The Raven King

OverconfidentMagi · Jul 16, 2016

Nona Usagi

Milson Manor, Nona's Room

Mission Impossible

Nona lay upside down on her bed, head and arms hanging down over the side as she watched her rabbits toil away on her orders. They'd struggle to push open the heavy door, rush across the room to where a notebook's worth of paper was spread out across the floor, grab a random crayon from where another rabbit had dropped it, draw a handful of lines on the paper, and run back to the door to wait for another rabbit to return and push the door open to come in so they could leave. Stretching across the many pieces of paper was an increasingly complete, and increasingly eclectic, map of the manor. Occasionally a rabbit would come in, draw its piece, and then walk over to its master for her to guess who was in the room the rabbit had drawn. For only being able to respond to her questions with a nod or shake of its stuffing-filled head Nona was able to figure out whose room each rabbit had found with mildly impressive accuracy.

As the rabbits moved further and further away from her room she had to play charades less often, so she was left to just lay on her bed drinking boxes of blood to replenish what she'd lost creating these new rabbits. She'd only had three left before the Halloween party had started, and she'd used two during the party. She wasn't sure what had happened to the third after she'd sent it to its certain death fighting the fiends. Since it hadn't shown up yet that probably meant it got torn up by the fiends. Oh well, she'd needed to make more anyway. Another drop of blood ran down her arm and hand, down the silver kitchen knife she'd used to cut herself, to land with the rest of it in the mixing bowl she'd also pilfered from the kitchen. She'd actually had to sneak in and grab the stuff herself after getting back from the carnival and discovering she had no rabbit slaves to order around. It had felt like work, but she'd been sneaking, which was kind of fun. Another drop fell into the bowl, bringing the amount of blood inside to just enough to give birth to another white rabbit.

She was in the middle of giving the rabbit its instructions when another rabbit came back from its scouting trip waving it hands excitedly. It immediately stopped when a bloody knife embedded itself in the floor less than an inch from its foot. It tried again, slower this time. It grabbed a pink crayon off the floor and drew two lines to show a hallway and a thicker line to show a closed door, then it tapped around the door and mimicked something like a soldier or a guard standing at attention.

"A guarded room?" The rabbit nodded furiously. "Think it might be where the girl they were talking about it being kept?" The rabbit hesitated but nodded again. "How guarded was it?" The rabbit spread its arms out far, which was to say about a foot, the sign for big. "I guess there's no choice then, we're gonna have to break in." The rabbit cocked its head. She hadn't said you, she'd said we. The rabbit jumped up and down with excitement, it was going on a mission with its master! The newly created rabbit just looked out from the bowl it was still sitting in and stared that the other rabbit in confusion.

Nona rolled off the bed so she could look at her work in progress map of the mansion. Finding whatever she was looking for, she told the rabbits to wait in her room as she slipped out the door and down the hall. The rabbits engaged in a staring contest that would have gone on forever what with their eyes being sewn-on buttons, but eventually their master returned, carrying a heap of white fabric. She spread it out on the bed. It was a light colored dress. She hoped Lily wouldn't notice it missing, but from how deep she'd had to dig to find it she doubted it'd be needed any time soon. There was just one small problem. It was a bit too long. She turned her crimson eyes onto her two rabbits.

"Forward," she instructed. She felt herself moving forward, unsteadily, but it was moving. "Turn left!" The rabbits hidden beneath the pale dress turned so she faced the left. She grinned. By this point more of her rabbits had returned to find their master towering over them, supported on the backs of no less than four of their companions. It looked like it had only taken three to get the height more or less right, but she was using an extra rabbit that was mostly squished flat beneath her as a seat. "Give me that knife," she ordered the useless rabbits doing nothing but staring at her. They piled up themselves to hand her the blade. She wiped off some of the blood from it and rubbed it onto her lips. Now she'd look much older! Oh wait, her ribbon. She untied the red ribbon that Mars had told her made her look like a rabbit herself and retied it around her neck like a scarf. She'd seen a woman on a magazine do that, probably. "Ooh, and find me those glasses!" Her rabbits rummaged about the room until one came back with a pair of plain-looking glasses. She'd stolen them from Mars, but they were boring enough to look like a woman might wear them. She put them on, pushing the ends behind her ears so they'd stay.

Everything ready to go, she pointed to the door at the same time releasing the knife so it stuck out of the wood across the room. "Leeeet's goooooo!" The bottom rabbit moved the stack forward slowly, the other rabbits taking care of opening the door as they got to it. She made it down the hall before the first obstacle presented itself. The stairs. But she'd planned for this, so it wasn't a problem. She climbed off of the bottom three rabbits onto the polished railing of the staircase, still using the poor top rabbit as a seat cushion. When she reached for the other rabbits, instead of letting them ride the railing with her, she just tossed them over it and let them fall all the way to the bottom. Then she rode down. Usually she'd have yelled something because it was fun, but she was on an infiltration mission right now. No outbursts.

She had to remake her rabbit totem pole with herself at the top once she got to the bottom, but she'd had the rabbits practice it in her room, so it only took three tries before she was back atop a semi-stable body of piled-up rabbits. She had her mount detour for her to grab a clipboard off the wall. Whatever it had been used for last, it was now a part of her mature woman doctor person super disguise.

Nona rounded the corner, and sure enough there was what looked like guards, doing guard-like things guarding a door. She nudged the rabbits to keep moving. Mature woman, mature woman, mature woman voice. She pulled it off better than she'd been expecting, at least she thought so. "Excuse me, I'm supposed to check on the patient." She motioned at the door. Oh wow this was exciting, she could feel how nervous she was. Would they believe her or catch her? This was fun! In her nervousness she bent her legs a little more beneath the concealing dress, and her knees pressing out in just the right places made it looks like she was pushing her chest towards the guards as she pointed at the door.

Orpheus · Jul 17, 2016

Dusty Aidan

"Its... Aidan, Aidan Moesashi"

the boy clicked an awkward smirk when he introduced himself to the doc, it still felt weird pronouncing that name, despite it being his own he didn't feel as if he earned the right to take it. the boy looked down and away from the old man as he shuffled around the library for books, hiding the slight embarrassment he was having and hopefully the awkward smile on his face.

"J-just call me Dusty... i'm more used to that name"

he inhaled a good bit from his pipe,the open end flaring just a tad as he sucked the smoke from the filter and keeping the pipe from getting close to Dyani's recovering body. in fact Dusty climbed up atop a counter bookshelf and took his smoking there instead, realizing how inappropriate it was. he noticed his stutter when he started to talk, it seemed like his awkwardness was starting to return to him, that or it was just the stress from the procedure he had to do, and the fact the doc helped him with it.

They say that people lose their sense of fatigue during a time of crisis, adrenaline keeping the body from collapsing when in a dire situation such as a chase from a pack of wolves, or carrying men and women away from a blazing inferno. it helps the body do what it can at the very last second, and ultimately crash once all that needed be done was finished. paramedics, soldiers, firefighters, there are many who can attest to this phenomena, the sudden burst of energy and focus spiking the physical abilities in a person when the going got too tough, adrenaline is a hell of a hormone to have, but every boost comes a crash, and even as a Jomyaku-ko Aidan was not free from it. He didnt show it all too much, he was pretty good at hiding his own emotions with his forever sullen face plastered on his head , but he felt as if his his body was about to get crushed under his own weight, a plume of smoke puffed from the boys nostrils that spiraled around his neck, helping his bones ease from the work he pulled to keep Dyani alive. After all he had the body of a child not the stature of a man, his nimbleness was catlike but not his strength, he couldn't carry an elk even if he tried. he was thankful for the Old man's help, if it wasn't for him then Dyani would've had suffered a bit more than he should, that or the worst case scenario.

"Thank you .. b-by the way for the help, we got to help him just in time..."

Thank those who are deserving of thanks, its what he learned from another old man in his life. He shook his head however, not wanting to reminisce that time.. for now. all he could think to do was probably call Brandon and ask him to pick him up soon, though maybe he already knows.. he thought maybe it was a good time as any to just try and kick back..now that the patient was secure he had to wonder and worry about something else... it just flashed back into his mind

The Raven King..

The pale Crimson beast that one time...

Dusty's nature for overriding curiosity only made his heart want answers, despite every cell inside of him screaming against the thought of what just happened. just when he was starting to relax, the mere thought of that event made chills go up and down his spine and tail, making him swallow a gulp as his fingers twiddled at his pipe..

"Wha..."

Dusty hesitantly asked the Old man, hoping he may shed some light on the subject to... well.. hopefully ease him

"w-What just happened there... really... we got attacked all of a sudden and somehow tha..that thing appeared out of nowhere.. what. just what was that thing.."

He didnt know, he needed answers. otherwise its gonna haunt him

@Cosmic Cobalt @Gilzar

Brandon Whitaker

"Ah, i'll help myself up don't worry"

Brandon replied to her after a short pause, he noticed the bandaged arm she had that was slung on her shoulder, and didnt want himself to be a trouble to her, even if he was already being somewhat of trouble intruding a woman's personal solitude... and a lawyers mansion.... annd even if she may not have even given a hand to him in the first place. assumption wasn't his best suit. he quickly pulled himself up on the railings and heaved his body over and onto the balcony.

he gave a slight chuckle at Serena's manner of speaking, that sarcasm that can push people away, it confirmed his initial suspicions about her after a short "investigation" of who she was, since he's never really seen anyone that looks like her. true it was odd for him to be climbing atop a balcony but he did have his reasons... maybe some of them less reasonable than others, but reasons nevertheless. he hopped up on the balcony leaning and sat near Serena with a noticeable smile.

"Glad to see you vampires never lose that sense of sass"

cutting a jab as he fastened his bum on the railing he admired the vampires outward desire to just push him away after such an awkward meeting, most vampires do.. being vampires after all..now that he was in a better position he started to adjust his effects, properly aligning his glasses and dusting himself clean after the climb. he didn't want to look as if he actually climbed all the way up the balcony

"Hmm... i dont know about mountains.. last time i went there i got thwacked by an old man and weird cat boy thing. Not really a fun time, but the view was great~"

he had an almost playful whimsy with his words, like an elementary school kid talking about his day at the playground. Brandon was definitely interested in the girl, after the events of today he needed to somehow get his mind off of things and just play around, almost forgetting the reason he arrived in the first place. he took a moment to gander at the vampire, noticing the beating she evidently took. to Brandon it was a surprise, most vampires he knew were pretty tough in a fight. piecing together he figured she may have been involved in the carnival attack before.. well not the one attacking just in the crossfires he thinks.

"I.. Take it things didn't go so well at the carnival?"

Maybe that came off as insensitive? not really right, after all he was just asking about her situation, its no more insult than asking a worm how it likes dirt.. maybe he shouldn't use that comparison. either way, since she was also part of the carnival attack Brandon thought that maybe through speaking with her he may have a front row seat at the events that unfolded when the Rift had suddenly opened.

@Maeve Valor

@Zer0

Zer0 · Jul 17, 2016

- Klaus Milson -

"Country Lane Coffee Shop, 2nd Floor, Blanca's Room"

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Klaus too was just curled up on the floor with the hoodie hiding his red smiling face. So Blanca thinks he's handsome, no, quite handsome. Klaus resisted the urge to whoop happily. Those few words took all his tiredness away better than coffee or a good movie. He lowered the hoodie and saw Blanca hiding under the covers, probably embarrassed by what she said.

'So cute', he thought, feeling another urge to go over the bed and hug her. But then his smile faded a bit, for he had just affirmed a doubt that had been bothering him ever since Blanca confidently declared to his parents that they had forged a 'bond'.

He had gotten it wrong. She didn't mean it in a romantic way, had she did, Blanca would have acted the way she was acting right now: nervous and making small cute noises. She had also stuttered, "G-Girlfriends... C-Caring for...", as though bewildered by the thought, and that sealed his doubts.

Klaus was embarrassed with his mistake and also disappointed. He wanted this smart, funny, but dense-in-an-adorable-way, two-hundred year old ghost girl to like him the way he liked her. She replied to him as if she liked him too, but the not-nervous way she had been saying it could have meant something else . . . Klaus was now certain that he didn't understand her at all. And he was going to clarify it.

He looked away thinking for a moment about what he was going to say next. He wanted to be careful not to mess this up.

"Klaus! Where are you?! Let's go!" hollered an agent. There were door slams and a car engine revved up outside the coffee shop. Klaus didn't answer them, if they could be quiet for just one minute . . .

"Blanca, thanks for understanding." said Klaus, sounding relieved. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you this week. Belated happy birthday, and I'm sorry for accidentally removing your tank top too. I should have looked and . . . undressed you properly . . ." he added uncertainly, then left, leaving the hoodie and the tank top on a machine by the bedroom door.

@Ensig

- The Philosopher's Stone -

"Bunker, 4th Underground floor, Milson Manor"

The guards grunted at Nona, stepping aside for her to enter. Then grunted at one another as she passed by, noticing that she had short arms for a lady . . . But they just shook their heads, grunting their suspicion away, after all the agents of Libra come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, like that unicorn, Bob.

And there lay Elena sleeping on a comfortable bed encircled by silver smoke from a pot of sweet smelling incense sticks on the bedside table. The smoke swirled and curled forming the wispy shapes of guardian runes as they floated protectively around her.

"Mmm . . . no . . ." he mumbled in her sleep. She looked like she was having a bad dream. " . . . I don't want it, I don't want to die . . . stop . . . STOP!"

Elena's eyes suddenly opened and she looked around wildly as though she believed she was still being tormented.

@OverconfidentMagi

Maeve Valor · Jul 17, 2016

Once the bright-eyed stranger helped himself over Serena expected him to leave since he achieved his goal of reaching the balcony. She was surprised when got over and took a seat next to her. Most others would have high-tailed it out of there whether it was from intimidation, being offended, or just not wanting to deal with her. She pushed people away on purpose and she knew it, but she could already tell that this person was a tad different just from him stating that '...vampires never lose that sense of sass'. He proceeded to talk about his last adventure of climbing a mountain as she rolled her eyes starting to get bored. Until he asked her about the carnival she finally got a chance to respond back to this chatterbox of a man.

"If this is your way of trying to entertain me you need to try harder. I don't tend to open up to people without knowing their name... Actually I don't open up to people at all so just indulge me I suppose," she gave a little smirk at him and then looked out from the balcony. She would have said something else sarcastic but she was fatigued and too lazy at the moment. She was just interested in the fact that he was trying to make conversation even after her rudeness; such a leap made her want at least a name to the face.

"So, you really don't know what happened? You probably didn't take part in that mission at all then," she sighed and then continued as still was looking away from him.

"You will probably hear it later anyway... The Raven King appeared near the biggest roller coaster at the carnival before the President and his daughter. That was the mission, everyone was to protect them and destroy anything that threatened them. Creatures appeared from the rift and attacked them both. Everyone part of the mission became distracted leaving it easy for the Raven King to appear and bestowed the Philosopher Stone to Elena, the daughter. I barely caught the tail-end of what happened before the Raven King disappeared again..." Her voice trailed off feeling guilty that she so easily became distracted. For a moment she forgot Brandon was even there getting lost in her own emotion. She was a woman who often did express her hot-tempered attitude, but this specific emotion was rare for her to have; even rarer for someone else to see it. She angrily slammed her fist down leaving a small crack on the cement due to her vampiric strength.

"I should have kept my eyes on her and the mission at hand. That creature danced around me so easily. The mission was a success but it sure was done poorly," she furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment at herself thinking back to when she first saw Elena impaled by a broken part of the stand she was knocked into.

@Orpheus

Gilzar · Jul 17, 2016

Aaron

""w-What just happened there... really... we got attacked all of a sudden and somehow tha..that thing appeared out of nowhere.. what. just what was that thing.."

Aaron emptied his lungs into a long sigh. That very same question had been bothering him. As his aged eyes skimmed the pages, his hands reached back to pull up a chair. His knees were killing him...the down side of this body was it could only take action for so long...Arthritis it probably was, though mild as he diagnosed it. Mainly it effected his elbows and knees, his fingers and feet seemed just fine by it, so walking wasn't a chore for his joints but it still wasn't pleasant in times like these. As he sat down, he let out a grunt, then slid up his chair. Head filled with thoughts of stress, and a heart haunted with doubt, he ran his fingers through his thick batch of hair, scraping out the dust of battle. As of right now he wanted a new body more than ever...

"They call it the Raven King, from what Chill told me. That...." His eyes searched the room in the paintings, trying to think up a deeper meaning, but still he found no solace. "Apparently the Raven King...put the Philosopher's stone inside of the presidents daughter."

He set both of his hands back against the table and folded them together. "That's the short version anyway. I don't know why he would put it in the president's daughter...But that giant monster...,"

The Raven King's presence had already returned to Aaron's mind. It's large, red, soulless eyes watched him through the back of his mind. The image never faded, it just dug a deeper scar. He couldn't forget what it looked like no matter how hard he tried...but that was probably the result of all the adrenaline he had just used up, and now his body was crashing. "I'll tell you what." Aaron raised up his finger, raising his index up as high as he could, head held close to the table staring at the blank text of some book.

"I have not seen a sight as horrible as that since the Great War. Or the first World Wars as the Humans called it..." Aaron explained in a bitter tone.

@Orpheus

Ensig · Jul 17, 2016

<Blanca>

-Country Lane Coffee Shop, Blanca's Room-

Blanca peeked her head out from under the covers once Klaus gave his thanks, looking back over at him with a still partially-red tinted face. She would have replied 'Thank you' to him remembering her birthday despite all the recent events, but...

"I'm sorry for accidentally removing your tank top too. I should have looked and… Undressed you properly…"

Blanca's entire body stiffened up at his words, as if they had turned to stone. Her mind ground to a halt, ceasing to work altogether as his words repeated over and over in her mind. Without a word, Blanca simply watched Klaus exit her room. The thought that her lack of reply might be seen as rude by her apprentice didn't even cross her mind as the humming of her machines became the only sounds within her cluttered room. She didn't know how long she remained in that paralyzed state... But she had heard the sound of vehicle engines moving off into the distance, only to return and leave again... A total of 3 times.

When she finally recovered, she moved a hand to her chest, as to verify Klaus' words. Her hands trailed under her covers, making a light *shhh* sound as her pale skin slid under the soft fibers. And then, after a moment, the sound stopped.

'… I should go back to sleep.'

Curling up under her covers, her face a deep vermilion, Blanca -- too far-gone to even wish that the whole event had been a dream -- did just that.

@Zer0

Zer0 · Jul 18, 2016

- Episode 2: Arabian Nights -

" Dining Room, Milson Manor, November 14, 2016 "

Over the past two weeks the secret society of Libra hadn't been getting enough sleep. Apart from the losing battle against the spread of The Raven King all over social media, the usual paranormal investigations and Shadow hunting work also kept them busy.

Last week the mist appeared again in Helsalem's North District stranding an entire medieval castle in a busy casino street and no matter what they did, they just can't seem to open the giant wooden doors of the great hall. In the end they just rerouted the roads, modified some memories, and placed the usual warding charms to make the castle invisible and keep non-magical folk out of the way; four days ago Chill was involved with a few others in hunting down a new species of shadowkind called, "Lethifold", that looked like an ordinary harmless cloak, but it had been sneakily floating around the slums swallowing people whole; and just yesterday a mysterious ornate talking mirror appeared in Klaus' school and made the student's faces look funny in the glass whenever they passed by. Those who looked into the mirror looked away to find their face exactly how the mirror depicted them. That day Klaus came home with a very long chin, a walrus mustache and orange eyebrows.

It was now common knowledge among the espers that The Raven King gave the Philosopher's stone to the U.S. President's daughter on Halloween. Elena was currently in hiding and her whereabouts were unknown.

Now it's the fourteenth of November and Mr. Milson had gathered a handful of agents for a new assignment after breakfast.

"There is much that we don't know about the stone," said Mr. Milson passing along their mission detail over the dining table, "that's why you are going to go back in time to talk to a man who does: Albertus Magnus."

In the mission detail was a picture of old drawings and paintings of a friar from the late twelfth and early thirteenth century, along with details of his accomplishments and contributions to the study of alchemy and the legends that surrounded him as the man who possessed the first philosopher's stone.

"In Rub' al Khali, the largest desert of Saudi Arabia, is a very ancient wormhole that only opens every Rift Season. This wormhole is in the ruins of Ubar and will take you back to the year 1250, where you must find Albertus Magnus and get as much information as you can about the first philosopher's stone and The Raven King. My son, Ethan, will be leading this assignment."

Ethan who was wolfing down bacon and eggs in a hurry as he had come down at seven this morning and was now late for work, just nodded at everyone gathered around the table.

"Your flights are scheduled early tomorrow morning at six. If none of you have any questions, you are dismissed." said Mr. Milson.

The mission detail already contained their plane tickets, fake passports and identities, including a list of essential things they needed to bring, like medieval weapons, some Dark Ages clothes, and some bags made of leather or animal hide. There was also a warning in bold about not changing any events in the past, including destroying or taking the first philosopher's stone, or showing any thirteenth century peasant a smart phone.

(OOC: @Orpheus, @CoconutLeaves, @Ensig, @Cosmic Cobalt, @Maeve Valor, @OverconfidentMagi, @Gilzar, I will time skip to the arrival in Saudi Arabia tomorrow if no one has any objections? You guys can still continue your interactions in your character's timeline today, and take it to the IC3 tab tomorrow.)

CoconutLeaves · Jul 18, 2016

The thunderous sound of the engines boomed in the distance, causing Fortunata to look in its direction, just in time to see it in ascend into the sky. The sky over the steel and glass building that was the airport was a clear blue, letting anything come into view; the rolling wheels of cabs and cars zooming and stopping as people went out with baggage and backpacks in tow, became the scenery that repeated itself; the wind around the airport was strong, causing her clothes to flit and sway. She looked at her cloth bag, sewn with intricate floral patterns and attached with a zipper; heavy with things she would need for this mission. As her feet brought her past the gate, she tried to recount the things she had procured to make sure she had everything she needed.

(A Couple of Hours earlier in Autumn Street)

Cardamon,Ginger, Black Pepper, Salt, Sugar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice, Shallots, Garlic, Cloves, and other assortment of spices at two hundred grams, with the exception of black pepper at 400 grams, each were all neatly wrapped in cloth then tied with red threaded strings. She looked at the merchant, who seemed pleased that she had a customer who bought a variety of her products, and had spoken about how all her spices were of a perfect quality. Fortunata smiled and gave the amount, exchanging small talk and gossip about the going-ons in the street. Business hadn't been too good for her this week, though that's mainly because of the gossip regarding what they saw, which was starting to die down, this the merchant could attest and was glad to hear since the businesses would see their customers return and spend. Once the transaction was complete, she headed down onto the Bazaar for the second order of business.

When she heard in that cafe that they were going back in time, she thought she found herself in a phantasmagorical state. Going back in time? To see a man long deceased that his bones may have crumbled to dust and his flesh returned to the earth? Fortunata would have wondered if everyone had a bit too much happy pills at their presumed disposal. Though she couldn't just wave off the appearance of the Raven King as the product of her own wild imagination like that. She had to admit that reality was beginning to embrace the fictional world people imagine and even perhaps surpass it. When they offered her weaponry, she declined. It would be much too troublesome to have something like that on hand, but she accepted the accessories. But she had to ready her own wear for the mission.

Thus, it was after leafing through her father's vast array of books and knowing what she can about the age, finding out about certain important events such as the desire for spice, did she sit down and speak to her grandmother's soul.

"The past? My Granddaughter, to the past we're going?" The sound of her grandmother's voice, young and vibrant, echoed within her soul, "I wonder if we get to meet our ancestors, it would be nice to see the dances of our long gone aunts and mothers."

"Grandmother, we probably won't be able to meet any of our tribe during this mission."

"Oh, perhaps, but fate likes to see us dance. Now, go to my cabinet, I think I have something you could use.."

What Fortunata saw among the belongings of her grandmother, was an old black and white picture. It was the picture of a dress that had an array of patterns and was sewn in a way that had a very traditional feel to the clothes.

"Create this, my granddaughter. This was what your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother wore before it was lost to the cinders of the flame. Do not steal, but pattern your work after it, and then use it when we go back to that time."

Fortunata had worked the night long, sewing patiently without sleep as she tried to make a dress similar to her ancestor's attire. Once the last stitch had been tightened and cut, she slept before she started her daily tasks.

Getting two healing vials wasn't as hard to procure as she thought it'd be. Rather, it was quite a simple task. The moment she asked a slender, pale skinned woman about her wares, she was given two for free! Granted these were experimental and that the woman had asked her to report back within a week, and that someone gave her something uncommon for free should have made her decline them, but one cannot look a horse's gift in the mouth. The night before they had to meet up, she danced. She danced and danced as her grandmother played and instructed her on her mistake's. The last battle was mere luck, if she were to do a better job, she needed to perfect her dance. As her grandmother gently pointed out each flaw, she could feel herself becoming lighter and quicker with each move, only stopping when she was assured she was ready.

The moment the announcement echoed from the speakers in the airport did she realize that she had already passed security and was sitting at the gate departure section. She wasn't sure if the other's were going through with this mission, nor did she know them all that well. But as she looked among the bored and busy crowd that sat down on the seats, waiting for the time that they could board the plane, her heart began to beat with excitement.

She looked at her passport, noting that under the name of the passport was 'Sally Cooper'. She wondered why she had the most common name available but surmised that sometimes to hide something important, one must hide it in plain sight. She pocketed the passport in her bag and noted what was inside: Black cloths for when she arrived at their destination, the fabric of ether, spices, and the items she received from the organization. She was ready, more or less so. Her heart beating strongly as she realized that she was probably the second among her family to ride in an airplane. The opportunity was not lost on her despite the danger of the mission. As she thought about that fact, she continued to look out the window, sitting on a chair, watching the planes fly and land, and being thankful that she could witness something this common with her own eyes.

Gilzar · Jul 18, 2016

Aaron

"that's why you are going to go back in time"

Aaron gagged on the water he was drinking, triggering the choking instincts of his body to make his throat completely clutter and cough the water out of his throat. In what sounded like an epic struggle to clear his his throat with three major coughs into his coat sleeve. Time travel? This had to be a joke...right? No...it wasn't a joke, it couldn't be. Afterall this organization had no sense of humor. Taking in the reality of what Mr. Milson had just said, Aaron's mouth was open in disbelief, eyes darting around the room looking at everyone else's reaction. He raised one eyebrow, then spoke.

"Time travel? 1250 AD?"

Then before he knew it he already had a passport fit with instructions sitting before him. Before he knew it, there were already rules being put around him. Now he had to get into medieval clothes, use their primitive weapons, and probably succumb to their brutal ways. In case the room couldn't already tell by the surprised, yet panicked expression; This wasn't exactly a place that Aaron wanted to be...but it was either this or die so he might as well tag along.

"I suppose I won't be able to bring any of my essential healing supplies? No syringes? Painkillers?"

He looked around once again.

"I mean, do any of us even speak old Arabic? Let alone how will we get into their walled off villages? I'm not trying to sound like I'm not going, because I am but this is just very unexpected..."

@Zer0 (And anyone else who'd like to interact ;P)

Zer0 · Jul 18, 2016

- Mr. Milson -

"Dining Room, Milson Manor, November 14"

Mr. Milson chuckled at Aaron's reaction, "Of course you're allowed to bring your essentials, Mr. Winchester, only don't show it to the people of ancient times." there was a pause as he drank some coffee. "As for the language, you do not need to speak it. Klaus and Ethan will act as interpreter and do the talking, and I believe Miss Blanca has been working on a radio device you can hide in your ear that will translate the common languages in real time, so that those who cannot speak can at least understand."

He placed his phone on the table and a small steampunk box no bigger than a match on top of it then said, "Apertus." Immediately the arcane symbols on the box glowed like embers and hologram pictures of desert merchants and caravans crossing a sea of sand flew above the dining table and hung beneath the crystal chandelier.

"You will all be foreigners hailing from a distant land. Most of you will be wearing disguises, some will be pretending to be arcane merchants, others their caravan guards, and some wandering vagabonds the merchant caravan has picked up in their travels."

@Gilzar, @Ensig

- Chill Sandell -

"Helsalem Airport, Departure Area, November 15"

"A wandering Persian artisan crossing the desert with a merchant caravan." read Chill smiling. He liked that alias for this journey back in time. For the past half-hour he'd been re-reading the details he had researched yesterday of Persian art during the thirteenth century.

They were well known for their Persian Miniatures, which were small paintings on paper kept in albums called, "Muraqqa". These albums contained poems written in beautiful Islamic calligraphy and were bound in luxurious book covers highly decorated with lacquered paint, or gold stamping on leather.

Chill wasted no time calling his contacts in the black market, and was able to steal one from a rich businessman in Turkey with a few of his old friends before today.

It took a team of talented forgers and an entire night of hard work to create some believable works for his alias, which was why Chill had eye bags this morning. His hair too had been dyed black for this mission and in his mountaineering bag was a painter's set, flesh masks of a young Persian man, and the travel-worn clothes of a wandering painter. This was going to be exciting.

He looked over to where Fortunata was sitting. His grumpiness about the reason for their cold parting in Autumn Street last week on his way to a university to take down some Raven King videos had already dissipated ages ago, and he was his usual friendly self again as they boarded the plane.

"Tuny," said Chill after they had seated themselves in the plane cabin. "You're not originally from Arabia, are you? Your fighting style and your clothes remind me of those scarlet Arabic belly dancers who twirl silk cloths."

@CoconutLeaves

- Klaus Milson -

"Helsalem Airport, Departure Area, Burger Joint"

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'Act normal . . . everything is cool, I'm cool.' Klaus told himself as he sat around a table in a burger joint near their departure area with his older brother. He was eating a Double Bacon Fatty Melt burger, while Ethan was chowing down a Pastrami Burger Bomb.

"You okay, bro?" said Ethan looking at him curiously.

Klaus averted his gaze from Blanca's back. "Yes . . ." he lied looking down at his food which he had barely touched. He hadn't been able to start his apprenticeship with Blanca yet as his time was taken up by his duties in Libra. The only contact he had with her after their awkward moment in her room was the day after when he told her that he wouldn't be able to start his apprenticeship this week or the next. After that he's only met her a few brief times whenever he rushed into the coffee shop to get something. Those times were just quick "Good morning's" and "Good-bye's" on his end. Klaus had tried to act like his usual normal self, but he couldn't help looking a bit sad sometimes.

Ethan followed Klaus' gaze and took a moment before saying. "Heard from mom about you two. What happened, couldn't get over the age gap so she dumped you?" he chuckled. "Or did she find your hairstyle weird?" he added, ruffling his brother's hair.

"Cut it out." said Klaus laughing a bit, pushing Ethan's hand away. " . . . No, it's more like a one-sided love problem."

"You know what you should do? Work out. You're a pencil, bro, girls love a man with some muscle."

"I hate exercise."

"Who cares? Just do it."

Klaus looked away, thinking then sighed. "Yes, alright."

"And get a big tattoo. One that says, 'I love Blanca' in bold letters across your chest." said Ethan laughing loudly.

"Knock it off." said Klaus who was laughing too. He glanced at Blanca again. The working out he was going to do, but the tattoo . . . hmmm, maybe he should give it a shot too . . .

Cosmic Cobalt · Jul 18, 2016

Leoward Dyani Westen

BREAKFAST

Ugh, it itches. But Dusty told me not to scratch it. Eeerghh.

Dyani decided to distract his mind from his itchy stiches by focusing entirely on his pancakes. They were delicious cinnamon pancakes. Dyani loved cinnamon so much, and he loved how the cooks at the mansion knew it. He ate his breakfast happily, savoring the thick, sweet syrup. Mr. Milson spoke about the next mission while Dyani listened intently. He laughed at what Aaron said, and grinned.

"I agree with him, Mils. Time traveling? Sounds weird, but I guess it would be fun." He swallowed another mouthful of pancakes. "Does this mean I can't transform in front of people, though? Should I pretend to be an elk the entire time? Y'know, carry loads and things like that? I wouldn't mind. I'm not available for riding, though. You need a ride, get a camel or whatever." He laughed, that last part said playfully and meant as a light-hearted joke. Though he was somewhat serious. While in certain situations he would let it slide, he wasn't really fond of people riding him.

Dyani went face down into his food again, but his face was filled with thought. He thought about the last battle and the result of that. He was still healing from it. Okay, this time, we don't fail. We can't fail. He felt the warm sting of tears behind his eyes, but he bent his head down further and began eating even faster.

Get it right this time. He said harshly to himself. For once in your life, do a good job.

MENTIONS @Zer0 (Very slight mentions, nothing important) @Orpheus @Gilzar

Ensig · Jul 19, 2016

<Blanca>

-Dining Room, Milson Manor, Nov. 14-

Blanca shifted her legs slightly in her black sweat-pants, placing her hands inside of her white hoodie's pockets as she listened to Mr. Milson explain the mission for the group. She had been invited by Mr. Milson to partake in their mission briefing with fellow Libra Agents, and had wheeled herself over without an issue, but...

'... Should I be eating as well?' Blanca thought as she watched the agents eat their respective meals. Being a ghost, Blanca didn't have much of an appetite... In fact, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that the magic energy floating about was all she needed to properly sate herself, so having an appetite wouldn't serve much of a purpose. Sure, eating was far more efficient than becoming the 'human' equivalent to a Tree absorbing sunlight, but still, the amount of time she had to eat anything lately had been near nonexistent, so eating now was kind of... Odd.

While thinking so, Mr. Milson began the briefing and handed out the mission detail. Technically speaking, most of the information within Blanca already knew about, but she read it over regardless. As Mr. Milson had said to the slightly-different-seeming Mr. Winchester, Blanca had been asked to make an auto-translating earpiece for the agents a week and a half prior. Naturally, she had asked why they needed Arabian English translators, and despite how busy he was, Mr. Milson had properly explained.

It was only after his explanation that Blanca realized that by divulging the mission details, she was entitled to participate. As expected of a Lawyer.

And so, for the past week and a half, Blanca hadn't slept any more than 10 hours to develop a proper translator, and also create a new Mecha: 3CH4RP3. Using ideas she had gained in her partial-coma state, she had designed it for the sake of fitting in (which it would do far better than her other Mechas), and had its functions based around support. She was used to staying up late and waking up early, but the past week was starting to take its toll... She hoped that the other members of Libra weren't working as long as she was without sleep. She didn't want other Ghosts to be joining their ranks if they could help it, after all.

Anyways, the translators had only taken a couple of days to develop, so Blanca nodded when Mr. Milson mentioned that she was developing them, and took out several small boxes filled with earpieces out of a small bag. The earpieces were simple in design, and wrapped around the outside of one's ear -- much like a hearing aid. When they were put in place, the runes inscribed on their main bodies would become almost completely invisible, and any words spoken in Arabian would automatically be translated into good old English. As for power... The mechanisms worked off of the magic power in the surrounding air, making them require no batteries. Such was one of the conveniences of using magic engineering.

Blanca would have made a speech-translator for English Arabian too, but... Because the devices would need to be in one's mouth to work properly, it would have taken too long. Invisibility wasn't an option (due to salivation) and 'disguises' such as tongue-piercings or artificial teeth would be either too out of place for their destination and/or require high personalization for each agent, so Blanca decided against it. She had fit the proper mechanism into her Mecha, due to the fact that it would be wearing a mask, however.

"The instructions are in the box..." Blanca spoke somewhat tiredly, holding her hand in front of her mouth as she fought a losing battle against a yawn. The instructions for their use were as simple as 'Put them On' and 'Press the button on the back', so she figured the agents would be able to figure them out without a verbal explanation. Even if they did require an explanation, Blanca was hardly in a state to answer their queries, so she simply hoped that they'd accept it at that, and she'd be able to go back to her room. For the rest of the day, Blanca planned on sleeping, sleeping, and... Sleeping. The Jaded Candles Klaus had gifted her hadn't seen much use the past week, so she planned on having them assist her, too.

((Next post'll probably be the Airport one, but if there'll be a time-skip, I guess that'll be in IC3?))

@Zer0

CoconutLeaves · Jul 19, 2016

Fortunata placed her bag on the overhead bin, standing on the tip of her toes to accomplish the task. Everything felt new, the handing of the ticket, the air stewardess and their uniforms, the dashing young pilot who greeted them as they entered, everything felt so...different! There wasn't any simple of way describing the feeling of being in this situation. When she joined Libra, she felt it was the natural thing to do; there was no need for her to panic nor wonder if what she was doing was right. But being in an airplane was like removing an eagle and putting it under the sea to see if it could swim! Out of her element, going to a foreign country, and going back in time. It was dizzying, elating, exciting, nerve-racking, and all the adjectives that could describe the adrenaline in her blood and the worry in her gut!

When she sat down on the seat, she looked to the window, watching the small carts bring the luggage onto the plane, others going to different directions, as a lone airline lands on the tarmac, the colors and symbols in a bright shade. The grass was beginning to sparkle as the sun started to shine strongly. At least that was a sight she was familiar with, Fortunata thought to herself as she found herself admiring, enraptured by the view.

"Tuny."

She heard it, but she wasn't sure if that voice was calling to her, for sure that was not her name. She paused a few seconds, deciding that the voice was too close for it to be speaking to someone else. When she turned her head, she was face to face with a now-dark-haired man she forgot to greet earlier when she was lost in the newness of being in an airport.

"Good Morning, Mr. Sandell." She spoke in a low voice, nodding her head to acknowledge him even with his change in hair color. The shift from blonde to dark only seemed to make him more eye catching, the dark color a bit unnatural for now, but perhaps might become a more natural shade with time. She listened to him as he asked her two questions, debating on how to explain. She didn't feel like talking to him. She didn't bear any ill-will towards him or any of the sort, but her last interaction with him gave her a feeling that he would interpret what she said anyway he liked. If she were to say something vague and incur his displeasure, she wasn't in the mood to have to deal with it on a plane that would take six hours before they get to their destination. She pondered a bit longer, what seemed like minutes only scant seconds before making a decision.

She looked at the seat before her, noticing a map of the world on the back of the magazine. Taking it, she looked at the page and with the nail of her right finger, made a circular line around the area of Georgia and the Northern tip of Iran. Showing the marks to him for a minute (she counted), then returned it gently to the pouch on the back of the seat before focusing once more on the window.

@Zer0

Zer0 · Jul 19, 2016

- Chill Sandell -

" Ruins of Ubar, Saudi Arabia "

Chill adjusted himself to a more comfortable position on his camel's saddle. It was now afternoon and the Rub' al Khali desert was scorching hot. He glanced over at Nona and Serena wondering how the vampires were doing in this heat. His camel, Hajin, kept looking back at him with its black beady eyes.

"No, no spitting." said Chill immediately, pointing a stern finger at it. Earlier when the team were choosing camels to rent in a village in the outskirts of the desert, this camel had spat water at his precious camera while he was taking pictures of the herd by an old well. The camel herder had roared in laughter and said in Arabic that the camel's name was Hajin and that it liked him. Chill was going to refuse and pick another one, but then Hajin nuzzled his head affectionately and he changed his mind. Chill liked animals.

The Libra team caught their first glimpse of the ruins of Ubar in the distance at four in the afternoon, it's rocky silhouette shimmering in the desert heat. Just like in all the other powerful arcane sites around the world, the cavern that heralded the passageway to the wormhole was protected by charms that warded off non-magical folk. So even though there were a number of sunburned tourists, none of them noticed the secret entrance at the side of a red rock hill to the north.

Here under the cool shade of the cavern inside, a handful of Arabian espers who were Ethan's friends in the treasure hunting business, greeted the team and bid them rest in a large colorful tent as they were served kabsa, cold jellab, fresh fruits, and iced mint lemon drinks, while their camels drank water from a trough.

"We'll be wearing our disguises before entering the wormhole." said Ethan as his friends prepared the camels to make them look like a trading caravan. "It'll be like stepping into a cold mirror. We'll be coming out into this same spot in the middle of the twelfth century but at about nine in the morning. So rest up, we'll be travelling as a merchant group to the trading city of Lazim where Albertus Magnus is believed to be in hiding."

Gilzar · Jul 19, 2016

Aaron

The desert; it was a place that Aaron had no place being. Large, vast, and hot, it was as dangerous of a place as any. However, minus the ruins and a few rocks here and there, sharp things really weren't in abundance so it's not like he had to remain constantly vigilant like he was in the city. Because of this, for the first time in years Aaron wasn't actually wearing his oversized coat. Instead he had substituted his normal attire for his button up shirt, with his normal pants and boots. Seeing him without a jacket probably would be odd for the others, because even though his face and dark grey hair made him look like a feeble old man, his body was actually in relatively good shape, a very athletic look to it. Nothing too overbearing.

When they were signaled to stop under the cavern Aaron stopped, with no complaints. He didn't want to give Ethan's 'friends' any reason to leave him out there. It was never wise to trust strangers. With an awkward shift of his leg across his saddle, Aaron carefully lowered himself from the side of his camel, who was as indifferent to Aaron as he was to him. He liked that. While grabbing his pack full of things Aaron simply nodded to it when it looked back to watch him. Carefully, with caution, Aaron set his bag down at a spot where he knew he wouldn't be in anyone's way and examined his disguise. This looked to be a Mediterranean merchant disguise; how original. It seemed that his camel and him would have matching outfits.

Ahead of them, was the very noticeable Ubar Ruins. They towered above the dusty desert plains around them, with their decayed buildings being so well built that their towers still stood to this day; It's a wonder why modern buildings weren't built sturdy like this. The city seemed almost lifeless, the only movement was the shifting sand, tumbling in and out of buildings by the wind. New dunes were made and blown down once the wind shifted, and eventually the wind would decay these buildings to sand. Maybe even someday this very cave he sat in would decay to sand, it was a never ending cycle.

To make himself comfortable, as well as his comrades, he began to set up camp. First he laid down a few rugs next to the cave wall so people could get a break from the sand, then he laid out a few water bottles in front of him. He also made sure this camp was a good distance away from the camels so that he couldn't smell them anymore...god the smell was horrendous. Most would find Aaron actually being considerate of others odd, but this was purely driven by his surroundings. This was Saudi Arabia; ISIS could be just around the corner. In the event of an attack Aaron wanted to be certain his comrades wouldn't abandon him. Also, once they entered that wormhole Aaron was going to need his teammates more than they needed him.

Aaron then laid back, and relaxed against the cave wall. He chewed down on a few vitamin pills he used to keep his body in shape, and waited for someone to come up to the camp he'd made.

CoconutLeaves · Jul 19, 2016

Hot, scorching hot...

For someone who had not stepped foot outside the country, Fortunata found this new extreme heat something akin to punishment. Brow filled with beads of sweat that trickled down her cheek, was not a good sign for her as it threatened to stain the cloths for the travel she had naively decided to wear under the black long robe she placed on as she exited the airport and kept on as they made their way out of the city. The only thing she didn't do was wear the headscarf, earning her some glares from people while getting nonchalance from others. She felt pressured to don it and only decided otherwise when the tall, modern, steel buildings; manicured and neatly planned palm trees and shrubs; neatly swept blacktop roads slowly gave way to fine mounds of desert sand that stood atop each other before that was the only thing she could see.

The camel she had was a frisky one, somewhat resistant to being ridden on carelessly, and at first, this forced Fortunata to walk on the desert sands, trailing at the back of the group as she tried to hide her struggle with the pack animal. It was only after several attempts of walking in the desert and getting back up when her legs were starting to complain, did she find a way to ride the animal with a common understanding that they both did not like each other, but they'd have to deal with it. It did not like her, she did not like the smell.

"Oh, how pretty!" Her Grandmother commented.

Fortunata looked forward, taking a small swig of water she bought in the airport (she was not aware that carrying water on the plane was forbidden), and feeling the temperature in her body regulate. The hot afternoon sun had made the sands a golden color, rocks in the distance making everything like a storybook from her youth. She decided to think better about complaining when her own grandmother was enjoying sights she couldn't see when she was alive. Fortunata as well, wasn't exactly being the disciplined soldier she thought she'd be if she were to complain anymore about the heat.

"Just relax my child, if you didn't think much on it, I'm sure we will be there before we know it." Her grandmother comforted, and ever the obedient granddaughter, she did so.

In a way, she was right.

Once she had ignored the heat, and her grandmother goaded her into singing along a folk song that tells the story about their tribe's history, she was parched, tired, sweaty, but ultimately at their destination. Patting the camel, she went down, thankful to be down from that malevolent beast that blew snot on her hand when she tried, as a peace effort, to pet it and give it a treat. She watched Mr. Sandell and his friends bring them to a section of the cave where the tourists didn't seem to notice, and was welcomed by the cool shade and spacious room of the area. They were given a spread of food, each dish earning a grateful "thank you" from her. She looked around, wondering where to seat and noticed the older man sitting down in an area where rugs were placed against the cave wall.

She sat down next to him, placing the plate of kabsa and drinks as well as other food between the two of them.

"You should eat," She said to Aaron, her voice somewhat tired, yet clear, "who knows when we will be able to have the opportunity to eat a good meal." Just to make sure it wasn't his reluctance but rather his unfavorable view of the cuisine in the area, she took her bag and opened it, tearing into a packet of smoked beef jerky and placed it near to him. She stood once more and took another plate of Kabsa, giving them another thank you, and sat by Aaron once more, eating the Kabsa with her hands in a manner of how her grandmother used to eat her food.

( @Gilzar )

Orpheus · Jul 20, 2016

Dusty Aidan

Sand in your pants, perhaps the most dreaded form of physical discomfort second only to wet socks on a cold rainy day. nothing could beat the irrevocable feeling of crystals and rocks pointing their spears at your tenders and rolling around like ball bearings in a broken machine. Dusty's previous experience with it one hot summer day in a rousing game of "bury the the fox-kid 2 feet in a mound of sand" had readied him for this moment, wearing only the finest in undergarments to protect his albeit tender nether regions from the abundant elements that he would face in this mission. all travelers, that go far and wide, need only the finest of underwear for each day tomorrow, and there is nothing more needed. this was the underlying wisdom Dusty had in mind when he took to traveling, in truth however, this was only an excuse for himself to keep a sharp mind and focus on the task at hand. indeed, Dusty was more than excited for this trip, he didn't outwardly show it as he always does best but on the inside, his 6 year old self was screaming to the River itself several promises of thanks and blessings for giving him the opportunity to actually go somewhere even he himself was so very very unsure of. The professor only told him so much about these grand deserts, barren lands that tested the will and the way of many that dare dwell amongst its golden sands. It was a challenge! nay! it was a milestone waiting to be written. To others it may not have been much, but Jomyaku-ko do not dwell in these harsh wasteland words mostly barren of life, they live in the lush greeneries of mountains that cradle the very bones of the earths ancestors themselves, bound to it spiritually and physically. However, Dusty was not like his kin, he had been separated from the ties that bind him to the river, gifted with the "freedom" to traverse places where none of his kin had ever known. Aidan loved every moment of the experience even if it had only started, his tail betraying his outward demeanor shaking uncontrollably inside the confines of his shoal. arming himself with his trusty pole, several layers of protective cloth blanketed by a decorative shoal, a pack, a waterskin, a pair of leather goggles, and a turban, he was ready for anything and everything the desert had to offer. a widened smile covered by a scarf as the sun beat down on him and Yelena, The camel

"Oh i bet yer just living the dream aint ya aidan?"

teased a voice from behind the boy

"Your taunts cannot goad me Sheepskin, i am at the height of elation as of right now! i will not be brought low by you."

"Wow, really? how much have you been studying? you sound like a 25 year old's college theses made while he was drunk on caffeine.?

"about several weeks or so.. has my sense of duty to the mission intimidated you in any way"

"oh nay, nay, i am merely "enamored" by your sudden inclination to this specific mission"

"as is so! after all as agents of Libra must not we all prepare for all possible contingents? Ive studied almost everything there is to this place you call Sowdi Herevia, there is nothing i do not know about survivng in this wasteland of a desert"

"Ohohoh!! You were just RARING for a vacation in the desert aren't you"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that, i will merely say that i have prepared, unlike a certain someone else."

"well to be fair a desert was not my idea for a getaway really, i mean, couldn't it have been a land in Greece? or Europe? the Middle East doesn't appeal to me all that much"

"You are uncomfortable with the people?"

"I hope your not calling me speciest or anything, but yeah, human tensions are quite high in this country, a false step and were on our way in front of a camera with our heads rolling in the sand.."

"ah but we are not humans now aren't we?"

"I guess i can find comfort in that, but besides the outwardly unfriendly impression i get from them, The place in itself is just too much maintenance"

"not if your prepared my friend"

Dusty responded in a very slight brag

"I wonder though, what is a wormhole?"

"Ever seen star trek?"

"no."

"Star wars?'

"no"

"Space oddysey?"

"The Greek novel?"

"Oi, nevermind, ill tell you about it soon, you'll experience it for yourself i guess"

"Alrighty ten, how are the magical artifacts? they ready and secure?"

"As secure as my protection money"

"did we get passengers on our way here i forget?"

"can't tell for sure, that or i might have forgotten"

"Drink some water, you might be losing oxygen then"

"awww i'm glad you care"

"just shut up and answer the next questions"

"what, your running maintenance check?"

"how far are we to the meet up?"

"Rendevouz"

"Whatever"

"from this cheap GPS Its just a few more clicks, nearly there"

"Onward Yelena!"

Dusty yelled out as he whipped the camel steerings as if it were a horse

"Dude im driving, you dont even know how to drive"

"Well your not my dad"

"Not what you said last night~"

"Keep that to yourself sheepskin"

The Duo strode through the barren desert, beating the heat and hoping for a slight bit of shade as they neared the campsite ready and darbed for the mission, as they approached thy briefly greeted the rest of the team as Ethan he'd disclosed to them the briefings of the mission. afterwards Dusty had to recheck the camels bags to ready the Artifacts for the travel. Hopefully they may need these or sell these for a good price, either way, It was gonna be a trip

@Zer0

Gilzar · Jul 20, 2016

Aaron

It seemed that one of his comrades had finally noticed his make-shift camp and sat down beside him. She was a young girl, Aaron judged her probably late teens, early 20's. She seemed to fit into their dysfunctional team quite well...except for her clothing. Fortunata, as he thought her name was, wore completely black robes. He figured it was her disguise, so while it was a clever outfit for the time period, there was no way it would be a comfortable surprise. Very visible she was sweating bullets from her forehead, any longer in this and she might get heat-stroke. What shocked Aaron was in spite of her condition, she still displayed a positive spirit, taking seat next to Aaron and even offering him food.

Beef Jerky; Nothing more American than that. Aaron reluctantly examined the beef jerky, making sure he knew there was nothing strange on it, before reaching out with his gloved hands and grabbing it from her. He needed to make sure he looked generous, as such actions now would probably pay off in the long run. Now it was his turn to offer her something; That's the way this little game went, Aaron had been playing this trust game for years. He lifted the beef jerky to his mouth, revealing his sharper-than normal teeth when his hand suddenly halted. He paused, then looked up to Fortunata.

Aaron moved his foot out, and kicked over a bottle of water, rolling it to Fortunata with the heel of his cowboy boot. "I'll only eat this jerky if you drink some water. We don't need you getting heat-stroke now...especially on the otherside of that wormhole where I won't have all the tools I need to treat it."

With that said, Aaron quickly began to bite into his Jerky. He wasn't going to wait for the girl's reply, and his sharp teeth shredded through the thick meet far more efficiently than any human could. In a quiet manner, Aaron shifted the large chunk of jerky over and began crushing it with the side of his mouth, eagerly awaiting Fortunata's response.

@CoconutLeaves

Maeve Valor · Jul 20, 2016

~Dining Room November 14, 2016~

Serena didn't even take her plate of food due to being so anxious for this next mission, but the reasoning this time was not the same cause of anxiety as the last mission that was given. This time she wasn't as cocky, but was more determined to knock this mission into the success zone. Throughout the whole debriefing meeting she didn't even say a single word to belittle anyone. It wasn't as if she didn't want to poke fun at people. In fact, when Aaron had mentioned not being able to take any medical supplies she so badly wanted to say back something like, "Aww, looks like someone can't stand the thought of not being able to play doctor for a bit. Suck it up, it'll just be sand." Or when Dyani spoke about maybe staying an Elk through the whole mission. She wanted to say, "I vote for staying an Elk for the whole mission; that way I won't have to hear that mouth jabber on and on about pointless things." But she refrained feeling pretty proud of herself for that because she didn't want to prolong the meeting so that she could go back to training. Ever since her wounds healed from the last mission she has been training at least twice as much as she usually did. For now, until it was over she just read through the file that was given to her that had all her information in it. Once she got to the list of things that she needed to bring her attention was brought to the clothing. She didn't like the thought because it required her to wear a black wardrobe that covered everything except her hand, eyes, and feet. She most of the time wore revealing clothes such as mini-skirts, tank tops, shorts, etc. to use her ability with ease. But on the other hand, she was partially fine with it because this would also help a little with protecting her from the sun. "So it shouldn't burn as bad right?"

~Ruins of Ubar~

"This is just as bad as burning. Dear God, what did I do to deserve this? It's so dang hot!" Serena had forgotten how much she hated the heat, but did not express her frustration aloud as well as her other ones. On the trip she had to deal with Brandon and the person she had come know as Dusty constantly bickering in the background of wherever the group was at and Dyani being... well Dyani.

Actually, she had barely spoken to anyone on the trip over. It was a very strange occurrence that was a mystery to the people who did know her common demeanor. By this time she would have insulted someone, but lately she was more isolated than usual.

Serena was very thankful when they reached the cavern. Although the heat was still blazing the shade had made it at least a little cooler to handle. At the moment she was not wearing the black clothing she was to wear when they jump back to 1250 but instead of regular traveling robes that was light-colored to reflect the heat. Once they had taken her helpful camel to reward with water for its efforts, Serena's first priority was to approach the collection of food and drinks. She ignored what everyone else was up to and ditched them in search for an A positive blood bag. She already had her own rations of blood stashed away, but she felt it was best to save that for later if there wasn't another safe supply later.

Ensig · Jul 20, 2016

<Blanca>

-Helsalem Airport, Departure Area, Nov. 15-

'I really did end up sleeping the entire day, huh...' Blanca sat at one of the tables in the Departure Area, one situated near the Airport's Food Court. Other Libra Agents had decided to get a bite to eat before leaving, so she did the same. Munching on the salted Fries she had bought for herself -- she didn't dare order anything more and risk regretting it on the flight -- Blanca raised her feet and rested them on another chair across the table; she was sitting alone, so doing that much should be fine... Right? As for the reason of her seclusion, perhaps it would be considered a preference? Blanca wasn't good with words unrelated to machines, and while she recovered slightly from her socially-awkward state when she was inside of a Mecha, right now she was in her own skin.

Covering that skin was dressed a bulky white hoodie with grey cargo pants, and had her hands hidden within a pair of gloves to hide their partial-transparency. Normally, one would think that her clothing was a bit much, considering her destination, but... *Vrrrrrr...* The fans inside of her hoodie and pants activated shortly, cooling the ghost off before returning to their inactive state. Her clothing had been modeled after an odd invention she had seen online; to keep them from seeming a bit poofy when they turned on, she had installed carbon-fiber 'ribs' along her pant legs, hoodie torso, and hoodie arms, with the ribs being covered in soft fabric on the inside. With all the modifications, it made the clothing a bit on the large side, but... Its insides were far cooler than an any other clothing she had worn, given the fact that the fans were equipped with low-power Freezing Runes (commonly known as 'Cooling Runes' -- they were sold by certain Merchants in Helsalem's Markets during the summer, as they acted as natural air conditioners; their prices reflected their high functionality, however).

Reclining in the simple chair she had taken, Blanca stretched while trying her best not to mind the stare that seemed like it would bore a hole in her back. The stare belonged to her Apprentice: Klaus -- she knew because he averted his eyes when she had stared back. Part of her wanted to stand up and sit with her pupil and his brother, but she knew better. They were busy with the mission... That's the reason why Blanca hadn't been able to teach Klaus anything for the past two weeks either.

"After this, definitely..." she muttered to herself, an apologetic air lacing in her words.

-Saudi Arabia, Nov. 15-

'... Maybe I should have brought Cooling Runes for the others as well?' Blanca thought as she swayed to and fro on her Camel's back, watching her fellow agents duke it out with the sun overhead and the sand underfoot. Her ride for the mission was an old camel by the name of 'Al Sharif', and it had a fluffy body that made her wonder how exactly its hair wasn't getting caught in her air-conditioned fans. The camel seemed to be enjoying its rider's low temperature in the blistering heat, but Blanca inwardly wished it would stop swaying back and forth as a means of showing its happiness -- it made her fear for its health, after all.

Strapped to the back of her jovial old Camel was what could only be called a 'nondescript rectangular box' -- it was a little bit longer than a keyboard case, but was simple in design with no distinguishing features. In actuality, its interior was lined with carbon fiber which had been laced with runic carvings to keep any curious eyes away from it or its contents (unless they knew what lay within, or were Espers themselves). For now, the crate's contents consisted of emergency provisions, bottled water, and packaged blood for the vampires that were accompanying the group. Other than those, it also held the Mecha that Blanca would be bringing with her on this mission: 3CH4RP3.

Because Blanca didn't want to risk having time-travel interfere with her possession, Blanca had decided that she would simply take her machine's place in the box after the group went through the worm hole; sealing her real body within the well-protected crate (which had proper air-holes in place). By staying out of sight, Blanca's body would be safe, and also keep questions like 'why is a woman sleeping day in and day out?' from being asked during the group's mission.

Her mecha, the provisions, and the crate weighed the equivalent of a person, and Blanca's own weight was near nonexistent, so Al Sharif didn't seem to mind carrying it despite its old age. Like that, the pair swayed over the desert sands, keeping close to the rest of the group.

-Ruins of Ubar, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 15-

After a couple of hours of swaying -- which Al Sharif refused to stop doing, even after Blanca 'used force' (which composed of patting it repeatedly, which only made it sway even more) -- the group arrived at the cavern. Once they were in the shade and had met up with Ethan's companions, Blanca dismounted Al Sharif before undoing the bindings that held the box to its side. Using a bit of strength she had earned as a Mechanic, Blanca gently lowered the box to the sandy ground underfoot.

Now freed of its burdens, Al Sharif made its way over to the rest of the Camels and helped itself to the water that Ethan's friends had provided. Watching the Camel walk with such a noble, straight stride made Blanca want to make a retort, but she decided against it in favor of preparing for the mission. Blanca dragged the box across the sand, setting it to the side of one of the cave's walls next to a makeshift camp that Aaron seemed to have set up. Giving a light nod to him from under her air-conditioned hood, Blanca then walked towards the colorful tent that seemed to have food supplied within. When she did, Blanca found herself at the side of Serena, who seemed to be looking for something. Well, not that it was hard to guess what a Vampire would be looking for when it came to food...

"Extra blood should be in my crate." Blanca said, pointing back in the direction of Aaron and Fortuna as her air-conditioned fans spun with a mechanic whirr, causing a cold breeze to ooze out of her clothing.

CoconutLeaves · Jul 20, 2016

Fortunata nodded, accepting the polite offer of the man in his golden years. Aaron was his name, if she remembered from those whispers and thrown away words days ago. Not much was known about him, but she heard from the others that he was quite a respected individual, who was probably getting on in his years. Yet, as Fortunata glanced at him as she took another handful of the kabsa, she knew he was still ready to take on the world. His body was lean and fit, and his eyes and hair had an adventurousness that Isabella would sigh in longing and affectionately call them 'wind-swept' and 'strong-eyed'. The last battle had her busy with her own affairs, but she wondered how capable a warrior was this man, and made a note to observe him in action.

She focused her eyes on the drink once more, slurping the refreshing bitter mix of the menthol and the tea. While she wasn't a big fan of strong flavors, the situation at the moment had her finding the drink a blessing. She looked at the bottle of water and then placed down the glass with a gentle thud. She uncapped the bottle and drank a bit of it, then placed the rest in a flask made of animal skin that would keep the water in. This she will save for the travels.

"Many thanks." She nodded to Aaron and continued a pleasant time eating. She was glad that he was eating as well, it would be bad for the group to fail due to a reason like hunger. As scooped another handful, she watched the others gather to the area and begin their own break times. They, she will leave be. Honestly, she preferred the company of the man beside her. He seemed quiet and non-intrusive, she can relax and just focus on doing her tasks around him. This was a thought that brought on another thought, but thought better of it.

The atmosphere right now was meditative. There was a noise and silence in the cavern that had her thinking and relaxing once more, and for a short while, she forgot where she was and just kept eating.

@Gilzar

Zer0 · Jul 20, 2016

- Chill Sandell -

" Ruins of Ubar, Saudi Arabia "

After a refreshing meal, Chill eagerly went deeper into the cavern towards the north where the crumbling remains of a stone temple carved from the cavern walls stood leaning on its side.

He passed by Ethan and Klaus who had just finished dyeing their white hair black with the same simple household spell Chill used on himself. Just place your hair in a heated basin filled with the right hair dyeing potion, say "Recensere ", and the pigment would automatically seep up through the tips and right down into the hair roots.

Ethan, who was now disguised as a caravan guard with a scimitar and Ottoman shield, was now talking to one of his friends, a much older man in his forties, who seemed to be preparing to go with them into the twelfth century; Klaus, who seemed to be a messenger boy who collects and sells books, was testing dozens of mechanical spy drones that resembled the common desert finch or the tiny scarab beetle. He seemed to have hidden the arcane controls for his inventions in a pair of eye contacts he was wearing and a fake old leather-bound tome entitled, "De Materia Medica".

Click

Click, Click

Went the shutter of Chills' camera. He made sure he was far away before he sneakily took pictures of everyone without a flash: Aaron, Fortunata, Blanca, and Serena were in a corner eating and preparing; Dusty was checking something in his camel bags, while Dyani and Nona were out of his line of sight. He preferred taking pictures of people while they were doing their own thing, since they were more alive to him that way and he'd be able to capture their story, instead of having them pose, which for him was boring and didn't say a lot about a person.

He heard a, 'Hoot', and spotted a desert tawny owl nesting inside the ruined temple. For two hours he was stalking and taking pictures of the bird, exploring the deeper ruins of Ubar, and pulled out a funnel web spider and an emperor scorpion out of some rocks before taking their pictures too.

(OOC: Everyone, I'll move the story forward tomorrow at around 9 p.m. That's 21 hours from now.)

OverconfidentMagi · Jul 20, 2016

Nona Usagi

Saudi Arabia

Ruins of Ubar

Nona spent most of the trek through the desert hidden from sight beneath a large umbrella held up by one of her rabbits. She hadn't wanted to come on this little adventure, it had sounded like a lot of wandering around under the blazing sun surrounded by nothing but hot air and hotter sand. So far nothing indicated that she'd been wrong. Uhhhhhhhhhhhg, it was sooooooooo hooooooooot!

The rabbit fanning her face swung its arms faster, but it wasn't providing much relief at all. The umbrella didn't seem to be doing much to block the sun's evil rays, so Nona had brilliantly decided to put on her rain jacket to better keep the sun off her pale skin. But then she'd been overheating from too many layers. That was how she'd ended up curled up in a ball on the back of a camel under an umbrella wearing nothing but a rain jacket and underwear. It all made sense at the time, but all together it left her seriously wondering why the hell she'd tagged along on this mission. And had the stupid sun always been so hot!?

It was a blessing when she finally felt the cool relief of shadow creep over her. Finally out of the evil light and heat! Well, it was still hot, very hot, but being out of the sun instantly made it feel sooooo much cooler. Nona hopped down from her camel as soon as it stopped moving. She hadn't enjoyed riding it. It was uncomfortable and smelly and not at ll like a horse or a unicorn. She hated it. Hopefully it would go extinct before she had to ride it on the way back.

Out of the sun, her red skin - as much as she'd tried to stay out of the sun during the trip it had been impossible to avoid burning such pale ivory skin even from the indirect light off the sand - began to heal from the damage that had been done to it. It lightened first near where veins ran beneath the skin, then spread, the damaged cells falling away to be replaced by new ones, and after a little more than a minute of being out of the sun her skin had fully returned to its usual white paleness.

"Hey you, get me a box of blood," she ordered the rabbit that was struggling on its own to close the umbrella it had been holding up for the past couple of hours. It nodded and was about to jump down and run off when it looked back at the umbrella in its hands. Its looks seemed to say, what about this? Nona held out her hand, and let the end of the umbrella fall into it. She swung it around and flung the hapless rabbit away to get on with its new task of finding her something to drink.

While waiting she had the rest of her rabbits search out something for her to play with. What they found was big and black and had far too many legs: a scorpion. They'd pulled it out of its hiding place in the wall of the cave and returned bearing it like some kind of trophy even as it pinched and prodded its abductors with every sharp parts of its body that wasn't being held. Nona wasn't really sure what kind of bug her rabbits had found, but it looked fun. She took it and held its body in her hand. It stabbed her with its stinger in response.

She dropped it out of surprise, but managed to grab it again before it could run off. Her red eyes glared at its numerous beady black ones. "That was mean," she reprimanded her new pet. It stabbed her again. She flicked its underside, it didn't seem to like that at all. "Stop that."

An idea struck her that made her grin. The girl skipped of in search of the useless tailed boy. She wasn't sure why someone so incredibly useless got to come on an adventure to begin with, but so long as he was she might as well derive some entertainment out of tormenting him. She wanted to introduce her to her new pet before it got too domestic on her.

@Orpheus (Warning: Nona incoming w/ deadly scorpion)

@Maeve Valor @Ensig (There's a rabbit coming looking for Nona's bloody juice boxes)

Gilzar · Jul 20, 2016

Aaron

Silence was all that he could hear in the corner he sat in. Fortunata still sat near Aaron, chewing down on her food. It was odd, he didn't know why most of his teammates respected him so much considering he was new. Feeling that it was rude to break the silence, Aaron just continued to bite another chunk out of the beef jerky he was given, once again grinding down in the right side of his jaw. The vampire girl Serena was here for a few brief moments, but was searching for something. Aaron really didn't know what Serena was looking for but he really didn't care, out of everyone here he cared about her the least. There was just something about her alpha-personality that he disliked, it seemed every time she was in a room she wanted to show everyone she was better than them. His eyes tracked her movements for a bit, with every step she took filled Aaron with disdain. She just got here and she already acted like she owned the place.

A moment or two passed, and Aaron stopped eyeing her movements. He could think about this all day and it wouldn't matter, she was his comrade now wether he liked it or not. For another few moments he stared blankly into space, before eyeing down the other vampire...Nona. There was just something...different about Nona. From everything he'd observed Nona was very far from the typical vampire. First off she looked very young; Though with vampires looks could always be deceiving. For all Aaron knew she could very well be older than him. Her age wasn't what he found weird, it was the rabbit. Somehow she managed to have a stuffed rabbit act like a living entity...which was just creepy, and this was coming from a guy who steals other people's bodies!

Another fine specimen he saw was the ghost lady nearby, he thought her name was Blanca, though he wasn't 100% on the matter. Aaron had no opinion on her; afterall he's never had a conversation with that one. From the looks of it, she was extremely good at tinkering with things. Always having a contraption next to her, Aaron never saw her sitting still. She was just the kind of person...err...ghost who was fiddling with things. So long as one of those things didn't explode next to him, he had no problem with that. In fact, she just set a crate nearby, even nodding to Aaron. What was in the crate? Supplies? Had to be, as she mentioned to Serena there was blood in. Aaron nodded back, in a contempt matter. This site was becoming a hit.

Finally, he fixed his attention back to Fortunata. She still sat there quietly just eating away at her food. There seemed to be an atmosphere of innocence around her that Aaron couldn't explain. He had a feeling that no matter what this woman would go through in her later years she'd still always be the same. Not once since his untimely arrival into Libra had he seen her do a mean thing. Not a bad thing, just a rare quality. Aaron almost envied that...almost.

"Fortunata, is it?" He asked in a light, undemanding tone.

"What do you think of this...mission? Do you think we're ready for it as a unit?" As Aaron said that he very visibly eyed all of his comrades, judging them in the back of his mind.

@CoconutLeaves

Maeve Valor · Jul 21, 2016

As Serena was searching for her own blood bag she heard a light whirring sound in the distance that seemed to be getting closer and she knew it was Blanca coming her way. Ever since they reached this hot atmosphere she turned on the wardrobe occasionally, which also had been annoying her the whole way over. At first when Blanca approached beside her, she tried not to acknowledge the ghost as she continued to search soon coming to the conclusion that there was in fact none. "Perhaps they thought no vampires would dare to venture out here... Well here I am and they were dead wrong -.-," She thought to herself disappointingly.

Blanca did indeed speak saying, "Extra blood should be in my crate."

Serena had finally cracked and responded back with a statement referring to that awfully annoying outfit, "Wow this tent has all sorts of food, they even have a walking AND talking marshmallow."

She inwardly scolded herself by letting the comment slip out when she was trying to ignore her. As it was right now, she had already broken that thought so she thought she might as well commit to it. "Greatly appreciated though, I'm going to help myself to that crate then."

Serena then started to walk passed her to Aaron and Fortuna, but felt the cold breeze from Blanca's outfit. She decided to stop in that spot and sneak some cool air towards herself as she said more to her, "Congrats, you got one reward point from a vampire. Let me know if you rack that up to a ten, you'll earn a favor from me."

In the corner of her eye she saw something small move around on the ground. She looked down to see comical-looking rabbit looking right back up to her as if it was listening to their conversation. Serena merely just raised an eyebrow at the thing. She knew it was Nona's creature but she has never been in direct contact with one before as well as Nona herself.

@Ensig

@OverconfidentMagi

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This meme is already nothing but a memory

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This meme is already nothing but a memory

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