Scene #2723: Stay A While, And Listen 2: Electric Boogaloo

Owner	Pose
Mortimer Balman	Having lost his fight to Duke, Mortimer is taking it easy for now. Resting. Another qualifier round should come soon, he'll get a second try. He went too easy in that fight- but then he had to. Ah well, no matter. Soon. Sitting on his front porch with his hooves kicked up on an ottoman, sipping at a tall glass of lemonade while enjoying the warm sunlight. And occasionally reaching over to stroke the ear of his Thunderwolf- the ear alone was bigger than he was. "Hope yer almost fully grown, boy." Ulbrecht's tail thumped against the ground, shaking the porch a bit. Then Falstaff grumbled from his spot sleeping atop the monstrous beast's head and grunted. The shaking stopped. Falstaff went back to sleep.
Karian Icefang	Striding up to the porch was Karian, in his massive pony form again. "He's still got a bit more to go, I'd say. He should still fit in the house." He jokes. Even in this form, his smile was strong and likely intimidating. "How've you been, Mort?" He asks, not knowing his friend was in the qualifiers.
Mortimer Balman	"I guess he could, if I took out all the walls. He grows much more and I'll need to ask yer Imperial Guard lads if they can spare me one of them Russ tanks so's he has something to play fetch with, at the goin' rate." A yawn. "M'okay, though. Bit tired after my fight with Duke in the WMAT qualifier. Lost, but no big deal. There's another round of qualifiers. Maybe I'll get in the next one, yea? Have yerself a seat! Hey, Switch! Bring out a big glass'a lemonade fer Karian! Add some vodka to it!"
Karian Icefang	Karian nods. "Aye, you will. To be honest I opted to skip the tourney this year as well. But I wish I knew you were participating." He says, taking a seat. He reaches over and gives both Falstaff and Ulbrecht scritches.
Mortimer Balman	Falstaff flicks an ear and grumbles tiredly, but allows the scritchings. Ulbrecht just gives Karian a nuzzle. A few moments later, Switchbait flutters out with a tray. "<Vodka lemonade, Lord Icefang. I took the liberty of adding a coffee cake for your enjoyment as well.>" "Toldja I was gonna compete this year /months/ ago, Karian! Yer memory implants must be screwin' up in that skull'a yers. Too many blows to the head lately?"
Karian Icefang	Karian laughs softly, and pets Ulbrecht for his nuzzles. "I've been assisting with an investigation into a VRMMO. Real people died, but we managed to close the case....though I suspect it's not over yet." He admits. He reaches and noms on the coffee cake, and nods towards Switchbait in thanks.
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer nods. "VRMMO... Oh a video game, right. /Real/ people dyin'? Well that's awful.. Good that yer helpin' solve that. Should be good fer future Imperium negotiations if yer out givin' the Emperor's folk a good name. Good job. Heh. ...Ol' Gigsy woulda loved to have a helpful big bastard like you around, back in the old days.."
Karian Icefang	Karian arches an eyebrow at that. "Oh? I can recall if you've told me about Gigsy. By the way...those dreams seem to have stopped. The Kazam's seem to be satisfied, or they're trying to deside what to do."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer pulls his pipe out and gives it a quick puff to light it, quietly smoking for a moment. "Somehow I doubt it was an Alakazam, old boy. But until we know what caused them, might as well call it that, I guess.. Mmm? Ah, Gigsy.. That's what I called him. Actual name was /Gigan/. He was the Chief of Police fer his district in Ginseng, the capital city of Contiki. And.. ..A damned good man- damned good /friend/. Helped me a lot when I was little more'n a bum."
Karian Icefang	"You were mentioning that on the broadband. I still have a hard time believing that." Karian admits. Ygdril comes padding up after that, simply curling up next to mort, looking up at him for pettings.
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer chuckles. "Hard to believe? Well, let me tell you what happened, when I came home from the War.. My mother, Goddesses tend her soul-" a brief glance cast to the skies, "-told me, once I got home, and had rested up a few months, that I should go and seek my fortune. I wasn't going to find it in Grouda- my brothers that had survived agreed. So.. I left. Took my Veteran's Package, and called up a friend.." FLASHBACK STORY MODE ENGAGE A subway train whose tunnels spanned the entire planet. Sitting on that train, a young Mortimer, still only a Cyndaquil even as he neared his thirtieth year. Chattering on a phone. "Damn rights I'm sure, Kieri! Invest /all/ of it. ..Well if yer /right/ then I'll only be broke for, what, a week? I'll have enough pocket money for a week. I'll get a hotel. Alright, seen you in a month then.." A day later he was in Ginseng, the shining capital of Contiki. Wearing his saltiest camo pants, rucksack over one shoulder. Medals shining on his Sergeant's Sash. And as he walked through the Ginseng station, people parted out of his way. At first he thought it was respect.. But then a woman spat on him, called him a monster- a murderer of children and the helpless elderly. The Marines had made blunders during the War, and key figures in Peth's overly-politicized military had played it up for the media and laid that blame squarely on Grouda and their military- specifically the Marine Corps- for those blunders. Many believed it. Many in Contiki looked upon him with disgust- a brash, bloodthirsty, brainwashed killer who'd been let loose into the civilian population. A wild animal that should be kept caged and leashed where he /belonged/. Not everyone, but many. Contiki had been sorely divided and ultimately not joined the battles in Peth. Some places turned his business away entirely. Turned out? That money didn't last him a week. He was broke and on the streets in three days time..
Karian Icefang	Karian quietly listens to Mort's story. In a way, he understood the people. He figured that many in the imperium thought the same of Space Marines, or at least what the traitor legions had made people think. Still, he waited and listened.
Mortimer Balman	The first few days were the worst. Fortune came to him in the form of a few friendly people who owned small shops. An elderly human woman and her hypno wife let him and Reder wash dishes for some spare yen, eating whatever scraps were leftover from the day. A schoolteacher would pay Reder to wash his car, while Mortimer cleaned the pool out. It was inglorious work but it kept them from starving. The two of them had taken up residence in the Central Park area of the district, sleeping on park benches. Wasting whatever spare money they had on liquor, sometimes hard drugs, to cope with their demons from the War. It looked bleak for the first week or so.. But then halfway into their second week of homelessness, a thing happened. Two women arguing fiercely in the middle of the park. One of them was mate to a well known rabble rouser and anarchist who was frightengly powerful, the other was engaged to one of the highest ranking officers in the local police precinct. The two of them hated each other fiercely- opposing political and social views will do that to people. Mortimer was, at that time, waking up and all he saw was two hot ladies about to rip each other to shreds. Which, in his intoxicant-addled brain, seemed like a waste. It was about that time that Mortimer had sauntered up to the both of them without a care in the world, interjected himself between them, and put an arm on either one's shoulder; offering them the opportunity to take him home, cook him a big dinner, and perhaps some light sexual escapades afterwards. Naturally, this led to an extremely savage beating the likes of which he had not had in several years.
Karian Icefang	Karian could only laugh at that, but more out of how uncharacteristic it seemed of the 'salamander'. Still....it was his tale.
Mortimer Balman	It was shortly after that, that the police arrived on the scene. Mortimer failed his intoxication test and was carted off to the district lockup- but the young chief of police, a Raichu-morph called Gigan- made sure all charges were dropped. He also made sure no charges were pressed against his soon-to-be wife or the mate of the anarchist. Mortimer had done Gigan a service with his foolish, brash behaviors; his wife would not be arrested for a public brawl, that would not have sat well with his future in-laws, much less his betrothed. Similarly it kept the agitator's woman out of trouble too, giving him no cause to raise Hell over it. When he learned that Mortimer was a war veteran, he had the intoxication test thrown out as a kindness- under the proviso that the jarhead did not get caught doing something stupidly illegal again. They became fast friends after that. Gigan always had a few yen to spare to keep Mort and Reder from starving if work got scarce. Which it did as Winter came. What should have only been a month of waiting became half a year before he started seeing returns. On several occasions, when his wife was out of town, Gigan would even let Mortimer and Reder sleep in his house- granted as soon as his lady came home they had to leave. She did not approve of Mortimer or his brash, oversexed, half-drunken persona. She didn't even like her husband being his friend. But she could did begrudgingly allow that, if only because despite what a whore he was, he would help Gigan and the Ginseng Police Department out whenever he could for no other reason than it being the right thing to do with no expectation of rewards. Which, one occasion, was how he picked up Switchbait.
Karian Icefang	Karian nods as he listens. "I would have liked Gigan, indeed. He sounds a fine, upstanding person.
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer nods. "Yea... Hell of a good man. When the Regis rampaged across Ginseng, he was one of the few people who dared stand against them with me an' Race. Even when it nearly cost us all our lives." A cloud of smoke leaves his nostrils slowly. "..He almost always had my back when there were troubles. When my Ma died he sent our family flowers fer the funeral. When I overdosed on Miracle Juice he threw my ass over a tub and forced me to puke it all out. ..A real bro, he was. I always felt bad.. That when I vanished, he never found out why. He always had people keepin' an eye out to see if they could find me, but nobody ever did- how could they? I'd vanished from Time and Fate themselves. But he lived a good, full life outside of that.. Died in his late nineties, almost a hundred years old, before he went and joined his wife up in the Heavens.."
Karian Icefang	Karian nods. "Reminds me of my old mentor. We was quite a hard-ass...constantly drove me to be better. That cloak I wear was his. Brynjolf was his name..." FLASHBACK The cold mountains of Fenris were harsh and unforgiving, even for a Space Wolf. "Karian! Focus! What good will you do if your letting your rage take over while healing one of your brothers?!" Brynjolf barked out while firing LIVE ROUNDS at his apprentice Wolf Priest. Karian himself tried to focus on mixing the potion from behind cover, but his hot-headed youth and relatively newly awakened beast within clawed and begged to be set free. Still, he succeeded and raised it over the cover. "I've done it, brother!" Brynjolf walked over and sniffed the potion, only to throw it to the ground. "You may have done it, but you compromised it by exposing it to enemy fire! What good is a broken potion phial?" The young Karian growled angrily, only to recieve a pat on the shoulder from his teacher. "Calm down, youngblood. Your still young, and learning." He then smiles softly, looking to the sky. "I was like you once...young and hot-headed. But you need to learn to stay calm under fire, and learn when to bare your fangs."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer nodded, sipping at his lemonade. "I got lucky, when I was in boot camp. The Corps feared that my generation would be the last true Marines, the way the world was changing, so they spared few expenses in making sure we were some of the hardest trained. They hired one of the most skilled blademasters in the world, a human mercenary called Tsugio Mifune- the Silent Whirlwind- to train us. We all thought it queer to be taught by a Kyoguran mercenary.. But his mastery over blade was incredible. ...And living under his tutelage for an entire /year/.. Ugh. Not something you Astartes could do, I fear."
Karian Icefang	Karian nods. "I can't imagine anyone from your generation serving under Brynjolf's tutoring either...He was both inspiring and unnerving at the same time. I suppose we both had the mentor's we needed when we needed them."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer hoofwobbles a bit. "Some could have, I suspect. Fighting types like my Jessica could have.. Machokes, when they've trained themselves properly, have the strength to lift and throw things as heavy as one of yer elite Terminators in full dress an' gear a pretty good distance. Conversely, Master Mifune's training.. Well. Somehow I can't see a pack of Blood Claws doing ballet. Or slam dancing. ..Or pole dancing, either."
Karian Icefang	Karian hrm's softly at that. "I suppose. But many would have burnt out in the Deathwatch. Believe me when I tell you that there are horrors I've seen.....thing's I've done that must never be spoken of. Those are scars on my very soul...some things that can never be healed, I imagine."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer shrugs, and looks up at the skies. "Maybe. Maybe not. I've handled what yer Imperium's shown me so far.. More a matter of experience, of upbringing, I think. If one of yer Astartes candidates was raised in Grouda, I think he'd have made a fine Groudan soldier. A 'morph from my world being inducted into the Astartes would likely fare well, I think.. ...Well presuming they survived that crazy shit you people do to yer bodies. I mean I get /why/ you do that, don't misunderstand, but Gods damn that seems excessive.. But then you people /fear/ Psychic powers, and think Magic is /evil/. So I guess it kinda makes sense in that context."
Karian Icefang	"Aye...Though we're learning. We also thought aliens wanted nothing but to kill us all, and your proof that's not the case." Karian says, sipping his spiked lemonade. "I wonder what the world will be like for the next generation of Imperial children. It's already a brave new world for them."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer waved a hoof. "Ah, remember, though! According to the God-Emperor's most feared and fearsome servants, the Ordo Malleus, I am not a /xenos/. I am a /mutant/. Which I technically am! I mean when I'm not a pony, I'm close enough biologically to humans that I'm compatible with'em. The ponies now, diff'rent story. They'll do more good than I will."
Karian Icefang	"Right.....forgot about that. I must be getting too old for this job." Karian jokes, grinning to mort. Though he takes another sip and sighs. "Who would have expected two soldiers from opposite sides of the universe would be fast friends, despite one's training to slaughter the other?"
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer shrugs. "I don't see it that we were trained to slaughter /each other/, necessarily.. I mean yer primary enemies are those who threaten the Imperium. An' those who are heretics, an' traitors. Me.. My enemies were an amorphous hivemind. Occasionally criminals, or lunatics that craved power and destruction. I mean I'm no /heretic/, after all, right? I'm an /infidel/. Biiig diff'rence!"
Karian Icefang	"Maybe more similar then we know....tyranids, remember?" Karian jokes. He simply smiles down at their sleeping canines and breaks into a laugh. "I'm glad we met, mort...And sad you weren't born on Fenris...you would be an excellent brother."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer scratches his cheek a bit. "Woulda been a wee bit awkward had I been born on Fenris, y'know. I mean a human woman givin' birth to a big furry fella like me? I suspect I'da been drowned at birth if not made into some kinda slave warrior fer the Imperium's Guard hordes. But barring that.. I predate yer Imperium by a good long clip, Karian. Pretty sure I predate yer /Emperor/. I mean if we're goin' by /linear/ timelines."
Karian Icefang	"Even so. If I have my way, when you die you'll have a warrior's burial. You've earned that much." Karian says, giving his friend a punch to his shoulder.
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer winces a bit, because his body is still quite tender after the recent thrashing. "Mmm.. I suspect our funereal rites are far diff'rent. In my homeland, the Last Viewing is a solemn thing done in silence. Mourners bring no flowers, sing no songs, they simply speak a few words of remembrance and bury the decedent in the area of their choice. Only when heroes die in great, terrible battles do we sing and dance. Those are more prayers for Cressalia to carry to the Goddesses anyway."
Karian Icefang	"We usually mourn by gathering and remembering the person and their deeds. We eat and drink in their honor, and in their memory. For his pack, it's a way to say good-bye and ask him to keep a seat by the bar open. For our Chapter, it's a way to teach the Blood Claws about their bravery, and a way to let their legacy grow and live on." Karian explains, thinking on the few he's seen.
Mortimer Balman	A nod, and Mort finishes his drink, then smokes while listening. "Mm.. ..Not a bad way to do things, I s'pose. Though I am curious, one thing I didn't quite figure out yet. Why aren't there lot more of them Dreadnought things runnin' around? Is it really /hard/ fer the Mechanicus guys to build things like that, or is it just really expensive as hell, or hard to maintain, somethin' else? Seems like half the lads I've seen go down in our scrapes coulda been saved by puttin'em into one of those metal boxes."
Karian Icefang	"It...depends on the person. For example, Bjorn is the only person from Lord Russ' company that remained behind. He held irreplacable information and stories. So that is why he was interred." Karian ponders on that for a moment as well. "Other then that, I'm not quite sure why."
Mortimer Balman	Mort scratches his head a bit. "Yeah I figured that on Bjorn. He's just too damn valuable to lose. Frankly I'm shocked he's ever allowed to go into a fight. You'd think he'd get put on the Lords of Terra council or whatever the hell those chuckleheads got over there. Still.. I understand all Chapters have such devices, yes? Unless an attack was strong enough to outright /kill/ a Marine, more of'em ought to survive for internment.. ...I mean if it was like the Pethian Lifers.. No, that's rude.. The Pethian /Eternals/, then like, everyone goes into a sword."
Karian Icefang	Karian arch's his eyebrow again at that. "That is a new one to me. Can you explain?" He asks. This interested him, but also was a bit concerning. "And yes. All chapters do employ the use of dreadnaughts."
Mortimer Balman	Blink blink. Mort claps his hooves together. "Right, never told you about them. Peth's elite forces are called Eternals.. Because service does not end in death. When an Eternal dies, they are obligated by Oath and Fealty to escape the Dusknoir's grasp, and return to the lands of the Living. Jirachi-worshiping seers wait for this, then seal their souls into a kind of forged Ghost/Steel-type Pokemon. The rank and file are sealed into Honedges, unliving wraith-blades that can fight of their own will. Lovers who died together in battle return and are forged into Doublades, who are then wielded by the Eternal Bloodsworn- the elite of the elite- who cut themselves on the edges every day they are not in battle, so that their twin swords never forget the taste of blood. And the Bloodsworn in turn are made into Aegislash, which are given to those who must safeguard and defend others." He puffed on his pipe for a few moments. "I can still remember the day I saw them come to our aid, toward the end of the struggle for Ten-Lein.. Magnificent hard-arsed bastards, they were."
Karian Icefang	Karian nods, finishing his drink. "They sound like those Grey Knights I've seen on the battlefield....that hellish encounter with the world eaters. Magnificent warriors...cleaved a Deamon like he was paper."
Mortimer Balman	Mortimer nods a bit. "Yea, something like that. I remember hearin' yer lads tell me about those fellas. Not much daemon-killing fer the Eternals, though. More of a "protect Peth and its people above all else" sorta deal. We didn't much care for the regular Pethian armies.. But we had great respect for the Eternals. No political bullshit. No nonsense. Just straight up fightin'.."
Karian Icefang	"Aye. I may not like the Inquisition...but the Knights....them I respect." Karian says, a smirk on his face. "I remember the first time I saw them in battle.....never have I been more intimidated in my life. They were like angry spirits, carving deamons up like turkey's."
Mortimer Balman	Letting out a yawn, Mortimer leans back. "Mm.. I've not met any yet, so I'll reserve judgment, given my last interaction with the Order of the Hammer.. But I think I'm gettin' too old to keep doin' all that fightin' stuff anyway, so maybe that's fer the best."
Karian Icefang	"Maybe...but your too stubborn to quit." Karian sighs. He looks over and notes that Ygdril was fast asleep now. "I have a few things that I have to take care of. Would you mind if I left Ygdril here with you?"
Mortimer Balman	A chuckle, and ol' Morty nods. "Yea.. No doubt, I'll keep doin' this stupid shit till I'm far past too old to keep doin' it, I expect. Eh? Sure, sure. Ygdril can hang out however long he'd like to. I've got enough spare meat fer the time bein'. You mind yerself now."