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A Lowly Wretch male Member

The Listless Loiterer

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In Haven Online - Stage: 1 → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
[Pawn] + Rook

He never liked visiting the city.

It was always crowded with people, something he wasn't very comfortable with. He'd never been much of a social fellow but with the guild still in the back of his mind he wore his worries like he wore his backpack.

"Say, Rook, You wouldn't happen to see anything up there?" He asked his significantly taller magically automated companion.

"\\: Negative. Multiple entities ahead. Structures ahead." Rook answered back in it's typical stiffly robotic manner.

As they walked up [Pawn] was able to confirm what it had just said as he approached the town of Bell. A rustic town with a fair degree of attention paid to detail. They approached from the south, passing alongside the stream of travelers as one of many as they entered through the large open wooden gate. The theme of this town struck him as an old western frontier town on the prairies, something which clashed with the theme park-esque glut of players all buzzing here to there and so forth like a big hive of land bound bees.

As [Pawn] walked he kept his head low and stuck close to Rook, more behind it than anything since it's rather sizeable frame served as an effective plow, the crowded streets parting to allow this mass of stone through. They continued on, passing old timey buildings surrounded by curious players. He suspected he had yet to reach the market district which was good. He had no plans for shopping, especially not now. He had all the gear he needed for at least a solid couple of weeks of adventuring before he'd need to restock. His gear while not the best had served him rather fine thus far, being upper tier equipment for the earlier zones. There was little need for him to be on the cutting edge of equipment and as for potions he barely needed anything of the sort. He rarely sought combat and often let Rook tank the odd mob here and there, patching it up afterwards with his magic. As he was able to recover his mana between battles he hardly needed any mana potions, especially given the fact that his types of magic had very little in the way of mana heavy spells. He was mostly a summoner who's spells were largely to benefit his creations while they fought for him. At least that's how that was in combat. He tended to favor magic that could yield as much if not more out of combat use over in combat use. As for healing potions Rook couldn't use them and [Pawn] certainly never wanted to be put in the position where he'd need them.

_
The two of them eventually reached the city center where their purpose for visiting the city sat. A massive blue crystal enshrined in a finely runed device or as most people know them the Home Crystal. People were quite able to quick travel to any town with one of these lovery azure chunks set in them so long as they have visited it at least once. Seeing as this area just came out a lot of people were coming to seize the opportunity to have instant access to the new maps recently put out. Even if they had little reason to come or had other pursuits most would come if only to unlock this town's Home Crystal for future use.

As [Pawn] set his hand against the stone a bluish energy filled the air around him, blue motes of energy bubbling up from the ground and ascending around him in a spiral. A little translucent window opened in front of him. Home Crystal registered. With a thought he closed the message screen and continued on his way. All he needed to do now was leave the town, hopefully unrecognized, and he'd be scot-free. Free to roam the lands and explore the rich natural scenery of this graphically dense update. Just as they were beginning to walk towards the north gate however there was a low rumble in the distance followed by smoke and most notably the sounds of panic.

"What the heck was that?" As though listening the message screen atop the water tower lit up, brightly advertising a list of players under the tagline Hunt. In tandem a quest was suddenly added to his questlog, as indicated by the blinking Unread Quest icon at the top right corner of his quest tab. At a mere thought he opened the tab and brought up the new quest which told him in full the nature of this PVP event he was unwittingly volunteered for.

Before he could really even act the news along with the events down in the market place had stirred the thick crowds of people into a panic. He watched as the once busy crowd that surrounded him turned into a panicked mob, pushing and shoving each other as they ran for the many exits. Quite frankly he would of been among them in trying to leave but given his less than impressive stature he felt quite at risk of being trampled. Also there was little way for him to have Rook follow him at any reasonably quick pace as, given his size and strength, he'd probably trample a fair number of people which would be quite unpleasant and something that [Pawn] was morally opposed to making Rook do.

"Quickly Rook! Hoist me up on your shoulder!" He commanded, a sizeable stone hand gripping him around his torso upon his command. He was lifted up and sat upon the ridge of it's body, just beside it's head. Now that he was above the crowd he could see the situation a fair bit better. It seems there was a fair amount of fire starting to consume the market sector and there were certain players attacking others, the aggressors all belonging to the notorious guild Our World. He looked down and while there was no longer any risk of getting caught off guard by melee attacks he was still in plenty of danger. Unwilling to drive Rook forward at the risk of hurting others he did the only thing he could really do in this situation.

"Of the Crystal Rite, I summon forth the Seed. Basic Turret, activate!" He read forth the spell's incantation. Shuddering forth from the fabric of reality a strange floating sigil wrought from a deep bluish purple evanescent force manifested, strings of mana flowing from [Pawn]'s fingertips and pouring inside the construct's form like water filling a strangely shaped glass. Above the sigil was a small orb of congealed mana which shifted and churned with the motes it was comprised of. Beneath the sigil was a softly glowing circle of neon blue light which indicated the turret's position, a small triangular point affixed to the side of the circle denoting which direction it was going to fire. This was the Basic Turret, the very first spell in the Tower Defense bracket. Pulling up the screen name list presented by the message board he tagged each aggressor as a target, thus allowing for his turret to lock onto them should one of them step into it's sight radius.

With that he and Rook slowly started to make their way towards the north exit, taking great care not to step on anyone while he waited for his turret spell to recharge.
In Haven Online - Stage: 1 → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
In Haven Online (High Casual VRMMO Roleplay) → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
Here is my complete CS, now posted publicly whilst it's pending approval.

In Haven Online (High Casual VRMMO Roleplay) → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
@Anders - Do not worry. Their stats will certainly not overlap with each others. I suppose I'll get a sheet up, perhaps send you a WIP if I can't find good pictures right away. Otherwise I'll see to posting a complete sheet fairly soon.
In Haven Online (High Casual VRMMO Roleplay) → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
@Anders - I find this rp promising. I do vouch my interest in throwing my hat in the ring, so to speak. I'm curious however on what your thoughts are on a character that uses a duo dynamic with an NPC companion, similar to something like the Ice Climbers of SMB?
In A Tale of Seven Children → 7 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, the sun shined in through the window above his bed.

And the infirmary held new guests.

Rick Brackwall

With a yawn Rick rose from his sheets, the bed crinkling as he moved. The top of his bed was covered with blank white paper sheets which he slept upon. While most would find this uncomfortable and noisy he found the layer of paper over his bed to provide excellent comfort. It conformed to his body, the crinkling was of little note to him and he got to wake up to the smell of a new book. He certainly found paper had worked itself into his life in many ways both large and small.

He began his morning with a shower before dressing up in his standard issue uniform and preparing himself breakfast. His meal was a buttery salmon fillet with a side of toast and a refreshing mint tea. After eating he checked his phone to look up the latest news from the WDL's main board. While he often bemoaned the use of technology surplanting good old fashioned paperwork it did save him a bit of time as this way he didn't have to go down to the offices first to find out where else he was needed.

Navigating his way past the piles of papers that filled his apartment, piles which were stacked taller than he could see past and were so numerous that they only allowed for single person-width passageways between them, he made his way over to the door.

_
After leaving his apartment he made his way down over the bridge and on towards the infirmary. Since the morning was young the sounds of folks about the base were still low as many people were yet to finish their morning routines. Rick had made sure to get up early since he was expecting this arrival.

A shame this latest sibling should be arriving to our medical center as opposed to our greeting center. The thought crossed his mind as he approached the infirmary.

Rick entered the infirmary's front double doors. The place held all the hallmarks of a medical recovery facility, from the scent of disinfecting cleaning fluid in the air to the sounds of ailment. He approached the front desk where a nurse sat.

"Hello. I wish to see the patient that arrived four hours ago."

"Ah, hello Rick. You'll find him under Eine's care up in room 7C."

With a nod and a "Thank you." Rick proceeded over to the elevator where he proceeded up to their floor. Walking with a strong stride, not one of pride but of a focus to business, he eventually made his way up to the patient's room.

_
Inside the room, a very focused nurse was sat with her fingers pressed firmly against her temples.
Of all the things to have happened, this could possibly be the worst. She only hoped that none of the other children had to suffer these injuries on their way to their new home.
It would make an awful impression.
It did, however, mean that Eine was able to familiarise herself with her new charges.
And do what she did best.

She reached out and pressed both hands against the unconscious Jojo's temples. Looking over the clipboard in her hand once last time, she let out a loud, annoyed hiss and closed her eyes, focusing on the boy's body as she activated her powers.
"Shattered right shoulder with a puncture wound that exits the other side,
torn tendons in both arms,
two puncture wounds in his throat, barely missing his jugular vein,
a fractured left tibia and outright broken right fibula,
severe bruising and swelling on his left side and left side of his back,
minor internal organ damage- slightly healed via his own regenerative abilities kicking in to respond to the trauma..
a total of eight cracked ribs,
a minor concussion,
a small jaw dislocation,
minor impact damage to his spine and back, bruising around his right ankle,
several lacerations around his entire body, ranging from small and shallow to small but deep..
severe envenomation via injection through the neck, Tsuchigumo venom, treated upon arrival with possibility of relapse..
Mein Gott, someone certainly tried their best to kill you, didn't they, little Jonathan?"

_
"Indeed. For one so inexperienced he faired quite well, all things considered." Rick added, stepping into the room after he had made his presence known. He had caught her recap of his wounds as he was right at the door when she recited them. Rick gave a short nod to Eine before stepping aside to the corner of the room. "I do apologize for dropping in. I shall keep from distracting you any further."

With that said he looked over the body of the young man over from his side of the room as he waited for Eine to proceed with the mending, his arms behind him as he stood with almost military formality.

_
Eine turned, unsurprised, and gave Rick a small smile.
"Please, Rick, your presence is always welcome."
She sat for a while, marking down all of Jojo's injuries on the clipboard in her hand with remarkable speed.
Somehow her handwriting was very clear, something not many doctors could attest to.
"He did very well, indeed. He seems to be the frontline guard type. A Templar in his future with us, perhaps? He singlehandedly fought off a rather dangerous Youkai while also fighting off the venom coursing through his veins for several hours at least. It seems having that gives one quite a potent bonus."

Standing up, Eine reached over and brushed Jojo's hair from his face with a small smile. She shifted herself, reaching over and clamping both of her hands against his temples once more as tightly as she could while remaining gentle.
A final check to make sure nothing was missed.
And, indeed, nothing had been missed.

Eine's closed eyes narrowed a little but she began chanting under her breath, a soft and steady melody that made the skin beneath her palms glow ever so softly.
"Please forgive this trespass, but it is for your own good."
Dropping back into her chanting, the green glow began to shoot through Jojo's exposed torso. His body was covered by a sheet from the waist down, but he was mostly exposed otherwise.
Rick, due to this, would be able to watch as the green glow spread through his body to the injuries he'd sustained, pausing there and growing brighter. Large clumps of green under Jojo's skin began to glow brighter.
There was a crack as the glow in his left leg suddenly vanished, sparkling brightly before fading out. Jojo's broken leg and the bruising around it had been fully healed.
In a realm of her own, Eine slowly, one by one, healed Jojo's wounds. She even healed a scar on his chin where he'd cut himself shaving to be nice.
Several minutes passed before all of the green glow on Jojo's body vanished and Eine slowly sat back, reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing a small cup of water, taking a sip.
Putting it down and swallowing, she turned to Rick with a small smile.
"Now, Rick, how may I assist you?"

_
Rick watched with due interest as she performed her healing arts. Her skill and ability were both quite the treat to witness no matter how often they required. Indeed, They were required often. He had been fortunate in only occasionally requiring her services. One's first demon hunts were rarely ever clean kills, a standard which held true for even Rick himself.

"I had come to check on the condition of our new arrival here. It seems we were slow to the punch in retrieving him given the injuries he sustained." He briefly looked down at Jojo's unconscious form before looking back to meet Eine's own eye.

"In any case is there a possible estimate as to how long before he awakens? I wish to greet him and bring him up to speed at the earliest opportunity, especially given the circumstances of his arrival."

_
Eine reached up to stroke her bandaged chin, casting her gaze over to Jojo for a moment before looking back to Rick.
"Physically, he'll be fine to awaken any time after half an hour from now. Mentally, he may require at least another six hours rest. He's been through a lot, after all. If you'd like I can alert you as soon as he awakens? It wouldn't be much trouble at all."

_
"That would be ideal. Given the time projected I'll attend to another matter for now. I should be available long before he emerges from his rest if all goes accordingly." Rick walked over, seemingly scanning his body with a look of some concentration.

Such potential... All tucked away inside an unassuming body.

Returning from his thoughts he turned back to face Eine. "I suspect we'll be expecting more arrivals. With any luck they should be retrieved significantly less maimed than this one. I will be free until otherwise noted by my superiors as this situation takes precedent over my other duties."

_
Eine gave him a quick nod and a small smile.
"I do hope you enjoy meeting your new, ah, friends. I too, hope they will be arriving with less injuries. While I am confident in my ability to heal them, I am sure they would much appreciate not having to be healed in the first place."
The German accent was much easier to handle now, having become used to speaking English instead of her native German.
"As for you, Rick, how are things? I do hope you have been taking good care of yourself lately. Miss Illusion tells me you are working on a super secret project that even she is not informed of."
There was a coy smile on her face now as she reached for the cup of water again.
It really was true that the Principal had an odd way of knowing things.
She was also a chatterbox, which wasn't the best trait, but it was Illusion so it was forgivable.
At least by some people.

_
Rick had always found her accent easier to navigate given his background. Despite that due to his long years in service to the WDL his accent was more Italian than German by now however.

"I do have some side projects underway. Testing the results of my studies is an endeavor without end as there will always be need for more understanding. As for anything else I cannot confirm nor deny what she may or may not be referring to." Rick paused to allow her a moment to drink her water.

"How fairs your work lately? Have we been improving on our mission casualty to success ratio as of late?"

_
Eine smiled.
"Now that Medics are officially allowed to attend the battlefront due to the extra training on Defensive Magick, our casualty rate has dropped quite well. However, there are still those instances where death cannot be avoided. Those instances, I expect, will be handed over to you and your new, erm, soldiers." She paused on that last word.
Soldiers.
None of them asked for this, did they? Did they sin in past lives so badly that these lives were tainted before they were even born?
Surely not even the worst sinner deserved what these poor children were going to suffer through.
Especially if..

"Rick, I would like a personal favour. How is your knowledge on the Despair War?"

_
Rick's expression did not change from his usual calm and collected self but his smile did fade to a neutral line of a more serious nature. In truth he was vaguely taken aback by her sudden interest in his knowledge of the war.

"I have studied the Despair War to a thorough degree. What is it that you require?" His tone inflection was a subtle change towards a note of curious concern. He knew Eine well and would happily carry out most requests issued by her but it was rare of her to ask.

_
"If you happen to come across any Demons coloured blue and black, please notify me immediately."
Her soft tone was gone, replaced by harsh and cold words that came through tight lips.
Her gaze cast down towards the floor as she slowly stood up, adjusting the collar of her lab coat before looking Rick dead in the eyes.
"If there are any remaining, the coming times would be a chance for them to become prominent once again. I pray that you make sure that none of your companions fall to that particular darkness. We were given a warning, and our time is almost up. Please exercise caution, Rick. You missed the war, but the aftermath may still claim you yet. Abyss Demons, if anything, are cunning and remorseless."

_
Rick nodded, taking the seriousness of her request to heart.

"I shall bring any indication of such demons to your attention in immediate measure. Be they the real deal or simply shadow demons of a similar appearance I'll show no less than full diligence in keeping yourself as well as both Arthur and Illusion apprised of their sightings."

He stepped up to Eine, still only just within arms reach.

"There is few matters I regard more seriously than the due date we were issued. The fact that my siblings are showing only highlights the gravity of this upcoming situation. Make no mistake, I am looking into this to find out just why this is all coinciding as it is and by who's hands it's being set into motion by."

With one glance at the clock his expression switched back to a mildly friendlier one, his smile returned.

"Alas, I do enjoy speaking with you but I must be off to a meeting while our friend here is still in recovery."

He began towards the door, his hand on the knob as he looked back to Eine.

"If no more people show up with critical injuries don't forget to unwind. Such opportunities might be scarcer in the future."

_
Eine let a soft chuckle escape her lips.
"Trust me, Rick, I know. Make sure to follow your own advice, however. Even a hero needs a break sometimes."
She gave him a quick wave and nod as he left, settling back down into her seat to finish off the information on the clipboard before getting back to her usual workday.
Eine's reaction to Rick's mention of the potential puppetmaster only surfaced after his departure, a long, tired sigh dragging itself out of her throat as she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, her hand darting up to her forehead.
"Lord please don't let this turn into another Despair War."

Last Night.

A soft knock on the door of one of the WDL's premier Exorcists and winner of the 'Most Conveniently Placed Child of the Devil' award was the very quick indicator that a visitor had arrived at his own little slice of Eden.
Well, maybe not Eden, but something like that.

Illusion was usually the type to ignore doorbells and knocking considering she could quite easily transport herself to any inch of the compound's three sections with ease but in this case she felt a bit of respect for one Rick Brackwall's privacy was an important part of their good relationship.
It wasn't easy to convince someone in his situation that not all Demons were bloodthirsty, murderous monsters.
Illusion had tried her best however.

Standing at the entrance to the doorway she reached up and idly tucked an annoying bit of hair back into place with a pout upon her face.
Patience wasn't one of her virtues, however.

_
Rick sat as his desk, leaned over a small rectangle of card paper. While writing was never necessary in most circumstances given he could just fake the motions and have the words appear under his pen in this case it was strictly necessary as the process required a physical medium to complete the enchantment. His focus on the etching of arcane symbols was as keen as a surgeon's operation. There was a knock at the door.

He sighed. He was three quarters of the way through with what was both a difficult and delicate process. He hadn't written a spell this small before, the smallest prior was about the size of an envelope. He couldn't be so rude as to ignore a guest at his doorstep however and so against his first inclination he released hold of his pen, the tool remaining upright in the exact position he was holding it when the knocking began, and stood up from his both finely carved and thoughtfully padded chair. Walking from his desk he navigated the towering stacks of papers which formed a veritable maze across the area of his entire apartment all the way over to his door.

Standing proper, still dressed in his finely pressed WDL uniform for the evening, he took a quick peak at the door's peephole to confirm it wasn't the wrong demon waiting on the other side for him before opening the door.

"Hello Illusion. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" He answered the door, a voice strong yet airy. He was ever polite with a cool level tone to his voice. While it might not of been readily clear there was a pleasant undertone to his words as he was usually quite happy to see her. Though often strange she supported him throughout the hard times such training has brought him over the years. A veritable kindness he was keen to repay someday.

_
Illusion looked up at the man before her- something she'd found more than a little funny. She'd watched him grow from slightly taller than her to a height that made her the perfect level for him to lean on.
She certainly hoped he wouldn't do so, however.
The undertone of his voice didn't go unnoticed, however, and Illusion's already wide smile grew into a wider grin.
"Ricky! I'm sorry to bother you in such a busy time, but I do come on business. May I come in?"
Of course she wasn't hindered by any 'vampiric laws' that prevented her from walking in but she was a respectful and courteous person nonetheless. She wouldn't make her move until Rick had invited it.
She slowly levitated up so that she was on better height terms with him, she didn't want to strain his neck after all. It's one of the most important parts of the human anatomy after all.

_
Rick nodded, smiling pleasantly as he stepped aside to allow her passage inside. "Of course. I'd be remiss to put lesser matters before a visit from yourself." Of course she wasn't the only one who took precidence over his work. They were few but each equally important both to him and in the scope of things as he saw it, either by the station they held or by the knowledge which they dealt with.

_
Illusion casually floated past Rick, a small smile on her features as she looked through the room and made sure not to knock over any of the many stacks of paper that were nearby.
Nearby meaning everywhere.

She floated a little further into the apartment before turning midair and giving him a formal bow.
"We've found more of you. Arthur and I have agreed that you should be informed so you may prepare for their arrival which could, ah, really be any time from now. I wouldn't exactly rush them, but.. well, you know how it is with Demons casually sliding into their lives and deciding to eat their neighbours and all that nonsense."
She gave Rick a moment to process the information and interject. He was a curious man and she knew that he'd have at least some questions. It was her job as a Principal to make sure any queries were answered.
It also helped that she actually enjoyed her time with Rick unlike the time she spent with a certain other Exorcist's mood swings.

_
After all this time of complete silence from the world at large after his arrival the sudden news of the discovery of new sons and daughters of the devil left him a bit stunned. It only showed in a slight raise of the brow as he took a moment to consider her meaning.

With a small gesture, not unlike the turning of a page in a book, the door gently closed behind them. The face of the door from the interior wore a veritable mesh of scrolls which were hung from the door by thin strips of clear tape. These scrolls were primed to harmlessly incapacitate mundane intruders and trap more supernatural entities. It was a likely needless measure given the WDL's wards and general security but for Rick nothing was ever a guarantee. It was better to have a defense that never saw use than to lack a defense when it counted.

With the room closed off to the possible roaming listener he felt it appropriate to continue the discussion. "I see. I appreciate the forewarning. I also suspect you know that I'll have a number of questions regarding them." He leaned back on seemingly nothing, letting the scrolls he kept under his suit support him as a wall would. Awaiting Illusion's response he placed the tips of his fingers together, bridging his fingers against each other in a small arch for the time being.

_
Illusion gave Rick a small smile.
"Six, including yourself. We even have files on them courtesy of an, uh, a new acquaintance of mine. That's also what allowed us to bypass our lovely little Demon sensors if you're curious about that. I'd recommend going out and seeking her out when you have the time, she might be able to offer you a rather nice deal." Illusion's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"If you're so curious.. I can have the files with you by tomorrow morning if you'd like to peruse them yourself. It'd be much better for you to read those than for me to spend time going into each and every detail of their life and, yes, trust me, I have them under surveillance as we speak." Illusion looked to the side as one of her portals appeared- a tiny, fingertip-sized portion of reality itself cracking and peeling away like shards of a mirror and, behind it, there was two people standing inside of a busy fast food restaurant. "Any other questions I haven't thought up? I'd rather not grab them before we need to, however, so kidnapping them is out of the question completely."

_
Rick closed his eyes and listened close as she relayed the details to questions she had apparently already thought up. Yet another one of those times where her reasoning as to these convenient coincidences left something to be desired. Though the thought of using mental magic to intrude brought a vile feeling to his gut it had passed his mind more than once the possibility of looking inside to see where she pulls these insights from.

Rather than be distracted by a reoccuring concern he decided to turn his mind back to graver matters. Having spent so many years as the only one of the seven to have been found he had mixed feelings towards the idea of finding the others. On one hand it would accelerate Arthur's plan of turning the seven into a weapon against the forces of hell and subsequently allow them to help these poor souls learn to appreciate the peace that order brings. On the other hand it was prophesized that with the coming of the seven children the apocalypse would begin. While helping his new siblings was a task of great importance he had hoped that unlike him the other six would never be discovered and thus be allowed to disappear from the earth without any cause for turmoil. The risk that their souls might be intrensically tied to hell where they'd become tools of the devil was present but so was the risk that they'd all be gathered in one place, setting terrible machinations into motion.

As it stood the latter seemed to be the most likely to occur now that they were found. It was simply a matter of time.
"There is no need to show our hand. Let them enjoy their lives free of the strife hell is bound to offer." A firm statement. His hands slipped past each other, elegantly snaking one arm over the other as he crossed them. He opened his eyes to look directly into Illusions own scarlet irides.

"It is imperative we are ready to act should hell's own find any one of those five." He broke eye contact, looking aside while taking his right hand and giving a quick circular spin gesture as a means of dismissing any potential intensity from his serious as it was far from necessary given the present company. "Naturally I'd like to see the files on my half-siblings as soon as possible so I can get ahead on preparations. Also, given how resourceful your acquaintance is a meeting with her would be of great interest as well."

Letting his left arm drop to his side he took his right arm and set it across his chest, closing his eyes and issuing Illusion a standing bow. "Though one such as I orders not one of your esteem. It is but the suggestions and requests of your humble exorcist."

_
Illusion chuckled softly under her breath. "Trust me when I say that once Hell enters their lives it won't be pretty. After all, it's always nice to go for a trip to Greed and watch people get melted alive in molten gold." Illusion cocked her head to the side slightly. "Well, Ricky, you know how quick I can be." Slipping her hand into a small portal beside her as the prior one 'repaired' itself Rick would feel a quick tap on his shoulder from behind before Illusion pulled her hand free and the portal shut itself on both ends. "I might personally be involved in the act of snapping up all of your new brothers and sisters. A kind of safety net if you will. You'll be able to see the files soon, although if you head over to meet our new mutual acquaintance you'll find the source of those files ready and willing to give them to you to peruse.. and perhaps another deal might be headed your way. A particularly special one."

The smile that split Illusion's features made no attempt to hide the amusement.
"Feel free to request as you will, Rick. You're very dear to both Arthur and myself and your station has only increased considering the, ah, coming events. I've no real clue what the Devil plans for you and your new siblings but I'll be trying my best to avert the Apocalypse alongside everyone else here. That includes ensuring the safety of you and everyone else here."
Illusion paused for a moment, reaching in to yet another portal and pulling forth a very familiar sword. It was a lovely thing, Excalibur, and it seemed to radiate its very own light as Illusion brandished it.
Well, she didn't brandish it, she sat it on her lap, still in its sheath, and watched it for a few moments.
"I believe we can avoid the end of the world. If we can prevent someone like that Demon God then I'm sure we can stop Devi." Her eyes flicked up to match Rick's own.

_
Rick met her own eyes in return.

"There is little doubt we'll succeed." He then turned and proceeded towards the windows in front of his desk. Beyond the lovely silhouettes of roman architecture the moon hung high up in the night sky. It was as luminescent as it was round, currently at it's fullest for this one night of the month. He gazed up at the moonlight, his mind left to wonder of matters well out of his control.

"The question remains: Is time with us... or against us?"

@Kuroakuma
In World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist [A Quirky Fighting Game Inspired Roleplay Reboot] → 7 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Al

For a stretch of time it seemed rather endless. Left, right, back and forward, they came at him from all directions, all thrashing at him with bent poles and such. Their attacks were so minor he hardly needed to consciously defend against any of them. Their damage did not bypass the strength of his divine protection and barely took away enough to wear his force down faster than he could recover it. As it was he could keep up this sort of fight for hours. If it wasn't for his unmitigated anger at the harm they've caused he'd of been lackadaisically dispatching them by this point.

As the group immediately on him started to thin out he turned to see something strange slip-n-sliding up at him. Raising his arms to block the statue the tall humanoid clad in blue tossed her victim into another guy on him before taking the last statue guy out with a large ice gauntlet. It was at that point that the tall blue looking lady in the hood babbled something in Japanese at him excitedly.

"... What?" He asked confusedly, a single eyebrow of bewilderedness raised on his uncertain expression.

"Those of you can that fight and aren't occupied with ensuring the safety of innocents, rally by me!" Some distant dude in armor yelled.

"What?" He yelled back, not having heard his whole spiel the first time around due to some distractions, chiefest of which was the tall ice wielder in front of him.

"Pardon the interruption, but this seems the best place to plant a choke point. Wouldn't you agree?"

Al looked to the winged armor man who just went ahead and speared yet another statue. He then looked around at what few surroundings he could still see through the haze of smoke and blue mist.

"Uh, we're in the middle of an arena. What part of this resembles a choke point?" He asked what he presumed was a good question seeing as how there was little way to physically bar the intruders from, say, going around them and attacking the others.

"I don't know jack about choke points so whatever, I guess." He relented, deciding it wasn't worth his time to argue other what dumb stuff the others were yakking on about. He instead turned his focus forward where distantly he could see the next wave of living statues now armed with their makeshift cudgels marching towards them. Eyes steeled upon his foes he readied himself for the battle ahead.
In World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist [A Quirky Fighting Game Inspired Roleplay Reboot] → 7 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Al

The scene was absolute chaos.

Coming up from the stairs Al bore witness to a scene of sheer destruction. Lucky for him the staircase that led up to the spectator seats were still intact as it seemed the structural integrity of the arena was quickly falling apart as a result of the rising statues. At least, that's what little he saw through the haze of dust and blue smoke. So many of these things had been felled that it filled the air with a piercing blue smoke. It was like if someone set off a bunch of ground up cobalt dust bombs everywhere. Contrary to that thought the blue smoke was the only stuff in the air that didn't have a gritty texture to it. Concrete dust and smoke born of fire mingled with the air no less than the blue smoke did.

Despite all the air pollution Al could still definitely see areas he was definitely needed. He figured he was likely needed all over the place right now but these were the only parts he could see right now. Amongst all the loose statue men were a band of them that were setting upon people stuck at a congested exit. It seemed it wasn't the statues that barred their path here but each other's bodies. The people in the front could only clear out so quickly, leaving the people behind them scrambling to get over as the viscious stone men hacked at the back of the crowd like farmers threshing wheat.

Al leapt into the fray, jumping straight among the thirty odd band of armed rocks with features. Though groups like these had taken down some nomads already they were still registering the fact something was running at them. Using the time they were still using to figure out what the heck was going on Al turned to the statue man on his left and let loose a right round thai kick to the guy's stone leg. His shin smashed right through it's leg, basically kicking the leg right off it as it suddenly fell over on it's side. With quick thinking he picked up his downed foe and turned to the rest of the stone attackers now fixated on him. Despite the flailing of his current ammunition he quickly hefted the big guy up with surprising ease. Now over his head at his arms full reach he swung forward, lobbing the statue both downward and forward into the main meat of the pack now digging in their heels to rush him.

_
The one legged stone man smashed into the front of the bunch that were just starting their charge. Many of the frontmost ones were toppled over, laying in a stony mound of each other. The ones behind them were forced to climb over their quite literally fallen brethren. Just in the chaos in their fervor to rush Al the statues trampled over their own, heads ground into the broken up floor as limbs are forced to bend ways they weren't designed to, cracking the limbs off as a result. They were virtually destroying each other in their almost bestial rush.

To his right the closest statue man was nigh upon him, club upraised to smash him down or at least try. Try was all it could do as Al blocked the blow with his forearm, guarding against it's attack before retaliating with a straight punch right to it's sternum. Smashing his fist halfway into it's torso he swung the body now hanging off his clenched hand back over to his left again. The body shielded him against another's makeshift staff attack, the strike leaving large cracks down his temporary shield's back. Stepping forward to lengthen his stance Al put his hips and body behind a major punch with the hand still encased in a statue monster's body. With his fancy fist decoration forcing the defender's guard up he was able to connect with the next statue's midsection. His fist smashed clean through the statue he was hoisting about and right into the next one. The blow left a long crack throughout the statue's midsection, the line meeting up with the imprint of Al's fist.

Refusing to acknowledge the damage that had been dealt the statue arced it's faux staff back like a baseball player up to bat when quickly used this opportunity to deliver a sweeping kick to it's torso. The crack revealed itself in full as with almost no effort he tapped it's body with his leg only for the upper torso to fall right off like a vase knocked off it's stand.

_
With the sides taken care of he could face the foes to his front head on. Having dealt with roughly ten of the statues from this band by this point it was time to step up his game and finish the rest off if only to give the people just that extra little bit more time to escape.

Throwing the attackers in for a loop he leapt clear over their head, driving forward with a leaping knee strike which knocked the backmost statue man's head clear off in a shower of chunks and pebbles. Landing right after taking down yet another stone foe he quickly turned and ran up upon the heap of broken up rock which used to be the statues they trampled. Upon the high ground he let loose a storm of kicks and punches to any and all attackers who came in range of him. Quite unafraid of their comparitively feeble attacks he took more of an offense oriented stance, speed and power prevailing over self preservation. Heads were shattered, arms torn asunder, legs felled like timber beneath the axe.

Al started to find that simply breaking a leg or two of theirs left a statue as little more than an obstacle for other more able bodied stone warriors. As they were coming so readily they did not care if any one of them was in the way or not. All the statues were either trampling their leg impaired buddies or tripping over them in their single minded drive to kill. Apparently those who were simply legged were more of an obstacle to the statue militia than the ruined remains of the arena itself was.

_
Once he was through with the small mob of statues, their remains scattered as they fell apart once their animating force left them, he had earned a moment to breath and assess the situation. Thankfully the newly formed statues were taking a moment to craft themselves makeshift weaponry meaning reinforcements to the main body of aggressive stone men would take slightly longer than instant which was long enough for Al.

He took a breath while what little of the stamina aka ki he spent returned to him. Looking out he could see there were at least five other groups of these battle hungry bastards currently formed, not including many more individual statue men doing their own thing seperately. While he'd rather tackle them group by group it didn't seem like the people they were setting upon would last past the time it would take him to fell just one group of these monsters. While the Maverick forces and some nomads were faring better than the normal folks they were largely consumed with holding their own. Without a relief of pressure from the attacking statues everyone else would be prey to the slaughter without them.

As he hated to admit it he was just one guy. Even with crazy super powers it wasn't just an excuse to say that even he wasn't going to be able to save everyone, well, everyone that was still alive that is. It burned him from within to know that he was too late to do much more than simply save the few survivors in this panicked mess of carnage and bloodshed.

But it wasn't too late for Maverick to do something about it.

_
Taking initiative Al leapt from the pile of broken chunks of statue, his body feeling oddly light as he soared through the air. He stuck an almost perfectly silent landing, the sound of his breathing louder than the sound his feet made touching down upon the ground. Hardly even noticing him Al kicked yet another leg off of the nearest statue man.

"Hey assholes! Fight me!" He loudly proclaimed, shouting over the noise of panicked screams just to be heard. Picking up the statue he knocked over he lobbed it's feisty one legged body into the girth of the group before leaping away. He did this with all the largest groups in the fray. Kicking out legs, throwing them, yelling at them, he did everything in his power just to piss off every last statue man. For the most part it seemed to work as now a massive swarm of the eight foot tall buggers were converging on him.

Standing atop a small mountain of disintegrated statue bodies Al watched a veritable sea of enemies climbing up the sides like ants over leftover lava cake. The only thing he had going for him now were his crazy super powers and the fact that once again he held the high ground. As a couple of them neared the peak of the mountain he went ahead and kicked their heads off, their crumbling bodies collapsing against the statue men behind them. Those who tumbled were crushed underfoot like all the rest as they continued to climb for him unrelentingly.

Punching and kicking Al fought off the massive horde of statue men he had gathered. He shrugged off numerous stray blows which largely grazed off his limbs anytime they were extended in an attack. The rest of the arena was sparce now with only trace amounts of statue men not engaged with Al. He had bought Maverick and the nomads some time to help those in need before the next full wave of statue men finished making weapons to join the fray.

It wasn't going to be long. He hoped they'd at least make the most of it.
In World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist [A Quirky Fighting Game Inspired Roleplay Reboot] → 7 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Al

The ground shuddered. His coffee drinking was interrupted as he lowered the rules notes and glanced about to see what was causing the ground to rumble. Nothing immediately presented any notable source for the earth's subtle motions. Quite the mystery. With a shrug he was just about to pick up his papers when the ground shook yet again, harder this time.

"What the hell?" He swore under his breath, looking around now more confused as to what was going on than before. The whole cafe shook once more as the tiled floor erupted, the worked flooring exploding out from the point where a stone man was beginning to emerge. The massive stone figure pulled itself from the dirt and stood tall, looming over the mostly frightened masses at a terrifying... Eight feet tall, approximately. Alright, so it wasn't that big but considering they were in Japan it was basically a giant by comparison to most folks. To Al it was just two or three heads taller than him. While everyone else in the cafe were fleeing or hiding behind cover he just stood up, eyed the tall earthen adversary up and down to gauge how tough it might be, chugged down the rest of his coffee since he could barely feel the scalding hot liquid's intense heat and he crumpled the paper cup up with the same hand, tossing it over his shoulder once he was done.

"Damn. I was hoping to be wrong about this tournament." He uttered mostly to himself as nobody else could understand him and the ugly stone guy didn't seem to care. The statue with the glowing blue eyes held aloft it's big club and bellowed forth a great roar, one that was joined from many around. With an annoyed sigh Al put his fists up, getting ready for a scrap.

_
Taking his motion as a challenge the rock man charged at him, club raised high to crush him with sheer force. Just as it made it's move towards him Al kicked off his back heel and darted right past it's weapon's threat range. Seeing as it had no real plan to block any attacks on it there was nothing in the way of his target as he drove his fist into it's side with a powerful straight punch. Hitting the stone felt like hard clay against his fist, the surface shattering around his hand as he struck true. The force of the blow not only left a fist shaped crater in it's torso but also sent the whole thing flying back, smashing partways into the wall behind it.

Though damaged the statue was still mostly intact, pulling itself from the wall for round two. At this point Al was beginning to suspect he might not have that much to fear from this guy. While very heavy for normal folk for Al it was fairly light considering just one hit took it right off it's feet. Moving a lot more lax in his motion Al just kinda shuffled forward, hands still up of course as he watched for the big guy's next attack.

The statue's idea of mixing it's attack up apparently consisted of a one-two punch club swing as it tried to hit him with a sloppy rocky hook before kicking his momentum back around for an upwards swing. Al decided to brave the punch however, the blow glancing off his shoulder with minimal effect. Once again too close for effective clubbing he went to town, starting with an uppercut to the lower right side of it's stomach. Using the angle of his footing he brought his whole body into the blow, creating far more power than he had put in his straight punch. His fist crashed into the stoney surface of the animated statue, not stopping there as it drove up through it's body. He was all the way down to his elbow inside the thing. With his other fist he swung up with a long overhead hook to it's face. The blow basically crushed it's entire face, leaving his hand halfway into it's head.

_
After Al's little one-two of his own the force that kept the statue moving left, leaving the stone to crumble apart. His arms fell back to his sides as the stone which previously housed his fists began to disintegrate. With the statue now nothing more than loose rubble Al looked to his right hand which he had previously used to cave in the former statue's face. A strange blue energy seemed to sizzle away from the dust that covered his fist, dissipating into nothing.

"Everybody okay?" Al asked as he was dusting his arms off. There was little to no response as anyone who was able to understand him had fled. Seeing the complete lack of understanding Al turned his efforts back towards looking to see what was going on. Running out into the ground floor hall he looked out to see many more statue men rising up and...

"Are they... Climbing the arena?" He mildly exclaimed with equal parts confusion and surprise. What the heck is up with this arena? He wondered, looking over to the stairs leading up to the audience seats overlooking the arena itself. The MAVERICK guards who were standing by the entrance had long since ran in leaving the whole area conveniently open for entry. Running to and up the stairs he could hear the sharp echoes of gunfire both far and near, a sound only barely audible over the din of terrified screams.

He could only hope nobody was seriously injured as of yet. As much as he'd of rather sat this one out he'd hate himself more than he does already if he didn't at least try to help.
In World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist [A Quirky Fighting Game Inspired Roleplay Reboot] → 7 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Al

Meanwhile in Japan, Tokyo Prefecture at 02:30 PM or so...

No matter where you go, there you are.

There Al stood, hands in his pockets looking over the field of heads out to the busy intersection. Steel structures towered overhead, vehicles lined up nose to tail down the paved streets. There were boards of all kinds and signs too, all written in a dialect foreign to him. More often than not their meanings were not lost on him however. Buy this, buy that! Come spend your money here! The words changed but the meaning remained.

Being in Japan Al stood over a foot taller than everyone for the most part. Standing out was something he was used to by this point. It's been a while since that fateful day he was attacked. It was as if in the eyes of the public he had suddenly transformed, like a veritable werewolf. They didn't fear him though. It wasn't like that. It was just... Different. Nomads were people who were apart from everyone else, different, So when Al became one suddenly the sheer stigma of the title clung to him.

Funny. He didn't feel different at all. He was still his dreary, listless self, still passing through life as though he hadn't really lived the things he did. No matter how people saw him he was still him.

_
At this point he had long relinquished any meaningful attempt to grasp the ways of people around him. Traveling from country to country just to fight for some more money so he could afford to travel to another country, another fight. It was wearisome, something he did not care strongly for. Fighting was but a means to an end, that end being to find something, anything that could lead him back to those guys that attacked him in the first place. He had little stakes in the actual victories or losses he sustained along the way.

The lights turned red, bringing one cycle of traffic to a close to open way for another one. The walk signal came alight as well and the crowd he was standing in started walking their way across. Al crossed as well as his destination was just across the road. The Annual Japanese Championship, something that was the source of some stir as it had come in the relative wake of the events in Rio. Hosting another fighting tournament of a similar breed while the last big disaster was still on people's lips was a gutsy choice. Either that or there was more to this tournament than just entertainment for an audience. If there was something more to this he figured it was best if he showed. He'd of been kicking himself if he chose to sit this one out right as something of a lead reared it's ugly head out there.

Just as he was crossing he felt drops upon the back of his head, something light, less than a drizzle even. He looked up to make sure it wasn't something foul. Nothing, just a clear sky which seemed to start growing a little greyer as clouds started to gather. It was a little strange but nothing that bothered him too strongly. He just kept on forward, ignoring the slight bit of moisture which reached him.

_
At last he finally made his way to the place in question. He had gotten lost a couple times just on the way from his hotel room to here. Not speaking the local language he mostly got by on land marks and a bit of dumb luck. The lobby looked very similar to any othe bustling local center, just thousands upon thousands of Japanese people walking to and fro. What seperated it from other places was the presence of unique characters, folks that were like him in that they didn't fit in with the crowd. They were all sorts, each sporting the gait of a fighter in their own sense.

Looks like this is the place He looked at the pamphlet in his hand. It presented a general blurb about the tournament as well as where to find it, luckily in a language he could read which was only one as he was not the most cultured sort. He walked up to the front desk which had a nice young Japanese lady sitting behind it.

"Er... This the fighting tournament thing?" His plain toned voice had a sound of uncertainty about it. That was largely due to the fact that he was uncertain.

"Yes, this is the Annual Japanese Championship. Tickets to the stadium are twenty three hundred yen." She answered him politely with a friendly smile.

"Tickets? Ah, no. I came to sign up as a fighter. A contestant, you know?"

"Oh. In that case you'll need to pay a twenty three thousand yen signup fee and sign these waivers."

"Twenty three thousand? Yikes, that's like, er, two hundred and thirty bucks."

Though the price for entry was high for folks like Al he had some money set aside from his last winnings to pay for his entry. After all this wasn't his first time getting shaken down by tournament registrars. Handing over the money he grabbed the waivers and took a seat over at the far end of the benches, away from any unwanted company by about at least a seat or two. Bracing the papers against his knee he gave them a quick read over before returning to the front desk. He would of signed them where he was sitting but he hadn't the forethought to bring a pencil or pen along so he had to use the desk one which was chained to the desk. It sure was the sign of a shitty world when people didn't even have enough common decency to not steal people's pens, resulting in these ridiculous pen protection measures.

After Al had signed and handed back the waivers they led him to a room where they ran down what he had brought and scanned him to make sure he hadn't brought anything that wasn't declared beforehand. Just the usual safety precautions these dubiously legal sports had to carry out to ensure the safety of people before they step into the ring. Once the contestants enter it seemed it was no holds barred, an outright blood sport where little wasn't allowed. At least, that's the impression it gave Al. He had little clue as to what was up with this one. He figured he'd have time to read the rules to tournament combat while he waited to be called up to fight.

After being given his number and told to wait for a while he made his way along when he spotted a coffee shop, something that drew his eye immediately. Set in the building that hosted the tournament was a plain old-fashioned cafe, not one of those creepy Japanese novelty cafes that Al avoided like the super plague. Stepping in he ordered a black coffee and took a seat at one of the round tables. When his coffee arrived he idly sipped it while he read a written copy of the tournament rules and regulations.

Sitting calmly, drinking coffee and reading something just to occupy his mind. This right there was the high point to his day. The rest was only going to get worse from there.

It always found a way.
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