Even as the newcomer...Arcaster, she called herself, turned to face them, Pianissimo didn't fully move. Before, his scanners couldn't pick up any data from the navi. When her name was spoken, however, the name Arcaster.EXE filled itself in. As she turned, one hand fell to the katana as his waist. Following that, however, he could tell she wasn't hostile, and the hand fell back to his side.
Arcaster...never heard of her, he thought. Maybe Duke knows...I should ask him when he comes back. Though it's curious...she wasn't all that reluctant to give her name, and yet she doesn't strike me as careless at all. Exactly the opposite of Persephone, even. Except...did she only just now notice me? Through one eye, he returned the other's gesture, slowly swiveling it to look the navi up and down. From behind the red tinted eyepiece, he took in everything. The soft, grayish tones of her appearance, her guarded expression, the somewhat tightened grip on her staff...
...and the complete lack of a navi emblem.
This, above everything else about Arcaster's appearance, confused him. Some navis had been known to conceal their emblem. Sonata's, for example, had imprinted itself onto the back of her pendant. But Pianissimo saw no pendant for such an emblem. Under her cloak or mage wrap? He wasn't stupid enough to try and undress the other just to find out.
Still gazing at her from one eye, the assassin, despite refusing to give it to the ones who had attacked them, uttered his own name in response.
"...Pianissimo..."
Over a full minute of silence on his part followed after this. Pianissimo still didn't move, merely stared out of one eye. Finally, he resigned himself to speak once more. It would still be awhile before Duke returned, and he needed to find out what was going on somehow, something he certainly didn't trust leaving up to Persephone.
"Those things...Bladias, navis, whatever they were...are they after you?"
Topic titles suck.
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Arcaster nodded as Pianissimo gave her his name, but continued to look in Persephone's direction. Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then slipped back into unreadability. "...."
At the mention of the Bladias and the possibility of pursuit, Arcaster turned her head to face Pianissimo once more, her expression guarded once more... "Bladias. I terminate their ilk wherever and whenever I see them...." She spoke with just enough volume to be sure Persephone could hear... "This is the second time you pair have alluded to a faceless pursuer." She made a small gesture to indicate the pools of toxic sludge bubbling nearby... "Strange, coming from you, who were targeted by no fewer than six Dark Virii." Her hand fell back to her side as she bluntly stated her request... "Explain, please..." Her voice had remained level and calm throughout.
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Summary
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---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP
Pianissimo: 110 HP
---Unknown---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Not hostile.)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
At the mention of the Bladias and the possibility of pursuit, Arcaster turned her head to face Pianissimo once more, her expression guarded once more... "Bladias. I terminate their ilk wherever and whenever I see them...." She spoke with just enough volume to be sure Persephone could hear... "This is the second time you pair have alluded to a faceless pursuer." She made a small gesture to indicate the pools of toxic sludge bubbling nearby... "Strange, coming from you, who were targeted by no fewer than six Dark Virii." Her hand fell back to her side as she bluntly stated her request... "Explain, please..." Her voice had remained level and calm throughout.
-----------
Summary
-----------
---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP
Pianissimo: 110 HP
---Unknown---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Not hostile.)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
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So that is what they are... Pianissimo thought, still unmoving. That doesn't explain why they still exist, so long after they were thought to have been eradicated...
He took a deep breath, before turning his head a little more towards Arcaster. "Four navis. Three with an armor similar to mine, one robed. I'm not sure anymore which of them were or weren't mere illusions. Before those things showed up, they stopped us because my rather careless companion here underwent some kind of graphics change.
"They were looking for a navi that could shift forms somehow." He turned fully to face Arcaster. "Those things attacked us when we refused to cooperate." His own voice wavered as he spoke, sometimes being fully audible, despite the faint quality, sometimes being soft enough that anyone, no matter how close, would have to strain to fully make out the words. The effect was not one of tentativeness, but of needing to forcibly project his own voice.
He took a deep breath, before turning his head a little more towards Arcaster. "Four navis. Three with an armor similar to mine, one robed. I'm not sure anymore which of them were or weren't mere illusions. Before those things showed up, they stopped us because my rather careless companion here underwent some kind of graphics change.
"They were looking for a navi that could shift forms somehow." He turned fully to face Arcaster. "Those things attacked us when we refused to cooperate." His own voice wavered as he spoke, sometimes being fully audible, despite the faint quality, sometimes being soft enough that anyone, no matter how close, would have to strain to fully make out the words. The effect was not one of tentativeness, but of needing to forcibly project his own voice.
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Persephone looked away from the two, trying to see if something was in the distance. Her ears were focused on listening in on the conversation Arcaster and Pianissimo had while her eyes were focused on the surroundings. Not entirely sure what was going on, she started talking to herself and the Immortals while her mouth remained unmoved. "What do you guys think...?" Persephone thought, transmitting her thoughts over to the Immortals.
It didn't take long for there to be a reply from Drackyre, "On one hand, we know she's fighting those things. On the other hand, we don't know anything else about her. She could be the person from before." Drackyre appeared slowly in the darkness of Persephone's mind, sitting on the floor with his tail slowly moving around. "But if she's the one they were looking for..." he continued, "Then shouldn't there be some kind of proof of it?"
"They were looking for a shapechanger, that's all we know," Persephone replied to Drackyre and turned her head around slightly to look at the two. While she was too busy to notice some of Pianissimo's words, she did catch a few of them and decided to step in. "Actually..." Persephone started as she floated over towards the two, not caring for the ground below her, "We were the ones who attacked first. I don't like shady Navis and you're no exception. So who are you exactly...? And what are you to us...? Compared to those 'faceless pursuers', as you so thoughtfully put it, you're actually talkative. By the way, I like what you did with your graphic model. Especially the clothing. Does it change in some way or another?" While Persephone knew she was probably asking too many questions, she just kept her head cool and looked directly at Arcaster while looking somewhat interested in her although the wary part of her face remained unchanged as her eyes somewhat moved to the corners of her sides to look around her.
It didn't take long for there to be a reply from Drackyre, "On one hand, we know she's fighting those things. On the other hand, we don't know anything else about her. She could be the person from before." Drackyre appeared slowly in the darkness of Persephone's mind, sitting on the floor with his tail slowly moving around. "But if she's the one they were looking for..." he continued, "Then shouldn't there be some kind of proof of it?"
"They were looking for a shapechanger, that's all we know," Persephone replied to Drackyre and turned her head around slightly to look at the two. While she was too busy to notice some of Pianissimo's words, she did catch a few of them and decided to step in. "Actually..." Persephone started as she floated over towards the two, not caring for the ground below her, "We were the ones who attacked first. I don't like shady Navis and you're no exception. So who are you exactly...? And what are you to us...? Compared to those 'faceless pursuers', as you so thoughtfully put it, you're actually talkative. By the way, I like what you did with your graphic model. Especially the clothing. Does it change in some way or another?" While Persephone knew she was probably asking too many questions, she just kept her head cool and looked directly at Arcaster while looking somewhat interested in her although the wary part of her face remained unchanged as her eyes somewhat moved to the corners of her sides to look around her.
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Arcaster settled in to listen to Pianissimo's explanation attentively. Her expression remained blank at first, but grew pensive near the end. She nodded in acknowledgment as he finished, but did so absently, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere at the moment. She regained her focus, and was about to ask a question when Persephone chimed in with her own version of what Pianissimo had just recounted.
Taking it in stride, Arcaster focused her attention on Persephone, and settled in to listen once more... Only to blink as the conversation took a sudden turn, and became an interrogation. Persephone's comment about shady Navis didn't faze Arcaster, and ended up getting no reaction at all. Her first question was answered with "Arcaster." Her second got "A stranger," as a response. Both answers were given matter-of-fact-ly, and no elaboration was offered.
As Persephone continued, her next statement got no reaction... But her sudden change in subject, namely Arcaster's appearence, and how it might be made to change, brought a momentary look of realization to the other Navi's face, as if something had 'clicked'. The shocked look vanished as Arcaster became tensely alert...
....too late.
As they watched, large purple rings appeared upon the ground beneath Arcaster's feet. This prompted the mage Navi to bolt suddenly... She obviously desired to be anywhere but over the zone of purple rings. She never made more than a panel's progress before the purple rings started glowing bright red, causing Arcaster to come crashing straight down onto the ground, as if someone had turned up the gravity many times over. Her landing was fairly hard, and neither she nor her dropped staff bounced back up again, even slightly.
From somewhere beyond where Arcaster lay plastered to the ground Pianissimo and Persephone could hear the sound of slow, measured clapping... accompanied by a famialiar voice. *clap... clap... clap...* "Bravo. Bravo, indeed. " Immediately after the speaker finished a group of 4(?!) Navis simply blinked into visibility a healthy distance beyond where Arcaster had collapsed.
They were an odd assortment.
The speaker was a male Navi of average height, dressed in a black business suit; complete with white shirt, black belt with silver buckle, dress shoes, and even a red neck-tie. The absurd Navi even had a silver pocket watch and cuff links.... The Navi wore no helmet, his short-cut slicked down black hair clearly visible, and yet he still had ear covers somehow. A briefcase... of all things, a brown leather briefcase.... sat on the ground to his left. Upon the briefcase was his Navi Emblem, which depicted the scales of justice, only tilted heavily to the left with the right arm lying broken beside.
At his right shoulder stood an unremarkable, almost generic looking Navi clad in white powered armor. Unlike the rest of his companions, this Navi was openly armed. A large rifle-like weapon was strapped to his back, the grip within easy reach of his right hand should he need it. He had no Navi emblem.... the socket where it should have been was clearly visible on the torso of his armor, but the emblem was not there. The Navi's face bore a stolid, almost disinterested expression, and seemed to be staring off into cyber-space at something only he could see... His eyes seemed faded.
On the far right stood a short female Navi, also dressed in business attire. She carried a large, leather-bound book under one arm, complete with clasp. Like the leader, she wore no helmet, leaving her long brown hair visible, yet she also had traditional Navi ear-covers. A transparent visor ran from one ear cover to the other, right across her face at eye level. Her Navi emblem, located on her ear covers, was of a quill pen writing in a old, open book. She was staring intently at Arcaster, and ignored both Persephone and Pianissimo.
On the far left stood a tall, thin male Navi, garbed in a Navi's bodysuit of a near-black shade of purple and a set of futuristic plate armor, including gloves, boots, and helmet with traditional Navi ear covers, all a similarly dark shade of blue. Over this he wore a strange over garment that seemed to be a cross between a trench coat and a preist's robe, of the same color as his bodysuit. His Navi emblem, located on the chest plate of his armor, depicted the featureless black shadow-side of a planet set in space with a crescent of white rising over the top of the black ball. He wore a mischievous smirk as he said "Gotcha," in a light, amused tone.
The suit clad Navi continued, his voice pegging him as the 'leader' from before... "You two have far exceeded my expectations in fulfilling the terms of our... arrangement." He smiled. "After we have confirmed that this is indeed who we seek, I will answer any questions you direct to me to the best of my ability."
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Summary
-----------
---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
Pianissimo: 110 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
---Unaligned---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Gravity Lock)
---Unknown--- (on far side of G-Force Zone)
Lawyer Navi(?): ???? HP (Leader)
Bodyguard Navi(?): ???? HP (Spaced-Out?)
Secretary Navi(?): ???? HP
Strange Navi(?): ???? HP (w/ Smirk)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
Special: G-Force Zone [Down] (10% of Field) centered on Arcaster
Taking it in stride, Arcaster focused her attention on Persephone, and settled in to listen once more... Only to blink as the conversation took a sudden turn, and became an interrogation. Persephone's comment about shady Navis didn't faze Arcaster, and ended up getting no reaction at all. Her first question was answered with "Arcaster." Her second got "A stranger," as a response. Both answers were given matter-of-fact-ly, and no elaboration was offered.
As Persephone continued, her next statement got no reaction... But her sudden change in subject, namely Arcaster's appearence, and how it might be made to change, brought a momentary look of realization to the other Navi's face, as if something had 'clicked'. The shocked look vanished as Arcaster became tensely alert...
....too late.
As they watched, large purple rings appeared upon the ground beneath Arcaster's feet. This prompted the mage Navi to bolt suddenly... She obviously desired to be anywhere but over the zone of purple rings. She never made more than a panel's progress before the purple rings started glowing bright red, causing Arcaster to come crashing straight down onto the ground, as if someone had turned up the gravity many times over. Her landing was fairly hard, and neither she nor her dropped staff bounced back up again, even slightly.
From somewhere beyond where Arcaster lay plastered to the ground Pianissimo and Persephone could hear the sound of slow, measured clapping... accompanied by a famialiar voice. *clap... clap... clap...* "Bravo. Bravo, indeed. " Immediately after the speaker finished a group of 4(?!) Navis simply blinked into visibility a healthy distance beyond where Arcaster had collapsed.
They were an odd assortment.
The speaker was a male Navi of average height, dressed in a black business suit; complete with white shirt, black belt with silver buckle, dress shoes, and even a red neck-tie. The absurd Navi even had a silver pocket watch and cuff links.... The Navi wore no helmet, his short-cut slicked down black hair clearly visible, and yet he still had ear covers somehow. A briefcase... of all things, a brown leather briefcase.... sat on the ground to his left. Upon the briefcase was his Navi Emblem, which depicted the scales of justice, only tilted heavily to the left with the right arm lying broken beside.
At his right shoulder stood an unremarkable, almost generic looking Navi clad in white powered armor. Unlike the rest of his companions, this Navi was openly armed. A large rifle-like weapon was strapped to his back, the grip within easy reach of his right hand should he need it. He had no Navi emblem.... the socket where it should have been was clearly visible on the torso of his armor, but the emblem was not there. The Navi's face bore a stolid, almost disinterested expression, and seemed to be staring off into cyber-space at something only he could see... His eyes seemed faded.
On the far right stood a short female Navi, also dressed in business attire. She carried a large, leather-bound book under one arm, complete with clasp. Like the leader, she wore no helmet, leaving her long brown hair visible, yet she also had traditional Navi ear-covers. A transparent visor ran from one ear cover to the other, right across her face at eye level. Her Navi emblem, located on her ear covers, was of a quill pen writing in a old, open book. She was staring intently at Arcaster, and ignored both Persephone and Pianissimo.
On the far left stood a tall, thin male Navi, garbed in a Navi's bodysuit of a near-black shade of purple and a set of futuristic plate armor, including gloves, boots, and helmet with traditional Navi ear covers, all a similarly dark shade of blue. Over this he wore a strange over garment that seemed to be a cross between a trench coat and a preist's robe, of the same color as his bodysuit. His Navi emblem, located on the chest plate of his armor, depicted the featureless black shadow-side of a planet set in space with a crescent of white rising over the top of the black ball. He wore a mischievous smirk as he said "Gotcha," in a light, amused tone.
The suit clad Navi continued, his voice pegging him as the 'leader' from before... "You two have far exceeded my expectations in fulfilling the terms of our... arrangement." He smiled. "After we have confirmed that this is indeed who we seek, I will answer any questions you direct to me to the best of my ability."
-----------
Summary
-----------
---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
Pianissimo: 110 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
---Unaligned---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Gravity Lock)
---Unknown--- (on far side of G-Force Zone)
Lawyer Navi(?): ???? HP (Leader)
Bodyguard Navi(?): ???? HP (Spaced-Out?)
Secretary Navi(?): ???? HP
Strange Navi(?): ???? HP (w/ Smirk)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
Special: G-Force Zone [Down] (10% of Field) centered on Arcaster
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"Tsk," slipped over Persephone's lips as she glanced at the newcomers. Digging into her memories she could recall 4 Navis talking to her and Pianissimo before, talking about the mysterious target. Looking over them carefully and listening closely, she nodded slightly to herself and turned her head towards the one with a grin. "So you show your face, 'bitch'." She then looked back at the Navi with the suitcase and crossed her arms as she started to speak to him, "You're the boss of this group? And I take it Arcaster here is the one you've been looking for? Why were you looking for her?" Persephone scratched her forehead slightly and looked down at Arcaster after saying this. First her eyes went over the helpless Navi, but then moved to take the circle in her sight. "So what is this?" Persephone asked as she bopped her head at the circle around Arcaster, "Could you give any details about it? It looks interesting and it might be useful for us. Is there any chance of you showing us the coding of it?" Floating backwards slightly, away from the circle, she turned her head towards Pianissimo. "Now's your time to ask questions and get answers," she whispered to him. After this, she turned her head back to the supposed leader seeing as it'd be rude to not be looking at him if he'd reply.
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The dark-clad Navi chuckled at Persephone's reference to his earlier speech and added "Dead to rights.", obviously still amused by everything going on around him.
The lawyer-esque Navi waited both patiently and politely for Persephone's string of questions to end before responding in a business-man-like tone"Certainly full of questions, I see... Alright." He paused to clear his throat before continuing. "Indeed, I am the leader of this group. And, yes, she is indeed the individual our search was aimed at." He paused for a moment, as if considering how to phrase his next response... then: "As for why... Well, put simply, we need her abilities. Nothing more."
When Persephone looked towards Arcaster, she noticed the pinned Navi quietly drawing a sigil upon the ground with one finger, out of sight of those who sought to capture her.
Persephone's next string of questions were not answered by the leader of the group, but instead by the dark-clad Navi... "That... is a heavy gravity zone. Feared by femmes on a diet everywhere." A short pause while Persephone asked her next question... "It makes things much heavier. Just ask her." He indicated Arcaster with another of his perpetually amused smiles. "I'm glad you think so much of my handiwork." Her next question made him laugh for a moment before responding with "Oh, I'd say only about as much chance as you showing me your code, little lady." in a tone of voice that made it sound more like a mutually understood 'not a chance in hell'.
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Summary
-----------
---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
Pianissimo: 110 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
---Unaligned---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Gravity Lock)
---Unknown--- (on far side of G-Force Zone)
Lawyer Navi(?): ???? HP (Leader)
Bodyguard Navi(?): ???? HP (Spaced-Out?)
Secretary Navi(?): ???? HP
Strange Navi(?): ???? HP (w/ Smirk)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
Special: G-Force Zone [Down] (10% of Field) centered on Arcaster
The lawyer-esque Navi waited both patiently and politely for Persephone's string of questions to end before responding in a business-man-like tone"Certainly full of questions, I see... Alright." He paused to clear his throat before continuing. "Indeed, I am the leader of this group. And, yes, she is indeed the individual our search was aimed at." He paused for a moment, as if considering how to phrase his next response... then: "As for why... Well, put simply, we need her abilities. Nothing more."
When Persephone looked towards Arcaster, she noticed the pinned Navi quietly drawing a sigil upon the ground with one finger, out of sight of those who sought to capture her.
Persephone's next string of questions were not answered by the leader of the group, but instead by the dark-clad Navi... "That... is a heavy gravity zone. Feared by femmes on a diet everywhere." A short pause while Persephone asked her next question... "It makes things much heavier. Just ask her." He indicated Arcaster with another of his perpetually amused smiles. "I'm glad you think so much of my handiwork." Her next question made him laugh for a moment before responding with "Oh, I'd say only about as much chance as you showing me your code, little lady." in a tone of voice that made it sound more like a mutually understood 'not a chance in hell'.
-----------
Summary
-----------
---Allies---
Persephone: 100 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
Pianissimo: 110 HP (at edge of G-Force Zone)
---Unaligned---
Arcaster: ???? HP (Gravity Lock)
---Unknown--- (on far side of G-Force Zone)
Lawyer Navi(?): ???? HP (Leader)
Bodyguard Navi(?): ???? HP (Spaced-Out?)
Secretary Navi(?): ???? HP
Strange Navi(?): ???? HP (w/ Smirk)
Terrain: 40% Normal, 30% Glass, 10% Cracked, 20% Poison
Special: G-Force Zone [Down] (10% of Field) centered on Arcaster
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"Her abilities?" Persephone asked herself first as she glanced sideways. She also glared at Pianissimo as she did this. Switching back to the leader of the gang before her, she continued to talk, "What kind of abilities? We have seen nothing that could possibly make her a good catch." She kept a straight face as she said this, while sometimes glaring at Arcaster. The gears within her mind slowly started to turn as a grin appeared on her face and she glanced at the leader. "What's in it for us? And are you with the NetPolice?" she said as she rubbed her hands slowly.
"Don't mess this up," sounded Raikeito's voice inside Persephone's mind as he looked through Persephone's eyes at the outside world, "They're on their guard." He looked back as he heard footsteps approaching and reacted to the newcomer, "Hey Inazuma. What do you think?"
"They shouldn't mess with Persephone!" he shouted as he held his iron fist up. But then he noticed Arcaster through Persephone's eyes and blinked. Slightly he nudged Raikeito and pointed at her, "Hey, who's that? I didn't know we had a friend as her?"
"Some Navi calling herself Arcaster," Raikeito said as he shrugged uninterested. He glanced at the Navi mentioned and continued to speak, "But it's going to get interesting from here. Better pay attention, small fry, and you might learn something."
Inazuma just puffed up his cheeks at this comment and sat down with his arms crossed. "Fine..." he snarled at his electric companion.
"So I'll repeat..." Persephone said quietly with a grin on her face, "What's the catch for us? And are you with the NetPolice or someone else?" After saying this, she glared at Pianissimo and waited for him to say something as well.
"Don't mess this up," sounded Raikeito's voice inside Persephone's mind as he looked through Persephone's eyes at the outside world, "They're on their guard." He looked back as he heard footsteps approaching and reacted to the newcomer, "Hey Inazuma. What do you think?"
"They shouldn't mess with Persephone!" he shouted as he held his iron fist up. But then he noticed Arcaster through Persephone's eyes and blinked. Slightly he nudged Raikeito and pointed at her, "Hey, who's that? I didn't know we had a friend as her?"
"Some Navi calling herself Arcaster," Raikeito said as he shrugged uninterested. He glanced at the Navi mentioned and continued to speak, "But it's going to get interesting from here. Better pay attention, small fry, and you might learn something."
Inazuma just puffed up his cheeks at this comment and sat down with his arms crossed. "Fine..." he snarled at his electric companion.
"So I'll repeat..." Persephone said quietly with a grin on her face, "What's the catch for us? And are you with the NetPolice or someone else?" After saying this, she glared at Pianissimo and waited for him to say something as well.
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Pianissimo glanced sideways at nothing when he heard a private channel open. "What the hell happened while I was gone?"
The assassin made no gesture to indicate recognition or annoyance, concealing his thoughts. What the hell did it look like just happened? Arcaster was lying on the ground and four navis with familiar voices were standing in front of them saying how they needed her power. It seemed pretty obvious what had happened.
Nonetheless, after finally conveying all this to Duke, both of them remained silent while listening to Persephone. Oh I don't know, Pianissimo thought. Maybe the fact that she completely erased a Bladia from existence effortlessly? Or something along those lines. While it would be an interesting ability to have, it seemed rather stupid, the way they seemed to want to try and obtain it. First, they seemed to think they could trust two people they attacked earlier to not...what was the term? Ah yes, throw a wrench in their plans.
The more he listened to her, the stupider Persephone seemed to him. What, you expect me to say something? You're keeping them distracted just fine.
The armor adorning Pianissimo's body began to fade completely to a dull black, losing all traces of dark red trim. He knelt to the ground at the edge of the gravity field, whispering a plan of a sneak attack to Duke. In the real world, Duke nodded in agreement, preparing to send a few chips as backup. Pianissimo didn't notice this gesture but anticipated it nonetheless. Glancing up at Arcaster, he wondered for a second if he should say something to her. Not thinking of anything, he merely let himself sink into his own shadow, which retracted around him until nothing was left.
The assassin made no gesture to indicate recognition or annoyance, concealing his thoughts. What the hell did it look like just happened? Arcaster was lying on the ground and four navis with familiar voices were standing in front of them saying how they needed her power. It seemed pretty obvious what had happened.
Nonetheless, after finally conveying all this to Duke, both of them remained silent while listening to Persephone. Oh I don't know, Pianissimo thought. Maybe the fact that she completely erased a Bladia from existence effortlessly? Or something along those lines. While it would be an interesting ability to have, it seemed rather stupid, the way they seemed to want to try and obtain it. First, they seemed to think they could trust two people they attacked earlier to not...what was the term? Ah yes, throw a wrench in their plans.
The more he listened to her, the stupider Persephone seemed to him. What, you expect me to say something? You're keeping them distracted just fine.
The armor adorning Pianissimo's body began to fade completely to a dull black, losing all traces of dark red trim. He knelt to the ground at the edge of the gravity field, whispering a plan of a sneak attack to Duke. In the real world, Duke nodded in agreement, preparing to send a few chips as backup. Pianissimo didn't notice this gesture but anticipated it nonetheless. Glancing up at Arcaster, he wondered for a second if he should say something to her. Not thinking of anything, he merely let himself sink into his own shadow, which retracted around him until nothing was left.
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"Yes, her abilities. And only that. I require nothing more of this Navi." the lawyer Navi replied cryptically, as if that was all anyone needed to understand.
The dark-garbed Navi responded next, with a low buzzing, casually irreverent "Naaaaahhhh." Then in his usual tone "We do things our way.... Sans their usual incompetence."
Picking up on their conversation where they left off, the lawyer spoke again, in a tone of admiration "Shrewd, aren't you..." Then, in a lighter, more airy tone of voice... "The catch? There isn't one." He inhaled then sighed as he continued addressing Persephone "To be frank, neither of you currently pose a threat to our goals, and eliminating you would be a waste. Thus, you could turn around and walk away right this second, with my personal promissory guarantee that no-one in my organization will harass you or your Net Operators." He paused for a moment, the continued in a more thoughtful sounding tone "Still, you performed admirably against my viruses, and show some future potential. So, I'll offer you both a position within my organization, if you like. But, If you'll pardon me a moment of rude necessity, we will now postpone our discussion until after my men have secured our target. If you're interested, we can discuss the matter after we are done here. Else, you may leave any time you wish." His tone indicated that he considered the discussion closed.
It was at this time that Pianissimo subtly triggered the beginning phases of his Cloak and Dagger signature attack. He had begun to fade into his shadow when the quiet cloth scraping and clicking sounds of a firearm being drawn made it to his ears. This was followed, unnaturally quickly, by the klack-chack of a shotgun round being chambered as Pianissimo began to look at the source of the sound. The assassin fixed his gaze upon the Navi standing at the shoulder of the lawyer, the same one who had been oblivious to the world up until now, with his heavy rifle drawn, prepped, loaded, and... the shotgun-blast shattered the near-silence with with startling suddenness, causing everyone else, the lawyer and his crew included, to flinch involuntarily. Taking advantage of the slight pause, the armored Navi chambered a heavier round into the barrel, his aim already shifted to Pianissimo. The first shot passed by, the second wouldn't...
The moment everyone was focused on Pianissimo and the bodyguard, Arcaster made her move... When Persephone and Piansissimo became aware of her once more, they, along with the lawyer's crew, discovered she was no longer pinned by the now non-existent Gravity Zone. Without hesitation, the dark purple clad Navi extended his arm towards Arcaster in an attempt to reestablish his gravity well below her once again.
Then, something odd happened... namely, nothing. For several seconds, the purple Navi simply stood there before announcing in a strained voice "Ghhh. I'd call this... a really neat trick..." electricity began to flow visibly across the stunned Navi's form "if it didn't hurt... so damn much... Executor, we have a problem..." The Navi, obviously abandoning his hopeless efforts, lowered his arm, and sank to the ground, unable to stand any longer.
Arcaster, meanwhile, began to chant... (None of it made any sense to either Pianissimo or Persephone.) ...and as she did so, a glowing spell circle appeared upon the ground. The area it covered was staggering, easily encompassing the breadth of the battlefield.
The secretary, proving she was capable of more than simply being seen, opened her book, raised her left arm, and began reading an attack command from it. A bolt of energy leaped from her hand...
As Arcaster's chanting continued, everything seemed to slow down. The Navis all began to feel heavier. Movement became increasingly difficult, sluggish, and taxing. Eventually, everything stopped in place (even the energy bolt halted in mid air) save Arcaster, who began to glow in the manner of a Navi preparing to jack-out. Her chanting ceased, and she began to speak in a clear voice "Gate open. Planar Shift: Execute!" Her form lost resolution, becoming a beam-like data stream that stretched from where she once stood to the heavens. Exactly 2 seconds later, a wash of light rose from the ground covered by the spell circle.
Pianissimo and Persephone were left with the vague sensation of being swept up and away by that light as their senses dimmed. They both got the impression of rising quickly... Then of passing trough a wall or barrier of some sort... Then of rapid acceleration through the vastness of cyberspace... or were they above it? They soon reached a waypoint in their journey, and were both given the image of looking trough a camera's lens down at the Earth. The image was fleeting, however, as they once again got the impression of rapid acceleration, only this time, downwards. They both felt themselves nearing... something, perhaps their destination? And then....
Emergency Rerouting
The dark-garbed Navi responded next, with a low buzzing, casually irreverent "Naaaaahhhh." Then in his usual tone "We do things our way.... Sans their usual incompetence."
Picking up on their conversation where they left off, the lawyer spoke again, in a tone of admiration "Shrewd, aren't you..." Then, in a lighter, more airy tone of voice... "The catch? There isn't one." He inhaled then sighed as he continued addressing Persephone "To be frank, neither of you currently pose a threat to our goals, and eliminating you would be a waste. Thus, you could turn around and walk away right this second, with my personal promissory guarantee that no-one in my organization will harass you or your Net Operators." He paused for a moment, the continued in a more thoughtful sounding tone "Still, you performed admirably against my viruses, and show some future potential. So, I'll offer you both a position within my organization, if you like. But, If you'll pardon me a moment of rude necessity, we will now postpone our discussion until after my men have secured our target. If you're interested, we can discuss the matter after we are done here. Else, you may leave any time you wish." His tone indicated that he considered the discussion closed.
It was at this time that Pianissimo subtly triggered the beginning phases of his Cloak and Dagger signature attack. He had begun to fade into his shadow when the quiet cloth scraping and clicking sounds of a firearm being drawn made it to his ears. This was followed, unnaturally quickly, by the klack-chack of a shotgun round being chambered as Pianissimo began to look at the source of the sound. The assassin fixed his gaze upon the Navi standing at the shoulder of the lawyer, the same one who had been oblivious to the world up until now, with his heavy rifle drawn, prepped, loaded, and... the shotgun-blast shattered the near-silence with with startling suddenness, causing everyone else, the lawyer and his crew included, to flinch involuntarily. Taking advantage of the slight pause, the armored Navi chambered a heavier round into the barrel, his aim already shifted to Pianissimo. The first shot passed by, the second wouldn't...
The moment everyone was focused on Pianissimo and the bodyguard, Arcaster made her move... When Persephone and Piansissimo became aware of her once more, they, along with the lawyer's crew, discovered she was no longer pinned by the now non-existent Gravity Zone. Without hesitation, the dark purple clad Navi extended his arm towards Arcaster in an attempt to reestablish his gravity well below her once again.
Then, something odd happened... namely, nothing. For several seconds, the purple Navi simply stood there before announcing in a strained voice "Ghhh. I'd call this... a really neat trick..." electricity began to flow visibly across the stunned Navi's form "if it didn't hurt... so damn much... Executor, we have a problem..." The Navi, obviously abandoning his hopeless efforts, lowered his arm, and sank to the ground, unable to stand any longer.
Arcaster, meanwhile, began to chant... (None of it made any sense to either Pianissimo or Persephone.) ...and as she did so, a glowing spell circle appeared upon the ground. The area it covered was staggering, easily encompassing the breadth of the battlefield.
The secretary, proving she was capable of more than simply being seen, opened her book, raised her left arm, and began reading an attack command from it. A bolt of energy leaped from her hand...
As Arcaster's chanting continued, everything seemed to slow down. The Navis all began to feel heavier. Movement became increasingly difficult, sluggish, and taxing. Eventually, everything stopped in place (even the energy bolt halted in mid air) save Arcaster, who began to glow in the manner of a Navi preparing to jack-out. Her chanting ceased, and she began to speak in a clear voice "Gate open. Planar Shift: Execute!" Her form lost resolution, becoming a beam-like data stream that stretched from where she once stood to the heavens. Exactly 2 seconds later, a wash of light rose from the ground covered by the spell circle.
Pianissimo and Persephone were left with the vague sensation of being swept up and away by that light as their senses dimmed. They both got the impression of rising quickly... Then of passing trough a wall or barrier of some sort... Then of rapid acceleration through the vastness of cyberspace... or were they above it? They soon reached a waypoint in their journey, and were both given the image of looking trough a camera's lens down at the Earth. The image was fleeting, however, as they once again got the impression of rapid acceleration, only this time, downwards. They both felt themselves nearing... something, perhaps their destination? And then....
Emergency Rerouting