Character Frontier

[Desert]

John gave Joe another look, seeing the gash on his arm. "Let me see what I can do."

Searching through his bag again, he found a dark blue cloth and another water bottle. He put a tiny dab of water on the cloth—just enough to help heal Joe's wound.

"I haven't been walking too long, I think." he said, standing up, "We separated around...uh...I haven't been keeping up with the time, sorry." He lightly dabbed Joe's wound, "Christ, what the hell were you doing, Joe?"

[RAIL YARD]

Finally, the vehicle was on solid ground. Once it had stopped, Christopher jogged up to the driver window.

"Tana, is there a medic module in there, or are we gonna have to put the door down?"

Tana leaned over to the passenger side, appearing to look for something. Reaching down, she lifted out a small metal box, which was about seven centimeters wide, fifteen long, and fifteen tall. On the front was a small, red cross; on the sides were small, circular slots that almost looked like ports, except noticeably shallow.

Taking the box, Christopher walked back over to Samuel. He pressed on the broader side of the item, making a handle pop out, and the top suddenly lifting by a nail system, making high-pitched sounds of decompression.

Taking the top off, Christopher reached inside and pulled out a tube blandly titled "Skin Relief." and handed it over to Samuel.

[Outside the Washington —> Edge of Town, Towards Plains]

Brin seems to have a problem with Miyuki and Hoshi, Cyrus said.

I don't like them much either, but I like hardly anyone who's going on this trip, so that's not saying much.

Well, you don't like people in general, so I'm going to take that with a grain of salt, but... anything in particular you think I should know about? Since you were the one out here listening to everyone and all. Cyrus was starting to feel too hot, so he rolled up his sleeves and fiddled with a waistcoat button. The practical thing to do was to take it off, but... no. He couldn't. Too risky.

Everyone seems to have a bit of an arrogant streak. Brin says she'd rather not kill anyone who gets in our way, so keep your electricity at "stun" levels and you might get on her good side, make her more willing to open up about this Amon person's powers later. Azuhl insists that he's the best candidate to deal with any "undead" enemies himself for some reason. Less work for us, at least. Hoshi also claimed she could handle anything short of an army on her own, which I find to be quite a dubious claim. Don't know much about Anne and her cat yet.

Miyuki and Hoshi seem to be trailing behind the rest. Go closer to the back and listen closely to them.

Kito complied, slowing his pace while Cyrus maintained his.

edited 29th Aug '15 12:30:44 AM by SnowyFoxes

The last battle's curtains will open on stage!

[Desert ~ Railroad] (Joe, John)

Joe bared his teeth at John in what was probably supposed to be a grin, but it came out twisted by a pained wince.

"Complicated..." he said, his voice matching his expression, "long story... uh..." he paused, looked down, looked up, clicked his teeth, then shrugged his free shoulder and once again offered, "...swimming?"

He waited a short beat before pressing forward with his own inquiries. "So, you and this other person, did you come here by car originally? I mean, you don't think it'd be possible to maybe... uh, retrace your steps, do you? I mean, the train's like... who knows when another one is going to come by? And there's always the chance that this is one of those rare one-time use railroads where they send one train through and then leave the rest for decoration." The corners of his mouth pulled very quickly into a smile, though that lasted only a hair of a moment. "Or... uh, so I've heard."

edited 29th Aug '15 1:44:21 AM by Ryuhza

this place needs me here

[main street]

He'd get in the way? Wouldn't that logically follow from there being too many people for one job? Eh, she left to go drive- that conversation was going nowhere fast, and like so many urbanites with too much time on their hands, she just wanted to fill the time with something. Doesn't matter what, just something, because spending your idle time alone is social deviancy, apparently. So he left, too.

As people started to pile inside, the ones who remained were quickly left exposed to the oncoming winds. He put a hand to his head- his veil and even the length of loose white hair underneath were being caught by the wind. Tsadro turned so the wind and dust would at least be against his back, inadvertently shielding a young woman who decided this was as good a time as any to fiddle with and grumble at a sword.

Without a word, he looked around for shelter and unceremoniously brought her to the overhang of a nearby building, then set about fixing his tousled veil and hair, which was long enough to touch the small of his back even tied up.

"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."

[Outside The Washington]

Noshakruuptchè, Day of Wrath, demonic beings, with so many ominous terms being thrown around, Lia was also starting to feel uncomfortable, but it was as if the two had different perceptions of what this 'great evil' actually was. To be so worried, Father Kiyoshi must've had a fairly good grasp on the threat, but he seemed like the type to divulge that over a meal, "In any case, shelter is important right now, shall we enter the Washington?" Lia asked, "and the two of you could come along." she said to Cynthia and the man. The heat was becoming unbearable for her, who had been living in a fairly cold region. In a way, she was glad Saya seemed to gloss over her offer for a duet.

[The Washington]

Crowe shifted in his seat again, seeming to take Commander Matoi's lengthy silence as a bad sign. He hesitated for a couple of seconds, then began again, sounding a bit awkward. "Or, if that isn't compelling, how about something more tangible? I presently have access to a technology that can shield an individual from detection across a wide band of the EM spectrum, including visible light."

He paused, as if to let it sink in. Then, suddenly, he spoke again.

"-Actually, come to think of it, I probably should have led with that. Nevermind- the point is, I have a fully functional prototype of this technology in my possession. Given your current level of advancement, there's every chance you could reverse-engineer it to make your super-soldiers invisible. I can personally attest to it's effectiveness as a force-multiplier. If you stick to your end of the agreement and complete the surgery successfully, it'll be yours to study."

Crowe's head dipped momentarily, as if weighing his decision, and said, "So, do we have a deal?"

yey

Main Street

Chloe had been resting outside, sobering up by drinking some water and still looking over her sword. She paused a moment as someone was standing and giving her temporary shade. She peered up curiously, sheathing her sword as she stood up. She decided to follow him as his white hair struck her as odd since he looked still young and headed towards the same shelter. "Hello there! Couldn't help noticing you. Name's Chloe, treasure hunter of the Thaleia family." she said with a grin and a wink, "What's yours?"

edited 29th Aug '15 10:42:58 AM by Sphinxyness

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

Outside the Washington

"Yes...let's enter," said Father Kiyoshi. He waved his arm to the small group surrounding him. "Food and drinks are on me." He led the way inside.

Inside, the group was greeted by one of the bartenders. "Greetings ladies and...gentlemen...." The bartender's voice drifted off as he gazed up at Father Kiyoshi, who was nearly three heads taller than he was. "Uh...."

Father Kiyoshi chuckled. "I seem to get that reaction a lot. But don't worry — I'm not here to start a fight. As a matter of fact, I was wondering if you could provide some food and drink for my new acquaintances and I?" He indicated the foursome behind/beside him. "Serve them what they order — I have plenty of coin to spare." He flashed several gold coins in his hands. "Provided to me by some of the higher-ups," he said.

Anyone else in the Washington is welcome to join if they wish.

[Rail Yard]

Samuel peered over the rim of his aviators to look at Kris's arms. "Well, I'll be," he muttered. He'd heard of cybernetics, but it was all science fiction. The tech she had was beyond comprehension. Though with the visible hiccups, no one would guess that her arm wasn't hers. Well, it was also his impression. "Impressive. Though I don't mind that I can't feel things with my leg. Much less days I reel over stubbed toes or running into things," he said with a small chuckle. "But that's beyond what we have. It would be nice for the boys back home to have their appendages back."

When Christopher came back, Samuel just gave a nod. The cream was generic, but it should work anyways. He massaged the skin with the cream, and felt that the skin was healing up. He wrapped a bandage around it and stuck it in place.

"I think I can walk on it now. My doctor would say to keep off it when it gets irritated, but I don't think General Stores have crutches," he wondered. He looked back into the direction of town. "Unless there's a clinic here."

Life is hard, that's why no one survives.

Outside the Washington -> The Washington

Saya just nodded in agreement to the other two before following them into the bar.

Lia's apparent discomfort didn't go unnoticed. While she did feel a little sorry for her, it was also an indication that the two of them came from very different places. She was looking forwards to hearing about hers, assuming Kiyoshi's demon menace didn't dominate the conversation.

Upon stepping inside, she glanced around. This looked to be a high-end establishment of the sort she normally wouldn't go to, and one that probably attracted a lot of wealthy customers. Had she wanted to continue playing, this would have justified her decision.

She then followed Kiyoshi over to the bar and sat down. By now, the bar had been filled with the sounds of the song as it spread out in search of anything or anyone interesting. However, this time around the giant lizard man probably caught enough people's attention that the song didn't attract any of its own.

After some deliberation and hesitation on her part, she eventually decided to order a glass of water and a bowl of something called "desert hoppers." She had to admit, she didn't like the thought of riding off of someone else's work. On the other hand, she didn't like going into an establishment just to take up space and not help them in some way, and the former was the lesser of two evils. At least Kiyoshi was perfectly willing to pay for everyone.

"So...should we swap tales about our homelands?" she asked once everyone else had placed their orders, "Or should we hear more about this 'demon' thing first?"

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

Rail Yard

Kris nodded and lowered her arms to her sides. "Not being able to feel certain things is a good side effect. This was a mid-range model at the time I got it, there were better ones for those that could afford them and lesser ones for those who don't have decent medical insurance. As long as there's sufficient function to do what you need to do, it doesn't matter - I'll never be a concert pianist or stage magician but I never wanted to be, anyway. As long as I could still compete in all the events, I was happy."

Karl pricked up his ears at the mention of a clinic. "Oh, ja. I saw a sign for a doctor on the main street. If you like I could go and get for you a crutch."

James was looking at the "military truck" in wonder. It was the biggest, heaviest vehicle he had ever seen, far more impressive than any of the trucks and vans on Terra Nova. That it was armoured was evident just by looking at it and he wondered what Christopher and Tana were doing that required such a large armoured vehicle.

Teri noticed James staring at the vehicle. "Impressive, innit. Makes you wonder what they were expectin' to find here 'n' where they're plannin' to go."

edited 29th Aug '15 5:12:37 PM by Wolf1066

[Rail Yard]

Samuel agreed, "Yeah, probably best. I don't like bein' berated by doctors for sure."

"You know what," he began. Samuel stood up while keeping his balance by holding onto the fence. "I should probably go with you. I need to get some stuff. And, uh, check for someone."

"Chances are, he came this way, or he's back in my world. When we crashed, a friend got a bad cut over his eyebrow. I stabilized it, but he needed stitches. That's why I left— to find help." He thought of this friend in particular. He was always stubborn and impatient about everything. He made a great commander in the war, however. But it always endangered his life.

Samuel looked to the sky in thought. "So, he could be home or lost out there, or in the clinic. I gotta at least check."

Samuel held out a hand, knowing hopping one-legged to a clinic would give off a bad impression (and probably make for pitiful comedy), or at least take awhile.

Also about pity: Samuel doesn't like it when people do it to him about his amputation, but upon realizing the Terra Nova group and Christopher wasn't there for pity, he accepted their help.

Life is hard, that's why no one survives.

Rail Yard

Karl nodded. He gathered from what Samuel had said that the man had been somewhere else and had somehow unexpectedly ended up here without knowing whether he had crossed over before or after crashing. It paralleled his own arrival on Terra Nova - until he met the others, he had thought he was still in the woods in France and was wondering where the rest of his squad had got to.

He went over to Samuel, shifting his rifle so that his shoulder was free for Samuel to lean on. At one-seventy-eight centimetres^note 5'10" and toughened by his time in the wilderness, he saw no problem in assisting Samuel on the relatively short journey to the doctor's clinic. Samuel himself looked pretty tough - most likely military from his clothes and bearing - so he wasn't likely to be worn out by the journey.

Peggy came over. "I'll carry your rifle for you, I'm coming with."

Karl slipped the rifle off his shoulder and handed it to her with a grateful smile.

[Outside the Washington >>> Edge of Town]

Hoshi and Miyuki didn't have many interesting things to say, at least not yet. At the moment, they were just chatting... If indeed their mostly one-sided conversation could be considered 'chatting.' For the most part, it was Hoshi talking, either trying to pry answers about a particular boy out of Miyuki or just commenting on boys in general. Hoshi seemed to be having fun, but Miyuki rarely spoke and generally kept up her eternal poker face, breaking it only occasionally to roll her eyes.

---

[The Washington]

"Hmm..." Hana leaned back in her seat, put her hands on the table - covered by fine, white gloves - and laced her fingers together. "An intriguing offer. I'm curious, but let's get something straight first." She looked over at him rather sternly. "It's very likely that I am the only person in town with the skills you're looking for. I believe you said something similar yourself just a few moments ago. With that in mind, you should know that I do not like proceeding into things blindly. Uncertainty is sometimes unavoidable, but most of the time it is easily dispelled. Like now, for example." She said. "You've been very evasive about exactly what you need from me. I can't say I appreciate that. So before I agree, I want to know more about this surgery you need." She leaned forwards. "The details, if you please."

Not entirely dead.

The Washington

"I guess I'll go first," said Father Kiyoshi. He folded his hands and laid them on the table in front of him. "I come from the land of Tarsia — birthplace of the Tarsian Empire. Over the years, we've had to contend with the various threats that our enemies — the demons of Herezar — send against us. The greatest of these threats is the demonic leadership itself — the Diaboro.

"The Diaboro is divided into three tiers — the Circle of Suffering, the Circle of Sin, and the Circle of Shadow. Each is more powerful than the last. Noshakruuptchè is from the Circle of Shadow, making him unimaginably dangerous." Father Kiyoshi lowered his voice to a whisper. "Each member of the Diaboro is attached to a specific suffering, vice, or evil theme. Noshakruuptchè is the Lord of War. He is a brilliant strategist and combatant — among my people he has earned the name 'Priestkiller', due to the sheer number of my fellow priests he's murdered. Rumour has it that he's headed here — searching for someone who could guide him toward a great power within this world that he could take back to his masters."

Father Kiyoshi noticed the looks his companions were giving him, and leaned back in his chair. "Oh yes — Noshakruuptchè has masters. He's a member of the deadliest circle of the Diaboro, but that doesn't mean he's the top demon, oh no. Standing above him are several others, even more powerful than he is. The only reason he's being sent here is that he's one of their best tacticians, and as a means of throwing us off. We were able to intercept a message indicating that he was heading here, for the aforementioned reasons. And he's coming soon. In fact — " Father Kiyoshi looked out the window at the approaching sandstorm. "...We're already running out of time. Let's just say that, when you earn the title 'Priestkiller', it should give you an indicator of how powerful a foe he is. My fellow Tarsian priests are a band of Warrior Monks. Perhaps I'll have a chance to show off my combat prowess, but for now, just take my word for it."

[Edge of Town, Towards the Plains]

Suela considered. "Important? We're talking about technology that can allow instantaneous travel! Across worlds, perhaps! Can you imagine the implications? Plus, I really want to know how one of the Dead Gods ended up out here. Are there more, scattered across time and space?" She looked thoughtful. "What stories they could tell... I mean, history agrees they were vicious, bloodthirsty, evil beings, but if their vast knowledge could be used for good?"

Suela then slowed her pace, nearing Miyuki and Hoshi. Her voice was low. "Noticed Brin giving you trouble. The way she thinks? It's because she's police, not a soldier, and from a city founded by a pacifist. For what it's worth, she won't betray you, and..." her voice grew even lower, "frankly, I don't care what you do. They," implicitly the bandits, "made their choice."

Brin was still near Krul and Azhul, and, not overhearing Suela's quiet comment, it was she who replied to Krul's comment. "I can't help but agree. Stranger groups have saved the world, but they had a powerful leader and a clear enemy to oppose. We're all glory-seekers, mercenaries, or — in my case — just desperate. We'll see, I guess."

edited 29th Aug '15 9:58:28 PM by KillerClowns

(Outside the Washington-> Edge of Town)

Anne had been lost in thought for several minutes and almost didn't realize that the group had left. Only a prod and a pointed paw from Lucky got her moving again.

Catching up to the group, the duo bumped into Kito. "Odd bunch we've got here," Anne said. "Mind telling me your story? I'd like to know who I'm traveling with."

Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!

[RAIL YARD > MAIN STREET]

By now, the large truck had taxied to the more spacious Main Street.

Once more, Christopher approached the driver's side, returning the small, metallic box to Tana. "Okay, looks like you're-" He stopped himself, realizing something.

"Oh, wait." Christopher interjected, turning to the rest of the group. "I actually haven't introduced you properly. This is Tana Norman, grandmother of my secretary."

Tana waved amiably at all of them.

[Edge of Town, Towards the Plains]

Do I really have to keep listening to their insipid talk?

It's good if we have ears towards the front and back of the group. Just stay for now.

Now the ghost's trying to talk to me. Let's switch places. And I don't feel like changing bodies again.

Cyrus hurried to meet Anne at the back of the crowd as Kito moved forward. "Sorry, he can't talk when he's in that body. Not that he's very social to begin with, but that's nothing against you personally, that's just the way he is. You're Anne and Lucky, right? I'm Cyrus Fenrir, and that's my Wolfram, Kito. I'm surprised you don't mind being near him, Lucky. Most cats we've met don't like giant wolves all that much. Actually, most animals in general. Wolves are predators, after all. Then again, so are you, just... smaller."

edited 29th Aug '15 9:46:32 PM by SnowyFoxes

The last battle's curtains will open on stage!

[Edge of Town, Toward the Plains]

Azuhl was a bit shocked at Suela's words. Maybe he was getting into a situation that was way over his head. Maybe not. He supposed it was too late to opt out of all of it anyway.

Azuhl chuckled at Brin's comments, "I suppose that you could count me among the mercenary category. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't doing this for the extra coin, but being a mercenary isn't my line of work. No, I go around and clear old tombs and crypts of the profane undead, since neither my people or those Nords will bother to deal with it," He spat on the ground in a show of disgust, "They'd rather adhere to dangerous traditions."

---

[Rail Yard]

Devastater Dragon reshifted back into Ammolite. Ammolite didn't really marvel at the vehicle, since they had seen plenty other types more advanced, especially on the Homeworld, but they were curious.

He looked toward the Terra Novans that were there and pointed toward the vehicle, "Do you have stuff like that where you're from?"

Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.

Rail Yard —> Main Street

Kris, Teri, James and Wolfe waved to Tana.

His secretary's grandmother. Wolfe thought. That sure as hell poses more questions than it answers. He turned to face Devastater Dragon/Ammolite who had now shifted back to the Ammolite form. "What? The RV from Hell? We had things like that in my time, a great number of different variations depending on who made them."

Kris nodded. "I've seen a number of vehicles like that."

James laughed. "We certainly didn't have anything like it in my day."

I'm a bit puzzled at how everyone got out of the rail yard, past the station and across Railway Street onto Main Street so quickly, but I'm going with it. Presuming that Karl and Peggy are currently with Samuel, however far they've got.

[The Washington]

"Out, then right back in." Lia commented internally. She also noted that the song's ambience did not change despite their entering a closed room, "This confirms that the phenomenon is not physical." Under the chatters of the bar, it was indeed barely noticeable.

After placing an order for a cold drink, Lia returned her attention to Father Kiyoshi, while his description was indeed frightening from a theatric standpoint, Lia still felt that the threat felt nebulous and far, demons vary, in their power and their 'evilness', and often mislabeled, in Lia's world. She just couldn't take his word for it, "What exactly is this 'Priestkiller' capable of? What scale of power are we talking about? Are you capable of fending off this threat?" she asked.

[Edge of Town, Toward the plains]

Krul was momentarily stunned upon what Suela said, he then spoke, "That woman, she thinks in a scale I often left alone." Krul garnered a bit of respect to her, in a way. Of course, it was not without reservations, "but they can be used for evil yet again, just like how they had been all this time." he added. With Suela sticking to Miyuki and Hoshi and out of earshot, Krul shot Brin, and perhaps Azuhl, a question, "Do you suppose power, no matter the form, corrupts its wielders?"

The Washington

Father Kiyoshi sighed. "I was fortunate enough to be elsewhere during the Massacre of the Holy City. But my brothers in spirit, not in blood gave me the news...those few who survived, that is. There was an attack — a brutal one — on the Holy City. The survivors holed up in the basilica in the centre, but a single demon penetrated inside, and slaughtered those within. Those few who escaped managed to get back to Tarsia ahead of Priestkiller — but only because he stopped the pursuit."

Father Kiyoshi clenched his fists. "There are not many things in this world that I fear. One of those few is Noshakruuptchè."

A look of determination crossed Father Kiyoshi's face. "Why would I dare to face such a foe? Because...when you want to hunt down one man, you don't send an army. You send one man -- your best."

edited 30th Aug '15 10:43:29 AM by TempestKnight

[Edge of Town, Toward the Plains]

Azuhl considered Krul's question, "I suppose so. Mind you, myself and several others hold power in our blood that none but a small few who are not of our blood posses in the fourth era. That blood, and the power it grants, roars within us with the urge to dominate. Some of us scum to that urge and others work to maintain inner control with our urges."

"Of course," he trailed off a bit, "Molag Bal, the being most known for corrupting mortals is also very powerful, so perhaps being powerful is to be corrupted. What if one has to become powerful to stand against corruption? Would one have to become as corrupted as Molag Bal to be able to kick Molag's balls?" He threw his hands up as he asked, putting them down as he shook himself back into focus.

---

[The Rail Yard -> Main Street]

"We have a lot more advanced stuff back where I used to call home. I never see stuff like this on Earth regularly at least," Ammolite said, "But I suppose technology varies from world to world, reality to reality."

Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.