of being trustworthy Karina could have from anyone that knew about the pact and what was happening.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Fortunately, despite the might of the human weapons, Seeker Kareet's suggestions about rapidly heating and cooling the creature's tough hide were working perfectly well. Not only it became clear the remaining creature had became quite a bit sluggish and wasn't rampaging as fiercely as it was before, but it's hide had also become easier to pierce, even for their conventional weapons. Regardless, it's sheer size and mass still proved to be a menace, despite it's weakened state.

It didn't take long, especially with how weakened it had become for Vigdis and the humans to finish the remaining beast, finally ending such threat. With that said, the combat wasn't over yet and the loss of their beasts didn't seem to affect the enemy archers, which continued their attack. One of them in particular, shot an arrow with a non-magnetic arrowhead, passing through the barrier and immediately striking Seeker Kareet, percing her straight through the chest.

Nellara only noticed what had happened after the barrier fell down, due to her being focusing her attention on the enemies. The moment she did though, Nellara didn't hesitate for one second as she once again began ordering her soldiers.

"SOMEONE, IMMEDIATELY TAKE SEEKER KAREET TO THE LIFE MAGE!" Nellara shouted.

"Half of you, tight defensive formation around the humans and the wounded, focus on blocking the arrows..." Nellara ordered as she gave a step forwards towards the direction the enemy archers were, quickly returning her metal spheres to the pouch she kept on her belt and releasing the iron dust, using it to deflect an arrow that came directly towards her face.

"The rest of you... Follow my lead. Leave but a single one of them alive for interrogation... As for the rest, give them no quarter." Nellara finished as she assumed a low stance, before dashing towards the archers.

Dazed and shaken due to J'eon's fireball, the archers had little time to react to Nellara approaching and even should they shoot arrows at her, they would find their projectiles either deflected by the iron sand around Nellara or effortlessly dodged by her agile movements. Passing right through the wall of fire formed by J'eon's fireball, pouncing towards the first archer, aiming to rip his throat with her claws, while using it's body as a shield, should the other archers try to fire at her while she was doing so.

The Hunt, A Modern Fantasy Smorgasbord RP

^{Interactions: Amanda, Baba Yaga @Kumbaris, Micheal Crane @BigPapaBelial, Scarlet [@AWACS]}

---

Already inside the car, Faye could feel her nerves finally calming down after the fight. The adrenaline that kept her up even as the creature was about to strike her was finally disappearing, leaving only the worry she felt about her wounded teammates and the mental and physical exhaustion due to the entire fight.

"Still a bit shaken but that's all. Nowhere as bad as you guys..." Faye said, replying to Micheal as he asked if she and Scarlet were okay.

Still, despite Faye being worried, in the end her exhaustion ended up winning and she fell asleep for the most part of the trip back to the office, only waking up a few moments before arrival, noticing the car slowing down and soon after stopping.

"Huh? Wha-... Oh... Sorry about this... I just couldn't keep myself awake as the car started moving." Faye said, giving a good look at the remaining members just to be sure they were out of immediate danger.

Already on the office, Faye insisted to escort the rest of the team to the infirmary for a good check-up any any medical care they might need. Truth be told, it was not just because they were her teammates, but in part, Faye also felt rather guilty, for being the only one relatively unscathed after that fight.

With that said, there was one member of the team that didn't exactly need to go to the infirmary. Faye arrived just as the care package was delivered to Amanda. Not knowing if she should interrupt or not, Faye just stood still, watching as Amanda got nearby the care package, with the arms coming out of it soon beginning to 'disassemble' her and replace the damaged parts.

Needless to say, it wasn't exactly a comfortable thing to watch. Even though Faye knew Amanda was an android, which was honestly quite obvious, after spending some time near Amanda and getting used to her, she tended to forget about certain aspects of being a robot.

With a very shocked and concerned expression, Faye watched as both arms and legs were taken out from Amanda and soon opened Amanda's torso in order to repair the damaged internal parts.

"H-hey Amanda, sorry to stare... I came to check on you after taking the rest to the infirmary but when I got here, I didn't know if I should interrupt the repair process or not so I just..." Faye said, trying to explain herself.

"It's a bit shocking to watch. I kinda end up forgetting you are an android after spending some time with the group." Faye said with an awkward expression.

"I am glad you are okay though." She said after a moment of silence, with a genuine smile.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Receiving both Ilshar and Salvator's reply through the comms did made Alice quite relieved, especially on how they at least sounded like they had everything under control. Echo's assistance would definitely be essential for the success of the mission, especially now that both Kleo and Alice couldn't help much. The good news were that the stims she had injected on herself were kicking in full force. The pain she felt a while ago had almost completely faded, even if just temporarily.

"Thank you. Starting the first-aid procedures for Kleo!" Alice said, replying and reporting to Salvator and Ilshar by the comms.

Wasting no time, Alice carried Kleo away from the front-line where Ilshar, Salvator and Echo were while trying her best to support her weight without moving her body too much, due to the possibility of her having internal wounds.

"Ilshar, Echo and Salvator are covering us. I got you, Kleo." Alice said, trying to comfort Kleo a bit as she took her somewhere safe.

"My wounds aren't nearly as grave as yours. The stims will be more than enough to keep me going for now. How are you feeling? Do you have any trouble breathing?" Alice said, gently and delicately lowering Kleo on the ground, trying her best to lay her down somewhere flat.

Just as Alice said that, the loud message sent to them by the allied ZRF forces interrupted them, making Alice immediately take her hands to her ears, startled. Regardless of how uncomfortable the contact was, the message they received was an incredibly good one. The allied ZRF forces were finally making their move.

"Even if they're loud, it's good they finally decided to make their move." Alice said to herself, a bit annoyed by the sudden loud voice right in her ear.

"Still, while I am a biologist, I specialize in void and abyssal creatures... You will have to guide me on how to deal with your broken ribs and maybe any internal wounds that you might have, Kleo. Can I count on you?" Alice continued, focusing on continuing to speak to Kleo, hopefully to distract her from the pain, even if a little bit.

"Trust me, Kleo, I got you. My hands are stable enough to do anything a medic can, with the right guidance, of course." She said, trying to sound as calm and soothing as possible despite the adrenaline running through her veins. Panic, both for her and for Kleo was the last thing they needed.

With luck, Kleo would be at least good enough to stay on the rear together with Alice in a support position, but the possibility of her needing an immediate extraction, should her injuries be grave wasn't zero.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Nellara was already expecting her electricity to not have enough effect to stop or to hinder the creatures' charge due to their resistance to magic, but she wasn't expecting them to be completely ineffective. As the creatures continued to charge, Nellara saw herself forced to dive away to not be trampled by them. Most of her soldiers, after the hasty warning she gave by following Seeker Kareet's warning were able to dodge as well, saving for two unfortunate souls who were completely crushed under the relentless charge and massive weight of the behemoths.

With that said, not everything were bad news. One of the Behemoths, despite being incredibly resistant to magic and almost impossible to pierce with spears, simply fell dead after being shot by the strange weapons wielded by Zeynep and her crew, announced by the loud cracks coming from their guns every time they fired and followed by their cheers as the heavy body of one of the beasts fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Focus on dodging the alive one! Don't try to stop or even attack them!" Nellara shouted, dashing away from the two trampled soldiers as she noticed the beast was focusing it's attention on her.

Truth be told, Nellara had no idea if they could be saved... Or even if they were still alive. Plus, stopping to check them while being chased by a rampaging beast was a bit difficult. Regardless, the least she could do was asking one of the mages to see if they could be saved... Or in the worst case, at least make them presentable for a funeral later...

"Do we have any life mage? Take care of those two!" Nellara said, using her agility to make sharp turns, dodging just as the beast charged towards her, while being careful to stand away from the other soldiers.

"Captain Zeynep, are you and your crew able to fire your weapons once more? I can try to position myself in a way to give you and your crew time to shoot, but I need you to warn me when you are ready!" Nellara shouted as she dashed away from the remaining beast just as it once again charged angrily at her.

The Five Senses - Second Arc (Accepting New Players!)

Karina Frost

Karina listened to Tayla's words with a concerned expression, seemingly not even realizing she had caught Tayla in the middle of changing herself.

"My magic also doesn't seem to be working. The fact that Octavio's magic works will definitely be of a huge help to us though." Karina said, thinking.

"What? Not only Chres is by himself but the princess was also captured?" Karina asked angrily as she heard Tayla's words.

"Damn it! It was always a trap! Since the very beginning!" Karina said, cursing herself for not having noticed it sooner.

Karina's mind was swirling with thoughts. For such a trap to be set in such a short notice, the possibility of the army having an information leak was substantial. It would explain how the enemy, whoever they were, were somehow able to know in advance that they were going to the prison with the princess. Regardless, getting nervous right now would do Karina no good and after taking a second to breathe and recompose herself, she looked towards Octavio and Tayla with a serious expression.

"We need to stay together and go find Chres and the Princess. Not only we can't use our powers amd in numeric disadvantage, but we are basically walking in the dark right now... With no idea where the Princess or Chres might be and no idea from where our enemies will attack us." Karina said, immediately heading towards the door as she listened Týfurkh's words coming from another room.

"Discretion is not our best option anymore. We need to prioritize being fast. I can hear Týfurkh and Jen on the other room. Octavio, we'll need your support. Now more than ever. Can I count on you?" Karina asked, looking to Octavio with a serious expression as she opened the door, her rapier still on her hand.

"Tayla, do you remember at least the direction Syl went?" Karina asked, looking to Tayla.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Guarav Village
Interactions: Cyrus @Helo, Menzai @samreaper
Mentions: Ophelia @princess
Equipment:

Steel Dagger of Unbreaking

Cannot break or become dull.

243 Amas

As Viola looked towards Menzai, waiting for her answer, she was satisfied to know Cyrus seemed to agree with her previous words. She had tolerated the wolves actions until now. Despite helping against the Roc, despite adopting a defensive posture all this time, they continued to toy with her goodwill and her patience. Cyrus would easily notice how dangerously on edge Viola was, especially when Menzai looked back at her.

With that said, it seemed Menzai wasn't just trying to aggravate Viola even further. As their eyes met, Viola began realizing her surroundings slowly changing. When she realized what was happening, what Menzai did with his stare, her annoyance began turning into anger and hatred, further fueled by the aftereffects of the time she spent in Daka Island.

Not only did Menzai and the other wolves proved consistently to be themselves obstacles for Viola's goals, but despite her tolerance, they continued to challenge, threaten and aggravate her. Even though Viola chose to tolerate their rudeness, in an act of respect both to her brother Cyrus and for Phia, they continued to try to threaten and subjugate her... To try and control her...

Even as Menzai's figure disappeared, her surroundings radically changing and the growls threatening her, Viola felt nothing but anger. To have been attacked like this despite showing tolerance and patience, for Viola, felt like being betrayed. If they believed her to be just a monster, shouldn't she just act like one? The Blood Rose's vines shifted and twisted, reacting to the adrenaline on her blood and her breathing. The anger she felt was more than enough to motivate them to move by themselves, digging into her skin and preparing to attack.

As the visions changed around her, despite her altered mental state, Viola still paid attention to what she was seeing. Phia and the wolf she imagined being Menzai. But the moment the images disappeared and rush of wind threatened to throw her to the ground, forcing the thorny vines to dig into the ground to support her, her patience finally ran out. The clear threats coming from Menzai after what was clearly a mental attack, going as far as to show her a giant maw closing around her and an almost deafening scream were too much for Viola to continue to tolerate in silence.

"ENOUGH!" Viola shouted as the thorny vines of the Blood Rose exploded outwards, bursting out from the ground it had dug into and the vines on Viola's body, covering her surroundings in sharp thorns and threatening to cruelly impale anyone who stood close to her or wasn't fast enough to jump away from the immediate area around her. Fortunately, almost as if knowing Cyrus wasn't a threat, they seemed to almost completely avoid him, making it so he wouldn't be wounded even if he didn't move at all.

It was only after Menzai fully disappeared that the thorny vines finally returned and the Blood Rose calmed down once again, with the vines retracting their thorns from Viola's skin and gently pressing the wound in order to staunch the bleeding.

After a few seconds of heavy silence, Viola's posture seemed to visibly relax and calm down, her expression, despite being as monotonous and empty as always, showing a hint of the mental exhaustion that entire situation had caused her.

"I am sorry brother Cypress but... Can we eat something? I am famished." she said after a while. Both the fight against the Roc and the exchange with Menzai had took their toll not only on Viola's mind but on her body as well.

---

Time: One week after Zora arrived into Avalia.
Location: Riverbloom, The River
Interactions: Aurora @mole, Barrock @Conscripts, Rowan
Mentions:

---

As she began speaking to Barrock, Zora noticed how Rowan's body tensed up, a clear giveaway of his discontentment after having lost control of the conversation. Amused, Zora could simply smirk as she continued. Provoking people who believed they were in control had always been one Zora's favorite pastimes.

Her thoughts were also quickly proven to be true, as Rowan didn't hesitate to immediately try to regain his lost 'authority' by saying they would be training and teaching Zora, which only caused her to let out an amused laughter, which, coupled with her amused expression as she looked at him would definitely annoy Rowan even more.

But Zora's attention quickly changed from provoking Rowan to Aurora as she spoke. Staying true to her words, Aurora's very tone of voice and even her eyes looked quite exhausted, which caused Zora to gently put her arms around her, gently hugging her.

"Kindness will always be repaid. You are not alone, Aurora. whenever you feel tired, exhausted or just needs someone to pamper you, don't hesitate to call your sister." Zora said with a gentle smile.

Just as she finished saying that though, she noticed the reason why Aurora had hesitated in speaking further, as her brother was now observing them instead of continuing his talk with Barrock.

"Oh please Rowan, don't tell me you are trying to control our girl talk now? Or maybe... you intend to join it?" Zora said, with a provocative smirk.