Fantasy APOTHEOSIS | PANTHEON ACADEMY RWBY AU

[Ryse]

"And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." ​

~ Revelation 9:6​

Fame, glory, riches beyond measure and a name traveling through whispers of awe and woe. Are these the things you desire most in this life, dear tempter? To fight, claw, and climb to the top of the food chain. To have your name spoken in folk songs and your life story told as myth and legend? Trust that in this story, dear heroes, everyone knows how this ends. Fate has sealed its doors and from this point on you are on a track to tragedy.

Look around yourselves children. Let your eyes fall upon those around you. Each individual big and tall, brave and cowardly, famous and insignificant shared one thing in common with each other. One single thread that ties you all into this story being told as destiny wraps its coils around each and every one of your throats and threatening to suffocate you until your consciousness drifts into the abyss. You are the best...you have been chosen by a higher power to participate in the trial of gods.

But for now dear audience. Let us meet the heroes of this story so eager to throw themselves to the fire and sacrifice their souls to the wolves.

So open your eyes children. Tell us who you are~

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

This story begins as most do ladies and gentleman. In a world shattered into fragments and four nations divided after a cataclysmic deceleration of war hope is a word that has long been forgotten and replaced with a more fitting term...survival. The age of the Hunters & Huntresses that protected humanity have long but passed, being hunted themselves and driven to near extinction. The word itself now brings nothing but distrust and dread among the general populace. The once fabled academies of Haven, Shade, Atlas, and Beacon are all either obliterated or in complete ruin and decay, and while some Hunters and Huntresses still exist, choosing to walk the earth in solitude and all but abandoning their duty in favor of survival.

Heroes...heroes don't exist anymore dear audience. Of this i can assure you. But behind the scenes a plot stirs as an eccentric billionaire extends various invitations to a collection of...diverse and interesting individuals. An invitation detailing the opportunity of a lifetime should they possess the bravery to grasp it. Each holder of an invitation was sent very specific coordinates to a pickup location. Upon arrival there would be a small handful of other souls similar to themselves and after several hours of waiting some who possessed a weaker will would return home and give up. But for those who remained, those who stuck it out and stayed a bright light would fall from the sky in the dark of the night, a large drop ship would land and retrieve those who had an invitation and gather them upon the aircraft.

And this is where our story begins. Men and women gathered from across the world would be gathered on this single ship. Their minds raw with anticipation and perhaps even fear as they are carried away into the night with no explanation as to where they were going or what they were even doing in the first place. It was in this atmosphere of paranoia and excitement we find our heroes.

Introduce yourselves dear tempters.

While you still can~

Quiet
Ganryu
Keidivh
Blanche
RandomBlobMan
Puppernickel
Vagabond Spectre
Sir Les Paul
Orikanyo

(Welcome to the game. You may introduce yourselves now and we will begin the first encounter shortly~)​

 

[Puppernickel]

The soft sounds of shuffling paper made their presence known in one distant corner, away from most of the rest of the people here with their invitations. Sable hadn't tried to make conversation with many, but then, no one had caught his eye yet. They were all so....insufficient, inconsequential, as most people were. Or so a part of his mind said.

'Not that they arent good people in their own right', he corrected himself mentally, chiding his own loose tongue and shoving such thoughts far into his mind. But not what he wanted, or more precisely needed. No matter, time would soon tell. He had been content so far to simply read and observe the people around him, quietly off to the side on his own. 'You're just waiting for someone to approach you first, admit it' He snorted mentally, shaking his head and returning to his book. After all...Sable was used to waiting for what he wanted.

 

[Orikanyo]

​

Now sure, Will wasn't used to flying around in these big ol flying whatchyeamacallit. And sure, he may have spent the last couple hour or so dealing with the fact his lunch was coming out of his top hole rather than his bottom one. But that didn't mean he shouldn't have fun while he can on this flying tub. Sure it was confusing to walk around and gosh darn way to big for what it should be. But sure as hell there should be some good enough folks who wana chat up abit.

Hell they all were on this flight chasing fleeting promises of whatever without a hide nor hair of knowing where they were going.

But they knew they sure as hell were gonna get there.

Or at least Will knew that anyways, hell maybe some grimm will show up and liven up the party?

The young man slinked his way out of the washroom, looking leagues better than he went in, and roughly a few pounds of digested food lighter, fixing his gloves he set off to find somebody, anybody worth talking to and forget the rumbly in his tumbly.

There was one fellah, looking awefully chuffed about something or other, he'd give him a pass as he looked like the type who'd start trying to wrap you into something, acting like a friend or about as friendly as a sleazy banker trying to sell yea one of those "very exclusive" packages that they wont shut up about for weeks on end after yea tell em to shove off again and again. Or like a used car salesman with a white mop of hair and a outfit that reminded him of one of those high strung kids back when the schools were still around.

Long story short, he definitely was looking for something, and Will did his best to shadow his eyes with his hat to not draw attention lest he be forced to buy snake oil again. Sure as hell somebody would come along though, can't be all these folks brought together without one or two decent enough folks.

 

[Ganryu]

Zaffre Triskaideka

Zaffre closed her eyes as the wind whipped past her distinctive hair. The sky was blue today, that was a good sign. Today was the first step towards her dream of huntress. But, more importantly to her, she kept hearing a stuttering next to her. She glanced around to see at least two rather 'edgey' people avoiding eye contact. One had hair as odd as Zaffre's, and the other looked like he was straight out of a spaghetti western. There were others on the plane of course. But they were busy interacting with others, or being socially awkward in their own right. Well.... If no one else cared what Zaffre was doing, and if no one was going to stop her.....

"The stuttering's a sure sign the air compressor's got a leak from the inlet, which means its not flowing as well as it should. I mean, if no one else is going to take care of it, I might as well."

Zaffre whistled innocently as she scanned again for anyone to stop her. Nothing of interest... Innocently, she put in earplugs, and she bolted. She leapt off the edge of the ship to another smaller platform, the wind flapping across her entire body. Most people would probably be scared at this point. Most people probably were a little bit saner than Zaffre too. There was a problem, and she was going to fix it. As she fell, she turned reaching under a large backpack, pulling out a large disk attached to a chain. Throwing it against a rod, it caught, letting Zaffre scaled down to right next to the engine. Of course, with the defeaning winds, she couldn't hear the stuttering anymore, but it didn't stop her from trying, observing the air filter into it.

"✡︎︎◻︎︎ ︎︎❒︎🕯︎⬧︎ ⬧︎⧫︎◆︎⧫︎⧫︎︎❒︎︎■︎︎✏︎!"

She called uselessly to the wind. Shrugging, the girl pulled on the chain, running back up the side of the ship, a little too excited by the problem. The only thing ruining her day was the fact she couldn't exactly do anything to it while she was mid-air.

She approached the nearest person to her, or this case pair, the two emo's avoiding contact. She basically screamed so loud as to be incomprehensible.

"︎︎■︎︎ ⧫︎︎︎ ︎■︎︎︎■︎︎⬧︎ ︎□︎⧫︎ ︎ ◻︎❒︎□︎︎●︎︎❍︎ ⬥︎︎⧫︎︎ ⧫︎︎︎ ︎︎❒︎ ︎□︎❍︎◻︎❒︎︎⬧︎⬧︎︎ ⧫︎︎︎■︎🙵 ︎□︎□︎︎■︎︎⬧︎⬧︎ ⧫︎︎︎❒︎︎ ︎❒︎︎ ︎︎︎🙵◆︎◻︎⬧︎✏︎"

Zaffre may or may not have come up temporarily deaf after jumping off the side of an airship...

 

[Keidivh]

Arabella Teach

Arabella had never imagined that such a large ship could be so utterly dull. Everyone just milled about, chatting or simply keeping to themselves. Such an atmosphere would had never been allowed on the Grimm Tide! There would have been dancing on the tables, shanties belted out so loud that all four kingdoms could hear it, and enough rum to make a herd of Goliath's keel over. Yet here she was, practically being lulled to sleep by the gentle thrum of the so called ship. It was infuriating! Hmmm, mayhaps if I blow up one the engines? That'd be sure to cause some excitement! It was a rather tempting thought, though the ex-captain knew it wasn't something she should do. After all, her 'benefactors' wouldn't take to kindly to her causing such mayhem. But then, they only said I had to go to this location, didn't say anything about what state the ship needed to be in. And be honest now Arabella, a few rules never got in the way of you having a good time now have they? As Miss Teach weighed the options between boredom or punishment, she couldn't help but notice a small blue haired girl toss herself out of the airship.

"Heh, now this land-lubber has the right idea!" She exclaimed to no one in particular, reaching into her jacked to pull out her flask which carried the symbol of her Jolly Roger on it's blackened steel frame, taking a deep swig of it. Seeing as this was the most amusing thing she had bore witness to this entire journey, Arabella decided to finally rise from her seat, sauntering over to the edge of the ship to see if she could watch the girl plummet to her death. Instead she found she was right in front of the engine, staring into it with a strange look of infatuation. Perhaps the red haired vixen wasn't the only one hoping to cause some excitement?

Unfortunately nothing came of it as the girl came back, rushing over to what she could only describe as some cowpoke who clearly didn't belong in the air, and some paper-shuffling stooge that held a certain look in his eye, a look of superiority. Exactly the kind of person I usually relieve of precious materials. Oh, I'll remember you love. Soon the blue haired oddball was screaming in tongues at the pair over some fantastical discovery no doubt. With nothing better to do, Arabella walked over, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and shaking her as she screamed. "What is it girl, eh? Did Lil' Jimmy fall into the turbines girl?"

The pirate couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle, happy to have been entertained if only for a couple of minutes. Looking over to the two lads who seemed to be in a state of shock, Arabella gave them a tip of her hat before introducing herself. "Ahoy there gentlemen, Cap'n Teach at yer service, though ye may call me Arabella if ye like. This here is Ol' Yeller." She stated as she swung her arm around the blue girls shoulder, deciding she'd speak on her behalf. Granted she didn't know the girl, but she wouldn't mind right? "Such a sad story, the poor thing can't speak a lick of the kings tongue, just screams incomprehensibly, isn't that right girl?" Ruffling her silky hair, Arabella plopped herself down by the three, looking to amuse herself with them for as long as she could.

"So, how's about we get to know each other then, aye? Seems we have nothing better to do. Or!" Dragging over a table, she excitedly drove a dagger into it, the rasp of steel and thud shocking some of the passengers. "Mayhaps I can interest ye in a game of five finger fillet, if'n ye ain't a group of yella-bellied cowards? Ah, and no use of Aura's! Ye'd be doing a disservice to the sport ye would."

 

[Puppernickel]

Unlike several of the passengers nearby, Sable didnt even flinch as the girl with the blue hair walked up and screamed at him in what could only be approximated as unholy Grim speach. After all, he did have siblings, four of which were youngers. He had lost count of the times Clair would lose her hearing for a few minutes and scream - and oh, did that girl have a pair of lungs.

As he was lost in thought, Sable didn't have time to give the girl any reply before someone approached and spoke up. A very, very recognizable someone. 'Well, well, well. And just when I thought things couldn't get better.'

Arebella Teach, the dread pirate captain, she who few knew the true power of, and fewer still crossed. That was a name that struck fear into people, despite their ignorance of why they should fear her, and anger into just as many who understood power and her ability. A person that, surely, would set his father's blood boiling in ill concealed rage at the mere mention of her, and if he so much as thought Sable had spoken to such a dastardly woman...he would be fit to burst.

This was why, after only a moment's hesitation, Sable's small put-upon smile turned truly amused, his attention solely focused on this not-so-new face. "Why as I live and breath, is it truly who I think it is, Miss Teach? Your name proceeds you." He almost purred before clearing his throat, chiding himself for losing his cool like that. 'Control is key in any conversation, remember that.' "I must say, I'm not surprised."

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rus, the Next-Gen Cyborg

​

A mission, they told him.

The time of consistent upgrades and mundane tests was over. It was time to apply everything he had trained for and optimized with his father. And, in time, he would debut to the world what Atlesian science and technology was capable of, perhaps even while making it better himself. He was a soldier now, according to them. This was his mission... they told him.

Right this minute, it didn't feel much like a mission. Even from the beginning, it was being herded around and collected like livestock. When he was picked up in Atlas, there were only a handful of people in the location he was told to meet. Some of them, oddly enough the men, actually left once they saw some of the others arrive. Not himself--outwardly, he likely wasn't very intimidating. But, at least two of the men he was gathered with were far larger with large weapons and the entire physique of real warriors with a few scars to prove it. Just seeing a glimpse of the local competition was enough to break their spirits. Rus' might have considered it a pity had not the prospect of one of those men covering his back crossed his mind.

Right this moment, Rus' stood at one of the larger round platforms with railing which itself stood over the edges of the ship. He spent a good majority of the evening scanning the crowds, watching as they entered. It would've been an understatement to call those he had seen just from his vantage point diverse. He saw human and faunas alike, a lot of muted dark colors, but plenty of people in more brightly lit, likely cultural attire. For a while, Rus' wondered what it was to some of them. They all looked so different, but what was this opportunity really for them? How many of them came representing their people? Was their pride involved? How many of them had a personal stake against the Grimm? Those were the thoughts he went to first as they were the ones he could relate to, but he did continue to consider more. What would keep people from walking away like those did at his collection point? Everyone had a rea--

--Did she just fucking jump?​

Originally, Rus' was standing nonchalantly beside the edge, just watching, feeling the wind through his hair, but now he was hung over the rails trying to figure out what happened. He missed it. Was there a fight? Even in the few tussles he saw earlier, no one got flung off the side of the ship. Whatever it was, he missed it. It was definitely interesting to see which colorful people responded and which turned awa--

--Is that a pirate?...

...a hot pirate.​

Rus' decided to leap over the rails and slide down the side of the ship to meet up with them if for no other reason than he was tired of being a silent observer. Oh. And, hot pirate lady. Rus' arrived at the small gathering in time just to hear the white haired pencil talk to the hot pirate lady as if he knew her, although from what Rus gathered, it appeared that wouldn't be mutual. In any case, once Rus' got there, he realized two things: he had no idea what to say and no actual motive for being there other than boredom. He moved to cross his arms, but remembered time and time again in training that it was a closed gesture when meeting new people. He stopped himself and relaxed slightly, arms at his sides, posture a little more laid back. Awkwardly, he pieced together the others were probably introducing themselves. He didn't feel like this exact moment was the best to do so for himself.

In the moments his blue eyes weren't stuck on Arabella, he did get to see the blue-haired girl he saw earlier only a little bit further off than the white-haired pencil man. It was a slight relief he was safe, though honestly that wasn't his focus anymore.

 

[Keidivh]

Arabella Teach

Unsurprisingly no one jumped at Arabella's offer to play the fantastical game that was five finger fillet. Land lubbers were always so concerned with keeping all of their limbs attached, but what's the point of that if it keeps you from having fun!? Handless Harry, now that was a lad that knew had to have a good time. Truly one of the worst players of five finger fillet I've ever seen though, but alas, such is the game. As she reminisced about her old mates, she found that the paper pushing Q-tip of all people had decided to speak to her first. It was rather surprising considering those cut from his cloth typically tried to distance themselves from a rough and tumble lass such as herself, but what truly caught her off guard more than anything else was that the lad actually knew who she was and seemed happy to meet her acquaintance. It was like a minnow eagerly swimming up to a shark, baffling, amusing and dangerous.

A bright smile formed on her face, mischief sparkling in her molten eyes as she casually drew one her Leviathan's out of their ornate holster, lazily pointing it in the direction of the snowy haired lad. "Forgive me love, it seems you have me at a disadvantage. Just a small hint for ye, I don't like being at a disadvantage. If'n ye couldn't already tell." She accentuated her point by slightly raising her pistol, followed by a sweet giggle that seemed inappropriate at the moment. Truly Miss Teach was one of the few who was able to draw on a stranger and act as if it was the most casual of meetings. Likely because it was for her. It seemed that most of her relationships started off in such a manner. Some would describe that as unhealthy, but Arabella preferred to think of it as exciting!

"So, if it isn't to much trouble, mind sharing how a land lubber like ye knows an sweet, innocent lass like me?" Of course nearly everyone outside of her crew knew her in the same manner. They had the poor fortune of falling across the path of the Grimm Tide, and didn't take to kindly to the transactions that occurred thereafter. Which meant more likely than not this fella wanted to gut her like a fish. Not that she'd blame him if he did, but if he wanted that, then he had to work for it.

As this was all transpiring another approached the group, likely attracted by the excitement of Lil' Blue tossing herself off the side of the ship as casually as one would step out of a car. My kind of lass exactly. Apparently the poor sandy haired lad hadn't thought much past approaching the group of strangers as he simply stood there, shuffling his arms about before letting them rest beside him. And so there he stood, simply staring. The social skills of these people truly knew no bounds. The only thing of any real note were the beads he kept in his hands, constantly fiddling with them. Ah, he's nervous the poor thing. While her interest was certainly piqued, Arabella's fiery eyes returned to the one who had addressed her, though she didn't ignore the poor thing. After all, she had manners.

"Ahoy there Blondie, care to join our jolly little group here? As you can see we're all quite friendly." The pirate stated coolly as she beckoned with her pistol for him to sit. "Allow me to introduce you. As Q-tip said, I'm Cap'n Arabella Teach, then there's Q-tip, Lil' Blue, and Cowpoke." Her Leviathan slowly scanned the group as she pointed each of them out, clearly nothing to be concerned with. "Perhaps you'll take me up on the offer of five finger fillet, if ye aren't a yella bellied coward that is. After I'm done conversing with our dear Q-tip of course."

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rus, the Next-Gen Cyborg

​

Her red eyes looked over him a moment. He knew when he was being sized up. The moment he realized he was drawing attention to himself with his stance change, he became slightly more rigid and stopped. An unfortunate tell of his slightly militant nature, but it was apparent. In any case, the stupidly attractive pirate lady asked him over and introduced the others. It was in this interaction that he found his real issue since he got here, and it came up with the pirate.

"Ahoy there Blondie, care to join our jolly little group here? As you can see we're all quite friendly."​

She was gorgeous. The closer he got, the more she appeared so. Eyes like crimson flame, a stance he couldn't describe, a spirit in her he didn't think anyone could tame. She was assertive and social. His own green eyes looked her over too, perhaps a little longer than she did him. Only confirming more reasons she was without a doubt one of the most beautiful women on the ship. But... but she spoke like a pirate. She had the accent and vocabulary and he was almost sure it was a permanent thing for her. It was like every box for "hot damn" she checked a moment ago just got grayed out. 'Cap'n' Arabella, she called herself. Of course she was some type of Captain. Still, he felt the ocean spray seethe from her mouth with every word she spoke as she introduced the others.

Still, she addressed him. It would've been impolite to just ignore her. And, oddly enough, finding her pirate accent off-putting gave him a jolt of boldness he didn't possess just a few seconds ago. Rus' took a few steps closer to the group and let a smirk cross his face.

"Name's Isaac Daelin, but call me Rus'," he replied, "An', unlike Q-tip, I'm not familiar with you in the slightest."

His smirk grew a little wider with each word he said. He may have seemed nervous before, but it wore off quickly. Arabella broke the ice, and that was enough for him.

"I am familiar with five finger fillet; soldiers in Atlas call it the pinfinger," he explained, "if you had a blade to lend, I wouldn't mind showing you what a land lubber can do."

That smirk shifted into a cocked head and a smile at the idea of playing the game. Rus had an unfair advantage, of course, but Arabella came off pretty strong with her challenge and there was something about the idea of calling it a 'sport' that interested him. Not to mention, no one else seemed inclined to take her offer; something in him wanted to show that the hot pirate lady with the unfortunate pirate accent wasn't the only daring one there. "You see, I'm real good with my hands," he added. His eyes shifted over from her to Q-tip once he was done, as his reply to her was now just as much to him. There was a new sheen in his eyes now. Before he showed up not knowing what to do, but now he had a challenge.

 

[Puppernickel]

Now normally, Sable would have noticed the boy who, to Sable's trained eyes, was clearly trained for soldier work, and not familiar with this sort of social interaction. Normally, he would have invited him over and then gotten to talking to all the people nearby, either winning them over or making enemies, probably both. Normally, he would have been using the lessons his father had taught him about diplomacy and manners, and politics.

However, what wasn't normal was an infamous pirate Captain drawing her gun, pointing it at him...and then finding one of the best nicknames Sable had heard in a long time, even from his many siblings. And then proceeding to apply it, accurately, to him. He thought his older sisters were the only ones who did that, and in the end, it only succeeded in making Sable more comfortable with the the outlaw. 'This is precisely what I had hoped you would be like. I do hope we can have a profitable relationship, Miss Teach. I really do. But for now....screw diplomacy, let's just have fun.'

Sable took a glance at the blue haired and this new guy, before mentally shrugging and smiling broadly at Arebella Teach."Why Miss Firebrand, you have the honor of addressing one of the most pristine Q-tips of Mistral, with only the best of cotton swabs on the end, and of course, quality craftsmenship guaranteed." His smile turned into a smirk and he placed his book down on his lap, one finger keeping his place as he continued. "And of course, I am what you would refer to as a pinheaded oafs who think to call himself a businessmen and noble, sullying the title with my prancing. But ah, forgive me, the Q-tip has pratilled off long enough. The name is Sable," He held out his hand towards her, silently hoping she didnt right him off her rader entirely for what he was about to say next, though more likely she would see a valuable target. "Sable Marigold, of the Marigold family, at your service."

 

[Keidivh]

Arabella Teach

More often than not when Arabella spoke towards members of the upper crust of society in such a disparaging manner they would be guffawing, their multiple chins trembling in rage after being insulted by a lowly barnacle like her. How dare you! Well I never! Or perhaps her favorite, Most unorthodox! Much to her disappointment however it seemed Q-tip was by no means agitated by her pet name, but rather enjoyed it. Not something she had been expecting from the paper pushing lad. Perhaps he wasn't the rich snob he appeared to be, though he certainly perfected the look of one. Perhaps she had simply just lost her touch in finding her usual marks?

When he spoke, all fears of her losing her touch faded away. The man was a bloody Marigold of all people! The Captain couldn't help but burst out into lyrical laughter after finding this out. Arabella remembered just about every ship she had ever plundered, and not an insignificant amount of them were affiliated with the Marigolds, one of the more affluent merchant families out of Mistral, if not the merchant family of the kingdom. She fondly recalled the time she shot one of their captains right between the eyes from the bow of her own ship. They surrendered without firing a single shot.

Interestingly enough, this Sable bloke didn't seem to be the least be miffed about the fact that she and her crew had claimed so much of his families precious merchandise. While it was possible he was just trying to smooth talk her, she could smell bullshit a nautical mile away. It seemed he was genuinely happy to meet her. Twirling her Leviathan in her hand, she put it back into her holster as her laughter finally died down. "As I live and breath, an honest to Essence Marigold. May I on behalf of the Grimm Tide thank ye and yer family for all of your... 'Contributions'. Truly yer generosity knows no bounds!" Grasping his forearm, she gave him a firm shake as a playful grin danced on her lips. Who knew dear old Q-tip would turn out to be so interesting! Granted he was still a paper pushing bilge rat, but an intriguing one nonetheless. He'd be one to keep an eye on, that was for certain.

Even better was the fact that Blondie had seemed to have been broken out of his stupor, even taking her up on her offer. Slapping her knee in approval, the fiery pirate gestured for him to sit across from her before drawing out yet another dagger from her overcoat. "Here ye are Blondie, no pirate worth her salt would be caught without a handful of daggers on her person."

As he made the comment about his hands, a minx like smile formed on her lips as she regarded the Atlesian. "Is that right soldier boy? Well, why don't you show me? After all, talk is cheap, and cheap don't interest me." She asked in a sultry tone before driving her own dagger into the table, taking out her flask of rum. How it hadn't ran dry was truly one of the greater mysteries in life.

"Now let us wet our pipes! After all, this ain't no sober mans game." Throwing her head back, Arabella downed a mighty swig of the devils nectar before offering it to her would be adversary. "Come now Blondie, drink up. Wouldn't want to disappoint me now would ye?" She asked innocently, giving the flask a little shake to beckon him.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rus, the Next-Gen Cyborg

​

Even Rus' was aware of the Marigold family. The exchange between the pencil and the pirate babe had more depth than he initially considered. Turned out that Q-tip filthy rich and madly influential, even by Atlesian standards. Pirates weren't necessarily a common Atlesian problem simply due to their massive, powerful navy; privateers rarely stood much of a chance in Atlas waters. Few dared cross at Atlas ship or navigate near their trade routes. Pirate babe there might have some notoriety with Q-tip, but Rus' was still clueless. Despite that, he did lend it some credence. Pirates may not have tread Atlesian seas often, but that only meant he was that much more ignorant about her. That thought spurred on his hamster wheel of a mind to remember that everyone around him was considerably dangerous, even 'Lil Blue. Q-tip probably had some tricks up his sleeves as well; to be a rich pretty boy on a ship of soldiers and pirates meant he had to have some reason to feel secure.

"Is that right soldier boy? Well, why don't you show me? After all, talk is cheap, and cheap don't interest me." ​

She returned to him. Introductions were aside and she responded to Q-tip well enough. She wanted action, and quite frankly, Rus' was more than down for it. Rus' slid down to the table she slammed her knife into without hesitation. The flask, however, that gave him a second thought. Liquor wasn't something he handled incredibly well. Not sure if it was genetics or the effect on his nervous system, but it never played well with him. At the very least, a little wouldn't hurt. As Arabella downed her shot of the rum, Rus' picked up her knife and ran his fingertip swiftly down its edge. It glistened, was razor sharp with just a spot or two of wear--likely where she used it often for cutting. She drove home a good point, though: he probably ought carry around a knife for utility if nothing else. While he eyed her blade, she shook her flask in front of him.

The challenge called.

His green eyes locked onto hers again and he stared at her intently. Focus flared in his irises like a smithy's flame, intense and with purpose. "I don't disappoint, miss," he responded. There wasn't a modicum of doubt in his voice. With his free hand, he took her flask and downed a shot. A smaller one, but he kept the flask tilted and slightly dramatized his gulp. He sat it on the table before slamming his hand down onto it, fingers sprawled out.

His intense eyes then looked to the three of them and the smirk he had earlier crept along his face. "There is an old tradition..." he said, his voice slightly melodic.

"A game we all can play," he continued, picking up the pace.

"You start by getting liquored up and sharpening your blade." His fingers now tapped along with the tune.

"You take a shot of whiskey, you grab your knife and pray." His smirk widened.

"Then spread apart your fingers, and this is what you say:"And with that, he slammed the knife down right outside his thumb.

"Oh, I have all my fingers," he sang as he started slamming the knife into the table between his fingers before returning it to the dent by his thumb.

"The knife goes chop, chop, chop! If I miss the spaces in between, my fingers will come off!" He sped up, the knife blurring at a considerably more impressive speed.

"If I hit my fingers, blood will soon come out. But, all the same I play this game 'cause that's what it's all about," And again with this verse, he sped up, the knife now blurring far faster than most average soldiers played at.

"No, you can't use a pencil. You can not use a pen. The only way is with a knife when danger is your friend."

"And, some may call it stupid. Some may call it dumb."

"But all the same, we play this game, because it's fucking fun!" He paused just a moment before starting again.

"Oh, I have all my fingers,"

"The knife goes chop, chop, chop! If I miss the spaces in between, my fingers will come off!"

"If I hit my fingers, blood will soon come out. But, all the same I play this game 'cause that's what it's all about," With this last round, he sped up considerably. Absolutely abusing his cybernetic accuracy and enhancements to speed up the tempo. Instead of just singing faster, he bounced the knife twice per beat while picking up the pace simply to make up for the disparity in speed. He could only sing so fast...

"Oh, CHOP! CHOP! CHOP!! CHOP!! CHOP!! CHOP!!! CHOP!!!"

"I'm picking up the speed, and if I hit my fingers, then my hand will start to bleed!​

With that final impressive display of speed, he removed his hand and slammed the knife down into the table with an absurd amount of force, embedding it several inches. He felt the buzz from the rum going and his blood pumping from the game. Not that he was ever in any real danger, but just the fact of showing off. Oh, he was having fun. The grin stayed on his face, but he found to witty words to say. Not to end that. He was already realizing he went perhaps a tad overboard, though he had no liquor tolerance whatsoever and far less human blood volume, but who else knew that? Instead, he kept eye contact with the pirate babe and just waited. He didn't even consider watching pencil man or lil blue.

 

[Puppernickel]

Sable let out a relieved sigh mentally as Arabella began to laugh her head off, relaxing that small, impreceptable amount that to someone who knew to look for it, could speak volumes. 'Perhaps she won't notice my anxiety? Hmmm, if she already had she would surely be taking advantage of it. Or maybe-'

"As I live and breath, an honest to Essence Marigold. May I on behalf of the Grimm Tide thank ye and yer family for all of your... 'Contributions'. Truly yer generosity knows no bounds!"

Sable cut off the line of thought as Arabella spoke up, only mildly surprised by how she shook his forearm playfully. He was used to such actions, what with his large....large family being what it was, he had experienced his younger shaking his arm when excited or annoyed.... as well as his older siblings, come to think of it. Huh, he hadn't noticed...... "I'm glad you approve of such generous gifts, Captian. We work so hard to acquire them, and it can be a real shame when they're wasted." Sable grinned, not too unlike a cat that's found a brand new favorite toy that it can't wait to play with.

He watched the Atlesian man with interest now, finally giving him a good look. 'Well built, strong looking, blonde....goodness, he looks like a male version of Jasmine. Hopefully he isn't as forward, I dont want to watch him flirt and fail with Arabella.' It was with mild surprise that he watched Rus take not only the proffered drink, but the knife too. Sable fully expected blood shed from this to some degree, but hoped it would be....negatable. And besides, maybe he'd be wrong?

..........he'd never been so wrong in his entire life, not even when he'd tried to bake and ended up blowing the kitchen instead. Fire Dust didn't mix well with cake mix, he found out that day. He brought himself back to the present quickly, entranced by the fast fingered work imployed here. He only knew two people who could play like that, one being Lilly, yet another older sibling, who's Semblance just had to be something speed oriented, with how fast she was. She'd never played this game however, as father had called it uncivilized and barbaric.'Off track again, stay focused.'

Sable stared as the knife flicked faster and faster, and the song's tempo sped up as well, although he had enough experience with entertainers and musicians that he noticed how the knife went into faster and more intricate displays, while the actual singing went only marginally faster. He noted this only as one might notice a random man on the street with an item you recognized, his primary attention focused on how damn fast the man was with that blade. By the time the display finished, his attention was solely on this man, this one man who just bedazzled Sable with his agility, reflexes, and calmness. He tried to speak up and congratulate Rus on his skill as he deserved, but the only sound he could make was a long, drawn out, "Huhhh...."

 

[RandomBlobMan]

On his back his trusty pair of weapons strapped on, Carmine was ready for any combat situation knocking at the doorstep. Not to mention his unnecessarily many dynamites around his waist(and an extra portion on his leg) like he was going to blow up the whole city of Vale into shrivels of dust. The young man tucked on his armor plate covering his torso and brushed over his messy hair with the gloved hand that was tapping on a lovely rod of currently inactive explosive. With all honesty, he was never expecting himself to be invited over to some whacky party of some sort for his “fighting skills”. He did love opening up a special barbecue party of eternal doom, but he didn’t consider himself a top-notch monster exploder. Or did they want some fireworks?
Anyways, in his long waiting, he could see some interesting bunch in the distance-but he did not dare approach them, for now at least. Missing your fingers by the slightest with a high speed knife going down at the table in very high speed. It was an interesting show at the display, but if he was invited to do it himself...
...not really in the mood to start stabbing his own fingers.
“Heh.”
He laughed as the knife finally ended up in the finger-cutting-accident-free table, resting a part of its blade in the furniture. Poor table, it had to suffer so many puncture wounds. That’s gonna leave some marks. The demolition loving boy crossed his arms and watched from a distance, eager to see how those little scoundrels entertained themselves next.

 

[Keidivh]

Arabella Teach

As Rus took what could barely be considered a shot by any sailor worth the name, Arabella waited patiently for him to begin. After all, it was only polite to allow the person challenged to have a go at it first. Moreover she wanted to see the kind of person she was dealing with. You could tell a lot about a person by how they played Five Finger Fillet. Most were simply to squeamish to even try sadly, but for those that did it was an excellent gauge of skill, bravery and recklessness. All things Arabella valued dearly. She thought for a moment on calling him out on his pathetic excuse of a drink, she decided against it for now. Not everyone could handle liquor like her after all.

As he began, she was pleased to see he knew the proper way to play the game. No one with any respect for it would dare play without singing that age old tune that seemed to reach every corner of Remnant somehow. One of the few things that united people anymore it seemed. As always, it began at a moderate pace, the blade slowly beginning to dance between his fingers. Clearly this wasn't his first time playing, something the pirate was quite happy to see. Most nicked themselves in the first verse, making it a very brief bout. This calm pace didn't last for long however, as the Atlesian began to speed up considerably, the knife becoming difficult to keep track of, and as far as she could tell he had yet to nick himself once. Next thing she knew she could barely see her blade, becoming a barely comprehensible blur over his still unbloodied hand. Arabella had challenged many a sailor to this timeless game, and not one had ever been able to move this fast. Sink me, how in Remnants name is he doing that? A semblance of some kind? No, his Aura doesn't even seem to be active... Just what kind of tricks are you hiding up your sleeves soldier boy?

Unfortunately as with all good things, his round had came to an end as the blade was driven into the table, a proud smirk etched on his fair face. Arabella simply sat back in her own seat, molten eyes looking over him with intent. Still trying to understand how he had managed to pull that off without the use of a semblance of some sort, after all that would be cheating, and Arabella certainly didn't approve of such an action. Unless she was perpetrating it naturally. Her fiery eyes met his emerald ones before offering him a small grin, not her usual playful one, but a smile that contained the smallest hint of respect. Offering him a slow clap, she couldn't help but give him the tip of her hat. "Well now, look at you Blondie. Seems you aren't all talk after all. Color me impressed!" Reaching across the table, her more predatory grin returned to her as she ripped it out, an unpleasant screeching sound echoing through the room as she did so.

"Suppose it's time for me to prove the same." Twirling the blade in her hand, she regarded him for another moment before, looking over the rest of the understandably impressed group. It was clear that she wouldn't be able to match his speed, unnatural as it was. Instead she'd have to hit back in a different manner.

"Oh, there is an old tradition. A game we all can play." Her voice began, typical gruff speak seeming to melt away as she was swept up by the melody.

"You start by getting liquored up and sharpening your blade." Slowly the song began to pick up speed, adrenaline beginning to course through her veins as she anticipated what was to come.

"You take a shot of rum, you grab your knife and pray." As the song commanded, she took yet another shot before grabbing her knife, a danger glint quite apparent in her reddish gold eyes.

"And spread apart your fingers, and this is what you say." And so it began, the knife careening down into the table just outside of her thumb.

"Oh, I've got all my fingers! The knife goes chop chop chop-" She began, the song already picking up speed, steel dancing around her fingers, hitting their exact mark every time.

"If I miss the spaces in between, my fingers will come off!" Again the speed of the blade increased, becoming more difficult to keep track of for onlookers.

"And if I hit my fingers, the blood will soon come out." While impressively quick, it was clear at this point Arabella wouldn't be able to match his speed. Of course that wasn't the plan at this point anyways.

"But all the same I play this game cause that's what it's all about!" Suddenly the pirate did an impressive flourish, twirling the knife in her hand, letting it fly out of her grasp for a moment before grabbing it mid air and driving it back between her fingers.

"Oh you can't use your Aura, neither a Semblance." Rather than looking at her hand now, Arabella's eyes locked with Rus', not missing a beat as she continued

"The only way is with your knife when danger is your friend! And some may call it stupid, and some may call it dumb."

"But all the same we play this game because it's so damned fun!" Once more she performed a flourish, steel twisting and weaving through her fingers before it flew into the air once more. This time rather than drive it down, she simply threw it, digging into the table right between her ring and middle finger before continuing as fast as she possibly could.

"Oh, I have all my fingers! The knife goes chop chop chop! If I miss the spaces in between my finger will come off."

"And if I hit my fingers, the blood will soon come out! But all the same I play this game cause that's what it's all about!" The blade continued to fly across the table in a blur, admittedly slower, but now with each return to her thumb she performed a flourish, each trying to be more reckless than the last. And all the while Arabella kept her eyes on Blondie, clearly enjoying every moment as she pushed herself further.

"Ohhhhh, chop chop chop chop chop chop chop! I'm picking up the speed, and if I hit my fingers then my hand will start to bleed!"

With the final verse underway, Arabella pushed herself harder than she ever had before in the game, only able to avoid slicing her fingers apart through practiced instinct before performing her final flourish, ending with the blade being driven into the table practically up to its hilt. When all was said and done, the pirate fell back in her seat, taking a moment to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her brow. Truth be told she wasn't sure who had won, style or speed. For the moment she didn't care, simply satisfied by having met a worthy opponent. And for once she didn't speak, knowing her performance said everything that needed to be said for the moment.

​

​

 

[Ryse]

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
​

Enigmatic hell hounds croon havoc, vexation upon the sands, while the predatory, apex of the beast remains nestled within the safety of sovereign walls. They suckle, drink heavily at thee breast of life, birthed into a world of lecherous animosity and fevered bedlam based upon the preaching of depravity. Based within the throes of primeval world, of primal instinct and fervid inamorata. The old testaments, and wills upon which the livid enchantments of history confound upon, ligaments and tissues of a lascivious heart of archaic, rustic mystery.

How profound, this Bible of deceit, it bids you welcome dear heroes. Stay, if but for the breath of a moment and let darkness welcome you unto the very enthralling lips of enigmatic Eden. Shadows danced across the scarred surface of the earth as dark clouds formed overhead. The air becoming thick and heavy as dread began to fill the lungs of those aboard the mysterious ship. All was well and full of promise for a time until suddenly the ship began to tremble and quake, rocking the very foundation in which the collected heroes stood upon. The lights flickered and dimmed, turbulence throwing the ship slightly ajar and causing a mild bit of panic among the small populace aboard the ship.

And for the few who seemed to find comfort in one another slightly below deck in their little game one would be lucky not to lose their fingers to the sudden fumbling of the ship. Silence filled the ship as everyone began to look around nervously and exchange concerned glances. Quiet mutterings erupting from the crowds as questions began to stir regarding the sudden turbulence after such smooth sailing since the ship took off.

Static then rumbled in the speakers as a voice spoke.

"Ladies and gentleman this is your pilot speaking; please pardon the disruption we are going to have a bit of turbulence due to the storm brewing ahead of us. We apologize for the inconvenience. Bare with us as we-"

"Sir...i think there is something in the storm. It looks like...other shi-"

And in that very moment the audio in the speakers cut out as a booming explosion filled the air from the front of the ship. The cockpit and communications center completely obliterated into a flurry of fire and shrapnel. The pressure from the explosion breaching into the commons area and setting many of the unfortunate souls to be in the path of the cockpit ablaze and causing screaming to shatter the skies.

Seconds after the initial explosion the massive Carrier ship was suddenly being bombarded with heavy missile fire which laid waste to the interior and exterior of the ship. Slowly descending from the clouds and steadily plummeting down to earth as a swarm of mysterious smaller aircraft began to attack the exposed engines and open fire on many of the other men and women who were exposed on the main deck. Blood splattering all over the walls and bodies hitting the floor from the sudden surprise attack.

Smoke filled the halls and the split metal of the ship were flooded in flames and broken bodies as screams of agony rippled through the air. Wounded trapped under wreckage as the ship fell apart while falling quickly to the surface below; a barren wasteland on the edge of Vacuo which was known for its almost brutal landscape and vicious wildlife. The sound of gunfire still heavy and panic rising within the ship as those who survived the initial surprise attack quickly took up battle stations in attempts to fight off the attackers.

But unawares to those on the ship, while those explosives completely leveled most parts of the ship. They also deployed a nerve agent which acted as a colorless, odorless gas which was slowly spreading throughout the entire ship. This toxic gas would paralyze the body and nullify the mind until those under its effects where calm and docile as if they had been drugged.

Now then young heroes...are you prepared for what happens next?

Keidivh
Puppernickel
Sir Les Paul
RandomBlobMan

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Rus, the Next-Gen Cyborg

​

She was talented, that much was undeniable. Her talent, more impressively, was natural. While she lacked his speed--which was more than fair, all things consider--her finesse with the blade made it as much a blur as the raw agility within his repetitive motions. It was quite obvious that she practiced many of the feats she performed. Each flourish likely practiced over and over again. His cybernetic eye pieced together the patterns of the flourish far better than his more human one. Muscle memory developed from what must have been years of practice. More impressive, her fingers weren't as scarred as one might believe given how much repetition must have went into honing this dexterity. She must have had a certain natural talent with it well. Much like before when he mused over the different lives of those he saw on the ship, Rus' now wondered just how many hours at open see the pirate babe must have been practicing that flourish offhandedly while performing another task. How many games were played on the rough waves to pass time while sailing from victim to harbor. His mind painted a vivid picture of her vibrant reds against the ocean's blue tint all while simply flipping blade.

She earned that talent. He just asked his father to program it for him. That slight hint of respect she offered him was one he hardly deserved.

Rus had little time to reflect on the ethical ramifications of their competition. The ship began to rock quite violently near the very end of their last game. The final line of their song became almost prophetic as the sudden jar resulted in a dangerous shift for miss Teach. Perhaps she was talented enough to avoid harm. Rus preferred to take no chances. His bionic arm outpaced her stabbing motion, but that was only half the action here. With his Semblance, he stole the kinetic, downward energy of her wrist and knife blade to give himself an opening to catch her wrist. The speed that was witnessed earlier was even greater in this swift movement and in combination with his Semblance, saved the pirate babe a nasty gash in her hand.

Just as there was little time to reflect over ethics, there was little time to consider his act of catching her hand. Gunfire and explosions erupted in the air. Debris from the upper deck Rus was originally on fell to the lower areas and gunfire dashed across the ground and into the floor below them. Rus grabbed the entire table they used for their game--a thick, heavy piece of solid wood mounted in a metal frame--and ripped it from the steel bolts keeping it in place. Inhuman strength to match his inhuman speed, sure, but more importantly, he slammed the monstrous slab between the group he was with and the most nearby stream of projectiles. Bullets carved the fine tabletop Carmine was so worried about earlier, but managed to keep those same bullets from tearing into anyone involved with or spectating their game.

One problem solved, another arose. Rus felt his mind start to become hazy. While perhaps impossible to paralyze his body, the effects on the central nervous system were still present. Much like the alcohol before, the toxic agent had less blood to flow through, and hit him probably the quickest of those involved. He felt his body remain strong, but almost like a ghost within it. Distant. Unable to command it properly. Rus was like a lethargic gargoyle holding the makeshift shield in less than proud efforts to protect his new comrades.

"Guys... ?" he stammered, hoping at least one of them had some type of plan.

 

[Keidivh]

Arabella Teach

The sudden turbulence that rocked the airship did little to concern the young captain as she continued to perform her final flourish. Arabella had been playing this game for years, through calm waters and stormy seas alike. What kind of sailor worth their salt would let some rocking of the boat throw them off? Not any kind that I'd let on my vessel. Without hesitation, Arabella drived down the knife with all the force she could muster as the ship continued to rock, a cocky smirk clearly on display as she did so. It seemed her opponent wasn't as comfortable with her risky maneuvers as he moved with admittedly impressive speed to stop her arm mid air. Molten eyes looked at Rus, with no small amount of agitation in them. One never interrupted an opponent during the round of Five Finger Fillet! It was better to lose your fingers than to be 'saved' from the danger. Arabella prepared to offer her 'thanks' to the Atlesian with one of the most colorful string of the words the poor thing had ever heard in his land locked life before a very familiar sound rang against her ears, one that she had become keenly attuned to.

Gunfire. As Rus acted, throwing the table up to provide cover, Arabella spun behind him, grabbing Q-tip and the newcomer to ensure they didn't become pin cushions for shrapnel. Flame and steel danced around their head as Arabella's twin Leviathan's were torn from their holsters. If there was one thing the fiery haired girl hated, it was being on the receiving end of a surprise attack. that was supposed to be her job damnit, and here she was, trapped on this flying death trap like some helpless land lubber. Truly this was one of the most shameful moments of her life. While she had hoped to vent her frustrations on those foolish enough to board, it became clear quite quickly that this wasn't to be. This wasn't a boarding operation, no captives were to be taken. They planned to sink this ship with all hands on deck. Damn cowards, not only do they not have the guts to raise a Black Flag before their attack, but they won't even give us an honest death!?

Enraged, Arabella made to move towards the upper decks so she could unleash her own payload on their foes, futile as it may be, when she found her body was reluctant to cooperate. It wasn't long before her legs completely gave out, as everything around her became of haze. "Fffffuckin cowardsss." She managed to hiss through clenched teeth, her body visibly shaking as she tried with all her might to fight what was happening. This was not how she was going to die, lying helpless on the ground. She'd claw her way back from the depths off hell before she accepted that!

Looking over to Rus, who was still standing, perhaps because of his larger size, Arabella tried to communicate. "C-c-cut meee." Was all that she able to utter. It was the only chance she had, and could only hope that the boy didn't hesitate if he had the ability to do it. It wasn't a guarantee, but her Blood Rage could just be enough to overcome this nerve agent and get the hell off this god's damned ship!

 

[Puppernickel]

He had to admit, he was rather entranced with the whole knife flicking, watching the blade dancing around and around. Whereas Rus had brought out speed and precision, Arabella astounded with elegance and an amount of grace he rarely saw outside his family. Though even as he watched, a small part of Sable's mind couldn't help but calculate the odds of winning a fight with the Captian, and found that, while it would be doable, it would be far from simple. And he hadn't even seen her bring out the big guns yet.

Due to this semi-intense thought process, he didnt quite notice anything off until the sounds of gunfire reached his brain through the express route of the ears. 'Wait, that's-' And before he finished that thought, Captian Arabella had grabbed and yanked him behind her, pulling out her guns as Rus held up the table they had previously been sitting at as a makeshift shield. However, after that initial moment of confusion, he took stock of his surroundings and deduced...they were under attack. Coming to his new friends - question mark? - aid, he put a hand on his waist where his own weapons lay, and stood to move next to Rus.

Or tried to do so, as he soon realized his mind was...slightly muddled, incoherent, and quickly becoming a mess. He wondered why it was a familiar feeling, before doing the mental equivalent to an exhausted eyeroll. 'Great, it's like getting drunk because of my sisters. Or drugged, because of my sisters. Or knocked out.....yeah, sisters.' He did his best to stay standing, and managed a sort of hunched over stance, grimacing. "Stupid...drugs." He grunted, shaking his head in a futile attempt to clear it. He slowly straightened, trying to fight to retain his mental capacity, and for this brief moment, keeping...some of it. "What in the blazes is going on? " He growled, only it came out more muffled then he'd tried for.

He noticed Arabella on the ground, and for a moment simple instinct took over as he rushed to help her - and promptly ended up on his knees next to her, his head swimming due to the effort. He wasn't even sure how he'd gotten there, although he'd felt a faint twinge from his Semblance going off, so there was his answer. 'Note to self, never use Semblence when high.'' He thought in an idle, detached way as he tried to THINK clearly for just a moment, but at that point the drugs were starting to kick in full force.