Vigil VII: Strife Amidst the Clouds

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Planning]

Come on, Spako. You two TOTALLY went on some off-screen adventures because Rebo lost track of the Rebonack character and then vanished for like half a year. Just because things don't happen on screen doesn't mean that NEVER HAPPENED.

Right?

Right!?

"Oh wowie, I'm flattered you would compare me to someone who was so special to you!" Pepper bubbles. Just for good measure she gives Spako a hug again.

Just not... TOO hard.

Since he just finished eating.

Pepper looks surprised as she grabs a backpack full of adventuring supplies and begins trotting out the door with her armor cube following her. *skitter skitter skitter*

"We've had plenty of adventures! Like that time with the evil wizard in the tower who wanted to turn everyone into cows?"

You know, Spako. Off-screen adventures that definitely happened.

[Deathkeeper]

Adventure Planning

Spako chuckles as he follows Ser Pepper out the door.
"Hehe. Your armor looked really silly cow-shaped." But of course, since Sir Rebo was still a slime at the time he simply molded himself humanoid again.
"He was really surprised when it didn't do anything to that mercenary. But that's why you don't use cow magic on minotaurs."
That's just logic.

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Disembarking]

Ser Pepper will be leaving a note about where she and Spako are going. To investigate an old dwarf fortress said to be over-run with clowns (demons?) to secure resources for VIGIL's use and potentially put a stop to a dangerous infestation that could threaten surrounding villages in Outside.

What?

Ser Pepper wouldn't EVER just go gallivanting off without informing leadership what she was up to!

That would be irresponsible and not even a little bit heroic!

SO!

Now she's prancing across the VIGIL grounds, still clad in her gambeson, her armor cube skittering along behind her. Really, Pepper can't HELP but prance. It's almost as good as frolicking, but there's important business to get done and she can get in a good helping of frolicking later.

"So what do you think, Spako? Should we take one of the airships? Or would you prefer flying us both there?" Ser Pepper asks. She really isn't THAT heavy. Or big. She could probably ride a dragon, right?

[Deathkeeper]

Adventure Disembarking

Spako ponders the question.
”Well...if you’re about as heavy as a human I could make carry you in my claws. A human is about as heavy as I can carry. I’m not a very big dragon yet.” Spako tries to pick up Ser Pepper and beat his wings. Gaiads are made of plants and bones given life from dreams or something, right? Shouldn’t he be kind of light, then?

[Rebonack]

[Adventure Disembarking]

She isn't.

Light, that is.

Most of her bones are made out of rocks. Pepper has stone hooves. She's actually surprisingly heavy considering that she is a smallish woman attached to a smallish deer. There's probably some comedic huffing and flapping, though!

"Don't feel bad about it, Spako! We can just take the air ship down the surface and walk! It isn't too far. Walking is all part of the grand adventure!" she says as she pronks her way over to one of the airships and climbs aboard. The armor cube, of course, skitters in after her.

Thankfully Rebonack and his animated armor are both pretty well known around VIGIL. He and Spako have been members for a really long time!

"Like There and Back Again! If they just flew on the eagles to Lonely Mountain it really wouldn't have been as good of a story, right? No, the real treasure is the adventures you have along the way. And the big adventure at the end. And sometimes the adventure coming home. All adventures are pretty great," Pepper concludes, giving her head a firm nod.

It's a hard argument to overturn. All adventures ARE pretty great.

To Outside!

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Battered Shield - Food Consumption]

While Anika and Lapis get into some kind of spontaneous eating contest, and Mia goes for a much more civilised approach to food eating, you might expect the literal wolfman sitting at the table to be the one most likely to just...wolf his down.

Not so. While hardly as dainty about it as Mia is, Atreyu seems to have considerably more self-control than the other two.

His eyes do narrow slightly as he observes Lapis putting food away at a rate that shouldn't really be possible, but says nothing.

Anika, however, gets a chuckle out of him. "Anyone'd think ya'd been starved fer the whole day, Missy."

[Shadowcaller]

[Battered Shield - Food Consumption]

"Blach?" Anika remarks through what must be quite a thick layer of food. "yolc 'all!"

She slowly swallows.

"You're small, that's why it seems like I'm eating so much food." The druid finally manages to say as she pats her belly. "In fact, you're not as small as everyone else so shouldn't you need to eat as much as me?"

[Zefir]

[Battered Shield - Food Consumption]

Mia looks a bit concerned at Lapis and Anika. She can't think of any other term then wild to discribe what is happening here. She couldn't even tell if this has to do with Anika be an elf and Lapis be a shapechanger. No one in her world has ever eaten that way or better said she never saw anyone do it. She does offer a smile at Atreyu who tries to be civilised.

"You should take part in a eating contest." Mia suggest to Anika. "I never saw anyone ... 'eat' so fast. You sure would win." Mia is not sure about Lapis, after alll can she just change to something with a bigger stomach? That would be chating, right? I guess there never have been shapechanger to such a contest.

[Rebonack]

[Battered Shield]

Lapis is one hundred percent cheating but it has little to do with the shape changer part and more to do with the fact that she's basically got a fusion forge for a stomach. The amount of energy she uses to do what she does is tremendous. This of course means that the lighter elements in whatever she's snacking on are being fused into heavier ones until they get massive enough that fusion no longer generates power.

That happens when things get to iron, as it happens.

But that's all silly sciency stuff Lapis is just enjoying her lunch.

She probably learned her table manners from Anika, which might explain a few things.

For the time being?

She's just going to eat and listen to the conversation.

An eating contest sounds like fun! She would probably want to be bigger so she's got a bigger mouth if she played in one of those.

[Nova_Eclipse]

Training Ground - Potential Student

"Thank you, but usually the Eviscerators aren't. This one has been my personal one and heavily worked upon for years. Much of the time they are so unwieldy and unamored that they are as prone to hurting their wielder as they are whatever the person is swinging at." Jezebel explains, taking her blade back and setting it down. "Mind if I ask why you have chosen to pick up the blade? Were you required to by your land, the blade's custodian, or simply felt a calling? Or any other reason. And it would help to know if you follow any particular philosophies of combat. Or if your blade might follow one. It almost felt like it could have some sense of sentience given time here."

Training Ground - Potential Student

Quin considers for a moment.

"I was made to be a warrior and companion for my operator. Excalibur.......fell into my possession, you might say. Not from a mentor, but from....what I would consider a worthy foe. After my friends and I vanquished that foe's superiors, I did some research. When what by all accounts seems to be one of the legendary blades of your world falls into your hands by some chance of fate, it's probably best not to question it, you know?" Quin shrugs after a moment. "Excalibur wishes for me to be a hero, that much is certain, but I'm not sure how much of a philosophy it has. I don't really have a codified philosophy of combat; I fight to protect the weak and preserve the peace. And...I try to only use as much force as is necessary to get the job done. I don't like causing a lot of damage if I can help it."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Battered Shield]

Atreyu chuckles. "As regular ol' me, maybe I'm small. Ain't any smaller'n you as a wolf though, Missy." He remarks, leaning back for a moment to lock eyes with Anika. "'sides, we all got the same amount on our plates. Don't matter how fast y'eat it, unless ya wanna give yerself bellyache." He continues eating at a more measured pace, confident in his infallible logic.

...unless Anika is the sort to start nabbing stuff of other people's plates. Then there might be problems.

"An excellent idea, Mia. Well, maybe. Though I reckon if Anika and Lapis competed in the same contest, the final round may go on fer quite a while."

[Shadowcaller]

[Battered Shield]

Atreyu's comment seems to bring Anika pause and for a moment she doesn't eat.
"Well, I am starving." She finally declares. "But there is no way I can beat Lapis at eating. She's the uncontested queen of food you guys." And since Anika had to pause to talk, there was no way she'd catch up with Lapis at this point!

"I just have to settle at second place, besides if anything would cause a tummy ache I'd a food contest, I've seen people just puke up everything they ate afterwards! It was so gross." The druid makes a face.
Perhaps not the best thing to mention at the dinner table though.

[Zefir]

[Battered Shield]

Mia is still eating at a slow pace. She is rather small so it's not a suprise if she doesn't manage to eat up all.

"I'm sure those two would exhauste the cooks if you make a contest." she says to Atreyu. "That is somethign I also heared. I can't even imagine were they put it. When i go to a restaurant I barly eat one plate. It's allways sad if i have to let a part go to waste."

From all at the table only Lapis is smaller right now, but the 'adult' Lapis was bigger then her. Mia is already fighting with her food.

[Rebonack]

[Battered Shield]

"I'm WAY bigger than I look!" Lapis claims as she finishes eating not ONLY the food on the bread-plate but the bread-plate too. "I've been getting bigger, too! But it'll be a long time before I'm ever as big as Mother."

Now there's an interesting point.

Lapis' little girl form is exactly the same size that it was when Anika first saw her during the skinwalker nonsense nearly two years ago now. Which is kind of odd.

Maybe Lapis doesn't know that children are supposed to get bigger?

Someone might need to explain that to her.

"That was good! I really liked it. But I don't think I need a second one," Lapis says, quite content with the meal. "So you're all going to come to Thanksmas, right? I'll probably be helping Mother put up decorations and stuff it's going to be so much fun it'll be the first Thanksmas I've gone to!"

She missed the one last year at HALO she was busy protecting VIGIL from birds. But with the Boss Bird defeated it should be okay this year.

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[Constantly Changing Location Tag]

Jaahlyn nods. "Tonight it is then. Just make sure to go to bed early and do whatever you can to fall asleep." No pressure though, right?
She pauses and holds her tail high, displaying the bauble that's tied to it. "No matter what form I might take in your dream you will always recognize me by this. It's my guide light, souls both alive and dead can follow it to safety." With a sudden shake of her tail the bauble bobs around and starts to glow brightly. "See? In your own dreams the light will be different but you will still recognize it. It's a bit difficult to explain, but if it looks exactly like this it might just be your own dreams deceiving you though. But that's of no concern unless your own mind is out to get you." Which they aren't... right?

For In That Sleep Of Death, What Dreams May Come

"Glowing tail, guiding light, has to look like anything except that or else my head is out to get me," Saint Lazarus repeats with a nod, ignoring the implied, unspoken question at the end there. After all, if her mind wasn't out to get her, would they even be here?

"Is there anything else important I should know about before trying to bully my subconscious into being less hungry all the time?" she asks, trying to not sound anxious even though the wait is absolutely killing her with worry and she wants to just get this done with and fall asleep on the floor right here and now.

Our True Mentor... Our Guiding Moonlight

Souls both alive or dead, huh? It's certainly an interesting statement. Does she mean to say that both of them shall be able to follow, or is she just trying to get across how capable she is as a guide? Either way, it sounds like she might be a shepherd of the dead as much as the living. Hopefully not in the Charon kind of way. "So uh, one of those things where we'll know it when we see it?"

Spoiler

Show

[On the Ground]

There's a man following the skybase around. He's not particularly noteworthy, and he's not particularly obvious about it. With something that big and with everything that VIGIL has going on, it's probably pretty easy to disguise the fact that you're observing them. Especially when you're all by your lonesome. He doesn't seem to have transportation, or any speedy means with which to come and go, but he keeps popping up regardless. Sometimes disappearing before reappearing beneath the skybase dozens of miles from where it was originally positioned.

This man has a couple distinct advantages in this process. He can see very far, and he is very careful to keep his distance. This doesn't seem to pose any issue with his ability to observe. Unless someone has an extraordinary means of keeping watch or detecting possible intruders, he'll probably be very hard to pick out. Mostly he watches one thing specifically: the ways people come and go after they're shuttled down to the surface.

He is looking for someone specific. He has never met them. He knows what they look like... and he knows they're called Blanche. He's trying to see what means Blanche uses to get around. And if he can determine that without being spotted from one of his far-off perches... well, he might just finally move a little closer.

On the Ground

The mysterious watcher may find that his opportunities are a bit sparser than he might like, as Blanche not only works at VIGIL, but lives on-site as well. That said, it's not as if she doesn't head out to Inside for shopping or other needs from time to time, making use of public transport for those occasions.

[Shadowcaller]

[Constantly Changing Location Tag]

Jaahlyn nods to Fidelia. "Your... girlfriend is correct, lady Lazarus. You will simply recognize it once you see it. The the dead do after all despite often never having seen it for their before. It's an instinct you could say. As much a part of your natural instincts as anything else." The satyr then pauses for a moment to consider Laz's last question. "If you see dead close ones you may talk to them but don't follow them if they move away from you. My presence within your dreams might attract them to you but it's rare so I don't expect it to happen. Just be aware that it might, though it might not actually be a bad thing depending on those you've lost."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Battered Shield]

"You'n'I are of the same mind there, Mia. Ain't any point in ordering more'n you can eat, does no one any good letting it go to waste."

Though of course that's still a problem when the persons ordering include a bizarre not-child with an infinite appetite.

"Reckon I've got to make an appearance at thanksmas now, don't I? Just fer the chance at seeing Anika with a beard!"

[Shadowcaller]

[Battered Shield]

Anika waves her hand dismissively. "I can't guarantee beards I'm afraid. I mean, I'm not really sure I will sit on the throne this year as I got tons of presents to prepare." She starts counting on her hand. "One for Ilpholin, one for Blanche, one for Natharia... it's gonna be a lot of work!"

[Murkus]

[On the Ground]

The gleaming Riftline platform awaits Blanche, and perhaps a few others who live near the shuttle platform or who are coming from the VIGIL base. There's a large man, dark of hair, beard, skin and eye, already waiting for the train. He wears a long blue coat. The profile of his face speaks to noble lineage. He's carrying a long steel-grey suitcase. Blanche can tell it's likely not the case for a gun, if she has even bothered to notice this fellow. Maybe he's a musician.

The train whisks into the station like a wraith, settling to a stop with a jostle and a hiss. The doors flick open. The man waits for others to step through, but he just about bumps into Blanche. "Excuse me," he offers in a voice as deep as an ocean trench. "After you."

[Rebonack]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

A low buzzing fills the air around a perfectly mirrored sphere roughly three feet across. It hovers a few inches off the ground, dripping what looks like quicksilver into the grass. A fissure runs through its surface, out of which are sticking a tangle of brown feathers.

No one brought it here.

It simply appeared.

Scans will indicate that there's nothing there apart from empty air.

Which is, of course, very strange.

Aside from the buzz and the growing pool of liquid mirror below it, the strange object appears to be inert.

Wonder what's up with this thing?

[5a Violista]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

A small fuzzy creature named Caramel approaches the feathery silvery buzzing object, curious about what it is.

The creature has really sharp teeth, six legs, three tails, and is currently being looked for by Zophiel, suggesting that he is somewhere nearby even though he is not right here.

Caramel stalks the pool of liquid and, after getting close enough, cautiously sniffs it and dips its front paw into the liquid mirror.

[Rebonack]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

The mirrored pool is touched! It feels warm and wet, like gravy fresh off the stove.

The orb turns inside out as the fuzzy creature prods at the pool.

Somehow an inside out orb equals a donkey with the tail, wings, and neck of a Canada goose.

The buzzing sound grows in volume as the air fills with the scent of buttery mash potatoes.

The creature cranes its long neck to glare down at Caramel imperiously.

There is a very high likelihood that this is not, in fact, Zophiel.

Maybe Caramel ought to look somewhere else?

[5a Violista]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

Caramel darts back to a safer position, all while keeping an eye on the donkey thing.

She stands on her back and middle legs, raising her forelegs off the ground and baring her sharp teeth to look more intimidating. Still looks kinda cute, though.

And Caramel starts inching closer again.


Zophiel is...probably nearby.
Actually, he is: he's close enough to hear the buzzing and smell the butter, so goes towards the buzzing sound,.noticing something from the distance he's at (but he is not close enough to tell what it is).

[Rebonack]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

The monster seems content that Caramel is backing away.

But then Caramel does something very foolish!

She begins approaching the monster again!

It takes great umbrage to this, spreading its wings wide and giving a terrifying honking bray!

It sounds very VERY scary!

But that isn't the worst thing about it. Oh no.

No, the worst thing about it is the swarm of bees that come gushing out of the creature's mouth! A mass of bees! A torrent of bees! A great roaring river of bees! There's just no end to the bees! They keep coming! The cloud of angry bees will begin assaulting everyone and everything nearby! Where they land on the ground or other surfaces aluminum drain-pipes begin sprouting, making odd sputtering noises before spurting out streams of mashed potatoes. Who knows what will happen if they sting someone. Probably something weird.

[5a Violista]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

Realizing that the donkey creature has already spotted her and pointed her out to everyone else, Caramel realizes that she won't be able to subdue it. Especially because of the bees.

She runs off.

Zophiel, meanwhile, is still approaching. He looks like a normal paladin who has massive sentient swords, except he also has wings. Large black feathery wings up top and smaller leathery wings at his waist.
Noticing the bees, he draws his red sword and continues his approach.

[bc56]

RME 245

A man wearing a suit of battered power armor with black and yellow caution markings on it also approaches the scene of the disturbance. A small white critter with one eye and a pair of yellow horns surrounded by puffy feathers is perched on his shoulder. He pulls a roll of yellow hazard tape from his toolbox and begins running it across objects in the area, creating a makeshift cordon. He looks at the paladin. "I'm supposed to be keeping people out of the anomaly until it can be studied. Don't get yourself hurt, I'd hate to file more paperwork than I need to."

[Rebonack]

[Radon Magical Event 245]

The donkey goose aims its bee breath up into the sky now. The bees fly up Up UP! and burst in little flashes of fireworks!

Which causes it to begin hailing.

Hail stones consisting of tiny wooden ladders frozen in cubes of ice begin falling from the sky.

This is growing increasingly strange!

Should Zophiel get too close it is possible he will be stung by the bees or pelted with ice cubes. Neither of these would be pleasant experiences.

...probably.

But who knows maybe Zophiel likes getting stung by strange bees?

He got stung by jellifish and worm monsters an awful lot at Marlick Bay.

The power armor, by contrast, may begin sprouting aluminum drainpipes squirting out mashed potatoes. This all continues to be very odd.

[5a Violista]

Radon Magical Event 245

While a stray bee or two does manage to sting the paladin, and some frozen ladders do manage to bounce near him, luckily the new hazard tape keeps him from getting too close.

He relaxes his sword.
"Oh, okay," he says. He looks at the swarms and the goat, and swats at a bee that got too close to him.
"Do you know what that is and what's going on?"

[bc56]

RME 245

The mechanic splashes through the growing pool of mashed potatoes. "No idea. So contain and study." He grabs one of the pipes now growing from his helmet and crushes it in his fist. Meanwhile, his little creature is licking up splatters of potato that got on his armor. "Right. You there, creature. I advise you to stop this nonsense before someone gets hurt." He says to the donkey goose.

[Rebonack]

[Random Magical Event 245]

Having been stung by the bees, a very strange thing happens when Zophiel speaks.

Every three words sounds like a donkey noise, a goose noise, and the voice of the fellow riding in the mech each in turn.

That third one is definitely strange, but the first two will make communicating very difficult. So that last statement probably would have went something like 'Heehaw honk Do heehaw honk what hewhawk honk and hewhaw honk on?' This random magical effect will last, at most, for one hour or until Zophiel eats ten times his body weight in mashed potatoes, whichever happens first.

...there's a strong chance that the hour will pass first.

Probably.

The donkey goose glowers at the suit of armor and, you guessed it, exhales a large number of bees at it.

This should come as a shock to no one.