they'll tell the story of tonight
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
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#1
Giving Cal a moment to recuperate or catch himself, or whatever it is he needs to do, Wessex waits quietly in the dark, the thrill of running through those shifts lingering in the hum of her fluid. She’s noticed his new tools too - the lasers, the disc that lit up and mirrored her own. They could probably have fun with those too at a later date.

“Can you imagine,” she begins, sounding almost breathless. “If several of us were able to create those kinds of illusions at once? A hundred feet of them?” Indicating an imaginary wide swatch of people in front of her, the Wraith continues, “Able to hide us and redirect and fake the enemy out?” It can work, she know it can, because it had before. “And if we swap upgrades around? They’ll never have us figured out.”

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#2
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
Oh he’s flat on his ass, but the laugh that leaves him is bright as it is amused and pleasantly surprised as he lifts himself back up onto his feet. And when he does, she’s back to herself, and he dusts himself off from some of the dust and bits of wood shaving from when the place had been put together that hadn’t been completely cleaned up. Varus runs a hand through his hair as he approaches, clicking the disk back in against his thigh. “I think they’d think they were outnumbered.” He says with a hint of mischief in his tone.

I heard through the grapevine something like that happened in Halo. Perhaps it’s something we can try to implement in our training to smooth out the cracks?” He suggests, casting his gaze over Wessex as he rolls his metal arm out a fraction. “I’ve been holding onto a rather big shift for a while now just waiting for the time to use it.” The information is offered easily, how much he doesn’t plan on taking a bite from anyone until he gets to use the manticore he has stored.
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
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Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
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#3
She nods. “An army at our fingertips.” She offers a small, mischievous grin in return before nodding to confirm that what he’d heard about Halo was correct. “Is that the shift you mentioned way back when? From Remi?” It’s quite a long time to hold on to something and she’s duly impressed. It’s definitely a valuable one. “Neron has an upgrade where he can store multiple powers. I don’t know what you’ve got on your agenda, but that might be useful.” And on that note - she reaches around to the back of her neck, where she’d seen Neron shove the upgrades into Edy and Pet that one time. Something in her inherently knows where the biopulse upgrade is and she pulls it out, offering it to Cal.

“Here. Try this one. Just for fun. It’s a biopulse.”

Of course, that makes him the first real guinea pig, but the General figures it's better to give him something than to have her take one of his.

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#4
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
It sure is.” Varus rumbles with a mischievous smirk, one fang on display as he nods. “I haven’t wanted to waste it. I doubt it’ll be easy to get another one.” Another manticore shift, at the very least. But he draws closer in his curiosity, watching her pluck something from her neck and hand it to him, the Ascended taking it with his metal hand and peers at it curiously.

His gaze flickers up to meet her, still with that shit eating smirk crossing his face. “So… What? Do I just put it at the back of my neck and it’ll connect?” He asks curiously, trying to see if his logic would provide useful in the this event. And if it does and he can activate it, well, that certainly changes things doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, Varus’ finger lasers are a bit harder to share around.
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
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#5
No, it likely wouldn’t be easy to get another manticore shift and Wessex has to agree with his logic. Even if she didn’t - the choice was his to make and she would respect it. Her veins would always be there (in theory, no use contemplating what would happen if they aren’t).

“I… think so?” Wessex answers with an exaggerated Elmo shrug. “That’s where it came from. And it’s… head-based, I think? Don’t need to see to use it, and it isn’t activated by any muscles.” Come to think of it, the same could be said of her Backsplash upgrade, which she’s never felt that one before. “Actually -” Holding a finger up, she asks Cal to wait while the other hand fishes around in a similar place and pulls a second upgrade out.

“This one is similar in how it works, it just is. It’s the backsplash upgrade. Everything you feel when you hit me. I’m curious about both.” Based on Sunjata and several others’ exclamations and experiences in battle against her, it sounds particularly nasty. And she should know the extent of her power.

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#6
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
He’s never done it before, but he supposes it makes sense. The way she explains it has him nodding along, a lock of dark hair falling in front of his bright blue gaze that he pushes back immediately after, just in time for her to make him pause and Varus’ attention grows more interested, stepping an inch closer to scan at the way she simply pulls the upgrade from her.

That being said, he trades her with her own upgrade in a sense, scanning her to see where she’d placed it before he sticks it onto himself, letting it sync up with him as he breathes a small sigh of relief. “Alright.” He murmurs, taking a few steps back to let her test it out. “If I’m being honest, it fucks up my sensors really hard.” He flashes her a crooked smirk – almost as if he’s excited for her to experience it for herself. It was all part of mastering things, right? Learning what it was like while simultaneously learning how to use it?

Ready, Wes?
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
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#7
“Yeaaahhh… I’m not surprised.” With just the biopulse upgrade in her hand, she feels around for a moment before re-inserting it in to her own system. A shake of her head (kind of like a dog) seems to set everything right. “If I’m attacked, it will lash out with the double the amount of damage done to me on the attacker. Useful. Vicious..” It’s also why she’s never gone hard with him before, because she doesn’t want him to experience that kind of overload if he doesn’t have to.

“Ready.” Unsure if Cal’s planning on just letting himself get hit or if he wants to actually try and go a couple of moves again, the General suddenly releases her laser beam eyes on a swathe of his exposed flesh. Nothing too bad, right?

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#8
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
It’s a strange feeling, to have such a powerful upgrade suddenly inserted into himself. He waits for it to interface which is the perfect allotment of time for Wessex to get readjusted to her biopulse. While she shakes her head like a dog, he takes a deep breath, the broadening of his shoulders before he smooths them down and asks her if she’s ready.

She agrees, and in the sake of testing out everything, he doesn’t try to block the attack, instead he swallows hard as the laser eyes bore into his skin briefly – setting off his sensors with a loud brnggggg! that has him wincing, gritting his teeth, sucking in a sharp breath. Immediately with the attack, though, the borrowed upgrade is sparking off, shooting double the damage back at the Wraith as Varus’ metal hand rises to cover the burn in his skin.
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
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#9
At some point it feels like they’re playing with embers, flirting with - well, not quite danger - but something that might very well test trust and health in a way trainings usually don’t. Wessex knows how hard it must be to just sit there and take a hit. They’re trained to evade, react, flinch - this is asking to go against instinct.

Wessex is grateful for Cal and his willingness to entertain her follies and most importantly, be her guinea pig when she can’t do it to herself.

The lasers fire and moments after they sizzle against his skin, she’s feeling it twofold (or so it must be, because she knows how it works). It’s true, it does set her sensors to clanging and the klaxon in her body starts to sound an alarm - now so loud as she’s heard it before, but no small chirping either. She blinks, shutting the lasers off, and then exhales with puffed cheeks and wide eyes.

“O…kay.”

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#10
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
It is hard. Everything in him wants to move away, especially the second her eyes glow. But he stills himself regardless – his training coming in handy as the lasers hit his arm and burn. He can’t help the sound that slips from him, the unneeded sharp breath that’s inhaled, the hiss leaving him of not quite pain but annoyance – because gods, if there’s one thing Varus truly hates, it’s his sensors flaring off.

But soon enough it’s over and she shuts her lasers off, her exhale and puffed cheeks and wide eyes the first thing he sees when he opens his oceanic gaze and focuses on her as he reaches up to rub at the ruined skin that’s slowly starting to try and heal over itself. “Can’t feel pain but I betcha that fucking hurts if it hurts twice as bad for you as it does me.” He raises a brow, pressing the cool metal of his bionic hand to his wound as if it might help.
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
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#11
Nodding slowly, Wessex continues her analysis of the damage. “In the grand scheme of things, I’m fine, but that was a hefty chunk of damage all at once.” Then belatedly, she adds, “Are you okay? I’ve got healing if you need it.” Biting has truly become such a casual and necessary thing to the demigod that she thinks nothing of offering up an arm if it’ll help one of her siblings.

“I wonder… if I can get strong enough, could I outlast Remi? Or Ronin? With healing and fuck, I don’t know, making them attack me?” It’s an idea but not necessarily her best one. She shrugs a giant shrug and looks at Varus again. “Thanks for being game. I know I throw a lot of random shit you. And it ain’t all fun.”

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex

Varus Callahan
Assassin / Hollowed Grounds Captain

Age: 347 | Height: 5’7 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 4 - Strg: 14 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 19 - Luck: 20 - Int:
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#12
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
He pulls his hand away from the wound to tilt his head down toward it, watching as the flesh remains somewhat opalescent from the fluid bubbling over, but it seems to be doing alright. His gaze lifts to Wessex then as he shakes his head, imagining she means a bite to heal. “I’m fine, yeah. Nothing I’m sure Isla can’t patch up in the name of research, hm?” He teases, before something grows a bit more serious in his gaze. “I’d bite but I’m still holding onto Remi’s manticore shift and I’m not exactly lookin’ to lose it, y’know?” He’s managed to hold onto it this long and he wants to unleash it when it’s absolutely necessary.

As for her comment of Remi and Ronin and outlasting them, he watches her curiously as if considering it. “Do you think they’d realize it deals them more damage? You might be able to but… They also might pick other targets. Or other ways to indirectly attack you without getting the hit in return.” Or worse, something to deaden the Ascended abilities as a whole – the thought makes him shiver.

No problem, Wes.” He reaches around to tug the upgrade from his skin, handing it out to her with his metal hand and an easier smile. “I’ve been away a long time so figuring out how things changed is kinda part of the daily now.
VARUS
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
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Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
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#13
Literally face-palming, Wessex just shakes her head and chuckles at herself. “I know that. I swear I do. Sorry, i’ll try to stop offering.” Honestly, with some things it's like she has the memory of a goldfish. Unusual, but probably a result of single-minded concern.

As for their opponents choosing other targets, Wessex just has to shrug. “Maybe there’s some way to get an ability to draw their attention or make them target me? Like I can dodge fire fairly well now - better than before? Something in me just recognizes it. I don’t know how it would work, but… worth bringing up with the Voice.” Taking the upgrade back, she reaches around to her neck and searches for the right slot (that’s what he said) before sliding it back into place. Let’s not think about the specifics of it.

“And it seems like they’re constantly changing, huh? At least it does to me.” Offering a lopsided, wistful grin, Wessex gestures towards the doors. “Shall we?” Time to rejoin the rest of the world.

{Fin}

The Wraith
the bright
the thing in the night
Wessex



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