A Game of Gods Season 4: Frontiers

The Elric Bros, Bervenia Outskirts

"Great!" Alphonse replied to Pyra happily. Ed, however, immediately latched onto one single offhanded word.

"SHORT?!!? WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE PINT-SIZED DWARF, YOU PATHETIC KITTEN DRESSED UP AS A-" he started, only for Alphonse to hastily clamp a hand over his mouth and stifle the rest of his furious tirade.

"Hehe, sorry about that..." the large metal brother laughed nervously. He would have had a sheepish expression on his face, were his head not an unchanging steel helmet. "You've gotta be a little careful what you say around my brother sometimes. He can be a little bit...sensitive about some things."

Then Mash and Ritsuka spoke up, and he turned the conversation towards them.

"She sure did! It's good to see you guys again." he said warmly, regretting a bit that they couldn't see his inner grin. Ed finally calmed down, just in time for Ritsuka to complement his and his brother's "magic", which seemed to get him riled right back up again.

"It's not magic! It's alchemy!" he hissed, clenching his fists. "There's a difference! It's not some hokey hocus pocus! It's the science of deconstruction and reconstruction, and it follows scientific laws!"

Edited by SushiKraken6414 on Apr 20th 2024 at 9:15:25 AM

Anor Londo, Tavern: Kayne—The Talking Encyclopedia!

"If you'd like to swing by, I'm part of the 13th Wolf Company." Blige explained to the vampire hunters. "We're scouts, so our barracks is closer to the wall than most. Wouldn't want you wanderin' into somebody else's space—especially not one of the Hornet or Lion Divisions. Pretty sure there's Hollows who're friendlier than those sort."

The bartender grunted in agreement, but kept most of her attention on the adult outsiders. The talking Mimic was a lot to handle, but the fact it sat atop a child (and said child wasn't getting their brain nibbled on in the process) went along way to putting her mind at ease. Whether they be human, giant, or lord-born, kids were kids; keep them fed and smiling, and there wasn't much to worry about.

It was the adults who concerned the barkeep. The adults carrying daggers, whips, and swords, and the adult who suspiciously carried none of the above. They hadn't said or done anything unorthodox, so she wasn't about to turn them away. That said, she was clearly more interested in observing the discussion than pitching in. Fortunately, Blige was more than happy to chat with the outsiders!

"It was delicious!" Blige answered Trevor's intrigue. "Though turns out most of my comrades can't eat the stuff as well as I can. One bite had them cryin 'Oh no! The First Flame's hopped into my mouth and now my throat and tummy hurt!' Bah! If they were scared by a little heat they should've blown harder on the stew—that's what I did, and I didn't have no trouble!"

The Silver Knight gave Kayne a friendly (and gentle) bump on the shoulder. "Kayne here's got smarts for days. She knows all sorts of stuff about all sorts of things! She knows how to cook, and how to forge, and how to make livin' armor, and how to build...uhhh..."

As Blige lost steam, the Silver Knight leaned down to Kayne's ear and whispered:

"Ey Kayne? What did you call that flying boat? The one with the wheel of swords on it?"

Outset Border, Gates: Speaking Hypothetically

"Nothin' risky." The "young man" shrugged. "Just a few tips on what might come over that hill, or the one after it, or the one after that. Not bein' a stranger to strange sights is one thing, but I find being ready for that strangeness is something else, know what I mean?"

Havoc leaned against the border wall of the tower cityscape, both to play into the nonchalant demeanor as well as to move out of the other Tyrant Guild guards' immediate line of sight. Getting through one guard was going to be tricky enough.

"From what I see, you've got a chance to win some extra scratch, here. I like to travel, y'see, and I like to keep my eyes and ears open for anything somebody else might wanna know. Rumors, state of affairs, locations of this or that, y'know: details that are harmless enough in my hands, but they could mean a world of difference for someone else.

"So let's say that there's a certain guard who's under pressure to squeeze everything he can out of visitors to a certain city. And let's say that this certain guard could know the most common hiding places for contraband coming in the vehicles of this certain city's neighboring kingdom. And let's say that said contraband could earn this certain guard enough cash to buy all the booze he can drink along with a uniform that isn't caked in mud—and maybe even a nice post upstairs if he greases the right palms. Now if all of this were possible...how much do you think this certain guard would be willing to pay for it?"

The "young man" shifted his jade eyes towards the wall, as if to suggest there was one method of payment that wouldn't cost Gosfrid a single coin.

Persuasion check roll result: 10

Ivalice, Bervenia Outskirts: "I'm Something of A Scientist Myself!"

By now, Qilby had now seen Edward Elric burst into rage twice in as many encounters, so he simply stroked his beard at the new outburst.

"I'd recommend taking pride in those insecurities; after all, the things that make you feel different from others are the very same things that make you unique. A simple shift in perspective can turn a weapon once used to harm you into a shield that protects you from further harm. But enough platitudes—you said that this 'alchemy' of yours is a form of science?"

Judging by the way the Eliatrope's eyes shimmered at the word, it seems as if Ed had struck a special interest of the sagely one-armed man.

"I would very much like to learn, if you're willing to share. I'm quite the scholar myself, and would relish an opportunity to study the scientific laws and methods that dictate an unknown corner of the Krosmoz. That said, perhaps we should gather our bearings, first. We're still strangers in this kingdom, and until we gather more information, I am not certain how long our presence will be well-received."

Assuming that the others agreed, Qilby would begin heading into the town proper, searching for any information that could be considered helpful.

Kayne & Moko—Anor Londo Tavern

"It's a spicy stew, and you can put all kinds of fish, shells and all, into it," Kayne explained, eager to introduce the wonders of gumbo to another group of people. "Only this time I used lizard meat coz it tastes a little like fish. But I might have overdone it on the peppers. They're only mildly hot to me, but they're still an acquired taste to everyone else. And we had to eat it with bread, because there was no rice."

"Helicopters, my dear Sir Blige," Moko answered Blige's query. "Though we only know how to build one in theory. We've never actually done it."

"I've scavenged lots of parts from helicopters, though," Kayne added brightly. "And having more scrap metal always comes in handy."

Edited by JumpingFruit on May 5th 2024 at 2:09:04 AM

Castelia Town Square - Charlie and Co

Charlie was accosted by the moon rabbit once again. A bead of sweat appeared on his brow, threatening to turn into one of those really big anime ones but never quite getting to that point. At Reisen's accusation, a single thought goes through his mind.

Does she know who he is, like, at all? They had only known each other for a couple hours or so, but he didn't think he really gave off the vibes of a Gary Oak style womanizer in those couple hours. He had neither the limo nor the cheerleaders, for Arceus' sake! Honestly, how was he even supposed to respond here?

Well, he'd find a way.

"You got me," Charlie admitted with a shrug. "I came over here to rizz up these beautiful women, because I just can't resist their exotic human wiles. That's me, Charlier the Rizzler. The number one playboy in the pokemon world."

Lucia looks at him in confusion, her eyebrow arching toward her forehead. These young people and their strange words... She couldn't help but be reminded of Iono, a world famous electric Vtuber.

"What in the Distortion World is a 'Rizzler'?"

Another one of life's many mysteries.

"It's... look, that doesn't.matter, I was being sarcastic. Reisen, I think you're a little lost in the sauce with your characterization of me right now. Literally. Like 'A Goldeen swimming in a river full of John Cenaroar's Sparkling Whiskey (Registered Trademark)' levels."

Lucia ignored this silliness. A drunken lopunny/cinderace (?) was really none of her business.

"Some story sharing would be nice. I guess I could talk about the time I stopped the S.S. Anne from sinking, but I'm curious to hear yours as well."

Castelia City - Arturia, Seth, Gatsby/Nick

Arturia looks very concerned at the conversation Gatsby and Seth are having.

"Wha- how many world wars is normal for one world to have?! I mean, the Kalos War was bad enough, and that's ancient history that I've only read about. The most action I've gotten is just fighting in the ring..."

Director's Residence, Fuuka - Ray

"I'm inclined to agree," the Dragon Pokemon said. "I'll make sure that Osborne is made aware of Fuuka's concerns. In the mean time, do take care, Mashiro."

But before leaving Fuuka, Ray decides to stop by the Crystal Hall, deigning to look at the sculpture garden.

Edited by HilarityEnsues on Apr 21st 2024 at 10:21:41 AM

Tokyo 205X, Phantom Base (Leos and Pigna)

To hear that Phantom had been in operation for up to an entire millennium is somewhat concerning news for the two G-Divers. However, while they do not comment on it when they exit the elevator with the spook leader, Pigna does say something about the apparent use of the Universal language: "Yeah, convenient..."

All things considered, the fact that Phantom’s headquarters include some swanky decorations is not actually that surprising to Leos or Pigna, considering that Celestial Being, which they believe was Jupiter X's spiritual ancestor, had high-ranking members of modern society as part of their ranks. It's practically a given that any conspiracy worth its salt has to have some members with very deep pockets to work.

Once the two are left alone in the alcove, Leos can't help but look at the TV. "Huh. So that's what that looks like from the outside," he says, noting the aurora-like phenomenon. His counterpart, on the other hand, has a surprisingly appropriate quip.

"Huh. So we didn't crash after all."

Leos sits down in one of the chairs while glancing back at Pigna. "She said a thousand years. That's... a really long time."

"Yeah, that bugs me. I don't think Romefeller was around that long," Pigna agrees while plopping herself down on the couch. "Y'know, it kinda makes me wonder what they had to do to keep it running for so long."

"Yeah... Which is kinda funny, considering what we do back home."

"Oi," Pigna retorts, raising a finger at Leos, "Last I checked, we didn't interfere in politics."

"Celestial Being did," Leos replies respectfully. "I mean, they were using the orbital rings to help with their operations. And y'know, they did force the world to unite against them. At first, anyway."

Pigna sighs while looking away from the Gundam pilot. "Alright, alright, I get it."

"But you’re right, something does seem off about them. I mean, "Iron Mask"? Sounds like a weird ritual, if that position's been around for a thousand years,” the Gundam pilot remarks, while briefly looking at the double doors.

"Oh, yeah..." Pigna trails off, putting a finger to her chin in realisation. "Ah, well, at least we'll be able to set the record straight and say we're not aliens, right? Speaking of, I wanna hear what these bozos are saying real quick," she says before going over to the table where the remote is, and pushing up the volume a few notches.

Jupiter X, Infirmary - Something Doesn't Add Up (Sthesia and Keith)

Sthesia looks at Hiromu with sympathy. It cannot have been easy to have been the only survivor of an extermination campaign; Sthesia had found plenty of similar things happening in humanity's ancient historical records before, of course. She types in his recalling of something called Magia Units, presumably a weapon of some kind, before her mind clicks onto something. Hiromu was able to make it here safely, right? So if the Magia Units he mentioned aren't here, then could this be a trap? Was he allowed to escape so that eventually Satellite Ark could follow his trail to here? But why bother doing that if...?

To "Hiromu," it looks like Sthesia stops typing on her screen for a scant few seconds, but it's enough to be noticeable. At least, before the door to the medical room opens and a blond-haired man wearing a militaristic uniform steps in, which Hiromu should be able to recognise as one of the blokes he saw on the way into the infirmary.

"Something wrong, Sthesia?" Keith says to Sthesia, the latter turning away from her screen to to talk to him.

"Yes, Keith. Security Team V said they found Hiromu alone, right?" Sthesia tilts her head in Hiromu's direction while briefly side-eying him, making it clear to Keith that was the guy's name.

Keith, for his part, gives off a tell of recognition, and nods in response. "Positive. There was no one else, Sthesia."

"Okay. Could you ask the other security teams to keep an eye out? Just in case? Boyd's currently preoccupied with something else in the hangars," she asks, glancing at Hiromu as she does.

It takes Keith a moment to look between Hiromu and Sthesia before he sighs, evidently not liking whatever Sthesia is saying to him. "Fine, Sthesia. But just so you know, I just don't trust this guy."

Jupiter X, Western Hangar - Star League? (Sthesia and Security Teams IV-VI)

"A mercenary?" Sthesia wonders out loud before realising that of course Leon would be a mercenary. They’re more likely to act as lone wolves than soldiers of a properly organised military force.

Of course, Leon's question snaps her back into the conversation, with him commenting on what Sthesia is actually supposed to be. "I'm not sure what you mean by "Star League," but I can tell you that I’m a support-class artificial intelligence designed to help the pilots who work at this station."

"Seeing as you're probably not from around here, I'll give up a heads up as to what's going on: the word around the base is that we’ve been shunted on to this strange-arse planet. The techs still aren't sure as to how that even happened, but the common theory is some sort of sci-fi bullshit," Boyd comments, while Colasour heads up a gantry stairwell to join back up with his squad after giving Boyd a salute having completing his task of "escorting" Leon to the hangar.

"Um, would you like us to give your machine a check, Mr Hellstrand? We have a full team of mechanics that could look it over for you, even if it looks different from the machines we use here," Sthesia offers to the Battlemech pilot, partly out of curiosity about this sorta-not-quite Mobile Suit, but also because it's just good manners.

The two maids would turn to look at the knight. Even the normally aloof Raven seemed unable but to show intrigue and curiosity. Something he had said had caught their attention something fierce. Perhaps even more then the fairy tale world and all its eccentricities, this one thing demanded them to press him for more information. There was a dish they were not familiar with.

"What is estus soup?"

"Yeah, what's it taste like?"

"Sweet or savory?"

"Spicy?"

"Is it creamy or more chunky?"

"How do you make it?"

"Where can we get some?"

Sure, there was the nagging sensation at the back of their minds that Sir Siegmeyer only acquired a taste for the dish only after becoming undead, but it was hardly fair that undead get to eat whatever they want and they can't! Who knows, they might like it even before dying! Then again, if it turns out to some kind of brain broth...

Kat had to admit, she was really curious now. But she needed to stay focus. Eyes on the prize! They came here to steal a god king's lunch. They couldn't go getting full on the first meal that they came across. Though if it was just a taste...it could be like an appetizer...

Hearing the Knights concerns about joining them for a bite, Kat would wave her hand as if trying to clear such thoughts from the air.

"Nonsense! You are practically a guest here, and as a guest its our job to offer such hospitality. In fact, it would reflect poorly on the lord of the castle if a guest were to be turned away hungry. Plus we have to reward you for helping us out. I insist!"

The maid would smile to put the knights' mind at ease. Though perhaps with a grin a bit too wide.

Since the girls too were also basically guests, just the kind who invited themselves over, it stands to reason that helping them selves to a meal is just them saving the king's time by providing self service hospitality. Whether the cooks agree with that line of reasoning was another story. But they would just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

It was then that the helmet suddenly popped off.

"Eh!?"

Kat would gasp, taken aback. She wasn't clued in on her friend's little idea, so she was just as surprised Siegmeyer. Maybe even a little more considering how laid back and accepting the Knight of Caterina seemed at everything that came his way. Still, with the helmet off, Kat had to admit she was kind of curious also. The two girls would get a good look at what laid beneath.

"...huh..."

Kat would look on as if trying to decipher a modern art piece. She wasn't completely sure what she was expecting under the helm. Maybe something more onion shaped. Like big pudgy cheeks with a single cow lick on top. She would tilt her head one way then the other, as if getting different viewing angles, before nodding approvingly. It wasn't quite what she was expecting an undead onion knight to look like, but the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. The more it seemed like Siegmeyer. Not quite price charming, but it had a certain knightly quality. Rough around the edges, but still noble at its center.

She would smile and give the big guy a playful bump on the shoulder.

"Look at you mister suave! You are going to make some distressed damsel a happy girl."

Raven's facial expression would be a bit harder to read. Her uncovered eye would dart around the knights face as if searching for something. Perhaps the edges of some sort of mask or squibs where blood could come from. It seemed this face really was all there was. That was disappointing. She would nod silently and return the helm when asked.

"Kyaaaah!"

The girlish shriek would come from the blonde. Though surprisingly, the girl was no longer beside the knight. She was clung to the high ceilings of the place in fragrant disregard for the laws of gravity.

"The size of a dog!? Ew ew ew. No."

Kat may have a broader comfort zone then most girls in the city thanks to her living conditions. But she was still a girl, and a bug that size was even too much for her. Like, she was still pretty sure she could take it in a fight. That's not an issue. Its just gross. Ew, what if she kicks it and it splats!?

"Ew ew ew..."

The maid would cling to the ceiling until she was sure there was none of these Blighttown bugs here.

Anor Londo, Duke's Archives

As the Channelers had their centipede-related discussion amongst themselves, Faye's irritated incredulity about the web-slinger's origin story gradually transitioned into full-blown disgust as the topic took on a terrible, multi-legged life of its own. Faye's imagination was left to do the lion's share of the work as to what, exactly, constituted a 'centipede demon', and she immediately began checking the space next to, around, and even inside her shoes just to be sure. For crying out loud, Faye internally groused, pulling one of her shoes back on unhappily, if there are demonic creepy-crawlies roaming around here, then the next time I come back I might actually have to wear pants...

But fortunately, much like Seath, the topic of inter-universal revenge was one that Faye also found endlessly fascinating, and she leaned in as the topic was broached with an anticipatory grin. "Oh, yeah, let me be clear—at no point in human history does the concept of good ol' revenge ever fall off. And If revenge is what this Mr. Negative guy is after, who knows, I might just end up having to respect him just the teeniest-tiniest bit more. No matter how dumb his whole schtick is."

As that conversation petered off in turn, Faye once again began salivating as Seath picked up a second hunk of crystal, this one so large that the massive dragon could barely even heft it in one of his enormous hands—only for her head to then quirk to the side in confusion, as the sorcerer instead proposed an alternate form of payment. "You're not cheaping out on me, are you now Mr. Grandfather?" Faye said immediately, her reaction instinctively flipping to suspicion at the prospect of someone renegotiating an already agreed-upon deal. "I know you're good for it, you could build a whole flippin' house for me out of crystal using just what I can see in this room!"

But then the other shoe dropped, and it clicked for Faye what her new benefactor might actually be suggesting. "Or... are we talking about something a bit more... exotic? Got a pet project back there that you've been itching to pawn off? Or, better yet, a project pet? I've never owned a gryphon before, but I'd be willing to give it my best shot~."

"Don't think it was a misjump," Leon said. "Though I'm not ruling it out," he muttered.

He climbed out and stepped onto a walkway. "Feel free, Brutus is in good condition but I won't say no to a free tune over. If I don't gotta pay a C-Bill it's fine with me."

As he walked over he eyed Sthesia he pondered everything. "Wouldn't be the first AI I've had to deal with, but the fact that you don't know what a "star league" tells me a lot about where you're from, everyone heard of them. They were the heralds of the "Golden Age" back home, two centuries of good times barring the odd conflict."

Seth rolled his tongue in his cheek, looking for the right words to give the two. He recalled all the cruelty in the logs and files he found on the old world, the stuff he had seen... just what Mr. House had done. He settled for keeping it brief.

"Oh trust me, you haven't seen gruesome yet. The stuff you saw, was just being applied to soldiers, people who fought. What's coming in the next 10-20 years and ends in 1945 will turn your stomach, you haven't seen cruelty yet. And it all gets capped off with us Americans nearly burning the planet with the most powerful weapon ever devised."

He rolled his shoulders and tensed his voice, he wanted them to feel every word, to know the inherit horror of what he was about to tell them. "In 1942 a project among allied powers against the axis begins, the goal, to split the atom. Using special elements that emit lethal radiation they succeed, and but 3 years later in 1945 two bombs are dropped using this power. Burning with the power of the sun they cause two cities to cease to exist, and anyone too close to the blast to become little more than burnt shadows on the surroundings."

He placed a hand on Gatsby's shoulder and gripped hard. "After that, America and Russia begin several decades of conflict based around these weapons and not firing them, for fear of ending the world as we know it. All sides started stockpiling them, allies were made and lost, things didn't get better and resources got scarce. It all ended October 23rd, 2077 as somebody after a long conflict with China and the reclamation of Anchorage Alaska finally pulled the trigger. The bombs flew and the world was given a great big reset. Over 200 years later and we've only started to rebuild civilization on a large scale, the survivors of the wreckage and the poor shmucks outta those fucking Vaults have begun to reclaim America."

Gosfrid thought about it for a moment, looked back to his superior, and then back to the Lad(?) before finally saying. "Ah what the hell, ya aren't carrying any contraband or anything, go right on in, just take that little path over there!"

Gosfrid pointed to a small tunnel opening. "It stinks but it'll get ya inta the city itself, better than trying to negotiate with some of our other commanders!"

As if on cue both Havoc and Gosfrid would hear a- "GUARDS!! SEIZE THAT CHILD!!"

"That'll you'll avoid that. Enjoy Outset!"

Edited by EchoingSilence on Apr 29th 2024 at 3:49:18 PM

The Underworld

"Oh, I'm sorry, my lady!" the smug 'little thing' enunciated, not sounding sorry at all as he pushed his glasses up to reflect the light. "I shall stop creating a useful tunnel network connecting your domain with unwitting neighboring realms, then, and leave you with your single exit point from this subterranean civilization, setting aside the fact that I was already building a tunnel here and you are the ones who appeared in place of it and disrupted my progress. But before I go, allow me to ask you: Are you, like myself, an enemy of humanity? So far seeing no humans among your people, I hope that the answer is yes, for this planet is positively infested with homo sapiens, and I should much appreciate assistance in... cutting them down to size, you might say."

Ivalice, Capital

Link did his best not to laugh or snort as he heard Agrias' complaint under her breath, but he did sharply exhale for a moment before smiling in amusement behind her back as he followed her, whether to the kitchen or the dining area he knew not.

Manhattan, Chinatown F.E.A.S.T.

May couldn't help but laugh out loud at Maki's loud and immediate protest against eating his vegetables.

"Well, I can assure you that we won't be having either of those tonight, young man, but you should know that regular nutrients from good, green veggies are an important part of any growing person's diet! You want to grow up good and tall like Mr. Fuwa, right?" she asked rhetorically, beaming down at the boy.

At Fuwa's quick and vehement denial of parentage, the old lady put a hand to her mouth as she realized her mistake, and quickly apologized:

"Oh, I'm so sorry! It's just, you seemed to get along so well that I simply assumed! How silly of me, haha!"

Listening into the conversation between the trio of men, Adrian, Isamu, and Spike, she nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, Mr. Spiegel, if you're offering your assistance with prepping dinner, who am I to refuse?" she intoned with another smile at the man with the 'fro, just as A2 was returning around the corner, now sans weapons. "Thanks so much for your help! Adrian, could you show him to the kitchen area, please? I just need to get these three some forms to fill out for their residency here."

As it turned out a few minutes later, the forms were mostly easy questions like "How long have you been unhoused?" and "How did you hear about F.E.A.S.T.?" and name, date of birth, and all the sorts of generic questions, as well as ones about any special needs one might have, that one might have on an intake form. Isamu, Maki, and A2 were each given their own copies of the forms to fill out, as well as pencils to write with. A2, however, simply stared blankly at the pencil until someone explained that you were supposed to use them to write with, whereupon it turned out that an android who dealt exclusively in typed and electronic writing had terrible penmanship...

Manhattan, Chasing Down the Devil

"Right this way, please!" the hostess said with a beaming smile, guiding Lola over to... the barstool directly a couple seats down from Mr. Depressed Demon, and set the incognito Pokemon's menus before her. The quarry himself looked up at her for a moment, his gaze distant, vacant, and not seeming to recognize her at all as he returned his gaze to his phone. He seemed almost about to cry.

Manhattan, First Atlantic Bank

Scratch's maneuver was a great success, in that his shadow acted as a perfect bullet sponge, which was followed by shouted curses and hurried attempts to reload - tragically cut short by the spikes of his shadow tentacles skewering six of the remaining Demons, who cried out loudly in surprise and agony as they quickly began to expire.

"Tch!" the British-educated enemy spat, then shouted something in Chinese - evidently an order to retreat, if himself and the handful of remaining Demons beginning to flee into the backrooms was any indication.

Earth 11945, Forest Kingdom

"Good gentlemen, I beseecheth thee, lowereth thy weapons! Mine only wish at this moment be to saveth Lady Shion! Thou mayest doeth whatever thou pleasest with mineself afterward!" Aquinas implored as he slowly but steadily lifted Shion out of the chasm she'd fallen partway into. Still not quite there, however... and for her part, Shion was finding it hard to vocalize any annoyance with her assigned subordinates, what with exerting all her energy gripping the Machine and straining to keep from slipping from his grip.

Meanwhile, MOMO watched in despair as the unexpected intervention of an outsider - Samus? No, she could sense an energy signature from this person that was most definitely distinct from what she recalled of the Bounty Hunter - saw the situation devolve even further into combat and chaos.

"Everyone, please! Stop fighting each other!" she pleaded desperately, hands balled up into fists at her side as her limbs shook. "There aren't any enemies here! There aren't even any on their way - I can tell! Please... I..."

It was all too much. The poor pinkette girl's legs gave out like jelly, and she sank to her knees, sniffling tearfully. "I don't understand..." she croaked, sniffling. "Why did it turn out like this...?"

It was then that she felt a familiar hand atop her head, ruffling her hair gently through her beret. With a shocked hiccup, she shifted her gaze to look at the culprit, and couldn't believe her eyes.

"chaos?" she questioned, as if he was a mirage brought on by stress that would disappear at any moment. "What... I thought you were staying back with Jr. on the Elsa! When did you get here...?"

"Oh, just a little while ago," assured the youthful man◊ with starkly contrasting skin and hair, eyes as deep as the sea, and aura of zen-like calm as he continued to gently muss her hair through her cap. "I had a feeling you might need some help."

"Help...?" the bleary-eyed Realian girl blinked in confusion, then snapped to awareness and explained, "chaos, the Commander told us we were about to be attacked, so Yunica and 2B charged at Aquinas over there—" she pointed to Aquinas by way of explanation, "—but a couple of the soldiers got in the way, because they must have realized something was strange like I did, but Yunica couldn't stop in time and now he's dead—" she pointed to the corpse, "—and then some person who looks like Samus attacked Yunica and, and... I just want to get everyone to stop fighting, because there's no reason to fight, but...!"

"I understand," he said kindly, in a way that immediately made her think that he did understand, totally and completely. "Stay here for a minute. I'll fix things."

"Y-You will?!" MOMO uttered in wonder. "B-But h-how will you...?"

"Just watch," he instructed with a smile.

Switching focus, the dark-skinned, light-haired man strode with calm confidence over to the body of the deceased, deflecting any guns of the fallen man's comrades with a small shake of his head and look of sympathy. Then he knelt by the corpse and felt its pulse as if to verify that yes, the man was indeed dead. Having done that, he inclined his head and clasped his hands over him and whispered a quiet prayer. For a long moment, he seemed to wrestle with something, almost as if he was having a silent conversation with someone far away, and then he sighed quietly, apparently coming to a decision. When he opened his eyes to look down at the dead man, his eyes were filled with determination.

He began to speak, not in the Universal Language of the Frontiers, nor in any language used in the time period he had come from, but an ancient, almost completely forgotten tongue, his voice musical, almost singing a hymn:

"Αὕτη ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς θάνατον, ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς."

MOMO had been looking to and fro at the action still unfolding around her, fretting and hoping that the violence would really end as her trusted, reliable friend had said it would, but as soon as he uttered those words, her head snapped to stare directly at him, her eyes and mouth widening in shock.

"That was in Daddy's Y-Data..." she said in recognition, and confusion, then translated: "'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.' But I don't understand... Why do you know those words? Why are you...?"

"Λάζαρος ὁ φίλος ἡμῶν κεκοίμηται ἀλλὰ πορεύομαι ἵνα ἐξυπνίσω αὐτόν."

"Λάζαρος ἀπέθανεν. καὶ χαίρω δι’ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα πιστεύσητε, ὅτι οὐκ ἤμην ἐκεῖ."

"Ἀναστήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου."

A sudden wind picked up, setting the leaves of the trees rustling. The sky, once bright, darkened with rainclouds and the rumbling of thunder.

"Those were all things that He said, and all from the same chapter..." MOMO recalled, thinking ahead and predicting what chaos would chant next. "But what are you...?"

"Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή," he continued, heedless of the girl's questions. "ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, κἂν ἀποθάνῃ, ζήσεται; καὶ πᾶς ὁ ζῶν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα."

"Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον."

"Οὐκ εἶπόν σοι ὅτι ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς, ὄψῃ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ?"

The ground began to shake incessantly. A circular gap opened in the swirling clouds above, sunlight shining down like a spotlight upon corpse and chanter, both of whom were beginning to glow with a brilliant gold aura.

"Πάτερ, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι ἤκουσάς μου. ἐγὼ δὲ ᾔδειν ὅτι πάντοτέ μου ἀκούεις; ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον τὸν περιεστῶτα εἶπον, ἵνα πιστεύσωσιν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας."

"Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω!"

"'Lazarus, come forth'..." MOMO echoed, then stared agape at what her friend had wrought.

When the shaking and the aura of light faded, the dead man had been wholly healed, and lived and breathed again, the only signs that he had ever been dead being his own memory of dying and the hole torn in his armor where Yunica's lance had pierced him through.

"So much for being an observer..." chaos muttered to himself with a slight chuckle, then rose into a crouch, offering the fallen, now living man a hand.

"Can you stand, my friend?" he asked with a warm smile at the man he had just, in a word, resurrected.

At that moment, the clouds above burst and showered their watery contents on those below, raining on the just, and the unjust.

Earth 11945, Factory

"Working with the Machines? Wha— But, that can't—" Jackass sputtered at the news of Samus' supposed betrayal. "White said she—"

The invading team's confusion was met with uproarious laughter from the single 'pretty boy' enemy, even as he summoned a sort of circling hardlight shield to deflect the grunts' fire.

"Hahahaha — HAHAHAHAHA! Seems like - what's the phrase - the traditional dance is upwards? RRRRGH!" he paused to throw his hands outward toward the two grunts advancing on him, and his shield burst into white-hot stakes of energy that skewered the unfortunate pair. Then he smiled with utmost confidence and pointed decisively at the operation's CO.

"Now, Samus!" he shouted in a way that certainly sounded like an order. "Destroy Jackass, and break their formation! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

That said, he resumed targeting the rest of the party with his little explosive shots, only for KOS-MOS to charge over the bodies of the fallen grunts directly for him, transforming her arm into a blade that she swept toward him.

"Whoops!" her quarry let out as he summoned an entirely differently shaped barrier to block her melee strikes.

Meanwhile, after dodging the latest barrage from Pretty Boy, Jin and Ziggy turned their attention to Samus, raising katana and fists respectively, clearly anticipating an attack from the Bounty Hunter.

Scarlet Devil Mansion, Land Bridge -> Interior

"Call the Lady Scarlet Ma'am, got it!" Spidey confirmed as he continued toward the mansion after Sakuya. Try as he might, he couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the mansion's even more impressive interior.

"This is a really nice place!" he commented cheerfully, his head on a swivel as he took it all in. "It seems huge, but you certainly do a good job with the upkeep!"

After what seemed like quite a while but was probably close to no time at all, he found himself before two imposing doors. If experience told him anything, the boss of this mansion was waiting behind their sturdy wooden facade.

You've got this, Pete! he silently assured himself, thankful that it would be difficult to tell he had a case of nerves behind his mask. What's the worst that could happen? Well, I guess the mistress of the house could be a vampire... Wait, I don't think I saw any windows on the way here that weren't boarded up, so—

Before he could complete that line of thought, Sakuya pushed open the doors and disappeared over to the vicinity of the grand table, at the head of which was sitting...

A ten year-old?! When she said 'short stature', I was expecting an adult with a Napoleon complex, not a literal child! Well, I guess that's alright. I'm good with kids. Kids love superheroes! Right?

"Ah!" he intoned, holding up a finger. "Common mistake! These aren't pajamas. They're my superheroing clothes! They're designed to mitigate blunt and piercing impacts, and they're insulated against heat, cold, electricity, and even acid! If you're in my line of work, can't leave home dressed in anything else!"

"Anyway," he continued, stepping closer and giving the apparent ruler of the household a quarter-bow with his hand over his heart, "Like Sakuya said, I'm Spider-Man, protector of the city of Manhattan that you've suddenly found yourselves next to. Pleased to meet you, Ma'am! I'm told your name is Remilia Scarlet, yes? I've come on behalf of the city's Mayor, Norman Osborn, to offer information, a gift for our new neighbors, and hopefully learn something about all of you in the process! I'm already sure from talking to Sakuya that you won't be a danger to the city or anything like that, and I'm glad for it, but I'd like to get to know the people of this fine mansion better. After all, if we're going to be good neighbors, we might as well have a good, long chat about this odd situation we're all in, right?"

Randgriz, Royal Palace, Throne Room

And so, the Destined Chucklefucks found themselves in the palace's throne room, a spacious place of grand white architecture, with a regal, dark blue carpet leading from the door across the room and up the steps to the throne, where a young lady◊ in elaborate blue-white dress and headwear sat, a tubby and stuffy-looking man in white and blue with a balding head and magnificently curled blond mustache standing next to the throne and looking imperiously at the visitors. At first, the Archduchess seemed subtly startled at the oddities amongst the Party, but as soon as she laid eyes upon Welkin, she relaxed into a small, happy smile.

"Commander Gunther, your presence before Us is a most welcome sight for Our eyes," she began in a high, quiet voice that nonetheless carried well across the room, her free hand folded elegantly atop her lap while the other held her spear-like scepter. "How fare you, and who might this assortment of strangers alongside you be?"

"I'm quite well, Your Highness! Thank you for asking," Welkin said with a smile of his own as he knelt on one knee before the throne, although he lifted his head to look directly at the Archduchess as he spoke, subtly signaling to the rest of the Party that they should do the same on both counts. "I come before you today because these travelers from a distant land have come to Gallia seeking aid. They have so far already spoken with representatives from the University of Randgriz and from Militia leadership, but they have yet to find the aid they seek. I believe they are well-meaning, good people who deserve our help, however, though they occasionally break decorum as might be expected of complete foreigners unfamiliar with our customs. The bucket-helmeted gentleman is Baldric, the blue-skinned lady is Vaali, the birdlike young man is Oran, the redheaded gentleman is Tannhauser, and the tree-like fellow is Rehua. I should let them speak for themselves as far as requesting Your Highness' aid, however."

"Baldric, Vaali, Oran, Tannhauser, and Rehua," the young lady on the throne pronounced thoughtfully, as much in greeting as sounding out their names for herself, then offered the Destined ones a positively beatific smile. "We are Cordelia Gi Randgriz, Archduchess of Gallia, and it is Our pleasure to meet you, friends of Welkin Gunther. How have the five of you found Our realm of Gallia to be in your visit so far? Though She is but a small, humble nation, We are particularly proud of the welcoming and strong character of Her people, Our beloved subjects. And, beyond your travels so far, We should like to hear a little about where each of you hails from, as well as what you come before Us today to request Our assistance with."

Area 11, Guilford's Office -> Royal Suites (Vi and Kabbu)

"Very good!" Guilford said, smiling as he shook each of the bugs' hands warmly, then pulled a couple plastic rectangles out of his desk drawer.

"These cards will be your room keys for the duration of your stay," he explained. "Simply hold one up next to the scanner adjacent to your suite's door, and it will open the lock. Please make sure not to lose them, however. If you do, we would need to alter the locks and create new cards for security reasons. As for directions... Ah, that's right, you wouldn't be able to read the symbols on the elevator buttons just yet. Allow me to escort you there." Saying that, he got up and stepped around the desk, then exited through the door as it swished open before him, obviously expecting the bugs to follow.

Their brief trip to their temporary accommodations took then down the hall, up an elevator, and down another hall, until they reached the second-to-last door on the left. Guilford demonstrated how to use the keycards to enter, then ushered them into the royal guest suite. The theme of the suite, it seemed, was purple. A plush violet carpet, lavender curtains and drapes, amethyst sheets, blanket, and runners on the four-poster bed, fuchsia couch, chairs, and tables, et cetera. Ever courteous, Guilford also explained how to dial for the royal concierge using the phone line on the bedside table, then left the pair of bugs to their own devices.

They didn't have long to get their arms around their swanky new digs, however, before the pair got a dainty-sounding knock at the door. Strange. They hadn't ordered any room service yet...

Opening the door revealed a pinkette young lady◊ in matching pink dress who was very princess-coded. After blinking in some surprise at the appearance of the two guests, she offered them a charming smile that easily reached her eyes, and said in a high contralto:

"Why, hello! You two must be our unusual new guests that I've heard about! I am Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of Britannia, and Sub-Viceroy of the colony you find yourselves in now, and I am most pleased to make your acquaintance! What are you names? And may I come in? I've been terribly bored lately, what with my big sist— er, that is, the Viceroy having us all on lockdown, so I can't exactly go anywhere or talk to anyone exciting... until now, that is! I would love to hear tales of your travels, if you'd deign to share them with lil' ol' me!" The royal concluded her pitch with a charming wink and a slight giggle.

Tokyo 205X, Phantom HQ

There were two men in suits arguing on the right side of the screen, and a third man off-screen who seemed to be trying to moderate their debate as the view on the left switched from Jupiter X's arrival to following Pigna and Leos' mini-mech as it traversed the streets of the city:

"Could aliens have abducted our entire region of Tokyo to their home planet, and proceeded to begin an invasion? Is such a thing even possible?" questioned one of them, a man with an afro and an awful, spray-on tan. "Yes, it is."

"Tsoukalos-san, that is a preposterous claim you're making!" a man whose head looked like an eraser protested with a heavy frown. "Those people may have a machine that's something like a piloted exoskeleton more advanced than we've yet seen, but nothing indicates that they're aliens! From all eyewitness reports, they were a pair of teenagers, human in all respects!"

"Just like aliens to disguise themselves as humans, particularly those who the public might sympathize with, like minors! Your take on all this is astonishingly naive, Honda-san."

"I am not being naive! I am simply being rational! You cannot point to every unknown and say that they are or were caused by aliens!"

"I certainly can, considering that we've been abducted! And you still haven't explained the alien lifeforms we've seen circling the skies in the model human city to the Southwest!"

"We've already been over this; those are merely holograms of dragons and other fantasy monsters, not actual living things! If you're just going to ignore everything I say anyway, why are we even having this conversation?"

"So you continue to spew that nonsense! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in league with the aliens yourself! Or are you?! What did they offer you to sell out humanity, Honda?!"

"Tsoukalos-san, please, settle down!" the moderator pleaded. "Accusing your fellow guest of all this without any proof isn't going to get us any closer to the truth! ...and we'll have to continue after this quick commercial break!"

The news feed on the television switched to a jaunty but slightly strange commercial about personified toothpaste with a catchy jingle - but it was in Japanese, advertisers clearly not having caught up with the times just yet.

It's was at about this point that the lock on the double-doors clicked again, and the spook leader pushed the door out and held it open, beckoning to the Jupiter X duo.

"Iron Mask will see you now," she announced, then paused to whisper "Good luck!" as they passed her by and entered the leader's office.

The head of the Phantom Society's office was quite large, and longer than it was wide, with a lot of empty carpet in the center of the room - perhaps that was for issuing orders in person to large numbers of agents lined up in formation. At the far end of the room was an L-shaped desk of red wood, upon which sat monitors facing a jet-black office chair, along with stacks of what were probably briefing or financial books strewn about the surface. To the left of the entrance were a series of comfortable black leather chairs and couches surrounding a large coffee table, and to the right was a small sink and an electric kettle atop a marbled counter, along with a tea caddy featuring an assortment of flavors. The entire left wall was a single, massive window that allowed one an absolutely stunning view of the cityscape from the office's high vantage point.

And staring out at the glowing lights of the city, with his hands folded behind his back, was the man who was unmistakably known as Iron Mask◊. And standing behind his right shoulder was a humanoid, dark-skinned, blond creature◊ dressed all in white that seemed to have had one of its hands replaced by a massive blade of sorts. However, this second entity would only be visible to Leos, not to Pigna. As the duo of teens entered, the Phantom leader and the the white-clad thing turned toward them, the former sweeping a hand across his chest to cover his heart as he offered them a quarter-bow, the latter only offering a hard glare of his emerald, red-pupiled eyes.

   "Ah, and you must be the young Leos and Pigna whom I've heard so much about!"    the masked man greeted in a slightly reverberating, low and measured baritone, yet with warmth that contrasted strikingly with the grave appearance of his mask, striding over to stand by the nearest couch.    "My name is Iron Mask; pleased to make your acquaintance. You've made quite the impression on our fair Tokyo already, as you may have gleaned if you caught wind of any of the local news outlets. But I dislike making assumptions about my new neighbors, so why don't we take the time to get to know one another better? Please, have a seat. Care for tea? We have practically every variety yet discovered or created."   

Edited by darksidevoid on May 5th 2024 at 10:51:12 AM

Underworld

Medusa humphed and clenched her fist as she looked with contempt at the individual.

   "Humans.... Humans turn to the gods in times of need and forget them in times of prosperity. They really are a fickle bunch."    she muttered, more to herself than him.

At least, he confirmed her thoughts. Someone or something moved the Underworld into a completely different universe. Despite the being's appearance, he claimed that he was not human. However, the mortal's arrogance was already putting her patience to the test.

   "Is that so? Perhaps I should claim this tunnel network for myself now that it is in my kingdom. Perhaps I should take that opportunity to wipe you out? We are in need of more souls these days."    the large projection hissed, her venom clearly audible before narrowing her eyes.

   "Although... You are not a mortal. A machine, perhaps? It changes nothing. What better way to celebrate my homecoming into this realm than a festive little bloodbath? I believe I'll start with you."    she mused.

   "Now, now, no need to get all huffy now, mistress Medusa. We don't want to start dancing on the wrong foot! But I suggest putting aside the sarcasm and introducing yourself and your plan to our queen properly, little trooper. You are speaking to gods after all. Woohoohoo!"    a high-pitched voice chimed in out of nowhere before Medusa could take action.

A pink cloud materialized out of nowhere at Adam's left. Then, an arm, another arm, two legs, and a head sprouted from it in a cartoonish manner. A fat clown-like genie popped up. At the Machine's right, blue flames burst out of nowhere, growing bigger until a face appeared on it.

Pandora and Thanatos joined the fray.

   "So you are behind that thing. Talk about gauche. I mean... White only? Seriously now, your design senses are awful. It definitely needs more blue."    the ball absently said in a female voice.

   "Whooo... It must have taken a lot of work. I certainly don't have time for that. But back on the topic at hand... Perhaps I should start the festivities!"    the genie said, stretching.

   "I'm Thanatos, the God of Death. But to be honest, I went by Tanatos before. The extra "H" is for-"   

   ""Hamazing", I know..."    Pandora sarcastically grunted.

Hyrule Mountains

If Wulfrik expected an answer from the weird eyeball monsters, he got none. Not only Medusa's minions couldn't speak, but either they ignored him or they didn't understand what he said.

Probably a bit of all three.

Unwilling to let such a juicy soul escape, the Monoeyes kept firing, even as Wulfrik managed to dispose of the closest one by hurling a rock at it, causing the creature to fall before exploding.

Two Monoeyes, slightly smarter than the others, flew past the outcrop to get a better view. The first one immediately shot at Wulfrik in the back, while the second's "tendrils" became longer as it tried to catch the warrior.

While this was happening, high in the sky, a large purple spaceship with a certain space dragon was approaching the place...

Earth 11945 Factory

Samus stopped shooting at the man when she noticed the confusion and outright suspicion of her team when they looked worryingly at her and prepared for her eventual move against them.

"Working with the Machines" What the hell was that?

To add insult to injury, the man was even starting to gloat about it, ordering Samus to destroy them. At this rhythm, they would never be able to leave this damn place alive. The woman turned towards Jackass and his allies, her expression hidden by her visor.

Then, an annoyed sigh.

"Once we're out, I want an explanation." she coldly warned the group, straight to the point.

Samus then ran towards the albino man, dodging his attacks as best as she could. With the thrusters on her back activated, she was going faster and faster, until a blue aura clearly became visible on her.

At the last moment, seeing the barrier the man used to protect himself from KOS-MOS, she turned in another direction, going for a wall next to the doorframe he was blocking with the clear intent of obliterating it.

Using her Speed Booster, Samus was trying to give her allies another way out of there. Really, for a betrayer, she was doing her job poorly.

Edited by Scipion3 on May 4th 2024 at 12:00:05 PM

Wulfrik, Hyrule Mountains

-The eye creatures make no response, proof that their creator is a simpering weakling with no more backbone than a slug or a Bretonnian serf.-

-As one extends its tentacles towards him, Wulfrik lunges forward, hearing something hit the ground behind him. He grabs the appendage and pulls sharply downward.-

Isamu - Paperwork

"No worries! Easy mistake!" He says with a smile, taking the paperwork provided.

Oh, they had Japanese translations. Thank god. Those other languages were a soup-platter to him.

Name? Isamu Fuwa

Date Of Birth? February 8, 1992

Age: 27

Measurements: No Idea

How Long Have You Been Unhoused?: It's been...4 hours? Eh, just say a day!

How Did You Hear about F.E.A.S.T.?: Spider-Man.

Special Needs? No.

The rest was mostly legals, which he did to the best of his ability. He highly-doubted A.I.M.S. would be coming up on an organizational registry down here but, why not?

As Fuwa clips his paper to the provided clipboard, he sees A2 struggling.

"Ya good over...there?"

Was that writing or alien symbols!?

"You need a hand?"

Sora - Travelling

["Your Party Members have changed."]

"Mmmmmaaaaah!"

["Push the Analog Stick in the direction you'd like to move. Push it slightly to walk and full to go into a run. You can change the sensitivity in the Configuration Menu."]

"A-Hyuck! Sora sure seems comfortable!" Goofy says.

"It's a tropical climate." Donald says. "He's in his islander element."

"But this is a forest though. I think." Replies the Goof.

"I'm just happy to be out and about again!" Sora says. "Gotta work off that brunch."

["Press Circle to Jump. Hold it down for a tiny bit of extra height."]

Sora briefly jumps onto a tree branch and swings back down, probably spooking anyone that happened to be near-wind. Except Donald and Goofy, who were used to Sora's athleticism.

Enter - Pauses

Enter watched as the woman typed for a moment, only to stop.

Did she suspect him already? Not that it mattered, since a new person entered. It was one of those soldier men. He'd caught a glimpse of him in the hallway. They were talking discreetly in a language he couldn't decode at the moment. An existing one or another foreign language-pack to install later? He was too in-character to deep-dive into his own inner-workings right now without arousing suspicion. He couldn't entirely blame them for the secrecy. These were soldiers out of their element. Made sense they'd keep things close to their chest. He had to find a way out of this infirmary and begin the infiltration. The longer he was in here, the greater the chance his story crumbled.

Edited by klom99 on May 8th 2024 at 5:33:05 AM

Scarlet Devil Mansion, Main Hall

Edward blinked at Sakuya as she gently explained the realities of the situation, which were, of course, filtered through Edward's own personal reality in the process. Rather than responding right away, Edward instead respectfully took the book from Sakuya's grasp, cracked it open, and immediately read the first page—followed by the second, and then the third, the pages flipping by in rapid succession as Edward inadvertantly took full advantage of the sudden break in conversation brought on by the arrival of a certain masked man.

This left Ein to be the Bebop crewmember that was paying the most attention when the Spider-Man arrived and began speaking—and the one that it fell to have their coat stand up on end in anxious anticipation. From the very beginning, it had been difficult not to feel as though this whole 'diplomatic mission' stood upright with the stability of a house of matches, and now here was this adult man who definitely knew what the internet was to potentially knock that house over like a stiff breeze. The real question was, what was a corgi to do about the situation?

The answer, at least for the moment, was nothing. But as a result of the hyper-intelligent corgi's neurons firing at a mile a minute, there would be an unexpected result—Peter might just find himself getting a series of Spidey-Sense tingles coming from the adorable little puppo, half-hidden behind the throne of the master of the house, without many clear signs as to exactly why.

After Spider-Man finished explaining who he was, what he was doing here, and what he wanted, Edward promptly closed the book using both hands with a soft clap, before looking back up at the room with wide, bug-like eyes. Within the brightly-rendered labyrinth of her internal thought processes, a crucial misunderstanding had been patched: 'I vant to suck your blud!', rather than 'I vant to stop your run!' Baby steps, to be sure.

As for whatever her thoughts about the book's plot, themes, or inventive structure for its time period, all of that went down the proverbial drain as soon as she spotted the new arrival, and gasped audibly. As it turned out, it was absolutely impossible to live on the Manhattan internet for as long as she had without becoming absolutely inundated with mention after mention of the one and only Spider-Man. Edward had even gone through all of the trouble of creating a Twitter account earlier this morning just to comment on his feed, @-ing him a custom emoji of her face followed by the message 'from the head of the web to the web-head, hope to meet you soon!!!!!!!!'

Truly, Twitter was a land where wishes came true.

"Oh. Edward's. Goodness!" Abruptly getting to her feet, Edward made a brisk circuit around the table, arms held out like an airplane (while making making the requisite noises, of course) before coming to a dramatic stop next to Remilia, fluorishing dramatically in the Spider-Man's direction. "This man speaks the truth! The Spider-Man is a mighty warrior of peace, sent to deliver spidery-justice to the streets! Friend to all, save for criminals, and bathtubs!" Then, Edward would cup her hand to the side of her mouth, lean in as close as she dared, and whisper across to the Scarlet Devil. "Plus, if what they say is true, listen bud, he's got radioactive blood! I bet that's gotta be pretty tasty, right?"

Trevor, Sypha, and Grant, Tavern, Anor Londo

"Well, we'd be glad to swing by," Trevor nodded to Blige. "Besides if we're here and Kayne and Moko are here, then there's bound to be other 'outsiders' in Anor Londo as well."

Trevor merely laughed when Blige described 13th Wolf Company's first encounter with gumbo, "This gumbo also sounds delicious though if you want rice for it, Manhattan probably has some."

"Hang on, we gotta conserve the food on this planet at least until we can be sure everyone can get fed," Grant noted to the others, frowning slightly.

"Wheel of swords?" Sypha snapped her fingers as she remembered. "I've seen one of those... um, hell copters before."

Alucard, Chinatown F.E.A.S.T., Manhattan

"Certainly," Adrian nodded to Aunt May and led Spike Spiegel toward the kitchen to help out with the spaghetti and meatballs with red sauce.

Once in the kitchen, Adrian searched the area and almost instantly found the package of spaghetti. He was very lucky that 'spaghetti' is just a loanword from Italian, and thus is nearly consistently spelled the same way in almost every human language, even if he couldn't read the actual English on the package. Spike said red sauce happened to be a specialty of his, so let him find it.

Edited by GameGuruGG on May 9th 2024 at 8:10:30 AM

Duke's Archives, Seath's Chambers: I Am Altering the Deal...And You're Probably Cool With That, Right?

   "Things can be stolen, Queen of Hearts."    the eternal dragon warned, though he couldn't help but "smile" as he added:    "Even pets."   

To demonstrate, Seath extended a hand down to Faye's level and summoned a small white-blue light to glow in the palm.

   "I offer thee an opportunity few hath the honor to claim, Queen of Hearts: a chance to learn sorcery from the Grandmaster of the art. Crystals can be stolen, pets can be killed, but knowledge—knowledge is a gift none can steal from thee. I know little of what world thou hails from, but I venture to guess that magic of this nature is either a long-lost art, or it ne'er existed at all. Strike at thy foes without need of black powder, enhance thy weaponry beyond measure, shield thyself from unwanted ears and eyes alike; imagine the riches thou could acquire with such feats at thine disposal."   

Seath turned his head towards the Channelers and raised his chin in a commanding gesture. One of the cylinder-headed sorcerers nodded, and offered Faye a modest wooden staff◊, presumably as a down-payment.

   "I require more information regarding the other kingdoms. I have learned enough about Manhattan to begin strategizing, but I seek to understand the other lands surrounding it and mine archives. I suggest thee depart to investigate, Queen of Hearts. Learn what thou canst of a neighboring kingdom; another metropolis, if possible. I shall await for thy return, with a sorcery to teach thee as payment for thy findings."   

The eternal dragon gestured to the sunroof Faye's ship had generously installed, and gave the bounty hunter one last "smile:"

   "Thy chariot awaits, Queen of Hearts. I look forward to thy return."   

Outset Border, Gates: Better Meet Some Ninja Turtles in There...

The "young man" raised an eyebrow as he studied Gosfrid's suggested entrance. The redhead looked back to the guard's face, hoping to find some sign of this being some kind of joke. Unfortunately, no sign existed; it was the sewers, or trying to smooth talk through more guards itching to shake down anyone not in uniform. As the nearby conflict illustrated, innocent-looking figures like children were very much fair game.

This place BETTER have showers. Havoc thought.

"Thanks, friend." the stranger smirked, giving Gosfrid an amicable pat on the shoulder. "And if you find any trucks or wagons heading in from the country next door, try looking in the little shelf in front of the passenger seat, or under the floor of the trunk."

With that 100% fabricated tip shared, the visitor gave Gosfrid a lazy salute and crawled into the tunnel.

Deception roll check: 18. She's a Contractor, so it tracks!

Manhattan, F.E.A.S.T. Entrance Hall: The Trials of Bureaucracy

Maki muffled an irritated groan as this cigarette-smelling stranger ruffled his hair. The boy's annoyance wasn't a sham; he generally hated it when people thought it was okay to touch him just because he was a child. Though judging by how Spike's hand moved like a dead fish, he could guess that the mossy-haired man was mostly doing it for show.

Good to know I'm not the ONLY one here putting on an act.

With the smelly guy heading off to work with the emo guy, Maki was given a new task: filling out a form. The boy took a seat near the entry way and tapped a pen on the clipboard May provided.

At a glance, this didn't seem like a big deal. Nobody in this city knew him except for Mr. Parker, so he could be as honest or as dishonest as he wanted to be. Too bad there were some spots on this form that would either be a dead giveaway if he were honest, or an obvious bluff if he wasn't. He didn't know what F.E.A.S.T. was going to use this information for, but he knew enough about adults and their red tape to know that this might be used against him later on. It's not like companies ask newcomers to fill out a form and then forget the form exists as soon as it's out of sight. Talk about a waste of time.

While he struggled to put pen to paper, Maki overheard Officer Fuwa's question to A2. The boy frowned, having just realized that this probably wasn't a task the Android was able to do. Even if she knew more English than she let on^note a suspicion that Maki still held on to, based on how she pieced together his name when he flipped through the languages he knew, that didn't necessarily mean she knew how to read it. And judging by the uncomprehending expression on her face, A2 probably wasn't going to get through this alone.

"I'll help her." Maki told Isamu before he could stop himself. "Her form's in English, anyways."

Wait, why am I helping her? There wasn't a logical answer to that, was there? He knew as much about A2 as she knew about Manhattan society; how was he supposed to help her fill this out? Besides, even if he did help her write it out, was that going to be a good move? He'd be helping a literal thinking machine leave a paper trail, and leaving any kind of trail ran the risk of someone catching a whiff of it.

But that look in her eyes, that sense of cluelessness when faced with a challenge one didn't even know where to start trying to beat...it wasn't a feeling he wanted her to feel, even if it was over something as stupid as a paper form. Maybe he was just projecting, or maybe Nora's kindness had been rubbing off on him, but for no conscious or rational reason, Maki found himself pointing to different words on the form and reading them out loud to A2 in the universal language.

"You'll probably want to use a fake name while you're here in New York. 'A2' isn't exactly a human name, and if this form's the only thing that somebody might know about you, something like that is going to stand out. You could go by 'Abigail' or 'Anna' or 'Ashley,' or any other girl name that starts with 'A.' Then if you pick a family name that also starts with 'A,' your initials would be 'A.A.,' or 'A2!'

"Gender is pretty easy, and so is hair and eye color. I'd say you're about 170 centimeters tall, so you can put that down under the 'height' section over here. I've been told it's not polite to ask a woman what her weight is, so I'll leave that up to you. As for date of birth...I don't really know what to put there. Don't really know what to put on my form, either."

It was a misleading statement. Maki was perfectly aware of his real birthdate, but he wasn't sure if writing down the truth was a smart move. Simply put, he didn't know how far ahead or how far back this Manhattan was compared to his homeworld's timeline. If he wrote that he was born in 1996 and this wasn't a Manhattan in the late 2000s, would someone mistake him for an adult if they just looked at this form? If this city was too far behind, would a birthdate in the mid-nineties not make any sense at all? He couldn't trust context clues like tech or fashion to make this crucial connection, and asking something as crazy as "what year is it" would be an obvious red flag that he wasn't from around here.

"This is some kind of mix of different worlds, right?...Wouldn't be my first time."

"The last multiverse mess I was in took people and places who were good in a fight; I'm still not convinced this planet's any different."

"I know Maki here from the LAST multiversal nexus sorta thing we were dragged into, which was called Battleworld..."

"I don't know if anyone else from the Hell's Gate Tokyo universe made it here. If they did, you're the first one I've met..."

...

...CRAP!

He'd said too much when the three of them first met. Mr. Parker had only made it worse. What's the point in trying to keep his background a secret if A2 and Officer Fuwa could call him out on it?! He could maybe, maybe get the Kamen Rider onboard to keep quiet about the Contractor stuff, but A2 was a lost cause; "human in every way except for labels" was a pretty flimsy reason for someone who hadn't met a living human before today!

Great. So that idea wouldn't work. If he lied or left the space blank, he'd at least get some questions from A2, and he'd rather avoid trying to explain anything. Manhattan had been neighbors to Hell's Gate Tokyo for a long time back on Battleworld, so it's perfectly possible that some of the EPR's enemies had infiltrated the city. Maki didn't need to spot any Surveillance Specters to be wary of eavesdroppers, even in a place like F.E.A.S.T.

So with a reluctant huff, Maki wrote "Battleworld" down on the space next to "Previous Residence:", and left the matter there.

"You uhhh, might want to write 'N/A' or 'Traveler' down for that space." Maki advised the Android. "Moving around a lot seems less strange than just saying something like 'Earth.'"