The Rectifier

Sacrifice

I LIIIIVVVE sorta. Who wants to start a dnd group with meeee

Sacrifice

Rai's clicking footsteps advance toward the armory where Maya was reported to have been seen last. Her head was still spinning from her loss of consciousness, something that she hasn't experienced very often in the past. She needed to gain control of this situation quickly. There are two purported intruders in the base, Calvin insists that something is wrong with Fuma, and now one of the prisoners is wandering about the armory. Somehow, Rai didn't feel that Maya was a threat, but the lack of control and preparedness that the situation presents is just embarrassing.

What if something puts Fuma out of commission for good? She isn't ready to lead this effort, and Calvin refuses to assume a position of authority. He was a good leader, and almost like a weird uncle to her, but he denies responsibility. She speculates that perhaps his life leading up to the rebellion had hidden gems within but she refrained from asking him about this. Something in Calvin's hazy, jet black eyes gave her an uneasy feeling about his possible reaction. Either way, she pushes her worries aside and enters the armory to find Maya missing, and Fuma in the floor. He's sweating, and his mask is completely blank.

"H-hey, Fuma what happened- are you hurt?" she stutters a little, having only ever seen him sprawled and vulnerable select few times. She wasn't interested in him, after all, he always talks about that Selah girl. She's totally uninterested. What makes you think she likes him, back off! Gosh, he's her superior okay? That is unacceptable for the work place, this is so not the time to be spreading rumors he could be DEAD.

She shakes her head and kneels to check if he's unconscious or just lethargic, but gets no response. That woman perhaps? Did Maya do this? If so, how? Has he been poisoned? And what is this strange mark on his hand? He's clearly alive and he doesn't seem to be in danger of dying, but he's useless in this catatonic state. Should she move him? She tries to pull him up by one arm around her shoulders but fails, trying again by propping up his shoulders. This endeavor ends up spilling her into the floor as well and she sits up in a huff, straightening her collar.

Never mind then I'll just leave him in the floor..

Rai gets up, hoping no one will ever find out about that, and exits the armory as well. She shuts the door to ensure no one tampers with him or finds out he really is quite indisposed. What now? Perhaps Selah can help? She's never met her but maybe she will know what he would do?

No... She wrinkles her nose at the idea and selfishly decides to figure it out alone.

Where is that Maya woman, she will explain herself immediately.

Rai marches down the hall and follows Maya to the lockdown where Paul is chained, the newest prisoner.

"You... You're involved with this intruder, and you've done something to our leader. I can't believe I trusted you this long..." Rai draws her pistol and trains it on Maya reluctantly.

"Put your hands on your head. What have you done to Fuma?"

---------------------------- ( O _ 0 ) /) ------------------------

Fuma sits up, grimacing. He looks around with a delayed reaction, feeling strange.

A dream....? I'm unconscious but... lucid? This is what my mind looks like..

"Cooooolllllll.... So I can do whatever I want here I guess. But how'd I get here? Whatever it was that I took, I want moooorrreeee- ....oh wow.." Fuma reaches up to his head as pain sets in with a sharply, with a dull throb underneath. It's not as cool now.

This is not good... ouch. I need to wake up...

As Fuma's mental stability wanes, the landscape of his mind morphs and grinds into a world of lava and fire. Many suns sit upon the horizon, scorching the remainder of the ground as it cracks and splits. He looks around frantically and grimaces at the sight, even if he is somewhat in awe. A form descends from the suns and steps to him, with flowing hair and robes. It impairs his mind and churns his sense of reason... The being is Selah.

Sacrifice

Maya exits the kitchen to a bit of commotion. According to the orders being barked out, another strange visitor has been brought into the base. The man fits Paul's description.

"Find Rai, we need second in command here. Fuma is out of commission for the moment, and we've got another intruder."
Calvin's irritated voice grinds out these observations and annoyances to the deck officers, fully expecting their intuition to take care of things.

Meanwhile, Rai slowly blinks awake to find the kitchen empty, and frantic sounds coming from the nearby hangar. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath, suddenly feeling very embarrassed for her dramatic reaction. The source of her shock painfully oozes back into her foggy mind and she pushes her choppy black hair away from her eyes. She hardly has a moment to regain her composure before a page discovers her and unloads the annoying amount of work yet to be done.

As Maya follows the general hub of commotion, she spots the glint of Fuma's electric orange hair peeking out from a cracked door near the armory. What was he doing in there? Why is he... on the floor? Kids these days, amirite. She feels obliged to be concerned, but something about his attitude makes that hard. Either way, he's the one who can get Paul out of the hands of his so called cronies, peacefully.

Sacrifice

Rai finds herself sitting in a chair, her mind racing to process this barrage of information. Frankly, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched. After all, she just unloaded her own legend of warring dimensions on Maya and expected her to understand immediately. Foreign and supernatural situations aren't all that uncommon in this particular world line.

"That... was amazing, Maya. However, I don't think I can just abandon Fuma and galavant across the universe fighting evil... As romantic as that sounds, this is war. We aren't just fighting like spoiled children, the loss of this place could bring the collapse of the very universe you're fighting to save-... that can't be a coincidence."

Rai covers her eyes and sighs, sensing she's saying too much. She couldn't possibly leave this place but... isn't that what she always thought she needed to do? To acquire a greater purpose?

"I-I'm sorry... let me talk to Fuma about this. I need to see him."

Why is she alone? Why me? What sort of power could possibly manifest in me? Is that why Fuma is so powerful? But Maya... She doesn't seem to like him so he surely isn't involved...

She gets up from her seat and starts cleaning the kitchen again, but barely makes it through washing a single cup before passing out in the floor.

Sacrifice

Rai's quick but controlled motions as she works in the kitchen allude to the many hours she has spent there. Many of her cohorts experience the same effects of the dankness that the planet brings. This ends up bringing the troubled and heavy souls to the kitchen, seeking some sort of distraction and a laugh. Rai herself understood this, so when she wasn't working, she found herself there. Some nights it was to ease her own discontentment and uneasiness at the evil dwelling within this dimension, others it was to give strength to her comrades. In some ways, it was a selfish tear at survival. When pressed to the surface of this planet comprised by sharp fragments of a scorched past, you can't rely on someone who has failed to thrive. They can't save you, no one will. On the other side of the situation, her actions are completely altruistic. When Rai could be sleeping, she is instead giving even more of her time to the fighters.

A slight smile graces Rai's countenance.

Looks like she really appreciated the drink... That harsh edge of hers finally calmed down.

As Maya speaks, Rai listens to the repressed pain and shock that the strangely beautiful, white haired woman was hiding. Rai's gaze continues to soften, as Maya then reveals her curiosities. And mere curiosities they seemed, from a troubled and cold traveler. Rai's other worldly appearance and mixed air make her into a bit of an enigma, but in these moments, her ringing perception and intelligence dominate her presence.

"Thank you for seeing passed Fuma, and for your compassion in regard to the situation we're all in. However, I do not think I've presented you with a reason to save face the way you are. If you're in some sort of trouble, you shouldn't feel compelled to handle it all on your own," Rai turns to Maya and looks nearly apologetic. Not pity, but something called empathy.

After a few moments she responds to Maya's initial question. She looks down at her tinted hands and odd markings.

"I'm rather easy to spot, aren't I. My story though? Funny you should ask. It's... nearly the same as Fuma's. My parents were murdered, but I don't remember it. I ended up here because as a child, I was blamed for their deaths. My appearance didn't help, "demon" and "witch" became common insults hurled my way. Without an advocate for my innocence in the world, I decided to leave. I feel like I'm meant for something good, despite my strange disposition. When I heard of Fuma's story and his rebellion, I wanted to join immediately. Before I could, he showed up at my sector himself. I've been here ever since then. Even though it's been a few years, he's been my only friend."

As Rai recalls these events, it seems as though it may be the first time she's walked through them with someone else. Her countenance becomes introspective, as she double checks the order of which these things happened.

"But... why are you looking for someone like that?"

Sacrifice

Whew finished a research paper, now I can continue to not have a life

also

^ ^
woo for me.
I just want to sleep XD

@Carantathraiel

Yes

Sacrifice

Rai walks with Maya through the steely halls, and toward a rather beat up looking kitchen. She observes the strange visitor with slightly widened eyes, and listens to her cool voice very closely.

Her hair... it's white as ash... and her face is so angled. She looks strong and regal. Pure.

Despite Maya's dark clothing, she stands out quite prominently compared to the dank and rather serious atmosphere of the base. Everything seemed to take on a blackened tint, like the perpetual film of soot often found in a smithy. Sometimes Rai feels as though she is becoming soot. A mere shadow of existence, let alone a beautiful girl like Maya.

"No worries... There is indeed a war. It's a bit complicated, as most wars are. You see, we are a rebel faction. We are the children of shadows, those who died in the womb and were born between dimensions. Somehow we were taken advantage of, and forced to fight in a war as soldiers against our will. The reason for this is because we are beings who don't technically exist in the world of which we were forced to fight in, so letting us run suicide missions wasn't a problem. You can't lose assets you never had to begin with... Well, Fuma refused to let it continue. We rose up under his command, but not all of us. This base... it's the remains of his resistance against the forces that enslaved us. You could say there are two wars, in that respect. The one between the petty governments within the dimension, and the one between the culprit forces and Fuma."

As Rai speaks she goes about making a smoky looking drink that smells like a camp fire. It steams like tea and warms Maya as soon as she picks up the mug.

"Here you go. This is my personal favorite, calms the nerves and eases the mind."

Despite the heavy topic and obviously hard memories, Rai flashes a bright smile at Maya.

Sacrifice

Fuma's masked expression becomes more and more cryptic, completely unknowable. His presence has a transcendence about it, so much so that he could be completely ignored if it weren't for his otherworldly appearance. Despite his almost offensive orange hair, there is a face among the limited crowd that catches Maya's eye more than Fuma. A young female stands behind Fuma a bit, watching evenly. Her skin is that of charcoal ash, the whites of her eyes are inky, surrounding the pale electric blue irises that house her pupils. The murkiness of her skin is only interrupted by what appears to be fluorescent lines, pulsing blue circuitry, almost.

Fuma shifts uncomfortably.

"That's quite a specifically vague* mission you have. I find it hard to believe you're alone."
He glances at Calvin who nods and regroups his crew, headed for the cold night to find her presumed counterpart.

"At any rate, I did bring you here, and I will cooperate with you. I only have one condition..."
Fuma's mask assumes a grave imitation of countenance and he tilts his head down to emulate a glare.

"If you harm any of my fighters, I will not hesitate to kill you before your little boyfriend has even a fighting chance."

He regains a goofy, lighthearted grin. How he is aware of the lurking pirate time traveler is yet to be revealed.

"But I doubt you will make me do that, right? I SOOOO despise killing people. Or aliens, or whatever you are. First things first, lets get you some warm clothing and food! Then we can talk about some interviews."

He pushes back his hair and grins again, happy to have made her acquaintance. Something about this boy's threatening and juvenile presence is contrarily trustworthy. It's as if one would prefer to feel glad he is on their side, as opposed to suspicious. His intentions are clear, and his values, even more so. Fuma grins at Rai, the ash skinned girl, who nods and steps over to Maya.

"Let's get you settled then okay? I'm Rai. Don't worry about Fuma's RUDENESS," she glares back at him and continues, "he's just... a bit on edge lately. Come on."

Sacrifice

Whoop yeah sorry I've been ghost, life and computers

<Snipped quote by The Rectifier>

XD okay.
Why the change? I havent been reading, sorry @.@ life is happening.

@Carantathraiel

Sacrifice

<Snipped quote by The Rectifier>

We don't have to call her Caitlyn now, do we?

(jk)

@Carantathraiel

BAHAHA no, I figured a tomboyish name like Rai would suit her