portalwalker

[portalwalker]

Ask My Muse About Death

Send my muse one or a few of these questions (all of them related to death, life after death, etc. so please read with that warning in mind)

Have you ever come close to dying?

What do you think is the worst possible way to die?

Do you think there’s life after death?

If you were reborn as someone/something new, who or what would you want to be?

If you do believe in the afterlife, what kind of afterlife do you think awaits you?

Have you ever taken someone’s life?

Are you afraid of dying?

Do you ever wish you were immortal?

If you are immortal, do you ever wish you were mortal instead?

Name one (or a few) people in your life whose death would ruin you.

Who do you think would miss you most if you were gone?

Name one person you’d protect even if it meant sacrificing yourself.

If you had to choose a way to die, what would you choose?

Have you ever seen someone die (but you didn’t cause it)?

Has someone ever tried to severely hurt you?

Could you kill someone if it meant protecting yourself or someone else?

If you could meet someone who has died, who would it be?

Do you believe the dead ever come back to walk the earth?

Have you ever seen a ghost/spirit?

If you’ve ever had a near-death experience, describe what happened and what you saw/experienced.

BONUS: FOR UNDEAD/SPOOKY MUSES

How did you die?

What’s the last thing you remember before death?

Is the afterlife/undeath exactly as you pictured it to be?

What do you consider yourself (ghost, zombie, spirit, etc.)?

Do you wish you were alive and mortal again?

Was death frightening to you?

What have you learned since your death?

When you meet living people, are they afraid of you?

If you could be brought back to life, would you accept?

Did you return for a reason?

#reblogging this because why not #ask meme #ear to the ground (memes)

[portalwalker]

Ask My Muse About Death

Send my muse one or a few of these questions (all of them related to death, life after death, etc. so please read with that warning in mind)

Have you ever come close to dying?

What do you think is the worst possible way to die?

Do you think there’s life after death?

If you were reborn as someone/something new, who or what would you want to be?

If you do believe in the afterlife, what kind of afterlife do you think awaits you?

Have you ever taken someone’s life?

Are you afraid of dying?

Do you ever wish you were immortal?

If you are immortal, do you ever wish you were mortal instead?

Name one (or a few) people in your life whose death would ruin you.

Who do you think would miss you most if you were gone?

Name one person you’d protect even if it meant sacrificing yourself.

If you had to choose a way to die, what would you choose?

Have you ever seen someone die (but you didn’t cause it)?

Has someone ever tried to severely hurt you?

Could you kill someone if it meant protecting yourself or someone else?

If you could meet someone who has died, who would it be?

Do you believe the dead ever come back to walk the earth?

Have you ever seen a ghost/spirit?

If you’ve ever had a near-death experience, describe what happened and what you saw/experienced.

BONUS: FOR UNDEAD/SPOOKY MUSES

How did you die?

What’s the last thing you remember before death?

Is the afterlife/undeath exactly as you pictured it to be?

What do you consider yourself (ghost, zombie, spirit, etc.)?

Do you wish you were alive and mortal again?

Was death frightening to you?

What have you learned since your death?

When you meet living people, are they afraid of you?

If you could be brought back to life, would you accept?

Did you return for a reason?

#oh this could be interesting actually #ask meme

[portalwalker]

"Ever get the feeling that you just...want to go back to somewhere you remember fondly? To find all the things you remember and see if they stayed the same, and take in all the things that changed?

"It hits every once in a while. I tend to go on dimension tours to check in on the worlds I remember when I'm hit with a bout of nostalgia that's strong enough.

"I can't ever go back to my dimension of origin, though. So much has changed that there's really nothing familiar left."

#undocumented destinations #open rp #(if anyone wants to)

[portalwalker]

((don't mind the last few posts; I've been on a bit of a writing spree and I wanted to make a few posts about Maria's abilities because while I've covered her attacking moveset in-depth I...haven't really talked about her passive, inter dimensional traveler abilities very much. Hence the last three posts.))

#cross' musings #ooc

[portalwalker]

World Jumper -- Occupation

I've mentioned a couple of the skills that come with Maria being what she is, so I should probably mention what being a World Jumper means in terms of my OC.

Again, below the cut, cause it's gonna get long.

Basic Overview

A World Jumper (or Dimension Crosser, or Planet Hopper, or whatever synonyms you can think of) is someone who is tasked with traveling the multiverse, helping to solve problems that have gotten too big for the local heroes to handle. Usually this is "the dimension is going to collapse if nothing is done" sort of trouble, but it can be something smaller. For example, a villain may be gaining more power than they should, and their plans will disrupt the dimension in a way that they shouldn't.

Take note: this does NOT mean that if a World Jumper shows up in your dimension that there are problems that need resolving -- just because they're "on call" 24/7 does not mean that every dimension they spend time in has issues they are required to resolve.

(Basically -- Maria's World Jumper status is only going to rear its head IF I get involved in events and IF I am given permission by the event organizer in question. As far as RP is concerned the rest of the time, she's just an inter-dimensional traveler with a bad habit of stumbling into trouble.)

First vs Second Generation

The only differences between First and Second Generation World Jumpers are whether or not they get visions and the duration of service, so to speak. First Generation travelers only serve so long as they are physically capable. When they grow old enough that their lives in their home dimension start to become more demanding (ie, jobs, children, etc), they are no longer capable of traveling across dimensions.

Some Second Generation World Jumpers "age out" as well, but not all. After all, the more one travels, the more one is changed, and those changes can and have caused Second Generation World Jumpers to have much longer durations of service. Some to the point that they cut all ties with their dimension of origin and move their home base to other locations, because they have outlived others their age.

Visions

Second Generation World Jumpers learn a dimension is in trouble because they get flashes of bad futures, as well as a sense of the problem dimension's location. First Generation World Jumpers do not get this ability -- the portals that pull them through TVs and the like are already set to their required destination. They get to find out the problem as they go.

How they Get Involved

When a World Jumper is called to a dimension to solve problems, they can go about assisting the locals in different ways. Some take a very hands-on approach, introduce themselves to the local protagonist, and immediately set about offering active help in full view of the dimension's citizens. Others prefer to stick to the shadows and ofter more subtle help.

Maria is one of the former -- she isn't built for subterfuge and infiltration, and very much wants the local heroes to know that she is there to help, not to harm, and that she can't be their backup forever.

It is possible for World Jumpers to make repeat visits to worlds if they're especially volatile, but it's not always set in stone.

It's also not set in stone whether or not the World Jumper in question is aiding the heroes. Sometimes in order to keep a dimension intact, the antagonists require their aid. This means World Jumpers have to be prepared to end up in morally gray positions.

#cross' musings #i am more than the sum of my parts (headcanons) #oc bio #traversing the paths between (world building)

[portalwalker]

World Jumper Techniques - Continuum Shift

This technique is only useful in RP events or in stories I write and post on AO3. But I'm posting it here anyway because it's technically a part of Maria's inter-dimensional traveling moveset.

Let's get into it.

First vs Second Generation

First Generation World Jumpers cannot under any circumstances utilize this ability. Second Generation, on the other hand, can, but only under specific circumstances.

The Continuum Shift: A Reset Button Failsafe

This ability is exactly what it says on the tin -- a World Jumper has the ability to reset a dimension's timeline as far back as they need to in order to avoid what would otherwise be the end of a reality.

This power is not one the World Jumper can trigger on a whim, unlike their ability to summon portals. Instead, the ability is triggered by the circumstances of the dimension itself, forcing an energy surge that alters reality and forcibly ejects the World Jumper from the affected dimension. If they are able to return to the reality they were forced to reset, it is highly unlikely that they will recognize the dimension in its new, reset state.

This power is my way of establishing branching timelines where rebooted franchises exist: a dimension either branches on its own, creating multiple parallel realities with differing events, or the dimension branches because a World Jumper was forced to get involved and initiate a reset, overwriting the original reality with a new one.

It is incredibly rare for a World Jumper to come into contact with this technique. Most don't. Some hear rumors about this power existing, but are never given the chance to use it.

And some are forced to because of events outside their control.

Circumstances for Reset Activation

The Continuum Shift is usually activated when a dimension is tearing itself apart. This type of dimensional collapse can be triggered by the inhabitants of a given dimension, or outside forces. Regardless, when a World Jumper gets involved, this damage is reversed by the Continuum Shift, which also pulls the timeline back far enough to confirm that these events will not be allowed to repeat. Whether that means pulling back before the start of any experiments, or back far enough to confirm that the experimenters are never born, really depends on the needs of the dimension in question.

If outside forces are involved, the Continuum Shift may cause unforeseen consequences to the external meddlers. They may either be completely wiped for existence, trapped in the void between realities, trapped in a time loop, or have something else happen to them that prevents them from repeating their actions.

Side-Effects

Dimensions are changed in more ways than just a timeline reset. If the World Jumper made friends in that reality, all memory of the Jumper's existence is wiped from their allies' and enemies' minds, along with any memory of the previous timeline. If the World Jumper manages to return after being ejected during the reset process, they will not be known, much less recognized.

If a World Jumper is in that reality and is not the one that sets of the Continuum Shift, they will forget their previous lives and have a new one written over by the dimension's new timeline as it attempts to work them into its reality somehow.

If the World Jumper who reset the dimension is capable of returning to it, they can cause their close allies (and sometimes enemies) to remember them and the previous timeline. The multiverse is not so cruel as to deny them friendship. All it takes is physical contact of some kind, and the in-dimension inhabitants will remember the old timeline and their inter-dimensional traveling companion. There are negatives to this, however, as the "awakened" inhabitant now has to reconcile two timelines worth of memories and keep straight the details of their current life without mixing in old details that some might find confusing or alarming.

Some dimensions require that certain inhabitants remember the old timeline, but this is not guaranteed.

In the event a World Jumper resets their Dimension of Origin

This is a highly unorthodox event, but it has been known to take place.

If a World Jumper returns to their dimension of origin and finds they need to initiate a reset, they are ejected to a secondary, arguably safe dimension they consider a second home of some kind. At this point, they can either choose to make for themselves a new home base at this secondary dimension, or they can return to their dimension of origin.

If the Jumper does return to their dimension of origin, adjustment to the new series of events will be incredibly difficult to reconcile, especially since they weren't written into the new reality's timeline. Either they will live as a stranger to their own dimension of origin, or their dimension of origin will scramble to find a place for them and bombard them with a second timeline's worth of memories. It is a traumatizing process, and it is not recommended that World Jumpers return to their dimension of origin after resetting, for the sake of their own mental health.

Resetting realities is one thing, but resetting one's own home can be immensely distressing to the World Jumper.

Most World Jumpers do not live long enough to reset their own realities, however, so this is not usually a concern. In the event that it is, it is more than likely that the World Jumper has set up a home elsewhere for themselves already, and has long moved on from their dimension of origin.

The fewer ties back, the easier it is for a World Jumper to reset their original dimension, thus cutting all ties with the reality they used to call home.

#cross' musings #oc bio #I am more than the sum of my parts (headcanons) #traversing the paths between (world building) #((again: this is Only Useful for Events or my fanfics)) #((this will NOT be utilized unless I am the one running the event or I have permission from the others involved in the RP)) #((do not expect me to throw this one around here there and everywhere because this is a Last Resort in every sense of the term))

[portalwalker]

World Jumper Techniques - Portals

Because these kinds of abilities are very much separate from Maria's (mostly literal) firepower. This post pertains to her ability to travel across alternate realities.

Putting the whole thing under a read more because this is going to get long, much like the firepower/magic post.

First vs Second Generation

Yes you read that right; World Jumpers have differences depending on whether or not they had parents who traveled the multiverse at some point in their lives.

The main difference is this: the first generation cannot control when or where they travel, and the second generation can.

A good example would be that a first-generation World Jumper will be sucked through a TV, computer monitor, or book into another dimension without warning, while a second-generation World Jumper can summon a portal to a dimension of their choosing. There are other differences, but this is the main one.

The Portal Technique

First Generation World Jumpers cannot control or summon their own portals, as stated above. Their method of traveling between realities is arguably unstable, and can pull the traveler without warning from one dimension to another. The only nice thing about their portals is that they open in fixed, arguably safe points in the dimension they get spat into, and return travelers to the same place they left on a return trip. Whether or not it's the same time depends more on the difference in passage of time between dimensions, which I don't plan to get into here.

Second Generation World Jumpers can open portals whenever they want, but they have very little control over where in their chosen dimension they will open. Portals in general prefer specific, anchored points, and will open around these geographical locations -- for example, a World Jumper traveling to Gravity Falls will find themselves on the lawn of the Mystery Shack or, on rare occasions, near the statue of Bill Cipher out in the woods.

Likewise, a portal being opened for a traveler's return trip will open somewhere in their home neighborhood, generally on the street outside their home, and occasionally within their home, depending on whether or not it's stable enough to still be standing (again, differences in time between dimensions).

There are limitations to Second Generation portals.

Portals cannot be used to travel from one location in-universe to another location in-universe, so no shortcuts to the local Denny's or other restaurant of choice. If you ask your traveling friend to do this for you, you will end up in an alternate dimension. Whether or not this one even has a Denny's you can eat at (or restaurants at all) depends on the Jumper's sense of humor.

Portals also consume the energy of the Jumper who summoned them. This means that World Jumpers are -- quite literally -- walking portal generators. They can hold open portals for a certain period of time, to be sure, but that length of time shortens if they have to make the portal bigger, in case a comparable giant of one race or another needs to pass through to another reality. And while the World Jumper may be awake and aware when the portal is open, depending on the amount of time open and size of the portal, the Jumper may collapse for several hours of forced rest.

If the Jumper is exhausted, the ability to summon portals will be unavailable until the Jumper has fully regained their full strength.

Portals also have limited reach. World Jumpers are usually confined to certain areas of the multiverse, giving them access to a number of worlds across various (technically) fictional franchises. Some remain within one franchise specifically, giving them access to a large number of alternate timelines.

How many worlds World Jumpers can access is a limit that has yet to be found, but since most World Jumpers age out of this ability by the time they've either started families or grown too old/weakened to continue traveling, there hasn't been a need to locate a limit.

All World Jumpers have difficulty with opening portals to realities with reversed moral codes (ie, good guys are bad guys and vice versa). The sensation of opening a portal to one of these dimensions had been described as shattering a strong barrier, and leaves the Jumper in question feeling very off-kilter, especially if they remain in the morally-reversed dimension for a time.

Special Portals: Windows

Windows are a Second Generation-only technique. A World Jumper can open a portal that doesn't allow for people to pass through physically, instead only allowing for spoken and visual information. Think of it like a video call, except the one receiving the call doesn't get a warning before the window opens in front of their faces.

Windows are mostly used to check in on dimensions the Jumper is familiar with, as well as communicate with friends who might not have inter-dimensional cellular communication available. Windows cannot be hidden, and they cannot be viewed as one-way mirrors.

Under certain circumstances, when a Jumper attempts to open a portal, they may instead open a window. This -- usually accompanied by a painful feedback burst -- means the dimension is sealed off, and no one can travel to or away from the dimension in question. Circumstances that trigger this state come about because of powerful spells or beings that are actively preventing inter-dimensional travel, because the dimension itself is unstable, or because the Jumper is attempting to travel to a fixed point in a dimension's timeline that should not be changed. In this way, a dimension keeps any interlopers out of events that are required to take place, whether the World Jumper likes it or not.

#cross' reblogs

[portalwalker]

World Jumper Techniques - Portals

Because these kinds of abilities are very much separate from Maria's (mostly literal) firepower. This post pertains to her ability to travel across alternate realities.

Putting the whole thing under a read more because this is going to get long, much like the firepower/magic post.

First vs Second Generation

Yes you read that right; World Jumpers have differences depending on whether or not they had parents who traveled the multiverse at some point in their lives.

The main difference is this: the first generation cannot control when or where they travel, and the second generation can.

A good example would be that a first-generation World Jumper will be sucked through a TV, computer monitor, or book into another dimension without warning, while a second-generation World Jumper can summon a portal to a dimension of their choosing. There are other differences, but this is the main one.

The Portal Technique

First Generation World Jumpers cannot control or summon their own portals, as stated above. Their method of traveling between realities is arguably unstable, and can pull the traveler without warning from one dimension to another. The only nice thing about their portals is that they open in fixed, arguably safe points in the dimension they get spat into, and return travelers to the same place they left on a return trip. Whether or not it's the same time depends more on the difference in passage of time between dimensions, which I don't plan to get into here.

Second Generation World Jumpers can open portals whenever they want, but they have very little control over where in their chosen dimension they will open. Portals in general prefer specific, anchored points, and will open around these geographical locations -- for example, a World Jumper traveling to Gravity Falls will find themselves on the lawn of the Mystery Shack or, on rare occasions, near the statue of Bill Cipher out in the woods.

Likewise, a portal being opened for a traveler's return trip will open somewhere in their home neighborhood, generally on the street outside their home, and occasionally within their home, depending on whether or not it's stable enough to still be standing (again, differences in time between dimensions).

There are limitations to Second Generation portals.

Portals cannot be used to travel from one location in-universe to another location in-universe, so no shortcuts to the local Denny's or other restaurant of choice. If you ask your traveling friend to do this for you, you will end up in an alternate dimension. Whether or not this one even has a Denny's you can eat at (or restaurants at all) depends on the Jumper's sense of humor.

Portals also consume the energy of the Jumper who summoned them. This means that World Jumpers are -- quite literally -- walking portal generators. They can hold open portals for a certain period of time, to be sure, but that length of time shortens if they have to make the portal bigger, in case a comparable giant of one race or another needs to pass through to another reality. And while the World Jumper may be awake and aware when the portal is open, depending on the amount of time open and size of the portal, the Jumper may collapse for several hours of forced rest.

If the Jumper is exhausted, the ability to summon portals will be unavailable until the Jumper has fully regained their full strength.

Portals also have limited reach. World Jumpers are usually confined to certain areas of the multiverse, giving them access to a number of worlds across various (technically) fictional franchises. Some remain within one franchise specifically, giving them access to a large number of alternate timelines.

How many worlds World Jumpers can access is a limit that has yet to be found, but since most World Jumpers age out of this ability by the time they've either started families or grown too old/weakened to continue traveling, there hasn't been a need to locate a limit.

All World Jumpers have difficulty with opening portals to realities with reversed moral codes (ie, good guys are bad guys and vice versa). The sensation of opening a portal to one of these dimensions had been described as shattering a strong barrier, and leaves the Jumper in question feeling very off-kilter, especially if they remain in the morally-reversed dimension for a time.

Special Portals: Windows

Windows are a Second Generation-only technique. A World Jumper can open a portal that doesn't allow for people to pass through physically, instead only allowing for spoken and visual information. Think of it like a video call, except the one receiving the call doesn't get a warning before the window opens in front of their faces.

Windows are mostly used to check in on dimensions the Jumper is familiar with, as well as communicate with friends who might not have inter-dimensional cellular communication available. Windows cannot be hidden, and they cannot be viewed as one-way mirrors.

Under certain circumstances, when a Jumper attempts to open a portal, they may instead open a window. This -- usually accompanied by a painful feedback burst -- means the dimension is sealed off, and no one can travel to or away from the dimension in question. Circumstances that trigger this state come about because of powerful spells or beings that are actively preventing inter-dimensional travel, because the dimension itself is unstable, or because the Jumper is attempting to travel to a fixed point in a dimension's timeline that should not be changed. In this way, a dimension keeps any interlopers out of events that are required to take place, whether the World Jumper likes it or not.

#cross' musings #i am more than the sum of my parts (headcanons) #oc bio #traversing the paths between (world building) #((just another thing that I realized I hadn't explained about Maria's abilities)) #((there will be more of these coming because a World Jumper's toolbox is decently large))

[portalwalker]

Firestorm Maria, @crossroadsdimension ‘s character, from their story on AO3, 

Start: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11349201/chapters/25398777

Check it out, it’s fantastic.

#cross' musings #memory card (art) #tinydragonfeathers #((because Maria's shift from civilian to armored forms came up in RP earlier and I wanted to find the art drawn of her for funsies #((aaaah I wish I had this level of artistic skill...!))

[portalwalker]

The shape-shifting Porygon-to-Claydol never got close enough to land a hit.

Seconds after Maria called out the command and moments before the pokemon could collide with her, an explosion of white-orange fire surrounded Maria and exploded out in all directions. Most of it collided with the charging attacker; the rest dissipated before it could hit any equipment or Benta.

The charged-up, held Overheat was going to mean Maria wouldn't move for a moment, but it was worth it to make the transformation dramatic.

Maria rolled her armored shoulders and glared down with brightly glowing blue eyes at the Ditto wannabe. No longer dressed in the civilian clothes of an orange jacket, red shirt, and jeans, she was now wearing what looked like a gray jumpsuit with large pieces of armor laid over in strategic places. Large red boots came up to her knees; orange armor covered her forearms and shoulders; red for her abdomen and chest. White gloves covered her hands, and glinting gold rings surrounded her wrists and elbows -- potentially her knees as well, but the boots came up high in the front, so it was hard to see.

She had gone from looking like a normal human to being something more.

Perhaps even the threat her opponent considered her to be.

Maria flicked her right wrist, and her entire hand suddenly vanished into her arm, which started whirring with internal moving machinery. She held the arm cannon in front of her, pointing it at the offending pokemon.

Whether or not she fired depended wholly on whether or not the Ditto-wannabe was still moving.

"Do you yield?" she asked, static dancing in her voice. A strange accent, nothing more.

Maria dodged, and Benta fired the strongly condensed Aura Sphere.

He had aimed directly where he calculated that it would be at its speed, and landed a direct hit that blasted through its shield of rings with little resistance. And the attack sent it crashing into the barrier wall, making it shudder, spark, and crack.

Then it shattered like glass into a million pieces from the sheer force, and the offending pokemon went flying down to the bottom floor as if it were a ball of iron and lead.

Greavee shoved herself further back under the desk she found by the filing cabinets, growling and barking at the nerve-wracking commotion. As much as she wanted to help, she didn't think it would do any good.

It seemed she wouldn't have to though. The strong blow had slowed the creature down, even putting distance between it and Maria, giving her a solid chance to do as she needed. But the thing bruskly picked itself up, shook off the disorientation, and changed direction as it flew at Maria again in the same manner as before with an ear-burning screech.

Sharp spikes formed like the satellites had around its body, intending to land its own attack at any cost- neverminding Greavee or the pokemon that was pinned in a corner by its own defense tactics. This other being somehow felt like the biggest threat, and it planned on causing as much damage as it could in the process.

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta #((Maria's ready to go all out!))

[portalwalker]

Tch. Of course it chose a form that was known for its bulk! Maria gritted her teeth and let out a static, electric-laced swear of her own.

"Slag you, Ditto wannabe."

If Benta could understand the sound of shifting metal and program noise that came from Maria's throat, she'd be equally startled and amazed -- Cybertronian speech wasn't something that existed in any Pokemon dimension she was familiar with, so Benta would have no way to properly translate it.

When the pokemon moved to attack Benta, Maria almost flew towards him. When she saw that he had things well in hand, however, she instead started gathering energy for another attack. The level of heat in the air around her started to rise as the room lost its moisture despite the thunderstorm raging outside.

The psychic wave and the seemingly harmless results made her frown, though. Was her original assumption wrong? Was Benta Psychic and Dark, not Psychic and Electric?

She would've almost missed the strange pokemon's incoming attack if it weren't for the loud shriek it let off before it charged.

"Scrap!" Maria shot upwards towards the high ceiling, closer to the sound of lightning strikes and rumbling thunder above their heads as the harsh rains set up a rumbling roar. The hoverboard under her whined loudly as it fought to keep her high in the air, away from the charging Claydol. If it could change direction on a dime, it could still hit her, but as it was she wasn't going to give it a straight shot at her if she could help it. Facade was a problem, and as grateful as she was that the burns were slowly chipping away at its health, getting hit with that was not what she'd signed up for.

Things were definitely getting more dangerous now. If she took a hit like that in her state, in civilian clothes and minimal defense--

Time to up the ante.

"Armor shift! Reploid Forme!"

Benta immediately dashed out of the trajectory of the arm thrown at him, using a psychic wave to knock it even further off course as he levitated and flew toward the side of the space opposite of Maria. But that wasn't the end of it.

When Maria used her fire-attack again, something happened that hadn't before. The ring surrounding the pokemon split horizontally into two, flattening into a micro-thin layers as it spun and deflecting most of the fireball's energy. A shrill blip indicated it took damage, and perhaps inflicted another burn, but it would be evident it's defense and special defense had drastically increased.

What's more, the projectiles veered around and came rushing back toward Benta unexpectedly, this time ignoring Maria as the eyes of the creature stopped spinning to focus on him as the one truly assessable target. And he had practically flown into a corner when he dodged, getting caught off guard himself.

Curse it!! In a burst of panic Benta used his abilities to raise a pressurized barrier of air to envelope himself, just short of being hit by the objects, and forced them back. In the process, a psychic wave controlled by their adversary visibly raced forward and hit him square in the back while he was distracted by everything happening so fast.

The force of it made him stumble to the ground and freeze as his heart lurched, briefly wondering if he had been hit by a contact move. But when nothing happened, and he managed to maintain his defense, Benta looked back at the attacker with a keenly agitated glare.

He didn't take damage, and he didn't feel any different.

What had that thing tried to do??

Seeming to know it failed, it's own agitation showed through as its eyes blazed red like the satellites had done, letting off a high-pitched whine. Then it shot toward Maria like a raging bullet, head on in a full-bodied attack and enveloped by an electric-blue aura.

Benta was still pre-occupied and off balance, but he knew the move Facade when he saw it! Even without direct contact--!

He flipped around and aimed one hand toward its path to launch another Aura Sphere- significantly more concentrated than the last- while the other continued to hold off the projectiles that were attempting to drill through his shield now. Even though his own barrier was at risk, he didn't have a chance to think twice.

"It's attack is doubled with the burn!" he shouted. "Get out of the way!"

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta #((I'm gonna save the description of her armor for my next reply!))

[portalwalker]

Maria guessed that the strange Porygon was swearing at the two of them in its own language, and the thought made her grin. Her grin widened when she saw the pokemon looked like it was starting to get too tired to hold its chosen form together.

"Probably some kind of Light Screen variant," Maria said. "It doesn't look as solid as invisible psychic glass, though, and I don't know Brick Break in order to test that."

Besides, she wasn't planning on letting that thing get in range.

And then the strange Porygon made it clear it did not want them anywhere near it, setting off a transformation -- a Claydol with strange eyes, four "arms," and an added defensive measure to keep them from physically getting close.

Maria stiffened as the Claydol began to spin, then --

"Move!"

She sprang backwards as the arms were lunged forward, going into a backflip over the stairs and out into thin air. The arm aiming at her just barely clipped past as Maria twisted to avoid getting hit...unfortunately, this meant she was going to hit the railing with her ribcage if she didn't move fast.

Activate!

Something manifested on her back, then fell off and unfolded. A metal board colored red, orange, and gray whined loudly as fans kicked into high gear, and it zipped around to catch Maria before she could hit the stairs at an odd angle.

The metallic sound of magnets went off as her boots hit the hoverboard, and Maria swung around in front of Benta's barrier to glare at the once-Porygon disapprovingly.

"Rude," Maria said, irritation coloring her voice. She manifested another Fire Sphere, once again tying a strand of it around her index finger before throwing it at the larger-than-a-Porygon target. She doubted this thing had changed its Type, but a Fire-Type attack would quickly prove whether or not that was the case. If it barely flinched, she knew she'd have to change tactics.

At the same time Maria launched her attack, Benta did as well. Unlike earlier, he brought his hands together and used Charge Beam at full power. The electricity all but overtook the atmosphere even as it was concentrated into a streamline shot. Both attacks raced toward the pokémon and pulled off a direct hit with a bang.

A series of shrill, computer-like blips of alarm filled their ears, and when the smoke cleared Maria would see the Unown satellites had vanished. But the creature itself was still hovering, half of its body cascading off of it like falling sand only to float aimlessly in the air as a another kind of shield surrounded it now.

This one was dark and appeared like a transluscent malleable bubble. It didn't quite seem dangerous to hit like the last one...but Benta surmised it had an alternate effect.

He couldn't help but growl. "It took damage," he noted as he scrunched his muzzle. "But that shield absorbed half the attack. It isn't done."

Already the sandy material was reforming as the pokemon glared them down. With one eye, then again with two. Except it wasn't reforming the satellites as blackened sparks of static zipped around it. Those parts of itself had returned to its body so it could form into something else.

That something else was actually bigger, almost half of Benta's size. And it looked an awful lot like a Claydol...with its eyes detached from its body just like its free-floating pair of arms, of which it formed two more. A ring also formed around it in a wide arc, perhaps intended as a buffer.

There wasn't time to speculate that or why the pokemon itself chose such a strange image. Not before the ring, its four arms, and its eyes began to spin around it at a rapid pace, and the shield promptly made way as two of its arms were violently launched toward them as lethal projectiles.

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta #((with the start of a new round we bring a new card into play!))

[portalwalker]

Maria didn't take her gaze off the porygon, but she did glance back enough to see the barrier Benta created. The brief shield the porygon created was clocked, too, making Maria click her tongue against her teeth. So much for getting another attack in. Strange Protect skills always had something extra built-in depending on how the opponent attacked, and she wasn't about to find out what this one did.

Benta's comment on a Lugia falling to one of these things made her do a double-take in sharp alarm. "Disappear? A Legendary?"

Okay, yeah, that threat level was definitely spiking now. She had to mentally hold herself back from activating her armor -- as much as she wanted to make sure she was at her best defense-wise, it still felt too early to show her hand. Too soon.

So she did something else to make sure the porygon-looking monster would at least be slowed down.

Without so much as a flick of her wrist, four will-o-wisps suddenly manifested, a pair above each of her shoulders. They started circling around her torso in different directions, moving like electrons around an atom's core. If the porygon even thought of getting close, it was going to get burned.

"The warning's appreciated," Maria told Benta. Her hands became covered in fire, but were not burned. "Let's knock this thing into next week!"

The instant the porygon's twisted Protect dropped, Maria brought her hands up in front of her, interlocked her fingers into a triangle shape, and fired a Flamethrower directly at the porygon's face. How she managed that without breathing fire could be asked when their lives weren't on the line.

The shrouded pokemon hadn't expected the fire to come rushing back once it had dodged before, and let out another startled shriek as it was hit by yet another fire-type move. It was bowled out of the smoke from the blast, stopping the energy beam and giving Benta a reprieve and a chance to correct his footing.

Maria was right that blocking this thing from getting to the lower floors was the best option, even though it meant less space for them to move around as well until they could defeat it. Though after a quick assessment he felt that it was still doable in spite of the anxious concern he had for if it decided to let off another guided attack like that.

"Very well then," Benta confirmed with a grunt as he jumped toward the top of the stairwell, and raised a psychic barrier behind him. Although this one was different, tinged a dark, swirling magenta color, stretching from wall to wall and from the ceiling to the fifth step down, giving them just a little extra room to work with. Granted this wasn't a barrier that could hold forever. Enough force would tear it down. But it should still be a help.

"Whatever your cards are, let's hope it's enough," he told her with a frown toward the offending creature. It had put up an electrified red shield of its own using the satellites while it reorinted itself. Attacking it now would do no good. "When I saw one of these in Johto, it alone defeated the Lugia protecting her young, and made her disappear."

He didn't know of this one was equally as strong, but he'd willingly wager a guess. Needless to say, the sooner they finished this battle, the better.

"Bottom line," he added, stretching out his arms to form another Charge Beam as the creature's "protect" began to wear off. "I will make a guess that this one is weakened from years in captive stasis. Equal to avoiding contact, don't let it regain full power."

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta #((Maria: is thiiiiis close to just going all out #also Maria: does not want to go all out YET))

[portalwalker]

Bedtime Muse Questions

🪥 - Do they have a bedtime routine?

👚- What do they wear when they go to bed (pajamas, regular clothes, half naked, etc.)?

📖 - What helps them fall asleep? Some music? A story?

🧸 - Do they sleep with plushies? And if so, are they ashamed of it?

⏰ - When do they usually go to bed and when do they usually wake up?

💭 - How often do they have dreams? What is a dream they vividly remember?

👹 - How often do they have nightmares? What is a nightmare they vividly remember?

👀 - What keeps them up at night (personal baggage, fear of the dark, existential dread, etc)?

🌅 - Have they ever pulled an all-nighter? If so, what do they do to stay awake?

#ear to the ground (memes)

[portalwalker]

If Maria's in a situation where she isn't entirely aware of her enemy's capabilities, she doesn't go all out right away. This isn't because she's overconfident in her own abilities -- she is confident, but she's attempting to figure out how much of a threat her opponent is. If going all-out is overkill, she doesn't want to be the one to push things over the edge herself.

Besides, she's had experience with people coming after her for her abilities. She doesn't want to give more people ideas. So the longer she can stick to her more basic abilities, the better.

#i am more than the sum of my parts (headcanons) #cross' musings

[portalwalker]

Maria started moving when the energy beam fired in her direction, and nodded in thanks to Benta when the Aura Sphere intercepted the attack before it could land; she hadn't been fast enough to get out of the way of that one.

The Fire Sphere missing, on the other hand, Maria was prepared for. She formed her hand into a fist and yanked on the thin trail of fire tied to her finger, swinging her arm in such a way that the sphere was swung around and thrown -- hopefully -- into the strange Porygon's back. She had to rely on remembering where she'd seen it last and the trajectory of the attacks it fired, which was frustrating, but at least there was a chance she could land a proper hit.

That Hyper Beam was going to be trouble if it fired again, though. Hopefully the strange Porygon still needed to recharge.

Threat level rising. Depending on what it does next I might actually Shift.

"Let's try to keep it up here on this platform," Maria said. "I don't want Greavee getting caught up in this when she went down below to hide somewhere. If we can keep it pinned and wear it down by forcing it to dodge, take attacks, and fire back, we should be fine. If worse comes to worse, I've got maneuverability options." A grin crossed her face. "And I haven't revealed all my cards yet."

A part of her hoped she wouldn't have to, but depending on how much of a threat this Porygon-Unown combo was, she was prepared to go closer to all-out than she already was.

Besides, there were no absolutes in a pokemon battle. Keeping the Porygon pinned on the platform might be the most difficult part of Maria's plan.

The pokémon's eyes flashed upon registering the attack, and before the ball of fire could make contact it morphed into the shape of a narrow top and spun far out of the way. The satellites spun with it, and when it stopped to reform, their glow swiftly intensified.

Where it stopped, Benta perceived as a potential blindspot. And just as he formed an Aura Sphere and launched it, a dense red beam of concentrated energy blasted toward Maria. The beam collided with the Aura Sphere, blocking the attack and causing a spontaneous detonation that briefly knocked the pokémon back in midair.

"We need to corner it somewhere and so I can capture it," Benta barked urgently as he quickly moved to Maria's opposite side. "I can make a barrier strong enough, but we have to knock it out, catch it off guard- something or it won't work." He couldn't explain how exactly he knew that, having never faced one of these freakish things in a battle. It was just something he felt strongly.

Another bright red beam blasted through the smokey cloud caused by the colliding moves before, and he jumped back to avoid it. When the beam hit the ground it ripped through the floor like a fiery Hyper Beam, sending shards of tiles and scrap metal flying as it raced toward Benta. He abruptly formed another protective shield, taking a stance and crossing his arms in front of his face to brace himself from being forced backwards.

It was taking a lot more effort than expected, and from the size of this blast Benta bet that this attack was stronger than the previous one.

This mystery creature certainly wasn't playing around either, now that it knew who its enemies were. "Just do whatever you can think of!" he pleaded sharply and gritting his teeth when he sensed a waver in the barrier. "We can't let it get out of here uncontained!"

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta

[portalwalker]

Maria kept the shield up as the hidden pokemon shrieked in response to the Will-o-Wisps. Whether the burn would hold wholly depended on this dimension's rules and the pokemon's ability, but she hoped that it would hold. Even if a burn didn't drop the power of special attacks.

The form the pokemon took, on the other hand, was not what she was expecting.

Porygon. Likely regional variant. Likely part Electric. Part Dark? Unown satellites. Proceed with caution.

Threat level rising. Armor Shift likely.

"Acknowledged," Maria said, glancing at Benta with a short nod. There was something hard and cold in her gaze -- whoever this human-turned-android was, she was experienced in battle.

The Porygon Variant hadn't moved yet. It was likely assessing the situation, too. In that case, better to not show her full hand just yet.

She raised her left hand, summoning another large fireball about the size of a Shadow Ball or Aura Sphere. A thin tendril slipped out of the mass and wrapped around her index finger.

Her feet shifted, her knees bent. Maria was ready to jump back at a moment's notice.

A slight tap with her index finger was all it took to send the fireball flying forward into the Porygon's face, the thin tendril still connected back to Maria's finger like a fiery yo-yo.

"Fire Sphere!"

Greavee didn't have to be told twice. And from how the atmosphere felt upon the release of that thing from the pokéball, she didn't want to be anywhere near it anyway. She wasn't a pokémon that liked to battle, and preferred to avoid it altogether. So after a short bark of compliance she turned and fled down to the lower floor to find a safe corner. Hopefully it would be far enough out of the way that she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

In the meantime Benta had his own part to worry about. Of course he was taken aback by the unexpected fire wall, as well as the other abilities that Maria seemed to have. It was almost as if- for the briefest moments- he had forgotten she wasn't entirely human.

It seemed they were both going to have a lot of things to exchange in questions and answers later, but for now he made himself focus.

A digital-sounding shriek followed the intrusion of Maria's flaming spheres. What Benta realized had been a dark, free-flowing mass reacted, and suddenly condensed into a solid shape. Then the red glow increased as small parts of it broke off to surround the main body, only to glow red themselves.

Sparks of electricity continued to race throughout the cloud, crackling as the low, garbled voice of the creature emitted from the smoke.

And it sounded like a glitch.

When the pokémon finally emerged, they would see it looked oddly similar to a porygon. But there was something wrong with it. A number of things.

Having seen it only once before, only Benta knew the worse ones. And like Greavee noted, the glowing fragments around it indeed looked like the symbols of the unown. They clearly meant something hostile.

In spite of its loosely familiar appearance and smaller stature, everything about it practically screamed 'monster.'

"Maria!" he exclaimed in alarm, feeling the need to raise his voice above the screeching electricity, in spite of switching back to telepathy. "I don't know what it is, but I know what it does! Don't let that thing touch you!"

#undocumented destinations #metalmewtwo-kxb #benta #((let's see what this thing can do!)) #((I am verrry much looking forward to Maria showing off :3)) #((I am LOVING your art of these mons btw))