main plot The Metamorphosis: Rise of Villainry

[Lord Meeker he/him]

A string wrapped around Rick's neck. "Address me properly and I might answer your question. If not I take your head."

[+Sorana she/her]

"Lord Idos. At first I would prefer if your butler didn't make assumptions about other people's lineage. Calling someone from a noble lineage a commoner is far from polite."

She made a short pause here, thought about what she was going to say next, then went with the obvious.

"And second I would be delighted if you answered my question why you are here."

[old man moomba he/him]

Rick sighed dramatically

"Well friend, seeing as though I don't know you're an actual lord, I can't refer to you as such until you have provided sufficient evidance of lordship. Could be anything, really. A Shardblade, several bags of money, a picure of your mannor. I could go on and on. But you get my point, friend."

[I think I am here. he/him]

Max looked up at the sudden people in here. The leading man appeared to have a disdain for Investiture, though Max could clearly see he had a few powers of his own. Maintaining the Rioting on Solace, Rioting courage and bravery, he responded to Althea.

I think we should defend. Solace hopefully won't take long to face his fears. I'm fine with fighting, but I'm not throwing the first punch. If they try anything against Solace, then we can retaliate.

Instincively, he made the Forcefield smaller, encompassing only Althea, Solace and himself. That way, the newcomer, Idos, wouldn't be abe to attack Solace unless he used Investiture of his own. He knelt down to Solace, still Rioting. "C'mon, man. Face it. Face your fears. We need you."

[Lord Meeker he/him]

Sephtis looked up at Max. "Stop rioting me. NOW!" He said through gritted teeth. 

"Now who needs money? I deal in Atium. Worth much more than your puny Alleycity currency. Though it burdens me to use it. Now would you please release my dear friend Solace? I don't like him being held hostage. I have a time schedule to keep up with."

[I think I am here. he/him]

Max looked at Idos through the forcefield. “Funny how you hate Investiture,” he said. “When you literally deal in Atium, which is the solidified Investiture of Ruin.”

Turning back to Solace, he winced and quit the Rioting. “Fine,” he said, kneeling down. Perhaps comforting was not the right technique. Maybe Max could try and get Solace to fight his fears another way.

“But you need to understand. You’re not alone. You think you’re the only one with trauma? Look at her,” he pointed to Althea. “You saw her mind, you’ve seen everything that’s been done to her, the only difference being she’s standing up there while you’re lying down here. She didn’t go evil. She didn’t give in. She faced her fears.

“And I did too. I’ve been insane, I’ve been mentally unstable, but...” but I did go evil, he thought. But I did kill all those people, back in Oasis. “But I’ve dealt with it,” he lied.

“You think you’re the only one with issues? Think again. We’re like you. We understand you. But we’re here defending you. And just like us, you can push through.

“There’ll always be time to mourn later. But not now. Not while there’s work to be done.”

[+Sorana she/her]

Althea listened to Max words, glad that he took this part over. He was a lot better at it than she would ever be.

"I'm scared."
she added quietly, adressing only Max and Solace.
"I'm so scared I feel like running away and hiding somewhere in a basement. But I won't go. Because if I give in to my fears, if I let them control me I am nothing more than a flag blowing whereever the wind goes. You tell yourself, that everytime you protect someone, something bad happens. And that's wrong. You protected Max, and you saved me, and apart from all the catastrophies, it ended in the best thing in my life."

"Max is right, you can push through. If you are as strong as you want everybody to believe. If you really want to protect those you care about, then you can. But not as long as you let your fear control your live and your actions. Not as long as you aren't in control of what you do, but you let your fear dictate your actions. It's easy to hand responsibilty off to others, to tell them, kill me. It's a lot harder to face yourself and accept who you are, and what you are afraid of."

Inwardly she grimaced at her own words, she should have kept quiet.

 

She looked at the wanna-be Lord, her voice louder now, to be heard easily.
"I don't care for your money or your schedule. We aren't finished here."

[Lord Meeker he/him]

"Quite right." Sebastian said. "Though it will have to wait."

A gleaming cord appeared around Sephtis' neck. 

"Put down the force field or I kill him now."

Edited December 29, 2018 by Lord Meeker

[I think I am here. he/him]

Max remained stationary.

“And once we remove the forcefield, what’s to say you won’t kill him anyway? It’s clearly your goal.”

Still fixing his eyes on Idos, he whispered to Solace. “Now or never, Solace.”

[+Ark1002]

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Umm, he shrunk the forcefield so he wasn't within it...

@Lord Meeker

[old man moomba he/him]

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I'm sorta expecting Solace to swear the Fourth Ideal right now.

 

[Lord Meeker he/him]

The string tightened. 

"Let him go!" Sebastian said. 

"No!" Solace cried. 

"There is no escape I have killed everyone you could transfer to! This is the end!" Sebastian told them. 

Solace touched Max and Althea. In that moment as Sebastian pulled the wore that decapitated Solace, he, Solace Soel First, teleported Max and Althea to safety. 

[old man moomba he/him]

Rick grinned, genuine happiness showing on his face.

"Well, I'll be damned, it worked. Goodbye, friend. I'll be seeing you." Rick winked and disappeared. 

[+Sorana she/her]

23 minutes ago, Lord Meeker said:

Solace touched Max and Althea. In that moment as Sebastian pulled the wore that decapitated Solace, he, Solace Soel First, teleported Max and Althea to safety. 

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Where are we? And is Solace dead? With his skill set a lost head is nothing

 

[Lord Meeker he/him]

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You are at a wedding room place decked out in dress and tux  

Merry christmas from me to you!

You'll see about Solace. 

 

[I think I am here. he/him]

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Yeah, and also: oh no. Edit: in response to the decaptiation.

 

Edited December 30, 2018 by I think I am here.

[Lord Meeker he/him]

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Itiah and Sorana described where you are at.

 

[+Ark1002]

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*Wonders if he is serious*

*Hopes so*

 

[Lord Meeker he/him]

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Very. Serious. 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

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So I suspect there's no body.

When Althea was able to see something again, she stood in a room. It was decorated, but she ignored that, instead looked at Max. He was breathing, still kneeling on the ground. He seemed alright and her shoulders sagged in relief.

"He saved us, again."

She whispered and only then realized, what Max was wearing, what she herself was wearing.

"Shards."

Now she looked around, a wedding? Althea took a step back, suddenly had a hard time breathing, or thinking. Was she really supposed to marry him right here and now? He hadn't even asked her, they hadn't even kissed. She didn't even know if Max wanted to marry, if their expectations aligned.

Breathing in stormlight she used it to clear her head, to force down the panic rising in her throat. They could talk about this. They could always walk away and come back later.

"Max?"

She tried to ask him, but instead gave up after his name. How did you ask if he wanted to walk away, and what would it mean if he said yes? He had told her he wanted to stay with her, but a wedding, a wedding was important, it was a central part, it was...

"Do you think I should look for the link to Solace? Check if it's still there?"

Cringing at her question her eyes never left him, fearful to see how he would react, what he would make of the situation. She hoped he would see past her words, past business, past the later, and for one time let it be now. Fear, clenched down her stomach. What if he thought that this had been her idea, that she wanted to force him to do something. Althea gathered her courage, took a deliberate breath. She had to listen to her own advise. She was afraid he would discard her, when nothing, nothing he had done indicated it. And yet she almost panicked at the thought that he would walk away, leave her. Another breath, steadying her. She was who she was. Either he loved her, or he didn't, but she couldn't ruin it with her fear. A third breath, looking for the words.

"No, that's not what I mean. It can wait. For once it has to wait."

We are more important.

"What do you think of this?"

Her hand gesturing at the dress, the room. Not later, for once it would be now.

@I think I am here.

 

[+Ark1002]

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I need to be able to have Ani and Tena attend, so you better stay and send invites.

@AxeliustheGreat

[Lord Meeker he/him]

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No body. You see

 

[Sherlock Holmes he/him]

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Yeah, Ark. Tena’ll show up if she gets an invite.

@Ark1002

[old man moomba he/him]

 Rick poofed into existence at the back of the room. 

"No Solace? I would have assumed he 'd be here for this joyous occasion. Also, congrats on almost being married." he smiled and leaned back.

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Now I really want Rick to marry them and say: "By the powers vested in me by no one in particular, I pronounce you husband and wife. In the best of all possible words, so be it."

 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Dr. Dapper

[+Sorana she/her]

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*runs the "how to prepare a wedding list" in her head*

*is grateful everybody is only talking about invitations*