The Snowflake of Characters (A Character Development exercise)

Finally, a voice of reason, he could hear. Booming at him in an obnoxious voice, but a male voice nonetheless and it sounded... well not really official so he would have to assume it was supposed to be. But obivously his voice wouldn't be bale to carry the distance or the wind. He would have to reach int othe minds of the poeple in the helicopter, and while he wa still somewhat calm, it would be no problem.

Psy-kick closed his eyes and opened his mind, but controlled it in a linear fashion, like a spotlight, forward so his thought reached the occupants of the helicopter. His eyes glowed brighter as he continued the mental exercise and the glow on his forehead was the size of a tennis ball now.

'The occupants of this snowplow are chummy with one of your occupants,' Psy-kick thought sternly to every mind in the helicopter, uncaring of how he may have frightened or disturbed them. He continued on his explanation. 'I am a hero of this country and familiar with and or acquainted with all it's government and law enforcement agencies. I am pursuing becuase I have reason to beleive you are a bogus government organization and you will not stop me from investigating further, lest I must ask our Prime Minister. '

edited 3rd Jan '11 1:47:13 PM by ACDrawings

When All Else Fails, you have fun and flirt wit da ladies, dats da Drawings way!

Malcolm sees the quizzical look in Nascimento's eyes. Just what could he be thinking? And does it have anything to do with the bug-eyed man making that snowplow fly? And then the reality of a flying snowplow hits him full-force.

"... That is some seriously messed up shit."

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial

Holz hadn't been particularly worried when they had taken off. Not significant, in the grand scheme of things, a mere transference from one locus to the next. He took out his pistol, checking casually whether it was loaded, and leaned out the window, checking to see if he could kill someone inside the helicopter if necessary. Not just yet.

"If they start to cause trouble," he said to the others in an utterly level voice, "I ask that you let me handle it. I want to let that pompous little mercenary know that I am not entirely finished with him. Or at least that I could end his life if I chose to."

He smiles, flicking his hand to a Velcro strap and undoing it, letting a barbed dagger fall into his hand with a clank. A nice little toy, it would do very well when it came time to spill blood.

This is this.

Arthur swallowed, eyes darting towards the weapon. Now he knew why mother told him never to pick up hitchikers. "Let's not do anything crazy." he said (as he drove a flying snowplow in pursuit of a military helicopter, and the irony was lost on him.)

He rolled down the driver's side window and stuck his head out. "Sir!" he shouted to the man in the helicopter. "You have my sister in there, and you seem to have been hijacked by a...well, you seem to have been hijacked, so I think we'll stay where we are, thanks." Not as if he actually had any choice, but sitting in the drivers seat had given him a sense of personal responsibility. "We don't mean you any harm." he added. "We're here to help."

Milo pressed himself against the seat as the human leaned out of his window, and watched as the knife fell into the his hand, wide-eyed.

"Whoa," he said weakly. He tried to catch Arthur's eye without being obvious. Why on earth did you invite this person into the plow?

"Steady on," he said to the stranger. "D-don't you think that's a little uncalled for?"

edited 3rd Jan '11 3:00:17 PM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...

Nasci thinks, the occupants of that snowplow are chummy with one of his occupants— wait. That's not his thoughts. And why do his 'thoughts' carry with it a biting, deadpan voice with a Geordian accent? Hmph, and he realizes after connecting two and two that this must be how the snowplow (or at least one of its occupants) communicates. Mental telepathy. Nascimento has never much affinity with psychic phenomena, he recalls, but he'll have to make do with what is there.

With further thought, Nasci deciphers the remainder of the message — his face contorting more and more with disgust, at this guy's brashness; this guy, whoever he is, thinks he can so blithely question Nasci's authority.

Nasci says in the radio, "No, I think you are the bogus one, my psychic friend. You could be any fool who could talk mind-to-mind, and claim that he's the goddamned Tony Hopkins  ^*

himself! I want to know who you are, up face-to-face, no Jedi Tricks up your sleeve! Give me proper identification! Or you'll be blasting faster than a rabbit gets some!"

Yomiko receives Psy-Kick's message blare also — the one who told her back at the wreckage, deep inside, to pull herself together. She wants so badly to thank him for it, for she might have pushed up daisies otherwise.

But she is out of breath right now, and she can only helplessly watch as the unfolding scene blossoms to conflict. Wait.. she can still wiggle her left hand; one of the restraints is loose..

Nasci hears the calls of one of the snowplow's riders, getting lost amidst the wind. A woman's calls. But he can't reply to what he doesn't comprehend, and so he waits silent for the only responses he can hear from the snowplow. From the mind of the psychic son of the bitch.

(music)

edited 3rd Jan '11 3:23:28 PM by QQQQQ

Alexis's eyes snapped to the second human as he pulled a weapon, her hand dropping to her sword hilt.

"Put that weapon down!" She said sternly, glaring at Holtz through the lenses of her mask. As she heard more of the situation from Arthur, and the loudspeaker on the flying vehicle ahead, her eyes narrowed.

"I'll talk to you later." She said to the non-human, Milo. "Just keep that one from doing anything rash." She nodded at Holtz, before putting on a burst of speed to catch up with the helicopter. Sounds like some sort of jurisdictional cock-up. Still, wrongful arrest... This is the sort of thing the Faction is here to deal with. besides, if they're local-gov, maybe they can tel me this place's name, or convergance co-ordinates.

She apprached the helicopter at a safe distance, looking in through the door to see their captives. Holding out one gloved hand, she produced a large red hologram of her badge, which clearly read - Administrative Faction: Special Branch, with a complicated coat-of-arms. She waited to see how the vehicle's crew would react...

edited 3rd Jan '11 3:38:36 PM by Gaunt88

Nascimento glances at the sophisticated-as-hell badge, then glances at the floating woman — her clothing fluttering and dancing as the wind goes — then back at the badge. Then at the woman, in some disbelief.

"You the one who've been playing mind games with me?" Nasci says. Even though UK government does have its administrative branch, Nasci does not recognize the coat-of-arms, however elaborate it is. "No, I don't know you. Which country you from?"

Below, the London Lights pass as the helicopter closes in the centre of downtown. If anybody is curious as to look up, they might figure this scene as yet another plane settling for a land. If the astute ones look closer — they would see a sight rivalling Santa Claus' flying sleigh.

edited 3rd Jan '11 3:56:12 PM by QQQQQ

Alexis rainsed one eyebrow invisible behind her mask. Is he blind? Seeing that they weren't openly hostile, she swooped in closer. She'd have to go verbal here, the guy probably wasn't telepathy-capable.

"The Administrative Faction." She replied, her mask once again amplifying her voice. Please, tell me they've heard of it... I can't be that far off-course, surely.

"And no, I am not playing mind-games with you. I suspect that is the man levitating the ground vehicle behind us. The people following you are under the impression that you've wrongfully arrested some of their companions." She said, her voice clipped and professional. "What is your response?"

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:32:48 PM by Gaunt88

Holz glares at the woman, slamming home a magazine of reactive rounds, extended to hold twenty over the usual fifteen. "Don't order me about!" he shouts after her. "That man fires without much of a warning, and now he can play the game on my terms." Not that he'll fire immediately, if it can be averted. And it indeed may.

"And think of it rationally," he says to Milo. "You can't stop me, so why bother trying?" He flicks open another latch, taking out a far more practical knife, straight blade, a few serrated teeth near the hilt. "Here." He drives it into the metal of the wall next to Milo. "You know how to use a blade, I trust?" He'd give the man a gun, but his long-barreled pistols, rifles, and all the other tools of trade are still in storage. "Best I can give, unless you need a few grenades."

He pulls his coat shut and leans out of the window, waiting for someone in the chopper to make their move.

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:13:12 PM by Morgulion

This is this.

Milo flinched as Holz stabbed the blade into the plow with a metallic noise. For a second he'd thought it was headed towards him!

Milo realised that his hand was positioned as if to throw a shield up. I didn't even think, he thought wonderingly, lowering his hand. It had been a reflex. Maybe Harrow's constant drilling had actually done some good! How I've changed in the past year.

It was just as well he hadn't actually put one up though, that could have been dangerous in such close quarters.

"Not really," he said. "But I don't need one."

Why had Danze told him to stop Holz from doing anything rash? Well, somebody has to, I guess, and you're it.

"I could stop you if I wanted," he told Holz. "Just... calm down, OK?" Please?

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:31:42 PM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...

Some trickery is happening, Nasci knows. He feels the pits of his mind screaming at him to stop and think, for one second, what really is going on. This woman is trying to take away the delivery package, somehow. Nasci does not know how exactly, but he just knows.

But, he has his own tricks up his sleeve too.. so Nasci decides to play along, for the now. He glances out at the glowing snowplow — and there, standing outlined by a halo of psychic aura, is someone. The eyes boiling with steam as he strains to keep the snowplow up afloat.

Nasci looks back at the woman. "Erm, we do have an administrative section in government.. but I do not recognize the coat-of-arms. That's why I say I do not recognize you. Bah, I think there must be some mixup— say, why don't we get this all sorted out back at my headquarters? You and your friends down there? Just have them know to follow the helicopter's lead — and to land next to where it lands, got it? I'll provide some clearance for your guest entry.."

A change of course, Nasci thinks.

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:36:00 PM by QQQQQ

Marc wrapped his arms around himself tightly. One moment he'd been getting a lesson in song walking Da capo al fine, the next he was in some strange place where it was snowing. Dorian had warned him about the importance of focusing on his destination, this definitely wasn't Firenze. The night was filled with harsh lights, glass and stone. Whatever the local Tune was it was drowned out by the cacophony of whatever city this was. He hadn't been able to find anyone who spoke Italian and even the little French Dorian had tried to teach him wasn't much help. Eventually he'd managed to coax a wind spirit into translating for him, but the stilted conversations didn't last very long. He had picked up that this was apparently London, but the only city he'd heard of with a name like that was Londonium which was a bit of a back water. Would explain the cold though, he'd travelled quite a way north.

Marc continued down the street, trying not to bump into anyone, ignoring their stares and the fast moving carriages. He hummed under his breath, keeping the heat he'd lure out of a public house curiously circling him. He wasn't so sure that people would be happy if Spring was freed if this was what Winter was like. Marc wondered where all the local spirits were, he hadn't been Singing for very long but already they tended to make themselves known. All the music he could hear seemed to come from the walls, or the little things in people's ears. Maybe the mages here trapped every spirit they found? How long could they keep doing that before the scales tipped? Maybe that was why he'd ended up here?

He wasn't sure where he was going, just following the bits of music he heard. The melody was a little louder to his right, so Marc turned onto a road labelled Euston Rd.

((OOC: bit difficult to introduce a landbound character to a mid-air chase, so Marc's being directed to the Library. Not sure by who though.))

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:40:32 PM by Luthen

You must agree, my plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity! My Tumblr

(OOC: Don't worry Luthen, the Heli's on its way to land soon! While I wait for a response..)

Holz leaves the knife where it is, turning back to Milo. with a quick yank, the long black glove, inscribed with mystical symbols, comes off to reveal the smooth gray metal of a prosthetic replacement, flowing neatly into a sharp talons on each finger. "No, my friend," Holz says. "Very little you could do if I truly wanted to hurt you."

He cracks his neck, taking his pistol in the artificial hand and ducking back inside, unsure of making a good shot. Yet. "Besides, you have no personal investment in this. What does it matter to you if I die? I'm an old gun, you're a civilian, or perhaps a mercenary. Does it matter to you if I meet the end I need?"

He smiles at Milo, lifting his head to show the scar across his neck. "It's as good a place as any to die, right? Bleed out in the snow: poetic and beautiful."

This is this.

Alexis sighed. "I'm not from your government, nor any government on your world. If you haven't heard of the Faction than I may be outside my jurisdiction."

She lookes back over at Nasci. "However, I would still like to talk with your superiors. We will follow your lead for now." With that, the woman dropped back towards the snowplow.

"They have agreed to land. Follow them down, and you will be given clearance." She sent to the rude psychic.

What was he talking about? He wanted to die? Milo wasn't really sure how to respond to that. The human had some sort of gauntlet on his hand, with metal claws, but Milo was confident he could block that. As long as he didn't screw up the timing...

"Um, yeah, but," he said, "Arthur's sister's in that helicopter, right, Arthur?" he glanced at Arthur again for backup. "And my friend, too. If you attack it, you might hit her by mistake. And I'm not a civilian or a mercenary. I'm a guardsman." Milo took a deep breath and let it out, trying to be poised and ready for anything. He resisted the urge to touch the crystal around his neck.

edited 3rd Jan '11 5:02:11 PM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...

Malcolm looks outside the window at the flying woman in the gas-mask. He'd seen odder but this definitely ranked pretty high up there. He still wasn't sure if she was human. He'd never seen any true humans fly. The best he'd seen were clunky, half-finished constructs with shoddy propulsion systems. So this... this was new.

He steps out to the door and looks into the black pits of the gas-mask. "Sorry, I wasn't quite listening. Just who are you, exactly? Now don't brush me off here, this is an important question. Who are you? Who do you work for? And most importantly, what does the word 'Prometheus' mean to you?"

edited 3rd Jan '11 5:53:50 PM by KSPAM

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial

Puzzled by all these governmental characters that have suddenly joined in, he jabs Adelaide's arm with his elbow. "Do you know who any of these New World Order shills are?" His hand goes back to his holster again and he begins to sweat. "I-I'm gettin' a little paranoid... there's a lot of people out to get me right now... I don't know who I can trust here!"

Would you kindly click my dragons?

OOC: Her mask's lenses are red, actually

Alexis looked over at Malcolm. "I am Seargent Alexis Danze, from Administrative Faction Special Branch, and I have never heard that word in my life." She said cooly.

edited 3rd Jan '11 6:51:09 PM by Gaunt88

"Psst," Yomiko whispers to the pointed-eared man, or anyone else within earshot. Her left hand's still stuck in the straps, despite her best efforts wiggling it out. "Might you help me out of these restraints? I don't like the feeling of where we're going, and that Nascimento character is not a very nice guy."

Nasci has his arms folded, with a slight smug smile grazing his face. He's still glaring out at the masked woman, in some sort of staring contest, watching her as she chats on with the hitchhiker bastardo.

"Quick! Before he turns around," Yomiko whispers, barely containing herself. "At least the strap on my left hand if you have to; I'm going to need your help taking this helicopter over!" She smiles as reassurance for the nervous-looking man. "You can trust me. I'm one of the good guys."

edited 3rd Jan '11 6:53:31 PM by QQQQQ

Willery clasps his hand and looks nervously back and forth. "Who, me?" he mutters. "Oh well, I'll just do what the voices say..." and he skips over to the girl. The arm restraints were very tight, but with a little effort and a blistered finger, he managed to mostly loosen the bonds.

Would you kindly click my dragons?

Malcolm sighs. There had been no hesitation and the tone and pitch of her voice betrayed no secrets. She wasn't lying.

"Alright then, that being the case, why are you here? On whose orders?" He asks politely.

He cracks a tiny smirk and jokingly adds, "Depending on your answer, I may still have to kill you."

edited 3rd Jan '11 7:55:34 PM by KSPAM

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial

"I arrived here when my convergence transfer went haywire." Alexis replied coldly. She didn't appreciate being interrogated by a civilian. "I don't actually know where "here" is."

"You are obviously a cyborg." She said. It was time to do some interrogation of her own. "That is not readily available civilian tech. Who are you, and who do you work for?"

"My, my, my. Might I be talking to an ET? Well Miss Martian, "here" is Earth. Third rock from this solar system's sun. And you're technically right. I've had extensive cybernetic enhancements performed on my body, along with numerous replacements. However, I prefer the term "enhanced human" over cyborg."

Malcolm thinks about his next choice of words carefully. "I am Malcolm Harkness. And I answer to nobody. I am my own master."

He licks his lips, feeling anxious. She had power, he could feel it. He knew he should avoid a fight with an unknown quantity. But still, he couldn't quite shake that primal instinct. Sink your fangs into her neck before she can do the same to you.

He shakes his head. Keep cool. Keep it cool. I promised her I'd rein it in, He snorts. Well, try at least

edited 3rd Jan '11 8:32:09 PM by KSPAM

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial