The conversation had been a surprisingly easy one, short and to the point, and no nonsense. It made him take an extra moment of pause, within which he was examining Akio. Perhaps he had judged him far too harshly far too easily? While yes, what the man had said was no doubt despicable, these interactions, with the man being as unguarded as he was, allowed Dal'Mori to glimpse at something that hadn't been present in any of their previous interactions, few though they may be. What he saw was more than just the combat potential, that was there in abundance sure, but he saw that inside the shell the man wears around himself was a good person.
This thought shook the foundation of his idea of Kawaguchi.
He shook these thoughts to the side as he squared away again, his arms coming up ready and willing to do his bidding as he prepared himself to collect more knowledge on this magic construct. The fight was short, yet brutal. Despite having the update and some previous experience against the fighting style Dal'Mori was using this round, it folded like a bad hand as the spikes from the knuckles impaled it in the 'lungs'. The next fight was just as brutal, but not so swift, the construct managing to out maneuver him in the close quarters enough to stab him in the 'heart'.
Deciding it was finally time to kick it up that last notch, he requested another pause that he might go and grab his final weapon. It wasn't so much that he didn't want to use his trench knives anymore, he had learned an incredible amount already. The fight with something that not only learned, but evolved was an amazing experience, for it launched his abilities with the knives forward by an incredible pace. It wasn't easy to learn how to use a new weapon in fights that all have turned out to be decided within the first few assaults. So while he wanted to keep going with the knives, he knew that to truly push the limits of this magic he would need to go at it with everything he's got, and with that idea in mind he grabbed his main weapon.
The feeling of his staff in hand was without description, no matter how many times he might change weapon, or go into battle, he always felt at his best with this weapon in hand. As he was walking back he made sure to take a few calming breaths, having worked his body to such a point of intensity he was starting to feel some effects. This was perfect, exactly what he needed, a means of pushing his new body to its limits and exceeding them. As he planted his feet, his weapon held at the ready, he couldn't stop the smirk from fitting itself upon his face. If he said it once, he would likely say it a thousand more times, nothing compared to training.
Once he started he could immediately feel the improvements from the constructs new knowledge, and some part of him was excited to know that he was a part of that. As he ducked, dodged, swiped and jabbed through the first fight, he found himself proud of this achievement, teaching magic how to fight. If he was to understand correctly, this wasn't just for the amusement of Kawaguchi, but in fact to help other people be able to learn how to fight as well, and this was something he could happily get behind, regardless of who was doing it or how he felt about them. As his staff came to be planted in the chest of the construct, sending it flying backwards onto the ground.
This magic was a truly incredible thing.
It never tired, it never got mad when it lost, it never boasted about victory. It was a perfect learning tool. It learned about your fighting style, forcing you to do the same or you lose. He wasn't too sure how it would do at teaching other fighting styles, or any if that, but he could certainly see it helping people learn their strengths and weaknesses. That, in Dal'Mori's honest opinion, was significantly more important than having a fighting style, because if you didn't know those you wouldn't know the best fighting style to suit your body.
As his spear implanted itself in the head of the construct at the end of the second fight, he was starting to have slightly haggard breathing. His body was nearly dripping sweat at this point, given that there was no breeze or anything of the sort to cool him off, and he had been doing some very explosive movements for some time now. This fact did him no favors as he went into the next bout with the construct. He fought hard, as hard as he had every other time up to that point, perhaps even harder in some cases when he realized he was losing ground, but this time, in the end, the construct was the one who won, with an amazingly accurate slice that would have completely bisected Dal'Mori had it been real.
As he stood there, breathing heavily, leaning on his staff, the other Baiter in the room started speaking again, offering what sounded like a compliment with a laugh. Admittedly, he couldn't stop the grin from planting itself on his lips. This was surprisingly easy. It was weird, he found himself feeling comfortable around the guy who he started out disliking. Perhaps it was because they were both keeping people at a distance, and that made this make sense? They wouldn't let each other get close enough to allow anything worthwhile to happen, yet simultaneously handle the very human urge to not be alone.
He pushed those thoughts aside, seeing no reason to dwell on them for very long. It worked, maybe not the most solid of things, but it was better than what he had dealt with to this point. He had further interactions with Acel, which ended in a fight and a total lack of control on his part. He also spent some time with that Faelan, and she turned out to be not completely right in the head, not that it was a bad thing, it was just something that would nag constantly at the back of his mind.
As Kawaguchi finished his questioning, treating this a lot like his best friend would treat her metal works. She would make her armor or weapon, and then make the person test it out to its full extent, and if she wasn't satisfied with it, it would be completely redone. He supposed that had a lot to do with how comfortable he was feeling right now as well, and just like that, once more has was thinking about it.
Just a few days ago, his gut was telling him this guy was not someone to be in the presence of, and now he was probably the calmest he had been since he showed up. Well, emotionally, physically speaking he was pretty wired. All of these fights, while intense and informative, were not quite as good/filling as the real thing. Up to this point, the thing had been gradually getting harder, and it managed to get tougher each time Kawaguchi altered the magic, which brought to mind a thought. As the other male in the room stated he was basically finished, Dal'Mori couldn't resist, the question leaving his lips before he even really thought about it.
When he got told it could in fact be made harder, he matched the grin that spread upon Akio's face and turned to face his magical opponent one last time. After this, he decided, he would go on a mission. His eyes shot to the side, for a brief moment, wondering if he would ask the man with the ball for a pet to join him.
Combat started, and from point one Dal'Mori knew this would be a close one. The construct was faster, and more brutal than every time before hand, as if it was channeling the very man it was fighting. Attacks, dodges, and lots of impressive acrobatics later, the tired warrior lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, defeated handily. The fight had been the longest one up to then, and even the construct was pulling out moves that had been unseen up to that point, which also caused Dal'Mori to pull out some of his most expert movements, turning the last fight into the most skillful display from both combatants.
As he lay there he realized, this melee monster was created by that guy over there. The one with the funky hair. He had so much more within than even the warrior could have guessed. Suddenly he was plagued with curiosity, and he rose up to a somewhat sitting position, propping himself up on his arms by extending them behind him. He turned his gaze once more to Kawaguchi, his eyes scrunched up in curiosity, as he set about asking the same question he had asked everyone else on his first day, because now he really wanted to know.
"Hey, Kawaguchi. Why do you fight?"
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 155 Health: 1820/1820 Control Limit: 1240
One Man Army - Level 5 - While fighting without summoning an A.I. Core, you gain an additional +25 to all stats. However, if you do summon an A.I. core, you will receive a -50 to all stats instead.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 9:28 pm
Akio watched the man battle his creation, a slight smile on his face. When Dal asked him if it could be taken up a notch, Akio actually pumped it up about five, knowing that only one wouldn’t be enough for the seasoned warrior. And, true to what he thought, Dal was now struggling. Which was good, the man needed to struggle with a fight, and it was good to see the man not nearly as uptight as he usually was. He was less stiff, able to take things as they came. It was good, and Akio was happy that it was even a challenge for Dal. That meant that it would be a challenge for whoever came along to use it. Of course, that also meant him. He felt he needed it more than a lot of other people, never actually having battled much before his Half. Sure, his Granny had a hand in his training, but that was nothing compared to that first mission in Chicago. If that was on the weaker end of things, what would happen at one that’s of a higher level? Akio wasn’t ready for that. Not yet, at least. But whether or not he was ready, he had to do it.
This time around, Akio didn’t analyze everything as he watched, and let his mind wander for a bit while Dal fought his program. He wondered about how his mother was coping with his choice, if his father was going to ever shift his opinion about being a Baiter, and if was ever going to get to the point in this career of being powerful enough to actually do what he had set out to do. He wanted to, but now, watching Dal’Mori fight, he knew that he had a long way to go before anything ever could happen. But that was what the Holo-Trainer mod was for. To help him get to that point, as well as anyone else who wanted to do the same.
Akio could tell that this sort of interaction was good, one that made him feel better about what he had done and said. Sure, he could never actually feel good about himself, and did still feel as if everyone should hate him for who he was and what he had done, but… He was willing to admit, at least to himself, that it felt better to be with someone who at least liked you, than to be with someone who hated every fiber of his being. So, even though he didn’t quite want to accept it, he was happy that Dal’s views on him were shifting away from that malice that poured off him when he looked at Akio. Even if they could never be friends, as far as he knew, it was better than nothing. All humans needed companionship, even if he didn’t like it.
Switching his thoughts to the program, Akio turned to look at it, opening up a section that was used to determine the skill of the opponent to take a look at how Dal was doing as far as a computer was concerned. What he saw was astounding, though he knew that Dal had gotten there via a lifetime of hard training, it was still amazing to see. His stats were impressive, as well as his upwards skill rating. He kept getting better and better with every swing, even though the program was keeping up with the challenge. The program was easily able to keep up with the man, but at the same time, it was amazing. Akio couldn’t honestly tell if that was Dal being a warrior his whole life, or if that was the Baiter in him. It could have been both, but it was still a sight to see.
So when Dal finally laid on the floor to take a break, Akio turned off the machine, taking out his little notebook to write a few things down. There was a lot to learn still. About the world, about himself, about the people who surrounded him. The notebook had a lot in it already, though he had forgotten to write down half the things he learned in Chicago. That was something he could get to later, as that was something he had to sit down and think for. Perhaps tonight when things settled down, and he was finally alone with his own thoughts.
Then Dal asked the million dollar question. The one Akio sure as hell wasn’t ready for. He froze, almost curling up into his metaphorical shell before he could do anything, or think anything. The first thought that came to mind was Kimiko. Her beautiful face that plagued his mind as of late, causing his thoughts and feelings to all be thrown in a blender. That alone hurt, but the sudden pang on the side of his head hurt worse, almost like being shot through the head, simply by a memory that crossed his mind. Out of reflex, he closed his eyes, willing the pain to go away before he answered. It was a lot to think about. There were many reasons why he fought, and why he stood there as a Baiter now, and not an engineer. One of them was her, and what had happened to her. To him. And it was all his fault.
Closing the book with a snap and placing it in his left butt pocket he let out a small sigh, refusing to look at Dal’mori. He struggled with what he wanted to say, hesitant to say the truth, but unwilling to lie to the person he spoke to. It was a hard answer for him to give, but he didn’t want to leave Dal hanging, to leave the man in the dark about why he was here, and why he fought. “I have a few reasons. One, is knowledge; Looking for an understanding. Because when some monster is coming at you, glowing eyes and burning claws, it's terrifying. But once you know how it works you can deal with it. It's just another part of the world. So much of this world is frightening simply because we do not understand it. I want to understand it.” Akio was still not ready to give up and tell his story. There was still too much for him to process, and he was still struggling to accept everything. He still needed to be punished for his mistakes, before he could let himself be accepted back as a human being. Akio sat down by his creation, letting Kiki roll up to him, so he could pet her metalic head. “And because it goes against my father’s wishes, and I do oh so love doing that.”
Akio laughed lightly, hoping that for that one moment, his left out information wasn’t so blatant. That he would simply brush off the fact that Akio was up to his neck in sins that he could possibly never truly atone for. For if even a moment, he wanted to be free. So, Akio looked up to Dal, a smirk planted firmly on his face, and said, “I heard you threatened my father, by the way. He seemed real upset about something you said. Good job.” The third and most important reason would be left out, though the reason was written all over his face, and he knew it.
Praise did something interesting to people. Everyone craves it, whether or not they admit to it. Whatever gets them praise, they would do it. And do it again and again, if they had to. Because they were doing good, if they were being praised for it, right? That meant that whatever they were doing, it was good. While it wasn’t exactly a good thing to tell Dal that he did well in threatening his father, or whatever it was that shook him, it felt as if Dal stood up to him, and that was what his point was. Katsu was a man who needed to be stood up against, and Chen was never going to do it. While Akio knew the man’s intentions behind coming to the Headquarters, and telling Akio he shouldn’t be a Baiter, it was out of place and uncalled for. Akio was an adult, and had already made his choice. Dal standing up to Katsu for doing whatever he did meant that his father would think about it, and eventually give in. At least he hoped that would be the case.
But when Dal turned around and praised him right back for his skill in creating the Holo-Trainer, making it a valuable asset in training and learning how to fight, to get better, Akio was glad. That was exactly what he was going for, to be the asset that no one looks at, that no one knows about but are thankful for either way. He knew that the Holo-Trainer was going to be important works, a powerful tool for them in the long run. As long as they got better, that was what he was there for. So, Akio thanked Dal for the small amount of praise given. And when Kiki let out a few indignant beeps, upset that she wasn’t getting any attention, Akio laughed and petted her on the head again. “Don’t worry. You’re a great achievement, too.”
‘You’re talking to a machine. I hope you know it doesn’t have emotions, and therefore doesn’t care if it’s an achievement or not.’ The Trooper said, obviously a little offended by its presence.
Akio shook his head, choosing to ignore what the Trooper was saying. Kiki, while a machine, was still something that he could use to cope, and something that he could see as a friend while still learning to adapt to his new situation and surroundings. Even if people would give him funny looks for talking to a robot.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 163 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 736
Acupuncturist - Level 6 - Your blows hit pressure points, causing the foe to move slower and be less proficient with their attacks. When you deal damage, the foe suffers a -12 to their Strength stat for the rest of the fight
Shards of Myself
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
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Brotherhood Of Explosives Vice Captain
Mind-boggling Trickster
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 7:15 pm
Dal'Mori Cestrol Menne
He was not expecting what he got.
If he were being honest, he was expecting a very shallow answer. He was expecting something poorly thought up and halfcocked. Hell, he had even been expecting not being given an answer at all. Perhaps be told that it was none of his business. Not that he would have minded, as it stood right then, he considered them to barely be acquaintances. They could suffer each other’s company without going for the throat, and that was good as far as he cared.
What he got though, he could not deny, shook his image of Akio Kawaguchi even more. It could have even cracked the foundation. The raw, powerful agony that filled his eyes before he closed them almost literally blew Dal'Mori away. He had assumed the man had no idea what life really was, and how precious it was, especially with how easily he shrugged off the idea of the loss of children. That look, that moment, when the man looked like he was both ready to break down and at the same time implode, was enough for the warrior to be ready to accept the answer with a completely open mind, removing all preconceived notions he might have had.
The book snapping shut echoed into the room, as though the physical representation of Kawaguchi putting certain feelings or memories aside.
He took a while to answer, or at least it felt like a while, either way Dal'Mori wouldn't comment. He saw the look, and while he had no idea how to handle it himself, he knew dealing with feelings that raw, that powerful was a difficult task. He offered the male as much as he needed to reply to the question, quite pleased with the fact that the man had to take time to think about his reply. It might not be anything pleasant, but it was obviously deeper than some surface level reason, like to get stronger or something along those lines.
Once he started speaking Dal'Mori had to admit he found himself feeling impressed with the presented reason. The man’s reason was respectable, perhaps even honorable. On the surface it sounded like a good reason seemed like he was in it just to learn, but the truth was far from that. At least in the way he presented the reason. Below the surface the man was looking for a way to deal with fear, perhaps even work through or around it. What the guy had to fear was beyond Dal'Mori, given that he was now a Baiter, he could not die anymore, but he didn't know him that long, so obviously there was something there. Dal'Mori wouldn't judge. Everyone had fear.
If you fear nothing, you are not alive.
The words of his father echoed into his ears for a brief moment, filling up the silence between them as Akio moved to take a seat, patting the small robots head. He figured he needed some time to deal with whatever was in his mind right then, so imagine his surprise when he spoke up again, mentioning that he did it specifically to get back at his father. That response made him choke out a laugh, which resulted in him flopping back onto the ground with a light thud as he brought his arms forward to cover his mouth, out of pure reflex.
It was something else he wasn't expecting. He had gone into this life with such a vigor mostly because of his father, so to imagine someone entered the life of war and fighting to spite said individual of their family actually cause him to find some humor. Interestingly enough, Kawaguchi brought up him threatening his father. For the briefest of moments Dal'Mori found himself wondering if perhaps they were about to snap right back into hating each other, because while Kawaguchi was going against his father's wishes willingly, they were still family and the warrior did threaten the man’s life.
He wisely chose not to comment on the fact that he could see right through the fact that Akio was holding some things back, because everyone was entitled to secrets and or things they didn't want to talk about. Dal'Mori, above most, could understand that.
He was not expecting the man to laugh and even compliment him for it though, but the second he saw the other's face he knew immediately what was going on. He was trying to escape, trying to not think about it. So, instead of attempting to dig into it further he changed the subject, and offered praise for his creation of this new learning tool. It would be incredibly useful, even to a veteran like himself, as had already made itself apparent.
By this point Dal'Mori had managed to catch his breath and was slowly rising to his feet. He started walking over to his things as the little metal ball rolled over to her friend, and seemed upset at being left out of their compliment circle. Kawaguchi quickly remedied this with a laugh and some petting, leaving the warrior to once again wonder if he should get himself a pet or not. The realization that being alone was something he desired to avoid made the urge to get one ever stronger.
He utilized one of the weird puffy things that were hanging on the wall to dry up most of the sweat from his body, making a note to go and use the magic weather machine thing in his room a little later. As the residual effects from the fight started to wear off, and got wiped away, the warrior realized he still wasn't done. He wanted to go and do something. Get out of this hellish place. Even now he didn't like being here, it was too closed off, too indoors for his taste.
With that in mind, he walked over to the, currently, only other occupant in the room. He had seen the man fight once before, but it was against another person, and not against the foes that would be their enemy until Dal'Mori could find a way to wipe them off the face of their planet. So, he wanted to see the man in action against their actual foes.
Though, as a set of snake like eyes flashed across his memory, that wasn't the only reason he was about to do this.
He stepped over to Kawaguchi, all suited up and ready to go, his whole demeanor back to normal. Not quite the same level of disdain, more like stoic and guarded like normal. "Kawaguchi. Would you accompany me on a mission?" He asked calmly. He would be fine if the other male rejected his offer, but he figured it was worth the shot. After all, he didn't want to go alone again. Not so soon after finding that he wasn't strong enough yet. This time with Kawaguchi had been as close to fun as Dal'Mori felt he was capable of reaching right now, but that could only distract memory for so long. So now he sought a new way, mortal combat.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 155 Health: 1820/1820 Control Limit: 1240
One Man Army - Level 5 - While fighting without summoning an A.I. Core, you gain an additional +25 to all stats. However, if you do summon an A.I. core, you will receive a -50 to all stats instead.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 1:56 am
❅❄❅⋅⋩⋩Безумная Утенок
I F I G H T F O R M Y F R I E N D S
It was a short and quiet trip to the portal room where both Katya and Ilya teleported to the main island of Gondora. The city was beautiful, of course, the floating city that rested beautifully on the ocean's surface, a perfect place to get well acquainted with the air and salt of the sea. To celebrate Ilya’s winning battle, Katya promised him somewhere nice to eat so they could sit down and discuss how things were going to work out, given that Ilya decided to leave without telling anyone anything. It was a big decision, one he shouldn’t have taken so lightly. And yet there they were. In this large city in the clouds, stepping foot in the Headquarters of the B.A.I.T.R. Organization.
But before dinner, the two had to take care of the identification situation. As they made their way down the halls, Katya pointed down another hall that could possibly take them to the Main Offices, looking at Ilya and asking, ”It was this way, right?” Ilya nodded, jogging so that he would be walking in front of her, leading the way. People stared in these halls, everyone noticing that a young boy was there with his mother. Ilya could tell that they were trying to figure out who was the Baiter, or who was the one who worked there. Unbeknownst to Ilya, the rumor that not one, but two children had taken and passed the Half exam has spread through the system like wildfire. The stares were those of confused curiosity. Was that the child, or was he there with another worker? No, that wasn’t possible. Katya neither knew where she was going, nor what anything was. HE was the child. The one who beat the half at a ripe eleven years old.
Ilya did know where he was going, the doctor having told him where it was, and was luckily well learned and knew how to read. ”Yup! The doctor said that it was this way, then a left over here.” He said, trotting over and waving his mother over to follow him, pointing where he was going. ”The man we’re looking for is a Quan Yuen. Asian looking guy who does some stuff and makes a card.” Ilya managed to ignore the eyes that were on him, continuing on with his business. He was blissfully unaware of the significance of his arrival, or of the worry in the hearts of all the mothers and fathers that passed.
”But what does this card do, exactly? Did the doctor tell you?” Katya asked, keeping up with her rather exuberant son with easy footsteps, her heels clicking on the tiled floor rhythmically. Katya noticed every single pair of eyes on her son and her. The cast gazes of worry to the white haired little boy, and the judging glares they sent her for allowing him to do this to himself. What kind of mother was she, letting that poor young boy risk his life to take an exam where he had a less than forty percent chance of winning. But they didn’t know. And how could they? Katya did the best she could, but he took the test without her knowledge or consent. There wasn’t much she could do anymore but watch over him.
Ilya shook his head in response, his bang brushing his brow as he did so. ”Nope! Just that it was super important that I have it done.” shrugging, Ilya continued walking, looking about the rooms that they passed, excited to see everything. All he knew was that it was a badge, and that he needed it to continue doing what he was doing. So when they finally go to the room he was in, Quan Yuen seemed to already be prepared for their arrival.
The man walked right up to Ilya, a simple looking badge in hand and a light smile on his face. Quan was kind enough, talking through the whole process with Ilya to make sure he understood it, then patiently sitting through the barrage of questions that came out of the child’s mouth. Then, Quan got to the meat of the conversation, letting the boy in on what exactly it was that the badge did. Apparently, it was a way of identifying you, and what rank you were, so on and so forth. Ilya ooo’d and ahhh’d at the information, as most kids did, but he still had questions, but his head was now swimming with so many that he didn’t know which to pick! That was when Gavriil spoke up, picking and choosing what were the best questions to ask, and telling Ilya to ask for him. ’Ask what he means by ranks, and what the ranks are. I’d wager that would be some good information to know.’ Trying to wrap his head around everything, Ilya asked, figuring it would be better to ask, whether or not he knew or needed to know. And, of course, Quan Yuen answered with just as much patience.
The interaction between the two lasted like this, Gavriil telling Ilya which questions would be best to ask, Ilya asking them, and Quan answering them. Eventually, Ilya didn’t feel overwhelmed by the knowledge anymore, and a grin widened on his face. Ilya could buy whatever he wanted now! He could pay for their lunch, and even provide a place for his mother to live while he did this. Perhaps it wasn’t so rash a decision afterall? Things would work out for them. So, Ilya smiled at his mother and plucked a few strands of hair from his head and gave it to the man. Standing to his full height, Quen then placed these strands in a small slot on the card, which was currently plain and black. Soon enough, though, the DNA in the hair was absorbed into the card and Quan placed his hand over the card, light showing between the gaps of his hands. Ilya was amazed, his mouth creating this ‘O’ shape as he watched the magic unfold.
When Quan’s hand was removed the card that would be his badge had changed, the color no longer a simple matte black, but a brilliantly pure white with flecks of black around the corners. The finish was oddly soft, and any divots or crevices were a bright icy blue like his eyes. Honestly, it was absolutely stunning. It was obviously his, no questions asked, the card almost perfectly matching his own hair. ’Thank the man, Ilya. ’Ilya nodded, taking his new badge from Quan Yuen and smiling, ”Thank you! It fits me perfectly. I love it.” Ilya placed the badge in his pocket, beaming happily that the deal was finally sealed. He was now officially a Baiter, as far as he was concerned.
Ilya and Katya then decided it was time to pick the place they were going to eat. There had to be plenty of places to eat, all things considered. There were Baiters all over the world who congregated in this one spot, all wanting to eat, sleep, and be merry. As they discussed food options, they wandered the facilities, curious about what it was that was in store for Ilya. There were so many different places that were inside the headquarters. The portal room they got there from, the Main Offices which they were just in, the Rebirthing Center, and so much more. Some of the words didn’t quite click inside Ilya’s head just yet. Rebirthing center? What did that mean. Ilya didn’t know, but Gavriil sure did put the pieces together. The AI let out a short sigh, worried for how the child was going to take what was to come. So that was how he had been able to kill a Baiter and see them a week later in perfect shape, then inevitably how he was captured. They were all brought back to life after being killed, and sent here to recover.
But then there was the training room, the room where Ilya figured he should be spending most of his time. Whether or not he would was up for debate, but it was good for him to at least try. The room was as both him and Gavriil figured it would look. With everything needed to train a person in any fighting style they saw fight, from weapons, to free weights, to ropes and bars. There were even two people inside the room, both of whom looked like they were discussing something important. One was sitting on the floor with a little robot rolling around him, the other standing and watching the sitting man with an air of seriousness. For a moment he wondered what they were talking about, but that thought didn’t last long before Ilya smiled and waved at the two. ”Hello!” He said, before his mother shooed him away and he heard Gavriil chuckle lightly to himself. It was likely that the other two were Baiters and would see him again soon, anyway, so Ilya didn’t mind walking away.
Besides, there was still so much of the city to see before Ilya could do anything! The rest of the base itself, and the rest of the floating city herself. He heard there were lovely cafes, and restaurants, and pubs on the main strip. Huge resorts with spa’s and a gorgeous library. He was excited to see something other than the frozen tundra of Russia, and the forested labs. He didn’t care if it was a city like back home. They were in a city on the ocean! It was still barely midday, and they could easily go out and have some fun before Thre got out of her Half. Hopefully they would be able to meet up again and talk about their Half, what AI they got, and catch up. It had been so long since they had seen each other. ’A friend from school? ’ Gavriil asked as Ilya and his mom made it out the doors, ready for whatever the city.
’Actually, a friend from the labs. She was one of the people held there. It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen her!’ Ilya beamed, looking amazed at almost everything that passed them by. There was so much to see! So many new things that he had to see everything. ’I see. Perhaps she’ll go on your first mission with you? ’ Oh, he hoped that would be the case, but he wouldn’t force her. He’d ask, though. That was for sure! And whoever wanted to take him with them, as he was sure that Katya wasn’t even going to think about him going alone, it was going to be an adventure. That much was absolutely certain. Ilya couldn’t be more excited.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 43 Health: 560/560 Control Limit: 348
Skill: 32 [--] Strength: 30 [32] Defence: 25 [35]
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Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - Your A.I. Core has imbued you with an inhuman durability. You can shrug off heavier blows with ease that your comrades might not be able to. You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
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BlankCaption Captain
Intellectual Smoker
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 2:46 pm
Acel appeared in the Portal Room inside the Headquarters with the missing baiter still in his arms. Suddenly the child felt even lighter--his weight having drastically decreased by the normal gravitational field. His entire body felt incredibly lighter--every movement feeling as though it were twenty times easier than it had been over the last couple of hours. The fight in the heavy gravity had been mindless--so much so that he completely forgot about the field in the first place, and didn't realize until he was leaving that he had been within it the entire time. His first twenty minutes in the area had been a little bit of a struggle, but as soon as he got used to moving around in it, he felt like he had a thousand pounds dragged off of his body. His exhaustion didn't even feel quite as bad. But, either way, when he walked into the Portal Room, the place seemed relatively placid until Acel came barrelling out of the portal section and into the control room where everyone was idly sitting about. "Were you not monitoring vitals on the way through? This kid could die at any second and you're idly sitting by eating your bits and bites? What the ******** is the matter with you people!? Get someone here NOW. Better yet, tell me where the infirmary is! I have no time to wait for you jackasses!" Acel bellowed, and immediately, all of the people in the control room caught themselves, one man with a cheeto still hanging out of his mouth. "WHERE IS THE INFIRMARY!?" He screamed, and immediately one of the women jumped up in front of the others and she rushed to his side. "Follow me, sir!" She stated simply, and he appreciated her lack of dawdling. Immediately she rushed him out of the room and led him through the halls at a near sprint. She kept looking back at him to check where he was and if he was keeping up, and Acel growled. "Eyes forward. Don't worry about me, I can move a lot faster than you can--keep going and don't think about anything but where the infirmary is located, and how to get there fastest." The girl nodded curtly, facing dead forward and marching through the halls at a sprint.
"Hang in there, okay...you're going to make it...just...please, god, stay alive." How the hell was this kid even here? He must have only been sixteen years old. It made no sense why they would let someone like that join the organization. He was too green--too inexperienced. And they let him just go out into the wild with their friends like it was a damn picnic!? Now look at what had happened! The kid was almost dead--and not dead as in, 'oh no, I am going to respawn, dead', either. They rounded a bend, and the hallways ending showed the infirmary and Acel immediately took off, having been following at the woman's pace for some time now, he gave up and his eyes focused on the end of the hallway. His legs hammered the floor and he pushed off, seeing a crowd blocking the way in front of him. Lingering baiters just shooting the s**t. "Out of the way! Out of the damn way, we've got an injured kid, here!" Acel screamed, and nobody seemed to mind him so he pushed with all his might, jumping toward the wall and then kicking off of it, shooting himself to the opposite side and then kicking off that wall as well to propel himself forward enough to pass the group of people in the hallway. He landed with a thud and he wanted to ream those people out, but he couldn't. He had no time! He rushed forward, moving like a blur as he passed into the infirmary with the child. "He's critical. His code core was destroyed and the A.I. beat and healed him multiple times. He's barely breathing...jesus, can you save him? Please, please tell me you can save this child." Acel stated, the kids blood all over his clothes. A team of medical staff immediately rushed to him, taking the boy and hurrying him away. A secretary within the medical section of the headquarters came over to Acel, now kneeling on the ground, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Believe me, sir, if he's breathing before they get him in there, they should be able to recreate a new core for him, and have an A.I. supplemented from the confines in no time. He will live. You saved him, and I am sure not only he, but his friends that left him there...I am sure they will all be incredibly appreciative." The woman said with a large smile, and Acel smiled weakly back. "Thank you...thank you very much. I appreciate it. Please...just...just make sure his family knows he is alive...I am sure they are worried sick." The woman nodded with a sweet smile, and Acel breathed a sigh of relief.
Acel stepped back into the hallway and he ran his fingers through his long, blonde hair, realizing that he looked like absolute hell. His trenchcoat had been left behind because it had been burned to pieces. He had a massive hole in the back of his black t-shirt that had burned skin underneath it. There was a similar hole with similar burnt skin across his ribs and he was coated in blood--some his, some green from the Illusionist, and some the boys he had been carrying. He needed some refreshment...and stat. Maybe all he really needed was some fresh air...the group of people were all still standing, gawking at the man who had sprinted off of the walls and leapt over them. He just stood there and stared them down, shaking his head. His footprints were crushed into the walls themselves from the force he had used in his urgency. And as he walked toward them the people parted, letting him pass like some prophet through the red sea. His body seemed to give in, then, to the exhaustion, and he shambled his way toward the front doors, oblivious at this point and only able to really think about the wellbeing of the teenager he had hauled back...did he really save him? Had he taken too long in that brutal fight...he hoped not. He hoped not.
Line Count: 59
OOC:
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 175 Health: 1395/1500 Control Limit: 1400
Battleground Proficiency - Level 4 - You gain +8% to all defense chances, and your opponents receive -8% to their defensive chances against you.
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 12:52 am
It was so hard reading Dal’mori’s expressions. They all seemed so flat, only the smallest amount of changes to them to indicate what he was feeling. However, the one thing he could note about what the other man was thinking, was that he was being very patient with him, and that was something Akio could heavily appreciate. It took a lot of effort to tell Dal what he was thinking, or to at least make the attempt. He knew the conversation, now, was going to be inevitable. But as long as he could delay it just enough to prepare himself, that was all he needed.
But then Dal’Mori let out a choke of a laugh and flopped to the floor. It was perhaps one of the most amusing things that he had ever seen the man do, and perhaps one of the most adorable. He figured that it would be something he would never see again, so he relished in the moment. And for a brief second, if that was the first time the man had laughed at all since he had gotten there. If so, it was an accomplishment. Not just that he, Akio Kawaguchi, had made the stoic Dal’Mori laugh, but the fact that he laughed at all. Akio couldn’t help but smile, even a little bit. And when Dal’Mori switched the topic, he couldn't honestly be any more grateful. “Thanks. Years and years of studying.” He said, looking up at it. The thing would be a great tool to use for everyone, and that was something he was actually pretty happy for. He’d more than likely use it the most, but that didn’t matter to him. Even if that was the case, it was still getting used. Besides, he still needed so much more training than he could have ever thought.
By this point, Dal’Mori was recovered and standing. This time, he didn’t make a move to have Akio start up the machine for him again, so he remained sitting, petting Kiki on the top of her head. Perhaps one day, the thoughts that dragged him down would leave him and he could find himself happy again. He could hope for it, perhaps even work for it, but on this day he would simply continue to fake it until he could make it. For a moment, he watched Dal wipe his face and body down with a towel. Dal had the movements of someone who only new battle, and only knew what it was like to be outside, without all of these extraneous things that Akio found himself relying on every day. He wondered what it was like, living without so many things? To give up on technology, and simply live off of what he needed. Akio couldn’t do that. His whole life was built off of technology, it wasn’t he was able to simply give up.
But then Dal’Mori walked up to Akio, looking down at him with a mildly serious face before asking something that he never actually expected to ask out of him. To go on a mission. With him. For a moment, Akio couldn’t quite answer. Really? Go on a mission with him? The man that was so seething in rage the first time they talked, he almost cut Akio’s head off? That was something to hear. But before he was even able to answer a loud ‘Hello!’ sounded through the room, making Akio’s head turn to see a boy around the age of ten or eleven with white hair waving to them. Akio puffed out some air in a laugh, then waved back, “Ohayō!” He said, a smile on his face just for the kid. He then watched as his mother ushered him away, awkwardly waving at him in apology. Akio could only laugh at this, then stand up. “Sure. I’ll go on a mission with you.” He realized that he really couldn’t say no, denying the mission only serving to delay his getting better, as well as forfeiting further comradeship with someone who could easily help him get better as a Baiter. Of course he had to say yes.
So Akio stood, brushing off his pants and walking to the door where the kid was only moments ago. “Time to find out what we’re doing.” But before they could leave, Kiki rolled up to Dal and beeped at him, letting out many different beeps and whistles. The beeps sounded stern, almost like a lecture or a warning. But Akio simply laughed, walking back over to Kiki before she could finish. “She wants to make sure we stay as safe as possible.” Chuckling he crouched and patted the little robot on the head, “And for you to make sure I don’t die. But don’t worry about that one too much.” Akio stood up, finally able to get ready for another mission. He hoped that this next one wasn’t going to be too much like the one he was in at Chicago, where they had to duke it out in the tunnels. He would have liked it to at least be cold, though he wasn’t sure what he was going to get, considering that it was August.
But when they got to the Main Offices, he was greeted, instead of a secretary asking what it was that they wanted for a mission, but a man who was about Akio’s height and Asian, like him, asking if they had received a badge yet. Akio looked at Dal, raised a brow, then looked back at the man. “No.” He said, somewhat confused about the badge situation. He wasn’t too sure about why, if it were important, they didn’t get one in the first place, but then the man introduced himself as a Quan Yuen, the man who made and upgraded all of the badges that the baiters used. That it was used for currency, identification, and even to display ranks. When one ranks up, they had to update it once more, so on and so forth. It was an interesting piece of equipment, and Akio had to say he was impressed. Of course, he let Quan Yuen have a few strands of hair, enough to let the DNA process go through.
What happened as a result was absolutely fascinating. Quan Yuen placed the strands in the side slot, which absorbed the strands and analyzed the DNA. Light emanated from what used to be a simple black card, Quan smiled and waited for the lite to subside before handing the changed card to Akio. And he had to admit, it was rather pretty. Around the edges seemed to be cherry blossoms, not yet in bloom, with a river that flowed through card. It almost seemed painted, a beautiful river flowing between sakura trees in the fall. It was gorgeous, and he could only imaging what it would look like when they finally bloomed. “Wow.” Was all he could say in response, taking the card in his hand and looking it over once again. He didn’t know that his DNA could yield something so pretty. It was actually somewhat shocking, if he were to be honest.
He didn’t much pay attention to see what Dal’s looked like, almost too wrapped up in what his looked like. ‘Boooooring.’ The E-Trooper said, obviously not caring about the card that Akio was given. Akio frowned placing the card in his back pocket and looking up to Dal, seeing he was ready to go. Next, they needed to pick up a mission. Quan walked away, leaving Dal’Mori and Akio to their own devices. Now, they were just in need of picking up the mission. So, Akio walked up to the same desk he walked up to the day before and asked what they had available. It seemed that there was a lot, this time around. A couple in Australia, one in Europe, and a couple in Africa that would have been perfect for them. He was slightly disappointed that there were no lower ranking missions available for the Trainees, but he would make due with what he could take. Looking over them, he read a few of them off to Dal, asking which one he wanted. As he was looking at it though, the options dwindled. One of the Australian missions had just been taken, lowering their choice down to four. “We have Dantree Outpost, Lucid Pastures, the Hexanium Plant, or the Last Chance.” he said, letting know Dal what their options were.
It took a little bit of discussing, mostly on Akio’s end, on what mission they were going to be taking, but finally it was settled on the Lucid Pastures, a place in the Netherlands that had a stunning reputation for making people have hallucinations, and to change the AI’s to follow suit. It sounded like an interesting place, somewhere that Akio would like to see very much. The flowers that secreted the pollen were interesting, something that he definitely wanted to look into. And it was outside, which was good for Dal, and up north, so it was cold. Akio was excited. As the secretary went over the basics of the mission, Akio simple listened and nodded. Apparently they were supposed to be looking into some particularly bad attacks that were happening in the area, many of them giving very different accounts of a ‘large scary thing’ that kept attacking, though none were cohesive enough to give a better description other than ‘large’ and ‘scary.’
Still, a mission was a mission, and they had a job to do. So, finally Akio turned to Dal’Mori and asked. “Ready?” Akio himself was already ready to go. On his hip was his Katana, held in a simple holster that allowed him to pull it out swiftly and accurately. But that was it. Akio didn’t wear armor like Acel or Dal’Mori did. He wasn’t one to over bear himself, needing to be able to move fast at all times in order to get his hits in. Sure, it would also mean that he could get hurt more easily, but it was a risk he was okay with taking. After all, they were Baiters.
Lines: 292 Ooc: Lemme know if there's anything you want me to change. I just kinda took the mission, since I knew where we were going, and there wasn't much to say or do between.
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 163 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 736
Acupuncturist - Level 6 - Your blows hit pressure points, causing the foe to move slower and be less proficient with their attacks. When you deal damage, the foe suffers a -12 to their Strength stat for the rest of the fight
Shards of Myself
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
Offline
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
Offline
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 2:24 am
❅❄❅⋅⋩⋩Безумная Утенок
I F I G H T F O R M Y F R I E N D S
Ilya and his mother were making their way to the entrance of the headquarters, ready for some lunch. They were still discussing food options, at this point, and trying to choose between barbeque or some greasy, fried food. Both sounded fantastic, and lord only knew that Ilya would need as much protein in him as possible, now that he was a baiter on top of being a growing boy. Ilya would have another growth spurt soon, and Katya wanted to make sure that he had enough of the proper nutrition to make that easy on him. She was lucky to have had Ilya young, and she still remembered what it was like growing up. It hurt. A lot. And besides this, she did only want what was best for her son. He needed strong bones and muscles if this was truly what he wanted to do. ”I think barbeque would be the best choice. Plenty of options, and you’ll get a decent amount of protein in one meal. And it’s delicious.”
Ilya smiled and nodded. ”Yes! That sounds delicious!” He said, grinning ear to ear. Finally, it had sunk in that they didn’t have to pay for anything. That he didn’t have to worry about how much he ate, or how much it cost. Ilya felt good. No, better than good. He was floating, much like the city they now lived in. ”And we can order as much as we can, right, Mamochka?” Katya nodded back, a smile on her face as well. She was more worried for their lunch. It wasn’t so much the money, but what they needed to discuss during it. However, these thoughts didn’t get properly thought through as right at that moment a blond man went barreling through the halls, zooming past them with a great amount of speed.
Both Ilya and Katya froze as they watched him go past from the intersection, keeping out of his way. The man was obviously fresh from a battle, torn clothing and blood, but that wasn’t what made either of them freeze. No, it was the nearly dead boy he carried through the halls as he dashed passed. The blond man was screaming as he ran passed, yelling about how the boy was dying. Katya suddenly grabbed Ilya’s hand, holding it tight. As Ilya looked to her, he realized that she was scared that one day, that boy would be her son. The one who would be carried by some unknown Baiter, dying because of something mistake that he made during a mission. Where she couldn’t protect him, even if she tried. ’She has a right to be frightened. But so long as I’m here, you should be fine. Tell her that. Promise her, on my behalf that you will not end up like that poor boy right there.’ Slowly Ilya nodded, opening his mouth to speak.
His mother was why he was doing this. So that she wouldn’t have to worry for him anymore. But now that he had made his choice, she only seemed to worry more. That wasn’t what he intended to do. That wasn’t what any of this was supposed to be. ”Mamochka? I’ll be fine. Gavriil promises that he’ll keep me safe. That as long as he’s here, I won’t die.” Ilya squeezed his mother's hand, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.
Katya didn’t look at her son, but held onto his hand tightly. ”Gavriil? Is that what your AI is called?” When Ilya confirmed, Katya sighed. Finally, she looked at her son, green eyes cold and sharp, like a razor's edge fresh from the box. ”Well, then Gavriil, you better hope that for your sake, you keep that promise. If I find out that my boy… My Ilyusha is ever in the same state as that boy I will find a way to rip you from that yoyo and kill you myself.” Katya’s eyes burned. She wasn’t worried, anymore. Ilya could see the fire behind her eyes, the light that went off in her when her mother’s instincts were running rampant. She was in pure momma bear mode, and there wasn’t much that could stop her.
But Gavriil didn’t want to stop her. Instead, he was glad that Katya made such a threat. If something happened to Ilya, Gavriil didn’t know what he would do. Yes, he would be put out of his misery almost immediately, but knowing that he couldn’t protect Ilya, knowing that he had let a child younger than the boy the blond baiter was carrying reach that state… A swift death wouldn’t be good enough. So he stayed quiet, glad that Ilya’s mother was such a good woman, and a good mother.
”Are… Are you still interested in Barbeque? Because I’m really hungry...” Ilya said, successfully breaking through the tension between everyone. Katya couldn’t help but laugh at this, glad that her son was the way he was. They continued making their way to the outdoors, now stomach growling for it to be filled. When they made it nearly to the doors, an interesting sight stopped them. It was the blond man! Now that Ilya got a good look at him, he looked awful. The poor man looked very beat up, like he was put through a ringer. There were holes in his shirt, skin burnt beneath it like a large cigarette was put out on his skin. It looked bad. Really bad. Ilya looked towards his mom, seeing that she had noticed as well. Ilya knew what he wanted to do, and already set on doing it. ”We should invite him with us out to lunch.” he said, not asking for it, but stating that it should happen.
There wasn’t much of a reason for Katya to say no, so she shrugged her shoulders and let go of Ilya’s hand. ”Fine. Go ask him.”
With a grin, Ilya dashed away, easily a lot faster than any of the normal people in the room. With confidence and ease, the boy walked up to the blond man and tugged lightly on his jacket sleeve to get his attention. Once he finally did, Ilya smiled at the man who was much taller than him. ”Hey, I just watched you run down the halls with that bloody boy. You wanna go get lunch with me and my mom? We’re getting Barbeque.”
Lines: 186 OOC:
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 43 Health: 560/560 Control Limit: 348
Skill: 32 [--] Strength: 30 [32] Defence: 25 [35]
Quote:
Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - Your A.I. Core has imbued you with an inhuman durability. You can shrug off heavier blows with ease that your comrades might not be able to. You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 3:51 pm
Acel was just stumbling around, moving in the general direction of the entrance to the Headquarters, but he didn't even notice the woman and her child at the entrance as he was approaching. All he could do was think about the poor kid...he just wanted him to be okay. At the very least, at the end of the day, Acel had done everything in his power to get the kid home, and where it stood now, he might have saved his life. If he had failed--the kid had a zero percent chance of survival...so he had improved the situation. Midas was right...if the kid died, he couldn't hold that against himself...he couldn't, right? But then, there was a slight tug at his arm, and the world around him seemed to snap into focus as his whole body jolted and his head shot down to look at the child who had tugged at it. He quirked a brow in confusion as Ilya looked up at him, and when he mentioned the bloody boy, Acel swallowed hard. Though the fact that the kid asked him to go to lunch with his mother right away, directly following something so frightening, really jarred him. "Gosh, I'm really sorry little man. I didn't mean to expose you to that...I'm very sorry." Acel stated, dropping down on one knee to put himself closer to the kid's level. Ilya merely looked at him and waved his hand as if it were nothing to worry about. "That's why we're inviting you to lunch. You do like barbeque don't you?" Acel was taken aback by the kid's strange personality. He was like no young man he had ever met before, but he couldn't help it as his lips cracked into a bright smile. He was so straightforward and unafraid to approach him, even though he was coated in blood and wounds. It reminded him of his deceased wife, and the way that she was almost oblivious to the way that social interactions usually went, and she just threw out whatever she was thinking or what she thought about the topic at hand without worrying about repercussions. He hadn't seen any children in the city yet, that he could remember, so it was quite nice to see that the baiters could bring their children to live with them if they had them.
He stood back up with a bit of a grimace, and he looked to Ilya's mother. "Well, I mean, yeah. I do like barbeque. I used to make my own quite well, but its something I haven't eaten in a good few weeks." Acel stated with a smile as he looked toward Ilya's mother. "I mean, of course, if it's not actually an intrusion, Ma'am, I wouldn't want to interrupt your time with your son." He said, the smile lingering on his lips while he looked at Ilya's mother. The child had brought a bit of lightness to his dark day, and being around a kid in general was always an experience that made him happy. "It's not an issue on my end. If he is so taken that he wants you to come along, then you're more than welcome to join us for lunch." She stated with a very warm tone. He wondered what made these people feel so at ease about him...why they were so welcoming. Why did they want to bring him to lunch without even knowing him...he had never experienced such kindness from strangers before. And that was how Acel ended up coming home from a mission where he had fought for his life, and gone from panicking and running around with a half dead child to walking to city streets of Gondora with two complete strangers--one, a young child, though definitely in his double digits by then, and the other, his mother. They had accents, though he had no idea where from, as he had no experience with these things. As they left headquarters, Acel knew they were relatively new to the city, as they didn't quite know where to go. So, he helped as much as he could, leading them down the street and towards an above ground light-rail train that would be able to take them down into the market district where the restaurants were. When they had finally arrived at the train station, and they were about to get into the subway car, he turned to them and smiled. "I am so sorry that I am such a mess...honestly. I wish I could have cleaned up so you didn't look like you were being held hostage at lunch. I wouldn't want to embarrass you guys..." He said nervously, looking down to his side to see the burnt flesh was at the very least, starting to heal. They got into the train and sat down, making their way toward the downtown core where all of the people stayed and the food and shops were located. He realized something and almost choked as he looked back to them. "Goodness, I didn't even introduce myself to you! I'm Acel Belgarde, a baiter, of course, if you couldn't tell. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. How long have you both been here?" He asked, trying to make small talk with the new acquaintances.
Line Count: 116
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Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 175 Health: 1395/1500 Control Limit: 1400
Battleground Proficiency - Level 4 - You gain +8% to all defense chances, and your opponents receive -8% to their defensive chances against you.
BlankCaption Captain
Intellectual Smoker
Offline
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
Offline
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 11:50 pm
❅❄❅⋅⋩⋩Безумная Утенок
I F I G H T F O R M Y F R I E N D S
Much to Ilya’s excitement, The blond man agreed to go out to lunch with them. Ilya grinned at his mother, then at the man who accepted. ”Well, then you’re in luck, mister. Because that’s what we’ve decided on.” Ilya stated simply when Acel said that he hadn’t had it in a good few weeks. Ilya could pick up on the fact that the man before him was happier around him, not dragging his feet like he was a moment before. Was the man dwelling on something, perhaps the boy he had just saved the life of? Either way, he seemed like he was happy to join them, and Katya was warm in welcoming him, eased by the fact that this man was so kind. Katya smiled at the man, and Ilya beamed. The air about them seemed so at ease, like they were already familiar with each other, and it didn’t seem to matter just who was who, or why they came together.
This guy seemed slightly nervous, though Ilya couldn’t really blame him. The two of them were strangers, and they had just invited him out to dinner. It wasn’t all that common that strangers asked someone out to lunch with them, someone that they had never met before. It was hardly any more common that a stranger would invite someone who was covered in blood and burns to lunch, either. ”Don’t worry about it too much!” Ilya proclaimed, easily keeping up with whoever he needed to. ”You look fine the way you are.” Ilya did have to admit. The guy was fairly good looking, as far as he could see. He wasn’t at the age where he could find anyone to be attractive in most sense, but he did realize when someone was aesthetically pleasing.
Once they were finally on their way to the markets, the man suddenly got slightly flustered. It appeared that the man never introduced himself, so he remedied this hastily, letting Ilya and Katya know that he was Acel Belgarde, a Baiter, obviously. ”Ilya Utkin!” The young boy replied, happy to be talking to an actual Baiter, and not one of those doctors. ”This is my Mamochka, Katya.” He then realized that he had just used the Russian word for Momma. ”Eh, mom. My mom.”
Katya let out a light giggle, ”It’s good to finally be able to talk to one of you. We only just got here, but it looks like we’re here to stay. ” Katya’s words were pointed, and she gave a side glance to Ilya, who made a face back at her. It wasn’t that she was mad at him, per se, but she certainly wasn’t happy about the situation she was in. ”How long have you been a Baiter?” She asked, pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear as she began to look left and right for a good barbecue restaurant. There were a surprising amount of different types of places to eat, considering the amount of people who lived on the island was actually fairly little compared to anywhere else. Still, neither of them could have complained even in the slightest about this.
Ilya was excited to sit down and eat with an actual Baiter. He was almost bursting with questions, but as soon as his stomach growled, all of the questions he could have had evaporated like nothing. At that point, they gave up on conversation and dedicated themselves to finding the place they wanted to eat. Soon enough, they were able to find a barbecue restaurant that served all of the classics, and Ilya couldn’t wait to get his hands on a big pile of ribs and wings. The group was seated immediately, and their food as well as drinks ordered rather quickly. It was a cute little place, slightly rustic in nature, with all a refreshing air that helped keep the small restaurant at ease. It seemed to be a little hole in the wall place, but all of the tables were full, all five of them, so it couldn’t be bad. Ilya was almost a little too excited for the food, nearly wiggling in his seat as he watched the food runners go back and forth between tables with food. Katya had ordered a sloppy whiskey barbeque burger, being a woman who needed a lot of substance in her food.
While they waited, Ilya finally was able to push out a few of his questions that were never quite answered while they were walking. ”So what’s it like going on missions? How many have you gone on so far? Are they hard?” There were so many things that Ilya wanted to know. These were only the surface level questions that he needed to know before things went further. He wanted to know more about the people there, the rules, spoken and unspoken, what it was like living in the city, so on and so forth. For now, though, he would simply ask these ones.
Lines: 239 OOC: Leaving it short for the thing.
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 43 Health: 560/560 Control Limit: 348
Skill: 32 [--] Strength: 30 [32] Defense: 25 [35]
Quote:
Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - Your A.I. Core has imbued you with an inhuman durability. You can shrug off heavier blows with ease that your comrades might not be able to. You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Raven62
Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 11:43 pm
Acel laughed at the child's matter-of-fact way of stating things. Obviously, if the child had been asking about them going to barbeque, that was likely what they had been planning on going to eat, and yet he stated it like it was some sort of exciting, hidden mystery. "Is it now?" He had stated, with a bright smile. "Well, lucky I am, indeed." They had moved along through the city, walking towards the train that would take them into the market core, and when he had been apologizing about his attire, and the wounds on his body, the boy merely brushed it off, telling him not to worry about it, and that he looked fine the way that he was. Acel had laughed at that little bit, when he said it, nodding to him and thanking him for the compliment. They made it to the train, and when they were on it, and Acel had introduced himself, Ilya too his turn to exclaim his name. Acel wanted to laugh until he died every moment that he was around the boy. He was just so...excited about everything. He was likely the light of his parents' life. Perhaps his father, or his mother was the baiter here, and they were fighting for him. Acel smiled when he was told that Katya was his mother, and he nodded to each of them individually. "Well, it's wonderful to meet you both. You've got an incredibly adventurous, lively boy, Katya. I am sure that you and your partner are both very proud of him. But, how do you mean, it's good to finally be able to talk to one of us? Are you or your partner not the baiter in this relationship?" That little bit confused him, and before she answered, she was asking him questions about how long he had been a baiter, and he confusedly moved along with her. Perhaps she merely worked in the labs or something--maybe her husband or wife worked in the facilities here as well, it was always possible.
"I have only been a baiter for the past few weeks, actually. Unfortunate circumstances brought me here...and I was admitted to take the H.A.L.F exam without my knowledge. Just over a month ago, you wouldn't believe how different I was...or my life was. And in this single month and a bit, I have gone from being a farmer, to a trainee in this organization...soon enough I am to be promoted to full fledged baiter. It is remarkable how quickly one's body grows after the H.A.L.F." He said with a nod as he thought about it all for a moment and then he looked to Ilya. "You see, the H.A.L.F is where they take a special device that can harness the power of the A.I., our enemies, and give it to us humans. It is a test we have to take that helps to create stronger men and women who can fight and protect our world." He said with a smile, to Ilya. "If I had not taken the H.A.L.F, I would have died. My heart was taken from me by one of the monsters. But B.A.I.T.R gave me a new one--and saved my life." Acel stated with a bit of a smirk toying on his lips. They were chatting a lot and just wandering the streets at this point, but Ilya's stomach rumbled and Acel knew it was time to find a restaurant and settle down to get the child some food.
As they wandered around the market section of the city, they kept their eyes peeled for a decent enough restaurant and they settled on a small hole-in-the-wall place with only a few tables, but the smell wafting from the kitchen was incredible. Acel's mouth instantly began to water as they sat down. The ordering process was quick and easy, and Acel ordered himself a spicy barbeque chicken breast with grilled vegetables and rice. As soon as they got their food delivered, Ilya jumped into some of the questions he had about missions, and Acel's missions, and he laughed as he looked at the excited kid. He really was interested in baiters. "Well, missions are kind of terrifying, really. You are sent out into the world--anywhere in the entire world. And when you get there, you are to complete your task, but there are enemies lurking around every corner. You don't know where they will strike from, or how strong they will be. Thankfully, we don't usually need to worry about death--to tell you the truth, I have died twice already. It hurts, and is rather unpleasant, but they get you back on your feet quickly. However, if your code core--that device I was talking about earlier--gets destroyed before you die...then B.A.I.T.R can't get you back, and you really can die. I have gone on three missions, myself, and helped to destroy a total of six A.I. enemies, myself. But they are hard, indeed. Though, as you gain experience, you will find they are not all so bad. Right now, I am able to hold my own very well on the lower ranked missions. The one I just got back from I had to fight three A.I. Cores on my own, and it was a very trying battle. But I won, and got that child back here, and hopefully saved his life. The rewards for what we do make up for how hard it is to do them. With your adventurous demeanor, I am sure you might seek out this kind of life when you're older, even." He said with a bright smile, digging in to a bit of his food.
"Oh man, I can't take this anymore. I didn't want to say anything, but you're being awkward as hell about it, and you are oblivious because you don't want to see it. Can't you sense the kid's code core? The A.I. that's in his head? The little runt IS a baiter." Midas stated, and Acel's heart nearly stopped. His mouth stopped chewing, his hand stopped, his fork clattering to the plate below. The sound was all that jarred him out of his own thoughts as he immediately locked onto Ilya's eyes. "Please for the love of god tell me...you're not a baiter, right? You can't be. There's no way that they would allow such a thing...a child..." His eyes turned to Katya, and they were hard like steel. The gray orbs were of a father defending its cub, even though Ilya was not his in any way. "There's no way that you would allow this. Right? He is a child. Surely you wouldn't let your own child into a life like this!" His voice was hushed, as he didn't want to make a scene, but he needed answers. He was in disbelief that this boy could possibly be a baiter, and the image of his daughter would not stop flashing before his eyes.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 175 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1400
Battleground Proficiency - Level 4 - You gain +8% to all defense chances, and your opponents receive -8% to their defensive chances against you.
Ominous Noodles
BlankCaption Captain
Intellectual Smoker
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Brotherhood Of Explosives Vice Captain
Mind-boggling Trickster
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 2:32 pm
Dal'Mori Cestrol Menne
Surprise fluttered across Dal'Mori's face, easily one of the most expressive responses from the man, maybe even more so than the laugh from before. After he had asked the other Baiter to join him on a mission, the man seemed to be caught off guard, like it was one of the last things he had expected to hear. The man didn't immediately answer either, which both earned some respect, for the man did not charge blindly into combat, but at the same time validated a previous thought, that the man was very deep inside his own mind.
This was not what caused the surprise. No, the surprise was caused by what happened next. A tiny body popped inside, waving at them while offering a greeting. For the single moment between seeing the child, and seeing Kawaguchi's reaction to their entrance, a dark feeling clawed its way into his chest, and his eyes turned stone cold, fully expecting the man to let loose with some snide or cruel remark. He might as well have been a thunderstorm with the amount of fury he was building up. He was ready to strike, his arm muscles tightening to the point of maximum damage and speed, his hand turning into a fist aimed right at the side of the man’s head.
This all came to a very abrupt halt when the man laughed, a short, seemingly genuine laugh, and offered some strange greeting in return. He didn’t understand the word at all, but its intentions were clear. There was no malice, no venom, nothing to indicate that this man before him had made that comment naught but three days ago. Either the man had done a lot of soul searching and growing in the past few days, or whatever he said was not meant to be taken the way it was. He was willing to bet on the latter. Either way, it seemed like he had some learning to do. Dealing with strangers was something he was not accustom too, the vast majority of people he knew, he knew from birth, whether his or theirs. He never had to learn how to trust people, it was always just a given.
This would take some getting use too.
He shook it off and felt a bit of remorse at the fact that his inattention, due to his inner musings, cost him the opportunity to reply to the young man who went out of his way to say hello. He wondered, momentarily, what a child that age was doing here in a building filled to the brim with people who could probably squish him with just their forefinger and thumb, but decided it was none of his concern and returned his attention to Kawaguchi. Just in time too, it seemed, for practically as soon as his attention was returned, the man agreed to go on a mission.
He double checked to make sure nothing would fall off his person, before setting off to follow the other male, who was off to find their mission. Just before he could leave though, the little moving ball creature came over and started making noises at him. He had no idea what the little being was saying, but he got the basic gist, there was a certain tone to the things noises that almost reminded him of his mother when he had actually managed to mess up enough to make her disappointed in him. These theories were proven close to accurate when Kawaguchi translated the small ball creatures sounds for him. He offered the ball a nod, he would in fact make sure that if death would occur, he would be the first, and hopefully only, to go.
It seemed something wanted to stand in their way to getting this next mission, for once more they were interrupted by something. It wasn’t to say that he was upset by it, but his gut was starting to twist, which indicated something bad was coming their way. Once was chance, twice was a coincidence, three times was a message. This mission was starting to look bleak, and they hadn’t even gotten it yet. He made sure to swallow this unease, he didn’t want to pass it onto his soon to be partner, he wanted that man to be in peak shape, both mentally and physically. Perhaps this was a good thing, this terrible omen, it could mean he would get an honest chance at seeing how Kawaguchi handles extreme stress, and perhaps even death.
It certainly wasn’t a picnic for Dal’Mori, that’s for sure.
He half listened to the man who explained what these things were for, understanding the basics in that they were what would identify him as a Baiter, grant him easier access to the unlimited funds he could enjoy as a man of his new profession, but most importantly it would identify him better at his higher ranks, allowing him access to the better missions. He watched as Kawaguchi got his, his eyes stolen by the sight of someone using yet another different form of magic. Truly this world was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. When the man informed him it was his turn however, there was a small hiccup. While fascinated by it, the second he remembered that Kawaguchi had used his hair for this, he refused. He would not remove a single hair from his head, no matter what things he might get in return for it.
As luck would have it, the gentleman explained that any part of his body, including a little blood, would do the trick. This caused Dal’Mori to calm immediately. He pulled his new blade from the scabbard slightly, and without so much as a flinch, slid the palm of his hand along it. Blood bloomed like roses from the sliced flesh, and fell like rubies into the necessary area as he held his hand over it. Within seconds the wound was completely healed, and he was able to wipe the blood from both his hand and blade, before taking his new badge. It was a small, rather thin piece of some shiny material that he didn’t know the name of.
However, when he looked at it he paused for a moment in surprise. The background was a light bronze, perhaps in indication of the core he held within him? In the center was the main focus of his attention, his thoughts. It was a perfect replica of his villages symbol, colored the perfect color of green, gold and silver. It caused the briefest of smiles to cross his face. His old life was still a part of his new life. It would never go anywhere. This was evidence of that. He quietly slipped it into his pocket, with a nod towards the man who made it a reality of gratitude.
It was with some relief that they finally made it to the desk to obtain their mission. It appeared that most of the easier missions were gone, but there was a wider variety of options this time. They took some time to discuss their options, Dal’Mori immediately nixing anything the he felt would be too cramped, and Akio nixing whichever he didn’t want to do for whatever reasons he felt. After that it was mostly just a discussion of what environment would best suit their fighting styles, and or preferences. When all was said and done, they had decided to go to a place infamous for causing hallucinations, mostly due to the fact that it was outside, and chilled.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true, they both had admitted to a certain curiosity directed towards something like this. It sounded quite interesting.
As they listened to the lady informing them of the fact that they were heading out to find a monster that even the survivors couldn’t accurately describe, those that had managed to survive that is, the feeling in his gut twisted just a little tighter. He fought off the urge to cancel the mission though, he figured if the worst thing that could happen is death, and death was no longer an issue, they should have no real problems dealing with this mission or its aftermath. Honestly, without death to worry about, what’s the worst that could happen?
He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, willing his intuition to let him be right now, then set off with a nod towards Kawaguchi when he asked if they were ready. He followed a path he now knew well, carefully maneuvering himself through the hallways, his main goal to not bump into anyone, for who knew what calamity might follow. Within just a few moments they were at the portal, and ready to go. Dal’Mori went first, just because he was the first to arrive, his body disintegrating from sight rapidly as he was sent to their next location.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 160 Health: 1820/1820 Control Limit: 1280
One Man Army - Level 5 - While fighting without summoning an A.I. Core, you gain an additional +25 to all stats. However, if you do summon an A.I. core, you will receive a -50 to all stats instead.
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Line Count: 341
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:35 pm
Akio was almost completely oblivious to all of the emotions that went through Dal’Mori as he interacted with the small child. From the fury, to the confusion, Akio missed all of it. The only thing he did notice was the surprise when Akio didn’t answer right away. Well, he certainly wasn’t going to simply say yes to a question like that. Dal’Mori hated him, as far as he was aware, and Akio still had to weigh the pros and cons. But he did end up saying yes, after the child had left and Akio felt comfortable doing so. When they began to leave, Kiki made her point to say what she needed to say to Dal’Mori, even if he had no idea what it was that she was saying in the slightest. But when Akio translated, it was made apparent that Dal at least took the time to nod, letting her know that he would do so. Or at leasts attempt it. The whole interaction was interesting. From the confused look on Dal’Mori’s face, to the nod of acceptance he gave her. Kiki seemed utterly satisfied with the answer, and promptly rolled off to do whatever it was that she was doing before he got into the room. Kiki was an interesting little bot, something that he wasn’t much expecting when he first found her and modded her, and yet somehow she evolved into this adorable little thing that had so much personality. And, if he were going to be completely honest, he was starting to really love her. It wasn’t anything like having a dog, but it filled a similar little hole in his heart.
Finally, they were on their way to the Main Facilities, where they were able to pick up their mission and get their badges. Dal suddenly seemed hesitant when the man wanted to take some of his hair for the card. However, after a small amount of explanation, they settled for blood, and Dal sliced his hand open in order to extract DNA for the badge. It worked, creating a simple, yet interesting symbol in the middle of the card that obviously held a lot of meaning for the man. There was a small smile on his face when he looked at it, a fondness in his eyes for whatever that symbol meant, or wherever it came from. Whatever the symbol was, it meant so much to him that it was in his very veins, much like the river was in his. Perhaps it meant family? Or represented his family, somehow. That was what the river meant to him, so it was only natural that he felt this way.
Gathering the mission was simple and clean, deliberating for only a few moments before setting on the chilly, out-doorsy air of the Lucid Pastures to answer the calling of the very strange sightings of a creature which had yet to be unnamed, and undescribed. Akio was worried about this, but it went back to the want of knowledge, the want of clearing the unknown to feel less afraid. He had to know in order to be less afraid. Besides this, he had to know about those flowers. If he ever got the chance, he might actually pick a flower or two to take back to a biological researcher and ask what it was all about. There was so much to learn about in the world, but he had set out to find it, and that he would most certainly do.
So, in order to seek out his knowledge, Akio stood up straight and asked if Dal was ready to go. Their mission was simple, even if they died they would be able to give an accurate depiction of what the thing was in order to identify it later. Hopefully, it would allow them to succeed. At least that was what he had hoped. They walked to the portal room with a calm dignity, one of quiet interest, the other of quiet nerves. Just as quietly as they walked, they teleported to their destination. Dal was sent first, and Akio getting a lovely view of his particles being torn apart bit by bit and sent to Europe in the blink of an eye. Then came him. Akio stepped into the teleportal casually, the machinery sending him exactly where he needed to go.
When he stepped off the teleportal, Akio couldn’t help but be absolutely amazed. The place was beautiful! There was a vivid mixture of various colors, all ranging from a vibrant green, to an almost entirely stunning violet. They arrived on the edge of a village which overlooked one of the infamous pastures. At the moment, everything looks peaceful. It looked as if they were in the wrong place, and it couldn’t possibly be full of dangerous creatures that would steal children away in the night. And Akio was right, it was brisk, a small wind that caused a chill to go up his spine. He lived for it. It was so cold and beautiful that he almost didn’t want to get right into the mission.
But he did. There was still plenty to do, plenty to see, and plenty to learn. So, with an about face, he marched his way into the village to seek out information. “If you’re able to, talk to a few people about the pastures. See if they know anything about the beast we’re looking for.” Akio waved at Dal, walking in the direction of the middle of the village, “Oh, and be nice.” And with that, Akio was off to gather information. He wasn’t sure there was too much to gather, but he figured it would be a good idea to at least try. So, he walked around, taking in what he could and finding as much information as he could, then realizing that he could come up with little more than folk tales about a beast they might have seen, or their friend of a friend swore they saw, but no eye witness accounts. So, with a sigh, Akio walked back to the edge of the pastures. As far as he could see, there were flowers, plants, and various flora that covered the planes. There, he would wait for Dal to come back so the mission could officially start.
Lines: 352 Ooc: Shitty post is shitty. The next one should be in the Lucid Pastures.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 163 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 736
Acupuncturist - Level 6 - Your blows hit pressure points, causing the foe to move slower and be less proficient with their attacks. When you deal damage, the foe suffers a -12 to their Strength stat for the rest of the fight
Shards of Myself
Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
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Ominous Noodles Crew
Dramatic Fatcat
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:12 pm
❅❄❅⋅⋩⋩Безумная Утенок
I F I G H T F O R M Y F R I E N D S
Ilya found the apartment to be lovely enough, though to be completely honest he didn’t quite care where he lived. The place was nice, but he cared more about the people who lived there, the people who would be considered his family. Everyone that he loved under one roof… He couldn’t be more excited. And when Midas gave the small jest, Gavriil simply chuckled. ’We shall see.’ Was his only answer. He wasn’t too worried. He figured that eventually, they would grow to be absolutely wonderful in a fight, even if they weren’t the best in one now. Ilya, he knew, could have his moments of pure viciousness, though he wasn’t too sure where they came from. The stark difference between the two was jarring. Switching between the sweet little boy that Gavriil had grown to love in the short amount of time they knew each other, to the almost animal like attacks that Ilya pulled out of nowhere. He was rather interested in what Acel thought about that, and Midas, when the time came to see it. The boy really was something to behold.
When eventually the time came to say goodbye to his mother, they kept the farewells short and simple, keenly aware that they would see each other again soon. Acel had changed, and they were off to do what they needed to do. Their first stop, as Acel described, was the Main Facilities, the place where Ilya had gotten his badge from. There wasn’t much to discuss while on the train ride, so they had bantered idly, discussing small things, Acel explaining some of the small things about the floating island they now lived on. Once they finally got inside, Acel was pulled aside by a secretary who told him that he did really well on his previous mission, and was now allowed to rank up with the system. However, that meant he had to be left alone in the offices while Acel went to go get his badge upgraded. He did, though, ask what Acel’s badge looked like, pulling out his soft white badge with flecks of black through them, the grooves laced with vibrant blues. Acel’s card was much more intricate than his, blue lights dancing all through the beautiful gold card. Really, Ilya’s paled in comparison to his. But it made sense, he supposed. He was a child, his multiple levels of personality not having developed yet. His loves, beliefs, who he was; all of it was still being formed in his mind. Perhaps, with his next upgrade, he would be able to see more clearly what his badge said about his DNA.
Be that the case, Ilya was now left alone in the offices. So, he wandered, letting people talk to him about what was going on, what AI he had gotten, and such small talk. However, one person stuck out to him. A male secretary who was on a lunch break, eating a sandwich at his desk while playing a game of cards. He was relatively young, possibly in his mid-twenties, with dark black hair that fell into his eyes and chocolate brown eyes. When he saw that Ilya was rather bored with being left alone, he beckoned the child over, offering him some of the chips he had. Of course, Ilya took some, then asked a simple question. ”What’cha playing?” Ilya shoved the chip in his mouth, the salt and vinegar flavor coating his tongue in a strange way. It wasn’t unpleasant, but he certainly wasn’t sure how to take it. He didn’t think he would be taking another one of those chips.
”Solitair. Have you never played before?” The man’s voice was light and kind, a soft tone. Ilya couldn’t tell where he was from simply by his accent, nor from the way he looked. He was a racially ambiguous man with tan skin and simple, sharp features. Rather handsome, judging by the glances some of the women were giving him while he interacted with Ilya. ”My name’s Noah, by the way. What’s yours?”
”Ilya Utkin!” the boy said, striking a proud pose. ”And I haven’t played it before. What do you do?”
”Good to meet you, Ilya.” Noah gave Ilya a smile, beginning to pick up his cards. ”Go grab a chair, I’ll show you how to play.” And so, Ilya took off, running over to an empty roller chair to pull it over to see how to play this game. Noah set up the cards, shuffling the deck, then placing down the cards how they were supposed to be. One card face up, then a line of six face down cards. Skipping the column with the card face up he then placed a face up card on the first face down card of the first row, and continued placing five face down cards on top of the previous row. Repeating the process a few more time, ending up with seven rows total, he had set up the game. When Ilya came back with the chair, Noah began explaining the objective of the game. ”The objective of the game is to make four piles of cards, one per suit, in ascending order starting with the King.” Noah pointed to the way the cards were set up, ”The cards are set up like this, with seven rows total and each column having one, two, three, four, five, six, and finally seven cards. Following me?” When Ilya nodded, Noah continued, a smile on his face as he explained everything with a great amount of patience.
Ilya was completely interested in what was happening, amazed that there were games that one could play by themselves and still be entertained. Other than playing with a yoyo, that is. ”The remaining cards in the deck go up here,” Noah placed the deck above the first row of cards. ”These cards will be here when you’ve run out of plays to make. From here, you can start the game.” Noah made a few moves, taking all the aces and placing them above the rows he had set down. He continued to explain the game as he made each and every play. Ilya watched intently, asking questions at every chance he could get.
Unfortunately, Ilya was never able to finish the game. Soon, Acel had walked down the hallway, coming back into the room where they would finally be able to grab their mission and be on their way. However, first things first, Ilya needed to see what Acel’s new badge looked like. Of course, it was no less than awesome. Now, though, it was a cool tattoo that danced on his skin, rather than a card. Then, of course, they were off again, heading down to the core development room. Ilya asked questions along the way, of course. The mission was going to count more towards Ilya, than it would have for Acel. Ilya was fine with this, of course, but was curious as to why he would do such a thing. It simply chalked up to kindness, and the fact that it was a better decision to let Ilya gain experience, and have a mission under his belt, all the while Acel got to go get his materials.
When they got there, Ilya didn’t have to do much. He simply stood and watched everything unfold. Acel giving him his sword and scabbard to be converted into a core, his current core being examined, and then finally giving him a place to go. They were to go to the Atacama Ruins, a place where they would find some crystals that would allow Acel to do….. Something. To be honest, Ilya wasn’t paying attention to that part. Instead, he thought about the place they were going. The Atacama Ruins in South America… That was going to be an interesting time, that was for sure. He wandered if it was warm there. He had heard that South America could be warm, especially during the summer. Oh boy, he was excited.
When Acel turned to him and spoke, he nodded, making an affirmative noise. They sure did know where they were going, and he couldn’t be more excited. And so, they were off. Ready to go on their mission. Though… Ilya was slightly disappointed that Thre was still nowhere to be found.
Lines: 537 OOC: Rawr.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 43 Health: 560/560 Control Limit: 348
Skill: 32 [--] Strength: 30 [32] Defense: 25 [35]
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Tactical Advantages
Tank - Level 1 - Your A.I. Core has imbued you with an inhuman durability. You can shrug off heavier blows with ease that your comrades might not be able to. You gain 10 extra Defense. However, you also receive a -5% to your defensive chances.
Raven62
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 3:37 pm
Threigze Fionsi Bez truda, ne vitashish i ribku iz pruda.
As her body was put back together, Thre felt like the whole world was spinning around, quite rapidly one might add. She stumbled down the stairs of the portal room, one of the nearby operators rushed over to keep her from meeting the ground face first. She mumbled out a thank you, trying to rid herself of this dreadful feeling. Never before had she felt dizzy, or any of its effects, so it was no surprise that, shortly after her body reformed and the full effects of the portal took hold, she revisited her breakfast from that last meal with her boyfriend's family.
She started to feel embarrassed, but the guy who helped keep her from hitting the ground, and apparently held her hair back for her, explained that her reaction was in fact normal. He explained that in fact, most newbies faint when coming through for the first time, before amending his statement to point out the exception of this whole new slew of Trainees, of which she was now included. It took her a few minutes to get her head on straight, but even as she thanked the guy with a big hug and walked away, the effects remained, though not to such an immense extent.
She didn't get far though, for standing there, just outside the doorway, was none other than the progenitor of all her nightmares, the source of all her torment, the cause of all her misery. Before she even knew what was happening, her arm was pulled up and transformed into a massive hammer, ready to shoot forward and plant it in his smug face! In the blink of an eye, the object of her fury was there. Nothing to show he moved, no indicator he had even exerted any effort. One moment, he was across the hallway, the next he was right in front of her, holding her arm in his surprisingly vice like grip.
Venom dripped from her lips as she snarled at him, "I am finally free of you! Why are you here?!" There was a storm inside of her right now, raging like a caged beast. Years of looking over her shoulder, years of never really settling down, years of half relationships with people, all because of this man here, and when she finally thought she was free of him, that was when he showed up. She couldn't decide if she wanted to run or cry, but she knew she felt angry.
"My dear," he started with that horrible smile on his face. Many would think it a kind, or even grandfatherly smile, but Thre could see right through it, having been on the receiving end of the truth of who he was. "Did you really think you could be free of me? By joining an army I basically run?" His tone was calm, but there was a certain sadistic amusement hidden in the depths of his eyes, which were locked onto hers. If anyone was curious why Cain, the leader of the Baiters, was talking to this trainee, no one said anything.
In fact, more often than not they hustled off as if in a hurry to look busy, or get some job done, like they themselves might impress him enough to warrant his attention.
His words struck home, and her eyes widened in despair, he was right. How could this have possibly been a good idea? How could she have even thought for a moment that this would work out? How could she have let herself believe she could ever be free?
"That's right. You think this happened by chance?" He continued upon easily spotting the despair in her eyes. "Oh, my dear child, you are only here by my will alone." It became very obvious in that moment what was going on. Cain was reminding her, as he had all those years ago, that he was and will always be the reason she wasn't dead. He didn't need to say anything more, do anything more, he just needed to show up, look ancient and powerful, and inform her that she was always under watch. That even while away from the labs, he completely controlled her life.
His bit finished, Cain turned and walked away, unconcerned with whatever Thre might try to do in retaliation, because, let’s face it, what could she really do?
Thre stood there, frozen in place, a single tear rolling down her face. No matter how tough you are, or even pretended to be, nothing could really prepare you for hearing your life was a lie. Especially when you thought you were in control. As she watched only man she ever truly hated, she wondered what the point was? Dark thoughts for a little girl, sure, but they were there. She sincerely wondered what was the reason to keep going on when everything she did just kept playing into his hands?
As she stood on the brink of no return, staring into the abyss that was the next step, her foot hovering over the edge ready to plunge her way down into the endless darkness a voice rang out in her head.
'Wait!'
Thre paused as she heard Summer's voice, she wasn't sure why, maybe because it wasn't like the alien girl to give up like this and she was clinging to the offered life saver. Maybe it was because the core hadn't really spoken before, and it caught her off guard. Maybe she just plain didn't want to take that last step. No matter the reason she paused.
Which was all Summer needed. 'I don't know what that man did to you, your thoughts were all muddled and full of emotion, but I can easily tell you don't like him.' Her words were stuttered and slow, something that helped to ground Thre, pull her back from her dark thoughts as she thought about all the good she could do for her new friends personality. It wasn't much, but one thread is better than no thread at all.
The next moments of her life would define the rest of it for the foreseeable future. The A.I. within her explained that while that man was powerful, there was no question, he was not the strongest that could be. Summer explained that there were A.I.s with powers that made what Cain had look like jokes, but they were hard to find, some to the point of only one or two even being in existence. Summer also took a moment to assure Thre of their existence, by revealing she had witnessed one herself, but it was only a brief moment for she ran away immediately in fear of her life. As she spoke, Thre calmed down, and a smile slowly worked its way onto her face. 'So, long story short, one day you can be stronger than him.'
These words lit a fire within Threigze's chest, as she realized that this was not the step into freedom she wanted, but the first step towards it. She wasn't free yet, but by gods she would make sure this was her path towards freedom. One day she will be strong enough to take down that old man once and for all, and rid the world of his terrible influence. For now, she would have to play his little game, but when the time came she would have no issues planting her new gun right down his throat and opening fire.
Once she got herself under control she realized that half of her body was still transformed, giving her a rather eerie appearance, which was garnering a lot of weird looks from the people passing by. She willed herself to change back, and was surprised to find just how easy it actually was. Was this the result of the fusion of an A.I. and whatever species she might be? It was kind of awesome really.
With that all settled and finished, she went off to follow the instructions given to her by the people who directed her to the first portal she took, quickly locating the area she was supposed to get this badge thing that labeled her as what she was, a Baiter. She saw all kinds of interesting people and things along the way, weapons of all sorts, people of all types, and nothing looked duplicated, as if everyone was completely unique in their approach to the world they lived in. She felt proud to be one of them, lowest on the totem pole though she might be.
She reached the offices of the Quan Yuen she was told about, only to find out to her surprise it was a gentleman. He explained to her the purpose of what they were about to do, and she found herself beyond happy. She was about to have access to an unlimited supply of something that was a rare thing on her journeys. Funds. She plucked out a hair without a second thought, and the end result was a small, hard plastic card. It was decorated in such a way that it looked like it was made out of sections of metal, clearly some kind of play at her core, however it was all the same kind of black that her flesh changed into when she transformed into her weapons.
Summer's approval thrummed through Thre's chest, and she smiled. She thanked the man with a big hug, who seemed surprised at the reaction, but accepted it all the same. With that finished she bid him a happy farewell and left, the dark moment from just minutes before long forgotten in the flow of thoughts that came with the idea of infinite money. She could get a big house! Better yet, she could bring all the people she met, all the people she loved, to come live in that huge house with her as her big, happy family.
Family!
That thought immediately brought to mind Ilya, and she shot off towards the portal as fast as she could, feeling terrible for the fact that she hadn't spared him more than a single moment of thought since getting finished with her H.A.L.F. The last place she saw him was in the last base she had been in, so she figured that would be her better bet, hoping that perhaps his test was running long, and that she could see him just as soon as he was done. This hope was dashed quite nicely when she rounded the corner to the portal room however, and saw him there.
That wasn't to say it was a bad thing though, because the second she saw him alive and well she darted right over, and like the last time picked him right up in a big hug, still extremely happy to see him again. "Tiny man! You did it! I knew you could!" She said before stepping back with a grin on her face. "Hey, you wanna go on a mission with me? We could do our first mission together! It'll be really awesome!" She was basically jumping up and down at this point, completely oblivious to the blonde who was standing nearby, she was just too excited too care. It had been far too long since she had seen him, and now twice in one day? It was only natural he’d be the main focus of her attention. The only way it could be better is if Alley or Ilya’s mom was around.
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B.A.I.T.R Standing: 56 Health: 60/60 Control Limit: 448
Skill: 12 [28] Strength: 50 [66] Defence: 50 [66]
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Tactical Advantages
One Man Army - Level 3 - While fighting without summoning an A.I. Core, you gain an additional +15 to all stats. However, if you do summon an A.I. core, you will receive a -30 to all stats instead.
