[Nexus] Inside 39

[AmberVael]

[Temple of Cunningham]

The clothes she had been wearing when she arrived are a little worn, and were still too big on her- they're not much better than the dress, really, if not worse. Still, they're not unusable, just not particularly nice looking.

Aleph gives a small smile to Sophie and follows Ellen to the kitchen, where she watches and listens curiously. "That all sounds good to me." She doesn't sound very excited though, more just quiet and passive as normal. "Um, is it safe for me to be outside here?" She asks tentatively.

[Morty]

[Temple of Cunningham]

I don't have any suggestions, I'm afraid, Sophie says. I myself ended up living at the Good League of Good after getting stranded in the Nexus, but I realize a campsite is not to everyone's liking.
She definetly enjoys the pumpkin pie with whipped cream, though.

[PurityIcekiller]

[Abrajin's Library]

"Oh, there is... a..." The mummy trails off, glancing around him. "Where am I?!" Well, technically he didn't say that last part precisely that way, as there were many more angry syllables involved, but for the sake of a less vulgar post, they will be left up to the imagination of others.

In any case, the mummy looks quite upset, to say the least, to be in a tomb that is apparently not his own. However, he seems to take hold of himself, and coughs in a polite manner. "Um, well, this is rather embarrassing. I can't very well curse you for invading somewhere that isn't my tomb, can I? I don't suppose you could tell me where the Great Pyramids of Gnesh are from here?"

In all likelihood, Xalicus has never heard of the place. Even if he did, giving directions from within an infinite library inside the ever shifting city of Nexus seems like a hopeless task.

"...Not a clue." It did seem like a hopeless task to Xalicus at first, given that he hardly knew where he was, much less where to go. However, he soon found a pretty obvious solution. "Maybe one of these books could help, though."

Red Zone

We could do that. But, that runs the risk of them running free and causing more havoc.

So, Demon Queen brings the blade by her again. I'm just gonna kill them now.

"I'd prefer taking them to that lady they mentioned and seeing what she does," said Kyinde. "Well, if you say so, I'm not stopping you."

She put her sword away, then realized something. "Say, I don't think I mentioned this, but I'm called Kyinde Crystaltail. How about you?"

[happyturtle]

Temple of Cunningham

"The City is a dangerous place. This is the Nexus of dimensions, and it pulls in many dangerous things. I can't say it's safe. But it's not safe to live entirely indoors either. That will crush your spirit. Do you have any ability to protect yourself, dear?" Pastor Ellen asks.

[AmberVael]

[Temple of Cunningham]

That is not what Aleph meant (not that Ellen had any reason to know what she meant), but it is intimidating enough to distract her from the real purpose of her question. On the other hand, she's not nearly as scared as she might be, so maybe she isn't entirely unused to dangerous areas, not that that is a very nice thing to be used to, especially for a young woman. "Um, not... really." She says uncertainly, as if unsure that her answer was in fact correct.


[Abrajin's Library]

"No, probably not. Most of these are mine, I guess someone already got around to the looting." The mummy says grumpily. "And half of my books look like they're gone." Possibly they got checked out or put into another exhibit. "Look, don't worry about it, just don't take my books, okay? I'll point them out if you find them."

[TechnoScrabble]

[Market Street]

"Oh..." Amil replies rather sheepishly. Now she feels silly! Doesn't know that much about this kind of thing, honestly. She really needs to study up considering her job. "Huh... I really can't imagine that sort of job would have much demand around here..."

More back of head scratching!

"Maybe you could find a job as a normal engineer? The kind that builds things without blowing them up first?"

That sounds like a stable, useful contribution to society!

...

It might be kind of boring though.

Young frowns.
"I tried that...it didn't really work for me. I...I think I'm one of those guys who can't live without something to fight for, y'know? Remnant doesn't have any room for my type, because apparently everyone around here can fix stuff, and most of them have magic to make them even better at it. I'm effectively useless at the only thing I'm good at."

[Red Zone]

Kyinde sighed. "Great. This victory is boring. What to do now?"

She considered her options briefly. She didn't really want to kill the bogeys, but letting them go would be a bad idea. The obvious choice was a compromise.

"Maybe we leave them here, bound to a wall or something. If they're lucky, they'll get found and released by someone who feels helpful toward them. If they're unlucky, they could spend a while stuck there, or get found by a less friendly person. What do you think of that?"

Red Zone

We could do that. But, that runs the risk of them running free and causing more havoc.

So, Demon Queen brings the blade by her again. I'm just gonna kill them now.

Market Street

Alysha gives the pair a wave and a huge smile. Hi! I'm Alysha. Nice to meet you!

Wait...can they understand me?

The remaining two bogeys continue to stare blankly.

[Rebonack]

[Market Street]

Amil offers an apologetic shrug. "I don't think I can help you then. You would be surprised by mow many people around here don't have any job at all and manage to still get by somehow."

It's rather mysterious.

Let's see...

She was looking for someone who would buy her jar of magical stuff, right?

Ah ha!

There!

A sign at the top of a nearby booth reads:

[Mister Wizard's Wizardly Emporium]

Perfect! Amil heads over to the booth!

[TechnoScrabble]

MArket sTREET

"Egad how I hope that applies to me, too," Young hopes desperately.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Red Zone

Demon Queen glances at Kyinde for a moment before answering.

My name...is kinda long. Just call me Demon Queen.

She glances at the bogeys again.

I think...they might just be puppets.

Market Street

Alysha thinks on this revelation for a moment.

I guess that kinda makes sense.

Then she looks at Lorraine.

Why are you worried about the moon?

[Rebonack]

[Market Street]

"I wouldn't be able to stand it. Just doing... nothing all the time? That would be terrible."

So very terrible.

"Hello? I was wondering if you were interested in buying some-"

The man inside the stall appears to be a science-y looking fellow. Who's in black and white.

This puzzles Amil greatly. Obviously she doesn't get the reference.

Several kitchen-based science experiments later!

Amil sells her Jar and now has some actual money to show for the Random Encounter. Yay!

She sets off again. "Well if you can't do the job you enjoy doing. Why not just find some kind of back-up position? Everyone can't get their dream job after all."

[Morty]

[Temple of Cunningham]

The streets can be dangerous... but the Remnant and various vigilantes manage to keep it largely safe. Which... brings me to an important thing the Order should know about me, but perhaps I'll leave it until later.

[TechnoScrabble]

MArket STreet

"I don't quite get what you're saying. You think I should just apply as a regular soldier or...?" Young, too, doesn't get the reference.

[happyturtle]

Temple of Cunningham

[Temple of Cunningham]

That is not what Aleph meant (not that Ellen had any reason to know what she meant), but it is intimidating enough to distract her from the real purpose of her question. On the other hand, she's not nearly as scared as she might be, so maybe she isn't entirely unused to dangerous areas, not that that is a very nice thing to be used to, especially for a young woman. "Um, not... really." She says uncertainly, as if unsure that her answer was in fact correct.

[Temple of Cunningham]

The streets can be dangerous... but the Remnant and various vigilantes manage to keep it largely safe. Which... brings me to an important thing the Order should know about me, but perhaps I'll leave it until later.

"That's okay, dear, I don't either. Some of the professors of our faith can call on divine power in times of need, but I have never been able to do that. And of course many people who are drawn to the Nexus have special abilities, or develop them after arriving here, which is why I asked. But it's perfectly fine if you don't. Nobody should expect a girl your age to have to fight."

"Now there are some places that are safer than others. And of course, if something dangerous happens, you can probably outrun it. I certainly can't, as fat as I am, but even just running a few blocks is usually enough. Remnant or the Hunters or our Protectors or anyone else will usually have stepped in by then, and that gives you time to get away." Pastor Ellan says, and confirms her own comments about her size by taking another slice of pie.

[Lost_Deep]

Market Street

But he's nice crazy! That makes it better!

"They can understand you, mostly. There's some kind of weird thing with their form of language." Lorraine says to Alysha. "I am well. Wolfy took care of me until I was myself again. I'm scared what will happen next moon though." =/

Market Street

Alysha thinks on this revelation for a moment.

I guess that kinda makes sense.

Then she looks at Lorraine.

Why are you worried about the moon?

"That's good [knowledge?]. If you want, we can [track?] you on the full moon. It may be better, however, to see if that entity is willing to further [tend?] you. Perhaps some kind of [exercises?] will help you switch between the [feral?] and [sentient?] mindsets."

The female is currently scanning various random passer-byes.

[AmberVael]

[Temple of Cunningham]

Aleph nods and takes some of the pie herself! Probably a larger slice than she needs, but hey, the poor girl looks starved, after all. "I read about Remnant, and the kinds of people here." She states quietly. "Before I arrived at the temple. I don't know much about Remnant law though, that's what I was asking about. Are they going to come after me?"


[Cursed Street]

Nexus is composed of many places, some beautiful, quite a few strange, with some imbued with magical blessings, and others relying on the advancements of science and technology. Yet, not all places in Nexus are kind and filled with people, some are hostile and alien, things to be fought against and warded away. Such is the case of Cursed Street.

A long, circular cobble street edged with wrought iron, Cursed Street houses largely Victorian architecture, vast imposing manors and towers and dark alleys and roads marked with flickering street lamps. It is dark and hauntingly beautiful, but home only to a brave and resilient few, who know how to protect their homes and have reason to stay within the eerie confines of the iron fence that hems the street in. For as anyone who spends time in this area can tell, Cursed Street did not earn its name lightly.

The curses manifest themselves as malign spirits, shadowy entities that prey on the unwary and unprotected, always seeking to expand their territory outward. In the day, when the sun beats down on the black roofs of the Victorian street, those areas the light touches will be safe. But by night, when only the pale moonlight shows the way, it is the time of the monsters.

Yet, there are reasons to come here. In death, the spirits often resolve into mystical tokens that may be used for a variety of supernatural purposes- and the upper level of the street is only the beginning. The dark depths of Cursed Street contain many unusual secrets and things of power, for those with the strength and will to find them.

[Rebonack]

[Market Street]

"Maybe not as a normal solider," Amil replies with a shake of her head, the movement betraying the fact that she still has weird tendrils for hair rather than, y'know. Hair. "Maybe as a baker. Or an assistant at a gun shop. Or a roofer. Or any number of things," Amil suggests.

After all, getting a job in the Nexus is as difficult as saying 'I work at [fill in the blank]' when asked about a job. Not all jobs have to be on-screen.

"I-"

She pauses suddenly and blinks, glancing around curiously at-

[Cursed Street]

"Oh geeze... I can't believe I started walking again without a goal in mind..." she grumbles under her breath. "Don't even recognize this part of the City."

[Morty]

[Temple of Cunningham]

Sophie nods. This is all good advice. But... why would Remnant come after you? She raises her eyebrows.

[PurityIcekiller]

[Abrajin's Library]

Xalicus shrugged. "All right, I guess." Right now, he was pretty confused, but he decided not to waste too much time being confused and focus on investigating books.

[Red Zone]

"Puppets? Oh my, that sounds like it'd make things so much more complicated." Kyinde examined the bogeymen once again. "If they are, who would be controlling them?"

[Gullara]

[Cursed Street]

In a sharp contrast to the grim setting, a cheery whistling can be heard. Genevieve emerges from a long deadtime and finds herself walking in a new place at the dead of night. It sure is spooky. Yay!

Flying overhead is a small vampire bat. He screeches a few times to try and get the girl's attention, but she's in far too cheerful of a mood to pay any attention to her familiar's concerns.

[happyturtle]

[Temple of Cunningham]

Aleph nods and takes some of the pie herself! Probably a larger slice than she needs, but hey, the poor girl looks starved, after all. "I read about Remnant, and the kinds of people here." She states quietly. "Before I arrived at the temple. I don't know much about Remnant law though, that's what I was asking about. Are they going to come after me?"

[Temple of Cunningham]

Sophie nods. This is all good advice. But... why would Remnant come after you? She raises her eyebrows.

Everyone needs more pie!

"That's a good question, dear. And you can be honest. Whatever it is, we'll do our best to keep you safe." Pastor Ellen says.

And since Dr Burnett hasn't said anything for a few posts, I'm going to handwave that she had to slip off for an appointment.

[AmberVael]

[Abrajin's Library]

The books that are not among the ghost mummy's include a few on necromancy (old school necromancy, that is, speaking with the dead spirits and learning from them, none of this fancy shmancy new raising the dead), some interesting ones about the cycle of souls and magical energy, and a few about divine rituals, stuff about the gods and elemental spirits.

At this point, Xalicus is probably carrying quite a few books, both from here and all the ones he has collected from earlier. Some have spells, others magical theory, all kinds of stuff. Certainly enough to keep him reading for a while.


[Temple of Cunningham]

Aleph twists her hands and looks down at her plate of pie. "I was told I don't have human status anymore. That's not a good thing where I come from. People who lose that usually aren't seen again."


[Cursed Street]

Amil and Genevieve end up on different sides of an interaction between a street that leads into Cursed Street (from which Amil is coming), and Cursed Street itself (which Genevieve is walking around). The layout of the streets forms a triangular gap in the center, in which a statue of a wolf hound is placed, two benches flanking it.

Inky black shadows crawl around the statue, moving silently and perhaps unseen, though a keen eye will make out the unusual movement. It isn't easily attributable to anything though, and it almost seems like a trick of the eyes or the light.

[Rebonack]

[Cursed Street]

It's night here.

What time was it at Market Street? Amil is pretty sure it was day still. maybe late afternoon? Crazy Nexus and its inability to keep track of the time. Well regardless this weird place has got Amil on edge. It's just...

Wrong.

Maybe not quite of the 'oh gods shoggoths!' sort of wrong. But wrong none the less. She's pretty sure she keeps noticing things creeping around in her peripheral vision, but every time she looks straight at it whatever the thing is stops.

That feeling of being hunted...

She clenches her fist as a long saber of black and silver bone grows into her grip, a thin field of psionic power crackling around it. Hopefully no one jumps on her. Snap reflex might make her thwack them.

And wait, what's this?

A person!

"Hey! Hey you with the hat! Do you know what this place is?"

[Gullara]

[Cursed Street]

Genevieve peers through the darkness at Amil. Now who could that be? She raises her wand above her head. "Lumos." The tip of her wand starts to glow with a cool light. "Hi there." She says to the newly revealed tyranid woman. "No clue. It sure is spooky here though." She doesn't seem at all put off by this fact. Quite the opposite actually.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Red Zone]

"Puppets? Oh my, that sounds like it'd make things so much more complicated." Kyinde examined the bogeymen once again. "If they are, who would be controlling them?"

Demon Queen shrugs.

I have no idea. And that's assuming they are. I'm not exactly sure, but it fits their behavior.

She wipes some blood from her forehead.

[Rebonack]

[Cursed Street]

Amil blinks at the sudden light. Curse her sensitive eyes! After a bit of squinting everything is just dandy, however. "Spooky is certainly one way to describe it..." she mutters under her breath as she gives that weird dog statue pleeeenty of space. Something off about it.

"I haven't seen this part of the City before. Which means it's either new or the Nexus has been really selective about the kinds of people it lets in."

It's really hard to tell how long a Street has been in existence often times.

"And I can't help but shake the feeling that something out there is hunting me... Probably you too."

That isn't encouraging.

"Eerr... I'm Amil, by the way. Amil Wightson."

Heh... Another 'chance' meeting. More of that weird societal magic. She'll have to pick up the MP3 for that talk and listen to it again.

[Gullara]

[Cursed Street]

"Hunting us?" The witch asks. She glances up at Jenkins, who's circling about. "Is that what he's being so noisy about?" Genevieve returns her attention to Amil, still not looking worried... at all. "I'm Genevieve Burchard. Nice to meet you."

[AmberVael]

[Cursed Street]

While the two talk, the shadows engulf the statue, pooling and collecting there before it suddenly disgorges a perfect copy of the wolf hound, except jet black with holes where its eyes should be. Suddenly growling may awake them to the approaching danger, while more shadows pool and become to form more of the silhouette hounds.

[Morty]

[Temple of Cunningham]

Sophie scowls, clearly apalled. ...how can one lose human status? Either way, such barbarity doesn't hold here, so you have nothing to fear.

[Rebonack]

[Cursed Street]

Amil is about to say something else when suddenly shadow dog!

She whips around, her other free-hand growing a spike pistol and discharging several bone-spines at the monster!

*tok tok tok!*

The spikes themselves are decently sized and launched at pretty standard bullet speed. They would probably be lethal to an unarmored human, but there's no telling how the shadow wolf will react to the weapon.

Might need to psionically enhance the weapon to even do anything...

Hopefully not.

"Look alive. I think we just stumbled into a new Red Zone."

[PurityIcekiller]

[Abrajin's Library]

"Ah, these should do. I'm sorry I can't help you more right now, spirit, but I'll ask around." Xalicus put the books he was allowed to take in his satchel, which seemed to be barely holding out by now, and began to make his way back toward the library entrance.

Hopefully, with these books, he'd be able to learn enough to at least defend himself from attackers better. Then he'd just need to establish a magical laboratory and he'd be all set for life in the Nexus.

Or not. It wasn't easy to be all set for life in the Nexus, what with all the unexpected situations.

[Red Zone]

"We'll have to look around for it then. At least this'll be more exciting than simply beating up muggers, won't it?" Kyinde's eyes shone with enthusiasm. "Magic's hard to track, but that just makes it more interesting. Can we get going soon?"