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

[Panda]

Adjutor, at this point, realizes several things. First, that this book, one Grapes of Wrath, is boring. The kind of boring that starts wars.

Second, that this room seems to be covered in magical defenses of various types and functions. Making a snap decision, Adjutor looks over the defenses, committing each spell to memory before returning to the books, reaching out with another tendril to replace the current book and take a new one.

Then he hears someone land nearby with the familiar clink of steel, likely weaponry. Adjutor might have taken a moment to process what the person, likely Rider, had said, if the sound of tiny wings hadn't alerted him to the current situation. This may change a few things.

Adjutor quickly slips out of the chair, drawing Tyrfing and Rahab from their sheathes as mono-filament wires burst from his arms. Unfortunately, the familiars, now identified as imps are too close for the swords to be effective. Unfortunately for them, that is, as the Reinforcement takes effect as the wires slice through air and imp alike with impunity. Adjutor then notes the tendrils racing towards him, recognizing the magic from the hospital.

"Sorcerer," he calls out, absorbing the tendrils with Tyrfing, breaking the spells down and consuming the prana constructing them, "Honestly, I feel I am owed yet another explanation. I can understand your hostility towards some unidentified intruder appearing in your manor, but I wasn't intending for this to happen. It's just that I can never tell exactly where I'm going to end up sometimes."

With that, he turns to Rider, still watching for any more summons, "And as for you, after I blasted you out of a window because I thought your presence was upsetting Sakura, wouldn't harming her be a rather uncalled-for change of heart?"

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

It seemed as though the deathly figure had made some sort of gesture at him, but with the dim lighting it was impossible to tell, and the magus didn't want to waste any of his limited remaining prana reinforcing his eyes if he didn't have to.

The vampire then ran over, still wearing the ruined clothes that barely even kept her decent, looking at the woman who smelled of rotting flesh with an expression Shirou was unable to read. The woman continued to speak with Lawrence, calling him "Little Death." Perhaps Law wasn't as normal as he had originally believed. The truck driver behind the group blared his horn, but he paid it no mind. So long as the driver was honking the horn then he or she wasn't getting out to investigate directly.

Movement in the corner of his vision caught his eye, and Shirou turned to see Mia standing a short distance behind Forest, looking at the cloaked woman like she was a wild dog ready to pounce on her prey. Shirou scowled and looked back and forth between Law and the white haired girl. He didn't like Law much, but he still wasn't willing to let this scythe-toting woman bring him to harm if she had any ill intentions. On the other hand if Mia wasn't placated she could easily use her power to start a violent confrontation.

Forcing himself to make a fast decision, the freelancer jogged over to Mia. He knelt down in front of her, bringing him just below her eye level.

"Hey, it's okay Mia. Don't worry, I'll deal with this," he said.

[Mooncake]

Wanderer


"Can I keep it?"

The cowboy just looked at PARIAH. He didn't say a word, choosing to flat out ignore the mutated beast now snarling at the park around them. If he was a normal human, he surely would have sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, or simply walked off. In one of the stranger roles he had played, Wanderer was now the force keeping something else, likened to a roaring, uncaring flame, in check.

"...Yes."

[Knick]

Mia

Within Mia, the Demon known as Silver hummed. It wanted to be drawn, it wanted rend that one, the one that felt like one of its siblings, the one that was a story which was present at genesis, just like it was.

But it could do nothing more than that, it has long since traded away its ability to act independently, its full nature, to become this tool. A blade which has only one purpose, to severs, rends and cuts.
 
It was a blade, a perfect blade, but a blade nevertheless.

And so it would bow to Mia’s will, the child which represented the future of Lies, and the one that holds the blade.

And a blade only goes where its wielder commands.


Mia’s eyes flickered to the truck as it honked.

“Annoying…” She whispered. There was a shift in her tone; her voice was harder and infinitely more chilling. She no longer sounded like innocent little child. But rather as something far older then she appeared.

For a brief moment the lost child was pushed aside by the murderer as her annoyance bubbled and Silver hummed within her. Only maginifed by the lost child's will to remove the threat to Shirou.

But then Shirou jogged over and the child was back, eager to be around Shirou again with him being no longer near the stranger. And like that the dangerous look in her eye was gone, replaced by something happier and far more innocent.

As Shirou knelt down in front of her and spoke to her Mia nodded and giggled, before giving him a hug.

But over his shoulder Mia still watched the stranger carefully. For even in the lost childs innocence Silver's song spoke of the danger.

So she would watch it, and protect Shirou should she need to.

[Umbra of Chaos]

PARIAH

There was almost something akin to glee in the virus' eyes as Wanderer allowed the Leader Hunter to stay. PARIAH stared back into the eyes of the cowboy for a few moments before leaving his 'pet' and slowly approaching his family. A bit of nervousness seemed to permeate the child's body as he grew closer and closer to his 'uncle' until he was right in front of the man. Then the child reached over and wrapped his arms around Wanderer's waist.

The virus was completely and utterly silent as his hold on the cowboy tightened. Then he slowly let go and one of PARIAH's hands grasped Wanderer's right hand. "We're family. You and me. Forever."

Something resolute was in his childish voice. A seriousness present in his movement and fierceness in his eyes. For a moment something unnatural stirred under the illusion of human skin, but in an instant it was gone, and PARIAH was back to pulling the cowboy around. This time he had no destination in mind, and simply planned on pulling the cowboy around the streets with their 'pet' trailing after them.

[Puck-Chan]

Time

"Mmn, nah," Time waved a hand of refusal at him, "Not feeling like drinking at the moment, really. Not after that."

The evening did not suit him now, no. Besides, he had to head back home and shovel the snow away from the door.

"Well, if fate permits us, I'll see you later magician."

With that, he waves another hand. As a farewell this time, and left.

Puck

"There's more of them, so better keep up!"

Mordred ran as fast she could in hopes to get away from the place. All she had to do was to follow the country road. It most likely lead to another place in the city, so she hoped there would not be any nasty surprise awaiting her wherever she ended up.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Puck yelped as his knightly maiden started to run off.

He narrowly dodged a fanged bite from the fiends before starting to hurtle his way to follow Mordred.

"I said wait for me, damn you!" he crowed at her as he started to reach her speed.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider heard Caster emit an audible sigh, before several imp-like creatures jumped out from behind the intruder, only to be cut to pieces by wires that burst from his arms as he stood up and took a fighting position, swords drawn. Rider remained tensed, ready to strike but not yet doing so. After all, whilst his intrusion was unwelcome, he had shown no hostile intent, and if he had wanted to harm Sakura, he would have already done so.

Caster produced the same tendrils that he had used to attempt to bind Rider back in the hospital, sending them towards Adjutor, who blocked them using one of his swords.

"Sorcerer, Honestly, I feel I am owed yet another explanation. I can understand your hostility towards some unidentified intruder appearing in your manor, but I wasn't intending for this to happen. It's just that I can never tell exactly where I'm going to end up sometimes", he said.

Rider raised her eyebrows at his comment about being owed an explanation, not that you could tell with her blindfold in place but, before she could speak, he addressed her directly.

"And as for you, after I blasted you out of a window because I thought your presence was upsetting Sakura, wouldn't harming her be a rather uncalled-for change of heart?", he said.

Hearing that, Rider relaxed somewhat, standing up straight and bringing her weapons down to her side. He clearly was not here to fight, and Rider couldn't care less about the sanctity of Caster's workshop, or whatever the hell it was that had caused him to be intent on killing this man right here and now.

"Caster, he's not a threat to Sakura, why waste mana and risk our lives trying to kill him?" she said, hoping he would recall their master's current state and act accordingly.

Then, she turned to Adjutor.

"As for you, you appear in the basement of our master's heavily-warded house uninvited and with no obvious method of entry and you think that you are owed an explanation?" she said, rather annoyed at his attitude. "Isn't that somewhat presumptuous of you?"

"And, as I recall, you threw me out of the hospital because our fight was endangering people present. I do not recall it having anything to do with me 'upsetting' Sakura.

I am, however, aware that you showed no signs of hostility towards Sakura previously, which is why I do not share my fellow servant's desire to ensure your rapid death. But, I am not so naive as to assume that a lack of prior hostility automatically means you have no ill-intent towards her now. For all I knew, you could have just been waiting for a better opportunity, or you may just have had a change of heart", she added.

[YOLF]

Butler

There was a curt knock on Wiseman's door before it unlocked, and Butler entered, pushing forward a cart with a tea set and snacks. The rich-looking blend was steaming in the cups still, proof that it had been recently made.

"Pardon me. I have brought the tea." He announced, rolling it forward to the center of the room.

[Kat]

David

The dream that lived took in his surrounding on the park bench he sat on. It was exceptionally quiet except for the sounds of insects and the movement caused by the occasional person. The moon and stars Next to him was his two other 'siblings'. A woman with skin that was the color of snow and bright golden eyes. She was dressed in golden silks that looked as if they had been crafted by a master of the art and it was decorated with multiple patterns that spiraled around the dress. Her every movement was filled with extraordinary grace and her laughter was beautiful. A sharp laugh filled with so much happiness and joy that the world seemed so much more pale and cold without it. The Joyous laid on the bench on her back and her head rested in David's lap and continued to giggle and laugh at absolutely nothing at all.

To his right sat The Scholarly, clothed in a nondescript grey robe. He looked considerably more old than the other two on the bench and his posture was straight as his hands fiddled with books and artifacts. His eyes drifting across entire pages in mere instances as he memorized the information and categorized them. Compared to the carefree playfulness of his sister or the calm easygoing attitude of his brother the aged man was in a constant state of motion as he finished the books and quickly moved onto other distractions. A ring, a small medal rod, a medallion, a small bundle of ethereal cloth, and countless other objects that The Scholarly fiddled with before it stopped and began to speak to its brother.

David raised a single eyebrow from his position as his brother spoke with the voice of a fire, and a sound not unlike the crackling of a flame was released from the aged man's mouth. He quickly responded and said, "I don't think we're wasting time at all, Brother. You should learn to relax more often. We rarely get to do so after all."

A disgruntled look overtook the elder's face but The Scholarly simply resumed his activities. It was the truth after all, and while they certainly weren't well known protectors they had established a small reputation. It wasn't something that The Scholarly or The Joyous would normally do, but he had asked it of them, and how could such inferior illusions ever disobey the dream that was the closest to their creator's heart and mind. Even if they did not wish to obey they would be unable to stop their bodies from carrying out his commands.

So they fought at his behest, and ever so slowly rumors began to arise. Of a stunning woman dressed in the finest cloth who butchered her enemies and gleefully tortured them in a myriad of ways, an old man with a bow who could fire arrows capable of hitting the supernaturals who roamed the streets and turned his victims into living compendiums, and of a young man dressed in black and red who simply watched impassively as this all occurred.

While The Joyous found these rumors to be incredibly enjoyable and The Scholarly did not care in the slightest David himself did find them a bit annoying. Rumors and a reputation would not help him until they had grown to the point where him mentioning it would send the lesser supernaturals scurrying away, and he had a long way to go before ever reaching that. Right now all it would get him was unwanted attention at best. But this was no the time for these thoughts. He would worry about the consequences of his actions later. All he wanted to do right now was nap, and so he did. So under the sky of a foreign world David slept.

Mordred

After a harrowing escape from Briarwolves Mordred reached the end of Trod. It lead to the other side of the park in which she entered the Hedge. Honestly, she expected to end up in more distant place, but she was glad that she ended up where she ended up. With Briarwolves losing her track, she was safe from the pursuit.

Walking in the park she stumbled on three individuals. The woman resembled one of Fairest, and the four armed man could be also a Changeling, though she could not readily classify to what Seeming he belonged. The man napping on the bench was clearly a mortal. Mordred suspected they could harvest Glamour from his dreams, but she doubt they could tamper with his dreams in harmful way as his sleep was peaceful. She found it appropriate to introduce herself to those two: "I should have expected others like me would find way through Hedge to this weird city. I am Mordred of Summer Court, a member of the Legion of the Iron Wall. There is no freehold here, but don't worry about that, I'm familiar enough with the place to show you the ropes" Mordred was somewhat happy she was not the only Changeling in this city and she felt obliged to help those of her kind given the dangers of the city.

[SINIB]

As the enemy absorbed the spell with one of his swords, Faust made a quick decision.That sword must have anti magical properties. He quickly retrieved a small colorless vial with a from his pocket, and threw it at the enemy as they began to speak.

"Sorcerer," he calls out, absorbing the tendrils with Tyrfing, breaking the spells down and consuming the prana constructing them, "Honestly, I feel I am owed yet another explanation. I can understand your hostility towards some unidentified intruder appearing in your manor, but I wasn't intending for this to happen. It's just that I can never tell exactly where I'm going to end up sometimes."

Oh. He mentally willed his familiars to pause and wait for further instructions. Then, Rider began to speak.

"Caster, he's not a threat to Sakura, why waste mana and risk our lives trying to kill him?" she said, hoping he would recall their master's current state and act accordingly.

“I’m willing spare him just this once, as thanks for his aid at the hospital. But be warned, spellcaster. If you ever break in again, I will not be so lenient. I’d like you to tell me why you decided to try and sneak in, as opposed to knocking on the front door. There will be no objections.”

[Panda]

"I didn't sneak in, that's just how I get around when I'm in a hurry. I was aiming for the front door, but I didn't feel like bothering with the familiars, and it seems like I overshot a little," Adjutor admits, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Then he notes the vial thrown at him, snatching it out of the air with another tendril from the Armogarians and sealing it inside a wind-based isolation field created with Valmanway. Putting the vial down, Adjutor quickly scans for more familiars before relaxing slightly, pointing his weapons towards the floor.

"In any case, it's fairly clear you were chased off, so I thought it would be best if I got here in a way that couldn't be tracked, but, again, I seem to have overshot a little."

With that, he turns to Rider, "What I did was the equivalent of you walking in here, if I may be honest. And as for what you recall of my reasons, Sakura was just one among many. She was in the hospital at the time and not either you or Faust, and thus one of the people I was protecting. Furthermore, I would like an explanation for why I was left behind, I can offer an explanation of how I bypassed all your safeguards afterwards. Quid Pro Quo. Of course, if you cannot contain yourself, I can offer my explanation first. Finally, Sakura hasn't shown any Monstrous tendencies, so I have no reason to want to harm her."

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Ann

As Ann waited for the man to exit the vehicle another thing caught her attention. A blonde woman with striking eyes who was not alive. Her soul was still bound to its body in a way that stopped her from casually ripping it out but the woman was most definitely dead. Or at least her body was.

"Hey, aren't you suppose to be a cute Goth girl?"

Ann gave a small smirk at the question and for an instant her gaze shifted towards the undead woman. "I can be many things to many people but I'm sure I can find out what I will be to you later." Her voice was filled with amusement as she spoke until her attention was once more devoted towards the curiosity as he spoke.

"The hell is your problem!? I almost hit you!"

"Considering that my injuries would have been minimal at best I feel that it was a very good solution. But now you and I need to have a nice chat, Little Death." There was a tinge of seriousness in her voice but for the most part an entertained tone was predominant.

Law swallowed. She was looking at him. It was like she was some kind of scientist, eyeing him like some sort of specimen to cut up and put on his table. Her interest in him was beyond creepy for him. It was obvious to Law she was playing with him.

"Uh, can the chat wait? I'm hungry, tired, and need to help the half naked chick with something so I can crash on her couch."

[Umbra of Chaos]

Ann

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm too impatient to wait."  With that said Ann simply began to crawl into the car through the window, and in a few moments she had pulled herself in and began to shift around until she was on Law's lap. She spent a few more moment making herself comfortable before rolling up the window.

A hand reached out and gripped Law's chin and began to hold it in place so he couldn't look away from her. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave until I know everything I want from both of you, Little Death. You may start at the beginning."

[SINIB]

Sakura laid in bed, desperately trying to remain asleep. A loud ringing sound, similar to that of an alarm clock, had awoken her. She rolled over, and pulled the blanket over her head.

“Ugh, just five more minutes.” She grumbled.

The ringing stopped as suddenly as it had started.

“Thank you...” She mumbled to herself, still extremely exhausted. As she fell back to sleep, she was reawoken by the discharge of magical energy from the lower levels of the house. Sakura laid there, idly thinking to herself. Huh, that’s strange. She yawned, preparing to go back to sleep. Wait, there’s a fight going on in the basement?

She sat up, startled, and looked over at the clock. “It’s not morning. Is there an intruder?” Sakura tried to jump out of bed, but fell down onto the floor instead; a resounding thump echoing through the house.

“Owww,” she groaned. She grabbed the bed and pulled herself back into a sitting position. “What’s going on?” She wondered to herself, rubbing her eyes.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Ann

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm too impatient to wait."  With that said Ann simply began to crawl into the car through the window, and in a few moments she had pulled herself in and began to shift around until she was on Law's lap. She spent a few more moment making herself comfortable before rolling up the window.

A hand reached out and gripped Law's chin and began to hold it in place so he couldn't look away from her. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave until I know everything I want from both of you, Little Death. You may start at the beginning."

Lawrence froze like a deer in the headlights.

I think I'm going to be raped.
Lie back and think of England.
Not helping.

The Driver's mad grin flashed from the corner of his eye as he stared into the girl's eyes. "Well... I died. Sort of. Junkie stabbed me a couple of times and then the cabbie pulled out some slavshit pistol from when he was in the KGB or whatever he was in and busted a few rounds loose into him and a few blew through him into me... it hurt.  A lot. I was pretty drunk at the time though."

Law shrugged slightly. "So yeah. I came back. Somehow. Now please get off my lap. Please. It's been a long time since I've gotten any if you know what I mean and this is awkward as shit enough already OK?" His babble started to become panicky towards the end.