(Preshow) Preshow Facility

[Karl Jak]

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This facility includes everything listed in the thread below.

http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=10055

Please denote your facility location in your post title.  Example: <Barracks> Preshow Facility

[Bandit With No Name]

“Please clear the teleportation area,” a pleasant voice chimed over the intercom. “Please clear the teleportation area.” The few techs shuffled away from the pad, not taking much note. “Oversized load incoming. Oversized load incoming. Please clear the teleportation area.” A brief silence occurred as the computer processed. “Teleportation area clear.”
 
There was a flash of light that filled the entire room, the techs holding their touch screens in front of their eyes and staggering back as the massive object was warped in from another verse. The floor shook as the object hit it, a waft of air flowing over everyone in the room. The massive military truck sat in the center of the room, its suspension gently rocking back and forth, springs squeaking softly.
 
“Holy shit,” the woman in the driver’s seat laughed, “that was awesome.”
 
Caret laughed, her pink hair tussled and wild. “We are definitely doing that again, right? We get to teleport out of here when it’s over?”
 
The eldar in the truck’s bed laughed softly and pulled the large spikes that had anchored her from the bed of the truck. “I believe so,” she uttered softly, her voice echoing in the minds of any that could hear it. In a flutter of her red and black cloak she bound from the back and onto the floor, barely making a sound. “In the meantime, I will only be happy that we did not need to travel the Webway to reach our destination. I had been concerned.”
 
“Nah,” the bandit kicked open her door. “I dunno what the Webway is, but we don’t have to do any spooky shit to teleport in the Omniverse.” She hopped from the seat of the truck and landed with a metallic thump, then looked over to a Syntech employee and tossed the keys to him. “Just put it somewhere where I can find it, yeah?”
 
The tech looked at the keys, and then looked at the woman. She wasn’t going to argue. “Uh. Alright.”
 
The trio began to make their way through the only door available and into the sprawling building, Balanlara taking the lead. “Fascinating,” she stated, violet eyes darting from object to object. “Different than the technology on Coruscant, but not superior.”
 
“Yeah,” the nameless woman confirmed, “You see a lot of divergent tech throughout the verses. That’s especially so in the Dunes for some reason, but this place seems like it’s pretty much all the same stuff.” She stalk around for a moment, taking note of each of the different doors leading into the separate chambers. “I guess this place is the Nexus of the Danteverse.”
 
Caret’s eyes were wide. “I just realized that this is the first time I’ve been out of the verse I was made in!” She excitedly clung to the bandit’s arm. “This is so cool! Thank you so much for bringing me along!”
 
The woman smiled down at her, “You know what’s crazy? You could have left any time. There’s nothing stopping you, kid.”
 
“Only the inertia of a settled heart,” Balanlara said passingly as she swept up to a nearby chamber door. “Ah, a training facility.”
 
“Sign reads ‘barracks,’” the marauder noted. “I bet that’s where we all crash between rounds or whatever.”
 
“What about the spectators?” Caret asked with no small amount of unsurety. “I mean, I guess I can sleep on the floor somewhere, but I’d rather not.”
 
A Syntech worker walked up to the group and smiled. “Hello! I seems like you’re the first of the entrants to arrive. Yes, the contestants will have a private space in the barracks, but participants will have to return home if they’d like to rest between matches.”
 
The towering woman shrugged. “Whatever, you two can stay with me. I’ll make some extra beds if we need to.”
 
The worker nodded, “That should be fine, yes.” She gestured to the rooms around them. “We have several amenities available to all of the contestants and their guests. You look like you might enjoy the bar, the park, the gym, perhaps even the library? In any case, please don’t hesitate to ask any of our host staff if you have questions or need directions.”
 
“Yo, thank you,” the bandit said to her, and summoned a tiny chip of omnilium. “Thanks for the help.”
 
The host shook her head and smiled cheerfully, “Oh no! Uh,” she paused, “what are your pronouns?” she clarified.
 
“Pronouns?” the surly bandit asked.
 
Another cheerful smile from the host. “He/him, she/her, they/them? Or really anything else you’d like to refer to you as.”
 
The marauder struggled with the concept for a moment before replying. “Oh. Uh, I guess she is fine.”
 
The host nodded politely in thanks. “Well ma’am, we are not allowed to accept tips. But thank you so much!”
 
“Oh,” the omnilium vanish from the bandit’s fingers, “I dunno what that really means; I’m used to paying people who have been helpful instead of trying to blow your fuckin’ face off.”
 
The host shook her head. “No, it’s just my job.” The nameless woman knew that meant, “This is what I was made to do and I don’t have much choice.”
 
“Well maybe I can get you something nice later,” the woman offered as a compromise. “Or not, if that  makes you uncomfortable or whatever.”
 
The host smiled and moved forward in the conversation by gesturing at the bar. “There are multiple restaurants and other refreshment establishments through there if you find yourself hungry after your journey.”
 
The bandit grinned,  said, “Thanks again,” and headed in that direction.

[Jak Mar]

Jak and Daxter was pretty much playing it cool until too many microphones got stuffed into their faces

"Look who we have here! It's "Dynamite Kid, The Abyss's hero and who's this? His pet??!"

Daxter growled "Back off! I'm not his pet! My name is Orange Lightnin'! "

"So Dynamite kid, can you explain last year? What happened?"

He pushed the cameras aside as Daxter posed as they moved toward the Restaurants, remembering the old format from last year's Dante Verse.

Dax's stomach rumbled "Jakkkkkk... I'm hungry!"

Jak pulled Daxter away from the Cameras and both went toward the Restaurants. It's when the ottsel pointed out the woman with dreadlocks and blinked "Ashelin- what are you-"

The wastelander turned, blinking and then looked again. That wasn't Ashelin. It must of been one of the other competitors.



Main toward Resturants

[Marisa Kirisame]

As Marisa entered the Danteverse proper she felt her stomach churn as she didn't know how Yukari and Reimu did it. A green face and a few minutes of calming her stomach down she left the pad and started to head down the hallway to see what could be found here. She was quickly hounded upon as a few mics were shoved into her face.

"Looks like we got a newcomer to Dante's Abyss here and there name is?" The voice was in the same vein of Aya reporter of the bunbunmaru newspaper who had a tendency to start as many incidents as she reported on. "Marisa Kirisame." Marisa pushed the weird machine away from her face as she tried to move away from the crowds with little to no actual success by weaker pushing and shoving away from the paparazzi.

Soon enough though she did reach a bar and entered heading straight towards the bar counter. "I'll have some sake." She chuckled as a cup was slid towards her with some sake. She nodded and started to drink for the cup slowly savoring the burning taste going down her throat. Once the cup was emptied she sighed as the buzz was barely there that someone in Gensokyo worked for in her case.

She dropped a couple coins for the drink before leaving the bar earlier than she would of personally liked and headed off to find something to read up.

marisa went from teleporter to bar to library

[Desman Black]

As Desman stepped through the teleporter, he was annoyed he was held up so long at the registration tent. His mood certainly did not increase when a handful of reporters came up to him.

Walking start past them, Desman only let out a small grunt instead of the answers to the questions they were asking before moving through the teleporter room exitway, picking a random direction and heading for it to look for what he wanted.

Desman is now in the Library

[Jak Mar]

The ottsel was almost compelled to go feed himself after this stranger stopped Jak and himself from getting some food. "Hey Jak, I'm going to get some grub for me and you. "

Orange Lightning was soon heading to the restaurants.

Daxter-Restaurants
Jak- Main area

[Bandit With No Name]

Somebody spoke to the woman, and she turned to find a short man with bright green hair, exceptionally long, pointed ears, short cropped greenish blonde hair, a small goatee of the same color, and wearing a set of crisp waste lander attire with a single wide pauldron. However, it wasn’t the man that was speaking, and instead a yellow and orange, furry animal wearing a pair of denim shorts.
 
She smirked in amusement. “Yo, what up little dude?”
 
The long, furry creature offered a photo-worthy smirk and pushed up on his goggles confidently. “Name’s Orange Lightning.” He offered a small wiggle of his eyebrows for additional emphasis. His stomach growled loudly, and his suave demeanor deflated. “I’m about to go get some food. Want something?”
 
The bandit grinned. “That name is amazing. Ass Kicker is what they ended up putting on my card.” She gestured to the two others that accompanied her. “Yeah, me and these guys were about to go find something. I’ve mostly just eaten stale chips and roasted desert rat my entire life, so I’m pretty stoked to try something new out.”
 
The man winced, "Better than what we eat out there in the Wastelands."
 
"We got exiled to the Wastelands a long time ago back home by some power hungry guy named Veger. He got the people to blame us,” Orange Lightning added.
 
The woman blinked and nodded. "That super blows. I assume in your home universe? It's pretty hard to exile anyone anywhere in the Omniverse." She turned and began making her way into the food section of the compound, the hallway stretching hundreds of feet with some sort of stall of restaurant entrance propped up every couple of yards. The scent of the place was overwhelming but pleasant, cuisines from every conceivable universe mingling in her nose. It only served to remind her that last night’s dinner had been a glass of whiskey.
 
The two new people walked with her, the animal scurrying up onto the man’s long shoulder piece. “Yeah, it sucks. A few friends found me out in the desert or things would have turned out bad.”
 
She passed by a coffee shop, casting a glance through the large glass window inside. "Well, you're here now, so at least you don't gotta worry about that shit anymore. The Omniverse is a fresh start for anybody that comes here."
 
The man continued. “By the way, you hear the interview on TV earlier?”
 
Next, a junk food stand. She’d had enough of that for a lifetime. “Nah, which interview?”
 
The man blinked, seemingly surprised. “I’m a veteran of this Abyss thing. They call be the Dynamite Kid and the Abyss Hero.” He gesticulated a bit, trying to clear the air of anything that might be considered bragging. "That's sort of a nickname i gained from DA 15', I took out the Rock and a few others. Fanclub."
 
“Ah snap!” the woman replied with genuine enthusiasm. "Grats man. I haven't been prime for super long, and my television access out in the Dunes was pretty limited. I caught a bit of a cast from Dante's Abyss 14, but I couldn't even tell you who was playing that year. I just got back from a competition in Camelot. Ranked second."
 
The orange animal shook his head in subtle bafflement. “Second? Amazing.”
 
Jak nodded. "I see. Me and Dax had been all over and been here for 4 years now. The Omniverse might of become a home to us now." He bit his lip a bit sheepishly. “I survived DA 17 as eleventh.”
 
“Fuckin nice,” she congratulated him and offered a steel fingered fist bump. Spotting a stall in the distance, she pointed to it and asked, “You know what a ‘gyro’ is?”
 
The man shrugged. "I don't know, I've only tried Yakow steak and yacow milk, me and Dax got used to eating crap over time."
 
Orange Lightning shrugged passively. "Why not, let's try some ‘gyros’ Jak, our new friend is willing to try it.”
 
"Dax? Is that Yellow Lightning here?" she chuckles. "As far as the gyros, ye, fuck it, let's give em a shot. If we don't like em, it's one more thing off the list." She looked over to her two compatriots, who hada stepped back to allow them to chat. "Caret, Balanlara? You chill with whatever the hell a gyro is?"
 
The eldar remained mostly expressionless but calmly replied, “I have brought my own provisions.” The two that were still unused to her voice were taken slightly aback by the reverberation of her words, but didn’t seem too phased.
 
Caret kicked her heavy boot and shrugged. “Sure.”
 
 "That's my real name. I'm actually the same species as Jak, just accidently got turned into one of these back home,” Dax replied, not seeming to be too bothered by it anymore.
 
The bandit stepped up to the stall and slapped her hand on the counter emphatically. “Four gyros!” she said confidently, and the stall tender nodded wordlessly. She turned her attention back to the pair. “Shiiit, now you’re some kind of awesome fur-snake ass-beater, huh? Have you ever considered swapping back?”
 
"I can't go with Jak during the competition,” Dax said as a bit of a non sequitur. "I have to find that Omni guy to change back."
 
"Oh shit, really? I know all kinds of dudes who transform. That sucks my dude. As far as not being able to join him during the competition, it's cool friend. You'll either meet him after he wins or back at the Nexus. Ain't no thang.” She paused and caught herself for a moment, "Yo Dax, are you a secondary?”
 
“Yeah,” Dax said, tilting his head, “I was summoned by Jak himself.”
 
The stall worker rang the bell and called out, “Four house gyros!” He yelled the order, despite the fact that they were all only a few feet away. The group gathered around the counter and took their orders, the twisting, herby smell of their freshly made food arousing their hunger even more deeply.
 
Jak found a nearby circular table and sat with his food in hand. “Come and eat with us. We got time.”
 
The woman sat down in a huff, the chair squealing a bit under her weight. The white sauce from her meal was already leaking over her fingers, but she barely seemed to notice. She looked to Daxter, who was already delving into his food. "Well if you ever need me or any of my friends to help you get anywhere safely, you just let me know, ok? Primes don't gotta worry about getting merc’ed by some asshole, but you definitely do. I lived that life. You've forever got my props, little man.”
 
Dax worked a small slice of lamb into his mouth and swallowed. "I'll take you up on that. Got my own experience with buttkicking." Another tiny bit of bread was torn off. "I've even saved Jak's ass from prison myself." He devoured another (relatively) massive mouth full. "I can even fix cars and zoomers if you ask." Grinning in a return to his camera-friendly debonair he added, "I have my own story of takin' on NB."
 
The pink haired mechanic chimed in for the first time, “I saved this lunk, too! And I also work on cars and stuff! That’s so cool!” She offered her hand to the little creature, who took it up and shook. “I’m Caret, by the way.” She elbowed the woman and frowned, “Be nice if you introduced me.” The bandit gave her a sardonic glance.
 
Jak looked at his new friends and smiled warmly. “I think we could make a good team.”
 
Dax continued, heedless to the pace of the conversation. “Racing’s my thing. Cars, zoomers, whatever. You name it.”
 
The woman returned his smile. "Yo I'm really glad I met you dudes. We'll have to kick it sometime after this is all over, yeah?"
 
“Of course. Let me know,” Jak said, and began to peel back the foil wrapping his gyro.
 
Dax nodded emphatically. “Whatever you need, I’ll be on call.” His eyes flashed wide and he slithered up onto the tabletop, hold his hands out dramatically. "Wanna hear one of my cool Omniverse adventure?" Jak grinned and pushed his seat back onto two legs, kicked his feet up on the table and watched his friend and took the first bite of the still steaming hot gyro.
 
“Hell yeah,” the woman said, equally amused. She unfolded the paper and foil on the small fold of meat, and took an oversized bite from it. “Holy shit, this is amazing,” she blurted, interrupting Dax from beginning his tale. “It’s got like, this sauce? And there’s this crunch in there from the green stuff? Vegetable of some kind.”
 
“Lettuce,” Alanlara interjected.
 
Seeing the bandit’s reaction, Caret looked down at hers and also dove in. Her lips curled and she forced herself to swallow, then placed it down on the table. “I don’t think I like it very much,” she said with a wave of dissatisfaction.
 
The woman waved her hand dismissively. “We’ll get something else in a minute. I wanna here Dax’s story first.”
 
The tiny mammal wore his best entertainment face and swung his arms wide with dramatic flourish. “There we were, me and Jak in the Endless dunes, right?” He squinted and pointed upwards, “Nippur took us on a mission. Jak helped fight off some stuff,” he pressed his finger into his chest, “I helped too of course, but this guy named Victor? He made me so mad,” his expression deepened into one of theatrical anger, “by letting Jak, my good buddy here, get killed with some sort of stormtrooper blast.” His back straightened to a regal posture, “So me and a friend took on Nippur by ourselves.” Hs hands rose up in claws, trembling in fury. “NOBODY messes with my friend and gets away with it! So we devised a way in,” he walked his fingers along an invisible floor daintily, exemplifying their style and stealth. “I bit Vic’s on the leg as we escaped.” He bit down and thrashed his head around viciously. His eyes opened, and he glanced around to his audience expectantly.
 
"That's an awesome story dude. I haven't had to deal with Nippur too much. Back when I was a raider we pretty much steered clear of any of the big encampments.” She nodded solemnly. “Seriously it had to be tough to do all that as a secondary. That's some loyalty."
 
Dax made his way back to his seat and jumped down into it. “It’s rough sometimes.”
 
Jak kicked his seat back down and patted his savior on the shoulder. "My father is out there in the Dunes trying to build his own place. He tried to get me to join him.”
 
The bandit scarfed another huge bite. “Who’s your dad?” she asked, mouth full.
 
“I’m a prince,” Jak clarified, “My father is named King Damas. He ruled his own place named Spargus at home.”
 
“Oh, that shit’s crazy. Did Omni bring him here too, or is he another secondary?” She used the corner of her sleeve to wipe a smear of tzatziki from her mouth.
 
“A secondary.” Jak looked into his lap, a bit of sorrow leaking through. “I don’t know how he’s going to do it.”
 
 
She nodded. "Yeah, everyone seems to want to rule the world in the OV. It's gonna be practically impossible to do it as a secondary though. Is he some kind of asshole? Why don't you want to join him?"
 
Jak sighed despondently. "I never knew him that well. But I never really wanted to take on a leader role." He looked back up and sighed heavily. "Why is it I feel bad now I'm not helping my dad out when all my friends say I should?”
 
She shrugged, her armor clanking. "Hey man, do what you want to do. That's what the Omniverse is all about. If you've got beef with your dad, it's not your job to make his dreams come true."
 
Nodding, Jak elected to move on. Omnilium shimmered between his fingers for a few moments before a small picture appeared in his hand, which he turned to the three on the other side of the table. “Over here there’s Keira, Ashelin, Torn, Sig, Daxter, and a few more.”
 
“Those your friends?” the woman asked, pushing the rest of the pita into her mouth.
 
He spun the photo back and gazed at it longingly. “Yeah, have lost a lot over the years.”
 
“Any of them follow you into the OV?” She wadded up the foil and tossed it at a nearby trashcan. It bounced off the rim and she scowled. She held her hand out as a nearby host picked it up and threw it away, but said nothing.
 
Jak’s cheeks burned red for a half moment. "I summoned Ashelin in my drunken sleep." It quickly faded as he went on. "I lost Commander Torn a long time ago. Tried to break him out of prison and we failed.”
 
The woman sighed empathetically. "I got you. I've heard of primes summon people in their sleep pretty frequently, actually. Sorry about Torn, though. Shit really, really sucks."
 
Caret whined a little. "Can we go get something else now?"
 
The bandit nodded, took up what was left of Caret's food and stuffed it into her mouth in one go. "Alright bud, I'mma go grab Caret some other food. Good to meet you! If I don't see you around before the competition, hopefully I'll see you out there."
 
"Yeah, and Dax, we can cheer them on together!" Caret said cheerfully.
 
Dax smiled and waved. "I'll find you Caret!"
 
Jak gazed into the distance. "I just hope this doesn't distract us from the competition.” He turned his attention back to her and grinned, “And hope we get lucky enough to be paired up!"
 
"Yeah, that would be sick! The Dynamite and the Ass Kicker together. I'm sure Syntech would have plenty of fun with that." She stood and flexed, copying Daxter’s dramatic flair.
 
Jak smirked, "Of course. I'd like that.  But I'd hate to be on the opposite side of the Ass kicker too.”
 
She pointed and winked at Jak as she stood with her retinue. “I'm sure the Dynamite Kid would be a tough opponent to roll up on too, bud." She gave him another fist bump smiled to Daxter, and walked into the depths of the refreshment paradise.

[Yu Kanda]

Teleporters, this way of transportation was still the exorcist least favorite way of getting around. It felt unnatural, as if every atom of his body got stripped apart and reassembled. A nauseous feeling from the pit of his stomach overtook him. Whatever he had for lunch it was about to see daylight again. “Are you alright, sir?” An unfamiliar voice spoke behind him. With his face turning pale the prime turned around and shook his head. “How can i be of assistance?” A naive syntech employee kindly offered, before the newly arrived contestant deposited the entire contents of his stomach onto the ground of which the boy stood. The sight was anything but graceful. With a disgusted look towards Kanda the employee refused to look down at the freshly produced chemical warzone. He kept a brave face, “Are...you feeling alright...sir?”

The exorcist wiped the area around his mouth, removing any chunks that were left behind. “Feeling a lot better, no thanks to that horrendous device you people use to transport us here. You might want to clean that up.” Without lingering any further the prime took off, leaving the syntech employee to his duties.

The area he arrived wasn't as crowded as expected. Apart from a few staff members and a camera here and there, there weren't any other people he could mark as possible contenders. For now he would remain here, at the main hall. Best thing for now was to observe the other candidates, information is the key for any victory. Kanda walked a bit and found himself a nice quiet place, without too many of those syntech folk around. He had to admit the company organizing this competition had a sense of style. Even their main entry hall was designed to make people feel at ease, the atmospheric tranquility had its desired effect the moment you enter. Unless of course the teleporter messes with your insides.

The swordsman found a nice quiet place to sit down, making sure he had a view on the area of arrivals and he was not in plain sight. Whilst waiting for other volunteers he decided to do a bit more research. Taking out his dataverse device he got comfortable and leaned back against one of the decorative trees. In his left ear he could hear a lens zoom in, it was already obvious he wouldn't have a private moment the entirety of his stay here.

The screen turned on and Kanda focussed on what he planned to do. Searching for information on previous Dante’s Abyss participants. The list was long and filled with powerful primes who already made a name for themselves. Some of them he already knew. It seemed that in the past both Gilgamesh and Victor participated in these games. Neither of them was successful in winning it, it seemed. Though the reports of their fights were both detailed and impressive. Now that he thought of it? He never asked permission to leave his station, hopefully the king would understand if he was made aware of the captain’s intentions.

The exorcist continued through the list of warriors. Some of these were good honorable fighters, primes like Mickey Mouse, good hearted fighters with the right motivation. Articles about these primes were extensive, and with time to kill he didn't mind. Unfortunately not every registered fighter was a prime of honor. Betrayal and backstabbers were of the highest order in these previous competitions. It seems relying on others could be either your downfall or your crutch towards victory. He would have to be very careful in picking allies, if he were to find any.

His mind wandered, deciding which primes would come through those portals next. Perhaps Ms.Marvel would make another appearance. After their clash in the arena of Camelot he had developed a form of respect for the blonde fighter. She fought with ferocity and heart, with a code of honor, somewhere deep inside him he hoped to meet her again, if not for a rematch then to simply catch up with her tales of glory.

But for now, he would simply observe. Time will reveal all.

Kanda remains in the main hub

[Jak Mar]

Restaurant to Main Hall

The eco warrior and his Ottawa were cautious as they entered the main hall again. They smiled after meeting with the ass kicker but that didn’t mean the other contestants would be the same.

Daxter eyed the room away from the cameras trying to observe the others, spotting someone wearing some type of bluish military uniform.

“Psst, hey Jak over there. There’s this black haired guy in a military uniform. “Have you seen him before?”

Before long Daxter was scoping through the data verse device seeing if this guy was here.

Jak’s own stare was mostly observing .

[Ash]

Ash was turned on by the ripping out of every atom in her body as it was dismantled in a matter of nanoseconds - about only half of that you feel - and then digitally forced through space in an instant. The feeling of motion sickness bubbled into her stomach -whenever she could feel her stomach - which was not common but in fact was a result of not eating before she teleported. It reminded her incredibly of jacking into the matrix, it was a high that she enjoyed to the fullest, it has always been. It felt just as it was described by Emory when they were summoned to earth by their magicians. As deep into madness as the Djinni had been, it had been helpful.

Unlike the first opponent from Nippur, Ash was weak not because of the sickness, but because of the pleasure. She heard a voice, “Are you, okay miss?” A young attendant asked the same one that had just cleaned off the vomit from his shoes before she arrived. He was a bit gun shy, but he had a job to do. One that Karl Jak would not let him skip out on just because of little body fluids.

The Storm Demon had to take a moment, leaning on the two walls that made up the corner the teleporter pad was in. She took deep slow breaths and closed her eyes, Leon’s image briefly washing over her mind. She laughed a bit to herself, humored by the idea that the elf is what she thought about when she was slightly aroused. Especially given her previous experience with the nobleman from Nippur, Erik was still on her mind.

She took the time to calm herself before looking around.

Right out the gate, she was already being observed by one figure. A gorgeous young man with dark hair sitting near a tree in close proximity to the teleport-pad who was giving her a cold stare judgemental stare. He pierced her with his deadly gauze that made her bite her lower lip.

“Miss?” The attendant asked again for her attention. She smiled at him. “Everything’s fine. Thanks.” She said, passing up the easy target by patting the kid on the shoulder as she made her way down the hall towards the stranger who’s giving her a dirty stare.

“You like something you see?” Ash asked, walking right up to the demon slayer himself. She cocked her hip and put her hand on it, waiting for him to comment and offering a friendly smile all the same.

“You’re dressed worse than a Nippur peasant.” He said sharply.

“Funny, I received this from a Nippur peasant,” Ash replied just as quickly.

Respect. “Will you not dress more appropriately?” Kanda offered a solution this time.

“How does one dress appropriately for a fighting competition?” She asked the air was less hostile already.

“In armor, generally.” Kanda quipped, stating the obvious.

Ash smiled first and chuckled secondly. “Very well. Let me see what I can do.” She stood straighter and lowered her hands to be in front of her stomach, she closed her eyes and concentrated for a few moments. The rainbow display came to her fingertips, in that instant she announced her Prime status to the stranger on the bench.

After a few moments, the lights absorb back into her body. At that moment an electric blue ring appeared around her entire body about waist high. She lifted her hands and spread them out, as she did the ring tightened around her waist. This then splits into two rings. One goes up and the other goes down. As the rings split the shirt she wore was replaced with a different outfit. The rings split again, the lower one turned to two different rings to travel over her surprisingly toned legs. The upper ring splits from her chest and traveled down the length of her arms.

When they were done changing her outfit, the rings burst into pixels of light and vanish after floating away, like simple soap bubbles.

The Storm Demon stood before him in more modern clothing than the primitive tunic. From head to toe, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that mimicked his, a dark mauve hooded crop top covered her shoulders in the tinies sleeves, under this was a bright orange strapless crop top that only poked out in a triangle against her chest. It might surprise anyone who knew Ash that she covered up her cleavage completely, but as if to compromise she has seemed to cut out the rest of the shirt. So the man, and anyone else who could see her,  would see the elvish message inked into her skin on her left side.  Her shorts were tight and clung to her hips and ass, squeezing her muscular thighs, the legs of her shorts ended about three inches off her knee. Her shoes were thick brown leather, to match the rustic theme the shirt had been. Her boots had steel toes and tied right up to below her knees.

In addition to an outfit, her weapons appeared. On her right hip, Red Devil’s Claw hung, its braided rope made of human black hair collected neatly as well to the side. On her left thigh, Red Devil’s Quil was strapped, in a way that the full feather looking dagger could be seen in all its unique design. Upon her back was the monster of her collection; Royal blue and gold trim. Invictus. Her prized possession because of what she has gone through to get it. That and it was extremely effective in battle.

As well, Kanda would notice an addition on her right arm, some kind of monstrous contraption that was a merging between modern weaponry and medieval. As to what the thing did was beyond him as she didn’t seem to carry arrows nor crossbow bolts.

She cocked her hip to the left this time, better to place her hand that way. “Better?”

“Well, you don’t look worse than a Nippur peasant anymore.” Kanda addressed, looking over the weaponry as well. She looked as if she did both close range and long range.

“You’re still staring. So it must look good enough.” She said as she winked at him. In her hand, she was unraveling some bubble gum.

He watched her toss a soft purple cube into her mouth, seeing yet another piece of metal piercing her cobalt blue tongue. The ones in her face and ears were gold, where this one was silver. “If indeed I am staring, it is because I have not seen anything quite like you around here.” He said bluntly.

She began to chew on the lump of bubble-gum in her mouth. For a moment he wondered if he offended her, not that he cared. “Haven’t seen many half-naked women? You poor man.” She cocked a grin at him that implied she was about to say something questionable. “If you want, I can show you what a fully naked woman looks like?”

Kanda sat there stoned faced as ever. “I meant your kind.”

Ash never stopped smiling. “What do you mean by that?”

The exorcist didn’t see the humor in this. “Demons.” He said bluntly, finally. “Your race.”

Ash still grinned as she stuck her tongue out of her mouth, it was covered with a thin layer of purple. He watched as she slid her tongue back into her mouth and began to blow. She took another breath which slightly deflated the bubble, only for her exhale to expand the bubble past her head. It exploded with a solid pop but deflated anticlimactically instead of going all over her face. There was a bit more silence as she gathered the bubble gum once more into her mouth. “Is that what you think I am?” She teased.

Leaving Kanda a bit confused. After a moment to compose his tone: “Is that not what you are?”

“Nope,” Ash said bluntly but offered nothing else to help him understand.

“A succubus, then?” Kanda tried a new approach.

“Haven’t heard of that one in a while.” Ash scoffed, “but no.”

Kanda stared at her hard, and long. “You sure like your games like demons do.” He made one final comment about it before turning his eyes off of her.

Ash gave a soft chuckle. At this point, she gathered he might rather she leave him be. While leaving him all alone was tempting, she was having a bit too much fun with this one, and decided instead to take a seat beside the handsome stranger. Her legs stretched out in front of them while she supported herself with the palms of her hands. When he looked over to see what in Gilgamesh’s name she was doing, he found her smiling a devil’s grin his way. "My name is Ash, by the way. Yours?"

...Apparently, she means to stay.

[Yu Kanda]

'This one is determined, I give her that' The exorcist thought to himself. He had been observing her behavior, body language and of course the odd weaponry she was carrying. This creature may seem harmless in some way but the visible battle scars told different stories. Untold stories of victorious battles in the past where the receiving end of those weapons probably weren't so lucky. Kanda was smarter than to underestimate a warrior by their looks, especially one of demonic origin. Horns, sharp tail and plenty of sweet words to get inside a man's head. All she needed was a shade of dark red and a pitchfork to represent the devil herself. Every innocence particle within his body aggressively urged him to perform his duty as an exorcist, vanquishing her from existence. It was clear to him she was a demon, even though she claimed otherwise. This was exactly what a demon would say. Offering the temptations of the flesh was one of the most basic of ploys to have one succumb to the sin of lust. Kanda was no fool nor was he blind. He was well aware these feminine curved shapes combined with such seductive talk would tempt and trap many men and women alike.

In his mind all sorts of red flags went up from the moment she got close to him. But, after all these warning signs she did not seem to mean him any harm. Which made him fear her abilities even more.

A few seconds passed after the storm demon asked her most innocent of questions. She passed the time by playfully swirl a string of her gum on her fingers, stretching it away from her mouth before very unsubtle using her slow twisting tongue to retract the paste like sweet. Not once did she break eye-contact with the exorcist. He could feel her gaze burning his cheek. Finally he gave in, "Kanda, the name is Kanda."

A fresh little blown bubble popped before Ash revealed a victorious little smirk, "Kanda? Sounds exotic. Where does the exotic stranger originally hail from?" She continued her inquiry, with a voice a smooth as freshly woven silk.

The swordsman still did not look towards her, his gaze was towards the teleporter from which the jezebel emerged from, "Japan."

"Kanda from Japan. Come on, what does a girl have to do to get your attention?" Ash switched position, rolling onto her stomach, propping her chin up on her hands, elbows planted into the ground. Her clothing hanging loosely from her neck.

Kanda's eyes shifted quickly towards the woman, determining what she was up to. He was met with a clear unavoidable view of cleavage. Promptly returning his gaze towards the platform ahead. His face however, betrayed him as the blood flow in his face increased rapidly. Inevitably portraying the red colors on his cheeks. This subtle change of appearance did not go unnoticed by the demonic seductress, "Why, Kanda….Are you blushing~?" She teased.

His first and strongest urge was to draw his sword, strike her down right here and now. Freeing himself from this hellish ordeal. Another more sensible voice within him said he had to keep it together. Being a representative of the Nippur guards he could not be disqualified by stabbing another contester before the contest even begins. He turned his head away from her, attempting to hide the basic human emotion. "I don't know what you are talking about woman. Isn't there someone else around you could pester with your games?" Ash saw her chance, with him looking away she moved in close. Her movements fluent and graceful as ballerina she quickly found her lips right next to his ears. Her hot breath was clearly felt onto the skin of his neck. Where normally his warrior instinct kicks in he, for some unknown reason, was unable to move.

A nearby camera caught the entire scene, the bluish-purple beauty whispering inaudible words into the exorcist ears. The sensual lip movement visible for everyone watching insinuated whatever it was she was saying, it was not intended for younger viewers. Any suspicions were confirmed when Kanda's face turned as red as a lobster, followed by him jumping up.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?!" He shouted loudly with his hand on top of his sword's hilt. Kanda had no real way of dealing with this kind of situations. Violence has always been a swift solution to his problems, a route he was unable to take. This time it was different, whether her words were having their desired effects or it was this place which forced him to withhold. Whichever it was, it was working.

"Do you know what I do? I hunt and kill demons."He desperately proclaimed in an almost yelling manner. "I'm an exorcist. Removing demons from existence is the sole reason why I was created."

Ash wasn't impressed by the man's desperate attempt to scare her off. It was obvious to a woman, with as many notches on her belt as herself, that her message had its desired effect. The black haired beauty raised her petite body from the ground, straightened her clothes. Showing off her perfectly toned body once again, before closing the gap between the primes pressing herself up against his chest, "Oh honey, you couldn't hurt me if you tried. Besides, not a demon remember?...Just, stop resisting." She whispered mere inches from his own trembling lips, closing in ever so gently.

"What do we have here folks?! The first lover's quarrel this year's Dante's Abyss?" One of the Syntech minions shouted into his microphone as he closed in with his cameraman, interrupting Ash's attempt. Without thinking Kanda shoved the female back, creating a distance between them once more. The, for him, most awkward situation was getting out of hand. Luckily, this time, he was presented a outlet for his emotions.

Releasing every ounce of anger he was repressing the last few minutes he turned towards Karl's paparazzi. His face revealed but a single expression, rage. "Get the fuck out of my face, you pathetic little man." He shouted towards the youngster, voice filled with aggression and desperation. The swordsman's intimidating stature combined with his threat forced the interviewer to back up, unsure on how to proceed. It had the exact opposite effect on his new demonic friend whose eyes sparkled at the display of the guard captain.

“We err….What’s your relationship with each other?” Syntech’s puppet continued. Kanda took a deep breath filling his lungs, ensuring that every insult he had prepared for the obnoxiously persistent boy was able to come out all at once.

Before his rant started Ash’s arms got wrapped around his neck, pressing her face against his. With her friendliest of voices, and the cutest of smiles she spoke directly to the camera, “That's what we are here to figure out!”

Inside Kanda’s head lights went out. This was unbelievable, this woman was here to break both his will as well as his reputation as demon hunter. The camera zoomed in, Ash, visibly enjoying the attention they were receiving. Next to her, Kanda, showing a ‘kill me now’ expression. His left hand was trembling while tightly gripping the hilt of his sword. Before he completely lost it he turned away in silence, started to move away from the camera.

“Kanda! Wait up~” Ash waved goodbye to the camera as she quickly picked up the pace to catch up to her new friend.

Kanda and Ash still in Main hall

[Jak Mar]

Jak was quiet for a while at least until a familiar touch on his shoulder made him turn “Ash!” What.. are you doing here?”

The ottsel was already hot in the cheeks and schmoozing his fur and fixing his goggles as soon as the blue demoness had come in the doors. “Excuse me, Jak… But a fan is waiting for me…”

Jak almost avoided the urge to facepalm, hoping to the precursors nobody caught his brief redness.

The ottsel was as quick as lightning as he zoomed past his intended starting point to his hot demoness lady.

Daxter was hanging all over the storm demon before things really got started.

Jak turned for a second, to avoid that brief shade of red coming over his face. It probably was that weird feeling of lust he had.

Daxter was supposed to be reading the crowd, not flirting.

The knife eared hero turned, only to see the yelling match between Ash and then what seemed like the black haired man. One seemingly “winning” so far.

Jak was observing in the background to see how the man in the blue outfit reacted to anger. So far, the stranger seemed to be quick to anger but himself was at least a bit calmer.

It’s only then, Karl Jak backed off from the “stray lover’s quarrel.”

Only to end up back and sticking a microphone back at Dynamite Kid’s mouth to say something.

“Say Mr. Dynamite, how will you appease your fanbase this year?”

“How big is it, anyways?”

“Says here, people await your performance this year and are wearing #DynamiteKid2018 shirts.

He eyed the latest shirts on the rack, showing a explosion in the background with Jak and now Daxter included.

Jak and Daxter and Ash and Kanda are all in the Main Hall

[Dave Strider]

It was only moments before Dave found himself staring at a hallway, surrounded by personnel. His eyes slowly adjusted to the bright lighting, though he could swear it was no brighter than the Nuxes. Maybe it was just the atomization of his particles or whatever these things do.

"How are you feeling, sir?" One of the personnel cautiously approached him with a bucket.

"I feel like this is how it feels to be drunk, and I am perfectly okay with it." The bucket holding member seemed to be in relief.

"So where am I going again?"

"Just this way, there are a few rooms in which you can enjoy yourself before the competition begins."

"Cool, cool."

Dave combed his hand through his hair as he tried to make his way downtown, a few people with cameras asking him questions.

"Is this your first DA?"

"Are you a fresh prime?"

"Didn't you appear in the Assault of Darkshire?"

"Is it true that you and Gamzee Makara held a rap battle in the middle of a siege?"

Dave rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, giving no response as he used his hand to push them away. Cool dudes never entertain the paparazzi.

He began to look around and try to see who else was here, maybe someone he recognized. All he could see were a few people that were surrounded by their own flashing cameras. Seemed like here primes were nothing but celebrities. 

In his mind, he prepared his introduction to anyone who might come greet him, or at least, any prime. Of course, it would be his usual head nod, but you gotta make sure you look good for it.

Dave is in the Main Hall

[Shantotto]

Shantotto arrived on the pad, a loud thump as her rump hit the metal floor. “It would appear that when the individual who calibrated this did not have someone of my size in mind, the end result is my landing on my behind.” She muttered quietly. Standing up and brushing the dust off of her robe, she quickly looked around her looking at all of the other individuals sitting around or standing in the atrium. The demon or demon like woman that she had seen enter the teleporter was now clad less provocatively but with a Motley a sort of dangerous looking weapons. She was following one of the men who had been in the palace when the small Mage had spoke to the king.
They were surrounded by members of the press all begging to hear the nature of their conversation, each pushing and clawing their way to get closer to the pair. The blue fleshed woman wrapped her arms around the New Babylonian like fresh lovers, Shantotto would have left them alone but the man's facial expression was one that screamed "Help me" even if his mouth did not make the words. Still he was as good as any, the man seemed to normally extruded a great deal of restraint. "He must know more about this event." the old mage thought to herself. Still she needed to learn more about this place, as with all things victory was always easier to obtain when you knew more about what to expect.

Waddling her way along she began looking for a map to help guide her to a location where she could finally rest and relax. Upon finding such a map Shantotto pulled out her journal which grew to its normal size in her hand withdrawing her quill and Inkwell she began to sketch the map in front of her taking notes to label each and every location available in this new place. For some reason she kept finding herself looking back at the teleportation pad looking to see if Serraph had followed her through it.

Her sensitive nose could detect the overuse of chemicals to clean the air. Turning her attention once more to those around her, shantotto slowly walked amongst them there were far less people here then what she had expected other than the thralls of press and reporters she could only make out four or five potential primes. “It would appear this is not an all-out brawl, hopefully my reward will be a good haul.” She said aloud as she began walking towards the guardsman. “Good day I say.” She said for the millionth time, she paused to consider working on another greeting before just dismissing the notion and waiting on a reply from the formerly occupied exorcist.

Yup Kanda looked down upon the small Mage with a face of gratitude before issuing his reply. “Hmm greeting small one.” blood seemed to make it away back to his brain as he regained his composure.

“Good day you say?” The blue toned woman glared down at the small mage with an almost hateful glare, who was this puny thing to get between her and her new friend?

“My good lady. It is a great day indeed, especially for this guy who is close to spilling his seed” Shantotto said, picking up very clearly on the raw sexual energy put off by the woman, even with more clothing on she was still no less provocative than when she had been registering for the event, her very existence seemed to scream pure sexuality. Truth be told it was something the tarutaru lacked.

A seductive laugh escaped from her lips as she once again pushed towards the exorcist who looked down at the mage confused by the turn of events. “See that? I’m not the only one who noticed.” the silky smoothness in her voice sent shivers down even the tarutaru’s spine.

The captain of the guard quickly looked to change the subject, his hand was noticeably white around the handle of his curved sword. Held in a deathgrip his voice spoke once again “Aren't you supposed to be on a mission for our king?” His voice sounded of desperation as he spoke.

Yes, and the task has been handled to the best of our ability, the fires are quenched and the mob has been stilled. Those who survived the fires are currently being healed." The mage said.
"Shanty toto? wasn't it? Good job! And what of your partner Serraph?" he asked.

"Shanty toto? what kind of name is that?" Ash commented with a sarcastic tone. She clearly did not take kindly to people interrupting her fun.

"Shantotto, and it's Doctor Shantotto to you, dont worry little demon you can have him when I am through." Shantotto replied with equal snark in her voice.

"Not to be too rude, but as you can tell, my friend here needs a little help relaxing! Why don't we talk a bit later?" The demon replied using her knee to push the mage aside.

The guardsman looked horrified at the prospect of what the demon was proposing. Pushing the demon back yet again. “What do you need Shantotto?”

“I am just looking for some information on the nature of this event. I look not to place either of you in a convent.” She responded to the blatant attempts to be rid of her.

[Ricter]

Ricter never heard of this sort of thing before, granted he's only been here for say...a week at the most but the fact that everyone who's anyone seemed to want to sign up for this tournament styled battle arena only made him interested in seeing what it was about. The lights and glamor of the stage, the clanging of metal, and even the display of abilities was all interesting and fun in his eyes. The death part maybe not so much, he'd just hope he'd last long enough to not have that happen as he didn't want to end up turned into mulch or worse.

His entrance into this place was fairly common, he took what ever gate that was around to get here, after all this realm seemed to be the fight capitol and was easy to make his way to the battle grounds once he noticed where spectators and people who were ready for combat would convene. From big buff sword wielders that would even laugh at him for being a bit shorter than the average guy and holding a sword just as long as a 3rd of his body, too mages and spell casters wielding staffs. Occasionally seeing the token mercenary or two with a hidden arsenal of guns and bazookas, nothing too special.

Wearing his doctor attire, with which was just a coat, his brown shirt, and some blue jeans, he'd make his way towards the near by building, passing concessions and what not placed outside but all under a company name. Part of him wanted to join just to see what he'd notice or even find out when it came to actually seeing new and interesting powers, finding ways to circumvent them, or flat out cure diseases that he hadn't seen or heard of before. Other part of him kind of just wanted to be the medical personnel for the event which as he got to the sign up desk and he'd maybe ask about it, being greeted by the clerk at the desk.

"Good day to you, are signing up?" She'd ask, tone as plain faced as you can guess, probably from repeated programed iterations of saying this over and over again.

"Yes I am, or at leas I guess I am, I wanted to ask is there any positions to just be the on site medic?"
"Apologies but no, we hire our event staff well ahead of time, so unfortunately you will be unable to participate unless your a contestant."

"Well...guess that's out of the question, so what am I supposed to do to sign up." He'd groan, scratching his head a little.
"Name, age, title, affiliation, and any other relevant information." She would point to a paper, pushing the pen towards him.

Taking it he would begin to sign it out, all the while thinking "Ricter Casenger, age? Damn...How old am I? Oh right...122, Dr. for title, and affiliation is none." He'd say, being almost immortal in his previous live before coming here he only died if his witch died, so since she wasn't dead for those many years he was fairly old. As for bonus information he'd just leave it black, no reason to put anything special after all as he pushed the paper back to the clerk who would check, stamp, and point.

"Teleporters are over there, feel free to go when your ready."
"When I'm ready? You mean were starting now?" Ricter seemed confused.

"No."
"Then?..."

"Just go there, its the waiting room."
"..."

Silent, Ricter would just groan and walk over to the teleportation pad, the digitalized particles beginning to charge around his body before they would materialize his physical form on what seemed like another one some ways away. He'd get off and step out, looking around and wondering if this was a good idea to sign up for something that could lead to his death.

[Ash]

Ash’s plan was to be relentless, especially when he caught a shot of her cleavage and his control melted. The poor guy just needed a sexual outlet~! Too bad the media and someone he apparently knew more personally approached and got in the way. She was pushed to the wayside. This didn’t miff the storm demon in any way, personal conversations were to be had and she was satisfied with just listening in.

As the two were beginning to talk about someone important, but before they dropped any names for her to commit to memory, Ash felt someone grabbing at her leg. The only question that flashed in her mind was who did she know who was that bold? Because as openly sexual as the morality mirrored humanoid was, she didn’t expect anyone else in the entire omniverse to be. These were people that Omni thought were interesting and they were powerful. She expected all Primes to act more like Kanda and less like Desman. Personalities creating differing results.

She looked over her shoulder to see who it was, only to find the space behind her relatively blank. Her back facing a wall. When she considered the idea of the person being shorter than her and tried to look down. This didn’t give her anything, so she turned around completely to look down at someone perhaps the size of the woman she’d just tried to push off. With the slight bend in her back to do this, Daxter had enough leverage now to bounce off her perfect butt and climb up the dangerous weapon on her back. So when Ash straightened out he was already vaulting onto her shoulder.

“Hey there, baby~!” Daxter greeted her in his smoothest voice, straight to her ear as he touched her horn once more.

Ash’s face twisted in surprise as she glanced over and saw the bright orange furred weasel-like body, the bright yellow underbelly, his denim pants, and his animated brows wiggling excessively. There was a pause of recognition before she smiled at him. “Dax.” She purred.

Oh, he melted. He was a puddle of orange and cream popsicle ice cream in her hands - er on her shoulder. Daxter has been staring at her picture for months now, long, lonely months. He’s had every curve of this woman memorized and a list of what he wanted to do to each part of her body. That was all before she reached up and stroked his chin like he was her pet. Well… He wouldn’t mind being her pet any more than Jak minded her influence.

She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “That must mean Jak is feeling better.” Ash pointed out and relaxed her shoulder so he had a place to balance himself. “And that he is here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Daxter said, getting to his feet. He probably weighed just a little less than Ash and didn’t even have claws to dig into her shoulder.

“Where is he? I haven’t seen him in ages.”

The dip in her voice made him quiver, she was so hot! “In the mess hall, trying not to freak out. I tell him every year he’ll be fine. Does he listen to me? No.” Her chuckle made his knees weak.

“Let’s see if I can talk any sense into him.” She said proudly before giving Kanda another glance. He was doing everything in his power to avoid any contact with her whatsoever She could come back to him later. He was too much fun not to. Maybe when he’s less busy, more alone; More vulnerable.

The bruise-colored woman slipped away without much notice from anyone. She caught sight of the Dynamite Kid fan club and camera’s surrounding Jak. He was somewhat unsettled, nervous about the attention. He tried to hide it with a smile and rubbing the back of his head. His yellow-green hair shifting as he does. The cameras rolled and they were asking him a million more questions than the people who’d he signed up with. If she didn’t know him any better she might have left him alone and opted to meet with him after his press conference.

Instead, she walked right in on his air time, ottsel on her shoulder, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. The poor boy turned beat red as the fan club was a mixture of shock and ‘awe’. Suddenly they wanted to know who she was and why she had any right to kissing Jak Mar.

Jak, the legend, turned after feeling the kiss on his cheek. When he laid eyes on the woman, months of dread and guilt fell off of his shoulders and slammed into the floor below him. “Ash!” He cried happily, but was so stunned he didn’t know if he should punch her or kiss her! “You’re alive!?” He questioned, looking her over from head to toe. She looked more or less the same, tight and revealing clothing, Claw and Quil within reach. “Did… Did you come to watch me compete?” He asked, looking back into her blind-like eyes.

Ash laughed at his exaggerated expression and came a bit closer. Instantly Jak grabbed her shoulders, careful of Daxter’s tail, and marveled at the fact that he could feel her. “Afraid not, Jak.” She answered, then when he looked at her in a very confused manner she smiled up at him sweetly. “I'm here to kick your ass.” She teased. “I’ll be fighting in Dante’s Abyss this time.

It wasn’t his decision, but he flashed back the bedroom he shared with her at Desman’s hotel and how she handled the Dark King with both grace and power. His blush increased on his cheeks, as he lowered his chin a bit. “That’s actually scary, Ash,” Jak responded, a slight mumble on his end. Then he remembered Desman freaking out and demanding to know how a banishment circle worked. “Is… Is it true? Did you really get banished to the Underverse?”

After that, the secondaries that were filming Jak Mar suddenly stopped where they were and not even the lens of the camera zooming in could be heard. It was as if time stopped.

There was a reason that the Underverse was rumored to be a horrible place where secondaries and primes alike go to die. According to her own research, no one’s made it out. At least no one who’s willing to talk about it.

That was before Ash. She looked towards the ceiling and placed a finger against her bottom lip. “Banishment…” Then she smiled wickedly at Jak.

“Damn,” Jak muttered, then smiled. Then he noticed the handle coming out from her back. There were some parchments attached in a magic wax seal that had some strange writing on it, but what stood out was the royal blue color and gold trim. He laughed a bit to himself. “Let’s grab something to drink, I gotta hear everything now.”

The cameramen were already trying to wade through the groups of people to follow the pair as they walked to the dining hall.

Jak grabbed the drinks while Ash grabbed the grub. A mountain of food that rivaled Dust’s from last year’s competition fell upon the table. Ash slid into the seat behind it. When Jak settled down he had a bottle of scotch and two glasses, courtesy of Syntech. Daxter opted to dismount the Storm Demon and stand on the table across from the two so that he could talk, too. He couldn't’ see her over her food, so he just grinned at Jak. “Gotta love a girl who’s got an appetite.” He said, just as the cameras also settled in.

Ash was already diving in, two forks in hand which stabs or scoops the food and brings pieces of it to her mouth. It was barbaric and dismantled any illusions that she was a lady of manners. She took down a quarter of it before she was willing to talk.

“How’d you escape?” Jak asked, getting right into it.

“Claw and fanged my way through the fighting ranks,” Ash said, careful of the cameras.

“A tournament?” Jak asked, adding: “Like this one?” He pointed to the table but she knew what he meant.

“More like a colosseum.” Ash corrected, plowing through another layer of her food.

“Was it hard?” Daxter asked.

Ash chewed and thought. “Well, it wasn’t a cake walk… I got my ass handed to me a few times.”

“What were they like?” A spectator asked.

Ash smirked. “Giants… They were huge creatures. I’m lucky I only died once down there.”

“You died!?” One person was excited about this.

“I’m a prime. Dying is nothing.” Ash slapped the reality down. Then she looked over at Jak.

“Desman found you, right?” He may be just confirming at this point.

“Hm? Oh yes.” Ash said, leaving it at that. She’d rather not tell Jak she left the guy back there and she didn’t think he’d make it out in a hundred years. Even with Neujimin at his side.

“Did you meet anyone interesting down there? Has anyone a message to share?” A man asked curiously. There was a massive list of people that were lost to them all.

“Nah. Nothing like that,” Ash asked, non-committed.

“Well, I am glad to see you again,” Jak said with a smile.

“Not as glad as I am,” Daxter said, whistling a long solid note. “It must have been scary.”

Ash flashed Orange Lightning a confident smile. “Come now, do you even know me?”

Daxter blushed but smiled back.

“Fearless as ever…” Jak said, smirking and pouring her a glass, he slid it over. “I love that part about you. You’ve thrown yourself at everything.” He poured himself one.

“And you’ve only come out of it stronger,” Daxter said, returning to her shoulder, smiling a goofy grin.

“To you.” Jak raised his glass.

They tapped the glasses together, a chime echoed through the ranks. Ash grinned and took a long slow drink.

“I feel sorry for the unlucky bastard that has to take you on,” Daxter said after they enjoyed their drink. He looked over at the Eco-Warrior. “Which might be you, Jakky.”

Jak’s cheeks flushed a bit in embarrassment. “I know I’d hate to fight her.”

Ash was grinning. “I did tell you I was here to kick your ass.” She teased again, her smirk bringing a light to her face. This made the elf-like fighter laugh, rubbing the back of his neck again.

[Victor Wolfe]

The familiar rush of being teleported filled Victors mind as he rematerialised in a familiar setting, the pre-show lobby of the abyss, much like all those years ago primes had already started to make their way to the event, some that Victor recognised, some he didn't and many members of the press snapping pictures of the elites of the verses as they socialised with old rivals and new friends. Victor turned to a group of reporters all with their cameras aimed at the Lord of Nippur. The voyeurism making him chuckle as he waved. 

The flash of light made the show off grow a little bolder as he winked at the cameras, more starting to join the pack of flashing lights as he raised up a peace sign, as eyes where drawn to the young lord his lust for attention caused him to slowly lift his shirt, deciding that he may as well give them their monies worth. A surprising level of muscle mass as the boyish assassins ripped chest revealed itself to the reporters seemed to stop the flashing for a moment, until with a flurry of clicks as the lord of Nippur posed knowing he looked great. Starting to pull down his jeans the crowd started to gasp as Victor got closer and closer to revealing his immodesty.

Pulling his hand away from the top of his jeans Victor raised it and blew a kiss to the cameras.

"Maybe if I win the fangirls will get the chance to see that" he chuckled as he skipped down the stairs past some thankful security and disappointed journalists. His eyes drifting to the halls leading to the standard fare of domes that seemed to contain all the usual amenities one would expect of the Abyss. A Gym, Victor could imagine the smell of sweat, cheap energy drink and desperation as the pea-brained muscle bound lunks tried to get that one last bicep curl in that would allow them to somehow punch through every problem they encounter in this tournament.

Victor had done more than enough training in his youth and this world seemed to advance his powers at the same rate no matter what he was doing, thus he continued down the entrance way spotting the library next, the nostalgic smell of musty old tomes and freshly bound books filling the mind of the assassin, the smart and more magically inclined would probably make their way there as knowledge was usually power, even more so for a mage. Who knew what sorts of forbidden secrets and world lore could be hidden amongst the collection of a company as powerful as Syntech. A place that he would normally consider spending the next few days in gathering as much information as he could but alas this was not his purpose for today. 

Continuing his walk towards the other primes in the room Victor noticed two more facilities, the Barracks where he had spent most of the first event resting before it started. And the bar and restaurant, perhaps if things went well with any of the many lovely ladies in the room he would end up spending more time in the barracks that he intended to. As he chuckled at this thought a flash off orange in the restaurant caught his eye. Stopping in Place Victor looked through the door of the dome and their eyes met. The rat, the orange rodent, the one that had indirectly allowed those LAW monsters to have their way with Gilgamesh's amazing city, was sitting with that failure of a mercenary and someone far too pleasing to the eyes for their group. 

Still, after the night before Victor was in a great mood, the rodent seemed to stare at him with a look of fear and curiosity. The assassin gave a toothy grin and wave, a look in his eyes saying enjoy this while it lasts because I plan on turning your pelt into handwear. Turning from the now terrified former enemy the Lord approached a familiar group of primes. One of them the current leader of the guards of Nippur and famous cute... tight ass Sir Kanda. The other was the tiny mage that had taken the opportunity to storm into the throne room and demand an audience with the King himself. Although annoying at the time Victor could not help but appreciate her ambition and style, and her small stature made her almost adorable to look at compared to his own six foot three height. 

As she was talking to the guard captain and he seemed to have somewhat of a relieved look on his face Victor assumed that the vertically challenged magus was at least still cordial to the New Babylonian group, this was good as it meant that Victors promise that Nippur would be taking the crown had all the more chance of becoming prophecy rather than vague threats that they would struggle to keep up. 

With the Mague and exorcist getting along so well Victor wondered if the reason that Kanda was such a stickler for the rules and so impatient all the time was simply because he was a lonely and very backed up young man in the prime of his life with only the pervy lord really giving him any sort of adult attention, what a sad life. Victor leaned down and made a heart shape with his thumbs and index fingers capturing the pair inside it as he looked through.

Shaking his head Victor decided that he could not see the logistics of that relationship working out, He knew the magus was demanding and forceful and would do what she could to get what she wanted, and knowing Kandas temper he seemed like the sort to not hold back and do things out of spite, the last thing Victors PR department wanted to deal with was complaints of death by Snu Snu. 

Approaching the pair Victor shouted. 

"Hello Candy my lover from another mother! How is this DA treating you, love?"

[Yu Kanda]

With what seemed to be the physical reincarnation of lust leaving the scene Kanda was able to breathe a bit more freely. Unable to pinpoint exactly what it was about this mysterious female creature, or how she was able to get inside his head like this made him feel more uneasy then he preferred. Perhaps this was her game after all, clouding men's judgment with impure thoughts in order to weaken them before the competition. The most alarming and slightly more horrifying thought was that she succeeded, even if for a moment, to capture the exorcist attention and call upon his buried desires. A feeling hidden beneath the layers of a past life. Flashes of the blonde woman appeared in front of his eyes, a condition that hadn't haunted him in months. He fiercely shook his head, attempting to snap out of it. "Are you alright?" the vertically challenged magus inquired with a slight hint of concern hidden amongst the words.

Kanda opened his eyes, seeing clearly again. With a kind smile on his face he looked towards his fellow Babylonian, "Thank you Shantotto, if it wasn't for you I don't know what would've happened here. I owe you one, you have my thanks." A formal nod combined with his military posture created an almost ceremonial event.

Shantotto seemed to be overwhelmed slightly, unaware of what the captain of the guards was thanking her for. After all, all she did was request a bit of information about this competition she signed up for. With both hands waving dismissively she stopped him before the situation became awkward, "No need to thank me Captain, I'm not even sure what you are thanking me for. But since you are offering, what exactly do you know of this, Dante's Abyss?" The question was followed quickly by her extracting both a notebook and pencil from her equipment. 

The unexpected question, combined with her sharp gaze of curiosity caught Kanda off guard. He wasn't expecting a pop-quiz. "Whoa there little one! There is no need to get this excited, I will share what I know." The professor responded with a slight disapproving huff, most likely towards the remark regarding her height. The swordsman realized his mistake not shortly after.

"My apologies miss. That was unintentionally rude of me." Kanda sat down in the grass, making it easier for the two primes to maintain eye contact. Removing any form of condescending communication gestures. "This competition has been around for years now. Every year primes voluntarily sign up to participate in it. It is a violent yet brave competition, warriors from all over the verses come together to face off in a clash of strength, wits, perseverance and honor."

Fierce full writing was heard as Kanda shared his knowledge with Shantotto. Not a single word was skipped in the highly detailed collection of information that was her notebook. The prime continued his story, "Every edition of this recurring event is different, yet one variable never changes. Lives are lost, this challenging endeavor is filled with death." The doctor's writing slowed down as she headed the exorcist's last sentence. The words within that sentence were woven together with an eerie atmosphere. The silence that followed did not help.

"But I am sure you were already aware of this, seeing as you signed up for it yourself." The captain was verifying his hunch that his new friend was indeed participating.

She scraped her throat, quickly returning her gaze to her precious book. "Yes of course I was aware of this, what else can you tell me?"

"Not sure really, I've been observing some of the primes that have been arriving throughout the day. And other then the succubus you successfully scared off with your presence none struck me as particularly evil or dangerous. But I do believe they keep more detailed records of previous years in a library here in the facility."

Library, a treasure cove for every literary scholar. Her ears peaked just by hearing the word. "They have a library here? Where? Could you show me?" Barely able to contain her excitement the magic wielder transformed her eyes in that of a kitten begging for food. There was no way he could refuse now.

"Sure, it's not that far off. I'll walk with you, could use a stretch for my legs." The exorcist got up, wiped the grass from his uniform before leading the way.

"Hello Candy my lover from another mother! How is this DA treating you, love?"

The swordsman froze. Goddamn…He knew that voice. Only one man in the entire Omniverse was stupid enough to provoke Kanda like this in public. The kindness he showed Shantotto quickly converted in a less sympathetic state of manners. A throbbing vein appeared almost instantly the moment he recognized the voice as none other than the Lord of bullshit from Nippur. The swordsman hadn't seen him after their ordeal with the shadow queen. And here he was, acting as if nothing happened.

Shantotto observed Kanda, as a doctor he recognized the symptoms quite easily, heavy breathing, raising pulse, clenched fists and veins clearly pushing outwards. "You know Captain, I could prescribe you something for that anxiety of yours. Or perhaps consider removing the source of your stress?"

The latter was exactly what was going through Kanda's head right at this point. It would be so easy, a single well aimed slash, liberation head from torso and it would solve so many problems. Alas, rules are rules and ranks are ranks. He was to honor both of those. Kanda turned around and there he was, Victor fucking Wolfe.

"I did not expect to see you here Victor. Then again, this entire competition is a stage for a showman like you to perform. And where the hell is your shirt?! Why is everyone here naked?!"

The assassin replied with a wink and pistol fingers, "You got me Candy! I am obligated to give the Omniverse and its female inhabitants what they want….Me, in all my glory." The ego of his lordship nearly busted through the edges of the facility. Once again Kanda was faced with the ever old question, brilliant or bat shit crazy. Behind Victor another prime was lurking, a female unknown to Kanda, even though she seemed to look familiar, perhaps a contender from another Dante's Abyss? A small young brunette wearing an oversized hoodie was staring at the three from Nippur hailing primes. Perhaps one of those fan girls Victor liked to boast about. Kanda made eye contact with the teenager right before she looked away, most likely doing the same thing as he wanted to do himself, scout the competition.
He returned his attention to the duo in front of him, "Shantotto, meet Lord Wolfe. Victor, meet Shantotto, another prime from Nippur representing us in the competition."

The doctor extended her hand towards the assassin, "Pleased to meat you, sir!"

Victor tilted his head, dropped through his knees, squatting in front of the professor. He patted her on the head with a friendly smile on his face, "Hey there sweetie, aren't you the cutest little thing out here?" In a single fluent movement he grabbed her hand and planted his soft, gentle lips on them.  Before Shantotto realized what the hell just happened and was able to react the arrogant lord got back up, "So where to Candy?"

"The library." Were the only words he managed to muster.

"Great! I know where it is, perhaps go for a drink afterwards?" Victor took the lead and started heading towards the Library. The others did not bother to get in between Lord Wolfe and his ego and followed.

Behind them Kanda noticed the young woman was still with them. Amber kept her distance yet kept a close eye on the three.

Moving to the library.

[Bandit With No Name]

The trio strode out of a small structure with a large purple bell hanging overhead, Caret all but jamming the last of her crunchy, flat meal into her face. “You’re seriously missing out,” she said to the woman lazily following after her, bits of yellow shell and ground beef tumbling out of her mouth. “Crunch wraps are the best thing man has ever created.”
 
It appeared as though several more competitors had arrived since the nameless woman and her retinue had come onto the scene, and the main hall was over spilling with reporters, gawkers, and all manner of other invasive, nosy people. She was glad she had jumped the rush.
 
Some of the cameras and the bobbleheads attached to them had followed some of the others from the primary facility and into the restaurant section of the building. In particular, the cameras loomed around a blue-grey woman with horns and a fantastic Mohawk and her new pals, Jak and Dax. The bandit smirked, folded her arms and leaned against a wall, more than pleased to stay out of the limelight. Caret on the other hand, seemed enraptured.
 
Balanlara, on the other hand, stood behind. There was a bristling energy flowing from her every feature, despite the fact that if you were to look at it from afar you might assume it was blissfully serene. The nameless woman furrowed her brows and looked over to her, a bit concerned. “You aight?”
 
The eldar nodded. “Yes,” she said flatly. Where usually her voice reverberated like plucked harp string, it instead resounded more like a fist pounding into the keys of a piano. “That woman. She reminds me of something back home.” Her eyes wandered away, locking on some far away memory that she gazed upon with horrible placidness. She blinked and jerked her head away. “I must excuse myself,” she apologized, her flowing cloak already sweeping up as she turned away. “You may find me in the training hall.” With that, she was gone.
 
The pink haired woman didn’t need the bandit’s permission to go over and speak to her, and she didn’t ask. Instead she strode headlong through a sea of bustling onlookers, Syntech employees, and paparazzi, directly in from of the strange, stormy-eyed woman. "Oh, are you and Dax an item or something?" she asked bluntly, not bothering with the pleasantries that a normal person raised in a normal setting might have.
 
Dax seemed a little preoccupied with attempting to make full-body contact with the grey-skinned woman’s body. "This stud muffin?” she replied in lieu, “He sure is.” Her fingers gracefully scratched the underside of his chin, eliciting a satisfied purr from the furry creature.
 
Caret nodded nervously to Dax. "Oh cool! You're a cute couple," she said, her voice a bit uncertain. She extended her hand to Ash, "Hey, I'm Caret. You look like a prime. Are you here to compete?"
 
The unknown woman’s expression was a bit soured, but she wiped it away and took up Caret’s hand and gave it a relaxed shake. "Yes."
 
"I'm Caret, I'm just here to watch." She smiles a bit sheepishly, "So like, what's your name? What's your native universe and stuff?"
 
"Ash," she spat out another answer, not even looking at the mechanic and instead rubbing Dax’s belly. "My world isn't all that special."
 
Caret bobbed her head up and down, searching for words. "I'm from the Dunes. Born and raised, I guess." She kicks her feet a bit oddly, tapping the metal pipe that supported the table. "So uh, I just had a 'Crunch Wrap Supreme.' You, uh, ever have one?" She stammered, clearly a bit flustered.
 
Ash seemed to perk up a bit at this, though she didn’t divert her attention. "No, I haven't. I know someone from the Dunes. A nobleman. He helped save me from bandits."
 
Caret grinned widely, obviously overjoyed to have a positive response. "Oh man, both me and the bandit are from the Dunes!" She pointed back to the hulking woman in spiked armor. The unnamed woman offered an awkward half-smile and a short wave without leaving her post. After the non-introduction Caret looked back to Ash. "Who's the nobleman? What happened?"
 
Ash glanced up and attempted a friendly half wave to the stranger who seemed content from across the room. "His name was Erik, him and his friend came running after Skull-Face demanded the whole city as ransom for me. He threatened to do some unspeakable things to me if Gilgamesh didn't give into his demands. I guess a fight broke out, and Erik's page came to rescue me from the cell I was locked in. I watched Erik cleave Skull-Face's head in two, so he won't be coming back."
 
The bubblegum mechanic smiled, and did her best to put the "oos" and "aahs" in the right places. "That sounds rather, uh, tough,” she attempted a compliment, “I have no idea who Skull-Face is." She glanced back to the looming shadow on the outskirts, "Hopefully nobody we liked.” When she saw her attempt at humor failed to land, she shook her head, hair tumbling about. "Probably not," she laughed nervously. She frantically searched for something to talk about. "So, uh, are you just here for fun?"
 
The seductive stranger paused, collecting her thoughts. "Sure. You can say that. And the contacts. It’s nice to know some people in case I need saving from a bandit boss named Skull-Face."
 
Caret laughed obnoxious and looked back to her friend and apparent overseer. "There are plenty of skull faced bandits out there that you might need saving from.”
 
The woman’s gaze was about as spiked as her shoulder plates from the other end of the room. "Careful,” she growled, just loud enough to be heard.
 
"Hm,” the woman spit shortly, “well I don’t think I’ll have to worry about any more run of the mill bandits anymore.” Her eyes finally peeled off of the ensorcelled Dax, who had managed to worm his way onto her lap and cast a glance to the brooding marauder. “I’m not too concerned.”
 
The bandit’s heart thumped in her chest and she leaned up from the wall, planting both feet firmly, her hand wandering to her oversized hammer. Caret looked from the cool, calm and collected Ash to her friend and back again. “Uh, hey now,” she protested timidly.
 
Jak, who had been content to let a conversation between his new friend and an old carry on interjected, sense the sudden tension and slapped his hands together. “Hey, who’s ready for another drink? Ash? Caret?”
 
The mechanic, flustered, stammered a few times before Ash spoke over her. “Sure.” She stood, Dax automatically curling around her shoulder like a living scarf. “I’d be fine with that.”
 
Caret, red-faced, stumbled around before she nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great. I just learned I like beer!”
 
The cool-faced Ash glanced back. Calm. Dispassionate. Uncaring. “Sure, I guess you can come along.”
 
Caret’s breath caught in her throat and her worn, callused fingers fumbled over each other. Her face turned red, and tiny tears began to well up in her eyes. “I’m-“ her tongue stumbled. She took a deep breath and then threw her hands down to her sides in small, balled fists. “I’M JUST TRYING TO BE NICE!” she suddenly shouted, collecting the silence of everyone around her.
 
Ash blinked, her expression just as cold and uninterested as it had been the entire conversation. Caret’s eyebrows crunched and she continued to shout. “I thought you looked cool, ok? I just want to be your friend!” Ash opened her mouth, just in time to catch Caret’s open palm across it, her blue skin darkening with the mark of her fingers. “Screw you!”
 
The thunder of the bandit’s armored feet telegraphed her approach, gigantic sledge gripped with white-knuckles. Her left hand pounded into the table with a catastrophic boom, the power of her stolen magic sending it into a thousand tiny squares that spiraled in every direction.
 
There were shrieks from the employees, who were no-doubt already on the razor’s edge of panic, and even the camera crews scurried back before refocusing. “Listen lady, I don’t know who the fuck you are,” she boomed, “and frankly, I no longer give a shit. Caret isn’t great with people, and this is how you’re gonna treat her?”
 
Jak and Dax stared, wide eyed at the sudden and seemingly totally unnecessary burst of aggression and violence. Ash recoiled slightly, “What? I didn’t even do-“
 
“Shut the fuck up,” the nameless woman commanded and grabbed Caret by the shoulder. “We’re leaving.”

[Jak Mar]

Daxter enjoyed the brief moment with the bluish demoness, enjoying the pettings. That is, until a old enemy peered a corner.

One very certain, and annoying Victor Wolfe.

He could feel his anger rising. Who knew he was going to be here?!”

He was just about to give his own waves of hatred to New Babylon’s own diplomat but that glare Daxter gave was just as fiery as the cocky smile Victor pulled to scare him shitless.

The ottsel stepped back and looked over at Jak, who was pulling a losing battle of his own in the corner with Ash and Jak’s seemingly new friends.

The tension on both sides grew as Jak and Daxter stood back to back staring down problems, like both of them were back in their homeland.

Daxter, under his breath muttered something about “New Babylon and how they grown stronger, while Jak watched the table in front of them crack into a million shreds along with the glass and scotch.

Jak, now frustrated, got up off his seat and tiptoed over the piles of glass and wood covering the wood flooring.

He stared in between Ash, and then Bandit and then back.

“Ash, what did you say to Bandit’s friends? “

He didn’t want <i>them</i> to crawl into his mind so soon, so he bit his tongue to avoid a outburst from his other side.

Meanwhile, the balance of sides finally returned to normal in Jak’s head. Dark, already had a list of annoyances kept in Jak’s mind that the eco warrior simply didn’t want to take care of and show his <i> fearsome</i> side. The weak willed man wanted to keep him in check, and so did that other side.