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[Had going into the underworld with Dante necessarily been smart, from a strictly self-preserving standpoint? Absolutely not. It was the sort of reckless selflessness that he'd have once chided himself for even considering. Did he regret it? Not even close. He actually looked rather satisfied with himself as they emerged from the hole left by the Qliphoth and casting his eyes around what must have been the remains of Red Grave City. He towered over Dante in his true form, standing at an equal stature to his robotic dragon, but he wasn't inclined to shrink back down until he was sure they hadn't been followed into the human world.]

...This was their last home, huh?

xth_gambler

This was hardly a place he had intended to return to. Again. Really, one might wonder why he was here if they knew him, but perhaps he was just a masochist. Whatever the reason, Rould was here, once more, in Port Royal. At least the tavern he had chosen was comfortable enough, and he didn't need to deal with the damn coat.

The man considers the cards in his hand, then glances at the others at his table. They were getting rather tipsy. That was useful. While their attention was elsewhere he slipped a card from his sleeve into his hand and replaced something he didn't much like.

"Gentlemen, are we playing or just eyeing every strange person who walks through the door?" he finds himself drawling, slowing the pace of his speech even more to fit in better here. He needed them to play if he was going to get money, and he needed money to grease palms to find what he was looking for.

OF course, his comment was met with the door opening, which turned attention away again. And he had to sigh. Would it stop being interrupted?

superstylishsquid

[It's not often that Alastor lingers outside of Movieland after paying a visit to his friends on this side of the silver screen, but this time...this time something's wrong. A deeply unnerving type of wrong that's far too familiar. The demon bugs, Empousae, only enter this world to feed a Qlipoth sprout. Checking the news confirms his fears, and gives him a location at that.

Joe, Silvia, and Jet are doing their best to protect people from the wandering demons, but Alastor knows enough to head for the source. He doesn't bring them with him, not for this. Anything else, maybe...but he knows what he's going to see when he gets there, and it's not a sight he wants to inflict on them. Not one he's sure they could handle, spared the horrors of truly gruesome deaths as they have been.

What he sees is what he'd expected. It's a scene from a nightmare. Last time, he'd held back and tried to stay out of things. That had resulted in Mundus, to say nothing of countless innocent lives lost that he might have saved. This time will be different. This time, he'll tear this infernal plant up by the roots if he has a chance, even if it risks all of Hell knowing he's escaped his prison.

The first step to that is loosening those roots. Flying above the carnage of the city, it's easy to spot their weak spots. He's surprised to also see something human shaped moving down there, but the root is the first priority. Calling a replica sword to his hand, he takes a plunging dive down, blade point first, to tear open the straining membrane of the root. It's messy, the boil-like protrusion bursting open in a shower of blood, but it's efficient...and he rather thinks the image it results in, of him kneeling with his sword buried in Qlipoth flesh and surrounded in blood splatters is a striking one. Even if he is going to have to wipe the bloodstains off his armor and clothes.]

foolishjustice

[The transition from the station back to Tokyo is a jarring one. For one thing, with winter is much milder, the light dusting of snow familiar but disappointing. For another, the crowds are much thicker...but when people glance his way and see his leather jacket, jeans, and work boots, not to mention the pierced ears (one of them pierced twice, and still looking red around the second stud) and the top layer of his hair pulled up with a black ribbon, they don't immediately recognize him as the Detective Prince. Goro Akechi, after all, would never dress so much like a delinquent.

There's a sense of freedom to going unrecognized, even sad as it is that it hinges on everyone thinking he's so prim and proper. His fans are such idiots, accepting what they see on TV as his true self...but it's at least convenient. It lets him relax for once, more at ease than he's ever been in the city before.

Maybe that's why he decides to do something a little reckless. He should really test out his shapeshifting magic, see if he can still use it here and disguise himself a bit more thoroughly...but part of him, maybe, is hoping the right person will recognize him. That she'll know him well enough to realize the rebellious looking teenager is just what's been hiding under the well behaved young man facade all along. He's not even sure he wants to talk to Sae, with her already mad at him and now no doubt knowing the bloody truth...but he wants to see for himself the results of her soft Change of Heart. And that's what has him lingering across the street from the courthouse, idly toying with one of his earrings as he watches people pass by.]

foolishjustice

[It's already been a rough day for Shido, what with having been executed and then waking up invisible to the living. Perhaps someone, on a crowded Tokyo street, had even walked right through him without even realizing. It hadn't taken long for the monsters to appear, porcupines that at first looked...not harmless, but not especially scary. But then the spines extended to a full five feet, shot in the air and stood in the ground until they exploded mere seconds later.

The creatures were relentless, and whatever Shido might have tried to do to fight back useless. It seemed as though he might learn what happens when you die a second time, but before one could strike the finishing blow, he had passed out. And now he wakes up, still aching, in a grand room, in front of a throne just elevated enough that its occupant can look down on anyone who might be standing on the ground. And the occupant in question is very familiar to Shido.

Goro Akechi lounges in the throne, a pair of brilliant white, downright angelic looking wings taking advantage of the seat clearly built to accommodate them to sit relaxed, half folded on his back. One hand, uncharacteristically gloveless, is lifted to serve as a perch for a magpie currently in the process of preening itself. But possibly even more striking is his expression, a cold, malicious smile beneath hard eyes...and a tone to match.]

Masayoshi Shido...welcome to the Room of Reckoning, the place of judgment for the souls of the dead.

misplacedxsheath

[The area Akira appears in when he exits the Velvet Room is clearly a church of some sort, with a high ceiling that fades into darkness and rows of pews, in front of an altar on a raised stage. The wall behind the altar is dominated by a cross at least fifteen feet high. The room itself is lit by overhead lamps that cast an even light, and the room appears to be empty, with only one exit, on the far side of the room. The air has the still, slightly stale quality of an underground room, or else one deep inside a building. Other than that, there's no indication of where he actually is...save for Igor's vague warning that the world he was about to enter was entirely unlike anything he's currently familiar with.]

foolishjustice

[Given the severity of the Noise problem in his world before Yaldabaoth's defeat, Goro wasn't exactly surprised to find that the high concentration of Noise he'd volunteered to investigate was a very familiar version of Tokyo, buzzing with talk of the Phantom Thieves. The talk about Medjed's downfall gave him an idea of the time frame, if the weather hadn't already...there was no mistaking this heat wave.

It was maybe a little unwise to step into Leblanc, knowing there was another version of him currently here, and that both Akira and Boss would recognize him, but the heat was exhausting in his leather jacket. It wasn't until after he walked in that he realized he could have slipped into the UG and done so invisibly, but if there was anyone he could trust to not gossip about him visiting in strange attire, it was the baristas at Leblanc. The belated realization isn't at all stopping him from breathing a sigh of relief as he steps into the air conditioning and closes the door on the August heat.]

foolishjustice

[Akechi had warned Akira against targeting President Okumura based off of public pressure, hoping the Thieves would leave the businessman alone - at least for now - and thwart Shido's plan to frame them all on their own. Those hopes had been dashed when he'd heard of Haru's situation, and he hadn't been able to argue against them helping her. That left him with only one option...to tell his boyfriend the real reason why he thought stealing Okumura's heart was a bad idea.

Their other conversations about the Phantom Thieves had run him almost dry on excuses to turn his phone off or leave it out of earshot, and this particular discussion is one he absolutely doesn't want to risk being overheard, even by Akira's friends. Instead, his last visit with Akira had included him slipping his lover a note, asking to meet him at Inokashira Park at a specific time. He'd offered no explanation about the method of invitation, but had mentioned that he often found the park to be relaxing.

When Akira arrives at the specified meeting place, Akechi is already there, looking at his phone. Before he greets Akira, before Akira greets him, he taps something on the screen of his phone. The evidence of what he's done is subtle, he's chosen a Palace whose distortion doesn't extend to the park. But there's nothing he can do about the faint sensation of dizziness that comes with entering the Metaverse. Only when the sensation passes does he verbally acknowledge his company...in a much less cheerful tone than he usually takes with Akira.]

I'm glad you could make it out here today.

carries_war

WHO: Jr., Yusuke and Akira
WHAT: ~~Aladdin jokes~~ The P5 boys visit Jr.'s world.
WHEN: Late August
WHERE: The Kukai Foundation, in the Xenosaga world.
WARNINGS: Temporary nudity, likely sexual situations, potential discussion of war and human trafficking if the history of the Foundation comes up.

( A new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. )

misplacedxsheath

Here for any post-Airlocked R1 or tangentially Airlocked-related shenanigans you may want to play.

misplacedxsheath

[It was solidly after hours, long after everyone else would be in their rooms. The quiet of the ship after dark was...comforting, in a way. But also alien. Peace and quiet had been foreign to Margulis' life since well before the Conflict, and now...now it felt so strange that part of him longed to break it. It didn't help that the song of steel against steel had been pointedly missing during his time here. But soon...though the gymnasium provided plenty of options for some noise, he didn't want to wear himself out before tonight's main event.

So he sat, and he waited. When McBurn arrived, he would find Margulis seated cross legged on the floor of the gym, eyes closed and the knife he'd brought sitting on the floor next to him. He seemed to be lost in meditation, but in truth his mind was racing too much for that. As soon as he heard footsteps approaching, he opened his eyes and set his hand on the grip of his knife.]

I trust you remember the message for Pellegri?

namedforcat

Another strange place. Was this really going to be his afterlife from now on? Hadn't he earned a little rest? Well, not that Gaignun was about to complain too much. These strange places had brought him good memories along with the bad. Still, he would have liked to have had a little more warning about this abrupt switch. Not to mention the fact that these places often had tricks that took you a while to figure out.

At least he wasn't a pony this time. That was a plus.

But! Ah, a familiar face, and a welcome one at that.

"Allen!"

thedrama

[To outside appearances, the evening was quiet. The streets were lit and a few cars driving down the street proved that no city truly slept, but overall it seemed normal. That was, unless one noticed the locks ripped off the front of a jewelry store, partially melted and lying on the ground. There was no alarm, Shego had disabled that before removing the lock, so the thief inside was taking her time looking over the cases as if she were just a browsing customer.]

Let's see, where to start...the display case is nice, but I'm sure the vault has its share of goodies hidden away...

[She glances at one of the earring stands, where a pair of black diamond danglies have caught her eye.]

Ooooh, I might keep those for myself, they're nice.

[Yup, completely normal robbery in progress.]

thedrama

[Paris is a nice city, for the most part. Lively, but not the same way as most American cities...it still leaves room for relaxing. It makes for a lovely vacation spot for the international traveler, particularly a fashion minded one. She's already picked up a cute green top and a pair of form fitting black pants, which she's opted to wear for the rest of her shopping trip. Actual shopping, rather than stealing, since it helps the designers know what she likes.

She's in a rare good mood as she pushes open the door to a boutique, arms loaded with shopping bags bound for her car. Maybe she could've benefited from hijacking a henchman or two as a pack mule, but...nah. Her green skin attracted enough attention, she didn't want to take any chances with Dr. D's idiot squad scaring someone enough to call the cops. The only thing that would ruin a vacation faster than that is if she ran into a certain nosy cheerleader...]

misplacedxsheath

The pain of the sword in his gut had been the most severe thing Margulis had ever experienced, far worse than the gash that had left his face scarred on Miltia. The Levi's explosion had been a mercy, heat and pressure killing him much faster than the wound would have. What to expect next, he didn't know. But he didn't fear finding out.

When his senses returned, the world was familiar and gray. It was as if someone had taken the cemetery of Old Miltia's capital and drained every bit of color from it. There were no signs of life, not that he could see at first glance, only the sound of gentle wind and Margulis' own footsteps to break the silence.

"So...this is the afterlife, is it? It's quieter than I would have expected."

Unsettlingly so, really. Though uncomfortable in ordinary social interactions, Margulis was a man used to being surrounded by people and noise. While he appreciated his moments of quiet, they always came with the knowledge that it was on his own terms. His position and his difficulty in expressing himself had isolated him enough on their own, but here he seemed to be alone in the truest sense. But maybe appearances were deceiving...or maybe it was meant to be uncomfortable.

"Perhaps it is fitting, that one such as me would find his soul taken to a place devoid of life..."

ispywithmymilleniumeye

[Pegasus is in his element. Dress attire, live music, fancy food, and lots of people to schmooze at. The party was just one duel arena short of being an actual perfect night. He can’t even remember what the actual function was for; it might have been some kind of charitable dinner, or just a high-class holiday get together from one of the many companies Industrial Illusions dealt with.]

[Threading his way through the crowds, making small talk and cracking jokes, eventually losing track of time. Sooner or later, though, he makes his way towards the outer edges of the party. There are wallflowers to potentially be drawn out – people not having fun, and that cannot continue.]

Do try to cheer up there, my boy. That kind of attitude on nights like this tends to invite serial hauntings.

superstylishschism

( You're about to view content that the poster has marked as potentially inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

superstylishsquid

It had been years since Alastor had last seen this town, bustling with humans and reeking of demons. It was almost comforting...if not for the fact that he knew his master was here. The master he'd abandoned without a word, who would be fully justified in striking him down for his insubordination. But it wasn't in Alastor's nature to run. He'd had his taste of freedom, now it was time to face the consequences. If he was lucky, maybe he could come out on top this time and be truly free.

But that would be once he entered Devil May Cry, something he would wait until daytime for. He didn't want to catch his master just returning from a demon hunt and ready to shoot anything that had fangs and claws. So in the darkness of the desert night, he stood atop a building across from the Devil Hunter's shop. His senses were attuned for any hint of magic approaching him, but he might not register an ordinary human right away.

temptestament

*A brilliant flash of light as Zarathustra activates, washing over Shion, Wilhelm, KOS-MOS, Allen, and then Shion's friends immobilized on the ground, Michtam...and the rest of the universe. With it, it brings oblivion, a welcome end to the pain and suffering of this Recurrence and a new chance for a future incarnation of humanity's consciousness.

Or rather, it should have. It was what Allen expected, but though the light blinds him, even rendering his inhuman senses useless, he does not cease to exist. Instead he slowly regains his senses on a ship that was all too familiar. The Dammurung? And Wilhelm's power is weak, as are Yeshua and Mary's. It doesn't make sense.

But he doesn't have time to try to figure it out. He can feel someone coming. Rubedo, according to the Collective Unconscious. Almost on reflex, he shifts forms to a blue haired, pale skinned man. Instead of the usual outfit he wears in this persona, he creates the disguise of a Vector scientist. The only mistake he makes is that he doesn't hide his power, not realizing that a URTV will be able to sense it. And then he walks around a corner, right into the redhead's path and stumbling back as if surprised.*

Ack- Sorry, I didn't see you there.

misplacedxsheath

A fourth abduction, a fourth new setting to adapt to. It was getting to be old hat for Margulis by now, something he took in stride as easily as most would a sudden thunderstorm. At least this one had both returned him to his human form and left him with his powers, both his original ones and the increasingly impressive array of abilities he'd picked up in his travels through the multiverse. Yet it had still left him without his book collection. Again. Sometimes he had to wonder if his life was some sort of cosmic running gag.

After settling down and getting used to this new world, he spotted a familiar face he hadn't seen in a while. His reaction was...mixed to put it lightly. His opinion of Kukai was complicated in its own right, and add in the fact that he couldn't tell at a glance if this was the one from Prospero or not...approaching him was a risk. But it was one he would have to take eventually anyway.

"Well well...there's a face I haven't seen in awhile."