[ACRO] Outside VIII: We cater birthday parties

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

One of her legs instantly snaps out to her left, while her right hand gestures around the castle. Her balance is perfect- unnaturally so, even.
"This is Castle Silhouette. I am Genesis; Villain, First Class."

With a neat hop, she bounds to her feet and turns to meet them, that unflinching red grin bearing down on them relentlessly.
"I can't have you just waltzing in and stopping me before I'm started, can I?"

[Jacklu]

Castle Silhouette

Probably not. Naska is uninterested yet again. He wonders if there is any food left in his bag still. One at a time please. Thank you. Yeah, I think so too. Sure. Okay, I'll ask. Are you going to kill me now, or talk for a bit more about your plans or something?

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

"Heeeeeey. You could be more polite you know; you just barged in here without warning before I'm even finished setting up, and I'm already being nice enough to make time for you."
Genesis crosses her arms. Her painted grin keeps flashing its shiny white teeth at them, unchanging.

She turns neatly, walking away from the group and towards the other side of the room. Her long, inky hair glides through the air after her, like lithe eels in the water.
"Really, you heroes could be a lot more appreciative."

[The Bushranger]

((Art brought Brie back? Yay! ^_^))

(Ashna's Workd}

Right. But with Ashna to back me up against the foot soldiers, and you on airships, and all this security, what can they do?

Details, you say? Well, the other five, one of their parents is a god. And would be rather upset if they were killed. As for Ashna, you could read these.
Luna picks up an off-white book and a pamphlet and holds them out. There's a bookmark on "Part 4: Eukary", and a picture of a bird on the pamphlet.

Brendan raises an eyebrow. "So you're all...not just mind-linked, but really one person?" He takes the pamphlet, considers it, then goes to read...

[Recaiden]

[Ashna's World. It should probably have a name, huh?]

What, like an ant?
Not at all.
We just do that for fun.

The pamphlet describes a phoenix, but from the standpoint of it being some rare thing, not some myth. Key points being sightings in Etra and a hinted connection with the Etran church. And how dangerous it's believed to be.

[Artemis97]

((I didn't know she was missed, actually, but yes, she's back.))

Castle Silhouette

Brie frowns at the woman. "You introduce yourself as a villain and you honestly expect us to allow you to get whatever scheme you have rolling?"

"Also, your front door was open." Ciar adds.

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

"Well no, of course you're going to stop me. But you could at least pretend to be interested in it!"
She tosses her hair and grins at Brie and Ciar.
"You're not going to be all boring like him, are you?"
She points to Naska.

[Lex-Kat]

"Oh... umm... we can. I suppose."
Wormholdt sounds far from sure.
Mostly cause GLoG = Jail to the cat and going there is probable suicide.
But he says nothing about that, instead simply whirling in the direction of the building and heading that way.

Don't worry, you're with me. I'm sure no one will hurt you while I'm with you. Melody flies side-by-side with him toward GLoG.

[Artemis97]

Castle Silhouette

Brie and Ciar look at each other and shrug.

"No, I suppose not." The red-head decides.

"I don't think we're boring." The monk mumbles.

"So... Genesis, was it? What exactly are you doing here?" Brie asks, fishing for clues as to who, or what, this woman was.

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

"Oh. Well, I was setting up my headquarters. I had just arrived like, ten minutes ago, and then you guys showed up. So quick! I was expecting to have to actually pull off a heist or something before anyone would notice..."
Long fingers trace across the painted lips and teeth of her mask.

"So you've caught me a little unprepared. But that's okay! I can figure out something!"
She prances up some stairs which form along the wall of the grand room, circling up aimlessly towards the ceiling.

[Artemis97]

Castle Silhouette

"Well, that's awful considerate of you." Ciar remarks, completely serious, as he watches Genesis climb the spiraling steps. Brie shoots him a look. The monk shrugs helplessly.

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

Genesis grins down at them, walking along a platform that extends out to the center of the room. She stops at its edge and raises her arms dramatically, holding the position for a moment before speaking.
"Very well, heroes. Come to defeat me preemptively, have you? What a strange lack of honor you have..."

Her voice is sneering and contemptuous, quite a contrast from what she sounded like just a short time ago. Casually, her arms slide back down to her side, and she slowly strolls along the edge of the platform, displaying herself proudly.
"You think to catch me unprepared, but behold-"

She stretches out one arm over the chamber, and the floor seems to boil and writhe, strange shapes clawing their way out of it. Demonic, red eyed shadows take bizarre, inhuman forms with claws and fangs and scythe like limbs, and advance hungrily on the three.

"I am Genesis- from me spring the forms of all your fears. One cannot surprise their fears any more than they can surprise themselves."

The demonic shadows close in...

[The Bushranger]

[Ashna's World. It should probably have a name, huh?]

What, like an ant?
Not at all.
We just do that for fun.

The pamphlet describes a phoenix, but from the standpoint of it being some rare thing, not some myth. Key points being sightings in Etra and a hinted connection with the Etran church. And how dangerous it's believed to be.

[Ashna's World - Yes, it should. Hopefully it isn't Epsilion Eridani. ]

"Well, you're creepily good at it." Brendan reads the pamphlet, then folds it, and looks at Ashna, smiling. "So, you're like the phoenix, then? Just as long as you don't go immolating yourself anytime soon..."

[Reinholdt]

Don't worry, you're with me. I'm sure no one will hurt you while I'm with you. Melody flies side-by-side with him toward GLoG.

"Hmmm..."
Reinholdt just somehow has the sneaking suspicion that Happy may very well try to kill him if she learns he's with Melody, no matter how innocent the situation.

Barring something unexpected, they make it to GLoG.

[Neon Knight]

[Bernstein Estate and Woods]

Gregory arrives here, hopefully with Meidani.

[horngeek]

Yep. With Meidani.

So, this is where you're a guard?

[Neon Knight]

[Bernstein Estate]

Gregory nods, a bit too vigorously. He almost loses his balance. "Yes. I patrol the grounds mostly."

In the distance, Meidani can see a lavish manor, styled in something reminiscent of Victorian architecture. Adjacent to the main structure, separate by only relatively short distance, is a rather large, foreboding wood, grown thick with age.

[horngeek]

She studies the wood.

You're sure that he's probably in there?

[Jacklu]

Castle Silhouette

Naska looks at the shadow demons as they start to close in around him. A smile crosses his face. Something has caught his attention. He reaches back and grabs one of the guitars, pulling it off of his back. He whips it around front. The guitar is a beautiful Les Paul Base guitar. Naska grabs the starter cord and gives it a fast yank. The guitar starts with a roar.

Naska strums the strings once, revving the engine and charging the guitar. He grips the neck with both hands like a baseball bat. Without waiting another moment, he springs across the open ground between him and the closest shadow, swinging the guitar at it with all the grace of a caveman swinging its stone club. He twists, putting his entire body into the swing. Physics be damned, the impact with be devastating to whatever he hits.

[Neon Knight]

[Bernstein Estate]

Gregory nods. "I can't imagine him getting too far with a wound like that. 'M surprised he got away at all. No, he's in there. Now..." Gregory points at a spot on the manor, or at least tries to several times before getting his aim right. "When I go and get on guard duty, I'll light a fire there and put it out real quick. If a fire comes on and stays on, don't go, somethin' will be wrong. All right?"

[horngeek]

All right.

I'll wait here until then.

[Neon Knight]

[Bernstein Estate]

Gregory nods again, and then staggers off towards the manor.

[Artemis97]

Castle Silhouette

Brie jumps back from the shapes boiling up from the floor. Although she expected something like this, she also dreaded it. Dark spirits. Demons of shadow. Such were the makings of her nightmares. The rogue draws a shortsword that glows with a slight golden light and a long, thin rapier, coated in corrosive acid. She swings at the shapes, but her attacks are wild, frightened.

Ciar steps over to cover her, throwing fast punches at the forming shapes. His strikes channel a dark energy that may or may not do anything to steal the strength from the apparitions.

[horngeek]

Meidani waits for a while.

[Neon Knight]

She won't have to wait long before the briefest flash of light can be seen in the spot indicated before it is snuffed out.

[horngeek]

Meidani starts to make her way to that location.

She is being quite cautious.

[AmberVael]

Castle Silhouette

Naska cleaves one of the demons in half as if it were tissue paper, the darkness that forms it scattering across the room and fading away almost instantly. More close in, whirling deadly limbs at him- though they are weak, they are many, and their claws and fangs are deadly.

Brie and Ciar fend the oncoming shadows off, though Ciar is much more effective than Brie, managing to dispatch a few while Brie merely cuts at a few others, killing none of them.

For now, Genesis simply watches with her arms crossed, laughing to herself.

((The basic shadows are godmoddable, and number to about one hundred))

[Neon Knight]

[Bernstein Estate]

After a bit, she arrives at the indicated spot. Gregory is there next to the extinguished fire. He beckons her close. "Alright, now, the best spot to get into the forest is just over there. It may look real big and intimidating, but don't worry. I reckon the lad has to be somewhere near a water source, and there's only one stream that runs through that forest. You'll find it easily."

[horngeek]

All right.

Meidani enters the forest, trying to find the stream.

She is looking around, and walking very quietly.

[Neon Knight]

Gunter glieben glauchen globen!

....

Get that reference, and you win an internet from me.

The stream is located easily enough; the direction that Gregory gave her will lead her to run into it fairly quickly. Following it upstream seems to lead deeper into the woods...

((Sorry, but I'm a bit more tired than I thought after work. Can we continue this tomorrow?))