Lugubrious

Unlikely Heroes

Alright, another question. For the imminent interactions between our characters and either group, will you be controlling the situation (IE, making a huge post with a paragraph or two for each of us) or will you trust us to try and post on our own? Personally I advise the former.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Hopefully my latest post can be construed as interesting rather than I'm-trying-to-control-everything. I'll leave the description of the new room up to you, Hiro, so that you can direct our progression. Do I remember correctly that there was some Nidoran to save?

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Though the Iron Claw Pokemon was definitely hard to read, it undoubtedly felt a satisfying degree of control over the situation. At least four unfamiliar Pokemon had perpetrated its home territory, and it knew its turf well; additionally, one of them had been put out of commission with a single Zen Headbutt. If a cobalt-blue floating supercomputer could be cocky, this Metang fit the bill, which meant a sudden, surprisingly painful blast of ki energy from the previously-motionless Meditite took it by surprise. The Bide hit with full force, sending the Metang whirling through the humid cave air like an insane top. Despite this, it only span for about two seconds before it righted itself, ready for the next blow with a greater understanding of its opponent's abilities. Its razor-sharp mind raced for solutions, probing every memory of the cave chamber the Pokemon were in, looking for any advantage. "Meh Meeeeeh!"

Pip's almost-instant KO worried Venge, and he guessed that the Aipom wouldn't be rejoining the fight.. Though the Wobbuffet knew he couldn't really blame him, Venge still grudged Pip for giving up so soon. Worrying (or complaining) about Pip would have to wait. After taking a few hits from both Jingle and Jess -who now, ironically, seemed to be his allies-, his stamina was drained. Confusion, he could probably shrug off; Zen Headbutt would devastate him, but he figured that a defensive fighter such as he could withstand the strike far better than little Pip could. It was what he didn't know that troubled him...what else could this incredibly inhospitable Metang have hidden within?

It didn't take long to find out. The Metang hovered backward a few feet, winding up one of its bulky, armored arms. A sinister, red-hot glow enveloped it: Meteor Mash. With another cry, the Metang launched itself forward. Jingle and Jess, who appeared to be talking rather than focusing on their opponent, seemed ideal targets, but instead the Iron Claw Pokemon aimed for the cave floor directly in the middle of them. An explosive rumble reverberated through the cave as the blazing punch made contact, crushing the ground and collapsing the floor. Everyone fell about twenty feet into another chamber one dungeon floor directly below them.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

I'll edit in the Pokemons' arrival and have them act in such a way that will distance Pip from the fight, giving him ample opportunity to escape.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Just as Venge had hoped, Jingle only seemed able to use Fairy Wind; despite crying out the names of his moves in a very goofy fashion, none worked. Finally, he seemed to give it up and performed a second Fairy Wind, exactly as the Wobbuffet wanted. This time his Mirror Coat was no mere fluke--after sponging up another gust of fae sparkles, the familiar silver sheen enveloped him. Seconds after the special attack hit him, a concentrated blast of energy with twice the punch of Jingle's original Fairy Wind went sailing back punctuated by an earnest "Keyah!" Though Venge had an inkling that the rebounded blast wouldn't be particularly effective against his tiny metal enemy, Venge was pleased to be contributing regardless. Jingle himself had backed off somewhat, meaning either Pip or Jess might have a hard time closing the distance to land a physical attack without sustaining a point-blank Fairy Wind. Venge himself wasn't worried, as his game plan consisted entirely of defense. Though he didn't know it, the Wobbuffet also sported a noteworthy level advantage.

Jess, meanwhile, was sitting on the floor in a tranquil position. If not for an intensifying energy surrounding her, Venge might have dismissed her as useless. For a split second he pondered what she could be doing. Pip, meanwhile, seemed full of fire and ready to inflict another negligible Scratch at a moment's notice. Venge's own rage waned as Jingle held his ground. Keeping a keen eye on the keyring, Venge reached up and forcefully tightened his slightly ruffled black belt bandanna.

-=-=-

Not far from the group battle, two crimson eyes glimmered in the darkness. These intimidating red rings shone like headlights, forceful and unyielding. The creature that owned them exemplified these characteristics totally, combining the impersonal savagery of the metal monster with the brutal intelligence of the supercomputer gone wild. Sensing that the intruders into its domain had weakened each other, the silent, waiting Pokemon hovered forward slowly. No Pokemon, from resolute Jingle to patient Jess to anxious Pip to energetic Venge, felt the unseen threat approaching until a pinkish wave of psychic energy -similar to Jess's, but far stronger- bulled into them.

By chance, Venge was closest to the hostile Pokemon and took the brunt of its Confusion and crumpled to the inhospitable cave floor. Caught off guard, he couldn't quite gather himself to Mirror Coat the special attack back; it didn't help that his would-be target's location was shrouded in shadow and the Confusion hurt a lot more than anything he'd felt previously. Venge guessed that is assailant now boasted the level advantage, and the hypothesis sobered him. Suddenly and frighteningly, Venge wasn't the biggest fish in the pond anymore. He pushed himself to his feet with a throaty groan as the unknown Pokemon moved close enough to reveal itself in the dim light that radiated from the distant cave mouth. Sleek, impervious blue body accented by steely spikes and floating in midair thanks to some magnetic phenomenon, this creature proved to be none other than a Metang. Before Venge could figure out what course of action to take, the newly-revealed Metang had locked on to what it apparently viewed as the weakest in the group and was preparing its next attack. A hollow cry of "taaaaaaaaaaaaang" reverberated from its metal shell and it flew forward at high speed, wreathed in wavy light. The next instant, its Zen Headbutt smashed its 446-pound frame into poor Pip, sending the little Aipom careening away into the darkness of the cave. Pip continued to skid painfully, coming to a halt temptingly near the cave entrance where he could faintly feel a refreshing seaside breeze.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

I can see this conflict lasting a while and not being particularly useful. How about if a couple strong cave Pokemon appear in response to Venge's loud noises earlier? That could be fun. I'd be glad to introduce them. My new character is still is conceptual stage and my most recent post is pretty lacking.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

This is precisely what I was afraid of. One person corrals the others into a situation in which all of them require his input to make any sort of progress, and then progress grinds to a halt. In the near future I will create a new character to provide myself with more material.

RWBY: Beacon's "Finest"

Doggone it, how did I miss signing up for another RWBY roleplay when I still could? This is becoming a terrible trend.

Unlikely Heroes

When next the sand began to flow, Adam was in the middle of a cheery green borough called Tunkhannock, not more than a quarter-hour away from home in Wilkes-Barre providing for traffic. This time, instead of a meager trickle the sand formed a terrifying cascade, blanketing the floor of the driver's side before Adam could even change lanes to pull off to the side of Main Street. He found almost immediately that the sand had piled up in such a way as to prevent him leveraging either the gas or brake pedals. At this realization, a cold sweat began to seep from his underarms and bristly neck. Finding a break in the traffic, he thoughtfully employed the parking break to slow the vehicle down enough to pull up to the curb, though he lost valuable seconds cruising forward to find a spot large enough to avoid parallel parking--a feat he wisely labeled impossible in light of the mounting sand. Once parked, he heaved his weight against the driver's-side door, flinging it wide and sending a deluge of sand onto the street. A recent rain had left the gutters streaming with trashy water, so much of the sand turned to a squelchy brown mire upon contact. Adam's shoe followed suit, sinking into the muck a good half-inch even as he beat a hasty escape from the car. This particular sidewalk wasn't terribly busy in this late morning, but Adam wasn't about to wait to be noticed. Trying to hide his hands and the very conspicuous sand falling from them beneath his windbreaker, he speedwalked into the nearest alleyway.

Though he was no expert on the subject of alleys, this one seemed rather nice by Adam's standards. While those of cities were often shrouded in darkness and danger, this one was open to the cloudy gray sky, casting light upon its bright red and deep burgundy bricks. It was also empty but for a few garbage containers, an external air conditioning unit for the boutique next door, and a truant-looking nineteen-year-old girl smoking a cigarette. Adam glanced at her disapprovingly, and for a second their eyes made contact. A faint look of suspicion crossed her face that intensified when she spotted her elder's sand stream; she shoved off the wall she was leaning against with a final puff and trundled out of the alley, hands stuffed in the pockets of her black-and-white striped hoodie. Adam was alone.

Honestly, he felt that he should be more afraid of what was happening to him than he was. It seemed like his subconscious was already accepting the freaky phenomenon as fact, though he couldn't get rid of a certain pervasive feeling of horror. Looking over his shoulder at the street, he shook his hands as if he could simple wave away the sand. Instead, history repeated itself: the sand floated in the air, defiant to the laws of physics, and began to mold itself into a new shape. As Adam watched, both fascinated and a little afraid, the sand formed the shape of a fluffy adolescent pigeon and flapped into the sky. It startled a trio of real pigeons from the boutique's roof and attempted to fly with them as they fled. Adam stared at the four birds, three flesh and one sediment, as they winged their way upward out of sight. It was a beautiful and consoling sight, giving him the notion that this 'curse' maybe wan't so bad after all. Almost instantly after his old eyes failed to see them anymore, a shapeless mass fell from the sky toward his position. He moved just in time to avoid being splattered by the falling sand, which instead burst upon the ground, scattering countless grains in all directions. Meanwhile, the unstoppable stream of and from his hands had ground to a half, though miniature dunes had formed all across the alley. "God works in mysterious ways," Adam breathed, and he turned back toward his car.

The teenager stood about ten feet behind him, cigarette fallen to the ground unheeded and mouth wide open in shock. Her hood had fallen off, and shoulder-length blonde hair stirred slightly in the Pennsylvania breeze. Her hands hung awkwardly by her sides, and her feet were positioned as if she were about to bolt in terror. As soon as Adam faced her, she took a few steps back.
"Whah...huh...wuh..?"
Adam was almost as scared as she was, but since no newfangled iPhone-thing was in sight, he guessed she wasn't about to call the cops on him. She wasn't that sort of person, he judged; this girl was a person who had seen a lot but told very little. Not an individual new to this strange, disturbing quirks of society--though this was probably more weirdness than she'd ever seen. A little persuasion and quick thinking and his secret may be safe with her.
"Pretty extraordinary, isn't it? I hardly believe it myself. But listen, please. My name is Adam, and I would owe you big time if you kept this between you and me. Not sure anyone would believe you anyway." He held his hands face up, devoid of sand, to show he had nothing to hide. "Please?"
The girl stumbled backward over a tiny dune and took off running. But she didn't scream.

Unlikely Heroes

Glad to see things are moving along. I take it that, after a few more posts, you'll instruct us how to handle being 'rounded up' by the pre-existing supers?