Fandom &nbsp; (RP Thread - Open to New Recruits) Crossroads - A Multifandom Roleplay

Weazel · Jun 29, 2021

Chase Hunter
Node City. Interactions:

Leopard_dragon_Love

The mage and barbarian shared a significant look, seemingly playing out an entire argument in their minds. One the barbarian, apparently, came out on top of. Chase couldn’t help but grin, reminded of the same sort of moments Leo and Flynn would have when they were all younger. Leo, boundlessly optimistic and eager to rope them all in on his latest idea, and Flynn, sour and cynical, always trying to pretend he was too good for it all. The glare the mage then fixed Shadow with was also very Flynn-like. Of course, when Raistlin opened his mouth again and started talking about ‘gnomes,’ that illusion was shattered.

Now that he’d actually opened the door, neither seemed all that keen on actually getting in to the car. In fact, now both of them were looking at it with some suspicion. The mage, specifically, asked if the car would support the barbarian’s weight. Which, to be honest, wasn’t something Chase had considered. The otter actually winced a little, the corners of his mouth pulling up to reveal teeth momentarily. To be honest, the barbarian by himself probably wouldn’t have been a problem, though he’d probably be cramped in the back. Though if that’s all real armor, and real weapons, that could possibly be a problem. Of course, they wouldn’t know until they actually tried. He definitely sympathized with Caramon’s mentioning about it being a weird day.

“Well, worse case scenario, Raistlin can ride in the back and, uh, Caramon could walk beside?” He grinned apologetically, “I can’t drive too fast with the smoke this thick.”

Shadow, for what it was worth, had no issues about jumping in. The strange four legged creature jumped up onto the center armrest, and then stepped down into the passenger seat beside him. It sat oddly on the backs of its paws, which didn’t seem all that comfortable. Honestly that seat had probably had worse things on it than whatever the strange creature was tracking in from outside. Maybe he wouldn’t say that bit out loud, though. Chase turned to look at the creature, opening his mouth to at least let them know they could sit comfortably, but they were already barraging him with questions in more of that weird shadow writing thing. The mouth full of sharp teeth was also a little unnerving, but with how the creature was bouncing it was clearly excited. It was just... Naturally menacing looking.

“Well, it’s, uh, not exactly magic,” he started, but the creature had already changed its focus back to the task at hand. It still wanted him to explain how the car worked, but while they were driving. So instead he just nodded, “Oh, yeah, sure, I’ll try explaining it as we go. Uh, just a second…”

He reached down under Shadow’s seat and grabbed the handlebar, allow him to slide the seat forward as far as it would go. This also snapped the back forward as far as it would go, which, uh, Chase forgot it did that. He shot Shadow an apologetic look, hoping they didn’t get smacked when the seat moved. He sat up again, looking over at the mage and barbarian, before gesturing back at the backseat. He also took the time to roll up his window, the smoke was really bothering his eyes now. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any issue hearing him since the back door was still open – and letting smoke in back there too. Ah well.

“Caramon can try and sit behind Shadow, and Raistlin behind me. Sorry, it might be a little cramped, but it’s better than being out in the smoke, right?”

In the meantime, he turned back towards Shadow. “So uh, I’ve actually got a question for you, too, if you don’t mind. What exactly, uh, are… You?”

He was regretting the words as soon as they left his muzzle. He brought a paw up to massage between his eyes. “Wait, sorry, that didn’t come out right...”

Zat · Jun 30, 2021

Location: Node City.

Shadow watched as the beastkin reached forward under her seat, and nearly ported herself outside, half falling over when the seat attempted to eat her. Or... well, really it was just the backrest moving forward rather abruptly. It had been seriously reminiscent of a beast's jaws chomping down on her. Thankfully, her brain kicked in before she reflex cast the spell, and she realized that no, the soft cushioned chair was not, in fact, in any danger of eating her.

Chase gave her an apologetic look, to which she returned a rather embarrassed one. She carefully retracted her claws and adjusted herself to sit upright again. Her odd starting position had thankfully prevented her from putting any more holes in the fabric.

Chase proceeded to tell the brothers where to sit, and explained to them that perhaps riding in the awesome magical carriage (Or maybe it wasn't magical? Which would be even more curious!) was a good idea. He then proceeded to ask her a question that she really should have expected, considering the insane diversity of people around here.

He asked her what she was. He then proceeded to start apologizing, but Shadow just waved him off. She really didn't mind. She was suddenly conflicted about what to tell him, though.

She and her adopted human family had the whole story all worked out. She was 'a shadling-kind beast-kin', and her kind was somewhat closer to their feral relatives than most, being unfortunately lacking in thumbs. She lost her ability to speak in a tragic accident, and no, healing magic couldn't fix it.
She'd only had to use it a few times, as most people just assumed something like that, and didn't feel comfortable asking. The fact that she was smart, wearing clothes, could cast spells, and was generally not mindlessly attempting to murder everything around her was a pretty great way to steer people away from the truth of her actual species, which matched none of those traits.

She was, in fact, just a straight-up shadeling. She looked just like one because she was one, but literally no one believed it. Which was great, because people killed shadlings on the regular, and beast-kin had a whole bunch of rights that monsters didn't.

She had no idea why she was as smart as she was, or why she could use magic, but she could. And thankfully it had been Annie that had found her and taught her how to be a person, and not some hunter.

The point being, she would have normally lied here... but in a place like this, where weird creatures abounded, was there really any harm in telling the truth? Plus, she had to admit to being curious about him as well. It would hardly be fair to lie to him when she herself wanted the man to truthfully answer her questions.

'That's okay, I don't mind. I'm curious about what you are too, to be honest! You look like some sort of beastkin, but I've never seen a kind like yours. Anyway... I'm a shadeling!' she wrote out, tensing a bit, but seeing his incomprehension she decided to continue, 'I'm kind of unique though... most shadelings are like really mean animals. Monsters. Very aggressive and bitey. I'm not though! I'm... well, I'm like me! Not really sure why. Is that... um, good enough?' she finished.

Interactions:

Weazel
Mentions:

Ciscodog · Jun 30, 2021

ROBO_Head
And suddenly, the screen went black. Now only with light cyan text reading:

UNIT SHUTTING DOWN IN 00:05:00.
Thank you for using ROBO_OS

And it once again began counting down, second by second.
The fans still whirred and the machine was still hot to touch.

Meanwhile inside the hardware:
Integrity scan 89% complete
WARNING: Power shutting off in 05:00
Decision: Finish integrity scan and shut off.

Checking extra files...
Body of "OPCI_2501_V" found.
Error: Architect Model Essence unable to use Cytus Core.
Decision: Used as back up source. Keeping Body put.
Integrity scan 95% complete

04:00 until shutdown
Speeding up process...
Complete.
Cytus Core integrity: 97.14%
Conclusion: External source causing disruption

Recalling and Saving RAM to ROM
Complete.
Recalling files:
"ROBO_Mixer Info"
"Shark Fangirl"
"Altale the Ampharos"
"Digital Voiced Idol"
"Cytus Integrity Scan Results"
"Nora's Disappearance"
"Current Dilemma"

03:00 until shutdown
Safely logging out of OS_Space
Complete.
Saving all external software...
Complete.
Checking unit Integrity...
99.68%

Scanning surroundings...
Error: Unable to scan due to unknown disruption
Conclusion: This unit is in danger.
Error: Shutdown cannot be reversed.
Decision: Activate shutdown protocol early.
Shutting down...

And suddenly, as the timer hit 2 minutes, the screen went black. The fans stopped whirring. The machine was still very hot.
ROBO has been shutdown. Unaware of any of his surroundings.

Interactions:

saniachan

Tiki Riki

II-CinderRadcliff-II · Jul 1, 2021

Jennie kept up her pace as she charged through the fog, keeping her gills covered while she performed in case breathing it in proved to be hazardous to her kind. Her intertwined strands of hair would sway back and forth as her heels repeatedly hit the pavement with her boots, and her instruments gently bumping up against her waist whilst she ran. The deeper she got into the black fog the less people she ran by, with the only presence nearby she could sense was herself. Her nose scrunched up as the static in the air threw off her senses, the fog creating an electric charge that made it much harder for her to discern living beings from the churnings of the blackened cloak around her. Her Marinnoid origins didn't help her much here. A spark in the void quickly caught her attention, her eyes darting to where she could sense the electrical discharges generated by living creatures - though using her visible sight was a fruitless attempt to gain more information about her surroundings. The one thing she could discern was approximately how many people were ahead of her, a total of four individuals inside of the metal devils she had chopped up finely earlier. Two of them she was familiar with, being the mage and warrior that had grouped with the two girls from earlier. The other two however she was not acquainted with, one seeming to be a strange mix of human and mutt while the other she wasn't entirely sure about.

By the time she had gotten close enough to visibly see them her vision started getting a little blurry, her face flushing red as she started to feel like she had just chugged an entire barrel of rum from the local tavern at home. The fog. Whatever it was had gradually made her feel like she was drunk, coughing beginning to interrupt her ability to play the flute effectively. As her performance came to an end she covered her mouth and gills to the best of her ability, stumbling forwards and side to side in a feeble attempt to continue towards the fogs source.

Leopard_dragon_Love · Jul 9, 2021

Location: Node City- in smoke!
Interaction:

Zat ,

Weazel
Caramon accepted the humanoid otters words without complaint. He was used to his size causeing some problems, as he stood head and should above most people, with the muscular build to match. Finally, Caramon tried to pile in the back. It was a little awkward, and the car sunk under his weight some and the car shifted as he tried to get himself comfortable. Raistlin seemed to expect this, as he waited for his brother to stop squirming.

The mage, himself, continued to watch the shadows he could swear was moving just at the edge of his vision. This whole place was unnerving and exciting. The magic didn't feel the same, but it was magic. It had to be.

"Raist!" Caramons voice tugged his attention back to the weird machine. Now it was his turn. He glanced at the staff, which stood tall than himself, and frowned. He bent, peering in to see if the item would fit at all. It only took a moment of observation for him to see that if he put the end against the floor of the front, and leaned it thru the middle to the back. Then it would just fit. Considering that the interior was already lit, he uttered the word to cancel the light that shone on his staff. "Dumak." And the orb providing the light plunged into darkness.

For once, Raistlin was glad he didn't have his twins physique. Caramon did not appear particularly comfortable. However, it was well lit and warm, and the big man was not going to argue about having a wall between him and whatever was moving out there. It wasn't out of real fear, but nobody knew what their opponents were.

Soon, Raistlin pulled the door shut once again cutting off the flow of the smoke. Though, there was little he could do about the smoke inside. He need rest. He knew he did. At this point, he'd take what he could get.

Weazel · Jul 9, 2021

Chase Hunter
Node City. Interactions:

II-CinderRadcliff-II

Whoops, seemed like he’d really spooked Shadow with the whole moving seat thing. He probably should’ve thought to say something beforehand, they’d never seen a car before after all. Thankfully, it seemed like there was no harm done. Even when he opened his big dumb mouth and asked the worst phrased question he could possibly muster, Shadow didn’t seem offended. Perhaps the strange creature was used to that particular line of inquiry. Or at least, she waved off his apology, though she did follow up with some amount of hesitation. So the strange creature wasn’t offended by him asking, but it was clearly still an awkward subject.

They did, eventually, answer though. Apparently, Shadow was a kind of creature known as a Shadeling, and a unique example of such besides, as apparently Shadelings were aggressive by nature. They literally described their kind as monsters, and mentioned being unsure as to why they were so unlike the rest of their kind. His mind flickered to something Jenna once said – or at least, when it repeated it back to him, it was in her voice, though he couldn’t recall the exact conversation. Still, he found himself saying it aloud to Shadow all the same.

“’Environment is really important to how you develop as a person’,” he said. Then his own words filtered back to him, though this part he did not repeat: ‘Well, you turned out alright.’ He did, however, voice what Jenna’s response had been, “’Environment AND temperament make us who we are’.”

He glanced away from Shadow, looking out the windshield as he rubbed the back of his head with a paw. Briefly, he found himself picturing Jeremy, Jenna’s brother and former childhood terror of Chase and his friends. Had he and Jenna been talking abut her family? That was something of a touchy subject, they didn’t speak on it often. Finally, he looked back at Shadow with a grin, “Sorry, my friend said that to me once. Think it means, the kind of life you lived at home can really shape the person you turn into. Maybe you lived a very different life from other Shadelings, and that’s why you’re not, uh, ‘aggressive and bitey’?”

He shrugged, but before he was able to say much more, he felt the car shift and groan in protest as Caramon finally climbed into the back. The otter glanced back at the huge barbarian, trying not to pull a face. For a second, he was worried something really would give out and they’d be well and truly stranded. As the giant creature – he still had no idea what exactly the brothers were, he realized – settled uncomfortably into the rear seat, however, the car seemed to settle into some manner of equilibrium again, though with a noticeable tilt towards the rear right tire, almost like the car had sprung a flat. This was all going on his next maintenance bill. Maybe if he ever got back home to Echo he could beg Leo or his family to take a look for reduced cost.

Caramon was able to get his brother in the car with minimal coaxing. The red mage put out the light on his staff, though getting the tall rod into the car was something of a struggle. He ended up having to rest it between the brothers, with the front jutting out towards the center console. Thankfully, soon after the door was finally shut, though by now Chase’s eyes were watering from the ambient smoke, and he had to fight to suppress a cough. He fumbled with a few buttons on the console, and mercifully was able find the air recirculation button without much trouble. Hopefully, with the intake still closed and the car back to only occasionally leaking in smoke through the AC vent and doors, getting the air moving would help dissipate what smoke was already inside. Honestly, the otter had no idea if that was how any of this worked, he was neither scientist nor mechanic, but it felt better than doing nothing!

Anyway, Shadow had actually expressed interest in what he was, as well. They mentioned him resembling something called a ‘beastkin’, though the Shadeling had never seen one like Chase before. And besides that, they really should get moving now that they were all settled in. He shot the smaller creature a sort of awkward smile, before looking back out the windshield. “Well, we don’t have any special words for it like ‘Shadeling’ or ‘Beastkin’ where I’m from. I’m just an otter. Anyway, where am I taking you guys?”

He was about to put his paw down on the pedal again when another figure started to resolve themselves out of the smoke. This was another creature not unlike Caramon and Raistlin – he really needed to figure out what those two called themselves – though this one was dressed in an outfit Chase could only describe as ‘Halloween store pirate costume.’ She, or at least the otter thought this one was a she, was clearly struggling with the smoke, covering her mouth and holding her neck as she stumbled forward towards them. Honestly, Chase wasn’t exactly sure if she actually saw them at all, her eyes seemed unfocused. Not really sure of what else to do, the otter tapped the horn, hoping the short ‘honk’ from the car would get her attention properly.

“Do, uh, you guys see her? Does she see us? What should we do?”

Solirus · Jul 9, 2021

Nathaniel

He waited alongside Eli, he waited for Noctis to arrive or to perhaps call out his name to signify his arrival, but it hadn't arrived yet. Is he still making his way? Is he slower than I anticipated? ... Nathaniel thought to himself before finally turning to face Eli who was still hovering above the ground. "It appears Noctis won't arrive any time soon, it's possible I misjudged his speed and the time it'd take him to arrive"

Nathaniel paused for a second, the mist grew darker and darker, it's effects still negligible to the custodian, but he could tell that normal people could become badly afflicted by it. He inspected Eli for a second, however Eli didn't seem to be affected at all, perhaps the force that kept them floating was also keeping them secure from the effects of the mist, however if he waited longer the effects could grow worse and it was likely this mist held more dangers to it that couldn't be allowed to roam freely. "I do not wish to leave Noctis behind, however we cannot remain here... Follow my lead, we'll seek out any dangers or any potential survivors, the longer we wait the worse this mist will become, I also insist you follow me, less you can maneuver through the pitch black." Nathaniel quickly explained before turning to a seeming random direction, tightly gripping his guardian spear and running at a surprising speed, dodging any potential obstacles in the way even with the lack of light. Eli would soon follow along.

It didn't take long until Nathaniel heard the honk of what seemed to be a land vehicle, normally an individual must be riding the vehicle to activate the horn of said vehicle, whether that's the case or not, someone or something is there... it's possible it's a malfunction, but the sound will attract dangers too. Nathaniel quickly turned his head to Eli who was just trailing behind Nathaniel, "I heard a sound, potential danger or survivors" with his free hand he pointed the origin of the sound and took a hard right through the streets approaching the origin of the sound subsequently increasing his speed further.

Finally, approaching the sound, he could tell that it wasn't a single survivor, but an entire group. He quickly slowed down as he realized the circumstances, It's likely these people will not recognize me, in an Imperial world, people would watch me in awe and celebrate to even catch a glimpse of me, however, in this place it appears that to some I can appear as a hostile or a danger... Nathaniel slowed down more and more before coming to a halt just meters away from the veichle, his armor allowing him to blend perfectly with the mist contrary to Eli who would soon be seen as a distant light by the rest of the survivors. Nathaniel quickly backtracked forcing Eli to stop very harshly due to the unnexepcted move.

"I will need you to introduce yourself to the survivors, if I introduce myself it could potential end up in out detriment, I'll stay behind you and introduce myself once they've discerned we are not enemies." He whispered to Eli, waiting for them to now introduce themselves to the groups. It'd be better if the shining light introduced themselves first rather than the Giant clad in Black and Golden armor with a guardian spear.

Interactions:

Vagabond Spectre
Mentions:

saniachan @AlexandraRoseLeclerc

II-CinderRadcliff-II

The Crimson King · Jul 9, 2021

???
Location: Node City Central.
Interacting with:

II-CinderRadcliff-II @Andrita @Thepotatogod

Tiki Riki

Specialist

Weazel

The smoke continues to swallow the concrete jungle like a voracious spirit of the air, choking and obscuring even the most obscure nooks and crannies of the sprawling construction, digging in it’s roots of evil into every crack and crevice. From the fog appear images of false life, some that may have already been seen, shaped in familiarity, but always uncanny, like sculptures of the nonexistent. The beacon pulses three times, a throw of oppressive sound shaking the very ground as it thumps, thumps, thumps, a beating heart of darkness. It opens, like colossal, towering doors of ivory, a shape blotting out it’s exceedingly bright light as it descends, the fog seeming to part for the mysterious figure, settling about a meter off the ground at the heart of Node City. It opens it’s mouth to speak, the city trembling in the wake of the oppressively loud voice as it bellows a declaration of it’s arrival,
“YOU FEW WHO YET REMAIN,
YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE WITHOUT MY SAY.
HUMOR ME AND GO FREE,
OR PERISH SLOWLY.”
It’s voice lowers to let out a hearty chuckle, only audible from close-by, it almost whispers to itself,
“So much fun to have with so little time to indulge in it. How unfortunate for me.”

Noctis Lucis Caelum
Location: Node City Ruins.
Interactions:

Vagabond Spectre

Solirus
Mentions:

II-CinderRadcliff-II

The monarch trudges through the terribly foreboding fog, his nerves wracked beyond recognition; This sort of stuff always seems easier accompanied by his usual party’s banter. He considered lighting his way with his Power, though discarded the thought, as there may yet be enemies lurking in the darkness, yet to reveal themselves; a tactic he was familiar with in his time spent hunting Daemons and other such nocturnal beasts. His attention was turned to the sound of a car sounding, though it sounded nothing like any car horn he had heard before, yet was still recognizable as such; must be one from another world, that meant more strangers to meet. He bumped into solid metal, his forehead sounding against the plate before he sprawls backwards,
“Ow! The hell!”
He springs into a recovery, assuming defensive stance, only to meet the back of none other than Nathaniel, the giant of gold he was meant to meet here, accompanied by the glowing astronaut.
“Ah, whoops. Guess I finally caught up with you two. I knew you’d get here before me, big guy. You guys heard the horn, too? Should be close-by, right...”
He couldn’t help but blabber on, soon turning his attention to shapes in the distance, discernible as individuals of intrigue, which the two appear to have already been discussing the approach they should take, Noctis quick to follow their plan of behavior.
“Let’s hope I can get a better first impression this time. Should be some time to properly introduce ourselves, alright.”
His head jolts to face the beacon, as it had appeared to become active, the gongs emanated from within shaking the monarch to his bones, the voice that followed ever more oppressive and unnerving. Speechless, he could only muster:
“Huh.”

Denji Hayakawa
Location: Node City Ruins
Interacting with:

Teacup but existent
Mentions:

The Crimson King

The young man pushed through the darkness, seemingly undeterred to an extent by the effects of the smoke-like material that shrouded the city. He hummed something mildly resembling a tune, albeit quite terribly, fiddling with his mobile phone, which had refused to work since he arrived and has yet to as of the present moment, clueless as to how this could be in such a populated city.
“Yo, Zen, you see anything out there? It’s like looking through a dusty window, ain’t it?”
He peeks up from the illuminating screen at the sound of a car horn, which struck him as unusual since the place was rendered a ghost town. More than likely a civilian vehicle that failed to evacuate, but it was worth investigating for the chance of it being—
“You think a whole car could get teleported here, Zen? We should scope it out.”
He could barely see a large blotch in the distance that could be a large group of people, three or four at least, thought it was hard to tell with his limited depth perception. He would need to get closer to be sure. His train of thought was entirely derailed by the sound of what Denji could only describe as a boneshaking roar of a Devil that lived deep beneath the earth. It sent chills down his spine, something he hadn’t truly felt since—
No. The Darkside wasn’t a Primal Fear, and this won’t be either. He could tale whatever this new world could throw at him, he was stronger now. Yet he still felt breathless, as if underwater. He almost whispers, only for his voice to trial off, letting out a low exhale as his words left him,
“That’s—“

II-CinderRadcliff-II · Jul 10, 2021

Jennie stumbled over her own feet as she got within view of the passengers within the car, her chest heaving as her lungs and gills struggled to filter the toxic gases from the fog. Tears rolled down from her eyes as she tried holding back the urge to cry from the increasingly painful experience, her hand covering one of her sets of gills reaching for her flask of water and opening it - before pouring its contents onto her neck and into both gills. The somewhat frigid water held plenty of oxygen that was dissolved into it, alongside helping flush out the toxins that had entered. Although it didn't help purge the side effects it was having on her body, it at least helped provide a sufficient source of oxygen for the time being. Her eyes briefly looked upon the cars driver upon hearing the honk, a slightly irritated expression briefly showing itself before the pain kicked in again. In a hurried haste she made it towards the car, with her brain struggling to figure out how to open the car door as her fingers fumbled. After a few minutes she did eventually manage to open the car door, leaping inside without any concern for Caramon and Raistlin. With a hasty slam of the door behind her she started violently coughing into the sleeve of her coat, the color of maroon gradually turning black as she gradually cleared whatever her body didn't absorb - heavy breathing and a cold sweat making it clear she wasn't in ideal condition. As she tried to steady her breathing Jennie failed to notice her coat collar being out of place, revealing her gills as the water within sloshed around gently. Her focus turned to her flask once more as she checked the remaining contents within, finding it empty as a sigh found its way out of her mouth.

Vagabond Spectre · Jul 12, 2021

Eli Vanderbilt

Mentioned:

II-CinderRadcliff-II

The dark fog feels alive to the Green Lantern. The ability to see farther than his green light is useless. Only the sounds of Nathaniel's heavy footsteps and talking on the road and the silence of the street was the only thing that keeps his ears company. He is invisible audibly as his feet do not touch the pavement. Despite the black tint on his visor, he is nowhere close to blinded in darkness. Looking back to his company every so often despite the color of their armor.

Time feels slowed down when you cannot see sunlight nor the sound of the natural environment. Each step the giant passes, Eli can only shine alight of the scene after the devouring of the fog. Trash cans knocked over, skid marks of tires on the road and dust. The grip on his closed fist grew tighter. It's almost like walking into the jaws of the beast and Eli might be unprepared for it. Nathaniel's eyes move forward, Eli focused on the sides. Searching for Noctis was solved earlier than expected when he found his way back to them. It was obvious that Noctis was lost in his sense direction since it's only been an estimate of a few minutes when they came in.

"Where were you? Please do not stray any further from us, anymore."

A mild scolding for the Teen dressed in black. Eli was just relieved that they found Noctis again, or he found them. It was only then he became an active one again with the sudden halt of the golden giant. His flight stopped too, ignoring the laws of physics to stop abruptly in place despite the flight speed. Announcing a civilian vehicle is present nearby and could be in need of rescue/assistance. He was ordered to specifically introduce himself to the other party first.

"As you command."

If observed the past minutes ago, Eli hasn't touched the ground again till now. He remained floating in midair like some sort of spirit, no sound nor propulsion seems to be present yet his cape flows like wind still affects him. He flew over the point where Nathaniel pointed the sound. The greenlight from the ring shines the brightest from him. His form became more visible on closer distance.

"Stay where you are. We are not your demise, we only heard your vehicle from the distance. We are not responsible for this fog and we only wish to help out those who are caught in this fog."

Descending down from his five feet of floating. The ring alone is now the only light source emitting from him. One might even mistake him as radioactive if one lost their mind already. Letting loose of his closed fist, the ring still glows brightly enough to illuminate him and the car. After all, it just adds that he hinds no weapon on his hands.

"I am Eli Vanderbilt, Member of the Green Lantern Corp. And they are with me."

Shining his light behind him revealing a 9-foot tall armored being and a black-clothed human who looked like trouble. A bit of a jumpscare to the driver and their passengers as Eli was very quick to shine a light on Nathaniel and Noctis. He could not identify the driver until their window is rolled down or stepped out of the vehicle.

Leopard_dragon_Love · Jul 12, 2021

Raistlin grunted as his door was opened, though he couldn't rightfully deny the woman entry. He was reserved and distant, but not heartless. Even with the sharp, "watch it!" As he felt a knee dig painfully into his leg in her desperate scramble for shelter. Grimacing in slight pain as she finally settled.

Caramon gave his brother a somewhat concerned look, but Raistlin waved him off. He was fine, just potentially bruised. The big man was quick to pull his canteen, and offer it to the pretty young pirate. "Here," he said holding it out to her.

Raistlin rolled his eyes, his golden eyes looking out the window in time to see someone else reveal themselves. Green Light coming thru the shadows until a figure formed. Apparently some sort of rescue? They also revealed others behind them. The human he paid no mind. He'd had his dealings with shadey people. The Armoured thing, though, was curious. Eli, himself, Raistlin assumed to be using a magic ring. Nothing truly impressive for a man who could cast a fire ball or summon lightning with nothing but a few words and strength of will.

Caramon was awestruck, and Raistlin was not interested in being rescued. This dark magic, if he found its cause then he could help these people. He knew he could. He had the power, but this magic felt unfamiliar. Different than the blessings of the Gods and Godess he knew. It was strong, though. Rather than fear, though, there was was an exhilaration over the challenge. He would likely have to write his own spell to counter this, but he needed to know more. The voice, while inflicting an instinctive fear, was not enough to scare the brothers off. Caramon would follow loyally as always.

Raistlin, looked down at the buttons, then glanced at the woman next to him. Healers instinct refused to let him make her suffer, so he quickly got out again to speak. He decided the strange lycanthtopic otter was more an innocent bystander, and so he took it upon himself to answer.

The disc attached to his neck was like a miracle to the sickly young man. Though he, regretfully, left his staff in the car. It would be a hassle to put it back with another body in there. Caramon had tried to make a grab for his twin, rathering his frail brother to stay in the relative safety of the vehicle. However, his fingers closed around air and the door closed again.

"Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary, sir." The mage said, nothing bothering with introductions at the moment. We are heading deeper, to find the source. I am Magi, you see. The cause of this is dark magic. If I can learn the magic used to create this, then I may be able to create a counter for it."

Specialist · Jul 12, 2021

Vitals: 100%

Location: Node City - JOEZ' BAR

Interacting With: N/A. Mentions: Everyone at the Ruins- specifically the car's radio.

With a click, followed by a hissing 'pop!', the Spartan's helmet auto-pressurized as she now was encircled within the fog. Visibility was poor, and the suit compensated for this by engaging the Low-Light vision mode and emitting a singular pulse. Through the dense cloud, she spotted the outline of a single figure; its outline vaguely humanoid in form as she instantly drew her MA2B off her back and into her hands. She looked around, and cut her external speakers as she spoke up; boosting the signal range as high as it could go to be intercepted as she relayed her message surprisingly calmly. "This is Lieutenant Aria Monroe of the UNSC. I've got some sort of unknown contact in the city center, and I've lost contact with two Civvies. Do *not* go to the plaza of this place; send me coordinates and I can try and Ar-Vee there. Smoke is thick and dense. Anyone copy? Over."

Zat · Jul 12, 2021

Shadow - Node City

Shadow drooped a bit hearing Chase's supposition as to her sibling's temperments.
'I wish you were right about that... but I actually did grow up with other shadelings, at least for a little while. My siblings all died trying to kill and eat something they really shouldn't have, despite my best attempts to make them stop. It ended with me almost getting myself eaten by my siblings and them dead anyways. Normal shadelings are... uh... really stupid. Which... sucks. A whole lot.' Shadow paused for a moment, before shaking off the bit of melancholy that had taken hold, and perking up. 'But I found a new family! Or, well they found me! We found each other. They were humans like Caramon and Raistlin, smart like I am. They taught me how to be a person! But um.... thanks for thinking that. I hope I do meet other shadelings like me eventually, and then Mom and I could maybe give them an environment to help them? That would be really neat.'

Shadow gave chase a small grin, as Caramon and Raistlin finished working their way into the car. She suddenly realized she'd been going on about herself for a while, and still hadn't figured out what he was!
'Enough about me though! I'm still kinda curious about what you are? Um... If you don't mind,' she asked, rubbing her head with a paw.

She listened as Chase explained that he was an otter, nothing fancy like a shadeling and a beastkin. That seemed kind of odd to her because shadelings and beastkin were normal but she'd never heard of an otter. She supposed it was just the opposite for him, which was just so interesting. She kind of wanted to delve into it, but remembered that they did in fact have a job to do at Chase's prompting.

She started looking out the windows again, and was startled to see a woman stumbling toward the vehicle. She was about to write something only to be startled again, jumping in the seat as the carriage made some sort of blaring loud noise. She assumed Chase must have done it as he didn't seem startled at all, and quickly followed up by pointing out the person Shadow had failed to spot earlier (Which she chastised herself for... She was the one with good night vision here, she needed to keep an eye out and stop getting distracted talking).

The question of what to do about it was quickly made moot when the lady stumbled to the back door and wrenched it open, spilling herself over the brothers. She was coughing and looked in rough shape. Shadow went to move into the back seat to offer up her breathing disk thing, but stopped as she saw a great pulse of light and heard a series of thumps from the city center. She heard a distant yet booming voice, clearly amplified by some sort of magic, laying out some sort of threat to all those still in the fog. Her eyes narrowed. So someone was intentionally hurting all these people.

Before she could rile herself up further, she noticed movement in the smoke getting closer. She looked up and saw what seemed to be a floating human mage dressed in green, another human that was harder to spot in his black clothing, and... another... human knight? It looked like a man in oddly styled plate armor but... they must have been 9 feet tall. Caramon was a big human, but that... Shadow had never seen any human come anywhere close to 9 feet tall. Maybe they were some sort of really big beastkin, just all armored up so she couldn't tell?

Shadow focused her hearing on them, somewhat warry given the declaration she'd just heard, but while she could make out that they were speaking a bit, she couldn't make out the words through the glass window. The green mage started floating closer again, and Shadow figured she should inform everyone.

'Guys, there's—' she managed to write out before the green mage opened his hand, green light flaring out, illuminating the area.

"Stay where you are. We are not your demise, we only heard your vehicle from the distance. We are not responsible for this fog and we only wish to help out those who are caught in this fog," the man said. "I am Eli Vanderbilt, Member of the Green Lantern Corp. And they are with me."

He directed his green glowing light behind him, giving her a better, if very green, view of the other two behind him.

Raistlin was the first to react, working his way out from under the coughing woman and stepping outside. He stated that they were not in need of help, but were instead looking to help solve the problem. Shadow looked back at the poor lady hacking away in the back seat and figured she should probably interject a bit herself. While Raistlin might not want help, she could think of a couple others that might appreciate it.

Shadow hooked her paw under the little lever that seemed to open these carriage doors and popped her own door open, but just wide enough so she could slip out. She got up on her rear legs and shoulder-checked the surprisingly heavy door closed again to limit the amount of smoke that got inside.

She brought her focus back to the green light mage person and started writing in front of him, down low so that the now-green ground would serve as proper contrast for her words to show up.

'There are people having trouble breathing in this smoke! We have these metal disk things that can help but we only have three of them!' she wrote, turning her head and tapping the metal device on her neck with a forepaw. 'I don't know what kind of mage you are but can you help people breathe? There are two people in the car that might need some help if they have to go out in the smoke. The lady in the back seat might need help right now, if you can offer it. Shadow asked, giving the new arrivals a questioning look.

Interactions: Everyone in and around the car.

Weazel · Jul 13, 2021

Chase Hunter
Node City.
Interactions:

Solirus
Mentions:

Specialist

He tried not to grimace as he read out Shadow’s explanation. It sounded like he’d really put his foot in his mouth this time. Jenna always had a way to make these sort of insightful observations about people that were meaningful and reassuring. Chase, however, did not have such a skill. As it turned out, Shadow had a pretty bad home situation he’d just dredged up memories of without meaning to. Still, the strange little creature did seem at least a little hopeful that at least part of his little platitude could be true. They wrote about hoping to find other shadelings like them someday, that were like Shadow, and hoped that maybe they could provide an environment for such a group of non-aggressive shadelings to thrive. He gave his best reassuring smile and nod in response to that. The otter might not have a full understanding of what the situation was like wherever Shadow was from originally, but it seemed to him like a good dream to have.

As for the woman outside the car, what to do with her was decided before any of them had a chance to discuss it. For someone clearly struggling in the smoke, she gave Chase quite the glare when he honked at her – he also made Shadow jump with that maneuver, seemed he kept finding new ways to startle the strange little creature – but the woman was able to make her own way into the back of the car, literally climbing over Raistlin before collapsing into a coughing fit. This was another human, it seemed – Shadow had used that term to describe the twins – as well as her own found family – and the woman definitely seemed to be the same sort of creature. He twisted around in his seat and looked back to try and get a good look at their strange new arrival, taking particular note of how her red coat was stained black where she’d been coughing into it. Was that soot? She also seemed to be in need of a drink, though thankfully Caramon was able to offer her one. He also noticed the strange markings on the woman's neck, almost like fish gills. Was that a common human thing? He didn't notice it on the twins.

The otter didn’t really have a chance to ask the new arrival any questions, before, well, the best way Chase could describe it was as if someone had just played the loudest, deepest bass note they could. It shook the ground underneath them, it rattled his car windows, and it pounded deep into his head, to the point he had to cover his ears, teeth gritted and eyes squeezed shut. The sound was followed by a voice, just as oppressively loud. It threatened them in a sort of sing-songy tone, to leave the city now or perish. Chase rather liked that first option, not so keen on the second though. In fact, every fiber of his being was telling him to run, that this whole situation wasn’t something he wanted to have any involvement in.

Upon turning to face forward again, however, he found his path blocked, by what he could only describe as an astronaut bathed in green light. Though, on the astronaut’s back was a long green cape, and their space suit seemed to be missing some key components. They spoke, introducing themselves as Eli of the Green Lantern Corps. That title sounded vaguely familiar, somehow. Hadn’t there been something like that in those old Superwolf cartoons? Man, if Carl were here the ram would really have gotten a kick out of all this. Chase, however, decided he’d just have to file it away with all the other strange and bizarre things he’d experienced since he woke up today. There was no way if he found his way home his friends were going to believe any of this.

The space man – he didn’t have a tail so Chase assumed he was another human, though he couldn’t see their face or skin to see if it was flat and furless like the rest – assured them that he was not hostile. He then pointed the green light at two companions. One was very clearly another human, dressed in all black, and with head fur just as dark as his outfit, this human really blended in with the smoke. As for the other, well… To start, they were giant, bigger than any person Chase had ever seen, and clad head to toe in golden armor, including a helmet that made them look even more ridiculously tall. They also carried a gigantic spear, probably even longer than they were tall. Another human, the otter guessed. They really did come in all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes.

It seemed like the Green Lantern and his companions were on some sort of rescue mission. They’d heard Chase hit his car horn and had come running. Raistlin and Shadow both quickly hopped out of the car to give their own answers to that. The red mage wasn’t very interested in getting help, in fact, he wanted their group to proceed deeper into the smoke, towards the source of that booming voice. He believed that he could create some sort of counter to whatever was going on if he could just study the magic. Though, Chase kind of thought the longer they stayed in the smoke, the more likely it was that whatever had threatened them would come find them. Who knew it going to it would even be necessary.

As to what Shadow was writing about, Chase wasn’t really able to get a good look. Even with the light cast by the astronaut, the shadeling was writing too low to the ground, so the writing was obscured by not only the dimness, but the hood of his sedan as well, and not to mention Shadow’s own body. To be honest, the otter felt like he ought to be out there himself. He was the car’s driver after all, and he was pretty healthy, unlike Raistlin. Caramon could probably take care of the woman, at least for a minute or so while they all figured out what they were going to do.

But, again, while he was sitting there indecisive, the situation twisted. More specifically, the otter heard a sound from his car radio. To be honest, he’d had nothing but dead air from the thing since he’d arrived here, and had actually given up on it working at all. But, his interest was piqued now. He reached over and hit the seek button a few times, trying to get a clearer signal. It sounded like some sort of distress call, though he only was able to make out bits and pieces of it.

“Lieuten… UNSC… nknown conta… ity cente… two civvies… plaza... send… coordinates… smoke… ick and dens… nyone copy?”

Well, that did change things somewhat. If there was someone in the city center in need of help, well… Chase himself might not be much use on that front, admittedly, but Caramon, Raistlin, the astronaut, and golden man at least all seemed very capable! The otter took a deep breath, trying to get as much clean air as he could. Then, he pulled his shirt collar up over his muzzle, holding it to the top with a paw in the hopes that it would prove some measure of filter against the worst of the smoke. Then he popped open his door and stepped out, closing it behind him and leaning against it. He immediately found himself regretting this decision, as the smoke burned at his eyes and lungs. How did the others all make this look so easy? Still, he soldiered on, lifting up his free paw in a wave.

“Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt. Just heard someone calling for help on the stereo?” He said, feeling suddenly awkward again, like he was intruding. His eyes squinted against the stinging smoke, making it impossible to even attempt to read the body language of the conversation members, and the spaceman's visor and armored man's helmet betrayed absolutely nothing of what the two could be thinking underneath. He was also trying very hard not to cough, which he was only just managing at the moment but wouldn’t much longer. “Said something about the city center, and there being two civilians? Think, uh, maybe we should do something?”

The Crimson King · Jul 13, 2021

Noctis Lucis Caelum
Location: Node City Ruins
Interactions:

Vagabond Spectre
Mentions:

Specialist

The king couldn’t help but smile at the excellent job Eli did as his small group’s ambassador. He made their intentions clear and Noctis was sure they would be willing to cooperate. It was probably his time to speak, he thought. He wondered about the smoke, and why it seemed to not affect him even in the slightest. Could it be a facet of the Starscourge? Perhaps that’s why he seemed immune, in spite of his apparent utter lack of protection against it; the Power of Kings.
Maybe he could dispel it with that same power. He couldn’t help but wince slightly as Eli shone the light of his Ring in their direction, but he kept his train of thought, speaking up loud enough for even the vehicle’s passengers to hear at this distance.
“Hey in there. My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum, 114th in line of the Lucian monarchy. Where I’m from, my ancestors, the Kings of Yore, grant me power against the darkness, which I believe might just help against this fog that’s causing all this trouble.
You need my help, so let me help you.”
He took a moment to let the group inside the vehicle process the words that he practically spewed from his mouth, though that might be hard with the fog’s effects heavy over the vehicle’s interior. One member of the group, who seemed to be some mixture of man and otter, weirdly enough, appeared fixated on the radio, leaving the vehicle to relay what he had heard, the monarch presumed.
Something about two civilians stuck at the city center?
“That‘s a perfect reason to get a move on.
If you’ll allow me, I can get started, I think. At least something small so we can get to the main thoroughfare safely.”

Teacup but existent · Jul 13, 2021

Location: Node City | Interactions:

The Crimson King (Denji Hayakawa)

For the inspector, the walk was indeed long. Sure, he has fought against multiple foes back then, but that was months ago! He’s not used to this like he was with the Phantom Thieves. None of the other locations exactly caught his eye, either. He had expected things to be a little more alien, given the situation. Alas, that was not the case.

Upon arriving at Node City, he covered his mouth with his arm. Zenkichi seemed to bring along his own coughing fit. It was certainly no mystery that it was almost impossible to see beyond the fog, but still, Zenkichi and Denji kept trucking on. He didn’t seem to mind being called “Zen”, speaking of. The former Phantom Thief definitely prefers that over “Gramps”. Though, the uneasy feeling was mutual. While Hasegawa knew he and Denji could defend themselves, their major disadvantage here had been the lack of sight. So either one could easily hit air, each other, or the enemy if they’re lucky.

“Yo, Zen, you see anything out there? It’s like looking through a dusty window, ain’t it?”

“What makes you think I’ll see anything, kid?” Hasegawa replied, managing to keep himself in line with Denji. When he made his remark about that possibility, Zenkichi nodded, prepared to follow Denji.

Suddenly, as the beacon pulsed and shook the ground, Zenkichi had lost his balance, planting right onto the ground. “GAH- dammit!” He cursed, feeling around. Luckily, nothing too bad in terms of injuries, so he was able to get back up once more. Then the mysterious figure announced its presence. Once it finished, Hasegawa grimaced, huffing. “God, you’ve gotta be joking…” This again? What was this, a false god? Hasegawa’s already dealt with one, he never asked to deal with another. Then again, should he have expected such a thing to happen?

“That’s—“

Catching a slight yet indistinct whisper from the other, Hasegawa looked to what he was sure was Denji, a brow cocking upwards. “What was that? Is something wrong?”

Location: Node City | Interactions: Open

Having gotten lost after trying to pursue Tiki, Qiqi... well, she forgot that she was pursuing the dragon and proceeded to wander around in the fog. With her sword drawn, she was prepared to take on anything. She was well-aware that trying to fight in such a foggy area wasn't the best option, but it was that or defeat. And Qiqi would much prefer to not go down.

“YOU FEW WHO YET REMAIN, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE WITHOUT MY SAY. HUMOR ME AND GO FREE, OR PERISH SLOWLY.”

Perking up as the voice boomed through the fog, Qiqi was intrigued by who this was. Were they the cause of the sudden beacon and the fog? If Qiqi had to guess, it was quite possible. But, she can't exactly say for sure. So, to be sure it wasn't ready to pounce, Qiqi put on a defensive stance, with a tight grip on her sword.

II-CinderRadcliff-II · Jul 14, 2021

By the time Jennie had mostly cleared out her lungs of the toxins the fog contained, she glanced to her side as Raistlin and Caramon offered her a flask of water. She took it without much hesitation, but instead of drinking it she literally breathed the entirety of the flask into her lungs - before expelling the contents back into the flask with the remaining toxins floating about. Her coughing fit mostly came to a stop afterward, though she still had the feeling of a brutal hangover. She set the flask down on the seat and took off her now contaminated coat, better revealing her gills on her neck alongside some minor scarring around her wrists and shoulders. Leaning back and getting settled in, she looked out of the window as others approached. Her fingers reached for her flute and fiddled with its intricate details, though as Raistlin left the vehicle she had to hold her breath to avoid inhaling more toxins. Once the door closed once more she fanned the fog away from herself before daring to continue breathing, now worrisome about what lingered in the air around them. "Ugh, the plague in the air has got me feeling hungover... Like chugging an entire barrel of rum..." Jennie complained as she put a hand to her head, a migraine kicking into full gear as the toxins were now reaching all parts of her body.

Solirus · Jul 14, 2021

Nathaniel

Nathaniel stared, remaining almost still besides his eyes which darted around analyzing those in the vicinity and listening for anyone he couldn't see in the immediate vicinity. Soon he felt Noctis bumping into him. Good, he finally arrived, now we can focus directly onto this. Nathaniel then saw as Eli gave off the introduction, noting how everyone noticed Noctis first and then him, possibly due being a similar size to Noctis and noticing the eyes first.

As Eli explained the reasoning for their arrival, one of the people inside the vehicle stepped out and explained something that caught Nathaniel's attention. They claimed to be a magi, an familiar word used for a title Nathaniel was unfamiliar with. He let the person speak before slowly before the head towards them. "You plan to move deeper? Root out the origin of the problem and take it out claiming you have the method? Good." Nathaniel moved closer kneeling down to look at what seemed to be the driver, another mutant it seems, "Driver, I will need you to follow my-" his speech was cut off from the sudden voice. He was not alerted enough to ready his weapon, but he remained warry and carefully listened to what it had to say.

A daemon? possible but unlikely under these circumstances... Nathaniel turned his attention once more to the Magi, "This threat appears dangerous and it's words do not sound like bluffs, I can potentially take you to deal with the origin of this." He said before once again turning to Eli and Noctis, "You both appear unaffected, that is good, however we can see that this mist is dangerous. moving might be dangerous until the problem is solved, stay here and protect them. If you have any objections state them now." he turned back to the Magi again, "The less time we spend standing around the more time you'll be able to create the counter and deal with this problem" he said extending his free arm and offering it to the Magi.

Interactions:

Vagabond Spectre

The Crimson King

Weazel
Mentions: Everyone near the car

Vagabond Spectre · Jul 15, 2021

Eli Vanderbilt

Solirus

With the reveal of his green light, only his dark-suited tag-along introduced themselves. Some of the passengers from the car stating their piece of mind and ask for help were heard. Eli taking silence to observe the need of assistance from the non-human individuals. A feline-type creature was capable of speech through written holographic words. This was no ordinary space cat. Eli knelt down to read closer. Now that they mentioned it. None of the three of them had a breathing problem from the dark fog. Was it even from the fog?

"Please, keep them for now, they can be used to more important things. I may have a temporary solution."

Following the feline back to the car. There is a young woman in a pirate's attire and a man with a great physique going after the feeble-looking robed man who declined the offer of help instead, facing the problem itself. His visor could only stare into the interior before replying back to the current situation. The voice from afar made it's presence. This was a man-made event, with the power to devour a city in darkness. Decreasing the brightness of the ring to not harm the eyes. listening back to Nathaniel's plan, the visor turned to him.

"There is already suffering, even in moments of idleness under this darkness. I suggest advancing this vehicle also. You and the mage can go right into that light. Make sure you keep safe and know to return."

Finally applying action with his ring. Eli walked forward to stare down the car hood while his hands glowed bright in green. Materializing a cylindrical object of sorts. It morphed slowly in thin air as if being formed by tiny sparks of light. The final appearance appeared something similar to a computer fan. A metallic cylinder with a fan on its top and four claw-like components serving as a hook to the car hood. Gently sticking it on the center edge of the car like decoration. It was less lit than Eli's ring, a more glow-in-the-dark kind of brightness. The fan began spinning seconds later. No fog was blown out or in, it was simply spinning. He looked back to the driver who appears to be a bipedal furry creature of sorts with short ears and no shoes.

"As long as you or your passengers remain inside your vehicle. This darkness will not corrode you. Please still be careful, this all i can do for now."

Speaking with the otter as he came closer to them. The radio distress signal also caught his attention when he observed the pirate seemed to have filtered the smog through a bottle for a brief moment. The car had a green outline everywhere. Even with the windows down, one might observe that there is a great green filter serving as a window. Transparent enough to see through and almost looks like a thin glass window. Physical bodies can still pass through this green filter with as if it was in liquid form.

"We must find this call for help. That beacon maybe also where the city center may be."

Simply nodding to himself as he stared into the beacon wondering just how dangerous could this get?

Leopard_dragon_Love · Jul 15, 2021

Raistlin was thrilled to have a faster way to get to the center. The sooner he could get there the better. "I need to fetch my staff." He said, turning to go back to the car. Which now seemed to be protected from the smoke.

Caramon began scrambling to get out of the car, the car lifting quickly without him in the seat to weigh it down. "Raist, no." Caramon said as the mage retrieved his weapon. Raistlin frowned at his brother, but otherwise ignored him. Caramon, despite his size, was around the car to block his brother's path before Raistlin made it past the driver's side door.

"I'm not meeting you go, brother." Caramon stated in a tone that gave no room for argument. Raistlin, of course, argued anyway.

"The longer we dawdle, the more this stuff consumes. Who knows how many people are holed up somewhere." Raistlin countered, but Caramon wasn't swayed.

"I'm glad you want to help, but you'll kill yourself at this pace! Your not well, Raist! You look like you could drop at any point! Your not very strong, Raistlin!"

Raistlins golden eyes flashed angrily. "I'm fine!" He snapped, and Caramon made a canceling gesture.

"No, your not! You can't fool me, Raist. You not gonna be any good if you make yourself sick. And what happens if these things stop working while your in there" He tapped the weird thing attached to his throat. "Look at how the smoke affects some of these people, Raist, you'll suffocate in seconds! I can't risk that. I know your excited, but I promised to keep you safe, damnit!"

Raistlin sneered, but relented. Everything Caramon said was true. Raistlin might have the intelligence of two people, but he could be rash. Caramon was wiser, and Raistlin knew it. While the mage cmfought the urge to bash his brother with his staff, the big man turned to the one ready to take Raistlin to study the source of this mess.

"I know this is all very important, and that we don't have time. But my brother *needs* to rest. He'll work himself to death if I let him." And, as if to prove a point, the red robed mage began to cough. No because of the disk not working, as Caramon feared. But simply because his windpipe decided to swell up and close off his ability to draw air.

Zat · Jul 15, 2021

Shadow - Node City - At the car

Shadow nodded as Eli told her to keep hold of her breathing disk, apparently having some other solution to deal with the smoke. The darkly dressed man, Noctis (who was apparently nobility!? Wasn't that supposed to be like, a big deal?), also offered to help with the smoke, but Eli beat him to the punch, conjuring some sort of green spinning thing (kind of like a windmill's blades?) and a green barrier which emanated from his ring and covered the car. It would keep the smoke out, according to his explanation.

Chase also joined them outside, talking about someone calling for help over a... stereo? Shadow wasn't really sure what that meant.
The 9 foot-tall armored man came forward and talked Raistlin, saying he wanted to go straight to the source of the problem and solve it, but Caramon extricated himself from the carriage and talked Raistlin out of agreeing, for reasons of health.

Shadow was feeling a little overwhelmed. There was a lot happening all at once! She took a moment to calm down and think.
Eli seemed to have the smoke situation in the carriage under control, and but there was no way everyone could fit in it.
Thankfully, it seemed like most of the new arrivals weren't having any trouble with the smoke.

Thinking about it, it probably made sense for the brothers to stay in the carriage, if only so that Raistlin could rest as they traveled, with Caramon keeping an eye on him. Chase obviously had to stay, as he was the one that could operate the amazing contraption, and the human lady should keep in there so she could recover. No one else really had to be in the carriage. Shadow was fine out here with her disk if she was needed.

By this point only the lady was still in the carriage, so Shadow could use it as a very convenient now-green backdrop to project her words onto. They could fill in the lady later, unless she decided to come out. Noctis could likely help her breathe if she did... speaking of which...

She let out a small screech, just loud enough to get people's attention, and hopped up on her rear legs, planting her forepaws on her hips in an attempt to look more authoritative, despite only reaching about 4' even when upright like this.

'Noctis! I think Eli has the car covered, can you help people when they're outside? I think Chase is struggling.' she wrote, nodding to the prince and pointing at the otter, who was doing his best not to choke.

'And, umm, everyone else!' she continued, her eyes flicking from person to person as the words scrawled out on the car behind her. 'There are lots of people that have lots of different kinds of magic here! I think it makes sense for everyone to go, and hopefully one of us will be able to do something useful to help fix this mess!'
She shot a look over at Raistlin and Nathaniel as she continued.
'It would be bad if we sent just a couple ahead, and it turned out you couldn't actually fix the problem, and we got split up on top of it. I... I know it's tempting to want to go fast and save people, but more could die if we limit our options to the point of failure. With everyone working together, and keeping each other safe, I'm sure we can all move to the center quickly and safely! Everyone back in the carriage if you can fit! Let's get going!'

With her little speech over, she looked over at the carriage... she wasn't sure how fast it could go, but she had a feeling it was pretty quick, given the way it was built, all closed-up and forward-facing. It kind of reminded her of a bird in flight. Just a bit. She jogged over to Chase, dropping to all fours as she moved.

'Chase, can you get your carriage to move fast if someone could let you see farther through all this smoke?' She asked, looking around at the newcomers. Someone surely had a way to make it happen.

Interactions:

Leopard_dragon_Love ,

Vagabond Spectre ,

Solirus ,

II-CinderRadcliff-II ,

The Crimson King ,

Weazel · Jul 16, 2021

Chase Hunter
Node City. Interactions:

II-CinderRadcliff-II

Seemed like he’d stepped out right in the middle of whatever everyone was talking about. The first person to end up speaking up – really, it seemed more like Chase had caught him mid sentence almost – was the human dressed all in black. Despite his moody exterior, this particular human did seem to be fairly eager to help. At least, he was the first to jump at the suggestion that someone was in need of assistance. Next up was the large golden armored one. This one got right up in Chase’s face, literally kneeling down to speak to him, before stopping mid sentence to let Chase relay what he’d heard from the radio. Whatever he’d been about to say was instantly forgotten then, as the armored human turned to Raistlin to continue whatever conversation they’d been having before Chase got out.

“Er, follow your what?” Chase asked, though he wasn’t really expecting an answer. Seemed the golden man had a plan of his own to deal with the goings on, and it involved taking Raistlin with him somewhere. In the meantime, the space man spoke up next, suggesting they keep the car moving. This, of course, had been Chase’s original plan, but, to be fair, the space man had no way of knowing that. Still, Chase couldn’t help but frown a little bit at how it felt more like people were talking at him than to him. Thankfully though, that was hidden by his shirt, still doing what little it could to filter out the smoke by hanging from his muzzle.

Then the space man did something weird. He created a cylinder in the air, only it wasn’t a solid thing really, it looked to be made out of green light, not unlike the light glowing from the astronaut. The cylinder began to morph in the air, hollowing out on the inside until it was left with the shape of a fan, which even spun! The strange green contraption then appeared to latch itself to the hood of the sedan, and envelop the whole car in glowing green light. Apparently, this contraption would protect the interior of the car from the smoke, and looking through the window at the pirate – who seemed to be doing better now that she’d had something to drink – and Caramon, it did seem like what fog was still hanging around inside was dissipating and not being replaced. Another kind of magic, Chase guessed. He really wished he could remember what that Superwolf character had been about, this really was seeming more than a little familiar.

“Er, thanks…?” The otter said, simply, looking back at the astronaut again. However, it seemed the human had already moved on to the next topic at hand, the distress call. The astronaut guessed that the city center had been where the original beacon of light had shone down on, and thus where this smoke had come from. Which probably also meant that heading towards it would be heading towards whoever was behind the threats of death. Again, every fiber of his being was telling Chase that this was not a direction he needed to be going on. But everyone else seemed so certain that that was where they needed to be, as soon as possible. People needed help, after all. It honestly kind of made the otter feel ashamed at his own cowardice.

Behind him, the suspension of his car practically squealed, breaking him out of his thoughts before he could proceed too far down that self loathing train of thought. He turned in time to see Caramon squeezing his way out, leaving the pirate alone in the vehicle. Evidently, the red mage and golden man had settled on a plan the barbarian was not pleased with, as the two quickly began arguing. This, apparently, was an argument that Caramon got the better of once Raistlin devolved into a coughing fit. This was all getting to be a little too much for Chase. At this point his eyes were watering and his lungs were seriously burning. Honestly, he really wanted to just get back in the car and let them all work it out, despite involving his car in their plans none of them really seemed in much mood for his input.

And then Shadow screeched. It wasn’t a loud thing, but the shadeling had been fairly quite all around, so it was a surprising, sudden noise all the same. Already a bit on edge, Chase jumped and sucked in all too much air all too quickly, before having a small coughing fit of his own. He put his hand against the side of his car to stabilize himself again, and was able to get a decent look at what Shadow was writing out before it disappeared. It was about how he was clearly struggling. Well, that was… Embarrassing. But it was kind of her to worry all the same. She was asking someone called Noctis for his help, since someone else named Eli took care of the car already. So clearly Eli was the spaceman, and judging by where the shadeling was looking, Noctis was the human in all black. He filed that information away for when things were less hectic.

Next, Shadow went about laying out her own plan. Unlike the others, who all seemed to be quick to rush off, Shadow’s plan emphasized the group’s many and varied magical talents of the people around them, and how little any of them knew about the situation, to make a care for staying together and remaining cautious in their movements. Moving together, working together, keeping each other safe; all in all, Chase thought it was a good plan! Of course, it seemed like out of everyone here he was the one who lacked any of these special skills. Even Caramon seemed like a prime example of peak fitness. Well, except for perhaps the pirate woman, the otter was still unsure about her.

Shadow encouraged them all to return to the car, the ran over to him. And then, actually, talked to him, not at him! The otter visibly brightened. It was about his car again, but still!

“Zero to sixty in about eight and a half seconds!” He said, before realizing that such a stat would probably be meaningless to someone who kept calling his car a ‘carriage.’ He wilted again ever so slightly, reaching up with his free paw to scratch behind his ear. “Er, that is… Yeah, theoretically. As long as the road’s in good condition and clear of debris. Also gotta take turns slower, so it’s better if we find a main drag that’ll get us right towards the center of town.”

Then he turned to look at the rest of the group, “I can fit one person up from with me, and then two more in the back with the pirate. If you can guide me where to go I can get you there.”

He paused to look up at the golden armored man, and then over to Eli, “Uh, sorry, but I don’t think you’d fit. And you can fly, I guess? So, maybe the rest of you can work it out? I, uh, need some fresh air.”

And with that the otter scrambled back into the car, slamming the door behind him and descending into another coughing fit. Between Noctis, Caramon, Shadow, and Raistlin, someone was probably going to be left out to dry, but he couldn’t worry about that right now. It wasn’t like he or that pirate could spend much time out in the smoke. But, speaking of the pirate, Chase turned around in his seat to look at her.

“Sorry about that. You, uh, doing okay now?” He asked, trying to be reassuring.

II-CinderRadcliff-II · Jul 16, 2021

Once Jennie was all alone in the car she picked up the flask she had set down, her green eyes briefly flashing with a dim blue hue as magic surged throughout her body - the water in the flask flowing out like an eel. Despite feeling horrible across her entire body, she at least still felt well enough to control her water magic with relative ease. Her muscles relaxed and her eyes tracked the water as it moved around inside of the car, watching as the watery mass separated the black sludge from the purity that sustained all life. Whatever toxins were within the former fog were flicked back into the flask. She pinched the flask between her legs to free up her hands, loosening her skirt to untuck her shirt before lifting it up to expose her gills below her ribs - loosely tying her shirt behind her to hold it in place. Once prepared both sets of gills opened up to allow the water within to flow out, her magic taking control as its contents poured out to create a secondary slithering mass of water. As it and the previous mass of water merged the head of the mass split and began flowing into the gills by her neck, before flowing back out from below her ribs with small particulates of the black sludge formed from the fog within it. With each cycle whatever impurities were captured were disposed inside of the flask, cleaning out her gills from the toxins the fog had left behind. By the time she had finished Chase had entered the car once more, her gills closing back up after being filled with water once more before she began straightening herself back up. Although it didn't matter to her if her shirt exaggerated her upper chest, she knew humans to be particular about women being too exposed - despite such complaints being completely irrelevant to her or other Marinnoids. With her shirt now tucked back in and her skirt tightened up once more, she put her coat back on for the time being. Now with both methods of breathing almost completely cleared of the toxins the fog deposited within her, her body could now filter her blood and properly assess the symptoms the toxins caused. "I-I'm okay..." Jennie sputtered in a somewhat quiet voice. "I just feel like I drank a barrels worth of rum... Without having my fill for the past few days." She stated to Chase as she put a hand to her head, the migraine from before still plaguing her as she tried to cope with the pain it caused.