IAmTheIsland

To Hold Back The Dark

I'll be back to routine posting habits over the weekend.

Final fantasy interest?

I might be interested but I tend to mainly write characters from games such as II, XII, and V. Given VII’s more modern setting, it might end up with some more comedic moments especially given how it’s only VII and XV with more modern style worlds.

Everything else just has Medieval Fantasy worlds or whatever the heck XII anr VI’s worlds are.

Would that be alright or would I need to make an OC?

@Cat22

I'm very much the opposite. I find the modern settings of VII and XV more appealing. I'm a sucker for urban fantasy. FFX is also up my alley for the ancient, condemned tech.

Still, I'd rather craft an original FF concept over RPing something that already exists in a game. The exception being if it's like a reboot where OCs replace the canon characters, or something like FFXV Comrades where we're operating within a time skip; I was in a Legend of Zelda RP like that a while back.

Heroes Rise: Paragon City

It’s Not Over?

The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia
Ken Shimazu, Sarah Marie King, Zhang Taiwu
Interacting with Madelyne Crane, Kenzo Yamamoto, Julia Kray, and The Weeping.

Despite his best efforts, Shimazu could see the situation drawing closer to a spiral beyond his or anyone else’s control. Taiwu wasn’t one to back down once he had been risen; Maddie’s instinct to stand up and fight the aggressors moved her to fight another person’s battles; the new kid seemed to have something to prove; there was little to be said to call either of them down.

Sarah, an echo of Taiwu, wouldn’t turn away from a challenge. Ken stood by, feeling the tension in the room grow tighter as his young apprentice stared down his former student, her eyes never wavering away from Taiwu, even as distractions continued to pile onto the pyre. He hadn’t spoken of his and Taiwu’s history, least of all to Sarah, but he could sense that her instincts were as sharp as his senses; she stared the pyromancer down with an intensity that seemed to even make him take pause. Shimazu knew both on sight and from experience that mixing the pair would ignite a fire that he’d never be able to extinguish. He lowered his hands, hoping that could at least begin to deescalate things. He opened his mouth to intervene, but the new kid spoke up first.

Taiwu, breaking away from his resumed staredown of Sarah, turned a one-eighty and looked at Kenzo in with a sour expression. “Word of advice, Kid,” he said condescendingly. “Jumping someone tends to work best when you don’t announce that you’re doing it.” He readied his stance to take the fight to Kenzo. As he did, the door to the shop flew open.

Rushing in came a woman, kind of scrawny, with shoulder length blonde hair. As the woman entered and rushed to Madelyne, Shimazu was at first annoyed; clearly someone hadn’t gotten the word that the shop was closed for the time being. Then followed his thought that he should have had Hoshi and the others stay at the door to keep people out. Third along his run of thoughts was the feeling that he had seen the woman somewhere before, sometime in his “old” life; he would cross that bridge later if he came to it. As it was, he couldn’t hold onto his own annoyance for long, however, as the woman’s arrival seemed to be the force that eased the mounting confrontations, as even Taiwu and Xiao Feng had their attention drawn towards that corner of the room.

Feng would be the one to call an end to fighting, calling off Taiwu with a degree of scolding in his tone.

The pyromancer lowered his own hands, acknowledging his boss’s order. He gave the scene a good look, and recognized that he wouldn’t be settling any scores; not when no one in the room could stay out of other peoples’ business. He took in and released a deep breath, a small bit of smoke issuing out as he exhaled. The heat that pulsed from his arms cooled, and he rolled down his shirt sleeves, returning to his more formal look. He turned to Shimazu, his gaze still hot as fire. “This isn’t over, Old Man,” he growled. He cocked his head towards Sarah, who still had her eyes sharply focused on him. “That goes for your Mapleview Mutt.” He wheeled towards Kenzo, “And you, and the witch over there, if you keep sticking your noses in business that doesn’t concern you.”

“Oi! you heard your boss. Cut the Italian exit and fuck off!” Sarah had spoken forcefully. A subtle wave of Chi emanated from her, pressing uncomfortably against the Blue Dragon enforcer. Taiwu merely looked over his shoulder, giving Sarah a cold look before he brushed past Kenzo, and exited the shop.

The Blue Dragon disciples that weren’t too badly bruised from Kenzo’s spree struggled themselves upright, shook off their pain as best they could, and followed Taiwu.

Shimazu would pay them no further attention as they departed, save for a an exchange of looks with Xiao Feng, whom he knew he had displeased, if not dishonored with his refusal to accept protection. But he wouldn’t allow the fallout of that to weigh on him just yet; as far as he was concerned, he had demonstrated that he was far from needing much in the way of protection. All of those that had remained in the restaurant had proven that the community was on his side, should things get hard. He turned towards Maddie, and the woman who had come in so desperate to see her; she [Maddie] was confused by the woman’s presence and tone of familiarity, and backed away.

“There would seem to be some confusion,” he said, speaking to the woman, but also looking to Miss Crane to confirm his take. But as he did so, something registered with his higher senses. A strange, belligerent energy coming from the side of the room where Maddie had been during the fighting. The aura was faint, yet visible; the entity blurred in form and nature, but noticeably aggressive. It was something the likes of which he never experienced. Trying to be coy, he kept himself invested in Maddie and the familiar stranger“Perhaps you should have a word with each other.” He pointed to one of the tables left standing closer to the exit. “I need to fetch a broom to start cleaning up this mess,” he added, making his way towards the kitchen. As he did, he locked gazes with Sarah, and shifted his eyes towards where he had sensed the presence.

Sarah, taking her Sensei’s hint, inconspicuously eyed the spot where Maddie had been standing, and after meeting Shimazu’s eyes again, nodded. When Shimazu left the room, Sarah held back against the counter. “Don’t mind me, she spoke, directing it mostly toward the woman. “Maddie is a good friend; wouldn’t want anyone pulling any moves on her while she’s alone.” She relaxed just a little as her back propped against the counter. But she still seemed to radiate an almost imperceptible pulse of energy that flowed ambiently out from herself, as she took quick, nonchalant side-eyed checks of the space Shimazu had indicated.

Ready to Roll

Katherine Tran & Horace Wolfe, Veridian Tech Atrium
Interacting with Diana Smith

“The power just kinda started one day back in high school. During an exam. It actually started with me being able to hear everyone else’s thoughts; I think you were there? I excused myself, said I had a migraine.” She gave a weak smile. “I had to do a lot of training to keep myself from hearing things I didn’t want to… and to keep from sharing my thoughts when I didn’t want to. Needless to say it made dating a bit difficult for a while.” She laughed lightly and turned to face the elevator door as they reached the atrium level. “I’ll put in a formal application, of course. I don’t want you to look like you’re playing any favorites, even if you are just a little bit.”

The elevator bell tolled, and the doors opened. KT and Diana were immediately met by Horace Wolfe as they exited. “Miss Smith,” Wolfe greeted. He shifted his head towards KT, raising an eyebrow. “You’re a new face,” he said, scanning the young woman. “You are?”

“Katherine Tran,” KT extended her hand to shake the man’s. “But most people call me KT. I’m Diana’s friend.”

Horace returned KT’s gesture. “Horace Wolfe, head of security. I have some important business to tend to with Miss Smith.” He looked to Diana, whose expression read that she knew what he would say next, and that she'd prefer that he not. “And I’ll be so bold as to presume you have her blessing to join us. Unorthodox as it may be, I won’t argue. Our car is waiting for us down in the executive garage, whenever you’re both ready.”

Kingdom Hearts: Heroes of Hope

I need some help strategizing with Leon-Yuffie-Aerith in the Oppposite Armor battle. We should coordinate a bit on the effort maybe? Make it feel, at least for the Trio and Zac, like they have some synergy in how they work together.

Launchpad and Other Leon are, of course, wildcards, and can maybe throw a few knots into the plan for comedic effect.

Final fantasy interest?

I mean I'm interested in an FF RP, but preferably one built upon a more original world/setting. Like take the core mechanics and themes of FF but make it our own.

To Hold Back The Dark

Erik Elfhame Ostriecher V

Mistmoor Stronghold
With: Tarrian Kar, Lady Victory

A subtle, yet undeniable shade of red hinted in Erik's face as Tarrian committed herself to his company. He simply acknowledged her confidence with bobbing nod of the head before setting his way back onto his path to the main guardhouse. "Your progress has been notable," he said. "Likely why my father has been pushing you as hard he has." If Tarrian's goal was indeed to become a knight, she was both well on her way and had much work to do.

Looking at the setting sun, Erik hastened his pace. Not so much as to leave Tarrian behind, but enough to ensure he wouldn't be delayed by others; a few other knights and guardsmen passed by the pair, but all of them simply acknowledged them without word. As the pair would close in on Erik’s destination, he turned to Tarrian. “If you’re going to evade the guards, now is the ti--”

He cut off his sentence abruptly. A breeze riled the stillness of the dusk. Usually a sudden breeze would be of no concern; the weather in the mountains was rarely so stable. But this wind sent a chill upon him that cut deeper than his skin. Then the birds erupted from the edge of the woods just beyond the wall. Another chill followed. Erik pulled his eyes towards the treeline, and then along the wall where a guard screamed in terror before collapsing into a lump of cloth and metal.

A rush of monsters came upon the gate below, thrashing and clawing at the thick wood. A pair of archers from within the wall let loose their arrows from either side, striking their marks, but failing to kill them before they too cried in fear, their next arrows falling from their bows to the ground outside of the wall. Erik searched along the trees for the source of the duress. Swiftly, he found the golden eyes standing among the outskirts of the woods, and the woman they belonged to standing still like a spectre in the coming night. The Light Bearer battled the fear pressuring against his will and turned to Tarrian.

“Go to the guardhouse and raise the alarms. Consider it a step towards Knighthood.” As for Erik, he made haste to the nearest steps down to the gate, where he began the effort bracing the doors against the attacking monsters.

Heroes Rise: Paragon City

Fire, Frustration, and Fury

Ken Shimazu, Zhang Taiwu

The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia
@Nallore @McNephelim

“Alright then,” Shimazu allowed the last of the patrons to exit the Lucky Noodle. As the door shut, he removed his hoody and t-shirt, leaving only a sleeveless shirt adorning his upper body. He tossed the unneeded clothing onto the countertop by the kitchens. “You’re looking to prove something then,” he said to Taiwu. “I can’t talk you down from that. So let’s get this over with.” He assumed a horse stance against Taiwu’s forward posture.

“I’d love nothing more,” Taiwu responded, a sharpness to his voice. He made the first move, striking forward, his fist igniting as it launched from his side. But the punch, presumably set to crack against Shimazu’s forehead, was met with an impact against an ethereal wall.

“Huh?” Taiwu’s fist, throbbing, rebounded off of the shield. He quickly dialed in on the source of the intercision; the girl with the Dan Dan Noodles ordered for him to stand down… Insolence! He turned with a mind to silence her, but instead did so to throw his arms out and over his chest and brace as she projected a green blast of energy. The blast hit his forearms, but pushed him back and up against the wall.

Recovering from the assault, he nodded to Xiao Feng, whose rebuke had seemed to leave the woman off her guard. Taiwu’s fist ignited. He crossed the room until he was back where he had been standing before. “You’d do well to keep out of affairs you don’t understand!” He launched his fist, releasing a narrow but potent jet of fire…

But his arm was knocked down. The stream, which might have burned the woman, scorched the floor a foot or two in front of her. Taiwu looked to his right, where Shimazu had diverted his strike with a well timed block.

“Your fight is with me, Taiwu!” Shimazu spoke with controlled authority. He had moved with a quickness that belied his age and wear. The sum of his sharp senses and decades of experience had allowed him to anticipate the Pyromancer’s move perfectly.

Taiwu turned towards Shimazu, with his right elbow he brushed the old man off of him. Then, as he pivoted his stance, he crossed his left fist in for a strike to Shimazu’s shoulder. But the old man remained as spry and aware as always, pulling back just enough to be out of range. “Tell your customers to stay out of this then, Old Man.”

Shimazu breathed a sigh and nodded. “I appreciate your assistance, Miss Crane,” he said. “But as I told our young friend before,” he indicated to Kenzo, then being assailed by the lesser Dragons. “This battle is my burden; don’t entangle yourself in my failings.” He focused back on Taiwu. “Now… where were we?”

"At this part…” Taiwu wasted no more time. His punch was aimed, once more, at Shimazu’s head.

Once more, Shimazu was prepared. His hands had risen to meet Taiwu’s strike with a butterfly block; the punch intended for his head missed high on the force of his block. With his hands already positioned, he grabbed Taiwu’s wrist with his left, and pulled the hand down and to the side, opening his opponent to a strike of his own. His own fist coursed toward Taiwu’s chest.

Quick on his feet as his right hand was pulled down, Taiwu moved his left hand in, catching Shimazu’s fist before it could connect with his chest. “You haven’t lost a step, Old Man,” he snarled. He pushed Shimazu’s fist away. Heat built up in the palm of his hand and down the arm Ken had grappled.

After a second of an intense burning sensation, Shimazu released Taiwu’s arm. Now with two hands and leverage to exercise he pulled his fist out of the coil that was the young warrior’s hand and threw another block, intercepting Taiwu’s now freed arm before it could connect a chop to his neck. With such emphasis on the hands, the “Old Man” took the liberty of driving a hard knee into the young dragon’s groin.

Taiwu recoiled, leaning forward as though to hold himself together without making the scene too humiliating for him.

“And you’ve not changed either,” he said, shaking his head. “I had hoped better for you, Taiwu.” Shimazu stepped forward, offering the younger warrior his hand.

Taiwu let out a groan that turned into a roar. His eyes flared in anger. He pushed Shimazu’s outreached hand away and pulled himself back upright. The flames upon his arms reignited with greater intensity. With a motion akin to a dragon slashing with its clawed hands, he issued sparks into Shimazu’s face.

The sparks of fire struck Shimazu’s eyes, besetting upon him an agonizing burning. His eyes sealed themselves shut for protection. Though he couldn’t see it, the sense of another superheated fist barreling toward his head was all he could feel as he reeled back. With little more than a few millimeters separating Taiwu’s fist from his face, Shimazu ducked, and knelt himself on the floor. His knee touched the floor and his head bowed beneath Taiwu’s fist. But before he could commence a sweep with his leg, a sensation passed over the top of his head… a sensation that wasn’t the ripple of heat emanating from Taiwu’s arms. Something that felt to him like a gentle wind grazing the top of his head flitted through the space between his highest hair and Taiwu’s strike. The sound of something hard and heavy hitting flesh filled his ears, as did a pained noise from Taiwu…

S A R A H M A R I E K I N G
S A R A H M A R I E K I N G

^{The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia}

In the basement, still diligently going through her Kata, Sarah might have been unbothered by the commotion unfolding above her. The clamoring of the kitchen staff was almost business as usual; the talk of “Blue Dragons” fell to whispers before it reached the bottom of the steps. But as she rounded to the conclusion of her last set of forms, something set in on her. A weighty feeling pressed atop her shoulders as she helped herself to a bottle of water from her Sensei’s personal fridge.

And then, the silence, rather than the noise, alerted her to the point that something was going down in the restaurant. The usual clamore and bustling of the kitchens overhead had subsided into an unsettling stillness.

Adrenaline kicked into effect. She raced toward the steps, bounding upward, skipping one here and two there until she practically jumped out into the backroom. In a miraculous feat of dexterity she wove and cut her way through the kitchen without disturbing anything of note. She emerged into the riotous scene in the dining room. Nearest the entrance, Blue Dragon thugs were occupied by a newcomer to the shop; Madelyne Crane seemed to have gotten involved, a visible bruise where she had been struck. To Sarah’s concern, however, was Ken Shimazu, pitched in a one-on-one, but dropping to his knee as an igneous limb punched through the air just over his head.

Sarah hurried herself to the center aisle of the dining room, chambering her hands as she oriented herself toward the burning man. In the instance before her next move, the man’s attention found its way to her. She locked eyes with him. The weight on her shoulders pressed against the front of her chest; there was something about the man… something that held a malice towards Shimazu, and perhaps even her, in particular. And while she couldn’t have explained it, she reciprocated that feeling of malice; her attack would be decidedly swift.

Her muscles tensed; she felt the prickles and cracks flow out from her core and down her arms into her hands. She stepped forward into her stance, just as Ken had taught her. Both of her hands, clenched into tight punches, punched forth. A jet of nearly invisible energy shot across the gap between her and the man standing over her Sensei. Her Chi struck true, knocking into the man’s stomach when he was at the most prone extent of his missed punch. The man let out a loud “arrgh!” as he was knocked back, barely righting himself in tim to drop to his knees. Sarah stepped forward bringing herself to her Sensei’s side.

“So… we fighting? Bet… What’s up Mads?”
“Took you long enough.” Shimazu laughed.
“Had to finish my Kata before I came up.” Sarah returned, shrugging.
“So you are listening; good to know.”

Taiwu came up to one knee, holding onto his stomach as though he might vomit. He looked upon the sneering girl in front of him with contempt burning in his gaze. “And tell me,” he began to pull himself back up. Still massaging his stomach, he put on a more confident face to the newcomer. “What hole did you crawl out of to cross the Blue Dragons?”

Sarah’s eyes rolled. “Worry more about which hole you’re gonna be talking out of when you leave.”

Taiwu laughed; he had collected himself more properly. He looked over Sarah, sizing her up, and then cut a sharp glare at Madelyne before turning the same look onto the girl at Shimazu’s side. “So… a witch, and some Mapleview trash? I guess the Old Man has lost a step.”

“Shut up.” Sarah snapped. Her Chi pulsed through body; her muscles contracted.

Shimazu’s eyes came fully open. He rose to his feet and stood by his student. “Loosen up a bit, you’re way too tense,” he whispered, side-eying Sarah. He resumed a fighting stance, this time one intent on pressuring the offensive against Taiwu. “You and your boss should leave, Taiwu. Before this gets out of hand.”

“I wonder,” Taiwu ignored Shimazu’s demand. “Can your Mapleview punk back up her bravado?”

“You heard my Sensei,” Sarah shot back. “Get out. You and your boys.”

“No. No. I don’t think I will. Let’s see what the Old Man has taught you.” Taiwu had paced closer to Shimazu and Sarah, and glared at the latter of the pair. Without telegraphing it, he punched forward, looking to test Sarah.

Not as fluid as her Sensei, but with a burst of greater quickness and power Sarah knocked away the assault with a well placed block, emphasizing the movement with another, albeit less impactful, projection of energy that pressed back against Taiwu.

Shimazu nodded, giving Sarah the faintest smile. Better precision.

The Blue Dragon hitman retreated two steps. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel Shimazu’s kid pressing out some form of power. “Boss,” Taiwu said, looking over at Xiao Feng. “You might want to check this one; hardknock attitude needs to be knocked down a peg.”

Theresa “Toro” Torres

Financial District

Theresa didn't turn back to see if the marble slab had hit its mark. The last of what she could muster into a sprint would be expended with a last-second mush to put herself on the step of the truck's passenger door. She wrapped her left hand around the grab bar just as the vehicle pulled backwards, rocking as it drove over the debris from its entrance; she held on despite the adversity. Once the truck was rolling smoothly on the street, she pulled the door open, pulled herself into the seat, and closed the cab.

“Don’t mention it.” Theresa checked the mirror on her side of the cab, making sure the robot wasn’t following them. “Thanks for being quick in there. That thing was packing some Veridian-grade weapons. We might need some extra firepower before we try something like this again.” She checked the mirror again, watching the police cruisers getting caught in the city traffic behind them.

“Hey, Val… once we get this load secured at the safehouse… I gotta cut loose for a few. I’ve got some unfinished business to deal with.” She didn’t say what outright, but a pair of tightened fists would tell Valentina all she needed to know.

Katherine Tran

Veridian Technology Elevator

“Let’s focus on the day job before talking about night work.” KT raised a brow at her friend. She hadn’t necessarily pinned Diana as the sort for a side hustle; at least not as someone that would need to work extra to make ends meet. “I was reading about a newer project here; something about the NeuroNet Project… research into ways to allow the human brain to interface directly with the Internet, as well as other electronic systems. Call me crazy, because I’m probably just asking to be a guinea pig, but I think I can help with that.”

She took a long, concentrated look at her friend, mulling over her next words before deciding not to hide anymore. If you can hear me, consider this my application. She transmitted the thought clearly on her end, hoping that

Horace J. Wolfe

Veridian Technology Atrium

Horace arrived in the Atrium ahead of Diana; getting there had been otherwise uneventful beyond a few cordial greetings from scientists and executives, and fortunately no one was trying to hold him up over any security updates for now. Once in the Atrium, he made his way to the elevators, deciding it best to meet with Diana as soon as she arrived. As he waited, both his work and personal phones chimed with notifications, one shortly after the other. He checked his work phone first, a message from one of his staff reading:

Sent this without comment by personal phone too, just in case. Looks like one of our designs.

Horace opened the message, seeing both images and video footage of a robot fighting off a group of bank robbers. At first, he thought it might be some new movie being shot, and that someone had leaked Veridian information for use in CGI or costuming, but closer examination showed that the video was from a livestream, and the bank itself and the damage being done to it were both real and within Paragon City.

Get a team together to investigate; work with our robotics labs to confirm design origin. Contact the Paragon City Police Department. If someone has gone rogue with Veridian Tech they need to be brought in. I still have my meeting with Diana Smith. I’ll rendezvous with you when I’m done.

As the elevator would arrive, Horace would have his phone pocketed and his expression neutral; he wouldn’t have Diana worrying about the rogue tech; not until they had finished the Canis-V trial.

Kingdom Hearts: Heroes of Hope

Famous last words on my part, but after next weekend (first weekend of August) I should be in a better place to keep pace here again. Honestly been on a run of weekends of traveling (for fun, of course). I will be on a legit vaca at the end of August, but that's more of relaxation vacation than a rahrahrahpartyitup vacation, and once that I 100% intend to use as a creative retreat of sorts and hopefully pull myself out of some of what I've been stuck up in.

Kingdom Hearts: Heroes of Hope

What kind of parent would allow such a small child to wield such a thing?

Probably parents in a red state...

To Hold Back The Dark

I'll be back with this in the next few days. Busy few weeks. I'm in the thick of a stretch of vacations/weekends out.