"I told you to leave, to forget the past like you have always wanted. Make a new life with neither I nor your mother in it," Father Domek's voice rose in pitch with every word. "I gave you exactly what you have been asking for. And now that you have it, you're demanding that things go back to how they were. You're just like your mother."
Marina grit her teeth, steaming pouring from her ears. "Because it doesn't fix the underlying issue now, does it?"
There was a flash of something in the man's eyes. One which he swiftly covered with a scowl. "Was that not the issue you wanted fixed? For all your time in Prehevil, all you had done was complain. Whether it be my time preaching to the masses, or the long nights I spent to further the arts. Neither you nor your mother have even understood the duty placed on my shoulders!"
Spittle flew from his lips, as several of the religious artefacts around him rose.
"Nothing will ever be good enough for both of you. And to discover the secret life you have been living for so long… That was the straw that broke the camel's back."
"Of course it was," Marina rolled her eyes. "Because you were never a father to begin with, you put the blame on us, the community, everyone and everything but yourself.
"Did you know? Mother only wanted you to be more present. To be there for when I grew up so that my only memory of you would not be as the father of the community, but as my dad."
Tears gathered at the edges of Marina's vision, the girl barely holding them back. "So please, cut the bullshit. You have done enough damage as it is. I come to you now, not as your daughter, but a professional of the Vatican. What have you done to Mary Domek."
Evidently, the priest hung his head low, a dark look crossed his eye. And it only took a minute for both Marina and Samarie to understand it was not anything good.
Father Domek stood quietly on the altar, his hands moving to his priestly robes.
Button by button he stripped his top, revealing hi… Oh no…
A face that looked like a mess of patchwork was embedded into his pectoral muscles, a quiet look of shock its last expression.
However it was not just any face to Marina.
"Mom?" Her voice was weak, her legs suddenly becoming boneless. "You-"
"Have taken things too far?" Father Domek cut her off, a knife suddenly appearing in his hand. "For the inhuman Gods, nothing is too much or too little. There is only what you are willing to sacrifice and you are not."
He slit his palm in one quick movement, crimson ichor trickling down his hand. "I have heard it all, and perhaps I will be condemned in the Sulfuric Pits of the snake. However, your mother was just a stepping stone. Just a woman. I can always have another. Raise another kid. What is another eighteen years compared to an immortal lifetime!?"
The blood came to life with a mind of its own, gathering into a sphere. Its shape morphed, solidifying into a shape Samarie had seen so many times throughout her life.
On the cross, the Ascended God, Alll-mer, was stabbed by an executioner's spear. His holy blood was spilled on its blade, forever blessing it with His essence.
And when he ascended, the spear was said to have been taken with him. Alll-mer's eternal weapon in the battle against evil.
But those who devoted themselves in service to the Perfect Man found themselves blessed by the Savior of mankind, wielding the spear of destiny into battle.
For all this time, Samarie thought it nothing more than tall tales told only by those so unsure in their ruling they brought the divine to justify their law.
But now, the proof was before her.
The holy spear Longinus made manifest.
It radiated otherworldly power, wisps of energy visible to the naked eye. Abella gasped at the display, while August clenched onto his bow with a vice grip.
"This blessing, and the many other gifts I have received, are all the proof I need that I need not stay from my path," There was a conviction in his voice that proved he held no remorse for the price this power came at. Only regret he could not give up more. "Leave now, Marina. I do not wish for my own blood to be spilled. On the other hand, your tagalongs…"
Red electricity danced upon his finger tips, crackling with the cry of a thousand birds. It trailed along his torso, wrapping itself along the spear's edge. "They will hold no quarter here in the house of God."
From the shadows of the ceiling, high above Samarie's vision, several figures dropped onto the stone floor of the church. Four surrounded the priest like an honor guard, while one stood in front of Samarie's group. Each had the visage of Gro-goroth's avatars, chiseled with muscle as though they were carved from marble, and rippling with an aura of violence.
"Run my child. Run until this city is nothing more than a speck, a dot in the horizon. That will be the only mercy I grant-"
"Fuck you!" Marina seethed, a pair of black and white spheres coalescing before her. "You can go die here with the rest of your Gods. I renounce you as my father!"
"Counter spell."
The reply came calm and measured, preying on Marina's spell at the very apex of its charge. With a word, the magic was turned inert, turning inwards to attack its own user in a dazzling explosion. The force redirected back to Marina.
Father Domek sighed, his sclera darkening to black. "Kill them, but leave the girl alive."
With a wave of his hand, each of the five muscle bound brutes were mobilized, appearing before each group in the blink.
For a moment, Samarie froze, her mind stuck on what to do. Should she help? Was it wiser to stick with Abella and August, or would rushing to save Marina be the right play-
"Go Samarie!" Abella shook the girl from her thoughts. "Help them, I know you can."
There was a confidence in her voice that warmed Samarie's core. "I love you." She whispered, her kagune sprouting from her back.
"I-" Bella paused, as the wind around them billowed, and Samarie disappeared without another word.
"Lass, get your head in the game," August cautioned. "I doubt this damned thing can be reasoned with."
Looking at the mountain slowly stalking towards them, Abella quietly nodded, a slit sprouting from her back the same way Samarie had formed a bikaku. "Right, I guess it's time for the cat to come out of the bag."
The doppelganger lowered her stance, the appendages swishing behind her as August loosed an arrow.
"Wait, little Sammy also had one of those!" The older man pointed out. "Should I be expecting one as well, or is it a girls thing?"
"An old head like you, shouldn't get your hopes up."
{---}
Appearing in the air, Samarie kicked her spear into the guard closest to Marina. It lodged itself half way into his sternum, trapped in the middle of his guts.
Reaching the ground, she turned into a blender of gore. Her rinkaku carved flesh from bone, tearing through the guard's entrails as the girl fished her spear back out.
Looking back, her own group seemed to be doing well. Although, it was worrying that Abella was blatantly using the gifts of her biology to mimic her own abilities.
But if August did not see anything wrong with it in the moment, then perhaps it was better to let it slide for now.
However, there was still the problem of the other three guards attacking the-
She brought down her bikaku, catching a spear in its-
A surge of pain assaulted her spine, tingling all the way up every nerve ending until eventually reaching her brain.
Struggling to catch herself, Samarie blinked away the spots in her vision, shakily standing up against the father himself.
"You did not expect the spear to destabilize your limb?" Father Domek tested, the static filling the air as he flourished the longinus. "Well, don't expect spells to work either. The spear can deflect even the holes in reality spells imposed upon the world."
Samarie grit her teeth, her regeneration working over time to grant access back to her body. "Then I just have to stab you with my spear."
"Perhaps." There was a pause as they stared each other down, leveling spear against spear. "But you should know…"
They exchanged clashes, dancing back and forth as both failed to find purchase through each other's defenses. "After enough sacrifices to Gro-goroth, a man is granted complete knowledge on how to move on the battlefield."
A lingering buzz shook Samarie's core, as if she was left worse off every time their spear's met.
She needed to change her approach or else this buffoon would get the edge over her.
Her will pressed against the world, reality conforming to her will. Slowly, a black sheen gleamed the exposed bits of her skin. And whatever ache ailed her form disappeared.
More and more strength. She could feel it coursing through her very veins.
Squaring up her stance, Samarie aimed her spear out with one hand, keeping the priest away from the retired Marina.
"You will not be getting any-"
One of the guards came from behind Samarie, cutting her off mid-speech.
Spinning around, she cleaved through its midsection, vitality filling her being with the kill.
" Take another fucking step, and its off with your head," Samarie warned, "I won't have you harming Marina, not on my watch!"
"Hmm, a willed woman. But one who is blessed by the divine," He hummed, the man's eyes tracing the outline of her figure. "With some training, I would have given you my blessing to marry Marina. Alas, my own blood has rejected me. I cannot let such disrespect stand."
Samarie did not waver despite hearing what she heard. She was not able to when this monster was taking every step to harm Marina in the worst way imaginable.
The cultist in question lay on the ground, dazed but relatively fine. Although she was catatonic, her face was a mess of emotions as she tried her best to make the world swallow her whole.
Marina was in no state to fight, and Abella was fighting for her life across the room. Meanwhile, the girl on the wheelchair and her companion were getting boxed in. It was only a matter of time before their own adversaries would move on from them…
The situation was as dangerous as it could get, and her own binding vow proved it so. The amount of power flowing through her veins was staggering, boosting her capabilities two fold!
Samarie's will pressed against the world, warping both her perception and capabilities. She wanted to save everyone, but above all else, she wanted to beat this corrupt priest to the brink just so he could watch Marina plunge the knife into his blackened heart.
A black sheen coated her arms and legs, as her perception locked on Father Domek, the shadow of his potential movements appearing in her vision.
"I see. It's a futile effort, you know?" The dark priest provoked, jabbing his spear at Samarie. "What can a little girl like you do against the blessings I have received from all the years I have dedicated to the Gods?"
Electricity crackled in his free hand, shooting a bolt onto the ground. "In exchange for the wife who has supported me her entire lifetime, I have received many gifts, you know?"
But Samarie wasn't going to let him monologue, launching into a series of probing pokes. Her spear left little more than glancing strikes at the edges of the man's frame as he was just barely able to deflect each strike.
However, it proved that despite Father Domek's own blessings, his repertoire leaned more towards the mystical rather than the physical.
A weakness no true devotee of Gro-goroth would make.
Loosening the grip she had over her spear, Samarie leaned her stance back.
She might not get a proper blow off anything on his torso. Which meant the next best target would be somewhere the priest would not expect.
In an instant, her muscles tensed, putting everything she had into piercing through his defense!
The priest, whose eyes were tracing Samarie's own, understood her plan. With casual ease, he deflected the blow by sliding it along the shaft of his spear, using his offhand to cast a spell he had up his sleeve.
"Dragon Scales, Recoil, Twin Meteor…" / "Open…"
Both spells were cast at the same time, space distorting over Samarie's figure as each of the girl's rinkaku weaved the necessary hand signs.
"Cleave!" / "Pyromancy Trick!"
Space corrected itself, but it had no target, creating a distortion of uncertainty where the spell was cast. Using her rinkaku as the casting mechanism, Samarie pushed herself out of the way using the propulsion generated by the sudden combustion.
The explosion caused the girl to spin wildly, but a flap of her wings brough her under control, turning about to bring her spear down in a sweeping slash.
It cut through flesh like butter. Though, she just narrowly missed the mark.
Samarie had struck through the man's forearm instead of her intended target, the armpit. By missing, what would have been a debilitating injury was little more than a slight hindrance to the dark priest.
Although, as they circled one another, Father Domek noticed something peculiar about said injury.
No matter how much of Sylvian's essence he poured into his wound, nothing would come about from any of it. It was as if there was poison running through his veins.
In turn, it caused his Longinus to feel far heavier than it ought to be. Not only from the loss of grip from his forearms, but also due to the blood leaving his body.
The older man tsked, looking more annoyed than anything, but still losing his composure. Though, with the number of spells he's cast, it was a wonder the dark priest was even lucid!
"Fine, you have pushed this far enough," He began, chanting beneath his breath. "Terror and starvation, fang of the Ouroboros…"
"Needle worm!".
The spell was cast, but instead of firing it towards Samarie, it was turned inward. Beneath the priest's skin, worms that looked like six inch needles writhed in his veins, all traveling towards his wound. They surged from the opening, weaving themselves into a gauntlet that pulsated an eerie red light.
"Seven minutes. Seven minutes is all I can spare to finish you." Father Domek tone became colder, a fire burning in his eyes. "You will make an excellent sacrifice for the beast in the basement."
Ice doused Samarie's veins as she backed off. She needed another angle. There was no way that was going to work again.
Looking back, a lump formed in her throat. "Marina, I know we've had our differences, but I need you to set whatever feelings you have aside for a moment," There was an urgency in her tone. "I know you don't have it within yourself to fight your own father. But, I need you to get away from here. Stall for as long as you can!
"There's a tunnel in the basement, it leads to the sewers. Hide there, and don't look back."
The girl looked up from her crouched position, tears at the corners of her eyes, as tracts drew lines along her cheeks. There was a far off look to her face. Like Marina's world had come crumbling around her.
"What are you still doing here?" Was all she had to say for herself. "Why are you helping me? After everything I said? You even found… A- Bella. Why is Bella here? Why is she with you?"
Going on the defensive, Samarie leaned out of the way of a thrust, only for the ground beneath her to sprout roots. Flipping out of the way, she went onto the pews, leaping up above into the second story balcony as she took a moment to breath.
"Not the time! Look, I am still here because I promised to give back the hope that you gave me!" Stone cold conviction was the only thing written on Samarie's face. "I am fighting your father, because I know that you despise returning to the life you had before. So help yourself and get out of here!"
With a command, one of the guards was sicked onto the cursed girl. The brute latched itself onto the balcony's rails, the ground beneath it crumbling as it smashed towards her.
Mantling herself onto the second floor, she countered her momentum with a harsh step back, piercing through the guard's flesh with a backwards stab!
The guard grabbed a hold of her spear, locking the weapon in its strong abdominal muscles. But unlike the father, these things couldn't nullify her kagune.
Rinkaku burst from the back of her dress, stabbing at each of the guard's shoulders as she held the thing up.
"Hands off my property!" Casually walking up to the pinned guard, she grabbed onto her spear, using the weapon to propel herself into delivering a devastating flying knee at the monster.
Its ribs cracked as the guard crashed down onto the ground floor, blood pooling beneath it.
"Show the fire that used to be in the old Marina's eyes! Show me her determination to live life on her own terms!"
Marina's eyes widened, her gaze drawn to the angel in the banisters telling her to get her act together. The very same angel that took the appearance of the woman who she had rejected. The very same as Lenora that saved her the morning she arrived at Prehevil.
Her heart beat in her ears, and Samarie could see it all clearly.
The woman she fell in love with was finally waking up again.
Roll:
[In Shining Armor]
|Uncommon Trait|
Whenever you save a damsel in distress they are almost guaranteed to develop romantic feelings for you.
For saving a damsel
{---}
Marina was not feeling like herself.
Hell, she hadn't felt like herself ever since she arrived back "home".
Her stomach churned, if it was not from the gore at every corner, it was the revelation that came at every corner.
Bile rose from her stomach, and not for the first time, she had to swallow it back down.
Her throat burned, the bitter aftertaste making her head spin.
The cultist forced her body to curl in on itself, quietly wishing the world swallowed her up.
Oh how she wished that this was just a dream. To wake up back in her dorm, neck deep in yet another study to cross reference her study.
Alas, the world did not take Marina away. No, it forced her to swallow and accept the fact her mom had been assimilated into her dad as a part of some fucked up Sylvian ritual.
Her heart cursed and prayed to whatever God was listening to take her away.
"Terror and starvation, fang of the Ouroboros…" Her father chanted, as blood spurted from his wounds.
Growths from the God of Fear and Hunger erupted beneath his skin, wrapping around his body in a writhing mass. They formed a gauntlet over his right hand, encasing his limb from harm, and clotting the wound that was supposed to be impossible to seal.
"Seven minutes," He said, in that same way that told Marina the man was at his wit's end. "Seven minutes is all I can spare to finish you. You will make an excellent sacrifice for the beast in the basement."
A sacrifice? He was going to sacrifice everyone else?
Hell, when they were done with, would she be next?
A chill ran down Marina's spine, a bitter reminder of what her mother's fate had been.
Another body, just another offering to uncaring Gods?
Her gaze drifted to the unseen move up above, to the dreams haunting her nights. The same ones that pestered her to no end despite how tired she was.
A man bird thing stood alone, the moon at his back.
They wouldn't help her. The duo were the furthest thing from help.
"Marina, I know we've had our differences, but I need you to set whatever feelings you have aside for a moment," The woman in black spoke to her, desperation in her tone. "I know you don't have it within yourself to fight your own father. But, I need you to get away from here-"
But no matter how much she spoke, Marina had a distant look in her eye. The girl merely stared as the woman tried her best to defend against her father.
"What are you still doing here?" Marina's voice was lethargic, unable to make any other sound. "Why are you still helping me? After everything I said?"
Flashes of the days before entered her mind in a stream. The images formed into one incohesive mass as her attention was taken elsewhere.
The staircase that led to the basement.
Abella?
"You even… A-Bella? Why is Bella here? Why is she with you!?" Was it a necromantic spell? An illusion? She found with grace, weaving through the pillar's attacks with ease, as she extended… a tendril from her back, using it to clash with the monstrosity, as an older man supported her with perfectly timed shots with his bow and arrow.
"Not the time!" Samarie yelled from the second floor, having moved to the second floor with the dexterity of a cat and a sylvian worshipper combined. "Look, I am still here because I promised to give back the hope that you gave me! I am fighting your father, because I know that you despise returning to the life you had before. So help yourself and get out of here!"
Fight… Despise. Right, maybe somewhere along the way she lost what it meant to go against everything.
It was almost like Marina was seeing a younger version of herself. Pleading with her to do something.
The very same young girl that was begging for help that never came. The Marina who was beaten within an inch of her life for being the way she was despite never having any control over her life.
She was never asked to be born. She never wanted to live in this body. And yet, the Marina of the past fought tooth and nail, bit down every insult thrown at her, just to get even a sliver of freedom.
In all her years at the Vatican, maybe she had forgotten, suppressed the memories because they haunted her.
But with a wave of her father's hand, one of the pillars from behind Marina jumped up to fight with Samarie. The ground shook, as the creature appeared beside the girl, forcing her to dash back to avoid the massive body blocking her path.
Like a whirlwind of violence, the girl somehow brought the mountain of meat down with a single kick, standing tall over the ground floor. She looked down not at the dark priest, but at Marina.
Despite the blindfold, it was clear their eyes met, and it felt like it was their first time meeting each other. And maybe it was the dramatics of the moment, or the fact that the girl was standing up for her… Or maybe it was seeing a kindred spirit….
But she felt her cheeks heating up, her heart beating just a little bit faster. Internally, Marina knew what she was feeling, her connection to the Gods had forced her to be in touch with her emotions and what she felt, though, a part of her did not want to admit it.
The "Great Marina", brought low by her lady in black. Life really was more unbelievable than fiction.
'I finally admit it, Samarie. You won.' A single tear streamed down her cheek. In that way that she had not felt since she was being comforted by her mother. 'You really created a place for love to blossom. You knew exactly where to find me at my moment of need.'
A beaming smile crossed her features. "You stole my heart, Samarie."
The words came out breathless, her body filling with warmth.
Just then, she heard something clatter to the ground.
Roll:
[Chekov's Box]
|Rare Item|
A box that looks like a wrapped gift, when you open this box it will give you precisely what item you need for the situation as long as it is ranked Rare or below. The box will vanish once used.
Like chekov's gun, it appears when you least expect it. Ticket comes from when Samarie first met Rher.
Given to Marina
[Master Communication]
|Epic Skill|
You are the absolute master in communication, to the point where it borders magic. You may not understand what language they speak, but you can read their intent and emotions from a simple glance enough to basically mind-read them. And you always know how to perfectly convey what you mean, you can convey a hundred words with a single nod, talk to animals and make them understand you, or perfectly convey just how badly you will hurt or love someone.
You did it, Samarie. You got the girl.
A small box had appeared before her. In the vast chaos of the battlefield, nobody else had noticed what happened.
With a gentle grip, Marina picked it up, her delicate fingers unlatching the lock.
The words "Book of Forgotten Memories" laid plastered on the front, the title clear as day to what it wa-
She just barely grazed its spine when her finger caught on something, a trickle of blood making its way onto the book.
But before she could wipe it away, the damn thing crumbled to dust!
Marina's jaw dropped to the floor, her face growing pensive as she looked all around the box, only to find nothing else on it.
The book disintegrated without warning. And with a wave of the hand, it was gone with the wind.
But just as she allowed it to linger a moment longer, a swarm of thoughts flooded her mind.
They invaded her every idea. Only, they acted like a sort of inspiration. An inspiration that guided her towards a new breakthrough.
Her zodiac was that of a changeling soul, a rather prophetic sign for her future. It was one of the few zodiacs that were fated to change throughout their life, much like the common latent soul.
The book granted her an insight to her nature. A changeling soul was meant to change into their true self, whether that a more literal sense or not. However, what if she could bring that change to someone else?
Naturally, Marina's situation did not lend itself to being delicate, or particularly peaceful.
After all, she was staring down the end of the barrel, as it were.
If she wanted all of this violence to stop, then what would be the best way to go about it?
'I am sorry. I was not able to save you. But at least I will have avenged your name.'
For one quiet moment, she stepped closer to her father. Her gait was casual, as his attention - like always - was elsewhere.
He continued to look at Samarie without a care, deeming his own child a non-relevant threat.
Rot, a spell affiliated with Gro-goroth, rapidly decayed the target it was cast on, peeling skin from flesh, and compromising the target until their immune system fought through the deep infection inside of them.
The spell Marina devised was the opposite.
It was a Sylvian spell taken to the extreme, to cause bodily harm to someone by healing them too much.
For once, her father would change. Perhaps some self reflection would do the man some good.
The ghost of smirk crossed her lips.
Sylvian's womb, spiral staircase, rhinoceros beetle.
"Loving Cries."
The spell was cast in short order, casted without any shortcuts to increase its potency or reduce the toll it took on her mental state. Marina took the brunt of the taxing strain on her mind without a care. This was her freeing herself. Escaping the torment she put up with for years.
Her father's eyes widened to the size of saucers. The man took several steps back, coughing up blood as he looked at his body.
The very same he sacrificed so much for, now a mutating mess of cancerous flesh.
His body swelled, tumors becoming visible through his flesh.
And no matter how much the needle worms tried to stem it, the rapid regeneration meant it was far too much.
"You!-" He staggered, walking back until he found himself on the altar. "How- dare you! Do you know how much I sacrificed!"
"No. No, I don't." Marina replied with a deadpan, taking a step forward to meet him. "Better yet, I won't because I will never find a trace of it for as long as I live. Not only did you kill the mother that raised me, by your very own actions, you killed the father that was meant to support me through the troubles of life."
Marina sighed, a cooling breeze filling her chest. "Enjoy the rest of your life while it lasts."
The dark priest clawed at the ceremonial table cloths, toppling the artifacts left on the table.
"I will return, dear daughter. You will rue this day!"
Although, once he grabbed a hold of the chalice, he raised it up high, dousing himself in the left overw-
Instead of the droplets everyone expected, a tidal wave of crimson ichor poured from the cup, spilling onto the church grounds, and even onto the streets outside.
Swamped to the knees, the blood drained from the church gradually. But once it was over, her father was nowhere in sight.
"Marina, are you alright!"
Olivia and Marcoh came behind her, taking hold of her weakened body. Both of them looked worse for wear. Although, the worst of Marcoh's wounds was a broken arm, and a heavily bruised leg. Meanwhile, Olivia had luckily warded off her attackers with the several rifles and shotguns she had on her person.
"I- I'm fine," She relented, doing her best to keep the mental pollution down. She could not falter in front of everyone. Not when she was being influenced by Sylvian.
On the other hand Samarie went to look after her own group.
She held onto Abella, patting the girl down the mechanic…
Why was she patting her down?
It suddenly became clear when Bella pulled the blindfolded girl in for a chaste kiss that she realized why.
Oh, that's how it was.
On a normal day, Marina would have shrugged and let it go. Just another paramour leaving her in the dust, as always.
Unfortunately, she was feeling the after effects of a Sylvian spell. And the only thing on Marina's mind was what it would feel like to be in between the two of them.
"I want to be the meat between that sandwich," She gulped, only for the two women to both look at her like she had done something wrong. "Did I say that out loud?"
Marcoh snorted, the bastard that he was. "Girlie, after everything you've been through, your first thought it laying it with a resurrected Abella and this lady? I think you really should have your priorities checked out."
He might have joked with her, but when the boxer looked back at the opposite group, he quickly grew suspicious. "I know I did not see a body, but it's mighty suspect that she's with them after the mechanic took a bullet to the brain, isn't it?"
Now, it was Bella's turn to nervously gulp as she earned the gazes of everyone around her except Samarie.
"I guess introductions are in order," Samarie took a step forward. "My name is Samarie, this is my group, August, and Abella, but she isn't the same Abella that you knew before."
Samarie pulled Abella close, their bodies pressing against one another in the way that made Marina's thoughts spiral. "She isn't quite normal, you could say. But she's my Bella in all the ways that matter."
It was notable that Samarie closed her off from everyone, including this August character. So, it was probably his first time hearing about this as well.
"I know this is a lot all at once, but trust me, there is nothing dangerous about her." Samarie cautioned, squeezing Bella's hand in the way Marina wished she squeezed her own. "Would you be a dear and help me with demonstration, love?"
Bella's cheeks burned into flames as a hand covered her face. "Okay." She sheepishly whispered, acting nothing like the brute who bulldozed Marina's-
Her face split apart, limbs lengthening, as her face was replaced by a massive pair of lips. "I am a doppelganger. We are a race of beings meant to replace those who perished during the Termina Festival. I am Abella in most of the ways that matter. I don't ask for your acceptance. All I ask for is your patience. I don't want to replace the original. I just want to be me."
Marina's face twisted like she had touched a hot stove. It was a hard pill to stomach, especially since she was confronted with the very true reality that Abella was still six feet under.
However, it laid to rest her thoughts about any one desecrating her corpse.
Still, it was hard to believe anything that came out today.
After one horrible Tuesday, there had to be a dreadful Wednesday….
A/N: day 3 peaks here. Afterwards, I plan for some interludes, team discussion, then finally, game plans past just survival in the city. Hopefully I will be able to write it in a way that doesn't bore readers. And to you folks actually reading, thank you for the support you have given me. I literally wouldn't still be writing if it wasn't for your support. Though, writing this story is kinda like a diary of the growth I've gone through a person within my relationships. So there's also that motivation.
Next chapter Preview:
"Are you feeling alright, Sam?" Bella whispered into her ear.
The girl in question shook her head, pulling her partner towards her. "There's a lot on my mind, Bell. I don't know how everything will go down, or if the choices I make will be the right ones…"
Leaning into Samarie's touch, the mechanic let out a shaky sigh. "And that's fine, Sam. You won't always have the right answers to every situation. There will always be things out of anyone's control, even those who are Divine."
Her consolation brought the girl out of her slump, walking just a little bit straighter. "But, I know, whatever decision you make will be the best one you can make. I believe in you."
Achievements: Save Marina- Silver Ticket
Make Marina fall in love with you- Diamond Ticket, you deserve it!
Achievements Unlocked in the Previous Chapters:
Survive a direct encounter with Gro-Goroth - Gold Ticket
Meet with Rher and the God's servant, Per'kele- Gold Ticket
You became more Self Aware- Bronze Ticket
Create A Secret Identity - Bronze Ticket
Kill an Opponent without lifting a finger- Bronze Ticket
Eliminate the Sulfer Cultist Needles- Gold Ticket
Teach Marina an imperfect version of Hollow Sphere- Gold Ticket
Learn the Value of Boundaries- Silver Ticket
Confess your Feelings!- Gold Ticket
Enter Prehevil - Gold Ticket
Make a Deal with Pocketcat- Gold Ticket
Be the First Person to Strike D'arce in Centuries- Gold Ticket
Survive the Three-way Deadlock- Platinum Ticket
Understand the Fundamental Properties of a Proper Relationship- Bronze Ticket
Defeat the Cursed Sword: Miasma- Platinum ticket
Understand a New Form of Love- Bronze Ticket
Understand Nostalgia- Bronze Ticket
Meet a Doppleganger- Silver Ticket
Somehow Gain Frontrow Seats to the Worst Moment of Your Life- Gold Ticket
First… What now? With who!? - Diamond Ticket
Meet L0g1C'5 Agent- Gold Ticket
Defeat L()G1C's Agent- Platinum Ticket
Break the Wrath of Flesh Curse-Platinum trait Ticket
Figure out the truth.- Silver Ticket
Labels?- Bronze Ticket
Survive the Skaven Ambush - Bronze Ticket
Free the Heartless One- Gold Ticket
Rolls:
[In Shining Armor]
|Uncommon Trait|
Whenever you save a damsel in distress they are almost guaranteed to develop romantic feelings for you.
For saving a damsel
[Chekov's Box]
|Rare Item|
A box that looks like a wrapped gift, when you open this box it will give you precisely what item you need for the situation as long as it is ranked Rare or below. The box will vanish once used.
Like chekov's gun, it appears when you least expect it. Ticket comes from when Samarie first met Rher.
Given to Marina
[Master Communication]
|Epic Skill|
You are the absolute master in communication, to the point where it borders magic. You may not understand what language they speak, but you can read their intent and emotions from a simple glance enough to basically mind-read them. And you always know how to perfectly convey what you mean, you can convey a hundred words with a single nod, talk to animals and make them understand you, or perfectly convey just how badly you will hurt or love someone.
You did it, Samarie. You got the girl.