Drifting Pollen

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

Anne nodded her head in agreement, though her expression was thoughtful. "I think you're right. A place as big and important as a capital city would be well-equipped to fight off invaders. If they're far from the frontier, they'd also have plenty of advance warning if anyone tried to march troops across their borders..." Admittedly, those rules only applied if the enemy lacked access to spacecraft and warp technology. It seemed a safe assumption to make, given the practically stone-age level of advancement she'd witnessed so far, but she couldn't rule out the Heralds or someone else having an alternative method on hand. Her thoughts strayed back to the strange necklace she'd received, and its as-yet unexplained tracking capabilities.

"Anyway, that's important information. Well done, Millie." After a moment's hesitation, Anne reached out to very gently pat the girl's head. "The lady in your dream was probably the same one who brought my friends and I here to protect you. So whatever that warning really means, I bet she meant for us to hear it."

If nothing else, it was a lead that she could share with the others once they returned. Now that she thought about it, the part about 'accidents' might also be the reason why new Strangers kept popping up even after the Heralds' attack. The incident at the church had pulled in an entire group at once and dropped them all in once location, but the seemingly random appearances following that seemed more like the aftershocks from an earthquake than anything intentional.

...Barring that trio of colorful girls who just so happened to know one another. This whole ordeal would be so much easier if only Anne had one or two true companions at her side... O goddess, hear my prayer: please bring Leo here so I can make him do all the inconvenient jobs.

@PKMNB0Y

Neo Babylon

Name: Halima Jaiteh
Alias(es): Hali, Libertine, Psycho Woman, East Street Butcher
Gender: F
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Distinctive Features: Large red earrings, green-dyed hair, partial black carapace often growing across her face. You can’t miss her.
Likes: machines, weapons, spicy food, high-collared jackets, city smells, dogs, heavy rain.
Dislikes: dust, grit, needles, intense sunlight, people.


Appearance:
A looming monster in feminine form. Wide mouth, sharp teeth, eyes that look at you like she might bite your head off at any moment. The hair dye and flashy accessories point to someone trying to build a reputation, and her outfits seem chosen as much for menace as they are for taking a beating. For someone her size, though, she moves so fluidly that she has to be packing serious muscle underneath all that warning black-and-red. A careful touch of lipstick and eyeshadow lend her just a hint of allure, in sharp contrast to the overt aggression she displays everywhere else.

Personality:
Outgoing, congenial, and quick to get along with just about anyone who’ll tolerate her presence. She’s no silver-tongued manipulator, but her confident, relaxed attitude lends her a certain breezy charisma, the kind that lets her slip into the flow of a conversation and ride it like a fish swimming downriver. She makes no overt judgements, and she has no morals to speak of: any business is good business, so long as it pays well and doesn’t mess with her personal notoriety. Most of the time, she’s the muscle, and that suits her just fine.
Only problem is the rumors. Stories that follow her around like the scent of blood, about cases of unprofessional conduct, times she went above and beyond the requirements of the job. We said to rough the guy up; we never said anything about his kids. Or, we just wanted that one disposed of, not hog-tied and eaten alive by starving dogs. If you ever ask Halima about these incidents, she’ll only laugh them all off as hearsay and exaggeration, albeit with a smile more genuine than any other you’ll see her wear.

Powers, Skills, and Abilities:
They say the supersoldier genes come from her father’s side, though when someone’s exposed to that much radiation from birth all kinds of weird mutations are bound to crop up. Halima’s reaction times are scarily fast, and she’s strong enough to casually pick up a grown man and hurl him across a room one-handed. She has little formal combat training, but her manual dexterity and coordination is exceptional to the point where she can pick up almost any kind of weapon and immediately use it with lethal efficacy. Even under frantic and low-visibility conditions, her pinpoint accuracy with firearms and thrown objects defies belief, and if she’s given time to actually practice with a given implement she’ll rapidly surpass the boundaries of human technique and achieve unnatural feats of laser-precise violence.
Her biggest asset, however, is her seeming inability to just fucking die. Sheer toughness, biological redundancy, and the ability to override her own pain responses are all part of it, but mainly it’s because of the ultra-hard carapace that grows across her skin in the blink of an eye to guard any point under threat, before merging again with her flesh once the job is done. She can control its emergence to some extent, but for the most part it happens automatically, either in response to physical trauma or to reflexively guard against it.

Equipment:
- Julong Model 21 “Valentine”: A weighty handgun with a kick to match its impressive stopping power. This model in particular stands out for its unique sound, which at a distance rings out more like a crash or a thunderclap than a gunshot.
Nanofilament rounds: Specialized bullets that explosively unfold on impact into tangles of microscopic wire. The filaments are thinner than a razor edge, but possess incredible tensile strength, and a direct hit from one of these rounds will shred all but the toughest of materials. Their deadly effectiveness makes them very expensive, however, and Hali uses them sparingly.
EMP Jammer: A handheld device consisting mainly of a powerful battery hooked up to a specialized high-voltage ignition coil. Push the button, and it lets off a pulse powerful enough to briefly disable most electronics within a range of about fifty feet. The effect becomes more reliable and longer-lasting at closer ranges, and can permanently take out a device if delivered point-blank.
Hammers: Completely ordinary hammers made for DIY engineering projects. Hali is fond of these, and has accumulated a whole collection of different kinds, though for practical reasons she doesn’t carry them all around at once.
Ax: Heavy-duty flathead fire ax.

Your Last Memory:
Tossing a weighted black bag into a river, and watching with satisfaction as it sank into the murk.

Additional Plot Hooks:
She’s still trying to work out who created her father, or if the fucker’s even still alive.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

It had been one hell of a shriek, but Anne couldn't hear any of the usual sounds of battle. No plume of smoke in the distance, no crowds of fleeing villagers—the ones she could see looked just as confused as they were scared by the sudden noise. The Knight watched and listened carefully for a couple more seconds, until she finally picked up the distant shout of a familiar voice.

Rayne? From what Anne could hear, the witch girl was trying to assure people of their safety. That, and something about... Cows?

Whatever. So long as it wasn't any threat, Anne didn't need to know. In fact, Anne didn't want to know, or have anything to do with it at all. Effective immediately, she was making the tactical decision to keep as far away as possible from that nonsense, and let someone else wrangle the insane weirdos for once.

"Nothing to worry about," she told Millie, as she turned away from the door a little too quickly for comfort. "Just a, um, farming incident. Why don't we talk about dreams? You have very interesting dreams." Before she could overhear anything else about screaming cows and suffer a mental breakdown, the Knight stumbled back to the girl's side and knelt down once again. "Tell me. Did the lady you saw say anything more about the bad people, or what they were trying to bind?" Her green eyes were a little serious, even as she patiently waited for Millie to find her answer. Weakened barriers between different worlds, binding things to this one: even if it didn't make a lot of sense, the whole affair sounded eerily reminiscent of what had happened to Anne herself, and all of the other 'strangers' besides.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

The look of someone who believed in her. The feeling it gave Anne was as addictive as any drug, and all the more terrifying for it. For the sake of this girl, for the sake of this village, she would cut down any number of enemies—but even so, there might still be those who suffered. No matter how many times she won, war wasn't a realm in which a single woman could realistically protect everyone.

But this time—

Maybe this time, it'll be different.

The Knight told herself that with a desperation and longing even she wasn't fully conscious of.

This time, I'll protect them all.

At the very least her words seemed to have given Millie a little more strength, though her request sent a small shiver of dread racing down Anne's spine. Was she going to ask about her father? It she posed the question directly, it'd be hard to change the topic without making the answer all too obvious. After a moment's hesitation, though, the swordswoman gave a nod of assent, and braced herself for the worst.

"...Dreams?" She blinked, a little surprised as well as relieved. "I'm not an expert on those. Maybe I can take a guess, though, if you'll tell me a little more. What kind of scary stuff was this lady talking about?" It could be just a coincidence, but if the girl with a connection to the Goddess had received any kind of vision, then that had to be investigated. Precognitives, prophets: Anne had heard of things like that before, even if most of the time it sounded like mere superstition.

Unfortunately, before she could get a full answer, an echoing wail blew through the room and assailed both of their ears. Anne looked up, immediately tense, one hand dropping to hover near the hilt of one of her swords. "Hold on a moment," she told Millie. "I'm just going to check outside." It was inadvisable to leave the girl over what could easily be some kind of diversionary tactic, but Anne still made her way to the door and hazarded a quick peek outside, her eyes flashing to and fro for any sign of continued disturbance.

Just one scream. Probably not a full-scale attack, which meant either some random mishap, or... Another 'unexpected guest' had appeared.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

"Does that mean you're super strong, like those heroes in the stories Papa told us?"

Again with that question. Anne had to consciously keep herself from reacting when the girl mentioned her father, though the strained smile she put up could barely mask her discomfort. "Ah, that's..." How was she even supposed to answer this time? Offer Millie false hope and let her down after the fact, or hit her with a reality check before she even had a chance to get her bearings?

The Knight glanced away, hesitant. Is there really no way out? It was the same with Alvin, with those kids back on Garion—asking her to fight for them, needing her to be strong for them. Even when, according to every medical professional she'd seen, that was sheer impossibility.

Then again, this was a new world, with entirely different rules to it. Anne thought back on what she'd seen of the Heralds, of the destruction they'd wrought upon the village. Horrible, yes, but still minuscule in scale compared to the Beast invasions she'd faced down in the past. She'd spent her career throwing herself into close combat against planet-killing alien superweapons, but those attackers at the church had been so badly equipped they shouldn't even have qualified as cannon fodder. Even if I'm not at my best... If it's just a bunch of primitive thugs, then maybe I can still...

No, that was the wrong question.

If the children needed her to do the impossible, then she simply needed to try. Even if it brought her body, her life, and all her ambitions to ruin.

"...Well, I don't like to brag too much." She met Millie's eyes now, her smile a little firmer than it had been. "So I won't say I'm the strongest, or anything like that. But I am strong enough to protect you—and I won't let any harm come to you now that I'm here." With a steady hand, she reached out to gently pat the young girl's hair. "So rest up now, and do what you need to feel better. I have friends looking after the village, and I can stay by your side for as long as you need."

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

When Millie's eyes finally blinked open, Anne's entire demeanor seemed to shift in the span of a moment. Layers of grim pragmatism melted away, and there beneath them was a rare smile, a look of sheer relief mixed with a deep-rooted warmth and caring. As if the person who still existed beneath all the accumulated scar tissue finally felt safe revealing herself to the world, even if only for a moment.

Even if she'd failed to stop the Heralds from destroying the town. Even if she'd failed to shield Alvin from the trauma of his loss. She had at least been able to protect this one girl. So long as she was still able to help her, and keep her safe, then Anne still had a purpose here.

She answered Kendrick with a gentle nod, glad that he still trusted her enough to let her handle things on this end. "Of course. You all let me stay under your roof, the least I can do is help out a little." Though she thought she'd heard a fresh commotion outside, it was probably just the villagers clearing some more rubble. If she was needed out there, she was sure he'd let her know.

Her attention quickly returned to the freshly roused young girl. "It's nice to meet you, Millie. Here, stay put for a moment—I'll get you something to drink." Without letting the girl ever pass too far out of sight, she got up to retrieve a mug and fill it with the water stored nearby. A little spilled over the edge as she made her way back, but her hand was steady again as she offered it up to her charge, paying careful attention in case Millie had any trouble holding it. Her condition seemed remarkably good after all that she'd been through, but it was best to take things slowly and carefully when dealing with unknowns.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

"I'm not sure... It could be their version of a peace offering. After all, they wouldn't have wanted us to keep harrying their forces after they retreated from the village." Anne hadn't witnessed the battle herself, but she'd seen a number of Herald bodies littered about the village, with injuries that couldn't have been dealt by a bunch of under-equipped guards. If there was one factor that all the summoned strangers seemed to have in common, it was their combat strength, great enough to put any one of them on par with an entire platoon of soldiers.

Even as she said it, though, she felt that this couldn't be the right answer. Closing her eyes, the Knight tried to think back to the events in the cave, and what the Herald commander had said before leaving. Make use of them. Place your life on the line to keep her safe. And then there was the note...

"The alternative is that they wanted us to use these. If the necklace has a function of its own, then it makes sense that it could be used in concert with the other two items." Whatever their reasons, the Heralds wanted Millie alive, and the note read like a warning of a potential danger. Maybe the box had been meant as a way to help—to keep Millie's soul from being 'snuffed out' by the Goddess, which was the one outcome neither Anne nor the Heralds could abide.

Of course, the girl herself chose that exact moment to finally show some sign of life. Anne lifted her head at the sound of the groan, briefly met Kendrick's eyes, and then made her way across the room to where Millie was resting. "Millie? Can you hear me?" The callused fingers of her right hand—the biological one—gently touched the girl's wrist, checking on her pulse.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

"How can you even read this? I've never seen any script like it."

"What?" A fresh frown of concern from Anne, who now had to grapple with this latest confusion. "It was just..." Just the same kind of writing practically everyone used across the known human worlds, ever since their unification more than two hundred years ago. Less neat than if it had been typed, but still easily legible to an educated woman like Anne. If Kendrick hadn't brought it up, she probably wouldn't have even noticed anything amiss.

That fact that he couldn't read this particular script, however, had major implications. It was possible this world had been cut off from wider civilization long enough for alternative languages to become prevalent—except if that was the case, then shouldn't she have had trouble understanding Kendrick's speech? Even assuming a smaller divergence in spoken language, it seemed odd that Anne hadn't noticed any unusual vernacular, or even that much of an accent. And that was putting aside all the other strangers who'd been summoned here, from places too far-flung to recognize.

...Something's translating for us. A leap of logic, but it made sense. The Goddess summoned us here for some purpose, and it'd be hard for us to take action if we couldn't understand anyone around us. Anne could imagine achieving something like that via implants, but her body should have rejected any such foreign objects... Meaning whatever mechanism let her understand the language here had to be external. Was it drawing power from Millie's body?

It was only when Kendrick stopped talking that the Knight realized something had happened with the necklace. Her eyes slowly followed his gaze to the glowing, bobbing trinket, and widened just a fraction at the sight.

"...That's probably your answer right there." She looked largely unsurprised by this latest development, more like a suspicion of hers had just been confirmed. "I don't know if the Heralds made it themselves or they got it from somewhere else, but if they have stronger versions of this, they could triangulate Millie's position from anywhere on the planet." A pause, as she considered. "Assuming she's the only one, at least." If it worked like Paranormal Powers did, then it could be a hereditary factor that primed its user for possession by the 'Goddess.' Though, based on the results, it's more like a curse than a power.

She nodded her head toward Kendrick. "Keep it, if you want. I don't trust the Heralds, but something like that ought to at least be useful for keeping an eye on her."

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

Magic. Anne couldn’t help but frown at the word. Where she came from, even the most inexplicable phenomena were rooted in advanced science or lost technology, and could fundamentally be explained and reproduced if only they were understood. This planet, on the other hand, was so far behind the times they didn’t even seem to have spaceships. Under such circumstances it was no wonder that superstition had taken hold.

There were jewel users in the North, on the Absolute Defence Line. Most likely that second item has similar properties. That could make it a powerful weapon in the right hands, but Anne herself wouldn’t be able to use it. And besides, why would the Heralds give their enemy something that could be used against them?

While she puzzled over the gem, Kendrick dug up something she’d entirely failed to notice before. Anne quickly read through the note, and her eyes went wide as she reached the end.

“Alvin mentioned a god as well. Or a Goddess, rather.” She threw a worried glance towards Millie. “He claimed that the entity spoke with Millie’s voice, and summoned me here along with the others. Which, if this note is true, would explain why…” Snuffed out like a light, it said. Was there even any hope of recovering that girl anymore?

Urgently now, she told Kendrick the rest of what she knew. “We first appeared in a church—but Alvin said he’d never seen it before. The entity working through his sister was gone by the time I arrived, but supposedly she called herself Lavielle.” She searched his eyes for any sign of recognition, familiarity.

“If the Heralds wrote that note, then it’s proof they knew about this Goddess and her connection to Millie. If they were after the kids from the start, then they must have known before we even arrived.” Either they wanted access to the power that had brought Anne and the others here, or they bought into what the entity had called herself: a goddess, and object of worship.

Better hope it’s not the second option. Power-hungry armies were one thing, but religious fanatics were some of the worst types of all to deal with.

@PKMNB0Y

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon — Hunter's Lodge

"Actually, I was going to tell you about that." Anne composed herself quickly, remembering the urgency of their situation. The Heralds were still out there somewhere, and fretting over her possible mistakes wouldn't protect anyone from a second attack. "While I was escorting the kids yesterday, we ran into one of the Herald commanders, a woman. She wanted Millie specifically, and offered to spare our lives if we handed her over."

Anne looked over at the girl, still fast asleep and eerily silent. It was clear that the child lay at the very heart of this mystery, the sole connecting factor between the summoned strangers and the Heralds' unknown motivations—and they had yet to even work out the truth behind her current condition.

"Obviously we refused the offer, and the Herald backed down after receiving orders from higher up. I doubt they'll just let her go, though. There's a chance they could even come after you or Alvin to use as hostages." The Knight fished in her coat pocket, and brought out the small box the woman had given her the day before. She popped it open for Kendrick to see. "The woman gave me this before she left. Some kind of offer or token, though I'm still not sure what she really meant by it." She'd said something about 'falling into hell,' which all seemed like nonsense to Anne. Hell doesn't exist. Or if it is real, then we're already living in it.

Regardless, she was hoping Kendrick might recognize any of the items in the box. The necklace, the jewel, and the vial of fluid... The first two could have been read as a bribe, but that third object gave the impression of some deeper purpose, far beyond Anne's own frail understanding.

@PKMNB0Y