Lugubrious

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Does this Family Day have a, say, student-run café?

@Crimmy

I don't believe that anything to that effect was suggested.

Pokemon: New World

As it turned out, Leisy and Olivie had something in common: neither had heard so much as an offhanded comment about mass sleepwalking during their individual efforts to learn more about Stillwater's ominous hidden lore. Having joined the procession of people, a lone beacon of consciousness in a single-file sequence of sleepwalkers, Olivie suspected that this hair-raising march was something out of the ordinary. Even more so than when the Green Day had first cast its sickly pallor over the coastal town, she felt as though she, her party, and her acquaintances were in for something nightmarish. Though she couldn't understand them, she got the impression that her pokemon were just as uneasy as she. Periodically, Gespenst would fire off an Energy Ball into the sky, its radiance illuminating the whole column for a moment before it petered out and the Cacnea got to work making a new one. Together with the light provided by Olivie's lantern and Ella's luminescent Inkay, Gespenst's efforts revealed to the trainers that they were headed toward the edge of town. Olivie made sure to control her breathing as she followed in the footsteps of a man in front of her, down a boardwalk stairway and onto the soil. Then came the ascent.

The path wound through the clefts and rises. In no time, the area's unfathomable layout combined with the pitch-black of night left Olivie completely lost. All she could do was follow the villager in front of her, and keep ahead of the villager behind. Through all the twists and turns, however, the brunette was aware that she was steadily rising. The wind picked up as the eerie parade crested the top of a hill and turned out toward the shore. A natural stone archway lay just ahead, suspended upwards of 50 feet over the sand below, and here the wind's steady push became terrifying. Still, the sleepwalkers plodded onward, and Olivie was forced to press on. On her shoulder, Verrine clung to the side of the girl's head with all the strength her tiny limbs could muster, and both Buck and Bifrons kept a low profile to avoid catching a gust. As she made her way across the arch, using various plants as handholds, Olivie's composure suffered, and she could barely find the courage to forge onward. What seemed like hours later, the bridge widened out again, and Olivie could breath easier. She judged that she was on top of a kind of formation known as a 'sea stack', a vast pillar of stone jutting up from the ocean near the shoreline, eroded into a cylindrical shape by time and tide, and overgrown by plants seeded there by the same wind that deposited the dirt. If her guess was true, though, it meant that a potentially lethal drop lay in every direction. This was not, however, her chief concern.

A hole had opened up in the clouds, and in the sky beyond the sea stack the green-tinged moon shone down. It didn't provide much light, but it gave enough to reveal the shapes of at least a hundred people sitting on the grass in what appeared to be concentric circles, each with a black nimbus surrounding their heads. After crossing the bridge, the procession broke up, each individual headed for an open spot to sit, motionless and expressionless. The entire scene freaked Olivie out enough to make her breathing ragged and her hands shake. It was like something out of movie; how could this be happening!?

Movement at the center of the gathering caught her attention. She spotted someone waving, squinted, and only a second later recognized the person waving as Bernard. Her heart, still too beset by the creepiness of the situation to soar, settled for a surge of hopefulness, and she started moving his way. She managed to get within a hundred feet of him, carefully avoiding bumping into any of the sitters, before she noticed the slowness with which he moved and her heart was chilled once again. He, too, was asleep. The realization that it was a trap filled her mind, but it was already too late.

A dark shape arose next to Bernard, and from its imperceptible mass a torrent of blackness rolled out across the top of the sea stack. It crashed into Olivie before she could even turn to flee, its speed to great even for Leisy and Ella to get away. For a moment, all was dark, but then Olivie's eye's blinked open. Having fallen over somehow, she jumped to her feet. For a moment it seemed as if everything was the same, but something gnawed at the back of her mind that caused her to look around more closely.

Everything, in every direction beyond the pillar, was pitch black. There was no trace of clouds, of the shoreline, of the natural bridge, the lights of town, of the sea, or anything. Only one this stood out from the void. Staring directly upward, Olivie could see the moon, its brilliant pure white surface impossibly close. By her estimation, it was only a couple hundred feet up. Whirling from side to side, she spotted Leisy and Ella, both in the same situation as she. Her pokemon, too, were unharmed, but glancing at the ground made Olivie aware of something else that was different. At her feet lay a person, sprawled asleep and snoring, that looked just like her. At the feet of her pokemon, doubles of them slumbered as well. All the while, the people sat in their circles like statues. It's me. I'm dreaming. It's an out-of-body experience. For a moment, she wanted to laugh, but her humor evaporated quickly. In its place came only anger.

The Benevolent Beauty Turned Boisterous Bruiser

Current Location: Seashore Stack Dreamscape
TP: 36+ 1 = 37
CP: 25+ 1 = 26

Interaction:
@Dusksong's Leisy Takigawa (The Adventurous, Unassuming Go-getter)
@LuckyBlackCat's Ellanor Beaufort (Pretty, Perky, Poison-Prone Punk)

Pokemon:
Buck the Bidoof – lvl 3 – healthy
Gespenst the Cacnea – lvl 5 – healthy
Verrine the Karrablast – lvl 4 – healthy
Bifrons the Nidoran♂ - lvl 2 - healthy

Pokemon: New World

Crap, I let time get away from me. I'll get to the post as soon as I can.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Now that he was watching, Souta discovered that Lily kept her thought process somewhat less hidden than most. Following his acceptance of her questioning, she remained silent for a moment, then shook her head for what Souta could only assume was no reason. He did suspect, though, that her gesture might be the rather human response to trying to sort through conflicting or troublesome thoughts. Then she stepped closer, obliging him to stop considering such things. Her eyes troubled him: their luster made them look like precious stones, and their owner a being even more unreal and enchanting. However, he could still remember her draconic rage, the fire and scales, and the visage of a demon, and the knowledge that they his behind those eyes kept him focused. Lily voiced her question, and Souta breathed a sigh.

It would have been easy to get angsty, but that seldom solved anything, and a simple answer to the simple question did exist. The smith frowned and replied, ”I didn't know what I was getting myself into and I didn't have a choice to return once I did. A watcher popped up in front of me, and I didn't know what to do. From there, I was carried on by the current. Now I'm here because the Council thinks I must be useful, I guess. Can't say I blame them. The only staff they have are the shadow-assholes and that loon in the library. Guess they thought all their peacekeepers would need someone to tend to their weapons.” He shrugged. ”That's about it. If the Council were to let me go, I'd be out of this place before my hammer hit the floor. I'm not cut out for this crap. Any moment I could end up like that little demon girl, and I expect I'd be forgotten just as quickly.” Not that he was feeling sorry for himself, or anything.

Capes of Denver: A Worm RP

A moody expression darkened Elliot's face as he entered the conference room. He thought he'd departed early enough to arrive on time, but all of the Wards save their new leader had beaten him here. In an unsurprising turn of events, the status and future of the teenage taskforce weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Having selected an empty chair, he deposited himself in it without much composure and stilled himself to wait for Alessa. It wasn't long before the girl arrived, seated herself, and began the meeting.

With remarkable speed, Elliot found himself annoyed with Alessa's manner. She seemed stiff, impersonal, and ultimately disingenuous in both the way she held herself and the way she spoke. In the time in which Elliot worked with Sonar, the kid hadn't gotten all formal like that at all, even when important matters were at hand. She's already starting acting like she thinks a leader should act...like a businessman reading off a quarterly report. This whole stinking mess affects us all as humans. You'd think she'd try and empathize. But what did he know, after all? The dark and mysterious antihero never stood as leader of the pack of goody-goodies, for he played by his own rules.

So, the new second-in-command could be Dean. Elliot suppressed a groan. If he'd known that the person with which he shared a mutual hate would eventually be promoted to a position of a semi-power over him, he might have held off on the taunting. Now, he supposed, he would have to hope that second-in-command didn't mean much of anything in terms of authority—or that Alessa never fell on the battlefield. Of course, he knew Alessa didn't like him much more, but she wasn't as openly spiteful to him as Dean. To protest the decision would be to invite more scorn upon him while changing nothing, however. The realization of how little his word stood for in the group, all based off his behavior, was a sobering one. He'd have to rein in his brooding tendencies, even if he couldn't change who he was. Ugh. It makes me want to quit.

Of course, he felt zero inclination to share any ideas with the team about 'integration'. The problem with young heroes was that they all felt they knew best, and that was an issue that only time and pain could solve, not group therapy sessions. Elliot leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

The Race Begins

Ignorant of all that transpired in the halls and outdoors of Beacon Academy, the clocks ticked steadily onward. For some, they went about their business far too slowly. Each moment was another reminder of things lost, or of things never found, and these thoughts weighed down on their souls like shackles. Others did not acknowledge the passage of time at all, so involved were they in reunion, cooperation, or some similarly smile-bringing activity. At length, the clocks' ceaseless march brought their faces to display 9:40 AM, and the dutiful PA system throughout the campus came alive in a sputter of static. The speakers did not play in the dorm rooms out of respect for those who would be loathe to appreciate any kind of attempt to pull them into the school's holiday events.

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen! Competition #1 will begin in five minutes! If you are participating, make your way to the starting line at Beacon's Outdoor Activity Center and get ready to race!”

The voice that delivered the announcement was hard to place. Only a few would be able to identify it. At the OAC, a young man stood up from the stooping position he'd occupied to speak into the receiver of the broadcast device, an anticipatory smile on his face. At his full height, he ascended farther still by virtue of his massive blonde pompadour—a towering pillar of stylishness. With the race soon to start, he reached next to the portable PA receiver to grab a large, professional camera from the tabletop. As he hoisted it into his shoulder, he used his free hand to grab a clip-on microphone preset for only the speakers in the Activity Center and attached it to the lapel of his white suit. He glanced around at the people already present and, figuring that it would make a good introduction shot, shifted his camera into position and pressed 'record'. “Good mornin', people of Vale! Flax Fulvous here at Beacon Academy's first-ever School Holiday, and we are t-minus four minutes to the beginnin' of the first big show: the grand obstacle course!” He swept over the first stretch of the course, taking in its various parts. “Stuffed fit to burst with all sorts of mechanical platforms, tricks, traps, and other goodies, it's ready and waiting to put the dexterity of Beacon's most limber blokes 'n birds to the test!” Flax then panned over the loose crowd of people already present, both near the bleachers and the food tables. “And 'ere we have a sneak preview of some of the competitors, wrappin' up a bangin' breakfast and headed over to the startin' line. Who'll be runnin' the course? Who'll come out on top? Who knows? But rest assured I'll be here to cam every moment of it! See ya in a mo'!”

With a beep, the camera was off, and Flax breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to get the intro done in one take, by some miracle. One would think that being lauded for his coverage of the destruction of a rampaging Ogdoad, and getting a promotion as a result, would directly correlate to greater skill, but Flax did not yet feel as if he'd filled those shoes. This morning would be as much a trial for him as it would be for the race-runners, for while they tested their limits in a no-holds-barred sprint for the finish line, he would have to keep up and keep his camera focused, all while providing commentary and not ruining his goofily professional image. Though a little nervous, Flax was mostly excited. It wasn't an opportunity many got in their lifetimes, so he was going to use it to the fullest, without worrying too much about putting on airs. After all, who could fault him for being himself?

Three minutes later, the competitors lined the checkers on the ground that demarcated the race's elevated starting platform. Professor Goodwitch was in attendance, a disinterested look on her face as she stood by the sidelines with her signature riding crop in her hands. The open layout of the track provided the students the chance to look ahead and see what was in their immediate future. A straightaway lay right in from of them, giving them the chance to pick up speed. Then the ground dropped away, becoming a sizable pit that signaled a long jump. At the bottom of the pit was a pool of water, deep enough to break the falls of anyone who shorted the jump, and crouching on a disk suspended above the pool by a pipe was none other than Flax Fulvous the cameraman. To his left and right were two pairs of ropes that could conceivably be used to propel an especially long jumper even farther, and give a sizeable advantage. On the other side of the pit stood a sloped incline that, while not hard to land on, would dramatically cut the speed of any who didn't approach it right. A climbing wall rose just beyond it, which the people who landed on the slope would have to fully ascend, but on which those who swung by rope would have a chance of attaching themselves more than halfway up. What came after was hard to make out at this distance, but some horizontal metal bars could be made out by a keen eye.

Goodwitch looked up from her watch. In her clear voice she shouted, “Listen up! No jostling! No use of weapons! You may use your semblance only once! Understood....? Racers, on your marks! Set!”

She cracked her riding crop, its sound splitting the air. “Go!”

Pokemon: New World

@ToadRopes Sounds good, look forward to seeing her :)

@lugubrious I'll be waiting on you to post, unless you'd like me to attempt to characterize the mission myself (oh dear)

@luckyblackcat Posted your location onto the doc but was wondering whether you had any preferences for weather? Fudged something random up in the meantime, feel free to check it out.

@Dusksong

I'll post today.

Pokemon: New World

Even with her guard up, Olivie couldn't be completely cognizant of her surroundings all the time. The Green Day's characteristic turbulent wind did not fall with the tinted sun, and its steady stream past her ears masked the sound of approaching footsteps. Without a second to spare, she became aware of Leisy only inches away from her, and ducked backward just in time to prevent a full-on collision. Olivie's first instinct was to punch, even if her target didn't give any indication of hostility, but just in time the girl managed to rein herself in. She froze mid-swing before returning to a cross-armed position, staring daggers at the female but otherwise unknown shape before her. Not until the inconsiderate newcomer asked her name did Olivie recognize her, remembering the voice from earlier in the day.

”Watch where you're going,” she snapped, uninterested in paying the chance reunion much attention. However, Leisy's companion hurled a series of questions her way, and the seriousness of the situation in general made Olivie pause. For a moment she remained quiet, hesitant to tell these strangers something that was not only none of their business but also probably their fault. However, without Bernard her power to bulldoze through local threats was substantially diminished. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, Olivie guessed that she might need some help. Ignoring the first question, she answered, ”We made it back, then separated. He went go heal his pokemon. So you know, his ace nearly got his arm torn off by that tentacled freak while we were covering your dumbasses. I haven't seen him since.” She stared off into the murky darkness, at a loss for words. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible happened to him—something related to the unknown threat.

While thinking this, she spotted something. In the black of night, something was moving. Little glimmers here, edges of shadows in the scattered lights...and the noise. Just beneath the drone of the wind she could hear the creaking of wood being trod on. Instantly, goosebumps appeared on his arms and legs, and without saying anything she walked at a reserved pace to the closest hanging lamp. Her pokemon followed, with Buck in the lead. When his trainer stopped to take the lantern from the hook it hung from, he plodded forward into the darkness. A chattering announced some discovery, but since Olivie couldn't understand Bidoof, she decided to face the unknown and look for herself. She took a few steps forward, holding the makeshift lantern out away from her body, and its glow fell upon the disturbance.

She jolted backward, eyes wide, but the split second of illumination her lantern provided had been enough. All three girls had seen the face of the old man who ran the Pokemon Center, his eyes closed and a corona of pitch-black surrounding his head. Without giving any indication of noticing the girls at all, he vanished back int the night, his steps slow and rhythmic. Gespenst, determined to display that he was made of sterner stuff than anyone else, moved forward into the shadows. A moment later, an orb of bright green energy appeared, sitting atop his withered crown, and in its light Olivie saw something that made her inhale sharply. The bizarre sight of the old man walking, trance-like, in the starless dark wasn't an anomaly; he was only a part of an entire procession of people, all meandering in the same direction. By Olivie's estimation, it was the shore on the far side of town, where the terrain became a labyrinthine mess of hills and furrows. Her voice possessed by an uncharacteristic tremulousness, she whispered, ”They're...sleepwalking. To somewhere. Do we...do we follow them?” The moment after she said that, though, she'd already made up her mind. In this situation, now matter how bone-chilling or strange, someone with true grit would go forward. The way the villagers came together into a line from all directions told her that they were headed not just somewhere, but to some thing, and she had a pretty good idea what it might be. Gespenst and Buck, reading her vibes, started to walk. Olivie delayed only to pick up Verrine to put on her shoulder before following, taking the source of light with her.

The Benevolent Beauty Turned Boisterous Bruiser

Current Location: Stillwater Town
TP: 35+ 1 = 36
CP: 24+ 1 = 25

Interaction:
@Dusksong's Leisy Takigawa (The Adventurous, Unassuming Go-getter)
@LuckyBlackCat's Ellanor Beaufort (Pretty, Perky, Poison-Prone Punk)

Pokemon:
Buck the Bidoof – lvl 3 – healthy
Gespenst the Cacnea – lvl 5 – healthy
Verrine the Karrablast – lvl 4 – healthy
Bifrons the Nidoran♂ - lvl 2 - healthy

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Focus on his work came easily to Souta. Liking one's job was a quintessential aspect of a fulfilling life, and a good smith could find satisfaction in even the repetitive and uninteresting elements of his calling. At this moment, however, focus came at a premium. Souta 's battle to keep from showing interest in the beauteous newcomer was not growing any easier. She made no further comment, though, and after a few moments he was able to set into the routine of unbuilding, cleaning, and rebuilding as efficiently as if he were a machine himself.

For a time Lily watched in silence, ignored but intrigued. Eventually she opened her mouth to speak again, and from her lips issued a question meant to cut to the heart of the matter. Souta would have liked to pretend that he didn't hear anything, but again, he couldn't afford to be truly discourteous to an unknown being who could be capable of disemboweling him on the spot for all he knew. Instead, he lent her a begrudging ear. He could not bring himself to be convinced by her line about not being her to toy or manipulate; why else would she flaunting herself so efficaciously? Before he could reply, she gave herself a quick look before making what Souta interpreted as a dissatisfied noise, and let slip that she was someone he knew in an unfamiliar form. In short order, Lily introduced herself, and Souta made the connection.

During the mission, he'd seen her transform her appearance, but from prior experience he'd assumed it to be a sort of 'heat up' mode used to go berserk. Instead, it seemed she could completely alter her form. A pang of jealousy replaced his trepidation. Of course she had shapeshifting in addition to firepower and weapons mastery. Being born a half-decent demon must be like winning the lottery. He allowed himself to look at Lily, though making sure to stay attuned to her face and its modest expression, which did not mesh well with the showiness that the rest of her embodied. Now that he knew that this intruder was someone he'd be continuing to work with, he didn't want to come off as some perverted brute. Using a respectful, sincere tone, he answered, ”Oh, Lily. I'm sorry, I'm sure you know why I didn't recognize you. Your effort during the mission was commendable. I don't have anything against you. It's just that I don't trust strangers, or those who look like strangers. That's just the way I am.” With any luck, his attempt to play his dismissive, prickly attitude off as a character trait rather than the safest and easiest option when in doubt -or to make him feel better about his current situation- would convince her. He set aside his brush, interlocking his fingers and resting them on the anvil. As if reacting to his somewhat more relaxed mood, his veil of water ebbed away. A politely optimistic look settled over his features—the same face he put on to talk to his superiors at Regalia and Gilgamesh. ”I would be glad to answer any questions you may have.”

Pokemon: New World

Excuse the double post, but,

@lugubrious fixed it. Tacked on some other stuff abt town -- all okay still? I dunno how much you wanted the villagers to play into the "cursed night, don't come out" thing so I wrote them all away after dark. How about it? And did you wanna get a post up or do you wanna wait for @luckyblackcat?

@Dusksong

Yeah, it's all good. I'll make a reply soon.