1. Home
  2. Kero

Kero Member

Avatar of Kero

Status

User has no status, yet

Bio

User has no bio, yet

Most Recent Posts

In Revue of Annihilation → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Ananta Aroa


//O8 - The Underpass



And indeed, the words of the child informed Ananta of everything she needed to know.

Well, perhaps that is a small exaggeration. Certainly, Ananta could easily base her decision off of those two words, but whether or not she had the tools to truly help would be another matter entirely. Indeed, for those without a strong innate resistance to such things, even something as simple as a common cold, or an otherwise easily treatable infection, could spell the end for a slumborn of any sort. That was just the reality of the environment her fellows were forced to suffer through.

Indeed, every inch of life was a battle for even something as good and well as air that does not burn the throat. Something that she learned, later in her adventuring career, likely came from an abundance of mold or something similar. Every single aspect of the world that surrounded was actively working against her fellows, all for the sake of dragging them down into the dirt, to proliferate off of their corpses to drag down even more. To survive, you needed to learn how to cope. How to breathe, and how to move. How to walk and run, and how to hide. How to figure out who is diseased, and with what, to know who to avoid and who was an acceptable risk...

But then, she was getting off track. Though the child's situation was far from unique, Ananta wouldn't be particularly surprised if she could find many others in the Underpass looking for help with something similar, there was a chance that she might be of help. It was a small chance, it entirely depended on if what she had on hand was enough to heal the mother... but she would try.

As such, after that moment pause to ponder, Ananta spoke quiet enough for only the child to hear. "I cannot guarantee a cure to whatever might afflict her... however, should I possess something that might assist your mother, I will provide." For the time being, the Abyss had become the furthest thing from Ananta's mind.

Her path, for the time being, had been decided.

"Please, lead the way." She finished, at the same volume as the rest.

She did have some amounts of medicine with her, so there was a chance...
In Revue of Annihilation → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Ananta Aroa


//O8 - The Underpass


Ananta was fully aware that what the man some steps ahead of her had done what many would consider the smart thing. What many would call the 'reasonable' thing. Such filthy things they were, slum dwellers. No better than animals in how they lived. Rolling around in their own waste on the daily, taking undeserved scraps from those who'd truly worked and from their betters. Thieves and criminals, the lot of them. At the very least, they knew where they stood in life. At the bottom.

Or, so many would say.

Ananta was a remarkably difficult person to inspire rage in, many found, very much unlike her adventuring peers. Adventurers, in general, were often rather brazen people. Crass, rude, vulgar, and perhaps hundreds of other similar words could be used to fit the description of the average. You could liken them to those mercenary companies of knights, just far more honest with themselves. And while you could generally trust one to fulfill their requests to at least the bare minimum... The less said about their negotiation skills, the better.

Ananta imagined that much of her success, in terms of connections and companions, came from her ability to simply keep a cool head and be polite, just as much as her incredible luck. Much of the time, working out the details of the requests that came directly to her group, instead of just something random off the job board, was left to her, as she was the most suited to it. Perhaps it was something that another might find insulting, but Ananta couldn't find a reason to feel such a way about it. She and the rest of her old party knew very well that it was only her words that had gotten them many valued requests and contracts, and she was valued for it, just as much as she was for her perceived skill.

Many wondered about her origins, be they a close companion or a stranger that'd only heard word of the achievements of Ananta and her party. Her general demeanor, appearance, and manner of speaking inspired some fantastical things, often said in jest when in her presence. Perhaps the most common was some assumed background of a noble lineage. Be it anything from a bastard child of some important house attempting to make her way in the world, a disguised baron's daughter trying to bring her family some manner of fame, or a runaway daughter of some royalty... Jokes and jests, as she said. She'd always taken some small amount of amusement out of these sorts of things. Simply shaking her head with a light smile, gently brushing them off as nothing more than the jests they were.

There was a sort of twisted amusement she got out of it as well. It was a strange phenomenon, wasn't it? How, when faced with someone like herself, someone of her words and looks, it was subconsciously assumed that she held some kind of noble heritage? Much of her true amusement, after all, came from the past she'd never spoken of. It was far, far easier to get what you wanted when the person you spoke to thought you were like them, or their better, after all. One of her greatest weapons in negotiations was that very assumption.

It was that same past that she had to clamp down upon. Ananta was not, and never would be, ashamed of where she had come from. The status she had attained? Sure, she struggled to feel something besides a sense of guilt in that, but that feeling would never apply to her true background... But a lack of shame it in did not make it wise to share. There were many a stigma that would follow such a reveal, and that left her far better off leaving her background as a mystery.

But one of the few things that might force her to put her throat in a vice to stall vitriol from spewing out would certainly be attacks on that background. Not her background specifically, - no one knew it, after all, - but on those she would consider her fellows, even if she knew that not a one would see her as one of them anymore. That protective instinct was something she knew she had to clamp down upon in front of many. In front of her party, the clamp was certainly loosened, but never in front of those who would use it to put her at a disadvantage. Even though they may see it as Ananta holding sympathy for those downtrodden instead of what it truly was, it was a disadvantage nonetheless.

And regardless of what she dearly wished to say- regardless of what she dearly wished she could do to the adventurer some steps ahead... Ananta didn't dare do more than narrow her eyes at the man's departing back. An action that would be missed, in this darkness, by most all.
Was it cowardice, to act this way? To allow things like this to happen, with the titles she held, and the place she'd come from?

She knew the answer to be nothing other than yes.

Her focus turned, and she locked eyes with the battered child. She didn't dare feel pity, she would not insult the child like that. Not when she understood. Her gaze would not hold an inch of judgement, for it couldn't. Not when Ananta had experienced the very same, just as near all slumborn had. Her eyes, hidden by darkness and by hood, simply waited.

Many would say that doing such a thing was a mistake. Animals such as this would take the smallest scrap to the furthest reaches of the mortal plane, should they be given such an opportunity, they would say. And though Ananta would privately disagree vehemently with the phrasing of such a sentence, she did not fully disagree with the sentiment of the words. To be born in such a place transformed every aspect of life into a fierce competition for survival, and if you wished to see another day, you had to take every inch you could.

Indeed, a detour such as this could turn out to be a mistake. At the very least, it would certainly delay her first delve to the depths of the Abyss somewhat, that was for certain... But she had all the time in the world, before needing to brave the soul of Oratorio.

And thus, her journey was paused, for a moment. Ever so slightly, Ananta moved to the side, allowing any behind her to make headway, and kept a close eye on her belongings and her environment. She couldn't give all of her fellows assistance like this. Not without endangering her own chances of survival. But she would pause for this young one.

The child needed a chance to speak.

Ananta could only hope that what they asked for was something she could provide.

@ERode
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: Perils of the Night → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Lucy Mallory




Lucy hid her mouth behind her hand, silently laughing at her opening hand. A dice jar, a samurai, a roulette spider, a second coin toss, a fairy box, and an ordeal of the traveler. A wonderful start.

Her opponent was a young man that, judging by his uniform, had come here straight from the local high school. He eyed Lucy carefully, before pulling his own draw. If she remembered right, the boy played Blue Eyes, in some vain attempt to imitate Seto Kaiba ... But, judging by that blossoming expression of his, Lucy could only assume that he'd found himself holding a brick, as those cards often did.

Her grin only widened behind her hand, and when it was removed to instead hover over her cards, she did not even make the slightest attempt to banish it from her face. The boy, of course, noticed that, and glared. How fun!

Though Lucy had never bothered to actually remember her opponents name, she had actually dueled him a few times in the past. Twice, to be specific. Both at the same little card shop. In other words, he was fully aware of the kind of deck she played, and since he had very clearly bricked his hand, both of them knew there was nothing he could do to stop her before she started.

Especially since Lucy had won the coin toss, like always.

Practically radiating a smug aura, Lucy declared her choices. "I'll set one card face down, in defense position~..." The boy made a face at that, already piecing together exactly which card it was. "And, I'll set two cards in my backline!" Her tone was light, almost playful, and it only served to make her opponent's face grow more pinched.

Her grin remained strong. "I pass~."

The boy, on the other hand, looked on the verge of swearing... It took him some moments, moments that only made Lucy's grin grow wider, but he did, eventually, make a move.

"I... set one card, and... pass..." He said through gritted teeth. As she'd thought, the boy had bricked. He crossed his arms. She laughed unkindly.

Coming upon her turn, she drew, and found herself with a Cup of Ace. Unneeded, but it would be an amusing thing to use, especially if she lost the coin flip. Ah, she could already imagine hope coming to the boy's eyes, if she were to land two tails...

Lucy would save it for later, in case the duel dragged on and she became bored.

Still grinning like a cheshire cat, Lucy made her move. "I place Sasuke Samurai #4 in attack position, and declare an attack on your face down monster~! And, since it's Sasuke Samurai attacking..." But, before she could finish, her opponent cut her off. "We've done this before- just call the coin already!" Ah, the boy was certainly frusterated, wasn't he?

How fun!

Her grin morphed into something else, a placating smile that some might call mocking. "Of course, of course, how could I forget... ah, what was your name again?" The boy bristled, but said nothing. Expected.

"No matter, heads!"

The coin was flipped, the monster was destroyed, and with a grimace, the boy deducted the damage from his life points.

One more turn, then. Before the true gamble.

She passed, and the boy went once more. Ah- he'd drawn something good, it seemed.

"I set one monster, and activate Lightning Storm, destroying your backrow!" Or maybe he hadn't.

Lucy, accordingly, removed both placed cards from her backrow to the graveyard, and seeing her opponent pass once again, drew once again. She didn't even bother to read what she'd drawn, though. This little game was about to end.

"Heads, again." She called. Utilizing the Samurai once more. Of course, she called it right, and of course, the monster was destroyed. Her opponent seemed resigned, to anyone who looked. She couldn't blame him. After all, he knew what was coming.

Entering the second main phase... Dice Jar was flipped up.

Two dice met the table. One a five, one a six.

That was the end of it.

"A fun distraction." Lucy said, standing from the table. "I hope to see you again."

Her opponent grumbled as he stood, walking off to presumably go see how his friends were fairing in their matches.

Though Lucy might not have a friend here, she figured it would be for the best to follow suit and check out how other matches were going, if only to kill time.

She doubted many other matches would finish so fast, after all.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: Perils of the Night → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

In Revue of Annihilation → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Ananta Aroa


//O8


Ananta had heard much of Oratorio, before her coming. A symptom of the location of her old home. With its relative close proximity, hardly a day would go by without at least a single outsider arriving and professing how it would be they who would conquer the depths. How it would be they who would become the next Sword of Varanasi, or whatever other great legend that the nobodies wrongly thought they had a chance to become. Those types are often the ones that you never hear about again.

But more than the fools who cannot comprehend the magnitude of the journey they are about to undertake, Kamal, alongside its status as a strong general hub for adventurers, can be called something of a retirement town for those who’ve had their fill of the Abyss that Oratorio imprisons. Be it those that have become too injured to continue their delving, those who have had their fill of the danger, or the lucky few who have lived to an old age, there is plenty of reliable and not so reliable tales one can collect from the folk of Kamal.

Much of the time, one does not even need to bother asking. So long as one hangs around the local taverns or the guild, you will surely overhear at least two separate tales of greatness or stories of embarrassment being spouted off by someone or other. Usually, the tales of greatness are epics of bravery and adventure, primarily about the trials they grappled with in the Abyss. The stories of embarrassment were much more often found to hold the setting of the city of Oratorio itself.

The way Oratorio was described varied in each and every tale. For every one that described it as some variation of glorious splendor, there were at least four or five others to counterbalance that called attention to a revolting underbelly of some sort. It was a contrast, many said. The further up you could pull your gaze, the more beautiful it would become, and the further down your eyes were dragged, the more horrid.

It was a contrast that, upon setting her sights on the city for the first time, Ananta found herself agreeing with.

But at the same time, it was not a sight that she could muster up any kind of special feeling for. How could Ananta, when she’d glimpsed and journeyed through cities of much the same states? Indeed, it was a clear, horrible showing of class divide, but that was the reality of any city. As was the smell, and as was the state of the homes. The truth of the matter was that Oratorio was nothing special… at least, outside of the Abyss it surrounded.

It did not take long for her to break into the slums of the city, from the hill she had glimpsed it on. The people of it were as standard as slum dwellers came. Their clothing was so unwashed that the environment they lived in had become one with it, and the stench as well. All who entered and passed by Ananta’s hooded gaze were some manner of sickly, clearly showing signs of illnesses that, in many other towns and villages, had long since been extinguished.

Some had eyed her cloaked form, sizing her up, but would turn their sight elsewhere upon glimpsing what she carried with her. Ananta could guess that they would try to find another, less equipped adventurer as their next mark, or a fellow slum dweller.

Her pace was steady, and filled with purpose. The slums, though familiar to her in many ways, were not her goal.

Like the legends and the fools both who had come before her, Ananta’s destination lay past the slums, below the road, and through the Underpass.

Her destination lay, instead, in the den of fools.

The Adventurer’s District, and the Abyss beyond it.

Approaching the Underpass, Ananta moved in time with the ticking of her heart.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: Perils of the Night → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
The suggested power level was Arc-V, if you're undecided.


I've never seen Arc-V so idk on that front
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: Perils of the Night → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Im just trying to figure out if I should go balls to the wall and run a gamba deck or just run sky strikers...

gamba is so tempting.......
In Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Idk why we’d bother restricting ourselves to dnd schools of magic when this is an Earth fantasy?

There’s plenty of stuff ripe for using.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: Perils of the Night → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
I mean if you build your deck so you don't have a single out to something like that... that's just something you can overcome after the battle, you know?

"Man, I didn't realize my deck could be countered like that. I need to pick something up so I have an out to it in the future."

and tbh getting clapped because your custom deck didn't have an out to crooked cook or whatever flavor of "I cannot be touched" card is getting thrown at you is kind of a rite of passage at this point lmao.
In Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy → 11 mos ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Don't worry I'll gladly take the title of the Claude of this generation of students...
© 2007-2025
BBCode Cheatsheet