GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 22, 2020 5:20:14 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive A few hours after the clash upon the Arctic tundra, the sun began to set and slip under the horizon. Val's journey across the wilderness took her to a snow-covered pine forest, thick with towering trees casting their shadows all upon her. Not wishing to spend the freezing night on her feet and with a body on her shoulders, the Fullbringer instead set up camp. In a small clearing between the trees, a fire was soon lit up - her Fullbring transformed into a portable stove with a pot on top of it, into which she quickly chopped up some of the food she had brought with herself to start cooking a stew. Of course, in usual Val fashion, any ordinary stove and pot would not do - it looked like a futuristic plasma burner, something you'd see in the background of a science fiction TV show, even if it worked exactly the same like any other stove. The person she had been carrying on her shoulder was now wrapped up in a few blankets and laid down on one side of the camp, while the young woman was sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree on the other side and doodling in a notebook to pass the time. (206 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 22, 2020 13:48:55 GMT -5
How long had he been out? Much had changed since Iwan’s defeat at the hands of that odd girl. Movement was restricted by his injuries and the blankets he had been wrapped in. There was a camp in a small clearing which Iwan had seen before. It was about a day's worth of travel from their previous area. They were moving closer to civilization. Good, he needed to get a change of clothes and supplies, medical care as well. Iwan scoured the camp as best he could without revealing he was awake. A strange device sat over a burning fire. Mist escaped off a boiling pot placed above it. He’d assume she was cooking something, as he couldn’t smell anything with the surrounding cold. Chopped wood sat to the side. It appeared the girl had prepared well for this. Further inspection of the area would finally reveal the girl, absentmindedly writing or drawing in a notebook. She sat on a fallen tree. Iwan felt around for Pokuta and gave a sigh of relief as he found it lying next to him. He’d need it if he planned to escape. If he could get that tree trunk rolling with a well placed shot, it may distract her just long enough to get into the wilderness. From there it would be a half days journey back to reach civilization. The small village he had tried convincing her to go to originally had a train route leading to Krasnoyarsk. It was a long shot, but it was the best he had. As to catch her by surprise, Iwan would attempt to launch himself up. He had intended to take the shot and run. Instead he simply felt a crunching sensation in his right rib as he barely managed to push himself up to an upright position. A pained coughing fit would follow. “Christ, how many bones did you break…” He muttered, rubbing his aching ribs. Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 22, 2020 16:24:33 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive Val's thoughts popped back to reality when she heard the sound of something muffling and grunting, before receding. Turns out the Quincy was finally awake, and they were trying to escape the blanket burrito they were locked into - to no avail. Guess that makes it great that she didn't just pop a healing spell on him, he would have jumped out with a weapon in tow by now... " Hey, you're finally awake." The Fullbringer placed her notebook down and made her way to the stove - she tapped on the Fullbring contraption with a finger and a piece of it popped off, attaching to her hand. The woman picked up a bowl and filled it to half-full with the stew, rather rich and meaty just like she liked - and then made her way to the Quincy. " Hey, the good news is that I won't break any more of your bones. Probably." She handed the bowl over to Iwan, all while the piece of her Fullbring transformed to a spoon. If the Quincy turned out to be too broken to eat, it would instantly transform into an automated spoon-feeder for the occasion. " I don't know if you want to introduce yourself to me after... that, but my name is Valentina. Americans shorten my name to Val, I've always found it a little weird buuuut I just go with it." (227 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 22, 2020 19:48:40 GMT -5
Iwan took the bowl, having finally freed his good hand from the blanket, and set it off to the side. He’d begin to examine the spoon she had created from seemingly nothing. It shared that same sickly aura which both Yukari and the girl had. Any hunger he might have had was suddenly struck down by intense discomfort. This entire camp was filled with it… “Why didn’t you kill me?” He asked as he set the spoon to the side and rubbed his temple. “Actually, why did you even attack me in the first place? There are Hollows all over Krasnoyarsk, Yakutsk, and all the other major cities. You could’ve just hunted those. Hell, the one I took down wasn’t even dead…” He glared at the girl. “You did kill it, right?” It was difficult to spot anything around the camp, much to Iwan’s chagrin. He had hoped to maybe find something, some kind of item or route which would get him out of here. If he had only awoken before nightfall… “The locals call me Okhotnik. Sure you know what it means given your accent. My real name is Iwan” The sickening feeling would finally begin to subside as he grew more accustomed to the strange aura. Iwan looked to the spoon and grimaced, loathing the idea of having to use it. “Do you have any normal utensils?” He’d ask before handing her back the spoon. As he did so, he would notice the distinct lack of a shirt sleeve covering his arm. It had been burnt and torn all the way to his shoulder, which now had a deep scar running across it. Blood covered the inside of the blankets. “Or medical supplies…” Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 23, 2020 16:09:42 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive " Psh, you're not cool enough to be an okhotnik. Ochkarik, maybe," Val replied to Iwan's introduction with a remark, cracking a smirk while carefully avoiding his question on whether she killed the Hollow. She... forgot. Or, rather, not that she forgot, she simply had more important things to do than go after a Hollow with an unconscious Quincy on her back. Who knows, maybe Iwan's shot was enough to kill it all the way back then? When the Quincy complained about the spoon, however, the woman raised an eyebrow - and then stretched out her palm to bring the spoon to her hand. " ...I don't see anything wrong with it," she stated after looking it through, then tossed the utensil back towards Iwan. " I mean, if you don't like using a spoon, then you can drink straight from the bowl - but that's all the utensils I have. Crafted straight from my imagination." What's the point in bringing any with you when you can craft anything you want from the toolbox regardless? Val sat down back on the trunk of the fallen tree, picking up the notebook yet again. At last, the Quincy wanted to know why she kept him alive. " I wasn't lying to you back in the fight, you know. I like fighting anyone, but I only kill Hollows and Shinigami," Val explained, spinning the notebook around between her fingers. " After all, Quincies go out and do exactly the thing I want. Destroy Hollows, upset the balance of souls, and bring the world closer to freedom." (256 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 23, 2020 17:39:52 GMT -5
Valentina was certainly not helping Iwan’s growing suspicions that the woman was insane. Making a spoon from her “imagination” and seeking to… bring the world closer to freedom? At least Hanako had a comprehensible reason for attacking him. This just seemed like some grand idea that Iwan didn’t want to bother understanding. Maybe she was a part of a cult or something. As she tossed the spoon back to him, he’d simply set it to the side and look down at the stew. His stomach churned a bit as that anxious, sickening feeling settled in again. “I’m not feeling hungry right now. Maybe later”. Iwan pushed himself into a more comfortable position and looked back down at the wound. Being a Quincy he was capable of healing just about any wound he received. That didn’t stop it from hurting greatly, nor scarring. At least the cold helped to numb it a bit. “I hunt Hollows because they’re dangerous, not to ‘upset the balance of souls’ or whatever you said. I don’t know what the hell you are, but I’ve met your kind before. At this point I’m under the assumption they all despise Hollows. I find it odd, given you all share such a similar reiatsu with them… So, what are you?” Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 24, 2020 3:41:11 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive With a sigh, Val splayed her hand - the Fullbring spoon in Iwan's hand leapt out and transformed into a spider-like crawler which picked up the bowl of stew from his lap and brought it to the Fullbringer. If he doesn't want to eat despite looking clearly exhausted, then all the power to him - she's hungry and she can eat it up instead. Does he not like meat and spoons or something? Instead, the Quincy continued to ask Val about her nature and reasoning, and the people she represented, which got the young woman to crack a smile and reply: " I mean, they're dangerous to us, too. Most of us fight off against them because of that - 'cause, you know, very few people have a death wish," Val stated simply and placed the bowl of stew on her lap, while the spider-walker shifted back into the same spoon she had handed to Iwan. " We're Fullbringers. People like me are born when a pregnant mother is attacked by a Hollow and a piece of that Hollow is left in the child. My mom was driven insane when that happened, so... not the best life to grow up in. Don't know if superpowers made it worth it, but they're cool, I guess." Val leaned back a bit. " So, now that we're not fighting to near death - what's your wildest dream?" (227 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 24, 2020 10:54:44 GMT -5
“A Fullbringer? Odd name” Iwan remarked as he pulled his blanket up over his shoulder. “Quincy and Hollows are toxic to one another. I get this sickening feeling when near their Reiatsu. Helps me track them down”. The Quincy had always been averse to even the presence of Hollows. These Fullbringers seemed alright, though. At least when they weren’t actively trying to stab him… Valentina went on to ask that same odd question. Previously he was a bit preoccupied trying to survive. Unless this was all some elaborate plan to catch him off guard, he saw no reason not to answer it. “Simple. I want to be better than the Shinigami. They couldn’t do their job when it mattered most, so they don’t deserve it” Iwan scratched his head, finding a piece of shrapnel which he tossed to the side with a frustrated sigh. “Though I’ll have to put that on hold now. Think I’ll head back to civilization. Get my wounds healed and find some better gear. Maybe finally go home” With some struggling, Iwan would manage to push himself up a bit further. After a few seconds and some uncomfortable cracking, he’d manage to get to a stand. It shortly reverted to a lean. “Your accent, it’s Russian yes? Not from this area. Better spoken than the locals, still a bit difficult to understand” Iwan finally managed to find a comfortable standing position and let out a relieved breath. At least he wouldn’t be permanently crippled. “Where are you from?” Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 24, 2020 14:36:17 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive " The only part of Russia which matters, of course! Not that my life went any better than someone in bumfuck Chechnya, but at least I could stare at pretty Moscow skyscrapers all night long," Val replied with a grin on her face after several spoon-fulls of her stew. Iwan was really missing out on some delicious goodness - the thick meaty taste was wonderful. But who cares, she'll have more to herself! However, the Fullbringer's expression soon soured. Her mind went back to Iwan's reply about his wildest dream - his goal. " To surpass the Shinigami, you say..." She moved her bowl to the side and leaned back - laying on the fallen log, she folded her arms behind the back of her head, resting it on a nearby tree. Her eyes wandered off to the sky. " I dream of reaching the stars one day. They're so pretty, you know? Gleaming in the darkness, surrounded by alien worlds, which surely hold adventures and creatures we've never even heard of..." the Fullbringer began to speak, extending her finger outward and trailing it across the air. " I dream of becoming the most powerful Fullbringer ever... I dream of being able to fly, to lift mountains with just my arms... I dream of someone I could call a friend, and a normal family too, and yet-" Suddenly, her hand, shaped to a fist, slammed down on the log, shaking the ground around them. Pine needle fell from above, an owl took off from its resting place in the treetops, shaking the branches as it flew. " The world would rather have none of it happen. There's laws, imaginary or physical, which hold us back, and turn lives into prisons, by ensuring that anything but the most mundane dreams remain just dreams..." Suddenly, Val arose, jumping back to her feet. " And yet there's such an easy solution! A way to free everyone from these shackles, and allow anyone to do anything we want! You're... not the first person I asked that question, Iwan, and you won't be the last. I want to listen to everyone's dreams and catalogue them - because knowing just how many people I'll free, even if only for a second, motivates me more than anything else." (371 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 24, 2020 17:13:57 GMT -5
Iwan flinched slightly as the young woman smashed a fist into a log. What had started as an innocent description of some rather… outlandish dreams had suddenly turned into an almost religious preaching. About dreams, flying, space, and more. He’d flick a piece of chipped wood off his shoulder as she continued. She’d finish her tirade whilst standing and proclaiming how she wanted to fulfill everyone’s dream. “You sound like an insane Preacher” Iwan remarked as he took a few cautious steps around the camp. “I don’t know anything about this cosmic gowno, or particularly care for it. All I know is that freedom comes at a cost. The more you want, the more it costs. Though many would prefer safety over it. Hence why laws exist in the first place” He’d shrug. “Don’t care either way. So long as it doesn’t bother me, that is” The stars were plentiful tonight, as if to support Valentina’s point. Iwan glared at them as he considered everything which had happened thus far. Months ago he had been forced to deal with two powerful beings, one of which had nearly killed him. He was then teleported to Hawaii against his will and forced to find his own way home. Not that it was difficult, he still had his family’s wealth after all. Now he sat here discussing the philosophy of freedom with an obviously unsound woman who had also nearly killed him. “Hmph. Yeah, time to go home. Don’t know what else is going to try and kill me if I stay here any longer. Don’t want to know” Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 25, 2020 4:22:24 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive " Freedom isn't free, you're right. And I'm willing to pay the ultimate price for it." Val was not going to shy away from the consequences of her actions, and her ultimate goal. It does not take a lot of smarts to figure out that if you bring down the two halves of the Universe and destroy their balance, the Universe itself is likely to end up destroyed with it. But what matters not is the end of the Universe, but rather what happens right before it. After all, a moment of freedom is worth more than a lifetime of slavery. Iwan, however, was a simple minded person. As long as it did not affect him, he really did not care. The Quincy instead began to pack up and get ready to leave. Val zipped the bowl of stew back to her hands and replied: " You sure you don't wanna stay around for the stew, at least? You're really missing out, and I kinda made portions for two..." She interjected her speech with a spoon-full of the delicious goodness, her voice now muffled by the utensil in her mouth. " I won't bother you with all the pseudo philosophical mumbo jumbo any longer." (202 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 26, 2020 12:01:34 GMT -5
Iwan was going to miss this place. The isolation, the cold, the beauty and horrors it held. But if his “vacation” to Hawaii had taught him anything, it was that he was ready to leave. Maybe he could go find other Quincies. “Hmph?” Iwan muttered as Val went on to ask him to stay. She seemed to have heard him thinking out loud. The girl was oddly adamant to have him stay. “You think I’d be stupid enough to wander out there in my current condition?” He gave a laugh. “I don’t even have my winter clothes anymore. Wolves would pick up my trail of blood within hours.” Iwan looked up at the sky. “Pierdolić… That’s going to be a long walk… No, I don’t think I’ll be going back there for a good while.” He looked back to Val. “When I said I’m going home, I meant my real home. Back in Poland. I left about four years ago for training. Had many years to make up for… Think I’ll rebuild our old Mansion. Find the rest of my kind. See what I’ve missed. If these Fullbringers are appearing in the Russian Wilderness of all places, they must be fairly common. Never met one of them till a few months ago” He rubbed his shoulder as a sharp pain spawned, before slowly dissipating away. His walking took on a more natural gait as the stiffness and pain in his legs subsided. “Do you have any spare bowls? I’d rather not share” He muttered absent mindedly, looking around the cooking pot. Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 26, 2020 15:52:11 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive Val blinked for a second, then splayed her hand - from her bag, a spare bowl zipped to her hand. As soon as the girl spun it around on her fingers for a bit, she stepped in front of the kettle and poured in some stew, then handed the dish over to Iwan. The Quincy had explained what he actually meant by returning home - not that he would stand up and leave right now, but that he had been away from his home in Poland for a long time and that it was about time for him to return. " There's not that many of us - after all, it's a pretty convoluted process to get one of us born," Val casually replied to Iwan's observations while she was in the middle of eating. " Guess it really depends on how many Hollows there are in the world's though. Might be a little awkward that I'll prevent the creation of so many friends in our community by killing them all... bu, y'know, you win some, you lose some." The fact that Iwan brought up trying to find the rest of his kind did raise an important issue in her mind, however. " Are you Quincies still being hunted down by the Shinigami? For, uh... I suppose trying to defend yourselves from Hollows..." (217 words) |
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Post by Iwan Kosnik on Aug 26, 2020 21:52:10 GMT -5
Iwan took the bowl with a nod and found somewhere comfortable to sit. He’d take a drink of the stew before giving a sigh. “Surprised you know about that. I had always assumed our kind kept it well hidden” He’d pause and think for a bit. “Not currently. I’d guess they would try stopping me if they found me hunting Hollows. Probably turn into a fight” Iwan stared into his bowl for a bit. “We are better than them. My father always told me tales, passed down from generations since the War happened. Cruel and ruthless warlords was how he described them. They cared not for the balance of the universe, nor did they care for the living. They only wished to hold control. The fact that we had attempted to take their control away…” Iwan drank some more of the stew. “We didn’t threaten the balance of the universe. We threatened their balance. I didn’t believe him at first. But I see it now. They failed at the one thing they were meant to do” Iwan finished off the bowl of stew and set it to the side. “There’s too many to kill. War won’t end well. The only way to beat them is to be better than them. Better at everything”. It was refreshing to speak to someone about this. For years he had been forced to keep his thoughts to himself. Finally getting to voice them only reassured him in his efforts. Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on Aug 27, 2020 13:57:44 GMT -5
Valentina Tokareva Location: Russian Wilderness
Status: Alive Val listened to Iwan's story about the Quincies intently, all while finishing her bowl of stew and stashing it away at the side. With every word and every sentence, the hunter's story grew more and more venomous, to the point where he stopped bothering with any pretenses and declared them to be selfish failures whom he would not hesitate to kill off if only that were a realistic prospect. A smirk formed itself on the Fullbringer's face, hearing the end of his proclamation. It was almost like they had switched roles for a second. " Well then, turns out there's something the two of us can agree with," she stated. " Quite a lot, actually. And yet I'm the insane preacher of the two, apparently." After that initial quip, however, her expression soured and she turned to the side, once again returning to her philosophical thoughts. " ...yeah. To hold down people like us is what they really want - not any balance of the souls crap, or whatever. We Fullbringers haven't gotten their torch... yet - but they obviously view us as an abberation of nature. Chances are what happened to the Quincies might one day happen to us." She turned her eyes to the sky, wondering. " Maybe our peoples should really start working together. We're both superior to the muggle folk and we've got a common enemy. Y'know, like a... joint Quincy-Fullbringer secret society." (231 words) |
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