443/The Wind-Up

The Wind-Up
Date of Scene:	18 August 2014
Location:	City of Ravnica <Rav>
Synopsis:	The Rangers of Striker Eureka get a briefing from Yunomi Stadler, and Chuck Hansen briefly is a possum.
Cast of Characters:	272, 25

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Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    For a while now, human and goblin league mages and workers had not been able to visit the very large lab beneath Yunomi's garden-like Overgrown Lab. Those who had been confirmed for the Namamura initiative -- Operation Shutdown -- hae been invited to view the facilities that she would be using, one that would have been forwarded to the Hansens and Marshal Pentecost.

     A courtyard was cleared with a large 'target' painted on it, currently being used by goblin test-pilots for splattering half-rotten fruit to the ground. Vines and flowers were growing from the ceiling now, as if the overgrown lab -- with its forced window to the 'outside world' had taken a keen interest in its downstairs neighbor.

    And Yunomi was checking on the generators; huge equipment not too different from the ones in the Telescope -- the same generators that she had set up to try and save the Parun of the Izzet. Many showed where the glass and metal had been prepared. Some of the transport wagons still had scorchmarks from manaburn and fire scarred into their frames. She was floating in grease-covered worker's pants and an old 'FORT DETRICK' T-shirt, showing the Army coat of arms. She looks like she hasn't slept in a week, her hair akimbo and her arms covered with little bruises and burns.

    The air here was abuzz, as if a lightningstorm had just passed through.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     It took Chuck a bit of cajoling to get his father out here. But now, Chuck and Herc step into the lab. They're both in their dark, military-green drivesuits - it's like some sort of high tech battle armor, helmets under one arm. The suits display their combat record, Kaiju skulls are replete across the chests. Maybe they had come right from some sort of simulation or battle?

     Chuck calls out to Yunomi. "Oy, Stadler! We're here - me and the old man. What's up?"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi pauses, a pretzel rod sticking out of her mouth (she was told to eat something right after the testing), and she brightens visibly seeing the Hansens stroll in. "Chuck! Herc! Hi!" she greets them as she hop down off one of the generators. On her approach, there is the slight smell of singed hair about her. She rubs the back of her neck a moment. "Ah, excuse the clothes. I've been going through workpants pretty quick this week." she explains as she settles on the ground. More pointedly, she has her ears and her tail popped -- she's seen no need to keep them contained. Her bare feet are resting on the singed tile as she brightly looks up to the rangers.

    "All right, so, the plan is to shrink down all of the other combatants to fit inside of a magical-and-technological energy barrier made of thick ceramic in order to transport them into the battlezone."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "Miss Stadler," Herc rumbles in greeting, regarding her with a friendly nod. Chuck gives her a hug, of course, but it's as awkward as ever. He's still just not very good at it. Herc, like any good parent, has a moment of willful blindness.

     "Not gonna lie," Herc replies, "I only understood 'bout half'a that. What happens after?"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi hugs Chuck, but it's made even worse between their height difference and the armor. But she has the grace to blush a little sheepishly at Herc.

    "I'm shrinking everyone down to size to carry them in a booze jug that blocks the enemy from sensing you before I drop you in water near my home and cancel the spell." Yunomi explains a bit more laymans-termsly, and rocks a bit onto her heel. "The equipment you see behind me is my work with the Izzet -- basically it'll give me enough juice to shrink everyone safely, as long as I get a rest period between each event. Afterwards, we cancel the spell, take the PTO by surprise and take my homeland back. It'll... be messy. I'm not going to lie." and she takes a deep breath. "... and if you participate in this, they may not be cooperative to the PPDC."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Herc nods, but Chuck quickly jumps in with a question - the same one that his father was about to ask. "Well, no offence, Yunomi, but what can we do without Striker? That's kind of our thing. We get shrunk, and then that all happens... then what?"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "... well. That's why I cleared the courtyard for." Yunomi rubs the back of her head. "I kinda assumed you'd be in Striker Eureka."

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi purses her lips a moment. "I missed something somewhere... I'm sorry. These last few weeks have been... I mean, it's not been easy. I lost my homeland, there's the concern that if the PTO destroys the shrine or kicks the calderaa into an active state I could lose a good portion of my power."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Chuck grins at that, wide and roguish. "Hey, we can have Striker brought through the warp gate no problem - she was just gettin' a bit of maintenance work done. Look, Yunomi, it's all gonna go okay. You ain't gonna lose anythin', and we're gonna kick those bastards right where it hurts."

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Still not as good as making Yunomi spittake. Herc's still got that one up over her. Yunomi blinks a minute before she realizes what was said, and she visibly relaxes, and rubs her face with her hands. There's a streek of something that leaves in its wake. Her ears prick up again. "I just want them out of my home. My biological father's still in there, along with many of my childhood friends." she states quietly, and she glances down, her arms folding in front of her for a moment. "... and I appreciate this. The both of you."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Chuck nods and gives a bit of a shrug. "Well, sure, thanks. I doubt they'll have anythin' that can take on Striker. We've got this locked down, Yunomi. No sweat." He pauses, and reaches up to wipe at that streak of whatever-it-is with his finger. "You got somethin' there."

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi blinks, and blushes again as Chuck wipes at the streak. "Ah, solder, or charr, or mizzium dust. Or lunch. Could have been lunch. If Lunch wasn't pretzels -- want some?" she inquires. "So, what's with the armor? Did the meat vendor scare you /that/ badly that you decided to come looking as tough as you possibly could?" she questions.

    Pidge awakens, beeps merrily, and then goes to orbit Chuck once, making a rude 'blaaaaaat' sound, and then makes a happy 'whrr!' sound as he orbits Herc.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "I never say no to free food," Chuck says.

     Herc grunts. "He really doesn't."

     Chuck's lips purse in a thin line, but he says nothing. "Nah. It's just our drivesuits. We wear 'em for interfacin' with Striker. And they look badass, if I might say so." Chuck glares at Pidge as it orbits him, picking up on the feeling of that sound. Herc, for his part, gives Pidge a rather consternated look - like you would if a bee had begun flying around your head.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi gives a wry grin. "Better be careful. Klingons will take /full/ advantage of it; that's how I ended up eating /gagh/." Yunomi gives a face, and then looks completely horrified, "And so will the Golgari. Don't. Eat. the Golgari. Food." she mutters "... more than mushrooms."

    Pidge continues to happily whirr and float around Herc's head, a scrollwork metal ball with flashing red and blue lights about the size of a pommagranite.

    Yunomi offers the bag of pretzel rods over to Chuck. "They do look badass." she replies cordially, "Do the helmets give you a Head's-up?"

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "Yup," Chuck replies, around a mouthful of pretzel. "Latest model. Better than anythin' the Yanks, Chinese or Russians wear."

     Herc idly swipes at Pidge, a little wave of his hand that doesn't even come close to hitting the flashing thing. "What's this thing doin'?" he asks, finally.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "Pidge? He's an Izzet security drone that took a liking to me. He was retrofitted to carry my communications array and acts like my radio and cellphone. At the moment he's..." she pauses, and watches him continue to orbit Herc. "Espressing that there is a desire to defend you from aggressors." she holds up a hand, and Pidge pauses, and zips right into her palm, 'whrrrrrrrring' like an off-key mechanical duck. "He's mostly harmless."

    Yunomi gives a look at the helmets, and then smiles, and plucks her goggles off her head. "Here, try these on." she offers. "Ryxinel, one of my mentor's children, repaired these /beautifully/."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "Mostly harmless?" Herc asks, but he doesn't seem too fussed. "So he's like one of those smartphones, but he flies around." Something like that, sure.

     Chuck eyes the goggles and extends his free hand for them. He passes the helmet over to Yunomi, too, and begins getting them over his head. "Alright, I'll bite. Whadda these do?"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "He can emit a little electric shock, kinda like a cattle prod. It's mostly to stop them from being eaten in the lower levels." Yunomi explains to HErc with a small smile.

    The red-lensed goggles with their soft leather cups and adjustable straps look like something from the late 1800's piloting gimmicks and early driving goggles. They're padded. Yunomi accepts the larger helmet, and she turns it over to take a look. "They're my goggles. They're UVA/B rated, give me in formation transmitted from Pidge, and can sense energy or mana flow. And they're stylish to boot"

    Yunomi rolls the helmet in her hands a moment, and purses her lips, ears coming up again as she glances up to Herc with an amused expression.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     The drivesuit helmet is surprisingly light, thanks to its advanced construction. It's rendered in the dark green almost-camo that matches the rest of the gear the two Australian Rangers are wearing. Currently open, it seems like it can seal shut - invaluable when fighting in the ocean.

     "What'd eat it- him?" Herc asks, quickly correcting himself. It doesn't seem like Chuck told him much at all!

     Chuck, for his part, just nods. "Alright," he says, "Is there an on-switch somewhere?"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi had some experience with deep water. None of it good.

    She glances to Herc, and considers. "Rust monsters. Acid spiders. Really, really hungry goblins." she replies to the question of what would eat poor Pidge, who beeps from around her belt.

    And Yunomi reaches up, up to her tip-toes on the bare ground, and brushes her fingers to the side of the goggles, feeding a little mana into them. And for Chuck, the world around would light up. The generators in the back where wheezing mana, swirling around in blue clouds. Pidge also left a trail in the goggles as he shot out from around Yunomi, and began a quick sweep of the room.

    Yunomi was awash with magics, especially the omnipresent red collar around her neck.

    And Yunomi, whose head is smaller than Chuck's, attempts to pop on the helmet.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Herc just nods. Rust monsters, acid spiders, sure. They sound nicer than Kaiju, really.

     The drivesuit helmet was seemingly made to fit for Chuck's head. It is, of course, far too big for Yunomi and it doesn't seem like it does much without being connected to the rest of the suit and, presumably, linked with the control systems of a Jaeger.

     Chuck grunts something when the world lights up, awash with strange colors. "And this is what you see all the time?" he asks, looking here and there.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "Yep." Yunomi replies, though it's muffled through drivesuit helmet. The helmet is way too big. And smells like Chuck. She slides her head out, and shakes out her hair, wrinkling her nose a moment before she tucks the helmet under her arm.

    "Pidge, replay the first Kaiju encounter we were in for Chuck." she asks. and Pidge seems to gleefully 'whrrrr'.

    And hopefully Chuck doesn't get motionsick easily, because Yunomi operates in three dimensions at all times. Striker Eureka and Cherno Alpha are lit up, and labeled in English as STRK and CHRN. Allies are given four-letter signatures and the Kaiju is lit up red.

    And after the initial sail over, Yunomi went down at a quick rate. It jumps after a teleport, and then through the Kaiju's legs to get a look at its legs. It's dizzying and fast, her head turning around to check behind her.

    "That's the day we met."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "Yep," Chuck says, "I remember." He doesn't get motion sickness - that would be disasterious inside the confines of a Jaeger drive harness! "Up near Vladivostok."

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "Paticularly cold. A group of Imperials came and helped..."

    Yunomi gets a far-off looking gaze, and her ears prick up. She purses her lips, and offers Chuck's helmet back to him.

    "... and I outdrank two Russians and some full-of-himself Australian. I always did wonder what happened to him."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Chuck exchanges his helmet for the goggles, but scoffs at Yunomi's next remark. "Beginner's luck," he says, "Or maybe he let 'er win. Y'know, figure that makes a good first impression." He reaches up and rubs around one of Yunomi's ears.

     Luckily, Herc is off staring at one of the massive generators.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Luckily, otherwise Yunomi would be completely mortified. Instead, she blushes. "Maybe. Strong constitution." she replies, but when his hand touches her ears, the fur on them stands out. Both ears pop up as if at some interesting sound. Her shoulders rise up a slight bit. Her tail curls into a slight upside-down U-shape...

    And maybe she's just a little confused on how to properly react, because the first thing that happens immediately afterwards is a burst of blue mana escapes her hand.

    And Chuck might see the world through different eyes. Or at least eyes at a different location, cone and rod density and ... elevation.

    Yunomi now towers above him, and looks...

    completely...

        /Mortified/.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     For a moment, Chuck is very, very confused. He goes to say something and he chirps. That's weird, he's never chirped before. And how is Yunomi so big? Hell, why is /everything/ so different?

     Oh no. Oh hell no.

     At that moment, Herc turns around. He looks to Yunomi, but doesn't seem to catch sight of the Chuck-glider. "...did you scare 'im off, Miss Stadler?" Herc asks.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi covers her mouth, to try and hide the fact that she is going to either burst out into laughter or tears.

    "I'm... afraid... that... he... is... now... a squirrel." she finally gets out, and she carefully gets down to her knees, and puts down a hand.

    "... I can fix this. But... seriously... let me take a look."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Bless his simple Sydney-born and bred mentality, Herc doesn't seem too phased. "Well, you said you were gonna have to shrink us down, but I reckon this isn't what you had in mind." It's not a question. The Chuck-glider hops up onto Yunomi's hand and, even without the facial features of a homo sapien, she can feel the anger /radiating/ off the little animal. It chitters excitedly about something. Probably swearing.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Nothing phases Herc. Thank goodness, because Yunomi was already slightly panicky about having to explain 'I apologize, I turned your son into a possum'. And Yunomi gives a bit of a sad expression.

    "Ah, no, this isn't what I had in mind. With all three mana generators running, I should be able to shrink down Striker Eureka to about fifteen centimeters tall... which means you two will be... very small. On the millimeter scale." she explains. "That's about as small as I'm going to risk going."

    She holds the Chuck-Possum up, careful not to get her face too close to him. "I'm sorry about that, Chuck." she whispers quietly, and then sets him back on the floor. She takes a step back, and with a sweep of her hand, casts a counter spell.

    Chuck would rapidly find the world back to size. He may be mid-swearing when he does so.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     May be? Definitely.

    "-cking bullshit, this is! I'm gonna-" Chuck pauses, stops, and looks down at his hands. "T'hell was that? I've never been a possum before!" He sounds so petulant, so vaguely put-out by what he's been through, like he got slapped. He crosses his arms against his chest. "A bit'a warnin' next time wouldn't hurt!"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi reaches over, and pokes her finger against his chest. "If I'd had a bit of a warning, Possum wouldn't have happened. You make an adorable, if furious, sugar glider."

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     "So, what?" Chuck challenges, barely rocking on his heels as Yunomi pokes his armored chest. "Someone touches yer ears, they get turned into a possum?" He looks like he's about to test his hypothesis... then thinks better of it, lowering his hand.

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    "I haven't slept in a week, I've been shrinking weirds and test subjects all week and tomorrow I lead an assault on a bunch of plantary salesmen who hold my home captive that if I don't win, I might end up either dying of shock or stuck as a small furry forest animal. I'm a /little/ on edge right now, and you can't just reach out and rub someone's ears! Who does that! That's /weird/!"

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi looks rather peturbed, and her ears are pinned back, out of easy petting range.

Striker Eureka (25) has posed:
     Chuck's surly expression doesn't quite fade, but he does mutter out a, "Well, sorry. I just thought it might be nice."

Yunomi Stadler (272) has posed:
    Yunomi's expression softens, and she rubs the back of her neck. "It was," she admits, "I just didn't know how to handle it in that second."

    And then she purses her lips, and gives a smile and a shake of her head. "I'll sleep better once this whole thing's over with and I cna focus on things other than getting Namamura back." she replies, and she takes a deep breath, and lets it out in an even breath. "Thanks for stopping in, I'm glad I got to show off what I do when I'm not fighting kaiju or writing comic books."