nexus_crossings | Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

[With the changing of seasons, many Nexus visitors are very happy to see the snow melt away and life returning to their beloved home. Spring is here!

It appears overnight: a large pantheon in the center of the Nexus forum, and once can only guess how such a great building was erected without anyone noticing. Atop the Patheon are two golden thrones, adorned with gemstones of great value. No one seems to be sitting there, but they seem to hold a great deal of importance to the cloaked humans who guard the Pantheon entrance.

The land in front of the Pantheon is paved with smooth, old stones in the shape of a large circle. Lush flowers and grass grown along the outskirts of the cropping, full of beautiful and exotic plants. Truly the host of this revel wants even nature to bend before their whim.

On the left and right sides of the sides of the circle are two long marble tables, where different food and drink await those who enter. Freshly cooked meat. Ripe fruits and unsullied wine. Whatever your heart desires, be it simple or sweet, you will be hard pressed to not find it on one of the tables. Near the tables is also a large group of tents, adorned with many plush chairs and sofas for those who like to relax while indulging.

The center of the circle has a large bonfire pit, carved of fine stone, lit with a brilliant (almost unearthly) red fire. Comforting to those seeking warmth or invigorating to the souls of the weary: it carries an important symbol for the revel: let your soul burn as hot as the flames inside. Which, to the satyr, it means that everyone present should be partying and indulging with one another. There seems to be plenty of space for dancing and socializing alike, whatever your preference may be.

The entrance into this festivity is monitored by a group of half-human, half-goat satyr. They don’t seem to be picky about who gets let in, assuming you’re not here to ruin the fun, but it would be wise to check it with them first. This is a masquerade-style party, so all of the guests need masks.

But there can’t be anything possible wrong with such a wonderful party, right? Perhaps things are not all as they seem….]

((Here's your OOC guide guide to this event. Post when you can as you like, no worries. Have fun!))

((The second half of the event is live link here Please read the OOC thread so you know the details!))

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Jeff doesn't really understand why Adia is experiencing grief, especially after all the things he's done. Murder. Stalking innocent people. Tricking others into doing his dirty work. In fact, he can't hide those thoughts any longer, placing one bloodied hand over hers.

"Where's your pretty smile? Don't look so sad for me..." How can he still be smiling this entire time? Coming to terms is the only logical explanation. "Goodbye, Adia..." He closes his eyes, taking slow breaths of air while she points the scythe blade at his chest. The room grows dark, but the sensation is only something Adia can see or feel. Caspar and the other Pokemon are still there, but it feels like the space around Adia is different because she's wielding the scythe.

A glowing pink outline hovers over Jeff as the scythe pulses with blue, pink and yellow energy. Mesprit is holding a small orb in its hands, which is the harvested soul, no doubt. Without saying a word, the Pokemon gently places Jeff's soul onto the blade, where it vanishes in a sparkle of light.

Without being overwhelming, Adia might find herself catching the inner visions and emotions of her stalker. The memories of his life, as an outsider looking in. Curiosity of a young Jeff playing in the garden; the confusion of a young boy whose father and mother are yelling at him, while he cradles a bruise on his face. Loneliness experienced by a teenager while walking though the halls of his high school. Anger while staring at a torn up red doll, a knife grasped tightly in his adult hand.

Another blink. Mere seconds pass in the dark shrine.

Tranquility can be felt while staring out at the Nevada landscape full of horses as Jeff holds a cell phone in his hand. Happiness in walking the vibrant streets of Las Vegas, Josh Washington at his side. Despair, as a visibly distraught and crying Jeff sits on the edge of a hotel bathtub, staring down at a woman's dead body. Fear as Jeff stares out a destroyed Japanese city, clutching his PINpoint tightly in one hand, the shadow of Nyarlathotep can be seen in the distance.

Hope. The last emotion in the heart of a man who only wanted change.

A mere minute has passed since the harvest: the room is lit once more by the twilight skies that hover over the shrine. One of the gemstones on the scythe is no longer cloudy, replaced by a beautiful pink color, revealing the Rhodonite stone and all its glory. As for Jeff, well...the sad expression being worn by Hydreigon and Persian is enough to say something.

He's gone.

"I wish it hadn't ended like this," she answers honestly, turning her hand over so he can hold it during his final moments. She can't bring herself to smile, but there is a kindness in her eyes, the last thing he sees before he shuts his forever.

Keeping the scythe level, she doesn't move when it darkens around her. This is her task to complete. She does look up at the strange rabbit-like pokémon who harvests the soul, but says nothing to interrupt its work. She lets Jeff's memories and emotions wash over her, not judging, merely reacting as they pass. Sadness for his lonely childhood. Worry over the torn doll. A small smile as she experiences the running horses from Jeff's point of view. A flicker of astonishment at the appearance of Joshua Washington. Regret and sympathy for the death of the woman who did love him, and the city brought to ruin.

When the light returns, she lowers the scythe and whispers, “Goodbye, Jeff.” No one needs to tell her that he’s gone. She can only hope that his final sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Caspar steps over to her and helps her to her feet. He looks solemn, but relieved — at least until his gaze falls on the other two gems. Then his expression turns grim. “We should go,” he says quietly.

Leaning against Caspar, she nods absently, but can’t seem to tear her gaze away from the three grieving pokémon. “I can take you to Professor Madrone’s lab,” she offers them. As for Jeff’s body, she has no idea what to do…

With the passing of Jeff, Hydreigon lays his three heads on Jeff's body, showing a strong amount of sadness for such a savage Pokemon. Persian manages to bat the PINpoint Jeff was holding out of his hand and rolls it towards Caspar, before walking back to her master. Neither cat nor dragon wants to leave Jeff behind, but Gengar is the rare exception to the rule.

The ghost Pokemon floats over to Caspar, pointing to the PINpoint. Upon examining the device, it only has three coordinates input into it. One is for the Nexus plaza the second is for this location. But where does the third lead to? The text and numbers all reflect Japanese kanji and a strange icon has been added to the coordinates. A red flag which indicates that the user flagged this world as dangerous. Is it the destroyed city Adia saw in Jeff's memories? That's a very strong possibly.

For now, only Gengar wants to return to the Nexus, and if Adia or Caspar try to move Jeff's body, they'll be met with resistance from Hydreigon and Persian alike. They want time to grieve and will figure out what to do with their master's body in the future. Perhaps Pokemon have a special way of dealing with humans who die in their presence.

Adia shifts her weight to the scythe so that Caspar can bend down and retrieve it. He's not thrilled with Gengar being the one to float over, but he looks down at the screen as indicated.

A literal red flag. Great. He glances at Adia, then pockets the PINpoint. They can figure out where those coordinates lead and how that ties into the rest of this mess later. For now, they ought to get going.

Persian and Hydreigon don't need to worry about either human trying to move Jeff's body. "Will you get them home safely, when they're ready?" she asks Arceus, who has been watching over the proceedings silently. She wouldn't dare interrupt a mourning pokémon, but she wants to make sure that they aren't stranded here... wherever 'here' is.

"Of course. I will ensure that things are taken care of. You must go back now. Time waits for no one..." The world around them seems to be losing color and even Arceus has returned to his statue form after speaking. This world is only accessible when certain conditions are met, it seems, and will fade only the tasks at hand have been completed.

Returning to the Pantheon, Adia and Caspar might notice that things are quieter than before. With the sword destroyed, the anti-violence field and all PINpoints seem to be functional again. But the sounds of screaming have now been replaced with crying, distraught Nexus citizens. It's the Kahn and Demon invasions all over again...people have fear and doubt about what has taken place here. Even though they haven't been gone for very long, it feels like hours have passed, but the setting sun indicates that they were only in Arceus' realm for mere minutes.

The satyr and cultists are gone, having fled or died for their cause. It's time to regroup and figure out the next course of action.

As the world around them fades and Arceus becomes a statue once more, Caspar wraps his arm around Adia's shoulders. "You did good," he murmurs to her, pulling her close.

She nods softly, sniffing back unshed tears, and offers her free hand to Gengar, but the ghost pokémon refuses, sitting on top of Caspar's shoulders instead.

"Are you kidding m-- OW!" Caspar winces as Gengar pulls on his hair impatiently. "Alright, I'm going!"

He pushes a button on his PINpoint and they're transported back to the Pantheon. Caspar immediately shakes Gengar off and smooths back his hair in a quick, irritated motion. It looks as though they've only been gone a short time, and though it's still a mess outside, things haven't gotten any worse.

Adia is first to spot their friend. "Harley!" she calls out, scythe resting against her shoulder. "Hey, Harley! Are you okay?"

Gengar floats over to Poochyena, giving the dark pokémon a once-over. At least it's not all humans and whatever Adia's stupid boyfriend is in the Pantheon.

Harley is covered in soot and ashes. After she had reached the Pantheon -- just in time to see Caspar and Adia to disappear with 'Josh' -- she didn't know what to do at first. She was hella worried about her friends.

But there was no sign of the crazy kid either, so her mind automatically went from attack mode to protect mode. There were people who needed saving. And she had set to work to find those who needed help. That is where Poochyena had come into use. He would sniff out the hurt and injured … and Harley would help out those that she could. However she could.

When she heard her name called by a familiar voice a weight of worry lifted off her shoulders. "Adia! Caspar!" She runs over to them. More concerned about their well-being, then her own right now.

Poochyena sniffs at Genger when the ghost pokemon floats over. Then gives a quick bark in greeting.

So much has happened behind the scenes at this festival that has turned into a menagerie of chaos and horror. To most of the guests what had been a fun party had turned crazed and manic with the lighting of the bonfire. Had begun invoking an Old One's name. A name very few know; those that do find madness clinging to their mind at every invocation of His Name.

Unlike Adia, Caspar, and Harley Katsuya has heard no sign of the Nexus' serial killer, the child genocidal maniac, nor the witch who brought them together and into the Nexus. When the cultists began crying out the Crawling Chaos by name his reaction had been one of a soldier thrust back into a battlefield he'd thought was long gone. Later perhaps he will be ashamed to admit he'd shot and killed several of the cultists without hesitation. The officer had been determined to fight off every last one of them--but the magic ceased.

Panic followed as minds free from their dreamlike nightmares struggled to comprehend the madness surrounding them. In the stampede to escape, more fires caught and spread. Down the steps of the Pantheon a plume of fire erupts but there is no cultist behind it, nor any unaccounted for pokemon. Officer Suou burns away the fallen debris blocking a thoroughfare for escape before kicking aside the charred remains and ushering a mother and her child through.

Someone else is trying to get the survivors out of here, it would seem.

Caspar's blazer is stained with wine, and Adia looks like she's been on an emotional rollercoaster, but otherwise they appear unharmed. Adia moves the scythe out of the way so she can hug her friend with one arm, worried and relieved to see her all at once. "We're okay," she says reassuringly. "This whole thing... Jeff, he..."

Her words catch on the lump in her throat as the events of the evening try to catch up to her. Caspar reaches out and gently pats her back. "Her stalker's dead," he tells Harley. "Turns out he was just the tip of the iceberg. We got a little help, though, for when this Nyarlahotep asshole comes back."

Anything else he might add is cut off by that giant plume of fire. He peers down the steps warily. More trouble?

Adia looks, too, and gasps at who she sees. "It's Katsuya!" She waves her scythe high above her head to attract his attention. "Katsuya! Up here!"

Harley returns the hug, noting the scythe that Adia is carrying with idle curiosity. She nods slightly when Caspar tells her that the stalker is dead.

"Tip of the iceberg? Was a crazy little girl involved?" Harley is still not sure who Nyarlahotep is... but knows this is not resolved yet.

"Katsuya?" Harley peers down. And waves at the young man, as Adia waves her scythe to get his attention.

The officer stiffens at the sound of his name and turns around to look up the steps of the Pantheon behind him. He's not quite prepared for what he sees. Ms. Quinn he's never sure what to expect so seeing her covered in soot and ash isn't the weirdest thing by far though certainly out of the ordinary. Adia's mysterious paramour always looks extremely put together. It's jarring to see him such a mess now, just another reminder of how wrong everything has turned.

As for Adia herself...

"What the hell?" That's definitely Adia. That's definitely Adia swinging around a giant scythe over her head like it's a flag trying to get his attention. She's going to behead someone with that thing. Possibly herself. He's hurrying up the stairs, taking them two at a time in his concern.

"Why are you...? It doesn't matter right now. You all have to get out of here."

"As a matter of fact, yes. And a witch, too. They took a portal out of here once their plan fell apart."

Hey, the scythe-waving got his attention, didn't it? The blade is well out of decapitation range, but she respectfully lowers it when Katsuya bounds up the steps, not wanting to stress him out (more). "Katsuya, was that you creating fire? How long have you been here? A witch tried to summon a god of chaos, but --"

The curse was broken, but the damage remains. She stares behind him at the destruction left in the riot's wake.

"I agree," Caspar says flatly. "We need to get out of here and talk about what just happened." He recognizes the look of someone who is trying to restore order.

"I was fighting the little girl before she ran away cause I was winning..." Harley pops a large bubble. Her mind going a mile a minute now that she knows that there are more pieces to this puzzle.

"It ain't over... is it?" Harley guesses, judging that fact by how serious both Katsuya and Caspar look right now.

Meanwhile Poochyena has decided to stick by Gengar's side until he is given direction from Harley to do something else. When Harley checks on her Pokemon, she gives the ghost pokemon a big wide smile. "I like your smile."

Edited 2018-06-19 13:57 (UTC)

"You were fighting a little girl?"

Nothing Officer Suou is hearing about any of this is making him feel more at ease. His first instinct is paternal and sudden--rage that Harley would attack a child. It's tempered when he remembers Nyarlathotep can wear any face. Even that, no, especially that of whatever will be most difficult for one to attack. His gaze snaps back to Caspar and Adia once he's gotten himself under control again.

Katsuya nods.

"I was neutralizing the cultists working at the ritual as swiftly as I could, yes. Nyarlathotep isn't a force to be trifled with and in a multiversal hub allowing him access to innumerable worlds would be apocalyptic. For many worlds." He looks over his shoulder back to the smoldering fairgrounds with a hardened gaze. Katsuya's reluctant to leave this place until he's certain the danger has passed.

Certain Nyarlathotep has been held back.

"I can't leave until the job is done. I won't let another world fall into his grasp."

Edited (i can words gud) 2018-06-19 16:16 (UTC)

Gengar's smile widens at Harley's compliment, but it quickly turns upside down when he catches Caspar looking at him. He gives the Cylon the middle finger with both hands. Suck it, robot man!

"One of Jeff's pokémon," Caspar tells Harley in a tired aside. "He's a real charmer. The other two stayed with his body on... crap, I don't know where we were." Could this night get any weirder? He's not sure it's possible. He drags a hand across his face, not wanting to get side-tracked into a morality discussion. "That little girl is one of Nyarlahotep's disciples. You want the job done? Then talk to Adia. She has something that can help."

He looks over at his girl, who is still staring at the festival ruins, as if in a trance. He nudges her gently and she blinks, coming back to herself. "Oh, um... well, it's a long story, but one of Nyarlahotep's disciples, Jeff, had a change of heart. He'd... he'd been stalking me for a while, pretending he was my friend... but in the end, he didn't want Nyarlahotep taking over the Nexus, so he found the coordinates for a legendary pokémon temple. Arceus, the... well, he's a god, too, I suppose. A god of time and creation. He blessed me with this scythe. It absorbs the souls of Nyarlahotep's three disciples, and then it can be used to stop Nyarlahotep himself."

She tilts the staff so that Katsuya can get a good look at the three gems just underneath the blade. Two are dull, but the one in the middle shines bright. "That's... um. That's Jeff in the middle there. He died saving me and Caspar from that girl. I... I didn't have to kill him to get his soul, I just... concentrated on him..."

Caspar frowns, but says nothing. He knows it won't likely be as easy for the other two.

Edited 2018-06-19 21:08 (UTC)

Harley raises an eyebrow at the chastising from Katsuya. "She attacked me first. Plus... she was sort of killing other people with an enchanted spear."

She checks her ammo while listening to Caspar talk about Nyarlahotep's disciples. And one thing is for certain that something has to be done. She will just keep her ears open to how she can help.

Katsuya doesn't scoff at the idea that Adia would hold the key to stopping Nyarlathotep, though his eyes do narrow slightly at the revelation. To think one of his good friends in the Nexus has been drawn into all of this and because of a stalker...

The talk of trapping souls in a holy weapon to use against the god makes him balk outright though.

"That, there has to be another way. I've seen that sort of thing done before, when--" And then Harley brings up an enchanted spear and the color drains from his face while Katsuya tries not to lose his nerve in front of these people who don't know enough to understand the danger they're in.

What kind of fate being noticed by the Crawling Chaos is. And he's finding out himself that it means never really being free of the god's whims. Even if you think they're dead and gone.

"Trapping souls in weapons..." Katsuya's hand drifts over his own chest. He can feel Helios' burning will belying his own anger over such an idea. That would make them no better than Nyarlathoteps own minions. But Adia has no Persona and neither does Harley. There's not even a second to stop and wonder if a Cylon can have a soul to convert into a Persona, they don't have time for this kind of thoughtful discussion and debate.

"So we find Nyarlathotep's disciples, and we kill them. We power the scythe and we use that to stop the Crawling Chaos." He doesn't have much for ammo on his person for his pistol. Helios is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting if the going gets rough. It's been a long time since Katsuya's had to rely on his persona so heavily. Thankfully, he won't be alone.

"Harley has combat experience as do I. We can do the bulk of the subduing if Caspar and these creatures are focused on keeping Adia and the holy relic safe."

Caspar listens, his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth a thin line of worry. He wouldn't go back and change a thing -- not even the way he mouthed off at Nyarlahotep -- but if this god of chaos can make Katsuya nervous, then maybe he underestimated the situation. A little.

He rolls his shoulders in a forced show of bravado. Whatever. This Crawling Clown is going down.

First things first, though. "I'm not doing anything that puts Adia in danger. She's already been through enough. You make sure each disciple is good and contained before --"

"No."

Adia is holding out the scythe in her trembling hands, her eyes on Katsuya. "No, I'm not -- someone else has to use this. You or Harley or -- not me. Okay? When Jeff's soul was harvested, I saw... I saw his memories. And that was okay. And if I have -- if I have to do the same thing for Sara or that girl, I will. But I won't kill anyone. Not even a god."

When the others talk about trapping souls in a weapon, Harley thinks briefly of Katana, and the sword that she carries that currently contains ever soul that it had every killed. And that one time on that one mission that Harley had to use the sword.

And when Adia speaks of seeing Jeff's memories, Harley nods in understanding. She remembers Katana's sword whispering to her.

"Those will be dark memories to handle..." She glances at Katsuya. And out of pure instinct reaches into her leather jacket to hold a spare ammo clip to him.

"I can do it." She tells Adia, meaning that she is willing to witness the dark memories. That she would not hesitate to kill the witch or the girl, if that needs to be done. "After hanging out with Red and her crazy plant creatures... I know how to use a scythe too."

Edited 2018-06-20 02:27 (UTC)

Another day Katsuya might scowl at the fact that Harley is just for the heck of it carrying around nine millimeter ammunition in her jacket. Today isn't that day. He heaves a grateful sigh and takes the offered clip with a murmured 'thank you', tucking it into one of the pockets of his suit jacket. It's been years since he's broken the paranoid habit of carrying around spare ammo to quiet his own trauma induced paranoia. After this is over, he thinks he may need to start the habit again.

"I wouldn't ask you to leave her side. She will need constant protection if she was the focus of one of Nyarlathotep's disciples." No sense in sugarcoating it. Caspar and Adia need to be aware of what they're walking into. What a fight with a god will entail. He pauses when Adia holds out the scythe and offers the slightest nod of his head to her refusal and Harley's subsequent offer.

"You don't have to kill, but I sure hope you have even a knife to try and defend yourself with. I admire your morals. But if you put yourself in danger, one of us may die trying to protect you. Either us or the creatures that seem determined to protect you. Please bear that in mind."

Adia hands the scythe over to Harley. It pulses once with its peculiar pink and blue aura, but otherwise seems untroubled by the exchange of hands. "Thank you," she says, her shoulders dropping in relief. "I'll need it back once you're done. I have to return it to Arceus."

Figures that a weapon powerful enough to destroy a god would be a loaner.

As for Katsuya's advice, Caspar lets out a humorless snort. "Buddy, if you think I'm letting her in the same world as either of those psychos --"

"I'm not going to put myself at risk," Adia interrupts, hoping to head off the Cylon's growing steam of ire. She looks exhausted, too tired to even work up a fidgeting burst at the idea of using even a knife to defend herself.

"Besides, we don't even know where they are right now," Caspar adds sourly.

Gengar suddenly floats over to him and starts rummaging through his pockets. "Hey -- HEY." He swats the ghost's little purple hands away, but not before the pokémon holds up his prize: Jeff's PINpoint. He shoves it into Caspar's face and points at the screen. Hey, stupid. Did you already forget something?

Caspar glares at the ghost before snatching away the PINpoint. He looks at the screen, frowning at the coordinates marked with a red flag. "On second thought, this might be a good starting place."

Harley takes a moment to adjust her stance, so that she can properly handle the scythe. She tilts her head at the pink and blue aura when it pulsed briefly, then nods in understanding when Adia says that she will need it back.

"Good job Smiley!" Harley gives Gengar the thumbs up when he produces the PINpoint. Figures that she would give the Pokemon a name.

Poochyena comes to stand by Adia's side, knowing that is where his owner would want him right now.

Harley assess Adia a moment, thoughtfully. She has a high endurance rate, so feels ready to handle whatever might be waiting for them. But she knows that she is unique with this ability. "We don't know what we will be stepping into, once we activate that portal. It might be wise to take a moment to rest. Collect supplies. Send messages to people who might be wondering where we went."

"I don't like the idea of us splitting up when our opponents have access to PINpoints and a Nexus that has it's AV field not intact. Especially when one of them's carrying a holy weapon you can't recover from."

The officer shifts on his feet. There are no good options here. Having Adia come with is a risk but leaving here here with just her boyfriend to guard her is also a huge risk. Her not wanting to take a life is one thing. This. This seems risky. Even as he's thinking it he feels his gaze drawn to the PINpoint.

Whatever Adia chooses his opponent lies somewhere in those programmed coordinates. He can choose to protect his friend, or he can choose to protect the multiverse as a whole. The choice shouldn't be as difficult as it is.

"I'm going wherever those coordinates lead."

Adia startles a little, as if noticing Poochyena for the first time. She blinks tiredly, then leans down and gently pets the furry pokémon behind the ears. "Hey, boy," she says softly.

"We're not splitting up." Caspar hands Katsuya the PINpoint. "Adia and I are going back to our world. When you're done with the scythe, Harley can send us a text." It's the closest thing he'll give as an endorsement, but he doesn't have any doubt in Katsuya's or Harley's abilities. "Adia will be safe on Atlantis."

Gengar grins at the nickname, but when he watches Adia with Poochyena, his expression turns melancholy. It's a strange expression on a pokémon normally full of mischief. He floats lower to the ground, as if tempted to disappear into the shadows. At the last moment, he changes his mind and hops up to Adia. "Gengar," he says, pointing off into the distance.

"Caspar, I think he wants us to go somewhere with him," she says quietly.

The Cylon looks tempted to say no, but Adia's doe eyes seem to win him over. "So long as you make it quick," he says to the ghost sternly. Gengar sticks out his tongue in reply. Caspar sighs and looks at Katsuya and Harley. "If you need us, send a text. Okay?"

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Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

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Clearly Katsuya never played Persona 3

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