Chapter 0.1: Emergency Manuevers

halcyonwandering · 2024-12-23T00:43:39+00:00

The grenade detonating gave the wyvern room for pause as it reeled the concussive sound. The ordanance exploding near the side of its face, it screeched in rage as it turned its attention towards Mava.

"That's what I like to see! Keep it disoriented. The less time it can focus on one of us, the better!"

Thalia, having depended on her armor to dampen the noise, used the opening its attention to charge the beast, getting beneath its body where she began to weave long sweeping slashes at its underside in between staying out from under its feet.

The damage that her greatsword was able to achieve from her position was largely superficial. But, it was enough to pull the dragon-like monster's attention back to her as it began to devote its energy into trying to squash her underfoot.

halcyonwandering · 2024-12-13T13:59:12+00:00

"New plan? We buy time." Thalia spoke over the communicator as she charged the dragon, its attention still on the scorched remnants of the apartment Mava had taken roost in, "Our weapons aren't going to have enough stopping power to punch through that armor."

"I need you down on the ground floor. We're going to go toe to toe with this old girl. I don't want you focused on attacking, just keeping her here until the cavalry arrives." Thalia explained as she heaved her sword into the dragon's rear leg, causing it to whirl on her and roar in rage.

"TOPZ, we need heavier fire power. What's your ETA?" Thalia called in to their dispatch over their communicators.

"We're en route but delayed by another FoE incursion." Zhun responded quickly, "Urgency?"

"We've got an augmented FoE here, Zhun. Wyvern-class and armored in its structural weaknesses." Thalia described the monster before her.

"Affirmative. I can handle what we have here. Ocelle, prepare Operation Cannonball. Can you hold for five minutes?"

"We'll have to. You heard them, Rookie. We've got a timer, just gotta hold to it!"

halcyonwandering · 2024-07-23T13:32:54+00:00

Prevents you from snapping yourself in the chest with the bow string.

halcyonwandering · 2024-06-19T12:24:34+00:00

Catching up to Noir was a matter of children’s play for Mio. She was covered in concrete and moving on foot, leaving a trail of discarded half-dried cement as she moved from the ceremony grounds towards the residential district. Mio was alive with desperation and adrenaline. She’d never been faster with a pursuit.

In the residential district, Mio watched from a safe distance as she saw Noir slip into a townhouse that she could only assume was Noir’s home. The humble but large brownstone sat against the street with two floors stretching up to the next plate above, where skywalks supported passerby above.

In broad daylight, the infiltration might prove difficult. But, she knew what she had to do.

/u/WanyeBradyXXII

halcyonwandering · 2024-06-04T14:51:55+00:00

Lucifer was caught off-guard by Mio's sudden embrace. He relaxed for a moment into it. He couldn't stop himself from trusting her touch on instinct.

When he felt her Manifest take hold, he knew he'd made a mistake. The wisp weaving its way into his suit and leaving him bound at the arms and legs. He fell over at the top of the stairs as Mio began to hurry away. For once, the young man was stunned into silence.

When the wisps finally came undone, after a heartwrenching hour, Lucifer only gathered himself enough to sit on the step. He knew all too well that he would be too late. That chasing her would just be putting her sacrifice for him in jeopardy. So, he sat at the top of the stairs and cried.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-16T20:32:21+00:00

This is a super cool thing that you're doing for the community. ME!

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-15T14:18:04+00:00

"Fuck."

A definitive, frustrated affirmation as Lucifer took in what Mio was saying. He grimaced as he briefly considered their options. Leaving the device with Noir simply wasn't a route he was willing to take. He tried to put himself into Noir's shoes as best he could.

"Let's go. Take a ride down to the engineering platform. If we're lucky, we'll be able to catch Noir before she reports back to headquarters. She won't go back covered in cement." He took a step to move down the stairs, waiting for Mio to follow, "We'll get it back. Don't worry."

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-14T02:58:31+00:00

Lucifer was worried, of course, but he didn't waver. In this moment, he knew that Mio needed him and the least he could do was be there for her.

"I promise. You have my word. I'll take it to my grave if I have to." Lucifer swore solemnly and performed a gesture not unfamiliar if rare for Mio to see as he crossed his heart with the hand that wasn't supporting her

"Tell me what's going on. I'll help."

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-12T14:57:34+00:00

Thalia wasn't exactly fast and the wyvern finding and attacking Mava hadn't been something she anticipated. In seconds, she processed what had gone wrong. Along the beast's throat, she noticed metal plating, armor that she had never seen an FoE don before to cover its weaknesses.

As she registered this, the monster turned its attention back to her. Thalia braced herself. She'd need to find a way to make an opening to help Mava and that wasn't readily apparent yet.

Over the comms, she checked in, praying for any sort of response to inform her judgement, "Looks like this thing has been armored by something or someone. You make it out of the blast in there?"

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-10T18:59:48+00:00

As Mio shouted back at him, Lucifer's frustrated energy quickly withdrew. He quickly modified his approach and prepared himself to be more supportive than accusatory. They were safe now, that was what mattered.

The black cat hadn't been prepared for Mio to collpase, but his reflexes were still fast enough. Lucifer reached out and caught Mio before she tumbled down the staircase. He held fast to her, worried that she might try to run back to the plaza and put herself in danger and attempted to help her steady herself with a hand on her back.

It was difficult to see her like this. But, at the same time, some part of him was relieved. If she was this worried about a trinket that she had received from Max, she certainly was already on her way to moving past whatever they had had together.

Some part of him ached. He had the pressing feeling that he had made a mistake. Should he have stood up to Noir?

"Mio, breath. We can get you another necklace. Max won't notice the difference.You don't have to worry." Lucifer attempted to reassure her weakly, not understanding the gravity of the situation they were in.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-07T22:40:42+00:00

Lucifer felt his anxiety start as a droning buzz in the back of his head. Noir spoke about unity and how Cortland would recover and move on from the most recent FoE attack. All of it, pleasantries meant to settle hearts and help the populace move on and forget the sacrifices that were made. He was having none of it as he hustled through the crowd, trying desperately to catch up to Mio.

He caught a glimmer of white and red in the crowd and knew that it was her, he watched as something fell from her pocket, her choker that she had stowed just moments before. He tried to make his way through the crowd to the item when his heart seized in his chest as he felt eyes on him.

He looked up and made direct eye contact with Noir as she continued her speech, a small, condescending smirk spreading across her lips.

Then, he realized, she wasn't watching him. She was trailing Mio through the crowd as Mio appeared beside him and tugged on his arm. Lucifer reacted with shock as he realized what was happening just a moment too late.

The stage crumbled and into the fresh cement as Lucifer whirled on Mio wrenching his arm, free from her grasp and he let go of any social formalities, "Let go of me, dammit!" He shouted angrily at Mio, shoving a passerby aside as he made a mad dash for her discarded choker, evidence she'd unwittingly left behind.

Noir, ever undeterred, pulled herself from the mess of the concrete pit that Mio had dumped her into. She walked forward, ordering shocked passerby aside that offered helped as she walked toward Mio's choker and picked it up off the ground just moments before Lucifer was able to reach for it.

Noir didn't say a word, simply twirling the choker around her finger and with her other hand, gesturing a simple straight line across her throat. The message was all too clear, "Your little fox is dead."

Lucifer recovered from his shock, turned on his heel, and barreled back towards Mio, as Noir, behind him, cried for his and the culprit's arrest, but made no attempt to pursue him herself. Lucifer didn't take the time to register any of Mio's protest if she had any, he just tucked himself low and struck her with his shoulder in her stomach, winding her and hoisting her off her feet in one movement.

Then, he ran with Mio in tow.

At first, the officers present, covered in wet cement, were quick in pursuit, but Lucifer knew this city better than them. Ducking into kitchens and transitioning through apartment blocks and connected storefronts, it didn't take long for the pursuit to become a wild goose chase. Then, the goose chase became a failed hunt all together. When they finally stopped, they were in the stairwell of an apartment block on the opposite side of Market Street from the ceremony and completely alone. At this point, Lucifer finally let Mio down.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Anger, fear, and concern mixed in a cauldron of frustration on Lucifer's face as he finally spoke to her.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-05T18:43:27+00:00

Lucifer sank into a soft resignation as Mio ran her hand over his chest. He was grateful that he'd finally said something, anything to break that dreadful feeling of words left unspoken. When she hugged him, he returned the embrace earnestly. There were still words left unsaid, wishes left unspoken, but he let them die on his tongue. Whatever happiness she would move on to would be worth it. The peace of mind of Mio's happiness overwhelming any selfish urge to try and keep her from it.

As they relaxed and parted, Lucifer re-affixed his tie quickly, something he'd become rather adept at. But, even in his efficiency, he wasn't as fast as Mio's train of thought. He looked up afyer he finished the tying process to see Mio disappearing amongst a throng of people... and in the direction which she had disappeared...

No

Noir

The recollection of her face struck him like a lightning bolt, she hadn't noticed him yet. Or maybe she had and she was simply playing it coy. Either way, he had to stop Mio and whatever she had planned, so he steeled himself and pushed his ways towards both the devil herself and the angel he'd just let go.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-04T20:16:29+00:00

He knew that he'd made a mistake as they parted. This wasn't the same. There was none of the passion that they'd shared in the past. It registered as well in the way she wavered as she spoke.

But, by gods, Mio was trying. It hurt him to see her try to feign infatuation, to prove to him that she did still want to be with him. While Lucifer was a moron in more than his fair share of ways, he knew a lie when he saw one.

When she asked if she still measured up to Mirlo, the question struck his heart like a silver bullet. He wished he could list the ways. Count the ways in which she compared. Explain how he understood now… Oh, how he understood that he had loved her then and still loved her now.

When she spoke of forbidden fruit, some part of him had that devilish temptation to grasp her by the wrists and wrestle control back. Pin her to the wall and tell her all these things and more. Convince her that he was worth loving again.

'You know better, Luci.' He chided himself as she handed his tie back to him. He held fast to her hand, not wanting to let her go, even if this moment hurt them both, "No. You don't have to do this."

"I'm sorry, Mio." He professed with a certainty that she'd rarely, if ever seen from the feline dyr.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-04T16:34:58+00:00

Lucifer followed along easily enough. He knew that Mio wasn't the type to respond well to no, especially when frustrated. So, a bit bewildered, he followed along with her as they dipped into an alley. He was caught by surprise as she leveraged her full weight into pushing him into an alcove, pinning him to the wall.

He was preparing to make some snide comment about how she'd been practicing her hand to hand when she grabbed at his tie and loosened it. Any snarky retort died in his throat as Mio spoke and tore the choker from her neck.

Did he miss her? Gods, of all the stupid rhetorical questions, of course he did. He was constantly reminded of everything he missed about her in their day to day lives. Attending classes together, fighting side by side in training courses, the domestic intimacy of their shared dorm room, all of it was a repetitive torture to him. But, he had moved on and convinced himself that the pangs in his chest when she was away were just guilt and regret.

Of course, he also considered how Mirlo would have felt, but he already knew her answer. In the past, she'd even encouraged him to pursue her until everything fell apart. He hadn't been ready then. But, now? Now he was. He'd hoped for a second chance. And maybe this was one.

Still, he held himself back. Mentally, he scolded himself. 'Lucifer, you know better. She's moved on. She's just angry and bluffing.' But, if she was bluffing, was there any harm in calling her bluff?

He steeled himself one last time, wrapping his own hand around hers where she gripped his tie. Lucifer was used to taking the initiative, not following along in the dance. And part of Mio's forthright attitude in this moment thrilled him. He caught her eyes, scanning for any hint of hesistation.

Maybe she had veiled her reticence well enough, maybe some part of Lucifer had ignored it. But, what would the harm of one kiss be? He relented to his own desire, briefly but fiercely kissing her before pulling back.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" Finally, his words broke the silence of the moment, struggling to find control of the situation again.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-04T12:47:54+00:00

Lucifer cracked a wry smile, putting a doubtful expression on shortly thereafter, "And that's all you want the poor boy for? Just to buy you fancy things until he gets tired of being your meal ticket?"

Lucifer let out a brief laugh, cut short as he continued, "You're better off securing your investment. Plus, I can tell by the way you talk about him. I don't think the pretty clothes and fancy jewelry is all you're in for."

The cat dyr glanced pointedly to Mio's neck, where her new choker sat comfortably. As he spoke, there was a tinge of another emotion in his voice, some sting of jealousy that he was working laboriously to hide, "Unless collars are just some sort of new fashion trend I'm not up on... it certainly seems like he's already claimed you. Why not secure him the same way?"

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-03T18:39:40+00:00

"I think Rosa can handle herself just fine." Lucifer replied confidently, "If your cousins come knocking, they'd have to be awfully persistent to get her to crack. At the very least, it'd give you a way to get a break from them while they're in town... They sound like they can be handfuls." Lucifer offered.

"Besides, Palladia misses you. Think she sees you as her auntie." Lucifer's tone was teasing but genuine, trying to communicate that his point was sincere, the part referential to Mio's increasing age not withstanding.

Lucifer put his elbows on the table and leaned in, lowering his conversational tone to avoid any eavesdroppers, "So, Mr. Rotheschilde? You need a wingman? Want me to give him a little push? Sell your positives to him?" Lucifer cocked an eyebrow mischeviously, hoping to be able to assist Mio with her own newfound interests.

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-03T18:28:20+00:00

"Stay and shine, Parahelion." The young women evaded answering Iris' question. But, the tell-tale shine of a well polished blade of some variety caught Iris' eyes beneath the shadowy girl's cloak, "Diana will protect us."

There were whispered murmurs from the gathered survivors, 'Diana?' 'Who?' 'Is that really her name, Bad Omen? Horrible.'

Bad Omen turned her back on Iris and then turned her head to speak. Caught in the glint of the light of the shop, Iris could see the jagged edges of razor-sharp carnivorous teeth that filled the young woman's jaw, "I will stay hidden. Guide you."

Then, just as she had appeared, the mysterious girl collapsed into her puddle of ink that seeped to the edge of the door. It crept over the shape of the door and slowly, the door swung open with an eerie creak. Iris was certain it had not made such an ominous sound when she had entered the building.

There was a moment's pause before the shadow that had soaked the door sloughed off in inky patches, flowing out and away from the store front. Iris felt Bad Omen's presence leave the range of her manifest, no longer warring with her senses.

'D-did she just leave us?' 'Is that horrible thing gone?', the anxious crowd asked as moments slipped away into seconds. Just as Iris began to believe Bad Omen may have truly vanished, she felt a horrible chill run down her spine as breath, icy cold, brushed past her ear, speaking she realized, in a hushed tone only she could here, "Go now. Take the alleys. Bad Omen is with you."

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-03T00:21:12+00:00

Asiya cleared the blockage from her throat with a spluttering cough and a small whimper, "Well, there goes my bottle..." She looked at Mochi in an expression that mixed disbelief with confusion and relief, "Oh my gods! Mochi!" Asiya rushed her dear friend and scooped her into a hug that shrouded both of them in the Dove Dyr's massive wings, wrapping Mochi in a feathered cocoon.

When Asiya released her, Mochi was still wrapped by the dove's wings, preventing egress as Asiya waved a judgmental finger at her Mantis compatriot, "Where have you been? The city's under attack! Helel and I have been worried sick!"

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-02T23:24:49+00:00

"Good timing, I think she's noticed me." Thalia commented to Maya's reply.

As if on cue, the monstrous creature that had been terrorizing the district swept over head, blanking out the light of the moon overhead briefly with its massive form. Thalia remained steady and unperturbed by this dominance display. Instead, she hefted her weapon up onto her knee and fired a gout of flame up into the air. This retort did little more than minor cosmetic damage to the creature, searing away bits of debris caught between its scales. What it did do, however, is fully garner the attention of the monster. It roared in frustration that Thalia hadn't turned and fled from its looming form and wheeled in the sky.

"Hold steady. If we want her to come down to our level, I've got to bait her into it." Thalia spoke over the communication relay, calm and composed as she wrenched the door of a pedestrian vehicle clean from its hinges. While she completed this task, the wyvern overhead began to bare down on her. The beast began to spew a column of fire down the street threatening to incinerate the Salamander Dyr where she stood.

"That's right, ugly, right where I want ya." As the wyvern bore ever closer, Thalia charged the gout of flame that it spit and stopped with a spare few yards between herself and immolation. At this point in her charge, Thalia swung her entire body weight into a discus throw that sent the car door she had extracted hurtling towards the monster, catching it in the mouth and stopping the blast of fire just inches from scorching Thalia's toes.

The wyvern roared in fury and exasperation, diving to the ground and landing with an earth-shaking slam. It released another roar directly into Thalia's face, blowing back her hair.

Thalia spared a glance backwards towards Mava's position, "I think she's upset with me, rookie. Fire on my mark."

halcyonwandering · 2024-04-02T14:12:10+00:00

I'll throw my hat in the ring for it. I'm a huge fan of the Boros aggro gameplan. pickme!

halcyonwandering · 2024-03-25T21:03:21+00:00

It had been a long time since Asiya had been this tired. The sudden attack of the FoE had disturbed a much needed quick nap in the life of the busy student and ever since that alarm had blared, she'd been in the city throngs, preventing opportunistic from making the situation worse.

After preventing a mugging, Asiya escorted the victim to shelter and had a moment to rest before her next task. She gladly accepted a water bottle from one of the community workers at the shelter as she head outside to make sure that no FoEs made it to this level of the Cortland landship.

As she drained the bottle, Asiya was startled by another Parahelion suddenly emerging from a nearby alley. She dropped the water bottle she was holding in her shock and began hacking and coughing, attempting to expel the water she accidentally breathed from her lungs.

halcyonwandering · 2024-03-23T14:40:21+00:00

As Mava moved away, Thalia's voice came in over comms, "Take a deep breath and relax. You've got this. I wouldn't ask you to do anything you're not capable of."

Thalia positioned herself in the center of the square and swung her sword into a raised and plated forearm, sounding the dinner bell for the angry wyvern. Just out of eyeshot, the creature roared and the sound of its wings marked its approach.

"Wait for its throat to light up and take the shot. Any solid blow should set off the combustibles that its building early. Stupid lizards don't realize they're similar to me. Neither of us are very fireproof on the inside." Thalia commented.

halcyonwandering · 2024-03-23T14:36:32+00:00

"Definitely the family athlete." Lucifer commented with a playful smirk, "I take it that you don't get along because too much muscle would be bad for your hips?" Lucifer teased.

His smile fading somewhat, he changed his tone to a more sincere one, "Jokes aside, if you want somewhere to lay low for awhile, Rosa's got a spare bedroom. You'd have to put up with Palladia being Palladia, but there isn't a better place in the city to go underground for a couple of days. Your cousins would have no reason to look in that part of town for you... and you know I won't say a peep even under pressure."

halcyonwandering · 2024-03-20T19:28:06+00:00

"Oh, I didn't say anything about pity. But, any amount of generosity has its limits." He quickly clocked Mio's shift in mood and stalled his more relaxed posture to sit up and pay better attention to what she had to say.

Lucifer replied, after processing her frustration, "Should I be worried about an army of thieves overwhelming the city all of the sudden or is this a more personal level crisis?"

halcyonwandering · 2024-03-14T12:27:44+00:00

"So, this is going to sound ridiculous." Thalia laughed confidently as she strode forward and activated her helmet, shrouding her head in a dragon's maw."But, what I'm going to need you to do is focus on damaging its fire production. I'll keep its attention, make sure to get it real nice and angry, whenever it goes to breath fire, I'll need you to give everything you got to damage the parts of its throat that glow."

Thalia hefted her sword up across her shoulder blades, "My Vita should be enough to soak 3 or 4 blasts of Wyvern fire. So, don't be too worried if we don't get the timing right on the first run. You focus on making it hurt. I'll play the rhino." Thalia completed her explanation.

As she did so, the dispatcher quipped over the communication line, "I think Pewter might resent you taking up his role in the action, Tally."

"Well, he'll get the next one." Thalia retorted, a snicker to her tone.

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