TDM 007

[etrayamods]

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy ⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it. ⏵ aphaia ⏴ Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well. Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero? They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence. This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind. "Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks! The possible rankings are: 100: PARAGON 99-80: LUMINARY 79-70: CHAMPION 69-50: CONTENDER 49-30: UNDERLING 30-0: SHADE Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it! Aphaia is broken up into four districts. The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance. The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye. The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments. And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there. ⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴ Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance. Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course! The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below. Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory? The rules are simple: You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times. The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run. You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long. The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win. The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up. ⏵ casino royale ⏴ Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt. There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee. The wheel's effects are as follows: 1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound. 3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily. 5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories. 7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze. 9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one. 11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured. 13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you. 15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard. 17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all. 19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary. The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off. The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission. You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads. This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game! Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[mossheaded]

[ no one would ever learn just how soothing it was, feeling the gentle comb of her fingers through his fur - because zoro fully intended to take that information to his grave.

the moment he was human again, he was going to slice that goddamned roulette wheel to pieces.

with a grouchy sigh, zoro finally turned his head so he could follow her gaze; better to keep focus, whether she considered him a partner in this mission or not. with his mind distracted, he could hope he could prevent any further humiliation (like potentially purring), and hopefully, put an end to this whole ordeal that much faster.

one ear still trained on the pink woman, the other swiveled toward the hall at large, attempting to pick up on any trace of useful conversation. much as he was annoyed with his current... 'situation', there were one or two perks to this body - his heightened feline hearing being one of them.

his eye caught on the staff member she'd pointed out, and it was easy to see why. twitchy and stiff with tension, the harsh casino lighting only made the nervous sweat on his brow stand out all the more. whether or not it meant anything, her guess was as good as his, but it wasn't like they were swimming in options.

shuffling his back legs against her hand, zoro did his best to signal to her to let him down. preferably quickly. ]

[oblige]

That I—

[ Dion can't quite find it in himself to echo the words as he tries to process all that Joshua has said, brow furrowed in his effort to parse those words. He speaks of having been saved, but it seems that had only bought him precious little time. Perhaps that was all they could have ever hoped for, yet his heart aches at the very thought.

His may be the Eikon of Light, but none had ever shone brighter than Joshua. The thought that all he'd been granted was a death of his own choosing is little comfort in the face of all that the world would lose with his passing.

Joshua's hand feels warm and real around his own and Dion doesn't know what to make of it. Doesn't know what he wants to make of it, how to make his words make sense. His line of sight drifts down to their hands and remains there, frowning at the touch that anchors him to this reality. ]

You owe me no gratitude for that. [ For what seems so very little now. ] I don't know how I could possibly have survived such a fall.

[ Nor is he certain that he would wish to, if Joshua's warmth were extinguished from the world. It seems to him a grave injustice, and the blow if losing one more life he'd dearly wished to protect is one he can't so simply absorb. ]

[ablazinggrace]

Debt or no, I give it gladly.

[But Dion's demeanor and words give Joshua a moment of pause. Joshua himself said much the same to Clive, when asked how Bahamut fared. Yet here he is, as warm and solid and alive as Joshua has ever known him to be. If the prince truly did perish, then either this place is not what it seems, or the powers that brought them here have abilities even beyond the Phoenix's own to restore life.]

Perhaps not. And yet, here you stand, as living and breathing as I now am. It appears that we have both been granted the precious gift of time, that we might continue to fight for our world and its people, as we always have done. That we are also granted the chance to do so side by side is more than I could have hoped for.

[oblige]

[ It comes as little surprise that Joshua finds something positive in all of this. Where Dion has so often resigned himself, the Phoenix has ever had an unflagging capacity for hope. He doubts that's owed merely to the power that he was born to, or rather, he very much doubts it would be different even if the circumstances of his birth had been. It's simply who he is, and Dion knows that he has many times been grateful for it.

Reluctant as he is to discard his initial interpretation of what he'd awakened to, he can't deny that he wouldn't want that for Joshua. Not in this life (whatever it may be), nor any other. He wouldn't deserve any from of purgatory. ]

Perhaps that is so. [ It takes an effort to look up from their hands, to meet Joshua's gaze. Whatever the nature of this is, he can hardly deny that they are both here. He can acknowledge there is a comfort in it, despite himself and all of his concerns. Yet Joshua needs to know. ] But it is not just the two of us in this place. Odin is here.

[ That presence made it easy to believe this was what awaited him after a death he'd long accepted as awaiting him. In the last moments of his awareness, before all of this, he'd allowed himself a selfish moment of solace in the thought that at least he had protected one life he cherished. A part of him had wondered if that moment was enough to consign him to this, whatever this is.

Yet now here is Joshua, and he can no longer be sure. That he and Odin are both present scarcely makes sense to him. ]

[ablazinggrace]

[The mere mention of Odin seems to awaken a certain intensity in Joshua, as his brows lift and then furrow.]

Barnabas Tharmr...

[But as he considers it, it makes a certain kind of sense.]

When my brother returned from his battle with Odin, he told me that the king truly, genuinely believed that in following Ultima's plan, he would be granting humanity mercy. Saving them from lives of suffering and cruel despair. If the entity that brought us here intends to gauge our world's worth by what we do to preserve it, should they not wish to examine opposing views of such an endeavor before they pass judgment? Perhaps they even seek to determine whether we are capable of reconciling these views, enough at least to agree upon a means to prove that Valisthea is worthy of existence.

[oblige]

If that truly is the case, I can only wonder who else might be drawn here.

[ Ifrit had been vocal enough about his belief that Barnabas genuinely believed he walked the path of humanity's salvation. Misguided though it was, an earnest belief made sense of his actions, but Dion had no more insight than what such words could provide. Joshua is as ever more detailed in his speech, and Dion commits that perspective to memory.

He puffs out a tense breath, misliking the thought of being examined from such angles by some foreign entity. One that may, quite possibly, be capable of drawing them back from death's cold embrace. Whether it truly is this or something else entirely remains to be seen, so he puts the notion aside as best he's able. ]

...Regardless, he does appear willing to set other concerns aside for the sake of our world.

[ They do not agree on the shape of salvation back home, but in this place, those differences are rendered null. ]

[mossheaded]

[ had he been capable of it, zoro might have bluntly asked which part, considering they had options. the man was only a thread pull away from a wardrobe malfunction, and zoro had lost several feet of height, to gain some paws and a tail.

could he still hold a sword like this? his jaw was significantly smaller, but maybe if he could hook his teeth into the hilt somehow-

right. the man presented a good question, not that zoro could weigh in on it. it had damned well better be short, or he was going to burn through a few of those nine lives trying to expedite it.

he turned his head, glowering up at where the roulette wheel was located. maybe if they destroyed that somehow, it would reverse this... ]

[agoddessonce]

If you say so. Please reach out if you need anything.

By club, do you mean the Institute? I've heard it is still around.

They are no longer my students - but undersdably a lot are wary when approached hostilely. It is hard to shake off certain feelings of resentment.

[agoddessonce]

I asked about you, not the mission or the other newcomers. Or - well, returnees, in my case. This is not the first mission I have been on for Echo and Aurora.

[ Unfortunately. But, well, one adapts. That means getting into this arena and fighting in ways that won't... give too much of herself away. ]

[agoddessonce]

[ She felt his eyes first, but had a hard time placing where he was, or who he was, until she got a better and closer look. His build, that eye, and the arm h they're all rather distinct giveaways... but the suddenly shy posture is not. Maybe it's not Cable, after all?

No, it's definitely Cable. She shakes her head and takes the lead. Literally, even, if he decides to join her for a dance. She keeps her own hand outstretched like a gentleman asking a lady to waltz with him, waiting for him to either take it or reject it. ]

And why would it be a bad idea, Nathan? It is just a dance - and I don't bite.

[bigpoofymammoth]

In that case, I've been around Etraya for more than half a year. This is probably the fourth mission I had been on.

[agoddessonce]

Already? We must have just missed each other.

[ She isn't sure exactly how long she'd been gone, but how long he's been here matches Jean's rough estimate of her disappearance.

She gives him an up-and-down look. ]

You are well accommodated on the archipelago?

[dreamsofearth]

[Maria bit her lip as she listened to Shadow softly encourage her that she should cry if she needed to. The hand on her cheek moved to her shoulder and she shivered under his hand. She still felt cold and emotionally exhausted. She doubted that would go away until she had a good attempt at sleep.]

I just don't want you thinking that you are the cause of tears caused by distress. [Sure, there were things that were causing her concern to do with Shadow, but not so badly that it was the core cause of her upset. There was just so many things going on that those concerns got swallowed up by everything else.

The hand that had slipped from his gentle grip curled around his shoulder in an attempt to draw him closer in a desire for a hug. Seeking warmth and comfort. She did manage to meet his eyes, seeing that concern in his expression. Though she heard the barbed comment regarding the other Shadow who was still supporting her. She heard the responding mutter, grateful that neither were trying to escalate.]

Shadow...[Her whispered tones held soft chiding in them.] Trust me. I am as safe with him as I am with you. [She sighed, lowering her eyes as she gave the other Shadow's hand a squeeze of support. This at least helped with keeping her from bursting into tears. She was getting tired from all the crying. She offered a small shaky smile.] He is perfectly capable of lifting my spirits. He certainly did when he danced with me.

What he means is that because I'm not his Maria and doesn't know me as well as you do, you are the most logical choice in being able to provide any care or have insight about my needs. We have a bond you and I, that me and your other do not have yet. [Yet. A soft word of promise. But only if the other Shadow wished it. She wouldn't force or push it, but her arms and friendship would always be open to him when he was ready.] No one is inferior here.

[Most likely due to being surrounded by adults and scientists at that, Maria had a way of speaking sometimes that was way beyond her years.]

[bigpoofymammoth]

Well, mostly. I prefer to stick to the wild areas, though I sometimes take a visit to the city on special occasions.

[Mostly to see if any of the new arrivals at the hospital happens to be someone he recognises from his home universe. But so far, no luck in that regard.]

[agoddessonce]

[ That just makes her frown in further confusion. It's not new for Wade to speak in ways that she can't follow, but having it happen in the middle of a dance that doesn't suit the music is extra perturbing. She sighs and shakes her head. ]

Pardon me, but - SOL?

[ Not part of her lexicon, help her out a little here, Wade! ]

st★rlight soirée

[maximumlegend]

[ Sorry, Henry, it seems that the person who happened to stand next to you so far is.. well, a little odd-looking. Though Fabian mostly looks human, his ears are definitely too pointy compared to regular human ears. Not to mention the fact that he's wearing a black eye patch over one eye like a pirate, and the big golden neck tattoo he's got of the words 'Maximum Legend'..

But despite his odd look, he grins at the other guy - like he definitely doesn't mind the plan the other is proposing.

All Fabian's got to ask here is: ]

Have you danced before?

[ It doesn't sound like either answer would be a problem for him here, but it could be handy to scope this out first before starting to dance, Fabian figures. ]

st★rlight soirée

[unaliveyourself]

I didn't either!

[The cranky whine follows Sanji's own expression of dissatisfaction immediately, as Dazai allows the air stuffed up in his cheeks like a squirrel to deflate, crossing his arms in something like disgruntlement.]

A really annoying oversight, if it wasn't done on purpose. If you were to refuse and simply allow your score to drop to zero in protest, I'd completely understand.

[There sure is an alarming lack of sarcasm to that statement,,,]

3

[maximumlegend]

[ What a description to suddenly receive.

Fabian blinks at Ouyang Duyu for a moment - clearly kind of surprised by the question, or looking like he has to think about it for a moment. It doesn't take more than that moment for the young man's brain to process the description enough for a smile to break through the confusion though when he looks at the other. It's kind of like an amused grin. ]

You could apply that description to far too many people in this place.

[ Sorry, Ouyang Duyu. You're apparently not the only one who's dealing with a himbo.. ]

Do you maybe have a bit more of a description of this man?

1 - arrival

[shadowsincryo]

The random number does tend to shocking, doesn’t it? [The man across from him says, his smile is bright and casual. He accepts the offered hand with his own.] Kaeya. And no, I don’t. Aurora sent us here and thus here I am.

I take it you just arrived. [His tone has a professional tinge to it. But the score board to their left reveals a bit more. Kaeya Alberich - 84. Thank the gods - he thinks as he glances at it - it doesn’t use the damn titles they have been using.]

I can say one way to get a higher score is be willing to chat about yourself. But not too much.

2

[maximumlegend]

[ That is a pretty good smile, not going to lie. Even Fabian seems kind of impressed by it, and being charming is supposed to be his thing!

It's why he stares in surprise for a moment at the offer, but it's only a really quick moment before the surprise already melts into an easy smile instead. ]

Well, this might just happen to be your lucky day. You may not be a professional, but I am.

[ He winks at the other.

.. It more looks like he momentarily closes his eye, considering he's wearing an eye patch which only leaves one eye visible, but-- trust me. It's a wink, okay. ]

How about you let me lead and just don't worry about it?

[catsclaws]

I appreciate that.

[ don't think she won't abuse the offer if she needs something. ]

And there's no hostility here. I've still got friends among you. I even offered my help. The same goes for you, should you need it.

[limiterrings]

[ he really can't deny her this, the way she pulls him him into a somewhat of a hug is allowed by him. shadow lingers there, saying nothing more as he finds himself at a loss of what he should do. hug back? he's afraid of breaking her. stay still? he wants to return this affection in some way.

the hedgehog takes a deep breath, using that same arm to wrap around her waist to complete the gesture. it's not a hug he is used to with someone else there in the way, but it's one if maria wished it, he would get used to. besides, her promise of "yet" gives him some pause, but he understands where her sentiment comes from.

now that he thinks about it.

maria...

that person has one too. he doesn't know what type of maria, but are there really other marias? the thought runs like wildfire in his mind, when he's not trying to kill the other, there's unanswered questions. there's also how maria's love is offered to him so easily, is it just a trait to maria in general, are all shadow's deserving?

he thinks about that before parting from her, and finally sitting down on the ground across from them both. ]

Hmph.

[ that doesn't mean he has to play nice, actually, he doesn't know how he should react to knowing he lifted her spirits by a simple dance. part of him wants to scold them both since maria's health doesn't allow for activities that expend her energy.

the look on his face seems like he's weighing the pros and cons, but he'll meet her gaze, a bit stern, but she should know he doesn't approve of things where she could get hurt. ]

Shelter...

[ he mutters to himself, with how this planet runs, he doubts it would be the perfect place.

there's also another issue. ]

This doesn't appear to be the place that we're staying, that woman only sent us here on an errand.

[ he's found many people curious and looking for the same thing, at that point it doesn't feel like a mission with how some hobble around stupid and blind. it must be whoever finds it first just does. ]

I'm searching to make my time here shorter. If only I had...

[ where is his chaos emerald so he can leave this annoying place, space and time bends at his will so it should be enough. ]

Feel nothing

[shadowsincryo]

A dark blue cat glides along the edge of the table and settles next to him. The cat drops the notepad in its mouth and looks at him. The eye isn’t quite right. The eyepatch is unusual.

But the cat reaches out to a little inkwell the dealer holds out and writes on the page with a claw.

‘What do you feel then?’

[heavensnight]

It makes you wonder what's going to happen here. If maybe they have a chance for their place to be saved...

[limiterrings]

[ "best buds"? he doesn't think so, he doesn't have friends in general and he certainly won't change that for this odd person. the hedgehog looks off to the side of the arena where they're slowly lifting the bars to present their next combatants. this time, it's a group of lizards made of what seems like old, damaged and stained scrap metal. there's a long, wire-like extension connected to their eyes that drag along the ground, and tails that hit against other lizards with a loud clatter. ]

Do not begin to annoy me, Asshole.

[ yeah, he'll take that name for 700. the more he can be rude the better, but maybe that's was all part of wade's plan. however, this name isn't one filled with endearment. ]

Focus on what's ahead of us.

[ the creatures crawl along the ground bumping into each other still, it's almost like they don't notice the duo there. shadow takes one step forward, and that one step causes all the lizards to stop moving and their eyes to roll on the ground and stare in his direction. ]