DDG

[COLOR="DarkGreen"][b]What is it?[/b] [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=36602].hack//TRUTH[/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Five or so years and some hundreds of posts later, it's down to two dedicated people who will not let another RP fall through! Sure, updates come once or twice a year, but we swear it'll be finished [strike]before we finish college.[/strike] [b]What is it?[/b] DeathKnight [b]Why is it Nifty?[/b] Do you even have to ask?[/color]

[b]Date and Time:[/b] November 5, 2008 at 5:12 PM [b]Username:[/b] DDG [b]Real Name:[/b] Kayla [b]Age:[/b] 17 [b]Location:[/b] Michigan If you know me, you know me, and if you don't, hi. My name is DDG, and it's nice to meet you. I don't bite (usually), I'm occasionally known as "She Who Kills the Masses," and am the Self-Proclaimed Official Bringer of the Party to Shinmaru's Pants (of which Shinmaru is not invited). [b]My note:[/b] [quote]Note to self: Finish .hack//TRUTH before this is opened in two years.[/quote] As of now, .hack//TRUTH has been on-going for four years, nine months. While the posting has been extremely sporadic over the past two years, we still intend to finish it, no matter how long it takes! :animeswea

[b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Total:[/b] 61 (continued from above post due to image limit--21 here, 40 above) [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-6.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-nick-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Nick [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-6.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-november11-7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] November 11 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-shihoko-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Shihoko [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-wei-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Wei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-wei-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Wei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-yin-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Yin [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-yin-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Yin [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-yin-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Yin [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-yin-4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Yin

[b]New Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Total Avatars:[/b] 61 (continued in next post due to image limit) [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amagiri-1.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amagiri [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amagiri-2.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amagiri [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amber-1.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category: Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amber [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amber-2.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amber [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amber-3.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amber [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amber-4.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Darker than Black [b]Name:[/b] Amber [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-amber-5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Amber [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-april-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] April [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-april-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] April [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-bai-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Bai [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-bai-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Bai [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-brita-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Brita [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-chiaki-shinoda-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Chiaki Shinoda [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-havoc-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Havoc [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-havoc-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Havoc [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Li [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-6.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-8.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Hei [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-9.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Li [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-kirihara-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Kirihara and Li [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-hei-kirihara-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Kirihara and Li [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-huang-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Huang [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-huang-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Huang [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-jean-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Jean [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-july-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] July [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-july-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] July [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-july-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] July [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-kiko-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Kiko [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-kirihara-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Misaki Kirihara [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-kirihara-2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Misaki Kirihara [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-kirihara-3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Misaki Kirihara [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-kirihara-4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Misaki Kirihara [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mai-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mai [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-maki-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Maki [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/ob/ob-mao-1.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Darker than Black [B]Name:[/B] Mao

[COLOR="Green"]While Katsuki was doing her assigned task, Kayla was browsing a rack of DVDs two stacks away from the employee restrooms. From there, she had the perfect view of Knighty leaving the checkout counter and heading to the bathroom. And from there, less than a minute after he'd entered the men's restroom, she had the perfect view of his anger-flushed face and his teeth-baring snarl as he reemerged from the restroom.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]Eyes narrowed as he took a cursory glance around the surrounding area, Knighty shouted,[/COLOR] "Where the hell are you two?!" [COLOR="Green"]before glaring at the now-staring customers.[/COLOR] "What are you all looking at?" [COLOR="Green"]Knighty scowled, glowered and glared some more before huffily turning to the nearest aisle and heading down it, on a futile search for the two girls whose torment never seemed to end. Kayla snickered from her place, and picked up a nearby movie, intrigued by its title.[/COLOR] [I] THE WORM[/I] [COLOR="Green"]Something was itching at her, in the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it. Frowning, Kayla turned the movie's case over and read the summary on the back.[/COLOR] [I]When a computer program originally designed for good suddenly turns decidedly evil, creating thousands of copies of itself and setting out to control the entirety of the electronic world, it is up to one man (Bruce Willis) to stop this worm before it is too late.[/I] [COLOR="Green"]The case dropped from Kayla's hands to the floor without her noticing as the solution hit her: a worm. A computer worm was the answer. Morganna was like a computer worm, and as such, they could change her back to what computer worms initially were created to be: programs used to improve CPU cycle use efficiency. Essentially, they could turn Morganna back into something less evil and more helpful. With the proper virus, they could corrupt her to do anything they wanted--turn her into the [i]good[/i] worm she was meant to be. Kayla picked up the movie without thinking and headed to the counter in a daze. They had it. If they could create such a virus, such a program...they had her. But, Kayla rationalized, such a virus would be complicated. Extremely complicated. It would have to have some sort of learning capabilities in order to combat Morganna's own. It would have to be strong enough to overpower Morganna's already tight hold on The World. In fact, not only to overpower Morganna, but to overpower and change her entirety. And then, the program would, in the best case scenario, need to, after adapting to Morganna and learning her hold over each area of The World, quarantine her, and then slowly erase her fingerprints and corruption from each and every file. What an anti-virus program would call "cleaning". An anti-virus virus. Ironic, but it was exactly what they needed. Kayla purchased the idea sparking movie for ten dollars whilst still lost in her own thoughts, and sought out Katsuki at their assigned rendezvous. And before Katsuki could even say a word regarding their successful mission, Kayla had interrupted her, smiling absentmindedly and saying quietly:[/color] "I have the answer." -- [COLOR="Gray"]OOC: I believe I have provided enough information regarding Kayla's plan that someone else (*cough*Che*cough*) can do the "Kayla and Katsuki inform the gang" scene.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Green"][i]The video store, huh?[/i] Kayla idly smiled, approving of Katsuki idea. It [i]had[/i] been awhile... and what better way was there to relieve some stress than to have some good ol' fashioned fun? With a dork who works at a video store, no less. Kayla turned to Katsuki, thoughtful for a moment, before answering.[/COLOR] "We'll go to the video store, all right. But first..." [color=green]And as Kayla whispered her devilish plans into Katsuki's ear, they both smiled.[/color] ** "Huh?" [color=green]It was short and greenish, a red hat covering its head and a gray beard covering its face, and it was sitting on the checkout counter before him. He blinked, slowly, confused as to its presence, before reaching out and touching it. Ceramic. A ceramic garden gnome. But what the hell was it doing there? He blinked again. Touched the gnome. Blinked. Scratched his head. Blinked again. Most of all, though, he was wondering how and [i]when[/i] it had gotten there. He hadn't been looking at that pretty girl in the parking lot for too long... had he? He scratched his head in dull wonder, touching the gnome once again before deciding to ignore it completely. It was none of his concern why it was there and he didn't really care either way. He wasn't paid enough [i]to[/i] care. It was only a few minutes later that, after having been staring at a whole [i]group[/i] of pretty girls making their way inside the video store, he noticed that the gnome was gone. He scratched his head, squinted his eyes and then raised an eyebrow. The gnome was looking at him from the top of the nearest row of videos. It was balanced [i]just right[/i] on the top edge, purposefully and precariously placed. Someone was playing a trick on him, and he had a very good idea who. The Silver Knight's placid expression turned to a disdainful frown as he glared out at the rows upon rows of videos, seeking out the two's hiding place with a careful, watchful eye.[/color] ** [color=green]Kayla and Katsuki, hidden just behind the thickest portion of videos under the gnome's placement, whispered to one another, their next move in the works. Upon agreement, Kayla dropped to her stomach, army crawled a little ways toward the end of the aisle and eased two DVDs aside. She peered through the hole she'd made and eyed Knighty, following his gaze and hoping he didn't spot her. She saw him glare in the direction of the gnome before moving his line of sight elsewhere. As soon as Kayla was certain the gnome was out of his peripheral, she signaled to Katsuki, who quickly stood, swiped the gnome and took off at a low run to the other side of the store, in the direction of the bathrooms. The men's bathroom, to be specific. It had taken some questioning of his fellow employees, but the few minutes spent gaining the knowledge of which stall Knighty regularly used on his bathroom breaks and when he usually took them were well worth it. Kayla eased the DVDs back into their place and pushed herself into a kneeling position before pivoting and dropping back to her belly to army crawl to the far side of the aisle, just out of Knighty's immediate vision. Once at the end, she casually stood, nodding at the nearby customers who had taken to staring at her strangely, and made her way toward the bathrooms. Knighty would be using them shortly, and she planned to be just around the corner, laughing her head off, when he flew off his rocker.[/color] -- [color=gray]OOC: And I believe Che can finish this little scene up. :P[/color]

[color=green]Kayla woke up two and a half hours after having passed out in her bed. She woke up hot, tired and drenched in sweat -- sweat not even caused by the summer's heat, but rather sweat caused by her dreams. No, no, not even dreams. They had been nightmares. Nightmares of the sort that she hadn't had since she was a child. Minutes after awakening, she couldn't even remember full details from the nightmares that had plagued her tortured sleep full of twisting and turning, with covers and sheets being tossed to and fro, before eventually settling upon the floor in a ragged heap. She could only remember the slightest feeling of fear, of terror, and momentary flashes of disjointed images -- colors, mostly, with the occasional distorted face or shape thrown in the mix. And after even more minutes had passed, these memories also faded and slipped away, falling back into the depths of her subconscious mind. Falling back only temporarily, she knew. As soon as sleep was to overcome her once again, the nightmares would return with full-force. With this in mind, Kayla sat up and stumbled from her bed to her desk before logging in to The World. Seven hours later, after her first time in a long time spending insomnia-induced hours leveling up within The World, she finally saved, logged off and decided it was time to head to the cyber cafe.[/color]

[FONT=Times New Roman]"Sah...koo...rah?" [color=DarkGreen]Kayla slumped against the nearest wall, the end of her staff slipping and hooking into a crack in the cobblestone beneath her feet. She clenched her hands around the wood as she fell slightly forward and the staff kept her from falling flat on her face. This was....nuts. Completely and utterly crazy. Mia had, once again, become Macha, the Temptress and sixth phase...and then....Kia had become a [i]part[/I] of the Temptress. The phase had been defeated, Mia was...gone and Kia was...was.... Suffering from memory loss. Kayla shook her head slowly, trying to make sense of things. It wasn?t Kia?s memory loss that worried her so much as how she (and everyone else) had failed to consider that it was even [i]remotely[/I] possible that Mia would become phase six again. How? How was it possible? Kayla knew the original story of the dot hackers like the back of her hand. It wasn?t as if she had just [i]forgotten[/I] what had happened the first time around. She knew exactly what it had taken for Mia to become phase six, how she had done just that, been defeated and thought gone for good, and then brought back later with no memory of what had happened... Was it the fact that she had been brought back after Morganna?s destruction that had caused everyone to think things wouldn?t be the same the second time around? That Mia would be exempt somehow from Morganna?s clutches? Was it all just false hope? Everyone hoping that their friend wouldn?t go down the same path again? Or...was there something else involved? Something...more sinister? Could the game be manipulating [i]us[/I] as much as we?re manipulating it? Could...could it... Kayla shook her head once again. It was too much to think about at this point. The circumstances of everything happening within The World at this point suddenly becoming much more complex than she, or anyone else, had originally foreseen... She lifted her head up and met the gaze of Sakura. Sakura?s expression was somber and Kayla had a feeling that her own visage was bearing an expression similar. Something suddenly clicked inside the masses of swirling thoughts about past and recent events in The World currently cluttering Kayla?s thoughts and, using her staff as leverage, Kayla pulled herself off from the wall. She nodded, her face grimly set, and turned to the group of five while they made failed attempts to jog Kia?s memory.[/color] ?Everyone ? ? [color=DarkGreen]All five turned to face Kayla. She blinked, her mouth hanging half open in slight shock that she had gotten their attention so easily, before quickly clearing her throat and continuing.[/color] ?I would like to request that we conduct a meeting ? ? [color=DarkGreen]Sora snickered.[/color] ??Like to request that we conduct?... hah! What are you, thirty?? ?Shush!? ? ? in the real world, to discuss what is going on without ? or with less, anyway ? fear of eavesdropping by parties which currently seek our immediate banning, deletion and even arrest.? [color=DarkGreen]Kayla paused, waiting for any response from the group. When she received none, she went on.[/color] ?As there seem to be no complaints, I am declaring the meeting to be officially ?on,? for noon tomorrow at the Cyber Café. And if the five of you would be so kind as to contact the others and inform them of said meeting, I would appreciate it.? [color=DarkGreen]And with a final grim smile to the group, Kayla logged out and stumbled off to bed.[/color][/font]

I'd love to see this finished. I think you should definitely go for it. :)

[size=1]Not dead. Just resting. =) (Lookie! A little congratulatory graphic I made for TRUTH ?- [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/DDG14/truth-stats.jpg]click here[/url] *hearts Paint Shop Pro*) Oh, and randomly? I wrote a post for TRUTH exactly one year ago to this day (don?t ask [i]why[/I] I still have it saved on my computer ? I just [i]do[/I]). It?s sad that I notice things like this.[/size] --- [color=gray]?ThAt?S nO fUn.?[/color] [color=darkgreen]Kayla could have sworn that everything suddenly stopped, if only for a split-second. The field jerked and a ripple spread through midair ? like someone had just hit the ?pause? button on a VCR. When the game ?resumed,? the ripple spread across and down the field. Kayla smacked her computer monitor, not sure if it was the game or her computer playing tricks on her. But more ripples appeared and interrupted the normal game flow. The field jerked, spasmed. The players lagged with robotic movement. The background music took on an undertone of static, even lapsing into silence for brief periods. Kayla?s eyes shot up and away from the ripple pulsating across the ground beside her and locked eyes with Macha?s, latched onto those cold, emotionless orbs and widening her own as things made their slow fall into place. Like Tetris, the blocks came down, she spun them, fit them, moved on to the next as it fell, made it fit. [i]Don?t they understand? Can?t they see it?[/I] She spoke. But there was only silence. Was her microphone busted as well? Was this fight taking its toll on her electronics just as much as it was on her emotional and physical well-being? [i]No, no. Something?s wrong. Don?t . . . understand, but . . . I do.[/I] There was a resonance. An incessant whir or maybe . . . something. Then static and . . . Nothing. Her headphones too? She couldn?t believe it. Wasn?t . . . right. What had Macha said? She couldn?t recall. Couldn?t think clearly. Couldn?t [i]do anything[/I]. Her head throbbed and she dropped a hand away from her controller to clutch it. And there was a sudden buzzing in her ears now, encompassing and all consuming. Impenetrable, indestructible . . . Misunderstanding and . . . what? She grabbed at her ears, bumping the neuro goggles upward and sending her view askew. Her head spun. Her stomach churned. And that damned [i]buzzing[/I]! She flicked her headphones off and pulled her goggles warily back into place. There was, at first, silence, disorientation, a lackluster attempt to remain balanced. Her staff struck out at the ground and held her up as she stared, watching in unimpressionable awe while her team mates fought the monster that was beckoning, beckoning, [i]calling[/I], cooing, soft words of easy nature and nonchalance to her, to them, taunting [I]the world[/I] and everything beyond. Macha blocked a blow and sent the Blademaster flying backward. [i]Buzzing, buzzing, [b]buzzing[/b].[/I] She gasped, reached up and made to fling her neuro goggles away because the [i]white noise[/I] was [b]everywhere[/b], in everything. Emanating, resonating, resounding habitual chaotic introspective syllables of understatement and resent and [i]hatred[/I] and [i]loathing[/I]. And Macha was talkingtalkingtalking and hissing and purring and cooing and crying and Kayla?s head was [i]pounding[/I] and she wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to do every little thing she was finding herself incapable of doing as it [i]continued[/I] and [i]refused to stop[/I] even as she begged and pleaded under her breathed in bated whispers, between pants and dry sobs. [i]Macha, Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia, Macha, Macha, Macha . . .[/I] And none of it made sense because she could hear Mia and Macha and Macha and Mia but there was no [i]Kia[/I] and someone couldn?t just up [i]disappear[/I], could they? But . . . A whisper. Shallow and overpowered by the shouting and the rest.[/color] [color=gray][I]?Please . . . help.?[/i][/color] [color=darkgreen]Kayla retched and everything slowly spun in her vision. The field, her team mates, Macha, Sakura, Kite, Blackrose, Subaru . . . they spun, misshapen and misaligned and morphed and merged and mingled . . . And she was sick of all the synonyms and the words and the alliteration and maybe the assonance and the confusion and the noise, dear God, the [i]noise[/I] and . . . She flung her neuro goggles off and slipped from her chair, onto her knees, eyes wide and searching, tears flowing freely with snot running down her nostrils and into her open mouth as she panted, breathing for what she felt like was the first time in forever. Had she been holding her breath? Between the nausea and the nostalgia and neurotic trauma? The assault and the assertions and asinine acidity of it all? Alliterative misappropriation of the facts and factual misappropriate alliteration. What the hell was going on? She groaned, held her head and fell to her side, eyes focusing immediately on the neuro goggles nearby. She could see . . . them, the field, her team mates, Macha. Fighting, fighting, fighting and they [i]didn?t understand[/I]. The Moon . . . it?s impossible. Status ailments . . . Macha . . . the Temptress . . . Doesn?t work. Doesn?tdoesn?tdoesn?t. The one?s who were under the spell were her team mates and she was leaving them to die. Her stomach lurched again and she forced herself up, grabbing the neuro goggles and sliding them on before feeling around on top of her desk for the controller.[/color] [color=gray]?Kia . . . in there. Somewhere. Trapped. In trouble . . . Macha, Mia . . . can?t . . . doesn?t.?[/color] [color=darkgreen]She sucked in a breath and shook her head. Everything was jumbled and jammed and she couldn?t make sense of it. And then, she could.[/color] [color=gray]?Kia . . . Kia! She?s . . . in there! Trapped! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT! You?re killing her dammit!?[/color] --- [size=1][strike]Coherency? Who needs it? I sure don?t.[/strike] Two wrongs make a right, but why do two dashes make a line while three make...nothing? [strike]I see your post and raise you eight. Let's get this show on the road.[/strike][/size]

[color=green]There was an eerie disquiet that Vinovka couldn?t shake off as she headed back down the stairs into the office building. Her rifle was slung over her right shoulder and she pulled it into her hands at the third floor landing. Peering into open doorways as she passed them in the hallway, she considered anything that seemed out of place. She stepped lightly over an old swivel desk chair and bit her lip to keep from cursing as the floor beneath her boots groaned. From her periphery, she eyed the shadows across the hallway, almost expecting someone ? or something ? to come flying out of them at any moment, thinking to catch her off guard. She listened for the click of a gun or the shallow breathing of an assailant, the slight shifting of feet, the rustle of clothing. But there was nothing. Nothing to cause her worry. She was alone ? completely alone ? but she furrowed her brow and frowned because it felt like someone was watching her, following her, waiting. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and silently perused her surroundings. The length of hallway before her was empty ? ignoring broken office supplies and the multitude of paper strewn about ? and, twisting her head around to look, it seemed the length behind her was the same. Her rifle found it?s way back to her shoulder as she slung it, smiling to herself. If there was someone following her, might as well give them a sense of false security. She stepped over a filing cabinet, glancing at the contents spewing out, before she [i]knew[/I] she was being followed because shadows didn?t just [i]move[/I] like that. And there was a quiet rip ? or was it whirring? ? before a click ? ? and Vinovka pulled her rifle off and up to her shoulder, turned, and pointed into the face of her assailant in one fluid moment while the assailant smiled at her, his own rifle pressed into Vinovka?s forehead.[/color] ?You?re quite interesting, I hope you know,? the assailant murmured, amused. ?Quite the reputation.? [color=green]Vinovka allowed herself a small grin.[/color] ?It comes with the territory.? ?So it seems.? ?Here to kill me then?? [color=green]Vinovka cracked a larger grin and pushed again the barrel of the assailant?s rifle daringly, her smirk challenging him.[/color] ?Can?t get anything past you.? [color=green]There was a silence, with the two staring one another down, neither moving, each holding their rifles with steady hands. Then, the assailant tilted his head to the side ? Vinovka followed him carefully with her rifle ? before nodding.[/color] ?Looks like you got off lucky,? [color=green]he drew back a few feet, his rifle resting on his shoulder, while Vinovka kept hers raised at him until he laughed and waved her off.[/color] ?I?m not going to kill you. My orders seem to have . . . changed, it seems.? [color=green]Warily, Vinovka lowered her rifle and held it with both hands, ready to raise it again if needed. The assailant turned and a small ripple coursed through the air ?[/color] ?You?ll have to teach me how you do that, you know.? [color=green]He turned and raised an eyebrow at her. She gestured in the general direction of his feet.[/color] ?That floating thing.? [color=green]And with another smile, the assailant was gone. It took Vinovka a moment to realize someone was speaking to her over the comm-link. She shook her head and turned, pacing toward the end of the hall.[/color] [i]?Vinovka, come in.?[/I] ?Yeah, sorry about that,? [color=green]she answered, rifle slung back over her shoulder.[/color] ?I had a . . . visitor. Ran off suddenly.? [color=green]She made a face, even though she was aware Kaida couldn?t see it.[/color] ?I?m a bit disappointed.? [i]"You too? They're making a different move, then. Something aside from trying to kill us.. the hostages? Blast, are they going to do something to the kids?"[/I] [color=green]The connection was severed and Vinovka shrugged, knowing she?d find out what was going on soon enough as she opened the door to the stairs, and headed down them.[/color]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]Don't think of it as [i]slow. [/i]Think of it as [i]epic.[/i] [/font][/QUOTE] [color=navy][font=arial]Heh, agreed. I plan on posting next, unless anyone has any objections? If not, I'll try and have a post up sometime this weekend [if not tonight].[/COLOR][/FONT]

[color=navy]Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion ? like a deleted scene from the Matrix. Macha stood, threateningly, in the middle of the battlefield, looking nothing like what the first Macha had been. Something like a smirk was on her face, and Kayla wasn?t sure if a phase could have emotions and facial expressions, but perhaps this one could because this phase was more than just a phase, it was two of her friends. Mia and Kia, her friends, they had become the sixth phase. Mia had become the sixth phase again, as much as Kayla hadn?t wanted it to be true, it had happened, and she hated herself for being so ignorant, so trusting in that her friend wouldn?t allow the same thing to happen twice, but she should have known, because Mia didn?t know anything about what had happened before, and had no way of stopping herself from becoming a phase again. Kayla shook her head. It wasn?t happening. It wasn?t happening. It wasn?t happening. [I]Justadreamjustadreamjustadream.[/I] She couldn?t believe it, didn?t want to believe that not only had Mia become a tool of Morganna, of the system, of CC Corp., but Kia had as well. [b]ItoldyousoItoldyousoItoldyouso,[/b] her Devil?s Advocate was screaming at her, but she wasn?t listening because all she could do was watch in horror as the monstrosity that two of her friends had become began attacking the party, her other friends, as they attacked it. No, her. It had a gender. It was a she. The Twin Blades were doing their best acrobatics, avoiding attacks of Macha?s and distracting her while the Heavy Blades, Blademasters, and Heavy Axes began a physical onslaught of their own attacks. The Wavemasters stood out of the way, some casting spells, others derelict to healing the party. Kayla couldn?t remember if there were any Long Arms in the party, but if there were, they were probably mixed in with the attack front. Hell, so many players had joined the cause against the Phases, she was having trouble keeping track of them all. She watched from the sidelines, unable to move because outside the game her hands were shaking and she was crying and she wasn?t sure if she?d be able to hit the right buttons on her controller to actually attack ? as if she actually wanted to. She felt torn, half of her angry and vengeful toward Macha ? toward Kia for becoming Macha and not giving her enough signs that it was a possibility she should consider ? and the other half of her upset and inconsolable because it wasn?t [I]just[/I] Macha, the sixth phase, that they were fighting ? that she would eventually have to fight ? it was Kia inside there somewhere. [I]Kia?sgoingtodieKia?sgoingtodieKia?sgoingtodie,[/I] she kept thinking and suddenly all she wanted to do was Gate Out, but she knew she couldn?t because the field was locked down. She?d already missed the chance leave ? had missed it a while ago. She didn?t want to be here, didn?t want to see Kite Data Drain Macha because then she?d have to accept that Kia was going to die and would be gone forever. But Kia was already dead, which made it weird to say that Kia was going to die, but [I]she was going to die[/I] because she was still alive in The World. The World. The only place that Kia [I]was[/I] still alive and could remain living. Her hatred for CC Corp. and everyone who worked there was growing as she thought and she knew this, even though she knew that not everyone at CC Corp. was evil, that not all of them wanted to take over the technology world.[/color] [I]?The World?s a sham. This is something you need to know. It?s a sham, and CC Corp. is behind[/I] everything [I]bad that has happened. They don?t care about the comatose patients, don?t care about the families, and don?t care about how many more people are going to die or fall comatose.?[/I] [color=navy]Kia could only live if The World was still functioning. Once The World was gone, Kia would be gone forever. CC Corp. was planning on destroying The World to achieve their goals. Morganna would become a virus and The World would collapse before the virus spread to the rest of the ?net and a global crisis arose as the ?net fell and any computer not using the ALTIMIT OS died.[/color] [I]?They?re not all bad people at CC Corp. Most of them don?t know what?s going on ? they?re just doing their jobs, monitoring The World as usual.?[/I] [color=navy]Macha was casting a spell. Kayla forced herself to step back a few feet and was barely outside of the spell range.[/color] [I]?Balmung is suspicious of what?s going on. Lios is too and should become more cooperative as he uncovers more. He?ll be a larger asset in the future and be more trusting of your side than CC Corp.?s.?[/I] [color=navy][I]Miu Lei, damn![/I] Kayla quickly flipped through her inventory for the right item as her party members began to unwilling attack one another. The other Wavemasters were doing the same.[/color] [I]?Kamui knows exactly what she?s doing and exactly what is going on. The Cobalt Knights have not been dispatched into The World to help keep peace and order ? they?re looking for players to throw the blame on once the crisis is over. Looking for how they can plant the evidence.?[/I] [color=navy]Blackrose swung her blade at Kite as Kite fought with Subaru.[/color] [I]?They?re looking for hackers.?[/I] [color=navy]Kite was dead, and Subaru was near it. With weak arms, Kayla swung her wand as one of her cursed comrades approached, blade held high, ready to attack.[/color] [I]?They?re looking for[/I] you[I].?[/I] [color=navy]The Silver Knight regained his senses and blinked, confused, before turning and running back to rejoin the attack front against Macha.[/color] [I]?Everyone who opposes them, they?ll use as their scapegoat. They?ll name names, and many will be arrested.?[/I] [color=navy]Macha was lashing out against the players with a vengeance, enraged that her previous attack had not deterred any of them. Kayla still could not bring herself to attack.[/color] [I]?You?ll be hated, despised if you?re caught, and everyone you know ? your friends, your family, your fellow teammates ? will be too. This is what CC Corp. wants. And in the end . . .[/I] [color=navy][b]Attack her,[/b] she was screaming at herself. [b]She?s no longer Mia! She?s no longer Kia! She?s a heartless monster, completely emotionless! Stop stalling, you idiot! Attack, attack, ATTACK![/b][/color] [I]?. . . you?ll all be executed, because the legislation to execute all cyber-terrorists will pass without argument. It doesn?t matter that most of you are children. You?ll be seen as terrorists, go down as terrorists, because that?s how today?s world is.?[/I] [color=navy]Kayla raised her wand, willed herself to cast a spell.[/color] [I]?I?ve read the reports. I?ve seen the plans. I don?t agree with them, but to remain in the fold, to continue to provide you with information, I must act as if I do.?[/I] ?PhaVak Don!? [I]?You mustn?t tell anyone you know me. It?ll jeopardize my infiltration. I?ll contact you again as soon as it?s possible.?[/I] [color=navy]Kayla watched as Macha jumped and spun in the air, then flipped and landed nearby.[/color] [I]?This is all . . .? ?Unbelievable? I know. But it?ll become more and more believable soon enough. And as forewarning, I suggest you leave the hacking to Helba from now on.? ?But ? ? ?Rather an adult who?s been ready to face the consequences of her actions for three years now go down for cyber-terrorism than a child, wouldn?t you say? Helba doesn?t want to see you, or anyone else trying to save The World, be arrested. ?If, in the end, you all fail, Helba will do her damndest to make sure she?s the only one implicated.?[/I] [color=navy]She froze as Macha reached out with a purple hand, beckoning. She moved her mouth, speaking, but Kayla couldn?t understand what she was saying. The rest of the party was running over and Kite was shouting something, but Kayla couldn?t hear anything anymore, anything except for Macha. [I]Stoplisteningstoplistening,[/I] she was telling herself, but she couldn?t because the words of The Temptress were too tempting to resist.[/color] ?It?s going to end here.? --- [size=1][color=navy]Lots of plot stuff. Yay. And a few things foreshadowing the ending. Fun, huh? And it so hasn?t been two and a half months since this was last posted in! *shifty eyes* Oh, and erm, happy belated two year anniversary![/color][/size]

[color=navy]Is the fact that both[/color] [b][color=green]Green Team[/color][/b] and [b][color=red]Red Team's[/color][/b] [color=navy]missions deal with people from alternate universes a coincidence or is there more going on here, hm? [quote name='DeathKnight']Expect a post sometime between now and the pending Apocalyptic destruction of everything in the universe. Or, you know, this weekend I suppose.[/quote]*glances at calendar* Er, well, I just won't say anything. -DDG[/color]