Cross Effects 3.0 - June 23, 2016—April 02, 2018

[SINIB]

Rider

Rider's face fell as Oka snapped back at her, obviously upset by what she'd said. The girl looked shocked and betrayed, as if something Rider had said was offensive to her.

What did I say? I thought she liked Pokemon....

Rider was confused and upset, she didn't want to make the girl sad. Still, despite the girl's obvious hurt, she didn't tell Rider to leave and, so, Rider followed her along, looking guilty and pondering what she was upset about.

Finally, after some time, Wormy stopped his movement, turning around and allowing Oka to speak to Rider.

"I'm sorry about that", she said. "So, what's your world like? Is magic real in it? Who is your master, and what does she look like?"

An embarrassed look came over Rider's face at the last question.

"My master is called Sakura and, she looks like, erm..., well, like you", Rider responded, sheepishly. "And, yes, magic does exist in my world. My master is a magus, and I am her familiar. As for the nature of the world, well...."

With that, Rider paused momentarily. She wasn't really sure how to describe her world, it was just as it was. She could imagine, though, that Oka wouldn't know of the magical aspects, after all, most people in her own world didn't.

"It's difficult to explain, really, my world just seems normal to me. It's mostly like this world, except that magic is kept secret from those who do not possess it. I was summoned by my master to battle in something called the Holy Grail War, which was a fight between seven masters, each of which summoned an ancient hero or villain to fight on their behalf. After the war, my master asked me to remain with her, and I happily agreed", she added, explaining her situation.

Then, Rider frowned momentarily.

"Why were you upset before? I thought you considered Pokemon to be your friends", she asked, curious.

Oka

"All of my pokemon are my good friends." Oka nodded affirmatively. "But like…" Oka twiddled her thumbs. "I wanted you to be normal, like me. Everyone I meet here seems to have some weird mystical mumbo jumbo bullshit, and you seemed to be normal."

"It's like, a huge letdown that you're also like that." Oka paused. "I really don't mean that in a bad way, really."

"But, um… I dunno."

Oka trailed off and began to think about what Rider had said.

"Wait, your so-called master looks like me? Is that why you wanted to talk to me earlier and called me Sakura?" Oka tittered in amusement. "Really? That's rich!" She laughed boisterously at Rider's comment. "What a freak coincidence!"

[Panda]

Emily

The Changeling yelped as she felt his fingers tracing around the pleasurable nub once more, the redhead squirming under him as she tried to shift her hips to get him to stroke her directly. In spite of her best efforts, however, Emily felt some of Gabe's seed starting to leak from her folds, gasping at the sensation as his hot, sticky essence trickled out of her.

"Well," she gasped, "You'd probably be right."

[Panda]

Dante

The half-demon returned Rin's smile with a thoughtful look, though it only lasted for a moment. He cocked an eyebrow, however, at Rin's offer, allowing a whistle at the sight of the diamond the raven-haired girl produced.

"Hm. Can't say I'm much for babysitting," Dante admitted, "But I can make an exception."

[Kat]

Petra
Maybe it would do better for Tohsaka to emulate some of magus practices, namely those about not flaunting magic too blatantly. The raven haired girl offered a diamond merely for escorting Liseth to her sister (though she wasn't really looking forward to meet with more magi, so she would not knock on doors), and really what could go wrong? The answer was everything, probably. But still she couldn't pass up so much money.

"Of course you will. You'd be insane to not take this job. Just let's be clear, we go to the pawn shop right after that and split the money by half, capisce?" Petra right away got to the chase.

"I'm not a bodyguard by profession, but for such payment I will do my best." She assured Liseth and Tohsaka confidently.

[Aiden]

Auspicious Breeze

She turned her attention to the not-so-cute-now-but-could-be Oren, saw her big monster body get torn up and thrown off by the big wood-and-fire monster they were fighting. Auspicious Breeze clenched her fists, and tensed her leg muscles to prepare herself to stop it from finishing her. If she could just hit it hard enough, she might be able to knock it down and save her. She couldn't let her get hurt again! She couldn't, just because she got all weird, let some cute girl get killed!

It wasn't right. Helping her was right. Right makes might. This is what this power is for.

Then Michael offered his staff's hook, and an idea formed in head of the Solar goddess of war. She grabbed right on, held tight,and positioned herself so that when he threw her she could let go and take angle herself just right...!

Auspicious Breeze reared her fist back, threw it forward with the rest of her body, poured as much of her golden essence into it as she could, and slammed into the monster with the force of a comet! The rest of the forest went still at the moment of impact; she had gone faster than the sound of her own acceleration. Then everything exploded.

Her golden aura expanded, blinding bright, a towering pillar of radiance visible above the tree line for miles around. It was bright as the dawn, and from it a form appeared. Surrounding Auspicious Breeze was a titanic six-armed goddess outlined by lines of sunlight, each limb moving in time with her body. Three of its arms buried themselves into the giant monster. The other three followed an instant after, the rest of her momentum catching up with her.

HEAVEN THUNDER HAMMER

The monster's body was broken around the impact point. It was sent hurtling through trees with a thunderclap, breaking them and being buried as it went.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Liseth

Liseth raised a brow at Rin but shrugged. At least it couldn't hurt, although she internally questioned the idea of hiring some random people to serve as protection. "Sure, sound fine to me. Let's go."

But the tall girl paused and considered the pile of wealth on the bar. "Oh, and Rin can you tell the guy that he can keep the change? I don't really care about whatever is left."


Oren

The dragon had melted away into a blob of darkness that was twisting and growing, but even in that protean form beads of liquid poured off and turned into blood. However, even it shivered in awe at the power that swept through the elemental and shattered all that it was. Yet, there was something more to it then plain destruction. There was a quiet in the leaves. An emptiness where a song was once sung. A hollow spot where something was once alive.

How utterly delightful! The darkness shaped and stretched and took the shape of a creature resembling a massive worm. Oren was blind, but she could still see what was important. The tendrils in her side burrowed through the earth with ease and reached towards the burning life in the earth. Then she drank deep of it, and the black blood that poured from her new body soon came to an end. Her wounds rapidly closed and the stolen energy filled her with vigor. The area around her felt the effects most keenly. Plants withered and the soil was wiped clean of anything that could host life. An abomination that the elemental would have responded to at full force, but in this silence she was free.

Soon she was renewed, and her form collapsed into black and in a few moments reforged itself into her beautiful, lithe form. Then she bounded over dragon scales and splintered wood with impossible grace as she went towards the wreckage that the other girl had made. "Hello? Breeze? Are you still here?"

[Elf]

Rin

Rin made sure to pick out the choice gems of the pile, leaving out the diamonds because they could be temperamental at times.

Duke heard Liseth's comment and a broad smile spread across his face.  He said, "Well, you and your friends are welcome back any time."  Then he proceeded to gather up the money on the bar.  Rin smiled and shook her head, understanding the urge all too well.

Rin smiled at Dante and said, "I'm glad you can see reason, and not look a gift horse in the mouth."  She bowed her head to Petra and said, "Thank you."

If walking by herself, or if Liseth was just a normal girl, Rin wouldn't have even bothered.  However, she had a feeling in the wrong hands Liseth's little ability could be exploited to dangerous proportions.

"You don't have to knock on the door; just making sure we're inside is safe enough."


Gabriel

"I generally do know about such things," Gabriel said, slowing down his ministrations.  "Would you like me to stop?"

He stopped his fingers, pausing on her nub, adding a little pressure.

[Aiden]

Gadreel

Ah, a fine discussion on the arts of war. Alas, he could not discuss his own experiences and learning in that regard. Much of his education in the arts of battle came from eons of service in the legions of heaven, armed with sword and armor of celestial fire. He did add various human arts to his fighting after losing access to the celestial fire, but he could not clearly identify any particular tutors. It was experience born from battle, and many human fighting arts in what was now the Levant originated with him as he brought weapons and the crafts of war to them once more.

If only alcohol had any effect on him, he would be most pleased with the prospect. Still, perhaps some of it would have a pleasant flavor to make up for the lack of meaningful impact on his psyche. He nodded to Forest, and to Julius. "After you then, fair lady," he said to her in only partial jest, his lips quirking up into a smirk matched by his eyes.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider

Rider frowned at Oka's words, feeling sad that she couldn't live up to the girl's desire for a "normal" friend. She really hated to be such a disappointment to the girl. As Oka trailed off, Rider continued to look down at the ground, obviously saddened that she'd let Oka down like that. For a moment, feeling like she was unwanted, she was about to walk away, wheeling her bike behind her but, before she could do so, Oka spoke up once more.

"Wait, your so-called master looks like me? Is that why you wanted to talk to me earlier and called me Sakura?" she said, obviously amused.  "Really? That's rich! What a freak coincidence!"

Rider looked back up at her, trying to put on a smile despite her obvious dejection.

"Yes", she said, somewhat listlessly, "that's why I called out to you back in the bar."

"It is true that I'm not 'normal', but I am a person. Well, sort-of...", she added, still obviously somewhat upset at her inability to be the friend that Oka wanted.

[Panda]

Michael

The immortal watched as Breeze flew up to strike the beast down, feeling...something. The emotion filling him was something...strange. Something he hadn't felt in far too long, but something the golden blaze of her aura and the appearance of the figure surrounding Breeze, mimicking her movements, only confirmed.

Awe.

The deafening sound of her fists colliding with the beast barely even registered to the immortal. The creature flying off, utterly destroyed as it had the courtesy to bury itself with the sheer force of Breeze's blow, meant nothing to him. This was the second long-atrophied emotion that Breeze had inspired in him, a fact worth noting above everything else save one thing. For all her power, it was clear to the immortal that she lacked technique. Wherever she'd learned to fight, it had been in a place where brute force had been enough to get by, but that wouldn't always be the case. Remembering his own decision to try starting up a school here if he could, Michael couldn't help but wonder what kinds of heights she could reach with some proper tutoring. Perhaps brute force would continue to serve her well, but having technique to back it up. That would make her a truly...deadly opponent. He couldn't say it would make her a worthy opponent, for she'd already reached that level in the immortal's eyes. If that strength could be wielded with finesse, however...

Shaking his head, the immortal strode in towards Breeze's landing point, unable to help noting the smoke rising from the forest around them.

Huh. Looks like that Elemental was sustaining this place. And she killed it? Pantheon's unending seas this will be interesting if nothing else.

"Well done," Michael said, sweeping aside the smoke and dust as he drew closer with a swing of his staff, "But you lack finesse. Brute strength seems to be enough for you to get by for now, but it would be a shame not to refine your skills. I'm going to be starting up a school for fighters soon and I think you'd stand to benefit from it, if you're interested. After all, what will you do when a day comes that raw strength isn't enough to protect someone?"

[Kat]

Julius

"I never journeyed to the Far Orient, but I have travelled around whole Europe and even visited Holy Land. I had chance to use my unarmed prowess on various evildoers, but usually I take on foes that cannot be taken out with bare hands. I sometimes use a gun, but I primarily concern myself with more old fashioned weapons. Such as knives, swords and the whip I'm carrying around on my belt. It's an ancestral weapon passed through generations which name I won't say without a good cause." He had habit of using its name only when fighting evildoers and threats who were not small fries. He followed the lady without question as she knew the way to the liquor store.

[Panda]

Dante

"Of course," Dante said with a nod to Petra, "Just hope whatever pawn shop we bring it to doesn't try to rip us off."

"Anyway," he continued, taking a moment to adjust his gloves, "This ought to be easy."

The half-demon briefly considered calling up Beowulf ahead of time, just in case, before dismissing the idea. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to make people uncomfortable in the middle of a fairly crowded bar. Relaxing where he stood, guitar case hanging off his back, Dante waited for Rin and Liseth to start.

[Aiden]

Ron

"I mean, most vampires are dead right? It seems hard to digest meat if you don't have a working stomach. Might be able to... I dunno, absorb the blood despite that," Ron speculated, mostly to himself, before getting that other plate. "Or something."

He took a moment to consider Rikuyo's proposal about night hunting. On the one hand, he really did want to get back to that comic store. On the other hand, it was an opportunity to test himself against something new. Both were appealing. He bit into a nice chicken skewer, testing the texture, and nodded to himself with a grin. Definitely the hunting.

"You know what? I'll take you up on that tonight. You, me, Anne, some spirits; should be fun. After this plate. And maybe some ice cream."

[Kat]

Ron

"I mean, most vampires are dead right? It seems hard to digest meat if you don't have a working stomach. Might be able to... I dunno, absorb the blood despite that," Ron speculated, mostly to himself, before getting that other plate. "Or something."

He took a moment to consider Rikuyo's proposal about night hunting. On the one hand, he really did want to get back to that comic store. On the other hand, it was an opportunity to test himself against something new. Both were appealing. He bit into a nice chicken skewer, testing the texture, and nodded to himself with a grin. Definitely the hunting.

"You know what? I'll take you up on that tonight. You, me, Anne, some spirits; should be fun. After this plate. And maybe some ice cream."

Rikuyo

"Really? Yay~ You won't be disappointed Ron-kun!" She exclaimed in happy and energetic manner, enough loudly that she probably was heard in whole buffet. Rikuyo was really, really excited about the trop that was about to happen in the night. But then, she calmed down a bit as she heard a new strange word she wasn't familiar with. She had to ask, out of sheer curiosity. "But what are those ice-cream? I've never heard of it. Is it some food?"

[Aiden]

Muramasa Katase

He looked like he had survived death once already.

"Ara ara~. What a handsome devil you are," she said to him, her words carried on a coo of affection as she slid herself just a little more out of the sheath. "It makes this Muramasa want to take a little more skin off of you, so you match that manly face of yours!~"

Then her puppet held her sheathed sword up, and looked Kenzo in the eyes just over the curve of it. This was it; there was no turning back after this. Her self-control would shatter in an instant if she left the comfort of the dark wood.

This is a man worth the time and attention spent to kill him.

"I think I could grow to love you too, Kenzo-kun. Don't you dare hold back, okay~?" Katase warned him, her last action as a woman instead of a weapon. She slid herself out with a single graceful motion, revealing her flawless steel surface to the eyes of the blacksmith - of its next victim. It threw the sheath aside.

KILL

Everything human about it faded away in a crimson haze. Every inch of flesh covering its puppet's bones was surrounded by a black miasma of broken souls; they howled their defeat throughout the dojo in homage to the lethal edge of Muramasa Katase.

Join us in death.

Anything it killed would do so. Anything that died beneath it would join the abhorrent chorus of the demon's spirit. It hungered for this Sakagami Kenzo more intensely than anyone it could recall. The realization made it keep its promise not to hold back. A wretched black armor solidified from the miasma to cover its puppet's meat. Black steel plates and lamellar and one wicked masked helmet to conceal that semblance of humanity it had worn before. The shell's eyes shone through the holes in the mask, pinpricks of blood.

The victim had no openings. Irrelevant.

Its shell surged forward to test the tensile strength of its beloved victim's blade with a swift barrage of strikes from below. The difference in reach and size was irrelevant for now; it was merely testing the supposed greatness of its mindless would-be competitor. If he left an opening it would cut his arms, draw first blood. If he tried to break its puppet it would evade, let it glance off its armor, maneuver around, over, however it needed to in order to avoid destruction and create an opening.

I want his heart.