"Errr...um..." The occupant of one of the chairs *which had been not-so-discreetly moved back a few inches* was squirming about uncomfortably. He was a young boy, around eighteen years old, managing to look much shorter than the 6'1 he measured in at. He was wearing a pair of fairly worn khakis, worn nike shoes, and a dark smeary grey t-shirt that was free of logos. This was covered by a dark fleece jacket with a high collar, extra long sleeves and four pockets. Two on the outside and inside His hair was grown out curly black, with fringes of blond strewn at rare intervals amongst. His face was currently shrouded in darkness. His head was bowed and tilted away, the high collar of his jacket helping to even further hide his features.
He was shy. And horribly scared, obviously.
"I would like to know...why us...and uh...He would like to know why he shouldn't just...err...well...ah...In his words, 'rip out one of your eyes and have you stare into it while he slowly rips you apart.' Ah. He's kinda anti-social."
The boy didn't really reveal who the 'he' he referred to was. He just made a vague hand gesture that could have meant absolutely anything-Mainly because said hand was completely obscured under the long sleeve of his fleece jacket.
((I'll be entering this one. I'll make a post tommrow about my character and such.))
((I'm interested in this one as well... I've sent you a PM about the character I was wanting to bring in, Plague))
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"
((I always did like time travel stuff. Incidentally, is this hero, villain or both?))
"Yeah, I got one", said an irritated voice belonging to an equally irritated redhead. A Kheldian, if the blue-white energy leaking from her eyes was any indication. She was wearing a fairly typical superhero costume, starburst patterned blue and white tights with loose sleeves and winged boots. From where she was and the faint energy trail behind her one might deduce that she'd rather hastily pulled up to avoid colliding with the wall, having been zapped here in mid-flight.
Pushing her way to the front of the crowd she continued. "I'm not usually one to agree with the darkity dark types but in this case he has a point. Why shouldn't we just kick the crap out of you and be on our way? Dunno about the rest of you," she shot a look at the others, "but I don't take kindly to someone ripping me away from my life without so much as a warning, let alone actually asking permission."
She sighed to herself, realising that since he'd brought them all here without asking he likely wouldn't give the the option to back out now either. "Since I'm guessing saying no isn't an option, where and when are we going and what's wrong there?"
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: STOP!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WAIT ONE SECOND!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WHAT IS A SEAGULL DOING ON MY THRONE!?!?
"Ah, yes, a kheldian...shame what happens in some of the time lines, but that's nowhere near the point. Why can't you just beat me up and be on your way? Hm, well that sounds interesting except," his expression darkened and an amused smile crept across his face, "I probably wouldn't have brought you here in the first place if there was a high probability of you attempting to harm me, and even if you did try...well...three...two...one..."
Several loud clankings and sputterings, followed by a few surprised gasps filled the room as every gun in the room immediately disassembled. The Dapper Lad smiled brightly after seeing this.
"What, you didn't think I'd let you keep high tech weapons in 'rip roaring time travel adventure' now did you? If fact I'm fairly certain this demonstration was the very reason I brought you at the specific time you were holding those weapons. Though Miss Kheldian doesn't seem to have any such weapons, I would certainly hate to demonstrate on her," a look of sadness crossed his face and passed, replaced with his old cheery look, "Anyway, where you're going isn't as important as when, and when you're going is soon. Ho Ho ho....right. I'll tell you once a few more questions have been answered."
(OOC: Yes he can godmode a little, just to keep the plot on track though. Time travelers of his type tend to do that.)
((I wasn't trying to derail the plot. Most people would be fairly irritated about being randomly pulled out of their life without so much as a hello first, superheroes I assume being no exception. And don't worry, though she might make a few threats she wouldn't actually attack without a decent reason, especially once she realises that the one who brought them there is likely the only one who can send them back.
Real post coming in the morning when I'm not so bloody tired.))
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: STOP!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WAIT ONE SECOND!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WHAT IS A SEAGULL DOING ON MY THRONE!?!?
"Well, you haven't changed much, at least. Still far too fond of cheap theatrics." a dry voice commented from the shadows. There was a... shift... and a short, (probably) young-ish man stepped out. His actual features were unremarkable, but, well... he was blue. There were other oddities about him, but the predominant impression was of blue-ness. Purple-black Nictus energy swirled around him, through him, oddly uneasy, as though it wasn't quite of him, the way it was for other Warshades.
He nodded to the redheaded Peacebringer. "Cousin."
Then he returned his attention to the Dapper Lad. "I assume that pull I felt earlier was you attempting to summon those you deemed 'appropriate'?" he questioned, not bothering to hide a bitingly sarcastic tone. "Still... the aether is disturbed, turbulence in the fourth dimension. Another day of fun and games for a time traveller, one supposes. At this rate, this timeline won't even reach the Coming Storm, much less beyond."
He shrugged, the motion bringing his right arm into the light for the first time and revealing it to be... well, what looked like the skeleton of a robot- a simple, bare-bones cyborg arm. "Well, Dappy... you've got the resources, and you've been staring into the void trying to get this sorted longer than me. I'll follow your lead. For now." the Warshade informed the grandfatherly time manipulator.
((Meet Tempus Fugitive. He is, as has been intimated, a Warshade, although he's a bit of an oddity; the joining didn't quite 'set' properly, so he's stronger in some ways, and weaker in others. Unless he's concentrating, he's got a pretty much perma-nictus-glow. I'll try and post a pic later (EDIT: okay, not too much later- here he is... sorry it's kind of dark, but it's enough to give you an idea, anyways), but he's got darker blue spots on his face, and long, kind of shaggy dark blue hair, and he's... well, kind of cyberpunk armoured. Looks like he's generally had a rough time of it. Also, he's sneering a bit at the moment, if you hadn't guessed, although that's mostly intimated by tone, since the lower half of his face is covered by a breather-mask))
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"
(OOC: Don't worry Rebel, I knew you weren't, that was the reaction I had planned for the first person to pipe up about how they felt ripped from their timeline 
It IS a natural response, after all.)
"Ah yes, the time traveling warshade with the intimidating voice, things are certainly more fun with you around, or they will be...or were...it doesn't matter. This...'Coming Storm' Ouroboros and friends warn about...oh how people worry their pretty little heads over it," the Lad chuckled slightly to himself, "Not knowing that there will be 'fun' before, after, and during...well I think I remember during...that are just as panic-worthy, albeit for different timelines. I think we both remember what happened when that 'Silos' fellow sneezed on Caesar Augustus."
"What happened with Caesar Augustus was simply part of the timeline."
The man who had spoken out was oddly dressed, he had elements of Roman, Greek, Medieval, Modern, and Futuristic in his 'suit' that he wore. Normally, this would look quite odd, but, after countless decades of switching things in and out, he had found something that looked well and provided much coverage (95 percent to be exact.) Twin red, glowing eyes that shined like highly polished rubies glared at 'That Guy', examining him, looking him over, studying him, whatever you wanted to call it.
"So, why are we here, exactly?"
No signs of anything that you could call flesh poked though the armor. You couldn't see his face. You couldn't see his arms. You couldn't see his fingers. You couldn't see anything. You however, could see one hand casually sliding down towards his right thigh.
((Think this but with different styles thrown in and no visible flesh. I have no screenshot ingame as I have not reached level 35 with him. Yet, but I will have one soon.))
A look of annoyance crossed the Peacebringer's face as all the guns in the room disappeared. Great. Bet they're going to blame me for that too. She decided to stop talking since that only seemed to make things worse, instead merely sitting there as the old guy made the usual references to possible fates and messed up timelines that she expected from people who claimed to know the future.
She was distracted however by the arrival of the warshade and the man in the mishmash armor, both apparently time travellers themselves. The warshade in particular seemed slightly off to her as she returned his nod but didn't say anything. "So I take it none of you are affiliated with Ouroboros then", she commented more to herself than to them but probably loud enough for them to hear her anyway. "Good thing too, I never liked those guys."
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: STOP!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WAIT ONE SECOND!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WHAT IS A SEAGULL DOING ON MY THRONE!?!?
"Errr...Ouroboros?" The youth wearing the fleece jacket asked. "Ah...what would that.....be? Please?"
Tempus Fugitive gave the Dapper Lad a flat look, but found (somewhat to his irritation) that he was secretly a bit pleased that the elder time-traveller considered the rough, choking rasp (over-, underlaid, and intermingled with the space-cold, dry voice of the Warshade he now not-quite-was) that passed for his voice now 'intimidating'. It was a step up from 'hard to understand', anyways.
He started to answer the Peacebringer's question, then a hesitant voice interjected
[ QUOTE ]
"Errr...Ouroboros?" The youth wearing the fleece jacket asked. "Ah...what would that.....be? Please?"
[/ QUOTE ]
The blue-skinned Thief of Time turned slightly to give the boy a look. His brow furrowed briefly; he had some experience with duality of nature, and the kid was giving off some of the warning signals. He shrugged, deciding not to worry about it for the moment.
"Don't worry about 'em, kid." he commented offhandedly. "Bunch of time travellers in even sillier outfits than usual... speaking of which, how're you doing, Hodgepodge?" he commented as an aside, with a little wave to the armoured man who had arrived immediately after him. "Anyways... with sillier outfits than usual, a bunch of floating islands in a chrono-neutral zone, and a tendency to recruit temporal locals based on some imagined silliness they called the "Carbon Law". Oh, and their boss is a guy who calls himself "Mender Silos". If you have a few minutes and want a laugh, run that through an anagram generator sometime."
Another shrug, this one immensely dismissive. "They haven't managed to screw up anything major yet, and thus far the details they've given out about "The Coming Storm" haven't been too wildly misleading, so we're mostly leaving them alone." The Warshade, too, didn't bother to clarify what was meant by 'we'.
He fell silent for a moment, then gave an ironic bow. "As an aside, I'm generally known as the Tempus Fugitive... even says so on the little bit of plastic that claims I'm a hero of some sort. I'll also answer to "TF", or just "Tim", if I happen to like you. First to make the "Some know me as... TIM!" joke gets their soul ripped out their ears." he introduced himself.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"
"Now that someone has mentioned Ouroboros, I should assure you all," the Lad said, "That I have no ulterior motives or deep dark sinister plans involving working the timeline to suit my own needs. If I really wanted to do that...well actually I did do that once, ruling the universe is a little tiring, and not nearly as rewarding as working to maintain it and ensure my species gets their fair shake in the universe...interpret that how you will."
[ QUOTE ]
Another shrug, this one immensely dismissive. "They haven't managed to screw up anything major yet, and thus far the details they've given out about "The Coming Storm" haven't been too wildly misleading, so we're mostly leaving them alone." The Warshade, too, didn't bother to clarify what was meant by 'we'.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Like I said, never liked them. Too secretive for my tastes", the Peacebringer added as the Warshade fell silent for a moment. As he finished she continued, "I'm starting to feel out of place here, all you lot seem to know each other already. Incidentally, who is this 'we' you're talking about?" She looked over at the Dapper Lad, expecting him to either answer or make excuses.
[ QUOTE ]
"If I really wanted to do that...well actually I did do that once, ruling the universe is a little tiring, and not nearly as rewarding as working to maintain it and ensure my species gets their fair shake in the universe...interpret that how you will."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Yeah but who determines exactly what their 'fair shake' is? Some species I've heard of firmly believe it's their god-given right to rule the universe and it's the rest of us that are deluded. Of course some people on Earth believe that too, but they're under control. Mostly."
She suddenly realised she hadn't introduced herself. "Anyway, I'm Paxtera, or so it says on the card anyway. Shorten it to just Pax if you like, most people tend to but I don't give a damn either way."
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: STOP!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WAIT ONE SECOND!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WHAT IS A SEAGULL DOING ON MY THRONE!?!?
'Begin rewrite. 1%'
"Ah...sorry to bother everyone...when will we be leaving...and um...Could I also know where we're going...Maybe?" The youth said, still hiding his face and avoiding eye contact. Horribly intimidated by the god-like time manipulator and all the super-types and complicated time travel talk. He just wanted to go home. Except that he had a genuine desire to help the person who had brought him here.
So...
'Rewriting. 1.1%'
((I know you said that technology was gonna be awkward at times (lol get it?), but i'd like to make an android to help you guys out if that's OK))
[ QUOTE ]
"Bunch of time travellers in even sillier outfits than usual... speaking of which, how're you doing, Hodgepodge?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"I'm doing quite well. Warshade, am I right?" Without pausing to hear an answer he trailed on, "I've seen the death of your--" He was interupted by 'That Guy'.
He actually seemed interested in what this old thing had to say. He gathered as much that he was part of either a new race or part of an old, long forgotten, dying race that was trying it's best to stop something or start something. He had to speak up.
"So. My guess is that you're part of an anchient race trying to make themselves known again. Right?"
[ QUOTE ]
((I know you said that technology was gonna be awkward at times (lol get it?), but i'd like to make an android to help you guys out if that's OK))
[/ QUOTE ]
(OOC: Keep in mind you won't be able to use a lot of your technology-based powers)
"Ancient race? No, ancient is a word I prefer not to use, since it has no meaning to someone such as me," the Lad said.
(OOC: We'll begin the travel this evening, giving a chance to nab a few more people maybe)
Tempus Fugitive's cheek muscles over his mask worked in a way that suggested he was smiling, or at least smirking. "Peace on Earth?" he echoed Paxtera's name, in English this time, giving her a sidelong glance. "Anyways, 'we' is just... time-travellers in general, I suppose." he said with an airy wave of his cyborg hand.
"It's really quite amazing how much time and energy we dedicate to running around thwarting one another." He shot the Lad an aggrieved look. "Incidentally, I remember your little take-over-the-universe schtick. Had a headache for months after, the way you screwed up the timestream that time." He snorted. "Lucky for you that I didn't catch up with you before a new crisis popped up and you were a 'good guy' again... I would've likely done several exceedingly inventive and unpleasant things to you in thanks for the perma-migraine you inflicted on me."
His voice took on a speculative tone. "Still might, in fact... at least when things settle down again." A sour grunt. "Of course, they never do. Settle down, that is." The warshade waved a hand again, and shrugged. "Anyways, most time travellers spend the majority of their time and effort preventing other time travellers from getting anything done. We're an amazingly ineffectual lot, all told." A raised eyebrow, and another (probable) smirk. "In fact, I'd be willing to bet that's what we're doing this go-round... preventing any untoward 'editing' of the timestream."
Tempus Fugitive turned towards his fellow time-traveller (the one he'd dubbed 'Hodgepodge'), signifying that he'd said as much as he cared to on the subject. "The death of my..?" he echoed questioningly. "One of my alternates get himself killed again?" he asked, his tone an odd mingling of apathy and curiousity.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"
Tick tick tick tick tick...
The ticking of the numerous clocks mounted on the wall serves as a humble background noise to the large open room. The room and clocks look different to each person, to each time period, depending upon the whims of the owner. This time around, the clocks and architecture are decidedly vintage nineteen hundred, a fitting time period for what the owner had planned.
Except for the clocks and some choice stone pillars for ambience, the room was undecorated, with only a raised dais against one of the walls offering any semblance of direction in the strange room. Alarmingly, there were also no doors or windows, not that the owner needed them.
In the center of the dais, an elderly gentleman with a prominant moustache stood, decked out in a fancy suit and monocle, with a bowler hat to complete the look.
None of the occupants of the room knew how they got here or why they were brought here, but this man looked like he had the answers.
Suddenly, all the clocks sounded off their clangs and chimes and bells and whistles as their hands united at the the 12 mark, and the man spoke.
"Yes, yes it's time to begin now, though I suppose I could wait, or have started sooner, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm fairly certain you and you," he pointed to two seemingly random members of the small crowd, "are going to ask where we are and why, and I assure you the answer will come in due time. Or maybe I already told you...I can't remember sometimes. Anyway, if you haven't heard the explanation I suppose I'll start from about 60% through the story, because that's the important part, the part you need to know.
"I am the Dapper Lad. I'm known by many other names but those of you in this room will address me by that name when we meet again after all this, so I suppose that's what I'll introduce myself as. Though I suppose 'Old Man' and 'That Guy' will suffice as well, since some of you are wont to call me that, or will be at least.
"That's neither here nor there, however. This place I've brought you all to is my space. A place sitting snugly between two epochs and an eon. Don't ask how that's possible it'd take me that long to describe it, and most of you won't live that long anyway. Time doesn't flow normally here but reversing aging beyond the time I spend explaining and answering questions is a large hassle, one I'd rather not deal with. Or rather, I have dealt with it, and for some of you it won't-or wasn't-pretty.
"Anyway on to the reason I brought you all here: I've run into a couple...snags in my journeys through the timelines, a few events I can't-or couldn't-deal with myself. Thirteen or fourteen timelines have fallen victim already, and a few more are pretty close. I figure I should get this one right, at least. Or rather, I did get this one right, though it will be difficult. There will be fighting, and some detective work, and the risk will be great but I'm absolutely positive you all will succeed. Or at least, this is the configuration with the highest probability of success.
"Now, any questions?"
(OOC: Basically everyone is going to be on a time travel adventure, mostly on Earth so PLEASE choose human or human looking heroes/villains. Also don't expect technology to work as well in the timelines where they don't exist. The Dapper Lad probably doesn't want to go through the effort of sending a fully armed spec ops group back to medieval times, for instance. As for the method in which you enter the room, it just sort of 'happens', like one millisecond you're sitting drinking tea and the next you're standing in the room. The first trip will be to a wild wild west setting, btw.)