NPF Avatars: Pain and Amazement

[Arhra]

Apparently Arhra was not considered to have power akin to a god's. Although she had no way of knowing this was why her name was on on one of the paired doors, she chose to find it offensive. She'd show that elitist jerk door!

Not even bothering to try and read the other name written on the door, Arhra leapt into action. Magic crackled off her as the sailor fuku-ed summoner's began to call up destructive power, she opened with a one liner, "Knock, knock." At about the same time, Krylo asked his door in a somewhat more reasonable tone. The door swung open.

Seeing that the door was properly intimidated, Arhra continued, "Don't think surrendering will save you!" she told the inanimate granite slab. "Shatter!" she cried out as she punched it with a fist ringed about with a corona of chaotic energies. There was a multi-coloured flash and the stone block exploded into irregular chunks each no larger than a man's fist. A brief rain of petals followed fluttered down after the stones, a residue of Arhra's chaotic magic.

Arhra turned back to the others, a slightly manic smile on her face again, "I've defeated one of these door guardian thingies. It's open now. Let's all go in this way."

[Darth SS]

Darth hovered in the middle of the remaining flamers.

"ENOUGH! THIS. ENDS. NOW."

He curled into the fetal position, then snapped his limbs splayed out. The individual atoms began to vibrate fast. Incredibly fast. The temperature leapt to around the temperature of the sun, then got higher. Normally, you could assume that giving flamers more heat was a bad idea, but Darth knew better.

His theme music was now Koroem from the Advent Rising soundtrack.

As the temperature around them increased so radically, the thermal energy began to flow into the colder places to equalize. Namely, the flamers. As their temperature and kinetic energy-skyrocketed, they found their molecular structures actually shaking themselves to pieces. Thus, they popped, one by one, like popcorn, into a shower of ash.

At the end, all of the flamers had been swept clean in an orgy of chemistry. Darth landed on the ground, then wobbled a bit. It took him a few seconds to get his balance back, and then he pulled a Red Bull out of his backpack. He downed it with one long chug, and then unsteadily walked to the others.

"Sowazz in our way next?" His speech was slurred.

[Fenris]

(OOC: The doors are all gone.)

"So, who's with me here? I can't tell now that the runes are gone. Ecurt?" Fenris asked, looking at the man who calmly walked up to the tower.

[Mesden]

It is surprisingly easy to completely ignore a battle when you aren't really there. During this whole fiasco she had just been sitting there, watching as the NPFers killed the flamers in her own realm. The spiritual one of course. Her obliviousness faded once Raiden appeared. She could feel him.

His inner being was twisted. Not the kind king of the lightning as he was before, but demented and completely changed. She recognized how he altered the tower and didn't care of the consequences.

She had already walked through the horde of flamers, brushing aside anything that was in her walkway. Her luminous hand touched the door. It was as solid to her as to the others. As she approached the door with her name she read the words.

"Ask before entering, eh? Well, I guess I shall use my own then."

Silent words,too, escaped her mouth. As they hardened into reality they broke down into sigils just as Raiden's had.

"Now let's see what asking in Rune does to your plan Raiden."

The inscriptures that had said for her to ask faded away. She pulled herself back into reality and pushed through the dorr as her dragon followed her.

[POS Industries]

POS walked up to the door casually. Completely relaxed, even. Many would wonder why he could simply walk across a battlefield with countless numbers of people who were permanently engulfed in flame trying to kill anything that moved. The answer, in fact, is quite simple, really....

====FLASHBACKTASTIC!!====

Pedro was having an easy enough time keeping the flamers at bay from atop his, shall we say, "borrowed" fire engine, but his position was fraught with weaknesses. The most glaring of these was the fact that he was ultimately screwed for close range combat, and the odds were very much in favor of someone on the opposing side figuring this out eventually.

And they did.

As POS hosed down enemies from afar, four flamers had managed to escape his notice and managed to make it to the point of climbing up the side of the truck. Their target remained oblivious to their approach, more focused on the targets in the distance.

Of course, one can only be so oblivious to the approach of walking infernos. "Is it... getting hot in here?" he asked no one in particular as the group of flamers started cackling behind him.

"How does it feel to die, nub?" one of the flamers asked as POS turned around to face them.

"Honestly," he said dryly, "I wouldn't know. Haven't done that one yet, and I don't plan to for long--HEART!!" And so the ring was triggered, striking the lead flamer with its usual beam of energy, but the result itself was anything but usual.

It's true that the Heart ring had its usual effect on the target's soul. However, the prospect of a flamer becoming kind and noble is a purely physical impossibility. They thrive on negativity. Without it, well.....

The enheartened flamer simply ceased to exist.

POS and the three remaining flamers simply stared in shock at the empty space that the creature previously occupied. Three syllables later, Pedro was climbing safely down from the truck and making his way to the magically transformed Mashirosen.

====END FLASHBACKIFICATION!!====

And so, Pedro O'Sullivan stood in front of the door bearing his rune, which was somewhat mockingly made out of one of the parts from the original tower bearing the corporate logo for POS Industries. Next to his rune was another, but the markings were clearly of personal significance, bearing meaning only to the intended "guest". POS crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to the door, deciding it was safer to wait until Player 2 arrived.

[mauve]

Mauve held out a hand to the inquisitive white puppy that was sniffing in her direction.

"Aw, he's adorable!" Mauve said, grinning. "A Hound of Cuddly Doom!" Yes, Mauve was not immune to the awesome power of cute-puppyness, even after seeing aforementioned puppy tear out multiple peoples' throats.

She dug into her pockets once more. She usually kept one or two ether potions handy in case of emergencies such as this, and the Wizard could probably use the MP boost.

"Thirsty?" she asked the Wizard, handing him the little bottle. "Come on, we'd better catch up with the others." She looked over the heads of the remaining flamers, where a series of tunnels led into the suddenly mutant-looking Mashirosen Tower. Runes flowed over the opening of each tunnel, but the only inscription she could read was the one that meant "MAUVE".

The mage clasped her hands together in mock excitement.

"Awwww, isn't that cute," she said. "My very own tunnel leading to Almost Certain Death. Really thoughtful of Raiden to plan this out for us."

She turned back to the Wizard.

"If Charon is up for another round of fun, could you ask him to cover us while we ride there? I don't know if Ecurt's plushies are fireproof, and I really don't want to find out the hard way." Without waiting for a reply, Mauve touched her heels to the plushie's flanks and the living toy moved towards the ranks of remaining flamers.

[Truce]

Ecurt shrugged at Fenris' comment. "Honestly...I'm not really sure it matters who we go with. Of course, if you're coming with me then that means one thing: You need a costume change."

Nobody was quite sure how Ecurt did it, or where and when he learned it in the first place. Whatever the cases may have been though, Fenris was in his regular hobo self's outfit in one moment, and then in the next frame of animation he and his regular clothes were covered in what could only be described as a suit of plushie armor. A suit of pink plushie armor.

It appeared to be similar in design as Ecurt's plate mail, but it was obviously furrier and softer than his own armor. It also had a helm that Ecurt didn't have, which resembled a giant cat head, including a button nose and ears that were placed above the visor. "It's function is similar to that of Arhra's armor. However, don't say the you-know-what word otherwise it'll self destruct. By the way, I hope you haven't lost the longknife I gave you earlier."

[Fenris]

"Do I ever lose anything?" Fenris asked, pulling out both the longknife and the hammer that he had just recently impounded the nuts of a flamer with. Fenris then tossed the hammer back in his knapsack, leaving them to figure out how he got the hammer back.

"By the way, nice armor. Very comfortable."

[Raiden]

After the riddle had been solved, the doors left their positions, leaving open the tunnels.

Each person in the group went down their specific tunnel. Some went in solo, while others went in pairs. Either way, the tunnels were dark and foreboding. A strange feeling of fear went down their spine, regardless of their courage. There was just something about this place. It wasn't like it was scary. It's almost as if the very air they were breathing was made to make them feel fear. However, the fear was brushed aside as they each made it to the ends of their tunnels and entered into an open space.....

************************************************** *******
As Krylo emerged from his tunnel, he almost instantly recognized the area he was in.

It was lobby of the Mod Station. It was a large area, with a glass roof, chairs of leather and steel, and more than enough desks. It was also the place where posters that had broken the rules were taken for warnings, loss of reputation, etc. There was a small bit of irony in this area. Raiden himself had brought in quite a number of those that had broken the rules. And yet, if he was caught, his ass would be heading straight there above all others. That is, if he was left alive.

Krylo's head jerked when he heard a noise. It was the sound of a chair turning around. Sitting in the chair was none other than Raiden, the man who started it all. His glowing eyes looked at the mod with a carelessness that was rarely seen in them.

"Krylo! How nice of you to join me. Here to arrest me? Well, we're in the right place for it."

************************************************** *******
Darth SS was struck by a familiar sound when he left his tunnel. It was the sound of cheers.

As he studied his surroundings, he realized where he was. He was at the NPF Arena, where organized fights between members took place nightly. Although he could hear the cheers of the audience, he couldn't see any figures in the deep darkness. What he did see, however, was the large arena stage where the combat took place. That one spot was the only lighted area in the entire place at the moment. And standing on the stage was a white-haired figure with a sword at his side. He had his eyes closed, and was taking in the volume of the cheers of adoration.

"Listen to that, Darth. Listen to the sound. They cheered us on. Every damn Saturday Night they cheered us on as we battled for their amusement. However, we're not here just for amusement, are we?"

Raiden readied his blade.

"Of course, if done right, this should be loads of fun."

************************************************** *******
Mesden and her guardian dragon exited cautiously from their tunnel. What they saw seemed to be a dream.

They were back in the Ethereal Realm, where Mesden had lived a life of solitude save the habitual visits by Raiden. It was a beautiful place, filled with different colors and shapes. However, it was tinged with sadness during this time.

It didn't take long at all to sense the spiritual presence here. This being had cut his link with the universe for reasons unknown, simply to keep himself hidden from her. He had been her confidante, and one of the very few contacts to the outside world. The hours they had spent here, simply talking about this and that. He had taught her a bit of the power of Rune, even. And now everything was...wrong.

Regardless, this figure was not hiding from her. Though he seemed to look normal enough, his form was more electric due to the spiritual nature of the Ethereal Realm. His words were more than words, and his actions delved deeper than any mortal action.

"Mesden, my little sister. I would introduce you to this place, but you of course already know it. You have spent most of your life here, so I would guess that you have the trademark identities memorized."

************************************************** *******
Pyros lazily left his tunnel. What was there to fear? If he came across anything dangerous looking, then he'd blow it up. Simple as that, right? He'd be home in time for biscuits and cat nip in no time. Besides, he had to pick up little Willy in a few hours anyway.

It took him a bit to understand where he was. Although, it shouldn't have been hard to remember a place he had spent a millenia with a Thunder God inside. The space was the pocket dimension that had rested inside the enchanted blade that Pyros and Raiden had been locked into. Though one wouldn't think it because of the outside appearance, the inside of the blade was rather roomy. Especially since there was no ground. The entire dimension was nothing but a bright sun looking down at floating rocks that were suspended above a black nothingness below.

There was a twinging sound that was heard. Pyros's cat ears flipped up at the sound. It was a guitar string. Someone was playing guitar. Looking up at one of the top rocks, the fire cat could see an electric figure playing his fingers across an old guitar. Though there were no places for the sound to echo off, the music traveled quite a bit.

"'Sup, little bro? Keeping it real while blowing shit up? I hope so. I can't be the only family member with destructive qualities."

************************************************** *******
Twiddy held closely to Charon as he walked through the dark and creepy tunnel. Every so often, the puppy would bark into the darkness, causing even more fear to enter the mage. The mage had good reason to feel fear. Raiden was his mentor, teacher, and patron God. He above everyone knew what Raiden was capable of. Though transforming a building, that was a new one.

Twiddy hadn't even left his tunnel yet when he heard a voice.

"Twiddy, get your ass in here. I'm not paying you to be slow. Hell, I'm not even paying you. So move!"

The mage picked up speed and rushed through into the light. What he saw was Raiden's personal dojo. It was here that Raiden trained the young schizo magic user in the more subtle uses of power.

Raiden was watching an old kung-fu movie on a television in the corner as he did push-ups on a mat. The Thunder God looked back as Twiddy entered the room.

"About time, buddy. You were almost late. I'd have to charge you, ya know."

************************************************** *******
Mauve Mage made her way through the tunnel, and shielded her eyes as a bright light struck her. When her eyes became focused to the light, the smell of coffee beans and the sound of quiet music became apparent.

It was the NPF coffeeshop. Mauve had seen Raiden drinking coffee here quite a bit after the tougher missions he went on. He always had his Mocha, a newspaper, and his headphones. He sat at the same table every time, and in the same chair.

In fact, it was the same thing he was doing right at that moment.

When Mauve entered, Raiden looked up from his newspaper and pulled the headphones out from his ears.

"Hey, Mauve. I'm almost done with the comics, if you want them."

He took a drink from his coffee.

************************************************** *******
Rhiya's wings were acting defensive as she left her tunnel, looking around in all directions for an attack. She was still groggy from waking up just minutes before, but there really wasn't much time to spend lounging about.

She noticed that she was on top of a building. Somehow, she was back at the NPF. She was up on the rooftops of the tall structures, and it was night time. Standing on the roof of a building across from her was Raiden. He was perched on the edge of the roof like a gargoyle, staring down at the blank streets below.

"Rhiya. Good times all around. Doesn't seem to be any big stirrings of trouble tonight. All the rats and newbs fled to hide."

(OOC: After the people that weren't in solo tunnels get paired up and go into their tunnels, they can decide what area they end up in.)

[mauve]

Mauve just stared at the thunder god, mocha and newspaper in hand, small smile on his face. This was... crazy. This should be a tunnel! She had been there! She had sensed the aura of fear in the darkness, felt the cold stone floor beneath her boots, the stale air entering her lungs... And now, it was gone.

But this... this couldn't be real. Her senses told her that it was: the scent of coffee, the sounds of quiet conversation and soft music... And Raiden, who noted her confused expression with mild amusement. Mauve looked all around, her hands slowly moving to her knives. All traces of the tunnel had vanished.

A new fear began to wash over her. This was very wrong. She had stupidly walked right into Raiden's hands. She, the Mauve Mage, the mortal, only partially full of MP, was alone with a potentially crazed God of Thunder. Aw crap, she was gonna die. Well, she KNEW that the tunnel was meant to kill her when she went in, but she was expecting something a little more... orthodox. Mauve didn't know Raiden as well as Pyros or Mesden or Twiddy knew him, but mind games never seemed like his "thing." Now she had no idea what he was planning; this went completely against his style of fighting. And that really frightened her.

"What's going on, Raiden?" she demanded, trying not to let her voice waver.