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Post by DanteMGalileo on Dec 23, 2018 19:45:42 GMT -5
"Well, here we are, Leanne." Stopping in front of a museum, Will looked down at the pink-haired girl in his arms. She hadn't woken up yet, although her eyes cracked open a few times. One time, she sounded coherent, telling him to go to the museum with her. What kind of brother would he be if he didn't indulge his catatonic sister? "Hope you know this... Maybe this'll help wake you up..."
Something crawled along the roof of the building, unseen by those below in the dark city...
"Looks like they're out here too, Leanne... you remember everything going pitch-black last night?" Will wasn't sure if Leanne could hear him, but it made him feel better to think that she could. "Looks like they're still open, though. They've just got something else lighting it up..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Dec 23, 2018 23:08:18 GMT -5
"Will!"
As the young man stepped over to the museum entrance, Paul approached him from behind, accompanied by Scott. The elder Sellers brother was dressed far more casually today, replacing his police uniform with jeans and a grey tee-shirt proudly displaying the phrase "With great power comes great electricity bills." Paul looked about the same, save for the fact that he somehow seemed simultaneously exhausted and restless, only barely managing to muster a grin at the sight of the familiar face.
"Hey, glad we caught- Oh..." Of course, Paul's weak smile immediately fell when he noticed the girl cradled in William's arms. "Oh, gee, um..."
"Should you really be carrying her around like that...?" Scott questioned, his tone serious but at least considerate.
Paul fidgeted in place. He clearly had something highly troubling already on his mind, but he didn't want to sound insensitive towards William or Leanne. "Has she... improved any?"
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Post by ColArana on Dec 28, 2018 19:02:25 GMT -5
Ranuen had accompanied the group to the museum. He was still getting caught up on things, but from what he'd gathered, Leanne was still out cold, and Percy wasn't back yet. That worried him a little, that Percy had gone MIA on his watch, but he had faith that between Percy and Imago, they'd find a way back. At some point. They were apparently also going to be meeting up with Jordan soon. So that was a thing, but he wasn't sure how that was going to pan out in the long term.
"So uhhh.... what exactly are we looking for here?" He asked curiously. He was at his normal human height for the moment at least, but that could change at a moment's notice. "It's pretty late too, are we sure the place really is open?" He asked, looking toward the museum. "Are we sure any lights on in there aren't just for security or something?" He asked, approaching the museum, and looking at it curiously for a moment before glancing back at Leanne. "Well I mean if it's not and we really gotta get in there, I might be able to help with that, but regardless." Ranuen sighed. "I don't know why, but I got a bad feeling tonight."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Dec 28, 2018 21:32:56 GMT -5
"Well... she was lucid for a bit. She said to bring her here to the museum." Will looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms. "Well... maybe she'll wake up here... maybe..." He looked up at Paul, Scott, and Raunen, trying to look neutral. "Jordan came back for a few hours, but he left this morning. Hey, Raunen, yeah? Where's Percy?"
Something crawled further along the building, hiding behind a pillar, watching the humans and dragon man below...
---
"This actually works for us. Now shut up and give me my coffee."
Flint grumbled as he passed Val her totally-not-a-coffee-flavoured smoothie and took a sip of his plain and perfectly serviceable black coffee with one sugar. "First you gotta drag me out at this hour, then you gotta mock my second-favorite drink in front of me? That's not a coffee, Val. That's a fuckin' frappe."
"Well, excuse me if I like having my coffee with something to drown out the bitterness!" Val shot her twin brother a dark look. "Now, remember. We're here to look at... whatever it is that's generating controversy. Not to kill grandma. So stop making that face."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Dec 28, 2018 22:39:20 GMT -5
"I guess it's a start..." Paul sighed with a distraught shrug.
Scott stuck his hands in his pockets and shot Leanne a skeptical frown. "I still don't know if it's a good idea to be dragging someone who's in a coma around in the open while we still have no idea what's wrong with her. Granted, if you think this is something beyond medical explanation, I guess I can understand your thought process."
"Yeah, I mean... this could lead to something, right?" Again, Paul found it difficult to inject optimism into the situation. Warily, he looked between William and Ranuen. "Well, Kelsey told me he went off to do his own thing, but she didn't exactly clarify what. O-On a similar note... you guys haven't heard from Kelsey this morning, have you? She hasn't responded to my texts and she didn't answer when I knocked on her door." He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Bad enough Kenny's disappeared again. Without a note this time."
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Post by ColArana on Dec 29, 2018 18:12:35 GMT -5
Ranuen frowned at the question about Percy. "Yeah.... Basically what Paul just said. He headed off into a cave and we didn't hear from him after that. I'm a little worried, but he can take care of himself. I'm sure he'll come back around. And if he ran into really bad trouble, there's always Imago right?" He suggested, looking ahead, before hearing Paul's question. "Sorry Paul. When she said she wanted to talk to you, I figured I'd let her do that in privacy. I haven't heard from her since she dropped me back off with these guys." He stated. "I'm sure she's alright though. Maybe she just head out early? Sorry to hear about Kenny too..."
As he said this, Ranuen approached the Museum doors. "Well, shall we head in?" He suggested, attempting to push the doors open and look inside. "Let's at least help out Leanne then, huh?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Dec 29, 2018 19:22:33 GMT -5
"As for Kelsey..." Will shook his head. "'Fraid I haven't seen her since she took off yesterday with Raunen and Percy... hopefully they're both fine and not in any danger from the angels..." Taking a moment to wipe his eye, the blonde looked up. "Well... Leanne, maybe this'll wake you up. Please..."
---
"Looks like we're not the only ones here at this hour." Val looked up from her coffee/frappe, noting a familiar-looking blonde with someone or something in his arms, two individuals she briefly saw the night that monster attacked, and one she didn't know. "Blonde buffoon at... whatever'o clock."
"Negh?" Flint looked up from glaring at Val's frappe/coffee, noting the four individuals. "Yep. It's the blonde buffoon. Dunno 'bout the other two, but... I wanna say hi to that blue fella! Hehe, my kickass dragon senses never fail, that's gotta be another dragon~!" He began waving his arm excitedly to Paul, not noticing how weird his actions might have looked. Val glared at her brother, lowering his arms.
"Stop that." Huff, whine from the one who drank actual coffee.
---
"Hang on..." Will stopped, squinting into the museum at the individual who was waving his arm before being forced to stop by his companion. "Is that... Flint?! Val!?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Dec 29, 2018 20:32:32 GMT -5
"Yeah... maybe..." Paul sighed with another glum shrug as he followed William into the museum. "Just kinda wish they'd told me what was going on. Kenny's been acting weird lately and Kelsey... well, I promised I'd look out for her."
"Wait, hold on..." Scott waved a hand and raised an eyebrow at Ranuen. "You say Percy disappeared inside a cave? Didn't you three go to the cemetery yesterday?" He tapped his chin. "If this cave was in the cemetery... that might just be the same cave that brought me to this island in the first place."
Paul stared wide-eyed at his brother. "So... there's a chance that... Percy is in a completely different universe now??"
"Wouldn't rule it out. Definitely worth scouting if you ask me."
"Yeah, definitely! I don't want my friends disappearing behind my back like..." Paul trailed off when he noticed someone waving at them. Upon examination, it almost seemed like the young man was waving specifically at him. He hesitantly waved back, but it was clear from the uncomfortable expression on his face that Paul had no idea who he was waving to. William seemed to recognize them, at least, and... Oh...
"Oh... That's, uh... That's the dragon guy, isn't it?"
"Another one?" Scott looked between the stranger and his brother. "Different variety, I'm assuming?"
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Post by ColArana on Dec 30, 2018 19:54:42 GMT -5
Ranuen's brow furrowed in consternation, while his back was to the group as he approached the museum. He was putting on a chipper, optimistic facade, but this was worrying him too. Kelsey was missing? Damnit... Is that my fault...? What if she'd gotten into some trouble, and he hadn't been there to help bail her out!? Had he just let her down...? Ranuen grit his teeth. "I need to get stronger, smarter, or both." He growled under his breath. As if answering his question, he heard a voice right on top of them. "Shit!" Ranuen's sword was halfway out of its scabbard before he recognized the lack of killing intent from them. And I'm becoming ridiculously jumpy too. Great...
Scott's line brought Ranuen's attention over to him and Ranuen blinked in shock. "Another universe... I mean... Yeah. It's possible. That's what Proto told me." Ranuen paused. Had he... actually told them about Proto yet? ...If he hadn't that should probably be a topic of conversation at some point. "And as for you two... What... exactly are you doing here?" He asked, acknowledging the suspicious circumstances of their own presence.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Dec 30, 2018 21:51:28 GMT -5
"... Proto? Who or what's a Proto?" Will inquired at Raunen, raising an eyebrow. Clearly, who/whatever Proto was, Will was not in the know. "Is here something I should know about? Because if there is, I should know about it..." At the mention of Proto, Leanne stirred someowhat, prompting her brother to look down. "L-Leanne?! A... A... Are you...?!"
"... He's... here... ah..." And then, the pink-haired girl went still again...
"... Leanne..." Will looked up after that, noting that Val and Flint had closed the distance between them, although the latter's attention was more focused on Paul. "Val?! Flint?! What're you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same." Val glanced at the unconscious girl in Will's arms, then at Raunen. "You. Yes, you. I have questions... Flint, stop that."
"Yep, totally another dragon. Told ya my kickass dragon senses never fail!" As if Paul's blue scaly skin, yellow snake-like eyes, and tail weren't enough of a tell. "So, what tribe are ya from? Ya look like you're from the winter tribe like me- well okay I'm half-dragon but still- but I can't smell any ice on ya. And what's with the scales in this state, you somehow found a way to partially transform? Hehehe~. Halfshiftin' is tricky biz, but good on- ACK!!"
Val yanked Flint away from Paul, sparing the poor dragon man any further privacy violations. "Flint, what did I tell you?" Huff. Whine.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Dec 31, 2018 13:43:36 GMT -5
Scott's eyebrow perked as he looked between Leanne and Ranuen, the girl's brief moment of lucidity allowing him to put some pieces together. He was willing to admit it was a flimsy hypothesis, but he was sure Ranuen would correct him almost immediately. "Am I to assume this 'Proto' is a name you've given the beast she was seen with?"
Paul, meanwhile, took a few disquieted steps away from Flint, not feeling especially appreciative to have his personal space invaded. "Don't have a tribe. I'm not from your universe. This isn't exactly a form I chose to take."
Scott let out a low sigh and partially stepped between the two dragon men. "Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to stop harassing my brother."
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Post by ColArana on Jan 1, 2019 18:37:04 GMT -5
Oops. Guess Ranuen hadn't told them about Proto. "Proto is the huge beast that Kelsey beat up the other night. He's on our side now. And he talks." Ranuen answered quickly. "Seems to reaaaally dislike angels, and jumped right into fighting them. He agreed not to hurt us though after Kelsey helped him out the other night. He also said that he's apparently the victim of some kinda shapeshifting spell and that he used to be like us." He explained briefly. "So.... yeah. That's... that's a thing. Anyways, Proto said the cave he popped out of and Percy went into was connected to a different place. So... He could be a lot of places right now..." He bit his lower lip in frustration at that. Well. For the moment there were more pressing matters. Apparently Leanne was reacting to something, but no time for that. Ranuen's focus fell onto Val and Flint.
Mostly Val, as Flint was busy fangasming over Paul.
Val seemed to be specifically addressing Ranuen, causing him to blink. "Me?" He said incredulously. "Well err... alright. I'll.... see what I can do..." He replied. Wait what, why am I letting her dictate the terms here!? Ranuen shook his head slightly. "Aren't you with Seeker's group?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 1, 2019 20:02:30 GMT -5
"That THING has a name?! And it used to be human?! ... Well, now I just feel bad for calling, uh, him a monster and a thing..." Will seemed to be taking this news about this Proto pretty well, all things considered. That, or he was just glad he wasn't going to get mauled by that particular beast. "... Uh... you don't think... this Proto guy... ate Percy, did you? Gah, Leanne...?!"
"Will... you're... a... fucking... idiot..."
"... Leanne, did you wake up just to insult me? Well, I'm gonna take that as a good sign..."
"Yes, we're with Seeker. Or rather, were with Seeker." Val kept her grip on Flint, glancing briefly at Paul and Scott.
"Lemme at this skid, sis! I can smell the law on him! My kickass dragon senses never- gah!" And he got a poke to the gut with Val's cane (which was totally not a cane) for his trouble.
"Shut up and let me explain." Sighing, Val resumed where she was. "They're missing. Been missing since last night." Was that... worry? "We think it's related to something here. We saw some winged freaks take something out the backdoor... That's all we have." Val regarded Leanne, smirking. "Well. I'm not sure what kind of coma that is, but if she can call you an idiot even like that..."
"GAH! Why does everyone pick on me?!" Why Will, your face is a very interesting shade of red now.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 1, 2019 22:44:12 GMT -5
Scott allowed himself only a very brief moment to question why this apparent half-dragon shapeshifter had a Boston accent. He said nothing in response to Ranuen's explanation of this "Proto," having been given most of that information last night by Paul. Leanne once again going briefly lucid, though... that was the moment that Scott really started to think about everything he had learned so far –Ranuen's story, Paul's descriptions, William's ramblings, Leanne's murmurs, his own observations– and attempt to mentally piece them together into, at the very least, a semi-cohesive hypothesis.
Once he did, his expression slowly twisted into one of frustrated bafflement. He turned to Paul, who by that point had turned his attention away from Flint to cast a wide-eyed, horrified expression at the floor, one that spoke volumes as to what was going on in his mind.
Scott nodded to his younger brother. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I think so... I just hope we're wrong," Paul mumbled back. His eyes were clouded over with worry as he looked up at Scott. "I think we need to find Kelsey."
"Agreed." Scott leaned to the side slightly to glance over Paul's shoulder. "First and foremost, though, who the hell are these people?"
"Uh... Long story. I can explain it to you along the way," Paul choked up, looking back at Val and Flint, then at William and Ranuen. "I'm sorry to do this, guys, especially since we just got here, but I think Scott and I need to go check something out. If it helps, though, Kenny told us last night that there was something in this museum that paradoxically didn't belong in this timeline or... something along those lines. He was checking it out yesterday with the Angel of Time. The white-winged one, not ones who attacked the city. I don't know if that's what was stolen or if it was the angels who did it, but it might be something to take into account if you guys are gonna go investigate."
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Post by ColArana on Jan 1, 2019 23:13:52 GMT -5
"Don't worry Will. Join the club, I had pretty much the same reaction. But no. Pretty sure it didn't eat Percy." He said, snickering slightly at Leanne's vaguely conscious dig at him. Then looked back at Val. So.... Seeker was missing? "I see." He said, letting his concern show openly this time. "I'm guessing that's not his usual M.O.? I don't know the guy well but he seemed like the type that would go off on his own accord. But if you say he's missing, fine, he's missing. You know him better than I do for sure." Ranuen conceded.
"So he's missing huh? What makes you think that it's related to something in here? What does Seeker have to do with the angels that have been screwing around here lately?" He asked. Or rather.... what did the angels want with Seeker? Was it related to Lark, somehow?
"...I think--" And then Paul cut Ranuen off, causing the swordsman to turn about face to look at him. "....Paul. Be careful." Ranuen warned. He didn't stop him at all. "If it's that important, go for it, just.... don't do anything reckless and watch your back." He suggested. Then looked back at Val. "Well, whatever's going on in here.... Timey-wimey stuff or otherwise, we're not going to find it chatting outside this place, are we?"
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