Gesicht stuck his hands in his pockets and affected a more casual leaning posture, files on human psychology at work to try and make him seem more alive. "I appreciate the compliment," he noted.
At HK's comments however, a frown creased his face. "You dare hurt anyone and I will drag you before the Federation's Courts myself. We're in an extra-legal situation but there will be no friendly fire."
He had approached HK and an intense scowl had crossed his face. "Do I make myself clear?"
Bastion, Campaign Headquarters
As his "contractors" start to file out, Ulysses looks down at a device on his wrist, flipping through a few news headlines as he contemplates what he'd heard of Aquarius's prediction. As he does, his expression remains neutral, betraying nothing to the stragglers still just exiting the room.
{...So they're here. Or they're coming soon...and so is that...thing. I hope I really have hired the best...}
Bastion, Elevator Terminal
The building across the way resembles a large public transit terminal, the exterior walls lined with sliding glass doors leading out to a sheer drop into thin air. Every so often, a spacious elevator ascends from below to meet a set of doors, which open to allow travelers from the surface to disembark into the terminal itself. Many of them appear to be of an agricultural persuasion, carrying with them large, hovering carts of various produce and other natural wares to sell up in the city's shops. Others, however, are hauling miscellaneous tangles of scrap, dented-up robots wrapped in wires, ships with half their crucial components visibly missing and devices that could only be considered "salvageable" by the most charitable definition of the term. Standing in the middle of this room, wearing an oversized backpack and a very uncertain expression, is a young man bearing more than a passing resemblance to Ulysses.
"I really hope Dad's 'specialists' show up soon...and they're not terrifying. Honestly, I'll take 'late' over 'terrifying.'"
As the crew begins to file in, the young man can be seen patronizing some sort of hastily-constructed stall in one corner of the terminal. The stall itself appears to be constructed of either plywood or cardboard, a far cry from the gleaming, chrome materials everything else in this city appears to be built out of. Adorning the front is a crudely-scrawled sign, very obviously written in crayon, reading [Nauyu Zeemi - Fortunes Told, Spells Cast, Pranks Pulled. Price: 15 Credits Or The Local Equivalent In Plushies]. The stall itself is operated by a young lady clothed in purple robes or some kind of dress, staring into a crystal ball as she evidently reads the young man's fortune.
Oh wait, that's not a crystal ball. On closer inspection, that's a snowglobe. The narrator doubts this woman's fortunetelling credentials.
"S-so...am I gonna, y'know...do it? My pilgrimage, how's it go?"
"...Hmm...unclear...but I can tell you that you're...about to embark on a great journey-"
"Knew that."
"Of personal growth-"
"Mhm, that's kind of the point-"
"Oh and you're gonna meet like, a buuuuncha robots."
"Wait I'm what."
This post is sponsored by Amalgam Comics.
The Best Worst Psychonaut
Bastion, Planet Centerra - Meeting Room -> Elevator Terminal (Don't Cut Her Short)
Before she made her big speech to the assembled contractors, she cast a furtive aside glance towards Aquarius. She was used to the wider galaxy commenting on her height. More than one person said she had a 'Napoleon complex', whoever in Dark Matter is Napoleon.
"Between you and me, I wholeheartedly agree. Fortunately for you, a majority of our employees are below average height. Compared to our Haltworkers, I'm practically a giant," she quietly admitted with a little chuckle.
All things considered, her announcement that she'd be co-ordinating the mission went surprisingly well. She was expecting to have to justify herself a lot more, especially with the likes of Giegue and HK, but no, they were the first to come to her defence. Alongside that automaton that had already worked on the surface (she'd need to ask about that at some point). Maybe she was worrying over nothing, as long as everyone understood the chain of command, everything would go smoothly. Well, obviously with her in charge it'd go smoothly whatever happened, this just meant it'd be a less of a headache to iron out the creases.
There was one naysayer, though. Someone else Susie had overlooked before, even though she really, really shouldn't have done - that girl who could apparently operate drones through thought alone. Presumably some kind of neural interface. Bit of a crude solution, to be sure, but given the sheer amount of control she had over the drone she used to speak through - as though it were her own body - obviously it held some advantage. Not everyone could be a multitasker.
Susie would have retorted, until HK and Giegue did that for her. She was a little peeved she didn't get to justify herself on her own power, but whatever.
"...I hope our new friends have addressed your concerns," she told the drone controller, "...Ruri, was it? Thank you for bringing up a valid point. Coupled with your... unique talent, there may be a place for you in the Company yet" she said as she gave a little bow, before turning to address her oh-so valiant defenders' remarks about her capability. Underestimating her, as per usual.
"Don't worry yourselves with my safety. As I said to Ulysses, I may not look like much, but I am more than capable of defending myself and anyone I set my mind to. There's more to me than meets the eye~" she said in an almost sing-song tone, giving a little wink.
With nothing else to address before heading out, she was off. "OKAY, LET'S DOUBLE-TIME IT, PEOPLE!"
On the way over to the elevator terminal, she whipped out her PDA and tapped a few keys. "Aaaalright, should be on its way..." she said to herself as she made it to the doors to the terminal, taking a moment to observe the kinds of commerce running to and from the service. About what she was expecting, really.
There was a lot of activity here. It was lively. Crowded. Inefficient. Already, she was imagining what it could become if the Company was allowed to operate freely. Clean. Spacious. No need to rely on these disparate crews - just drones and automated miners connected directly to the city platforms. No-one would ever have a reason to visit the surface again, leaving its bounty of resources free to be tapped! Oooh, she was feeling a little giddy just thinking about it, and she hadn't even seen the surface or its resources, yet!
She could go on, but almost immediately as she entered, two things caught her eye. The first was the young man resembling Ulysses - their objective. Really, the first thing she should pay attention to. But she didn't.
Instead, she saw...
"Ratchet, in the flesh! Or should that be the fuzz?" she joked, almost darting straight for the felinoid alien and giving him a firm handshake. "Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Susanna, or Susie for short, Executive Assistant of the Haltmann Works Company!" she said, giving another little bow. "Ooh- my card!" she promptly fished around in her pocket, pulling out her business card and handing it to them. "We've heard a lot about you and your... companion's exploits! Especially the way you've been almost singlehandedly keeping our competitors in business! We've always felt you could make a great spokesperson for the promotion of mechanization - you process Nanotech, yes? So do I! It's standard for the entire Company, in fact! Different product, total coincidence, despite what they may tell you! Anyway, it looks as though you're heading to the surface, same as us, and expecting similar danger. How would you like to join us in a joint operation?"
Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Apr 15th 2024 at 11:33:28 AM
"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
The Light That Blinds
The Stars are Misaligning (Aquarius)
"O-oh, uh..." I awkwardly rub the back of my head, my cheeks heating up a bit at Enterprise's words. "You're welcome?" I have no idea how to react to this, I'm not even sure what I did and I don't...I'm not used to making other people happy...
You know what, I should probably stop thinking about this before I have an episode in front of everyone.
As we head towards the terminal, I can't help but feel a growing sense of dread. Part of it is because I do not want to be in an elevator full of people who feel like they're seconds from ripping each other's throats out, but most of it is the vision. I still think everyone's taking the whole thing far too lightly.
I bite my lip and shove the thoughts into a corner of my brain. Just...trust these guys, Aquarius, they know what they're doing.
Hopefully.
Once we reach the place, it doesn't take me long to find Everett—I recognize him from the holograms. But then my attention is drawn to the stall he's at...and the sign above it.
Fortunes told?
Curiosity piqued, I head for the stall, catching a bit of their conversation as I approach. "...gonna meet like, a buuuuncha robots."
"Wait I'm what."
Well, she's not wrong there.
I clear my throat to get his attention, then give him a polite smile. "I'm not one of those robots, myself, but I can confirm her prediction. I'll be one of your helpers today." I gesture to the others. "And they are the other helpers. Pleased to meet you."
My eyes turn to the 'Zeemi' girl, and...hm. I dunno what it is, but something about her...it's not a feeling that something's wrong, more a feeling that something's strange. I can't place what it is or where it's coming from, but it's there, nagging at the back of my brain.
Still, I put my usual pleasant smile on my face and say, "Fortune teller, hm? I'm one myself. Though, ah..." ...that's a snow globe. Not a Snow Globe, just a regular snow globe. "...I use different tools. I actually read his future before coming here, and..."
I hesitate.
"There are likely giant winged reptiles involved."
Best to just rip off that band-aid now.
Edited by LilyTheLitten on Apr 15th 2024 at 2:12:06 AM
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
Abathur
Elevator Terminal
A good dozens of minutes later, Giegue would finally enter the Terminal. Of course, he immediately felt like getting out with the number of people here.
Besides, there was nothing impressive here, between peasants, mediocre shops, and scrappers. Useless stuff.
Giegue was quick to spot Everett, he wasn't easy to miss. He indeed looked almost like his father.
Only even more pathetic-looking. And there he was consulting a fortune teller... or rather a charlatan.
What "incredible foresight" she had with her little ball toy, especially when said robots were coming in their direction at this very moment. Giegue didn't even know which one was the most infuriating. The charlatan, or the cretin who was listening to her and that he was supposed to escort.
Thus, both Zeemi and Everett would see the strange, white alien staring at them as if he was going to murder them, only for him to lose interest and go away. So much for not scaring Everett.
Gieguee would have opened his mouth if he had not noticed a glaring issue. The supposed coordinator was missing, instead of managing the client. She was talking with a robot and...
Uh. Another felinoid. That was the closest thing to Giegue's species standing here. That curiosity quickly faded away, however.
Giegue didn't even introduce himself to both Ratchet and Clank, he just stared at them with his usual cold stare, eerily approaching and hovering behind Susie before looking down intensively at her in a scolding manner.
"I hate to interrupt, but why are you wasting your time with these two creatures? They are irrelevant. The boy is over there if you have not noticed." he asked Susie, not at all sharing her enthusiasm.
"Unacceptable. Must eliminate. No trace left."
AKA Nixer
Cibo: Bastion (Elevator Terminal)
Well, there was Everett at least. Already the group leader was fangirling over a fuzzy alien and his (admittedly adorable) tiny robotic backpack companion. Aquarius was off actually speaking with Everett, along with the apparent fortune-teller he was hanging around with. Seeing this, Cibo approached, her lanky self doing its best to remain non-threatening as she gave the kid a wave.
"Can confirm, I'm a helper too! My name's Cibo. You're Everett, right? I'll be one of your escorts," she said, moving beside Aquarius and clasping her hands casually behind her back. She still towered over them, so she couldn't help that, but it was still less intimidating than Giegue's death glare. "Don't mind the others. They've been..."
She glanced back over her shoulder for a moment, before shaking her head and chuckling.
"...at odds. But we'll get you there safe. I promise."
She gave Aquarius a pointed look at the mention of giant flying reptiles.
"Even if it means taking care of whatever that is."
Okay, she couldn't help it now. As much as she didn't agree with Susie prioritising some strangers over their actual charge in the same room, she still found herself peeking over at Clank with curiousity. So while Susie was busy fawning over the fuzzball on one end, Cibo briefly excused herself to say hi to the little 'bot currently hanging off of Ratchet's back.
"Hello! I'm not sure I recognise your friend, but I've seen that design around the place! It's a classic look. I'm Cibo. What's your name, little guy?" she asked in a jovial tone, clearly enamoured by the tiny robot already.
bork
The Best Worst Psychonaut
Bastion, Planet Centerra - Elevator Terminal (It's Not What You Know...)
Despite the clear and present risks, Susie couldn't help herself. She looked back at Giegue with her best 'um, excuse me?!' expression.
"I take it you've never heard of Ratchet? Helloooo, the hero of Solana, anyone? Of Bogon? Of Polaris? Multiple-time hero, at that? I wouldn't be much of a manager if I couldn't recognize talent we need. It's called networking!" she said, with the same tone you'd use when teaching a young child their ABC's.
It wasn't clear if by 'we' she was referring to Ulysses' crew, or to her own Company. Not even she seemed to know.
"Though, I suppose you have a point," she finally conceded... before her eyes lit up again, another brilliant idea popping into her head. "...I know! Let's shoot down two J2s with one laser!"
With that, before Ratchet even had a chance to reply to her, she attempted to take him by the hand and drag him over to where Everett was standing, currently mingling with some con artist at a shabby desk.
"Greetings, Young Everett! Ulysses' son, yes? I'm Susanna - or Susie for short - Executive Assistant of the Haltmann Works Company!" she said, introducing herself for the third time in less than 10 minutes, and with the exact same pep, and even offered another handshake. Of course, she'd done this so often she had it down to a science. Be nice and courteous and they'd have no reason to complain, not without making themselves look like the bad guy. "Apologies, I should have been the first to introduce ourselves - I'm going to be co-ordinating your father's escort team! I don't doubt we could easily tackle any danger that could threaten your most sacred of ceremonies, but with Ratchet on board, yes, the Ratchet - it'd take the heat death of the universe to stand in our way!" she said, giving the felinoid the most hopeful of Looks.
Well, now that she'd planted the idea in Everett's head, Ratchet had to join up with them! She'd heard he was kind of a bleeding heart...
Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Apr 15th 2024 at 12:08:48 PM
"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
The Hope, The Hero
Bastion -> Elevator Terminal (Titus)
Titus would join Enty in silent skepticism of Susie supposedly taking command of this operation. Whether or not she would hold true to that is another question, though. Regardless, as he descends with the others, he puts on his helmet once again.
"We should consider taking extra precautions, just in case the worst happens. Aquarius does not seem the kind of person to lie about these matters."
"Are you certain, Lieutenant? The boy doesn't look that experienced," Galleus points out before turning back to Enty. "Ah, yes, 'twould be unfortunate if we accidentally collapsed the building, yes."
Titus can be heard sighing through his helmet's vox-grille as he and the others make their way to the terminal. Once there, it is not long before they discover their ward, young Everett. Considering the size of the armoured Marine, his footsteps could be significantly loud for the boy to hear.
Of course, there is the unfortunate diversion from the gang meeting the Ratchet and Clank duo. "Not much of a leader if she's getting sidetracked, Lieutenant. I would suggest you take command."
"Not the time, Malthiron," Titus quips before nodding in affirmation to Everett. "You must be Lord Ulysses' son."
Edited by G2BattleConvoy on Apr 15th 2024 at 1:23:46 PM
Spelunking through a Halo Ring is something else...
Alia - Elevator Terminal
It wasn't long before Alia was able to lay eyes on the client's son, their charge for this mission. At the moment he appeared to be talking to a fortune teller, while other members of the group had gotten sidetracked talking to who Alia assumed was a local celebrity of some sort. This included the group's self-proclaimed leader, and Alia was privately all too happy to leave her to it if it meant not having to be around her or listen to her, so she approached Everett and stood at attention before him.
"Hello, Everett. Is your day going well so far?" Alia asked, trying to be polite and professional with the young man. Better to make him feel at ease with them early on so he'd trust that they had his best interests at heart, rather than risking him pushing them away in dangerous territory.
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Breath of the Sun
Seras - Elevator Terminal
Despite being able to walk through walls and fly, Seras is not the first person in the terminal. The reason why is fairly obvious; she detoured to grab her weapon. It is quite a surprising weapon: an enormous flak cannon, longer than she is tall, large enough that you'd expect to see it mounted on an aircraft, not slung over a human-sized shoulder.
She hums as she approaches the client, Pip emerging from her shadow again as she does, still chewing on his toothpick. The revolver at his hip is much more reasonable than his lover's monstrous gun. "Ah, hello. We're with the escort squad as well. Seras and Pip, at your service."
"I wouldn't listen to fortunetellers, kid." Pip advises, casting an amused look at the madwoman with the snowglobe. "Futures can always be changed. Assuming they're actually predicting the future, and not just stating the obvious."
Then he turns to grin at Ratchet. "Well, well, if it isn't the galactic 'hero'. Rare that people find a mercenary worth praising. I'd love to go a few rounds with you, sometime."
"Down, boy." Seras admonishes, gently tugging at Pip's long ponytail like a leash. "No fighting amongst comrades."
"Aw, don't be like that, love. I'm just asking for a sparring match."
"Your last 'sparring match' ended with us having to flee the planet."
"That was an accident."
They stare each other down, and Seras breaks first, giggling a bit before pecking him on the lips. "Assuming he even agrees to it, make sure you don't break anything or seriously hurt him."
"Of course. I am a professional." He assures.
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
WOAH
Ratchet and Clank-Elevator Terminal
The two weren't waiting at the terminal for too long before being accosted by a very...lets say spirited robotic lady.
"Uh, It's...nice to meet you?" Ratchet says as he takes Susie's business card and tries to remember what he's heard of the Haltman Work Company. Haltman, HWC...Right, they're a massive corporation like Gadgetron or MegaCorp, that's been trying (and failing) to find footing in the Solana, Bogon and Polaris galaxies for a few years now. They're doing pretty well outside of those galaxies though, and judging from Susie's presence here, the Stella system is their next target for expansion.
Ratchet's just starting to wonder what kind of heavy ordinance they offer when Susie bombards him with a deluge of questions.
"Iiiiiiiiiii don't think-" Aaand that's as much as he gets out before she's cutting him off, introducing him to some people she's apparently with, then dragging him along (Wow, she's strong for a lady with no arms!) to a group of even more people gathered around a shady fortune teller's booth.
Clank slips off of Ratchet's back in the confusion and watches his friend's predicament with a chuckle, commenting "Ah, the perils of fame. Hehehehehehehehe."
Clank turns to Cibo as she greets him, and her compliment has him holding a hand to his chest in pleased happiness. "Why thank you, Ma'am. If I may offer a compliment in kind, your "look" is wonderfully organic in design," he replies. "My name is Clank. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Cibo."
Getting back to Ratchet, he's got to admit, as annoying as it might be not getting a word in edge wise against this pushy secretary, it was nice to be recognized and given respect upon visiting a new galaxy for once (with the exception of one a**hole felinoid).
Nice enough that the praise might be getting to his head a little bit-just in time for him to finally get a word in.
"Ok, well, Susie, Clank and I have got some official business of our own down on the planet's surface....buuuuuut we might be able to help you guys out-depending on what this escort job entails. Right, Clank?" Ratchet asks, tilting his head to peek at his back, only to find that his best friend is no longer affixed to it. "Clank?"
"Right here, Ratchet," Clank speaks up from where he's talking to Cibo. "And indeed, we would be happy to assist however we are able."
At Pip's request for spar, Ratchet gives him a confident smirk. Where anyone else might be intimidated by hearing about a sparring match that resulted in having to flee the planet, Ratchet instead takes it as a challenge. "Sure, I'm not opposed to going a few rounds. Though I'd have to keep it to my weaker weapons. Just to be fair to you, y'know?"
"Perhaps we should wait until we are on the planet's surface-and far away from any settlements- before we agree to any potentially destructive duels?" Clank helpfully chimes in.
Edited by Dezmo on Apr 17th 2024 at 12:32:09 PM
Abathur
Elevator Terminal
"I have not. And I am starting to doubt your relevance and that of the Cibo cyborg, for being sidetracked so easily by every "heroes" you come across. Why not drag every lifeform of this station into this mess, while you're at it." Giegue answered Susie, his face screaming "not impressed".
His ears perked up when he saw her grab Ratchet's hand. The alien was quick to deduce what she was doing.
"Wait, you are seriously not consider-"
Too late. Susie was gone, enthusiastically dragging Ratchet with her. Giegue looked at the scene, dumbfounded.
He let out a groan as he facepalmed himself, almost clawing his face. There were already too many people on this mission for his comfort, why did he have to tolerate two more?? Sadly for him, others were already starting to express their interest in the duo. Apparently, they knew of them as well and were willing to trust them. At this point, arguing would be pointless. Giegue convinced himself to give his teammates the benefit of the doubt.
Looking away and folding his arms, Giegue begrudgingly followed the secretary, just staring at her as she introduced Ratchet to everyone else. The alien took that opportunity to give his name to the duo and his client, that was the least he could do.
"Since our supposed co-ordinator is too busy squealing praises about you and your metallic friend, I shall make a summary for you in her stead. That boy, the offspring of a politician, needs to acquire a ship down there and pilot it to get to the star of this system, as part of a local tradition. Our work is to escort him during his pilgrimage. We have been informed by his father about potential threats, mainly reptilian lifeforms running rampant alongside likely petty criminals, nothing too remarkable. Potentially, we also may have to deal with a cosmic anomaly with great power approaching this planet, which might be the only noteworthy thing on this mission." Giegue coldly explained, straight to the point as if he was talking to his Starmen. He almost expected Ratchet to do the typical beep and clicks his cybernetic minions could do.
Giegue then glared back at Zeemi.
"Though given that he is naive enough to waste his resources with the first charlatan he finds, I believe that we will have to do more than simply escorting." he dryly added.
Giegue could totally understand why Everett wanted to know his future. He was nervous, afraid of the journey. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Giegue wasn't strange to this feeling either, he could almost sympathize with that if he really wanted to. But damn it, that Centerran boy should choose his fortunetellers more carefully.
Edited by Scipion3 on Apr 16th 2024 at 4:03:40 PM
"Unacceptable. Must eliminate. No trace left."
The Gayest Bowser
Himeno and Don - You Can Practically Hear The Muzak Playing
Himeno follows the others into the elevator terminal wordlessly; satisfied at how cleanly everything had gone. Well, other than the alien's incessant complaining about everything and everybody. Which continued in the stroll to the stall, at which point the queen spoke up.
"You're not especially fun at parties, are you?" Himeno asks Giegue; her tone mostly playful. "The charm of stands like this is exactly that they're sketchy and pointless. They're novelties! Then again...I think some of that tape's falling off."
"They're certainly sketchy." Pipes in Don from behind her.
"Where's your sense of fun?" She asks Don.
"It's being pushed aside by my sense of pain."
"Sense of-? Oh."
Himeno had spent the past five minutes having entirely forgotten that she still had the pirate's arm in a vice and lets go. She lets go so abruptly that the pirate's arm whips back around to smack his own waist.
"Ah!"
"Sorry."
"You almost gave me an indian burn!"
The Gokaiger rubs his arm sheepishly, all while trying to get a better look at the stall. She wasn't kidding. Thing was cobbled together on hopes and dreams. And those dreams looked crushed. By Earth standards, it'd have 2 OSHA violations off the bat. Was OSHA galactic? Probably not.
In an effort to keep things positive, Don tilts his head and looks at Everett.
"What kinda fortune ya hopin' for?"
"Doctor, I did say look for the Spymaster. Or should I say Spy....Master?"
The Light That Blinds
How to Spot a Scammer (Aquarius)
"I am right here," I say dryly, in response to Pip's comment. Seriously, did he just forget I existed or something? "Though I don't...entirely disagree with you. I've always believed free will sets fate in motion."
For example, you could steal something, and that could subsequently lead to Dark Matter eating a planet and the impending end of the galaxy.
I look over at 'Nauyu Zeemi', raising an eyebrow. "Though you do know that's a snow globe and not an actual future-telling device, right?"
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
Bastion, Elevator Terminal
A security guard for the terminal takes one look at the various weapons being carried inside such as Seras's cannon and Titus's...everything and briefly considers stopping them before simply sighing and returning to a book he was reading. There's such a thing as a "pay grade" in this galaxy, and this situation is well above his. Everett, meanwhile, practically jumps at Aquarius clearing his throat, whirling around to face him.
"Oh, you're the guy my dad hired to-'one of?' How many did he...?"
He looks around, seeing the crowd that has now gathered in the terminal and the varying, unique flavors of "scary beyond all reason" they each embody
"...Of course he hired a small army...and giant winged reptiles?"
He's gone pale, though he does at least seem to improve a bit upon meeting Cibo.
"...I am...both intimidated and reassured so I think that's a good thing?"
His attention (and hand, for that matter) is then grabbed by Susie, whose handshake he accepts without even really thinking about it.
"I...think Dad's mentioned you before, or at least the company, yeah..."
Upon the mention of Ratchet, his eyes practically light up.
"Wait, no way, I have figurines of those guys!"
He then appears to immediately realize how dorky he just sounded and proceeds to verbally backpedal.
"...Which are...collector's...items and a sound investment-"
The poor kid doesn't even have an answer for Titus, just staring up in obvious fear as the space marine stomps over, though he does manage to mutter an answer for Alia.
"...It was. It was...going pretty good, and then the last five minutes happened and I don't think my legs are moving anymore."
Seras and Pip's approach seems to bring Everett's emotional rollercoaster back up a few notches, if nothing else, as his eyes lock onto the immense cannon she's carrying.
"No offense to anyone else, you're all...really cool and I know my dad hired experts, but can I just...stand...behind her like, the entire time? I'm not a strategist but that seems, uh...is 'optimal' the word? I don't know military. I'm, uh...an art student."
The fortune teller, meanwhile, seems confused by Giegue's comment, putting a hand to her chin as if lost in thought for a few moments. She's clearly deeply contemplating the accusation he's just levied against her.
"...I dunno who 'Charlie Tan' is, my name's Zeemi. I'm the local witch around here!"
Or...she's just an idiot.
"Witches and fortune tellers aren't the same thing."
"Have you met a lotta others?"
"...No."
"I rest my case."
Yep. She's an idiot. Everett blinks a few times to purge that payload of idiocy from his head before answering Don.
"I was...hoping to find out if I'd actually complete this trial...I'm kinda nervous. It's...it's a really big deal here on our planet..."
"You'll be fiiiiine..."
She proceeds to rather pointedly shake the snow globe (complete with scarf-clad snowman inside) before lightly jabbing a purple-painted fingernail into Aqua's chest.
"Don't listen to Negative Neil here, I know what I"m doing. I just have...my own way of telling the future! Like this..."
She points at the now-shaken snow globe.
"All the stuff that's swirling around in there now tells me you'll be totally okay during the pilgrim-thingy. Oh, just gotta be careful around the God of Death when you run into him but that's no biggie."
Oh hey the client's hyperventilating now.
This post is sponsored by Amalgam Comics.
The Light That Blinds
Well, This Bodes Well (Aquarius)
...okay, she's not a scammer, she's just stupid. Hanlon's razor, I guess— wait.
"I'm sorry, god of death?" I repeat, staring at her in bafflement, then blink and murmur to myself, "Wait, does this have something to do with the giant winged reptile...?"
I decide to leave calming the client down to everyone else—I am not good at emotions—and instead lean in closer. "What do you mean 'god of death'? Can you see what it looks like? What we should watch out for?"
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
The Gayest Bowser
Himeno and Don - The What Of The Whoey-Whaty?
"I'msorryexcusemethewhatnow." Don asks, not changing expression...out of processing delay.
Himeno simply puts her hand to her mouth and lets out a hearty laugh. It was a blatant excuse to show off but also an attempt to put Everett at-ease. Whether the chicken or the egg came first was in fate's hands now.
"Then we'll simply cut this God of Death down to size and be on our way." The queen declares. "Gods are just immortal bags with status."
"Doctor, I did say look for the Spymaster. Or should I say Spy....Master?"
Bastion, Elevator Terminal
At Aqua’s question, the “witch” simply pouts before jerking a blue-nail-polish-adorned thumb at her sign.
This post is sponsored by Amalgam Comics.
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Ruri, Elevator Terminal
She wasn't upset. If she were upset that would mean she was an idiot and she wasn't an idiot. She didn't care what that malfunctioning murderous droid said, that insipid half-baked cyborg was no more to fit to lead than her previous commander. But she had given her a compliment. She could care less about Nergal, but working as a corporate wage-slave was something she was good at. It was the only thing she was good at. She wanted to get home, but if that proved impossible, switching companies wasn't a bad alternative. Perhaps it was in her interests to give her a chance.
That was the least of her concerns. She almost thought she was dreaming when she came to. A so-called fortune was dreaming, but a God of death was other. She dropped down from her drone's shoulder, brushing dust off the fortune teller's sign with a pair of fingers in a show of disdain. It was what she was good at.
"Fortune tellers are nonsense. A god of death is even more nonsense. If God was real, the universe wouldn't be filled with so much injustice or so many morons."
Even so she couldn't help but stare at the snowglobe. She didn't think it was cute, that would be stupid. But she couldn't look away. She leaned closer, gazing at the little snowmen as they danced. It was almost hypnotic...
"...i want one."
Edited by kkhohoho on Apr 17th 2024 at 9:24:38 AM
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
The Light That Blinds
Should've Brought Plushies (Aquarius)
...oh, come on.
I don't even bother suppressing a frustrated groan as I dig into my other pocket—the one that doesn't have the Talisman in it—and pull out three gold coins, tossing them on the stall.
"I don't have physical credits. But these are equivalent. Galactic gold coins—find someone from the Zodiac System, ask them if they're valuable, they'll say yes." Okay, so nowadays they're only valued for, like, symbolism purposes, but if you want to use them to buy things they still work (though you will get weird looks). "Again—what does 'god of death' mean? What does it look like? What should we watch out for?"
(Confession time: I do, in fact, have credits. A lot of credits, actually. Comes from using foresight to play the Star Stock market on House Taurus...okay, yes, it's very illegal, but it's for a good cause. Like averting the apocalypse.)
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
Breath of the Sun
Seras - Elevator Terminal
Pip actually laughs. "Oh, cheeky little thing. I'm looking forward to this, now. But your little robo-friend is right. Best to do this where no one would get caught in the crossfire."
Seras, meanwhile, frowns a bit at the clearly unstable woman and her prediction. "I'm assuming 'God of Death' is a title of some sort, not literal. I knew a bloke who got called an angel of death, but he was just a man, albeit a very skilled one."
"Or like how 'Nauyu Zeemi' is obviously an alias." Pip adds. "And a bad one at that. I mean, 'now you see me', really? You're supposed to be a fortune teller, not a magician."
"Oh, I didn't even get that. Huh." Seras blinks, realizing the pun. "Is- is that actually an alias, or did your parents just have a sense of humor?"
Belatedly, she realizes that the god of death thing could also be metaphorical in any number of ways; Seras herself is named for a goddess, so it could just mean some git named Thanatos would be coming after them.
"Anyway," She turns to Everett again, "You're more than welcome to stand behind me if there's ever danger. There's not much that can get past me, and in the extremely unlikely scenario we run into something I can't bring down with this old girl," She points a thumb at the cannon on her back, "I can grab you and run very fast."
"If there's something that you have to run from, ma chere, I think we're all thoroughly fucked." Pip points out. Then he winks, which in his case is indistinguishable from a blink. "And not in the fun way."
"Oh, hush. We won't actually see anything like that, I'm just trying to cover all bases."
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Abathur
Elevator Terminal
"Unlike you, I don't waste my time with pointless nonsense you call "fun". We are on a mission, not on a vacation, in case your feeble mind had not noticed." Giegue scoffed at Himeno in irritation. He then stared incredulously at Zeemi's remark, with an expression that rivaled that of Everett. Giegue even tried to peek into her mind, for good measure... but it was as if he was watching a TV static, and that was enough for him to back away from her.
"C-Charlie Tan? W-What in the-how do you function???" he said aloud. He shook his head and turned toward Himeno.
"A-And I am especially not dealing with such an imbecile. Just thinking about it is giving me a headache!" Giegue added, gesturing accusatively at the "fortuneteller".
Giegue cocked his head at the mention of the reptilian monster's name. "God of Death".
Bah. Probably just another exaggeration. The people of this planet were superstitious enough to include astral objects in their pantheon, of course, the local cosmic giant was included as well. It was not a true god. Just a big bad alien.
There were things worse than something like that in the universe. Giegue knew that.
Still, that was enough for the boy to panic. Giegue cringed in disgust and looked away. They had to babysit him too. He would have no part in it.
But he glanced back at Everett and a small part of him felt... wrong.
He did feel similar while he was preparing Earth's invasion once he had just matured. He still had to detach himself from the memories of his foster parents, especially her. He could not afford to fail. He was plagued with doubts, remorse, fear... It took a lot of effort for him to let go of that human weakness.
A weakness that resurfaced when he was reminded of her when he was defeated, but that was another story. The point was, he knew what Everett was going through. He could understand. Surely, maybe he could help him, right? Right?
...Fine...
That was the least he could do, at least for the mission's sake.
Gigue grunted in defeat as he returned, kneeled, and got face-to-face with Everett, looking him straight in the eye.
"Enough. Cease this foolishness at once. Take a deep breath and center your mind. That's an order." Giegue firmly said, staring intensively at him. Yeah, he wasn't the best at comforting people. His tone was, however, slightly softer than usual. Giegue let out a sigh and waited for a moment before continuing.
"We are aware of the importance of this trial despite what I think of it. And I don't blame you for feeling scared. You are young. Inexperienced. And this is no simple trip. It is an important one, and a dangerous one too. But you are no longer a child. You cannot afford your emotions to cloud your judgment. At this rate, you will never be able to negotiate properly the acquisition of your vessel. From what I understood, we have to escort you, but it will be up to you alone to seize one for yourself. If you start panicking and trusting the first cretin you come across, like that woman over here, you will never succeed." he continued, glaring quickly at Zeemi. He then looked back at his "teammates".
"As for this "God of Death" you are so afraid of... I agree with the others. Sending you into the frontline is both ridiculous and pointless. Our best fighters will handle it and other threats, assuming they are capable of something else other than gloating about who has the biggest cannon toy like they are now. Others will stand by your side and guard you depending on the situation at hand." Giegue finished.
Edited by Scipion3 on Apr 17th 2024 at 12:47:00 PM
"Unacceptable. Must eliminate. No trace left."
AKA Nixer
Cibo: Bastion (Elevator Terminal)
"Well aren't you sweet?" Cibo outright gushed at Clank's reply to her, clasping her hands together and smiling broadly. "I'm really interested in how you're so sophisticated even though you're so small! It's very cute. But don't worry, I won't open you up or anything. I hope we have a nice time working together!"
Now, what was everyone else doing? Oh, wait. The furball called Ratchet that was supposedly Clank's friend. She had to acknowledge him somehow, it was only fair. But she was falling far behind in this conversation.
So she just ruffled Ratchet's head and ears with her spindly hand, giving him a friendly-ish smile before turning her attention back to the group at large.
Cibo was... hard to read. Either she was so sincere that she was creepy, or something was inherently off about her.
"God of Death...? I hope that's not literal. That could be anything, though," Cibo frowned at this. "I thought of something very different from what I'm sure you all thought of. I mean, Seras and Pip here are describing that it could just be an impressive title. My first thought was a giant Machine. And our friend Giegue, well-"
She peered at Giegue, squinting at him for a moment, before chuckling and looking away.
"I get the feeling he thought of himself. But that's not much to go on. Everett, just leave this stuff for us to worry about. We'll get you through this, I promise."
She let out a sigh, looking down at the toolbox strapped to her back before slinging it around to her front and opening it up. It was full to bursting with random pieces of technology, with tools and gadgets strewn about amidst the chaos, through which she delicately picked through with her long fingers before selecting some kind of tube-shaped module and pulling it out from the toolbox. She shut the lid, secured the box onto her back again, and then wrenched open a panel on her forearm; inserting the module and plugging it into the wiring system before closing the panel.
A flex of her fingers, and an orange glow emanated from the port in the centre of her palm, which visibly trailed up from the smalle gaps in her arm's casing. It let out a low-pitched hum, and the glow from her palm seemed to let off enough heat to retract the air around her hand.
"I'll try this out if we get attacked. Simple plasma weapon. I'll stick with ballistics in my other hand," she informed, before letting the glow fade as she lowered her arm. "If any of you have advice for weapon modifications I can take, we could talk about that as we go. I intend to adapt depending on the situation, if that makes sense."
Edited by Enirboreh on Apr 17th 2024 at 1:24:03 PM
bork
Elevator Terminal
"He's right, Everett." Alia said, speaking up in support of Giegue - and didn't that come as a surprise, especially to Alia herself. "We've been tasked to keep you safe, but at the end of the day, this is your journey. It's your chance to show that you're growing, becoming something more."
Hearing of someone called the 'God of Death', and taking notice of how it affected her teammates, Alia held back from commenting on it. Whether it was a title belonging to a blowhard or a literal description, they had a job to do, and that was that.
"If I am to fight, I would be most effective at Everett's side. Range and time are what would most benefit me." Alia said, responding to Giegue's comment about who ought to be stationed where. Cibo's comment about weapon modification, meanwhile, drew her attention and caused her to speak up a little louder to get the attention of the rest of the team.
"I hope this won't be necessary, but I am able to copy other weapons and adapt them to my own system. If it is necessary for me to do that, you have my word that I won't share any secrets I learn from the process without permission."
Proud member of the AGOG community.
Ratchet and Clank-Elevator Terminal-Getting Busy in the Stella System
When the Galactic Federation contacted the Polaris Defense Force and requested aid in securing the Stella system from a curious uptick in criminal activity, and the PDF offered the service of its best and brightest heroes? Ratchet and Clank had agreed to it with no reservations.
It had been a quiet few years for the intergalactic heroes Ratchet and Clank. Since stopping the Prog twins and the Nethers from invading their universe a few years earlier, supervillain activity had practically dried up in the Polaris Galaxy. There had been no evil schemes to foil, invasions to thwart, giant death machines to stop. Just a level of peace that the Polaris Galaxy hadn't enjoyed since before ex-Emperor Tachyon had seized power.
Oh sure, there were still the occasional small gang of criminals here and there, but those were novice street thugs at best. Nothing that really warranted the intervention of two of the most accomplished heroes the Polaris Galaxy had ever seen.
Heck, even the Solanna and Bogon Systems had been experiencing unprecedented levels of peace.
It was ironic-when the two try to retire, a jilted ex-politician starts stealing whole planets and personally imprisons them, forcing them back into action. When the two reembrace their roles as intergalactic heroes, all the major crime dries up practically overnight.
The Universe has a wonderful sense of humor, and all that.
So yeah, when a chance to really get back in action and help a neighboring galaxy with its crime epidemic presented itself, Ratchet and Clank were ready to go.
Which brings us to the present. They had just met with a representative of the Galactic Federation here in Bastion, who had informed the duo that a group of Space Pirates was operating off of Centerra's surface. After being handed an elevator terminal pass, the duo had set off for said terminal, and were currently milling about waiting for the next available elevator.