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Post by CJ on May 28, 2013 15:16:25 GMT -5
As soon as Mr. Dark took her hand, she flinched instinctively. Her present fear was gone but years of nightmares surrounding the woman who took her hand in the dark and stole her shadow forever scarred her mentally.
She was bored of what Mr. Dark was saying to her. Kusu's various bird and pony statues were more interesting to her than anything the pirate in front of her had to say. She studied their colors and features, trying to drown out his words. Eventually, she became extremely tired and shook her head.
"What do you have to gain from telling me this? You have me right where you want me. Stop lying to me and spit it out."
Fate looked directly into his exposed eye. Something clicked at that moment.
"Oh no," she cringed, holding her other hand up to her mouth. "You're not lying, are you?"
Fear finally started to seep in when she tried to make the connection between her and Mr. Dark. It was starting to become apparent that, if she really was to get her shadow back, her life wouldn't ever be the same. She wouldn't be able to use her condition as an excuse to hide. There would be no more helmet. Her face would be exposed. She would have to live life completely differently.
Having to constantly flee from daylight, she was so used to hiding in the dark. She took comfort in the fact that she could put on a literal mask when she went about her business.
She had to accept the fact that she and Mr. Dark were not really all too different after all. Criminal or not, hideous monstrosity or burned skin, it didn't matter. She would be just like the liar she feared most if she were to deny it.
"You admire the dark. That's why you call yourself Mr. Dark, isn't it? I can't imagine that's your real name."
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Post by Kuro on May 28, 2013 16:54:41 GMT -5
At the slow pace they were going at, Jackal danced with Lynwood quite well. While it was not at the same speed as what he had witnessed, he found that the factor of actually being involved more than made up for it. At one point, he tried to speed up the dance just by a tad to make it more like what he had seen Lynwood doing, expecting his instructor to go along with it.
When Lynwood started talking about dancing, Jackal thought he might have blushed at her questions. Before responding in an annoyed way though, he listened to the rest of what she had to say and kept quiet. It was several moments until he spoke back in a calm voice. "Of course i've been happy. I'm rich, powerful, and in charge of one of the world's largest shopping center. How could I not? Just because i've never sung before doesn't mean I was never..." He trailed off in the middle of his sentence, lost in his own thoughts before he chuckled. "As you are flattered, as am I by your interest to hear me sing. Perhaps it will not be so bad after all."
When he saw her grin at him, specifically at him, a wide grin of glee was returned but hidden by his twisted mask. For the first time in years, the mask felt uncomfortable. But that thought was rid of instantly.
He relished to hear her song starting up again, not caring too much that it was at a different speed since he was now a part of it. He hummed along with her, more than able to keep up. He went at the same pace as her, completely content as he moved and somewhat sang with this...lovely lady. This friend.
He could feel her fear.
When she realized that he was, for once, telling the truth, that she was more than similar to he, she became afraid. Given her animosity towards him and all alleged liars and criminals, this was understandable. However, he sensed that the fear did not stem solely from that connection. He saw how she was thinking of a new life that would be forced upon her, one in the light where she would be unable to hide. And for the both of them, hiding had always been valuable.
When Fate questioned his alias, he let go of her hand. Since he had moved the chair aside, he sat on the bed while giving Fate as much distance as possible for her own comfort. The sight of the two on the small, pink bed was a sight indeed.
"You are correct that it is not my real name. My real name is unimportant. No one has called me by it in over a decade. I know what it is, but I myself have not spoken it in a long time. It is only a reminder of a weak, naive man from long ago. That small-town doctor I mentioned before. Pathetic.
I do not admire the dark however, as much as craftsman does not admire a simple wrench or a soldier his or her gun. At most, I appreciate it. It is a tool that both of us have made great use of. It is one of our most valuable and serves us well in many ways.
But you will no longer have such unlimited access to it, will you? Without conscious effort, I can see your fear-touched thoughts. As explained before, I understand your apprehension. To have such a useful aspect taken away from you...to know that you need it no longer."
His crimson eye continued to stare at Fate. "Would it be worth it? You will have the ability to live in a new world, but is it worth it? Do you even want it? We are similar in almost every way, but almost is a powerful word. Do you really want to stop hiding? The darkness has given you so much safety and comfort. It has always protected you. Would you leave it now in favor of being exposed in a risky unknown?"
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Post by Hitotsumami on May 29, 2013 15:12:16 GMT -5
Before Wolf knew it, everyone had been lead to the airship to go to find Arkady, and, well, as far as Wolf knew, get rid of him. That wasn't Wolf's plan, though. He knew Jackal wanted Arkady eliminated, but Wolf wasn't in that kind of business, and he still didn't really trust the man, no matter how the other might have been feeling towards him.
Instead, Wolf spent his time on deck. He didn't like staying inside. It blocked his senses. He wanted to be completely aware of his surroundings and wanted to know the moment they got to their destination.
Others had also appeared on the deck, but Wolf didn't bother with conversation. He had his own goal to realize. He had his own thoughts to keep him occupied.
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Post by Mise™ on May 29, 2013 16:34:14 GMT -5
Prince Karalisk was getting hot, bothered (and scalded) as he advanced through this nightmarish pipe dream. The incompetence of the ship engineers was truly astonishing for His Highness or probably anyone who ever found themselves here. "How the hell can anyone fuck this shit up so fucking bad?" The design of this whole room made no sense what-so-ever. After spending several minutes dealing with the horrendous ship design Karalisk finally made some real progress as he found himself in an open space, surrounded by even more pipes. It wasn't much better than what the rest of this weird room had been, but at least it was something different. "...the fuck?" The prince came across a large robotic snake that called him a vermin, which was a death wish if a robot was ever capable of having such thing. At first Karalisk wanted to show the snake his might by wrestling it, his opponent being covered in blades was just a minor inconvenience after all. However there wasn't really enough room for a true wrestling spectacle as His Highness didn't want to damage the ship before flying it and unless he kept his moves family friendly, which would have been no fun at all, there was just no way for hit to not damage the pipes. "I'm gonna fucking disassemble you fucking piece of shit and then mail you back to who ever fucking built you, in first class!" His Highness announced to his robotic opponent and more importantly to himself. The prince was not going to break the snake, no he was going to do exactly as he said and disassemble the robot, trying to keep each one of it's parts in a perfect condition. Karalisk did not need tools such as screwdrivers for this operation, but instead opted to do it bare handed. Of course picking off pieces of a something covered in large blades was that you were going to get cut, a lot. As the mechanical beast approached His Highness, the prince did not try to dodge or block the attack, but just take it head on and get himself cut; in a typical Karalisk-fashion he was going to just ignore defense and trade blows with his opponent until one of them would fall. As the snake attacked the prince started try to pull off it's pieces one by one, until the whole robot would be ready to be sent back to the assembly line.
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Post by CJ on May 30, 2013 11:08:43 GMT -5
Fate shifted uncomfortably on the bed, turning her face away from Mr. Dark. She would only glance at him very briefly before looking away again.
"My father left me at the orphanage after my shadow was stolen," she began with a sigh. "My disability wasn't exactly tolerable. Truth be told, I don't blame him. We didn't know I could be suited up and at least he didn't lie about the reason he left me. Being abandoned was difficult but it made me the only one in control of my life.
"Commander March and I joined the Marines despite of our disabilities. They were really what propelled us to do what we did. It was what dictated my life. Now it might not be here anymore and I don't know what to do. The only thing to do is to try and live like everyone else. If this all works out, it would be pointless to stay hidden as scared as I am."
"What about you?" she turned and looked directly at him now. "I know you think it's pointless but you could really contribute to society, Mr. Dark. Your Devil Fruit, at first glance, is terrifying. I've experienced it for myself, of course. But with the ability to instill fear, you also have equal power to take it away. Your, well, let's be honest, hideous form would have little consequence if you could remove the fear of others for you."
She stood now and walked about the room, motioning with her hands as she went, though she holding onto the blanket about her.
"My Commander, secretary and I would have never survived Breakwater without your medical expertise. For just that, I could put in a good word and ensure a place for you if you wanted it."
Fate reached out to hold Mr. Dark's hands. She stopped and hid her hands under her blanket.
"You're so much more than the doctor of an Okama and his pointless crew. Come with us, Mr. Dark, and you could be so much more."
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Post by Kuro on May 31, 2013 14:52:57 GMT -5
When the blades proved less-than-fatal and Kara began disassembling the mechanical creature, it reared its head and shook it this way and that to try and shake him off. As it did so, it started "speaking" again in a calm voice, its voicebox not yet taken out. "You have been classified as an sentient intruder or an extremely competent type of vermin. If you are the former, than cease and desist if you wish to be imprisoned rather than die. If you are the latter, then please listen closely to the following noise."
And at that moment, the robot made a loud, oh so very loud and so very high-pitched screech. It sounded as if someone was trying to make the ears of all who heard it bleed or for the brain between the ears to just explode. Nothing actually exploded, but the noise was still being amplified over and over by the size of the room. It continued to thrash around, careful to not destroy any pipes with its blades but trying to either shake the vermin off of cut and stab it with the blades on its back.
Mr. Dark had no visible reaction as he listened to what Fate said. When she finished talking, Mr. Dark did not immediately respond. He thought, as always. To go with Fate...to be with the only one he could ever truly understand beyond soulless analysis and formula. As much as he had not expected or even thought of such a possibility, Fate had become important to him in her own way. Many things, many factors, events and people were important to him, but they were just that: Factors. Fate was an anomaly. She was something else entirely. Morgana Fate was important to him; not Fate the Marine Captain, not Fate the Sword-weilder, not Fate the Enemy, but only Fate.
He couldn't lose her. Not when he had not thought of anyone like that in so long.
But his mind was cold and calculating, never one to act in the rush of the moment. What would he gain from joining the Marines? While his idea of justice was similar to their ideal of Absolute Justice, they were not the same. He could not be corrupted by human taint and flaw. Were he to join the Marines, his superiors in rank would be corrupted and would forgo justice in favor of their own selfish desires. He would not work for such people; they deserved to be under the heel of his boot or begging at his feet. He would not work for such disgusting, pathetic trash. The crew did not fully follow his beliefs, but given time and help, they would. They would do exactly as he would dictate. In such a small group with him as the leader-behind-the-scenes, corruption would not be such a hindrance.
And yet...was Fate worth more?
"...I want to. I want to come with you, Fate, but at the moment, I cannot. I will join you one day, but not this day. I must still be with this crew for now. I hold no affection for them, but there is a mystery that must be solved for the good of all. Somehow, that crew has done so much again and again. I will admit that I only heard of them after their alleged involvement in Regala, but once I looked into the archives of various countries and interviewed several people in order to know more about them, I found that they were so much more. They were significantly involved in the revolution of Alabasta, defied one of the greatest strongholds of the Navy, and caused havoc in Water 7, all with but one death on their side.
After discovering this, I intercepted them at a place called Rougeski and began traveling with them, not as their crewmate but as a spectator to their actions, only barely ever helping them. I had every intent to simply analyse their strengths and abandon them once they were of no use, but they never died. They attacked the most outlandish environments and foes and yet they never failed. No matter what insurmountable odds appeared, they triumphed when they should not have. Their crew has strong members, such as Wolf and Takai and Kizuna, but even then they never died when they should have. Whenever an obstacle appeared, they overcame it without fail save for one or two occasions leading to a temporary disbanding of the crew. They should have failed years ago...so why didn't they?"
He had been focusing his sight on Fate for the entire time, his voice never failing to change pitch or tone.
"There is a great power in that crew. They are an unstoppable force, and to let them run about according to their own misguided direction would not only be foolish, but a waste of potential. I must use their power for justice. I do not yet have complete control over them, but I must if I am to punish all who deserve it. This crew is a weapon, and I have every intent to refine and use it to the best of its ability."
After that, he quietly looked at Fate for a few moments before sighing.
"...I do not doubt your crew's power. The power of your group matters little in my desire to join it. Even if you three were but of the lowest Marine rank, I would join you. I have not enjoyed anything for years and do not expect to, even when with you. But to work with you is what I desire."
He had expected her to hold his hands when reaching out for them and was somewhat disappointed when she did not. He looked at his own, one gloved and the other not, before looking up at Fate.
"I will join you. But not yet. That is the truth. At this point...I cannot lie to you."
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Post by CJ on Jun 1, 2013 23:27:11 GMT -5
Fate was disappointed.
It was only to be expected. This was a huge decision and she couldn't have thought Mr. Dark would jump at the chance to join them so suddenly. In a way though, it might have been good. They were friendly now but there was still some tension between them after all they said and did during and before Breakwater. In a brief moment, she looked toward the blanket stapled on the window. She entertained the thought of tearing it off again and burning herself to death to avoid the embarrassment of it all.
Instead, she fell back onto the rocking chair and tried to talk business, at least to get her mind off the matter.
"You know, the World Government knows that the Phantom Hawks weren't the ones responsible for Regala as well. They keep up the lie because they're more afraid of what Roger did after the matter."
Fate held her hands in lap and looked into the flames of one of the candles.
"From what I understand, the Okama and his friends have been utilizing abilities we've never seen before, not from a Devil Fruit or Haki. His friend, this Takai, has no problem being obvious about it, which raises some petty concern, but Roger himself keeps it at bay. You'd never know anything was wrong about the kid, except his Okama lifestyle of course. The liar.
"I don't mean to think the child has any ill intentions. Yeah, he's a liar through and through but so are the rest of his kind. The problem lies in the fact that Roger and Hilbrand Zuberi have had their minds manipulated by the Devil Fruit of the traitor Former Lieutenant Ward Asperio, as I found out when I encountered him before Breakwater. My guess is that he somehow forced them to want to abandon their old crew in favor of this new, more significant one. Trade a worthless fishwoman for a giant mech? A cat for a cunning warrior? It's speculation on my part but it seems all too clear there's some kind of goal that's way over Roger's head, especially with Karalisk Valdiensk XVIII constantly showing up on their radar. Dravosk is an outlier but the rest of the crew has immense potential for destruction."
She sighed and rocked back in the chair, almost tipping back onto the floor.
"I hope you'll be able to do what we couldn't to control Roger and his crew, Mr. Dark. We might be future allies, as you say, or fate might have another destiny for us. Either way I can't use my Haki now to remove Asperio's influence over their minds. It's up to you to save them or abandon them to be influenced by Asperio and perhaps accomplish something worse than Regala. I trust you'll do what's right."
It seemed Fate was picking up on Mr. Dark's habit of making long winded speeches. She sighed and actually smiled at him, though caught herself and put on her typical serious look.
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Post by Mise™ on Jun 4, 2013 12:52:20 GMT -5
"[Inaudible]!" Prince Karalisk tried to yell something as the robotic snake started making this horrible noise, but his voice couldn't been heard even if there was someone here trying to listen. However it wasn't really hard to guess what he was saying, what ever you are guessing is probably right.
The horrible noise made His Highness feel dizzy and his ears bleed, but he quickly recovered as he stuffed his ears inside his ear canals so that he couldn't hear much anymore. Now all there was left to disassemble rest of the robot and then stuff it in his pockets and then move onwards in this pipe maze maybe finally getting access to the control room.
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Post by Kuro on Jun 4, 2013 16:31:50 GMT -5
The snake writhed and writhed, but to no avail. Since the blades, noise, and thrashing about had all not worked, it had no way to defend itself. Soon enough, thanks to Kara's efforts it became little more than scrap to be collected. Once that was all said and done, there were several exits leading out of the room but the biggest one was the one from which the creature had come forth. The other exits only ended up going in loops or dead ends, so in the end the prince would go through that "hallway" one way or another.
After another while of going through sweltering steam and burning metal, the prince would finally find himself where he wanted to be: The control room.
Unlike everything else Kara had gone through, this room was not made out of pipes. The walls, ceilings and floor were cold, hard metal with only a few, small pipes appearing here and there. Gauges, labels, and valves lined every wall except for the one opposite the entrance, where there was instead a large desk and several large monitors, one or two for every room and the deck, but not the labyrinth. The desk was covered in lights, levers and buttons, all doubtless part of some sort of way to pilot the ship. There was no one to man the controls, however. Instead, the room held several robots, some checking on the gauges, some operating the desk, and others looking blankly at the monitors.
The manner of the robots changed once Kara made it into the room. Hearing him, they all turned around at the sound and looked straight at the intruder, the ones at the desk turning back to their work. The others all emitted the same message in response to the event.
"This area is not meant for any living beings. It is a maintenance room only. There is no need to check up on the inhabitants of the room, for all piloting is automated by robots. Since the only passage to this room is through the inner workings of the ship or hidden entrance in the office of the great, amazing, brilliant, absolutely incredible, unbelievably suave and awe-inspiring Jackal, we have ample reason to assume that you came through inner workings, which would require much dedication, which means you did not come through mistake. You are judged to have ill intent; prepare to die with the well-proven evidence of why you should."
click
click
click
Three panels, one on each wall on Kara's sides and one on the ceiling, all opened up and out of each one a nozzle appeared alongside with a small match.
In seconds, an inferno appeared where Kara was, the result of three flamethrowers going off at once at the same target. They were also able to move around if necessary; the robots continued on with their work regardless of flame, unaffected by the whole thing and returning to their duties.
Mr. Dark listened to Fate's theories in silence and took note of what she said. When she smiled, he made no reaction behind his mask and bandages, but he kept a mental image of the moment locked away in his mind. He had not seen such a smile from her before, and it was not certain if he would see such a smile again for some time. The upward contortion of the edges of her lips was important, but he did not know why. Perhaps it was because of how he tended to see himself in her. When she smiled, he saw that he was nowhere in the emotion. Since he could think of few reasons as to why he would ever display any pretense of true happiness or friendliness, to see her actually smile showed that she was different in some ways. In that brief moment, he saw something unique in her. He saw someone similar to himself do something he could never do.
He saw something better. And as he thought more on it, he was not sure if he was to appreciate or resent it.
"What you say on Asperio is interesting. In order to study and perhaps counteract such mind control as effectively as possible, I will require as much data as you can give on the subject. When the control was first established, whether or not there are known ways of fighting it, etc.
While the motivations of disbanding the Phantom Hawks are unclear, the formation of a new crew is not as much a strategic move as it is a matter of chance. I loathe to attribute anything to such a concept, but I know for a fact that it is not as planned-out as theorized. Some time after the Phantom Hawks disbanded, I found Kusu wandering a town by herself. I had heard of a young teenager claiming to be the leader of the infamous Phantom Hawks and spent some time tracking down the subject of these rumors. When I found her, I offered my assistance. I would help her make a new crew for the adventures she loved so much. The two of us arrived at Jubilee Island not long after and it was there that chance came into play.
We did not seek anyone out in particular. We did not specifically look for a robot and a tribal. I looked for those of power, but I had no idea who those people would end up being. On one island, most of the crew that now exists meet each other and join forces. In some sort of grand display of coincidence and chance, Kusu is soon surrounded by powerful beings. She naturally attracts those of power without even trying; potential crew members of great power continually appear in her path throughout life for to recruit. Where she goes, power exists. Karalisk is not even a member of crew and has little connection to be with it and yet, he appears in our path time and time again to be used.
Kusu did not trade out a crew. When she gave up Sam, the fishwoman, and Morrison, the cat, she did not do that out of the intention of obtaining Wolf and Lynwood. I created this very iteration of the crew alongside her with no other factor present. She does not seek out any power, for she would be willing to recruit a dog if she thought it could provide fun. She naturally attracts powerful people, which is a talent that must be utilized in the best way."
He stood up and took off his hat, which was the one he had been wearing in Breakwater. It was singed and the edges torn, but still having a very large rim and being very wearable. It was likely to protect anyone's face from the sun. He handed it to Fate with his gloved hand, offering the remains of his right hand in a handshake.
"I know that neither of us could forget the other, but nevertheless I would like you to have this. I do not know why I offer it to you, but I assume it would serve to protect your face from the sun. While not as good as a motorcycle helmet, this is able to protect your face while showing it for all to see. It will assist you by making you used to not hiding your face in public without being burned. Change can sometimes better as a gradual process instead of one sudden moment. I also have an extra hat, so I will not be harmed. I can think of little reason as to why you should deny the practical gift, so please take it."
Please. Why would he say that? He had no need of the word; if she did not want to accept his generous gift, then that was his own fault. He had no reason to desire her to accept.
...Did he?
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Post by CJ on Jun 6, 2013 22:54:58 GMT -5
"The answer is Haki," Fate said and crossed her arms. "And Roger doesn't have that. It's how I've been able to fight it and why I was able to confront him when I did and my subordinates could only watch. If you want my notes though, maybe you could figure something out."
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a notebook and tore out a few pages. Marking them by numbers to help Mr. Dark analyze them, she continued talking, looking up occasionally.
"I can't believe you met those people by chance. That day in Jubilee..."
Stopping in her writing, she placed her hand on her forehead in disbelief.
"I really wish you were lying. Things would make so much more sense. That day changed everything. To think he and you... you never planned it."
Hesitating for a long while, she studied Mr. Dark's hat in her hands. Despite enduring the events at Breakwater, it still held together. In fact, it still looked quite good. For a brief moment, she could actually picture herself wearing it.
"Are you sure?" she asked cautiously, gripping the hat in her hand. She offered her own hand.
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Post by Mise™ on Jun 8, 2013 23:08:36 GMT -5
"Well that's fucking that." Having finished dealing with the snake robot Karalisk made his way onward, still trying to reach the controls of this marvelous flying ship. While walking forwards the prince pulled out his ears from his ear canals and stitched up some of his wounds. Eventually the pipes thinned out quite a bit and the surroundings got a lot cooler as the prince found himself in another room, vastly different than the one before. There were some robots as well telling, His Highness that he wasn't supposed to be here, which was just wrong; this was exactly where Karalisk was supposed to be. As if it hadn't been hot before in the pipe maze now things were really heating up as three flamethrowers set the prince in fire. Karalisk just stood there stoically. The look on his face was the usual, stupid, smug grin he always had on his face, despite being literally in flames. "So this is the fucking control room... Fucking finally." Karalisk said as he looked at the controls. The robots were the last thing that stood in his way so that the prince could reach his goal, all he had to do was take them out. "Fourteenth Generation - Royal Scorching Fist." Prince announced his fighting style, mimicking his ancestor from three generations ago, Karalisk XIV, known to use self-immolation as the base of his fighting style as a way to increase the damage of his attacks. Today his descendant didn't set himself on fire, but it really did not matter much. The prince took a rather bizarre looking fighting stance for this style. The style was very clearly offensive in nature, no point in defending when you are burning to crisp. His Highness had to be careful not to destroy the controls when taking out the robots, however he wasn't going to be as gentle as he was with the snake; it would be hard to reassemble the robots once Karalisk would be done with them. And soon the prince ran next to the first robot and kicked. However the kick wasn't going to hit, instead he shot out the some of the flames on himself, like a flamethrower, towards the robot. Then he would follow through all the robots as well as the turrets that shot him in the first place and whatever other defenses and nasty surprises this room might hold.
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Post by Hitotsumami on Jun 9, 2013 9:21:29 GMT -5
Wolf found himself near the very front of the flying airship on the upper deck. He'd been wandering for a while now, just taking in the sights and keeping his thoughts to himself. He didn't know what to expect in Victoria, but he knew he had to be prepared. It was a place that might give him knowledge of his previous life. It might get him closer to finding out who, and what, he really was.
Inside his body, his steel exterior, he could still feel a monster churning inside him. Fenrir the Wolf, one of the ancient weapons, had been sealed within his body as a host, and even now it begged to be released so it could spread havoc. But he could not let it get control. This airship would end up the same way the Hyperion did if he let it have its way.
Wolf stood on the railing of the airship, looking out over the wide ocean and sky. He needed some air. He chuckled, realizing that he didn't breathe, and that made him even more uncomfortable.
"Well, time to fly."
Wolf leaned forward and he dropped off the side of the airship. Immediately, he activated his rockets and zoomed through the air in circles, following close by to the airship. Oh, flying was one of the few good things Wolf enjoyed about being a cyborg. It really gave him the ultimate feeling of freedom.
After a few moments he flew his way back on top of the airship and landed with a slight thud. Checking his fuel, he saw he had spent a quarter, but he knew also that it would regenerate on its own with time. He would need every bit of fuel, too, for he didn't know what he was going to face.
He had to be ready. But he had to hold back as well.
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Post by KaosuKishi on Jun 9, 2013 12:23:42 GMT -5
Takai and Kizuna had remained silent thorughout the meeting with...Jackal, was it? And until they had been led/taken to the airship. Jackal was confusing to Takai. He seemed to have somewhat noble intentions, but he knew that such intentions often had ulterior motives beneath them. He decided to hold back on judging him until he had more information. There was something else that bothered him, anyway. No, it wasn't the fact that Kizuna had his arm squeezed between her rather large breasts while holding it as they walked through the halls of the airship, though it was a little distracting. During his fight with the robots, he felt something off about his blade, and he had just realized what it was. Tri-Edge had been with him since his birth. According to his many-times-great-grandfather Ladon, it had been created from a crystallized piece of his soul, like all other dragonic weapons were. It had always been a part of him, but during that fight, and now...it felt, wrong, like it wasn't his blade anymore, and it irritated him... Another thing came to his mind as he gazed at the feathery white and black wings on his back. Since Jackal seemed to be VERY well-informed, he and Kizuna hadn't bothered with hiding their unique features anymore. Back to his thoughts: his wings were fine, his flight abilities were amazing in maneuverability, but he lacked one thing during flight: SPEED! He'd need to think of something. The 'Kousoku' ability of his Light Side was good, but it could only be used in a straight line. Still, he would be able to use it as a base... The enemies were getting stronger with each fight, and he needed to evolve so he and his family would be fine... He was shaken out of his thoughts as Kizuna pulled on his arm leading him over to Kalen and the spider girl who he had seen in the office earlier. They were obviously having a moment in this window-filled room and Takai didn't want t disturb them, but he knew that once Kizuna decided on something, it was impossible to change her mind... Slwoing their pace down, they approached the pair. "It's good to see you're well, Kalen. It seems you had a small adventure of your own back there." He said, smiling softly. He glanced Kalen's companion, studying her. "It's been over a year since I saw one of your kind. Say, were you the one who took care of our friend?"Kizuna meanwhile, scooted closer to Kalen, whispering into his ear. "I can tell you like her. Have you asked her out yet?" She asked with mischeivous smile on her face. Takai heard her words and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was always the same... OOC: Yeah, I know, it's been a while. My weekly work schedule is draining my creative juices, but I was able to relax the past three days, so it's been a little beter...Hope this longer-than-usual post makes up a little. BTW, I'll need an enemy that shatters Takai's sword later on... OMAKE (basically, a scene I never got to use and prolly never will): Takai sat on the floor of the ship's deck, his legs crossed and eyes closed, his face tensed in concentration.
Watching him intently was an old man, his great-grandfather Ladon. They were training on how to combine Light and Darkness to creat Chaos energies.
"Remember," Ladon said, "while you can make Light and Darkness work together, you cannot make them work as one, yet. Right now, they just swirl around each other, but they need to flow into each other and become one, signified by the silver light of this sacred power."
Takai gave no sign of having heard him, but in his palms appeared two spheres, one white, one black, which slowly, but steadily flowed into each other, soon leaving behind a single silver sphere. Ladon grinned.
"Well done, young one, you have just take the first step into a world larger than anything you've ever imagined."
Takai smiled, though his concentration never wavered. Suddenly, a loud "SQUWEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" went through the entire ship, startling Takai.
The sphere distorted and then disappeared in a flash. Taka looked at Ladon incofusion, who stared at th where the sphere had been before. "What the heck happened just now? Where did the sphere go?"
Ladon smirked "Congratulations, your first attempt at making Chaos energy caused the sphere to punch through the barriers of time and space. The sphere will go to another world. Quite a feat, I gotta say."
Takai's eyes widened. "WHAT?! But, what if it hits something?! I remember you telling me how destructive the power of Chaos is!!"
Ladon chuckled. "Don't worry. At the size this sphere had, it'll cause nothing that wouldn't look like the prank of someone completely random."
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Meanwhile, in another world, the sphere appeared through a tear in the sky and fell to the ground, hitting what looked like a pink horse, right as an earth-shattering boom shook everything and a rainbow flowed across the sky. The little horse's mane sprung up, looking completely frazzled, and a huge grin adorned its face. Turning that grinto the sky, it waved at seemingly nothing. "Thank you, Mr. Dragon!!" A girlish voice exclaimed, coming from the horse-like creature.
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Back with Takai and Ladon, a shiver ran across their backs.
"Gramps, I have a feling that I just caused something wonderful, yet highly irritating."
Ladon nodded. "I hope this won't come back to bite us in the ass later."
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In yet another world, a chubby young man was staring at his computer screen in disbelief.
"Where the heck did that come from? I didn't write that!!" Suddenly a pink hoof held his mouth closed, and the same girlish voice, though somewhat older-sounding, whispered next to his ear.
"Shh, say no more, and you won't get any problems. Now, let's party, shall we?"
The man whimpered, feeling both fear and anticipation, hoping to all gods there were that she wasn't in THAT personality then and there.... /spoiler]
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jun 9, 2013 17:50:04 GMT -5
"Oh! Ah, hello Kizuna, Takai, it's good to see you too! Isn't this whole place amazing? It's like a big flying building, I've never seen anything like it!"
Kalen could not mask his amazement when Takai and Kizuna showed up on the scene, though his happiness to see them was of a comparable level. It all seemed like an amazing new world to the shepherd boy, and there was nothing better than to have other people there to share it with. Of course he couldn't help but hear what Takai had to say to Silver, but he tried not to dwell on it.
He knew Silver was different of course, but from what little he knew, he was under the impression that Takai and Kizuna were not entirely normal themselves. They were a couple, yes, but he still was unaware of where Kizuna had actually come from. She just showed up one day on the ship alongside Takai, in place of the strange fox he had with him before that. Thus, overtime Kalen had come to assume that either she could change shape, or Takai had done that to her. Either way, he wrote it off as magic, and assumed the both of them to be sorcerers. Whatever the case, he didn't have much time to think about it because of Kizuna sidling up to him to whisper something.
"Asked her out where?"
Kalen had a look of utmost confusion, and Kizuna may as well have been speaking an alien language. Having come from an older part of the world, a simpler place, Kizuna's relationship lingo escaped Kalen's understanding. Largely the boy was bewildered, though he tried to understand her as best he could.
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Post by Kuro on Jun 10, 2013 20:32:00 GMT -5
Lynwood and Jackal had been dancing and dancing for what seemed like forever. The Victorian had been able to match Lynwood's original speed and tempo after some time, so now they were going as quickly and smoothly as her original solo movements. Jackal had never gone beyond humming when it came to the singing, but for him that was just fine. He hadn't been thinking of the time at all as he moved and vocalized with Lynwood. The numbers weren't flying about in his head as they usually did, for he was focusing on the moment at hand. It was nothing more than circular movements and particular tones of voice, but he felt so calm and giddy at the same time, not even noticing the spectacular sight of Wolf flying in the background. It was more than a pleasant experience. He knew that he would cherish this moment for a long time.
In the midst of these content thoughts, something else sparked in his mind. A different thought.
Yes, yes...that could...no, it was outlandish, it was insane...no...no, that might work out nicely. Yes, yes...that would work.
At one point in the movements though, he saw the Arkady logo staring at him, aloft in the sky. With great reluctance and feeling as if the time they just had was not long enough, he slowly slowed his movements, waiting until both he and Lynwood were not dancing anymore to point ahead. "And there it is. My homeland...Victoria. Some say that there is no end to the world. They haven't seen this."
The clouds had parted by now, the sky clear of such white fluff. With nothing to obstruct their vision, he, Lynwood, and Wolf could perfectly see what was in the distance. It was a gleaming, white wall that barred the entire horizon. Even in the sky, whether one looked left or right or up, there was no end to the wall in any direction, and there was no sign of it curving or stopping; it was all one flat end to the sky, sea, and everything. Here, all hopes, dreams, and futures of the horizon were cut off and owned by Arkady Industries with its signature logo plastered on.
As if it was levitating in the sky, a giant version of the logo was on the wall, staring right at the inhabitants of the ship, as if it could see its every nook and cranny. Jackal was largely unaffected by the sight, but there might be something unsettling of a giant, twisted sort of eye in the sky staring at you.
"Ah, I haven't been home in so long. It might seem fantastic on the outside, but just wait until we get past the wall. A land of gold and silver, robotic servants to do your every whim, a land where you can know that you are of the people who hold the most money and power in the world and that your word can topple countries. A land free of savage touch and home to only those who are at the very top of Arkadian society. A land of gods...and it will be mine."
He looked at Lynwood. "I mean that in the best way, of course. Were it to fall into anyone else's hands, they would either be too incompetent or corrupt to use its power wisely. With me, Victoria will launch the entire world into a new age instead of keeping new, helpful technology to itself. I must be in control or else everything will fall apart. Only I am able to do this right. It is my burden, but one that I will bear proudly."
The smile in his voice matched the smile on his mask now. "Aren't you excited that you will soon be in such a place? You will be the first outsiders to ever breach those walls, and if you want I can make it so that you are the first one to take the steps onto such glorious soil. Oh, i'm sorry, I mean ground. There hasn't been any dirty soil in Victoria for decades, silly me. Oh, you will love it there. The ship should take us to the hidden entrance soon enough."
The flame spread around the room, enveloping the robots and catching onto the turrets. However, the smooth, gleaming metallic surfaces of the technological creatures weren't affected. They stood in place, not harmed at all. Instead, the turrets shot out even more flame, the fire not affecting the controls, and the robots had curved blades come out of their arms, not allowed to risk shooting the controls. They all lunged at Kara and sliced and diced in an attempt to neutralize the threat, not realizing just how dangerous this enemy could be.
Silver smiled at Takai and Kizuna when she saw them coming and did a tiny, reluctant wave in their direction. She had only seen them in Jackal's office, but they had appeared to be nice. She was still hesitant to trust them as she was hesitant to trust any strangers in this new world, but they were friends of Kalen's, so they could not be that terrible...she hoped.
When Takai began looking at her in particular, she stepped back a little, intimidated by his staring at her. When she heard what he said, she blinked. "One of my kind...? So I am not the only one who looks like this? I had never seen such people in the pictures and magazines that ended up in my home. I had assumed that I was special...I suppose not.
And yes, I did help Kalen when he swam through the water. Still, he helped me more though. He made me smile and...brought me here. Actually, i'm not sure whether or not I would rather be here or back home. But I know that I will be safe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Take this hat and know that by the next time we meet, I will have made progress in securing control of the power in this crew. They will be several steps closer to being tools of punishment. One day, when this crew has been used to its fullest extent or there is some need for me to leave this crew for a time being, I will join you. Your offer and my desire to be on your crew is reason enough for me to go, but I must not waste the potential there."
He shook her hand with his own, ungloved one. He had not done such a thing in so long. It had been years since he had last touched someone with his own flesh. He was pleased that she had taken his gift. There was a part of him that couldn't wait for the time when he could travel alongside her.
"The ship should arrive at our location in some small number of hours, at which point you and your friends will leave. There is much that we could speak of, but is there something that you would like to speak on? How would you desire to conclude our business for the time being, unless you wished to talk for the rest of the trip?"
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