That didn't take very long, I guess. Kinda didn't post the art to the Tumblr but in my defense, there's nearly 40 characters I still need to post that originate from season A so Imma just ignore that for now...
And now we're back to our usual schedule of every Saturday. :)
Sparksville was calm, all things considered. Reconstruction basically began immediately with the help of twin Segmentasapiens who were in the Dragoon. The male of the duo, shaped like a gorilla and colored with dark reds and yellows, helped with the main structure of the builds. The female of the twins, shaped like a monkey and colored with pastels, helped with finer details and decorations. Of course, many others helped with rebuilding.
Currently, the city was somewhat close to being finished with rebuilding, so by popular majority they took a break before pushing for the final stretch.
In the underground city, some of those who helped were gathered in the same building, talking. The Wyrmlings were off to the side with some of the smaller members and EightEight, away from the main crowd.
"Hey, Vice?" Kevin started, getting the Ickthy's attention.
"Hm?" Vice prompted, looking over to him.
"You're from another planet, right? What's it like?" Kevin asked. Vice hummed slightly.
"Gilli-Promenade is very similar to Earth, if more tropical in nature," Vice started. "My home planet is considered a vacation-beach planet by the Milkyway Galaxy Planet Labeling System, the same as a planet like Arburia. It's pretty peaceful, though it doesn't mean there aren't criminals. Although, last I checked, most of the criminals on Gilli-Promenade weren't Ickthyperambuloids at all."
"Really?" Gwen chirped, tilting her head.
"Correct," Vice nodded. "Typically, they're punished under the Milkyway Laws Agreement, but sometimes we do it under the laws of their home planet or the Gillis System Laws. It just depends on which set would be better depending on their situation. I believe the most common law a criminal violates, in terms of the MLA, is either the General Non-Species Specific Violence Act or the Illegal Drugs and Tech List."
"Tech? Why is some technology illegal?" Gwen asked.
"It mostly depends on a planet's tech level," Vice started. "Earth was tech level 2, edging tech level 3 last I heard. ID Masks are level 5 tech, but Earth isn't technically part of the Milkyway Agreement due to not being level 4. Level 4 is roughly the level where a species begins to control their system, so it's typically when other species start to approach them."
"What type of planet would Earth be called?" Gwen asked.
Vice was quiet for a moment before saying, "I would say Earth, if it joined sometime soon the way that is it, would be considered a violent-coral planet."
"Violent-coral?" Kevin blinked.
"Ah, each planet gets two labels, one based on actions and the other based on scenery. For an example that isn't Gilli-Promenade, Lepidopterra's planet label is tension-forest. Tension is very literal, it's always on the edge of civil war, forest due to the fact a majority of the planet is swamplands, but there's a blue forest at its northern pole," Vice explained.
"I suppose humans have a history of violence," Gwen hummed. "I don't under the coral part, though."
"Maybe it's a poorly translated alien word," Ben stated.
"You would be correct," Vice nodded. "For most planets, coral is a catch-all term for a planet with many different biomes. I believe another coral planet is Hathor."
"Hathor… I'm guessing it's like Earth?" Gwen asked.
"Essentially, save for the prominent species," Vice answered. "Splixsons are excellent natural diggers and can breathe underwater, along with having a predator in the Panuncian."
"That's interesting," Ben said.
"What about Osmos V?" Kevin asked.
Vice hummed. "Osmos V is a vacation-coral planet. The main inhabitants are Osmosians. In your view, they would look like Humans but with horns. They have electrokinesis, are able to absorb DNA and materials, and they have no need to breathe. Similar to Humans, they have no natural predator. I don't know much of their laws, but from what I read, I've noticed that instead of punishments, criminals are sent to a psychiatrist instead."
"Huh," Kevin deadpanned, leaning back a bit.
"If I may, why did you ask?" Vice questioned.
"I don't know exactly what I am and I liked those Electrople things from the festival before that Vilgax freak ruined it," Kevin replied.
"I couldn't answer for you," Vice shrugged. "Humans are extremely compatible with many different species, including but not limited to Appoplexians, Musericius, Piscciss Volann, Tetramands, and Anodites."
"One of those is not like the others," EightEight suddenly commented.
"Huh? What do you mean, Sister EightEight?" Ben asked, looking towards the Sotoraggian.
"Anodites are energy beings. They're essentially pure energy on the outside. I don't know how the pups they have DNA, but that's energy-based beings for you," EightEight elaborated. Ben hummed and nodded.
"I haven't checked in on any news relating to the Plumbers lately," Kacje randomly started. "Did any of you do so?"
"I did," a lizard with an icy feel said. "They're in hot water right now. Apparently, someone called Magister Servantis did some experiment on a Pyronite boy named Alan and made the kid part Human. I don't know what's going with Alan, he's like… three, maybe four sunbursts old? But I do know that Servantis was arrested and being charged with illegal experimentation according to the Pyros Lifeform Experimentation Codes."
"Accepting that the Plumber~rs can be cor~rupt, I assume one of the only good things they'r~re doing is helping that Alan kid out?" a fairy alien purred, thrilling the r's.
"They're tight lipped about Alan from what I read," the ice lizard answered, shrugging.
"You know, talking about Plumbers and what just happened with Vilgax reminded me of a story my father told me," a solar feeling lizard commented.
"Really? What is it?" a small mass of green goo held up by a spinning, floating disk asked.
The solar lizard smirked. "My father, Hemant, was on a mission, a retrieval one I think, on Earth with his patrol group. I believe the other four were Ghatanothax the Chimera, Lily-Rose the Ectonurite, Sepher the Lutei, and Maxwell Tennyson the Human."
Ben and Gwen silently looked at each other.
"Anyways, the mission was to stop this weird group called the Forever Knights from taking a sword forged with magic from a temple in a country called Mexico. Hemant called it Cizin's Treasure. I don't know its actual name, my dad always called it that.
"When they got to Earth, they used a mask to guide them to the temple. Hemant never said what the mask was called. Anyways, the entrance of the temple was sealed with some sort of magic spell, which Ghatanothax was able to unseal. They got in and according to my father, those Forever Knights were already there. Sepher, Lily-Rose, and Hemant dealt with the nearby knights while Maxwell showed Ghantanothax a spell to search for the sword. He never really said why a spell needed to be used, I think the mask might've broken. I dunno.
"When Hemant's team got to the room with the sword, those Forever Knights guys were already there fighting this creature called Cizin. According to my dad, Maxwell said that Cizin was the Mayan God of Death. I think Hemant mentioned that Lily-Rose said that having a god of death was dumb, but Sepher said something about 'Riften' species. Don't ask me what Riften species are, but wherever Sepher came from they exist.
"Anyways, Ghantanothax tried using a spell to destroy the sword from a distance, but it failed and the team had to fight those Forever Knights and Cizin. Hemant said he didn't remember much of the fight, just when Maxwell grabbed the sword, it broke and shattered."
"That's anticlimactic," a creature similar to Kacje but with pigtails chirped.
"Really was," the solar lizard nodded. "Dunno why he told me that. I think he just wanted to talk about a random mission he had before the X'Zard System was thrown into hell when the Ghostlen Wyverns started destroying X'Sinai or Maxwell moved on."
"Have the Plumbers been a part of any other controversy?" Ben suddenly asked.
"Oh yeah, they totally have," the ice lizard answered. "I'm pretty sure that was the fifth time Magister Servantis got in trouble and they somehow didn't remove him before for some reason."
"Corrupt systems everybody," Vice growled, making a motion with his fins.
"Can you pr~rovide context of this Ser~rvantis char~racter~r?" the fairy thrilled in question.
"Sure. Servantis is half Cerebrocrustacean half… Zaroffian I wanna say? Maybe Kraaho or Uxorite? Anyways, Servantis was at the center of five controversies within the Plumbers," the ice lizard started. "The first had to do with an Anodite, I think he was trying to use the Anodite as a power source but got outed. The second one had to do with the Fulmas System, something about the High Override, but I couldn't tell you. Third, he tried supporting a revival of the Vladats."
"No," a purple zombie-like creature deadpanned. "You do not enter the Anur System and expect any of us to be fine with reviving the Vladats. You just don't."
"I've only heard of them, but agreed," a small mummy alien chirped.
"The fourth one was some kind of under the table shenanigans with the Pantophages. I couldn't tell you anything about that one," the ice lizard continued.
"Let's hope the fifth times the charm, then, cause he sounds like a terrible magister," Kacje said.
"If I remember anything about laws on Pyros is that they pull no punches on criminals who hurt their kind," Vice stated.
"You think this controversy will end Servantis's career?" the zombie-like asked.
"I would be surprised if it didn't," Vice replied. "The last time a creature was charged under the Pyros Lifeform Experimentation Codes, even for just messing with Crabdozer genetics to make their hides flexible, they got sent to a non-sapient lifeform reserve as food for the Crabdozers kept there."
The aliens around the small fish made various shocked and impressed noises.
"Does that actually pr~revent cr~rime on Pyr~ros?" the fairy asked, eyes narrowing.
"That's when we need to make a difference between if a Pyronite committed the crime, or a non-Pyronite," Vice started. "Pyronites are a bit more understanding if one of their kind does a crime, but they do still get punished, but not to the extreme. However, non-Pyronites get the message loud and clear about what happens if they do something against a Pyronite since Pyros law is one of the law systems highest on the Milkyway Galaxy Law Rankings."
"Which is why Vilgax never tries to touch Pyros or the Pyra System in general because Murray law isn't as high," a different small fish, this time with deep pink eyes, added. Vice nodded in reply.
"Plus, with the occasional exception of Vinco, all of the Pyra System follows the Pyros Law Codes," Vice added, flapping his fins somewhat.
"That's a deterrence if there ever was one," the zombie-like alien commented, causing most of the creatures around to make noises of agreement.
…
EightEight tapped a finger on the hanging glass before turning towards the Wyrmlings. As the glass shard-shaped ornaments rang against each other, Kevin read a book while Asani ate one of the Electrople bites. The Sotoraggian turned towards the two cousins, looking at one pad while every now and again and muttering something to each other.
She walked over to them, kneeling down before whispering, "Are you two alright?" She made sure to sign the same thing.
After a few seconds, Gwen silently shook her head while Ben motioned with his head towards her.
EightEight sighed before saying and signing, "May I know why?" When the cousins stalled, the Sotoraggian asked, "Does it have to do with the story the Solar Manzard told?" When she signed, she replaced Manzard with 'lizard'.
Gwen nodded while Ben whisper-muttered, "Tennyson…"
She couldn't sign for this, lovely. "Did either of you know this Maxwell Tennyson?"
Ben answered, muttering, "He's our grandfather."
The Sotoraggian was about to growl when Gwen added, "He never told us about that story. He didn't reveal what aliens were even when we got the watches."
"What is it with him and secrets anyways?" Ben randomly added. "He never explained why our fathers were so distant with him."
"Or why they're fine with him around us," Gwen shrugged.
EightEight grabbed a talon and threw it at one of the ornaments, shattering it. Ben and Gwen flinched back, while Asani and Kevin looked up in surprise. The ornaments left angrily clanked against each other, making unsettling noises as they did so. She breathed slightly before standing up and retrieving the talon.
"Are you ok, Sister EightEight?" Kevin asked, briefly looking towards Ben and Gwen. He quickly snapped his head towards them, meeting their soul piercing gazes. Asani made a buzzing chirp of confusion.
EightEight looked at the duo before gurgling, "And I assume this Maxwell won't risk your parents finding out?"
"I don't really know how well grandpa gets along with my parents," Ben shrugged.
"He's on thin ice with mine," Gwen added, picking up the context rather quickly.
EightEight growled. Kevin and Asani tilted their heads, watching the Sotoraggian. She turned and walked away, hissing under her breath, "Idiot."
-()-
The cage rattled as she was thrown inside, followed by the noise of a lock locking. Her mask hid the absolutely scared expression on her face, along with her tears. Her captors, some weird not-Osmosians in silver armor, said something in a language she didn't understand. Although, they were motioning towards her every now and again. She curled up in the back of the cage and whined.
Gosh, she was acting like a Sotoricity pup. She didn't want to be compared to one. She shook her head.
She carefully reached and pulled out a relatively small talon as her captors began to walk away. She silently crawled up to the cage gate. The weirdly dressed not-Osmosians had left, leaving her. She lifted the talon to the lock and began to pick at it. She growled slightly, why didn't she listen to her brother when he talked of lock picking?
The lock unlocked. She blinked, then decided that the not-Osmosians' technology wasn't very good. She hid the talon away again before slowly pushing the cage open. She held her breath as the cage made a small squeak. After a few seconds of nothingness, she quickly got out of the cage.
She stood up and looked around. The walls seemed to be made of some kind of stone and appeared rather small. She looked up. Near the top was what seemed like a window blocked with some sort of inner-Andesite stone looking material.
She came up to the wall, looking at the somewhat soft material between the stones. She dug her claws into the soft bits, managing to get a grip. She started up, making sure not to make too much noise with her feet.
She came up to the window and looked at the material. It shined like metal off of the Reflectstone light and seemed to be dug into the stone material. She climbed up and perched on the window, staring outside. Just out of the window was a drop to some sort of courtyard, but it was empty save for a lone tree in the center. The yard was surrounded by walls, but there were odd bars sticking out of the stone with some sort of wavy thing drooping off each of them.
She grabbed a bar and yanked it. It didn't move in the slightest. She took out the talon again and struck the bar. It made some sort of 'tink' noise, causing her to freeze up. She quickly put the talon away and listened. Again, nothingness. She observed the bars again before facepalming. Why didn't she notice how far apart the bars were? She slipped out and turned around, once again digging her claws into the soft bits between the stones and climbing up.
She perched on the taller stone bit before looking around. Her hidden eyes widened and she scrambled away as a not-Osmosian yelled something. She barely had time to react as the silver covered not-Osmosians seemed to come out of nowhere. She ripped out a weapon from a pair of hands and yelled, "For perished!"
The silver things began to yell something as she swung the weapon wildly. She tried to get a look at the weapon, but all she could tell was that it was a similar color to the silver things but with a red bit at the end. Pups, what was it called? A spear? Lance? Either one.
As the spear-lance thing struck another silver dressed not-Osmosians, it let out a burst of unexpected energy. The not-Osmosians reacted poorly, backing up slightly as one of them was flung off the roof. Oh, an energy spear, she recognized these! She dashed at one of them, kicking them and using them as a springboard.
The not-Osmosians yelled and shouted as she landed on the other edge of the wall. She shook the spear before swinging it at the knights. A burst of energy shot out, causing more of them to scatter.
She looked behind her. The ground below wasn't enclosed, save for a wall at the other end. She turned and jumped down, hearing the not-Osmosians yell something.
Suddenly, something mechanical pinned her down. She thrashed, sending the thing reeling. She dashed towards the wall, gripping on the spear as the mechanical thing screamed like a fully grown Sotoricity. She ran towards the wall, shaking the spear. Its tip glowed brighter and brighter.
Once she was somewhat close to the wall, she jumped and flicked the spear down. The burst of energy erupted from the spear and she got a look at the mechanical thing.
Before she could fully look at it, something slammed into her and pinned her to the ground. She thrashed again, but the new mechanical thing held her down. She tried shaking the spear before realizing that it had fallen out of her hands. The new mechanical thing picked her up as she thrashed. One of the not-Osmosians said something before the new mechanical thing walked off, gripping her. She growled.
Ushi: (K, thanks.) Glad you enjoyed. Yes, Cultfire's species hunts Chimera Sui Generis.
thor94: MMMMMMMMMMM I can't talk about that. Closest thing I'll say is that I'm not planning for anything magic related in terms of main characters to not show up until towards the end of the OV flashbacks.