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

[Panda]

Michael

You'll never know what kind of curiosities you'll find in an abandoned, derelict hotel. Could be anything from old condoms to even older maps, tiny treasures and trinkets that might seem like trash to one and treasure to another.

Of course, one must remember perspective. No matter what oddities one may find in an abandoned, derelict hotel, one will always find greater wonder in the world around them.

Case in point, Richard. Nowhere in recent memory could Michael find someone who was more of an asshole than that Pantheon-damned Hydromancer.

Allowing an annoyed sigh, Michael simply slipped out of a window, Enhancing on the way down before landing hard enough to crack the pavement beneath him upon impact. Standing up and dusting himself off, Michael turned to the Hydromancer.

"You called?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Richard Maxwell

"Of course I didn't.", said Richard without even bothering to turn around and face the staff wielder. Of course he called him, what kind of retarded question was that? Well, it didn't bother him too much as long as he could make a useful pincushion.

"I take it you are bored. You're in luck. There is a vermin infestation near the blast furnace, a good bunch of idiots that need to be taught a lesson the hard and painful way. Normally I wouldn't bother, but it was big enough to warrant a public alert. I believe it would be more suited to your somewhat limited abilities, unless you fancy your security tapes that much."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Even as Ignis took hold of Kenzo, he didn't move an inch. It's not that he didn't want to struggle or anything, but he just couldn't. He had used every ounce of his strength for that little stunt and was now completely inert. Quicky, he realized everything was pretty cold. In an instant, all the rage and anger was quelled by the cold sensation, and he began to feel very numb.

Despite his eyes being dead set on the man, it almost seemed like he was losing the fierceness of his gaze. Right now, all he could manage was using all of his strength to stay awake. But even if his mind was focused, his body had limits. Lines that weren't meant to be crossed were crossed, promises that were once unbreakable were broken.

It sucked. Kenzo got the memo as soon as he delivered that final stab, he couldn't kill that man. It was quite simple really, he just couldn't break that promise, even if it meant dying at his hands.

Maybe, had he tried to kill that man a little harder, he wouldn't have lost. Maybe, had he been a little crueler, he would've won. But the world isn't such a simple place, He couldn't stay put on the maybes or what ifs, Kenzo knew that much. It wasn't his body that lost the battle, but his heart.

But just because he didn't win didn't mean he lost.

Next time, he'd win.

Maybe he could rest a little after all, so he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

[SINIB]

Irisviel

Irisviel looked at Sakura quizzically. “Why would we go check it out, that’s the opposite of what it says!” She then turned to Towuh. “And why are you so interests in this?” She asked him.

[SINIB]

Sakura

Sakura warmly smiled at Rin. She was right, obviously. "Yeah, you're right! I'll keep that in mind." Sakura told Rin. "Being careful is very important."

She then scrunched her forehead. "Nee-San...why didn't you just use the mana in the air, there's plenty. You didn't need to hurt yourself like that." Sakura muttered as she nealt down next to Rin as she began to repair the plates with her.

[Kaze]

LANCELOT

Lancelot could hear scuffling noises through the small pipe Saber disappeared into, then her voice telling him that she was alright but in a separate area of the sewers. He opened his mouth to reply when more sounds came through the small pipe. Growls and roaring, a lot of it, like there were a dozen lions on the prowl behind that wall.

“Saber, what’s going on over there?” She didn’t respond, only more roaring, and something that sounded like claws on concrete.

“Saber?” he shouted down the pipe, getting desperate. Saber was one of the strongest knights he had ever known, but he had no idea what it was she was up against, and there were a great many strange and powerful beings in the Nexus. He whirled around, shining his flashlight at the walls, the ceiling, the ground, anything that might help him get to where Saber was.

She’s going to die.

There wasn’t, of course. He hadn’t really expected it to be so easy. He wasn’t going to fit in the pipe the former King of Knights had crawled through, so there was only one possible option.

With a roar, Arturia’s knight charged and shoulder checked the sewer wall. He pulled his fists back and slammed them into the walls, again and again. It buckled and cracked beneath his assault, but he was still so much more to get through.

She’s going to die and you will have failed. Again.

Lancelot screamed, viciously digging into the ruined concrete, pulling chunks of it apart. He didn’t even notice Mu pulling up nearby.

AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!

The dark knight snapped. He held nothing back. He leapt back to the other side of the sewer tunnels, mistlike blackness coalescing in his hands to reveal Unfading Light of the Lake. With a primal shriek of rage and terror, he smashed into the concrete wall with all his might.

On the other side where Saber was, the wall exploded inward. Chunks of rubble blew across the tunnel as the berserker charged through with the force of a freight train.

                                                                      Oh Yeah
“AAAAAAAAARRRRRTTTHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!”

It was black as pitch, impossible to see in. Even so, he mindlessly slashed into whatever sound he heard with Arondight, moving and slicing and furiously tearing into anything he could, fueled so by his rage.

[Elf]

Rin

Rin grinned at Sakura taking her words to heart and nodded. 

"Nee-San...why didn't you just use the mana in the air, there's plenty? You didn't need to hurt yourself like that."

Rin sighed and said, "Pulling mana from the air can be risky and unpredictable without a focus.  I know how my own prana acts and how it flows.  I'd rather use something I know and trust than adding an unstable element into the mix."


Saber

Pain lanced through Saber as something lashed through her side.  Hot blood welled up in the cut, but she pivoted and struck down the the thing that harmed her with Excalibur's faithful steel blade.  She could barely move in such a tight space.  Grime weighed down her clothing, almost as much as the armor she once wore.  Her senses were useless here as the things swarmed her.

Until part of the wall caved in beside her and an all too familiar and chilling bellow split the horrid chattering and shrieks of the fiends.  The smell of blood filled the air as Lancelot continued his berserker rage and Saber's blood ran cold.

[Cherry Lover]

Sakura

Sakura frowned angrily as Togan began to dance around, begging Irisviel to "take a look" at what was happening.

What does he mean, "fun"? People getting murdered is not "fun"..., she thought, angrily.

Then, Irisviel took the phone and, after looking for a moment, turned to look at Sakura, a questioning expression on her face.

“Why would we go check it out, that’s the opposite of what it says!” she said, before turning to Togan and questioning his interest.

Well, I guess that's a sensible response.

After all, the message had specifically told "civilians" to stay clear, and they were civilians, so going there was indeed the exact opposite of what the message had intended.

But, we're not normal civilians. We have the ability to help save people.

"Irisviel, we're not normal, though, we can actually help", she replied. "And... I'm sure Shirou will go, if he hears about this. He's too kind to ignore such a threat to innocent lives. I can't just leave him to deal with this alone."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Tohuw Balagan

Tohuw looked at both as if they were insane. What was wrong with them? Finally a chance to see something out of the ordinary and they'd have second thoughts. This was messed up.

 He had to bring them there, how else was he going to teach them about true Entertainment with a capital E?

"Yeah! Listen to her, we totally have to get there! Shows like that don't come up every day. This is the real deal, the real deal I say! And they are telling us not to go there, isn't it all the more of a reason to go? If it warrants a warning of such a wide scale, it has to be something big. Missing out on something like this is totally lame, I'm sure there's a bunch of people getting there as we speak and while they have the time of their lives, we're going to be the lame peeps who were too chicken to get to the carnaval. Is that what you want!? "

[YOLF]

Just

He turned to the man… no the entire group of three. “It would be best if you were to leave. We are going to begin checking out structures to see where it is safe to go, it would be best if no one was in our way.” He told them, her voice stern and gold. Gone was the nice old man from eirler, who was relax and at ease, and before them now stood the leader of the Guard of the Saint.

It was a partial truth; he really wanted them gone because he could tell some of the guardsmen were incredibly tense. The last thing he wanted was for there to be a fight.

Gintoki

He was a bit curious about what have happened here, but it was obvious to him those people were trying to hide the truth for him. If he bumped into Suiren he would ask himself. If Sarse wanted to know the truth, he'd better go find her as well. "Let's go guys. If they don't want to tell us anything, it's their business, I'm not in a mood for arguing more. I'll buy you parfait or whatever."

Sarse

The angel placed one hand on Gin's shoulder to hold him for a moment, before turning back towards the guards. The omission of truth, in some ways, frustrated Sarse far more than lies could. But he wanted to believe these people (though they may have been interloping the enforcing of public order with justification only they knew) were, where it counted, every bit as righteous in their intentions as the white of their uniforms made them look and their words and composure made them sound.

"Before we go, please answer me this. May I trust you, Just?" He asked, looking straight into the man's eyes.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Sewer Infected

The Infected knew no fear, but their superiors recognized a waste of resources. As the black berserker tore through the bodies of Hunter and fodder alike the larger Infected at the ends began pulling back while the rest was completely focused on distracting the frenzied attacker. Meanwhile beasts similar to the original creature picked up numerous chunks of flesh with their tendrils as they retreated from the area.

But there was one surprise as the legions began pulling back. Something massive had dug through the earth behind the wall and a massive, snake-like Infected burst through the solid concrete of the small corridor right behind Saber. It was red and its bone white mouth was split in half and numerous tendrils armed with sharp teeth served as tongues. It barely even fit in the tunnel and every movement it made shattered the ground and ceiling with unrelenting strength. The split was just open enough to swallow a human as the thick tendrils were already grasping at the knight's limbs, as if it had known where she was before it even entered the area.


Aisha

"Purpose? I was indulging the curiosity of other Children. I have all the time in the world, and I see no reason not to listen to all of you now." She casually took out her knife and began to prick her fingers. Beads of white blood dripping down to be eagerly absorbed by the flora below which exploded into growth. Years of maturing replicated in an instant as the thick plants began to cover this portion of the beach.

[MissingMandible]

Captain Edward Coombs:
"Now, Miss Kurokami - that's your last name, isn't it? - let's start from the beginning," Coomb's raspy voice stated, "Why and where were you at the police station?"

"In chronological order, can you please tell me what all occurred?"


Corporal Mathew Blackburn:

It was kind of awkward just standing around in a nearby sitting area, honestly. The blonde lady - Seras, apparently - was off aways, and the man who accompanied Coombs - Joseph - was standing in a corner just watching over the two of them. His stare was the sort that kind of made you want to ask before you can go to the restroom; stern, but not a glare, like one of his teachers back when he was a kid.

Maybe a conversation was in order. You know, to waste time and not to feel like you are doing dick all just sitting around until it's your turn to visit with the principal.
"So..." Mathew slowly began to address Seras, "I don't exactly remember seeing you at the station."

[SINIB]

Fluffykins

When the tentacles grabbed him, halting him mid-flight, Fluffykins roared, but not in anger. The sound of great mirth filled the air around him as he chortled in amusement. As the tentacles increased their pressure, his body shrunk to accommodate them rather than offering resistance. As the ground began to buckle beneath their weight, fluffykins weight rapidly increased. It first doubled, then tripled, even as his size decreased, his weight skyrocketed ever higher, and the ground threatened to give way.

[SINIB]

Faust

Faust wanted to reduce the young girl into a smoldering pile of ash as she antagonized the dragon. She clearly had no sense of self preservation, and he despaired as the chances of him getting away without great sacrifice plummeted to the ground.

But he would continue forward, forever. There was no point regretting the past, and he had to act. He would never stop pursuing his goals, even in the face of great peril. Magical energy began gathering within him, just in case.

"Great Dragon, I have a question for you. What is your goal here?"

[Knick]

Mia

Mia’s confusion grew if anything, as she stared at the ‘dragon’, “What’s a dragon though?” Mia asked again, not understanding his answer, “It is a special lizard? It's a special lizard, isn't it. Cause you look like a lizard, but you can fly. Unless your a magic lizard. But that would still be a special lizard cause lizards aren't normally magic.” She rambled.

And then she was interrupted by a man who spoke out, causing Mia to turn to him with a frown, letting her body spin in midair a bit, “Hey, it’s my turn. Don’t be a meanie.”