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

[Umbra of Chaos]

PARIAH

"Park now?"

The animated virus climbed on top of Wanderer's right shoulder and began to stand on it as he surveyed the area. Upon spotting the playground he leaped from the cowboy's shoulder and scrambled towards the bottom of the slide. With a single movement he ripped the slide away and focused on the bare patch of earth under it.

The earth rumbled and shook for a second before PARIAH began to assault the ground. His strikes increased in strength and speed as the ground began to cave in and with one last hit the ground broke apart and revealed a hole that seemed to go down forever. If someone was perceptive enough they could see an enormous creature with large horns deeper within the whole but that being was soon obscured by something climbing out of the hole.

A large and ugly creature with two mouths and it's tough skin was a pinkish gray color. One mouth was located on its head and the other located under its eyes . Under the eyes of its master the Leader Hunter stood at attention and waited for instructions.

Spoiler for Hiden:

PARIAH turned over to his guardian and asked, "Can I keep it?"


Ann

"A date? I suppose I could keep playing with you but if you wanted to take it farther you simply had to ask, little angel." A pulse of the Rot turned Sarse's helmet to dust and for a few moments she nibbled on the angel's ear.

"I want a present, Sarse. A camera maybe or perhaps a cellphone. After all it is custom to give the woman you're courting a gift." As she said this one of Ann's hands began playing with the angel's hair and with the other she tightened her hold on him until there was virtually no space between their bodies.

[Kotomine_Rin]

"Good boy, now come get some."

He had its attention alright, with fangs bared and eyes full of bloodlust. Time couldn't help, but let a smirk slowly curve the corner of his mouth as his left hand grasped the sheath hanging from his hip. It's been a while since he was in a situation as dangerous as this. His right hand itched to unsheathe his blade and let it tear into this creature's hide.

It wouldn't be a completely boring and freezing night at least. The exercise ought to keep him a bit warm for a while. Or so he thought as that thing froze in place. As if apprehensive at some otherworldly image privy only to it. What could it have seen? The incoming doom that is no doubt coming for this skirmish?

"Oh c'mon. It was going to get good," Time thought irritably.

After opening its maw to howl, it took on a more human form to finally form a rather simple question.

"Man, you ruined the fun," the man sighed in reply, "But I suppose I can't fault you if the inevitable scares you this much."

Time dejectedly shrugged in disappointment. What kind of fun would it be to cut down someone who doesn't want to fight?

"I'm just your friendly neighborhood bartender in these parts. How about you, Fido? What brings you here to make the bloody mess of things here?"

As he spoke rather nonchalantly at the creature, Time eyed at the evidence of the kill with disdain. The grisly marks of death utterly sickened him. But he wanted to know why this thing is here.

"Depending on your answer, we may or may not have a problem."

Costin's eyes opened wide, he was shocked and in a way... amused by the man.
He seemed like a honest fellow, and the more he looked at him, the more he realized resisting his murderous impulse was a wise decision indeed.
He could now definitely feel it, the man was no ordinary man, he had a powerful presence that showed he was more than a common fool.

No, the man that stood in front of him was a hardened warrior, Costin's bloodlust and anger faded, and with it so did the tension around him.
And as the two men stood still, the vampire suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.
It was not a malicious laughter mind you, but the laugh that one would give after seeing an hilarious farce.

"You, I can tell you are very strong indeed." Muttered the laughing man as he gasped for air, he realized he did not truly dislike him at all.

And with these words, he grabbed his sunglasses gently, and cast them away to reveal his eyes.
Crimson eyes, the color evoking a blooming rose, or the flowing blood of the bodies around him.
The black figure's icy gaze was replaced with a warm look, as he casually laid on a nearby lamp post, and with his pale finger pointed right at his eye.

"See these eyes of mine? Surely you can tell I am no human. By that, I mean of course that I am no longer one, I'd say that the term used the most to describe me was... um..."

Costin closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, scratching his head as he nervously tapped his left foot.

"Oh, yes, it's Dead Apostle, isn't it?" Costin asked with an honest, nervous expression.

And as he uttered these words, his expression turned bored and nonchalant.

"To answer your question... I guess I was hungry? I mean, Isn't it normal to eat when you're hungry?", the vampire thus answered the stranger's question.

He suddenly averted his gaze right at the man's sword sheath. "I noticed your hand was twitching earlier before. You know, if you do want to fight, I guess I can't really refuse now can I?"

And with these words, Costin's hands glowed in a red, sickly scarlet color.

"Soooooooo, you up for a little fun here or not?", the man asked as the moonlight shone above the two.

[Panda]

LANCELOT

He shouldn’t have been able to evade the attack – his vision was only just starting to recover and by the time he could hear the sound of the magical beam being fired it was too late, but something alerted the dark knight to the danger he was in.

He threw himself to the side, the beam obliterating the space that he had just vacated, gouging a huge pit into the asphalt. Lancelot ‘s sight slowly returned to him, and he could start to make out both Mordred and the servant Caster, who had just attacked. Taking an offensive posture, the tiny shred of reason left to him wasn’t sure whether to attack the magician or the changeling first.

There, Adjutor thought as the perfect opportunity presented itself. While the warrior seemed to pause to consider his next enemy, Adjutor launched the Shield Concept he'd been preparing since Faust started charging up that laser, along with three more for good measure, just in case the first one didn't take him off his feet and away from the Hospital. The Shield moved just as fast as it had when he'd used it on Rider, as if it wasn't passing through the intermediate space between Adjutor and the black-armored warrior before slamming into him.

[Kat]

Mordred

She saw chance to for a strategic retreat. Her reserves of Glamour were nearly depleted and she had no effective means because of it to harm the mad warrior. It weighed on her warrior's pride to leave others to their own devices, but at the same time she recognized she could be a liability once Reinforcement wore down. Running as fast as she could, she attempted to leave the site. Mordred would surely apologize to them when she got a chance, but if they got into serious trouble that would be devastating news for her.

[Puck-Chan]

Time

And as the two men stood still, the vampire suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.
It was not a malicious laughter mind you, but the laugh that one would give after seeing an hilarious farce.

Time raised an eyebrow at the creature's laughter. What was so funny? Was there a joke that he missed?

"You, I can tell you are very strong indeed." Muttered the laughing man as he gasped for air, he realized he did not truly dislike him at all.

"Of course, I am," he snorted with some mock indignation, "Who did you take me for? A charlatan? I feel awfully hurt, sir."

The swordsman didn't know what to take of this sudden change in atmosphere. But it couldn't hurt to play along for a while. He crossed his arms to keep himself from succumbing to the cold while breathing quite deeply.

And with these words, he grabbed his sunglasses gently, and cast them away to reveal his eyes.
Crimson eyes, the color evoking a blooming rose, or the flowing blood of the bodies around him.
The black figure's icy gaze was replaced with a warm look, as he casually laid on a nearby lamp post, and with his pale finger pointed right at his eye.

"See these eyes of mine? Surely you can tell I am no human. By that, I mean of course that I am no longer one, I'd say that the term used the most to describe me was... um..."

Costin closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, scratching his head as he nervously tapped his left foot.

"Oh, yes, it's Dead Apostle, isn't it?" Costin asked with an honest, nervous expression.

"So that's what they call werewolves around here?" Time asked again in jest, "You don't look quite dead to me at all. So what part of you is dead anyway?"

"I suppose I'll see soon why they call them this," he noted himself thoughtfully as his left hand started to toy with the butt end of the blade.

"To answer your question... I guess I was hungry? I mean, Isn't it normal to eat when you're hungry?", the vampire thus answered the stranger's question.

Time's expression tightened into a distasteful frown. Yes, there are apparently some people who need to feed upon humans. But to completely mutilate and kill them?

"It is," Time admitted with a deepened scowl, "but did you need to kill them? As far as I know, a lot of the creatures around here don't need to kill to eat. Especially the ones like you."

He suddenly averted his gaze right at the man's sword sheath. "I noticed your hand was twitching earlier before. You know, if you do want to fight, I guess I can't really refuse now can I?"

And with these words, Costin's hands glowed in a red, sickly scarlet color.

"Soooooooo, you up for a little fun here or not?", the man asked as the moonlight shone above the two.

A grimacing smile painted his features as he started to draw the blade. Time was at first confused why he did not even try to avoid conflict. But, the moonlight shone upon them at around the same time at the sudden change in personality.

"Huh, so you were aiming for something like this in the first place. Suave," Time complimented him, "But that won't save you from a world of hurt."

The sheen of the metal started to reflect from the soft moonlight, mirroring the swordsman's own lust for combat. Its edge bare in the frosty expanse of the snow. With a finger, the human gestured for the monster.

"Come at me, Pup."

[Kotomine_Rin]

"HAH!, I really am glad, it has been far too long since I got to fight a worthy opponent, may your presence grant me some amount of entertainment.", yelled the Dead Apostle.

His eyes, now wide with glee and excitement,  he grinned wildly as he readied himself. His trembling body now formed a combat stance, he was ready to topple the warrior that faced him.

"My name is Costin Andrei, remember this name, for it is the name of the one who slew you! Worry not, I will prevent you from turning into a ghoul, you will die here as a proud warrior."

And as he spoke, Costin quickly jumped to his left before dashing towards the swordsman's back. His hand would swiftly strike the back of his neck and tear his spine.

"Too easy.", the vampire muttered as he went for the kill.

[YOLF]

Sarse

"A date? I suppose I could keep playing with you but if you wanted to take it farther you simply had to ask, little angel."

Sarse supressed a shudder as the wind suddenly hit his face, his helmet gone, and the great power in her likely-vessel-lookalike nibbled on his ear. He had to choke back a noise of surprise, and a little bit of fluster slipped into his expression under his furrowed brow. Dear Archangels, he should've kept his mouth shut. And to think he was supposed to be one that knew the value of discretion among the Seraphim.

"Hey, I'm still driving over here." He retorted, trying to focus on the road and his bike rather than current events and thinking what his reactions should be.

Then again, he supposed this was a rather absurd situation all things considered. The Angel of Choice most certainly had never considered driving around Death while she played with his hair and held her body so close to his, no doubt entirely on purpose. Well, one thing he had determined in the last few minutes: Ann seemed unflappable in her teasing. He, by definition was... less so when on the receiving end.

"I want a present, Sarse. A camera maybe or perhaps a cellphone. After all it is custom to give the woman you're courting a gift."

And now she was asking for presents? Unpredictable. She really seemed to be taking this as casually as she could. It made Sarse think of Eli and his angels, and he chuckled to himself before realizing he was getting caught up in her pace.

Shaking his head, he remembered the helmet she had just now done away with, and replied "If you don't rot it away, sure. I suppose the gentleman should offer the lady some token of appreciation for her company."

He might come to regret this, but in the end he had to say that just talking openly like this with someone of a similar nature was something of a relief in the midst of the Nexus's unfamiliar status quo.

[Puck-Chan]

"HAH!, I really am glad, it has been far too long since I got to fight a worthy opponent, may your presence grant me some amount of entertainment.", yelled the Dead Apostle.

His eyes, now wide with glee and excitement,  he grinned wildly as he readied himself. His trembling body now formed a combat stance, he was ready to topple the warrior that faced him.

"My name is Costin Andrei, remember this name, for it is the name of the one who slew you! Worry not, I will prevent you from turning into a ghoul, you will die here as a proud warrior."

And as he spoke, Costin quickly jumped to his left before dashing towards the swordsman's back. His hand would swiftly strike the back of his neck and tear his spine.

"Too easy.", the vampire muttered as he went for the kill.

He was reasonably fast. Faster than any normal reinforced human back at home. It definitely wasn't a waste for that moon to come up. While that claw is just about to touch his neck, Time quickly crouched down as it passed over him harmlessly.

"Nope."

Not even going to allow the creature to backpedal away, the harsh whistling in the air signaled the incoming blade coming to eviscerate it at the abdomen nearly at the same time the swordsman dodged. The centrifugal force of his attack was seamless with his evasive motion, no doubt making it difficult for his enemy to dodge.

Needless to say, this slash could chop the monster in literal halves.

[Mooncake]

Ezra Longinia


Ezra waited, clenching and unclenching the muscles of his right hand. The lance-bearer was quietly resting against the edge of the building, just out of range of the Dead Apostle and the wandering swordsman.

He didn't want to trigger the curse by being a bystander - he had been tracking the monster for some time now, but the intervention of the swordsman had changed things.

Ezra stared at his right hand again as he listened to the Dead Apostle open the battle. It would be a simple thing to join in, if he had been someone else. He could have jumped in, scouted, then disengaged and lured the vampire to its death.

That was where the swordsman came in, and made things more complicated. They'd started the battle, and he wouldn't be allowed to leave if he didn't take both of them down. Ezra grimaced, and leaned back, carefully listening with even breaths. When the moment came, if the Apostle was the victor, he'd take the initiative and go for the kill.

[Knick]

Grenth

Grenth was having a nice walk, his cane softly tapping against the surface. Periodically his Soul Horrors would come back from scouting to report.

That is until he walked onto a fight. As he sighed his jacket, fedora, and cane were exchanged with his armor as a sudden chill permeated the air.

And with a pulse of energy both those fighting, a man with a blade and another with the traits of a wolf, were locked in place, impossibly hard ice stopping their limbs from moving.  But yet it did not seem to chill their flesh.

“It seems children these days can’t be calm. Truly there is no hope for society.” Then he turned to look at the man his Soul Horrors pointed out. “You come and join us young man, it is impolite to hide yourself like that. Don’t make me force you to give a proper greeting.”

[Kotomine_Rin]

As the blade came down on Costin's body, the Vampire couldn't help but be impressed.
Such skill, a technique that could only be refined trough years of intense training. Yet, as the cold sword ran trough him, he grimaced.

And so, the heretic was quite literally cleaved in half.

As the bleeding body fell to the ground, an obscene amount of blood bursting from it,  Costin snarled.

"Ow ow ow ow ow, It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts. Oh the pain, oh the agony, if only you were so kind as to finish me off, great warrior."

He spoke in a flat, robotic tone, until he suddenly burst into a mad laughter.

"HAH, That's that you expected, isn't it!?"

And as he laughed, a thousand crimson needles erupted from his cleaved body.
That, of course, was nothing but a distraction.

His body, once cut down, simply re-attached itself, the very wound that  could have easily killed a mortal man simply erased itself from his body, until it appeared as if it was never wounded in the first place. All that remained was a body that laid on the ground, countless blood-red profusions emanating from his chest and aiming for the enemy swordsman.
Of course, he knew it wouldn't be enough, no, that man had proven himself most capable in his display of swordsmanship.

It was all to buy Costin time, thus he lightly tapped the ground with the palm of his right hand, and prepared himself.

But before he could react, a chill ran down his spine, and before he knew it he was encased in freezing ice.

"What the fuck!", he yelled in anger as the frost covered both fighters.

[Puck-Chan]

There was impact. The blade cut through like as if through a stick of slightly melted butter. Time lunged back to avoid getting drenched by the blood. That was it? So soon? What disappointment. He sighed in a distressed manner as that was all it took--

"HAH, That's that you expected, isn't it!?"

And as he laughed, a thousand crimson needles erupted from his cleaved body.

The swordsman had no time to gawk at the improbable. Instinct kicked in and moved his body. Sparks crackled as Time parried the incoming scarlet projectiles away from his person with only his naked blade. Only a mix of surprise and wonder plastered on his face right after maneuvering himself into safety and watching the creature's impressive regenerative capabilities.

"Great. You're quite durable too. This--"

Before he could finish a chillier wave of frost suddenly made movement difficult. 

"Damn it, I was distracted!"

Time tried to turn his body away to escape, but only ended up freezing in an awkward motion instead. His face was in the direction of what looked like a man in intricate armor. He felt smoldering anger as his bout was interrupted by an outsider.

"Oy. What is the meaning of this, magician?" the swordsman calmly asks with deadly fury colder than the frost in the very environment.

[The Man With All The Cute Boats]

“I-I was screaming?”

"Yeah, kind of loudly too, and I've been to metal concerts." I started getting up, and was about to say the thing she beat me to saying.

“Can we get out of this box please?”

"Great minds think alike. Get over here," I said after judging how tall the walls were. I could climb out easy, but she was small and puny and didn't look like she had upper body strength. Feet on my lordly mattress, I put my back against the wall and cupped my hands together for a boost. "Come take a ride on the Donkey. No petting."

That reminded me, we hadn't been introduced. And without introductions, what I'd just said sounded, really, really weird.

"I mean, uh, call me Donkey Whacker. Oh, uh, it's my nickname, not my real name, because of a big ol' story, of, uh... So yeah, ride on the Donkey was just... you know, me offering a, uh..." Wow, I needed to stop talking before I put my foot further in my mouth. I turned my head away, my head turning as red as a tomato. "J-just come over, smells like shit in here."

A certain song came to mind to describe the situation for me.

Hm, introductions... wasn't I forgetting something?

[Mooncake]

Ezra Longinia


Ezra stared blankly at the icy mist creeping past the edge of the building. A third person had entered the fray, and power attracted power... if more showed up, he'd have to make the choice of running away again, or entering himself. Either way, he should make preparations-

“It seems children these days can’t be calm. Truly there is no hope for society.” Then he turned to look at the man his Soul Horrors pointed out. “You come and join us young man, it is impolite to hide yourself like that. Don’t make me force you to give a proper greeting.”

It seemed that now, he really didn't have a choice. Staring at his right hand again, Ezra quietly held it out in front of him and squeezed, hard enough to draw a drop of blood.

O Lance
O Lónchi̱,
O great, sorrowful Lance
O megálos, thliverá Lónchi̱

"Wake the fuck up."

Breaking off the chant, the divine Spear growing into life in a single instant, Ezra swung and cut through the familiars the third person had summoned. Calmly walking around the edge of the building, Ezra looked to see the swordsman and the Apostle trapped in ice, with an an armored figure off to the side.

He greeted the armored thing radiating menace, even as his grip tightened on the Lance. Depending on how things went from here, he might not make it out alive.

...I've already accepted it. There's no point to running away from fate.

"Is this enough of a proper greeting for you?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin's eye twitched there for a second.
His anger, his fury... He  could not hold it back, this time, he really could not hold back.
The gritting and gnashing of teeth echoed, as he growled in anger.
An honourable battle had been stopped by a senile buffoon, and the little shit smelling spy finally came out of his rat-hole.
Unable to resume his fight, he was practically encased in a prison of ice.

"You scum! How dare you, not a hair of yours will be left in this world!" He howled madly, yet no matter how hard he fought, no matter how much he cried, he was still trapped.

And as he glared madly at the one responsible for this humiliation, he felt the scratching once again.
"Shit, no good..." Costin murmured as he writhed and twisted in discomfort. And suddenly, Costin heard the voices once more.

And he screamed.