ximilia | Entries tagged with grishaverse: the darkling

[ andy appears, barely ten minutes after joric smuggles her not!corpse out of the arena, and she hurries to share what happened without thinking much of it - thus she's looking a little bloodstained but unharmed otherwise. it's spattered obscenely across her neck, with some flecks into her face, remnant of what could be a throat slitting. ]

Don't ask. I found the fucking orb from Amaryllis Grove.

[ she'll grab a towel of sorts and start wiping down. ]

It took over Jial Bryn, of the Daughters of Twilight. I challenged her to a duel for leadership to see why her family kept winning and what might happen, and it turns out she's possessed now or some shit. Recently infected. It's interested in fucking up this world even more.

The good news is the orb thinks I'm dead and can't share its existence with everyone, so we'll have the element of surprise, whatever happens next. It doesn't know we know about it.

[ did the orb murder her? maybe a little bit. ]

Maybe stay away from the shadow of Jial Bryn until we have a plan. They don't fight fair. Do we know anything about her second in command? Her reaction to the challenge was the only differing one.

hallowing

so we gonna poke the big ol' eyeball w/a stick or what???

also: hal9000 would NEVER smh

so how does this voting shit usually go??

fisticuffs at dawn for the non-compliant or...

blindrun

The Mayor and I had a heart to heart in her office. Reporting on details:

-The Companions, the fake people, aren't controlled by her, but by the Sun. It's not just an advanced monitoring system - it's alive, and it's keeping everyone here hostage. Making everyone pretend to be the town we see. It's also behind replacing people with the Companions.

(Side Speculation: Could this be connected to the list of people? She might have been noting people that are drawing attention and getting on the Sun's bad side?)

-All of the Companions shutdown during my talk with her and they don't seem to be getting up again. She said it's because we've made the Sun mad. There's no way to communicate with the Sun. Either they make it happy or angry and they've been trying to stick with the former to stay alive.

(Side Note: The Sun could hear us the entire time and she spoke quieter and quieter through our talk. We need to be careful what we say aloud moving forward. It's listening to all of us.)

-She has no idea about the orb or where it might be. Really hoping it isn't the sun itself but it could be something connected to it.

-She wants the town to be free but she's afraid. All the people here are. But I don't think they want to keep taking it anymore and that's why they're acting out. We might be able to get them to cooperate with us if we break the pretenses about just being a bunch of new move ins.

Whatever is going down, we need to bring an end to it fast. We can't leave these people to suffer. This is just a mission for us, but it's their lives on the line.

[ ooc: this is a post relegating info from the npc thread -- feel free to use this as an open post to discuss and share other information! ]

cruelyethuman

[Sounding very much like himself, Aleksander addressesthe network after his most recent-- party]

I have had a very...disturbing conversation with one of the wives here. She mentioned that being sick or otherwise unable to complete the assigned tasks would, or could result in something unpleasant.

My first thought was the risk of dying and having one of those things turn up in your place. We were rudely interrupted and I didn't get a chance to ask any further.

The list Sabriel found. If any of you have been sick or absent, try not to be.

bindsthedead

Whatever's wrong with this place, it runs deep. I've been tracking the paperwork at the funeral home- they don't let me near any bodies, but if you'd believe the official paperwork, this town is facing a suicide epidemic- people of all ages are supposedly killing themselves.

[And to accompany Sabriel's mental narration, she's added video- of her after-hours exploration of the funeral home.]

I tried to speak to the Dead- they've often a better source of information than the living, but- there are none here. Either the nature of this world is such that they pass on to somewhere beyond the reach of any necromancer after they die- or something else is at work.

[There's footage of Sabriel exploring the funeral home, narrating as she does so.]

There are bodies in the refrigerators- but none of them seem any younger than eighty, and all are dead of natural causes. And... I don't think I've seen anyone this old in town?

And the embalming rooms don't smell right- I don't think they've been used for some time. And this door...

[There are flashes of Charter marks against metal as Sabriel finds a heavy door in the embalming room... and forces it open]

Are there any spells here that aren't petty hearth-magic? They didn't even try to do a locking spell. But this place is some sort of storage room...

[And Sabriel investigates, opening the large coolers to reveal metal body parts, all neatly labeled but generic, uncustomized.

And then she finds a clipboard on one of the empty worktables. One with a single sheet of paper, with many names crossed out, including the unfortunate Mr. Myrsdin... and a handful of names that aren't crossed out- Yzak Jule, Daisy Johnson, Newton Farr-Geiszler.]

By the Charter...

windstrewn

Is this working? I think it is! Um, hi everyone! [The voice that comes through is that of a younger man and one that’s new to the Ximilia entirely.] My name is Shi Qingxuan, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintances.

I was wondering...I’m not sure if anyone can help me, but is there anyone on board who’d be willing to lend me some spiritual power? I’d be really grateful for it.

Are there any cultivators here? I should have asked that first.

Thank you for any help, sorry for the trouble!

[ooc: I'm still working out whether or not Shi Qingxuan actually can borrow power from just anyone with magic like abilities, but since they don't know that, they'll assume it'll work!]

fortitudosalutis

Want someone to run CQC drills with.
Keep it simple. I have experience. Sound off if you can keep up.

[ OOC: Happy to handwave the actual drills! Carver will run a series of them ranging from difficult to doable to "absolutely bonkers, no one sane would willingly do this for fun." There is a fair chance of cult shenanigans becoming apparent during or after. ]

unjedi

So I was thinking for all of us that are new here, maybe we could all share our skills and expertise. Just so we know who to go to and who to ask for help. I imagine asking for help and knowing where to turn is essential on these missions. Or so I've read.

I'll start off. My name is Ahsoka. I . . . was a commander in an army. I've done strategy, tactics, guerilla warfare. I'm also trained in martial arts and swordsmanship.

Also, I'm a decent mechanic. For people who seem to be at odds with the technology here, I can give you a run through. I'm from space, if that helps.

And this is what I really look like. No staring or touching, please.

farr

Hello, one and all! Never fret, for I, your favorite actress of the century, have returned!

[ on the screen is a woman with hair styled like an old hollywood starlet and a million dollar smile, arms spread out like she might have jumped out of a cake. and honestly, if she'd had the cake, she might have done her grand entrance just like that.

if some were to squint, some might see that her perfectly styled hair seems to be sporting a few more ... gray hairs. something that hadn't been there in her previous time here. ]

Don't worry. I'm not upset there's no red carpet, but — [ a light laugh, very humbling. ] Well, you can all do better next time.

[ a joke. obviously. not really. ]

For those who haven't had the privilege of meeting me, I'm Rita Farr. Though depending on what universes and what do that you all come from, you might have seen me in such classic films as The Crimson Lady, Three Guns to El Paso, and Cupid Knocks Thrice. All of those and more available to rent here at this very station for all interested.

Last time I was here, I had the privilege of serving as the Ximilia's Team Morale Coordinator, a position that I would be more than honored to take up again if it has a vacancy. [ it better. ] Though the trials on these missions are often difficult, it's always important to support one another and keep our spirits up! Let's cheer ourselves on, shall we?

In my time away, I've worked very hard as the leader of a very successful superhero team, and it's given me the chance to secure much more valuable experience that should prove very useful to our efforts. If anyone would like any advice on teamwork, confronting enemies, coordinating binders for mission notes, or simple have an interest in the field of Theatre, you can reach me at any time.

[ exhaling a breath, she clasps her hands together, maintaining her well-practiced smile. ]

I look forward to seeing all the old faces! I've missed all of you tremendously. [ well— ] Most of you. And for those I've yet to meet, I'm sure we'll be quite compatible teammates for the missions ahead.

groupiedrifter

[AHHH — CHOO!

You know, like a sneeze. That's what comes through the feed involuntarily. A sneeze. Followed by a stuffy response:]

Noticed there've been some new faces since the last time, and I'm bored, so let's get this show on the road! My name is Dr. Newton Geiszler, but you can call be Newt; I'm not too big a deal, just one of the best scientists you'll ever meet. And I'm super funny, and super brave. All of the staples of a quality protagonist, y'know? [Is he joking? Is he not? He'll never tell. But anyway.] Welcome aboard the Ximilia! We've got a little time before we all get shot off to the next mission, so if you got questions, you'd better leave 'em here! Might as well, because I'm in quarantine until further notice.

Unless I get the munchies; then I'm sneaking outta here when Yujin and Chishiya aren't looking...

[Sorry, was that supposed to not be sent?]

I've got a handy dandy mandatory questionnaire for you to fill out! We've never done these before, so it'll be nice to see how it contributes to the comradery and engagement of our super awesome team of regret-fueled heroes! Or, uh, anti-heroes. Or villains. I'm not gonna psychologically evaluate alla' you, because none of my 6 PhD's fall under that umbrella. What I can say with complete certainty is a disproportionate amount of adults on this station are atypically hot, which is a crime against me.

[ACHOO-]

Name:
Date of Birth:
Current Mood:
Movie of choice:
Signature dance move:
Most questionable food you enjoy:

( click for more ridiculous questionnaire shit )

bindsthedead

This is a notice for everyone on the Silent Plunder.

[Sabriel sounds distracted, like her attention is on something else. And there's a sound in the background, like chorus of whistles, all blending into one harmonious sound.]

You're about to run into a bit of bad weather, so I suggest getting bellow deck or putting on an oilskin.

[The storm shouldn't be enough to sink the ship, but if the plan is for the Blue Dawn to arrive well ahead of the competition... that's going to take a bit more than favorable winds.]

singlelogbridge

I was able to make contact with Warrior Leixi Kalain. She led the battle to protect Queen Lloria during the uprising. The High Queens of Hhial had once been warrior queens with dragon companions for protectors, but by the time of the uprising, their numbers had greatly diminished.

Their advisors turned against them. There was something called "The Fever," presumably a grave illness but I can’t say for sure, and there was a divide between the people who had powers and those who didn’t. The advisors used these things to gather support against them.

Warrior Leixi urged High Queen Lloria to flee, and the queen's daughter Zehin escaped on High Queen Lloria’s dragon. Warrior Leixi believes they fled west to the island where their dragons built their nests. She didn’t know where it was though, she and her dragon partner fell protecting them. [He pauses for a moment to honor Warrior Leixi’s sacrifice before continuing with the rest of what he’d learned.]

High Queen Lloria took with her something called Zefira’s Gem, an object of great power that had been passed from one high queen to the next since High Queen Zefira first unified the continent.

If that sounds like the Orb to you, then we’re on the same page. I can’t say if it’s still on that island, but from what I can see, finding that island is our best bet, and we should be prepared for the possibility of encountering dragons when we do.

[Another pause and then—] The dragons that fought beside the Kalain queens were loyal and noble. They weren’t mindless creatures. If you do meet one, please don’t attack them. Speak to them as you would speak to each other. They've done noting to deserve anything less.

ananym

[ the feed starts with a very tall man with long blond hair, dressed in archaic clothing and a long black cloak. a large scar is visible on his chest. ]

Greetings.

My name is Alucard. I am a new arrival. No, I did not fill up the "form" as I found the criteria to be quite baffling and useless.

I do need to state that I am a half-vampire. Yes, I have fangs. No, I will not bite you. I do not require blood and you can go about your day in peace.

And no, I will not bite you if you have a kink for vampires. Find a sharp fork instead.

landing_lights

Hi again. Got a question for you all about personal tasks if anyone’s got a minute.

So, some of the tasks seem to involve telling someone very personal about yourself. Something that might be uncomfortable for someone else to hear. I wanted to know, is there, uh… some kind of etiquette for this? Do you just walk up to someone, say, “I’m doing this for a personal task,” and then unload whatever it is you need to tell them? Or do you find someone who has a similar task and then trade secrets with them? Or is there a counselor you can tell?

I feel like there’s got to be a better way than just springing it on people…

shishkabob

[For once, Dante's red coat is off, currently carelessly draped over a bench in the training room. Dante's covered in sweat and has a water bottle in hand, the other one waving to the camera as he sits down on the bench.]

Hi. Not new, just got curious: someone here was asking if there were any non-humans on the ship, and that got me thinking.

[He takes a sip of water, wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand.]

In my world, demons are incredibly common. I'm half-demon myself, on my old man's side, [which is the most he'll talk about his father on the network,] but demons aren't as common on every world. Guess I'm wondering how many of us here even know any non-human types on their worlds, or if there are any. I'm not talking about animals here, I'm saying things like—aliens, ghosts, demons, robots, anything that can talk and think but isn't exactly human.

Have you ever run into anything like those? Are they even real for you?

cruelyethuman

[On the screen, Aleksander sits with his back against a tall tree. The trunk wide enough to disappear out of frame around him and he is cast in the soft shadows of the setting sun.]

The subject of personal goals was recently breached on the network.

[His voice is warm as he speaks, eyes focused on something just beyond the camera before snapping back.]

I could use assistance with mine on this mission. I am hoping someone out there will be willing and able to help me. I cannot do this alone.

farr

[ rita farr never really knows when too much is too much. for all that the group had insisted against this self-proclaimed status of being heroes, it hasn't fully detered her away from the idea that they could still try to be — not for titles or glory, but — for the sheer fact that there are people that may depend on them.

and when viveca announces their latest mission, with only twenty minutes to spare, the announcement that the planet's residents may very well be meeting their doom in ten days has her swiftly pulling up a set of binders to take with her hastily on their transport.

it's the next day, after they've spent the night amongst the hivawei's celebration that rita makes her appearance on the network again, this time without the giddy whimsical air of before, but rather a determined, motivated one as she's shown opening the binders in front of her, neatly organized mission notes, most that she hand scribbled on her own from her network readings, that she begins flipping the pages through as she speaks. ]

Okay, everyone, we've used up a night already and we only have nine days left. Which means putting on your thinking caps immediately if we want to save this community.

[ because, yes, she's still maintaining that sense of hope despite viveca's insistence of being "too late". they have to at least try, don't they? ]

Now, I've through all the mission notes from before, trying to see if there's something that we can use. Bear with me, I'm just throwing out ideas—

On Giva, when Sedorum was being destroyed, I read about how portals were used to transport the people there to safety. I know the range needs to be much longer than that, probably, but instead of transporting to, say, another planet that's too far, we can build some sort of craft for them to board. We have all kinds of inventors here to make something, right?

[ maybe? she presses her lips tight together, flipping some more pages. ]

I've also learned that when science fails, we can consider ... magic. Maybe a way of bringing people's powers together to craft some kind of shield or—

[ that one's especially a long shot. but her stops at a page, finger pointed to a name as she looks up again. ]

That wizard man — Remi. He gave us a letter on Xrisora and he told us to burn it if we ever needed his help. As long as we had that necklace or earring with us. Maybe this is a time as any to call in the favor.

[ she seems tense, curling her fingers tight against her palm, trying to keep herself from shaking. ]

Look, whatever it is we do, we should talk about ideas. We have nine days. Some of us can seek out the orb. The rest of us .... the rest of us should try to save these people. At least try.

kenpachi

Hello! A little light-hearted fun, shall we?

Please nominate your favourite eligible bachelor/ette aboard the Ximilia, and vote for who you believe deserves the title of Ximilia's Most Eligible Bachelor/ette!

The deadline is MARCH 3RD at 9:00 AM local time! Get your votes in quickly, everyone!

The winner can be featured on a commemorative trading card for the month of March. :) If he or she agrees, in any case. If they refuse, the title will go to the runner-up!

Thank you!

（ added a bit later... ）

And if anyone wishes to opt out of participation, please say so!

NOMINEES SO FAR:

ANDY (who sounds like a very interesting individual!)
~~NEWT (who doesn't love a good tattoo?)~~ STRONGLY DISQUALIFIED FOR BEING A CANNIBAL!
RITA (an actress! this is where I'd put my vote if I wasn't staying perfectly impartial!)
A GHOST?! (how terrifying!)
FINN (something about hearts...?)
YELENA (who doesn't love dogs? They're so cute and loyal!)
SABRIEL (a classy magic user has entered the ring!)
TAKESHI (I think he grows peaches? By all the voting, it seems he's kindly enough to share!)
ZHAO (a dragon chef!)
YENNEFER (I am given to understand she is on fire... perhaps someone should check on her...?)
WEI WUXIAN (I hear his hair is amazing!)
SHAUN XU (I think we were promised shirtless pictures...)
ALEKSANDER (are we sure about this one?)
STEVE (It seems like Wei Wuxian has some competition for 'best hair on the station'!)
DR. MCCOY (A medical man, and has anyone heard that accent? Charming!)
YUJIN (x2! and he tapdances! Wow, there are so many doctors here!!)
A FINE CLOAK? (is this... legal? Do people wish to date drapery?)
RYUNOSUKE (A lawyer! Do we need those here? But not a picky eater at least!)
DIMITRI (He rescues cats from trees! What's not to love?)
MAL (I hear you can get lost in his eyes! Sounds dreamy!)

[ooc; not to be taken too seriously, Unohana runs several newspaper columns in her own world and gets up to Shenanigans with the Shinigami Women's Association. She's a tiny bit of a troll but hides it behind the Soft Matron Energy.

... also it's a good way to gather information c:]

farr

[ of course, rita sets up a visual because the starlet always wants to be seen (except when she doesn't). at the present time, she seems rather enthusiastic like she's fighting a proud grin, one that suggests she's ready to give herself a pat on the back at any moment. ]

Good evening, everyone! For those who don't know me, I am Rita Farr, your Team Morale Coordinator.

[ wait, who assigned her that position? ]

As you all well know, we have been joining mission after mission with the intention of collecting orbs to protect the world and save towns from devastation. In a way, you might say we're ... space-travelling superheroes!

And as any superhero would tell you, it's very important to have codenames for our mission. Obviously, we often obtain our very own undercover civilian names. But in the line of duty, when we're in the heat of the fight, we should just as well have assigned titles to continue preserving our identities.

As the Ximilia's Team Morale Coordinator — [ again, who voted her into that position? ] I took it upon myself to select carefully crafted codenames for each and every one of you.

[ she then holds up a sheet of paper, featuring a list of all of the orbers, each with another name printed beside them. ]

You will find this list posted in the Mess Hall. Please take a moment at your best convenience to study the list and memorize each of the names listed for future use. Though I worked very hard to select them — [ she clears her throat, brushing her hair back. ] I suppose that if you have any issue with the name chosen for you, we can discuss making possible changes. Though I don't see why anyone would want to.

XIMILIA'S SUPERHERO CODENAME CHECKLIST:

Clarke — VINCENT VAN GIRL
Finn — BEAR BOY
Kovacs — BLACK LUNG
Dante — PIZZA HUT
Rita — ELASTI-WOMAN
Chuuta — BEATS
Ziggy — STARDUST
Dimitri — BREAD MAN
Yuri — SIR SECRET
Kazuma — SWASHBUCKLER
Ryunosuke — SWORD~~MASTER~~SITTER
Yujin — STACHE DADDY
Alina — SUNSHINE
Aleksander — SHADOW
Mal — GUNSHOW
Yzak — SIA
Helen — BELLE
Marta — LOTUS
Joel — TIMESTOPPER
Daisy — SHAKE SENORA
Natasha — JANE FONDA
Shaun — BANGLE BABE
Yelena — NIGHT VISION

Gwen — DRUMSTICKS
Itachi — ~~PUZZLER~~ DOGSHIT MCGIVENS
Andy — ATHENA
Joe — ADONIS
Sabriel — MYSTIC MAGIC
Joric — MR BEAD
Newt — MONSTER MASH
Felix — ARMORMAN
Dr. McCoy — DR SPACE
Cassian — INCOGNITO
Jyn — CAUTIONETTE
Steve — BOMBER KID
Dean — KANSAS
Lúthien — SIREN
Minimus — ROBOFOX
Rodimus — ROBOROD
Nie Huaising — FAN MAN
Wei Wuxian — MR FLUTE
Rand — ROBIN HOOD
Yennefer — VIOLET
Zhao — CHEF BANDIT
Viveca — VIXEN
Degar — WONDERWALL

( please note that none of the above is to be taken seriously and is in good fun! though rita very much likes to believe she has team leader qualifications and is entirely in her right to make assignments. but she's very bad at selecting names so if some of it seems nonsensical, it's on brand. she went by what she knows or assumes or whatever she likes. )

adept

[ The video feed begins with Yuri, the familiar backdrop of the kitchen behind him. He seems to be talking to someone offscreen, but his voice is too muffled to discern, then he frowns in thought as his attention turns back to the broadcast — and the first clearly audible sound is a resonant thump, jarring and loud after near silence.

This time, the view swings around to reveal a tall, well-muscled blond man having what seems to be an epic battle against some tough bread dough. ]

To think there're recipes that require that strength of yours... It'd be all day, if it was me.

[ If even then. Anyone who knows something about Dimitri's strength would know that's an understatement...if a few fist-sized dents in the metal countertop from his kneading efforts aren't evidence enough. ]

Indeed, it's more challenging than I'd have expected.

[ Yet Dimitri seems to be enjoying himself, the faintest of smiles on his lips as he works. ]

It's got the both of us wondering... You all have any favorites from back home? Universe being as fast as it is, it stands to reason there's a great many dishes one or another of us haven't heard of.

[ Dimitri pauses in his work, shooting a look Yuri's way. ]

Don't forget to mention there will be extra bread.

Right, right... Give us a bit, we'll have some fresh bread here. Recipe's from some realm I'd butcher the name of.

[ ooc: Replies will come from Yuri or Dimitri, your resident medieval men. ]

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Page generated Jul. 6th, 2025 07:50 pm

// net.work

Entries tagged with grishaverse: the darkling

video | un: andy (cw blood)

text ↪ torontonian

text | un: k. jarrus

Audio. UN: Aleksander

Video; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

Audio | UN: Ol' Feng

Text; un: f.s.

( video | un: tano )

video; un: rita.farr

Voice / Text | UN: Newt | it's that time again.......

audio; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

Audio | UN: Wei Wuxian

( video | un: alucard )

voice; un: ade37

video; un: redgrave

Video. Un: Aleksander

video; un: rita.farr — aka rescue mission proposal

[anon text] [ROSE WOES]

video; un: rita.farr — aka SUPERHERO CODENAME ASSIGNMENTS

video | un: ashen

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