Cross Effects 3.0 - April 13, 2015—June 23, 2016

[Panda]

Emily

Emily felt that she was making pretty good in getting back to her feet. Honestly, if not for the circumstances, the Changeling might have enjoyed a slight feeling of triumph at this achievement. As it was, though, this was probably not much to be proud of, considering what had led up to her having difficulty standing up.

It didn't take long, however, before the powers that be decided to throw a spanner in the works, namely in the form of a blur racing around the corner and slamming into the Changeling like a dainty freight train. The impact send both of them to the unforgiving pavement, the other girl sliding off in the collision. Emily groaned for a few moments, stunned by the impact, while Rachel and the new girl spoke in ways incomprehensible to the dazed, drunk, and slightly injured Changeling.

"...Owwww," Emily moaned, "Watch where you're- ...why is the sky so...whiiiiite?"

Indeed, the sky above was, oddly enough, a bright white despite it having been night just a few minutes ago. Bright enough that it kinda hurt to look at. Squinting, the Changeling turned her head away from the light and restarted her efforts to get herself back up to her feet. With no interruptions, the process was a fair bit easier this time around. Managing to pull herself up to her feet, Emily looked hard at Noel for a moment.

"...Reeeeeeeeeeally, that hurt," Emily managed to get out, the dull ache clearing up some of the fog, "Watch where...where you're going next...time."

[Emperor's Hammer]

Victoria Ashworth

As I was sitting on the curb, I noticed that the car that had hit me stopped. If I had been in a worse mood and just was crossing the street, I would have made the car inoperable, and been on my way. However, I was not looking where I had been going, too busy trying to flee from the source of pain to notice, and it was therefore my fault. So I decided to spare the driver and her vehicle/ What surprised me, however, was that the driver decided to get out, and instead of immediately trying to call for help, as I had expected might happen, instead the girl picked me up, and put me in the back seat of the car. Again, I normally would have shocked the woman for having the impudence to touch me, like I did to the blonde woman earlier, however any relief from the light was very welcome.

I could tell however, that this girl was not human, as I could not feel a pulse coming from her body as she carried me, which told me she was also a feelow Kindred. Hopefully she was at least a bit more well mannered than the rude woman who had treated me like a child earlier. As she put me in the back seat, she said

"I don't know to leave well enough alone, but you ran into me so you're sort of my responsibility.  However, any untoward move towards me or my mate up there will have consequences.   The 'pick a god and prey' sort of consequences."

She said this while gesturing to the man in the front seat, who all I could tell was that he had red hair from the position I was in at the moment. She was at least far more wary, as she should be, of me, unlike the one who treated me like a child. I could understand why the threat was indeed necessary, and accepted it. After all, I would likely make the same stipulation if I were in her shoes. I then began to speak, saying, "Very well. Though it would be rather untoward of me to even think about such a heinous act against someone who is trying to help. After all, I do very much appreciate your getting me out of the light. Having to spend a little blood to heal these injuries," I said, pointing at my now healed legs, "Is nothing to get out of that blasted light. You have my thanks." With that, I settled into the backseat, and before anything else, I began to introduce myself, as was only proper, "I am Victoria Ashworth, High Regent of the London Chantry and Seventh Generation Elder of Clan Tremere, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If it would not be impolite to ask, may I inquire as to both of your names?" I finished, inquiring as to the names of the two of them.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Kenzo gasped at the sight of a child standing in the way of the vehicle. Had Fore not intervened just a tad bit faster, he would've jumped out of the car and tried to help her. Still, he stood ready in the car and watched from the window. Shockingly enough, the girl's wounds seemed to heal on their own, and incredibly fast for the matter! Only the stronger yokai could boast such a feat.

Narrowing his eyes on the child, he realized she wasn't up to any harm. This must've been an unexpected accident after all. Then, Forest brought her to the seat next to him and told her to not try anything funny. As if! Yokai or not yokai, she was just a kid! Besides, she looked like a nice one.

"Aaaaaaaaaw, you're just so adorable!" Kenzo grinned before toying with her cheeks teasingly.

"Name's Kenzo! Sakagami Kenzo!"

[SINIB]

Sakura

Sakura shook her head. “No, Rider had nothing to do with this. At all. He literally just appeared in the basement.” Sakura said. “You know, kind of like a servant! With a big magical energy release and everything.” Sakura stopped and thought carefully about Vanguard. She wasn’t sure what she should think of him, really. All she really knew was that...he’d be useful. Yeah. That was it. He’d be useful to her plans, so she’d give him a loose leash.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

"Never counted on it from the beginning. I simply wished to see you fighting at your hardest, I judged giving you a reason might make your punches hurt a bit more. I've seen kitchen knives doing bigger scratches. Well, you still managed to surprize me.A for effort I suppose." He quipped, striking a sassy pose before walking up to Seras.

"It was fun." He admitted with a calm tone full of gratitude.

Then, he noticed his master was back, or at least nearby. Perhaps now was time to set the pieces properly. At the very least, she seemed to be doing much better.

"Oh, Sakura, you look happy! Did something good happen?" He asked, waving at her.

[Emperor's Hammer]

After introducing myself, the first one to respond was the man in the front seat, who had turned to look at me. Hi treatment of me was far less....respectful than the woman was. He tugged at my cheeks much like an adult would a child and said,

Sakagami Kenzo

"Aaaaaaaaaw, you're just so adorable!" Kenzo grinned before toying with her cheeks teasingly.

"Name's Kenzo! Sakagami Kenzo!"

If I had not promised to not do anything untoward, this rude man would have received the same treatment as the blonde earlier. Instead, my face just twitched and stared him straight in the eye and activated my Dominate Discipline, filling my voice with words of authority directed and Kenzo, saying, "Unhand me," the impulse transferring to him. Continuing on, I said, "I am no child, Kenzo. I am a vampire elder of 800 years, and I appear this way as I was turned at age thirteen. I suggest you remember this, as if it were not for the debt I owe your friend for getting me out of that accursed light, I wold have filled your body wih enough electricity to kill a mortal man," I continued to look him in the eye as I said this, keeping an even face and temperament as I did so, showing him that I meant every word I said.

"Now, if you understand this, we should have no problems. I am not a child nor do I enjoy being treated as one. In return I shall treat you with the same respect," I siad, finishing and waiting for them to respond to what I said.

[Elf]

Saber

"Actually, I am as alive as you are Mordred.  My case of being a Servant was . . . unique to say the least, but I can assure you that I am a living, and breathing, but extraordinary person," Saber said with a smile as she pulled the windbreaker closer around her.  She could feel her wet hair starting to freeze and she did sigh in relief as they walked inside of the cafe.

Food.  I could raid a kingdom for a good meal, Saber thought as she found her stomach growling.  She had expended a lot of energy in the sewers and her stomach was churning in need for food. Her eyebrows went up as Mordred ordered coffee for herself and "her sister".  "Well better than 'father' or 'uncle/aunt'," Saber said with a slight grin.

"I think I and my associate, Emily, got into some serious problem. In the park that got destroyed, we left the gate leading to borderlands between the world of Fae and this plane, but a woman was already waiting for us, ridiculously strong. Odd man that was an empty walking armor tried to save us, but I ran away. I feel a bit like a coward to be honest, but I knew he was ridiculously strong yet he got shred to pieces by that monstrous woman. I don't have a clue though who destroyed the park, even if I have a gut feeling it has something to do with that incident."

Saber listened to Mordred's story and nodded.  She then said, "A very good friend once told me that sometimes running away is the smartest and bravest choice of action one could take.  Since you were disadvantaged, and protecting a companion, you made the right choice."

The waitress brought their coffee and Saber requested menus.  She sighed, shook her head, causing her thawing hair to fly back and forth.  "Nexus is a very dangerous place, and it took courage for you to come to me."  She held out her hand and said, "I believe we got off on the wrong foot.  I am called Saber, but my true name is Artura Pendragon."


Forest

 "Very well. Though it would be rather untoward of me to even think about such a heinous act against someone who is trying to help. After all, I do very much appreciate your getting me out of the light. Having to spend a little blood to heal these injuries," the female vampire said, pointing to her healing legs. "Is nothing to get out of that blasted light. You have my thanks."

The girl settled in the back seat and continued, "I am Victoria Ashworth, High Regent of the London Chantry and Seventh Generation Elder of Clan Tremere, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If it would not be impolite to ask, may I inquire as to both of your names?"

Before she could reply, Kenzo turned around and promptly started pinching the child like vampire's cheeks and cooing at her. 

Forest did grin and said, "And Kenzo's an oni so he's not exactly a defenseless babe either, Regent.  By and by, I'm Forest.  Law Unto Herself; not the tile I would have picked, but apparently The Morrigan's Grace doesn't have the same sound to it."


Rin

"You know, from what you told me of Faust and what little I saw of him, he probably left some summoning circle open and summoned Armor-san here," Rin said with a shake of her head and a chuckle.

"How thoughtless of him, and careless!  Oh yes, let's just leave this circle open and see what comes out of it . . ."

[Thedoctor]

Shinobu 

Hyoudo Tenma

"Woah, so you're into that stuff! I seeeeeee..." She said with a cheeky grin, teasing the girl. Of course, there was no ill will behind her words or anything. In fact-

*CLICK*

Tenma's eyes were wide open as she felt something tug on her leg. Quickly glancing back, she looked down and noticed broken tripwire. At the same time, rapid clicking sounds and a small hiss could be heard along the hallway. Instinctively, Tenma flinched and in an instant, eight metal tentacles burst from her backpack and wrapped around the two to form a barrier. At the same time, no, an instant later, a powerful explosion from the wall nearby blasted trough. Luckily, the T.A.R.A.N.T.U.L.A was sturdy enough to take the brunt of the damage. Tough little things they were.

The smoke cleared and revealed a dome of metal limbs linked together. Then, after a moment, they released the formation and slithered behind Tenma.

"Fuck." She growled, her look far from amused. In fact, it was an angry look, one of someone who knew she could've just died. Had she not noticed that wire, had she not been quick enough, had those sounds been muffled, she'd have been a goner. And that infuriated her to no end. Gritting her teeth, she looked down and hard on the end of the hallway.

"You wanna play rough? O.K. I'll show you just how rough I play..." She snarled lowly in a whisper, more to herself than anything.

While Tenma was deploying her little creations, saying something about them scouting the place. Shinobu spoke to her in a somewhat distant tone no doubt distracted by the machines. " I haven't told you yet but I have the ability to inside shadows, it could be described as diving into a world seperate from this one. So don't be surprised if I suddenly dissappear"

In the next moment Shinobu could be seen with her hand outstretched gripping a handle that just wasn't there. "Hmm, it seems all my abilities has been affected". Shinobu tried again a look of visible exertion came over her face, the hand shaking a bit until suddenly in a flash a sword appeared in her grip.

"That will have to do" she said as she eyed the blade for any errors in the creation process.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Kenzo lifted an eyebrow and slowly unhanded the girl, giving her a funny look. Then, he shrugged, ignoring half of what she said and not understanding the other half.

Hmmmm, that would explain why she healed so quickly.

“Hahaha. What a story. Well, if you intended to talking me to death, you succeeded. But I don’t get what all this talk about Onis is about. I’m just a man, you know, the normal everyday type.” Kenzo laughed half heartedly, shaking his hand to get rid of the uncomfortable sensation. Then, with a sigh, he looked at the vampire child. Not with the usual bubbly nature of his, but with a serious, stern look.

“And I’ll let you know I don’t appreciate being threatened like that. Just know I bite much harder than my friend over there. 800? Bah! At least five hundred years too early to run your mouth like that onme young lady. A kid should respect her elders, behave nicely, play fair, eat her vedgetables, go to school and go to bed before sunset. So no death threats, understood?” He said fiercely, not a single tint of unease or fear in his voice. He wanted to make himself very clear that her bullshit wouldn't faze him.

[Emperor's Hammer]

Victoria Ashworth

Sakagami Kenzo

“Hahaha. What a story. Well, if you intended to talking me to death, you succeeded. But I don’t get what all this talk about Onis is about. I’m just a man, you know, the normal everyday type.” Kenzo laughed half heartedly, shaking his hand to get rid of the uncomfortable sensation. Then, with a sigh, he looked at the vampire child. Not with the usual bubbly nature of his, but with a serious, stern look.

“And I’ll let you know I don’t appreciate being threatened like that. Just know I bite much harder than my friend over there. 800? Bah! At least five hundred years too early to run your mouth like that onme young lady. A kid should respect her elders, behave nicely, play fair, eat her vedgetables, go to school and go to bed before sunset. So no death threats, understood?” He said fiercely, not a single tint of unease or fear in his voice. He wanted to make himself very clear that her bullshit wouldn't faze him.

The man unhanded me, thankfully. However he seemed rather displeased at the words I leveled against him, seeming to take them as a threat, and making it clear he still viewed me as a child. This was not something that was acceptable to me, and without breaking eye contact with him, I stated him down for a few seconds before responding, "A threat? I simply made a statement of fact. The last person who thought that just because they were older than me that they could treat me like a child found themselves flying from the 20th floor of a sky scraper since they had no way to counter being hurled with thaumaturgy," I said, not breaking at all under his rather paltry gaze. After all, I had to deal with vampires from the Ventrue and other older clans who had the gall to think that House Tremere was in any way inferior to theirs because we are younger.

"I am not merely a being who lived in luxury for 800 years by far. I have hunted the night for centuries, fed on the blood of countless humans to sustain my own, exterminated many childer of Saulot and Kindred of the Sabbat, and fought off the forces of the Garou. My title as Regent is not for show. And all who underestimate I or another childe of Tremere have learned the same lesson, Thaumaturgy is a powerful art and we the Childer of Tremere are the masters of it," I finished, maintaining an even composure the entire time, before looking to the woman who had just introduced herself.

Forest

Forest did grin and said, "And Kenzo's an oni so he's not exactly a defenseless babe either, Regent.  By and by, I'm Forest.  Law Unto Herself; not the tile I would have picked, but apparently The Morrigan's Grace doesn't have the same sound to it."

So he was inhuman as well, it seemed, though I was unsure of what exactly an Oni was. However, I did not feel that my Auras would help me, since it required at least an understanding of what it was to interpret it correctly. Since I had no clue what kind of being an Oni could be, it was likely that it did not have a parallel in my world, so it would either come up as static or something else strange. The woman's name was Forest, which was an odd name for a person, but her titles seemed a bit odd anyway so I just figured it was an oddity of wherever she was from. "At least you seem rather understanding of how to treat a Kindred Elder, Forest. There is no need for formalities, however, after all we are not in some court of nobility. Victoria works quite fine," I said, giving a polite smile in return to her formality. I then laid the mirror shard, which I still had in mind hand, in my lap, reflecting at me, just in case I needed to quickly turn incorporeal in case one of the two did not take kindly to what I had said.

[Kat]

Saber

"Actually, I am as alive as you are Mordred.  My case of being a Servant was . . . unique to say the least, but I can assure you that I am a living, and breathing, but extraordinary person," Saber said with a smile as she pulled the windbreaker closer around her.  She could feel her wet hair starting to freeze and she did sigh in relief as they walked inside of the cafe.

Food.  I could raid a kingdom for a good meal, Saber thought as she found her stomach growling.  She had expended a lot of energy in the sewers and her stomach was churning in need for food. Her eyebrows went up as Mordred ordered coffee for herself and "her sister".  "Well better than 'father' or 'uncle/aunt'," Saber said with a slight grin.

"I think I and my associate, Emily, got into some serious problem. In the park that got destroyed, we left the gate leading to borderlands between the world of Fae and this plane, but a woman was already waiting for us, ridiculously strong. Odd man that was an empty walking armor tried to save us, but I ran away. I feel a bit like a coward to be honest, but I knew he was ridiculously strong yet he got shred to pieces by that monstrous woman. I don't have a clue though who destroyed the park, even if I have a gut feeling it has something to do with that incident."

Saber listened to Mordred's story and nodded.  She then said, "A very good friend once told me that sometimes running away is the smartest and bravest choice of action one could take.  Since you were disadvantaged, and protecting a companion, you made the right choice."

The waitress brought their coffee and Saber requested menus.  She sighed, shook her head, causing her thawing hair to fly back and forth.  "Nexus is a very dangerous place, and it took courage for you to come to me."  She held out her hand and said, "I believe we got off on the wrong foot.  I am called Saber, but my true name is Artura Pendragon."

Mordred

"I know your name, a certain silver haired woman is so enamored with you that she has probably told everyone she has met by now about you." Mordred smiled shaking Arthuria's hand, remembering that peculiar woman with crimson eyes.

"I think I made up my mind already about joining Elites. I'm no stranger to hazardous occupations like that, so I guess it's better to stick together rather than face whoever pursues me alone." Emily after all couldn't fight at all against such powerful. Even Mordred wasn't sure about her odds. "If we work together one day, you can count on me."

[SINIB]

Sakura

“No!” Sakura yelled. “He wouldn’t do that!” She said more quietly. “Faust was smart and cool, and he would never make that kind of mistake.” Sakura stomped her foot. “He wouldn’t.” She looked down sadly.

“Huh?” Sakura said to Vanguard. “Y-yeah, I guess.”

[Elf]

Saber

"Irisviel," Saber said with a chuckle and a shake of her head.  "I am glad that a version of her thrives.  The one I was close to did not meet a kindly end, but her husband, the fool, was a large part of that."

Saber smirked at Mordred's desire to join the Elites and said, "I think they would be welcome to have you. I wish you the best of luck.  Now I have a warning for you, once we get some food."  Emerald green eyes narrowed and looked around for their server to take their order.


Rin

Rin raised her eyebrows and said, "Just because someone's smart and cool doesn't mean they make mistakes, but whatever."

She turned to Vanguard and sighed.  She asked, "Now just how many people you have in your harem now?"


Forest

She sighed at Victoria and Kenzo going back and forth with their verbal Mexican standoff and rubbed her forehead before shifting.

"Don't make me pull over this car.  We're all elders here, so let's bloody try to act like it and figure what the fucking hell this mojo death light is and see if we can't stop it.  Or find someone who can," Forest said with a scowl.

She added to Victoria, "Also, we're heading to the Emporium of Man.  If you just arrived in Nexus and are in need of things, I can cover you.  Cash isn't a problem."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

Vanguard nodded to Sakura's words. This was pleasing to hear, although either answer would've been equally fine. And it seemed they were talking about... Faustus? That was quite odd of them. Honestly, if he didn't know it would result in horrible consequences, he would've scolded both for speaking of such about him.

He was dead, done for. There was absolutely no point in bringing in the subject of his existence any further. Such a waste of time and breath could be put to better use, such as to figure out what to do of the eventual wedding.

Then, Rin turned to Vanguard and sighed. "Now just how many people you have in your harem now?" She asked with her usual biting tongue. It was one of the things Vanguard considered to be her good points. To that, he allowed himself a small chuckle. Then, he responded with snark.

"With or without Rider?"

[Kat]

Saber

"Irisviel," Saber said with a chuckle and a shake of her head.  "I am glad that a version of her thrives.  The one I was close to did not meet a kindly end, but her husband, the fool, was a large part of that."

Saber smirked at Mordred's desire to join the Elites and said, "I think they would be welcome to have you. I wish you the best of luck.  Now I have a warning for you, once we get some food."  Emerald green eyes narrowed and looked around for their server to take their order.

Mordred

Mordred fancied this time a good steak. She sustained herself mostly on Goblin Fruits these days, out of necessity and was completely tired of their taste. However, her mind was preoccupied about what kind of warning Arthuria had for her. "Go ahead, I'm used to hearing bad news."

After few weeks of relative peace, her stay in Nexus have become too wracked with strife and hardship. She was no pacifist, but she wanted nothing but some break from the chaos of the city.