New York
Torunn wanders through the wintery streets of New York, wearing a black Guns 'n Roses t-shirt and jeans with a dark green parka
◊ and a grey beanie.
◊ As snow crunches beneath her boots, she can't help but crack a smile at the various holiday decorations she notices on her walk, even sticking her tongue out to catch a little snowfall now and then.
Eventually, her trek brings her to Central Park, where she notices a group of people engaging in what she believed was called LARPing not too far from where she was. The Asgardian princess smirks a little, wondering if these Midgardians had been inspired by tales of her father's exploits. Even if they weren't, she couldn't help but find this pastime endearing.
Haafingar, near the Thalmor Embassy
The Odinsons
◊ are presently walking not too far from the Thalmor Embassy, continuing their search for Ovarr.
"Are you certain allowing her to make this journey with only that strange bird for company was wise, Thor? Surely, you haven't forgotten just how reckless she can be," Loki says. "Unless, of course, barreling headlong into a collapsing fortress or putting one's own friends at risk by unleashing an attack capable of annihilating the very room a certain battle was being fought in have suddenly become rational actions when I wasn't looking."
"She isn't a fool, Loki. If she needs us or Amaterasu to aid her, she'll be certain to send out a signal as quickly as possible," Thor assures. "Do you honestly think she'll go about casually revealing her true nature to whoever she might encounter? Besides, perhaps Amaterasu is already watching over her from afar."
Edited by IchigoMontoya on Dec 14th 2022 at 2:30:27 AM
New York
If she continues to look around, she may spot someone walking around in the distance who she probably did not expect to see in New York, and especially not by himself.
It's none other than Niko, who is carrying a small bag in one hand and has bundled himself up in thick clothing. But despite that, he's still recognizable. He's looking at a small list he has in his other hand, so he's not really paying attention to his surroundings, to the point that he almost walks straight into a street lamp.
... not that it would hurt him, but it'd be pretty embarrassing for him.
Haafingar
Well, speak of the devil, because in the far distance (far enough that were it not for his size and noticable tone of color they probably wouldn't have been able to see him) Ovarr is walking towards a waterfall near him. He's holding what looks to be food and some bottles. The Odinsons won't be able to catch up to him before he gets to said waterfall though, but they'll be able to see that he then flies through it, implying that there's an entrance hidden behind it.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Torunn looks understandably surprised to see Niko doing what appeared to be Christmas shopping in New York. She reaches down to scoop up a bit of snow, makes it into a snowball, and tosses it at the ground near his feet before he can walk headlong into a street lamp.
"Careful, Niko! I'd hate for that to become the defining moment of your first visit to New York!"
She walks over to him, a warm smile on her face.
"Getting your holiday shopping done, I assume? Or are you just looking for the best places to get panflaps- er, pancakes from?"
Thor and Loki, upon noticing Ovarr going through a waterfall, share a brief glance before quickly deducing that he must've entered either a cave or a secret base on the other side. Without a moment to spare, the brothers make their way towards the waterfall in question before walking behind it to see what Ovarr had passed through.
"If nothing else, we're bound to make this visit a memorable one," Loki remarks.
"Had I known we'd be entering his lair, I would've brought some mead as an offering," Thor says.
Edited by IchigoMontoya on Dec 14th 2022 at 3:05:59 AM
That gets his attention and startles him, partly due to his heightened senses letting him notice the snowball right before it hits the ground. ... makes one wonder how he'd even almost walk into a lamp to begin with.
"Who-", he mutters as he looks and notices Torunn.
"Oh, hi!", he greets her, then looks confused.
"Huh?"
Only now does he notice the lamp right besides him.
"Oh! Uh... thanks, Torunn.", he says, sheepishly smiling. He then glances down at his bag.
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise everyone at home with their gifts this year, so I came here to get gifts I can't find at home. I found some cool stuff already. Are you here to shop too?"
Thor and Loki will be met with a massive cave entrance that separates into many tunnels. Thankfully the trembling sounds of Ovarr's footsteps will tell them which tunnel they'll need to go into to continue following him.
Good thing Ovarr isn't flying anymore or they'd have had to guess.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Dark Fog, 14/12/2022 (previous
)
Space
Vessel LOCAL-1-02 destroyed
Vessel LOCAL-1-03 destroyed
Vessel LOCAL-1-04 destroyed
Vessel LOCAL-1-06 destroyed
Continue fire? Y/N -> Y
Requesting fleet LOCAL-3 for backup
Requesting turrets E-E-%-% to fire on target
Error: line of fire obstructed by fleet LOCAL-1. Fire anyways?
Request cancelled.
Lourent
Critical damage dealt to defense infrastructure. Rebuild? -> N
Vessel SUP-MINE-1 launched, arrives in 1:00
Returning vessel FIX-MINE-1
Shutting down
Onyxis
3 entities detected outside of critical range.
Labels given to new entities: UNK-1, UNK-2, UNK-3
Expanding defense structures, establishing drone ports...
Estraole
Physical harrassment detected by ST-1, ST-2, ST-3.
AI assessment: "A good swing with the turret should knock 'em out..."
Retargeting ST-1 to ANT-2, ANT-3
Retargeting ST-2 to ANT-4
Retargeting ST-3 to ANT-1
Firing
Expanding defense structures, establishing drone ports...
Astil
Expanding defense structures, establishing drone ports...
Requesting ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, ST-4, ST-5, ST-6, ST-7, ST-8, ST-9 to attack *
Request granted. Firing
Reprium
Entities inside critical range: SUPER, GAIA, PIRIM, JOKAIf it disagrees with experiment, it's wrong.
Requesting ST-7, ST-8, ST-9 to attack *
Request granted. Firing
Expanding defense structures, establishing drone ports...
"That, and enjoy the holidays at a place on Midgard my father often spoke of. Beautiful, isn't it?" Torunn replies, gesturing to the snow-covered Central Park with a sweep of her arm. "In the spirit of Christmas, I'll make sure Uncle Loki doesn't go sneaking lumps of coal into your stockings. My family would prefer not to reopen old wounds regarding a certain prank war and an illusion of Surtur."
She peeks at the list in Niko's hand, wondering who he might have left to shop for.
As the Odinsons follow the sounds of Ovarr's footsteps through whichever tunnel he'd gone through, they decide to make conversation along with way.
"Remember, say absolutely nothing about Iris. The last thing we need is Ovarr potentially becoming our enemy on top of everything else," Thor says, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"No, I think I'm going to open by mentioning that you're close friends with bloody Navitus, then hope he reacts by kindly offering to help keep our little secret," Loki replies, his lips curled into a wry smile.
"It's pretty, but it's also way too cold for my liking.", he says, shivering a bit. "I can't use my powers to warm myself up 'cause it'd probably freak people out here, so I gotta rely on this jacket."
He then snickers a little.
"If he sneaks coal into my stockings I'll have some materials to train with, so the joke'd be on him."
He notices Torunn being curious and lets her look on his list. It only has Sarah's and Sandra's names on it, which may confuse her, but before she has to ask anything Niko already explains.
"I write down the names of everyone I already have a gift for. If I see something in a store and think 'oh, Uncle Argo would probably like this' for example, then I write down his name so that I'll know I already found something for him.", he says, smiling.
Right after Thor gives his answer, he and Loki may suddenly be started by a bark from right around the tunnel corner. Milo and Duckus
◊ then come from around said corner, with the duck looking strangely amused.
"New guests, huh? What're you whispering about?", he asks. His tone of voice when he says 'guests' heavily implies he knows they weren't actually invited in here.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.The Typhon
The Typhons odd, paradoxical connection to the warp mixes with Zyrs influence, causing the species to learn. To, while thinking practicly, not think creatively enough to consider god, or things beyond them. Through the influence of the warp, they begin to learn. Practical design, how various things work. They could already interface with, and mimic machinery and objects, but now they can better understand them. Their own neurons modifying with this new info. While they do not speak, or feel much, they do understand that these tools will aid in their species survival, up until survival is no longer possible.
Smaller, headcrab shaped typhon known as Mimics strech along and group up, forming odd, albeit rather simple, structures and weapons throughout various parts of the station, often near other entities. before, they could only mimic, turning into near perfect copies of another object via strange manipulation of reality. now, they can design. They still do not understand much, but knowledge is flowing in. and of the warps potential.
A taller, more humanoid entity, known as a phantom, teleports and flickers around, picking up some of the tools, joined by others, albeit they dont arm themselves. Suddenly, they disappear, as their already esisting psionic abilities interface with the more volatile warp of the arena, tearing them, somehow safely, through the warp, down to the arena itself, alongside a few mimics.
In the meanwhile, other large, floating entities, telepaths and technopaths, begin to use their abilities to control the remaining human and mechanical crew of the station, at least those they CAN control. Instead of having them wander aimlessly though, they put these bodies to work, gathering equipment, constructing devices, using schematics, experimenting.
This species has been given a signal which they needed, A species capable of ambushes, but never before of artistic thought, only of their own survival. However, they have begun to understand ways to improve it, after all, they rely on killing to do so.
Edited by ReynTheLord on Dec 14th 2022 at 5:20:02 AM
Torunn delivers a playful punch to Niko's arm.
"Come on, at this point, they probably wouldn't even blink at someone with your powers."
She raises an eyebrow at how short the list was, then nods in understanding when Niko explains his reasoning.
"In that case... I suppose I wouldn't mind a beautiful dress, should you happen upon any."
She shows him a wry smirk.
"What? Just because I like training with Brunnhilde and the Valkyries, doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be feminine every now and then."
Thor and Loki wheel around to find themselves greeted by... a dog and a talking duck, of all beings. Suffice to say, both Odinsons are suitably nonplussed by the unlikely welcoming committee.
"So, this is who Ovarr lives with. At least we didn't encounter that red-furred woodland beast who sounds like Heimdall," Thor remarks.
Loki shakes his head, as an exasperated sigh escapes his throat.
"Keep mentioning that dream, Thor, and we might actually encounter this strange creature."
He then offers their hosts a smile.
"Ah, hello there! Oh, where have my manners gone?" he says. "I'm Loki. My brother Thor and I were hoping for a chance to speak with Ovarr."
Edited by IchigoMontoya on Dec 14th 2022 at 4:25:12 AM
Tropique
"I get being a softie... And I get choices. I do. Giving people the benefit of the doubt they'll change led to me after all, and if led to, nicer things."
She coiled her tail a little more around where Joseph was, almost as if she needed some reminding. Joseph say up a little and leaned against her, going back to reading his book as Ody'nami opened the bottle, sniffing at the contents. It seemed every dimension has the worse stuff imaginable as a recreational drink.
"But I've also seen someone do the same to others who did not learn their lessons. Who caused more hurt. If you are to be this wall, and to be this great judge. You must deeply consider who shouldn't be given your wrath as executioner.
I'm glad you find people to spar with for... Fun. But I have met people who fought not because it was fun, but because fighting was all they knew. They didn't need to fight. They just had been raised to extra their might over others. Because submitting was worse than death. And that's the kind of company I've had to fight. I guess their is a slight catharsis in-"
"Ody'nami."
She quickly swiveled her hand to see Joseph looking back at her, his gaze telling of how... Intense she had gotten. Joseph might not have been socially outgoing, but he definitely knew that this might be, going overboard. She looked a tiny bit embarrassed, and decided to try and drink the brew handed to her, coughing as it went down.
"Still taste like cleaning fluid... Regardless of dimension."
Awawa"Are you sure? Isn't Earth kinda all like 'run for your lives' whenever someone shows off powers?", Niko asks. He then gasps.
"A whole dress? Do you think I can afford that with my meager allowance?"
He gives her a moment of silence, then smirks a little.
"I'll keep an eye out for one.", he laughs, revealing that his dramatic response from just now was just him teasing.
Duckus seems surprised by Loki's polite introduction, but also pretty pleased.
"Loki and Thor, huh? I've heard about the two of you.", he says, then patting Milo on his head.
"I don't think Psyco'll be complaining if we guide you to the inner structure of the caverns. That's where he and Ovarr spend most of their time."
Milo turns and starts walking back. Duckus looks at the Odinsons and gestures with his wing for them to follow.
In a colder area of Skyrim, one cold enough that a blizzard is brewing, strange sphere-shaped silhouettes start to become visible within the freezing squall. They're floating, and they seem to be moving around too.
Edited by DevilPsyco on Dec 14th 2022 at 1:37:59 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Vague Skyrim again
The shivering man notices orbs in the distance, and disbelief then fear appear in his face as he falls to the ground, attempting to flee on frostbitten feet. He glances at them, and realize he's not long for this world if he's that cold: his weak body will give away. And he'll die of cold. Cold! He who could produce a star to warm himself with, if he ever so felt a light breeze!
This is humiliating. Either he asks for help and perhaps get killed or he doesn't and die, alone, abandoned, forgotten. Both options absolutely intolerable for someone as prideful as he.
Asked what he'd do in this situation, the man would have laughed at the notion of needing help, about a day before. He would've said he'd die his pride intact, because his life was one he built alone and no one would ever help him. That if he ended up needing to beg to be saved, then it was better to die, because no one with his amount of power would ever need to be rescued from danger.
Yet, as he freezes, he finds a sated pride not worth the price of looming death. And thus, he call out!
HELP!!!! HELLPPP!!! I AM WOUNDED! HEELPPPP!
Edited by Bolded1 on Dec 14th 2022 at 1:48:55 PM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterTorunn laughs along with Niko, though she does flash him an appreciative grin.
"Don't worry, if you manage to find one, I won't force you to dance with me the first time I wear it."
Gesturing for him for follow alongside her, she resumes her trek through Central Park.
"You know, if you have enough time once you're done shopping, we ought to check out that plaza with the enormous Christmas tree I like to call Yggdrasil. I heard it's supposed to be quite the spectacle."
Thor and Loki follow after their unlikely hosts/tour guides, studying the cave's interior along the way.
"I'm not a good dancer, so I think it's in both our best interests if you don't force me.", Niko laughs. He then walks alongside her.
"Oh, I heard about the big tree! But I didn't find it yet.", he says, sounding excited about seeing it. "I'd say we can go now, I'll shop later."
They'll find the structure difficult to memorize due to it all looking mostly the same, with the two animals leading them through what one would almost describe as a maze of tunnels. Hopefully Thor and Loki won't have much trouble finding their way out again afterwards.
After a good few minutes of walking, with Duckus remaining quiet as they go, they'll end up arriving into a larger cavern room, littered with tons of stuff one would see in a lab.
"Be careful not to step on anything, Psyco never cleans up his stuff.", Duckus whispers to the Odinsons with amusement. He then looks around.
"Oh, speak of the devil!", he chuckles as he spots Psyco standing near a table at the end of the room. Some of the bottles Ovarr was holding earlier are also standing on that table, meaning that Duckus must have led them to the right place, even if Ovarr isn't in this specific room.
The orbs seem to creepily and swiftly turn towards the sound of the freezing man's voice. Something only clear due to them now sporting some glowing Tron-like spots and lines, all of them now 'looking' in the man's direction.
Some of the orbs fly towards him, and as they come closer the man will be able to see their utterly strange, almost archaic design once they get close enough so that the snow no longer obscures their appearance. They're obviously made of some sort of steel, yet somehow they look both futuristic and ancient at the same time. Their stilted, robotic movements as they 'look' the man over also indicate that they're futuristic in some way.
The lines on one of the orbs start to glow a different, brighter blue color as it seems to briefly scan the man. Some panels slide open on it to reveal a screen. Words appear on it, but the man will have no idea what they mean, as they are in a completely different language. Which may not immediately give him much hope of being helped.
Three of the orbs then descend to the ground and float in a triangular pattern around him. The lines on them turn red, and the man may figure for a moment that they're about to sound an alarm and annihilate him with weaponry or something. Regardless of if he does, he'll probably be very surprised when instead of that, the orbs start to vibrate and give off warm air, warm enough to block the cold from the blizzard and give the man a chance to slowly start to defrost. The scan must've conveyed to them that the man's body temperature was much too low.
The orb that didn't descend now retreats back into the blizzard while the other three stay with the man, giving him time to recover.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Mark and Hyu
"You choose. Hence the purpose of the symbol. I wouldn't know. My best guess would be somewhere... Casual? Like a club, or a sparring field."
She looked back a little perplexed that he himself didn't know, but she figured it was such a sudden request that it had caught him off guard.
"Tell me wanderer... Are there no social hubs you have come across you'd wish to have the company of another at."
Vague Skyrim
A figure watches within the blizzard, nicely hidden in the snow bank. The cold bit past their split horn helm, and their robes flowed back elegantly in the harsh wind. Their eyes were fixates on the orbs, as they wishes to hide themselves from sight. And so they dug themselves into the frost, and remained hidden, glaring at the odd forms as they interacted with the man.
Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Dec 14th 2022 at 5:27:58 AM
AwawaTorunn puts an arm around Niko as they walk, an excited grin spreading across her face.
"Then let's not waste another second!"
Once they've reached the laboratory-esque room of the caverns, Loki clears his throat in order to get Psyco's attention.
"Long time, no see! Tell me, do you know if Ovarr's in the mood for conversation? Thor and I wanted to discuss something with him."
Thor simply greets Psyco with a wave, as he looks around at his new surroundings.
"Well... this certainly isn't what I expected Ovarr's lair to be like."
Edited by IchigoMontoya on Dec 14th 2022 at 5:29:10 AM
Intrigue
Awww, he's such a good boy! Miles squealed within his own mind. Wait, is Cube a boy? Eh, probably not an appropriate question to answer.
The human figured he might as well ask, "So, how about we trade some info about each other? You know, the places we come from, our hobbies, that kind of stuff?"
"Yeah!", he happily says, continuing to walk with her. He'd expected just a day out shopping in the cold, but it had already turned out to be a much better day than he had anticipated.
Psyco only glances at first, but when he recognizes Loki he fully turns to look at him.
"Oh, hello! I didn't expect to see you here. At least not through that entrance, the tunnel system is complicated enough that people can get lost and starve to death in it."
He ponders aloud.
"Then again, the only other entrance is too small for you to go through so I guess that was your only choice."
He then chuckles at Thor.
"Ovarr's lair? No, this is my lair. Ovarr's just my freeloading friend.", he explains. He then looks back at Loki.
"Yeah, he seemed pretty bored, so I'll be shocked if he's not up for it. I'll go get him if you want."
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.The man seems scared as the orbs converge on him, regretting his past decision instantly. He should have taken his chance with nature in itself! Or at least, tried to hang on just a little while longer to get somebody else, not cold... cold things, what even are they?! His tired eyes come alive a little bit in sheer confusion, unable to deduce what he's looking at.
No! Back off! L-leave me alone! I am ordering you to... left alone, the man joins his hands together in praying mumble, hoping to dissuade them through speaking very fast so as to beg even faster, and he anticipates the sudden warmth around him to be the preparation of some attack.
Which it isn't.
Instead, he's bathed in a warm red glow, emphasis on the warm. And though his body is still ravaged by frost, and what seems to be large wounds on his ravaged chest, it's a welcome relief. Instantly, his guard drops, and he smiles in relief. Ah... T-thank you, odd things. he speaks, his relaxed voice carrying hints of a French accents. You are earning the favors of a very powerful, if diminished, one.
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterIf the orbs spotted the new arrival at any point before they hid themselves, they did not react. It's likely that they did not notice them.
One of the orbs warming the man now also opens some hatches to reveal a screen. More words that the man won't recognize are cycled through. Until they stop on some words that will make sense to him, as they are in English.
NEW LANGUAGE DOWNLOADED. IS THIS LANGUAGE CORRECT?
Meanwhile, the new arrival may notice the fourth orb beginning to make its way back towards the others, being accompanied by a humanoid silhouette that's following it.
Edited by DevilPsyco on Dec 14th 2022 at 2:57:25 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.

From The Void (Solopost)
A signal reaches an odd species, a message. A psionic communication. One which calls for a species, like moths to a flame. Both urges and tides of fate bring something strange into the sky of the arena. A space station. Zyrs calls have been answered by the arena itself in an odd way, as a large space station begins to orbit the arena's moon... The Talos 1 Space station.
◊ (Credit goes to respective artists and to bethesda, arkane studios, and all others related to Prey's development and art)
Aboard the station, strange, fluctuating entities roam around, with husks of corpses littering the halls, turrets and brief barricades all around, hull breaches, various other problems... and wonders of technology also aboard.
But what was called here were the strange, fluctuating entites aboard, called here by zyr. Intelligent, but without emotion and empathy. And, while they should be souless, they instead seem to have evolved to integrate forces similar to the warp into their biology actively. Psykers which by all rights, due to lack of empathy and emotion, should be blanks.
These are the Typhon.