Lewascan2

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

@Senhara
He dropped a second PC.
Back to the grind, I suppose.
XD

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Cracks knuckles.
Alrighty, let's blow through all these real quick, shall we?

@MagusDream
Approved. The discussion in the Discord was fruitful. I look forward to seeing your strategies play out, chess master.

@Sniblet
Approved on the condition that you buff that shit straight to B+. Resurrection of any kind is A-Rank territory. And that sheer cold and freezing stuff definitely gives her offense that extra kick that makes her especially dangerous as a defensive juggernaut, even if her attack might not be quite B-Rank worthy on its own. So, yeah, overall judgement is that since she can resurrect and can't really be conventionally stopped from coming back to life, that's B+. Make the change, and you have my vote.

@Senhara
Approved. Lol, sorry about that wait. Really had you chomping at the bit. XD

@Vergil
Easy pass.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

@Senhara
I double-checked, and I think everyone in the CS tab except Alain is fully good to go. Alain only needs backstory adjustment, however, but that's yet to be edited. Other than that needing fixing, everyone else essentially got approved either here or the interest check... although Aisede did also slip up for a bit there too.

To Everyone:
But yeah, overall, peeps, please do ensure that every last section of your CS has been completed and approved before moving them to the CS tab.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War

I do believe I'll be along for the ride. :)

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Chinami Nadakai

@Dezuel@Letter Bee

Chinami could only assume Reverio was entirely missing the point, but at this stage, she just wasn't in any mood to continue this fruitless conversation. She didn't even need the "Scumsuza Filter" anymore to parse through the blonde's words and actions with her usual mental alacrity. By now, it seemed she had well and truly inoculated herself to the hormonal nonsense that had been gripping her... and she couldn't help feeling a mentally draining disappointment at what she'd found. Here she was, thinking she'd struck gold... but like everything else in her life, it was too good to be true. She wasn't sure if she'd entirely burned that bridge, but at the least, it was on fire... and she wasn't sure if she wanted to put it out.

She understood the implicit dismissal and nodded tersely. She had overstayed her welcome. "It's been washed, but I could do nothing for the holes. I'm no seamstress," she said mildly in parting, striding towards the door in Reverio's wake. Honestly, she was glad this was over. Things had really started to feel awkward, now that she thought about it. The way this had turned into a home visit when it was just supposed to be a quick coat return. The way Ken had been getting unfortunately -almost rudely- sidelined in their conversation. The way Chinami felt like she was imposing as a guest, despite being invited in. It almost felt shameful to argue with genuine heat with the host, but she ultimately didn't regret anything she'd said. Certainly not enough to retract a single word.

Ken's high-pitched cry snapped her gaze back around, and... Chinami found her abrupt alarm quickly bleeding out into annoyance and an open sneer on her face. "Negativity? Hah," she scoffed derisively. "Well, I'm feeling pretty 'negative' right now. You think I'm going to keep tolerating the catalysts? Fat cha-"

Chinami froze, her pallor turning ashen. "Yo-!" She almost seemed say something, before her teeth clicked together and stopped.

The ***** in the Details

"Remain." Chinami froze at the baritone voice she knew only she could hear.

"You again!" She bristled. "Get out of my head!"

"Such is presently unfeasible," rumbled the Voice, as unhurried and unbothered as ever.

"'Unfeasible' my ass!" Chinami bristled. "Don't even try to pretend like a mental invasion is just some bullshit that 'can't be helped' or some shit!"

"Thine unsolicited hostility shalt aid thee not," the Voice stated calmly, unthreatened.

"The hell it won't!" Chinami seethed. "What the fuck do you mean, 'remain'?!"

The Voice rumbled in thought. "Wouldst thou not consider it a favor owed?"

Chinami snorted mentally. "I don't owe you shit. Sure, you may perhaps have saved my life, but I can't confirm that. There's no way for me to tell that anything you told me back then was actually the truth. Just because I'm not stupid enough to push my luck, just because I may have a hunch that you were right on the money, that doesn't mean I ever agreed to do anything for you in return," she snapped. "If you wanted favors, you should have made a deal." Somehow, she almost felt a certain weight to that final word, and oddness that was almost tangible, but Chinami shook off the sensation.

"Hmmm," the Voice mused. "Verily. This One hast mayhap presumed above This One's station. Very well. Tis a deal thou wishes? Tis a deal thou shalt recieve. What say thee?"

Chinami's brows furrowed at the strange emphasis on that word. There was a buzzing feeling there that she couldn't help but almost understand but not quite. "And just what exactly does this 'deal' entail? It sounds... No, it- It feels- Holy shit, why does it feel? It feels like it's something more than a verbal agreement. Is this some magical bullshit?" she asked warily.

"Thou presumes correctly," the Voice replied without hesitation.

Well, let it not be said that Chinami couldn't take a hint. "You're a demon, aren't you?" she grit out warily.

"This One is not."

"Oh, really now?" Chinami snipped out dryly. "And I suppose I'm supposed to just accept that as truth too?"

The voice was silent.

"No, fuck you. I'm not touching any sort of 'deal' bullshit with a thousand-meter pole. Not here. Not now. Not off the cuff. I'm not walking into that shitstorm blind," she rattled off. "I-!" Darkness swallowed her vision.

---

Chinami gasped into uncomfortable consciousness, sputtering, as her fingers scrambled for purchase on the surface beneath her. Blinking furiously at ash grey, her Spirit phased through her body, ejecting the finely ground debris from her form. Stumbling up, Chinami adjusted her collar, glancing around warily in disbelief, as sweltering heat thrummed through the air. Turning in a brief circle, the girl gaped at the wasteland of charred earth, scarred by great rivers of magma so white-hot they almost seemed to be plasma, more ominously akin to... a very familiar burning light.

Swallowing in apprehension, Chinami's crimson eyes followed the arcing landscape, as in the far distance it began to curve up... and up... and... up? Her eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the prismatic rivers tracing up what almost seemed to be the inside of a titanic sphere... the walls of which were occupied by a multitude of landscapes, including a forest... and a sea... and a city, all of them utterly defying gravity in every conceivable way.

"What the hell?" Her arms slumped to her sides, unable to process what she was seeing. "How is this-? Where-?!"

"Dost thou appreciate thine efforts?" a familiar baritone inquired lightly.

Chinami whirled around, bristling, as her Spirit hovered between her and the Voice...

No... Not voice.

A Man.

A Shadow of Glory

He stood upon the ashen plains unbothered, arms crossed primly behind his back, a smart ebony suit adorning a broad-shouldered, looming frame. His skin almost seemed transparent in places. Or, no... Rather, an angry orange light seemed to pulse from within like a heartbeat, as radioactively green eyes bored into Chinami's crimson set. This... was almost certainly the newest invader of her mind, Chinami realized, glancing around at her surroundings with a new glint in her eye.

"So, what's this then?" she asked with deceptive calm, trying to keep the thundering of her heart to something that didn't roar in her eyes. "An illusion? More mindscape bullshit?"

"Hmmm," the man smirked. "Nothing so trite. Before thou lays thine very soul."

Chinami felt she really should have been more surprised by that declaration, even as she drawled, "Really now?"

"Thine skepticism is plain. But regardless of thine stubbornness," the man declared, briefly gesturing grandly with one arm. "Reality shalt deny thee time and again." His eyes narrowed at her. "Behold thine hubris made manifest, the cracks etched into thine self, the scars of the power beyond the boundaries."

"The... 'boundaries'?" There was that word again. Chinami's jaw tightened in speculation, but the darkly suited man only looked vaguely amused.

"In time, perhaps thou shalt discover the answer bereft of aid," he said evenly, but Chinami could almost feel the smugness emanating from him. "For now, however, This One shall assuage thine fears of a 'faceless unopposable entity' triapsing through thine mind." He spread his arms. "Therefore... here This One is."

Hardly a smidge less worried, Chinami's brows pinched, as she frowned. "Why... do you keep calling yourself that? A face doesn't really do me any good without a name to put to it."

"Wouldst thou prefer such knowledge be amended to our Deal?" he asked archly.

"Deal? What the hell are you talking about? There is no Deal," Chinami snapped, her Spirit's fists clenching. "I've already made up my mind, and there's nothing you can say that would make me rush into anything so absurd." Glancing around, she swallowed tensely. "Deal or no, this shit is too suspicious. I can't see what you could possibly offer me in a manner that I can trust."

"Verily?" the man's voice was filled was a sort of aloof faux understanding, before his expression sharpened like a fox. "Not even a cure for thine damaged soul?"

Chinami froze, before her expression turned livid. "You... piece of shit," she hissed lowly. "That's worthless. I don't even know that my soul is actually damaged to begin with! Are you deaf? For all I know, everything you've ever said to me was lies." She refused to be toyed with in such a manner!

The man shook his head. "So mistrustful. So overly cautious..." The pupils of his poisonous green eyes narrowed to reptilian slits. There was a strange mix of annoyance and... approval(?) in them. "Tis soothing to know such caution is present within the foremost of thee, but take heed... hesitation begets lost opportunity... as thou should well know. Verily, such was the reason for your loss against the 'Nightman' thou dreads so keenly..."

Chinami's teeth ground together. He... wasn't wrong. Her restraint had cost her as much as her recklessness. She had searched for a balance and failed utterly. At times, it seemed as if she could only do one or the other, so of course, restraint was what she favored. Recklessness was only advantageous if the opponent couldn't adapt to it. "And... what does that have to do with anything?"

"Obliviousness suits thee not," the man replied simply, glancing at the great sphere around them. "Didst thou suppose a Deal would not be appropriately compensatory to thee? Dost thou not comprehend the potential before thee?" He mused. "Mayhap if thou were more foolish and This One less principled, mayhap then This One should advantage This One of thine ignorance." His grin was filled with teeth. "Be grateful. This One's directives wouldst not allow This One to harm thee even did This One wish it."

"Directives...?" Chinami blinked, as an absurd realization edged at the corner of her consciousness. "Are you..." A stone dropped into her gut. "Magically bound or something?" Enslaved, she wanted to say but didn't. Not that it likely mattered in the face of a mind-reader.

"Not... as such," the man all but hemmed and hawed.

"If you want me to trust you, you'll need to start getting a lot less fucking vague," Chinami snapped. "Besides, you're surely running out of time. I can't imagine the boys are all too thrilled with me freezing in place or disappearing out of nowhere." Somehow, she already knew the argument she was making was less than valid, but the man's next words confirmed it.

"If the mind is the self, is the soul not the purest form of the mind?" the man remarked. "In such a case, would not This One's expertise in the manipulation of souls not make the task of mimicking Nightman's... 'accelerated thoughts' application trivial?" Chinami's blood ran cold with dread. "This One canst assure thou. As far as anyone else is concerned, not even a moment has passed outside." His eyes squinted proudly. "We have all the time in the world to... negotiate."

"Sure doesn't feel like much of a negotiation," Chinami hissed.

"Well, when needs must," the man replied unapologetically, ignoring her scowl. "Thine proliferent paranoia aside. For all the little comfort This One imagines it will grant thee, This One hast thine best interests in mind... not just thee but This One and others besides." He frowned, arms folding behind his back. "This One must say, This One would have delayed this meeting till much longer, but the blonde fool has forced This One's 'hand', so to speak."

"Reverio?" Chinami tensed up. "What about him? You one of those 'anti-royals'?"

"Hah!" the man chuckled, dispelling a touch of her worry. "Hardly. In a way, one might even call This One the opposite." Then the humor drained from his face, right back to business. "But This One is getting 'carried away', as they say. This One shalt prevaricate not a moment more." He began to stride forward at a slow, measured pace, seemingly not the slightest bit concerned with getting nearer to Chinami's Spirit. "The foolish Gifted thou knows as 'Reverio', the former King Marlan... This One couldst not idly abide a genuine desire to seek out the Great Evil." Chinami's mouth opened to interrupt this absurdity, but he powered through her objection. "His resolution may likely be no fantasy. Despite thine desire to believe only in the most optimistic of truths, reality is far crueler." His radioactive eyes glowed with conviction, as he entered her Spirit's range, and yet, Chinami couldn't find it in herself to strike. "The Great Evil is very much alive. Shattered? Certainly. Weakened? Without question... But dead...?" His stride stopped, as he seemed to loom over her, even from 10 feet away. The man smiled grimly. "This world could only pray in vain, for there are no gods that may oppose such unrelenting malice... The Great Evil remains, and from even a single fragment could the entirety of its strength be restored once more to swallow Creation."

"And what-" Chinami grit out, her fists clenched so tight they whitened, "-is the point of telling me this?" In her heart, she had a dread suspicion.

"Should he seek the Great Evil, Reverio shall find it," the man stated with ominous surety. "There are places... secret... dark, even to the likes of This One, concealed by the wise and knowledgeable... but not impossible to find." His gaze seemed distant for a moment. "The foolish Fallen King may be weak of mind, but his power and conviction are sufficient to uncover those lost places... and lay waste to this world."

"So, you're saying I should kill him," Chinami said distantly, a coldness rippling through her. She didn't know what bullshit this mystery man was going on about, but if the Great Evil had any chance of coming back, the most expedient thing to do would be to kill the fool that sought it before they ever had a chance to get that far.

"No. His value alive is far greater," said the man sharply, his inner glow seeming to flare for a moment. "Rather... This One would have thee aid in his foolish quest, to stand by his side. To find the remnants of Great Evil, to hunt down the hiding places of that foul rat..." His smile was filled with razor, shark teeth. "And destroy it."

"Hell no," Chinami stated bluntly, sneering dismissively. "Not just 'hell no', but fuck that shit." Her nostrils flared, as she crossed her arms. "This has nothing to do with me. I lose absolutely nothing by staying out of it. Why in the world would I tolerate these annoyances? What concern is it of mine if the Great Evil has a little hoo-rah?" she mused flippantly. "This city is filled with other wannabe 'heroes' and knuckleheaded idiots that can sacrifice themselves for their 'greater good'. Whereas me?" She scoffed. "I have an actual life to live, thank you very much." Her crimson eyes narrowed. "At the end of the day, there's nothing in it for me. Besides, I haven't known him that long, but even Reverio isn't enough of an idiot to seriously pursue the Great Evil. If even a smidge of his seeming gallantry is true, then that should be antithetical to him."

"Be not foolish. This One has read his soul truly," the man said seriously. "The Great Evil will cost us all. This world has grown soft in its absence, filled with discord and conflict, descended to petty concerns and squabbles. Mortals and immortals alike are not ready for a Great Evil that has been forced to bide its time... to become strategic and carefully scheme... to think like an underdog. The last time the Great Evil was forced to 'fight smarter, not harder', it managed to invade the heavens and nearly slaughtered the gods. Thou canst avoid the fallout of its rise... same as anyone else." Chinami scowled at that, but the man straightened his spine. "As for compensation, must This One repeat mine self again? Thine soul is damaged. This One can repair it. Thou hast This One's price."

Chinami grit her teeth, glaring at his unwavering expression. "You... You think even that would be enough to lure me away from my plans, from my quiet, peaceful life? All I have to do is be patient, and when my soul heals naturally, I'll have the power to protect what's mine, Great Evil or no. I don't even have to fight it. I just have to run away."

"And yet... thou may simply not have time. Thou twould require thine lost power to combat the Great Evil's efforts so easily, and..." the man rumbled. "After having a period to inspect the damage, This One can conclude that the damage to thine soul will not so easily heal. After all, even now, it is under outside pressure. Overwhelming power continues to leak through the cracks, preventing them from scabbing outside of insignificant increments. At this rate..." His eyes narrowed. "'Twould be a year or more henceforth that thou would be whole again. And that... is not time thou hast."

Chinami's body felt cold at the words. She didn't want to hear them, and yet... she couldn't deny. All this time, despite her words, she couldn't call the things that had been said lies. It was almost like the words and shadow of intent were being beamed directly into her, an animalistic sense that they were no falsities filling her. She wanted to rage at the feeling of creeping inevitability, but all she felt now was a looming exhaustion.

"Thine Pride and dedication to thine beliefs are admirable," the man said less harshly, his gaze almost fond. "Understand, This One is not enthused at these circumstances. Ideally, This One would not have spoken to thee even the once till long after today, but This One's hand has been forced... The Great Evil will not allow thee to retain the 'quiet life' thou cherishes so much. To face it is inevitable."

"Unless I kill Reverio," Chinami whispered with stubborn conviction, grasping for straws. "There's no need to overcomplicate this. One fist through his heart- Or better yet, through his head, just in case that healing magic of his is even stronger than it looks, and the problem is solved. No idiot seeking out the Great Evil. No chaos. Lifestyle preserved." Yes... yes, that sounded even better the more she thought about it. Never mind Rev's intentions. Only actions mattered, and she wasn't above preempting a crime when necessary. An ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure.

"The Great Evil will rise regardless," the man denied. "Mortal greed is inconveniently predictable at times such as these. If not the Foolish King, then another within thine lifetime... and sooner than thou might ever suspect. Mortals truly are greedy creatures. The only difference will be that it shan't be on thine own terms."

"And you know this how?" Chinami snapped. "You're implying this isn't the first time you've heard of this shit, and yet, you only bother to speak up now? If you were so concerned, why the hell didn't you mention anything before?! And for that matter, why me?! How did you find me? Why did you approach me? Why did you interfere in my life?!"

The man weathered the rant with little more than a resigned sigh, as it wound down. "Where art we right now?" he inquired simply, arching a brow.

Chinami's eyes narrowed, as she briefly glanced around again. "My soul... or so you say."

"Why hast This One not interfered, thou inquires? Simple." The man was silent for a long moment. "This One was... sleeping, or the closest one such as This One might get. This One was drained, nearly comatose, sustained by dregs of power and a mission alone. Even were This One to wish to act, This One was in no position to... until thine desperation opened the gateway to the feast This One needed to regain mine strength in full." Chinami swallowed apprehensively, as the man smiled hungrily. "Didst thou truly believe a mere mortal soul could endure against the pressure of the cosmos? Thou art of His line, so This One is hardly surprised by the... confidence. But the reality is that thine soul didst not crumble only for the presence of mine self... consuming the tide of unbearable power, blunting the impact. The damage sustained to thine self was purely the overflow, that which This One couldst not absorb quickly enough, and even that much nearly spelt thine end..."

Chinami could only stare on grim comprehension. She didn't know what that 'him' line was about, but... "You... are inside my soul?" The blood had drained from her face. "How... long? Who- No, what are you?" she hissed tensely. This couldn't be happening to her. What the fuck was this?! This was like something out of a painfully generic fantasy story, and she didn't want anything to do with it! Fairy tales and myths could stay on the damn pages of fiction and history and out of her life!

"Now thou art asking the right questions." The man grinned wolfishly. "What and who This One is...? Such information must be carefully guarded. The same way the mere knowledge of Reverio's true identity is dangerous, so too is to perceive This One's true name. Only in this case, the stakes are far more severe than arousing the ire of mere petty revolutionaries."

"And you can't just... go away?" Chinami asked petulantly with a tinge of hope. Surely, there were unlucky sods out that far more easily and with foolish enthusiasm would undertake such a "grand" quest.

"Now, why would This One do that?" he grinned. "After all, thine soul is such a joyously tantalizing source of power. To touch upon the endless boundaries, to sup upon the sublime substance of infinity..." There was a growl of gluttonous hunger and a groan of deep satiation in his throat. "Tis a chance that has only twice presented itself to This One... both times many millennia past... Mistake mine intentions not, though This One may not be liberated to reveal mine goals to thee at this time, know that This One is paying a great price in this Deal... to heal thine soul and lose access to such a wellspring of power." He scowled. "Were This One's directives not so stringent, This One might even have preserved the damage to feed upon it in perpetuity... but the Great Evil takes priority."

Chinami was silent for a while, before grimacing. She was... really over a barrel here, huh... The implicit threat was clear. Though he had claimed before that he could do her no harm, he also had priorities, and at minimum, perpetuating the damage to her soul did not, in fact, directly constitute as harm. Assuming he was constrained by some sort of mental compulsions, he was clearly rules-lawyering them beautifully. He didn't have to do anything but stand in the way of healing. He didn't even have to be malicious about it.

"I'm... going to need more details before I agree." The words felt empty leaving her lips. When it came down to it, she didn't have much of a choice, and it burned her with indignity. However, even now, she wasn't about to agree to some sort of magical pact without heavily curating the wording, because she already knew that this being was the kind to utilize loopholes. And unfortunately, it did need to be a magical pact to begin with. She simply couldn't trust this being's word, no matter her strange instincts. "And what if I were to still say no, even knowing the stakes?"

"...Then This One must find other means to exterminate the Great Evil." Likely disagreeable ones for her, seemingly went unsaid. "If thine mind were to truly be made up, then This One would not forbid thine return to the waking world, nor impede thee for the spurning." Which really said nothing about the other ways he'd impede her as a consequence of seeking to accomplish his goals. He was supposedly inside her very fucking soul. There were all too many ways this could go wrong.

Gritting her teeth, Chinami nodded nonetheless and frowned. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of choice in the matter. No matter what she did, it couldn't end well for her... At least if she went along with the dark man's schemes, she'd be getting something in return and have a better chance when the inevitable occurred. "Fine then," she all but spat bitterly. "Let's talk terms."

---

The girl's gaze seemed to have glazed over for a moment, before she straightened up with a sound almost like a growl in the back of her throat. Color was rushing back into her demeanor if only to support the flush of restrained frustration. Ruby eyes flicking to the side in unison with the brief appearance of her Spirit's head, she reached up with one finger to stroke its left cheek, one of the places notably unmarred by the angry crimson lines scarring the spiritual guardian.

'That bastard really did hold up his end of the bargain,' she mentally noted begrudgingly. So, he wasn't all talk... and she wasn't sure if to find that comforting or horrifying. Both maybe? It wasn't a quick-fix or even anything close to a complete one, but she could see tangible improvement... and could now trust in the promise of more to come.

"This One is still here."

'Dammit! I know! Fuck!' Chinami squeezed her eyes closed and allowed her Spirit's head to fade away, trying very hard to not consciously consider her new lack of privacy... and the fact that she hadn't truly had any for years. Her eyes flicked to Reverio with an undecipherable light to them. 'So... stay near him, and you'll accelerate my soul's recovery proportionally.'

"A vast simplification, devoid of nuance, but not incorrect."

Rolling her eyes, Chinami straightened up, seemingly regaining her composure. 'Fine. A Deal's a Deal. You better not renege on your end, or I'll find some way to... Well, we'll cross that bridge later.'

"Threats are unnecessary. A Pact is absolute, even for one such as I."

'We'll certainly see about that, won't we.' At his silence, Chinami shook her head and furrowed her brows. What had she been addressing before? Oh, right. The utterly banal idea of going to a flower garden of all places and even out to eat after such fostering such poisonous tension between them. Were the circumstances nearly any other, the only thing she'd be doing right now is telling these idiots to get bent, going home and forgetting she'd ever met them. Certainly, Ken's pathetically naive and desperate sentiments were only making the offer even less attractive. Frankly, she couldn't think of anything she currently wanted to do less right now. She despised the idea of spending another second here, specifically with these two.

Unfortunately, she had her end of a Deal to uphold. Rather more fortunately, staying near the boys didn't mean she had to be their friend, no matter that such would be the most expedient way to further her ends. Simply put, she didn't have the patience to play games and truly pretend. This was already going to be annoying without having to fake giving a shit.

Crossing her arms, Chinami's expression displayed a barely restrained lack of patience. "Fine. You know what? Maybe I'm in a forgiving mood today." She really wasn't. "So, I'll humor your little game." Her lips curled in amused disdain. "I'd just about made up my mind, but in all my mercy, I can afford a few second chances now and again. So, make this entertaining for me, and maybe I'll humor you again." Her crimson eyes drifted to Reverio with a foxlike sharpness to them. "Not today, certainly, I don't think. Tensions are rather too high for any of us to enjoy a moment of it, but another time...? What say you, prince?" The "peasant" half of that address barely went unsaid. The soft poison dripping from her light and amused challenge was hard to miss. The special emphasis she placed on that title too was itself a mockery, telling only to those in the know that she was poking not at the title but at the fact that it didn't truly belong to him... but rather the brother that everyone thought he was.

He was too free with his secrets, and now, she would punish him for that. Oh, she wouldn't spread them around without reason certainly. She'd no intention of attracting revolutionaries, and she was hardly enough of a spiteful bitch to rip away some else's quiet life unless they were threatening her own. She'd feel like a hypocrite otherwise. That said, that didn't mean she wouldn't take advantage of that knowledge in private. She didn't like him, but was she not gracious to teach him this lesson? Truly, did her mercy know no bounds that she would grant this pathetic two-faced idealist a lesson in reality?

She wondered with morbid amusement, despite it being objectively actively detrimental to her ends, how far she could go before they would finally dislike her as much as she disliked them. She wondered how far she could go in bad faith before they finally decided to push her away, just like she preferred. She could think of plenty of ways to handle her end of the Deal, even if she were to be outright enemies with these two. Honestly, that almost sounded better, even if it might be a tad more inconvenient. And better still, it didn't risk getting her attached.

Chinami's lips curled into a smile that was all teeth. It wasn't a nice one.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

@MagusDream

As an aside, I know from experience that if this RP has any one fault, it's that the same free-form freedom that makes character creation, backstory flexibility and worldbuilding so great also has the downside that there's honestly very little established about the world directly other than the primary location of the RP, the city of Rhea.

So, this RP’s world-building can be summarized as Not!semi-modern irl countries + Magic: YES. It’s a very free-form setting that can be hard to wrap your head around when first diving in, mostly because there’s always something new to discover, especially when a new player joins up. It hasn’t really absolutely stabilized into any one thing beyond those parameters, which leaves it incredibly flexible to most exotic backstories. For the most part, Rhea (the independent super-city the RP is based in) is the most technologically and magically advanced society in the lands and has no real IRL country equivalent. Other lands vary in modernity, with the likes of Vauquelin effectively being stuck in the post French Revolution (the equivalent of which occurred 3 years ago).

So, there’s definitely some mixing of eras in this RP.
Part of that is that the only place the GMs really directly fleshed out personally is Rhea and some of the broad world lore. Everything else? The players. We’ve been essentially collaborating on the lore.

GM(s) did -and still continue to expand upon- the independent Supercity, Rhea.
Dezual did Vauquelin (Not!France)
Letter Bee did Izumo (Not!Japan)
Pariel did a bit of Albion (Not!Britain)
Crowvette did Yekaterina (Not!Russia)
Instead of an (Earth) country, I did a lot of the lore for Demons and fleshed out a bit of the Gods and Great Evil history.
Just as some examples.

I lead with this context to preface that this RP's setting is most definitely not Earth.
So, in regards to your character's setup, for all intents and purposes, neither Greece or the Greek Gods/Pantheon/Myth exist. Certainly, for your backstory, you can absolutely conjure up and flesh out a bit of what would then effectively be the Not!Greece of the RP, but we aren't dealing with an Earth setting. Also, in regards to Lambda's godly patron, as the Greek Gods don't exist, neither do the Titans.

Gods in this setting are one and all living fundamental aspects of reality. The death of even a single one would devastate their entire domain of reality. As such, any and all potential lore reliant on or involving the deaths of gods is kinda nonviable. And the Greek lore is definitely such. Also, most gods are a little more specific/narrow in their domains. A singular god that has domains over stars, planets and astrology is a bit of a stretch, and you really lose basically nothing by merely having him be the God of Astrology or God of Stars alone.

Anyway, let's get to the powers.

Character approval generally goes through a bit of a "trial by fire" 'round these here parts, as the Discord server sits in a circle, looming ominously over potential incomers. Which is to say, GMs and fellow players alike usually have a bit of voice in what looks reasonable. That said, let's get to it. We'll handle the easy stuff first.

Sub-2: Stardust flight
The only real gripes seem to be that it might be a little out of place with his theme, but overall, mechanically, this ability almost trivially got a pass, enough that it didn't even provoke mentioning except as an afterthought.

Sub-3: Starlight Healing
The description and listed feats are incongruent. If you could clarify what this ability can actually do in a bit more detail, it would likely go by without issue. We have some pretty strong healers, but you were indeed correct to assume that actual resurrection would likely not be viable. In short, if you could list out a couple of the most severe things he could treat (physically and spiritually), instead of the minor stuff, that should get this a pass.

Magic Item: Astral Bearer
There were a number of concerns with this, namely because the flowery description implied some potentially crazy capabilities. However, a closer look seems to say this is merely intended to allow Lambda to cast his magic during the day, when it normally could only work at night. If that's the case, then this is an easy pass. Although, for clarification's sake, some pertinent questions would be: What would happen if this thing were broken? And does it provide any other benefits other than allowing casting/star communication during daytime?

Now, we get to the actually troublesome bits.

Demigod:
So, you want to play a demigod? Sure. Great even! Given the flexibility of the setting, your method of his semi-ascension is viable. You're actually the first one to take this route. However, it should be noted, unless you specifically dedicate a power slot to it, being a demigod will not provide him any tangible benefits beyond flavor. He should still operate within generally human limitations physically and such otherwise. We weren't sure what you were intending for this, but this is just to clarify.

Sub-1: Wish Granting
So, to say the least, this was not received all that well. The general consensus was not just "hell no", but (to quote the main GM, STK) "Hell to the no, to the no no noooo". As written, this power has way too much room for abuse and misuse, no matter the character's personality or intentions. We've tossed around potential limits to add, but in the end, it was really only decided that this either needed to go entirely or be narrowed down into a far more specific and/or crippled wish power. It's hard to say what the final result could be, however, without asking you directly. So, before we go any further, what are you hoping for the character to do with this kind of power?

Core: Wishes of the Stars
We've already established that Gods from Earth mythology aren't possible, which means this needs rewording. This also says he can "Generate Stars"...? Did I read that right? If that's as literal as it sounds, it's probably getting noped. Aside from those bits, this power is fine. However, it was noted that this doesn't really feel like an actual "Core" power that all the sub-powers branch off of. Granted, his "star child" theme is pretty clear across the board, but this power doesn't really mesh with the flight or healing. If I were to suggest anything, I'd actually say to make this Core power to be his Demigodhood outright and have everything else branch off of that. Something like: Core Power - Demigod of the Stars would be far more flexible and not leave the overall powerset feeling so janky.

Anyway, that's pretty much it on the powers end. I'm sure I've missed a thing or two, but this was the major stuff that bore mentioning first. His backstory may potentially need some adjustment (there were questions about that whole "abandoned infant" thing and the fact that a full-on GOD is just walking around in the mortal realm). In the case of the latter, given what I've just told you about the nature of gods in this setting, you might be able to see where that could be a problem, and the need for an Avatar or something might be pertinent, depending. Just a thought. Overall, however, besides being a bit on the "pushing it" side of exotic, his backstory is generally fine.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

@MagusDream
I can definitely say we're still open. There's not really a "maximum cast size" that I know of.
So, as long as you can throw together a character that will pass muster, you should easily be able to hop on the chaos train.

Currently, we're in the waning stages of wrapping up the trio of "intro Arcs" (some being rather further along than others *cough*Ot Herap Yo*cough*), so you'll likely be sliding in either during the last bits of the "Midnight Tounament" arc that's about to go batshit or during the start of the next arc. Admittedly, Midnight is also extremely crowded in terms of PCs already though, so it may not be the best fit.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Chinami Nadakai

@Dezuel@Letter Bee

As soon as those final words left Chinami's lips, she knew she had fucked up. It was a somewhat delayed realization, but it came to her nonetheless. As it so happened, there was one way to determine royalty: that damned light sword of Reverio's. She recalled when she had analyzed it, and on a surface level, one might assume the only qualifier for "royalty" would obviously be to specifically be a member of Reverio's bloodline. As a family heirloom, that seemed to most reasonable thing to preserve the integrity of the line... except that Ken was able to hold and wield it. Ken, a member of foreign royalty, so the damned sword did, in fact, legitimize any form of royal blood.

She hoped in vain that Reverio was not so keen as she in that line of thought.

"You're blowing this out of proportion," Chinami scoffed at Reverio's... expanding theory. "Sometimes, people just play chess because they like to or because it's meditative. It's nothing special. I'm sure he played with plenty of other people. Shocking, I know," she drawled borderline mockingly, before rolling her crimson eyes. "And frankly, it would almost beggar disbelief that anyone in this city wouldn't know who Lord Kiburi is. He's arguably the most famous powerhouse in the city, if not the world. You'd practically have to live under a rock not to recognize him." She snorted, her lip curling. "As for how Kiburi knew Nightman? Well, duh. I told him ahead of time. To get me to that damned clinic, that asshole went so far as to threaten my schooling and tried to make trouble for the Academy. To say the least," her expression was grimly satisfied. "Neither Kiburi or I were amused, and I was told -in so many words- to 'make the problem go away'." Chinami shook her head. "Kiburi must have been watching things from afar and only stepped in when we really were on our last legs."

"As for why he would be 'hiding'?" Chinami looked askance at the idea. "I hope you aren't seriously asking that. Obviously, it's because he wasn't an idiot. Hunting down people to take their power in public carries far too much risk of witnesses, and as Kiburi proved, there are always bigger fish in the sea. Plus, he's just one man and can only drain and handle so many powers quickly and efficiently. If he brought serious retribution down on himself, numbers would win the day eventually." Chinami shook her head in disbelief. "And furthermore, for what it's worth, no matter how twisted his methods and ends had gotten, I'm pretty sure he genuinely believed in his mission as a therapist. Nightman believed what he was doing was actually helping people, and if he were to break from even the veneer of that mission -if he were to assault people outside the 'structure' of his work- then he would no longer be able to keep lying to himself about what he'd become..."

Honestly, she was a little shocked at what she was hearing. Frankly, she considered herself to be a bit paranoid, but even she based her theories and suppositions in some level of grounding and fact. Reverio, meanwhile, might as well have been hurling shit at the wall and hoping for something to stick. This man was no detective. Of that, she could be certain. Not that it was really surprising, considering his past. Someone with an actual detective's acumen might have been able to save his dynasty from collapsing, but that required a refined sense for analyzation and telling truths from falsities, something King Marlan most certainly hadn't had in spades -if at all.

And then, Reverio called forth his sword.

Chinami tensed up at the action, balking at the by now familiar uncomfortable squirming sensation inside her that the sight of it provoked. She bristled visibly at the taunt -the implication of fear within her- in no small part because she absolutely was afraid of that thing. It put her on edge in ways and for reasons she couldn't describe, not just because she knew it could harm her Spirit. This close to it without any other pressing distractions, she could also determine a new sensation, an almost pleasantly buzzing feeling that ironically got her hackles up.

She could not allow that thing to so much as touch her. She didn't know if Reverio's hunch was correct, and she didn't fucking want to. She would rather live in blissful ignorance for eternity than take even the slightest chance of forever compromising her quiet, peaceful and normal civilian life. She was just a shitty person with shitty luck, taking command of her own life through her own will and skill. She didn't need some damn sign of "destiny" or other bullshit in her life. She was content with what she had and already desired, and she'd be damned if she allowed it to be upended by some "sword of choosing" idiocy. Destiny was for those too weak to shape the future with their own hands, and she already knew what future she wanted. She would permit no other.

Her eyes flicked to Ken at his interjection, raising a brow at the contents of his words. "Ken... I'm pretty sure that's not what Reverio was saying." She certainly hadn't taken Reverio for an elitist. Well, not intentionally at least. He wasn't all that socially adept, but he was... pretty humble all things considered. "I mean, aside from a touch of exaggeration, I wouldn't say you're incorrect about all that other stuff-" Surprisingly, she thought, given the things he'd said before. "-but in spite of everything, Rev doesn't strike me as the type to look down on those not of noble birth. That said..."

Her eyes narrowed into a hostile glare at Damoclaimh Solais, her lips curled into a mixture of disgust, wariness and anger. "I don't need any of that prestige bullshit in my life, so keep that- that thing," she all but spat, "away from me." Stepping back from Reverio, she made to physically put at least one piece of furniture between herself and him. Chair, couch or table. It mattered not to her. "I'm not royal. I refuse to even entertain the possibility. I've got far better things to do with my life. In fact..." She briefly glanced at the door, jaw clenching. "Maybe I've finished wasting my time."

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Chinami Nadakai

@Dezuel@Letter Bee

Chinami strangled the venom that wanted to continue to pour from her lips, her expression most keenly akin to annoyance. She knew she was probably going slightly too far, but now that she'd started, a large part of her wanted to go all the way, to mercilessly push forward until she'd burned these fledgling social bridges to ash. Some part of her acknowledged that drive to finish things as habit of all things. After all, in a twisted way, she worked very well with Suzakura when it came to putting others in their place.

Suzakura was... not quite as clever as he perhaps thought he was. His jokes were puerile. His taunts were childish and obvious to the point that only those with exceptionally thin skin would be taken in by them immediately. However, he was also extremely annoying in his relentlessness, unrepentance and nigh-unkillability, and that more than anything else was what got under people's skin, the fact that he could get away with nearly anything without lasting consequences. And all the while, Chinami would hang back and -as was her habit- watch carefully, examining the cracks he opened in others' facades, quietly digging deep into their core selves and motivations. And then, if she had to? She'd use her discoveries to tear them apart. In a lot of ways, she could say there was something far more viscerally satisfying about destroying someone with nothing but words. She knew it wasn't exactly right for her to feel that way, but it was the reality of things. Uncommon though the occasion was, she enjoyed it.

So, she could absolutely lean into that, destroy this bond before it had any chance to really matter to her. These two... Normally, she needed days or more of incidents to fully dig into someone enough to rip through them... But these two were so painfully open that she already had nuclear levels of ammunition. It would be so easy. But was that what she really wanted? She wasn't sure.

Chinami lightly smacked Reverio's hand away with a scowl, sighing in resignation, "You really don't understand what you were doing, huh?" Her eyes had traces of disappointment in them. "Dinner? As if. I have more important things to do than being strung along." She sighed again at Ken's... sufficient and yet strangely empty feeling apology but nodded slightly all the same. "Neither of you get it." Her jaw set. "Since when did I ever imply that this was going to be a repeat performance. I only came here today to return the coat, nothing else. We aren't friends. Hell, we're not even friendly acquaintances, just allies of convenience. And frankly, that old saying is bullshit. The enemy of my enemy is not, in fact, my friend. They're just the enemy of my enemy. If they also happen to be my ally and friend, then that's just a happy coincidence."

She crossed her arms, looking suddenly tired. Some unusually large part of her preened at the compliments, but she shoved it down nonetheless. "I'm not brave, just stubborn. Frankly, if it weren't for the fact that what Nightman was doing pushed several... particular buttons of mine, I never would have interfered in your fates. So, don't assign unnecessary altruism to my actions."

"As for what Nightman wanted..." Chinami's face screwed up into several complicated expressions before finally settling on a strange neutrality that seemed to put a small slump in her shoulders. "I doubt it was anything so grandiose. I talked to him a bit before I left. At the end of the day, he was just a man who lost his way, corrupted by an easily abused power and beaten down by failure. Nothing complicated, just human nature. No..." She huffed. "He just wanted to take power from those he felt didn't deserve it. I don't see what further 'truth' could possibly need to be uncovered." That was what she wanted to believe, certainly. The last thing she needed was for Nightman to simply be the tip of the iceberg to a full-on genuine conspiracy to awaken some sort of long-forgotten evil or other bullshit. She didn't want it to be true. She wanted it to be over and done with. And she most certainly wasn't going to encourage the fantastical "heroic" delusions of a pair of boys that wanted their trials to mean something, to be part of some greater villainy for them to defeat. Why risk them pointlessly throwing themselves at danger? Why risk herself being dragged into it again?

Quite notably, she did not address either Nightman's fate or the "burning star".

"And besides, royal line? Me?" Chinami snorted in what seemed to be genuine amusement, a series of chuckles breaking from her lips, before she sobered up and wiped away a tear of mirth. "As if. That would be the day. Somehow, I doubt archeology is the profession you take up when you have a royal legacy to fall back on." Then again, as far as she knew, it was never about the money so much as the passion her parents had been concerned with... even power. They had, after all, sought out magical ruins and objects above all else. "Until yesterday, I'd not so much as shared the same air as anything royal... unless we're talking ancient artifacts and such." She shrugged noncommittally. She knew her mother's life well enough from when they were handling legal documentation to reenter society to say for certain that Harumi was no royal. Though, her father was... less certain and his birth origins unknown to her mother. Apparently, it had been a shotgun romance and marriage of passion between the two, but Chinami was not even slightly surprised at the careless impulsiveness. It was what she'd come to expect from them. Even so, he wasn't royal. He couldn't be. Someone would have noticed. At least one person would have made a comment on it with her in the vicinity... "Unless Nightman was rocking a 'royal sensing' Gift in his hoard, I can't see how he'd think I was. He only seemed to have the cliff notes of my past, and if I were somehow a royal, not even I was aware of that fact, nor my mother for that matter." She chuffed and shrugged with a smile. "Besides, even if I were one, it's not like there's any way to tell." Honestly, she really wasn't sure why Reverio would jump to such a wild theory so quickly. What evidence other than coincidence was there to suggest it?

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Chinami Nadakai

@Dezuel@Letter Bee

Upon Reverio's return, Chinami seemed to be letting the chilly silence do the talking for her. Ruby eyes half-lidded in clear displeasure and the corner of her mouth wavering in a clear struggle to contain a scowl down to cordial neutrality. There was almost a glaze to her vision, like she wasn't quite seeing him and yet still reacting all the same. Her acknowledgement of his apologies seemed to go no further than her eyes narrowing minutely further.

She adjusted the coat in her arms and almost seemed about to speak, before being cut off by Rev's second rapid departure to the kitchen. She was plainly disgruntled by the time he returned with refreshments and seemed to have become quite thoroughly through with waiting for an opening for her own topic of discussion, prompting her to quietly scoff and plop Rev's coat on his couch, clearly finished tolerating the burden. Even when Rev kneeled in front of her, her demeanor hardly faltered. Despite her expression slowly screwing up into something complicated, the undertone of displeasure continued to override it all.

Her mouth opened, and a voice sounded from the door.

---

'This "Scumsuza filter",' Chinami decided, 'might be just a tad too effective,' as the image of the blonde before her swam in her mind's eye, overlayed by the image of a certain white-haired pissant through the power of imagination. Chinami wasn't sure exactly what it was saying about her that even this obviously false impression was enough to drive up her blood pressure.

Drawing in a slow, calming breath, she turned her eyes away from the retreating Suza- Reverio and eyed the tea and snacks with far more suspicion than they likely deserved. While Rev's back was turned though... Her Spirit flickered out and dove head-first into the teapot with its selective tangibility, soaking its tongue in the liquid thoughtfully, searching for anything "off" about it. Having been to the corners of the world and experiencing many less than edible flora, Chinami had a good head for poisoned and medicinal tastes, and it was with oddly mixed feelings that she determined that the tea was, indeed, perfectly safe, certainly as far as her Spirit's inhumanly enhanced tastebuds could tell.

That thought aside, she still didn't want the tea. She wasn't here for snacks, and furthermore: 'I hate cold tea,' she scowled. 'Give me something piping hot that will warm my belly any day.' Granted, it wasn't like she could be legitimately upset about such a trivial thing. Reverio didn't know her or her preferences, so how could she blame him for that. It wasn't fair.

But the Scumsuza Filter didn't do fair, and by the time Rev had so much as opened the door, her Spirit had once more retreated from sight.

Reverio's rather lame "joke" grated at her ears, and she had to resist a full-body cringe when he addressed the newcomer as "Lord Ikari" again. Really, the worst part wasn't that she knew he was probably dead serious. I was that the brunette he was addressing was... possibly disinclined to stop him from using the flowery over-the-top form of address the way she had.

She remained standing when both boys sat around the table, the only sign of her willingness to "participate" being taking one of the teacups for herself. Though she didn't drink from it. Her lips pursed sourly at the reminder of Nightman, and she was certainly in no hurry to catalyze that train of discussion. She barely choked back a scoff when Reverio addressed her and Ken as "the only ones he could trust", despite having known them all of less than a single day, and briefly squeezed her crimson eyes closed in disbelief, turning to face the window and listening with half an ear to his spun tale of "betrayal".

And oh, what a little tale it was. A fallen kingdom, a pair of twin brothers, a final act of unwavering loyalty. And not a peasant prince, but a King banished from his own lands by the tides of change and revolution. Betrayal? There was nothing of the sort, unless one considered youthful incompetence to be a betrayal of one's nation. And Chinami's gut curdled with a feeling she recognized as... almost envy. What she wouldn't give for a family that actually gave that much of a shit...

She opened her mouth to voice a particular question, but Ken cut in quickly. A little disgruntled, Chinami nonetheless remained silent, allowing the brunette to say his piece, and while it started off well enough... What came after was absurd enough to finally draw her gaze back from the window to the boys. What... the actual fuck? What did his past and dreams have to do with Reverio's problems? "TL/DR, you're an egotistical shitstain, who couldn't even let Reverio have this one moment for himself," her mouth spat before she could stop herself. She almost wanted to snap back those words, but her temper was well and truly riled. And they didn't call her "Barb-Tongue" at Kiburi's for nothing. "That's a nice story and all, but I pose to you this singular question: who the fuck asked? No-one, that's who, but I suppose that so-called 'ego' of yours that you're supposedly "ashamed" of couldn't stand not to make the situation all about you, right?" She scoffed and flicked her raven hair fully over her shoulders, crossing her arms, as her Spirit delivered the still untouched tea back to the table and faded away. "I mean, given the dangerous content of Rev's own tale, he's still a fucking dumbass for just blurting it all out on people who might as well be complete strangers, but you don't see me blathering on about my own life and overshadowing our host."

"And I would strenuously advise against referring to him by that name under any circumstance. King Marlan is dead. Only 'Reverio' remains, and you'd best remember that well... for all our sakes." Where the words harsh? Maybe. Rude? Definitely. Her tone left no room for misinterpreting her open disdain for the entire situation. But at the end of the day, she was someone who hung around in Mina and Suzakura's circles, whether she liked it or not, and that sort of atmosphere, surrounded by bullies -intentional or not- had perhaps rubbed off on her... just a little.

"And you," her eyes flicked to Reverio, narrowing. "I don't know what you hope to accomplish by telling us this. To be honest, given the loudmouth on this one," she jabbed a finger Ken's way, "we were far safer before you said a damn thing. I don't know about anyone else, but I like my life peaceful and free of murderous revolutionaries, thanks. And if they ever find out about the deception..." She hardly felt she had to elaborate on exactly how badly that would go. No matter how slim the odds were, Reverio had just made them a whole lot less slim. As Nightman -and the voice in her head (which she still really needed to investigate, for that matter)- had proved, their minds were not impenetrable sanctums, and Rev had quite literally -at minimum- tripled the chances of his secrets becoming known to the worst sorts of people. Minimum, because Ken didn't seem to understand the concept of "tact", and his dangerous ambitions and overconfidence told her all she needed to know about how safe any secret was in his hands.

Chinami snorted, turning back towards the window. "And, you know, I'm really not sure what you mean by 'betrayal'." Her jaw clenched. "There wasn't even a single bit of it in that tale. Not a smidge. I don't know what sort of rosy, self-flagellating glasses you're seeing through, but all I see is the kind of heartfelt familial loyalty that most people could only seethe in envy of." She sighed heavily, like she was trying to physically purge some of her obvious frustration and ire, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Not to make light of what happened, but you're doing more to shame your brother's sacrifice in being so reckless with your safety than you could ever do by surviving. I mean, mother of mercy," she hissed out, her gaze briefly flicking back to the boys, "We just fucking met. How could you possibly think it was a good idea to spill your secrets out on us so soon. You can't possibly be so naive."

Except... he could, she realized. The fall of Vauquelin, as with Izumo, had been in large part due to betrayal and lack of innovation. Tradition and corruption stifling the ruling class, disconnecting them from the people they were supposed to serve and protect. Vauquelin was a prime example. The wealth. The excess. The parties and speeches and flaunting their riches before the suffering lower classes. Resentment was naturally bred. And all of that, it was easy to forget, had occurred at the hands of a 14-year-old king, all but a child, regardless of his upbringing. At the end of the day, he was helpless in the face of the machinations of the nobility and foreign powers. He didn't understand the people or how to help them, and everyone around him ensured he never had the chance to learn.

She got it.

The odd behavior.

It all made sense now.

Both of these boys, Ken and Rev...

Were complete social incompetents.