[indent][b][u]January 18th, 10:43 AM
Outside Chicago, Illinois[/u][/b][/indent]

Kyrona waited patiently while Kailani harvested the corpses from their earthen storage compartments. Watching her friend dig up the rectangular wooden crates - called "coffins" if she remembered correctly - and consume the bodies inside, she quietly thought back to her last visit, some thirty standard years prior.

She had learned much about this world in that time. While the dominant species greatly resembled her own, at least on the surface, she had quickly been made to understand that they were burdened by a tendency to overcomplicate and dramatize everyday occurrences, such as death. Though the details varied from Earth culture to Earth culture, here in the collection of tribal states known colloquially as "America", they would hold elaborate ceremonies upon the death of a relative or friend.

It was quite obscene, really - they would drain the blood completely from the corpse and fill it with a preservative fluid, and then [i]coat the carcass in make up to make them appear as if they were still alive![/i]

All of this, just to stand over it for a few hours, emptying all of their regrets and farewells to what was now a very slowly rotting corpse painted in enough makeup to make even the most garish of Sarkeesian prostitutes blush! And, most absurdly of all, after all the effort they've gone through to preserve this body, they stuff it into a box and bury it underground!

Yes, the Earth was a truly bizarre and irrational place - no wonder they were still in a state of tribalism.

"HEY!" the gruff voice of a wrinkled, old Earth man shouted, the screen door of his shack squealing loudly as it swung open. Dressed in gray work coveralls, his face was covered by a patchy white beard, his head very nearly bald except around the edges. "What in God's name is goin' on out here! Sounds like a fuckin'..."

The old man trailed off, struck silent by the sight of Kailani ripping up yet another coffin from the ground.

"Ah...AAHH-" the old man began to scream, only for a small crimson orb to strike him in the chest, launching him back into his home, where his limp body landed on an unfortunate coffee table that was unable to support his weight. Having never turned away from her corpse-munching friend, Kyrona holstered her pistol. Lucky for him that her last bounty had called for a [i]live[/i] captured - she still had it set to stun. 

The distinct and by now familiar sound of popping brought a smile to her face, as Kailani began to quickly shrink down. She had consumed more bodies than was normally required, but then...it was a pretty drastic transformation. Once the bright glow had subsided, Kyrona slowly stepped towards her, curiosity drawing her in.

Leaning over, Kyrona felt a deep warmth washing over her. [color=darkcyan]"Kailani...you look [i]adorable![/i] Really adorable, in fact! I'm...I'm going to hug you!"[/color]

Scooping the now tiny Devourer up in her arms, she squeezed her and shook her from side to side. She had never imagined that Kailani could look this cute! It was like having a baby sister or something! [color=darkcyan]"You really lucked out with this form! Imagine if you got one like that old bastard yelling at us?"[/color]

[hr]

[u][b]January 18th 8:10 PM
Scar's Edge, near Hub City[/b][/u]

The reinforced barricades that stretched across the entirety of the border with the Shattered Scar cracked as the rock hit it, the humans taking cover behind it screaming in a panic as their cover began to crumble around them, threatening to instead become their tomb. As the fortifications collapsed around them, soldiers were pinned under the falling rubble, their comrades desperately trying to free them - only to often find themselves buried mere moments later.

As the Ogre brought his maul down upon the already battered fortification, it easily succumbed to the force of his demonically empowered maul, which smashed through it as if it were made of twigs. When it slammed into the ground below, a terrible earthquake stole the footing of every soldier and civilian for over a mile, sending dirt and debris rising into the air as the panicked NADF forces scattered, desperate to put any sort of distance between themselves and the monster attacking them.

The battlefield was in utter chaos at this point - they simply weren't equipped to deal with this level of demon on their own. No amount of preparation could ever change that.

But as the dust settled, a lone figure stepped forward, calmly approaching the Ogre without a hint of fear in his chipper gait. Having traded out the grey vest he often wore in his civilian guise, Masquerade was dressed to perfection in a black, bespoke magician's uniform, complete with a top hat and cane. His most distinctive feature, however, was the golden ball mask that covered his face, etched with arcane runes that glowed with an orchid light.

[color=gray]"Well, well, it seems like you've made quite a mess here, my epidermally exposed friend!"[/color] said Masquerade, chortling. Behind the mask, his sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously at the creature known as "Ogre". [color=gray]"That won't do at all."[/color]

Slamming his cane down upon the ground at Ogre's feet, the runes of his mask glowed more intensely than ever as he swiftly drew upon the ley lines. [color=gray]"htraE fo ralliP!"[/color]

Erupting from the ground at the Ogre's feet was an immense pillar of magically-reinforced Earth, which would slam into his stomach at a slanted angle, intended to launch him back over the wall and away from the soldiers, so that Masquerade could face him properly without concerning himself for their safety.