main plot The Metamorphosis: Rise of Villainry

[+Ark1002]

On 12/21/2018 at 5:34 AM, AxeliustheGreat said:

Tena finished eating another slice of pizza, then curled up, closing her eyes. “Y’know,” she noted to Ani without looking at him, “you’re pretty sweet. Nice, too. Don’t know why that surprised me; I didn’t know you before you started spiking yourself and stuff. You’re sweet,” she repeated. “Way sweeter than Mace. Weird thing, that.” She set her head on one of the pillows at the end of the couch, and wriggled, trying to get comfortable. “Don’t burn my house down,” she told Ani, “or I’ll get mad or something. G’night.” It wasn’t night, but Tena was tired and didn’t care. She fell asleep. 

@Ark1002

ANthony Nightshade smiled, looking down on her. Something stirred, and he felt... What's the word? Ah. A combination of a few things. He felt protective, even though she could probably overpower him, he cared for her, and he wanted her to be happy. Hell, what's the word?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quote

As my mother has told me many a time: The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Or you can just stab him.

Tena shook herself awake about ten or so minutes after she'd lain down. She steadied herself with a hand on the floor as she nearly fell off the couch, then yawned and sat up. "Don't know why..." she mumbled to Ani, "I'm so tired. All I did today was save your life, which was kind of stressful in and of itself, but still. It was probably that Steelrunning burst." She stretched her arms above her head with a grimace. "Actually, I'm probably just getting lazy. Need to work out more. Oh, yeah, speaking of which..." she grinned at Ani. "I'm probably going to go to the forest outside of town real soon. Wanna come?" 

@Ark1002

Edited December 22, 2018 by AxeliustheGreat

[+Ark1002]

Anthony grinned, looking at her get up. She looked... It's another word, but I don't know it. He scratched his arm and bit his lip, trying to think of the two words he was looking for. She asked him a question. "I'm probably going to go to the forest outside of town real soon. Wanna come?" His grin got bigger, and he nodded. "Yes, I'd love that." OH! That's the word... love. He sat back. What was the other one though?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ani didn't look like himself. Far too cheerful... and kind of handsome. Uh... where did that come from? she thought, then snapped back into focus. "I probably have a Tia card to there somewhere in my pack," Tena said, reaching down and grabbed one of the straps of the pack, then sat back down next to Ani and dug through it, eventually finding the desired card. She stood back up and slung her pack over her shoulder, then grabbed Ani by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "Okay, now works," Tena said, still holding on to Ani. She tapped her Tia card with her other hand, and teleported both of them into the middle of a forest. "Wow," she said to Ani, "I'd forgotten how beautiful it is here." She looked around at the sun-dappled trees and smiled, then took her mistcloak out of her pack. She put it on, twirling a little in girlish joy, then gave the pack to Ani.

@Ark1002

[+Ark1002]

Anthony grimaced. Women. Always making men do the work. Then a look of confusion spread over his face. Where did that thought come from? He shouldered the pack, making his face go flat, then breathed in deeply, enjoying the crisp scent of the forest air.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Tena saw two expressions cross Ani's face; confusion and nothing. She wondered what those two meant in conjunction, then wondered at her own wordiness. She shook her head to rid it of whatever had been in it a moment before, then Slicked her feet and moonwalked backward, tapping steel to give her more speed. She dropped a coin, Steelpushing against it after unSlicking her feet and launching herself into the air, barely cresting the top branches of the tree that had been behind her and breaking out into the light of the day. She breathed three breaths of cool, light air as she seemed to hang in the air, then fell back into the forest, her back hitting a few small branches. In a firm voice, she Awakened her cloak. "Hold things." Immediately, the strands shot out around her, wrapping themselves around branches and bows until she hung in the air about twenty feet above the ground. Frowning at several strands that had grabbed her arms, Tena said, "Your Breath to mine." She fell, landing on the packed-dirt ground in a crouch, then falling onto her backside laughing. "I've haven't had this much fun since Melkor sung with Ea," she joked loudly, then stood up and brushed herself off. Stormlight healed the bruises on her feet as she walked over to Ani. "Want to spar?" she asked him. 

@Ark1002

Edited December 22, 2018 by AxeliustheGreat

[+Sorana]

59 minutes ago, Ookla the Meeker said:

"There!" a soldier cried pointing at the solitary group of three. "Kill them!"

Althea reached out for their weapons, turned them to dust. Then she destroyed the lock of the door leading to the roof.

"I can buy you some time."

She told Max and Toa.

"I don't think I can fight them, and I suspect there will be more."

She stared at the soldiers, already organising themselves new weapons. They needed to hurry. She checked her spheres and grimaced when she saw how many were dull.

@BooksBeforeDeath

@I think I am here.

[+Ark1002]

His face, which he had finally gotten to be still, went to confusion again. "Spar?" Then an image came to him, an image of two men fighting. The image was blurry, and went away ast, but he knew what she meant. His face went cold, and he swept into a stance that he didn't know, but his body did. It was hard, and looked ready to stand up to a flurry. He grabbed a nearby branch, thick and heavy, and held it in front of him. Who was I to know what I do?

@AxeliustheGreat

[Sherlock Holmes]

"I'm taking that as a yes," Tena said with a grin. She settled into a relaxed half-crouch, summoning her spren as a staff in her hands, then remembered what had happened to Ani and grabbed twin knives from holsters on her thighs, her spren dissipating into mist. She waited for Ani to take the first move with a mocking grin on her face. 

@Ark1002

[+Ark1002]

Anthony sprinted forward, large sweeping motions as his large branch swirled. He spun quickly, then hit in two consecutive strikes, at both of her hands, then put it back into the swirling motion. Was I some sort of warrior? A guard?

@AxeliustheGreat

[old man moomba]

A man leaned against a nearby tree, watching the pair duel. It would appear that Tony retained his fighting ability, even after suffering from retrograde amnesia. He considered the applications for second, before shuddering in revulsion. That was something he never wanted to see. He turned his attention back to the fight, his rebellious mind still going back to that horrible thought.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Dr. Dapper

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quote

Sorry about the delay, I was playing a game with my family.

Tena dodged out of the way of Ani's branch by tapping a little steel, Awakening her cloak with the command, "Grab things." The strands all immediately whipped around Ani's weapon and arms, so Tena unbuckled the clasp on the mistcloak, letting it wrap around Ani while she ducked around the man to slice at his back from behind.

@Ark1002

[+Ark1002]

Anthony dropped, rolling. She went faster then she should have been able to... Luckily, he was strong and fast. He didn't know why, but he was. Smiling, he grabbed a sharp rock, and cut through the cloak. Then he realized something. She hadn't said it had any targets. He wrapped it in a ball, then threw it at Tena from a foot away, already spinning the staff again.

[Sherlock Holmes]

"You ruined my nice cloak," Tena accused Anthony as she ducked the mistcloak, then slammed into Ani's knees forcefully while Slicking his feet, hopefully making him drop so she could use the same move she'd incapacitated him with earlier.

@Ark1002

Edited December 22, 2018 by AxeliustheGreat

[I think I am here.]

Max looked back, and then ahead, nodding. "Good luck," he said, stepping onto the metallic roof of the building. A breeze rushed past his face as he continued to march across the top of the building, eyeing the large drop below. Along the street, Solace's forces swarmed. And in their centre, Solace himself.

Max approached the edge and looked down. Picking up the woman, he hung her over the edge. His heartbeat was racing. This was the wrap-up, the homestretch, the grand finale. It was now or never.

"Solace!" He called from on top of the skyscraper, holding the woman over the edge of the building. As she began to retain conciousness, she immediately tried to squirm out of his grip, but he held it. She didn't deserve this. She was an innocent. But if all went well, Solace would save her.

As he held her over the edge of the building, he called to Solace again, Rioting his care, Rioting his selflessness, Rioting his compassion. This is why he'd been storing since Oasis. Rioting all the positive emotions in Solace with his enhanced zinc, Rioting his love for his girlfriend, he also began Rioting the woman's distress, her fear. She began yelling, and then crying. Hopefully this would compel Solace to save her.

Max continued, turning the woman's face to Solace and making sure he could see her. Staring back at him would be a perfect replica of his love all those years ago. Same hair, same face, same clothes, save build. An exact copy. "Look who we have here," Max said. "The love of your life. The one you couldn't save before." The woman began whispering to Max again.

@Ookla the Meeker

"Please don't drop me," she whispered though tears. Max ignored her. All of this distress was just because of his Rioting. Right?

"You couldn't save her before, Solace!" Max said, amping up his Rioting to as powerful as he could go, as much as he could manage. "Can you save her now?"

He dropped the woman, and struggled not to cover his ears against her screams.

Edited December 23, 2018 by I think I am here.

[+Ark1002]

Anthony began to slide into it then... pain. His head felt terrible. There was a strong pain, but he could still fight then... he couldn't.  He fell quickly and efficiently.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Tena was a little confused as she leaped onto Ani's wide chest and stared him in the eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly, breathing in some stormlight from one of the spheres in her purse, then using Progression on him. She could fix whatever was wrong with him. 

Then, she was suddenly struck by his eyes. His eyes were beautiful. She then did the most unexpected thing she'd ever thought she'd be capable of. I love you, she mouthed at Anthony, and it was like saying it confirmed it. I love you, she mouthed again.

@Ark1002

Edited December 23, 2018 by AxeliustheGreat

[old man moomba]

Dwig, the man who had been watching the two fight, checked his watch. It was time to go. He turned around, and in doing so his duster got caught in a branch. He cursed quietly, then froze, afraid someone had heard him.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Dr. Dapper

[+Ark1002]

Quote

Maybe description of the beautiful violet?

"Your eyes are like beautiful pools of toxic sludge, bubbling and emitting cancerous fumes" xD

Alleyverse, the romance novel. Coming fall 2019.

Anthony looked up. He saw her mouthing something. I love you. He remembered something. A sixth memory. Kissing a girl under a tree, and then... and then she'd said the same thing. And he felt something bubble up inside him. And the other word he was searching for came to him. "Beauty." He shook his head. "You're beautiful." 
@AxeliustheGreat

[Lord Meeker]

Solace froze at the sight. In and instant he bound the woman where she was. "You can let her go!" I mean in the literal sense. She won't fall."

@I think I am here.

Quote

You forget one of my powers in binding

 

[I think I am here.]

Max let go and saw as the woman hung in place. Solace. He was protecting her from the fall. Max wanted to smile. He’d fallen for the bait. But he only frowned, and closed his eyes. He knew what was to come next. Now was the time.

"Toa," he said. "Activate the poison."

@Ookla the Meeker

@BooksBeforeDeath

Edited December 23, 2018 by I think I am here.

[+Sorana]

Althea heard the woman sobbing behind her, and then she started to scream. Althea recognized the screams, they were primal, they were helpless. Max. Such a change in such a short time, these pure emotions in the woman's voice. The screams rang a chord in her memory, she knew how it felt when there was nothing but fear, desperation, when you were controlled by them, when you almost ceased to exist...

"Althea."

Brashen's voice was quiet, but she knew him well enough to realize what this was about.

"One for many. Sacrifice one for all to have a path to follow."

"I know."

He sounded sudued and she touched him, cupped him in her hand.

"I don't like it either."

She told him honestly and he nodded reluctantly.

"We need to talk about this."

He announced and it was her time to nod.

"Later."

She replied and Brashen agreed.

"Later."

 

Althea concentrated on the situation. Solace reacted, he really reacted. They had to have struck a nerve.

"Toa," Max said. "Activate the poison."

His voice was strained and as she moved closer towards them, tried to prepare herself to get them away should they be wrong. His eyes were closed. Protecting himself. For a moment she wanted to tell him to open his eyes, he needed to see an attack, but then she simply stepped in front of him, her body a shield between him and Solace. She wouldn't ask him to watch this. Not now, never. She could watch for him, warn him should the need arise. Brashen turned around, looked for any threats from behind and she touched him again grateful for his silent support. They were a team, the two of them and she loved him dearly.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Sorana

[BooksBeforeDeath]

Toa pit his hand in his cloak pocket, and opened the pill, activating both poisons. 

[I think I am here.]

As the poisons activated, the woman began asphyxiating, her lungs not being able to able to intake any oxygen. She began suffocating, and in a matter of minutes, she was dead.

@Ookla the Meeker

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quote

Y'know who you remind me of, Ark? Guinan from Star Trek: TNG. "Shut up, kid. Tell me more about my eyes." 

Tena felt a weird sense of something rising up in her chest. It had been, what, almost twenty-one years since someone had told her that she was in any way more than repulsive? Yes, it had been. And here was Anthony, telling her that she was beautiful freely, almost like he believed it was true. 

She leaned down and kissed him, right on the mouth, without so much as thinking about it. 

Quote

Compliments get you places with people who have low self-esteem, Ark. Remember that, but mostly your pick-up line from before.

@Ark1002

Edited December 23, 2018 by AxeliustheGreat