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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 16:06:05 GMT -5
Swift's ears folded back. "Yep. Yep, that's what I thought. I what I hoped WOULDN'T FREAKING HAPPEN!"
"So that's why those freaks have been gathering in the graveyard?" Ace questioned. "I guess the possibility of collecting souls is one thing, but THIS?"
Andromeda lowered her head. Aether merely sighed and said, "It's difficult to deduce whether this was inevitable or if our presence led them here. Either way, we are, as of right now, the first line of defense against these monsters."
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 16:19:59 GMT -5
Chrys offered a sigh. "So any known weaknesses of these things?" She asked. "Count me in on saving my current home."
She seemed surprisingly at ease with the whole situation. At least on the Surface she was calm, inside a storm was brewing.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 16:34:19 GMT -5
"Weaknesses, if nothing else..." Evan replied. "Light will weaken them, and a sharp enough stab in the soft spot between the neck and shoulder will disrupt their forms long enough to take them out for a day or so. Other than that... there's no surefire way to kill them."
"Yeah, but shining a few flashlights at every tendril of darkness we find ain't gonna ward 'em off forever!" Patrick insisted. "If there was ever a time to find a way to get rid of 'em once and for all, it's NOW!"
Toby just nodded, looking away from the group... waiting for them to address the other thing bothering him.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 21:10:42 GMT -5
"Heck yeah!" Swift loudly agreed with Patrick, slamming a fist on the table. "There's gotta be a way we're just not getting! Even souls in their most basic form can be destroyed, right?"
"It won't be easy..." Aether nodded slightly. "But whatever it takes to stop them will be worth it."
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 21:31:06 GMT -5
"For once I agree with the wolf," Chrys offered her attention turned to Toby. "Okay. What's eating at your shadow?" She asked in a concerned tone.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 21:52:24 GMT -5
"There's bound to be some way to do it..." Evan pondered. He then looked up at Toby. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
Toby cringed slightly at Chrys's choice of words. He knew she didn't mean anything by it, but it still hit a little close to home. And now everyone was staring at him again. Great.
"Um..." Toby awkwardly cleared his throat. "Y-Yeah, I... I-It seems to me like they believe... that I'm the biggest threat to their plan."
"Well, given the power you share with them, it would make a lot of sense," Darien meekly offered.
"Y-Yeah... I-I met some new friends there who helped me fight them off. Afterwards, they pulled me aside and ran some kinda test on me... hoping they could figure out why I have this connection with them." He turned away slightly, staring at his hand. "I-I'm not sure... but... I think... I-I think my body might be made of shadow."
"Whoa, what...?" Patrick asked in a much more subdued tone. "Does that make no sense to anyone else or is it just me?"
Trust me, Patrick, I find this dubious at best myself... Van offered.
"But... how can that be?" Jen questioned. "Wendy and Laura tested you after your first transformation and... genetically speaking, they determined you were human."
"Yeah, well, most Præt'nos were human once too!" Toby snapped.
"But their human guises are projections with no genetic material!" Jen retorted, matching his tone. "You have a body, Toby. You grew up and developed in a natural human progression. Now... whether or not your DNA is literal shadow is questionable, especially since the girls never picked it up."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 22:01:05 GMT -5
"Yeah, that's, uh... That sounds a little weird," Swift offered. "I mean, I get that the Præt'nos are made of shadow, but if your body was made of shadow... n-no offense, but wouldn't you look more like them in your default form? Or at least... devoid of light or color or something?"
"That's a fair point, actually." Ace tapped her chin. "So... human on a genetic level... but the physical matter is infused with shadow, maybe?"
"Not to detract from the theories behind your biological nature, but I'm personally more interested in how exactly the Præt'nos see you as a threat," Aether gently stated.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 22:09:29 GMT -5
Chrys nodded. "Toby. You're human. That will to fight against these things- That shows you have a heart some where inside of you and you believe in doing right. And I for one will follow through hell if I have to," she offered. "And I am a rider of my word."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 22:22:10 GMT -5
"Yeah, man," Evan agreed. "You've proven time and again that regardless of what you are, you're gonna fight these guys."
"I-I know. I just..." Toby sank a little. "Now that they're stepping up their game, I'm worried what this influx of darkness will do to me."
"Well, maybe there is some sort of physical reaction going on here, but maybe it's not as drastic an effect as you think. You said yourself that they see you as a threat," Darien offered.
"Um... Y-Yeah..." Toby looked up again and nodded slightly. "I guess because I can manipulate their shadows even though I'm not a P... part of their hive mind. Melancholic even called me-"
"Zhe Anomaly."
There was a simultaneous jump amongst the group as they all turned to face the intruder. Evan pulled out the Paramount Key, Carter shot to his feet and barked, Darien cocked a pistol, Patrick charged up an abjuration spell...
"Vhoa, vhoa, easy, everyvone!" Enlightenment laughed, raising her hands defensively. "Let's not shoot zhe messenger, ja?"
"Y-You again...?!" Toby yelped, finding himself more scared than defensive.
"You know this girl?" Jen asked, gently lowering Darien's arm and the gun he held in it.
"She's one of them..."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 22:29:51 GMT -5
Like the others, Swift and Ace had quickly taken on defensive postures the moment they heard Enlightenment's voice. The former looked particularly antsy, considering she hadn't even sensed her coming...
"Oh, great!" Swift griped. "So now we get to hear the ultimatums, huh?"
"Ma'am... I would insist that we remain civil," Aether stated, despite also taking a stance against the Præt'nos girl. "Though I must warn you, if you're here to negotiate with us, you'll be walking on eggshells. We know your stance. We're not exactly on board with your mistress's grand plan."
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 22:34:37 GMT -5
Chrys growled at the intruder. "Deliver your message and then get out of here before you're on the business end of a gunblade," she warned.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 22:50:30 GMT -5
Enlightenment giggled at the various displays of distrust being thrown at her. "Making plans to defeat us, are ve?"
"Maybe we are," Evan grumbled, Carter still snarling by his side.
"Zhat's cute." As she stepped closer to the group, arms folded behind her back, Enlightenment nodded to Evan and politely stated, "As a general kindness, I vould suggest you put zhat avay, Herr Anders. You're only tempting me."
Evan scowled at her and captchalogued the key. She had given him the warning shot. Might as well run with it.
"No need to vorry, mein pasty-faced friends. I'm not here to bargain. I'm simply here to offer some advice on behalf of General Sanguine." Enlightenment stopped in front of Toby, playfully pinching his cheek. "First of all, he's very impressed with your performance last night, and he's quite excited to see vhat else you're capable of! Perhaps even more so zhan I am!"
Toby angrily swatted her hand away. "D-Don't touch me."
"Vell zhen..." She then turned to address the group as a whole. "I sure Toby has explained to you vhat ve are trying to do. I von't deny it. He heard mein general and his moody accomplice loud and clear. But... heheh..."
She leaned over the table, a dangerous grin on her face.
"You must realize zhat Mistress Desire is already here. Zhe assimilation is already in progress. Rallying forces to fight us now vould be like marching cattle to the slaughter."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 22:55:40 GMT -5
"Yap, yap, yap!" Swift was hearing none of this. "Look, if you're just here to taunt us like a stereotypical villain henchman, you can shove it! We're not about to be scared away from this fight by a little girl!"
"Seriously, either offer us something productive or just leave us alone," Ace snarled. "This changes nothing."
Even Andromeda had to nod in agreement with the hanyo and the fallen.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 23:20:47 GMT -5
"Cayosin di xarzith. Confn forth," she muttered as an ice colored summoning circle showed behind her and to the left slightly. Her hand dipped in and soon pulled out what looked like a frosted version of Squall Leonhart's gunblade with the blade shaped like a dragon's head. Her eyes flashed silver.
"This mistress of yours has no hold here," Chrys threatened as she stood up. "You are not welcomed here, Enlightenment."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 23:43:05 GMT -5
"Oh-ho-hooo... Entschuldigung!" Enlightenment laughed, smiling wildly down Chrys's gunblade. "No need for hostilities! As I said, I am only here as a courtesy!"
"Well, it's pretty obvious that no one here's gonna change their mind about anything," Evan firmly stated. "So just say whatever it is you're here to say and let us get back to our business."
"If you insist, Keymaster." Enlightenment took a few steps back so she was right next to Toby. "You have some time. Zhe assimilation is a slow process, particularly for a land zhis big. You have time. Hard to say how much time, but time nonezheless. Vhile you're vaiting for your inevitable demise, you might vant to get zhis boy trained up!" She patted Toby on the head, earning a twitch from him with each gentle touch. "Zhere's still so much power he has to unlock!"
"Why would you care if he's such a threat to the stability of your system?" Darien asked lowly.
"Well, zhe mental resistance is a bit of an issue..." Enlightenment continued to ruffle Toby's hair. "...but he's more like us zhan you give him credit for."
"Sh-Shut up!" Toby finally wrenched away. "Don't talk like I'm just gonna defect when this all blows over! I get that I have you guys' powers, but so long as I do, I'm gonna use them against you!"
"And zhat's vhy you're zhe anomaly." Enlightenment stared deep into Toby's bright green eyes. "It's fascinating, really... to think zhat our darkness flows through someone zhat both manipulates and resists it..."
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