Fantasy Re:Incarnate IC

[YsFanatic]

Sarah's teeth ground together in frustration. Every thing the deity said, every claim she made, served to only increase the anger the princess felt. She wouldn't, couldn't respond though. Sarah knew that she opened her mouth again, all that would emerge at this point would be threat's against Mother Mercy's life, which was a move that would be incredibly unwise at this point. Even the comment at the end about being reunited couldn't dull her anger as she was willing to be that it was made in reference to it happening after she died and her soul went to the afterlife.

But before she could finish gathering her thoughts, everything changed and Sarah was greeted with the disconcerting feeling of being flung between worlds. It wasn't the worst transition she'd ever experienced, but it wasn't the easiest either. As her eyes snapped into focus, she was immediately glancing around, sizing up potential threats as her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, taking note of their spiritual auras, gear, and how they carried themselves. And that searching glance wasn't limited to the soldiers, she scanned everyone that was nearby as there was always the chance of enemies dressed up as clergy and other civilians. Going by what she could see, it seemed like the woman with the hammer and the blind one were possibly the most dangerous of the lot should fighting break out. Thankfully the woman that seemed to be in charge of this group called for the soldiers to stand down before there was any trouble. Figuring that they wouldn't have dropped off in a spot with people that would kill them right away, Sarah figured it was safe enough for the moment to relax her guard enough to pay attention to other things. While her anger was still there, as these people were not the target, she was able to push it to the side for now.

One of the first things she noted was that her travel clothes were fitting for this level of civilization, her gray pants and tunic with red trim not all that out of place to what some of the people in the crowd were wearing. A bit of a silver lining to the situation, but even better was that while she didn't care for there being so many people staring at them, Sarah would take that over being dumped in a desert with no idea where the nearest settlement was. But this was no time to be thinking of that particular adventure, current matters demanded her full attention. Letting her hands hand loosely by her sides instead of having one of them on the hilt of the sword would hopefully convey that she wasn't a threat as she responded to the question posed to them.

"That's the kind of question to which the answer would depend on what people think of the person in question. Personally I would say that I'm neither, but that's ultimately something you'll decide for yourselves. My name is Sarah, by the way." There was a moment's pause before she turns her head in the direction the ranting man had fled. "I'm curious what exactly he meant by 'banished demons' though."

Spoiler: Interaction

Juju

 

[IG42]

Aetius-1
As their vision cleared Aetius turned on the spot taking in their new surroundings, observing the way the light shone through the windows they noted that this new world had a single rather conventional sun and that judging by the short length of the shadows it was near it's zenith, looking down they were intrigued to see that the flooring was of a sheen that resembled their previous location too closely to be coincidence.

Finally paying attention to the people within the building they could see from the weaponry that their assessment of Aegisea's level of technology had been correct though they supposed these could simply be ceremonial weapons brandished in haste. "Greetings." They said simply as someone finally spoke to the group rather than about them. "I would not define myself as such but what constitutes a 'demon' can vary greatly depending on one's perspective." They cast a disapproving look in the direction the younger man had scurried off. "While we have recently been referred to as Chosen it would be premature to be called saviours without sufficient knowledge of who we are expect to save and from what." Hearing people described as heretics left Aetius concerned they may have been dropped into a far from virtuous side of some manner of conflict. "I am designated as Aetius-1 and would much rather be referred to as such instead of rushing to assign such weighty labels."

 

[Solirus]

Tyberius Kras​

Before Kras could truly react to Mercy's response, a nauseous feeling swept him away and in a moment that felt like forever, Kras woke up in a new place. Sunlight attacked his eyes and he quickly understood that they were within a temple. It's formation and style alien to Kras, yet that was to be expected due to the Fantastical circumstances he was currently in. Soon enough Kras lifted himself his stature allowing him to see about 20 or so individuals yet he could hear the sound of a crowd outside, from the sound of it he knew it was a sizable amount of people and that they were curious about something.

Kras's attention snapped towards the first individuals who spoke, examining them carefully seeing what types of weapons they held, what armor or clothing they wore, and what trinkets hung around them. Their type of armor and choice of weapons do not seem to be deviate far from my home... but their facial features, style of clothing, and... unique traits definitely defers... those are horns... Kras thought to himself yet he looked at the woman closest to him who asked the simple question of whether they stood before them as Demons or as Chosen Saviors.

"I do not speak for the others, but I have a duty to fulfill." Kras started walking towards the group before stopping closer, "Refer to me as Kras, I shall be on my way" He finally stated resuming his walk heading towards an exit

Interactions: Juju

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

#57A5F2
Tags: Juju

​

It still felt like a dream. The news of sudden death, followed by a God's mercy. And now, waking from the second phase of induced stasis, Teruko watched the fantasy/medieval dressed people bicker around like something out of a stage play. But rather than the four celestial beings, there were 20 or so humans—surprisingly inspiring more fear out of the businesswoman than the former.

That was not all, however. The card she gave to the angel returned itself, just a little... different. Teruko noticed it first by the crumple in her hand, then a look down at the card itself. Quietly, she read, and though there was no outward reaction of her, the inward nervousness was undeniable. "Haamiah..." she mouthed. "Haamiah-sama..." Before the ink burned away, the name already burned itself into mind.

When Sarah made herself the first to speak up, Teruko took that as a sign to get up and turn to her fairy friend with a deadpan glare. "Maybe we should see how the others react to these people before—"

"Hi! I'm Sundae!" The fairy flew above Teruko, shouting and waving with its ever so squeaky voice. She only flew up for a second, though, before a hand yanked Sundae by her tail with a peep and into the group again.

"Sundae—!" Teruko shouted in a whisper. She shook her ferret companion, finally changing her expression in the form of raised eyes and slightly curled brows. There was one thing that didn't change about her: Sundae never shut up when it mattered! "Aren't you the least bit disturbed by this situation? Shouldn't we be more cautious?"

Sundae glared to the side, pouting. "Since when has anything good ever come out of standing to the side?" The fairy wiggled in Teruko's grasp to get a better look at the woman leading them. Its pout immediately curled into a warm smile. "Besides, the Merisa lady looks nice!"

True. As a few others spoke their piece, Teruko only sighed. "Fine..." Sundae squirmed free, cuddling against the businesswoman's face (not without a muffled garble from the surprise attack). Just as quick as it hugged her, it flew through to the front.

"Hi! I'm Sundae!" Sundae darted right in front of Merisa beaming with excitement; her eyes practically sparkled at her. "We can promise you the most-ies that we are not demons!" She flew in a circle, positioning herself upward and her two upper stubby legs facing out. Those two legs retracted in and out to mimic a 'punching' motion if it was even noticeable. "We've been fighting those wicked jerks for a long, long, long, long, long time!"

At the same time, Teruko arrived with Sundae, trying her best not to cringe at her companion's intro. It was too hyper for her taste. Instead, she opted for the go-to formalities of her workplace. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a copy of the business card.

"Jiro, Teruko. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said with a bow, politely holding it out if the 'Mother' figure chose to take it. Teruko cast a short glance to Sundae. "I want to establish that the pink, fluffy creature is not affiliated with me."

The ferret puffed its cheeks, whipping to Teruko with a squeaking "Hey!" Sundae tackled the girl, batting around the head and torso—none of which made Teruko budge an inch. Instaed, it looked more as though the ferret bounced off of her. "Sundae is not a pink, fluffy creature! Sundae is a legitimate magical girl! I just happen to be cursed at the moment!"

Completely stone-faced and ignorant of Sundae, Teruko met eyes with Merisa. "I suppose by some measure, I am a fated 'Chosen Savior.'" It wasn't a lie. Sundae was the first to make Teruko a (unwilling) hero. Even as Sundae rested on her head, dangling the fluffy tail in front of her face like a pendulum, Teruko stoically continued. "In fact, I know a thing or two about 'addressing' demons." Memories of the ridiculous 'Crimson Jackal' came to mind. Teruko wondered if those goofy demons even mirrored whatever other demon could exist outside of those two realms...

 

[YsFanatic]

Sarah's brow furrowed as Kras started to walk away. "Are you sure you want to leave without finding out more about what is going on first?" she calls out after the giant man. If he was really set on leaving, well, she wasn't going stop him even if the decision was one that she didn't agree with.

The way one of the others spoke and referred to themselves reminded the swordswoman of some of the androids she had met, but before she could give it much thought or ask Aetius-1 about it, the actions of Teruko and her small friend caught Sarah's attention. Catching sight of the business card being extended, she moved closer to the other woman before speaking up. "Pretty sure most of the information on a business card isn't going to mean anything to the people here. Doesn't look like technology for phones or internet is going to be found here. Entirely possible you'll just end up confusing people with those."

Left unsaid was that the Teruko handing out her last name was possibly a bad idea since some forms of magic could use a person's full name to enhance their effects. As soon as she could, Sarah knew that she had to get these people somewhere private where she could give them some pointers on more safely interacting with a new world, but only time would tell if they would have that chance or not.

Spoiler: Interactions

Solirus AriAriAbabwa

 

[seasonedcat]

through the sea of panic and self hatred he heard his name. It made his head shot up, the person who gave him that name, he could feel them, clutching his necklace he let out a silent scream below his large hat. He continued to shake, breathing as best he could as he now listened to the voice of one who knew the name he was never called.

he attempted to regain some form of grip on himself, rubbing the necklace on his neck desperately in an effort to slow his breathing before he passed out. Could he really be given a second chance? One to do good this time? It made him feel nauseous at the thought. Why on earth should he get a second chance? Why not all the innocents who died by his hands in his journey? They deserved it far more than he ever could. His actions came to late, the world had already died by the time he made his choice, it could bring about no change.

with a trembling hand he reached up and began to wipe his face on his sleeve, trying to clear his face as he began to calm himself to a familiar calm, ignoring the painful thorns of his own guilt inside him. A voice behind him made him begin to turn until he felt a touch echo through his skull. It didn't matter if it was a feather light touch or a heavier touch caused by the imbalance caused by Mother Mercy transporting them, he reacted the same.

he breathed in a painful heave of breath, flinching back as fast as he could, causing his hat to tumble off his head and land behind him. His face showed signs of pure panic. How long had it been since he had felt a friendly touch? Had it Even been friendly? He couldn't think, it shook his brain as he looked up with a raw look on his face.

letting out another breath, he glanced away, avoiding looking at the persons face as much as he could, "sorry. I- uh sorry I just- uh I uh yes. To your question that is. I-I have lost many, far too many to say." he spoke with a dry mouth, shaking as he struggled to speak. He quickly reached back, grabbing his hat and using it to cover his face with its dark veil. It eased him slightly, but it couldn't help at all for his verbal social skills.

he then became aware of the eyes watching him, or well them, but it made his skin crawl. Words that danced through his ears like demon and blood made him shake, but he had little way to place them together in his head as it swam with mix of pain and panic. He found himself scrambling away from them, his back hitting a familiar pair of legs, the person he had just been talking to.

he found himself raising his head to look up, causing his hat to press against her leg, leading to it to push back with his head, giving her an easy view of his once shaded face. He looked up at her with a look of desperation, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. There were so many people, so many things, he had never done this on his own before. He was scared. He couldn't help but look to the first person who had shown he any form of kindness, clinging onto them to tell him what he was meant to do next.
interactions Euclid Leaf |

 

[Juju]

• Merisa
• Phallis
• Shaena
• Benjin
• Yeva

• 
  
  
  
  Mother(?) Merisa. Acting high priestess of Mother's Embrace.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sir Phallis: knight captain of Alleria. Too stubborn to retire.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Shaena: Sir Phallis' squire. Currently the only drakenblood within the ranks of the royal guard.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Benjin: Scroll keeper of the temple. Gets most of his social interaction from reading the words of dead authors.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sister Yeva: a blind girl blessed with holy sight. She apparently dreamed of your arrival.
  

"That's the kind of question to which the answer would depend on what people think of the person in question. Personally I would say that I'm neither, but that's ultimately something you'll decide for yourselves. My name is Sarah, by the way." There was a moment's pause before she turns her head in the direction the ranting man had fled. "I'm curious what exactly he meant by 'banished demons' though."

"I would not define myself as such but what constitutes a 'demon' can vary greatly depending on one's perspective." They cast a disapproving look in the direction the younger man had scurried off. "While we have recently been referred to as Chosen it would be premature to be called saviours without sufficient knowledge of who we are expect to save and from what." Hearing people described as heretics left Aetius concerned they may have been dropped into a far from virtuous side of some manner of conflict. "I am designated as Aetius-1 and would much rather be referred to as such instead of rushing to assign such weighty labels."

Merisa let out a chuffed 'hmph!' at Sarah and Aetius-1's answers of neutrality. "Indeed you shall. A saint is made of their deeds, not their titles, as they say. Though while on the topic of titles, I'm curious as to who gave you that name of Chosen?"

She waved her hand dismissively at Sarah's question about demons, like swatting a fly, and snorted in disproval. "Ah, you seem to have caught Benjin's scraps of old scripture. My dear, you'd be better off ignoring his nonsense or else you'll be convinced the sky is blue because we are all in the eye of a great giant named Makummbah"

Merisa laughed dryly before continuing. "The demons he mentioned were sealed away by the Mother Mercy during the great Godfall. There was an old priest who wrote about their second coming some 200 years ago, when the stars fell from the skies. If you'd believe that, he also wrote that Aegisea is anchored on the back of a giant snake who will eventually eat its tail and all creation with it. " She placed a hand thoughtfully under her chin, "Now, if you want to hear my opinion on the matter, I'd say the church's banning of Askimaan dream-herbs was perhaps for good reason..."

"Hi! I'm Sundae!" Sundae darted right in front of Merisa beaming with excitement; her eyes practically sparkled at her. "We can promise you the most-ies that we are not demons!" She flew in a circle, positioning herself upward and her two upper stubby legs facing out. Those two legs retracted in and out to mimic a 'punching' motion if it was even noticeable. "We've been fighting those wicked jerks for a long, long, long, long, long time!"

At the same time, Teruko arrived with Sundae, trying her best not to cringe at her companion's intro. It was too hyper for her taste. Instead, she opted for the go-to formalities of her workplace. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a copy of the business card.

"Jiro, Teruko. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said with a bow, politely holding it out if the 'Mother' figure chose to take it. Teruko cast a short glance to Sundae. "I want to establish that the pink, fluffy creature is not affiliated with me."

The ferret puffed its cheeks, whipping to Teruko with a squeaking "Hey!" Sundae tackled the girl, batting around the head and torso—none of which made Teruko budge an inch. Instaed, it looked more as though the ferret bounced off of her. "Sundae is not a pink, fluffy creature! Sundae is a legitimate magical girl! I just happen to be cursed at the moment!"

Completely stone-faced and ignorant of Sundae, Teruko met eyes with Merisa. "I suppose by some measure, I am a fated 'Chosen Savior.'" It wasn't a lie. Sundae was the first to make Teruko a (unwilling) hero. Even as Sundae rested on her head, dangling the fluffy tail in front of her face like a pendulum, Teruko stoically continued. "In fact, I know a thing or two about 'addressing' demons." Memories of the ridiculous 'Crimson Jackal' came to mind. Teruko wondered if those goofy demons even mirrored whatever other demon could exist outside of those two realms...

"Ah, what an adorable little thing!" Merisa grinned with glee at the sight of the fluffy creature floating in front of her, "Oh my, and it talks. Hello Sun-Day!"

"It is as I said... you were all sent here by the mother mercy to rid of us the growing darkness." Yeva said, stepping out from beside Merisa.

One hand was still on Merisa's shoulder, using her as a reference point to better judge the distance she was from the newly summoned Chosen. Her milky eyes were focused on the area above Teruko's head, tracing the movement of some unknown thing. She was quiet as the introductions between Merisa and Teruko's introductions continued.

Merisa's eyes were partially shrouded by her hood, but the smile beneath it beamed like the sun. She extended a weathered hand, one that would be better suited for a fieldhand or fisherman, and took the business card eagerly. "Bless your soul, what a quaint little slip of parchment! Why thank you."

A frown crossed her face as she tried to read the contents, but she was quickly drawn away by Sundae flying into Teruko's head. She couldn't help but let out a loud, joyous chuckle as she watched Sundae pester Teruko. It was like two young kids squabbling over petty grievances. "Well, we will surely be thankful for any demonic experience you possess, with the recent cultist activity as of late. The Order of the Black Sun is currently looking for help, as a matter of fact. You can't go no more than a footstep through this city without seeing one of their recruitment posters"

Catching sight of the business card being extended, she moved closer to the other woman before speaking up. "Pretty sure most of the information on a business card isn't going to mean anything to the people here. Doesn't look like technology for phones or internet is going to be found here. Entirely possible you'll just end up confusing people with those."

Just as Sarah said this, Yeva's eyes darted to the extended business card. She blinked a few times, squinted, then tapped Merisa's shoulder, "Look, there's a little eye on it."

Other than the blind girl, Teruko was the only one who would see a film of light roll across the business card.

Merisa tilted her head and looked at the card again, but found the writing legible this time. While hardly any of it made sense to her, she could easily understand a name, a string of numbers, and a house name. "Hmm, my eyes are not quite what they used to be. Let's see now. Ah, a noble lady of house Osaka are we?"

Yeva peered at it curiously, able to see the outline of the card and the symbol of a closed eye. "What is an internet? Does it catch something?"

"I do not speak for the others, but I have a duty to fulfill." Kras started walking towards the group before stopping closer, "Refer to me as Kras, I shall be on my way" He finally stated resuming his walk heading towards an exit

The moment Kras peeled away from the group, a voice called out after him.

"Oh no you don't."

It was the drakenblood squire, whom Kras might know to be named Shaena if he had been paying attention. She stepped into the path of Kras, her shield arm held out in front of the towering man. He stood a good a good two feet taller than her, although it didn't seem to dampen her moxie in the slightest. Her eyes were like flecks of hot coals, narrowed into suspicion.

She placed a hand over her mace's handle. "What's this duty of yours, huh? So important you had to slip out without your friends over there? I can't let you out into the city until we've finished the questioning."

 

[Solirus]

Kras​

As Kras made his movement towards what he assumed to be an exit, he turned his head back towards Sarah and lifted up one of his hands with his index finger raised as if to mean 'give me a moment'. Soon enough Kras was stopped by Shaena her movement fearless and with a determined face questioning Kras's duty and placing her hand in the mace's handle. Kras moved his sights towards the mace before looking straight at Shaena's face, "My duty?" Kras asked almost sarcastically before squatting down slightly no longer looking down at the squire.

Shaena could see through the mask sickly yellow eyes almost unblinking and filled with little life, "I am here to purge the wicked through penance or extermination, and to do that I must judge them first." Kras explained calmly yet his words held an inherent threat and danger to them, "Please question me more"

Interactions: Juju YsFanatic

 

[YsFanatic]

Upon hearing Merisa's dismissal of ancient legends, there was a sharp intake of breath from Sarah. "I would be careful about just ignoring ancient legends," she starts to warn. "In my experience, on the majority of worlds legends tend to have a grain of truth. Sometimes the details are exaggerated, sometimes what they refer to are essentially the opposite of what they would have you believe, but other times they are incredibly accurate. Ignoring them, especially if there are any special rituals or preparations that are supposed to be done to keep something sealed, could result in disaster." She quickly raises a hand to forestall any protest before adding one last bit about the topic. "Obviously, as a newcomer to this planet I have no way of determining if any parts of your legends are true or not, just wanted to mention the possible dangers based on what I've encountered. Speaking of which, the snake bit is interesting as that comes up in legend on multiple other worlds, especially one called Earth." A brief pause as she tries to remember the name of it. "There I think its called Ouroboros?"

"As for you Chosen question..." the princess trails off for a moment, collecting her thoughts and squashing down the anger she felt when thinking of Mother Mercy. She didn't want to outright name the deity, making a claim like that would often offend the worshipers. Instead she was going to try to lead the to that conclusion on their own, that way any who would refuse to believe it could pretend it was someone else instead of their deity. It was a tactic that would hopefully reduce the chance of a negative response. "It was a woman adorned in gold and white who had brought us to a strange silvered glass lake with some trees scattered around. Said some stuff about a second life, and then dropped us off here without any actual directions." Sarah had to quickly stop herself before she continued with a comment about how the way the situation had been handled by that figure was a bunch of bullshit. Insulting the deity of the natives wasn't exactly a smart idea in their present circumstances after all.

Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw Kras a finger to indicate that he needed a moment, which was fine with her as she had her own conversation to deal with at the moment

Spoiler: Interactions

Juju AriAriAbabwa Solirus

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

#57A5F2
Tags: Juju YsFanatic

​

Both of the reincarnated frowned watching the world's locals try to decipher the card's information. Teruko's fairy was the first to say something to her partner about it in a hushed tone. "Teruko, I really don't think the formalities of your business-world apply here..."

A little late for that, Sundae... While watching them handle the card, however, a film of light glossing over the paper caught Teruko's eye. Going off of gut instinct, she stepped closer to Merisa and Yeva to take the card back into possession. "Please excuse that..." she uttered, referring to everything the business card caused. "I'm still used to my country's—er, my world's customs. I doubt you could learn much from the card." Teruko put it back in her pocket—where several other copies of the card sat neatly tied together. Then came another polite bow to apologize for the mishap. Even though she knew of the differences between their worlds, habits still died hard. "Let us start from the beginning. I am not a noble, but a regular woman. And 'an' internet is, well... a way of sharing knowledge back home. For some reason I highly doubt it exists here..."

"Order of the Black Sun..." The squeaky mutter came from Sundae, who had been dwelling on the rest of what was said. If there was anything that ticked off her sense of urgency, it was diabolical sounding names and anything related to demons. All of which, Teruko realized with a wince, was stated by the high priestess. "Teruko, Teruko, Teruko!" Sundae headbutted Teruko's shoulder again; her usual way of getting attention. "They could be related to the Dark Forces that invaded my home! We must help these poor citizens! We need to help!"

"Mm," was all Teruko answered. She bobbed her head down, sulking slightly. I was looking forward for a slower life...

At the same time, the angry girl from earlier, Sarah, spoke her piece as well. Sundae seemed to There came two things that took to Teruko's memory: "Earth...? Ouroboros...?" In a flash she bolted through her fairy (sending Sundae spinning out of control for a while) and approached Sarah. Nearing a certain distance, she poised herself nonchalantly and memorized her stoic expressions. "Excuse me, Sarah-san, you're familiar with Earth?

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Interaction: seasonedcat


There was a difficult negotiation between languishing and sorrow that caused Jane to finally surrender her reservations. Her cold, curious gaze warmed up to a kind smile revealing itself from between her fingers. Jane lowered her hand and looked directly in their pale, teary face now. To her people, this was the greatest sign of trust. Her eyes twinkled with a sense of joy. It was like she had found something tremendous, an enlightening discovery.

No. This is true. An Eclipse can only copy. This is too bizarre, too erratic.
This is too human.

The woman then crouched down and leveled herself to the startling stranger, pushing her big round glasses up with a hand. Her face glowed with a smile as her eyes looked over this person who seemed even afraid of being recognized. Their garb was strange and exotic, nothing she has ever seen before. Not to mention how their very touch dripped the water around them a pure blackness. The swirling spreading blotch alarmed Jane, but it was not the first time she has dealt with the wretched, the unwanted, the damned. It almost reminded her of...

If what the Mother had said was true, then what world or reality could this person possibly come from?

"You are real. Love and pain, this is what tears are made up of. If you shed this many, you must be full of both." she then held their cheek in her hand, feeling the moistness of their skin and of the tears that smeared it.

She wondered if by touching them it would leave her hands stained black too. But she didn't seem to care. In fact, she pulled them closer to a soft embrace. Her arms wrapped around the dark-clad strange boy, cupping their head and nestling it beside her own. Her bare cheek caressed and smothered their own, and she pushed even more. She wanted to feel them. To know with every fiber that this was real.

After a moment, she spoke again. This time a wavering in her voice.

"I- I have nothing left to give. I.. am nothing. But if you are in pain. It is my duty to protect you."

...

 

[Juju]

• Merisa
• Phallis
• Shaena
• Benjin
• Yeva

• 
  
  
  
  Mother(?) Merisa. Acting high priestess of Mother's Embrace.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sir Phallis: knight captain of Alleria. Too stubborn to retire.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Shaena: Sir Phallis' squire. Currently the only drakenblood within the ranks of the royal guard.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Benjin: Scroll keeper of the temple. Gets most of his social interaction from reading the words of dead authors.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sister Yeva: a blind girl blessed with holy sight. She apparently dreamed of your arrival.
  

"I am here to purge the wicked through penance or extermination, and to do that I must judge them first." Kras explained calmly yet his words held an inherent threat and danger to them, "Please question me more"

The guards beside Shaena looked nervously at the tall man. Afterall, ironclad warriors that fell from the sky like stars were not to be taken lightly. His threatening presence was not lost on them, yet the drakenblood woman didn't falter once as she locked eyes with Kras. Sir Phallas had a thoughtful look on his face, crossing his arms as he watched the interaction.

Shaena was not pleased with the response, in fact, she looked angrier than ever. Her glare deepened. "Well firstly, what do you mean by 'wicked'. I've heard more than my fair share of that word used like a flimsy shield to do whatever you want without consequence. Seems like the wicked spring up whenever some pompous assh-"

"Language, Shaena dear. Don't end up in confessions now!" called Mother Merisa from where she was talking to the other Chosen.

She sighed through her nose, gritting her teeth before continuing. "When some pompous coward wants something. As if they have the right to judge. I'm not letting you out of my sights until I know just who these 'wicked' are. I can't just let you roam around killing civilians."

I'm still used to my country's—er, my world's customs. I doubt you could learn much from the card." Teruko put it back in her pocket—where several other copies of the card sat neatly tied together. Then came another polite bow to apologize for the mishap. Even though she knew of the differences between their worlds, habits still died hard. "Let us start from the beginning. I am not a noble, but a regular woman. And 'an' internet is, well... a way of sharing knowledge back home. For some reason I highly doubt it exists here..."

"Order of the Black Sun..." The squeaky mutter came from Sundae, who had been dwelling on the rest of what was said. If there was anything that ticked off her sense of urgency, it was diabolical sounding names and anything related to demons. All of which, Teruko realized with a wince, was stated by the high priestess. "Teruko, Teruko, Teruko!" Sundae headbutted Teruko's shoulder again; her usual way of getting attention. "They could be related to the Dark Forces that invaded my home! We must help these poor citizens! We need to help!"

"Oh, is that so? What curious little customs, even more than the exchange of those paper slips." Merisa teased, a hand on her hip. "A shame. And here I thought you had a noble's face~"

"You can catch knowledge with a net...?" Yeva trailed off, her face contorted into a confused frown as she tried to imagine what an 'internet' looked like.

Merisa grinned in amusement when she heard Sundae's words. She could make a correction, but she decided to keep it to herself.

"I would be careful about just ignoring ancient legends," she starts to warn. "In my experience, on the majority of worlds legends tend to have a grain of truth. Sometimes the details are exaggerated, sometimes what they refer to are essentially the opposite of what they would have you believe, but other times they are incredibly accurate. Ignoring them, especially if there are any special rituals or preparations that are supposed to be done to keep something sealed, could result in disaster." She quickly raises a hand to forestall any protest before adding one last bit about the topic. "Obviously, as a newcomer to this planet I have no way of determining if any parts of your legends are true or not, just wanted to mention the possible dangers based on what I've encountered. Speaking of which, the snake bit is interesting as that comes up in legend on multiple other worlds, especially one called Earth." A brief pause as she tries to remember the name of it. "There I think its called Ouroboros?"

Mersia laughed, "Dear Mother, you're beginning to sound just like Benjin. Now now, don't worry, I am not one to completely dismiss rumors and legend, especially not as of late. After all, you lot did just fall from the heavens. Perhaps I should start believing Benjin's old tales afterall."

She tilted her head thoughtfully at the mention of Ouroboros. "So you have come from other worlds then? And yours had that giant snake? Benjin would be simply losing his mind right now, telling me how the legends written by Brother Toma are true. Ah, you'd be better off steering clear from him, my dear, or he'd be interrogating you about footnotes and biographies from dawn until dusk."

"It was a woman adorned in gold and white who had brought us to a strange silvered glass lake with some trees scattered around. Said some stuff about a second life, and then dropped us off here without any actual directions." Sarah had to quickly stop herself before she continued with a comment about how the way the situation had been handled by that figure was a bunch of bullshit. Insulting the deity of the natives wasn't exactly a smart idea in their present circumstances after all.

Yeva looked overjoyed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "It was the Mother Mercy herself! This is proof that they are the blessed Chosen Ones, ones promised to us in our time of need! You know what this must mean, Mother Merisa. The first summer is here. I knew I smelled the spring on the wind. They are here to usher in the light and warmth of change."

 

[Solirus]

Kras

Kras's eyes stood still, unblinking and unflinching, his body unmoving like stone, "Thief's, Leeches, abusers of power and of pre established systems. That is a small portion of the wicked, but I am fair, when the wicked are caught I grant them one chance, to give back to the community, to use their skills to make the world they live in better for everyone else and in extension themselves. Should they reject that penance they are forfeit from their lives and should they accept and commit said wickedness again then I shall not be forgiving." Kras explained in a serious but quiet tone.

"Yet there are those I cannot and will not forgive, the truly twisted and evil, Murderers who kill for desire, Individuals of power who will use that power to feed their insatiable apatite and send thousands into misery, or Those who would burn away a city in the single selfish pursuit of power. Such evil I will not allow." Kras stated his body tensing up by the end before relaxing.

"As of this moment, you're passing" Kras explained getting back up, "good work" Kras finally explained looking away and beginning to pace around near the group.

Interactions: Juju ​

 

[YsFanatic]

The swordswoman couldn't help but let a small smile appear upon hearing Teruko's reaction to the mention of Earth. "I'm passingly familiar with multiple versions of the planet and have visited one of them multiple times. Your little friend there is enough to tell me that the Earth I know is nothing like the one you know. But please, no formalities. I'm not one for titles, honorifics, or anything else like that." Even more than the uselessness of mentioning that she was a princess in their current situation, that preference of hers was the main reason she had no intention of telling anyone here if it could be avoided.

Sarah's eyes flicked over to Sundae. "I think you mis-understood one little detail. Merisa here was saying that the Order of the Black Sun was looking for help to deal with the threats, not that they were a threat. You can't go by names like that when decided if they are bad like that. Hell, I knew a mercenary group named the Black Stars that later merged with another called Redrum and the current leader of the combined unit is actually a pretty good person. Conversely, there have been group with 'good' or 'holy' sounding names but were actually quite vile with their activities."

She wanted to tackle the internet topic, but then Merisa responded to what she had mentioned about ancient legends. "I'm no historian," she comments dryly. "Any information I could provide on the topic would be largely lacking and most likely completely useless here. Besides, I'm going to guess that I'm going to end up with more important things to do before long." Left out was the fact that Sarah doubted that this Benjin would be able to get her to stick around if she didn't feel like answering anything.

Yeva's excitement and words however made Sarah cringe just a bit as she really did not want to be thought of in that way. "Look, please just view me as a regular person. Just because I've been through a lot of shit in my life doesn't mean I'm any different from anyone else." Having heard Merisa's warning about language to the one guard earlier, the princess raised an eyebrow towards her as if daring her to say something about her choice of words.

Spoiler: Interactions

Juju AriAriAbabwa

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Teruko: #57A5F2
Sundae: #FFC0CB
Tags: Juju YsFanatic

​

Teruko's hand went to her cheek the moment Merisa commented on her "noble's face." Was that a compliment? Something that necessitated a response? She never knew with these things; earning out-of-the-blue compliments were a rarity. "Thank you..." she finally uttered. At the same time, Yeva was still held up on what the internet could have been, and who could blame her? "Just think of it as a widespread magic," she began. "One person created it and made it accessible for everybody, kind of like a miniature library that anyone can access in the palm of their hand. So it's... yeah..." Teruko could only run her mouth for so long before the brain went blank.

With a polite bow to Yeva only because Teruko felt bad about leaving off like that, she returned her attention to Sarah. According to her, there were multiple Earths, and Sundae (who was currently nibbling her tail) was one of the big differences. "Interesting. When we have time, I'm curious about the nature of the other Earths you have been to..."

Not only that, but Sarah even corrected the ferret. It took her a few moments to fully register the mistake she made, at which the fairy put its stubby hands over its face. "Listen, Sundae is very slow when it comes to these things... Back in Candied Swirl, everything was named super simply."

Teruko could only nod to both of their words. Sarah's in that they shouldn't be as hasty as to go off of names, and Sundae's in how much Teruko despised Candied Swirl's naming conventions. She prayed inside that they would be spared of any further mention of the realm; his was going to be her new life, and she had no plans of having to speak of anything related to that and humiliate herself.

Things took a turn in Teruko's mind, though, when Yeva made herself known again in squealing excitment. She was more than eager that they were here at Mother Mercy's behest, tasked to do... lots, it sounded like. Teruko would have frowned if it wasn't her default face. "I-I..." I'm afraid I want to live a slow life this time... Like Hell I can say that. How was she supposed to say something like that to the amiable Yeva? Somehow, she was reminded of the first time Sundae convinced her to go into battle... Maybe if I just try to be honest, I will—

The fairy flew ahead. "In that case, when do we begin?"

Sundae you idiot! Teruko cast a glare over her companion with half-closed eyes—one that went entirely unnoticed by her. That ferret always did this! Jumping into the first sign of needed help without any regard to Teruko or the conditions! Regardless, she refrained from barging in.

 

[YsFanatic]

Noticing that Teruko seemed bothered by something, Sarah gave the younger woman's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before taking a step forward towards Merisa and the fairy. "Patience, little one. Just rushing ahead without preparations is just asking for things to go terribly wrong." The swordswoman then shifts her gaze over to Merisa. "I would like to ask for a room where we would have a chance to talk amongst ourselves, as well as for any information you can provide about notable groups, people, and locations in the area as well as major issues people might need help with. In addition, we need to figure out room and board as I suspect that a number of us don't have any money that would be useful here. Finally, I would like to know a bit about local culture and history. A world map wouldn't hurt if you have one handy, but that can wait if need be."

She realized that she was asking for a lot of information all at once, but it was all stuff that she knew could be incredibly helpful. Not only in regards to providing direction to those summoned here as well as making sure basic needs were met, but also to hopefully avoid any incidents due to the clashing of different cultures. While cultures could vary widely between nations on a planet, in Sarah's experience the differences that one could encounter when going to an entirely different would could be so much bigger and differ on more fundamental levels than one would expect. Hopefully this wasn't one of those places where the basic concepts of right and wrong that she grew up with were completely flipped around, but it would be better to find out now than when they got out into the 'wild'.

Spoiler: Interactions

Juju AriAriAbabwa

 

[seasonedcat]

tw| mentions of being touched starved
the touch burned like a fire on his skin, his breath hitching in pain but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. The warmth from her skin seeped into him and he found himself melting against them through the agony. More tears fell from their eyes as their hand held his cheek but he couldn't let out any more sobs as he stared at them in wonder. No one had held him like this since him. All other touches had been reserved for that of battle and pain. He didn't know what came next but he could see flashes of red and echoes of memories that burned his core.

as she wrapped him in a tight hug he let out only one more sob, the fire on his skin burning him brightly but the sheer pleasure of being held like that made it worth it. He felt faint, he felt scorched, but it felt so good he feared there would be nothing left of him when she lets go. That he would fall apart without the strong arms holding him together.

his head was dazed as she spoke, leaning lightly against her cheek as well, hopefully not enough for her to notice the pressure. He blinked slowly at her, trying to think through the haze of fire and smoke that was under his skin. No one had offered to protect him since... he wanted this to be true. He wanted this to end differently.

how could she hold his body that wasn't much more than skin and bones and not itch away. She held him tight with their skin flush to each other, cheeks squishing together in a humorous manor. Someone some could laugh at but for them both it seemed to burn a different light and that hurt his heart. She could give so much more than he ever could hope for. He had broken himself and others, destroyed so much, he couldn't even save the one thing that showed him love. Could he hope for this to not end the same.

he shivered through the flames, gently reaching out and grasping at a portion of her clothing in a desperate attempt to ground himself. The raging fires in his skin felt so strong he could almost see the smoke coming from his mouth as he opened it to speak, "I could never be worthy of that protection, your time would be better spent protecting yourself and others from me." he spoke to her, yet made no move to leave her embrace, in fact his grip on her clothing tightened at the words.

he wanted to push her away yet longed for her to stay. It burned shivers through him and he shook lightly despite how scorched he felt. He longed to lean into the embrace and let everything else disappear. But he did not deserve that, he could not forget. He did not deserve the luxury of moving on. He had to remember all the horrors he committed, he had to carry them with himself so he could suffer for them. But even still, no matter how much he said that in his head, he wanted nothing more than the opposite.
interactions Euclid Leaf |

 

[Juju]

• Merisa
• Phallis
• Shaena
• Yeva

• 
  
  
  
  Mother(?) Merisa. Acting high priestess of Mother's Embrace.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sir Phallis: knight captain of Alleria. Too stubborn to retire.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Shaena: Sir Phallis' squire. Currently the only drakenblood within the ranks of the royal guard.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sister Yeva: a blind girl blessed with holy sight. She apparently dreamed of your arrival.
  

Kras

Kras's eyes stood still, unblinking and unflinching, his body unmoving like stone, "Thief's, Leeches, abusers of power and of pre established systems. That is a small portion of the wicked, but I am fair, when the wicked are caught I grant them one chance, to give back to the community, to use their skills to make the world they live in better for everyone else and in extension themselves. Should they reject that penance they are forfeit from their lives and should they accept and commit said wickedness again then I shall not be forgiving." Kras explained in a serious but quiet tone.

"Yet there are those I cannot and will not forgive, the truly twisted and evil, Murderers who kill for desire, Individuals of power who will use that power to feed their insatiable apatite and send thousands into misery, or Those who would burn away a city in the single selfish pursuit of power. Such evil I will not allow." Kras stated his body tensing up by the end before relaxing.

"As of this moment, you're passing" Kras explained getting back up, "good work" Kras finally explained looking away and beginning to pace around near the group.

Interactions: Juju ​

Shaena looked taken aback by Kras' explanation, frowning as she tried to understand what exactly penance meant. Was he lying, or trying to trick her with a play of words? If not then...

"Your penance... we have laws laid out by the Mother Mercy's first priests that is the very same. Criminals are not to be slain, as the old ways once did. Instead, they are to become servants of the people, to learn of humility through service, and redemption through mercy."
Never taking her hand too far from her mace, she placed a gauntleted fist against her breastplate with a clang. It appeared to be some sort of salute. "While your ideals of justice are similar, you are within the holy empire of the mother herself and shall follow her rules. Murderers are also to be spared, and live out their days, or the days of their children, atoning to the sins they committed."

Her frown deepened after receiving the seal of approval for passing a 'test'. Anger rose up, "Why you..."

Sir Phallis placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "If what Yeva said was true, these chosen are the very champions of Mother Mercy. They are her will itself. Perhaps this shall bring change."

"If mother mercy wants to change the laws she can tell us herself!" Shaena blinked, immediately feeling shameful for the words that slipped out. She dipped her head, "Forgive me sir, I didn't mean anything by it. Your judgement is better than mine."

Phallis cracked a dry smile. It was moments like these when Shaena could really see the years creeping over his face. When had those wrinkles around his eyes first appeared? When had his hair changed from brown to grey? Still, the eyes had his same understanding. "Only from learning from one too many mistakes. Tell me, what would you do?"

Shaena felt at loss of words for a moment, then regained her composure. "I'd escort them around the city, making sure they are educated on the laws and don't break any. Only once I'm convinced would I let them out of my sight."

"Ah, a respectable plan. Very well, I shall put you in charge of this then." Phallis said, giving her shoulder a pat before walking away towards the entrance of the temple. "In the meantime, I'll report this to the high captain."

Shaena was shocked. "Sir?!"

He simply kept walking, though she wasn't sure if it was his aged hearing or if he was ignoring her. Cursing under her breath, Shaena gave a glance at Kras and the other chosen.

"Just think of it as a widespread magic," she began. "One person created it and made it accessible for everybody, kind of like a miniature library that anyone can access in the palm of their hand. So it's... yeah..."

"Ah, that sounds wonderful! I wonder if the Yunctan city has magic like that?" Yeva pondered aloud, her mind racing with wild thoughts of what an internet could do if she had one within the city. How many books and scriptures they could share with the commonfolk.

There were many mysteries with these chosen, for instance, why Teruko had two winged prayers instead of one like the others. Very curious indeed. She hoped she could hear more stories from them.

"I would like to ask for a room where we would have a chance to talk amongst ourselves, as well as for any information you can provide about notable groups, people, and locations in the area as well as major issues people might need help with. In addition, we need to figure out room and board as I suspect that a number of us don't have any money that would be useful here. Finally, I would like to know a bit about local culture and history. A world map wouldn't hurt if you have one handy, but that can wait if need be."

Mother Merisa dipped her head in a half bow, "Of course, as Chosen of the Mother Mercy, you are to be honored guests within our temple. We can set aside chambers for your use, should you need a place to stay. As for your requested information, I believe it would be best to consult the Archives' many books."

She placed a sheeve over her mouth to hide a small laugh, "Just so you don't spend a year trying to find the proper books, I will find you the most condensed volumes. Nothing of that old bore Sister Tenia going into the inner workings of politics and theories on the export of wheat."

"In that case, when do we begin?"

Sundae you idiot! Teruko cast a glare over her companion with half-closed eyes—one that went entirely unnoticed by her. That ferret always did this! Jumping into the first sign of needed help without any regard to Teruko or the conditions! Regardless, she refrained from barging in.

Shaena cleared her throat and straightened up her stance to look as authoritative as possible. She had been waiting for the opportune moment to make herself as hear as possible by the Chosen standing before her. "Chosen ones, should you leave this temple you will be under my supervision. As chosen, you are to be guests of the church and the crown. I will answer any questions you have of the laws and customs of Alleria, and if you break any laws you will be subject to the punishments. Chosen or not."

 

[YsFanatic]

While she wasn't sure about how she felt by sleeping at a temple, Sarah knew that this wasn't the situation to be picky. "Thank you for your generosity, it is appreciated." While the princess meant to say a bit more, the guardwoman raising her voice to address the whole group caught her attention. "Hmm, I'm going to see if I can take a walk around town while the rooms are being prepared." Giving Merisa a small nod, the swordswoman starts to turn away, but then pauses for a moment to address Teruko and Sundae. "If you two want, feel free to accompany me."

Regardless of what their answer is, Sarah then strides over to Shaena. In the process she wills the Cleria Sword away back into the pocket dimension maintained by the Storage Necklace, wanting to show that she wasn't planning on starting any trouble. "Hey, those supervised walks around town you mentioned, is it possible to get one of those today? While I plan to do some reading about this world, first hand experience tends to be more useful in figuring out how things work."

Spoiler: Interactions

Juju AriAriAbabwa

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Interaction: seasonedcat

It felt like the embrace of a lost child. One wandering in the night rain, searching for someone out beyond the perimeter of faded moonlight. Shivering, shaking, a touch fearful, but longing all the same. But Jane felt no different. Maybe they were both lost.

She noticed the faint smoke form their mouth when they spoke. She did not know the nature, but she has witnessed such peculiar conditions before.
Those type of people also needed saving. Only theirs came too late.

"Others from you...?" Jane muttered, giggling at the notion, "Nonsense. All I see now is someone who is real. Someone who needs something to hold onto."

Jane initiated the contact, but despite asserting such a valiant claim, she was not sure whether she was properly ready to fill this void. There was a deep agony in the boy in her arms, one that she didn't know how to properly help heal. Jane was always in over her head. Does she even think about the things she does? This was always what they said.

Even with a galvanized spirit, she wasn't sure how to heal these emotional wounds. She was better at stitching up lacerations, performing emergency surgery. Was it right to make such promises she wasn't even sure she, herself, could keep? But Jane could not watch such a desperate display and do nothing.

Especially now. She could feel it. A conflict rumbling deep inside of the boy that clutched onto her. It was almost like they never felt tenderness before. She almost felt smothered. But she fought to stay stable. To figure out what it was that ailed them so. A raging battle threatened to burst from their breast. It was a type of suffering she couldn't fully describe. In just their touch, the way they breathed, the way they pushed and pulled against her. Every inch felt painful. She wouldn't be surprised to find blood. But she didn't want to let go. She was afraid. Deeply afraid of letting someone down once again.

Jane could not imagine what was going on in their mind. But she understood the misery of loss. All soldiers did.
Her chest tightened at the idea that somewhere out there, her close allies... her friends, might still be out there. Thinking she was dead.
She lifted her face a away and held their head in her hand. Her dull green eyes peered into theirs for a quiet moment before she spoke.

"In my world, to show your face means you wish to make a bond. To expose yourself to weakness. I trusted you. And, so... I hope you trust me too."

With that, she tried her best at an open smile. She was never good at those.
Jane could already feel how unnatural and twitching her mouth probably looked. It made her feel embarrassed. But she held it firm anyway.

...

 

[Juju]

• Merisa
• Shaena
• Yeva

• 
  
  
  
  Mother(?) Merisa. Acting high priestess of Mother's Embrace.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Shaena: Sir Phallis' squire. Currently the only drakenblood within the ranks of the royal guard.
  
• 
  
  
  
  Sister Yeva: a blind girl blessed with holy sight. She apparently dreamed of your arrival.
  

While she wasn't sure about how she felt by sleeping at a temple, Sarah knew that this wasn't the situation to be picky. "Thank you for your generosity, it is appreciated." While the princess meant to say a bit more, the guardwoman raising her voice to address the whole group caught her attention. "Hmm, I'm going to see if I can take a walk around town while the rooms are being prepared." Giving Merisa a small nod, the swordswoman starts to turn away, but then pauses for a moment to address Teruko and Sundae. "If you two want, feel free to accompany me."

Regardless of what their answer is, Sarah then strides over to Shaena. In the process she wills the Cleria Sword away back into the pocket dimension maintained by the Storage Necklace, wanting to show that she wasn't planning on starting any trouble. "Hey, those supervised walks around town you mentioned, is it possible to get one of those today? While I plan to do some reading about this world, first hand experience tends to be more useful in figuring out how things work."

Spoiler: Interactions

Juju AriAriAbabwa

"Oh please, what sort of stand-in Mother would I be if I neglected to host the Mother Mercy's Chosen?" Merisa said with a laugh after Sarah gave her thanks. Shaking her head, she placed a hand on Yeva's shoulder. "My dear, go prepare rooms for our guests. While you're at it, you can tell Benjin that's he's been excused from penance and to gather his lightest reads on the culture and history of the empire."

"Yes Mother Merisa!" chimed Yeva happily. She bowed her head towards the Chosen and disappeared into one of the corridors flanking the atrium of the temple.

Shaena stood before the group, eyeing them all suspicious (especially Kras) while waiting to see how they would react. In all honesty, she did not expect any of them to listen to her, let alone be cooperative, so whenever Sarah approached so readily she was taken a bit by surprised. Just by looking at her stance, she could tell this woman was a seasoned warrior. Judging by the wrinkles on her face, this seemed to have kept her alive until now.

The drakenblood woman crossed her arms, gauntlets clanking together. She nodded, trying to appear as authoritative as she could. "Of course. I believe that'd be the best course of action. There's a large crowd out there, and it would put their minds at ease to see members of the guard among you all. A few knights have been stationed outside. Come now, we can depart at once."

Shaena turned on her heels and lead the way towards the massive twin doors that marked the entrance of the cathedral. The wood was carved into a scene of an angelic woman standing above hoards of ugly creatures, all of which fled in terror.

The drakenblood squire put her hands onto the door and heaved it open. Bright sunlight and an overwhelming roar of a crowd flooded in through the opening door. There was a mass of hundreds of civilians around the cathedral, mostly humans with a bit of elvish and beast-folk mixed in. While the outfits varied, there were a number of bystanders who wore simple white robes and golden collars around their necks.

Several knights and armored guards were stationed around the temple, keeping the curious crowd at bay.

As the chosen stepped out, the sound from the crowd heightened into curious whispers and assorted shouts. Shaena looked back at the Chosen who decided to follow her, "Stay close to-"

Her words were cut short by a sharp hiss and crackle. Bright purple energy sparked up and outwards like a firework, forming a dome of criss-crossing threads of magic over the chosen. If they were fast enough or sensed the magic, some of the chosen would be able to evade it. Otherwise, the spell would act as a physical barrier to their movement, and could tank a few heavy blows, but nothing over that.

"What the?" Shaena growled, drawing her mace.

---

---

inside the temple...​

---

---

Spoiler: post

tw| mentions of being touched starved
the touch burned like a fire on his skin, his breath hitching in pain but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. The warmth from her skin seeped into him and he found himself melting against them through the agony. More tears fell from their eyes as their hand held his cheek but he couldn't let out any more sobs as he stared at them in wonder. No one had held him like this since him. All other touches had been reserved for that of battle and pain. He didn't know what came next but he could see flashes of red and echoes of memories that burned his core.

as she wrapped him in a tight hug he let out only one more sob, the fire on his skin burning him brightly but the sheer pleasure of being held like that made it worth it. He felt faint, he felt scorched, but it felt so good he feared there would be nothing left of him when she lets go. That he would fall apart without the strong arms holding him together.
View attachment 962678
his head was dazed as she spoke, leaning lightly against her cheek as well, hopefully not enough for her to notice the pressure. He blinked slowly at her, trying to think through the haze of fire and smoke that was under his skin. No one had offered to protect him since... he wanted this to be true. He wanted this to end differently.

how could she hold his body that wasn't much more than skin and bones and not itch away. She held him tight with their skin flush to each other, cheeks squishing together in a humorous manor. Someone some could laugh at but for them both it seemed to burn a different light and that hurt his heart. She could give so much more than he ever could hope for. He had broken himself and others, destroyed so much, he couldn't even save the one thing that showed him love. Could he hope for this to not end the same.

he shivered through the flames, gently reaching out and grasping at a portion of her clothing in a desperate attempt to ground himself. The raging fires in his skin felt so strong he could almost see the smoke coming from his mouth as he opened it to speak, "I could never be worthy of that protection, your time would be better spent protecting yourself and others from me." he spoke to her, yet made no move to leave her embrace, in fact his grip on her clothing tightened at the words.

he wanted to push her away yet longed for her to stay. It burned shivers through him and he shook lightly despite how scorched he felt. He longed to lean into the embrace and let everything else disappear. But he did not deserve that, he could not forget. He did not deserve the luxury of moving on. He had to remember all the horrors he committed, he had to carry them with himself so he could suffer for them. But even still, no matter how much he said that in his head, he wanted nothing more than the opposite.
interactions Euclid Leaf |

seasonedcat
In the midst of Abaddon's feverish state, the flashes of pain and trauma were intertwined with a strange voice. It was light and fleeting, smaller than thoughts yet stood out within the tormented memories like a shard of ice in a summer sea.

"There is strength in vulnerability."

Spoiler: post

Interaction: seasonedcat

View attachment 965541It felt like the embrace of a lost child. One wandering in the night rain, searching for someone out beyond the perimeter of faded moonlight. Shivering, shaking, a touch fearful, but longing all the same. But Jane felt no different. Maybe they were both lost.

She noticed the faint smoke form their mouth when they spoke. She did not know the nature, but she has witnessed such peculiar conditions before.
Those type of people also needed saving. Only theirs came too late.

"Others from you...?" Jane muttered, giggling at the notion, "Nonsense. All I see now is someone who is real. Someone who needs something to hold onto."

Jane initiated the contact, but despite asserting such a valiant claim, she was not sure whether she was properly ready to fill this void. There was a deep agony in the boy in her arms, one that she didn't know how to properly help heal. Jane was always in over her head. Does she even think about the things she does? This was always what they said.

Even with a galvanized spirit, she wasn't sure how to heal these emotional wounds. She was better at stitching up lacerations, performing emergency surgery. Was it right to make such promises she wasn't even sure she, herself, could keep? But Jane could not watch such a desperate display and do nothing.

Especially now. She could feel it. A conflict rumbling deep inside of the boy that clutched onto her. It was almost like they never felt tenderness before. She almost felt smothered. But she fought to stay stable. To figure out what it was that ailed them so. A raging battle threatened to burst from their breast. It was a type of suffering she couldn't fully describe. In just their touch, the way they breathed, the way they pushed and pulled against her. Every inch felt painful. She wouldn't be surprised to find blood. But she didn't want to let go. She was afraid. Deeply afraid of letting someone down once again.

Jane could not imagine what was going on in their mind. But she understood the misery of loss. All soldiers did.
Her chest tightened at the idea that somewhere out there, her close allies... her friends, might still be out there. Thinking she was dead.
She lifted her face a away and held their head in her hand. Her dull green eyes peered into theirs for a quiet moment before she spoke.

"In my world, to show your face means you wish to make a bond. To expose yourself to weakness. I trusted you. And, so... I hope you trust me too."

With that, she tried her best at an open smile. She was never good at those.
Jane could already feel how unnatural and twitching her mouth probably looked. It made her feel embarrassed. But she held it firm anyway.

...

Euclid Leaf
As Jane attempted her smile, no doubt to offer comfort to their suffering friend, there was the slightest change to the reflection on her glasses. It was difficult to notice, but the reflection of her own smile did not belong to her face. As if distorted, Jane's face was rounder, paler, and with perfectly straight teeth.

A whisper ran through her mind, lighter than air.

"There is strength in vulnerability."

 

[YsFanatic]

The moment that she heard unexpected noise of a hiss and crackle, Sarah knew she did not want to remain where she was standing. If whatever it was was aimed at her and the others summoned here, then staying still was akin to inviting a free hit against them. In a reaction that was nearly instantaneous thanks to decades of experience, the swordswoman funneled wind mana through her body as she moved her right foot forward, the Wind Dash spell allowing the single step to take her across a greater distance so that she ended up right next to Shaena. In the next moment the Cleria Sword appeared in her hand even as her eyes quickly looked around for the possible source of the spell that was taking shape over the spot where she had just been standing.

"Got any idea where that spell came from or how we can track it?" The question was asked swiftly and quietly. While Sarah remained in the spot next to the drakenblood squire, she was fully on alert and ready to move at a moment's notice to deal with anything else that happened. However, being out in the open with countless people nearby wasn't exactly a good spot to have a fight break out. Hopefully none of the others got caught by the cages, but she couldn't afford to check right at this moment as this would be the best time for the enemy to strike, while the confusion was at its peak.

Spoiler: Interaction

Juju and anyone else who came outside

 

[Solirus]

Kras, quietly observed and followed Shaena and the rest to the outside, the fresh air he breathed in felt weird as he let out a sigh and placed his hand in front to cover some of the light. Finally exiting Kras noticed the crowd of people he had heard from the inside, it was mostly humans, but amongst them Kras noticed a few that shared some traits, some had slender bodied with pointed ears while others shared characteristics with beasts. Kras finally lowered his arm, as his eyes adjusted to the light and as they did he saw Sarah tense up preparing a sudden movement in which Kras's sight focused immediately onto her, yet he was unsure what her true motive was.

Caught unaware Kras saw Sarah dash a great distance from a small movement and in another second a bright cage formed around him and the rest slow enough to not realize it. "Great" Kras muttered to himself as he was surrounded by the cage. Without a word Kras slowly pulled out the great blade on his back, moving it around a bit and inspecting it to familiarize himself once more with it's weight. Finally Kras placed the blade on his shoulder and swung it down unto the cage placing his entire weight behind the swing. The impact shook the nearby ground and managed to make it crack yet still maintaining the structure of the cage.

Kras quickly inspected his sword to ensure no major chipping was present after the strike and then moved closer to the gate to look over the damage he dealt. "I'm beginning to dislike this whole magic concept" he said to himself taking a few deep breaths.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

• Trouble...
• ♡

• 
  
  

  
  Teruko: #57A5F2
  Sundae: #FFC0CB
  Tags: Juju YsFanatic Solirus
  
  ​
  
  Teruko quickly joined Sarah and a few of the others on a little reconnaissance of what awaited them outside, although very meekly voicing her agreement. To Shaena, she muttered a quiet, "Pardon our intrusion..." before following along.
  
  And as the doors opened to let floods of civilians pour in from outside, Teruko lit up at the appearances of elves and beastfolk in the mix; the otaku side of herself briefly sparkled her eyes. Why couldn't this have been the world she got instead of... oversaturated colors and squeaky voices and candy-themed lands. Here, the businesswoman felt like she could find a place to relax. Were the elves here as beautiful as her world's media made them out to be? Were the beastfolks' fur as soft and fluffy? And what of the big purple sparkle in the air coming—"Nani...?"
  
  "Um, do fireworks exist in this—"
  
  The sparkle erupted into a magical cage, encircling them before any of them could react properly. Teruko's prior excitement fell away. Just glancing at everyone, she could tell trouble was brewing; just when she thought she might be able to relax...
  
  Sundae nuzzled against her arm. One look at the ferret's pleading face, and the woman knew what it wanted. Teruko bit her lip. There could be another way out; maybe one of her companions could figure think of something and she wouldn't need to transform. Maybe she could live on... and be seen as a useless, regular old woman who was brought to this world for no reason... "Fine..." She spared a last guilt-ridden look to her companions. Utter shame filled the tone of her voice. "I sincerely apologize for whatever may happen next..."
  
  Sundae giggled, sounding an awful lot like a little girl. The ferret took to swirling around Teruko, almost sparkling. Then, a blinding flash of pink erupted from her.
  
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  Time elapsed: 0.0735 seconds
  
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  Time elapsed: 0.1000 seconds
  
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  "Forces of Omens adhere, color me clear! Illuminate ♡"
  
  .
  
  "Luminous Omen Dancer Tracy!!"
  #FF00FF
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  "At your heart's command! Goodness, it is wonderful to be back..." she finished with a bow, letting the twin ponytails dangle over her head. And as Omen Dancer rose, everyone could see how her body literally sparkled. "Fret not, denizens of the realm, for I, Luminous Omen Dancer Tracy, is to here to save the day!" She danced a twirl towards the center of the dome, brushing past anyone else encircled. With a light 'hmph,' Tracy finally pointed out the obvious, "We're trapped! This must be a deliberate attack!"
  
  She dashed towards one of the segments where Kras struck with the blade. She tried tapping his shoulder, instead slapping his back. "Stand aside... tall Sir Knight!" she ordered with a wide grin. Regardless of if he moved or not, she found herself right against the magical net. This wasn't the first time the magical girl found herself imprisoned, and remembering what she did last time, she smirked at her staff. "Ready, Sundae?" The Omen Shortcake Scepter glowed a pink, and only in Tracy's mind could she hear the fairy's voice, affirming its eagerness.
  
  Omen Dancer brought her hand to the scepter head, shouting, "Omen, note the baker untold, Sweet Puff Behold!"
  
  One sweet puff popped out. Tracy then laid it at where the net connected with the ground, nudging the pastry gently closest to the spell. "That will do the trick!" With that, she spun around and ran to the other side. "Follow my lead, everyone! I have everything under wraps!" she shouted, motioning for anyone else to follow suit.
  
  Without a moment's hesitation, ignorant of if anyone still lingered near the sweet puff, she aimed the staff at it, and: "Omen, Puff!"
  
  In seconds, the sweet puff grew. It would dilate up to the size of a hefty boulder—depending on how tough the spell was.
  

 

[Juju]

• Shaena
• ???

• 
  
  
  
  Shaena: Sir Phallis' squire. Currently the only drakenblood within the ranks of the royal guard.
  
  She volunteered to keep a watchful eye on you all. Always thank your tour guide.
  
• 
  
  Talk about a flashy entrance!
  

[ Interactions: Solirus YsFanatic AriAriAbabwa ]
​

Kras' mighty swing managed to make a crack in the barrier, as well as almost made Shaena lose her footing from the heavy impact. She stumbled for a moment, a shocked look on her face at the sheer force that Kras had managed to summon with not even a trace of magic. This was clearly not a human, nor an elf. Was he a half-giant?

"Watch where you swing that thing!" she hissed, concerned with the size of the weapon and the small amount of room they had to work with.

At a glance, she could tell that the sword had done a good amount of damage to the barrier. As much as she hated to admit it, she and her unit of guards might not even be able to handle the Chosen should they actually prove to be insidious. With a growl, she struck at the barrier with her mace, causing a small eruption of sparks. "Keep at it, these spells always have a limit."

"Got any idea where that spell came from or how we can track it?" The question was asked swiftly and quietly.

"Can't say..." Shaena said, tightening her grip on her mace and narrowing her eyes at the crowd beyond the barrier, "Stay alert!"

With dramatic timing, a voice pierced the roar of the confused crowd. It came from above the group, high pitched and bouncing along to a tuneless melody. "A bear, a bear, and two maidens fair! But from where, from where, I say?"

A figure jumped down from the cathedral, spinning as they fell like a circus performer. "Enter Cicero! The Masked Fool!"

The moment they fell to the ground, they exploded in a burst of sparkles and pink and purple smoke. A second later, another puff of smoke marked their appearance in front of the caged chosen on the side opposite to where Sarah now stood.

They were dressed in leather armor with high-heeled boots and a fluffy blouse. Around their waist and neck hung rich violet cloth, the same material that made their outrageously long hood. It was akin to that of a jester, if any of the Chosen were aware of such a thing. Bags hung on their belt and shoulder, along with small blades lined up against their leg and hip. Something metallic shined on the wrist of their right glove and their face was covered in a white lacquered mask painted with a bright red marking under one of the eyes, almost like a stylized tear.

The fool giggled sharply, spinning in place and landing precariously on one foot. "Tricky, tricky! The old lady is quick as a fox!"

A glow of bright pink inside their magic prison seemed to divert the jester's attention for a moment.

"OoooOOh! How flashy, a showstopper for sure! A bow for the performer. Encore, encore!" The jester gave an elaborate bow towards Teruko, swinging their hand and tapping their heels in a dance.

With the combination of Shaena, Kras, and Omen Dancer's efforts, the magical cage finally broke with a loud shattering sound. Bits of the magical net fell to the ground and disaapated, leaving a faint smell of lavender beneath the sweet goodness of the Omen Puff.

"Oho! What a wondrously sweet spell! Oh, dear Cicero would love to know your secret! Do tell!" The fool seemed to be overjoyed by the breaking of their spell, placing hands on either side of their face like an excited child.