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

[Puck-Chan]

Cu Chulainn

Forest

"Well then. Show me how this stallion rides, Lass."

Of course he just had to say that, didn't he?

Forest smiled and said, "Of course then, now I'll ride it a little hard from time to time and . . . Well.  Yes, and bugger."

She laughed nervously before buckling her own seat belt and turning the key into the ignition, letting the car roar to life.

Cu chuckled as she was slightly flustered. Her reaction to the tidbit of innuendo amused him. What would amuse him more would be the humming of engine and perhaps the stride this car makes as Forest would press on the pedal.

"Aye. Let's enjoy this ride."

[SINIB]

Sakura Matou

“Senpai. . . Senpai!” Sakura held Shirou close to her, burying her face into his shirt and clinging to him with a grip so tight it hurt. She didn’t like that kiss, she didn’t like that kiss one bit! “He-He kissed me! With tongue!” She quivered as she spoke, maintaining her iron grip on him for stability. She shook her head vigorously. “Mm-mm mm-mm mm-mm!”

And then he began to speak.

“I apologise for my actions, Sakura. I do indeed have my own Sakura, we came to this world from our home dimension to find our Rider, and got separated in transit. I thought I might never see her again, which would make her sad, and when you appeared I mistook you for her, hence my passionate reaction”, he said.

“Anyway, it's nice to meet you. It is good to know that you are well, and that your family is here for you”, he continued, looking in her direction with a genuine smile on his face. “Could you please remove this blindfold, though? It is somewhat discomforting to not be able to see what is happening.”

That’snotsenpaithat’snotsenpaithatsnotsenpai! She screamed to herself internally, her quivering increasing to a strong vibration, like a large bell in an old church tower. This isn’t right! This isn’t right! THIS ISN’T RIGHT! He didn’t speak right, not one bit! whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhyWHY! She started sobbing again, she was scared. She was frightened of this prospect. A Shirou who wasn’t a Senpai. Not just not her Senpai, but not one at all. She’d never even considered the possibility of this, never never never nevernevernever ever! How could this be happening, why was he here, and what had he done to ‘his’ Sakura? Sakura was glad that she had her Senpai, and not—and not this Shirou.

So she continued crying into her Senpai, not responding to Shirou.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Abigail

Abigail frowned at Law and said, "Look, I really don't want to admit this, but I think Archer has the right idea.  Maybe we should get the heck out of here?"

Law leaned over, a resigned look on his face. It was time to pull a trick he'd learned long ago, in a time when drinking had destroyed all reason and they'd needed to escape a walmart before the assholes in the next apartment found them.

Your inner narration here is pretty melodramatic. The Driver's voice filtered in through the Muzak playing in the changing rooms, as unsettling as the horrible popsong it came from.

Just let me do it.

As quick as possible, Law grabbed Abby, pulled her off her feet, tossed her into the cart as gently as he could, and started running, pushing the cart ahead of him and past the two crazy changelings. Tossing a 100 on the checkout desk, he mentally thanked god that the cashier wasn't looking, and this store wasn't a model with cameras.

[Elf]

Forest

The engine roared to life and a smile spread across Forest's face.  She reached a hand down, turned down the radio but made sure her Ipod was docked.  With a few quick swipes of her fingers and Judas Priest was playing while the engine purred.

Shifting the car into gear, Forest smirked and said, "You might want to hold onto something."  Pressing her foot on the clutch and then the gas, the Forestmobile shot out of the compound like a rocket.


Rin

Rin lowered her hand and felt her vision blur slightly.  Her head swam and she shook her head, realizing she was doing too much in a short amount of time without giving herself time to recharge.  She flexed her hand and saw Rider taking little "discreet" glances her way.  Rin then heard Sakura crying, “He-He kissed me! With tongue!”

Rin threw up her hands and said, "What do you think you're doing, French kissing someone who isn't your wife?  Are you going to just shove your tongue into all of the versions of Sakuras' mouths you could theoretically meet here?  Look how upset you've made her, idiot!  Well, you're blindfolded, but she's crying and you don't like seeing girls cry!"


NPC Sakura's Shirou

Shirou felt that fiery hot bundle gnaw is insides as Sakura clutched him, crying her heart out.  If she wasn't holding him, he would have punched the version of himself that kissed her.  So he held his beloved Sakura, rocking back and forth. 

Emiya Shirou glared at the alternate version himself instead and kissed Sakura's head.  "He made a very serious mistake," he whispered to her.


Abigail

Abby giggled as she was lifted off her feet and set into the cart.  She held on, her laughter echoing as Law rushed out of the store, leaving cash in their wake.  As soon as they were out of the store, she turned and looked up at him.

"Can we do that again?!"

[Kaze]

ANATU

The ancient babylonian squeaked in surprise as Just lifted her into his arms, having been busy staring at the strange lights in the sky. He chanted a few words, and then suddenly they were flying.

Anatu reflexively grabbed onto Just’s coat, yelling in a mix of shock and exhilaration. They weren’t flying, she realized, rather running along the sides of buildings at incredible speeds. It wasn’t surprising that Just could do this, when she thought about it. Anyone working directly with someone as amazing as the man who had rescued her not but a day ago would have to be great themselves.

The young girl curled herself into Just a little further, a defense against the chilling air rushing by.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Ghost Child

The curious face of the child remained hidden under the brick and mortar of the floor as he waited for Kenzo to leave. Minutes passed as the man looked for the child but the spirit never popped up. Instead the other phantom walked into view before shifting into the broken toy. His tongue was still ripped out and and phantasmal blood dripped on the floor.

The mouth moved and Ghost Child's voice was what exited it. "Are you mad that I broke the toy, mister?"

"Nope. I'm mad that you treated him like a toy and then broke him." the demon responded, shaking his head before sitting-

Exactly above the spot the ghost child phased in.

"Look, playing is fun. But it's no fun if you force others to play with you without asking them first."

[yinsukin]

Michael

The immortal frowned at the kid for a moment before bopping him on head.

"Oi, kid, where'd that come from?" Michael said, "I'm just saying they'll probably need a moment to themselves, that's all. The hydromancer here is just offering her a shoulder to lean on until she can compose herself. Until then, we're pretty much unnecessary."

Roxas's face momentarily turned red as he realized that he misinterpreted the staff guy's words.  He rubbed the top of his head where the man had hit him.  Then, he looked to Rikuyo.

"Well, I don't think its wrong to have multiple people to lean on."  He said, thinking back to the past.

Roxas walked up to Rikuyo and the creepy doctor.  He placed a hand on her shoulder, silently giving her his support.

[MissingMandible]

Corporal Mathew Blackburn:

Mathew hated Medicae Centers. Oh, he understood their purpose, but this was more the matter of pride - a Harlech Soldier never likes being stuck in a bed. It was better to see a Field Medic or Chirurgeon.

"Look, it doesn't hurt anymore! See?" The Dragoon said after being stuck in the hospital for the last hour and a half, "Can I go now?"

Blackburn's valiant stand was winning against the nurses' great offensive. Soon, the enemy's momentum was broken, and the Dragoon led the counter-offensive, delivering the final blow that forced the attendants to say "Get out," in a more polite way.

Basking in the Imperial Victory, Mathew was making his way through the halls of the hospital, wheelchair be damned!


Captain Edward Coombs:

The Enforcer Squad Leader flicked the cellphone closed with his thumb. Since his arrival to the Nexus, it became mandatory for Coombs to call ahead before he arrived to places like police stations or hospitals due to his...unique attribute. With a few more minutes before arriving at the hospital that had three witnesses to the incident, the stern man went over what was known: several people dead, a station gone, a large scale explosion...

This will not be tolerated.

He will get to the bottom of this, find out what happened from those who were at ground zero, and will go on a Hunt if necessary.

"We are here, sir." his driver stated while pulling up into a parking space.

He was a young man, wearing a bullet-proof vest. His name was Joseph Mendez. He never looked Coombs in the eyes, but he followed his orders to the letter. This was an acceptable arrangement.

Coombs acknowledged his companion, and climbed out of the car. Joseph followed suit, and the two of them entered the ER wing of the hospital. The attendant at the counter shirked away when he approached. The former Imperial Captain flashed his badge, saying in his raspy voice "I am Officer Coombs, I called ten minutes ago. I understand that you have some people who were at the destroyed police station. I want to talk to them."

[Panda]

Adjutor

Adjutor's surprise at the spear, now a whip really, piercing through the ice pillar like it was nothing was shattered by the burning agony that followed the spear burying itself in his arm. Pain tore at the teen, his awareness of the situation evaporating with the heat of the spear, Rahab and Valmanway dropping from his hands as the ice vanished from under his feet. Then black tendrils burst from his arms, wrapping around the shaft of the spear and pulling it out.

With no time to take in the damage, Adjutor brought a fair quantity of mana to bear, a few times more than the base cost of the Concept, focusing on himself for the moment.

"Moeskarne," he said as the Concept was actualized, covering him in a shield as Xarrest went to work healing the mangled arm.

At the same time, Rahab sent one of the ice walls speeding towards the guard, leaving one more wall between Adjutor and his opponent.

[Knick]

Christina Summeria

The moment the spear was removed it speed though the air, passing back though the hole it formed in the ice pillar and began to circle around Christina like a vortex of wind.

It took less than a second.

And in that moment a pillar of ice was launched at her. She lowered her body and swung her arm grasping the hilt. The spear shot out, it danced through the air at impossible angles, with incredible speed, and it ripped apart both the pillar launched at her and the one that remained between her and her foe.

As the shattered ice fell to the earth, a cloud of crystal water filled the air, clouding their vison. And then a flash of white, the flashing speed, ripped that cloud apart as it began to spin around Christina once again.

The spear was no longer just a spear. For with Christina’s will filling it, and the truths within the spear being imposed upon her, its true potential was released. The spear curved around her in the air, dancing and swerving like a serpent. Then the spinning began to slow, coiling like a snake in the air.

It was the true form of the “Spear of the First Tree”, the true form of the spear named that when it was first made. But with Hamara’s power it became something more, the light that filled it grant more power to the other truths within it, the parts of creation came together, and it with formed something greater.

That was the truth behind this spear, the truth behind the ancient spear given a new name, the spear made by the efforts of three different Saints. Given form by one, strength by another, and brought to its fullest by the last.

It was the Thrice Blessed Branch: The Lie Eating Snake.

[Panda]

Adjutor

The healing magic was quick to finish its work, restoring Adjutor's arm just as the spear slipped through the hole it.

Not enough.

"Armos," he said, flooding the Armogarians with mana, the armor forming over him as he 'summoned' Tyrfing and Valmanway.

Just as the weapons appeared in his hands, the ice wall before him exploded into glittering shards of ice, the resulting cloud of crystal water clouding his view for all of an instant before a flash of white ripped that apart as well. The sight that met him might have been awe-inspiring in different circumstances. What she wielded, that thing that coiled and twisted through the air around her like a living thing, couldn't be called a weapon anymore.

Oh.

Adjutor didn't need to hear anything more, already breaking down the souls contained within Tyrfing enough to fill up his reserves completely before flooding Valmanway with mana. There wasn't any choice in the matter. If this was her best, he would meet it with his.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Ghost Child

Childish laughter exited the phantom's mouth and it also sat down. "You're silly, mister. I was treating it like a toy because it was a toy, and if I can't play with it then nobody can. Simple! You don't ask a toy if they want to play. I don't ask the swings if I can play on them and I don't ask the toys if I can play with them. I just do!"

At that exuberant outburst a large spurt of phantasmal blood splashed onto the floor.

[Knick]

Christina Summeria

The spear coiled, it slowed even more, moving slightly to the side, and then, suddenly and without warning, it exploded towards its target from above, and slightly to the right of its wielder.

And at the same time Christina drew a short sword she kept strapped to her belt and charged. All the while her hand continued to slightly bleed.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

"That is wrong. That wasn't a toy, it was a person just like me. Am I a toy?" the demon asked, frowning at the spectacle before him.

[Panda]

Adjutor

"Wing Blade Valmanway," Adjutor said, answering the guard's charge with one of his own, dashing in with Tyrfing and Valmanway in hand.

Now.

The spear came first, and Adjutor met it with Tyrfing, parrying the spear and redirecting it off to his side. At that moment, while the teen's attention was focused on the spear Laivatain came down between Adjutor and the guard, all the fire at its disposal condensed into an impossibly bright blaze for all of an instant before it moved away to allow Adjutor to charge her, Tyrfing seeking the gaps in her armor.