Hello and welcome reader, to the 29th installment of the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises help budding writers develop their characters alongside the characters of other budding writers. No sign-up is needed; just jump right in with your characters. It is recommended that you read the thread page and the last couple of pages before starting.
Discussion Thread
—Thread Page —
Trope Page —
Town Map — Wilderness Map
This is a "Main Series" thread and, as such, an element of risk is expected. Rules and participation guidelines may be found on this page.
The thread page groups active characters under the areas in which they are active, enabling you to see who is at a given location in which you might be interested or to find out where to go to encounter characters with whom you wish to interact.
Kindly add your own characters to the thread page, with a link to their initial post, under the area in which they are located and update the page if they change location.
Bear in mind that if your characters are arriving at a location, they are likely to know little more than what they see and hear as they arrive - what the location looks like, what other characters are there (both of which can be read on the thread page) and the last few lines uttered and actions taken as they are arriving (which can be found in the last few posts for that location in the story thread itself), so inserting characters need not be a terrifying or arduous process. In most cases, they don't need to know more than what you yourself can glean from reading just a few posts.
If you need help, have any questions, or want a quick recap (if the page count is daunting), head over to the discussion page, and someone is sure to help you out!
To help guide character interaction, having your character come in with at least one short-term and one long-term goal or motivation is strongly recommended. It is not required, but it does make it easier to drive the plot forward. Feel free to come up with rumors about what treasures, adventure, locations, and dangers may be found in the setting - they need not be true or accurate, just some hook on which to hang an adventure.
The setting is specifically designed to be a vast sandbox into which details can be inserted by participants (for example, you are free to decide that there is a particular temple in the midst of the forest in which something may be found or that there is a particular shop/hotel/restaurant in a section of the town), if you come up with a location that you desire/expect other characters to visit, please add it to the thread page as a sub-location of the relevant area.
Things change as the story progresses. If, for example, a massive battle occurs at a location and the area is now strewn with bodies and buildings are damaged, kindly update the thread page to reflect those changes, in order that other participants have an up-to-date description of the location prior to sending their characters there.
Special thanks to all those who helped in getting the original thread launched or provided ideas and feedback. In alphabetic order, they include:
Blackfire 667, Collen, Corvidae, daird, Darkblood Carnagefang, Eterna Memoria, Gault, Kkutwar, Killer Clowns, ladytanuki, Masterofchaos, nrjxll, Pyxo, Slysheen, Tro Partner, Will De Regio and especially Wolf 1066, whose original post I have shamelessly copied with only minor alterations.
Apologies if I missed anyone - just let me know and I'll update the post.
The dawn of another day rises across the land, heralding fresh morning air, clearer heads, opened doors, and new arrivals.
Between dimensions, and linked to the rest of the multiverse, lies a strange post-apocalyptic environment made up of various regions strewn with the remnants of past glory - ruins, lost technologies and magic. Here and there, nature has found its way back amongst the ruined temples and towns.
In the midst of the blighted landscape, a fresh new town has emerged - a synergy of technology, nature and magic; clean and eco-friendly; a beacon of hope for a brighter future - where travelers can rest, recharge their batteries (both literally and metaphorically) and get whatever they may need - technological, magical or otherwise - to aid them on their adventures.
New arrivals can turn up by diverse means in the transportation area in the north-western part of the town or by whatever other means they deem appropriate. Here they may also find for rent, lease or hire, any transport they desire from riding animals to vehicles.
The wilderness areas have not been fully explored since the mysterious apocalyptic events that ravaged the area some time ago and no one is really sure what's out there - but rumors abound.
All that is known for sure is that both magic and technology have existed here for a long time, so anything is possible...
Current Time: 10:00 AM
Current Weather: Sunny
See the thread page for updates.
Edited by Ryuhza on Feb 22nd 2023 at 1:14:28 AM
The forest near Jobe's Farm (Maelys, Mist; Aseyu, Ethani; Lancer)
The maid and the valkyrie shook their heads, "We currently don't have any additional plans," Maelys stated.
"We'll certainly accompany you guys back to town," Mist said, collapsing and stowing her spear and shield on her back.
Maelys turned her head towards Lancer, "There's a tailor, multiple stores, a hotel that we are staying at... I'm uncertain what else the town has to offer— Mist and I only went shopping for supplies yesterday." She tapped her chin a few times, glancing over Lancer's outfit, "Given me a bit of time and I could probably perform repairs on your attire; part of those supplies are for making repairs to my groups' equipment. Especially Claire— she's forgone wearing sleeves with the number of times she's destroyed them in combat."
She then glanced over at Mist, "Though, armor is a different matter— for that, I'd have to get in contact with Ethel..."
"In any case, I can also lend my hand at serving some tea for you all," Maelys stated, addressing Ethani.
Mist nodded, "Aye, she's quite good at that, though I prefer coffee."
[The forest near Jobe's Farm (Maelys, Mist; Aseyu, Ethani; Lancer)]
"I also have some teas," Aseyu added. "No southern, but I do have some mountain tea."
"Traditional or export?" Ethani asked. "Please tell me..."
"Export," Aseyu replied, and Ethani immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Suelasa, remember?" Aseyu added.
"Anyways," Aseyu continued, "I have a lovely top-floor suite at the hotel. It would be a bit of a splurge for myself, but I expected I'd be entertaining guests at some point." Her self-satisfied smirk made it clear what kind of entertainment she meant. "I can get out of this outfit, and we can find you," she looked over at Lancer, "something to wear while Maelys and her friends get your suit fixed up."
Edited by KillerClowns on Jun 6th 2023 at 1:58:11 PM
< Hub Town - Hotel, 5th Floor Hallway >
Joseph ran his hand along the wall as they neared the elevator, softly tracing its surface with the tips of his claws. "Yeah, I know about Mael. I was there yesterday, remember?" He paused, frowning slightly as he himself took a moment to recall what the Richman's had been dealing with the day before. Fair enough if a few things slipped their minds.
"...anyway, I heard I might be on his hit list on account of other me and that Henry guy causing trouble for him." He bopped the elevator's call button, then turned around, leaning against the wall and framing his head between his hands. "It's weird, like someone's stolen my identity, only it's really a case of shared identity, and unless he's some kind of shapeshifter—and I don't mean like how you might consider me a shapeshifter, 'cause of how I went from human to talking lizard- er, amphibian, but like the type of shapeshifter who can assume someone's identity at will, like a Clayface type. If he's not something like that, if he's genuinely me, then I guess it's just as much his identity as it is mine, but now everything we do has a risk of blowing back on the other guy." He paused again, pressing a finger to the tip of his mouth while his eyes shot back and forth, as though reading back an invisible speech bubble above his head, making sure everything he'd just said made sense.
"Right," he nodded, "yeah. So remind me not to borrow any money from shady loan sharks. Or commit any crimes. Or get on anyone's bad side." He sighed, rolling his head back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. "I guess I can see why they might be confused."
He blinked a few times, long face still tipped upward in thoughtful silence. Slowly, he tilted it sideways, an odd sort of vulnerability in his large blue eyes as they fixed on Amandus and James. "So... this guy Henry. Do you know if he's a... do you know if he's someone other me met when he came here, or someone from back home? I mean, back where he's from?"
this place needs me here
she/her friend to the hooved
Lancer, the forest near Jobe's farm, with Ethani's party.
Lancer nodded as Maelys recounted what the nearby town had to offer, before smiling and shaking her head. "I couldn't ask that of anyone. I know my way around this thing, fixed it a few times myself, pretty much designed it. I would also need to run a software diagnostic, and barring access to any computers that can interface with it, I would at least need the... helmet..." she trailed off, both noticing mid-sentence that said component had been missing this entire time, and questioning whether anyone present would know what she was talking about regarding diagnostics. Even putting that aside, she wasn't fully sure she could trust Mealys and her friends to repair the thing yet, even if they had the capabilities.
"That said, some spare clothing would be appreciated." she conceded to Aseyu, though she didn't entirely catch on to that smirk nor the emphasis on certain words. "Plus a cane, if I'm going to be without the suit for long."
Then, something in the brush caught her eye as she walked. A glint of gold and purple that could only possibly be one thing. Is that...?
A squint. She didn't even need to break her stride nor motion for the group to slow down as a miniscule application of her powers freed the object from where it rested and brought it closer, confirming to her what it was: A helmet, curved and sleek, its material and overall design closely matching the rest of her suit. Its reflective, polarized domed visor was shaped to closely accommodate a snouted head like her own, with its lower portion housing what seemed to be a highly-compact rebreather and a small oxygen supply.
It must have been dislodged during... whatever happened to her earlier, she surmised. The glass wasn't cracked and the whole thing seemed from visual inspection to be undamaged, but at present there was only one way to find out if that held true for the internals. Brushing it off, she raised it to her face and fitted it on, followed by a -hiss- as it pressurized before the sound of her breathing filtered through it.
Then, visible primarily to her but only faintly so to anyone watching closely, the inside of the visor flared to life with an illuminated display. Readouts of temperature, information on portions of the suit, her own vital signs and those of anyone she looked directly at filled her vision... or that's what she would be seeing if the display weren't a garbled mess of pixels and distorted garbage characters. A few firm taps to the side didn't fix it.
The stoat let out an obscenity that could only barely be made out through the filters before she removed the helmet with another -hiss- and a resigned sigh. After looking at it for a long moment, double-checking for damage, she simply reached beneath her cape and attached the thing to her belt for safe keeping, where it typically sat when she didn't need it.
"...as I was saying. You wouldn't happen to have access to any microsoldering equipment too, would you?"
Toni, Hub Town, notice board, talking to Connie
A chuckle. Toni wasn't entirely sure if the human(oid) was being sarcastic about the 'psychic waves'—she'd once found to her surprise that she was indeed susceptible to that sort of thing despite her wholly artificial nature. It was all electrical impulses one way or another, she supposed, and structural similarities to an organic brain could only help... but that tended to segue into thoughts about consciousness and a soul and territory she'd rather not think about for too long.
More pressing anyway was the young woman's rather awkward attempt to hide and continued stammering about the notice, clearly watching for someone just like Toni herself was. The okapi, for her part, just shot a skeptical glance over, having a bit more tact than to bluntly pry into other peoples' business.
On the other hand, she could recognize some behaviors when she saw them.
"Are we in serious trouble," she ventured in a low whisper, not taking her eyes off the hotel doors partly to avoid drawing attention to her acquaintance, and not before a glance over verified that Sigmund wasn't actively eavesdropping—if he was, she wouldn't say anything at all. "or are we in fun trouble?"
After a second, she'd opt to introduce herself to put the human more at ease. "Toni, by the way. I've, uhm, been in both."
Edited by Chortleous on Jun 8th 2023 at 2:34:31 PM
[5th floor hallway-Elevator]
"Right! Right, you were there..." Amandus said, "Shit. Sorry. So much happened last night it slipped my mind." He chuckled.
After hearing the stuff Joseph went through, both men looked at each other in concern, then back to Joseph. "Wow. You're right, I really didn't know you." He then smiled. "Well, good thing we're actually getting the chance to, right?"
At his second question, Amandus rubbed his chin. "The two of you did seem pretty close, from what we could see. I don't know when you...other you met him, though. He never said."
"He was protective of you." James added, "Very protective. Hell, it took a while for the kids to get him to understand that they were not judging him! It was actually pretty sweet."
[Hub Town, near notice board]
Sigmund wanted to investigate the Qorisayane maxel who had returned to the camel. Unfortunately, acromegaly and "inconspicuous" didn't exactly go together well. Worse, if she was well-informed, she might know a certain "honey-haired giant" had been working with the Clans to undermine certain pro-military factions in Qorisa and make the connection. Sigmund preferred to avoid showing himself directly, but sometimes the best way to get a Clan's respect involved showing up in person with a big stick and asking if the Clan would prefer to settle things in a meeting room or a fighting ring. The Clans chose the latter with surprising frequency... but never more than once.
At any rate, Sigmund had been too busy studying the camel's owner from afar to eavesdrop on Toni and Connie, but at last, he decided he wasn't going to get any closer without spooking the maxel. Hopefully Alice had a drone or minion observing the goings-on.
He made his way, at last, to the notice board and examined the new notice. Adventurers wanted, Kequay Island? "Hmm," he said. "I really shouldn't, but..." he looked over at Connie. "What sort of danger are we talking? Magic? Guns? Hypertech? Natural threats?" Alice was going to be insufferable when she heard, but what was life without a little excitement? He was worried he was getting rusty, and what better way to make sure he was still sharp?
Edited by KillerClowns on Jun 11th 2023 at 9:14:24 AM
< Hub Town - Square, Notice Board >
"Discreet, time-sensitive- " Connie began, as readily as if she were answering a question posed only in her mind, "complete lack of trouble. Officially no trouble. Fun trouble if anything. Anyway, who says there's trouble? Can't a girl put up a notice for someone else, then take a breather against a public tree without being in any kind of- shit."
Just as she was about to drive home her sterling defense, she chanced a glance back at the hotel, only to be greeted by the sight of Amy homing in on her. Evidently her half-baked disguise wasn't cutting it. At first, she looked away, as though that would somehow make a difference at such a late stage. Quickly realizing it would not, she changed tact, instead making like she had only just noticed Amy, and certainly hadn't been trying to hide in the first place.
"Amy! Hey! Didn't think I'd see you again so soon." She put her hand against the tree, stepping back a ways to give Amy some space, and draw her eyes away from the notice board. "What's... what's up?"
Amy, never one to waste time with words when hugging could be done, came in hot, then passed Connie a curious little button. She rolled the button around in her fingers, raising an eyebrow in an idle sort of curiosity. "Some kind of custom pager doodad?" To her relief, the other girl didn't seem all that interested in the whats, wheres, and whys of her current situation, though she did presume a potential for trouble. Connie only smiled and shook her head, "Well thanks, but there ain't any trouble here," she couldn't help shooting a sideways glance at the okapi woman, her smile brightening and tightening in one motion, "and I certainly won't be looking for any."
With a quick peck on the cheek given so freely it never ceased to catch her off-guard, Amy went on her way, none the wiser to anything Connie was (or officially wasn't) up to. "Adiós Amy."
Sighing softly, Connie tucked the button into her lightweight survival pack, then scooted back a little closer to the okapi woman, who introduced herself as Toni. "Con... Connie," she replied, after a quick mental debate on the value of giving a fake name. Amy had already called her 'Con-Con', after all. Besides, it wasn't that serious. She wasn't in serious trouble. She wasn't. "Thanks. If I ever find myself in any trouble, I'll hit you with the psychic waves. Unless you've got your own button."
Pulling back slightly, she glanced down at her hand, her gaze lingering on the sole discolored nail of her middle finger. It wasn't that serious...
She nearly cracked her head against the tree, jumping clean out of her skin when someone suddenly addressed her. "Danger? What are you-" she blinked several times, eyes finally finding focus on the large man she'd made note of just before posting her notice. "Oh, that's not actually my notice. I mean, what do I know? Do I look like the g- woman with a-" her voice faltered momentarily, as she exercised every ounce of willpower not to draw attention to her loose red necktie, "...a headband? I mean, it's... it's Kequay Island. Everyone who knows anything about... everyone knows Kequay. You can see it from the old harbor. It's just over there," she gestured vaguely to the northeast. "You just go up the coast a ways, cross Brineleg Trench and you're there. I wouldn't worry, it's probably big crabs or something. But what do I know? It's not my- it's not really my notice. I was just putting it up for someone else." She glanced at Toni, searching for reassurance that she had in fact told that same lie.
this place needs me here
Necropolis (Samelin, Rosafa, Devad, Maya, Amy, et. al.)
Samelin suddenly flinched and reached for their bejeweled ear as if struck.
"What is it?" Rosafa asked.
"Croc tried to pick up something that it thought was speech, 'cept it ain't." They pointed to one of the huts. "We ain't alone out here."
As if on cue, something lurched out of the hut. At first glance, it looked humanoid, but its skin was translucent and brownish-purple, and the bones visible within seemed barely connected to one another. It wore what initially looked like a crude stone skull-like mask on its "face", except that the mask seemed to be organically formed of actual bone. It stumbled toward the group awkwardly, like a starving man who spotted food.
"Everyone get behind me now." Devad ordered.
The group complied, except for Samelin, who tried to join Devad, their pistol raised, before Devad shoved them backwards.
The thing was suddenly inches away from Devad, its head tilted oddly towards him, as though trying to sniff him with the top of its head.
Devad kept his pistol aimed directly at the thing's chest and intoned. "Foul thing, jabanji, go hungry this day and live to eat another. Attack us and die. I, the least of the Goddess' children, so issue this challenge. CHA-AHTA!"
The creature reared back, as though preparing to attack, but then halted as it saw that Devad's stance remained unchanged. It then turned and fled.
Devad let out a breath. "Goddess preserve me, I was not sure that would work."
"What the fuck was that?" Rosafa demanded, as Samelin gingerly rubbed their wrist where Rosafa had dug her fingernails in.
"My people call them jabanji. They're scavengers who prey on the mad, or the soulless, or those who have lost all hope of being free. My parents would tell my brother and I stories about these things to encourage us to be brave and have our own wills, but I never thought I'd actually face one of them."
Samelin was incredulous. "You mean we just faced off with a gods-damned bedtime story?"
"Perhaps they come from another world and intermittently visit ours to search for food?" Rosafa had already pulled out a small journal and was making notes.
"Well, if it came here, it must have been sensed food," Samelin deduced. "Maybe it sensed our brainwashed guy? Here's hoping that was the only one of those things that showed up."
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
This is my good side.
Hub Town: Notice Board
Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, bright and proud, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. Towngoers, not that many around since it was still a few hours until noon, moved around attending to their own matters.
A lone figure calmly made their way towards the notice board. A man in his late thirties, with a tan complexion, black hair, green eyes, and a bit of stubble. He was wearing a dark red shirt with the sleeves pulled up, dark brown trousers, and boots appropiate for travelling. He had an athletic build, looking like someone that did mostly physical work.
Valten, as such was his name, had arrived in town in the middle of the night. After some rest, he was ready to look for some easy work to do. After all, a town like this probably had many job offers for those with skills similar to his own. Ignoring the conversation for the time being, he took a spot near the hulking man in a costly suit currently next to the board, started checking the notices. At first glance, there was nothing really interesting, as most were old notices and warnings.
A few, however, stood out. Four 'Wanted' posters that looked rather recent. The gold rewards were tempting, but there was no way of knowing where to start looking for clues on the criminals' whereabouts. The fifth piece of paper, meanwhile, seemed more accessible: An expedition to 'Kequay Island', near the local harbor. No mention of payment, but it might be useful to better know the region.
Valten turned to the rest of the people present: Said aforementioned hulking man of wealth and taste, a rather unassuming young lady, and some sort of animal person. Not the weirdest thing Valten had seen, but certainly the first of its kind. He had been paying little attention to their covnersation, but they seemed to be talking about the same notice Valten had just seen. "Excuse me. Are you also talking about the notice?" He asked in a polite tone, pointing at Connie's notice.
< Hub Town - Hotel, 5th Floor Hallway >
Joseph shook his head, flashing Amandus a reassuring smile for his forgetfulness. "Don't sweat it. Last night was crazy." He waved his hand in a slow arc, as though casting an incantation, "I hereby absolve you of having to remember anything from it."
However, he frowned slightly at the man's response to his rambling hypotheticals, wondering what he could have revealed that was so illuminating. Again his eyes scanned back and forth, teeth sticking out slightly as he thought it over. "Well... most of that is his business, and a bunch of 'ifs.' I'm not saying I make a real, actual habit of borrowing money or anything. I mean, I've been through some stuff, but I don't think I've got a rap sheet." There came a pause. Hesitation. "I... I told you I used to be human before, didn't I? I thought it came up back when we first met. I thought it did." His form sagged against the hallway wall, breath slipping from one side of his long mouth like a hiss of steam, eyes suddenly averse to contact. "Well, if you didn't know before, I guess you do now."
The elevator traveled slowly, perhaps making several stops on its way to their floor. The thought of sharing the elevator with a crowd made him feel acutely aware of his swim-ready exposure, mind flooding with incoherent waves of self-consciousness. His clawed fingers danced restlessly against the ends of his towel's stole-like drape, and his tail fell prey to a similar habit as it brushed between the baseboard and his ankles.
Seeking a distraction, he refocused on the topic of the other Joseph's friend Henry, the two sharing an apparently close bond. "Protective, that's nice," he murmured, a little vacantly, as though he couldn't quite picture it, even if he understood the concept. "He's not like a foster dad or something, is he? I mean, did you get that vibe at all?" Feeling sheepish, he added, "Sorry badgering you with all these questions. I just feel like my mind is going to blank out if I ever run into either of them myself. Hell, we still don't know that there won't be colossal, catastrophic, dimension-shattering consequences if me and other me meet." He nodded up at the meter for the slow elevator. "Hope that's not a sign."
this place needs me here
she/her friend to the hooved
Toni, Hub Town, notice board, talking to... several people, now.
Toni fought back a giggle at how jumpy the young woman seemed when confronted with random people merely walking up and inquiring about the notice. For her part, she merely shrugged at Sigmund's inquiry in agreement with what she'd already long gathered to be a lie from Connie, opting to play along for her sake. "Not hers."
Deciding then to help her out a little, the giraffid was prompt in answering the newcomer. "Mhm, it's for a friend of hers." she explained with an amiable smile, idly brushing that brightly-colored hair out of her eyes. "Honestly, if I wasn't waiting on someone I'd already be on the boat."
"This place must have some interesting wildlife, if nothing else." she then went on to remark. "Big crabs, probably—I could go on about island gigantism."
[Necropolis]
The kids looked at each other, confused.
"Uh," Nick said, "You mind telling us what the fuck that was about?"
"God, I hope we don't have to deal with more monsters," Maria said, "I am not in the mood."
Amandus, again, rubbed his chin. "I was given more of a big brother type of vibe from him, if I'm being honest."
James blinked at Joseph's statement. "Now, I don't know much about this stuff, but I don't think anything too catastrophic will happen. If anything, maybe if you two meet, you guys share memories?"
Amandus turned to his husband. "What do you mean by that?"
"Like...maybe the other Joseph sees your past and you see the other Joseph's past, and then you get a deeper understanding. I...I read some of the books Jackson does."
"Ah, I figured."
Necropolis (Samelin, Rosafa, Devad, Maya, Amy, et. al.)
"What my overly-dramatic friend meant to say is that those things prey on the brainwashed, so if one of them showed up here, it probably means your silver-eyed fella is somewhere around," Samelin said. "Considering that it ran for the gates, I reckon our target is inside the necropolis proper. We may want to hurry."
"The jabanji are opportunists and scavengers," Devad added, "so they won't attack us if they think we will fight back. But it may be prudent for you to arm yourselves, just in case."
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
< Hub Town - Hotel, 5th Floor Hallway >
At the mention of the words 'big brother', Joseph's mind immediately filled in the blank of Henry with the image of his own big brother, Gilbert. Perpetually taller, as though to retain the claim to his title. The grungy hair that always seemed to be neater than his own, despite its length. The moods he'd keep hidden when Joseph came around. He hadn't exactly been protective, at least not in the strictest sense. But he paved the way. He challenged Joseph to be more than he could ever dream to be on his own. He laid a path that made more sense than any of the ones Joseph was expected to follow. At least up to a point. Then he had left, and left Joseph all the more unsure.
He considered saying something about all that to John and Amandus, but he couldn't think of what. Even if he knew what he wanted to get at, he'd hardly know where to begin. So he just murmured, "Big brother... huh," the wondering in his voice destined to go unanswered.
His eyes widened slightly at James's suggestion, hands shooting up to either side of his head as though just hearing the idea had bequeathed him with another set of memories, and it was all he could do to hold it in. "Eygh, I don't know if I like that idea much. It's trouble enough keeping one set of memories straight. Not to mention all the things I wish I could forget. I'm not exactly eager to share those around, even if it's with another me."
this place needs me here
[Necropolis]
Maya looked at their hands. "I can't possibly sign that, but yeah, we'll arm ourselves. We always do."
Adam seemed to shift uncomfortably, which caught Nick's attention. "You okay?"
"Huh?" Adam said, "Oh. I-I'm fine. Just nervous around...that. But like they said, it's our best lead towards Mael and his victims. We should get a move on."
[Elevator]
James shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know much about this. Just offering from insight. Either way, we gotta get this addressed. Can't have people getting confused."
Amandus nodded. "I do wonder what Henry's gonna think when he sees you, though. I can only imagine the shock."
Avenue of Angels (Karmet)
A fissure opened up in the air and very roughly deposited a short, skinny man wearing a 70's-style business suit and a bowler hat. If this were a movie, there might have been Louis Prima's "Just a Gigolo" playing in the background, but alas, it was not a movie, and so the man's arrival was accompanied only by his undignified yelp as he hit the cobblestone path.
His name was Karmet Dreig, and he was the least-favorite son of a reasonably-powerful Sottori merchant family. Like all Sottori, his skin was chalk white and his eyes were solid black. His hair, cut short and curly, was also black. His nose was like a downward-pointing arrow towards a mouth that had a weak upper lip. His eyes bulged somewhat, giving him a vaguely chameleonic aspect. His coat and pants were a boring brown color, but he wore a black turtleneck, which suggested a rebellious streak that he did not actually have.
Karmet pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off, then fished in his coat pocket for a piece of paper. The paper depicted a bell shaped like the head of a bull, with the horns serving as handles, that was supposed to be located somewhere within the necropolis. Of course, it did not say exactly where.
Grumbling to himself in an oddly-accented voice, Karmet set out to explore the necropolis.
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
< Hub Town - Hotel, 5th Floor Hallway >
"Short of giving us different names, and then name tags with those names surrounded by blinking lights, I think confusion's inevitable."
After what felt like days, the elevator finally reached their floor. With an underplayed ding, the ornately patterned sheen of the doors slid open to reveal two familiar figures. To be precise, two figures familiar to Joseph, one far more so than the other.
The more recognizable one was Rip Wilkis, the oft somber (if not outright gloomy) pillar of seniority of their quartet. He was leaning against the back wall of the elevator with his muscular arms folded over a merlot red linen shirt with strings at the sleeves tied just above his elbows, striking a posture that seemed at once restless and exuded control. Opposite Rip, with his back facing the opened door, was the lean, less familiar figure of Ortimartl Geccè, still clad in the same caramel coat and the rest of his attire of the earlier morning.
Whatever conversation the two men had been having was quickly cut short when Rip caught sight of Joseph, his dark, oft inscrutable eyes suddenly quite scrutable with surprise.
"Joe," he murmured, a subtle acknowledgement as his gaze shifted from the salamandrine young man to his company.
"Joe?" Orti echoed, turning with an eyebrow raised to see for himself. When he saw for himself, the other eyebrow joined the first. "Joseph!" He hesitated, looking him up and down with a second thought, "Joseph? I could have sworn I spied you downstairs just a minute ago."
For his part, Joseph cast a sidelong glance at the Richmans, as if to say see what I mean? To Orti, he shook his head, "That was my understudy. Not to be confused with my stunt double— he's on the roof. Well, hopefully."
Orti's weathered brow furrowed as he glanced at Rip, who was still busy eying James and Amandus. "An understudy? A double?" he asked incredulously, "Is he a political refugee? Is he-" he paused, catching sight of Joseph's big dumb smile. Pursing his lips, the man studied Joseph through narrowed eyes. "You're being witty, aren't you?"
Joseph nodded, big dumb smile intact.
Orti huffed, stroking his bearded chin, "Vengeance for my earlier remarks, no doubt. I had a thought to tell you that your charm becomes much more apparent in waking, but perhaps now I shall just keep it to myself. Oh, but there it slips." He lifted his head slightly, winking at James and Amandus. "Well, I hope you aren't too witty to forgo introductions. Surely a VIP keeps esteemed company."
Joseph straightened up, eyes widening as if he'd just been zapped by a live wire. "Right, yeah, of course!" He stepped between the two parties, gesturing first to Rip. "This is Rip. He's with me and David and Connie."
Rip's only audible response was a cross between a grunt and a hoarse breath, muffled behind his sealed lips.
Nice, Joseph thought, mouth caught in a sideways frown as he moved on. "And this is... Ortim...mmm..." He winced, as though someone had just shoved a lemon wedge into his mouth. "...mmmmm..." he continued, slowly turning his head to the man as his wince deepened, "...mmmm...help."
"Ortimartl Geccè," he answered graciously, greeting the two men with a regal bow, one hand afore his waist, one hand aft. " 'Orti' is fine."
With a quiet sigh of relief, Joseph changed focus, presenting his unofficial foster dads, "Orti, Rip, this is-"
"I know who they are." Rip's heavy grumble emerged from the back of the elevator. His arms slid down his chest slightly when he stepped away from the wall, but remained crossed as he approached James and Amandus. Coming to stand before them just outside the elevator, his dark brown eyes shifted subtly between the pair, theirs the only motion in the emphatic silence that followed.
Finally, he broke it. "You're the ones Joe met some months ago."
It sounded less like a question than a statement.
"The ones who took him in when he was lost on the banks of a muddy river."
Joseph's mouth fell open slightly, though he wasn't sure what to say. He was surprised at the details Rip recalled from a story he'd only recounted once to his own memory, particularly as it was often hard to tell if Rip was listening at all. At the same time, there was an uneasy aura emanating from the man. His body language, his voice, his hard stare. He couldn't imagine what kind of problems he'd have with Amandus and James, but the prospect was enough to cause his grip to tighten on the ends of his towels and send his tail swishing nervously.
"That was you two, wasn't it?"
Edited by Ryuhza on Jun 24th 2023 at 9:09:16 AM
this place needs me here
[Elevator-5th floor]
The elevator finally reached the fifth floor, and the men wondered if this hotel's elevator was out of date.
Then, they met two more people that Joseph seem to know very well. Orti seemed to be a very formal guy, bowing and everything. Amandus felt a little embrassed, but James simply bowed back. "Pleasure is ours."
Rip was next...and he seemed to be eyeing them suspiciously. Amandus, once again, felt a bit uneasy.
"Uh..." he said, smiling nervously, "Y-Yes. We did. We..."
It wasn't that Rip was intimidating or anything—far from it—but the last thing Amandus wanted to do was antagonize an elderly man. He only hope that this aura was just typical old grumpiness and nothing more than that.
James immediately stepped in front, smiling, though it was clear, at least to his husband, that he was making sure Rip did not do or say anything out of line. Unlike Amandus, he had no qualms fighting an old man.
"Yes!" he said in a friendly voice, "He stayed for us for the night until he left, but we're glad that he's still being taken care of! A pleasure to meet you, sir!" he stuck his hand out, "Going from the conversation you had earlier, you also ran into another Joseph, right?"
Edited by Masterofchaos on Jun 26th 2023 at 10:01:27 AM
< Hub Town - Hotel, 5th Floor Hallway >
Rip didn't perceptibly react for a long moment. When he finally did, it was to slowly exhale through his nose, the sound like a steam engine arriving at the station. Beneath his bristly mustache, his mouth tightened, lower lip quivering with barely tamped energy. Even Ortimartl began to look concerned, regarding his companion with mounting confusion, his hand raising slightly as though he might have to restrain him.
Finally, with a slight tilt of his head towards Joseph, he asked, "D'ya want him back?" The question was spoken matter-of-factly, as if he was offering to return a pen he'd borrowed the day before.
Joseph blinked once, then again, harder, drawing his head back in disbelief. "What?"
The corners of Rip's mouth began to wobble as he struggled to keep a straight face. "It's fine, you can have him back."
Orti groaned, giving his shoulder a shove. "A fine pair you two are. Nothing but jokes."
"I'll pay you," Rip insisted, reaching into his pocket, though he was no longer able to disguise his mirth, "how much will it take? He's not so bad, really. Just need to feed him now and then."
Joseph stood by, his expression having slowly descended into a half-lidded glare as he realized what was going on. He gestured at his surrogate dads, muttering, "James and Amandus Richman," dutifully finishing his introductions before reclining against the wall beside the elevator once again.
Orti stepped in, leaning over Rip's shoulder to apologize. "You'll have to forgive him." He gave his chest a firm pat, "If there's one thing I've learned about this man in the past day, it's that he believes sincerity is never to be surrendered freely. As though it were the key to all of one's secrets and weaknesses."
Rip, who to that point was looking entirely too pleased with his joke, shot back, "Now that isn't fair. I'm sincere most of the time, and you call me dour. I venture a joke and I'm raked across the coals. I'm starting to think you just don't like my disposition."
"Oh, jokes about a person's worth aren't funny!" he scolded. "With a careful touch, the best you can expect is mildly demeaning. Firm you may be. Decisive, mm, but careful?" Orti clicked his teeth and shook his head. "Dahh. Kekao, he is a liability."
"I take that to mean you aren't joking."
"Take it to mean... we can work on you."
"Rip Wilkis." He said, finally, taking James's hand and shaking it firmly, his previous gloominess cast aside for something far warmer. "All haggling aside, I appreciate what you two did for Joe. He's a bright sort. We don't all get that kind of help when the ground tips us onto our backs. That's honest generosity."
Picking up on James's question, Orti ventured, "I thought I saw him as I crossed through the lobby, but evidently I was mistaken. Unless the boy can ascend ten flights of stairs and exchange one costume for another in the time it takes an elevator to ascend the same distance, in which case, he may have a future in theater."
"He did say it was an understudy," Rip recalled, sparking a smile from Orti.
"That he did."
Joseph remained against the wall, idling boredly. He hadn't even begun a proper explanation and he was already tired of explaining. There was little satisfaction in an explanation that had no true finish. There was a mystery to it, but he was tired of mysteries too.
Edited by Ryuhza on Jul 3rd 2023 at 3:09:08 AM
this place needs me here
Hotel ~ Lobby (Bonnie, Carol, Lulu; Plethora of People)
Lulu shook her head, "Having preexisting aether reserves wouldn't cause spontaneous transformations. And a transformation that would result in your current state wouldn't be the result of a random occurrence— at least not truly random. Definitely lacking in... anomalies."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, "Anomalies?"
Lulu nodded, "Aye, random mutations that would result in our young man here looking less like a salamander, and more like a meat potato. Best case scenario, he becomes some sort of mindless monster."
The lagokin medic blanched.
The succubus closed her book and rose to her feet, "Enough of that, on with the camel..." she stated, before heading out of the lobby.
Pensive for a moment, Carol scowled and shook her head, "So if you didn't..." She gave a quiet sigh of exasperation before continuing, "Anyway, rooms definitely locked now, and I don't feel like heading back up there again. Otherwise, we'll be here all day."
Bonnie, now having regained her composure, nodded, "Aye, we're burning daylight right now. The soon we head out, the better."
With that, the pair followed Lulu out of the lobby.
Outside, Lulu made her way towards where Qeyari and Shadow were, with the succubus opening up with "Huh, smaller than I'd expected."
Meanwhile, Carol went toward the hotel garage to pull the truck up front, while Bonnie stood by the entrance.
The forest near Jobe's Farm (Maelys, Mist; Aseyu, Ethani; Lancer)
Maelys raised an eyebrow at Lancer's damaged helmet, "That is definitely outside my repair skill set. And, unfortunately, I wouldn't have the tools to repair it." She rubbed her chin, muttering to herself "Aura or Ermengarde would be more suited to that sort of thing..."
“Well, I'm sure we can find something back in town," said Mist, chiming in. She then glanced towards where Jobe's farm was located, "We should probably report back to Jobe, and then we can take a bus back to town," she said.
The forest near Jobe's Farm (Maelys, Mist; Aseyu, Ethani; Lancer)
Ethani studied the helmet. Like the rest of Lancer's equipment, it looked very CorpSec. "Quite elegant. Reminds me a bit of a Kykvelsha war mask. Bullet-resistant, I presume?"
Aseyu, however, perked up at the mention of microsoldering equipment. "Would a jeweler's torch suffice? Dreadfully primitive compared to whatever you use, I'm sure, but if it works for resizing even fine jewelry, I think it could do for circuit repair. I can also spare some flux, a bit of loose gold.... nothing above 18 karats, I'm afraid, but Suela knows it'll carry electricity." With an apologetic smile, she added, "you'll have to do the work yourself, though. Circuits are a Dying World thing where I come from."
"Huh," Ethani said, apparently surprised by Aseyu's sudden display of competence. "I didn't know you actually did any jewelry work."
Aseyu tensed, her usual easy demeanor briefly gone. Ethani was obviously not the first to make such an assumption. "Of course I do, Ethani aq'Iqine," Aseyu said, with a forced levelness. "My mother trained all her daughters in the family business. My talents just meant I could contribute to it better outside the workshop."
Edited by KillerClowns on Jun 28th 2023 at 9:48:38 AM
[Elevator]
Oh, phew. Amandus thought, laughing along with his husband and Rip.He was just fucking with us.
"It was the least we could do," James said, "I don't think either one of us would've forgave ourselves we if left him to fend for himself. We would do it again in a heartbeat if we could."
Now the topic was back to the other Joseph—or the understudy, as he lovingly put it.
"Yeah," Amandus said, "Our nephew and his friends met him yesterday, before meeting back with...our Joseph. Hmm. Feels a bit insensitive to say that. They're both Joseph..." he shook his head. "Rambling. Anyway, he ran into our common enemy so we just want to make sure that both of them stay safe. And to figure out what the whole deal is."
she/her friend to the hooved
Lancer, the forest near Jobe's farm, with Ethani's party.
"Mhmm, lab-tested." Lancer confirmed, though in the interests of pragmatism took care not to disclose the calibers or guns used for those tests... nor the exact thresholds for failure. "Not so much in the field, though. When I've been shot at, bullets haven't tended to get that close."
The stoat then pondered whether Aseyu's solution would indeed suffice, biting her lip in thought. "I would need to see for myself, but if it's capable of fine enough work, I don't see why not." she shrugged before smiling appreciatively. "Like I said, I would rather it be me fixing this stuff anyway, I'm sure you understand."
When Ethani butted in, she didn't need any psychic powers to pick up on that flash of irritation from Aseyu nor to infer hints of some uncomfortable family dynamics at play, but she wasn't about to pry. "We do what we can." she instead offered diplomatically. "From each, to each, and all."
Ultra, Hub Town, Hotel, Lobby, a quiet corner near Reception.
Wearily acknowledging Qeyari's departure, Ultra turned her attention back to Henry and answered his question succinctly, disclosing as much information about her little 'interview' with the unpleasant woman as she saw fit: "No."
With that whole affair pushed to the back of her mind for the time being, she then listened to Bonnie and Lulu's continued assessment of the situation, little closer to a real solution than they had been when she'd broken away from the group. "That's one bright side," she remarked wryly to Joseph, "you've got all your faculties and you're not a meat potato."
Those two alongside Carol then made for the exit, and Ultra had half a mind to follow—there was still that 'camel' to scan, for what little good she suspected it would do at this point—but an odd feeling struck her then. A glimpse out the front doors as they departed revealed greens and browns and other tones wholly alien to her, lit by what she assumed was real sunlight, with even that small glimpse being near-blinding after a life spent under dim, often-flickering artificial light.
She stayed where she was, trying her best not reveal that feeling to present company, her nonchalant façade holding only just. After a long moment, though, she closed her eyes and sighed, looking again at the doors, the view outside dimmed and obscured by ornate frosted glass.
"It's not like that, where I'm from." she mused quietly to no one in particular, only Henry and Joseph present to hear her at all. "Colder, for one."
Edited by Chortleous on Jun 29th 2023 at 6:40:45 AM
[Hub Town Notice Board (Sigmund; Toni; Connie; Valten)]
How to handle this? This woman... girl, really, was blatantly hiding something. He looked her over again, taking in the details. Nervous. Red necktie. Could be...? A subtle gesture, a tap of his temple. A camera in his augmented eyes converted Connie's face into matrices of numbers and sent them off to Western Amalgamated's AI. It wasn't foolproof. There were ways to prepare makeup, not easily recognized by the human eye, that would scramble the formulae. Still, Connie was now known to Western Amalgamated. (At least she wasn't from Sigmund's own world, which meant he didn't have a Prospero entry for her.) He'd have Alice send an operative or two to investigate further.
And then there was the newcomer. He peered down at the man. He looked competent. Merc, ranger, something of that line? Hard to judge this early. "Yes," he said to him. "I'm thinking of taking the job, though I'll have to get into some proper equipment." He tugged at his suit with a wry grin. Then he offered a hand to Valten and said, "Sigmund Gunvaldsen." He was almost about to add, out of habit, yes, that Gunvaldsen, but the family name didn't mean quite as much here. Instead he said, "A.K.A. the Monster of Minneapolis," he indicated his own, now rather worn, notice, "but I haven't had much luck finding sparring partners lately, so here I am."
[5th Floor Hallway]
"Yeah, he's still here, as far as we know," Amandus said. "I'm not sure if he's hanging out with other you, but I know my nephew and his friends aren't. They did tell you about Mael, right? That's who they're dealing with." He sighed heavily, "I'm scared as hell for them, but I am in no condition to go. Not after what happened last night..."
At the topic of Henry, Amandus tilted his head. "He's...fine. Just seems to be a regular guy from what we can tell."
"Paranoid as hell, though," James said, chuckling, "And jumpy!"
"Can you blame him, though? He's probably just as lost and confused as the other Joseph is!"
[Outside town]
As everyone else followed Devad, Amy caught Connie outside. She knew the two of them had different goals, so it'd be a while before they'd run into each other again.
Which was why she made a beeline to her, hugged her, then handed her a small, black button, smiling.
"If you're in any trouble," she said, "Just press that button, and my friends and I will come to you! Good luck, Con-Con!" She kissed her cheek, then ran to catch up with her friends to the new town.
[Necroplois]
The trip to the ghost town was...shockingly not as straining as the kids thought it would be. Well, given the events of yesterday, that was a blessing.
Still, it felt so eerie being in this town. A sense of dread seemed to wash over everyone.
"If this place was bombed," Jackson said, pulling out his scanner, "We'd be cooking in radiation by now."
"Ooh!" Amy said, "Would we get even more powers?"
"No," Maya signed, "I'm sure we'd just die horrifically. Sorry. Doesn't work like that now."
Amy puffed her cheeks. "Reality sucks...but on a serious note, why would Mael's thrall want to hide in a place like this? Who knows what could be crawling all over the place?"
Edited by Masterofchaos on Jun 5th 2023 at 10:24:10 AM