Skyside 6: Return of the Cheddar

[bc56]

Fissure

"I can do no more." Kothar seems short of breath. That wasn't easy, and he definitely can't try again anytime soon. The half-elf might need to bring some bad news to their family.

[Earl of Purple]

Fissure

"Well, it seems to have helped. Thank you." The half-elf stands up, picking up their wooden sword and sheathing it, before recovering their arbalest and slinging it back over their back. "I think... I think I'm going to retire. At least temporarily. That... Was scary." The half-elf would be dead, if it weren't for their elvish ancestry. They also turn to leave, not wanting anything more to do with this strange library.

[bc56]

Fissure

"You want any treasure?" Kothar offers. That was the half-elf's motivation, right? It would be rude not to offer.

[Earl of Purple]

Fissure

"I snagged a fancy pen and a crystal ink pot. They're really nice; probably worth a pretty penny." Not really worth ageing seventy-five years for, but destroying that book was. "You can have anything else here. You did all the work; you deserve it." The half-elf continues on their way, leaving the rest of the room for Kothar, if he wants to try looting any valuables. If there even are any more valuables here, besides potential fancy pens and crystal ink pots.

[bc56]

Fissure

Kothar only pockets a couple of the glowing potions before leaving himself. There's nothing of special interest to him here, and he doesn't need wealth, and doesn't want to poke around for magical treasure that might be similar in nature to that book. It would be better not to use such things.

[Earl of Purple]

Fissure

Any other magical wealth like the book, if left behind, could fall into unscrupulous or ignorant hands. Unless Koshal has some way of detaching this small demiplane from its anchor point against the concrete building.

If he did look, however, he won't find anything else of that level. There's a stack of empty notebooks in one of the desk drawers, though the first has been filled with idle doodles, primarily anatomical sketches of fish. A silver fountain pen, enchanted to improve the legibility of anything written with it. Several crystal inkwells, as well as a bag of obsidian arrowheads.

Once he's outside, he'll meet the same group as before, though the Khajiit has disappeared. The orc speaks first. "What's it like in dere? Is it safe?" The half-elf is also not to be seen, having left sharpish to go to their family.

[bc56]

Fissure

Kothar emerges and speaks to the orc. "Not dangerous now. The enemy has been slain." There might be some insignificant residual danger left though. "Best not go in there, but should not be deadly."

[Earl of Purple]

Fissure

"Oh? Good, good." The orc nods and reaches into a pocket, taking out a crumpled wad of promissory notes and handing them to the ganger with the blunderbuss, who then walks off as the group finishes dispersing.

[Hattish Thing]

Thunderhead District - The Refinery

The mustachioed thug with the old-fashioned baseball bat walks menacingly towards Calm Reed, dragging the bat across the pavement. The other, smaller man retrieves a switchblade from his coat pocket, accompanying his companion. The smaller man with the switchblade chuckles as the monk speaks, his nasal voice piercing the cold air. "While you allow us to? Who the hell do you think you are, lady?" The larger man chuckles here, his dull eyes glazed over. "Ya, who duh hell, lady?" The small man grins malevolently before continuing. "I think lady needs to be taught a lesson or two in politeness."

At that, the large thug swings violently towards Calm Reed, aiming to crack her upside the head with the bat.

---

[Cloudtop Penthouse]

Hades raises his hands in an exasperated fashion as Persephone mentions her fondness for the ring he'd sought to replace. "You don't like it." A vein bulges in his neck before his lips curl into something halfway between a snarl and a pout. "You don't like it! You never do!" He points a large finger at her before continuing to complain in a very hurt tone. "Every time, you don't like it! There's always something wrong with whatever million dollar gift I come up with!" He rises up and out of his chair violently. "You know how many people would kill to call something like that theirs? To have a husband that cares enough to see his wife adorned in diamonds."

Although he's not shouting, his words are quite intense. "What, do you like looking cheap? You know how it makes me look that you're still walking around with that old thing on your finger?" Now, he's shouting. "It's UGLY, and CHEAP. And I don't want you wearing it."

"Take it off. Gods. Just one year, that's all I wanted! For you to just appreciate something for once."

---

[Petroldactyl - Lobby]

With a warm but painfully professional smile upon his rugged face, the finely-dressed man approaches the goblin before offering an outstretched hand with which to shake. Afterwards, he takes a seat within as comfortable a chair as can be found for an individual of his size. "Pleasure to meet you, I assume you're Mr. Kelligan." The towering man relaxes in his chair, casually resting a hand within his pant pocket, his arm angled in as aesthetic a way as possible.

He nods, his cleft chin swaying, before answering brightly. "As a matter of fact there is. Love the attitude." The man offers a good-natured chuckle before continuing, his tone a little more serious. "I own a number of enterprises, and of late, several issues have manifested which are in dire need of attention." He purses his lips before shrugging, sighing as he does so.

"As such, I'm in the market for talented... motivators, riot-breakers. Security which won't ask questions. Furthermore, I've an interest in your... curious technology."

[Morty]

[Thunderhead District - The Refinery]

The bat connects with Calm Reed's head and she seems to make no move to protect herself. It doesn't, however, have the effect one might expect. Instead of smashing her skull and sending her bleeding to the ground, she simply flinches as though she had received a punch, or perhaps a thrown ball. Her left hand lashes out, trying to grab the man's wrist as it holds the bat and squeeze forcefully. Not enough to break a bone or inflict lasting harm... but painful enough to suggest she might do that if she feels so inclined.

"I am someone who can do this. You are someone who cannot. How about we continue our conversation with this in mind? For your sake, it should be a brief one."

[bc56]

Fissure

Kothar also disperses. His work here is done, as far as he's concerned. However, he can't quite shake the feeling that maybe he should have spent more time on trying to make peace between the various people there.

[5a Violista]

[Cloudtop Penthouse]

Persephone chews over her thoughts. Her lips are pursed. She chews on the inside of her cheek.

To be honest, she does like the ring. It looks good. It matches her usual outfits. It fits her style.
But there's a reason she likes wearing the old wooden ring.
And she hates the way he's speaking and the insults he's using. "I see," she says, as her anger rises in her.

She holds her finger out and slowly pulls of both rings at the same time - she has to, after all: the wooden one is below the other one so she can't take it off without taking off the other first. "You're right." Cold creeps into her voice.

Her eyes narrow in cold fury. She sets both rings down on top of the desk, one on top of the other. "Thank you for your gift," she says icily. "It's very beautiful and expensive. I'm sure anyone would kill for it."

Leaving both rings stacked on the table, she once again turns to leave the penthouse, and walks.


[Thunderhead District - The Refinery]

Oh.

Wow.

Carlie makes a mental note to avoid fighting Calm Reed, if it ever becomes relevant.

She stays back, keeping her distance - in fact, she takes another step away. Again, she definitely doesn't want to be held hostage, because while Calm Reed can tank a baseball bat to the face without flinching, Carlie can't.[/QUOTE]

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[Persistent Paws]
Elizabeth is slowed down somewhat by the various debris and trash thrown in her path, but she still manages to keep on the tail of her mark- if barely. She gasped out a string of curses. This really, really hadn't supposed to have happened like this.

She was so occupied in her own thoughts cursing herself that it hadn't even occurred to her that her target might have stopped and been waiting for her when she stumbled around the corner.

Fi's backhand caught her completely off guard, and she stumbled backwards, swearing in pain while clutching her nose. Oh [FRICK] that hurt. Tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes from the pain, the catgirl unused to taking much more punishment than a stubbed toe or papercut. She certainly wasn't expecting a smack like that to come from Mara, someone who as far as Elizabeth knew was just a businesswoman and nothing more. She scrambled backwards away from the other woman, in case another strike came her way, all the while beginning to feel blood drip from her nose and onto her fingers. Mentally, she tried to prepare herself to continue the chase should her mark take off running, or try to dodge out of the way should 'Mara' look for a fight.

Hackers of Different Kinds

Fidelia doesn't intend to leave her pursuer much of a chance to scramble away. She charges around the corner and lunges for her, reaching out to seize her by the collar. She intends to yank Elizabeth in close and throw a left hook to the gut before driving her into a wall and drawing a Bowie knife. "What the hell do you want?"

[Hattish Thing]

[Cloudtop Penthouse]

At first, there's a sigh of relief as Persephone appears to acquiesce to Hades' demand. He raises his hands up in exasperation before sliding back down into his comfortable leather chair. "Gods, now that wasn't so hard! It doesn't have to be a fight every year!" With a shake of his head, Hades reaches for a bottle of fine whiskey contained within the drawer of his desk. As he retrieves it, he notices Persephone removing both of the rings. It was not what he wanted to see. The god is caught off guard at first, his brow furrowed, mouth slightly agape. "What - what are you-" As the second ring clatters onto the table, Hades rises.

His eyes widen with rage, and his cheeks have darkened. "What the hell do you think you're going?" His shoulders rise up, teeth gnash, and a vein bulges in his neck. "Don't you walk away from me, woman! No one walks away from me!" He froths futilely, realizing that at this point, his words weren't likely to have much of an impact on his wife. He desperately tries to think of something to say to keep her in the room. "You know what, fine! Fine! Leave! If you don't want me, maybe I'll find someone who does." Hades sputters and gasps, eyes smoldering with resentment. "It won't be hard!"

"You - you think I need this?!"

---

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

The large man with the bat immediately drops his makeshift weapon, eyes widened in fear. He freezes in place, so dumbfounded is he. The smaller man, farther back, however, is quick. He doesn't even bother responding, he simply turns about and starts rushing down a nearby alleyway, hoping to simply vanish and leave his underling to face any consequences in his stead. After a second or two, the large man becomes somewhat more aware of the situation and elects to make another poor decision. He's not use to people fighting back, maybe he just needed to try again? And so, with a balled fist, he attempts to strike directly at Calm Reed's nose.

"Uhh, hey, lemme go!"

---

[The Silken Whisper]

Larza continues to wander about confusedly. This has gotten out of hand. She'll attempt to stay close to the frighteningly well-armed space lady, for the meantime, however.

---

[Thunderhead District - Olympian Extractions (Refinery - Magtok)]

Snow falls in bittercold curtains over the Thunderhead District, covering scores of abandoned warehouses, crumbling apartments, and struggling businesses in an expansive blanket of ice. The dark, overcast sky above flashes periodically as lightning streaks through the clouds, clumps of wet flakes drifting windlessly down onto the buildings below. A harsh wind howls through the labyrinthine streets of the district below, producing flurries of snow. Despite the snowstorm which threatens to worsen as time passes, throngs of haggard workers march ever onward into the distance.

It is not difficult to find something representative of the Olympian Extractions corporation, for nearly a quarter of the district has been bought up under its name. Company stores loom over battered streets, while crumbling company lodgings stacked high into the sky rise over the urban squalor. Great husks of old buildings are cramped together, flanked by derelict buildings which stick out like rows of broken teeth. Garbage has been piled up messily in various alleys, and a number of abandoned vehicles form makeshift barricades which close off the worst of the area from the rest.

At this area's highest point, an enormous facility can be seen. The facility appears to be a sprawling, unfathomably expansive joint structure composed of numerous refineries and power plants whose dozens of smokestacks spew foul black smoke into the murky air above. Neon lights glare whilst overburdened powerlines spark and thrum, snowflakes melting on contact. Enormous pipes flow from the factory throughout the rest of skyside as veins would, spewing all manner of wasteful byproduct down onto the land below. Scores of trucks move to and from the lots outside the facility at all times, and though the sky is dark, the area surrounding the facility is bright as can be.

A huge electric fence surrounds the entire facility beyond. It's about a twenty-minute walk to the front gates.

Spoiler: The Refinery

Show

[Earl of Purple]

The Silken Whisper- Inside

The girl climbs out from under the bed and shakes her head. She's got some bruising, but she's had worse. She also has a little monster growing inside her, like the other girl. The girl Zee brought with her is smiling and will reach out to hug the dark-skinned lass, before passing her a shirt. Anything else would be hard to put on, given her ankle is chained.

She also looks at the chainsword quite a lot; nobody owns it any more, but it's unlikely to be inherited by her or the other girl, who remains chained to the bed for now.

The Silken Whisper Outside

The Luxan approaches Minerva, followed by the Kroot. Most of the customers have filtered away, and some of the girls have gone with them. "Izzit safe for us to reopen the place yet? Time's money, and we're losing a lot right now." The alien bartender isn't intimidated by Minerva's faceless helmet and powered armour; though wearing no armour of his own, he's got a Qualta blade at his hip and Luxans are tall and powerfully built. Plus he's got the Kroot backing him up, with the bladed rifle held in sinewy limbs capable of movement far faster than most would expect.

[Morty]

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

Instead of another demonstration of resilience, Calm Reed simply opts to ward off the punch with her forearm this time; the previous display of fortitude took more out of her than she's willing to show. She lets go of the man's wrist, however.

"You seem prone to stupid decisions. Know that harassing this man in the future would be among them. Now follow the lead of your marginally smarter compatriot and get out of my sight."

[Hattish Thing]

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

The large man lurches away as soon as his wrist is freed, gripping it with his other hand. With a horrified expression on his face, the thug glances back to the injured man bleeding out onto the cement. Although not particularly intelligent, there's clearly some sort of thought process taking place here. As the thug steps backwards, creeping closer to the alley, he points a fat finger at the wounded man. "Ya don't get it, lady! Dis guy, he's already dead!"

At that, he flees down the alleyway. Meanwhile, the man with the broken knee groans out.

--

Spoiler: Wounded Man:

Show

[5a Violista]

[Cloudtop Penthouse]

Persephone doesn't stop walking until she gets to the door and opens it. At that point, she turns around and voices a frustration - one that she probably has because she doesn't really see the value in what he's doing, but it's still one that she has.

"While you're here playing with your money and toys and failing to keep the seasons right," she says, completely ignoring and dismissing his own concerns and worries and values, "I actually have real work to do. You know, stopping people from escaping the underworld and keeping it running. In fact, I can't waste any more time here, there's some undead refugees around I need to go clean up."

She steps out the door.
"I'll be back when I'm not busy." Maybe before their anniversary. "You better get something useful done by then."

She shuts the door, leaving him alone with the rings and the echo of her voice.
...
and her shoes. She had taken them off before putting her feet on the desk, but she forgot to put them back on.

Once out the door and confident he won't immediately follow, she stops to tidy herself up: she wipes away her tears. She bites her lip hard enough that blood starts running down her chin - she's just so frustrated at herself and the way she acted. Why did she do that? she wonders. She just came up here to joke around a bit, ask how things were going, and then to have a normal conversation with her husband, but...after that, she can't just go back in and pretend it didn't happen or apologize or whatever. Going back in to just get her shoes, that would be awkward, right? Guess she's walking in the snow barefoot.

She unclenches her fists, looks at the marks she left in her hands with her nails, and then wipes away the blood from her chin. "You're the worst," she says to herself. Just standing here won't make the bleeding stop, so she decides to just leave it and start the elevator.


[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

Carlie watches as Calm Reed shows off.

As soon as the last attacker runs off, the bunnygirl finally closes the distance and goes up to check out the bleeding guy.

She taps his shoulder. "Hey. You still good? Know somewhere we can take you" she asks him, while checking to see how bad the injury is and the chances of this guy surviving. And, of course, to see if she can find out what that guy meant when he said "he's already dead".

[Morty]

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

Calm Reed watches the man run off without even wasting another cutting remark on such filth. To dare strike a Dragon-Blooded monk... not even the lowliest criminal scum in the Realm or the Threshold would do that. She watches Carlie attend to the wounded victim in silence.

[Meowmai]

[Knife to Meet You, Alleycat]

As much as she tried to brace herself for any follow-up, Elizabeth was far from a fighter. So she was unable to pull away from Fidelia as she was grabbed by the collar of her hoodie, and didn't even see the punch coming. She felt it though, a burst of blinding pain that left her winded and gasping. In no state to continue resisting with any real strength, she quickly found herself shoved against a wall. To her ever-growing panic the catgirl saw her quarry draw a knife, suddenly aware that she had clearly bitten off far more than she could chew.

"Ngnh f-[FORK]… I-I, w-woahhh, calm down, I didn't... gah, mean any harm, I was just..." She gulped nervously, both panic and fear evident in her eyes at the abrupt way the tables had turned. Elizabeth desperately tried to find an excuse or alternate phrasing for just why she had been chasing the woman. "I thought you were... u-uh, someone that... that I knew who um... owed me something! But you don't. Err, you're not them, I mean... just please don't hurt me." She shot another panicked glance at the knife and then back up at 'Mara'. Her excuse was weak, so obviously just her clutching at straws in an effort to get out of this, but what was she supposed to do? Admit to the angry girl with a knife that she was trying to follow her home and potentially rob her??.

[Lord Magtok]

Thunderhead District - Olympian Extractions

Olympian Extractions. Olympian Extractions. Oh crap, Magtok, why weren't you listening more closely earlier? This is the Nexus; it would be perfectly plausible for one of Zeus's siblings or progeny to be a coal baron, wouldn't it? Though not the most beloved of the Olympians, a mortal striking at their leader and patriarch would have to merit some sort of acts of divine vengeance eventually...right? This whole tour, this big security contract...what if it's all a ruse? What if this is all meant to get our guard down, to lure us in with the sweet smell of financial recovery, only to pull the proverbial rug out from beneath our feet at the most humiliating moment possible? Godsdammit Magtok, you never should've come here. You never should've picked a fight with Zeus. Everyone knows revenge is a vicious cycle and never ends until one of two families have been completely wiped out of existence. You should've wiped out every single Olympian when you had the chance, or else smothered your rage and frustration in the cradle before it could lead you down this twisted, broken road.

It's too late to back down now, though. Running away and forgetting all about this place wouldn't save us; it'd just throw one more grave insult onto the pile and exacerbate whatever fate has in store for us. It'd also ruin our chances of success if this maybe-godling turns out to hate Zeus, and the whole reason he scouted us was because we hurt his father/brother/uncle/cousin. Imagine that, coming all this way to meet a fellow adversary of the thunder god, and then ditching him for fear of the same deity. Does that sound like the Magtok you were raised to be? No, of course not. Now hurry along, cyborg, you have an appointment to keep. It's just a little further down this hideously filthy road, which you thankfully have the ability to hover over instead of soiling your shoes treading upon it.

[Hattish Thing]

[Thunderhead District - Olympian Extractions]

All around the cyborg, exhausted workers clad in sweaty, coal-stained uniforms drag their feet through alleyways or atop sidewalks, glancing with suspicion towards him from time to time. This part of town is surprisingly well-populated, with several company stores flanked by numerous bars and small restaurants, all of which bear upon neon signs some variation of the Olympian Extraction's company logo. Sprawling tenement homes and crumbling apartments rise up out of the ground at uneven heights, creating an asymmetrical skyline which resembles broken teeth.

The entire refinery is surrounded by an enormous, twelve-foot tall electric fence covered in barbed wire. Within the courtyard beyond, a pair of watchtowers can be seen. At the front gates, four armed gunmen stare forward blankly, one of which whistles. Once Magtok approaches, an attendant waves from within a nearby booth next to the front gates.

"You there, got ID?"

---

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

The man has been thoroughly beaten. Most of his injuries will heal, including his broken nose. However, his knee was struck quite hard. Unless immediately tended to by a talented surgeon or healerf, it's likely that the worker will suffer permanent damage. He's currently in shock, and as such, his response is slow and confusing.

"There's... small hops- hopstial. Hospital. Company hospital."

[Shadowcaller]

[Petroldactyl - Lobby]

The goblin folds his hands together and he sinks down in his chair. Smiling as he gets complimented.
Once Hades finishes that smile turns into a full-blown grin. "You've come to the right place, er, Mr. M.H was it?" He clears his throat. "People like you are what's making this city run so KABAL would be honored to give a helping hand." He gestures to a small model on his desk that seems to represent the giant construct they're in. "Our technology isn't expensive, but it's effective. Just like our operatives. We get whatever job you have done exactly the way you want it. There's no false advertising or deception going on here, we're mercenaries. We kill, explode, capture or take out anyone you got a problem with."

[Stromolus Manor - Common Room]

As Anri is spending time in her room she can suddenly hear Tellysandra's voice echo within her mind. Hey Anri, this is Telly and I got a few questions for you. Are you preoccupied? Assuming she isn't, Tellysandra continues.
I apologize for contacting you in this manner but this is important. First of all, are you attuned to a specific element? Some djinn or genie are and it could be important for this reason.

[Deathkeeper]

[Stromulus Manor- Common Room]

Anri starts in surprise. She still hasn't gotten used to Tellysandra doing this from time to time. Or referring to herself so casually.
Ah. From the folklore we had collected over the years, my ancestor seemed to have a theme of flames and smoke. My eyes were orange, which might corroborate such claims. But I can't tell you what the curse has done to my internal magicks. It is a very vexing situation, being rather clueless about how your body functions even more than people without medical experience.

[Lord Magtok]

[Thunderhead District - Olympian Extractions]

"You there, got ID?"

Magtok stares blankly at the attendant, utterly dumbfounded. ID? Did this...did this peasant just ask him for identification? Is it not immediately obvious just from looking at him that this is the Lord Magtok, formerly the most powerful and influential man in the entire Nexus? Good gods, it's one thing to not be famous and powerful anymore, but people should at least still have the capacity to look at him and immediately recognize that he's not the sort of blue-collar schmuck who bothers with mundane, insipid nonsense like identification, Raptor Christ, we need to hurry up and get involved in a major faction war or save the world or take over a city or something; this whole anonymous stranger thing is really starting to grate on the nerves.

"I'm Magtok. Your boss, the big guy in the suit? He invited me up here, told me to have a look around and visit. Called me the 'real McCoy,' whatever the hell that means," he answers, radiating immense distaste for having to explain himself like this to anyone. In fact, if he still had a few drones to spare, he'd fly right over this stupid gate and let them shoot all they want, flipping all of these security people both birds as their bullets do little more than add a few measly dents and cracks to the drone body's iron carapace. That would show them for having the audacity to speak to us like this.

[5a Violista]

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

The pregnant woman does her best to help the man up. "Company hospital? Like, this company? Olympian...whatever?" she asks.

Of course, being pregnant makes it harder for her to help somebody stand. "Which way is it?"

She turns to Calm Reed, wondering if she's making the same mental connection: getting into a company hospital would be a great place to ask about disappearances.

[Morty]

[Thunderhead District - Streetfight]

Calm Reed moves up to help the man stand, which is considerably easier for her than for Carlie. Either she had the same plan or caught on to Carlie's, but either way she seems to understand.

"We can help you get there."

[Zefir]

[Thunderhead District - Warehouse and Mall]


It has been some time after the attack against the residents here who are part of Arkant's company. Not much has changed to this point, but now there is something new. The groups of guards have vanished all of a sudden ang got replaced by other groups. Those new groups all appear simular.

The first one is a humanoid person male/female. It looks kinda attraktiv or if you want charming. If anything happens He/She is the first one to talk to the people. He is armed with a gun. His clothes carry the emblem of Arkant's company and make it easy to find him in the crowed if not for the other two.

The second one is rather bulky, much more then a human could be. it got a cloak covering it, but it is easy to see that he is no human. His arms seem to be heavy plated but it's more like scales then an armor. He got some meele weapons on his back but his arms could be used like clubs.

The last one is slim, but taller then the first one and appear more armed with a big backpack and some guns on the side.

They patrol the area Arkant has controll over. They don't hesitate to get threatening people out and those known as slaver got immediatly ambushed by two or more of those groups, if they dare to enter the area.

[Shadowcaller]

[Stromulus Manor- Common Room]

I see, I see. Thank you, Anri, that's very helpful. But my next question is a tad more personal. Since as you might realize this project isn't cheap. Now, before you start panicking, I'm not going to put you in a huge debt here. But I was wondering if I could offer you a job as a lab assistant to partly pay off the cost. It would be about 10 % of your pay every year. You'd be working with Nora Jones, a medical professional, and help her with her projects. She's the one that's helping constructing your body so I felt that would be appropriate. As your new body would be able to grant minor wishes that would be a part of your duties. How do you feel about that? This would be an actual well-paid job with full benefits and little to no danger involved. Telly offers through telepathy.

[Deathkeeper]

[Stromulus Manor- Common Room]

Anri's response is notably more delayed than the last one.
But...I already have a job. My family's library. It goes back to the founding of Skyside; I can't just abandon it. Brag is doing a good job of running it in my absence but he can't do that forever. I also have no medical training. I am a scholar, I like to think. Not a doctor. I- but ah, is there news on the body? Can I ask what it looks like? She certainly sounds unsure.