Cambrian_Explosion

[COLOR=DarkRed]When Reaf saw the guards, he had little doubt in his mind what they were here for. It was kind of a giveaway that two of the toughs he beat up happened to be tagging along with them, and were obviously scanning the crowd looking for someone. Reaf faded back, smoothly gliding through the crowd towards the back. He knew that the men probably told their own story, and had their injuries to back it up. Reaf figured that unless he could get someone to back him up, he would land in a heap of trouble at least, and at worst hold up the whole group. He dropped to the back of the room and scanned for his companions, preferably Arturios, whom the guards would most likely believe. The old psion would back him up as long as he told the truth, Reaf felt sure of that. Oh, he'd get a good talking-to about next time ensuring that the man with the broken knee got proper medical care, but he'd earned it. [I]Where is that old man anyways?[/I] Reaf wondered. Just then, a stranger tapped him on the shoulder. Reaf turned to look at him. The stranger looked a bit scruffy, was barefoot (and was probably his habit, as evidenced by the callouses, mud, and long toenails), and had a piercing gaze that could probably see through walls. "Trouble with the law?" he asked casually, as he nodded at the guards. "What sharp eyes you have," Reaf said as he looked the man over. Reaf decided he could probably trust him, despite his rather wild looks, and answered "I got in a fight with a few local toughs at the Mongoose Tavern. It's my word against theirs who started it, and they have injuries to show. And yes," Reaf answered the unasked question, "they started it. They made a few comments I was meant to overhear, and when I didn't rise for the bait, one tried to attack me from behind." Then Reaf noticed that Arturios was approaching him, and from the displeased look on his face, he had heard or guessed that Reaf had gotten in trouble.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed](Before Keirra blew the whisle.) Reaf was checking out another tavern, called The Mongoose Tavern. It was small but clean, the food smelled good (although by this time Reaf was hungry enough to eat anything that didn't move around his plate), and the bartender seemed nice enough. Unfortunately, the place was almost deserted, just three hard-looking young men, probably local toughs. Reaf looked the menu over, ordered some meat, noodles, and a glass of water. Reaf ate his meal, but noticed a few comments from the toughs that were probably meant to be overheard. Reaf tried to ignore them, since a barroom brawl was not a good idea, especially since he still needed to heal. Still, he gripped his fork hard enough to turn his knuckles white. The bartender noticed, and told Reaf in an undertone, "If you're going to fight them, and I suggest you don't, do it outside." Reaf nodded, finished his lunch, and headed out. He heard the other occupants get up too. Outside, one swung on him. He caught the blow, turned it aside, and used the man's momentum to throw him to the ground. Reaf faked at one, then lashed out at the other, kicking him in the knee. He felt a crack and knew it had broken. The third lunged at him, and suddenly everything began to slow down. [I]Adrenaline rush[/I], Reaf thought. He'd had them before. The man's fist slowly floated towards his head, but Reaf couldn't move fast enough to block it or duck it. The fist struck Reaf in the head and he saw a bright flash of light, blinding him, but shook off what would normally be a knockout blow, and just swung a hard right where he remembered the man's head was, made a solid conection, then waded into him as his eyesight came back. The whole fight took less that thirty seconds to complete. One too dazed to fight, one with a broken knee, and the first unwilling to continue fighting after being thrown down so easily. Reaf heard a distant whisle, figured out which direction it came from, and started running.[/COLOR]

Name: Adrian Woods, a.k.a. the Devil, Satan, etc. Age: 50 Gender: Male Description: Adrian is about six feet tall and thin. He has good muscular definition, but isn't built up like California's governor. He usually dresses in black highlighted with bright red (like a black jacket with red streaks down the arms and sides). He has a long, clean face, emphasized by the fact that he is completely bald, has no eyebrows or eyelashes, and has pale, blemishless skin (no moles, birthmarks, tatoos, etc.). His lips are pale, the nose is straight and thin, the cheekbones high, and he has those [I]eyes[/I]. The eyes look ordinary enough, pupils, hazel irises, and the white surrounding them. However, those eyes make people cross the street, or change seats on the bus to put some distance between you and him. Look into them, and you recoil, flinch, a reaction as automatic as snatching your had from a hot stove. For his eyes are those of someone who has diverged from the general human race, who is outside of society. Adrian Wood's eyes belong to someone who has caused someone unbearable agony, and laughed. In public, he often puts on dark sunglasses, but still he radiates a sense of quiet menace. Insanity: Adrian Woods, as evidenced by his choice of names, believes that his body is inhabitted by the Devil, and the Devil has full control. Because of this, if he hears the words "pity" or "mercy," he reaches for an unabridged dictionary - so he can set it on fire and insert it up your ***. He knows what the words mean, he just doesn't buy into that line of reasoning. He prefers deliberately causing pain for the pure joy that comes with it (yeah, he's a sadist). He's also a serious ecclestialphobe (sp?) (he's afraid of churches). If he sees one, he completely breaks down, loses his powers, and sobs uncontrolably until he can drag himself away from it. Personality: This is definitely someone to avoid. Adrian isn't big on making friends, and if he does make a friend it's out of his own self-interest, not out of a need for human or mancer contact. He has a macabre sense of humor, often making jokes as he does what he likes best. He's usually in a good mood, sometimes smiles and jokes around, sometimes gets philisophical, but since everyone can pick up on the evil of his presence, it just makes him that much scarier. Power: Shadowmancer. Adrian has the power to animate, change, and materialize shadow, turning it into whatever he wants, and to control the forms he creates. He can create weapons, furniture, anything. His own shadow, from the extended contact between himself and the shadow, has become more of a familiar than a shadow. Adrian also has the power to move from one location to another instantly by "jumping" through one shadow to another. He may not really be the Devil, but he is [I]a[/I] Prince of Darkness. Biography: Racing through darkness, headlights cutting a swath of light on the road ahead. Up a hill, cranking up the speed just for the hell of it, damn I'm acting just like a teenager. Crest of the hill... DEER! Swerve, fishtail, THAT GUY DOESN'T HAVE HIS HEADLIGHTS [B]WHAM[/B]!!!!!! Blackness, total and complete. Unconcious? Would I ask that question if I was? Floating through eternity, yet over in a fraction of a second. I wake. I didn't want to. Because in that too long yet too short space of time, I saw the Truth, just like the others. And just like the others, I changed that day. The Devil saw me, and became part of me. Most of me actually. And damn we have a great time together.

[COLOR=DarkRed]Reaf heard Shero's advice over the roar of battle, and so did Kyohen. "Right, everyone regroup. Shero, you take the point, Keirra and I will take the flanks, Reaf, you bring up the rear. Everyone else, stick close together!" Reaf took up his position, took out his sling, and loaded a lead ball. He didn't need to wait long for a target. One of the stone-hide lizards leaped at him from the right, but stopped suddenly when the lead ball struck it on the head at a high velocity. The lizard dropped like a sack of potatoes. Reaf wasn't sure if it was dead, but didn't stop to find out. He looked ahead and saw several more Cartiopters drop dead, two with arrows sticking from soft spots, and another two with knives. After several minutes of this, the lizards seemed to give it up, but the group kept moving, afraid, as Arturios pointed out, that they might try a more concentrated and concerted attack. "Has anyone been bitten?" Arturios asked. Everyone answered to the negative. "Good, the bite of a Cartiopter is quite deadly." "They're poisonous?" Kyohen asked. "No, but they are not only carnivores, they are also scavengers, feeding on rotting meat as well as fresh meat. A bite from them, the wound will fester, and the victim often dies a few days later from septic shock." There was an uncomfortable silence after that. "I think I see the town," Shero called.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]"Hey, quit fighting you two," said a voice from the tall grass, as the trio jerked in surprise, "We have enough to deal with already." Reaf stepped out of the grass, spear in hand. "What are you doing alone?" Kyohen demanded, a bit annoyed that the Cathsheen hadn't paired off with someone. "I was with Arturos, but he we got separated when two of those Cartiopters came after us in the tall grass. I'm not sure where he is," Reaf explained. "I'm right here," Arturos said serenely. Reaf nearly jumped his own hight. "Please don't scare me like that," Reaf said. [I]How did an old man like him sneak up on me like that?[/I] he wondered. "Sorry, but we must be careful." With that he turned back into the grass. Reaf turned and raised a quizzical eyebrow at the elves, and followed the old man.[/COLOR]

OOC: My most profuse appologies to everyone. *throws himself at Daemos's feet and begins groveling* PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!!! [COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=2][B][I]Earlier in the fight:[/I][/B][/SIZE] As Reaf and Zaion approached the narrows, the fighting became more difficult. The shadow wolves started simply hurling themselves at the two fighters, trying everything to slow their advance. The demon also broke into a lumbering run, barely faster than his walk, but perhaps fast enough to move into the wider tunnel before he could be trapped in the narrow area. It came down to a race, the Cathsheens literally cutting their way through the horde of shadow wolves, not even taking the time to ensure the minions' demise, continuing on, trusting in the others to get rid of the wounded. Orik, Arturios, and Kyohen dispatched the wounded, with Shero and Keirra bringing up the rear. The two Cathsheens, although suffering from several nasty cuts, never slowed until they reached the narrow part of the tunnel, with the demon a scant ten feet away. "Hope this works," Reaf muttered under his breath, not realizing he had voiced his thoughts until he saw Zaion nod in agreement. There were fewer shadow wolves now and they seemed to be drawing back so their master could deal with the intruders, so Reaf drew his spear again. The demon came on hard, but slow, his first hammer-like strike aimed at Zaion. Zaion jumped back, while Reaf charged forward, hoping to score a hit while the huge beast's defences were open. He did drive his spear into the monster's belly, but with little effect. The monster hissed in surprise, and brought its extended arm across, intending to smash the impertenant cat-person into the wall of the tunnel. Reaf did the last thing the monster expected; he dove right at him, rolled under him, and came up with a backhand slash to the demon's right knee with his claws. Enraged, the Shadow demon wrapped his monkey-like tail around Reaf's midsection and lifted him straight up, while aiming a strike at Orik, who had moved forward to take Reaf's place.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]"Whoa, that thing is big!" Zaion commented to Reaf, both busy making short work of the swarming shadow-wolves. Earlier, Reaf had hesitated to move to the front ranks to battle the pack, thinking he could still do damage with his sling, but realized that between the darkness of the tunnel and the darkness of the wolves, he was having difficulty picking targets from a distance. So he put away his sling, drew his spear from the shoulder belt, and charged the oncoming wolves. At first, the work had been easy, simply slashing, stabbing, kicking, and striking any wolves that dared to come close. Neither of the Cathsheens worried about stopping all the wolves, knowing full well that the humans and elves would be far from helpless with their own weapons and skills. Zaion glanced back once to see Orik easily beheading a leaping wolf while the elven bows twanged to score direct hits on two wolves in the front. But then the Shadow demon showed up, and things promised to get much more complicated. "Press forward, both of you!" Kyohen called from the back. "Why?" Reaf called back, taking the time to slash a wolf with his spear, then reversing the action to land a stunning blow with the handle on the head of a second. "We'll just run into the Shadow demon that much faster!" "The tunnel narrows up ahead. If we can trap it in the narrow section, we'll have an easier job of killing it." Reaf looked ahead. The narrow section was about 50 feet ahead, the demon was about the same distance away from the opening. "We'd better move fast," Reaf commented to Zaion. "No time like the present," she replied, and leaped into the crowd of dark bodies, now wary of the deadly pair. Reaf took a moment to place his spear back in its sheath, since this close-quarter combat would make his spear very ineffective, and jumped right after her. This was a job for claws.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Reaf had kept mostly to himself the whole walk, not feeling very comfortable with so many people he did not know. He looked at his Voidstone. [I]This black hunk of rock is going to protect me from the Wraithwind?[/I] he wondered silently, [I]How?[/I] But he shook away his doubts, deciding that since everyone else (and especially the old man Arturios) seemed to trust in the Voidstones, he should too. In the tunnel, as the shadow-wolves appeared, Reaf faded back a bit, to make more room for those with only melee weapons, and loaded his sling with one of his deadly lead balls. At this range, it would be easy to split the skulls of the oncoming wraithbeasts. He began twirling it, and searched the mass of snarling, dark-colored canines with his eyes, looking for the leader. It was difficult to pick out the individual beasts in the badly lit tunnel, and, Reaf reminded himself, the leader of the pack may not be there, it may be watching from somewhere else. Just then, one of the beasts darted forward, Reaf fired off the heavy ball, and reloaded without looking to see if the leathal projectile had hit at all. He heard a pained yelp, and he looked up. He couldn't tell if his ball had hit, but he knew one of the elves had; the bold shadow-wolf had a feathered shaft sticking out of its neck. The wolves seemed to draw back, to observe their mortally wounded comrade's death struggles, and then, as a group, they attacked.[/COLOR]

OOC: I gotta get into this!!! [COLOR=DarkRed]Name: Reaf Jeggur Gender: Male Race: Cathsheen Age: 18 Description: Stands at about 5'7", weighs about 125 lbs. Wears loose fitting clothes for freedom of movement, with a dark green long sleeve shirt, dark green trousers, and goes barefoot, so he can have a better feel for the ground under his feet. He wears a belt at his waist and over his left shoulder. The former holds his lead balls and sling, the latter holds his spear. His eyes are yellow, and usually impassive, though if he gets mad they almost glow with fierce rage. His hair is dark brown and cut short to avoid blocking his periferal vision and it's much easier to manage. Weapons: Sling with lead balls. When weilded right at relatively close range, these suckers can shatter a shield as easily as bone. Range is about the same as a bow and arrow, and Reaf is about as accurate as a proficient human with a bow. He also has a spear with a head that can be used to slash or stab. I think it's called a halberd, not sure though. And he does have his claws! Personality: Often restrained and reserved, he shows his feelings but they are often understated. For example, when making a decision, he oftentimes states it so mildly that he seems to be making a polite suggestion. Even when talking about personal experience, he will sound like he is talking about something he observed, not something he experienced. The only exception to this rule is his anger. He rarely gets mad, and it takes a lot to do it, but once he loses his temper he becomes very violent very fast. Even when he isn't mad, he is a force to be reckoned with in battle. He is very practical, as demonstrated by his choice of clothing. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=SandyBrown]Kylajn burrowed into the ground, and headed toward the neighboring forest. He knew where a few rarely used paths were, and popped up next to where they intersected. Then he got out, moved over a couple yards, and proceded to dig a new tunnel. [I]This way I won't slow anyone down trying to get to the exit[/I], Kylajn thought. He headed back to where the beings were last. [I]I can't believe that Rakaloma thought that I'd want to hide from the being. I only took cover during the fight with the criminals because I didn't want to be nursing a serious injury when the being arrived. And good thing, too. With those wierd illusions, I don't think we should take any chances.[/I] Kylajn popped out of the ground right next to Rakaloma and behind Arachne. Good thing, too, or the being might have attacked him, thinking he was sneaking up behind it to attack. "So, what did I miss?" Kylajn asked Rakaloma in a whisper, which seemed loud in the complete silence. "The Sonnette de Ombre floated up on its own and started ringing, but it's stopped now. It's very strange. The being and the illusions pointed at the bell, and it stopped ringing immediately. It may be a coincidence, but it may not." "Rakaloma, I thought you said that no one, not even Raslomaons with infared vision could make the illusion of heat. But those 'illusions' are giving off heat, right?" "Yes, but perhaps the beings have learned how to do it. Or perhaps they aren't illusions, but actually well camoflauged beings. Or maybe..." Rakaloma trailed into silence, and stared hard at the illusions. "Or maybe what?" Kylajn asked, looking at the "illusions" in his natural state, noting the magic coming from them. They could be illusions, or cleverly hidden comrades of the central being. Rakaloma looked at the Earth Kalmorian. "Or this being may have made magical copies of itself, not illusions, but actual living, breathing creatures!" "But that's increadible!" Kylajn said, a hair from saying "impossible." "Then again, it's equally increadible that it has made the illusion of heat." "Sorry to interrupt guys, but I think you should be watching this," Henna said.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=SandyBrown]Kylajn growled in frustration. He'd been forced underground from the start by one of the human mages. Every time he poked his head aboveground, someone would direct a Wind attack at him. [I]Why is everyone using Wind attacks so much?[/I] he wondered. He finally ran out of patience, since he could hear the battle winding down and he wanted a piece of the action. He ventured up again, this time not greeted by the sound of howling wind. He looked around in his natural state. Almost all the criminals were dead, only a human facing off with Hyuga and a Kalmorian of Light engaged in a magical duel with Anzunden. [I]Correction[/I], thought Kylajn as Hyuga took on his ice monster form, [I]just Anzunden against the last criminal, and...[/I] Arachne never saw the attack coming, just heard the crack of rock. She turned and saw that the criminal Kalmorian of Dark had recovered some of his power and launched a Dark attack at her from behind. Fortunately, Kylajn had unearthed a good-sized rock to act as a shield. "Arachne," Kylajn chided gently "never turn your back on a fallen enemy, unless they're dead." And with that, Kylajn struck back, causing the ground under the Dark Kalmorian's feet to buck and roll like a wind-tossed sea, and sending the Dark Kalmorian flying. Kylajn met him in mid-air, and they entered a high-intensity battle much like Anzunden's, which he was winning. The Dark Kalmorian shifted into his natural state, a formless, shifting mass of blackness that seemed to have no substance. The Kalmorian was obviously powerful, having been completely drained by Arachne, then been forced to hold the Sonnette de Ombre, and still managed to attack, let alone stand. But Kylajn was very powerful in his own right, and he was fresh from the sidelines, while the criminal was still weakened from his ordeal. The fight did not last long at all, Kylajn finished off the Dark Kalmorian before Anzunden killed the Light Kalmorian.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=SandyBrown]Kylajn stepped forward, feeling he might as well start things off, nobody else was jumping at the chance. "I think I can sum up my reasons for being here in two words; the being. One, I've never seen it, I've only heard stories, and I want to see it first-hand. Two, I want to understand it; why it helps sometimes, destroying other times, and why and how it changes its form." "Wait a minute," Rakaloma interupted. "You think this is one being, not many? I suspected you were crazy, but this clinches it. You Kalmorians are the only life forms who can change their form, and you're limitted to one alternate form. There are at least [I]nine[/I] distinct forms reported!" [I]Uh oh[/I], Arachne thought, [I]Here it comes[/I]. "You're dismissing my thoughts as insanity?" Kylajn asked politely, all humor gone. "In that case, you're being very narrow-minded, Rakaloma." "Why do you say that?" Rakaloma asked. "Because you are making an assumption," Kylajn replied,"and when dealing with an unknown, which this being most certainly is, assumptions are very dangerous. You ask how there could possibly be a being that can take on any number of forms. I ask why not." "But it's impossible for something to take on so many forms!" Rakaloma shot back. "How would this creature take on so many forms?" "That's one reason I'm here," Kylajn explained. "The pattern of appearances very definitely points to an individual, or at least a small group traveling together. A group traveling together has been all but ruled out, by you Raslomaons no less. Only one being has been seen at a time, and if it did travel in a group, the others would have been seen. That's why I think it's a single individual. Oh, and my third reason for being here," Kylajn said, trying to get out of an arguement he knew would end up going in circles, "is to give those too stubborn to leave an alternate escape route." and pointed to the tunnel he dug. Anzunden chuckled a bit, "Kylajn, just because you can give most mules lessons in obstinancy, doesn't mean everyone is. I doubt any citizens will be left. Just us and the criminals."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=SandyBrown]Kylajn just passed into the port city of Vanduo, since he heard that the being was supposed to show up there. He decided to tunnel his way there; it was faster and more direct, safer, although dirty, and he could get in without being seen. No real need, but if he showed up and the being was feeling destructive, he could give people an alternate route to safety. Kylajn paused, and allowed himself to feel for other mages. He picked up on a group of five, three of his own kind, a human and a Raslomaon. [I]Let's see what the party's for[/I], Kylajn thought, though the answer was obvious. He continued toward the group. ------------------------------------------------- "And I want to be the one who figures it out," Anzunden said. "Of course, I don't mind help. Anyone else here have any ideas?" Just then, Mizu's sharp ears picked up a faint rumbling sound coming from the left of the group, steadily getting louder. She asked the rest to be quiet for the moment, and listened intently. The sound got closer and closer until everyone else heard it, then it paused a moment. Everyone fully expected to come face-to-face with the predicted being. The ground opened up and out of the hole stepped a filthy Therosaon. At least that's what he looked like. Rakaloma saw with her infared vision that the heat signature was all wrong for a real Therosaon, it had to be a Kalmorian, and Arachne knew the feel of his essence. "Hey, a welcoming committee. I hope I don't have to make a speech or anything," Kylajn joked, smiling good-naturedly around. "Who or what are you?" Henna asked. "Oh, where are my manners," Kylajn said, while using his power over Earth to get the dirt out of his fur, "I am-" "Kylajn," Mizu finished for him, "A Kalmorian of Earth." Anzunden grinned, "I should have known. I may not be able to tell Therosaons apart by sight alone, but only Kylajn could make such an entrance." Arachne's lip curled in a quick half-smile. "Good to see you're still among the living Kylajn," she said. "Will you two stop with the 'Glad you're still alive,' thing?" Kylajn asked in mock anguish, "It makes me feel like I'm about to drop dead at any moment." But then the smile came back, "But it is nice to know that I'd be missed. By the way, who are you?" he asked the human female. "I am Henna, a healer and an illusionist," she replied, "Nice to meet you," and extended her hand. Kylajn gave it a firm shake, and said "Same here. Rakaloma, glad you're still alive." Rakaloma merely nodded in greeting. She thought that he took serious matters too lightly too often, and disapproved of it. "Mizu, I haven't seen you since you tried to drown me." Mizu opened her mouth in protest, but Henna beat her to it, "Mizu tried to [I]what[/I]?" she asked incredulously. "When helping me cross a lake, I warned her I swim like a rock. She didn't believe me. She dropped me in the middle of a lake, and I had to tunnel from the bottom of the lake to dry land," Kylajn explained. "I said I was sorry!" Mizu exclaimed, a little hurt he'd hold a grudge over something like that. He never held grudges, though he had his share of arguements because he was so stubborn. "I don't hold it against you!" Kylajn said, "I would've done the same exact thing." "I'll keep that in mind," Henna muttered, sending Kylajn and Mizu into fits of suppressed laughter.[/COLOR]

OOC: I've got to get into this. IC: [COLOR=SandyBrown]Name: Kylajn Gender: Male Race: Kalmorian Age: 263 Alternate form: Therosaon Element: Earth Abilities: Kylajn controls the earth itself, be it the ground, rocks, or sand. Extremes in temperature don't affect him as much as most, but he can't put up with them forever. He can tunnel through almost anything at high speed, and pop out anywhere he wants. He can absorb Earth magic or abilities, he is resistant to Thunder and Fire, and vulnerable to Wind and Water. Oh, and he can't swim, he sinks like a rock.[/COLOR] OOC: By the way, I'm Simon in the comic RPG "Apartment Building C." Just to save you time Takuya. If I forgot anything, let me know.

OOC: Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. IC: The two white-coated men wheeled Daisy into the emergency room, followed by George and Simon. Simon was quite disappointed when they did not stick Daisy in a straight jacket and lock her in a padded room. Protiva stopped at a pay phone to call Charlie and tell him what happened. -Back at the apartment- Charlie was trying to fall asleep. Emphasis on trying. He had stuffed his ears full of cotton, stuck his fingers in his ears as far as he could, and piled every blanket he owned on his head in a vain attempt to block out the music that was literally shaking the building apart. When a shower of plaster dust fell on him accompanied by a very loud [B]BOOM[/B], Charlie sat up, yanked the cotton of his ears, since it didn?t make one iota of a difference, and shouted ?That does it!!!!? Charlie hauled out a ladder and a broom, stood on the ladder, and began pounding on the ceiling and shouting with a mix of profanities ?Emilio, turn that thing off so we can all get some sleep!? He glanced over at the old-fashioned dial telephone, and noticed from the movement that it was ringing off its hook. Grumbling to himself, Charlie turned to get off the ladder, but his foot got stuck on a rung, and the ladder tipped over and fell on top of the poor landlord. ?Charles, could you get that please?? Charlie screamed over the ground-shaking bass notes. When Charles didn?t move, Charlie swore a few more times, got out from under the ladder, staggered to the phone, and picked up the receiver. Back at the hospital, Protiva was slammed into the opposite wall by the tidal wave of sound that erupted from the earpiece. Protiva, by some great act of will, managed to crawl to the receiver, prop herself against the wall, and holding the phone at arm?s length, with the wall supporting her, yelled at the top of her voice, ?WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THAT NOISE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?? At the other end of the phone, Charlie had one hand pressed to his ear, and the other pressing the earpiece against the other ear hard enough to squeeze all the blood out of it, could barely make out Protiva?s voice. ?WHAT, I CAN?T HEAR YOU!!!!!!!!!!? he shouted back, ?HANG ON!!!!!!!!!? Charlie threw down the receiver, sprinted to the stairs, and managed to summit them after falling down twice, due to the fact that the whole building was swaying to the music. He pushed Emilio?s door open with every ounce of strength he had, and lurched over to Emilio. ?TURN THIS THING OFF, OR I?LL REPROGRAM IT WITH A VERY LARGE AX!!!!!!!!? Emilio managed to work out Charlie?s threat by reading his lips, gave the landlord a death glare, and grudgingly turned it off. Charlie headed back to his room, collapsed next to the phone, and when the ringing in his ears subsided he asked Protiva what the matter was. ?Hmmm?what? Daisy!? Dead!? Do you know how much paperwork this means!? DO YOU?!? Charlie?s voice cracked on the ?you? as if in protest of further yelling. ??hmm? She?s not dead? ?well I guess that?s?good?hmmm? The doctor says she?s dying though? And he doesn?t know why? What? Why do you want the rest of the tenants to come over? To try and figure out why she?s dying? No?I can?t?please?just have mercy on me and let me sleep?if she dies I have to fill out paperwork?no don?t let it get to that?don?t torture me like this?? Charlie fell into a subdued silence as Protiva shouted him down. ?Oh fine I?ll get the others and go to the hospital with them?? Charlie hung up the phone as he muttered, ?Violent maniac.? Charlie gripped the edge of the table and pulled himself up to get the others. As Charlie walked around knocking on the doors Kenneth stormed down the stairs looking positively murderous. ?That?that?PERSON!!! He?she?KILLED MY BABY, ?it?DESTROYED MY PUPPY!!!? Kenneth picked up Charlie by the collar of his shirt, ?EMILIO?S DAMNED MUSIC BUSTED THE OPTICAL FIBERS!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR ME TO BUILD IT!?!?!?? ?Very long I?m sure,? Charlie muttered. Kenneth dropped Charlie, heaving, ?Why are you up?? ?Protiva called from the hospital, Daisy?s dying?? Kenneth interrupted him, ?What! She is! Why didn?t you tell me before! This is terrible!? Kenneth pulled Charlie onto his feet and dragged him behind him, banging on all the doors.

Simon decided to take a midnight stroll through the clouds, before getting back to his [U]Harry Potter[/U] book. But just as he exited the building through the wall, ANGELS WERE SINGING!!! The heavens opened up and a glorious light spilled out, and rainbows danced their way down to earth. [I]Hell, have I died again?[/I] Simon wondered silently, [I]Well, if I have, I hope I get all the way to the top of the ladder before St. Peter kicks me off for bad behavior again.[/I] He watched as Daisy tried to eat some guy, then followed the alien emu into the apartment building. By then, he'd lost interest with the whole situation, and returned to his apartment to read. He never had the chance to read two words. The man who was about to become Daisy's next meal was screaming something awful, and there was quite a bit of yelling in German coming from downstairs. He finally shut his book, unable to concentrate, and headed through the floor to put a stop to whatever was going on downstairs. Unbeknownsed to Simon, the alien emu and Protiva were making their way upstairs as he came through the floor. Simon entered Protiva's apartment, it being the only one with the door hanging open, and took a moment to take in his surroundings. He honestly liked the furnishings, even if they were all upended except for the ballpoint pen collection. He decidedly did not like the color of the walls, a glaringly bright pink. He headed into the kitchen, where he found Charlie sprawled on the floor with a lump the size of a baseball on his head. Simon picked him up and dropped him on his head a few times. When it became clear that this only increased the size of the lump and did nothing to wake Charlie up, the mischievous tenant took his landlord into the bathroom, filled up the tub with steaming hot water, and unceremoniously dropped him in. This had the desired effect of waking up Charlie. Simon asked Charlie about what had happened, and he explained about the emu. "Oh, the one that came out of the alien spaceship?" Simon asked. Charlie goggled at the poltergeist. "Alien spaceship? Did you just say ALIEN SPACESHIP?!?" Simon produced a tape recorder from his pocket (how the heck could something solid stay in a ghost's pocket!?!), rewound it, and played it back. "Oh, the one that came out of the alien spaceship?" Simon's voice asked. "It's right outside, if you want to take a look," Simon explained. Charlie bolted through the door, ran to the stairs, and collided headfirst with the emu, which had managed to escape Protiva's headlock. Protiva took one look at Charlie, and screamed "OH MY GOD, CHARLIE'S COME BACK AS A GHOST!!!!!!!!!!!" With that, Simon whipped a metal bar out of nowhere, and smacked Charlie across the shins with it. "YYYYYYAAAARRRRRGGGGGG!!!!!!!" Charlie screamed in pain, and fell back on top of the emu, which was trying to rise after being knocked off its feet by the charging Charlie. "Now, if Charlie had been a ghost, the metal bar would have passed harmlessly through his shins. It did not. If Charlie were undead, he would not have felt pain, and therefore would not have screamed in pain. Are you convinced that Charlie is not dead, Protiva?" Simon asked innocently. Protiva nodded and let out a sigh of relief. At that very moment, the German-speaking alien emu broke free and fled down the stairs, with Protiva in hot pursuit. Charlie limped after her, having half a mind to yell at her again for lying to him. Simon followed, taking to the air so he could get a good view. After Daisy explained exactly what the aliens intended to do with the humans, Simon shook his head in disbelief. [I]As if this particular cross-section of the human race weren't mentally scarred enough as it is, with me hanging around,[/I] Simon thought. Then what Daisy had said sank in, and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. [I]The aliens will take away all the people, and I'll have nobody to play practical jokes on! I'll have to move[/I] again[I]![/I] Simon let out a sigh. [I]No getting around it. I'll have to help these people again.[/I]

Simon floated around the room, watching the idiotic mortals fighting for their lives. Didn?t they realize that death was not the end? He was living, well, still-moving-around evidence that it wasn?t. Kenneth slowly revolved around, managed to eradicate the squirrel that had attached itself to his face, and finally noticed Simon floating serenely in the middle of utter chaos. ?What are you doing, Simon?! Aren?t you going to help?? Kenneth shouted, as another of the loathsome rodents latched onto his hand. Simon looked puzzled, while at the same time smiling maliciously, ?I am helping.? Kenneth removed his new glove and threw it, chattering madly, across the room, ?You are?? ?Yes,? Simon responded, ?I am not hindering your attempts at defending yourselves.? ?But you?re not helping to kill the squirrels,? Kenneth reasoned. ?I won?t do that unless you say the magic word,? Simon replied in a singsong voice. ?Magic word?? Kenneth muttered to himself, ?Ah, okay, ABRAKADABRA!? ?Nope!? Simon retorted gleefully. Daisy immediately picked up on Simon?s little prank, and shouted as she grabbed at a squirrel streaking over her shoulder, ?Simon, [I]please[/I] help us kill these cute, evil pests.? Simon immediately sprang to attention, ?Ja wohl, mein general!? And with that, he zoomed up the stairs. ?That worked well,? Tom complained, massaging his bitten nose, still a bit peeved that his pet had turned against him like that, and planning what sort of torture he would use against the traitorous rodent. At that moment, the dogs and cats made their grand entrance. And Simon returned, with pots, pans, kitchen knives, and a big wooden mallet for himself, not to mention Protiva and George who came in right on his heels. ?Here you go everyone, grab something and let the killing commence!? And with that, he attempted to crush a small grey Persian that Candy had just named Mr. Smokey, despite glaring evidence that the cat in question was female. "Have you flipped?" Candy demanded, "You're supposed to, like, kill the squirrels, not the cats or dogs!" Simon stared at her blankly. "It's a mammal with grey fur, a bushy tail, and happens to be rabid. What's the difference?" Kenneth repressed the urge to take his ax to the ghost's head knowing that it would be utterly pointless, and would only antagonize the poltergeist. He carefully explained the difference between their feline/canine allies and their rodent enemies. As soon as Simon understood the subtlties, he appologized to the offended cat.

OOC: Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy. IC: Simon looked up at the ceiling light in annoyance. It had flickered a bit, steadied, and then gone completely out. But he could still read his book, [U]Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix[/U], by his own luminescence and learn more about his hero, Peeves. But the noises outside were really beginning to bug him, especially the ear-splitting screams. Finally, after a particularly loud one, he shut the book with a snap, grabbed a few ammonia-filled water balloons, and raced to the door of his broom closet. [I]If there it this much screaming,[/I] he thought, [I]I might as well join in the fun.[/I] Simon was about to exit when someone attempted to force entry into his closet. Attempted because it was securely locked. Simon simply flew through the door like a bat out of hell and pelted most of his fellow tenants with his water balloons. After the new blood-curdling screams died away, Simon broke into a fit of laughter, then came over to see what was going on. Everyone backed up, but Simon simply chuckled a bit, and said "Relax, that'll hold me over 'til the morning. I'm not a mad dog, y'know. By the way, what the hell is going on down here? What's with all the screaming? And what are you all staring at? You look as though you've seen a ghost." "Well, for starters, we have not only seen a ghost, but had ammonia-filled water balloons chucked at us by one," Kenneth stated, [I]very[/I] politely he thought. Simon sweat-dropped at this, and muttered something unintelligible. Kenneth continued, "As for what's going on, well, the power's out and we're trying to find the circuit breaker, we though it might be in that broom closet you just zoomed out of." "It won't be in there," Simon assured him. "Not anymore anyways." "How do you know that?" asked Emilio. "'Cause I live there, you... person," Simon informed him/her (it?). He then looked down and saw Protiva unconscious. ?What are you doing with her?? ?We, like, found her, like, unconscious in the hall, y?know,? squeaked Candy, peeping around Tom, looking terrified. ?Uh, what?s she doing unconscious?? asked Simon. [I]God, that girl, whatshername, oh yeah Candy, her voice[/I] really [I]grates on my intangible nerves. I?ve got to stop saying ?y?know? so often.[/I] he thought. Simon looked at Tom and noticed the brutalized squirrel for the first time, ?And what are you doing with roadkill slung over your shoulder?? ?His name is Irwin,? sniffed Tom, ?and we don?t know what happened to Protiva.? ?Okay, let?s just get back on track people, we need to find that circuit breaker,? announced Kenneth. ?Let?s try to find the basement, if there is one.?

Charlie approached the next door with much trepidation. To an outside viewer the door would appear to be a harmless broom closet; rather dirty (the norm of this particular building) and with a crudely carved 3X hanging on it by a trio of rusty, bent nails, but in no other way remarkable. To Charlie, this was the portal through which two-thirds of his troubles originated. Charlie set down his heavy pail, squared his shoulders, rapped on the door, and covered his head with his arms, dreading the worst. The door creaked open; Charlie uncovered his head, and saw the smiling face of a slightly transparent 15 year-old boy dressed in luridly bright Hawaiian shirt and shorts. He floated to eye level with Charlie, and said with a slightly echoing voice ?Hello Charlie. Finally decided to pay a visit to my humble abode?? ?No, perhaps another time Simon,? Charlie said. ?It?s the end of the month. I?m here to collect the rent,? and picked up the pail with some difficulty owing to the 400 quarters he was still carrying. ?[B][I]WHAT?!?!?![/I][/B] ? Simon shrieked. Charlie was caught rather off-guard by this response. He had been expecting to either be paid with a cheerful ?Come round for a cup of tea sometime,? or to have a live bullfrog stuffed into the front of his pants. Or both. He did not expect Simon to get angry, least of all take offence. ?But you must,? pleaded Charlie ?you?ve caused more trouble (and trouble is an understatement) in the three weeks you?ve been here than all the other guests combined in several months!? Charlie hoped his tenant would not point out the most obvious reason why he shouldn?t pay rent, that he occupied a spare broom closet instead of a room. He didn?t. Instead Simon slammed his door shut with a howl of outrage, which died into the distance. [I]How is that possible? It?s just a broom closet.[/I] Charlie thought. But then, as he turned to leave, the door flew open, and Simon dragged through it a book larger than Charlie. Simon opened the mammoth volume and began flipping through it at high speed, shouting ?Volume 5, chapter 86, section 4, sub-section R, paragraph 109, sub-paragraph 74 of the [U]Poltergeist Book of Supernatural Law[/U]; ?The landlord of a corporeal inn, tavern, apartment complex, boarding house, or other public housing may not charge any apparition a fee for housing against the said apparition?s will.? Go ahead, read it yourself.? Simon slammed the huge book on the floor, open in front of the startled landlord. Charlie distinctly heard something crack under the weight of the of [U]Poltergeist Book of Supernatural Law; Volume 5[/U]. Curious, Charlie bent down to read the book. But there were two problems. The text was almost incomprehensively tiny, and it was also written in some sort of meaningless gibberish. Another interesting point was when his eyes slid out of focus, the page seemed to reveal a picture of a red squirrel beating the living daylights out of an emu with a large stick. ?I?ll take your word for it,? muttered Charlie. He turned to go again, but Simon shoved a large wad of bills into his hand. Charlie looked quizzically at Simon who simply said, ?It isn?t against my will.? ?But why get in a huff and drag out that gigantic book?? Charlie asked. ?It?s the principle of the thing,? Simon replied, tossing the book in first, then closing the door after him. Charlie wondered how the big book could possibly fit in the tiny broom closet, but he was so relieved to get away from the poltergeist without the live bullfrog in his pants that he didn?t think much about it.

Name: Simon Jester Gender: Male Age: 15 (at death) Description: Simon wears luridly colorful clothing which contrasts rather sharply with his pearly white skin. He's also transparant. Biography: Simon was born into a family that didn't give a damn about him. So, to fill his spare time, he became the town's biggest troublemaker. One day, while burning down a house, he burned to death. He forgot he's supposed to use a timer or a fuse. Simon became a ghost and continued his life's work - making life a living hell for everyone around him. He graduated first in his class from Polterguist Acadamy (major in water balloon throwing, strong minor in burning specific objects). He took up residence in Apartment Building A, an inexpensive apartment complex for normal, happy, well-adjusted people. The manager had him exorcized within the week, because nobody got a wink of sleep with him around (he called out the hours and banged them out on a giant gong). Simon next tried his hand at Apartment Building B, a cheap apartment complex that tended to attract normal, unhappy, maladjusted people. However, these people were so busy getting drunk, stoned, high, and depressed that they paid no attention to his antics. So, in a fit of rage, Simon stole some dynamite, wired it up, and blasted the stoners to Kingdom Come, along with the rest of the city block. The humans attributed the blast to the stoners, but Simon was still put on 30 year probation by the Polterguist Control Comittee. Simon finally tried his hand at Apartment Building C, where he met Charlie, who introduced him to Charles. Simon thought he'd like it in this apartment complex for the certifiable. But what sinched the deal was seeing Protiva drop-kick Caden a friendly good morning. Simon set himself up in a spare broomcloset, which he magically made into a gateway to an empty dimension to house all his junk with a bit of help from D. Reason For Moving In: He's moving down the alphabet of cheap living quarters. No other special reasons. Idiosyncracies: Simon is very moody and subject to sudden mood swings. However, he has only two moods; friendly (usual state of mind), and what he terms "mischievious" (others call it "destructive"). When the destructive urge takes hold, he sallies forth to do something bad. This can range from rude noises to putting itch powder in someone's underwear drawer, from the sudden scare to lacing the food with laxitive, and from talking to inatimate objects in front of people to burning every scrap of toilet paper in the building. He also doesn't like being completely ignored while in his destructive mood (see Apartment Building B), but he won't repeat that prank for fear of being put on probation again. Another odd quirk to this polterguist is his complete honesty. If Simon plays a practical joke on someone and they confront him, he will deny nothing. So if someone accuses him of something and he says he didn't do it, then he didn't do it. He also does not like people doubting his honesty, because he realizes it is one of his few and far between virtues.

This is my first RPG, but then again, we all have to start somewhere! Name: Adrian Rivers Code Name: Powerhouse Age: 25 Gender: Male Appearance: About six foot five and a stocky build. Yes, he's a big guy. Brown hair in a militaristic crew cut (no, he's not in the military, he just can't be bothered with taking care of long hair), electric blue eyes, and has distinctly German facial features. He wears construction boots (steel toed), sort of loose blue jeans, a red long-sleeve shirt, and a black button-up vest over that. Type: Tough Powers: He has powers similar to Colossus. He is able to transform his flesh into a sort of organic steel, only he is much stronger and more durable than Colosses. Strength: 5 Speed: 2 Intelligence: 2 Durability: 6 Energy: 1 Fighting Skills: 4 Personality: Friendly, witty, and polite, Adrian is the gentle giant. He will do anything for a friend. However, to mistake this for weakness is the second biggest mistake you can make. The biggest mistake is to make him mad; although it takes a lot to make him angry, once unleashed, his wrath is unmatched by any. In summary, he is one of those guys you really want for a friend and really do [I]not [/I] want for an enemy. He also has an eye for detail and is generally meticulous, going over everything slowly and carefully. Bio: Adrian was born and raised in Pennsylvannia. He displayed great potential on the playing field, whatever the sport. Early on, Adrian discovered a love for ancient civilizations and history. He joined archeological digs after he graduated from college at 22. After spending a year in South Africa (his group was kicked out by an unfriendly government), he joined a group traveling to Korea, because it was rumored that a temple was hidden somewhere in the hills within a cave. When the group finally found it, Adrian was sent in first. He came across a large red ruby, with ancient writing engraved upon it. Somehow, the text became English, and Adrian read it. This is, of course the ruby that transformed Professor Xavier's stepbrother Cain into the Juggernaut. The ruby, however, had a different effect upon Adrian. He morphed into his steel self and the cave collapsed around him. He survived, of course, and his companions dug him out. Realizing that they would probably fear and hate him for what he had become, he morphed back before they found him and let them believe that he had survived by a miracle (in a way, he did). He joined his time's version of the X-Men to fight the good fight for mutants. While attending a movie, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attacked him. Just as he prepared to defend himself and the humans around him, Adrian's world turned inside-out. He saw glimses of other realities, swirling together, and finally came face-to-face with the Timebroker. The Timebroker told Adrian that unless he completed his missions successfully, he would end up in a reality in which he did not become the mighty Powerhouse, but was nearly crushed in that cave, and was paralyzed for life. OOC: If I need to fix something, please let me know.

Now this is seriously good stuff. It's funny, smart (unlike some other threads; won't mention any names because I value my time on Earth), and easy to read. I really don't have much else to add. I did spot a spelling error near the end. Last sentence of the second to last paragraph. The elf [I]leans [/I] halfway out the back not [I]leaves[/I], otherwise you change the meaning completely.

[QUOTE]"Yaaaaaaaaaaaa-miiiiiiiiiii!" Yugi screeched, "Think of the iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccceeeeeeeeeeeccccccccccrrrr rrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmm!"[/QUOTE] I sympathize completely if that is [B]CHOCOLATE[/B] ice cream. Yay, the second chapter! I can hardly wait for the next chapter. :excited: I completely understand that the duel will be tough to write.

:laugh:lays on ground like a fish out of water:laugh: Too... funny... too... funny... :laugh:bursts out laughing:laugh: That was just too much! My sides split and I had to get stitches! (I know it's a corny joke, but it's all I've got on me now).

Right now, I am gaping at my computer screen, wondering how the hell someone can write this well. If I learn how to write half as well as you, Deathbug, I'll die a happy man. Please post the next chapter soon! :excited: