Mckeedee123

I would've done it either way.

The strangest part to me is that Lightwards mentioned that he resurrected a Ground Sloth in the MoNA, but he didn't immediately name the creature his First Liutenant (it hasn't been seen since, in fact.) Ground Sloths are undoubtedly the coolest mammals ever, and a ninja ground sloth (as in a ground sloth that has apparently managed to avoid the notice of every single perspective character in the museum so far) is even better. Here's a reference picture of this 20-foot-tall superherbivore: I guess you could say that I really like sloths.

I've been writing EoO entries for my Salem characters, and I just realized that Soulcaster definitely needs one. His motives, history, and personality are still sort of shady. Do you mind getting on that, Voidus?

Orange Crush would be a wandering knight. A decent fighter but way too full of himself to do anything useful. Mason Rubio would be a pikeman in a king's retinue. Mouldbreaker would be a corrupt prison guard Showstopper would lead a group of evil bandits. Antithesis would be an evil queen, sort of like Asuedan.

I'm glad the age difference isn't so pronounced between Ray/Nighthound. The relationship would be ruined for me.

What do they do for the city?

Eh. You guys were right. I read the thing with Backtrack/Impact/MV on page 2 to figure out what the protocol would be here, since it's a pretty similar situation, and realized he would be headed to either Reader or Autumn. Well, surprise! They're both kind of AWOL right now. That's not to say that he couldn't end up in Vondra's office, I guess. It's Arsenal's call.

Vanillas are like pipe cleaners. You just have to be firm with 'em and they'll bend any way you want. It had taken only a few threats to spook the City Guards into taking him back to base, and as Crush mounted the back of the truck, he felt victorious. Never mind that the guardsmen insisted on pointing weapons at him the entire time. He was finally, finally, getting a ride to HQ! This is what respect looks like. This is the kind of deference that a personage such as yourself deserves. He was consumed with pride for the remainder of the journey. The soldiers ignored his questions, so he spent the time imagining his meeting with the city's ruler. He must be pretty lax, to allow his troops to treat an Epic the way they treated me. Or... or maybe he's just weak, and these Guards don't fear his wrath. If that was the case, Crush would probably just kill the guy and rule the town himself. There was no point in working for some sap whose powerset was too weak to control even his own soldiers. The truck rumbled to a halt, so he hopped out of its canvas-lined back to find that they had arrived at a large church. Behind him, the squad was filing out, revealing a pile of... were those body bags? Huh. These guys must've been at the front lines of the action I witnessed from the outskirts of town. I wonder how many- Ka-click Crush whirled around, confused, to find that his wrists had been handcuffed together. The soldier chick was standing right beside him, looking at him as if daring him to argue. "Hey, what?" He asked indignantly. "Why?!" Her eyes narrowed further. Man, she's intimidating. Did I really only realize that just now? She turned back to her squad. "Alright everybody. I'm going to be stuck doing paperwork for the next few hours, so I'm putting Mason in charge until I get back." She nodded to "Mason," a hispanic-ish looking guy with a sweet goatee. Crush waved at him in respect (which was hard with handcuffs.) "Shapiro, Jones, and McKay. You three drop off Deathwish. As for everyone else... well, I think we can all agree that it's been a terrible day. Even so, I'm going to have to ask you all to remain in good form until you get back to the barracks. Drop off the bodies, turn in your equipment, and we'll clear out the empty bunks in the morning. I'll see you then." The soldiers seemed to take that as a dismissal, and the ones who weren't shoving "Deathwish" inside of the building (good riddance!) somberly reentered the truck and drove back the way they'd come. "And you are coming with me." Sweet! Deathwish was gonna get "processed" in the facility (which sounded painful) while he, Orange Crush, spent time with the hot soldier chick! What a great day! He barely even minded when she grabbed him by the neck and wrists, perp-style, and hauled him into the church through a set of double doors. "Oh, by the way," she said to him as they walked in, "please pretend as if I've been screaming at you this entire time, drill-sergeant style. We're supposed to treat Epics like they're villainous toddlers or something, but I've never prescribed to that philosophy." He gave her an odd look, so she shook her head and added "you'll see what I mean." The building was filled with soldiers, buzzing about as if they had nothing better to do. The girl set him on a metal folding chair and walked over to the front desk. "Liutenant Fawkes, reporting a new Epic to the church as per First Contact Procedure section 2.1" Wow. That was a mouthful. How long did it take her to memorize that? The receptionist eyed Crush nervously, then responded. "We'll probably just have to incarcerate him for now. Both screeners are unavailable." "How?" "Autumn's asleep, and the Commander has specifically ordered that she not be disturbed. Reader got caught up in the action today and is-" The soldier girl snorted at that. "Reader? Seriously? How'd he end up on the front lines?" The receptionist didn't even skip a beat. "A pack of ninja pandas invaded the church and kidnapped him." Awesome. "Last I checked, he was at Game's clinic, along with a heap of new Epics." The woman paused. "I'll radio Arsenal before I do anything." She pulled a walkie-talkie from out of her desk. This was getting real boring, real quick. "Uh, hey," Crush said from behind, "am I going to-" "Quiet, Epic!" yelled Fawkes, turning around. "Don't speak unless specifically addressed by a member of the Guard!" Crush stared at her, agape, then remembered what she had told him just outside the building. Had he caught a hint of sarcasm in her voice just now? Either way, the desk worker nodded appreciatively as she called in the situation to the commander-guy-person on the other end of the line Well, this is rather anticlimactic. I hope the fellow she's calling turns out to be nice.

Probably. I can arrange for something to happen to him. Removing his glasses alone would cause a complete emotional breakdown.

Uh oh. Did it come out that way? I was hoping it wouldn't look like Deus ex Machina. The way I tried to portray the scene, Fawkes wasn't feeling too threatened by Crush's display, interpreting it correctly as a bluff intended to get the man some respect. What he actually wants, after all, is simply to be taken back to base. That's practically protocol anyway. She'll play along and give him what he wants for now, seeing as there's simply no point in aggravating him. She'll let her superiors deal with his attitude, once he gets back. Though honestly, once ge gets back, he probably won't have an attitude. His feeling of humiliation will wear off pretty quickly now that he percieves that his personage is being respected

Crush hated Epics. Well, excluding himself, of course. Vanillas he could deal with. You walked up to them and they would cower or bow or whatnot, and then you could ask them for directions... or food, money, their firstborn child, anything else you could conceivably want from them, and they'd give it to you. Epics were not the same. Try ordering Soulcaster to give you one of his Doritos. See? It doesn't work. You'll wake up imprisoned in a small, dark, room for a few weeks until his annoyance wears off and he sees fit to bring you back out into the arena In this case Crush had wanted something very, very, simple. The identity of the town's ruler, and a place he could report in to him from. He had ended up being goaded into attacking some slontze and then having the incident be used to curry favor with said slontze's superiors. Probably at the cost of Crush's reputation and/or life. Well... sparks. Crush tasted blood, and the pain was so bad that he was afraid of falling unconscious. The same wound I just applied to him, transferred back at me, He guessed. Can my fields bypass his power, whatever it is? I hope nobody on the street is watching me right now. I'd probably have to kill them. He tried to focus on his surroundings again. Convict was trying to pass off the incident to a squad of soldiers surrounding the pair. "...for you to show up, when this jackchull shows up and starts ordering me to take him to HQ. Of course, I said no, then he cut me off the lamppost and tried to force the issue." He sighed. "Let's get to Vondra so we can get all this sorted out. I'll buy you a drink once we get this piece of crem taken care of." Crem? Crush planted a palm on the ground and slowly forced his way up to his knees, trying to maintain a shred of dignity. Several of the soldiers pointed weapons at him, but he molded his face into a look of disdain. "Guardswoman," he said, "your mutt here has just made a very big mistake." To see that Deathwish had managed to free himself wasn't surprising. It was incredibly stupid of him, but hardly surprising. No. What was surprising was the man he had managed to pin underneath him. Every stitch of clothing he wore, as well as his hair, sunglasses, and earbuds, was a shade of eyebreaking, neon orange. It looked absolutely ridiculous; a crime of fashion to the highest degree. Mason was pretty sure he recognized him. Salem Epic Battling Arena. SEBA for short. Mason had followed it half-interestedly on the barracks television for years. Hadn't there been a similar Epic on there? A weak force field caster who had spent a few months dominating the powered-close-quarters brackets? What was his name? Crush. Orange Crush. One of the few things Mason remembered about him was that he had murdered most of his graduating class during his rending, then had the gall to use simulated versions of some of those girls in a Dreamstate harem years later. Mason didn't like the man much, but Crush hardly stood out among Epics, slontziness-wise. As the squad filed out of the truck, Deathwish stood up to explain himself. Before the soldiers could react, however, Crush threw the man off balance and slammed his boot directly into Deathwish's face. Crush immediately fell over again, crying out in pain. Mason carefully edged around the pair, surrounding them. He didn't know about Deathwish, but Crush was a lit fuse. If he decided to go berserk on this little squad, there was a decent chance he could manage to kill each and every one of them. Directly on the other side of the ring of soldiers, Fawkes spoke up. "Deathwish. I was informed you would be restrained and contained when I arrived. Is there any reason I shouldn't follow Arsenal's orders and terminate you?" The explanation that followed was... interesting. Let's just say that Mason had never expected someone to be able to do a half-decent job of begging for their life and hitting on someone at the same time. "...I'll buy you a drink once we get this piece of crem taken care of." Deathwish finished, trying to turn Fawkes around and lead her back to the truck. She ignored him and turned her attention to Crush, who was unsteadily pulling himself up to his knees. "Guardswoman," he said spitting blood, "your mutt here has just made a very big mistake." "I didn't come here to destroy this place. I came here for recognition... and stability. A place where I could get the fame I deserve without having a sadistic, dream-inducing Epic breathing down my back." "But let me tell you something. I could destroy this street. I could reduce the town to rubble with a flick of my mind. I could kill each and every one of you before you'd have time to pull your triggers. And I do not like the treatment I've received from this city." Mason snorted softly. Crush was dangerous, yes, but he was no High Epic. Fawkes glanced at Mason, who waved his gun at Crush's back and nodded. He's lying. I can shoot him in the head right now. Just give the order. Crush spoke again, apparently still deluded enough to think he had the upper hand. "You have about five seconds to convince me not to turn this city into a clean slate and start over." Mason watched Fawkes carefully, looking for the signal to shoot. She avoided eye contact with him entirely though, simply drawing her handgun, locking her gaze with Crush, and crossing her arms. Five seconds passed, and nothing happened. Ten seconds, and still nothing. Crush was obviously getting impatient. "Well?" "Let me get this clear. Your only request is to be taken back to base?" "I want a meeting with the Epic who rules this place too." Fawkes paused, then shrugged. "That can be provided. Just know that we'll keep a spare cell empty, in case 'reducing the town to rubble' doesn't work out for you."

I think I'll be starting a meta-Salem subplot soon, as soon as I finish up in The Dalles. Mouldbreaker will be trying to punish Truthcharm, and we'll see Showstopper for the first time (she's sort of like a reverse Nighthound. You'll see.)

Is she whimsical enough that she would find a new crush as soon as it was clear that she wasn't getting Autumn?

Ever since I read Iconoclast's wiki article, he's creeped me out more than Nighthound.

That could definitely be interesting. What do you think that interaction would look like? We could do it real quick if you want.

A quick collab between me and Kobold. My parts, of course, are in orange. So there he was. Cuffed to a lamppost. Giving a few vile slurs offhand to the orange Epic that was strutting around like he owned the place. Sound of a Guard truck coming up around the corner. And this guy wouldn't shut up. "I'm an Epic," said Captain Obvious. "I'm guessing you're an Epic, too. One who's chained to a lamp post and has apparently been left for dead. Now, I don't know who the Epic who rules this city is, but I want to meet him. Or her, and I'm guessing you know how to get me in on that sort of action." Deathwish opened his mouth to retort, but the orange guy just kept yammering on. "I'm perfectly willing to help you, Convict. In fact, I'll free you right now. Just make sure to thank me later." Oh you'd better not. In a single swift strike, the Epic formed a glowing orange blade out of thin air and sliced the cuffs cleanly off the lampost. Deathwish was free. The orange guy stood there smirking, as if expecting a thank you. Deathwish took only a second to glare, as the convoy sent to retrieve pulled into the street. "You're an idiot," he informed the orange guy matter-of-factly. Then, he tackled him to the ground. Orange Crush was no expert on interpersonal relationships. He hadn't really had a whole lot of friends during his stint in public education, and he murdered most of the ones he did have shortly after graduation. But he knew some things about social cooperation. One of them was that when a guy "helped a brother out," it was pretty darn rude for the "brother" to attempt to beat the "guy" into a piece of street pulp. In other words: Convict's reaction caught him off guard. Crush cheerfully leaned forward, took a second to summon a wedge-shaped forcefield behind Convict, then smashed through his cuffs. Aaaand... Convict tackled him. Crush's intitial surprise was the only reason the man was even able to make contact. As it was, Convict's attack made him topple backwards and smack his head against the pavement. His extra durability was probably all that kept him from getting a concussion. Okay. Crush didn't know what in Calamity this nutcase was thinking, but he wasn't about to let him get away with humiliating him right in the middle of the sparking street. Were people watching? He heard the screech of heavy brakes close by. Convict shifted from on top of him, then hastily made a motion to stand up. That was a mistake. Crush rolled to the side, tripping him, then punched him in the gut and slammed a steel-toed boot directly into Convict's face. It was a blow that would have most foes dropping to the ground, screaming in righteous agony. And suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Crush's face exploded with pain. What the Calamity did this guy do to me? The pain was so demanding, so intense, that for a few seconds, all he could do was squirm on the ground and howl. The irony of the thing was sickening. No, worse... it was humiliating. Crush gritted his teeth, trying to find the mental concentration to summon a forcefield and tear Convict's worthless head off his shoulders. He was vaguely aware of the sound of booted feet stomping across the asphalt, Convict speaking in a conciliatory tone... "Oh yeah, I was following the old arse's commands," Deathwish explained, wiping some of the blood off his face. He smirked as he spat a broken tooth out, and gave the orange Epic an extra kick in the rib as the man squirmed on the ground. The City Guards looked skeptical, especially the hottie lieutenant who was heading them. Deathwish walked as close as he dared to her, giving her what he considered his most charming smile. "So there I was, waiting patiently for you to show up, when this jackchull shows up and starts ordering me to take him to HQ. Of course, I said no, then he cut me off the lamppost and tried to force the issue." He shook his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Let's get to Vondra so we can get all this sorted out. I'll buy you a drink once we get this piece of crem taken care of."

Oh, sure, don't worry. I have a pretty good handle on RPG lore by now.

It's got a certain charm to it. Wait, hold up... which continuity is this? Please don't tell me Autumn becomes unshippable in your next Vondra post. I thought Vapor Snake was her soulmate! And, like, 30 other people too, but yeah.

That's your idea of a bad post? You'll have to do a lot better than that before you can get us to dislike your writing.

Oh! Um... She's a professional to the end. I pictured her blonde with a blonde buzz cut and in her early thirties. No makeup or anything.

Oh, sure, I know that. I was just thinking of having us definitively decide that the situation in the clinic is over so that everyone can leave and write their final posts. Come to think of it, though, that's probably what Kobold's next Arsenal post was going to do.

I'm back, baby! I guess that not a whole lot has happened around this subforum since I left, huh? Is it that most of us have been away in one way or another? Pretty sure I read somewhere that Twilyght has been, anyway. Alright. That's enough small talk on my part. Time to get down to business. (Sunglasses emoticon except I'm on my phone and forgot the cheat code thingy) The Dalles, at least, needs a little closure for the day. Day 1 has lasted a reeeeally long time. I think OC/Deathwish can be resolved within about four posts. I don't know about those other ones.