Zone 1 - Kothys:

Staring at the abundance of food around them, which included chicken sandwich, sweetmeat, shortcakes and etc., Elerin concluded that maybe they also ought to order something, even if nothing happened in their "stomach." And so they ordered a tuna mayo sandwhich, which stood out the most to him among the foods they had tasted.

It did not take long for the bustling of life to overwhelm Elerin. At this point, they tapped their fingers, pondering on what they should do as many people have gathered for this thing called "brunch", as Donkey Kong called it. Elerin had seldom seen the talking gorilla before during some Draughtsmen business. They were able to recognize Kong, but they did not know what kind of being he was, although that extended to most of the people that currently resided in here.

"What business do you have here?" Elerin asked to the resident Kong as they sipped coffee once more while waiting for the order.

Everything that lives is designed to end.

Zone Six [Angel's Flophouse]

You snap out of your thoughts when Helena approaches you. Seems like she's ready to begin.

"Hang on." You reach behind you to grab the back end of your cape. There's a moment's hesitation before you pull on it, shifting the entire thing behind you to expose your shoulder.

It isn't a pretty sight.

All that remains of your right arm is a small lump of flesh and bone, small enough that if you covered the stump with your hand your middle finger would be touching the top of your shoulder and your thumb would be brushing against your collarbone. The end of it is a darker blue than the rest of you and wrinkly like a prune, and though you can't see it your self from this angle, you know the skin forms a puckered scar from how it healed long ago.

For just a second, you aren't in the clinic. You're back there, in the howling void, as something you can barely make sense of rips into you. Jaws? Mandibles? The blade of a sword? Maybe it was all of those things. Maybe it was none of them. Whatever it was, at least you could understand the consequences of its actions. You've lived with them for fifteen years.

You close your eyes. You clench your fist. You force yourself to breathe, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You open your eyes. The void is gone. You're in the clinic, and Helena stands before you.

"Okay," you say. "I'm ready."

She goes to work. Her magic envelops you with a gentle warmth, and you feel the beginnings of a faint tingling at the end of your stump. The scar begins to itch, and it takes an effort to resist the urge to scratch at it.

A minute goes by. The tingling is… odd, but not unpleasant. So far, everything seems to be going okay. It hasn't turned out like the times Kayné offered to fit you with a prosthetic. You look down at the stump, and your mouth opens slightly. You can swear that you see… something you can't quite describe. A bubbling or rippling of skin, a lightening and smoothing of the scar tissue. And your eyes might just be playing tricks on you, but it feels like the stump has gotten just a tiny bit longer. A hair's breadth, maybe, but it's something.

For a second, you dare to hope that this might work.

And then you feel it.

"Gagh!"

You cry out as a sharp pain shoots through your heart. You double over, clutching at your chest. Your tattoos flare up, throbbing with an audible hum and an angry red light.

The pain shifts from your center to your extremities. It intensifies. You grit your teeth. Electricity crackles around your body. As you lower your head, you see two bright blue spots on the floor, like someone is shining a pair of spotlights on it. You can see the same glow reflecting off the insides of your goggles.

It's your eyes. They're glowing.

Smoke rises from the stump. It's scorching hot, like you've shoved it into a bucket of burning coals. The pain drives you to your knees. You can feel something slough away—

And suddenly the pain is gone. Your tattoos dim, the hum fading away. Your eyes stop blazing.

You breathe heavily. You're sweating like you just ran a marathon. Slowly, you turn to look at your stump.

The end is blackened and sizzling. There is further smoke rising from the floor. You look down and see a charred film of something that might have been blue skin just lying there on the scuffed tiles.

The sight makes you scowl and clench your fist. "Another failure," you mutter. "Damn it…"

The Danse Macabre Codex

Magolor - Zone 1: Central Business District - The Corner Between the 7th and 9th Street -> Kothys' Cafe

Magolor was strolling through Zone 1's seventh street. He closed his Shoppe - his small shop - a while ago and decided to take a break. He wanted to go to Kothys' cafe, to have a light lunch, as he was feeling peckish.

As he entered the cafe, he took a seat that wasn't that much far from the main commotion, which piqued his interest because of the people that contributed to it.

Ah, The Most Estimable Guild Of Draughtsmen. The very notable group of adventurers that set out to explore the outer borders of this very, very curious dimension (if it could be even called a "dimension"). Magolor has had a few of these Draughtsmen visiting his Shoppe, requesting weapons, armors et cetera.

Magolor could also recognize between the chitter-chatter the faces of some of the more notable Master Draughtsmen, such as the tailed cyborg known as Bondrewd, that behemoth of a man called Jengbish and that haughty lady, Areum, to name a few.

However, before deciding to further listen to the current conversation, he needed to order his meal.

"Mr. Kothys!", with a chipper and high-pitched voice, Magolor warmly called the name of the top hat being, raising a floating hand. "I would like an omelette, please.", he politely ordered.

Sweet dreams are made of this~ Who am I to disagree?

Moloch "Moko" Kothys—Zone One, Central Business District, Corner of Seventh & Ninth Street

In what could have been called an appreciable jiffy, the mayo tuna sandwich had been toasted, put together, plated, and served to Elerin with a wink and a smile. Moko cocked his head at Magolor as the adorable sphere-man came into his shop and nodded. "In a moment, sir," he called out, and then got right to cooking the omelette.

"And here you go. A ham and cheese omelette. Be careful, it's rather hot on the inside," Moko cautioned, fanning at the steaming pile of eggy, cheesy goodness. "Good to see you around, Magolor. I hope business is as good on your end as it is on mine."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 31st 2021 at 3:52:11 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Shinano

Shinano receives her shortcake and tea and says to Moko, "Thank...you for the meal" Using her fork to cut a small piece of the shortcake off and into her mouth. As it touches her tongue the delicious flavor spreads through her mouth and her tails begin to twitch with happiness.

She then took a sip of the Darjeeling tea and her tails began twitching even more as she enjoyed it. "Quite...Delicious, Moko knows...his teas" Shinano murmurs to herself as she enjoys it.

Zone One, Inside Kothys

With all of the bold personalities on display, Leo missed Elerin's presence until they replied to his concern about the gun. He startled in place from the sudden voice in his ear, then chuckled weakly in response (both to Elerin's actual words and to his own startlement).

That's as far as their small talk got before a hand the size of Leo's head tousled his hair, Areum's 'light' touch making him jiggle like a bobblehead. Her unique Areum way prompted a grimace as Leo worked his hair back from its new mess to its old one. "Thanks, Areum. Where would we be without you..." Then she was off and gorging on a meal, giving him a chance to take stock of the people who'd come in to the café after him. The scholarly woman from before- Johanna- had appeared with DK at her side, the simian prompting a wave and "Yo!" from his fellow Draughtman. After them came a smaller creature, one with an interesting aura- its colour was one Leo hadn't known existed before he received his new eyes. He'd seen a few people around the City on a similar spectrum, and thus far had interpreted it as belonging to creatures far beyond Earth's reach.

That said, the eyes hadn't come with an instruction manual. Who knew what it actually meant.

The menagerie of different people enjoying different foods within the confines of a cosy, old-timey coffee shop was certainly a sight to behold. Leo's hand was sneaking into his pocket before he was even aware of it, pulling out his trusty yellow Codac. He booted up the camera and then brought it up to his still-closed eyes, adjusting the focus until the Draughtmen's table was front and centre. There was a soft, digital click as he took the shot, so much crammed into the small screen that he felt like he could spend an hour deciphering it all.

He took another shot after that, this one of Shinano enjoying her tea. Unlike the first shot, this one was the very picture of uncrowded elegance. It was almost hard to believe that the two had been taken in the same place. Such was the nature of the City. Leo looked between his new pictures, his mouth starting to water at all the food on display. How the hell did Moko get the ingredients for this stuff? Over in Zone 6, you were lucky if you asked for coffee and actually got it.

That thought made Leo pause. "Hey, Moko." He looked up to the owner, tucking the camera back into his pocket. "Do you have any cake I can take on the go?"

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob

Moloch "Moko" Kothys—Zone One, Central Business District, Corner of Seventh & Ninth Street

"Indeed I do!" Moko said, nodding emphatically. "I have just one strawberry shortcake left, and a few other assorted pastries left. Go on and pick the ones you like—small ones cost two marks, but the bigger ones will cost you four to five marks."

"Thank you, dear," he added after Shinano praised his tea. "Honestly, with how ingredient prices are going up on the market I might have to find better ways to make food with more mundane ingredients..." Moko mumbled to himself some more and after Leo presumably paid him, started wiping at the counter with a more troubled expression on his face than usual.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 31st 2021 at 3:52:57 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Donkey Kong- Kothys- Zone One

At the sight of the absolutely glorious Banana Split Moko just paced before him, DK can't help but stare for a few moments in awed silence-so beautiful-before quickly grabbing his spoon and making to dig in at top speed. Before his spoon hits the ice cream though, Moko admonishes him to eat slowly this time, and at this DK slides his hand over his face with an embarrassed groan. "DK can't help it! Moko make Banana Split too good!" Still, DK does slow down-which is for the best, really. Means there's more time to savour the delicious dessert!

A few slow spoonful's into his split, DK is approached by someone new-though DK is so engrossed in his Banana Split that he doesn't notice them until they ask what his business here is. DK pauses, the spoon stopped right before it could enter his wide open mouth, and blinks for a few seconds as he considers the person before him. He thinks he might remember seeing Elerin before at a meeting, but he had been sort of on the fringes, not really interacting much at the time. Well, if he is a Draughtsman, then DK figures maybe he should learn more about this mysterious brother-in-arms.

DK gives Elerin a big ol' grin before pounding his chest with the hand not currently holding a spoon. "Donkey Kong is Doorman! DK guard fellow Draughtsmen while on expedition and help explore and secure Rooms!"

"DK think DK see you around before. Nice to meet...?" And here DK trails off, hoping Elerin will offer up his name.

Edited by Dezmo on Jan 31st 2021 at 10:47:36 AM

Magolor - Zone 1: Central Business District - Kothys' Cafe

The merchant eagerly stared at the omelette as Moko placed it on the table, rubbing his hands together, pleased at its aroma.

"Business has been great lately...", Magolor said, "I've had many Draughtsmen coming to my Shoppe in need of arms and armors that would aid them in their journeys into the unknown.", he made use of the available silverware to take a piece of the omelette. "I've been gaining a lot of marks recently and it was glorious~", he spoke, in a slightly melodic manner, before eating the omelette piece with a look of enjoyment.

Sweet dreams are made of this~ Who am I to disagree?

Inside Kothys

After some semi-intense internal debate that ended with his frugal side on top, Leo handed over two marks and then scoured the pastries for... well, whatever one looked sweetest, he guessed. He picked out a fluffy-looking thing with cream in the middle and put it atop the counter for Moko to box up.

"Hey, boss." Leo turned so he was facing Bondrewd, his back resting against the counter's edge. "Is it alright if we take a quick stop at Zone 6? Just so I can drop something off at my place."

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob

Angel's Flophouse

Helena seemed rather encouraged by the apparent results of her handiwork, at least up until the point that she realizes her magic didn't work.

"This is very unusual," she remarked, tilting her head. "I'm trying to think of some sort of explanation for this, some way to work around this little road block, but... I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank. It'd be one thing if we were dealing with conventional medicine, but magic is another thing entirely."

She sighs a bit.

"I do sincerely apologize, Everett. It seems I'm just not up to the task this time."

Behind Egress Eternal

There was a brief moment where the machine accosting Andy was thrown off of him, it lurching to a violently shaking stop after taking the brunt of the Vortigaunt's blast. Somewhere else, viewing these events with keen interest, a certain man internally resolved to find out a way of insulating his products from such in the future.

Andy and Miso got a brief reprise as the assailant restored itself to working order. It stood there, motionless under its cloak...and then, with a shrill beep its head swiveled in their direction. "Cease resistance," it stated with the slightest impatient edge. A snapping of joints, and then the soft pop of something not quite a firearm as it launched two brightly glowing blasts at both of the others with its gun-arm. The machine's internal reasoning figured that capture was more important of a mission goal than capturing the target entirely intact.

Regardless if it hit or not, the assailant rushed forward to grab one of Andy's legs, and provided he hadn't gained any weight since his Mausoleum adventures, to lift him into the air and far away from this ugly crab-eating menace.

Zone Six [Angel's Flophouse]

You force your hand to loosen at Helena's sigh. Your palm stings where your nails dug into it, and you can see marks in the skin that won't fade anytime soon.

"It's not your fault, Helena." You don't meet her gaze as you say this. If you'd have just explained it beforehand, you wouldn't have been in this pain—and you wouldn't be feeling the weight of that disappointed sigh. "It's mine. You see, it's…" You trail off. You frown and glance to the side. "I mean…" You look up at the ceiling and rub furiously at the back of your head. "There was…" Finally, you sigh. "I don't even know where to begin…"

You rise to your feet. The effort makes you grimace, doubly so when your stump brushes against the side of your torso and flares with brief pain. Slowly you make your way over to one of the cots. You sit down with a sigh. You cover your mouth with your hand and think.

This would be much easier if you had the notes you'd been paying that typist with the metal hands to write for you. So many things have happened to you in your life that even you can't keep track of it all sometimes.

For a long moment you just sit there, palm pressed against your cold fangs, ring finger scratching at your chin. Then, you begin.

"Before I wound up here, I was attacked by… something. Couldn't tell you what the hell it was or what it did to me, but… well." You gesture at the ruined flesh that hangs from your right shoulder. "You can see the result."

You pause. Then you grab the edge of your cape and pull it back around to cover your right side.

"Thing is… near as I can figure, it didn't just cut me. It cut the idea of me. Like, the notion that I even have a right arm, or something like that." You grimace and shrug. "I know, I'm not making much sense. But the point is, whenever I try to replace the arm, the thing that just happened happens. I was hoping that this time might be different, but… I guess not."

You hang your head then. After a moment, you force a wry smile and look up. "Still, I guess it could be worse. At least there wasn’t any shrapnel, this time."

The Danse Macabre Codex

Zone Six: Angel’s Flophouse

“Hey there Jester, I’m Waka. I mean—I mean—!” Jester descended into another fit of giggles, pressing the heels of both of her hands up against her mouth as if to attempt to stem the tide even as the coloration in her cheeks grew deeper and wider. After a moment, she perked up in realization, before reaching out to attempt to snag Waka by the shirt sleeve, and further attempting to drag him across the room towards one of the beds. “Sorry about that, most sick people look waaaaaay sicker than you do~! But, welcome to the flophouse of the angels! It’s named after Helena, ‘cuz angels make people more comfortable and stuff, but really I’m the brains of the place. And also the muscle. And the heart. And pretty much everything, really! Unless—” Jester gave the lunar hottie a quick once-over to make sure that he wasn’t missing any limbs, before flashing him a thumbs-up. “Yep! Everything!”

“Here, tell me what’s wrong with you, and come lay down on this… bed…” Jester said, before stopping in place, furrowing her brow as she stared at the spot that she was pretty sure had been a giant, gaping hole just minutes before. As she leaned over the inexplicably-repaired bed, poking at the mattress with one inquisitive finger as if to ensure that all of her marbles hadn’t spilled directly out of her head, she absent-mindedly answered Setsuna’s question while her finger pressed experimental indentations into the bedspread. “There’s like, a lost-and-found down in the basement, where we put people’s stuff if they leave their stuff and then don’t want their stuff. You can have it, if you want.” Jester said, before coming back up to standing just in time to see the spectacle with Helena and Everett unfold.

A flutter of unfettered giddiness rose in her heart at first, as the tiefling basked in the simple accomplishment in a job well-done. Now, all they had to do was wait, and let Helena do her thing.

But then, something went wrong.

Jester instinctively covered her face, shielding it from the red light flaring up and out from the surface of Everett’s skin, feeling the heat of the arcing lightning radiate against her own skin, before she took in the scariest sensation of them all—burning flesh.

“Everett! Ohmygod, ohmygod, Everett! Hold on, just hold on, I’ll be right back…!” Jester said, determined to make up for her lack of response just seconds ago as she practically tripped over her own feet while she fled the scene, turning the next corner into the hallway. For a moment, there was silence, as the room slowly acclimated to what had just happened, and the phenomenon faded once more into just a bitter memory in Everett’s goggle-laden eyes.

Then, Jester ran back into the room with a bucket of water, and attempted to splash it straight onto Everett.

“Helena! What are you doing!” Jester said, her voice ascending high enough in pitch towards the end of her sentence to make Amaterasu wince, heaving slightly from the exertion of her mad dash while the bucket dropped to her feet with a harsh clang. “If I’m not allowed to put ice in our patient’s stuff when they’re not looking, then you’re not allowed to set them on fire! You have to be more careful!” Jester said, regarding Helena with an angry pout, before glancing down at the piece of charred arm-flesh smoking next to her. “Ew, gross.” Jester said, before using the side of her foot to attempt to kick it underneath one of the beds.

Edited by Uncandescent on Feb 2nd 2021 at 11:32:15 AM

If I had that kind of power, I'd have dropped a meteor on your house ages ago~

Setsuna — Zone 6, Angel's Flophouse

"OOOO! Thanks so much, I—"

And then Helena tried growing back Everett's arm but Evertt's arm didn't like it one bit and then it went all explody and then he tried to tell them why it went explody but she still couldn't figure why it went explody then Jester near broke her eardrums and then she came back and dumped a bucket of water on him cuz he went explody.

If she was being honest, she hadn't seen anything this crazy since Crazy Eddy blew up the hot springs when they were kids, and it still didn't beat setting those couple dozen firecrackers under the hornet's next.

"Hey, it's not that bad, ya know? I mean, sure, someone getting set on fire and losing a limb or something is actually kind of hilarious if youFUCKIMEANBAD. LIKE, REALLY REALLY BAD. FOR REALSIES'."

The fuck did that even come from?

"But, um, hey! like I said, he seems okay. So it's all okay, right? It's not angel lady's fault her arm growing thing didn't work, ya know? Maybe ya gotta think outside the box? Like, I don't know, a prosthetic or something? Or maybe a hook? Like a pirate? Ooooo, maybe Lord Amateratsu could give him a big fluffy parrot and a cute little pegleg and—"

...holdthephone.

"Hey, waitaminute! Lord Amateratsu, uh, this is maybe a bit sudden, but maybe you could whip something up? Like, something that won't go all burny or shrapnel or anything? Don't know what, but it's gotta be better than nothing, right?"

Edited by kkhohoho on Feb 3rd 2021 at 10:44:53 AM

Zone Six - Angel's Flophouse

Amaterasu observed the attempted healing with interest. She had never been able to Rejuvenate missing body parts. Her brush was powerful, but power alone didn't help, because her power was also the power of nature. And human limbs didn't naturally regrow themselves. Nor could a replacement be easily carved from wood; complex machinery like prosthetics were beyond her power.

She preferred it that way. Her greatest foe had relied on a terrible machine to fight. And the Eggman had only reinforced her dislike for such machines. Though now, perhaps a machine might be Everett's only hope.

Trotting up to him, Amaterasu flicked her tail once in a spiral, conjuring a warm wind to dry his body from the water that Jester had splashed on him.

Another flick of her tail drew a circle, letting her ink surround him him. Bloom took effect, and Everett would feel some of her divine energy flowing into him, hopefully easing a little of his pain. "I am afraid restoring bodies like this is something beyond my power. If it is some manner of curse, my power may be able to break it, but it sounds more conceptual than that."

"I may have an idea." Waka said, from where he reclined on one of the beds. He'd been smiling the whole time Jester dragged him over here, and kept smiling even after the tiefling had managed to get over her girlish giggles. He currently lay on his side, resting his elbow on the bed and his head on his hand. "If this happened before, I'm assuming you've already tried a prosthetic. But there are less, ah, conventional prosthetics that may work."

He rises, shifting until he is sitting cross-legged on the bed. "So long as we skirt around the 'idea' of what an 'arm' is, I think we could whip something up. I'll have to workshop it with Miss Ainsel, but I'm certain I can assist you with this."

Amaterasu smiled at that. "Thank you, Waka." She nodded at him, before turning back to Everett. "Next time there is a festival, please, come visit me Everett. I will announce to those who follow me that you are my fellow god. I know not if their praise will help with your arm, but you deserve it nonetheless."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Kothys

"Thank you," Elerin said to Moko for bringing the tuna mayo sandwich. They took a simple bite out of like they were pulling a grenade pin with a mouth. They nodded at an exquisite taste of it, then they sipped from coffee once more.

"Elerin, my name is. You may have seen me, may have not. I am not a full time Draughtsman, more of a hired gun, as it’s said. Whether a force is required, I go. Still..." Elerin went through his inner database to search for a phrase which is appropriate for the current situation. After three tapping of their finger, Elerin nodded as they found what they perceived to be an appropriate response:

"Nice to meet you," they said with a smile. This one came naturally, they found.

Edited by kaalban on Feb 20th 2021 at 11:38:39 PM

Everything that lives is designed to end.

Violet; Kothys - Zone One

The top-hat man whose name is Moko tells me to sit down so I do and he tells me not to put the wet wipes in my mouth. I think wet wipes are the wet rags and that they are maybe called that because they are meant to be used to wipe things.

I put the wet wipes on the table and look at them. They smell more like the coffee and less like the street now but the clean taste is still in my mouth only sour like the street. The wood glistens. It is polished wood that shines like the chest-of-drawers in the Major's room when he let me sleep in his room.

I do not like to keep too many things in my hands because I cannot feel them and sometimes they drop out of the fingers. That is why I bite important things because my teeth and lips can feel them and it is important for me to feel. When I cannot feel anything it is like my scalp is going to peel from my skull and then I want to scream, so I put things in my mouth so I can hold on to them and not scream.

I tried to hold on the Major but he told me to live, and I told him that I don't understand, I don't understand but he never answered me because the building fell and that was the end of everything.

Moko places a plate on the table and there are two slices of bread on top. I peel open the bread and there is chicken in them and lettuce and tomatoes. I take one of the pieces of chicken out and put it in my mouth, it tastes better than rations and I want to eat the whole thing at once but I cannot, because I remember that Moko said that I could have it for free on the house so I must go to the top of the house to eat it for free.

There is also another cup of coffee that Moko put there which I think is also free on the house but I try some anyway. It does not taste like the coffee on the wet wipes or my blouse, it is strong and sweet and bitter. I shiver even though it is not cold and the walls seem to get a little closer, and when I get up from my chair the ground sinks a little into the soles of my feet. I walk past Leonardo, trying to slow my steps.

Everything seems faster, I wonder why?

There is a man with a beard and in armor he is very tall but not as tall as the pink girl next to him, I do not know why she is pink perhaps she fell into a vat of paint when she was younger.

The man with the beard and in armor is a commander, I know this because he talks like one.

He is tall enough. He can help me.

"Sir," I say, saluting with my right hand. "Violet, Private First Class, 33rd Infantry, Leidenshaftlich Grand Army. I require assistance to get to the top of the house."

In my left hand I have the chicken sandwich and it may be dripping with white stuff and lettuce but it is open like a book and no doubt he will understand my intention.

---

Outside the Egress Eternal; Zone Six

There was an immense commotion from the front of the Egress Eternal.

"AHHHHHHHHHH! HELP! RUFUS, ANDY, KAYNE, ANYONE! I'M BEING ABDUCTED! OH, WOE! OH, TRAGEDY! CURSE MY ABUNDANT NET WORTH!"

The voice was Addward's, but the thing that bounded out from the front of the bar was assuredly not Addward - it was a figure hidden from sight by a dark cloak, who was apparently nestled around the screams.

"Hey!" boomed Rufus from inside. "No-one abducts my Automagic Teller Marten and gets away with it! Why, when I prime my ol' quantum blunderbuss, you're about to..."

"RUFUS! THE QUANTUM BLUNDERBUSS IS UNDER THE SINK! IT'S NOT LOADED!"

There was even more commotion from inside the Egress Eternal, punctuated by shouts of dismay, shattering glass, and a tiny explosion. Finally, Rufus bounded out, snorting steam, his quantum blunderbuss primed and ready to fire.

"Alright, my good fellow, I hope you like being atomized, because... wait, there's no-one here. Oh, not again. Addward? Addward, where are you, pal?"

So calling, he took off at a brisk trot, trailing shards of glass and a thin trail of bar-top beer, leaving Andy quite outside the range of any help.

Edited by troydenite on Feb 6th 2021 at 10:55:35 PM

'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023

Moloch "Moko" Kothys—Zone One, Central Business District, Corner of Seventh & Ninth Street

"Violet, dear," Moko says carefully, catching onto her meaning almost at once. Kayne had the same problem once upon a time, but he was sure that Violet wasn't doing this to be obnoxious. It simply wasn't her fault. "You don't have to literally eat your meal on top of my coffee shop for it to be free, darling. It's a figure of speech."

"Are you sure you've got that sandwich under control?" he continued, looking dubiously at the open mess on Violet's hands. "I've never seen a sandwich eaten that way, but to each their own, I suppose. Just take a seat and forgive me for my confusing wording, alright? No need to climb to the top of the house. It was—It was just another way to say that your meal was free. I apologize for my—for my redundancies. I tend to say such things very often."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 5th 2021 at 11:42:07 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Helena, Angel's Flophouse

"Ah, Jester!" the sudden yelling startled the angel a bit. "I was just trying to heal his arm, and well... it didn't work."

She frowned a bit.

"Come now, you know I would never hurt a patient. Still, I'll admit things definitely didn't go as planned. Apparently there is something magical preventing his arm from returning. Something to the effect of the very idea of his arm being destroyed, somehow. I don't quite get it myself, to be honest."

She turned to Waka, thinking for a moment.

"Well, I suppose that can't go any worse than my attempt. It's worth a try."

Areum, Kothys

Areum can't help but laugh at Violet's Violet-ness.

"Bruh, that's hilarious! You always know how to lighten the mood, Violet."

Edited by HilarityEnsues on Feb 5th 2021 at 4:44:44 AM

Jengbish, Kothys, Zone One, So On and So Forth

You greet the hairy orkoid with a silent nod, because you've filled your mouth with mutton to bind your tongue; Areum yakhsa-khatun, whore-queen northwesterly of the uterine sea, bats her eyelashes at you thrice and sets to effortless motion something vile around your midguts. The indignity of denial ill-befits you, but at your core you stand firm regardless. You are not one of her "mother✭fucking boys". You do not know what a "live mukbang" is. You will never be her "little pogchamp".

You are suddenly aware, in abstract and instinctive terms, of precisely what she hopes to insinuate with that cannoli.

"Why are you here, Areum?" you growl, plate finally exhausted. "Truly? Trail-rations and bedrolls have never suited you. What has you running?"

And something peripheral salutes with clockwork stiffness, trying to look you in a missing eye through a pauldron and the high-horned trophy of something never born, and when you glance you have never seen this person before in your life. In her eyes there is the terrifying vacancy of livestock.

You follow the graceful descent of lettuce and breath a long aiyah.

"She is touched, Kothys," you say, and drain the lukewarm remnant of your tea before rising to your feet. Your chair squeaks shrill gratitude.

"Violet, yes? If it will satisfy you, then I will put you on the roof. Finish your sweets, Aureum. We'll take the briefing when I return."

Edited by OG-Sama on Feb 8th 2021 at 6:46:12 PM

Andradite - gemnapped!

As he looked at the motionless robotic mugger, Andy thought for a moment that maybe it was broken? Or, perhaps it would go away now that he had a friend with him? He had just peered out a bit further from behind the vortigaunt when their assailant jerked back to life, the gem letting out a surprised eep.

"Mr Alien, look out-!"

There really wasn't much a gem could do in the seconds between the gun snapping up and firing and the laser blasts shooting forward. For his part, Andy reflexively tried to push the vortigaunt to one side, his other hand lifted defensively to-

Half a second later, the echoing double-tap of gunfire was punctuated by the high-pitched crack of breaking crystal.

"Augh! Noo! Put me down! Don't-!"

Moments later, most of Andradite was dangling from the robot's grip, squirming and shouting as he was carried away, while a single pale-powdered hand lay on the alley pavement, surrounded by a small constellation of glinting green shards.

Zone Six [Angel's Flophouse]

Right as you finish talking, Jester—who must have left at some point—comes rushing forward. You have just enough time to recognize what's in her hands and shut your eyes. Then she splashes you in the face with a bucket of water.

It doesn't hurt, or sting, and even the wetness doesn't bother you. But you keep your eyes closed anyway, because now you can feel the rivulets running down the insides of your goggles, dripping off your face and splattering on the floor. The droplets are forming a very comprehensive image in your mind of all the filth that's been stained into these tiles over however long this place has been running.

It's not a pleasant mental picture. And the fact that Setsuna is suddenly SHOUTING and your splasher is now talking at a pitch high enough to crack glass are only adding to the headache that you now feel.

You reach up and rub at your left temple. You inhale, and exhale. As you do, a gust of wind brushes across your face and removes most of the water. You open your eyes and see Amaterasu, feel the other god's power flow into you. Some of the residual pain in your arm fades, and the headache dulls, so that's something at least.

When she admits that your condition isn't something that she can fix, there's a part of you—a small, petty part—which takes some pleasure from it. But that thought gets brushed aside when Setsuna and Waka suggest a prosthetic. You nod to the latter when he guesses that you've tried that before. "That's what I meant when I mentioned shrapnel."

You listen to the rest of his proposal—and Amaterasu's follow-up pitch—in silence. You honestly don't know that either of these will work, but honestly, what have you got to lose at this point?

So you sigh, shrug, and say, "Guess it's worth a shot. But, if it doesn't work out, at least I can fall back on this."

With that you gesture to your stump and conjure your tentacle. It forms around your ruined flesh like a sheathe of water, extending well past it into a coiling, flexing cylinder. There's no dripping, your control over it is fine enough to prevent that, but it casts odd shadows on the floor as the light passes through it. The thing always reminded you of a scene from that old James Cameron movie your dad used to love, and you've wondered more than once if those memories were what inspired you to make use of it in the first place.

You curl the tentacle so that it forms sort of an S shape in the air beside you. It sloshes faintly as its point pans slowly from right to left, like a snake looking at everyone else in the room. All told, it’s about as long as the rest of your body.

"It's no substitute for the real thing," you admit, "but it gets the job done most of the time."

The Danse Macabre Codex

Zone Six

Greed finally took the claws away from Kayne's throat, but only when she mentioned being a Draughstman. "Hold up," He grumbled to the woman, motioning for one of his gang members to scoot closer. This one, a hunched-over lizard person, immediately presented what looked like the world's busiest notepad. With all the charm of a mob boss, Greed used his claws to flip from page to page, until he saw something that piqued his interest.

"Well well well," He purred, turning back to Kayne as his hands returned to their normal form. He used them to support himself as he leaned against the wall right next to Kayne, having now shifted to a different kind of predatory tone: that of a luscious man in search for a deal. "Now you're talking my language, babe. I'd be happy to bring you into my little club, but y'see, I don't work with money, as much as I love it. No, I work with favors. So how about this..."

With a mischievous grin, Greed pointed at Kayne's chest. "You reach deep into your heart and think of something you really, really want." He then pointed at himself, winking. "Me and my Horde will work real hard to get it, no questions asked. Your wish is our command. The only thing I want in exchange is that you be at my beck and call. My people get hurt, I snap my fingers, and you're ready to help 'em. You like that deal, pretty lady?"

———

Behind Egress Eternal

"Ah, our judging is legendary..." Miso the Vortigaunt continued, turning towards Andy. "... the crystalline being need not worry, for our protection is assured—"

Vortigaunts were strong creatures, but they were not nimble in the slightest. The instant Andy pushed Miso aside, the large green alien lumbered backwards, collapsing against a nearby pile of trash. To make matter worse, Andy's efforts had assisted the Vortigaunt in missing most of the blast's damage... still, a nasty injury had now appeared in its chest.

With a large wheeze, Miso thrusted its hands upwards, attempted to use the Vortessence to pull the robot back— but it was all for naught. As the robot and the crystalline captive disappeared into the sky, Miso began chanting two words, his raspy voice propelled down the alley and onto the streets with the help of his magical abilities: "... assistance... assistance, please..."

Kayné Ainsel—Zone Six, Industrial District, Outside Egress Eternal

"I do have one condition," Kayne says calmly, crossing her arms as if trying to guard herself against Greed pointing at her. "The Draughtsmen don't exactly have the best of relations with the more thievish variety of your suppliers. Or with you, really. I don't have a problem with your free market, but if it comes down to it, I'll side with them to defend any goods that your followers want to take from us. At the end of it all, I promise to come back to work with you, and I expect that there'll be no hard feelings between us. That will be my claim to your proffered favor: peace of mind from having to be part of two groups that might come to blows in the future."

"If you give me a discount on mechanical parts sold in your territory, I'll throw in my services as a munitions specialist. If it's a gun, I can probably make it, repair it, and show your boys how to use it," she continued. "And if I need anything else, I can always give you my vote on the Ward Councils; it might be beneficial for us both, really."

"The deal is done, if you'd like to shake on it?" Kayne finished, stretching out her flesh-and-blood hand out for a handshake. "I would spit on my hand, but it's unhygienic."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 7th 2021 at 1:36:59 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.