Lugubrious

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@Lugubrious Sapphire's talking to Abel, you planning on posting?

@Prince of Seraphs

Yes. I was waiting for Eklispe, but it's no problem to talk in the meantime.

All In (Video Game Multiverse)

Hey, Prince. I see the message about when you're next available and all, so I'm leaving this here for you.

I have conferred with a couple of the other players (namely Kafka and Propro) and we've all reached a conclusion as to why we've lost interest in this RP. The chief reason is that you've been very disengaged from the managing process. We've been given places to be in, sure, but not much stuff to work with, and you haven't been motivating us to post. The choices our characters make and the things we do have felt like they don't matter; we get more the impression that we're an audience for a spectacle you're putting on and we're just along to react to it, rather than essential elements of an interactive story. I can't speak as much for the Hyrule group, but for the Gourd Lake crew, I'm definitely inclined to think this way. The most interesting thing that happened was a clash of personalities when several characters met. As for the introduction of the Big Sisters, it was more of a spectacle than something to engage in, given that there was never any actual fight--all attacks were either flawlessly dodged (Kaiser) or canceled out (Henry), and individual powers were effortlessly seen through (The Spy). In addition, on a few occasions we've attempted to spur you into action to fix the situation, and nothing has come of it. I believe Propro has stated problems and suggested changes only to be ignored, and I have purposefully withheld from writing an uninteresting reaction post for Henry to see if you would check in with my as to why I'm not posting, or if you would just move on after a while, but that hasn't been the case.

To summarize, we are feeling as if the mostly hands-off strategy you've taken to managing is not blending well with the limited creative freedom you've given us in the meantime. This was the case with the Demons RP you tried a while ago as well, I believe. I am sorry that things turned out this way, and I hope this criticism does not tarnish our friendship, but I must formally withdraw.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

<Snipped quote by NarayanK>

That feeling when you haven't even got one Halloween skin yet.

@Awesomoman64

Man, that video's already gone memetic. Still don't know how Jeremy didn't think that would happen...that desk is hollow with cardboard ribbing.

Pokemon: New World

When it came to choosing her little partner's first target, there was no contest. If the blueberry-colored runt called Karrablast thought it could act tough when it saw the dynamic duo of Olivie and Buck, a thorough bludgeoning seemed entirely excusable. ”Alright then, pipsqueak,” she told it. She threw her hand out, her thumb and index finger extended to form an 'L', before pivoting the hand downward and tucking the index finger away to execute a thumbs-down. Her Bidoof followed the path of her arm and nodded menacingly, acknowledging the Karrablast as his target. Thanks to the time she spent with her nose tucked in her Pokedex, Olivie knew exactly what to say next. ”Beat it blacker and bluer! With Hyper Fang!” Buck gave a fierce chatter and barreled forward, his mouth wide open to bite.

However, the Karrablast attacked first. It fell down onto all fours and charged, horn extended. Olivie watched, suddenly grasping the severity of the situation, as its greater speed and reach caught her Pokemon right in the middle of his attack. The points of its horn pierced Buck's nose, causing the surprised Bidoof to stagger, but the assault had scarcely begun. By wiggling its head back and forth, the wild Karrablast whipped its horn from side to side like a sword cutting to and fro, striking Buck three more times. The final scratch barely missed his eye, but when nothing followed it, the resolute little brawler threw himself forward. His huge buckteeth chomped into the Karrablast's carapace, preventing it from escaping and earning a pained hiss. While the bite surely hurt, Olivie could see that the fight would go nowhere if she allowed her single-minded Bidoof to stay like that. Instead, she smacked the bottom of her fist into her other palm and called, ”Use those muscles of yours, idiot! Throw the bug and then Take Down!”

Filled with the thrill of the fight, Buck obeyed. He gathered his strength to pitch his body violently, throwing the Karrablast back about a foot. It landed on its side and rolled onto its back, where it could only rock helplessly in an attempt to regain its feet. The Bidoof then scampered toward it and, with little regard for its own safety, used his jaw with the weight of his head and the power of his neck behind it like a hammer with which he cracked down on the Karrablast's lightly-armored stomach. A wheezing sound escaped from the bug as it stiffened, but Buck reeled away, moving as if drunk. After attacking in such a risky way, Olivie imagined, he must be seeing stars. The Pokedex had informed her that the move called 'Take Down' involved the Pokemon who used it executing a brutal but reckless strike that hurt itself more often than not. Perhaps, with some training, he could use a Take Down that didn't hurt him quite so much.

Before Buck regained his senses, the Paras, which had been sitting on the sidelines as if to spectate the duel, leaped into action. As it crawled toward the rodent, it shook its body, scattering motes of purple powder from the mushrooms on its back. The sight of these wisps wafting toward Buck filled Olivie with sudden panic—and rage. ”Buck, move now!” she yelled as she began to move, noting her partner's adept dodge of the slow-moving cloud in only the most cursory manner. Her attention lay on the Paras instead, which was now spinning to look at her. Before it could properly process he threat, she'd already grabbed it by one of its pincers, and when she held it in front of her face it could clearly see her wrath and tremble.

The tightness around Olivie's eyes, the hard slant around her eyebrowns, and the bunched muscles on her forehead all hinted at her fury as she growled, ”You puny bitch! What gives you the right to sneak attack my buddy when he's fightin' fair and square, huh? If you wanna fight so bad, I'll do it!” She let the Paras go, but it did not get much of a chance to fall. The very next instant, her gloved fist cannoned into its back like a hydraulic piston. A sputtering noise could be heard as it shot straight into the ground, kicking up a little bit of dust as it skidded to a halt. With clenched teeth, Olivie demanded, ”Buck, rack up your second K.O with Headbutt!”

No sooner had she given the command than Buck, too engrossed in the battle to care about attacking a hurt opponent, hurled himself at the Paras to slam his head right into it. Olivie watched, satisfied, as the bug flipped end over end to land right be her foot. With the toe of her shoe she upended it onto its front. Its blank eyes gave off the impression that it had been knocked clean out. ”Way to go! Gotta make sure these creeps learn they're lesson, eh, Buck?”

That said, she knew full well that class was still in session. About two meters away, the Karrablast had righted itself. Something else had happened, as well; from the shadows of the derelict granary, a third Pokemon revealed itself. This one resembled a little green ball with darker-green ridges all over, clublike arms, dark eyes, and a mouth that looked like it had been stitched on. Olivie did not know the creature's name, though she guessed it was a Grass-type Pokemon, but she instantly saw something she recognized in the way it bore itself. Standing with arms crossed and eyes narrowed, the Cacnea looked mean, tough, and commanding just like the leader of a gang of schoolhard bullies might. Pointing a finger, Olivie declared. ”I'll bet five bucks you're the ringleader of this little crew. Well, it's no great shakes, but you've caught my interest. After we mop up the blue beetle, you're next, big boss.” Plus, if he even came close to living up to his image, the surly Cacnea would be coming with her.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

ABEL, YOU FOOL! DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO FALL INTO THE SAME TRAP OSWALD DID

@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

Hm? And happy 1000 days on the Guild mate.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Some secrets are better kept that way.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Abel Fulgurate

All the preparations he needed to have a fine day complete, Abel stepped out of the dorm room and into the hall, closing the door softly behind him lest he should awaken the tubular dude still dozing within. He had a mind to visit the cafeteria, but before he could move five steps from his front door, his pocket became abuzz with his scroll's 'alert' sound. Krysanthe's response time made the guardian's heart just a little bit lighter, though of course, he reflected, she could have given him a swift and crushing 'no'.

This was not the case. He opened up the newly-received message to learn that the blonde huntress was keen on his idea. Silently patting himself on the back, Abel pondered how best to reply to her followup question. Frankly, he doubted that any of his teammates would want to accompany their least interesting teammate on such a mundane task, barring the fact that one was sleeping and the other two were who-knows-where, but he also didn't want to find out lest they confound his expectations by joining him. Was that selfish? Abel though so, glumly, but concluded that it was a necessary vice at this moment. If they ever cared to find out, his teammates would surely understand.

To: Abel
From: Krysthane
Subject: Re: Hang out?

I don't think my teammates would be very interested. If you know anyone that would hate to miss out on something like this, though, feel free to invite them along. Just now, I'm heading to get a quick meal. What do you say we meet at the cliff over the forest at 9:00?

Hopefully that would be suitable—and hopefully none of Krysanthe's teammates insisted on tagging along. While Abel wouldn't begrudge them unduly if they did, the last thing he wanted was for a forest hike to turn from a special event to a school outing.

Pokemon: New World

An eastbound path through Central City took Olivie and Buck through the heart of the commercial district. Here, extravagant advertisements peered at pedestrians from every angle, and one could scarcely find a single place to look that wasn't agog with colorful imagery. No stranger to this jungle of glamour, showiness, and bustle, Olivie plotted a course down its main avenue, where a sidewalk of purple bricks framed a bizarre, mint-green street. The entire place, she had to admit, oozed personality, but it certainly came off forced and a bit disingenuous. Still, she could not fault those who made a living on this avenue: every day, people flocked to this part of town to purchase, be their objectives everyday items or boutique products. Someone like Olivie, who had all she needed at the moment and whose interests lay elsewhere, did not linger for long.

Only once did she stop, at a point where a torn-down building had been made into a little plaza full of small stalls, just like one would expect to find at an amusement park or marketplace. In particular, the brunette's eye was caught by an odd-looking creature sitting alongside a man behind the counter of a caricature-drawing stall. Her curiosity invigorated by the sight of the critter, Olivie withdrew her Pokedex from its place on her thigh ring and flipped it open to see just what the new Pokemon was.

“Smeargle,” the device told identified. “The Painter Pokemon. Smeargle marks the boundaries of its territory using a body fluid that leaks out from the tip of its tail. Over 5,000 different marks left by this Pokémon have been found.”

Before she continued on her way, she cast one more glance at the Smeargle. No doubt, given its location, the man beside it had taught it to paint caricatures. Olivie had zero interest in anything like that, so she wasted no time in moving on.

By the time she could no longer see the flamboyant colors of the commercial district's artsy avenue when she looked over her shoulder, Olivie could see the edge of town not far ahead. Following along the side of the road, she passed the invisible boundary that lay beyond the fences of the last few buildings, then stopped. To either side of the road as it sped away from the city lay vast, green fields that swayed gently in the wind. Since Central City had something unusual for a substantial urban center in that it still cultivated surrounding farmland, these particular fields must, Olivie assumed, be scheduled for an off-season on the crop rotation. Such practices prevented the farmers from inadvertently exhausting the soil's nutrients. Very little trivia about farming passed through the girl's head, however. Her focus lay squarely on the defeat and/or acquisition of new Pokemon. Her newly-purchased balls were practically begging to be used.

”Here we go,” she declared, getting Buck's attention. The next instant she plunged herself into the field, veering sharply away from the road to wade out into the bladed lake of green. Though the sounds of the city still reached her, the chirps of Bug-type Pokemon captured her attention. They blended with the whistle of music through the grass to create a simple but pleasing ambiance. Every once in a while, the sound of feet could be heard in the tall grass around her, but Olivie could neither identify nor confront any Pokemon that sensed her first and opted to flee. Instead, she hunted for a likely spot, leaving a trail of crushed grass behind her that Buck could trod happily upon as a personal highway.

A smear of brown lay in the middle of the field, and after spying it Olivie made her way there. When she grew close, she discovered that the thing she'd spotted was a miniature granary—an open-air shed-like structure meant to keep tools and harvested crops out of the rain until they could be picked up. This one looked to be completely derelict, but a collapsed granary made for a choice opportunity in Olivie's mind. Surely some Pokemon lived here.

Her guess proved correct, for as she stepped out of the grass into the little clearing in which the neglected shed stood, dark shapes moved within its inner shadows. A wicked smile appeared on Olivie's face as she reached for her fighting gloves, and Buck, now knowing what that meant, waddled around her until he stood between his trainer and the partially-destroyed structure.

Out of the granary moseyed two Pokemon, both in a threatening, defensive stance. The first, a round, bipedal bug with a blue carapace and a long horn, glared at Olivie with yellow eyes. Its companion attempted to look as fierce, but the cartoonish roundness of its eyes prevented it from achieving this. With an air of absolute confidence the girl brazenly ignored the insects' display, instead consulting her Pokedex briefly to figure out exactly what these loathsome little freaks were. ”Karrablast and Paras, huh? Hope you little worms don't crush too easy.” Though they may not have understood her words, the bugs reacted to her town with aggressive hissing noises. Olivie cracked her knuckles, though she resolved to let Buck go first. Time to see what her partner could do.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

Cormorant Sanders – Road from Ruin

@The Wild West@Lunarlors34@raijinslayer@caits@hatakekuro@oblivion666

To call the night that settled over Belka peaceable would be to make a bad joke indeed, but even still, nothing nightmarish remained after the dark swarms vanished into the black sky and the corpse of the curse's carrier turned to ash. Most of Frenzy Plant, particularly those needled by the noxious flesh spears, made next to no response. General Sanders couldn't really blame them, either. An experience as rotten as this would rattle just about everyone. The end of the furious fight against the Flesh Giant also marked the end of the conqueror's aura that surrounded the war guild's master, and in the fitful light of torches and magical fires he seemed as old and withered as ever.

One voice stood out to him among the rest, for it belonged to a stranger. Curious despite his fatigue, Sanders made his way over to the newcomer and examined him as well he could. This man, he concluded, was a tough customer. His response to the situation was entirely reasonable; he treated it maturely, incredulously, and with a dry sense of humor that Sanders found quite appropriate. Additionally, judging by his garb and air of mystique, he wasn't from around here. ”Not every day, mister. We get our fair share of monsters, though admittedly something like this is unprecedented. Other days its bandits, rogue mercenaries, marauding invaders, or even the armies of other nations. There's always another war, but Frenzy Plant and its branches are always ready to fight, and always growing stronger. If that kind of thing suits you, please, visit our camp at the other end of Belka. We've got a long way to go tomorrow, and it's been a long night.”

Meanwhile, Tsubano, stooped over the figure of Argus and devoid of both sound and movement, listened to what he had to say. When he quieted himself to let her continue her work, the witch resumed her healing with head bowed. ”That is good. It is noble. We will work to earn your trust. If one day you decide to open up, we will be there. If you are one of us, you are never too far gone.” She observed his every motion, particularly his attention to the place on his body where the Seal of Denial had been affixed. Expectant, she waited for him to speak, and when he did, she absorbed all he had to say before unconsciousness claimed him. Then, a company of animated dolls hoisted him gently up, and across the town the ferried him.

Ten minutes later, the exhausted entirety of Frenzy Plant was reunited at the makeshift camp at Belka's other end. The scene was, at first, one of complete pandemonium. Villagers, be they full of gratitude or fear, swarmed the place, fit to burst with questions, concerns, and even condemnations. Jane Putcher, Bytan Brass, and Joakim Fortinbras were assigned to deal with them. Other soldiers righted tents that had been knocked down in the storm, gather strewn supplies, and try to fall asleep. The revelation that Harper Saxum had somehow become a zombie caused quite a bit of confusion, but the guild did not act hastily. After listening to her story and having Tsubano perform a cursory examination, the General declared his profound joy that the young ninja had not perished, and welcomed her as Frenzy Plant's second undead soldier. Though initially ecstatic, Harper took the opportunity to reveal that some of the swarm bugs -quite a few, actually- lived inside her as the collective magical force keeping her 'alive'. These seemed bound to her, however, and the notion of studying a few of her bugs was put on the docket for later.

After method had been coaxed from the madness, the camp put to order, and the villagers dealt with, a calm settled over Frenzy Plant. One by one, the soldiers nodded off. Ashlyn Johnson and the newcomer Flint, however, were not allowed to rest just yet. ”I kept my eye on both of you during the battle, and I consider myself highly impressed by your combat capabilities. In your own ways, I think, you are rough around the edges, but if I say this because I do not know you well enough, it is because I wish to know you better. Your abilities in the service of Frenzy Plant would be highly valued, and you would find lifelong comrades among my troops, if you were so inclined to join us. This may seem sudden, but I have a knack for reading people, and I feel like this might be just the opportunity one or both of you were waiting for. You need not reply immediately. I urge you to sleep on it, and present me your answer as we depart from Belka back to Crocus in the morning, but I do sincerely hope that you join us.”

Mission Complete!
Fatalities: 1?
Spoils: New comrades?
Time taken: 29 hours
Frenzy Plant moves back to Crocus
Arrival Time: Around noon

Hyun Sasithom – Grand Magic Games' Arena

With some satisfaction, Hyun peered down at the symbols on the ground. Rather than sand, the flooring of the arena appeared to be earth today, which suited her well. Anything, from a good house to a good fight, required a solid foundation, and Hyun detested the barbarity of a sandy colosseum. All it truly accomplished was to make the bloodshed more visible. Another new detail of today's event became known to her as a member of that boisterous, unpleasant guild Phoenix Wing made her way into the arena, standing on top of her organization's symbol before sending a matching flare into the air.

Her various comrades noticed it too, though nobody said a word. None had to, really; a smile was enough. So, today would be a team event. All six representatives of each competing guild will take part, ehm? Nothing in the world could have been better for Fiore's finest war guild. Cooperation was the lifeblood that flowed through the veins of Frenzy Plant, making it not just a collection of talented and powerful individuals, but a single organism united by one will and one cause. Teamwork won Hyun's friends the victory in the tag-team match, but today their victory would be overwhelming. The word 'support' was a simple one, but in such a setting, it represented a whole new dynamic that would make winning a cinch.

So far, the crowds had seen what Frenzy Plant's soldiers could do, but they had yet to catch the slightest glimpse of what they could really do together.

A few more moments passed while Zander rummaged through the great bag he'd brought with him. In the end, he selected three: his ruby-bladed arming sword, which he sheathed at his waist, a large Gothic flail with a ball that resembled a flanged mace, and a huge two-handed claymore with a heavy pommel. After that, he set the bag aside. Then, as one, the six vaulted over the arena railing. They put on no magical display whatsoever as they strode to the spot on the field marked as their own. Once there, they stood in a circle, talking in low tones. Among them the plans were laid for something utterly spectacular.

Pokemon: New World

A sudden commotion jolted Olivie awake. She couldn't remember whether she had been dreaming or not, but as she sat up, blinking away the sleep from her eyes, she found herself smack dab in the middle of a nightmare.

Her room -that sanctum of privacy and identity, that refuge, that one place she could truly call her own- was in total disarray. Just about everything that stood on a desk, cabinet, or shelf had been knocked onto the floor. Small pieces of furniture lay on their sides, paintings leaned against the walls where they fell, and several pillows appeared to be exploded. The acrid scent of char invaded her nostrils, causing Olivie to grimace. Dumbfounded, she sat near-motionless, slowly panning across the scene of carnage just to try and take it all in. At the foot of her bed, Buck, who lay on his back, watched her solemnly. No way he did this, Olivie knew—and she had a very good idea about who the real culprit was. Drawn by the sound of whistling wind, she drew her focus to her window, where the jubilant morning sunlight streamed in through a gaping hole in blackened glass. After trashing her room, the sight told her, the perpetrator of this dastardly deed fled through here. Olivie maneuvered out of bed and stood in front of the window in her burgundy nightgown, peering down at the street to see if the little cad was still about. ”So, that crappy monkey woke up after a bath, a meal, and a night of rest, wrecked the joint, and bust a hole in my window to scamper off. Hmph.” She gave a ferocious scowl. ”Serves me right for tryin' to be nice to a wild animal. Next time I see you, hothead, you're getting' a full beatdown and comin' with me.

The next twenty minutes she spent in the bathroom, showering, dressing, and tidying herself up. Once her usual morning fogginess washed away, courtesy of the hot water, she felt like a million bucks. Today was the day her Pokemon journey began, and nothing could have filled her with more energy than that thought. She dressed herself quickly, assembled all the gear she needed -including a messenger bag full of the outdoor essentials-, and headed out into the main room with a smile on her face and an eager Bidoof around her feet. ”Bye, mom! Bye, dad!” she called before smiling sheepishly. ”Sorry about my room!” Before they could respond, the girl was out the door.

Stepping outside caused a profound change to settle over the pair. They went from bright and earnest to serious and surly in one second flat. Of course, the joy of beginning remained in trainer and Pokemon alike, but the former had an image to uphold and the latter had a master to take cues from. Olivie made a beeline for the nearest Poke Corp store and arrived at her destination in less than ten minutes. The place gave off an air of mismatch; the exterior showed off all the trappings of a rustic town market, from its earth tones to its flowerpots, but stepping within the building was like stepping into a science lab. Inside, all was sterile, smooth, and efficient. Olivie didn't like it, but she didn't have to. With purposeful stride she made her way to the checkout counter, Buck marching alongside, until the brunette stood with arms akimbo in front of the cashier. ”I want three Pokeballs,” she informed the worker, having previously calculated how much she could get with her current stockpile of Trainer Points. Dutifully the blank-faced person behind the counter produced a trio of the bicolor spheres and held his hand out to receive the customer's Pokedex. Olivie passed it over, the cashier registered it, and the transaction was complete. The Pokeballs were added to Olivie's thigh ring, and with nary a farewell she left the way she came.

Once outside, she paused for a brief moment, arms crossed beneath her chest, to survey the street. Getting more Pokeballs had been first on her list, but her plans afterward had been less well defined. What to do, what to do. She observed Buck, who stood patiently beside her. Obviously she wanted to figure out and then improve on his fighting abilities, and for that she needed Pokemon. Since the urban Pokemon did not enthuse her, that meant leaving Central City behind once again to come the wilds for potential allies and adversaries. She didn't need to beat around the bush figuring out a way to go, either; as impulsive as ever, Olivie simply picked a direction and started walking.

Her randomly-chosen route brought her through a section of Central City she knew well. In fact, it wasn't long before she crossed the river. Not wanting a replay of yesterday, she opted to continue straight, though she briefly considered a quick detour. The memory of that persistent Feebas bubbled up in her mind as she approached, so she couldn't resist taking a quick peek into the water to see if the ugly fish was still on her trail. For a few second she scanned the river, but Olivie couldn't spot any fish at all. "Huh." One shrug later, the spirited brunette was on her way once more.

@Balthazar007