Local idiot who is a sucker for cute 2d boys
Zone 5, streets ~ Kiel
Okay, what's with people assuming I'm a child? Sure, there are multiple factors and all, but if I don't want to list them all day.Okay, first off, I'm not a child; I'm an adult. Secondly, while I'm appreciated the concern and all, I can use magic that came from where I used to live. Thirdly, having one peacekeeper is fine, having two would increase the odds of finding the boy and stop the culprits from trying to destroy the Peacekeepers. Besides, I know this is sound out of line for me to do, but I'm still going with you regardless. ...Sorry if I sounded rude though; I have someone outside of the library assumed I was a child before correcting them.
“You bowl with 3 middle fingers” Oh hey, a troper wall
A dogged fellow, aren't we?
Satsuki - Zone 6, 214th Street Cannery
Satsuki nodded as Crowe spoke, her eyebrows furrowing. His words had echoed her own thoughts.
“There are enough opportunists in that viper’s nest that some will try and capitalize on the situation. Even if their factions stymie eachother out of spite, individual snakes will still make their plays.”
“It doesn’t matter how many marks the diet pours into the outer city; they will merely be treating the symptoms of a disease of their own making. True peace for Concordia will not be bought by an oligarch’s tainted silver.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing softly. She had once entertained the same thoughts, used the same tactics the Diet now would. She hadn't believed that the crucial human spark of rebellion could withstand the winds of comfort and convenience.
Much to her relief, she had been proven wrong. Thinking back on those days, the edge faded slightly from her voice.
“There’s still a long fight ahead for us. For now, we will continue to do what we have always done. We will provide the people of the city an alternative. Repair their homes, tend their wounded. Prove to them that a better system is possible. If the Diet wants to win their hearts and minds, they’ll have to match our efforts.”
If they are even capable of it. Satsuki had her doubts about most, and her fears about some.
“In the long term, I ask that you trust me.” She glanced towards Hiroki, giving him a nod. “I’m well aware that the Militia is venturing out onto dangerous ground. Trust that we have not been idle in our preparations, even if I can’t tell you everything. Not yet.”
A familiar presence behind her set a small involuntary spark of worry through Satsuki’s chest. Rider, lurking in the factory behind her. Guarding her – when she should be looking after Asuka.
She could hardly question her own bodyguard in front of her men, so a small, sharp glance would have to be sufficient communication for now.
Edited by LittleMako on Nov 4th 2022 at 10:08:21 PM
Mancunian Candidate
Zone Five; Barovian Backdoor Special, Special Barovian Backrooms - Asuka Langley Soryu
Something cold and fast shoots up from my stomach to the back of my throat as soon as Susie opens her big stupid purple crocodile fucking mouth, like electric phantom vomit, only I get tangled and dragged along with it somehow and it tries to haul me clean off the sofa past Zima’s legs and over the new girl Prushka's entire body, which doesn’t really work the way it wants it to. I barrel into her shoulder-to-tit and then just sort of ricochet off before I can apologise or scream at her to move or do both at once, and then the door slams home behind my back right in his face and I’m sinking to the floor sweating cold and holding it shut with everything I have.
One of my boots is scuffed. I scowl at it, and then I scowl at Zima, frozen halfway up from her seat. She's looking at me as if I just flopped out of the sea. My heartbeat matches the stereo beat for tinny beat.
“You said this wasn’t a cop bar,” I hiss. I can feel the texture of the door imprinting on my shoulder blades, but right now I can’t remember how to stop. ”Is he gone? He's gone, right?”
It’s faint, because she’s really not set up for it, but Susie’s still grinning as much like a shit-eater as she possible can. I can’t see Prushka from down here, but she’s probably got a bruise or something. That’s her fault, I decide, or else it’s nobody’s fault. New girls should know to dodge.
Seija’s grinning like a shit-eater too, and she’s definitely set up for it, everything from her cheekbones to her weird needle canines, making a smug little triangle between the tips of her horns and the point of her chin. Her eyes are fixed on the window somewhere up above my head as it trickles up the side of her face, glinting like a cat’s. I think this comes as natural to her as breathing, like Susie and raising her hackles. I wish I knew more people who were human beings.
We should jump him, she says, and suddenly I find out I still have more muscles to push with. Something in my upper back cracks. I don’t figure we're going to be able to do this together much longer.
“Are you stupid?” I hiss. It’s amazing how easy it is to whisper and shout at the same time. “You can’t just do something like that, you idiot. He’s a cop, and he’s got a fucking sword, and - and he’s a cop with a sword. You can’t do that. You idiot.”
Zone Six; Egress Eternal - Dio Brando
It was a brief thing, a private glance, but for a moment Blair looked at me as though I were the very antithesis of civilisation itself, given form and put in trousers. Perhaps she took exception to her public failings, which seemed unlikely in one so like to announce them, or else perhaps I'd been broadcasting unawares some terrible malice, some awful glint of the eye, some sour repugnant villainy that was in her current misery simply too much for her to abide. Her sensibilities were wounded; it was becoming clear there was scarce little of her that was not.
Gently forward, then.
"I've offended you," I said, as if anyone had missed it. "I apologise, but I'm afraid it's as I say. You know the press of our fair city, Blair. You are a woman. He is a man, and he was seen in public contradicting you. There is a cruel arithmetic at play. You know that too. You're about to be the subject of what they'll call a very important conversation. You might as well use it to your advantage."
I let that sit. There was the other matter; Little Maggie Nightshade slipped from the leash and run wild into the lawless slums, radical she was, liberated from the yoke of motherly instinct. Mercer had prepared assurances, and though they were taken graciously, they met with little in the way of maternal worry. In the matter of her continuing confession, she could find strength only to wish her daughter unconstrained. Unharmed had gone beyond her grasp, you see, and the woman was a pragmatist. Concern for Maggie's safety was out from the moment at which she could no longer make that safety her concern. Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way.
At the centre of that resignation lay something else entirely, unable to be acknowledged or expressed, so simple and sincere as to border on the infantile. She was not solely a pragmatist. I knew it quite intuitively. It was not Brand from whom she bid her daughter flee, nor even from men like him. For the daughter of Blair Nightshade, finally hounded to surrender, there could be no remedy less than emancipation from the male species in its entire.
“I’ll give you a string right now," I said. "You’ve heard of the Shrinewell Militia? Your Maggie is what they’d call a fellow traveler. The fighting in Zone Five is coming to a close, you see. They’re rebuilding. They need every able body they can find. Besides. If any woman in this city can see that Brand won't catch a hold of her, it will be Satsuki Kiryuin.”
I ran the tip of my finger smoothly over the body of the glass, admiring the chip. Evil stuff. I told you.
“She enjoys that sort of thing."
Edited by OG-Sama on Nov 4th 2022 at 12:43:33 PM
V stood before the gang, apparently they were from a world not to dissimilar to his, Johnny by his side smoking a cigar. "Careful V, don't trust these Peter Jackson Fucks."
"Johnny we got the goods," V muttered.
The leader, a man with a shaved head stepped up and opened the crate, Arasaka rifles inside. "You did good Merc."
"I fill my dues," V said. "Arasaka, familiar enough with it."
"Get enough of the cunts anyways," Johnny remarked.
"Barely got an Arasaka back home," the Halloweener leader said. "Now... as for payment."
V didn't like how he said that last part. He could quickdraw the Malorian if he needed, mantis blades were also an option. Johnny let out a grunt as V considered his options, Johnny took a deep inhale and let out a scoff. "No luck, huh? Nothing like back home, where the fixers are professional."
Several of the gang drew guns, V grunted and looked about the room, a few had grabbed the Arasaka rifles. V was fast, and had decent body armor and kevlar layered into his outfit, it'd be-
The big pale one, the orc wrapped his arms around V's neck and started to squeeze. The Gang Leader tutted as he began to move the crate with his foot. "Bad business, listen, just say you'll leave and we let you live. That is our payment."
V spat at him, Johnny leaning into his ear. "Fuck him, fuck em all. Get mad, you've been calm since you've been here. Fuck, you're done with all this."
Johnny was right, V had been playing it cool for weeks now. He was far from home, far from his friends, far from NC as he knew it. The meds here were different and were keeping him from dying but they weren't fixing his problems... and how long would they last anyways?
He let out a roar and kicked his body into gear, with a heavy push he shoved the orc back into a steel beam. The Orc felt the air leave his body, before V flipped him over. High grade cyberware working overtime, myomar burning beneath his skin. The Orc barely had time to react before V's arms unfolded, mantis blades flying out.
It was over for the big one, his head neatly sliced off the stump of a neck. V lunged forward and impaled two of the Halloween nuts, they didn't even draw weapons, too shocked by what they were seeing. V threw them off and cut through another two, gunfire finally being drawn at him.
"Regroup, take cover, take aim," Johnny said.
V ducked behind a rusted barrel, better than nothing, retracting his mantis blades he gripped the Malorian from its holster, and popped out. 10 shots, more than enough.
The distinct rapport filled the air as 4 were dead, leaving only the leader. V marched forward slowly, blood splatter over his body from his actions. The bald man said nothing, just sputtering in fear, V felt dirty, he felt like a cyberpsycho from this.
"Self defense V, they drew first and tried to fuck you. Just get the eddies and leave."
V grabbed the payment stack and walked out. He was done with this, time to start making a name here.
Areum - Zone One, Diet Chambers
The result was predictable, but it still annoyed me. There wasn’t even a real discussion - every response except Mercer and Swain said a sentence at most and then everything was over. I look back to Mercer, waiting until everyone else leaves before speaking to him.
“I don’t see the point of discussing this, frankly. The Diet made its choice, and I fully expect this freakshow to blow up in our faces. I mean, Christ, the optics of having desperate poor people fight for the entertainment of the rich are going to be a fucking disaster and it’s completely insane to me that this was even a serious proposal - people use the whole bread and circuses analogy when they’re talking about goddamned dystopias, it’s not something to try to emulate! We need… I don’t know, something like a civics test or something that measures criteria even remotely relevant to governance instead of this clown show.”
I sigh. I’m not even sure if the Yakumos left the room before I said that. But fuck it. Nobody has held back with their honesty when it has come to anything I’ve had to say in the past, so why should I?
“But fine. I guess we can talk sometime. I’ve got time.”
Maggie - Zone Five, Streets
A distraught woman approaches us and asks us to retrieve her son from the mysterious organization that appeared very recently - the United Front. It is obvious enough that group is not who they claim to be - a revolutionary outfit that would accept Addward, the very representative of the financial system of all things, into their ranks is, at best, very confused and not suited to carry out the liberation of this city. Dangerous buffoons who are more likely to kill innocent people than any Diet members, of which they’ve failed to do thrice at this point. But the more likely reality is that they’re entirely dishonest in their stated goals to begin with. That leaves the question of what they really are. Controlled opposition? Are they pawns of some shadowy benefactor? I don’t know. The truth will be revealed in time.
Amaterasu says this venture will be dangerous, and she’s correct. But I’m far more equipped than most to handle dangerous situations.
“I understand your concern, Amaterasu. But that’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means I can help. Trust me - I’m more capable than I look.”
Hiroki - Zone 6, 214th Street Cannery
Satsuki’s bodyguard has made herself visible, which is unusual. But not really that noteworthy, honestly.
Kiryuin asks me to trust her. Until I am given reason not to, I suppose that is what I’ll do.
“I will, Satsuki.”
Blair - Zone Six, Egress Eternal
I’m rapidly becoming sick of Brando and his faux-concern. I hate him when he says things that are obviously fake. Or even when he doesn’t. Because either way, I can tell he takes a great deal of pleasure in my suffering.
His face is so goddamn punchable.
“You know Dio, you really seem to revel in reminding me that I’m going to pillaried in the public sphere over what happened today, considering how many times you keep bringing it up. You say there’s going to be ‘consequences’. Maybe you’re right. Maybe the papers are going to have the most scathing articles Concordia has ever seen penned about me tomorrow. Maybe everyone in the city is going to engage in open mockery of me from now on. Let’s say this is all true. Ok. You do realize I could just decide not to write a check for Zone 5 if it comes down to that, right? Or just flat out buy some papers wholesale. I could decide I’m not doing a damn thing for a city that spits on me, hates me, mocks me, keeps needling me as I go through this difficult time.”
I’m going to be hounded and harassed. My pain will be on display for people to laugh at. It would be so, so easy to burn whatever bridges I have left with this terrible city in retaliation. It is because I don’t want to upset her that I step back... for the moment, anyways. I'm uncertain how long it will be until I truly snap.
“I’d rather avoid such a scenario,” I admitted. “I’m not seeking to set the whole city on fire like Robotnik did. I just want to be left alone. It really shouldn't be that fucking difficult, honestly. But I don't think biting one of the few hands that can feed them is a winning strategy for this city right now. If the entire city is a chatter with how incompetent I am or what a cunt I am, it certainly isn't going to move me to be more cooperative.”
Dio then brings up Satsuki and the militia. I have to wonder how a meeting between that particular crowd and Maggie would go... they don't exactly seem like Kayne, who is obsessed with getting along with literally everyone, even people who are diametrically opposed to her interests. And Maggie, well... how far can her attempted rebellion really go? She is not one of them. She doesn't live that life. That is a problem she will have to face sooner or later.
“It is likely she will cross paths naturally with Kiryuin at some point, given what you say. So long as she opposes Brand and doesn’t turn her men on my daughter… well, Maggie isn’t a child. She can make her own decisions. I’m not opposed to that. But frankly, I’m not sure what Brand has to fear from Satsuki and her band if he does decide to go on the warpath against them. If he’s not scared of directly threatening me or the Diet, why would a bunch of mercs with swords bother him? Doesn’t seem like he’s the kind of person who would give a shit about the consequences that would occur if he just killed her and her men. But maybe I’m wrong. It’s possible he is overconfident and unprepared for what he’s getting himself into, that he has made a dangerous miscalculation. I can only hope that I am, and that you’re not overestimating Satsuki's capabilities.”
I really do, because right now the impression I get is that you’re fucking useless - if not a potential enemy that I’ll have to deal with later. And I’d rather not have to dig a grave next to Darien’s when the time comes.
Edited by HilarityEnsues on Nov 7th 2022 at 11:20:50 AM
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
The Everlasting Diet
As the session was dissolved, Yukari ceased her applause at the passage of her proposed measure and dropped through her gap, re-emerging level with Areum's head. "You know," she mentioned, pouting mightily, "I am rather put-out that you spoke against my proposal, dear!"
"Ah, well! It's no big deal!" she assured, suddenly all smiles as she reached over to pat the giant woman on the arm. "It passed, anyway, that's the important part! We can discuss my reasons for it later! Ran or I will be in touch for scheduling that spa and-or beach vacation... soon. I think I may be a mite busier than I usually am, with tournament planning and all, but I... well, planned for this, so I know we can work something out! I'll do the same for you, Councilor Mercer."
"Alright, ta-ta, my lovelies~!" she sang, then called over to Ran as a gap opened up behind the kitsune, "Ran, we're leaving!"
"Yes, Lady Yukari," the golden-eyed woman agreed, obediently stepping through the hole in space as Yukari leaned back through her own after whatever parting words Mercer and Areum saw fit to provide. Then the aberrations in space sealed themselves as if they had never been there in the first place, and the Yakumos were absent from the Diet Chambers, conveniently not around to hear their fellow First Farer's diatribe concerning the motion they'd just pushed through.
Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor Special - Girls' Night Mk. I
By the time Asuka had, Christ-like, spread herself across the door to hold it shut, Prushka was nursing the side of her face and frowning mightily at Seija. "No, I don't think it would be fun," she countered, mirroring the youkai's emphasis. "I came here to get high and drunk and chat with my new friends, not cause trouble for people important to me by beating up some jerk, even if he obviously deserves it. I guess you don't have anybody who cares about or's important to you, huh, Seija?"
She swapped the frown for a kind smile as she turned her gaze to Asuka. "Geez, she's really harshing the vibes here, don't you think, Red? What a buzzkill!" she faux-sighed, then moved further into the booth, taking the former pilot's earlier spot, and patted the empty spot on the bench next to her. "C'mere, I brought something special to show you all!"
Lifting up her hat with much gravitas and putting it on her lap, the Draughtswoman revealed a small, furry creature atop her head! "This is Meinya!" she announced proudly. "My papa gave her to me as a birthday present when I was little, and I've had her a long time!"
"Here, Meinya, say hello!" she prompted, carefully lifting the creature that looked something like a bunny and holding her up to the nearest other girl, whom the not-bunny would proceed to sniff curiously, and then experimentally lick with a soft tongue.
Zone Five, Barovian Backdoor Special - Boys' Night
"Oh yes, Prushka got away from that mess perfectly fine, and without so much as a scratch!" Bondrewd assured after he lowered the drink he'd been sipping from as Leo talked. "In fact, she even made a few new friends in the process! A male robotic vigilante, and two girls with horns and bear ears, respectively. She said she was going to go drinking with the latter tonight, though I didn't ask exactly where..."
"Hmmm... Leonardo..." He paused, swirling what remained of his drink in his glass. Even if the rest of his face hadn't been visible to Leo's deific gaze, it would have been easy to imagine the thoughtful look in his eyes as he examined the liquid. "I have always strived to be a good father to Prushka, but sometimes I worry that something about the way I have raised her is... lacking. Mainly due to circumstances beyond our control, both before and after we came to Concordia, she has almost exclusively kept the company of people older than her, and I believe you may be the first friend she has ever had that is actually around her age. What do you think of my daughter, Leonardo?"
Zone Five, The Dappled Passages
"Excellent, excellent!" the monk said, still smiling genially. "Now, as I mentioned, my boy, you have two options. Do you want to take the option that will be slower and less certain, in exchange for one favor, or the option that will be swifter and more certain, in exchange for two favors?"
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
sword of promised halp
Zone Two; Underneath the Imperial Char Siew Roast Duck Restaurant - Myn, Maia
Buying a secret hideout was necessary for you, if only because there are a number of things that Cuan anu Nelei-Myn simply cannot do in polite society without raising eyebrows. However, converting the soundproofed basement of an entire Oriental barbeque restaurant into a torture dungeon was not necessary at all, and is simply your idea of a practical joke.
You think your sense of humour is quite good. A pity the only people who get to see it are your enemies.
But you've been kind to the Concordanite, by anyone's standards. No water torture, no slow slicing, no strappado, no fingernail splinters, no testicle-crushing, no Areum... the only thing you've done in search of answers is tie him politely to a chair with a perforated bag on his head. It's an offense to your sense of efficiency that you hope Maia will appreciate, but then again, perhaps not. She's not even alive.
The bag is plastic and comes from the restaurant. It smells of plum sauce and garlic. Another hilarious joke.
"Mmmmph! Hmmmph!"
You rip the bag from the Concordanite's head. He starts to thrash and kick, his old eyes wide in fear and his beard shaking, so you stand at a safe distance and watch him. Eventually he quiets down, although not without several rope burns and three lifetimes' worth of exertion. At this point you remove the gag, and he lets out a pitiful howl.
"Curses on you! What do you want from me? Is it money? Do you want money? I don't have any money, I -"
He looks at you for what seems to be the first time, then at Maia. He goes very white.
"I don't know anything," he says. "I'm not with them. Please, Lord Myn, you have to believe me."
Zone Five; Streets - Amaterasu, Maggie, Elimo, Kiel
Finding the boy, all things considered, is not hard. He smells of mint and hairspray. You track him through the mass of people, through the side-streets and the bazaars, your companions close behind you. At one point you hop through an entire game of marbles, so driven are you. Your efforts are not in vain. You find the boy in an alleyway with a group of louts. They have the standard loutish accoutrements; leather jackets, ripped jeans, baseball bats and hairspray. When they see you, they gawk like chickens.
"Who're you?" frowns the boy. He is tall and lanky, and appears to have made a great effort to become a lout.
The louts scatter. One of them even leaves a bat behind. The boy looks around, stunned, then takes a step back.
"Are you with my Ma?" he says. "Did Ma send you to get me?"
The possibility dawns in his eyes.
"I'm not going back!" he says. "I can't! I mean... this city is rotten! How can you stay here and just... watch us suffer? I'm going to change it! We're all..."
He jams something into his arm, wails, and charges you.
"AHHHHHHH!"
His eyes flash red and black, and then his skin ripples, and then the baseball bat in his hand is spiked somehow, and he's three times bigger than he used to be, and as he slams the spiked bat into the ground it sends out a wave of force that goes right through the alley, throwing up shards of glass and bent needles like little broken promises.
Edited by troydenite on Nov 10th 2022 at 2:58:22 AM
'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023
Local idiot who is a sucker for cute 2d boys
Zone 5, streets; alley ~ Kiel
So, we head off and find the mother's son. At one point, I did play a few marbles, but it was fun nonetheless. After a while, we found her son in the alleyway. However, the boy noticed us and ask who we are.Oh, um...
I try to speak, but if I said I'm a part of the Peacekeepers, we'll be beaten up. Yet, most of them scatter and I notice one left a bat behind, which kind of shows they ditch him, which is not very nice! I kept my mouth shut when he asked if his mother sent us, which she did.
Of course, he doesn't want to go back to her and as he was telling us about how everyone is going to change it and all, I notice he put something in his arms, which cause him to...well, change forms. In layman's terms, what he injected himself with is extremely illegal. The moment he hit his spiked bat into the ground, I immediately use Prism, which emits spinning light balls and have us complete protection from his attacks for a short while.
...I know everyone is suffering in one or another. I always try to help in a way I can, but that doesn't mean you should assume all Peacekeepers are bad! I said as I used Earth Spike, which summons stone pillars that are going to track him down and strike him from below.
“You bowl with 3 middle fingers” Oh hey, a troper wall
Idunn; Zone Five, Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct)
Officer Kasuga greets "Becca" in a manner that implies he is familiar with her, then injects the syringe she offers him before I can protest. It seems to heal him, and he proceeds to thank her and recommend that Officers Evergarden and Usagi leave. He insists that this Becca is competent enough to operate in an active combat zone and calls the officers "you two kids", and for a moment I am tempted to tell him that he is a child himself, but I do not. The magical girl inside the warehouse yells Lovely Heart Delirium! and the energy strikes the commander, who is struck unconscious. Officer Usagi is also struck, but she remains unscathed.
Officer Kasuga tells me and this Becca to escort Usagi to the factory and gives orders to the rest of the officers, which seems like a smart decision, but then he approaches the magical girl in the warehouse and begins attempting to soothe her.
"Affirmative," I say. "Officer Usagi, please come with me and..." I pause. Is it appropriate to refer to this 'Becca' with what sounds like a nickname? Officer Kasuga has, but Officer Kasuga is not often a model for proper protocol. "...And Officer Kasuga's friend."
I start off towards the edge of the factory.
So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
huzzaaaaaaaah
Zone Five; The Barovian Backdoor (snicker) - The Drifter
The Drifter leaned in just as much as Theo, his smile unwavering, an odd mix of cheap liquor and general dank wafting off him as if he had been left in the sun just one second too long. His eyes looked up and down the Guardian's face, never really betraying just what was going on inside his head: was he paying attention to the Guardian's demands or mentally filing it all away under 'to be ignored'?
And then, he slammed his hand on top of Theo's, grinning widely. "Deal."
"You're gonna find I'm a fantastic partner." He hissed, spit and venom practically squeezing through his teeth and down his lips. "Because I speak what's on my mind. For example, I think that deal's bullshit. All you do is cast a blind eye, and me, well I hafta hide your ass when the chips are down. Don't sound much fun to me, but I'll take it. Know why? Cause now, Soldier Boy, your behind is mine."
"Y'see, we're not partners-" His fingers dug into Theo's (well, four of them did, one of them just started caressing the back of Theo's hand). "-from now on, I'm your mama bird. So if I come around a-knockin', you're gonna bow down and kowtow, no questions. Your ego is gonna get a bruisin', Soldier Boy, because your people are gonna see you eatin' right off my hand like a good little boy."
"But then, one day, because I always keep my promises, you're gonna get in a truck, and I'm gonna put you up in the nicest retirement home ya ever seen. You're gonna have a new name, new identity, heck, I could even get you a new face if you wanted to. Fifty years from now, you're gonna be nothin' more than an old man, rockin' back and forth, listenin' to your shitty records and gorgin' on cold chow. Sounds shit, I know, but you're gonna be alive. Which isn't the same I can say for most people."
Just before his fingers could actually start causing some pain, the Drifter let go, choosing instead to grab Theo's chin. "So yeah, you got yourself a deal, Soldier Boy." And then, he planted a kiss on Theo's forehead, some bullshit maneuver he'd stolen from thugs and gangsters of the past.
Leaning back in his chair, the Drifter snapped his fingers for an attendant, a waiter, anything. "Y'know what I miss about Greed? Say whatever you wanna say about that fella, but he had taste when it came to the sins of the flesh." He chuckled as his eyes scanned Theo one more time. "How's about we find some honey for your lap and celebrate our deal, Soldier Boy? Mama bird thinks you're looking real thin."
Edited by Stratofarius on Nov 13th 2022 at 2:42:25 AM
Jackbooted thugs marched around the warehouse, hefting heavy crates full of weaponry of alien make, chemical containers filled with materials that no man should hold, and oddly a few boxes of filing papers. The officer had a headset strapped over his head, he adjusted his cap as he directed his soldiers.
"Come! General Totenkopf's war machine needs these materials, if we are to claim our rightful place we must move quickly!"
He pointed to two large hulking ogres in metal armor. "You two, get those heavy guns moving!"
There was a grunt and a nod as the two stomped over, hefting the largest crate. The Officer looked please with himself, the Diet in his mind were fools who would soon know their place.
There was the grind of metal as the door shutter to the warehouse was forcibly opened, a metal hand gripped to it. "You know," a flanging metallic voice said. "I've killed all kinds of meat, You are all a bunch of special cases."
The door opened, standing there, HMG in hand, was Adam Smasher. He scanned the room, looking over the group, 20... maybe 30. It was a good day for a slaughter. "You know, I never thought I'd ever get this chance. Slaughtering you all may earn me some points."
"ALARM!" The Officer screamed, pointing towards Smasher. "ATTACK!"
Several soldiers raised their rifles and opened fire... sure the bullets were good for the 1960s, Adam however was coated in armor plating from the 2070s. He let out a sigh, realizing how disappointing this slaughter would be, he hefted the HMG and pulled the trigger, short bursts and watched as the meat became ground meat. The officer didn't even deserve a full burst, a short pull and a single bullet turned his head into a red mist.
The two Super Soldiers dropped the crate and ripped it open, pulling out heavy weapons, laser blaster fire ripping through the air, Adam dashed to the side. That would cause problems, and it pleased him. "There we go! The slaughter begins!"
He charged forward, one of the stray blaster bolts striking his HMG, he tossed it aside into a crowd of the soldiers, the explosion of high caliber rounds from the ammo box turned 6 men into riddled paste. Rocket Launcher flipped over his shoulder, target painted, and a stop and a fire.
One Super Soldier, now, scrap. "You're not entirely meat are you?! I'd love to see who did your work, I'd have some things to say!"
The other Super Soldier paused, programming asserting itself, no officer to give commands and clearly standard tactics were faulty. It defaulted, Smasher took this opportunity to run in and grip onto its head, he let out a laugh as he ripped the head from the body.
The remaining soldiers started to scramble for the doorway, Smasher turned to them. "NONE LEAVE THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE ALIVE!"
His right arm clicked open, high caliber cannons extended as he opened fire. Red stains were left, he turned to the remaining soldiers, all firing futilely upon him. He closed his right arm and opened the left, a gatling gun made short work of the remaining troops.
Adam finished, looking about the warehouse. The job was done, and once again he felt a little disappointed. Few things in this city he was tossed at challenged him, sure the slaughter was fun, but when you did the same thing numerous times, how much fun could you really have?
Still, it justified his pay. He brought a hand to the side of his head. "The slaughter is done, the assets are secure."
Edited by EchoingSilence on Nov 22nd 2022 at 9:57:33 AM
Zone Five
A New Voyage! Aboard The Great Ship Concordia (5)
"Hmm... Indeed, it would be more beneficial to use the more certain option..."
For what it's worth, Yuudias seems to be giving this more thought than he by all accounts should. He scratches his head, and then, setting back his hat straight, he muses-
"Giving my word like this may devalue it, and I fear I may not be able to see this through... However!"
He nods enthusiastically, and smiles.
"My friends are more important than any of that! If they are here at all, it should be my foremost duty to ascertain their whereabouts! Two favors are nothing compared to that!"
Mad Scientist
Zone 5, Across the Street; Doctor Nathan Grey
Alright, time to go hit up one of my stashes and get a good amount of credits together. Not too much, don't want to end up being robbed, but enough to at least make some inroads in any potential acquisitions.
Ah, but what about the Peeks? I don't really want them to catch wind of this stuff, they'd likely-
...the hell was that scream? Sounded like it came from across the-
Okay, that is a very large guy. Large enough that I doubt he's naturally that large.
Large enough to be some kind of drug. Perhaps I should watch this and maybe grab a sample when the opportunity emerges.
Well, that's quite interesting indeed. Though I have to wonder where exactly they even got a spiked-
Wait is that Amaterasu?
Oh fuck, did she notice me?
Mancunian Candidate
Zone Five; Happy Eggy Confectionery Warehouse (Defunct) - Jengbish
Consciousness comes back to you in horrid succession, hemispheres fired in sectors by the Catalepsean Node. Something powdered melts against your tongue. You do not recognise the child who roused you, save as a killer, marked by her armament and the smooth sleek polymers of her augmetics. Her eyes are fascinating, huge hard ornamental things set into a dumpling face. You want inexplicably to squeeze her cheeks. You are aware, dimly, that she calls you Samurai, but cannot move your lips to correct her.
Violet and her feckless partner are here, too, though for what purpose you cannot fathom. Their eyes are dull and without thoughts, to which you’ve become accustomed, and in the rosetint of your hindbrain could even for a moment find a terrible charm. It makes you giggle in your chest. They are your comrades, you think, your dear friends. They are your fellow soldiers in the war for goodness and for love. The sun above is warm and soothing, bisected by an artful pink adornment, and you know intuitively that you are in a meadow of blossoming roses. There is a gap between your teeth that you do not remember. You will take them to the coffee shop, those charming girls, and ply Violet and Idunn from their shells with tsuivan and salty tea, with fellowship and stories of the wars. They are dear to you, and they will live forever. You can think of no greater purpose to your youth than simply to bear witness to their-
The Catalepsean Node fires everything at once, and reality pierces you through in every inch. The rosetint spasms once and then lies dead, and by then you are on your feet, remembering what you could not understand. Your vision is clear. There is no charm. There is a plan, a flanking maneuver. Officer Kasuga has acted independently.
You know because you can see him parading before the tiger.
“Aya,” you breathe. “Officer Violet, remove Officer Kasuga from the firing line.”
Your stubber is gone to the bottom of the canal, replaced by the rubble you gripped while still insensate, but you still retain the sword at your hip. You draw it smoothly and open a vox-channel over with your chin. There is no recourse but to pray Tsukino remembered hers.
”Officer Tsukino, this is your commander. The essence of the witch is in her jewel. She keeps it in her body and gives it her commands. Destroy it. Do not allow her to speak. Obey Idunn. These are direct orders.”
You do not wait for her protest. As the channel closes you watch Violet scuttle towards the gutted warehouse, possessed of strange disjointed grace, and as Kasuga disappears from your shot you sling the rubble at the witch’s jaw.
And then you charge for her.
Zone Six; Egress Eternal - Dio Brando
Bloody murder in her eyes, then, injured venom on her lips, by jove, by Gaw, arrived in scowling flesh a pure and honest Woman Scorned. I was compelled to glance towards the bottle between her fingers, already halfway drained, a vital article of the composition, then up towards the furrow of her brow, the wayward strands of her hair, a wondrous finishing flourish. I had miscalculated. She did not merely take offence; she coveted it.
"You misunderstand me, Blair," I said, "and you misunderstand the logic of the press. You can have all manner of tantrums, that much is true. You could buy the largest papers out from under them and hold Zone Five to ransom. You could prove to every writer with a deadline and an empty page that you are, in fact, the hysterical woman that they will say you are, and then provide them work for months as they pen the cycle of rebuttals. If you intend to make it your habit to respond to mockery with validation, then there is nothing anyone in this fair city can do to stop you. You can have any kind of tantrum you like. You can accuse the men buying your drinks and finding a haven for your daughter of anything you can imagine."
I smiled at her. There seemed no point in disguising it, not now, not in the state she'd chosen for herself. The bridge was already afire.
"You don't have the pedigree for victimhood, Blair Nightshade," I said. "It suits you very poorly. You can deal from power or you can beg the kindness of strangers, but you cannot do both at once. I have suggested only that you be ready for what will come for you, and that you recognise Brand’s puppet cannot be his co-conspirator. Every article about your sex is an article less about your complicity. I didn't think I'd have to say that so plainly."
I drained the last of the wine, concerningly gritty at the bottom, and suppressed the resulting shudder. The evil had been contained in the top two thirds, I think. Down here there was just sulphur. A strange and multifaceted vintage.
"As for Brand," I said, "he has a throat, and we have heard him breathing. Ergo, it can be assumed that he requires it. If you want to know Kiryuin's real advantage, Blair, it is that she refuses to admit defeat. She won't take a handful of meetings with the man and convince herself that he is insurmountable."
Edited by OG-Sama on Nov 16th 2022 at 9:07:13 AM
Alex Mercer - Zone One - Diet Chambers
The vote passed with little further consideration. Unsurprising, frankly, given that the Diet as a whole seemed fully intent on marching out and celebrating the cessation of caucus. Most of them would hardly care on the best of days, and now they were being held in these chambers longer than anticipated. Of course many of them would agree to something without thinking it through just to be done with it.
That's how you got in this situation in the first place, after all. Ah well, nothing for it but to plan around it.
You raised your glass and replied "Cheers," as Yukari vanished, then downed the rest of the drink and set the empty on the table. You crossed your arms and leaned back in your chair, listening to Areum speak up now that the majority had quit the room. A cruel, self-amused grin met your face as she finished speaking, and you stood up to face her, expression dropping to one more stern.
"I was at ground zero of the worst biological weapon attack my world had ever seen. New York City. Thousands were dead within the first day. When the ones who'd overseen creation of the virus realized it had grown beyond their ability to contain, they tried to nuke the city, my home. I didn't let them." You glanced up to meet the giantess' gaze.
"Believe whatever you want, Areum. But if you don't have faith in the direction of one path, don't you think finding another is in order? Don't lose sleep over the ignorant. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. And you can still help others if they choose to die of thirst."
You brought your hand up to your temple and gave Areum a two-fingered salute, then began to walk past her to leave the chamber. "I'll be in touch. We've got plenty of work to do, so don't let me down, now, y'hear?"
Alex Mercer - Zone Six - Egress Eternal Private Room
"He's got a point, you know." It took everything you had to avoid grinning from ear to ear, listening to the exchange before you. Blair was clearly disused to holding back, but there were only so many bridges you could burn in a place like Concordia before you ran out of real estate entirely. "Gotta pick your battles or you'll lose them all. Granted, not like I've got much experience dealing with media. Usually they're either barred from the premises or you point a team of guns at them and tell them to fuck off and they scatter."
"But if you're willing to take the advice of former black ops, the less you give them the less they can use against you. If this Brand guy lives up to the hype, you could do nothing and lie through your teeth and they'd still probably believe you were coerced. But nobody's invincible, present company included. You and Junior may not need anyone to watch your backs, but that doesn't mean you couldn't use a hand here or there."
You took a drink from your glass and leaned back in the booth seat. "And if you're worried about the price, we can discuss that later. First show's courtesy."
You shrugged, half grinning. "Or just tell me to fuck off and I go back to watching from the shadows."
Rebecca - Zone Five - Girlcube Factory
"Booms mean you're heading in the right direction, choom!" Rebecca snapped back at Ichiban. She relaxed noticably when he took the hypo and the effects kicked in immediately. Normally they didn't work that fast or that well, but, well, Ichi was an odd one. As long as he looked like he was doing better that was good enough for her.
And then the scrawny brats from before caught up, along with a stuffy woman telling her she shouldn't be here. "What's with you guys?!" Her face lit up with a mix of anger and exasperation. "I got my papers!" she said again, lifting her shotgun with one hand to point straight up at the ceiling. "I ain't a poser, I'm a pro-fessional! And that's Rebecca to you!" She pulls an eyelid down while looking at Idunn.
And then there was the glare, lighting up the room brighter than a 'Saka parade.
"The fuck's that?!" she shouted as she dove to the ground. It's like a deployment of main battle tanks rolled in, except it's just one girl in a stupid frilly outfit. She looks like she belongs on the cover of a shitty maid manga or something. She's even got a dumb little wand and everything. No fucking way. Did she really do that on her own?
Ichiban runs off ahead like he always does, but this time he asks her and two of the girls to head for the factory. "Don't do anything I wouldn't, Ichi!" she shouts off after him. Then she hears movement behind her.
The man of the hour gets up. He doesn't look like he's got iron on him, but now that he's in motion she can clearly see the rumors were true. He's massive, he really is covered in skulls, and he's got a cool sword. It's even not one of those shitty katanas the bushido freaks back home love. She grins wildly. There's gotta be stories behind all that swagger. If she's lucky, he'll tell her some once the fighting's done.
Rebecca practically starts glowing upon overhearing Jengbish's orders and whips her head around to look at Usagi. "Fuckin' nova! Hear that, squeak toy?! You get to run with the pros today!" In a motion much more fluid than her frame might imply she tosses her shotgun back into her right hand, then spins around and scoops up Usagi entirely in her left and bolts for the factory door as fast as her short legs will carry her.
"Ahahahahaha! Let's fuckin' goooooooooooooooooo!"
Edited by lynkzero13 on Nov 16th 2022 at 11:29:34 AM
A dogged fellow, aren't we?
Zima - Zone 5, Barovian Backdoor Special
Oh right, Prushka.
“Oh right, Prushka.”
Zima waved the cabbage-headed girl over to a seat with her and Asuka. She hadn’t really intended to invite the kid along, but she’d kind of ended up following along behind her like a cheerfully lost duckling after the riot. At least she’d be better off waiting out the blackout at the Backdoor and not wandering around somewhere.
She belatedly realized that the kid actually looked at least her age. The word ‘kid’ just slotted itself in beside her somehow.
Meanwhile, talk had turned to the state of the city, because of course it had. Seija had (probably) unknowingly voiced the same line that had been bouncing around in Zima’s head for a while.
She could feel the start of a mood creeping in around the edges. She’d shifted in her seat to keep watch on the door without even noticing. It was probably good that something happened to shake her out of it.
Shame it had to be Theophilus goddamn Houraisan.
Before she knew it Zima was half to her feet, looking aghast, only Asuka had somehow managed to throw herself at the door first, and for some reason the only thought that sounded as the moment stretched on is, ‘Witch is going to blow a gasket’. The worst Peek in the zone was pulled away, and the tension drained out of the room – or started to, anyway, until Seija came up with her brilliant plan. The stab of panic that shot through Zima’s chest at those words was somehow worse than when she’d seen the door creak open.
It wasn’t fear for herself. She was scared for these damn morons. It almost froze her in place as she hopped over Prushka, made her grip Asuka’s arm a bit tighter than she meant to as she hauled her to her feet.
“They’re right. It’s a fucking stupid idea.” She found her voice with a growl, turning and reaching for the neck of the vodka. With a slosh, she filled two shots and scooped them up, pressing one into Asuka’s hands before downing the other herself. “Gah… Seriously. Don’t even think about it. We don’t even want to sniff the shit that guy’s tracking in.”
She’d been waving her empty glass for emphasis, but stopped when she realized her fingers were shaking. The booth felt claustrophobic. Too loud, too quiet. Her heart was still pounding. She let her sleeve drape back down over her hand to hide it as she dropped the shotglass to the table, clenched her fingers to keep them from looking for the axe.
“We’re gonna need more than one bottle for this. Asuka, come with.”
Probably shouldn’t leave the new kid with the morons, but she needed this. It’ll only be five minutes. Hell, maybe prushka’ll be a good influence. Or at least keep them distracted with her weird pet.
Shouldering her way through the door, not bothering to wait for a reply, she turned – not towards the bar, heading for a door out the back.
Edited by LittleMako on Dec 29th 2022 at 4:34:30 AM
Breath of the Sun
Zone Five - Barovian Backdoor - Susie
Seija is my fucking spirit animal.
Zima is cool, but she's got that quiet broody thing going on. Seija's intense, wild, fun. Too fun for the others, apparently. I mean, I get why they'd be a little tense about killing someone, but this is a fucker who deserves it.
While Zima calms down the panicking Asuka, I scarf down another one of Seija's cakes and grin at her, ignoring the bits of food I can still feel between my teeth. "Fuck it, I'm down. Let's gank his ass."
Asuka brings up how he has a a sword. "Oh, he's got a sword, big whup." I scoff, then slip a hand into my pocket and pull out Jevil's card, waggling it a little for emphasis. "Good thing I bring my magic ax everywhere, huh?"
Me and Seija are going to kill a man. I'm more excited than I thought I'd be.
Actually, Asuka gave me an idea just now: when we kill him I'll take his sword as a trophy. Like that big Chinese robot guy who takes skulls from his enemies. He's cool, even if he does work for the Diet. Not as cool as Adam Smasher, but close.
"You can stay here with your hamster if you want, Prush." The fuzzy little thing is kind of cute, but cute little animals aren't my thing. I'd rather have a pet dinosaur. "I dunno about Zima, but I'm coming back for drinks after we kick this guy's ass. Shouldn't take long."
Zone Five - Streets - Amaterasu
It does not take long to find the boy in question. She steps forward, and the ragtag youths begin to scatter, even as she tries to reassure them.
"It's alright, my children. I mean you no harm." But most of them have already fled. They must have seen the raven, she supposes.
The boy does not run, thankfully.
"I understand, my child. I too wish to fight for this city, to make it better. But the people you seek to join do not-"
Her words fall on deaf ears as he injects himself with some unknown chemical. He swings his bat and cracks the earth and sky.
Amaterasu doesn't move. She digs in her paws and brings her shield to bear. The impact sends her skidding back a few feet, but Solar Flare does not so much as crack.
"I do not wish to fight!" She shouts, attempting to . "You do not need to do this!"
Benkei had already moved out of the way, kicking off the walls and landing on the other side of the street. He scans for civilians, and spots a face he's seen only on wanted posters. A man Amaterasu herself told him about.
"Hey, doc!" Benkei raises a hand in greeting as he approaches Grey. His movements are calm and casual, but he prepares to put on speed if the doctor tries to run. "You work with flesh monsters, yeah? Think you could find a way to turn that guy back to normal?"
Edited by kagescorpionakki on Nov 17th 2022 at 1:13:29 PM
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Blair, Nightshade Residence
No one can say I didn’t try. Truly, I did. I really think I wore my human costume as well as someone like me could over these 15 years. I haven’t caused trouble, haven’t done anything illegal, and earlier, I even showed genuine human vulnerability. I followed the rules, and checked off every box for what a human, rather than a monster, is supposed to do. I've been far more reasonable and even handed with this city than any of my… well, let's call them "peers" would have ever been. I have even shown moments of vulnerability.
But this has yielded me nothing. I currently find myself staring down the barrel of the gun from Darien and, depending on what his real intentions are, Dio as well. There is no point in continuing to try to play by the rules when Brand does not even pretend to respect them. He requires a reaction from me. Certainly, in some small way, Margaret might be able to rely on people like Satsuki or whoever Mercer can call up, but I am not going to solely rely on these people. The stakes are simply too high for that.
It’s not one I wanted to use, because it represents a real escalation. One step closer back to the old me. Something that might… scare people. But the time for the gentle hand has passed. Darien had every opportunity to just chase his ambitions and leave me out of them. Instead, he decided to go on the offensive and put the screws to me. He decided to make me his enemy. And the chances that groveling for mercy will assuage his wrath seem rather low, given what I know about the man.
So, at some point, I am going to send him to hell.
There is a beast before me, one of my many familiars I have attained over my long life that serves me. Typical familiars for a witch include big cats and wolves - ordinary animals with perhaps a bit of magical power to them.
This one is different.
This one is a dragon. Their black scales, huge stature, wide wings, and gleaming white fangs make that readily apparent. They are going to be Maggie’s bodyguard.
“If you sense Darien is going to try to capture or otherwise do anything untoward to Maggie, kill him immediately. The same stipulation applies to Brando or anyone else who has established themselves as potentially being a threat. Use discretion, and do not enact harm without reason - but understand that Darien is not a man that can likely be negotiated with. There’s certainty that at some point or another, he will need to be put down.”
“Understood, Lady Nightshade.”
The Dragon - their name in their own tongue cannot really be pronounced by the likes of me - is, in short, a mage-killer. They are quite resilient against magic and supernatural phenomena - including Dragonsbane and other such magical components meant to fell other dragons.
Including, in all likelihood, a great deal of Darien’s arsenal.
They will be Maggie’s protector, and if need be, a powerful weapon. I refuse to continue to bow to anyone, to be put on the backstep, to be humiliated simply for trying to exist without being harassed.
The Dragon dematerializes. They will reappear once Margaret is in peril, or I tell them to. As a familiar of House Nightshade, they’ll have an innate ability to tell when she’s in any danger. Anyone who tries anything funny is going to die.
This is how it has to be. This is how it was always going to be because some people just don’t know when to fucking quit.
I suppose we’ll have to see where this goes from here.
Maggie, Zone 5, Streets
What the hell? What did he just inject himself with? Does the United Front just have vials of that lying around? What is going on?
I give a quiet sigh at Kiel’s comment. Trying to convince him that not all peeks are bad is not what we should be doing right now. I have a strong feeling this is not going to be a constructive line of conversation in the slightest, and that’s not really the objective anyways - we’re here to take him in.
“Wait, please!”
I use my magic to quickly fly out of his path, a gust of wind blowing around me as I do.
“Stop! Look, I don’t agree with your mom either. I’m not a supporter of the Diet or the peeks or whatever. But becoming a monster isn’t doing anyone any favors! You’ve gotta stop this!”
I’d really rather avoid using force, if possible. I’m not really sure what I can say to calm him down in his current inhuman state, however.
Areum, Zone One, Diet
I don’t really react to Yukari leaving. I’m so preoccupied that I just sort of stare off into the distance, glassy-eyed.
Mercer relays that he saved his city once. I did good things once, too, at least before I came to Concordia. But that was a really long time ago. I haven’t really done anything for Concordia at all. I’m not even in a position where I know what to do. I am but one vote, and I cannot control what the other Councilors decide to do.
The reality is that I’ll probably have to start working more and more outside this structure to make any real change.
It’s a daunting prospect, because I’ve been doing this for about a century and a half. But the reality is that this political project is ultimately a dead end. I must come to terms with that eventually - whether it be through the easier way, or the harder one.
“You’re right, Mercer. It’s just hard, and I don’t really know what to do right now. But I guess I’ll figure out something eventually, because I have to. Nobody is going to swoop in and save us. We’re going to have to do that ourselves. That’s just the reality of it.”
I begin to walk out the Diet as well.
“I won’t. See you around, Mercer.”
V had taken another omega blocker, and Johnny had requested some time in the driver's seat. So Vincent was sitting on some rubble, while Johnny was sitting on a stool, strumming and old guitar he had gotten his hands on.
Johnny adjusted the aviators on V's face, strumming along, humming the tune to Never Fade Away, a personal favorite of his. Vincent stretched a bit as he 'listened' to Johnny play. "So, I really can't carry a tune?"
"Your vocal chords are all wrong, me I was drinking hard and smoking, tuned my chords perfectly... well that and I had actual practice."
Vincent rolled his eyes. "Really now, I used to sing all the time with the Bakkers."
"Nomad shanties, you were part of a group, they covered up your crap. Best you did was making sure these fingers of yours were fine tuned. Took me forever to get my patented silver hand to work right," Johnny responded.
"Right, you're left handed, that had to suck."
Mad Scientist
Zone 5, Across the Street From An Alley; Dr. Nathan Grey
"Okay. Firstly, I don't make.. flesh monsters. That kind of thing is the work of an amateur and I didn't get multiple skilltrainers shoved into my orbital cavity to be considered an amateur in my work. I take pride in my work, my creations are perflectly made and capable, not some flesh monsters that could easily be mistaken as having their creation gone wrong. I-"
Suddenly, there's was a loud noise across the street, I looked over and-
"...completely forgot about that."
That is somewhat embarrassing. Though I still stand by what I said.
Anyway, back to it. "Right, you need an antidote or something for whatever it is that caused that guy," I pointed to the heavily mutated figure "to mutate into that."
Not sure if I had anything to use, actually. Let's take a look at what I put into my pack today.
I began looking through the bags I had brought.
That vial I found labeled 'bloodtox'. No. Should probably figure out what that is at some point, though.
A needle of Thorazine. No, well actually... yeah, no. Honestly, looting those medicine cabinets at the Hive hasn't really been that fruitful.
A sealed tub of chocolate icing. No. Why do I have this in here?
Diluted and non-diluted Nitroglycerin. No. Though the un-diluted stuff could come in handy later if things go wrong.
The Cure for Necrocutiewiffilis. No. I've never even seen Necrocutiewiffilis. Odd name for a disease, anyway.
Naloxone... hmmm, maybe? I need a bit more details.
"Do you know anything about what he took to make himself like that? Don't leave anything out, any detail could be important."
Elimo; Zone Five, Streets
Elimo was not entirely surprised that this had happened, all things considered. People did strange things when they lost all hope. Running away from home to try and "change things" - whatever they thought that meant - was so common to be factual. She knew that too well. Did she?
She was thankfully saved from the indecision by the boy taking some unknown drugs and transforming into some sort of monster, swinging the bat so it sent a wave of force down the alleyway. She threw up a shield of water almost without thinking and was surprised at how well it took the impact. Why was she surprised?
Amaterasu was still trying to speak, to negotiate some sort of peace. Elimo felt a sudden flare of annoyance directed at the sun goddess. She only professed to care when under attack, did she? Well-
She tried to focus on the situation, to reach for that inner stability as it slipped away from her, and found it after what seemed like aeons.
"The boy seems to have observed that wishing is different from doing. Perhaps we should listen to him," she said after a moment. She turned to the monster at the end of the alleyway. The boy.
"We have been- remiss in understanding, it is true. Wilfully ignorant. That is no reason to throw your life away. It proves nothing."
She started, just a little because there were other people - had she really just said that? She didn't remember thinking about it.
The conclusion struck her a moment later. It was troubling enough that she had been confused over which thoughts were hers, but she had always been in physical control - the driver's seat, so to speak. If she was slipping... She filed that train of thought away. That could wait.
So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Zone Five, Streets
A while after meeting that cyborg gentleman, I am speeding through the air over part of Zone Five on the back of Matsumoto's hoverbike form, looking for a good place to land and begin singing again to raise money for repairing the Zone. I have not changed clothes
◊ since earlier, as I saw no reason to.
"Ah!" Matsumoto exclaims as we pass over a certain street strewn with rubble. "There's that guy from before!"
"Oh, wonderful! Thank you for letting me know," I say, making a u-turn and circling back to hover over the cyborg man's position, then lowering to street level with a long whine of Matsumoto's jet's. Hopping off of my ride, I wave at the guitar-toting man while Matsumoto reconfigures himself into a solid block of cubes, one popping off to hover near my shoulder.
"Hello again!" I greet, smiling. "I have good news! Since the last time we met—"
"Since the last time we met, we analyzed the kind of plug you use for that connection in your arm and whipped up a converter cable!" Matsumoto cuts in exuberantly as I pull the new cable in question out and hook it up with one of the cube's extruding USB cables. "It's all thanks to me, really, but no need to express your gratitude! Just connect to me and send a copy of the Roman alphabet and the numbers zero to nine and I can figure out translation and networking protocols and all that stuff! My processing speed is a lot faster than Vivy's! I'm basically a super-computer!"
I frown, giving his top a karate chop that CLANG!s as our metal bodies collide. "Please do not imply I am old and slow, Matsumoto."
"She didn't try to warp my frame this time," he imparts to the man conspiratorially, "That just goes to show how excited she is about properly exchanging music data with you, you know!"
"Well, I suppose I am a little excited at the prospect," I admit, clasping my hands at my front and looking at the cyborg with another smile. "By the way, as long as you do not mind sharing, what is your name? I do not believe I heard you mention it last time."
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Johnny adjusted his aviators. "Oh hey, that Vivy," he said.
It was obvious from the way he talked and the way he carried himself, something was different.
Vincent was cradling his face in his hands. "Johnny, please... play it cool."
Johnny stood up and pulled out his personal link. "Hey, if this allows me to share the great tunes locked up in my brain, all the better. Can't sing worth crap with these chords."
Vincent was groaning hard.
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
Zone Five, Streets
The cyborg gentleman does not answer my question, so I tilt my head in an expression of uncertainty, but I do not stop smiling. Someone once told me that I should smile more, and besides, I am excited.
In short order, Matsumoto and the man are connected, Matsumoto has decoded how to transmit and receive data from him, and my cube partner has transmitted the necessary information to me. We then detach Matsumoto's line from the converter cable, and I pull my USB down from my earring and plug in. Time to test whether Matsumoto's work was any good - though I am sure it was.
[Hello! Can you hear me, Sir?] I experimentally ask in my voice over our new connection. [If you can, do you want to try sending over a song?]
Zone Five, Dappled Passages
"Very good," the monk said, nodding with a smile. "By the way, Yuudias, now that we have a deal: you can call me Mudana Kuukyo. Now, I'll need something from your universe in order to locate your friends using this more accurate method. A reasonable amount of your hair should do the trick, I think." Picking up his unused knife from the counter, the supposed holy man offered it to the green newcomer.
GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs
Zone One - Diet Chambers
The unexpected vote passes in expected fashion. No one on the Diet had any opposition to the less fortunate killing each other for sport. It reminded him much of home, and Swain pushed down the wave of nostalgia.
He gave Witch a nod in affirmation as he turned to leave. Abused ravens fluttered out alongside him, still squawking indignantly at how they had been handled.
No words needed to be said. His flock knew his desires simply by being near him: Find Theophilus. Inform him of his failures.
They scattered. It was uncertain if Theo would turn himself in for questioning. It didn't matter - the ravens could shadow him anywhere he hid, and guide Witch directly to him.
"You'll have to replace most of his men." Yagami speaks up from his left. The Guardian of Zone Three watches the ravens fly away with a calculating gaze. "His men are no doubt loyal to him over you."
"A consequence of giving him too much freedom." Swain admits. "A mistake I will not repeat."
"Probably won't have a chance to." Yagami mutters. It's unclear if he intended Swain to hear it. "If you'll excuse me, Commander, I should return to my duties."
"Indeed. Dismissed." Swain announces, both to Yagami and to the other Guardians who still linger. "I will need you all ready to face the coming strife."
The Peacekeepers would pull through, in one form or another. Swain would ensure it.
Zone Five - Streets
A woman bowing before Amaterasu and asking for help is not an uncommon sight. A missing person, however, is much more severe then the usual issues she is called to assist with.
"Of course, my child. I will find him at once." She begins to sniff at the poster, trying to take in the boy's scent.
Benkei eyes the words on it with interest, then dawning horror. "United Front... that's the group that took the money-weasel, isn't it?"
Amaterasu pauses, racking her brain, and indeed the words ring familiar. "Addward's captors. No doubt this poor boy is another of their victims. Perhaps by finding one, we can find another."
A Peacekeeper appears, then - so young, Amaterasu thinks - and offers to help. Benkei rolls his eyes but manages not to laugh. "No offense, kid, but we might be dealing with some dangerous people here, and you don't look like much of a warrior. Plus, we've already got a Peacekeeper escort."
He points a thumb towards a nearby raven, which had been tailing them for a while now. Not surprising that Swain would want to keep tabs on Amaterasu. Especially after the Greed Incident.
"I would not want you getting hurt, my child." Amaterasu agrees. "Though we cannot stop you if you choose to come with us."
"I mean we could, just not, y'know. Legally." Benkei taps the hilt of his sword.
"Of course, the same goes for you as well, Elimo and Maggie." She turns to the two in question. "You're welcome to come along, but know that it may be dangerous."
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?