{OPEN}

[absolute_npc]

Who: Everyone/Anyone!
What: Exploring the Casino, Take 1
Where: The Entertainment District
When: after this and this

Comments

THE CASINO: Bottom Floor

[absolute_npc]

timeskipping a bit, let me know if this is a problem!

[cryptdeify]

[After the trio had wandered around the maze for a good amount of time, it's almost as if time stops. The smell of blood on metal, and something more foul-something not human-isn't so far off from where Max, Albedo, and Heine are wandering about. It's anxiety, pressure, and everything in between clumped into one festering sensation, as trembling footsteps not so far off begin to shake the very foundations of the walls surrounding them.

(Is this how the victims felt before their messy demise?)

Whatever it is, Lawfer's staying far away from it... except as much as he'd love to do that, it'd be a stupid move on his part.

What will you do, foreigners?]

[purpletaint]

[ Time was something fleeting, unable to be counted in the dark. Still, it passed, enough for the boy to grow impatient, to stop his idle humming, and instead feel the walls as they passed for any other outlet of area. He had no mind to think they would be stuck forever--however, much longer and Albedo would be in a horrid mood.

He started to purse his lips in annoyance, taking in the smell of blood and familiarity and still find fault--when the vibrations began to hit, shakes that became obvious footsteps, large and threatening.

His head tilted like a bird as he viewed the dark, considering the risk analysis--the amusement ratio. However-- ] Hmm.~

[ He moved forward again without considering backwards--they could remain if they so wanted. ]

[absolute_npc]

[Well you all better start moving because suddenly those footsteps get heavier and faster. It sounds similar to an animal charging at something, although that didn't make much sense, did it? The walls create the hallways and during your time down there so far, it's more than likely you've already tried breaking through the wall somehow instead of what seemed to be wandering aimlessly.

So, just more noise to scare the shit out of the unfortunate souls.

Or. Not.

Behind the three, the wall doesn't even have time to crack, it just explodes from the sheer force of the weight that struck it, sending pieces of the wall spiraling in different directions, a powdery fog engulfing the thing responsible for it.

It looks kind of exactly like this, although its back is all that can be seen for the moment.

Not for long, though, and, oh boy, does it look happy (read: axe rage swinging happy) to see the three of you!]

[nebenmond]

[WELP. That's never happened before, probably. Everyday in Nuadoria is a learning experience!

Heine doesn't move, growing tense, after turning to see what had just occurred after that sound of the wall exploding rocked itself across the entirety of the basement, most likely. He doesn't say anything either, at least until the smoke had disappeared and the monster turned around to look at the small group.]

-Oh holy shit.

[lolwhatfuture]

[What a fun day it had been, and now with pieces of wall smacking every which way and the new presence of an engulfing powder that she couldn't help coughing up made the experience all the more wonderful.

Scowling with displeasure she turned, wondering what genius could have possibly caused such a mess, but the glare fell away at the sight of the creature before them. There wasn't much to say, at least nothing much more poetic than what Heine had managed, and still even with the heart-stopping presence of their new friend she couldn't help stepping slightly closer to young Albedo, a protective gesture despite his upper hand in all this.]

Well...crap.

sorry for the delay!

[purpletaint]

[ The sound and context of an explosion is too near to a time period better left forgotten, and yet still, his eyes widened in a too bright manner, following the rubble as it lay strewn across the hall. There was a twitch in his brain, a switch in his mind, and if--

Then the creature showed itself, and Albedo relaxed. Ah, a monster. That was far more simple than the beasts of the soul, betrayers in blood and heart.

Max moved in front of him, and he was incorrigibly charmed. Even though the girl knew he was far more than capable at taking care of himself. He stepped forward, trailing his fingers against the edge of her wing as he did so in something close to affection. As he moved further, a steady violet glow began to pulse around his body. ]

...Oh.~ Am I allowed to play now?

[ The boy smiled, a cat with a canary grin. This seemed like it could be fun, perhaps a challenge if he was lucky. ]

I'll catch up, if you like. You continue on.

no worries at all *_*

[nebenmond]

[Heine knew there had been something strange about Albedo from the start. He couldn't place it, but his confidence in the impression only strengthened when he watched Albedo eventually pass him, the words from the boy reminding him momentarily of Luki and Noki

[lolwhatfuture]

[That feathered edge pressed gently to his palm in response, part involuntary twitch and part assurance, and she watched that terrible smile and the ethereal glow about him as Albedo passed. He chilled her, maybe because his age and the frail body that went with it made his request that much more disturbing, because he was still a child and it still required heavy effort to keep from grabbing his arm and yanking him back away from the monster with a frantic, maternal scolding. And yet she remembered how he had forced her away without touching her that time before, and the perfect sealing process of broken flesh.

Heine looked at her, and she thought, Don't make me choose, because that part of her that screamed to protect couldn't leave him, but the part of her that was proactive and a leader knew they should go and accomplish what they could while Albedo distracted the beast. Max gave Heine a regretful look but nodded, the movement forced and robotic. They would go on together and keep searching.]

Okay, fine. [Her look hardened then

[purpletaint]

My...~

[ The boy had noticed the silent interlude, and then Max's grudging permission. He smiled at her, charmed. ] Thank you ever-so-much for your permission.~

[ Not that he needed it, and she knew that as well. It was the familiarity with him that she pressed forth that was interesting, more-so than much he had seen.

But his attention on her stopped there, and his eyes shifted, shined inhumanly, and focused on the creature before him. A minotaur, was it? Alas, there was no golden thread for the other two to follow, but perhaps there was only one son of a beast here for him to entertain. Albedo spread his arms apart, walking forward casually. ]

...Come, now. See how fiercely you can rend me limb from limb.

[ Let's see how far this game could go. ]

[redeify]

[ far be it for dai to miss a good show.

up from the direction max and heine turned in, dai slipped out of the darkness like grey smoke, very suddenly and very silently there in a single breath. it was hard to miss albedo's narrow back, the shock of soft white hair and that eerie glow surrounding his body, all too tell-tale of what was about to happen; so, it had only just begun, had it?

and here he'd worried about being late. he could feel albedo's whereabouts easily enough, after all, but that didn't give him a definitive route.

he smiled, but he said nothing to alert the turned albedo to his presence. it wouldn't do to break his concentration or give him performance anxiety, would it? instead, he trained his gaze down on heine and max, pressing his finger to his smiling lips.

very, very quietly, he murmured to them alone. ]

You've made the considerate decision, you know.

Keep on. I'll make sure he gets back to you.

[ in the end, he had to protect his investments. and he had to keep up the incentive behind those investments

[nebenmond]

[Maybe he really felt this way, or maybe it was the fact he was directly aligned with an opposing element that Heine tensed when he saw Dai. Oh, yeah, this figured, as if the kid hadn't been setting off alarm bells, enough.

He didn't forget shit so easily, that was why his eyes narrowed at the Fire Magister's appearance. So, Albedo was aligned with him? Guess Heine couldn't say he was surprised. It would be a reason to later avoid him, though.

Heine didn't even think about his next set of actions and instead grabbed Max by the wrist. "Let's go." he said, his voice almost a growl. Without hesitation he literally dragged her past the Fire Magister before quickly letting go.]

[lolwhatfuture]

[The appearance of Dai set her on instant rewind. Suddenly leaving Albedo alone with the minotaur and this pointy-eared stranger with the unwholesome smile became too bad of an idea, and she made to raise a fuss just when Heine snatched her wrist and yanked her forward.]

Hey-

[But he'd pulled passed Dai and let go so quickly that the brief protest was all she could manage. Max kept walking alongside him, rubbing her wrist grudgingly, never a fan of being taken control of on any level, and side-eyed him. It wasn't difficult to gather that he preferred the company of a creepy labyrinth to Dai, which set her suspicions of Albedo's new watcher on high alert and made her wonder just what history between the two made Heine so quick to leave. And often being about as subtle as a pistol whip to the face, she asked-]

What was that about?

[cryptdeify]

[The first thing that ran across in his mind was, how dare they. These foreigners were messing everything up, and he could feel it down his spine just how annoyed Gaea was getting each passing second, especially with the Minotaur now active and searching for blood. It made his job a lot more complicated than before-what was once a search and get the hell out mission had become a search, get out, and make sure no one else is involved mission.

It made Lawfer's odds a lot less appealing.

And there he saw the Fire Magister, from where the foreigners had turned. Just past the Minotaur, the boy, Max, and Heine. Dai.Anger? Lawfer didn't have time for it right now. When the Minotaur charged at Albedo's direction and stopped in its tracks, he didn't have time to hesitate. Taking the gun from his holster, Lawfer broke off into a dash soon after Heine's initiative, and before the dog comes to a stop he might feel a stinging sensation at the back of his leg

[nebenmond]

I hope you never have to find out.

[That was all he said, or rather, all the time he had before another surprise showed up, but not before Heine could feel a seering pain at the back of his leg and he automatically collapsed to one knee as his weight was no longer being held in balance.

He would have turned to find the culprit, but Heine found he didn't have to. He remembered this one, this asshole who almost shot him when Anima was around.]

You-

[And he went to get up, went to spring forward only never getting to do either as that pouch was thrown into the air and exploded, the force and seer of flame that came with it not allowing him to go forward at all.

LAWFER GET BACK HERE.]

[lolwhatfuture]

[Well that was cryptic, but it wasn't the best opportunity for sharing time so she simply frowned in response and let it drop, although that would have happened anyway when Heine suddenly collapsed. With Lawfer come out of nowhere and a gun flashing in his hand, it was easy to put two and two together. Bastard, she thought angrily, but rather than chase forward she knelt down beside Heine with quick conern and a scowl.

Instead of asking him if he was all right, however, as she'd intended, there was a blast of fire and sound and heat that rolled over and suffocated, and knocked her back on her ass gracelessly. For a moment she thought her face might peel away from the fire and broken bits of wall and dust that shot outward from the force of the explosion, and blindly she grasped for Heine's sleeve just to assure herself that he hadn't been knocked away.]