DA 17: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3...PEayq199Dc

Designed to be over the top and a little corny, with a sense of looming desperation and loneliness at the edges.

As her fairy companions accepted the Faustian deal — eager at the chance to attain power and glory — and went on their own merry way, Tamsin continued to stare at the application form she was handed. She was somewhat taken aback by the fact that anyone could apply for the event. During the event that she had participated in, individuals were specifically sent out personalised invitations. But it appeared that, at least in this world, access to the event had become much less exclusive and more free-form.

Thinking about her past experience reminded the maid of the invitation she had received at that time. It was very distinct — aside from the title and signature, it was blank, completely void of any sort of content. Yet, that lack of words spoke volumes to her even then — it meant that the sender was well aware of the fact that she would follow her master to the very edges of the universe, if need be, and that she required no further persuasion or incentive to come with him to the event. With the written equivalent of silence, the mastermind behind the competition displayed a frighteningly firm grasp of their personal relationship.

But that was then. In this place, her employer — the Namek who was ever eager to prove himself superior to his father, the man in who's name she fought — was nowhere to be found. Furthermore, despite the fact that the event ultimately did not claim any lives, the servant still found her Dante's Abyss experience to be harrowing. As the reality of her present situation finally began to settle in, she felt uncomfortable even standing near the sign-up station of yet another such competition. To her, the promise of fame meant nothing, and she was none too eager to play any part in such a bloodsport again.

Yet, the fickle hand of fate ensured that circumstances would press her to seek out this place knowingly, even eagerly. Because as overwhelming as her fear and hesitation were, her curiosity was greater still. She needed an answer. She needed to know if he was here. And in the absence of other leads, she was willing to seek out even a source she dreaded — the very man that had sent her that blank letter so long ago.

'Um...miss? Are you alright? Was there something about the terms and conditions that was unclear?' came the voice of the station attendant, who had long since finished processing the applications of the small companions the maid arrived with.

This brought the maid out of her thoughtful stupor and she looked up with a confused stare: 'What? Oh, no, no, you...you were quite clear. It's just that, um....could I speak with Damon Dukes, please?'

'I...beg your pardon? Who?' the woman responded with her own perplexed glare. For the silver-haired girl, it was already a thoroughly disheartening response.

'D-Damon Dukes. H-he is the organiser of this event, is he not?' the servant continued with her inquiry, hoping in vain that she merely wasn't understood correctly.

'I'm sorry, but...to my knowledge, there is no one currently employed at Syntech that goes by that name. Are you certain you didn't make a mistake?'

Tamsin looked dejected. Had she really made a mistake? Was it really possible that the fact that this event mirrored the one she had attended in her own world to such a great degree really coincidental? Still, she had to admit to herself that the competition she attended had occurred in a different time and space entirely — much could have changed since then. And even if it hadn't, she never met Damon Dukes personally, knowing only what she was able to gather from the two letters she had received from him. For all she knew, the name 'Damon Dukes' could have just been an alias.

After pondering through the possibilities, the servant addressed the employee once more: 'U-um...I see. In that case, may I be able to speak with the director of your company?'

Caught somewhat off guard by this request, the woman asked: 'Is...there something you aren't satisfied with? Do you wish to file a complaint?'

'N-no, no, I....I am merely in need of information.'

'I am sorry, miss, but the director is a very busy man, particularly at this time. If there's anything you need assistance with, I am certain I-'

'PLEASE!' Suzaku suddenly burst out desperately, startling the Syntech representative. Her neurosis had begun to undermine her composure. 'It's important that I speak with the director! He is the only one who can answer my questions! You have to let me speak with him, please!'

Quite taken aback by the strength of the plea and the despair in the girl's voice, the woman raised her hands defensively: 'Miss, please, calm down...I....' Sighing, she rubbed her forehead before looking at the maid again: 'Do you have a communication device of any kind?'

'H-huh? N-no, I....I do not. B-but you have some means of communicating with your company headquarters, do you not? Please, it...it won't take long,' the silver-haired girl responded, persistent in her request, though she looked embarrassed and apologetic about her outburst.

Resigned, the woman responded with a nod: 'Alright. I can't give you any promises, but...I'll check to see if I can get in touch with him.'

Tamsin bowed deeply in gratitude: 'T-that is all I can ask. Thank you kindly.' Shaking her head, the Syntech employee left her post to look among the equipment she had at the back of the station.

Despite her usually patient nature, Tamsin rubbed her hands nervously as she awaited to see if the attendant would be successful. She felt her chest tightening as her sense of unease continued to mount. She was not certain what outcome she feared more — not getting the answer she was hoping for or not getting an answer at all.

In this tension, minutes seemed to drag on endlessly. But eventually, the female employee returned, holding out what appeared to be a phone. 'You're in luck, miss. I've managed to reach the director and he has agreed to speak with you. But please, keep it brief.'

Strongly resisting the urge to snatch the device, Suzaku accepted the phone with both hands, nodding gratefully. Bracing herself with a deep breath, she brought the receiver to her ear: '...H-hello? This is Tamsin Suzaku of Servus. Are...are you Damon Dukes?'

Character name:
Repliku
Character source: Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories.

Character history:

Created by Vexen because he took an interest in the original Riku, Repliku was intended as nothing more than a clone of the original. Defeated by Sora shortly afterward and having its heart destroyed by Namine, the Replica was able to revive but felt empty inside. Eventually, it was convinced by Axel to hunt down Zexion and acquire his power so that he could face Riku with power that Riku didn't have. Unfortunately,  said power was not enough and he ended up losing against Riku.  

Due to the battle's toll on him, Repliku died then and there but was told by Riku that his heart would go wherever Riku's was when he died. At peace, Repliku thought himself to be dead, but would later encounter Riku again. Instead of attacking him, however, Repliku left immediately. 

Repliku expired shortly after that, only to end up revived by  Omni. Revived, he's only recently arrived in the Omniverse but sees it as an opportunity for him to become more than a clone of Riku. 

Physical Description:




Stats:
ATK: 2
DEF: 2
SPD:2
TEC:4

Starting Proficiencies:
Physical Strength - 1000 
Ranged Proficiency - 1000
Debuff Proficiency - 1000 

Starting Powers:
Master Acrobat (400)
Starting Moves:


Soul Eater (300, Physical Strength, Debuff)The Soul Eater is a falchion-esque sword, with a red, purple and blue blade shaped like a demonic wing. Its handle bears the Gazing Eye and the handle itself consists of dark braids. It has a striking resemblance to Way to the Dawn, as well as Void Gear The weapon can be summoned at will, appearing in Riku's hand in an amorphous cloud of darkness. This is an intermediary of the key blade even though it lacks the same powers that the key blade possesses because it is a weapon that was made to be used with darkness. This takes six seconds for Repliku to summon. The Soul Eater has the dimensions of a standard hand and a half sword. 




 

I confirm that I have read and agreed to the Rules of Conduct.

Where did you find us?  I am a member. 

I plan to have Guu go on the Astral Realm void quest. For the uninitiated, that's the one where you have to hop from dream to dream trying to find the one dream that contains the void gate. Because of this, the quest allows for an episodic feel.

While the dreams I delve into will become plot specific eventually, my plan for a huge chunk of the quest is to take the most common nightmares out there and write individual short stories about each of them.

I'm already making a list of them and researching their common meanings-



[spoiler]Falling/Flying - life problems with relationships, work, or elsewhere, let go.


Teeth falling out - loss of confidence


Public nudity/underwear - Vulnerability, anxiety. Big life changes


Test taking - Stay alert


Dying - End it already!


Meeting a Celebrity - Qualities are vindicated


Being Chased - FACE YOUR FEARS!


Partner is Cheating - Distrust


Late for something - Overwhelmed


Being Pregnant - Desire for something more


Out-of-control vehicle/Trapped in car sinkingc- No control in life


Visions of the dead - Can't let go


Can't save loved ones (t-rex)


Zombie apocolypse - Negative attachments, rapid changes


Eaten by rats - being taken apart, hurt


Fires and Earthquakes - Car trapped in tornado


Wrestling match


Impromtu brain surgery at parties


Horse flies biting heads off/Decapitation


Kiddnapping/Escaping child murderers


Train travelling in a land of increasing disaster


Literally the movie "The Butterfly Effect" - regrets


Being disabled but handling it well - Good job


Someone is in the house - Paranoia


Dispointing family[/spoiler]



If you guys have thought of ones I haven't thought of, post here!

Also, if you guys would like to share your dreams with me, that would help immensely! Give me some inspiration. ^^

Who knows, your imput could go into the final product!

From Rule Page [5] Combat and Judgment

Quote:Aftermath
 
At the end of the fight, the winner may kill their foe or spare them.  Either way, the loser is removed from the island and any of the items they gained ON THE ISLAND (or any artefacts they brought) go to the winner.
 
The survivor will receive some Injuries, but wounds are almost entirely story fodder and I will probably not be tracking Damage.

Sign ups will run until June 14th at 4:30 PM CDT.  At that point, everyone will receive their Starting Point on the map and be free to move, post, make Pick Ups, and Challenge other primes with the hopes of eliminating them.

It might be in your best interest to change your board settings to CDT for the next few weeks.

General Boar, head of the Boar-Pit gang, sits upon his throne of bricks, overlooking a deep, roughly circular hole in the ground. He chuckled as a sum of ten bodies clobbered and tossed each other about. The pit was full of his gang, unarmed in leather armor, for the daily hour-long brawl.

"Alright boys, thirty minutes down, thirty to go! Remember, winner today gets to pick the hunting party for the entire week!" A wave of cheers rose from the brawlers and their efforts intensified. This was not a one-time thing. Ten minutes from then, he would shout the same message and they would burst into new life. Ten more minutes, this would happen again. Then again at five minutes.

Not everyone made it to the end. Some would fall unconscious, others would tap out and crawl to the edge of the pit, and still some would fall from sheer exhaustion. The numbers of knockouts grew fewer and fewer by the week. General Boar's training made sure of that.

The pit was a wondrous idea for training, and it was sad to say it was not Boar's own. The idea was so grand, he itched to join in. Sadly though, the twelve-foot Dire Were-boar was... a bit overwhelming against the much smaller members of the gang. "Twenty minutes till the winner lines you lot up!" He snorted, the thick steel ring in his pig-like nose shifting under his breath.

His thick fingers dig into the brick chair, the kilned clay crumbling under his strength. How he itched to join in! Soon, though... Very soon. "Ten minutes!" His lips curled to a grin. General Boar stood, approaching the edge of the ring. His massive hands rest on his hips as he enjoys the glorious show.

"Five minutes!" The energy of the remaining combatants either doubled... or dropped. Many fought with all their might, but he counted five that simply raised their hands and wove their way to the edge of the pit. They knew they could not come out on top.

"One minute!" The general snorted again, his cloven foot digging into the soft earth around the pit. He counted down aloud, watching as energy either skyrocketed, or waned. Two more gave in. "Three... Two... O--"

"GENERAL!"

"Hrrm?" His gaze lifted from the three men still fighting, turning towards the rather large young man rushing his way. His brow furrowed and his eyes widened at the sight. He pulled a corpse in each hand. "WHAT?! JORIC! What happened?!"

The pit was forgotten. He did not even notice the three fighters groaning as he stormed towards the rotund fighter. "General, I regret to inform you that a new Prime has..." He stopped when General Boar held a hand up to silence him.

"You three were supposed to be an unstoppable team... Is that not what you THREE agreed to?"

"Y-yessir, but--"

"But?"

"But... Ban charged in before me... and the Prime blindsided Leo..." General Boar looked very displeased as he peered down to the bodies.

Suddenly, his nose twitched and he recoiled in near agony. "In all of Camelot, that is a foul stench!"

"That... that would be Ban..."

"Take them away, immediately! And prepare a pyre for their funeral!" With that stench, he imagined their pyre would be something horrid to behold for his sensitive nose.

"Yes sir... One more thing..."

"Make it quick." A massive hand was clinched tightly over his nose, but with its odd shape it was truly difficult to close. "You know what this is doing to me."

"Yes sir... well... Deon is tracking the Prime. He said he will contact us as soon as he's found him. Only..."

"Only what?"

"I think the Prime has joined Dante's Abyss... which means--"

"FUCK. We can't get to him..." The were-boar snorted. "I suppose that just means we have more time to prepare..." His grin returned. Without another word to Joric, the giant turns to face the pit. "Alright, all those standing, line up! Time for the final test!"

SUBJECT: Retirement

Mister Protagonist. We met in the previous Dante's Abyss. I trust you remember me.

I have recently come to a situation where I believe I am ready for...what you might call retirement. I have no interest in engaging in the goings-on of the Omniverse at large or enacting upon any further 'adventures'. That is not why I am contacting you, however.

As I recall, you are something of a samurai. I have in my possession an artifact of considerable power. A katana. I would not wish it to languish in disuse, or to fall into the wrong hands. I feel you would appreciate it as a weapon, and ensure that its power goes to at least a responsible use.

To that end, I will be leaving it in the care of my ward, and in the location I have taken upon myself as my new residence, and where I will be retiring to.

An apartment complex. Valtheim Towers. Tier 2 of Coruscant. Central Avenue. Apartment 5-E. Drop by at your earliest convenience. If I am not there, or...otherwise indisposed, ask for Joline. She will pass the sword to you.

I hope your further adventures in the Omniverse are, at the least, fulfilling.


Colonel.EXE

She had...a fair bit to think about, as she left the EPD headquarters up on Tier 1. Well, maybe 'a fair bit' would be stretching it. But she had more to think about than she did before she had gotten her curiosity sated about this whole star pieces thing. But getting that bit of curiosity sated had lead to an entirely new sort of curiosity to plague her mind. What she'd found out was...well, it made her want to go track down the things herself. Figuring out what they did, and more about them than the general rumors had done less than nothing to actually satisfy her drive to gather them up. If anything, it had made it stronger than ever. She definitely had a goal to tend to, now.

...of course, having a goal was all well and good but it was kind of just sorta... Well, it was pretty much just there. Just a step to work toward, to start climbing that staircase of one step after another on the road to accomplishing the minor goals to reaching the final one. In the meantime, she needed to find something else to do. Tracking down a bunch of things like these star pieces wasn't going to be easy. She'd wager money on it, if she had any to wager. Just like the dragonballs, it was bound to be waaaaay more difficult than expected at first to track them down. Especially since they were apparently scattered all over, in all of the different verses. And...maybe other people had already gotten their hands on some of them. They didn't exactly seem to be an unnoticed event, with how they'd arrived and all.

One way or another, it was going to be a real adventure to track them down, though! And she'd need to really make sure she was strong enough to manage it. She probably wasn't going to be able to ask for much in the way of help. It wasn't exactly...an official mission or anything. Just something she'd be taking upon herself to get done, out of sheer curiosity. So she'd pretty much be on her own. Maybe...she could ask Zedd to help her? The star pieces did seem pretty powerful, and he was always going on about how he was after getting stronger and more powerful. Something like this was bound to interest him! Yeah, that was it! She'd ask Zedd about it, when she was ready to set out and start tracking them down!

The thought of that made her grin. Almost like the old days. Going out on some crazy adventure into the unknown with an unexpected ally, to track down and gather up a bunch of mysterious artifacts...yeah! It was gonna be great! Now she couldn't wait to get going with it.

...but, she did have something else to do first. She had kind of been lazing around for a while lately. She couldn't really tell how long, but it felt like...like a long time. She was all out of shape and out of practice. And still a lot weaker than she was before coming to the Omniverse. She had always been good at getting stronger in a hurry, back home, but she doubted... Well, it probably wasn't going to be that easy, here. There wasn't anything like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber around here that would let her get in a lot of practice and training in a hurry. So...she'd just have to do this the old-fashioned way!

Find someone to beat the snot out of, and get the snot beater out of her by! Just like the good ol' days. Both of her hands curled into fists, and a smile split her features. With her perpetual glare, and lack of ability to really emote, it came across as just plain unsettling. But she was nothing but happy, like a child with a new toy.

And when something caught her eye, as she wandered aimlessly and in no particular hurry back toward the way that would lead her back down to the lower tiers, her excitement faded away immediately, replaced with an equal level of curiosity in her blank, wide-eyed stare. She had almost missed it, so wrapped up in her own thoughts and planning, but there it was. She had no idea what it was all about or what it was supposed to be, but somehow, it stood out to her. For a reason she couldn't really explain.

"Dante's...Abyss?" she spoke aloud to herself, reading the sign. "...huh."

Harry's next few training sessions with Captain America were a painfull blur best described in detail only later, in flashbacks perhaps.

Captain America, or as Harry had began to think of him, Steve Rodgers, was by all accounts a master of hand to hand combat. Harry Potter was not.

What Harry had was raw power. His clumsy punches, when they connected, channeled his spells into powerful blasts of energy. His slow, novice blocking was compensated for by the two-foot shield charm he would summon around one of his hands.

The Captain has come to think of Harry like a 'Brute'; a big, nontechnical fighter who was tough and strong. He could also not deny that every session, Harry became more powerful, but he was worried the young wizard mistook it for a rise in his skill level.

Harry had began to inquire about the Avengers; Captain America would always answer honestly, never overselling the organization. Harry asked about the missions; the Captain knew he was getting antsy. One day, Harry asked about Dante's Abyss; and the Captain knew Harry would die.

Later that night, Captain Steve Rodgers watched as Harry flew away on his Firebolt without leaving a note.

***

Harry Potter landed on the beaches of Costa Del Sol at midnight, touching down at Lifeguard Tower Nine and Three Quarters. He spent some time there, alone, watching the ocean and thinking. In the back of his mind, he felt Tom calling. He did not answer, but simply got back on his broomstick and sailed off into Costa Del Sol to find a signup station.

***

The station was oddly quiet, advertised with a large buzzing neon sign blinking DANTE'S ABYSS SIGNUP. Harry noticed it was largely empty, this late at night and this late into registration. A single attendant snoozed softly behind the counter.

"Hullo," Harry said politely, startling the pretty attendant out of her slumber.

"Wha'?" she asked proffesionally, batting her long eyelashes. "Oh, uhm, yes, hello."

"Thanks," Harry said for some reason. "I want to register for the cricket competition."

The attendant stared at him blankly with a pair of big amber eyes.

"No wait," he said, "I meant Dante's Abyss."

The attendant did not smile, but simply slid him a stack of forms.

After he had filled them out, the attendant turned on a camera in front of the desk, and asked Harry a series of questions.

***

"What's your name?" asked the pretty receptionist.

Harry cleared his throat. "Harry Potter."

"Tell the camera," she said, and Harry faced the camera, his lightning bolt scar prominent.

"Harry Potter," he said more confidently.

"Where do you live, Harry?" she asked politely.

"The Vasty Deeps, uh, Costa Del Sol," the wizard replied.

"What do you do in Costa Dle Sol, Harry?" she continued.

"I'm a volunteer lifeguard," Harry replied.

"That sounds exciting," she pressed.

Harry smiled a little. "I'm used to excitement. My old verse had plenty of that."

"What was your life like back in your own world?" the reporter asks.

Harry leaned back in his chair and laughed a little, his green eyes sparkling. "Adventurous," he said simply, and the attendent nodded.

"Why are you joining Dante's Abyss?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "Cardio?"

He swore he saw her smile.

"And how are you going to win Dante's Abyss?" she asked.

Harry sighed, showing signs of impatience as he looked way from the camera, and then back again. "I don't know," he confessed. "But I'll win. It's what I do. It's what I've always done."

The attendant nodded.

"And finally, do you have anything you would like to say to the sponsors?" she asked. Harry watched a lock of hair break loose from her tight bun and drift in front of her eye. She did not seem to notice.

"No," he answered firmly. "Are we done here?"

***

"Make sure you have everything you need before you enter the arena; you won't be able to summon anything," the attendant warns.

Harry thought about it for a moment, then summoned a Holly and Phoenix Feather wand. He swished it around a little bit, and sighed.

It was a poor substitute, a wand that had not chosen the wizard, but it was better than nothing.

Harry gripped himself very tightly, and with a feeling not unlike travelling by Floo, he was transported to Syntech Station 17.

***