The Nexus Tavern (O//A)

[Turnabout Spaz]

Scarlet once again appeared out of one of her portals, taking on a completely different appearance. Out of the portal wandered out yet another cat-snake, but this one seemed more... balanced and tranquil, while still being the cat she was. Her eyes remained red, as they were. But her body took on more of a snake-like appearance. The bottom half of her was a single tail, the underbelly was black, while the top was white with black stripes. She had a hood that was the exact opposite coloring, white on the outside, black inside.

Hey, Caleb? You home? She called out, calling upon anyone in the area. Is anybody home? I want you to meet my new "friend".

She smiled, while a figure laid upon her, perfectly hidden from view.

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Hriob woke up, and walked out into the lobby... only to sense a familiar presence... "One I have not felt in some time..."

Walking outside onto the Tavern's porch, he calls out: "Scarlet! Nice of you to come back!" He grins; I have a lot to share with you, friend, much has happened...

[Turnabout Spaz]

Now, now... Scarlet placed a clawed paw upon his shoulder No need to keep your thoughts to yourself. I'm sure Matt here wouldn't mind what you had to say... That, and he seems to be a bit tired of reading my own.

Slowly but surely, the hidden figure moved, revealing a second snake, much similar to her appearance, slithered up to her arm, and onto her outstretched paw, tickling Hriob's cheek with his forked tongue before curling back around her neck.

So. What's on your mind?

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Hriob grins, hugging her for a second enthusiastically before welcoming her inside for some Green Tea. "Not much... but you've missed a lot of developments around here, I'll need to fill you in. Nice friend by the way, too." He then manages to open a mental connection with her from a distance, without direct contact like he used to require: I've been training a lot, and I not only have Wind and Lightning Elemental powers now, but I'm much stronger overall and can finally channel my own innate strength instead of relying solely on outside sources. I've been working on a new attack technique as of late. Caleb is out, Night, Misery, and the twins are on an airship in another realm on a trip where I'll rejoin then soon enough, we have a new Cook Lily, who is a homunculus-like young woman about the size of a small doll yet surprisingly strong for her size, and we have some dangerous guests here you probably shouldn't try to piss off: a youkai named Ran with very high power and skill, and her shikigami Chen... I think those were the terms she used, at least.

Then, he yawns, tired from his exertion still. "Actually, I need to get some rest. I'll see you later, sorry." He hands her a cup of hot Green Tea, walks into his room, locks the door, and gets to sleep.

[Py Aster]

Caleb walked into the shop "Wolf's Steel" as he told to Ran. There, he saw a familiar face; a tanned girl in a T-shirt and overalls hammering steel over an anvil. "Diane. Hello."
The girl stopped tempering the steel and looked at Caleb. "Caleb. Great to see you. What brings you here? More swords to sell?"
He shook his head and spoke up. "No. It's the Carten Airworks. You're aware of an airship raid, right?"
"You mean that place that was the gem of the Kingdom of Corneus? Yeah, I know it. Used to be a sight. Hard to get to."
"It's operational. I'm going to send someone to shut it down."
Diane's eyes lit up. "Oh, you're going to give out a quest? Wow...the legendary Fatespinner giving a quest. Just...wow. So I guess you want me to tell you how to get there so you can tell whoever."
"That's the plan, Diane. That's the plan. I'm not coming; Garm's already gunning for me and I don't want him ruining my tavern in my absence."
"Oh. Well, don't expect my help then. Just kidding! Tell them to come here. I'll do better; I'll come with. Just...make sure they aren't afraid of werewolves."
"Aye." Caleb said as he walked out. "Oh, I did make this 'time sword'. However, I haven't given it a name, nor stabilized it's time-control properties."

As Caleb walked back to the tavern, he shook his head. How could he forget Diane, and her sister, were werewolves. He was shocked at first. But then again, when he knew them, they were the kindest people he knew. They were like family. One was going to be family.

[Sage Fox of Eight Clouds]

Ran left the fried cream dory on the center table of her room. She walked out of her room and into the lobby. She took a seat down there, fanning her tails out as she closed her eyes. Why exactly didn't Yukari gap me back. She brought me Chen instead, and not through a gap, but through a portal. Hmm...maybe I should ask Chen if Yukari said anything specific or something. This...is quite perplexing.... For a stranded person though, she was not worried at all. She had her shikigami with her after all now.

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Hriob wakes up after a few hour's rest, eats a small breakfast in the solitude of his room, reads a bit more on electromagnetism and metal conductivity, and then returns to the Duelist Room immediately to keep working on the technique he had yet to give a proper name. He keeps supercharging, then firing the metal ball bearings at the practice targets in the room, working slower now than his initial surge of improvement, but he doesn't stop refining his speed, power, and accuracy. At the very least I know I can handle this kind of gap: Time moves much slower over there in Shambalha than it does here, so what seems like half a day over here might only be a minute or two on their end with Night and the others. He keeps up the practice, waiting for something or someone else to come that requires his attention. I wonder what Caleb was up to still...

[Lady Astraea of Radiance]

Still refusing to stand up Night called out to her sister using her soul's wave length. Misery's long ears twitched and she smiled to Bianca, “Yes, they like me a lot actually, they told me so…anyways, my big sister is worried about me and she seems to be also stuck to the situation with the fight that just ended between those two silly vampires. I must go now and end her worry, it’s the least I can do with my minimal power that I do posses as her little sister” She said this with a strange smirk on her face, showing that she was clearly aware how much power she possessed, but not wanting to use or reveal what it actually was to anyone. Not only this, she was implying that the immense power she’s supposed to have, her sister has doubled the amount and it’s just as temperamental. Her siblings along with her had their power increased once they first absorbed their first set of humans’ emotions. However they also became that much harder to managed, hatred and revenge…any sort of negative energy really, could set them off in one big killing spree, like her sister Bluefires. She sighed, pulling herself from her thoughts, nodding her head in a sign of farewell towards Bianca. The mice slipping off her arm into the pouch she ran out, her long wavy blue hair trailing behind her. She then ran through the walls until she ran through the one opposite the way Night was facing.

With a faint giggle Misery solidified herself and jumped up over the couch landing in front of her unsuspecting sister. Night jumped up in surprise and squealed, “What on earth was that for?” Misery sat on her knees in front of her sister, shrugging with an evil grin on her face, “I dunno, felt like it” The voices chimed in as if on cue, What a strange child…yet still she seems less CHILDISH then you are. Night rolled her eyes and Misery frowned, “I’m sorry…I thought it would have been funny” Night looked at her with a puzzled expression then she sat up straight in shock, “Oh! No honey I wasn’t rolling my eyes at you, I’m just sort of…having a fight with myself….wow….that sounded better in my head. Then again it’s rather noisy in there right now so it’s amazing I can get a simple thought out without mixing it with theirs” Misery stared and her sister with one eyebrow raised for a moment before she fell over on to her back laughing, “You’re so weird!” Night couldn’t help but laugh, and ignoring the voices in her head, took her sister and placed her on her lap. “So, how do you like this place so far, pretty neat huh?” She said in that motherly tone once again. Misery nodded slowly, “Mhmm, it’s okay, but I’m kinda tired of being in the air, when can we land?” Night thought for some time, with some difficulty I might add, until she shrugged, “Uh, I’m not sure to tell you the truth, but I do know that Hriob knows, I’m sure when he gets back he’ll tell you” Misery grinned, “Okie dokie” She rested her head on her sister’s shoulder and Night rocked her back and forth gently.

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Eventually, Hriob manages to clean up again, after mixing melee into his firing practice, and decides to teleport back to the others in Shambalha. If my timing is right, they should be starting their descent approach right about now... He steps into the lobby, leaves a note on the counter asking Caleb to rip it in half when he needs him so that he can teleport back, and with a dark ripple disappears from the Tavern, reappearing in Shambalha in front of the couch where Night and Misery was. "Back, did some research, have a new technique, need a name still, missed you." He smiles walking over and hugging the two gently. He notices something odd as he does though... Misery's aura is stronger than it should be, in a vorpal, hard-to-place manner, and Night still has this similarly hard-to-place presence over her. He doesn't worry though; it was just something unusual of note for now.

[Lady Astraea of Radiance]

The two girls smiled and Misery spoke up, “Hey Hriob, when are we landing?” Night nodded in agreement, “I think she’s getting….land sick? Why don't you wait in your room for now okay, I'm sure it won't be much longer” She chuckled and let Misery up off her lap. Misery then let the four mice out of her pouch and they followed her into her room happily. Night on the other hand stayed sitting even though she tried to get up. Oh-ho-ho going somewhere are we? The voices asked in a mocking tone. Night growled, “Oh, I hate you so much” The voice chuckled within her head and she forcefully jumped up, falling over onto Hriob. “Oh, I’m sorry…had trouble getting up” She gave him her best smile but she couldn’t hid her agitation.

Hunter was actually many miles away and on the ground. He was following the airship by foot, allowing himself to think. He wasn’t good and showing compassion willingly. Mind you he did show quiet a lot of lust and undivided attention to Night, but that was somewhat out of his own control. Xavier had always been able to understand his brother’s head. He knew every inch of it, mapped it out and ran over it hundreds of times. Yet now Xavier was disconnected and Hunter’s thoughts were his own with no one there to smooth them out until they were easier to handle. Everything was jumbled up inside and he just wished that for a moment he could just breathe, let his shoulders fall loose and his hands flop to his sides. Yet here he was, slowly strolling with his fists clenched tight down deep in his pockets. He sighed out in frustration and kicked some snow at his feet, shaking his head in disappointment. “Well whatever…I’ll……….think of something”

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Mildly surprised, Hriob smiles weakly at Night as he finds himself pinned down by her thanks to how she fell... but his eyes flare with Indigo as he scans the Astral and Aethereal Planes around and within Night... the presence is there, yet somehow blocking me even now.
//Think it's important enough to bother with? We may be guardian spirits, but this seems more like a so-called 'superior being' to Night than one who wants to be on equal footing, like us...//
**Tricky... Sad to say we can't help you here, Hriob. Whatever it is we can feel its power like you, but it seems disjointed, not really here... and yet we can see through your eyes that it has a hold on Night, if not at all a harmful one. We can't even say if it's one entity or a amalgam of several.**
Thanks as always, you two. I suppose I'll just ask her then. Certainly it can't be all that bad... "Not that I didn't want to spend more time with you, but I'm not going anywhere yet. No need to hold me down." Hriob grins playfully, but expects her to answer his question if she wants to: no pressure, but not lightly asked.

Bianca meanwhile was now fully suited up, meeting Mordechai in one of the hallways leading to the deck outside. Preparations were being made to land shortly, as the massive airship began to fly down slowly. The mountainous valley they had been flying through over the last day and a half was ending in a coastal peninsula, and not much farther off the tip of that landmass was their destination: A huge mass of ruins in the middle of the ocean that was all that remained of the capital city.

[Lady Astraea of Radiance]

She giggled, "Oh I know, but I suppose they don't...they like to get all up close and personal" She gave him half a smile and sat up with a sigh. Don't you dare tell him about us...we need to remain a secret so no one knows of your aid! If our identity is uncovered we will be forced to punish you. Night rolled her eyes agitatedly, "I'm not going to tell him anything you stupid voices gosh! Always pestering me, you'd figure speaking in our language would be more annoying but I think I'd probably be happier, I could block you out faster" The voices in her head acted out, causing her to get dizzy and stumble off of him. May that be your warning. With that the buzzing in her head stopped and she was given a great relief. She sat back holding her head, "Yeah, uhm...I would tell you but I'm not sure they're ready to let anyone know yet....please just don't think I'm crazy"

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

"Well, if you're sure you can trust 'them'... Alright. I won't pry further unless it truly is life threatening... or worse..." Hriob stands up and walks over to Night, steadying her with a gentle hug from behind her back. It's been a long day for me, even if It's only been a few minutes for her... I have to admit I was looking forward to seeing her again as if I had been away for years instead of hours. "Anyways, unless Caleb decides to signal me with the marker I left for him, I'll be here with you guys until we're ready to leave again. If I'm not mistaken, the airship is going to land in the next half hour, once they're sure the area is secure enough." He smiles, not letting go just yet so he could enjoy being with her just a little longer, before he had to join the preliminary excavation team and see what the place had in store for them.

[Lady Astraea of Radiance]

She turned in his arms and after moving his hair from his face kissed him gently. A strong surge of power went off through her finger tips slightly freezing his shoulders. She then looked deep into his eyes before placing her head on his shoulder, snuggling close to him, "Hmm, I'm just happy to land, maybe then I can find Hunter and figure this whole situation out...did they happen to say anything to you before I came in?" She rubbed out the wrinkles in his shirt on the other shoulder from when she had knocked him over and closed her eyes.

Hunter watched the air craft begin to land and he let out a rather long, over exaggerated sigh and fell back into the snow. His eyes sparked red and all the snow melted around him until he sunk down a fair amount. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, sitting up against the thick wall of compacted snow. The clouds made it hard to see what was going on up in the sky but he could hear the airship, it was five minutes walking distance from where he was and he didn't exactly want to get back to them yet. Bringing one knee up he rested his elbow down on it and leaned his head back with a faint thud. Why can't he ever get this part right? Why did this always seem to be the hardest thing to do? He puffed up his cheeks and exhaled deeply, rubbing his forehead for awhile before he let his eyes close.

That's when an ice cold chill went through both Hunter and Night. Night jumped up and so did Hunter, both with their heads spinning and their chest pumping frantically at the sudden jolt. It felt like someone had taken a dagger and shoved it into the back of their skulls with all their might. Their ears rung and Night staggered, Hunter falling back hard, grunting from the pain. Night moved her fingers the same exact moment Hunter did and both brought their hands to their faces, Night looking up through a hole made of snow though she was still aware that she was in the airship. The voices called her back and she opened her eyes again, Hriob in front of her, though the two were separate now and she was a few feet away from him. "What just happened?" She said looking at her own hand, her face seeming to turn grey.

[Kovahl Norzaar Amadan]

Hriob instantly went to full alert when Night jumped, eyes glowing with their maximum Indigo and a metal ball bearing slipping into his hand discretely, in case something nearby was hurting her.

Her spirit had seemed to flutter, then dissappear, then almost completely replaced by a yellow spirit, then suddenly she was normal again. It had taken less than five seconds, but it was enough to unsettle Hriob, who now kept a full alert on all the planes he could sense in case something else happened. He steps forward and hugs her again, this time to try and comfort her as he let his aura reach out to hers and search it for any hints as to what had happened. "Are you ok? Your soul... flickered, in and out for a second... Anything out of place?"