[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019da7cb-a89b-72d1-9319-2f3dab5a65a1.webp[/img] [color=a4f4f9]"Shark month!"[/color] [color=888888]— Dan Daggernose[/color][/center] Dan was positively glowing when Marrie seemed interested in learning about him. His sharky lips curled into a grin that showed each of his teeth. [color=a4f4f9]"Well of course! I can understand everyone's frustrations but…"[/color] He trailed off before getting to the rest of Marrie’s question. [color=a4f4f9]"Well, my home was destroyed by a meteor shower. It happened rather suddenly, and we had only mastered space travel a few centuries ago. So there weren’t very many of us floating around in space when it happened."[/color] He looked like he might deflate, but then he corrected his posture and gave the beach ball a firm, yet gentle send back. [color=a4f4f9]"So I guess my space ship has been my home! Oh, it’s not as exciting as they make it sound on the computer."[/color] Did he mean TV? [color=a4f4f9]"But you do get to meet a lot of different people! Though you can imagine the difficulties of going to different planets where nobody speaks your language or holds your customs or, uh, looks like you?"[/color] He hit the ball back. It was even gentler this time. [color=a4f4f9]"...But it’s fine! Honestly, the people here haven’t been that bad. I mean, I typically don’t come here at the request of others, but I owed a guy a favor, and he kinda had it in writing. So I zipped across the stars and came here as fast as I could."[/color] He laughed. [color=a4f4f9]"Honestly, this is all going pretty smoothly compared to what usually happens. Someone always tries to sabotage the reality distortion generator on the space ship, and things don’t go too well once that happens."[/color] How lonely was this shark if he was willing to say all this? [color=a4f4f9]"Maybe I’ll take you aboard some time?"[/color] [center] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019da7cc-5ed7-72bb-9463-d2dfe74dbd05.webp[/img] [color=a470fa]"It has to be this way."[/color] [color=888888]— Iris Silk[/color] [hider=Iris] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5656223]Iris Silk[/url] Max MP: 60 Current MP: 56 Casting: N/A Gear: Goggles (Inactive) Food (6) Grenade (6) Smoke Bomb (6) Leveraging: N/A [/hider][/center] Iris smiled a little bit when Ashley joined up with them. Like Ashley, she was probably happy to have found someone that was more mature and less eccentric than the other personalities that surrounded her. [color=a470fa]"If our options are unwittingly sedated or wittingly hiding themselves, I would have to go with the former. Billy is not one for subtlety. Though this does bring about another issue, and a clue."[/color] She briefly looked at Dan before looking back at Ashley. [color=a470fa]"Whoever did this is acutely aware of how Dan’s magic works. The disappearances started happening after the first day, and I believe that trying to experiment with Dan’s rules through trial and error would have some…"[/color] Her eyes shifted to Book Kidd. [color=a470fa]"Interesting consequences for our culprit. Though I do not think the goat man could have pulled it off."[/color] [color=77bb99]"Hey!"[/color] Iris briefly turned her attention to what was happening around her. What caught her attention first was Scypho’s annoyance at the implication Nukkelina made that jellyfish didn’t jiggle. [color=a470fa]"Well, this one seems to."[/color] Nukkelina disengaged from the confrontation smoothly enough. She hadn’t been able to listen in on Nina’s conversation, but nodded in approval when she could see she was helping manage the most eccentric member of Maverick Alternative. With that settled, she refocused on Ashley’s question. And was cut off by Jack’s laughter. [color=a470fa]"There is an enemy in this city that’s bigger than both of us. This is not the first time we have worked together, and it may not be the last."[/color] That was all she cared to share with the random freelancer, which was probably more than they deserved. Now, she was finally ready to respond to Ashley. [color=a470fa]"The last time I saw the others?"[/color] It happened almost a week ago, and the details were getting a little fuzzy. [color=a470fa]"It wasn’t the first day, I remember everyone being there. I do remember hearing that some people left the beach early to look for their friends, but that didn’t involve us. Tetrad said her stomach bothered her so she stayed in her room, apparently. That was day two. I think on day three, Billy and some of the angels went out to hunt for her. Or was that day four? I think Trixy was getting bothered by the disappearances, so she and some of the girls went out. This is all that’s left of us. I did see Boteg this morning, but I haven’t seen him arrive yet. He did leave the hotel though, that much I know."[/color] She thought harder. [color=a470fa]"Wait, no. I think Trixy had lunch with us a few days ago. So she wasn’t at the hotel when she disappeared. She must have been taken in the middle of the day. We were talking about looking for the others and she grabbed some espers to help her."[/color] That was about what Ashley remembered too. The others disappeared when they left the beach early or stayed at the hotel. [center] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019da7cc-b13f-7278-88b4-6ed3cffd3f54.webp[/img] [color=ff7f50]"I’m so happy we have a safe space to explore MELODY ABUUUUUUUSE!"[/color] [color=888888]— Bionca Herrmann, Knight of Tonight[/color] [hider=Bionca] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5656223]Bionca Herrmann[/url] Max MP: 30 Current MP: 30 - 3 = 27 Casting: [Touch] 0 + [Powerful] 1 + [Push C (Shoving over crate)] 2 = 3 Gear: Goggles (Inactive) Kunai (5) Frying Pan (5/5 Durability) Food (5) Disguises (Inactive) Medical supplies (5) Smoke Bomb (5) Leveraging: N/A [/hider] [/center] Bionca took another beachball to the face, courtesy of Rika. She retaliated by kicking a beachball into the back of Rika’s head, but it harmlessly bounced away. Though Jack came up with a really cool idea. [color=ff7f50]"Only one way to get this thing empty fast!"[/color] Bionca’s hand lit up with the warm glow of a campfire, before her hand was covered in a baking mit. She reached her hand between Rika’s ankles and shoved the crate. With Rika on the edge of the crate, and its contents being pretty light to begin with, The potent shove from Bionca’s melody was enough to push the crate off balance. [color=ff7f50]"Here comes the ballpocalypse! AHHHHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"[/color] She wrapped an arm around Rika’s waist, just in case she were to fall. Though it didn’t really help, as both girls face planted into the sand. Though just like before, the beach itself seemed to stretch and twist, with its grains of sand behaving more like a plate of jelly. They bounced out of the crate, followed by a slew of beach balls. Though they were moving strangely, as if something was running threw them. [quote][h3][color=gold]J[/color]ack picks up something with their glasses....[/h3] [i]While both the girls were briefly dissorientated, You see something moving in the crate. It was a person, that much you’re sure of. It had five appendages that could easily be a pair of legs, arms, and a head. Everything was thick like it was covered in armor. But more than that, it had a cape and antlers too. It tumbled with everyone else, but it was much faster to recover. And it was [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019e134e-ba25-768b-a09d-941490160431.webp]purple[/url]. That much was revealed through the illusion begone. This purple entity bound towards the girls in a single leap. When it landed, it kicked up faint traces of purple dust. Again, only visible to you.[/i][/quote] For some reason, the sand around Rika and Bionca was kicked into the air. [quote][h3][color=7bcdc8]R[/color]ika feels her veins oxydizing....[/h3] [i]Oh, what is this sweet scent? It’s making your ears buzz, and any of your worries leave your body in an instant. Why suppress the urge to inhale? Could something this sweet be bad for you?[/i][/quote] [quote][h3][color=ff7f50]B[/color]ionca senses something from beyond the veil....[/h3] [i]You have a sudden urge to suppress your breath. Anything that smells this good this suddenly has to be a trap![/i][/quote] [color=ff7f50]"Gah!"[/color] Bionca cupped her hand over her face and rolled off to the side, but not Rika. She knelt there in the sand, deliberately inhaling the air. And with each breath, her body seemed to relax more and more. [color=ff7f50]"Hey! What are you doing?"[/color] Rika seemed to float into the air, and swiftly flew towards the ocean. [quote][h3][color=gold]J[/color]ack picks up something with their glasses....[/h3] [i]You notice the purple man running towards the ocean, but you know that’s not their goal. You can spot a massive rectangular brick that’s wider than the entire beach. It has to be some sort of futuristic craft, and it’s coming down over the water.[/i][/quote] [center] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019dad5c-bb82-776c-bbcc-1e64d1440bf9.webp[/img] [color=8c5673]"Not exactly enthusiastic about this uniform either, kiddo."[/color] [color=888888]— Alice Mason[/color] [hider=Alice's Stats] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5657563]Alice Mason[/url] Max MP: 80 Current MP: 80 - 12 = 68 Casting: Projectile (0) + Restrain A (4) + Transplace B (8) = 12 Gear: Goggles (Illusion-Be-Gone Activated), Ka-Bar Knife (5/5 Durability) Leveraging: N/A [/hider] [/center] Oh. Not who she was expecting to come over, but Alice wasn't going to tell the other girl to shove off. She gave Nina a curt nod before going back to watching everyone else. She didn't even flinch when a second ball almost hit her. Hah, imagine her luck if it did. [color=8c5673]"No need for apologies, you're fine!"[/color] Alice reassured Nina, waving it off with a free hand. It paused when she offered a fish skewer though. Her eyes glanced between the two for a brief second. Then she smiled, taking the offering. [color=8c5673]"Thanks."[/color] She mumbled. From overhearing the rest of the crowd, it seemed like the remnants of GEMINI and Maverick were agreeing to a continued team-up towards finding the culprit behind the disappearances. She shrugged. It would be nice if the two factions finally learned to get along after this little event, but this was Pax-Fucking-Septimus we’re talking about, she already knew hope like that was rather overestimating. [color=8c5673]"[i]Again[/i], no need for apologies."[/color] Alice addressed Scypho once she came over to the table too. [color=8c5673]"Gonna sit? S'just us here right now, we can make room."[/color] An offer taken, an offer given. Might as well. Though her expression soon dropped when she saw what was happening with Rika and Bianca. She quickly finished off the rest of her skewer. [color=8c5673]"We got trouble, haul ass!"[/color] Alice called out, withdrawing her smaller water gun and rushing over to Jack's side. She knocked a pair of fancy-looking swim goggles over her eyes, flinching once she was able to see the purple beatle-knight-thing that was seemingly making off with Rika. Can’t attack it directly. Capturing it is! [color=8c5673]"Why you running, big guy!?"[/color] A fireball formed in Alice’s free hand. Aiming at the beatle knight’s legs, she threw it like it was a baseball. The space man was sprinting to the space craft and paying little mind to what the other espers were doing. When the ball of fire hit him in the back, he and Rika traded places with Alice. This put Alice in front of the giant invisible space ship, and the invisible man and his cargo at the picnic table. The sweet smog rolling off his body assaulted everyone at the picnic table, but they were all(?) able to realize that there was something amiss, and inhaling something so strange couldn’t be good. What little exposure they got was enough to make them feel drowsy. Rika didn’t remain stationary for long, however. Her body, rather swiftly, continued to move towards the ocean. [quote][h3][color=8c5673]A[/color]lice hears the chattering of the lonely lunatic....[/h3] [i]As fun as it is to play a hero, don’t you have something else you should be doing right now? You’re being watched, and now you might have some idea of who’s doing it. What could be inside this giant metal chest?[/i] [/quote] Alice clicked her tongue. Fuck, she did not mean to catch people in the crossfire. [color=8c5673]"Quarantine the area around that table over there, keep away from that thing! Sorry about the food!!"[/color] As much as she wanted to continue helping, someone had to deal with the weird aircraft hovering over the water. Putting the situation in the others’ hands, she sprinted off towards it.