There. An unrelated intro post. Now, I'm going to go do something that doesn't require me to review my prose.
DELETED jdl3932
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Sok Il-Seong
(Second Initiation)
STATUS:
That isekai idea works until you take into account the advanced part and include things like AI, brain machine interfaces, etc. Knowledge can just be downloaded.
3 yrs ago
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3 yrs ago
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That isekai idea works until you take into account the advanced part and include things like AI, brain machine interfaces, etc. Knowledge can just be downloaded.
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3 yrs ago
Some day's I regret setting foot in this site.
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3 yrs ago
What do you mean by added? Like to a PM or something?
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3 yrs ago
What the pog doin?
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3 yrs ago
Unless you love kids a little too much, then a prison sentence is what can be done about it.
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Bio
Most Recent Posts
Earth - Coral City
~The Harborview Drive-in~
Edgar tucked a napkin into his collar just as one of the diner's wait staff brought over a steaming plate of food. Normally it would have been the usual breakfast special, which consisted of three sausage links, two eggs served sunny side up, French toast, and a mug of freshly brewed coffee, but Wright figured he'd try something new today. Well, that and he'd missed breakfast by more than four hours on account of getting a little too much sleep, although he couldn't really be blamed for that. The demon he'd exorcized the night before had given him hell and more than a few bruises to boot, the majority of which he could still feel throbbing up and down his the length of his side. Ignoring the discomfort for the time being however, he picked up his knife and fork just as the plate was set down. Its ceramic expanse contained a sizzling T-bone steak plucked right of the grill, a side of buttered mashed potatoes, and sizable pile of green beans.
"Is there anything else I can get for you?" the waiter asked, notepad in hand. "Coffee or sweet tea?"
Edgar cleared his throat.
"No, thank you. This will do just fine."
"Alright, well just let me know if there's anything else you need."
"Will do," Wright replied, cutting a piece of steak free and shoving it into his mouth. Following that up with a bite of mashed potatoes shortly thereafter, Edgar directed his gaze to the window on his right as the waiter stepped away. Staring out into the world beyond, he allowed himself to become momentarily lost in thought, and was so wrapped up that he didn't even notice the woman who sat down opposite him. When he finally did take note of her presence, however, he nearly choked on an egg.
"G-goddamn it Sophia!"
He brought a hand up to his mouth in an attempt to suppress a phlegm filled hack.
"How many times to I have to tell you? Following me everywhere I go is not okay! You keep doing that shit and you're liable to get shot!"
Sophia merely flashed him a mischievous grin as she reclined in the upholstered seat. Flicking a wayward strand of hair from her eyes, she took out her phone and began typing away furiously.
Edgar sighed.
"Why are you here anyway? I thought I gave you the day off."
"You did," she said, eyes still glued firmly to the screen. "And I had planned on making the most of it, but then I stumbled across another case while prowling some internet forums."
Tearing her gaze from the phone at long last, she shot Edgar a knowing look.
"Before you ask, yes, it's legit. I checked."
Edgar gave her a small nod as he scarfed down another forkful of steak and beans.
"Alright, I'm still a little sore from the last one we worked on, but I'll give it a look. What's the client need?"
Smiling, she flipped the phone round for him to read, only to giggle manically as she watched Edgar's face and silverware fall.
"Son of a fucking bitch."
Looking up from the screen, he shot her an annoyed glare.
"They want me to kill a lich?"
Sophia nodded enthusiastically before pulling the phone away, shutting off the screen, and sliding it back into her pocket.
"Yup! They want you to kill a lich."
Level: 3 (22/30)
Word Count: 138
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +1
Word Count: 138
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +1
Sephiroth let out a quiet tsk as her plan unraveled before her eyes. It didn't matter though, as she'd find her way out of this predicament at some point. The only question was at what point in the journey, for she doubted they'd march nonstop all the way back to wherever it was she was being taken. Unless they'd brought some means of transport that is, in which case she might not get the chance nor the time to escape. It wasn't like she had much time to ponder that however, as the chain cracking the ground behind her could attest. So, wanting to avoid combat for the moment in order to formulate a better plan, Sephiroth forced herself to ignore the purple ponytailed woman's remark as she shuffled towards the door alongside the rest of the group.
Level: 3 (21/30)
Word Count: 282
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +1
Word Count: 282
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +1
Sephiroth let out an annoyed sigh. These creatures just didn't know when to stop did they? Taking the few scant seconds given to her to examine the situation, the former SOLDIER weighed her chances of successfully escaping. It would have been much easier had that strange creature not pinned her shadow down. That was the first thing that had to go as far as Sephiroth was concerned. From there she could see to dispatching these worthless beings and continuing on her way. The only question was how...
It was then that an idea struck her, though she'd no idea if it would actually work or not. There was only one way to find out however. Settling her attention directly on the woman with the big purple ponytail, she flashed her a slight grin.
"Sure, I'll go with you."
She crossed her arms over her chest.
"But first I need to grab my rigging. And preferably my clothes. Unless you're okay with me facing justice in nothing more than a swimsuit, and one that doesn't belong to me at that. Before you ask, yes, you can send along an armed guard."
While extremely risky, Sephiroth's plan was a simple matter of divide and conquer. She knew she couldn't do anything while this creature had a hold on her shadow, especially with how outnumbered she currently was. Thus the easiest solution would be to take them out in small groups. By accepting an armed guard, Sephiroth could take down the people they sent along with her, grab her rigging and clothes, and then see to dispatching the rest or running.
All they had to do was buy the half-truth she'd just tried to sell.
Level: 1 (3/10)
Word Count: 1,110
Location: Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon Marketplace
EXP: +1
Word Count: 1,110
Location: Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon Marketplace
EXP: +1
Back out in the late morning sun, tensions mounted in the northwest court. A mysterious man and a fractious frog had been upping the ante in terms of indignation, the bets piling closer and closer to outrage, and it was about to cash out. Their squabble hardly went unnoticed, but while most of the shoppers shied away from the escalating conflict, someone couldn’t turn a blind eye. Mercer became aware of a slight tremor in the ground, and acutely aware of it getting stronger, until an enormous shadow fell over him. A smooth, bass voice, deep and rich as a vat of Al Mamoon coffee, addressed him firmly but without malice, compounded by a smooth metal echo. “Is there a problem, sir?”
When Mercer turned, he found himself dwarfed by a titan of a man, seven feet and seven inches of beige trench coat and lovingly polished bronze in the approximate build of a city bell. Glassy eyes stared down at him from beneath a fine inspector’s cap, and above a steely breathing apparatus. Ben “Big Band” Birdland made no extra effort to look intimidating, but he didn’t exactly need to, and his presence certainly exerted an effect on the shopkeeper.
“Yeah, this creep just waltzed on up and started pesterin’ me with questions, disturbin’ my business, then got all uppity when I told him to beat it!” the frog complained.
Mercer crossed his arms, looking the larger man up and down briefly before responding.
”I’m looking for someone. Figured the people around here could help.”
He cast a glance back at the vendor from over his shoulder.
”I guess I was wrong.”
The big man looked between the irate pair. “Then locked horns won’t do you a lick of good,” he told Mercer before tilting his head a touch. “Maybe we can help each other instead, if you’re in the mood. I’m on the beat for someone myself, a little girl with a big hat and bigger attitude, God bless the child. Peacock’s the name. Ring any bells?” Turning away from the stall so as to leave the perturbed frog to his business, he left his suggestion that Mercer should follow implicit.
Mercer shook his head as he trudged along, leaving the amphibious shopkeeper behind without so much as a second thought.
"Name doesn't ring any bells as far as I'm aware. Still, you help me find who I'm looking for and I'll help you."
There was the briefest moment of silence before Mercer spoke again.
"Other than a hat, a name, and an attitude, does this Peacock kid you're looking for have any unusual features? Anything that I should be on the lookout for?"
Perhaps it was a stupid question given the sheer amount of diversity and strangeness in this new world, the hybrid of instrument and man standing before him being only one example of such out of many, but Alex thought it an important thing to ask nonetheless.
“See for yourself.” After steering himself and the conversation into an alcove out of the way of foot traffic, Band opened a small split in his coat and produced a tiny, spindly mechanical arm with padded claws, no thicker than a permanent marker. Between the wedges of soft cloth was clutched a color photograph of a young scamp with six eyes and a steely grin. Once Mercer got a chance to take a look, he retracted the arm back into his coat. “How ‘bout you? Who’s got you moanin’?”
Mercer tucked his hands into his pants pockets.
"My sister, Dana. I've been looking for her for the past couple of months now, with little success. Seems people don't move about that often, so I figured I'd ask some of the vendors, see if they'd heard anything."
He gave Band a small shrug.
"As you can see, that didn't go too well."
Though the two had left the near-altercation behind, this guy seemed eager to tread the same ground. He neglected to offer any description of his sister, so Band let that lie. “Well, forget all that jazz,” the detective advised him. “If your way of askin’ makes people see red, you’re never gonna get the green. You got a name, watermelon man?”
Mercer lifted his gaze ever so slightly.
"Mercer. Alex Mercer. What about you? You got a name?"
“Me?” The huge man extended another claw from his coat that reached up to tip his porkpie hat by the brim. “I’m all there is of the most real. They call me Big Band.”
Alex nodded, "So, where's the last place you saw this kid at?"
Shaking his head, Band replied, “Don’t mean a thing. Kid can teleport. Left me a note about some unusual suspects, tellin’ me to boogie straight out here, and I just rolled in on the blue train yesterday. If squat’s what you’ve got, all I can say is keep an eye out, ‘case we meet again.” He rolled his neck to get out the cricks and then did a quick visual sweep of the bazaar, as if he meant to pick his charge out of the crowd, but something else hit him. “That said, we could set our sights higher. Straight to the big cheese, no chaser. If anyone can send us on our way, it's the queen of this place, hmm?”
Mercer raised an eyebrow, though the movement was obscured by his hood.
"This place has a queen?"
Band looked mildly amused, feeling like this guy must be even newer here than he. “Uh-huh. The Cowlipha everyone’s mooin’ about. That palace over yonder ain’t for show. Heard from a little birdie she’s more interested in cheese than her own subjects, but if we find our way to the in crowd we might just get a clue.”
"Hmm. Sounds like a plan. I'll follow you there though. This city's still foreign to me."
“Deed I do,” Band confirmed, getting into action. He set himself in a stance facing the exit where the bazaar rejoined the city proper. After a deep inhale, he blew into his mouthpiece. A stream of lines like musical staff, dotted with notes, flowed from the bronze contraption that protruded from his back. Everyone in the vicinity could hear what sounded like a giant saxophone as Big Band propelled himself across the ground. “Gang way!” he called between puffs. “Slow train rollin’!” In such a manner he cleared a speedy path to the palace.
Jogging after him, as a full on sprint would have been much too fast, Alex followed Band along the path he'd cleared. Eventually slowing to a halt as his guide drew closer to the palace steps themselves.
Level: 3 (20/30)
Word Count: 912
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +2
Word Count: 912
Location: Edge of the Blue - Atlantis Temple
EXP: +2
Sephiroth, still wholly focused on the game before her, took little interest or note of the recent arrivals. As a matter of fact, the only thing she really did a doubletake on was their clothing, as it seemed rather out of place. But perhaps they planned on changing out of it later on or something. In any case, she wasn't too worried about what they might have been up to. She did have her own problems to worry about presently, that being knocking the horned woman off of her platform. Swimming over, Sephiroth took her place on her own little platform at the pool's edge, getting used to the odd balance as the others took their places on platforms of their own. Once everyone was settled however, including her purple haired rival, the game could finally begin. Starting off several of her fellow participants jumped, Sephiroth following suite a few seconds after, the impact of their feet with their platforms creating waves that radiated inwards to strike at Syndra's own. The horned woman managed to weather the storm though, as the waves hadn't been all that strong, her platform quickly stabilizing again following a few subtle rocks. Standing proud she turned her nose up into the air, a smug grin plastered across her face.
"Is that really the best you can do?" she asked, lowering her gaze to stare at Sephiroth specifically. "Shame, I expected more."
While the meaning of Syndra's jab was not lost on her, stoking both personalities she taken into furious action, Sephiroth maintained her cool. This creature was beneath her after all, that much would be proven soon enough. As such, her remarks weren't worth the time of day, let alone a singular thought. Stomping again, she and the other guests sent out another series of waves, ones which were sure to destabilize Syndra's platform if she didn't shift her weight just right. Much to the SOLDIER's surprise however, the horned woman did, avoiding falling into the waters below. Despite this success, something about it just seemed... off, although Sephiroth couldn't say what exactly. Not yet anyway. Still, the discrepancy was enough to see her radar raised, while ensuring it remained that way for the duration of the game. In any case the game wore on, Sephiroth and the other two quests stomping in unison to send out increasingly stronger sets of waves, all of which Syndra somehow managed to survive. It wasn't a flawless survival by any means, but every time it seemed like she was about to stumble and fall she'd manage to right herself, the platform slowly stabilizing beneath her. Other times it appeared as though her platform had simply avoided the brunt of the water entirely, floating about this way or that but never really rocking. It was this unusual behavior, when combined with closer observation, that Sephiroth finally pieced together what was going on.
Syndra was cheating.
Somehow, someway, she must have been controlling the platform. Or at least making it far more stable than it would have otherwise been without her influence. Either way it was annoying, if a little clever. A type of revenge for what she'd done back on the previous ride Sephiroth assumed, as the woman seemed petty enough to stoop to that level rather than accepting both her place and loss to a superior being. An all too human thing to do, even if her rival wasn't actually one herself. At any rate, this simply wouldn't do. It was one thing for Sephiroth to resort to an underhanded method every now and then for the purpose of removing annoyances, but it was another thing entirely for a lesser being to try and do the same to her. Doubling her resolve, Sephiroth bided her time as the other guests sent out more waves, waiting for the moment Syndra attempted to snatch the Sand Dollar as she undoubtedly would. It was only then, when the horned woman's feet had fully left the platform - her body extending upwards into the air as she grasped for the sand colored item - that Sephiroth brought her heel down with extreme force, creating a shockwave powerful enough to send one end of her platform careening up into the air. Syndra regretted going after the Dollar now, that much Sephiroth could see written across her face as she fell back down to earth, legs and arms splayed as the shock and panic of not having semi-stable ground to land on finally set in.
Hand planted on her hip, Sephiroth gave the most wicked of smirks as her rival made impact with the platform. Syndra's body went completely still, minus a few twitches here and there, while her face morphed into an expression lying somewhere between immense pain and total breathlessness. Her lips meanwhile, had formed a silent 'O', as the only sounds she could make were a series of quiet grunts followed by a mewling whimper. A few seconds later and she fell off the edge of the platform, landing in the water below with a tiny plop followed by a massive *SPLASH!* as the platform itself settled back into its horizontal orientation. Breaching the surface face first, the dazed Syndra could do little to stop herself from floating past the gloating Sephiroth, who bent down to give her a consoling pat on the head.
"Look on the bright side..."
She flashed the purple haired woman an amused grin.
"At least you got the Sand Dollar."
@ZAVAZggg Hola! Do you need space to hop in? I can see that it might be kinda difficult for people to jump in right now but i don't mind waiting for another person to go before me for our next posting order
Nope, not right now. Doesn't fit the theme I'm going for with Edgar.
Level: 1 (2/10)
Word Count: 861
Location: Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon Marketplace
EXP: +2
Word Count: 861
Location: Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon Marketplace
EXP: +2
A man, looking rather out of place in his layered jacket, shirt, and hoodie combo, strode through the dry streets of the crowded marketplace. The sweltering heat that blanketed the area on account of the blistering sun blazing its way through the deep blue sky above, didn't seem to bother or even hinder the enigmatic figure as he continued his march, deftly weaving through and around the various crowds of people until at last he had reached his destination. That being a small ramshackle stall with an L-shaped clay counter of sorts that had a wooden gate built into its right side which separated the amphibian-looking merchant from their customers. As for the counter itself, its surface was covered in what appeared to be various raw foods and spices, along with the occasional bit of produce or two. These things did not interest the man however, who simply tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he drew close. Lifting his gaze, Alex locked eyes with the vendor, his expression and tone as stoic as ever.
"I'm looking for someone," he said bluntly. "A woman to be specific. She's kind of thin, has silver blue eyes, and short spikey brown hair. Goes by the name Dana. You see anyone like that around anywhere?"
The merchant gave Mercer a blank stare, its expression twisting from unreadable to unamused, before finally settling into pure annoyance. Maybe even rage, although it was kind of hard to tell.
"Listen pal, I ain't a sightseer alright? And I sure as hell don't have the time to waste being one! Now if you're not going to buy somethin..."
The creature crossed its stubby arms, its froglike body rippling as it did so.
"Then beat it! I don't come here for the conversation, understand?"
A corner of Mercer's mouth twitched slightly as he leaned forward, removing his hands from his pockets to plant them squarely on the counter, cracking it with the smallest application of pressure. He flashed the vendor a friendly smile even as chips of clay flaked free to clatter against the sandstone beneath their feet.
"Look, I don't want any trouble alright? I just want some information, that's all."
Alex leaned in even closer, until the two were mere inches apart, his friendly smile ever-present. It didn't reach his eyes however, and his tone was anything but pleasant, sounding as though it had been laced with steel. Although he hadn't made any overt threats, aside from his encroachment a few seconds prior, Mercer's message was crystal clear. Talk, or else there'd be trouble, and not the kind the froglike creature sitting before him would want. He didn't plan on killing the guy of course, there wasn't a need for that after all, but Alex wasn't above roughing him up a bit either. Especially if he didn't want to talk. He'd spent the last couple of months wandering this damn topsy-turvy clusterfuck of a world in search of his sister, with next to no luck as far as leads or clues to her current whereabouts were concerned. To say he was worried was an understatement of the highest degree, for Mercer passed the point of mere worry a long time ago, and as such he didn't mind taking a more intimidation based approach when it came to uncovering information regarding his sister's current location, moral scruples aside. Hell, even knowing her current status would be enough, but most of the people he'd questioned on his way here hadn't seen head or tail of anyone matching her description, and that bothered him greatly. It was one thing to not know where Dana was, but to not know how she was, or if she was even still alive or not... that truly was hell.
Thinking back on it now of course, he hadn't been sure what he'd expected. It's not as if anyone in the other cities actually went anywhere after all. Certainly not as far afield as he had anyway. Merchants however, now they did tend to get around. At least, that's what he hoped anyway. While it made the most sense as far as logic was concerned, Mercer had to remind himself that nothing he'd seen in this world had been logical thus far, least of all himself. He was himself a sentient pile of viral biomass, which hadn't exactly been thought possible in the field of genetic engineering before. Looping back round to the topic of merchants however...
"Are you threatening me pal?" the amphibian asked incredulously, its face settling into an expression of pure rage, though the nearly imperceptible warble in its otherwise steady voice was all Mercer needed to hear to know his message had been received loud and clear. "Get away from my stall before I call the guards!"
"Tsk. I didn't want it to come to this, but if you insist..."
Mercer let out a quiet sigh, the muscles in his hands twitching as the smile left his face. It seemed as though things were about to escalate into a full on brawl at this point, one that would surely end in someone spilling blood if no one intervened...
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