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Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1776: Feb 9th 2017 at 5:20:22 PM

Rooftops of Easton

Jack leaped across another gap, checking over his shoulder to see if his enemy was still following him. Being the sole conscious consciousness put him at a disadvantage- he didn't have the enhanced senses that another set of eyes watching could bring.

His mind raced. He... he had to do what was best for Miles. And he probably wasn't going to escape. So the only logical thing to do... was to surrender and look for a way to get away later.

So the running teenager stopped in his tracks, and stood on the roof of another building, crossing his arms and waiting for the superhero to approach again.

If you promise not to harm me or Miles, then I'll come with you- willingly. You were right- letting him commit mass robbery might not have been the best thing to do, but we get by. At least we're better than people like you, who got their powers from birth. Never had to deal with being normal, have you? Or being a worm, Jack muttered to himself- which more or less meant his telepathic message was less loud.

He was guarded, of course. If the superhuman attacked, he'd bolt- but for now, the best thing to do was to travel the path of least resistance, even if it was a sharp turn from his mood. At least until Miles woke up.

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#1777: Feb 9th 2017 at 5:37:37 PM

Simon was somewhat surprised that his target stopped and turned around- and offered to surrender! Now that was a first for him, at least here on Easton.

"I have no reason to trust you" he began. "But then, you have no reason to trust me, either. The only thing you know about me, is that I chased you, and the only thing I know about you, is that you robbed some people."

"By all rights, I should just drop you with the police and forget about you. However... I'm aware that, willingly or not, you have a special- 'condition' of some kind. One I doubt the authorities can handle. But someone I know might. So how about this: I can take you to her, or to the police. I'll let you choose."

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1778: Feb 9th 2017 at 6:01:36 PM

Rooftops of Easton

Jack laughed bitterly- it was a world-weary laugh, and it didn't sound right coming from someone so young. I don't have a condition. Miles does- in a sense. That sense being that you knocked him unconscious, but I'm going to forget that. The real problem that I have with either of those options is this, he began.

First off, you have to know what I am. I'm a parasitic bio-weapon designed for espionage and assassination. I'm almost impossible to detect, and I could be anyone. Anywhere. Long story short, I escaped from a lab, and this kid here? He found me. He's Miles- they call me Jack, or Subject Alpha. Whatever you prefer.

Jack/Miles/Whoever scratched the back of his neck and continued. Miles here is innocent. At least, as innocent as an orphan can be. Right now, we're the best thing that ever happened to each other. And I don't want to jeopardize his safety. Which is why I'm talking to you- besides the fact that he happens to be a bit out of it.

And the crux of the matter is- I'd much prefer to meet your friend, Jack continued. Because the alternative is that Miles goes to prison. Oh, trust me, I'd be out in minutes. But Miles? He would rot there. And I can't let that happen.

Jack stared at Simon with determination in his eyes. "So, personally? I'd prefer option two. But let me tell you- if you hurt my friend in any way, you are always going to have to watch your back, pal. Because I could be anywhere. I could infest your friends, your family. I could be the man walking behind you, the woman at the deli. I could be watching you as you sleep.

And the second that you let your guard down, I'll plant a knife in your back and watch you bleed out. I was bred for killing, and although I don't show that side of myself to Miles, I'll gladly show it to you if you hurt so much as a single hair on his head.

Finishing up his angry monologue, Jack added, Now, if we're down making threats, I can show you my true form, or we can get going. I don't think you'd like that first option, much. People tend to panic when they see me. He was all smiles at that point, looking like he'd just met up with a friend on the street. Not like he'd just threatened Simon with death.

edited 9th Feb '17 6:03:42 PM by Cwest5538

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#1779: Feb 9th 2017 at 7:05:33 PM

Simon was silent as he listened to Jack's story, his expression inscrutable.

The worm really had no idea who it was talking to. Intelligent parasites, government conspiracies, runaways- these things and more The Traveler had encountered in his lifelong exploration of Creation. Which didn't mean he wasn't worried about it, just not as much as the average person might.

And of course, Jack had to do the whole "hurt my friend and I kill you" routine. Again Simon was unworried -if he wanted, he could just vanish beyond its reach forever- rather he focused on deciding whether the worm was genuinely concerned for its host.

When Jack offered to show itself, Simon couldn't hold back a grin. "Trust me, I have seen things that would drive most men mad. Probably you too."

"However, I don't need to see you. In fact if I were you I would not expose my most vulnerable form."

He pulled out the phone again. "Hazel? It claims not to be a demon, but some kind of artificially created parasite. Can you do something about it? OK got it."

He put away the phone. "She says she would see. At the least, she can confirm your stories. My main concern is your host's wellbeing. And if you are, as you claim, innocent as well, we'll work out something."

"Now, follow me. But, don't try to escape or anything else along the way. Or you'll find that I'm far from a one-trick pony. The hard way."

And he took off.

Reservoir A former adventurer... from Eastern US Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: Browsing the selection
A former adventurer...
#1780: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:59:17 AM

Downtown Easton - Alleyway Entrance

Xy had started to swear when the device in her hand crunched against Omega's face, but was quickly interrupted when he kicked the Operator hard, sending the mercenary flying straight into her. She exhaled harshly as she was sent breathlessly skidding backwards, flat on her back and with the Operator landing right on top of her.

She hadn't been expecting the attack, so she was left dazed for several moments while she fought to catch her breath while the injured Operator shifted around on top of her. She could hear Omega moving off at high speed, but she could only focus on herself; this new batch of sensations actually terrified her, as she'd never fought without her cyborg software before, and she had no idea why it wasn't back online already.

Finally Xy found her lungs again and inhaled a huge breath, which devolved into a series of coughs as her burning lungs protested against their intended use. It didn't take her long to focus on the fact that the Operator had stopped moving while still right on top of her; gazing up at him, she frowned as she realized he was staring down directly at her!

Xy herself was very unused to emotions in the heat of battle, her ICE usually ensuring she remained as emotionless as possible throughout most engagements. Without it, however, she had no idea how to control herself emotionally even post-fight, and it quickly showed. "What, not used to the view up there?" she growled in clear frustration. "Look, pal, I'm flattered and all," she said a bit harshly, "but this isn't exactly comfortable to me, and I'm about three second from tossing you off myself."

She narrowed her eyes as she tried to gauge his reaction. "If you start moving now, I might give you four seconds...and a choice of preferred direction."

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1781: Feb 10th 2017 at 1:43:19 PM

Following a Traveler

Jack snorted. I'm no man. Hell, I'm not even sure if I can go mad- at least, any more than I already am.

The human looked a bit amused. You don't seem like a killer. And trust me- I'm vulnerable without a host, but it would take you at least half a minute of pulling to tear me in half, and you'd have to grab me first. But I'm a good judge of character- and I don't think you'd slaughter someone in cold blood after they surrendered.

When the Traveler took off, Jack followed him, dashing underneath. He could keep pace with him, but without Miles in control, he wasn't as good at plotting a path as he had been.

Jack was, of course, worried about meeting this Hazel. He didn't think Simon would kill him- but he didn't know Jack (ha, he thought with a mental grin) about this witch.

edited 10th Feb '17 1:43:45 PM by Cwest5538

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
Ze_Operator Knight of Time and Rage from The Land Of Flames And Clockwork Since: Nov, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Knight of Time and Rage
#1782: Feb 10th 2017 at 9:36:22 PM

Downtown Easton - Alleyway Entrance (....)


Operator quickly blinked a couple of times when Xy mentioned the notion of a 4 second counter before she'd hurl him to a nearby wall. He shook his head, clearing it, and quickly got off of her. He offered her a right hand. "Apologies. For both the fall and the EMP." Operator stated, voice sheepish. "I suppose it worked well in our favor though."

He looked back over to the alleyway. "This isn't the first time that bugger's gotten away. One moment, he's acting like Terminator and such, then the next minute, immediate tactical retreat. I sometimes think that he has quite a few more screws loose than me. Fortunately for us, I made a quick trajectory calculation as to where he may be headed. Bad news is that he's not gonna come out unless he wants to be found."

edited 10th Feb '17 9:38:26 PM by Ze_Operator

"I do not cling to life sufficiently to fear death."
emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1783: Feb 12th 2017 at 10:48:41 AM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Hazel was already waiting outside when Simon and the other fellow showed up.

"Alright. Come inside and I'll see if there's anything I can do. Misty's setting up an exorcism just in case. I've never actually tried to exorcise a non-magical entity, but I figure at the very least it'll be a learning experience for everyone involved."

She eyed Miles suspiciously from behind her sunglasses. "Try not to make any loud noises. I have a tremendous hangover today and unnecessary aggravation doesn't mix well with magic."

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1784: Feb 12th 2017 at 11:00:03 AM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Jack Miles studied her carefully, before shrugging. Personally, I don't think that it would work. There isn't anything demonic or magical about me, after all. Have you ever seen the blueprints, notes, and experiment records about your creation? I have, and it's all science, he said, his voice bubbling up in her head.

But let me guess- you're the Witch? Wizard? Sorcerer? He continued talking. I don't really care one way or another. What I really want to know is whether you've got some kind of magical mix that can revive someone who happens to be unconcious.

Because your boyfriend here- he glared at Simon- happened to knock the hell out of my partner, and I'd rather let him do the talking. He grinned at her. As you've probably guessed, I'm not the most pleasant person to be around, especially when you people are probably talking about how to get rid of me. And Miles can certainly tell you his side of the story much better than I can.

edited 12th Feb '17 11:00:18 AM by Cwest5538

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
God_of_Awesome Since: Jan, 2001
#1785: Feb 12th 2017 at 11:10:39 AM

Some Rooftop
Nearby: Hazel's House Of Mysticism

Three eyes looked down on the proceedings and Mongrel nodded his head.

"Well, that's interesting."

"Hey, heeey, Mohan, hey."

"Should I investigate or should I report back?" Mongrel muttered to himself.

"Mohan, hey, Mohan. Knock, knock."

Mongrel grit his teeth and tried not actually turn to regard the projection of Noname The Faceless One that existed only in his own head.

"I already heard that one."

"What, how do you know that?"

"Where in the world else would you have got it from?"

"Hm, you're right. Gods, man, you need to hurry up and hook up some DSL in here."

"In my own head?"

"Yeeess. Just go to your friend Maddox and have him do some exploratory surgery on your noggin and install a modem before he leaves. Bam, I can get some new material."

"I think I'm going to investigate. Now how do I get down?"

"Maybe if we had Google maps in your head, we'd be able to find the escape ladder."

"Ah, good thinking! There it is."

emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1786: Feb 12th 2017 at 11:17:00 AM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Hazel growled before turning around and entering her shop.

"Misty! Get the smelling salts!"

Misty darted out from behind one of the stacks of books. A small, inky black portal appeared in front of her, and she pulled out a small, unlabelled bottle and handed it to her employer.

Hazel opened the bottle and pushed it under Miles-Jack's nose.

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1787: Feb 12th 2017 at 11:38:02 AM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Jack breathed through his nose deeply, and after a moment he twitched and spasmed for a few seconds.

When he stopped, he looked rather different. Instead of the agressive posturing and angry look, he now looked confused and young. "What the hell happened?" Miles asked, staring at Hazel, and then at Simon.

I agreed to come with them to stop them from throwing you in jail. The woman is a witch. Don't tell her anything. I'll feed you lines, or just let me use your voice. Whatever you do, don't drink anything else. I don't trust her.

"You don't trust anyone," Miles muttered under his breath, before looking back at everyone assembled.

"So... uh... you want your wallet back?" He asked, handing it to Simon.

edited 12th Feb '17 11:38:14 AM by Cwest5538

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#1788: Feb 12th 2017 at 12:07:26 PM

Simon quickly snapped his wallet, and made sure everything was still there. "This is a start" he said sternly. "Of course you'll have to return everything you stole."

"And she's not my girlfriend, she's my employer" he clarified.

Then, to Hazel: "We may not need to separate them" he explained, "especially if it hurts one or both of them. They claim to be in a willing symbiosis- I want you to confirm that, first of all."

"Then, if you can find some way to help them live without robbing people, that would be good too." He mused for a bit. "Hmm. You wouldn't need the services of a super-fast courier, now would you...?"

emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1789: Feb 12th 2017 at 12:56:49 PM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Hazel harrumphed before she pushed Miles' eye open to look for pupil dilation. "'Willing symbiosis,' eh? You like sharing your body? I'm not judging you."

(She was.)

She let go. "Super-fast? I suppose I could. If you're interested, of course."

God_of_Awesome Since: Jan, 2001
#1790: Feb 12th 2017 at 1:05:58 PM

Hazel's Winterbloom's House Of Mysticism
Right outside...

Okay, so now what?

"Just knock on the door."

It sounds like they're in the middle of something.

"And your the fricking police, just bust down the door and arrest them for loitering!"

On their property?

"In the middle of something that has nothing to do with you. You are the reincarnation Noname The Faceless One, The Sovereign Of Sorcery of his time! If it's not a crime that you're not constantly the center of attention, it should be."

Look, I'm just going to knock and ask some questions.

And then he did.

What does the magic shop look like to Mongrel's hyper attuned magic senses?

edited 12th Feb '17 1:07:26 PM by God_of_Awesome

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1791: Feb 12th 2017 at 1:09:23 PM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Say yes. We could use a job- we can abandon them later if they're trying to trick us. Besides, nothing says that we couldn't do a little side buisness on... well, the side.

Miles flinched slightly at her touch, but he endured it. "I wouldn't say that I'm the biggest fan of it, but I owe Jack a good deal, and I get a lot of benefits from it. Unlike some of the poeple present, I wasn't born a witch or a superhero. Besides, he isn't that bad of a guest. It's better than looking at his ugly mug normally. The only real downside is his constant craving for coffee."

Oh, screw you. You like coffee too. Admit it.

Both of them jumped at the sudden knock on the door.

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1792: Feb 12th 2017 at 1:35:44 PM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Hazel walked over to the door, going over every ward on the shop in her mind as she did so. Since the wards were all tied in to her own well of magic, she was connected to all of them.

There was the full-building ward against demons, the ward that prevented any damage against the building itself, the ward that kept customers out of the living quarters, the ward that kept out anyone with malicious intent..

It was a little exhausting to maintain, but it made Hazel feel safe and it kept Misty out of trouble and that was what mattered.

Hazel opened the door to see what appeared to be an entire zoo mashed together and stuffed into a suit. She looked him over once, then twice, then a third time just to be safe.

"I'm getting some magical vibes from you, so I'm going to assume you're not an alcohol-induced hallucination."

God_of_Awesome Since: Jan, 2001
#1793: Feb 12th 2017 at 2:04:30 PM

Mongrel looked down upon the woman, silent for a moment before he fluidly fell to his knees. Both of his hands slipped into his long coat and he produce a wooden bowl and a bottle of milk. Pouring the latter into the former, and the scent of it escape. Milk, yes, laced with honey and scented with roses.

"My apologies for not recognizing what you were before," He said as he held the bowl up to her, an offering of milk and honey for the fae. "I would enter your house as a guest, if I may." He offered to place himself under the laws of hospitality, laws that applied to host and guest alike and forbade them from hostility towards each other. Breaking the laws marked the transgressor in invisible ways.

emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1794: Feb 12th 2017 at 2:20:09 PM

Hazel licked her lips. It was a very nice gesture. She took the milk and nodded at him, leaving the door open.

"Start talking while I finish this."

Misty poked her shoulder. "Hazel - "

"He's fine. The wards would have kept him out if he wanted to do anything. And he bribed me."

She went back to drinking.

Misty sidled up to him. "Hi! I'm Misty. Welcome to Winterbloom's House of Mysticism. That's Simon, and my boss is Hazel. I'm not sure what his name is, he's new. What's yours?"

God_of_Awesome Since: Jan, 2001
#1795: Feb 12th 2017 at 2:31:57 PM

"My given name is Mohan, but most of my peers refer to me by my title of 'Mongrel'." He'd just leave that one to the imagination of why. He crossed his arms and looked around. "I do work for TALOS and because of their sudden interest in this city I was brought on to scope out the mystic scene." He pointed a finger across the two other men in the shop. "Also, I followed them from the hub-bub happening somewhere near the docks, where some kind of brawl and rampaging robot were occurring concurrently, contiguously and yet independently. It's like two different parties booked an outdoor concert right next each other quite on accident and that's just a thing that happens in this town."

emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1796: Feb 12th 2017 at 3:34:21 PM

Hazel slurped up the last of her milk. "Pretty much."

She placed the bowl on top of a stack of books. "The mystic scene here is somewhat limited. There's myself and Misty and Simon - and I think there was a dragon at one point - but that's all. That I know of, at least. I try to avoid costumed shenanigans. That's more Simon's department."

Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#1797: Feb 12th 2017 at 4:43:53 PM

Simon watched as Hazel went to check who was knocking at the door. While he knew the place was protected from mystical menaces, she would not have hired him as a bodyguard if it were unnecessary.

When she opened the door, she seemed to be quite shocked by what she saw. But all Simon could see was a tall, dark stranger- intimidating, yes, but seemingly human. Of course, appearances can deceive, and she was an actual sorceress, unlike him.

Then the guy got on his knees and... offered her a bowl of what smelled like milk and honey? Even crazier, she accepted it!

He explained he was someone called Mongrel, apparently a mystic expert working for that TALOS agency. And apparently there were not one but two super-battles going on in the city right now.

Hazel made a crack about how that was "more Simon's department." "Ehh, no it isn't" he corrected her. "I'm a researcher, not a superhero. Can't help but run into trouble sometimes, but I don't believe its my responsibility to deal with it. With the occasional exception" he added, while looking at Miles.

edited 12th Feb '17 4:44:40 PM by Sijo

emilyorthoclase from Chicago, IL Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#1798: Feb 13th 2017 at 2:08:40 PM

Hazel shrugged at Simon's statement. "Whatever you say. Anything else you'd like to know, Mohan? Of course, you'd owe me information in return. That is how these things work."

Misty poked Miles' shoulder to get his attention. "While Hazel's busy, do you want me to show you the living quarters? I mean, if you're going to work here and if you want to live here. You might not, you might want to get an apartment or something in the city. But, um, you know, this would be cheaper." She laughed uncomfortably. "Sorry! Sorry. I babble when I get nervous and I am very, very nervous."

Reservoir A former adventurer... from Eastern US Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: Browsing the selection
A former adventurer...
#1799: Feb 13th 2017 at 2:43:26 PM

Downtown Easton - Alleyway Entrance

Xy grunted as she stood. "It worked well enough," she confirmed before shaking her head. Something was wrong, but she couldn't place it...

She shook her head again, then shrugged. "Do you think we could take him, even if we found him? I mean, I don't think I did that much to him myself..." Her words trailed as her thoughts went fuzzy, as if she had the biggest urge to sneeze lodged deep inside her skull. Faintly, she felt the small mechanical bits in her skull attempt to ward off whatever was happening, but without that ICE active they were merely useless.

Memories suppressed ages ago frothed and bubbled; images of dark rooms of concrete and steel, remembered both in sterility and in fits of blood and sweat; sounds of limbs against a hundred different objects of varying materials, accented with the stinging pains of lacerations, and the welting pain of bruises; men and women alike, ranging from scientists to guards, to inevitably broken 'opponents' before her.

She shook her head again, taking a step back, noticing less and less the cold sweat and tears overtaking her. "Sorry....I'm sorry...I'm..." she stammered, shaking her head another time before squeezing her eyes shut and willing her mind silent. "If you think we can follow him," she said finally, in a quiet, shaky voice, "then lead. I will follow." She opened her eyes and motioned towards the path Omega had carved. "If not..."

Cwest5538 Blood Mage Apologist from Kirkwall Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Blood Mage Apologist
#1800: Feb 13th 2017 at 3:40:07 PM

Winterbloom's House of Mysticism

Miles jumped a bit at her touch, but when she didn't try to kill him- Most people don't, Jack scolded, They don't have any reason to harm us yet- he relaxed. "Uh... yeah! That would be great. And I think I do."

Ask if her if we can get a bowl filled with some warm water. I was not designed to go this long without a good soak.

"So... uh, do you guys have a bowl you can spare? Maybe with some warm water?" Miles asked politely, using his hands to make the universally accepted 'about this big' gesture, which was more or less the standard mixing bowl size.

Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look

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