A/N: apologies in advance for getting any accents wrong in this story, particularly anything Irish-related
Chapter 1: Welcome Part 1
Date/Time: ######
Outside
Beach
"Sabishī thinks she hates you now."
"… That's fair."
…
"Is this the part where I get killed?"
"Sabishī isn't sure she cares much anymore. We're both stuck now, that won't change. It was foolish to think otherwise."
"So it seems."
…
…
"Still some time before the next one starts. Sabishī is going inside now."
"I'll stay here."
"Good. You should."
…
6:30 P.M. Day One
First Floor
Foyer
With a groan, Brooke Douglas sat up. She was unbelievably groggy, and her insides felt like they were settling from a wild car ride. Vaguely, she was aware of the fact that there were other people in the room with her, but for the moment she was just focused on herself.
"Well," a British-accented voice suddenly declared, aimed in her direction. "Going by your looks it seems I'm not the only one here that feels like a bad hangover worked them over. Need a hand?"
Looking up and to her left, Brooke saw a young woman - about a year older than her, if she had to guess - standing before her. She had naturally tan skin, clear blue eyes, and long hair that was vertically striped black and gold, currently done up in a ponytail. She was wearing a somewhat tight-looking sky-blue t-shirt with long sleeves and a turtleneck, tan shorts with a gold-colored leather belt, opaque black leggings, and off-white, knee length boots. She also wore white gloves whose ends were covered by her sleeves, and a golden chain necklace with a piece of what looked like amber at the center. Currently, she was leaning forward and holding a hand out to Brooke, a courteous smile on her face.
Taking the offered hand, Brooke cumbersomely got to her feet, steadying herself. Looking around, she noticed she had apparently been lying next to a mirror, and took a moment to note her own appearance. Her pale green eyes (honestly, they looked more gray than anything) seemed almost sunken in on her pale face, but that might've just been an effect of the light in the room (which, Brooke noticed, seemed to be exclusively candle-based). Her hair was still in a high pony tail, still it's usual jet black, though with a vertical stripe of neon-green running from the front of her hair down to the end of the tail (had she dyed it earlier? She couldn't actually remember for some reason, but it sure sounded like something she'd do). She was currently wearing a medium-blue tank top and green short-shorts, along with a pair of dark-purple cowgirl boots (some would say her style was color-blind and tacky, but it was hers all the same). She was also wearing her favorite sapphire stud earrings and a brown leather wristband on her right wrist. She still had the red diamond-shaped birthmark on her left knee; what was new, however, were the strange pale, almost scar-like lines on her neck, three each to the right and left. She also, somehow, had come into possession of a leather pouch hanging off her shoulder. Upon inspection, she found the pouch contained an old-fashioned journal bound in a black leather cover.
"Yeah, got one of those in my shorts pocket. No idea what that's about." The woman behind her stated, regarding the journal while tapping said pocket. She then adopted a slightly concerned look. "And I don't want to alarm you if you haven't already noticed this, but some of the people in here seem … well…"
"What?" Brooke asked, turning back from the mirror fully. "Is something wro-" she cut herself off as she noticed the rest of the sixteen people in the room.
Specifically, some of the more abnormal looking ones.
Most actually looked fairly normal (in terms of physical features), but that couldn't account for two people that looked like they were actually made of stone, or the woman in a white dress that looked an awful lot like a humanoid sphinx. The fact that these people (well, the stone men, anyways) also seemed freaked out by their state wasn't helping.
In fact, a few of the people in the room were quickly starting to panic.
"What-what is this?" a gravelly voice called out.
"Where the heck are we?" another masculine voice asked.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my, why is this hap'nin'?" a feminine, Irish-accented voice wondered.
"Hmm, this is unexpected." a more subdued woman's voice said.
One boy was pacing back and forth in front of a staircase, hands clasped to his head. He was wearing a maroon-colored burlap shirt with blue overalls and black work boots. He was also wearing thick yellow gardening gloves and a wide-brimmed black hat. He seemed to be muttering under his breath. "This is bad, this is bad, this is all kinds of fuckin' bad."
Cautiously, Brooke approach him. "H-hey, are you okay? What's your name?" The boy lurched around to face her, giving her a good look at his face. It was only then that she realized what that face looked like. His skin was pale and leathery, looking almost like a burlap sack. There were black stitches around his mouth and sides of his face. Between that and the straw sticking out of his clothes and sleeves, he actually looked like some sort of walking scarecrow.
"My name's Shawn Wagner," he said, clearly agitated, "and NO, I'm not okay. One minute, I'm laying in a hospital bed waiting for death to take me, next thing I know I'm waking up in the Addams Family mansion as a fucking freakshow. And why the fuck am I a scarecrow?!"
"Calm down!" the British girl shouted, getting attention from the rest of the room. "Clearly, something odd's going on, and I know that is putting it lightly." She raised a hand, palm out in a calming gesture. "But panicking will not help this situation, understand?!"
"Easy for you to say, you didn't go into a talent making program hoping to become an ultimate football player, and wind up becoming a friggin' gargoyle!" the gravelly voice called out. Fittingly, it belonged to what could only be described as a gargoyle. Black skin the color and appearance of stone, horns and teeth, three clawed fingers and toes on each appendage, he even had a giant pair of bat wings upon his back.
The Brit was undeterred, however, hand staying raised. "Yes, you're right on that score, but my point still stands. Moving forward in an emotionally unbalanced state will do more harm than good," she turned back to everyone else, second hand raised as well, "so everyone, please, calm yourselves, at least for the moment, alright?"
Slowly, everyone started to rein their emotions in (though the scarecrow opted to wander off to the side, mumbling to himself still). The Brit smiled.
"Good, good. Now, maybe some introductions are in order?" She said, placing a hand to her chest. "My name is Victoria Masry. I signed up for this AUP business in the hopes of becoming some sort of 'Ultimate Doctor' or the like. Here's hoping that was successful, yeah?" She turned back to Brooke. "And I didn't get your name yet."
"I'm Brooke Douglas. Ultimate Ichthyologist, hopefully." She looked over at the rest of the group. "Though I'm not so sure about everyone else here getting what they wanted."
"Speak for yourself," one boy from the back spoke up, "I'd say I got what I wanted just fine; no offense meant to anyone else, just - wowza." The boy was of roughly average height, with reddish-brown short-cut hair, blue eyes, and a complexion that could've used more sun. He wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans with black sneakers, and a long black leather trenchcoat over it all. He had a happy smile on his face and a fairly easy-going presence to him as he spoke. "Hey, I'm Eric Smith. And I'm a brand-spankin' new Ultimate Cryptozoologist. Nice ta meetcha'." He looked to a pale girl standing near him. "And what's your name, little lady?"
The girl in question (who seemed surprised to be addressed at all) was a rather young looking Japanese girl - definitely among the younger people here, by Brooke's estimations - just under five feet tall. She had wild light-blue neck-length hair, eyes a deep shade of green, and a slightly dirty white cloak covering the rest of her body and clothes (though black sneakers could be seen on her feet). "Oh, um, I'm Sabishī. I - I don't know how I got here, and I don't remember signing up for anything called the, uh, AUP." She looked down at her journal. "The book says I've become the Ultimate Undertaker." She paused a little, as if taking that in, before (somewhat begrudgingly, it seemed) nodding. "Seems more appropriate then I'd like to admit, honestly."
"Hmm, what reason is that for, I wonder?" A feminine voice - tinged with a Spanish (Brazilian?) accent - called out. Everyone turned to a woman leaning back, arms crossed, against a wall with one foot propped upon it.
This woman, without question, was the most physically attractive girl in the room. Standing about as tall as Brooke herself, her naturally-tanned skin was free from any scars or blemishes, and her wavy, raven-black hair flowed freely down most of her back. She had a curvy, well-toned figure and an above-average bust. Her choice of clothes only served to accentuate her looks; a tight dark-red tank top that barely hid any of her considerable cleavage, black hiking shorts that only reached the lower-mid thigh with a blood-colored lather belt coiled around her waist, and knee-length dark-gray hiking boots, with white socks underneath that stopped halfway up the knee. Around her neck was a golden necklace with a blood-red ruby at the center.
"Oh. Is it my turn to introduce myself, then?" She asked, before moving off the wall and bowing forward at the waist (seemingly for no other purpose than to show her assets off further). "Olá. I am Alexis Gold, and it appears I am now the Ultimate Latin-American Mythologist." She stood back up, a undefinable but nonetheless off-putting look in her chocolate-brown eyes. "A pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure."
"Er, Latin-American Mythologist?" a tanned boy asked hesitantly.
"Indeed." Alexis declared, smirking. "I'm an unrivaled expert on myths of Native American cultures from Mexico down to Chile; Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Olmecs, the works. I'm also familiar with their practices and rituals to a similar degree. It's quite fascinating." There was an odd tone to her voice when she spoke about the 'fascinating' rituals and practices. One no one seemed comfortable with.
"Seems an odd thing to get an Ultimate talent about, is all." the boy replied.
"Well, even before the AUP came into it, I was already well versed in the concepts. This just made it more official." she responded while tuning her gaze towards him, left leg crossing over the right. "And what of you, hmm?"
The boy she'd been speaking with had hazel eyes and brown slicked back hair. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and blue jeans with black dress shoes, and had a large bag hanging off his shoulder. "Oh, uh, I'm Gary Ashwood, the new Ultimate Egyptologist."
This seemed to spark some interest in Victoria. "Oh. Your interest is in ancient Egypt and its culture?"
"Quite," Gary responded, looking happy to bring up his work. "I find the topics quite intriguing, always have. Are you familiar with any subjects of the field?"
"Well, my father's a native Egyptian, so does that count?" Victoria asked, a small smirk adorning her lips.
"If you two are done, I'd like to get this over with." The gargoyle boy interrupted irritably. He jerked a thumb at himself. "I'm Ryan York, you can guess what I've apparently become an 'Ultimate' of." He looked to the other rock-like person in the room. "What's your story, buddy?"
The being in question was a stout, broad creature that seemed to be made out of stone. It had a generally human design and no unique features, with a basic face design. What was noticeable however, was that the eyes were glowing a bright blue. "Umm, uh, hello," it - he? - spoke in a surprisingly timid voice, "m-My name's Logan Acker. I-I wanted to become an ultimate, but not this. H-how does this even happen, huh?!"
"Calm down, we've already established panicking won't help." A woman with platinum-blonde hair said tersely. She was wearing a black leather jacket and skirt, with fingerless gloves and heeled boots. She also had several thin knives, each with a brown-leather handle, sheathed in a belt around her waist. "As for me, I'm Clarisse Tell, newly-minted Ultimate Markswoman."
"Well, nice to meet you, and everyone else too." Declared one girl, seemingly unperturbed by the unfriendly attitude coming from the Markswoman. This girl had blue eyes and long brown hair that flowed down her back. She was wearing a midriff exposing tank-top under an opened short-sleeved khaki shirt that was tied at the bottom, brown hiking shorts, and light-brown hiking boots with knee-length white socks. She was also wearing a pith helmet for some reason. The boy she was standing next to had a similar complexion (though a more muscular form), and was garbed in an opened khaki jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, a red bandana over his short-cut hair, and khaki pants and hiking boots. The girl continued, introducing herself and the boy in turn. "I'm Elle Grant, and this is my boyfriend, John Michelson." The boy gave a slight wave, remaining silent. "You'll have to excuse him, he doesn't talk very much. I'm the Ultimate Paleontologist, he's the Ultimate Paleobotanist. Means we study dinosaurs and the plants they coexisted with." She turned her gaze to another individual that had stayed silent up to that point. "And what's your talent, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Masky?"
"So, my time has come at last? Excellent." The man was dressed in a black-and-red tuxedo, muscles visible underneath. He had smooth-backed dark hair, slightly tanned skin - like he enjoyed the beach - and a piercing gray eye. The other eye, however, was obscured by a pale-white featureless mask that covered the entire left side of his face. "I am Adrien deGyle, and I am, the Ultimate Opera Phantom." He struck a pose, hand waved over his face. "And now, if you please, let us direct our attention to the lovely lady to my left. What, pray tell, might her story be?"
The lady in question was the sphinx-woman. She had cleopatra-styled hair, a tanned complexion, outrageously large breasts, and was wearing a white cocktail dress with a long leg slit and sandals strapped up to the knees. Her feet were clawed and padded like a lion's, her hands had claws on the end, and her red eyes had slitted pupils. The most obvious trait, however, was the large eagle wings sprouting from her back. "Oh, so it's come to me now, then? Very well." She gave a fanged-filled smile. "I am Teresa Enchino, the Ultimate Sphinx. Answer my riddle, if you so dare." She looked to the side, in the direction of the nervous girl who'd spoken earlier. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, this leaves just one girl left un-introduced, correct? Care to say hello?"
"I-I suppose it's my turn then?" The Irish-accented girl spoke. She had a supernaturally-pale complexion, cool-grey eyes, and dark wavy hair (with a … dark green tinge?) that reached to the ends of her shoulder blades. She wore a white ruffled knee-length dress with long sleeves, white leggings, and slightly-muddy black work boots. There was also an emerald brooch hanging from her neck by a white band that seemed to be made of silk. "Uh, my name's Kelley Devlyn. And the book says that I'm, uh, the … the Ultimate Banshee. I-I swear this wasn't somethin' I'd planned on, and hope ya don't tink less o' me for uh, th-this."
"Hey, I'm sure no one thinks that." the last unnamed boy in the group said. "No need to get yourself worked up."
"Y-ya say that, yet I dinna think ya've been turned inta a childhood harbinger o' death." Kelley responded while wrapping her arms around herself, clearly still unnerved (Brooke couldn't blame her, honestly).
"W-well no, but it's not much better." The boy in question was dressed in a rather ordinary get-up: gray hoodie, jeans, and white sneakers. He had short blonde hair and light-brown eyes, and a generally unimportant look about him. "My name's Harris Tavorian, and according to this journal of mine, I've become the Ultimate Bad Luck, apparently. Because my life didn't suck enough already, I guess." He wandered to a corner mumbling, "Seriously, why not just make me into an 'Ultimate Loser' or something, that's basically what's happened already. Yeesh."
Brooke, remembering she hadn't checked yet, looked into her own journal. Under talent was listed Ultimate … Gillanoid? The heck was that, that sounded stupid. Shaking her head, she put the journal away.
"Well, if everyone's done getting acquainted, maybe we can get this show on the road, Hmm?"
Turning to the sudden voice, everyone saw a young man standing on the landing above them near the staircase. The young man was tall, with an unhealthy pallor and spiky ear-length hair of various shades of black and purple. He was thin, with purple colored eyes and odd crescent scars towards the back of his cheeks. He was wearing a dark purple royal military coat with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, black jeans, light purple gloves, and boots of a similar style to the rest of his ensemble. He also carried a silver cane with a white diamond for a handle. And the look he was giving everyone made one thing clear; the people before him were in for something horrible.
"Helloooo, test subjects! And welcome to the last days of your unimportant, freakish lives! I'm Kinsei, Ultimate Alchemist, and I'll be helping you along your way to your final destinies, or something. Welcome … and let the games begin."
[16 participants remain]
A/N: Added the Alchemist to the character page.