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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 20, 2018 18:40:52 GMT -5
"Okay, I've heard enough. DCstuck's unofficial leader did not proclaim himself the leader just because he wanted to be a boss," Arti said, spinning around a fiery pan. "Swift's got some kick-ass new powers and an even more kick-ass tat, but..."
With a spin and a dab, Arti's outfit shifted into what appeared to be a needlessly edgy, black, pink, and green version of his regular Knight of Light outfit. "I modified my god rags. I'm gonna scout and see if I can't apply some light force to the problem."
With a warcry of "PASTA POWER!" Arti charged, only to crash into the wall next to the door. "I meant to do that." And then he managed to actually go out the door.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 21, 2018 16:53:39 GMT -5
"Uhhhhh..." Evan blankly watched Arti haphazardly depart, confused as to what exactly the disconcerting young man intended to do but deciding that it was probably best not to ask. "O-Okay. See ya, Arti."
Elsa stared at the door, then she shot a smirk and a thumbs-up to those still present in the apartment. "We're in good hands."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Carter mumbled.
Evan sighed and shook his head. "Alright, so... bottom line, tomorrow we go talk to catboy and see if he can help us with the wyrms, cure Patrick, fix me and figure out what's going on with Swift. If there's no dice on the latter in particular, Swift can take a crew to go check out the other temples."
"Sounds like a plan, man!" Elsa chimed as she promptly started making her way down the hall. "If we're all wrapped up here, I needs me a shower! Gotta be fresh for the a**-kicking ahead!"
"No problem." Once Elsa had disappeared into the bathroom, Evan looked up at Ace and continued, "In the meantime, someone should probably keep an eye on Pat in case he wakes up and goes berserk again. Given my... unique position, I wouldn't mind taking on that role."
"I don't suppose you'd want some company?" Carter offered.
"I'd appreciate that, buddy. And then we have to take into consideration all of the cocoons we inevitably missed. For all we know, by tomorrow, we may have an entirely different variety of enemies to deal with."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 21, 2018 17:27:12 GMT -5
"Yeah, that's... probably a good idea," Ace sighed. "Guess I should find a place out here for him to sleep. Can't risk trapping any of that dust inside a closed space."
Before Ace could turn around, Swift stumbled a few steps forward and hastily asked, "W-Wait, what about Ranuen's plan to capture a dust particle for study?"
"You think we could try that tomorrow?" Ace replied apologetically. "I think rest should be our top priority right now."
"Uh... Yeah, that... That's fair."
"Thanks. I'll text you in a bit, Evan." Ace then turned away from the window and glided down into the complex courtyard.
After watching her depart, Swift turned back to the others, worried and tired. "So... we have some empty rooms for you and Elsa, Nat. Ranuen, if you feel like crashing with us, I'm... sure you can find a place to make yourself comfortable."
Then she sadly stared down at Evan, ears flat, lips pursed in an awkward grimace. "I, uh... Will you... be alright... like that... Evan?"
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Post by ColArana on Jan 21, 2018 22:20:19 GMT -5
Ranuen stared, dumbfounded, as Arti smashed first into the wall and then out the door. "Does he.... does he normally do stuff like that?" He asked in bewilderment. Even now the island continued to trip him up and confound him on occasion it'd seem.
Evan broke down the plan of operations for the next day, which Ranuen listened to closely. He then nodded in agreement. "Well. That sounds about right to me." He agreed. "Guess we will need to know as much as we can before we make a move." Evan also volunteered to watch Pat, which also seemed fair enough, and Elsa departed the group. "Right then..." When Swift offered Ranuen a sleeping place, he merely shrugged. "I'm... really fine sleeping wherever you want me to. It's not like I take up much space, right?" He glanced at Evan as Swift addressed him, and quieted down.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on Jan 22, 2018 15:55:29 GMT -5
"Heheh... I like this guy," Eric mused as he observed Arti's dorky departure.
Natale sighed, standing up to stretch and shake off the numerous concerns weighing her down. "Sounds good to me... or as good as we've got, at least." She looked between Evan and Swift. "Y'know... I don't wanna be the one to freak out about this, but... it is kinda strange, seeing you two going through these transformations."
"I know! Usually that's your thing!" Eric chuckled, oblivious to Natalie's deadpan glare as he leaped onto the couch, a tye-dye blanket in hand. "Guess I'ma crash here tonight! See you in the AM, guys!" Then he promptly curled up beneath the blanket, sleep coming to him a few short seconds later.
Opting to leave Eric be, Natalie continued, "I mean, no offense... This is just a whole new experience for me in particular. I've been spending most of today just trying to wrap my head around it. Trying to comprehend what's happening to you guys on top of everything else is just... a lot."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 22, 2018 19:45:27 GMT -5
Evan shrugged and nodded, to Ace, to Nat, to basically the situation that had been handed to him. He shakily stood up, separating his arms and legs before dejectedly staring back at Swift. "I'm... not sure if 'alright' is the proper word to describe how I feel... but..."
He looked down at his hands. He frowned with defeat. "...I'll put up with it for now. If I have to."
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Morning came sooner than likely anyone would've wanted. The sunlight shining through the looming cloud of dust bathed the island in an eerie yet warm red glow, welcoming a new day and whatever fresh hell it had in store. Temporarily oblivious to whatever chaos was occurring in the outside world, the current tenants of the Summer Snow Apartment rested peacefully, nearly refreshed and ready to jump back into his war against the creatures from the cloud.
Outside the apartment building, beneath a tree in the courtyard, rested a sickly looking young man in a muzzle, a Bernese mountain dog, and a featureless pile of blue slime.
Carter was the first to awaken, roused by birdsong among other odd, distant sounds. As he sat up and scratched his ear, he looked down at Patrick, genuinely surprised that he was still asleep. The kid must've seriously worn himself out last night. He then turned to the slime mound, grimacing with disgust. Evan had already predicted that he would melt into a mere puddle by morning, but it was still sort of unsettling to see that he was right. This new form Evan had taken on was not something Carter was going to get used to anytime soon.
He nudged the blob with his paw. "Evan?"
The slime shuddered once, producing a low, drowsy gurgling noise.
"Evan, c'mon, get up. I gotta take a piss, and I don't wanna leave this time bomb alone knowing he could go off any minute."
"Bluh... Yeah, okay, fine..." Evan muttered, still too tired to even acknowledge his amorphous shape.
Hoping he could trust the two alone long enough for him to do his business, Carter trotted away from Evan and Patrick, stopping at another nearby tree and promptly lifting his leg. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen. He had no idea how Patrick would act the moment he woke up, let alone what Evan planned on doing if he went crazy like Ace had described, but he couldn't say he was anticipating anything too drastic. In the event of the worst case scenario, whatever that was, at least he and Evan had established a contingency plan.
He heard a loud whoosh and a crunch. The air suddenly felt cold.
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Two minutes later, Carter was scratching on the door to the Summer Snow Apartment, barking up a storm, begging for attention.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 22, 2018 20:14:46 GMT -5
"..........................."
Swift felt... strange. To say the least.
It was hard to describe in exact detail the sensation she was experiencing. The only way she could was that she felt free... weightless... formless... yet at the same time, she could feel, sense, simultaneously detect absolutely everything. She felt the island itself... the flow of the chaotic energy within, the firm foundation of the earth that held it together, the pulse of life that radiated through its flora, the cool strength of the towers that rose above Void City... She felt truly at one with all of them. She was a part of them, and they, a part of her.
And though she could feel the raw power of every inch of land, every blade of grass, every sheet of steel, all of them at once... in her eyes, Swift saw a wide, cavernous chamber. A spacious room carved in ancient architecture, not unlike the temple she had visited before, illuminated by a silver glow that seemed to be emanating from where she floated. Surrounding her were four doorways, three of them clear but leading to darkened halls, one of them blocked off by a cave in.
Looking around this strange, breathtaking place, Swift quickly came to two conclusions.
One... she was not alone here.
Two... this place was in danger.
She heard a distant growl. She smelled something rusty.
Then Swift was blinded by the sharp red light of the morning sun, instantly aware of the sound of a dog barking.
"Carter...?"
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Ace trudged out of her bedroom, footsteps heavy, bags under her eyes apparent. Sleep had not come easily to her, nor had it stayed with her for long. Having long since given up on trying, the fallen angel dashed to the door in a hasty shuffle to let Carter inside. Considering the position she had left him, Evan and Patrick in, she could only assume the worst. "Carter? W-What's wrong, boy?!"
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Post by ColArana on Jan 28, 2018 3:19:49 GMT -5
The morning had come far too quickly. Ranuen groaned awake as the early light illuminated him, forcing him into a state of wakefulness. He yawned groggily, and tried to sit up. Wow, just wow. He was not used to awakening in relative safety. Most of the time when he woke up, he was 100% alert, because some predator had found him. It made him appreciate this kind of drowsiness as he finally pulled himself into a sitting posture and rubbed his eyes. Damn he'd slept like a log. He'd not suffered the strange dreams that had plagued Swift, and if he'd dreamed at all, he didn't remember it. "M-morning..." He groaned in a small voice, that he then reasoned nobody would probably hear unless they were specifically listening for him. Problems of being pint sized. You could be hard to hear.
As Ranuen's senses came to, he heard a dog barking, not far off. Ranuen didn't necessarily have inherent super senses (though perhaps a proper application of his enhancement magic could fix that, but he'd never tried it), but he did have a feel for the energy of places. And right now... something was off. He wasn't sure what it was, but something was off. Wait... dog barking? "Carter?" Ranuen groaned as he stood up, vaguely remembering the name from last night. He moved from the desk he'd been standing on and jumped off it to the floor below. It was probably pretty dangerous for him down there, when nobody else in the apartment knew where he was, but... well. Hopefully he'd manage. Nowhere near as fast as Swift due to his minuscule size, Ranuen nonetheless, began to make his progress toward the front door to see what was going on.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on Jan 28, 2018 19:05:37 GMT -5
Eric yawned, stretched and sat up off the couch, rubbing his eyes against the sunlight and smiling down at Ranuen. "Morning! Boy, I had the craziest dream last night. Mostly involving peanut butter." He then peaked over the back of the couch as Ace opened the door for the barking dog outside. "So what's up with Carter? He seems about two degrees hotter under the collar than usual."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 28, 2018 20:00:03 GMT -5
Once he had a decent enough audience, Carter turned back around and dashed down the hallway, looking back to make sure they were following him before scampering down the stairs. The door to the outside world had closed behind him upon his initial entry, forcing Carter to bounce around anxiously until someone opened it for him. Then he ran out into the field, circling around the building to the tree that he, Evan and Patrick had been stationed under.
There was no Evan. No Patrick. All that they found under the tree was a single, miniscule mound of blue slime.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 29, 2018 16:42:11 GMT -5
As Ace followed Carter out of the apartment, Swift was quick to bolt out of her room –still in her pajamas, no shoes, hair a mess– and catch up with them, scooping Ranuen up along the way. The look on both girls' face were practically mirror images of each other, equally scared of what Carter was leading them to. Knowing the position he had been in last night, knowing where they left their respective boyfriends, Swift and Ace both had a good idea of what they were find, and both could only hope they were wrong.
Soon enough, they were outside, circling around the apartment building and towards the courtyard...
Ace was the first to spot the tree and the distinct lack of familiar faces beneath it.
"No, no, NONONONONONO...!" She sped ahead, skidding to a halt and frantically looking around for either Evan or Patrick, despite knowing too well that she wasn't going to find them here. "No...! What...?! Why...?! Where...?! What happened here?!"
Swift just stared down at the small pile of blue slime no bigger than her fist, ears flat and jaw slacked in bewilderment. Then she growled to the sky and kicked the tree in frustration. "God dang it! Why didn't I stay up with him! I could've stopped this! I could've...!"
Could've what? Evan was being held hostage by his own best friend. How was she supposed to confront a threat like that?
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Post by ColArana on Jan 29, 2018 23:16:46 GMT -5
Ranuen glared down at the puddle of blue slime that had been left behind, noting pretty well, Swift's frantic, panicked state. That did not bode well, that didn't bode well at all. "Not your fault Swift." He interjected quickly. "There was no way you could have predicted this. Carter was out here too, right? Even he didn't notice anything." He stated, before glancing in Carter's direction. "Right?" He asked. They had to stay calm.... somehow. Ranuen probably had it easiest, having not known Evan until the previous night, but he could very well see how terrified Swift was. "Anyone here good at tracking? If Evan's able to, I'm sure he'd find a way to leave you all some kind of clue." He noted. "I know Swift and Carter probably have got really good senses of smell, can you two notice anything at all?" He said, trying to focus those two (especially Swift) onto something productive. Something to focus on to take her mind off her panic. "He'll be okay Swift..." Ranuen continued slowly, still staring at the puddle of blue slime.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on Jan 30, 2018 10:25:12 GMT -5
"Uh-oh..." Somehow, Eric managed to keep up with Carter and the girls despite moving at a casual stroll as opposed to their sprint. Nonetheless, when he arrived on the scene, the weight of the situation did seem to hit him, even if his reaction was comparatively subdued. With a nervous expression, he got down on his knees and sadly poked the little globule of discarded slime. "Dat's no good. Dat's just a bad time."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 6, 2018 19:37:10 GMT -5
A few short seconds after Eric poked the slime...
"BLUUUUUHHHHH...!!!"
The blob jolted and partially split horizontally, opening into a wobbly, drippy, makeshift mouth. "HOLY CRAP, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK...!"
Carter jumped slightly at the noise, then let out a sigh of relief and barked at Swift to get her attention.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 6, 2018 19:50:15 GMT -5
"Oh, I'll find him," Swift snarled, glaring down at her half-clenched claws. "I'll get him back. And when I do, I am not letting that boy out of my sight agAUGH!!!"
She jumped back a foot or two, rigid as she stared down at the suddenly vocal pile of slime. As the cogs in her brain started turning again, she conceded that she probably shouldn't have been as surprised as she was by this development, but it was still a bizarre sight to behold. Once that shock wore off, however, Swift's reaction was a mix of relief, concern and just the slightest hint of discomfort.
"E... EVAN??" She got down on her knee, leaning over the little blob. "Evan, what happened?! Do you know where the rest of you is?!"
"A-And what about Patrick?" Ace picked up, much calmer and mindful not to overwhelm the miniature Evan slime, but still visibly unnerved by the situation. "What happened to him?"
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