Zvso – A Roleplay

[Emery the Steelrunner he/him]

Viator faltered. He felt his chest seize up, and he felt faint. His portals slammed shut as the universe healed the tears in its space. He collapsed as John fired towards where his portal had been.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

A flash of silver whipped out, deflecting the bullet to the wall beside him.

His eyes flicked from the quivering figures.

Perfect.

Khaos exhaled, tightening his mental grip on the flamethrower man while maintaining grips on the others, twisting the man’s limbs enough to incapacitate him as he calmly slid his blade back in his sheathe.

But what of the other ones? The Angel said that they all had come out to him, but not all were here.

[Emery the Steelrunner he/him]

Quote

Are John and Viator in the same room as Elya and the man? or were they just firing through the portals?

 

[Mystic Syn she/her]

Quote

They’re your characters. Idk if y’all moved them or not lollll. I assumed that at least John walked through the portal, but I’m not sure..

 

[Frustration]

14 minutes ago, Mystic Syn said:

 

Quote

I'm still outside.

Once Viator collapsed the portals I'm guessing that Khaos can't use his powers on us. Right?

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by Frustration

[Mystic Syn she/her]

5 minutes ago, Frustration said:

I'm still outside.

Once Viator collapsed the portals I'm guessing that Khaos can't use his powers on us. Right?

Quote

Correct.

Khaos can only use his powers if he can see his target, or generally knows where they are and they are in the vicinity; like he held Ji in the water because he knew he was there and could see them. He cannot use them on John and Viator, since he has no clue where they are, he can’t see them, and not to mention that they’re probably not in the vicinity. 

 

[Frustration]

John's breathing eased and he felt he could move again.

"Viator, are you alright?"

[Channelknight Fadran]

Stop it... Get up... Keep fighting...

Elya couldn't move. Blood drained out from her gut, coating the ground. It grew warm and sticky underneath her. She tried to push herself upright, but her arms barely even shook at the strain. They simply couldn't.

With an agonized grunt of exertion, she pushed her head sideways. Air surged into her mouth, catching among the leftover blood. Hacking up what was left, Elya finally managed to cough for breath.

Alright... Alright..

Use your head. Think.

You have to save them.

[DramaQueen she/he/neopronouns]

Lyanör started to make her way to where Elya was, keeping silent. It was much easier to shoot people when they didn't expect it.

Arriving at the top room, Lyanör glanced through the doorway, barely holding back a gag upon seeing Elya's state. Her opponent was a fairly clear shot, but now Lyanör's hands were shaking. 

She pressed her back against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing on taking deep--but still silent--breaths. Soon enough, her heart rate had slowed back down and her hands had stopped shaking. She pulled her pistols from her belt and fired directly at Khaos's head.

Now that she had shot at him, he would know where she was, if her gunshots hadn't killed him. She ran down the stairs, as quickly and quietly as she could, trying to remember where Elya had told John and Viator to go. 

The perimeter. She hoped against hope that she would be able to find them--and more so, that Khaos wasn't following her.

[Emery the Steelrunner he/him]

Viator’s vision swam, and his head felt fuzzy as he heard muffled talking above him. 

2 hours ago, Frustration said:

John's breathing eased and he felt he could move again.

"Viator, are you alright?"

[Channelknight Fadran]

Had she been prepared for that, she could've kept fighting. Divert the pain, control her breathing, fight back against his blood magic.

I can... still... do it...

But she was already on the ground, sprawled out in a puddle of gore. Her body was dead-set on pulling blood away from her arms and legs to attack the sudden influx of agony and terror. There was maybe a few minutes before she passed out, and not long after that until she was gone. Without her in the way, Khaos would slaughter the rest of them. Easily.

If only... she could... move...

Preparation would mean a few seconds to recuperate. The mental pathways would work on their own to keep her on her feet until her body simply gave out, maximizing energy efficiency. Without all that, it would take... what, a dozen times more energy? A hundred? Just to get up?

Lights if you care, Elya! Those kids are counting on you!

[Mystic Syn she/her]

Khaos perked. A new presence? Their blood raced in their veins, then started to slow and calm itself. Were they…?

BANG

The bullet met the silver blade with a harsh clang, splitting clean in half and onto the ground. He looked down, frowning at the two halves of a thing that would have most surely killed him if he hadn’t acted.

The presence rushed down, fleeing. Khaos stood still as he felt the presence leave his vicinity. He couldn’t waste time on people like that; there was more at stake here. Not to mention that Pherish still moved underneath him, which could lead to a whole string of problems if she was still alive.

He took a step back, leaning against the wall while he listened to her blood.

[Frustration]

17 hours ago, Emery the Steelrunner said:

Viator’s vision swam, and his head felt fuzzy as he heard muffled talking above him. 

"Viator, get up!" John yelled trying to wake him.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breath in. Breathe out.

Breathe in. Hold it.

Hold it.

Breathe out.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

His hand lowered to his blade, fingers twitching around the hilt.

. . .

His head swam. Every mental effort he tried to put into getting up and out of the bathroom went to waste. His damp clothes hung in front of him, drying slowly in the barely warm enough air.

Ragged breath in.

Why couldn’t have I just died?

Ragged breath out.

A salty breeze picked up from the ajar window, other scents of the lower market flowing in.

Ragged breath in.

I shouldn’t be here.

Ragged breath out.

Glowing blue lines traced down his body where his veins were. A small thin blade materialized in front of him, a breath away from his wrist.

Ragged breath in…

I should be dead.

Ragged breath…

[Channelknight Fadran]

One hand curled underneath. Then the elbow. Elya pushed herself onto her forearm, pulling up her head to look up into Khaos' eyes. They shook like hell, all the blood drained out of them. There practically wasn't any feeling left in her fingertips.

But her limbs were what she needed right now to pick up her sword and fight. Elya concentrated on her breathing, slowing her heartrate while increasing her oxygen intake. Her body was already siphoning tissue and fat in a desperate attempt to hang on--all she had to do was force that away from the skewered kidney and intestines. Deplete all the vital organs, tearing at her longevity for little more than a few minutes of fight.

Didn't matter. She was a dead girl anyways.

"J-Jo--" Cough. A hacking fit. More blood; leftovers, it seemed. Lights. "John--"

One syllable. That was it. No orders to run away or look after the others. Just his name.

When had she met him. A couple days ago? It had only been that long for all of them, really. Kazh had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, and she'd already been watching over Lyanor like a little sister. And Ji...

...

Warmth started seeping back into her fingers. Elya clenched her hands into fists against the pain, then finally pushed the bulk of her weight onto her arms and knees. If the edges of her throat weren't slick with blood and her ears could hear anything more than the deadened thump of her heart, then maybe she would've noticed the screaming.

She grasped her sword.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

“Truces in oculis interfectorem,” Khaos continued the quote, meeting her stare, gripping his blade tighter, “ultio venit.”

The blood around Elya bubbled, swirling up around her into many tiny, thin sharp blades of their own. They hung all around Elya, waiting for the singular command, any stray drops falling for a moment before being pulled back up with the rest of the blades.

Didn’t have much left in her. Perhaps she wants to die a hero’s death, considering her history. If that was what she wanted…

Perfect.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Mystic Syn

[Channelknight Fadran]

With another agonized cry of exertion, Elya pushed one leg underneath her, then hoisted herself back onto her feet. Stumbling into a wall and screaming, Elya squeezed her eyes shut. Tears leaked out, sliding and leaving streaks in the blood.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

He closed his eyes. “A hero’s death it is, then.”

The shards of crimson blood perked with newfound life and started to cut away at the dying figure.

[Frustration]

Viator still didn't move. Blast. At least he was breathing, so he would probably be fine.

John had to get back in there.

Jumping onto a nearby dumpster, John began to climb up the fire escape.

Climbing to the top John looked in at Elya being attacked by ribbons of blood, while the strange man stood watching.

"Alright fool, try this on for size."

John threw himself through the window, firing several rounds at the man. As he landed he tucked his shoulder and rolled, coming up in a kneeling position, flamethrower already in hand.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

Khaos leapt out of the way of the column of fire, feeling the man’s blood roar within him.

A few of the blood shard zipped their way towards the man, impaling themselves into his torso, his blood adding onto the blood shards.

He ground his teeth together, exercising his power on the man, slowing him to a stop.

[Frustration]

John felt a weight settle over him, as knives made of blood slashed across his chest. It was even stronger than the last time, he couldn't stand up, or even move his arms.

More slices, blood began to flow from numerous cuts, bleeding slowly onto the ground.

Well, he couldn't move his arms, how about his hands? Straining his muscles he was able to shift his hands, ever so slightly. Shifting the jet of flames back towards the odd man.

Quote

Depending on how far away Khaos moved John could be about to drop the flamethrower, if you want to take advantage of that 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Frustration

[Mystic Syn she/her]

Another column of flames.

A growl erupted from his throat. Khaos rolled out of the way, his eyes flicking down to the man’s hands, willing them to stop.

The blood from the ground rose into more shards, a few of them joining to the cloud attacking Elya, the rest driving themselves into any of John’s exposed flesh.

[Channelknight Fadran]

More screams? Maybe? Lights, she couldn't tell.

John... you idiot... what are you doing?

At this point she couldn't even see. Tears welled up and spilled from her eyes, blood dripped from her nose, heartbeats--each one weaker than the last--pounded in her ears. Half her body was numb; the rest was blazing with agony.

Why was she still thinking about this?

Find something stronger... Elya coughed and heaved sharp breaths, slumped against the wall. Her own blood slashed at her, tearing her jacket to shreds; tearing her to shreds. Each one was a note in the cacophony of pain. It kept her breaths ragged and her muscles tensed.

It was holding her here. The fear. The pain.

Find something stronger...

He'd killed Ji.

Elya grit her teeth and grasped her sword.

...than your will to live.

Screaming one last battle cry, she darted forwards and slashed at Khaos's neck.

[Mystic Syn she/her]

He reacted before he heard her cry, flashing his blade out to deflect the girl’s feeble attempt at ending his life. The dripping shards sliced through the air, cutting through her and the other man.

Why couldn’t she just get the message? It was plain and simple like the nose on his face. Did everything had to be told to her bluntly?

Khaos twirled his blade, any remaining blood attaching itself to the edge of his blade, becoming sharper with every single drop. He stood taller, stared Elya straight in the eye with the slightest hint of sorrow, then drove the sharpened blade into John.