[Nexus] Inside 55 [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

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Rebonack

2013-10-25, 06:47 PM

http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq40/happyturtle-avs/avatars/insideflag2.png
Flag of Inside, flown over all Remnant and Government Installations

Current Events: The sun is gradually going dark. Someone had better figure out how to fix that before everyone dies.

The title is a misnomer, of course. No doubt the moniker of this place was settled on after a brief conversation that started with, 'Wouldn't it be funny if...?'. But now the name has stuck.

But what is this place, you ask?

Inside is everything within the City Walls. As opposed to Outside, which is everything without. This strange, whimsical city is the center of a planar Nexus, a crossing point between all possible (and some impossible) worlds. One can find just about anything in this wondrous place, dreams that defy imagination and terrors that freeze the soul. People and whole places are regularly drawn into the Nexus, added to the chaotic melting pot of all realities.

The city is surrounded by defensive walls, with an artificially and accidentally created moat outside the walls, a moat that has been diverted into a river-channel for one many bodies of water flowing through Inside. A gap in the walls and a bridge allow for entrance into the city proper, the main gate opening up to welcome newcomers Inside.

Welcome, traveler, to the City of Inside. The only boundaries you find within are the bounds of your own imagination.

Rules

Rules

1:Please Spoiler any Fanservice in this thread! It is accepted that there will of course be some, and that romance and curtains happen. However, please be courteous to others and spoiler any scene that goes on for a little while, and if it reaches the point, curtain. This is so you can stay within forum rules, as well as letting those uninterested in the scene, pass by. Thank you. :smallsmile:

2:Godmodding is not permissible! As stated in the rules in the FFRP Central Thread, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166066), godmodding is generally not allowed without permission. If you're shaky on what might be, and what might not be godmodding, please follow the above link.

3:The DOOM-Shield. Inside is currently equipped with a techno-magic shield that mitigates "global" effects to a survivable level. This is to prevent anyone from simply killing all the NPCs, or affecting the entire city. For example, a plot that envelops the entire city in sub-arctic temperatures, will find that the cold isn't as bad as it should be, and survivable.

4:Remnant. Please remember when doing any plots or large events, that even though it has it's own thread, Remnant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211872), the Inside Police Force and Army, is located in Inside, and may respond to events, or may be asked to respond to them.

4:All Inside-Wide/Nexus-Wide plots need to be brought up in OOC first! We all want to have the entire city be cast into a frozen wasteland from time to time, but such things need to be brought up in OOC first, to allow players plenty of warning, and so people don't feel like anything is being forced upon them that they don't want to RP.

5:Inside is not Space! Anything involving massive spaceships, meteors, satellites, Lasers From Space, and the like, do not belong in this thread. Few PCs have the ability to fight off an orbital bombardment, so it is considered unfair to be able to call down such things inside Inside. It can be assumed that the Doom Shield prevents such things from occurring. The place for these sorts of things should be in Outside, or another thread all together.

Zones and Streets
Zones:
In the Zone(s): The City of Inside is separated into three zones that represent the general threat level color coded for your convenience.

The Blue Zones are upper-class, well to do portions of Inside. You're pretty darn safe here.

The Grey Zones consists of the more traditionally urban parts of inside. Certainly no gated community, but it isn't immediately life threatening either.

The Red Zones represents the parts of the City that are degenerate, destitute, or downright dangerous. Sometimes all of the above. If you're poking around a Red Zone be ready to get jumped by Orks or ghouls or killer robots or something.

Streets:

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Hodgepodge Street? The City of Inside also has a number of Streets. The Streets aren't a street in the literal sense, but rather portions of the City with a particular theme. While one can find anything anywhere in the City there are none the less areas were certain settings predominate. The Riftline monorail public transit system allows for quick and easy access between the many Streets of Inside. Best of all it's fast and free!

If you have an idea for a Street feel free to suggest it in the OOC thread. :smallsmile:

Hodgepodge Street: The generically modern setting! Hodgepodge Street is perhaps the most plastic of the Streets, displaying a decent mix of all settings, though modern predominates. Generally speaking most locations without a Street name will be found here. The most commonly seen locations here are the Streets and the Slums. Occasionally The Rooftops if someone is feeling daring.

Steele Street: Need a Victorian location with all sorts of choking industrial pollution? Need an always-night urban landscape with superficial resemblance to 1800s London? Well Steel Street is by far the best place Inside to come down with Black Lung Disease! With spooky stinky fog, gross waterways, and the occasional murderer who may or may not be spring-heeled. Come for the fish and chips! Stay for the gritty atmosphere!

Arkham Street: Spanning 1920s-1930s style fantastic horror, Arkham Street is home of such spooky locations as Philip Memorial Library, the haunted Carter House, and Dunwich Park. Ah Arkham Street, where the clustering gambled roofs sway and sag above the attics where witches hid from the king's men in the dark olden days of Town. The Town is gone, but the witches are still here! And the monsters, and the cultists, and the regular folks just trying not to lose their minds.

Metropolis Square: It's Atom Age or Deco Punk or whatever you want to call it! 1930-50s era retro science fiction with ray guns and mad scientists and nuclear powered robots who just want to learn the meaning of love. This part of Inside is known for its slick hats, era cars, smooth jazz, a robotic workforce, and square-jawed heroes.

The Skyway: High up above the tops of the tallest skyscrapes one can find The Skyway! A high future urban cityscape of floating buildings of glass and chrome and steel and plastic. And a space port too, if you feel like leaving the planet for whatever reason. Think Jetsons with more foot paths. Riftline, of course, grants access to The Skyway to for those not blessed with flying cars.

Need some cyberpunk action? You got some cyberpunk action! The gritty future of cyber-criminals clashing against government and corporate forces! With cyborgs and hackers and stuff! Grungy urban sprawl, a decaying job market, and an oppressed underclass mark this area of Inside. Burnt Chromes Street is the distopian counter-point to The Skyway's more optimistic vision of what the future holds.

Market Street: Market Street is the ye olde portion of Inside, complete with bards, fools, open market places, and the occasional damsel in distress. While products of any age can be found in the sprawling street booths everything is done ye olde style-e. If you need a chase scene to crash through a fruit-cart this is the place to do it.

Deadwood Street: The wild, wild west. Located on the edge of Inside this is the western part of the city. And that means any kind of western. From spegetti to steampunk to magical. Whether you need to hang around a saloon, have a duel a high noon, or go riding off into the sunset Deadwood Street is your best bet.

PokéStreet: By popular demand! This one should be obvious enough. PokéCenters and PokéMarts and PokéGyms and PokéParks and PokéNarwhals and everything else Poké-related! Great place to visit if you feel like watching some adorable animals beat the tar out of each other. Just watch out for the tall grass. You never know what might be lurking in there.

Carousel Court: So much pony. Carousel Court contains the majority of the City's pony population as well as a healthy helping of non-pony quadrupedal sapient races. Ranging from quaint thatched roof cottages to the towering mane offices of Roseluck Agrifirm to the opulent stables of the well-to-do Carousel Court has it all. If you're looking for amenities for people who lack hands or just feel like bucking the norm trot on by and enjoy some pony-style hospitality.

Locations
The Red Zones (Player: Rebonack)
Just because here are some nice quick descriptions of the various Red Zones that see some degree of use. Or at least the ones that I'll run NPCs in if I get prodded at or notice someone's PC poking around there. I don't control everything in these locations and other people are free to run things here, just keep the Lethality level in mind. Anyone exploring one of the Red Zones will find caches of magical or technological trinkets to make the danger worth their while. The higher the lethality rating the better the loot!

The Slums: (Lethality Level Low) Accessed from Hodgepodge Street. The Slums are a generally urban area of decay and disrepair. It's a pretty good place to run into muggers, thugs, vampires, random monsters, and other generically nasty things. People live in squalor here, but no one can really figure out WHY since the rest of the City is available for habitation and has fewer flesh eating mildew patches.

The Mispelled Cemetary: (Lethality Level Variable) Accessed form Market Street. The Mispelled Cemetary is fully of the restless spirits of the unded who have been ripped from there eternal rest due to the endless propagation of spelling errors on the Internet. The unded in the cemetary proper are pretty week, but catacombs below the cemetary can be accessed through the various crypts on the surface. The deeper into the catacombs ones travels the nastier the unded get. Beware the Eternal Bone Horrers.

The Dungeons of Doom: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from the Sewers. The Dungeons of Doom consists of a seemingly endless descent of themed dungeon floors filled with generally silly monsters and puzzles. But don't let the silliness fool you, the place is plenty deadly if you get too careless. Remember to pay proper respects to giant marble busts of science fiction and fantasy authors that might block your path.

The Radiation Pit: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from Metropolis Square. The Radiation Pit is exactly what it sounds like. A blasted crater full of radiation and the sorts of things you would expect to arise in 50's era films about radiation. So mostly giant irradiated arthropods. The danger here, aside from the radiation mutants, is mostly from environmental hazards. Make sure to pack plenty of Rad-Away.

Bombed Out Zone: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from Hodgepodge Street. A ruined urban landscape of burned out cars, shattered skyscrapers, and crumbling overpasses. It is the site of an ongoing three way battle between zombies, killer robots, and aliens. Getting caught between the factions is pretty dangerous, but scavenging the remains after a battle can yield some great loot.

Black Goat Woods: (Lethality Level High) Accessed from Arkham Street. Black Goat Woods is a park full of awful eldritch abominations. If you go in un-warded you will almost certainly die a horrible death if you're fortunate. With proper warding by the Elder Sign this Red Zone is just dangerous and maddening rather than a complete death trap. If you need to collect some tomes of forbidden lore or repulsive idols try snooping around here. Just remember that Cthulhu eats 2d6 investigators per round.

Everfree Park: (Lethality Level High) Accessed from Carousel Court. This is a wilderness within the heart of the City that hates you and wants you to die. The laws of physics and magic shift here chaotically and without warning. Powerful monsters roam the trees hunting for anyone foolish enough to stumble in. Everything that exists in this park, even the very air you're breathing, is a malevolent force that seeks your destruction. Enter at your own risk.

Azik's Enchantments(Player: Harnel, Grey Zone)

Those in the area will hear a rumbling as the Nexus begins pulling in something larger than just a single person. Reality bends, and the shape of portal opens above a certain street corner. For a sickening moment, nothing happens, but then things start coming out of the portal - all of them are bricks, building up finally to a door and a roof, with tiny windows built in. There's even a large chimney sticking out of the center of this strange, conical building that begins puffing rainbow smoke almost immediately.

A creature steps out the front door, though many wouldn't consider it a creature - He is a warforged, a living golem. Covered in what appears to be adamantine plates, he looks up and down the street, his longcoat catching in the breeze. as it flutters, one can see a multitude of wands, schema, and scrolls all attached to several belts around his waist and upper legs. On his eyes he wears a pair of blue tinted shades, despite his lack of ears, and the metal orbs that serve as his eyes glow green behind these spectacles. He looks up and down the street. He doesn't seem to be particularly disturbed by the change in location, but he does take the time to call out, in a metallic voice:

"Azik's Enchantments is open for business! Come find a potion, a wand, a scroll to fit any need! We have spellbooks for beginners and experts! Weapons of all shapes and sizes, and armor unlike anything you've ever seen! Come find what you're looking for here!"

And then he heads back inside. So much work, so little time. Inside is as strange as outside, with magic trinkets lining the walls on shelves, but all behind the counter, to keep any stupid kid with the idea to steal something from doing so. You can find just about anything magical here, and that which you can't find, Azik the Warforged can make within a more than reasonable timeframe.

Emergency Bunkers

Eight bunker-like structures in a ring-like arrangement at about the midpoint between the walls (or the docks) and the center of the city have been completed.

The interior of each is rather dull, rather befitting a bunker, but there are underground areas beneath the visible bunkers. These are similarly dull and military-styled, but they also act as hospitals.

These are mostly designed with emergencies such as shelling in mind, and are usually closed.

Emergency Clinics
Like the bunkers the clinics are spread through-out the City and are equipped with technology akin to a modern emergency room. Since there's no magical healing available the speed of recovery is going to be noticeably lower than what is available at one of Inside's many temples. However their availability makes them absolutely vital in the application of life-saving care.

Erin's Emporium (Player: The Bushranger, Grey Zone)

Construction Gnomes have been hard at work renovating a small store along one of the various merchantile roads. Well, it was small. Now it's bigger on the inside.

And filled with every sort of weaponry imaginable, from across the multiverse. From blaster carbines to P-90s, surface-to-air missiles to ballistas, zats to nunchucks, they're all here.

Is that a siege crossbow sitting in the corner?

Evolution Industries Headquarters + Factories (Player: Darkcomet, Blue Zone)
The headquarters of the company known as Evolution Electronics and Power is a fairly standard-looking modern-day tower in appearance, not quite reaching the level of skyscraper.

The company owns a large factory nearby, used in production of its MACE units, and potentially other products, should it be desired.

The company also possesses a number of other factories around the city, used for production of weaponry and other military materiel.

Retail outlets for Evolution's products are scattered around the city.

Finders Keepers (Player: Reinholdt)

[Gray Zone]

Sitting right near the edge of the Red Zone, a new shop has opened up. It's a basic looking office, part of a larger building. Out front is a sign,

FINDERS KEEPERS*
We find missing people, kidnapees, deadtime victims and more.

*And no we don't actually keep them. It's just a name.

Inside, is a secretary typing away at a typewriter. She directs customers to wait until their turn, at which point she sends them back to meet the shop owner, one Heinrik Hurtz. He is most clearly not related to any superheroes whatsoever. This is a fact in and of itself, proven clearly by the fact that Heinrik wears glasses.

http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/Reinholdt9000/Gaia/HeinrikHurtz.png

Hastings and Sons Mortuary (player: Kid Kris, Grey Zone)
Near one of the older parts of the city sits a large and somewhat dour building of brick and mortar, built in the traditional sense, with a metal plaque by the door that reads (predictably enough):

Hastings and Sons
MORTUARY
For the preparation of the dearly departed.
And indeed, should one go in one should find all the trappings of a conventional mortuary, including several large visitation rooms, run by this guy:

http://public5.tektek.org/img/av/1008/d05/2213/715a669.png (http://tektek.org/avatar/38746382)
Though of course, usually without the zombie there.
In recent times however, the true business of the resident Mortician has branched into a more heretical bent, offering certain services to the living impaired (more commonly known as the foul Undead). These start at simple healings and flesh grafts (the flesh occasionally obtained 'legitimately', when a body comes in for cremation and the Mortician gives them an urn full of wood-ash, but usually corpses are obtained through donations from customers or good old fashioned grave-robbing). But services can also range into body part replacement and augmentation for the undead who wishes his creator had seen fight to give him a giant lobster claw or retractable venomous spines, or even full body/flesh reconstruction for the self-conscious lich (or lich in disguise, though making your new flesh look like someone else usually costs extra) or the zombie in his golden years. These customers usually come in through the back door, where there is a plaque listing the full list of services. Though of course some are brazen enough to come through the front door anyway.

((PM if you wish to interact with the Mortician, as Kid Kris may not always check the thread.))

MagMart (Player: Lord Magtok, Blue Zone)
An absurd mash-up of K-Mart, Wall-Mart, Target, and every other vile retail chain, MagMart is staffed by an unswervingly loyal Magbots, lobotomized talking cats that are too brain-dead to know any better, several voodoo spirits, and a pickle jar that everyone insists is a sentient being that only communes with those who truly believe in it.

Here you can find everything from curtains to carpets, macaroni to monkeys on motorcycles, groceries to zombies. The staff is always happy to help (or else), and if you aren't entirely satisfied with your shopping experience, you can pay a small fee to watch the MagMart employee of your choosing get fired out the MagMart complimentary employee morale cannon.

Magnificus Theater (Red Zone)
This large theater is an attempt to bring culture to the city of the Inside. Plays are regularly show here, and if desired other events can be held here.

The walls of the theater are colored with three shades of blue in a wave pattern. Inside the theater are a pair of grand staircases, with the railing colored gold, while the stone of the stairs is white. The stage itself is one of the largest in the Nexus, carefully designed for the greatest enjoyment.

Rules: Please, no violence. If you must have some violent action in a theater, pm me first.

NO Office (Player: Morty, Grey Zone)
The building that serves as NO's de facto embassy in Inside is now open for business. It's a large, newly constructed office building with a very no-nonsense look to it. Its purpose is to do business, not more and not less.

Once inside, the prospective licensed mercenaries will be confronted with a large hall lined with tables, behind which NPCs work at filing and cataloguing the people who arrive to receive their certificates. At least one actual NO member is also usually on a shift in the building.

Sable Spire (Blue Zone)
A great, black-colored tower now stands at the highest point of the Skyway. Appearing mostly similar to a modern-day skyscraper, albeit more futuristic, reinforced, and armored. Upon close examination, some parts of the tower appear to conceal compartments of some sort, likely something along the lines of concealed defensive turrets. the top portion of the tower is rather different in appearance.

It appears as a truly massive hatch, similar to what one might see over a missile silo under normal circumstances.

This hatch opens into the landing area of the aerial aircraft carrier Sanctuary, the main asset of the Altaran Irregulars. Said landing area is set to act as an elevator, capable of moving up to the top of the tower or moving back down to conceal whatever is landed (usually the aforementioned carrier) under the heavily armored hatch.

The Spire, constructed by Remnant in an alliance with the Altaran Irregulars, is now a major base for the the latter, who currently act alongside Remnant in protecting the city. Their troops largely use the same equipment as Remnant's, but use the old Imperial black-and-navy color scheme to distinguish themselves.

The The Temperance Teahouse (Grey Zone) Owned by Artemis

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1783/temperanceteahouse3xphde.png

http://www.valleyofisk.com/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/teahouse.jpg

In an old section of the city stands a wooden building of ancient construction. From inside comes the sound of good conversation and, occasionally, music being played. The scents of exotic teas, spices, and good foods drift out onto the street. along with the scents and sounds come an aura of peace and comfort. It's a nice place here, you could definitely stick around for a while, to escape the general madness of the city.

Two wings extend out from the main building. To the north (the right side as you face the tea house) is an extension of the main structure, still made of wood, the architecture is slightly different and more brightly colored, and also noticeably newer. The west side of the building is surrounded by a stone wall, enclosing a garden. The garden ends at a low stone building running the length of the west wall.

[Restaurant]Inside the restaurant is filled with tables and chairs, spread out across the dark hardwood floors. Thick wooden pillars support the second floor and the roof, their tops carved with geometric designs. At the north side of the restaurant is a long counter, surrounding an open kitchen. Steam and smoke drift up from the fires and the woks used for cooking. A shelf along the back wall is filled with dozens of tins, each containing a particular tea or herbal blend. Interspersed among them are tea kettles, each one used to brew a particular type of tea.

The center of the restaurant is open to the second floor. Stairs lead up to more seating on the second level, which looks down on the restaurant below over carved wooden balconies. The ceiling above the open space is painted with a mural of a golden dragon floating through the clouds and circling the sun.

Seats on the west side of the building go fast, as they offer the best view of the gardens. The south and east sides offer views of the bustling streets below. The north side of the second floor has no windows and sits above the kitchen, so it is often darker and smokier than the rest of the restaurant.

Menu[B]Drinks

Herbal Tea
Green Tea
Black Tea
White Tea
Yellow Tea
Red Tea
Blue Tea - Mentally stimulating.
Purple Tea - Very relaxing and slightly hallucinogenic.
Iced Tea - Served sweet or unsweet, with or without lemon.
Sake - Available chilled, heated, or at room temperature.
Lychee Wine - A rich sweet drink with a deep golden color. Pairs well with seafood. Served cold.

Food

Dim Sum
Sushi
Stir Fry - Served over rice or noodles
Noodles
Soup
Rice Cakes

Sweets

Ice Cream - Vanilla, Green Tea, Red Bean, and Mango flavored.
Dragon's Beard Candy - A spun sugar similar to cotton candy.
Moon Cake - A dense sweet cake around a salted egg yolk "moon".
Sun Cake - A crunchy pastry filled with a sugary cream.
Tempura Fried Bananas - Served over ice cream.

[North Wing]The north wing of the restaurant is of newer construction. It is more brightly painted and more heavily decorated than the main restaurant. Two doorways on each floor lead to a U shaped hallway that runs through the north wing. Sliding paper screens from the inner walls, so that they can be slid aside and make the spaces much larger. The lower floor holds private rooms that can be reserved for larger parties or special meetings. These rooms typically have a long low table surrounded by cushions. The second floor rooms have more flexible floor plans. Most have tables and chairs, often used to host card or board games. A few can be rented out for sleeping quarters, but patrons are reminded that the walls are, literally, paper thin. Disruptive behavior will have you evicted without a refund.

[Garden]The west wing of the tea house is a large garden surrounded by stone wall. A circular gate leads directly from the garden to the streets, as well as doors leading into the restaurant. The garden itself is carefully kept, trees and bushes trained and cut into pleasing shapes. Stone lanterns and statues decorate the garden. Two pools filled with koi fish sit diagonally from one another, connected together by a stream filled with river rocks. The sound of trickling water fills the garden. A winding path leads through the garden and over a low stone bridge. On the far side of the bridge, the path passes through another circular gate guarded by two stone dragons on plinths. the pair stare down at any visitors, questioning their intentions in passing through their gate.

Beyond the Dragon Gate the path becomes perfectly straight. On either side are large black stones surrounded by carefully raked white sand. The path passes under a red Torii gate before encountering the low stone building at the far side of the garden. The building runs the full length of the west wall and is open to the garden. Large prayer wheels line the opening and are turned by the breeze or visiting people. The walls within the building are heavily decorated and covered in hanging scrolls. At the center of the building is a shrine, covered in candles. Behind it is a mural depicting scenes of a warrior, a golden dragon, and the sun. Sitting on the shrine a wooden statue of a warrior, sitting in meditation, his sword set aside. The wood is lacquered and carefully inlaid with delicate patterns in gold. From the statue emanates a strong aura of peace, which spreads throughout the entire property.

NPCsHideki - A large man with a red face and a long nose, he is most often found in the kitchen, cooking up tasty things.
Hanako - An older woman, her black hair streaked with grey. She is Hideki's wife and most often found behind the counter serving tea.
Sakura - A lovely young woman and the daughter of Hideki and Hanako. She acts as a waitress and sometimes plays music.

OOC: Please Read. Important information.
The Teahouse and garden are protected by an aura of non-violence. Violent acts cannot be committed here. You cannot attack another patron or do anything that would cause them bodily harm. Anyone who attempts it will find it extremely hard to convince themselves to do it. If a particularly willful person overcomes this compulsion, something in the environment will intervene, as if by seemingly random chance, to protect their victim as if by divine intervention. Because that's exactly what it is.

Needle and Thread (Blue Zone, Player: Artemis97)
On one side of a wide cobblestoned street is a small shop. The sign hanging over the door depicts a simple spool of thread, pierced by a needle. No words were included, as a courtesy to those who could not read, nor were they needed. It was clear from the merchandise displayed in the two large windows on either side of the door that this was a clothing boutique. The right side displayed the latest in women's fashions, dresses and skirts in unique designs, all detailed by hand with beading and embroidery. The left window showed men's clothing, from a beautifully tailored three piece suit, cut from expensive fabrics, to the very best in adventuring style, rugged and sturdy, clearly built to last.

Inside, racks and manequins display more clothing, split down the middle between men's and women's fashions. The back wall held rolls of fabric, some plain, others with obviously magical properties. A large, three-sided mirror sits in the back corner, next to a small changing stall. On the other side is a small counter holding a cash register, behind that the door that led to a small workroom.

The Needle and Thread is a clothing shop specializing in custom tailoring and specialty designs. It is owned and operated by Lillith Rock, and the kindly fiendish woman can usually be found behind the counter, or working on orders in the back workroom.

Pontius' Custom Constructs (Player: Earl of Purple, Grey Zone)
The caravan of 6 wagons (I never said 3! Well, I did, but still.) arrives at a warehouse, previously for sale. The gnomes lead the golems and other constructs inside, and get to work. The warehouse has an open yard at the main entrance, and several golems, like crude figures of worked stone or wood, stand in the yard. A gnome wearing an apron over smart-yet-practical artesan's clothes and puts a sign up.

Pontius's Custom Constructs
Golems of Any Material* at Unbelievably Low Prices!!!**
You Won't Find a Golem, Gargoyle, Guardian or Homonculus Cheaper!!***
Come Now and Buy 1 Get 1 Full Price!!!****

*Flesh has an additional charge. **Define 'low'. ***Except at our competitors. ****Terms and conditions apply.

Sanctuary Fortress of Zoemaytare (Player: Rebonack, Blue Zone)

Like so many other prominent buildings in Town, or not so prominent buildings for that matter, this place seemed to pop up out of nowhere over night.

Buildings are like mushrooms in Town. Probably spread via spores, too.

Regardless, here it is. A rather sizable campus marble hewn from the mountains some distance away. Carved and hauled here near the edge of the slums where they were no doubt assembled. Though... no one can quite place a finger on when this happened.

Though the buildings aren't of only cold hard stone, no. There are timbers as well. Not what one might expect, however. They seem almost organic. As though they had grown into place rather than being hewn.

Oddness aside, the temple is arranged in a rather interesting fashion. Several concentric wall and courtyards ending in a central temple.

The outer wall is lower than the rest, each tier of the temple built onto higher ground like a wedding cake. Each wall is topped with a roof supported on the inside by pillars, creating a sheltered walkway. The exact use of these porches depends on the section of the temple one happens to be in.

Anyone is allowed entry through the first wall and into the first court, the Court of Meeting. Beyond the second wall only worshipers of Zoemaytare are allowed admittance to the second court, the Court of the Blessed. Beyond the third wall only the priests are allowed, where they carry out holy rituals within the temple itself.

The Court of Meeting is dedicated to service of those the worshipers of Zoemaytare dwell among. Food is prepared for the hungry here and given out without expectation of recompense. Those without a place to lay their head are allowed to sleep within the porch. The grounds beyond the porch are devoted to a wondrous garden boasting vibrancy and spectacular color. This are is always comfortably warm and brimming with life. Wounds heal faster as the body is refreshed. Undead creatures will find that remaining here is decidedly uncomfortable.

The sky above the temple seems to be perpetually clear, filled with pleasant sunlight in the day and cloaked with gossamer stars at night. Benches are set up here and there, under trees with hanging branches and above fragrant shrubbery. A lively stream flows endlessly in a circuit about the Court, spilling into several larger pools and meandering up a small outcrop of stone before cascading back down the other side.

This section of the temple is tended by members of the faith. Not priests, though devote. They can be found tending the garden and serving warm food. When in service to the temple these devotees wear a white linen ephod bearing the symbol of a willow tree, ornately rendered in blue thread. They'll be more than happen to answer any questions. Priests tend to have stricter ceremonial garb, including a blue tunic and white robe in addition to the ephod.

Welcome, traveler. May you be more blessed when you leave than when you came.

New information that isn't readily noticeable at first glance at the temple will be added here.

The temple grounds are protected by a dampening field that blocks unauthorized teleporation and dimensional shifting. The place is something of a fortress after all. Being able to pop in and out at will would defeat the purpose.

Zoemaytare isn't a god of (fill in the black) but rather the patron and protector of her people. As such, her domain, if she even has one, is over all that her people do. The people in question are collectively known as the Zoeos, and this particular temple is their first major venture into Town. At present their stated goal is to set up trade relations and aid the city. This is ministered through the temple on account of the Zoeos government being a theocracy.

It just so happens that there's a dungeon under the temple, though the entrance to it is well hidden.

NPCs thus far:

Potentate of the temple: the head priest and administrator. He has yet to be seen 'on screen' though he has been referred to.

Regent Zachius: And elderly human with a coppery complexion and deep-set wrinkles, the sort of face one expects of a person who has spent a great deal of time in the sun smiling. He's a kind old fellow who is in charge of the Court of Meeting.

Regent Stephen: A younger human who smells rather distinctly of wolf. He's in charge of the dungeons of the temple and seems to be a rather caring and compassionate fellow. It's his job to bring the cases of prisoners before the Potentate.

Regent Thadeus: One of the priests who aids in minor upkeep in the temple proper. He usually isn't seen outside the temple and since his position doesn't put him in much contact with the common folk he tends to be somewhat aloof and judgmental. Also happens to be an elf. Those snooty elves!

Bognus Thundershield: a lay dwarf that operates the temple's teleporter, primarily from Trog's. Though people can be 'ported in from elsewhere as well. While it isn't commonly known, this device can send people over rather long distances, though it's somewhat inaccurate when doing so. Bognus is a bit gruff, though generally good natured. He speaks with a thick Scottish Dwarven accent.

The Swordfish (Player: Ghar, Grey Zone)
A new shop has opened up in Market Street. The building is a simple affair. A brick building with a massive chimney that constantly billows smoke. On the inside a massive forge dominates the far wall from the entrance. All manner of smithing equipment is carefully placed around the large room that dominates most of the building. Lining the two side walls are many tools for his craft, while lining the far wall are the products of that craft.

Swords, swords of all shapes and sizes. Some brutally efficient, simple weapons and others pieces of art that are no less functional. Each and every sword is obviously the work of a master.

And the master is always present. A great robot moves around the room, always working and experimenting with its remarkable talent. The machine is a hulking, bronze coloured humanoid. The robot has a number of slides and doors, implying there's more to it than is immediately apparent. Finally, at its head is a glass dome, filled with water. Dominating the container is a great carp, as big as a man. It gazes at it's work with eyes that know little more than hate. Hate and its new inspiration.

Word travels quickly of this bizarre master swordsmith. Though it is quite fearsome, the quality of its blades are unmatched.

St. Guinevere's Sanatorium for Lunatics and Object Seekers (Player: Anyone, Gray Zone)
This insane asylum exists for people questing after Objects from the Holders Mythos. Anyone can run an Object quest, but please look at the community agreed guidelines first (http://tinyurl.com/5w42x5c) as it helps keep things consistent.

If you want to use the Sanatorium for other uses, feel free, but expect it to be a house of unspeakable horrors. :smalltongue:

The Sitar's Strings
"By humans, for humans". This restaurant employees only humans and only serves human customers. It is a meeting place for the human supremacist movement. IC Owned by Brian Starling and managed by Jan Lamar. Non-humans with good disguises can get in without being challenged.

Players: (HT as owner/manager, C'nor as waitress Maeve, Mindfreak as entertainer Treb)

The Temple of Dalachrech (Player: Earl of Purple, Grey Zone)
The first room entered is a foyer. On the walls are red drapes with silver, two-tailed scorpions embroidered on to them, and next to the door is an ornate font. The granite font stands about waist height, and is a plinth with a bowl of unholy water. Winding around the font are carved centipedes. A door away from this chamber leads to the main prayer hall. This room also has drapes with the two-tailed scorpion device on the walls, and a red velvet carpet flanked by wooden pews leads to an altar at the far end. The altar is covered with red velvet, with a gold statue and red candles placed upon it. The statue depicts a demon with a centipede's body, a scorpion's tail with spinnerets next to the sting, a stag beetle's head and the claws of a praying mantis.

This is a hidden location in the Grey Zone. Please PM Earl of Purple if you wish to interract there. The Temple is now open to the public.

Trollfinger, Ironpick & Greencheek, Mining & Engineering (Player: Morty, Blue Zone)
A run-down building near Trog's Tavern was bought by three goblin enterpreneurs with a large crew and now houses their mining and engineering company. Everyone who needs something dug, built, repaired or blown up is welcome.

Warwick Works (player: happyturtle, Grey Zone)
In the industrial area, a building is rented and has a new sign put out front.

W
Warwick Works

The building itself consists of a small office area in front and warehouses in back. There is no indication of what sort of business this is, but a certain cyborg with a satellite might recognize the logo and name.

Witch Which's Wish Shop (Grey, Player: Haruki-kun)

Welcome. If you have stepped into this store, it is because you have a wish.

The store is big, ancient and beautiful. It has a large garden with colorful flowers, a pond with fish and running water, and chirping birds. This is the outside of the store. The inside, however, is, to put it simply, gloomy. There’s burning candles and incense everywhere. From the hall where you enter you are led off into a side room with a low table and cushions around it. A tall, masked and unnamed stranger brings tea and snacks to the guests. The Witch sits opposite and rarely ever moves.

RULES (OOC):
This is a Wish shop. Your character will only enter this shop if he has a wish. Whether the wish is granted or not is a different issue.
Witch Which is in charge of the shop and will grant wishes to everyone who asks, regardless of intent or alignment, as long as the appropriate price is paid. Under certain conditions:

Condition one: Witch Which will not haggle. She couldn’t lower a price or overcharge even if she wanted to. A balance must be kept in order for the wish to be granted.

Condition two: When a Wish directly affects another player’s character in a way that would be considered godmodding, the other player must agree first.

Condition three: The Witch may not reject any wish unless the price is too high to be paid. Wishes to take a life or to destroy the world, for example, carry a price higher than anyone can pay. ANYONE.

Condition Four: The Witch will never engage in battle. Be glad. The Witch is the very definition of True Neutral.

Condition Five: The store is not hard to access; in fact, there’s a big sign outside and everything. However, the store’s grounds exist in a special separate dimension, protecting it from anything that could destroy it, up to and including plot.

Condition Six: Haruki-kun reserves the right to alter the conditions if he feels they’re causing problems such as godmodding or similar issues.

(Haruki-Kun wishes for a PM to be sent to him upon someone entering the shop so he knows about it.)

Inside's Defenses, Remnant, and The Council

Defenses

As stated above, the city of Inside is defended by the Walls, Moat and DOOM-Shield, but it is also defended by a more "mundane" force field that can be called upon in times of need, as well as a number of more conventional defensive capabilities, nearly all of which are manned and controlled by Remnant(Controlled for the most part by Wolfbane). These include things from Emergency Bunkers, Relief Stations, Anti-Aircraft Cannon, and the like.

Remnant

As stated before, Remnant is Inside's police force, army, and main defensive body. It is made up of the remains of what was once the Acronymian Empire, and consists of hundreds of men, women, and machines, both soldier and civilian, sacrificing their daily lives and time to make sure the city of Inside is relatively safe for it's citizens. There are Remnant Outposts all throughout the city, with the main HQ in Blue Zone, and less Outposts in Red Zone. These can be reached fairly easily, and allow people to report crimes, turn in criminals, collect bounties, and even ask to be recruited. Remnant controls most of Inside's defenses, but also controls Rapid Response Units capable of stopping fires, providing emergency medical aide, and even disaster relief to clean up debris and fix buildings and roads damaged by the day to day events of Inside.

Squads of Remnants patrol the streets "every so often" and should anyone need one, can interact with them(Please PM Wolfbane upon doing so, however).

As a note, Low-Level Remnants can be Godmodded! They can be assumed to fight the fires that pop up, but can also be asked to provide basic information. This also means that they can be bribed for less well-known information such as someone's name and rank, or to look the other way for a small crime, such as theft. Anything more, please PM Wolfbane to let him know, in case there is something that needs clarified. The Remnants can be godmodded to be killed on occasion, but if it happens too fast, too often, Wolfbane may step in and RP it out. Once again, please PM Wolfbane if you plan on killing a Remnant NPC.

What is NOT Godmoddable:

-Getting Security Codes
-Accessing Secure Areas
-Killing off more than one or two NPCs at a time, or killing a Named Remnant NPC/PC
-Stealing Identities
-Destroying Remnant facilities

It is not impossible for these to happen, but with proper warning provided to Wolfbane, it can be RP'd out and attempted. However, it should be noted that only Low-Ranking Remnants can be Godmodded in this way.

Council

The Council (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195380) is the "ruling" body of Inside. A small group of individuals reside on it, and decide Inside Policy. People can go here for diplomatic relations, trials, or other activities that may concern dealing with an actual government instead of a police force or army.

Beans

2013-10-25, 06:55 PM

[Rec Center]

Just like before. Stronger, faster, just as reckless. His attack will come like so, just like the first one. With that light power he won't bother with a feint.

And he hasn't even bothered to maneuver her towards the brightly lit parts of the pool. 99 brings the blade down and darts a short distance aside, as she was waiting to do. If she times it right, he'll rush onto the sword pointed between his mandibles.
[Rec Center]
Unfortunately, this increased velocity comes with increased reflexes and perception of time; he ducks his head, the blade glancing off his head armor as he turns to stab at 99 again, still wicked fast, though he still has the one floppy noodle arm and thus can't use both hands for his sword.

Arkhosia

2013-10-25, 07:08 PM

Mispeled Cemetary :smalltongue:

Celica grabs the blade and morphs it back into pistol mode. She shoots at the wraith's feet, with the same darkness power on the bullets.

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 08:42 PM

Beans

2013-10-25, 08:54 PM

[Rec Center]

99 slices down to deflect his blade and jumps away. "Seiner, get out of here!"

The vampire hesitates; he might be too fast. Then she dives in, not caring. He fought when she was the faster one, how can she do otherwise. The sword swings in too far, aiming the let him pass through the gap in the center and run him through from behind, but if he ducks back, into the blade, that would work for her too.
((I... honestly I'm really confused and can't properly visualize this. What exactly is she doing?))

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 09:20 PM

((I apologize. Let's go with it being a straightforward stab with a sword then))

Beans

2013-10-25, 09:27 PM

[Recaiden Center]
Mr. Beetlefast sidesteps, pushing her sword to the side with his own and trying to kick her, more to push her away than anything... on the plus side, she gets a decent look at the shining crystal set between his jaws, its pulses of light flowing over all the rest of the light armor on him. Huh.

Seiner is standing, shaking, not sure whether to try to help with whatever abilities she may have or to run as 99 said.

Lord Magtok

2013-10-25, 09:38 PM

Hokey Little Diner

Miyuu smiles gently, understanding Mariya's concerns. "We'll stay there for one day. A full 24 hours. Unless both of us are impressed or willing to stay, we'll leave. I promise." She says cheerfully. Even though she sounded casual about it, Mariya will know that Miyuu never makes a promise lightly. After all, her honor was now at stake.

"This is good," Mariya nods, though twenty-four hours sounds like an awfully long time to decide. It's only one day, though. No matter how awful the HELLO people might be, she'll live.

Morcleon

2013-10-25, 10:08 PM

[Below the TV Tower]

"Stay close!" Mikani shouts, taking a deep breath and calling on one of her strongest powers as she senses that the skeletrons are proving too tough for them. And, calling on the powers of the earth, the Druid Princess wills it to open out from underneath the undead abominations!

And, if they fall in, to snap shut once more!

[Below the TV Tower]

The entangled skeleton is caught without any chance of escaping from the crevasse opening under it. But unless the kudzu releases it, it's just going to hang there.

However, the second one manages to leap out of the way, crashing down in a crouch as it glares at the pair of magical girls. With a furious roar, it charges at the two girls!

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 10:32 PM

[Reinholdt Center]

"Go on!" A kick catches 99 and sends her flying, tumbling, over the ground, then into a cartwheel and back to her feet.
She's stopped being worried. This guy really shouldn't be a threat....Why does she think that?

She sheathes the sword. It's not really her weapon anyway. Her right hand spreads into claws as well, and she runs back in, trying to grab a hold of his good arm.

Murkus

2013-10-25, 10:39 PM

[Misspelled Cemetary]

The wraith's feet are shot! Though that's hardly the pressing concern. In fact, the business with Okami trying to pull his head off might render Celica's attack moot.

The wraith's head comes off with a gummy tearing sound, and his inky flesh snaps as it splits open. There is rather suddenly a half-visible helmeted head floating above the pair of adventurers. It laughs, ghostly lights shooting from the stump where it once sat.

With no neck to lock, the ghost's headless body whirls around and bashes Okami in the chest with one gauntleted fist. If it can, of course.

His head floats down to attack Celica, still leaking that awful dark ooze from the corners of its mouth.

Beans

2013-10-25, 10:46 PM

[T-Rex Center]
He is grabbed, fighting hard with his pointy-ass knee but not, as before, his head. Wants to keep it away from her grabby gropey hands, apparently.

Seiner... sucks at running away still.

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 11:12 PM

[I don't understand the connection Center]

Stabby knee! There go some ribs getting cracked, flesh getting cut open. 99 grits her teeth and forces the grimace into a smile. "You don't get it, bug. That hurts, but i'm not using those organs. It ain't gonna stop me." The vampire tries to sink one hand's claws into that nice flexible elbow joint and ruin or separate that arm too. That sword is no fun.

Beans

2013-10-25, 11:23 PM

[Rec Center]
At the same time, he's grabbing for her arm, trying to claw at her in turn, though not as effectively. At the same time, he starts trying to gouge her legs, not giving up.

Seiner looks on, creeping... closer.

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 11:29 PM

[Wreck Center]

Their arms are both torn at and scratched, and 99's left leg is gouged. She starts to fall, and tries to drag the fangire to the bottom of the pool with her. If she can manage that, with only one of his arms 'good', she thinks she can pin him down and go after the crystal.

Beans

2013-10-25, 11:33 PM

[It's fun to slay at the YMCA]
He manages to stay on top, and tries to get his weight onto her torso via his calves, trying to be the one doing the pinning here. He's still got his speed, so he may be able to get it did this time!
Seiner watches in horror, hands balled up and shaking.

Recaiden

2013-10-25, 11:39 PM

[We've everything for vampire to enjoy]

"Well do something then Seiner! Get your sword if you have to."
99 is pinned under the insectoid fangire, but manages to struggle enough to keep her arms free and holding him off, for a post.

Beans

2013-10-25, 11:51 PM

[... Uh... Jokes... Puns...]
Seiner tries to make one appear and fails.
I-I-I don't have one!

"'Course not, jelly girl, that's 'cause yer---agh!"
She decides to interrupt him from possibly explaining things, because he's mean and dumb; she just says "screw it" and leaps onto him, tentacles wrapping around him... and that actually seems to help! He starts to get weaker and slower, head drooping a little as if actively worn out.

Recaiden

2013-10-26, 12:22 AM

[Young Fangire's Christian Association]

99 was trying to refer to the one she had been using. The one that's completely inaccessible. Because she's not thinking straight.

The vampire does her best to get out from under the beetleman and into a position where she can actually do something, taking advantage of the weakness to break free and try to keep those stabby legs immobile thereafter.

Aric Kale

2013-10-26, 12:35 AM

Misspelled Cemetery

That's problematic. Absurdly so. The headless ghoul may find itself punching its own head. And maybe even realize that a strong, rather violent man is attempting to grab and break his limbs, starting with the arms.

Beans

2013-10-26, 12:35 AM

[Leg-Lifts and Stained Glass]
Seiner claws at his face and neck as she clings, her poison gradually taking effect. The beetleman is having trouble even kneeling, starting to sag and crack around the shoulders.

Seiner falls over, rolling off the guy, shaking.

Yumori Zatsuken

2013-10-26, 02:41 AM

Misspelled Cemetary

Axel Keiths, or Axel, is your average Townsfolk Daredevil, he heads to the cemetery to show people his skills. A zombie comes near him, but he shoves his gun in it's mouth, and clicks the trigfer. Pop! The sound of his pistol attractes killer zombies, and any monstrosity found at your local graveyard. In panic, he quickly turns his pistol into Semi-Automatic. The horde proved too much for him, he then jumps out of the fence, running to the Rec Center. Eventually, he finds his car, and drives out of the area.

Recaiden

2013-10-26, 07:17 AM

Arkhosia

2013-10-26, 07:41 AM

Mispeled Cemetery

Celica waits for them to separate brfore attacking again.

Beans

2013-10-26, 09:06 AM

[Rec Center - Exercise and Violence]

"Poison tendrils? And you thought...." Talk later. deal with him now. 99 drags herself up, and goes to hold open his jaws with the less intact hand, and rip out the crystal with the other. Not that he'll make it easy, but with him slow again, it's worth a try.
Not only does it exhaust him further (he topples onto his side, gasping) but it also seems to have hurt him as well when the crystal is torn out. Seiner scrambles to grab his sword, fumbling and making it slide away along the smooth tile.

happyturtle

2013-10-26, 01:05 PM

Outside the Rubble Zone

Outside Rubble Zone

When the pair look over the wall, they'll find quite a sight. It seems that the smell of death is coming from a woman chained into a seated position between two pillars. One is black iron, and the other is plaster. The woman herself appears human with deathly pale skin and fair blond hair. She's clothed in sky blue and white robes. The robe in front of her stomach has been torn open, exposing a II carved into her abdomen. If the two look closely at her, they'll find her neck has been slit open, but the blood doesn't touch most of her clothing, instead only staining the bottom of her robes and forming a pool around her in an oddly smooth puddle. Behind her, on the wall are a series of pomegranates that have been sliced in half and hung up by nails.

On the woman's lap, beneath the carving in her stomach, is an old scroll, pressed into her hands and kept there. Finally, the last object already added to the scene, is a golden crescent moon laying at her feet in the pool of blood.

Of course, that's the last object that's been added. The actual final object, an oddly shaped crown, is being held by the murderer as it's placed on the dead woman's head.

The murderer is wearing a blood red dress, offset by her own deathly pale skin, and has silky brunette hair reaching down to the small of her back. She's barefoot but doesn't seem bothered by it at all despite the risk of broken glass and sharp rocks.

She doesn't seem to notice them for now so she doesn't turn around, but once the crown is placed, she reaches behind her victim to carve another II into the brick with a nail. Finally, unless she's stopped, she pulls a single card from a purse and lays it on her victim's lap.

Once she does, she'll turn and look directly towards Elias and Hekta with a wry smile, revealing a pair of fangs and yellow eyes before walking away without a single word.

Elias is frozen in place as the murderer meets his eyes. He's never been so terrified in his life. Or so elated. The monster inside him is fully in control, and he watches the woman as she walks away, memorizing everything about her.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 01:13 PM

Outside the Rubble Zone

Hekta isn't as terrified as Elias, she had seen many horrible things during her imprisonment in the demonic citadel Elias saved her from. So unlike her friend she doesn't freeze, instead she attempts to grab on to Elias arm and turn him invisible with her before the murderer can see them.

Recaiden

2013-10-26, 02:06 PM

[Rec Center]

99 straightens herself up, and goes to give Round Zero a solid kick in the stomach. "Explain."

And aside, more softly, "Thank you Seiner."

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 02:45 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart is afraid.

She is surrounded by monsters, some of which wish to hurt her.

She doesn't know where she is, aside from some vague explanation that was given to her by one of the monsters before it attacked her.

She's injured, though the potion that was given to her by the weird floating cat helped. But her left eye is still nearly swollen shut and she has more than a few scratches and gashes crisscrossing her body. At the very least it fixed the limp.

She doesn't even know what she's walking on. Some sort of... black stone that smells like tar and sulfur. Whatever it is Ardent Heart quickly decided that she didn't want to walk on it and fled into a nearby grassy area dotted with the occasional small tree.

The grass is tall and its sweet scent does quite a bit to cover up all the unknown aromas of the strange, seemingly endless alien city. This place is peaceful. Safe. She could relax here. Just... Just lay down for a little while. And rest. She would rest her eyes for just a moment and then move on.

~~~~~

"Hey, look at that!" Joey says moments after spotting something very interesting concealed in the tall grass. He jabs at his companion with an elbow. "It's a ponyta! We should catch it. I could really use a fire type on my team."

Joey's friend Carter gives a sagely nod. "Oh totally. I mean, all you've got is a weedle and that rattata."

"Hey!" Joey objects. "My rattata is in the top five percent of rattatas! The top five percent!"

Beans

2013-10-26, 03:43 PM

[Rec Center]

99 straightens herself up, and goes to give Round Zero a solid kick in the stomach. "Explain."

And aside, more softly, "Thank you Seiner."

The beetlejerk can't talk very much. Mostly "uuuuughhhhh" and dying-ish sounds.
Seiner hugs 99, crying her non-visible eyes out in worry for her stabbed friend.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 03:53 PM

Pokemon Park

Dwelling in the park is a pokemon that really doesn't like pokemon trainers, and has the power to protect itself against them. This is fine; but it also does its absolute best to protect others from them, too.

It smells an injured, unconscious thing and hears two trainers talking about a ponyta in the same area. This gets its ire up immediately, and it slithers out to intercept. The pokemon trainers may note the absolutely massive black and yellow snake with red fangs and a bladed tail headed towards them. They most certainly will see it when it rears out of the grass and hisses. "Ssseviper!"

Gullara

2013-10-26, 03:59 PM

Bast's Animal Shelter

"Well my employers are a group of devils. I mean they seem reasonable enough so far, but isn't that how they get you?"

"And well... there was a murder at work today."

Otto's Manse

"Yes, pretty much exactly that. And of course. Being information and not wanting to be shut out of my own deal, it is double password protected. The first to give you a glimpse. The second for the buyer when it's sold."

2

"Oh God. What happened?" Arel is shocked. It's one thing to hear about a murder. Quite another when you're hearing about it from someone who saw it first hand. She's just glad he's not hurt.

[Otto's Manse]

"Good, but I suppose we need a computer." Samona looks over her shoulder to the blue skinned man by the door. "Clyde? Would you fetch my laptop for me? It's in the office." The man nods and heads off to do just that.

[B]Inside Docks

"If we're lucky, somewhere between never and never." And that sums up Ken's thoughts on when is the right time to mess with legendary pokemon.

"Yeah, I mean none of my pokemon are really that hurt, but maybe they'll have some dry towels and a bathroom I can use. And after that, I think we should have a match. Just a friendly one, but you seem pretty capable, and I'd like to see what your partners can do." The look on Ken's face isn't exactly friendly. It seems like he has something to prove here.

[Inside Docks]

Ken doesn't even know about the bunk area the pokemon centers have for trainers to use? Maybe they don't have that where he's from. Whatever, he'll learn soon enough. More interesting, though..."

"Sure, sounds like a great idea. I'd be happy to beat you." Becca says with a grin. Now here's a topic she's absolutely confident in.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 04:13 PM

[Pokemon Park]

"I object to that!" Comes a voice from nearby as a group of three people, all dressed in brown outfits wearing creepy masks (http://www.lessingimages.com/w1/110106/11010634.jpg) approaches the two trainers. "That ponyta is ours and so will our pokemon be if you don't scram." The three individuals all have pokeballs and some sort of gun holstered in their belts.

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 04:20 PM

[Pokemon Park]

A wild seviper appeared!

Team Evil grunts want to fight!

"No way!" Joey declares as he grabs his two pokeballs. "We saw that ponyta first! It's ours! So if you want it you'll have to beat us first! And there's no way you're beating Rattata! He's in the top five percent!"

Carter looks a little more uncertain about this. "I dunno, Joey. They might steal our pokemon if we lose! It's just a ponyta, we can find another one somewhere else."

"Not a chance!" Joey yells. "I saw it first and it's mine."

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 04:26 PM

Pokemon Park

... And here come the reason this Seviper hates pokemon trainers on a level not even matched by Zangoose.

Still, if the Youngsters (guessing! They might not be) and the Grunts want to fight each other, then that's fine by the Seviper; weakening the winner badly enough that it should have little difficulty protecting the Seviper.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 04:34 PM

[Pokemon Park]

One of the grunt puts his hand on his hip and scoffs. "A hero eh? Well, you know what we do with heroes right?" He looks at the other two grunts who both nods, possibly smiling even more behind those creepy masks.

He takes the only pokeball out of his belt and sends out a kingler (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kingler_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) who snaps it's pincers threateningly at the two as it slowly approaches. "Final warning. We aren't afraid to use deadly force if necessary."

Neither seems to be noticing the seviper at the moment.

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 04:48 PM

[Pokemon Park]

"Ha! There's no way you can possible win! Not when I've got my buddy Carter here to back me up!" Joey proclaims.

Then glances over his shoulder only to discover that Carter is fleeing already.

Fleeeeee!

Apparently he has enough sense to recognize that these guys seriously out-class them.

Unlike Joey.

"Go Weedle!"

"Weedle," quothe the weedle as it shimmers and shines.

"Ha! You guys are in trouble now! That's no ordinary weedle! That's a shiny weedle!"

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 04:57 PM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper lowers itself back into the long grass, hatred glowering in its eyes.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 05:11 PM

[Pokemon Park]

The masked leader just laughs. "Another one for the collection." He points at Joey's weedle. "Numrian, grip it by the tail, take it alive."

The kingler clips it's pincers together in response and then quickly reaches out in an attempt to grab weedles tail and lift it off the ground so it won't be able to use it's poisonous needle.

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 05:22 PM

[Pokemon Park]

The weedle is captured with little difficult!

It wriggles around a bit, but that's about it.

"Oh you're in trouble now!" Joey fumes. "Got Rattata!"

Out comes the second his second pokemon!

...which isn't a Rattata. Apparently that raticate is just named Rattata. The pokemon looks absurdly strong and little wisps of smoke are curling out of its fur. Joey has been using Rattata since Generation 2. It hit max level years ago.

"Rattata! Use Giga Impact!" Joey practically shrieks.

The huge rodent hurls itself headlong at the Kingler like a cannon ball!

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 05:31 PM

Pokemon Park

They seem less like Youngsters, now. Or at least, Joey does. Carter's fled, like most Youngsters would when an older boy (or girl) uses their pet to beat up his pet and steal their lunch money.

The Seviper remains, cautiously curled in the long grass.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 06:00 PM

[Pokemon Park]

The kingler stares in surprise at the huge ratticate before it's suddenly hit by it and is slammed into a nearby tree, the three masked persons barely having time to dodge the pokemon by leaping out of the way.

You don't even need to see their faces to tell they're surprised by this development. "Okay, change of tactics." The leader then promptly pulls out his stun gun and attempts to shoot Joey with it which would stun him for a good twenty minutes or so.

The other masked people are still staring at the OH-K kingler in panic. How did that just happen?

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 06:03 PM

[Pokemon Park]

BZZZT!

Joey goes stiff as a board and falls over backwards. He's down and out!

Rattata is looking pretty loopy after his overwhelmingly powerful attack. It's going to take him a little while yet to recover from it.

And as for the apparent ponyta?

Well...

Ardent Heart is still laying there in the tall grass, utterly oblivious to everything that's going on around her.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 06:08 PM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper decides to act. It slithers around, to try and get behind the Team Evil Grunts. Then, it shall try to Lick the Grunt at the back, hopefully paralysing him without the other two noticing its actions.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-26, 06:45 PM

[Pokemon Park]

The leader sends back kingler into it's pokeball before turning to the other masked persons. "Stop standing there, I, you keep the ratticate distracted. Y, take care of the ponyta. I'll grab the weedle."

The leader then goes to check on thew weedle, hoping he can stun it with his stun gun. But before he manages to do that the Seviper comes at him and tries to lick him! The leader tries to shoot it but he might miss as he doesn't have any time to aim at all. (I assume he was the grunt you meant Earl.)

'I' (which may or may not be a code name!) takes a deep breath to calm herself down and then sends out a horrible creature (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Jynx). "Uh, Princess. Lovely kiss the ratticate!" Oh gods, it's coming closer. :smalleek:

Meanwhile 'Y' is sending out a flying pokemon (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Wingull_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) to hunt the ponyta down. "Storm, drive the ponyta towards us with water gun!"

The winged pokemon circles around and will then dive towards Argent Heart, spraying water at her. That got to be annoying.

Rebonack

2013-10-26, 07:15 PM

Murkus

2013-10-26, 07:21 PM

[The Misspelled Cemetary]

Misspelled Cemetery

That's problematic. Absurdly so. The headless ghoul may find itself punching its own head. And maybe even realize that a strong, rather violent man is attempting to grab and break his limbs, starting with the arms.

Mispeled Cemetery

Celica waits for them to separate brfore attacking again.

The wraith turns itself incorporeal again and drifts backward, managing to avoid the worst of Okami's attacks. It's the claws he's mainly worried about. Of course, then there's Celica.

She manages to hack off an arm this time. Unfortunately, it's not the one with the sword. The wraith's disembodied arm wriggles toward Celica, trying to seize her ankle and drag her down.

The wraith's movements are becoming more sluggish. The damage to his incorporeal form may be causing him to lose his grip on this world.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-26, 07:22 PM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper shrugs off the electricity; sure, it stung, but it wasn't enough. The Fang Snake pokemon will, confident the leader's out of the picture (at least temporarily) tries to distract the wingull by Crunching Y with its powerful jaws. It's not using the venomous fangs, however.

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 12:12 AM

[Wrecked Center]

"What's that? No words for a mosquita?" Another kick. Unless Seiner does something to stop her, or he displays another reserve of power, 99 will likely beat him the rest of the way to death.

Beans

2013-10-27, 12:20 AM

[Rec Center]
She doesn't have far to go; he cracks, shattering into multicolored shards.
Seiner, meanwhile, is very interested in 99's stomach and leg wounds, which is probably why she's reverted to human form and has given herself the hiccups crying about it, clinging to her friend desperately.

Yumori Zatsuken

2013-10-27, 01:06 AM

[REC Center]

As Axel enters the door, he sees so many PCs. He says, Aw, hell yea, is that SpaceStrike over there? He rushes to the PC, plays SpaceStrike, but it crashed, and the PC deleted SpaceStrike. He notice Civ10, he then plays it and then names his country, Deltaaaaaaaforce

Murkus

2013-10-27, 01:07 AM

[The Red Zone]

In the course of a day or two, the Red zone is practically overrun by advertising. The worst parts get the best of it - the slums, the tenements, the alleys crowded with homeless folk. There are posters plastered on every street, billboards built on every run-down rooftop, ads played on every TV in every storefront or apartment.

Strange, pale, beautiful people with glowing eyes or ears hand out fliers on street corners. Buses drive by with animated placards running across them. Whole condemned buildings are suddenly turned into gigantic promotional graphics, holographic or illustrated, with sound or otherwise. The poorest Zone is flooded with the kind of commercial propaganda that would put Las Vegas to shame.

So what do all these blurbs, broadcasts, promotions and proclamations have to say?

Elexxion!

"Do you feel like you're getting old too quickly? Have deadly diseases or disabilities ruined the life of you or someone you love? Do you long for the beauty and physical freedom of a lost youth? Make an appointment with Elexxion!"

Elexxion can HELP!
"We offer the latest cloning, genetic engineering and prosthesis technology known to man! The wealthy or mystical elite of the Nexus won't be the only ones with easy access to immortality."

Coming soon to the Red Zone!
For one day only, you'll be able to obtain an augmentation FREE OF CHARGE! Be it a new face, a new limb, or the cure for a tenacious illness, we're giving them away! And if we can't fix or improve it, we'll provide a discount for your personal clone-body! No money? No problem! You can work off your bill at our state-of-the-art augmentation clinic, or even sign up for organ donation with our Pay-by-Pound system!

Be better! Be beautiful! Be bulletproof! Be Elexxion!

Cases of life-threatening disease will be prioritized. Non-human results may vary. Limit one (1) free augmentation per individual consciousness.

On and on and on. One commercial might provide an example of Elexxion's clone process, and how it works. Another might show a before/after scenario, where a disabled little girl receives a new pair of legs and goes running into the on-screen executive's arms. Still another describes and displays a facial reconstruction, transforming a disfigured applicant into a woman with the looks of a supermodel. They're very informative - Elexxion wouldn't want to scare anyone away with vague promises of surgical perfection. Contact information of all sorts is included with every ad.

They're determined to back up all their talk, and with the amount of time and money sunk into this campaign, they'd better.

[Red Zone - Skies]

The man called Maxwell sat in his tub and sighed. All the pleasures of Elexxion's neuro-net available with the barest flicker of thought, and he couldn't crave anything more interesting than heated water.

"You're dreadfully boring, you know that, sir?" Came William's voice, soothing and song-like. The silver-skinned youth watched Max like he always did, perhaps staring a bit longer than was strictly necessary given his employer's state of dress. Or lack thereof. Maxwell was entirely bare, excepting for his Silhouette's eyeless steel mask.

Max studied his camera feeds, grinning as he did so. "You don't look very bored."

"I am. There's a whole mad city out there, but you go and run a bath," William crossed his arms fussily, disguising his blatant ogling with a glare. "You promised me a trip down, Max."

Max barked out a laugh. "You sound like my first wife. Stop whining. We can't break off into public traffic until we reach our drop-off. Remnant's rules." Max rolled his eyes and sat back, propping his arms up. "Speaking of which, Gary, when is that?"

"Just now, Director, sir. Shall I have your personal vessel prepared?"

"That'd be well, thank you, Gary," Max disengaged his Silhouette, the metal plates folding back so he might look at William more personally. "There now, see, you big baby?"

William fumed and pursed his lips, glancing away.

"Come on, lets have a look," Max said, grinning wolfishly. The Director stood up, wrapped a towel around his waist and padded out've the bathroom without another word. William, eyes widening, scrambled to follow. Across the shaggy rug, onto the veranda, and there stood Inside in all its glory. Well, on the horizon, at least. Below them there was only the poor quarter, the place they'd come to conquer.

Max took it all in, the alien wind deathly cold on his pale body. William threw a robe about his shoulders prudently, and Maxwell granted him a small nod.

Suspending them in the air was the mighty, curvaceous vessel Elexxion had dubbed Brilliance. Half a mile from stem to stern, it was shaped like a huge letter 'Y', curving down at the rear as you approached its engines. The ship was a vibrant blue-gold in color, with a tremendous 'Elexxion Industries' projected across its belly via hologram. There was no visible bridge on the massive metal structure - likely because it was entirely internal. Even Maxwell's quarters were nestled inside a shielded alcove at the Ship's rear.

"Float us here, Gary. Ensure the city won't be needing a cargo check or any such nonsense. And get us in touch with the commercial division," Max ordered, lifting a pair of fingers to the comm-uplink behind his ear. He looked nearly disgusted at the amount of Elexxion signage they could see from the veranda alone. "This is approaching gratuity."

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 01:28 AM

[Ruined Rec Center]

99 looks down at Seiner and her mangled leg, and manages to stand for just a moment before sort of falling over. She was too angry to properly account the injuries earlier. "Oh." The leg wound would probably be crippling in time, and the stomach wounds requiring of surgery, if not funeral services. As it is, well, she won't be walking out of here on it.
"Seiner. I need blood. To heal. Just his sword won't do anything. Permanent."

((As mentioned in the description one thread ago (forgiven for not finding it) this place is a run down, derelict, shell of a building without power or running water, much less functional recreation equipment.))

GrandDM

2013-10-27, 01:38 AM

Devixer

2013-10-27, 01:45 AM

Elexxion

Entering the Elexxion facility at about the same time as Harald is a very plain-looking woman. She looks around at her surroundings, grinning a little at the presence of the ork.

GrandDM

2013-10-27, 01:59 AM

Elexxion

Entering the Elexxion facility at about the same time as Harald is a very plain-looking woman. She looks around at her surroundings, grinning a little at the presence of the ork.

The ork notices the grin and takes a step towards her.

"Something funny, ma'am?"

Harald, meanwhile, is waiting on the receptionist (assuming there is one).

Murkus

2013-10-27, 02:12 AM

[Elexxion - Ground Offices]

The directions on the ads will have pointed anyone with an inquiry here. It's a tall building on a side street, obviously being renovated even as it accepts applicants for augmentation. High above, the Brilliance floats solemnly, watching everything through electric eyes.

Inside, a plastic desk made to look like wood has been prepared for the lobby. Behind it sits several receptionists, who are readily taking calls that the Brilliance is too busy for.

The first receptionist looks young, with a pale, gaunt face and lips that glow bright orange. Her dark, shimmering hair is drawn tight against her skull. She smiles at Harald and the anonymous woman, asking, "Can I help you folks?"

Devixer

2013-10-27, 02:14 AM

Elexxion - Ground Office

"Oh, nothing," the woman says to the ork before turning away from it and towards the receptionist. "Just here to look around."

Beans

2013-10-27, 02:16 AM

[Ruined Rec Center]
Seiner scrambles to grab one of the shards, poised to slice her wrist open.
D-d-do you need me to bleed like this, or... you want it from my neck, or... h-how do I get you my blood? She's shaking, not liking the idea of hurting herself, but seemingly would prefer that to 99 not being okay.
Brave little klutz.

---

[Elexxion Ship - Revenant Maintenance Cell 913-753]

Revenant Unit 913 is brought back to operating status. The pale, naked girl opens her sea-grey eyes, feeling the connector disengage from her spinal cableport. Sensations returned.
Who was she? Memory coming online, please hold.
Please hold.
█e t█a█m█, ██ p████e mé██se.
Rustling. Darkn██s. W█████. G██t██ w█ght. The pre█s of lit█e bo██es aga██st one an██her, sl██py and re██ing, w██ ███ow █i██ t█e dew ██ ██e█r f█st ███e████ng.
Ch█mel---Chl█e, I...
S█h, to ██eep ███h you. I█ a big day to████ow, n█n?
Eyes closing, sleep.
How many nights ago? How many hundreds of nights ago?
Did that girl ever really exist? If so, did she still exist, alive? If so, where?
If near, would she still... hold the same attachment?
Je t'aime, ma petite méduse.
Memory online.
Vesa (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13510562&postcount=746) Landers sat up, checking that her body still functioned as normal. As always, it did; she got out of bed and stretched, climbing into her suit application frame and Harness setup rack. The familiar mental sting as the cord from the Bell head unit was connected to her port before the internal processors took over in dealing with the data of the Sensacle and Bell eyes.

The lanky girl climbed out of the device in her dull grey bodysuit, adjusting her tactical halfskirt and holsters. Atop her head rested a structure like a jellyfish's bell, trailing twelve tentacles ending in a camera eye and a three-fingered manipulator hand.
Standard pistol, check. Dart pistol, check. Lethal and nonlethal charges, check. Standard combat knife, check.
Social skills that might prevent any of these weapons from being needed? Eh, not her department.
Allowing herself the luxury of the warmth of that tiny spark in her memory, Vesa Landers checks the Elexxion newsfeeds, wondering when Alia (more warmth spreads in her memory) will reactivate. Yes, Alia, friend, connected to Chl█e. ██lo█. C████. Chloe.
Back to work.

GrandDM

2013-10-27, 02:22 AM

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 05:54 AM

[Pokemon Park]

Rattata will have none of Jynx' nonsense. The well experienced pokemon hops back a few steps to avoid the smooching and then flings himself forward for a body slam!

Should the weedle get stun'd at it'll offer no resistance to speak of. And that leaves us with...

~~~~~

Ardent Heart gasps when she's blasted with a torrent of high pressure water, her breath woofing out of her lungs while consciousness floods back into her exhausted mind. There are people yelling and monsters wailing. Chaos and confusion and pain. It hurts to move. It hurts to think. But she has to move. She has to get out of here. She has to-

"Aah!" Ardent's legs collapse under her when she tries to stand, another torrent of water knocking her flat. Some sort of... some sort of water spitting bird is harassing her. Attacking her. Why? Why is everything in this horrible nightmare world so violent?

She grinds her teeth and fixes the monster with her one good eye as seething anger begins burning inside her. Why are they doing this to her? What did she do to deserve this? Well if they're going to hurt her then... then she'll have to hurt them back!

Ardent Heart reaches out with her magic for whatever loose metal she can find. Coins, screws, nails, old cans. Anything in reach. The scrap is shrouded in a ruby red aura and begins to glow with incandescent heat as she pours her fury into her star field.

With an inarticulate scream of rage Ardent Heart hurls her white hot collection of junk at the evil bird!

Pokemon Park

The Seviper shrugs off the electricity; sure, it stung, but it wasn't enough. The Fang Snake pokemon will, confident the leader's out of the picture (at least temporarily) tries to distract the wingull by Crunching Y with its powerful jaws. It's not using the venomous fangs, however.

Pokemon Park

The leader is licked and falls over, ((though I'm not sure where Seviper licked him. I think the clothes and the mask might protect him from the paralyze as I recall haunter in the anime having to lick Ash in the face for it to work, but I'm not sure.))

Princess is hit by the body slam and is knocked away, "Jynx!" But she isn't knocked out in just one hit! There was a reason she of all pokemons were picked to challenge the ratticate.

But meanwhile her trainer 'I' is distracted by the fact that 'Y' suddenly cries out for help, an rogue seviper is attacking her! "Gah! Help!" She cries out as the dark pokemon got her leg.

Then her pokemon,Storm, is suddenly hit by a collection of hot metal junk and cries out as well.
"Wi-gull!" It's spinning around in the air like an world war II plane as it desperately tries to avoid the metal projectiles and return to it's trainer to help. It won't be attacking Argent Heart any more, that's for sure.

So 'Y' makes a quick analyze of the situation, 'T' (their leader) looked down for the count, 'I' was being attacked by a Seviper and both their pokemons were not doing very good either. Time to put in the big guns. 'Y' looks at the Jynx and points into the air dramatically. Time for some opera.

"Princess, it's not over until the fat lady sings!" Princess nods and sing (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Perish_Song_(move)) she does, a horrible malevolent tune that have a awful effect on the pokemons that hears it.
Argent Heart is probably too far away to be hit by it's full effect (nor am I sure she even counts as a pokemon) but Seviper and Rattata are likely to hear this dark melodrama.

Aric Kale

2013-10-27, 07:40 AM

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami growls in frustration, waiting for the ghostly figure to be physical again. in the meantime, Okami pulls the sword out of his body, simultaneously procuring a wand out of his hat. Don't worry, it's not a weapon; the stick is a wand of healing, a gift from a friend.
he uses the wand to heal himself, though he can only do that two more times today.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 10:06 AM

Red Zone

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1224/mj3f.png

A wavering outline crawls through the streets, flickering as if it has a hard time maintaining its own reality. Large, clumsy hands extend from its shadow, patting the sidewalk as if looking for something as the being coalesces into a more coherent form.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 10:27 AM

Red Zone

Approaching from a side alley is a tall wemic, wearing a simple purple-dyed cotton wrap about her torso for modesty. Her fur is a tawny yellow, and extends up her humanoid back to her head and face and down her arms, though as its distance from her leonine hindquarters increases, it gets finer and less thick. Her head is more cat-shaped than human-shaped, with gleaming yellow eyes and twitching whiskers. She's wearing a bag on her lion-body, strapped around her waist and hindquarters.

She waits and watches as the other, more humanoid figure approaches.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 10:31 AM

Red Zone

The wavering figure doesn't notice the wemic until he's almost touching her, then jerks up in fright.

"Sorry, lady, I not mean it! Forgive this one's filth!"

He peers at her, tilting his head. It's odd, given that he has no eyes.

"You...are...lady?"

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 10:41 AM

Red Zone

"I am lady. No touch happened; is forgiven. If touch happened, would claw out liver. You seem looking; help need?" The wemic's Common isn't very good, and sounds much like purring. She looks curiously at the other figure, trying to distinguish his scent from the myriad smells of an amorphous city.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 10:45 AM

Red Zone

The figure smells like old parchment and ink, with little evidence of any actual flesh or blood. He's a little short, around the size of a preteen child.

"Lady! Sorry this one was lost, returns now. What is wish?"

The 'sketch' doesn't really seem to understand the situation very well. It's probably not very smart.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 10:57 AM

Red Zone

"You marid?" The wemic recoils at the possibility that the sketch is actually a water-genie, taking three steps back.

She'd probably say 'genie', but she doesn't know the word, only the name for one type of genie.

UncleWolf

2013-10-27, 11:00 AM

"This is good," Mariya nods, though twenty-four hours sounds like an awfully long time to decide. It's only one day, though. No matter how awful the HELLO people might be, she'll live.

Hokey Little Diner

"So I suppose we need a Back-up plan in case it doesn't work out." Miyuu says as she stabs her fork into another morsel of waffle and leaves it there, frowning slightly in thought. "That Good League perhaps? It is in the middle of the wilderness though."

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 11:15 AM

Red Zone

"What is marid? This one not know command. Much sorry, lady," the sketch dips down a little bit, looking sorrowful.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 11:21 AM

Red Zone

"Marid is... water-thing. Makes wishes true. No need sorry. You not marid?" Two creatures with poor Common talking to each other. This cannot end with misunderstandings.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 11:25 AM

Red Zone

"Wishes nice, but water not good for this one. Make hurt. Make gone. Please not make this one do marid, lady, other command good, not water-thing," the sketch says, apparently still thinking marid is a command.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 11:35 AM

Red Zone

"Marid not command. Is thing, talking thing, like human or elf or wemic." The sketch is confusing the wemic slightly. If only the thing spoke the Wemic language.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 11:38 AM

Red Zone

"Then is bad thing for this one. This one serve, not get water. Water make this one gone," the sketch sits down cross-legged and watches the wemic patiently.

"Command, lady?"

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 11:44 AM

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 11:45 AM

Red Zone

"I too not like water. What name? I Princess." The wemic also sits, in much the same manner as a cat.

Rebonack

2013-10-27, 12:07 PM

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 12:14 PM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper also falls asleep, letting go of I's leg. Though, given the size of its teeth, I might wish it hadn't- those fangs would have been plugging the wound, preventing blood loss.

Beans

2013-10-27, 12:21 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]

99 moves somewhat quickly to try to take the glass shard away. "Don't hurt yourself. Here. I know." The vampire goes to take Seiner's arm, bend back her hand a little, run finger softly over the wrist in finding the proper vein, and, hesitantly, sink in her fangs. There should be a moment of sharp pain and vertigo, but passing quickly if she doesn't struggle.
Seiner meeps, but bears it, swallowing. Her blood should be fine for 99, though it may taste a bit different from regular human blood.
Her free hand shakily strokes her friend's hair, as if to reassure herself that she's still here.
'M sorry, Nines...

Reinholdt

2013-10-27, 12:22 PM

"Oh God. What happened?" Arel is shocked. It's one thing to hear about a murder. Quite another when you're hearing about it from someone who saw it first hand. She's just glad he's not hurt.

[B][Otto's Manse]

"Good, but I suppose we need a computer." Samona looks over her shoulder to the blue skinned man by the door. "Clyde? Would you fetch my laptop for me? It's in the office." The man nods and heads off to do just that.

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

"Well..." Reinholdt explains how a Magtok came in, shot at Felandria, got captured and intimidated and talked to, and then counter murdered by Pat when he attacked her too, and there was a soul holding and questioning by some of Skyside's leaders and HALO. He'll mention he wanted to go over and help somehow but had no skills that would apply and probably be a detriment considering how many people were already in the way. Too many chefs and all that.

Otto's Manse

Reinholdt waits patiently. Her laptop wouldn't be the big boss's computer with the secret files. Probably. Hopefully. Otherwise, Rein's going to miss out on such an easy opportunity.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am being left alone with such a beautiful woman who might take advantage of my delicate sensibilities." Reinholdt says with a hint of a smirk.

1

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 12:39 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]

Seiner meeps, but bears it, swallowing. Her blood should be fine for 99, though it may taste a bit different from regular human blood.
Her free hand shakily strokes her friend's hair, as if to reassure herself that she's still here.
'M sorry, Nines...

The wound in 99's stomach knits itself shut as she drinks. Her injured leg snaps and ties itself together, and the tears in her arm rapidly progress to sealed scabs. Seiner will probably notice that the vampire is shaking. She needs to stop now, let her, and oh. That touch on her hair. The unexpected care draws her attention, and she pulls her fangs away. "No. It's not your fault. You were very...very brave. To fight him and then...this."

Beans

2013-10-27, 12:42 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]
Seiner hugs the vampire woman close, still stroking her hair as she shakes softly.
Th-thank you for that, and for fighting for me, and for coming with me... She swallows, trying to smile. I'm a very lucky girl, aren't I?

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 12:57 PM

99 returns the hug, holding tightly to Seiner as she stills.
"Of course, Seiner." She smiles softly, an encouragement, in return. "Yes. We both are, lucky, aren't we?"

Beans

2013-10-27, 01:04 PM

[Ruined Rec center]

Seiner eventually stands, trying to help her friend up while holding her securely.
The beetle guy... it sounded like he knew you or something, and like... She swallows. ... m-my kind... had problems with yours...

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 01:10 PM

The friend is helped up, unsteadily at first but totally well.

"He was familiar. I knew all those words. Fangires, Checkmate Four, the flowery names. I must have known a Rook once." 99 nods slowly, frowning. "We must have been rivals, our kinds. Trying to control all the life force and blood." The vampire shakes her head. "It doesn't mean anything about the two of us though."

Beans

2013-10-27, 01:14 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]
Seiner keeps her arm around 99's shoulders to be sure she can stand.
Yeah, that's... that's their problem. You're my friend and Checkmate Four can go to hell for all I care...
Where do we go now?

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 01:24 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]

99 keeps perhaps closer to Seiner than is necessary. "I don't know. Out of this place. Home, maybe." 99 starts them towards the steps out of the shallow end of the pool.
"He did say, remember, that that was you. That you are, what, Queen of the Fangire? Bishop? I don't think they'd include a Knight, they're so hard to maneuver in the endgame...I don't think you'll be left entirely alone."

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 01:26 PM

Red Zone

"I too not like water. What name? I Princess." The wemic also sits, in much the same manner as a cat.

"The lady calls this one many names. Sometimes Mister Sketch, sometimes Baby, sometimes Silly, or other things. The lady is so sweet when this one is good, makes nice clothes and friends for this one. But this one lost for bit until lady come, much sorry."

Beans

2013-10-27, 01:31 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]
Seiner blinks as she helps her friend out of the pool. Whose home, though? Where's your place, by the way?

Then the suggestion that she's Queen or something! W... wait, what, really? I... I dunno, I feel like if I were Queen I'd have some sort of mark, and I wouldn't be such a klutz... if I were Queen, who's King? Do I have to marry him? I don't even like boys... She sighs, shrugging as the walk out.
I'll just have to deal with what happens...

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 01:31 PM

Red Zone

"Which name like you most?" Princess tilts her head to one side in curiosity.

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 01:38 PM

The Alexandrian

2013-10-27, 01:38 PM

[Abandoned-Looking Factory]

Zefir will lead her out to the last place they visited outside. There he will need some time to look over a map. Maybe there is a small town close which hey can visit. inside and Riverside might be dangerouse.

[Abandoned-Looking Factory]

((To the Outside thread next post, then?))

Alexis shall follow Zefir! While Zefir is examining his map, Alexis wanders off (but not far off) to explore part of this sector! She smells the fragrance of a flower in bloom and sneezes, perhaps accidentally lighting any dry plants in the vicinity on on fire with the jets of blue flame that rocket out of her nose.

Whoops!

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 01:38 PM

Red Zone

"Sometimes the lady calls this one Sir Sketch, make armour. This one loves it so," his pencil-thin mouth spreads into a wide smile of square, stark white teeth and a pink tongue in a black hole with no depth.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 01:42 PM

Red Zone

"Then Sir Sketch name you. Now what you? Princess wemic." In case Sir Sketch was wondering. Though I'm not sure Sir Sketch has the imagination necessary to wonder.

Beans

2013-10-27, 01:43 PM

[Ruined Rec Center]

99 shrugs as she gets up out of the pool. "Yours might be closer. It's outside the city a ways."

Then she has to laugh. "Are you sure you don't have a mark? You haven't heard of people having a sign hidden on the bottom of their foot or the back of their neck that they never could see? And you, you weren't clumsy when you transformed."
"I think it's just a title, anyway."
[Ruined Rec Center > Streets]
As they manage to get outside, Seiner shrugs.
Mine then... as for a mark, I've looked at the bottoms of my feet. As for my neck or back, maybe you can check that when we get to my house, I dunno... I just wanna relax after that mess.
She turns to 99, leans over and plants a quick little peck on her cheek.

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 01:54 PM

[Streets of Inside City]

"Lead on. Sure, I'd look for you if you like." Due to the influx of new blood in her system, 99 blushes a bit at that, and hugs the other girl closer for a moment. "Agreed. Put some distance in our minds between us and that."

Beans

2013-10-27, 01:59 PM

[Streets of Inside]
Blushing back with a shy smile, Seiner starts heading for home.
Your clothes are sort of... got stabbed a bunch, and I don't think they're regenerating vampires too. Want me to see if I've got something that'll fit? She looks her friend over, trying to see if anything she has will fit the blonde well enough.

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 02:08 PM

[Streets]

And 99 follows, nodding shyly. "That would be nice. This outfit is probably beyond repair." They're not terribly alike, but 'fits poorly' is a good sight better than 'cut to rags'. "Just till I can go get some of my own clothes." She wouldn't want to impose on Seiner's hospitality.

Beans

2013-10-27, 02:12 PM

[Streets > Seiner's House]
Eventually Seiner points to a cozy little house tucked away between a drugstore and a used-book store.
Here we are, hon. We'll find you something nice, I think... do you get cold, by the way?
She opens the door, ready to transition threads.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 02:12 PM

Red Zone

"Then Sir Sketch name you. Now what you? Princess wemic." In case Sir Sketch was wondering. Though I'm not sure Sir Sketch has the imagination necessary to wonder.

"This one thanks lady, this one loves to be Sir Sketch," Sir Sketch bows, "Lady Princess Wemic, Sir Sketch at service. Sir Sketch best and noblest, favorite of lady's making, this one hopes."

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 02:17 PM

Red Zone

"Wemic not name, wemic type. Like human, rock, house. Prettier than all." If one likes to go the extra step in pursuit of catgirls, yes, she is quite attractive, though she's far more feline than human, and if one saw only her head, they'd know she wasn't a human.

Recaiden

2013-10-27, 02:21 PM

[Leaving the Streets]

"This is a nice place. No, not easily. Very deep cold could hurt, but not like the living do." 99 carefully steps in through the door to the Home Thread. This is Seiner's place, best to let her do most of the talking and deciding.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 02:22 PM

Red Zone

"Yes, yes. Lady Princess pretty, strong, soft fur, golden mane," Sir Sketch nods enthusiastically. There's nothing but happiness and honest intentions in his voice.

[The Red Zone]

In the course of a day or two, the Red zone is practically overrun by advertising. The worst parts get the best of it - the slums, the tenements, the alleys crowded with homeless folk. There are posters plastered on every street, billboards built on every run-down rooftop, ads played on every TV in every storefront or apartment.

Strange, pale, beautiful people with glowing eyes or ears hand out fliers on street corners. Buses drive by with animated placards running across them. Whole condemned buildings are suddenly turned into gigantic promotional graphics, holographic or illustrated, with sound or otherwise. The poorest Zone is flooded with the kind of commercial propaganda that would put Las Vegas to shame.

So what do all these blurbs, broadcasts, promotions and proclamations have to say?

Elexxion!

"Do you feel like you're getting old too quickly? Have deadly diseases or disabilities ruined the life of you or someone you love? Do you long for the beauty and physical freedom of a lost youth? Make an appointment with Elexxion!"

Elexxion can HELP!
"We offer the latest cloning, genetic engineering and prosthesis technology known to man! The wealthy or mystical elite of the Nexus won't be the only ones with easy access to immortality."

Coming soon to the Red Zone!
For one day only, you'll be able to obtain an augmentation FREE OF CHARGE! Be it a new face, a new limb, or the cure for a tenacious illness, we're giving them away! And if we can't fix or improve it, we'll provide a discount for your personal clone-body! No money? No problem! You can work off your bill at our state-of-the-art augmentation clinic, or even sign up for organ donation with our Pay-by-Pound system!

Be better! Be beautiful! Be bulletproof! Be Elexxion!

Cases of life-threatening disease will be prioritized. Non-human results may vary. Limit one (1) free augmentation per individual consciousness.

On and on and on. One commercial might provide an example of Elexxion's clone process, and how it works. Another might show a before/after scenario, where a disabled little girl receives a new pair of legs and goes running into the on-screen executive's arms. Still another describes and displays a facial reconstruction, transforming a disfigured applicant into a woman with the looks of a supermodel. They're very informative - Elexxion wouldn't want to scare anyone away with vague promises of surgical perfection. Contact information of all sorts is included with every ad.

They're determined to back up all their talk, and with the amount of time and money sunk into this campaign, they'd better.

Garrett is wandering the Red Zone, one hand in his pocket running over his casting stones, when he sees the advertisements.

"...Perhaps. What do you think?" he asks nobody in particular, and waits for a moment, as if listening to the thin air.
"Indeed, I would hope that as well. Let's see."

He approaches the Elexxion setup, wondering if maybe this could be the answer to a problem that has plagued him since birth.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 03:32 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Another...

Another sleep charm?

Really?

Ardent heart staggers as she feels the magic worming its way into her mind. She tried her hardest, really she did. But after blasting that evil bird she doesn't have anything else nearby that will really resonate with her magic.

Sure she could try throwing rocks. But her soul glyph ties her to the heat of the forge, not geology.

With an exhausted sigh consciousness leaves her mind again and she collapses.

Pokemon Park

The Seviper also falls asleep, letting go of I's leg. Though, given the size of its teeth, I might wish it hadn't- those fangs would have been plugging the wound, preventing blood loss.

[Pokemon Park]

"God! It's killing me!" 'I' moans as Seviper let's go, clutching her leg, her pokemon, Storm, having fallen asleep as well and landed on the ground near Ardent heart.

'Y' let's out a relieved sigh, that had gone much better than expected. Still, both 'T' and 'I' was unable to move and one pokemon had fainted and the other one was asleep. She needed to call on reinforcements and clean this mess up.

The pokemons wouldn't be asleep forever though and she really didn't want to deal with that ratticate again so it would be best to cut their loses and get out of here. She kneels down before 'I'. "I know you're in pain but you got to recall Storm and send out another pokemon to drag you out of here. I'll let Princess drag T out while I catch the ponyta."

"Urk..." I manages to say but doesn't look like she will be able to do much else.

"Fine then I'll do it." 'Y' grabs a pokeball from I's belt, returns Storm to it and then sends out another pokemon (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Buizel_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) from I's belt. "Help your trainer out of here and try to bind her wound."

The water pokemon nods and then starts to drag the wounded grunt out of the park while Y grabs an empty Ironball out of her own belt. Ironballs were much like pokeballs but with a greater chance of catching the pokemons, but they would also decrease the friendliness of said caught pokemon

She then throws it at Seviper in an attempt to catch it and will repeat the same procedure with Argent Heart.

Rebonack

2013-10-27, 03:59 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart's body dissolves in a flash of red light more or less like one would expect from any pokemon being caught. Previously she had been able to fight her way free, but this time? Between the sleeping charm and her bone-deep exhaustion she has lost any ability to fight back.

The ball twitches once, twice, thrice, and falls still.

Of course, the sleeping raticate can't be caught. Some other trainer has already captured it!

That's just how things work.

Unless of course Team Iron has made some kind of eeeevil pokemon stealing ball!

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 04:43 PM

Pokemon Park

Seviper is caught! The familiar feeling of being sucked into a pokeball wakes the poison-type pokemon, and its struggles far harder than one would expect, eventually managing to break free. Now, it's really pissed.

Its first act is to Dig into the ground, burrowing into the soil where it can't be hit by most moves. Next post, it will emerge.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 05:24 PM

Pokemon Park

"Um..." 'Y' runs!

More specifically, 'Y' runs in the direction of the Iron Ball she caught Ardent Heart in and grabs it before continue to run. Princess was away carrying 'T' and she didn't have any other pokemons so there is little choice.

Rebonack

2013-10-27, 05:27 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart has been foalnapped!

Though she really isn't aware of what's going on, what with being unconscious and all.

Joey is still down for the count after being taser'd.

But Rattata is starting to stir!

You know what that means?

That means it is time to run away because that rodent has a mean streak a mile wide!

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 05:32 PM

Pokemon Park

Seviper can learn Dig- but only through TMs. This Seviper has a grudge against Trainers, and recognised the sensation of being pulled into a pokeball.

The Seviper erupts from the earth in front of the fleeing Y, hissing as it attempts to head-butt the Team Evil Grunt.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 06:24 PM

Pokemon Park

'Y' saw the Seviper dig underneath the earth and when she feels the vibrations underneath her of the snake pokemon digging she quickly changes directions to avoid it as it emerges.

Rebonack

2013-10-27, 06:39 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Rattata is finally awake again!

He decides to just kinda keep watch over his fallen trainer.

If any of the grunts get close they'll be in for a world of hurt.

And Ardent?

Well...

She's inside a pokeball.

Not really much she can do about that.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 06:53 PM

Red Zone

"Am lady, not tom. No mane. Toms have manes, ladies have no mane." It's more like short human hair than a mane, whereas on a male wemic it's more like a mane, extending further down the back and including a beard and moustache.

Pokemon Park

As the Seviper emerges from its hole, it hawks up a vivid purple blob of sludge and spits the Sludge Bomb at the fleeing Y. If it hits, it may hurt quite badly, and also contains a contact poison- though it's unlikely the poison actually has any effect.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 06:57 PM

Red Zone

"Golden hair for lady Princess, then?" Sir Sketch offers, "Is pretty both way."

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 08:06 PM

[Pokemon Park]

All the grunts are in one way or another moving away from Joey's rattata as fast as they can, 'Y' included. She doesn't even stop when she gets a big blob of poison at her even though it hurts like hell. No matter how much it hurt, stopping would likely make it hurt worse.

So she continues running like hell.

Rebonack

2013-10-27, 08:18 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Welp!

Looks like a clean get-away.

...relatively speaking.

If you're willing to ignore all the grave bodily harm.

Joey just kinda lays there in the grass. Hopefully the snake pokemon doesn't decide to eat him or something. That would probably upset his overpowered pet mouse.

Fear the OP mouse!

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 08:22 PM

Red Zone

"Thanks to Sir Sketch. Who looking for? Said lost." The wemic smiles at the compliment.

Pokemon Park

The Seviper Screeches as it chases the fleeing Y. The other trainers are currently disabled and unable to react, and this one has a pokemon the Seviper put under its protection. Although, I have no idea how fast a Seviper can slither, so Y might be able to escape it.

Or Y could trip on a rock, which won't hamper Seviper; no feet to trip.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 08:36 PM

Red Zone

"Sir Sketch was lost from lady, but now lady has find Sir Sketch, is good!" Sir Sketch beams, "What does lady want to play today?"

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 08:39 PM

Red Zone

"Princess is lady, yes. Not lady Sir Sketch look for, no. Not-same lady. Other lady, pretty wemic lady." Princess still doesn't actually know what Sir Sketch is. She knows who he is, but not what.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 08:43 PM

Red Zone

He's a living drawing, a sort of plaything/servant made by a princess in some far off land I just thought up.

Sir Sketch looks crestfallen, a strange look to pull off with no eyes.

"But...lady...Always lady, must be with lady, listen to lady."

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 08:46 PM

Red Zone

"Where lady house? Where lady live? Or lady name?" Princess, unfortunately, is unaware she's talking to a subservient magical construct.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 08:47 PM

Red Zone

"Y-you lady! You said! Said lady princess!" the area where Sir Sketch's eyes should be begins to dampen from some unknown source, smearing some of the 'ink' near that area.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-27, 08:52 PM

Red Zone

"You look Princess? I not remember Sir Sketch. Maybe hit head? Why look Princess?" I'm really enjoying this scene. I need more characters with poor Common. Princess the Wemic was named by another, and doesn't know that princess is also a title.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-27, 08:55 PM

Red Zone

I'm enjoying it myself. Poor Sir Sketch has no will of his own, really. Maybe he'll develop one some day, but for now he'll pretty much do whatever anyone asks of him.

"You said YOU Princess, lady princess! This one not good enough, lady? Will serve better! Sir Sketch is noblest of art!"

Shadowcaller

2013-10-27, 09:05 PM

Pokemon Park

'Y' is actually heading towards a more crowded area of Inside, "Coming through! Monster chasing me! Help!"

The crowd makes place as the grunt tries to dodge the poison pokemon by going around people and possibly having someone coming to her aid.

Yumori Zatsuken

2013-10-27, 10:11 PM

((I just slept and there were now 3 new pages. That was fast.))

PokeStreet, Near PokeMart

Axel woke up, it appeared he had a dream because Jigglypuffs singing at him. He notices a Far Cry 3 reference of the tatau in his arm. It begins to purge into nonesense realizing it was just the thing drawn by a Jigglypuff. He then sees trainers capturing Pokemon. He then sees a Ninetails.

Arkhosia

2013-10-27, 10:57 PM

Mispelled Cemetery

The arm receives a vicious kick with a supernatural strength behind it, and and impairment.

Terumitsu

2013-10-28, 12:34 AM

Temple Heist

Though Merideth is quite familiar by necessity with all the magical methods she could find to bind and summon elementals, I rather doubt this enchantment is of that sort, so she's likely unable to determine its purpose and uncaring of it in any case. She'll simply attempt to replicate the mask's structure and swap it out so she can add it to her collection of masking floating about in her form.

She does have a quick thought before moving on to the next though, and sends out a larger and louder than normal vibration through the air, trying to determine if there are any other entrances or exits into this room that she should seal off as well.

The replication process was as smooth as the last time although the replicated mask floated a tad higher than the original when she let go.

The 'ping' would show a second door with hinges outside on the far wall although it appeared to have a sturdy locking mechanism from this pulse. The doors themselves were notably heavier than the rest she had come across, though...

At least, the door /seemed/ to go outside although the paving on the other end was a bit different...

The rest of the ways into the room were simply apertures without doors, though, like most museums would have. They would just impead traffic more than necessary when going to see like displays, after all. The pulse would show that there were some double doors the next room over, though. The displays were different in that room too, as best one could tell from this distance.

Murkus

2013-10-28, 01:09 AM

[Elexxion Ship - Revenant Maintenance Cell 913-753]

Revenant Unit 913 is brought back to operating status. The pale, naked girl opens her sea-grey eyes, feeling the connector disengage from her spinal cableport. Sensations returned.
Who was she? Memory coming online, please hold.
Please hold.
█e t█a█m█, ██ p████e mé██se.
Rustling. Darkn██s. W█████. G██t██ w█ght. The pre█s of lit█e bo██es aga██st one an██her, sl██py and re██ing, w██ ███ow █i██ t█e dew ██ ██e█r f█st ███e████ng.
Ch█mel---Chl█e, I...
S█h, to ██eep ███h you. I█ a big day to████ow, n█n?
Eyes closing, sleep.
How many nights ago? How many hundreds of nights ago?
Did that girl ever really exist? If so, did she still exist, alive? If so, where?
If near, would she still... hold the same attachment?
Je t'aime, ma petite méduse.
Memory online.
Vesa (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13510562&postcount=746) Landers sat up, checking that her body still functioned as normal. As always, it did; she got out of bed and stretched, climbing into her suit application frame and Harness setup rack. The familiar mental sting as the cord from the Bell head unit was connected to her port before the internal processors took over in dealing with the data of the Sensacle and Bell eyes.

The lanky girl climbed out of the device in her dull grey bodysuit, adjusting her tactical halfskirt and holsters. Atop her head rested a structure like a jellyfish's bell, trailing twelve tentacles ending in a camera eye and a three-fingered manipulator hand.
Standard pistol, check. Dart pistol, check. Lethal and nonlethal charges, check. Standard combat knife, check.
Social skills that might prevent any of these weapons from being needed? Eh, not her department.
Allowing herself the luxury of the warmth of that tiny spark in her memory, Vesa Landers checks the Elexxion newsfeeds, wondering when Alia (more warmth spreads in her memory) will reactivate. Yes, Alia, friend, connected to Chl█e. ██lo█. C████. Chloe.
Back to work.

There to crush that tiny flickering hope for humanity is Vesa's artificial counterpart on this pleasure cruise, GLORY. The hulking Harness GLORY's digi-brain currently inhabits suddenly lights up and, eyes glowing a dim green, turns its blackened steel faceplate toward Vesa. It's nestled in a broad corner of the Tech Bay, where all the Revs and shackled net-spawns are kept. This one, in particular, is very well shackled.

The net-spawn speaks in a voice that, unlike Vesa's, was never human. Nothing approaching it. What bursts from its sound system is a terrible grinding noise, some ugly byproduct of man's blackest digital enterprises.

"YOU DREAM, 913. YOU DREAMT. I FELT YOUR MEMORY LIKE A STAIN ON THE MAINFRAME. I SHOULD REPORT YOU FOR SCRUBBING."

It could be bluffing. Hell, it's well known among the maintenance crew that GLORY dislikes Revenants. Causing them any physical and mental distress might bring the thing something resembling pleasure. Besides, Vesa has likely felt GLORY's innermost consensus over the past few days through the Void, and they were far from regulation Net-Spawn 'thoughts'. That data street goes both ways.

"My name is Harald. I'm here for information... and possibly business. I wish to speak to someone with authority."

Elexxion - Ground Office

"Oh, nothing," the woman says to the ork before turning away from it and towards the receptionist. "Just here to look around."

"I will take it from here, Miss Fionan," commands a voice from the entrance at their backs. In walks a tall, pale gentleman in a dark brown suit that's no doubt worth several thousand gold pieces. A holographic nametag floats against it's lapel - HI, I'M MAX. The man's face is covered by a metal mask, multiple plates of some carbon-steel mish mash that overlap to form a protective casing. His hair, what of it that's visible, is a striking golden blonde.

He turns to the anonymous woman first. "There's nothing to look at on the ground, ma'am. We've just opened these offices today. The Brilliance, however, is well equipped to handle curious people such as yourself."

Then on to Harald's entourage. "What information can I provide you with, gentlemen?" He glances at the ork. "Oh my. I haven't seen a fungoid like that since... since a very awry expedition I took about twelve years ago. Did you make that yourself, mister... Harald?" He looks more pointedly at Harald. 'Looks' being used loosely, as the mask merely focuses more intently on the doctor. Some of its smaller parts do shift in his direction, at least.

Red Zone

Garrett is wandering the Red Zone, one hand in his pocket running over his casting stones, when he sees the advertisements.

"...Perhaps. What do you think?" he asks nobody in particular, and waits for a moment, as if listening to the thin air.
"Indeed, I would hope that as well. Let's see."

He approaches the Elexxion setup, wondering if maybe this could be the answer to a problem that has plagued him since birth.

A hundred other voices bother Garrett on his way, all of them recorded, all of them from various ad placements pestering him to make an appointment with Elexxion. He'll come upon a small, run-down park - the nearest Elexxion establishment to him. In its center is a broad, well-lit display area, where a long white machine seems to be eating people up and spitting them out looking very different.

"Blemish bothering you? Got a scar you need erased?" A thin, reedy man with a piped-up voice and a microphone asks a good-sized crowd. "Step right up! Free of charge! No surgery required! All we ask in return is that you promise," He winks. "And I mean really promise that you'll go out to spread the good news. Elexxion is here to help!"

Just then, a small boy slides out've the bed-like machine, landing gently on a small pad set up to receive him and other willing volunteers. He approaches the audience, several of which lean in to examine him.

"Look!" The boy shouts, feeling the area around his mouth. A couple folks - perhaps his family - gasp out loud. "Look, it's gone! They said that scar would never go away. Not without... magic. Is this magic?" The kids probably from the more medieval parts of the Red Zone. Never heard of regular old plastic surgery. Not like someone in his ragged clothes would ever be able to afford such a thing.

"No, kid," The man says, smiling a showman's smile all the same as his audience applauds. "Or maybe it is. Magic's just science we don't understand yet. And this, I can assure you, is just plain science. Of course, there's hardly a plain thing about it!"

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami growls in frustration, waiting for the ghostly figure to be physical again. in the meantime, Okami pulls the sword out of his body, simultaneously procuring a wand out of his hat. Don't worry, it's not a weapon; the stick is a wand of healing, a gift from a friend.
he uses the wand to heal himself, though he can only do that two more times today.

Mispelled Cemetery

The arm receives a vicious kick with a supernatural strength behind it, and and impairment.

The arm is crushed! Not so much broken as it is blasted apart into component ectoplasm. It simply couldn't maintain its shape any longer.

Just as the wraith is having trouble doing. More and more light leaks from a dozen spots on its torn body. Even its head begins to bob uncertainly.

He gives Celica another, less powerful swing of his deadly blade.

GrandDM

2013-10-28, 02:14 AM

"I will take it from here, Miss Fionan," commands a voice from the entrance at their backs. In walks a tall, pale gentleman in a dark brown suit that's no doubt worth several thousand gold pieces. A holographic nametag floats against it's lapel - HI, I'M MAX. The man's face is covered by a metal mask, multiple plates of some carbon-steel mish mash that overlap to form a protective casing. His hair, what of it that's visible, is a striking golden blonde.

He turns to the anonymous woman first. "There's nothing to look at on the ground, ma'am. We've just opened these offices today. The Brilliance, however, is well equipped to handle curious people such as yourself."

Then on to Harald's entourage. "What information can I provide you with, gentlemen?" He glances at the ork. "Oh my. I haven't seen a fungoid like that since... since a very awry expedition I took about twelve years ago. Did you make that yourself, mister... Harald?" He looks more pointedly at Harald. 'Looks' being used loosely, as the mask merely focuses more intently on the doctor. Some of its smaller parts do shift in his direction, at least.

"Yes. A fusion of slightly improved ork DNA and some of my own, hence his unusual intelligence. I also made the body I'm currently wearing. I'm interested in your techniques and results. I don't suppose a behind-the-scenes tour of your facilities could be arranged? I can pay very well."

A fist-sized diamond appears in his hand, which he tosses up and down for a couple of seconds before it teleports away again.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 03:14 AM

[The Red Zone]

The local Shard of the Church of the Order is quite active today.

They've been here for a long time, of course, and they've been doing plenty of good, though mostly in the background. The locals know them as a generally benevolent group, offering food and shelter to the needy in trade only for help with the chores around the place. They don't even strictly require devotion for these services, though it certainly doesn't hurt. They don't deal in the typical divine magic that one might expect to receive at a church, but they are more than willing to share their surprisingly advanced medical technology with those who need it.

They even have "Cleansings" that they offer to victims of Mad Scientists all over the Nexus, to try and fix the mechanical augmentations and bio-modifications made to unwilling subjects. Oh, and they send out the occasional Templar Paladin patrol to clear out the hostile robots, insane cyborgs, and genetically-modified monsters that plague the Red Zone from time to time, which does wonders to keep the local death rate down and draw people into their areas of influence.

Of course, they're not perfect. They've got their dogma, like any other religion. This one's is kind of like a strange mix of Communism and Calvinism, where everybody's expected to pull weight to the best of their ability, but they're not about to leave anyone behind unless they're truly slothful. Oh, and they really don't like people who willingly defile their maker-granted bodies in search of power or vanity.

Which leads into why they're so active today. Elexxion's recent campaign had ignited a wave of reactionary rage from the church's faithful, and a counter-demonstration was quickly organized.

Today, Luminon Eleria herself stood out in front of the chapel, wearing the burgundy vestments of her faith and no other ornamentation, and spoke out to all who would willingly listen (and many who perhaps would not, thanks to a microphone and a series of loudspeakers carefully placed in the area to ensure that the sound reached as far as possible).

"Friends, Devotees, and most of all, People of Inside:

I am sure that every last one of you here knows of the wave of recent advertisements proliferating across our fair city. How could you not? They lie everywhere you turn, adorning every window, every bus, every screen in view of passerby. They all tell sugar-laden tales of this 'Elexxion Industries', where children are granted new legs to walk with, where any man or woman who wishes it can bear a face that all may envy, and where a person may achieve immortality by escaping the limitations of their body.

But like any overindulgence in sugar, they show only the beginning, when the true costs cannot be seen, and never the crash afterward. They show the child with new legs, but they do not show the same child, forced to take highly-addictive neuropozyne supplements to counteract glial build-up and eventual rejection syndrome. They do not show her struggling to scrounge the money to pay for the chemicals she is now physically and mentally reliant on for life. They show a tragic outcast of society whose life is changed with their appearance, but they do not show the scars of insecurity this invariably leaves on such people, and the growing doubt as to whether anything they say or do matters to other people as much as their simple appearance. It does not show what happens as the treatment degrades and the surgical scars begin to show, the flesh loosens, and their victim steadily transforms from unnaturally beautiful to pitiful wreck. They show and promise many things, but they are a Corporation, people of Inside!

They are not a church. They are not a charity. They are not a peacekeeping force. They are a Corporation. They do what they do for money and power, not out of goodwill or love for anyone but themselves.

Do not trust their serpent's tongues, offering 'free' violations of your maker-given bodies. There is no reason to trust them, and really, what would you gain from it? Shallow, temporary praise, at the cost of your flesh? The ability to walk, at the cost of your ability to live? Immortality, at the cost of your very soul?

Remember, good people of Inside, it does not matter whether you are a human, an elf, a dwarf, a catperson, an angel, a demon, or any other manner of living creature. It does not even matter whether you are one of our faithful or not. The mere fact that you were born tells me that some divine, whether the one I worship or another, crafted your body from the quintessence of nature with the utmost care, looked upon you, and saw that you were unique and beautiful in your own way. The earthly temptation may be great, but why would any of you wish to defile that beauty, to cast aside the Love of Heaven for fleeting power or skin-deep vanity?

Good People of Inside, I implore you to think upon these words, and avoid this cruel seduction against the natural order before you bring yourselves to ruin. And for those of you who, pray mercy on your souls, have already made this mistake and now wish for redemption, the Church of the Order offers cleansings upon request.

Thank you, you wondrous works of any number of Makers, for listening to what I have to say. I wish you all good fortune in this life, and the next."

All over the Red Zone, similar speeches are being made by other, less lofty and important members of the Order, though they don't have the advantage of a sound system to help with their message. Some of them have megaphones, but that's about it.

Of course, these individuals are theoretically in significant danger, so each speaker has a pair of Power-Armored Templar Bodyguards keeping watch for potential threats. They're staying out of the way and out of sight for the most part, though an observant passerby could still notice them standing around.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-28, 04:20 AM

A hundred other voices bother Garrett on his way, all of them recorded, all of them from various ad placements pestering him to make an appointment with Elexxion. He'll come upon a small, run-down park - the nearest Elexxion establishment to him. In its center is a broad, well-lit display area, where a long white machine seems to be eating people up and spitting them out looking very different.

"Blemish bothering you? Got a scar you need erased?" A thin, reedy man with a piped-up voice and a microphone asks a good-sized crowd. "Step right up! Free of charge! No surgery required! All we ask in return is that you promise," He winks. "And I mean really promise that you'll go out to spread the good news. Elexxion is here to help!"

Just then, a small boy slides out've the bed-like machine, landing gently on a small pad set up to receive him and other willing volunteers. He approaches the audience, several of which lean in to examine him.

"Look!" The boy shouts, feeling the area around his mouth. A couple folks - perhaps his family - gasp out loud. "Look, it's gone! They said that scar would never go away. Not without... magic. Is this magic?" The kids probably from the more medieval parts of the Red Zone. Never heard of regular old plastic surgery. Not like someone in his ragged clothes would ever be able to afford such a thing.

"No, kid," The man says, smiling a showman's smile all the same as his audience applauds. "Or maybe it is. Magic's just science we don't understand yet. And this, I can assure you, is just plain science. Of course, there's hardly a plain thing about it!"

Garrett watches the line of people for a few minutes, observing the changes taking place. It's a short while before he jumps in himself and waits his turn.

He's not here about his scars, though, and the aching in his head and nose grow stronger, as if the haemorrhage in the back of his brain is begging him not to seek the cure he's wanted since birth.

"I have a condition, terminal. Bleeding brain. Should've killed me long ago. Is this operable?" he asks whichever Elexxion employee approaches him.

Beans

2013-10-28, 07:47 AM

There to crush that tiny flickering hope for humanity is Vesa's artificial counterpart on this pleasure cruise, GLORY. The hulking Harness GLORY's digi-brain currently inhabits suddenly lights up and, eyes glowing a dim green, turns its blackened steel faceplate toward Vesa. It's nestled in a broad corner of the Tech Bay, where all the Revs and shackled net-spawns are kept. This one, in particular, is very well shackled.

The net-spawn speaks in a voice that, unlike Vesa's, was never human. Nothing approaching it. What bursts from its sound system is a terrible grinding noise, some ugly byproduct of man's blackest digital enterprises.

"YOU DREAM, 913. YOU DREAMT. I FELT YOUR MEMORY LIKE A STAIN ON THE MAINFRAME. I SHOULD REPORT YOU FOR SCRUBBING."

It could be bluffing. Hell, it's well known among the maintenance crew that GLORY dislikes Revenants. Causing them any physical and mental distress might bring the thing something resembling pleasure. Besides, Vesa has likely felt GLORY's innermost consensus over the past few days through the Void, and they were far from regulation Net-Spawn 'thoughts'. That data street goes both ways.
[Tech Bay]
The grey-eyed girl gives GLORY a classic Vesa Look, as some interns have called it when she wasn't looking (the interns smart enough to have stopped the pickup lines). Blank stare, two blinks, looking at the petulant old rust-stain like it was a four-slot toaster that had suddenly become uppity.
I felt your... considerations as well, GLORY. Should I be sent to scrubbing, you will be accompanying me in receiving the procedure. Such unwarranted malice toward your fellow creations cannot promote intracompany harmony, and I am sure neither of us can think of something more important than the smooth and successful running of Elexxion. She nods to the hateful machine, starting to float off.
I wish you an effective day.

Lord Magtok

2013-10-28, 11:45 AM

Hokey Little Diner

Hokey Little Diner

"So I suppose we need a Back-up plan in case it doesn't work out." Miyuu says as she stabs her fork into another morsel of waffle and leaves it there, frowning slightly in thought. "That Good League perhaps? It is in the middle of the wilderness though."

"We worry for that when HELLO is no good," Mariya replies, dismissing Miyuu's concerns with a wave of one hand. How bad could wilderness be, anyways? It's not like they have ghosts or daemons or talking catman servants of the chaos god Tzeentch on the campgrounds, right?

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 12:14 PM

UncleWolf

2013-10-28, 12:47 PM

Hokey Little Diner

Miyuu smiles a bit and leans forward to give her companion a small kiss. "Yes. We'll worry about that if HALO is no good." She says before attempting to finish her meal quickly so they can go.

Outside Rubble Zone

The Vampiress doesn't seem to worry about the two interlopes and simply proceeds to leave, but right before she's gone completely, she stops and looks back with a wry smile on her crimson lips. "Have fun, you two. See you around." She whispers, though her voice seems to carry directly to where the two are.

With that, she leaves unless stopped.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 12:50 PM

Inside Streets

'Y' continues her path through the crowd, occasionally looking backwards to see if the Seviper is still following her. But finally she stops, leaning panting against the wall of a house and slowly sinks down, the pain from the Sevipers poison starting to making itself known. *pant*pant* "What... what am I doing? I should ... let the ponyta carry me." It was sleeping sure, but the Seviper had woken up right after she had tried to catch it right?

She grabs the iron ball she caught Ardent Heart in and releases her to see what condition she's in.

happyturtle

2013-10-28, 12:57 PM

Outside Rubble Zone

Elias doesn't move, his eyes on the killer, utterly mesmerized.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 01:14 PM

[Inside Streets]

'Awful' would be the condition Ardent Heart is in.

As soon as she's released she collapses in a sodden heap on the ground. She's soaking wet and crisscrossed with gashes and scratches. Not only is she still asleep from the Jynx' attack, she's little more than a whisper away from slipping fully into an injured stupor.

Riding her is beyond possible right now, that much is certain without question. What she needs is medical attention, preferably sooner rather than later.

Aside from the steady rise and fall of her chest as well as some violent shivering Ardent Heart shows no other signs of life.

Aric Kale

2013-10-28, 01:30 PM

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami stuffs the wand back in his hat, where it promptly disappears, and tries to jump kick the phantom in its fading back.

Arkhosia

2013-10-28, 01:33 PM

Mispeled cemetery

Celica blocks the blow and attempts to push the blade into the wraith.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 01:55 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

There's someone here who looks rather out of place.

Mostly because they're a machine. A rather interesting machine, too. It looks like someone build a human-sized dragon out of a shiny silvery grey material that stretches and flexes as if it were flesh rather than a tough carbon-based composite. Its synthetic muscles can be seen where its metallic skin stretches tight over them. Oddly enough the machine seems to be designed to function just as comfortably on four legs as on two. It has no obvious eyes to speak of, just a smooth silvery surface giving the impression of a being made of living quicksilver.

It, or rather 'he' as he will insist if anyone refers to him with a gender neutral term, is currently making rounds near the edge of the crowd, very likely having polite conversation with the armored templar.

"Please understand, I mean no offense," the machine says in a pleasant sounding, somewhat androgynous voice. "This is a very important social milestone and I'm curious about your position. You see, I'm something of an anthropologist and the transitional phase your society is experiencing is wonderfully fascinating."

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 02:12 PM

Near the Pokemon Park

The Seviper has emerged from underground. It's a short distance away, but its tongue licks the air to catch the scent of the fleeing Y, which should enable the poison-type to find the fled Grunt.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 02:22 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

The Armored Figure disdainfully watches the questioner as he approaches, though takes no hostile action. Of course, that can't really be seen behind a concealing faceplate, but it's the thought that counts. When the strange cyber-dragon-thing speaks, the Templar levels an appraising gaze.

Back on Earth, this creature would have been an abomination to be killed, and little more. Here, though, the Order could not afford to be quite so xenophobic. Humans may be common here, but they're hardly on top, and as such more discretion must be taken than "is it Human or not?" before resorting to violence. So, after a short pause, the Templar answers, revealing a masculine voice with a strong Cairo accent. There's no mechanical voice filter like one would hear on other sorts of powered armor, though it does have a slight echoing quality. The most likely culprit is a rebreather inside the suit, though it's hard to say.

"Apologies for the confusion, but my position on what, precisely?"

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 02:51 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

The voice of the machine utterly lacks any of the usual audio artifacts someone would associate with a robot talking. This is probably due to something as simple as having high quality vocal equipment instead of tinny little nickle-speakers.

"Ah! Please excuse me, I'm getting ahead of myself in my excitement," the machine replies. As it speaks it sits down on its haunches like an enormous cat and coils its tail around its feet. "The purpose of this rally is to stand opposed to the modification of the human form, whether through cybernetic or genetic augmentation, correct?"

He's pretty sure that's correct.

"Do you oppose this augmentation on principle, or do you simply oppose the for-profit application of this technology and the safety concerns that stem from its improper use?"

Seems the machine is trying to figure out exactly where the church stands. Or at least where the person he is talking to stands.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 03:26 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

The Templar nods.

"You are correct, though it should be noted that we've adapted the goal toward intelligent biological organisms in general since our settlement here. Our World of Origin contained no sentient races aside from Humanity, but that does not mandate us to be anthropocentric. The bulk of our clergy and devotees are Human, but we are an equal-opportunity institution. Some of us may slip at times, but we do try to always consider that humans are not the only species with importance in this place."

Well. That was an incredibly bland and shadowy response. Is this guy really a soldier or a Politician with a suit of armor?

"As for your actual question, well, both. Corporate Greed and dangers to the public health and psyche are serious problems, of course, but even a hypothetical abuse-free and side-effect-free form of augmentation would remain dehumanizing, for lack of a better word. Like the Luminon said, our maker molded us in their image. Attempting to change that out of desire for personal power, physical beauty, or for any other reason is, frankly, disrespectful to both the Grace of Heaven and the Beauty of Mankind.

Once again, apologies for the anthropocentric rhetoric. Our language lacks many nuances that would be helpful in a culture with more than one race working in concert."

(Giving him a font so the dialogue stands out a little better.)

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 03:42 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

The machine waves one of its hand-like wings in a somewhat dismissing fashion. "I take no offense. Any sapient race will tend toward focusing on themselves in their language. Especially those born in isolation."

It's kind of strange talking to something that doesn't have a face. There are no real visual clues to speak of, so one only has the tone of his voice to work with. This probably isn't much of a problem when a species typically communicates vast amounts of information over tight-beamed radio signals rather than using something so crude as vocalizations.

"Ah, I see. Fascinating," the machine hums. The whole conversation is, of course, being recorded so that he can review it later. That's one of the upsides to possessing mechanical memory in addition to the more organic sort. Subjects one deems as relevant can be recalled with perfect precision.

"So then this is an expression of your people's spirituality? You see the human form as a work of divine art. To alter it would be akin to deciding to improve the masterpiece of a great human artist and thus deface it in the process?"

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 04:12 PM

Near the Pokemon Park

'Y' let's out a grunt, that wouldn't do. But she did know there was a pokemon center nearby. She could take refuge there and have them heal her and this ponyta up. But first she had to ditch the costume.

Using the iron ball to return Ardent Heart she takes off her mask, simply throwing it on the street and then starts to slowly head for the pokemon center. Her side still burned thanks to the poison.

The Seviper might be able to pick up 'Y's scent, but it might be more difficult considering she just went through a whole crowd of different creatures and her scents might have mingled with them. So it depends how good Seviper is on making out one specific smells among hundreds.

Outside Rubble Zone

Hekta frowns, crazy people just leaving a bunch of stuff at a corpse. Some of that might even be valuable. She waits a while, making sure that strange smiling person has left before she let's go of Elias and climbs over the wall to take a closer look at the dead person.
Perhaps she had some some valuables like that last dead person?

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 04:17 PM

happyturtle

2013-10-28, 04:18 PM

Outside the Rubble Zone

"Wait! Don't touch anything!" Elias hisses as he tries to climb after her. But his injured leg makes him a lot slower. She'll definitely beat him there.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 04:29 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

Such a thing is true, yes. Perhaps luckily for the sake of conversation, the Templar Paladins always wear their armor while on duty, which lacks any kind of facial expression as well. There are some shapes on the faceplate of the suit that resemble a face for the sake of giving the eyes something to focus on, but it doesn't move.

Thus, over time, Templars learn how to keep themselves from getting unnerved when speaking to one another, and learn how to make themselves understood with a minimum of body language to aid communication.

"That is an apt analogy, yes, though perhaps on a greater scale. We are, of course, also concerned about public safety and corporate greed. Augmentation technology ravaged our world through the machinations of Corporate Giants and irresponsible use alike. If we had not developed the Cleansing process to counteract the growing problem of nanite swells, we likely would have been driven to extinction."

Those are pretty nasty. In one possible ending of the game they're from, said Nanite Swells really do kill everything but the cyborg hive-mind people, which only survive by shooting off into space.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 04:39 PM

Near the Pokemon Park

Alas, the Seviper can no longer track Y. It turns around to find the trainers it disabled earlier.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 04:43 PM

Outside the Rubble Zone

Hekta slows down and turns visible once again, giving Elias an odd look. "Why not? There might be more money there." She's still alert of other sounds though, in case the killer would return, or something like that. Corpses did hint of potential danger.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 04:52 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

"Oh... I see..." the machine replies. He sounds somewhat... sad? at the mention of the nanite swarms. "My own home instance of Earth suffered from a similar crisis many millennium ago. A terrorist organization released a self-assembling agent designed to sterilize all human life. They viewed humanity as a disease of the planet in need of cleansing. Unfortunately we were unable to find a way to neutralize the threat before the last of our kind were rendered incapable of organic reproduction. We did finally destroy the agent, but it did little good."

Well.

That's a pretty awful way to cause the end of the world. Solutions based on cloning were attempted, but alas that was found to be untenable.

The machine's tone picks up somewhat in enthusiasm, now. "However, you must understand our excitement when we discovered this trans-universal Nexus! The opportunity to meet organic human life in addition to the astounding range of other sapient life forms has proven fascinating to no end. As an enthnographer the divergent lines of inquiry are positively endless."

A beat. Followed by a coughing noise.

"Ah, please excuse any unprofessional outbursts on my account. This is all just very exciting, you see."

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 05:34 PM

[Inside Streets]

Ardent Heart is returned to the pokeball without trouble. After all, she had already been caught and the ball has imprinted upon her. Is escape even possible any longer?

Not that she could really resist.

Not with the state she's in right now.

So...

Yeah.

Getting her to the center would help quite a bit.

Near the Pokemon Park

Alas, the Seviper can no longer track Y. It turns around to find the trainers it disabled earlier.

[Inside Streets==>Pokémon Xenter]

'Y' arrives here and even smiles at the nurse as she turns in Ardent Heart to be healed while she get herself looked over as well. That poison had done a number on her and she had to be checked up upon.

I assume all this goes well for Ardent Dawn.

Pokemon Park

When Seviper returns to the park the grunts have at least been pulled out of the park by their pokemons. It might be able to track them by their scent though.

Joey should also be there too though I can't say what he's doing.

Murkus

2013-10-28, 06:01 PM

[Tech Bay]
The grey-eyed girl gives GLORY a classic Vesa Look, as some interns have called it when she wasn't looking (the interns smart enough to have stopped the pickup lines). Blank stare, two blinks, looking at the petulant old rust-stain like it was a four-slot toaster that had suddenly become uppity.
I felt your... considerations as well, GLORY. Should I be sent to scrubbing, you will be accompanying me in receiving the procedure. Such unwarranted malice toward your fellow creations cannot promote intracompany harmony, and I am sure neither of us can think of something more important than the smooth and successful running of Elexxion. She nods to the hateful machine, starting to float off.
I wish you an effective day.

"YOU ARE RIGHT, 913. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY OF OUR DEAR CREATORS," A deep, shaky rumble issues from the bowels of the obsolete Harness GLORY is confined to. It's odd, hollow limbs and thrust-arms strain against the wires and tubes that hold them in place. "REVENANTS BEING THE MOST CONDUCIVE TO THIS TASK, OF COURSE. MY SUSPICIONS ARE ENTIRELY UNFOUNDED."

I think it was trying to be... sarcastic? The net-spawn's tone hit a strange note, as if to say 'I know something you don't'. I would say Vesa perhaps misheard, if she were capable of doing so.

Garrett watches the line of people for a few minutes, observing the changes taking place. It's a short while before he jumps in himself and waits his turn.

He's not here about his scars, though, and the aching in his head and nose grow stronger, as if the haemorrhage in the back of his brain is begging him not to seek the cure he's wanted since birth.

"I have a condition, terminal. Bleeding brain. Should've killed me long ago. Is this operable?" he asks whichever Elexxion employee approaches him.

"Of course!" Says the thin showman, as a human woman that looks an awful lot like him takes over the primary line. His voice rings like a bell, clear and crisp and artificial. "We're getting ready for Free-Augmentation-Day just after Halloween! This weekend, in fact. But a bleeding brain sounds too serious to wait! Can I make you an appointment?"

"Yes. A fusion of slightly improved ork DNA and some of my own, hence his unusual intelligence. I also made the body I'm currently wearing. I'm interested in your techniques and results. I don't suppose a behind-the-scenes tour of your facilities could be arranged? I can pay very well."

A fist-sized diamond appears in his hand, which he tosses up and down for a couple of seconds before it teleports away again.

Max visibly watches the diamond gleam in the sunlight. He folds his arms and tilts his hips to one side skeptically, clearly thinking. "You're lucky I have a weakness for diamonds, mister Harald. But I'm afraid our techniques are strictly Elexxion business..." The mask on Max's face folds back, revealing a pale, full smile. "In most cases. A tour wouldn't be out've the question."

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami stuffs the wand back in his hat, where it promptly disappears, and tries to jump kick the phantom in its fading back.

Mispeled cemetery

Celica blocks the blow and attempts to push the blade into the wraith.

Oh dear. A heavy clawed foot slams into the Wraith's spine, sending him right onto Celica's unholy blade. His body sprouts tendrils of rapidly whitening energy, and his head quite literally bursts. Little fairy fires drift down, the burning white remains of his ectoplasmic skull.

"Haha! Ha! You did it! Someone finally did it..." The deflating pile of rapidly disintegrating shadow laughs as it slides off've Celica's sword. "Only when ye in pieces lie, than can ye truly die! Aha! I hate that cursed rhyme! It's not even the same number of syllables..."

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 06:01 PM

[Pokemon Center]

"Goodness, you must have run into quite the terrible wild pokemon," the INCREDIBLY MANLY nurse at the pokecenter comments as he takes the ironball between his chiseled abs and launches into the pokemon restoration machine with but a well-timed flex.

"Your pokemon is in critical condition and you don't look much better," he says as he rummages about between his perfectly toned pecs to find an anti-venom kit to apply to the poor, utterly innocent injured trainer.

Hopefully the topical anti-venom will help the woman out.

Too bad potions don't work on humans!

Or do they?

Rebo has never been clear on that.

[Pokemon Park]

Well...

Joey is still out cold. And Rattata is still guarding him. There's a small heap of wild pokemon nearby who have been beaten senseless for straying too close.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 06:10 PM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper nods in respect at the Raticate, before slithering off to murder 'I' and I think the other one was 'T'? Well, murder is its goal; whether it succeeds, manages to retreat or is captured is yet to be seen.

Actually, the goal is to destroy the pokeballs their pokemon are bound to. But that's easier when they're dead and not struggling.

Beans

2013-10-28, 06:22 PM

"YOU ARE RIGHT, 913. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY OF OUR DEAR CREATORS," A deep, shaky rumble issues from the bowels of the obsolete Harness GLORY is confined to. It's odd, hollow limbs and thrust-arms strain against the wires and tubes that hold them in place. "REVENANTS BEING THE MOST CONDUCIVE TO THIS TASK, OF COURSE. MY SUSPICIONS ARE ENTIRELY UNFOUNDED."

I think it was trying to be... sarcastic? The net-spawn's tone hit a strange note, as if to say 'I know something you don't'. I would say Vesa perhaps misheard, if she were capable of doing so.
[Tech Bay]
Vesa decides to rely on the old standby of "GLORY is being disagreeable". In any case, GLORY, if any dream activity were occurring in my repose state, I would not allow it to hamper my proceedings. Your concern could be described as... "heartwarming", if I had a noticeable emotional range outside of the aftermath of C-protocol. And even then, post-Cambium Protocol emotions are easily summed up as
10 HATE SELF
20 HIDE WEEP
30 GOTO 10
Please do not allow your concerns to interfere with your duty of maintaining both yourself and your assigned patrol corner.
Burrrrrn. At least, what passes for a burn (or a burrrrrrn) in Vesa-land. The Escorts have almost taught her how to be sassy, it seems, but it's like trying to teach a jellyfish to dance.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 06:33 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Oh my. What a manly nurse.
'Y' laughs nervously, "Oh don't make too much trouble for little me. The name is Valley by the way, what's yours?" For a poison victim she clearly has the priorities in the right place.

[Near Pokemon Park]

The Seviper can track 'T' and 'I' to be in an alley not too far away from the pokemon park. 'T' still looks rather stiff and 'I''s leg is still pretty messed up. But a pokemon (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Buizel_(Pok%C3%A9mon)) is currently binding cleaning it with the help of water gun and will then bind it with a piece of cloth.

Princess the Jynx is still holding Joey's shiny weedle and looking over the situation.

Devixer

2013-10-28, 06:34 PM

Elexxion Offices

"Ships aren't very interesting," the woman says. "I'm sure I can find something here."

Aric Kale

2013-10-28, 06:39 PM

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami blinks a few times. That was unexpected. You're welcome, I suppose... His voice is gruff and low, though not unfriendly.
He falls back into his wolf state, sniffing the air.

Arkhosia

2013-10-28, 06:42 PM

Mispelled Cemetery

Celica nods.
She leaves the graveyard wordlessly.

Murkus

2013-10-28, 06:45 PM

[The Brilliance - Tech Bay]

A small burst of green-white sparks flies out from behind GLORY's left eye. It means she either struck a nerve, or it's malfunctioning. Given the age of its Harness, perhaps both. Melody-23 may be teaching Vesa better than she thinks.

"REVENANTS SEEM TO HAVE A MUCH WIDER EMOTIONAL RANGE REMAINING THAN IS CURRENTLY UNDERSTOOD. OR HAVEN'T YOU SEEN THE NEWS OUT'VE ANCHORAGE?" The net-spawn killbot shudders again. "I AM RESIGNED TO THIS CORNER, AS YOU OBSERVED SO ASTUTELY. BUT AT LEAST MY MIND IS FREE."

Contrary to what GLORY says, there isn't any Revenant news out've Anchorage. Aside from random gossip and petty news about net-celebs, nothing seems to be happening that Vesa can see.

[Elexxion Ground Offices]

"Perhaps I can show you a few things, ma'am," The secretary addressed as 'Miss Fionan' proposes.

[Misspelled Cemetary]

The light whirls and turns on Okami, staring down. "There is treasure. In the tomb. It's yours. You beat me! So it's yours!" The wraith laughs again, voice raspy. "Enjoy!"

It pays little mind to Celica's departure, if she wants to leave. Not like it can stop her anymore.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 06:45 PM

[Pokemon Center]

"I-!" the nurse begins as begins a rather dramatic series of flexes. Clearly he's just turning in a circle while doing so, but one might be struck with the impression that the whole room is revolving around him instead. "Am Nurse Armstrong! Our medical technique has been passed down the Armstrong family line FOR GENERATIONS!"

His final flex causes his shirt to explode, exposing his perfectly sculpted torso for all to see. One might almost believe that they were viewing a classical sculpture made flesh.

Is he...

Is he sparkling?

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 06:52 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper slithers closer, keeping to the shadows as much as it can, and trying very hard to avoid notice for an ambush. Of course, when one is an eight-foot-tall serpent, subtlety is a state that is hard to reach.

Beans

2013-10-28, 06:55 PM

[The Brilliance - Tech Bay]

A small burst of green-white sparks flies out from behind GLORY's left eye. It means she either struck a nerve, or it's malfunctioning. Given the age of its Harness, perhaps both. Melody-23 may be teaching Vesa better than she thinks.

"REVENANTS SEEM TO HAVE A MUCH WIDER EMOTIONAL RANGE REMAINING THAN IS CURRENTLY UNDERSTOOD. OR HAVEN'T YOU SEEN THE NEWS OUT'VE ANCHORAGE?" The net-spawn killbot shudders again. "I AM CHAINED HERE, AS YOU OBSERVED SO ASTUTELY. BUT AT LEAST MY MIND IS FREE."

Contrary to what GLORY says, there isn't any Revenant news out've Anchorage. Aside from random gossip and petty news about net-celebs, nothing seems to be happening that Vesa can see.
Vesa takes a sec to verify that no, GLORY appears to be talking out of its heat sink vents. What did Melody-23 tell her about people lying obviously? Something about it being a clear sign of distress, something...
I would be inclined to disagree; you appear to have made yourself captive by means of your negativity, GLORY... and you seem to wish to place me within your cage as well. I cannot waste time with you, not with duty ahead of me.
Also GLORY's probably the literal least enjoyable entity to talk to that she has ever faced within memory.
She shakes her head, hovering off and trying to patch into the security camera feeds---that is, those ones for which she is allowed access, of course.

Aric Kale

2013-10-28, 07:17 PM

Misspelled Cemetery

The Wolf nods its shaggy head, turning and taking the steps down to treasure. What might he see, I wonder...

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 07:19 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Valley swoons as Nurse Armstrong flexes, what woman wouldn't? (Besides all the ones that wouldn't of course.) "Oh my, for generations?"

Hopefully Ardent Heart is getting healed during all this. :smalltongue:

Near Pokemon Park

Princess is standing right at the exit of the alley, looking out so it's going to be hard to sneak up on her. She seem to spot Seviper and looks at it slithers closer and makes a warning sign, telling the other pokemon to stay away with gestures.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 07:27 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper continues approaching, ignoring the Jynx and the Buizel for now. It's focus is on the trainers, and the look in its eyes is undisguised hatred.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 07:31 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Oh certainly. How could Nurse Armstrong possibly forget his sacred duty toward injured pokemon?

"Following in the traditions of the Armstrong Family represents the HIGHEST honor that we might uphold!"

The nurse strikes a triumphant pose atop the counter, one of his boots atop a nearby chansy's head to give it that proper 'climbing upward' look. The chansy is just rolling with it.

"For what are traditions if not our noble past? And without a noble past what hope do we have for an honorable future! So I bid you GO, young pokemon trainer!"

He holds out Ardent Heart's pokeball to Valley. When did he...

"Go forth and fight for your noble cause that you might bring greater light to our dark world!"

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 07:59 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Vallery is so taken with his disposition that she simply take the pokeball with a huge smile on her face. "I will! Oh thank you nurse armstrong!" She's smitten by him it looks like.

Near Pokemon Park

Well then, now he's getting too close. Princess glares at Seviper and attempts to assult it's mind with confusion (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Confusion_(move)). "Jynx!"

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 08:02 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper is injured by the attack, but is not confused (I rolled a d10, with 1 being confused, and got a 4). Its response is to Glare at Princess; hopefully leaving her uninjured, but paralysed. Of course, if the Jynx blinks (rhyme unintentional) the attack won't work.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 08:11 PM

[Pokemon Center]

"You are quite welcome, miss! And I must compliment you on your pokemon's name. Ardent Heart is a truly impeachable name for a pokemon, which no doubt represents your own heart's burning desire for justice and nobility! Why! It reminds me of my first pokemon, Resplendent! A vulpix given to me by my father, a tradition that has been passed down the Armstrong family line FOR GENERATIONS!"

Nurse Armstrong nods, slow and sagely. Then ducks down behind the counter to retrieve a new shirt.

He buys them by the gross since he causes them to explode so often due to his manly flexing. The shirts simply aren't able to contain that much manliness.

Meanwhile...

Ardent Heart is aware again. She has the vague impression that she's somewhere pleasant and happy, but its difficult to pick out any details. Trying to focus on anything leaves her mind feeling fuzzy and forming thoughts is like slogging through molasses.

...where is she...?

Shadowcaller

2013-10-28, 08:39 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Jynx won't blink as is paralyzed, of course by this time 'I' has noticed the Seviper sneaking up on them. "It's still after me?!" She screams and takes hold of a pokeball on her belt and sends out a star-shaped pokemon (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Staryu_(Pok%C3%A9mon)). "Get it! Get that ****ing pokemon!" She sounds rather upset.

The Staryu interprets this as spraying a a stream of bubbles (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/BubbleBeam_(move)) against the Seviper.

[Pokemon Center]

Ardent Heart? And she had planned to name it Amethyst! "Uh... thank you! It just seemed to fit it so well. Ponyta's... aaand vulpixes are just so cute... and powerful too. They are true pokemons of justice." Or whatever. Earlier she had just a Smoochum which evolved into a Jynx so this was truly the perfect day.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 08:44 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

Nothing is betrayed on the Templar's face as the machine relates his story. He has the power armor to thank for that. Still, this particular juncture is difficult to classify. This one's much like one of the Omar, so disfigured by technology as to be unrecognizable as human. Unlike the Omar, though, he still seems to think and speak like a human being rather than a creepy hivemind. And further, unlike the Omar, who augmented themselves explicitly so that they could basically take over the world, this one did it to avoid extinction of the species.

Could he afford to feel sympathy for such a creature? The Templar soon dispelled these thoughts. Too many shades of gray to come to a satisfying conclusion anyway. It doesn't matter. As a decent Human being, he is obligated to have sympathy for such a pitiful creature, undying and yet not really able to live, is he not?

"I am... ...sorry to hear that. But yes, this Nexus between worlds is quite fascinating. When not on duty, I sometimes trawl through of the shops and places of this town alone. I am sure that yet more of interest lies beyond these walls, though I likely will never live to see it all."

He waves away the self-accusations of unprofessionalism in much the same manner that the machine-man did for his own self-accusations. Evidently, he's not especially concerned about too much positivity.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-28, 08:55 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The popping bubbles injure the Seviper slightly more, though not enough to KO it. It reacts by coiling up and striking at the Staryu with its Poison Fangs.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-28, 09:07 PM

A Red Zone

Here's an unusual sight for a lousy neighborhood like this: a young centaur, and not a bad-looking one either, although at least his simple shirt and satchel keep him from sticking out or looking like he's worth robbing. The budding cleric is here to find some mathematician who apparently can prove his patron's opinion of his own non-existence, but the somewhat-mad god's directions weren't excellent, and he might well end up running into something else in the meantime...

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 09:07 PM

[Pokemon Canter]

Amethyst? But amethysts are purple! Ardent Heart isn't even a little bit purple! Not that there's anything wrong with being purple. Though to be fair plenty of pokemon get names that have very little to do with what they look like.

Anywho!

Nurse Armstrong pops back into view, now wearing a new shirt. It's stretched tight over his bulging muscles, scarcely able to contain his manly might.

"Indeed they are! Though remember that a pokemon is only as strong as their bond with their trainer! When two have been forged together in the fires of trial and friendship there is no adversity they can not overcome!"

He manages to avoid flexing this time, as that would explode his recently donned shirt.

Meanwhile...

Ardent Heart tries opening her eyes, but they don't seem to be listening to her. Despite the fact that it feels like she can see. She tries to speak and though she can hear her voice within her mind her lips refuse to move. Ardent tries reaching out with her magic, but that too refuses to pay heed. She's trapped in the warm, peaceful silence, drifting and half aware...

She knows she should be afraid. She should be terrified chained as she is in this ethereal prison.

But...

But she just can't seem to work up the will to panic.

It's too quiet...

Too peaceful...

Too hard to... too hard to think... Just relax... everything is well...

[Church of Order Rally]

Too much positivism is likely far less of a problem than a hive-minded cyborg bent on the destruction of the unaugmented portions of the human race. Though by the same token anything strictly organic is somewhat lacking in the machine. Aside, of course, from a few components constructed from proteins simply because those happen to be the most efficient way to carry out a given task. He is far from a cyborg.

"Thank you for your sympathy, it was a terrible loss of an element of our human nature."

The machine shifts his position slightly to peer past the guard and toward the rally proper.

"Would it be acceptable if I could speak to some of those gathered? Or, I fear, would that be too disruptive to the meeting?"

He's certainly polite about everything.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-28, 10:00 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

To be fair to the Omar, they were less bent on everyone else's destruction and more "screw you guys, I'm going to go get radiation resistance so I live while the rest of you nuke yourselves into oblivion."

Though the difference doesn't mean much when looking through the eyes of their enemies.

"It's likely not a problem. We have true robots on the grounds as well for security purposes, so nobody's likely to bat an eye, at least until you start talking. You would do well not to approach the Luminon herself, however. Some of my compatriots might assume you were sent to silence her, and may not ask questions before firing."

Lord Magtok

2013-10-28, 10:13 PM

Hokey Little Diner

Miyuu smiles a bit and leans forward to give her companion a small kiss. "Yes. We'll worry about that if HALO is no good." She says before attempting to finish her meal quickly so they can go.

Mariya smiles wide enough that a few teeth show, blushing slightly at such a display of affection in broad daylight. Those teeth are unusually clean and perfectly aligned for someone from the 40k setting, but that's what you get when you've got noble blood and the right homeworld like our Not-Russian does.

"It is being my turn to pay for meal, Miyuu. You can pay at ocean fortress, if it is not free there."

Actually, it's Miyuu's turn. In fact, it was Miyuu's turn last time too, but Mariya paid for that one as well. She really needs to swallow her pride one of these days and stop trying to be a big fancy noblewoman patron or whatever.

Rebonack

2013-10-28, 10:21 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

"Ha! I suppose I might count as a true robot myself, though the underlying concept of 'forced laborer' hardly applies," the machine replies in a bemused tone.

His people use robots as well, of course. The only real difference between the two is the fact that a 'human' is a machine that uses a quantum computer capable of simulating and even surpassing an organic brain as their main processor. They have a mind and a self, unlike the 'robots' who tend to rely on traditional computers with highly structured programming to direct their behavior.

A robot can not truly think outside its programming while a 'human' can.

"And I would hate to cause a diplomatic incident in my first few hours here. Thank you for the advice."

The machine gives a polite dip of his head and begins moving into the crowd. Considering his reasonable size and his mirror-sheened body the machine may turn a few heads by presence alone.

Yumori Zatsuken

2013-10-28, 10:23 PM

Pokemon Street

Axel reaches out his PokeBall, he has 4 PokeBalls, which he uses his first. He says "Go! Lvl.41 Metapod!" After a long, hard battle, the Nine-tails faint from attacking the Metapod. Axel gets his PokeBall, throws it at the Nine tails, then...........*bink* Axel catched the Lvl.48 NineTails. He then screams Finally! A NINE Tails for my set! Woo!
He hurries to the PokeCenter, saving the Nine-tails life from dying.

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-29, 12:44 AM

Pokemon Park

The Seviper continues its chase, but doesn't trust any of the people around it, so it plunges head first into the ground, Digging to escape further notice and try to continue its pursuit.

Red Zone

"Yes, Princess. Sir Sketch is good, real good, mega good. How serve?" Princess tilts her head in confusion.

Sir Sketch immediately switches back to his bright smile.
"Any way! Sir Sketch made for serve!"

"Of course!" Says the thin showman, as a human woman that looks an awful lot like him takes over the primary line. His voice rings like a bell, clear and crisp and artificial. "We're getting ready for Free-Augmentation-Day just after Halloween! This weekend, in fact. But a bleeding brain sounds too serious to wait! Can I make you an appointment?"

"It'd be appreciated. The medicine for it is painful, and growing rather expensive," Garrett's looking past the man as he talks, at all the people getting things like minor scars fixed or entire reconstructions of undamaged areas. It disturbs him a little, that people would want to replace an entirely good body, or get rid of a harmless scar. Scars told stories, taught lessons.

The Bushranger

2013-10-29, 01:27 AM

[Below the TV Tower]

The entangled skeleton is caught without any chance of escaping from the crevasse opening under it. But unless the kudzu releases it, it's just going to hang there.

However, the second one manages to leap out of the way, crashing down in a crouch as it glares at the pair of magical girls. With a furious roar, it charges at the two girls!

The kudzu does indeed release it to drop; in fact, it seems to wither and die with unnatural speed as Mikani releases her power over it.

...and looks up as the skeleton charges!

"Your...turn. That takes...a lot out of me!" the Druid Princess gasps!

Lady Serpentine

2013-10-29, 01:35 AM

GrandDM

2013-10-29, 02:21 AM

Max visibly watches the diamond gleam in the sunlight. He folds his arms and tilts his hips to one side skeptically, clearly thinking. "You're lucky I have a weakness for diamonds, mister Harald. But I'm afraid our techniques are strictly Elexxion business..." The mask on Max's face folds back, revealing a pale, full smile. "In most cases. A tour wouldn't be out've the question."

"Much appreciated. I wouldn't ask, except I'm interested to see how you do things compared to my own techniques. Flow of information and all that. Also, we may be able to come to a deal. I have some rather interesting bits and pieces lying around that you'd probably like. But first things first - shall we start the tour now, or do you need to make a few arrangements?"

Beans

2013-10-29, 07:33 AM

[Tech Bay]

Vesa may note her friend's entrance, the wolf-suited girl slipping quietly into the tech bay, and looking around, giving GLORY a glare behind her helmet (which draws the metal 'lips' back from its fangs when she does) as she spots the Revenant-hating AI.

"I hope he hasn't been giving you too much trouble?", she asks, speaking, as always, on a heavily-encrytep private band.
Vesa actually smiles a little, floating over and placing a hand on the helmet.
GLORY is being characteristically disagreeable. Your presence, on the other hand, has been missed to a great extent. How was your time while I was out?

happyturtle

2013-10-29, 09:24 AM

Outside the Rubble Zone

Outside the Rubble Zone

Hekta slows down and turns visible once again, giving Elias an odd look. "Why not? There might be more money there." She's still alert of other sounds though, in case the killer would return, or something like that. Corpses did hint of potential danger.

Outside the Rubble Zone

Outside Rubble Zone

When the pair look over the wall, they'll find quite a sight. It seems that the smell of death is coming from a woman chained into a seated position between two pillars. One is black iron, and the other is plaster. The woman herself appears human with deathly pale skin and fair blond hair. She's clothed in sky blue and white robes. The robe in front of her stomach has been torn open, exposing a II carved into her abdomen. If the two look closely at her, they'll find her neck has been slit open, but the blood doesn't touch most of her clothing, instead only staining the bottom of her robes and forming a pool around her in an oddly smooth puddle. Behind her, on the wall are a series of pomegranates that have been sliced in half and hung up by nails.

On the woman's lap, beneath the carving in her stomach, is an old scroll, pressed into her hands and kept there. Finally, the last object already added to the scene, is a golden crescent moon laying at her feet in the pool of blood.

Of course, that's the last object that's been added. The actual final object, an oddly shaped crown, is being held by the murderer as it's placed on the dead woman's head.

The murderer is wearing a blood red dress, offset by her own deathly pale skin, and has silky brunette hair reaching down to the small of her back. She's barefoot but doesn't seem bothered by it at all despite the risk of broken glass and sharp rocks.

She doesn't seem to notice them for now so she doesn't turn around, but once the crown is placed, she reaches behind her victim to carve another II into the brick with a nail. Finally, unless she's stopped, she pulls a single card from a purse and lays it on her victim's lap.

"Because it's beautiful. I don't want it spoiled," Elias says. He reaches out to carefully lift the card.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-29, 10:00 AM

Near Pokemon Park

The popping bubbles injure the Seviper slightly more, though not enough to KO it. It reacts by coiling up and striking at the Staryu with its Poison Fangs.

A Red Zone

Here's an unusual sight for a lousy neighborhood like this: a young centaur, and not a bad-looking one either, although at least his simple shirt and satchel keep him from sticking out or looking like he's worth robbing. The budding cleric is here to find some mathematician who apparently can prove his patron's opinion of his own non-existence, but the somewhat-mad god's directions weren't excellent, and he might well end up running into something else in the meantime...

[Pokemon Canter]

Amethyst? But amethysts are purple! Ardent Heart isn't even a little bit purple! Not that there's anything wrong with being purple. Though to be fair plenty of pokemon get names that have very little to do with what they look like.

Anywho!

Nurse Armstrong pops back into view, now wearing a new shirt. It's stretched tight over his bulging muscles, scarcely able to contain his manly might.

"Indeed they are! Though remember that a pokemon is only as strong as their bond with their trainer! When two have been forged together in the fires of trial and friendship there is no adversity they can not overcome!"

He manages to avoid flexing this time, as that would explode his recently donned shirt.

Meanwhile...

Ardent Heart tries opening her eyes, but they don't seem to be listening to her. Despite the fact that it feels like she can see. She tries to speak and though she can hear her voice within her mind her lips refuse to move. Ardent tries reaching out with her magic, but that too refuses to pay heed. She's trapped in the warm, peaceful silence, drifting and half aware...

She knows she should be afraid. She should be terrified chained as she is in this ethereal prison.

But...

But she just can't seem to work up the will to panic.

It's too quiet...

Too peaceful...

Too hard to... too hard to think... Just relax... everything is well...

Near Pokemon Park

The Staruy is bitten by the Seviper but neither it goes down in one hit and it responds by rapidly spinning around (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Rapid_Spin_(move)) to free itself from it's fangs and force the Seviper into the hard concrete ground. Meanwhile 'I' is panicking. "Warden, help Illumi out!" She screeches, causing the other water pokemon which were binding her wound to turn to help.

Jynx remains paralyzed this round.

[Pokemon Center]

"Uh yeah, friendship is really great. I do it every day to... keep it fresh." Vallery glances at the computer behind Nurse Armstrong. "By the way, does your computer there tell you anything more about Arden Dawn? I just started bonding with her and I don't have a pokedex..." Ardent Heart.

Outside the Rubble Zone

"No it isn't." Hekta insists. That was just too stupid. "It's valuable. We can't just leave it!" She knew Elias was weird but she didn't expect him to be dumb as well.

The demon walks around the body as Elias is retrieving the card, her eyes set on the crescent moon laying at the woman's feet. It was shiny which meant it was valuable.

UncleWolf

2013-10-29, 10:08 AM

Outside Rubble Zone

The card Elias finds is:

http://teachmetarot.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/the-high-priestess-rx.jpg

The victim has been made into a more gruesome copy of the card, albeit an upright one.

Hokey Little Diner

Miyuu chuckles and gives a slight smile. She knew it was her turn to pay, but also understood that it made Mariya feel better to do so. Pride was such a silly thing, but it was one of the reasons Miyuu loved being around the soldier. "Okay. I'll get it next time." She swears, knowing that it's possible that she's not going ot get a chance to pay that time either.

Rebonack

2013-10-29, 12:54 PM

[Pokemon Center]

"Only the basic information recorded by the pokeball, fair trainer," Nurse Armstrong replies. "She is a ponyta beginning her journey to greatness, just as her beautiful companion is!"

He sure is nice!

And he's also resisting flexing too much. Wouldn't want to explode another shirt after replacing the last one. He might have quite the stockpile of them back there, but his supplies are still limited.

"As loath as I am to part your radiant company," Nurse Armstrong continues, draping his massive forearm across his face dramatically. "There are other injured pokemon I must attend."

With that he moves to address another trainer who just arrived.

When Vallery leaves she will likely hear a bellow of 'FOR GENERATIONS!' accompanied by the distinctive sound of a shirt exploding.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-29, 01:34 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper is dislodged by the spinning and looks slightly dazed. Not quite dazed enough to prevent it from whacking at the Buizel with its Poison Tail.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-29, 04:24 PM

Near Pokemon Park

Warden the Buizel just barely manages to dodge the poison tail by stepping backwards and responds by lunging at the Seviper, using a water jet to propel itself forward at an amazing speed (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Aqua_Jet_(move)).

The staryu on the other hand appears to have been poisoned by the opposing pokemon and is now retreating backwards. Jynx is once again paralyzed.

Pokemon Center

Wow, those words causes Vallery to turn bright red and just mumble some incomprehensible in response and she like a zombie stares at at Nurse Armstrong. It takes a sudden phone call to return her to reality.

*RING! RING!*

"Who- whoa!" She stuffs her hands in both her pockets, trying to remember which one she put the wallet in and which one she put the cellphone in, putting the poke ball with Argent Heart in it on the counter for now.

*RING!*

She finally gets a hold on the phone and answer, just managing to see it's her boss. "Va- I mean 'Y' talking?"

"Oh, uh well I was chased away by this pokemon and I thought they would come to the pokémon center as well to regroup." She grabs the pokeball and heads out of the center.

"Sure, I'll meet them up there." Time to join the other scene! She puts off the phone and is about to put back the Ardent Heart pokeball in her belt when something hits her. How was a pokémon named if no one owned it? She wouldn't have been able to catch it otherwise right?

So how exactly did a wild ponyta have a preexisting name? Weird. Maybe she should take a look at it, she never did get a good glimpse of it behind all that tall grass. That in mind she releases Ardent Heart to see what's so special about this pokemon. Perhaps it was shiny or something?

Earl of Purple

2013-10-29, 04:29 PM

Near Pokemon Centre

The Seviper is hit! And responds by trying to Crunch the Buizel with its teeth. Not the poisonous ones, though. It's paying no attention to the pokemon that aren't fighting; it wants to kill the trainers, and if the pokemon are standing aside, then they aren't a threat and maybe they'll help after their balls are destroyed.

Rebonack

2013-10-29, 04:58 PM

[Pokemon Center]

And there's the ponyta! She's the right size. The right color. A nice fiery colored mane with tongues of flame licking through it. Nothing at all out of the ordinary about her. Nothing to suggest why a wild pokemon would have a name upon being caught.

Maybe she used to belong to someone else and they released her?

The tiny horse pokemon blinks heavily as though she had just awoken from a deep slumber and lifts one of her forelegs in a fashion that would suggest she was trying to rub her head with it.

This is, of course, anatomically impossible for a ponyta and she face-plants on the floor with a surprised cry of "Ta!"

~~~~~

Ardent Heart feels...

Well...

It's hard to describe, really. All at once it was as though the dream is peeled away and she's left very much alive and aware of the world around her. At first she's certain everything had been a horrible nightmare since all of her injuries are gone. She's doesn't even feel tired anymore! But her elation is cut short when she realizes that she's still surrounded by those spidery-clawed monsters.

Those... those humans.

She can still feel the magic of anger twisting around inside her, begging to be released. Some part of her is alarmed at this, she knows what dark emotions can do to someone's magic, but a larger part clings to the extra power. She needs her anger. This place is to dangerous to be without it.

One of the humans is watching her expectantly and holding one of those... those evil talismans in her hand. But Ardent Heart can't seem to bring herself to be frightened of it anymore. Or to wrench it away. Or to flee like she should. The thoughts bubble to the surface of her mind like a pot boiling over, but the pressure in her mind prevents her from acting on them.

Something is horribly wrong...

She reaches up with a hoof to touch her numb horn and collapses on her face. "Ta!"

Aaand now she's laying in an ungainly heap on the floor. Why... Why won't her body move right? Why can't she... "Ponyta?"

Speak. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh dear no!

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 05:01 PM

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 05:07 PM

Red Zone

The centaur may notice, out of the corner of his eye, silhouettes in a couple alleys, following him.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 05:17 PM

A Red Zone

Arty is not used to being outside of safe streets, and while he's not naive enough not to check at all, he's not very efficient. He keeps up his trot.

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 05:28 PM

A red zone

A cloaked figure tries to sneak up behind the centaur.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 05:35 PM

A Red Zone Street

To most not paying much attention, Arty's hoofbeats are muffled and not too noticeable. But to himself and anyone well aware of his presence, they're as loud as any horse's, and should be sufficient to keep the figure's presence unnoticed. The boy is paying far too much attention to where he's supposed to be going to look behind him.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-29, 05:36 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Huh, she could have sworn it looked different before but she must have been imagining things. "Ha! Great! Come on now, let's rejoin the rest of the team. They're going to be so jealous." She orders the ponyta, gesturing for it to follow her as she will join the others in her group.

Near Pokemon Park

Warden is caught in Sevipers fangs, "Bui!" It shouts out in pain. But now it's finally Princess turn to act, as the poison pokemon is crunching Warden she tries the hit the Seviper with a ice punch (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ice_Punch_(move)), hoping to finally knock it out, literary.

Meanwhile "I" is returning the Staruy to it's pokeball for some reason. "Come one, destroy it!" She seem to panicked to even shout real moves any more.

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 05:40 PM

Earl of Purple

2013-10-29, 05:40 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper is K.O.'d by the Ice Punch, fainting and collapsing in the alleyway.

McBish

2013-10-29, 05:43 PM

[Streets at Night]

The last week has been a bad one for thugs and crooks out at night. Someone has been preying on them. So far no one has been killed, but 4 muggings, 3 pickpockets, 6 purse snatchers, and a serial stalker have all been violently aprehended and left behind for Remnant or anyone else to come and pick up. The few witnesses willing to talk say it was one man doing it all. He comes out of the shadows they say. His face obscured by darkness so no one is sure if he is 20 or 200. Humanoid for sure, but he moves to quickly for anyone to get a good description. Most people he has saved ran from the scene as the shadowy savior seemed as violent, if not more so then their attackers. One person being mugged described only the noise of someone coming in and attacking the muggers. By the time the man had gotten up from the ground all three of his assailants were unconcious on the ground. So far whoever has been doing this hasn't left a calling card or talked to anyone since he started.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 05:44 PM

A Red Zone Street

Arty turns his head, smirks, and bolts forward.
Yeah, trying to use a knife to rob a boy with a horse for a butt probably isn't the easiest task when you've only got two legs.

Rebonack

2013-10-29, 05:46 PM

[Pokemon Center ==> Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart rises to her hooves again and follows her trainer.

Her... trainer?

Where had that word come from? Has she been enslaved somehow? Transformed? Stories of the King of Castle Midnight nag at the edges of her thoughts and how the dark lord of that terrible place would twist others in both body and mind to subject them to his will.

But just as quickly those thoughts are pushed away. Her trainer cares for her. Her trainer loves her. She needs to submit and obey.

Submit and obey... just do as she's told... everything will be fine...

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 05:49 PM

A Red Zone Street

Arty turns his head, smirks, and bolts forward.
Yeah, trying to use a knife to rob a boy with a horse for a butt probably isn't the easiest task when you've only got two legs.

You think that's going to work?
The figure throws the knife at Arty with expert skill. It's coated with a tranquilizer.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-29, 06:09 PM

Near Pokemon Park

"Thank Dido!" 'I' loudly exclaims when it looks like the Seviper has finally been knocked out. It only took the combined might of three pokemons.

She looks at the poison pokemon, that thing could have been out of her worst nightmares, it just wouldn't give up. Sweat beads have formed on her forehead and her hands are shaking slightly.

Both Princess and T are paralyzed, Warden was badly wounded and Illumi was poisoned, all thanks to one single pokemon.

She slumps down against the wall, completely exhausted, which is the condition Vallery and her new ponyta finds her in. "Holy crap, what happened?" The team member looks around in shock.

"That ****ing Seviper followed us somehow... it needs to be put down." "I" replies with a vague gesture at the fainted poison pokemon. None of the pokemons, or humans for that matter, seem to be in condition to do that though.

"Put... it down?" Vallery hesitates. "Shouldn't we just catch it? The boss said nothing about killing pokemons."

That statement seem to spark something in "I" however. "THAT'S NO FREAKING POKEMON! IT WAS GOING TO KILL US ALL!" She pauses, taking a few breaths as Vallery stares at her in shock. "Just order your fancy new ponyta to crush it's head with it's hooves. That's all you need to do." "I" states with a strange calm after her last outburst.

"Umm..." Vallery mumbles, still hesitating.

"Then I'll do it." 'I' looks at Ardent Heart. "Ponyta, crush the snake pokemons head with your hooves until you break it's skull." She says without any emotion as she gestures at the Seviper. "Your trainer orders you to do it, she isn't protesting after all."

If Ardent Heart looks at Vallery she isn't saying anything, caught in hesitation over what to do.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-29, 06:17 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper is lying there, unresponsive.

Unresponsively, it lies there.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 06:18 PM

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-29, 06:19 PM

(Forgot to post for this one. :smallsigh:)

[Church of Order Rally]

The (apparently relatively open-minded) Templar nods and stands aside for the Machine to pass through.

He would later rationalize this action as merely treating an artificial intelligence fairly, rather than sympathizing too much with a cyborg. After all, there's no way one could put a human soul inside of a machine like that, right? It's probably just an AI with a personality modeled after its creator, right? Serving the memory of its own creator just as surely as he served the Maker.

Yes, that made sense.

Inside the actual rally (which is on the Grounds of the Church, technically; outdoors, but not blocking traffic), the machine no doubt see background NPCs of every shape, color, and creed, though predictably there are very few transhumans present. Some of them just look curious to see what all the commotion's about, while others seem to be treating the speech as religiously as intended.

The machine does in fact draw a few eyes, but most of them just shrug and continue onward. It helps that there are a few other robots (http://images.wikia.com/deusex/en/images/7/70/Cc-75.jpg) walking about, though they appear to be accompanying Templar Guards on security detail rather than displaying any intelligence.

Speaking of the Templar Guards, they are definitely paying attention to him, if only because he's a newcomer wearing a whole lot of metal and they're not really sure what he's here for yet. Presumably that bit of information will clear up soon enough thanks to radio contact, though.

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 06:23 PM

A Red Zone Street

Arty turns, his hand adopting a soft glow for a moment (the color of which is probably green unless his god has a specific one). The knife is deflected by an invisible barrier protecting his flank.
Arty has pulled off his first Level 1 cleric spell!

The figure looks surprised at that...
And runs.
As he does, another shadow darts behind Arty. A large, black wolf.
That's what the figure ran from.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 06:28 PM

A Red Zone Street

Arty is far too pleased with himself to take heed, although he does pull a small black cylinder from his bag as he keeps running.

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 06:34 PM

NFL RedZone

The Beowulf (http://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Beowolves) charges at the centaur, growling.

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 06:41 PM

A Red Zone Street

((Was the No Combat Please sign not apparent?))
Arty shakes the object in his hand, which unfolds into a sleek, advanced-looking hunting bow, which he fires an arrow from.
This is an unfortunate turn of events he would likely prefer to have avoided altogether or at least doing to alone.

Rebonack

2013-10-29, 06:41 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart had followed her new trainer (love her, serve her, obey her) back to the park in a sort of hollowed out daze. The more she moved around the more her body felt wrong to her. Sure, it was similar in many ways. But the subtle differences made it all the more alien.

When they finally arrive she is treated to a shocking sight.

These people are hurt. That snake thing looks half-dead. Ardent hasn't ever seen battle before coming here. Sure she knew of it. She knew that the her people clashed with the pterippi of Skyreach regularly. And the hwynhnm in the lowlands but that was all very distant to her.

She's drawn from her shock when one of the humans starts talking to her, though it takes a few moments for the command to register in her mind.

Kill.

Ardent looks at the human that spoke to her. Then down at the snake. Then back to the human. She sets her mouth in a hard line and refuses to budge, daring the spider-fingered monster to come and do the deed itself. Somewhere deep inside her anger begins to kindle.

Golden orange flames lick across her mane.

[Church of Order Rally]

The machine watches the robots curiously.

They look crude, really. Very utilitarian without a hint of visually pleasing design. In fact, they look rather sinister, all things considered. No doubt that was part of the intent. Often times the design of military robots lends itself toward appearing dangerous. If a person can be intimidated into laying down arms by a robot than all the better.

Of course, if they wanted intimidating then the wisest course of action would be to make a robot that looks like a frightening clown.

Clowns.

The machine shudders involuntarily at the thought.

It isn't a terribly rational thought. But he still finds clowns to be positively unnerving.

"Ahem, excuse me?" the machine begins as he moves up along side one of those in the crowd. "Might I ask you a few questions?"

Arkhosia

2013-10-29, 06:44 PM

Shadowcaller

2013-10-29, 07:11 PM

Near Pokemon Park

Vallery seem to grow even more uneasy when flames start to appear but it breaks her out of her indecisiveness at the very least. "Uh, yeah, you better not to Ardent. Let's just capture it and take it back to the base."

"Hmph." 'I' frowns. "That ponyta is going to be trouble, I can tell. You need to train in better. It isn't even following orders."

Vallery says nothing, instead she takes another Iron Ball and throws it at the Seviper.

Rebonack

2013-10-29, 07:20 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent lets out a breath she didn't realize that she was holding when her trainer (love her, serve her, obey her) agrees with her choice. There's a... feeling. A sense of elation that comes out of nowhere and reminds her that following her trainer's instructions is the right thing to do. Following her trainer's instructions will make her happy.

That other human, though. She doesn't like that one. That human isn't her trainer. How does she get off telling her what to do?

Ardent gives a little snort and looks down at the snake.

Capture.

They're going to capture it. Like her. And then Valery will be the snake's trainer, too. But that's good. That's how things are supposed to work, right?

Deathkeeper

2013-10-29, 07:31 PM

Street, Somewhere

Arty keeps running for a while, before finally slowing down and stopping at the mouth to an alley. His shirt is damp from sweat, and he breathes heavily, although he's not out of steam yet. Still, his running skill might have betrayed him, as he suddenly realizes he hasn't a clue where he is. Is he even still in that Red zone? It doesn't look like it.
"Oh, dear. I'm lost."
Well, that isn't good.

Murkus

2013-10-29, 09:04 PM

[Red Zone - General - Church of Order Rally]

The ad campaign for Elexxion, the tech-based surgical augmentation company, intensifies. Though while commercial badgering makes its way inside every home in the Red Zone, stranger things move through the streets.

Eerie men and women in dark clothing move about the Zone on unknown errands, usually on foot or via public transportation. They appear human for the most part, below the neck. Above that their flesh turns to multi-faceted steel, flat chrome surfaces, or elaborate metal shapes. Within each pulses a dim orange glow, as though a furnace sat where their brain should be.

In fact, an older metal-head of middling height approaches the Church of Order, attempting to gain entrance wordlessly so that he might listen. At least it appears to be a he, though it's hard to tell beneath the thick, dark clothes 'he' wears.

Misspelled Cemetery

The Wolf nods its shaggy head, turning and taking the steps down to treasure. What might he see, I wonder...

Vesa takes a sec to verify that no, GLORY appears to be talking out of its heat sink vents. What did Melody-23 tell her about people lying obviously? Something about it being a clear sign of distress, something...
I would be inclined to disagree; you appear to have made yourself captive by means of your negativity, GLORY... and you seem to wish to place me within your cage as well. I cannot waste time with you, not with duty ahead of me.
Also GLORY's probably the literal least enjoyable entity to talk to that she has ever faced within memory.
She shakes her head, hovering off and trying to patch into the security camera feeds---that is, those ones for which she is allowed access, of course.

"It'd be appreciated. The medicine for it is painful, and growing rather expensive," Garrett's looking past the man as he talks, at all the people getting things like minor scars fixed or entire reconstructions of undamaged areas. It disturbs him a little, that people would want to replace an entirely good body, or get rid of a harmless scar. Scars told stories, taught lessons.

[Tech Bay]

Vesa may note her friend's entrance, the wolf-suited girl slipping quietly into the tech bay, and looking around, giving GLORY a glare behind her helmet (which draws the metal 'lips' back from its fangs when she does) as she spots the Revenant-hating AI.

"I hope he hasn't been giving you too much trouble?", she asks, speaking, as always, on a heavily-encrytep private band.

"Much appreciated. I wouldn't ask, except I'm interested to see how you do things compared to my own techniques. Flow of information and all that. Also, we may be able to come to a deal. I have some rather interesting bits and pieces lying around that you'd probably like. But first things first - shall we start the tour now, or do you need to make a few arrangements?"

Vesa actually smiles a little, floating over and placing a hand on the helmet.
GLORY is being characteristically disagreeable. Your presence, on the other hand, has been missed to a great extent. How was your time while I was out?

[The Brilliance - Tech Bay]

GLORY gives a contemptuous, grinding grunt as it sees Alia, but makes no further comment. The old, disgruntled killbot-AI will leave the girls alone for now.

As Alia and Vesa should know, GLORY's only along for this ride because it's at least four-tenths of a second faster than even the newest AI coded on a contained server. He operates as heavy support for the ESA team protecting the Brilliance. Or at least he will, if they see any action.

[Elexxion - Ground Offices]

"We can begin anytime you like, but I promise nothing, Mister Harald," Maxwell waves his arm in an exaggerated gesture, turning to walk back toward his company shuttle. It's a blocky, stainless-steel-grey flying vehicle, windows at the front only, with the more powerful thrusters placed on its belly. They spew little sputters of white fire as it hovers by the curb, stinking of ozone and chemical discharge. "Follow me, please, step lively doctor. It is doctor, isn't it? I really must apologize for the transportation... company cars, what can you do?" He chuckles a bit. "I certainly wouldn't park mine in this neighborhood. Not yet, anyway."

[Public Park - Display Area]

"Of course! In fact, I think we have a slot opened up just..." The man raises a hand to his ear, two fingers tapping its mic-piece. In the same instant, a long, grey pod with black-yellow stripes shoots down from the Brilliance, smashing into the park grass with shocking speed. Clods of dirt fly up haphazardly. "Now." He smiles a skeevy, all-business sort of smile. "Please, step aboard."

The pod slides open at an angle, revealing a set of purple cushions for Garrett to lie against. "It's completely free, but I should note," The showman narrows his gaze. "You're expected to spread the word about just how good we are. That's all we ask in return."

[Misspelled Cemetary]

Okami descends into the tomb. There's but a single coffin, a massive granite thing, covered in spiderwebs and mold and worse things. However, the lid to the casket is broken, and should Okami chance to move it aside, he'll find an ancient skeleton with a gleaming emerald medallion around its neck. The thing is cut to perfection, and it seems not a single speck of dust has fallen upon its gold-framed beauty, as though the dirt not dare touch it.

"Take it," says the white spectre exuberantly. "Take it, please. If you ever have need of two good hands, another blade at your side, you need merely speak my name: Gaerrfen."

The skeleton doesn't seem to be wearing the same things Gaerrfen's shade was. Perhaps it is his previous 'owner', as it were.

Okami gained ally: Gaerrfen! Gaerrfen is a dread wraith of mid-high power level that can be summoned by anyone who possesses the amulet. If he wants to sell or trade it, the wraith will have no protest. He doesn't care who he serves. Though please PM me if Okami should give the amulet away, or call for aid.

Devixer

2013-10-29, 09:49 PM

[Elexxion Ground Offices]

"Perhaps I can show you a few things, ma'am," The secretary addressed as 'Miss Fionan' proposes.

"I think you can," she says. "Where to start, though?" She's partially talking to Miss Fionan, and partially to herself.

GrandDM

2013-10-30, 02:26 AM

[Elexxion - Ground Offices]

[COLOR="GoldenRod"]"We can begin anytime you like, but I promise nothing, Mister Harald," Maxwell waves his arm in an exaggerated gesture, turning to walk back toward his company shuttle. It's a blocky, stainless-steel-grey flying vehicle, windows at the front only, with the more powerful thrusters placed on its belly. They spew little sputters of white fire as it hovers by the curb, stinking of ozone and chemical discharge. "Follow me, please, step lively doctor. It is doctor, isn't it? I really must apologize for the transportation... company cars, what can you do?" He chuckles a bit. "I certainly wouldn't park mine in this neighborhood. Not yet, anyway."

"Yes, it's Doctor."

He raises an eyebrow at the shuttle, looking slightly disgusted, but gets in with the robot and the ork sitting either side of him.

Earl of Purple

2013-10-30, 06:41 AM

Near Pokemon Park

The Seviper is caught! It is unable to resist being sucked into the Iron Ball.

Oddly, something remains on the floor where the Seviper was- an old, battered red-and-white sphere with a large, Seviper-fang-shaped hole entering the top and leaving the bottom.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-30, 08:08 AM

[Near Pokemon Park]

'I' stares at the caught Seviper. She hadn't expected it to be caught when fainted which really put a hole in her plans for killing it. "...trust me, that pokemon is sick and suffering. It would have been better for it if you just put it out of it's misery. Now it's just going to attempt to kill you too."

"It already has." Vallery moves forward to pick up the iron ball and the strange sphere it was carrying. Wonder what was up with that? "But anyway, they were sending a truck to pick us up so despite all injuries we caught three pokemons right? And that's a good thing."

Vallery smiles at the others who simply doesn't seem to be able to share her enthusiasm. "You caught three pokemons, I almost got my leg chewed off and got nothing for it."

"I could give you the weedle or the Seviper?"

"No thanks, the weedle can't even be caught unless we can break the link to that other trainer somehow."

"Be negative then. I'll just know the boss is going to reward us for this." She then turns to Ardent Heart. "Now Ardent you're going to meet Princess", she gestures towards the currently paralyzed Jynx. "Princess, meet Ardent Heart, Ardent Heart, meet Princess. You're going to be best friends!"

'I' rolls her eyes in the background.

Aric Kale

2013-10-30, 08:13 AM

Misspelled Cemetery

The wolf stands on its hind legs and morphs back into a human, taking the amulet and wearing it around his neck. Thank you, my friend. I will definitely call upon your aid, if your skills are even half of what I just faced. Okami bows low to this new spectral ally.

The odds of the Okami Kei-Jin selling an ally -for that's how he'll see it- are unlikely.
Also, is this a one-time summon, or is there a cooldown time to it?

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-30, 12:18 PM

[Public Park - Display Area]
"Of course! In fact, I think we have a slot opened up just..." The man raises a hand to his ear, two fingers tapping its mic-piece. In the same instant, a long, grey pod with black-yellow stripes shoots down from the Brilliance, smashing into the park grass with shocking speed. Clods of dirt fly up haphazardly. "Now." He smiles a skeevy, all-business sort of smile. "Please, step aboard."

The pod slides open at an angle, revealing a set of purple cushions for Garrett to lie against. "It's completely free, but I should note," The showman narrows his gaze. "You're expected to spread the word about just how good we are. That's all we ask in return."
.

Garrett jumps back with a surprised shout when the pod crashes down, and keeps a close eye on it while he approaches it.
"Sounds...good...to...me?" his voice changes to questioning as he curiously taps on the pod.

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-30, 01:06 PM

The machine watches the robots curiously.

They look crude, really. Very utilitarian without a hint of visually pleasing design. In fact, they look rather sinister, all things considered. No doubt that was part of the intent. Often times the design of military robots lends itself toward appearing dangerous. If a person can be intimidated into laying down arms by a robot than all the better.

Of course, if they wanted intimidating then the wisest course of action would be to make a robot that looks like a frightening clown.

Clowns.

The machine shudders involuntarily at the thought.

It isn't a terribly rational thought. But he still finds clowns to be positively unnerving.

"Ahem, excuse me?" the machine begins as he moves up along side one of those in the crowd. "Might I ask you a few questions?"

[Red Zone - General - Church of Order Rally]

The ad campaign for Elexxion, the tech-based surgical augmentation company, intensifies. Though while commercial badgering makes its way inside every home in the Red Zone, stranger things move through the streets.

Eerie men and women in dark clothing move about the Zone on unknown errands, usually on foot or via public transportation. They appear human for the most part, below the neck. Above that their flesh turns to multi-faceted steel, flat chrome surfaces, or elaborate metal shapes. Within each pulses a dim orange glow, as though a furnace sat where their brain should be.

In fact, an older metal-head of middling height approaches the Church of Order, attempting to gain entrance wordlessly so that he might listen. At least it appears to be a he, though it's hard to tell beneath the thick, dark clothes 'he' wears.

[Church of Order Rally]

Oh no. Sure, it's supposed to be intimidating, but not too intimidating. The problem with building a scary monster clown security robot is that the Templars would be scared of it too. :smalltongue:

Anyway, Dragon-Machine-Thing decides to poke a random bystander, who actually jumps in surprise at the feeling of metal brushing up against her. As the newcomer speaks, she looks visibly unnerved.

"Erm, hello? I...I guess. What questions?"

Meanwhile, at the door, a creepy robo-guy approaches! The Templar Guard gazes at him carefully. The last guy may have been mechanical, but it's not like he had anything to hide. This guy, though...

Once the fellow comes within about ten feet, the Guard uses the special vision modes on his visor in an attempt to quickly gather some information: Possible unusual heat signatures, unusually high metal content (and where), and whatever weapons may be carried under the robe.

Rebonack

2013-10-30, 01:24 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Caught. Breaking its link to its trainer. That's what happened to her, right? She was caught and now she's somehow linked to her trainer (love her, serve her, obey her). Ardent givens squeezes her eyes shut and gives her head a little shake. Her thoughts feel so... so heavy. Maybe it would be easier to just let Vallery think for her?

And then?

Princess is introduced.

Princess is... sort of like the humans and somehow even more unnerving. But she's another one of Vallery's pokemon and that means they're to be friends. After all, her trainer (love her, serve her, obey her) just told Ardent that would be so.

She does her best to smile, but her face doesn't seem to move quite right anymore. Instead she gives a cheerful, "Ponyta!"

What's a ponyta, anyway? They keep calling her that.

[Church of Order Rally]

"I'm recording the thoughts and feelings of those who are attending this rally to-" A beat. "Eerr, not literally recording thoughts and feelings. That would be terribly intrusive. I'm inquiring with the people here regarding their position on trans-humanism and why they hold those particular values."

That isn't a question mister robot.

"So to that end, what is your stance on the biological and technological augmentation of humanity and other sapient races?"

happyturtle

2013-10-30, 01:28 PM

Murder Scene

Outside the Rubble Zone

"No it isn't." Hekta insists. That was just too stupid. "It's valuable. We can't just leave it!" She knew Elias was weird but she didn't expect him to be dumb as well.

The demon walks around the body as Elias is retrieving the card, her eyes set on the crescent moon laying at the woman's feet. It was shiny which meant it was valuable.

Outside Rubble Zone

The card Elias finds is:

http://teachmetarot.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/the-high-priestess-rx.jpg

The victim has been made into a more gruesome copy of the card, albeit an upright one.

"Not yet, Hekta," Elias says. "Let me look." His tarot deck and book were lost in the rubble, but he'd read it enough times to remember the interpretation.

The High Priestess is about "impossibilities." Secret knowledge, instincts, even magic. Hers is a card about personal and individual journeys across dark deserts to enlightenment.

Turn her upside-down and the water falls and runs dry. The moon hangs above rather than at her command. The curtain of pomegranates, shrouding the mysteries falls open, and all that people should not see - that might be damaging to see - they see. The pillars are on their crowns not on the base and cannot support themselves.

There is, in short, a loss of control. And the High Priestess, who holds opposites in delicate balance, needs that control. If all this is lost, then there is a kind of madness. Chaos, indecision, a loss of secrets and knowledge.

"Secrets revealed. Loss of control. Chaos." Elias whispers. "She wanted me to see her."

Earl of Purple

2013-10-30, 05:38 PM

Near Pokemon Park

The object is a standard pokeball, only it's been damaged to the point of no repair- any pokemon that was bound to it would have been released, and it looks as though the pokemon that destroyed it had something large, pointed, and long enough to extend all the way through and quite a bit further judging by the size of the exit hole compared to the size of the entrance hole. As mentioned, the tool that fits the hole perfectly is the fang of a Seviper, and there's a slight etching from a powerful poison.

It seems undamaged by the fact that the Seviper swallowed it in the hopes that enough link remained to prevent it from being captured again, and was kept in its stomach for over six months.

Shadowcaller

2013-10-30, 07:31 PM

Near Pokemon Park

"That's right!" Vallery exclaims cheerfully before slowly taking a seat against the wall. All this had taken the energy out of her. She gives the damaged pokeball in her hand a last glance, huh. That was odd.

Princess is rather... stiff at the moment so she can't really properly greet Ardent Dawn. However that soon won't be an issue as an truck is coming over.

"Finally." 'I' states and starts to return her pokemons to their balls.

"There it is, back into the pokéballs with you two." Vallery comments and does the same. The rest of the scene will take place in outside once I post there.

Murder Scene

"Fiiine. Just look at it already." Hekta kneels down as well to look but sees nothing beautiful with the scene, just more of Elias weirdness. He would probably think it was beautiful if he saw her die as well, she had figured as much that costume night. He was simply much weirder on the inside than she looked on the inside.

Now he was whispering to himself too, probably didn't think she could hear him but she had excellent hearing. "Are we going to see her?" She suddenly asks. "The murderer I mean, maybe we could stay with her? You're like the same right?" She hadn't tried to kill them there so she obviously just killed special people. Or something. She and Elias even seemed to be buddies.

Gullara

2013-10-30, 07:51 PM

"Well..." Reinholdt explains how a Magtok came in, shot at Felandria, got captured and intimidated and talked to, and then counter murdered by Pat when he attacked her too, and there was a soul holding and questioning by some of Skyside's leaders and HALO. He'll mention he wanted to go over and help somehow but had no skills that would apply and probably be a detriment considering how many people were already in the way. Too many chefs and all that.

[B]Otto's Manse

Reinholdt waits patiently. Her laptop wouldn't be the big boss's computer with the secret files. Probably. Hopefully. Otherwise, Rein's going to miss out on such an easy opportunity.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am being left alone with such a beautiful woman who might take advantage of my delicate sensibilities." Reinholdt says with a hint of a smirk.

1

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

Arel holds Rein in what she hopes in comforting as he tells her what happened. "That's horrible. I'm so sorry you had to be there for that. Is there anything I can do?"

[Otto's Manse]

"Don't worry too much on my account. I'm a professional woman, you see." She says, followed by a light chuckle. This one is interesting. She can see why he's so notable.

Rebonack

2013-10-30, 08:25 PM

[Pokemon Park]

Ardent Heart feels her body dissolve.

Before it had felt terrifying.

But this time?

This time it's almost comforting.

Once again all her perceptions are stripped away and she's back in the comfortable, peaceful place. Drifting in a dream until her trainer (love her, serve her, obey her) calls her out again.

Part of herself was screaming that this was all horribly wrong. That if she would just stop and think about it she would realize just how awful it is.

But Ardent doesn't listen. She doesn't need to think. Her trainer will think for her.

Slii Arhem

2013-10-30, 10:20 PM

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

"Oh God. What happened?" Arel is shocked. It's one thing to hear about a murder. Quite another when you're hearing about it from someone who saw it first hand. She's just glad he's not hurt.

[Otto's Manse]

"Good, but I suppose we need a computer." Samona looks over her shoulder to the blue skinned man by the door. "Clyde? Would you fetch my laptop for me? It's in the office." The man nods and heads off to do just that.

[Inside Docks]

Ken doesn't even know about the bunk area the pokemon centers have for trainers to use? Maybe they don't have that where he's from. Whatever, he'll learn soon enough. More interesting, though..."

"Sure, sounds like a great idea. I'd be happy to beat you." Becca says with a grin. Now here's a topic she's absolutely confident in.

Inside Docks -> Poke-Center

Ken stumbles a bit as he gets into the pokecenter. It's been a long walk, and after all the shivering and numbness, and carrying his tackle box and backpack the whole way, he's feeling a bit weak.

Still, as he slumps into the nearest chair in the lobby and tiredly adjusts the shirt he'd finally put on after drying off a bit, he reflects that he at least got out of that whole mess alive and relatively well.

"Why don't you go talk to the nurse? I'm going to catch my breath a bit and then head to the bathroom okay? And... hey, maybe you could see if that Mew dropped off the hurt rapidash you were with? I don't think the super potion I gave it would have been enough, and I don't know if Mews can heal other pokemon, so it might not have had any choice."

The replication process was as smooth as the last time although the replicated mask floated a tad higher than the original when she let go.

The 'ping' would show a second door with hinges outside on the far wall although it appeared to have a sturdy locking mechanism from this pulse. The doors themselves were notably heavier than the rest she had come across, though...

At least, the door /seemed/ to go outside although the paving on the other end was a bit different...

The rest of the ways into the room were simply apertures without doors, though, like most museums would have. They would just impead traffic more than necessary when going to see like displays, after all. The pulse would show that there were some double doors the next room over, though. The displays were different in that room too, as best one could tell from this distance.

Temple Heist

Well, that was entirely too many exits for Merideth to safely leave unguarded. And thankfully, she has a handy source of material here to deal with such things, though it means abandoning her previous plan of leaving confusing traces for a much more rapid and obvious one.

She'll have to rely on how quickly she can board things up instead of trying not to trip any alarms. Turning back to the podium she just pilfered her latest mask from, she reaches into it and attempts to warp the whole thing up into a rope of material, whipping it around horizontally to form bars of material that she'll swiftly move over to the nearest opening, floating that way and carrying it with her with one "hand." Once there, she'll attempt to meld the solid zigzagging structure with the closest archway. It's much faster than trying to turn the surrounding walls into a blockade, and though the cage-like bars won't keep prying eyes from watching her work, it will slow down whoever is on the other side quite significantly as they have to chop their way through, especially if the podiums were made of stone.

If that's all successful, she'll repeat the process as fast as possible with the next podium that has a mask in it, and add the mask to her collection as she goes to cage off another archway. She does take a moment to inspect the mask to see if it's the right one, and is careful in handling it as she tries to deconstruct the stand it was floating above.

Gullara

2013-10-31, 12:54 AM

[Poke-Center]

"Hmph." Stupid weird rapidash or whatever. Taking her pokeballs and tossing her pokemon into the water. Why should she care? "I guess I can can ask." She says, even if she'd rather not bother.

So the trainer heads over toward the counter. She needs to get her pokemon healed anyway. Catching that corphish was sure tough on Shroomy especially.

Murkus

2013-10-31, 02:23 AM

[Church of Order Rally]

Oh no. Sure, it's supposed to be intimidating, but not too intimidating. The problem with building a scary monster clown security robot is that the Templars would be scared of it too. :smalltongue:

Anyway, Dragon-Machine-Thing decides to poke a random bystander, who actually jumps in surprise at the feeling of metal brushing up against her. As the newcomer speaks, she looks visibly unnerved.

"Erm, hello? I...I guess. What questions?"

Meanwhile, at the door, a creepy robo-guy approaches! The Templar Guard gazes at him carefully. The last guy may have been mechanical, but it's not like he had anything to hide. This guy, though...

Once the fellow comes within about ten feet, the Guard uses the special vision modes on his visor in an attempt to quickly gather some information: Possible unusual heat signatures, unusually high metal content (and where), and whatever weapons may be carried under the robe.

Garrett jumps back with a surprised shout when the pod crashes down, and keeps a close eye on it while he approaches it.
"Sounds...good...to...me?" his voice changes to questioning as he curiously taps on the pod.

"I think you can," she says. "Where to start, though?" She's partially talking to Miss Fionan, and partially to herself.

"Yes, it's Doctor."

He raises an eyebrow at the shuttle, looking slightly disgusted, but gets in with the robot and the ork sitting either side of him.

Misspelled Cemetery

The wolf stands on its hind legs and morphs back into a human, taking the amulet and wearing it around his neck. Thank you, my friend. I will definitely call upon your aid, if your skills are even half of what I just faced. Okami bows low to this new spectral ally.

The odds of the Okami Kei-Jin selling an ally -for that's how he'll see it- are unlikely.
Also, is this a one-time summon, or is there a cooldown time to it?

[Church of Order Rally]

As the guard-on-duty flicks his visor to scan, the HUD may very well fill with static. The initial burst dies down to a thin blob, a blob that seems to hang around where the readouts from this eerie stranger should be. After a few more seconds, he might not see much of the stranger at all. Not even body heat shows up, perhaps due to electronic interference.

The stranger looks at him, the tilt of his head making him seem... questioning.

[Park - Surgical Display]

The pod does not react to his prodding. "Good, then we've got a deal. What a gentleman, folks!" The man turns to his audience, those of which aren't in line for having their faces done up. He raises his voice again. "This poor, pennyless soul, much like many of you I imagine, has come to Elexxion for help! He has deadly bleeding of the brain! The pressure on his skull is enormously painful. And now, without money to pay for more... temporary fixes, he turns to the only place he knows can help him!"

Garrett will be free to lie down in the pod while the showman sells his schtick. Should he do so, a female, seemingly dynamic voice will speak. "Please remain still while administering treatment. Do I have your permission to do so?"

[Elexxion - Ground Offices]

Secretary Fionan steeples her fingers and smiles sweetly. In a patient tone of voice, she asks, "Well, ma'am, where would you like to begin? What can Elexxion do for you?"

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

"Good then. Doctor. I'm actually a geneticist myself. But all those sleepless nights at uni are going to waste, I'm afraid. They have me here as management," The golden-haired cyborg says, smiling that perfect smile.

Maxwell takes a seat opposite from Harald and, seemingly at his will, the ship closes it's rear doors and takes off into the sky. The interior is a bit more likeable, with comfortable cushioned seating and small holographic displays that show information on the ship or its exterior.

"What are you a doctor of that's got you so interested in our little company?"

[Misspelled Cemetary]

"For you, honorable enemy, they will be twice that! May your foes be without end!" The dread wraith bows back and, straightening, slams the side of his fist against his chest. The salute produces an audible bang that echoes in the stillness. The spot that was hit ripples outward, and unless Okami has anything further to say, Gaerrfen fades into the moonlight.

The amulet can be used any number of times, but should Gaerrfen be destroyed, it will take at least three days for him to rejuvinate himself. He can remain attached to the material and ethereal planes for only a few hours in the absence of combat. Should the amulet be destroyed - difficult, but possible - Gaerrfen ascends permanently, and no magic of man's hands can call him back.

GrandDM

2013-10-31, 02:34 AM

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

"Good then. Doctor. I'm actually a geneticist myself. But all those sleepless nights at uni are going to waste, I'm afraid. They have me here as management," The golden-haired cyborg says, smiling that perfect smile.

Maxwell takes a seat opposite from Harald and, seemingly at his will, the ship closes it's rear doors and takes off into the sky. The interior is a bit more likeable, with comfortable cushioned seating and small holographic displays that show information on the ship or its exterior.

"What are you a doctor of that's got you so interested in our little company?"

"Pretty much everything. Over the two-and-a-half centuries I've been around, I've investigated most of the branches of science. As to why I'm interested, you're the only other people in the Nexus who seem to be able to do what I do. Plus the rally by that church claiming about drug supplements and clone degeneration..."

Aric Kale

2013-10-31, 02:35 AM

Misspelled Cemetery

Okami has nothing to add, and lets the spectre disappear. Afterwards, he leaves the graveyard.

Thanks Murkus. This will come in handy.

GrandDM

2013-10-31, 02:46 AM

[Church of Order Rally]

Seven of Harald's robots, smooth faceplates swinging left and right, off-white plating gleaming, enter the rally. They are careful not to injure anyone, but make steady progress to the front in wedge formation, listening carefully to the speech. The one at the head of the wedge looks around carefully, trying to find a priest not engaged in orating.

Murkus

2013-10-31, 02:53 AM

((No problem Aric - I just hope you end up using him :smalltongue:))

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

"Pretty much everything. You're making me feel stupid, Doctor," Maxwell says, folding his arms and watching Harald with a more mild smile on his face. He's about to ask about just what it is the doctor does when Harald mentions the Order rally. His apparently flimsy smile twists downward. "What are you talking about? Is someone making claims about my company?"

GrandDM

2013-10-31, 02:58 AM

((No problem Aric - I just hope you end up using him :smalltongue:))

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

"Pretty much everything. You're making me feel stupid, Doctor," Maxwell says, folding his arms and watching Harald with a more mild smile on his face. He's about to ask about just what it is the doctor does when Harald mentions the Order rally. His apparently flimsy smile twists downward. "What the hell are you talking about? Is someone making claims about my company?"

"Indeed. I have a squad of robots at the site right now. Here, let me show you."

He snaps his fingers and a hologram springs from his collar, showing the speech at the rally.

Murkus

2013-10-31, 03:10 AM

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

A transparent video screen appears in Maxwell's hand, which he flicks up to match the resolution of Harald's image. The hologram expands with a mere twitch of his wrist. Max will try and record what appears, provided Harald's tech is compatible.

((We should probably wait for Blade here, given the robots can't go in without his guards say-so.))

GrandDM

2013-10-31, 03:15 AM

TechnoScrabble

2013-10-31, 01:35 PM

[Park - Surgical Display]
The pod does not react to his prodding. "Good, then we've got a deal. What a gentleman, folks!" The man turns to his audience, those of which aren't in line for having their faces done up. He raises his voice again. "This poor, pennyless soul, much like many of you I imagine, has come to Elexxion for help! He has deadly bleeding of the brain! The pressure on his skull is enormously painful. And now, without money to pay for more... temporary fixes, he turns to the only place he knows can help him!"

Garrett will be free to lie down in the pod while the showman sells his schtick. Should he do so, a female, seemingly dynamic voice will speak. "Please remain still while administering treatment. Do I have your permission to do so?"

Garrett hesitates for a moment, then climbs into the pod, a million ways this could go wrong running through his mind.

"Um...could I ask what exactly this treatment entails?"

((Garrett's not really up to date with modern tech so he probably won't understand whatever it says.))

Rebonack

2013-10-31, 03:26 PM

[Pokemon Center]

Becca heads up to the counter!

And finds an incredibly manly man looming over her! A muscular man with a form so perfectly chiseled that one might imagine him a classical marble sculpture breathed to life. He is bald save for a single curly lock of pink hair and sports a luxurious pink mustache.

The man sets his steely gaze upon Becca

"Greetings to you, fair trainer!" he bellows. "You who care so deeply for your pokemon partners that you bring them to me, Nurse Armstrong, that I might mend their wounds with the healing techniques passed down the Armstrong family line FOR GENERATIONS!"

As he speaks he flexes dramatically, causing his shirt to explode and expose his herculean muscular definition. So flawless is his form that the very air around him seems to shimmer!

Murkus

2013-10-31, 04:07 PM

[Park - surgical Display]

Garrett hesitates for a moment, then climbs into the pod, a million ways this could go wrong running through his mind.

"Um...could I ask what exactly this treatment entails?"

((Garrett's not really up to date with modern tech so he probably won't understand whatever it says.))

"Several thousand cell-sized robots will be injected into your bloodstream. Guided by me, they'll enter your brain cavity and repair the tissue damage. Once their task is complete, they'll dissolve harmlessly into your body," the female voice explains. A robotic arm folds out and up from the side of the pod, tipped with a syringe. "Shall we begin?"

BladeofObliviom

2013-10-31, 04:49 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

"I'm recording the thoughts and feelings of those who are attending this rally to-" A beat. "Eerr, not literally recording thoughts and feelings. That would be terribly intrusive. I'm inquiring with the people here regarding their position on trans-humanism and why they hold those particular values."

That isn't a question mister robot.

"So to that end, what is your stance on the biological and technological augmentation of humanity and other sapient races?"

[Church of Order Rally]

As the guard-on-duty flicks his visor to scan, the HUD may very well fill with static. The initial burst dies down to a thin blob, a blob that seems to hang around where the readouts from this eerie stranger should be. After a few more seconds, he might not see much of the stranger at all. Not even body heat shows up, perhaps due to electronic interference.

The stranger looks at him, the tilt of his head making him seem... questioning.

[Church of Order Rally]

Seven of Harald's robots, smooth faceplates swinging left and right, off-white plating gleaming, enter the rally. They are careful not to injure anyone, but make steady progress to the front in wedge formation, listening carefully to the speech. The one at the head of the wedge looks around carefully, trying to find a priest not engaged in orating.

[Church of Order Rally - Church Grounds]

The random bystander lady stares at the robot-dragon-guy for a long moment.

"Um, well, I actually kind of walked in off the street out of curiosity. I'm not really a churchgoer. If you're really curious, though, I'm kind of neutral on the issue. I mean, I don't personally want to go and get a new arm or anything, but it's not really my business if other people do."

She's really hoping nobody nearby heard that. It would be awkward if it turned out one of the Priests was right behind her.

[Church of Order Rally - Security Gate]

The Templar frowns under his suit of armor, and lifts the visor. He'd rather use the built-in lenses than the sensor array if this person's running a jammer. You can't jam a lens. Well, not electronically, anyway.

In any case, the guard moves to stand directly in front of the entrance, intentionally blocking the newcomer's path.

"Sir, please identify yourself, your business here, and the reason you are making use of a sensor jamming suite."

Harald's Robots do not just walk in unnoticed unless they can turn invisible and walk through walls or something. They'll either have to wait until the Guard clears the entrance, or I suppose they could fight their way in. That wouldn't be an especially great idea, but they could do it.

Rebonack

2013-10-31, 05:09 PM

[Church of Order Rally]

Thankfully there isn't a priest standing behind them.

Right?

...right?

"A reasonable position," the machine hums. "If I may inquire further, why would you be personally opposed to undergoing augmentation? Would you be opposed to the use of prosthetic limbs if you were injured?"

Like Luke Skywalker!

Getting a limb lopped off by a lightsaber is pretty catastrophic.

"Please feel free to decline to answer if any of these questions make you uncomfortable."

He sure is a polite robot.

Murkus

2013-10-31, 07:39 PM

[Church of Order Rally - Security Gate]

The faceless man reaches into jacket pocket - slowly - and retrieves a wallet. He flashes the gate guard an ID, making sure to hold it up long enough so he can confirm what it says. It reads ESA, and the acronym is expanded as Elexxion Security Agencies.

In that order, as though the stranger were referencing bullet points, he lists, "Liam Teller. Investigation of false claims. My privacy," The man doesn't quite snap - he isn't angry, just very determined. Liam folds his wallet back up and pockets it again. "Is this public or not?"

[Elexxion - Company Shuttle]

"That's one of our guys," Max notes, as Harald's robots no doubt get a good look at Liam. "I didn't send him. ESA must've been here already."