Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

You seem to enter some sort of discolored bubble that lets you hurdle right through the door and the myriad of guards waiting behind.
"Just keep going straight, everything else is lined up." Scurn says, leaving a trail of smoke in your wake.

As you head back outside, it seems to be about midday. There's a light drizzle from sparse clouds, but the sun still beats down on you.

 

"I'll speak with Stephanie about getting to Praecantatia then." I say confidently.

"I shall remain here to disperse the crowds around your palace that appear to have gathered to see me. I wish you good luck, Aj." Tenebrae says, smiling.

 

Iris turns away, seeming to ponder over something before looking more at Tenebrae’s face than her general direction.
“He didn’t tell you that nearly all of those timelines are resultant of duels with me, did he?”

 

"It was a factor." Tenebrae says, giving Iris a judgemental expression.

 

I follow Scurn’s instruction.

 

"Okay. What way was Mark again?"

I'll look around a bit.

 

Iris seems undeterred.
“Are you going to keep the rest of your allies and underlings in the dark? Don’t worry if the answer is yes, we’re getting used to being told nothing.” She says, annoyed.
“Hey, hey, hey, cut it out!” Ihra calls, running into the throne room. “You don’t need to... damnit, you already spoke your mind, didn’t you?”
Iris smirks.
“Sorry, I guess? I’m sick of being treated like trash by people I protect.”
“You haven’t even done anything for Lady Tenebrae!”
“It took me three days to remove her son’s connection so Xlentia wouldn’t erase her when she got rid of that troublemaker. Don’t tell me sparing her from collateral isn’t anything!”
“I told you never to bring that up!”
“And I told you to respect what I do. Don’t tell me you’re becoming just like everyone else!”
Ihra grits her teeth, seeming frustrated.
“We... we both need to leave.”
“I’m not-“
“Leave, or I’ll...”
“Okay, okay, fine. I’m leaving.” Iris groans, vanishing.

Ihra sighs, glancing at Tenebrae.
“I’ll... make it up to you. Somehow. Sorry... again.”

You remember that the previous trips with him started near the beach to the northwest.

You see a small room similar to the portal room in Xlentia’s palace up ahead, a hooded naga working with the dials on the wall next to it.
“Don’t punch them, please.” Scurn sighs. “And slow down, we’re early.”

 

"Do not worry. With Praecantatia's aid, Aj will be able to make up for the attempted blasphemy Iris has made." Praecantatia says with a warm smile; though there's an air of something sinister behind it.

I head over to Stephanie and begin talking with her, who seems happy to see me.

 

Ihra shakes her head.
"You cannot punish one of us without forsaking the other. It pains me to know I've yet to make up for her impulsiveness in your eyes." She sighs, glancing over at Aj.

"...I should go, before I disappoint anyone else here." She says quietly to Tenebrae, before heading out of the room.

 

I go to that beach.

 

I seem to disappear in a flash of light alongside Artemis and Stephanie, Katie and Abigail looking over.

 

I slow down a bit and hit the ground running, enabling me to slow my pace to stop in front of where a portal might appear.

 

Ihra glances back at Tenebrae just as she vanishes, holding out her hand.

"Siiiiis!" Kiin calls as she runs towards Katie.
"You said you'd be home yesterday!" She pouts.

The hooded naga nods at you as you stop.
"Five, four, three, two, one." Levi counts off.
They open the portal and hurl a smoke bomb near the opening.

It seems you just missed Mark, considering you see the leviathan swimming off not too far in the distance across the ocean towards the mainland.

 

I leap through.

 

"Oh, sorry Kiin! Abigail said she wanted to hang out and, um..." Katie says, trying to come up with a reason for hanging out with Abigail over Kiin.

 

Immediately as you leap through, you seem to be entering a leviathan's maw.
"Right on time." Levi mumbles. "Show him in, Scurn."
"Yeah, yeah. Swallow already, you worm."
"Shut it." Levi growls, the water pushing you down Levi's throat.

Scurn pulls you through what seems to be a cut in Levi's throat, tossing you a towel shortly after.
"Well, I guess I should welcome you. Nobody's really going to chase us here." Scurn yawns.

"And then Tiffany joined you?" Kiin asks, pointing to Tenebrae. "Mother said she was nice, why didn't you tell me she came?"

 

"Um, well, lots of people wanted to see her, and we didn't want more people finding out." Katie says nervously.

"If you look outside you'll see people crushing one another just to gaze upon Tenebrae like a bunch of horny boys." Abigail adds.

 

“Isn’t that because she hides in her room all the time, though? Maybe they’re just wanting to see if she’s okay...”

 

"I doubt it. When your seldom seen goddess happens to visit, you're probably going to be more concerned with speaking with her to gain some special power or boon than their own health." Abigail shrugs.

"She's really kind though, which is why people probably want to meet her." Katie says happily.

 

"Dammit. Just my luck.."

"How long did it take for him to get across and ack again? I'm pretty sure it was a few hours."