Day 7: Evening

[wizardseason]

Aftern-Evening: 3pm - Midnight

[ IRL Timeframe: January 22 - January 29, 2020. ]

After all of Seven's fights, ending in Luka taking Ten's hand as the other heroes arrive. The knights will be treated to the sight of something entirely unexplainable: Seven is wounded, laying on the asphalt with a bright white crossbow bolt sticking out of their body. They're still pouring black goop off of their body, but they appear to be wrapped in some kind of cloth tarp. Five is kneeling over them, dressed in a skin-covering assassin outfit that only reveals her five eyes peering out. In her hand is a phone, and that's really all that can be seen before she and Seven disappear into a portal in the ground.

Luka, meanwhile, is standing with Ten's hand in his and his crossbow laid on the ground and not in his hand. No matter what the arriving heroes cry out in order to get his attention, it's too late to stop him. Abruptly, the portal opens and both the Princess and Ten disappear into the ground.

Naturally, the hashtag #princessnapped is forged.

That doesn't prove to be the only hashtag to get some heavy use this evening. The #wizardfound and #robotwizard hashtags find a sudden, new reason to actively discuss what's going on.

The remaining heroes: Garrot, Gyre, Haizea, Matilda, Olivia, (and... where's Terrence?) will find that the events from earlier in the day have caught up to them. There's a crack like thunder as both the Wizard and the Protector flicker into existence and both land in the superhero pose in the center of the intersection that Luka just disappeared from.

The Protector, if possible, is looking even worse than before. He's sporting a black eye and numerous cuts on his forehead, cheeks, and arms. It looks like he's been lit on fire at least once, but even so he's holding his rapier out in anticipation of the next strike.

The Wizard, meanwhile, is finally openly visible to everyone after her absence. She looks rough. It's as if the areas where she'd been harmed have been replaced or repaired with robotics. The left side of her face is no longer bandaged, instead revealing that she now has a robotic eye with a glowing yellow ring. The cables that were visible in the video before are very clearly plugged in just behind her ear, trailing down over her shoulder and down her back beneath the robes.

And of course she's still wearing pajamas. But they look like they've seen better days, charred and ripped and shredded at every edge. In her hand, though, is a massive axe. One side of its head is a giant half-circle axe head while the other side is a heavy weight like a hammer. The entire weapon is jet black, but it has a glossy shine.

What's the worst that could happen?

---

The Weather

• Cloudy, breezy.
• 48°F / 9°C
• Brrr.

---

Prompts:

• 3:00pm The Garden, Unknown Location: When Luka falls through the portal with Ten, he'll become immediately aware that the monster has slipped himself closer and snuck his feet beneath Luka's to stabilize him. Despite the falling, he seems surprisingly stable in the air.
  
  And then there's the soft crunch of grass beneath his feet and he shifts slightly, waiting for Luka to step back on his own. Wherever they are, the air is filled with the scents of wildflowers and scents that are both beautiful and entrancing in their complexity. It's clear that there are dozens, if not hundreds of flowers and plants in the immediate vicinity. There's the gentle warmth of sunlight on Luka's skin, clearly advertising that they're outside (or in a very clever indoor garden). But most calming is the gentle sounds of moving water. If Luka focuses, he'll be able to pick out that there's a small waterfall, several waterways, and multiple water features with water tumbling down over rocks. And, of course, a pool or a pond with fish gently swimming about beneath the surface.
  
  But he'll be interrupted twice before he can lose himself. The first is Ten.
  
  "We're here." He says, but if Luka's not shaken enough he'll realize that he doesn't hear Seven and his Seven sense isn't going wild. But the second distraction happens as Luka's phone bloops from an unknown sender with a text:
  
  "Welcome to the Garden, Princess." The text reads... with no explanation of who or how they sent him the text. That's totally normal!


• 3:00pm Street Intersection, Bamborough: With the arrival of the Wizard and the Protector, it's very clear that shit is about to go down. But that absolutely isn't what the Wizard has in mind for this situation. She's the one running this game, and she isn't about to get five heroes wrapped up in her duel with the Protector. Before anyone can take an opportunity to make any attacks, and especially not the Protector, she snaps the fingers of her free hand five times.
  
  And reality fractures. The way that the cracks in midair begin to fold and reflect the area and people around them, it's like the world is folding up into a trick mirror house. It's... actually exactly that. Reality twists and folds, forming reflections and containers out of the air itself until every single hero is enclosed in one. The hero in the middle of their own box, reflected on two opposite walls. But on the opposite two walls, the Wizard is visible beyond in one of them and the Protector is visible beyond in the other room. Uh. This conversation might get awkward. Worse is that they can't get distracted by their Seven senses, because no one can feel them anymore.


• 3:15pm To Everyone: In the middle of the earlier events, every hero in Bamborough receives a text from an unknown sender. The only one who's spared this text is Luka, because he got a text earlier. The text reads: "I can give you one teleport to anywhere today. Tell me when and to where. Don't be unreasonable!"


• 8:00pm Onward, Everywhere: The day is done, the events are finished. How does your character get home? Do they go home alone? Do they seek the company of their fellow heroes? Do they stay alone, or do they get a room together? Either way, it's a rough night for everyone.

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Procedure:

Reply to the appropriate toplevel comments for events below. Indicate if a post is a private conversation with "Private" in the subject otherwise all threads should be open to interaction with others. Plan OOCly how you'd like to toss everyone around.

---

Activity Check: January 2020

[ IRL Timeframe: January 1st - January 31st, 2020 ]

Comments

[wizardseason]

[ ...Olivia. ]

[ The Protector's eyebrows furrow as Olivia stumbles through getting her bearings. He supposes she's nervous, and that's fine, but-- ]

We are going to kill the Wizard when we can break free of her spell. [ He answers, coldly, intense gaze locked on the Wizard in the far cell. He's keeping his grip on his rapier, certain that Olivia will go along with this plan. ]

[ But Olivia gives a brief greeting to the Wizard and she gives a small tilt of her head in return. She's got a very small smirk on her face, the slightest hint of amusement. But it's all covered up by how exhausted her one non-robot eye looks. She has more bags under that eye from weariness than most people ever get in their entire life. ]

Hi, Ox knight. [ She gives a simple greeting, letting Olivia work this out herself. ]

[disguiseself]

We are? [She asks, incredulous, still facing the Wizard. She doesn't think she'd be able to, and she really doesn't think she wants to, if any of what Five told her is true.] I... Is this all real? [She asks the Wizard, eyes scanning all of the cybernetic enhancements on her. She places a hand on her side of the box, almost as if she wants to touch them. What even happened when these two fought? She definitely doesn't want to be trapped between them.

She shakes her head, turning to the Protector, her hand remaining in place.] What happened today? What were you doing with Seven? I thought you couldn't kill monsters. [She starts, big blue eyes watching every shift in his expression. She didn't need to watch the video to know whatever he was doing to them wasn't friendly.]

[wizardseason]

[ The Wizard nods when Olivia asks if they're real. She brings her left hand up to the side of the box, the skin of her hand the same black metal that the left side of her face was now. It's all quite real, and the soft hum of gears and engines can't be missed from up close. But she lets Olivia ask her important questions to the Protector. ]

I was interrupted trying to purge a monster for good. [ He answers, glaring daggers in the Wizard's direction. ]

Had I succeeded, the seventh day would have been free of a monster attack. Forever. [ He states it like flat, his tone completely flat and emotionless. He gives nothing away. ]

[disguiseself]

What? [She blinks, confusion showing in her face.] I thought that was why you needed us. You said you couldn't do it yourself. [She changes her tone and pretends the indignation she feels is simple curiosity at her patron's newfound strength!, or whatever he wants her to see this as. Let's act like it's all good and we aren't in danger around these two at all!] It should be impossible! How?

[wizardseason]

I would have only purged one. Eleven would remain. The magic that binds the seventh monster here is weak and easily severed. [ He explains, glaring past Olivia at the Wizard. ]

He wanted a brainless puppet. [ The Wizard adds, sounding tired as she says it. It earns an annoyed look from the Protector. ]

[disguiseself]

How come? [She asks, shooting a glance at the Wizard before her eyes switch to the Protector again. She's asking about Seven being the weakest link, of course! Unless the Wizard happens to feel like answering why the Protector wanted a brainless puppet, that is!]

I mean, I thought Seven was gonna be one of the most powerful ones, you know? Took Seth with him and all..., right? [She doesn't buy that, really. She's sure it was one of these two. But she pretends to be sad about the loss and genuinely curious about the monster.]

[wizardseason]

Recklessness does not equate to power. [ The Protector clarifies, keeping his level gaze on the Wizard where she's sitting. He can see her up to something. One of his hands shifts down to his blade, starting to draw it. ]

I will break down this charade. [ He adds, bringing his blade up to the edge of the clear prisons that the Wizard had placed them in. As the tip makes contact, it begins to glow white. ]

[ The Wizard remains where she is, watching. ]

[disguiseself]

But what about- Oh, hey, hey, wait! [She backs up carefully when his blade makes contact with the box, staring at it wide-eyed.] Is that safe? I don't even know where we are...

Maybe we could use this to our advantage instead of going straight to fighting again! I mean, you both do look pretty rough! [Still, she figures, it's best to take her weapon out as well. She positions herself as if ready to defend the Protector, but she keeps a wary eye on him as she speaks.] Aren't you both tired of fighting, after forty years?

[wizardseason]

[ The Protector keeps his bright white blade pressed firmly against the invisible wall. Slowly, but surely, white cracks start forming in the barrier. They're slowly splintering outward, growing with each passing second. That's... probably not good. ]

If I strike her down here, she can do no further harm. [ He emphasizes with a soft grunt of effort in his voice as he keeps his blade pressed forward. ]

[ To Olivia's side, the Wizard's regular eye looks very much like she's ready to nod off to sleep. Her glowing yellow robotic eye, meanwhile, is locked on the Protector where he's pushing forward against the wall. She knows it won't be long before he breaks through. ]

[ Meanwhile, Olivia's phone bleeps with a text from Eight! ]