ML

Epic City: Starburst

Neato

Although I will say I don't think phantom had any concept of energy expenditure: as in, he won't "lose energy", but might just randomly wake up instead

Just clarifying, it really has no impact on the actual IC

Epic City: Starburst

full disclosure, definitely don't expect Phantom to actually tackle Finch, i was just on a roll

also,



I've been real busy with school and life and my own rp, but I'm still here if that's cool

Epic City: Starburst

[T H E N]

---

One minute, he'd literally been about to punch out what some people would consider a demigod, and the next minute he was awake in his car, unable to move, getting to watch in horror as his laptop was annihilated. It might seem superficial, of course, but his entire life was based around that laptop. He made music, connected musical peripheries, communicated with most of his friends...without the laptop, he was nothing, a no one with no talent and no network. It was a self-centered vision of horror, but if the shoe fit...

Next he'd seen his parents shot down by the Triads. Literally the Chinese Triads murdering his family. In hindsight, it was a far more disturbing thought that losing his laptop, and David had to admit that, for all his parents' disapproval, he still loved them and cared for them.

The last memory-vision was the worst. He was Phantom, but he could no longer interact with the world. He couldn't wake up, couldn't speak to anyone, couldn't touch anything. He watched as his newfound friends discovered his lifeless, non-breathing body, how they crumpled as they failed to wake him. He saw his parents devastated, whispering prayers and regrets to at his funeral. He couldn't tell them that he heard them, and forgave them. He could only drift aimlessly, desperately, trying in vain for eternity to communicate with a world which had forgotten him.

That had been the worst of them all. There were more images, but those were the only three he remembered clearly. The rest had faded like bad dreams. The worst of it was that he had no idea where these visions were coming from. He knew somehow that they weren't real, but his mind kept refusing to accept that. He felt the pain of each one as if he were living it.

So when he finally awoke, a real, physical body in his parent's home, he nearly cried in relief. “妈妈！” he called. “[Mama！]” he repeated, when there was no answer.

His mother rushed into the room with a steaming cup of Oolong tea. “小卫！哦，大卫！我很担心了！” She set down the cup with shaking hands and put warm hands on his cheeks as if checking for fever. :[Oh, you poor boy. Can you drink this?]" She offered to him the cup, from which he drank deeply. He drained the whole cup far faster than he had intended to.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "妈妈，爸爸在哪儿？"

His mother glanced toward the door. "[Your father went to fetch an herbalist. You had a bad fever, 小卫。 We were so worried--]"

"Herbalist?" David said in English. "Mom, please!" he began to stand. "I don't need--"

“你坐下！” his mother commanded. He listened to her without meaning to, sitting back down meekly. "[No calls, no texts, for months, and then this? Who was the man that brought you here? Where did you find such a tall and threatening man? If he is your gangleader then I--"

"[I'm not in a gang, mom!]" David hissed. Was she serious? A gang? Ernie had probably just dropped him off. "[He is a friend! We make music together!]"

"[David, you cannot be getting involved with these men. Your father and I did not spend so much of our time pushing you for you to spiral out of control like this. If you are going to quit at ever finding success, then at least do not fall into the dark alleyways and shake your grandmother down for loose--]"

"[I'm NOT in a GANG!]" he said again, shouting this time. "[That man's name is Ernie, and he plays the piano! We are trying to make an album together, not that I've ever had any support of that from you or baba!]"

His mother raised herself to her full height, but that was hardly anything at all. "[Maybe if you learned to play the piano when we tried to start you on it you would not need to meet with this Ernie in the first place!]"

"Oh, forgive me for ONLY learning the violin!" David rose, this time ignoring his mother's demands that he sit. "[It's a miracle I haven't snapped and murdered anyone yet, with how much stress you always place me under! 再见妈妈！你告诉爸爸他的中医是狗屁！"

He stormed out of the house, stopping only to pull on a hoodie and shoes. He made it all the way down the stairs and six blocks away from the apartment before he realized what he'd done. Hadn't he just had a vision about losing his parents entirely?

But it was too late now. Going back there was suicide. He pulled up his hood and stalked away.

[N O W]

---

Ever since that utter failure at apprehending the Finch guy, and the argument David had been in a black mood. The others in the apartment were equally subdued, having all apparently been subjected to their worst nightmares as well. Maria and Hannah were doing what they could, but the others were as shaken as David had been.

The mayor was okay, thankfully. If he'd been lost, they all might have fallen apart entirely. Instead, they simply had to buck up and soldier on. That was proving to be easier said than done.

Every day since then, David had roamed the streets as Phantom. Whatever had pushed him from the skies had been a one time thing, and ever since then he'd had no trouble with dreams or waking up unexpectedly. Which was how he found Finch the second time.

He was roaming when the debris-wielding Epic appeared. He saw the loose tornado of chaos moving casually through the street, and he'd been tracking it when Finch appeared. David felt his pulse begin to race, except it wasn't, because he had no pulse.

"Gotcha this time, you bitch," hissed Phantom, and he dove down toward the petty criminal just in time to see a ring of grenades appear around Finch, the debris guy, and some third weirdo in a mask. Didn't. Fucking. Matter.

David coated himself with his telekinetic energy, planning to tackle the shit out of Finch. Dickleweed wouldn't get away this time.

Beyond the Storms

Heyo, sorry for the delay in the post. I had an action packed weekend. Parents visited, girlfriend was over a lot, friends were hanging out, etc. Happy labor day guys :D

Beyond the Storms

U P W A R D
@Caits@Vicier[Atrophy]
Days since Departure: 9 -- Time: Mid-Morning, Early Afternoon
Previously...

"Plummet, Luna! Stop trying to be a hero on your own!" Edward stomped on the ground, his voice barely cutting above the rotor blades. "We're in this damned thing together, and I'm not about to leave you in this stupid place by yourself so you can get yourself killed doing some stupid act of bravery!" He glared at Constance, who appeared shocked into silence. Whether from Luna's words, or Constance's offense to Luna's words, the woman wasn't speaking either way.

"We all have two options," Edward continued. "We can either climb up this giant staircase and try to get to the top, or we can leap into open space, casting safety to the wind, and try to grab a rope ladder fluttering out in empty space. I'm going up. And I know Luna is coming as well. Follow if you want, or don't."

"I shan't!" Blustered Constance. She turned to Collin, batting eyes of innocence. "Won't you come with me...ah...Collin? Help me to get to the Endurance?"

Collin glanced at Edward, then at Raymond. "I think I'll stay."

"W-what?" Constance said, before sharply bringing her incredulity under control. "You'll stay on a floating tower with no means of escape, willingly? Am I the only sane person here?" She raised her hands above her head as if calling to some primordial being.

"Go with her," Raymond said suddenly. Collin turned to glance at him sharply. "I will look after Juliette," he said, somewhat defensively. "If this woman leaps and falls to her death, the Holloway matriarch..." he trailed off, but Collin seemed to understand.

"Gods above," he mumbled, but Edward was able to read the words on his lips somehow. He nodded slowly, then inhaled deeply, and took off at a sprint toward the edge. Edward shouted in alarm, but Collin had already launched free of solid ground, soaring toward the rope ladder. His freewheeling arms managed to grab a rung, and for a heartstopping moment he swung by one arm above the abyss.

Then he caught on with his other arm, and began descending the ladder. Why was he going down? Edward tilted his head without realizing it, still stunned by the insane display in front of him. Collin heaved his body weight back and forth, slowly getting the rope ladder to swing like a pendulum. Over and over he swung, until the rope nearly touched the side where they stood. "Jump!" he roared at Constance.

Constance's face turned bone white, but she set her face firm, and turned to Edward. She pointedly ignored Luna. "If we never meet again, just know that I think you're an utter fool." Then she turned and sprinted for the edge, jumping desperately as the ladder swung back her way. Polite to the end, that one. She landed above Collin and immediately began scrambling up to the Endurance, where she slid into the back with a heaving chest. Collin followed soon after.

Edward breathed out in relief, but his calm didn't last long. NINE MINUTES UNTIL IRREVERSIBILITYLY OF GRAVILYFT, PHASE ONE. The voice surprised him again, and reawakened the urgency inside him. Had it really only been one minute of all that? Perhaps. He patted his back, assuring himself that the cube was still there. Thankfully for them, it was.

He turned to Luna, Raymond, and Juliette with a stern gaze. "We have work to do." Or try to do, but he wasn't about to say that to them. He turned to the staircase. Was it just him, or did it seem like the next step up was a little shorter than the one they had climbed before? "Luna, give me a boost!" he shouted, running up to the step.

Beyond the Storms

OK THIS WEEKEND IMA BOUTA GET THINGS ON A TRACK IF THATS COOL WITH YALL

Beyond the Storms

That's true, but id like to brainstorm a few ways for Juliette to be a badass without the need for anyone holding her hand

Maybe as like some kind of cave spelunking prodigy

Beyond the Storms

Ok so yall want me to move things along? i can get to work on that if nobody else has any further objections

Beyond the Storms

It could be done, but I've been using Raymond as a go-between for our characters and Juliette, given that she doesn't speak the same language. He's more of a facilitator that I'd like to hold on to, but if you would like to come up with another character, we do have a chance for more characters to enter the story coming up

Beyond the Storms

If you like, you can, but to be honest I like that we can work with a smaller number of characters the way we do.

I guess we're finishing this, then. Looking forward to it.