[Town ~ Outside the Train Station] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Pvt. Klein, Sgt. Scott, Enkar Ziven)
The Colonel nodded slightly as Enkar left towards the inn he mentioned, before noticing the masked girl and her valet briskly walking by. They traveled down Main Street before entering the large hotel.
"This town sure is full of strange people, eh, Caps?" Lt. Ross had both of her hands behind her head, one foot against the wall. "Seriously though, I'm getting' bored here..."
"Have patience, Lieutenant—" Von Strauss was interrupted by the crackle of the radio, "Excuse me for a moment..." A minute passed before the Colonel turned back towards his subordinate, "The armor platoon has arrived west of our location, being lead by Captain Greer. They should be here shortly."
The Lieutenant wasn't listening, "I'm going to go check out that hotel over there, Caps. I'll be back." With that, she began walking away, hands clasped behind her neck.
The Colonel merely sighed.
[Town ~ Bed & Breakfast (Balcony)] (Connie, Samuel, Minerva, Amy, Maya, Brother Xenophenes)
Minerva noticed the buzzing sound before the man arrived on the balcony. It was annoying. It was a constant droning, coming from the direction of the robed man, but also not coming from the man... more of... in her head? Confusion crossed her face.
Minerva was curious, and slightly frightened, of the man, Brother Xenophenes. She peered from behind Amy, before stumbling towards her left. "Sorry." She backed away slightly, bumping into the balcony railing, holding a hand up to the side of her head. The strange buzzing noise continued to bother her.
[Town ~ Railroad St. (West End)] (Capt. Greer)
The procession of 'kruisers entered town, rumbling along Railroad Street. The Wolf began emitting a harsh grinding noise as the platoon arrived at the first street. The blue-gray landkruiser jerked to a halt as one of the treads snapped, a wheel tipping over into the dust. The hatch opened up, black smoke billowing out as a few of the crew scrabbled out into fresh air.
Captain Greer slammed a fist into the rim of the Desert Fox. "Damn outdated piece of—" He raised a hand, signaling for the group to stop. "The Wolf will need to stay here for repairs." He pointed down the side street, "The Black Wolf will go down this street, and turn left at the next street. The Desert Fox and Storm Fox will continue down this road until we reach Colonel Von Strauss' location."
The Black Wolf began turning right as the Storm Fox moved around it, pulling up beside the Desert Fox. The two 'kruisers began moving forward again, sending up dust behind them.
[Town ~ Railroad St. (Rooftops)] (???)
The cloaked figure rushed along the roofs, determined to beat the landkruiser platoon to the center of town. Jumping off the roof of one building, the individual hit the ground, rolling to a position to continue running, while taking note of the fact that the 'krusers had stopped. Apparently one had broken down. Turning away, the person ran along the sidewalk, bolting down a side street towards Main.
Attitude is prohibited
[Hotel] (Lobby)
"I see..." said Hana. She had not actually been expecting any references, but regardless, she did not possess a cellular telephone with which to call the number on the back on the of the receipt. "Would you mind telling me a bit more about your, ah, educational background? More to the point, how did you come to acquire skills such as these?"
[Desert] (James's Car)
Rin held Pancake securely on her lap as James sped back to town, just thinking and letting the cat lick her covered fingers as much as she wanted to.
She wasn't sure what to make of the situation, much less what to say about it. John's reaction had been strange, though not quite as strange as the bizarre creatures they'd encountered out in the desert. And on top of it all, the man they had been looking for, the whole reason they'd set out in the first place, had not been found, and the objective was apparently abandoned.
Lost in though, she sighed quietly, and scratched under Pancake's chin.
Not entirely dead.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Chelsea, Creature, Hana Matoi, Striker Fifteen (Maya))
"Educational...?" Chelsea shook her head, laughing. "I couldn't go to school if I gave them both arms and an eye. I learned what I know from living it, yeah? When you grow up in the gutters, you gotta fight back. It's in my bones, now."
She had, in fact, been born uniquely disadvantaged and uniquely empowered. She was born to a whore and a hustler, and left to die in a back alley. She was found and raised by a chain-smoking madwoman who sometimes forgot to feed her and always was crying about her lost father, where was her father, she didn't do it, where was he, why won't anyone tell her. Most children, born into such a life, would wither, become ghost-people, do just what is necessary to survive. But Chelsea had a gift— she liked to cause pain.
So she did.
And so she lived.
As she saw it, you could either let Hell burn you up or get out a pack of marshmallows and make the most of it.
Giant alien spiders are no joke.
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Truck)
Hazel, Rip
Hazel snorted, then gave a small joking smile. "Well I hope the truck stays here. I'll have a problem with you if you drive off with my stuff."
She heard Vicky call out to her (technically the proper form of address was "ma'am", but Hazel worked for a living), and she turned to see her undead spawn had wandered off to harass the college-age kids.
"Oh, fuck me." The thing had wandered off. Actually, it shouldn't have wandered off. Hadn't Hazel commanded it to stay? Hazel wracked her brain for reasons as she marched towards the monstrous burro, but couldn't think of anything that really satisfied her.
She stopped, stamped her foot on the ground for emphasis (it was more for show than a magic gesture). "Leave them alone." Her face was stony, and utterly devoid of emotion.
The creature turned towards her and communicated its desire in a way that was not speaking, not telepathy, but more...instinctual. Emphatic. I hunger. For meat. Hazel's stoic demeanor was cracked by a small frown. It was hungry. Of course. Monsters were stereotypically always hungry, but aren't burros herbivores? Hazel suddenly corrected herself, reminding herself that with zombies, zombie logic must apply. Zombies were always hungry for brains, or the flesh of the living. In a less facetious line of reasoning, meat had greater quantities of life energy compared to plants, which mattered for those who's existence was fueled by magic.
Of course, Hazel couldn't just let it go on a killing spree to sate its hunger, and forcing it to stand still would only make it more feral, driven by hunger, and probably more difficult to control. Hazel could feed it, and feed it, and feed it, but she felt that it wasn't worth it.
She lead the zombie burro away from everyone, downwind, in case things got a little messy. She commanded it to stay still, and walked from its front to its left flank. Hazel took a breath, then raised her hands, focusing her power.
It was very quick. Hazel raised her right hand, like a karate chop, and chopped down onto air. There was a flash of yellow light, though in the midday sun it wasn't very noticeable. There was a sharp cry, an unholy moan that was cut short, and the head of the zombie burrow hit the ground with a thump. the burro's body crumpled to the ground, as it slowly leaked a brownish, blackish foul smelling fluid from a strange tube in the cauterized stump of its neck. It was a rotten, sweet chemical smell, mixed with burnt and singed flesh. Hazel scrunched her nose and make a quick visual check of her clothing and gear to see if any nasty fluids were sprayed onto her (they weren't).
She made her way back to the site where James, Kaitlyn and Kris had set up their little lunch camp. She was pretty sure that they saw the proceedings (she didn't take any steps to cloak herself, after all), so she gave them what she intended to be a casual grin, but probably looked more shy than anything.
"Hey...Can I join you guys?" She eyed the little corn cakes on the griddle, and her stomach ached to inhale them all into her face.
"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - R. W. Raymond
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Vicky, Yamiko, Lupin, Mari, Hazel, Rip, James, Kris, Kaitlyn)
Just while Mari was drinking the cosmic potion, Vicky saw Hazel approaching, and she did not look pleased. Fortunately, she wasn't angry with her, but rather the undead donkey, which she led away from the group... downwind, thankfully, to take care of the smell. Speaking of smell, she could smell something delicious cooking over where James, Kris, and Kaitlyn were sitting pretty close by. Some sort of griddle cakes, by the look of it.
And then she looked over to where Hazel was taking the undead donkey, and immediately regretted it. She looked over just in time to see its head fall off, leaking more of the dark fluid, prompting her to let out a cry of disgust. Yamiko looked over to see what the fuss was about, but when she looked over at the burro, she instead put on a smile.
Necromancy would be an interesting power to have, Yamiko thought as she continued to gaze at the donkey. Although, if it works anything like this, I imagine it would be quite messy. I think I'd rather stick to the domain of pain of suffering rather than the dead. Death is awfully boring anyway.
In fact, at that point, Hazel was coming back this way, heading over to where the three horseback riders were sitting. With a smirk on her face, Yamiko stood up and gathered up some of the food and cutlery Vicky had taken out, as well as the bottle of cosmic potion, and followed her over. She dropped some of the stuff along the way and hastily picked it up again, still feeling very jaded and light-headed from drinking a little too much of the potion.
"Many thanks for taking care of that zombie," Yamiko said to her with a calm smile on her face. "Especially if they're animals, they can get unruly after a while and tend to deteriorate faster. At least as far as I've read, anyway."
She hesitated for a little bit. Why did she know about necromancy anyway? She didn't remember reading about it. But as she thought about it, she actually did remember it. Spending a day at the university library, looking at two books - one about the history of zombies, and a biography of infamous sorcerer Aleister Crowley. But it wasn't her memory. She was somebody completely different there, though not so very different.
Is this one of Amanda's memories? she thought. Huh, neat.
Vicky, meanwhile, put on an odd smirk when Mari remarked about being far stronger than she looked. And then she saw Yamiko following Hazel over to the other camp.
"Hey, you read my mind!" Vicky called after her. "There's no need for us to be all separate like this!" She stood up as well, and levitated their large rucksack right next to her as she approached James, Kris, and Kaitlyn. "Can we join you guys too? We got jerky and a bunch of dried fruit and stuff!" Then she addressed Hazel. "By the way, Miss Yoon, you've got to try this potion we brought with us. Might be useful for restoring your magic - though I dunno how much effort, uh..." and here she gulped, "...disposing of that donkey took." She looked away from Hazel, feeling rather uncomfortable about the whole subject.
Lupin, who was still sitting down, looked over at the group with disdain, and then back at Mari. "You can join them if you like... I'll just wait over here. I'm not hungry at all anyway, and... eh fine, if Yamiko's going, I suppose I will too," he decided at last, standing up and following silently behind Yamiko.
Trail to Mountains - Wagon (Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Katya, Stranger)
Nemaforte watched the stranger closely as he complained about not being able to see properly. His aura looked a tiny bit stronger than before, but there still seemed to be traces of curse on him. And a new air of frustration as well. Calmly as ever, Nemaforte walked around to where he was still kneeling; with how short she was, her face was just about level with his. Standing directly in front of him, she reached an ungloved hand out underneath his hood, pressing a few fingers lightly onto his forehead. For a few seconds she closed her eyes (not that anyone would have seen as she was wearing her sunglasses), and the stranger might have felt the tiniest bit of vibration in her fingers, as well as a bit of a calming sensation.
"I see there are still traces of curse upon you," she spoke to him. "Maybe that is why your sight is not well. Oh?" She promptly removed her hand, pressing it to her very flat chin for a moment. "You may be right - there is an air of non-trust in you. What mistake you made maybe has been profound."
"Perhaps a similar ritual could help with his sight?" Zuri asked Nemaforte. "Maybe once we reach the forest, you could try again without me... so that I won't interfere."
The short elfin witch turned to Zuri and lowered her sunglasses so the latter could see her flesh-pink eyes. "Maybe a good idea that is. You are a bit naive in magic."
At this comment, Zuri was taken aback a bit. Naive, was she? When she spent all but the first three years of her life scouring the bookshelves of her late parents for supernatural secrets, a clue as to their strange suicide in their seance room? When she had gone to church for many of those weeks and witnessed ceremonies that clearly utilized magic in the form of prayer? When she could have sworn that it was her own protective spells that kept the house of her parents untouched by the authorities?
At any rate, Zuri took a couple steps away from Nemaforte and turned around to face the others, many of whom were looking confused and skeptical.
"I think our friend is doing a little better now," Zuri explained to the rest of the group. "Nemaforte and I are about 85% confident that his ailments are primarily due to black magic. It is at least clear that his sight had been magically stolen, and warped such that he can only see the scenery, not any living thing. It's peculiar I know, but I suppose magic can work in mysterious and logic-defying ways sometimes. I personally have to wonder if he pissed off a sorcerer back in town, for he doesn't seem to trust the people there. I think some food and water and perhaps some more magical attending should do him some good."
She paused, remembering the incident with the shadowy beings earlier and how everybody didn't really have a clue as to what was going on. And she took a backwards glance at Nemaforte before continuing. "I think we can all agree that Nemaforte has far more expertise with magic than any of us. She at least has volunteered to take care of him while we investigate the Dead God. Are you still alright with that, Nemaforte?" She looked back again, and the Orenyan witch nodded before turning back to the stranger. "So, since it's starting to drizzle a bit, shall we get this minotaur back to the wagon and head off to the mountains? At least there'll be better cover from the storm there."
edited 30th Jun '16 8:13:42 PM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Northeastern Desert Trail: Wagon (Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Nemaforte, Zuri, Iraal, Scents, Katya, stranger)]
Iraal took off her sunhat and stuck her head out. Holding the hat in one hand, she ran her other hand over her hairless scalp to feel the raindrops coming down. "I hadn't even noticed it was raining," she said.
You wouldn't, her assistant sent.
She didn't say anything, but she was slightly amused by Nemaforte telling Zuri that she was 'a bit naive in magic.' She was still slightly annoyed at the human students as a group from the previous incident.
However, she did appreciate having Zuri there to clarify Nemaforte's somewhat... cryptic explanations.
"Yes," she told the young woman. "Do it." I want to get moving. "Scents, help her."
Scents crouched down besides the horned being - Zuri had called it a minotaur? - and spoke again, making sure to do so clearly and easily to understand. So he really can't perceive any of us? Wow. Poor fucker. What could that even be like? Blind is one thing, but this is... weird. "Hey there. Scents again. We're going to get you on a wagon where Nemaforte can take of you. You need help walking there?"
Unlike the doc, she had noticed the rain. Wet fur wasn't a terribly fun sensation, and she felt sorry for the minotaur - but only kinda, she thought as she sniffed. "So you're going to need something for us to call you besides 'hey you'. I'm thinking Fur-Smells-When-Wet. 'Smells' for short?"
Her ears waved in amusement, though she knew the stranger couldn't see it.
Iraal climbed back into the wagon and thought for a moment. This would be an ideal time for her to resume her own interests, but the expedition had had enough problems already that it might be a good idea to plan some more. She moved over towards - she checked - Gwion and made a rumbling noise in her throat.
"Is this a good time to talk?" she asked.
edited 3rd Jul '16 3:33:20 AM by nrjxll
[Northeastern Desert ~ Desert Trail (Wagon)] (Stranger, Gwion, Iraal, Katya, Nemaforte, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Zuri)
In the moments following his little outburst, the stranger went silent. His hands slowly slid off of his head, back out from under the hood, and found their way to the ground. He sat there on his knees, eyes no longer searching, listening, if that was truly all he could do.
He recoiled slightly at Nemaforte's touch, but soon relaxed into it. His previously docile eyes lit up, like a faint flame rising from embers. They crossed and pointed at the witch's hand, lingering upon it until it was pulled away, after which they lost focus again.
"I saw it," he breathed in a quiet whisper after a several-seconds-long attempt to get the words out. It was more to himself than the disembodied strangers. "I felt it... and... and I saw it."
When Nemaforte addressed him and his 'mistake' directly, the stranger didn't respond— not with words. His eyes lowered slightly, followed by his head, as though to avoid the gazes he couldn't see.
Once more he remained silent. His silence was likely more to conserve what little of his voice that had been regained, rather than for a lack of words to say. If one looked closely, they might see his mouth moving in bit measures, forming words without sound.
It wasn't until Scents approached that the stranger lifted his head, looking right through her. He listened until she suggested a very peculiar name for him. Almost involuntarily, the stranger found himself sniffing the air.
"Is that what that is?" he asked, "Wet fur? An animal; ...the horses, I believe I heard? But they wouldn't..." the stranger's latest words trailed off, like so many before them. "Ah- you wanted a name. Of course, I have a lot of those. Perhaps none that fit, but... Oswald. Oswald, I like the most. I'm..."
His voice shook, and he squeezed his eyes shut, a wave of distress gripping his face. He clenched his odd teeth, fighting to make it pass, though he looked a little drained when it finally did.
"Yes, I... need a hand," he managed, holding up his arms to be taken. "I'm sorry, I'm... I apologize."
this place needs me here
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)] (Connie, Amy, Maya, Minerva, Samuel)
Connie glanced between Amy and Minerva.
"Well, weren't we planning on heading for some kind of forest first?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders, "I mean, we had a lot of plans, and with the way this day is going, I'll be surprised if we get any of them done."
She turned towards the balcony and stared down Main street, past Main street, above the buildings and beyond, as far as the eye could see. "Personally, I think I'd be happy enough just to get out of the town. Although, with our luck today it might be rubble by the time we got back."
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Outside Front Entrance) (Davey, Jim, Irina)
Davey was shaken out of his one man stare-a-thon by the sound of Irina's voice. It had been a nice little distraction while it lasted. He raised his head up and turned it slightly—just enough to see Irina out of the corner of his eye, but not enough to, say, get a good look at her hands, or what she was doing with them.
"Act tough? Me?" he called back, sounding positively shocked at the notion. Then he smiled back, "No, I'm quite all right. These bones are supposed to stick out like that."
His ears picked up slightly at the sound of a distant rumble. He felt the same rumble in slight vibrations within the wooden porch, carried from the earth beneath. Not quite like an earthquake, and soft enough that he might have missed it had he been wearing shoes. He put a hand against a wooden support and leaned out into the street a bit, squinting down one end. Almost as soon as he did so, the rumbling stopped.
Davey frowned and cocked his head to one side, but he didn't pick up anything else. He glanced back at Irina and Jim, then at the other end of the street, before pulling himself back under the balcony. Please just let it pass... he thought, though even in his head the hope felt feeble.
edited 2nd Jul '16 1:49:59 PM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)]
First, Amy gave a quick (though not completely serious) glare to Samuel.
"Hey!" she said, "Its just sand! I already told you guys; everything's fine! Why don't you trust me?" she sighed, "Oh well...there's still the horses so everyone can have a chance to travel. The sky is always better though..."
Then, she turned to Connie, "Well, there's still sunlight, and when there's sunlight, it means the day is not over yet! So we can still go out to the forest! There's nothing stopping us! Though..." she then peered down the balcony and waved at both Irina, Davey, and the injured man below, "Hey guys! Do you want us to come down yet?"
Maya, again, didn't sign anything. Instead, she turned her attention to the clearing ahead. It was a rather nice day, though she after the events of what just happened, she wasn't as excited as her friend. How Amy could still be so optimistic baffled her—and made her feel slightly jealous.
Still, she really wanted to leave town now; staying in one place for too long was starting to bore her.
Crazy Kiwi
Northern Desert - 50m from Ritual Site
[Hazel, Vicky, Yamiko, Lupin, Kaitlyn, Kris and James]Kris watched the destruction of the undead creature with some considerable relief. The process looked awful but she wasn't one to be squeamish and she had seen far worse sights over the last couple of years. She looked at James and saw him silently nodding approval at the young soldier's course of action. Kaitlyn also seemed relieved, visibly relaxing the moment the creature was reduced to an oozing pile.
The Lance Corporal approached, picking up a group of followers on the way - all three of the students, leaving the tall red-haired Japanese woman sitting by herself and Rip in the truck.
James looked up at LCpl Yoon's question and noted the hungry look directed at the johnny cakes. He gave a smile. "Certainly. We have plenty to eat and would welcome the company." He turned his attention to Vicky when she also asked to join on behalf of her group. "You're most welcome." No doubt Rip would welcome the respite from his uninvited guests and if he should choose to join them later, it would be on his own terms.
Kris quickly started mixing up a fresh batch of dough to make more johnny cakes to cater for the influx of people.
Meanwhile, the first batch were ready and James split them between Yoon and Kaitlyn before putting another batch on to cook.
Kaitlyn took an exploratory bite of one of the hot cakes and was surprised at the excellent, rather nutty, flavour - considering it was basically nothing but cornflour and water. Kris had explained earlier that the coarse meal was made from parched corn and that one typically ate a spoonful of the dry meal, washed down with a swig of water, while on the trail. Kris was unsure of how pleasant that would be, but the cooked griddle cakes were certainly a winner.
Kris turned to LCpl Yoon. "So what brings you out into the middle of the desert? By your accent and clothing, you're obviously an American soldier. Also, what do we call you?"
Desert Trail - Wagon
[Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Katya, Oswald, Teri, Wolfe and Gwion]Zuri's explanation was a welcome change so far as Wolfe was concerned - much better than the earlier debacle. From the sounds of things, the minotaur was a victim rather than a source of trouble - which was pretty much as Wolfe had already surmised - and the prognosis was good.
Iraal readily agreed to the proposal to get the stricken minotaur onto the wagon and get under way to the relative shelter of the forest and Wolfe thought that a good move, considering the turn the weather was taking. The rain wasn't heavy, yet, but the clouds looked like worse was on its way and the wind was starting to pick up a bit.
Wolfe fished a small bundle out of one of his vest pockets and unfolded it to reveal it to be a lightweight nylon shower-proof hooded jacket. He shrugged off his vest, put the jacket on over his light polypropylene t-shirt then put his vest back on over both. The jacket wouldn't stop him from getting wet - no jacket ever made would - but it would at least block the wind and prevent his wet body from getting chilled. Wetness couldn't be avoided, but hypothermia could.
Teri took out a similar jacket and put it on, instantly feeling warmer due to shutting out the wind. She fully agreed with Iraal's sentiment and hoped that they would be getting under way fairly soon; the day was getting on and they hadn't even reached the start of the trail.
Gwion's approach to the problem of the weather was practically identical to that of Wolfe and Teri: lightweight, compact and pragmatic. He slipped his windproof jacket on while listening to the exchange between Scents and the minotaur. Was that creature really called something so mundane as "Oswald"? It seemed unbelievable.
Wolfe blinked when he heard the minotaur's name. It reminded him of the bit in Monty Python's Holy Grail where the imposing sorcerer turned out to be called "Tim".
Iraal approached Gwion and asked if it was a good time to talk. Gwion nodded. "Sure. Fire away."
edited 2nd Jul '16 10:32:10 PM by Wolf1066
Giant alien spiders are no joke.
Northern Desert - Ritual Site
Hazel, Vicky, Yamiko, Lupin, Kaitlyn, Kris, James
"Thanks." Hazel sat down with the group, then proceeded to shed her gear. She set her vest and rifle right next to her and sighed, She tugged at her shirt to air it out a little, and give a chance for the sweat and salt plastered to her body to dry. She pulled out her MRE and started removing the tape that kept it together, until James gave her a few, fresh-off-the-griddle corn cakes.
Hazel thanked James once more, then eagerly bit into the offered Johnnycake. It was hot and crumbly, but tasted plain. It could use some butter and jam spread on top. Despite this, the hot, fresh griddle cake was wonderful, a delightful change from the constant MREs Hazel consumed the past week.
The past week. Hazel thought back to the infantry platoon she was attached to. They were currently patrol route across a village who's name she couldn't remember, about 23 miles from Fallujah. She wondered if she was actually missing, or if she was just dreaming. She hadn't discounted the possibility of the latter, but the former made her a bit nervous. If she was missing, then basically everything in Anbar province would be turned upside down to conduct a search for her. She remembered back when she first arrived on Iraq, how a pair of Army special forces snipers went dark, and the place they were at was turned upside-down.
Their bodies were later found, stripped naked. Their uniforms, gear and weaponry stolen. They had both fallen asleep, and were killed for their mistake.
It was a bit of a dark thought, and when Kris called her a soldier, Hazel couldn't help but smile wryly, and said, "I've got soul, but I ain't a soldier. I'm a Marine, and uh, I guess you can just call me Yoon? My name's Da-yeon, but I prefer to be called my English name, Hazel. That said, I have a thing where I prefer to be called Yoon while I'm in uniform."
When Yamiko offered the potion, Hazel was a little wary. Was that the same thing that made those kids act a little tipsy? Hazel didn't think it was a good idea to ingest mysterious drugs. "I uh, what is it? And I think I'm fine, thanks. I'm pretty sure I can handle casting a little laser once in a while."
The incident with the two SF snipers was something that really happened. The story was narrated to me by my Iraq Veteran friend, who is also a former Marine. It happened to him not too long after he first arrived in Iraq.
edited 3rd Jul '16 4:28:15 PM by Tehpillowstar
"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - R. W. Raymond
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site (Truck)] (Rip)
Rip let the young marine leave, parting with a smile that was a bit more genuine than his last few. He watched a bit as she went to go deal with her zombie donkey thing, and couldn't help scrunching up his face here and there at the whole nastiness of the business. Worse yet, It turned his mind to thinking about the stone in his hand— in his pocket.
He thought of his own personal mission. He thought of Yoon, helping him achieve it. He thought of what she could do. What it looked like; awful, and twisted and wrong. At least that's what his eyes sent back to his mind. His mind, which then made the connection. Drew the comparison. Asked the "what if?". What if this was just the way of the dead? And what if messing with it—changing the rules, stepping out of bounds—would always lead to some abomination that had to be put down?
It wasn't a notion he'd left entirely unconsidered, but for lack of firsthand experience, there was only so much he could put beyond hopes and guesses. A bad combination where accuracy was concerned. And... well, why would he ever hope for something so morbid?
Rip's fingers tightened around the stone in his pocket. He knew it's purpose. He knew it's origin. And he knew as much about it's nature as anyone else did, publicly. But there were gaps in his information, though he was loathed to admit it. And Yoon, for all of her good-naturedness, seemed only loosely aware of how such an item might work. That left...
He glanced up.
"Hey, you," he called to Lupin who seemed to be straggling behind his companions. Rip beckoned to him, curling his fingers in and out as though he were scratching a dog's chin.
Hopefully, he thought, that disturbing girlfriend of his will stay put. It was a little silly to ask the help of the young man he'd spurned just minutes before, but Rip was willing to eat a bit of humble pie if he could wash it down with some solid answers. He'd better not have been bullshitting me.
edited 3rd Jul '16 2:19:35 AM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
PAINKILLER
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)] (Connie, Amy, Maya, Minerva, Samuel)
Samuel chuckled. "Looks right now as if the sky'll open up with a storm. But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if—if a dragon came down and set the whole town on fire."
His train of thought screamed to a stop. For a moment, he swore he heard something not far off—a low, rumble sound. The Colonel felt a shiver down his spine. Oh, it's—just thunder, yeah. Doesn't sound like engines at all... he thought.
Once he regained course on his tracks, Samuel added, "Well, yeah, we should at least head to one place before it starts pouring. Hell, probably not that long either. I wouldn't mind just going into the desert, you know? Might see something interesting... Like, I don't know, a fox? What do you think, Minerva?"
He looked to Minerva. His face fell. Something seemed wrong with her. "Hey—you all right, girl?" He went forward and tapped her on the shoulder.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Outside Front Entrance) (Davey, Jim, Irina)
Once she felt Jim's bones and muscles were repaired as much as she could let it, she stepped off and stood. She sighed. "There, you should be all right now. Pain should be gone for a bit, but again, you still need to find a doctor for the bones." She wiped off her hands. Little glowing sparks came off, but fizzled out immediately.
Irina then heard a call from the balcony. No doubt Amy, wondering aloud as usual. Irina first glanced to Davey. "Yeah, we should probably head up. First, reconnect our stranger girl with broken-bones here. Second, I'd like to get going somewhere some point today." She gave him a pointed look, but smirked a bit as she couldn't hold a stern-teacher-facade for long around him.
Irina went still. She whirled her head, facing down the street. "Did you hear that? That—that low sound."
edited 3rd Jul '16 5:50:15 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Desert Trail - Wagon (Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Oswald)
As Scents helped the stranger into the wagon, Zuri helped him along as well... though all she did was lead him along while holding his hand. Physical strength was never her forte anyway - she was only really fit enough to help her grandmother with simple chores and walk around to places, and preferred to spend her days reading. Meanwhile, Scents asked him for his name, which turned out to be Oswald. She smiled, all the way up until everyone was in the wagon.
"Oswald, eh?" Zuri said to him, as she sat down in the wagon right next to him. "There is still so much I want to ask you... but perhaps you should take this opportunity to rest." She gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "Just let me know if you need anything."
At that moment, Nemaforte entered the wagon, sitting right opposite where Zuri and Oswald were sitting, and taking her sunglasses off now that the sky had darkened a bit. Zuri saw a look of concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"Off in the mountains... there is increased energy out of the Dead God," Nemaforte mentioned. "If it is a hateful presence, seeming its hate is... worsen..."
Nemaforte started swaying side to side a bit, and Zuri remembered something she had said before about losing consciousness whenever she felt fear. And so, she decided to mimic Nemaforte's own comforting of the minotaur by reaching out with her hand and pressing her fingers to the witch's forehead, right underneath the brim of her hat. But she recoiled, and had to pull her hand back, a mixed look of surprise and disgust on her face.
"What the... there's a hole in your skull!" Zuri cried out. "I hope I didn't... damage anything..." Indeed, when she touched Nemaforte's forehead, she felt something soft in said hole, and sincerely hoped it wasn't her exposed brain - though not really exposed, as it was still covered by skin. Moreover, Nemaforte looked to be wincing.
"Ai..." she recoiled. "...Be careful. I have a large... third eye."
Zuri gave Nemaforte a bewildered look. "The third eye is a chakra. It's a spiritual thing. It's not supposed to be a hole in your head!" Indeed, she had to wonder if this hole was much of the source of Nemaforte's... issues. "How did this happen anyway?"
"Happen?" Nemaforte gave Zuri an odd look. "I always had it. Everyone has one."
Zuri gave Nemaforte an even weirder look. "Uh, no. That's not normal. I certainly don't have one, and I don't think anyone else here has one. It's dangerous too - leaves the brain vulnerable to damage." Just to be sure, Zuri felt her own forehead... and her skull was perfectly intact. She scooted a little bit away from Nemaforte while she was at it. "Perhaps when we get back to town... you should see a doctor. A surgeon, perhaps."
"What is a surgeon?" Nemaforte asked.
In lieu of words, Zuri buried her face in her palm. But after a while of slowly shaking her head, she said, "Never mind."
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Vicky, Yamiko, Hazel, James, Kris, Kaitlyn, Mari, Lupin, Rip)
It was actually Vicky who offered Hazel the potion, but no biggie.
Vicky failed to stifle a chuckle when Hazel explained about her name. "Ah, soul-dier. I get it. Just like how a stew-dent might be so broke they can only afford soup for dinner."
"That is the lamest joke I have ever heard," Yamiko remarked. "Soup and stew are not even the same thing, especially if you're referring to that ramen stuff."
Vicky shot Yamiko a brief dirty look, but then turned back to Hazel, who refused the cosmic potion. She held up the bottle again before stowing it in the rucksack. "Oh, this is called a cosmic potion - though it had some other name, Reimara-something, I dunno. We got it from this witch we met back in town, who's from another planet where they grow strange herbs. I was reluctant to try it myself, but we exhausted our psychic powers while flying here, so we were kinda desperate. It works great as far as I can tell, though I do feel kinda weird. I dunno if that's the alcohol though. I've never had that before either. Hey Yamiko, does alcohol normally alter your vision? Everything looks kind of green to me for some reason." Yamiko shook her head in response. "Huh."
"It's probably whatever herbs are in here," Yamiko mentioned. "Be thankful you didn't have as much as I did. Otherwise if you try to use your telekinesis, you might send that rucksack flying around in beautiful patterns rather than a straight line." She traced such imaginary patterns in the air with a black-nailed finger. "Frankly I'm surprised your thoughts aren't..."
She froze all of a sudden, looking surprised. And she blushed, embarrassed that she had almost just told everyone about her telepathic abilities. She looked around, trying to find something else to finish that thought with... and noticed that Rip had left his truck and was now standing near the group, talking to Lupin. She turned back to face the group and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, for a second that reminded me of Lupin's aura-reading. I thought I lost him again. And looks like Mr. Grumps might be joining us after all." She pointed a thumb behind her in Rip's direction.
Meanwhile, Lupin was quite surprised when he saw Rip beckoning him over. Last he checked, he didn't want anything to do with him. Before he could say anything though, his aura caught his attention, and it looked to be yellowish in hue. Seeing auras around everyone would take a lot of getting used to, he thought - but nothing really seemed to stand out about Rip's.
"What is it?" Lupin replied plainly, having hesitated for a couple of seconds beforehand. Although he didn't see anything in Rip's aura that might indicate harmful intentions, he decided to be wary of him, judging by his previous attitude.
edited 4th Jul '16 1:39:05 AM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site] (Rip, Hazel, James, Kaitlyn, Kris, Lupin, Vicky, Yamiko, Mari)
Mari watched as Lance Corporal Yoon escorted the undead burro away. Judging by the fuzzy spike in power she noticed as well as the sudden change in the energies surrounding the burro, she assumed the marine had terminated the creature's unnatural existence.
She realized that the others had moved over to the campsite that James, Kaitlyn and Kris had set up. She got up, deciding to follow the others. After catching up to them, she overheard Vicky saying her vision was turning green. Was that a side effect she'd be experiencing soon, too? She shook her head, bells ringing. In hindsight, drinking strange beverages usually didn't go over so well. She nudged Yamiko with her elbow. "So, what brings you guys out 'ere? I'm pretty sure it ain't just t'ave a picnic."
[Town ~ Bead and Breakfast (Front Door)] (Davey, Irena, Jim)
"Much obliged, ma'am" Jim bowed his head, "I reckon I have somethin' that can handle the rest." He tapped where one of the inside pockets was located. He looked up at the person who had shouted down from above.
The woman inquired about the low rumble coming from the west. "Yeah, I hear it too. Sounds like some sort of machinery." Jim frowned, heading towards the door of the Bed & Breakfast. "We should probably head inside, I'd rather not stick around out in the open to find out what it is."
[Town ~ Bed & Breakfast (Balcony)] (Connie, Samuel, Minerva, Amy, Maya)
Minerva's attention snapped to Samuel when he tapped her on the shoulder. The buzzing had gone away, and she felt at ease again. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry." She smiled, before cheerfully heading towards the stairs, out of the line of sight of anyone on the street.
edited 4th Jul '16 1:47:54 AM by WillDeRegio
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Northern Desert - Near Ritual Site (Vicky, Yamiko, Mari, Hazel, James, Kris, Kaitlyn)
Yamiko perked her head up when Mari nudged her with her elbow and asked about how they got here. Finally, a reason to change the subject. But she got as far as opening her mouth and raising a finger before she stopped herself, recalling the incident over at the wagon. In her current state, it was kind of a blur to her, especially everything that happened with the shadowy figures.
"Well, it's... kind of a long story," Yamiko explained, "and... I just can't seem to piece it together. Vicky, maybe you can explain?" Oh, and mention the wagon group at least, Yamiko sent a thought to her.
"Me?" Vicky pointed to herself, then looked over at Mari. "Wow, I'll have to take some time to think about that myself. Hmm... Well, in a nutshell, we were riding with a... well, we were in this big search party of sorts, trying to find this artifact way out in the mountains... but we ran into a disagreement along the way with some of our companions. It uh, kinda got out of hand, and we decided to leave as a result. We sensed a gathering out here and decided to stop by. Though I still can't believe we flew all the way here using mainly my powers. That was a lotta work."
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)] (Connie, Amy, Maya, Minerva, Samuel)
Connie leaned over the balcony's railing for a second herself, trying to catch a glimpse of those below.
"Just what are they doing anyway?" she asked, glancing back at the others for a moment, "Counting grains of dirt? Braiding their hair? Braiding Davey's fur?"
She squeezed the railing, waiting patiently for all of four seconds before leaning over again and calling down, "What Amy is trying to say is to hurry it the hell up down there! We've got places to go, things to do! Chop-chop!"
She hesitated for a moment, then added a sheepish "...sorry."
Turning back around, she looked to Samuel, who had either successfully calmed the new girl, or had successfully driven her away. Regardless, all Connie said to him was, "So... seeing a fox out here would be... interesting?"
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Outside Front Entrance —> Main Hall)] (Davey, Irina, Jim)
Davey glanced back at Irina and Jim when it sounded as though she was done tending to him. He winced almost imperceptibly at the lingering effects around her hands, but otherwise remained as outwardly calm as he ever was. Once his guts unknotted themselves, he managed to smile, and—glancing up at the sound of Connie's whinging—said, "Aha, seems we're all in agreement there."
He stepped over to the front door and opened it inward, holding it open as he waited for the others. He craned his neck slightly, turning his eyes down the same street where he'd heard the sound moments before. He nodded at Irina's question. "Rest assured, you aren't hearing things," he tapped the porch floor with his foot, "I felt it a few moments ago. We'd better get moving and- oh!"
Davey had turned his attention back inside at the sound of footsteps coming from the upper floor. Surely enough, someone was up there, heading for the stairs. He thought it might've been Connie at first, but the footsteps were off and—upon further inspection—the girl upstairs didn't look like any of the three teens he would recognize. However, there was something familiar about her features. They matched a description he'd been given not too long before.
"Well looky here," Davey leaned out of the doorway again, "I believe we have your rescuee just inside, Jim."
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site —> (Outside Truck)] (Rip, Lupin)
For a moment, Rip began to regret what seemed like a rash course of action. He just wanted to talk to the one guy, not draw attention to himself from the guy's nosy posse. His hand tensed up, forcing indecision upon him against his own will. The tension passed, but he still shot Lupin's friends a wary glare, before hurriedly waving the young man closer and nodding to his truck. Like hell he was going to have a group discussion about this.
Eventually, he ended up back at his truck, leaning against it once more, hands in his pockets while he waited for Lupin to join him.
edited 5th Jul '16 12:55:25 AM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Northern Desert - Rip's Truck (Lupin, Rip)
Instead of replying with words, Rip led Lupin back over to his truck. This looked a little bit suspicious , as he wondered why he only wanted to talk to him and not the other students. When he looked at his aura, he saw that it had grown a little bit thicker and had a sort of jagged appearance on the outside. Although he didn't have a clue what that meant, he also had a strange gut feeling of sorts, that there was an air of hostility about him. Even more reason for him to be wary of this guy with the truck.
After a quick glance back at the group, he decided to follow Rip over to the truck, and as he did, he subconsciously moved his hand close to one of the lower pockets on his coat. Just in case there was trouble.
"Again I have to apologise for intruding earlier," Lupin said to him, though his low and whispery voice hardly held any emotion. "I guess it is as Yamiko said, that I naturally have to treat everything as an investigation. So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Bed and Breakfast (Balcony-Main Hall)]
Looking up, Amy frowned slightly.
"Rain's no fun." she said, "Especially when you're in the air. And I don't want to get my dress dirty. I hope we can get things done before the weather gets really bad. I didn't even bring an umbrella!" Amy tilted her head when Minerva went inside, before shrugging and grabbing Maya's hand. "Looks like we're heading downstairs. Let's go! Let's go!"
Finally. Maya signed as they walked down the stairs. It was there that she noticed that Davey and Irina were already there, along with another person. One of the shooters, she figured. Though, he didn't seem really hostile; he didn't even look like he was in the condition to be hostile. How on earth he was walking, she had no clue.
"Hello!" Amy said cheerfully, "Are you a new friend of Irina and Davey? Making new friends is cool! Oh!" She then turned to Davey, "We found that girl you were looking for! She's very shy, but she's super friendly too!"
Well, that's one way to put it. Maya signed, Anyway, do any of you know why that shooting happened earlier? Ms. Amnesia claims she doesn't know anything.
"Hey!" Amy said, glaring at Maya, "Her name's Minerva. Don't be so mean!"
edited 5th Jul '16 11:02:47 AM by Masterofchaos
Drummer Boy
[East Corridor —> Alliance Lab]
<nymue, can you check security status from this terminal?>
"Looks like it's offline, boss. I'd bet money on it being the same kinda wiring fiasco we saw in number two. But be careful."
The doors slid open to reveal a steep metal stairwell lit by eerily white fluorescent bulbs. Arthur made his way down, keeping a firm grip on the railing.
Finally. Results. Was this going to boost team morale tot he point where he could get everyone to sit down and have a talk that didn't devolve into screaming and yelling? Maybe, maybe not. But it brought them a step closer, right? As long as he got a few scraps of useful information out of this, he'd make his position a little more secure.
More blast doors, but with Nymue already in the system, she was able to open it right away. The metal and concrete bunker looked like it could keep people safe enough during a nuclear apocalypse, though it wasn't exactly comfortable. He was getting sick of creepy fluorescent lighting, but it was better than nothing. The turrets hanging from the ceiling... definitely not on. The barrels were limp, and there was no tiny green flashing lights. Good.
A large metal desk-counter thingy sat in the middle of the room. Three sleek computer monitors were still there. Hopefully still operational. There were more dark monitors in the wall behind them. To the left and right were metal doors leading to security and the rest of the lab, presumably. <I'm going to see if I can download a map or something off one of these terminals before we keep going, ok? none of these labs are ever quite the same>
Arthur went to the other side of the desk and tried to wake up one of the monitors. Only the middle one responded. Yeah, looked like this area was a security checkpoint back then, going by the computer name in the corner of the login screen. Assuming "SEC-CHKPT2" meant what he thought it did. <nymue, you're already in, right?>
"Don't forget download time."
In the first lab they found, Nymue insisted that they transfer data to their tablets, if possible, before taking out the storage chips to bring with them instead of just extracting data back at the Camelot. The team wasn't happy about the extra step, but they stopped complaining after Galahad lost half the chips he'd been entrusted with the next day. It didn't really make data transfer less of a pain in the ass, though. Arthur was just marginally less annoyed about it.
God, he kind of felt like he was dying inside. Adults always made him nervous, but it was worse than ever now. Merlin was the oldest person he'd been around for months, and the dude was only twenty-one. At least typing stuff gave him an excuse to avoid eye contact...
<these data transfers don't take that long, three minutes left on this one. sometimes i kind of wish it was always this boring, but if nothing ever went wrong we wouldn't have learned half the shit we did during this mission>
edited 6th Jul '16 1:56:52 AM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[Northeastern Desert Trail: Wagon (Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Nemaforte, Zuri, Iraal, Scents, Katya, Oswald)]
After she and (though not really) Zuri had settled him down in the wagon, Scents stared at 'Oswald' for a moment, ears twitching. She wasn't puzzled by his name, not really being familiar with it, but some other things were definitely off. Such as: why did he associate the wet fur smell with the horses? Did he not know what she was? His own appearance was more hairless than she had first assumed, but he still smelled funny. Not in a good sense of funny, either.
She was also puzzled by why he had seemed to see Nemaforte. Maybe the curse didn't affect people with magic, but then why hadn't he shown any signs of seeing Zuri?
Deciding not to worry about it for now, she resumed trotting alongside the wagon, and deployed her helmet again to keep the rain out. She wondered what Oswald made of the noise, if he could hear it.
Iraal put her hat back on and looked at Gwion, though she didn't make eye contact. "I may be wrong, but I have developed the impression that you aren't as unfamiliar with some of the... anomalous elements we've encountered so far. At least, in general - "
She cut off at the exchange between the magic-users. Apparently the Dead God - or whatever it actually was that Nemaforte kept sensing; she still doubted that the artifact was actually magical just because someone had thought it was a god - was getting unhappier.
"Good God," she muttered in disgust (completely unaware of any wordplay possible with that particular choice of curse). This just kept getting more annoying. "Do - "
She cut herself off again as Zuri discovered the unusual... feature of Nemaforte's skull. Trepanation! In a currently living sophont! She leaned forward, fascinated. "Not unheard of among pre-technological human civilizations," she continued out loud without thinking, "or... Hmm." Her fingers twitched. "I know the bevorans did it, but I'm certain other extant bipeds were known to as well... Bah."
Shaking her head, she decided not to look it up in her backup. She should know this. "Except," she continued speaking, "you say it's natural. And it may actually do something. I wonder" - her head turned towards Nemaforte - "would you consider providing medical samples?"
Elbow, sent Scents, who had been listening.
Iraal turned a more turquoise shade, and looked back hastily at Gwion. "Um, what was I saying before?"
[temple corridor > alliance lab]
When it became clear that there was nothing active within shooting distance of the temple wall, Tsadro drove two nails into the wall and made a loop-arrow that pointed back towards the foyer of the temple, then descended the stairs. He carefully rolled his sleeves down as he moved, keeping his arms down and as close to him as possible.
While Arthur fiddled with the security terminal, Tsadro paced around the room and examined various things, stretched a bit, checked his pouches, smoothed his still-tightly-bound hair, checked his eyeliner in his minitablet's mirror app. Partially to scope it out, partially to keep himself warm as the iron in the walls and in the equipment threatened to draw the aither right out of him. The place was completely sealed away from the elements, but the iron... Idra help him, the iron made the place feel like a drafty shack in an ice storm.
As he settled on the edge of the group, waiting for the last few percentage points to accumulate, he began to shiver and held his arms, keeping his expression hard as he tried to seem like he was merely crossing his arms rather than trying to get warm.
"A few minutes is short? How big are these labs?"
...Why was this taking so long? Were they three-dimensional? Did they include the ductwork and full utilities specifications? Were the systems just so old their transfer rates were total garbage?
edited 1st Sep '16 9:45:45 AM by CrystalGlacia
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
PAINKILLER
[Desert (Outside of Town) — James's Car]
Soon enough the group was just outside of town. Danny rubbed his eyes in annoyance. What a fucking waste. he thought, over and over. He hoped that John would survive long enough in real time until they got back to town. Still, he couldn't stop feeling guilty. Not like he used necromancy to create the zombies, but he still felt at fault.
Daniel sat back, but stopped relaxing. "Dude, slow down the car. Look!" Danny pointed ahead, to a figure and two of the undead. Danny sat up, removed his gun, and aimed.
However, the figure dispatched one of them. He used the long, bladed weapon in his hand to swipe at them. As he gained enough distance away from one, he lunged it, and dug it into the forehead of a female zombie. The other latched on to his back. It was then did the figure notice the car and the four.
Danny shot ahead. It was a star-studded bull's-eye. Danny himself was surprised. He jumped out of the car to meet with the person.
From first glance, his clothing was unnecessary. He wore a long, tan overcoat with black leather gloves. His shoes were black combat boots. If there was a named style for his look, it would be "combat salesman".
The man had deeply tanned skin, and dark curly hair that extended out into a short mullet of sorts. He wore dark-colored glasses. Danny, who only had the eyes for women, could admit the man was quite handsome.
The man saw what was left of his victim—a pile of clothes, jewelry, and supplies. His knife was left alone. He put the knife back into his boot. "Have you seen these things before?" he asked.
Danny itched the back of his hand. "Sort of. They were there up north. You handled yourself good."
The man eyed the people in the car. Though unseen, his expression turned quizzical. "You all don't look like you live here."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Did you come in from town, stranger? Were there... More of them?"
"Mhmm. And, no. I just spent a good portion this afternoon waiting for a client. Decided to come out here. Then I caught up to them."
A lightbulb went off in Danny's head. "When you were in town," he begun, even adding gesture to help his point, "did you happen to pass by a guy with a mustache, kinda older, stout, creepy looking?"
The man smiled. "I believe I have passed him on the way out. A man with white hair drove him out—in a white car. As I came, they left."
Danny appeared dumb-founded. "No shit?"
The man nodded. "Who're your friends?"
"Oh, it's... Rin, John, and James. John there needs some help. He needs to get back. But I gotta... I gotta go." Danny edged off a bit, then went to turn away. He paused, feeling his leaving would be the worst choice at the moment, unless he had some sort of closure, or padding. He faced the three again. "I gotta go, you guys. And, sorry. Thanks for going out with me and for the food." It was all he could do on short notice. It felt awkward then. So Danny turned and left, jogging westward. In his trek, he removed his jacket. One lesson he learned—it's too humid to be running while wearing that thing.
The man was left standing in the midst of the three. "Well, he had to rush. I suppose he took you on a wild goose chase. I'm Garrett. Nice to meet you all." He walked up to them, and extended a gloved hand.
I'll edit in a post for Irina and Samuel soon. I really wanted to get this out FOR SURE.
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Desert (Outside of town)-James's car]
James slowed down enough to let Danny fight off more of the undead. He also kept a close sharp eye on his fiance who went silent again.
To his shock, it seemed that this stranger had taken care of the creatures before Danny did. He didn't say anything when Danny introduce them to him, though he did give some sort of wave. But to his other surprise, Danny decided to leave. Rather abruptly, too.
"H-Hey! Wait!" James called, "Where the hell are you-?"
It was no use. Danny had already left. Why he decided to leave now, James had no clue. In any case, he only hoped he wouldn't be taken by those creatures.
Now there was only him, Rin, John, and Garrett.
"Uh...hello." James said, "Look, we need to keep the introductions brief; there's something wrong with John and I need to get him to the hotel ASAP. And we have to warn the townsfolk about what's out there before they get hurt. Wanna hop in?"
Pancake was still grooming Rin's fingers.
[Valley of the Dead God]
"Simply put," the Acting Commissar said, "yourselves. We do not wish to fight you. We need you to leave." He frowned. He couldn't explain his desire to explain the entire situation, but something about Blair made him do so. "Don't attempt to threaten us — you, after all, can only kill us, and then our families get a military pension. If the First Advocate finds out we let you near the Dead God..." he paused. "This distance is... acceptable. But if it becomes known that you laid a finger on the Dead God, we, and our families, save," he glanced back at his soldiers, whatever miserable snitch opens his mouth for a cushy deal, go to Reeducation." It was clear from his tone this fate terrified him far more than death, and the fear was too deep for Blair's mental manipulation to overcome. "So unless you can simply tell us what brings you here, and we can provide you with what you seek without you actually taking any Kykzavi state property, or you know some way to ensure no snitches report back anything to Enkar, here, we must stand."
edited 26th Jun '16 6:05:09 AM by KillerClowns