Character Lounge

[Joat]

May is suddenly distracted by the car’s sudden motion. “Woohoo! Faster! Faster! Go! Go! Go!”

“For someone who’s in mortal danger, you seem to be pretty happy,” a divine voice says to May telepathically.

“You bet I am, Sevilin! Come on, you should try it sometime!” May responds, non-telepathically.

“I think I’ll pass.”

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha, having reached the elevator lounge finally, stopped and heaved a long sigh to regain her breath after running with the slightly heavy firearms strapped to her back and belt.  I forget that this human body is limited on endurance...

Regardless, she regained her composure and took a moment to glance at the size of the square that she found herself in.  Once again, parts of Stygian's world hadn't ceased to leave her fascinated and slightly awed at the design of it all.  And she certainly had the time to appreciate the sights after they had gotten out of the crowded and noisier parts of the city.  Her ears were still ringing from the explosive sounds of the guns.  Hm...give me the silence of the arrow and bowstring, anyday, she thought to herself, smirking about the types of ranged things she took a liking to.  Or my boomerang.  Though, these are effective.

Her eyes wandered up the length of the tubes, following the elevator in the glass encasement as it stopped and opened.  Looking upward again, thinking after a while and hoping that everything was correct and that she wasn't lost, Aisha wandered inside, the doors closing behind her.

[Joat]

“They probably think I’m schitzophrenic, talking to voices in my head and all,” May thinks.

[Stygian]

The elevator ascended fairly quickly, but the height still made it seem slow. And with the absence of gunshots and roaring engines, the whole world seemed to stand nearly still. The view out through the elevator was nearly uninterrupted, a supporting metal ring swooshing past only now and then before Aisha's eyes. As the cylinder-like pod rose up, another part of the city came into view than the distant one she had seen from above, a warm one of glowing lights and little backstreets, overlined by highways and tall buildings, and set against the background of the city's supporting pillairs, its permacrete legs on which it stretched for the sky. It looked like a dream.
   The ride seemed to go on forever, but still it was all to short a time before the elevator stopped, and the other side of it behind Aisha opened out into a lounge almost similar to the one below. As she walked out through it, another receptionist smiling at her from a corner, the Mallet came rolling around a corner and pulled up not fifty metres from her, in front of what seemed like a large hotel of some kind, stretching as far up into the sky as the elevator she had just stepped out of was tall. Behind the Mallet came Gareeku on that odd kind of motorcycle, its hubless-wheeled and heavy profile gliding over the ground almost as fluidly as the huge car.

   Stygian stepped out of the Mallet, and let the car door stand open. His fingers were on the black little controller in his pocket, making some adjustments preliminarily so they would be ready to activate on command. Then he pulled out his hand, now with a cigar in it, and looked up at Aisha. He lit it, and then seemed to easen somehow, as if the tension had completely slipped off him. He breathed out some smoke, and then turned to check on the rest of his companions.
   "Well, that was a thrill of a ride..." he began. But then he stopped. His eyes had frozen on Mel.

[e_voyager]

"For crying out loud E, what's up? You holding a sci-fi convention in your brain or something?" Boogey rolled his eyes and opened up the message, "This place is crowded."

The message read. " None of the current beings in E's mind are able to rout the travel of souls willing or unwilling but with E's ability to travel and one of the elder versions memory E can go to someone that can send the souls on to the next world. i would recommend seeking out on of the benign  version of death as opposed to a priest or shaman however." the message seemed to end then there was a post script. " And if int not to much trouble ask one of them to unlock the barriers. i can't check the general state of the body like this"

" fact is stranger then fiction Boogey. in my 30 years of awareness i have seen things that i would have sworn were impossible my robotizer notwithstanding"

[Gareeku]

Following the Mallet up the levels, Gareeku stopped the motorcycle up besides the car, stepping off and helping Sathariel off too. Noticing Stygian's look at Mel, the wolf-turned-human raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was giving her that look.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha barely felt the elevator stop; her eyes were almost glued to the impressive expanse of scenery outside of the building, an almost neverending stretch of city that seemed to have been conjured by dream.  But upon hearing the doors slide open, she was more than eager to step out and wait for her comrades, provided that they traversed the levels without much trouble.

Giving a polite nod back to the receptionist, she wasn't at all surprised to hear the car immediately slide back nearby in its noisy and fast way, with Gareeku and Sathariel following behind on the motorcycle.  I hope nobody threw up in there, she smirked and approached them with a wave.

Upon noting Stygian's look, however, her gaze followed his with a quirked eyebrow to where Mel was.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel realized she was suddenly the object of attention. She looked down at herself, "What? Do I have gangster guts on me? The outfit's not that ugly, is it?"

[Joat]

May steps out of the car. “Do it again! Do it again!”

[Stygian]

At the sight of Mel's face, Stygian had staggered back, all the fluid, practiced grace of his moments gone. His cigar had fallen to the ground unlit, as he gaped. He had started mouthing some word, but not been able to emit a sound. And his eyes were wide open, transfixed in a combination of shock, disbelief and... something else. You thought it looked like fear.
   Unholy shit not here how did she manage what the hell is going on is she dead it's just a simulation don't panic I am already panicking...! Stygian's mind raced for a second or so as he looked Mel over. Silver hair. Smooth, elegantly beautiful features and pale, unblemished skin. Precisely the proportions and looks. She was almost a carbon-copy image, he realized. But only almost. His mind focused on that almost, taking in the minute differences, and he looked up into Mel's icily blue eyes. Blue, not red. That's a relief.
   "Mel?" he said, trying to regain his composure as quickly as he could.

[Gareeku]

Seeing Stygian's mannerisms, a look of concern appeared on Gareeku's face. He didn't know what was going on, but something told him that it was certainly something out of the ordinary.
"Stygian? You ok?" he asked worriedly.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel took a half step back at Stygian's shocked stare. She laughed nervously, "This form isn't that ugly is it?" She turned away from his gaze to peer at her distorted reflection in the side of the car. "My mind runs in screaming circles every time I catch sight of myself because nothing about it is the way I think it should be but you should be accustomed to seeing human faces."

She tucked a strand of hair back inside the hood of her jacket. The hair was going to drive her insane, it kept brushing her face and the unfamiliar sensation made her jump every time. Mel sighed, "I don't supposed we're getting back to normal any time soon? Life is kind of tiresome without either my magic or my normal physical defenses."

[Stygian]

"No... you're..." Stygian said, then cut off. How am I supposed to say you're nearly the duplicate of the image I've come to love and hate so much? he thought. Then, he laughed shortly. "You're quite beautiful, shivers. Just like always."
   Then, his hand went to his pocket, and he brought out the little black controller. He tapped it a bit with a finger. Now, it was finally time to get to working on the other part he had been planning. He pressed down the execute button, and the world changed a bit, though it couldn't be seen.
   "I'm quite allright, Gareeku. Thanks for the concern. There. Now, there's nothing holding back your magic or your true forms anymore. It should be just to try and consciously shift for those of you who can. For the others, it will probably start to wear off soon," he said, then turned and fished out another cigar, and slowly started walking off against the edge of the platform, around the side of the elevator entrance. "We are going to have to leave soon, I think," he said over his shoulder, and then eyed them all a bit. "I'll see how the exit procedure works. But before that, could I have a word with you?" His eyes were turned to Gareeku.

[Gareeku]

Listening to Stygian speak, Gareeku smiled slightly with a degree of relief. It seemed that he would no longer be a human for long, but would revert back to his normal wolf form in time. As fascinating as he thought it was to be a human, he kind of missed his old wolf form and the benefits that came with it. However, hearing Stygian's question, the wolf-turned human raised his eyebrows slightly suprise.
Hmmmm, wonder what he wants... he thought to himself. "Yeah, sure."

[Stygian]

Stygian walked off behind the elevators, and then leaned forward on a rail just at the edge of the platform, gazing out over the city below with a dreamy look to his face. When the man-turned-wolf walked up beside him, he glanced him over with a smile and then went back to studying the foggy cityscape.
   "Some night, huh?" he said, not really waiting for an answer. "Can't seem to think of anything but getting a shower and a cup of tea once this is over. I won't blame you guys if you want to stay in and try on some more things though." He breathed a thin stream of smoke, and sighed.
   "You know, to me I hope it will be an even greater pleasure to get to know your world. I'm actually planning on sticking around for a bit." He sounded a bit off when he said that, both relieved and bothered at the same time, somehow. "Wouldn't mind if you showed me around a bit either. There's a lot that's very new to me, magic in particular." His tone was familiar, even friendly. To himself, Stygian thought that he was a bit too much to the point, actually. And shifting moods and mannerisms that much wouldn't be normal, he thought. But this was going to hurt, so it was probably to the best to try and milden it as well as he could.

[Gareeku]

Following Stygian, Gareeku lent on the railing with his elbows, looking out at the cityscape. The city had an odd peaceful look to it, though the wolf, now back in his normal form, knew that it was as bustling as ever. Hearing Stygian's mention of tea, Gareeku smiled.
   "Hmmmm, I think I may have to join you on that." the wolf replied with a chuckle. Listening to Stygian as his desire to stay in his and Aisha's world, Gareeku smiled.
   "Sure thing. I'm sure Aisha and Mel would be happy to help, too." Gareeku replied, running a fingerless gloved hand through his hair as he looked back out at the cityscape in front of him.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel's head came up at the news her magic was back. As Stygian and Gareeku walked away she tested it by making the illusion that Stygian's brutish car was colored lavender. She dropped the illusion as she began to feel odd and uncomfortable. Wings and tee-shirts were not a good mix. As she tore the jacket off she remembered someone else who was going to have the same problem. "Aisha! Do you have a knife? Sathariel is going to need help with her clothing. Wing holes." Mel dropped an illusion over herself at the same time as she dealt with her own offending pieces of fabric.

[Stygian]

"Well... That's not really what I was thinking," Stygian said. He stood up, and straightened his fur-lined dark coat. Allright. Now is the time, if I am ever to find out, he thought. He rounded Gareeku behind him, and casually dropped the nearly burned out cigar, stepping on it with a boot. Then he looked at him seriously.
   "I believe that you understand the difficulties involved with really hiding if you're someone like us. And I'm not talking about us," he said, placing a hand on his heart. "I'm talking about me and you." His eyes were serious as they peered into Gareeku's. "There will always be complications as long as I don't have a good enough cover. And that's where you come in."
   In a flash, Stygian's hand was at Gareeku's throat, and he was lifted up with decidedly inhuman strength. Stygian's eyes had turned back into those black, glowing green-irised ones. His tone was still as serious, but his voice that horrid crawling growl as he spoke.
   "Please don't hate us for this. We said we'd hold you to that fight anyway," Stygian said. Then, he made a short smile, and kissed Gareeku quickly. Next he threw him like a toy off the edge of the platform, and dove after him, darkness unfurling around him.

[Aisha deCabre]

As Aisha watched Stygian's reaction to Mel's appearance, she had to hold back a smirk...not too often did she, or anyone else for that matter, catch him in a state of shock.  But as soon as he said that they could transform back into their true forms, Aisha breathed a sigh of relief.  Finally...

Watching Stygian walk off with Gareeku for the moment, she immediately shed her human form and went back to the one that she was gratefully born with...that of a melanistic jaguaress.  Her limbs were no longer heavy, but flexible...her eyes returned to their ruby red tinge and she was better able to see in the darkness of night.  She had to use one of her claws to cut a space in her trousers for her tail to return, though.  Looking at the curling end of it, she thought that perhaps her ring would be given back upon returning to their own world.

That was when she heard Mel and smiled.  "Oh, well, there's my sword.  Here, lemme do that..." she said and unsheathed her dragon blade.  She carefully handled the blade part between two hands so that the end of it would only be the size of a knife, and carefully sliced a couple of good-sized holes in the back for the girl's wings.  "Should be more comfortable now, chica," the panther smiled.

It was then that Aisha felt a slight wrenching in her stomach, and her heart, almost at once...the feeling disappeared almost instantly, but it was still noticeable enough for her to stop...

[Gareeku]

Listening to Stygian speak, Gareeku raised an eyebrow and he wondered what he was talking about. Turning round to face him, Gareeku's eyes then went wide with shock as he was grabbed by the throat and lifted up into the air. The wolf tried his hardest to fight back, but Stygian's iron grip was just too strong, choking Gareeku as he struggled to breathe, trying to call out to the others for help, but could finding he couldn't. Looking down at Stygian, his face turned into a snarled of anger and pure hatred. He should never have trusted him! It was then, however, that Gareeku suddenly found himself flying through the air, looking on and crying out with horror as he found himself plummeting down the side of the building, the ground fast approaching below.

This can't be happening!! Gareeku thought to himself in panic and horror. However, as he descended, he could feel the darkness within him swelling quickly, fighting it's way out...

[Stygian]

Stygian wasted no time. Dark wings and tentacles seemed to billow straight out of his coat, which itself was turning into shadows. He pushed himself down and then wrapped tight, diving into Gareeku, who he saw was now rapidly reverting to his wolven form. Yeees, that's it... he thought as he slammed into the wolf, He's already shocked. Now, I just need to enrage him...
   Stygian tightened a grip on Gareeku, and then spread out his darkness, the shadows around him turning into a pair of huge, ragged wings, and then aimed for a garbage pile in a back alley. He dove fast, and they both slammed into the plastic bags, boxes and various litter with a force that easily shook the container behind and moved it a bit. No sooner had they done though, before Stygian leaped back from the pile with a fluid motion, and stood back, the shadows around him having mostly receded again.
   "Hmmm... That is an impressive power that you harbor, wolf..." he said, and faced Gareeku. "But it is far too unstable to be useful right now. You're not even close to controlling it..." He grinned. "Which is why it will be ever more useful in my possession."
   He took a step forward, and then two, and then lifted up the wolf out of the litter, swinging him around and slamming him into the concrete wall next to them. In a normal case he'd have had to put a lot of effort in, but when he didn't hold his amplified strength back, it was like playing with a ragdoll.
   "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" he said. His face and voice had become serious again. "To die, so you won't hurt anyone more? Well, We can grant you that wish." He leaned in close, and his voice became almost a whisper. "We rid the world of that evil, and in turn We'll... take care of your life, Gareeku. Your power. There will be nothing more to worry about. Just a final plunge into darkness, and then the Gareeku of the past will be replaced by a new one. One who doesn't rampage like an idiot every time he gets a little upset..." he hissed.

(OOC: 2000 posts! Revival is a great success!)

[Aisha deCabre]

Back up on the top level, Aisha replaced the sword in her scabbard with a light sigh and rubbed her forehead, wondering what it was all of a sudden that was giving her a slight headache.  She accounted it for the stress, the physical exhaustion that this world was taking upon everyone, as well as the rapid transit from human.

With a smile to Mel, May, and Sath, just relieved that they were found and safe, Aisha glanced over to where Stygian had taken Gareeku.  Her head tilted slightly.  It's quiet...and they've been gone for a little while...

Concern getting the better of her, the panther's ears swiveled to face toward the columns.  With her hearing back, she could have more easily caught even a step taken on the ground...but not even that was present.  She turned her head to the others before stepping in that direction.  "Wait here..."

Her walk turned into a slight trot.  Careful not to make it look like she was eavesdropping, Aisha glanced around the corner...and saw nothing but platform and railing that held a grand view and a sheer drop to the ground below.  Her heart started to race.  "Gareeku?  Stygian?" she called.  "Where...?"

[Gareeku]

As he fell, Gareeku's body turned, enabling the wolf to look upwards. Another shock expression then appeared on his face as he saw Stygian falling after him. Suddenly, the anger and hatred burning deep within him amplified, his eyes flashing red for a moment before Stygian slammed into him. The next thing the wolf knew, the two of them had slammed into the pile of rubbish awaiting below on the ground.

Opening his eyes groggily, Gareeku was amazed to find himself still alive, albeit aching all over. He had forgotten for a second who had caused him to fall from the building, but that all changed when he heard Stygian's voice. The rage and hatred within him began to arise once more, as did the darkness within, his eyes flashing red for a few seconds once more as he listened to Stygian's voice.

It was then however, that the wolf was picked up and slammed into the nearby by wall, crying out slightly and coughing a little in pain from the impact made.
"No...I won't let you...!" the wolf snarled, his eyes visibly flashing red once more as he struggled to contain the
darkness within.

Gareeku's eyes then suddenly went wide somewhat as Stygian lent in close, whispering to him how he would change him. It was then that something within him snapped. Unable to contain the darkness, his rage, and his hatred anymore, the wolf let out an almost unearthly roar, his body emitted a bright flash of red light, the force of which would almost certain knock Stygian a few metres back.

As suddenly as the red flash had engulfed Gareeku's body had it vanished, revealing the newly transformed wolf to be standing, snarling fiercely as his intended prey. Then, without warning, he lunged for Stygian, his wings having formed into knife-like tenctales as he hands were engulfed in a red flame...

[Stygian]

The plan had worked even better than Stygian had expected. Almost too good, in fact. He just had time to brace himself for the impact from the red flames, the energy burning and sizzling him, before he was swept up by the raging wolf. He was caught, and then the two crashed into another wall with a crack and a loud rumble. Pain flared.
   Stygian coughed, and sputtered blood in the face of the wolf. Gareeku had pressed him a good bit up the wall, and he hung in his grip while darkness and little green flames seethed around the wolf's burning hands. There was the smell of acid, smoke and blood in the air. He could feel his arms stretched out too, pierced by the wolf's tentacles, just like much of his nearly shattered ribcage. That much damage he could not regenerate.
   "Hehe..." he rasped, blood dripping from his mouth. "You know, you're very discontent for someone who has it so well..." He shot Gareeku a stare that held both pity and hatred. "So many priviliges. You have freedom. You have someone to love and share it with. You have comfort and excitement... and power. All at an arm's reach. And yet you wish to die..." He coughed, and then in spite of his grievous wounds, he stretched forward his head, and looked the cubi wolf in the eyes, gleaming red meeting venomous green.
   "You are an idiot, Gareeku Manoko," he said. His grins and smiles were at an end. Now, his voice and gaze were dead cold. "You have the privilige of Life, and yet...!" His voice rose a bit.
   Something started happening. Shadows began crawling up around Stygian from below and behind, stinging Gareeku's hands and tentacles as if they were being frozen down. The man's skin seemed to be cracking, turning ashen and ripping up from the inside. Darkness slipped out, and his shape started changing.
   "Some of us can't make that boast!" Stygian roared. His jaw had elongated and his teeth turned into vicious fangs, a dark tongue snaking in between them. The pupils of his eyes were so small they almost didn't show within the glow of green. More darkness started to flow out from his back, and then he tore himself out of Gareeku's hold. The wolf was struck back, and flew hard into a wall much further down the alley, which seemed to have darkened considerably.

   Down the length of the alley came walking a monster. Stygian had shed his shell and now he strode, a humanoid made of darkness within a veritable swamp of fanged and clawed tentacles of shadow snaking around him. His inhuman face, almost shark-like in its look now and barely visible in the dark, was twisted into a horrid snarl. Horns crowned his head, a dragon-like tail whipped behind him, and his green eyes were cold fires of rage. He didn't speak, only hissed and growled with that horrid voice, a sound that not even the worst beasts Gareeku had fought could have replicated.

[Gareeku]

The beast that was previosly Gareeku was no longer paying attention to anything Stygian said. The darkness within had completely overcome him, whisps of pure darkness seeping off of his frame like whisps of smoke. The transformed wolf walked Stygian approach and snarled. About to take a step forward, the wolf then sensed something, an evil smile appearing on his face.

"That was a wonderful dinner..." the woman, walking hand in hand with her beloved, said with a soft smile as they walked down the street. Walking past an alleyway, the man happened to glance in when he suddenly noticed what looked like some creature with glowing red wings.
"What the hell..." he muttered. However, he would say nothing more, as a knife-like wing tentacle cleaved its way through his chest, blood pouring out of the wound. The woman screamed hysterically, before suddenly freezeing on the spot, blood gurgling up from her lungs and poureing from her mouth as a wing tentacle had also been stabbed deep through her chest.

Using the wing tentacles to drag the dying man and woman to him, the transformed wolf smiled evily as he drove his claws into their skulls, his eyes rolling back into his head slightly as whisps of energy seeped from their bodies into his hands and arms. A few seconds passed before the rest of the whisps of white energy were absorbed in to his hands and arms. Dropping their bodies to the floor, the beast gazed at the blood on his fingers, before licking it off and licking his lips.
"Deliciousssss..." he said with a twisted smile, enough to send chills down the spine of even the bravest creatures.

However, an instant later, the transformed wolf drove his hand into the ground, setting a large wave of soul energy roaring at his dark foe, laughing almost manically as he did so.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Content back in her own form Mel walks over to Sathariel. She had gone through a lot for someone so sensitive to thoughts. "Feeling any better?" Mel actually thought she was looking worse. She supposed that it was catching up with the girl now. Mel gave her a hug and in a stage whisper said, "Next time May takes a video game away from Stygian I say we tackle her and get it back. These games Stygian thinks up on his own are no fun at all." She smiled at both girls to take some of the sting out. But if Stygian had been safely occupied with the game they wouldn't have gone through this.

Mel noticed a man staring at them. She tried her hypnosis, "Costume party. Nothing to see here."

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha ran back and forth between the row of elevator columns, stifling her breathing so that she could better hear her surroundings.  But her eyes kept stealing back over to the railing, as if something was drawing her there...and she kept shaking her head.  They couldn't have fallen off...

From out where Mel and the others were, they would have soon heard a call down either side of the road.  The names of those missing were called over and over again, each time in a louder tone of voice until they thought it would crack.  "Gareeku!  Styg!  GAREEKU!"  It wouldn't have been recognized as Aisha's for a split second, as her voice had never reached that intensity of shouting.  It took a few moments before the panther came back, winded.

"They're not there...!" she said with her teeth bared, ears pinned straight against her skull, eyes wide.  The panther's hand shot up to her forehead to try calming herself...but she couldn't.  They're not here...but how could they have gone so far in a short amount of time...Gareeku would have heard me and answered at least!

With a snarl, Aisha glanced to the elevators.  "I'm going to find them!" she said with finality, her voice a dangerous and determined mix of a growl and a hiss.  But she didn't move yet...her eyes were locked on Sathariel, noticing that she suddenly didn't look too well...

[KarlOmega1]

(Sorry guys, was stuck at my parents for a couple of days...what did I miss?)

[Stygian]

The man smiled vacantly at Mel, and went about his business. Still, her calming words seemed to have no effect on Sathariel. When she turned from her, it didn't take two seconds before the girl slumped to the ground. Her eyes were wide open with fear and panic, and she shivered, making little whining sounds.
   "We're gonna die..." she said silently. "We're gonna die..." She began repeating that over and over, starting to rock forth and back on the ground while holding her knees. She didn't really cry, but tears flowed down her cheeks in a steady stream. "We're gonna die..."

   Down below, Stygian watched Gareeku's actions with inhuman chill. He had grown completely silent. Then, when the wolf turned and unleashed his fury, the monstrous darkness slid to the side, and took to the air to avoid the shockwave. Stygian's tentacles turned into giant wings for a second, propelling him up and forward as he leapt, and then he once again dove for the wolf. His shape seemed much larger, somehow. His body was still the same size, true, but the darkness swirling out of and around it was huge, monstrous. From behind his back, a multitude of tentacles shot out from nearly all directions, their wickedly clawed hand-like ends reaching to tear into Gareeku.
   At the last moment, Stygian himself seemed to dissolve into darkness, the tentacles detatching at the base and continuing on their own. A blink of an eye later, an almost liquid shadow slid across the ground and he emerged from behind the wolf, snarling fiendishly and stretching clawlike fingers for him.
   "You miserable cur!" His words were barely distinguishable.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Worried Mel knelt by Sathariel. "Sath? Kitten? What's the matter? Are you sick?" She places a hand on the girl's forehead to see if she was feverish. Mel found herself drawn into a nightmare of darkness: scared, drowning, confused. Too much--she found herself flailing against it, like fighting an undertow in the ocean. It seemed like forever before her training kicked in. "Not me. This is not of me." She pulled her mind away from Sathariel's.

Mel came to herself on her hands and knees on the sidewalk, gasping like she'd been underwater too long. That had been a hard fight to get away. She could see the others looking at her with concern. She held up a hand, signalling she needed a moment. "Fight...feral... dark... civilians... down...alley..." was all she could manage between wheezing breaths.