Glad to have all your interest in this :) If anyone has a question feel free to ask and I’ll answer. Work is underway on the ooc as we speak so I’ll be busy for the next week getting it ready.
NoriWasHere
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That was the worst three months of my life. Health is close to normal again. Here's to making the insurance company cry!
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That was the worst three months of my life. Health is close to normal again. Here's to making the insurance company cry!
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1 yr ago
"Your copay today is $20,000" How about no.
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3 yrs ago
Well, the "I am but an ally" to "queer af" pipeline is real.
Bio
I have gone by many names over my life, and the one I go by here is Nori.
I am a non-binary individual who has a love of participating in these stories and creating my own. I am incredibly chronically ill. If my illness flares up too much I may be pulled away.
Most Recent Posts
What would you do if you suddenly gained magic in a world without it?
One moment, you were as normal as everyone else. Whether you were a college student studying for their midterms, or a busy worker who traded their happiness and health for a measly paycheck. Everything was normal until, the next moment, you weren’t. It could’ve started as a spark that arched across your fingertips, a whisper in your mind that sounded like the voice of your friend, or something far more dramatic—an uncontrollable burst of power that burned your area down. Whatever it was, however, this magic revealed itself to you, it is real. And you are not alone.
Exactly one week after your abilities appeared, a letter arrived. There was no return address, no postage, just your name in elegant script on the envelope. Your curiosity got the better of you, so you opened it, and you learned three things.
Magic has existed since the dawn of existence.
You are one of the first magic users to grace the planet in over five hundred years.
And that magic can not be locked away forever as it will reappear if the world needs it.
But why now? What happened five centuries ago to make magic vanish? Why were you chosen for this power? And more importantly—what has caused magic to return?
This is a modern fantasy RP focused on the discovery of magic, mystery, and the dangers that come with being the first wielders of magic in an unsuspecting world. Hidden histories, supernatural threats, and the looming question of what your magic truly means as long as you can answer one question.
Are you ready to find out?▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅Welcome to Modern Magic, the first story set in a supernatural, high fantasy, and horror-themed universe we’re calling Symphony. You are arriving right at the start of a great change for the world as magic begins to creep into the fabric of our reality once more. The effects of this are yet to be seen, but all it takes is one look at the news to see that it is already being felt. From explosions that ripped through Seoul five days ago, to various campground's attacked by creatures straight out of folklore, the signs that the return of magic has had deadly outcomes are everywhere. You are going to be a first generation Witch or Warlock. This means that how your powers develop will be up to you. At the start you might be very weak with your magic, but if you practice it and work through the story you might be a great mage by the end.
However, while magic has returned and this alone has caused countless deaths, many more are to come as The Witch Hunters are mobilizing. Unlike their mage counterparts, The Witch Hunters trace their lineage back proudly and carry weapons and armors specifically designed to kill you. They have already begun to track any trace of magic their locators can detect and they have already killed several of these new mages. It is going to be a race against time to build up your strength before you are caught.The Witch Hunters are not the only threats that you will face along this journey. Monsters, of myth and legend, are awaking at the same time. From the mighty minotaur's that ravaged ancient Greece, to the various Dragons that burned the world, these monsters are also going to be drawn to these young mages. Magic attracts magic, and the longer you linger in an area the higher the likelihood that you will encounter one. At the end of the day, despite The Witch Hunters and Monsters, you have been chosen for a reason. Magic is needed in the world again despite the risk it brings. Will you live up to your potential, or will you die like your ancestors of old? The main themes of this story are as followed: Rebirth, Identity, Emotions, and Friendship.RULES & NOTES_______________________________________________CS_______________________________________________
What would you do if you suddenly gained magic in a world without it?
One moment, you were as normal as everyone else. Whether you were a college student studying for their midterms, or a busy worker who traded their happiness and health for a measly paycheck. Everything was normal until, the next moment, you weren’t. It could’ve started as a spark that arched across your fingertips, a whisper in your mind that sounded like the voice of your friend, or something far more dramatic—an uncontrollable burst of power that burned your area down. Whatever it was, however, this magic revealed itself to you, it is real. And you are not alone.
Exactly one week after your abilities appeared, a letter arrived. There was no return address, no postage, just your name in elegant script on the envelope. Your curiosity got the better of you, so you opened it, and you learned three things.
Magic has existed since the dawn of mankind.
You are one of the first magic users to grace the planet in over five hundred years.
And that magic can not be locked away forever as it will reappear if the world needs it.
But why now? What happened five centuries ago to make magic vanish? Why were you chosen for this power? And more importantly—what has caused magic to return?
This is a modern fantasy RP focused on the discovery of magic, mystery, and the dangers that come with being the first wielders of magic in an unsuspecting world. Hidden histories, supernatural threats, and the looming question of what your magic truly means as long as you can answer one question.
Are you ready to find out?▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅Welcome to Modern Magic, a story set in a supernatural and horror-themed setting. You are arriving right at the start of a great change for the world as magic begins to creep into the fabric of our reality once more. The effects of this are yet to be seen, but all it takes is one look at the news to see that it is already being felt. From explosions that ripped through Seoul five days ago, to various campground's attacked by creatures straight out of folklore, the signs that the return of magic has had deadly outcomes are everywhere. You are going to be a first generation Witch or Warlock. This means that how your powers develop will be up to you. At the start you might be very weak with your magic, but if you practice it and work through the story you might be a great mage by the end.
However, while magic has returned and this alone has caused countless deaths, many more are to come as The Witch Hunters are mobilizing. Unlike their mage counterparts, The Witch Hunters trace their lineage back proudly and carry weapons and armors specifically designed to kill you. They have already begun to track any trace of magic their locators can detect and they have already killed several of these new mages. It is going to be a race against time to build up your strength before you are caught.The Witch Hunters are not the only threats that you will face along this journey. Monsters, of myth and legend, are awaking at the same time. From the mighty minotaur's that ravaged ancient Greece, to the various Dragons that burned the world, these monsters are also going to be drawn to these young mages. Magic attracts magic, and the longer you linger in an area the higher the likelihood that you will encounter one. At the end of the day, despite The Witch Hunters and Monsters, you have been chosen for a reason. Magic is needed in the world again despite the risk it brings. Will you live up to your potential, or will you die like your ancestors of old? The main themes of this story are as followed: Rebirth, Identity, Emotions, and Friendship.RULES & NOTES_______________________________________________CS_______________________________________________
Elara watched as the time magic fell over the man and the monster and she was given a moment to breathe. Her body was sore, her clothes had become tattered, and she was beyond done with whatever this thing was. Every time the monster was exposed to her magic it seemed like it grew a resistance to it. Elara knew that if it wasn’t for the stairs field she’d be in trouble right now. She looked towards Bryn and groaned. “How you going up,” Elara coughed out some blood, “we need to get you some bones,” Elara gasped as she watched the monster move in the stasis field. It was only an inch but she saw it all the same.
"There ain't any nearby by- fuckin' fussy ghost!" Bryn swore. She was in a better state than Elara, thanks to avoiding being thrown out the window… but she was also out of options, her only available ash stuck in the same field the monster was. Her head tilted backwards. ”Any birds or shit you can shoot down?"
Elara looked around the sky and mumbled a soft “shit”. There was nary a creature to be seen besides the one they were currently fighting. “I cain’t see none,” Elara said as she looked around for a rabbit, squirrel, trash panda, or opossum. “Long as that their field thing holds we can wai-,” Elara paused as she watched the monster move again, this time nearly a foot towards her. She could see its eyes were locked on her. It moved another few inches, and then another few. It was pushing through the time field like it was nothing more than a heavy weighted blanket. It kept inching closer, and closer, seemingly ignoring Varnan altogether.
“We only need to hold on for a little while longer.” Elara started before she notched another lightning arrow.
”Hit it with all you got, I'll keep it off you," Bryn grunted, feeling the ash stuck in the field slowly pulling towards her. Not fast enough. Useless, useless. ”Cineres, find me some fuckin' bones."
A little glowing white head poked out of Bryn's stomach, fire curls spilling out and looking like they'd set her clothes alight. The young spirit pulled herself fully out, looking at Bryn just to nod before she disappeared. Bryn could still feel their connection- she still had her magic for now, too… and the fuck all it did for her right now. She quickly moved to put herself in front of Elara.
A second later, Varnan's spell on the monster broke, sending a shockwave outward that violently threw both Elara and Bryn back. Elara once again crashed into the ground and yelped as she once again felt a rib crack and a fresh surge of pain. She lingered on the ground before she finally rolled over and saw that the doppelganger was slowly stalking toward her. She could see that its face and body began to shift, no doubt to become her this time. Elara was far too wounded to move at this point and she watched in horror as it raised its hand ready to plunge a bladed appendage down into her chest. Elara closed her eyes. A second later the arm exploded halfway down its length, sending a splatter of blood and viscera across Elara and the surrounding area.
Elara opened her eyes at the sensation and looked to the side to see their reinforcements had arrived early. Luca had teleported a small group to the battle, and the strike force was led by a newer member named Doran. Doran had a rifle raised, however the first shot that struck true on the creature made no sound. He fired again, the second round impacting in the chest, and also made no sound. His abstraction was called Dead Silent, and it allowed Doran to absorb any sound in their nearby area and redirect it at a later point. Thus, every loud shot from this weapon of war was completely silent. Round after round was fired from the semi-automatic weapon and the only noise that could be heard was the whistle of the bullet itself. Behind Doran, and in front of Lucas were Ethan and Ryan. Ethan quickly extended his hand out and the ground shook as a solid mass emerged from beneath the monster, forming a hand that tried to hold the creature in place. Ryan, meanwhile, held his hand up to the sky which caused the overcast nature to darken and thunder to rumble quickly. He was building up a massive lightning bolt that he would quickly deliver. Lucas had a bag in his hand that was sealed with a simple knot that he tossed towards Bryn. It was filled with various bones collected from the hunting trips over the past week and had not been thrown out.
"Fuck- Thanks, Lucas!" Bryn pushed herself to her feet and caught the bag. She’d felt something in her back crack when she was thrown back… but it didn’t fucking matter right now. The pain wasn’t that bad. She mentally called back her Apparition, pulling open the bag at the same time as she turned all of the bones into ash. She glanced over at Ryan. Best plan was to keep its attention until he could thunder clap it.
Half of the ash pulled out of the bag, forming solid balls around her. They started smouldering, before setting alight as she shot them at the Doppelganger - burning ash bullets.
“If y’all have a disabling, controlling, or downright destructive spell now is the time to apply it,” Elara added as she fired a lightning arrow before swapping to ice ones, sending one at each appendage.
Jack wasn’t fully cognizant of what was happening. He felt the ground shake and the air roar, and saw something in the corner of his vision, but he was anything but alert and aware right now. On one knee, with one empty sleeve and his one good arm pressed against the ground, he felt like someone who’d had one too many drinks of something far above their usual tolerance. Every time he blinked, his eyes practically begged not to be opened again.
Opening one portal to the Void was nothing for him. Opening a particularly large one was doable for a brief moment.
Opening two of that size? He was paying for it.
At least the move worked. He had to stand, and there was nothing to prop himself up against. And it was bright enough to interfere with his teleporting, and if he used any Umbramancy, something would just crack under his own weight.
But he had the radio. He reached for it, and slipped onto his side.
”…I need backup, quickly.”
Lila’s hand let go of the briar spear she found on the ground as it finished healing her body. The bullet wounds were gone, but her body bore the pain of them all the same. This was her first time being shot with actual bullets and it was not a sensation she ever wanted to experience again. As the lingering phantom pain fizzled away she heard the radio crack to life. Her eyes went wide as she realized that it was Jack on the line, and he was needing help.
Lila sent out a telepathic command to her crows to find the emo.
Not all her crows would listen to her without an offering, however, and as such only five headed her command. They began to sweep the island with a feverish intensity. They swooped down at each and every person they could find, getting their eyes on their face and relaying that information back to Lila who checked for Jack. They seemed to like to swoop down on Sully, and Ken, multiple times for some reason. Not that Lila complained when Ken came across her vision. Eventually, one did find the man and Lila quickly hurried to her feet and looked around. She knew where he was but not how to get there. Lila asked her crows to take her there and only one flew back to Lila accepting the command. Lila took a deep breath as that singular crow was Little Shit and his antics within the murder was not great. Still, Jack was in need and Lila would put her faith in a crow that had thus far been an agent of terror.
Lila shot into the air and began to fly quickly behind her crow. The two saw that the zombies were a distance away and missing their guns. Good. As they drew closer Lila saw Jack on the ground and dove like a bird of prey and crash landed next to him, kicking a large dust pile into the air and onto Jack.
“You okay bro,” Lila asked as she remained in the dirt.
”Void portals…” He lazily pushed himself upright. ”Take a toll on me. Usually, manageable. Using the Eustis Veil to stun that monster, though… Worse than usual.”
It was hard to speak fluidly when he was swaying and feeling the ground tilt every which way.
“I got shot for the first time,” Lila added in an attempt to help Jack feel better. Quickly she realized it could have the opposite effect. “This island fucking sucks. Do we want to just lay here until it’s all over or do we want to get back to the others?”
”We do not have a choice. There is too much light for my spells to be reliable, and I am far too close to unconsciousness to fight. We need to stall for time, until Sloane’s group is finished…”
He looked up at Lila, bringing himself up to one knee. ”Once they’ve found what we need… I can get them free, along with Kenshiro. But I can hardly even stand right now.”
“Fuck,” Lila sighed as she pushed herself onto her knees and used her hands to push her upper body up. “How about I get you back to friendly lines and then we can see what else we can do to stay for time,” Lila offered as an option.
”That would certainly help.” The hood obscured his face, but he was smiling. ”Shall we?”
“Do you want to hold on tight spider monkey,” Lila said as a reference to twilight, “or do you need me to carry you” Lila looked over Jack while she took a pause and decided he was even weaker than normal and was liable to fall off her back. As such, she scurried over and picked him up. With a mighty leap and powerful flaps of her wings she carried him forward towards their friendly lines. There was just one thing to nail, and that would be the landing. Thankfully, without the zombies firing there was just only one problem that Lila would need to overcome and that was her continued lack of ability to actually land. As she got close she flared her wings, extended her legs, made contact with the ground, and proceeded to crash and twist and turn until she and Jack came to a stop several feet later.
“Nailed it,” Lila groaned. She made sure to cradle Jack to prevent much damage with the crash landing.
Jack didn’t expel the contents of his stomach with that landing, so that was an upside. He sprawled out over the burnt ground and leaned against a scorched tree, standing up. ”Are you alright?”
“Only my pride is wounded,” Lila sighed.
”Good…” He looked up at the monumental beast that had risen up out of the sea. Jack hated the ocean, it was something he was less willing to explore than the Void itself. Nothing good came from there, that was not the domain of people who breathed air. Someone had been thrown at it, presumably someone not stupid enough to make that out to be a mistake. Jack looked around, and took in the surrounding area.
That seemed to be the only real threat remaining. Beyond whatever summoned it.
”I have an idea. Aaron and I have a joint spell that could banish that thing back into the ocean. Or perhaps somewhere else, at random. But he’ll be teleported as well.” He pointed up at the guy that had been fucking yeeted directly at the titan by Leon.
Lila looked towards the direction that Jack pointed towards and quickly saw that it was Stormy despite the distance. What was he doing? Lila shook her head, the reality of the situation quickly brought a renewed focus. “Okay. What can I do to help? Do you want me to be on standby to catch him or do you need me to do something else,” Lila asked.
”I certainly hope he has a plan for if he falls, but catching him would be wise. Though, I need to find Aaron in order to cast the spell. If he can manage one more Spirit Bomb.”
Lila nodded as she looked around the friendly lines and spotted Aaron a short distance away. “Are you going to be okay if I go run and grab them,” Lila asked as she got ready to leap.
”I’m not dying. Go. I’ll manage.”
Lila erupted forth at great speed, using their wings to glide across the field once more until they grabbed Aaron but once again crashed into the ground with the tackle. Mid tackle Aaron swapped to Aryin and tried to push Lila away. Lila quickly carried her back to Jack.
”What the fuck Lila,” Aryin said as they finally wrestled themself free.
“Jack needs you,” Lila said with a chipper tone.
”Then fucking say that birds for brains,” Aryin seethed.
“What did you call me?”
”Aryin.” Can you manage another Spirit Bomb? I believe we can drown that monster.”
Aryin shifted their focus to the monster and held up their hands. They summoned whatever magic they had left to their muscles in their arms and hands but felt no increased strength. They were spent. Their hands dropped as they looked towards Jack. ” Running on empty. I need to tank some hits from something strong to charge up. No offense but you look like you’re going to die on me again you fucking twink so I doubt you could do it,” Aryin responded as they sighed. How many fucking monsters did these monster fuckers have?
Jack’s shadow hand exploded into existence and reeled out like a slinky. He whipcracked her across the shoulder, making a fist that felt like a brick. ”Give me some credit. It takes more than my own magic to kill me,” he joked.
”That tickled Jack I need something more,” Aryin sighed. The Hallow Blast nuked their reserves so much more than a normal spirit bomb, and it seemed to make it harder for her to recharge. She looked towards Lila. More apparition than woman, did that extend to their strength? ”Hey bird, box me” Aryin said as they spread their arms out wide.
Lila raised an eyebrow.
”Hit me hard.”
Lila raised her arm back. It was held there for a second. The idea of testing her strength intrigued her. She tested her flight which was not great yet. She tested her command over her murder which was no longer great. She’s tested her great durability. Maybe her strength was great as well. She let loose the punch, hitting Aryin right in the right boob, and the hit reverberated across the battle with a loud crack.
Aryin looked down to her boob, and then back up to Lila, and grinned. ” Again.”
Lila swung punch after punch into Aryin's chest, each one sending a shockwave into the nearby area. After several punches, Lila pulled her hand back and shook it. The stone wall hurt her hand, and she could not throw another. Aryin looked up to Jack and smirked.
”Ready.”
Jack nodded and raised his hand up high. Wisps if black fog trailed off his fingers, and swirled up into the shape of an orb. He held that out for Aryin.
”I’ll send us through the Eleventh Path and then high above the creature, so we do not risk being swept away.” The idea was to build momentum and go sky high, then come back down safely post-blast.
”We are so going to be the talk of the coven after this.” Aryin winked as they swapped forms, before they channeled their magic into a fresh spirit bomb in the palm of their hand. As soon as it matched the size of the orb in Jack's hand Aaron pressed the spirit bomb into it.
Their magic blended together, turning energy into cosmological dross. Jack’s purple Lux, mixed with Aryin’s green, equaled a dimensional weave, the sort of thing that the very fabric of space was made of. Black, swirling with shades of purple and blue perpetually falling inwards on itself. Space curved around the sphere, rippling and pulsing around the edge of their spell.
”Away we go.”
Jack took a step closer to Aaron, and a door to the Eleventh Path opened up underneath them, parallel to the ground. They fell through it, into the sky far above the building in the pocket dimension.
Aaron fell downward with a smile on their face. This monster would not know what hit it. That smile quickly disappeared as the reality of falling from a great height sunk in momentarily. It was a very human fear and so buried deep was it that Aaron nearly screamed at Jack about how they could not fly nor could they glide. Yet all it took was a second to think to remember that even if something went wrong, they could survive a fall like this. At least, she could.
“WE ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT WITH THIS. I’LL BE FULLY FULLY TAPPED,” Aaron shouted to Jack.
”If this succeeds, that will be perfectly fine!” He shouted back, over the rush of wind. The door opened up again underneath them, just before they hit the roof of the building. It was a long fall, thirty seconds at minimum, and when they returned to Shimmer, they weren’t falling.
They were rising. All that momentum seamlessly transitioned from down to up in a way that only a purple Adept could pull off. They were at least a hundred feet directly above the titan, their tangled bomb of spatial warpings carried along with them.
At the apex of their ascent, Jack shouted.
”Now!”
They began to fall again, and released the spell: Darkness, Fall Upon Them.
The Spirit Bomb fell like a meteor, and they fell back into the Eleventh Path, returning again to Shimmer as the door spat them out. Jack rolled across the ground and landed on one knee before the bomb even hit the titan off in the distance.
Aaron swapped back to Aryin and rolled off the impact as best she could but she swapped a moment too late and felt numerous points off pain along their arm and back. “Did we kill it,” Aryin panted as they kept their eyes on the sky, breathing shallow and quick breaths. So much of their energy was spent. They would need a couple days of rest now to do anything of substance. She only hoped that her actions today were enough.
”Perhaps.” Jack held a hand out to help Aryin up, watching the Spirit Bomb fall to displace that thing somewhere further away from here than where it stood.
A short distance away
Meanwhile, Stormy was also looking up at the sky and wondering who’s damn idea it was to drop that on it. Wherever the skeletal titan went, it sure as hell wasn’t where he went.
Lynn tried to avoid the falling man, taking several steps away from where his trajectory was pulling him, but her curse was always active. A telepathic force pulled Stormy as he fell and he was forced to fall directly on the back of Lynn who crumbled under his weight. She felt a few pops, and a surge of pain from her ribs and her back.
“I think you blew my back out in a not fun way” Lynn whimpered from the ground underneath Stormy.
With a groan, Stormy looked up at his surroundings. That spell had teleported him away from Elysium Island, and he landed right on top of Lynn.
”What in the goddamn- Lynn? Anya?” He stood up, checking if Lynn was alright. ”Christ, I had no idea they were going to do that to the skeleton, I’m sorry.”
“Just happy to be involved.”
Gideon’s office on the top floor of the Hollow Tap is an unexpected blend of rugged practicality and understated charm. The space is dominated by a large, polished mahogany desk, its surface meticulously organized with a leather-bound planner, a fountain pen, and a crystal decanter of whiskey. Behind the desk, a high-backed chair upholstered in deep brown leather exudes authority. Shelves lining one wall hold a mixture of books, old ledgers, and trinkets that hint at Gideon’s dual nature—framed photos of loved ones sit beside curios from his more questionable dealings.
A set of large windows the entrance to the bar, which lights up the room even with the overcast weather outside, allowing the frames to cast long shadows across the room. A vintage record player sits on a side table, soft jazz emanating from its brass horn. In the corner stands a coat rack, from which hangs his coat as well as several others. They belonged to men who crossed him recently. They entered the room, but quickly found out that they would never leave it again. Gideon reflected on the lessons he learned from those men. Never trust someone who has broken it before, never relent on your positions, and when someone tells you that they mean to do you harm you need to believe them.
Gideon knew that Ioan was waiting for his meeting, but he wanted him to wait even longer. Not for any reason in particular but when it came to business, appearing busy was important. Gideon is unsure what to make of the businessman. He seems like he could be a liability. Still, it was important to have this meeting all the same. Right after him, it was one of those mountain people. They had become a regular at their bar and Gideon had spoken with them a few times. Their call today was unexpected but Gideon wanted more influence in that community anyway so this meeting was more urgent than the first. Gideon poured a glass of whisky from the decanter and swirled it around the glass before taking a long, heavy drink from it. Time to begin the day. He walked out of his office, glass in hand, and went down to where Mr. Ioan was waiting for him. It took a few minutes for him to reach the location before he spotted him.
“Mr. Ioan,” he greets, his voice deep and smooth. He had a wide smile on his face as he looked towards the man, sizing him up as he did. “Welcome to the Hollow Tap. Come up to my office—we’ve got some things to discuss I presume.” Stepping aside, he gestured with a hand to invite Ioan to follow along before he spotted Marco running towards him.
“Boss, the job went south. They’re calling in help, Vin needs me,” Marco paused as he raised up a medic bag.
“Mr. Ioan, I know you have been waiting but I must reschedule. If you wanted to wait I will be back before long,” Gideon paused as he looked over to Seren, “you too Seren. Food and drinks are on the house if you wait.”
Gideon took off towards the door, followed by Marco who tossed him a car key, and four more members of the Hollow. The five members piled into a large pickup truck and the tires squealed as it accelerated away from the bar. Gideon grabbed the Jaguar and quickly put it into gear and followed behind soon thereafter.
Seren walked up to the bar and sat down and grabbed a menu. They looked it over before they pulled out their phone, and opened ticktok. On the screen was one of the more recent ticktok trends, where two people would play rock, paper, scissors. The winner would take a bite of food, while the loser would need to run laps around whatever area they were in. When they got back from the laps, the two would play rock, paper, scissors once again. Seren looked towards Ioan, and smirked. They wanted to record the video later on, maybe rope Bryn or Elara or anyone else into it, but something drew her to Ioan. Maybe he was willing to give a silly ticktok trend a chance.
“So. You’re meeting Gideon today as well? What skeletons in your closest is he taking care of today,” Seren
Nearby - Vin is dying.
As Vin and Paloma worked together to let in the apparition, Malik walked over to the two phone to his ear. “Okay, two minutes out? Okay. How is Vin? Oh,” he paused as he suppressed a gag as he looked at their ruined body, “they’re not great, not terrible. I would say the faster you get here the better the odds of….what? Yes I know I am not a doctor…why would you say that? If you had…okay, okay, just get here faster and then you can decide if I am an idiot or not. How’s that sound,” Malik stopped as he ended the call, “you colossal piece of shit motherfucking North Sider. Jesus fucking christ the nerve of that guy.” He raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Palmoa and thought of what her angle was. Was she trying to get in the good graces of a gang for a reason, or was she simply someone who was in the right place at the right time? Regardless, she was a person of interest to Malik and Malik would keep an eye on her going forward.
“Vin, help will be here shortly. Gideon is staying back, but Marco and a few of the boys are on their way. Marco will get you patched up,” Malik paused as he placed his hand on his hips, pushing his coat back to reveal the holstered gun. His eyes shifted back to Palmoa, “so. What’s your story? Who’s your apparition?”
The sounds of tires screeching interrupted the conversation. Malik shifted his eyes and saw a large pickup truck speeding down the road, swerving to avoid cars as it did, and it quickly made its way towards their location. As it drew closer he could see that the front five seats were all packed with people, and the bed of the truck held a couple more. He smirked as he motioned for Palmoa to follow him as he walked closer to the outside walls of a nearby building. “Alright, Vin, help is here. You doing okay?”
Before Vin could answer the truck screeched to a stop in front of them. The door to the passenger side opened up and Marco stepped out. He was taller than the rest of the crew by a significant margin, standing somewhere between six foot five and six foot six. He wore a simple black leather jacket overtop a simple black button up shirt. The outfit did not hide a large muscular frame underneath as Marco kept the top three buttons unbuttoned. To the casual observer he was peak masculine energy. He had a large bag with a large white circle with a red cross inside, no doubt packed with medical supplies. He looked at Vin and sighed.
“Aaron, we still clear on any responses,” Marco asked as he looked towards the driver of the truck. He had a tablet in his hand and his eyes scanned the various windows open on it. He held a thumb up in response. “Everyone else, get inside and make sure whatever caused this is dead, check the damage, and if anyone is alive inside get them some compensation for their trouble.” Marco looked at Malik as the crew sprung into action. “You take the girl inside, I’ll get Vin put back togethert again,” he paused as he tapped the bag.
“Oh no. No, no. Vin needs your magic,” Malik responded with a stern look.
“Do they though,” Marco asked as he looked at their friend and sighed. He knew that Malik was right but he was not ready for what that entailed.
“I think you know the answer,” Malik responded with a sigh.
“They just need some stitches I think, like I said on the phone you are not a doctor. I am. I can totally use my actual medical degree to-”
“Marco, you fucking insecure piece of shit North Sider,” Malik started before he sighed, “just DO IT.”
Marco sighed as he dropped the bag and clasped his hands together. Marco’s magic revealed itself with a sudden burst of shimmering light around him, casting rainbows across the area and raising him up into the air. His one knee rose up while the other leg stretched out completely, his hands spreading wide. The rustling wind suddenly shifted in tone, as if a faint melody of some upbeat, glittery music echoed in the air from some unseen source. His clothes dissolved into golden sparkles, leaving his body wrapped in a glowing silhouette. An enormous crescent shape formed behind him, spinning and fragmenting into smaller cresecens that circled his body. Multicolored ribbons shot out, wrapping around him like vines that weaved themselves into an outfit. The ribbons converged on his bare chest as an emblem—a full circle—appeared over his heart.
The ribbons swirled down to his legs, where they became thigh-high boots with an ornate pattern, and then across his arms, forming bracers engraved with three runes, one fire, one water, and one wind. The water rune began to glow with a pink color. Finally, a skirt materialized in a dramatic flash, a layered affair of pink and white, shimmering with an almost metallic sheen. Despite its overt femininity, Marco's broad shoulders, muscular frame, hairy arms and legs, and stubborn scowl remain unaltered. Still, the transformation was kind enough to at least give him some compression shorts underneath the skirt. Strangely, the skirt seemed immune to the wind and did not react when it pushed against it.
The finishing touch was the wand that appears in his hand. It was topped with a crystal shaped like a crescent moon. The air sparkled with tiny motes of light as he landed back on the ground, his boots clicking against the surface with a pleasant tone. He groaned, his voice laden with irritation, and muttered, “Every. Single. Time.”
Malik stifled a laugh as he looked towards Palmoa again. “You…you can unfreeze her now.”
“Fucking hurry up,” Marco growled back as he raised up the wand and it began to glow with a green glow.
The sound of another car pulling up broke the silence and Marco sighed as he looked back to see Gideon getting out of the Jaguar. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the completed transformation. “You never get used to that,” Gideon said in a surprised tone, “Vin, Vin you will be okay. You finish the job?”
Downtown North District: 09:21Freya was shocked when the monster began its rampage. She was useless in this situation unless she somehow distracted the beast, giving her a fifteen-minute window to bake something with her magic and then having someone else force-feed it to the monster, thus causing it to explode outwards in a violent rain of blood and viscera. Freya looked at the ragtag group and knew instantly that there were far too many South Siders here for any sort of plan requiring thinking to work. No. No Freya would need to take charge. Freya would need to defend her shop. And Freya knew just how to do that. In the back room, a singular baseball bat was infused with Orange Lux and it yearned to be used. It was a trinket she bought on a cheap vacation up in Harbin. The bat would be able to banish the soul of whomever, or whatever it hit in a single swing. Freya thought for a brief second if it was actually magic or if it was simply a scam she fell for. On one hand the man looked strong, sturdy, and capable of producing such an artificat but on the other she did accidentally hit several people on the way to the airport with the bat and none of them died. Still, if there was a chance it could protect herself from the monster….and the others, it was something she needed to grab. Someone had just returned from her backroom with salt in hand so she knew she could find the time.
As the monster sprung it’s attack on one of the patrons Freya ducked into the backroom, accidentaly tripped on her own foot, fell face first into the hard floor before darkness.
Several moments later Freya’s eyes blinked open again. An intense headache greeted her and she groaned as she pushed herself back to her feet. She had no clue how long she was out, nor why she was in the backroom. She looked around and saw the door to the front of the store. That’s right! It was the start of the workday! Freya knew she was supposed to be outfront. And she knew she remembered seeing some south siders in the lobby. And she knew she was the only person working the front today. Who would stop them from stealing her stuff? Who would keep them from making her place dirty? Freya stumbled towards the door, pushed it open, walked through, and then saw the dead monster on the ground and the group standing around discussing what happened.
“What are you…….What did you………..” ‘South Siders’ Freya thought to herself, “What happened to my bakery?” Her voice was slightly slured, and one of her iris’s were blown while the other was normal sized.
Malik watched in horror as his friend was consumed by the monster. It did not even struggle to do it, as if it was all too easy for it to end a life like that. Malik raised his pistol to fire but he could not get a line on the monster. As well, he was worried his magic bullets would only piss it off. He knew that if you were faced with a grizzly bear and all you had was a pistol, it might be better to turn the weapon on yourself. Still, he kept his weapon trained on the target and waited for an opening.
The relentless assault of the Doppleganger continued for several seconds more before it snarled towards the innocent girl. How could it miss so many attacks in quick succession? A small smirk crossed its face as a realization sat in. This apparition was different. It was protecting her from him. The smirk grew even wider as the girl asked her questions. How naive. While it had absorbed much about the man, David was truly gone. Yet he could humor the girl in the moment. Maybe if the physical attacks won’t work, maybe a physiological attack would.
“Please don’t hurt me,” the Doppleganger spoke as if it was David, “I…I was in the dark, but I pushed my way back to the light. It…it is so strong I don’t know if I can-”
It was interrupted by Vin as it slammed into it’s back. It roared in pain as the claws sunk deep and it’s appendages were pulled back. The face of the doppleganger may have shown the innocent girl the sheer pain it was in, but it did not reveal the sheer joy it felt that Vin was making this fight a bit more easy. It shot backwards away from Paloma with a massive display of strength, flying across the hallway with ease before Vin lead the way through the wall of a neighboring apartment. Inside, three men were sitting on the couch and a thick smoke lingered in the air. There was a sweet but skunky smell that permeated the room, and as soon as the dust from the drywall was no longer in the air the smoke began to flow outwards through the broken wall. The men jolted from their seat slightly. Each one looked at the two monsters as if they saw something straight out of a horror movie. One turned his head to look at a half-smoked joint in their hand while another looked at the dab rig that he had just hit. The two looked at each other, back to the monster, before they shrugged and continued smoking. “I think this shit is laced with something,” one of the men said to the others. “All the shit down here is laced with something,” the second man added. “Must be some potent shit if we’re all seeing the same thing,” the third finished. The monster dug its hand deep into the wood of the floor before shooting forward towards the door, once again using Vin as the leading edge as they cut through to the hallway once more.
“Please, please girl make her stop,” the doppleganger pleaded as it reached out with a free appendage. “I think I can fight this. I can come back.”
Malik watched with eyes wide as the monsters thrashed about. He raised his gun, trying to get a shot, but the two were moving too fast and too erratically . He did not want to leave Vin alone, and he did not trust that the stranger wouldn’t get themself killed, but he knew that they needed help. He motioned for Paloma to come towards him.
“Girl, we need to get the fuck out of here right now. We are not going to be able to help. Let’s go, let’s go,” Malik shouted as he lowered his gun, and took several steps away from the chaos. He pulled out his phone and began to dial for the cavalry.
The Doppleganger struggled as it was forced out of time. Whatever spell Varnan used proved to be effective against the creature yet Varnan would soon notice the cracks along the edges of this containment. A limb would move faster than the rest of the body, a flicker of speed that pushed against the walls of this enclosure, and a slow spreading smile across the face. The group would only have a few moments before the monster would break free.
Elara looked at Varnan and nodded her head. Physically she was hurt but she knew she was hurt. The question of what they do now lingered on the front of her mind. Thus far lightning was not working, the monster seemed to shrug off Bryn’s attacks, and the strange man could only slow him down. They needed a heavy hitter, or more friends to help. She pulled out her phone and dialed Adam.
“We need help at the tattoo shop,” Elara paused as she looked towards Bryn. A muffled voice erupted from the speaker, asking questions about what was wrong. “Apparition killed Bill, we’re trying to kill it. Who can you…okay okay…two minutes? I,” Elara paused as she looked towards the monster. It was moving more, and more, and more as if the more it was exposed to the magic the weaker the magic became against it. “I doubt we’ll have two minutes of peace.,”. Elara hung up the phone call and looked towards Varnan and then Bryn. “Help is on the way. We just gotta hold out for a minute or two. Think we can manage,” Elara chuckled nervously as she notched an ice arrow and aimed it at the monster.
A second later it broke free from its prison, ice arrow impacting its chest as it did, before it launched itself out into the open to face the three unfortunate souls who dared to interfere.
Freya was pulled from the conversation as a kid started to cry. She turned her head and sighed as she realized James must’ve done something to make them upset as the kid was looking at him, and the kids mother was yelling at him. Freya looked to her customer and smiled. “Give me a minute,” Freya paused as she moved from behind the counter and towards the commotion. Just what she needed today. As she walked over she thought of the ways she’d make the mother and child feel better afterwards. Maybe a free meal would be sufficient to ensure that this bad experience didn’t define their time in her bakery? Or maybe she’d need to sit down and talk to the two for a few minutes to calm them down? These options were explored in the brief moment before she arrived and she placed her hands on her hip as she looked at James.
“James, get out of here. I don’t know what-,” Freya gasped as his head twisted to the side with a sickening pop. The smile that crossed his face grew even larger, much larger than any smile should be able to grow. His fingers popped and cracked as they elongated into knife-like shapes. And the white of his eyes were flooded with an oily black color that soon filled it completely except for the blue irises in the center.
“Freya, Freya, Freya, I was having a nice polite conversation with these two. Don’t you know it’s so rude to interrupt a private chat,” as the doppelganger finished a clicking sound filled the air.
“Oh is making a kid cry polite,” Freya said softly as she gulped. What the fuck was this monster? Why the fuck was this monster in her shop? What would this mean for her bottom line?
“It was not my intention to make the little one upset,” the doppleganger chuckled as it ran a finger across the neon ‘open’ sign before it found its way to the power cord and sliced clean through it. The blinds all began to shake violently before they fell from their place at the top of the windows, casting the room into darkness. Freya regretted buying the really nice black out blinds that truly prevented most light from coming through. A moment later the automatic lights turned on but James was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the creature disappeared into the shadows themself.
Freya looked around frantically as a soft chuckle filled the air. Her eyes were suddenly pulled to the front door as the mechanical lock was engaged. “Don’t worry,” a voice echoed from everywhere but nowhere in particular, “what is to come will not be painful. But I promise you it will be much better than this chaos you call life.” As the words echoed off the walls of the bakery the doppleganger rose from the shadows behind the counter.
“Two butter croissants, is that right Elijah,” it asked as it raised its claws up high and brought them down aimed at the man.
Lila saw the dragon come out of the portal and a command was sent to every last crow to fly as far away as they could from it. As the dragon approached Lila thought through her options. She could probably out fly it and the fire it breathed, but that would put her new friend in danger. She killed this new friend, they had been through so much already. Lila had been stung by bees for her, drew gunfire for her, and was currently the only one protecting her. The only one. Which Lila knew meant that if she left then she was likely going to die. Lila did not like her new friends dying, she never liked it when her old friends died.
But what could she do?
Her first thoughts were her transformation magic. Maybe she could transform into something bigger and stronger that could take the fire and fight the dragon. Yet Lila knew that if she did this she’d be practically inviting more permanent and potentially threatening changes to her body. The next thought was whether or not her curse magic could force the ground itself to transform around her to protect her. Lila also knew that this was very much untested and there was a possibility that she’d have to use so much magic that she’d be exhausted, and prime for a takeover from the bird bitch.
Which meant there was only one thing she could actually do.
“Don’t worry I got you,” Lila said as the dragon lined up its attack. She tightened her wings around herself and Liz, making a near completely enclosed bubble of feathers overtop. Stormy’s shield would need to take the brunt of the impact but her durability meant that if anything got past she’d be able to withstand it for a moment. She then her chest and arms overtop Liz a moment before impact to give her yet another layer just in case.
Lila felt the heat of the strike as it hit all around her. While the shield stopped most of the fire, a few stray bits still impacted her wings. If she were any less durable it would have been quite painful. But this new form was durable, and with the strong emotional field of The Maiden she was able to survive the fire. Still, as the seconds dragged on she felt the pain grow in intensity. Still, her wings were more or less out of action as the amount of feathers lost was enough to keep her grounded.
Lila’s vision was suddenly filled with different angles of a massive Spirit Bomb flying through the air and noticed it had a green glow. Hallow Blast. That meant that the Lava monster, and the dragon, were likely in a lot of trouble. You can’t dodge a nuclear-like explosion after all. Lila pulled her wings in even tighter and took a deep breath.
And then it hit.
Cyrus in the tunnels
The sound of a chainsaw revving filled the air, originating from behind Alexander.
It revved, and revved as Cyrus took a few steps towards Alexander. He had kept his distance from the rest of the artifact crew for precisely this reason. It was obvious to him that something would eventually go wrong with this plan, and he wanted to see how the chaos started before he made his move.
“Oh well done,” Cyrus said as he continued to walk forward. He revved the chainsaw again. “Your plan to draw us in was perfect down to the cocky slow clap reveal,” Cyrus paused as he revved the chainsaw again. Thus far he had not pumped any of his lux in the machine yet so he would not alert the veil yet. “But you forgot to check if anyone was laying a trap for you,” Cyrus paused as he summoned his purple lux and the Chainsaw of Ash began to pull at it eagerly.
In his mind he knew that the beacon was already lit by this trap being sprung so he did not mind being the one to trigger the veil. Suddenly an incredibly loud explosion was heard on the island and Cyrus felt the foundation of the building shake. Dust fell from the walls and the ceiling as the shaking continued. As it shook he revved the chainsaw, activating its ability, and he began to sprint down the hallway at an impossible speed thanks to this powerful artifact.
It was a good run Discord.
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