Ariosk

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Same! It's super exciting. Hopefully we can actually develop our characters this time and be able to focus more in depth on training the newbies and going on adventures yadda yadda yadda. Ya know, just establishing content and interactions in general. And ooooh boy, Marcus and Fuma will be having a grand ol' time :3

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Yasss, she gon' be a sneaky sneaky spy. And meanwhile, everyone gets super distrustful of Maya ;o; Ahh can't wait :D

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Okeydokey. Hmmm I'm thinking of just giving her blood red eyes. It's not as drastic as being a cyborg, but definitely enough to alert others that it isn't Maya. Plus, she can wear contacts when trying to be discreet, but even then she'd have a hard time looking "right".

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Ooh yes! That's definitely what I'm leaning towards. I like the idea of her seeming super awesome and lovely and then just literally ripping peoples' hearts out of their chests. Gah, can't wait for the Dopps to mess with each other.

Also, is Maya's Dopp a robot too? Or is that just Paul's?

Eh, no promises *shrug*

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Slapping the guy with his own hand had me in absolute stitches.

Woot woot! I'll try to get a character sheet up soon, but with finals week currently crushing my will to live that may be a little ways off. I've got a few ideas as to what she is going to be like, but I'm open to any suggestions. I'm contemplating the idea of giving her Vyra's insane personality...mainly because Vyra was just so much fun to write for. Or it could go the complete opposite way where she's suppperr somber and sinister -just death glares and resting murder face 24/7.

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hollllyyy crap. Doppie is terrifying. A+ Spec xD

Also, are the "darling brother and sister" Maya and Paul's Dopplegangers?

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“Dammit!” Maya groaned while waving a hand incredulously, “Where’d they take Paul? He was literally just out here in the hangar.”

Slightly panicky, Maya wandered around the hangar, ducking behind beaten-up tanks and battle-scarred aircraft, in attempt to spot the missing Time Archon. While scanning the area, she noted that Fuma’s personnel seemed disgruntled but not in a state of alarm. Paul, however, was still nowhere to be seen. Upon hearing the solid thuds of approaching footsteps and rustling weapons, Maya quickly rolled underneath a vehicle as a trio of men came towards her position. She held her breath and hoped they would not hear her pounding heartbeat. As they passed, she caught pieces of their conversation which included statements such as “the noncompliant has been taken to lockup” and “that son of a bitch stabbed me.”

Idiot. I’ve worked so hard to soothe things over with Rai and Fuma. He really needs to work on his diplomatic relations. Well, at least I know where he is now.

Better hurry. I’m afraid that the effects of the time warp are really beginning to take their toll on him. A man can only go off of adrenaline for so long before crashing.

Ugh, the fool should have stayed in the sick bay.

Maya crawled out from her hiding place and dusted off her clothes as she stood up. A conveniently placed directory indicated that the lockup, as well as the lavatories and gym, were located down a nearby hallway. After carefully navigating the halls, she finally rounded a corner to find a door guarded by two armed soldiers. Assuming there weren’t any other captives being held at the moment, Paul was more than likely the one on the other side of the barred door. Maya ducked back behind the corner before the men spotted her.

She did not want to mortally hurt the men nor did she want to draw a lot of attention. She decided that she needed to separate the men. Closing her eyes, Maya channeled her thoughts and energy on one of them. She could feel every molecule of water resonating within his body. The vital element filled every cell which comprised his corporeal existence. A five percent decrease in the body’s hydration can cause dizziness and fatigue. A ten percent decrease can cause mental and physical deterioration. A twenty-five percent decrease can cause death. A one hundred percent decrease can cause a big pile of dust to accumulate on the floor. Maya, being in a pretty decent mood, opted for a nicer tactic as she carefully and calculatedly redirected 16 ounces of fluid within the man.

“Dave, I really got to take a leak,” Maya heard one of the men say.

“Really? Can’t you hold it? Our shift ends in thirty minutes,” Dave snapped.

“No, I really have to go,” the man said with urgency. Maya could hear him shifting back and forth uncomfortably. At this time, Maya snuck into the men’s bathroom which she had passed earlier and hid in a stall.

“Fine, whatever. Be quick and don’t let anyone see you,” Dave groaned.

The tortured man hurdled towards the bathroom. Bursting through the door, he beelined for a urinal, quickly unzipped his pants, and soon after sighed with relief. While the man was still preoccupied, Maya sneaked up behind him and placed him in a chokehold. Despite thrashing and clawing, the man was unable to pry away from Maya’s squeezing grasp. For the Archon, it felt effortless. As minutes passed, the man’s face changed from bright red to a deep purple hue as his lungs burned for oxygen. His eyes bulged, and his capillaries burst. Just as he lapsed into unconsciousness, Maya released her hold, allowing the blood to flow back to his brain.
“M’kay, one down. One to go,” she remarked as she stuffed the man into a bathroom stall. Before she exited the bathroom, Maya swiped the jail cell’s key.

The Water Archon stumbled down the hallway towards the guard, faking a worried expression. “Excuse me sir, I am so terribly sorry to bother you,” Maya apologized with a damsel-in-distress tone, “But I am completely and utterly lost, and I was wondering if you…”

“Hey, aren’t you the woman that was captured earlier?” the man barked defensively. His eyebrows, which resembled angry wooly caterpillars, scrunched together as he pinned his skeptical eyes on her.

“Well, you see…” Maya started before slamming the bottom of her palm up into the man’s nose. She could feel the nasal bone crunching as his head slammed back into the door behind him. He slumped to the floor as blood poured out of his nose. Before he could shake off the initial wave of confusion, Maya pressed a foot firmly down on his throat. Choking in his own blood, he desperately tried to shake her off, but Archons are OP. Sucks to suck, buddy.

While maintaining pressure on the guard's jugular, Maya peered through the bars. The room was dim, but she was able to make out Paul strapped to a chair.

“Sweetie,” Maya called through the bars as she unlocked the door, “You doing alright in there? I found the Archon –well, two Archons. As soon as we find the second Archon’s weapon, we can head back to the…”

A familiar voice interrupted, "You... You're involved with this intruder, and you've done something to our leader. I can't believe I trusted you this long..."

Maya groaned and obediently placed her hands on her head like Rai commanded.

“Easy there,” Maya called out calmly, “So, uh, funny story, Rai. Remember everything I was telling you earlier about being an Archon? Well, you and I aren’t the only Archons here. Fuma’s also one! And this sorry chap behind the bars is also an Archon. Now, the reason that Fuma is incapacitated is because he got a hold of his Archon weapon, thus causing him to activate his transition into Archonhood. Basically, his body is undergoing some serious genetic modifications…think of it as like a software update. In a few days he will reboot and be better than ever. With that being said, we all really should get off of this planet. The activation process unleashes an astronomical amount of psychic energy which makes Fuma a glowing beacon for all the baddies out there that want us dead. If you have any more questions, I would be more than ecstatic to answer them, but we need to do so while we search for your own Archon relic. So please, lower your weapon.”

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Seeing that Rai was more or less indisposed for the time being, Maya meandered out into the bustling hangar with the hope of catching a quick word with Fuma; however, snippets of tense conversation as well as a myriad of concerned dispositions alluded to the absence of the fiery leader. That’s just swell, Maya thought as she disdainfully leaned against a wall with her arms crossed across her chest. Grim notions crossed her mind as she fretted that perhaps she would be unable to convince Rai to join the Archons, especially without Fuma’s approval. In a peaceful universe void of malicious beings, that would be a perfectly fine option (preferable, even), but unfortunately, the Archons faced a darker reality. If Maya didn’t get through to Rai with reason and persuasion, someone else would –but in a more join-us-and-we-kill-everyone-you-know sort of way.

Maya’s worries momentarily dissipated upon noticing a handsome rapscallion surrounded by several armed officers. Fuma’s men had apparently retrieved Paul, the “second intruder.” While she would never admit it, she was relieved to see him. With a smile tugging at her lips, she winked at him from afar, enjoying the sight of him in handcuffs.

A shock of bright orange hair diverted Maya’s gaze away from Paul. Like a sleuth, she slinked across the back wall of the hangar towards a room labeled as the armory. She peeked over her shoulder before quickly slipping inside, hoping not to spark any alarm. After all, most would not appreciate a captured intruder waltzing through their weapons store. Upon entering, Maya was faced by an odd spectacle. Fuma was sprawled across the floor, unmoving. Maya hoped that the young leader simply had an odd choice in napping spots.

Clearing her throat, Maya hesitantly called out, “Fuma…? You alright there?”

No response. She prodded his side with her foot. Still no response.

She dropped to a crouch beside him and pressed two fingers against his jugular. Raspy, shallow breaths and a rapid heartbeat attested that he was in fact alive. To her relief, she wouldn’t have to do any mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Why was he unconsciousness and unresponsive, though? Dread clawed at the pits of her stomach. While she hardly knew the sassy kid, she wanted to help him and make sure everything was alright –even if she had her own interests in mind. His flesh radiated heat as if molten lava was pulsing through his veins. Puzzled, Maya did a quick mental sweep of his neurological function to check that his noggin was A-okay. Maya inhaled sharply; her eyes grew wide. If there were any charts, his results would be off of them. A hurricane of surging power and chaos churned within the confines of Fuma’s skull, threatening to spill forth in a blazing aura.

Maya uttered violent curses under her breath and grabbed his right arm, jerking it towards her. Upon flipping his hand over, she identified a glowing rune (which had not been there previously) on his palm.

“Fire Archon,” she scoffed as she sat down next to him. It was all clear now to Maya. Fuma was in a comatose state brought about by the Activation, an event when an Archon initiates their powers by making contact with their ancestral weapon. Due to the sudden influx of power pouring into their psyche, new Archons are rendered unconscious and forced into a coma wherein their mind and body undergo physiological changes. While the experience is unique for each person, it is during this period that an Archon meets their spirit guide (Andromeda, in Maya’s case). Furthermore, the conversion can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

“How could I have possibly missed you?” the Water Archon pouted, “Your hair should’ve been a clue from the start…But I was so sure that Rai was the one. She met all of the criteria.” Maya fidgeted. She hated being wrong.

You’re ignoring the obvious. Rai still matches the characteristics. Andromeda pointed out.

“So, two Archons? Hmm,” Maya pondered in amusement. That made her expedition twice as productive –“two birds with one stone” as the humans put it.

First things first. Maya needed to locate Fuma’s weapon and secure it until he woke up again. However, seeing that they were in an armory, this task was marginally more tedious than usual. Groaning, Maya hopped up from the floor and began to scan the room. Literally hundreds of weapons lined the walls and filled countless shelves and racks.

Okay, which of these things is not like the other… she thought as she eyed various guns, swords, and other deadly paraphernalia. The weapon, no matter what type, would exhibit unparalleled craftsmanship and bear unique runes. A black blade poked out from beneath a storage shelf. Dropping to her knees, Maya pulled it out to examine it. Glowing glyphs adorned it, thus signifying Archonian origin. It illuminated ever-so-slightly at her touch from as if halfheartedly greeting the Water Archon while knowing full well that she wasn’t its owner.
“Ah, don’t worry. He’ll be awake in a few days. In the meantime, I need to hide you away until we can get back on the Leviathan,” Maya spoke to the sword. In the corner of the armory was a conveniently placed ficus tree. Maya tucked the blade behind its leafy branches, propping it up against the wall. Perfect.

Next order of business entailed talking to Rai again and finding her weapon. Then, at one point or another, Maya would have to negotiate Paul’s release.

“Err, just stay here,” Maya instructed the slumbering Fire Archon as she went to exit the armory. He responded with a soft snore.

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So relatable

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Sucking air through her teeth, Maya swooped in to catch the frazzled girl before her skull could abruptly meet the cold, hard ground. The tea cup that Rai had been washing clattered to the floor. “Easy there, kiddo,” Maya whispered to Rai as she effortlessly hoisted the unconscious girl into her arms as if she weighed no more than a feather. Poor thing.

Need somewhere to dump the body? Andromeda joked dryly.

That went splendidly, Maya groaned as she gently lowered Rai onto a nearby cot, Rather delicate for someone who is purportedly fighting some great war, eh? If only I knew where her weapon was…I would just go ahead and open a rift to the Leviathan and toss her through.

You appear to be forgetting the concept of free will as well as the moral ambiguity of alien abduction, noted the ever-present voice in her head.

Minor details, Maya scoffed as she found a washcloth and ran it under the sink’s faucet,One thing is for sure –she’s a ferociously loyal creature. Unfortunately, her undying fealty to the tangerine is proving rather problematic.

Maya pressed the cool, damp cloth onto Rai’s onyx forehead. She wasn’t really sure what she hoped that it would do, but it seemed appropriate…and instinctively maternal. Despite her growing impatience, Maya couldn’t help but to feel sympathetic and responsible for the newly discovered Archon. She sighed while brushing away a stray lock of Rai’s jet black hair.

“I suppose I need to go have a talk with Fuma. Also, where the hell is Paul? I thought Fuma’s cronies were rounding him up,” Maya grumbled to herself as she exited the kitchen.