Murder Tale V: The Grand Hotel

[Atomyk]

Rita looked off to the side, sighing. Putting away her items, she said, "Hey, I'm it. Try and find me." She gave Saitama a weary look.

Rita melted into the crowd. Whether or not she wanted to be found by them was up in the air.

@Alyto @Verite


​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

As Hajime spoke, Saitama seemed to really consider the younger man's words. Human, huh? Yeah... maybe. After everything Saitama had done, and looking at what he was capable of, it was easy to forget... He was honestly just as human as everyone else. But, almost like Superman himself, it was easy to forget that because to normal people, he was like a god among men.

Well, technically, Superman was an alien, but whatever. That's different.

Though Saitama would seem to take Hajime's words to heart, it didn't look like his facial expression changed much to signify this, though he would still speak once that was over with.

"Huh, maybe. That's pretty deep. You a psychologist or something, kid?" He would inquire curiously, though before he would be able to hear Hajime's answer, his attention would be drawn away over to Peashy.

"Huh? It? Am I suddenly playing tag now?"

@The Yuletide Tactician @The Great Detective @york @Alyto @Atomyk (?)​

"You know, you're not the first person to think that." Well, okay, Fuyuhiko did say Ultimate Counselor instead of Psychologist, but same difference. He shook his head with a sigh, "But no, that's... too stressful of a job. I'm just good at listening, I guess."

"Wait, does that mean we're in the game as well?"

@The Great Detective @york @Alyto @Atomyk @Verite​

 

[Atomyk]

"Jeen's not the worst name. I've never heard of you either, but I'm not sure I wanted to anyway." Melodia's smile seemed to falter for the briefest of moments. "I'm sure your idea of fun is not quite my idea of fun, so we'll leave it at that, thank you very much. I'm not trying to impress anybody... I am here as I always am. Naturally."

She looked down at Jeen's outstretched hand with a blank look. "I'm fine, thank you."

She then turned to Kido and gave the girl a tight smile. "Oh, don't worry about your name I'd worry about how awkward you look right now. I admit, some people seemed to become stunned around me..."

@Savannah-Clause @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Hazel-rah @york​

 

[Atomyk]

In her effort to get away from the weird girl, Rita practically rammed into Jen. In the chaos of the other guests and at the speed Rita was going, it was just unavoidable. Even if Jen were to manage to keep her balance, some of her wine would have spilled on to Rita.

"H-Hey! My costume...!" Rita glared at Jen. It was ultimately Rita's fault, but at that moment she was too stressed to care. "You ruined my costume! Are you naturally a klutz or what?!"

@Mari​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Or maybe not. It does work here! Just not with everyone. "Now now, do not waste breath on an apology. I care not for it." His eyes turned to Gilgamesh. "Gilgamesh, is it? A King of Heroes. Well. My power may not work on you, but it clearly does for your friend here. If you make any move to harm me, well. You could say your friend's fate is linked with mine." Kilgrave grinned. That was not even remotely true, a complete bluff...but hopefully gave him control of the situation independent of his power. "Let us not go into such ugly displays, hmm? This is a party, after all." He reminded with a knowing look.

"So. You on the floor. What's your name?"

@Atomyk @Gen. Magic Senpai @Savannah-Clause​

This conversation was just... Weird. But, Ryan recognized what was being spoken of, and what had been done to her by this rather peculiar man. Considering the fact that she was the sister of a Siren, it wasn't like she wasn't aware of what mind-control was. She wasn't that clueless. Not anymore. Of course, this didn't exactly mean that Ryan was going to make any assumptions about this man or his ability. After all, she always saw the best in people - even when it wasn't there. If only she knew what a weakness this was. "...Aurelia. My name's Aurelia Duchannes. But you can call me Ryan, if that's what you prefer. May I ask what your name is?"

Just you f00kin' wait, Killgrave. Ryan was more than ready to whip Kilgrave into shape with...... the power of her naive innocence, kindness and purity. no one was safeeee
​

Gilgamesh let Ryan hug her when she came in. Such a reaction was to be expected from Ryan anyways, and Gilgamesh would have been a fool to expect any different. But he didn't exactly have the the time to respond to her, for mid-way through her own sentences she did something insanely bizarre... She listen to the man's orders... Word, for, word. Ok, clearly this individual did have some powers of persuasion, powers strong enough to even influence a Caster. Seeing this Gilgamesh shot Kilgrave an angry glare that could mean nothing else but that he's dead... But now wasn't the time, not with Ryan present. So with great difficulty he resisted the temptation, his gates of Babylon definitely swung open, but they exposed nothing. Instead they acted as a barrier to seperate Ryan from the man, as Gilgamesh pulled her back on her feet saying "Get up! He has no place ordering you about!".

Then shouting out to Kilgrave from behind the Gates "Hmph! You claim to not want to make a messy display? Then prove it, release control of her!" and right then some of his weapons appeared from his gates "Or I will release it myself. Fate's tied or not, a death is merciful compared to what you are doing!". Though that was also a Bluff, somewhat. He definitely saw death as merciful, but he wasn't going to be that quick to kill the guy in case it did kill Ryan. He'd aim for another method of saving her first.

@C.T. @Savannah-Clause @Atomyk​

Funnily enough, it looked like Gilgamesh was more upset over the occurrence than Ryan, herself, was. Wasn't that an odd thing? Offering a small smile, Ryan nodded as the King of Heroes helped her up, seeming rather grateful for this. "Thank you," was her only response, aside from her smile. While she was grateful that her friend had helped her up while she couldn't control her own body, she didn't look fond of the idea Gilgamesh was suggesting. "Don't worry, Gilgamesh. I'm fine. See?" with that, Ryan gestured to herself, trying to convey that she was alright. "There's no need for any fighting."

@C.T. @Gen. Magic Senpai @Atomyk​

 

[Atomyk]

In his search for people mostly by themselves, Kieran stood in the shadows and tried to get the attention of both Arisu and Sal.

"PSSST! Hey! Over here!"

"... Please?"

@Lizzy @Sen​

 

[C.T.]

Gilgamesh let Ryan hug her when she came in. Such a reaction was to be expected from Ryan anyways, and Gilgamesh would have been a fool to expect any different. But he didn't exactly have the the time to respond to her, for mid-way through her own sentences she did something insanely bizarre... She listen to the man's orders... Word, for, word. Ok, clearly this individual did have some powers of persuasion, powers strong enough to even influence a Caster. Seeing this Gilgamesh shot Kilgrave an angry glare that could mean nothing else but that he's dead... But now wasn't the time, not with Ryan present. So with great difficulty he resisted the temptation, his gates of Babylon definitely swung open, but they exposed nothing. Instead they acted as a barrier to seperate Ryan from the man, as Gilgamesh pulled her back on her feet saying "Get up! He has no place ordering you about!".

Then shouting out to Kilgrave from behind the Gates "Hmph! You claim to not want to make a messy display? Then prove it, release control of her!" and right then some of his weapons appeared from his gates "Or I will release it myself. Fate's tied or not, a death is merciful compared to what you are doing!". Though that was also a Bluff, somewhat. He definitely saw death as merciful, but he wasn't going to be that quick to kill the guy in case it did kill Ryan. He'd aim for another method of saving her first.

@C.T. @Savannah-Clause @Atomyk​

"My control of her is not a mess. However, if you truly want to consign her to death, do feel free." He remarked, eyeing the weapons emerging from the golden circles. Magic...or something like it. "When I die, the moment I pass on, the very second my heart stops, your friend will grab a knife and slit her own throat wide open. That'll be all on you. As surely your fault as if you pierced her with one of your weapons directly. If you do not want that, I suggest you stand down. I do not want it either. You say you're a King of Heroes! Is that not what heroes do? Come down from the skies and save lives? Especially a friend's. This is a birthday! We do not need to make it a deathday."

"Do we?"
​

This conversation was just... Weird. But, Ryan recognized what was being spoken of, and what had been done to her by this rather peculiar man. Considering the fact that she was the sister of a Siren, it wasn't like she wasn't aware of what mind-control was. She wasn't that clueless. Not anymore. Of course, this didn't exactly mean that Ryan was going to make any assumptions about this man or his ability. After all, she always saw the best in people - even when it wasn't there. If only she knew what a weakness this was. "...Aurelia. My name's Aurelia Duchannes. But you can call me Ryan, if that's what you prefer. May I ask what your name is?"

Just you f00kin' wait, Killgrave. Ryan was more than ready to whip Kilgrave into shape with...... the power of her naive innocence, kindness and purity. no one was safeeee
​

Funnily enough, it looked like Gilgamesh was more upset over the occurrence than Ryan, herself, was. Wasn't that an odd thing? Offering a small smile, Ryan nodded as the King of Heroes helped her up, seeming rather grateful for this. "Thank you," was her only response, aside from her smile. While she was grateful that her friend had helped her up while she couldn't control her own body, she didn't look fond of the idea Gilgamesh was suggesting. "Don't worry, Gilgamesh. I'm fine. See?" with that, Ryan gestured to herself, trying to convey that she was alright. "There's no need for any fighting."

@C.T. @Gen. Magic Senpai @Atomyk​

"Aurelia Duchannes. That's certainly an exotic name, but you choose to be called Ryan? Such a simple name? To each their own, I guess. You can call me Kilgrave. And yes, Gilgamesh, she's fine. Glad one of you is keeping a cool head on your shoulders. Speaking of which...Aurelia "Ryan" Duchannes. Please step this way and stand by my side. Now." Kilgrave beckoned her forward. "I need to tell you something. A favor, if you will."

@Gen. Magic Senpai @Savannah-Clause

​

 

[Mu]

In his search for people mostly by themselves, Kieran stood in the shadows and tried to get the attention of both Arisu and Sal.

"PSSST! Hey! Over here!"

"... Please?"​

Sal turned around, looking for the source of the sound. He spotted a young man standing alone in the corner. Seeking interaction himself, the white shark floated towards the man. "Hi there! I'm Sal! At least, that's my nickname."

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

"What an odd tradition, and you don't even dress them up?" he asks, sounding interested "How peculiar, you humans are quite vulgar"

"And your children and simply repulsive...Murderous little ba-" he stops, turning toward the middle of the room slowly, his eye blazing as he locks eyes with the Bogeyman once again, seeing the same old visage of Chara, though someone passed between the pair and he was gone, leaving the skeleton to sigh gently "I hate that human"

@Archmage Jeremiah​

Coraline grinned, chuckling as she slid a bottle of straight vodka from out of a pouch at her waist, popping the top off and chugging some of it down.

"You don't even know the half of it buddy." she replied, unfazed by the comment on human vulgarity. But the next didn't sit with her so well...

"Our...children? Buddy, we aren't born monsters, we grow into them. I should know. I had one myself..." Coraline retorted, Papyrus' casual comment on children cutting her deeper than expected.

@DapperDogman​

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

This conversation was just... Weird. But, Ryan recognized what was being spoken of, and what had been done to her by this rather peculiar man. Considering the fact that she was the sister of a Siren, it wasn't like she wasn't aware of what mind-control was. She wasn't that clueless. Not anymore. Of course, this didn't exactly mean that Ryan was going to make any assumptions about this man or his ability. After all, she always saw the best in people - even when it wasn't there. If only she knew what a weakness this was. "...Aurelia. My name's Aurelia Duchannes. But you can call me Ryan, if that's what you prefer. May I ask what your name is?"

Just you f00kin' wait, Killgrave. Ryan was more than ready to whip Kilgrave into shape with...... the power of her naive innocence, kindness and purity. no one was safeeee
​

Funnily enough, it looked like Gilgamesh was more upset over the occurrence than Ryan, herself, was. Wasn't that an odd thing? Offering a small smile, Ryan nodded as the King of Heroes helped her up, seeming rather grateful for this. "Thank you," was her only response, aside from her smile. While she was grateful that her friend had helped her up while she couldn't control her own body, she didn't look fond of the idea Gilgamesh was suggesting. "Don't worry, Gilgamesh. I'm fine. See?" with that, Ryan gestured to herself, trying to convey that she was alright. "There's no need for any fighting."

@C.T. @Gen. Magic Senpai @Atomyk​

"My control of her is not a mess. However, if you truly want to consign her to death, do feel free." He remarked, eyeing the weapons emerging from the golden circles. Magic...or something like it. "When I die, the moment I pass on, the very second my heart stops, your friend will grab a knife and slit her own throat wide open. That'll be all on you. As surely your fault as if you pierced her with one of your weapons directly. If you do not want that, I suggest you stand down. I do not want it either. You say you're a King of Heroes! Is that not what heroes do? Come down from the skies and save lives? Especially a friend's. This is a birthday! We do not need to make it a deathday."

"Do we?"
​

"Aurelia Duchannes. That's certainly an exotic name, but you choose to be called Ryan? Such a simple name? To each their own, I guess. You can call me Kilgrave. And yes, Gilgamesh, she's fine. Glad one of you is keeping a cool head on your shoulders. Speaking of which...Aurelia "Ryan" Duchannes. Please step this way and stand by my side. Now." Kilgrave beckoned her forward. "I need to tell you something. A favor, if you will."

@Gen. Magic Senpai @Savannah-Clause

​

Aurelia? That's something he never heard before. Though now wasn't the time to question that, Ryan was being a complete idiot and he didn't care at all if she picked that up in his thoughts like Reece could. He then immediately shouts in a frustrated but not hostile manner "You're fine now, until he does that again! Dammit Ryan, or should I shall Aurelia! This is already a fight, just one without a mortals weapon! You need to fight!". And then Kilgrave had to push it again, commanding Ryan to come to his side... Shit.

He didn't trust this at all, so in the moment and against his usual nature Enkidu appeared. But it did not hit anyone, instead it's spear tip impaled itself into the ground, the chain wrapping itself around Ryan's waist, hopefully that'd be enough to hold her. In the meantime though he turned back to Kilgrave and said "Whatever trick you're using, it must have a limit, no? No Magic is truly infinite. If I kill you, all I need to do is stop Ryan from doing anything while I wait for your grasp to vanish. Which given the aid of my treasury should be easily sped up".

What the hell was happening? Gilgamesh never got this tense this quickly, well not when it was someone else being insulted it was. Did having been away from Ryan and Reece for so long make him like this? Was it that he simply seeing the acts on Ryan as an insult to him, and his ability against said threats? He wasn't sure what his reasoning was, but he wasn't going to just let someone he cared about be trampled like this. No Hero would tolerate it, no King would tolerate this.

@Savannah-Clause @C.T.​

 

[Hana]

Prologue - The Red Sea Witch
​

"Oh? A banquet?" A very small girl clad all in red blinked down at the invitation she held in her hands, before glancing up at where Princess Mikotsu sat on her throne. The raspy-voiced, often silent princess nodded at her silently, her single red eye holding some amusement in them as her witch smiled. Wadanohara had been getting increasingly bored for a while now, skipping her way through the castle halls and visiting her old shark familiar friend. The Blue Sea variety of her shark familiars, that was. Even now Samekichi sat, mute and broken, within the dark and filthy dungeons. The Red Sea denizens took their turns tormenting, torturing and mocking the broken man, but it was Wadanohara who could get the most reactions out of him. And Princess Mikotsu was happy to let one of her most powerful subjects do as she pleased. Unfortunately, it looked like the petite witch was still prone to boredom despite all the little toys - people - that she had at her disposal.

Wadanohara's red eyes caught a small requirement, a delicate brow arching slightly. "A costume," she echoed the words, before letting out a light giggle. "Just what has my dear Ambassador gotten himself into this time? Princess Mikotsu, thank you for informing me of this." With a graceful bow, the girl spun on her feet lightly. Her doll-shoes tapped softly on the floor of the palace hall, Wadanohara falling into a light skip. "Two separate invitations, though?" She mused to herself as she left the Princess' area.

More often than not, it often fell to Sal, the Ambassador of the Red Sea, to work on any otherworldly events. He represented their world, the Red Sea. A sea that was filled with death and decay, its denizens all having fallen to various degrees of depravity. Everyone reveled in the worst of sins, The Red Sea was a place full of violence. But in their own way, everyone loved this ruined sea. There was a certain freedom in having escaped your lot in life, your fate. Hadn't Sal told her that? Wadanohara loved this sea. Perhaps she loved it even more than she had ever loved the old sea, the blue sea which still sometimes lurked in the blue depths of Samekichi's eyes. Red. It was all...

So, so, beautiful.

"Sal is in for a pleasant surprise~" She had reached the portal, an imposing red gate. The gate where she had once stood, facing the choice between saving the sea - or her old shark familiar. It was funny, looking back on how so much had been put upon her shoulders. The fate of the sea and its inhabitants. Their happiness. Their ruin. All on her. Bah, such responsibilities, didn't they feel any shame on relying on her? Oh, isn't this nostalgic? Ah, how many centuries has it been? "And my dress is enough of a costume." To be honest, she couldn't care less about following that rule. Wearing her short red dress and her hat, her legs clad in black socks reaching just below her knees, Wadanohara thought she looked just fine for a 'costume' party like this. She particularly loved the red eyes that blinked and peeked out from under her hat. That was always a nice touch.

And so, pushing the gate open, Wadanohara left for the so-called birthday party.

She emerged in the hall, tilting her head curiously as she saw the choice in decor. Cobwebs, strange eyes in the darkness. They were trying to make her feel like someone was watching her, and her grin was happy, her white teeth bared. As if that was ever going to work on her. The darkness didn't disturb her at all. But... "Hmmm, not enough red," she mumbled with some disappointment, but perked up again as she made her way down the hall. The witch could sense her dear old familiar's presence somewhere in this hotel, now all it took was to find him. Spotting the small penguins at the sides of the hall eventually, her eyes lit up in interest.

Approaching them, Wadanohara felt the urge to coo over how cute they looked. "I wonder if I can get a new pet," she mused aloud to herself, tapping a finger to the corner of her lip as she waited for them to find her name in the checklist. "The others in the dungeon are proving to be so boring." And this was the perfect opportunity to find new p- friends, right? Maybe a new friend or two would liven up her days. Even if she didn't get them to come with her, though, this was a good way to watch her dear friend work. He was one of her sources of entertainment. Slapping and stepping on him was just... Therapeutic. He even let it happen, stating he enjoyed anything from his dear Wadanohara, so it was a win-win situation.

"Oh my, isn't this nice," she commented upon seeing the banquet room, eyes lighting up at seeing all the people that milled about. People from different worlds than hers, surely with their own stories to tell. But her eyes scanned the large area, seeking out a white dolphin. He always liked to use his friendly-looking form to keep suspicion off of him, after all. Making her way to the main table, the witch covered her mouth with one hand and giggled. "It's nice to meet you all~" She stated with a sweet smile, blinking cheerfully at the ones who met her eyes. "I hope we all have fun today!" She certainly intended to.

@Alyto @Hazel-rah @The Yuletide Tactician @Savannah-Clause @Forrest @TheSpringwoodSlasher @DapperDogman @Verite @Mighty Roman @Saint Guillotine @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Cromartie Sarkissian @Jeremi @The Great Detective @The Silver Paladin @Archmage Jeremiah @Gen. Magic Senpai @Kaykay @C.T. @OrlandoBloomers @Lizzy @CCC Kouhai @Schnee Corp Lawyer @york @Raven @Mari @Sav @Arlathina @Hana @Librarian Cat @Krieg ​

 

[Atomyk]

The man looked happy that someone was paying attention to him. Dressed in a knight's costume, he looked far from inconspicuous in the corner.

"Hey! I'm Kieran, Captain-Commander of the Coalition!" He was attempting to whisper, though this came out kind of loud. "I'm supposed to be here representing the Caolition, but it seems my name got left off the list. I know I was given an invitation..." Keiran looked around warily, eyeing those nearby. "... Anyway, if the Prinnies find me, chances are they'll try and get me out. I feel really bad about making one of them explode, but it was just an accident, I swear."

@Sen
​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Gaster would return her smile with his own-- he seemed to always be smiling, so it didn't actually matter much. He knew why his outburst happened, but he knew not to gossip about it. It wasn't important-- he shouldn't even be here right now, so none of this was really important.

I HAVE MADE AN OBSERVATION ABOUT YOU, LADY YVAINE

YOUR SOUL

IT IS ENDLESS. UNDYING, IN A WAY. THE TIMELINES AHEAD DO NOT HINT OF YOUR PASSING IN ANY WAY

Gaster then seemed to stare right through her-- into her SOUL.

The world around Yvaine seemed to darken as wingdings began to fill the blackness

YOU ARE IMMORTAL, ARENT YOU?

AN UNDYING SPIRIT WHO HAS FOUND A WAY TO TRANSCEND ABOVE AND BEYOND MORTALITY, WHETHER BY CHOICE OR BY SUDDEN EVENTS.

HM

YOU REMIND ME OF SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW.

HOW

FASCINATING.

Gaster laughed grimly, his voice becoming more and more static as he read Yvaine like a book. It didn't seem like a threat of any kind, but Yvaine could feel Gaster's overwhelming presence now. He had no life force to speak of, no SOUL-- he was a being that was beyond her comprehension. He was like her..in a way.


@Savannah-Clause @Atomyk @Hazel-rah @Kaykay
​

....And, all of a sudden, Gaster had crossed the line of being a tad odd and mysterious... To being outright invasive and a tad terrifying. But Yvaine remained unintimidated, if a bit caught off guard. It wasn't as though she was unused to the darkness. In fact, it was an old friend of hers - the only friend she'd had, back when she had resided blissfully in the sky. It was like home, to her. So why would she be frightened by it?

No, she just didn't like how this man thought he could simply invade on her mind and life like this.

An annoyed look returned to the star's face, and she crossed her arms, her lips twisting into a deep frown. "...Yes, I'm immortal, but I'm quite sure that that is none of your business. Whatsoever." Yeah.... She definitely wasn't going to tolerate this. "So it would be greatly appreciated if you would kindly remove yourself from my mind."

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Hazel-rah​

 

[Atomyk]

Yeah, Jade decided it was best to back out of this conversation now. He quickly left Kilgrave and Gilgamesh to their feuding.

@C.T. @Savannah-Clause @Gen. Magic Senpai​

 

[Takumi]

In his search for people mostly by themselves, Kieran stood in the shadows and tried to get the attention of both Arisu and Sal.

"PSSST! Hey! Over here!"

"... Please?"

@Lizzy @Sen​

Arisu blinked and walked over just when Sal did. And she stared with an open mouth.

There was a talking floating shark.

...

Okay, so there could be so many other things she was shocked at but this was pretty cool and shocking in itself.

She even went out of her way to pinch herself.

'Okay, I'm not asleep so this is definitely real. Sis won't believe this!' She though and began to grin like a madwoman, giggling to herself before realizing what she was doing and taking a moment to compose herself she looked to the two.

"U-um, yes?" She replied in a rather small voice.

@Atomyk @Sen

 

[C.T.]

Aurelia? That's something he never heard before. Though now wasn't the time to question that, Ryan was being a complete idiot and he didn't care at all if she picked that up in his thoughts like Reece could. He then immediately shouts in a frustrated but not hostile manner "You're fine now, until he does that again! Dammit Ryan, or should I shall Aurelia! This is already a fight, just one without a mortals weapon! You need to fight!". And then Kilgrave had to push it again, commanding Ryan to come to his side... Shit.

He didn't trust this at all, so in the moment and against his usual nature Enkidu appeared. But it did not hit anyone, instead it's spear tip impaled itself into the ground, the chain wrapping itself around Ryan's waist, hopefully that'd be enough to hold her. In the meantime though he turned back to Kilgrave and said "Whatever trick you're using, it must have a limit, no? No Magic is truly infinite. If I kill you, all I need to do is stop Ryan from doing anything while I wait for your grasp to vanish. Which given the aid of my treasury should be easily sped up".

What the hell was happening? Gilgamesh never got this tense this quickly, well not when it was someone else being insulted it was. Did having been away from Ryan and Reece for so long make him like this? Was it that he simply seeing the acts on Ryan as an insult to him, and his ability against said threats? He wasn't sure what his reasoning was, but he wasn't going to just let someone he cared about be trampled like this. No Hero would tolerate it, no King would tolerate this.

@Savannah-Clause @C.T.​

"Clever attempt, king of heroes." He replied immediately, giving a genuine round of slow applause. "But you're wrong. For one, it's not magic. And two, it is eternal. If you want to restrain her until the reins are removed...you'll never be letting go. You'll be saving her from slicing her throat...and instead you'll be dooming her to either starvation from lack of eating, dehydration from lack of drinking, muscle atrophy..." He counted down on his fingers. "Oh, I can't even imagine. Dreadful. And unnecessary! Tsk tsk. My command will not be harmful to her, you can count on that. You can listen in to determine the truth of that, if you like. Nothing underhanded about my favor. There's something deliciously ironic about me arguing for peace and calm while not only a hero but the king of them lets his anger control him."

"So what's the call? May we let bygones be bygones?"

@Gen. Magic Senpai @Savannah-Clause​

 

[Mu]

The man looked happy that someone was paying attention to him. Dressed in a knight's costume, he looked far from inconspicuous in the corner.

"Hey! I'm Kieran, Captain-Commander of the Coalition!" He was attempting to whisper, though this came out kind of loud. "I'm supposed to be here representing the Caolition, but it seems my name got left off the list. I know I was given an invitation..." Keiran looked around warily, eyeing those nearby. "... Anyway, if the Prinnies find me, chances are they'll try and get me out. I feel really bad about making one of them explode, but it was just an accident, I swear."

"Oh dear~ what do you think happened? Surely whoever organised this didn't mess up, right?" the shark said, a tone of worry in his voice. "I think it'll be okay, since you're a representative~" He tried to assure the strange man dressed all up like knights, wrapped up all in steel armour... wasn't he the least bit hot in this giant room?

His eyes widened at Kieran's words. "Those penguins explode?" he repeated, shocked at the revelation of this strange creature. They weren't like the penguins he had met before. Though the one he had met was a tad... sassy. "Maybe I should bring one home to my dear," he pondered. The dungeons were looking empty and teasing Samekichi was boring once he was used to it. He wasn't a bad punching bag, but his lack of response was boring. Those penguins might just do...

'Okay, I'm not asleep so this is definitely real. Sis won't believe this!' She though and began to grin like a madwoman, giggling to herself before realizing what she was doing and taking a moment to compose herself she looked to the two.

"U-um, yes?" She replied in a rather small voice.

His thoughts were broken by the appearance of a girl with long, brown hair. Sal blinked at her expression, a flash of a strange grin on her face before it was composed. "Hello~"

 

[Verite]

Rita looked off to the side, sighing. Putting away her items, she said, "Hey, I'm it. Try and find me." She gave Saitama a weary look.

Rita melted into the crowd. Whether or not she wanted to be found by them was up in the air.

@Alyto @Verite​

In her effort to get away from the weird girl, Rita practically rammed into Jen. In the chaos of the other guests and at the speed Rita was going, it was just unavoidable. Even if Jen were to manage to keep her balance, some of her wine would have spilled on to Rita.

"H-Hey! My costume...!" Rita glared at Jen. It was ultimately Rita's fault, but at that moment she was too stressed to care. "You ruined my costume! Are you naturally a klutz or what?!"

@Mari​

With another gust of wind, having sped to Rita's location at godspeed when Rita would make a scene towards Jen and revealing her position to the hero despite being in the middle of a presumably large crowd, Saitama would appear beside the girl, purposefully making a rather creepy face that he had made before in the past.

"Fooouuund you."

...

"... Wait, you were it, right? Then aren't you supposed to be the one coming for me?"

@Atomyk @Alyto @The Yuletide Tactician​

 

[Hana]

She spotted him with two other people, tucked away in one corner of the large banquet room. There was a man and a girl with him, something that made the little witch's lips quirk up in a smile. It looked like he was having fun meeting new friends, how nice was that? Sending a fleeting smile over her shoulder and winking, the girl lightly skipped over to where the white dolphin stood. Her braids swished behind her back, skirt swishing lightly with her graceful movements. Weaving past the many throngs of people milling about the round tables and smiling politely at anyone who caught her eye, Wadanohara finally made it to where Sal and the other people stood.

She watched them talk to each other with a smile, making her way to stand just behind Sal. Wadanohara decided not to say anything for a moment, only hiding a small giggle as she saw the way the girl had eyed Sal with disbelief. Your disguises don't always work outside of our own world, dear foolish little Sal. The other man looked quite friendly, and Wadanohara sent a cheerful smile his way. "Hello~" She greeted lightly with a small wave, peeking past Sal and eyeing the man and the girl.

@Atomyk @Sen @Lizzy

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"My control of her is not a mess. However, if you truly want to consign her to death, do feel free." He remarked, eyeing the weapons emerging from the golden circles. Magic...or something like it. "When I die, the moment I pass on, the very second my heart stops, your friend will grab a knife and slit her own throat wide open. That'll be all on you. As surely your fault as if you pierced her with one of your weapons directly. If you do not want that, I suggest you stand down. I do not want it either. You say you're a King of Heroes! Is that not what heroes do? Come down from the skies and save lives? Especially a friend's. This is a birthday! We do not need to make it a deathday."

"Do we?"
​

"Aurelia Duchannes. That's certainly an exotic name, but you choose to be called Ryan? Such a simple name? To each their own, I guess. You can call me Kilgrave. And yes, Gilgamesh, she's fine. Glad one of you is keeping a cool head on your shoulders. Speaking of which...Aurelia "Ryan" Duchannes. Please step this way and stand by my side. Now." Kilgrave beckoned her forward. "I need to tell you something. A favor, if you will."

@Gen. Magic Senpai @Savannah-Clause​

Aurelia? That's something he never heard before. Though now wasn't the time to question that, Ryan was being a complete idiot and he didn't care at all if she picked that up in his thoughts like Reece could. He then immediately shouts in a frustrated but not hostile manner "You're fine now, until he does that again! Dammit Ryan, or should I shall Aurelia! This is already a fight, just one without a mortals weapon! You need to fight!". And then Kilgrave had to push it again, commanding Ryan to come to his side... Shit.

He didn't trust this at all, so in the moment and against his usual nature Enkidu appeared. But it did not hit anyone, instead it's spear tip impaled itself into the ground, the chain wrapping itself around Ryan's waste, hopefully that'd be enough to hold her. In the meantime though he turned back to Kilgrave and said "Whatever trick you're using, it must have a limit, no? No Magic is truly infinite. If I kill you, all I need to do is stop Ryan from doing anything while I wait for your grasp to vanish. Which given the aid of my treasury should be easily sped up".

What the hell was happening? Gilgamesh never got this tense this quickly, well not when it was someone else being insulted it was. Did having been away from Ryan and Reece for so long make him like this? Was it that he simply seeing the acts on Ryan as an insult to him, and his ability against said threats? He wasn't sure what his reasoning was, but he wasn't going to just let someone he cared about be trampled like this. No Hero would tolerate it, no King would tolerate this.

@Savannah-Clause @C.T.​

Well... Ryan was definitely caught off guard by how angered Gilgamesh was getting over this. She remembered him having quite the temper, sure, but it was typically over he himself being insulted or threatened. She also wasn't exactly used to him shouting at her, either - but she didn't so much as flinch as he did so. Whether he yelled at her or scolded her or not, he was still her friend, and she knew he wouldn't hurt her and that he cared about her. "I won't fight. It's not necessary," she stated, perfectly levelly... Though she knew he had a point.

When she was addressed once more by Kilgrave, she offered a small nod. "Yes, well.. Aurelia is a newer name, I suppose you could say. Ryan is merely what my older friends would know me by," she explained. "Kilgrave is certainly an interesting name, as well." It was quite surprising that she was still so kind and open towards Kilgrave, despite his threats and attempts to control her. Even as she found herself given another order, and then attempting to follow it, she didn't seem terribly fazed. "..Of course."

Wow. She wasn't even verbally objecting to him making her walk right up to his side.

Luckily for her, though, she had her overprotective heroic spirit to come to the rescue. Not that she exactly thought that she needed rescuing - maybe she wasn't a fighter, but she could still handle herself. Maybe it was in a different way than Gilgamesh though she should, but she could do it. That was more than likely the reason that she found the chains wrapping themselves around her waist to be a bit unnecessary. Or maybe it was because she just kept on walking(or, trying to, which was successfully getting her absolutely nowhere), and walking, and walking... And it was kind of tiring because it probably wouldn't stop until she fulfilled the command given to her.

"...Are the chains really necessary, Gilgamesh?"

The struggle was real for the Caster.

@Gen. Magic Senpai @C.T.​