The civilians are taken one by one, so quietly and so subtly that it's nearly a week before anyone realizes that almost twenty have disappeared. With absolutely no leads and no background and no explanation, the police are at a complete loss to help; and besides, they might have had a bit of misdirection carefully swayed in their direction to prevent any unwanted investigations.
One of the civilians taken, most unfortunately, is the brother of Celsus, Transcended Knight of Chronos. It's on accident; they don't realize who they're taking, and Tolliver should not even have been at the loft that day. After a day of reconnecting with his brother, the two of them had spent the evening watching a movie together, and both had left to get more snacks,
But Tolliver was taken just outside the store, when his back was turned. Fritz powered up to Celsus and caught the faintest traces of a power signature before it disappeared, too far away and too fast for him to even start moving to catch it, too distant to even recognize which direction it's coming from (and vice versa).
But the faint traces of a signature at least give him a tiny head start - a lead that the police wouldn't have, because the police wouldn't think to look at the Negaverse for answers.
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:12 am
A message was sent to all Order members that could receive it. For the senshi, it would arrive on their phones in the form of a video message. For other knights with the upgraded ring, it would be a holographic image of Celsus himself, flitting into being. And for knights without the upgrade, it would be a piece of parchment, rolled up with the Chronos sigil tamped into the wax seal holding it together:
Quote:
This is an all points bulletin: Civilians have been kidnapped by the Negaverse, approximately twenty of them. Requiring backup to search for and rescue them. Please meet at the warehouse on 72nd Street tonight at 9:00 PM if you can.
litian
Silent Spy
Tovil
Sirene Naiads
Sleet Tempest Snape
[Mistress Morbid]
Aurelius Ambrosius
Noir Songbird
a-disgruntled-dragon
Silverah
Kaefaux
Shanyume
Kaori_luv
Ryuthulhu
shyanimegrl
kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:17 am
The Search
There are several possible locations where the civilians are being held, but the actual one is currently unknown. Several characters can be in the same place at once, and there's a little bit given about each location to add for RP flavor! Roll a 1d100 sided dice to see where you're looking, Celsus has not given direct instruction as to where, (because he doesn't know), but has asked that everyone simply do their best to seek out large, unobtrusive places and be on the lookout for a mass of Chaos signatures.
This part will last for 48 hours and is happening at the same time as the other ORP, only with Order side! After 48 hours is up, the next part for BOTH will occur!
Please put your LOCATION and your character at the top of your post!
Quote:
1 - 25 - The Warehouse: The warehouse sits on the edge of the city, an old ice factory more than an actual warehouse. Its fixtures are mostly brick and glass, a mixture of modern and industrial, and it's only been out of use for about six months, which means most of it is still intact. It's an ideal location for any suspicious activity, but a thorough search of the place reveals nothing at all out of the ordinary.
26 - 50 - The School: A half-built elementary school to the left of the city. Construction has stopped temporarily while funds are being raised, and there are still tools and partially finished scaffolding everywhere, drapes of plastic covering doorless entryways, and while there are windows and rooms in place, there's not really anything in them at all. Looking around shows nothing unusual.
51 - 75 - The Hotel: A beautiful, luxurious hotel on the verge of being opened. The opening, however, has been pushed back a few weeks due to issues with the hotel management. It's sat for the past three weeks completely unused, simply waiting to be opened, but it's also in a prime location, nestled away between two large, overshadowing buildings that allow for a great deal of privacy, along with the secluded back entrance. But unfortunately, there is nothing here - you might be able to snatch a few pillow mints, though...
76 - 90 - Train yard: Every train station has them - a yard for the extra cars, the cars not in use, the cars that have fallen away. This one isn't any different; there are huge metal train cars everywhere, rusted and old, and it's a perfect place to hide anyone, a veritable maze of possibilities. But there aren't any energy signatures, and the only thing to find of note are a few stray cats and dogs.
91 - 100 - ??? Quote kuropeco if you roll this!
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:26 am
CELSUS, KNIGHT OF CHRONOS - THE PARK
Quote:
The power signature was faint - much too faint for Celsus to even have determined what it was, let alone where it had come from in the first place. The only thing he could tell was the barest hint of Chaos emanating, which gave him at least the smallest semblance of a clue as to where Tolliver had gone, why he had been taken.
“I’ll just duck in for a second,” was what Fritz had said. “Stay here.”
And Tolliver had stayed, leaning on the wall on the side of the convenience store, cane in hand. He’d come with him because they’d just come from the local movie store, and he’d stayed outside because he’d wanted a cigarette and Fritz had never allowed smoking in the loft itself. They’d both wanted snacks - Fritz had promised a good night of fun and cheer and stupid movies.
He’d only been gone for five minutes, but it had been five minutes too many.
Tolliver’s cane was on the ground where he’d dropped it, and Celsus bent to pick it up, half hidden in the shadows of the alleyway beside the store, turning it over in his hands. Anger and fear ebbed their way into his stomach, twisting and coiling like ice in his veins, until all he could see was white.
He couldn’t call the police. He couldn’t call anyone, he -
-except he had to. He had to call someone, and he didn’t - couldn’t call Eurydike, he couldn’t admit that he’d turned his back on Tolliver, just for a second, just enough to let him disappear, but there was someone that he could call, someone he trusted.
But not here. Not by the store, he had to go somewhere else, somewhere more private, and Celsus took off, easing through the shadows and alleyways and sheltered overhangs of buildings with practiced ease until he reached the park. It was deserted at this time of night, his favorite spot, where he went when he felt the most confident and the most vulnerable. He found solace among the thick clusters of trees, almost as much as he did at his Wonder.
It wasn’t until he stopped moving that he raised his arm holding the hand that was not clutching Tolliver’s cane desperately to his lips.
“Valhalla,” Celsus said, and his voice held an uncharacteristic tremor to it, tight with reigned-in emotion. “Valhalla, I need your help.”
Quote:
As he often was these days, Valhalla was out in the city, trying to prove his worth as a knight, as well as trying to figure out the next steps he needed to take in trying to fix the problem he had with his starseed. It was taking a toll on both him and on Paris.
She’d already put so much effort into keeping him alive over the years that now… well, he could see why she might think it was hopeless, why she wanted to pretend like nothing was wrong in order to keep from being utterly miserable. It just meant he needed to try harder to fix things on his own than to drag her along with him.
Valhalla stared down at his ring in surprise at the sound of Celsus’s voice, and the strange tone in which he asked for help. It took him only a moment before lifting the ring to respond. “What can I do? Where are you?” he asked, straightening from where he leaned against the edge of the safety wall on an apartment building’s roof.
He could have sworn he heard a hint of panic in his voice. What had happened to cause someone as calm and collected as Celsus to sound like that?
Quote:
He tried to keep his voice level, but it was difficult. Celsus took a minute, breathing deeply. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, steadying himself as much as possible before he even considered replying. The last thing he wanted was to scare off Valhalla, one of the only people he was starting to consider a true friend of sorts, a comrade-in-arms, an ally.
But Tolliver - Tolliver was missing, Tolliver was gone, and the only thing Celsus had of him right now was his cane, clutched tightly between white-knuckled fingers.
He raised his hand again once he was more certain that his words would come out whole and complete, not broken or stuttered or stammered, even if his voice was still thick and clogged with all of the emotion he was attempting so hard to suppress inside of himself.
Hold it back. Keep it down. Push it away. It doesn’t matter right now.
“I’m at the park,” said Celsus, and he ran a hand through his hair.
“My brother’s been kidnapped.”
Quote:
Valhalla didn’t know how to respond at first, but he could feel his blood go cold. Celsus’s brother was kidnapped? How would he feel if one of his own brothers had been kidnapped? It was no wonder Celsus sounded as he did, although how he managed to remain as calm as he sounded was beyond Valhalla.
“Just now?” he asked, pushing away from the edge of the building so he could turn towards the direction of the park. Maybe they would be able to catch up with whoever took his brother. Nothing would happen to him…
He didn’t even think to ask if Celsus was sure that he’d been kidnapped. Although he didn’t know the other as well as he wanted to, he had no doubt that Celsus of all people would be absolutely certain before reaching out for help. “Stay there, I’m on my way,” he said instead, making his way down the fire escape.
But he couldn’t just leave Celsus to stand there and wait. If it had been him, he would be beside himself with worry. He lifted the ring to his mouth again. “Did you see anything? Does your brother have any enemies who’d want to hurt him?” If he could keep him talking until he got there, that would be best.
Quote:
”Just a few moments ago, about ten,” said Celsus, gritting his teeth together. “I was - we were out together, as Fritz, and I turned my back on him for like a second and he was gone. I powered up in an alleyway, and I caught - I felt a Chaos signature, but it was too brief to do anything about it, I lost him - “
He dragged in a sharp breath. Celsus lifted his hand to his face, rubbing his brow.
“He doesn’t have any enemies,” he mumbled, ignoring the small voice inside of his head that said except for me, kind of. “He’s - he’s a good guy, no one knows he’s my brother, he’s supposed to be safe, he’s supposed to be - he’s supposed to be fine - “
Celsus closed his eyes briefly, willing himself to remain calm. Valhalla wouldn’t be able to help him if all he did was panic, in spite of the fear that was welling hot and fast inside of his stomach, ebbing deeply into his chest and heart. Focus. Focus. Stay calm, stay rational.
“I just…” Celsus’ fingers fell away from his brow, free arm at his side. “I need help, and I don’t know who else to call.”
Quote:
Valhalla remained silent as he listened to what Celsus said about his brother, and he tried not to think about what he would do if one of his brothers went missing, possibly kidnapped by the Negaverse. Probably the exact same thing Celsus was going through. Valhalla didn't blame him for not knowing what to do. He knew he wouldn't.
"Celsus," he said softly once it seems he'd said as much as he could in response to the questions. "We'll find him."
He didn't say anything else until he arrived, and quickly made his way over to the Chronos knight. "We should get together a search party. I already called Ganymede. She's dropping the twins off with my parents and then she'll be on her way as well," he told him, wanting Celsus to be reassured that they would do whatever they could to find his brother, and more importantly, that he wasn't alone.
"If it was the Negaverse..." he started but quickly trailed off. Celsus was also held captive during New Years, so he was well aware of what the Negaverse was capable of doing. "Just breathe, okay?"
Quote:
We’ll find him.
Was it even possible? He didn’t know, could not be certain that Tolliver would ever be found again, and yet - and yet he had to believe, because otherwise he’d drown, otherwise he’d lose himself entirely in guilt and shame and pain. Celsus put a hand over his face, his breath thick as he tried to even it out.
Valhalla’s voice was soothing, his actual presence even more so. Celsus’ shoulders were so stiff that he found it difficult to even move to greet him, but he gave a tight nod of understanding, a rush of gratitude towards Ganymede and Valhalla washing over him. They were two people he knew he could rely on, two very capable people he trusted.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I just…”
He gave a strained laugh, Celsus running a distracted hand through his hair. “This is my brother, Valhalla,” he said helplessly. “My twin. If anything - if anything happens to him…”
He trailed off, not wanting to think about it. A groan escaped him.
“I have one other person to call,” Celsus muttered. “I don’t wish to, but he needs to know, I suppose.”
Quote:
"Don't be sorry," Valhalla quickly shook his head, not wanting Celsus to think he thought poorly of him for not knowing what to do, or for feeling helpless, or being close to panicking.
He was a bit surprised when Celsus mentioned it was his twin, trying to think back to if he'd ever told him before. Either he hasn't been paying attention, or Celsus just hadn't told him, purposefully or not. Having twins of his own, he knew how close they were as just infants, but to grow up together and probably share everything, he could only imagine how close the two were bonded, even if they had their fallouts.
"Do you think he can help?" Valhalla asked as Celsus groaned, obviously hesitant about calling this other person. "We'll do everything we can, okay?" he promised. "Call him. I'm going to make sure Ganymede knows where to meet us."
kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:32 am
CELSUS, KNIGHT OF CHRONOS - THE PARK
He appreciated very much the fact that Valhalla was a very level headed man, and the other knight was given a grateful smile, just a brief flash of a tired one as he ran his fingers through his hair again. Celsus blew out a breath in frustration, his heart unable to be settled, and the expression on his face shifted slightly.
"He'll help," he said quietly, and he pressed his hands to his face, dragging them down tiredly and skewing his glasses. "It's just...it's complicated."
But he couldn't put it off, no way. Celsus fixed his glasses back into place and pressed his lips together.
"We have to find him," he said bleakly to Valhalla, and then made a call.
Eurydike would receive a very different message than the one sent to the rest of the people, and it would arrive much before he expanded their search from the four of them - Valhalla, Ganymede, himself, and Eurydike - because he needed the senshi, in spite of not wanting to deal with him. It was only after they grouped together and realized that he needed more than this, that Celsus sent out the bulletin to the rest.
Eurydike didn't exactly expect a quiet night. He was out on patrol, after all, and had more time tonight than others, knowing his boyfriend was out with his friend, and he'd gotten a lot smarter about this senshi thing. The scars on his face were as good a reason as any not to take this lightly. He knew more of the risks, the dangers, and no, to expect it to be quiet was expecting way too much.
What he didn't expect was for his phone to go off - he had a few contacts, but hadn't really gotten any messages yet - and was even more surprised to see it was from Celsus of all people -
In hindsight, he should have realized it was bad news. But he never could have guessed just how bad it would be. The kind of news that made his knees shake and his blood like ice before everything turned to fire.
In almost no time at all, running the whole way with his cape streaming out behind him, the senshi of salt emerged, all bluster as his gaze locked squarely on the knight of Chronos. "What the ******** happened?" His voice was angry, undeniably thick with rage, but it was strained underneath no matter how hard he tried to bury it. He took long steps towards Tolliver's brother, his hands curled into fists only to keep them from shaking. "Where the ******** is he? Celsus, I swear to ********' god -- !"
guine
if you want this to have taken place after Amphi kicked Val's a**, feel free to have Val recognize that Eury was the one that helped him out?
Mistral had left her dog at home, despite his obvious displeasure at the prospect. This wasn't just a normal night out - this was a counterattack on the Negaverse, and no place for a service dog. Mendel was her friend and closest companion, and she depended on him in a lot of ways - she wasn't about to lead him into danger. (That, and he was a very distinctive-looking dog who distinctively lacked a secret identity and anything that might lead the forces of evil to darken Anabel Au's doorway was to be avoided.)
But despite her certainty on companion animal-related matters, she didn't really have the first clue of where to look for the missing people. Destiny City was increasingly vacant these days, full of empty buildings and abandoned construction projects left behind by people fleeing the turf wars. The Negaverse could be keeping their hostages literally anywhere. So, she'd set off a bit aimlessly, not sure of where to look - maybe she'd run into another knight, she figured. Maybe they'd have a better idea.
Unfortunately, she didn't cross paths with anyone right out of the gate.
Maybe that was how she wound up in the creepy, dark alley, something chaotic buzzing on her mental radar.
Songbird Noir_X
I'm gonna go make a reaction-to-youma post and start rolling dice smile
The all points call had seemed to set everyone into motion going in different directions through the city. Phact had been out on errands for her class project which had landed her closer to the train yard. Honestly it had not been a location of her likely but when did the Negaverus ever pick 5 start hotels...
Oh wait...
Shaking off the sinking feeling once again, the Senshi of doves began her slow walk through the quiet yard. It was eerily still as the wind whistled through the old cars. Holes had formed in places where the rust had started to eat away. Nooks and crannies and spiders. Oh it had to have spiders...
Shivering to herself, Phact began to ascend a ladder that appeared to be in good condition towards the top of a train car. She wanted a vantage point. Something where she could look out and sense auras. What she had not counted on was the color of rust now plastered all over her uniform. Moaning as she got to the top and tried to hand brush some off, the senshi looked around.
Nothing. No movement and signatures. Just other Order also checking the area.
Summoning her phone, she quickly sent a text towards Sabine. Train yard clear. I need a bath...
Just as she pressed send, Phact heard a crack. Spinning on her heels, she turned just fast enough to hear another and then...
CRASH!
Down she went as the rust gave out from her weight and she feel into a pile of old boxes. Dust blew up around her and Phact couldn't help but cough as the air cleared. "Ow..." The woman moaned trying to pull herself upright with very little luck...
More falling than standing, Phact made her way towards the door of the car and yanked it open. It was then she realized a sharp pain came from her upper arm. Red mixed with rust and she cursed under her breath.
There was going to be a doctor visit after this. "Why do Tetanus shots hurt so much..."
KERBEROS, ETERNAL SENSHI OF ASPHODEL -- BACK ALLEY
As soon as he got the message, Kerberos was off into the night. Anyone kidnapped by the Negaverse was in an incredible amount of danger - civilian or powered. It was all too easy to dredge up images of Hvergelmir, beaten and nailed to the floor, chained with a lock that required a starseed as the key. To think the same might be done to some poor civilian - he shuddered. Or worse, they might find themselves inducted into the ranks, trapped in the same hell that he had only recently escaped.
Before, when the Negaverse had taken captives, he had been too afraid to act. This time, he would not be.
But his memories of the city's layout was sketchy, fragmented - he was missing twenty years of living there, replaced by what was cumulatively only a few months of actual time. And so he wasn't exactly surprised to end up in a back alley, with a Squire, fairly lost.
Enthusiasm was clearly not going to get him everywhere.
26 - 50 - The School: A half-built elementary school to the left of the city. Construction has stopped temporarily while funds are being raised, and there are still tools and partially finished scaffolding everywhere, drapes of plastic covering doorless entryways, and while there are windows and rooms in place, there's not really anything in them at all. Looking around shows nothing unusual.
The place was eerie, he had to give it that much. There was just something about empty schools, even half built ones, that felt a little haunted, like you were listening for sounds that should be there, but weren't. There were at least a couple things going for it though, primarily being that it wasn't an goddamn fun house (He'd had enough of those for at least this lifetime...) and second, he wasn't the only agent of Order patrolling the place and peering under tarps, not that he was so far finding anything other than the unpleasant aromas of paint and drying tile grouting, and trying not to sneeze at patches of dry-walling dust. Not the kind of place he'd have wanted to summon Asterion, that was for sure.
Alexandria sighed as he roamed the empty school. It was weird to see a school half finished. It struck him slightly odd that they would go ahead with the construction, when they only had a portion of the money needed for such a task. He wandered the halls and classes like a ghost, occasionally using his sword to move things about and peak under them.
An Order aura crept on to the edges of his senses and Alexandria rolled his shoulders. It was one he didn't quite recognize so he slowly started towards it.
Ryuthulhu
v nv sorry;;
[Mistress Morbid]
Trash
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kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:31 am
Kerberos and Mistral find themselves in a dark alleyway somewhere in the middle of Destiny City. A wrong turn, perhaps, but either way they're slightly off course, and there is nothing here.
Well. Nothing but a youma - a mass of black shadows, not the strongest of them, but not the weakest either, something like a snake in appearance with a long, coiling tail. All they have to do is defeat the youma, and then they can continue on their search!
Roll 1d4 until your total is 6, and then you have defeated the youma! Only one person needs to roll! After you've taken it down, roll again for a new location!
Sabine had not liked the content of the APB she'd gotten from her phone. It made her stomach roil just thinking about the implication. The Negaverse had kidnapped innocent civilians. Taking hostages like that was just... Completely uncalled for! She could feel her anger growing the more and more she started her search.
She ended up at the School just do to how close it was to her usual route. She made her way into the structure - feeling out for signatures and what not. Pulling out her phone, she shot a quick text to Phact.
Sirene Naiads
Hey, I'm looking around at the school - not much of note here. Any luck where you are?
The ping of his senshi phone had heralded an incoming message but when Athene had pulled out the phone and opened up his messages, he had found a video message waiting for him.
The sender was a Knight and not one he was familiar with and as Athene stared at the phone screen, the dark-haired eternal couldn't help but think back to the last time he had received a message from an unfamiliar Knight.
It had still been summer, the unfamiliar male voice panicked and...
Athene shook his head slightly, not particularly wanting to remember just how useless he had ended up being during the whole mess that had ended up with the Negaverse claiming the Squire, instead opening up the message in an attempt to try and distract himself from his thoughts.
Which worked right up until the part when the sender - a Celsus of Chronos - started speaking.
The situation wasn't really similar, but Athene couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu anyway as he listened in frowning silence to the message.
There was no way that he wasn't going to try and help though, Athene silently promising himself that he was going to do better than he had back when the Squire had sent through that distress call.
Deciding to check the hotel had been a spur of an impulse thing, a part of Athene remembering his cousin talking about it and how it was still unused due to the official opening having been pushed back for some reason - something to do with some issues or something...
Empty and from where he was standing it looked pretty secluded and worth at least a quick check out.
But whilst Athene couldn't sense any chaotic auras, it looked like he wasn't the only powered person around as he picked up the warmth of another close-by Order aura - a fellow senshi by the feel of it.
Attempting to follow it in the end had him heading towards the main entrance, although the resulting source was a bit of a surprise, the blue-haired senshi one that he had seen not so long ago.
He walked closer, waiting until he was in earshot to call out a quiet "Good evening Alcor."
Shanyume
sorry for taking so long to edit this in Shan, let me know if I need to change anything
![[Mistress Morbid]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/3e/dd/5052589139dd3e_flip.png?t=1545372613_6.00_11)
