9. Arc 1: The Ruin and The Sacrifice
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World 5: Mistborn (Luthedal)
'The Ruin'
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Ochako would have liked to say that she thought the offer through.World 5: Mistborn (Luthedal)
'The Ruin'
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The reality was, after meeting and leaving Jackie and Jade and Uncle, she missed people. Each new world was yet another farewell. Her only constants were herself and some souvenirs she picked up from each visit. Oh, some were undoubtedly powerful, but if you were to take a snapshot of the memories that stood out to her, what would creep in would be the sharp-edged flashes of violence and blood that left her weak and shaking.
And it might have been childish, but she wanted someone to talk to. Right now, she'd settle with even having Mineta along for the ride, and being nostalgic for that little pervert was not a sentiment she'd ever thought she'd be expressing. Though of course, if she could choose someone she'd pick any of the girls (but especially Tsuyu), and of course Class Rep and Deku and... but, ah, those sorts of airy daydreams didn't suit a girl like her. Practical, that was her watchword.
"I... that's fine," she said, accepting one of the flasks at random. The shimmering ball at the bottom had a brassy hue that was quite pretty too look at.
The Lord Ruler nodded, satisfied. "Excellent." He picked through the bottles more carefully, then gave her another. It clinked like a silver coin as he moved it towards her. "Brass and Zinc, a potent a combination. But I am sure you shall find such out for yourself. Now, swallow."
Ochako blinked.
"Err - excuse me?"
He mimed picking the flask up and tipping it upside down.
Ochako looked down. Popping an Advil was one thing, these two were the size of golf balls and looked like they were made of metal besides. Ochako wasn't sure what would happen beyond her becoming very sick and probably needing surgery. The air was all wrong, maybe people here could do things normal humans couldn't.
"I don't know if-"
"If you wish not to, that is your choice," Lord Ruler said as he pushed the drawers away. Ochako politely followed him out of the hidden room. It reset, the wall closing in with a clang of gears and stone. "I will find an Observer for you. You, on the other hand, should come to a decision regarding these boons. Alloys of Lerasium are exceedingly difficult to come by."
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[x] Drink from the brass flask
[x] Drink both
[x] Drink neither
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It took her a while to decide. Nerving yourself up to save someone was relatively easy when it happened in the heat of the moment. Nerving yourself up to swallow something that you'd normally choke on, well, that was a different thing entirely.
By the time the Lord Ruler returned, her choice had been made.
As had her companion. She half-feared it would be one of those stake-eyed men, but it turned out to be a relatively normal looking woman carrying a leathery satchel and wearing an ornate, sleeveless dress with many bangles. Long dark hair spilled down from her head and fountained over her shoulders in surprisingly luxurious waves that seemed untouched by any ash. She looked vaguely Nordic, pretty in a button-nosed, petite, heart-shaped face way. She was much more modestly built than the him though, being only a few inches taller than Ochako herself.
"This is DeVraal."
DeVraal curtsied, then looked up, expression uncertain. "Hi," she said, "Fah-"
The man standing behind her coughed. DeVraal stiffened.
"Err, the Lord Ruler tells me that you can travel to a completely new world."
She sounded politely sincere, but in a way that said less 'and I believe it!' and more 'that was certainly something I just heard.'
"Yes," said Ochako, "but not on purpose."
"Ah," said DeVraal.
The two girls stared at each other, nonplussed.
"Well," said the Lord Ruler, clapping his hands. "Let's see just what it is you can do, Traveler."
There seemed to be a bit of bite to his words. Ochako had the feeling that if she didn't change worlds right now he would not be amused.
Which was convenient, because the world still threatened to choke her.
"Okay." She stepped towards DeVraal. Ochako wasn't sure if there should be rules regarding informed consent when using a world-hopping quirk, but assumed there should be. "Many of the worlds I've gone to are dangerous. Are you sure you want to come?"
DeVraal smiled like she had said something cute. "Don't worry about it I'm tougher than I look."
That was not quite a direct answer, but Ochako shrugged and held a hand forward. She should have probably pressed her, but she didn't want to start their relationship off on the wrong foot. "I'll need to touch you and use my quirk-"
"What's a quirk?" DeVraal asked, stepping forward so that she'd be in reach.
"It's my power. It'll make you float. And then hopefully we'll switch worlds together."
"Well, that'll be something - woah?!"
DeVraal was floating.
Ochako willed the world to change, knowing that she'd be really embarrassed if it didn't work out but-
Yup. It didn't work out. Her cheeks pinked.
She brought a finger to her neck, touching Sakura's currently miniaturized sealing staff and the other to a compartment at her back. The Warp card appeared between her fingers, and then a moment later, the staff grew to its full size.
"Warp card, Release and -"
4 successes needed, 1 dice = 7, 1 success.
FAILED, received 3 temporary damage
FAILED, received 3 temporary damage
The Card flashed, except in reverse, like a moment of utter darkness that pulsed out in a wave. Pain wracked Ochako's limbs. The world shook and-
Changed.
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World Gains: 2 xp and 1 Flask of Lerasium-Zinc Alloy and Soothing.
Lerasium Soothing Lv. 1 (0/9xp)
In Allomancy, brass gives the ability to soothe the emotions of others.When burning brass, an Allomancer can target either a single person or a group of people. Additionally, the Allomancer can target specific emotions to dampen. As this allomancy was gifted from Lerasium as opposed to genetically inherited, it is very powerful. At level 1 its range is four city blocks in radius, and allows the allomancer to add or subtract 1 dice from any number of enemies in that range as an instant action, or 3 dice as part of a specific mental attack using Power + Soothing Level. Those without appropriate mental merits or powers to resist such powers triple the dice penalty.
In Allomancy, brass gives the ability to soothe the emotions of others.When burning brass, an Allomancer can target either a single person or a group of people. Additionally, the Allomancer can target specific emotions to dampen. As this allomancy was gifted from Lerasium as opposed to genetically inherited, it is very powerful. At level 1 its range is four city blocks in radius, and allows the allomancer to add or subtract 1 dice from any number of enemies in that range as an instant action, or 3 dice as part of a specific mental attack using Power + Soothing Level. Those without appropriate mental merits or powers to resist such powers triple the dice penalty.
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World 6: Fullmetal Alchemist (Ishval)
'The Sacrifice'
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This time she was prepared for the sudden shift. What she was not prepared for was the oppressively murderous heat, the firecracker sound of distant, very murderous bullets and the sights and smells that resulted when you brought these two things together.
She was in a sun-bleached desert city, the sort where everything seemed to turn white save for the people. Blocky, irregularly spaced buildings rose high and bright towards the sun when they didn't fall in heaps and stacks of burning rubble towards the ground. Pockmarks vandalized plaster with splashes of red and the bodies... oh the bodies...
"No," Ochako murmured. But no matter where she looked, they littered the ground. The sealing staff swung on the rope around her neck, small and cute, and desperately out of place. Even in that first world of golden grass and constant battle, Ochako would not have understood that expression - littered the ground - but here, it was every few feet and the world swam with the awful, petty, heroic details of death. Some were dressed in blue. More were dressed in pale colors with striped black and orange sashes worn from shoulder to hip.
Death stole what little dignity people had. Scavengers were already making quick work of the dead. Here was a man collapsed over his children, tears still in his horror-stricken eyes. There was a woman, shot in the back alongside her old mother. That was a soldier gutted and left to bleed out. Here was a child... and another... and another...
Someone shot her.
No, not shot: she looked down and saw an old book, blank pages fluttering gently. She looked up and saw DeVraal floating in the sky, maybe twenty feet up.
"M... let... ...ee... ow ......rum... ...r?!"
Bullets stole what she had to say, but Ochako caught the gist. She cancelled her technique before realizing that she should have more gently lowered her - but if DeVraal felt more than a slight impact from her fall she didn't show it.
"You weren't kidding about the danger," she said, brushing her dress off before retrieving the book and putting it carefully in her satchel. "Where are we?"
Ochako stared at a small hand. "I... don't know."
She was spared from having to make any further talk by the sound of a whimper and suddenly there was something she could do. Her eyes tracked the world until she found it, and then she was thrusting aside bodies.
A small child, buried beneath his parents, miraculously unharmed, but the moment Ochako reached him he began to thrash and panic.
"NO!" he screamed. "NO! NO! NOOO!"
Ochako felt it then. The knowledge that something or someone had noticed them.
"He's going to draw attention to us," DeVraal said.
Ochako nodded tersely.
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Choose 2 (plan voting, or whatever combo of the most popular votes makes the most sense)
[x] Force the kid to be quiet
[x] Run (with the kid)
[x] Prepare to confront whoever's about to arrive (fight)
[x] Prepare to confront whoever's about to arrive (talk)
[x] Demand an explanation about your new powers
(only possible if you've already drunken the lesarium alloys)
[x] Forcibly switch worlds again
-[x] bring DeVraal
-[x] bring the unknown child
-[x] Choose World
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