The Hope, The Hero
Parade Front, Core Gundam II (Hiroto Kuga)
Hiroto had been watching silently from his Gundam after Momotaro briefly responded to him, right up to the moment where Kanami brought up "true love's kiss."
Thankfully, no-one would see him blush inside his cockpit. Especially since, given how well "Yugi's" interrogation of the fake Princess had been progressing, it wasn't exactly the time to be joking about stuff like this.
Then again, given the whole deal with Alus, he's one to talk. Though he does want to speak to Yugi once everything is taken care of.
Spelunking through a Halo Ring is something else...
"NO!" The fake princess screamed, struggling against the rope around her waist. "STOP! LET ME GOOOO OOOH! "
As purple mist wafted from her sweating body like steam vapour, a startling metamorphosis occurred. What seemed like blushing at first soon turned her pale skin scarlet. Her nails went black and sprouted into sharp talons. Her arms rapidly bulked up, bursting through the sleeves, while her torso bulged and expanded to the point where it was a wonder the rope stayed on. Her wrigging feet disappeared into the dress as she lost half a foot in height. Long horns stretched from the top of her head, while her hair, now black and stringy, fell over her face. The Amanojaku brushed its hair out of its eyes with a snarl, and its true face was revealed- blocky and hideous, with blackened eyes, yellow pupils, and a mouthful of gnarled fangs.
The watching crowd gasped and drew back in shock, none more so than the Prince and his lordship. "Nante koto," cried the Prince, "I was almost married to that!"
Uriko clenched her fist and scowled through her tears. "I can't believe I called her my friend..."
"You ruined it!" the yokai snarled, "You ruined everything!" In one last parting shot, the beast swung at the air, sending a wave of black smoke hurtling in Yami Yugi's direction. Anyone hit with it would have their darkest thoughts overwhelming their mind.
AKA Nixer
Lara Croft: Parade Front
Lara, who had been waiting for this exact moment, acted immediately upon seeing the yokai's dark smoke heading towards Yami Yugi, and promptly shoved him out of harm's way with her body to instead place herself in its path. Honestly expecting pain, she was surprised instead that beyond the initial shock, she felt relatively unharmed. Apart from a wicked little voice in her head chanting for her to kill.
But then again, that wasn't too different from normal, and if anything it felt like a wonderful idea at that moment. Looking back up at the Amanojaku, she pressed her lips together, unholstered her other pistol, and promptly aimed both of her guns at it.
"Well, if you insist."
-BANG-
-BANG-
-BANG-
-BANG-
-BANG-
Five shots were all she could confidently fire off before she felt the urge to move, and so in an effort to avoid a counter-attack she attempted to dive out of the way into a roll and reposition herself a little further away from the parade. Of course, she might've misjudged her timing, and dodged away too late. Shooting this thing might've been a terrible idea. Or an excellent one and she'd look like an idiot for dodging out of the way of a corpse.
She didn't really know, which was actually rather exciting. This was something she hadn't encountered before, so as those dark thoughts clouded her mind, she found herself looking forward to whatever might happen here.
Edited by Enirboreh on Apr 24th 2024 at 12:24:34 PM
bork
The Light That Blinds
Magolor (Okinoka)
Magolor let out a horrified "No!" as the rope descended, throwing a hand out in some last ditch attempt to stop it—only for it to wrap around the imposter's wrists and not her neck, causing the mage to nearly collapse with relief.
Said relief was quickly subsumed by shock as the disguise fell away, revealing the amanojaku as some...demon-looking thing? (Part of Magolor internally snarked that, given the kinds of things he and his friends had seen, this monster was honestly fairly tame.)
"You ruined it! You ruined everything!"
As it fired its first attack, he could almost see the boss subtitles appear:
Magolor whirled around to the crowd and shouted, "Everyone get out of here! No need to panic, we'll handle this!" And then, taking advantage of being up close to the monster, he summoned a ball of magical energy and hurled it right at her face. "Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
Niiue
Parade Front
Agahnim did not react as the Amanojaku was forced to reveal its true form. And it wasn't just because he was unfazed by it. Truth to be told, he found the wickedness of its true form quite entertaining.
One of the other outsiders pushed this "Yugi" out of the way of the impostor's attack, falling victim to her darkest desires. How foolish. Despite how Lara becoming plagued with dark thoughts amused Agahnim, the dark wizard let nothing out, instead displaying concern.
"I would advise watching out for this friend of yours. This is no simple smoke. The demon is capable of influencing one's mind with twisted thoughts." Agahnim advised the others. He then turned his head towards the royal trio.
"But have no fear, my Lordships, my Lady. This will be over soon." he calmly said, staying close to protect them should the demon decide to attack them.
The cloaked priest's hands raised both arms in the air, aiming at the Amanojaku. He then fired surges of lightning bolts in its direction.
As this was happening, Ganon, in his bat form watched the Yokai from afar, hidden. He didn't intervene as his alter-ego followed the others into attacking the impostor. He somewhat felt disappointed by what he saw. It seemed he overestimated the Amanojaku's abilities. It couldn't possibly rival him.
Truth to be told, the Amanojaku reminded him of one of his own henchmen. Blind, a former Hylian thief whose greed turned him into a wonderfully wicked creature upon entering the Dark World, powerful enough to receive orders directly from the Prince of Darkness. Blind was also able to deceive others through shapeshifting.
Ganon's magic was alas, limited into this realm. But perhaps, this Yokai could prove an excellent servant to spread the Demon King's influence across this realm, assuming it was powerful enough to survive the upcoming onslaught.
Edited by Scipion3 on Apr 24th 2024 at 3:53:43 PM
"In this insane place, love is all that stands between us and the great beyond."
Fool From The Depths
Emporio, Okinoka Parade Front
Emporio's resolve hardened as the Amanojaku was forced to reveal her true form, the young child clenching his fists as Weather Report by his side did the same. Seeing her revealed in all her dubious glory, he knew he couldn't hesitate to act anymore.
"SHUT UP!!!" he shouted as loud as he could, hoping his yell would reach the Amanojaku. "Your time as ruler here is over! Now..."
He pointed accusatorily straight at the monster, his gaze a glare far fiercer than anyone his age should have been capable of mustering.
"It's time to walk the path of JUSTICE!"
The stormcloud above the palanquin finally released what it had been building up for so long now, unleashing a devastating lightning bolt that came crashing down right on the Amanojaku's head!
Something's Fishy Here...
You grit your teeth as you took witness of the abomination's transformation. Somehow a part of your broken mind found this familiar, but not a good kind of familiar. A familiar you loathe. You dislike. You felt betrayed and want to exterminate it at all costs. But right now you don't want it destroyed for your sick pleasure. You want it destroyed to make sure it can't do any further harm to those in this town.
Crackling lightning dances and flows from your scaled arms, as you tap into the Weave to create a mighty blast of thunder to strike down at this evil fiend.
"Tonitru!"
And with that, a mighty strike of lightning falls from the sky, working together with the blast the young boy has unleashed as well. Aimed right down at this changeling's position.
Edited by Darkomega245 on Apr 24th 2024 at 7:07:42 AM
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Okinoka, Parade Front
"Yep! Pretty soon this whole false bride trouble will just be a bad memory!" Kanami assured the royals - particularly the to-be-wedded couple - with a confident grin, even as the others rained all hell down on the youkai. "But don't let that spoil your special day! In fact, I'd say this makes your day even more special, since you've overcome so much to reunite with your love! Ooooooh, I'm so happy for you two! This is great! So, I know you probably need a little time to catch your breath after all this, but once you're ready, where is the ceremony being held? Do you mind if we attend? I know it's a little unusual to let people who are practically strangers be present, but I love weddings, and I'd be overjoyed to see the moment my friend Uriko-chan is finally married to her darling Prince!"
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Druid Dude
Lancer Cú Chulainn (still Mario Mario?), Okinoka Parade Front
In the semi-conscious mass of Spiritrons known as Lancer, he lazily watches the proceedings. He could fight the Amanojaku, ugly, Obviously Evil monster it is, but it's not very fun when several people are already ganging up on it.
What he is looking out for, however, is any effort for the Amanojaku to attack Uriko. If the monster does so, it would quickly find a gnarled, crimson spear racing toward its head as Lancer materializes out of thin air. The rest could handle themselves.
Edited by Jules-Firenze on Apr 24th 2024 at 9:20:36 PM
You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.
The Best Worst Psychonaut
Okinoka - Parade Front (She Shoots, She Scores!)
Mabel was at a loss at how to react to what she'd been told. Her every instinct was screaming that Mr. Hedgehog Head over here couldn't be trusted, an instinct that only got stronger when she saw the ropes descend and - oh sweet Moses, were they going to hang that creature? Sure, she said she wanted to see a revolution but she didn't want to see the executions! Well, really she didn't want there to be executions in the first place, dang intrusive thoughts...
The revelation that they weren't going to hang the creature was only a small comfort - she looked back at her brother, still frozen and pale as a ghost. She couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through his head. The thought that this was all her fault certainly wasn't helping her any. Could she even do anything when half the people here look like they could kill her as easily as kicking a little bunny rabbit? Oooohhhh, that was not a good mental image!
For the time being, she just stood there, unable to do anything but watch. Normally she'd turn to Dipper but right now he was even worse off. She hated that she couldn't do anything to help him. She wasn't stupid, she can't just hug the problem away. She can't even attack the bad guys in front of her because she honestly can't tell who the bad guy is!
And then the steam started erupting. ...Well, that answers that question.
"WEURGH!!" she instinctively recoiled as soon as she saw the 'princess' transforming into some squat little red devil critter. She really should be used to this by now, but it was somehow way more visceral (is that the right word?) than it had been with the Shape-Shifter. Loads more... icky stretching and splitting and odours. Blegh.
Mabel felt tears stinging her eyes - from the hot steam now in the air, the stank, and just the sheer distress she felt herself in... and as she closed her eyes, she felt something SLAM into her from behind.
Rolling along the ground, she seethed in pain as she felt her knee graze against the cobblestones, her sweater thankfully cushioning herself from the worst of the fall. As she fell, she turned around to see...
"Wh- DIPPER!" she yelled out, as she saw what just happened - the Armani Joker or whatever the hell its name is was blasting out some weird smoke, and her brother had rushed in and pushed her out the way! She tried to clamber to her feet, but she was too late - whatever the smoke was doing was already working its sick magic, as she saw Dipper curl up into a ball and shiver.
It was then, she felt something tap against her foot. She looked down - it was Dipper's crystal flashlight. Either he'd dropped it or he'd managed to push it over to her before he succumbed to the smoke.
Mabel bent down to pick it up. She spared her brother another look - she couldn't see his face, but she could make out something shiny on his arms, and he was audibly whimpering. The sight made her heart ache, but instead of falling to despair, she felt a white hot fury enter her veins. Her knuckles began to strain as she gripped Dipper's flashlight harder than any handshake she'd ever given (and that's saying a lot).
She glared at the red demon who dared reduced Dipper - Mason - her smart, resourceful, cool-headed brother - to this. She knew what needed to be done.
As the monster was distracted by the various attacks that came from all angles, she flipped the crystal around, experimentally switching the light on to check it was pink, meaning it makes things smaller. It was. Perfect.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she screamed as she charged the demon, casting the shrinking light on it, hoping to reduce it down to at least half her own height, if not more. Ideally the size of a football, whatever, she wasn't really thinking of the specifics.
When she got close enough, she dug in one heel to slide in, while winding up her other foot, taking a deep breath.
*PUNT*
She kicked the creature as hard as possible, hoping to send it flying into the nearest wall, or at the very least knock it over, leaving it easy pickings for everyone else's attacks.
"Sorry, but your reign's been CUT SHORT!! HAAAA!!"
Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Apr 25th 2024 at 9:26:16 AM
"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
Parade Front
When Chara next looked up to see what the true face of the monster looked like, he was not disappointed by how grotesque and disturbing it was. Nor was he surprised when it attempted to lash out at them with...smoke...
("If he was here, he'd be moving in to kill. Just like you taught him.")
("I'll bet he's out there right now, giving in and killing so he's not killed. Just like you taught him.")
("He's human. It's in his nature to kill. Just like you-")
Any further thought was drowned out by the sheer cacophony of noise that was damn near half the party attacking the Amanojaku, snapping Chara out of it and prompting him to step out of the smoke. As he bore witness to what was happening, he shook his head to try and clear his mind, stepping back so that he didn't get shot at or shocked or...shrunk? Okay, that was new.
After witnessing Mabel's actions, Chara's attention shifted to the other sibling, and his footsteps led him to stand next to the panicking boy. Before he knew what he was doing, the lad was crouching down and shaking Dipper's shoulder.
"Snap out of it." Chara told him, not caring to come up with anything more gentle than that.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Parade
While the Pharaoh was certainly prepared for a counterattack from the amanojaku, he was decidedly unprepared for Lara suddenly shoving him aside.
"Nngh! Lara! What are you-?"
He's cut off by Lara opening fire. And Magolor blasting the youkai himself. And Emporio and Durge unleashing lightning.
"I...suppose that's a solutio-"
"Yuge!"
Joey runs over to join Yugi, Flame Swordsman following behind. As Joey practically tackle-hugs Yugi and pulls him into a headlock, the Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman share a handshake between comrades.
"Joey! Let me...I can't...breathe...!"
He's doing this to the Pharaoh, mind you. Joey releases Yami, who takes a few gasping breaths.
"How da heck did we both wind up here, anyways?"
"I'm...unsure. It seems some mysterious force is responsible for our...displacement."
Their friendly conversation is interrupted by Mabel's enraged punt.
"...You, uh, want in on dat?"
"When in Rome, I suppose."
The two duelists hold their hands out towards the presumably-launched amanojaku, calling out to their respective ace monsters.
"Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!"
"Flame Swordsman! Salamandra Flame Strike!"
A blast of dark magic and a draconic maw made of raging flames erupt from the two Duel Spirits, converging in midair on the amanojaku.
This post is sponsored by Amalgam Comics.
The Hope, The Hero
Parade Front - Core Gundam II (Hiroto Kuga)
Hiroto is almost tempted to join in on the beatdown, but given that a lot of the others had already served justice upon the Amanojaku, there isn't really much point to adding his Core Gundam's firepower to the mix.
Of course, he silently smiles and looks aside from his cockpit at Kanami (and Agahmin)'s confident claim that they had nothing to worry about. There was something oddly humourous about the <Monk> discussing the wedding while everyone else was doling out justice to the Amanojaku.
Speaking of, he just barely manages to spot the she-devil being launched into the air after being shrunk. Yep, they're fine, and the airborne Earth Armour gets a command from Hiroto to stay clear of the attack from both Joey and Yugi. Which it does, as it flies over everyone present.
Spelunking through a Halo Ring is something else...
Crazy dave at the parade.
Seing from a fair distance all the stuff that developed from the amanojaku he knew he had to contribute somehow, he looks back at the plant that he used to blockade himself in Penny and pointed at the yokai.
"Alrigthy, Melon pults fire!"
The melon pults in question obeyed the comand as each catapulted watermelons at the monster with enough power to break bone and enough accuracy to not hurt anyone else but the designated target.
The Best Worst Psychonaut
Okinoka - Parade Front (How NOT To Calm Someone Down)
As Mabel celebrated her ruthless assault on the Amanojaku, her brother was... a little preoccupied. Already in a bad spot from the mere possibility that Dipper's old tormentor - the one who took advantage of him, tricked him, stole his body and damn near killed him and put the entire town at risk, all thanks to him and his stupid curiosity and his stupid distrust of his own family - had somehow followed him here to torment him some more had filled him with dread.
It was palpable, like he felt physically ill at the possibility, and what made it even worse was what had happened since then - a horrible feeling in his gut told him he was weak and his newfound distrust left him even more vulnerable to the demon's manipulations. It was a cocktail of dark thoughts waiting to overwhelm him, and if it weren't for Mabel's presence keeping him grounded, he'd start to wonder if what he was seeing was even real. After all, even by this summer's standards, it was weird...
Really, throwing himself into the path of the shapeshifting youkai's attack hadn't much of an effect on him - as someone he knew once said, 'you can't break what's already broken'. All he could feel like doing, as pathetic and cowardly as it was, was just to hope, to pray it would be over soon.
But then something shook him by the shoulder, and in an instant, his mind turned to different thoughts.
He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing a rosy-cheeked kid roughly his own age, similar to Mabel in a few ways but just different enough to set off the uncanny valley reaction. Perhaps feeling as though he had nothing to lose, his fight-or-flight reflex kicked in... and it chose fight. Without even thinking, his fist flew straight for the other kid's face.
Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on May 11th 2024 at 7:41:20 PM
"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
Parade Front
Chara had expected a few different possibilities of what would happen once he tried to get the boy his own age to snap out of his stupor. Getting punched in the face was on that list, so while he wasn't surprised, it was still not the outcome he would have chosen.
Thus, Chara was slugged but good in the face...and remained standing, staring down at Dipper even as his face ached from the impact. The urge to retaliate was there, definitely, but...well. He knew what it had been like being in that state of mind. He supposed he could excuse it this one time. If Dipper tried again, though, Chara wouldn't be so lenient.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Lara took the brunt of the yokai's dark attack. A malicious grin started to form on the creature's hideous face, but anything like glee or menace quickly disappeared when Lara turned around and raised her weapons with hate in her eyes.
"Oh, poop."
-BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG- The shots seemed to echo around the city as the Amanojaku's belly was filled with lead. This was quickly followed by Magolor's magical blast to the face and THREE bolts of lightning from Durge, Emporio and Agahnim. A sudden beam from a crystal flashlight shrank the creature, dropping it from the noose as Lancer's spear zoomed over its head and thudded into the palanquin. The overcooked creature could hardly get its bearings when it was suddenly sent flying by the boot of a twelve-year-old girl, bouncing off the palanquin's front-left pillar. The creature hadn't hit the ground before it was struck with a double whammy of Dark Magic Attack and Salamandra Flame Strike, and then finally punted by a watermelon back down to the foot of the palanquin.
A short moment of silence followed. Then, the lifeless, luckless body of the amanojaku dissipated into a cloud of smoke and cinders, fizzling away into the air. All that remained was the tatters of a beautiful shrunken wedding dress. It'd need some serious sewing done, but maybe someone could dress up a doll in it.
The crowd, driven back by Magolor, stood staring in stunned silence. The palace retinue gathered their wits and looked about. As the dark haze cleared from their minds, they stared up at the spot where the imposter who'd bullied them all morning had been summarily humiliated and annihilated...then started to clap. First it was a few servants, then some of the commoners, then the guards, and before long the entire street had erupted into a round of applause for these strange new heroes.
It took a while, even with palace servants working full tilt, but all the wreckage from the procession was eventually cleared away. Not long after, a new message was announced by attendants to all the public places in Okinoka. After taking some time to recover, they said, the bride and groom have decided to not postpone today's wedding. However, this would now be a small, private affair, with immediate friends and family members only in attendance, as was originally planned. There is, however, still the matter of all the food, decoration and other decadent affairs already ordered by the impersonator. Therefore, as compensation to the people of the city for their time and trouble, the daimyo has ordered that a great luncheon will take place at the centre of town. EVERYONE not attending the wedding is invited, and the heroes that dealt with the Amanojaku will be the guests of honour.
Within minutes, the citizens of the city thronged to the city centre. It was at a great grove of trees, with the white roof of Okinoka Castle looming overhead, a plum grove to the east, and a shrine to the west. There, great long tables had been laid out in a circle around the area, and at the centre was a stage ringed with beautiful flowers, where graceful dancers twirled with silk ribbons. The tables were packed with peasants gorging themselves on sumptuous wedding food, but the section of the table facing the castle was reserved for all the strange folk who had found themselves brought to this new world.
This included Kanami. While Uriko was grateful to her and the others for making the proper wedding possible at all, they wanted the real wedding to be a small, quiet affair (and, the daimyo gruffly noted, a wedding with Kanami in attendance would be anything BUT quiet) So, having declined the offer of letting the heroes attend, Uriko instead kissed Kanami on the cheek, and promised that they'd talk again after the ceremony was over.
Now, at last, the whole drawn-out affair with the Amanojaku was over. It seemed there was nothing left for the party to do but enjoy the food, and finally get to know one-another.
AKA Nixer
Lara Croft: City Centre
"Well, wouldn't you know? Guns do solve some problems."
This remark had been given by Lara once she had seen the celebrations herself, as she had severely doubted the reception that she and the rest of the interdimensional castaways would receive after the whole ordeal. Thankfully, gratitude seemed to have won out over resentment, despite the fact that the townsfolk would've been wholly justified in hating them all for the destruction that had been caused. However, Lara's cynicism was soon tempered by the smell of delicious food and the bright colours of the dancers, and she found herself smiling slightly as the tension began to leave her body.
"Ah, isn't it lovely...? Just for a moment... everything feels as if it'll be alright. I even feel motivated to apologise for my behaviour earlier. I'm a very high-strung lady, especially in life-or-death situations. It's not often I get to relax so thoroughly..."
Perhaps the change in clothes had helped. During the preparations for the feast, Lara had asked for a new dress, primarily because she felt it would be inappropriate to attend in her by now sweaty and dishevelled modern attire. Not wanting an extravagant outfit, she had instead opted for a simple red dress, which she made sure was fitted in what she referred to as her 'local' style, which was just a more form-fitting cut reflective of her modern sensibilities. So she still stuck out a little in the crowd, with the new dress hugging her form instead of hiding it, though it was still made of the available fabrics. Thankfully, it had just been an existing dress for she had requested modifications, so by the time the feast was prepared it was more than ready for her to wear.
The other outfit was being cleaned out, of course, as much as possible. The unfamiliar materials had been a problem at first, but she'd given the launderers some instructions on how to handle it. The whole thing had been the last bit of stress for Lara until the party itself.
She still had her weapons holstered under her dress. Accessorisation was in fashion, after all.
"For a moment towards the end, we really did manage to work together. Impressive, all things considered, though I wonder if we can replicate it."
bork
Fool From The Depths
Emporio, Okinoka Celebration
After everything with the Amanojaku had died down, Emporio was initially planning to disappear back into the shadows of the alleyway where the other demon slayers had first found him...until he'd heard that there would be a celebration, complete with a great banquet. His stomach had rumbled, and his mouth had watered at the thought. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in a long time...
Sure enough, the blonde boy turned up to try the food, and the instant he bit into one of the available meals, his taste buds exploded with sensation.
"MMMMMMMM! This is...this is incredible!" he cried as he began to devour the pie (or loose equivalent to it anyway) with the speed and ferocity of a wolf consuming its prey, though his words were somewhat muffled by all the food he was stuffing into his cheeks. "Is this really what they give to heroes here?"
Something's Fishy Here...
You did not expect this situation to be resolved in such...peaceful ways. At first one would think you'd need to convince the citizenship about what happened, and instead now they are cheering you all and celebrating like a hero.
...And not like the monster you are.
"Adventurers have to be compensated for their deeds somehow. In my world, it's more gold than food, atleast." You spared a small answer towards the blonde human boy before you took some food for yourself and went off to a corner of the party that is rather lacking in people. You aren't exactly sure if you are good company for everyone else in here after...all that has happened.
You spared a few glances to the other people in the party before you then went to ravenously eat the steak you had like some wild chromatic dragon. While the taste of the meat was excellent, something about your mind felt it did not compare to...a more exotic and sentient taste of meat.
...You quickly shut that thought from your mind. It is for the best the Urge does not have a presence in this. You are here to rest, after all.
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Okinoka Celebration
During the feast, Coppelia could be seen with a plate piled high with local delicacies... although oddly enough, no meat there! Maybe she was a vegetarian. Kanami, meanwhile, was tearing into all kinds of things with gusto, taking a bite of one then and then another, and then a sip of something else, though she was definitely savoring the meal and letting the flavors blend. Taking a brief break to look about and soak in the sights and sounds of her fellow festival-goers - for what could this be called, but a festival? - she sighed in deep contentment.
"Oh, no worries, Lara; it's all good!" she replied to Lara with a beaming smile at the British woman's remarks, waving dismissively. "I shoulda known some of us would be transported to this funny little world of ours from more stressful situations than others of us, you know? I guess I just forgot because I've been here for a year already! ...Geez, time flies! Still, I'm glad casualties were so low!"
"Kyahahaha! You should see your face, Kiddo!" the <Monk> imparted to Emporio moments later, laughing heartily as he stuffed his gullet. "Slow down a little! If you eat too fast, it'll come right back up, and that won't be pleasant! Your food's not going to sprout legs and run away, okay? Haha!"
That said, after thinking for a few seconds more, she clapped for attention, and more importantly, raised her voice, which was hard to miss, even with all the sounds of the hubbub about:
"Attention, Guests of Honor! I'd just like to say: great job out there, everyone! With your help, Uriko-chan's wedding is back on track, and the land is saved from the scourge of a particularly nasty monster! Victory feels great, don't it?! But what I actually came to this continent for was to investigate how you, me, and all of us got transported to this planet in the first place! So, in pursuit of that, I think it's best if we stick together for a while! And if we're going to be together for a while, that means we need to get to know each other!
"So, I'll start! My name is Kanami Minagawa. I'm a 27-year old, happily married Japanese-Italian mother of one sweet little angel of a girl, and I've been here for one year! One second I was waiting with bated breath for the latest expansion pack for my favorite MMO to drop, and the next, I was in this world, across the sea on the continent of Atlantis, which is sort of analogous to Rome in the cultural sense, and America in the hegemony sense! Since I figured being transported here had something to do with the game update, and the update would only have been implemented on the Japan server, I figured I would travel to here, the Japan equivalent to investigate! Along the way, I picked up 'Pelia! Introduce yourself, 'Pelia!"
"Coppelia is Coppelia, and Mistress Kanami is her Mistress," the armored maid announced, standing and bowing stiffly to those assembled. "She is pleased to meet you all. If you require healing, please allow her to assist you."
"'Pelia and I are <Adventurers> in the language of the MMO I was talking about, and the game seems to be based in part on the history and happenings on this planet, so not only am I somewhat familiar with how things work around here, but since we merged with our Player Character bodies, we now have superhuman abilities!" Kanami continued explaining. "I'm a <Monk>, which means I'm meant to punch and kick good, move fast, and intercept attacks headed for allies! 'Pelia is a <Cleric>, which means she can heal pretty much anything! Ain't that right, 'Pelia?!"
"That is correct, Mistress."
"So, that's about it for us! Tell us about yourselves, new friends!" the enthusiastic blue-eyed woman all but demanded.
Edited by darksidevoid on May 14th 2024 at 1:39:56 PM
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Niiue
cop!!Parade->City Center
"...And so the sun sets on this wicked creature." Agahnim solemnly said as the impostor dropped dead. The priest stared at the corpse, impassible. Much further away, a certain hidden bat was also looking at it.
Unlike his alter-ego, Ganon's eyes were filled with contempt.
What a worthless servant. May she rot in the afterlife. he thought. He had no use for a weak creature who could be felled so easily. At least, that made one unfaithful nuisance out of the way, and it had been the perfect occasion for his puppet to start earning the trust of the leaders of this city, as well as those other outsiders.
Ganon considered the options in front of him. Access to the royal family was tempting of course, it wouldn't be the first time Ganon would manipulate royalty to get what he wanted. But perhaps it would be unwise to do so, especially since the Amanojaku pulled this trick so recently.
And those outsiders... some of them showed promises. They could succeed where the Amanojaku failed and become potential heralds, who would spread the Demon King's message in this world.
Having seen enough, the bat left the city, going for the nearest recluse and shadowy place he could find. He would bide his time and wait for the opportunity to directly approach some of these people again once they would be out.
Hours later, his alter-ego had been dragged into this feast, a pointless, yet necessary act to blend in further. With a calm face, at least from what little people could see through his robes, the priest was eating and drinking seldom, at a calm, dignified rhythm, contrasting the like of Emporio who was eating ravenously. He didn't completely understand everything from Kanami, words like "MMO" completely flew over the wizard's head, but he politely nodded at her.
"An excellent initiative, lady Minagawa. Allow me to introduce myself, then. My name is Agahnim. I am a priest versed in the magical arts, native of the kingdom of Hyrule. This land was blessed long ago by the sacred touch of the three Golden Goddesses, and has prospered ever since." Agahnim said, bowing slightly.
He would have explained further when he noticed Durge slipping away. His eyes narrowed a bit.
The occasion was perfect.
"It seems our draconic friend does not feel so well despite the festivities. You may continue feasting, I will ensure he is well." Agahnim said, getting up from his seat before disappearing into the crowd.
The dark priest silently moved as a shadow, arms hidden in his large sleeves, until he finally found his prey in a remote corner, devouring some meat. And like a shadow, Agahnim approached until he was behind.
Underneath his cloak, the wizard briefly smiled wickedly before reassuming his calm, dignified facade.
"You certainly have a gluttonous appetite, sir Durge. I suppose it is appropriate for such a joyous moment. And yet, you would not celebrate it with us?" Agahnim suddenly yet softly said.
Edited by Scipion3 on May 14th 2024 at 9:56:43 PM
"In this insane place, love is all that stands between us and the great beyond."
City Center (Yugi and Joey)
Yugi's personality has since changed back to his quiet, reserved self. Gone is the confident demeanor and upright posture, replaced with a more timid, introverted young man sitting next to his...rather boisterous friend. Joey wastes absolutely zero time digging into the spread of food, rivaling even Emporio's pace in the process. Yugi, meanwhile, seems content with filling one plate and eating like a normal person. He seems lost in thought until Kanami speaks up. Joey leans in to whisper at Yugi after nearly choking upon hearing her.
"Da cute fightin' girl's a mom? Coulda fooled me."
"Wh-Joey!"
"What? Older chicks can be hot, too. A true gentleman don't judge."
"I will never understand you sometimes..."
Joey speaks up first.
"Da name's Joey Wheela! I'm a duelist from Domino City. See, where my pal Yuge an' I are from, dere's dis card game called 'Duel Monstas,' and it's kind of a big deal. Yuge and I play all da time, an' I guess sometin' about dis place lets us make our cards real. Personally, I was a finalist in da last major tournament, 'Battle City,' and I was da runner up at da big one before dat, 'Duelist Kingdom.' Ya need some cards played or skulls cracked, I'm ya guy."
Yugi waits for Joey to finish before introducing himself.
"Yugi Muto, uh...same as Joey, for most of that. We're friends, from the same city. I was in those tournaments, too...the winner, actually. I've got a deck of my own, so I can help the same way Joey can...minus the 'skull craking.' I'm not much of a fighter."
It seems like he's done, until Joey gently elbows Yugi in the arm and not-so-subtly points at his necklace.
"...O-oh, right! I almost forgot! I should probably explain the...'other me.' We call him 'the Pharaoh' or 'Yami.' He's the one who did that, uh...shadowy trick earlier, the one that exposed the amanojaku. He doesn't know much about his past or...really who he is, but we can trust him. The Pharaoh's helped get us out of plenty of tough spots before. He sort of shares my body - when I let him, he doesn't just...possess me, that'd be bad - so he's kind of here right now. He's just not talking at the moment."
"It takes a bit ta get used to, but ya kinda start to just be able ta tell when it's Yuge ya talkin' to, or when it's da Pharaoh, or sometimes both at da same time."
Edited by ZodanTheUnbounceable on May 14th 2024 at 6:09:28 AM
This post is sponsored by Amalgam Comics.
AKA Nixer
Lara Croft: Okinoka Celebrations
"Already I have to acknowledge how colourful this cast of characters truly is," Lara couldn't help but mention, taking particular notice of Yugi's explanation as well as Kanami's, which she felt that Alister would've had a severe fit over hearing. "I suppose my story isn't so extraordinary, excluding recent events. My name is Lara Croft, daughter of Lady Amelia and Lord Richard Croft of Abbingdon Estate. I've always had a keen eye for... well, let's say 'pushing the envelope,' and so I find myself a zealous explorer—and, quite frankly—a plunderer of ancient crypts. To... summarise my latest ventures, I was pursuing the matter of my mother, who has been missing for quite a long while. It involves prehuman conspiracies, curious supernatural artefacts, and a venture into the Norse underworld armed with Thor the thunder-god's infamous hammer Mjolnir. Which, I suppose is the point where I'd lose most if not all of you, and I hope serves to demonstrate just how bloody difficult it is to explain my life to people outside of my fold."
Typical British sarcasm aside, her wry smirk twitched and faded somewhat as she lowered her gaze towards the table, picking at her food uncomfortably.
"Though... I can say for certain that my difficult attitude before now had a very particular reason. After I had found my mother in said Norse underworld... she was little more than an animated corpse, with no soul or chance of recovery. So I... felt the need to euthanise her. To make matters worse, shortly before then, a close ally of mine was shot dead by a duplicate of myself, of all things. His very last words to me were promising that he'd see me again in the afterlife. I'm... afraid I didn't find him there... and if my mother was any indication of the state that he might have been in, well I... I'm somewhat glad that I didn't meet him again after all."
She finally looked up, her face cold and her eyes fierce with determination and a burning fury that could only come from someone who had suffered so recent of an injustice.
"Naturally, I took out all of that pain onto the Amanojaku. So, in an ideal world, this would be the start of my recovery. Of course, we don't live in an ideal world, nor is this my world. So whatever happens from here on... well, we'll have to see, won't we? My main objective as of now is to find the two artefacts that went missing from my possession upon my arrival here. The segmented sword Excalibur, once belonging to the legendary King Arthur, and the hammer and equipment of Thor, the thunder god. I suppose they might be somewhere, but considering they're the only ties I have to my home, I'm rather... compelled to find them, to grossly understate the matter."
Edited by Enirboreh on May 14th 2024 at 11:50:05 AM
bork
Okinoka, Parade Front
"Oh, sorry about that, Your Lordship!" Kanami chirped with a little bow toward the Emperor's brother. "We'll be sure to address you properly!"
"Coppelia apologizes for addressing you incorrectly, Your Lordship," Coppelia intoned quietly, giving him another curtsy of her own.
"Well, you know the one tried and true way to break wicked enchantments on one's love according to old stories, right~?" Kanami suggested to Uriko moments later with a mischievous smile as the youkai's influence over her victims' minds was brought up. "True love's kiss, isn't it~?"
Granted, given that youkai's disguise was dissolving as she spoke, they might not need to break the enchantment the old-fashioned fairytale way for much longer!
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs