Jet appeared suddenly in the lobby of the old building. While the overall layout hadn't changed much over the decades, there were clear signs that the building had gone through a hodgepodge of uses, particularly in the differences between the style of the structure and the style of what minimal furnishings remained. Across from the entrance, what was once a grand, wooden staircase now rose, run down and rotting, up to the mezzanine.
He already knew he would find a Knight and Super Senshi there now that the dampening field was no longer blocking auras, he just needed to find out who they were.
With blood matting his curls, and scruff that didn’t quite count as a full beard, Jet definitely looked like he’d been held against his will for at least a week. His pant leg had been torn apart, and bandages were in place where the wolf summon sunk its teeth into him. He took a slow step back, making sure he was steady on his feet as he quickly observed his surroundings.
He flashed a tired smirk at the Knight and Senshi and took a moment to glance down at the starseed in his hand. There was a significant crack in it, but otherwise in one piece. Even if the White Moon got it back, he doubted they’d be able to return it to its body. Perhaps he would keep this one as a trophy.
The starseed was dismissed to subspace, and Jet was relieved that his abilities seemed to work after so long without them. His communicator was pulled out next and he spoke quickly into it.
“Saturn Knight and Cybele in the lobby,” he said, knowing the communication would be received, and that he would be getting company very soon. Confirmation of who they were going to fight should have been all that was needed to call in the rest of the team.
-
For a long moment, Sessrumnir was frozen to the spot. He didn't lunge forward like Ganymede, not because he didn't want to save his father, but because Jet had looked him in the eye as he tore Empyrean's starseed from his chest, and left him to die.
It felt like a knife was being shoved into him. He'd been stabbed before-- Aquamarine had stabbed him with his dagger. But this was somehow different. Twisting. He vaguely wondered if he'd felt this pain before. Had he been stabbed elsewhere? He couldn't remember any more. All he could see was Empyrean's lifeless body on the floor.
Everything was cold. Like ice had crept in and froze him over.
He should have killed Jet when he had the chance.
And now…?
Instinct and training had him moving to Empyrean’s side, making sure he wasn’t suffering from any physical wounds on top of the lack of starseed. Maybe they could get it back…?
Ganymede and Valhalla were already racing towards the lobby where they could all feel the auras of Jet and Michel and Cybele, who had been waiting to meet with Oberon, Perdita, and Lucasta to try and flush out the youma that had been lurking in the building.
His cape was removed from his shoulders and he placed it over Empyrean. It was the least he could do.
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:38 pm
Cybele was kneeling on the floor of the lobby, peering at decades of dust and a variety of heavy boot prints in search of any tracks that looked a bit less human when the auras in the area flared back to life all at once.
Cybele stiffened. She looked over at Michel, one brow raised slightly.
Then, Jet appeared across the room from them, a starseed in his hand. Cybele's face went white. Her hands curled to fists within an instant. She did not know whose starseed he was holding, exactly. She only saw it for a moment before he sent it off, in a moment that send all the air from her lungs without him even having to touch her.
It wasn't like any of the people he could have gotten it from were strangers.
"This wasn't the plan," said Cybele. Her voice was low, flat.
Detached. She couldn't let herself think, couldn't let herself feel, not right now. "Also, I don't care. We're killing him."
Michel, from what she knew, would have no qualms with that.
That said, Cybele charged forwards, her silver shoes clicking against the dusty floor.
Guine
Kyuseisha no Hikari
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Sunshine Alouette
Eternal Senshi
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:42 pm
Aquamarine appeared almost as soon as Jet stopped speaking. Though he’d left his cape behind in Negaspace, he arrived looking almost like his usual self, except for the shadows beneath his eyes that spoke of many sleepless nights. He’d pulled his hair back for the occasion, desiring an unobstructed view.
He glanced toward Jet first, taking in the state of him — the blood and the ragged uniform and the matted hair. Teeth clenched behind a frown, Aquamarine quelled the instinct to kill the first person he saw who might be responsible for it. From his own subspace pocket, he produced a starseed and passed it to Jet.
Then he fastened the matching earring into his own ear, summoned his rapier, and took a look around.
The state of the building was about what he expected. Trash and debris littered the place, the air thick with dust and decay. Aquamarine cast his cold gaze upon the Saturn Knight and Cybele, but made no move to engage either of them, even as Cybele made her approach.
“Albite, Kamacite, you’ll be on Cybele,” he said. “Make sure she suffers.”
They’d all suffer, if he had it his way.
Elsewhere in the building, the aura of an Eternal Senshi erupted into that of a Princess, drawing ever closer.
Guine
Shiningamisgirl
stari_maga
Kyuseisha no Hikari
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:44 pm
Fifteen minutes would have to be enough. The plan was to get in and get out. There was no reason to linger and draw this out more than they had to. Fifteen minutes and Axinite would summon them back. Because Kamacite wasn’t going into a mission like this without Axinite knowing something was happening. He didn’t care if it went against Jet’s plans that he had approved by the Queen. Jet hadn’t chosen him to join-- it was Aquamarine who had, for some reason or another, trusted him to be able to help them.
And he would help them. But not without a backup plan. And not without sending Axinite a report of everything he knew about that plan in a message sent to his tablet right before they teleported to the open lobby. It had information on the location, who was going to be there, and who they expected to be fighting. He hadn’t had a chance to include Cybele’s name, but he would add that in once he got back. Axinite checked his tablet religiously, so he would have seen the message by now.
Kamacite had his hair cut short. The outer robes he usually wore had been left behind, revealing a skinny young man with bare, scarred arms from combat. The sash around his waist had been re-tied to conceal the bat-wings as best he could, and the engraved medallion that Axinite had given him to lower his energy signature was worn around his neck.
To everyone there, he was just a Super Senshi.
He arrived on the second floor of the lobby, nodding to Aquamarine when he directed him to Cybele as his target. He was meant to use his magic whenever anyone else needed it, so he would have to try and keep an ear and eye out for when he got the signals to do so.
Jumping down to the main floor, Kamacite meant to block Cybele from reaching Jet by darting towards her to throw his fist at her side.
-
When General Bloodstone arrived, it was with Carnallite. He didn’t care that Jet told him not to bring a Lieutenant -- Carnallite was a better fighter than probably most of the people in that room, even as just a Lieutenant. Although he didn’t plan on keeping it that way for long.
The Saturn Knight was his target and he immediately pulled his new weapon from subspace, pleased with the balance it had from the hammer and pick to the staff of the weapon itself. He twirled it once, maybe to remind himself of the weight, or maybe just to show it off, but he didn’t linger before rushing towards the Knight, aiming a heavy swing with the pick side at the man’s body.
Albite didn't think Aqua even needed to ask. The mere sight of her? The sound of those quickstep silvered heels across solid ground. How it echoed. He woulda gone after her regardless - the fact that he was being asked?
Got such a grin. Toothy glee that turned rictus. Ruthless.
Flashed white canines gripped around a glowing purple stone, rift s**t, Rugose. Albite bit down until it *cracked* - breathed the purple glitter mist that the pendant expelled. Absorbed the precious energy collected and held therein.
Became more beast than man and followed the thin form of Kama in.
*Choking Retribution*, a hungry, vicious, *thought* aimed at Cybeles form. The strange way his magic lashed out as he made to flank her opposite side, to mirror Kama's motions, like the other incoming point of a pincer.
How his heavy steps carried the eerie sound of an insectoid swarm.
Super Sailor Scout Attack:Choking Retribution! Albites tattoos appear to come alive, slithering off his harm like ethereal magical ribbons. The tattoo ribbons wrap around his intended opponent (pick a body part) and tie the two together for a duration of 20 seconds. The bindings slowly begin to tighten on said opponent, squeezing a bit like a boa constrictor would. Neither is able to escape the other until the magic is ended, or the weak ribbons are severed. He can now use the attack twice in battle, but can still only focus on one target at a time. Effect: Instantaneous Range: 6 Feet Duration: 20 seconds Number of uses: 2 Number of targets: 1
Passive Enhancement:Radons Echo When Albite wills it, he is accompanied by the distant and unnerving sounds of a metal tipped skitter-screech. It sounds like an army of rusty blades being improperly unsheathed. It can sound like a buildup of icepick insect tipped feet careening along a cliff-side. It can be unnerving and unfamiliar, and create a sense of uncertainty and dread. This effect is particularly prominent when Albite is using the Rugose Pendant.
Rugose Pendant: A blackened, wrinkled rock set into a silver pendant with an indigo glow trapped inside. It can be found discarded in Negaspace or the Rift. To use the item, an agent or Negaverse senshi must energy drain the rock. Once drained, the rock will crack and disintegrate. The rock's violet light will then envelop the user, cloaking them in the appearance of a youma. A youma aura will overwhelm the user's natural aura, though it will not disguise their aura. Their youma appearance must adhere to youma guidelines for personal or player youma. The user does not gain any special abilities while under the effects of the item, and their current abilities are not typically hampered by the item. The Rugose Pendant's effects last until the character powers down or until 3 hours have passed, whichever is sooner. The Pendant may be used once a day.
xstari_maga
xGuine
xSunshine Alouette
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:28 am
Faustite had the unique ability of being in two places at once. He was in the lobby as he was elsewhere in the building, but only one of them projected his virulent General's aura.
The one with the aura was in the lobby, pacing as he appeared, as if teleporting was an errant thought atop a walk. They had wanted the building intact — unfortunate, considering the grand staircase was wood, and they brought an active fire hazard to the scene. Maybe they'd forgive him if he had to burn his target out of hiding.
He knew, already, that Albite was a mangled, twisted thing. Screeching mess was instructed to engage Cybele. Kamacite, too, somehow managing to look even smaller than he usually did when he swam in all those robes.
He and Lopezite were to engage Sessrumnir, the Knight he had once met. The one with the poisonous little drink of a weapon. But — where was this one?
He looked at Jet, who appeared older than he was with something like a beard on his face. He looked cute that way, he thought; maybe in better circumstances, he could say something about it. But Jet's skin was sallow, and he held himself as if he was trying to conceal some pain. Faustite parted with a small smile as he looked away.
The pendant in his pocket was drained, breaking its seal and engulfing him in fire. He looked like a General no longer, with half his face missing and his own skin worn for a cape. Fire framed with metal started to pace.
guine
Rugose Pendant: A blackened, wrinkled rock set into a silver pendant with an indigo glow trapped inside. It can be found discarded in Negaspace or the Rift. To use the item, an agent or Negaverse senshi must energy drain the rock. Once drained, the rock will crack and disintegrate. The rock's violet light will then envelop the user, cloaking them in the appearance of a youma. A youma aura will overwhelm the user's natural aura, though it will not disguise their aura. Their youma appearance must adhere to youma guidelines for personal or player youma. The user does not gain any special abilities while under the effects of the item, and their current abilities are not typically hampered by the item. The Rugose Pendant's effects last until the character powers down or until 3 hours have passed, whichever is sooner. The Pendant may be used once a day.
Oh. So they’d all been hiding like cowards. Of course, how predictable.
Michel had spent months looking for someone, anyone who could actually connect him with Lysithea, who had the authority to give her back, and now they were popping up aplenty.
Keeping Jet alive was a mistake, obviously. He wondered who found out the hard way. Michel had the luxury of not being attached to anyone in the building, so he wasn’t as angry as Cybele, not for that. He didn’t need encouragement to want him dead, though. He’d have joined her, or gone after the exhausted blonde, but then–
There was that Corrupted Senshi. With his hair cut short, so maybe he learned. Not enough, obviously, or he would have ******** delivered already.
He’d been nameless before; now, he was either Albite or Kamacite.
He might have moved to intercept Cybele, but Michel wanted him to bleed.
Michel didn’t have time to make his way to Kamacite, he had his own problem to deal with. His clock hand might not have given him the sharpness he wanted when fighting, but it was sturdy, and he held it to his side to block the weapon before it could reach him. The force reverberated through his weapon and left his hands tingling and numb, but he wasn’t hurt.
A burst of light in the distance caught his eye and he knew–without knowing, he knew.
It couldn’t have been anyone but Faustite.
And he was here with some nobody and his little sidekick.
“I need you to understand how little I care about you. Get out of my way,” he growled, and shifted his weapon to try and jab into Bloodstone’s gut.
He just had to get past him. Ordinarily he’d have been thrilled to work out some of this frustration on a Negaverse Agent but here, now? Faustite was out of hiding, and even if he hadn’t been, Kamacite was right there.
Quote:
General Lopezite - With Faustite, looking for Sessrumnir, not presently engaging anyone
Lopezite did not relish the thought of battle; it was a necessity. He hadn’t unsheathed his weapon–he hadn’t needed to, not yet. It was large and unpleasant to navigate with when you were trying to find your target, and there was no benefit to carrying it around when he could just summon it to him when he was ready.
There were others here already, but they were outnumbered; familiar faces from the team were familiar faces already engaged in combat. It didn’t look like anyone needed immediate assistance so he didn’t feel bad about taking his time to look for his assignment.
He wasn’t far off from Faustite, but he still sent him a wary look when he erupted in flames. Whatever worked for him! But Lopezite was still flammable. And looking for a dog.
removing quote wall to add tl;dr to the top of my post!
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 7:20 am
Quote:
Eternal Oberon - Oberon heading to check on the Void. Sent a distress call (which will be useless for the purpose of this RP, but an attempt was made).
Oberon wasn't sure what happened. One minute he was heading down the hall with Perdita and Lucasta so they could meet up with Michel and Cybele at the lobby, and then all of a sudden there was some kind of malfunction with the otherwise perfectly working device.
Except it wasn't the device that malfunctioned at all, but obvious sabotage. The auras of youma flickered into the radar of his mind, and he growled out a few curses as he ran back in the direction of the Void. He had his senshi phone out of his pocket so he could send a quick message to the others.
"We have a youma problem down here--"
But it wasn't just the youma that were an issue. It felt like Chaos flooding the building. Where there was just one General before, suddenly there were several. Corrupted Senshi too.
"We've gotta get it working again," he shouted to Perdita and Lucasta as he jumped over some of the rubble, although he was certain they were thinking the same thing. He fumbled with his phone once more and pressed the button to send a distress call to anyone in the area.
Before, they might have tried keeping it secret until they worked out the details of how the Void really worked, but if they were being attacked by several Negaverse agents, now was no time to pretend like they had an upperhand in things.
Quote:
Jet's Personal Youma, Arles - Guarding the Void and keeping it offline.
Arles' large tail swished through the shadows it blended with, stirring up dust and debris that littered the floor. A large toothy grin greeted the Eternal and Super senshi.
I see you've brought me a snack. It's been a while since I've eaten Mauvian, he cackled into their heads, phantom paw and claws guarding the device that he would very much like to bring back to Negaspace so they could learn more about it.
Guine
Crew
Lonely Explorer
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Strickenized
Garbage Cat
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:58 am
Quote:
Faustite's Personal Youma, Headache — Joining Arles while masquerading as General Faustite.
Soon after entering the building, Headache found that humans ambulate too strangely for it to search the building with any sort of speed. The cloud of fireflies had sense enough to curl a couple bugs around the corner before potentially flying into the path of an enemy, and that sense left it unimpeded.
When it neared Arles, the cloud formed into General Faustite once more. It marched into the area with no words for their opposition, but only one offensive gesture.
It learned as much from Lysithea.
sunshine alouette
Headache ;; Appearance ;; A group of red fireflies. These fireflies act as one unit, like a hive mind. They don’t stray far from each other and usually act as a cloud. Dusting roughly half of the fireflies will send the youma back to the Rift. Ability ;; This youma cannot attack so much as it defends itself with illusion. Using its myriad lights, the youma can produce a near perfect image of something it sees with some limited motion effects. For example, they can make an attack appear larger than it is, or take on the image of someone and be able to walk slowly, or imitate the appearance of a known youma. While they do not speak, having no mouths, they communicate with their General via morse code.
She left Empyrean to Sessumrnir. There was nothing she could do for him there in the hall, except stare in horror at his lifeless body. Below, where the Chaos auras were popping into existence one by one, she may be able to accomplish more.
If she was fast enough. If she was less hesitant. If she did what she should have done the moment they had Jet at their mercy.
She ran — down the hall, down the stairs — losing sight of Valhalla and Sessrumnir. She could look at them no more than she could look at Empyrean. Nothing she said would offer them any comfort or reassurance. An apology wouldn’t bring their father back. Crying over him wouldn’t either. Their best hope was in retrieving his starseed, and even then…
Her power grew as she navigated the darkened stairwell, almost explosive in her anger. Down she went — one floor, two — until she came to the mezzanine.
Fury and despair had a way of blinding her to what she should have done. Ganymede spotted Jet over the balcony railing, saw the starseed in his hand, and her only desire in that moment was to make him hurt, make him suffer, make him give it back. She noticed the others, felt their auras, saw their forms and faces, but none of them mattered.
Halfway down the grand staircase, she reached for a wooden rung that had come loose, old but solid enough to make an impact. She tripped in her haste, but her wings caught the air so she could glide the rest of the way.
In case they should need more sympathy for Plisetskaya in the future, Cymophane maintained his cover with a blackened, wrinkled rocked and its indigo glow. He drained it before leaving, assumed the appearance of a youma, and teleported into the lobby himself.
Last time he had the experience of becoming a youma, he got to be a cute cat boy. Not so this time. Any disappointment he might have felt in that was short lived. This feline form was monstrous, all long, razor sharp claws and a snarl of overgrown teeth, with missing clumps of fur and skin to expose red muscle beneath. What fur remained was black and matted. A barbed tail flicked at his back.
He was to work with Bloodstone. Kamacite disliked the General despite being friends with the man’s Lieutenant. Cymophane didn’t have an opinion on Bloodstone one way or the other, except that his resting b***h face was actually sort of hot, and apparently he was a doctor, so that meant money, right?
Not important right now. Some other time, maybe, but they had a mission to take care of. In and out, Aqua said. There was no time for dawdling.
So Cymophane found Bloodstone, saw the Saturn Knight with him, and smiled what might have been a cheerful smile, if it weren’t for the long, sharp teeth and strings of drool.
He came up behind the Saturn Knight and aimed a punch toward a kidney.
Guine
Kyuseisha no Hikari
Quote:
Rugose Pendant - A blackened, wrinkled rock set into a silver pendant with an indigo glow trapped inside. It can be found discarded in Negaspace or the Rift. To use the item, an agent or Negaverse senshi must energy drain the rock. Once drained, the rock will crack and disintegrate. The rock's violet light will then envelop the user, cloaking them in the appearance of a youma. A youma aura will overwhelm the user's natural aura, though it will not disguise their aura. Their youma appearance must adhere to youma guidelines for personal or player youma. The user does not gain any special abilities while under the effects of the item, and their current abilities are not typically hampered by the item. The Rugose Pendant's effects last until the character powers down or until 3 hours have passed, whichever is sooner. The Pendant may be used once a day.
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:18 am
Quote:
Guardian Cat Lucasta - With Oberon in the basement area, checking on the Void and attacking Arles.
“Dog,” Lucasta snarled.
Death and dog, that was the smell that lingered around the building, that drew them on a fruitless chase for a youma that seemed at the time to be invisible.
Not invisible, it turned out. Just shadow.
Intelligent, too, if it understood the Void’s purpose. That it could speak seemed to confirm this, but words were never the greatest indication of one’s brilliance. Much could be accomplished without them.
Another figure — more human, but not fully — unfamiliar even to her sense of smell. Lucasta growled low, hackles raised.
She picked the dog as her target, if only because she’d been searching for the damned thing for days. Lucasta came at it from the side and took a swipe with her claws.
Something about this didn’t seem right, but Perdita didn’t bother to say it out loud. Oberon would know already. He’d been grumbling about it for days.
The dog youma was barely visible in the shadows, but the other… the one that still looked human… still behaved human, right down to the gesture… that one was bright, burning, and fearsome for it, though the figure did not immediately attack.
“Get the Void back online,” Perdita told Oberon. He knew the tech better than she did. “I can handle this one.”
Maybe.
She’d try, anyway.
Perdita picked up a sizable chunk of debris. Her magic would be useless indoors, where the only thing natural might be a rat carcass, so she made no effort to utilize it. She lashed out with the handful of debris, aiming her fist toward the side of the burning figure’s head.
Guine
Lucasta attacking Arles.
Strickenized
Perdita attacking Headache.
Sunshine Alouette
Eternal Senshi
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Sunshine Alouette
Eternal Senshi
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:29 am
Quote:
Lieutenant Carnallite - In the lobby, ascending the stairs as she waits for Valhalla to show his face.
Though she was brought in by Bloodstone, Carnallite made no effort to aid him against the Saturn Knight. Her target was a different Knight, a more passive one, if their information still held true. Valhalla, the husband of the Princess.
She waited, felt the massive aura draw closer, watched the Princess trip and glide into the lobby, all pure white fabric and trailing red ribbon. Carnallite knew Valhalla wouldn’t be far behind.
With Ganymede aiming for Jet, Carnallite began to ascend the stairs. She kept an easy grip on her toy boomerang. Perhaps if this mission ended with a successful capture, she’d earn herself a better weapon.
Guine
Shiningamisgirl
Carnallite's going to try to cut Valhalla off up on the mezzanine.
Such a thing to watch unfold. The way all the auras screamed. No small talk or pleasantries exchanged between one another. Only rage, strife, all of it thick enough that he could've sworn the air crackled with it.
Prehnite watched from where he waited. Slid into view like an oil slick, from behind an archway and shadowed pillar beyond the bottom of the stairs. Took his time while the Princess careened through with her entourage in tow.
Jet was there - *alive* - pin on a map for where the princess would be. *'His'*, Jet'd said - wanted her to himself in some manner. Wanted her alive, not dead. All the words that'd been scattered and said before -- All the ways he couldn't quite tell the extent of an injury by looking only. He wasn't Bloodstone, with his knowledge of such things. Wasn't Aqua, who probably could've gauged at a glance whether Jet was still standing because he was healthy enough that he could, or because they had a plan to enact, and he damn well needed to.
Not that it mattered, though.
She was Jet's to have. Prehnite knew he could have his picking of the rest. Could do his best to make whatever got in their way *dead*. Trip them up. Slit them open. Like a wall of bladed vines.
He waited for Ganymede to pass by - graceful as a swan caught on air. In her pearlescent, feathery, glide. Magnificent, something he had to see...
Then stepped through space to plant himself at the top of the stairs she'd descended. Caught sight of the Lieutenant, Carnallite. He offered her a nod, a genuine smile. Wan thing as poisonous as the lengthy serrated blades held loosely in his grasp. The way they glimmered sickly chartreuse green with something other, like sepsis in a wound.
xSunshine Alouette
xGuine
Shiningamisgirl
Ruthless Consumer
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Guine
Crew
Lonely Explorer
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:24 am
Quote:
Valhalla, Knight of Jupiter - Trying to follow Ganymede to where Jet is, but stopped by Carnallite and Prehnite.
There was no time to process what happened. Jet had been in the makeshift cell one moment, and then the next his father was lifeless on the ground, his starseed in Jet's hand.
Valhalla had never felt such a horrible range of emotions before. Rage, despair, sorrow, guilt-- they were all swirling inside him as he followed Ganymede's lead to the lobby. He'd paused for only a moment to see that Sessrumnir was following, before--
Nearly running into a General and Lieutenant as they cut him off on the mezzanine. He pulled his staff to his hands, and used the length of it to try and shove the Lieutenant backwards and out of the way first.
She wasn't his target, nor was the other General. It was Jet.
"Move," he said desperately, trying to at least get to the railing where he could jump down.
