Cross Effects 3.0 - November 16, 2014—April 13, 2015

[Elf]

Forest

The blond ignored the voices as much as she could.  Especially the one admiring her ass.

Forest grabbed a pair of jeans, boxers, socks, and a hoodie, all in black, as well as a few towels for her guest in a room that was basically a closet full of different size clothing.  There was men's women's, and children's clothing in there, as if she was planning something to happen.  It was stocked in case someone needed it, someone like him.

She then lead him onto the third floor and to a bathroom.  It was stocked with shampoo, conditioner, shaving equipment, soap, deodorant and other toiletries.  She said, "Here you go.  There's also an empty bedroom next door you can use too."

[Panda]

"Once more," Adjutor says, accepting the clothing, "My thanks for your hospitality. When would it be convenient for you to discuss the terms of my repayment for your generosity?"

As he says this, he takes quick stock of the bathroom, and finds it to be rather...luxurious.

In all fairness, you tend to be able to appreciate modern tech after living in the medieval ages for so damn long.

The hell are all these things, anyway? I mean, we stayed at your "home" for around a month, and I don't remember half this stuff

Well, that's probably because our hostess here, who I'm fairly sure heard you admiring her ass just now, is quite well off.

Ho- oh wait she's a telepath.

"I would like to apologize for Xarrest's rudeness, as it is quite apparent he can't apologize on his own."

Lies! Blatant lies!

[Elf]

Forest

Forest blinked at Adjutor and said, "You really don't have to repay me for my 'generosity'.  I know what it's like to need help and not get it.  It sucks and I really don't like it when others go through the same bloody thing."

She heard his thoughts about "medieval ages" and then chuckled about his apology.  "Well apparently he isn't the first one to think that so . . .  Do you need to know how to work the plumbing?"

[Cherry Lover]

Rider smiled at her master as she sat at the table next to her master and began to eat the delicious food in front of her, savouring every bite as Vanguard started to speak.

"But Rider... your body didn't dematerialize. It was there all along", Vanguard said.

Odd. I guess his vision is such that he sees only our spirits, and not our physical bodies, she thought.

Then, he began to explain his past, the tale of how he had defied the gods to protect his home. Rider listened intently as he explained how he had come to be the guardian of the citadel, how he had protected it from dark forces, only to see the gods theirselves turn on the citadel out of petty jealousy at not being worshipped as they desired. How he had resisted the will of the gods to the very end, and how they had "rewarded" his brave defiance with an eternity trapped in a suit of armour, able only to fight to protect anyone he could find.

Rider smiled somewhat at Sakura's animated reactions, the way she slumped when she heard of his failure and the bittersweet smile she gave on hearing of how he had ended up as he was. Rider, on the other hand, whilst listening intently, showed little emotion at the story. It wasn't that she didn't find it somewhat moving, although, to her, the real tragedy was the destruction of the citadel at the hands of the jealous and selfish gods rather than his doomed attempt to fulfill his "duty" even well after the people he had been protecting were gone. She was simply not a very emotional person.

Still, despite that, she could empathise with him. Whilst his focus on duty was different to her determination to protect those she cared for, she could understand the lengths he would go to to protect the citadel, and could recognise that he had been determined to make up for his failure by protecting others, just like she was determined to protect Sakura because she had failed to do so for her sisters.

"...All of this amounted to my ascension. Even as the world had ended, it seems the gods were somehow moved by my very struggle. Thus they kept me alive and sealed me in this decadent body, a body that is but a memento of my one failure. I was frozen in the great ices for millennia, awaiting a sign that would announce my return", he said, concluding his story.

"And then I was called upon this plane and era, you know the rest."

After a long pause, Sakura finally spoke.

"Vanguard, your tale is an epic for the ages, I hope the people of your world sung of it for generations. But, I have a question. Do you have any regrets? Anything at all, great or trivial? Did you lose anyone precious while you tried to protect them?"

Rider smiled at her master's words, then spoke herself.

"Indeed, your story of the destruction of your citadel is truly tragic. And, your willingness to stand up to jealous and selfish gods in defence of those you cared for is truly inspiring.

Tell me, though, did the gods truly see your current state as a reward, or was it simply a way for them to punish someone who dared to stand up to them in a way that they thought was fitting for your "crime"? The gods that I knew were certainly fond of such ironic punishments for anyone who dared defy their will."

[Kat]

Deborah

Not familiar with city's layout, all Deborah could was search blindly for anything that would do as a temporary shelter. After a while, she decided that a basement was still preferable to spending time in sewers. She had to break and enter first into a one. Blocks of flats tend to have community shared ones with rooms where the sunlight could not reach. The only issue was what she would do if one of denizens stumbled on her. She did not mind food walking on her, but disposing of the body without proper ingredients would be a hassle. If it was place where such human would be only living inhabitant she would just ghoul it, but otherwise she prefered to not leave witnesses.

Technically, breaking and entering was a sin, but she was deeply convinced that any deed done to preserve God's chosen one was morally justified.

Deborah gained entrance into a basement, found a proper room to sleep away incoming daytime, but she was not aware of the fact she left enough evidence behind that her temporary hideout could be discovered.

[Panda]

"At the risk of sounding insensitive, I admit that we've gone through something...similar," Adjutor says, suddenly finding the floor tiles very interesting, "Regardless, I insist that you let us repay you for letting us stay in your home. All I ask is a time when we can discuss the terms of said compensation."

Please don't tell me you're thinking of-

Letting her drain some blood off us? Why not? It's probably been a while since the last time she's fed, considering that Robo-Golem probably used some kind of thermal array to figure out that she was a vampire. If she's anything like Orthosian vampires, then her ability to emulate a human appearance is dependent on how much blood she has in her, so she's probably pretty low at this point. In any case, better that she drains us, as we can recover easily enough and won't have to worry about her being forced to snack on someone else out of desperation and accidentally taking too much.

Pretty sure that she would have better control than that.

As am I, but why take the risk? She seems like a decent person, considering that she just took in two squatters, one of whom was openly hostile to her.

Wait, why are we having this discussion right in front of her? She can hear us!

And? Not like it really matters if she can hear us.

"It's okay," Adjutor says, "I'm from a dimension kinda like this place, only minus all the supernatural stuff, so I'm familiar with this sort of stuff. Pretty boring place, but it has its benefits."

Question is, does she mean that I'm not the first one to have admired her ass? Or that I'm not the first one to have been baffled by all this...stuff

Likely the former.

Well, at least the people around here are not without decent taste.

...

Embarrassed? There's no probl-

Shut up!

With a mental pop, Xarrest finds himself in a metaphorical time-out box.

Now stay there and think on your sins!

You really need to start being a bit more honest with yourself.

And you need to learn some restraint!

[SINIB]

Faust

"How grizzly? Murders are fairly common here, especially in the bad areas. It's sad, but many people without powers die here. There are only so many tricks someone can utilize. It's gotten a bit better recently, but it's probably just the calm before the storm." Faust said to Mordred in a matter of fact tone.

[YOLF]

Butler

Butler crooked his neck to look at his own wings thoughtfully, and turned back to Wiseman with a nod.

"A whim or two to answer are not unwelcome parts of my job," he said in a light tone. "But be as it may, you have a point. I shall leave you to your rest then."

With formal haste, Butler got up from his seat and collected their cups and plates. Dismissively, he waved a hand and his wings of heart twitched before retracting and disappearing; and taking the tray he gave the sorceror a moderate bow.

"It was an enjoyable time. Have a good night, Wiseman." And with that declaration, he vanished.


Sarse

Sarse shook his head at Than'Sanel's question, "I do not know what it was." Nor do I want to, he left unsaid.

The seraph turned to look at Ann with hard eyes, and said, "If my sword did not kill it, then there is little chance anything else I do will."

His vessel was wounded, but all things considered they were negligible bruises. His mind was too focused on the remains of the enemy he did not want to comprehend, that he only knew was beyond his capacity to destroy. In any other situation, he would have sealed it and delegated the matter to his Superior. But this was not an option in the Nexus. He knew there were possibly more dangerous things around - from what he had seen so far the danger of the inhabitants of the Nexus was second only to their variety.

But it was not a matter of power. It was because he had faced something that should not be, and he would only be assured if he could destroy it. And if there was one with him in that moment that could achieve it, it was Death.

"I want you to do so," he started. "If you can, that is."

[Kat]

Mordred

"How grizzly? Murders are fairly common here, especially in the bad areas. It's sad, but many people without powers die here. There are only so many tricks someone can utilize. It's gotten a bit better recently, but it's probably just the calm before the storm." Faust said to Mordred in a matter of fact tone.

"I never had a chance to have a close look, but I'm sure blood and body parts where splattered everywhere. The one who did it must have been animalistic in behavior or really fucked up in the head." Mordred explained to Faust what hunch she had about the nature of the perpetrator.

[MissingMandible]

Corporal Mathew Blackburn:

"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled while grabbing his spare fatigues and undergarments from the rucksack. Mathew then proceeded to the bathroom, following Noel's instructions. He's got the feeling that kowtowing was going to be the norm during his stay in the Nexus.

Flipping on the lights, he saw that Noel's obsession with all things cute has carried over in here. The toilet lead cover was pink and fluffy, the towels on the hanger had puppies on them, the shower curtains looked softer than any blanket he had ever used, and whatever that thing on the counter was was quite feminine. He can feel his masculinity dropping just by being in here...

But the concept of an actual hot shower won out. He hadn't bathed in a week, and something fairly relaxing was a luxury denied to him until now. Mathew closed and locked the door behind him, then he placed his spare clothes on the counter next to the sink. The Dragoon's filthy fatigues were cast off a moment later, followed by the shower being turned on. Mathew waited a moment, then went in.

The warm water was one of the best feeling he had ever experienced in recent memory, washing away two weeks worth of ash, dried blood, soot, sweat, and residue. It was as if his body was being cleansed of all the hardships it endured.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

"Regret...", the knight muttered under his breath, an almost inaudible gasp.

"No, I do not know of such thing. While the path I took was one of many hardships, not once did I ever regret my decisions. To do so would be to doubt myself and those who believed in me, and such an insult would forever disgrace my soul."

Lowering his head, almost in shame, he pondered on his past. Frozen for countless millennia, the memories constantly tore at his heart of hearts, he could remember the gods' savage cruelty like it was but yesterday.

A faint laugh could be heard from beneath the hollow shell of metal.

"In the end, I did fail in my duty. My name has been disgraced, everything I held dear fell before my very eyes. All I can curse is my powerlessness in time my people needed me the most..."

And then Rider inquired as well, asking him about wether the gods's gift wasn't in fact a curse. Had he any lips, an ironic smirk would've formed on his face by now. Instead, all he could muster was a faint chuckle.

Jealous, selfish... you're not too far off.

Holding onto his chest with a cold metal hand, he exclaimed with a sarcastic, almost mocking tone.
"Of course not, the gods can do no wrong in the world. Surely this great body crafted with the scattered remains of my city were meant to be but the greatest of honours. I have been granted what men would've slain countless of their brethren for: immortality!"

Holding out his arms in a theatrical manner, he faked bliss, an insult not to Rider, but to his fate itself.
"Could there be any greater joy to be found?", he asked defiantly.

Growling, Vanguard's voice took a darker, serious turn.

"Don't fool yourself. It matters not wether the gods saw this predicament as a punishment. Do you believe they were unaware of my grief as I was forced to abide to their will, to do their bidding and be cast aside when they had no longer use for me?"

[SINIB]

Sakura vaguely continued listening to Rider and Vanguard speak, instead silently finishing her food up and thinking to herself. I wonder if I’ll ever find Shirou... I found Rider, I can’t give up hope! I just can’t! She shook her head and stood up. “I’m sorry, I have something to do. Please don’t stop your conversation because I leave.” Sakura quickly left the house and began walking around, asking passersby if they’d seen a magnificent man with white hair and blue eyes.

[SINIB]

Noel

Noel watched to make sure Mathew went into the bathroom before nodding, and running to the kitchen.

“All right, it’s time to cook!” Noel said. “He’s counting on me, and I plan on delivering!” She pumped her fist, and quickly put on her apron and tied up her hair. “I’ll use the best ingredients I have!”

Noel threw open the refrigerator and pulled out a variety of food items. “Hmmm, lets see... squid, beef steaks, fish, eggs, oh! Peppers look good!” Noel placed them all on the counter and moved over to the pantry. “And what shall I use from here. Ah! Potatoes, I can chop them up and serve them as chips! Potato chips are good. That will make an excellent side dish.” Noel also pulled out a huge sack of flour.

After getting all the ingredients ready for the feast she was preparing, she went to work. She doused everything in hot chili oil and rolled them in flour. Then, she threw it in a pot filled with thinned barbecue sauce, set to boil. While she waited for it to cook, she made the, for lack of a better word, sauce. She threw several potatoes and all the eggs into a blender, and set them to liquify. As side dishes, she chopped up some potatoes and made chips, and made some mushy peas.

“All right, perfect!”

[Knick]

Mia

Mia watched the street below, watching as people passed by others, talking, ignoring, or looking at a metal square in their hands. They were boring; none of them would really react. She could tell, her experience and wisdom caused by her nature told her this.

She had left Shirou to play; she wanted to have a good time in the new wondrous city. She would find him later.

Then she saw on in particular, a young woman with purple hair. She had an air of sadness about her, an air of longing and instability. Mia gave a small smile to herself and vanished, reappearing at in a nearby alleyway. Her clothes was no longer rags, but rather it was a black sailor uniform, with long pants under the skirt. Finally a long jacket covered this, a jacket that reached down to to just past the end of the skirt.

She took her doll from its spot and held it in her hands. Then, at human speed normal to a little girl she ran out to the street, the bells on her arm jingling with every step. It was but a few seconds until she crashed into the young woman she saw from above.

“Whaa” She cried at as she fell backward and quickly scrambled to her feet, holding her doll in her hands in front of her, clear for the woman to see. And the moment her curse latched onto the woman’s existence. The Doll Curse, became a part of her, undetectable, unknowable, to perform its insidious intention.

“I’m sorry!” She cried out in faux surprise, “I didn’t mean to run into you like that.” she continued while rambling out a panicked explanation, like a girl would if they ran into a total stranger. She gave a deep bow, “I’m sorry!” She said one final time before running off the bells continuing their sounds as she ran.

And the moment she had her back to the woman a joyful smile appeared on her face as she wondered how long she would be able to play with this one.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

Lorenzo was having a peaceful stroll along the streets of Nexus City when he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Now, unlike earlier, Lorenzo had the wisdom to conjure a flame familiar in order to keep himself warm. But this chill... surely his sharpened instincts would't fool him.

Huge...

The pirate now turned to face a colossal man, bulk and armour gave him such an imposing stature, even the pirate couldn't help but be impressed. This paragon of might walked aimlessly, as if lost, and to add it all up, the stranger reeked of blood, a scent that was all too familiar to the pirate.

Lorenzo let out a slight grin and approached the man, whistling in surprise and greeting him, not unlike an old friend.

"Hello big guy, what brings you to these parts?"