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Rengato
Vice Captain

Cunning Businesswoman

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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:13 am

Weeamoo

~Hayate "Phaser" Yamachi~

"Cause of death, blunt trauma. Time of death, two o'clock. Possible motive for murder, yet to be determined."

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Phaser gave a rather irritated grunt when Blake simply forced herself into a partnership with him, citing that she was capable of contributing due to her magic and how useful magic was. With a sigh, he turned his attention to the woman and spoke in regards to her question about what he was going to do should Gram turn out to be some kind of threat. "Let's just say... I have a way to get out of most any situation." He stated, referring to the ability that inspired his name. Phasing. For small instances of time, Phaser was capable of 'moving' through space and appearing in other dimensions, such as the Dreamscape that collapsed a decade ago. Using that ability, he was almost always capable of getting out of the worst kinds of situations. The only downside was that it really did not contribute to anything in battle, forcing him to simply run away when things got too dicey. It was actually one of the reasons why he decided that he did not want any partners, Echo being an exception. His ability only worked on him and Echo. As such, there was no guaranteeing the safety of any other individual that investigated with him.

Ignoring the question about Echo, Phaser simply lit into Blake about her confidence in magic. "And as for my opinion on magic, it's about as useful as any other one-off trick that someone relies on completely. Dealing with situations requires far more than special powers that you just happen to have because you're born with them. You have to think, you have to train your body, your mind. Not sure if you intent was to invoke confidence in me with your statements... but they only made it sound like you're someone who's entirely reliant on a magical source that can probably be negated in some way." Phaser stated, citing his own beliefs that he had formed since entering the Dreamscape all those years ago and defeating Knightmare after Knightmare that came after him. "So, tell me, do you have anything else that you're willing to contribute other than your use of magic? Are you actually some super genius as opposed to what your interviews suggest? Some super human that's capable of physical feats beyond normal humans?" Phaser started asking, almost as if he was interrogating her in a way.

"Echo's always been able to hold her own. She's trained her body, her mind. She spent ten years just to become someone capable in her own way without having to rely on powers or magical abilities. There's a reason why she's my only partner. She gets it. She gets me. And that understanding and trust is the only reason that we're toge-" Phaser caught himself, having gotten rather heated in his conversation when he started thinking about Echo... the idea that she might be gone. He gritted his teeth, clearly upset as his phone sounded off. "Who's messaging me..." He asked, sighing a bit as he pulled out his cellphone and checked his email. "Huh... there was an explosion in northern Shibuya. There were also sightings of a flicker constantly moving around the area as well. Sounds like some Terran's gotten themselves caught up in something..." He muttered, obviously not convinced that this was Gram that the message was talking about. "Go home, kid. If it's your Knight, I'll send him your way." He stated, turning and beginning to walk in the direction of the location described in the email.

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"I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. When we strip everything down to the bones, there's nothing but truth."

D.R.E.A.M.S.

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:03 pm

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱ Blake had to fight off the urge to roll her eyes at Phaser's "opinion on magic" as well as his opinions on her. Sure there were ways to get around magic. Rowan had plenty of his own, and each school had its own counter so-to-speak. For many of them, abjuration was the biggest pain. An abjurer could send several of her summons back to their appropriate plane, force fields stopped lots of evocation spells, etc, etc. Everyone had to have their own backup plans; that was obvious. If a magus didn't consider an enemy being capable of resisting their magic, they weren't very bright. That's the exact reason Blake was forced to train in combat once she was finished training in magic during her younger years. His views on magic were a little curious, however. It sounded as if he had more experience with magic or supernatural abilities than would make sense for the three months after the occurrence of the Moment. His views on her, on the other hand, were nearly insulting. Sure, he'd said super genius, but the way he went on made it sound as though Phaser considered her less than average. There were very few Blake tolerated questioning her intelligence. Still, if the fae girl wanted to have any hope of tagging along with this guy, then she'd have to keep her cool. At least, that was her thought; however, it seemed like Phaser was a hard time with just that.

Honestly, the man's frustrations pulled at Blake's chest. She'd lit into Natalia in a similar fashion one time when the dragon kin brought Rowan up after finding out who he was before he died, before Blake had resurrected him. From the way Phaser talked about Echo, he really cared for her, much more than he wanted to let on. A digital sound from Phaser's pocket broke her thought. It seemed to do the same for him. "An explosion?" She kept her voice low. That's way too serious a thing to mention so nonchalantly! Wait- a flicker? There were several things from their world something like that could have been, but it sounded like teleportation. That was no easy feat. If Gram were Rowan, and at this point, the chips were falling that way, then would he have kept his teleport his boots granted him? She really wanted to explore this possibility that Phaser had proposed: the possibility that Rowan was still alive. It had sparked quite a bit of hope in her, after all, hope she'd nearly given up on. The fact that this man was telling her to just go home and going so far as to be condescending was insulting and countered whatever intention he had in getting her hopes up in the first place. What? She was just supposed to trust in some guy that thought the hood of a sweatshirt made him appear mysterious. Fat chance. This guy had nothing on her own Knight when it came to rudeness.

The man would probably feel a tug on his wrist if didn't immediately evade her grasp, Blake having reached out to grab it. If he had and continued walking, she'd follow. Her light green bangs fell over her eyes. That was the second time he said he'd send Gram her way if he ended up being her knight. There was no guaranteeing that, though. But I'm not going to be a burden to you... Her Knight's echoed voice rang off in her head. That's right. Last time, he distanced himself from everyone, including his own little sister. If this time was any time like the one before, then it was unlikely he'd just come home of his own accord. "You're worried. I get that," Blake stated, looking up at the man. He was the one who had gotten in contact with her about this. "But you have to understand, I am too." As she spoke, whatever grip she ended up getting on Phaser would loosen, her arm slowly falling down to her side. "I don't know what you know about Carmillion and the Knight and Mage system, but Rowan means more to me than any of those people you've talked to can understand. But Gram or not, Rowan or not. There's no way I'm going home. I refuse to sit idly by while people could be getting hurt or someone does my work for me, not when I can do something about it!" A plum-colored magic circle appeared between her hands as she clasped them together in front of her. "So, I'm gunna check out the explosion. Phaser, we can work separately and get in each other's way or work together and be more effective." A four-winged raven wearing a plague mask burst from her hands and took off into the sky. He'd said northern Shibuya, so that's where the fae sent the Nevermore. If this wasn't Gram, then she'd make sure the situation settled down and everyone was okay. Then, it was on to looking for the Delinquent of Shibuya. "I'm perfectly capable either way. The choice is yours."

"If you focus too much on what could go wrong, you'll lose sight of what'll go right." ▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

Rengato

Weeamoo
Captain

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Rengato
Vice Captain

Cunning Businesswoman

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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:10 pm

Weeamoo

~Hayate "Phaser" Yamachi~

"Cause of death, blunt trauma. Time of death, two o'clock. Possible motive for murder, yet to be determined."

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"So, in other words, you're going to get in my way no matter what I do. Is that it?" Phaser stated, not even turning around as he looked at his hand while wondering if he should try to phase her somewhere else. It had never really worked on anyone besides himself and Echo.... but it might be worth it to give it a try on this woman so she would stop trying to tag along. "Look, I get it. You're adventurous. You and your mother discovered, from what I hear, a plethora of nations and wildlands back on Terra. You both established harmonious relations with the kingdoms of the Sky Platform and Yuki no Okoku, and found the location of Abelid that was crucial in maintaining a war effort with them. I've looked into your actions and the politics of Terra quite a bit ever since you all came to this world. I gotta say though, you and your mother are pretty... I don't know, ordinary in terms of Terrans to be branded a duchess of sorts. Normally someone like you would be a war hero, right? How does a woman like you end up becoming rich overnight and getting granted that status of duchess not too long afterwards?"

Phaser was pretty direct with his question, figuring it was best to try and understand this woman a bit more if she was going to force herself to be his partner for now. His slight invasion of her privacy was also another attempt to cause her to leave, as she might be freaked out by how much he knew about her. "I know your status and recognition as part of the aristocracy of Carmillion is legitimate though. The fact that so many suitors are trying to court you day in and day out should attest to that. Not to mention the deep loathing the old money of Carmillion have towards you." Phaser stated, turning his head back to the woman as he began to explain what he meant by "old money." "Old money's probably a new phrase for you, right? That concept didn't really exist on Terra from what I heard. It's pretty simple, the term is self-descriptive after all, so I won't really try to bother explaining what it is." Phaser explained, trying to sound as frustrating and obnoxious as possible so that this woman would leave him to his business.

Rounding a few corners, the sight of a large construction area with smoke emanating from it came into view. There were some police vehicles parked around it trying to keep people from getting into the site to have a look around. "Great. Looks like whoever's been messing with this side of town's got half the police department quarantining the area. It's gonna be rough trying to get in like this." Phaser grumbled to himself, holding onto his elbow as he started biting his other hand's thumb. "Knowing the layout.... and the need for water... there's probably a sewer system linked up to the construction site. So if we can find a manhole, then we might be able to sneak into the area through there." Phaser stated, moving away from the site and searching for a manhole. "If you're really so intent on following me, then you'll need to hold your nose and endure the sewers for a bit. It's going to be pretty nasty too, so I hope you're ready for that." Phaser stated, finding a manhole not too far away. He then proceeded to pry the cover from the ground and climb down the ladder that led to the sewers. Once he got down, he moved to the side and waited for his new companion to come down as well.

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"I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. When we strip everything down to the bones, there's nothing but truth."

D.R.E.A.M.S.

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:58 pm

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱ Yeah, basically. Her internal reply had a bit more sass to it than she was willing to let Phaser in on. He seemed to be... relinquishing in one way or another while all the while being somewhat standoffish. Too bad for this guy, Blake had built up a sort of immunity to this sort of thing. His knowledge on her was... a bit jarring, though. Sure, there were a few things she'd shared during an interview or two, but this was different. He'd apparently found out much more than he initially divulged, things about her life before the Moment. While this was common knowledge to most Terrans, a lot of people from earth didn't know these things. Honestly, it even happened a little quickly for me. I went straight from struggling with commission work to being dubbed a noble. Some people were all for it while others were not too happy. How things ended up are completely different than what I expected. Due to several factors. She was about to reply when he continued, even mentioning the number of admirers that were fighting for her attention. Alright, that was admittedly embarrassing. "You're right. That's a new one for me, but I understand its suggestion." After all, there were several nobles that became rather heated when it came to Blake's nobility. It was indeed legitimate and recognized by the council, but that didn't mean everyone was so accepting of it. "It's a long story." Most of the accomplishments were either a joint effort or simply a bonus to their true goal. Rowan was a determining factor in all of them, though. Everything was attributed to her and her mom. It didn't even matter if they weren't there. That's just how Carmillion worked. Knights very rarely got appropriate recognition. It was nauseating.

The Nevermore above had a decent view of what was going on below. Road blocks and stationed police had everything in the range of the explosion blocked off. The billowing smoke make it hard to see anything too closely. Blake couldn't even get a visual. Phaser seemed equally frustrated with the situation but had a plan of action. The sewers? It was a decent enough plan, and there was an opening within the quarantine zone only around the corner from the building in question. "Yeah, fine. I don't mind. Whatever it takes." Besides, this probably has nothing on decaying flesh. As a funeral director and necromancer, there were several worse-smelling things that Blake had faced than a sewer system. Taking this path was a bit of an inconvenience, though, and she still made a point to breathe through parted lips rather than her nose. The police were simply blocking off the area and not taking action. They may have been worried about a bomb possibility or an enemy they couldn't face. Perhaps this was bigger than they had initially expected. What would happen if there were already innocents inside the quarantine zone?

"So you seem to know plenty about me and Armaments. What exactly do you understand about the Knight and Mage system of Terra?" Blake stopped at the top of the ladder for a moment to replace the cover before dropping down below. So far, it seemed like most of Phaser's information came from Carmillion. She was curious if he'd delved into anything else after The Moment or if his research had just pertained to his job. From all he seemed to know thus far, the man probably had a decent grasp on the concept. After or if he answered, she continued, wanting to more accurately answer his question without sounding like someone who simply gained on the hardships of others and was okay with it. She wasn't. How Carmillion society viewed Knights was wrong. "Like many things, it's looked at differently depending on who and where you ask. In my kingdom, magic and tradition are important and valued over strength and power. Mages are valued more than Knights. Any pompous fool can be seen as a great and mighty man while standing on the shoulders of someone strong." Having a connection set up with the summon was helpful in navigating this place. Whether Phaser could figure out the way or not, this just seemed easer. As they neared a turn that would take them closer, the fae pointed it out before heading in that direction. "While I'm happy to say that I had a hand in much of what's been claimed, there's no way I would have made it this far without my Knight. Wouldn't have even had the courage to leave the kingdom borders." She smiled as she spoke, but there was an indescribable pain in her chest. While there was so much evidence pointing the Delinquent of Shibuya to Rowan, they couldn't confirm it. So much hope for his life had returned, but he died right in front of her this time. At least, that's what it had looked like. Despite that, Blake had searched for him for several weeks only to turn up empty-handed. Would this time really be any different?

They were getting closer. The ladder back up top was even in eyesight, but Blake suddenly came to a solid halt, eyes wide. Something was strange. More accurately, something was normal. She rested a pale hand on her chest. This feeling was one she'd become quite accustomed to over the course of having a Knight. Having gone without the sensation so long made its abrupt return feel... alien. She was imagining this. She had to be, right? If not, then that meant- The half elf stared forward at the ladder with her green eyes trying to keep calm. Her voice didn't sound like her own as she attempted to process. Blake hadn't even meant to speak on it. All the same, breathless sound passed over her tongue and through her lips. "This is... He's here."

"If you focus too much on what could go wrong, you'll lose sight of what'll go right." ▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

Rengato

Weeamoo
Captain

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Rengato
Vice Captain

Cunning Businesswoman

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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:22 pm

Weeamoo

~Hayate "Phaser" Yamachi~

/

~Rowan

"Darkness, light. Justice, Corruption. The line's been blurred so much recently... that I don't know what to believe in anymore..."

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"I know enough about you to realize that your world was pretty messed up. A system like that's nothing more than slavery with a different name branded onto it. Even if you're willing participants." Phaser stated in response to the woman's question, not very keen on the idea of the Terrans' Knight-Mage system. "Regardless, though, it seems like you and your Knight found something that's fairly hard to come by with paired individuals. The fact that you rely on them rather than direct them attests to that I guess." He mentioned, his eyes locking onto a ladder that led up towards the surface of the quarantined zone. "Huh... looks like we finally made it." Phaser mentioned, moving over to the ladder as Blake spoke a rather strange phrase. "He's... here? You don't mean your Knight, do you? So Gram is that man?" Phaser asked, suddenly becoming rather alert now that he was confirmed to be in the proximity of Gram. "Let's get the to top then. I've got some questions to ask him myself!" Phaser called out to the young woman, jumping onto the ladder and climbing his way to the top. Once he was out, he would help Blake out of the manhole while covering his face with a cloth.

The area above the manhole was full of dust and debris, like some large-scale war was going on or something, and they had just walked into it. His eyes, however, quickly caught sight of someone that was not too far away from them, standing in the middle of the dust and looking towards another woman. Phaser was stunned upon seeing Echo... but his newfound joy was quickly cut short by the other woman.

"I guess what they say's true. Nothing can beat an Armament, no matter how strong the sword or the person. C.O.P.A., it looks like we have some uninvited guests. Why don't you show them a bit of hospitality." A young woman in golden twintails called out, smirking as two large lights lit up from behind her. In one swift movement, a woman covered in weapons ranging from cannons to blasters was hurtling towards Phaser and Blake, a cold gaze falling to her victims.

Five Minutes Ago

Rowan had been leading the way for quite a while now, and it seemed like the warehouse he had mentioned beforehand was finally in sight. The two of them would be able to put an end to whatever operation these people were running where they were killing people for their armaments. Walking up to the warehouse, Rowan simply grabbed the shutter and threw it towards the ceiling, smashing it into the roof as he stared forwards. Inside the warehouse, there were hundreds of servers and several dozen pods that seemed to be containing humans. "Looks like we managed to hit the jackpot. Are they storing Terrans or something like that?" Rowan mused, not really entertained by what he was seeing.

"I figured someone as simple-minded as you would come to that conclusion, Gram. Thinking through things thoroughly is more the style of those like the Ms.... Mrs... It's hard to tell from your social media page." A woman in golden twintails called out to the two of them, walking out from behind a few servers as she smiled over at the two of them.

"Sorry. I could swear I heard you say the words, 'Please grind my face into the ground.' I'd be happy to oblige you." Rowan stated, rubbing his neck as he cracked his fingers, staring the woman in the eyes as he did so.

"My... how violent. I suppose I'll need to deal with you before going any further." The woman stated, pulling out a notepad and hitting a few buttons on it. Almost immediately, one of the pods opened up and revealed a woman with long, green hair. "Her name's C.O.P.A., Combat Operative for Protection and Assassination. Isn't she beautiful. Mankind's first Living Armament. Well, not really 'living' I suppose. But it's as close as we could get without killing off the test subject." The woman mused clapping her hands as the green-haired woman's eyes lit up and stared forward at Rowan and Echo.

"Targets acquired. How should I proceed?"

"Kill the dark one."

"Affirmative." And in that same moment, the woman had sprinted forth at lightning speed and began fighting Rowan. The two of them seemed to be rather matched and speed, although the woman was clearly hitting a bit harder than Rowan could possibly manage. Just a few strikes from her were enough to send him sliding backwards slightly, unable to block out all of the force from her punches.

"Beautiful, isn't it? An android with the core of an Armament. She's nigh indestructible. She can't even be scratched unless her opponent's using an Armament. Luckily for us, Gram's supposed Armament has long since disappeared." The woman mentioned, looking over towards Echo. "What beautiful hair... Anyway, this is what you were curious about, right? What we were up to. Well, the long story short is that our plans have already been accomplished. There's nothing for you to stop anymore." She mocked, smirking slightly at Echo as a large explosion issued from not too far away, covering the area in dust. A few seconds later, C.O.P.A. landed behind the smiling woman. "Well, I have to say, it was interesting meeting such a fascinating woman in person. I've read up on you quite a bit, former Mrs. Junior Detective." The woman mocked, referencing Echo's past affiliations with detective work alongside Phaser. "But, just like back in the Dreamscape, we Knightmares can't leave any witnesses." The woman stated, a dark smirk appearing on her face as her ears perked up from the sound of a manhole cover sliding from not too far away.

Meanwhile, Rowan was embedded in some debris, having been flung into a warehouse by the robot woman and left for dead in the crumbling building. This Armament Woman was way too strong. Her body was essentially an Armament, and she seemed to be drawing in mana from the atmosphere or something, because there was no way she could hit with that much force without being energized by a mage. As the weight of the debris began to pile on top of him, the young man felt a spark inside of his chest. This... this feeling is like... when I first woke up here. He thought to himself as the sparks began to light off in his chest, a warm feeling overtaking him as he felt something he had not in months. Mana... lots of mana flooding every fiber of his being. If that were the case though... then that would mean that she was here. That would mean... Rowan's eyes suddenly snapped open, the young man looking upwards as the yellow glint of his eyes began to glow from the mana flowing into him, the sign of his demonic nature springing forth once again! "Blake!"

Phaser, stunned by the sudden assault of C.O.P.A. could only stare in shock as the woman charged them her arm and hand extended out like a sword. From the looks of it, it seemed like she was simply going to plunge her hand through their chests and murder them in a rather cruel way. "No... Echo!" Phaser called out to his partner, reaching out for her as he realized that she would most likely be next. This was... where they were going to die. As the robot finally descended on him and Blake, something marvelous happened. In what appeared to be a split second, someone appeared in front of them and simply glided around the robot's arm like it was nothing and punched it straight in the stomach, halting its progression immediately. "I'm not finished with you yet! Don't you dare touch my BLAKE!!!" Rowan screamed, launching the woman forward with a power that extended well beyond any limits he had ever displayed before "The Moment." In that same moment, he launched himself forward, not teleporting, and chased the woman into the sky to continue their fight.

"What the! How in the world did she not kill you!?"

From the ground, it looked at first like their arms and legs were blurs. Soon, however, far more wondrous events started happening. As their fight continued, Rowan seemed to... multiply. It was not just hands or swords that he was duplicating with his dimensional warp. He was making his whole body exist in multiple places at once as he fought the Android. "I don't care about being a hero... or some Knight in shining armor! But I'll be damned if I let you lay a finger on her!" The man shouted his fist colliding with C.O.P.A.'s as a shockwave formed, blowing away the dust and revealing the two of them midair to all the bystanders in the streets. Open-mouthed and shocked, they merely looked on as the two obscenely powerful creatures fought each other midair.

"There's no way.... there's no way you could fight her like this! Only... only another Armament could fight her!" The blonde woman shouted. In response, a small chuckle escaped Phaser.

"You're pretty dense, aren't you? That man is an Armament. His entire body's one!" Phaser stated, his theory having been proven right about the man. His smug expression soon disappeared, however, when another shockwave issued forth and cracked the ground beneath them slightly. "Darn it! You're going to hurt innocent people if you keep this up! You have to finish it!"

As Rowan ducked a strike from the Android, his fist collided with her other hand as the two of them tried their best to completely eradicate one another. His fight, however, did not seem like it was going to be over without collateral damage. He was not strong enough. "Gram's not here to help you anymore. Not here to guide you. You're all by yourself. You can only rely.... on yourself!" A voice called out to him in his mind, his own, inner voice. "It's the only way! Break through... with everything you have!" Rowan's eyes suddenly gained an even fiercer expression, his muscles began tensing up, and something seemed to have triggered a shift in the man. The next time his fist collided with C.O.P.A., he seemed to push her back and straight towards the ground. Somehow, he was breaking through his limits... it was the same as before. His body and soul being separate beings, he was pushing his body past its normal limits like he always did. "I'm going to finish this!"

The man was almost a blur as he crashed down on the Android, their battle now on the ground as the two of them blipped around and fought. Amidst the chaos, the blonde woman seemed to have placed herself in the empty pod and put in a few commands on the pad she possessed. The pods containing her and her Androids suddenly began ejecting, hurtling them towards the sky and away from the chaos as she looked at the people that forced her to flee. Rowan, however, was completely preoccupied with his fight. News helicopters had arrived on the scene, and people were pulling out their phones and cameras as they were broadcasting, live to the world, a fight that transcended any ordinary boundaries both on Terra and what they used to call Earth. The Android Armament, however, was not capable of keeping up with the demonic man, and soon the wear on its limbs began to show as it started breaking apart from the constant impacts. Finally, Rowan managed to punch straight through its arm and into its body, obliterating the creature as he punched the Armament straight of its body and onto the ground. With the power source gone, C.O.P.A. simply powered down and grew limp as Rowan threw her to the side rather brutally.

Panting, he turned to Blake, his eyes slightly tracing the path Phaser was running. Phaser seemed to have run up to Echo after the battle ended and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, gritting his teeth slightly as hot tears flowed down his cheeks. "I thought.... I thought I lost you... forever." He stated, clearly upset that she had disappeared for days and could have possibly died. The man, however, said nothing else as he simply embraced her and tried to enjoy having her safe in his arms.

Meanwhile, Rowan had walked over to Blake, his body a bit bruised and blood dripping from his chest as he stared her in the eyes. For a while... he simply watched her, not sure what to say to her. Finally, however, he made a snide comment. "I guess you're finally showing a bit of pride in your body, huh? I never expected such a...." He stopped halfway through, looking the woman up and down as he tried to be cool to her... tried to make some disparaging remark to make it feel like the past. This, however, was the present. "Maybe... it's a good thing you started letting Nat pick out all of your clothes..." There were two things about this statement that were odd for him. One, he called Natalia by an affectionate nickname... and two, he complimented Blake. Just those two alone caused Rowan to flinch slightly as he thought about retracting the statement and going on his merry way. Instead, the young man held his ground and simply watched her for some kind of reaction.

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"I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. When we strip everything down to the bones, there's nothing but truth."

D.E.M.O.N.

D.R.E.A.M.S.

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:24 pm

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Approaching the warehouse, Echo was curious about what they'd actually find in there. This group... online they were referred to by several names, none of which seemed to really stick. It didn't matter. In the end, they were just killers. The disturbance Gram's "opening" of the shutter might've caused her to jump if she hadn't expected him to simply blow a hole through the middle of it. Still,
the sound was enough to make her step back as she continued recording both the Delinquent of Shibuya and the activity of these terrorists. What the camera caught, however, was something she couldn't have expected. The scene looked as though it came right out of a sci-fi movie. "No," Echo replied to Rowan's guess. Terrans weren't really a part of their equation. That's why they worked. "But-" Echo was cut off before she could continue, a blonde woman revealing herself with a grin. She seemed to be familiar with the two of them. Gram was easy enough to come by on the web, but herself? The only people that often found Phaser and Echo were either clients or enemies. The recognition put the woman's internal alarms into a frenzy. It wasn't difficult to find them. The issue was the intent to find them. If that was the case, then they were probably aware of the pair looking into them. Gram seems raring to go, but she's not nervous at all. Her confidence means she either has a means of escape or... When one of the pods opened up, Echo kept the camera trained on it, making sure to get everything. Unfortunately for them, one of her theories were correct. She had a way to fight him. Wind hissed through her teeth. "Look out!"

That was when the battle began, COPA, as it was called, launching an assault on Echo's makeshift ally. Her attention, however, was pulled back to the blonde woman when her voice rang out. ...My hair? She seems easily distracted. Not the point. Is this woman really behind all these acts of terrorism? "I see... This is why you were hoarding Armaments." In stressful situations like this, it was much more difficult to keep her cool. The Delinquent of Shibuya was one of the most powerful forces the city had seen, and whatever that thing was, living Armament or whatever, had looked like it was gaining ground on him. It was faster than anything she'd seen on Earth. That meant all of these pods held beings similar to the one the Terran Knight was fighting now. They wouldn't be so lucky for the rest to have been all failures. Was this some sort of makeshift army? No. There was no makeshift about it. With this many functioning "wielders" they would have the strength of several armies given a relic's durability.

Echo's expression suddenly took form at the mention of her former... colleagues. Knowledge of the Dreamscape was several limited after its collapse, and knowledge of the Knightmares was even scarcer. The explosion and COPA's returned were both signs of Gram's defeat. She was next. s**t, s**t, s**t. No service. No backup. No way to stand up against that...thing. Even if she did try to fight back, her bones would simply snap on impact. The worst part was they weren't done. She wasn't done. Her actions in the Dreamscape even followed her here. The twintailed female looked about her age. She couldn't have been older. Echo had thought she was the youngest member, but... everyone took on a different form in that world. There was no way she could figure out who this was, not with how little she had to go on. People were still dying. She was going to die. The scraping of metal on pavement brought her back from her panic attack, and the woman in front of her seemed to focus in on it as well. Someone was coming up from the sewers. Their blood would be on her hands, too. She was about to yell, tell them to go back before it was too late, but the figure between the haze caused her to freeze. No... Why are you here?!

"I won't let you!" The desperation in her voice was clear. Fully prepared for whatever painful backlash interacting with this creature would bring, Echo grit her teeth and reached out for the android only to be avoided due to its ridiculous speed. Beautiful... a thing like this? I don't understand. "Phaser!" He was so close and yet, there was no way she'd be able to reach him before something happened, before she lost him. It wouldn't be long before the remnant followed, but she couldn't help but be a little jealous that he'd be first. There was a sudden shift in front of the android, a fissure that was slowly becoming familiar to her: Gram's teleportation. Something seemed to have sparked in him as he was gaining ground on the Armament now. Echo's gaze finally fell on the woman that had come along with Hayate. It looked like Blake Trinity, one of their suspects for Gram's possible Mage. The man's sudden surge made sense now and seemed to appropriately frustrate the blonde running this show.

The battle before them was difficult not to watch, the shockwaves produced enough force to blow away the dust and smoke produced earlier, and Gram was showing off capabilities now that he never had before. They probably weren't even an option before the reintroduction of Duchess Trinity's mana. Still, this was dangerous. The commotion was drawing crowds of people. Even news helicopters were showing up, and if this guy didn't pay attention to the amount of wreckage he caused fighting this thing, then this wouldn't go without casualties. Hayate seemed to be thinking the same thing. It would have to end soon. Guess I can quit now, Echo thought, putting away the phone the Knight had gotten for her. She could barely hear the sound of running above the chaos. Once again composed, her plan was to go after the self-proclaimed Knightmare, but she'd already secured herself in a pod by the time Echo had caught up. All she could do was glare darkly in return to her gaze. This isn't ov- Ahm. Despite his own mood, Phaser's embrace welcomed a calming wave.

It was well-needed. She didn't know how she felt or how to feel. Her past had caught up to her once again and even threatened to destroy the thing she cherished most. Hayate had taken matters into his own hands and gone out of his way to pick up her slack and almost gotten himself killed. It was reasons like that she hated it when he went out of his way for her. Then again, the only reason she was alive was thanks to him... as well as Blake and Rowan, she thought the elf said. Without her presence, they never would have stood a chance. It probably took quite an amount of persistence on her part to even join Phaser here. Echo rested her hands on his back and her head on his chest. "I'm right here. You could have gotten hurt too, you know." I wasn't the one who was nearly impaled after all... "...glad you're safe. Way to show up fashionably late... thank you, Hayate."

"I can't condone actions that would bring pain to others. I won't allow it. Never again." ○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱ Her body moved without thinking. As soon as they had both reached the dust-filled air, Blake and Phaser were charged by some green-haired woman with glowing eyes. Was she from their world? That wouldn't make sense, would it? If this really was the group that had come up on the train, then why would a Terran be working with them willingly? Moron! This just makes it easier for her! Almost instinctively, the fae had placed herself between their attacker and Phaser while covering her mouth with her scarf. There was nothing else she could do. The one referred to as Copa was way too fast. Even if she used the smallest amount of mana to make a wall, a shield, something, Blake had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be enough. Despite having forced herself through the grotesque imagery that surrounded her childhood friend's death, despite reaching out for her Knight as it looked like reality was ripping at the seams, Blake was still afraid of what pain would be associated with her own. Crap. I'm gunna die, aren't I? When I'd gotten this close... It was almost like some cruel joke. Just as she'd confirmed his life, she was going to die before even seeing him! That was an unacceptable level of unfairness. Why? Why did it feel like they were constantly being forced apart? It felt like the world was constantly trying to correct or even punish her for the mistake she'd made nearly a year ago. He'd probably be upset with her if an apology was her final thought, but there was no helping it. Sorry... Rowan...

"Rowan?!" In a split second, the man that had been the interest of the internet, the Delinquent of Shibuya, the one calling himself Gram, appeared and stopped her impaling with a single punch. The sudden popping into existence was something Blake had to get accustomed to initially. Having him show up in such a way now was the most relieving turn of events she could imagine. Whatever tears that had began to well up in her eyes were blinked away in that instant. That's right. It didn't matter what form he took, Rowan was still her Knight. Although, the woman's heart skipped a beat at the phrase "my Blake". While it was true in several shapes and forms, she would never have expected to hear such a thing come from him. Unfortunately, there was not much more assistance that she could provide in return for him other than mana provision, only able to watch as Rowan took off after Copa. All the dust and smoke in the air dispersed with a burst of force as the two fought. Any press that had been blocked off by that "wall" now had a clear view of what was going on as well as any curious person with a cellphone. With the air clear, at least she could pull her red scarf off her face.

Phaser's voicecaught her attention for a moment, though her green eyes were still locked on the fight above. Rowan's entire body had become an Armament. That somewhat explained the more demonic appearance and perhaps even the change in physique. What did that mean for him and Gram, though? Was Gram even here? The pact between the Knight and Mage had not been severed. Why hadn't she found him sooner, then? Was he really all alone for three months? The idea brought pain to her chest, the girl side-stepping as the ground threatened to break under the force of another shockwave. Would her magic still even work on him? There were too many questions to expect any answers right away. It was beginning to look like the latter would be answered sooner rather than later as Rowan began to push himself and eventually Copa, taking the fight back to the ground. Several popping and whooshing sounds from the nearby warehouse signaled the blonde woman's escape. She was the one who'd been giving orders... Blake grit her teeth before opening the flood gates.

"Wait a second! ...Ugh. No time for pleasantries. I need your help!" A glowing red magic circle opened up beneath her as Blake tensed up poured as much mana as she could into summoning. A feathery black mass erupted from the ground before her and shot into the sky, screeching. You need to follow them! Please! From the top of another building, the Nevermore took off as well, though nowhere near as quickly as the psychopomp before it. She wasn't even sure Wrath could keep up, but... A loud crack caused her to turn back toward Rowan, having... incapacitated whatever exactly the enemy was. From the way the blonde spoke, it almost sounded like some weapon rather than a person. With the threat gone, Phaser ran over to a woman with purple hair, presumably his partner, Echo. Meanwhile, Blake was approached by her own partner.

It was almost funny. While looking for him, she'd thought about what she'd say upon meeting the man again. Now that he was finally in front of her, Blake was almost at a loss for words. No matter what, she couldn't cry. She didn't want to. Her body threatened to, and she swallowed hard. Not happening. There was so much she wanted to tell him, just start rambling off right from the beginning, but that wouldn't do either. Not while he was looking at her like that. His eyes were a little different. His body was different... not bad. Not bad at all but different indeed. The scars that once riddled his skin were gone, his features more demonic than human. There was no denying, it, though. Rowan was right here. Alive. All this time, I knew exactly where you were but not who I was looking for. Meeting his gaze, Blake's expression simply melted into a warm smile. "Here." A gold light enveloped her hand as she pressed her fingertips to his chest as lightly as possible. That light would glow in wherever places took damage had been taken over the course of the battle. It shone brightly in the dim light, reflecting a little in her eyes and off some surfaces. Ah, there's the Rowan I remember. Sarcasm ensuing in three...two... She stopped when he did. The pause made her a little worried for the state he was in. The light of her spell was fading, so it had nothing to do with his injuries... Blake was about to ask if he was alright when her heart faltered for the second time in less than ten minutes.

He was trying to kill her. That had to be it. Rowan didn't want anything to happen to Blake earlier because he'd been planning his vengeance all this time with her weakest points in mind. The fact that Natalia's nickname had even left his lips was shock enough, but the compliment wasn't hidden, or back-handed in any way shape or form. For a moment, the fae just stared at him, somewhat at a loss. She wasn't quite sure how to respond. No matter how many times she had gone over this, there was one thing she wanted. The blue shine beneath her feet was barely visible, so very little mana put into it there was no way it'd last long. With the couple inches the platform provided, and a bit of a stretch, Blake softly pressed her lips to his. It was only a few seconds, but by the time the platform burst into shimmering dust, a decent amount of color had made its way to the young woman's face. I'm going to get into so much trouble with Natalia for that.
"Are you- uhm, will you come home?" she asked, trying her best not to look away but she was appropriately flustered at this point. Home... How? Wasn't Rowan viewed as some sort of criminal? It's not like they'd drop all the charges, right? I'd be harboring a fugitive if he came home now, and the police probably wanna ask us a couple questions. Geez. This was quite the mess. Blake was grateful, though, that she had the ability to even be in such a mess in the first place. Despite the possible trouble, she was still smiling. Don't cry! Don't cry! Don't cry! "I missed you..."

"If you focus too much on what could go wrong, you'll lose sight of what'll go right." ▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

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Nevermore: A Tale of Knights

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