Hello and welcome reader, to the 28th instalment of the Character Development Threads
! These shared story exercises help budding writers develop their characters alongside the characters of other budding writers. No sign-up is needed; just jump right in with your characters. It is recommended that you read the thread page and the last couple of pages before starting.
Discussion Thread Thread Page Town Map
This is a "Main Series" thread and, as such, an element of risk is expected. Rules and participation guidelines may be found on this page.
The thread page groups active characters under the areas in which they are active, enabling you to see who is at a given location in which you might be interested or to find out where to go to encounter characters with whom you wish to interact.
Kindly add your own characters to the thread page, with a link to their initial post, under the area in which they are located and update the page if they change location.
Bear in mind that if your characters are arriving at a location, they are likely to know little more than what they see and hear as they arrive - what the location looks like, what other characters are there (both of which can be read on the thread page) and the last few lines uttered and actions taken as they are arriving (which can be found in the last few posts for that location in the story thread itself), so inserting characters need not be a terrifying process.
If you need help, have any questions, or want a quick recap (if the page count is daunting), head over to the discussion page, and someone is sure to help you out!
To help guide character interaction, having your character come in with a at least one short-term and one long-term goal or motivation is strongly recommended. It is not required, but it does make it easier to drive the plot forward. Feel free to come up with rumours about what treasures, adventure, locations, and dangers may be found in the setting - they need not be true or accurate, just some hook on which to hang an adventure.
The setting is specifically designed to be a vast sandbox into which details can be inserted by participants (for example, you are free to decide that there is a particular temple in the midst of the forest in which something may be found or that there is a particular shop/hotel/restaurant in a section of the town), if you come up with a location that you desire/expect other characters to visit, please add it to the thread page as a sub-location of the relevant area.
Things change as the story progresses. If, for example, a massive battle occurs at a location and the area is now strewn with bodies and buildings are damaged, kindly update the thread page to reflect those changes, in order that other participants have an up-to-date description of the location prior to sending their characters there.
Special thanks to all those who helped in getting the thread launched or provided ideas and feedback. In alphabetic order, they include:
Blackfire667, Collen, Corvidae, daird, DarkbloodCarnagefang, EternaMemoria, Gault, Kkutwar, KillerClowns, ladytanuki, Masterofchaos, nrjxll, Pyxo, Slysheen, TroPartner, WillDeRegio and yours truly
Apologies if I missed anyone - just let me know and I'll update the post.
Between dimensions, and linked to the rest of the multiverse, lies a strange post-apocalyptic environment made up of various regions strewn with the remnants of past glory - ruins, lost technologies and magic. Here and there, nature has found its way back amongst the ruined temples and towns.
In the midst of the blighted landscape, a fresh new town has emerged - a synergy of technology, nature and magic; clean and eco-friendly; a beacon of hope for a brighter future - where travellers can rest, recharge their batteries both literally and metaphorically and get whatever they may need - technological, magical or otherwise - to aid them on their adventures.
New arrivals can turn up by diverse means in the transportation area in the north-western part of the town or by whatever other means they deem appropriate. Here they may also find for rent, lease or hire, any transport they desire from riding animals to vehicles.
The wilderness areas have not been fully explored since the mysterious apocalyptic events that ravaged the area some time ago and no one is really sure what's out there - but rumours abound.
All that is known for sure is that both magic and technology have existed here for a long time, so anything is possible...
Currently in Day 1.
Current Time: 10:00 PM
Current Weather:
General Setting: Fine, a few light clouds Rainforest: Moderately misty, the fog is slowly thickening
See the thread page for updates.
Edited by Wolf1066 on Feb 11th 2021 at 12:12:29 AM
Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
"Heh, sounds easier than training."
Nyorla twitched one corner of her mouth upwards. "If your training is anything like the worst of my training, I guess it does."
At the computer's mention of the wrecked Panzerfaust Mark Three, Nyorla glanced at the smoking wreckage. What a pity, her sister Murquoql would be drooling over the design if she could see it.
Nyorla grinned impishly at what the computer said next, her silvery omnivore's teeth on display. She quietly singsonged as she skipped to catch up, "Two can play the guessing game! My turn, my turn!" She transitioned back to walking, swinging the first-aid kit in her hand. "Yeah, it involves my spaceship. I'm not forbidden from saying that much." Blindfolding, hmm, now there was an idea. Too bad the boy thought it was stupid. Guessing might not get any information, but at least she would entertain herself trying. "Did... a spaceship drop the Panzerfaust Mark Three?" This particular guess would be easy to double-check — unless the boy's civilization had better stealth technology than the Web's, the WFS Hummingbird would have noticed another spaceship dropping something. Might as well start with a guess that was probably wrong...
She was distracted from waiting for the answer by the leakiness of the computer, and caught the bluish-silver fluid in her telekinesis. "What is this leaky liquid, anyway? You're not gonna explode or something without it, are you?"
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
The Necropolis (It Came From The Sea; Wanderer; Crazy Hungry Lady)
The beast grasped the woman about her head with its spindly fingers, and pulled her close to get a better look at her. She looked human, but didn't seem hu— The beast received a scimitar through the face for its troubles.
Reflexively, the beast tossed the woman aside as it shrieked in annoyance, flailing its arms about as its horse body bucked about, knocking over a tombstone in the process. Slipping into twitching fury, the beast raked the ground to vent its frustration, and unleashed a bloodcurdling shriek.
Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
"The Balamar Empire does not currently have any spaceships," Unit 09 replied.
Nyorla input: What is this leaky liquid, anyway?
Irrational Hindrance #02 increased by 20%.
"That is..." Unit 09 initially thought to reply with "classified", but decided against it, "fuel mixture, the details of which are classified," it said.
The boy glanced backwards at Unit 09, "It's been doing that since I pulled it from the wreck," he told Nyorla.
Noting that there was some of the liquid on his hand, he brought it up to his nose a sniffed. It smelled rather... citrusy, along with a rather familiar, slightly metallic smell he couldn't quite place right now. He also noted that his hand hurt a little less where the liquid had soaked through his bandages.
They/Them
[The Sun-Dry Sea - Vrask, Koyel, Layi]
Vrask got up from the ground and looked at Layi, "Didn't notice that before, but I don't see why not, but I suggest we don't spend too long away from this thing," they motioned to the wyvern body, "Or some scavenger is gonna go after it."
They picked up their rifle and slung it on their back, "Whenever you're ready."
[The Necroplis - Unnamed, Wanderer, It Came From The Sea]
She barely had the time to move her arms down so she wouldn't be restrained when the creature grabbed her head, creepily licking the creature's hand while she was grappled.
She moved her scimitar downward and thrust the sword into the creature's humanoid face. She barely managed to anchor herself as the creature attempted to throw her off, holding on for dear life as the creature move about furiously.
As the creature struggled, her mouth opened disturbingly wide as she bit down on a chunk of the creature's facial muscles. She strained as she pulled off the chunk she had in her teeth, swallowing it in one gulp.
edited 8th Jun '18 6:12:26 PM by DarkbloodCarnagefang
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
(Chitara's Wagon)
Saen took the knife, noting with disdain that the bird-girl wanted to heal her wing, rather than the more human parts of her. In her experience, healing magic needed to guide the flesh where it had to go- she could have helped fix her chest or leg, but without knowing where the muscles and joints of the wing attached, her spells would probably do far more harm than good. At this point, she was only useful as a butcher.
The other woman mentioned that tumors were a possibility. "Are such deformities common when regrowing body parts? I want to know if they are rare, or am I likely to need to remove several?"
Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!
The Necropolis (It Came From The Sea; Wanderer; Crazy Hungry Lady)
The beast realized that the woman was clung fast to its face, like a limpet. And much like a limpet, it was gnawing on its face. However, instead of rasping off chunks of flesh with her teeth, she bit a chunk off.
At this point, the woman would most likely realize that the beast's flesh was akin to savory and fleshy seaweed.
Had the beast had functioning eyes, they would be twitching. The beast stamped its hooves a few times before unleashing a frustrated shriek. And then it spoke, "Wid ya kindly git aff ma face?"
edited 8th Jun '18 6:34:07 PM by WillDeRegio
Wasteland, Eastern Coast - Retrieval Services
A truck cruised through the wasteland.
It was large and originally a mint green, though years of wayfaring from harsh locale to harsh locale had left it pale and worn. The nose was very short, almost in-line with the front windshield, and bore no real hood to speak of— certainly not one big enough to house an engine. At its rear, the bed of the truck was long, and enclosed by a tall canvas canopy.
The whole thing rattled across the desert, heading in a straight line but following no visible road. Wherever the truck's occupants were heading, it was no man's land.
About a quarter klick from the shoreline of the eastern coast, the truck slowed to a halt, kicking up a little extra dust in the process, though a cool sea breeze quickly led it away. Shortly thereafter, the engine died, the driver's side door opened, and from it emerged a very curious sight.
First was a particularly tall-soled shoe, the kind that would turn many a disco dancer green with envy. The shoe withdrew itself almost as soon as it had emerged, and about half a minute later the foot returned wearing a peculiar sandal. More peculiar still was the foot itself, which was thinner than most human feet, with five padded toes each tipped by a nubby, claw-like nail, and the whole topside covered in short white fur.
This sandaled foot was quickly joined by a second hanging out from the car door, before both feet were thrust forward and followed by the driver's entire body, descending swiftly to the ground.
The driver was not terribly large, standing upright at little more than four feet head-to-toe, though the overall measurement was helped if you counted in the driver's tail, which was nearly two feet from its wide base to the tapered tip. It resembled the tail of an otter or a macropod, though was not quite the same as either, though the otter resemblance continued at the creature's head, where it bore a short muzzle with a blackish nose and whiskers all around. It had a set of deep brown eyes, and two short ears that stuck out a little ways back past the top of its head.
They perked up for a moment to the sound of a distant bird call, but the creature quickly lowered them again with a sweep of its hand, which was indeed closer in shape to a human hand than the paws of any of the other animals it resembled. Like its feet, the creature's short fingers were dotted with even shorter claws and covered in the same white fur that covered the rest of its body, though the creature was not naked.
Along with its sandals, the creature was wearing white beach shorts, tailored neatly to its diminutive, betailed form. Covering its torso was a very dark blue short sleeve button up which was left open at the top, exposing a thin gold pendant and what would be just about the hairiest chest on any beach. To top it all off, the creature had on a pair of sunglasses, which—like the shirt, shorts, and sandals beneath it—were perfectly fitted to the creature's body.
The creature lifted its glasses and gave a quick glance around, noting little of interest out in the deeper wasteland, before hurrying around to the back of the truck with a bit of a bouncy gait. At the truck's canvas-covered rear, the creature gave the tailgate a quick knuckle rap and spoke in a masculine voice that had just about the same deepness of your average adult human male, despite his stature.
"Showtime."
"Coming!" replied a similarly masculine though younger sounding voice, before, almost immediately, the back flap of the truck parted slightly and another clawed hand stuck out. This hand was even more human in shape than the driver's, had no fur, and was predominately of an onyx black color, except for the pale keratin of the claws.
The clawed hand was quickly joined by a second, parting the other side of the back flap to reveal the liveliest of the driver's cargo.
The passenger was another curious looking creature, though he looked less like a large otter and more like a giant lizard or amphibian, measuring at at least a foot and a half taller than the driver. his face consisted of a rounded snout dotted by two small nostrils and a very long mouth, two large blue eyes, and no hair whatsoever. Most of his head and body was the same dark color as his hand, save for a stark, snowy white stretch of skin that ran from his lower jaw, down the front of his neck, all the way to somewhere beneath his belly.
Climbing out the back of the truck revealed that he had a very long tail, legs that—while not entirely to the physique of a human—were quite different than the short, splayed out legs of a belly-crawling reptile, and feet that were again even more human in shape than the drivers, sans the claws. Much like the driver, the creature wore neatly made clothes, somehow sized to what seemed to be fairly unique proportions. Though he was barefoot, he had on knee length red-orange swim shorts, a plain white tanktop, and a lemon yellow button up shirt left completely open.
His long mouth drew into a nervous grin as the driver led him around to the beach-facing side of the truck and began surveying the scenery.
"We're sure this is the right place?" the passenger asked, his eyes pulled to the nearby seashore.
The driver shrugged, lifting his glasses again and squinting through the ferocious sunlight. "That oracle was highly recommended," he said, speaking slowly. "As long as you did the math right, we should be about a third of a mile from our little sneak thief's rest stop. Ah, mhm." He tapped the passenger's arm, pointing out a large rocky outcrop near the shore along the coast ahead of them. "See that archway in the rocks down there? I'll bet you a million bucks that leads to a cove or an inlet of some sort, probably with a nearby cave or some other good stash spot. That's where we'll find little miss quarry, mark my words."
The passenger scratched lightly at his neck, "Yeah, and, uh... when we do..."
"Well, we'll want to be armed, but if we play our cards well and serendipity smiles on us, it won't come to anything drastic. Remember, the oracle said she was acting alone, so we shouldn't need to split our focus. Just disarm, retrieve, skedaddle, and payday. Easy as pie."
"Have you ever really wondered what that actually means? Like what part of the pie is easy? Baking it? Eating it?"
The driver walked back to the rear of the truck, properly lowering the tailgate before disappearing behind the canvas flaps.
"...throwing it in someone's face? Eating it, but as part of a pie eating contest? I mean, it's a little nondescriptive, isn't it? And now everyone just assumes that pie is 'easy', but nobody can say why."
"Joseph," the driver reemerged, paw-like hand clasping the forearm of what appeared to be a hunting rifle, "I'm sure there's a good answer for most things, but some of them just... aren't very important to know right now."
He raised the rifle slightly, "I think this will suit you best. Bolt action, very controllable, very intentional. Plus, if I remember correctly, you hit the most cans with it."
"Yeah, like two" replied Joseph, folding his arms.
"Hey, two more than me when I first tried. And I had proper fingers. Besides, it won't hardly matter. In all likelihood, you'll never have to fire it. You probably won't even hold it." Before saying anything else, he disappeared back into the rear of the truck.
"I won't? Really?" Joseph cocked his head, "What do you mean? David?"
Once again, the driver, David, reemerged, this time carrying a rifle-shaped object wrapped in a beach towel.
"I mean, I've got a plan."
edited 9th Jun '18 5:50:26 AM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
In the middle of Nowhere, Interrogation Room #(10 ↑)2 8.6 – John Smith, Security Service; Alice
Smith listens to Alice's proposal, calm and collected as usual, his posture unchanging. He even seems to become a bit more… real."Hm-m," says he finally. "Miss Winters, I'm afraid you're either uninformed of the contents of the City's agreement with Western Amalgamated, misinterpreting it or acting by outdated protocols.
"When we say 'restitution', we usually expect something more than just humanitarian aid by the City's guests, for the City's guests, especially from WA. What you're offering is something everyone can acquire simply through the means of the inter-universal free market system that is already established here.
"No. The City asks from your organization for something she doesn't have the resources or manpower to get by her own means. What can you offer that the City itself could benefit from?"
Hotel lobby – Mark and Farah; Murquoql; others
They leave their horses tied outside, take their baggage and enter the Hotel."Heh." Farah looks around. "Thought the crowd woulda disperse after the demon attack. Are the locals not afraid of anythin'?"
"Well, if thirty feet-long crocodile doesn't scare you, nothing will," says Mark as they approach the receptionist's desk.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" says the comely (by human standards, at least), flourishing plant-girl in hotel uniform behind the desk.
"Hello. We'd like to check in," says Mark.
"Honeymoon suite?" The receptionist shifts her gaze from Mark to Murquoql. Then to Farah. "Spa service for your pet included?"
"NOW WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A-"
"Farah is a companion, too," quickly chimes in the thief. "And we need two rooms or a room with two beds. And two baths."
"Oh, apologies," says the girl to Farah. Then she faces Murquoql. "What about your other companion?"
Spiral out, keep going.
[Sporting Goods-Outside]
Amy giggled. "All you need to do is think about exciting things in the future! That's what I always do! "
Jackson pulled out what looked like some sort of holographic map. "Hmm...well, there's some sort of forest area not too far from here. At least by car." He looked up at Bonnie and Lily, "Is your truck still nearby. We can take that."
Make sure your girlfriend doesn't pee her pants again. Maya signed to Lily, If we run into anything we can't have y'all freaking out.
"Cut her some slack!" Nick said, "That lightning scared the shit out of everyone. I just hope Cormack is alright—wherever the hell he is."
"So?" Amy said, walking out the door, "Are we ready to go exploring? The outdoors looks so nice!"
Edited by Masterofchaos on Jul 20th 2018 at 9:16:33 AM
The Prince of Foolish Relevations
Hotel Lobby
Rather predictably, in response to Alice's "subtlety" Vindex snarled at her leaving figure- And growled out on the spiritual level "You're one to talk, abomination..." Valerie, for her part, just seems confused by Alice's remark and glare.
Still, glancing at Cynthia as she gasped at Moobly's comment, Valerie was about to speak herself- Before flicking her eyes down at the biscuits upon receiving permission. Eyeing them almost predatorily for a few moments, Valerie stops herself as she processes that comment about automatons.
"Wait, does she mean golems? But that isn't golemcrafting magic, why would you...?" Whilst the dark haired witch mulls it over, her currently canine demon stares intensely at Arilay. Though once Cynthia accepted Shale's handshake, Vindex's gaze sharply flicks to the admittedly objectively cute monster girl.
Though hardly telepathic himself, Vindex could still tell Cynthia's mind is being intruded upon. That in turn causes Vindex to position himself between Shale and Valerie, his slowly fading construct body not quite stabilizing but certainly looking like it.
Hearing Nui speak, however, causes Vindex to look at her(?) suspiciously and in confusion- Like he doesn't know if Nui is being genuine. Narrowing his eyes as Nui mentions that perversion, Vindex grumbles more to himself than anyone "More like fearful brats when allowed power..."
From there Vindex looks very slightly confused why Nui would mention a "Kalena", not at all catching on to the implied meaning. Nui's claim of being able to protect her(?)self merely causes Vindex to roll his "true" eyes, his construct not reacting.
Valerie, though, is snapped from her musings as Nui offers her some kind of food. Feeling Vindex's mild suspicion without even looking at him, Valerie holds the taberi close to her nose sniffing it- Well, pretending to sniff it as she sings very quietly.
"Let no secrets be hidden." Sniffing for real that time, Valerie flicks her gaze up at Nui all whilst nibbling away at the food. Hearing him(?) express an interest in talking to James, Valerie frowns a bit- And Vindex speaks up on her behalf, with his "true" voice so that Wolfe couldn't hear him.
"That man is a friend of Wolfe, who has been nothing but rude to Justin and my mistress. I highly doubt he'll be any better than his friend." Thus, as Wolfe tried getting Jean and Nui to join him, Vindex openly snarls at the man- Whereas Valerie looks unhappy about Wolfe, a lingering fear within her that he'll try poisoning Nui and Jean against her little "family".
Finally, it is Vindex who speaks up first- With a dismissive tone, more about his choice of subject rather than audience. "That Wolfe person has been nothing but crude and offensive to my young mistress, a child. He even threatened to have his friends abuse her! The way he speaks, you wouldn't know she was graciously healing people and allowing them some of our money."
Valerie, however, seems somewhat panicked- Her eyes flicking from Vindex and Wolfe, whilst her soul holds fear he'll be cruel to her Vindex & Justin again. The demon in question narrows his eyes at Wolfe, and twists his lips into a snarl before composing himself. Flicking his gaze back at Jean, Vindex speaks a bit more casually.
"Sure my young mistress called a person a stupid jerk, but that was purely reactionary. I mean really, who wouldn't be offended when their concern is rewarded with insults? 'Icky', by the way, isn't an insult- Chalk that up to cultural misunderstanding. Speaking of misunderstandings, yes my Valerie was going to cast a spell on dear Wolfe- But only so he'll understand how much he was upsetting her."
The mistress in question has tightly wrapped her arms around herself, her head tilting down so her witch hat would hide her face. Within her soul, she's clearly expecting insults to come flying from Wolfe's mouth- And yet, there's something else, locked tight yet 'threatening' to come to the surface... Something clearly unpleasant, her fear and knowledge of Wolfe's insults to her "family" being the very things threatening that lock.
Just "Corridors"? Come on, theme naming! Or, oh... Anatomy references.
Cocking her right eyebrow at Maequoql in response to her deeming the Justin Parker's trio difficult to summarize, it is pretty clear even without mind reading Explorer is basically saying "You read minds, so really?"
Felian, on the other... paw, seems confused in a very cat-like way by Moquoql's reaction to her. She's probably not a cat, so the fact Moquoql has devolved into madness before her is odd. Ah, of course, the classic "recognizing you're the servant of a higher power". Like, what else could it be?
Explorer, meanwhile, nods slightly to show her acknowledgement of the things Mae is telling her. Flicking her gaze to Moquoql just before she spoke, Explorer has this faint thoughtful expression on her face- Less like she's mulling something over, and more like she's simply figuring out how to explain something.
With the gravity switched off it isn't too surprising the nicely suited woman seems unaffected. Felian, however, one must wonder why the "cat" seems so perplexed by the lack of gravity- Or perhaps why the "cat" who is casually indifferent to the sudden lack seems to think she's the only thing behaving normally.
The feathery "cat" in question walking through the gravity devoid air like it was a solid floor, she follows Mae and Mo more closely than her creator does. Explorer, for her part, follows slightly behind to really take in her surroundings. Finally, after they've floated about for a while and Felian walked, Explorer speeds up so she's next to the sisters.
Twirling herself into a sitting pose, with her right leg crossed over her left, Explorer puts her right hand to her chin to exaggerate her thoughtful expression. Finally, she decides to address Mae first in a very casual tone.
"Regarding Justin Parkers- That specific model of individual, not just people named that... One of their driving cores is wanting a sense of 'normalcy', aka peace and quiet instead of exhausting stuff like oh... Mad doctors who turn their infant daughters into emotional parasites, being cursed and condemned as a monster, dealing with systemic racism cause they're not 'people'..."
Turning her head to glance towards that hotel again, Explorer continues still casually. "There's two general 'archetypes', Justins who simply seem different when mad or violent because they're usually so calm... And Justins who legitimately have some secondary persona, usually some form of violent psychotic or feral beast. Vaguely makes me think of Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, you ever seen that?"
Stretching her arms above her head and then holding her hands behind her neck, the rainbow haired woman continues. "Vindex and Valerie Nexus are still unfamiliar to me, though that isn't too surprising- Omniverse is a real big place. Honestly, we still haven't figured out how it works in full... So many mutually exclusive possibilities, yet every single one the same amount of impossible if you're being 'realistic'."
Explorer's gaze lazily flicking over to Felian, the feathery "cat" briefly looks back at her creator as if asking "What? Did I do something?" Explorer just slightly shrugging her shoulders, she focuses on Moquoql instead and speaks up a bit more playfully.
"Well, transuniversal movement was a necessary prerequisite for universe creation. My people are very much a multi-universal civilization, discounting of course the legitimately separate alternates instead of our native multiverse 'siblings' and timeline branching. Honestly, I'm curious in this universal nexus because it does seem like something my people would make, yet there's no obvious signs of our involvement."
Pausing for a few seconds, Explorer doesn't seem to really do anything noticeable, and she then speaks in totally the same tone she just was. "Our high involvement with transuniversal movement also means we're perfectly aware when there are other universes watching us. Granted most of them we can't actually pinpoint, so shouting "Hey Steve!" shouldn't get anyone excited. How we're portrayed seems to vary, thus why I initially looked like I stepped out of a black and white comic- I did."
edited 9th Jun '18 2:29:01 PM by Kkutwar
"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
Nyorla levitated the fuel she'd caught back where it had leaked from and telekinetically plugged the hole. "In that case, I've got a telekinetic stopgap measure until we can physically plug the leak." She thought for a moment and said, "Okay, your turn. See if you can guess my shortcut."
Hotel lobby (Mark and Farah; Murquoql, Arilay, Shale; Cynthia, Moobly; Justin, Valerie, Vindex; Wolfe; others
Murquoql's mind was flooded with information as she entered the lobby. According to her psychic radar, almost everyone in the lobby was armed with some sort of weapon. Her fur stood on end when she examined Justin, Valerie and Vindex. Fortunately, despite the argument going on, it didn't seem like another fight was imminent.
Author's note: Data expunged for brevity, otherwise there would have been a Wall of Text here describing what Murquoql sensed. Thank you all for the notes you sent me, I'll bring the details up as they become relevant.
Murquoql's mind began to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of data to crunch. This wasn't an overextension headache, this was full-on sensory overload.
Murquoql advised Arilay, "I'm just going to pretend I don't know you two. You'd better have enough diplomacy skills to get you through this situation, it's going to be a serious challenge for your skills. Try to avoid mentioning family, that seems to be a trauma button for Valerie and she's the linchpin."
Murquoql forced her attention off of danger estimation and onto the plant-woman behind the desk hiding thorns. Dangit, not again. Murquoql raised her voice (with its double sets of vocal cords) a little so that everyone in the lobby could hear her easily, "I'm organizing a search for a missing kid. Is the woman in Room 444 still in that room? I'd like to ask her a few questions."
Meanwhile, Arilay noticed she was being closely scrutinized and rolled onto her back, making a noise halfway between a grunt and a whine. Maybe Valerie would rub a doggy tummy, maybe not. Either way, Arilay suspected her doggy disguise wouldn't hold up for much longer around Vindex, and if it didn't, she still needed to appear harmless. She acknowledged Murquoql's message and relayed it to Shale.
Shale finished examining Basic Verran Telegraphic Code and apologized to Cynthia, "Sorry, wordless telepathy is faster and easier for my species. I forgot it tends to overwhelm those who aren't used to it." She glanced at Vindex, who seemed to have moved defensively in response to her taking Cynthia's gauntletless hand. "I appreciate you trying to make peace with those three. I'd like to help, but I suspect it will be difficult. Those three seem..." She took a moment to confer with the Mayatan sisters through the microchip communicators before finishing her thought, "...unstable and traumatized."
Web of Friendship Scouter Hummingbird, Corridors -> Rec Room (Maequoql, Moquoql, Explorer of Unknowns)
Noticing the way Explorer of Unknowns was looking at her, Maequoql defensively said, "Oh come on, give me a break! I may be able to read minds, but English is my sixth language. It's hard to pick appropriate adjectives when the most fitting ones are scattered across that many languages." Maequoql's eyes went unfocused for a split-second as Shale messaged her over the communication microchips, then she abruptly blurted out, "Unstable and traumatized! Those were the words I was looking for."
The Mayatan sisters listened attentively to Explorer of Unknowns. They understood her, except when she mentioned Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Neither had seen that.
The corridor had a door that opened up into a room where the artificial gravity had been reduced by half instead of turned off completely. The floor was barely visible under the piles of blankets and bean bag chairs. The ceiling and walls matched those of the corridors, and the water tubes had dead ends branching off and protruding into the room which terminated in compact airlocks.
The Mayatan sisters abruptly sped up with their last push off the wall and transitioned from zero-gravity to gliding as they crossed the threshold. They zipped across the room, giggling, and landed in a particularly tall pile of bean bag chairs. They turned back to face Explorer of Unknowns.
Moquoql asked, "Hey, this talk about multiple universes and you stepping out of a black-and-white comic has me curious about a couple of things. The first one is, according to my psychic radar, the bubble of space this star system takes up seems to be normal euclidean space and yet despite that it feels weirder and less like home than areas I've visited that have non-euclidean geometry. Do you think that might have something to do with this 'universal nexus' you mentioned?" There was another incident besides this weird star system she was thinking of, maybe Explorer of Unknowns could explain that one as well.
edited 10th Jun '18 10:24:33 AM by Miss_Desperado
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Shopping District (Zarokh et al)
Zarokh eyed his new companions warily. "For someone who just witnessed a person being struck by lightning...in the middle of a clear, sunny day, no less...and apparently vanishing without a trace, you are all taking it remarkably well." He sighed. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, all that matters is that I find the Coast of Chills. Or at least find how to get to the Coast of Chills from here." And by that, he thought, I mean that I will catch all kinds of hell from Krakka'a if I don't bring him something to work with soon.
Town Square ~ Frontier Sporting Goods (Bonnie, Carol, Lily; Cormack; Not-Chaos-Hunters; Zarokh)
"Actually, she—" started Lily, before getting prodded in the small of her back by a mortified Bonnie, furiously shaking her head.
"I'll be fine; I just wasn't expecting a giant crocodile and freaking lightning out of the blue here," the rabbit-eared girl said, "it was extremely too close for comfort." She then darted off to clean herself up.
Lily turned towards Zarokh, "I believe where you're looking for is to the south-west of here," she told him, recalling a simple map of the approximate area nailed to the noticeboard.
She then rubbed the back of her head, "Anyway, Carol shouldn't be long with the truck— speaking of which, here she comes now," she said.
From the direction of the hotel came a loud, blaring horn. A truck with round gas headlamps, an overpowered engine housed under a boxy hood, no windshield, no doors, a bench for the driver and a passenger up front, full rubber tired artillery wheels, and a canvas-canopied cargo area, with parallel benches along the sides for passengers, all painted a drab green.
A few pedestrians in the street hurried to clear out of the way as Carol suddenly stopped the several ton steel vehicle in front of the store. "Sup," she said from behind the steering wheel.
Lily visibly cringed.
Town ~ Hotel Lobby (Cynthia, Jean, Moobly; Dog!Arilay, Shale; Nui; Wolfe; Justin, Valerie, Vindex; others)
Cynthia was briefly overwhelmed by the neural link between herself and Shale, her eye going wide. In the process, the tin of biscuits clattered to the floor, with ginger snaps going everywhere. One rolled to a stop upon hitting one of Moobly's toe claws.
The cynthonic gave a shake of her head as she glanced down at it, "Moobly worked hard on those," she lamented before wandering over to gently scratch Arilay's belly.
"eep," the young knight vocalized, as she focused on calming the maelstrom of thoughts in her head. I was like that once, unstable and traumatized, she eventually thought, I guess that might explain why I was drawn to them. She then added, This is so... surreal, but, it seems familiar somehow...
Meanwhile, Jean had listened long enough to a (in her eyes) a spoiled brat's yappy little lap demon, and instead gestured towards the doors of the hotel, blatantly ignoring the grumbling Vindex, "There's someone who's willing to give me a ride out to the forest," she told Wolfe, before adding, "I'll be coming with to see these other folks of yours; lead the way, good sir."
edited 11th Jun '18 9:35:06 AM by WillDeRegio
[Shopping District]
As if on cue, a huge truck came barreling down the street, stopping in front of the store. The truck looked...interesting, to say the least. It wasn't like any truck the kids seen before.
Damn, what kind of truck doesn't have a damn door or window? Nick thought, This looks like something a killer would have.
"Hi!" Amy said excitedly, clearly not bothered by the truck's appearance. "Nice to see you again!"
Maya simply waved.
"Indeed." Jackson said, "Where, exactly, did you get that truck?"
The kids are going to the forest...I'm gonna do it on the next page or post, lol.
edited 15th Jun '18 8:53:19 PM by Masterofchaos
Grasslands, South of the Battlefield (Mustang Herd, Inquisitor's Stray Horse, Skvader)
The herd slowed their frantic gallop through the tall grass as it became apparent that Angel was limping too bad to keep up the pace. They couldn't stop, so they kept up a brisk and urgent walk south. They all wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and what happened back there.
Town, Hotel Lobby (Shale, Dog!Arilay; Cynthia, Moobly, crowd)
Arilay wig-wagged her tail and scooped the nearest scattered ginger snap into her mouth. She wig-wagged some more as the little dragon came over to give her a tummy rub. Her nanobots would jiggle en masse and give off heat almost like real dog flesh would, and the fur texture might feel slightly off.
Shale spoke through the radio, "Don't worry, Moobly, Arilay will appreciate them..." She continued silently to Cynthia, "...much more than an ordinary dog would. Arilay is actually a human cyborg in disguise, she shapeshifted into that form to present a friendlier and more harmless face to those three." She twitched an antenna in Valerie, Justin and Vindex's direction. "If you're going to tell Moobly, please do so quietly."
Meanwhile, Arilay let the scritchies continue for a few seconds before wriggling to her feet and trit-trotting around cleaning up the rest of the spilled ginger snaps before people could step on them. Wow, they tasted good! And the texture was excellent. In the event that her cover was blown, she had some compliments to give to the chef.
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
Aetheric biofuel leak temporarily stoppered.
Irrational Hindrance #03 increased by 12%
"Thank you."
Processing variables. Two plausible "shortcuts" determined.
"Option one: small airship transport. Option two: telemetatopsis."
edited 11th Jun '18 5:45:34 PM by WillDeRegio
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Hotel Lobby (Valerie, Vindex, Justin, Wolfe, Nui, Cynthia, Moobly, Shale, Arilay, Murquoql)
Valerie seemed hesitant about the offered food at first, and Nui detected a spell apparently meant to check it for curses or something. It seemed quite clear that the little witch had a hard time trusting people, though with what Nui could gather of what they had said and felt so far, they could understand why.
And yet, they couldn't detect any real malevolence in Wolfe's aura. If anything, there was confusion and maybe some frustration due to not understanding the trio's situation. He didn't seem to have much experience with magic and the nature of souls, which could explain things. To Nui he was certainly cordial—now he was just informing them that James was asking for them.
They glanced over at Cynthia, Shale, and their dragonsnote , as well as the new arrival who was asking about a missing child. Normally it would have been possile for Nui to detect the telepathic exchange Arilay and Murquoql were having, but the mechanistic difference in how telepathy worked between their worlds made detecting it difficult in this situation.
Thus, they could gauge what was going on between them primarily through Cynthia's reactions. Which were a sense of overwhelming, and something more nuanced: a blip in her very soul, indicating either empathy or a triggered memory... or perhaps both. Whatever they were conversing about, it must have been something quite deep.
After taking a moment to assess the situation, Nui looked over to the more demonic-looking of the two dogs. "Well, it seems that I am not the only one who could use some protection. As I understand, groups, especially families or those who travel together, function best when the relationships involved are mutually beneficial. If you are worried about James, then I shall inform him about the situation and correct him if he does prove to be as rude as you are afraid of him being. But I do not detect any hostility in Wolfe's aura. While he could tone down his language, he does not understand the bond you share, and it seems that unfamiliarity is where his remarks are coming from. As for James... I must speak with him now. I will be right back."
Meanwhile, over at the front desk, the clerk began typing away at a computer behind the counter. "Ah yes, the Woman in Room 444 wouldn't give her name, says it's for safety, but treated the matter of her son as quite urgent. You will find her on the fourth floor on the hallway to the left past the elevators; I will page her so that she knows of your arrival."
Chitara's Wagon (Chitara, Naiolo, Jamie, Sindar, Nyceme, Saen)
"No, not a fallen king," Nyceme told Naiolo, when he asked about Sindar. "More like a king of the fallen."
Sindar was talking to Chitara, who seemed to have had some prior experience with necromancy which she seemed to want nothing to do with. The mushroom fairy didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. "Actually, by turning undead, I mean driving them away. It is typically done with holy magic, the sort wielded by crusaders to eradicate evil spirits, or by protective wards like Saen's. I ask because..." and here he hesitated, "...well, because of Nyceme. That sort of magic would usually affect her as well, harm her even, so I ask for the sake of her safety."
Then Nyceme found herself in a position to mend a wing all of a sudden. She raised what little was left of her eyebrows. Fortunately though, Saen was willing to help as well, and asked about the tumors in the meantime.
"If you would like to cut the growthsss off, I can hold her wing in placcce," she told Saen, positioning the two wing segments right over the container Jamie provided. "Sssoundsss like quite a condition," she then said to Jamie. It ssseemsss you are quite usssed to utilizzzing alchemy to patch yourssself up. Do you ussse that processs for your entire body or jussst the wingsss?"
While speaking, she made sure to let the serpentine half of her body become more prominently visible. If Jamie was a sort of artificial hybrid, this was Nyceme's way of showing that she could relate, provided that was the case.
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.Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
"You're welcome." Nyorla grinned. "Ooh, small airship transport is a good guess. So close, but no. I would have summoned one from the spaceship, except the noise of reentry from orbit would get the attention of too many wyverns. Now, uh, telemetatopsis is a new word for me, if you could define it, I could answer. It's possible that I have a different word for whatever it means."
Nyorla gasped, "Hit the dirt!" and ducked.
An enormous jellyfish the size of a helicopter came bobbing low through the air directly above their heads. It parked itself above the smoking wreckage, its tentacles swiping at the smoke plume.
The bizarre sight distracted Nyorla from plugging the leaky fuel tank. "Ooooohhhkaaaaayyy..." Nyorla pondered, "This could be a problem. Do you think wyverns eat jellyfish?" She quickly remembered and resumed the telekinetic plug, muttering, "Gotta get a physical plug..."
edited 12th Jun '18 9:11:56 AM by Miss_Desperado
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
[Town Square (Elsewhere)]
A light appeared, and there stood a visibly frustrated Mael. He rubbed the temple of his forehead and walked forward.
"That backfired." he muttered to himself, sighing, "It's six teenagers who never sepreate! They shouldn't be that hard to find!"
Perhaps looking at unarmed travelers was a bad idea. He needed another scout—preferably someone with a fighting experience. That would, no doubt, give them something to fear. Something to make them reconsider trying to cross paths with Chaos, no doubt.
And as if luck was on his side, he saw her. A young woman seemingly making a light show for a raven. Obviously, she was using some sort of magic, but he wasn't quite sure if she was gem user like him or the six kids he was after.
It didn't matter; an opportunity was right in front of him, and he'll be damned if he screwed it up this time.
Like before, it was best to make himself appear the least suspicious. He cleared his throat and began to walk over to her, his hands behind his back, holding a picture. He waited until she was done with her little show before making his presence known.
"Excuse me." he said, hoping to get her attention, "I'm need of some sort of assistance. You wouldn't mind helping a man out, would you?"
[Town Square (Elsewhere)]
Three out of Mequoql's small audience of four politely applauded at the conclusion of her song before dropping a few coins in the grass basket and dispersing. Curious brown eyes surveyed the one audience member remaining. Mequoql explained, "I'm not sure I can lend much assistance, sir, I'm figuring out how to raise funds for an expedition to find a missing child."
The local swordsman overheard and returned to toss a few more coins into the basket, but melted back into the crowd instead of contributing further. Mequoql sighed and made a mental note to rethink her fundraising strategy, she hadn't gotten as much attention as she'd previously estimated. These townspeople really did see everything, didn't they?
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
[Town Square (Elsewhere—hey did you know this rhymed? I just thought that was interesting)]
Mael quirked an eyebrow and rubbed his chin.
"I see." he said, "How unfortunate; it is a worry when a child disappears, is it not?" He shook his head, "However, I'm not sure performing arts like this will bring you any closer to your goal. I would suggest you take a more...active approach. Like actually looking for them."
He smiled.
"In that case, we can help each other. I help you find whoever you're looking for and you can help me find who I'm looking for." He chuckled, "It makes far more sense than doing...any of this." He waved his hand around, "You might be young, but I'm sure you're smart enough to understand that, right?"
Edited by Masterofchaos on Sep 11th 2018 at 11:14:06 AM
[Town Square (Elsewhere)]
Mequoql didn't know whether to laugh at the obvious things the stranger was pointing out or slap him for his condescension while saying so. Instead, she briefly and wordlessly conferred with her big sister in orbit.
Mequoql sent up her memories, the first bundle focusing on the expected report of what her psychic radar had learned about the town's citizens collective levels of apathy, and the second bundle focusing on the obnoxious stranger. In return, Maequoql suggested challenging the stranger's assumptions.
Mequoql snorted, "Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious! And you just made some grievously wrong assumptions. You seriously thought fundraising was the only thing I was up to here? You seriously thought I was working alone?"
Mequoql explained, "Busking isn't the only thing I'm up to here, I'm testing the collective levels of apathy in this town. I was tasked with making a spectacle, my sister was tasked with spreading the news, and we're comparing notes. Our diagnosis, by the way? Not pretty." She continued boasting, "And that's not even mentioning what the rest of us are up to. Local currency or no local currency, the Web of Friendship members here could rescue the kid in a fraction of the time it would take to give this town a kick in their collective pants, which is what we'd like to do if we had the time, but given my findings, we don't."
Mequoql's mood abruptly whiplashed to a friendlier state. "But I digress. Who are you looking for?"
edited 13th Jun '18 8:36:09 AM by Miss_Desperado
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
The Prince of Foolish Relevations
Hm... Rec Room of Lo- No, no... Rec Room of Kinship? Sounds platonic.
Explorer watching as Mae and Mo land themselves, the deity herself continues floating off the ground. Taking in what Moquoql has to say, Explorer's gaze is casual yet focused on her. The younger woman coming to a close, Explorer flicks a glance at Felian- Who in response looks at her peculiarly.
Still, the feathery "cat" stretching herself, Explorer speaks up at the same time. "Well, this is a bit simplistic, but universal nexuses are places that naturally 'draw in' people. Usually people who are already between realities, but there's no such thing as omniversal constants. I digress though..."
Felian still casually walking on thin air the way she has been, the nascent creature decides to approach Mae. The rainbow-haired Explorer, however, only glances briefly before continuing in a casual tone.
"I'm not really a researcher myself, but spatial anomalies have no inherent connection with a universal nexus. I suppose it is entirely possible for more violent or forceful entrances to cause damage, like say... Someone sent hurtling across instead of aimlessly wandering the omniverse. I myself was a bit careless, I meant to emerge in a nearby nexus featuring a space liner."
Suddenly clicking her fingers together as if realizing something, Explorer lays flat on her stomach whilst still floating. Kicking her legs gently against the air and holding up her head by placing her palms against her chins, the nicely suited 'deity' coos somewhat playfully.
"How did you end up in this universe? I only detect your sisters down below, and you don't seem like artificially created natives. For that matter, I don't get the impression your 'memories' are pure falsehoods. My people have a habit of creating universes for simple entertainment value, you see. Our isekais are very cruel things..."
"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."WFS Hummingbird, Rec Room (Mequoql, Moquoql; Explorer of Unknowns)
Maequoql absentmindedly petted Felian, a faraway look on her face. She was communing with her sister below, leaving Moquoql to tell the tale.
Moquoql stood up and walked to a computer in the wall, idly typing as she said, "Well, we were casually poking around when all of a sudden an entire star system showed up out of nowhere in front of our spaceship. None of the other star systems on our map vanished, and according to the gravity scans, this star system wasn't disturbing anything. Naturally, we got curious and explored. I'm starting to suspect this entire star system is a hub for gateways to multiple universes, that would explain how weird it feels on my psychic radar. Oh, and that space liner you mentioned?" She motioned to the map displayed on the monitor, "That's over by the gas giant. And... huh, so that's where Syrni Sandra and Jen Jara chased each other to."
Meanwhile, on board the IMS Carpe Noctem
, the two Void Maidens simultaneously sneezed.
edited 12th Jun '18 9:10:10 PM by Miss_Desperado
If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Restaurant (Leone, Gwion, Kris, James, Nora)
"I'm used to...strangeness, as it were. It's just that, where I'm from, all the strangeness is hidden from the world at large. Only...certain people ever see it," Leone elaborated, "Here, however.... That fight earlier aside, it seems no one bats an eye at things like a talking prehistoric crocodile."
She glanced briefly at Nora, than back out at the plaza.
"...It sounds almost nice, in a way," she added with a frown.
At that she returned to her meal, just in time for the subject of finishing up and shopping for supplies to come up. Compared to everyone else, Leone still didn't look anywhere near done.
"Well, at the moment I'm still eating...." she said. Then there were a long couple moments of silence accompanied by a thoughtful, very indecisive frown. "...But, if you wish to look away for a couple of moments...I can be done in a second."
If the request to look away was obliged, she would then take the plate in both hands. Suddenly, her face split in half vertically, spreading apart widely. The interior of each side sprouted hundreds of sharp, pointed teeth while her throat widened greatly, all accompanied by a sound akin to a slashed throat. Into this newly formed maw Leone tossed the remainder of her meal.
It went down the hatch quickly, and as soon as it was done the two sides of the mouth closed. In another moment, Leone looked perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened at all.
"...Now I should be ready."
Forest - Ruins (Eris, Inanna, Henry, ???)
As the two travelers examined the ruins closely, there was a strange mystical sound that appeared to be coming from the stage. In fact that was exactly where it was coming from, for there a vertically aligned ovular portal appeared, through which a different world could briefly be seen.
The world in question could best be described as a sandy beach, although it was difficult to tell not just because of the fuzzy image but also because a pair of young women stepped out of it. As soon as they exited, the portal closed behind them. Both had pale skin and decidedly dark tastes in fashion.
The first of the two was also the younger, appearing to be somewhere around eighteen. She had red eyes and wavy pink hair, through which protruded a pair of black demonic horns. The left horn had a long red ribbon tied around it. She wasn't particularly tall, being around half a head shorter than her companion.
Her outfit could best be described as a black cloak with a red underside and some additional purple parts attached to the back. Underneath of that was where she threw all modesty out the window, for she wasn't wearing much else other than a black bikini and a pair of thigh-high black books with a short heel. On her chest just above her breast was a blue gem from which six feathery branches extended. In her right hand she carried an absolutely massive scythe that was taller than she was, with demonic dragons at both ends of the handle and a jagged red blade.
Upon stepping out of the portal, she looked around with a bemused expression on her face.
"...Eris, are you sure this is the place...?" Her voice was decidedly high-pitched, childish even.
The person to which she spoke appeared to be anywhere between nineteen and twenty-one. Her silvery blue hair was tied back by an elaborate black ribbon into a ponytail, with two shorter sidetails splitting off from it.
Compared to her companion her outfit was much more modest, being best described as a black-colored cross between a cloak and a dress, which became dark red towards the edges of the lower parts and the sleeves. While it covered most of her skin, it still left her shoulders, hands, and most notably cleavage exposed. It was accompanied by a flat-footed pair of thigh-high boots. On her right hip there was a blue, ovular gem, while a similar red gem was on her left hip.
Above her shoulders floated an odd pair of weapons. They could best be described as short swords, except they were entirely made out of glass rather than having each part be composed of a different material. The blade above her right shoulder was colored red, while the one above her left was colored blue. They both crackled with something similar to lightning in their respective colors.
As her gold eyes inspected the area, she seemed to be considerably calmer than her companion as she took in their new surroundings.
"...No, it isn't," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone and a voice that was somewhat deeper than her companions, "The temple we were supposed to arrive in both had a different style and was in a better state than this." As she spoke, one could possibly make out her small fangs.
"But but but...." the former woman pouted, putting her unoccupied hand on her hip, "How? We were supposed to know exactly where we were going! Mother Tiamat showed us and everything! Did...did you mess something up?!"
Eris gave her companion an unamused glare. "...It could have just as easily been you, Inanna."
"W-well...." Inanna tried to reply, her cheeks puffing up. After a couple of moments she let out an annoyed huff. "...Well, why don't we go back and try again? We can do that, right?"
At that point Eris's gaze settled on the pair of men at the foot of the stage. "As luck would have it, there's people here we can ask. Perhaps we're not as lost as it looks...."
Inanna followed her gaze. The second her eyes settled upon the travelers, she'd hurried on down to them before Eris could finish her sentence.
"Hello there~" she said with a big smile on her face, "Would this happen to be the land of Sumeria?"
Eris let out a sigh, before following her down the stairs. "...Talking to the locals is supposed to be my job," she stated, before turning to the travelers. "...Though I would have asked the same question, if not in quite the same way."
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Sun-Dry Sea (Pilot 0037, Unit 09; Nyorla)
The boy answered first, "Heh, sounds easier than training," he said, hoisting Unit 09 once more over his shoulder. The black box once more monotonously expressed something that could be conveyed as discomfort, before replying to its designated pilot, "We do not have the Panzerfaust Mark Three anymore. You would have to travel on foot."
With the boy's faux enthusiasm eroded, Unit 09 continued, "We are at an impasse; we both have classified information neither side is willing to share. However, this unit is guessing that your means of getting us to the nearest town would involve your "spaceship"," it said.
"This unit is also curious; you said that you cannot show us this shortcut. Logically, since this unit is not currently connected to any working optical sensors, you could blindfold Zero-Zero-Three-Seven, and then take us with you," it suggested.
The boy snorted, "That's a terribly stupid idea; obviously we're walking," he said, before heading off in the direction Nyorla pointed, lugging Unit 09, which was still leaking bluish-silver fluid.
Town Square ~ Frontier Sporting Goods (Bonnie, Lily; Cormack; Not-Chaos-Hunters; Zarokh)
A bolt from the blue took both Bonnie and Lily by surprise. The former wet herself slightly, while the latter took a defensive position, scanning the surroundings for anyone who looked like a hostile mage; there didn't seem to be any.
"What the hell was that?!" exclaimed Lily after a moment, before turning to check on the others, "Is everyone else alright?" she asked.
"No..." whimpered Bonnie.
Lily briefly raised an eyebrow, before noting the slight discomfort on the rabbit-eared girl's face and ears. She gave a knowing nod.
"Riiight..." the orange-haired girl awkwardly segued, "I suppose we'll be accompanying you to wherever we all decide to go; that was the original plan... before... you know..." Lily slumped slightly, slightly paler than usual, clearly unnerved by what had just transpired.
She then placed her right hand on Amy's shoulder to steady herself, "I envy your endless enthusiasm," she told her.