Scene #1259: Into the Wasteland

Owner	Pose
Courier Six	Not all of the Mojave outside of New Vegas is a festering, baked dirt-smudge on the Southwest. There's another bright, glimmering spot nestled into the hills and cliffs of the Mojave. And that's where John Tallbranch et al have brought the kidlets from offworld today - Primm! The other Vegas! The lights of the Bison Steve and the Vicki and Vance sparkle in the night, and what once might have been a small town there to support the workers of the casinos is now a larger town to support more gamblers, the ones on their way back to the West towards the NCR, hoping for one last score on the way, or a spot to cool their heels after losing it all. In either case, the other important structure here is the headquarters of the Mojave Express. What once might have been a sleepy outfit with only a few runners is now also sparking with a bit more life. Tonight, John waits outside the building, sipping from a bottle of water as a cool breeze pushes past the hills. Next to him floats a metal basketball with grating and antennas and a little lasergun. On his other side stands someone in a heavy, intimidating set of bulky powered armor, a massive sledgehammer on their back and a hydraulic mounted power fist on their arm. Yep, rolling out the red carpet for this. The entrance for the Kidlets on their way out will be the small, personal sized warp gate on the other side of the bridge over I-15, guarded by local deputies and a trundling man-sized robo-sheriff who burbles a bit.
Alexis Maaka	A rugged, worn but still functional, muscle car will be rolling out of the warpgate, making its way towards the city itself across the roads. There's not much to say as the car continues down the street until finally stopping besides the disused roads. Out comes Alexis, a scarf and goggles worn around her neck for protection from the elements. She retrieves a coilgun of some sort from the trunk of her vehicle as well as a pack containing survival gear she'll need out here. She looks the part of a seasoned survivor of the wastelands, coilgun slung across her back and her knapsack hanging from her shoulder. It's a far cry from partywear for New Year's, that's for sure. Approaching Johnny and his followers, tugging the goggles off her eyes as she makes her way down the street. She gives a nod, before glancing back in wait for others to come. "G'day."
Artyom W. Valodjn	The Murasame Zaibatsu has recently taken quite an interest in the Mojave Wasteland. It does not bode well for company profits if the rumors are true that there is /something/ in these wastelands that is preventing their technology from functioning. That is why Artyom W. Valodjn has come today, bringing along a band of fellow employees, mercenaries, classmates and assorted guests! For the sake of the company, for profit, for the sake of people in dire need of even more ways to shoot at each other! And more importantly, for adventure! Of course, under most other circumstances, this is definitely one place that Artyom would hate to ever travel. Since entering this world, he's seemed... Green. Not any good kind of green, either. His geomantic senses tell him that something is /wrong/ about the land here- though it's hard for him to describe exactly what that something is. They do not have nuclear fallout on Titan, or anywhere else on the Plates. He's thankful that the guards at the warp gate didn't ask too many questions about his presently pallid complexion. At least there are people here, Artyom reasons. That means that, whatever this wrongness is, it's survivable... In this location, at least. He adjusts the collar of his travelling cloak to let the dry, desert breeze into his clothes and glances over at the denizens of the town. His contact should be around here... Somewhere. He makes his way toward Primm's more prominent structures, and quickly gravitates to the Mojave Express. That /is/ where they arranged to meet, after all. The massive Titan pauses near its door, and his eyes find... A floating metal thing. And a person next to it! He inclines his head, then nods it once. "You are the Courier, I presume?" Artyom asks, extending a hand in greeting. It's as pale as the rest of him, right now, "It is a pleasure meeting you in person."
Quentyn Westwind	Notebook in hand, Quentyn is content to follow the others quietly-- the tiny, easily-sunburned Ramuha walking in Artyom's shadow in particular, matching him step for step. Well... a little more like 2 steps for each of Artyom's. But that doesn't mean he isn't taking notice of what's around him. The robo-sherrif especially has his pencil dancing across the page. When they make their way over to the Mojave Express, Quentyn mostly leaves the introductions to others. But both Courier Six and Alexis get a hand raised in a wave and a small, quick smile in greeting from the white mage. Nonetheless, he still stays in the shadow casted by his Titanic friend.
Courier Six	ALEXIS, ARTYOM, QUENTYN: Primm Slimm, the robo-sheriff, burbles happily at hte people who bustle on past him towards the Express. "Howd FOlks And Welcome To Primm! Enjoy Your Stay And Don't Cause Trouble!" The deputies look rather anxious about the MASSIVE DUDE but let them all on past. The beachball is the first to 'speak', digital squawking followed by a muscial sting that sounds vaguely wizardy. The person in the Power Armor likewise looks at the man, but doesn't move from their spot. They do tighten the fist with the Powered Enhancement on it. John looks over at the folks, and starts with Maaka. "Howdy. Been a while." Shaking hands. A look over at Artyom and Quentyn, and the fellow whistles a bit, looking up at the Big Guy. "Well ain't you a sight. Least you look human enough." The handshake is ginger, sice that hand is bigger than the latino's. But he does manage it. A shake of his head to his companions. "The robot's ED-E. The other's Santangelo. Welcome to Primm. We still waitin' for other folks?"
Souji Murasame	The Wasteland is a hot, terrible place. The sun is merciless, and the land ruined and strange. Raiders strike at the area and take what they wish by force. The Legion takes slaves and prepares to assault the land to bring it under Caesar's rule. But there is also great beauty and heroism. Souji mostly only cares about the type of beauty and heroism that allows him to sell guns in this hellhole of a place. With the comments about how the radiation in this area seems to mess with technology, it was only a matter of time until they sent an exploration team to look into it. While Souji does trust in Artyom's ability, he has also chosen to come himself. He cuts a possibly odd appearance in the Wasteland, wearing a midnight blue suit and walking along the ruined areas into Primm without apparently worrying about a thing. At his side is a recent associate as well, who will make himself known in time. The robot-sherriff causes Souji to glance at it in stoic acceptance, before his gaze turns to the man standing with the person in powered armor. His senses immediately tell him this person actually matters. This is probably because of the large armored person and multiple drones. His glasses, if one is adept at looking at reflections, also show a tiny profile of Courier Six, probably lifted from Syndicate databases, in one lens. "Greetings. I am Souji Murasame, of the Murasame Zaibatsu." He shakes hands if offered. "We have come to investigate the area and perhaps perform system tests to ensure our peoducts will function on your world. Should they function normally, I have intentions to seeing if the local powers in this area would be interested in purchasing them."
Soan Sagittarius	While not specifically aimed at keeping up with what the Zaibatsu does on a regular basis, apparently it was worth being mentioned by his various annonymous contacts that Murasame himself is going off Galianda with a small cadre of people to investigate some Extraversal world that seems to be annoying him. Some 'technical difficulties'. Whenever it is a buisness plan going bad, or just a more literal 'technical difficulty', Soan figures that this is something that the need to be duly aware of if they are to explore the Multiverse. Thus, grabbing a hold of a prospective Light Warrior, explaining to her the general idea, offering the point that this is a wonderful chance of a test run for prospective membership as well as life experience, the young Thief boldly went foward -- after getting some survival equipment, the stuff you'd bring out in the middle of Ifrit and Titan's tall mountains. Water, some food. He appears a few moments later after Arty, Quentyn and Souji himself from the individual-sized warp gates, stepping out into the open of the Primm station. He's dressed sharply like he usually is, in his school uniform, carrying a back pack, looking around. The welcoming commitee is here, looking quite impressive, including that clunky robotic sherrif. Fearlessly, Soan steps foward, lifting a hand. "Hello, hello!" He friendily declares out, even after Souji makes his very diplomatic introduction. "Ah! It's very good that we did not come to the wrong place then! I'm Soan Sagittarius -- news goes fast."
Alexis Maaka	Hands are shook and Maaka is quick to being give a once over with the others that make their arrive, nodding to them. A brow is raised as she notes how tall Artyom is in person, before she gives a shrug at Johnny. "Looks like, I doubt this is just it for the gang on this one." She says, tugging at her scarf a little. THing itches. Souji and Artyom also get a card each. They each have Maaka's credentials as a Syndicate contractor on them and her contact information on them. "Just in case, I try to get in the habit of looking out for possible employers when out on these little ops." She says politely enough, "Don't hesitate to give a call in the future." How businesslike.
Fake Avenger	There's a moment where the world stops making sense. That moment is when, out of literally thin air, a man appears next to Souji Murasame. He looks for all the world like a classical yojimbo - a long Japanese sword slung over his shoulder, a hakama, a kimono, long hair - except for the horrible-looking black markings along his skin, and the little black flecks in his eyes. It seems like they move as he appears, shifting into some position or another, then settling down peacefully as he falls into step beside Souji. His blue hair hangs all the way down his back. His hands have vanished into the sleeves of his hakama. But the way he carries himself through this irradiated hellhole - as peaceful as a still pond - declares one thing about him. This man is dangerous. He says nothing to anyone. He simply inclines his head slightly as he walks alongside Souji, a peaceful smile on his face.
Courier Six	@SOUJI AVENGER: If there's one thing people round these parts know, it's that anyone who's dressed like a scruffy jerk in armor or leathers or anything like that is a local and can be held to the usual level of interest/paranoia. Anyone that comes round in a spotless suit with armed guards and shit is not someone to be trifled with. Primm slim offers up the same prerecorded burbled greeting, but the deputies keep well clear. Johnny, on the other hand, has been That Asshole In The Suit before, and has killed his fair share of them. He straightens up and grins, a very very winning grin at the man and his guards. "Howdy. Name's John. Welcome to the Mojave. I understand we'll be doing some weapons tests tonight. Well, I've got just the place for it, if ya'll follow me." He levers himself up from the wall, and starts heading north towards a hole in the wall that's had a gate installed at some point. Overhead a busted Rollercoaster holds a number of guards on watch, scoped rifles looking out into the night.
Artyom W. Valodjn	"Titans are a... rather large variety of Hume," Artyom replies, giving the Courier a light shake of the hand- because, as mentioned, his is somewhat... large. "We wait for a handful more--" And then Souji shows up. Artyom nods his head deferentially at his employer; he was more or less expecting him. Or at least, he's not too shocked that he's here. Soan's appearance is somewhat more of a surprise, but he and his companion get a friendly nod regardless. But... That other guy. That other guy puts him on edge. He's like that other feeling at the back of his head- but it's not a literal burden on his physical stamina. Rather, it's the feeling one gets when one stands at the mouth of the final chamber in a dungeon back home. Is it... Dread? Perhaps. He shakes his head, then, "Mister Murasame has the short of it. It does seem like a majority of our party is now here, though." Artyom casts a curious glance over at the town's robotic sheriff. His brow furrows ever so slightly, "Hm. That... Is a most interesting individual. Is he... Artificial?" Artyom is then confronted by a woman! And her card. He nods, taking the square of paper and slipping it into one of his many, many pockets. "Interesting," Artyom says with a weak smile, but there's a sense that it's not for any lack of friendliness, "Perhaps you can tell us a bit about your credentials while we take care of this expedition of ours?" While he's there, he extracts a small, plain handkercheif to wipe away some of the clammy sweat beading on his forehead.
Cirra Constantine	A chance to prove herself as a potential Light Warrior, well it would certainly help fast track her application, and the sooner that gets done the sooner she can stop worrying about Landon on these Extraversal jaunts of his. It works out, and her shift in gaurding the Prince is over for now. She agrees, and packs some survival gear. When Cirra steps out of the warp gate, the change in temperature from mild to 'hellish wasteland at night' is still enough to makes her grimece, that plate armor she's wearing can't be helping, though she strides ever onward after Soan. "I've been meaning to say, thank you for protecting the Prince when I wasn't there." she asides to the theif. The pair come to the PRimm 'welcoming comittee' and the Judge glances around Primm. She doesn't know what happened on this world but, "...It reminds me more of Odin in some ways." "Perhaps, less murderous self animated metal, but still."
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn moves his pencil to his offhand long enough to return the handshake tentatively. He murmurs, "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Quentyn." When Soan & Co shows up... Well Soan gets a small smile in greeting. Cirra and Avenger each get a curious look, and a quick smile in greeting if they happen to look his way, but no more. He remains quiet as introductions and exchanging of business cards and preliminaries and all that continue.
Courier Six	@CIRRA SOAN It's the robot and the person in the powered armor that greet Soan and Cirra, actually, as the power players start to wander north towards the Killing Fields or whatever. The robot burbles more digital noise, and the person in the powered armor inclines her head... before leaning forward, the speaker on the helmet crackling. A lady's voice. "Hi there, kids. Johnny's already got the big shot heading out to the landing pads to see the gear. You're welcome to join them. Though you don't look nearly as dolled up like that Souji guy." She holds out her hand in a 'low five' underhand gesture to the students. "I'm Veronica, this is ED-E." The beachball beepboops.
Courier Six	@ARTYOM: John smiles up at the big guy. "That's Primm Slimm. Used to be a tour guide over at the Vicki and Vance Casino before a bunch of hoodlums shot and murdered the old Sheriff and took over the Bison. I showed up, killed a bunch of them, and then they wanted a new Sheriff, who wasn't a shitty manager. turns out there was programmin' for the robot to do that sort of stuff." He grins, pushing open the gates, where a large landing pad blinks in the dark. Several crates can be seen out where a place for cargo is set aside. "So, he's not the fastest gun in the West, but he organizes the deputies just fine. Also we ain't got to pay him, just charge him up."
Alexis Maaka	Looking properly at Souji, Alexis can;t help but think of the yakuza back home. He radiates pure control over himself in body and mind, his suit and grooming impeccable and his blade by his side at all times. The man's a modern day samurai in every way she can imagine. "Nice sword," SHe asides quietly to the man along the way. Appropriately enough Souji seems to have a travel buddy with him in the form of an ACTUAL Samurai judging by looks. The guy's sword is enormous, definitely one she's not in any hurry to test the sharpness of any time soon. Her pace quickens as the group heads towards the Killing Fields, and she looks up at the towering man, Artyom. "I'm something of a problem solver for hire, if you will." She explains, "Security detail and consultation, combat training for armed personnel, all that for the right price." Scritching her neck some more, Maaka shrugs a shoulder. "I can easily provide a service record if you'd rather go through background checks bbefore making a proper decision, no need to rush things." She adds, both to the Titan and Souji. She listens to Johnny's story partially, eyeing the landing pad up ahead as she strides through the gate. "Can't go wrong with automated personnel..." muses the cyborg. Primm Slim isn't as advanced as the UDs (Unmanned Droids) she's seen in her time, but she knows not to mess with security bots from experience.
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn might not be asking questions but he listens avidly to Courier as the Primm Slim is introduced and explained... once more the student's pencil quickly scratching against the page. Other than the occasional murmur into his radio, he continues to follow Artyom.
Soan Sagittarius	"Oh, you're welcome. I could not sit by and let it happen, after all." Soan replies to Cirra, whispering back to her, looking around as they are greeted by the power-armored lady and the... floating beach metal ball. Quentyn gets a slight salute in his general direction as they 'big shots' are heading off north with the master of the place. He assumes, anyway. "Yeah... Yeah I can definetively see why you'd think that. -- Yes! Hi!" Soan reach down for that low five, returning it with a hearty shake, despite the fact he's not really power armored, here. "That'd be correct! We are not with Mr. Murasame. I am Soan Sagittarius, this is Cirra Constantine, we're of the Light Warriors Multiversal Exploration club. We /are/ from Galianda as well, however. Fantastic to meet you two!" He does look at ED-E a bit curiously, mixed with some wonder. A robot! That's great! Really great! He looks North, as mentioned, scratching his chin briefly thoughfully. "We've came by mostly to figure out what's going on here. We heard there was technical difficulties with our technology here, so we thought it prudent to come see for ourselves what the problem is."
Fake Avenger	Kojirou's unbelievably peaceful smile isn't really at odds with his eyes. Those eyes - as Quentyn and Artyom and anyone else who looks into them find out - are a calm, still pond under the moonlight. That smile isn't one of self-assuredness, or of happiness, or anything like that - it's the contented smile of a man who is at absolute, total peace with himself. He doesn't really have a choice but to be at peace with himself, but they don't really need to know that. They don't really need to know what's really lurking under the surface of that contented smile. But... But Artyom might have the right of it. The swordsman doesn't need to look around. He can see everything around him already. He's far more interested in the people around him - and he examines them each in turn, his passive violet eyes falling onto each of them in turn. He takes them in with a flicker and a glance, lingering only on their weapons - and only then for a moment. In truth, the Mojave holds nothing of interest to him. This isn't a swordsman's world. This is much like a less harsh Land of Steel. It's dead, but there's life. It's broken, but it's putting itself back together. The sky may be colored, the water may make a man ill, but there's hope for the future. It's funny. Otherwise, Avenger remains a silent companion to Souji until Johnny gives his name. "Kojirou Sasaki, Avenger-class Heroic Spirit. Please don't concern yourselves with my health and wellbeing. Otherwise, I'm in your hands. Please treat me well for the time being."
Cirra Constantine	Cirra inclines her head to everyone that greets them. When she comes to Veronica, she takes the powered armored woman's hand in hers and shakes it firmly. She's got a hell of a grip herself. "We may not be 'dolled up' but we can hold our own." She tilts her head at ED-E to examin it. A curious looking thing. "I thought technology didn't work here, is this magic?" she asks Veronica. "And your armor too?" Asiding to Soan, "If they're going to let us go with them, we might as well."
Courier Six	@SOAN CIRRA: Veronica's grip is mighty, and she lets out a happy little noise at the Fellow Armoroed Lady. "Oh my gosh you're adorable. Ahhh, you remind me of when I was young." The armored lady points a finger. "Don't group up, I'm serious, getting old is dumb." Then she looks over at Soan and ED-E and then around again. "Technology doesn't work? I'm not sure who told you that, the stuff around here works just fine." ED-E blats something and then spins in place to show off his thrusters and antenna. "OH! You guys mean offworld stuff, right! Well a lot of that has problems unless it's like our kind of tech. Old World stuff and the like. It's mostly those fiddly bits like microchips and silicon and stuff that don't work." The lady manages to cross her arms in the armor, which is a testament to its design. "Honestly, I come from a group that sort of hoards the Old World in order to keep it from doing anyone else any good on account of outdated traditions that-" ED-E blats a tone. "Oh, sorry, you guys don't need to hear about it. Anyways, things work just fine so long as it's not... magical or microchips or things like that."
Souji Murasame	Souji accepts the card from Maaka, glancing at it and listening to the credentials. He nods and slides the card into his suit pocket. He has pretty high resonance with the archetype Alexis is invoking. "Thank you." He replies pleasantly. "I am pleased to have made your acqaintence, Miss Maaka. I will have many opportunities for mutually beneficial arrangements in the near future." The arrival of Soan causes Souji to squint, and his stoic expression is tinged with faint irritation. "I am not sure what you expect to achieve here, Sagittarius..." He begins, before he glances to the side, apparently just noticing Cirra. "Aha. Judge Constantine. Inducting her into your school club, I see." He straightens. "Very well. Perhaps she will be able to make the lot of you understand what you are dealing with, as you will not listen to reason." He turns away, and gestures to Artyom and Quentyn to come with them. He assumes Avenger will follow. As they approach the gate, Souji glances to Artyom and gestures. "Crate." He says simply. Of course Artyom has the actual merchandise, did you expect /Souji/ to carry it? He has /people/ (more specifically, very large people) for this.
Courier Six	@THE TEST GROUP Johnny's hand lifts up and he waves at somebody by his own crate. "Open her up, guys." A fellow wearing a Deputy's badge nods and kicks open their own crate, and in the dark the glow of energy weapons can be seen, the delicate sparkling of plasma chambers glittering green in the night. The Cowboy snorts and turns in place, and a set of spotlights light up both the landing pad, which appears to be built for both whirlybirds as well as VTOL craft of some sort, and a target range that's been set up facing the side of a mountain overlooking Primm. Johnny's made some improvements alright. "Right, so, here's the skinny. Any of your stuff that runs with delicate circuitry, microchips, or runs off local magic won't last long in the Wastes. If any of you are carrying detectors or can fee the earth, you'll know what I'm talkin' about. the rads will eventually break that stuff down." He saunters over towards the crates, and smiles over at Artyom, waiting to see what sort of gear he's brought for the Zaibatsu.
Artyom W. Valodjn	"Interesting. So your lawman is a machine." Artyom nods, and the bit about 'programming' helps quell any major exclamation of surprise. If it's not a true AI, then there's not too much to shout about just yet, "I imagine that makes keeping the books a good deal easier, especially when laws can just be programmed in." Though that is also a potential weakness, in a way. He glances toward Alexis, then. Artyom manages a slightly warmer grin this time, "While I personally have no strong feelings about the necessity of a background check, you will understand that Human Resources will probably be a bit more scrutinizing." Artyom pats at the pouch where he had hidden her card, "But perhaps there will be work for you in the future, hm?" She's not the one he's worried about, after all. "Heroic Spirit?" A curious cast develops across Artyom's features, "As that Archer of Brown? Hm, interesting." Perhaps it's just one of those things that the mages of their world don't like telling anybody. "...Well," he says with a degree of caution, "Regardless, it is... good to meet you, I suppose." Maybe it's the paleness of his features, but one gets the feeling that he's not quite sure about that, just yet. Souji gives him an order, though. He nods, then, and Artyom's hands vanish mysteriously into his enormous cloak. There is a sound like a small team of interns rummaging through a cluttered storage locker. After a moment, the sound stops and Artyom slides a largish, rattling box out from the gap in the fabric. "These are the goods-- though I'm afraid the Courier is correct," Artyom says, setting the box down onto the cargo pad, "There is something about this place. Something inherently..." He pauses, searching for the right word, "...Corrosive? I think?" Is he correct, Johnny!?
Quentyn Westwind	For once Quentyn does more than just follows, and moves over to the newly opened crated to peer at the plasma weapons inside, the glow reflecting in his glasses and eyes. And, as shouldn't be a surprise by now... he jots down still more notes. Tapping the end of the pencil against his chin for a moment, he looks to Johnny and asks, curious but tentative, "What if it runs of magic that's stored in us?" To help illustrate, Quentyn then taps the pencil's eraser against his own chest. To all the other dialogue, he continues on the same modus operandi: Listen, take notes.
Cirra Constantine	Cirra's cheeks colour pink as she's called adorable. "Ah... thank you. I'll... try not to get any older." She's a little awkward around such direct compliments. She coughs into her fist as Souji addresses her. "I'm here to see for myself what it's like. Alexander Academy doesn't train it's students to fear adversity, though I'm hardly on faculty. If I think the extraverse is too dangerous for Prince Landon...well." Well Landon won't like to hear it, but she'll just have to tell him. "I'll make sure he understands." They'll argue about it. Back to Veronica, "Is your armor from the 'Old World' as well?" Hmn, magical things don't work either? Thats a double whammy for their technology then.
Alexis Maaka	If there's one thing Alexis likes, it's guns. She's quick to approach Artyom when the crate is about to be presented and cracked open. She's definitely prepared for the radiation. Her internal cybernetics are highly advanced, but they were luckily also built rugged. Long as she plays it safe out in the wastes, she'll be fine. Also lucky is the response from Souji and Artyom. Hopefully this will lead to a very productive future between employer and hireling. Right now however is more focused on weapons testing for the time being. "Try to play it safe, then." She suggests to Quentyn as she awaits the opening of the crate. "It ain't much more different from rad-zones back home. This isn't the first time I've gone out to the wastes, they're still working on getting the gunk cleaned out and it's going -sloooooow-." Alexis muses, drawing out sylables slightly before pulling out a canteen to drink from. It's clean, she checked thoroughly.
Soan Sagittarius	Soan's grip is strong, just not power armor-strong. He could probably match it, if he didn't care about not showing up as this strange mild-mannered young man. That's the issue with super powers and wanting to keep a secret identity, you have to old back, and /not/ have an overblown ego. "Yes, that's what we mean, our technology having some issues here, as some sources have told me." The Thief says, gathering his hands behind his back as he look around to Cirra. 'Adorable' is probably not a thing that she was called a lot in her life. Then again, he could be mistaken. Then Souji sneers at them. Soan gives him a faint wave, smiling at him. "Of course, Murasame! Your warnings are, as always, very much well appreciated. This is why we are here: figuring out the same problem as you, as it affects you as much as it affects us. Who is to know that there is not other worlds around that has the very same problem here with our technology? This is no game, after all, Murasame. Knowledge is power, and with Knowledge, we can ensure our explorations are more safe in the future." Soan clasp his hands foward, returning his attention back to Veronica. He can see the firing test juuuust fine from here. Besides, this lady seems to have another source of wealth of information. "We have some of that, what seems to be rather different about our technology and other world's technology from my own experience is that we fuel it ourselves. Our MP, our Magical Particles, is what we use to power up our devices." He adjusts his glasses on his jacket, heck the jacket in general get adjusted. "Actually, we do want to hear about it, if you're willing to tell us."
Courier Six	@TEST GROUP Johnny will never get tired of Inventory Shenanigans. Ever. He's got something like that himself, anyways. A grin up at the big guy as he grumps. "S'right. Corrosive is good, though Corrosive and Mutagenic would complete the set. Ain't nothing good about rads unless you get genetically lucky enough to handle them well." The Courier growls and lifts out a blocky weapon, not unlike an industrial laser. Oh wait, that's exactly what it is, a heavy laser, chunky and bulky with a large cylinder attached to the top. "Right, so, if you're looking to know what works well on this world, it's gotta be... yeah, a part of you, or you've got to be willing to repair it a lot and ready to swap out the fiddly bits. Those are what break." He hefts the weapon over to.... Avenger. A grin. "Ain't just a sword today, buddy. This here's the AER9 man-portable Laser Rifle. Powered by General Atomics Microfusion power cells, and shoots a high energy laser in the 650 nanoMeter range using a Helium Neon gas medium. It is tough, it is rugged and it was built to murder Communists. Though that ended up being less of a way to do that than the bombs that were dropped on all of us." Souji gets one, and Maaka gets one. Artyom and Quentyn get grins. "And it's nice to see magical folk around again. Warms my heart to get down to earth people sometimes, even if they are hippies."
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn might not understand half or more of the tech speak, but he's writing it down to puzzle over later. Despite his Gunner Job, he doesn't seem to mind not getting to test fire the weapons, but that last comment gets a pause from the mage. His expression looks like he's trying to puzzle out whether he's just been insulted. Quentyn doesn't spend too long on it-- Topic change!-- instead asking Johnny, "About those um, medical treatments you mentioned... can you teach them, or um, do I need to meet someone else..?"
Courier Six	@SOAN CIRRA: Veronica giggles at the calls over to the bossy business types behind her, and waves her hands. "Let them do their deals, we've got better stuff to talk about. Like being a totally awesome lady in armor, that is SO NICE TO SEE." In fact, Veronica's hands lift up to pop off her helmet, and she's... surprisingly petite-ish inside the armor. A hand pushes at her sweaty face under the head wrap that hides her hair. "Hi." "Okay so, after the war, there were a bunch of people that survived the whole thing by living underground in the Vaults. Those were official places to live, right? My people survived the whole thing inside of a heavy duty military base in California. This armor and other sorts like it were inside the base, and they allowed my people to evacuate somewhere safer, a place called Lost Hills. After that, the Brotherhood turned from a group hoping to save the world into a bunch of stodgy old shut-in hermits who thrive on harassing people with Old World Tech and purging the countryside of mutants." She sighs and huffs. "Also they hate new ideas, and that's why I run around with Jonathan." ED-E beep boops. "Oh, also because he's my best friend and an excellent wingman."
Souji Murasame	"Very good." He replies to Cirra, but says no more. It's not like he's going to convince her to walk. Soan's gleeful response causes Souji to glare over at him again for a moment. He sees what you did there, Sagittarius. He looks away, focusing on the task at hand. As Artyom opens the crate, within lie several racks of guns of various shapes and sizes. He removes one that appears to be a sleek, black assault rifle. "The 'Falchion' MZ14 assault rifle is out main line product. It is designed from ruggedized metal and plastics and has been rated to function reliably in any Galiandan environment, from the deserts of Ifrit to the steppes of Shiva." He reaches into the crate and withdraws a small box, opening the flap to pull out a strip of what appear to be thick needles. "Our firearms do not use chemical propulsion, so ammunition needs are efficient, easy to carry, and lack common problems relating to jamming and cartridge ejection." He turns and tosses the ammunition box and gun to Quentyn. He's a Gunner, he'll make a better demonstration. "The system functions by channelling personal MP into the gun to prime the firing system. When the trigger is pulled, the system fires the munition down the barrel towards its target, using extremely low-yield Fire and Gravity effects to achieve optimal ballistic flight patterns." Souji accepts the laser rifle and hefts it in his hands speculatively. "Interesting." He says. "I look forward to examining it. We do have beam weapons in our world, but they are more intensive than most can sustain for useful combat durations. I did not feel they were suitable for a demonstration. Your world has some technology that greatly resembles ours. Such as the augmented armor suit your associate wore outside greatly resembles our GOLEM suits."
Fake Avenger	Kojirou gives the man a long look. "Thank you, no. I'm afraid I've only the one skill, so I'm going to hold fast to it," he tells the man with that same tone, waving his hand away. He doesn't take the rifle. He doesn't look at Souji. He doesn't need or care about Souji's commands, and he's fairly sure Souji's the kind of person who's already figured out on his own that Kojirou can take care of himself in his own way. You don't get to be as old as Kojirou without learning how to take care of yourself no matter what surprises come along. He watches the exchange of machinery wih a distant, apathetic gaze. Machines. Not really his idiom, either.
Alexis Maaka	Alexis's entire mood goes from meh to ":O" in the span of a second as she gets herself a fancy new gun, but not just any gun but in fact... She gets a fucking laser rifle. It's old and blocky but it's still a damn laser gun, her world doesn't even have these! The mercenary hides a grin and a little girlish giggle as she tests the heft and shoulders the weapon in a safe direction, getting a feel for the controls and ergonomics in the process. The lack of any sights on top might make it a tad awkward, but she can fix that at a later point in time if an LAM can't be found here. "Please tell me we can keep these." She says to Johnny, sounding /very/ excited for a brief moment before she swiftly regains her composure. "Uh. I mean..." Gulp. "I mean, you got any info on how to maintain and charge these?"
Artyom W. Valodjn	"Hippies?" Artyom gives the Courier a quizzical look, "I'm not sure I'm familiar with the term." It's not like they have a Plate called Cactuar filled with hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms that will let you see the Primes- nor have people spent their lives searching for it! That would be terribly, tremendously silly. Which means that someone has undoubtedly tried it at least once. Then come the laser rifles. Artyom blinks as they're unveiled, his arms crossing underneath his chest. He could probably carry one of those in each hand if he really pushed himself to, but that would be kind of a pain. Plus, how would you even reload them? "Interesting weapons," he says, then, canting his head to one side-- curiousity. "You said that weapons are under constant stress here. Degrading over time. So the failure of our gear- is it something gradual, or does it simply... fail to operate immediately?"
Courier Six	JOHNNY TEST: Johnny has the answer to that in his duster, it would seem. He pulls out what appears to be a plastic sterile package suitable for intravenious dripping. "Here, this what we use round these parts. 'S called Rad-Away." This gets tosseds to the Gunner. "It's really good at what it does, which is slapping rads out of people. Buuuut, it's habit-forming, a diuretic and also makes your hair fall out. Not sure if that last one is the original radiation though, I'll have to do some checking for you." AND THENTHE RIFLE COMES OUT. "Hot damn look at you, sweet heart." He easily, very easily takes the rifle, and sniffs a bit at the talk of MP and Personal charging. "Eeeeh, that's gonna be a problem round these parts. Only a few mutants got anything resemblin' magic or stuff like that. Most of our stuff runs off a smokeless powder and cartridges. Conventional rounds." He does shoulder the gun though and squeeze the trigger. No dice. "Well, that's one way to make sure your stuff don't fall into the wrong hands." Maaka's question gets a grin, and he likewise fishes around in his pocket for a MFC. "These here. Microfusion cells. Miniaturized nuclear cells. Sorta like a superpowered capacitor, really. Heftier than yer standard chem-battery energy cells, but they ain't got the rapid discharge capability of an electron charge pack." Yes he is casually hefting nuclear power around like it's nothing.
Courier Six	@ARTYOM: "And yeh, pretty much everything is under stress, really. Rads, sun, dust, all that sorts of crap makes shit break down pretty easy. That's why I got people like Veeand Raul around to fix my shit all the time. Otherwise scroungin' for parts gets pretty expensive."
Soan Sagittarius	Soan takes out a pen, a small tab of paper, test out his writing with a few little scribblings over on the pad, then start jolting down some notes at Veronica's story. He seems to write pretty fast, for someone that's not looking at what he is writing. He furrows his brows at her. Souji is glaring at him. Not giving off a smile in satisfaction but instead carrying on as precisely what you were doing prior is the best course of action. It just happens to be also the most infuriating action he can do to Souji, not that it was his primary reason to do it. "That's a sad thing to hear!" The Thief lets out, tapping the end of his pen against his chin. "So you're out here, trying to get away from the stuffy old coots that's slowly ruining things because of a blind adherence to tradition before them and a scary, uncertain future they didn't adapt with." He looks at ED-E, nodding. "He looks neat! Is he an AI, or... a drone or something similar?" He asks
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn looks at the meds curiously, but he seems to recognize the delivery system. He slips them away and looks back to Johnny, "Um... just as simple as administering these? How do I calculate dosage? Um, can those side effects be treated..?" Surprise crosses Quentyn's face as the weapon's tossed to him and he nearly fumbles and drops it. Nearly. He does drop his notebook and pencil, the latter clattering on the ground. Once he has a good hold of it, he lets out a breath. Not looking at either Johnny nor Souji after that embarrassment, practiced hands load the magazine and chamber a round. But he leaves the saefty on-- not quite ready to demonstrate the weapon yet-- and, still avoiding eyecontact, fiddles with his glasses. He reaches down to pick up his notebook and pencil and tuck those away in his bag as well.
Courier Six	@AVENGER: The Servant gets a smile too. "Oh man, if you're in the market for some killer blades, I know a lady who can hook you up with those. Ever want a sword what's made of pure photonic energy?"
Fake Avenger	"I'm quite used to my own sword," Kojirou replies peacefully, "But thank you for your kind offer."
Cirra Constantine	Cirra cannot help but like Veronica more as time goes on. She chuckles a little, "I admit, even in the Academy, not many other woman choose to wear armor." She hmns as she listens to Vee's story. "So these 'old coots' have turned inward, focusing on their own ideals rather then seeing the broader pcture. Thats sad indeed. It sounds like all goverment and laws broke down after this great war. This really is a dangerous world." She rubs her chin, "AS for our technology, I suppose it would depend on if MP can still flow through Patterns. I don't /feel/ any different." She shrugs. "Murasame will broker it's deals where it will. I'd rather know what else can be done for the people."
Alexis Maaka	Alexis hoists the laser rifle again, grabbing a spot in front of one of the targets a good distance away with rifle aimed and ready. The weapon feels pretty heavy, but it's not that bad in her arms, given her strength. Thing's slightly uncomfortable but it's nothing some electrical tape around the grip and stock won't fix. She pulls the trigger after aiming, firing off a few blasts a second apart for each. "Makes sense, with the fire rate. I'd be a bit worried with overheating this thing and setting it off given the batteries." The cyborg is worryingly non-chalant about the nuclear battery thing. "Though it does probably give little in the way of options with keeping these powered out in the wastes. My own rifle I can charge with a car battery if I hooked it up to the power pack in a pinch." She motions to the coilgun slung on her back, the weapon resembling an FN-SCAR in general shape, with some alterations and upgrades here and there.
Courier Six	@Light Warriors: ED-E answers that himself. Though maybe not in the way you might expect. He starts playing a clip of what sounds like... an old radio commercial: "ROB-CO! We build the future, today! For you!" Veronica bats at the robot who bobs and spins merrily. "Uuhhhh, we're not actually sure how smart ED-E is. He's show great growth since we got him, an he doesn't seem all that inclinded to be a rude Enclave murderdrone, so, we keep him around. Also he carries a surprising amount of gear around for a beachball." Beep Boop goes ED-E. She... uh, pointedly lets the Brotherhood drop. "So what about you guys, you all seem pretty familiar with each other. Where are you guys from? John mentioned soemthing about a school. I have to be honest, we're just starting to get children raised again out here and its... uh, it's very nice to see."
Courier Six	@Quentyn: "Oh, and it's just sorta eyeballed around here. Uh, depending on the quality of the doc, you'll flush out anywhere from... ooooh say 50 to 75 rads?"
Cirra Constantine	"Alexander Academy," Cirra answers Vee. "It trains students to be ..." She thinks for the right word, "Independant and able to handle themselves. In our world that means using magic and discovering your Job." then she considers the conversation she had on the radio earlier. "For us a Job is a perticular sets of talents we're good at, not our profession." "Alexander is a perticularly...affluent school. The rich, the connected." She admits without pride. "But there are other schools that are more... affordable that try to teach the same things."
Soan Sagittarius	Soan peers at the floating beachball. That, contain a lot of things? That's amazing, if it's true. He could use a portable device like that in his jobs. That's always the problem when you're robbing a place with just two arms. He still scribbles a few notes on things he sees, smells and hear. Or at least, his ears are appointed at spying on the firing tests. "The talented also get a shot there, admittedly. It's possible for some people to gather money, go there. But it is... well, rather expensive, it's true. The Great Span helps a lot to reach it even if you don't have fast transportation, mind you." Soan says, "Alexander Academy is also located on Chocobo, where it takes a large part of the space there. It's our Moon. But yes, it teaches to harness our Job, explore and generally become more than we are. That's the ideal, in any case."
Courier Six	@Maaka: Johnny grump as he watches Maaka let loose a few shots. Crimson red beams illuminate the night, actual beams and not little blasts of light. Real lasers folks, not G-I-JOE lasers. "Weeeelll, you're holding a car battery there too. Just about everything that needs heave sustained charge runs off those in one size or another."
Souji Murasame	Souji has a disappointed look on his face when Courier Six is unable to fire the guns. "I see. That will make things difficult, then. We do not have an MP storage method at this time other whan within ourselves, so Galiandan magitechnology will not be useful to you until we have resolved that particular issue." He looks down at the rifle he's holding with a speculative expression, but he glances over to Quentyn with his usual level expression. Quentyn might be avoiding eye contact, but Souji doesn't need it. Nor does he need to even say anything. He's just watching. Just. Watching. You.
Courier Six	@LIGHT WARRIORS: Vee smiles and sighs. "Rich... and school. That last one is something we're still really working on. I know a number of the Vaults have places for kids to learn, and the Brotherhood has something similar, but out in the wastes, again, kids are just starting to sprout up again." A wistful sigh. "Maybe one day we'll be able to handle that again properly. But for now, it's mostly learning on the go as you grow up." THE MOON. Vee snickers and crosses her arms. "We helped some ghouls travel to the moon, I think. I'm not actually sure where they ended up to be honest, but we helped get them there." A shrug, and she sighs. "Honestly, if I had my way, we'd be trying to link up with more of the intact Vaults and use those like what you're talking about, make them safe places to raise kids. Oh well."
Artyom W. Valodjn	"It's true, Alexander is rather... Pricy," Artyom says with a slight frown. He's not entirely sure what it actually /cost/ his family, but he knows it was a number with several zeroes attached to it. "But scholarships do exist for the truly exceptional." Even those seem to be rare these days. He glances to Souji, then, and frowns as well. But ideas are beginning to develop in that brain of his...
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn frowns a little, not at Johnny but in thought as he takes in the information. Or maybe doesn't take it in, from his expression. "Could you um, introduce me to a doctor later that could give me all the details?" That, of course, doesn't have to be on screen. Quentyn turns to watch the as the laser gun lances out at targets. Curious, but not as excited as Alexis. He takes a few steps to clear away from the rest of the group (NOT AT ALL BECAUSE OF SOUJI WATCHING HIM), eyes searching for a suitable target on the range. Well, it's an assault rifle and not all that flashy compared to nuclear powered lasers. Quentyn doesn't search for something big, just something distant that can show off it's penetration a little bit. Provided there is something out there... Quentyn puts the rifle on single shot. Still a sniper, in the end. Sights in the target (with its ironsights if the range is well lit and if it's not, presumably it has night optics), controls his breathing, and gives the trigger a single, gentle squeeze. At least when the boy's in the zone, seems he can put things like Souji out of his mind. And maybe he can redeem himself in the eyes of the big boss.
Alexis Maaka	"Huh, well I didn't say a nuclear powered car..." ALexis muses, before she shrugs again. If there is one still salvagable out here, she supposes she could jury rig the thing into more power cells for this rifle. She continues to take a few shots, bracing the stock against her shoulder firmly while blasting away at a placid rate, at least until the rifle inevitably runs low on charge anyways. "Ever tried rigging one up to one of these power cells yourself, Johnny?" She asks, lowering the laser rifle as she steps away from the range for once, watching Quentyn test out the Zaibatsu's workhorse rifle. THe cogs are turning in her head, especially with future dealings with this company...
Courier Six	@TEST SQUAD: Johnny grins over at Souji and rolls his neck. "I got an idea, kid, just a sec." He reaches under his duster, and there's a vague, slick energy noise. Did he just pull the trick Artyom did? Maybe. Whatever it was, he comes out with a rather... glowing flask of something. There's a stylized ATOM on the side. He chuckles and winks at the group, downing the drink in one go... and letting out a breath. And he sings a little musical sting. o/~ Boom, atomic cocktail o/~ Then he lifts the rifle again, winks to Quentyn and pulls the trigger. This time the gun barks out, and the shots illuminate a distant group of Bloatflies ambling around in the dim light of the Mojave night. One drops out of the air limply. Johnny grins, a faint glow in those eyes.
Soan Sagittarius	"That could be a good idea. I'd imagine it's a lot easier said than done." Soan comments. He has no real idea what the 'Vaults' mean, beyond that raw definition of what a vault is. A vault for people to live in, locked in there for Gods know for how long? That's frightening by itself, he's got to admit. "I've been told," The Thief begins, "That dreams like that exists to be worked foward and if nobody has them, then they never get a chance of being accomplished. So! I hope that gets realized!" His gaze goes over the Firing test line, seeing... well, the guy fires the damn thing! Heeeeey! That's great! He drank something that smells /really/ dangerous and, trust me, he's got the nose to know it. That's not so great! "Uhm, anyway." He says, grinning at Veronica. "That sounds neat! I take it it's a lot harder than it is at home, considering you can't walk there, and the world being a gigantic ball of rock with a molten core. Ours... is not really much that way. As well as your Phoenix -- I mean, your sun is not quite... the same."
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn simply blinkblinkblinks at Johnny, flicking his own rifle back to safe. But his eyes follow to the falling bloatfly and the student gives a weak, cautious smile, "Um... a kind of ether..?" But there's a lot more to that ephemeral smile. Somewhere in there, the white mage side of Quentyn is going 'what did you just do to yourself?'
Artyom W. Valodjn	Artyom just... Stares at the Courier and the fact that he apparently just Did Drugs to get his gun to shoot. But it was more than that. When he pulled the trigger, Artyom felt-- something. The hair on the back of his neck is standing on edge- the world /screams/ at him for a moment. What the hell was-- wait. WAAAAAIT. "Courier," the Geomancer asks, hesitation and apprehension practically dripping from every word. He wipes at the cold sweat gathering on his brow and asks what needs to be asked, "What... What was it that just just drank?" He has his suspicions. He hopes he's not right.
Alexis Maaka	Alexis raises a brow as Johnny nabs the rifle damn near immediately after it was mentioned a good portion of the multiverse wouldn;t be able to use weapons like it. Then she whistles in surprise when he drinks from something and shazam, he can shoot it! "There's something about this that's bull, but..." Her musing trails off for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. One might assume she won't be so lucky if she tried that trick herself, at the moment anyways.
Courier Six	@TEST GROUP: Johnny sniffs a bit, and grins. "Uh, a drink I found a recipe for a while back. Fizzy stuff, vodka, and a Nuka-Cola Victory. Call em Atomic Cocktails. Used to be a big hit before the war. You know they used to test the Bombs right..." He points off to the northeast-ish, past the lights of New Vegas which light up the night sky. "Right over yonder about 70 miles or so. Right out wehre you could watch the tests from the safety of Vegas. And when they were doin' the testing, the bartenders would mix up fancy drinks for the gamblers out there. Called em Atomic cause everything was Atomic and Cool back then." He lifts the gun again, and fires off three more shots. Another bloatfly gets shot through the thorax and drops into the sludge.
Cirra Constantine	"That sounds like a good idea," Cirra has no idea what the Vaults are like, "But if the wastelands are as bad as they seem, perhaps starting in the towns is the best step forward." Cirra turns her head with narrowed eyes towards the firing line. "It seems they've found a work around for the MP problem." hmn. "Regardless. Alexander Academy maybe for the rich and powerfull, but I was born a commoner, yet I attend. Granted it's under circumstances, but I still worked for it, even long before my acceptance."
Soan Sagittarius	"Heck," Soan says, lifting his pencil. "I'm an orphan, and I got in. All it took was stealing the Grandmaster Thief's wallet."
Cirra Constantine	Cirra tunrs to look at Soan with an experssion somewhere between shocked and bewildered.
Souji Murasame	The Murasame heir finally nods as Quentyn gets his gun on, and turns his attention elsewhere. He does not appear to be disturbed by Johnny pulling an item out of nowhere. Galianda is a place where RPG Inventories are commonplace. He does, however, look oddly at the glowing flask. He drinks it, and then he... Shoots the gun? "Curious. Though if you received that drink from Kyra Hyral, I would recommend having Quentyn examine you for deleterious effects." He pauses, focusing on Johnny's eyes. "I would not wish to see you harmed on our account." The guns are light and the mechanisms simple. This is because the gun works almost entirely on magic, so there's very little in the way of moving parts. The needles fly with significany penetration force, the standard rounds designed to penetrate and shred with volume of ammo. The guns exhibit a high rate of fire thanks to the lack of needing to deal with casings, and the recoil is minimal. The question just seems to remain /using/ it.
Courier Six	@LIGHT WARRIORS Veronica sighs at the commotion behind her and grumbles. "Just... just ignore Jonathan, he's probably showing off or something. He's gotta be so macho." ED-E beep boops. "Oh he did. That's... well that's one way around 'no energy'." Vee crosses her arms a bit, and then... positively giggles at Soan. "Oh, did you now? So Thief is something they don't shoot you dead for where you come from. That's interesting." She shakes her head and smiles. "Well, I was recruited in the Brotherhood to be a Scribe Scout. It's my official job to be out here in the Wastes to find stuff to steal and bring back home. I'm sorry, scavenge. Scavenge. I also picked up some good points on fixing and making things on the way. John's better at the Big Sciencey stuff than I am though. I just like putting things back together and fixing up Old World Tech."
Alexis Maaka	"Sounds like in this world nuclear power was the hit thing instead of microchips." Alexis muses, listening to Johnny's explaination as she goes to return her laser rifle to the crate, then rubs her chin. "Question is, how's it actually letting you do that?" She wonders as she observes Johnny's display of marksmanship. "Nice grouping, mate. That's quality kit right there," notes the cyborg as her eyes manage to catch the small details, her optics and neurals giving her a much easier time of spotting as the needles fling through the air. "Your company's the real deal alright, Murasame." She adds to Souji.
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn continues to watch Johnny for a few moments, though mention of both his own and Kyra's named get a glance in Souji's direction. And he eventually lets his eyes slide away from Johnny. Having done his own demonstration and now that the man can fire it himself, Quentyn unloads and unchambers his own weapon. Carefully and neatly, he replaces both the weapon itself and ammunition back into the Murasame crate. No high rate of fire shredding of targets for him, it seems. That done, and without drawing attention to himself, Quentyn retrieves his notebook and pencil from his bag once more... and starts catching up on those notes.
Soan Sagittarius	"Does that all the time, huh." Soan sumrises. People like that need a certain amount of showboating. Adventurers aren't particularly normal or boring people, himself included. Showing off occassionally, applied carefully, can have a very strong effect he found. "Oh, thanksfully, no. Thief is one of the first Jobs that's been created by the Gods in their fight against the Enemy, destabilizing and stealing their possession so others could strike them harder. It has quite a lot of commendable applications -- a lot of Police officiers and detectives are of the Thief job." Soan gives Cirra an raised eyebrow at her expression at her, giving the tall woman a 'what?' shrug. "So, basically... sounds a lot like a Ranger, or a Machinist. Hm! That's interesting!"
Courier Six	@TEST GROUP: Johnny chuckles a bit and straightens up, rubbing at his nose. "Honestly? Most of the people around here are more dosed up than me, rads wise. I just... uh. I cheat." He pats at his chest and hands the rifle back over to Souji as well. "Cyborg, Heart and spine were... uh. They were semi-graciously replaced for me without my consent. I got my brain back though, that was nice." A look over to Artyom and Johnny smiles. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. That was a a little dose, but flashy. And flashy is sometimes the watchword." He toes at the box of Laser rifles, and then kicks the lid closed for Souji. "The one is a gift. I'll trade you 40 more for a supply of fresh fruit and veg and/or seed stock." Down to business.
Courier Six	@ALEXIS Johnny flashes a wink and a grin. "Thanks. Shootin's my thing, when it needs to be. I prefer this sort of thing though." A look back to Souji and there's a serious look in those eyes. "Business is business. And despite bein' a dealer in guns, not havin' to use them is preferable. An armed society is a polite society."
Artyom W. Valodjn	Of course it's radiation. Artyom nods- then nods again. He rumbles quietly to himself in a manner not quite like a recently made madman recognizing finally the true nature of the world. The radiation may be getting to him, but at least he can sound relatively sensible and coherent when he mutters. "Atomic Cocktails, huh," Artyom considers, thoughtful lines creasing his brow. He nods, then. "Yes, alright. I will try to avoid worrying overmuch, but I believe you may have given me a few ideas," a wan smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, despite the shivers in his spine, "So you have my thanks, Courier."
Souji Murasame	"Our products are high quality. There is just a small matter of multiversal compatability issues, it seems. We cannot expect someone to drink one of these cocktails every time they wish to fire one of our weapons. That seems... infeasable and dangerous over the long term. I prefer my customers remain /alive/ and in good health." After all, dead people usually don't buy guns. Cheapskates. Business deals begin to get made. Souji's Moogle Glasses flicker as he begins to pull up information. "How much of a seed stock or what volume of fresh fruits and vegetables are speaking of?" Souji asks.
Cirra Constantine	Cirra lets out a sigh of suffering. Of course Landon has associated with someone that isn't just the Thief Job, but /robbed/ his way into the Academy. "We've discovered that the way our skills and abilities seem to work isn't the same as elsewhere. Thief is a 'Job'. It's a set of skills a person can use with magic. Mine is Judge, not because I'm an officer of the law, but because my skills are in the use of cards that restrict a person's ability to fight back, I can also summon a special blade."
Fake Avenger	Kojirou isn't a cheapskate. He just doesn't buy things he can't use. Why shoot a guy when you're Sword Buddha? He doesn't say this, of course. Kojirou's stare remains as distant and placid as it gets.
Alexis Maaka	After storing the laser back into the crate, Alexis gives a nod over at Johnny before grinning back a little. "I can imagine." It's certain now, these Murasame guys are worth a look into one of these days. She hopes the interview comes soon, it's hard not to get a little excited over the idea of getting one of those cushy corporate contracts again, sans the backstabbing of course.
Courier Six	Johnny's arms cross, and he starts talking tubers, legumes, and tonnage of food products with Souji. This might be a while. Veronica grins at Cirra and Soan. "Well, that makes my job Knight, I suppose." She brandishes the powerfist, clenching her fingers and making the pneumatic hydrolic stuff DISCHARGE with a hiss of steam and air. "What can I say? I'm good at punching!"
Quentyn Westwind	Quentyn, just lurking in the background. If there's anything that sounds particularly interesting he'll take notes, of course.
Soan Sagittarius	It is true Soan robbed his way into the Academy, altought perhaps not for the way Cirra imagines he did. He looks impressed at the hydrolic pneumatic fist! "Whatever the case it would be, that is very nice!" He says, pocketing his paper and pen again, then reaching into a pocket to take out a small, palm-sized box, handing it over. "Oh, also! Here's a little greeting gift for celebrating our meeting here, as well as thanks for your tale!"
Souji Murasame	Souji starts haggling with Johnny. He has a link back to market data on his homeworld so this allows him to quickly gauge options. This will in fact take a while. FUJIN will make good use of the machines.