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Post by ColArana on Jun 5, 2018 23:05:32 GMT -5
"Something like that. Dunno how they plan to accomplish it, but yeah. Seems like it. Cat left just a minute ago. Thankfully." Ranuen answered Percy quickly, before looking over to Leanne as she demanded they go torch the cult.
Ranuen grinned broadly at Leanne's outburst. "I like the way you think." He said. "When you go, take me along, we can make a bonfire out of it!" He exclaimed happily, small red/orange embers raising up from his hand, in answer to Leanne's pink flames. He glanced at William. "I'm sure the church will be fine, as long as we don't lose control of the fire." His bravado rapidly returning now that Mara had left the room.
"As for any truth in what she said, that's the problem. Of course Demons tell the truth. If they didn't, they wouldn't be believed. The problem is what she's omitting. A half truth can be worse than a lie." He argued. "Or some of what she's telling us is true, and some of it isn't. The problem isn't what is true, the problem is what either isn't true, or what is missing from that cat's statements." Ranuen tried to ponder this, then shrugged. "Oh well." Even if he could recognize the problem didn't mean he could solve it.
Finally, Scott's comment about not knowing what was going on. Ranuen looked over. "Well, we're still working that out too. There's a crazy anti-magic guy with a crowbar, a dragon, a giant monster that hit the town the other night, an angel, and now it looks like we're dealing with demons and cults too." He sounded entirely too happy, describing the situation. "It's weird and awesome!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jun 6, 2018 19:51:45 GMT -5
"Oh, joy." Percy's expression went completely deadpan at this. "Just what we needed in this soup of insanity, a fucking apocalypse cult!" Laughing sarcastically, he made his way to the doors. "That's it, I'm going home! I've had enough of this shit, I'd rather deal with our regular brand of insanity, see you all in a few days, weeks, months, whatever!"
Before the pointy-earred teen could leave, however, a bandage-clad hand yanked him, Jordan looking rather annoyed. "No. You stay, too." And Jordan and dragging Percy back despite the brunette's protests. "Stop whining." Huff. Whine. Whack. "I said stop whining."
"Ugh, do I have to?"
"Well, you're cute when you're angry."
"JORDAN!!"
Watching the display of the two younger males, William simply sighed. "Glad to know nothing's seriously changed." He turned to Paul and Scott next. "To be frank, I don't know much about just what the fuck's going on, either. Long story short... crazy chick from our world with a dragon dude underling and one smoking hot gunner are after Leanne's creepy magic teacher for some reason, sometimes aided by a kooky fox lady."
"He ain't that creepy, you're just a pussy!" Leanne jumped and attempted to whack her brother on the head, but failing and only managing to slap his arm.
"Easy there, sis... Also there was this big... scary... thing in the plaza last night. Grey, looked kinda like a dragon but I don't think it was from our world... Kelsey beat the crap outta it, but I doubt that was the last time we'll see it... Also, damn, Raunen, you're way too excited about this...
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jun 14, 2018 19:35:48 GMT -5
"I'm not sure whether or not to be comforted by the fact that I'm not the only one who's completely clueless," Paul mumbled somewhat dejectedly, rubbing his neck.
"I'm gonna go with the latter," Scott grunted, arms folded. "Seems to me like you folks have a lot on your plate. I'm sure I could offer some kind of help. Not sure what kind of help, but as long as I'm here, I might as well put my talents to good use. Besides, I have a sinking feeling that whatever this cult is up to could affect the whole of reality, not just this universe. Far be it from me to neglect my duties, even when I'm away from home."
Paul blinked in surprise at Scott, taken aback by his declaration of commitment. Put simply, it was an attitude that Paul was in no way used to seeing in his brother. After giving Scott's uniform another quick glance, it really started to occur to him just how different this man was from the boy he grew up with.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Paul's douche brother," Kenny chuckled. "Everything that's happened in the past twelves hours has to have some sort of connection, right?"
Scott awkwardly raised an eyebrow at Paul. "You've talked quite a bit about me, haven't you?"
"We... have a lot of catching up to do," Paul sighed, humiliated. After taking a deep breath, he cast a meek grin at Percy and William. "But yeah... what kind of friend would I be if I bowed out now? Kenny's right, all these events can't be a coincidence, can they? Once all the details fall into place, I'm sure we'll find a way to put a stop to this insanity."
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"Alright, so..." Kelsey meekly stared back at the church, then looked around the garden, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with the angel. "What do you need?"
"Kelsey, there's no need to be so nervous," Kendall chuckled, hoping to at least diffuse some of the tension. "Do you expect me to judge you for your alliance with an archdemon?"
"...Kinda?"
To that, Kendall let out another gentle laugh. "It wouldn't be too fair of me to condemn someone I intend to cooperate with, would it? We both want the same thing, after all."
Kelsey shrugged. "Yeah... I guess so..."
"As for what I wanted to tell you right this moment..." Kendall's warm smile turned into an apologetic frown. "There's a... neutral party member that will become involved in this endeavour very shortly. One that, on his own and if left unchecked, will become especially dangerous."
Kelsey raised an eyebrow at this statement. "How dangerous are we talking here?"
"He's a dragon."
"Oh... okay, that dangerous."
"Be that as it may, no matter what course of action he chooses, even if he appears to ally himself with them, he will fervently oppose this cult and their intentions. But before he can make any sort of decision regarding that... I need you to gain his trust."
Kelsey leaned back slightly, her eyes comically wide. "Uhh... Why me??"
"Your power will catch his interest, more so than any other member of your party. He's the deceitful kind to be sure, but if you display for him, he'll find you intriguing enough to hear you out." Despite the sympathy evident in Kendall's voice, the seriousness could not be overlooked. "Once you have his attention, tell him everything that has happened since the events at the club, then inform him that the one who covers his right eye is not to be trifled with. But... to the best of your ability, you must not let him know about Paul."
Kelsey looked back at the church, clearly troubled by Kendall's orders. Confronting a hostile dragon was not something she was keen to experience, but the way it sounded, it was probably better to have this thing at least somewhat on their side. At the very least, she could see the logic behind his desire to keep Paul away from this dragon, given his own apparent heritage, but that just made her that much more scared for his wellbeing. While she felt somewhat loathe to question the intents of an angel, let alone the Angel of Time, the uncertainties involved left her feeling wary.
With a deep breath, she turned back to Kendall and nodded. "Okay... When, where and why?"
"Tomorrow night. The Stone Temple in the southern rainforest." Kendall stared down at his feet. "And... why does he need to know, or why can't he know about Paul?"
"Both, I guess."
"Well, in that order... because this dragon would be more dangerous otherwise... and because if he knew Paul was here, he would focus all of his efforts on him."
"Is it a territorial thing? I mean, what about Flint? He can turn into a dragon."
"True... he may feel a similar sense of hostility towards Flint." Kendall tapped his chin. "Perhaps it's for the best that he be kept away from any other draconic beings, barring the Protostar Beast."
"Alright..." Kelsey shrugged, reluctantly on the same page as him. "Square deal, I guess."
"Thank you, Kelsey," Kendall breathed, simultaneously relieved and penitent to have placed this burden on her. "One more thing before I leave you. Would it be... too much to ask that I speak to Tri?"
"Oh...! Uh..." Kelsey was clearly caught off guard by the request, not that she saw any reason to object. She just knew that there would be some reluctance on Tri's part. "Yeah, that's fine by me."
Ugh... Do I HAVE to? Tri griped right on cue.
Kelsey scowled into the sky. "Look, I know you're already peeved that I'm following his instructions. If you're gonna complain about it, you may as well level with him yourself."
FINE…
Almost instantly, a numbing sensation spread through Kelsey's body. She briefly shuddered, but managed to stay standing. Her eyes slipped shut and her head went limp.
Claws sprouted from her fingertips. Her canines extended into fangs. Burgundy horns erupted from her brown curls.
"GUH...!" Tri jolted upright, eyes wide and icy blue, the voice he projected with still recognizable as Kelsey's. Once he had quickly adjusted, he scowled at the angel standing in front of him, then down at the body he had taken control of. "Ugh... Still not used to having tits."
He folded his arms and looked up at the angel again. "Alright, whadya want?"
Kendall immediately took on a desperate, pleading expression. "Valac, I know what you intend to have her do-"
"Oh, don't start on this holier-than-thou bulls***, Chrones!" Tri interjected.
"I-I'm not, I swear!" Kendall raised his hands defensively. "I have something genuinely important to tell you."
"Well, then spit it out. I feel like I'm melting standing next to you."
Kendall gave Tri some leeway on that one. He couldn't exactly control the debilitating effects his divine metal skeleton had on demons. "Two things. First of all... in the event that this dragon proves uncooperative... do it."
"Hmm..." Tri raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Kendall's willingness to go along with his idea. It wasn't often he agreed with a Principality.
"Second, and... more importantly..."
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Post by ColArana on Jun 15, 2018 1:07:07 GMT -5
"Not knowing what's going on is the best part! You've got all that mystery to unravel!" Ranuen answered Paul. "Even if it's a pain in the arse to unravel it. Besides, what's the term? Ignorance is bliss?" He added. Well, that was probably a near constant state for Ranuen then. "I agree it's probably all at least somehow connected, even in this place." He agreed with Kenny, before moving on, noting that William had taken notice of Ranuen's exuberant enthusiasm.
"Of course I'm excited! All this adventuring and questing and diplomacy is all well and good, but I'm most comfortable when you put something in front of me that I can cut! ...Or punch. Or set on fire." He responded. "So hearing about some big apocalyptic cult? That's fantastic! That means there'll be a lot of people I can torch!" He exclaimed eagerly.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jun 15, 2018 17:53:14 GMT -5
"... You're way too optimistic, dude," William said in regards to Raunen's enthusiasm. "At least Paul and... his not-as-douchebag-as-he-remembered brother have a realistic reaction to finding out that there's some sort of apocalyptic cult... By the way, thanks for the help. Sorry if I labelled you as one of those trigger-happy Aicarmean cops at first... Uh, are you Aicarmean or Erpouean? It can go either way, really."
"Too optimistic? Bro, I think you're way too pessimistic!" Leanne's hands were once again covered in pinkish flames, spinning them around. "Antsy's got the right idea! So what if there's some cult that may or may not threaten all of reality? We'll just burn 'em all down! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!" More spinning! "If y'all don't wanna join us, we'll save ya a couple'a marshmallows from our not-so-tiny-campfire!"
"It's not that easy, Leanne. Also, what did we say about fire in buildings?" Jordan smirked slightly at Leanne's scowl. "One, we don't know anything about this cult aside from the fact that they want to cause the apocalypse or some bullshit. Two, how do we know they exist in enough numbers to pose a threat? And three, where the fuck are you going?"
"I'm getting some fresh air and some time to think about this bullshit." Percy's jacket was tied around his waist, his shirt inside one of the inside pockets. His torso was melting, forming grotesque wings. "I'm just really on edge about this and I don't know why. Seeya later."
"You get back here right now, you reckless moron!" Jordan sprung to his feet and chased after the brunette, stopping only when they reached the doors and Percy too flight, wings flapping against the slowly-darkening sky. "... Fine. It'll rain soon anyway."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jun 19, 2018 20:21:44 GMT -5
"...I don't know what either of those things are," Scott mumbled in response to William's inquiry. "Granted, maybe I just misunderstood because I'm so damn tired..."
"Well, why don't you come with us back to my place?" Paul offered, prepared to place a hand on his brother's shoulder before recoiling at the last second. "You look like you need some rest."
"Yeah, definitely. I was up all night trying to figure out where the hell I was..." Scott rubbed his eye and nodded to Paul, then sighed and turned to the others. "Although, if I may, I would advise against simply... ahem... torching these cultists. The guy in the cloak has a point. A haphazard approach like that would offer only a temporary solution and deprive us of useful information. Not to mention it would make a huge mess, literally and figuratively, and in a situation like this, we don't want that."
"I can pry info outta them!" Kenny chuckled, pounding his fist into his palm. "If there's one thing I know about cliché villains, it's that they love to monologue to people they believe they have at their mercy. Why would they see a kid like me as threHEY PERCY WHERE YA GOIN'?! C'mon, we gotta get a plan together!"
Before Kenny could charge after the winged young man, Paul gently grabbed him by the arm. "Kenny, just give him some time to think. This is a lot to process. I think we all could use a moment of respite. You'll get your chance to shine, believe me."
Kenny took a deep breath. "Yeah... Fine..."
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"You're... You're serious about this."
"Completely certain," Kendall sighed, clearly not proud of the fact. "Just promise me you won't tell Kelsey. At least... not until she's ready to accept that side of herself."
"Yeah, that's... that's fair," Tri grunted, genuinely stunned by the angel's news. He turned to watch Percy depart out of the corner of his host's eye, then he turned back to Kendall and asked, "So what exactly am I supposed to do?"
Kendall glumly shrugged. "For convenience's sake, I suppose just keep doing what you have been doing. If I insisted you do otherwise, would you honestly comply?"
"Heh... Probably not, I'll give ya that one." Tri smirked despite himself. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but sometimes I wish I could still consider you a friend."
"I feel the same way, Valac."
"No, but seriously, I will incinerate your flesh and feast on your blood if you tell anyone I said that."
"I believe you," Kendall murmured, hands raised.
With a stiff exhale, Tri closed his eyes and mentally retreated from the outside world. As he did so, his host's claws and fangs retracted, her horns slinked back into her head... then, with a disoriented groan, Kelsey opened her cerulean eyes and grabbed her head, visibly struggling to stay balanced. "Still not used to that."
After shaking herself off, she warily looked up at Kendall. "Said everything you needed to?"
"For now, yes. Thank you." Kendall smiled warmly and pointed to the open church doors. "Looks like your friends are ready to depart. Perhaps you should consider informing a few of them of your quest."
"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Kelsey sighed. "Not sure how keen I am to fight a dragon alone."
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Post by ColArana on Jun 20, 2018 20:19:38 GMT -5
"Better to be an optimist than a pessimist, though right?!" Ranuen replied. "I've yet to meet a problem that couldn't be solved by just hitting it enough times! ....Metaphorically sometimes, but hitting it all the same!" Granted, sometimes Ranuen couldn't actually hit hard enough or enough times, but just because he couldn't, didn't mean that the approach was wrong! And besides Leanne seemed to be agreeing with hi--
"Antsy's got the right idea!"
Ranuen's eyebrow twitched slightly and he smacked his face into his palm. "What!? You too!? How-- why is everyone calling me that!?" He protested in some frustration. "I am not that small!" Well. He was his human height at the moment, though that was still ignoring that only a few minutes prior while Mara had been around, he'd been small enough that Leanne's little toe probably could have overpowered him. Ah well. Denial was denial.
"But anyways, I'm 100% onboard with burning everyone down!" He paused for a moment. "By the way, those flames. They're pink? I've never seen pink fire magic before. Is that a you-thing or is that a thing with your particular magic?" He asked, moments before Scott added his two cents. "....point taken. ....So we torch like.... 90% of them, and then interrogate the survivors!" Fire! If it didn't solve all your problems you weren't using enough of it. "Plus it gives incentive for them to answer, if they see what we did to their allies." And then, moments later, Percy took off. "What the-- AGAIN!? Percy! The last time you took off, you nearly flew into a giant dragon thing!" Ranuen called after him, but it seemed that he was already gone. "Geeze..." He glanced over at Paul and Kenny discussing the group taking a moment's respite.
"I mean I'm all onboard with taking a moment to prepare, but while we sit on our butts, whatever's going on is... well... moving forwards, I'm sure."
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