Seaside 6: Six at the Beach

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

CB grumpily goes to the phone, not bothering to wait for an exchange of greetings.
"I don't enjoy being used. Speak plain or we're done." he growls into the receiver.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

"Good evening to you, too." Comes the smug reply, accompanied by the soft tunk of boots being propped up on a hardwood desk. "My apologies if that seems at all manipulative. To be perfectly frank, you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Nor did I especially want you to. You've made it quite clear you aren't open to cooperation."

"But like it or not, people know about you. You'll be seen as a valuable asset, or worse, as a threat. I saw a need to warn you of a potential threat, in a way you would not ignore. This seemed a reasonable compromise."

There's a brief pause on the other end of the line, then,

"This is supposed to be the part where you say 'thank you'."

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

CB is still not impressed.
"Have you considered that maybe I'd actually agree to what you ask if you weren't insufferably smug about everything? Right now I'm seeing weird robot graffiti and nothing else. I have yet to see anything that indicates this being a threat. So frankly, quit the posturing and tell me what actually concerns me, or I'm hanging up." CB continues, his tone not changing.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

"Of course you will. So I'll be brief." The woman on the other end of the phone chuckles. "What you've been seeing is no ordinary graffiti. It's a callsign for a robosupremacist group called the Systerhood. To organics- most organics, anyway- the symbols I sent you are just that; symbols, nothing more. But to the class of intelligent machine the Systerhood wants to recuit, they're a rallying cry, propaganda and territory markings all rolled into one. You're seeing these in your town because the Systerhood is there; maybe only one, maybe a dozen, maybe hundreds." She pauses, audibly scratching her chin on the other side of the phone. "And what do you think they'll want from a memomancer of your capabilities, and an organic one at that?"

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

"There aren't even hundreds of people in this entire town. I'll pass the tip onto Intersection. Is there something else you expected of me? Or were you just planning on fearmongering until I came crawling to you for help?" This threat isn't even specific. It's a vague "oooo, evil robots" claim. And it's not like he can really do anything with it.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

"Perish the thought." The woman replies sardonically, her no-doubt smug grin practically audible through the phone. "We both know you aren't the type to scare easily, mister Codebreaker. This was a courtesy call to let you know to watch yourself. Their most frequent members are masters of disguise, and they're going to have an interest in you. Nothing you can't handle, of course, provided you know you're intended to handle it." There's a little scrtch-scrtch sound of a set of nails being filed down. "And yes, that will be all. Have a good evening, mister Codebreaker. Give your maid a hug for me."

click

[Vahnavoi]

[Near a volcanic island]

In the distance, pillars of steam are rising from where lava meets seawater, as the crew members of small trawler are pulling up their nets. The nets are heavy, so they are anticipating quite a catch, but the thing they pull on the deck of their ship is not quite what they wanted. Among the fish, tangled in the nets, is a large humanoid shape - pallid and swollen, big as a gorilla, with no hair, eyes or a nose or even a visible mouth. The fishermen gather around, gawking at the creature they have found.

That's when a thin slit appears where its mouth should be and its freakishly long, thick arms twitch. The fishermen jump back - one of them scrambles around, looking for something, anything to use as a weapon, grabbing a shovel resting against the ship railing. Another soon follows his example and grabs a hook pole. Together they stand close to the creature, wielding their weapons with both hands, ready to strike. The creatures gurgles, slowly pulling itself upright, shaking and pulling the nets off of itself. The thin slit opens into a large, fanged maw, the creature coughing and vomiting seawater on the deck.

For a moment, tense silence governs - no man dares to make a sound, with just waves rocking the ship and the creaking of the ship creating any noise, the creature swaying side to side with movement of the ship. Then, the man holding the shovel loses his nerve and charges forward. "Aaaah!", he screams as he hits the creature on the knee. The creature's head snaps towards the sound, but then it slips and falls against the railing as a result of the strike. "Aroooo!", it howls in pain, holding its hands before its head. The panicked fisherman smacks it with his shovel several more times, but then the creature clambers up and dives over the railing, back into the sea. The fishermen are left staring after it in wide-eyed horror.

---

[Later - shore of distant island]

It's noon, the sun is shining bright from a clear sky. Some local children are playing on the beach, building castles out of sand and seashells. That's when one of their friends comes, shouting to them. Something weird's washed on the shore. The kids drop what they are doing and run to their friend, together going too what they've found.

They don't get too close, their steps instinctively slowing down as they approach it. It looks like a naked, bald human, but it's too big. Maybe they would liken it to a corpse, had any of them seen one up close, but they are so young none of them have been exposed to such a thing yet. Torn between curiosity and revulsion, the kids begin to bicker among themselves about who should be the first to go and touch it. After a while, the youngest kid is bullied to take the role. Carefully, she picks up a piece of driftwood and sneaks closer. She almost gets close enough to touch the thing with her stick, when it suddenly begins to move and crawls on all fours. Startled, the girl falls on her behind, staring at the creature, her heart racing.

The corpse-thing's head somewhat looks like a human, but its mouth is too large, its tongue dark, bluish-black, its fangs long and sharp, visible as its jaws hangs open. At first, it seems like it has no eyes, but then two thin slits appear where its eyes should be. Dark blood flows down its cheeks and drops on the sand as it open two, orange, slit-pupil eyes for the very first time. It blinks several times, its pupils dilating and narrowing to adjust to the light. At this point, the girl remembers she can move. She starts to crawl backward, away from the creature, but the rustle of the sand catches its attention, and it turns to look at her straight in the eye.

For a moment, the girl and the creature stare at each other. Then her frozen horror turns into flight, and she scrambles up, running away, screaming, her panic spreading to her friends. Soon, all of them are running towards their home village. "Monster! Monster from the sea!"

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

CB sighs as he replaces the receiver and turns back to his guests.
"Well, we're just going to have to keep careful around anyone who smells a little too much like an engine or something. Or rather, you will. I don't think it's safe for anyone for me to be outside socializing until I get a grip on myself." He really doesn't want to just go around shrinking people due to flickering background thoughts.
Unless they're killer robots, he will be saving his powers for that.

[bc56]

Elster
Diablo stops in to the office some time later. He's a largish man, wearing a padded and lightly armored jumpsuit. He carries a data drive, although it might be an unfamiliar format. "Here's the music you wanted. While I'm here, I've gotta ask..." He looks a little uncomfortable, "Your crew all look exactly the same. What's up with that? Lost cloning experiment or something?"

[Ironsmith]

Codebreaker's Home

CB sighs as he replaces the receiver and turns back to his guests.
"Well, we're just going to have to keep careful around anyone who smells a little too much like an engine or something. Or rather, you will. I don't think it's safe for anyone for me to be outside socializing until I get a grip on myself." He really doesn't want to just go around shrinking people due to flickering background thoughts.
Unless they're killer robots, he will be saving his powers for that.

[Codebreaker's Home]

"...So business as usual, then?" Owena asks, prompting her uncle to choke on a chip, smacking his sternum to dislodge it. "I mean, you stay indoors, uncle Kyrie stays distrustful of strangers, and I-"

"Won't be walking up here alone anymore." Kyrie finishes, rubbing at his throat. "I don't want my niece getting hurt."

"Uncle, we've talked about this. I can handle myself."

"Siana said the same thing, and now-"

"She is handling herself!"

"Well, I don't know that!" Kyrie snaps. "As far as I know, she's barely scraping by in a cardboard box in an alleyway somewhere, mugged or worse every night and just barely staying out of the sun! I'm not going to let that kind of thing happen to my other niece!"

Owena rolls her eyes. "You're being completely unreasonable, uncle." She replies tiredly, looking over to Codebreaker like she's expecting him to chip in at any moment.

Elster
Diablo stops in to the office some time later. He's a largish man, wearing a padded and lightly armored jumpsuit. He carries a data drive, although it might be an unfamiliar format. "Here's the music you wanted. While I'm here, I've gotta ask..." He looks a little uncomfortable, "Your crew all look exactly the same. What's up with that? Lost cloning experiment or something?"

[Elster]

"Clones?" Duffle gives Diablo a dismissive wave and a little chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous. There's no practical applications for that kind of technology, never mind the ethics of messing around too much with genes. Nah, what you're looking at here is just the factory settings for our menial labor drones. Cost next to nothing to make, all the same physical capabilites as humans or better, and don't have nearly as much of a space requirement if you need to keep any long-term." He shrugs and waves behind him. "Don't you worry about them. They're just part of the automation. Only look like people to make it more cozy."

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

Codebreaker shakes his head. "Considering she still insists on periodically sending me cash to pay damages I insisted she not pay me, I have no reason to believe she is even remotely in financial distress." And that's entirely true from as far as he can tell.
"People living in boxes don't have spare cash to send their oversized friends." CB's belly shifts back in forth in size again.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

"See? She's fine." Owena gives Codebreaker a grateful little nod. "And I will be, too. Relax."

"Of course you'll be fine. I still insist on escorting you." Kyrie rumbles.

"Oh, for the love of-" Owena cuts herself off and scowls at him. "Look, I didn't want to say it, but you wouldn't exactly be keeping me safe anyway. You've really let yourself go since Siana left, and that's after getting your body shifted around into another tub of lard- no offense, boss- and I really doubt there's anything you could protect me from that I wouldn't be better of facing down alone." She points emphatically at the door. "And that aside, the world's not getting any less dangerous, either! At what point am I allowed to go off on my own? Am I supposed to just hide behind you or Codebreaker or someone else every time we hear about a new string of purse-snatchings? Pardon my Blasonian, but [screw] that!"

"...I know you're coming from a good place, uncle." Owena sighs. "And I appreciate that you're willing to stick your neck out for me. Really, I do. But at some point, you've got to back away and let me take care of myself."

And with that, she's out of the room, presumably off to go blow some steam on her chores for the night.

Kyrie just slumps in his chair, scratching at his head. That had not gone well at all.

[bc56]

Elster
"Let me get this straight. You have mass-produced humanoid robotic labor, but not a jump drive?" The holographic disguises don't register, relatively. That's just a simple thing

[Reinholdt]

[Romantic dinner?]

Reinholdt can't claim to be an amazing cook. He can only claim he tried. Which is maybe passable if you ignore the burnt edges and the burnt middle and the smoke pouring out of the window. The loud beeping is annoying and the coughs are steady, but a blast of fire extinguisher ensures the fire doesn't spread, even if it makes something of a mess of the kitchen. A gunshot later and the fire alarm stops beeping too, so there's that.

Rein can only be thankful that he already got all the side dishes out to the table before the kitchen imploded. Now he just has to clean up this mess and recook a duck before Ukry gets here in all of...

It was too late of course, Ukry likely stumbling onto the scene moments ago, having probably heard everything through the suddenly tossed open window, from the curses to the gunshot. The beach house looked much like any other from the outside, though it was the last on the street so it had more room than the others, which has been taken advantage of at some point with an addition that was clearly newer thanks to the older paint on the rest of the house. This place clearly had some history, but it's unlikely that Rein knows what it is having bought it in recent years.

The inside is cozy enough. A large central room with a nice table mostly set up for a meal that has no partition between it and a more cushioned area with couches and chairs and tv. Just beyond that a screen porch awaits. Six different doors lead away from the parlor, one of which goes to the kitchen that Rein occupies at the moment, its door handle more ornate than the others, with a butterfly etched into the metal.

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

Codebreaker moves to sit down beside Kyrie.
"Some- men and women just mature faster than others. And your world is tough enough that it makes people toughen up. But look at it this way. The fact that they're independent only means that they were raised well. And that means you can be there for Arthfael, who's still young enough to need a father figure." He gives Kyrie his usual appraising eye.
"And for the record, you're still a decent looking tub of lard. Though she's right: you let yourself get a little scruffy again. You could use acting like you look and relaxing a little. Do you think that maybe getting off your feet was kind of the point? I mean, there's obviously a reason that Absum wanted you to keep the gut." And the backside, and the rest of it. His patron kind of gave Kyrie the whole package. Just not the same degree that he got saddled with. But saying that joke out loud would probably get him glared at.

[Ironsmith]

Elster
"Let me get this straight. You have mass-produced humanoid robotic labor, but not a jump drive?" The holographic disguises don't register, relatively. That's just a simple thing

[Elster]

"Of course we do. Those are two very different things, technologically speaking." Duffle shrugs. "It doesn't help that jump drives are a very complicated, very controlled technology. You don't just give them out to any Joe and Jaq that asks for one, and you can be damn sure they're not building one themselves. Gals, though? Fab files are free. Literally anyone can make and train the basic models."

Codebreaker's Home

Codebreaker moves to sit down beside Kyrie.
"Some- men and women just mature faster than others. And your world is tough enough that it makes people toughen up. But look at it this way. The fact that they're independent only means that they were raised well. And that means you can be there for Arthfael, who's still young enough to need a father figure." He gives Kyrie his usual appraising eye.
"And for the record, you're still a decent looking tub of lard. Though she's right: you let yourself get a little scruffy again. You could use acting like you look and relaxing a little. Do you think that maybe getting off your feet was kind of the point? I mean, there's obviously a reason that Absum wanted you to keep the gut." And the backside, and the rest of it. His patron kind of gave Kyrie the whole package. Just not the same degree that he got saddled with. But saying that joke out loud would probably get him glared at.

[Codebreaker's Home]

Kyrie lets out a weary sigh, but does manage to put on a reluctant smile. "...You're right. It's... it can't be anything but good that my nieces are looking out for themselves. I should be proud of them, if anything." He lets out a groan as he pulls himself up to his feet, stretching put his limbs, eliciting a crackle of bones as he settles into a proper upright position. "And... yeah, I suppose I could look worse." He chuckles ruefully, giving Codebreaker a little nudge in the belly.

[bc56]

Elster
"Of course they're different things. Artificial intelligence was lost in the fall of the Star League, but JumpShips survived." And fabrication like what Duffle is thinking of never existed at all. Diablo of course thinks this is all crazy. "Of course jump drives are controlled, but they are available. Nobody can even find smart robots like what you have here, let alone reproduce them."

[Ironsmith]

[Elster]

Duffle stares at Diablo for a moment, taking that time to process what the mech pilot just said.

At which point he bursts out laughing.

"Oh, that's... oh, lad, I think you're in for a bit of a shock." He chuckles. "None of that happened here. None of the history of my world happened here, either. We're in a place called the Nexus. It's a sort of cosmic crossroads, if you will." He shakes his head and massages his forehead with the tips of his thumb and pointer finger. "Though it's surprising how similar our worlds are. I see how there was some confusion."

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

"Don't you suggest a thing. I'm handsome as hell." CB follows Kyrie's poke by forcefully smacking his gut. And Kyrie's for good measure.
"And really, you're a smart guy. You'd fit in around here if you get back on your shampoo regiment. And I could probably get you a closer, better-paying job if I asked around. Maybe Absum just wanted you to take it easy for a bit. You've been fighting a while from the sound of it. Now you have time to raise Arthfael and get a few hobbies."

[Aurora Alchemi]

[Romantic dinner?]

Reinholdt can't claim to be an amazing cook. He can only claim he tried. Which is maybe passable if you ignore the burnt edges and the burnt middle and the smoke pouring out of the window. The loud beeping is annoying and the coughs are steady, but a blast of fire extinguisher ensures the fire doesn't spread, even if it makes something of a mess of the kitchen. A gunshot later and the fire alarm stops beeping too, so there's that.

Rein can only be thankful that he already got all the side dishes out to the table before the kitchen imploded. Now he just has to clean up this mess and recook a duck before Ukry gets here in all of...

It was too late of course, Ukry likely stumbling onto the scene moments ago, having probably heard everything through the suddenly tossed open window, from the curses to the gunshot. The beach house looked much like any other from the outside, though it was the last on the street so it had more room than the others, which has been taken advantage of at some point with an addition that was clearly newer thanks to the older paint on the rest of the house. This place clearly had some history, but it's unlikely that Rein knows what it is having bought it in recent years.

The inside is cozy enough. A large central room with a nice table mostly set up for a meal that has no partition between it and a more cushioned area with couches and chairs and tv. Just beyond that a screen porch awaits. Six different doors lead away from the parlor, one of which goes to the kitchen that Rein occupies at the moment, its door handle more ornate than the others, with a butterfly etched into the metal.

Romantic Dinner?

The first sign that Reinholdt may have been moments too late was the smoke slowly curling and furling, at first into small vortexes, but then almost into flat paper, folding into little geometric butterflies before lighting out the window. The second sign is a gentle giggle from that window, as the smokerflies whirl through it. And there, lounging like a 1920's speakeasy singer, is the witch of the hour. It is as if the witch has materialized out of thin air, approaching in the instant that the man's back is turned. At least, with the magic going on, Ukry wouldn't be getting smoked out. "Good evening, Reinholdt."

As the dulcet tone breaks the tension in the air, Ukry slinks down from the window, walking softly past the treasure hunter, and toward the central room. There is purpose with the movement, however, and as the witch almost flows from one side of the room to the other, it gives ample time for Rein to get a good look at them. They are elegant, sweepingly smooth curves graced with carefully chosen silk and velvet, style somewhere between gothic Victorian and a mob boss. The witch appears to be a gazelle, or perhaps antelope, and soft golden hair that fades into black in the lower half is arranged in delicate french braids that spiral around the base of the horns, then hang littered with small ornaments down to the center of their back. A soft tail and velveteen ears poke out, brown colors complimenting the golden hue of the hair, while matching some carefully chosen makeup... or were those just natural markings by the witch's eyes? And there, the eyes... Brilliant violet, with a vertical slot of a pupil, and glowing just bright enough to barely see against the daylight, like little bottles of potion.

After the walk, there is a pause of formality, the witch making it clear that they were not going to make fun of Reinholdt's situation, but also making it clear they had seen everything. Ukry looks at the spread on the table, and there is a long pause. "You've... put quite the effort into this meal, haven't you?" There is a hint of a pause, as if the witch is feeling the situation out, determining what words to use... Trying not to seem too close. The care in their appearance, the presence of so many pieces of shining jewelry, the soft smell of perfume in addition to their normal flowery scent... It didn't take a detective to see past that ruse.

"Well, if it doesn't offend you too much, then, I'd hate for such a large effort to be wasted." The satyrlyrri witch takes a deep breath in, pausing softly. "Duck, right? Perhaps... a pair of doves will do instead?" There, somehow, was a silver dome sitting in the middle of the table, which the lyrun lifts slightly, the smell of sage, rosemary, and dripping fat gently wafting into the room. "And of course, I wouldn't be so uncouth as to not bring a pairing..." There again is the question of where it came from, but Ukry offers a very fine vintage of a moderate rose wine to Reinholdt.

Of course, now this gives Reinholdt a chance to look a little closer at the rune covered jewelry. There at the witch's side is a glittering sheath for a crescent shaped dagger, a ritual knife of some kind. And the jewelry... some of it inset with glittering star sapphires and opal, others plated and inlayed.... but all of it clearly made from bone, ivory, or horn. There is a hint of the butterfly motif here and there, but there are also masks... so many masks. And finally, amongst the oldest charms and rings, gentle flowing plant forms. It all breaths of nature, but nature is not always kind or gentle. At least for now, however, the matte black lips of the witch are forming a gentle smile as the eyes look to Reinholdt.

[Reinholdt]

[Romantic Dinner?]

"Nya!" Reinholdt jumps in surprise surprisingly high off the floor as he hears giggles and the witch's greetings. That nearly gets the gun Rein just used on the smoke alarm pointed at Ukry, but he manages to keep it just barely directed away from them and slowly sighs instead. "... I take it, you're not ever going to knock, are you?" Giving them a key to this place either was a futile gesture, or a wholly symbolic one that allowed the witch to pull exactly these sort of stunts anytime they please. He sets the weapon down on the counter and unties his apron, pulling it off and waving it a few times to get the smoke to go towards the window, before tossing the apron into the sink with the half-empty fire extinguisher. This was definitely a clean up later sort of affair.

It doesn't help that since they got here, Ukry has had Rein's full attention. His eyes never quite leave the witch's body. It's as much admiring her curves and elegant clothing as it is just getting to know what they looked like to begin with. Almost all of his time when they met at Thanksmas was spent learning what Pyrhra looked like, sounded like, acted like. Now... now it was... was it Ukry? A question to be asked for sure, whether this was their actual form or another shape. The eyes... at least those were familiar and suggested the former to be the truth. Those violet eyes that drew you in and promised passion and never let you go.

Reinholdt follows Ukry into the central room. His dark pants compliment the deep blue of his dress shirt. An unbuttoned suit jacket threatened to cover up the leather straps holding square dominoesque runestones wrapped around Rein's wrist as a bracelet. "Little bit," Rein replies, trying to play off just how much time he has spent on this already. Perhaps too much if it can be undone by one bad duck.

Conjuring things out of thin air and conversely making them disappear is one of Rein's actual specialties, so that a witch is capable of the same is hardly surprising. There seems to be less... limitations as to what they can draw forth. Rein could ready a two dove meal, but it would grow cold and rotten long before the time came for him to bring it back out. His hammerspace is not pure stasis. But Ukry still gets a raised eyebrow and a hint of a bemused smile. "I see you came prepared. Very well. Doves taste better anyways, in my opinion." And you can trust a cat's opinion on which bird tastes best. He steps forward to pull out the chair for Ukry.

"I don't want to presume anything since I know you were... hesitant to reveal your true self. So, is this you? Is this Ukry, or should I call you something else like with Pyrhra? What would you prefer?" Better to get some open communication out of the way before Rein gets some of that rose wine in him and talks his way into ruining dinner.

[Aurora Alchemi]

[Romantic Dinner?]

"We can knock, if you would us too. Although, of course, you might consider that if we don't knock, we would not expect you too either." There is a soft shimmer in the black and green two tone of their lips, catching the light some as that sly smile curls easily across the witch's face. As Rein admits, at least a 'little bit' to the effort he put into the meal, it seems almost for a moment as if Ukry is going stand on their tiptoes, and deliver a kiss... But then, there is that hesitation again, still unsure of themselves. "You did just fine... l-lov... loverboy." The voice breaks slightly, the change in meaning to the end of the sentence from one of attachment, to a hasty and distant coy joke.

As Rein helps Ukry with their chair, the little lithe and elegant witch seems to weigh little more than Pyrhra did. "We are glad you like dove, then. It's... somewhat easier to procure for us at a short notice than duck. Could you be a doll for us and pour a glass of wine? The evening is young, but the gentle tones of the shore match better with the ring of a glass in our hands." Ukry is calm, leaning into the chair and relaxing, at least right up until Rein asks a bombshell of a question. The witch bristles visibly, the feminine body shivering as if punched... And for a moment it looks as if they are going to ignore the question completely.

But then the answer comes as a defeated whisper. "No. But... t-this is what is most like what we were, and... at least for now, we would prefer it to be what you remember us as... Rather than that." The eyes look everywhere but Rein's face for a moment. It's clearly a disarming question, but at the same time there was enough care that the witch was answering honestly. "It will... We will... just... more time, please."

Ukry taps the table softly, not out of a motion to ask anything of Rein, but more like someone does when they are trying to refocus, to concentrate. Like someone does when they are burying things they'd rather not deal with at the moment. "B-besides, there is no reason to ruin such a lovely dinner that you have worked so hard on. We can.... offer you a reward for this, indeed, but... it should actually be a reward, not that." Ukry's fingers motion toward the bottle of wine, redirecting attention.

"From a group of monks that farm grapes off a large cliffside, by riding big baskets up and down on ropes. Each bottle is wax sealed and dipped in the blessed springs to prevent them from turning to vinegar, so they last for ages. This one, if we can remember, is a hair over one hundred years of age, from a season where the harvest was blessed by the forest creatures. It's lovely, really, do try some." The witch gently flips their dress, the elegant frills and designs flittering through the air for a moment, before settling down more evenly over the pleasant curve of their hips. "And tell us what you've been up too. It's been a cursedly droll period for ourselves, and though the business is spreading, all work makes for dull days. Especially when one's thoughts are preoccupied with the invitation they received." There is a hint of a sparkle of gratitude in the eyes as they look to Reinholdt, the treasure hunter clearly having been on the witch's mind well before the letter arrived.

[Ironsmith]

Codebreaker's Home

"Don't you suggest a thing. I'm handsome as hell." CB follows Kyrie's poke by forcefully smacking his gut. And Kyrie's for good measure.
"And really, you're a smart guy. You'd fit in around here if you get back on your shampoo regiment. And I could probably get you a closer, better-paying job if I asked around. Maybe Absum just wanted you to take it easy for a bit. You've been fighting a while from the sound of it. Now you have time to raise Arthfael and get a few hobbies."

[Codebreaker's Home]

"Hm. Oh, yeah, sure, mm-hm." Kyrie shrugs and nods as Codebreaker declares himself "handsome as hell", verbally ribbing him a little. "...I suppose you have a point. It's more well-known for Absum to encourage rest with weariness, but... perhaps it is not so literal in this case." The wolf-man looks down at himself and lets out a deep sigh. "...I'm going to need to start ordering by the jug again..." He mumbles, returning to his seat.

If he's meant to enjoy some proper hobbies, he'd better get back to the one he and Codebreaker share for now.

[bc56]

Elster
"That's preposterous! ... If it weren't exactly what this bloody job is about." Diablo isn't especially surprised. "Tell me more about this Nexus. I'm going to need to be able to get my bearings if I'm going to find my target." Or the rest of the team of 4 he was supposed to be arriving with. His scout 'mech is highly upgraded to hold its own in close quarters, but this mission would be a lot easier with the others and their respective specialties.

[Deathkeeper]

[Codebreaker's Home]

"Hm. Oh, yeah, sure, mm-hm." Kyrie shrugs and nods as Codebreaker declares himself "handsome as hell", verbally ribbing him a little. "...I suppose you have a point. It's more well-known for Absum to encourage rest with weariness, but... perhaps it is not so literal in this case." The wolf-man looks down at himself and lets out a deep sigh. "...I'm going to need to start ordering by the jug again..." He mumbles, returning to his seat.

If he's meant to enjoy some proper hobbies, he'd better get back to the one he and Codebreaker share for now.

Codebreaker's Home

"Kyrie, I hope you haven't been going hungry on your blood-stuff." CB clicks his tongue. Though honestly he wasn't sure if bigger strigoi actually need more blood. He hasn't ever really wanted to pry on their vampire private lives.
"A growing boy needs his nutrients." he snickers. "But really, you just let me know. I know you and Siana take the debt thing way too seriously but if there's something that isn't money-related I can help you with I'd be glad to. You might need some contractors for that place of yours at some point..." Actually CB would gladly help them with things money related, but the Maldwyns are too proud to accept it and he knows it.

[Reinholdt]

[Shore of distant island]

Rachel Melodia Vulpan had come here because it was supposed to be a quiet beach. Relatively so at any rate. Laying out in the sun, specifically working on her tan. Her next few cosplays demanded a solid tan to be authentic and Rachel went to just about every reasonable length when it came to her hobby/job/life.

Still, Rachel can't just ignore distant screams. The red headed catgirl pushes herself up, putting back on her blue bikini top. She grabs her water satchel and flings it over her back before running towards the distressed cries of children with no apparent means to defend herself. This does not deter her as she finds the fleeing children and continues past them in the direction of the supposed monster from the sea.

[Romantic Dinner?]

Reinholdt smirks a little as Ukry practically invites him to ambush them some time. "Just don't want any accidents is all." Though he doubts they could be seriously or permanently harmed if he were to accidentally shoot her. He's more worried about the other way around! ... Still probably worth a potion in the face to come up behind them and wrap his arms around their waist when they least expects it. He has to snicker a little when they tries to call him love and ends up calling him loverboy.

Pushing the chair in as Ukry sits, Rein steps around and takes up the bottle, driving a corkscrew into it. He frowns at Ukry's response and shakes his head as they seems to fold in on themselves at his question. "Ukry, please. It's fine, honest. I'm not trying to pressure you to do something here and I'm not disappointed. I'm just coming into this very blind and am trying to understand where we're at. That's all." The cork pops free and Rein casually pours two glasses as he continues. "If this is what you want me to know you as, then... this is who you are. That's ok too. I don't think that's wrong." Setting the bottle down, he hands Ukry their wine and offers what he hopes to be a reassuring smile. "It's not like you've seen my true self either."

Taking the other glass, Reinholdt runs his nose over it to savor the century old vintage before he takes his own seat and begins to divvy up the doves. "I can't say I get much products aged like this. Maybe it's not a surprise, but this kind of treasure is the kind that doesn't get buried in anything but bellies or passed along to someone else who considers themselves a connoisseur." He gives Ukry a nod and smile of appreciation. "Thank you." The utensils clink together as they perform their functions and Rein considers how to reply before shaking his head a little. "Honestly, not much. Thanksmas felt like yesterday. I certainly remember it that vividly. I've mostly just spent the time since then cleaning the house. I let some of the less used areas go a bit, so I had to really dust them out." Exciting adventures aren't as common in the treasure hunter's life as one would think. Largely because all the clones have them divvied up now.

[Aurora Alchemi]

[Romantic dinner?]

Rein's careful reassurance is... surprisingly smooth, and well delivered. Perhaps he had spent so long dusting that he forgot to drink? Or maybe the drinking looped into recursion? In any manner, the sweet talk gives Ukry's half smile a little more pressure, and eventually it breaks into a full, honest smile. The witch leans in and giggles softly. "Well then... consider us only pressured to do this." The witch's hand curls softly against Reinholdt's cheek, carefully pulling him into a kiss, then holding it for a moment, before breaking. It's gentle, skillful... and almost hides the several tears that fall from their eyes after Rein's casual acceptance to come as they felt fit.

Ukry doesn't dwell on it however, sipping softly at the wine that Reinholdt has poured for them, and carefully looking over the meal spread out, before beginning to gather some things onto their plate. "You are welcome, really. I've got too much wine for nice occasions anyways; after a while of not having them, you kind of build up too much to go through by yourself, you know?" There is a hint of bittersweet loneliness in the witch's voice, and for a moment it conjures an image what it must be like to live in what others think as a busy and lively house, but have to be providing all that life by yourself.

"Haha, it sounds like you've been dwelling on it almost as long as we... thought you might." The pause after we is far too long for the addition to have been the original thought. It's interesting, though, as bit by bit it seems like the witch is letting down a little more shielding, a little of the carefully crafted walls and wards. It's... long, though, and clear that the witch of faces may yet be as fragile as a delicate porcelain mask under it all. But, for a moment, soft eddies and currents of green, purple, and blue whirl and curl up the antlers like aurora, filling the whole house with the feeling of comfort and relief after a long struggle. "You really do seem to have done a nice job of the place. We... didn't take you for being the cleanest individual, but some of this is positively glowing with your efforts."

The lyrri leans on a hand, softly, the eyes gazing over into Rein's as if to search his soul... but not in the way like they were trying to find a secret. More like a cat might search a pillow for a place to nestle into. "Honestly, lately, it seems like skyland is the most interesting of all the places our doors bridge. We've been working on building some respect and business there. Grimmjaw is... an effective negotiator. Though we aren't sure how deep we will meddle." Ukry frowns slightly; Normally they wouldn't have any trepidation at meddling, but... At least right now, they felt that there was something at risk by going their normal routine.

Brief is the moment of confusion however, as Ukry remembers the dinner date. "Although we have considered introducing ourselves to that presence in the tavern, or perhaps some of these... groups we hear so much about. Something for fun, or maybe something to..." Were they going to say 'help'? That didn't seem right... not even in a manipulative sense. Ukry pushes the confusing thoughts away, dropping the sentence entirely rather than dealing with it. "What about you? What are your plans? We still have so much of this world to see... Perhaps you might be able to guide us a bit in learning the areas?" The thought occurs that perhaps Rein doesn't want to talk about this stuff, bringing a flash of pink embarrassment from the powerful magics, telling the whole room that Ukry doesn't much remember what exactly one does on a date, at least before the careful nature of the witch regulates the magic outburst and hides it, along with the blush.

[Vahnavoi]

[Shore of distant island]

Rachel finds a depression on the sand, with fresh hand and footprints leading away from the shoreline. It looks like something roughly human crawled for some distance on their hands and knees, before balling their hands into fists and continuing forward in a manner similar to a gorilla. The size of the prints suggests the creature is slightly bigger than adult male gorilla.

If Rachel follows the tracks, it won't take long for her to catch glimpse of the creature's back. Its pale and hairless, its skin still wet with seawater and glistening in the sun. It is wandering inland in search of trees, rocks or anything else that would offer it some shadow.

[Morty]

[Shore of distant island]

Someone else is drawn to the island in the wake of the fearsome visitor. Calm Reed had been exploring Seaside alone, establishing contact with people who might need Vigil's aid or be able to provide them with help in turn. With her nautical skills, affinity for water and literal inability to drown, the monk was the ideal candidate for the job. And it just so happens that it put her in the earshot of the screams as they ring over the sea. She turns her small skiff towards the source of the sound and heads there at full speed.

[Rebonack]

[Lunch Time!]

Time is an illusion.

Lunch time, doubly so.

Ever since her little accident with Wrattleham Yezekiel has been much, much more careful about finding safe places to feed. That whole incident was pretty shocking to her, honestly. Really shook her up. It was a reminder of just how dangerous she is. And how fragile mortals are. She can still feel the people of Wrattleham out there spreading her Path. Or at least their understanding of it. She's given them a few nudges, but for the most part they're doing pretty well on their own. They're a constant supply of hopes and dreams for her. It would be so much easier to just devour the purpose of a few more communities and let them do all the work for her-

-but that's the wrong kind of thinking.

Taking the easy way out isn't HER way.

Cutting her own path is.

And for the time being cutting her own path involves a whole lot of diving down to the ocean floor and gobbling up the landscape. There are, thankfully, not that many people down there.

What with it being the bottom of the ocean and everything.

She isn't diving just yet, though.

Zee, still in bound form, is sitting on a rock near the edge of the surf just admiring the view for the time being.

"It's really pretty out here," she sighs, closing her eyes and feeling the wind in her hair. "Warm sun, cool sea breeze, the sound of the surf and sea birds, it's absolutely-"

SPLASH!

A sneaker wave decides to clobber Zee's sitting-rock, leaving her drenched with several strands of sea-weed in her hair and a flopping fish perched atop her head.

"-wet. Absolutely wet," she laughs, wringing the water out of her shirt.