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

[Mooncake]

Ezra Longinia


The situation was getting very heated, very fast. Ezra winced when the teenager fired her gun at the floor, the sudden noise startling him. It hadn't been aimed at him, so it hadn't triggered his curse... he could be thankful for that, at least.

No one had noticed him from his position behind the brown-haired man, and at this point, Ezra was more than glad of that. Chasing the girl in the first place hadn't been a good idea - he had been certain that he could corner her and determine what she was, but there were three too many people now for him to be comfortable dealing with if the blonde girl turned hostile.

Very quietly, almost comically, Ezra backpedaled in the snow towards the rooftop door. It wasn't heroic, and it certainly wasn't capable of avoiding all detection, but he was going to take advantage of the fact that no one had noticed him and make good on his exit. The metal door creaked a little, but Ezra quickly backed out and closed it behind him.

He let out a breath of air, and started to quickly descend the stairs. A potential, four-or-three on one battle was never good odds. He needed to get out of here before the girl shifted her focus.






Lucas

“Rejection of Matter.”

The power to deny Creation!?

That kind of power was monstrous to the point of absurdity. Lucas watched, hanging in the air, as Crest's arms and sword erased the existence of  the bookshelf he had pushed on top of him. Adding to that, the woman he had blinded had drawn back her bow, notching another magical arrow.

If he died in the air - there was only one thing to do.

Lucas's frame twisted in the air, sacrificing his right leg the first stroke of Crest's sword. His face twisting in pain as the machete ate away more of his body, the resident pivoted upwards to the limit of what he was able...

Now.

Caedia's arrows hit him full on, not being enough to penetrate his resistance but still carrying enough force to push him backwards and away from Crest. The resident landed on his weakened hand, which snapped like a twig under his weight. Snarling as the bone bound itself back together, Lucas was only able to support himself on three limbs.

That, however, was enough.

All of the plants in the store began to rustle, moving faster than the gentle breeze. His leg was still slowly knitting itself back together, but his hands had completely healed, and were buried in the earth. Lucas looked at them, and the sound of the plants died. The breeze died. Everything was, quite simply, as still as it could be.

The resident disappeared.

It was so fast that a normal human wouldn't even have seen it. A fist had pounded the ground in front of Crest hard enough to crush anything it touched, cratering the earth like a hammer against tinfoil. At that instant, Lucas's foot lashed out at Crest with enough force to send him clean across the room.






Vlad Drăculea

"It is a pleasure to meet you in person, Lord Drăculea. I am Wiseman, Grand Sorcerer and Adviser to the city-state of Cujam. Considering the skill and experience of your butler I have no doubt that he has already informed you of my intentions here. In that case all that is left for the both of us is to know if you will accept me into your service."

The lord's eyes burned from the shadowed throne. His voice possessed a certain charisma, even though his icy aura made the room itself grow cold.

"Wiseman..."

Drăculea's upper body was hidden in shadow, but one of his hands could be seen upon the throne, a pale finger slowly tapping the armrest.

"I have not seen what you could provide to warrant payment, magi. Prove to me that you are not wasting my time, and I will consider it."

[Knick]

Crest

The enemy avoided his blow by sacrificing his leg. Crest eyes narrowed as it was knocked away by the woman’s arrows. Luca landed some ways away, his arm snapping on impact. 

Then the plants started to rustle, their sound filling the building.

Then the sound died, and Crest’s eyes widened, raising his arms to a defensive position the Rejection expanded from his arm to cover where he could not protect.

Then he was hit. The blow, filled with so much power, existence's was too great it refused to be eaten in a moment. The massive magical energy that filled it reaffirmed its existence.

And so the blow stuck him, its force greatly decreased by still enough to send him fly. And that is exactly what Crest did, flying back to the entrance. 

[Panda]

After a short while spent pacing around in ruined Manufactorum, Grendel decides to make his way out of the crash site, when, all of a sudden, a battered vehicle, unlike anything the Inquisitor had seen before.

So, either these people are Hereteks, or they are simply as backwards as I predicted. Though, Grendel takes a moment to rack his brain, I don't remember any STCs with that kind of design.

Making the sign of the Aquila in greeting, Grendel calls out in High Gothic, "In the name of the Emperor, identify yourselves and tell me where I have landed!"

[Kat]

Uh, is this some Star Trek nerd? Speaking Klingon Mordred was dumbfounded by the behavior of the man who just approached them. Of course she did not know Klingon, and her knowledge of 'nerd culture' was not deep enough to differentiate such gibberish from what a real Star Trek fan would say. Okay, I will be nice and just roll with it

"Prosper long and live!" she greeted him back, not only getting the phrase wrong but failing utterly at the salute. For Grendel probably it looked like some tribal greeting of local humans.

[Panda]

Uh, is this some Star Trek nerd? Speaking Klingon Mordred was dumbfounded by the behavior of the man who just approached them. Of course she did not know Klingon, and her knowledge of 'nerd culture' was not deep enough to differentiate such gibberish from what a real Star Trek fan would say. Okay, I will be nice and just roll with it

"Prosper long and live!" she greeted him back, not only getting the phrase wrong but failing utterly at the salute. For Grendel probably it looked like some tribal greeting of local humans.

Grendel's greeting, to his annoyance, was not only snubbed, but also returned with some strange bastardization of...that wasn't even a parody of an Imperial cult greeting. Just how far away from the Emperor's light was he? Giving up on the the greeting, Grendel heaves a tired sigh before speaking as slowly as he can.

"My name is Inquisitor Castus Grendel. Where may I find the local Arbites station?"

[Kat]

"My name is Inquisitor Castus Grendel. Where may I find the local Arbites station?"

The man continued speaking in a tongue incomprehensible for her, though she caught some words Grendel? If that's his name, I guess I should not be surprised at someone naming himself after a figure of legends. It would be like the pot calling the kettle black. And... Arbiter? Fuck if I know, he doesn't look like a lawyer Suspecting he introduced himself, she reciprocated. In slow manner:

"The name's Mordred"

[Panda]

"My name is Inquisitor Castus Grendel. Where may I find the local Arbites station?"

The man continued speaking in a tongue incomprehensible for her, though she caught some words Grendel? If that's his name, I guess I should not be surprised at someone naming himself after a figure of legends. It would be like the pot calling the kettle black. And... Arbiter? Fuck if I know, he doesn't look like a lawyer Suspecting he introduced himself, she reciprocated. In slow manner:

"The name's Mordred"

So, this woman's name is...Mordred? ...Curious, to take the name of a legend from the days of Terra. No matter, at least we're getting somewhere.

"I require transportation to the local Arbites station," he says, indicating first Mordred, then the potentially Heretekal vehicle, "Can you take me there, or else provide me with directions so that I may get there myself?"


Meanwhile, Henderson having taken learned some Latin on the side during that year of college spent in ship-building courses, has had slightly better luck with understanding Grendel, which is to say next to none, and has moved over to the driver seat.

"Come on," he says from the driver's seat waving this 'Grendel' person over, "I think we kin get you to some lawmen."


Apparently, the older of the two, a loosely dressed man in grey hair with a shirt reminiscent of a Resort World he'd visited in the past, had understood him, as he moved over to the driver's seat and beckoned him over. Encouraged by this, Grendel makes his way over to the car, opening a door and tucking in his Inquisitorial robes in behind him as he sat down in the strange vehicle.

[Kat]

Deborah

Deb did not have a clue how she ended up in the city, only that she waked up from daysleep out in one alleys. It was puzzling. She would not survive rays of sun if she was 'transported' there before sunset. One of possible, but incomplete explanations would be that someone Dominated her to erase memories of being moved there. Whoever did that, he or she left her travelling bag, a knife and a revolver.

However, one less 'rational' explanation lingered in her mind. Maybe that was another trial from God?

Deborah did not hesitate for long, and was determined to find other Kindred to learn about the local domain. Also, she needed a shelter from the sunlight. Fortunately, the night was young and she did not need to bother with feeding as she was full.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Wiseman

"I have not seen what you could provide to warrant payment, magi. Prove to me that you are not wasting my time, and I will consider it."

A demonstration was not unexpected. A ruler, for surely this Vlad could be nothing other than one, would be a fool if he were to simply make deals with strangers without proof of their usefulness.

"Very well. I did say that I would supply you or your servants with equipment and I do value politeness, so I will craft something for your butler."

Wiseman retrieved the deck of magnus from within his robes and they began to levitate. They floated in front of him until he picked out the one that displayed a cane made of ebony and a cap of steel on the top. Then he scanned the floating cards until he saw one with a floating orb of frost and another with swirling winds. With a single gesture prismatic light flowed from the cards that featured the elements and were absorbed into the one containing the cane.

The two cards showed nothing now but the cane in the magnus took on a slight shading of blue. This continued as the warlock kept pulling out new cards and their magna essences flowed into the magnus containing the cane. It was a dance of multicolored light that blended the qualities of multiple materials and infusing the cane with several elements.

After a few minutes it was over, and the cane was now a deep blue color and the steel that capped it had been replaced with a stronger metal that was tinged with a lighter shade of blue and had more luster. Of course, the changed had not only been cosmetic. The cane's durability was extraordinary by now and would require a considerable amount of force before it even showed a scratch. Ice and wind had been absorbed by the cane and with them came an intriguing ability. If it impacted against a target hard enough it would release an impossibly frigid wind that could easily both freeze flesh and metal.

Wiseman tapped the magnus contains the cane and the prismatic light poured out and formed into the object. He grasped it and presented it to Vlad.

"Is this demonstration to your liking, Lord Drăculea?"


Caedia

With her ally being knocked all the way back to the entrance the Arisen had the option to try and fight her opponent who had become substantially more powerful or retreating. Her Pawns always did say that there was no shame in running from an opponent much more powerful than she was and currently she had no chance. This would be less of a struggle to survive and more like being butchered, so she ran as fast as she possibly could.

Her body groaned in protest but she continued to move at full speed until she hit the entrance. There she slowed down for an instance before lifting her ally and throwing him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then by sparing a few extra seconds she managed to grab onto his bow as well. She continued to run nonstop until they were a decent distance from the building. Here she dropped her burdens on the mossy ground and moved to rest against a large tree. For now the only sounds in the clearing were her labored breathing and the sounds of animals.

[SINIB]

"Alright, now where are those three, I'd like to talk to them..." Faust made a move to begin looking, but was interrupted by Sakura.

"No."

"Hm?" Faust turned around and looked at Sakura. She was fidgiting, looking vaugely at the floor.

Sakura looked up. "I said no, I don't want to do that." She stared defiantly at Faust.

"And why not? Did they not attack you?"

"Well, ummm... That blond one provoked me! He said terrible things about senpai and I! He deserved it!" As Sakura spoke, her fingers moved rapidly in a random pattern, touching each other rapidly. Her voice became somewhat more agitated, and she shuffled her feet.

"So they were telling the truth, and you attacked them first?"

"Humph." Sakura stopped talking, looking back down at the floor again.

"Well, in that case, I'll leave it up to you. I think I've punished them enough. What do you want us to do, Master?"

"I just want to go home..." Sakura sighed out after a long pause. "I'm exausted."

"All right, that's fine with me. We shall depart at once." Faust put some emphsis on the last sentance, making it sound slightly comical.

Sakura and Faust turned towards the doors and left the hospital.

[The Man With All The Cute Boats]

Crazy McLegendsson left, like a crazy diamond, and the lady in front of me visibly relaxed, like someone had... gotten her to visibly relax.

Visibily relax by practically collapsing on the table, sweating and panting her heart out. Was she being chocked by something? Sith death grab?

“I-I’m fine Donnel.”

Huh the what?

"Hm?" I added to my thoughts audibly, giving my ego the generous stroking it deserved for my insurmountable wit.

I hadn't told her my name. I hadn't told anyone my name other than the police officer, and the name I gave him was my street name! Nickname. Whatever. How could she have known my real name?

She kinda looked like she was spacing out, there.

I see, I understood now. She worked for the government. This wasn't a supernatural town, it was a testing grounds to see the reactions of the average person when thrown into a completely different environment after being teleported out of their rooms in the middle of happy me funtime!

Damned government teleportation machines, I knew they'd eventually abuse them.

...That's probably not it, though. This is magic town. She's probably like, a psychic.

Better ask.

"Hey, uh..."

In the real world, away from the realm of thoughts, Rebeca Sylven opened her mouth.

And the scream she relased was the most terrifying thing any human there had ever heard.

"JESUS DICK."

Holy crap she was screaming her ass off. Everyone was looking at her like some kind of psycho, and I was sitting with her. I saw a few people look between me and her, and some looking at me like I did something.

Eh, it wasn't me officer, I swear.

Time to vamoose at the speed of a thousand skedaddles.

I was halfway through jumping out of my seat into the megazord, when I thought about it. She looked like she was in pain. And she had known my name. I couldn't just leave her. But how to take her without making those accusing stares witnesses for abduction...?

No choice. Time to use my lung capacity to out-loud her.

"WOW YOU DUMBASS I TOLD YOU TO TAKE YOUR MEDS TODAY," I YELLED LIKE ONLY A METAL-HEAD COULD, LOUD ENOUGH TO FORCE CAPS LOCK INTO THE NARRATIVE OF MY SOUL. I HOISTED HER UP ONTO MY SHOULDER LIKE SHE WAS SOME CUTE FEMALE SACK OF POTATOS. "I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THIS EVERYONE, PLEASE DON'T CALL THE COPS."

I MADE LIKE A TREE...

AND GOT THE HELL OUT OF DODGE.

[Cherry Lover]

"Kiyo?" said Rider, confused, as she looked around the city that was very definitely not Fuyuki, wondering where her master's beloved son had gone.

A few moments ago, she had been playing in the garden of Rin's house with Kiyoshi. She had just been heading back into the house to get him a drink when a flash came from Rin's workshop, and then she had ended up here.

Argh, Rin must have messed up one of her experiments, and transported me here somehow.

"Kiyoshi, are you there?", Rider said, slightly louder, but there was no response.

Well, at least it seems like he was out of the range of the spell, she thought, relieved.

But, I can't feel any mana coming from Sakura. My connection still seems to be there, but I can't sense her at all, she thought. Where am I?

Rider looked around. She was in a large city, somewhat like Tokyo, but seemingly much less nice. In the distance, she could see a hospital.

Well, I guess I should ask someone where I am, so I can find my way back home, she thought.

Rider set off in the direction of the hospital, looking for someone she could ask for more information.

[Kat]

Meanwhile, Henderson having taken learned some Latin on the side during that year of college spent in ship-building courses, has had slightly better luck with understanding Grendel, which is to say next to none, and has moved over to the driver seat.

"Come on," he says from the driver's seat waving this 'Grendel' person over, "I think we kin get you to some lawmen."

"That's stupid idea, old man. He is most likely lurking there along with his followers. I'm not taking chances" Mordred was pretty adamant about not going there where Hamara could be. "If you want to take him there, good luck. I'll reach my destination on my own"

[Umbra of Chaos]

PARIAH

The virus frowned as he finally pulled his way to his uncle's shoulders. He could see it inside the building and it was screaming very, very loudly. Nothing had the right to be that annoying. Even when the larger one picked her up she still wouldn't stop screaming, and PARIAH disliked that.

A tendril as large as the arm of a grown man flowed seamlessly out of his back and the tip of it transformed into a razor sharp blade. Then it sped towards the back of the screamer faster than any human could possibly move.

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Shirou couldn’t help but find the way Not-Illya held onto his arm and stick out her tongue endearing. Then Forest decided to completely disregard gun safety and discharge her sidearm into the floor, making him cringe. The least she could have done was aim up.

Then she called him “Archer.” Saber had probably talked to her about Tohsaka’s Servant from the 5th Heaven’s feel, and Forest had understandably assumed him to be the same person. However, before he could tell the vampire to not call him that, the dreamy white haired girl decided that the game she wanted to play was “beat the meanie”, and he didn’t want to imagine what hell that could involve. She may only seem like a pre-adolescent child, but he had already gotten fucked up by one adolescent girl tonight. The newcomer decided that now was a good time to be somewhere else and backed down the stairs with the quiet thunk of a metal door shutting, to his relief.

Shirou turned around and kneeled in front of the girl, bringing himself close to the level of her brilliant ruby eyes. He smiled at her, trying to display the same warmth he had given his adoptive younger sister so many years ago.

“Hey there, ojou-san. You don’t have to worry about the meanies, Forest has it taken care of.” Not that he actually trusted the vampire, but it seemed like the best thing to say to placate her. “Can you tell me your name? Do you know where your parents are?”