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Messages - Riven

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31
Everywhere Else / Re: The Things We Do For Love [VCVS]
« on: July 08, 2018, 10:42:16 AM »
Not-Caja chuckled, dipping into and out of mimicry with an almost uncanny -- and truly unsettling -- ease. "Who, where, why, what, how -- all the classics are running through your head right now, along with a hefty dose of adrenaline." The sirens in the background were definitely starting to get closer, though it was hard to say when exactly they would arrive. The impostor turned around but kept step and pace, walking backwards through the scattered detritus while stretching their arms casually. This time their voice dipped down from Caja's tones to match Juno's own, though the casual indifference behind the words couldn't be any further from the emotional intensity going through Juno's mind right now. "I know, I know, this is a very trying time for you... but try to keep in mind, to me this is just business. I'm a mercenary -- the Fang hired me to play a role and then back-stab you, but I opted to back-stab them instead. Why?" They lifted their open palms in a shrug. "Because, obviously, I can't trust them anymore than you can trust me. My back would be the next to get stabbed. This business doesn't run on courtesy, kids -- it runs on convenience. And on that note..."


Reaching the (mostly) undamaged building, the impersonator reached down and pulled up a large garage door. On the other side was a small junky-looking cargo airship the size of a Bullhead, the sort that was likely used for short-trip hauling ore or raw Dust. "Your limousine awaits, lads, and here's the key." The mercenary tossed a key ring with a small control chip to Juno. "Just plug that chip into the nav system you'll have the coordinates for where the Fang are keeping your lil' lapdog -- once I transmit the decryption key, that is. You'll just have to fly manual until then, and I'd recommend getting airborne soon. Once you're in the skies," He pulled out a handheld two-way radio. "We'll talk business. You'll be on your way, and I'll be out of reach for back-stabbing by all parties involved. A fair arrangement, I'd say. Or I suppose you could try to beat it out of me, then explain things to the police." Cupping a hand to one ear, the fake Caja stopped to listen. "I'd say you've got... about four minutes to decide. Tick tock!"

32
Everywhere Else / Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
« on: July 05, 2018, 01:29:17 PM »
He'd been both relieved and concerned to see Solar literally chaining down the live vulture: relieved because he could grab some clothes while she was busy, and concerned what that crazy bird might do if it managed to slip loose. Then again, this was Solar Raise: bird-hunter and wild mountain girl. In her hands, those chains would likely be enough to keep an Ursa immobile. Which, as the young smuggler hastily wriggled into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, brought to mind the fact that the apartment would likely stink of vulture by the time they got back from today's outing.

...Meh. He'd had worse roommates, after all.

"Hunting spots". How to explain this...? "Well, I do know a few places out in the wastes," Memories of trapping and cooking a longpaw rabbit one time when Gust Raider broke down came to mind, along with a few well-known watering holes and brush-land areas. "Buuuut, I can do ya one better. Vacuo's one of the biggest market cities in the world, and it has some really good restara-" He realized halfway through the word that she likely had no idea what a 'restaurant' was. "That is to say, people who'll trade really good food for money." Gods, he hoped she knew what money was. How remote and isolated could that village really be? "Fortunately, I know some of the best. You're in for a real treat today."

Now what to do with that vulture...?





After getting himself decent, Sean led his team leader further into the city. Their destination was a local bar & grill called Pepper's, both for the name of the proprietor and for the fact that peppers, spicy or otherwise, were in virtually every dish. They also made some of the best steak fajitas around -- something he was willing to bet would wow Solar's taste buds. He'd made sure to choose a colorful route too; the restaurant was just on the edge of the market district and there were plenty of various shops along the way. Having not known each other much outside of chase and fight scenarios, the blonde bomber figured he'd probably learn more about his most-definitely-fearless leader by seeing what sorts of things caught her eye than by asking a million questions.

He did, however, have at least one. "Sooo... how's the horn healing? You were still in a rough way last time we met up." He knew Aura was a powerful healing agent, but with something like ram's horn he wasn't really sure how that would play out.

33
Everywhere Else / Re: Hunt for the Howling Storm {CLOSED}
« on: July 01, 2018, 09:34:13 AM »
The BOOM of the explosive-filled backpack going off echoed through the entire cavern, accompanied by the sounds of pieces of metal raining down onto bare stone. When the bloom of smoke and flame cleared half the aircraft was just simply gone, the other half rolling like a tumbleweed for a few moments before it ground to a halt in a screeching shower of sparks. Most of the grunts and crew had leapt out (or been blasted out) at the last moment, laying still but most likely alive where they landed. In any case, they wouldn't be putting up a fight any time soon. Solar and Infrared had pushed themselves to their limits... but in the end, it paid off. The fight was all but over.

A scream of terror filled the cavern just seconds after the explosives, the other half of the fight reaching its conclusion in similarly destructive fashion. When Fallon and Rust reached striking distance their blades had clashed -- Rust was a half-second quicker and, although Fallon had clearly been intent on slash-and-stab, the Fang lieutenant had been forced onto the defensive to avoid being cleaved in two. For all the good it had done him; the whirling spikes of Onyx Ripper buffeted Fallon's saber, and just like the Fang Bullhead there was a banshee shriek of metal and torrent of sparks from the clash. Leverage, however, can often be a deciding factor in melee combat -- Fallon gripped his blade by one hand, whereas Alizarin's weapon was mounted to his forearm. It was inevitable that the lieutenant's grip would slip. Caught by the chainsaw fangs on Rust's weapon Fallon's sword was flung away, his arm pulled downwards by the exerted force... and what had been intended as a shoulder-level strike instead went a few inches higher. Lt. Fallon had just enough time to recognize his predicament and scream in horror before his Aura crumbled... and he was silenced, head dropping to the deck with a crimson spray, expression frozen in a wide-eyed gasp.


It was over... it was finally over.



Wolves of the Sea
by Antti Martikainen



With all enemies bested, the adventurers could not only catch some much-needed breaths but take their time in securing prisoners from the surviving Fang troopers -- none seemed interested in putting up a fight with their Bullheads destroyed and their leadership gone, captured, or decapitated, perhaps out of an awareness that ending up in a Mistali jail was a much better fate than either dying here or getting left behind. Even Quisling managed to behave himself; admittedly, waking up locked in a musty old pirate chest may have had something to do with it.

"Can hardly believe we actually pulled it off." Cordell couldn't help but mention as they all regrouped on the deck of the Howling Storm. A terrible Grimm, a backstabbing traitor, the White Fang... they'd overcome some serious odds to reach this point. Running her hand across the old wooden railings of the legendary pirate ship, she knew this was a story they'd all be telling for a long time to come. "Right, so... only three things left t' do: load up every treasure in this forsaken old cave, fly this ol' beauty out," She grinned from ear to ear at the last item. "An' decide what t' do with all th' loot."

"Way I see it is this: ye'v all more'n earned yer share -- an' Rust half o' mine, as agreed. Since Quis was a fake there's clearly no deal with th' historical society, never was. That means we can do as we please with whatever we recover!"
Her grin shifted, dimming somewhat. "... But there's one thing we've gotta all decide on first. Th' crown. Who's got it, by th' by?"

34
Everywhere Else / Re: The Tangled Web We Weave [SerAnad] (CLOSED)
« on: June 28, 2018, 05:18:36 PM »
"Wonderful! That's actually the best news I've gotten all day." There was no double-meaning to that phrase, and although Maria did slightly worry that it might throw off her new hire to hear such a thing there was... value... in being candid about one's needs and situation. "I have every reason to think that affairs can be settled within that time frame." Now it was her turn for background noise -- although, admittedly, the tappa-tap tappa-tap of fingertips across a hard-light keyboard was authentic, not merely theatrical. "I'll have the full briefing file sent over shortly, along with a consideration fee -- even if your employer opts not to take the job they can retain the fee. All we ask in return is that the details we provide are kept confidential until such time as the dispute is successfully resolved." Or, to put it another, blunter way... hush money, pure and simple. With a single click a pair of files were sent along to Shoko-La's phone. "There we go, files and Lien are on their way. We thank you for your time and hope to do business with you. Have a good evening!"

Scarce minutes later Shoko-La would receive two files on her Scroll from Maria's number. The first was an anonymous pay-code she could use at any bank or ATM to cash out a not-insignificant sum of 5 million Lien -- a clear indication of just how valuable this job, and the secrecy it entailed, was. The second was an encrypted calling program tagged with the file name 'The_Lady_Requests_An_Audience'. It would ensure any further discussion was safe from digital eavesdropping...



(OOC: Since there's no canon explanation for Lien values, I tend to rely on this as my guide. By these calculations, 5 million Lien = $75,000 USD)

35
Finally, a stroke of some luck! Cordell spotted the escape vehicle even at a distance, her awareness as an engineer giving her plenty of clues even before the actual signage for the emergency pod came within reading distance. Now all they needed was --

And, as if on cue, the remaining crew rounded the corner. Cordell immediately nicknamed them 'blonde #2' and 'blonde #3' in her mind, with the two boys she'd semi-rescued already having been designated 'blonde' (now 'blonde #1') and 'ginger' moments before. This group pretty well shared the stereotypical Atlesian pale-and-fair thing, that was for certain, though none of them were rocking the whole 'crown of snow' white-hair bit, at least not quite. A glance across the two newcomers' gear and weaponry confirmed what she'd already guessed from Avery and Dorian: students, not sailors. Ye gawds, did that explain a few things.

In any case, they had a moment of calm and a shot -- narrowing with each passing second -- to make it through this mess. Three choices presented themselves. One: she could try to assert authority by taking four heavily armed and well trained Atlas students hostage using nothing more than two pistols and a cutlass... not a smart play. Two: try, without having the first bleeding idea as to the group's mission or standing orders, to convince them that it was best to work together and that they must all have common cause for braving this mad storm... which would take far far too much time and likely get all of them killed. And then, of course... there was option three.

"Name's Cordell -- smuggler, criminal, pirate." She deactivated and reeled back the blade of her cutlass... then turned it around and extended it handle-first for Avery to take. "An' I surrender. But let's deal with th' formalities once we're not in danger o' drownin', aye?" She nodded towards the pod.

36
The Vale Region / Re: A Walk In The Shadows (Inex, CLOSED)
« on: June 27, 2018, 05:56:39 PM »
Mozetti's Gelato struck Maria as a quiet, local place that was just a hint out of the way -- known by people from the area but not heavily trafficked, subtle without seeming covert, and with just enough of a crowd so that if the deal went sideways miss Petrichor could ensure Maria wouldn't try anything unpleasant. She had to give the girl credit, this clearly wasn't her first meet-and-greet.

Stepping inside, she glanced around and quickly spotted the only other woman in the room. Unless Amane was among those outside, or a master of disguise, this was her. A pleasant smile and a wave, as if greeting a friend, was cover for Maria doing her utmost to memorize every detail of her potential-accomplice's appearance... not knowing, unfortunately, that such an effort would be completely futile. Ordering a small cherry-vanilla in a dish, the understated young woman brought her ice cream over to where Amane was seated. "Miss Petrichor, I assume? I'm Julia Garnet, here on behalf of the Haema Foundation." Maria brushed away the hair from one ear so that her earring would be clearly visible, then extended her hand for a handshake.

37
Because I don't give the poor guy nearly enough action...

Huntsman's Bracket: Dr. Budonoki Sophos

38
The Vale Region / Re: Within Nature ~ Training [Nathan] (CLOSED)
« on: June 27, 2018, 05:16:08 AM »
  M U S I C ~ S H I F T 
Run
by Ross Bugden


The fox yipped eagerly, its earlier nervousness abated somewhat by the opportunity to help its rescuer. It ran over to the mouth of the small cavern, looked back Helena's way with a beckoning yip, and then bounded off through the forest leading the way for her.

The forest became a blur of crimson and brown as they ran, sticking under the densest canopies they could find along the way. The fox, just minutes before weary and wounded, now seemed nearly inexhaustible -- likely the result of its newly-awakened Aura at work. In the background, steadily rising in nearness and ferocity, were the periodic cries of a full-scale Nevermore that was out for blood. A few minutes after Helena and the fox had fled the site of the Grimm ambush there was a sound of distant trees snapping like toothpicks... then an avian cry of fury. The Nevermore had found whatever remained of the fledglings of its flock. An intense gust rippled through the forest as the monstrous bird shot skyward with all its strength, determined to find and kill, find and kill, find and kill...

39
Everywhere Else / Re: Bone of the First [SSMR]
« on: June 21, 2018, 05:34:23 PM »
Solar's aim had been true, and Suna had not only landed a direct hit but unmasked their culprit! Now, finally, they were getting somewhere. Clearing Solar's name (and by extension, his own) was a step further down the road, but this was certainly progress. Slowing his pace -- and keeping a wary eye on this mystery girl -- Sean kept his weapon out but not pointed as he took up a spot about seven feet from Suna and little miss swift-legs.

She 'didn't want to'... oh, how that phrase made the blonde's mind sour. If true, it meant this girl had been put up to this -- at the very least the 'running away' part, if not the 'attacking and framing a complete stranger' -- by someone else, and that meant the trouble was only just getting started. If it was a lie... well, proving it out would be troublesome in much the same way. "Look, kid, we're gonna need a lot more to go on than that. My friend, the one with the ram's horns? She's accused of attempted murder, and I ain't about to just let that slide. So... why don't you take a seat and explain all of this from the top, hm?" He cast a look Suna's way that basically said 'be careful of this one'; there was no way to know if all this was just an act, and the way she'd moved earlier suggested she wasn't just "some kid causing trouble for laughs".

40
The Vale Region / Re: The Hunter and the Hunted [CLOSED]
« on: June 21, 2018, 05:18:07 PM »
"Ah, very good question!" Hm, let me check my notes..." There was a sound of shuffling pages in the background of the call. "While they didn't precisely say as much, my best guess is either fire or electricity Dust. There are small privately-owned Dust mines in the region specializing in those two elements, and though they would most certainly sell off any prime material to the likes of the SDC they're sure to have low-grade leftovers available for villages like Pactois. A combination of the two elements would create the strongest glow in a homemade chalk stick, I'd say."

If Kisha tested out her theory, she would immediately see a gleam of light off to her right the moment she lit up her arrow's Dust. On the side of a boulder a symbol lit up in hues of sharp, bright orange: . From what Budonoki had sent her, the meaning was clear and simple: 'go this way', and it was pointing a clear route northeast.

The search was on!

41
An invitation inside? Cordell was both impressed and surprised -- impressed at just how gracious her host was, and surprised that he'd invite a known scoundrel aboard. She wasn't used to being asked to come aboard cargo ships, after all. Of course, there was a part of her that was wary of a trap... but she and Jackson were already in much the same boat metaphorically, so making it literal certainly wasn't a huge step. "Guess we be takin' this trust thing seriously then. All righty." She unclipped her cutlass from her belt and offered it to her fellow captain, followed by her pistols -- a gesture of good faith, as she doubted he was so trusting as to let her aboard armed. "I'll be on me best behavior, ye have me word. Dun be surprised if I gawk an' stare a tad at th' fancier bits o' yer vessel -- good engineerin' has a way o' catchin' me eye an' admiration."

Letting Jackson take the lead, Cordell fell into step behind him. What curious bedfellows an emergency above the high seas could make...

42
Introductions, birthdays, and departures. / Re: Hello!
« on: June 19, 2018, 06:05:38 PM »
Oh boy... that is a long tale to tell. ^_^;;

Short version is this: roughly 20 years, on and off. Got my start as a dumb kid writing terrible fanfiction who wandered into a competitive combat RP forum, got my butt kicked, and somehow managed to convince some fairly badass writers to teach me their word-ninja ways. It was a pretty aggressive forum where quality, writing style, and tactics were constantly getting compared and evaluated -- keep in mind, this was the heyday of DBZ and such, so things were a lot more "power level" driven and a lot less adventure/story focused. It was also the 90s and most of us were, predictably, young and confused back then... I doubt anybody back then really knew any better, honestly.

Since that point I've kinda been all over the place for various stints of time. AnimeLeague, back when they still did miscellaneous multiverse RPs, was one of the big ones. I've been on Kingdom Hearts and Soul Eater forums, original medieval fantasy, scifi, and superhero RPs, a pretty broad spectrum. You learn a lot from meandering across the "RPverse", not least about yourself. One thing I've discovered is that the more you know, the better you get as a writer, the more you realize that even the best of us have only just scratched the surface.

So... I guess that's your 'motivational thought' for the day. That, and "always have a landing strategy", but that goes without saying.  :P

43
Introductions, birthdays, and departures. / Re: Hello!
« on: June 17, 2018, 07:13:16 PM »
Ah, neat! Not really familiar with the Percy Jackson series myself (I'm vaguely aware that it's 'Greek mythology meets the modern world' but not really in the loop beyond that), but I can certainly appreciate a fandom with a taste for legends and lore of yore. That being the case, this is probably our first encounter. BTW, should you ever be in the mood to hear an old man rant and rave about how forum RP has changed over the last 20 years, lemme know!

... Ye gawds, I'm such a relic that Ozpin oughts put me in a vault. ~_~;;

44
Everywhere Else / Re: The Things We Do For Love [VCVS]
« on: June 17, 2018, 06:41:04 PM »
(OOC: Sorry about the delay on this -- wrote it up earlier in the week and then forgot that I hadn't posted it yet, so my bad.)


The sharp report of a sniper rifle going off was the first of three -- three sounds that, even each on their own, could've upended the entire situation in moments. As it was, however, they happened in such rapid succession that only the last one truly made an impact. Scarce seconds after Juno smashed through the warehouse's cheap concrete, no doubt drawing the attention of any remaining Fang who weren't attentive enough to be alerted by the rifle fire, the true thunder flooded the area.

Literal thunder.

The ignited primer fluid did what lightning Dust is known to do. At the moment of ignition there was a blinding flash, intense enough that even those looking away and closing their eyes shut still couldn't keep out the light entirely. Under normal conditions the resulting surge of electrical energy would've gone in all directions, at least at first. However concrete, like that in the building's floor and walls, is naturally a very good insulator -- though both, the walls especially, would he wracked by the pressure wave mere seconds later the lightning was orders of magnitude faster. In that opening blink, that minuscule fragment of time, the storm of lightning that Caja's impostor had unleashed had exactly one direction it could go: UP. And up it went, a single immense thunderbolt that literally tore the tin roof off and flung it, in hundreds of charred pieces, high up into the air. For one brief moment, heaven and earth were bridged by a jagged wound of searing white light. Then came the shockwave, pulverizing the walls into concrete chunks no bigger than a dinner plate. What nearby buildings still had windows saw them shattered, and a few abandoned cars ended up flipping end over end... and that wasn't all the damage, not hardly. When the smoke finally cleared, literally nothing remained of the warehouse -- the blast had loosened the stone it sat upon in a chain reaction, the concrete foundation sliding off the edge of the canyon and into the dark below. It was hard to imagine how the White Fang members who'd been inside could've survived.

Rory woke up sputtering and coughing from smoke inhalation perhaps a dozen feet from Juno. He didn't remember when he'd activated both his shields, but apparently he had; shaking loose some of the rubble that had landed on him, he glanced around and saw the state of the area. It really, seriously looked like a bomb had gone off. "Is... is everyone okay?"

"WHOO HOO! Are we having fun yet? Because I sure am!"

Striding out of the haze, Caja's doppelganger strode over to Juno and offered him a hand. "You've got questions, I'm sure. Now's not the time -- the police will be on their way here any moment and, to be frank, the chances of your lil' puppy-dog still being in one piece after you've convinced the cops of what happened... eh, not good, honestly." She -- or he, by the sound of the voice -- gestured towards a relatively undamaged building a good distance from the blast site. "I have a ride prepared, and once we're out of here you can decide if you're up to do business or prefer your rescuing chances as is, hero boy." He turned and began to walk, changing over to a near-perfect mimicry of Caja's voice to add "C'mon Juno, time's a wasting!" Followed by dry, chuckling laughter.

Managing to get to his feet, Rory pinged Sam and Verdant's Scrolls while making his way over to Juno. "Okay, I have no idea what we should do now. Any thoughts?" As if on cue, police sirens could be heard in the distance...

45
Everywhere Else / Re: Hunt for the Howling Storm {CLOSED}
« on: June 14, 2018, 06:00:13 PM »
AKEL & CORDELL


"Yer compassion's appreciated, trust me." Cordell took a slow, deep, steadying breath. As if on cue a small wisp of green haze began to emanate from Quisling's bound hands -- dissipating to nothing as the pirate gave the traitorous rodent a swift kick to the head, knocking him out cold. She smirked. "May not be at me best, but I ain't licked yet. Ye'd best see t' what's left o' th' fight -- no worries, I'll make sure this rat bastard don't slip his leash."

"By th' by,"
She added, scooping up Quisling's arsenal as she powered down her blade. "Lemme know if'n ye want any o' these, aye?"







SOLAR, INFRARED, RUST


Fallon was, at this point, beyond reason -- so blinded by fury and desperation that he didn't know when to quit. Even getting the wind momentarily knocked out of him by Rust only slowed his pace, and in that gasping, wheezing interlude he'd pulled out his pistol, quickly using the same blurring trick on it as his saber. Rust would have a difficult time deflecting or dodging the incoming three rounds, though they also weren't likely to do much to his Aura. Clearly, the lieutenant was just buying time to close the distance... though given Alizarin's specialty, he might well regret doing so.

With the feed from their machine gun abruptly getting turned back on them, the one remaining Fang Bullhead completely lost its initiative and seemed at a loss for how to respond. Bullet holes now pocked its hull and thruster housings, with one particular shot having splintered the armored glass of the canopy like a spider-web. After a clear moment of hesitation the ship began to veer aside, clearly intending to disengage and deploy the grunts on board -- this was the best opening Solar would get to take her shot and end this.




BATTLE:
ENFORCER ~ Lt.Fallon :: ██████▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫ [30%]
[Semblance effect: Melee strikes and pistol fire are more difficult to anticipate.]
[Lightning Dust effect on melee weapon.]

SABOTEUR ~ Agent Quisling ::▫▫▫▫▫▫ [0% - AURA BROKEN]
WHITE FANG BULLHEADS :: 1 Remaining {damaged, disoriented}

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