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Test Blurbs

Basically short scenes largely disconnected from any 'main' story. Mostly learning some of the weirder characters.

Test Blurb 1
Anchor Link || Characters: Thilra, Nalo/Antares.
Don't be surprised if this gets rewritten 3-4 times, using it a little as practice for the weirdo warshade because they're basically two or three characters sharing a body depending on their moods/how you count them.
V1.4:
Show spoiler
Nalo crept closer to Thilra, who was leaning against a wall while examining some small object. Clueless to the Warshade's presence as they were in a mostly-invisible and intangible form. And we thought an entity like that would see through this form.
She smirked at her counterpart's comment. Apparently not, but that's good for us.
The golem tossed the magical trinket it was looking at and started turning to walk away. Nalo slipped back into a tangible form, quickly creating a small portal to catch the object. Still smirking under her mask as she looked over it quickly. It appeared little more than a small wooden cube covered inactive runes. “Careful where you throw magic things, never know who might pick it up around here”
Her one-eyed gaze shifted back to Thilra. Who'd finally noticed them and spun, taking on a defensive stance. Its thoughts intruded on theirs, the only way it could communicate -Nalo, what are you doing here? This is no place for your heroics.-
They flinched at the projection, glad that it could only send and not read thoughts. She narrowed her gaze at it, “Good thing we aren't really here on hero work, then.”
The tone of Thilra's thoughts became mildly curious -Oh really...?- slight amusement and mocking quickly replaced the curiosity -Returning to old ways, Warshade?-
They both grimaced at its words, she briefly struggled against Antares' emotions. Antares...
Antares took a second to reign in its emotions. Sorry, we just...
I know.
Nalo stepped forward, a unified movement as their minds came closer to merged fully, a snarl in their voice that made Thilra step back fearfully. “Watch your words...”
Moving faster than the golem's shell could, they ensnared it with negative energy. Watching the shell go limp and electrified aura fade as they grasped at the core's life force. Ignoring the pitiful, whimpering cry it projected in response. They growled, “Perhaps you need a reminder of your current situation in this world since it seems you're still drunk on the power you had in another. Here you are far from the most powerful entity wandering around, and are very much mortal. You'd best watch how you talk to those who are stronger than you.”
They released the golem, watching the shell finish falling over before turning to leave. “And we thank you for this magical amplifier that you kindly discarded. A friend has been looking for it for a while now.”
-All.... noted.... Argh..... -
Nalo huffed and rolled her eye, barely feeling her mind drift back separate from Antares'. Stepping through a wormhole to one of their local safehouses, eager to at least somewhere safer, out of the relative open.
V2.1:
Show spoiler
Nalo lightly stepped through the narrow ally, cautiously approaching the arcane golem named Thilra. The other was unaware It was being approached. Too occupied with staring at a small, likely stolen, magical trinket to notice. Not to mention Alex's other half, Antares, was making was keeping them in a mostly invisible and intangible state to remain hidden.
Antares' thoughts echoed alongside her own in amusement, And we thought an entity like that would be able to notice, being energy and all.
Alex smirked her Nictus companion's comment, Apparently not, probably because it's arcane energy, but all the better for us regardless.
Thilra tossed the magical trinket after fidgeting with it for another moment. Nalo hastily stepped free of their stealth, quickly creating a small portal to catch the object.
Alex continued to smirk under her mask as she briefly examined the small artifact with a sharp eye. It was a smooth stone marked with runes, inconspicuous to those who didn't know what it could do. “Careful where you throw magic things, never know who might pick it up around here.”
Her one-eyed gaze shifted back to Thilra, who'd spun to face them and taken a defensive stance. The golem's thoughts intruded on their own -Nalo, what are you two doing here? This is no place for your heroics.-
They both mentally flinched at the projection, glad it could only send and not read. Alex narrowed her eye at it “We're familiar with the Isles, and we aren't here on Hero work.”
The tone of Thilra's thoughts became curious, -Oh really?- mocking amusement replaced curiosity -Returning to old ways, Warshade?-
Alex gritted her teeth as she struggled against Antares' emotions. Antares....
The Nictus took a moment to reign in its emotions before they could overwhelm her Sorry, we just...
I know.
Drawing slightly on Antares' essence, Alex stepped forward. Their minds drifted closer together, acting as one when they snarled “Watch your words.”
Thilra had barely begun to step back when they lashed out with negative energy, ensnaring the shell it controlled. The golem's shell fell to its knees and its aura faded as Nalo tugged at its core energy with their own powers. They ignored the pitiful, whimpering cry it projected.
Nalo growled “Perhaps you need a reminder of your current situation since it seems you're still drunk on the power you don't have. Here you are far from the most powerful entity wandering around and are very much mortal. You'd best watch how you talk to those who are stronger than you, especially in the Rogue Isles.”
They released the golem's core and watched it fall over completely. Their minds started to separate again as Alex continued in a mocking tone of her own “And we thank you for this minor artifact you've kindly discarded. A friend has been looking for it.”
Thilra's underwhelming response was simply: -All... Noted...-
Alex huffed and rolled her eye, slipping through a wormhole back to one of her local safehouses. Eager to get home, or somewhere out of the open.


Test Blurb 2
Anchor Link || Characters: Zero Law, Saeva, Charm
Show spoiler
Zero stared at the lavender-colored energy puffball that floated within the glass container that held it. Barely able to look away from it as the colors shifted from light to dark and back while it looked around the room through the glass. Another hybrid between Kheldians and Nictus, hesitantly called 'Three' for the moment. It looks kinda cute. No one ever mentioned the hybrids looked smaller than pure unbound Nictus or Kheldians. Unless that's unusual for them... Saeva would've said something about that though right?
She looked toward Saeva, who kept looking between it and a few energy readouts. “So what are we going to call this one? Or did the plan even go that far?”
Saeva looked at her “I hadn't really thought that far yet, only that I didn't want us to call it by the same code that Twilight and 0-2 had been called by their creators.”
“That is a pretty soulless method of naming anything.” Zero shivered slightly when she remembered her interactions with the entity known as 0-2 “Furies only know why the parasite seemed to embrace that kind of name, as much as it fits.”
Suddenly another mind's thoughts skimmed the edges of her own, a sad feeling tainted the small voice that translated them -I don't like this little container...-
Both heroes grimaced at 03's thoughts. Saeva turned fully toward the container to speak more directly to it “And we really don't like keeping you in there, but it's necessary until we can find someone willing to be a host for you. Which...” She sighed, “... might take a while. I worry mostly due to the second one's awful reputation.”
Zero watched 03 for a moment “The saying does go 'third tries a charm' or something, and that was only the second one. A name that isn't purely a number designation would probably help, what do you think little... uh... fella?”
Savea facepalmed and Zero got the impression that 03 was silently laughing at her. …. Great job with words there, Zero.
A faint giggling backed its thoughts, which were easier to hear now -... I like how Charm sounds.-
Both heroes smiled “May as well make the saying a bit more literal this time. It does seem to fit you, Charm.”


Prompt Blurb 1
Anchor Link || Characters: Zero Law, ???
Prompt: Kill a favorite character.
While most of the rest of these do happen... this one is an avoided event (if narrowly). So this blurb is sorta alternate timeline-y or something.
V1.0:
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Zero Law blitzed through the air, praying whatever thing was chasing her would give up. Her suit let her fly fast but... could she outfly one of these new invaders? They had no idea what these things were capable of, other than being stronger than almost anything seen so far.

She tried her comms link again “Guys I need help where-” something blasted one of her suit's wings “-SHIT!

The remaining wing snapped to her back as she activated her personal shield, barely before she hit the ground. Everything hurt by the time she stopped tumbling, probably had a few broken bones, but she was alive.

Zero struggled to get up, disoriented from the impact and pain. She managed to get to one knee as something heavy landed nearby.

Her helmet's HUD said that wasn't a friendly.

She finally looked up at the thing that was chasing her. Power armor of an unfamiliar design completely covered it, holding a weapon just as foreign. An almost robotic voice emerged from the creature.

“This will be quicker if you surrender.”

Zero huffed, raising a directional energy shield between her and the armored thing as she stood. It raised its weapon and fired a few high powered energy projectiles into her shield. The shield flickered heavily, the shield wasn't going to last much longer.

She dropped the shield and tried to open a wormhole to throw the creature back, maybe send it sprawling. Something to buy her time.

The wormhole opened in the wrong spot and almost instantly fizzled out of existence again.

Zero tensed, that never happened. She didn't miss like that, something was messing with her powers.

The armored creature took one hand off its weapon, pain shot through her body like something was being torn from her. Zero made one last effort to bring up a shield but found nothing responding to the command.

What was happening?

She found herself on the ground as the new pain faded. She took a few seconds to register her suit being completely powered down. She tried to draw on the only other source of her power that wasn't linked to the suit and found it... missing.

I'm... I'm going to die...

She could hear the creature's weapon charging to fire again as it stood over her.

V2.1 (May get further edits):
Show spoiler

Zero Law darted through the air as quickly as her suit would allow, praying her pursuer would give up. She could fly fast but... could she outfly these new invaders? Their capabilities were unknown, but from the bit of fighting she'd seen already, they were well beyond previous opponents she'd faced.

Nothing should be able to punt a shapeshifted Warshade across a plaza like that. Especially not one like Nalo, she's immovable in dwarf form! What the hell are these things?!

She tried her comms link with the others “Guys, I need help, where-” she felt a burst of heat at her back as something blasted one of her suit's wings “-SHIT!

The remaining wing snapped to her back as she activated her personal shield, barely in time to hit the ground hard. Pain shot through her body as she tumbled roughly down the otherwise empty street. She barely registered when she did finally stop, dazed from the impact and pain. Battered, probably a few broken bones, but alive for now.

She struggled to get upright, barely getting to one knee before something heavy landed nearby.

Her helmet's HUD said it wasn't one of her allies.

Zero finally looked up at her pursuer. It stood taller than a human, covered in power armor of an unfamiliar design, wielding a weapon just as foreign. An almost robotic voice emerged from the creature: “This will be quicker if you surrender.”

Slowly she got to her feet, fighting her body's complaints and raising a directional shield between her and the creature as she spoke. “What will-” Her opponent didn't let her finish before raising its weapon and putting a couple of high-power energy projectiles into the shield. She watched the field in front of her flicker heavily, it wouldn't last much longer.

Zero shifted her suit's power off the shield to open a wormhole under the creature. Hoping to throw it back, maybe even send it sprawling, something to buy her time.

Instead, the wormhole opened in the wrong spot, and fizzled out of existence almost immediately.

She tensed. That never happened before, she didn't miss like that, something was messing with her powers.

The creature took one hand off its weapon and raised it toward her. Blinding pain shot through Zero's body, it felt like something was being torn from her. She made one last desperate effort to bring a shield up, but nothing responded to the command.

She couldn't tell if she was actually screaming from the pain or if it was all internal. What is happening?!

As the pain faded and her senses returned she found herself on the ground again. It took a few seconds longer for her to register her suit as being completely powered down. A brief attempt was made to draw on her only other source of power, unconnected to her suit. But she found it... missing.

How did... I... I'm going to die here...

The last thing she heard was the creature's weapon charging as it stood over her.



Background Blurb 1
Anchor Link || Characters: Deanna, Sico (will get pages or at least visible notes later)
Random muse awakening for a bit of Deanna's background, as much as the event will come up in actual story for her (Once, maybe twice.)
Prototype title: 'A Path Unchangeable'
V1.2:
Show spoiler

Deanna slipped through narrow, shadowy alleyways. Wishing she'd been able to conceal her pistols and other gear better before she had set off. At least so far it seemed no one of her mostly-psychic family had noticed her leave in the middle of the night.

They wouldn't be happy, of course, likely to come looking for her later, but...

They're a small-time mafia, I can find bigger things to do with my skills and tech. I want to find bigger things to do. Why can they not understand that?

Deanna slipped onto a painfully narrow side road between buildings, sticking close to the walls and shadows. She was about to turn a corner into another alley when a familiar voice echoed in her head. Filled with mock disappointment.

-You were going to leave without saying goodbye, Butterfly?-

Deanna paused at her older brother's words, of course, Sico knew she would be there. He was the one seer of her family of psychics.

-Sico... You know I love you as my brother, but I'm not changing my mind--

The tone of his thoughts took on a serious feeling -Deanna... I know I can't say anything to change your mind, that's not why I'm here.-

He rarely called her by her real name, unless it was something important. She carefully stepped into the alleyway where he was. Quietly peering at Sico through the gloom, he was leaning against the wall ahead of her. She couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been waiting.

“Why are you here then?”

Sico looked over to her, a playful smirk on his face. “To see my favorite sister before she vanishes on everyone.”

Deanna rolled her eyes. “I don't need to be psychic to tell that's at least partly a lie, you wouldn't have called me Deanna if that were your only reason for coming out here.”

He sighed, “Come on, at least let us talk for a bit before I get to that... please?”

Deanna's gaze softened. How many times has he gone through this interaction with his foresight?

“Alright, I'll stay for a bit, but what will we talk about?”

Sico leaned his head back against the wall. “What about... where are you planning on heading?”

Deanna shrugged slightly. “Other side of town, next town over if that wasn't far enough to get away from the rest of the family.”

Sico chuckled. “So you have no plan? Didn't Dad teach you the importance of one?”

She started to say something but stopped and stared at him for a moment. “I have a vague plan. I've managed fine with less before. Dad also taught us how to improvise.”

He looked back at her with a renewed smirk. “Plans are still helpful to have more details for.”

At this point Deanna could tell he was messing with her and she giggled. “Oh shush you. I've got my tools and a friend waiting for me that'll help. So I do have more of a plan than just that. I'll be fine,” she stopped and blinked as something occurred to her, “Unless that's why you're here...”

“It isn't, I just didn't want you to leave without seeing one of us again... goes better for you.”

Deanna's eyes widened a bit. “You're saving my life with this aren't you?”

Sico lowered his head and sighed softly, she caught him, “Yes, I am. But probably not in the timeframe you're thinking of. Short term you're right, you'll be fine, things go well. Anywhere from months to a year later and then...”

She finished the sentence he didn't want to, “Disaster that can be avoided.”

He nodded and looked up at her again. “Deanna... Just remember why you're leaving.”

Deanna blinked, a frown crossing her face. Guess I'll figure out what that's for later, but I know I'm looking for better opportunities. A tinge of doubt followed that thought.

“I will. So... is this goodbye for us then?”

Sico gave her a soft, slightly sad smile. “Just until next time.”

She returned the smile and stepped forward to pull him off the wall into a tight hug. “Will we know when our paths cross again?”

He returned the hug with a gentle squeeze. “Yes, much later, we'll both have lost something but have also grown.”

Deanna hummed softly for a moment. “Until next time, Sico.”

“Until next time Butterfly.”

Deanna pulled away from the hug and looked at him one last time. A moment later she dashed off into what remained of the night.


She didn't hear his last words, though he didn't want her to hear them anyway:

“So much more powerful than you realize... Hopefully, the fates will see to it that our next meeting isn't in the afterlife. As rough as it'll be otherwise...”



Cover image: by Foxyowlet

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