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  1. - Top - End - #931
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    Ironsmith's Avatar

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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Route]

    Fortunately, Korvin wasn't in any real danger of being shot at by Klaus, and depending on the situation, he might be able to pulls some strings with MERC, too.

    Of course, that wasn't why he didn't carry the card, anyway. He hops down from the caravan, approaching the lead mobster with a wide gait, hands spread as he gives them a chipper little greeting. "Good evening, gentlemen. How goes the hunting?" He'll stop and examine one of the captives, rather forcefully turning up their chin so he can get a good look at them. He's hoping one of them will object to this; physically, if possible. He hasn't had his daily allotment of screams yet.

    Hana sniffs. "If we get out of this... I'll definitely have to take you up on that." She leans back a little bit, squeezing Abbi's hand in what she hopes is a reassuring manner. In the meantime, she keeps her eyes closed and tries to pretend she's in a wide-open field somewhere.

    [Skies Over Skyside]

    "Well, here we are. Loosely speaking." Vlad calls back to Anri, not daring to look back. From what he'd heard, he was guessing she was trying out a number of forms, and he thought it rude to watch a lady while she changes (shape). At least, that was the custom around here. Modern modesty standards were weird. "Anywhere more specific we could land? I don't want us out where anyone can take a potshot at us longer than we have to be."
    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
    ]

  2. - Top - End - #932
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    Alecto follows Korvin, content to let him lead for now. If he can bargain well, it'll help her make the case for his promotion- if that's what he wants. She thinks it is.

    The head mobster glances at Alecto, who nods slightly, before turning back to Korvin. "Not gentle or men. Hunting's good. Lots of mice getting from Ah to Bee via Zed, and these fine fellows paid the fee. You want 'em? We want cash." The boss has a mechanised voice; they've got an implant in their throat acting as a voice changer.

    The captive yelps as Korvin wrenches his jaw back, glaring equal amounts of hatred and fear at the masked man. He's in his mid-twenties, and looks to have had quite a hard life- there's a lot of scars on his body, which looks a little undernourished.

    "We'll get out of this. Don't know how, but we will." There's not much hope in Abby's words, though. She's saying it to reassure Hana, but doesn't believe it herself.
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  3. - Top - End - #933
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Misty Velvet => Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "There are probably better uses of our time. Still gotta conquer the world after all." That kind of thing takes effort AND time. Can't exactly just spend every day crashing a dance club and making it infinitely better.

    The last song didn't even make it past the opening moan. It's probably not what's on Raven's mind right now. Of course that's just one option of many and doesn't really narrow it down.

    The zombie carrying Rose moans. "Briaaaaaaan." Now the question becomes whether that's the zombie's name or if they're suffering from a kind of post-mortem dyslexia.

    "I think that's Clarice. Or... River? Might be a Diana. Could be Diana if you want it to be. Their names don't really matter. That nametag on the guy up front just puts the customers at easy and came with whoever it was that was wearing the outfit." Raven shrugs. These are disposable fodder for the most part, even if they are inherently better disposable fodder than most of the trash in this world.

    They get back and Rose is let down as Raven's vehicle is lowered so she can step off gracefully. "So today was fun. Thanks again a bunch for the cds. I really do love them. I'll see you around, yeah?"

    Oh.

    Raven was just bringing Rose back because this is where Rose's vehicle is parked.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
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  4. - Top - End - #934
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    Ironsmith's Avatar

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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    Alecto follows Korvin, content to let him lead for now. If he can bargain well, it'll help her make the case for his promotion- if that's what he wants. She thinks it is.

    The head mobster glances at Alecto, who nods slightly, before turning back to Korvin. "Not gentle or men. Hunting's good. Lots of mice getting from Ah to Bee via Zed, and these fine fellows paid the fee. You want 'em? We want cash." The boss has a mechanised voice; they've got an implant in their throat acting as a voice changer.

    The captive yelps as Korvin wrenches his jaw back, glaring equal amounts of hatred and fear at the masked man. He's in his mid-twenties, and looks to have had quite a hard life- there's a lot of scars on his body, which looks a little undernourished.

    "We'll get out of this. Don't know how, but we will." There's not much hope in Abby's words, though. She's saying it to reassure Hana, but doesn't believe it herself.
    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Route]

    Fortunately, once she can get her brain out of their cage, Hana has enough resolve for the both of them. She gives Abbi's hand a reassuring squeeze, even bound as they are. "...Yes. Yes we will." She says, a new kind of strength in her voice.

    Meanwhile, Korvin tilts his head at the mobster, somehow managing to look slightly offended despite the lack of expression on his mask. "Well, of course you're getting cash." He drones. "Did you forget who you're dealing with already?" He releases his grip on the first slave and moves his way down the line, examining them each in detail. "How much do you normally get for a lot like this? Ten? Fifteen?"

    He's rather deliberately lowballing it. Just as he's expecting the mobster to try asking for much more than they're "worth", so they each have negotiating room toward a "fair" price.

    Quote Originally Posted by Reinholdt View Post
    [Misty Velvet => Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "There are probably better uses of our time. Still gotta conquer the world after all." That kind of thing takes effort AND time. Can't exactly just spend every day crashing a dance club and making it infinitely better.

    The last song didn't even make it past the opening moan. It's probably not what's on Raven's mind right now. Of course that's just one option of many and doesn't really narrow it down.

    The zombie carrying Rose moans. "Briaaaaaaan." Now the question becomes whether that's the zombie's name or if they're suffering from a kind of post-mortem dyslexia.

    "I think that's Clarice. Or... River? Might be a Diana. Could be Diana if you want it to be. Their names don't really matter. That nametag on the guy up front just puts the customers at easy and came with whoever it was that was wearing the outfit." Raven shrugs. These are disposable fodder for the most part, even if they are inherently better disposable fodder than most of the trash in this world.

    They get back and Rose is let down as Raven's vehicle is lowered so she can step off gracefully. "So today was fun. Thanks again a bunch for the cds. I really do love them. I'll see you around, yeah?"

    Oh.

    Raven was just bringing Rose back because this is where Rose's vehicle is parked.
    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Oh", indeed.

    Rose looks a little crestfallen at this. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be back before you know it." She says, putting on a little, obviously fake smile. "I guess this is good night, then."

    She turns to go, walking with purpose, but slowly losing her resolve as she reaches the door, stopping with her hand on the handle.

    "Actually..." She begins, turning to look over her shoulder back at Raven. "I really don't have anything else planned tonight. Like, at all." She tightens her smile just a bit, seeming to inwardly acknowledge how "unlike her" that is. "So, I'm completely free to, ah, stay over... you know, if you want."

    She'll wait a moment for a reply, and if Raven hesitates, will seem to take that as a "no". "Just thought I would offer." She'll say, and head out the door (though not nearly fast enough that Raven couldn't catch her if she tried).
    Last edited by Ironsmith; 2021-10-22 at 07:14 AM.

  5. - Top - End - #935
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    "Each, if they're old or broken. These aren't old or broken. Three hundred and fifty the lot." The mobster doesn't care as Korvin looks up and down the slaves. They're all young, the oldest about twenty-eight, one of the women. The youngest is nineteen, the third man in the group.

    Abbi smiles at Hana's words, and squeezes back. She glances at the Mobsters. "Looks like we'll be getting two more soon. I hope this is the last stop before the warehouse." She knows the warehouse, she's been there before, but the only other time she was in a wagon like this was when she was going the other way, to the Trust-Worthy Hotel.
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  6. - Top - End - #936
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Ironsmith View Post
    [Skies Over Skyside]

    "Well, here we are. Loosely speaking." Vlad calls back to Anri, not daring to look back. From what he'd heard, he was guessing she was trying out a number of forms, and he thought it rude to watch a lady while she changes (shape). At least, that was the custom around here. Modern modesty standards were weird. "Anywhere more specific we could land? I don't want us out where anyone can take a potshot at us longer than we have to be."
    Skies over Skyside

    Anri has in fact tried out 9 different forms during the flight, and is currently a bangaa.
    "Well, before I go home then I still owe you some favors, don't I?" she muses, kicking her legs in the seat.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  7. - Top - End - #937
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    Ironsmith's Avatar

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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    "Each, if they're old or broken. These aren't old or broken. Three hundred and fifty the lot." The mobster doesn't care as Korvin looks up and down the slaves. They're all young, the oldest about twenty-eight, one of the women. The youngest is nineteen, the third man in the group.

    Abbi smiles at Hana's words, and squeezes back. She glances at the Mobsters. "Looks like we'll be getting two more soon. I hope this is the last stop before the warehouse." She knows the warehouse, she's been there before, but the only other time she was in a wagon like this was when she was going the other way, to the Trust-Worthy Hotel.
    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Route]

    "Three hundred and fifty?!" Korvin shakes his head. "I knew I was dealing with a robber, but that's just ridiculous." He hauls the most malnourished and scarred one to their feet and pokes at their ribs. "Look at this. You'd be lucky to get forty for this waste of skin, never mind the seventy you're asking for. But you know, I'm feeling generous. I'll give you fifty each; two hundred fifty in total. Last offer."

    It's around now that Hana notices something; her feet might be shackled together, but unlike with her hands, there's no shredders involved. If she could get one of these off, she might be able to make a run for it. She looks over at Abbi to see if she has the same setup; if she does, she'll offer to try to work the chain loose so they can run when the cage opens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Skies over Skyside

    Anri has in fact tried out 9 different forms during the flight, and is currently a bangaa.
    "Well, before I go home then I still owe you some favors, don't I?" she muses, kicking her legs in the seat.
    [Skies Over Skyside]

    "Yeah, I've been thinking about that." Vlad says, banking the plane in a slow descent toward the city. "And honestly, I'm having a hard time figuring out what you could possibly give me in the first place. I mean, I already have pretty much everything a guy could want; stable job, plenty of money, good accommodations, you know. And what I don't have on hand now, I could get pretty easily." He pats his Hotbox for emphasis. "...So I'm thinking I might need to take a rain check on those other two wishes. I'm sure I'll think of something eventually, but probably not before we reach the library."
    Last edited by Ironsmith; 2021-10-23 at 11:07 AM.

  8. - Top - End - #938
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Slaver's Guild Acquisitions Route

    "Mugger, not robber. Sixty each, and we'll throw in a punnet of strawberries." And where else is Korvin going to get strawberries in Skyside?

    Not only is Abbi wearing the same kind of shackle on her ankles as Hana, she's also not wearing shredders. She didn't struggle when they were put on, or try taking off the zipties. "I'm... not sure it's worth it. We're naked, and still wearing the shackles. Anywhere we go, we'll go back to the Guild- except as escaped slaves, not new buys. We'd get punished, and it won't be pleasant." Despite her words, she moves her legs around so Hana can have a look at the chains on her ankles.
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  9. - Top - End - #939
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Street]

    Korvin falls silent, idly running a gloved hand down the cheek of one of the bound slaves. He stares at the lead mobster inscrutably, probably due to the porcelain mask he's wearing.

    Then, his caress turns into something more of a forceful grab, hauling the unfortunate soul to his feet. Smoke rises from his glove as it seems to burn away at the slave's face where it touches, melting partway into his skin. If nobody intervenes, the man will be dead in seconds, bleeding profusely from the hand-shaped wound on the side of his head.

    "...Two hundred and fifty for the lot. And never mind the strawberries." Korvin will say, tossing the fresh corpse aside. Technically a better deal per-head than was offered, but a definite loss nonetheless. "And I suggest you familiarize yourself with the meaning of the phrase 'last offer'."

    Hana starts feeling around for the locking mechanism on Abbi's shackles, trying to see if she could somehow work it free with her fingers. "Not anywhere. There's someone here in Skyside who can help us. An old associate of mine, goes by Tau-99. We get to him, and we're free." She nods toward what's going on with Korvin. "...Better than waiting around for that."
    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
    ]

  10. - Top - End - #940
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    The man screams as Korvin burns his face to the bone, though fortunately not for long. The body thumps to the ground, and the lead mobster inclines their head. "Noted, indeed. We look forward to further deals with you." Might be a loss, but they can recycle the body into nutrients for their strawberries. Alecto and Jasper come up to gather the surviving slaves and hand over the bag of cash. Alecto winks at Korvin; he did better than expected, and even with the loss, the slaves were slightly cheaper than usual. Alecto was looking forward to a punnet of strawberries, however.

    The mechanism is a lock, made of the same steel as the rest of the device. The mechanism inside might be brass or bronze, but from the outside it looks nearly identical to the rest of the shackle. Opposite the lock is a steel hinge, capped at both end with a piece welded in place. Dismantling the hinge to take off the shackle won't be easy. Hana might be able to pick the lock, if she had something to use as lockpicks. Of which there's not much around; no straw on the floor of the wagon. Maybe the chicken wire covering the bars of the cage, but it might not be stiff enough and is well-fastened on the outside of the cart. "Do you know how to find him?" Although if Korvin tried to kill Abbi or Hana, unless they were actively armed and trying to kill him to escape, he'd have to reimburse the Guild for the loss. He can get away with killing those ones because they aren't yet Guild property, so Alecto and Jasper don't care about them.
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  11. - Top - End - #941
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Route]

    "Not as such, no. But I know he's here, and I know his habits." Hana tries to reassure Abbi as she tugs at the chickenwire for an improvised lockpick.

    Which, sadly, would take too long.

    Korvin leans over to talk with Alecto as the slaves are loaded up. "Apologies. I'm certain you were looking forward to those berries." He mumbles, just barely intelligible with the reverberation in his mask. "Do you have an office? We can speak privately when we're done here."
    Last edited by Ironsmith; 2021-10-24 at 08:40 PM.

  12. - Top - End - #942
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    Oddly enough, Abbi doesn't find that overly reassuring. She'll shuffle back as the two new women are loaded aboard, the younger of the two sobbing quite heavily as she's brought aboard. The older woman looks more composed, though she looks worried except when she's glaring at the mobsters.

    "I've got some at home from last time I dealt with these guys, unless my siblings ate them. An office? Not at the warehouse. After this, my shift's over. Jasper and I are heading to bed. I've got an office above GIRLS on the main street, though. Technically it's dad's office, but he doesn't use it any more. Can it wait until tomorrow?" Alecto hides it quite well, but she's a bit tired. The orcs are nocturnal, and collecting slaves from Skyside at night helps protect their suppliers from unwanted attention. None of the guests witnessed Hana's abduction from the hotel, after all.
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  13. - Top - End - #943
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Goodnight," Raven replies, her smile more genuine than Rose's. Though that could be said of most of their relationship thus far.

    Raven's halfway into the sidedoor leading to the garage when Rose calls back a plea for company. Empress Ebondark smiles a small bit, her tail flicking to and fro, in and out of the doorway. "It's just going to be me working on mecha-zombies and mecha-zombies working on cars. If that's not going to bore you to tears, you are welcome to stay."
    Last edited by Reinholdt; 2021-10-24 at 11:57 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Magtok View Post
    Gods, Reinholdt was right, a hundred percent right.
    Spoiler
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    -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.

  14. - Top - End - #944
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Earl of Purple View Post
    Slaver's Guild Acquisition Route

    Oddly enough, Abbi doesn't find that overly reassuring. She'll shuffle back as the two new women are loaded aboard, the younger of the two sobbing quite heavily as she's brought aboard. The older woman looks more composed, though she looks worried except when she's glaring at the mobsters.

    "I've got some at home from last time I dealt with these guys, unless my siblings ate them. An office? Not at the warehouse. After this, my shift's over. Jasper and I are heading to bed. I've got an office above GIRLS on the main street, though. Technically it's dad's office, but he doesn't use it any more. Can it wait until tomorrow?" Alecto hides it quite well, but she's a bit tired. The orcs are nocturnal, and collecting slaves from Skyside at night helps protect their suppliers from unwanted attention. None of the guests witnessed Hana's abduction from the hotel, after all.
    [Slavers' Guild Acquisition Route]

    Well, that window of opportunity closed fast. Hana busily sets about trying to look like she hadn't really been making an escape attempt, which at least shouldn't be too hard, given how far along it wasn't. She looks up at the sobbing girl, and for a moment, she'll forget about how much more cramped the cage is getting, opting to comfort the poor woman instead. "Hey, hey... it's okay. We're going to get out of here. All of us." Her shoulder moves forward as she goes to offer her hand, but finds it restricted by her bindings. Right. "My name's Hana. Hana Jane Reeverman. This is Abbi. What's your name?"

    "Of course it can." Korvin smiles, though it obviously doesn't show under his mask. "And just as well it should, I suppose. I'm due for a date with the bed, myself." He stretches and yawns, the sound reverberating eerily in his mask. "We can discuss what I had in mind in the morning."

    Quote Originally Posted by Reinholdt View Post
    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Goodnight," Raven replies, her smile more genuine than Rose's. Though that could be said of most of their relationship thus far.

    Raven's halfway into the sidedoor leading to the garage when Rose calls back a plea for company. Empress Ebondark smiles a small bit, her tail flicking to and fro, in and out of the doorway. "It's just going to be me working on mecha-zombies and mecha-zombies working on cars. If that's not going to bore you to tears, you are welcome to stay."
    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    Rose grins. "Now, come on, it feels like we just talked about this. I'll be your nurse, remember?" She smirks and follows Raven back to her workshop.

    Now, while Rose might not find what happens especially boring, her capacity to do anything interesting herself, other than continue to persistently flirt with Raven, will be sharply limited by her lack of formal medical training. So, after they start, she makes the rather unwise decision to ask the following while Raven is in close proximity to sharp medical instruments.

    "So... the other night, you mentioned your father, and it sounded like he was kind of a bad guy... bad to you, specifically, I mean. I was curious; what's going on there, exactly?"
    Last edited by Ironsmith; 2021-10-25 at 03:32 PM.

  15. - Top - End - #945
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Skies over Skyside

    Anri shrugs. "If you're sure. I don't mind not rushing into using the big wish guns. You never know what'll happen. If you don't want anything you can set me down a few streets down. I can get there by myself if it's that small a distance." It used to be a tiny bit dangerous. But she's feeling much safer with the knowledge that she can turn herself huge and made of stone at a moment's notice.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  16. - Top - End - #946
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Just didn't think you were ready for the job immediately is all. It puts your clothing in jeopardy." Raven imagines that Rose is the type to go all in and dress up like an actual Nurse for such tasks.

    But nothing substantial will stop Rose from joining in and Raven even provides her with a spare apron, gloves, and a mask. None of which fit just right, all of them meant for Raven.

    Raven Ebondark leads Rose through the garage to the back workshop which appears to be much bigger than the front garage. There's a few mecha-zombies back here and storage for the palanquin off to one corner. There's some open stairs over by one wall, leading to something up on the second floor, no doubt Raven's loft. That personal space that likely holds all her secrets. Ebondark's focus at the moment is the large unmarked black van with its back doors open revealing a number of body bags. These are the recently deceased she collected from Inside's Heresy Elemental attack, kidnapped from the real coroners and grieving families.

    And they're starting to get ripe too. She's put off working on them for too long for Rose's shenanigans so Raven needs to finish modifying and preserving them tonight. So up onto the surgical slab they go! Open them up, get those fancy machine works in there, especially along the spine, close them up, turn them back on. Viola. Mecha-zombie.

    Such work does not require conversations about Raven's dad!

    Raven withdraws the bloody scalpel from the corpse to point it in Rose's general direction. Not intentionally threatening her, but it could be seen that way. "What, no?! He's not a bad guy, he's the worst guy. He's a self-centered, megalomaniacal, narcissist who hasn't the first clue as to what it means to conquer the world. Hell he grew soft even. Helping the good guys, getting all sweet and sappy on my mom, he's... just gross!" That scalpel sure is being waved around emphatically. "I came to the Nexus to get away from him, but nooooo, he's here too. Even has some clone of himself called Malice who thinks he's actually the evil version of him, but noooo, Malice is just as limp noodled and soft fisted as dad dad is. I swear, his Cave is the last place I'm conquering just so that he can watch how someone with actual skill and determination gets the job done."
    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.

  17. - Top - End - #947
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Deathkeeper View Post
    Skies over Skyside

    Anri shrugs. "If you're sure. I don't mind not rushing into using the big wish guns. You never know what'll happen. If you don't want anything you can set me down a few streets down. I can get there by myself if it's that small a distance." It used to be a tiny bit dangerous. But she's feeling much safer with the knowledge that she can turn herself huge and made of stone at a moment's notice.
    [Skies Over Skyside]

    "Yeah, sure. Let me just find a good place to la-"

    sker-RACH

    That's the sound of a couple dozen golf-ball-sized holes appearing in the left wing of the plane, eliciting a startled curse from Vlad. It seems his worries about someone shooting at them weren't entirely unfounded.

    Quote Originally Posted by Reinholdt View Post
    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Just didn't think you were ready for the job immediately is all. It puts your clothing in jeopardy." Raven imagines that Rose is the type to go all in and dress up like an actual Nurse for such tasks.

    But nothing substantial will stop Rose from joining in and Raven even provides her with a spare apron, gloves, and a mask. None of which fit just right, all of them meant for Raven.

    Raven Ebondark leads Rose through the garage to the back workshop which appears to be much bigger than the front garage. There's a few mecha-zombies back here and storage for the palanquin off to one corner. There's some open stairs over by one wall, leading to something up on the second floor, no doubt Raven's loft. That personal space that likely holds all her secrets. Ebondark's focus at the moment is the large unmarked black van with its back doors open revealing a number of body bags. These are the recently deceased she collected from Inside's Heresy Elemental attack, kidnapped from the real coroners and grieving families.

    And they're starting to get ripe too. She's put off working on them for too long for Rose's shenanigans so Raven needs to finish modifying and preserving them tonight. So up onto the surgical slab they go! Open them up, get those fancy machine works in there, especially along the spine, close them up, turn them back on. Viola. Mecha-zombie.

    Such work does not require conversations about Raven's dad!

    Raven withdraws the bloody scalpel from the corpse to point it in Rose's general direction. Not intentionally threatening her, but it could be seen that way. "What, no?! He's not a bad guy, he's the worst guy. He's a self-centered, megalomaniacal, narcissist who hasn't the first clue as to what it means to conquer the world. Hell he grew soft even. Helping the good guys, getting all sweet and sappy on my mom, he's... just gross!" That scalpel sure is being waved around emphatically. "I came to the Nexus to get away from him, but nooooo, he's here too. Even has some clone of himself called Malice who thinks he's actually the evil version of him, but noooo, Malice is just as limp noodled and soft fisted as dad dad is. I swear, his Cave is the last place I'm conquering just so that he can watch how someone with actual skill and determination gets the job done."
    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    Raven figured right, of course. The next time she sees Rose, she's already pulling on a pair of shoe covers, having thrown on a set of hospital scrubs over everything. Rather uncharacteristically of her, she's chosen a more practical approach to this situation; she had a hundred and one "nurse" costumes in her Hotbox's files, but this one stood the best chance of actually protecting her from being covered in bodily fluids. The others she could always save for later, if Raven ever brings her upstairs. She accepts the apron, gloves and mask anyway, more to be polite than anything; they're a little redundant at this point.

    Rose curls her nose in disgust at Raven's description of her father. Well, more accurately, it's from the stench, but it can be helpfully attributed to that, so she lets her mask slip just a little. "Ugh. He sounds like a character all right." She groans, holding open Raven's patient's ribcage. "We've all seen the type. Nominally ambitious, but when it comes time to deliver, just completely usele- (oh, crap. Um... ribs grow back, right?)" Rose pulls her hands free of the zombie's ribcage, holding the offending bone in her hand. "What about your mom, then? It doesn't sound like you want to give her much in the way of sap." She asks, looking more like she's talking to the dislodged rib than Raven.
    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
    ]

  18. - Top - End - #948
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    Raven reaches over to take the rib from Rose and toss it over her shoulder to an unhealthy looking pile of body parts.

    The catgirl raises an eyebrow at Rose for a moment before returning her focus more upon the future mecha-zombie before her. "I honestly have no idea what that means. Give her sap?" Like... be sweet to maybe? Or is it be sticky? Viscous?

    Whatever. "She's ok. I guess. Freaking nosy though. Pretends to get it, but she doesn't get my pain. She couldn't possibly. Not with that faux righteous attitude of hers. Being evil is a depth of the soul that will always elude her."

    Raven starts stitching up the patient. "Plus they're always hiding something from me. Dad can't shut up about the past, but Mom never talks about hers even if you ask. She must be ashamed of how boring she was or something. I think she was just Dad's secretary or groupie or something. I dunno." Raven shrugs like she couldn't care less and her new mecha-zombie stands up off the slab, moving out of the way for the next one. This process is entirely driven by some high end science, the Nekomancer using no magic whatsoever to get these undead walking.
    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.

  19. - Top - End - #949
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Sorry. Bit of a play on words. You said your dad got sappy with her, so I was kind of bouncing off that to... never mind." Rose starts to explain, but drops it.

    "So, boring mom and disappointing dad. That sucks." She shrugs, before hauling over a fresh (relatively speaking) corpse for Raven to work on. "But I'm still a little confused. I know plenty of people with parents who fit that description, myself included. But most of them don't go on to become the ruler of all they survey. Heck, they don't even try. So, I've got to ask... why do you?"

    She had a vague idea already. It sounded like Raven's ambitions were at least partly steeped in wanting to show up her father. But that didn't sound like the complete picture. Even if she really did just want to prove she was better than him, there still had to be an underlying reason why she thought proof was necessary, right? And she implied earlier that she preferred getting a reaction out of people to having an actual, practical method of conquest. In tandem, that made her whole operation sound an awful lot like a cry for attention.

    Not that she expected Raven to come out and say it. But with any luck, she'd at least get another theory to test.
    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
    ]

  20. - Top - End - #950
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    "Don't compare my parents to others'. My parents are abominable, a cancerous splotch of rancid meat on the fabric of bad parenting, far more significant than any random Jill and Joe Johnstar!" Raven stabs the scalpel into the leg of the next patient and leaves it there, spurts of blood rising up pitifully for the briefest of moments.

    It leaves her hands free to become exceptionally more animated. "For that matter, don't compare ME to those zombified pedestrians floating through life like discarded jetsam! I am RAVEN EBONDARK, EMPRESS OF THE NEXUS and whatever the hell else I wish!! Those pallid, pitiful buffoons lacking in both courage and willpower to stand up and make something of their lives don't deserve to even be in my presence, let alone considered in the same sentence as me. I am different because I CHOSE to be different, I DECIDED to be different. I looked around the world and said... Mine."

    Raven she draws up to her full glorious height of 5'4", chin raised. "Doing so gave me the right, divinely granted by me and me alone. My claim is not withered, stale, and derelict like my old man's. It is not held back, chained up, and repressed like my mother's. It is bold, brilliant, and bright. A shining gem perfectly matched to an equally radiant Empress. And no plodding, purposeless, peon is going to survive being measured by the same standards as me. They will simply smolder in resentment and envy and do nothing for that is who THEY are."

    The catgirl takes a breath for a moment before her hand finds the handle of her instrument and yanks it out violently. Yet her eyes never leave Rose's as they bore into her as if trying to read something. "But you knew that already, didn't you? Isn't that what you love most about me?"
    Last edited by Reinholdt; 2021-10-28 at 04:44 AM.
    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.

  21. - Top - End - #951
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Black Abyss Body Shop]

    As Raven watches, she'll see the look in Rose's eyes go from startled as the corpse get stabbed, to... something else. It's not an emotional response Raven is likely used to. Since she might need a little help reading it, Rose reaches up and slowly pulls down her surgical mask, letting Raven see the anticipatory lip-chewing and barely-restrained smile that should tell her Rose was getting a sort of vicarious high from watching Raven make a dramatic speech about her claims to the as-of-yet nonexistent throne of the Nexus. Or, at least, that would be the polite way to describe it, right up there with "bodily excited". If Raven had gotten around to viewing Rose's tiger speech to Bruce, she'd probably have some idea what was going on in Rose's head, and recognize the "you, me, on the wall, now" expression she's being given now.

    Of course, Rose herself isn't fooled. Raven dodged the question like a matador; dramatically, thrillingly even, but unwilling to confront the horned, multi-tonned beast she'd been presented with, in favor of throwing up a crimson screen to direct it elsewhere. "I chose to because I chose to" was about as straightforward circular logic as she could get. So was "my parents are the worst because they're my parents and I say they're the worst" and "I deserve everything because I want everything because I deserve it". The rest was all narcissistic bluster that sort of hinted at what Rose suspected was the real answer, but Raven wouldn't just say outright. This clearly wasn't a position she had reasoned herself into, Rose notes... which means reasoning her out of it would be a futile endeavor. Fortunately, Rose had other methods of persuasion than reason.

    Which would have to wait for another time. Right now, it was time for her to do a little dancing of her own.

    "Every time." Rose croons, her gaze flicking down from Raven's as a light flush enters her cheeks. "Every damn time you say something like that, I... it's very enticing, you have to understand." Her fingers twitch, seemingly involuntarily, as she speaks, prompting her to hide them behind her back. "Sorry if it sounded at all like I doubted you. I was hoping for an answer like that."
    Last edited by Ironsmith; 2021-10-28 at 06:24 AM.

  22. - Top - End - #952
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Quote Originally Posted by Ironsmith View Post
    [Skies Over Skyside]

    "Yeah, sure. Let me just find a good place to la-"

    sker-RACH

    That's the sound of a couple dozen golf-ball-sized holes appearing in the left wing of the plane, eliciting a startled curse from Vlad. It seems his worries about someone shooting at them weren't entirely unfounded.
    Skies over Skyside

    "Maybe you should just land at the port with everyone else." Anri suggested. Skyside might be like this but people don't make moves at the big port and public places nearly as often.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  23. - Top - End - #953
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Skies Over Skyside]

    Vlad frowns. Last time he flew into one of Skyside's ports, he and his passenger got mugged almost immediately. Granted, that didn't go at all well for the muggers- Vlad could see the charred remains of their former base from here- but it wasn't an experience to be repeated.

    On the other hand, it was still safer than being shot out of the sky.

    "Port it is, then." He says, banking the plane away. "Any idea where the nearest one is?"
    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
    ]

  24. - Top - End - #954
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Skies over Skyside

    "Tempest's closest. Don't overthink things. Just play it cool and you'll be fine."
    Unless you get splattered in a tragic swoop-bike accident. Then you might wind up with mechanical spider legs.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  25. - Top - End - #955
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Skies Over Skyside => Tempest Port]

    "Play it cool. Right. Okay. I can play it cool, who says I can't?" Vlad half-mumbles to himself as he alters course, on the lookout for any further damage to the plane. He's never been to that port before and has no idea what he's in for upon landing.
    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
    ]

  26. - Top - End - #956
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Tempest Port

    Tempest Row is loud and colorful and generally a hassle to be around, but somewhere in it is nestled Anri's library. Vlad shouldn't have trouble landing there. And if he doesn't stay he might not even need to pay for the hangar space.
    "Well, all good, then. I'll see you around. Here's the number for my home phone. Call me if you think of something." she says, writing down a number for him.

    Cloudtops

    Mina is...out of her element here. Not just that she's never been to Skyside, or the fancy, ritzy parts of it. Or that she's wearing way fancier things than she's ever owned, down to what she could swear are shiny hoof-shoes helping her traction.
    Actually it's mostly that sort of thing. The Cloudtops are a realm unlike anything she's associated with, and her presence here only feels out of place. Which is odd since she found this address in a wallet with her ID in her own pocket.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  27. - Top - End - #957
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Tempest Port]

    Vlad stares at the paper in disbelief. She... actually gave him her number. That was new. Between this and his night with Mishnehel, Vlad had been abnormally lucky with the ladies lately.

    Yes, he still counted Anri in that. She'd seen him be a bit of a creep and still gave him the time of day, that was a win.

    "Oi! Ya gon' pay fer yer parkin', or do we got ter beat it outta ya?"

    Time to go.

    Vlad starts up the plane, and within seconds, is gone from Skyside.

    [Cloudtops]

    In fairness to Mina, most people would feel out of place here. While the gleaming spires of this part of town can be seen from nearly anywhere in the city, it's not until she's in the streets themselves that Mina will be able to see just how bizarre these buildings are. A few of them look to be reasonably straightforward, towers of steel, glass, gold and crystal, gleaming opulently in the sunlight. But many of the buildings here seemed to forgo any sense of practicality in favor of pursuing some state of avant-garde architecture. As she walks through the streets, Mina will see buildings that are actually archways, corkscrews, latticeworks, and at least one that appears to be an attempt to recreate a tesseract for three-dimensional beings.

    And then there's Mina's house.

    Or perhaps more accurately, her island. The whole building rests on a large, semi-hemispherical stone disk, the outer ring encircled by a brick fence topped with wrought-iron spikes. The house itself is crescent-shaped, such that all the entryways on one side lead out into a circular courtyard, which mostly consists of a two-pointed obelisk in the center of a placid fountain, surrounded by statues of minotaurs in alert poses.

    A series of floating landmasses, connected by free-swinging footbridges, occupies the space between the manor's nominal street address and the floating island it occupied. A rumble of thunder overhead will tell Mina she found the place just in time, too; it was going to start raining any minute.
    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
    ]

  28. - Top - End - #958
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Aimless Drifting]

    The mole is cruelly crushed beyond repair. It didn't even have enough time to realize it was too late for it.

    Once again, robo-panther is shot and bursts into hearts and sparkles; this time, it's hit in its internal replication factory so it can no longer repair itself. Because this was her second shot from the same location, Tetra should be able to track where the shooter is located.

    Sirena, the shooter, takes a moment to mentally praise Tetra: because Tetra chose to not finish off the panther, she forced Sirena to fire again and reveal her perch. The pink woman is clearly too powerful to just be an innocent bystander, and with Sirena's watch receiving interference she can't figure out if Tetra is a friend or foe. Really, there's just two things she knows about Tetra: she's far too fast and far too powerful, and also Tetra managed with a single action to force Sirena out of hiding.
    Really, at this point there's no choice but to negotiate.


    Sirena is still dangling with her arms balancing on a window sill and her legs braced above her, along the wall and a storm drain.
    She sighs and the pink scope vanishes, leaving just the wand.
    Other notable appearances that Tetra might think important is her white cat-eared hoodie, her dimly-glowing solid pink eyes, or the pink-tipped white hair, or the tassel-like pink, gold, and white things dangling out of her hoodie hood. Or maybe the fluffy white tail.
    Maybe one of those could be a unifying trait that Tetra's looking for?

    Sirena rolls and swings down to the ground.

    She waves and moves towards Tetra.
    "Oh. Um, yeah, no problem. I think they were chasing me, anyway, and they must've thought you were me or something,"

    "You okay? They didn't hurt you or something? What was that thing you did to that little robot, anyway?"
    Favorite sports:
    Fencing
    Football (Soccer)
    Figure Skating
    (and basically everything else that starts with 'f')
    ALSO! Come roleplay FFRPG in the Nexus!
    Nexus Characters.

  29. - Top - End - #959
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    Cloudtops

    Well, it’s among the most ostentatious things she’s seen all month, but she can at least tell what she’s looking at. Luckily she’s not longer at all unsure on her feet and heads across the bridge, key in hand. No one likes the smell of wet minotaur, not even the person in question. Better hurry.
    Spako Highclaws by Ceika.

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

  30. - Top - End - #960
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    Default Re: Skyside 7: The Big Pizza in the Sky

    [Cloudtops]

    It's a good thing Mina's so sure-footed these days, because these bridges don't offer the most stable surfaces to be walking on. Especially not if it happens to be windy. Which, at the onset of this storm, it certainly seems to be. Rain starts coming down hard, skipping the pleasantries of a light trickle or prepatory sprinkling and going straight into trying to drown the minotaur on the spot. And if that weren't bad enough, should Mina manage to make it to the front gate, she'll feel the air itself begin to crackle and her hair stand on end; early warning signs of a lightning strike.
    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
    ]

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