New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 22 of 37 FirstFirst ... 121314151617181920212223242526272829303132 ... LastLast
Results 631 to 660 of 1100
  1. - Top - End - #631
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "Right... and in all that unknown time, you found no blackmail huh?" Maybe there's just nothing to blackmail! This new life must be above reproach.
    Or Jules didn't try too hard.

    Reinholdt's more than aware of the female Magtok in front of him. That's why he's still so very arpulsed. It's kind of painful really.
    "Do you mind showing me what you really look like?" Rein asks. Maybe what they all need is a shift in perspective. Or body.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  2. - Top - End - #632
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowcaller View Post
    [Tropical Compound]

    Zhareen tilts her head curiously but doesn't add anything to Vax's question as to not overwhelm Artiesa. It was two against one after all.
    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Tropical Compound

    "New as in I have only been fey for 48 hours." Artie answers bluntly. Didn't she already mention this to Zhareen? Or maybe she forgot. Things have been moving so fast.
    [Tropical Compound]

    Now Vax looks surprised. "Just two days?" Her expression is quickly composed once more. "And what were you before that?"

    Quote Originally Posted by 5a Violista View Post
    [HALO sans Angels]

    Pretend there's not a larger presence there?
    That's probably possible.
    Probably comparable to pretending ghosts aren't there or whatever.
    ...not that she can see any ghosts. But it's probably pretty comparable, she supposes.

    Venus stands there, wondering if she's supposed to do anything or just stand there.

    The first thing that can be 'seen' are a few distinct smells. First, a sweet, incredibly enticing smell. Second, a bitter, irritating, acrid smell that's more pain than scent. Third, a somehow-sanctified and holy scent, and fourth, a fragrant, perfume-like scent. Alongside that, there's also the visual of vines that move like snakes.
    Next, faint colors. A warm, motherly orange, a blonde, a shimmery pale blue like with the rainbow like a bubble about to pop, a vibrant yellow, a blue hidden behind a pink, all with a red and white field. Wow, colors are pretty generic, aren't they? Probably not that helpful at all. Very clearly, though, they represent her personality, things about her, and things she cares about.
    Her centaur-like body shape seems to be the focus for the rest of it: her human-like upper body has nine names swimming around on it. Well, there's only eight names that can be read, but there definitely are nine. Definitely names, though. All hers.
    Meanwhile, on the deer half of her body, actual shapes are forming out of her signifying her abilities. Flowers - several types, but especially poppies - growing from her. A large, gaping mouth that seems to just consume. A basin of water on her back that's clearly(?) holy, probably. Spider webs blowing as if in the wind. Black painted-on eye designs. A very clear feeling of attraction and enticing.
    And, finally, and possibly most significantly, there's a clear string or connection or wire or something coming off of her back, reaching far far away from this place, to...somewhere. It's red and wet with blood. If you ask her about it, she'll probably just give an evasive answer, probably.
    [HALO sans Angels]

    Vax lifts up a sketch pad, which she definitely brought with her into the circle, and begins to jot some notes and rough drawings of what she's observing. "Are you feeling well?" Vax asks as she works. Always good to check in on unexperienced participants. If something's going to go wrong, Vax would prefer to get some insights to head that off.

  3. - Top - End - #633
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    Zhareen too look surprised but doesn't even attempt to hide it. A fey's first act was coming to them?
    She wasn't sure if she should be honored or concerned.

  4. - Top - End - #634
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    Don't kid yourself, Zhareen. Her first act was to run into Vivienne, then go home, then arrange things with her university, and then HALO. You came after all of that.
    "A centaur. Does that matter?" Artie answers. She could have sworn she told Zhareen that. But clearly she hadn't made it clear just how recent that change had been.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  5. - Top - End - #635
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [HALO sans Angels]

    Venus shakes her head. The aftertaste is pointless to bring up, feeling a little overwhelmed is normal.

    "Just feeling a little restless, is all," she ends up saying. To support what she said, she starts pawing at the ground with one of her front legs. Yup, just a little restless.


    [Cool Kitchen]

    Jules says, "Broke my camera pretty early so I stopped trying to get anything," she says. Especially because, unable to actually talk around non-humans made it undesirable to go out and get another one.

    She puts her elbow on the counter, then slouches against it and lays her head on her upper arm.

    And, somehow, even in that position, she still manages to shake her head.
    "No, I'd rather not," she says, and probably not at all because she can't actually remember. "Look really ugly. Chipped tooth, burns, torso's too short, not skinny enough, legs are basically daikon radishes, and...y'know. So hot you'll never be satisfied seeing another person again."
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  6. - Top - End - #636
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "Do you want a camera from storage? We have a lot of them to record experiments and stuff," Reinholdt tries to offer as he pulls out the freshly warmed pizza.

    "I'd be ok with glimpsing heaven. I already know I'm not making it, so what little I can get will have to provide me succor for the rest of eternity elsewhere." Rein smirks a little at Jules and puts out the food at the table, sitting down across from the shapeshifter when she takes her seat.

    "But if you aren't comfortable with that, how about you show me the form you prefer to look like the most? Surely anything's better than looking like Magtok right?" He doesn't have to wish such a fate on his worst enemy because his worst enemy is already saddled with that fate no matter what either of them think of the subject.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  7. - Top - End - #637
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowcaller View Post
    [Tropical Compound]

    Zhareen too look surprised but doesn't even attempt to hide it. A fey's first act was coming to them?
    She wasn't sure if she should be honored or concerned.
    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Tropical Compound

    Don't kid yourself, Zhareen. Her first act was to run into Vivienne, then go home, then arrange things with her university, and then HALO. You came after all of that.
    "A centaur. Does that matter?" Artie answers. She could have sworn she told Zhareen that. But clearly she hadn't made it clear just how recent that change had been.
    [Tropical Compound]

    That doesn't really answer the question Vax was truly getting at, but still she infers well enough. 'Not fey.' "Are you aware of just how unusual this is?"

  8. - Top - End - #638
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    "Aren't centaur fey?" Zhareen wonders out loud. Not that it would make it any less unusual.

  9. - Top - End - #639
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    "Not my kind." Artie answers Zhareen.
    "And yes, my administrator has briefed me. Being replaced by a mortal is akin to the more brutal kinds of executions mortals use. It is very rare." Which is why it's such an odd coincidence that the only other manifested fey she's met so far was also someone's replacement.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  10. - Top - End - #640
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    "Your 'administrator'?" Vax prompts curiously. "I'm not sure I've heard the terminology in this context." She adds.

    Quote Originally Posted by 5a Violista View Post
    [HALO sans Angels]

    Venus shakes her head. The aftertaste is pointless to bring up, feeling a little overwhelmed is normal.

    "Just feeling a little restless, is all," she ends up saying. To support what she said, she starts pawing at the ground with one of her front legs. Yup, just a little restless.
    [HALO sans Angels]

    Vax nods. "Good. It'll just be a while longer." She proceeds with her sketching without further comment. She's silent for several minutes before lowering her pad. "Quite interesting. There's a lot to interpret here. Though what relates to these abilities we're investigating and what's innate to you may be challenging."

  11. - Top - End - #641
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    Administrator? "Do you have to do paperwork?" Zhareen asks in disbelief.
    Administrators was one of the last thing she associated with fey.

  12. - Top - End - #642
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    "He handles my Court's affairs in the Nexus and such places. And yes, though not literally on paper. Once this body perishes and I begin my duties in full I will have an eternity of bureaucracy to look forward to. I'm sure I'll get used to it." Artie shrugs her shoulders. She's oddly not worried about it. Probably because she already has some of the experience of her previous self who did it for millennia.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  13. - Top - End - #643
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    Jules, regarding the camera offer, shakes her head: "No, thanks. I prefer my cameras to be cursed cameras found in spooky magic shops or in ancient tombs," she claims. "It's just less fun if you don't have to work to get it."

    She sits in a way that looks like it should be uncomfortable, and grabs a pizza. "Well...okay. I'll show you my top-five."

    With a pizza in one hand, she reaches towards the metal half of her face, and pulls the metal off (with a wet schloplike sound), revealing...it looks pretty similar to the other side. Slightly easier to eat pizza without that in the way; Jules sets down the metallic masklike face (...which happens to have pulsing octopuslike suckers on the back). "But you gotta close your eyes or turn away between each one because I can't change while someone's looking at me."

    That's actually a lie, though. He can peek and it'd still work out.

    While eating a pizza (and glad it doesn't taste like magic), Jules waits until it looks like Rein isn't watching, and she changes how she looks. Grows black hair, skin color darkens, facial features and facial structure change, height and body curves too, but still definitely looks very human still. And whenever she thinks he's not looking, she does more small changes to the point that it's basically a 'spot the differences' game.


    [HALO sans Angels]

    Being restless and unable to move out is not 'good', it's.basically torture! is what Venus thinks. But she knew that this would happen if she took that magicdrug so she's not blaming anyone.

    To occupy herself, Venus starts twirling her hair around her a finger (on her uninjured arm) (taking care to not crush the flowers while doing so). It's long enough that she gets down to her wrist before she starts to unravel it.

    Hey, she's got to do something to pass the time.

    Once it looks like the other lady is done drawing, Venus turns away, reaches towards her own face, and... suddenly she has human legs instead of a deer-centaur body. And she's a couple inches taller. It still works, though, because she was wearing a dress. At this point, she starts bouncing on the balls of her feet.

    "Well, I know some of the powers I can do and some of the things I theoretically should be capable of, so by cross-referencing what I know I can do with what you see, we can probably narrow down what's what. Especially if there's some kind of pattern or sense or whatever in what you can see."
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  14. - Top - End - #644
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "Well... I mean, I can't argue with that," Rein says in total agreement. "Where's the adrenaline rush, the sentimental value if you don't stea-retrieve stuff yourself. That's why I almost never buy magic items no matter how readily available they are around here. Unless the shop is cursed." And you can only buy one and it's some sort of object of destiny you definitely shouldn't get wet.

    Rein shudders a little at femtok pulling her 'cybernetics' off. Sure, he's wanted to do that to Magtok several times, but in the sort of way where it's imagined without any sort of detail. Just a spiteful denial of resources to his most hated enemy.

    So just for doing that, he acquiesces to her demand not to look without even trying to cheat the process, turning around fully in his chair until she says she's done. When she is, he'll spin back into place and smile. "That... looks very cute. A real beauty. I see why you like it." He gives a nod of approval. No longer having to look at a hot Magtok helped elevate the position of this form admittedly.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  15. - Top - End - #645
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    "Intriguing." Vax looks back at her plant contemplatively. "You can stay for a time, though we hope you'll be open to answering more questions." She says after a moment.

    [HALO sans Angels]

    Vax nods. "Yes, that would be useful." Vax proves not to be the chatty type. She's content to stand quietly for the duration of their time in the circle. If Venus waits it out, a bit later Vax will nod and step out of the circle herself.

  16. - Top - End - #646
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "I know, right?" Jules bites more food. "All those boring consumers have no idea what they're missing out on."

    She pauses, and swallows.
    "Besides, I actually have a slight magic allergy, so you wouldn't catch me alive in a magic-item shop."

    Jules tosses her hair, and runs her hand through it.
    "Being bald's not that bad, though. Aerodynamics are really nice."


    Meanwhile,
    Harley arrives by the kitchen, holding the cure thing.
    She stays in the doorway and doesn't say anything, and arrives at the entrance where Rein can see her but Jules can't.
    She lifts it up to show him that she has it, and gets a look on her face as if asking him if he wants her to enter, or if he wants more time.



    [HALO sans Angels]

    Being trapped in the same room as someone who's perfectly fine with not saying anything is the worst form of torture Venus can imagine.
    Only made worse because she recognizes that Vax sees nothing wrong with this and so it'd be incredibly selfish to try to force a conversation.

    To survive this situation, Venus has no choice: all she can do is drum out rhythms on her cheek and arm with her fingers, and shadow-draw things in the air, and stretch, and imagine she's trapped in labrynthian bathroom with an invisible chemist and a psychic cockroach and a vampire, and maybe some other things.

    Once she finally notices Vax has left her circle, Venus asks, "So is it safe for me to leave yet?"

    If she gets an affirmative answer, she leaves the circle and wrestles with the intense impulse to do a cartwheel and flop onto the floor, which she thankfully manages to resist.
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  17. - Top - End - #647
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Tropical Compound

    "He handles my Court's affairs in the Nexus and such places. And yes, though not literally on paper. Once this body perishes and I begin my duties in full I will have an eternity of bureaucracy to look forward to. I'm sure I'll get used to it." Artie shrugs her shoulders. She's oddly not worried about it. Probably because she already has some of the experience of her previous self who did it for millennia.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gullara View Post
    [Tropical Compound]

    "Intriguing." Vax looks back at her plant contemplatively. "You can stay for a time, though we hope you'll be open to answering more questions." She says after a moment.
    [Tropical Compound]

    "'Body'?" Zhareen remarks thoughtfully. "Sounds different from... whatsername... Jaahlyn, doesn't it Vax? She said she always came back at once. No mention of any otherworldly duties." The merfolk attempt to meet her wives gaze from her position on top of her head.

  18. - Top - End - #648
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    Artie nods.
    "That's right. Changed as it is, this is the mortal body I was born with. Given the surprise circumstances of my sudden position with the orobou, my administrator has delayed my official joining of the Court until my 'death' at which point I'll return to the Court for my duties. Ms. Jaahlyn is not of my court, given that she's not a reptile, you see. Most of my coworkers are ah, serpentine. And they almost never take physical bodies. It would be quite rude of me to discuss Ms. Jaahlyn's living situation without her consent." Telling them that Jaahlyn is essentially courtless and bound to serve would be rude, possibly derogatory, and could mean terrible things for her if the warlocks took advantage of this knowledge. Artie will certainly not drop that information in their laps.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  19. - Top - End - #649
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "Magic allergy? So... what hives and sneezing? Or was the 'wouldn't catch me alive' more literal?" Seems like a terrible weakness to reveal haphazardly if you die by being exposed to magic. So it was probably more minor than that. Or a complete fabrication. Reinholdt's about to open his mouth and mention his own magical weaknesses, but thinks better of it. Jules is here for blackmail on him after all. Supposedly.

    Rein snorts at the bald comment. "If you say so." His eyes glance over at Harley, then back at Jules. Should he wait for Jules to show him the other four top five favorite forms? Hmm, nah. Even if they'd be easy to look at, there's not much point in dragging this out further. A pizza and a cure is going to be as much goodwill as he can generate from the situation. Well that and letting Jules leave.

    So he motions Harley over. "Your meme virus cure's here," Rein says passively.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  20. - Top - End - #650
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowcaller View Post
    [Tropical Compound]

    "'Body'?" Zhareen remarks thoughtfully. "Sounds different from... whatsername... Jaahlyn, doesn't it Vax? She said she always came back at once. No mention of any otherworldly duties." The merfolk attempt to meet her wives gaze from her position on top of her head.
    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Tropical Compound

    Artie nods.
    "That's right. Changed as it is, this is the mortal body I was born with. Given the surprise circumstances of my sudden position with the orobou, my administrator has delayed my official joining of the Court until my 'death' at which point I'll return to the Court for my duties. Ms. Jaahlyn is not of my court, given that she's not a reptile, you see. Most of my coworkers are ah, serpentine. And they almost never take physical bodies. It would be quite rude of me to discuss Ms. Jaahlyn's living situation without her consent." Telling them that Jaahlyn is essentially courtless and bound to serve would be rude, possibly derogatory, and could mean terrible things for her if the warlocks took advantage of this knowledge. Artie will certainly not drop that information in their laps.
    [Tropical Compound]

    "You recall my theory that Jaahlyn can't recall her full self." Vax replies to Zhareen. It makes it quite... challenging to get information. "Perhaps it'll be the same for you, Artiesa, though you won't know for some time. In my experience beings we believe to be fey are quite secretive, except in cases like yourself and Jaahlyn. Perhaps there's something to that."

    Quote Originally Posted by 5a Violista View Post
    [HALO sans Angels]

    Being trapped in the same room as someone who's perfectly fine with not saying anything is the worst form of torture Venus can imagine.
    Only made worse because she recognizes that Vax sees nothing wrong with this and so it'd be incredibly selfish to try to force a conversation.

    To survive this situation, Venus has no choice: all she can do is drum out rhythms on her cheek and arm with her fingers, and shadow-draw things in the air, and stretch, and imagine she's trapped in labrynthian bathroom with an invisible chemist and a psychic cockroach and a vampire, and maybe some other things.

    Once she finally notices Vax has left her circle, Venus asks, "So is it safe for me to leave yet?"

    If she gets an affirmative answer, she leaves the circle and wrestles with the intense impulse to do a cartwheel and flop onto the floor, which she thankfully manages to resist.
    [HALO sans Angels]

    "Of course. You're free to move around as you wish." Venus will have noticed that her sensitivity will have declined in the last while, though as far as she could tell it was totally gone a bit ago now. "Let's start by taking a look at my sketching, shall we? Perhaps you can eliminate a few things for me." She moves over and presents the notes. It's some rough sketches of what she say. There are notes alongside the images, but Vax's handwriting is entirely illegible.

  21. - Top - End - #651
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    "Oh yes. It's the same that happens when people- er-" Zhareen's gaze briefly shifts to Artie. "Mortals experience the aether isn't it? Can't remember much of what happened there. As you put it, 'simply too wast for our minds to grasp'." Her eyes turn to Artie again. "At least minds made of meat, or plant in my wives case." She puts her index finger against the top of Vax's head. "Though we haven't really tested the latter for our theory though. And her mind is both big and brilliant..." She starts tracing circles with her finger.

    "Yu-seeds are classified as fey aren't they?" She then suddenly asks, giving no context to what might have lead to this sudden train of thought.

  22. - Top - End - #652
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    Artie shrugs, keeping her poker face up regarding anything she knows about Jaahlyn and her people.
    "It's possible that I'll never know. My court does not take mortal forms often. This could be my first and last time for all I know.
    Ah, the Yu-seeds? That is correct. I was mostly only told that I would be unlikely to meet many."
    she admits. Though perhaps Zhareen mentioning them means that Vax or someone she knows qualifies as one?
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  23. - Top - End - #653
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    Jules shakes her head: "Throat swelling and hives, mostly," she says. "And then I explode. Usually not fun."

    She turns when Rein motions for Harley. Oh, it's here. That's good, but she tries to pretend to not be excited for it. Definitely: this pizza is more interesting than the cure to a disease that makes her not feel like she's in control of her actions sometimes.


    Harley comes over to give it to Jules.


    [HALO sans Angels]

    Her sensitivity declining was one explanation, but Venus wasn't sure if that were the case or if she was just getting used to it.

    She nods. "Yeah, okay," she says. Venus walks over to look at the sketches. On the way there, she explains what she expects most to have shown up: "First, three things, including what prompted Reinholdt to suggest we come here: I could suddenly do magic but without the knowledge of how like I was supposed' to have, and I didn't really understand the explanation for the third: making illusions, making things grow, and...the third is, like. . .imposing false feelings onto people or making people feel things but it's not real? or something?" she says, starting to ramble, before realizing she should get back on topic.
    She points at some of the things she sees: "So illusions are probably either those things that look like eyes, or maybe the spiderwebs. 'cause illusions are kinda like those things, right? Or actually, maybe the flowers are the illusions, because turns out I'm actually pretty good at making illusory smells and such, which seems more like flowers to me. And the growing stuff is probably either the flowers or the spiderwebs, because flowers means growing but also when I make stuff grow it kinda feels like spiderwebs. Sort-of. Maybe. Um..."

    Venus looks over the sketch more.
    Oh. She can see her names. She bites her lips to read through them, wondering if Samantha shows up...oh, good. It's not really legible. "These, all here on my upper body, are my names that I earned myself. Got nothing to do with magic so it seems like everything else on the upper body isn't really important."
    She balances on one foot and holds a leg out, to show how her legs are very much human right now. "By the way, switching out my legs isn't magic either and it's definitely got to do with my name and so I really doubt it has anything to do with anything on the lower body." Especially since both of the known magic abilities show up on the lower deer body in the picture, so Venus thinks it's safe to assume the things on the lower half are magic or magic-adjacent.

    She points at them:
    Meanwhile, on the deer half of her body, actual shapes are forming out of her signifying her abilities. Flowers - several types, but especially poppies - growing from her. A large, gaping mouth that seems to just consume. A basin of water on her back that's clearly(?) holy, probably. Spider webs blowing as if in the wind. Black painted-on eye designs. A very clear feeling of attraction and enticing.
    And, finally, and possibly most significantly, there's a clear string or connection or wire or something
    "So flowers and spiderwebs are almost certainly known. That water basin reminds me of where I live, so it's probably a reference to that. Which leaves...the mouth, the eye stuff, and whatever that -" the feeling of attraction, however it was drawn "-is, to symbolize the power I don't understand yet. The other two, I have no idea."

    Pause.
    "!"
    "Possibly relevant, though. Ran into some sort of memetic monster earlier today."
    The heresy elementals. "Looking at it added memories to everyone else but my sister thinks it ended up changing me more fundamentally, so that might be one of the three. Maybe the eyes, because it affects people when they see it. Or maybe none of these, because it didn't give me any magic powers or anything, as far as I know."

    She looks at the drawing more.
    And finally plants her other leg back on the ground.
    Nope, she can't really figure anything else out. Basically all the powers and changes she knows about are accounted for, leaving only one or two that she's clueless on.
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  24. - Top - End - #654
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "Yeah, umm... exploding's bad." Even worse when you're in a magic shop because you almost certainly set off a chain magic reaction and those end up quite... chaotic in all the bad ways.

    Reinholdt won't judge her for being excited to get a cure over a pizza. The meme disease was pretty terrifying. "Well that's it then. You're free to go," Rein tells Jules. Maybe he should have her tracked to see if she runs to whomever she was actually collecting blackmail material for, but that would be him doing the tracking and he's definitely not up for such an excursion. Could destroy what little goodwill he's built up too. So just letting her go feels like the best plan.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  25. - Top - End - #655
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gullara's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Beyond the Wall
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    Vax arches an eyebrow at Artie, but remarks neutrally to the conversation. "It's hard to say exactly. The one I encountered seems behave quite differently from those we suspect to be fey and those we expect to be more naturalistic spirits. They appears to possess qualities of both."

    "As for the resilience of diim minds, I prefer not to experiment." She adds.

    [HALO sans Angels]

    Vax considers that for a moment. "I must admit, this is quite an eclectic read. It certainly complicates things." As she speaks she's jotting more notes about what Venus is saying. "I'll certainly need to consult my colleagues and do additional research. Often these sorts of symbols can be repeated in different cases, so I may be able to find leads in our records."

  26. - Top - End - #656
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Shadowcaller's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Avatar by Gullara

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Tropical Compound]

    Zhareen nods thoughtfully. "We'd have to research it more. Sometimes the line between yokai and fey can be rather diffuse. It's interesting to know that fey might share our categorization system though. Or is that the aether simply translating your experiences into a more easily understood form?"

    She scratches her head. "Well, either way keep in mind that all experiences within the aether are filtered by your own mind. What you saw and heard is subjective, Artie, and since you're fairly new at all this it would have been simplified to some degree.
    Not just by this fey that explained all this to you but by your own mind. I mean, when I experienced the aether I recall it being underwater which I'm guessing wasn't the case for you."
    She gives Vax a little nudge. "You should tell her about your aether experience, dear."
    Last edited by Shadowcaller; 2021-12-20 at 08:01 AM.

  27. - Top - End - #657
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    5a Violista's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Next to the Mandolinist

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    Jules agrees that exploding's bad. Not very fun, usually.

    Harley makes sure Jules gets the cure, but doesn't really say much more. She does keep an eye on Jules, though, but mostly just thinking.

    Jules gets up. Sure, she'd be okay staying here to eat more reheated pizza, but she feels maybe it's best to just leave for now before anything else happens. "Okay! Okay. Thanks. I'm just...going to go, then, before one of your members locks me up again."
    After so long here, she actually knows the way out. So, she goes that way, to leave. (And actually gets on the shuttle to leave!)


    After Jules is gone, Harley takes a deep breath. "Sorry," she says to Reinholdt. "I probably should have acted better. She just really rubbed me the wrong way." She sits, lies her head on the table, and grabs a pizza. "Admittedly, I'm really curious about who she is and what her origin is, but..." She sighs. "I really got the feeling nearly every single thing she said was a part-lie or a part-truth." And the worst part is, some of it was also true so that just made it harder for Harley to pick out which was what.
    Maybe it just reminded Harley too much of herself.

    In order to change the subject and get herself thinking about something else, Harley then says, "In unrelated news, Manja keeps on transforming more and more often, and I think she's on the verge of realizing her shapeshifting affects me while we're touching. Soon enough, I'm going to need antimagic gloves or something that can consistently lock my form, or I'm going to need a lot of practice turning back from being a cat."


    [HALO sans Angels]

    Venus bites her lip.
    She nods.
    "Well, I'm sorry for being so complicated," she says. It's not like she tried to be complicated. These things just happen, probably.

    "Thanks," she adds. "Anything I can do to help? I mean, I don't really know all that much about it so..." So there's probably not. "Or, rather, anything else I need to do? or demonstrate?"
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  28. - Top - End - #658
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Reinholdt's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    In hiding. Always hiding.

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Cool Kitchen]

    "You're welcome," Rein says as Jules leaves.

    Reinholdt reaches over to put a hand on Harley's hand. "Hey. Don't worry about it. If she rubbed you the wrong way then... trust that. And I'll trust you. It's not like she was here for anything good." Rein tries to give her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, pretty much everything she said is probably useless to us. About the only thing I can trust is that she was here to get blackmail on me for someone. Maybe Magtok? She did say he was nice, so it's probable that he's using her against me for some childishly immature reason. Or we can't trust that either and she was here to spark a feud between me and him for some third party's purposes." Rein shakes his head. If someone were looking for blackmail, it would be less about harming him and more about harming HALO? Or creating a schism between the two. Rein can only guess, but it all means he has to be on even better behaviour than before.

    Ugh. This all hurts his head. Rein takes out his flask and pops a sip of warming rum.

    "I... don't know if we keep antimagic gloves around. I'd ask Nigel but he's been hiding. Maybe the Fourth Tower has something like that which could help? Or I can give you experience with cat transformations. However you want to handle it," Rein says, offering his services to Harley whenever she might need them.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
    Show
    -Nyahahaha~
    Quote Originally Posted by Supagoof View Post
    Tale as old as thread
    And you find yourself dead
    Reinholdt was the Beast
    Quote Originally Posted by Philistine View Post
    Reinholdt had already told the truth once in that post, and therefore was over his annual quota.

  29. - Top - End - #659
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Deathkeeper's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Definitely lost
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    Tropical Compound

    "Well, I can't say for sure if I've actually had an aether experience. Other than a few calls via dream." Which probably is what's going on. Dreams have to be powered by something, and the aether is probably where Vez is, since he does not have a physical form.
    Would the dreamscape be explained by herself? She remembers it as an office, but with several outdoor elements to it. Perhaps the latter came from who she was, and the former from what she is now?
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

    [Sorry Boss, but as always, I get the last word.]

  30. - Top - End - #660
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ironsmith's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    US
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

    [Felandria's Office]

    Vlad has a little bit of a problem. When Rein hired him a few months ago, he was given the task of refurbishing and retrofitting the aircraft in their hangar. That's kept him reasonably busy; the job of putting technology that wouldn't be invented for another six hundred years (local time) into aircraft that were already decommissioned for being horribly obsolete meant overcoming a lot of design shortcomings. It was challenging work, but rewarding.

    Was being the operative term.

    Vlad doesn't much like the idea of sitting around and waiting for one of the new planes to break down, mostly because that's on the order of a few decades before his services will be needed again. He has a few items on his board still, but most of them are for his friend in VIGIL and it looks bad if he's only working on them.

    So he's going to one of the bosses to see if they need anything else fixed up.

    When Vlad approaches the office door, he can't help but hesitate a little before knocking. He's heard a few things about this lady, and he's not sure how many of them are true. It certainly didn't help that most of the people he's mentioned this to have responded with a sardonic "yeah, good luck". He's not sure what he's in for, but he still technically works for this woman and even if he didn't need anything from her in particular, a meeting is long overdue.

    With a sigh, he knocks briskly on the office door and waits anxiously for a response.
    Who're you? ...Don't matter.

    Want some rye? 'Course ya do!


    Here's to us.
    Who's like us?
    Damn few,
    and they're aaall dead.


    *gushes unintelligibly over our cat, Sunshine*

    [Nexus characters, grouped by setting:
    Ouroboros: here
    Maesda: here
    Others: here
    ]

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •