[Northeastern Desert ~ Desert Trail (Wagon)] (Oswald, Gwion, Iraal, Nemaforte, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Zuri)
Oswald was silent and motionless throughout the talk that surrounded him, appearing almost as a very strange looking puppet tucked in secretly among the other riders. However, after some time, much listening, and a little more thinking beyond that, his already long mouth drew back further into a smile. It wasn't visible to anyone at that particular moment, but he soon raised his head from out of his knees.
"The unfamiliar frequents the space of dreams. I have a tendency to drift into dreams myself. Perhaps it should come as little surprise that you all seem less familiar than my usual company."
He closed his eyes for a moment, his smile slowly turning into a soft wince. His arms slid down from his knees to brace against his waist. "Ah..." he murmured, eyes searching the air, "...I hate to ask more of you, but I am besieged by a ravenous hunger that does not long stomach courtesy."
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site (Outside Truck)] (Rip, Lupin)
The patience seemed to visibly drain out of Rip's eyes as Lupin went on. He flexed his jaw back and forth, teeth grinding lightly and forming an odd sort of grimace. However, as Lupin finished, Rip's expression pulled into an even odder sort of smile.
Raising the stone again, he spoke slowly, his voice a raspy drawl, "I don't give a rat's petunia-perfumed ass what this spirit wants. I didn't invite it to invade my rock. It's caused me nothing but trouble, and if I can't get it out, I'm going to be casting this thing into a ravine. Maybe teach the damn thing a lesson. Yeah," he nodded, "on the perils of invading a man's property and trying to assault him with it. The nerve."
He turned his eyes away, brow furrowed in irritation. It took a few seconds of glaring, misdirected at innocent desert shrubs and boulders, but he returned his attention to Lupin, the anger gone. He tipped the stone this way and that then—in a much more level tone—said, "Anyway, don't go worrying your head about drastic measures. The only thing this spirit can move is the stone, and it's not particularly strong," he held out his hand with the rock pinched between two fingers and his thumb. "Here, want to hold it? You'll see."
edited 23rd Jul '16 2:20:08 AM by Ryuhza
every little word and every little step
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Northeastern Desert -> Forest (Wagon) (Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Oswald)
Zuri listened with wonder at what Iraal said about other civilizations cutting holes in their skulls for cultural purposes. She surmised that such a practice could have to due with the third eye as a way to "expose" it in a way... and maybe that was at least part of the basis behind Nemaforte's magical abilities. Iraal said these third eyes were not functional, but Zuri doubted that, especially since Iraal had said herself that she wasn't at all familiar with magic and spiritual concepts. She even confirmed it just now when addressing Gwion, essentially admitting that Nemaforte and Zuri were the magic experts here.
"Really?" Zuri remarked. "That's... interesting. I've never heard of such a practice - though from a spiritual standpoint, it makes sense, at least to me anyway. But spacefaring civilizations, eh? I've never really looked into the matter myself, but that must also be an interesting thing to investigate."
"So you two are opposite," said Nemaforte. "But yes, even on Orenya no such procedure exists. We're all born with third eyes. Spacefaring... that means traveling to the stars and moons, right?"
Meanwhile, Oswald lifted his head, and remarked about being hungry. Seemed obvious enough given the state he had been in, and since he was more lucid now, he might be more accepting of it.
"Of course," Zuri replied, "we have plenty of food. I mainly just have jerky and biscuits and some nuts... hmm, but there's not a lot in my bag." She was digging around in the bag of supplies she had hastily taken from her classmates before they left, and discovered enough food for herself and maybe one other for the round trip, but she was going to save it for Nemaforte who hadn't brought anything besides her herbs.
She looked over at Teri, Wolfe, and Gwion, hoping that they would be able to offer something, but she tentatively gave Oswald a piece of jerky in the meantime. And then she heard Scents ask them about her and Iraal's technology. Zuri smiled and shook her head.
"I'm not that familiar with any technology," she muttered, mainly to herself. "I barely know how to use a cell phone and maybe a couple of computer applications. I imagine you're not either, Nemaforte."
"Technology?" Nemaforte asked, gazing up at the roof. "Never heard of it."
As they talked, the trail finally entered the forest before the mountains, winding among trees that became more and more dense as they went on. A steady drizzle still fell all around, causing overhanging branches to be dripping water onto the wagon and its driver and horses.
I imagine the forest would be close by, since Oswald came from there and he couldn't have gotten very far in the desert before encountering the wagon group.
Northern Desert - Rip's Truck (Rip, Lupin)
Lupin listened as Rip made further remarks about the stone, and the more he did, the more he pressed his palm onto his face. Not only did Rip not seem to care about the spirit in the stone, but he planned on just tossing it somewhere?
"Oh for the love of..." Lupin mumbled, but his voice trailed off as Rip paused for a bit.
Rip continued by telling him not to worry about the stone because the spirit wasn't that strong, even holding out the stone for him so he could try holding it. Though Lupin removed his palm from his face, he didn't bother taking the stone just yet, instead sighing in exasperation.
"You complain about not inviting it in..." he remarked flatly, his voice low and almost as raspy as Rip's, albeit much more quiet. "Well, what did you think would happen when you got the stone, knowing full well it would attract spirits and the like? That's the problem with such objects - even if you intend it to attract a specific spirit, as people often do when seeking these things, if you don't know what you're doing, you may attract uninvited spirits to it instead."
"At any rate," he continued, "I don't think casting it in any old place would be a good idea. That's how hauntings happen. The spirit may not seem that strong now, but there's no guarantee it'll remain that way. A spirit is not like any ol' person, and can be unpredictable. I've seen many instances of hauntings being caused by similar careless acts and then allowed to worsen with time, like a cancer. In that case, your best option would be to get the stone exorcised, so the spirit can be free to go before the situation gets any worse. Unfortunately, that is not my area of expertise..."
He briefly thought of Zuri, wishing that she had come along, perhaps in place of Vicky, as she at least had experience with rituals like Merlin did. All Lupin knew about them was what he heard from Merlin, and from investigating haunted places with him. But as he gazed back at the picnic group for ideas, he saw Hazel, remembering how she was a necromancer and had ritual tools out earlier. For a moment, he thought that maybe that could be the reason why Rip didn't trust anyone else besides her - had he already asked her about the stone?
"Have you asked Corporal Yoon about it?" Lupin asked at last. "I'd be willing to help with the exorcism, but all I'd be able to do is supervise the spirit and make sure it behaves properly during the process. One of my classmates also has the power of astral projection and can thus become a spirit, and possibly knows about exorcism rituals as well, so she may also be able to help. Although if I am to help with this... maybe holding the stone would give me a better feel for it." He held out his hand as he spoke.
Ryuhza, in your post you can assume that Lupin would take the stone if Rip lets him, and explain any reactions the stone may have to changing hands.
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Small Valley/Valley Of the Dead God]
At a gesture from Zekarim, the soldiers lowered their weapons, though not too much. "I almost wish I believed in the Totems," he half-said, half-muttered. "Superstition would be a great comfort in this situation." But he shook his head. "No matter," he said. Then he sighed. "I am willing to let you and your crew do as you please, under three conditions. First, if the Dead God does something to you or your allies, we are not to be held responsible. We will warn you, but we know little beyond not to stick our noses into the things. Our previous Commissar failed to heed this advice, and is currently in an urn. Secondly," he took a breath, and very carefully said, "I must insist you tell me," he said, "precisely, and without any evasion, how you intend to ensure that nobody here sends unwanted word back to the First Advocate. There are some here whose minds are immune to magical alteration, keep in mind, and I imagine some of that would be involved." Frankly, he disliked making deals with mages in general, but was sick and tired of the Party. "Third..." he paused. "We will need some compensation for our risk. The People's Republic tends to deal ruthlessly with those outside the Party's inner circle getting too wealthy too quickly. However, we are woefully under-armed; give us a weapon that will help if a being of your power, and a far less sane temperament, decides our deaths would please them." He took a breath and said, "on those simple terms, the Dead God is your possibly-lethal playground."
Crazy Kiwi
Northern Desert - Picnic Site
[Hazel, Vicky, Yamiko, Mari, James, Kaitlyn, Kris]While he kept an eye on the cooking johnny cakes, James listened with interest to the exchange between Vicky and Mari about "superheroes". Thanks to Wolfe, he had seen a number of movies about superheroes. He had to admit that they had been enjoyable in their way, if rather unrealistic.
Considering Vicky had apparently used her ability to carry herself, her two companions and their enormous bundle of provisions from wherever the other group was near the mountains to this remote part of the desert - using only the power of her own mind - James could see how telekinesis "sorta" covered super strength.
Mari's comment - about people with such powers being considered superheroes, "on-call by the government", where she came from - was quite interesting, but not as much as the fact that she added "kinda like me."
James wondered how Wolfe would react to meeting an officially-recognised "superhero".
Kris and Kaitlyn returned to the group with bundles of fuel for the fire and settled down just in time for James to serve up fresh hot johnny cakes and offer them to Mari and Kris.
Kaitlyn gave Mari an appraising look. Courtesy of her enhanced hearing, she had heard the exchange between Mari and Vicky and was wondering what sort of ability - or abilities - the woman had that put her in the category of government-sanctioned superhero.
Trail to Mountains - Wagon
[Oswald, Iraal, Scents, Zuri, Nemaforte, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion]Zuri interjected about ghosts and such like but, to Gwion's relief, got distracted by something Nemaforte said. The young student seemed to have a habit of butting into other people's conversations, Gwion noted.
He shook his head at Iraal's question. "If there's any such technique, I've certainly never heard of it. My understanding of auras - from those I've met who say they can see them - is that they are the electromagnetic emanations from living things. Fucked if I know how you're supposed to 'bottle' that - it'd be like trying to bottle the electromagnetic field around a live electrical wire."
He gave a wry grin. "Bear in mind, that's my understanding from my own Earth, and it may not be how things work in other universes. In fact, on my Earth, opinion is divided as to whether or not auras exist and whether those who claim to see them can actually do so."
Teri looked at Scents and grinned. "You got that right. Your technology's far in advance of anything we had on Earth or have on Terra Nova. We've seen some similar stuff to what you have, but not up close."
Wolfe nodded. "As far as what we're used to, the maximum would be Kris' cybernetics and some of her personal electronic devices - she brought them with her from Earth and we can't even replicate or repair them on Terra Nova. For the most part, our technology is limited to whatever comes through from Earth - which is mostly small stuff carried or worn by new arrivals - and whatever can be made locally. My own, early twenty-first century, smart phone is far beyond anything that can be made on Terra Nova, but we do have radio communications."
At this point, Zuri interjected about not knowing much more than how to use a cell phone and a couple of computer applications and Nemaforte expressed a complete lack of understanding of the term - which puzzled Wolfe immensely.
He turned to Nemaforte. "Surely you must have at least some technology. How was the fabric of your clothing made if not by technological means?"
The wagon had entered the partial shelter afforded by the trees, which abated the direct drizzle a little but added larger droplets to the mix. Teri felt good to be back in woodlands again - even though these were not quite like the woods back home - and knew that the wagon ride would soon be over and they'd be continuing on foot.
As if reading her thoughts, the driver brought the wagon to a halt, looked back and announced that this was as far as he could go. Indeed, the trees closed in abruptly ahead and there was scarcely enough room here to turn the wagon about. Teri could see, however, a well worn narrow trail vanishing into the trees. No doubt they would be following that.
Wolfe eagerly swung himself down from the wagon and stretched his legs. After so long on the wagon, it'd be good to get moving under his own steam again.
Teri joined Wolfe and started helping him transfer provisions from the back of the wagon onto the pack horse that was still tethered to the rear of the wagon.
[Town ~ Bed & Breakfast (2nd Floor) —> Town ~ Main St.] (Jim, Minerva)
Jim made his way to the second floor. Entering the room on the left, he saw Minerva laying peacefully on one of the beds. Jim carefully lifted the girl over one shoulder before maneuvering her unconscious form into a fireman's carry. He grunted slightly under her weight, "Damn, girl, what the hell are you made of, lead?"
Jim carried Minerva out onto the balcony, making sure to stay out of sight of the Balamarian forces down below. Making his way to where Davey had told the others to leave the building by, he swung his legs over the railing, maintaining his balance so he wouldn't fall off or drop Minerva. Looking down, he squinted, a single thought crossing his mind: This is gonna suck.
Leaning forward, Jim dropped down, landing squarely on his feet. Pain shot through his left leg from the shock of landings. The fact that no pain registered with his right leg made him slightly concerned, but he chalked it up to a side effect of Irena's magic.
Heading towards the street, Jim glanced towards the train station. His heart sank when he noticed that Cynthia had been defeated by Captain Greer. Fortunately, the captain seemed to be preoccupied with other matters at the moment. Adjusting the unconscious girl on his shoulders, Jim headed south towards the hotel.
[Town ~ Outside the Bed & Breakfast/Train Station] (Capt. Greer, Cynthia, Davey, Irina, Samuel, Todd, Col. Von Strauss)
Captain Greer turned his gaze towards the two people who left the group. They headed in a westward direction, giving the captain an idea. Glancing down at Cynthia, he kicked her in the face one last time before heading over towards the Desert Fox. Climbing aboard, he demanded the radio be brought to him.
The radio crackled to life. "Grey Wolf, this is Captain Greer. The target may be passing by your location with another person. Be on a look out for them, and bring them in by any means necessary. Greer, Out." He tossed the radio back to the 'kruiser commander, before clambering off the vehicle.
The captain pointed at the MP who wasn't holding Colonel Von Strauss at knife point, "Go take care of his lieutenant." The MP saluted, before seeming to disappear from sight.
Turning back towards the Bed & Breakfast, and uncertain where the escaped prisoner had gone off, Captain Greer frowned. Passing by Cynthia again, he pointed his pistol at her head. He paused, before sneering, "You're as good as dead anyway, no sense in wasting bullets on you." Captain Greer continued heading towards the entrance of the Bed & Breakfast, service pistol aimed at the ground.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
A chill went down Lt. Ross's spine. She stuck her head out the door. The sight of the all black soldier behind her commander made her blanch. Popping back inside, she headed over to the table where the others were. She spoke to the group, "I need a bodyguard who isn't proficient in magic."
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
"Magic? You mean like— fairies and stuff?" Chelsea asked. "I can't say that I'm proficient in magic, but I can't say I'm proficient in bodyguard-ing, either. Creature, on the other hand—"
"Chelsea, no," Creature said softly.
She glared at him. "Creature, on the other hand, is a dirty coward, but he'll do what I tell him. I can attest that he's a pretty darn good bodyguard, very discreet. He can use a gun, though I think it's more fun if you let him just have a go at people. He's a very good fighter— he doesn't look it, but he can be quite vicious. You can rent him out, if you'd like."
Looking up at the lieutenant, Creature steeled himself. He gave a nervous half-smile. "I'd do my best," he said.
Attitude is prohibited
[Hotel] (Main Hall)
"Er, um, well," began Maya, a bit uncertainly, as she addressed James and John. "I could certainly take us all a safe distance away from the tanks. Did you say there was something in the desert, though?" She scratched her head. "I guess that complicates things, if that's true... Maybe there's a basement or a cellar that might be better..?"
Just then, Lt. Ross came back. "Um..." Maya began again. "Well, I'm-"
"Busy," Interjected Hana. "Although, why would you need a bodyguard? Aren't those people out there your comrades?"
PAINKILLER
[Town ~ Railway Street (Outside Bed and Breakfast)] (Davey, Capt. Greer, Cynthia, Irina, Samuel, Todd)
Samuel nodded. "I'll try, Dave."
"Don't try anything stupid," Irina said. She adjusted her bag, and sped away from the two, bound for a quieter, safer place than before.
She hoped that somehow, the Bed & Breakfast would stay intact. Davey and his friends treated her quite nicely—it would be a shame if their living space went up in flames.
Once the two ex-lovers were alone, Todd shifted in place. He commented quietly, "Was that... A talking otter?"
A smile crept up on Samuel. "You ain't seen half of it, Todd. But don't call him that. It's Davey." He set his arms akimbo, as if the man before him wasn't pointing a gun at him earlier.
"Sam... Those letters are dangerous to Serenica, not just the goddamn King. You know that, right? It's goddamn heresy Sam. And you're gonna listen to an old Nosferatu occultist?"
He nipped back, "It's not heresy. You know what is? Keeping secrets. Sleeping with me and planning on taking my stuff away—taking things I've worked to get. And calling a friend of mine a terrorist... That's low." Samuel narrowed his eyes. "What kind of man does that to the one he still loves?"
Todd just glared. He looked away, feeling heat come up in his cheeks. "I wish it was easy to leave everything behind Sam, and go back to what it was. But things... Have to go this way. Maybe one day, things will change again." Todd cleared his throat. "But, I legally have to arrest you if you keep resisting, and you know that."
New commotion erupted behind him. Samuel glanced back, and instantly ground his teeth. Shit. There has to be something I could do and keep the B & B standing...
Samuel made a heavy sigh. "You know what, I'll give the stupid letters back. It's causing enough troubles. But on one condition. You gotta help me get these clowns outta here." He gestured over his shoulder, to the tank, to the two warring commanders. "They're giving me a headache, and they've already threatened enough fuckin' damage, see?"
Todd shifted his eyes up. "Really? Oh, and how do you propose we get them to leave? It seemed to me they're after some girl." He leaned to the side, to see a piece of the action. "In fact, it seems know they're gonna kill each other."
Samuel grinned—a wild, wide one. "Remember that serial Volkain Raiders? The one we saw, with Comando Astaire, up against the troop of Volkains in the dunes?"
The Commander mulled it in his head. All he remembered up front were the terrible practical effects and wooden acting. He remembered laughing in the theater... Once Todd realized, he said, "He bluffed. He said he had twenty sand worms at his command. They were afraid of just that thought, and they..."
"Precisely. We're gonna bluff our asses off. C'mon, help me out. Go with me. Improvise."
The two walked alongside each other as they approached the Balamarian imbeciles.
Samuel came to cross paths with Greer. He stood in front of the Bed & Breakfast, at ease.
Todd bellowed, "There is to be military action here soon. I like to implore you all that this town is under command by Serenican military, on commission of of His Majesty, King Gerard II."
Samuel followed, with faux confidence, "We found a breach here on trying to attack civilian buildings. If you must carry out whatever the hell is going on here, we're asking you take it far away, see?" He saw that Cynthia was out cold, and terribly hurt. He had to stifle a grimace. Seems no one's invincible.
Todd gave a cold eye-sweep of his proceedings. "I brushed off the tanks here earlier. But now it's simply ridiculous."
[Edge of Main Street] (Irina, Davey — Serenican Soldier)
Irina slowed to a stop at the edge of town. Maya and Amy weren't in sight, at least not yet. Irina kicked the balance bar down to keep the hover bike afloat. She looked behind her. "Dasa freena bulsict."
That was until she heard a voice call out to her: "Hold!"
A Serenican soldier, once hidden between two buildings, came out into the light with a gun in tow. He was the rider who transported Todd earlier. "Irina Valadah, you are under arrest for treason. Step away from the hoverbike."
"Of all the places and times," she uttered. She glared right into the goggled eyes of the soldier. She considered riding away into the desert, but it would leave Maya and Amy vulnerable. Those girls have been through enough.
She fired back with, "This place is outside your jurisdiction, sir, and that is not your job of being here. From your clothes, you're nothing but a transport boy."
The rider still pointed his gun, although a bit nervously now. He looked to Davey, and wondered, What the hell is going on here ? Commander Todd, hurry.
Current Time: 3:00 PM
Current Weather: The drizzles began to subside across the Frontier, making away for slight clearing. However, it would be awhile before the clouds fully pass.
edited 25th Jul '16 6:11:52 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Town ~ Southern Outskirts] (Davey, Irina, Serenican Soldier)
Davey held on tight throughout the ride. He would have felt more excited by the rush of riding on an actual hovercraft, the likes of which—even in his strangest years—he'd never glimpsed past words on a page, but he couldn't keep his head forward. The bed and breakfast remained only a handful of blocks away—the town wasn't that big—but it pained him to take his eyes off of it. He worried for more than just the building. The conflict wasn't resolved; there were still people there— people who needed help. Leaving them behind made him feel sick. Guilty, even. As though his inaction was responsible somehow.
It wasn't a new feeling, and Davey knew that he was probably better off fleeing with Irina. Answering that need, that call to act—to step up to the plate—had frequently led him to many of his life's most miserable moments. He knew this too, but it still tore him up inside to ignore it.
It was only once they slowed down that Davey looked ahead. There was little of the town left beyond them, consisting mostly of old rundown businesses and small residences. The desert lay beyond; freedom, in a form. It was all twisted. The town was supposed to offer refuge from the inhospitable desert, not the other way around. It's out of your hands, he thought, no sense in ending up as a corpse trying to catch the rain.
As they stopped, he finally looked to Irina. It was just the two of them then, surrounded by much less noise than before, even with the hum of the motor. Just the kind of moment he'd been hoping for; one of peace and quiet, the air ripe to be filled with words. Starry-eyed bonding words. That's how he had pictured it in his head early that morning, or the evening before, unloading all of their luggage from the truck, when he'd first met Irina. Speaking to her and thinking, here was another chance. An- well, he didn't want to say experiment; he liked to think that he wasn't quite so shallow. But it was an opportunity to prove to himself, to the world, to Rip, that he had what it takes. That he didn't need crutches, or pity. He didn't need to tell his sob stories, he didn't need bribes. All he needed was himself to shake off his setbacks and stand tall. And more importantly, to be able to establish a real, intimate, human connection with someone else. It had been so easy. For most of his life, it had been... so easy.
Now these thoughts felt silly. Trivial, childish wants in the face of what they had escaped, and what yet awaited them. It was all sickening, but now wasn't the time to go to pieces. He had to be a certain way.
Irina said a few words in a tongue Davey still did not recognize, though he guessed it was some kind of a swear or maybe a prayer. For himself, he adjusted the gun sling drawn tight around his small shoulder and began, "All right, I think we have some time. Lets talk plans of action here. We're-"
Before he could continue, a new, commanding voice rang out. From his equipment and Irina's words, he was some kind of soldier, pursuing glory or some hardcoded sense of duty. Davey stared silently at the man, his expression passive. He blinked his dark eyes once, reached for the gun sling around his chest, then slid off the side of the hoverbike and toppled to the ground. He tumbled a bit, ending up lying on his belly with his arms pressed somewhere beneath him. It looked as though he had passed out.
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site (Outside Truck)] (Rip, Lupin)
Rip wore a sideways frown as he listened to Lupin's concerns. He scratched at his beard and said, "I don't know where you're getting these factoids, but I've done a lot of research myself. I don't go into these things blind, and frankly, I haven't heard of this stuff you're spouting so, you'll have to forgive me if it sounds like a Cass's Meat Market lunch sack of baloney." He shrugged, "Maybe you've just been fed bad chatter. It's easy to buy into rumors with somethin' like this. Somethin' so, uh..." he snapped his fingers several times as he struggled for the word, "esoteric, that's what Davey called it. But he isn't fond of will warping magicky stuff— he'd call any of it esoteric to give him an excuse to keep away."
He shrugged again, "Anyway, yeah, me and Yoon've got an understanding of a sort. I don't know about needing a third wheel though... especially not if it's going to be so square. But hey, if you want to hold it, go ahead."
Rip pressed the stone firmly into the young man's hand, looking him in the eyes for some confirmation that he had a secure grip on the thing. However, just as he was about to ask, "Have you got it?" the stone made a violent jerk towards Lupin. It slipped loose of Rip's fingers, and quickly shot past Lupin's wrist, barreling straight into the young man's chest.
"Have you got- shit!"
Rip reached out a hand to catch it, but the stone shot downwards, out of the way. It hit him in the knee, causing the man to swear again, then made a bee-line towards the ground, where it began dragging across the sand. Rip slammed his hurt leg down on the thing, pinning it to the ground at the cost of quite a bit of sharp, stinging pain in his injured joint.
"Merry Christmas fuck that hurt..." he hissed between clenched teeth. "Hey," he reached out to Lupin's shoulder, "are you all right? Sorry about that— devious little bastard, you know. Still want to hold it?"
if Lupin does choose to hold it, he can assume to retrieve it from the edge of Rip's boot
edited 14th Feb '17 4:51:24 PM by Ryuhza
every little word and every little step
[Hotel]
Bodygaurd. James thought, visibly annoyed, Like we can't take care of our damn selves.
"Well," he said, "I don't have any fucking ideas. That's why I came to you."
"James." John said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Don't be hostile. We can't afford that right now."
"Listen, the desert is filled with creatures, and the town, what I thought would be our safe spot, turned into World War Three. I am really not in the mood for any bullshit right now, John. Especially since I literally just got you back!" He turned back to Maya, "If any of you have an idea what to do next, I'm all ears! Please!"
John just sighed and kept petting Pancake.
edited 26th Jul '16 4:30:18 PM by Masterofchaos
[Forest Trail To Mountains: Wagon (Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Nemaforte, Zuri, Iraal, Scents, Oswald)]
Scents shook her helmeted head at what people were saying to her question. She still didn't have a clue what this Terra Nova thing was all about. And as for Nemaforte... she had to assume that was just another case of translation problems.
"I was thinking more about weapons than anything else," she said, joining the humans in taking supplies from the wagon to the horse. She was grateful for her helmet's filters - the horse probably would smell unpleasant when wet. "It's supposed to be a good idea for everyone to have a good idea what everyone else can do in a crisis."
Though we're already not going to do that.
She looked at Oswald and the jerky Zuri had given him. "By the way - I've got food, or rather the doc's got food, in the bot along with the stuff we have from town, but I ought to check now: can you actually eat the same things as us? You've met humans before, right - can you eat human food?"
Meanwhile, Iraal took a moment to adjust her floppy hat, then stepped off the wagon. She took a pack and slung it over her shoulders.
"Correct," she told Nemaforte. "It would be more precise to say starfaring civilizations, since I study those more than civilizations that never developed beyond in-system travel."
She turned and looked at her assistant. "Scents," she called to the vayen, "come get Student's Lament off the wagon."
As Scents returned and used her armor's enhanced strength to lower the bulky robot to the forest floor, Iraal looked back at Nemaforte. "If I may ask," she said curiously, "how far back does recorded history go on Orenya?"
I don't think any answer could explain why she wouldn't know what technology is. But perhaps that is just another linguistic problem. It was obvious that the translation effect in this realm - which was clearly not just her software - found the pointy-eared biped much more difficult than the humans or Oswald.
edited 26th Jul '16 6:10:35 PM by nrjxll
Crazy Kiwi
Forest Trail to Mountains
[Scents, Iraal, Zuri, Nemaforte, Oswald, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion]When Scents mentioned she was mostly interested in weaponry, Wolfe pulled his vest to the side to reveal his Walther P99, snuggly clipped into its Kydex holster on his hip. "In addition to the rifles we've got semiautomatic pistols to fall back on if required."
Teri moved her jacket to show the SIG-Sauer P226 in its leather holster on her belt and gave a smile.
Gwion canted his head and looked at the unmistakeable grip of Wolfe's pistol. "Great choice of sidearm. I carry one of those as a back-up weapon - it used to belong to my father."
Wolfe gave a grin. "Lucky for some! I had to fuckin' pay for mine." He turned and slapped the stock of the .22 rifle he had just loaded onto the horse and said, for Scents' benefit, "this beastie's just for getting fresh food on the trail."
Gwion turned to Scents and dropped his hand to the pistol holstered on his thigh. "This is a bit more high-tech than what the others have. It's got computer-assisted targeting capability - laser range finder, automatic trajectory calculations and virtual crosshair via neural link."
Which, thought Wolfe, eyeing up the pistol, probably explains why I can't see a rear sight.
Once Scents wandered off to get the robot off the wagon, Gwion helped Teri and Wolfe check the horse's load. He didn't know much about horses, as such, but he did know a secure load when he saw one.
Giant alien spiders are no joke.
Northern Desert - Picnic Site
- Hazel, Vicky, Yamiko, Mari, James, Kaitlyn, Kris
"Honestly...I don't know. Just woke up here. Started wandering. By the way, where is here?" Hazel wasn't inpatient for answer though, she focused on eating her food while listening in on the conversation of superpowers. Hazel was tempted to speak up on h er own abilities, but she was too tempted to continue stuffing her face to speak up.
Still, the conversation was interesting. Vicky was a telekinetic who could fly. It reminded Hazel of herself, and while she was interested in the extend and strength of Vicky's powers, Hazel was a bit reluctant to go into that. Conversations about one's power level tend to devolve into dick-measuring contests. Still, if Vicky wanted to learn about superstrength, it is possible that Hazel could give a few pointers, although her psychic ability may function very different from Hazel's magic, so it's possible that she might not be able to give any useful advice.
Mari mentioning about people with superpowers being 'on-call by the government' was very interesting. "On call by the government? Hey, that sounds a lot like me: I'm government property." Hazel grinned. While Hazel doesn't really like talking about herself—it makes her feel like an attention whore, it would be a lie to say that she doesn't enjoy the attention, or rather, the reactions of people to the things she says.
"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - R. W. Raymond
[Northeastern Forest (Wagon)] (Oswald, Gwion, Iraal, Nemaforte, Scents, Teri, Wolfe, Zuri)
Oswald, who's eyes had somehow found their way up to the sky above, now looked in Zuri's direction—or at least the direction of her voice.
"Anything to sate this," he said, clutching one shaky hand against his belly. "Pure hunger has little desire for specifics. All is energy, if slight, and even the slight conquers complete absence."
He paused for a moment, looking patient, then looking slightly perplexed, then finally holding out a hand to receive food offerings. When Zuri gave him a bit of jerky, he bowed his head slightly, "My thanks to you."
He turned his attention towards Scents then, and smiled with some odd amusement. "Yes, yes yes, very much so," he said, "I'm more accustomed to human food than any other kind, I should think."
He chewed on the jerky in peace for a little while, titling his head slightly one way or the other as those around him talked. After a minute, he turned—as far as his body would permit him—in the direction of those outside the wagon. "Pardon my further disruption but, may I ask, how many of you are there? I'm all but certain I've heard more voices stir the air than I have names to pin them to."
every little word and every little step
[Main Street-South Edge of the Town]
The horse was starting to smell.This was yet another reason why Amy hated riding horses.
On top of that, she still didn't see any of her friends. She had a feeling that Samuel, Irina, and Davey were ok, but she was mostly worried about Connie. From the moment the tanks attacked to the time everyone got out of Bed and Breakfast, she hadn't seen her. Either she managed to get to the forest safely, or worse...
No. She couldn't think about that. She had to have faith in her friends. Still...being on a stinky horse waiting for them wasn't fun.
She hopped off the horse and dashed off, to Maya's shock.
Where are you going now?! she signed, getting off the horse and chasing after her.
"I'm getting our plane!" she said, "I'm gonna show everyone that I'm a good pilot!"
It took a while, but eventually, the girls were once again reunited with the plane. Surprisingly, aside from the sand that was from last night's storm, it was still in one piece. Thank goodness none of the tanks attacked it. Perhaps they were too busy trying to attack a hotel.
Amy put on her goggles, climbed into the front seat, and started to the engine. To her suprise, they were working. Looks like there was no need to go to the repair shop.
"Ok, Maya!" Amy said, turning to her once she got in the back seat, "Are you ready?"
Maya also put on her goggles and smirked. Hell yeah.
"Let's go!"
Without any other hesitation, Amy pulled the lever, and the plane took off. People nearby would hear the sound of the plane flying in the air, and people even closer to the area would visibly she two teenage girls taking off, leaving the town and heading south.
I'm ASSUMING we're heading south, but if not, let me know and I shall le edit.
[Town ~ Main St.] (Jim, Minerva)
Jim carried Minerva down Main Street, putting as much distance between them and the Bed & Breakfast. A vehicle zoomed by, startling Jim. He could have sworn that Davey and Irena were on it. And it was flying...
Looking to his side, he swore. Parked on the first side street they came across was a large, boxy, black landkruiser. Backpedaling, Jim put Minerva down out of sight of the 'kruiser. Poking his head slightly around the corner of a building, he aimed his rifle at the 'kruiser.
A moment passed, there was no response from the vehicle. The longer Jim waited, the more it became clear to him that apparently no one was in the landkruiser. Picking Minerva back up, Jim headed over to the abandoned 'kruiser, depositing the unconscious girl on top of the 'kruiser's hull.
After carefully lowering Minerva in through the hull's hatch, he set about trying to wake her up. "Wakey, wakey, sweetie." He gently tapped her face.
Minerva slowly opened her eyes, blinking slowly at Jim. "Hnn?"
Jim smiled at the girl, "I'm going to need your help with something..."
[Town ~ Outside the Bed & Breakfast] (Capt. Greer, Cynthia, Samuel, Todd)
Captain Greer crossed his arms, "Hmm, I'm merely here to recapture a dangerous, escaped prisoner. We'll leave you all alone to do whatever you're planning on doing, once we've acquired her." He looked around, "I'll be willing to overlook the fact you're aiding a criminal." He grinned at the pair of men.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
Lt. Ross clapped her hands together, "I figured that a butler would be well versed in combat. That seems to be in the job description for some reason..."
The lieutenant shrugged when Maya asked about her needing a bodyguard, "Some people in the Empire don't exactly approve of my commander's conservative ways. So, someone sent that blond bastard and some MPs to deal with him, and his officers. Like me." She sighed, "Caps said something like this might happen..."
Reaching into a pocket, she turned towards Chelsea, "So, how much to rent your butler's services?"
Taking a look out the window, the lieutenant's jaw dropped at what was going on outside.
[Town ~ Main St. heading South] (Jim, Minerva)
The Black Wolf clumsily made its way down the street, swerving back and forth, stopping suddenly and speeding up. Minerva clung to rim of the opening of the turret, furiously kicking at Jim as he drove the 'kruiser. "Left! No! Your other left!"
Jim shouted back up to the girl, "Who designed this monstrosity!? These controls are freakin' inverted!" The 'kruiser lurched forward, "And touchy!" Another kick to the shoulder forced Jim to push one of the control sticks forward to prevent the landkruiser from plowing into a storefront.
Realigning the vehicle, Jim pulled back on the controls, sending the 'kruiser roaring forward.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
Chelsea looked questioningly at Creature when the lieutenant called him a butler. He shrugged.
"Hm," said Chelsea, her eyes taking on a mercenary glint. "I can't say for sure what currency you use by looking at you, but the fact of the matter is that I can't let him go for more than 50 dollars-American an hour, with an interest rate of 20 dollars for each day he isn't returned. If you're thinking of a more long term arrangement, you could give me a thousand bucks and call it a deal."
She threw her arm around Creature. "You see," she said, "I'm rather attached to him."
Creature rolled his eyes. Looking out the window, he said, "If it's a matter of urgency, I should go now. We can negotiate later."
"Yes, yes, of course," said Chelsea. "I'd also accept gold bullion!"
"Never let her name her own price," Creature muttered to the Lieutenant.
Attitude is prohibited
[Hotel] (Lobby)
"Um, er, uh, w-well, uh," began Maya, nervously. "I-I'm sure we'll be fine here... But... If it would make you feel safer, there probably is a sub-level..." She pursed her lips and trailed off.
"So," Hana said, remarking on what Ross had said. "Internal politics, then? How unfortunate..." And then another tank rolled by the window, driving very erratically. Hana sighed, put her arm around Chelsea and led her a few steps away. "This situation has gotten rather tiresome," she said, in a hushed voice, removing her arm from around her. "Thus, I have a job for you. If you can get rid of those tanks, by whatever means you deem necessary, and prevent any further destruction of the town, I'll pay you with five pounds," she continued. "Solid gold. Coins or bars. Just make sure you do it soon. Do we have a deal?"
[Outside Bed and Breakfast] (Roof >>> Ground)
Rin frowned. Even from her vantage point, it wasn't entirely clear what was happening. But she did overhear two strangers declare that the town was under the control of some "Serenican military." That was odd, she felt, because the only obvious military presence in the area was the Balamarians and their tanks. Regardless, the Balamarian captain refused to leave, and Rin was losing her patience.
She casually hopped off the edge of the roof, and gently, silently, hovered all the way down, landing very softly on the sandy ground. She briefly glanced over at the "Serenican military" men, then turned her attention to the Balamarian captain. "My name is Rin and I represent the Hakoda Empire," she said, and then pointed at the captain rather accusingly. "Your reckless actions here are endangering my commander. Remove your armoured vehicles from the town immediately, or..."
A crazy idea occurred to her. She quickly glanced over the "Serenican military" men again, gulped, and dove head-first into a new plan. "Or you'll face the combined might of the both Hakodan and Serenican military forces!"
Not entirely dead.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
"It's a deal!" Chelsea said quickly. "I won't ask for anything up front— I'm not that tacky— but I will hold you to your word."
She returned to Creature and took the artillery from him. She brought it over and began rifling through. "You see, I don't usually get called into do something so heavy-duty as all this," she said, pushing aside various syringes and bottles. "Though I always relish the opportunity for big explosions."
She pulled out a few hand grenades, and a landmine assembly kit ("Packs a punch or your money back!"). She lined them up together in a smaller bag. She strapped it on and grinned.
"I'm off to screw with The Man," she said. She patted Creature's head as she passed him.
"Don't forget me when you're famous," he muttered.
PAINKILLER
[Town ~ Southern Outskirts] (Davey, Irina, Serenican Soldier)
At first, Irina thought some dust shifted by the bike, but it was Davey taking a tumble. The new commotion in the tenseness startled her. "Davey...!"
The soldier noticed Davey's tumble, and fired a shot.
Irina didn't look for where it went—it was the action of it occurring. She rushed up to the soldier. She delivered him a fierce knuckle-sandwich. Stars flew into his vision. He opened fazed eyes to see the dirt ground.
Irina placed a foot on his back as she disarmed him. She held the weapon in her hands. With pulsating purple magic, it broke into pieces, and became metallic dust.
The soldier tried sitting up. She instinctively struck his back at a certain part with her right fingertips—a tough pressure point to make the muscles go weak.
"You are a terrorist," the soldier said as he lay on his stomach.
She ignored him as she returned to the parked bike. "D-Davey, you all right?" she asked. From her initial glance, the bullet hadn't hit him.
She also failed to realize blood trickling down her right hand—and in her left forearm.
[Outside Bed and Breakfast] (Samuel, Todd, Rin, Capt. Greer)
Todd exhaled sharply. While he could commend the Balamarians for sticking to their mission, it truly was past the brink of "doing too much". "Unless your prisoner actually starts destroying the town more than you're already threatening and attempting, then you should get the hell out."
Samuel heard something behind him. He turned to see a woman on the rooftop of the Bed & Breakfast. He prepared his weapon, but she spoke before he could. She was lucky she established herself as an ally, and an addition to the ploy... At least he hoped. Was there a Hakodan nation he knew of?
Todd noticed and at first raised an eyebrow at Rin. However, he played it off. Use to advantage. Todd reached for his belt and removed a communicator. He extended its antenna. "I have men outside this region who will come at my command, and clear you out if needed. Hopefully it won't come to that."
"In fact," Samuel began, "We can probably find your prisoner—if she is as dangerous as you say she is."
Todd gave his partner a stern look.
The bald man leaned over and whispered, "I know who she is. Doesn't appear to hurt a fly. I can go get her if needed."
Todd eased up and nodded. "So, do you wish to face the wrath of two countries for endangering citizens and businesses?"
edited 29th Jul '16 7:23:23 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Town ~ Southern Outskirts](Davey, Irina, Serenican Soldier)
Davey rolled onto his back, groaning breathlessly as his short shotgun dislodged itself from his chest, right where he'd landed on it. He had intended to smoothly slide off of the bike into a somersault, simultaneously retrieving his shotgun from his back where it had been hanging, finishing by rolling to his feet, weapon in hand and readied at the soldier's own gun-toting digits. The plan went awry from the moment his toenail clipped an unexpected part of the hoverbike and sent him tumbling, not into a clean somersault, but a near faceplant. His arms had done their job well enough, managing to get the shotgun over his head and down to his chest just in time to smash against his fingers, his chest and the ground. For once, Davey was thankful that he wasn't heavier.
It took a while before Davey recovered enough to speak. He heard something quite loud mixed in with his tumble, and then the sounds of a short-lived struggle. He lay on his back, pulling in as much air as he could now that his wind was returning. He turned his head and saw the soldier from before, now lying on the ground similarly to himself, the man's gun nowhere to be found. Irina's work? he wondered, though, barring some last minute save from a stranger out of the blue, he couldn't imagine who else could have done it. It was a little difficult to imagine pleasant, pacifist Irina with all of her nurturing tendencies bodying a guy so swiftly.
He rolled back onto his front side, and pushed himself back up to his feet, using his tail to help steady himself.
"I'm... peachy," he said, yanking his gun sling off from around his shoulders and dropping the weapon by his feet. "I tried something... I don't think it worked. Are you-"
Davey finally caught sight of Irina. He noticed the blood immediately.
"Irina!" he nearly tripped himself, stumbling to rush to her side, "Your arm! Your arm! Blood- you're bleeding, you're hurt!" He took her arm into his hands, lifting it gingerly as he examined her skin. "Help me locate the wound— and before you say anything, this is of crucial importance."
every little word and every little step
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Forest (near mountains) - Wagon (Zuri, Nemaforte, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Iraal, Scents, Oswald)
Nemaforte wasn't expecting that sort of reply from Wolfe, and thus looked a bit confused when replying. "My clothes?" She fiddled around with her capelet for a bit. "They were made by hands, by people weaving threads in patterns. But that is more like art, right?"
And then she turned to Gwion and Iraal. "Maybe there is one way to enbottle aura. If you place an enchanted object inside, it will hold onto it. My herbs have an aura about them, and most of them are enbottled."
"Oh, you mean like consecration?" Zuri remarked. "That's where you infuse an object with magical essence, so that could be a way."
At some point, Iraal remarked about starfaring civilizations, which piqued Nemaforte's interest a bit. As soon as she turned back to the green-skinned scientist, she heard her voice in a bit more of an echo, and felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside her head. But as that had happened multiple times before, she played along with it - she could still understand what Iraal was saying after all. After saying something to Scents, Iraal asked her about the extent of Orenya's history. Here Nemaforte put on a wide, slightly gaping smile, revealing her single pointed tooth.
"Before I came here, I indeed was studying Orenya's history. It extends very far into the past, I would say at least many thousand years... if a year means anything. It is divided into four eras. In the first, life was difficult as people of Rumia, the world of eternal light; and Zurem, the world of eternal dark, kept to themselves. In the second, they started trading, and civilizing grew - maybe also this teknoloji - but life was less... with structure? The third was the great Day-Night War, as Rumia and Zurem fought over their different materials... I did not like learning about this one, there was very much suffering from without trade. And now we're in the modern era, where we keep the peace by heeding lessons of the Day-Night War. Interesting it is to hear of places where day and night cycle - they must have the best of both worlds. Rumi to zuri..." Suddenly she turned to the albino Earthling, having remembered her name. "Zuri! Did you know in Latori your name means night?"
Zuri had not been paying attention to what Nemaforte was saying - instead she was shooting puzzled looks at Teri and Wolfe as they talked about the guns they had, and especially Gwion when he explained the technologically advanced features of his. It did make sense to her that Iraal would inquire specifically about weapons, as the Dead God was likely to have a hostile environment around it.
"Hmm, I don't know much about guns," Zuri contributed to the conversation, "but I think we have the same kinds as Teri and Wolfe do on my Earth. I know there are automatic weapons too, used mainly by the military, whereas the police have smaller guns. Rifles are used mainly for hunting, as Wolfe mentioned. But I don't think any of them have the virtual features you were describing." She gestured toward Gwion at the last bit.
There was a pause, during which Zuri heard Nemaforte ask her about her name. "Really?" she turned her head to ask the Orenyan witch. "You said people like you come from a world of eternal night... and you look a lot like me skin and hair-wise. Hmm... And Latori - is that the language of Orenya?"
Nemaforte nodded her head in reply. "Much you look like a tall round-eared Sunestre. Oh, right, Sunestre is my... speeshiates?" she added to Iraal, having a hard time thinking of the last word.
"Species," Zuri corrected, before turning back to Teri, Wolfe, and Gwion.
"So I just realized," she continued to them, "I don't have any weapons on me whatsoever, and I don't even know how to use a gun - it's not just about aiming and pulling the trigger, right? I... well, all I have are my psychic powers, though with my new pyrokinesis, I could at least summon fire at will." She shrugged - at least that was something, right?
With that, she went back into the wagon to grab her stuff. A lot of it was in a backpack she had taken out of Vicky's large rucksack, so she simply put her messenger bag and the food bag she had out inside of it... though as an afterthought, she took some of the food items out and left them in the wagon for Nemaforte and especially Oswald, leaving only one meal or two snacks' worth and one canteen of water for herself. She didn't need the pack horse at this point - although the backpack was a little heavy (at least for her fragile body), she could probably handle it at least before the trail grew steep.
As she was gathering her stuff, she said goodbye to Oswald and Nemaforte, wishing them luck on the trip back - and also replying to Oswald's question by saying that there were seven people present besides himself, but that soon it would be just Nemaforte.
"Oh, it is you who needs luck," Nemaforte said to her, before reaching into her bag and talking a small drawstring bag out. "Take this. It's one of my more medicinal herbs, of the few with little effect on the mind. It's good for pain and helping wounds heal, and can slow effects of some poisons. Just crush a seed and apply it."
"You sound like a pharmacist," Zuri said with a smirk. "Well, provided you don't go back to town just yet, I'll see you again... if I make it back alive."
She walked towards her a bit and tentatively held out a hand to shake... but instead ended up in a hug, per Nemaforte's request. "You're the only person I've ever met besides my classmates who is actually accepting and understanding of my beliefs," she muttered with much sorrow, even shedding a few tears in the process. It was true - with that and her unusually pale appearance, she had had more than her fair share of being shunned or even called a freak.
As Zuri at last turned away from Nemaforte and followed the group up the trail, she was wiping the tears out of her eyes and looking away from them. She felt more out of place with this group than ever, now being separated from the two people who were actually beginning to like her. Especially Nemaforte, whom though she had known only for a few hours was staring to seem like a good friend. She really hoped she would get the chance to talk with her again before reuniting with her classmates and leaving this place.
Northern Desert - Rip's Truck (Rip, Lupin)
Lupin was surprised when the rock flew right into his chest - it did sting a fair it and caused him to lose his balance and fall, but thankfully it was a little rock and not someone's fist. Rip seemed to be having a harder time with it, hurting his knee and chasing it around as it rolled along the ground, before finally catching it with his foot.
Again Rip offered the stone to Lupin. "I'm all right," Lupin replied as stoically as before, rubbing the point on his chest where the stone hit - right between his ribs it seemed. "Kind of feels like being punched, actually, perhaps by a child."
And then he reached out for the stone - this time with his left hand, as clearly his right hand was not used to gripping things tightly and thus the stone flew right out of it. As he clenched his fingers around it so that it wouldn't escape, he felt the strangest sensation coming out of it - at first he thought it might be his imagination, but then he saw the same dark purple aura around it, a little bit thicker and larger than before when it jerked Hazel's hand around. And once again, when he looked at it, he saw, for a flash, that same vision of him and Yamiko grimly dressed in that bar and talking about death. And then something different - a much younger version of himself on a train with his mother, filled with a strong sense of desperation and the strangely mild dread of never seeing her again.
Having spaced out a bit again, he gathered himself as he felt the stone in his grasp, and offered his free right hand to help Rip up. "Is your knee all right? Looks like this rock here hit it quite hard. Anyway, once Corporal Yoon finishes eating, we should..." He was interrupted by a telepathic message from Yamiko, asking how he was doing. "...We should fetch her and get the exorcism over with. It seems that this stone is growing... stronger, somehow." He sounded hurried in the last bit, secretly because he wanted to reply to Yamiko before the telepathic link was lost.
"Can you do me a favour and not read my or Rip's mind about this matter? He insists on keeping it private. I'll be over soon."
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Camp) (Yamiko, Vicky, Mari, Hazel, James, Kris, Kaitlyn)
Vicky, naturally, grew all wide-eyed and excited when Mari talked about superheroes. Hazel seemed to be in agreement with Mari about them being "on-call" by the government, to which Vicky just had to respond.
"Ohmygosh, you two are soooo lucky." She threw back her head in slight exasperation. "Where I'm from, and correct me if I'm wrong but we seem to be from alternate Earths... our government doesn't believe in superheroes. Or anything supernatural for that matter, besides the occasional matter of UFOs. My classmates and I are among the very few with psychic powers as far as I know, and we're more part of a research project at a university, to study how such powers work. I've often had dreams of assisting the police and the government with my telekinetic powers - this was before I actually got them of course - but in my world we kind of have to keep our powers a secret. You won't believe how many times I've had to dismiss moving something as someone's imagination or ghosts or something." She sighed and directed her gaze upward. "So much for dreams. I just hope I get to keep my powers once the whole project is over. It'd be useful for moving my stuff out of the dorm at the end of the school year, for instance."
Nearby, at the edge of the group, Yamiko wasn't paying much attention to the conversation - in fact, she was relieved that they changed the subject to superhero stuff. For now she decided to send a telepathic message to Lupin asking how he was doing - and he just responded back with something about Rip's business being private, and also suggested that she not read their minds to inquire about the matter.
This struck a chord with her, and it confirmed her anxiety back in the hotel dining hall when she first mentioned being a telepath. She remembered when she first got that ability, how a few of her classmates expressed concern over her reading into some very disturbing thoughts and having those haunt her. She dismissed that, as she was quite used to the darkest of thoughts. Instead, now the concern was how others reacted to her telepathy, and especially now that she inherited Amanda's powers (and some of her mannerisms) as well, which of course had to be freaking torture. And then she remembered the incident at the wagon - in fact, she was still shaken from that, and that was a feeling not even the cosmic potion could mitigate (though she was relieved that it seemed to keep Amanda's spirit at bay).
She cast a brief look at the group, how they were talking and enjoying themselves... and after narrowing her eyes at them, gazed off into the (to her) greenish landscape. What would people think of her with her powers? Even Lupin was advising against using them - but how could she help it if she accidentally picked up a thought on the matter? And once the cosmic potion wore off, how would she deal with Amanda? Would she lose her temper and seriously hurt someone like she almost did with Iraal back at the wagon?
As she gazed longingly off towards the distant mountains, she felt tears coming out of her eyes, and felt a deep heavy weight of sorrow on her very heart. She felt embarrased to cry in front of all these people though, so she kept quiet and looked away, and hastily pulled a tissue out of her purse to tidily wipe her wet cheeks with. This only made her cry harder, though she still kept quiet about it, although her body was trembling a bit now.
Dammit - now they'll see me and wonder what's wrong, and then they'll be inclined to ask me what happened at the wagon... She thought about running away from the group and hiding behind some rocks, but knew that she would be seen if she did. Oh, if only I had Lupin's cloaking ability!
edited 31st Jul '16 11:27:57 AM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Town ~ Outside the Bed & Breakfast] (Capt. Greer, Cynthia, Samuel, Todd, Rin)
Captain Greer let out a sigh of exasperation, "Fine, do what you will." He holstered his gun as he turned away, "We'll be camped to the west of here, just outside of town. Bring the girl to us when you can." Walking away, he muttered something about 'otherworlders'.
Climbing aboard the Desert Fox, he demanded the radio from the 'kruiser commander. "Black Wolf, Grey Wolf, meet back at the arrival point. We will have the target delivered there." He waited for replies as the Desert Fox moved into position to tow the Storm Fox along. Growing impatient, he instructed a member of the crew to go check on the non-responsive Black Wolf, "It should be down a block that way."
The soldier saluted before heading off down Main Street as the Desert Fox began pulling the Storm Fox away. Von Strauss was forced along behind them by the MP, still holding a knife to his back.
Cynthia groaned slightly as she rolled onto her back.
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
The lieutenant's eyebrow rose, "Dollar? I'm not familiar that currency... The Balamar Empire deals in rondo. As for gold bullion, you must be crazy" She thought for a moment, before rummaging through her pockets. She pulled out a shiny silver coin, about the size of a U.S. quarter. On one side, was a stylized wyvern carrying a sheathed sword in its claws, the other side bore the number 1000 above the word 'rondo' in a stylized font. Below that was '1017' in tiny print. "Would this suffice for now?"
Useful Notes: The rondo is a silver backed currency, due to gold being worth over 30.7 million rondo an ounce in the Balamar Empire. One U.S. dollar = 43.5 rondo.
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Camp) (Yamiko, Vicky, Mari, Hazel, James, Kris, Kaitlyn)
Mari grinned as she accepted the johnny cakes from James, "Thanks! Where I'm from, the supernatural has the subtlety of a jack'ammer." She pulled a a ceramic cup from her cleavage, before pouring some sake from the small gourd tied to her belt. She took a few bites of the johnny cakes, before washing it down with the sake. "That's where AEGIS comes in. We work to ensure paranormal threats are dealt with quickly and efficiently."
Looking around, Mari noticed Yamiko off by herself, apparently crying. Getting up, she pulled out another cup, and after filling both cups, she headed over to the young woman. "Would you care for a drink?"
edited 31st Jul '16 5:05:48 PM by WillDeRegio
[Town ~ Hotel (Lobby)] (Maya, Hana, Chelsea, Creature, Lt. Ross, John, James, Pancake)
Chelsea examined the coin, and shrugged. She had no way of knowing what it was worth, and even if she had, she wasn't that great at math. Gold and dollars-American had a weight of worth in her mind. Whatever this was, she was drawing a blank. Even if she exchanged it later and it came up measly, she could sell it to some nutty collector.
"Looks pretty damn small," she said, "but then, so does he. Alright, it's a deal."
I'm still in a bad mood but I'm not letting the thread die so uh...here's a post.
[Hotel (Main Hall)]
James crossed his arms, "But where can we go? The desert is filled with god knows what, and I'm not sure if there's another town in sight. If anything, we're kind of stuck in this hell zone."
John lifted his head, the color and life back into his eyes, "Sitting here and complaining isn't going to save our asses either, dear. All we can do now is follow the others, and maybe see if Rin is ok."
James worriedly look back at John. "You sure you want to leave? You were a shell earlier, and I don't want you to relapse."
"I'm holding on." John stood up, "If there's a safe area, I'm sure that Maya can lead us to there." He looked directly at her, quirking an eyebrow, "Can you?"
Pancake purred as John rubbed her back.