Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

The Docks, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi

Outbreak

That felt good.

The ground trembled below him as Charlie landed back on the floor, his neck craned up from his slouched position, eyes locking down with the courtain of dust and splinters veiling the propeled monster. Silence enveloped the warehouse, alluding to the beast's unresponsiveness. The rookie resisted the urge of smiling or celebrating, he could tell from the blow just how resistante the monster was, its bones refusing to yield against his knuckles as they pushed forward. Still, the outcome was convenient enough to, even if slightly, cause Charlie's body to relax.

Said skepticism proved to be justified in the end, with the creature, now quite literally brimming with energy, lunged forward, taking the blue-haired phoenix along like a child recklessly playing with its toy. The assault's immense speed denied the rookie the luxury of a proper guard, causing his chest to intercept the brunt of the brutal tackle, knocking the wind out of him as he traveled through the air directly into the large metal doors. Any attempt at a recovery from the boy was cut short, as a collossal knee landed on his stomach, mercilessly pushing against him, crushing flesh and pushing organs. Charlie's mouth opened, blood splurting out from his throat as some part inside him ruptured, like a small geyser of crimson, desperately looking for a way out.

Last thing he knew. Charlie lied on a steel mold of himself, an ironically comfortable end to the vicious blitz. His body felt weaker, and his sight turned momentarily blurry from the extreme blunt trauma. His hand spasmed, twitching back and forth as boy recovered control of his body. Clarity arrived preemptively as his ears caught the sound of the monster's mumbling, a painful, sorrowful reminder that underneath the eldritch husk lied the soul of a human, an innocent being twisted and morphed against their will. Despite the pain or the danger the workers had been in, Charlie ultimately wished he could save the creature in any way.

But alas, empathy would need to be pushed to the side for now, as the beast has yet to stop its rampage. The phoenix's arm slowly reached for behind his shoulder, as the chimerik rushed with ire and voracity anew. It bore its claws with tangible intent of both ending and consuming life, no different to a predator driven purely by instinct, a heartbreaking far cry from the man that once was.

The monster's weapons striked true, the sheer force of the clash pushing the container a few feet further, sparks flying from the friction between rusty steel and damp masonry. The creature's eyes lingered down to its prey, wondering why the familiar taste of blood hadn't hit it's tongue. "Not so fast, fishstick..." Razor sharp canines teetered as they struggled to push through a steel cilinder, which separated them from the blue-haired boy's arm, his hand tightly gripping on the handle of his tonfa. The two remained on a standstill, as Charlie's other pushed against one of the chimerik's clawed hand, the other one stopped by Charlie's foor, instead. From monkey-like position, a toothy smile grew on the boy's face, ignoring the fact that slime was pouring down on his jacket "Gonna need more than that to take me...DOWN!"

With his final available limb, Charlie's sole planted itself against the chiseled belly of the beast, the tempered rubber smacking loudly as it connected with the tough scaly skin. The force from the blow was such that it pushed both parties back, witht the beast stumbling down on his rear past a handful of uncontrollable steps. The nylon case, which previously hung from Charlie's shoulder, fell silently on the ground, the rookie getting back on his feet. Both of his hands now sported a half of the pair of weapons. Locking eyes with the monster once more, the boy moved his shoulder in a circular pattern as he walked forward, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva to the side.

Whether it was possible to save the warped soul or not, the task at hand was extraordinarily straightforward. To beat the shit out of this fish. "ANIKI! LET'S SHOW THIS PIECE OF TUNA WHAT HAPPENS THEN THEY MESS WITH US!"

And thus, with weapons ready, he shifted to the offensive once more.



Charlie broke into a sprint, the tile below him cracking under the pressure of his dense body. He closed the distance between himself and the recovering monster, thrusting his arm forward and to the side inwards like a hook, the high-carbon steel end of his weapon spearheading the charge. The beast roared in pain as it connected, avoiding to get pushed once more due to the shifting of its weight on its wide-stanced legs. It countered with a wild swipe of its left claw, the sharp protuberances stopped by a tonfa, as Charlie raised his forearm to block to incoming attack. Still, the pushback was enough to forcefully move him several feet away, puddles of water splashing as his shoes slid through them.

The boy smiled in a familar, adrenaline-infused way as he remained in the same stance, eager to continue with this deadly dance.

Spoiler: Notes & Notifs

Tempering status: Full-Activation

Nearby: joshuadim

 

[Elenion Aura]

The Rail Yard

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri, Naomi, Peyton

OUTBREAK

"Why, yes! I remember that I have a cat, a lab, an apartment. I drive a junker, mm... In my post-doc, I co-authored Probing Potentials: The Science behind the Phenomenon with Docto Blanche and Doctor Turque, for which we were awardedDistinguished Scholar Designations from the Committee on Homo Potentialis Research and Discovery..! "

She rattled off all the other things she remembered, mercifully abating once she recalled her situation and realized that this was probably not what Naomi had meant when she'd asked after her memories. "As for the moments directly leading up to my transformation and subsequent lapse of sanity, sadly, those memories continue to elude me! Perhaps, if I were to return to the scene where it happened, retrace my steps as it were, my memory will be jogged..." It was a theory, she admitted, but... All the greatest discoveries of the modern age began as simple theories, didn't they?

When Peyton spoke up, Miriam seemed barely able to contain herself. "Ah, so precious," she half-whispered, half-gushed, as Peyton forgived her for her attempted murder and subsequently barked his acknowledgement of his King's order. When they arrived at the far end of the trainyard, and Peyton stopped to ask her if this was the place, Miriam paused and looked around, humming thoughtfully. "Hm... It seems familiar... But, not quite—that's it!" She exclaimed, eyes fixated on a patch of gravel, the meaning of which was never made apparent. "I definitely came through here, but—yes, we need to go deeper! Tally-ho!" She pointed forward with both index finger and tentacle.

As for whether she'd come alone, the woman gave it a moment's thought before saying, "Yes..! No..? Hm..." She drifted off, stroking her chin as she walked, flanked by Serpents on all sides, as they delved deeper into the belly of Lower Central.

 

[Elenion Aura]

Factory Row

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Lorette, Hiachi, Missy

OUTBREAK

The teenager's eyes widened, his pulse quickening as he realized that Lorette was addressing him directly. The weight of his dusty, mismatched 'uniform' felt heavy on his thin frame. Evidently, he had never imagined he would be thrust into the limelight, expected to shoulder the formidable task of negotiations on behalf of his young comrades-in-arms.

The air grew thick, almost suffocating, as the atmosphere grew tense. A hint of confusion marred his once-confident features. Tension bristled like a wave through the gathered mass of child soldiers. The band of guerilla fighters, mostly children with faces smeared in mud and soot to look older, more intimidating, now seemed disjointed, rife with unease. Their restless shifting made the dirt and gravel underfoot rustle, and the shine of their poorly maintained weapons caught the scant night light filtering through the overhead canopy of steel and stone.

The hollow sound of his throat working echoed in the silence, his lips parting ever so slightly as if to break the quietude. But before words could form, a murmur, like the soft hum of a disturbed beehive, began to swell behind him. He turned slowly, casting a hesitant, seeking gaze over his shoulder, the look in his eyes a blend of desperation and plea for guidance.

As if on cue, a smaller figure shouldered its way through the crowd to stand before the Tigress Trio, head crowned with a heavy black hood that obscured its features. The older boy relaxed some, as did the other children. There was a sense that before them now stood the true leader of this ragtag band, as well as the source of their confidence. There was a pause, then, as the figure reached up and gripped the hem of its hood, crinkling the fabric between his fingers, before casting it aside with a violent flourish.

The cloak fluttered off in the wind, revealing the figure that had hid beneath. Large feline ears emerged from within a tousled mane of the palest moonlight. The boy's eyes burned with emerald fire. A sleek black tail curled and flicked a warning. There was no mistaking it: this boy was a Chimera.

He stared, unblinking, at the three women his troupe had cornered, an almost feral gleam in his eyes. At last he spoke, slowly, as if uncertain, or unused, to using his mouth to make words. His accent was unfamiliar, if not downright alien. But the message was clear.

"Who... Are you?"​

 

[Elenion Aura]

The Coliseum

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eleanore, Leaf, Noa

OUTBREAK

The atmosphere grew tense. Every face in attendance looked between the three: Noa, Tyr, and 26, gauging their intentions. The scent of fear lingered heavily in the air, mixed with the despair from the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent monster attacks.

The young mother, who had been watching from behind the elderly woman, spoke up. "We've seen things... unnatural things," she said in a low voice, her eyes darting back to her toddler. "Beasts... they started appearing after the earthquake. They would... they would take people. Some say they're mutations, others say they're demons."

The elderly woman added, "We've been trying to stay together, to protect each other. A few of us went out earlier to find food and medicine to treat the wounded..." Her voice trailed off as she choked back a little sob before finding her voice again and continuing. "But it's already dark, and they never came back."

The silence that followed was deafening. The implication obvious. The silence of the crowd was punctuated by sobs, sniffles, and the occasional whisper.

"To business, then," Roland concurred. Even though he'd never been a Phoenix himself, he could respect their persistent, some would say dogged dedication to the task at hand.

"I have a theory about the nature of these creatures, their origins... What's more, I have an idea of how to stop them." Roland paused, inviting either Phoenix to call 'bull' and storm off, cursing his name for wasting their time.

"I would be willing to share this knowledge with you so that you might use it to end this waking nightmare, but first, I want you to look around." He too let his gaze wander over the makeshift refugee camp, the tiny fires twinkling in the night, under the watchful shadows of the sports arena looming overhead. "These people are scared, displaced, many of them wounded... It has been one calamity after the other." From the earthquake that nearly brought the whole of Upper Central down onto the Lower, to this outbreak of strange and terrifying creatures, the people of Lower Central had suffered enough.

"Here, inside this monument, I can protect them from the horrors that lurk in the dark, but I can't do that and fetch the needed supplies." Roland stopped speaking, turning his gaze from one Phoenix to the other. He figured the rest needn't be said.

"I believe your fellow Phoenixes are being given a task of their own, to search for, and rescue if possible, a group of civilians who struck out earlier today in search of the very same supplies I'm now tasking you to recover." A groan from one of the patients inside the lean-to turned jury-rigged field hospital spun Roland on his heels. He fetched a pale of water and bade the wounded man to drink, before commanding him to rest and recuperate. The tent once more fell silent.

Without looking back at them, Roland asked, with some bite, "Are you still here?"

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Meirin Azuza

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Theater Street, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kanna, Javi, Ottilie, Zhu, Meirin

Outbreak

“Yay!”

Meirin latched onto Javi’s arm while Xuexia entertained the reporter. He was, after all, the only one in the group who seemed interested in the puppet show and Meirin had little interest in Lawson beyond the autographed napkin she’d promised Lu; A napkin she’d stashed back into the folds of her qipao before dragging Silva’s brother to the street corner where the show took place.

The gathering was fairly small, consisting mainly of children who looked like they ought to be at school rather than watching a street performance. The show itself, an exaggerated re-telling of how Grant’s ancestor dug up the first ‘potential artifacts’, transforming the small mining town into the bustling metropolis it is today.

Well, bustling if one lived above Lower Central, that is.

“Psst, you can make glowing animals, right?” Meirin whispered to Javi. “Mind making this place a little brighter? I don’t think that little candle’s cuttin’ it.”

Frankly, she had no idea how the kids surrounding the puppeteer were able to enjoy the show at all without ruining their eyes. Adaption, perhaps? The deeper they had stepped into Central’s depths, the darker the streets seemed to grow, such that she couldn’t really blame Nero for his nervousness; Darkness represented the unknown and those unfamiliar with fighting in dark would find it a little frightening.

For her part, Meirin was reminded of a certain bridge-battle where a certain Phoenix’s potential had stolen away all light in the area.

This wasn’t nearly as bad.

Glancing back at where Xuexia posed in front of the camera, Meirin giggled a bit before returning her attention to the show. She’d give the kids a couple more minutes of fun before dragging them back to the Opera House that seemed(?) to be chimera-free?

She addressed Javi. “So...Whatcha’ think?” Of the show. Of kids. Of the whole situation. It didn’t really matter which thoughts Nero expressed, since Meirin had only been trying to make conversation. She didn’t know very much about Silva’s (Cleo’s) little brother beyond the basics, after all. Rookie. Joined the gang a year ago. Didn't frequent the East's Pleasure District nearly enough...

Suddenly static filled her ear.

“Mei-bzzz, Keep-bzzzZzzZzz -ings. There’s-” More crackling sounds. “-where.”

“Where what? You’re breaking up, Lu. I have no idea what you’re saying…” Frowning, Meirin brought a hand up to where the earbud was nestled.

Elenion Aura Saturn_moon ATurei FabulousTrash

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

JESPER ALBRECHT

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kisara, Cillian, Jesper

OUTBREAK: PARK

"Sorry! I couldn't hear you over the sound of $400,000 being wasted every 12 seconds!" The remark was followed by careless laughter as Jesper just kept blasting. To the hovering boy, this was nothing more than a joyride. A thrill. Kisara's emotion-fueled outburst went over the dull boy's head.

When Cillian joined in (didn't he look familiar?), all Jesper could think was, more the merrier! He ordered his drones to fan out, taking cover above the park's trees and street lamps to rain down their fire. Guardian himself hovered around the park, yawning. He watched some monsters try to come near him, only to be pelted away by a mass of gunfire coming from a dark angle.

Jesper paused for a moment, Guardian freezing still.

He scrolled through a playlist, finding a certain song to vibe to amid gaming. Too heavy. Too many lyrics. Too blegh. Perfect.

When Jesper returned from being AFK, the battlefield had changed. The person he was fairly sure was another Dragon was gone. In his place was a roaring gorilla. Not to be outdone, Kisara yelled in a louder fit of rage, jumping at the large wolf yet again. There was also a very ominous humanoid in the fray. Jesper's response was as appropriate as could be: "The fuck?"

So his choices were between the big gorilla suddenly in the middle of everything, or the weird creepy guy probably controlling the goons. Guardian grinned, unable to shake away the intrusive thoughts. He hovered over to Cillian. "Get down, Harambe!" he yelled, the drones following after Guardian.

The drones flew forth, mowing down a wave of monsters coming upon Cillian's flank.

CelticHero37 @simj26 Elenion Aura

 

[Elenion Aura]

The Park

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kisara, Jesper, Cillian

OUTBREAK

Amid the unfolding pandemonium, the dark figure observed from a distance, not so much a presence, as an... Absence. While Cillian's gorilla form fiercely defended his ground and Kisara's uncontrollable rage decimated the head of the monstrous horde, shredding the wolf's mighty form and leaving it in tatters, Jesper navigated the battlefield with his unpredictable antics, providing covering fire and salvoes of bullets to rend shadows to ribbons Irritating... All the while, that dark, gaping maw within the presence's head watched on with mounting frustration.

From the dark periphery, a chilling voice echoed, barely audible amid the cacophony of the ongoing battle and snarling creatures. "Why-why... Do you fight me? I... Am your salv-salvation..!" the voice murmured, a question that only the winds seemed to carry

Without warning, the ground trembled once again, but this time it wasn't from the arrival of more monsters. Instead, inky black shadows began to pool and blister beneath the earth's surface, before bursting like virulent pustules which unleashed wildly snapping and twisting vines of pure umbra. The thick, black tendrils cracked and jerked, seeking purchase around the legs of the Shadowman's foes. Kisara and Cillian were the nearest to its grasp, but soon stalks rose up to coil and drag down any drones that could be ensnared.

As the tendrils pulsated, the monstrous assailants were visibly rejuvenated, shadows knit together once more to approximate a twisted fascimile of living flesh. Kisara's fallen foe's darkened eyes alighted with red fire, as the Loup-Garou's body reconstituted itself, snarling as its glowing eyes found its former rival.

Watching from his vantage point, the dark figure sighed in exasperation. While it had anticipated a challenge, the resilience and tenacity of the trio exceeded its expectations. Shadows coiled and twisted around its vacant form, preparing for a more direct intervention.

"I d-d-d-don'thavetimeforthis..!"

As if sensing their master's urgency, the shadows, both animal and plant alike, sought to destroy the enemy with invigorated zeal.

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

The Towers

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Areith, Deirest

OUTBREAK

“Come out, come out…” one Serpent provoked.

Only silence followed, save for the metal pencil-holder that rolled from the checkout counter and clattered to the floor.


From its place atop the boutique’s roof, the beast watched the gloomy sky and basked in a cool breeze. Its antenna-like ears stood straight and high above its eyeless face. A deep purr rattled in its throat, like that of a lion’s, slow and effortless. It sat on its hind legs, perched at the edge, overlooking the ruins of the lower district.

This went on for a short period.

Alien-like in appearance, it had thick, leathery black skin with a grayish underbelly. Red thorns protruded from its back in two rows, down either side of its tail, too, but those of its back ran from nape to tailbone, starting small, getting bigger, then small again, and were as sharp as mint-condition razorblades.

Its ears twitched and the tone of its purr changed for reasons indiscernible.

It opened its mouth, and out spilled its long, prong-tipped tongue—prongs which promptly began to vibrate. As a result, so too did the building’s skeletal structure, anything metal quaking, once more, at the beast’s command.

The same ringing as before descended upon the Serpents, obscuring their sense of direction.

At the same time, the alien beast dropped over the building’s edge and commenced a rapid downward climb, using its massive claws to maintain purchase upon the boutique’s exterior.


Clothing racks shuddered across the floor within; loose change jumped and danced like fish out of water; pipes trembled and groaned; wires whipped and lashed. Windows that had been left miraculously intact by the earthquake finally shattered, spraying glass, due to the vibration of their frames.


When, again, the ringing stopped, there was no time for the Serpents to question it or recover.

The beast was on them, having slipped its way in through one of the windows and up the wall, across the ceiling until it loomed overhead with thick, slimy drool forming a sizzling puddle between them, acid steam rising, accompanied by a foul stench.

Whether it was noticed or not, the beast dropped into its own mucus and spun, whipping its tail, razor sharp thorns seeking to shred whatever they could. The Serpents could dodge, but the beast was relentless and made quickly for the first one to reciprocate bloodthirst.

(Interacting w/ Deirest, Aerith)
[Mentioned no one)
The One Eyed Bandit thebigfella ​

 

[joshuadim]

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

The Docks, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Charlie

OUTBREAK

Charlie had landed a solid hit on the beast, but was then retaliated upon by the creature's manic frenzy that sent the rookie flying through the air with such horrendous impact that made Hitoshi still for a moment from shock. But it was then he quickly snapped himself out of that stupor that he rushed after both the beast and Charlie in a panic. He really wished he had his bat with him for this today, but no such luck as he had to quickly manuever a way to strike at the creature while it was focused on Charlie. Fortunately for him, the chaos from the creature's rampage had created ample opportunities from materials nearby.

In particular, a steel pipe lay nearby that the veteran scooped up as he ran past it. Twirling it about quickly, he brought it under his armpit to carry as an impromptu spear. And given the beast's focus on Charlie, Hitoshi had the element of surprise on his side as he ran around the side of the beast. There was no time to hesitate, as he quickly tried to figure out where best he could focus his efforts. A frontal assault wouldn't do, and he didn't have the same strength as the boy did. One swipe would likely take him out of commission.

Instead, he played the sneaky part of trying to come from just outside the beast's periphery so as to minimize his profile to the creature's notice. The answer became obvious, as one of its most valuable organs was exposed. Getting rid of its sight would be a great boon for the two of them. Hitoshi then leaped up as high as he could and thrusted his pipe as hard as he could towards the creature's gelatinous orb!

Roda the Red thebigfella

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Deirest

SCENE:

Outbreak - The Towers

TIME:

July 12th, 2022

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Aerith, Deirest

The Towers

The metal in Deirest's ears teemed with ill intent. They'd been one of her whims, the many stray sparks in her brain that had fired in her pursuit of... Whatever it was that beat in the back of her skull. In rhythm with the building's frame, they shook, delivering the foul pitch of the beast's approach directly into her mind's eye.

She snarled, her posture wavered, and then she tore them from the side of her head. A wet piece of her ear lobe fell to the floor, and she lurched towards the oncoming beast.

"You..." Her teeth flared, her eyes bubbling with bloodthirst. Splat. A wet pop came from beneath her feet as her own discarded flesh was turned to paste under it. Step. She locked eyes with the alien creature, and eldritch malice mingled with ancient, aimless hate. This was how it went. In the black depths of her psyche, there was a hit of relief, release, from the constant biting at the back of her neck.

This. That. Hate. Shattered glass crunched beneath her feet as she lumbered towards the alien creature. Her vision was red, her senses mute. She barely shifted as the beast's tail lashed into her, razor barbs biting deeper into her already shredded flesh.

Hate. She gripped down, blood sweeping from between her fingertips as they slid past the thing's canopy of thorns. For the moment, what was aimless was aimed. She gripped tight, her spit bubbled in the back of her throat, and she pulled with all her strength.

"Come HERE." The creature's own barbs stuck Deirest's fingers to it like velcro. Her grip was like a vice, cracked tight by the force of her red fixation. One. Two. Tug, tug, she reeled the beast in inch by inch. Areith, and her frivolous quest for a new look was gone from her mind. Now, it was just her and this thing.

The object of her hate. Her prey.

thebigfella Doctor Llamabean​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Lorette, Hiachi, Missy

Outbreak

She had a single prerogative: follow Lorette’s command. She looped her words in the back of her mind: Watch her back. Look alive. Don’t shoot. Watch her back. Look alive. Don’t shoot.

She’d forget otherwise.

The other guns were safely kept within the briefcase, but her personal firearm was tucked in her belt. It was arguably the most powerful tool in her arsenal. Now that they were surrounded by kids, the cartoon character on the side had a practical purpose. What she had once considered a mockery to her skill was now an opportunity. The placid pink paint was a non-threat. It looked like it could be a toy. To be underestimated, or to be soothing?

Hiachi was not going to shoot a child. Watch her back. Look alive. Don’t shoot.

She let Lorette handle the talking. As she tried to reason with the supposed eldest of the group, she watched Missy out of the corner of her eye. Her jerky movements didn’t mesh well with Lorette’s calm tone or Hiachi’s hard gaze. She wanted to leave more than she wanted to complete the mission, but at least she was trying.

Hiachi caught the flashlight with one hand. Her whisper was met with a tilted head of acknowledgement. Missy could cause one hell of a distraction—she knew that well.

As Lorette targeted and pressed the teen with gentle words, the web of kids collapsed in on itself. They looked amongst themselves for answers they didn’t have. It was soothing, knowing that at the end of it all, they were still just kids.

Heeding the silent call of the group, the bodies parted for a hooded figure. The one with the answers. The answers that the children wanted, and the answers Hiachi wanted.

Before he even revealed his face, Hiachi could see him. His whole face, unshrouded by shadow by her precise gaze. He matched her own with a pale flash behind the green—animalistic and glassy.

She knew. This was the proof. A chimeric child. A seemingly sane one, at that. Surely, with the current events being what they were, he’d have the answers.

Forgetting formalities, she forgot to answer his question. She instead flicked on the flashlight, shining it on the boy but not his eyes—avoid provoking, avoid conflict. But the flashlight was her spotlight—the threat of interrogation. “You. You’re a chimeric. Do you know about the… chimeric virus?”

 

[tityanya]

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Railyard, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri and Peyton

Outbreak

Naomi chose to ignore the warm gaze Peyton gave her after her glare. She had almost forgotten that the little freak got off of negative attention. That mindset was such an enigma to Naomi--she just couldn't understand why anyone would want to intentionally piss others off. But she had always been told that she was a bit of a people-pleaser. She made a resolution in that moment to try and ignore Peyton as much as she could, although she wasn't sure how long that would last. Her buttons got pushed easily, and being Omi always seemed to make the fuse shorter.

Naomi turned her attention to the Doctor, asking her if she remembered anything. She began prattling off about her accomplishments and achievements at the university, making Naomi's eyes glaze over. Oh dear lord did she not care about some post-doc book the woman had written. Naomi's gaze flicked over to Tri, and she saw him listening intently. Or at the very least, acting like he was listening intently. Good, at least someone would pay attention to the nonsense. Naomi stared out into the distance, trying not to lose all her focus in case the woman said something actually important. And after a bit of prattling on about herself, she did.

Nothing. She remembered nothing. Internally, Naomi deflated. Externally, she snapped her gum, the sound echoing off the train cars. The woman's idea of retracing her steps was the best option Naomi could think of, in this moment. She really didn't want to, but Tri gave them orders to march forward with Miriam, and for Naomi to protect her. Her eyes narrowed, but she made no other signs of protest. Tri's word was gospel, and she would follow it to the end. Her disgruntled attitude would no doubt be noticed when compared to Peyton's cheery Yes sir!

The group began their march through the eerie train yard. Peyton and Tristan took the point, and Naomi complied to walk side by side with Miriam. She couldn't help but be hyper-vigilant of the Doctor's every move. Part of it was caution--she had seen what those tentacles could do. Even if Peyton could laugh and cheer about how it was a fun fight now, there was a moment there that Naomi was genuinely worried that he was going to be killed. Complicated relationship aside, Naomi very rarely wished for the death of anyone. Part of it was also curiosity. Her quick glances at the tentacles were partially threat assessment, and partially amazement. She could do a lot of things with her chimeric ability, but growing new, inhuman limbs was not a part of it. They molded seamlessly into Miriam's back, as though they had always been there. How could that even happen? Potentials and their cause were such an enigma to Naomi. They were fantastical and mystical.

The group reached the end of the trainyard. Naomi stared at the grey, dead landscape, pondering what it would look like if she had done some acid. Maybe throw in some lights, and of course some music? She could definitely throw a rager out here. But she didn't see how it could be a pit of hell that turned Miriam into an HP. Peyton spoke that concern out loud, asking if she was sure this was the right place. "More people sounds like a great idea. Let's throw a party," Naomi spoke off-handedly, continuing her surveillance of the area. Miriam stopped and paused for a moment as well, and Naomi followed her gaze through the train yard. At a patch of gravel, Miriam's eyes lit up, saying that she had definitely come this way. Well, that was...good?

Naomi's apprehension was growing. Maybe Miriam was full of it, and they would just wander around the trainyard all night and nothing would happen. Or maybe, they would descend into the belly of the beast, changed forever...Naomi asked the Doctor if she had come alone, and the woman pondered the thought, giving Naomi every answer imaginable. Naomi frowned, a vein in her temple throbbing. "That was a yes or no question, not a yes and no question," she snapped. For now, Naomi would consider the answer a yes and keep her eye out for any more insane scientists.

"You'll forgive me if I end up getting infected and going rampant here and attacking you, right?" Peyton asked, his tone under-laced with a joke. Naomi tried not to roll her eyes, instead giving him a maniacal grin. Her teeth had grown sharp and pointed. "So long as you don't mind if you're missing a few fingers after, sure!" she said, snapping her teeth at him like a human shark before laughing.

POST NOTES​

((ooc: ))
((outfit))
((Reptile))

@Coyote Hart @Damafaud Elenion Aura

 

[thebigfella]

Areith Rozárie

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District, Towers

TIME:

Post Arc 3 || July 12th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Deirest, Areith

Outbreak - Towers

Ongoing disturbance, the continuing ringing, clattering. Our teeth clattered within their gums, threatening to drop loose and let the fangs grow in, hands reaching towards our ears, a desire to rip them off and stop the ringing entirely, but the glimmers of sensibility still tie you to your flesh. Our eyes darted around, pupils contracting, veins pulsing, just as they all looked in the same direction.

Upward.

The shimmering trails of viscous saliva plopped against the ground with the sizzle of a hot pan. It wanted to be seen, so we looked at it twenty times over. Its disgusting form burned into our retinas.

Was this the next step of evolution? The form those who would survive the calamity would take? Such a thought barely crossed your brain before you had already decided: No.

An abomination, an affront. Far too mangled, destructured, and reconstructed to be considered human anymore. It was not the future; it was the offing. He had deemed the need for holy extermination, the decree which resonated through the cruelty of their savior and her damnation.

Thorns swirled through the air; they hitched into her habit, tore through the cloth, and rendered into our flesh; the burning of blood and cutting of circulation came with the screaming of our nerves. Pain was a feeling we had not yet worked out of our evolutionary chain, an unneeded feeling anymore. A leftover from you that no longer existed, a part of the long list of useless adornments that no longer served you any purpose but continue to waste our resources.

For now, you must grunt in pain, a scream through gritted teeth as our eyes pool with the blood of rage, pupils quaking and shaking.

Retribution, condemnation, your hands, smooth, soft, unused to battle, yet to be hardened with the calluses of war, gripped onto a nearby piece of rebar, dislodged from the foundations of the building. It rust-coated your fingers as you gripped it tightly as a weapon.

The beast was undeserving of being soaked in the most precious blood; it wasn’t destined to be part of the communion. It would be removed from the table. A stab through the spine, through the eye to the brain, whatever you could get would feed your malice.

With a smile, you lunged forward, attempting to use this jagged piece of metal as a spike to drive away the heretic.

Doctor Llamabean The One Eyed Bandit

 

[thebigfella]

The Docks

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi

OUTBREAK

An angry growl, the rumbling from its throat that mimicked the cries of its turning stomach. The phoenix had become a stopgap in its rampage, acting as a wall between him and the innocent workers who would be used to fuel its endless appetite.

More and more, as the fight went on, it was picking out scents. Other workers who had scrambled to hide were around the dock, hiding amongst the shipyard. Drool hung from the corner of its mouth, dripping onto the ground. If it could just get something, a small snack to fill its stomach, then it could focus less on the overwhelming hunger weighing it down.

That moment of pause, that brief second of consideration, deciding who it would attempt to gouge and swallow, that’s when it lowered its guard; it didn’t pick up the smell or hear the sounds of approaching assault until it was too late for it to react.
‘
Blunted metal stabbed through its lure, the contents spilling and splashing onto the ground in a disgusting mush of glowing blue. The angler’s head reeled back, screams of pain, cries of agony roaring from its throat as its now broken lure oozed its liquid, splattering across its face. Blotches and stains across its visage as its green eyes pulsed and throbbed within the black sclera.

Pain fueled its anger; its clawed hand reached to grasp its side where the attack had come from. It grabbed whatever it could, its large hands hugging Hitoshi’s arm like a vice. And once it had him, it whipped the phoenix over his head like a toy before flinging him off into the distance, letting him soar through the air until--

He crashed right into the ocean.

The dark, murky, contaminated waters.

The angler’s hard-lined focus no longer went towards the bluenette who was giving him trouble. Instead, it sought more easy prey, something that could satiate its gnawing hunger this instant.

Its wet feet slapped against the ground as it dashed away from the fight, diving into the water with a massive splash as its figure was engulfed in the waves. It swam through the sea like a shark, quickly making its way towards Hitoshi, where it would pull him down, never to be seen again, if it wasn’t stopped.


But now, the battle was in its natural element.

 

[FabulousTrash]

Kanna Katsura

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Theater Street, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kanna, Javi, Meirin, Ottilie, Zhu

Outbreak

Everything seemed to be normal, if that meant including the state of the run-down Theater District, or even Lower Central in general.

Kanna had her attention split to multiple things as they moved deeper through the area; keeping tabs on the other Dragons in the area, making sure the news reporter didn't pull any sly moves, and watching for any of those weird chimeric creatures. But so far, nothing. The only thing out of the ordinary was a group of kids performing some kind of show, which was a bit unsettling. Subconsciously, the grip on her staff tightened slightly.

As Meirin and Javi diverted to check it out, Kanna remained with the rest. She was beginning to reconsider her strategy. Ottie did have a point. It would be better to confront the monsters in an area they're familiar with. But then there was the issue of actually trying to lure one out. They had no idea how the monsters reacted, or what sets them off. They could end up waiting forever while the creatures attacked civilians deeper in the district. No, they needed to go deeper, even if the risk was great. That was their duty after all, as the Azure Dragons.

Kanna waited until everyone was relatively back from their slight detours; Zhu with their impromptu interview, Meirin and Javi escorting the kids to safety. Once everyone was reconvened, the Dragon Jack motioned for them to follow her further into the Theater District.

"It could be a while before we can draw one of those things out here. Plus, we dont know what attracts them, and I'd rather not attract them here-"

She abruptly stopped, the sound of stone dragging against pavement catching her attention. Kanna glanced down the road that led further into Lower Central, her eyes narrowing as the adjusted to the nighttime darkness, using what little light was nearby. She could see a silhouette of... something. Lines of red and orange began to glow around the body of the unknown figure. Kanna's eyes widened as she realized it was.

The creature let out a loud roar before charging at surprising speed, despite its size. It held the larger of it's two arms in front of itself

"Move!"

Instinctively, Kanna pushed away anyone who was close to her before the creature bared down on her. In one fluid motion, Kanna extended her staff to full before positioning it in front of her to block the incoming strike. The creature swung its arm outward as it neared Kanna, breaking her weapon and sent the jack flying backwards. She tumbled a few times before coming to a sliding stop against the pavement. Kanna quickly got back up, some minor scratches and bruises across her body.

"Eliminate it!"


Even if they were once human, Kanna didn't see it that way currently. At least maybe this way, they'd get to be released from being a monster against their will. And it's not like they had the means to cure it either.

Elenion Aura Saturn_moon QuirkyAngel

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol

Outbreak

Looks like things were getting bad. "How troublesome," A storm of feathers and steel was coming straight at him. It was a strange combination, but Sang-Cheol had seen worse. Nonethenless, it could be summed up as, "Disappointing..." Sang-Cheol sighed. Was that the best it could do? The scientist dug into pockets and retrieve a small object from his lab coat. It was the latest experiment from Lab Asterios, let's see how the crow monster would do against this.

Pressing his thumb on the activation button, Sang-Cheol dropped it and immediately dove away from the trajectory of the monster's war path. Well, he wasn't only dodging the crow. Lab Aristotle specialized in botanical products. The Lab Head had the potentiality to manipulate the genetics of plants from everyone's understanding. His product was known as 'Ariadne.' Just like how Ariadne's string located the minotaur's lair...

Upon exposure to air, the container exploded. A stalk of green grew spontaneously at every single possible direction. Above, around, left, and right, the bean stalk grew the encapsulate every space to find the exit. Sang-Cheol was not spared from this as he got swept away by the green growth.


Elenion Aura thebigfella

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

The Shanty Town

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut, Hide

OUTBREAK

WhiskeyMarten The first layer of the squirming silk snapped away from the sharp edge of Hector’s blade, and the cocoon abruptly stilled. Upon breach, a black ichor leaked from the slit, spreading into a slow, thick puddle at the Queen’s feet.

A smell rancid enough to burn the eyes and throat wafted from within.

Movement returned, causing more substance to swell out in larger quantities, the slit from Hector’s blade growing larger until the cocoon gave way completely like a banana’s peel.

One final wave of liquid blackness was unleashed, and the being within revealed.

A man, pale and sickly, clothes tattered and dripping, sat crouched where the cocoon once stood.

Defensively, he lifted the backs of his hands to cover his face, wrists crossed in an X-formation, providing a close look at the veins in his arms. They were black, a stark contrast from the waxy, almost transparent whiteness of his flesh.

“Please,” it whispered.


gxxberkit The weeping became louder as Yong-Yut grew nearer to the alley. But something was off…

It was rhythmic. Repetitive like a tape on loop, and eerie.

Even as she closed the gap between themselves and the alley, the weeping didn’t change—not a single sign that her approach had been noticed.

With close to six feet left, a head emerged from the alley, unprovoked, with squinted, white eyes that peered mockingly. The weeping ever persistent, the creature stepped fully into view, and it was clear now that what Yong-Yut had been hearing was not soft cries, but whiney laughter.

The thing’s face and body was mostly human. Its smile; a wide, white crescent of sharp teeth upon a fuzzy, black canvas with large mandibles protruding from the corners of its mouth, dripping with blood that close observation told was its own. The mandibles had seemingly torn through.

When it stepped closer to Yong-Yut, it ceased its laughter, then lunged.


Caffeine_Obsessed The looming threat watched its prey thrash, to no avail, against the webbed terrain. There was not a curiosity in its brain, but merely the predatory disposition to wait for its moment to strike.

Eight glowing, white eyes observed him from above.

He called to his comrades, his voice and words turning to mush in the creature’s ears. Incomprehensible.

Another chittering sounded from the darkness ahead, faster and lighter this one, in the direction Hide had been moving just moments ago. From above, another chittering—from behind, as well. They took turns playing their game, toying with the Phoenix; though, there was no enjoyment. It was purely tactic.

(Interacting w/ no one)
(Mentioned Yong-Yut, Hide, Hector)
WhiskeyMarten gxxberkit Caffeine_Obsessed ​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Shantytown, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hide, Yong-Yut

OUTBREAK - SHANTYTOWN

“Ach-”

Hector immediately recoiled, bringing his sleeve to his mouth, though it provided little resistance from the rancid smell that permeated the already musty air. His feet splashed against the ichor but he composed himself soon enough, squinting through his watering eyes as the cocoon burst.

The man seemed to be miserably and soggy, not one of the freaks the news was talking about, but that didn’t mean they were buddies now. Whether he was a victim or not, people don’t generally emerge from such scenarios as the same old guy, and Hector noticed the black veins.

”Please what.” Hector lunged a clawed hand at the man, below where his arms hung, though he changed the metal’s shape to smoothen the edges. He didn’t want to slit his throat, just keep his neck firmly in his grasp till he knew what to do with him.

”What happened here. Answer quickly.” Hector squeezed his clawed hand, enough to send a message without cutting off his airflow.

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

Nakazajo "ROCCHI" Chikage

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central, City Hall

PARTICIPANTS:

Chikage, Jayce

OUTBREAK

The ride into and through the depths of Lower Central put a sag in Chikage’s face. It aged him with tension to see the leftover marks of the recent earthquake. Every breath he breathed in the back of that cruiser was a silent promise. Promises he dared not speak, for he’d begun to doubt himself of late, and to speak them would solidify them. For now, he didn’t think he could shoulder the weight of another failure, and broken promises are just that—Failures. So, at the very least, you cannot break a promise no one knows you made…

Or can you?

Toward the end of the ride, he had to banish himself from his thoughts, as there was no safety there, and so he sat in numb silence, accepting the moment into which the universe had mercilessly thrust him.

He stared at the passing ruins of Lower Central and denied himself any further concern—it was no longer his right. Today going forward, he would protect and serve out of sheer duty and necessity. And if the time came that he found himself worthy again, he would protect it with all of him once more—with every sliver of rage, sadness, and love, he would.

Perhaps, it was time to start considering greater sacrifices.

What that meant, however, he wasn’t sure yet.

— — —​

“We are here.” Stern’s voice stole Chikage from the coldness of his thoughtless grief before he’d realized the vehicle was no longer moving. Promptly, he opened the door and stepped out, letting the wind make a mess of his hair, and set his eyes on the immediate issue ahead before scanning the entirety of his surroundings.

Crowds of civilians riddled with worry and confusion had become a norm, but to Chikage, wherever there was potential risk to the peoples’ safety, evacuation was in order. Until then, he gave Stern his attention. He stepped around the vehicle and stood beside him, keeping his eyes fixed on the damage beyond the police barricade, but letting the officer’s words take precedence in his mind.

Smoke rising from the ruins made for a darker dusk than usual. The sky, cloudy and gray, seemed to soak it up, obscuring the metal canopy that was Upper Central. An orange haze outlined portions of the wreckage, evidence of flame but none directly visible. Chikage squinted for a better view, an almost skeptical eye.

“I see,” he said, at first, when Stern was finished, pausing for thought.

Jayce chimed in, and Chikage couldn’t disagree. The situation called for quick action, especially given the recent news broadcasting and limited information on the overall ongoing events throughout Lower Central regarding said broadcasting.

“He’s right,” Chikage stated. Whether it was to himself or Officer Stern, one could only assume. He faced the civilians with a hand on his hip and the other’s knuckle pressed to his bottom lip. The flashing red-and-blue lights made creative work of his complexion and eyes, causing the shadows of his features to dance in rhythm with the intermittence.

After a moment, Chikage turned to Stern and gestured a nod at the civilians. “Encourage further evacuation. Have them keep the area cordoned off until we’ve been able to properly assess the situation and rule out any supernatural threats from here on out. Once the safety-level has been determined, we can get a disaster team in there to clean up. Get the names of every individual on-scene. Make it possible. Send out word for all units to do the same. Wherever they encounter a recent disaster, I want names, but safety first.”

“Now…” Chikage shrugged off his long-coat and tossed it back onto the cruiser. “I could clear the way.” He could also chuck a cruiser over the crumbs of devastation, but we’re not writing a list of can-do’s. “Enough to drive through without wasting time. Or… What say we take a walk?” The question was directed more toward Jayce, as Officer Stern was expected to be relaying Captain’s orders by now.

CHIKAGE/POST NOTES​

— —The majority of the front, right half of Chikage's body is badly scarred from burns, stopping halfway up his neck, covering his arm's entirety, ending at his shin. For this reason, he wears a black, leather glove always covering his right hand, and usually wears long-sleeved, concealing clothes. Reference (X)

— —What he's wearing: (Click) Captain's Summer Uniform + Watch on his left wrist; Only the right hand is gloved

— —POST RECAP: Chikage, Jayce, and Stern arrive at the ruins of a half-fallen building blocking the road. Chikage asses the situation and hands out orders.

(Interacting w/ Officer Richard Stern, Jayce)
(Mentioned no one)
Elenion Aura @Slav ​

 

[Elenion Aura]

City Hall

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Chikage, Jayce

OUTBREAK

"I agree," Stern nodded curtly. Jayce was right. The longer they delayed, the less of Lower Central there would be to salvage. They were running out of time. Chikage's orders came as a relief.

"Sir." Stern nodded then excused himself to carry out his Captain's directive, immediately turning to relay the instructions to the surrounding officers. The evacuation process began with added urgency, as officers methodically moved through the crowd, gathering information and directing people to safer areas.

In teams, officers set about their tasks: some focusing on gently-yet-firmly guiding civilians away from the danger zone, while others still moved through the crowd, notepads in hand, taking statements, asking for names of potential persons of interest and any other pertinent information.

A third squad of officers began to set up a temporary command center near the perimeter. They laid out maps and began marking out key locations – where the most severe damage was reported, the locations to be searched for trapped individuals, or lurking horrors, and the safest routes for evacuation. Stern watched as the ants got to work, occasionally glancing towards the ruinous building, his face etched with an emotion that was difficult to name.

When he was satisfied, Stern transfered care of operations here to his most trusted officer. He had full faith that she would see it done. As for him, his destiny lay ahead, in the bowels of Hell.

Stern then returned to Chikage and Jayce. "Jienne will coordinate things here. Make sure everyone's accounted for and secure the perimeter" He paused. Stern couldn't remember when he'd started to feel so empty inside. "If you've both decided on the best course of action, I'd like to kindly request to accompany you along... Whether I'm allowed or not, I'd advise we all watch our backs. This place... can be unpredictable."

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Theatre Street, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Kanna, Javi, Meirin, Ottilie

Outbreak: Theatre Street

Ping. Ping. Ping. Came the first sounds of rain hitting the metal scaffolding that was barely just barely keeping upper central above their heads. Standing in the middle of the mostly deserted street alongside the Dragon's Jack, Ottilie rocked ceaselessly back and forth on the balls of her feet while waiting for Meirin and Javi to return. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Patience was never Ottilie's strong suit.

Finally continuing their journey inwards, Ottilie was starting to have other worries. Her parents were going to be home soon and it was going to be a problem if she wasn't. So engrossed in her thoughts Ottilie didn't even notice Kanna's abrupt stop mid-sentence odd sound of stone against stone trailing behind them. It wasn't until she was roughly shoved to the side by Kanna that she snapped out of it.

With a yelp she fell on her backside, narrowly missing the stone giant as it went charging past her only seconds later. Clambering back on her feet she looked perplexedly at their Jack.

"Eliminate it? How?! IT CAN LITERALLY CRUSH US WITH IT'S THUMB."

As if offended by her statement, the giant turned immediately its attention onto her. Taking a couple of lumbering steps forward, the giant suddenly vaulted 10ft into the air. "Oh, fudge knuckles." Ottilie turned on her heels and began to run but as the creature landed mere inches from where she had been standing, a shockwave rippled through the ground sending her flying forward.

She hit the concrete face first with a groan. Not far behind, the sound of the giant quickly approaching could be heard. With no time to spare, the rookie ripped the small velvet pouch off the side of her belt, spun around, and emptied about a hundred marbles onto the ground in front of the creature's feet.

FabulousTrash QuirkyAngel Elenion Aura​

 

[Elenion Aura]

JAVI ONEIRO SILVA

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Theater Street, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kanna, Javi, Meirin, Ottilie

OUTBREAK

Javi's heart fluttered a little in spite of itself when Meirin hooked her arm with his.

Play it cool, man...

He allowed himself to be led all the way to the makeshift puppet theater being organized and operated seemingly exclusively by children. It made him smile a little just to watch them, imagining for a moment a time when he and his brother might've orchestrated something similar back East. In the same breath, he felt a little pang of sadness in his chest. "These poor kids, man..." He thought aloud as they stopped to watch and listen to the kids of Lower Central put on a show. It was some old fable, one he'd heard a few times before. So lost in memories, he'd almost failed to register Meirin's voice.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, ha." Javi nodded, tamping down a little flush of pride. He liked when people asked about his Potential. He figured the same was true for most HPs, but sometimes felt it was especially true for him... After all, how many HPs could count their Potentiality among their friends?

"Lemon-lime disco ball comin' up!"

It only took a second to call Grio.

Javi only had to outstretch his hand, and the little ball of gelatinous light blinked into existence. Grio's armorphous eyes blinked, rubbery antennae articulating, acclimating to its new surroundings. Javi tossed the little critter into the air. It hung there briefly, suspended by nothing, before a light from inside its translucent form twinkled to life, showering the outdoor theatre square in a dappled green glow.

He stared up at the false sun of his own creation, the glimmer reflecting in his eyes. "... Think we have'ta help these kids," he said without blinking, with only the slightest hesitation. When Meirin spoke next, but not to him, Nero turned to her. Phone call, he figured. With who?


Before long, Javi and Meirin fell in with the rest of the Dragons, rallying around Kanna and the others as the Jack began to disseminate her next set of orders, only... Javi looked at his feet, as the pebbles and gravel started to rumble. Still looking down, he tried to draw the others' attention to what he was seeing. "Uh... Guys..?"

The next thing he knew, Kanna was shouting.

Move!

Move? Looking up to see the stone-faced benemoth barreling towards them, Javi froze, fear chilling the blood in his veins. It was one of them. Monster. Luckily for Javi (and Ottilie), Kanna was not paralyzed as he was. She threw them both out of harm's way before taking the full brunt of the rock golem's charge herself. As his faculties returned to him—shock swapped for adrenaline—Javi called out to the green blob of biophotonic energy, still bobbing lazily in the air like a buoy out at sea.

"Go get 'em!"

Right on cue, Grio charged the creature like a fastball—globules of floating green plasma trailing it like the tail of a comet—before it splattered into a thick, viscous film that covered and constricted the beast's molten face, just as Ottilie sprinkled marbles—Marbles? Really? C'mon, Otter...—in the creature's path...

Theater Street

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kanna, Javi, Meirin, Ottilie

OUTBREAK

Jennifer Lawson was a professional.

What separated a true professional from a novice, you ask?

The answer was simple.

Balls.

As the creature emerged and charged towards the Azure Dragons, Gregory had tried to run for the hills—would have run all the way back to Upper Central if Jennifer hadn't stopped him. Amateur. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?! Get this! NOW!" As Gregory fumbled with his camera, leveling it on the ensuing melee, Jennifer watched on, awestruck by the display.

As the camera rolled, Jennifer quickly adjusted her microphone, took in a deep breath and started her commentary, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Jennifer Lawson, live from Lower Central. What you are witnessing right now is an actual confrontation between one of the so-called Chimeric Creatures and members of the Azure Dragons. This... this is truly spectacular."

As the creature continued its rampage, Jennifer continued, "The creature's strength is overwhelming, and seems not to display any level of human intellect or intelligence. It's.. It's hard to describe..—"

Jennifer took a moment to pause, turning to ensure that Greg was capturing the action. The whole world needed to see this. The very first, first-hand account of the next stage of HP evolution. Captured on her watch. She was going to be so, so rich.

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Shanty Town, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hide, YY

OUTBREAK - The Shanty Town

As they tiptoed towards the alley, keeping their voice low and minimizing the sound of their footsteps, Yong-Yut began to clue in. A strange cry, for sure… was it even real? They slowed as they approached.

The rising anxiety crawled up Yong-Yut’s back. And it was not in vain— the… creature’s head jumped out, and Yong-Yut leaped backwards.

Her eyes frantically scanned over it. It was laughing at her, with that uncomfortable smile, blood dripping into its teeth. Yong-Yut didn’t know whether to fear it or pity it.

There was a pause, just for a second, where it had stopped laughing. Yong-Yut held her breath.

Meer moments before it lunged, Yong-Yut dodged preemptively. “What the fuck!?” she yelped, pulling her arms out of the way.

She staggered backward as the makeshift stilts wriggled up her body and around her waist. Her eyes, wide and dilated, didn’t dare to peel from it.

Her now-waistband made for a second pair of arms, but they were short, and decidedly the worse pair for combat… right now. Instead, they were used to dig into her pocket and pull out her phone.

Just as the phone came out, it lunged again, causing Yong-Yut to lurch to the side. The phone almost fell, the cloth arms struggling to juggle it and keep it in her grasp.

With a closer look to its face, she frowned.

She couldn’t tell if she preferred its laughter over its silence.

Yong-Yut’s real hand snatched the phone out of the air. As she went into her recent calls with spare glances, the waistband pulled cloth from her sweater and grew in length.

There we go— now she was really armed.

Her thumb tapped redial on Hector’s call; he was the fourth one down, only behind Boltius, Vulken, and Decha.

She kept bumbling backwards as it made moves forward. Her phone pressed against her ear. “Pickuppickuppickup,” she willed. They couldn’t play this duck-and-weave game forever…

Doctor Llamabean WhiskeyMarten ( Caffeine_Obsessed )

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

The Towers

SCENE:

Outbreak

LOCATION:

Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Areith, Deirest

OUTBREAK

The beast could not see, but it could sense. It sensed Deirest’s advance; felt her eyes carving a trophy of its flesh.

The crunch of glass under foot, the warmth of breath, the coursing of blood and scent of adrenaline, and the pounding of hearts told the beast what it needed to know about its hunt—when they moved and how.

And yet the one Serpent managed to snag it when its attention became diverted. Nonetheless, its attention remained diverted, sharpening focus on the approaching threat of a metal pipe.

With a vice grip, Deirest fought against the beast, pulling with all her might. It dug its nails into the floor, fighting back. As the beast’s jaws opened, prong-tipped tongue spilling out, the muscles throughout its tail contorted and writhed under its leathery skin, like a snake working its feast down its stomach.

It was not an enormous creature, but it was the biggest in the room.

When the strange squirming of its muscles ceased, the end of the beast’s tail opened up into a massive claw, and its tongue elicited another wave of vibrations in the face of Areith, acid drool dripping from its gums. So close to the source of frequency, the rusty pipe in Areith’s hands became hot. The building’s structural integrity was weakening with each surge as the pipes, too, softened.

At the same time, the beast’s tail curled, seeking grasp—an arm, a leg. Anywhere would do. The gaping claw—at its center: a red orb embedded in the soft, gray meat—it reached for Deirest with the intent to shred.

— — —​

In a post-office not far from the boutique…

From somewhere within the darkness, two voices overlapped. “...More. Make it. More. Go. More. Away.”

A car wreck four years ago had left him with steel rods fused to his spine.

“PLEASE!” one part of him writhed, unable to soothe the pain pulsing throughout his entire nervous system. The other part of him, mutated and lumpy, muscles inside out and bulging, veins throbbing—it had a mind of its own. One side of his face smiled while tears and blood soaked the other.

His cries blended with laughter.

(Interacting w/ Deirest, Aerith)
(Mentioned no one)
The One Eyed Bandit thebigfella ​

 

[mechanicalmania]

ELEANORE

CS Link

SCENE:

{=Outbreak=}

LOCATION:

The Coliseum, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eleanore, Leaf (plural) { Haze- }, Noa { Peckinou }, GM { Elenion Aura }

Outbreak

Leaf heard the click of Eleanore’s tongue, although she had artfully not let it effect her focus on the strange man ahead of them. Being undercut like that wasn’t exactly something she appreciated, but there was no point in airing that displeasure here. Besides, it had gotten the man talking, and that was something her stonefaced approach to the matter might not have accomplished as easily as just accepting the fact a deal would need to be made.

And what he was talking about… dangling a secret of both the beasts’ origin and possible defeat, one that could be of great import to the entire city if it was even half true, it was enough for Eleanore to simply wait it out, letting her own personal grievances and spite fade in the face of the actual job the Phoenixes had come for.

Getting what was effectively a wave of the hand to examine the sorry state of the former battlegrounds, Eleanore’s eyes glance around the camp again before focusing back in on Roland. The displacement was familiar, as well as the destruction that caused it. It would’ve been bad enough if it was just the earthquake, but now there are things prowling the wreckage in an attempt to pick off even more victims. Is she supposed to feel more sympathy just for that? Perhaps, but it would not make her more malleable here.

It’d be so simple. It’s hardly even a real task, what Roland is blabbering about now. The survivors out there, if any managed to hole up instead of getting slaughtered, either have supplies or would be within the range for an actually capable fighter to pick them up and then chaperone the whole lot of them back to whatever safety this place actually provides. Hell, she’d be more open to the idea if it came from one of them. But it doesn’t. He’s making assumptions, he’s trying to order them around. In different circumstances...

”Where did they go, then, or do you not know that much?”

No, no. She needs more tact. At least now. They can demand respect when they have something to demand it with. Attempting to intimidate the man, as tempting as it is to some parts of her mind, would make her nothing more than an inefficient brute. It doesn’t keep her from responding with a smoldering tone when he snipes back at them with his final “question”, distracting herself from any further comments one could consider inflammatory by sticking one of her hands in her jacket pocket and poking a fingertip against one of the points of a brass knuckle.