Mixtape Ghost N

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Mixtape Ghost Note]

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The two soared out of here.

Finally, being out of that was comforting, but it didn’t last long as the two met the ever-constant blood-red sky of the Pit. Lisa nuzzled tighter with Saskia, before stating, ”We have to find Ella… and Yoko.”

"Well that can’t be hard, right, Ella-"

"LIIIISSAAA! SAASSKIA!"

"... see, there." Saskia used their blood tendril to point down towards the ground, where Ella was jumping up and down and yelling their names. She was also lit up like a living lightbulb. With a sigh, Saskia started flying down towards her. They landed, and Lisa hopped down and immediately ran over and hugged Ella. Ella hugged her back, careful not to crush her spine.

Moments later, Yoko returned in a burst of speed, ”... I hate to interrupt your moment,” Yoko began, as the distant marching of Autoknights could be heard approaching. ”Those Automatons are about to swarm us.”

Yoko then asked Lisa, ”You are still boosted, correct?”
Lisa nodded.

”Make a spider, now,” Yoko then turned to Ella, ”Disciple, use the sphere to give us cover.”

Without a second thought, Lisa summoned a spider and it was wrapped in a glowing cocoon. It grew faster than usual inside of the cocoon.

"How’re they still going without a King?" Ella asked, using the storm to create heavy rain and winds around them while keeping them dry.

"Following his last commands… does it matter?" Saskia shrugged, pulling their wings back into their back. They swung the bass case around there.

Lisa looked up at the castle-creature, which stood in a state of stasis. Not moving, not attacking, nothing. ”What about that? Should we kill it?”
”Spider. Focus.” Yoko said.

Lisa nodded, and moments later the spider emerged from the cocoon, armed with massive dragonfly wings. Since the situation wasn’t the best, Lisa just hopped on. Followed by Yoko and the others, and Lisa took off into the sky, leaving the Kingdom and the Autoknight army behind…

---

Soon, the group descended into a strange biome that felt completely out of place in the Pit’s hellish landscape. Below them stretched a quaint suburban neighborhood, eerily pristine and untouched by the chaos of the Pit. Rows of identical houses with white picket fences lined the streets, each with neatly trimmed lawns and colorful flowerbeds. If it wasn't for the red sky, it was almost like they were out of the Pit.
Almost.

The spider touched down gently on a cul-de-sac, and Lisa dismounted. Cracked sidewalks and a few scattered toys suggested the place had been abandoned in a hurry. A tricycle lay toppled in a driveway, its red paint chipped.
Yoko scanned the surroundings, her hand resting on the hilt of Kaji No Kokoro. “I cannot detect anyone…” Yoko trailed off, ”But that doesn't mean that this area is safe.”

Lisa shrugged, ”I meeeean… It's probably no more or less dangerous than anywhere else.”

”Fair,” Yoko nodded.

”So let's just pick a house then go to sleep,” Lisa nodded.

”We can use this time to train and plan our next moves,” Yoko nodded.

"Sleep first, though, I’m exhausted!" Ella said with an exaggerated yawn. She looked around, before pointing to a house in the centre of a street. "If we’re right in the middle it’ll take longer for anything to get to us!"

"Unless it’s one of those giants," Saskia intoned, looking even paler than normal - which was really fucking pale.

Lisa and Yoko led the way to the house Ella had pointed out. It was a two-story home with beige siding and dark green shutters, looking as average as any suburban house could be. A cracked driveway led to a garage with its door half-open, revealing a mess of rusted tools and what looked like a deflated basketball (it was actually a testicle).

The front yard was overgrown in places, with grass sprouting through cracks in the sidewalk. The porch light flickered faintly, casting long shadows over the door, which Lisa reached for but stopped, glancing back at Yoko.

”Is it clear, Miss Samurai?” Lisa asked Yoko, who nodded, stepping past her and closing her eyes momentarily. She kept her hand on the hilt of Kaji No Kokoro, before she opened her eyes and nudged the door open with her foot. Inside was dark, only the red light of the Pit peeking through the windows.

The living room was sparsely furnished - a faded couch, a coffee table with a thick layer of dust, and a TV that looked like it hadn’t worked in decades. Family photos hung on the walls, the faces smiling out from another time…

Yoko gestured for them to enter, “Clear, but you know this place,” Yoko sighed. ”Something could appear at any moment - and we are not too far away from the Kingdom.”
Yoko sat down on the couch, and Lisa slumped down across from Yoko with her legs open.

"I wonder if there’s anything in the kitchen!" Ella said. She didn’t quite just run into it - she at least looked through a door first before disappearing, followed by some clattering.

Saskia slumped down on the couch beside Yoko. "So, what did you guys do while we were getting vored?"

”We eliminated the King of the Pit,” Yoko shook her head, ”Though, it’s not going to matter much in the long run.”

”Why not?” Lisa asked.

”The Mother Will is just going to select another one,” Yoko shrugged as she slumped down further on the couch, then turned to Lisa. ”Turner, can you please hand me a Wayfinder?”

”Oh yeah!” Lisa said as she swung her bag around to her front before she dug into it, pulled one of the Wayfinders (the one with orange gems) out, and threw it to Yoko. She effortlessly caught it and pivoted in her hand until the gems pointed upwards. Then, she pressed the central gem, and an orange holographic projection appeared… However, it was flickering and wavy, and one could hardly see its layout. Lisa tilted her head, as she raised a hand at it.

”... These are the Wayfinders?” Lisa asked.

”Yes,” Yoko said with a nod. ”Unfortunately, they do not work too well down here.”

”So…” Lisa shrugged. ”... We did all of that for something that doesn’t even work?”

Yoko rolled her eyes as she pressed the central gem again, and the glitched projection disappeared. ”Have you forgotten? Our next step is The Forge where we will upgrade the Wayfinders. Which is going to be just as challenging as the Forge, but…”

Yoko then turned to Lisa, ”Where are the other Wayfinders?”

Lisa, without a word, dug out the other two Wayfinders, before saying, ”Ella has the other two?” Then shouted, ”ELLA! Bring your fat ass in here!”

"Huhhh what do you need my ass for?" Ella asked as she ran back through, holding a tin in each hand.

”The Orange Wayfinder, please,” Yoko sighed.

"Oh!" Ella put down the tins, running over to her dumped bag to pull it out and hand it over.

Yoko immediately pressed the central gem on that one, and it also began to project the map… except it was also wavy and flickery. Yoko narrowed her eyes as she closed the projection. ”... This doesn’t make sense.”

”What doesn’t?” Lisa asked.

”I came in with five, including a replica of Goro’s Wayfinder…” Yoko said before she rubbed her chin, before putting both of Goro’s Wayfinders in her hands. ”... And this is the original.”

”Don’t take this the wrong way, Yoko,” Lisa said with a smile. ”But is this important?”

”It is because it logically would be with him…” Yoko trailed off, before a resigned sigh escaped her lips and she said, ”... You’re right, Turner, this isn’t important.” She closed her eyes for a moment.

”Turner, Disciple,” Yoko said as she placed both of Goro’s Wayfinders on the table in front of her. ”Place all of the Wayfinders on the table in front of us; we’re going to decide how to divide them all between us.”

Ella was quick to add the other one she had, before stepping back with her hands on her hips. "There's two different types, right? Goro's and Kari's? We just need one to look for items-"

"And what if we get separated from each other?" Saskia interrupted.

”That’s why everyone will have one,” Yoko said with a nod of her head. ”They are all - at the moment - useless either way. Everyone gets one of Kari’s, then we will decide who gets Goro’s.”

Yoko nodded as she reached for the original Kari’s Wayfinder. ”I’ll be taking the original Kari’s Wayfinder, however.”

"Why?" Saskia asked, folding their arms and turning on the couch to stare at Yoko.

"Is there any difference between the original and the replicas?" Ella piped up.

”The replicas are nowhere near as effective as the originals,” Yoko said, ”However, I don’t know how effective they will be once upgraded.”

Saskia’s eyes narrowed for a moment, their lips pressing into a thin line, but they didn’t say anything.

"So long as an upgraded Wayfinder helps us find the All-Blade, then it’s fine!" Ella said cheerfully.

Yoko then slid the original Goro’s Wayfinder to Ella. ”I believe you should have this, then,” Yoko said, ”Then you all can decide who should have the replica, but it’s important for your mission both of them are brought into the Forge.”

"Me? Really? What if I lose it?! Doesn't it mean a lot to you?" Ella suddenly panicked as she picked it up carefully.

"Have you lost anything else you've picked up?" Saskia intoned.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then it's fine." Saskia turned to Lisa. "Do you want to take the replica?"

Lisa nodded. “I’ll take it, we won’t have to worry about losing it because I am going to store it in my prison wallet!”

Lisa raised a finger.

Yoko just stared at Lisa.

The silence was deafening.

”… Otten, please take the replica.”

"Is storing it under my skin preferable?" Saskia intoned, raising their eyebrows.

”Yes, just don’t stick it up your rectum,” Yoko facepalmed.

Saskia let out a quiet laugh, taking the replica. They pulled up their sweater as their skin started to peel back on their left side. Until there was a deep and wide enough gash in their flesh for them to wholesale shove the wayfinder in there. Their skin started to stitch itself back together over it. "That won’t be going anywhere till we need it… did everyone want to keep their channelers in their arms, or do you want them out?"

”Let’s leave them in there until we leave the Pit,” Yoko sighed. ”Let’s see if the showers work. Then let’s get some rest.”

"What about food? I bet I can cook something from all the cans in the kitchen while it isn’t my turn to shower!" Ella asked. "And as long as we can get water I can heat some up for us to wash!"

”Old food? Yuck!” Lisa said, ”How about we wait for the next monster to burst through the wall and then cook that up?”

"If we’re picky then we’ll starve!" Ella said, putting her hands on her hips and staring down Lisa like a fussing mother. "It’s canned! It won’t go off!"

”Do not listen to Turner,” Yoko rolled her eyes. ”While a creature is going to going to attack us, I rather us be at full strength.”

Lisa grinned, ”... I know Ella wants some horse meat.”

Ella started to looked a little green at that. "No I don’t! Not monster horses- or any horses! I don’t want to think about horses!!"

"Calm down, it’s just a horse," Saskia intoned, looking at Lisa with a slight smirk. "If the canned food is shit, we can just eat Ella’s ass… plenty of meat there."

”... Okay, I’m going to go keep watch let me know when you decide on what to do,” Yoko said as she walked out.

"Nooo don’t leave me!" Ella reached out for Yoko, but it was too late.

”Ew that’s nasty she hasn’t showered-” A bulb went off in Lisa’s head, ”Oh you mean the buttcheek!”

"Yeah I did, bet it’ll be real tender," Saskia snickered.

"You know what, I’m going into the kitchen to cook! You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to- but you’re not having my ass!" Ella wailed before she fled into the room she’d come through from, snatching the two cans on the way.

Saskia shrugged. "Let’s go check if the showers work."

Lisa then walked to the shower with her boots crunching on the floor. Making it to the bathroom, Lisa pushed open the door with her hand. Only to reveal a room of crack tiles that faintly smelled of metal. Lisa calmly walked in and turned the knob and after the pipes rumbled for a moment, it sprayed a dark-brown liquid that filled the air with the harsh smell of rust.

Lisa stared at it.

”... Mission accomplished.”

"Do you want to wash in that?" Saskia started at the water emotionlessly. "So much for ‘the Pit provides’."

Lisa shrugged. ”I mean, it’s just rusty water. It could be blood. Or cum. Or blood and cum.” After a few moments, the water began to clear up and went from shit brown to clear. ”Hey would you look at that!”

Then Lisa looked at Saskia, ”But, I have a novel idea! Are you willing to hear me out?”

"Of course," Saskia intoned.

Lisa quickly turns the knob to turn the water off. ”... We all shower together before it turns into cum or blood or something.”

"Fine by me… Ella will go along with it. We’ve already showered together, it’s Yoko that’ll be a problem." Saskia frowned thoughtfully. "Between the three of us I think we could drag her in."
”I’ll just web her up - but how will she get clean? Maybe I’ll just web up her hands and-” Lisa cut herself off. ”Actually, let’s try talking with Yoko first… She’s outside right?”

"Unless she got sick of us and ran away, yes," Saskia nodded.

Without a second thought, Lisa proceeded back through the house - hearing Ella rumble around in the kitchen for a moment - before they ended up outside. Lisa looked around and then raised an eyebrow, ”... Where is-”

”Up here,” Yoko called from the roof, where she was sitting with her legs crossed and the Yokai Killer rested in her arms. She opened her eyes, and said, ”... What do you all need? Have you three finished your discussion about the horse monsters?”

"Sadly. Ella ran away from it," Saskia took a step back, craning their head back to look up at Yoko. "The shower’s a bit fucked. Running clean now, but not for long, so… we’re all taking a shower together."

Yoko stared at Saskia.

Then Lisa.

Lisa stared back at Yoko.

Yoko then turned her gaze back to Saskia.

However, Yoko just hopped down, and threw the Yokai Killer over her shoulder. ”I would suggest someone keeps watch, but I haven’t bathed or changed clothes in ages.” Yoko sighed. ”But I doubt we have to worry about our dignity much down here if a monster bursts through the wall and we have to fight in the nude.”

Yoko sighed, before she looked at the two, ”... And please don’t make this weird. We have the same body parts. So there’s no need to explode the second I take my clothes off, got it?”

"Do you think we’ve never seen someone naked before?" Saskia raised an eyebrow. "We’ve had plenty of time to ‘explode’ over Ella’s ass already."

Yoko facepalmed. ”I was about to say ‘No, I don’t’ but let’s just get this over with.” She rolled her eyes. ”I assume you told the Disciple.”

Lisa shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "We didn’t exactly leave a sticky note, but Ella’s in the kitchen. I guess she’ll figure it out when she hears the water running. Again."
The three-headed back inside, with the faint sound of clanging pots echoing from the kitchen, along with Ella’s muttered complaints about the canned food situation. They entered the room, and Yoko looked around, with her face crunched up, and sighed. Lisa reached for the knob…

”Hold on,” Said Yoko with her arms crossed, with the Yokai Killer in one hand. She then called…

”... Disciple! Come here!”

There was some loud clattering, before some thudding and Ella appeared in the door. "Yes, Sensei?"

"We're showering together," Saskia.

"Oh great! I just finished washing some pans, so I can cook right after!" Ella said, still seeming enthusiastic about food for all the complaints they'd heard going past. She immediately started stripping, pulling off her wool sweater and top all in one go to leave her in just a bra. Lisa quickly took off all of her clothes and threw it in a disorganized pile in the corner of the room. Saskia watched Ella for a moment, before quickly stripping too and discarding them in a slightly neater pile.

Yoko stood there, pinching the bridge of her nose as she muttered under her breath and sat down the Yokai Killer against the wall. Before she began stripping off layers, starting with the tattered leather jacket. The layers came off with slow, deliberate movements, exposing her defined, muscular frame. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing, her jaw set as though daring one to say something. She left all her clothes in a neat, folded-up stack in the corner of the room. When Yoko finally slipped out of her last layer, Lisa couldn’t help but glance and confirm that the voice was right.

”Wow,” Lisa said as she fiddled with the knob.

”Is there something that catches your eye, Turner?” Yoko sharply said. ”Turn the water on, and let’s get this over with.”

Lisa nodded and turned the hot water on, before Yoko noticed a half-used bar of soap at the edge of the tub.
"It feels like it's been years since I've showered!" Ella practically squealed as she stepped in. Layers of blood and grime were already washing away. She noticed the soap too, grabbing it and holding it up. "Anyone want me to get their back?"

"Who knows where that's been," Saskia shook their head. There were no strange comments from them about Yoko… they seemed pretty fixated on Ella.

Yoko stood slightly apart from the others, her back to them as she began scrubbing the dried dirt and blood from her arms. “Just use the soap for yourself, Disciple. We’ll make do.”

Now standing under the spray, Lisa tilted her head back to let the water drench her hair. “Gotta say, feels like a luxury at this point. Warm water and all. Wonder how long until it runs out or turns into cum.” She ran her hands through her hair, glancing briefly at Yoko’s shoulder muscles before focusing back on the wall.

However Lisa snatched the soap and began scrubbing herself down.

”... Could you get my back, Disciple?” Yoko’s voice cracked as she asked.

"Sure thing!" Ella said cheerfully, waiting for Lisa to finish before taking the soap from her. She shuffled a bit to get closer to Yoko, before starting to rub the soap on her back. It was pretty aggressive as Ella put far too much strength into it… though clearly not on purpose. She started to hum the sailor moon song under her breath.

Yoko huffed, taking a step forward and looking over her shoulder before saying, ”... Aye ya… Ease up a little bit I am not a stone.”

”Ella just a little excited,” Lisa said, sticking her tongue out. ”Can you blame her?”

”Turner,” Yoko sharply said, ”If you have time for commentary, you have time to clean. So go back to scrubbing.”

"Oh, sorry!" Ella managed to tone it down enough so she wasn’t trying to rub Yoko’s skin off. She turned her head to look at Lisa. "I’m not excited, I’m just too strong! I’m not horny like you are."

"You’re the one that brought all the dildos," Saskia chuckled, shoving their head under the stream of water. With the dirt and mud washing off their hair went from a dull brown back to its actual blonde colour.

"Because Lisa said to!"

Lisa just snickered like a goblin, while Yoko’s gaze was locked on the Yokai Killer,

”… Real question is why you’re still lugging them around.”

"Because…" Ella trailed off, looking a bit confused. "They were useful in the sealing! And Lisa might put spiders on my face while I sleep if I get rid of them!"

Yoko rolled her eyes, ”So is any rock or can we find lying around,”

”Oh I’m not worried about those anymore,” Lisa scoffed, ”There’s plenty of living, horse-shaped, ’dildos’ down here.”

Ella stopped washing Yoko’s back, turning around to brandish the bar of soap at Lisa. "No! Absolutely not! I’m not listening to this in the shower!"

"We need to keep at least one… I might want to use it on something," Saskia intoned.

”The Dildo or the horse monster?” Lisa asked.

"Either," Saskia shrugged.

”… Disciple, please finish so I can get dressed,” Yoko rolled her eyes.

"Of course, Sensei!" Ella got right back to it immediately, stopping after not too long. "All done… you’re squeaky clean now!"

She grinned, going to start washing her hair.

"We’ll be covered in blood again in no time," Saskia intoned, already stepping out of the shower. They started looking around, before finding a cupboard and locating a few towels in it.

”At least infections won’t be that much of a concern,” Yoko rolled her eyes.

Lisa was about to quip but at the corner of her eye, in the doorframe…

… She saw the ghostly white spider with its head poked out.

Lisa screamed, slipping backwards as she tried to point her hand so fast that she lost her footing. Suddenly the world had turned upside down and she received a sharp bang to the back of her head. Her ears were ringing as her skull was throbbing. Yet she found the strength to sit up and scream,

”… it’s here!”

"What- what’s here?!" Ella paused washing her hair, crouching down beside Lisa. She looked at her with concern. "You hit your head! What if you have a concussion?"

"There’s nothing there." Saskia intoned.

Yoko didn’t say anything, she only swiftly grabbed the Yokai Killer with one hand and covered her breasts with the other.

Lisa’s head was still spinning as she stared at the spider. She kept a finger pointed at it… as two disembodied hands that jerked around and twitched unnaturally appeared. They slowly moved together…

… Before forming a heart gesture with both hands.

It quickly scurried off.

Lisa sighed.

”… It’s gone,”

"Was it that spider again? The one that saved us?" Ella asked. A soft light came out of her arm and bathed Lisa, starting to heal her.

Lisa nodded as the wave of warm light overtook her. Yoko just looked at the Yokai Killer.

”The Yokai Killer didn’t glow at all…” Yoko mused to herself. ”I’m not sure if it’s somehow suppressing it, or…”

Yoko shook her head with a sigh, ”Just get dressed and let’s get some rest.”

"After some food!" Ella shouted, washing the last soap suds off her before she stepped out.

Saskia was already half dressed, not taking that long to finish. Ella, on the other hand, quickly dried herself before disappearing out of the bathroom to grab some clean clothes from her bag.

"Are we doing watch shifts again as we sleep?" Saskia asked, looking at Yoko.

”That’s ideal,” Yoko said, ”I suggest, however we work it out, that Turner gets rest first.”

"I agree," Saskia nodded. "Ella too… since Lisa likes getting spooned to sleep, and Ella’s the best at it."

Yoko stared at Saskia for a moment before saying, ”Let’s get to work.”

---

After everyone got cleaned and dressed up, they found themselves in the master bedroom. A massive room that had a bed, dresser, nightstand, covered in a thick layer of dust. Lisa eyed the bed warily but ultimately resigned and laid down on it. She saw Yoko standing by the door as she changed her focus to the wall. The ghostly spider’s image lingered in her mind, its hands forming that heart shape.

She shuddered.

Ella cuddled up behind her, and her warmth provided relief. Lisa smiled. Despite it all maybe it was going to be okay.

It’s been a long day.

Lisa dozed off.

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Dreams.

The dreams were usually safe in Lisa’s darkest hours, but down here in the Pit, dreams were another place where Lisa was invaded and intruded upon. Her eyes opened. She was back here—the Five Star Theater. At first glance, it was the same as she remembered it (Though she doubted if she remembered it correctly), but different. It was empty. The streets had not a car, not a soul. Not a person, there. Lisa looked around, momentarily confused as she awaited…

“... Does this place look familiar?” The Mother Will, asked from behind Lisa as she put her hands on her shoulders.

Lisa was silent as she looked off to the side.

”... It’s a movie theater,”

“That’s all you remember? Nothing more?”

”I saw a few movies-”

“... Let me jog your memory,” The Mother Will snapped her fingers, and suddenly, it was reverted to one of those horrible nights fighting the Stygian Snake. In particular, the night Lisa saved Olivia, Micheal, Lynn, and Luca… who were dangling from underneath a cutesy jumping spider by only a thread. She remembered it now but wondered-

“Forget about the others,” The Mother Will leaned in and waved her hand, and everyone but Luca and Lisa disappeared. The scene began to crumble piece by piece until it was a mere black void. This black void was restructured into the yard behind the Old Coven lair laden with flowers. There, Mother Will stood with Luca, staring at Lisa and gently touching his shoulder. Lisa was, typically, happy to see Luca, but there was something wrong with how he behaved… Because he did nothing but stand there and stare at Lisa.

“You are aware of what Williams did to him?” The Mother Will asked.

Lisa nodded in response.

“She took away his choice, his power, and decided for him what his fate and destiny will be!” The Mother Will said before sinisterly laughing. “However, the Rot did more to Luca than just attach itself to his soul… it was not a symbiotic relationship like most other Adjoinments...”

The Mother Will paused, “It was parasitic. The Rot Lisa… the Rot drained Luca away. Destroyed everything he knew and loved.”

That sinister smile widened.

“... Including Luca himself.”

Lisa’s heart sank as the words set in. ”... What do you mean?”

“Luca is dead. Gone.” The Mother Will gestured at the “Luca.” “Nothing is left of him but a hollow shell, piloted by that Apparition. It's more of a mockery at this point.”

Lisa staggered back, staring at Luca’s vacant expression. Her hands clenched into fists as her breath quickened.
“No… no, that can’t be right. I-”

“You couldn’t have stopped it,” the Mother Will interrupted. “But someone could have. Someone should have. You know who, don’t you?”

Lisa’s jaw tightened, her mind racing. The image of Britney flashed in her thoughts.

“That’s right,” the Mother Will purred. “She let him suffer. She let this happen. And why? Because she thought she knew best? Because she got ‘desperate’? Or was it simply indifference?” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“Lisa, she killed him just as surely as if she’d plunged a knife into his chest.”
The Mother Will chuckled as the effigy of Luca melted away into nothing. She stared down at it as the air was eerily still and calm. “... and you know what the worst part is?”

Lisa just perked up as the Mother Will dropped the bomb.

“... Britney got away with it all,” The Mother Will said, and Lisa dug her own nails into her palms. “Everyone gave her a pass, forgave the unforgivable!”

Then, the scene faded away like specks of ash in the wind. The next scene was the party at Sabrina’s house, where Britney was having a ball with Linqian, Greyson, and two other people Lisa didn't recognize.
“Just look at her,” The Mother Will said, dismissively waving a hand in Britney’s direction, “Doesn't this tell you everything you need to know?”

The Mother Will tilted her head, a faint, almost pitying smile on her lips. “It’s tragic, really,” she said softly, turning her gaze to Luca’s empty, lifeless eyes. “All that he was and could have been… stolen. And yet, Britney walks free, unburdened, untouched. To laugh with her friends like Luca never mattered….”
The scene faded away piece by piece until it was a black void. “... But, things are changing. Soon, the surface world will not be the idealized haven it was made out to be.”

Lisa tilted her head, silent but waiting for the Mother Will to elaborate. “Many of your ‘Old Coven’ will enter the Pit, either when Shimmer falls into it or to escape something worse. Including Britney Williams.”

The Mother Will’s smile stretched unnaturally wide. “When she gets down here, I have no say in what happens to her, but you do. Remember, as long as you have power, you decide what justice looks like. Not for her, not for me, not for yourself…”

The Mother raised her hand, poised to snap her fingers.

“... But for poor Luciano.”

She snapped her fingers, and Lisa was awake.

Recollections: The Compendium

Seiran.no.Magatama
| The Jade Whisper | "With every breath, life begins again." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | Once a ceremonial magatama created to honor the kami of forests, Seiran no Magatama gained its Artifact status through centuries of unwavering belief. Carved from flawless jade and adorned with golden inscriptions, it was said to embody the gratitude of an entire nation saved from famine. Legends tell of a Green-Orange Adept who infused it with healing magic during a sacred ritual, merging divine energies with Lux to create a relic of unparalleled power. | TYPE: | Ornamental Magatama Necklace | LOCATION: | Lost to the depths of The Pit, where its aura has created entire horrific ecosystems. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | N/A | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	Seiran no Magatama is a radiant artifact, its green surface polished to a mirror-like sheen. Gold filigree wraps around its edges in intricate, swirling patterns resembling vines and leaves, which seem to shift subtly in response to the emotions of those nearby. The artifact feels unusually warm to the touch as if it carries the pulse of life itself. When held, it exudes a soft, calming hum, and the air around it fills with the faint aroma of fresh grass and blooming flowers. The magatama possesses the extraordinary ability to heal wounds and cure ailments when pressed against the afflicted area. Its magic is not instantaneous; instead, it flows like a gentle river, gradually mending broken bones, knitting torn flesh, and neutralizing toxins over time. The process is accompanied by a soothing green glow that spreads from the artifact, enveloping the user and their surroundings in tranquility. Beyond healing individuals, Seiran no Magatama can revitalize entire ecosystems. When buried in the earth, it releases waves of rejuvenating energy that restore fertility to barren land, revive withered plants, and even purify contaminated water sources. This makes it invaluable not only for personal healing but also for restoring devastated environments. However, the artifact’s power is finite and must recharge by absorbing ambient life energy, a process that can take days or even weeks, depending on the extent of its use. Despite its benevolent nature, Seiran no Magatama is not without its dangers. It draws life energy from its wielder if overused, leaving it fatigued and vulnerable. Additionally, its presence in The Pit has warped its once-pure magic, attracting parasitic creatures and corrupted Apparitions that seek to siphon its healing energy.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Abstraction:
Adept - Black Lux. Channeler: Ebony Ring.

William Lynch is a master of Black Lux, wielding the powers of death and decay with unmatched skill. His ability to command the forces of the afterlife and manipulate the undead is unrivaled, making him a fearsome figure in both the living world and the realms beyond. With a mere flick of his wrist, William can summon and animate the dead, raising legions of the undead to do his bidding. These aren't mindless husks but rather complex, empowered beings, each imbued with a spark of necrotic energy that gives them strength and purpose. His creations are not limited to zombies or skeletons but can include horrific revenants and monstrous creatures, each more powerful than the last. William’s Black Lux allows him to raise and precisely control these minions. He can summon entire hordes at will, directing them with the ease of a maestro conducting an orchestra. He can empower them with necrotic energy, turning them into unstoppable forces capable of decimating entire armies. He can even bind the life force of the living to his undead, draining the vitality from his enemies to sustain and empower his creations.

One of William's most terrifying abilities is his control over Apparitions. These ethereal beings, born from his mastery of Black Lux, are not just ghosts or spirits—they are potent entities capable of interacting with and manipulating the physical world. William can summon these Apparitions at will to overwhelm and destroy his enemies. William has refined his control over these beings so much that he can conjure legions of them, overwhelming his enemies with sheer numbers and raw power.

William Lynch's mastery over Black Lux extends to manipulating ectoplasm itself, a versatile substance tied directly to the forces of death and the afterlife. With a mere thought, he can shape ectoplasm into an array of forms, using it as both a weapon and a tool. He can craft it into solid constructs (blades, chains, or shields) capable of cutting through flesh and bone or defending against attacks with the same ethereal resilience. William can also summon ectoplasmic blasts, sending waves of destructive energy at his enemies that disintegrate anything they touch. These blasts are infused with necrotic energy, draining the life force from those struck, adding to his already formidable power.

William also can drain the life force of anyone in his vicinity, using it to fuel his undead army or empower himself. This ability allows him to weaken his foes while simultaneously strengthening his forces. He can even link the damage done to his enemies to his undead creations, creating a twisted bond between life and death that allows him to inflict pain upon his victims through his minions.

His most significant power lies in his ability to unleash catastrophic necrotic detonations. By infusing his undead minions with volatile necrotic energy, William can cause them to explode with devastating force, leveling entire landscapes and sowing death and decay in their wake. The explosions release waves of necrotic energy that drain the life force of all nearby living beings, amplifying the destruction. William has mastered this technique to such a degree that he can summon an entire army of living bombs, each capable of unleashing an apocalypse upon his enemies at the slightest command.

William's Abstraction

Abstraction:
Adept - Black Lux. Channeler: Mourning Locket.

Mabel Lynch is a master of Black Lux, wielding the powers of death and decay with unmatched skill. Her ability to command the forces of the afterlife and manipulate the undead is unrivaled, making her a fearsome figure in both the living world and the realms beyond. With a mere flick of her wrist, Mabel can summon and animate the dead, raising legions of the undead to do her bidding. These aren't mindless husks but rather complex, empowered beings, each imbued with a spark of necrotic energy that gives them strength and purpose. Her creations are not limited to zombies or skeletons but can include horrific revenants and monstrous creatures, each more powerful than the last. Mabel’s Black Lux allows her to raise and precisely control these minions. She can summon entire hordes at will, directing them with the ease of a maestro conducting an orchestra. She can empower them with necrotic energy, turning them into unstoppable forces capable of decimating entire armies. She can even bind the life force of the living to her undead, draining the vitality from her enemies to sustain and empower her creations.

One of Mabel's most terrifying abilities is her control over Apparitions. These ethereal beings, born from her mastery of Black Lux, are not just ghosts or spirits—they are potent entities capable of interacting with and manipulating the physical world. Mabel can summon these Apparitions at will to overwhelm and destroy her enemies. Mabel has refined her control over these beings so much that she can conjure legions of them, overwhelming her enemies with sheer numbers and raw power.

Mabel Lynch's mastery over Black Lux extends to manipulating ectoplasm itself, a versatile substance tied directly to the forces of death and the afterlife. With a mere thought, she can shape ectoplasm into an array of forms, using it as both a weapon and a tool. She can craft it into solid constructs (blades, chains, or shields) capable of cutting through flesh and bone or defending against attacks with the same ethereal resilience. Mabel can also summon ectoplasmic blasts, sending waves of destructive energy at her enemies that disintegrate anything they touch. These blasts are infused with necrotic energy, draining the life force from those struck, adding to her already formidable power.

Mabel also can drain the life force of anyone in her vicinity, using it to fuel her undead army or empower herself. This ability allows her to weaken her foes while simultaneously strengthening her forces. She can even link the damage done to her enemies to her undead creations, creating a twisted bond between life and death that allows her to inflict pain upon her victims through her minions.

Her most significant power lies in her ability to unleash catastrophic necrotic detonations. By infusing her undead minions with volatile necrotic energy, Mabel can cause them to explode with devastating force, leveling entire landscapes and sowing death and decay in their wake. The explosions release waves of necrotic energy that drain the life force of all nearby living beings, amplifying the destruction. Mabel has mastered this technique to such a degree that she can summon an entire army of living bombs, each capable of unleashing an apocalypse upon her enemies at the slightest command.

Mabel's Abstraction

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Mixtape Ghost Note]

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Kingdom Hearts 2 - The Corrupted

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The castle shuddered violently as Yoko and Ella were flung out, landing hard outside its collapsing gates. A grotesque squelch echoed through the air as the structure caved in on itself, stone and steel folding inward like peeling skin. From the ruins emerged a gargantuan, centipede-like monstrosity. Its pulsating flesh twisted unnaturally beneath the jagged stone and slick steel that formed a grotesque shell. Hundreds of bone-like legs twitched and clawed at the ground. Atop its back, seated on a throne of fused flesh and metal, was the King of the Pit. Her face was still hidden behind the mask as she held the large metal spear.

Yoko momentarily pushed herself up, dusting her bloody jacket before stopping and shaking her head. She looked up at the monster and aimed the flaming katana at the creature's grin. ”... I’m unsure if Otten and Turner are alive right now.”

[i]…?...?...They are…?...?...?[/]

”Dead or alive, I’m not leaving without them,” Yoko kept her eyes locked on the King before she shouted. ”Can you hear me, you obese bastard!? I will cleave you, your monster, and everything else you built apart and tear our friends from the gut of your abomination!”

...?...?...?... careful. That…?...?...Oblivion. An ultimate artifact…?...?... erases whatever…?...blasts.

"I don’t care what it can do, I won’t leave Saskia and Lisa behind! Never!" Ella declared. She pointed at the King with the katana she’d picked up. "Evil like you can’t stand in the way of my burning love!"

She drew the katana. It shimmered like a rainbow for a moment before turning a bright, glowing orange. She had absolutely no idea what that meant or what it did! But it had to be good, right? She sliced it in front of her as a test… and sent out a powerful wind slash towards the centipede creature.

And blasting the surrounding area with shirt ripping off winds.

The massive centipede monster let out a guttural, bone-rattling screech as the wind slash collided with its armored hide. Sparks and chunks of stone flew from the impact point, but the creature barely staggered, its hundreds of legs twitching menacingly as it began to advance. The King of the Pit tilted her head slightly before she raised her metal spear and slammed it into the monster's hide. It let out another screech of pain into the sky before it grounded itself and charged at the two. Yoko disappeared in a burst of speed, hoping Ella would do the thing.

"Well that didn’t really work!" Ella shouted, legs beginning to shine with rainbow light as she leapt to the side. Her shoulder hit the ground and she rolled, hopping back to her feet. This sword was useless! She resheathed it, shoving it in the holster she had for the Ice Scepter and going back to what she knew- her own magic.

A pink fireball formed in her hands, and she threw it directly at the King of the Pit instead of leading the shot. However, since she was on top of a moving creature, it missed completely. The castle monster circled the two as the King of the Pit aimed her spear at the two, and a wave of blurry air - static-y, rippled, and disjointed - flew directly at the two. Anything in its path was erased from reality completely.

With an ear piercing scream, Ella dodged again. With her movement a pastel purple ribbon fell from her hair- hit by the beam and disappearing immediately. She really didn't like the look at that. More fire formed on her hands, this time thrown at the monster. It practically bounced off its armored carapace and kept going.

Yoko appeared on an adjacent building, ”Disciple! We can not win by just throwing magic at it!” Yoko shouted, ”We need to find a weakpoint or get s clear shot at the King…”

Yoko trailed off before she said, ”Orb. Now!”

"O-okay!" Ella swung her massive rucksack round to her front as she ran towards some kind of shelter… a broken down wall, it'd do! Thankfully the orb was at the top of her bag, so she pulled it out. Channel anger… anger… fuck the King for kidnapping her friends!

Torrential downpour and intense winds buffeted the entire area. Thunderous booms were followed by cracks of lightning focusing in on the King of the Pit and the creature she was riding. The King of the Pit raised her spear, planting it firmly into her throne to steady herself. The lightning strikes lashed out, several bolts slamming into the creature’s metallic shell. Sparks flew, and chunks of fused flesh and stone cracked under the barrage, but the beast continued its relentless circling, seemingly unphased by the storm’s wrath. The castle creature let out another ear-splitting roar, and it adjusted to the storm’s onslaught.

The King of the Pit let out a feral, bestial yell into the sky as she raised Oblivion into the air, before she pointed it at Ella’s hiding space and let out another blast of matter destruction. One that had the potential to eliminate Ella if Yoko hadn’t moved her out of the way in a blur of motion. They settled some distance away in another hiding spot.

”We need more… you need to get angrier.” Yoko sighed. ” Picture it Friends. Horse creatures. Making love.”

”Noooooo!" Ella screamed. She didn't want to picture it. But she could… so easily! Because they kept trying to do it!! "It could be happening right now!"

The storm intensified. Howling winds picked up large pieces of debris, forming a swirling tornado centred on the creature. The rain was almost blinding. The lightning intensified, strong arcs cracking down from the sky right at the King of the Pit and the creature she was riding.

The King of the Pit braced herself as the storm raged on, the monster digging its countless legs into the ground to resist the violent winds. Lightning cracked again, this time striking dangerously close to her throne of flesh and metal. Sparks illuminated her mask briefly, revealing an almost mocking grin beneath it. She raised Oblivion once more, its tip glowing with an ominous light, and unleashed another ripple of reality-erasing energy.

Yoko shoved Ella down behind their cover just in time, the blast carving a gaping void through the tornado as it tore through the storm itself.

“She’s adapting!” Yoko growled. “We need to immobilize it! Can you focus the storm lower, around its base?”

"I can try!" Ella didn’t like feeling angry- but she needed to. She needed to save Saskia and Lisa. Her expression scrunched up, hands holding the orb shaking slightly. The tornado tightened, reforming where it had been erased. It lowered right to the ground. With it came focused lightning strikes at the base of the storm… she put everything into doing what Yoko suggested.

The King of the Pit’s beast roared, legs scraping against the earth as the tightening storm bore down on it. Lightning strikes hammered the creature’s base, scorching its flesh and forcing it to stagger. The storm’s intensity seemed to throw the King off balance, her grip on Oblivion slipping as she tried to steady herself atop the throne of writhing flesh and metal. The winds howled louder, debris slicing through the air in chaotic spirals. The storm’s focus shifted lower, forcing the beast to fight for every inch of ground it could hold. The King snarled behind her mask, her grin fading into a snarl as she slammed Oblivion into the beast’s back.

The reality-erasing weapon glowed ominously as she readied another blast, this time aimed directly into the heart of the storm. But the winds closed in faster than she could react, and the beast’s legs began to buckle under the relentless onslaught.

”We just need a little bit more!” Yoko shouted over the raging winds and rain. ”Um, picture… Oh, Lord…” Yoko facepalmed at the ridiculousness of what she was about to say.

”... Picture your friends bringing the horse creatures to completion.”

"No I don’t want to, no no no!"

Ella screamed at the top of her lungs. But it was there now. The image. She wanted to kill it. The picture, all of the horse creatures in existence- anything to keep her friends safe! The winds grew even more powerful, forming into an almost uncontrollable tornado of electricity.

As the storm raged, The King of the Pit raised Oblivion high, slamming it into the creature beneath her. Its body convulsed violently, the legs collapsing inward as it fused with the ground. The castle monstrosity grew larger, sinking into the earth as its form twisted into a grotesque, immobile mass.
Massive tentacles erupted from its sides, lashing out in all directions. Each one was thick and jagged, tearing through debris and smashing into the ground near Ella and Yoko. The creature let out a deep, rumbling groan as more tendrils sprouted, forming a near-impenetrable forest.

The King of the Pit snarled and slammed Oblivion into the creature again, sending a shockwave through its massive body. The twisted, immobile mass groaned, and its transformation escalated. From its core, waves of tentacles erupted outward in all directions, cascading across the battlefield like living avalanches. The sheer force of their emergence smashed through nearby buildings, crumbling walls and shattering rooftops. Entire structures were uprooted as the tendrils lashed out violently.

"What do we do now?!” Ella asked Yoko over all the noise. She was still pissed off and desperate, trying to keep the storm going focused on the monstrosity- but that meant she couldn’t do anything about the tentacles. Should she try and hit the tentacles? She could barely see through them now!

Yoko paused for a moment as she sheathed Kaji no Kokoro…

”... I don’t like it - and I know Otten wouldn’t - but you’re gonna have to be a distraction for a moment.,” Yoko sighed, ”I’m going to try to get up there and take that bastard’s head off. You’re not fast or agile enough to get up there before she catches on.”

"That’s fine! I don't need coddled or protected… I’ll always take the hit for my friends! It’ll take more than this to kill me!" Ella declared. She shifted the orb to one hand, storm still raging… but it was reducing. Her legs started to glow with a rainbow light and colour drained from the heart clips in her braids as she boosted herself further. "Being flashy and distracting is what I’m best at! Do I need to stop the storm?"

Yoko glanced at Ella, then up at the King of the Pit. "No. Let the storm rage," Yoko said firmly, her face stony. "Make it look like you're unleashing everything you've got. She won't notice me if she thinks you're the bigger threat."

"Alright." Ella nodded. Making herself look like she was about to unleash everything… that was easy. Holding the orb, with the storm still raging, Ella started to glow. Her whole body lit up with a bright light that penetrated the increasing storm. Pink electricity started to spark off her body wildly. And she screamed at the top of her lungs like she was going to a Super Saiyan transformation.

Yoko exhaled, centering herself. She took several deep breaths in a rhythmic motion as she activated Bolster and felt the power surge overtake her. Preparing to spring into action. One shot at this. Yoko crouched low, her hand resting on the hilt of Kaji no Kokoro. She whispered under her breath, "Flash."

The spell activated, Orange-Lux surging through her as her body blurred into motion. She instantly closed the distance to the towering creature, her speed allowing her to dodge a lashing tail and evade the molten sprays from its mouth. She reappeared moments later at the creature’s grotesque leg and leaped onto it, using the momentum to propel herself higher. She landed on a protruding piece of concrete before she activated Swifted and hopped from platform to platform until she reached a spot that gave her a perfect opportunity to attack the King of the Pit. She breathed deeply, and then the sword exploded into fire.

Time to finish this.

The King of the Pit roared, her voice reverberating as she turned toward her. But Yoko was already in motion. With a whispered "Flash," her body disappeared in a blur of motion, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. Yoko appeared on the other side of the King of the Pit, one hand on her sheathe, the other on the hilt of Kaji No Kokoro as she slowly sheathed the sword.

Oblivion hit the ground.

Followed by the King of the Pit’s head.

Kaji No Kokoro was sheathed with a click.

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Lisa coughed.

The air was suffocating, so smelly and thick with the stench of blood and decay. The walls pulsed like beating hearts, slick with ichor and flesh. At the center of the room stood a massive, glowing orange orb pulsing with energy. It cast a sickly light over the chamber…. Lisa wiped her bloody hands on her pants before wiping her eyes clean from the blood. She sighed as she coughed again and looked at Saskia.

”... We’ve been vored.”

"I thought getting vored would be more fun," Saskia sighed, rubbing their eyes to remove the blood. "I’m not even slightly aroused."

”Well, maybe when we get back, I can make a-”

…?...?...Focus. The mysterious voice said. ...?...?...you need…?...?...?...there.

”Okay, right, an escape,” Lisa rubbed her chin as she looked around. ”Maybe we can crawl out through its ass?”

The orb pulsed brighter, and the room shuddered violently. Dozens of tentacles shot toward them from every direction, Lisa quickly raised her hands, and the Chitin Spears appeared and impaled a few of them.

"Oh, now things are getting kinky," Saskia intoned. Blood blades formed on both hands and they sliced through any tentacles that got close to them, and they fended more off with the sharp tips of their wings. "Let’s destroy that orb."

Lisa tilted her head as summoned spiders crawled up the tentacles, then exploded into acid that dissolved the tentacles with a sizzle. ”Can we even destroy that thing?!”

"We won't know until we try," Saskia shrugged one shoulder, hand jerking up to slice a stray tentacle coming for them. They started to move towards the orb. "What's the worst that can happen?"

The orb pulsed violently as if responding to their intent, sending a shockwave rippling through the room. The fleshy walls quivered, and more tentacles emerged from the floor and ceiling, converging on Lisa and Saskia…

"Ooo, it sure is kinky," Saskia intoned. Their wings came up to cover both of them from above, tanking the tentacle blows. The ones from the floor were more of a pain… bone spears shoved through their legs to destroy as much as they could even as the tentacles curled around them.

But they didn't need to get close to get it. Saskia raised a hand and shot a blood bullet at the orb. The blood bullet hurtled toward the glowing orb, striking it dead center. The impact sent ripples of energy across its surface, and the orb let out a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through the chamber. For a moment, it dimmed, as if weakened.

But the reprieve was short-lived. The orb suddenly flared brighter, releasing a surge of energy that blasted outward, throwing both Lisa and Saskia backward. The tentacles paused their assault momentarily, twitching as if reinvigorated by the orb’s burst.

The orb began to pulse faster, and the walls trembled as cracks formed along the chamber. Small, glowing orange fragments started falling from the ceiling, each one sizzling as it hit the ground and melted into the floor.
"Interesting," Saskia said, as if they weren’t in a seemingly melting room. They switched focus, avoiding the sizzling orange fragments to move towards one of the cracks. "Maybe we can get through here."

The cracks along the chamber walls widened with each pulse from the orb, glowing with an ominous orange light. The sizzling fragments continued to rain, melting the floor into an unstable, bubbling mess. Tentacles writhed erratically, their movements more frantic. Lisa staggered to her feet, wiping blood from a cut on her cheek. She glanced toward Saskia. The walls groaned as another pulse shook the chamber, sending a large chunk of the ceiling crashing down. A massive tentacle erupted from the debris, slamming into the ground between Lisa and Saskia, forcing them apart.

More tentacles surged toward Lisa, and she summoned another swarm of explosive spiders to intercept them. Acid splattered across the tendrils, sizzling and slowing their advance. The orb pulsed again, brighter and faster, as if sensing their attempt. The chamber lurched, and the ground beneath them began to split.

"Oh shit." Saskia sliced away tentacles, crushing one underneath their foot with a bone spear that shoved into the fleshy floor. This wasn’t good. Or was it? If they fell through maybe they’d get out… Or they’d die, horribly.

But getting the orb seemed like the right move.

A long blood tendril formed on Saskia’s back, their face paling. They shoved it into the ground, using it to propel them over the splitting ground and large tentacle. Back over to Lisa. Their wings spread and started moving back and forth slowly. Not enough room to fly, but it should be enough to stop them falling to their death.

"I’m hitting it again." Saskia said, before shooting another blood bullet at the orb.
The blood bullet streaked toward the orb, striking its glowing surface with a sharp crack. This time, the impact created a visible fracture, thin and jagged, running across the orb’s surface. The pulsing light flickered, momentarily dimming, but the effect was short-lived. The orb retaliated. A surge of energy erupted outward, triggering a cascade of tentacles from the walls, ceiling, and floor. The chamber filled with them, writhing and thrashing. Lisa barely had time to react as one massive tentacle swept toward her, and she dove off to the side and landed on her stomach with a thud.

”... We’re not making a dent in this thing!” Lisa shouted.”What can that gay guitar do?!”

The orb pulsed again, sending out another wave of tentacles. This time, they moved faster, smashing through walls and slicing through the chamber.

"No fucking clue-” Saskia grunted as a tentacle pierced their leg, bending over to slice it off. There wasn’t the time to think about it anyway. She pulled the guitar- no, it was a bass, thank fuck- out of the case. "Let’s see.”

They started playing a C minor chord, switching to a melody they’d been thinking of before they died. As they played the bass glowed with an eerie light before shifting in Saskia’s hand to a mace. It was lighter than they expected… but otherwise seemed normal. Whatever, a mace was a mace.

Saskia swung it towards a massive tentacle with the magically sharp edges. The mace sliced clean through the tentacle, sending a spray of black ichor splattering across the chamber. The severed piece writhed on the ground for a moment before dissolving into a pool of bubbling sludge. The remaining tentacles recoiled slightly, but the orb pulsed brighter, sending another wave of energy through the walls. Lisa scrambled to her feet, summoning another swarm of spiders. They scuttled toward the tentacles, detonating in small bursts of acid that slowed their advance. Her eyes darted to the orb, still cracked but glowing….

”... We need more bass!” Lisa shouted as she sidestepped a tentactle. The chamber trembled again, the cracks in the walls widened further. Glowing orange liquid seeped from the fissures, hissing as it hit the floor. Lisa took a deep breath and extended her arms dramatically, and the room trembled again as she forced her Horde to spell throughout the room, boosted by Yoko. The room trembled more violently as the spiders burst through the fleshy walls like a geyser and slowly filled the room.

The orb pulsed violently, its glow now erratic as if reacting to the overwhelming presence of the summoned creatures. Tentacles flailed in every direction, smashing blindly at the oncoming swarm, but for every spider crushed, dozens more surged forward.

”... There’s your fucking opening!”

Saskia grinned. Their bones lightened as they propelled themselves forward in a burst of speed. They weaved through the tentacles, erratically destroying spiders, their wings pulling back into their back. The mace swung up to smash into the orb and hit the most extensive fracture in the orb’s surface. The impact was deafening. The chamber shuddered violently as the mace connected, sending a shockwave rippling through the room. A massive crack split across the orb’s surface, jagged and deep, glowing with an intense, unstable light. The orb’s glow faltered, stuttering, before it emitted a deafening, high-pitched screech. Fissures spread rapidly from the point of impact, leaking streams of molten orange liquid that hissed and bubbled as they hit the floor. The tentacles writhed in agony, their movements becoming erratic and disjointed as the orb’s energy waned.

Lisa’s voice cut through the chaos. “Holy shit, you did it!” She waved her arms, commanding Horde to pull back.

The chamber began to collapse. Massive chunks of fleshy walls and stone rained down as the orb’s energy destabilized the entire structure…

… And soon enough, the red sky of the Pit was revealed.

"Most boring tentacle vore ever," Saskia intoned. Their wings pushed back out again as they darted over to Lisa. They hugged her tightly… so that they wouldn’t drop her. It wasn’t as comfortable as a flying spider, but there wasn’t exactly time to make one of them.

A second later their wings were formed enough, and with a powerful flap they flew both of them out of the chamber.

The Ruler Archives

[quote=@LionKing]
[i][u]What is the process to sign for fFLights at this point I need the money so I will use my pain
[/quote]

INTRUDER

Recollections: The Compendium

YUKI'S.CHARM
| The Key to Infinite Worlds | "A single cut can give you everything you've wanted." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | Crafted centuries ago by Yuki, a Purple-Orange Adept, who infused her mastery over space and enchantment into this charm. Her goal was to create a tool granting its bearer unparalleled freedom to traverse the All-Verse and overcome any boundary. | TYPE: | A small charm resembling an ornate talisman, decorated in rich blue and gold with intricate patterns and symbols and bearing an inscription believed to represent balance and power. Designed to be attached to bladed weapons or tools. | LOCATION: | Last known to have been lost to the Pit. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | Yuki herself was the first and most skilled user. Stories speak of a mysterious wanderer, dubbed "The Riftwalker," who used the charm to explore forbidden dimensions before vanishing. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	Yuki's Charm is an artifact of incredible complexity and ingenuity, allowing its bearer to manipulate space itself with precision and power. When attached to a bladed weapon or similar object, the charm enables its wielder to slice through the fabric of reality, creating portals to virtually any location or dimension. These portals are stable but fleeting, requiring immense focus to shape, maintain, and direct. Improper control can lead to errors in portal creation, such as displacement to unintended locations or dimensional instability. Beyond its primary function of spatial traversal, Yuki's Charm provides additional enhancements to the weapon it is attached to. The charm allows the blade to extend its reach by bending or folding space, enabling the wielder to strike targets from seemingly impossible angles. This ability is particularly effective in combat, as it makes the wielder’s attacks unpredictable, bypassing obstacles or defenses by cutting through the spatial plane. The charm also allows the weapon to create “dimensional echoes,” where a single strike resonates across multiple points in space, hitting multiple targets simultaneously or in sequence. However, the charm imposes significant limitations and challenges on its users. To open a portal, the user must establish an “anchor” for their destination. This anchor can take the form of a strong mental image of the location or a physical marker placed beforehand. Portals are unstable and prone to malfunction without an anchor, potentially leading to dangerous or unintended outcomes, such as being cast into hostile realms or unstable zones like the Void. The charm also has a built-in safeguard to prevent overuse: it requires a cooldown period after each use to recharge its magical energy. Attempting to bypass this cooldown by forcing the charm to create successive portals can cause the artifact to malfunction, destabilizing the portals and increasing the strain on the user’s body and mind. Prolonged or reckless use of Yuki’s Charm carries grave risks. The manipulation of space-time is inherently disorienting, and overreliance on the artifact can warp the user’s perception of reality. This often manifests as hallucinations, spatial confusion, or a distorted sense of time. Worse still, excessive exposure to the charm’s magic can gradually erode the user’s connection to their physical form, risking a phenomenon known as “soul severance,” where the user’s consciousness is torn away and trapped in the Void — from which few have ever returned. Despite these dangers, Yuki’s Charm remains one of the All-Verse's most coveted and legendary Artifacts.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

700th IC post, congrats folks!

@Estylwen

now all we have to do is reach a thousand

also how did you read that last post so fast?????

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Autumn Hayes, Kashmira Sarai, & One Really Hungry Pupper

Elysium Island - The Vault of Doggy Dongs. Artifact Group.

Interactions: Sloane (@Atrophy), Aislin/Alizee/Layla (@Estylwen), Luca (@FernStone), & Clancy (@Zombiedude101).

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"Could say a lot of stuff about you both. You're not okay, and you still have getting out of herle to worry about when this is done."

Clancy

”... And I didn't ask,” Adora said with a roll of her eyes. ”If I say I'm okay, I'm okay. That's it. Not everything requires your two cents.”

“How many of us can you boost?”

Sloane

"I can technically boost-" Autumn tried to say before Layla and Alizee burst forward like two anime characters. "... everyone. But that's going to require time. Which we no longer have-"

Before Autumn could continue, Adora put a hand up in her face, making her sneer, but Adora didn't even look in her direction as she said, ”... We're short on time here. Just fuckin' roll with it, and stop bitching, sweetie.” Adora damn near hissed at Autumn. ”Boost those two. Then boost Aislin. Then boost me. Then Brit.”

Without another word, Autumn summoned the Apparition of Al Slaughter, and he pointed both hands, one at Alizee and the other at Layla. Then, the Apparition fired a beam that boosted their abstractions enough to be hopefully sufficient before turning to charge Aislin and Layla. However, when they stepped out of the tunnel, the Starving Dog stirred awake, marble grinding as its eyes opened. It loudly barked as it hopped out, splaying its four legs out as it got into a defensive position and snarled. The chains constricted its massive body, which only caused it to become more frenzied. Its marble paws cracked the floor as it fought to pull itself free. However, it fell over with a loud crack on the ground... before it used its colossal strength to violently roll on the ground towards Layla. It was sudden and fast enough to launch the two if they were stupid enough to hold on.

”Aislin, now!” Adora shouted.

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"Sentinel Solutions"

^{From the perspective of William Lynch.}

Interactions: Not the Aggro group. Don't even bother reading this. myes:

The Pirate Ship ABOVE Elysium Island.

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In the (invisible) pirate ship above Elysium Island, the New Thule Society carefully observed the situation as the Magma Apparition was sealed and the House of Cards Mafia withdrew. William stared through the copper spyglass telescope, with Mabel at his side, as a portal opened up, and Paige Auclair and the Dragonslayer were through the portal. Paige slung her assault rifle over her shoulder as she said,

"All members of the Elite, save for the Lius, are off the island," Paige said with a nod. "Where is Berlioz?"

"He's still getting whatever he needs," William said before focusing on the underground group. Their aura was illuminated... Ah, that makes sense. That subhuman garbage wasn't here for a bloodbath but to get the Elite's resources. With the Elite's Apparition sealed, they needed to buy more time for whatever Berlioz had in mind. However, what was on William's mind was the rage that had driven him for years. His eyes burned with the promise of vengeance as he stared down at the island, where the combined forces of the subhumans were tearing apart the Elite's headquarters.

"This is it," Mabel murmured, "Time to make sure they know who they’re dealing with."

"You’re ready, then?" William said. "We show them nothing but hell."

Without another word, they both extended their hands forward, their Lux resonating with an ancient, dark power. The air around them seemed to distort, crackling with energy as dark tendrils of necrotic magic curled around their arms like serpents.

"Together," Mabel whispered.

They closed their eyes, and at that moment, the air around them grew cold; the sea below churned violently, the very atmosphere bending to their will. Black Lux shot from their joined hands, a swirling mass of black and violet light that surged into the sky, crackling with unnatural force. The ground below trembled as the magic took form, an immense skeletal structure rising from the ocean's depths. The bones creaked and groaned as they assembled, pieces of ancient bones fusing into a gargantuan form. A monstrous, undead skeleton towering over the island below, its eyes glowing with ominous, otherworldly light.

The massive skull turned toward Elysium Island with a hollow gaze. The skeleton's gigantic hands flexed, revealing talon-like claws, and its colossal feet stomped, sending shockwaves through the ocean and the island itself. A monstrous roar reverberated through the skies, a sound that could only be described as the death cry of an ancient titan.

Both William and Mabel nodded as they both said,

"... Crush them."

With a single word, the undead skeleton obeyed. The massive monster surged forward, its skeletal limbs thrashing through the clouds, plummeting toward Elysium Island. The ground beneath it cracked, splintered, and gave way as the beast landed on the island with a thunderous impact.

---

The Coalition, Babee.

Interactions:

Elysium Island.

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The gambit paid off.

The mysterious spooky ho sealed the Magma Apparition, and the problem disappeared. All the undead soldiers were deader. And it was oddly peaceful. Ruby thrust a fist into the air. Everyone cheered.

"... That's how it's motherfuckin' done! I TOLD YA'll WE COULD DO IT!"

Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs as Lily briefly hugged Liz - before immediately recoiling.

"... You did it mami-"

A chill, unnatural and foreboding, swept across the battlefield. Once churning with the battle's chaos, the ocean grew eerily still. The sea began to churn violently, waves crashing against the shores with a force that shook the ground beneath their feet. A dark, swirling light emerged from the depths, black and violet energy spiraling upward.

All eyes turned to the sea.

An immense structure began to rise from the depths—a skeletal hand, its talon-like fingers dripping with seawater. The bones, ancient and massive, creaked and groaned as they emerged from the ocean. The hand was followed by an arm, shoulder, and colossal ribcage that seemed to block out the horizon. The impossibly large skeleton continued rising, its massive skull breaking the surface with a roar reverberating. The sea cascaded off its towering frame as it stood, the full enormity of its form revealed.

Everyone was silent.

"... Aw, c'mon, man!" Jess shouted.

"This some bullshit!" Naomi shouted.

"Oh lord," Pearl facepalmed.

"You cannot be serious," Jasmine sneered.

"Are you for fuckin' real!?" James threw his hands up into the air. "This is sum' bullshit!"

Ruby just sighed.

Lily, smiling, turned towards Liz,

"... Get rid of that for me, and I'll love you forever - but twice as hard," Lily laughed as she pointed at the moment, "Like the wake up to breakfast ready every morning type love."

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[

Blake Schmidt, & Jason Valos.

Interactions: Valencia Vorpal (@Estylwen).

Elysium Island.

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”We're leaving.”

”Get close and I'll portal you out. Or you can stay here. But,” A short chuckle. “I wouldn't recommend it.”

Valencia

"... Leave?" Blake asked, tilting his head. "We will let them run us all off the island?!"

"Well, stay your stupid ass here and fight them, then," Jason said as he limped forward, using his cane as a brace as he took steps forward. He looked Valencia in the eyes, "I don't like you, but get us the hell out of this shitshow already."

Blake awkwardly looked around before he ran over to Valencia.

"... I'm certain Berlioz's people can handle it," He said pleadingly. "Let's go, ally!"

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Mixtape Ghost Note]

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Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin OST - Piercing Silence

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One slash and a hand crumbled to dust.

With another slash and another, Yoko was making easy work of the hands as she stepped outside. As the voice said, the heart had regenerated, and Yoko paused for a moment, ready to strike - she hesitated. A deep, resonant groan filled the chamber, and coming from the ceiling, a grotesque head seamlessly went from the ceiling as if it was made out of water. The left side of its face was almost human but unnervingly oversized. Its single golden eye glowed like molten metal, unnaturally large and protruding slightly; the skin around it was stretched too tight, veins pulsing beneath…

The right side of its face was a mass of writhing, screaming faces that seemed to melt in and out of one another. Each mouth cried out in agony or laughter, their tones overlapping in a cacophony. Some faces were incomplete - an eye floating above half a mouth, a nose jutting out from raw flesh - while others looked vaguely familiar. The head's "neck" was a grotesque mass that fused back into the ceiling yet connected to the heart through a network of veins that snaked above the ground. Surrounding it were the monstrous hands that had torn through earlier, now, each hand seemed to guard the heart and the hands…

The Yokai Killer glew brighter in Yoko’s hands, she turned to Saskia, ”... This is a strange one, to say the least.”

Saskia was enraptured by the writing mass of faces and body parts. It was like an anatomical freak, thousands of human parts shoved together to create an abomination. They wanted to know how it worked. Maybe they could dissect it once they’d killed it…

"It’s interesting," Saskia replied, glancing across the guarding hands. "Clearly we need to destroy the heart again."

Making the most of Yoko’s boost, their blood tendril split in two, and to its side large wings shoved through their back. The muscles forming it were tough enough to make it more defensive, with sharp spikes lining the lower half with an extra long one at the tip.

"You get it from the front, I’ll go from above," they said quietly.

Seemingly on cue, several of the hands placed themselves between Yoko and Saskia and the heart, some of them even wrapping around the heart as a sort of armor.

”... I think they heard that,” Yoko groaned as she took a defensive position, her grip tight on the Yokai Killer. Several hands took position above them - some of which were nowhere near the two - and began rhythmically slamming down one after an other with crushing force. Yoko disappeared into a blur of motion far out of their range.

"No talking, then," Saskia rolled their eyes. Their wings spread and pushed them into the air, spinning out of the way of the crushing hands. A long blood blade formed on their hand, and they dove in, trying to sever one of the hands. It hit the ground while the Yokai Killer extended in Yoko’s hand. She swung it upwards with all pf her strength and splintered a hand down the middle.

Sludge hit the ground as the Head opened its mouth and began sucking in, pulling both Yoko and Saskia into its jaw. Yoko immediately slammed the Yokai Killer into the ground and dropped her weight.

Saskia grimaced. Their blood tendrils shot up to the ceiling, pushing against it to stop them from getting sucked in. But as they were close enough their wings swiped up, sharp bone tips aiming for the golden eye. When Saskia put the tip in; the monster screamed as a flash of molten golden light surged forward. Searing, blinding, and deafening, all while the ground began to faintly rumble. Saskia slammed her eyes shut - but not before it temporarily blinded her.

Yoko gritted her teeth, closing her eyes, but the suction stopped. The light faded only for her to see several of the monstrous hands surging forward. She disappeared into a burst of speed, leaving behind only dust as they crumbled to dust.

Meanwhile a black vicious liquid dripping down the walls and the golden eye shined brightly. The screaming faces on the right side writhed in agony as the creature opened its maw unnaturally wide. The Head began spitting out razor sharp bone shards.

"This thing is so fucked up," Saskia hissed, struggling to see. But they sounded excited. And they were, because it was so interestingly disturbing- even as a razor sharp bone shard embedded in their shoulder. Others shattered as they hit thickening blood armour. They flew out of the way, tucking their wings to spin to the side. The blood from their wound joined the tendrils in their back. They thickened. Thin nerves creeped out of their fingers- temporarily sensing around them as their vision was still filled with black dots.

Their blood tendril lashed out, going for the right side of the head. However the hands reacted as if the brain sent out a pulse. They stirred to life and caught the tendril mid-air. Several more hands flew forward to grab Saskia.

Saskia cut off the tendril from where it was caught, leaving only liquid blood in the hands. The tips of the wings sliced through one hand, while bone spears pushed through their skin all across their body where the hands were grabbing. One managed to grab their tiddy, though.

Yoko slashed forward and cut another hand, reaching for Saskia to dust. Yoko nodded at them, before the ground began shaking. The ground shook harder, before more hands - skeletal and sinewy - emerged darting for them. Yoko slashed another in half as the head let out a gutteral groan…

The black liquid oozed harder from the walls as it began pooling at their feet. Yoko bared teeth, dropping into a defensive stance, ”I’m going for the heart! Give me an opening!” Yoko shouted. The hands surrounded the heart, but Yoko’s eyes were on the head.

"On it." Saskia recklessly launched themselves forward, right into the hands surrounding their heart. Sharp tipped wings slashed at hands, the blood tendril stabbed others, and their whole body was turned into a weapons with bone spears shoving between hard blood armour.

Yoko grinned sharply as Saskia tore through the swarm of hands, eyes locking on the grotesque heart at the room’s center. She vanished in a burst of speed. Reappearing at the edge of the heart, her blade slashed through one of the thick, vein-like tendrils, anchoring it to the ground. She darted to another angle, severing another vein. The heart spasmed violently, black fluid spraying across the chamber. Yoko’s movements became a cyclone of light, her strikes relentless and precise, each one aimed to cripple the heart’s grotesque network. The pulsating beats quickened, erratic, and desperate. Finally, Yoko stopped, hovering mid-air momentarily as she prepared for the final blow...

The castle groaned as if alive, the sound deep and guttural, reverberating through the walls. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone floor, black liquid seeping up from the fissures. The Head let out a soundless scream, its maw stretching unnaturally. A searing beam of molten light erupted from its golden eye, sweeping across the chamber in a slow, deliberate arc toward Yoko and Saskia. The air around it shimmered with heat, and the walls blackened wherever the beam passed.

At the same time, the writhing faces on the right side began to vomit streams of black, viscous liquid that congealed mid-air into jagged, wing-like shapes. These razor-sharp projectiles shot out in every direction, ricocheting off the walls and floor. A sudden pulse of golden light erupted from the heart, blinding and furious, and the veins began to recoil into it. The castle shuddered harder, chunks of the ceiling falling, and the heart let out a deafening roar that wasn’t just sound - it was rage

Yoko lightly landed on the oily floor with a splash of the strange liquid, she didn’t so much as flinch as it coated her attire. However, Yoko burst forward as the molten light from the head carved a path behind her. One arm came up to shield Saskia’s eyes from the blinding light, while their wings curled around them to take the jagged, black projectiles. They embedded in the hard sinew- but Saskia hardly felt the pain. They just felt thrilled. Was the whole castle a body? Was the heart feeling? They wanted to dissect it and find out.

Their hand came up, shooting an empowered blood bullet at the golden eye, from an angle that avoided going through the molten light. "Yoko, I’ll cover you!" The launched themselves upwards with a powerful blood tendril, damaged wings extending to slice through the writhing faces. It cut through them, and they all screamed and groaned in agony. However, Yoko’s movements were a blur as she closed in on the heart again; one of the projectiles darted toward her, and she slashed it out of the air with an upward strike. The heart pulsed violently, its veins snapping back like whips, one catching her leg mid-dash, and it was severed with one stroke of the Yokai Killer. Then she kicked off the ground, leaping high with the Yokai Killer raised overhead, right as the golden beam spluttered as Saskia’s blood bullet connected.

Yoko used this opening to strike the heart with the Yokai Killer, and the slash left a deep dash in the heart, which rotted away afterward. The head uttered a guttural yell upwards into the sky as the castle rumbled harder. However, instead of falling apart, the castle seemed to be unnraveling. The walls began to twist and distort; stone blocks peeled away from one another. The black liquid oozing from the fissures pooled upward, defying gravity and forming swirling, chaotic streams, twisting into something chaotic.

The Head roared again, its golden eye flaring brighter. Another searing beam of molten light lanced out, splitting into multiple smaller beams that swept the room in jagged, unpredictable patterns. The writhing faces on the right side of the Head contorted in unison, their screams merging into a hideous harmony. A viscous black liquid erupted from their mouths, hitting the ground and instantly hardening into writhing spikes. These jagged formations spread rapidly, growing like twisted roots.

Saskia dropped back to the ground for just a moment to roll and avoid a searing beam of light. As black, spiked roots lashed out for their legs, they pushed themselves back up into the air with a powerful flap of their wings. They kicked away the ones that tried to wrap around their feet. Blood dripped onto the floor for just a moment before they pulled it across their skin, reinforcing their armour.

They went for the head again, twisting away from as much of the molten light as they could while ignoring the beams that hit them. Their blood tendril went directly for its eye again, while they lashed out with a long, sharp blood blade to try and finally silence the writing faces on the other side. The Head bellowed as the blood blade carved into the writhing faces, severing several of them in a spray of black ichor. The disjointed mouths screamed even louder in their death throes, their twisted forms collapsing inward. The golden eye flared in rage as Saskia's tendril struck its surface, cracking the glowing orb. It recoiled violently, the molten light dimming momentarily before erupting in a chaotic burst of energy. A shockwave rippled outward, throwing debris in every direction.

Saskia was flung backwards, hitting what remained of a wall with a crack. The ribs they’d broken immediately repaired themselves- the pain had their vision going black for just a moment. They were close to winning… but with that…

"We need to figure a way out before we kill it," they said to Yoko.

” We need to make sure they have the Wayfinders!” Yoko hissed, dropping into a defensive position, ”We don’t even need to kill the heart or do any of this!”

It was a shame that Yoko was right, because Saskia really wanted to dissect that heart and see how it worked. But keeping Ella and Lisa safe was more important. "Defend, then. We hold it off until they come out with it."

Yoko paused for a moment, as she furrowed her brow, ”... Wait, do they even know what it-”

...?...?... I gotcha, boo.

The voice said. Yoko just shrugged, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths before her eyes shot open. Still reeling from the damage, the Hands began moving again, but more calculatedly. One of the hands, larger and more grotesque than the others, swung towards the two, its fingers elongating into spear-like appendages. The Head’s golden eye slowly regenerated, the crack knitting together…

Saskia’s eyes narrowed. They launched themselves up into the air with a blood tendril, flipping up and around. Sharp bones spears pushed through their feet as they came down on the back of the hand from above. While Yoko darted underneath the spearing hand and her sword was nothing but a blur as she slashed the hands to pieces. She slid to a stop as she barely dodged a hand coming down on top of her as it cracked the ground underneath.

The Head let out a guttural, distorted laugh, the sound vibrating through the walls. Its regenerating golden eye flared briefly, sending a pulse of molten light into the hand beneath Saskia. The hand convulsed violently, its elongated fingers splitting apart into whip-like tendrils covered in jagged bone spurs. They lashed upward, aiming to ensnare and impale both Saskia and Yoko.

The tendrils wrapped around Saskia's legs as they flew upwards to escape them. Their blood armour tanked the sharp spurs at first before they got through, digging into their flesh. They twisted around, slashing at the tendrils with two blood blades. Yoko disappeared into a blur of motion as she slashed through the hands.
However, their brawl was interrupted…

”… We have them!” Lisa shouted as she stood in the doorway. She held two Medallions, one with orange gems, and another with white.

"And some other cool things!" Ella added, holding a sheathed katana in each hand with what looked like a guitar case slung over her shoulder. "I got you a guitar, Saskia!"

"Great, I play bass," Saskia intoned as they got rid of the tendrils on them and landed on the ground near Lisa and Ella. At least they were safe. "Let’s get out of here."

Yoko eyed the katana, before sticking her free hand out, ”Give me the sword!”

Ella looked at one hand, then the other, before shrugging and throwing Yoko one of the katanas (the one that looked less shimmery). Without a word, Yoko unsheathed the katana Ella had tossed her. The moment the blade was free, it erupted into roaring flames, heat radiating so intensely it made the air shimmer.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at the heart before shouting, ”Laceration!”
Saskia nodded, lips pulling up into a slight smile. They formed two blood blades easily, handing one to Lisa - who matched Saskia’s movements. She gripped the bloodblade tightly as they both charged towards the heart. The head bellowed, sending hands forward, but Yoko was already cutting them to bits with both the Yokai Killer and the burning Katana.

The second they reached the heart, they slashed in perfect unison. The green-lux-infused blades tore through the organ like paper, bypassing its defenses entirely. A massive wound erupted that sprayed blood into the air and covered all of the combatants in red…

The heart pulsed one last time; the head let out one final distorted wail as its golden eye shattered like glass. The massive hands convulsed and crumbled into ash, their jagged bones disintegrating. At the same time, the Head’s form split apart, collapsing into a heap of smoldering black ichor before dissolving entirely into the floor.

Saskia let out a disappointed sigh as most of the body disintegrated. But they did get closer to what remained of the heart, completely unbothered that they were covered in blood. They pulled their own blood- from the armour and tendrils- back in through the wound in their hand and clotted it.

"I'm surprised the castle didn't collapse," Saskia intoned, crouching down and considering poking the cut heart.

"What if it regenerates again?" Ella asked nervously, gripping onto the sword she hadn't given Yoko - and hadn't tried unsheathing yet.

Yoko stared at Ella briefly before saying, ”I am more than five hundred percent certain that it is not dead.”

”Yeah it's probably like that dragon fuck!” Lisa began, ”It's probably got two hearts!”

”We got what we need anyhow,” Yoko then turned to Lisa, ”You got all five Wayfinders?”

”... There’s six,” Lisa answered.

”Six? There should only be five,”

…?...?... Is this…?...?...right now, Yoko?

The ground trembled violently beneath their feet. Dust rained from the ceiling as the walls groaned, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone. Yoko’s grip on the flaming katana tightened, her eyes narrowing. ”Knew it,” Yoko shook her head, ”We need to go. Now.” Before she darted towards the door.

As they moved toward the crumbling doorway, the floor beneath them began to ripple, a grotesque, organic motion that made Yoko freeze. Before anyone could react, the floor erupted beneath Saskia and Lisa, a gaping hole of flesh and jagged teeth swallowing them whole in an instant….

"For fuck’s sake," was all Saskia managed to say as they were swallowed… and it wasn’t even in a fun way.

”FUUUUUUUUUUCK ME!” Lisa shouted as she fell into the hole.

Then it closed.

Recollections: Primal Sinister

Shaniya.Hart
29 | Shaniya Colleen Hart | She/Her "I only welcome care when I'm wounded."	Description: Shaniya Hart’s path to becoming one of the PRA’s most formidable agents was shaped by her years in Cloverfield, a city rife with crime, corruption, and the constant threat of the Paranormal. Growing up in this chaotic urban landscape, Shaniya was no stranger to danger. From a young age, she was drawn to law enforcement, fueled by a fierce determination to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves. She grew up alongside her younger sister, Cleopatra (Cleo) Hart, a girl with a free spirit and a fiery determination. While Shaniya always felt the world's weight on her shoulders, Cleo often sought her path, which led her into the city’s darker corners. The sisters shared a strong bond despite their differences, which was tested over time. After high school, Shaniya enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantry, where her innate combat abilities and leadership skills quickly set her apart from her peers. Her time in the service honed her tactical mind, and by the time she was honorably discharged, she knew her next mission: the PRA. Titan, a powerful Apparition, had already chosen Shaniya during her time in the military. In the heat of battle during a particularly harrowing mission, Shaniya found herself trapped, surrounded by insurgents, with no escape. Her squad had already fallen, and Shaniya faced the crushing weight of failure. Thoughts of her sister Cleo and the world she was fighting to protect swirled in her mind. In that moment of despair—when Shaniya felt truly broken—Titan appeared, an immense Apparition of pure power. Seeing the raw strength in Shaniya’s will to protect others, Titan bonded with her, offering her his abstraction. The Apparition’s strength flowed through her veins, and for the first time, Shaniya felt genuinely unstoppable. But with this power came the weight of Titan's will—a reminder that her strength was not just for her survival but for protecting those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Upon leaving the military, Shaniya was recruited by the PRA, impressed by her success in handling high-risk situations. The PRA saw her potential and promised her the opportunity to combat the Paranormal nationally. Their ideals aligned with Shaniya’s—she wanted to protect the innocent and keep the world safe from the ever-growing threat the Paranormal posed. She joined the PRA, quickly rising through the ranks, driven by an unyielding resolve to protect Cloverfield and beyond. However, over time, the PRA’s methods began to wear on her. Shaniya’s growing dissatisfaction with the PRA began subtly. At first, it was just the bureaucracy—the mountains of paperwork, the endless red tape, the slow-moving wheels of justice. But the cracks in the agency’s foundation soon became impossible to ignore. Her true transformation, however, came during the Cataclysm. Cloverfield became the epicenter of an unprecedented disaster when Nyrah the Ravager, a force of destruction, threatened to annihilate the city. Thrown in the chaos, Shaniya became a pivotal fighter in the war, using her abilities granted by Titan to combat Nyrah and other cataclysmic forces. Her bond with Titan, already forged in the heat of her military service, grew stronger as she faced the devastation head-on. Her powers and status within the PRA made her a highly respected agent, but they also began to push her further away from the agency's methods. As Shaniya continued to protect Cloverfield, she became increasingly disillusioned with the PRA’s bureaucratic nature and heavy-handed tactics. She saw the city’s residents suffering, not just from Paranormal threats but from the PRA's oppressive actions. The agency’s unwillingness to address the real issues in the town began to irritate her, and soon, she was questioning her loyalty to an organization that seemed more focused on maintaining control than helping people. Now, Shaniya stands as one of the PRA's most powerful agents, but her growing dissatisfaction with the agency’s mission looms over her. She’s still driven by the same desire to protect Cloverfield, but she’s beginning to realize that to save her city truly, she may have to go against the organization she’s sworn to serve. Her relationship with Cleo is complex—a mix of love, guilt, and unspoken resentment. Shaniya tries to shield Cleo from the dangers of their world, but Cleo, increasingly drawn to the city’s underworld, has become a force in her own right. The sisters’ bond fractured after a violent encounter in which Shaniya was forced to confront Cleo’s involvement with a Paranormal crime group. Though Cleo escaped, the rift between them grew wider, leaving Shaniya with a sense of guilt over failing to protect her sister from the very thing she was trying to fight. Now, Shaniya struggles with the tension between her duty and her family, knowing that she may have to choose between the PRA and saving what’s left of her relationship with Cleo. Shaniya is African-American, thin and lanky, standing at six-one. Abstraction: Adjoined - Tempest. Shaniya's Abstraction, granted by Titan, manifests raw, elemental power that enhances her physical capabilities and grants her unparalleled versatility in battle. Her connection to Titan gives her enhanced strength, durability, and the ability to fly, making her a formidable force even without using her elemental control. She can engage in close combat with exceptional resilience, shrugging off blows that would incapacitate a normal person, and her strength allows her to perform feats of brute force, from smashing through reinforced walls to lifting heavy objects with ease. Her flight gives her an edge in mobility, allowing her to soar across the battlefield, evade attacks, or strike from the sky with deadly precision. On top of these physical enhancements, Shaniya can manipulate any element she desires, bending the environment to her will. She can control everything from fire and water to more abstract forces like light, electricity, and gravity. Her ability to manipulate the elements works like a slotting system: the more elements she chooses to control at once, the weaker her control over each one becomes. If she slots only one element, she can wield it with devastating power, using all her focus and mastery to harness its full potential. However, if she spreads herself across multiple elements, each becomes diluted, losing strength compared to when she concentrates on a single force. This "dilution" effect requires Shaniya to be strategic in combat, carefully deciding whether to focus on a single element for maximum potency or spread her influence across multiple elements to adapt to various threats.