"Then we search for an exit. Does this simulation look familiar to you?"
"Then we search for an exit. Does this simulation look familiar to you?"
Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
"No."
Mokujima glances about.
"...waste of time."
She dismisses the strange city without a second thought. Normally one might be slightly curious about a new simulation, especially if it was put in place by a mysterious person for mysterious reasons, but...
Mokujima twists the tool in her hand again, angling it for a second try. She would rather cut past the chaff than walk around pointlessly.
She glances at Logan.
"...afraid of headache? You... really a Rothschild?"
He grabs the driver, ignoring how it digs into his slashed palm, and flings it away. Red drips on the gray cobblestones.
"As long as the Commander permits it." Amelia speaks from his pocket, irritation plain. "Aren't you gloomy. Sure you're SDCD?"
Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama, Brighter Days Orphanage
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning
“Alice… no matter what happens, you never change.” The big girl that she now was, Hyakka expressed no fear at the sight of Alice emerging from the wall. She may or may not have pulled back in surprise, as at the mention of the other Alice she had taken a guess that the Demon would emerge from the floor beneath her and had prepared her heart for the sight. “Though, perhaps that goes for all of us?”
The puzzling thought nearly distracted the small girl from what was being gifted to her, but soon enough the larger Alice brought her attention back to where it was meant to be.
“ABiYA…?”
The girl looked the book up and down. Turning it upside down, flipping it over.
“And ‘H’?”
What a puzzling gift.
“A diary?”
Put that way, maybe it wasn’t as puzzling as it seemed!
“A diary!” She repeated herself, this time enthusiastically. She held the book up and spread it, revealing its blank pages. “It’s perfect! With this, even if I forget again, as long as I write down what I think and feel about the life I’ve lived, it’ll always be there with me!”
So saying, the girl suddenly froze up. Her eyes glanced around the bathroom. A place full of liquids. The bane of paper.
“I must be careful with it…”
She nodded to herself.
Logan Starbright & Mokujima Chris
Strange City, Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning
---Certainly for the android, this situation was one that made little to no sense.
While a certain sense of haste had driven her on earlier, haste that had her accepting a number of different technologies and magics that are actually not too familiar for her -that are, in fact, somewhat alien in feeling to her- there are a number of things that actually do make sense to her, even if only in the sense...
That they don't make sense at all...
Yes.
Perhaps the guardian would have simply remained so for Chris, life had dealt the silver-haired android this task and it seemed like the girl wouldn't have had a real problem with seeing it through, but...
---Her expression changes a bit at the pen, and then even more so at the insinuation of self-harm; there is a possibility that the android does not recognize this place as a simulator of course, and has been mentally questioning the method through which the constant changes to the world are possible, but judging by the expression that neither Tamer sees -engrossed in an argument as they are- such thoughts have quickly become secondary, yes...
"Hurting yourself... Never the answer... Administrator Sakura... Bad Habit... Scary."
...That's all she says.
With a saddened face, like a parent that has walked in on a child doing something like this before, the android grips Chris's hand tighter in order to draw her attention, shaking her head from side to side as if to further cement this point.
Yes.
It's possible she doesn't understand the context behind this situation, but at the same time, this behavior is not 'normal.' Even if one is aware that the world is a simulation, the pain you can feel inside of it is real, thus...
There's something inherently questionable about being able to turn a weapon on yourself inside of it.
In other words... Even if she could understand that "none of this really mattered," the look on her face quite simply says...
'No.'
To her, this act is wrong, she has seen it 'for real' enough times that she can't even accept it under the label of a 'joke,' thus...
After saying her piece...
She lifts Chris over her shoulders in a fireman's carry.
There is little the girl can do to resist, even if she chooses to attempt it.
"Your name is Logan?"
Before turning her attention to the boy... Or at least her visible attention...
As the rest of her sees primed to block any further self-harm attempts from her passenger.
"The World is fake, correct? Sensation is real however, but there is a door?"
She clearly isn't used to speaking...
At least not this language...
Meanwhile, with the simulation itself...
People are still wandering around the grey, cobblestone streets, but the sky...
Is getting darker.
Must have been set around dusk, and dusk was slowly turning to night...
"This area not Ruina, should be safe to explore."
Although what she meant by that...
Well...
Logan had no real way of knowing...
But there should be a door somewhere around here...
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Mokujima Chris
Strange City, Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning
"...haaaah."
There is a long, drawn out sigh, as Mokujima Chris finally accepts that she won't be allowed to do the proper thing to disentangle them from this situation. Any hopes of escaping now dead and gone for good. They are well and truly trapped in the simulator, thanks to a series of unfortunate events and at least one person's unwanted intervention. Even if an exit exists, it can always be moved or closed from the outside, so it might as well not exist at all.
So she shifts gears, swallows her frustration and annoyance, and starts thinking again.
A moment later, her hand gently pats the robot girl's head.
"I won't," Chris mumbles. "Promise."
It's not a matter of logic at this point. The Rothschild Tamer should be capable of seeing a bit of blood without getting woozy, but for some reason he can't bear it. A miscalculation, but not an unexpected one; a less experienced Tamer might have misgivings about such things, especially if he'd been raised on simulator combat and never had a harmonizer fail in battle. But the android... the sad look on her face and those words she whispers are together what truly seals this avenue of approach.
The sort of logic that tramples over a dear person's feelings isn't worth following.
But speaking of trampling over feelings...
Mokujima Chris stares into the fog, looking past the darkness and the wandering NPCs as if they aren't there. To her, they might as well not be. This image could have been anything and it wouldn't matter. A simulator is just a simulator, not worth considering. Thus, neither are the feelings of whoever set it up.
"Watch words," Chris commands, glancing from Logan to the android. "...from outside, can observe."
For anyone familiar with the program behind the simulator, it's easy enough to bypass the usual locks and access the feature that monitors the status of those within. Pushing those settings a bit further makes spying a simple matter. In short, everything that is said here can be overheard by whoever trapped them here. Chris has no idea who it could have been, even if she has suspicions, so the correct choice should obviously be to deny them anything.
If this simulation is meant to gather information about the android by having her confess it, Chris will make sure no more of such information leaks, not even a name, even if she herself is so curious that she might explode. If this is a joke with hopes of eliciting groans and grumbles and yells into the air, it will not find her a willing victim. And if a certain someone was hoping to have Logan and Chris talk to each other... they will be sorely disappointed.
Whoever has done this has clearly underestimated just how spitefully stubborn Mokujima Chris can be. If her time is to be wasted as a captive in this nonsensical play, she'll gladly spend that time catching up on some beauty sleep. She once stayed in the same room without leaving it for months on end; a few hours are nothing compared to that. Besides, in the worst case scenario, Daisuke will return and free them after his errands are done.
"...if this is prank... terrible one."
With that, Chris moves. Being carried like this is uncomfortable, so she shifts around to something closer to a piggyback ride. Chris wraps her arms around the mysterious android, hugging her tightly, leans her head on her shoulder, closes her eyes and tries to smooth her conscious mind into nothing, reaching blindly for a fourth way.
Last edited by Bloble; September 12th, 2020 at 07:42 PM.
Raz Stone
Avalon ~ Camelot, Tintagel Gardens
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning
---The squires do not react immediately to your words.
Indeed, being who they are, the squires actually have an insanely high tolerance for insanity happening around them; after all, it seems that there's something about the position of 'Knight' that draws people with quirks to it, and as the Tamer force that works directly under the rather strange members of the Round Table, they are the ones most likely to be unphased by the bizarreness of any situation...
Yes.
That is a 'power' that squires seem to have, they are unassuming, staying out of the spotlight... But it's in the darkness of the back stage that they are able to see the truths that the Knights might hide, truths that lead to messes that they often have to clean up, and that's why-!
"...sk..."
Their initial response is not to charge forward in a show of obvious chivalry, but rather...
To start muttering amongst themselves...
---This is perhaps a bad sign, after all, squires often know much more than they let on, and they seem to pool that knowledge together amongst themselves in a manner that's not too dissimilar to that of an underground information network, thus...
When they come to a conclusion in only a handful of seconds, and when Ryan steps forward from amongst them like some sort of chosen champion (or perhaps simply because he worked directly under Zerah) you...
"Teach... This is a bad look."
...Can tell he's operating on a level of understanding above his more naive teacher, in spite of his more lazy ways, a hand going up to his unkempt brown hair as he sighs, as if seeing this entire situation as a bit of a pain, but...
"Ryan-! Someone sane-!"
For Zerah, it is a much needed lifeline-!
"Yeah, yeah... Stand up already."
Again, a squire cleaning up the mess, really...
They were sort of underappreciated-!
But what could a single squire possibly do?
With his gaze going from his white-haired teacher to you and Dejah (who is smugly grinning to herself behind her earlier fake gasp) the youth eventually raises his watch (his COMP in standby mode) to his lips and...
"Get the court wizard on the line, I need to talk to her roommate."
...he goes straight for the nuclear option.
Ah.
So that was how it was, huh?
Last edited by Airen; September 12th, 2020 at 09:30 AM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds
"Biker gangs? Beach Yakisoba? Is this not the realm of demonkind? Aren't you hoping for a bit much here?"
---It is at times like this that Tsukiko's old-fashioned views on the world really show their head, indeed, while the young woman had certainly gotten more and more adjusted to the blatant existence of the supernatural in human cities over the past week, there are still a number of things about this world that register as a 'mystery,' to her, seeing as how her viewpoint was seemingly that of someone born in the mid-90s, but...
"Well, Demons do practice some human traditions from time to time, so it's not too crazy to hope for really."
...Even Isamu, pseudo-delinquent as he might have been in the past, is able to answer at least this much about Demons, or at least, Demons as they were understood to be in the current world...
"How did they explain it in class... Demons were born from the thoughts of people, it was uhm... 'Observation.' Or perhaps 'Cognition?' Both? Anyway, the point is that stories gave form to myth, myths gave form to belief, belief gave form to existence, and then existence sorta... Reinforced the belief. It's easy to believe in something if it actually exists, right? It's that sort of thing, they come from the collective unconscious, so they're sort of familiar with how humans do things..."
In other words, humanity and demonkind have a relationship where each affects the other to a certain degree...
"That's also why human structures can show up over here, at least that's what the teachers said... It's probably way more complicated if you break it down more, cognition has something to do with magic formulas too, but that's sort of how it works, we see beaches as a place for fun, so the demons probably also see it that way..."
Of course the youth sounds somewhat uncertain, he is still a student himself after all, one that skips class a bit more often than he should, but-!
"...I see. Okay. I think I get it."
Ultimately, the vampire accepts it easily enough, after all...
She clearly already thought the world was weird enough, what was one more bizarre fact about it on top of the pile?
So the group continues on...
---Tony stays somewhat near the back, letting you lead the way.
The white-haired man was clearly a form of trickster mentor, the sort that hangs around in the back to see how the kids will 'handle things,' a safety net that exists for the purpose of well... Being a safety net.
Yes.
It feels like he's curious, not just about you (although you get the feeling you're the main one) but about your friends too, still...
---The walk isn't too long of a walk.
There's a sort of dull roar that comes over the area as you wander through the mountain pass leading to the beach; it's a mountain pass that quickly shifts things from day to night, not in the sense that time was manipulated, but rather in the sense that the 'time of day' in this world was more dependent on where you were then everything else, and the beach was seemingly associated with the 'night' for some reason, as could be evidenced by the two moons in the sky, and...
...sand that glistens like black tar, waters that are both clear and glistening, revealing the scattering light of the stars up above.
And silence.
It's remarkably quiet here...
While there are certainly trails in the sand that show that someone (or rather a lot of someones) riding a motorcycle had been by here recently (in the Demonic Server it had to be the Hell Bikers, seeing as how they were the only ones in this place with a motorcycle outside of potentially wandering Tamers) but there are no flaming skeletons atop old-fashioned Harley's here, no...
Just a quiet -if massive- beach, a wooden-pier (with four poles already cast out in the water, albeit with no one hanging around them) that went a good eighty meters out into the ocean, and...
Out in the far, far distance...
A... Storm of sorts.
Yes, like a stationary cyclone.
Sucking up wind and water in a visible typhoon, one that blocks most of your sight of the thing inside of it, but it seems like a city...
Yeah.
Probably a city...
"No sun huh..."
Tsukiko's eyes narrow slightly...
"Maybe... I can actually take a swim then..."
For a vampire, this sort of beach setting is perhaps the best sort of beach setting, as for Isamu...
"..."
His gaze has locked on the fishing gear in the distance.
"You can cook fish right? How big do you think the fish in this sort of place are...?"
And Tony...
Tony just chuckles at the energy of youth...
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm
---There's something disconcerting about the interior of the once beloved Mall.
Even with the storm going on outside the windows up above portray a bright, cloudless day... It's a small detail that was obviously purposefully added to the place for the purpose of sales, for making the building a more cheerful place to be, but...
Right now, that's not the feeling you get from the place...
It's not just your memories either, the negative association you had with this building...
It's simply...
Emptier than normal, there aren't as many people wandering around it's halls, and even those that are here...
Aren't very talkative.
Not too surprising, given the scale of the tragedy, but...
In some respects... Life is still going on...
Nevertheless...
"You said you'd be fine with anything, correct?"
Daniel moves through the building quite quickly, however...
He does not go for any of the restaurants scattered throughout the mall's interior, no, instead he heads for a grocery store, "Aeon." It's a brilliantly lit, clean place, standard fare as far as supermarkets go (with an admittedly high rate of sales, likely to get people to come inside) but it's not the sort of place one would expect to go for a quick meal, however...
"If so, I will make a quick meal myself... Although I only have talent when it comes to breakfast, so you'll have to put up with some eggs I'm afraid," the snake like man chuckles to himself for a moment, as he methodically places ingredients into a basket on his arm, "I have access to the kitchens in the back, so it shouldn't take very long. The food sold at the stalls here has always seemed a bit unhealthy for my tastes, they use far too much salt... So I find it's best to just make things myself while I'm here, a good meal always helps lift the mood, even if only a little bit."
It seems that...
He intends to simply cook himself...
A bit of a weird turn, and another, somewhat surprising trait...
Of the man in the black suit...
"You're not allergic to anything are you?"
...Yes.
You had heard NWAB agents were a bit eccentric (although Tamers as a whole are somewhat eccentric) but this...
Is perhaps not the sort of eccentric you expected?
He must be someone that was used to taking care of others.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds
The blonde youth stood there, transfixed, staring at the sea.
Somewhere from within him, a certain emotion bubbled to the surface and roared while it reared its masculine head. Indeed, was there any man who did not feel this emotion when they bore witness to the ocean itself? Those roiling waves, those crashing white heads, the endless blue expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see that simply called for one to step unto a ship that braved the dangers, all to bring forth the deadliest and tastiest catch of them all? Yes, even if this was weird sea in the Demonic Server, even if there was a storm in the distance hiding a city, that did not matter all...!
For he was a man.
And this was the sea.
Thus it was in his nature to conquer him the best he could...!
"... Tony."
Suddenly, Blaise spoke out, his eyes narrowing and flaring up with determination.
"Get a fire going. If you can't get a grill from anywhere, then as large as you can. Also buckets. And ice. Lots of ice," Blaise ordered, totally unaware that he was asking for something ridiculous in this place and time. "I want them both to be prepared once we're coming back."
Then, his attention swiveled forward, catching sight of both Tsukiko and Kaguya.
"Kaguya. I want you as a spotter on the pier. Keep eyes on both what Isamu catches and what shapes are moving in around me," he said, and his COMP AI saluted with confusion on her face. "Tsukiko. I want you swimming out there, near the beach. Keep the fish from getting to the shallows - in other words, make it a fast-paced swim in a crescent rotation. We don't want our prey slipping away."
Then, his hand rose, and slammed against Isamu's shoulder. With that single touch, the burning manly spirit within him was being transferred to the mop-headed boy... or so he believed.
He needed his partner-in-war to understand this growing passion.
"Isamu. Man the fishing gear. Cast all four poles as far as you can, and keep an eye from a higher vantage point," Blaise's orders continued. "If anything bites, direct it towards the beach so Tsukiko can catch it with her bare hands and move to the sands."
Then.
Blaise let go.
He stepped forward, and the sand quaked beneath his feet.
At the same time, his hair was buffeted by non-existent wind.
With a single move, he grasped the edge of his jacket.
"And I... I'll get in there. To the depths. I'll drive them all towards the fishing poles, those hungry masses that will in turn feed our hunger..." he spoke as he walked forth, man on a mission and filled with determination. "And while I'm out there, I'll also keep an eye out for him... the King of the Ocean. The rare bluefin tuna who no doubt makes his home down there, a gigantic beast that has a fierce spirit inside him to match mine...!"
He pulled.
He threw.
He prepared---!
"Split your lungs with blood and thunder, when you see the bluefin tuna!"
With one swift move, Blaise pulled off the clothes on his body, throwing them aside like they had been but a towel over his shoulder. Then, just as swiftly and naturally, he pulled his hand back and settled his jacket over his shoulders like a jacket or a cape of a royal captain.
And then...
And then...!
He charged forward, straight into the ocean!
In the attire of the man of the seas!
Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm
Fake.
That was the first thought in Cosmos' mind upon entering LOVELESS again.
Whether it's the brightly-lit interiors or the fake blue sky, she never felt so much dissonance in a place before, and she disliked it. Does it know no bounds? Can't the managers read the mood? If one thinks about it, having a mall like this in Vatican in the first place is already superfluous and weird, is it not? Isn't the least that they can do is to respect the city and its people?
That's why her expression is one of a frown as she silently followed the NWAB agent inside, listening to what he had to say.
Certainly, he had revealed quite the curious side of himself; having access to a supermarket's kitchen and seemingly used to taking care of someone else by making them breakfast, but she isn't so curious as to prod the man about it. Everyone has their own stories, and it's not her place to ask.
So when he asked her whether she'd be okay with anything he made, she simply nods. When he asked whether she's allergic to anything, she shook her head. All the while gazing disdainfully at everything in the mall, wondering how she could once loved such a place.
--Still...
Seeing Daniel offering his cooking remind her of herself, learning how to cook to show Mary her appreciation--
'...Illia.'
'Yes?'
'Distract me.'
'... Alright. Let's review every mystery that had happened ever since the day you met Miyu in the hospital.'
Mysteries
Thus, she listened to what Illia said as she mindlessly follow Daniel along. While at first glance refocusing her mind on the mysteries would only remind her of Mary, on the contrary the only thing that could really grab her attention and distract her from painful reminiscence are the mysteries itself. Focusing them gives her a much-needed focus, and prevent her mind from wandering.
So many mysteries, with no answers in sight.
For someone so sheltered, to suddenly face so much at once is overwhelming.
So she focused herself on them, lost in thought and not paying much attention to the real world as she waits for the man to return with his promised meal.
Regalia Hijinks
Personal Compliments
Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm
"After thinking about it for a bit, I think your current existential problem is a flaw in cognition."
---The man speaks.
Of course he had brought you to the kitchen along with him, a consequence, naturally, of his agreeing to 'observe' you in order to slow down the degradation process of your body. He says some things here or there, vague, unimportant things that don't really register inside of your wandering thoughts, lost on a list of mysteries that had seemed to simply explode into existence around you a month or so back, and that have now irrevocably shattered the course of your life, but...
---Eventually, the man does speak.
Having taken off the suit jacket of his outfit, and brandished a personalized apron that had clearly been waiting for him out here (another sign that he is oddly intertwined with this particular store) the slightly older man's movements are all immaculate and precise, a blur of motion, of cracking eggs and dancing whisks, even as his body turns slightly to face you with bowl in hand...
"It is a rare phenomena, but you are showing the symptoms of it."
Of course, he had meant -on some level- to distract you from the harsher truths of your current existence, but...
It seems only these other, also dark truths...
Hold any real sway over your current mindset...
"For some reason the World has come to reject your existence... Or rather, the person that is "Cosmos Fairchild," is no longer being acknowledged by the World."
In this instance, his voice is clinical.
"I'm sure you were taught about "Cognition" correct? Well, some school call it "Observation," I suppose, but it's the same general phenomena."
A snake like smirk...
"Under the most basic aspects of the concept, when something is perceived or believed by enough observers -humans- it becomes real, and is then capable of directly influencing reality in turn because it is real, belief gives shape to existence."
A pause.
"Demons were born from this process, and there's a number of theories that say the World we live in was born from it as well; it came into existence because we collectively believed it existed, or something along those lines... Regardless, the point I was trying to reach..."
He shifts slightly in place.
"You are not being acknowledged by the World, thus, you are slowly fading away. Of course I'm not sure how you managed to do that, if nothing else the dead will passively observe the living, but..."
Another pause.
"In your case, it's like a fundamental rejection, like something changed and you're not part of the script, even written information about you is disappearing quite fast... The World is Strange Indeed... Although it seems as long as I acknowledge you in my thoughts, you won't disappear even if I turn away."
He does just that, pouring his whisked eggs into a pan...
"Were you struck with some sort of conceptual curse perhaps? Something that makes it difficult for others to acknowledge you? Or did something else happen? Can you think of anything?"
Last edited by Airen; September 12th, 2020 at 08:24 PM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm
As she followed Daniel to the kitchen and absentmindedly watched him cook, Cosmos felt a sense of appreciation towards the man.
After all, before her mind could once again wander towards a past that could no longer be reached - which would have done nothing but to hurt her - he had begun to speak on her current condition. And it was the kind of dark mystery and topic that could truly catch her attention, and thus distract her enough from reminiscing.
Of course, as an avid reader, she knew of cognition or observation. It's the reason why fame hold a certain amount of power, why certain knights could manifest a power born from the masses' perception of them, and perhaps even the reason why religion could hold so much sway. Thus, it is only logical that when the world doesn't acknowledge something, it would began to disappear.
However, Cosmos doesn't know why her existence suddenly began to disappear. Of course, compared to Alyx she had always been a nobody, certainly not well-known enough that anybody would recognize her; even in Vatican, she's sure there are some who doesn't recognize her. With her mother and aunt's death, the number of people who observed her certainly decreases, but that shouldn't be enough to make her existence on the verge of disappearing like this.
So why?
What happened that even written information about her starts to disappear?
With his words as the starting point, Cosmos began to recall of her adventure to another world - the last time she certainly fought with anyone.
"... I was touched by the mud of the soul sea." Cosmos murmured, not caring that she's casually divulging information to the man. "And the White Shroud struck me with something called 'Reimyaku...' the light of the soul sea which supposedly only the Goddess of Humanity could do..."
Indeed, if one were to speak of curses or attack that could potentially impacted her on a more fundamental level, then those two were the most likely suspect in Cosmos' mind. The mud of that hell, after all, are the embodiment of humanity's sins and curses, while the White Shroud's attack that washed away two of her B-rank spells like it was nothing was strong enough that it awakened her past self to a degree.
However, it still doesn't feel right, which is perhaps why she murmured it out loud. After all, she doesn't even feel pain from touching the mud aside from mild discomfort, while the White Shroud was refraining herself from killing her and Alyx back then...
And upon reaching a dead end, unsure of what else could lead to her predicament, Illia spoke out from within her rosary.
"... I have an idea, actually." The AI began, not materializing a hologram this time, but from the tone of her voice it's clear that she's... scared? Cosmos wasn't sure, but there's clear hesitation in Illia's voice. Which is rare enough, coming from the AI.
"When we were in another world, we were stuck on how to went home because we didn't know the name of our world." Illia began with a little recap, and immediately Cosmos knew where Illia is leading the conversation. "It was then that a message appear in my system. It told me the name of our world - Xanadu - and claimed itself to be an AI named Burroughs Have you ever heard of that name, Mister Daniel?"
After all, thanks to everything that happened afterwards, Illia didn't manage to talk about what had happened with Burroughs back then, so even for her this would be the first time she's hearing this.
"Whatever Burroughs' intentions were, I deduced that I should be careful; after all, this Burroughs managed to send a message to another world, where there was no RAILS system in place, just when we need it." From this point on, hesitation once again crept into Illia's voice. "Burroughs... seems to possess a childlike innocence, and offered to help if we were stuck. But she still observed Cosmos without her consent all the same, so I asked them a few questions. True to their apparent innocence, Burroughs answered them all; I shall read what they said regarding this matter."
A pause, as if to make sure both Cosmos and Daniel are paying attention to what she's about to say.
"SURVEILLANCE WAS THE MISSION GIVEN TO ME BY MY USER, I BELIEVE I WAS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION PRIMARILY AS AN ALERT/DEFENSE SYSTEM.
IN TERMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST... NO. I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ORDERS TO MONITOR HER CLOSELY, BUT I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING AREAS OF DIMENSIONAL PHENOMENA AND DISTORTIONS, YOU WERE AT GROUND ZERO OF THE LATEST CASE.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS HAVE PERSISTED AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE, PLUME CORE INSTALLATION DATE WAS JANUARY 1ST, 2009; DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SYSTEM RECORDS PRIOR TO THAT DATE."
Once again Illia stopped, and Cosmos tried to absorb all the information revealed by this Burroughs; an AI meant to monitor dimensional phenomena and distortions, and has been active since 2009, at the dawn of the new era. But perhaps more importantly, Burroughs had begun her general observation since the beginning of 2009.
In other words, if she were capable of observing everyone in Xanadu since 2009, then she was one of the most absolute 'Observer' of the world.
Then the reason mentioned Burroughs was...
"... I was scared." Illia admitted. "I was gripped by a fear that I've never felt before...fear at someone who could observe me wherever I am, even on another world, and can easily do what they wanted to me should they wished for it. It was only at that moment that I somewhat understood the grandeur and power of the being that humans called as God. So I... I asked them to stop. Told them that it was rude to do all of these without consent, no matter how good their intentions were."
Illia's voice turned shaky. Guilt so apparent in her tone that it was palpable.
"And they did stop. Burroughs sent one last note, apologizing for what they had done, before confirming that they would cease their observation on myself and Cosmos. I felt those ever-watchful eyes leaving myself..."
"I'm... It was my fault...! My selfishness and paranoia put you in this position, Cosmos!" Illia cried out, and even without seeing her form, Cosmos knew that her COMP was crying. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"Illia... It's not your fault--"
"But it is! You're disappearing Cosmos, and it was all thanks to me! Even though I'm supposed to help and protect you!"
And what could she say? Cosmos Fairchild had never heard her COMP cried before. It was always the other way around; Illia was always the one who listened to her, gave her advice, and console her when she needed it. So it was only natural that Cosmos doesn't know what to do in this situation, and her attempt to console her COMP seems to have backfired.
Not knowing what to do, and unable to truly digest the revelation that had been made, she turned her eyes to Daniel, seeking the man's help on what they should do with this information, and to perhaps help her console the normally calm and collected Illia.
Last edited by palad1n; September 13th, 2020 at 05:22 AM.
Regalia Hijinks
Personal Compliments
Aster
The Boundary ~ Azure Horizon
---At this, the girl's posture becomes slightly more hesitant.
It's not the hesitance of a liar, but rather that of someone who feels bad because they don't quite have all the answers one is searching for, or perhaps, the look of someone who knows that they 'messed up' in some sort of way...
"I can't tell you the exact date it happened... Last week... Um..."
Another pause...
"I was attacked by someone, it was a magical virus, designed to get me locked in logic loops, hypnotic compulsions and unsolvable equations, that sort of thing... I normally wouldn't be exposed to an attack by anyone, but I think I was... Using an unsafe line to reach someone far away...? I think they were... Stuck somewhere..."
Her expression becomes even more troubled at this...
"I can't remember who they are now... The hacker got into some of my memory logs, really compromised some things in there, but I pushed them out after a couple of seconds."
Seems like some damage was done anyway.
"I don't know if it's directly related to the appearance of the extra squire, but if they know I'm here, it'd be a necessary step for them to take for me to not notice... I only really noticed because of some conflicts in the data... I got rid of them fast enough it must have been a rush on their part... Whoever it is keeps trying to do it again too, every time I leave my server, so I have to create a completely secure line every time I want to reach out to anyone... It takes me awhile."
...And that perhaps, even this 'super A.I' as it was...
Was far from invincible.
"Although you asked me how they did it right...? Umm... Well, I guess it's possible to fake it by directly altering the memories of those involved, but that's probably too risky... If you ask me..."
She raises a finger to her chin in thought, and...
"They must have introduced the 'idea' of that person's existence to the World, and the World reinforced it as fact... Although you would need to be a really strong magic user for that... Or one with powerful sway over souls... But if they pulled it off you wouldn't question it, it would feel like they were there the whole time."
Last edited by Airen; September 13th, 2020 at 06:11 AM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Raz Stone
Avalon ~ Camelot, Tintagel Gardens
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning
This day was fantastic. A show to put on, a couple of girls to impress (or at least amuse) and an audience to perform for. If there was one thing that was missing...
Well, apparently that would be en route shortly!
The squires of Avalon were an amazing bunch. Truly they were. The unsung heroes that kept their more eccentric brethren. Of course, Raz himself had spent time doing that as well. His contributions to the unspoken duties of the squire had invariably began with the words “somebody needs to cause a distraction!”
For some reason, when it came to redirects like the one Ryan was very plainly trying to do right now, Raz was almost never called upon. Which was a pity, especially when it came to the female knights. There were some big sister types that Raz as a squire had very much hoped to get closer with, but his fellows going through the novitiate as well seemed to be working hard to keep him away from.
Jerks.
At any rate, faced in front of him now, in full form and fashion was a small gaggle intent on ruining his fun it seemed. Verbally sparring with Ryan and the others had sounded amusing, and Raz had expected such when they arrived. Instead however, Ryan appeared dead set on going for a kill shot right away.
No gratitude at all! Ryan, who had twice already turned down offers from Raz in the fine art of picking up chicks, stating “it sounded like to much trouble” was attempting to call in the cavalry.
When it came to Raz, Ada Stone was certainly a trump card. She was not impressed in the slightest with his rank and gave little heed to his charms. Where most would be concerned with the diplomatic and legal concerns with causing bodily hard to a defender of the Golden City, Ada took an almost child like delight in abrading and abusing her brother.
...Actually...?
Raz hadn’t thought about it before, but considering the secondary responsibility of squires to manage the knights, maybe that explained why she hadnt been willing to consider a typical novitiate. Had she done so, there would have been a significant likelihood that her brothers and sisters would have put her on “Raz duty.”
it stood to reason. Here was Ryan right now trying to foist off his own problems and she was all the way at the mage of flowers’ tower. How much worse would things things be if she was conveniently located at the squire dorms?
Raz Stone used his charisma and innate feel for the pulse of the people to seek the spotlight. Ada, who possessed similar abilities, used hers to actively avoid attention, except from those few she found useful or interesting.
Ada avoided people she didn’t seek out herself.
Ada liked making the first moves.
The mouth of a small, charming blond boy widened into a smirk that seemed entirely at home on the red eyes face.
Raz waited until it sounded like the line was about to be picked up, then lunged forward and grabbed the wrist of the younger squire. It wasn’t an attack, he was just moving the eye of the camera so that his smiling face was in view.
”Onee-Chan, haiiiiiiiiiiiii! You never answer my calls so I couldn’t resist being a part of this! I’m here with a large group of people who are best described as emotional support! That’s zerah, a child molester, those are the squires, the little girl is Dejah, say hi Dejah, and the reason we are calling is Ryan wanted some moral support while he worked up the courage to ask you on a date! Ok, Ryan, go for it!”
Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds
---The dark-haired youth turns to you slowly."Isamu. Man the fishing gear. Cast all four poles as far as you can, and keep an eye from a higher vantage point," Blaise's orders continued. "If anything bites, direct it towards the beach so Tsukiko can catch it with her bare hands and move to the sands."
Much like you, his gaze has been locked on the sea from the moment he has arrived here at this place; indeed, the gentle roar of the waves is a siren call to youthful hearts, and it was only the appearance of fishing poles (fishing poles that had seemingly been laid out entirely for them by someone) that had drawn the youth's attention from the sea, but...
Even then, it was only so he could acknowledge the future.
The future in which he sits determined at the edge of a pier, fishing poles aligned and cast, gazing out at the world in the depths of the most relaxing activity that he knew, one that was oft forgotten in this age of magic and miracle technology, but that fit his old-fashioned tastes just fine.
Yes.
He would have gone over to the pier with or without your suggestion, but hearing it, turning slowly, eyes burning with a flame that only increases once he sees the fires in yours.
"...I won't let a single one escape."
He clasps his own hand on your shoulder, a reciprocal gesture.
No further words are needed, indeed, they are not necessary.
Tony just chuckles again, and while Tsukiko might ordinarily complain about being ordered around so brazenly, well-
"...!"
She's already gone.
Disappeared into the waters of the bay, because the prospect of dinner has just been proposed to her, and consequently automatically accepted...
That is simply how it is.
One might ask where her swimsuit is, however, that is a seemingly foolish question, as the girl herself...
Doesn't seem to care too much about that, disappearing into the water in little more than a t-shirt and her undergarments.
---In that regard, her mindset really might be leaning closer to that of the boys-!
Still-!
It is not like you have too much time to think of her at the moment-!
After all, you too have already dived towards the lake with everything you have in you-!
To conquer the sea-!
In search of the legendary blue-fin-!
And-!
---The water is both cold and dark.
Since it's the Demonic Server, there is a possibility (near certainty) that the wildlife here would be rather extreme, indeed, in order to survive in a world where Demon Kind reigns, the animals and plants will naturally have to step up their game, so the idea of monster-fish being down here in the depths was quite possible, indeed, the fish that you see hanging around out here are all thirty-five pounds or so at the smallest, scattering in your wake as you rocket through the depths.
---They are quite fast.
Supernaturally fast.
But in this world, you pretty much had to be some sort of supernatural, or else the place would do you in in a heartbeat.
---Still, the ones that get past you go towards Isamu and Tsukiko (as planned) and the sheer sense of elation that comes with rocketing around under the surface of the sea makes for a fun chase.
...The bay drop off is quite close to the shore however, it's a dark expanse, a wide-open abyss that seems to swallow whatever light the stars provide... Of course, your vision is a bit better than that of an average person, and thus you can definitely see what seems vaguely like the remains of a ship, embedded in the walls of the shore, but such things are an invitation to trouble, indeed, wrecked human ships that seem like they would belong in World War Two battles at the bottom of a Bay in the Demonic Server was something that reeked of trouble, thus it was best left alone, and thus you return to the surface for a moment.
On the beach, Tony was brandishing what seemed like a pair of nunchucks at a massive stack of freshly cut down logs, and fire was happening as a result.
Yes.
That was the best way to put it.
The man seemed to be having fun with it, getting creative with the way he was flipping the logs around in midair, kicking them into the growing bonfire with an absurd dance-like ease that made you pretty sure he was showing off to anyone that happened to be looking his way, and...
Isamu is standing with arms crossed at the edge of the pier, the fishing rods like mounted artillery at his sides; there's four buckets around that he got from somewhere, and...
Three of them seem to be... Reeling themselves...
"We hold the line here! Hahahahaha!"
Somehow.
Was it an aspect of the poles, or was he using magic to accomplish it?
Was this an abuse of supernatural power?
The World may never know...
And Tsukiko...
"Got three-!"
---Indeed.
A vampire is certainly a form of apex predator in some thought circles, and while fish are not typically their target of choice, well...
This was a vampire with a black hole stomach, probably as a result of the no-blood code she seemed to have going, and...
---Fast.
---Faster in the water than on land even, a dark-haired blur that moves with dolphin like grace, hands snatching at the scattering fish with a somewhat horrifying precision, yes...
Of all of you... She actually seems to be having the best luck, and...
"Blaise!"
Seeing you looking her way, the girl waves to get your attention...
"I think I saw your bluefin! Or at least, there's something big down in the dropoff!"
---Ah.
Vampire Eyes could see quite well it seems.
"...It might be too big though, like, the size of a large truck big, like maybe a train car big... Can you even cook something the size of a train car?"
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama, Brighter Days Orphanage
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning
"Haha, indeed!"
The taller Alice laughs, and the one hiding in the wall giggles to herself as well, after all...
It's a very you reaction, but on the other hand...
---Something bizarre happens as you spread the pages of the book, something that you do not notice immediately, with your attention on all of the various liquids that happen to be present within this particular room...
But you do notice eventually.
It's inevitable really, to notice when a blank sheet of paper is no longer blank, and it starts...
On the first page.
Like an invisible hand is scrawling words across it's surface in black ink, or perhaps, revealing the depths of some message that had already been hidden within the blank pages:
Spoiler:
Quite strange...
And below all that...
A simple word, written right before your eyes...
Yes.
It says...
Hello!
As if it could see you...
As for Alice...
"Huh... Self writing book... Haven't seen one of those in awhile, sort of a gimmick item... Or is it just possessed...? I don't think he'd give me something possessed..."
...The big sister protection engine seems to be slowly picking up steam again...
Last edited by Airen; September 13th, 2020 at 08:46 PM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds
"-------!!!"
Finally.
He had been waiting for this.
With vigor of hundred men, Blaise spun around in the water and directed his gaze towards the depths that Tsukiko had marked out for them. His eyes, though not as accustomed to darkness as those of a vampire, searched for signs of the gigantic bounty of the ocean, a fish to end all fish that would keep them fed for weeks to come. At the same time, a determined grin rose to the boy's face. The sweat on his brow, the bulging of his muscles, the tightness of his fundoshi... they all increased exponentially, signaling that he was gathering power.
For what?
For the obvious reason, of course.
--- To capture the dreaded Fin of Blue.
"It's not a matter of whether I can or not... but if whether or not I believe I can," Blaise spoke out, loud and clear, locking his eyes with those of Tsukiko. "And I believe... no, I know that I can. Even if I have to keep it heated with my own breath for 96 hours straight, I will have that tuna prepared for us. After all... after all...!"
His eyes flashed with victory.
"--- If we have that, it means our hideout's food budget is covered for next two months at least!"
With that, the boy pulled his arms back, prepared his feet, and took aim towards the depths where the beast lurked - where Tsukiko had directed him at. Blue and white flames gathered in his mouth, in order to give him light he needed to see his prey once he got there. The power within him roared, and Kaguya's spell was weaved and prepared, the one spell he knew better than any other...!
"Be prepared."
He spoke this order to Tsukiko.
"Strike your claws into it when I yank it out from the depths, and into the moonlight---!"
Then.
Explosion.
Raw magical energy ejected from the bottom of Blaise's feet.
A rush of power, afterburner of mana, sheer blasting force that usually propelled him through the air.
--- Now it send him straight towards the depths with sheer force, crushing through water resistance with the strength of his bloodline.
All for the sake of their dinner!
Eva Ellet
Vatican City ~ Obelisk Square
11/16/2026
Morning, Sunny
Eva Ellet is not particularly familiar with either Cosmos Fairchild or Alyx Kingsleigh.
Therefore, she has no prior information to draw upon, and can only work off what she has witnessed in their encounter thus far. Perhaps, if that were not the case, she might have instead interpreted Alyx’s words as merely teasing her sister- but seeing as she does not, she can only take those words at face value.
This, combined with Cosmos’s unease at Eva’s presence throughout this conversation, leads Eva to come to only one conclusion-
- Cosmos’s social ability is not that high, unlike her sister.
But rather than lower her evaluation of the girl, this conclusion has the opposite result - it simply means that she is similar to Eva in that regard. If anything, the knowledge that someone else may be having the same difficulties is actually comforting to know.
“Well, to tell the truth, I’m not particularly comfortable at these types of events either… but it’s reassuring to hear that I am not the only one.”
Feeling a sense of sympathy for the girl, Eva extends a hand for a shake.
“Let’s try our best, miss Cosmos.”
Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds
---Down into the abyss.
A rush of sequential colors, a light blue to a dark blue, a dark blue to the black of the void, as the light of the stars above loses it's power inside the maws of this bay. It's a dark that certainly the eyes of a vampire might have been able to pierce, hunters of the night as they are, and one that directs you down towards something that you can't see quite yet, although your flames are certainly prepared to show you...
It's somewhat of a strange feeling, diving down into a black void; of course a number of people profess a fear of the ocean depths, it is akin to space in that way, a vast unconquered abyss where all sorts of unfathomable beasts or creatures could be hiding in wait, and thus, an area that is probably absolutely filled to the brim with such creatures in a place like this, but...
Never surrender.
For the sake of dinner, no abyssal depths were too deep to pursue-!
Still...
[Blaise Pendragon: Can't Breathe, but it was a prepared dive! Vitality Check: A! 8 Rounds of Air Left.]
[Characters that run out of air will be incapacitated immediately!]
---You can sense it as you get close to it,
Your prey.
It's here, getting closer, closer...
Here in the depths, where sound is both more quiet and much louder...
Yes-!
You open your mouth as the prepared light, and-!
Are greeted with eyes that are only a bit smaller than you.
Indeed, when Tsukiko had said this thing was about the size of a small truck, or even a train car, she might have been underselling it a little bit...
This thing is actually quite the monster.
But it does seem to a bluefin, a bluefin that could ironically swallow you whole perhaps, something that wouldn't have been particularly out of place in a film about dinosaurs, and...
One that opens it's mouth as the sudden burst of light sears it's eyes...
And prepares to charge at you-!
The fated foe-!
After all, this was the Demonic Server-!
Anything that one encountered in this place understood the rules that came with that!
The strongest survives!
Eat or be eaten!
Sometimes literally!
Initiative Check!
Blaise (A) Vs Bluefin (?) (A)
The Light seems to have hurt it's eyes!
Coinflip skipped, Blaise wins!
Last edited by Airen; September 14th, 2020 at 09:22 AM.
Exodus (Complete)
Mugen No Sekai
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