Vertigo

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Glad to have you back, Digi!

And nah, go ahead, I'll post her reaction in the next round.

Expedition to Isekai

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The forest was noisy as hell once you really stopped to listen, Duncan realized. He had to push past birdsong and wind, leave behind the shouts from the lake and ignore the suspicious rustling from somewhere far away, and really hone in on what he was trying to hear. Footsteps, voices, some indication that the two had gone this way at all.

“That’s…huh.”

Duncan stopped mid-step, head whirling towards the voice. That was definitely Haruko. He turned, starting towards where he thought the sound came from, but even if his hearing was good, it didn't mean his ability to follow his ears was. So, for now, all he could do was walk and listen, trying to make sense out of what sounded like the tail end of a conversation. Goddamnit, he'd just missed the main point!

Urgency turned into annoyed curiosity once he realized there didn't seem to be any real danger involved. It was just some weird police shit. Was Akito confessing to a crime? ... Nah. The dude barely had the balls to cause trouble at school, much less outside of it. He was all talk.

... But what did he want to hurt as much as possible?

Just in case, Duncan quickened his pace until he could hear the two's heartbeats. He wasn't about to just bust in the middle of whatever was going on, though. So, once he got closer, he slowed down and crouched down, trying to keep hidden as he tried to get close enough to see, but not to be seen.

Chronicles of the Six: Magic’s Awakening: A Magical Boy RP. Reboot

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The sun was slowly setting on the group's first day at the beach, and Noah couldn't help but feel melancholic. Maybe it was the beer talking, but it was slowly dawning on him that he was running out of sunsets with these guys. How many more would he get before they all went out and... did things? Before they left his sorry ass behind?

Noah took a swig of his beer, lukewarm since a while ago, and decided not to think about it. He hadn't come all the way out here to be a bitch and sulk. Yeah, the beach wasn't exactly his kind of scene, so it's not like he was ever going to be at the height of happiness out here, but it sure beat sitting at home alone. Besides, Conner's excitement was pretty contagious, he had to admit. Noah had even tried surfing earlier, at the dude's insistence. He'd sucked, big time, but honestly, it'd been kinda... fun.

Conner was setting up the tents now, shouting something about a bonfire. Gray volunteered and offered help with the tents as well, the damn overachiever.

Noah crumpled the empty can with an audible crunch and tossed it into the sand.

"I got it," he drawled, pushing himself to stand with far more effort than it should've taken. He was tired, unable to remember the last time he got a good night's sleep in. But how fucking lame would it be to go sleep early on a trip like this? Screw the stars or whatever, this could very well be the last weekend out with the boys. He wasn't going to quit on them just cause his body couldn't keep up. His relationship with these five assholes was the one thing he refused to fuck up.

So, ignoring his exhaustion, Noah made his way over to their bags. His own was easy to identify, brimming with beer he wasn't supposed to have, with barely enough room left for other essentials. He wasn't sure who brought the tents, and didn't rummage around long enough to identify the other belongings. It was probably one of the responsible ones, Eli or Gray.

Noah walked up to where Conner was setting up the first tent and started work on another in silence, save for a few assorted curse words whenever the fabric threatened to slip from him. Hopefully the poles would hold in the sand; he hadn't set this shit up on a beach before. "Think it's gonna get windy?" he called out to no one in particular, knowing someone must've checked the forecast.

... Wow, damn, their last camping trip, and here he was talking about the weather. He really had to wake up. Without averting his eyes from his work, Noah extended a hand into the fresh evening air and groaned. "Toss me another can. And help your damn selves too, I wasn't planning on getting shitfaced alone."

Pokemon: Dream

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_{Camphor's Lab
@Rune_Alchemist, @XxFellsingxX}

"Hey, are you listening to me, you—"

Before Chloe could finish her sentence, much less register the ghost type's intent towards the Snubbull, another voice cut through the empty laboratory. Out of reflex, she turned her gaze to find what she supposed must've been the professor — and some help or whatever — across the hallway. Finally!

She was just about to relay the tale of why she was like the only person in her life today who was not late, when the professor was already taking off again. For a meeting with some random guy called Maximus, or something.

"What's her problem?" Chloe huffed in the professor's wake, only to suddenly remember the other annoying shortie she'd ran into earlier. She held onto her hair and looked around wildly, but the thing seemed to have disappeared. "Look, I'm sure you can do a fine job catching me up — Frieda, right? — so this isn't like personal or anything, but it should really be the professor's job to deal with the people she hired. Like I don't expect a welcoming party — though it would be nice, the trip was long — but at least she should keep her Pokémon from attacking people, seriously. I'm so going to mention that in a review."

She looked to the assistant at last, and for what it was worth, she did seem genuinely nice and apologetic at the very least. Chloe sighed, just about to assure her that she would leave her out of any bad review, when they reached the reception and someone waved at them. One of the trainers from outside, with an Aipom. That was a... uh, unique choice for a Pokémon.

Not as unique as the girl's fashion sense though. She needed some emergency help in that area, stat.

Chloe couldn't help but smile at seeing the Aipom playfully whack at the girl, though. She would never own a weird monkey like that herself, but she could tell the two were close, and honestly? She loved that for them.

"Well hi, Jill! I'm Chloe, and this is Snuggles," she introduced herself cheerily in turn, moving the bag slightly to show off her partner. Really, she could tell she and this girl were very different, but the other's relationship with her Aipom reminded Chloe of herself and Snuggles, soundly asleep in — oh.

Her eyes trailed all the way down to the bag. Oh, no.

Chloe snapped her gaze back up just as Jill was apologizing about not saying hi earlier and offering for her to travel with her and a friend, an offer she would so rescind in a second, when—

"Snuggles, no! Sit! Gosh!" Chloe took off after her Snubbull, who'd woken up, seen a creature she could actually bite, and immediately wiggled her way out to dash towards the Aipom, its swinging tail reminiscent of a big, thick chewing toy.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

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As the dragons touched down for a break, Fellwing found herself sighing in relief. She counted herself lucky to have survived the flight at all, much less in such great health. Throughout, she'd debated what would make her plummet from the sky first; a sudden gale or the weight of the awkward atmosphere she'd helped create.

As it turned out, neither. The currents had been favourable, so much so that her wings were barely sore despite the distance, and apparently awkwardness could not, in fact, prove fatal.

Fellwing took in her surroundings as she stretched her wings, only to spot an older dragon staring at them — at Garrock, rather. She quirked a brow, gaze trailing to the old grump as she pondered on the two's relationship.

"I'm not opposed to a rest, certainly," she answered when prompted, turning to her clutchmates who seemed to echo the sentiment. She smiled despite herself at Stargaze's enthusiasm over Kyte's comment, figured Skobeloff's detour must've been part of a new scheme of his, and then glanced back over her shoulder to the old dragon from earlier.

ooc

Fellwing studied the old dragon, and with a 7, asks: "What could I learn from you?" (About Garrock)

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Oh damn, decided to roll for funsies, and apparently Fellwing continues on her good roll streak, because I got a 10.

Uh. Maybe she's really good at navigating the currents.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Like the others said, no worries at all. Glad to have you back, and hope Feb treats you better!

Also curious about how to determine how exhausted we are, whether it's a choice or a roll. It's been a while but I remember establishing that Fellwing has the technique of flying down pretty well for a drake her age, but-- she is a scrawny one and at the mercy of winds. So I'd imagine she gets exhausted very fast and doesn't have much stamina. Now whether she'd actually admit that...

SPIRITUM

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Silje watched, magazine still clutched in one hand, as the situation... continued. It wasn't really escalating, considering no one was getting hurt, but everyone was too tense and on edge to say it was de-escalating either. Silje's own expression was locked into a faint smile, her eyes the only part of her that moved at all; a cat's gaze, flitting from one person to the next as they spoke.

Briefly, out of sheer reflex, her hand threatened to flick to her gun when Justice asked to be shot — that's how serious she sounded about it, and that's how eager Silje was to grant her friend's wishes. Justice always did tell her she should listen more, too. Thankfully conscious thought caught up with her before she could ever act on that reflex. It's not like she didn't understand what shooting someone meant, after all, even though some might assume otherwise. For some reason.

Besides, Gerard and Lance were doing a good job distracting her. The mere sight of the latter made her shudder with the memory of scorpions she hadn't yet even seen, a sudden prickling nibbling at her toes. The former, talking directly into her ear through their communications, well—

"A reminder: I think homicide is illegal in most places- this one included. Just food for thought."

He gave her an idea.

Silje's grin cracked wider. Though she addressed him back, she was very much speaking out loud to the entire room. "Hey, do you think... it counts as homicide if you don't have enough remains to tell it used to be a person? I'm kind of curious." she turned to the civilians, head tilting in thought. "Oh, but we can't just start a fight, right? That's the rules. They'd need to do it, and they don't even have proper weapons. Hm."

She tapped at her cheek, once, twice, and then she was off, scurrying over to the civilians with her own gun in hand. She offered it handle-first to the biggest of the bunch. "Here, I'll lend you mine! So that... if you wanna start shooting, you can."

"But, if you do," her eyes narrowed in tune with her widening smile, the air around her rippling and crackling with Mist. Through it, the man was already painted in various shades of red. "It'll be my turn next."

And she sounded very, very giddy about it.

Pokemon: Dream

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_{Camphor's Lab}

Once Chloe realized her welcoming committee consisted of nothing more than bare walls and empty halls, the click of her heels came to an abrupt stop, her free hand pressing against her hip. Really? No one? Was she seriously supposed to believe that not only did they not wait for her arrival, they left no one behind to look after an unlocked laboratory? Geez, their research must've not been very important.

"Ugh, come on Snuggles," she sighed to her still-sleeping companion, "let's go ask the weirdos outside if— HYAHH?!"

At the sudden tug, Chloe spun around, eyes wide with surprise. She expected to find an assistant with no sense of self-preservation, or a runaway kid or... a person in general, but what stared back at her was... a Pokémon? She blinked. The floating creature looked like a peculiar Misdreavus. Still pretty, as Misdreavus tended to be, but this one had weird, wing-like strands of hair and creepy looking eyes, mouth filled with... oh.

Her eyes widened further, startlement dissolving into shock of a different kind. "Oh my ARCEUS!" she screamed, so loud that even her Snubbull finally jolted awake. "What do you think you're doing?! Who told you it was okay to touch my hair?! Listen, I don't know who or what you think you are—"

She tried to yank the srands free and turn fully around so that she could point a lecturing finger directly between the thing's eyes. "But just because YOUR hair looks like it's been pulled in four different directions by Tauroses doesn't give you the right to mess MINE up as well. What, did you die from jealousy? Is that why you're a ghost?!" Not that she believed Pokémon were real ghosts, but that was a debate for another time. "Now if you weren't aware—"

Snuggles, having blinked away the drowsiness to quickly take in what was going on, realized her trainer wasn't going to stop her lecture in a while, and that she could probably take a second nap in that time. The Snubbull liked fighting many things, but ghost Pokémon had never been the most fun to bite, so she wiped her nose and closed her eyes, even as her trainer rambled on above.

Chronicles of the Six: Magic’s Awakening: A Magical Boy RP. Reboot

Noah Park

Human

Name: Noah Park

Age: 19

Appearance: Noah stands at an average 5'9'', though his attitude alone adds a few inches to his perceived height. Failing that, so do his combat boots. He's lean and tan with sharp, narrow facial features, further accentuated by the many piercings and tattoos scattered throughout his body. The most visible one, a large, roaring dragon, runs the length of his back all the way up to his hairline. He has tattoo sleeves on both arms, and tribal tattoos on his knuckles. Noah's eyes are brown, though they are a peculiar shade that teeters on red — or maybe he's just wearing contacts and not telling anyone about it.

Noah's hair, jet black, is styled in a sidecut with a high ponytail at the back. As uncharacteristic as it sounds, Noah is pretty fussy about his appearance — especially his hair, and hates anyone touching it. He doesn't own a lot of different clothes, but the few pieces he does have tend to be kept neat and stylish, all grey, black and red. Notably, he also wears black nail polish and red eye makeup. He dares you to talk shit about it.

People tend to say that Noah's face has exactly two expressions: a deep scowl and a shit-eating grin. Those who know him the best know there's a third, elusive option of a smile, reserved only for situations that really call for it.

Personality: The first impression you get from Noah isn't wrong, exactly; he is just as difficult to approach and prone to anger as one would expect, with no patience for pleasantries and small talk — particularly the deceptive kind. He has a violent streak and a giant chip on his shoulder for most of the general public, with a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and not stop to apologize for it. He is impatient, flippant and cocky, but much the same way a cat is; strutting around like he owns any given place, yet constantly on the lookout for things that might threaten whatever temporary peace he's clawed out for himself. He's fiercely and stubbornly independent, and has trouble accepting help.

What many don't know however, is that few of his vices are deliberate, and that he's fully aware of his shortcomings — even working on fixing them, little by little. It's not that he doesn't apologize after a rude comment because he doesn't care, it's because he knows he'd just make things worse if he tried. It's not that he wants to get mad, but it's just so damn easy. Much easier than trying to express himself through words. That shit's embarrassing, and if there's something Noah hates, it's being embarrassed.

Luckily, he's had better luck fixing his problems when around his friends — the ones that actually matter to him. Passionate about things he cares about and loyal to those he feels have deserved it, Noah's a somewhat decent person around his own. With them, many of his extremes mellow out; the fire that so readily burns strangers to a crisp turns into a more pleasant smoulder. Unfortunately for them, being close to Noah and making him feel more at ease also means they're prime targets for him to mess with. But only for him to mess with; any outsider trying to start shit with his gang better be ready to pay.

History: It likely comes as no surprise that such a turbulent youth would have a turbulent past to match. Having lost his mother at birth, Noah spent most of his childhood in the care of various relatives. His father, until the man's grief for his wife turned into anger towards the boy who'd "taken her from him"; his grandparents, until they were too old to look after a troublemaking child; an aunt, until she grew too frustrated at the teenager who seemed intent on breaking every rule ever made just for the hell of it, and wanted him out of her house. Noah didn't even wait for her to stop screaming before he slammed the door behind him, never to return.

He went in an out of foster homes afterwards, and after being arrested for assault — fuck it, he was just defending a friend! — he eventually ended up dropping out of high school. A fact he claims doesn't bother him, but he's never been good at lying. Unfortunately, he hasn't stayed out of trouble since despite his best efforts.

Still, not finishing high school with his friends doesn't mean he can't share one last camping trip with them before they all go out there and live the way he never could. His various "homes" never made him feel like he belonged, but his tight-knit group of friends always did. Noah couldn't choose his family, but he could choose his friends — and he's pretty damn sure picking this lot was the only good decision he ever made.

Or would ever make.

Magic

Magical Form: Upon transformation, Noah gets cloaked in a spherical shield made of solid earth, which then infuses into his skin, making it tough, durable, and scale-like in appearance. His sclera turn black, and his eyes gain the uncanny glow of precious gems. Horns made out of rock and gemstones sprout from his head, and his canine teeth extend and harden, turning red as rubies. He also gains a black suit with dragon motifs.

Weapon: Two ornate pistols of red and black (instead of the white in the picture). He can create bullets of various materials at will with the help of his magic, and will therefore never run out of ammo. Reloading does still take a few seconds of concentration however.

Abilities: Noah's control over the element of earth allows him a versatile control of not only earth itself, but the various minerals relating to and found within it as well. He can cause small, concentrated earthquakes, make ground burst upwards, hurl stones far larger than any man can lift, as well as rise pillars for protective, obstructive and offensive purposes, among other things. Notably however, he cannot create new things, only mold what's already there — and as such, he's at his strongest when given direct access to earth. In a pinch, any soil or rock will do, however.

Companion

Name: Muk (short for Dotori-muk, since Noah claims they have the same consistency).

Appearance: Muk takes the form of a tiny, dark red dragon about the size (and flexibility) of a cat.

Personality: Once a powerful, ambitious sorcerer capable of transforming into a mighty dragon, Muk retains little of his original personality. Cursed while in his dragon form, his human mind has slowly deteriorated, leaving him more an intelligent beast than an evil sorcerer. With that said, his ambition to take over the world and devour all in his path hasn't dwindled; it's just a lot harder to accomplish in his current body. As such, he's had to settle on devouring each and every edible (and sometimes inedible) substance in his path, so he might grow big and strong once more.

... But while he's waiting, he likes belly rubs.