Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

Arcadia

2020-02-20T00:02:20Z

Foxer: Working image link

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Arcadia
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=7213
|Img=https://i.imgur.com/9VaUWyY.png
|FullName=Arcadia
|Gender=Female
|Species=Technorganic Sphinx
|Theme=(Original) Chasing Tales-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Guardian
|Faction=Concord
|Rank=Partner
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Challenge me and your situation will match my velocity - TERMINAL!"
|PAge=Adult
|Aging=Ageless
|Hair=Dark Purple-Blue
|Eyes=Cateye Green
|Voice=Nicole Sullivan
|Profile=Arcadia is the guardian of Argo Alexandria, a technocracy from the Line that seeks the wonders of the past, using ancient lore and forgotten technologies to build a new and stable future. To match being a protector of secrets and treasures she is modeled after the mythical sphinx. Utilizing both arcane and scientific technologies has granted her exceptional speed, agility, and an impressive array of magical firepower. Driven by her duty and her own desire for thrills, Arcadia is a very capable combatant but often utilizes dangerous maneuvers and takes excess risks simply because she can. She likes to show off and prove she is worthy of her role as guardian enforcer. Which also means she can be extremely vindictive towards those that humiliate her or make active threats against the technocracy's secret wonders.
|Defining=Aerial Enforcer:
Flight: Arcadia is capable of flight through a combination of biomechanical and arcane methods, enabling her to do so without heavy and restrictive equipment.
Superior - Speed, Mobility: She is capable of flying at hypersonic speeds and is exceptionally agile, using elaborate acrobatics and stunt maneuvers to bypass obstacles and maneuver through dangerous environments.

Magitek Arsenal:
Attack List - Ranged: Arcadia can launch attacks of fire, lightning, wind and non-elemental energies. These can be various beams and projectiles, or explosive blasts that function like missiles and bombs.
Field Shaping: By utilizing a set of magic-controlled attack bits Arcadia can create dangerous laser grids, lightning fields, wind funnels, and flame barriers as obstructions.
Debilitation: Arcadia also possesses special inertia dampening weaponry that she can use to cripple a target's speed and agility, leaving them more vulnerable to attack.
|Significant=Support Technomancy:
Extraordinary Senses: A special visor allows Arcadia to see clearly at the extreme speeds she travels. It also gives access to infrared and ultraviolet vision.
*Analysis: The alternate vision enchantments also aid her in finding concealed passages, detecting weak points in defenses, and patterns in enemy maneuvers.
Damage Reduction: Her armor is lightweight but can project a protective ward against damage. However it is only operational in short bursts, fails after a few hits, and needs time to recharge between uses.

Seeker of Lost Wonders:
Skill - Dungeoneering: Arcadia has experience in dealing with trick locks, booby traps, puzzle rooms, sentry beasts and other countermeasures one might find in dungeons and ruins.
Attack List - Melee: In close-quarters combat Arcadia can use her dexterity to strike with claws, fangs and other melee blows, including her wings and tail.
Mobility: Even when she can't fly freely she can still hover, glide with her wings, make boosted jumps and use her claws to climb most surfaces.
|Minor=Eternal Keeper:
Agelessness, Low Intake: Her augmented technorganic body won't physically age. Arcadia does not require food or oxygen intake to function, and only sleeps for very short recharge cycles.
Hammerspace: She has access to a personal sub-dimensional pocket, granting her an expansive inventory space for supplies, her gear when not in use, and other standard sized objects.
|Disadvantages=Watch This! <Trouble>: At her core Arcadia seeks attention and glory as much as she does excitement. She desires a fulfillment that mainly comes from the attention and appreciation from others. This, combined with the thrill she gets from dangerous experiences, is what fuels the daredevil persona most people see. The brave sphinx that throws herself headlong at a challenge to protect others and makes a grand display of it, regardless of how capable she actually is of handling the scenario. Her elaborate stunt maneuvers and risky tactics are honed as much to draw attention and admiration as they are to aid her survival. The constant attention and thrill seeking makes her easy to bait into overwhelming situations with her desire to show off. Arcadia also has a vindictive streak that doesn't take being humiliated or ignored very well, provoking her to lash out and lose focus on greater objectives.
}}

7083/Crossing The Lines

2020-02-14T06:50:55Z

Foxer: Posting log

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2020/02/13
|Location=The Line
|Synopsis=A Guardian and a Bounty Hunter cross paths over an outlaw target.
|Cast of Characters=7213, 7099
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' The more some things change, the more they stay the same. The Line was still a chaotic place these days, the cultures that had rooted themselves so far into the lifestyle of speed and excitement that for some there was little else to turn to. Gangs still roamed the wild roadways as much as the mutated fauna did, and between the two there was plenty of oppritunity for those willing to do the more dangerous and sometimes under the table work. A good case in point was the linerunner now storming it's way across one such stretch of gleaming heatblasted wilderness. For those without cities, the giant transports served as mobile base of operations, and this one even had special ramp bays on the sides for gang members to park their suped up motorbikes. Which also made it easy to grab one, ride right up, and get inside in order to chase down the leader of this band of raider outlaws. The hatchway onto the main top deck crashed open as it was hastily shoved, and a man chunky enough to make it amazing he'd managed to run up that many levels in tight biker leather stormed out into open. A couple of thugs followed, then turned to fire their guns back through the doorway. For as little as it would do to stop the woman pursuing them. If only they realized that wasn't going to be the only problem that would be ruining their night.... 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' You know what it took to even get on this thing? Rosa has been fighting her way through it after boarding it from on board what was best described as a flying motorcycle. She'd aquired THAT from one of the gang's crew members, which is how she got the transponder frequency for this thing in the first place. She ducks back behind cover as they shoot at her. It's a tight coridor, it'd be easy to hit the panthress. She growls loudly enough for them to hear her even over the whipping winds of the outside of the vehicle, "You've still got a chance to surrender without me breaking any bones!" She yells at the man, peeking out from behind the wall and when she sees they're no longer shooting at her, she bounds up and out, landing on the upper deck of the vehicle, "Where are you gonna run to, anyway?" Though he probably has some kind of hover car or something docked on this ship. 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' The gang leader just spits in her general direction, then pulls out a pair of shades to slip on and shield his eyes from the light glaring off the almost glass-like surface the linerunner was blazing across. "Never doubt the ability to get around here, miss." Meanwhile the thugs have emptied their magazines trying to pin the panthress down and have to pause to eject and reload. Yes they're still using older ballistic weapons, bullets are cheaper to come by than lasers and such. Easier to replace to. Reloading is still a few seconds of vulnerability though... The man is still backing away while his thugs are between himself and her, turning to make for the opposite end of the deck with his ear-comm crackles. "<< Boss, we've got another contact coming in hot and... shit, shit, I think it's her! Get back insi-- >>" The transmission cuts a bolt of lightning seems to erupt from the sky itself and blasts out the comm tower at the back of the vehicle. It's barely split-seconds later that the winged cat-woman lands on the deck between the big bad boss and whatever escape he was headed for. Arcadia waggles a clawed finger at him. "Ah ah, no sneaking off for you this time, Leadfoot." Is that an insult considering the culture here, or a nickname? Or someone taking a mean nickname so it can't be used to mock him? Probably all of those. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The time they're taking to reload, that's perfect. That's all she needs. Rosa rises out from her cover, crossing the distance between herself and one of the goons in a flash, kicking the gun out of his hand, before grabbing his arm and breaking it at the elbow. She kicks him in the middle and knocks him down. She moves to the other guy as well, ripping the gun out of his hands and tossing it over to the side of the vehicle. Just in time it seems to find the other arrival. She tilts her head slightly, before she headbutts the goon she's holding in the face, and causes him to slump down, "I have this under control, whoever you are." 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Looks like living life on the fast lane isn't enough in itself to fend off a deadly catwoman. Two thugs are disposed of before they can even get ammo back in their guns. Yet despite that display it's actually towards Rosa that Leadfoot backs up. "That's the Guardian of Argo Alexandria. One of the most advanced city-states in this sector of the Line." "Advances that you and your fiends keep trying to steal, smuggle, and swindle off to other rogue elements!" the sphinx cuts in with a lash of her tail. "This is a matter of the city, miss. Don't get in the way." Even though it sounds like almost the same reasons, save in Rosa's case she was hired by one of the other smaller operations this guy was screwing over. One that couldn't afford a guardian of their own. "Yeah, well... Go suck an exhaust port!" Leadfoot snaps, failing at coming up with a meaner insult on the fly, and turns to run back the way he came. Only for the sphinx to bolt forward and twist around, lashing her tail like an actual whip this time. It snags Leadfoot's ankle with the swipe and sends him tumbling over. Right towards Rosa, the big chonk of a man that he is in sweaty biker leather. Because that's how these sort of situations start. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Well the big guy lands right on top of Rosa, smothering her in smuggler leather and unwashed body stank. She gags, and knees the guy somewhere probably a bit lower than his abdomen, kicking him off of her and rolling back up to her feet, "Look, I'm not trying to step on your toes, but CLEARLY the feeling isn't mutual." Rosa says, pointing a claw at Arcadia, "I was hired by some folks to bring this guy to them, and that's what I'm gonna do. Maybe they can turn him over to your city after they're done with him." 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' A smart man would say something to turn the two on each other. Leadfoot... is not a smart man. He's one of those gang bosses that leads through being scary and too big to kick around rather than cleverness. The most he gets out is an hurking sound as he's kicked off the other catwoman. He doesn't need to be, anyways. For all her good intentions Arcadia is still ruled by brash impulses, and is already on the assumption that someone else is trying to horn in on her guardian activity. "I'm not about to allow this fiend to get off from answering for his dasterdly work against the Technocracy!" The linerunner was already moving fast, but there's a distinct difference in the powerful wind that abruptly rushes over it. It's hard to describe how, it just feels in some way directed in an effort to push the panthress back so Arcadia can grab the man. Then again, seeing as the sphinx isn't the least bit bothered by the surging flow of air, it's not hard to deduce she's somehow the source. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The panther digs her claws into the deck to keep herself from being launched off of the linerunner. She grits her teeth and then pushes herself upwards again. It's going to be hard to get to her target, but she's not going to give up on this bounty that easily. "Take that up with my employers!" She yells out over the wind, and then she pushes off with her back feet, launching through the wind to try to tackle the sphinx and pin her down to the linerunner's deck 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Leadfoot is still laying in a daze on the deck, and Arcadia had started to walk towards him. Both that and actually being on the deck instead of hovering over it works to Rosa's favor. That and her actually forcing her way through the wind in a powerful leap, something rarely done and even more rarely succeeded at. Which catchs Arcadia by surprise out of sheer improbability of it working. One catwoman rams into the other and both go crashing down on the deck as well. Arcadia gets an arm bent between them, trying to push the panthress back some. But her attention is also past them, as a couple more gangers come up onto the deck and try to grab their boss to get him out of danger. "Dammit, why must you make this difficult?" Several balls of flame flare around her other arm as Arcadia points it up and past Rosa, shooting them off. One strikes a ganger in the back, his buddy ducks the second. Only for it to rebound off the hatchway door, slamming it shut in the process, and nailing him in the face from the ricochet. The third she flicks at the deck, catchs it as it bounces back to her, and holds it in her hand to try and shove the flames into Rosa's face. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Cooking of meat and singeing of fur is enough for Rosa to get off of the sphinx and move away from her. At least those goons were taken out quick. A hatch behind Arcadia opens up, and another goon climbs out of it with a knife in hand. Rosa sees him, and for a second considers letting him go to work, but figures that wouldn't be very nice. Plus the two of them technically have similar goals. She rushes at Arcadia and then jumps, planting her feet down towards the sphinx's shoulders to push off of her, fly through the air and spear the goon to the ground, knocking the knife out of his hands. Assuming it works right it should shove Arcadia face first into the deck as well. 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Arcadia immeadiately bolts in the opposite direction once Rosa rolls off, back on her feet faster than the eye can follow. The flaming ball poofs as she clenches her fingers to reassimilate the elemental energy generating it. Only for her unintentional opponent to also be quickly back on the move. Arcadia readies herself for a strike, only for Rosa to jump and use her shoulders as a springboard. Arcadia is knocked forward and down by the push, through she rolls on her shoulder quick enough to avoid a complete faceplant, and is back on her feet again in time to see Rosa lance the other goon with her body. That.. was kind of cool. "Next time ask first!" she snaps, feeling a little less spiteful since it was a neat stunt. That was only the first of a new wave of outlaws though as more respond to the ruckus that's been rattling about the deck for several minutes now. "Just don't let them get Leadfoot inside.... oh, and stay low a moment." Wings flare as Arcadia finally takes back to the air. Only to turn and face the deck below her, and keeping the exact speed to be hovering over it even with the linerunner itself moving. Sparks flare from the crystals imbedded in her arm-guards, down to arcing between her fingers and collecting between her outstretched hands. "TESLA SCALAR!" The result is not unlike someone taking an electromagnetic blast and somehow focusing and amplifying it in a more direct manner across the upper deck. The magitek attack isn't enough to disable the transport, but it does result in weapons sparking as they're electrified, or bursting as rounds cook off from the intense electrical heat. There's plenty of screaming, burned hands, and the guys that aren't knocked off their feet by guns exploding in their hands resort to pulling out crowbars, knives and brass knuckles. Might be primitive compared to the sphinx's magic arsenal, but this is right up Rosa's alley isn't it? 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa growls faintly after she finishes taking the goon out of the fight, though at the warning to get down by Arcadia, Rosa does just that, throwing herself to the ground, just in time for the electric blast of heat to fly over her. At least now it seems that the guys aren't armed with firearms, which makes Rosa's job a lot easier. However they have a bigger concern, which is Leadfoot. Rosa is back to her feet once the electric blast is done, and she dives on top of the goon boss, rolling over his back, pulling something shiny out of her vest, and latching it around his wrist, and to one of the mooring anchors on the ship, "Don't go anywhere." She is back up to her feet, looking at the goons with crowbars and knives, "Come on guys. Do you REALLY wanna do this? Because there's so many better options than getting your asses kicked by me." 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' And it's right about then that Leadfoot finally gets his head clear, only to find himself cuffed to the mooring. "Don't just stand there, kill her! Kill 'em both! Or I'll kill ya all!" Which is about all it takes to provoke the remaining crowd into a rushing mob brandishing blunt weapons and knives. "Can you knock him out again so he shuts up." Arcadia mutters as she deploys her option bits. They scatter abount the sides of the deck, placing so they start firing beams of energy around at various angles that force the goons to either stumble and reposition themselves, or get zorched by the beams. She's not directly aiming the beams at Rosa... But she's not particularly trying to avoid her either while chasing about the hoodlums. Hopefully the panthress is more agile than the thugs are, and can turn this weird shift in environment to her advantage. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa is pretty agile, and she seems to manage to avoid getting hit by most of the lasers. She can see she's very clearly outclassed by this local hero, however. Though she's not exactly a pushover either. She dives back on top of Leadfoot, tears his shirt, and shoves it into his mouth to silence him, before she begins to move after the thugs. Ducking and weaving through the lasers, it probably looks really cool if she weren't utterly terrified of getting hit. One of them manages to scorch some of her fur, but at least it's not a direct hit. In between laser blasts, she manages to land several good hits on thugs, breaking limbs and rendering people unconcious, clearly with no intent to kill. She can't say the same for the sphinx, though it seems like none of her blasts had been lethal yet. 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Arcadia is not directly, intentionally lethal with her attacks.... But if someone falls off the moving linerunner to their doom on the glassy plain below, she's not going to particularly care, either. These raiders are social lowlifes and rogue elements, nothing to consern herself over. The gang will probably fall apart once Leadfoot isn't conjoling them into raiding and smuggling jobs anyways. The Argoxandrian sphinx would of been a handful on her own. The additional unfamiliar element of the outsider pantress completely puts it out of their ballpark. Not that they don't try, but between the agile melee and the lasers the thugs can really only try and then go down. Finally Arcadia recalls her bits as she lowers back to the deck. Right behind the one goon still standing. She taps his shoulder with her tail, and as he turns that way she leans in the opposite direction, grabs him, and twirls around to toss him in Rosa's direction. It's like a reverse fastball special, throwing someone to get hit instead of attack. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa of course wasn't expecting a goon to come at her that way. She gets slammed into, and the guy takes her down as nothing but dead weight on top of her. She grunts and tries to push him off of her, rolling him onto his side and laying there for a second, "Can we parley for a second?" She asks the sphinx, sitting up and looking around at all the unconcious goons, "Look we both want this guy. But you're the law around here." She rises up to her feet and dusts herself off, "Let me take something off him that'll prove he's done for to my client, then you can take him in. Deal?" 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Arcadia opens her mouth as if to object, but the proposal was actually not the kind of one-sided deal she was expecting and she pauses. Then Leadfoot manages to spit the cloth out of his mouth and starts laughing. "What could you possibly make me give up to prove anything?" Which is followed by an audible "OOMPH" as Arcadia put her foot in his stomach. The sphinx crouchs down, grinning that sort of smug smirk that only someone at least partially cat can do. "Funny you should ask, LeadFOOT." Even with the sunglasses on there's a visible terrified look of realization in the man's eyes as Arcadia grabs his left ankle in her hands, giving it a twist to the side and then a yank! "Can't hide your fakeness from my enchanted visor~" croons the sphinx smugly as she tosses prosthetic foot, made to look like a heavy combat boot, to Rosa. "There's probably contraband hidden in the compartment, too." She then pulls Leadfoot, sans the fake lead foot, free from the mooring and tosses him over her shoulder. "Probably want to tell whoever hired you to be more careful who they deal with. Scumbags like this look for easy hits still recovering from the pre-stabilization." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "I'll pass along the message." Rosa replies, after catching the heavy fake foot in her hands, rolling it over a couple of times, "This'll work as proof." She hrms faintly, "What's your name anyway? I ain't from around here if you can't tell, so I figured I might as well know who I'm dealing with." 

:'''{{#var:7213|Arcadia (7213)}} has posed:''' Arcadia resumes a hover, after a bit of a sputter as her magitek systems have to readjust for the considerable additional weight of the rest of Leadfoot. Which results in several small plumes of energy projectile from the microthrusters built into the 'skirt' of her armor and the backs of her leg guards to get the extra lift. "Arcadia, Guardian of Argo Alexandria and Enforcer for her Technocracy." A city nation governed by scientists, scholars, wizards and other wisemen? Her being a sphinx might not seem so strange knowing that. The Line was a weird place. "Scum like this only live off fear and discord, plundering the wonders of others. Rogue elements not to be tolerated." Leadfoot starts to say something that's probably more cussing, but he's slapped in the face with the sphinx's tail to muffle whatever it was. Then like that she's gone, managing to take off at a shocking speed even with the additional mass she's carrying. That's one heck of a fast sphinx. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Well that was weird." Rosa finally says, after the sphinx takes off. The jaguar makes her way over to the escape vehicle that Leadfoot was planning on using, and hops inside, eventually figuring out how to take off. She has a meeting to get to, and apparently, a warning to deliver. 
}}

Victory Is Not All Success (Arcadia)

2020-02-04T16:04:43Z

Foxer: Cutscene post

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2020/02/03
|Location=Argo Alexandria
|Synopsis=Aftermath of a mission that turned (to her) unusual.
|Cast of Characters=7213
}}
There was no fanfare of arrival. No flashy display of aerial maneuvers to announce that she had returned to Argo Alexandria. Arcadia just glided to the platform, unusually solemn and quiet for the energetic sphinx. The usual gathering of Technocracy officers and technicians was there to meet her but she only gave the vaguest of acknowledgement before skulking into the tower.

The men and woman looked at each other in confusion. Before Arcadia had only acted like that when she returned from a mission severely damaged. But she was visible unharmed save a few scratches and dents. They didn't realize she had been hurt by something a bit deeper than battle damage this time.
As she made her way through the facility the hierarchy buzzed her comm for the standard mission report. She responded that the threat to that world had been neutralized, but complications had occurred. She would provide more thorough details after having a chance to recharge her reserves. They accepted this, and would wait.

Arcadia slipped into the small chamber that was her personal space. The guardian spent so little time in the room outside resting that it was pretty sparse and utilitarian. She didn't even really need to sleep, but it was the fastest way to recharge her arcane reserves. Magitek armor was dismissed, her wings collapsing down into smaller casings that mimiced the look of biological ones, and the sphinx flopped in the berth with a sigh.

The threat had been neutralized, Onyx Witch disabled before she went on a potentially devastating rampage. That was technically victory conditions. She had wanted to go down in a fight, and until the end that was what happened.

But what the other group of defenders had done to suppress her through insistent compassion and physical comfort had completely baffled her. Arcadia had been made and trained to fight until she won. This alternate method was alien to her, as was that it somehow seemed to work, and the fading magical girl was whisked away before someone that, somehow, moved even faster than she did.
Onyx Witch had dropped her magic rod, and in Arcadia's confusion a reflex hardwired through experience had kicked in, seeing it as a source of power for the target. She blasted the wand with her weaponized magic, destroying it.
Only afterwards fully realizing what she had done. Lezard had wanted to claim the magic device, but she blasted it to dust first. The threat had been neutralized, but in doing so she had in the flash of the moment unintentionally undermined the interests of an ally. Allies she was suppose to be impressing, proving the worth of herself and the city she served to. It had stung hard, harder the damage from battle. It was just, much like the whole winning through compassion, a situation she was not familiar dealing with due to working alone most of the time before the Concord.

By now she had a chance to think about it more clearly as she laid in private. Paws clenched into fists for a moment, and slammed on the frame of the berth in a moment of venting frustration, and then Arcadia slumped into the berth. She couldn't let this hold her down when nothing had before. It happened, it would be a setback, but she would just have to work harder to make up for it. Work harder to de-train some of the routines that were no longer appropriate to the current state of affairs. Learn from the mistake. Adapt, and rise higher than before.

Satisfied with that for now, she curled up and let the recharge sequence take over, thoughts simmering down in the closest state to sleep that she had.

Arcadia

2020-01-18T01:04:27Z

Foxer: Making Character Page

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Arcadia
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=7213
|Img=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o27-_oCuMJ-eIUU4hzl3FRJow8WjmcDf/view?usp=sharing
|FullName=Arcadia
|Gender=Female
|Species=Technorganic Sphinx
|Theme=(Original) Chasing Tales-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Guardian
|Faction=Concord
|Rank=Partner
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Challenge me and your situation will match my velocity - TERMINAL!"
|PAge=Adult
|Aging=Ageless
|Hair=Dark Purple-Blue
|Eyes=Cateye Green
|Voice=Nicole Sullivan
|Profile=Arcadia is the guardian of Argo Alexandria, a technocracy from the Line that seeks the wonders of the past, using ancient lore and forgotten technologies to build a new and stable future. To match being a protector of secrets and treasures she is modeled after the mythical sphinx. Utilizing both arcane and scientific technologies has granted her exceptional speed, agility, and an impressive array of magical firepower. Driven by her duty and her own desire for thrills, Arcadia is a very capable combatant but often utilizes dangerous maneuvers and takes excess risks simply because she can. She likes to show off and prove she is worthy of her role as guardian enforcer. Which also means she can be extremely vindictive towards those that humiliate her or make active threats against the technocracy's secret wonders.
|Defining=Aerial Enforcer:
Flight: Arcadia is capable of flight through a combination of biomechanical and arcane methods, enabling her to do so without heavy and restrictive equipment.
Superior - Speed, Mobility: She is capable of flying at hypersonic speeds and is exceptionally agile, using elaborate acrobatics and stunt maneuvers to bypass obstacles and maneuver through dangerous environments.

Magitek Arsenal:
Attack List - Ranged: Arcadia can launch attacks of fire, lightning, wind and non-elemental energies. These can be various beams and projectiles, or explosive blasts that function like missiles and bombs.
Field Shaping: By utilizing a set of magic-controlled attack bits Arcadia can create dangerous laser grids, lightning fields, wind funnels, and flame barriers as obstructions.
Debilitation: Arcadia also possesses special inertia dampening weaponry that she can use to cripple a target's speed and agility, leaving them more vulnerable to attack.
|Significant=Support Technomancy:
Extraordinary Senses: A special visor allows Arcadia to see clearly at the extreme speeds she travels. It also gives access to infrared and ultraviolet vision.
*Analysis: The alternate vision enchantments also aid her in finding concealed passages, detecting weak points in defenses, and patterns in enemy maneuvers.
Damage Reduction: Her armor is lightweight but can project a protective ward against damage. However it is only operational in short bursts, fails after a few hits, and needs time to recharge between uses.

Seeker of Lost Wonders:
Skill - Dungeoneering: Arcadia has experience in dealing with trick locks, booby traps, puzzle rooms, sentry beasts and other countermeasures one might find in dungeons and ruins.
Attack List - Melee: In close-quarters combat Arcadia can use her dexterity to strike with claws, fangs and other melee blows, including her wings and tail.
Mobility: Even when she can't fly freely she can still hover, glide with her wings, make boosted jumps and use her claws to climb most surfaces.
|Minor=Eternal Keeper:
Agelessness, Low Intake: Her augmented technorganic body won't physically age. Arcadia does not require food or oxygen intake to function, and only sleeps for very short recharge cycles.
Hammerspace: She has access to a personal sub-dimensional pocket, granting her an expansive inventory space for supplies, her gear when not in use, and other standard sized objects.
|Disadvantages=Watch This! <Trouble>: At her core Arcadia seeks attention and glory as much as she does excitement. She desires a fulfillment that mainly comes from the attention and appreciation from others. This, combined with the thrill she gets from dangerous experiences, is what fuels the daredevil persona most people see. The brave sphinx that throws herself headlong at a challenge to protect others and makes a grand display of it, regardless of how capable she actually is of handling the scenario. Her elaborate stunt maneuvers and risky tactics are honed as much to draw attention and admiration as they are to aid her survival. The constant attention and thrill seeking makes her easy to bait into overwhelming situations with her desire to show off. Arcadia also has a vindictive streak that doesn't take being humiliated or ignored very well, provoking her to lash out and lose focus on greater objectives.
}}

Any Crash You Walk Away From (Gaonoir)

2019-12-15T16:27:44Z

Foxer: Cutscene post

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2019/12/15
|Location=The Great Ocean
|Synopsis=Recovery after Gaonoir fell from the crashing Paladin airbase.
|Cast of Characters=765
}}
In a relative sense Gaonoir was fortunate that he had gotten blasted out of the Ad Coelum before the damages shifted it's collision course with a planet. As far as it made his own crash landing be away from the much larger impact zone. Even at full health his non-organic state wouldn't of been able to endure that kind of blastwave, much less when already beat within bare threads of derezzing entirely.

The crater his own impact had made was bad enough, just from the force he came down at. So now, while still in exterme condition and too exhausted to voidstep, he had to climb his way out. Fortunately it wasn't so much deep as it was wide, but he had to go nearly just as far just not at a steep angle. One gloved paw then the other, using the claws on his feet that weren't broke for additional anchorage, until one finally found the edge of the crater.

And as he was pulling himself up found a hand there waiting for him, held out by Erika hunched down at the edge. Too tired and sore to be his usual snarky self about the assist he just grabbed her hand with one paw, and she helped pull him over the final threshhold, standing as well as she did.

"At least you're in one very broken piece. I half expected to have to climb down to retrieve a digitama." Erika let go of his paw as he stopped to, well, it was an approximation of catching his breath. "Soooooo, how did the mission go?"

"The important part succeeded. The fight was just to make a point." Gaonoir started to rub off his face, so Erika pulled a towel out of her satchel and squatted down again to help. He grumbled a bit, managing a tiredly playful swat without really stropping her. "Look, I--"

Erika put a finger to his snout to stop him. "No need, Gaonoir. Contrary to what you might of thought, I understand just fine. This isn't a game. There are things that need to be done... that are better done by you so others don't have to deal with the questionablity."

"... Yeah." Well, good, now he doesn't need to make himself get sentimental. He gave his headband a tug to snug it in place, and then skulked off towards the transport that had brought his Tamer out here to find him. "Ugh, it's going to take forever to reconstitute this much damage."

Erika giggled a bit as she followed. "We'll stop for some pizza on the way to the nearest Watchtower."

6901/Retribution Railway - Sidetracked

2019-11-15T05:01:40Z

Foxer: Log post

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/11/11
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Gang comes across a molemen battalion also trying to chase down the demon train.
|Cast of Characters=711, 525, 960, 7084, 7, 42, 7099, 1103
|Tinyplot=Retribution Railway
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Once again the heavily modified cargo hauler that Corona had affectionately taken to calling the 'Disaster Transport' (because it's bringing disaster to ruin others' schemes) was roaring across the plains. It was just the easiest way to get around with a small posse of faces old and new and make sure no one gets lost in the process. Brimsteel ain't the most hospitable place to get stranded in the wilds in. But plenty of room for those that don't have their own means of travelling around, or just want to conserve their energy and stay with the group. "Welp folks, this is gonna be a big'un, so be ready to bring yer top notch," Corona drawled as she was driving the rig. "Windrose's been tailing the demonic train in her barnstormer," that's an old-timey stunt plane for folks, "And we've got a bead right on it's path. So once we catch u--" She's interrupted by the radio crackling, "Come in, Gunslinger, this is High Flyer." "--uh oh." Corona grabs the hand unit with one while keeping the other on the wheel. "This is Gunslinger, over. What's got the buzz in your bonnet?" "Well, you're probably expecting this..." *** Somewhere in the skies above the steam-driven biplane was barreling along, Windrose leaning over to peer past the side at the large machine that wasn't the Transport that had just chugged its way to the surface and was speeding along in the same direction. "But your new 'friend' was right about the unwanted company. Speaking of which." She glances over her shoulder and the leader of the Illumolenati rebels huddling down in the passanger's seat. "You didn't tell me he was afraid of flying." "We live underearth, what did stripetail expect?!" Molenard yelps back without looking up. "Only doing this to prove we're up-and-up with Boomfox's surfacefolk!" "... Yeah, that's an accurate name for her." The skunkette turned back to her controls. "I'll keep buzzing the train, you're probably gonna have those dirt munchers -- no offense back there -- off." **"Copy that. Over and out." Corona tosses the radio back in the cradle, and the rig gave an extra jostle as she hit the throttle harder. "Guess our moles were right about being the good moles, and not moles like the sneaky backstabbing inside the group... oi, that makes my head hurt. Anyway, hold on!" The the pedal fully to the metal it doesn't take long for the massive plumes of smoke to come visible over the horizon, followed by the rest of the monsterous hulk of a machine the dual stacks belong to. Various drills and bores adorn it's exterior for tunneling, as well as visible gunports, and molemen tromping various external platforms in their dirt and rock colored armor. "Okay, even Ah don't know how they'd kept somethin' that big underground and unnoticed, but it's noticed now!" The approaching Disaster Transport is also noticed, as a gun placement turns to pop off a few shots at it. Before being blown up as Corona leans out her window and fires one of her handcannons at it. The guards are already scrambling to get into position, but it's an opening the enemy fire for the transport to start pulling up close to the bigger, more industrial nightmare looking machine. "Time to ignore those safety warnings about getting out of movin' vehicles folks, cuz we ain't gonna be--Crap!" Corona jerks as one of the armored molemen land on the hood, and then gets catapulted off as she pulls the hood release. "Be stoppin' soon!" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' On today's episode of "Inga Gets Dragged Places Where She is Very Out of Place" the norse witch has been recruited by Kotone because there are demons or something, and Kotone thinks she will somehow be able to help this situation. So there she is aboard this transport, dressed in a medieval style wool dress and a cloak with a fur mantle, staff in hand. "Excuse me, a demon /train/?" she remarks, then looks at Kotone like 'you didn't mention there would be a high speed chace!'. Inga tugs on her long white braid in frustration, then gestures to the window. "Well fine, open the window and I'll just hurl lightning out of it," she sighs, remaining in her seat. 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     Keeping up rather easily behind the transport is a blur of a red-robed individual with a rapier on his hip. Wings of crimson keep the self-proclaimed 'fastest Salamander' aloft in the sky as he races behind the Disaster Transport. Simply introducing himself as Kain and showing his talents in a mix of melee and ranged combat, he also seemed to be a little bit of a showoff... but with good reason! This transport was going rather quickly, yet he was keeping apace with it like he was simply strolling along.     Of course, though... like those who don't believe what they're told, everybody always wants proof... especially the enemies that choose to attack the convoy with no regard for their own safety. Flying alongside the transport and drawing his Rapier, he just watched as the mole on the hood got flipped into the air! Smiling, he just flew upwards and quickly slashed at the airborne creature, pirouetting in the air as he moved, giving as much a dance as a demonstration in combative movement. 

:'''{{#var:7084|Lory Thumper (7084)}} has posed:'''      Today Corona's crew has been joined by...someone who looks right at home in this world. Lory Thumper has been marveling since she got here that there is another world of animal people like her own, especially after so many worlds dominated by humans. She has also been checking out the Disaster Transport since they stepped onto it. Still, even here she looks a bit out of place, wearing the full riot gear of her world beneath the cowboy hat and brown duster that more fit this world. She has also enthusiastically introduced herself to just about everyone, be it Corona's crew or the elites that came with them. Despite the situation she is pretty upbeat. This is exciting after all!      But, when that moleman lands on the hood and the other train's cannon is blown off, she finally gets serious. She pulls a pistol from one of her holsters and climbs out onto their Disaster Transport, ready to face those moles boarding the train. "Alright you lilly livers! Git yerselves off our train, ya hear?" she says in an overdramatic approximation of a Western accent before she pulls a set of yellow discs from her belt and tosses them while firing off a few shots. "Yeehaaaw!"      Those discs explode to release riot foam which quickly hardens. It was originally intended to help capture criminals, but it does just as well at evening the field for the small bunny cop. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' When there's magical issues to be handled? Inga is one of the first people Kotone will think of. Given she was one of the first mages she was aware to have ever met and she's come to trust her in dealing with such matters. Given the last time she was dealing with the train, she felt it was best to call on Inga and thus we are here now. She's sitting for the moment clads in her stealth armour "So any idea what we're dealing with this time Corona?" Kotone is still not sure about their new allies given her history with the Molemen in general. She is at least trying to give them a fair shake at the very least. Given the help from the Molemen who are seemingly trying to help. "So we got any more intel from our new allies on this? Still, if they keep being on the level we should have a bit more in the way of options." She will then take a moment to find a firing point and open up with her assault rifle. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     It's those troublesome underground madmen again. Or maybe it's a new group -- Staren's not always great at keeping track of everything going on on so many worlds. When it comes to dealing with giant war machines though, Staren is always ready!     It's kind of refreshing to have something to blow up, instead of, say, a planet mismanaged by a xenophobic military-imperial cult that was nonetheless one of the only things protecting humanity from demonic and hostile forces.     Point and shoot. Nice and simple. In staunch defiance of the wild^H^H^H^H Weird West aesthetic, a shiny metal jetfighter soars above the Disaster Transport. It dips its nose and dives as it sprays hypersonic slugs at the mole machine! 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Another day, another massive mess to clean up. Corona is lucky that Rosa considers her a friend, otherwise she'd probably be charging for her services. And what services are those, pray tell? Well, in this case, it's going to be jumping headlong into a mole man monstrosity and trying to smash anything that looks important in order to shut it down. The black jaguar taps her foot impatiently while the machine they're riding inside rushes towards the objective. She's a coiled ball of energy, ready to strike as soon as they get close enough for her to get her hands on their target. Once the firefight kicks off, she reckons they're close enough. She opens up one of the hatches and climbs out onto the roof, steadying herself for a moment before launching off of Corona's transport and towards the massive mole machine. Timing it just right, she surprises a pair of gunners as they open their gun port to fire, kicking the weapon back towards them and landing between the both of them. She grabs the gun off of the ground and swings it like a cudgel, smashing one of them in the helmet with it, before launching a snap kick at the other, "Alright folks. Lets see what looks important and breakable." 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Theurgus is here once more arrived in Brimsteel. Unfortunately, she's glitching slightly, while sitting in her seat. Textures bugging out, her entire form crackling and going insubstantial, before jolting back to 'normal'. "The Organization works in mysterious ways... sending agents to fight their other agents." she says, her voice staticy and disjointed, much like her body.     When the transport jolts from the angry evil molepeople jumping on it, she summons a crystal from her Inventory, presses it into her chest, and goes through a glitchy trasformation.     When she emerges, she's clearly not up to power, as her Procesors are broken and she's still glitching out... but she pops the back door, and flies out regardless, lifting up to land atop the Transport, and begin flinging elemental spells at the boarders. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' That moleman thought he was going to be brave and awesome and take out the driver right off the bat. Instead he has no idea what hit him, first being slung in the air, and then struck down by a slash before anyone even realizes Kain is there. He slams into the dusty terrain afterwards, leaving an impressively long rut in his wake before crumpling in a heap, armor sparking. One of the external turrets turns to try and fire on the winged figure, though his speedy movements are going to make pinning him down hard. Especially when the hulking machine is being hammered away by gun fire from the overhead craft. Considering the conversation on the radio before, it might not be a surprise that it takes a bit for guns to get pointed 'up', it's a dimension the subterrainian types aren't accustomed to dealing with. A few do finally get turned at an angle to rattle off fire at Staren though. "Nope. Never seen a machine like that before," Corona drawls to answer Kotone. "But our 'friends' said the King tends to have his stuff build big and fierce lookin' over practical, so a lot of movin' bits to break. Hold on." Corona fiddles at her controls before remembering the right switch, and opening various additional ports for shooting out of. Igna has her pick of positions now. Even if not entirely up to processing speed Theurgus puts on a show, magic shots knocking molemen left and right. Or just over, as several are locked up by the hardening foam courtesy of the one actual law enforcer in the group. Meanwhile Rosa takes the fight back to the molemen in the direct approach. THe gunners aren't as armored as the troopers and they're pretty easy to knock around easily. Especially when using their own weapon to beat them. She can find and smash pretty much whatever she wants, but the armored troops are going to be hot on her tail, shooting at her rifles that fire... rocks? Yeah, rocks. Or maybe it's coal, considering it burns something fierce when hit by. Just chock it up to the oddities of technology around here. The monster machine goes on the offensive itself, heaving to the side to slam into the Disaster Transport and knock about those still on it. Corona growls, pulling away for a moment... only to veer back in and slam right against it herself, sparks flying between the two vehicles as they grind back and forth. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' Inga blinks when some zippy red guy flies by. She shakes her head and clicks her tongue, "show off" she says. "These people and their flying and super speed," she continues to grumble, as if she's perfectly ordinary herself. Corona opens mort ports for Inga to get in some shots, which is appreciated except that when the other machine tries to shake them up, Inga nearly falls out of one. She catch herself, but still managed to bang her head. Now she is /annoyed/. As promised, she leans over, sticks her staff part ways out the window, and shoots a bolt of lightning at one of the molemen trying to cross over to their vehicle. "No, I think you should remain over there!" she comments after the loud crack from the lightning has subsided. 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     Spinning around the incoming fire, one of the shots manages to graze Kain's left arm, illiciting a wince from the Salamander! "GAH! That's not very nice! Bye bye, gun!"     He then turns the Rapier in his hand upside down, holding the weapon as if it were a magic casting staff. He then gives a quick chant! "Ek fleygja þrír geirr muspilli!"     Upon speaking those words, a narrow gout of erupting flame, almost as if it were a large spear of fire, shoots out the ruby in the pommel of the Rapier, spiriting across the battlefield at high speeds for the external turret that shot at him! 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Diamond Soul glitches out a moment, just before the giant machine slams into the Transport. She ends up floating in the air between the two machines, then jinks upwards before Corona slams back in, a fragment of the mole machine breaking off and slashing through her as she glitches again, cutting some code, but not doing much more.     Luckily, she's one of those that can fly, and thus pulls up higher and sweeps her staff in a wide arc. "Ye Lor-or-ords. Massksksksssk in Bi-bi-bits and cod-d-d-de. Truth and tem-em-emper-er-er-erence, Ye who bear the na-a-ame of Program. Blaze and sea-a-ar, Spark an-an-and ember. Wipe this Drive of the viru-s-s-s. Conflagration-ion-ion Dust!"     A 'beam' of flame strikes down from on high, aiming to slam into the 'midships' of the mole machine, away from where the others are currently engaging the gunners and defenders. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     After approaching the ground, Staren pulls up and does a half-roll, presenting a narrower profile against return fire -- the shots mostly graze or deflect off his machine's armor, leaving long scratches and rents all the same.     At this rate he's at risk of flying AHEAD of the fighting machines and out of engagement range, so he transforms and slows down. In a whir of tiny parts, arms and legs unfold from under the plane, thrusters on the feet braking.     "What are you going to do with this train, anyway? It's only hurting people... passing down judgement from conceited and ignorant fools. Perhaps you think you can choose who it kills...?"     Beat.     "...Interesting idea, but if it works I'm not letting it fall into YOUR hands."     He hovers above and to one side of the mole machine, steadily dumping more hypersonic slugs into it. 

:'''{{#var:7084|Lory Thumper (7084)}} has posed:'''      Lory manages to avoid any retaliatory fire from the molemen and turns to board their train, but stops a moment when she sees Rosa. She blinks, then tilts her head. Is that...?      When the vehicles actually bump, and Lory times it just right and leaps to avoid getting rattled by the impact and lands beside Rosa. "Hey! Aren't you that MMA fighter turned bounty hunter? You used to be great!" she says as she fires a few shots at molemen that pop up out of hatches nearby. "Once this is over, I'd love to talk! I didn't think anyone else from my world had ventured outside of it!"      The bunny cop also takes a moment to soak in all the superpowers around them as her duster flutters in the wind from the moving vehicles. And...is that person glitching? That is weird. And kind of cool. And beam of fire is even cooler. After that trip down into bio-horror town, Lory is glad to be on a mission that is more normal. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "So long as he's not doing the mecha squid thing again." She will be able to deal with it but it seems things are far from over as the monster machine slams into the transport rattling everyone inside and Kotone goes THUNK slamming into a part of the compartment she's in leaving a dent a proof of just how rattled she'd been. She attempts to brace herself a bit better now as she's going to now fire off a grenade from the underslung launcher on her rifle, the thing is this isn't a normal grenade for her world, nope it's a plasma one and it will explode in a green burst of energy on impact. "They just never give up do they?!" Kotone's eyes dart about as she attempts to observe the horror that the molemen have birthed into this world. If she's lucky she might be able to figure out something but for now, she's just observing and attempting to at least get an idea of just how big this crazy thing is. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' A flaming rock launcher? What the hell kind of weapon is that? Rosa dodges a couple of shots from it, but catches one across her arm, which leaves a nice burn. She growls and turns around, "Okay buddy, enough!" She plants her back foot and then launches herself at the trooper that's been shooting rocks at her. She has no intention of backing down from a fight, even as she runs around the inside of the mole machine. FLying through the air, she brings her right knee up to strike the mole man just under the chin. Maybe she can get her hands on his weapon after she knocks him out with the impressive flying knee strike. It's hard to miss the impressive hardware Lory is using, as well. Rosa glances down towards her and grins, "That's me. You're that rabbit cop, right? The one who was in the news a while back. Yeah we can chat, maybe when we're not getting shot at though!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Despite the size and the build of the roaring machine hypersonic rounds don't have much trouble punching holes through it's hull. Staren is slinging technology that, other than a certain vixen that's too busy driving and avoiding crashing the transport, they don't deal with very often. The same could be said for plasma grenades, as Kotone's shot manages to get between some already damaged plates before exploding, sending metal shrapnel showering off. Blasts of flame come from two different sources, and while they don't do as astounding damage to the machine itself, Kain's fire spear does melt the barrels of the guns shooting at him, while several of the molemen are sent scrambling back inside while trying to stop themselves from being on fire from the spells. It's also mostly made of metal, so lightning conducts -really- weall, and a moment after there's several eruptions of smoke and sparks as something inside is scorched good, even if their level of anachronistic technology doesn't have much in the way of electronics to fry. Everything is reletave in the end when it comes to blowing up. The hulking machine stops slamming into the smaller Transport, pulling off in the opposite direction. One could almost think it was stopping it's assault. Almost. Up until several larger gun ports open up in the sides, and bombard the transport, Staren's craft and other external attackers with mortar rounds. Despite Corona's best efforts several pound the side of her vehicle while she's veering around other's hammering the ground, a few striking and exploding not far from the port Inga is shooting out of! Inside, Rosa slams a knee into the moleman's head. Wearing a helmet doesn't do much to keep him from toppling over, taking several of the other guards down with him, and others being chased for cover by Lory's support fire. Again the withdrawl is just to make room for something bigger, as a rather large spiked ball on a chain comes hurtling down the corridor towards them! Hit or miss it slams into a far bulkhead, only to be retracted back to a much larger, more mechanical and armored looking bruiser. This one might take more than one flying knee to go down. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' Inga hits the floor to dodge the mortar rounds, avoiding a direct hit but she's bleeding from more than just her cut hand now. The white linen of her underdress quickly soaks through to red along her right arm. Not wanting to get blood on her cloak, she unclasps it and tosses it (dramatically!) aside once she's pulled herself back to her feet, her teeth clenched. As she's already bleeding, she may as well uses it. She directs a cloud of blood magic around herself as a ward and to heal a bit of the damage she's taken, then begins to let a crimson mist gather around her. Anyone who's read a fairy tale knows you shouldn't piss of witches. They'll shove you in ovens, curse you, sacrfice you and then make your bones into a centerpiece. Now, /this/ witch is also a blood witch, hurt her and she'll use the blood to hurt you back. The blood-mist drifts out of the nearest port and over toward the attacking machine, engulfing a group of the molemen opporating it. It smells like honey, but it burns like corrosive acid. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     /Mortars/ now? Staren blocks with his shield, but when something explodes against it he tries to take evasive action -- even with minimal direct hits, though, the Star Hawk is buffeted and rattled by the explosions, and Staren inside it. A few bits of broken armor shake off of the machine.     The Star Hawk is already diving forward through the gauntlet. <"You've stepped up your game! But it's NOT ENOUGH!">     Tiny pieces whir and change again as it becomes humanoid and... tries to LAND on the enemy machine. And then tear into it with everything he's got, grabbing and bending or ripping out those mortar cannons! And with the gatling cannon and a pair of arm-mounted plasma sabers going the whole time, just to cause more general destruction! 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     The blast of mortar rounds... while the shell was big and easily avoidable, the shell itself seemed to explode, which the wind pressure alone seemed to absolutely batter the flyer around a fair bit! "Okay, HELL no! Screw you, stupid demon train thing! Thank you for backing away! Rekrya!"     As he spoke the command word, the Ruby on his sword popped off the hilt and floated a couple of inches up as he just held a hand to the back of it and began chanting again. As he did this time however, his words were loud, thumpy... almost seemed to echo deep in the souls of everyone nearby... not only was it felt, it was seen! As he chanted, a bright orb appeared in front of him, growing bigger and bigger the more he chanted! His chanting was fast, and that orb, now obviously a gigantic fireball, was VERY much going to be fired at the hulking machine!     "Ek verpa einn brandr muspilli, kalla bresta bani, steypa lundr drótt!" As he spoke the final word in the chant, the large ball of fire shot off like a ballistic missile towards the large machine! This? Oh, it WAS gonna hurt! But it was also gonna hurt him a little... 

:'''{{#var:7084|Lory Thumper (7084)}} has posed:'''      Lory almost feels like she is not even needed here as she watches Rosa. She finds herself just watching the big cat work until Lory's ears perk and suddenly...she leaps upward! "Watch out!" she exclaims at the same time. That big wrecking ball hits, and Lory lands on it. As it retracts...the armored bruiser finds a bunny!      She hops and somersaults over his head to get him flanked with Rosa, then pulls both her pistols. "I hope you don't mind a bit of help with this one!" she says to Rosa before firing the electrical prongs of her guns, sending them into the armor and hopefully sending a powerful shock through the man inside. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' A major hit is scored the grenade goes off it does some serious damage and that raises Kotone's hopes a fair bit that the party can put this down. Kotone is ready to get rattled around this time and she also gets the heck away from the port. She does not end up getting hurt this time, it was just lucky for the most part as she reloads her rifle's magazine there's no time to fit in a new grenade. She lays down even more fire at the hulking moleman machine and she pauses at the Norse? At least she thinks it's Norse? Wait that wasn't Kirito? Who the heck /is/ that? She'll have to ask later, for now, Kain's identity is a mystery to her and she will just keep slinging lead at the hulking machine's more vulnerable points. Brass keeps going flying as she lays down more fire and soon this new magazine will be empty as the first one. 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Diamond Soul is feeling the strain on her Controller Core. As the mortar fire comes in, and starts exploding around her, she jinks and weaves, avoiding the majority but, unfortunately even as nimble as she is, shrapnel continues to slam into her, and one bit punches through her Controller Code. Her transformation suddenly sputters, and she lands hard, skidding and rolling and vanishing into the wasteland as the three vehicles race off. She's out of this fight. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' It would seem that the bunny reflexes work a lot better than the jaguar's. Even with Lory's call out, Rosa is too slow to react as she gets slammed into by the wrecking ball. Thankfully her armor blunts the blow somewhere, and she falls off before it hits the wall. With Lory up close and personal, Rosa decides to play the ranged game, as she scrambles over to pick up one of those rock launchers that she was shot at with earlier, taking a knee and lobbing a shot at the big guy with the spiked ball. She's careful to aim where Lory is not, however. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It would seem the molemen realize they're on the losing end of this fight, as there's an audible screeching blast as smoke belches out of it's stacks and the machine starts to pick up a bit of speed. It's just enough to keep Staren from slamming down directly on the monsterous craft, and when he tears into it all that breaks off is exterior plating that's already been damaged and broken by the onslaught of attacks. The speed isn't enough to get away from the massive firebomb though and it hits with enough force to rock the machine despite it's size, sending flames shooting off like shrapnel and broken machinery scattering. Including enough of a bulkhead blasted off that it reveals the section the two are fighting the huge armored brute. The ball clanks back onto its arm with an unexpected passenger, which is stared at blankly before Lory jumps over. Before it can think about turning around it has to raise an arm to shield against the firerock rifle being used to pelt it. Lory gives it a good jolt from behind with her taser gun, but despite the electrical sparks shooting about it's form it doesn't seem too distraught by it. Nor does it seem too bothered by the blood magic, even as other molemen are wailing and wirthing on the decks in the sudden corrosive pain. The reason why becomes apparent as Kotone takes advantage of the new opening and plants several shots right in the brute's head, blowing off its helmet. And.. there's no head to be blown off underneath. It's just one big animate suit of steampunk power armor it seems, even as it swings around at the waist to try and clobber both critters with it's spiked ball. The rest of the vehicle just keeps motoring along, but it's breaking and clattering apart with every movement. They're trying to get away, but the machine is falling apart around them. And while they're not attacking back, there's a constant shower of broken pieces and shrapnel off the thing that makes it somewhat dangerous to get close to still. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren tries to rip it apart. Instead, only the metal skin tears off, and the unexpected landing on the ground, the torn-off pieces, and the scrap cause Staren to take a step wrong.     And when you're a forty-two-foot-tall war machine, faceplanting is NOT a good thing. Tens of tons of metal crash into the ground, there's a terrible CRUNCH and the screech of stressed and tearing metal. It arguably does more damage than any of the moles' actual attacks...     Inside, Staren hangs prone in his harness, the chair above/behind him. He groans. The Star Hawk pulls itself up on its hands and knees, and lifts the right arm to send another burst of gatling railgun fire into the side of the thing. EVENTUALLY it will break.     Hopefully he won't fall over again and break first. 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     Kain is showered in a bit of the debris from the exploded machine! His attack did something! Yay! It was nowhere NEAR as strong as an attack by Kirito... but it was grandiose and everything! But something caught his eye as he went wide-eyed! Tiny little bunny! So small and cute! And it was in danger! "Must... Save... Bunny!"     And his speed kicked into high gear as he just ram-rodded himself towards the large hulking headless behemoth! However... his attack seemed less to deal damage and more to hinder its ability to damage back, aiming a strike at the enemy's legs to throw it off-balance! He then looked to both Lory and Rose! "Hop on!" He says this more to the small rabbit, also offering an open hand to the anthro Jaguar. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' By the satisfied smile that curves her lips, Inga is pleased with the result of her blood-mist and the fact that with all their combined assaults, the 'demon train' seems to be retreating. Her expression changes quickly when she sees Staren's machine do a faceplant. Now, she's traveled in it with him before. She knows that's not good, and winces. "Could anyone get me to him? Or him to me? He's going to need healing!" she calls, leaning heavily on her staff, though she doesn't seem to worse for wear. Bloodstained, but not still bleeding. Her injuries have already started to heal, time to focus on the others. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Normally Rosa wouldn't take help from a random stranger. But after that last hit, she felt something inside tear, and that really didn't feel good. She manages to pick herself back up to her feet, and then reaches out to take the offered hand from Kain. But she's not going to go down without a fight, as she leaves the molemen something to remember her by. It's small and grey and has a timer on it that's slowly ticking down towards 0:00. Once it hits that 0, well, it's going to turn into a flaming ball of thermite, and that's going to melt downwards until it eventually burns out. Whatever of the mole machine it takes with it is just a bonus. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa understands now the machine is more of an animated suit of armour and this gives her an idea she will now take the time to load another plasma grenade into her launcher this succeed but there's a price to pay as the vehicle slams about Kotone gets smacked about leaving more dents. Yes, little miss cyborg is leaving impressions of herself all over the compartment at this rate. Still, the weapon is loaded she's looking more than a little in pain. She lines up her shot trying to fire down the things' neck and into the insides of the empty armour where the plasma grenade will hopefully go off and help make a mess of the damn thing. 

:'''{{#var:7084|Lory Thumper (7084)}} has posed:'''      Lory blinks in surprise as there's no one actually in the armor. "Oh wow! They can have robots with this level of tech?" she says, surprised. It starts to spin, and she leaps upward and over to land on top of its lack of head. And winces as Rosa is hit.      Then, Kain appears and offers them a quick way out. And Lory's ears twitch and she raises an somewhat indignant eyebrow. "Wait, why must you save the bunny? I can take care of myself you know. I'm a full fledged officer of the MPD -and- part of the Paladins." Not to mention it looks like she doesn't have a scratch on her. Her tone is annoyed but not fully angry, and as Rosa accepts the offer the bunny cop mutters to herself a bit before leaping to land on Kain's shoulders. "I didn't need help, got it? I'm only accepting because it would be rude to refuse." she says, then hangs on as they presumably head back to Corona's transport.      Now the ultimate question. Is it off-putting for a cute little bunny cop to say these things? Or is it even more cute? 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Already off-kilter from the spinning motion and the loss of it's 'head', the brute armor takes Kain's collision with a complete lack of grace and slams into the opposite wall, leaving ample room for him to help get the two anthros off the quickly collapsing machine. That also leaves it perfectly cockeye for Kotone to shoot a grenade into the armor. It sounds like a pachinko machine as it clatters down inside, followed by a dull *thoomp* and smoke bursting out of all the joints and seams, then the armor collapsing to the ground as it falls apart and some ghastly greenish fumes whisp out of the thing. At Inga's shout Corona leans out the cab window, and her ears slick back with a sympathetic wince. She's toppled in her smaller ride armor before, that's got to be even less comfortable for Staren since his mech is bigger. "Ah see 'im. Hold on." Corona spins the wheel as far as she can, but the Disaster Transport has a wide turn radius due and the others can easily jump back on the rig before it's rounded about to head back towards the crash. Not that being haphazardly on the ground stops the Star Hawk for long. If anything the low position makes that gunfire helpfully effective, tearing into some of the undercarriage of the machine. Something major blows out and a hideous crunch is hurd as wheels burst sideways and the back of the vehicle drops to the ground. Metal screeches as it tears and sparks fly until the machine finally grinds to a stop. What's left of it, at least. And then not even that as the thermite burns into the depths of the machine, and into something it shouldn't of. If the way the molemen are bailing out screaming something to the effect of "Hotboom! Hotboom!" and running off in various directions as whatever the thermite got into explodes within, and nothing but smoldering metal waste is left. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' Inga lets out a yelp then reaches out to grab onto something as Corona swings the vehicle around to head toward where Staren's mech has fallen. "Bloody vehicles! Worse than horses!" she curses, holding on tightly to whatever is closest. She pops on her linkshell. <Staren? Are you alright? We're headed over. I can heal you if you need. And anyone else, for that matter.> 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     Kain didn't need to know much about what was going on. All he needed to hear was 'hotboom' and that was enough for him to BOOK it! But he wasn't accustomed to carrying another person. Rosa was taller and stockier than his slightly lithe frame, but thanks to that Salamander strength, it was just enough to fly off and back to the Disaster Transport, making 100% sure both his passengers were safely aboard before he seemed to just... collapse in a nearby seat, groaning and rubbing at the upper part of his right leg...     His gaze turns to the small rabbit officer for a moment...     INNER KAIN: "OMG! Why does a small rabbit being authorative sound adorable as hell!? The hell is wrong with me!? Stop it, Kain!"     OUTER KAIN: "Sorry, officer... but... I would rather make sure all my associates are clear of explosions...!" He grimaced again, still just rubbing his leg a little more as he just took steadying breaths. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa lets out a whoop as the thing finally goes down from the combined efforts of all the responders the thing is finally done she leans back in the compartment and she will end up moving to put her weapon away and she muses "Nothing but a slag heap now? It just never ends around here does it?" She keeps herself secured as craft turns about. "Oh come on they are better than horses a hose would be /dead/ from what we had to go through." She seems a little miffed after all she does design and repair them for a living when she's not tromping about the multiverse. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     It goes down. The Star Hawk pumps a fist, then lifts its main body upright. Armor on the front is buckled all over and armor plating is falling off in some places -- the cockpit, however, is designed for the stress and is fine. It opens and Staren climbs out so Inga can see him. He's... acting sort of fine, but only because his medical nanomachines are releasing painkillers. he doesn't /look/ fine, because those medichines are preventing him from feeling the whiplash and bruising. And bloody nose that smashed into his faceplate. "Hey Inga. I'm fffff..." there's that look of his eyes checking a HUD noone else can see. "...Oh wow. Yeah, if you can heal that before I start feeling it, I'd appreciate it, but how is everyone else?" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga Freyjasdottir (525)}} has posed:''' Inga has known Staren for a long time now, and she can see he's messed up even if he's not feeling it yet. "Yes yes, come here," she says, and hobbles over to meet him half way. As her other wounds have closed, she pulls her seax from her belt and cuts into her inner arm briefly, flicking the red mist that forms at Staren. It pulses, warms, and begins to heal him. "Sit down," she says, and gently steers him toward a seat, hand on his shoulders. "I'll see to anyone else, but I think you might be the worse off that I can see," she replies. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Well I'm grateful for the assist." Rosa says, in response to Kain, "Even if I don't much like being helped, I'm willing to accept it when I need it." And need it she did, if the wound on her leg is any indication. She's not going to be chasing down any bail jumpers for a while with that. 

:'''{{#var:7084|Lory Thumper (7084)}} has posed:'''      Lory gives Kain a skeptical look, and one ear twitches, but she sighs and lets it go. "Well, I guess I can't fault you for that." she says. Her ears perk at the cries from the crew of the molemen transport, then at where Corona was starting to pull away. "...and, I guess it didn't hurt that you helped us out." she says, her annoyance slowly ebbing away. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren retracts his faceplate so the red mist will actually reach him, and closes his eyes so as not to get blood in them. "Really? I mean they got up close with people with weapons trying to kill them, I was just in a crash. Maybe these moles were all sucky warriors..." He briefly takes the matter manipulate from his belt, points it at the ground next to his mecha's foot, and suddenly there's a folding metal chair there. He sits down, then offers Inga a smile. "Thanks." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite just parks the Transport near the Star Hawk so she can help haul it off if necessary, and flops back in her seat. "Welp. Guess Ah'll have to give our new friends more than benefit of a doubt. Speaking of..." She leans over to pick up the mic to the radio. "Ya still up there High Flyer? How's our pal doin'?" "Not good, and I'm out of vomit bags!" Windrose snaps back, sounding annoyed even with the speaker static. "He's worse than you drunk!" And it takes a -lot- for Corona to get more than a buzz. "Yeah, yeah. Get him back on the ground. Ah just wanted to see if he'd go through with it. Prove it ain't some sort of trick. Gunslinger, over and out." She quickly puts the mic back down, cutting off what was probably a string of swearing from the skunk. Corona leans out the window again. "Good work, y'all. That's one less monstrousity makin' things difficu--" She's drowned out by the biplane passing over -really close-, the backflow in it's wake forcing her to grab her hat to keep it on, and yipping as her hair is blown in her face as the aerocraft cruises off back towards Loadstar. "--Yeah. Ah kinda deserved that." 

:'''{{#var:960|Kain (960)}} has posed:'''     Kain looks to both Lory and Rosa. "Well, I'm glad the pair of you did decide to accept." He finishes and stands back up... but... it's kinda clear that he seems to just be putting more weight on his left leg than his right. But it's not seen for long as his wings kick back on and he's just hovering an inch off the ground now. He looked to be rather ragged, but parts of him seemed to just start to be healing a little bit... not at fantastic speeds, but probably enough to just really need some rest. He breathed a sigh of relief. "That... was harrowing..." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa calls back "I don't need those anymore! I got an Iron Stomach!" A far fry from Kotone being terrified of her self with her cracking jokes like that. She now will go to help with any of the post-flight cleanup and she'll be likely trying to drag anyone else after they are done to the nearest place to eat though she'd be avoiding the local booze for reasons only Staren and Corona would know. 
}}

6889/Retribution Railway - Darude

2019-10-28T04:05:39Z

Foxer: Log post

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/10/27
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Stopping a Dust Devil storm leads to making unexpected allies.
|Cast of Characters=711, 1103, 7, 7099, 6386
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Loadstar Depot was for the time being safe, in a relative manner. It was locked down in it's fortifications that were designed to hold out against the sulfuric duststorms that often blasted across Brimsteel's surface. It was the demonic energy behind this huge sandstorm that was going to eventually wear through the structure, but for the time being it was enough to hold out. Hopefully long enough for the brave adventures to find the source and stop the storm in it's blustery tracks. Getting to that source was going to be tricky, but Corona had a plan and a means. Which was to use the modified transport she was using for logistic jobs on The Line. It had the hefty frame, reinforced hull and engine power to muscle it's way through the raging storm. It had more than enough room to carry people that didn't have their own means of penetrating the whirling dervish of weather. Just don't think too hard about how Corona rather tongue-in-cheek calls it the Disaster Transport. Even then, the winds can be felt hammering the sides of the vehicle as she drives through the sandstorm, occasionally rocking and rattling it some. There's little visibility with all the grit whipping in the air, so she doesn't bother turning the lights on and just keeps plowing through. "All we gotta do is find the eye of the storm where it's not all so churned up, and disperse whatever concentration of that damned locomotive's dark magic is creatin' this oversized sandtrap." 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     The Mad Magician is happy enough to hitch a ride. She could have easily used some Wind-aspect Processors to just tank her way through the windstorm, but that would have taxed her defenses and required using either a Crystal, or holding onto a Relay. As it stands, or sits in this case, the Drive Core Controller is seated inside the Disaster Transport, belted into her seat. "The Organization shall not emerge victorious this day. The Mad Magician shall see to that." she remarks in reply to Corona.     Does she really believe her shadowy 'Organisation' is responsible for everything that goes wrong? 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa was concerned about the state of affairs on Corona's homeworld. This seemed to be a thing that happened often, the multiverse really has ruined Halloween for Kotone when you get down to it. She har arrived and seemed to be mostly okay but she was looking to be quite wary about this. Also sand, sand was a problem for those who are flesh for someone who is mostly machine? It's a special kind of hell with what the sand can do to you. She took a deep breath and would fall in with Corona. "You make it sound very easy my friend." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "You sure this is some kind of menacing magic and not just a natural occurance?" Rosa asks from her seat. She's actually brought a hood and a face covering this time, as well as a nice pair of goggles, because getting sand in her eyes doesn't sound very fun at all. 

:'''{{#var:6386|Note (6386)}} has posed:'''     Calls to action invariably end up attracting Note's attention! She's gotten GOOD at trawling the Multiverse's various channels for such, and it's lead to her showing up in her usual martial arts getup, tail swishing antsily for the entire gathering and boarding.     That was then, though. After looking the hefty transport all over to sate her curiosity, she's ended up leaning against a wall, looking out a reinforced window at the intense sands...     "Really glad I'm in here and not out there!" The pint-sized youth exclaims. For a thirteen year old, she's not doing very well in the height department.     Maybe it's a Saiyan thing?     Of those here, only Rosa's new to her. So, eventually, Note moseys on over to the Jaguar-girl and springs up onto the bench next to her. "Hey, awesome! Thought most of the Animal Folk were all about that Red Pants Army thing. Not you, though!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "It's pro'ly both really," Corona replies. "Duststorms are normal... but this one's bigger and badder than usual, and blew in from the same direction we were trackin' that train goin'. Reckon it kicked it up harder to try and cover its tracks." Oi. She's already going on the bad train puns. She rolls her eyes a little at Theurgus' bit of conspiracy rambling, but as usual isn't one to object about where she's getting the help from or for what reason. As long as they don't cause any problems of course. Several clods of dust collide with the reinforced transport and shatter, dispersing as they're swept back up into the howling winds. "That's gonna be a pain in the tail to buff out later." Probably a joke, Corona doesn't seem like the sort to worry that picky about appearances, as long as it runs. The transport rumbles, vibrating as if it just connected with a barrier of some sort, kicking up terrain beneath it's wheels and engine roaring as it struggles against some opposing force. "Ah think we found the boundry." Corona lets up on the throttle, shifts gears, and backs the transport up a fair distance. "Hold onto yer butts," she yips, reaching for a different lever. As it's pulled the panel atop the hood of the transport clacks and slides forward a bit, then drops down in front of the vehicle and ratchets at a middle seam to pull back into two angling slopes, creating a plow with a more penetrating edge to it. Then shifts back into gear and stomps on the gas. The Disaster Transport roars and lurches at the sudden restoration of forward momentum, and again hits that boundry of force. This time it groans and struggles a bit, but then the dirt laiden winds split and the part allows the vehicle to roar through. The difference is immeadiately noticable. There's still dust and debris swirling in the air, but it's a lot more spread out and less of an immeadiate threat. Must be the 'eye' Corona was talking about, as it's in comparison to the rest of the storm calmer. At the center of the roughly circular area there is less of a sandstorm and more of a honest-to-goodness cyclone spinning, throwing stuff and wind up into the rest of the storm around it. Something looks to be floating in the center of the twister, but it's hard to make out with all the dirty air spiraling around. "Y'all think that's it?" A surge of wind whips off the cyclone, digging into the ground and flinging a shower of dirt and rubble at the transport, banging and clanging off its exterior. That's likely a pretty affirmative answer. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "I might have to be stripped down to my endoskeleton after this." Kotone is not happy about this but she is here she also wearing her stealth gear as she waits in the transport knowing they will have to push through and it sounds like after a bit they have. Kotone will make sure she's secured because she does not want to rattle around like an old pinball. Finally they are through and she will be quick to unhook herself and get out of the craft right after Corona does. "Theurgus? Note? Rosa? Keep alert who knows what could jump us." She'll let loose a few scout drones, to go map things ahead of the party hopefully they can pinpoint their target a bit more easily. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The woman talking to her gets Rosa to tilt her head a bit, "Red Pants Army? Nah. I'm a freelancer." She says, "And not from this world or, uh...Well I mean I AM from a world, but we don't have crazy muderous sandstorms there." Once the sounds of the storm die down, however, she glances around the cabin, "Sounds like we're here. Who wants to be the lucky one to stick their head out and check?" Rosa asks, as she looks back towards Kotone, and gives her a thumbs up. Seems she's doing it the smart way and just having the robots do it. Rosa wishes she'd thought of that. Not that she has drones.. 

:'''{{#var:6386|Note (6386)}} has posed:'''     Apparently Rosa's answer isn't quite as interesting to Note as she was hoping because the kid's shoulders sag deflatedly and she spends a few seconds uncomfortably shuffling from one foot to the next, trying to think of a good response. In the end she just scratches the back of her head...     "Pretty sure almost none of us are from this place! ... I sure wouldn't want to live here." She points again out the window, at the nasty sandstorm...     But now that the vehicle has gotten this close, Note suddenly splutters out an awkward gasp... and hops off the bench, migrating to the window instead. "Something... something's out there. Can't you feel it?"     Feel it? Whatever could this shrimp be talking about? "And it's not a pushover." Starting to sound excited, Note bounds over for the exit. Doesn't matter who else might volunteer to step out, she's gonna be out there on the ground in a jiffy! 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Theurgus remains in her seat until the Eye is breached. She then unbuckles, stands and peers out of the forward viewport, just as the cyclone whips at the transport. "Foul construct of the Organisation. It shall be dealt with." she adjusts her hat, turns on her heel and lets out a cackling guffaw. "WAH HA HA HA HA HA!" as she disembarks from the transport and summons her staff. She stabs it into the ground and stares down the cyclone while chanting. "Whorling winds of the open board. Flow and Rend, surge and compile. Sintilate and consume, bring unto this sickened world a measure of thy divine countenance. Howling Zephyr."     Theurgus' spell expands out from the head of her staff, the whipping winds beginning to turn back on themselves. She's attempting to negate a lot of the cyclone's options for damaging the group by taking over its primary weapon. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It would seem Kotone has the right idea. Corona gets out one of her tinderbox drones, gives the winder a few good turns to crank the clockworks, and leaves it to scuttle towards the cyclone on six spiderly legs. At least the sharp feet dig into the ground enough that it's not immeadiately blown away. As it's making its way over Corona looks up, considering Note's muttering. "Hmm." She raises one hand to her own goggles, adjusting the rangefinder mechanism to zoom in on the cyclone. "It... almost looks like somethin' inside the vortex, iffen Ah ain't mistaken. But there's so much stuff in the air..." The big clunky box-drone draws more attention that Kotone's do as it clatters towards the twister. What can only be described as a hand composed of the wind with chunks of rock and dirt within it to give it some shape emerges from the twister, and slams down on the clockwork mechanism. Crunch! "Yup, there's definately somethin' in there that's... huh?" She looks up as the winds around them actually start to die down a bit more. Because Theurgus is reversing them. The cyclonic pillar compresses in on itself a bit thanks to the counter-spell, to the point that the large round lump floating in the center of it becomes more visible. Dirt, rock, air, and a 'face' less in regard to an actual face and more that debris like chunks of car doors or house parts are imbedded in the form in a way that the nature of the sentient mind to see a 'face' in similar spaces, sees a face. But while pressed down and contained the demonic twister isn't stopped, and its churning motion still has plenty of oomph to start slinging random pieces of debris out of the cyclonic pillar towards the gathered heroes! Corona yowls, diving for cover back behind her transport. "Knew Ah shoulda still brought some minin' equipment!" Also if one looks close enough there's enough chunks of stuff spinning in the edge of the cyclone they could possibly used as platforms if someone needed to get physically close with that core or whatever it is the supernatural energy is focused into. 

:'''{{#var:6386|Note (6386)}} has posed:'''     Note has to shield her eyes to try and get a good look at what, exactly, she's sensing... and from this distance, it's kinda hard to say. But what she does see is... "Uhhhhh..." Unsure what to make of it, Note just stands there quite stupidly.     And is quite promptly CLOBBERED by a giant pipe to the side of the head. The winds which couldn't move her at all from where she stood prove QUITE capable of clobbering her with debris, and she splutters a pained cry and wobbles back and forth... only to slap the ground with her tail, rub where she got hit... and glare daggers at the pipe that fell to the ground five feet away.     Rather notably, the PIPE IS BENT, but Note seems barely even bruised by an impact that would've probably killed the average person.     "Hrgrgh... that's the only cheap shot you're gonna get in on me!" Shouts the girl. With a *kraka-koom* her body's engulfed in filmy white energy and puts out a wind of its own. The warm, pure energy of life has a pressure of its own, forming a sort of shield against the loose sand blowing around.     Pushing this energy down through concentration, Note simply ROCKETS off the ground and arcs in towards the strange entity. She doesn't have time or patience for the funky platforming bullcrap it's offering! "Tell us who you are and what you want!" She shouts. Maybe she'll even get an answer? 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Geeze, are you okay?!" Rosa asks of Note as she sees the woman get clobbered by the pipe, only for the pipe to come off worse out of the exchange. She blinks a bit, "Oh. Well..Wow.." She's impressed, to say the least. She's tough, but not THAT tough. And she also can't fly, as Note sails off through the sky towards that entity, "Ain't gonna lie, Corona!" Rosa calls out to the vulpine, "I'm feeling a bit underpowered for this one!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa sees her drones are making some good headway here as her drones do get her some good footage of the thing they have to be dealing with. Her own drones don't draw too much attention and she looks at basically a dust devil for lack of a better term. "I don't think bullets are going to work too well on it." Kotone note as she starts to look over the data. Shortly after she sees something else maybe bullets will work better than she thought. Kotone chooses to hang back for the moment least while. Given what happened with Note? She's going to get to cover much as Corona does and she looks to Rosa "She should be okay..." She'll pop up, wait she has rail gun? Yes, well if there's something in the winds maybe the rail rounds will find it as she tries to give Note some support fire. 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     A bubble of blue hexagonal panels flare into life around Theurgus, bits of debris clouting into them, shattering some and piecing through, causing bursts of red code to fly from her body, though she manages to remain in place. She radios in her current disposition, both hands grasped around the staff, the marble at the head blazing a deep, pulsating green as it continues to radiate magical power into the air around her, wrestling with the enemy magical power for control of the local area. The concentation on her face is evident. If she were capable of it, she'd likely be sweating. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Note gets her answer in the form of the demonic core opening it's equivilent to a mouth and trying to just blow her out of its personal space. Like it took her being able to fly despite its blustery disposition as a personal insult. In other words it may of not been the Saiyan's intention to taunt it, but she's doing a good job of holding it's attention. At least until Kotone blasts a railgun round into it, the high velocity projectile having the force to get through the winds and blow a sizable chunk out of the core. It twists in is spot to direct it's howling blast from its maw towards them, but the Transport is there for people to take cover behind. "Wahl Rosie," Corona drawls as she holds onto her hat. "It's focusin' out here. Try gettin' underneath it?" She points at the chunks of rock circling the lower part of the cyclone like platforms since Theurgus' spell is keeping the winds from throwing them away. "Ah'd parkour up there muhself but Ah gotta drive the truck iffen we need to get out agai--" she stops, perking an ear as something in the vehicle bleeps. "--Just do what Ah do, an' fake it until somethin' works!" she finishes, and climbs into the cab. Then reachs over to slap the console that was making noise, and squint at the screen. Now why was it picking up movement underground as well?? 

:'''{{#var:6386|Note (6386)}} has posed:'''     "Ghhhhhh---" Being the center of attention of this wind-demon turns out to be highly unpleasant. Note throws her arms up over her face to shield it from the abrasive wind that cuts at her body and threatens to ground her. It succeeds in blowing her about this way and that, though with great difficulty. She tumbles through the air, rapidly changing her thrust to compensate. "F-fine, I can deal with rude.... the name's Note, of Kokkara Village, and I'm gonna knock all that wind right out of you!"     Note raises her crossed arms a little higher, inhales deeply.. and tenses all of her muscles, digging down deep into some spark within her spirit. "Huuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooo!!!" Up goes her hair, lifted by a mysterious force, and golden energy leaks from her skin in a thin film. Moments later her black eyes fade to a light green shade... and as she howls her fury and strikes down with both arms, that energy erupts into a golden bonfire so mighty that it emanates a repetetive pulse-whoosh. The burst of power has also changed the girl's now-spiky hair into a brilliant shade of golden blonde. The shockwave from this transformation briefly distorts the storm, but only just barely.     "Heeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiyah!" Without any further ado, Note simply *bzeeeeeeoooshes* out of sight, reappearing near the demon at the tail end of a FLYING KICK aimed straight for its center of mass, as it were... 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa finds a decent measure of success here as she scores a hit on the Dust Devil for lack of a better term. She will keep behind the Truck hoping to use it to protect her own body. This time it goes well for her and she's not torn up. She'll pop back up as Note makes her kick and Theurgus is calling for more aid. She'll line up a shot and then lay down the fire sending several more rounds at the Dust Devil's core. "I would like for once have an October FREE OF INSANITY LIKE THIS!" She just wants an October to go to a fun costume party had a good costume and a fun old time. It's an insane wish given the nature of the Multiverse. Yet what are you going to do and worse movement underground could mean something it could mean MOLEMEN. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "That's something I can manage." Rosa replies in response to Corona's last statement. Fake it until something works is pretty much how she's lived her whole life. She hops down and gets low, trying to stay out of the 'view' of the demonic face in the storm. Should be possible for her to get close enough to mount onto one of those rocks, then it's quite literally a hop, skip and jump up from there. She borrowed something from Corona's vehicle without asking her. She knows the fox won't mind though. She reaches back and pulls out the mining charge, looking over it for a moment, "I sure as hell hope this works." She mutters to herself, as she starts to fiddle with it, looking to arm it and then insert it into the demonic sandstorm's core. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite sticks her head out of the cab for a moment. "Hey, at least this year there ain't no zombie cows." Then ducks back inside, trying to figure out what her scanners are picking up underground. She's too busy with that to realize Rosa pulled a bit of a borrowing without asking. Gunfire chips away at the core, followed by one hell of a kick. Note kicks it so hard that it actually makes the core spin in the opposite direction the twister itself is turning. You know how much force it would take to go against the natural cyclonic spin? Sayains are scary buggers when mad. Super-kicks and gunfire have already started to knock bigger chunks off the dust devil, and Theurgus' clampdown on the winds keeps the platforms suspended in the cyclone stable enough for Rosa to vault her way up and chuck her 'borrowed' package at the core, blowing another chunk out of it. It howls like a hurricane in rage, and instead of attacking tries to suck more debris off the ground to pull itself together. Well, not directly attacking at least, don't get caught in the suction. Though thanks to the mad magician restraining it's force it can't inhale fast enough to completely undo what's been done to it. While the adventurers are fighting the good fight, that subterranian disturbance makes its way to the surface and at the limits of the storm's eyes the ground cracks apart. Not from the storm's force, but from the burrowing machines that come up through the splits, then anchor themselves into place. Corona leans out again, squinting, and then pulling her goggles up to make sure she's seeing right. "Aw frag naw, not now! Those are molemen designs!", she cusses, and goes to retrieve her own gun. But instead of attacking the adventures, the mole-pods fire some manner of heavy grapplers into the central vortex. These dig into the exterior of the dust devil core, anchoring it from moving around in the wind pillar. More importantly they've got it lassoed, for lack of better terms, into a position where the hole the railgun and explosion have made in the exterior of the core, revealing the churning miasma of demonic energy within. Okay, Corona is suspicious of why molemen would show up to -help-, but not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She loads her own equivilent to a gauss round into her handcannon, levels it at the revealed opening, and fires. That's as good an indicator of what to do as anything else. 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Theurgus watches the grapples latch onto the demonic core, and nods as Corona comes over radio letting her know she can unload.     She releases one hand from her death-grip on the staff, summoning a crystal into the palm before speaking an imperative. "ACCESS!" alongside pressing the crystal into her chest. A burst of light engulfs her, and she emerges transformed, floating slightly above the ground. "Clear the opening. It is time to show this virus what a Drive Core Controller is capable of."     "Twilit power, quicksilver in thy flow. Buried within the crimson veil, bloom into this world and thus thy power grow. Heed my call, strike upon this foe, bring its struggles to fall. Way of Ultimate Destruction, number 86. Draconic Inferno!"     Diamond Soul's staff shifts from green, to blazing red, gathering in energy to the marble-like capstone. The geordian knot that surrounds the stone shifts and creates a spirallic cone while the magician brings it down like someone holding a heavy weapon. With the name of the spell called, a 'beam' of plasma fire erupts and lances out toward the exposed energy within the core. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone is laying down fire, hits are being scored her comrades re doing a very good job of it so ar it shouldn't be long before they can bring it down and then? She sees pods she knows very, very well. "Oh for the love of God, Mole-men?!" Waiut the Molemen look to be attempting to help? For now, she's just going to focus on shooting the core. She's wary on it sure but what is she going to do right now that Dust Devil needs to go and then comes Thurgus who has finished her spll and it's time to unload with some suitably crazy magic. "Maybe even they know this stuff is bad news for everyone?!" 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Mole men?!" She's met a few, but she thinks these are more like the ones from comics where they have drill machines and live underground and want to take over the surface. When they seem to actually be helping, however, she figures she can do what she can. She hops off of the area she'd parkoured up to, and lands on the ground, rolling, before she throws the other charge she took from Corona towards that exposed hole. After all everybody seems to be aiming for it, and since she's not going to just go up there and punch it, she'll need to find a way to be helpful, and what's more helpful than throwing large satchel charges at obvious weak points? 

:'''{{#var:6386|Note (6386)}} has posed:'''     Note rebounds mightily from the kick, traveling in in a sharp arc back down to the ground... all the while, somersaulting. She lands smoothly at the end though, and it quickly becomes apparent just why she chose to sacrifice her aerial advantage when the Molemen have the demon-thing all tied up.     Ground means she can more easily BRACE HERSELF.     "It can't move...? ... That's just PERFECT."     It's also kinda boring, but she's not terribly interested in fighting a thing that can't use martial arts or even SPEAK ITS NAME.     And so she extends both hands, palms open but fingers curled inwards... and draws those hands together to her waist, facing each other. "Kaaaaaa Meeeeeeee...." With a glimmery shimmery noise, a tiny blue spark of light forms in the space between her hands - and almost instantly it expands to contend with her fingers, struggling to escape her grip. "Haaaaaa... Meeeeeeee...." The energy roils as it's compressed, even as more and more Ki is poured into the mixture. As the power builds, the ever-growing energy orb shines brightly enough to cast the entire battlefield in stark monochrome!     Then Note flings her hands forward, palms framing the distant demon - and all of that energy is RELEASED. Like a dam bursting, a tight torrent of bluish-white, blazing energy rockets through the air with great speed, vaporizing a good twenty feet of the ground in front of Note before it gains a bit of altitude and careens straight for the demon. All in all, the beam she's pumping out is easily five times wider than she is tall!     "HAAAAAAAAA!!!!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' The combination of gunfire, explosives, and big freakin' lazors of both magic and fighting-spirit nature collide with the core inside the cyclonic shell, and it doesn't take long for beams of energy to split their way back out through the exterior. The pods release their cables, leaving the clamps imbedded in the dust devil's shell. Because the clamps also contain explosions, which are set off when the escaping energy beams cut through them. The entire core explodes, one final howling wind scream eminating from the dust devil as the supernatural energy is dispersed from within. Dirt and debris erupts from the detonation and scatter across the area... and almost immeadiately the winds are dying down. The dust storm doesn't completely disperse, but it's quickly de-escalating to just the normal blustery annoyance of sand and dust being blown about and not the monsterous storm it once was. So now they can deal with the next matter. Warily Corona drops out of the transport, her weapon still in one hand. She's at least not immeadiately pointing it at anything, but her paranoia is high enough she's not quite sure what to make of their unexpected help. That wariness seems to be shared by their company, as the molemen are cautiously deparking their burrowing pods. Once they're out there's a distinct difference though. These aren't laden in the steampunk armor and magitek weaponry the Kavern King's croneys have usually been seen in. Rather they're gearedas miners and craftsmen would be, with tools and equipment to match. A few are even wearing full welder's helmets or gasmasks, or glasses with the multiple magnifiers a jeweler or clockmaker would wear. One in dark goggles and a battered down derby hat trudges forward a bit and holds up his gloved hands. "Surface dwellers no bangshoot please! Especially you, miss boomstick fox. We're looking for you, but not to fight'n'squabble like others." Corona manages to not start shooting on reflex at least, leaning her head a little to one side. "... Ah ain't sure iffen Ah should take being reconized so easily as a compliment or not..." Uh, okay. They're not fighting, and they're not all armored and grumpy, so... benefit of a doubt, I guess? 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Theurgus releases her transformation, dropping back to the floor and turning with a swoosh of her coat. She then strides over to join Corona, holding herself high and all-but looking down her nose at the mole guys... that's easy to do though, Theurgus is pretty tall.     "You aided us. Thank you. Now state your business with my assistant." she says, folding arms over her chest. "Be quick." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa sees the Dust Devil is down and now she lowers her weapon but does not put it away as she eyes the molemen. She seems to be about as wary she has not forgotten about the damn thing with the mecha tentacles and all the other incidents where she's encountered them before. She takes several steps towards them she sees they are not armed or armoured. "All right what do you want and what brings you here?" Her weapon is lowered at this point may be a risk here but the Molemen generally attack her on sight? So this has her wondering what is up here. The dazzling display of her allies earlier should hopefully cure these molemen of any desire to fight right? At least that's what she hopes. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' No weapons visible on the jaguar, other than the ones nature gave her, but that's all she needs. She side-eyes the molemen once she's back on (relatively) solid ground, "Make it quick. I need to go take a really long shower." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona shoots Theurgus a dirty side-long look at being referred to as her assistant. Theurgus probably isn't going to even notice. Really all the mad magician has to do is stand there and look important. Considering this group was just throwing giant lasers of various kinds and heavy ordinance into the core of a demon-posessed cyclone, no, no one really wants to pick a fight with them regardless of who is assistant to who. Especially when one of them looks like an upright whompus cat. "... Oh, yes! Of course, or course." The derby wearing moleman fumbles a bit, before gesturing vagely at the small group gathering around him. "We are the lives outcasted by the King. The factory of nightmares makes him madcrazy, no longer wanting those who craft with own hands and tools." Okay, they're some sort of rebellion? Tends to come up with tyrants, which the Kavern King definately was. And the mention of a factory making his stuff. Corona frowns a little, though she does also lower his gun. "Okay, so some of even the king's own kind hate his madness. So why come up now?" "Because sadshame that not all molemen could be enlightened against his twistynes." The moleman takes off his derby with one hand, pulls a folded paper out of it with the other, and tosses it towards the group. His short arm can't throw the whole way though and Corona has to stoop down to pick it up. "Boomstick fox has reputation for showing up when crazy things happen. So finding crazy thing happening was bestgood way to find her and help to prove not crazy moles without rousing King's notice. You also huntseek the train of hell, yes?" Corona unfolds the paper. The drawings on it are crude, but it's not hard to make out some large building, an approximation of a train engine with devil horns, and a lot of scribbles and + -> marks indicating... putting the two together? ".. Shit. That mad mud muncher is lookin' fer the Retribution as well to... use it with the factory? And yer all..." She stops, peering at the head mole. "... Great. One side's a techno-cult, the other is an illu-mole-nauti." One of the molemen in the back lets out a cheer of sorts. "Boomstick fox really is smart brain! That is great name!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa looks at the moleman for a moment sizing him up and she thinks for a moment "Cast out?" Kotone seems to be listening for a moment an uprising? Okay if this is on the level this could mean something could change on Brimstone if the king was toppled. "Boomstick huh? Not a bad nickname at all." She looks at Corona for a moment. She looks to the lead moleman and takes a deep breath. "I'm willing to give you guys a chance if this is on the level you may have saved a lot of people's lives." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Looks like you've earned yourself a fun nickname." Rosa offers to Corona, as she heads back towards the vehicle, "You know me, I'll show up if you ask." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona takes off her goggles, if only to rub the bridge of her muzzle for a moment. It's partially to help stifle her internal conflicts so she doesn't jump to any brash conclusions. That these molemen aren't acting like the others does help, but she's lived by her paranoia for so long it's hard to not let it immeadiately kick in. "Okay. Ah guess you boys have shown yer not all crazy, and considering how many times Ah do shoot without askin' can't blame ya fer the roundabout methods." She holsters her gun. "So we gotta stop that train, then stop the lunatic from trying to get to it as well.... Ah'm startin' to see why ya ain't so hot on this time of year no more, Koto." Corona grabs the handle to hoist herself up to the transport. "But next time, fer peat sake, just ask like normal folk so someone don't mistake ya for sneakin' round like the other undergrounders do." "Forgive us. Sneakylurking around is only way we get by King's followers. Try to remember to not need be with surface dweller... uh..." the moleman shrugs a little. ".. whatever you call for not quite friends." "Allies. Just.. just don't make us regret it." Corona slams the door shut and revs up the engine. That seems to get the point across of the meeting being over, as derby hat mole ushers his crew back to their drillers. In hindsight, she probably should of asked for an actual name. Oh well. If they're going to take that Illumolenati joke as a name, she'll just use it too. 
}}

6873/Retribution Railway - Hellion

2019-10-11T10:45:48Z

Foxer: Hellfire cowboy harasses warpgate settlement, warning of sinister things yet to come.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/10/10
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Cast of Characters=711, 7099, 42, 1103, 7
|Tinyplot=Retribution Railway
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It had been another typical day for the Gateway, the area around Brimsteels primary warpgate that had been developed recently to help protect the precious gate and handle the logistics of trade and tourism it brought to the frontier world. Folks had gone about their business, pitchmen of various degrees of snake oil hocked their wares from the small shops or caravan wagons while laborers handled larger cargo that had been recently delivered or was being prepped for shipping out. Then a horrendous whistle, like the shrill shriek of a chorus of banshees, shattered the calm. It blasted again, and the weaker willed civilians scattered for shelter, while several Rangers emerged from their lodge. Just in time to gawk with everyone else as a massive black locomotive roared past the settlement on fiery rails, moving too fast for anyone to clearly count how many cars passed. One Ranger ran back inside to grab the dispatch device and started shouting into it. "Mayday mayday! This is Brimsteel Gateway; we have a potential Code Long Black Train in progress! Any able bodies, please assist!" The whistle screamed again as the end of the train passes, the only thing left in the wake being a lone figure upon a stallion standing opposite of where it had passed. The problem was the figure was a ghastly pale, clad in red and grey cowboy duds, while his steed was as pitch as night with blazing fire for a mane, while its tail and lower legs decayed off into bleached bone and embers. As the hellion trotted his hell horse down the main throughway the Rangers scrambled, but before any could draw a weapon a whip of hellfire lashed from the fiends hand to snare one around the waist and yank him to the ground. The gastly palor looked down at him, muttering something about falsifying evidence under his rasping breath, and the flames encircling the Ranger flared and left him howling in torment. Its about then that Corona comes parkouring across the buildings from the main Depot, only to skid to the stop at the edge of a shop roof, ears going immeadiately flat back. "Shit." Code Long Black Train indeed... Hopefully someone responds to the dispatcher's call for help. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' After they'd met, Corona had given Rosa a communicator and told her to keep it on just in case. She didn't think much of it, until the thing went off in the middle of the night. She'd been sitting on her motorcycle monitoring a house where a bail jumper had been hiding out, but now it seems that she'll need to track him down another day. It took a bit of navigating to get from her home city to get to the Brimsteel Gate, but once she reaches it, her motorcycle roars out of the warpgate and she skids it to a halt once she spots the fiery cowboy down the street, "Hell. That ain't good." She doesn't know who this guy is, but if Corona's people think it's important enough to call for help, she'll help out as best she can. She swings one of her legs over the motorcycle, and plants her paws on the ground, "HEY!" She roars out at the ghastly figure, "Grim grinning ghost time isn't until the end of the month, jackass. Pack it up and go home." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren flies out of the warpgate, armored and on a broom. He takes a brief look around -- someone is attacking and possibly torturing the local police, and they look tough enough that he probably won't kill them by accident. He puts his broom away in the bag at his side that's clearly too small for it, then raises his right arm as if to point at the guy, and...     Fires, twin beams of high-energy particles blasting out from the cannons built into his gauntlet.     Only then does he speak: "You heard the lady. I'm not sure what all this is about, but maybe if you run now and make it too much trouble to catch or kill you, this won't end too badly for you. Torturing random police officers just for being here is no way to go through life, guy." 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     The Mad Magician was out and about, looking around the various sundry stalls, haggling with some of the vendors for trinkets and baubles, when the emergency call goes out. She politely excuses herself from the obviously panicking store owner, and pulls a small crystal from her inventory. As she walks to join the growing gathering of Rangers, and Multiversal allies, she presses this crystal into her chest and speaks a single imperative. "Access" She transforms in a pillar of light, and out of it, floats the form of Diamond Soul. Her Processors unfold around her body, the gemstones set into them sucking in all light, seeming like pitch voids rather than physical objects. "Halt your advance and come no farther Virus. You shall find that the Mad Magician shall brook no trespass to this place. Begone!"     While she speaks, she floats up into the air, then begins to chant a spell. "Great Process. Superior Protector. Grace upon us the ROMs of thine code, as we unto thee. Sunder the virus's advance, stymie their offences. Rend the Null. Divine Cage!" Brilliant lances of pure white rain down, aiming to impale the ghost rider. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa had been mostly been working behind the scenes on Paladin jobs or even working on her bike building business. Today was none of that for Kotone she's back on Brimsteel for the first time in quite some time. She would be suited in not in her stealth gear but her more common field outfit which consisting of a sleeveless coat and pants and a shirt. She just beams down from her ship. She forms out of the pillar of light and is no. 5R She has now just arrived to see the horror that is standing there and it hits her what time of the year is it. Kotone says "This is going to be the hard way isn't it?" She will have to ask what the heck Code Long Black Train is later. With inhuman speed, she draws an assault rifle from somewhere and has it ready. It clear it's not going to end well and with others opening up she levels her weapon and opens fire sending a spray of bullets at whatever this horror is. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' By this point the remaining Rangers have gone into disaster mode, and as offworlders appear responding to the dispatch they back off and focus on getting the citizens out of the street. From her perch Corona lets out a sigh of relief as friends and familiar faces arrive. "That damned train releases hellspawn to punish the corrupt and wicked.. But they usually just terrorize folks in general!" Or minor infractions like the now collapsed and burned Ranger. There's your helpful exposition for the time being. The ghastly cowboy looks at Rosa and her taunting, but then his attention is distracted by Corona's shouting. "What's this," his voice rasps. "The last of the Vaportails. You'll make an interesting catch." He snaps his flaming whip up and lashes it at her, which Corona snares around one of her gloved arms, at the same time whipping out her own weapon with the other hand and firing. The shot hits the hellion right in the chest with a few sparks and his form crackling a bit. "... Was that suppose to do something?" "It charged your negative presence with overly positive energy, fully presenting you to the mortal plane," Corona replies as she yanks her arm free. It takes a moment for it to sink in what that means. Right as Staren's powerful beams rip across where he stands. His ghastly form doesn't bleed or anything, but there's energy rippling off his form from the intense power being tore across him. Quickly he spurrs his nightmarish steed in the sides, bolting forward a bit and turning to weave one way, then another, and another. Though it's not enough to avoid all the spikes dropping from the sky or the bullets, one of the lances even stabs right through the steed's side and out the other, but being whatever demonic hellspawn it is that as much furiates it farther as it does hurt. "You will all burn for interference then." The hellish horse rears up, more of a demonic howl than a whiney, and then slams its hooves back to the ground. A wave of hellfire rolls out from the impact and surges around the point, directly primarily at the two Concords that headed the assault while Rosa and Kotone are only peripherial damage for the time being. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' What the heck. No playful banter. No back and forth jabs. Just right to the shooting. Rosa sighs a little bit, "What's the point of trying to be witty if people are just going to come out of nowhere and ruin the moment." Of course Corona does her thing, apparently this creature knows who she is. Rosa will have to ask about that later. Now's not the time. The jaguar pushes off of her back foot and throws herself forward, flying towards the now quite corporeal cowboy. It's a flying knee, after she covers the distance between her and him. He's obviously distracted with the ones that started shooting at him, so it's easy enough. Or at least she would think so. She clearly is still new at this whole thing. So the flames lick across her body, but she pushes through with the knee strike. 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Diamond Soul notes the interaction between the phantom and the fox. She files that away to investigate later, there's hellfire to dodge right this moment. She gathers herself up, forming a platform of iridescent light under her feet, and launches herself clear of the flames, the edge searing at her foot processors, causing their defensive field to flare brightly... but fire isn't Dark, and the shield doesn't exactly work as well.     She flares the clockwork wings, does a roll out then jabs her staff head at the phantom. "Ye Lords, mask of bits and code. Truth and temperence, ye who bear the name of Program. Upon a frozen kernal, delimit, decompile. Shift and become Null. Way of Destruction, number 86. Glacial Torrent."     From the staff's head, emerges a giant lance of green-blue ice... then another. A third. Four... even more. They begin to emerge from small spell circles that appear in the air around her. And then, as she speaks the spells name, they lash forward, aiming for the phantom, but avoiding those that have to get in close... the spikes stab into the ground, altering the landscape to become more hostile to a mounted target, while giving those on foot more cover from those ranged abilities. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "So they have about as much sense as my nation's leader who got us into WWIII?" Kotone makes a face a very unhappy face there and she will keep on the move this is just going to be one of those Octobers it seems. She starts to get on the move as she's got the things attention the hellspawn seems pretty angry at them and then comes the hellfire Kotone is fast enough to avoid a direct hit? Yet Kotone is still caught with he heat that leaves some of her synth skin sizzling from it. "You need to learn to target the actual problems there are some mole men well overdue for a visit!" Kotone now keeps on the move firing another burst from her rifle, a second before she backflips away jumps again while in mid-air and comes in for a landing even further away. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Hellfire washes over Staren. His forcefield comes up, but after the fire pashes it's diminished, and his armor is blackened. "Right?" He responds to Rosa. "It's just 'Ooh, last of the vaportails, I'm some kind of evil hunter, burn for your interference.' Please. I'm just getting warmed up. Heh. Well, if it doesn't want to talk, I guess it can just die. We can keep this up all day. Can you?"     As soon as the beam cannons are cooled, he blasts the horseman again, wearing him down with a steady, unwavering application of repeated force! 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite doesn't know if anyone present will get what hell's wrangler is going on about. Maybe Kotone, don't remember if she's been told, right now isn't important. Especially when the wave of fire unleashed by the phantom's demonic steed starts one of the buildings folks are hiding in on fire. "Now that's just fightin' dirty!" Instead of opening up on him as well, Corona turns and fires several shots at the nearby water tower. Fortunately it's an old wooden one, easy enough to shoot holes in and unleash a surge of water to dowse the flames. And maybe inadvertantly add to the ice spell being spread across the ground. The flying knee catchs the Hellion right in what would be his center of mass, and not being -use- to being completely tangable, is knocked off his mount and rolling across the ground. He stands only to get pepper by more gunfire from Kotone and laser beams from Staren. He just sort of stands there under the assault, then shakes out his tattered duster and the various spent bullets clatter to the ground, leaving multiple gunholes and exposed ribs of his midsection bare. A disconcerning eye might note that not all the calibers that fell out of him are the ones Kotone shot. A few are glowing to represent the lasers. The nightmare, between losing its rider and the falling ice, starts to frenzy. As it bolts about it manages to avoid the ice chunks hitting the ground, but is soon flailing more than thrashing as it starts to loose traction. The ice is magic, so the hellish heat of its hooves is not melting it to keep stability, and even a beast spawned from hellfires is panicing a bit. The jacket is straightened back out, and in a poof of brimstone ash the ghastly cowboy disappears, reappearing atop his mount once more. But instead of trying to calm the hellspawn horse he jams his spurs into its sides, increasing the frantic pace of it's deadly dervish. The nightmare bucks and bounds bad enough to put any bronco to shame, kicking out with hooves left and right and spewing flames from it's mouth and nostrils as it thrashes around the street, putting everyone in danger even with the ice preventing it from getting steady traction to really brace those kicks. 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Large spells are wonderful things, but when they don't put a target down immediately, they become a liability. As the Nightmare starts to frenzy and thrash about, she's caught in one of its flame breath attacks, and gets knocked out of the sky, trailing smoke and looking really battered with streaks of broken red code across her body. She slams into an abandoned merchant wagon, demolishing it and taking time to emerge again afterwards.     She doesn't incant this time. Instead she just starts to twirl and flourish her staff, using the movements to lash out with a fussilade of mixed elemental bolts. Flame, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Light and Dark... She's aiming to keep up the pressure, but is clearly hurting. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' It's not the first time Rosa's been smacked by a horse. But it is the first time she's been hit by one made out of anger and hellfire. The feline gets sent for a loop, landing with a heavy thud on the ground and rolling over a couple of times with a groan, "Ugh. That hurt.." She takes a moment to pop her neck, and then pushes herself back up onto her feet. That horse is a major problem. Plus it appears to be a major part of the big bad's abilities. So if she can take it out, maybe she can save everybody a whole world of hurt. She moves in again, weaving past the other fighters to close the gap, but instead of going high and trying to hit the rider, she goes low, a club in her right hand pulled from her tactical gear, as she swings for one of the horse's joints. Sure it's a magical hell horse, but bones should still function like normal, right? Either way she's sliding under its legs so this could end poorly. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Somehow it stopped the energy weapons like bullets so they didn't go through it, huh? Interesting...     Before Staren can try something new though, horse and rider are reunited and kicking all over the place! Staren tries to dodge but he's too slow, and the horse bucks him in the chest, sending him flying backward to land in the dust. "Rrgh..." Energy wings briefly appear on his back to pull him to his feet, and the missile rack on one of his shoulders flips up into position and unleashes a salvo of tiny missiles, which airburst just over the cowboy's head rather than try to hit him dead-on. Can he use the same trick on explosive force? Let's find out! This is a science experiment. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has done a lot of things and even with her memory she has to know when to look and other things can still come into the forefront of things. She has a Hellion very angry at her and it's going to hurt be she flesh or metal. She moves she does not stop moving never stop moving is her motto in combat and this saves her from an even worse hit. The attack connects to her still and she's caught several times the beast limbs meet her synthetic body and there's the sound of damage also pain from Kotone as she skids across the ground having avoided narrowly her head being caved in. She's back on her feet now and then will leap for the Hellion why she's trying to tackle him as she puts a high amount of power through her body's built-in taser system to see if that will have better luck than her rifle. "BACK TO YOU'RE GRAVE!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Even with the hellion on it's back once more there is no control to the beast's thrashing. It's unbridled, uncontained anger and fury. It kicks people around, sets them on fire, smashes them into things... and they all get back up for more. Wounded and exhausted sure, but they're still on their feet and fighting. Rosa takes advantage of the icy ground to brave the steed's brimstone hooves and smash one of it's legs. Bone shatters and a stench not unlike brimstone is left in it's wake, an unholy sound emitting from the beast as an attack that would of normally been minimal is excruciating thanks to being forcefully manifested to this plane of reality. Kotone leaps in, her body surging with electrical energy, as the nightmare is staggering from the lost leg and slams into the hellish wrangler to knock him once more off the beast. Electricity arcs between them, putrid smoke whisping out from where his ghastly body is burned by the intense current. At the same time the combination of magic and real missiles detonate, engulfing the nightmare in their combined fury, and the resulting explosion sends a huge cloud of gristly smoke billowing into the air.. As a burning horse skull and few other smoldering bones clatter to the ground. With a gruesome growl the hellion seperates himself from Kotone, though sparks continue to crackle around him. Curse that vixen, curse the damned Vaportails and their scientific trickery. He can't just demanifest to slip away, either. He may not bleed by the phantasmic vapors seeping out of his form are a clear sign he's weakening. "Hmph. Don't heed the Warning then. Even if the grave reclaims my damnation, the sorrow of the Railway has only begun." The Hellion is about to face his last roundup for the night, but he's not going down easy. It's a reminder he's only the first of the demonic train's spawn. With a fiendish crack two fiery pistols appear in his hands, which he holds out and up to pull the triggers and the weapons belch with fire and sulfur. Each only fires once, but it results in a barrage of blazing brimstone bullets bombarding the entire area in little splinters of hell. Even Corona is sent scrambling for cover, cussing the entire time about something under her breath. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Bullets from hell rain into Staren as he stands steady, preparing a counterattack. They smash open the front of his forcefield, and pockmark the front of his armor. "Oh, you wanna play that game, huh?" Staren reaches into his bag and pulls out an oversized, chrome-plated revolver, patterned after a Colt Peacemaker. He takes aim and cocks the hammer...     "...Nah. You're not worth using this." He lowers the weapon, and both shoulder missile racks pop up and discharge the rest of their payload, over a dozen tiny missiles aimed to crash into the cowboy from hell and explode! 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Diamond Soul is running empty. She raises a shield against the incoming hellfire bullets, maneuvering out of the hailstorm, but some still pierce her defenses, punching holes clean through her body, showing no internal organs, only more of that angry red of damaged code. Manuevering manages to get her some reprieve, however fleeting, and she readies a spell. There's no incantation with this one, but the end result would make a TSAB mage envious. She twirls her staff, doing a little 'dance' that gathers energy in the marble embedded in the staff-head. Once she brandishes it at the hellion, all that energy unleashes in an unaspected torrent of raw power. "Shiverbeam." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa will have to thank a certain old Pokemon trainer later for giving her the idea the next time she sees them. For now, she's caught fighting this hellion and she seems to have done quite the hit on it. "So you are just getting started?" October in the multiverse, seriously what the hell?! This is only the start which means a whole pile of paperwork for her with the Paladins when this is over. For now she's got her rifle again even as she's moving she's shot again this time it's a bit worse cathing her in the flank there's signs of wiring and some sort of red fluid that isn't blood but smells nasty if one were to get a whiff the brimstone smells nicer honestly. She's got her rifle up again and lays down fire trying to empty the remainder of the magazine at the Hellion. "Then we will have to be ready for them." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Bullets flying everywhere. Not normal bullets, no. Why would they be normal bullets when fighting an evil ghost thing? Rosa does her best to take cover, still managing to take several hits from the attack, but she stays alive, so that's gotta count for something. She jumps out from behind cover, and then rushes in again. With everybody attacking the same target, she has to be fast, but she drives forward, evading just as much danger from her compatriots as the hostile, before she strikes. She swings a wild punch as she dives past, lands and rotates, and then drives forward again, striking out with a foot as she sails past. This attack is inspired by the very same one Corona used on her when they were training. Multiple strikes from multiple directions, to try to land as many hits as she can. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' At first it looks like the hellion might catch a second wind, as he manages to sidestep and the rushing punch only grazes his shoulder. Until Rosa wheels around and, using the same trick of misdirection from multiple strikes that was once used on her, to smash her foot HARD into his back before he realizes the first attack was a feint. There's a sickening crunch as his forced physicality means there's an actual spine to be brutally busted by the jaguar's Predator strength. The blow sends him staggering and disoriented into the center of the street, face to face with Staren's impressive gun... that he doesn't use, instead snubbing the hellspawn with another barrage of missile fire instead. Outer layers of tattered leather clothing and whatever passes for skin in his state are burned away by the explosive ignitions. The magic beam rips through the air next, shearing across one side of an already ghastly face, practically obliterating it even with the caster's weakened state. Whatever hellish force that holds the hellion's form together was crumpling under the constant assaults and couldn't resist her strange style of magic any longer. It's appropriately ended with gunfire as Kotone empty the rest of her weapon's magazine into the pummeled phantom. This time there's no trick of depreciating damage, the bullets go in one side and out the other, tearing the remains of his chest and ribs apart fully this time. Ghostly flame spews from his mouth as his eyes dim and a hellish howl escapes. And then all at once there's a POOMF and gristly smoke erupts out, dissolving into nothingness as the supernatural force is dispersed and nothing remains but a hat that falls to the ground near the horse skull. And even those slowly crumble away to dust blowing off in the wind. Corona eventually sticks her head out from under the wagon where she'd taken cover. "No wonder muh folks hated this time of year so much." 

:'''{{#var:1103|Theurgus (1103)}} has posed:'''     Theurgus, once she's certain the creature is gone and not just using some trick, releases her transformation, stumbles against a wall, and summons a can of Doc P to take a sip from.     Corona emerging from hiding gets her attention next. "That creature appeared to know you. Explain." she says, demanding rather than asking, though she's mostly just tired and snippy than being purposefully obtuse. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa lowers her weapon as the Hellion goes down it's clear she's been hurt but she's on her feet, there are sparks coming from some of her wounds though and hse makes a face. "Damn it..." She took a moment to deal with what she could of it and would go to join the others. "Why do I feel like I run into something like this before. Welcome to October in the multiverse..." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "This time of year..." Staren looks at the gun in his hand and sighs. He swings out the cylinder, pulls the trigger to decock the hammer, swings the cylinder back in place, and stows it in his bag.     "So. What's this about punishing the corrupt and wicked? Seems to me we need to go deal with whoever SENT that guy. And who's your friend? I don't believe we've met." He nods to Rosa, who he assumes is a local. "Staren Wiremu. Hand of the Concord." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa brushes herself off a bit once the badguy has been dealt with, "Wait you mean that wasn't the big bad? Well damn." She mutters a little bit to herself, before she takes the offered hand from Staren, "Rosa Borrasca. Concord, huh? Heard a lot of stuff about you guys so far." She wouldn't admit that not everything she heard was GOOD, at least not to his face. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite is unphased by the snippiness. If anything she's probably expecting that sort of 'What The Hell Fox?!' train of questioning. She just gets to her feet and dusts herself off with her hands, a few burned shot holes in her gear but nothing too severe. "My parents -- The real ones, not the one that adopted and trained me engineering -- were investigators of this sort of bizarre activity, paranormal or otherwise." That would explain why the Hellion was calling her by a different surname. "Ah'd reckon they'd been to Brimsteel before when that damned train manifested, considerin' the manifest stabilizer round plans were in muh pa's notes." Her tail twitchs a few times with annoyance as she peered at the hat and skull turning to dust and blowing away. More likely dematerialized and dispeled than actually destroyed, alas. "The spawns of the Retribution Railway, the 'Long Black Train', are suppose to punish the wicked and collect the souls of the damned... But the world is so thick with corruption and greed and all of it ain't obvious so they tend to more often just run amok doin' more harm than good with their wyld hunt." The vixen shakes her head. "Hellion's only the first. The 'Warning' as he put it. No idea which ones will come out this year, an' it'll take time to track down the damned train itself." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren gives Rosa a look that says he knows full well many think ill of the Concord. "Have you." He then looks to Corona. "Sounds like maybe your pa figured out this train was actually evil the whole time, huh? Maybe there's something in his notes about how to track it?"     And back to Rosa. "If you have any questions, I'm happy to explain. Sometimes people draw their own conclusions without even talking to any of us, and they can get rather the wrong idea."     Staren glances at where the skull and hat were, then back to Rosa. "I just want to help people." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Ah can scan from muh ship in orbit, but it'll take fer me and Windrose to recalibrate proper arrays to do so. In the meantime, keep yer ears open for any more dispatches when another fiend shows up." She specifically says when, not if. Corona peers from Rosa to Staren and back again. Even she doesn't agree with all their methods even if she is friends with members of the various factions, but that's not important. "Brimsteel ain't pickin' sides when it comes to dealing with supernatural shit like this, 'kay?" You all just need to play nice long enough to beat up more evil things. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa deep breaths "So there's is going to be more got it I'll be here to help if I can. I'd also check atound the net from various sources too." She notes to Rosa 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Hey I wasn't saying anything bad." Rosa replies to Corona, before she looks back over at Staren, "Sure, I'm sure we can sit down and have a coffee or something and you can give me the pitch. I'm actually curious. Though you know what they say about curiosity and cats." She grins with those sharp teeth of her's, before turning back to Corona, "Well, just keep me in the loop when you track down any of them ghouls. I'll show up and whack 'em around." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "It's fine." Staren waves off Corona's concern. "I'm not tryin' ta start a fight."     Then, to Rosa: "Curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction and the knowledge of how to obtain immortality brought it back?" He smiles behind his visor. "I can explain someplace near or at the Bar and Grill, if you like. Or over the radio." 
}}

6831/Some Cross-worlds Training

2019-09-08T07:47:22Z

Foxer: Log post

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/09/08
|Location=Shrine of Adversity
|Synopsis=Corona gives a new friend a crash course in multiversal combat.
|Cast of Characters=711, 7099
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite throws open the doors to one of the training chambers and saunters in like she already knows the place. Which is fairly accurate, she usually comes down to the Temple of Adversity when she needs to live test her weapons without actually putting anyone in danger. "Trust me Rosie, y'all love this place once ya give it a go'round. Train without havin' to worry 'bout holdin' back just to keep it 'safe'." It's kind of hard with her drawl to tell if she's actually given her new friend a new nickname or just how her accent makes Rosa's name sound. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "So this place lets you spar without having to pull punches?" She asks, as she follows Corona in. She's wearing a similar outfit to the one Corona initially met her in, as she whistles a little bit, "How do they manage that?" She would love to know the specifics, but she figures that can wait until after the fight. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Don't know the specifics, and frankly, doubt even the geniuses would entirely understand it even if Ah did," Corona replies with a snicker as she ambles over to the controls and punchs in a few quick commands. "All that matters is it does what it does, and ya ain't gonna be hurt perm'nently in the end." Reality briefly ripples around them before settling in on a fairly standard street scene. An urban setting they'd both be familiar with but without annoying things like bystanders to get in the way of their sparring. The console 'masks' itself as a payphone... which really isn't much of a costume beyond appearance. Who the hell uses payphones anymore? Corona draws both of her standard revolvers, twirling them a few times like you see all the movie gunslingers do before gripping them properly and THEN flicking off the safetys. "'Sides Ah wanna see what ya can do when we ain't gotta fret over civvies rubberneckin'." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' As the room shifts around them, Rosa is a bit surprised, but rolls with it. "Okay. Kinda strange, it's like, holograms I guess?" They have sci-fi shows where she comes from. Well, regardless, Corona wants to see what she can do. The gunslinger wasn't there when she showed off during her fight with the orcs, so she'll show Corona first hand, "Alright. No holding back, you got it." She takes a moment to tighten her vest, and then she plants her feet and takes off. It's not a long distance to cover between herself and Corona, but the fox has guns, and Rosa does not. So she's going to have to cross that distance, and then try to deliver a straight punch to the vulpine before she can get too set up. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite instinctively holds up and arm to shield her face with one of her reinforced gloves. But Rosa's punch hits with a lot more force than she was anticipating and even with saving her muzzle from being smashed in she's sent staggering backwards from the force. She snffs lightly, glancing at her arm. "One hit an' it's already dented. Ya'll takin' 'no holdin' back' rawht serious." She takes another step back, tail swaying behind her as she turns with the movement to bring up one revolver, pulling the trigger as she snaps it up so it fires right as it levels off. It's one of the most 'normal' weapons she has, but at close range, even that is fairly dangerous. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The jaguar was trying to be quick, but clearly misjudged just how skillful of a gunslinger Corona was. She saw the gun starting to raise, and tried to move out of the way, but wasn't nearly fast enough. Thanfully for her, the round impacts her vest. It still hurts like hell, knocking the air out of her and making her stumble backwards. She manages to maintain her footing, if only just. "Nice shot." She says to Corona, "Speed and accuracy, I'll have to keep that in mind." She moves forward a step, planting her left foot, before she wheels around with her right foot in a massive swinging roundhouse kick, again aimed for Corona's head. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Those reflexes are as quick at putting guns away as they are aiming them as Corona reholsters the revolves fast enough to still have her arms back up to intercept. She puts both hands together to catch the kick, the augmentations in her gloves audibly straining with holding the blow back. They may give her increased strength but it's designed more for weilding heavier weaponry, she doesn't have the size to fully mitigate the blow. What she can do is activate their conduits, causing sparks to fly around her hands as electricity is discharged, leaving a shearing sensation in it's wake as the current naturally seeks the shortest path through Rosa's legs to the ground! 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' One of the downsides to always being barefoot is that you don't really have any way to protect yourself from electrical shocks. It's something that Rosa will need to look into in the future. The shock travels from her shin all the way through to her other leg and into the ground proper, and it knocks her back, away from Corona and onto the ground. She lays there for a moment, briefly dazed, before she pulls back and kips up to her feet, "You've just got all kinda gadgets, don't you?" She asks, as she consideers for a moment, before she reaches up to her vest and grabs her baton off of there. She swings it outwards, the weapon snapping into place, before electricity crackles across the surface, "But I can play that game too." She quickly closes the gap, the sparking baton moving to strike low this time, after a high feint to try to make Corona block her face again. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' " 'Course Ah do, Ah'm an engineer after all," Corona replies with a bit of a smug grin. "Did ya think the goggles were just fer sho--" She realizes said goggles are still hanging around her neck instead. "--Oh." She grabs them and yanks them up into position over her eyes. "That's better." The tactic mostly works. Corona ducks after getting her protective eyewear in place, and instead gets the electrified baton slammed into her shoulder and knocking her on her side. "Oof!" She hits the ground and rolls over so she hop back onto her feet, spurs rattling a little as they hit the pavement again. "Guess it's time to really not pull no punches." She slaps a hand over her wrist device to activate something, and then draws a larger firearm from her hammerspace inventory. It looks like some manner of shotgun. But it's usually a safe bet that the wily vixen's guns aren't nearly as simple as they appear. Sure enough when Corona holds down the trigger and pulls back the action several times in succession, instead of standard shotgun rounds the weapon belches out large balls of flame! 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' A flaming shotgun? That's crazy. Rosa is trying to get out of the way, but there's no chance with the sheer amount of firepower coming her way. Her clothes catch, and she falls backwards, trying to bet the flames out, before rolling on the ground to get the flames out. "Okay. That's a cool trick." She says, as she pushes herself ack up to her feet, rubbing one of her hands under her muzzle for a moment, before she begins to move in again. She shoots in, going low, aiming to take one of Corona's legs out from under her. Assuming she actually manages to get a hold of that leg, she'll try to lock Corona into a knee bar, which will put a ton of pressure on the joint, possibly even breaking or dislocating it, if it's kept on long enough. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Dunno how much experience ya've gotten with the Multiverse already Rosie, but yer gonna get everythin' and everythin' thrown at ya event'ally. Gotta be prepa--awk!" The commentary breaks off into a yalp of surprise as the fox is yanked off her feet and put into a very painful hold. If there's one real disadvantage Corona has in this fight, it's how small and light she is in comparison to the feline brawler. She's easy to pick up and toss around... If you can get your hands on her. "Sunnova!" Despite her efforts to wiggle free Corona can't get out of the hold, so she resorts to more drastic measures. A little squirming manages to bump the right mechanism the right way, and a plume of hot energy erupts from the heel of her boot. Normally they're used as jump boosters, but she's counting on it being sudden enough and close enough to Rosa's face to startle her and help push the fox free when he grip falters. Or the kitty might get some scorched whiskers. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Things are rapidly spiralling out of control thanks to Corona's experience. Rosa may be a trained fighter, but Corona has more overall experience in dealing with the multiverse and all the strange quirks that come with it. Rosa is still thinking in terms of a normal fight, where someone won't have rocket boots to break out of a hold. She lets go immediately as soon as the burst starts, and yelps out in pain, pulling back, "Hell!" She growls out, "That was a dirty trick. I gotta remember that folks will do that." She clenches her fists, and thinks. Okay. Dirty tricks. She can do dirty tricks to make sure she wins. She moves in again, this time driving forward, but instead of going straight at Corona, she shifts to her right side and finds a lamp post, running up it a few steps, before she turns in midair to pounce down upon the fox from above. After all, from above is where jaguars are the most deadly. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite saves herself from a broken leg as that would really make the end of the fight difficult. But her ramshackle exit maneuver skids her across the pavement for her share of road rash in exchange, and she just lays there a moment as she tries to catch her breath. As a response to Rosa's outburst she just raises an arm and holds up a finger. "Dirty fightin' only applies to mud wrasslin'." Then she finally gets up and dusts herself off. Only to get bowled over for the umpteenth time as Rosa leaps down on top of her. But this time Corona was at least able to roll with the blow and mitigate some of the damage, tumbling away and getting back up onto a knee. While drawing a much bigger gun this time. That one definately qualifies more for handcannon than handgun despite the revolver style chamber. It's hard to tell just how many rounds that thing holds when Corona fires them off in rapid succession and... one shot whizzes just past Rosa's head, but nothing actually hits her. The first time. Contrary to it's initial spray'n'pray appearances each shot of the volley is calculated down to the angles to send them ricochetting around the scene, off the walls, and repeatedly at the feline over and over. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa thinks she's in the clear when Corona misses. Until she gets a sharp pain in her back. Then her side. Then her other side. It just keeps coming as the shot strikes her several times in rapid succession. She doesn't even have a good way to defend against something like that, trying her best to endure it, but unable to do so. After about the fifth time it hits her, she finally collapses to the ground. Seems that Corona's experience has won the day, this time. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' -This- time. And Corona knows it. It's part of the reason she dragged Rosa down here. Before she runs across someone that's not gonna pull their punches out there in the mishmash of worlds. If nothing else call it a tough love lesson from a friend. The fox walks over and grabs one of Rosa's arms to help her up as the system resets. "Com'n Rosie, back on yer feet. Y'all be rawht as rain in a moment or two. Might feel 'bit of phantom pain though." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The jaguar groans a bit as she gets back up to her feet, "Ugh. That felt like hell." She rubs her side a bit where it still stings, "But I'm not dead so that has to at least fcount for something, right?" She wonders aloud, as she looks back towards Corona, "You guys don't mess around out here in the multiverse." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Ya got the jist of it." Corona gives her a pat on the back, grinning the sort of sly grin you'd expect to see from a fox. "Reckoned it was better ya get a taste of it in here b'fore someone tries to sidewind ya into a bad spot out there. It's a spot we've all be in at some point." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa smiles back at the fox, "I appreciate it." She says, "That you would help me out by kicking the crap out of me. I might know how stuff works back home, but this place...Well, it's a whole different set of rules, huh?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite's tail sways a few times as she picks up her dropped flame-shotgun and stowed it away. "Y'all get use to it. Let's go get a couple of drinks and cool off after all that, eh?" 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Now that sounds like a plan I can get behind. You won, so your treat, right?" Rosa says, giving Corona a playful punch in the shoulder, before she heads for the exit. 
}}

6818/Stranger In A Strange Yet Similar Land

2019-08-31T07:24:38Z

Foxer: Adding log to wiki

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/08/30
|Location=Mammalopolis
|Synopsis=Corona checks out another anthro world and another bounty hunter.
|Cast of Characters=711, 7099
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Give Corona some credit, she made an effort to not drastically stand out. Being an anthropmorphic fox herself helps. Plus she's not wearing all the frontier wasteland armor and gadgetry she usually does, and even swapped her usual semi-sleeveless duster for a normal one. Still wearing the hat though. It would be a cold day in the deepest level of Hell before she's caught without that. She even drove into the city on a perfectly normal motorcycle instead of one of her over-the-top custom modified vehicles, and found an acceptable parking facility to lock it down at. All that... doesn't change the fact that the vixen still looks more like she walked off the set of a Western (minus the guns, at least visibly) as she strolled down the street. While idly chewing on the end of a snack bar that's some mishmash of granola and bug bits. Mammalopolis' regulation of what 'predators' can eat doesn't seem to have phased her, since lizards and insects are actually high on the natural dietary list for the desert dwelling fennec fox. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' City Center is a really nice part of the city, for the most part. Sure it has some alleyways one shouldn't make their way into alone, but for the most part, the city center is nice and bright and has a lot of shops and residential locations. Of course some of the less scrupulous people occasionally are found. One of them had just been in a card game with several other men of ill repute, until the door had been kicked in and the game scattered. Now the wolf was running through alleyways, being pursued by the black jaguar that is leaping over walls and anything he throws in her way. She's obviously skilled in parkour. The wolf jumps out of an alleyway and bumps into a crowd, shoving some big moose into the path of the jaguar before booking it towards where Corona is observing the city. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite tips her hat politely to a passerby, but the squirrel quickly herds her childen in a wide berth around the strangely dressed vulpine while shooting her dirty looks. "... So much for just bein' friendly." A sigh as the stetson is returned to her head and adjusted. "Reckon Ah'll just stick to sightseein'," she mutters, turning her attention back upwards. And musing how much power it must take to run all the store signs and displays. The sort of thing engineers in charge of keeping entire settlements running think about. An ear twitchs to the sounds of ruckus bursting out of the alley and shoving into the crowd, but Corona pays it only the minute notation for the moment. This isn't her city, leave it to the local equivilent authorities to deal with. Besides, where she comes from some likely drunk and disorderly chaos spilling out into the streets was entirely normal. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The wolf jumps along towards Corona, and then spots the fox in the duster and hat. Looks like an out of towner. That means she should be easy pickings. He leaps towards her, intent on grabbing her and putting her between him and the jaguar who's hot on his heels. Assuming he gets hold of her, he tries to keep her between him and Rosa, "Back off, hunter. Or I'll bite her throat!" Rosa stops a few paces from him, "You're not the type to murder, Wolfson. So I'm not buying your bluff. Just let her go." She looks to the fox, "Sorry ma'am, give me a second and I'll have you out of there." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' The crowd on the sidewalk promptly splits to the sides to get out of the angry wolf's way, leaving him with a easy path to the fox that doesn't appear to be paying attention. Well she was at least paying less attention than she should of, emitting a soft "Hrk" in surprise as she's grabbed from behind, and despite being 'tall' for this world not very heavy, easily swung around and clutched in your typical 'grab a hostage/meatshield' manner. You know the one, with an arm around the victim's chest both to hold them tight and keep them in front of you. The crowds may of backed off to the sides, but there's enough gawkers to react to hearing a threat of biting throats, most of them not being predators they either cover their eyes to not see it, or are putting paws over the eyes or ears of youngin's that shouldn't be witnessing such vulgar concepts. The vixen only tilts her head forward a bit, causing a shadow to angle across her face as she huffs softly. "Now that's just rude," she drawls, before kicking back with one of her heels, extra hard thanks to the augmentations in her boots. Also, she's still got her spurs on. Ouch! 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' The wolf looks confident for about a second, before suddenly his eyes go wide, and he lets go of Corona. He falls backwards, hands dropping to his crotch, and holding on tight. Seems like she definitely took him down. Rosa rushes in once he's down and rolls him over, cuffing him and keeping her knee in his back, "Nice moves." She says to Corona, as she keeps the guy pinned down, "This scumbag jumped bail. I was trying to bring him in, but he bolted. Sorry you got caught up in it." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite just glances over her shoulder a moment at the wolf whining on the ground, then down as she scuffs her heel on the concrete to make sure there's nothing on the spur. "Tch. No way to treat a visitor." She was going to offer some bindings but the jaguar's already got it covered. "Oh, don't sweat it miss. Done my share of bounty huntin' over the years." Instead Corona walks around to squat by the crook's head, hands resting on her knees to brace herself as she leans over. "Ya better just take the jail time, bud." She smiles in a way that's on the surface cheerful, but there's a definately devious way to the curl of the corners of her mouth to go with the glint in her eyes. "It's the only thin' that'll keep folks like me -out-." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Well, thanks for your help regardless." Rosa says, "If you wanna come with, I'll share the bounty with you." She says, as she slaps a muzzle onto the wolf's face, and then picks him up, starting to take him back towards her vehicle, though it's a little way's away. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "M'be ya can fill me in more 'bout the city too?" Corona tilts her head a little at the muzzle. Wow, that's... Though he -did- threaten to bite her neck, even if it was a hollow threat. So just desserts one supposes. After a moment of considering it she snickers a little as she follows the feline. "Welp. That's one way to enforce his 'right to remain silent'." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "I'd be happy to. I'm gonna guess you're one of those out of towners." That seems to be the term she's been using for off worlders, at least. "Yeah, the muzzle. Since everybody..Well almost everybody has some kind of built in deadly weapon, we tend to do that for our own safety." Rosa gets him to the van and throws him in the back, "Hop in. And ask any questions you have, go for it." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Ayup." Corona idly runs her tongue over the tip of one of her own fangs. "Folks still use 'em 'round this parts then." Maybe the threat to bite her neck wasn't so hollow... Though he might of had a time with the hankerchief since it was actually made of air-filtering material. But that's not here or there. She ambles over to the passenger side (it's kind of odd not being the one driving) and climbs in, yanking the door shut behind her. "Name's Corona, by the way." She turns her head a bit to look out the window. "Nice city... but Ah can't shake the feelin' there's something less pretty than the appearances 'bout it." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "It's good to meet you, Corona. My name's Rosa." She replies, as she starts to drive, taking the wolf towards the bond location so she can turn him in. That's in the frozen part of town though, so it's a bit of a drive, "This city is...Yeah, from the outside looking in, one would think this was a perfect utopia of mammals of all stripes and spots living together." She snorts a bit, "In truth things are a lot less friendly than they look on the surface. There's a bad element in this town." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite tips the brim of her hat down a bit as she "Mmhmm"s briefly. Sometimes being a little paranoid has it's perks. You pick up on things normal folks would just accept and overlook. But she noticed some of the looks she was getting, and not just because of the odd way she was dressed or her atypical (compared to how small a fennec would be in this world's scale) height. "Not so cozy b'tween folks as they'd like it seen, eh?" 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Nah. Predators like me and that yoohoo back there make up a tiny percentage of the population in this city." She stops the car at a stoplight, and then looks at Corona, "And most folks are huge herbivores, so pretty much everything caters towards them. Makes things kinda inbalanced, if you ask me. My kind can't really get any good jobs. Nobody wants to sit in an office cubicle with a tiger next to them." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite turns her head to look at Rosa a moment. Then to look in the back of the van where the muzzled wolf was still sprawled out. "Not that he's helpin' correct that view any." Then sits back in her seat. Social hierarchy that's not necessarily wrong by it's own wording but evidently biased. She does know people that might take an interest in such things. "Ever consider work outside the city?" Bobs her head towards the back. "Ah mean that kind of 'work'. Digruntled or not, yer clearly good at it." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "If it pays, I'll do it." Rosa replies, as she pulls the van into one of the tunnels, "How warm is that coat of your's?" She asks, "Just asking 'cause if you need another one for this part of town, I've got one somewhere." Sure enough as the van emerges from the tunnel, it's a veritable winter wonderland, "I'd do work outside of the city, sure. If you're offering." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Oh, don't worry none about me." Casually Corona slide up her sleeve and fiddled with the device strapped around her wrist. Tugged the sleeve back down and settled back in the seat, smirking faintly. "Personal environmental controls. Jacket's lined with thermal compensators." And this is just a very basic, don't raise too much suspicion loadout for her. "Where Ah come from can always use another pair of fists and won't ask too many questions 'bout the justice bein' doled out... well and the whole 'outside world' as 'whole got it's own network for such job outsourcin', too." 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' "Really. Well that'd certainly help me expand my reach." She says, "Plus wouldn't come with the excess baggage that I got around these parts." She finally pulls the van up in front of a small building covered in snow, and hops out. She hauls the wolf out of the back, and then escorts him inside, tossing him in a cell in the back until the MPD can come get him, "I think that's another one you owe me, Buck." The big deer behind the counter grins, "I can always count on you to bring down the tough ones. Did he give you any trouble?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' No real trouble. Though he is going to be sensative in a certain spot for a while. Corona is trying really, really hard to not snicker at a deer person being named 'Buck'. And not butt into Rosa finishing her work. So just gives a polite tip of her hat as she's been doing in way of greeting. Looks like Rosa had a little help on this one. Accidental as it may of been. So definately wasn't much trouble. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Buck is more than happy to pay her, in cash of course, and the walks over to Corona, "Here you go, as promised." She gives the fox half the cash, and then Buck calls out, "You finally getting a partner there, Rosa?" The feline shakes her head a bit, "Dunno if it's a permenent thing, but she helped me bring him in, and I honor my word. You know that." She says, before heading back out to the van, "He'll text me if another one pops up." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite folds her half and tucks it into a pocket. Then grins back to Buck. "We've got some similar work 'interests'" she replies, followed by another polite nod before following Rosa back out to the van. "Then y'all gonna need this." She takes off her hat, pulls an info card that was tucked inside free, and flicks it to Rosa. "And iffen it's answered by a slightly snooty, finicky soundin' gal it's good, that's just my business manager of sorts." Sabelle would probably object to being called 'snooty'. Then stop when it's pointed out she could of been called something like 'secretary'. Or Windrose snarking that at least she's not 'the sidekick'. 

:'''{{#var:7099|Rosa Borrasca (7099)}} has posed:''' Rosa takes the card, and then looks over it for a minute, "Sure. Expect a call soon." She says, "Not that there's ever a shortage of work in this city. I expect I'll be seeing you around some, since A) You actually fit in, and B) This kinda thing is right up your alley. Might have somthing I'd need your help with later, too. But I gotta dig into some stuff first." 
}}

6746/Two Girls and a Cycle

2019-07-24T04:33:30Z

Foxer: Short log posted

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/07/23
|Location=Industrial District - <Brimsteel Frontier>
|Synopsis=Two mechanic girls working on a custom bike.
|Cast of Characters=711, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' The Arclite workshop was almost always abuzz with some activity and this day was no different, the backdrop of machinery sounds from the surrounding industrial area almost drowning out the ruckus from within. Almost. Corona had some pretty big machinery of her own, and whatever it was she was working on required the space and facilities to come back to Loadstar instead of using her ship's manufactury. No surprise the industrious vixen is already hard at work, hammering out some metal plating into a slight curve over the conical end of an anvil, using her plasma-charged hammer so she doesn't have to constantly reheat the panel to make it moldable. Another sign it was something significant was that Corona was actually appropriately dressed for the job. Blacksmith apron over her overalls, heavy heatproof gloves, and her hair tied back in a partial braid to keep it out of her face. Or more accurately out of the lenses of her goggles while she worked. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa had been invited over to help with a project, she's carrying an actual tool kit under one arm, wearing a jumpsuit and is now finding her way into the garage with a grin on her face as she looks over to Corona, she'll wait for a pause. So as not to startle her friend as she tilts her head. "So just what are you working on here and an anvil? Seems your getting really old school then maybe I should have landed the Bluenose for its machine shop to help out with this, so just what are we making?" She's got a big old grin on her face and seems pretty excited from the looks of her. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It's not a gun but Corona slings the hammer on her toolbelt all the same, and picks the metal plate up with a pair of tongs. One fennec ear swivels in the direction of her friend's voice. "Be with ya in a moment, Koto." The takes a few steps off to the side and dunks the panel into a cooling bit, steam hissing up around her for a moment as hot meets water. Then she turns to one of her cubical clockwork drones sitting nearby. "Give it fifteen minutes to cool, and then hang it on the drying hooks by the furnance." The little drone salutes with one of its skeletal actuator arms, and the ticking of a timer can be hear emitting from within as it's clockwork 'brain' starts counting down. Corona tugs off the heavy gloves with a smirk. "Some things are best done by hand, y'know? A machining rig may cut the perfect measurements, but it ain't got the personal touch when ya let the tech do -every-thing." The gloves are tucked in a pocket of the apron as she ambles over, grabs a tarp and gives it a rustle to loosen it. "As fer what. Well. Ah may be good with machines onna whole, but sometimes, ya want the professional's touch too." She gives the tarp a yank and whips it away dramatically. The framework of a motorcycle is revealed from underneath, with several engine parts and other pieces lying about nearby. At this point the most noticable feature is the lack of a front wheel, instead it's sporting some manner of treaded unit. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa moves to set her tool it down for the moment and watches Corona for a moment nodding for a moment. "Oh I get that, but generally if you are using a forge like this? You're doing something that's not the current generation, at least where I'm from. I couldn't make parts for myself like this." She grins again. "I get you though some people will pay big bucks for stuff like that, I mean with my restoration work I still do when I can." There is an exciting sound out of Kotone as she sees the bike she's fangirling. "Oh a custom build why didn't you call me sooner!" She zooms over to start inspecting the parts... 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite emits an amused snort at her friend's reaction. " 'Current gen'ration' is just a buzzward used for bein' fancy and chargin' more. Don't beat the good ol' elbow grease of -any- gen.... Hah, which you also literally Ah bet!" She strolls over and leans against the framework for a moment. "Cuz the first build Ah did just to test the design." She leaned over a little to pat the side of the front tread pod. "This worked fine." She pointed over Kotone's shoulder at the partially dismantled engine parts. "That thing, however, wasn't cuttin' it. To get the torque needed it was gonna be too big, too clunky and too smokey," which is saying something when one's usual asthetic is 'wild west punk meets Fury Road IN SPACE', "Nobody on The Line would mind, but it pro'ly wouldn't be street legal fer most worlds with that ol' combustion gas guzzler." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "Well some technology isn't street legal to use anymore for environmental or safety reasons. Or just companies being assholes." She keeps going over parts and grins more as she does so. "This thing looks like it came out of a classic post-nuclear war movie series from back home. You could make some money if they ever doe another building the cars for it." She is quiet for a moment. "I see, so we need more power for this machine then and it needs to work here and in the multiverse at large right?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Sums up a big ol' chunk of what was The Line rawht there," Corona drawls. Then pushes herself back to her feet and walks around the end of the cycle to get over to one of the work tables. "But yeah. Ah don't wanna get held up just gettin' to the action cuz it ain't gonna pass some legal nitpickery. Ah may be a frontier woman but Ah ain't THAT kind o' redneck." Not to mention her neck is technically more of a grey-tan fuzz. "But before ya get too deep into that Ko, tell me what ya think of this." Corona picks the front end of the bike off the bench and turns around to hold it up to show that she's been modding it to look like a large metal beast's head, with the headlights set into where the eyes would be. Corona leans around one side while using her hand inside to click on the lights for the eerie eye glow, grinning from ear to ear. "Think this is ferocious lookin' enough for chasin' highway desperados down?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is now focusing on the work ahead and she thinks for a moment as she looks at the front end for a moment at the head. "Might as well find a way to light up the eyes as headlamps and maybe even get it to howl when the thing starks if you are not looking to be stealthy with it." She seems to be pretty pleased with this idea from the sounds of it. "Or are you looking to put a sonic canon into it? Though making a sonic weapon would be beyond my skills." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite barks a laugh. "Nah, this is just to look fierce. It'll sound plenty intimidatin' when ya get a engine roarin' as it is. 'Sides, sonic blasters have wicked recoil, and it ain't easy to compensate like ya can with a shotgun." Corona turns to set it back on the workbench. "Ah got em to light up... but Ah reckon they need a more vicious lookin' color to 'em." Her tail flicks side to side as she works inside the 'head'. "Maybe some colored lenses. So ya got standard light fer the dark, and something savage lookin' fer once the road rage starts." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "I was just getting idea, though I like the head light ideas" She grins again before she looks over the work her friend has done so far. "Hey if it scares some into giving up or running it's not a bad idea right? Also this will be so much fun ot ride when it's done. Oh yes I like the idea of the lenses!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "As much as Ah don't like showin' off, the rawht presentation can do wonders." Corona pauses to fiddle around with the wiring, lenses on her goggles click-clacking as they switch to a magnification setting. "There's some pipes in the corner ya can use for exhaust when ya get there. Iffen ya need to fabr'cate anything, the shop is at yer disposal." She leans a bit farther into the head piece. ".. Y'know, sonic might be out, but Ah bet we could design somethin' to suck the energy outta a power grid. Stall 'em out without crashin'." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "I'll get to work on the pipes, though for that I'll leave that system to you." She seem to be getting various tools out to get to work on the pipes. "Right might as well get started on those, though when we're done I can use this in my example build works for my own business I hope? I won't be tramping about the multiverse forever you know!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite wiggles around to get a couple of wires spliced together. "Doubt anyone else is crazy enough to want that extreme of modifications, but go for it." She pauses, lifting her head and pulling up her goggles. "A trick or two don't hurt. Though most of the fightin' will be with my own gun. Or lettin' Hopalong lit'rally ride shotgun." There's a rattle from somewhere under the benches and a steamy hiss. "Ya better not be chewin' up the spare wires down there!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "You would be shocked about some of my clients givne how well off a few of them are." She grins "So a possible side car?" She's now owkring away witht he machinery to get to work on the pipes that's going to take a bit after all she intends to do it right. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' At the mention of sidecar there's another metal-grinder growl from under the workbench. "Ah don't think he likes the idea of ridin' anywher but on the seats." Corona leans over to glare under the bench. "Keep fussin' and Ah'll make you be my helmet instead!" Then she stands up and gets back to work finishing the head molded front and install it on the bike frame. "Gotta say this will pro'ly get done a lot faster now that there's two of us workin' on it too." 
}}

6556/MECC: Alexis vs Alea

2019-05-07T10:41:56Z

Foxer: Log Post for tournament

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/06
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 3
|Synopsis=Alexis vs Alea match
|Cast of Characters=459, 6835
|Tinyplot=MECC
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' It was time to get another match-up notched out of the way. Though unlike the last couple of fights this was someone Alexis wasn't familiar with and didn't get a chance to watch the other fights of. Which is okay, it just makes the matter a bit more challenging, which is really a good thing. The Trainer takes her place at one end of the designated arena, idly tossing one of the trademark spheres in one hand. Without familiarity she had to rely instead of versatility and a companion that she knew very well. Which she was waiting to release until the fight actually starts, so her opponent is at least on the same footing of not knowing what they would be up against. Or so she hoped at least. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Where is Alea anyways? She's not entering from the normal way, the tunnel just... empty. At least until the crowd looks up towards the flying DCC slowly descending into the arena, twirling her spear before dropping down to the ground with a bounce. "Ah, hello hello my wonderful crowd! How are you all today!?" she shouts, listening to the cheers and boasting before she turns to her opponent.     Alea... or in this case Emerald Soul, tilts her head, "Ara? A girl with a red and white ball?" she tilts her head, "Well, this is new, I'm Emerald Soul, the DCC of Arcade. I take it you are Alexis?" she pauses, "I'll let you go first if you're my opponent." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis tilts her head to the side for a moment. Arcade? ... So she's from some kind of game world? Huh. Not the weirdest Multiverse thing she's seen in her time, but it strikes a certain amount of peculiarity all the same. "I am, yes." This time she snaps her fingers to grip the pokeball as it lands in her palm again. "I'm your opponent... But I'm more the controller than the combatant you could say." She takes a step forward and pitchs the sphere towards the center of the arena. "Let's go, Kasai!" Maybe Alea is familiar with the concept of summoners. Then this would probably look something similar as the pokeball expels a surge of energy that consolidates itself into an elegenat canine form.... That proves to be a bit more than it seems as reddish eyes lock onto Emerald Soul, and what first appears to be one large tail forming behind the creature instead splits to fan out into nine. Just it's presence feels like the ambient temperature in the room is increasing from it. "Niiinetales~" Lithe paws hit the ground only for the graceful white-gold vulpine to break into a sprint. Alexis isn't going to give her opponent too long to mull over what's going on, just make it clear who's the real opposition here. "Take her fast and strong, Quick Attack!" The sprint hastens, the bright colors of her form blurring as she takes a lunging leap towards the DCC! 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     "Awww, such a cute fox." pause "Wait, that's a kitsune, right? One of those mythological beings." a pause "So, no attacking you, but attacking the..." oh, it's on the way. Emerald Soul leaps up into the air, but the lunging leap knicks her leg, sending digital lines of code leaking from the small wound, "Oh, okay. I see."     Emerald Soul frowns a bit, "I feel very bad for doing this, so don't take it personal." Emerald Soul's speartip glows lightly before she dives down to swing the spear like a golf club "Time to take that monster for a bit of a swing shall we?!"     A trail of wind comes behind the spear, a razor sharp current to try and at least get the Ninetales if it dodges the actual physical blow. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis actually chuckles a little at the response. "Don't worry over it. Pokemon are trained for battle." It's not the first time she's had to reassure someone it's okay to strike back. "Its practically a competative sport where we come from." The choice in Emerald Soul's tactics does exactly as she intends. It's no surprise the vulpine is agile enough to jump back and away from the swinging spear, but the gust of wind that follows it catchs her off-guard. Kasai is sent spinning backwards into the air, though after a moment her tails flair to restabilize herself and she lands in a crouch, her eyes already glowing more brightly than before. "And yeah, pretty much." Alexis continues, smirking. "Give her a taste of your 'magic' Kasai." "( Gladly )" The vulpine crouchs forward a bit more to raise her hindquarters, tails swaying to one side and the other much like the way flames would crackle. That thermal energy passively rippling off her form spikes abruptly, sending out a surge of superheated air that is not as potent as a direct attack but covers a wider area with it's wave-like spread. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     "Pokemon, huh?" a pause, "I have a game in Arcade that has cute monsters to attack other cute monsters, I wonder if we're on the same wavelengh!" Alea lands finally from the attack only face the Ninetales again, "I still apologize for hurting them but if you say it's okay, then perhaps i can make it up after this."     Emerald Soul gives a bit of a grin at the Ninetales, watching the recovery, "I'm going to have to program that into a three dee version of the game. Something they can use with a Virtual Reality headset!" a pause, "Magic?" and suddenly it got very hot in here, there's sweat dripping off the DCC, the heat wave from the fire-type actually causes a couple small burns upon the skin-showing DCC.     "Let's see you try to melt this, Sylhet Spear!" enduring through the heat wave, a green circle appears next towards the DCC and soon, launches out a large spear! An steel head and twin tree trunks entwined from it! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Whoever this gal is, she's quick on her feet. But they've got to deal with first things first. "Be ready for the counterstrike!", Alexis encourages. It helps to keep her companions focused, even if the Ninetales isn't one of them that's as likely to go off on a pyromanic spree... Though she is one that might get mischevious and even chaotic if it suits her mood. It's a kitsune thing. As the attack is launched Kasai braces and opens her mouth to spew out a stream of flames. It's an attempt to intercept the attack, but the spear head splits the flames more effectively than one would expect. Despite looking like it's metal and wood. Just another reminder that the elemental oppositions don't apply equally against things that aren't other pokemon. It definately surprises the fiery fox when the attack pierces her flaming defense and slams into her. "Ta!" The vulpine yelps as she's knocked tumbling backwards from the impact, this time without all the graceful recovery of before. All those tails flailing about makes it hard to tell when exactly she stops, but they eventually sweep together and around as she gets back onto her paws. Alexis cringes a little in sympathy. Kasai, on the other hand, looks rather vindictive as a darkness flickers in her eyes, and a shadowy miasma whisps from the tips of her tails. Much like her mythical counterparts she proves to be capable of being malicious when angered, throwing her head up in an eerie howl as the pain she just suffered is focused and hurtled right back at Alea in a phantasmic retaliation. There may be some truth in those Pokedex entries about how vengeful an angered Ninetales can be... 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Emerald Soul's attack soon dissipates after it smashes right into the firey fox and she visibly winces, "Eeesh, I'm sorry, that looked like it really hurt." No duh Alea. "YOu have more so you don't overwork the poor fox, do you?" she calls out, "No need to keep this one on the field if she's in so much pain from that!"     Emerald Soul looks a bit concerned at the Ninetales, that darkness in her eyes and she shakes her head, "You really want to win for her, don't you?" she questions to no one in particular, "Very well, Kasai. Bring it on, we're not done yet, are we?" That shadowy phantasmic attack launches and it starts to chase after the airborne DCC, who's doing aerial maneuvers to try and dodge the attack, rolling here, ducking down... she's giving a show to the audience with it!     Until it catches up and blasts her out of the sky and straight into the ground with a heavy bounce and a small crater. There's a loud cough and she slowly stands back up, shaking her head with a smile. "That's what I want to see. Keep it up."     Emerald Soul reaches back and soon launches her spear forward with a multitude of energy spears following right behind in a circular pattern surrounding the spear like options! "I recommend dodging, Kasai." she comments, chasing after her spear now to go back into melee with the fox of fire. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis frowns a little in concentration. Emerald Soul was a quick and versatile opponent, and while tricky Kasai only had so many options to contend with such a foe. Which meant they had to get a little more creative. Ponytail gave a dramatic flick behind her as Alexis dug a heel into the ground and clenched her fists, determined even if she wasn't the one throwing the attacks directly. "If there's one thing we never do, it's give up just because a fight is tough. Right girl?" "Ni!" barks the fire fox in reply, already preparing herself. That little darkness tantrum seems to have calmed her back down, even as the Core Controller winds up to watch another attack. Which.. Alexis snaps her fingers. That's it! "Kasai, linear Fire Spin! Then jump in!" The peculiar order wasn't questioned, as Alexis trying to adapt their tactics on the fly. THe Ninetales opens her mouth to unleash a bright orange flame that spirals away from her, spinning wider and wider as it surges forward and the fire fox leaps into the flaming funnel. The outwardly spinning plumes catch and throw away the outside ring of spears. Kasai speeds down the center, twisting to the side as she meets the spear that was the center of the attack, though it's not a clear manuever and the weapon cuts across her side as it whips past the fox. Rushing after her attack might of been risky, but the vortex of flame seems to be spreading out wider by that point, meant more to disperse the attack than hit the opponent. Though as it winds apart.... Where's the fox? Wasn't she in the middle of it? Where did she go? Remember how she started the fight moving fast enough it was briefly blurred. She did that within the vortex and blurred with the spreading flames, to the point she seems to literally leap out of the vortex's trail to try and catch the Core Controller blindside! 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     "Good, I would hate it if you did give up." a pause, "Because this fight has no continues and you're on your last credit!" Emerald Soul continues her descent into the fox, winding up for another attack as she hears the commands given to Kasai. Not able to actually adjust her own self from this, committing to her own attack, she runs right into the Fire Spin flames! But wait, where was the fox? It was there, wasn't it?     Nope, Kasai's attack smashes right into her back and sends her back into the ground, bouncing once more with small burns covering her body once more, slowly getting replaced with code to try and fix it up, at least, cosmetically... they still hurt like hell!     Slowly, she gets back up and tilts a bit into her spear, digging it into the ground, panting some. "Well, I see that you're still fired up." she jokes, "It's going to take more than that to actually finish me off, Kasai and Alexis. I /am/ the DCC of Arcade, in Digital Divinity!" with this, she twirls her spear and then dashes the fox once more! "I'll do my best!" there's a bounce... and she runs right past Kasai, hoping to slash with the spear once more, and soon follow it with another rapid burst of wind, "Kyuu~" and a pose for the fans who just eat it up! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "You won't blow out this fire that easily!" Alexis retorts... but doesn't give a command. At least not a vocal one. She just points to both sides. Because sometimes shouting is a little too obvious, and the more clever pokemon can pick up on non-verbal cues very quickly. It is enough to get the message across. As Emerald Soul rushes towards her with the spear the kitsune-like pokemon runs right back towards her. Then just as the spear is swung to swipe at her Kasai jumps, her supernatural energies leaving afterimages in her wake via Double Team. It's one of those that the spear swipes into as the kitsune leaps gracefully over the attack. How quick will Alea realize she didn't actually hit the fox? Alexis doesn't want to give her long enough to do so. "Now!" The Ninetales lands at a skid, quickly turning back towards her opponent, and Alexis snaps out an arm dramatically. "Solarbeam!" Wait, why would she call for a charge-up attack at this poi-- --Because this Ninetales posesses the Drought ability, that's why. All that heat she radiates doesn't just spike the room temperature, it can be channeled into powering the laser-like attack that blasts out of her mouth with that thermal energy instead of absorbing solar energy at a critical time like this. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Alea hears the gasps of the crowd and she tilts her head, "But, I hit them." she comments, and she turns around... the after images of the fox cause her to make a small frown, "Well, that's new." she whispers, "Never thought about after images to defend, I may have to implement that!"     Her ponderings get cut /very/ short with the sudden Solarbeam attack being launched right towards her, using the confusion in her actions to slam right into her and send her right into the wall, "Kyaaaah!" comes a loud pained noise from the DCC as she slumps down from the Alea-shaped hole in the wall.     She coughs and turns towards the Ninetales, "Okay, I have to say well played." She steps forward, her hands clapping at this... "You're doing quite well for a trained fox." a bit of an ego boost and she huffs, "I don't really wish to lose to a commander and her pet though."     Emerald Soul brings up her spear... and launches herself forward once more, trying to knock the Ninetales up into the air, and just chase it with rapid sweeps of her spear from many different directions! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis shakes a finger. "They're not just 'pets'. These are my comrades. My brothers and sisters in arms." Then clenches that hand into a fist. "The bonds of friendship and determination are stronger than people realize." Though just because they're edging out ahead in the fight doesn't mean that it's not taking it's toll. Kasai can't move quite fast enough to move another tricky maneuver and gets snagged by the spear to be slung into the air. Thinking quickly Alexis shouts, "Use Calm Mind!" They seem to be on a similar wavelength as Kasai can't do much to repel the flurry of attacks, so instead closes her eyes and focuses, curling up and wrapping her tails around herself as they glow with some of her elemental power. It at least takes the blunt of the assault on the multiple plush appendages and shields her from getting stabbed somewhere more vital as she's launched by the attack. Its when she finally gets flipped away with the final blow that Kasai unfurls her tails, and turns the rest of the energy she had been focusing into an attack, unleashing a scorching stream of fire from her mouth! 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Emerald Soul nods, "I see, just like the denizens of my Drive and my fellow DCC's." she smiles as her attack finishes, leaving that Ninetales there... "Calm Mind?" she mutters, tilting her head as she hmms... but when the Inferno comes, she's there to react to it properly and let it graze across her, scorching her code and her 'armor', blackening part of her body and whatever covers her there... and one of her wings.     "Well, this isn't going so well for it, I can feel my Digital Divinity trying to decompile all around me. Looks like I only got one shot at this!"     Alea twirls her spear, "But just like you and your partner, me and my spear work hard to defend our Drive and this tournament too! I'm afraid it's going to be Game Over for one of us, and I really hope it's not me!" Emerald Soul goes back to one of her old tricks and multiple portals start to appear in the air, surrounding the arena.     "I don't have a name for this one, but I'm sure it'll get the point across!" hundreds of tiny energy spears launch from those portals to crash down on Kasari, convinently avoiding Alexis and even curving AROUND HER to get to the point of contact, that fire type fox! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis takes a step back as the portals start appearing. "Oh that's not good..." Long story short, literal portals don't come up very often, that's a shtick very few Pokemon, or monsters in general, actually utilize. Especially in that many numbers. Not to mention a few of the spectral spears appear from behind her. They move to not hit Alexis, but that doesn't stop her from jerking in surprise when they do shoot past. Even not attacked, it's a distraction. "Look out!" The first couple of spears Kasai manages to hop and weave out of the way of. That's about it though. The fox is panting from the effort, she's not the kind of fighter for drawn out fights like this and Alea was already pushing her to the limits. A few spears she can maneuver around. When literal dozens come from all directions at once, there's scrap all the Ninetales can really do. For whatever reason the volume of striking points kicks up a Ball'O'Violence cloud of dust and debris. Which just leaves one vexing vixen vanquished, squirly exhaustion eyes and all. Alexis just rubs the side of her head a bit. ".. I guess its a good thing more pokemon don't learn Spike Cannon. Good try, Kasai!" A flash of red energy retrieves the fallen firefox back into her spherical sanctuary. "Welp, no wonder you're the big boss of Arcade, Emerald." 
}}

6523/MECC: Alexis vs Sarracenia

2019-05-03T02:57:45Z

Foxer: Log Post for tournament

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/02
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 2
|Synopsis=Sarracenia vs Alexis' Braixen
|Cast of Characters=446, 459
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Thanks to the improved power set up for the MECC area, Sarracenia is ready to go again after just a short rest. She even has a repaired dress! Her mood is a bit dour after the loss, but she still waves to whoever is gathered and gives her hammer a twirling flourish before leveling at her opponent. "I hope you will not be mad at me if I win, Alexis!" she says, a bit of a frown still left over from her last battle. Spoiled princesses hate to lose.      The princess reaches into her satchel after that and pulls out one of those black powder bombs. She tosses it up and down casually as the fuse burns down. "Let us begin!" she exclaims before tossing it at Alexis. It isn't a dangerous explosion, but it certainly looks dramatic with all the smoke and sparks! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' And as Sarracenia reachs for her bag, Alexis snags one of the Pokeballs off the strap of her bag with a grin. "Time to see what your training has been doing for you, Princess... And you might be able to pull that off!" The spheroid is flung into the arena. "Time to start the show, Majorette!" It pops open at the command and with it's surge of energy releases a bipedal yellow fox. "Brai~xen!" As soon as her feet hit the ground she kicks back and twirls around to avoid getting hit by the bomb directly. Instead it hits the ground and explodes, the sparks and smoke bursting from it still enough to ruffle the vixen's fur wildly as it nearly knocks her over. "Brai!" she hmphs, brushing the soot out of longer tuffs of fur that almost look like a skirt around her hips. Then reachs back to grab the stick poking out of her bushy tail with one paw. She gives it a yank free and whips it dramatically in front of herself, the fricition causing the tip to ignite in it's own ball of flame as she holds it up dramatically. Then turns sideways and snaps it down to point at Sarracenia like a wand, and sure enough the flames on the end send several small sparks of fire zinging towards the Princess. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia blinks as the Braixen is brought out, then squeals a bit. "Alexis! You have been hiding another cutie from me?!" she exclaims, forgetting they are fighting for a few moments. "Hewwo there cutie. I'm so sorry about ruffling your lovely fur with my-"      And then flames! Those small sparks of fire don't seem so small when you have long flammable hair! "-my hair! Not my hair!!" the princess exclaims as some of the sparks land in her long locks. "Stop drop and roll stop drop and roll!!" The princess spends several moments rolling back and forth to put herself out. The cuteness is now forgotten, replaced with an incredulous 'how dare you?!' kind of face.      "Fine I take it back! I am not sorry!" she exclaims in spoiled brat style as she charges toward Braixen and swings her hammer. "No matter how cute you are, you cannot get away with burning a princess's hair!!" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis lets out a soft sigh, like that was the reaction she was expecting. Then shrugs a little. "Not my fault several fire types are 'cute' foxes." The Braixen would probably preen a little, but Sarracenia's cutesy-wootsy moment is cut short by realizing her hair is on fire. As does Alexis. Remembering the last time she inadvertantly set a certain Rocket's rediculous hairstyle on fire. "Oh shi--" Sure enough Sarracenia has a tantrum over it, and swings her hammer with tremendous fury. It impacts directly with the fox-witch before she can attempt anything else, sending her head over tail through the air, flip flip flip... and then stops. As in stops mid-air, floating just above the ground as her eyes are glowing with something other than fire. The ground where she's floating starts to shimmer, rippling outward around her, making it look like someone was shining rainbow lights across the surface. Alexis, still a bit on the leery side of psionic powers, takes a few extra steps back. Just what she needs, TWO stylistic egos having a tantrum. "I'm almost starting to regret this choice..." "BRAIXEN!" The fox witch thrusts her wand over her head, and seemingly out of thin air several crystals of psychic energy bombard down on Sarracenia like a minature meteor shower! 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia laughs as Braixen goes flying...only to freeze about the same time Braixen does. Sarra blinks a few times. "...how did you..?" Then she notices those glowing eyes. Everyone recognizes psychic energy when it is being used, and Sarracenia's eyes widen. She might recognize it, but she has never actually fought against it. "Wh-..uh...I...!" She flails as she tries to think up a way to defend. Finally she just holds her hammer in front of her, hoping the large head will soak some of the damage.      Unfortunately, it doesn't help at all. Sarra is blasted hard by the psychic meteors, and looks much the worse for wear after the attack. At least her hair isn't damaged any further. "What is with these creatures of yours, Alexis?" she asks, leaning on her hammer for support and looking up at the floating Braixen. There is no way Sarracenia can win at this rate. She's already worse off than she was against Shigure in the same amount of time. And her fighting style doesn't really leave a lot of options. All she can do is keep attacking.      She reaches into her satchel and pulls out a couple of bob-ombs. "I must not give up..." she says quietly to herself before she tosses those bob-ombs up at Braixen. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "It's ... Pokemon." It's really all the explaination Alexis can give. She may know a lot about handling cute yet supernaturally powerful combat critters, but she's not one of the Professors. "Weird powers kind of come with the package." As Sarracenia is knocked about by her attack Majorette lowers to the ground, touching down on her toes and twirling her stick like the baton her namesake would use. This one likes to show off a bit, it seems. Time to get this fight back under control before both of the girls get carried away again. Alexis stomps a foot to the ground to steady herself back into the fight and throws out her hand. "Majorette, use Flame Charge!" The fox's ears perk up as she hears the command, and emits a sound that's somewhere between a yip and a giggle. She snatchs the stick in her paw and holds it up over her head as she twirls around a few times, the flames igniting more brightly. Then she sweeps it down and jumps to land on it in a crouch, the flames making it look like a blazing broomstick as she takes off. Right into the attack. The bombs explode as she blast through, being rocked about by the concussive shockwaves roughly but the attack's speed boost happens to hit at the right time to carry her through the explosions before they knock her off. It's some mix of that psychic power floating the stick and the flames doing something similar to a jet as she zooms around in a curve, zips upward, and then abruptly jumps off the stick and grabs it in her hand again to drop down at Sarracenia as she swings in a fiery strike. It's not the most potent of attacks, but boy does it look flashy and fanciful. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      It is an impressive-looking attack! Even Sarracenia is dazzled by it! But, one thing about attacks like that with a lot of build-up and a very straightforward actual attack...well, they are easier to avoid. Sarracenia is by no means the fastest of opponents, but she manages to sidestep at just the right time to avoid the downward swing completely.      And that leaves her with a great opening to try and land a devastating attack. Some sort of prismatic energy flows down the haft of the DK Hammer and covers Sarracenia. "Alright, time to see if you can take as good as you give!" she exclaims as her reddish-blonde hair starts to float upward from the magical energy infusing her. The energy even fills her eyes, and like someone possessed by a demonic weapon...      Princess Sarracenia uses Outrage! She seems to lose all control, swinging her hammer up and down with amazing speed and devastating strength. Over and over and over for several long seconds. The hammer is no doubt going to leave many craters around the arena...and Sarracenia is hoping one of those will contain an overwhelmed pokemon! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Sarracenia may not be a dragon, but Outrage is a very accurate comparison as she goes complete blitzkrieg with that hammer! WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM! Alexis has to try and think quickly. "Use Double Team!" With a yelp Majorette scrambles to comply, taking a twirling jump backwards that whirls sparkling flames around that zing away to create multiple fiery effigies of herself that dash to get between her and Sarracenia's assau-- WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM -- And do little to deter her, each smash of the hammer dispersing a doppleganger in a poof of heat energy. WHAM Then hammer finally finds it's mark, slamming into the ground on top of the witch-fox hard enough to make cracks radiate out from the impact. Even if she's not fighting Alexis holds an arm up to cover her face out of sympathetic reflex. WHAM WHAM WHAM And a few more times for good measure before the pummeling attack finally ends. Followed by one of those quiet ominous moments as the dust settles. Is that it? That's got to be the end of the fight doesn't it? That fox is a special attacker, she doesn't have the defenses some of Alexis' other pokemon do to withstand such an onslau-- "BRAIXEN!" Yet somehow a plume of fire briefly erupts from the crater left by the hammer, then shimmers down as Majorette stalks out of it. The fox is clearly battered, bruised, and beat to the last few slivers of her health points, but is clinging to sheer tenacity. Alexis glances from behind her arm, honestly she's as surprised as anyone else. Though she's quick to recover and try to capitalize on the moment. "Time for the showstopper!" Majorette scraps her stick across the ground to reignite one end, then waves it about in front of her. Her entire form starts to glow brightly as Blaze kicks in. o/~ Strike a match and watch burn...o/~ All she does it touch the flaming tip to the ground. But the elemental energy that is cast from it causes the ground beneath Sarracenia's feet to start to glow and heat up, until it erupts around in in multiple searing pillars of flame! o/~ I'll set the world ablaze since it's this game that you play! Fuel the flames of this pyre and I will burn higher, burn brighter! o/~ 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      The sparkling glow surrounding Sarracenia finally dies down, and despite knowing better she thinks perhaps that was the end. But, her expression just goes flat in an 'I knew it' kind of way as Braixen appears from the dust in a spout of flames. Left a bit exhausted after the outrageous hammer attack, Sarracenia watches as Majorette strikes up a fire attack.      Sarracenia's eyes widen as that glow starts to build up underneath her. She quickly reaches into her bag and pulls out a Hammer Bros power up, and in a puff of smoke she is in black tights with a thick black helmet and an equally thick shell on her back. She hops onto her back and curls up inside the shell, hoping it might save her.      It does, but even as she is blasted clear she gets seared quite badly. The power-up disappears half way through her flight, and she lands on her feet once again in her battle dress...which is now sizzling and actually smoldering in a few places. And her hair is a total loss now. She has what is best described as a fro. "Well...that was rather impressive. Not quite a Bonzai Bill, but not far off." she says with a smirk, apparently not aware of her new hairdo. "Let us see if you can handle another powerful attack from the Sarracenia Sundew Arsenal!"      She reaches into her satchel and tosses up three very large bullets with shark faces before she goes into a spin. As each bullet comes down, it is fired like a cannon shot toward Braixen, complete with the thundering sound of a cannon and a fiery explosion from the launch. The three Bullet Bills move almost faster than the eye can see in their quest to take out Braixen, ending in three more even more powerful explosions! 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' After the blaze is ignited Braixen slouches, ears slumping. She's really feeling the exhaustion now from trying to keep up with Sarracenia's assaults. Being opponents at the moment doesn't stop Alexis from actually applauding when the Princess makes uses of one of her Power Ups to dampen the impact of the assault. "That is -exactly- what I meant by being strategic with those!" It's a competition. That doesn't stop her from being supportive of her friend. That wouldn't be very sporting. There is, however, still the fight to contend with. Braixen is running out of energy and options and Alexis knows it. But it would be a disservice to that comeback to just throw in the towel. That would be ruining the show they've put on, and a performer like Braixen isn't going to let that happen. So despite being run ragged she exhales, and manages to jump over the first Bullet Bill. She lands on the second, jumping off of it! It's hard to tell if the third was slung at a slightly different angle, or just that the fox is that wore out. Either way, her jump isn't quite enough and instead of landing on the projectile Braixen smacks right into the shark face front. Which of course causes it to explode! There's that whining sound of something plummeting through the air as Braixen careens backwards and skids across the ground. The stick tumbles even farther, clattering about before finally falling still and the flame on the tip going out. Majorette holds up one paw.... and despite what gesture people might be expecting gives Sarracenia a thumbs up... well, close to it, since she technically doesn't have a thumb but she manages to put one digit up in a similar manner. That was a good fight, she approves even if she lost. Then drops the arm back to her side and groans. She is completely wiped. "Good job, girl. Rest up." Alexis recalls the fox to her pokeball, and despite losing is smiling as she walks over and slaps Sarracenia on the back. "Told ya practice and persistance was what it would take!" 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia's teeth clench at the jump over the first, and grit at the hop off the second...but the third explodes in an extremely satisfying way and Sarracenia lets out a cheer! "Take that, you frustrating fox!" she calls out!      Then Braixen crashes down and gives a thumbs up. Sarracenia blinks, then giggles a bit and smiles before giving a thumbs up in return. "You were marvelous!" she calls out before making her way over quickly to Braixen. She scoops up the fox, only to blink as Braixen is returned to her pokeball. "Oh...that is much better, I think." she says, then smiles happily to Alexis. "I won! It feels as though I have not had a victory in years!" Really it's only been a month or two, but she's an overdramatic type.      Sarracenia runs up to Alexis after that and gives her friend a big hug. "You cheered for me even though I was your opponent! We really are friends!" she exclaims over-exhuberantly, practically picking Alexis up in the enthusiastic hug. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis is a tough girl, but she still lets out a gasp as she's hugged so firmly. Though that's a fair exchange, seeing as her friendly shoulder slaps tend to be a bit harder than necessary. She manages to sputter the weeze into a bit of a laugh. "I'd be a poor friend AND poor competator if I didn't!" 
}}

6461/More On The Rustic Side

2019-04-09T06:54:49Z

Foxer: Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/04/08
|Location=Foxtrot Ranch (Pokemon World)
|Synopsis=Sarracenia visits Alexis' pokemon homestead and gets a taste of a little more rustic lifestyle.
|Cast of Characters=459, 446
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Does Sarracenia know what a barn even is? If she does she'd probably reconize the general shape of the building, though it's larger than your typical barn like structure. Because you know how big some Pokemon are, especially when Rock types is one of her specialties. But taking the Princess through the actual barn might not be the greatest idea, Alexis at least considers that. So she leads Sarracenia to the side instead and the stairs that lead up to deck and second floor. She pauses at the sliding doors to glance over her shoulder. "Probably a bit lower class than you're use to," she admits, "But it's only fair to return the favor after lettin' us bum at your place." And she throws open the doors leading into the building proper, what had once been the barn loft redone as a reasonably sized condo would be, with a very rustic, country cabin athsetic to it. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Of course she knows what a barn is! She is highly educated!      ..that doesn't mean she has been to one before, though.      Sarracenia for her part doesn't seem instantly uncomfortable with being on a farm. Oh yes, she does avoid mud and low hanging branches and such like the plague, but she isn't just snootily looking around the place. And she had the good sense to dress in something a bit less gawdy and floor dragging. Some stylish red button-up boots, a wild west looking dress that is only about half the skirt length of her usual dress, and she is even wearing a special cowboy hat that carries her crown around the center section.      She came by air of course, but rather than one of her huge galleons she came in the Dyna, a small wooden VTOL that looks much like a helicopter, but with two wings with large rotors on the ends that swivel back and forth as needed. As she is welcomed to the apartment above the barn she nods. "Naturally much lower class, but as long as it is not a pig sty I shall be fine." she says. She steps inside and looks around curiously. "So, this is where you live, huh? For some reason I was expecting something a bit more...spartan?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis shrugs a bit as she walks in after her, shutting the sliding doors. "It's not fancy resort, but a girl's got to be comfortable right? For as often I stay here more than a couple of days between adventures. Besides," she wanders over to the kitchen area while Sarracenia looks the place over. "I do have quite a few roommates to share with. Not everyone stays in the barn below." As if on cue to that remark there's a herald of barking and paws on wood, multiple "Growl growl!" and "Ruff ruff!" as a Growlithe and Rockruff come bounding up what must be an indoor set of stairs that go right down to the barn below. They come running at hearing Alexis' voice, but quickly stop at seeing someone new and start sniffing around Sarracenia instead. "And there's the welcoming comittee." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia nods in agreement at the comment about comfort. "Indeed. A home should be comfortable, even if it cannot be luxurious." she says, then starts looking for an appropriate place to sit. She is surprised when the two puppy pokemon come bounding in and start sniffing at her. "Eek! Um...nice puppies!" she says, obviously inspecting them for signs of dirt and grime, and assessing how slobbery they might be. "And who are these two?" she asks Alexis, stepping back whenever one of the pups tries something like licking or jumping. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Hey you too, down!" Alexis walks over to pick up the Rock type of the two, as he's the more likely to be dusty just due to that. Not that he really looks like a rock type, having actual fur save the little knobs in his collar of fluff. The other one is content to just sniff around Sarracenia's feet, and eventually sits and wags his puff of a tail politely. "That's a Growlithe." She holds up the one in her hands. "And this is a Rockruff. He's a little more rowdy because I haven't had him as long. Blazemore there is of the same stock that's been bred for police dogs." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarra seems to relax when the Rockruff is under control. When Blazemore seats himself she smiles and reaches down to pet him. "Hello Blazemore." she says, then reaches into her satchel. "Let me see...I am sure I have some..." She pulls out some bone-shaped dog biscuits in a red box. "Ah! Here we are." she says, then smiles cheerfully. "Who's a good Growlie?" she says in a babish tone as she pulls out a treat and holds it up above Blazemore. "I never had pets such as these. My parents were quite worried that they would destroy valuables within the castle. There is always the royal stable, but a horse is not really something that can come to one's bedroom and be cute and cuddly." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The munchie is snatched up, careful to not get the Princess' fingers as well, and the pom-tail wagging intensifies. Seeing that there's treats to be had the Rockruff dips his head a little and gives Sarracenia the best look those blue eyes can muster. He'll be good as long as you share. "And this, by the way, is Howlinger. He may look like a dog now, but his evolution is more like a wolf. So howls. And stuff." A name is a name. Once he's also going to behave Alexis sets him back down. He's kind of heavy even if he's not made of rock. "You want anything to drink Sarra?", asks the tomboy as she heads back to the kitchen. "Feel free to have a seat on the sofa." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarra smiles as Howlinger calms down and he gets a treat as well. "Evolution?" She thinks for a moment. "Oooh...of course. Creatures of these worlds can often change form, correct?" she says as she gives each pup some attention now. "If you have some lemonade, I would be quite grateful." she says, then adds. "...or grapefruit soda." Apparently the princess likes sweet and sour drinks? She moves over to the sofa and after giving it an appraising eye she takes a seat, careful to ensure her dress does not get wrinkled or ride up too much. "So, this is the sort of thing that 'friends' do. Visit each others' homes. Share food and drink. Meet each other's cute pets?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The duo start to move but promptly stop when Alexis calls "Not on the couch when there's company!" like she knows what they're about to do. Because dogs. They both look at each other, and then just flop on the floor as they were. A little rowdy but at least well trained. Which is kind of a necessity when it comes to eventual battles. There is plenty more tail wagging at being called cute though. "Actually yeah we do. Plenty of it." Alexis walks back in, handing Sarracenia a glass of lemonade. "Juice drinks are popular, when made properly Pokemon can drink them too." She then turns and plops on the other end of the sofa, less gracefully and more like someone just kicking back to relax. "Yeah. It is. Good way to get to know each other a little better, stuff like that." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia giggles a bit as Alexis calls out even though she can't see the pups. She takes the lemonade when it is offered, then blinks. "Excuse me, but...there is no straw." she says, as if it is common sense for lemonade to be served with a straw. And as if it is natural that Alexis get the straw. "I have visited...only one other person's house for purely social reasons. And unfortunately that person and his house disappeared back into the aether before we could get very close." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Rather than give Sarracenia a look she peers at her own glass for a moment. "... Huh. Never been an issue but okay" Doesn't mean she's getting up though. Instead she looks back at the kitchen. "Hey! We need some straws." Something can be heard shuffling around in the kitchen, and then it drifts into into the living room. It... actually looks like an orange mini-fridge, with an odd lavander glow around it as it floats over, a pair of eyes towards the top. It just has glowy lightning zigzag shaped limbs, but is still able to hold onto a straw to stick it in Sarracena's glass. And one in Alexis' too. The straws are nice and chilled now, it'll help keep the lemonade cool longer. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia raises an eyebrow as Alexis just calls into the kitchen. And then...that little fridge floats over. Sarracenia actually seems intrigued by it, and when it places the straw in her glass Sarracenia giggles with child-like delight and gives it a pat on the head...er...top. "How wonderful! It seems we are more alike than I realized! I would have had a servant retrieve the straws as well!" she says, then sips politely of her drink through the straw. She shivers a bit at how cool the lemonade is now, then giggles again and smiles. "And what do you call this creature?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis makes a bit of a face. "I wouldn't save 'servent' per say, but I do have a few pokemon that specifically help out around here. They take care of the place when I'm not about." She takes a long draw of lemonade through the straw, then sets the glass on the end table. "Here, lets do this the official way." She pulls out her pokedex, sliding it open to reveal the holo-screen, and holding it up towards the floating minifridge the same way one would take a picture with a smartphone. But instead it's scanning the pokemon to bring up its file, because that's faster than scrolling through the damn thing manually to find it it. Though what comes up on the screen just looks like a floating electric spark, though it's got the same kind of eyes and orange body inside the electrified glow, as the digitalized voice of the device speaks. "Rotom. The Plasma Pokemon. It's body is composed of electrical plasma. Known for being mischevious with the ability to mimic electronic devices." Then the display image changes to resemble the one floating in front of them. "This one is in Rotom-Frost form, from processing a fridge or freezer type appliance." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia leans over with her straw still in her mouth as Alexis pulls out the Pokedex and scans Rotom. "Oooh." She looks at the screen, then over the top at the poke-fridge, then back at the screen. "I see! It must be quite a convenient pokemon! I can only imagine how easy it must be for it to do chores such as maintaining the grounds or preparing a meal! My piranha plants do their best, but so many just lack the mental facilities to truly be competent." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Considering it's other forms include an oven and a lawnmower... I mean, it's not going to be making a five star gourmet meal, but it can cook with Heat form certainly." Alexis closed the pokedex and tucked it away again. "This is the kind of thing you come across in my line of 'work'." The Rotom emits a sound that sounds like a soft motor at the praise, almost like a purr, and wanders back into the kitchen. "Someone needed it removed because it was 'haunting' an old hotel that was going to be tore down, so I gave it a new place to be useful." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia watches the pokemon go back to the kitchen, then looks at Alexis. "It was quite kind of you to help relocate it. Though I am surprised you did not try to find it another owner. Is it not difficult to care for so many creaturs at once?" she asks, looking down at the two dog pokemon in front of them. She smiles to them and gives them another treat just for being cute. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Like I said, I've got a 'home' crew that take care of a lot of it." Alexis picks her lemonade back up, snickering a bit as the dogmons nom up the treats quickly. "Most of the pokemon I can't find a use for go to my aunt, who's a professional breeder, and has more time to put towards finding homes for things." She gestures towards Blazemore. "Like I said about him being from the same stock used to breed police dogs." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia gets some more childish delight out of feeding the cute dogmon, then returns to sipping her lemonade. "Does she enter pedigree competitions or anything of that nature?" she inquires. "Or does she simply breed to fill needs such as proper police dogs?" The princess seems to be relaxing more, even swinging her feet a bit as she sits there. Though still with prim and proper poise and posture. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "When she was a young Trainer, yeah. There's competitions that focus more on showmanship and such. Not everything about Pokemon is about battle and exploration. Flashy contests aren't really my thing though." Alexis slurps loudly on the straw, then finally sets the lemonade aside again. She leans back in her spot on the sofa, folding her hands behind her head. "I may be competative, but I'm not really the 'professional athlete' sort. I'd rather be out there, doing something with it... Even if it's just as low key as keeping monsters and people from misunderstanding and causing problems for each other." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia nods lightly as she listens, and ends up leaning back when Alexis does, looking at nothing in particular while she contemplates. "A noble goal. It must be good to at least have a goal of some kind. I really am not used to even needing one. It was not until that licensing exam that I even considered that I might not be strong enough to do anything I put my mind to. I still have no real goal, except perhaps getting stronger. I guess I always assumed any goal or dream I might have would be for naught since I would have to take over the kingdom some day." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "... Yeah, I suppose so." Just the idea of having that sort of thing already determined for you makes Alexis shiver a little. "Kinda... Kinda why I didn't join up with any of the new factions when the Union fell apart... and honestly I didn't even really like being there half the time. Not all that fond of being told where to go and who to fight or not. I'll invest my time where I want to put interest.... that and its less awkward that I have friends on all sides of the matter." She paused to give a whistle, getting the dogs' attention. "We need a little more homey ambience. Light a fire." Blazemore turns his head and spits an Ember into the fireplace on the other side of the room. "Good boy." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia lets out a surprised 'eep!' when Blazemore suddenly spits out a fireball, but when it is not only well aimed but starts a fire in the fireplace she laughs a bit. "I am not sure I could have hit such a small target so easily with a fireball." she says, then looks to Alexis again. "I am technically in one of the factions, but...I rarely do anything related to being in a faction. I also do not enjoy being told what to do or where to go. It is much of the reason my parents are annoyed with me so often. They expect me to attend boring meetings when they are the ones in charge of affairs of state. I do not wish to waste my time on such things until it is actually my duty to do so!"      She takes a rather angry and long sip of her lemonade, then swallows and hmphs. "Honestly...if I did not enjoy all the luxuries so much I might consider simply renouncing my title." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Sucks that they won't accept you want to do your own thing while you still can," Alexis replies with a sympathetic nod. Then snickers a bit and nudges the princess with her elbow. "Well if you ever want to just get away from them for a while, I've got a spare room or two. It's no luxury suite. But at least you wouldn't have to worry about going so primitive as having to do chores yourself," she teases, trying to pick the girl's mood back up. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarra hmphs in agreement with that first part, then blinks at the offer. "Hmm...perhaps I am due for a vacation." she says, apparently actually considering Alexis's offer. "There are certainly worse places to stay." she says as she looks around the place again. "I will consider your offer." she says in an official tone and gives a firm nod. "Perhaps I could present it to my parents as an effort to re-center myself." she says.      She is quiet a few moments, then she sits up suddenly. "Oooor...once I -am- the ruler of Sundew, I could virtually do as I please!" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "That's truuuue." It's probably not that easy, but she knows nothing about how royalty and being in charge of that sort of thing actually works so not really a frame of reference to know better there. Alexis gulps the end of her lemonade. "But what are you going to do while you're waiting for that to happen?" 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      The princess shrugs lightly at that question and leans back again, crossing her ankles in a polite, refined posture. "I suppose continue to do what I am doing. Although I suppose I will need to learn the proper methods of running a kingdom. Virtually is not completely, and it would still be my duty to attend to the wellfare of my subjects."      She looks around again, then hmms. "You do not have an electronic gaming system?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis pfffs, rolling her eyes. "Of course I do. They're just stored in a closet unless I'm going to play one. Otherwise between the Rotom and the Porygon they get burned out very quickly. What, looking for a few rounds of Pokken? Or maybe that dungeon crawling game." She reachs over to poke Sarracenia's shoulder with a finger. "You'd probably want to start with Eevee or Vulpix, just because of cuteness." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarra eeks and laughs a bit at the poke. "And is there something wrong with choosing a pokemon based on its cuteness?" she asks, then looks around a bit suspiciously. "...do you have either of those around here?" she asks in a way that might suggest either would be in serious danger of being pounced and snuggled mercilessly by the over-exhuberant princess. "I am not sure what Pokken is, but I do enjoy such a distraction every now and then." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "People have picked a pokemon for worse reasons than being the cutest." Alexis pauses a moment. "I don't have any unevolved eevees currently, but..." She looks at the two dogs. "Where's Kindler?" "Growl?" "Ruff?" "You two have the noses, don't ask me." She shrugs. "She's here somewhere. I didn't have her out with me today. Unless she's off playing with Majorette, she-" "Vuuuul." Alexis looks up. "... Oh, right." She nudges Sarracenia, then points up at the fire fox curled in her tails on one of the rafters. "Foxes can climb like cats do. Even I forget that sometimes." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia aws softly as she hears that no unevolved eevees are about. Of course, she doesn't know that the eeveelutions are usually as cute as Eevee, and if not they have their own appeal. Hearing that vul from above them causes Sarra to look up as well before she blinks in surprise.      What happens next is...well, chaotic. Sarracenia suddenly reaches in her bag and pulls out a small fox-like plush. Then in a puff of smoke she is basically -wearing- that foxlike plush! Except her face is still visible of course. And without further ado, she leaps upward to try and grab the little multi-tailed fox! "So cuuuuute!" she gushes, squeezing the vulpix like a plush...or at least attempting to. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis jerks to the side as Sarracenia transforms with one of those power ups. "Is that like the tanuki--" The girl jumps into the air before she can finish. "--Yup." The Vulpix is grabbed from her napping perch and squeezed. Alexis actually cringes... then opens an eye when there's no yelling and flambed princess as the Vulpix snuggles into Sarracenia's arm. ".. Huh. I guess you're close enough to a Ninetales in that getup she didn't freak out." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      With her cute capture, Sarracenia glides back down with some wagging of her foxtail and lands on the couch again. She is already busy cheeknuzzling the little vulpix happily. "I simply must aquire one of these. Or perhaps two! I believe I heard on the radio that there is also an ice creature of this kind?" she says, relaxing her squeezing and nuzzling to just hold the vulpix now. And of course play with that cute hairdo upon its head. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis expected there to be more fire. Or maybe the Vulpix realized they'd both end up falling if she flamed the flying princess. They have that sort of mystical sense to them even if they're not Psychic types. "Yeah. There's an ice version, but they're only native to Alola and kind of elusive, I haven't had a chance to track any down yet." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Whatever the case, now Alexis has a fox-suited princess snuggling a fox on her couch. Hopefully the two dogmon won't feel jealous! "If you do manage to track one down, I would be happy to help you capture it. I am sure creatures as smart as these would be acceptable in even my parents' castle." she says, squeezing the Vulpix like a plush for a few moments before lowering it down to her lap and just basically resting her arms around it. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis hmms. "If they're going to insist on it being 'useful' could probably claim one to help with all the overgrowth pruning. A well trained Fire type can keep their fire under control... As for hunting, well, maybe a short expedition would help work on your stamina." Alexis pushed herself off the couch. "But while you two are getting aquainted, I'll go herd in the Mareep for the night." She gives a whistle to get the Growlithe and Rockruff's attentions. "Com'n you two, it's time to play sheep dog." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia waves as Alexis and the sheepdogmon make their way out. "I am not sure what a mareep is, but it sounds cute." she comments before they leave.      By the time Alexis returns, she is likely to find Sarracenia peacefully passed out on the couch, still holding the Vulpix if it hasn't made its escape. Why is it being at a friend's place is always so relaxing? 
}}

Alexis

2019-02-28T20:19:35Z

Foxer:

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Alexis
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=459
|Img=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/AlexisDesignUpdateFinale_zpsfea0xqjq.jpg
|FullName=Alexis Hanekary
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human (Pokemon Trainer)
|Theme=Pokemon-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Monster Trainer
|Faction=Unaffiliate
|Rank=
|Ranktype=
|Groups=
|Quote="You go long, I'll drop back, fade to the right and then rush the line, and we'll crush them in the middle. Break!"
|PAge=Mid-Twenties
|AAge=
|Aging=No
|Height=6' 3"
|Weight=
|Hair=Bubblegum Pink
|Eyes=Emerald
|Voice=
|Song=
|Profile=A bonefida tomboy, Alexis is a rough and tumble girl that would rather be roughhousing than dressing up and twittering over boys. Though she has no problem with swinging a little female charm if necessary, she's usually a lot more likely to spit out snide remarks, and if necessary swing a fist or two. By no means a mean person, she just takes gruff from no one and is bluntly honest enough to say what's on her mind. Energetic, free-spirited, and more of an adventurer than a soldier or hero, but will stand by her friends regardless even if she teases them the rest of the time. A native of the Fallarbor reigon of Hoenn, growing up near a volcano certainly helped toughen her up, and she's been an active member of the Trainers almost as long as the group has been around in general. But while most of her peers have stuck with Pokemon even in the Multiverse, she has expanded her base of familiarity into the various other trainable monsters. Alexis has little problem with getting into a fight side by side with her critters either, throwing punches first and asking questions after. She's best known for her tendency to weld sports equipment and tactics, like her trademark hockey stick and rollerblades, as combat gear. Because of her stubborness and love of a challenge Alexis has undertaken training a few creatures others would never consider, like trying to purify a powerful Shadow pokemon.
|Powers=Physical Prowess: Alexis is naturally athletic, honed over the years by her own training and adventures as a pokemon trainer. She's stronger and more enduring than average for a human girl, her overall stamina is considerably high, and she can endure physical exertion and activity for greater periods of time without rest or severely hurting herself. Having grown up in Fallarbor Town, which sits almost right next to the volcanic Mt. Chimney, she also has an exceptionally high tolerance for heat stress.

Burning Ground: From bonding with her starter Typhlosion and an Entei clone Alexis has gained a major affinity for monsters that fit the geothermic and seismic theme. Monsters with fire and earth based powers flourish the best under her, as do generally strong and rugged pokemon that have secondary fire abilities or similar aspects of toughness.
|Skills=No Holds Barred Fighting: It doesn't really matter what style or method you use, stick to what you're best at beating the other guy up with. Though she does have some training Alexis follows no specific style. She isn't afraid to get in the thick of things herself; and has no qualms about using trickery, pokemon beat downs and blunt bludgeoning if it'll help. It's about doing what you need to do to meet the challenge, and that doesn't leave a lot of room for fussing over how right or wrong breaking someone's kneecaps might be at the time.

Playing As A Team: Though as capable of linking with pokemon as any other trainer, Alexis prefers to hands-on train her monsters instead of relying on just bonding alone. Like any good team they work hard and learn to cooperate with each other through other means as Alexis tends to instruct them like a coach directing their star players. Team tactics, even across different types and combat beast themes, are little problem for them. In fact, her non-reliance on linking to train is what allows her to work decently with non-pokemon monsters in the first place.

Monster Specialist: Alexis' working with assorted creatures, not to mention having a kitsune for a boyfriend, has given her more insight into the ways of different unusual and supernatural creatures of all sorts. The expanded base of skill and experience makes her a good choice for dealing with monsters of most any sort, particularly when it comes to tracking and battling them.
|Assets=Combat Is A Competitive Sport: In addition to the standard monster trainer fanfare, Alexis is infamous for her tenacity at using sports gear and tactics as combat arms. Her amalgam of pads and armor is augmented by a helmet and arm-guards of dragonscale, and her boots have retractable rollerblades and boosters. Also has a 'weapon grade' hockey stick with a blade-like edge and a kinetic amplifier to increase its impact and projectile launching power. And dodgeballs make excellent Fling ammo.

Foxtrot Ranch: Alexis and Nova live on the back acres of her aunt's breeding farm, having converted the loft of a barn into a cozy apartment. In addition to providing plenty of room for her various monsters to train and stay when not accompanying her on adventures, she has taken up herding various sheep and goat-like pokemon as a hobby.

Warchief's Claymore: A hellion weapon forged by the best smiths the Demon Realm has to offer, this prized claymore was claimed by Alexis after dispatching the lord that was its former owner. This sword is a status symbol: should she take it into the Demon Realm, she will be immediately recognized as the mightiest warrior in the realm. Beyond the gravity of the blade, however, is its ability to command the immediate obedience of any lesser demon in the Demon Realm when they are struck, allowing the wielder to forge a small military force out of Demon Realm inhabitants.
|NPCs=Monster Menagerie: Alexis started her career with pokemon, and they will always be the 'best' her team has to offer. They're also the easiest to transport. But she's expanded her repertoire steadily and acquired the various verifications for trainable monsters of other worlds as well. Often these critters are taken to fill in places pokemon as a whole lack in ability or purpose. Though she personally prefers strength and durability, much like herself, she's learned that the most effective team is a well-rounded one, when you never know what the Multiverse might throw at you.

Scorch: The badger-like Typhlosion is Alexis' primary pokemon and almost always at her side, determent to fight for whatever purpose she's throwing herself into. Typically laid back unless provoked. Regardless he is one of Alexis' most experienced and reliable pokemon, utilizing a variety of fire-based attacks like Flame Wheel and Heat Wave, supplimented by his sharp claws and tenacity. Can unleash his power in a large fiery explosion known as Blast Burn, but doing so leaves him extremely exhausted as it uses up most of his thermal energy. (No individual PL.)

Wildfire: Created as a Shadow Pokemon clone, but Alexis' dogged determination and compassion helped eventually purified him. No longer prone to emotional fits of rage but still aggressive, territorial and extremely protective of his 'Alpha' and her pack. While not as powerful as the 'true' Entei he holds the same embodiment of volcanic and seismic forces with a combination of Fire powers, immense energy reserves and physical strength. Successful purification, due to the odd genetic matrix used in the cloning process, has unlocked four moves not normal to the species: Extremespeed, Crush Claw, Earth Power and Flare Blitz. (No individual PL.)

Stormpaw: Despite being called a Tiger, this monster species looks more like a large, maned blue-grey wolf with horns. Said horns can conduct electricity in addition to being used as weapons, and he can exhale blasts of frigid cold from his mouth as well. Overall a very well-rounded monster, utilizing a solid balance of speed, strength and elemental attacks. Stormpaw is roughly the size of a large motorcycle and can even be ridden as such with swift travel in addition to using his sharp nose and ears for tracking. (No individual PL.)

Clysm: A monster known as Missing Lynx; which resembles a gigantic lion with horns, dragon wings and a poisonous serpent for a tail. Despite it's kaiju like size it is a capable flyer, often striking from high altitude when possible. In addition to the powerful size it can breath intense flames and whip up cyclonic winds with its wings. While still animalistic in mind it is intelligent, capable of taking orders and knowing basic predatory tactics to fend for itself if Alexis is unable to directly command it. (PL 32)
|Disadvantages=Temper: Her hair may be pink in color, but Alexis has the temperament typically associated with redheads. She's not that easy to get angry, but her temper ignites fast and burns hard when it does get sparked, and she becomes increasing stubborn and reckless when it's flared. She takes considerable offense at people who would control and corrupt other intelligent creatures for their own exploitation, even more so than your typical trainer.

Issues with Authority: More accurately, Alexis has issues with -being- authority. Training cute and cuddly living weapons is one thing and occasionally beating a villain senseless is another thing, but she doesn't want more than that. She balks at being in charge of anything remotely military, and most of the ally rank she does have is to help keep other people from going nuts. Because frankly Ash needs all the help he can get. She's not one to disobey orders herself, but she will exploit wording and loopholes when possible to fulfill them as she thinks she should rather than follow them to the letter.

Psych Out: Alexis has learned to accommodate psychic powers to a degree and even trains a few psychic-type pokemon that suit her style, but still has issues dealing with the misuse and exploitation of such powers because of the Mewtwo & Pokemorphs incident long ago, and occasionally freaks a little when a monster shows unexpected psychic powers. They are issues that less scare her and more make her want to viciously curbstomp the exploiter, but Mew forbid if she ever runs into another Mewtwo...

Monster Flaws: Many of her more prominent creatures have personal flaws of their own. Scorch is a semi-shameless flirt. Glitch lives up to his name. Stormpaw can be a cranky stubborn old warrior. Gauntlet harbors a deep resentment towards those who would subjugate and corrupt other beings without remorse. While no longer passive-aggressive Wildfire still has emotional scars that make him temperamental and easily provoked. And so on. In most cases these flaws are part of what defines them as (sub)characters and not just living weapons.

Bigger They Are: Just because the Missing Lynx is a fast and powerful flier that can exploit airborne ambush tactics does not mean it is a particularly evasive one. After the initial jump-scare, it is a gigantic monster that is really hard to miss. Not to mention it would rather just brute force its way through a fight than bother with maneuvering. For all the benefits the size gives it, it also makes him an easy target. Because of it's size, the Missing Lynx is extremely claustrophobic and can become even more unruly if space is limited.
}}

6386/Down Time

2019-02-19T14:28:59Z

Foxer: Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/02/18
|Location=Pokemon Archipelagos
|Synopsis=Kebobs and casual talk between two long-time multiversers.
|Cast of Characters=459, 6
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Being islands with a semi-active volcano in the north-center of the largest section of land, Hoenn really didn't have much in the way of winter weather. So it was still perfectly fine weather for sitting on a deck shooting the breeze. Not that Alexis was going to invite someone over without providing appropriately. Sitting outside meant grilled food of course... though there wasn't a grill. At least not of the standard mechanical variety. There was a Torkoal lounging in one corner of the deck, with grills set up over the hot craters in his shell. Who needs propane when you have natural geothermal body heat, am I right? 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe does not mind the heat heck she likes lack of winter, and she's not in armour she's in what sort of casual clothing might pass for in ALPO though it's some off Fantasy clothing but still it's decent enough as she comes in for a landing at Alexis home and calls out. "Alexis I'm here!" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis leans over the deck railing and waves so she can be seen around the side of the building. "Back here Tomoe!" The deck was elevated off the slope behind the building, overlooking the riven than flowed past. A nice view and convenient for the few Water types she did have. Other than the Torkoal playing grill it was fairly basic, just a few deck chairs and an umbrella to provide a bit of shade. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe head to the back for the deck and will catch up with her friend with a grin as she moves tio find a spot to sit down. "Very nice view so this is your lair? More swanky than I thought it would be and makes me a bit jelous really. So how long have you been running about the multiverse anyway have you?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis pffs. "Swanky is not the word I would use. But the Pokemon need somewhere to go when they're not with me." She walks over to the Torkoal and pats him on the head. "Good job." Then picks up a pair of kabobs from the grates, walking back over to offer one to Tomoe. "Longer than anyone bothers to remember." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "You and your friend were long time vets when you found us in the death game. It feels like a few life times ago with that. Everything's changed hasn't it. All the people who saved us save you mort, pris and staren are long gone..." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis shrugs a little, holding her hands partway out in a sort of look at me gesture. "I was still a teenager when we got thrown into things. Just think on that for a bit." Then flops down on her own deck chair. "Eh, they're all out there somewhere. The Multiverse just likes to jumble itself up now and then. It'd give any astrophysist a headache trying to make sense of." Another half-shrug and she bites a piece off her own kabob. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe :says "I was the same too at the time well my childhood ended real fast witht hat but now running about with gods, demons and more. Hell it's a lot to take in the things /I/ have done and I often keep digging myself deeper. I hear that profession tends to go insane here if they poek things too hard." She'll get some food now and start chomping on it. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis waggles the kabob rod in the air in front of her. "The only downside is sometimes it's hard to find a real challenge any more. After having been through so many things. It's kinda hard to top something like helping restore a world -- twice.... But at this point I'd probably get too bored doing anything 'normal'." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "That would be up there and I helped in a little way birth a world a long time ago. Then there was Priscilla's homeworld too." She shakes her head "Funny for a girl who would be seen as garabge by plenty of the demi gods and gods running around these days." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Gods tend to have a stupidly high opinion of everything. Oh heaven forbid they actually try to understand mortals for what they are. Though people that just think they're god are even worse." Alexis snorts at the thought, chewing on more of her kabob. The moment of quiet contemplation comes to an end with a cacophony of barking from the house. The pokemon gate in the door flutters wildly as a Growlithe comes barreling out. Then again as another dog-like pokemon, this one in very earthy tan and brown colors careens after him, and a merry chase around the deck weaving beneath the chairs and what not follows. "Growl growl!" "Ruff ruff!" 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe looks at the dog like pokemon and laughs "A dog will be a dog." She notes tossing some of the meat to the pokemon, before she take sa moment to go back to some of it for herself. "Still seems like the new factions are a lot more narrow if that is the best way ti put it?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' If there's one thing to get dogs to sit still for at least a few moments, its treats! Though as soon as the snacks are snacked the two take off resuming their chase, eventually bounding down the deck steps and off into the fields. Alexis glances down at her C-Gear. "Must be time to herd in the Mareep." She settles back in her chair, folding one arm behind her head. "Yeah. You know Growlithes. The other one is a Rockruff. They're mainly found in Alola." The topic of factions just gets a bit of an eyeroll out of the tomboy. "Eh. They're not pointlessly harassing each other in an endless stalemate, I'll give 'em that. Still glad I 'retired' from all that regulated nonsense though. If I'm gonna find trouble it's at least gonna be the trouble I -want- to be in! None of this go here no don't go there they don't support us. Oi vey." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "Sounds like an interesting name for it and yes they are not at all out war but a lot of war criminals are still floating around. I do miss the sheare support we used to get though but I turned down the Paladins recuiter. I don't think I'd work well there, I do like getting certifed to operate on worlds when I can though." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis pulls the last piece of meat off her kabob, chewing on it thoughtfully. Flicks the empty skewer towards her Torkoal, who catchs it and plunks it in a pail next to him. "I mainly just like not having all the red tape over my head," she admits eventually. "The lack of support, sure. Can be a bother at times... But also that's how a lot of us Trainers typically operate, unless you're working for one of the Professors. Eh." She shrugs a little again then refolds her arms behind her head. "Even I do the odd errand for them now and then. And I've got the flock of Mareep out there if I need to make some extra cash, their wool is a pretty hot commodity." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "There is some order need One of the newer paladions made a note about murder hobos and she had a point but some worlds don't really ya know work that way. I'd likely be trying to strangel a few of the Paladins if I was working with them sadly so best I never sign up, right? I don't mind working itht hem honestly and Mareep? Is that like a sheep?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Yeah, electric sheep." Alexis hopped off her chair and started to the steps off the deck. "Com'n, I can show ya. Extra pair of hands rounding them up never hurts either." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe starts laughing at this. "So we can dream of electric sheep? We should tell Orchid about these pokemon. 
}}

6343/Disaster Transport

2019-01-28T04:41:19Z

Foxer: Posting log

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/01/27
|Location=The Line
|Synopsis=Defending a transport from bandits and turbofauna monster truck.
|Cast of Characters=711, 6704, 1100, 6384, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' When you weren't traveling at superlative speed you could actually admire the scenery. Somewhat ironically there wasn't that much scenery to admire at the moment, other than the occasional rock formations and what looks like could be ruins off in the distance this stretch of The Line was mostly rough and barren. It was likely one of the lower Gears at one point, as the ground was still glittery sand and gravel instead of hammered to a smooth glassy surface. It was along this stretch of land that the transport rig was rumbling along at a reasonable speed. Most people would probably compare it to a semi of some kind, but the similarity ended there with the 'wasteland' makeover it got. Heavier exterior cover, spiked plating, chains rattling around while also hung to provide additional handholds, and so forth. There's even a big cow skull hung on the front over the triangular plow, though at a closer look it's not an actual skull but a piece of scrapmetal sculpture made to look like one. There were also additional scaffolds and platforms built on the sides to allow people 'riding shotgun' to move around as needed. Hopefully not needed, but as bandits were expected and even a bit intended to show up, they're probably going to see use. Corona was right at home behind the wheel of the modified rig, humming along with the radio blaring some generic wasteland music. Until it starts to static and fizzle, and she reachs over the smack a fist on the device to make it clear up again. Then flicked back to her personal radio. "Keep your ears on and eyes open pardners. Unwanted company could be around any turn out here. If they want this supply run they're gonna come before we get closer to settled land." 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      It had taken some convincing, but Solty had managed to get permission from Roy to help Corona. The green-haired android girl was now crouched on the top of the wasteland transport, hanging on to one of the convenient handholds. "Got it!" she says to Corona at the warning.      Solty's long, green furred ears twitch as she tunes in, trying to hear anything that might seem out of place. And with her extremely sensitive hearing, she should be able to hear any approaching attackers before they even attack.      Should. Of course it -is- pretty noisy on top of a rolling Mad Max 18-wheeler. She keeps her eyes open as well, scanning back and forth around them for signs of trouble. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne is... currently not on board the truck, although her motive power is certainly coming from it. She's stood on a hoverboard, currently being towed along behind it by a water-skiier's handle, with what appears to be a small, civil war-era cannon strapped across her back, along with what appears to be a sack containing pre-packed charges propellant, and a rack of glittering, transparent 4" minnie-ball rounds. When she hears Corona's radio call, she stops goofing off and hooks the handle onto her belt, unslinging the parrot rifle from her back. It's mounted on a rig that lets her hold it like the familiar minigun, with a damp sponge swab and ramrod mounted in easy reach, and a pivot to help her load it. Firing seems to be electronic. Carefully keeping herself in line by leaning, the mouse loads the cannon, before thumbing her radio. "Copy, Corona. I've got tailgun." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      For various reasons, Orchid wants to make sure that this part of the multiverse stays relatively stable. Partly pride of work, if we're being honest. She's on board the transport rig as well, in the navigator's seat. She's got her map open in front of her, and a few of her flying drones are keeping pace above the vehicle, keeping eyes in different directions. Unfortunately, only a few of her drones can keep pace, so she doesn't have as many eyes out as she'd like.      "I think there's a rest area about half an hour ahead," she reports over the radio. "Unless we took the wrong turn at Albuquerque... I'd certainly like the chance to get out and stretch. As for raiders, I've got eyes open." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Here we go again, Kotone has been pulled into the further looking into of things by the same person that got Corona on it. So she was acting far more officially this time. Which was a lot better for here. It was amazing to think something that had run for so long that the super factions wouldn't or were unable to handle it. Either way she was on the transport and had time to set up and was in an ARMED suit which she was making for all she could get out of the heavy unit, she too was using her units heavy sensor package keeping a eye out with mag scan to see if any vehicle might be popping up from magnetic signatures that might be moving. "Nothing here just yet and a break might be a good idea." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona knew she was right... But she had not intended it to be so literal. The transport rig passes between two rocky formations, having to take a wide turn while between them. That's hardly a problem, Corona's got it under control and the joint between truck and trailer allows it to turn the curve well enough. It's not until they're mostly around the bend that the blockade set up between the ends of the formations can be seen, purposely placed there so it wouldn't be seen until passing the curve and catch people off guard. Most people, anyways. "Time fer the real ride to begin y'all." Unsurprisingly rather than slow down Corona stomps on the gas, getting a bellow of exhaust from the rig's stacks in response, shifts it up a gear, and then reachs over to pull a second lever. This brings an audible ring as the plow drops down and forward into position, locking down just in time to slam through the would-be barricade. The roar of the rig and the running of barricades makes it hard to distinguish numbers, but even in the ruckus Solty would at least pick out the sound in itself of engines being revved up. It wouldn't be long after that drones and sensors would spot the source of the noise. Sure enough as the transport rig comes out of the passage several off-road motorbikes roar off the overhead ledges, though as they charge down the rocky slopes it's apparently these were made more for muscle than outright speed, as their large spike-treaded back wheels are paired with the front ends being replaced with minature catapillar tracks instead. Which is what catch's Corona's attention as she glances in the side mirror. "Hell's handcrank, those are rockclimber bikes! Brimsteel specialty!" Looks like they found their outlaws. Or their outlaws found them either way. The rockclimbers aren't really made for extreme speed, but they can keep the pressure. Presumably until the rest of the bandits convene. Or lurk farther ahead. So instead of bothering to aim specifically they just spray the rig and it's occupants with sporratic gunfire. It's not easy firing a semi-auto in one hand while trying to steer a tricked out bike with the other, even for a professional outlaw. 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Solty hangs on tight as Corona speeds toward the barricade, but even during the crashing her ears twitch and she turns her head toward the sounds of the engines. She catches a piece of the barricade that goes flying over the truck and uses it to block most of the bullets that come flying toward her. A few sparks are struck against her skin as some bullets make it through, but other than a slight wince she doesn't react to the hits.      "Stealing is bad!" she calls out to the bikers. That is their only warning from her before she throws that piece of barricade at the nearest biker. Except throws is a bit of an understatement. The little android shows that she has a lot of oomph built into her as the large projectile flies like it was shot out of a cannon. Then she leaps off the truck toward another bike. Her form blurs and seemingly instantaneously she is already mid-kick against another of the bikers. She leaps again, then lands on foot and -chases down- another bike before leaping and leveling a falling stomp on the back end, aiming to crush the bike and send bike and rider flipping backward through the air. 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      So of course things aren't going as smoothly as one might like. Thankfully, Orchid's reactions are good enough to announce "Incoming!" before putting up her shield. Bullets smash through the glass and into the shield. The map is stuffed into a glove box as Orchid climbs out of the cab and onto the roof.      Orchid unleashes her drones, and this time they are bat drones, equipped with small, focused lights. They're not actually intended to do much damage, but they are intended to light up the raiders, making them easier for her friends to see them. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa was comfortable enough in her ARMED suit so she wasn't worried about a break readily. All thoughts of that go and then it happens there's blockade up ahead and she'll move to take her secondary arms to hold the hell on. She takes a fair amount of weapons fire as she hangs on there, the damage isn't too bad but it's enough for her to get the idea she's got some trouble here. She will soon be back up on her feet to at least having the large calibre canon that the thing uses for a rifle opening up on the bandits as they go it's big enough it should be enough to keep their heads down. "Your greed is outweighing your common sense!" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne swings out wide behind the truck, turning to take aim at one of the bikers behind them. She grins to herself, lowering her aimpoint to the front track-assembly of the bike infront of her before opening fire. It may only be one shot, but it's a Hyperglass round. And hyperglass doesn't like to change its velocity; it's hard to get moving, and even harder to stop. So while the cannon has an impressive amount of kick, knocking even the mouse back a bit on her hoverboard... If it hits, it'll rip through the bike without even noticing, and continue on to hit anything directly behind it. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' The other drawback of the rockclimbers is that they're not exactly as nimble as standard motorbikes. The bandit tries to bank away from the panel flung at him, but the metal chunk catchs the ground on and edge and flips over itself from the momentum it was thrown at to slam into the bike anyways, sending it careening away as it goes up in flames. People jumping off a transport and onto other vehicles is nothing new, although it doesn't save the bandit from a BOOT TO THE HEAD to knock him off his bike. What IS surprising is when Solty goes on foot to catch another and send it and riding alike flying backwards through the air. Kotone's gunfire reduces another to flames and scrapmetal... and the unfortunate target of the Martian Mouse is lucky if there's even that left, shredded by hyperglass projectiles. While all this is nicely highlighted by the lights projected from Orchid's drones. No jerky cameras and scenery too dark to see the action here! The lights also shine off new arrivals though as several modified hotrods are joining the chase even as the motorbike brigade is wiped up pretty easily. Flames roar out of the sidemounted exhausts as one stomps on the nitro and roars after Solty, intending to just run them down with multitude of spikes and shrapnel spines adorning the front of the speedster. A modified hearse pulls up at the rear of the rig, several bandits climbing out of the back, over the vehicle, and fearlessly make to leap onto the transport and give Tiny some trouble if she doesn't deal with them fast. On the other side a truck pulls up, that has a machine gun mounted in the bed that an operator swings around to fire first at the armored THING Kotone's in, then sweeping along the side towards the cab. Orchid might be at risk of getting shot, or worse for the group if that gun manages to get through the cab or into the engine. One roadster with an open cab, presumably also for easy boarding, starts to pull up on the driver's side of the cab. Corona growls as she grips the wheel tight with one hand, and reachs down the side of her seat. ~Twenty years have dug in hard, but now the party is just gettin started Thousands raced, now only hundreds left who just can't be talked into being dead We came along for the dream they dreamed, to watch their backs and keep the peace.~ Just as the convertable pulls into position Corona leans out the window and fires a grenade launcher into the vehicle. The riders can only pause in their getting ready to board and look back as the spheroid lands between the seats. Then everything is smoke and fire as it explodes and only the lower chassis is left to roll away. ~But guess some bastards can't resist, the blood red fox's sweet blood red kiss. While farther back down the road, a larger engine can be heard as massive oily black clouds spew into the air, though the source hasn't passed over the horizon line yet. 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      As it happens, Orchid is very ready for this next round of attacks, weaving around enough to keep from being hit. In fact, it looks like she's doing nothing but dodging...      And that's true, as far as it goes for Orchid herself; but she thought there might be something like this happening, and a bunch of drones drop off the rig These are specialized drones, softball-sized sea urchins. So as the hot-rods approach, the drones aim themselves, rolling along, to go under the tires, shredding them, or just into the undercarriage, to puncture the fuel or break lines. 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Solty looks back as that bike comes rumbling toward her. She frowns, then turns and keeps running. She is pretty fast on foot, so running her down on anything is going to be difficult enough, but on a slow bike? She tries to get him rolling toward the truck on the passenger side of the transport. She runs until it likes like she is going to crash into the gunner vehicle...      Then leaps up and back, aiming a flying roundhouse kick at the biker trying to run her down. She follows that up with a kick off the back of the mountain motorcycle to give it even more momentum. With the driver gone she is pretty sure the bike will roll right on into the enemy truck and cause some fireworks!      Solty lands on top of the cab of the transport in a three-point stance after her jump off the back of the bike. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne takes the hits from the cannon with a growl, going through the somewhat laborious (and exciting!) proess of loading a black powder cannon while riding a hoverboard... and being shot at. Sponge to make sure there's no embers... then in with the powder... pack it down... in with the round... pack that down too... okay! The mouse looks around for a target, deciding on the truck. At this close range, she doesn't want to cause the thing to flip and roll into their own rig, so she instead aims for the back of the trailer, hoping to slow it down a little by removing the wheels. All at once, if she can help it. The black powder cannon barks again, slamming the mouse back against an overtaking hot-rod - stoving in the side, and making the mouse grunt. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' She has a military grade body that can take a number of hits from bullets and other weapons. Kotone still does not like to get hit. Unlike some cyborgs. Moves to cloak her power armour, it fades from view for an instant and she actually either evades each thot or the rouns just bounce off the armour doing little more than dinging the paint. She'll turn her weapon on the weapon placement line up a shot and move to take the turret out, not aiming to take out the craft but to render it disarmed by taking out its heavy weapon. At this point the speakers on Kotone's machine start to transmit music a song from her world called Fuel by a certain metal band. A distraction hell yes as she attempts to just keep the raider the heck off the transport. She keeps her eyes peeled for further trouble that is as she doubts the attackers are done with them just yet. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' With that potential problem dealt with Corona puts her gun away and resumes focusing on driving. Just in time to yelp as machine-gun fire rattles across the front of the cab. It shatters what remains of the windows but fortunately other than dents and sparks doesn't hit anything -too- critical, yet. With a hiss Corona hits an emergency switch, and sets of slitted shutters snap into place to replace the missing windshield. Despite their many forays of theivery and riot in these blasted lands the bandits had not dealt with anything quite on the scale of the Elites defending the transport. And it's true, the are being blinded by greed, not seeing that while they may of been the ones making the ambush, they're also the ones that fell into a much bigger trap. A trap confirming there's crooked dealings going on between outrider bandits in The Line and the scheming outlaw gang from Brimsteel. Solty's astounding acrobatics ON FOOT would leave the bandits astounded if they really had time for it. It's not the guy that she kicks off that does the dirty work, it's that the kick also sends his bike flying into the front of one of the hotrods and forcing it careening away from the driving battle. Leyanne exploits a tremendous flaw in these vehicle designs, that being built with high suspensions to take all the shaking and bouncing of high speeds on rough terrain. The hotrod hearse veers sharply away when the driver sees her cannon come up to fire, but that's not enough of a warning to the truck behind it to avoid having it's undercarriage and suspension ripped from beneath it's chassis by the super accelerated shot. Orchid and Kotone cleverly tagteam on the machine-gun truck. The driver tries to steer away from the spikey balls of doom, but in doing so makes it harder for his gunner to keep his fire on point. He can't keep track of the armored cyborg until it's too late, and a blast demolishes the bed gunner. Plus the evasion didn't really succeed very well, and while the truck managed to not get blown up, several of the urchins puncture it's fuel tanks from below, leaving a slick of black splattering over the ground as it's engine sputters out and hiccups smoke while stalling to a crawl. Corona lets out a whoop. "That'll teach 'em for gettin' inferior equipment from Copperchoke's gang ban--" Her ears flick back as something between a foghorn and roar bellows through the air. "--Oh now what?" she leans out of the side of the cab to look back. The source of those oily clouds is finally catching up to the point that the source is coming into view. And it's... not a vehicle. Well, it is, to a degree. It's possibly larger than the transport, and a lot more bulky. It's spewing smoke and blue flames from multiple exhaust stacks, sure, it's been armored up the body, and has multiple wheels. But those wheels are affixed to massive hooved legs, and the front of the monstrousity looks like some huge flame chewing demonic bull-beast. ( https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/spectrobes/images/5/51/Torgallup_3D.png/revision/latest?cb=20131224023742 ) The outlaws augmented some kind of turbofauna to create a LITERAL monster truck! As the behemoth starts to close in on the back of the transport it's jagged maw opens wide and a hellish wave of blazing flames spews out across the road before it! 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne looks upon the Monster Truck... and she wants it. "Oh, come to momma..." she mutters, tame that thing, treat it right, and she could make a good li'l monster truck out of it. Oh, cock! It's breathing fire at her! She's got barely enough time to respond, trying to veer out of its way... completely without success. It's lucky for Leyanne... or perhaps unlucky, that she's tethered to the back of Corona's truck because she wipes out off her board... and spends a few moments as a wrecking ball flailing around madly behind the rig. After a few moments she's skating along again on her heels, cussing loudly as she slings up her smoking cannon, and then unhooks the handle from her belt. She turns around, guiding herself until she's directly infront of the Monster Truck. And then she lets go. She doesn't have time to consider what a bad idea this is as she jumps and performs a two-foot drop kick, attempting to either A) enter the driver's cab through the windows, if it has them, or b) if it doesn't, knock the thing out so she can tame/steal/befriend it. 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      So it's a flaming bull-train. Honestly, it could be worse. It could be the Doom Train. Still, Orchid is dodging like a savant in the zone. And it's a good thing too, as she's looking around the area for something she can use to end the fight, and quickly... Oh there's something. It's still somewhat in the distance, but Orchid has her rocket surfboard. She jets away, but not before sending a few more drones, these equipped with hard-hats, out from their hiding places on the big rig. These mets stay attached to the big rig like little limpets, and use their blasters to shoot plasma at the monster truck. 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Solty looks pretty proud of herself after that! She's smiling brightly and waving goodbye to the vehicle that was hit by the bike and went careening away. "Don't be mean anymore!" she calls out to them.      That roaring foghorn makes Solty's ears twitch. "Wh-what was...?" She looks toward the horizon behind them, and her eyes widen as she watches that robo-creature close in on them. She also blinks in surprise at Leyanne's reaction. She likes that thing?!      That billowing flame roars out at them and Solty can't think of anything to do except drop down flat and try to minimize her profile as much as she can. Still the flames crash over her like a wave and she cries out in a long scream as it sears her back and limbs.      When the flames finally pass and Solty slowly stands up, there's an imprint of her left in the soot on top of the cab. "Okay...my turn!" she says, then starts running down the length of the transport. She gains speed quickly, then braces and leaps with all her might, using the back of the transport as a springboard and possibly causing it to buck a bit.      As she flies through the air like a bullet her fists start to glow with a yellow-orange light and if anyone is able to see it they also blur like they are vibrating rapidly. This leaves the impression of a shooting star flying through the air as she closes in on the creature. With both fists stretched out in front of her she aims to slam right into the big skull head of the thing.      "Keeeyaaaaaaaah!!"      If she connects...it may very well send the thing bouncing end over end a couple of times, judging by the powerful shockwave from the initial impact and the explosion of energy that goes along with it. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' With the machine gun out of the way, she now turns her attention to what snow coming after her and the rest of them. "Think they are going to give up?" Nope, they are not giving up the outlaws have messed with some sort of turbo fauna and it's now a literal monster truck coming after them. "Oh for the love of ..." Kotone will level her machine's canon rifle, reload it and then level the weapon at it as more attacks come she will flat out duck and twist the machine as much as it can out of harm's way and what flames do get it don't do too much to it this time. She's soon level again at the monster truck and just unload the entire clip into the thing trying to just cripple the thing so it can't follow them hopefully at least that she plans as the brass goes flying from the ARMED suit's cannon, as she attempts to take out the front wheels. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Dammit dammit dammit!" Corona cusses as she ducks back into the cab, crams the throttle open as far as she can, and pushes the rig for all she's got. Flames roar around the backend all the same, burning into the exterior and only coming up short of the cab because the rig starts to pull away again. Good thing the transport has solid wheels and not rubber tires, or they'd probably been stopped dead with no tread. Probably what the attack was meant to do, burn off the tires. The demonic bull-train-truck doesn't per say have a cab in the sense of a spot for a driver. It does have an area built onto it's back between those exhaust stacks for bandits to ride in, or more likely to haul their ill-gotten goods inside of. When Leyanne launchs herself at the beast-truck aiming for what would be the front of a cab, she essentially ends up slamming her feet into one of it's eyes. Hard. Not to mention she's got a lot of weight to put behind it in the first place. The behemoth lets out a roar, as much confused that something actually hurt that much as it is in pain. Sparks crackling from beneath it's wheels as it skids to one side, and then the other side, trying to keep control despite losing a chunk of vision. Or it might be trying to avoid the drones shooting at it and not doing a very good job, because again, it's lost part of it's vision. This was not how it usually goes. The beast stops a vehicle, the little people take everything off of it, and then it gets to eat what remains. That was how the bandits got rid of evidence and kept their monster truck in shape. Now it wasn't getting that, it was actually getting beat up, and despite it's size and bulk it really doesn't know how to comprehend that. Prey doesn't usually fight back by the time it gets on the scene! To make matters worse (for the monster truck) Solty comes leaping off the transport, and despite a small size slams into it's 'face' almost as hard as the mouse did. It doesn't flip due to it's bulk, but it's haphazard skidding and sliding becomes more aggrivated as it lacks the frame of refernce to deal with this sort of resistance. On top of all that the armored thing is shooting at it's wheels, making it even harder to keep control of it's own momentum. It's hard to get a clear shot due to the hard hooves serving as a fender but with the way it's already skidding side to side the barrage of fire takes several chunks out of it, worsening it's already desperate control issues. Ultimately the bull-train ends up careening back, and getting far enough of a lead despite its shaky control and throw itself sideways in desperation, threatening to slam into the transport once more time. Leyanne and Solty aren't going to get potentially directly crushed being on it's face/head, but the impact is going to shake the transport hard enough that they're all going to feel it regardless if they're on the beast or the big rig. Orchid's the only one in the clear because she ran a head. What is she up to? Maybe something that can help put an end to this fury road? 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne yelps as everyone unloads on HER TRUCK... she can't really blame them, it's kind of scary, but dammit she wants to tame him and call him Clive. If it's male... or even has a gender. "DON'T KILL MY TRUCK!" she yells to the others "I'MMA TAME HIM!" She starts to whale on the middle of his face, trying to knock him out so that she can begin the process of breaking whatever training they've given him... with kindness. When the truck slams into the transport, Leyanne is slammed around hard... hard enough to lose her grip and go under the wheels of the truck-beast. Of course, she's built out of tough stuff, so it's unlikely to kill her, but it's pretty clear she's going to be out of this fight, for no other reason than it's quickly left her behind. "...that sucked..." Leyanne mutters into her radio. "I'll... catch up to you once I've picked all the grit out of my asscheeks... ow..." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      While the hats protect some of Orchid's drones, more are hit by the rampaging Turbofauna.      But suddenly, Orchid returns to the fray, in a dramatic way. She found a truck, mostly wrecked, on the slope of one of the rock outcroppings. It's a big vehicle, and it actually has half its old load in it,and, well... Orchid sent it into the path that soon the monster truck will soon occupy.      Oh, that old load? Mostly shattered and ruined for much applications, but it's still a lot of Mega Diamond in there, which makes the truck something of a wall. 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Since the big monster truck -doesn't- flip...well, that impact hurt Solty somewhat as well. She is stuck to the monster truck's face like a bug on a windshield, and grimacing against the force of the impact. "Nnng...o-ow..." she groans softly before opening her eyes.      Just in time to get smashed between the back of Corona's transport and the monster truck. There might be a Solty-shaped dent in the creature now, and there are noticable arcs of electricity every now and then from Solty's limbs and sides where her armored skin has been compromised. She is shuddering from the pain and damage as she pulls herself free from the indentation, but she manages to hop back onto the transport.      She looks at the creature, then at the chains along the length of the transport...and it looks like a lightbulb goes on in her head. She quickly pulls a lot of the chains loose and forms one long chain out of them, then starts twirling one end. "Okay big guy. If you are some kind of creature then I guess we should try not to kill you. These guys were probably mean to you to get you to do what they wanted. So..."      She takes Leyanne's request to heart and leaps out, dropping a length of chain so it loops around the base of his (its?) horns, then grabs both ends and loops them around her arms several times as she runs alongside the big metal monster. She leaps once again, and when she comes down she digs in hard, using all her super enhanced strength to try and change the course of the creature...straight toward a massive boulder coming up fast!      Hopefully the ensuing crash will knock the critter cold, then they can clear out the bandits and Leyanne can have a cu-...a friendl-....uh...a new truck monster! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone will put the canon back on its hard point as it's empty and the truck needs to be hefted off the truck. She'll move in to use her ARMOUR's strength and her own which is driving it. She will grab on to a section of the offending creature and move to aid Solty in throwing it clear of the truck. "Time for you to go!" Kotone puts everything she has into this and hopefully with her aid? Solty should have little trouble doing the heavy lifting on this part. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona continues to cuss loudly as the turbofauna manages to, despite its staggering, pull up alongside the transport and slam into it. Fortunately Corona is an experienced driver and knows to turn into the collision, so the two forces are pushing against each other. This keeps the rig from being flipped over sideways, sparks flying and metal screeching as the two opposing forces grind against each other. But with the damage done to it's wheels already the bull-train can't keep its speed or its control up long enough to do more and starts to lag off once more. As soon as she feels the force letting up Corona shifts back into high gear and drops the hammer to pull the rig away before the behemoth can come back for another go. Which also conveniently gets the rig chugging ahead of Orchid dropping a wreckage into the middle of the road. The behemoth slams into it, and it's a turn of luck that it still has a bunch of megadiamond in the cargo. That also pummels the bull-train, it's anti-momentum properties farther confounding it's waning strength. The chains snare around the horns, and thanks to the megadiamond truck the behemoth no longer has the momentum to pull free of the improvised lariet. Working in tandem Solty and Kotone heave on the chains, and with a exhausted bullhorn bellow the behemoth keels over and slams its side into the ground. It takes several minutes after that for it's wheels to actually stop spinning. The monsterous turbofauna isn't dead, just knocked out colder than wet fish. Whatever splinters of this bandit gang remain, they're down one very big weapon. Especially if the heroes haul it off for themselves. "Tarnation," Corona mutters over the radio once she's got the rig driving smoothly again. "Y'all mind roundin' up the thugs? Ah don't really wanna risk stopping on the road, Ah'll meet y'all at that truck stop... An' someone check on Tiny." Pause. "And her big gun." Wouldn't want her to loose that. On the side of the rig, one of the reinforced panels used to shore up the trailer had come off an old space freighter hull. Since it was still being used on a hauler technically, Corona hadn't bothered to clean off the old 'DISCOVERY MASTER TRANSPORT' logo. When the behemoth had slammed into the side the logo had gotten scraped up and partially ground off. As the transport rig is driving off it can still be seen, but the -COVERY and MAS- portions are scratched off, leaving it to now read DIS ASTER TRANSPORT. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne will be, by the time someone gets to check on her, tending to Clive. After, of course, securing him with some thick chains that had gotten knocked off Corona's truck somewhere along the way. She binds his muzzle shut, and even tips him onto his wheels for when he wakes up. She thumbs her radio, while waiting for pickup. "Anyone know what works as a tranquilizer on truck-monster megafauna? 'Till I can break the conditioning, Clive is gonna be narked..." 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Solty nods as she hears Corona. "Got it! I'll help round them up!" she radios back, then turns to Kotone and smiles brightly. "Thank you, Miss Kotone! I'm not sure I could have done that without your help!" she says before she heads over to Leyanne. "Are you alright?" she asks. Of course, Leyanne seems fine considering what she is doing. Solty giggles a bit. "Wow! You're really tough! I don't really know anything about truck-monsters or tranquilizers, though." she says, but then gets a bit of a child-like wonder face as she looks at Leyanne's antennae. She slooooowly reaches out toward one... 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is concerned for Leyanne's well being as she'll make sure to sexure her machine at this point. "No problem thanbk you and we need to see if Leyanne needs any help... oh maybe note. I'm afraid you'd have to see if you could hit up the remansts of the two old empries they might know and be able to help you there, Leyanne. You sure you are okay by the way?" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne chuckles to Solty "Oh I'm gonna feel this in the morning." She says motioning to her battered armour, and cracked cybernetic arm, sitting down to lean against one of Clive's wheels, which makes the smaller Solty's attempt to reach her antennae easier. The mouse pauses, then leans a bit closer. "Be gentle, yeah? They're sensitive." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      Orchid makes her way back from the trap she set to where Tiny is, bringing her rocket surfboard to a halt. "So, if you're going to keep it, I may know some people interested in looking at it," she offers. "And I'd be glad to help you with those repairs," she adds, gesturing at the damaged cybernetics. 

:'''{{#var:6704|Solty Revant (6704)}} has posed:'''      Solty actually flinches and stiffens up when it turns out she's been caught! But, Leyanne is nice about it so she lets out a bit of a nervous giggle before slowly reaching out again. She just kind of boops an antenna at first before she giggles a bit more and gently runs one finger along it. "How come you have these? Are you a pokemon-person like Mister Mortimer?" she asks. After all, mice typically don't have little green antennae. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne nods to Orchid with a smile "Cool, they're not gonna hurt him are they?" She motions to the battered form of the truck. "People like road thugs aren't known for being kind to their beasts, poor thing's probably traumatised. I want... to treat him right, you know?" She shivers a bit at the gentle rub, chuckling. "No, I'm Martian. It's a weird feature of Martians here in the multiverse... on more than half of the versions of Mars I've heard of, whatever natives live on Mars - even if human-descended - have antennae. Usually functional ones, at that." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne blinks and looks up at Kotoe, smiling. "I'm good thank you." She says, softly, holding her hand up for a fistbump with Ko. "Battered, beaten up... probably got at least two fucked ribs." She says to her friend. "Arm's shagged... pretty bad, but I've had worse Saturday nights." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      "Some blood samples, maybe," Orchid says. "They wanted to study a live turbo-beast, were willing to pay for that one we had to kill when we looted that refinery. Mind you, this one," she gestures to the creature, "isn't actively projecting hatred for all that is, so I think you may be able to tame it..." She examines the creature, looking for indications of internal injuries. "They might even be willing to help treat those wounds, as thanks for getting to look at a live one." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne nods to Orchid. "They might be able to teach me how to train him. So long as they promise not to hurt him, we're cool." 
}}

6222/Loot Boxes Are Evil

2018-12-17T04:33:13Z

Foxer: Posting log of scene that follows after previous scene.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/12/12
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier - Heatstroke Valley
|Synopsis=No one likes loot box economy. Especially when it a booby trap.
|Cast of Characters=711, 1100, 7, 1119
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "Never reckoned we'd be back in a good long while," Corona murmured as she navigated Foxtrotter down the ramp into the quarry, the steam-mech carrying the cargo crate on one broad shoulder. Rocksfall had been left abandoned since that incident with the Molemen kidnapping miners to sacrifice to their monstrousity. "Since Miss C got the northern mines going again, no one's had reason to reopen this place. Don't look like the Molemen have come up this far anymore, either."     So if it does turn out to be something nasty with the crate Corona figures they'll just throw it down one the holes and bury it. Or blow it up. Or blow it up and bury it in a hole. The point being there wasn't anyone else to suffer within miles, save any moleman that might be down below, but that's not really a concern, the subterrainian jerks. It was basically just a giant hole in the rocky desert ground now and perfect for this sort of thing away from a populated area. Or prying eyes. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' There's the whirring whine of a gas turbine as Leyanne pulls Skrat up to the hole. "Stay here and guard." She tells the bike's onboard AI, before wandering up to Kotone, carrying an M2 browning for extra protection. It's kind of scary how easily she carries the heavy machine gun, casually slinging it up onto one shoulder like a smaller being might a shotgun. "Evening Corona." She says, happily 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa was on edge about this box,m she has no idea what iwas in it so dangerous, and the Molemenb might show up. The fact the guys who found it had someone who ratted his boss out about this? Notbaley he was afraid it would get their whole crew killed, and then the Black Hats were after it too. So here she was a bit after Leyanne to see just what is going on with this. "You know we might want ot crack this open somewhere better equipped..." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke will have to catch a ride with someone else; the Mini Cooper that Leyanne gifted him last Christmas might not be able to handle the terrain out this way, and he doesn't want to chance it getting damaged out here. There are probably enough vehicles heading out this way that he shouldn't have much to worry about getting a ride out this way though, so he isn't worried. Besides, traveling by Crazy Diamond fastball special is always an option too. Well, either way, he ends up out here, and he's wearing that mostly-brown outfit he wears hen he's in this world. It always seems appropriate to wear, since it almost looks western. All he needs is a cowboy hat! Though... he probably wouldn't ever wear one over his prized 'do, so this will have to suffice. ANYWAY. He greets the others with one of his signature goofy grins and a wave. "Hi!" he chirps. And Kotone's concern? "I'm sure it'll be OK. I think it's a better idea to bring it out to a place like this, where there's not a lot of people. Just in case it blows up or something." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "That, an' most 'better equipped' places are the first places Copperchoke's gonna send his boys looking for it," Corona adds in reply. "Miss C don't want this nowhere near the Depot 'til we know for sure what's in it." The steampunk ride armor hissed from various pneumatics as it crouched down and slid the crate off it's shoulder. A light thump followed as the container was put on the ground.     " 'Sides," Corona continued as she stood the machine back up. She flipped a few switchs and an audible thrum came from Foxtrotter as the steam turbines within it's bulky lower arms spun up. "This baby's got more than 'nuff power to get it open." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne chuckles softly as she looks up at Foxtrot, nodding. "And if he can't, I can. I've got a lot of strength, and some high-tech welding tools on board Skrat." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     "I think she's more worried about what's in it, more than whether we have enough firepower to get it open," Josuke points out to Corona. "I admit I'm worried about it too -- if the Black Hats wanted it, it's probably nothing good -- but I'd rather not put other people in danger from whatever might be in there. I think we can handle it, and if not, I'd feel better running away if it was here than if it was in a populated area." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "Yes Josuke, but I seen things, I went to an earth infested by nanites, I saw things I wish I could forget. Still your right away from any large population is good, just just get ready, right?" She'll turn her systems to Autisitc mode. She takes a deep rbeath now and she's also packing plasma grenades on her hips, she's a ready as she's going to be. "Great, I just hope my face doesn't get melted off again..." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "Yer all concerned 'nuff to be here, that's more than plenty... So let's get on with it!" Under Corona's ... well, precise is not the word for it, but her control is top notch all the same. The Foxtrotter clamps both of it's big mechanical hands onto the sides of the front of the crate, metal creaking audibly as the chunky digits dig into it. One tug. Two tugs. Corona pulls back fully on both control sticks and steam bellows out of the elbow ducts of the arms with enough intensity to whistle loudly as the full power is used.     Then the hinges finally snap off and the Foxtrotter staggers back a few stomping steps with the recoil. The hatches still held in its hands. And out of the opening spilling the contents of the crate!     ... Literally spilling, as a heap of various machine parts and scrap metal tumble out of the opening into a pile in front of it...     The steam-armor settles to rest the edge of the hatchway on the ground as Corona grabs the rollcage to lean forward. "Well that ain't what Ah would be expectin'. Ah knew they were excavating down there but this is ju--No, wait a moment." The fox hopped out, parkouring down one mecha arm and jumping off to land by the pile of parts and rummage in it a bit. "Somethin' ain't right bout this...." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne nods in agreement as she peers into the crate, narrowing her eyes. "Huh." She says, softly, with a frown. "Agreed. This is odd..." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke nods to Kotone's warning, and summons Crazy Diamond. He places the Stand between himself and the location that the box is at, so he has that as a buffer if it explodes immediately. He braces for something to happen... and it DOES! Though not quite what he was expecting to happen. The box spills out... scrap metal? Corona seems to be confused too! Josuke walks nearer the box and pouts thoughtfully. "...Think it was just a trick?" he asks. "Maybe they hid the stuff somewhere else? Or... maybe the whole thing was a trick to get us to incriminate ourselves? Since... well, without knowing that the Black Hats are working for Copperchoke, it does kinda look like we just up and robbed their train..." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa watis and watch as Corona goes to pop the crate open and she mutters as she looks at it as it start to open she looks at hte parts, the metals with in she states for a moment. She just stares. "Man this reminds me of the last gacha game I played." She's glad Josuke is here iwth his ability to fix and heal thinhgs with his stand. She looks over it for a moment. "Maybe it needs to be put together or ... it was a bait and switch..." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "Yer half right Jo. There's somethin' hidden a'right. In here." Corona grunts as she tugs a piece of machine loose from the pile. "Koto, Tiny, look at this." The fox turns and holds the device up over her head. "Famil'ar ain't it?" It looks like some kind of turbocharger.... At a closer look, it's the kind of over-modded turbocharger they'd seen used in The Line. "That goat's been dealin' off-world and hidin' it in salvage from other regions for his own gang to steal."     While Corona is showing off the piece she found the pile rattles behind her. Just settling from something being pulled out... Or maybe not, as a spherical device pops out of the scrap pile. It glows as it spins in the air, giving off electromagnetic signals as the machinery is pulled up around it, pieces magnetically latching together to form thick vagely arm and leg like limbs of a mismash of pieces that aren't quite directly connected to the globe of junk that forms around the spherical core, exhaust pipes jutting at angles from the shoulders and tesla spikes randomly protruding out of its parts.     "But why would he be workin' so hard to hi--" Corona stops as a shadow rises to loom over her. Ears slick back. ".. Ah bugger.." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "Wait that's a charger from the Line it's almot the same model I put on my bike for the race or close enough." She pauses as it comes on line parts start to combine about it. She pauses looking up behind them and going for a pistol. "Oh this is so not good..." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "Hey! That's not a bad idea!" Josuke replies with a bright smile. "I could try to fix it, see what it turns into?" he suggests. "I mean... there's no way of knowing if it's anything of use, and this might just all be a bunch of junk. But even if so, you might get a new piece of equipment out of it." Though Corona brings their attention to something else, and Josuke peers at it. He wasn't there in The Line, so he doesn't recognize it. But it doesn't look like any technology they have here, that's for sure. Josuke nods to Corona's explanation. "Makes sense. It's easier to get it, so why not try to find technology that no one in this world has seen before, to try to accomplish... whatever it is he's aiming for. It's actually Corona's muttered exclamation that draws his attention back up... and his eyes go wide. "Oh <great>..." he mutters himself. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne blinks and peers at it. "Man something like that - especially if he can get hyperglass tech - is gonna really upset the balance of power in these parts..." she comments. " Ah hyperglass turbo can be relatively easily adapted to be a hyperglass steamturb-" The mouse trails off when she hears corona's exclaimation, swinging down her Ma Deuce and taking hold of the grab handle. "Fucking figures there'd be more security on it." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Leyanne probably has the right idea, or something close to it. But not really the time to worry about it.     "Sometimes it sucks bein' rawht!" Corona yelps as she scampers away to jump back into the Foxtrotter, shoving the turbocharger into a compartment to keep it away.     But before she can get back to the controls proper the Scrap Devil shoots one of its hands to grab onto the mech and magnetically pull it back. And wraps it's other arm around Foxtrotter, trying to pull the chassis open. Though it doesn't look like it's trying to get that specific part back. More like it was trying to pull off machinery in general. Maybe to try and add to itself.     Corona kicks one of the fingers trying to grip into the cockpit loose, but the golem has the mech's arms pinned down with it's death hug. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke seeks to get out of the way of the massive scrap machine. Though he summons his Stand anyway -- he's going to need it! There's no way he can tangle with this mechanized monstrosity bare-handed. He immediately sees a problem -- the more things they wreck, the more scrap it's going to be able to draw to itself and create a bigger and more dangerous machine. So rather than wrecking it, Josuke gets another idea. He gets closer to the monstrosity while it's engaged in trying to rip apart the Foxtrotter, trying to stay out of direct range. He can't be TOO far away, since his Stand is short range, but he'll use every bit of space he's got. Crazy Diamond is deployed, and the Stand immediately begins to punch violently at the legs. But the astute will notice an orange-gold aura around the Stand's fists. He's not trying to BREAK the legs. He's trying to FIX the parts that have been mashed together. The idea is that, hopefully, if the scrap isn't in scrap, but instead in a functioning machine, that it won't be able to be a part of this thing anymore. Also there's a chance that some of this stuff could be useful against this thing if it was in functioning shape. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa gets half an idea to dive into the golem and then thinks hbetter of it, she's about toopen fire but then it hits her Josuke is here. The sector's resident healer and mechanic when it comes to his power so she'll not shoot at the thing but will mnove to try and cover Josuke as he works to /fix/ the parts that make up the golem. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne cusses loudly as it grabs hold of Foxtrot, bringing Ma Deuce around. She pauses a moment. "Don't flinch, Corona." Leyanne warns, just in case Foxtrot has fancy controls that follow the user's arm movements. She stands completely still, planting her feet firmly into the ground. "Fire in the hole!" she warns. Somehow, the warning isn't quite enough. When the big 50-cal wakes up, in such a confined space, it's truly cacaphonous, echoing and almost a physical wall of noise in its own right. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Ma Deuce lives up to the roar it makes when awakening, the high caliber weapon screaming volleys into the golem's body. Chunks of metal go flying as they're hit hard enough to dislodge from the magnetic field the thing formed itself out of. Sort of like ablative armor, taking damage but preventing the big gun from damaging that spherical core within. At least for the time being.     It does get the golem's attention though and it releases one arm from holding the Foxtrotter to point it towards Leyanne and return fire. By fire I mean it launches it's metal fist at her much like it did to grab the steam-mech in the first place.     The hodgepodge of random parts make it difficult for there to really be anything coherently constructed out of it... but after a few punches from Crazy Diamond a large piston that was only being used as a support strut gets hit enough times to start actually pumping again. Which causes the leg to start to thump and vibrate erratically. It's off balance for a moment, and long enough for Corona to use the Foxtrotter's jump boosters to pry itself free from the remaining arm. The back of the golem shifts parts around, until the surface of the core becomes partially visible, giving it an appearance of a giant mechanical eye peering out. It glows for a few moments and then fires a laser down behind it. It doesn't have the higher functions to 'see' the Stand, so it's just firing at the two inviduals it can actually detect back there. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke definitely does flinch at the noise from Leyanne's Ma Deuce, and there's a break in Crazy Diamond's punching. And some of the scrap is probably going to get warped a little as he tries to fix it -- whoops! Hopefully it won't be too big a deal. Meanwhile Josuke makes a mental note to bring earplugs next time he comes to Brimsteel. Which might actually not be a bad idea anyway, really. But yeah. The shoulder of the Stand is hit pretty hard by the laser, and both Crazy Diamond and Josuke get thrown back, the former disappearing and the latter emitting a cry of surprise and pain. Fortunately that was the Stand that got hit and not Josuke, otherwise he'd probably have lost an arm. As it is it actually takes him a moment to get back up, and he's holding that shoulder as he gets to his feet again, a wince of pain on his face. Yeah, that hurt. Though suddenly he gets a different idea... One would think that after taking a hit like that, that he'd be reluctant to get close again. And he is. But he's got to, to make a try at this. He deploys Crazy Diamond again, but this time instead of trying to fix the scrap, he tries to 'fix' it -- that is, purposely warp it. Maybe that'll make it more difficult for the thing to move AND to add to itself from other scrap. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne tries to dive aside from the fist but... unfortunately, she's a big target, and it takes a moment to un-brace from firing the 50-cal before she can properly get moving. So she's knocked sideways by the glancing blow. She hauls herself to her feet "Shoot the core!" she suggests, re-settling herself and once again opening up with Ma Deuce. Sometimes, she really loves the fact that she has top of the line augments... and today is one of those times. Because Josuke and Crazy Diamond are /real/ damn close... and the thing is holding onto Corona... and she's got to make sure that none of her rounds are going to hit them. Ma Deuce's thumping takes on a staccato tone now, each break in her rhythm indicating a moment when the rounds might have hit a friendly target and Leyanne took her finger off the trigger for a split second to allow the barrel to track past them. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa watches as Josuke's power seems to be working as he's somehow able to get some parts working again. She will also level her pistopl at the core not as she leaps back opening fire even as she's falling in the air, to do what? As along vanished Union elite once said, shoot the core. Which is still sound advice which is just what she's going to do. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Josuke seems to have hit on a good idea, and with a little more thought to the application it works wonders. This time when Crazy Diamond focuses where it punchs it causes the machinery in the knee joint to fix itself, this time into something that isn't suppose to move at all and effectively locking the leg in place. The Scrap Golem doesn't seem to notice until after it's pulled its hand back from long-range punching Leyanne and then finds itself unable to do more than pivot on that leg. Not quite enough to stop it from turn around entirely, but it's anchored in that spot. It quickly slides scrap back around the core, though not before Kotone does get a few quick shots in. It actually stops at this for a moment. It keeps covering its core back up, but that big calibre gun of the Martian's is quickly leaving less and less scrap on the core to do so. Then the tesla spikes jutting out of its body light up, sending arcs of current racing around it's body. Crazy Diamond might get a jolt if it keeps trying to punch it. No one can touch it now and make its limbs not work. No ONE. But another machine, one that doesn't have a lot of electronics to get zapped, is another matter. The Foxtrotter clamps its large actuators onto the golem from behind, sparks flying from metal contacting electrified metal, but there's little in the anachronistic Brimsteel engineering to be shorted out. Exhaust screams like a banshee out of the smokestacks as Corona pushes its steam-driven power to the max to actually pull the junk part shell away from the core. "Like she said. SHOOT TH'CORE!" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Yeah... unfortunately, Josuke doesn't see the lighting up until it's too late! And so he gets a jolt, all right! Fortunately, again, it was the Stand that took the brunt of it. Still hurts, though. And it also tosses him back again, with a yelp. The Stand disappears as it did before. Though this time Josuke doesn't immediately get up. Electricity is a lot different than a laser blast. He needs a bit to shake that off. He's far enough out of the way to not get trampled, so he should be all right while he recovers. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne, on the other hand, doesn't even need to be hit by the electricity to be affected by it. She winces at the EM backlash from each zap and arc, cussing loudly. Not that it can be heard over the ongoing hail of dakka from the mouse. She's built up quite a respectable stack of casings and discarded links now as she continues to try and hammer through that armour to hit the core. The moment a gap bigger than a few inches opens, even for a moment, the mouse retargets her aim onto it, sweeping the barrel across the Scrap Devil's form to try and perforate that core through the swirling maeltrom of junk it calls armour. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' If they can keep it on the defence they might have a pretty good chance. She notices the Tessla spikes, oh man this is gfoing to get bad. She keeps moving and shooting the core as she foes they scrap can't hold out forever, she should have brought a bigger gun as she keeps shooting. "Why didn't I bring a bigger gun with me!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' There's a horrible wrenching sound and the Foxtrotter goes crashing over backwards as the chunks of the scrapmetal armor it was holding onto break free from the piling damage. But not before a multitude of shots from Leyanne and Kotone hammer away at the core within. "Of all the dang fangle slag smeltin' hogwash!" Corona cusses as she can't get the mecha armor to stand back up. The golem however is lying in literal pieces on the ground, while the core sparks and crackles hovering over the remains. It's full of holes from all the hits it took while vulnerable, levitating but not able to spin enough to get its mag-field flowing again and pull the remains together as quickly. Corona climbs out of the toppled armor, and remembering what she's seen Crazy Diamond do with bullets before, runs over to help Josuke up. Then pulls a clip of specialized ammo from her belt and hands it to him. "Have yer thinger shoot these at it! They'll null that field with non-conductive material!" She'd give some to Leyanne but she doesn't have them in her big gun's size. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne growls as the core is exposed nad just continues to pump firepower into it. She's using copper-jacketed tungsten rounds, which may or may not help considering they're probably just punching straight through, rather than imbedding into the core. "Just frickin' stop already!" she snarls. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke looks dazed, but when he hears Corona's voice he shakes his head to clear it. He gets to his feet, with Corona's help. Might wobble a little -- ow. Getting shocked by proxy hurts too! There are bullets being handed to him too! That'll help! He only keeps wooden pellets on his person these days, since while Hamon can be conducted through metal, it's inorganic so metal won't HOLD the charge. "Thanks!" he chirps at Corona, and summons his Stand again. He does hand the bullets off to Crazy Diamond, directing the Stand to fire them at the core of the thing. he won't be firing them as fast as an automatic gun, or even a semi-automatic, but he's trying to aim for what might be weak places -- seams, holes, circuits, anything that looks like it could break and cause more damage to the thing. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' The fight goes onward and she's still shooting until the core finally is taken down she'll stop and lower her weapon lookin a the core and moves back and she'll fire evne more rounds at it emptying what's left of her pistol and then replacing the mag with a fresh one and she keeps on shooting. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' The electromagnetic core does slowly manage to pull a few pieces of scrap up again, but it's hardly enough to keep the barrage of gun fire at bay. Without layers and layers of metal those rounds just punch holes right through everything, rendering it useless and keeping the core pinned down between Leyanne's streams of fire and Kotone's more precise shots. Keeping it from reforming a protective shell leaves it wide open to the special ammo fired via Crazy Diamond. On impact the shells burst and spray a coating that quickly semi-hardens into a rubbery material. Notibly a rubbery non-conductive material. A few hits are enough to coat the core to the point that it can't put any electromagnetic charge out and the remains of scrap fall useless as it drops to the ground. Corona lets out a sigh of relief when the thing finally stops being a nusiance, rubbing the side of her head. "Ah dunno if they found that on The Line or whatever they were diggin in the wreckage area, but either way Copperchoke is gettin' his grubby mits on stuff he shouldn't be." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke breathes a sigh of relief as the now rubber-coated core of the thing falls. "Whew," he sighs. "<Great> idea, by the way!" he says, of Corona's idea to cover the thing with non-conductive stuff. "I dunno if we'd have been able to dismantle it without giving it more ammunition. Or... well, building blocks." However that works. And of course, the first concern is always, "Is everybody OK?" He looks around to see if anybody else got hurt, since he can try to fix it if so. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne releases Ma Deuce's triggers and looks at the thing, once it's knocked down. "Job done." she says, with a snort, nodding at the other two. "Agreed. And he's going places that've got enough problems without him adding to them." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa stops shootuing as the rubbierized attack is laid out, the thing finally falls to the ground for a moment "Why is there somethign from the Line, or do you think some Turbo Fauna moved to your planet? That could pose a problem if they did." She thinks musing ofr a moment "I'm fine no damage for once, thanks for chekcing, So now what are we going to do now? We should certainly look into this." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona adjusts her hat. "Ah'm fine pardner. Foxtrotter will take some fixin' but that's the norm." She walks over to pick up the now disabled magnetic core with one hand. "Will have to make sure this gets locked up in something it can't magnetize." Then pauses, squinting one eye at the spheroid. "Or figger out how to control it." "Ah doubt anythin's moved here on its own Koto... but iffen they found this and tossed it in their stuff without knowin'.. which is part of the problem. They ain't got the experience we do to expect these weird thin's the Line can have." An ear flicks in response to Leyanne. "Tryin' to capitalize on a region that's only recently fully re-established itself with the rest of the Multiverse. Just the sorta schemin' he'd come up with, all for some extra cash." She gives her head a shake. "Gonna have to keep our eyes open." 
}}

6205/Mystery On A Brimsteel Express

2018-12-10T04:47:05Z

Foxer: A group of morally flexible 'good guys' rob a train to keep questionable mysterious goods out of the ends of definate 'bad buy'.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/12/09
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier - Wreckage Zone
|Synopsis=How do you pull a Wild West 'Train Robbery' and still be the 'good guys'? Like this! (and a few plot twists)
|Cast of Characters=711, 571, 1100, 1119, 6381, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     The plan was simple enough. Because of the winding path of the tracks through the Wreckage Zone to avoid the unstable lava gysers and scrap landslides the freightliner wouldn't be able to travel at full supertrain speed yet, so this was the best time to jump it, find the whatever valuable thing Copperchoke was trying to keep a secret, and get away with it. Typical train heist operation... You know, other than who's doing it. But as the local law won't step in even though Copperchoke is a known slimey jerkface, it was up to our intrepid band to pull some role reversal and take the matter into their own hands.     But how, might one ask, do you catch a train? Even at it's slower speed the super-freighter was still going too fast for horses or motorcycles... But not fast enough to outrun The Line and those who delt with it.     The answer is what comes roaring out from admist the rock formations after the train had passed and speeding down the tracks behind it. A six-wheeled off-road truck that Corona rigged up with speed-boosting tech she learned from her adventures in The Line to get it revving more than fast enough to be quickly gaining on the freight train. Corona of course was behind the wheel, while Windrose sat in the passenger seat of the cab working some other greebly equipment. Everyone else was able to ride in the open back so they could easily jump onto the train once Corona gets close. There's saftey straps and such back there.... But knowing her friends Corona suspects that won't see much use until they've got to strap the goods down.     As they're closing in on the rear of the locomotive Corona leans back a little to shout through the open rear window. "And someone be sure to get up on the caboose! There's likely a lookout in the li'l cabin on top! Ev'ryone else get on the train and make yer way to the main freight car however ya see fit." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     It'd been a long time since Maaka had robbed a train. The last one was going at super-sonic speeds, requiring her to make an effort to climb aboard while it had been at the station before making her move, and explosive charges needed to be planted ahead of time in order to stop the train for another part of the plan.     It was a colossal failure, she was forced off by guards posted packing enough firepower to send Tokyo Tower into orbit.     THIS was going to be much different, she thought. 'At least this isn't going at near mach 1.' The cyborg was going light, and had gone to the trouble of donning a mask as well to go with her mostly concealing outfit. The coat would've slowed her down if she wanted to make the leap, and she didn't see much reason to bring stealth gear.     Clinging to the side of Corona's truck, Maaka nodded to the vulpine engineer. <"Copy that, I'll take care of that."> She radios, waiting for when they're close enough to make her move. Once she makes the jump, Maaka fires out a line from her grapple gun and ascends toward the caboose, climbing aboard using paramagnetic gloves. If the guard is up top, Maaka will take care of him with a little CQC. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' The mouse... isn't with Corona and Maaka. Nope. She's way, way up above, waiting for the signal. A signal that comes in the form of Maaka making the leap across. At that, the rodent banks over hard and drops out of the sky, matching speed with the train as she levels out behind it, pulling alongside Maaka for Leyanne to give a cocky salute before rocketing forward towards the engine. Once she arrives there, she detatches her jetwing and drops the last ten or fifteen feet onto the roof. She grabs hold of something with her organic arm and just starts try and punch her way through. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     A train robbery. An '''HONEST-TO-GOD''' train robbery, in what could qualify for 'the old west' despite all its technology. And a crapload of other differences. But who cares, it's a TRAIN ROBBERY! How often does a guy get to do something like this, and have it be completely justified -- morally, if not legally? Josuke is '''inordinately''' excited to be doing this, particularly against slimy guys like the Copperchoke people. About the only thing keeping him from bouncing in his seat excitedly is that he'd probably go flying out of the truck if he did.     He's wearing that brown-colored outfit with the lime green turtleneck -- the one he tends to wear when he does stuff where dust and debris might be more of a problem. Though he's also got a bandana tied over his nose and mouth -- just as much to protect from road grit as to hide his identity. Though one might wonder why; that hair is pretty distinctive, and he doesn't have it covered.     Maaka and Leyanne appear, the latter startling Josuke a little, and he takes that as his cue to get over there. He gets to his feet, quickly calling forth Crazy Diamond. His means of getting over there isn't anything particularly special; he just has his Stand throw him over the distance. Hopefully Maaka takes care of the lookout without issue, otherwise, the lookout is gonna have about 180 pounds of Amerasian flying at his head!     Once he gets close enough, Josuke re-summons his Stand to catch him so he doesn't bounce, slide, or otherwise hurt himself. Wouldn't do to go hurtling off the top of the train, after all. That would be a nasty fall. 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     As the truck pulls up to the train, Nova is just finishing her preparations. She slides the clip into her rifle and pulls on the bolt to chamber a round. She's not expecting to need her rifle in this situation, but she always equips herself with the expectation of surprises.     Nova stands as the truck reaches the rear train car, steadying herself on the fast moving vehicle before quickly and easily jumping clear of the vehicle. Landing on the rear car's balcony, Nova moves to press herself against the rear wall. She glances in through a window, before reaching up to pull her visor down over her eyes. Blue light washes over her and within moments she's vanished from view.     The rear door opens slowly on its own, which might look a little weird to anyone inside who happens to see. But that's not a big deal as far as Nova's concerned. This isn't actually a stealth mission after all. But by starting off that way, Nova is hoping it'll be easier to move through the train cars towards the one with the mission cargo. Which is what Nova starts to do. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' As everyone else boards the train someone else was here, she's got a tip from one of the train owner's workers who had serious misgivings about this shipment. So she would go snoop about given the world was pretty much lawless she had enough room to snoop, she has old habits and they die hard. She was cloaked and could remain so for some time she's away in an equipment storage car. She's huddled away trying to find out more when she has a chance but for now, she's been trying to keep hidden and has been on the train for some time. If she only knew who was dropping in on the train, for now, though she sits and waits unaware of anything else is about to happen. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     There is a guard in the mini-cab atop the caboose, and one has to wonder how he didn't see the approaching six-wheeler truck considering that, like a lot of utility vehicles on Brimsteel, it's partially a vivid construction green in color (yellow doesn't show through the local duststorms well enough).     When she gets up there Maaka can see why though. The coyote is paying more attention to fiddling with a transciever, until he finally gets it tuned in and the opening theme for a local radio show, The Iron Horseman, warbles through the static. Satisfied he sets it down and turns away, only to see the woman climbing up the outside with her magnetic gloves, and scrambles to reach for his rifle and get out the cab window.     Which turns out to be a bad idea as the sudden DYNAMIC ENTRY from Josuke slams into him, sending the canid over backwards and slamming against the other end of his lookout cab, out like a light.     "Oh god, he's got THAT thing playing again." grumbles one of the guards down in the caboose proper, complaining about the radio above and not knowing what else it's drowned out. He and the three others are sitting around a table and, what else, playing poker. They all probably have cheat cards tucked away somewhere, too. The other plays a card, then the gopher reachs over to smack one of the others on the head. "Idjit! Ya forgot to latch the door and now it's flappin' open!" The guy he smacked mutters, and puts his cards face down on the table to get up and close the door. Hopefully Nova can squeeze by him to remain unseen.     And of course the other three guards are trying to peak at the fourth's cards while he's up, so at least they're already distracted.     The construction of the train car is durable, but it's no match for the bionic Martian arm and a few punchs is all it takes to put a hole in it. Once she drops through the opening Tiny would find herself in a crew cabin. And a lot of crewmen... Who all just back away from her. "Don't hurt us! We just work for the company!" They're all in overalls and such and don't have any weapons, just a bunch of grungy frontier blue collar laborers. Though her hammering blows may attract attention from elsewhere in the train, too.     Once everyone is on the train Corona pulls away from the side a bit. "How're we doin'?"     "Right on the mark," Windrose replies as the skunkette looks up and points ahead. "There's the ridge ahead. Turn here and angle to remeet the tracks ahead and we should come out closer to the target car as well."     "Then away we go!" Corona cranked hard on the wheel and the off-roader turned just as sharp, disappearing around the other side of the scrappile ridge. <"We're on the side road to remeet the train ahead. Yer all on yer own fer a bit."> 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne slips a big revolver from its holster and gestures it towards the roof. "Hands where I can see them please, gents." She says, her face hidden behind her helmet's mask. "I don't have a beef with you. I just need to make sure you're not going to cause me any problems. This is, as I'm sure you've surmised, a robbery. Please don't do anything stupid." She secures them with cable ties, opening the door to the room she finds herself in and looking for signs of trouble. "Tiny here, I'm on board at the engine." She reports 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     As the guard starts to walk towards her, Nova doesn't risk even trying to squeeze by. She instead silently jumps to pull herself up to the ceiling and holding herself there, patiently waiting for the guard to pass by below. Once he does, she once again silently drops down and begins moving the rest of the way through the car.     Passing by the guards, Nova takes the opportunity to briefly glimpse into their minds... And catches on to their cheating ways. With just a little bit of applied telekinesis, Nova tries to force the hidden cheat cards from one of the guards to fall to the ground out in the open, where the others can see. Hopefully it'll serve as a good distraction for Nova to get through the next door. And hey, if they beat each other up in the process, bonus! 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Nice timing, dude." Maaka gives a thumbs up at Josuke's minty fresh entrance, JUST in time too. Otherwise that guard would be suffering a case of .45 lobotomy. This is much, much neater. She begins to make her way across the top of the train, leaping over the gaps, making sure she doesn't trip and fall over the edge.     Eventually she stops at a car, producing a laser cutter and melting herself a hole to drop through. Once it's done, she kicks the chunk of metal and leaps in, prepared for what awaits. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     "Oof!" Fortunately that radio program seems to be loud enough to drown out the sound of Josuke's impact with the lookout. Also fortunate -- hitting the lookout slowed him considerably, so Crazy Diamond has no trouble catching him and making certain he doesn't go careening off the train. Maaka's words get a nod. "That wasn't exactly how I expected that to happen, but it works." He offers a grin and a thumbs-up in Maaka's direction nonetheless.     Josuke will leave the radio alone, specifically for that reason -- so it can drown out their travel, at least for a small radius. Once he's not going to fall off, he replies over his own radio to Corona, <"Gotcha. Be careful."> Then he starts over the train, staying on the roof. He's staying up there to make sure he can at least slow down any guards that come in from atop the train. Or, failing that, to warn the others they're coming. He's also monitoring the comms as best as he can, just in case someone has some trouble, so he can go there immediately to help. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' There were sounds of something going on Kotone picked it up but did not move for the moment she needs to know just what's going on here but it seems she's not the only one on the train that isn't working for its owner. She wonders who it is? Though she has a hunch about it. Oh heavens this was going to get messy, Kotone was going to attempt to keep hidden and figure out just who is here and why. Though form the sounds of it the arrivals are going to be at her car shortly and she's going to have to make up her mind. If it's not whom she thinks it is? It could be so much worse than the current guy who has cargo right now having them. So she takes a moment to pause and brace herself for whoever is about to come crashing through her car. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     The door is yanked on to make sure it's shut and locked this time, and by the time he goes back to the table the other three have resumed their positions. He picks up his cards, looks at them, and goes to put more chips in the pot. The next guy over goes to raise his bet to match, and as he's doing so an Ace of Hearts slips out of his sleeve.     "Hey, he has an ace up his sleeve!" Another guy slams his cards down on the table. "That's not possible, I have all four aces!" The guy next to him puts down his cards. "So do I!" ".. Idiot, those are four Ace of Spades! There's only one in a deck." "Don't lecture me, you're cheating too!"     The gopher stands up, and grabs both of them by the heads and smacks them together three stooges style. "Iffen yer gonna cheat, at least do it RIGHT!"     The fourth guy pauses. "... Is this were I'm suppose to flip the table so you can all grab different cards ye--" And gets interrupted by a punch as the argument devolves into a fist fight as Nova slinks away. Well at least no one was holding the Dead Man's Hand.     The workers all comply with Tiny tying them up without issue. In fact it might actually feel a little rehersed like they were planning on it. Then again, train robberies aren't exactly uncommon in the farther reachs of Brimsteel either, they might just be experienced with the routine. Either way, Leyanne is free to move on to the next car. Though once moving on she's going to come across a few guards that heard her pounding on the roof, and these ones aren't afraid to start shooting when they spot her.     Though one of them does peer at her, and lean closer to another to mutter something about how she doesn't look like 'the other bandits'. What other bandits? It didn't sound like anyone else in the group had been spotted.     Maaka's method of making a hole is less attention getting as she cuts her way into one of the equipment cars. There's no guards to be seen here, yet.     What there IS to see is, if she looks closely enough as she passes through the car, some of the drills and jackhammers are a lot more... uh... modern is the wrong term, considering Corona's own creations are pretty advanced... With less of the greebles and retropunk flare of Brimsteel's usual anachronistic style? That sounds more accurate. Leaving the question of where those came from. But not the main objective of the mission right now, either.     As he's keeping watch on the roof Josuke would find it to have been a good idea to do so. He's got clear sight of several armed guards climbing onto the rooftops farther up the train, closer to where Leyanne pounded her way in. Which means they're not looking towards the back of the train just yet. An oppritunity to do something about them.     Despite the opposite ends approach and some resistance here and there, the group as a whole is not far from their objective of the locked down freight car in the middle of the train. They should be able to be inside and ready to haul whatever the loot is out again by the time Corona reconvienes with the transport.     And they still don't know Kotone is in there either. Who needs a cardboard box?! 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Hn." Maaka notes the advanced technology, snagging some of the tools for later. <"Grabbed some gear, these guys have some kit that's way too advanced looking for this world. Even for the biggest players around here, much less."> She comments, stuffing them into her MattMan's inventory as the equipment seems to dissipate into the little device one by one.     She settles for about three of each, before she goes back to the job, going through to the next car with her pistol out and loaded. The suppressed FNX-45 is all she brought, but it'll do just fine for close-quarters combat, as Maaka checks the smart-link installed in the grip, checking corners as she goes. 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     Nova just invisibly shakes her head a little at the scuffle behind her as she slips into the next car.     Maaka probably won't be surprised as Nova appears from nowhere beside her. Having caught up to her, Nova replies, "They probably either 'borrowed' the equipment from someone... Or someone not local to this area is influencing things."     Nova begins to move through the next cars along with Maaka. She doesn't have her rifle drawn though, the large weapon attached to her back. The quarters on the train are far too close for such a weapon. Instead Nova has psi-blade out, the weapon glowing with its blue psionic energy.     Nova probes ahead with her psychic senses, trying to get some advanced warning on any hostiles that might be in their way to the objective. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Seeing the armed guards heading for the car he saw Leyanne go into -- or well, near enough to it that he doesn't like where they are -- he mutters, "...Crap." Over the comms (hopefully everyone's on the same frequency), he warns, <"Careful, we have armed guards up of the top of the train."> He of course gives their location. <"I'll try to keep 'em busy.">     Now, he's taken to carrying small bags of wooden pellets since his ancestor Jonathan Joestar taught him Hamon. Why wooden? Because wood is organic, and organic substances hold a Hamon charge long enough for his Stand to flick a charged pellet at a target.     So he fishes some of those pellets out of his pocket, summoning his Stand only partway -- to those who can see it, Crzy Diamond would appear to be sticking out of his back. That he's crouching on the roof to avoid being blown off by the wind makes this a little easier. He passes the pellets to his Stand... and then pauses. Concentrate. Breathe out, push EVERY BIT of air out. Hold. Breathe in like it's his very first breath.     When he feels the warmth begin to build, he transfers it to the pellets through his Stand... and then Crazy Diamond begins flicking the pellets at the guards. These guys wouldn't be terribly affected by a Hamon charge, but it would ensure that the pellet survived the trip, and it might make it strong enough to do some actual damage -- since if these guys are armed, they're probably armored too. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne ducks into the cover of the door between cars as shots ring out, leaning out of cover to engage in the other staple of wild western train robberies; the gunfight between carriages. Unfortunately for the Company goons, Leyanne's armour can stand up to most pistol-calibre rounds without trouble; after a few moments she just stands in the doorway and takes the fire, returning it in kind like Robocop might. When her gun runs dry, the mouse marches forward and just choke-slams the nearest remaining goon. SHe ducks back into cover when she hears the sharp crack of a rifle and the running gunfight resumes 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' The Train Bandits are making good progress here and Kotone will be finding out very soon, she would watch as Leyanne makes her move and moves to take down the company goons while she keeps under cover. She would end up not doing the smart thing in the world as she moves to find Leyanne behind cover and a disembodied voice goes. "So what's a nice mouse like you doing in a place like this?" Its' clearly Kotone's voice and she decloaks. "Seem my plan's on fire now..." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Either of Nova's conclusions could be right... And neither of them very reassuring. Copperchoke was a scumbag of an industrialist, as anyone in the group that has dealt with the obnoxious goat can contest to. Yes, goat, as in that's what anthropomorphic animal he is, as well as general demeanor. Meanwhile as they move through the last few cars there's not much resistance, and a lone guard or two is easily put out of commission with Maaka's stun weapon. The worst they'll wake up with is a headache, and they're probably accustomed to being hungover as it is.     Part of that is because a good portion of the guards went in the direction that the most noise came from and crossed paths with the cause of said noise. Resulting in a run and gunfight through the last few cars, but they don't really have anything that can do more than maybe plunk the Martian Mouse a little. Brimsteel firearms may be a little more advanced than their Old West counterparts, but Copperchoke is a cheap bastard so none of these security grunts have fancier than revolvers with clockwork autoloaders. It's a furious gunfight but it's not going to last too long before her superior firepower, sheer infragability in comparison to them, and a little unseen help from Kotone to convince them they're very outmatched. It quickly has the ones that aren't put out cold backing off.     The other group had gone up onto the roof, stopped to inspect around the hole made by Leyanne. "They're early," one of them mutters.     "... Who's earl--" A second replies, but he's cut off by something nailing him in the side. He oofs loudly and, while the shot itself isn't all that harmful, the force is enough to knock him over and falling down the hole in the roof. The others turn to look in the direction they had ignored, but as none of them can see the Stand and Josuke is crouched down low all they see is nothing. Yet anotehr guy yelps as he's nailed and his hat goes flying off. To which the others scramble to get away from the pelting, back down into the train and likely just hiding in a corner of the nearest car. They're not paid enough to deal with ghosts!     In the end, despite coming from opposite directions the two groups would meet the same thing on the sides of the target car -- the doors heavily barred and locked.     Well, heavily by local standards. This crew probably has multiple ways to get them open, or just break their way in.     Inside the locked car it's not hard to find their target. Considering the only thing IN the secured freight car is a large metal crate locked up tight, and this time much like the equipment Maaka saw much more advanced. It's not so big it won't fit in the transport though, so it's probably quicker to get the main boxcar door open to dump it out into the truck, and worry about getting the crate open later.     Though it might strike folks odd that there's no guards in here, and the doors clearly weren't unlocked for them to leave to join the other groups. Something isn't adding up here...     It probably doesn't help that while they're getting situated Corona's voice crackles over the comms <"Pardners, we may need to up the timetable a li'l bit. Got a situation and we're comin' in hot!"> To which Windrose can be heard shouting "UNDERSTATEMENT" in the background of the comm. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Holstering her sidearm, Maaka finds the crate after she plants a charge. It makes enough of a bang to disable the lock with ease, before Maaka kicks the door in with immense force and zero-subtlety. If she sees any trouble ahead, she'll take care of it. Maaka secures the area as she finds THE CRATE. Approaching it, she examines the container and narrows her eye. "Gonna need to figure this out later." She murmurs under her breath.     <"What's up, Corona?"> She asks with concern as the fox's voice comes over comms, already looking for some kind of door latch on the walls she can push the container out for Corona to catch using her truck. That may have to wait, as Corona's not quiiiiite there yet. YET. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne blinks and looks in the direction of the voice, shrugging. "Word got out that an unpleasant company had something that the locals don't want them seen. Figured it was about time for some turnabout - Corona's leading." She comments, getting into her cart by the simple expedient of grabbing hold of the door and ripping it free. Being an eight-foot super-cyborg has its advantages sometimes. "Besides, it's rare you get to engage in a train robbery while also remaining the good guys." She grins and gives Josuke a thumbs-up when he joins her, moving to join Maaka by the crate. She keeps her pistols in hand, however, just in case. "...anyone get the feeling this is suspiciously ill-guarded in-" She's cut off by Corona, letting Maaka ask the million-credit queston... 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     Nova follows Maaka into the cargo car, the energy blade of her sword fading away as she returns it to her back. Glancing around, she confirms that the car is empty apart from the expected cargo. And their allies. Plus one, it seems.     At the mention of the car being unguarded, Nova shrugs, "Maybe the cargo is so valuable they didn't want the guards to have access either. If this is indeed the result of an outside influence, maybe that person doesn't trust this group. And I wouldn't blame them."     Nova moves over to help with the side door. Swinging it open, she grabs hold of the top of the frame and leans out. Her ponytail kicks up in the rushing wind as she looks around for signs of the truck. Or whatever the reported 'situation' is. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     "Ha!" Josuke scoffs, as the group of guards flees. And over the comms, he warns, <"OK, they're running now. Careful, one of you might run into them on their way back down."> A pause though, and he notes, <"They said something about someone being 'early'." I dunno if it's us or not, but they were expecting someone that was gonna damage stuff.">     He's listening to comm chatter aside from that as he heads over to meet with the rest of the Elites here. He nods at Leyanne's words. "That too. And they seemed like they were giving up way too fast. I mean, I can understand the 'I'm not getting paid enough to deal with this' line of thought, but this is a little weird even for that."     And he frowns when Corona mentions a 'situation'. "...<Great>... I had a feeling this was too easy." Then he asks, over the comm this time, <"What's wrong?"> 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa looks to Leyanne for a moment who doesn't seem to skip a beat here, she does see the guards are pulling out and she was very much. "This has so gone to hades in a handbasket today." She really should do something about this but given the nature of the tip she's going to make a call even if she's ending up in hot water for it later, she had intended to observe, and now she's caught up in this mess, she was here to find out what it is and she needs to know if it's harmless she can ahem deal with things later. She's also very thankful there is no formal law on this planet, so very /thankful/. "I see why my source was spooked about this thing..." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     The 'situation' as Corona called it becomes all too apparent when the offroader truck comes speeding around the end of the ridge it disappeared behind.... And a gang of modified dunebuggys, steamcycles and a few jacked up trucks in hot pursuit of it.     In the cab of the offroader Windrose is still staring behind them. "Why the blue hell were the Black Hats gathering to ambush the train? Don't they work for Copperchoke under the table?" The skunk turned to glare at Corona. "And why for goodness sake did you DRIVE right THROUGH their camp!?"     "It was in the way," Corona replied without missing a beat. "But yer right, somethin' about it stinks.... No offense. Is the rig ready?" Windrose may not engineer things like she does, but the skunkette was a fine operator of things already made, and nodded her readiness. "Then hold on!"     Corona slammed a foot down on the brakes and spun the wheel hard. Dirt and rust was kicked into the air as the offroader lurched into a sideways skid for a few tense moments, and then skidded into facing backwards. At which Corona let up on the brake, shifted into reverse and punched the throttle all the way down. There is very little loss of momentum with the maneuver, the truck roaring back up to speed, now in reverse as it's moving to pull up alongside the train car with the loot. <"We ran across some Black Hat Gang prepping a train heist of their own,"> she starts explaining quickly over the comms once the trick driving is done. <"So it's good we beat 'em to the punch... But bad because why would they be settin' up to hijack a train owned by their boss?"> Granted, only they know the Black Hats work for Copperchoke from the time he tried to rob their train, but that doesn't make it any less suspicious.     Corona is busy explaining and driving (in reverse!), but Windrose has the rest covered as she fiddles with her secondary controller. There is one quirk of the offroader's design, and that is the modded engine to get these speeds was too big to fit in the usual front space, so Corona had installed it in the back as part of the infrastructure under the bed. But that had left room in the front for something else.     Like the multi-barreled minigun that extends out of the front after the decorative grille slides away, and at Windrose's command opens fire. She can't really aim accurately with all the crazy driving but it's not really needed as the sweeping volleys do make the Black Hat drivers panic and scatter, different vehicles speeding off in different directions to evade. It won't be long before they come back for another pass though, and probably ready for the opposition that time. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka blinks, <"Wait, what?"> She stares in confusion at Leyanne, Kotone, and company as she listens to Corona speak over the line. <"That doesn't make a lick of sense. Unless it's got something to do with what's in this fancy crate."> She clangs the side of the container rather firmly before she looks to Leyanne. "Think you can make us a hole to throw this through?" the cyborg asks, as she hears Corona's vehicle getting closer and closer to their car.     Maaka herself gets to work setting thermo-wire charges, basically directed thermite. Should make a decent sized hole once it's all set up. "All I need you to do is handle the heavy lifting." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     <"Black Hats?"> Josuke asks, through the comm. A pause. <"It was planned! The guards must have been expecting them!"> he realizes. <"That's what the guards said up top -- 'they're early'. Copperchoke must have known, to have been able to warn the guards on the train beforehand. Maybe they're trying to get this stuff into the Black Hats' hands without anybody knowing it. It's pretty unusual for typical technology from this world, right?">     He's saying this over the comms for Corona's benefit, but since everyone's standing together (mostly), the Elites on the train can also hear his realization and the speculation it brings. He's not sure, of course, but... well. It's a possibility. <"I mean, who could accuse Copperchoke of purposely giving important technology to the Black Hats if the Black Hats robbed their train? It's a good PR move."> 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     Seeing the convoy of vehicles starting to rush the train, Nova hmphs in unsurprise. It seems like she called it, judging by what she's hearing from the others. Taking several specific steps back away from the open door, Nova says, "I'll help deal with the thieves." The other thieves.     Nova dashes for the door, gripping hold of the upper frame and flipping herself out and up onto the roof. Landing in a crouch, she reaches back to retrieve her rifle and then raises it up. Through her scope she can see the Black Hat vehicles breaking away to prepare for another run.     Not a problem.     Nova adds a little lead on her aim before firing off a shot. In this situation trying to hit the drivers would be an impressive feat. Something Nova is capable of. But she doesn't feel the accomplishment is worth the added difficult. So she plays it safe and targets the engines of their vehicles. Ghost rifles are capable of penetrating the armour of Siege Tanks. The slapped together rides of some outlaw gang probably don't stand a chance. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne listens to Josuke, nodding softly. "Makes sense." She looks to Maaka, grinning. "No worries." She walks to the side of the train nearest Corona's rig, She punches against it until she's got a nice hole to grip onto, and then she starts leaning back and tearing, using a combination of brute strength and an impressively hig mass. "So this is something they really didn't want be looked at by the Rangers, but too big to hide." she grunts as she rips at the metal of the train. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Well things are hitting the fan now there's little she can do about this if she were to try to stop it she could not she was outnumbered by too many heavy hitters and people who knew her too well. However, someone else is after it? If it's a doomsday tech, she knows this group won't use it. She'll err on that and move to start making ready to get the hell out of here. <<We need to get moving and if this is bad mojo I'd rather have you people have this than some unknown party.>> With that she's going to make to cloak again and move to try and get off as Maaka or someone else makes a way off this train. <<Black hats? Oh hell, we don't want them getting this, whatever it is. We do not want them to get it>> She'll make use of firing several shots from her rifle to try and keep the attacker at bayt but she's not trying to pick anyone off. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     While the smaller vehicles are scrambling to regroup the driver of one of the bigger trucks decides to take matters into his own hands. Obviously these other bandits are after the same thing but can't do much without their transport, so he lines his vehicle up with Corona's and starts closing in to ram it away from the train... Only for a massive plume of smoke to erupt from under the hood as Nova's impeccable aim and armor penetrating weapon obliterates the engine. It creaks and sputters as it looses speed and finally comes to a stop well away from it's intended target... and then falls apart. To the point that the driver is left sitting in his seat on the ground, holding a steering wheel no longer attatched to anything else.     A few of the bikers were considering similar with getting onto the offroader to stop the driver but they're quickly warded off by Kotone's additional shots.     That is enough to make the rest of the Black Hats realize whatever is in that crate in the locked car is a lost cause. The smaller vehicles pull up along the train by way towards the back, riders jumping onto the train to get to the other cars with the 'advanced equipment'. Tech theivery is the Black Hats MO so that part of the rouse is at least in tact. There's no time for the brave raiders to come back and stop them from stealing that too.     But Copperchoke wanting whatever in is in the security crate bad enough to have his own gang steal it so no one knew what it is though, that's a lot of questions that are going to need answering. Later.     Thanks to the dissauding cover fire and Leyanne ripping open the side of the cargo car to make an opening, it's easy enough for Maaka's precision demolitions to blow off what's keeping the crate locked to the floor, and there is more than enough muscle present in the group to heave the crate out into the back of the truck. Once everyone else is aboard with it Corona pulls the away from the train and pulls another fancy turn to get it going in forward once more to drive away.     MISSION COMPLETE     ... But what's IN the crate will have to wait... 

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''     Seeing the new pirates beginning to board, Nova jumps back down into the cargo car, "Time to go!" Although it's clear that the others are already aware of that, having finished moving the cargo crate onto the truck. Nova moves to jump onto the vehicle, but pauses mid-step. She turns, looking at the now empty cargo car and hmmms.     Nova draws her psi-blade once more, lowering it towards the floor of the car right where the cargo used to be. What was that name again? ... Ah yes. Nova starts flicking her wrist, the tip of the monomolecular blade slicing into the surface of the floor. It doesn't take Nova too long before she finishes up. She turns around and runs for the exit, proceeding to jump out of the car and onto the truck, before settling down for the ride out of here. Nova isn't sure if her actions will bear any fruit. But then there was no harm in trying.     Etched into the floor of the cargo car are three words: 'Copperchoke says hello.' 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka leaps across to the truck once the package is secure, drawing an assault rifle from her inventory space. It's black, it's bulpup, it's...FRENCH!?     "Huh, forgot I had you." Maaka quips, before she takes aim with the FAMAS G2, opening fire with short bursts at the raiders to get them to buzz off. It's not exaclty meant to drop anybody, just scare them off while the gang gets to the truck so they can escape.     Her mind is racing with thoughts, like why is Copperchoke letting his own deniable assets raid his stuff, and just WHAT is in that crate? So that's a more important thing to think about. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Things are turning into a tangled mess pretty quickly. Which is usually the cute to get the hell out of there. Josuke only waits long enough to make sure everyone's heading for Corona's ride before summoning his Stand to throw him back onto Corona's truck. He's careful to check for signs of pursuit as they're heading off. And once he's sure they're not being followed?     He grins. "...Oh wow, that was <great>!" he crows, again as excited as he was on the trip to the train. Teens will be teens, one supposes... 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' *** Hours Later ***     The radio transciever started to beeeeeeep beeeeeep obnoxiously loud. This in itself annoyed Copperchoke, partially because he was in middle of eating. Why were they calling in now? The job moving that crate along with the other gear should of taken long enough the check-in wasn't until after dinner. Thankfully none of his staff were present to hear the device going off until he finally fumbled it out of a pocket and hit the two-way control. "Why the he-e-ell are y'all already ca-a-allin'?" he snarled, aggrivation making his 'goat' accent bleat all the more prominantly.     The chatter on the other end answered, clearly distraught over his annoyed tone. "So ya-a-a got the goods? A-a-a-ll of it?"     The reply was understandably hesitant. All of the advanced gear, most of it related to mining or demoltions... Except one thing. "Exce-e-ept WHAT?" One thing that the answer with made his expression twist even more into a frustrated, dismayed sneer.     And the radio device smashing against the wall on the opposite of the room. And a clenched fist shook overhead as high as his scrawny stature allowed as frustration quickly shifted to rage.     "A-A-ARCLI-I-I-ITE!!!"     It HAD to be her somehow. No one else would have the audicity to meddle in his affairs even without knowing about them! 
}}

Corona Arclite

2017-12-31T16:03:12Z

Foxer: Tweak

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Corona Arclite
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=711
|Img=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/CoronaArcliteRecolor_zpsa03ba464.jpg
|FullName=Corona Arclite
|Gender=Female
|Species=Silver Foxgirl
|Theme=Cosmic Cattlepunk Chronicles-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Defense Machinist
|Faction=Watch
|Rank=4-Member
|Groups=Daedalus Initiative
|Quote=You can't fix the Past... But you can always build a better Future from it.
|AAge=Early 20s
|Height=5' 0"
|Hair=Dusty Blonde
|Eyes=Burnt Orange
|Song=Aviators -- Building Better Worlds ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_mJIPXrdag )
|Profile=Corona Arclite was just a kid off the gritty streets of Brimsteel until she was taken in by an elder machinesmith and trained in the ways of the forge and gearworks. Now it's her job to make sure industrial resources like the Loadstar Depot are protected, by keeping its defense measures running and its defenders properly armed against the cosmic frontier. But instead of tolling in a workshop all the time Corona is just as likely to be fighting alongside the guardians, using her knowledge and skills to demolish the enemy's defenses. Turns out the know-how for building things and fixing machines is also really good for -breaking- them as well, making her a surprisingly effective sapper and saboteur when needed. And it turns out spending much of your younger life having little is good motivation to protect what's important now. Despite being sassy, spunky and all too willing to put herself in middle of the action instead of working from behind the safety of the walls, Corona is dedicated to the cause of protecting the people and resources needed to build better worlds than her own. To commodate for the small stature that allows her to quickly move between defense points, Corona wields weapons more geared towards deterrence and debilitating mechanical threats; like her plasma-powered hammer and shotgun, cutting torches, personal turrets, and plenty of explosives. Sensitive ears render her vulnerable to certain extremely high and low sound frequencies.
|Powers=Resonant Hearing: Foxes have naturally sharp hearing, which Corona can use to listen to the vibrations made through metal and other materials. She's known for being able to diagnose mechanical problems by listening for the distinct sounds of broken or misaligned parts. It's also good for finding and disabling hidden devices like traps if she can hear the parts moving first. By finding the resonate frequency of a material she can better deduce its composition and the best means of smithing, or if necessary, breaking it.

Vulpine Grace: While naturally agile and dexterous, these attributes have been honed a bit more by her early life living on the streets. Corona is as quick with her feet as she is her wits; able to cleverly jump, climb and dig her way through a battlefield to do her job. Environments that would restrict larger and stronger individuals are a proverbial playground for the nimble vixen.
|Skills=Machinist: Trained by one exceptionally skilled and wise machinesmith, Corona has become a masterful engineer of pulsarium-powered anachronistic technology and industry in her own right. Constructing defenses, repairing equipment, and forging new parts for reverse engineering technologies are all in a day's work for her. Taught to use whatever she could find around her Corona's intuitive and improvisational skills allow her to jury-rig anything from old scrap-metal and retro components to modern materials and crystalline circuitry to make something work. When plasma generators and super-alloys exist alongside diesel super-engines and crystal-copper wiring, you learn to make it work together even if you don't entirely understand how. On the battlefield Corona can deploy small turrets that pack some serious punch with their plasma-powered blaster cannons and electrical discharges. She is also a capable mechanic, modifying vehicles to operate safely in the harsh Brimsteel environment, and driving them herself when she needs to work away from the Depot.

Metalsmith: When she has the resources for it Corona will smelt ores into metal and forge alloys for herself so she's got as much as what she could possibly need on hand when the time comes. To do this she also runs the depot's salvage facility, using it's plasma-flame furnace to melt down scrap and seperate minerals so she can reuse them. Just because a piece of equipment is too broken to be repaired and do its job does not mean it can't provide useful materials for later projects; the salvaging of parts and metal recycling helps keep the cost of raw materials down. Even if using scrap parts to repair things sometimes compromises their durability a bit, it does make them easier to replace.

Siege Warfare: As it turns out all the know-how about building structures and repairing machines is just as useful in knowing how to break them apart too. Just because she's normally technical support doesn't mean Corona can't fight. She excels at dealing with machinery, robots and fortifications; using her skills in engineering and improvisation to find the best ways to disarm traps, sap equipment, disable constructs and make it harder for the enemy to hold their own position. And Corona is really good at making things explode. It's been noted that it doesn't matter if she's the one that built it, if she's the one that breaks it there's a very high chance it -will- explode, overload or otherwise violently fail. Even if it is a type of construct that normally doesn't. It's like she has an almost supernatural ability to make machinery destruct in a spectacular fashion.

Logistical Management: There is a lot of math involved in engineering, manufacturing and supply handling. What she doesn't have in book smarts Corona makes up for with practice and experience, handling the numbers not because of schooling or training but from years of using it every day. Arguably she's better at it because it is based on actual learning from real experience rather than reading it out of text books.
|Assets=Gun Slinging: It wouldn't be a new frontier without packing some fresh shooting irons. Corona's primary choice is sawed-off shotgun called the Forge Sweeper that fires a scatterblast of highly energized globules, though it's damage output is limited at longer range due to dispersal. She also packs a modified riveter that has decent armor penetration, and a gun that can be loaded with adhesive for gumming up mechanical workings.

Corona Breaker: A hammer feels the most natural in the hands of an experienced smith so it's little surprise that one would be Corona's choice for favorite tool and primary melee weapon. Originally designed to use plasma heat to keep metal malleable, the aura of hot energy helps accommodate for her moderate physique by making it more effective at disrupting the structural integrity of the target. The energy can discharge at impact, resulting in a blast of plasma sparks. The handle can be extended into a two-handed sledgehammer for better leverage and momentum, but is slower to swing.

Arclite Cutters: Built into Corona's work gauntlets are a set of projectors that function like plasma torches, equally useful in cutting through armor and reinforced infrastructure as they are welding metals together. The plasma can be discharged in a burst similar to a flame caster, but it loses it's intensity past close quarters as the torches lack the magnetic 'shell' to prevent the plasma from dispersing that plasma-powered firearms have. Needless to say, her gauntlets are heat-proofed for safety.

Loadstar Depot: Corona operates out of the Loadstar Depot, which serves as a hub for the network of railways that service the Brimsteel mines, thus also making it the primary defense point against everything from mineral-eating monsters to greedy bandits and industrial rivals. You can only profit from the resources you can ensure safely reach their buyers after all. Specifically Corona is the depot's machinesmith, putting her in charge of both repairing equipment and making sure the depot and supply lines' defenses are maintained properly. Which means that sometimes she has to take care of clearing out mine infestations or breaking the enemies' stuff before they can attack personally.
|NPCs=HOPALONG: A companion construct resembling a jackalope that Corona build with a combination of steampunk and Izzet technology. Sentient but only able to communicate in mechanical sounds. In addition to powerful leg mechanisms and reinforced antlers that allow him to launch like a living battering ram, he can fight by expelling hot fumes and discharging current from his horns. Jaws function as a chipper and forepaws double as hydraulic shovels. Alternately can transform into a weapon that fires the hot slag of his furnace. (PL 20)
|Disadvantages=Sensitive Ears: The drawback to Corona's sharp ears and highly tuned hearing is the susceptibility to extremely high or sudden noises, which overpowers her attunement to resonant frequencies. Certain pitches interfere with her hearing to the point of being painfully disorienting. Weaponry based around disruptive sonic or concussive shockwaves can be highly effective at crippling her even if they don't do physical harm normally because of this attunement to hearing resonations. The shape and position of her ears, along with how heavily she relies on hearing techniques, prevents her from employing more effective protection against such problems.

Tech Bruiser: Corona can dish out some serious damage in a fight, especially against physical structures and machine based foes. But she replies heavily on her special hammer, plasma-powered weaponry and other tricks to have any sort of presence on the field of conflict. Without her weapons, her tools, some bombs or a machine she can jury-rig into service she is little more than an eccentric vixen that may be too smart for her own good.

Lightweight: Being able to scale walls, crawl through small access spaces and move between defensive positions rapidly requires one to be as quick on their feet as they are with their wits. Corona travels light, carrying little more than the gear she needs to do her job, the weapons to protect herself, and some thorough but basic protective measures. She's got considerable stamina against exertion but can't take more than moderate harm from attacks before starting to suffer from it. She is also really easy to throw around in a fight if her opponent is bigger and stronger ... which is pretty much anything she goes up against. If they can get their hands on her, that is.

Lock And Overload: A wise machinist once said that Necessity is the mother of Invention... And that Stability is often a deadbeat dad. This has a habit of being true with Corona's more inventive works, like jury-rigging a vehicle to make it run, or her modified guns occasionally jamming or backfiring because they don't use standard functionality. It is especially true of the sentry units she uses for field deployment. She hasn't quite perfected the portable design yet and they have a notorious habit of failing at inopportune moments. They're also usually made out of scrap metal and spare parts, so they're not particularly durable, and when they do fail it tends to be in the most spectacular fashion possible. In other words, despite being small they explode really, really well.

Machinist's Duty: Loadstar Depot relies heavily on Corona's work to be able to defend itself and the resources it harvests, including a lot of raw material which goes to supplying the needs of warfare as well as her world's efforts to settle the volcanic frontiers. It's because of the these reasons that she works for the Union, but despite doing so she can't stay away from her home for extended tours of duty. If she's needed on home ground due to surges in raider activity or monster threats she can be gone from the main theater of the conflict for stretches of time if her homeland needs her more.
}}

5619/New Years Revelation

2017-12-31T15:59:22Z

Foxer: Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/12/31
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Holiday celebration and revealing of the future plans for Prismatic Point.
|Cast of Characters=711, 1114, 215, 1119, 750, 7, 385
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     A few months ago Prismatic Point was a mostly forgotten ghost town tucked in the mountain range around Mt. Thundersmack.     Now it was... still kind of obscure, but thanks to recent interests invested into the once forgotten corner it was slowly being built back up. Someone even got some basic holiday decorations up around the mountain town, fitting seeing as this was one of the few places on Brimsteel that actually -got- natural snow in the first place. Occasionally thunder cracks and lightning sparks far overhead, but the stormclouds are staying in their pecurliar perch at Thundersmack's peak tonight.     Considering how much the people of this world enjoy a good night of drinking and forgetting your ills after a long work day is it really a surprise the old saloon was one of the first places to be refurbished? Probably not. But the recently restored saloon was all festively decorated as well, complete with a big ol' pine tree in a corner that was brought down by the local lumberjacks. It's not quite as crowded as the Toasty Coyote back in Loadstar would be tonight, but it was certainly active with the people that had been working out here, or down at the site of the new bridge being built over Emberspill Canyon.     Like I said, these people love a few good drinks after a day's work. So it's little surprise Corona is already made herself a comfortable spot at the bar, occasionally chatting with the barkeep as he passes by delivering drinks. By this point most of the people that have been working here have come to not be weirded out by the moustached 'dillo not reflecting in the mirror behind the bar due to his ghostly nature. The guy just loved his bar and his job that much. 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' In the shadow of the looming mountain, Mei-Ling Zhou huddles up in her parka, pulling the furry hood close over her face. "Snowball, I think it would be easier to climb that mountain than to go to that bar." She mutters, and the small robot chirrs and beeps it's response. She steps gingerly closer to the venue, trying to peer in through the door without looking too conspicuous. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' So there's a party. Someone looking to crash it? Nope. Just dropping in to see what's happening, even though she's wearing her bounty hunting attire. Then again, Iria's not the type to get all dressed up for things really. She's just coming by in her free time for a little relaxation. Especially given what Fujikuro's done to her place again! But that's a story for another place and another time. Despite the fact Iria is a very agile girl and has a lot of acrobatic skills, she makes no effort to be flashy in her entrance tonight. She simply walks into the party, a somewhat neutral look on her face, although there is a hint of a scowl on her face. For those who don't know her, they'd think she's angry about something. Those who know her will know that it's just her natural expression. As soon as she gets in, Iria hangs up her cloak and looks around, attempting to spot someone she knows. Iria may seem a bit grumpy on the outside, but she can be a social person when she gets to know someone or meets someone she knows. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke remembers this place! And now that he's got a few less holes in him, he's going to see what's been going on since the morons got booted out. How has the town developed now that they're free to as they wish? Well, it's high time Josuke found out! He's not here to drink, he's just here to socialize. He'll be here on whatever rented transportation he can find. Failing that, he can whine at Jotaro until the Speedwagon Foundation gives him a lift up here. He'll notice Mei sort of awkwardly shuffling towards the place, though, and gives one of his little thoughtful pouts. It's only a few moments before he decides to go over there. "Hi," he greets with a smile. "Are you heading to the saloon too? That seems to be where everyone's gathered. I'm going there too. Want to walk with me?" He's a pretty big guy for a Japanese high schooler, so he'll provide a reasonably effective shield if she likes. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:'''     Rebound's not drunk. That's bullshit, she's not. Yet. She's already made her way to the saloon, she's been hanging out on Brimsteel for a while now, so she's gotten to know the locals well enough.     "Man hard to believe this place was a literal ghost town not too long back. Or was that the other place? A lot of it tends to blend together." She taps her chin before taking a drink, "Was this the one with the horrible mutants? Or was that inside the mine? Hey Corona, help me out here!" She calls out to the foxy friend of her's nearby. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is going to be wary of some of the local drinks after what happend the last time she got experimental with things here. She's dressed very casually one might have trouble guesisng it's tone givne she's not weaing some form of smart clothing or stealh suit today. Nope she's got a light jackeyt on over things but there is an odd tell about her, there's no mist on he breath. She does wonder who else might be arriving but for now she's going to start looking for Corona whom she's certain will be there. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' There's being wary of the local drinks, and then being wary of alcohol in general. Yuna is very consciously in the latter category - she may chronologically be old enough, but she still looks like a teenager and she knows that her low body mass makes her get drunk REALLY easily. Or rather, she gets tiddly before she finishes one drink and either passes out or falls asleep shortly thereafter. She's looking to avoid doing either of those tonight. It would be kind of embarassing - and she doesn't want Elner to have to teleport her home afterwards. "Hey Josuke!" she calls out as she spots the tall high school student, waving to him - and waving to Mei as well, when she spots the woman in the furry parka. "Are you guys looking for the party Corona's hosting?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "This was a ghost town in the slang sense of bein' long an' forgotten," Corona is quick to answer. "Gaslight wassa ghost town in the literal, invaded by spooks sense."     "And mutants in the mine is just one of the rumors why it was closed down," pitchs in the barkeep as he slides another mug down the bar. Not the sort of ghost that has trouble handling physical objects.     "Yep, been quite the year. Hopefully a lot quieter than how the -last- one ended though." Corona paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Anyone see where Windrose went off to? Need to get her some drinkin' so we can make drunk as a skunk jokes." Oh well, there's faces familiar and new coming in, so she sits up to wave a hand at the doors. "Com'n in y'all! We's just enjoyin' the season until Miss C gets out here to make her big announcements and what not." 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Snowball, perched on Mei's backpack, notices Josuke first and the diminuitive robot flashes a happy face and some short chirps. Mei turns around, probably a little too quickly, face flushed. "M-Me? Saloon?" She clears her throat and tries again. "I mean, yes, thank-you. I'm Mei, and this is my helper, Snowball." She says, pointing back over her shoulder at the little robot. Visibly relaxing her previously guarded posture, she sheepishly returns Yuna's wave. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Yuna's call of his name gets him to look up, and he smiles and offers a wave to her as well. "Hey there!" he greets amicably. And Josuke smiles at the robot as well, though he doesn't really consider it much until Mei actually introduces it. If it has a name, it's a 'person', at least to Mei. So he'll treat it like a person too. He nods. "Pleased to meet you both. As you probably heard, I'm Josuke," he introduces in return, with a chuckle. And then he offers Mei his arm. Yup, he's going to attempt to escort her properly. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' They're serving alcohol here, go figure. Fujikuro might be inclined to tie a few on, in which case Iria would be dragging him back home and leaving him to sober up on the couch. But Fujikuro ain't here. Kei isn't here either, but even then she wouldn't be one to tie on one. And definitely not Iria either. She's only seventeen, you know. So instead, she opts for a cola instead, preferring something less intoxicating. As Iria sips her drink and looks around, she spots Yuna and smiles a little, recognizing her old friend. "Yuna, you made it!" Iria calls out as she walks over to Yuna. Iria doesn't care if Yuna thinks Iria looks unusual wearing her bodysuit to a party, but the purpose is to have fun, right? "Good to finally see someone I recognize," Iria says with a slight smile. "Otherwise, this party would turn boring quickly." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Ah right, okay." Rebound replies, as she downs her drink and then taps the bar to let the barkeep know to keep them coming. Corona and Miss C are footing the bill for this right? She figures they are it's their party. She takes a look around. Lots of new faces, a few she recognizes and a lot she only vaguely knows, but still it's nice to see everyone enjoying themselves instead of trying to choke each other out or something crazy. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna smiles as she approaches Josuke and Mei-Ling. "It's good to meet you, Mei, Snowball," she greets the woman and her 'bot, bowing politely to both of them. "And it ought to be a fun party." Corona's call elicits a wave and a reply of, "Be there shortly!!" - and with Corona herself providing a reference for where they need to go, Yuna tugs her cloak a bit closer around herself and heads up towards the saloon, taking the lead - at least, if Josuke and/or Mei don't try to outwalk her. She's not in a huge hurry. And Snowball may have a bit of companionship shortly as well, as a little robotic faerie-like construct flits down to examine the support drone more closely. "My name is Elner," the robo-faerie introduces itself quietly. "I assist Yuna in her ... in some of her work. Please pay me no mind, I was just indulging a moment's curiosity." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "Hard to think that things have changed this much Corona isn't it? Also this year I'm watching what I drink." The cyborg laughs a little bit and moved to clap Corona on the back lightly. "So how have you been?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Corona turns on her stool and pushes herself up from the bar. "Seems we've got a few stragglers outside." Her sharp ears picked up the conversation outside, if not the actual words. She holds up one hand to her muzzle to shout in the direction of the doors, "Com'n folks, the food's hot and the drinks are cold, no need to be standin' out here all night!" Followed by a snicker at Kotone's remark. "Eh, don't sweat it Koto. Bitter's saloon is the only place crazy enough to even serve -that- drink."     One of backroom doors of the saloon clunks open to allow Miss C to walk into the main room, the businesswoman standing out immeadiately thanks to being more or less the only one in actual formal attire with her Retro-Victorian style dress. Only to show the formality goes little pass the level of appearances as the collie grabs a shot glass from the bar and slugs it back without a second thought. You can put a frontier woman in a frilly dress but you cant take the frontier out of her. With a shot to steel the nerves she heads over to the stage. A few minutes later she's joined by her usual assistance as Bucksaw is pushing a large covered cart out of the room and onto the stage as well.     Seems to be a bit of a robo-sidekick party going on. Which gets the attention of another, a clockpunk jackalope sitting up from under Corona's stool, photoreceptor 'eyes' irising like camera apetures to peer at the newest arrivals. 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Mei-Ling Zhou carefully takes Josuke's arm that has been graciously offered. He may be imposingly tall, but with his impeccable manners and the other young woman's greeting, Joe doesn't seem to be any threat. Snowball responds to the inquisitive fairie with a cheerful chirp, but the little guy isn't a conversationalist. "Shall we?" Mei seems much more sure of herself now, and eager to join the party. She holds onto Josuke's arm a little more confidently, and steps through the door. "What brings you to such an out-of-the-way place? Have you been here before?" 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Iria's smile turns into a scowl as Yuna seems to ignore her. "All right, be that way..." She says as she narrows her eyes and walks away, folding her arms. "Attempt to be friendly and you get ignored?" She sighs. "Now I'm wondering if I should've gone to the movies with Kei instead." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke's not trying to outwalk anyone, no. He's sort of letting the group coalesce naturally, and doesn't seem at all bothered by being surrounded by girls. Nor does he seem particularly... shall we say, 'overly pleased'. He does greet Elner too though. "Hi there, Elner." He's seen the robo-faerie around at least once! He'll also hold the door open for Mei if possible, saloon doors or not. At Mei's question, "Me? I've been here before. We had to kick a bunch of ghosts out." She's probably an Elite, he figures, so she can probably handle the knowledge that ghosts are 'A Thing', right? He pauses as they enter, looking at the spectral bartender. "Not that one, though. He's cool," he specifies. "So I came back to see how things were going, if the town bounced back or not. Seems like it's starting to, and that's <great>." Notably, the word 'great' is spoken in English. Very sloppy English, to note, coming out as 'gureito'. He'll wave at the other gathered Elites at large as he enters, giving his trademark friendly grin. He knows most of them, and he's got friendliness to spare! And also to Miss C, since this is her shindig. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Corona gives a friendly slap to Iria's back. "Com'n, now ain't the night to be like that! It's a big party," relatively speaking, "it takes folks time to catch up to everyone." That said she saunters up towards the stage, leaning on it on one elbow. "Hey Miss C, y'seen Windrose 'round?"     Miss C looks up from glancing over some notes one last time. "She took one of the bikes and brought some refreshments down to the sentries at the bridge site. Don't dare leave it unguarded even for the holidays, considering."     "What happened last time, yeah. Pro'ly why Target's not been seen yet, either. Hope he don't have more than HWIs to deal with." Miss C raises a brow at the phrase, prompting Corona to explain. "Horsebackin' While Intoxicated." As the new arrivals make their way Hopalong shuffles out from under the stool and jumps up onto the bar. The ghostly barkeep shoots the construct a glare and mutters something about better not scratch the surface with those metal feet as he goes back to wiping out a mug. Hopalong doesn't seem to care at the grousing, he's trying to get a better look at Snowball. So smooth and shiney! Unlike his visible clicking gears and actuators. Ears twitch back and sideways to keep his balance as the clockwork jackalope leans a bit farther over the edge of the bar in his curiousity.     "Corona, would you mind helping Bucksaw?" As the fox scurries up on the stage to help the beaver foreman with whatever is under the tarp, Miss C turns towards the rest of the saloon and puts two fingers in her mouth for a sharp whistle. Which gets a lackluster response. With a sigh she holds up one arm and a minature pistol pops out of a sleeve into her hand, that despite it's tiny size goes off with a highly audible *BANG*. THAT gets the attention of the rest of the room, as well as a scowl from the barkeeper (not that he has anything to fear from getting shot). "It's okay, it's only blanks." Miss C ahems, slipping the derringer away and fluffing out her dress. "I know you are all eager to continue your revelling, but as we cap off one year and prepare for the next I have an important announcement to make." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa smiles a little bit at this. She seems to be moving into settle in with things and Mei-lking along with Josuke get a wave from her she grins wi dly at the pair. "Hey there good to see some more people keeping out of too much trouble I hope Josuke." Mei is new to her an she takes a second to look her over to get a feel for her. "Hey the name's Kotone good to meet you." She'll even attempt tpo wirelessly greet Snowball with a Ansi Hello if it's possible. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Looking up, Iria says, "It's not her, it's Fujikuro. He ruined my house again!" She shakes her head, still scowling. "I can't believe I took my anger out on Yuna like that. It's just not like me." Walking back a little to get another cola, Iria sighs. "Kei went to the movies while I came here. Fujikuro's cleaning up my apartment. He deserves it." She then moves to Yuna and says, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's not your fault." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Setting off a pistol is a surefire way to get everyone's attention. Even Rebound jumps up a bit when it goes off, "That thing sure has got a lot more kick than it's size would make you think." Then she pauses for a second, and then under her breath, "That's what she said." And then she laughing, though she puts a hand over her mouth to calm down so that Miss C can actually give the speech she has planned. 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Mei-Ling Zhou lets Joesuke graciously open the door, but now she excuses herself from his escort so she can hang up her coat and gently lodge her backpack on the floor. Snowball stays attached to the large frosty canister, and pops a pair of question marks on his LED screen that stands in for his face when Kotone sends him a message. Mei looks around the bar, and tries not to stare at the bartender and his conspiculous lack of reflerction in the mirror. "Ah! I have never seen a ghost before, we don't have such things on my world. I'm stil finding new and exciting things from all kinds of different worlds." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke chuckles a bit at Kotone's words about getting into trouble. "Trouble seems to follow me, for some reason," he notes. Mei's reaction to the ghost bartender gets a smile. "I'm starting to realize that if I'm not in my own world, there's bound ot be something weird. Best to take things as they come." Now, he definitely tenses as he hears the shot -- rather than act like he was about to run or hide, he tenses like he's expecting to have to defend himself! Though he calms when he sees it's Miss C shooting blanks into the air to get the room's attention. He settles down then, and listens to what she wants to say. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Sorry, Iria," Yuna says with an apologetic smile. "Plenty going on already, right? Glad to see you, though - how was your ChristMEEP?!?!?" Her question is cut off by the sound of a gunshot - Miss C drawing everyone's attention with that derringer. Loaded with blanks, as the lady quickly confirms - but judging by the way Yuna jumped at the sudden noise, it might take a bit for her nerves to settle back down. Elner has, by this point, finished satisfying its curiosity about Snowball and is hovering next to Yuna once more ... except when Yuna jumps like that; Elner doesn't even budge. If this had been an actual emergency, Yuna would have been in her Light Suit by the time her feet touched the floor again. Still, maybe it just isn't a party in this neck of the Multiverse *without* gunfire of some kind ... ? Yuna shakes her head at the thought and just listens for the big announcement that Miss C needs to make. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Iria nearly spills her cola as the gunshot goes off. "What the?!" She says, spinning around in the general direction, almost reaching for her own sidearm before remembering where she is. When she looks towards Corona, Iria scowls again. "Trying to get me on edge?" She mutters. "You did a good job!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa Says "sounds like me honestly, there's always something strange the moment you set foot off world, and sometimes it comes to you." She looks to Snowball and speaks this time. "Oh sorry I thought you might have prefered a hello like that!" She looks back to Mei for a moment. "Your lucky you have met one that's not looking for trouble. I basically fell into a Mythos novel in the first week." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Despite his ghostly lack of a complexion the barkeeper gives Mei-Ling a polite smile and a nod. "This place was muh pride and joy back in the boom days. Bein' dead may be a bother to some folk but ain't lettin' it stop me from helpin' folks relax. Can I get ya something to drink, miss?" Quite congenial for a phantom this one was.     "First off," Miss C continues once the saloon has quieted back down and she has everyone's attention, "I see several familiar faces here tonight, and once again I must thank you. We wouldn't be here celebrating bringing chains of prosperity back to the Brimsteel frontier if it wasn't for you folks being willing to help out. As annoying as it can be having my prized machinist running off to the far corners of the Multiverse to return the favor." Corona briefly sticks her tongue out at the joke, but keeps quiet as she ducks back under the tarp and can be heard faintly adjusting something.     "That said, while the general travel crossing is open it will still be a time before the Emberspill Bridge is fully operational for the railway full time. We are making sure to avoid the mistakes made with it's predecessor." Pause. "And keeping it out of the reach of deranged molemen machines." The things you never thought you'd have to say until you're making one of these speeches.     Miss C flicks a few note cards. "The nearby lumber camps have been very forthcoming in helping with the reconstruction, as you can see around town, as well as providing materials for fixing up Gaslight after it's own ghost problem. Once the railway is completed it will be much easier for them to ship their goods across the rest of Brimsteel as well... With most of the distrubition going through Loadstar, of course." Businesswoman still has to get in her share of things, of course. With the backpack/cooling unit on the floor it's in easy reach. Hopalong, much to the barkeep's relief, jumps down from the bar and hops over to take a closer look at the much more advanced automaton. Yet in a similar manner doesn't actually speak, instead making an assortment of clicks and chirps from his internal mechanical workings that might pass for a 'hello'. Just don't mind the smoke that occasionally puffs out of the vents in his body. 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Mei resists the urge to reach over the bar to touch the ghostly apparition, and instead takes a seat at the bar while the hostess makes her announcement. "I'm glad the town is recovering so well, people can overcome pretty much any hardship with some honest cooperation and hard work." She looks around the bar and does a quick headcount, and turns back to the bartender. "Maybe something to celebrate the return to prosperity, do you have champagne? Sparkling wine? The bubbly stuff?" she asked, not sure what they call it on a world like this, so different from her Earth. 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' The Snowball drone beeps cheerfully and flaps it's "ears", but that seems to be about the extent of it's ability to communicate. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke seems relaxed around the ghost, if Mei-Ling needs assurances to the bartender's relative harmlessness, generally speaking. Josuke listens to Miss C as she speaks, chuckling at the mention of Corona running off. He quiets soon enough, though. He's glad to hear things seem to be going reasonably well. When Mei sits, Josuke also takes a seat nearby. Close enough for conversation, but not too close. He should order something too, he just hopes they have something less... potent than the last time he was here! "Anything without alcohol?" he asks the bartender. He's not hunkered down when he asks that, no. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Business. Yuna tries to keep alert, attentive, and cordial while Miss C is talking about the nitty-gritty of reviving a town like Brimsteel, but enough of it is commercial and/or bureaucratic that the blonde has to make constant conscious efforts not to let her eyes glaze over. Josuke's inquiry about non-alcoholic drinks gets her attention, though, and Yuna moves to consider the options. "There's this old drink I heard about in a place like this one. What was it called ... Salsa ... Slarsky ... um. Sarsasafrassin?" "Sarsaparilla," Elner provides, trying not to sound exasperated. "I believe it's a predecessor of sorts to root beer." 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Iria tries to pay strict attention to what's being said, but she's a little miffed that there's business being discussed at a party. Still, she knows there's not much she can do about it, save for stand there sipping her soda and listening to whats' being said. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa will order a Sarsaparilla to be on teh safe side this year she also looks over to Yuna for a moment and smirks for a moment. "Pretty much, won't melt your innards out sides I could get tapped for duty toniught so no booze for me even though I can't get drunk anymore." Somedays she wished she could. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     "Got some champagne for the occasion, sure." It's probably not that popular with the local crowd not being of 'the strong stuff' but the tastes of off-worlders has been taken into consideration. The barkeeper ambles about his work for a few minutes while Miss C is making her speech, eventually returning with the champagne for Mei, and passes a bottle to Josuke, grinning at Yuna and Elner's suggestion. "Non-liquor sarsparilla, aye. Also got ginger ale iffen you rather."     "But there is one other venture that we are all here for," Miss C continues as she walks across the saloon stage, giving her speech all the more feeling of a steampunk era expo presentation. "One that, hopefully, you'll all forgive having been kept low profile until now. Those of you that have been here dealing with our.. conflicts will understand how competative the frontier can be, and this is something Brimsteel does not yet have and I didn't want others--"     "Like Goaty McShortpants," Corona interjects.     It gets a chortle out of the room, and a roll of the eyes from Miss C. "Yes, such as the Copperchokes. But reconnecting with the material resources of this region is only one aspect of a bigger plan to take advantage of this isolated by vibrant reigon. One that tonight, as we celebrate the passing of the old year and the advent of the new, I present to you!" Miss C steps back aside as she snaps her fingers. Corona and Bucksaw grab the ends of the tarp, and with a flourish yank it off and back from the cart.     Set atop the cart is a scale model of Prismatic Point and the surrounding area of the mountains. It shows the town fully restored not only with the saloon and train station as focal points, but a couple of hotels, and taking advantage of the local environment for geothermal hot spring spas and some kind of waterpark built right into the mountain sides. There's even a minature train chugging on a minature track around and through the minature Mt. Thundersmack more like a rollercoaster than a real locomotive.     "Brimsteel's first recreational resort!" Even Miss C is getting a little giddy now. "One potential resource that has not yet been tapped here: Tourism!" 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Mei-Ling Zhou squints as she tries to figure out the physics of a ghost carrying her beverage, but she takes the drink with a quiet "Thank you," as Miss C carries on with her exposition of the town's promising future. "Ah, looks like fun. Might I suggest offering provisions for mountaineering expeditions? You have quite an interesting mountain up there, I was tempted to climb it myself! The only peak in the area with ice and snow, would be something unique to showoff. I could give you some pointers on the proper kind of gear and technique for those conditions." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke raises an eyebrow at Yuna's try at the name of the beverage, with a confused pout. "Sounds familiar, but I can't think where I've heard it." Elner's correction clears the confusion from Josuke's expression though. "Aa! That's what it was! I couldn't remember. It's a weird word, isn't it?" When the bartender passes him a bottle, he smiles. "Thank you," he offers in return. Miss C's got more to say too, so Josuke turns in her direction to look and listen as the tarp is pulled away. His eyes go wide when he sees the scale model. "Wow!" he marvels. "That's a really ambitous design! The western aesthetic is pretty universally popular from what I've seen, so I can see that happening." Mei's words get a smile. "Hey, that could be a good idea too," he states. "Maybe skiing, something like that, if there's enough snow?" What he DOESN'T ask is if she really climbs mountains. Clearly she does, or she wouldn't be offering pointers on it. Asking for confirmation would just come off as sounding like he doubts her. He does have a question, though. "Excuse me, Miss C? Bringing in tourists means bringing defenseless people in contact with the... unsavory elements here. Like those guys I keep having to punch. Anything in place to keep the tourists from being robbed?" 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna gets a bottle of sarsaparilla for herself as well, and clinks it gently against Josuke's (or tries to, anyway) before Miss C gets to the climax of her presentation. So that's what all the verbal paperwork was leading up to? Hmmm. The hot springs in particular catch some of her interest, although - "Maybe keep some of the hot springs less-developed, and build inns near them instead of walling them up or anything?" she suggests. Admittedly, she's also trying to size up some of the hotels to see if any of them would likely be suitable for idol concerts. Then again, this isn't Japan, is it? And Mei and Josuke have decidedly more practical suggstions about the intended resort development. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Iria also gets some sarsaparilla, having drank it quite a bit during a bounty hunt in a Western-era styled area of the Multiverse. Having stayed there for a few days, she made her residence in a small saloon/inn combination, where the only non-alcoholic drink they really served was sarsaparilla. She joins the toasting with Josuke and Yuna before taking a sip. "As complicated as it might sound," Iria says, "It might be better to look at certain locations and deal with them on a case by case basis." Who knew a bounty hunter like Iria could be so logical? 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Wait.." Rebound says, "You're turning the mountain into a theme park?" She asks, as she tilts her head looking at the model. She seems...Intrigued. She looks at Corona for a second, "Did you know about this? I mean who's idea was it, and why didn't you guys let me know sooner!" She grins, "I wanna be first one in line." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It takes a few moments for some of the impression to sink in, but it eventually gets a round of cheering out of the room. Though for most of the locals it just means prosperous work for them. The finer points of 'tourism' is something for the boss lady to worry about, they just do their jobs to make things good for others.     "Honestly from what I've seen, bandits would be fools to try and harass most offworlders," Miss C replies with a hint of bemusement. "But yes, security is being given serious consideration, and the Rangers will make arrangements for providing law enforcement as necessary." The businesswoman was prepared for questions, and gets some suggestions as well. "Expeditions will be entirely possible, miss, though mayhaps a bit down the line from getting other facilities in order, as is already being suggested." A brief nod of acknowledgement to Iria's comment. "I suspect the seemingly eternal storms brewing around Thundersmack will draw their fair share of curiousity as well."     "Don't worry Yuna," Corona adds in as she's ambled off the stage and back over to the bar. "The whole idea is to make what's nat'rally here more accessable rather than section it off." Then smirks at Rebound. "Like C said, had to keep it under wraps to keep folks like that grumpy goat from findin' out too soon. But it turns out Miss C wasn't plannin' on reopening the old mine itself. Just makin' a mine themed attraction." 

:'''{{#var:1114|Mei-Ling Zhou (1114)}} has posed:''' Mei-Ling Zhou scribbles her multiverse radio comm contact details on a napkin and offers it to Miss C. "If you need any advice on climbing up that imposing mountain, just let me know!" She says, tapping her spiked boots on the floor planks. Then she's wandered off to mingle more with the locals and enjor the ambience. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Yuna makes to clink her bottle against his, and Josuke moves to do the same -- and with Iria's bottle too -- with a grin. "Cheers!" he exclaims, and takes a drink. Iria's suggestion of dealing with locations individually gets a nod. "Hm... that makes sense, put the boots on the ground where the trouble is, and not have to worry so much about areas that aren't too much trouble," he agrees. Josuke grins at the mention of harassing offworlders. "An Elite, yeah. But non-Elites might be a little more of a mark. Though that's an idea too -- you might be able to hire out Elites at points too, to provide security if you expect big trouble somewhere, or if there's been trouble." Might not be a great idea if she's worried about collateral damage, but it could still be helpful. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Not all offworlders you'd draw here are Elites," Yuna comments. "Those of us who've come here so far *are*, admittedly, so far as I know ... but once this world is opened to normal tourism, you'll get normal tourists too." After the Q&A are over, Yuna perks up a little at Corona's comment, and nods in relief, smiling a little to hear that reassurance. "Wasn't sure," she admits, "but I'm glad to know." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona eventually notices Hopalong poking around Mei's stuff, and shoos the construct away. "Leave her stuff and the li'l bot alone, ya silly lagomorph." Then wanders back to the bar with the others. "Yeah, we'll have to keep an eye on things when more 'normal' folks start showin' up. But it ain't gonna be a problem with the support we've got thanks to y'all." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound makes her way over to where Corona is after the big reveal, and offers he a drink she brought, "Looks like it'll be a blast. Surprised neither you nor Windrose managed to spill the beans..Unless she doesn't know either?" She hmms, and nudges Corona, "That'll make for a heck of a surprise if she didn't know.." 
}}

5570/Steelix-y Resolve

2017-11-15T05:56:57Z

Foxer: Log Post

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/15
|Location=Pokemon Archipelagos <PA>
|Synopsis=Alexis calls for help defending a rare wild Steelix from Teams Magma and Aqua.
|Cast of Characters=459, 457, 954, 19, 1100, 1141
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The general state of affairs had not changed much in the Pokemon regions despite the major shakeups in the Multiverse over the last few months. But not without feeling its touch, as numerous small uncharted islands now specked the boundries of the Hoenn region. This has been where Alexis has spent much of her recent time, getting back in touch with her Trainer roots while helping the regional Champion investigate the new wilderness. This eventually lead to a great discovery.. And also a problem a bit bigger than she can bite off on her own. That brings us to the call for help that went out. Responding to the signal eventually leads to one of the border islands, a mostly open plateau beneath a rather large mountain that at one point may have been volcanic. It seems almost too quiet for needing a distress call, and at the moment there's no sight of Alexis, but it's not hard to spot where the signal is coming from as the pink and cyan bird-like form of a Porygon-Z is perched atop a rock formation sending it out for her. A rumbling comes from the direction of the mountain occasionally, difficult to tell if it's a natural occurance on the island or something else... 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      The little Neuroi known as Evangeline has never been to a pokemon world before, but she has heard about it and always wanted to visit. A world full of intelligent animals living alongside humans is very much like the world she hopes to achieve back home one day. She makes her way across the ocean, watching the various water pokemon that stay near the surface and even floating down to play with one or two that let her.      When she reaches the island she follows the signal to the strange looking plastic bird pokemon and comes to a stop a few meters away. She doesn't say anything for a long moment, just looking at the unusual creature. If it was black she might think it was some kind of Neuroi. Finally, she slowly raises one of her sleeve-like arms in a greeting. "...hello..." she says before pausing with her arm still in the air as she hears that rumbling. "...is someone in trouble...?" 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord follows the signal, using his power of flight to reach the location expediently. He floats down from a high altitude and lands with a soft 'thud' of his boots, ethereal wing-like appendages fading away from his back like a mirage. He follows the signal using a small crystalline device that chimes and shows a readout of direction, until he finds himself standing before...     Kord visibly balks at the sight of a Porygon-Z. Briefly uncomfortable, he turns to seek out the source of the rumbling without waiting to see if anyone else is coming. He'll poke around for a cavern entrance, to track down the source of the disturbance, though he doesn't wander too far from the signal if he can help it. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya wasn't expecting too much trouble here and it has been a long time since she'd had a chance to catch up with Alexis who she was starting to suspect, had been smarter than her. She got out of the affairs of state between major power in the sectot. Maya herself was bound more by poltical concerns back home which kept her from just wandering off much like Alexis friend Ash had done. Still it was good to catch up and lead to help where she could. Maya was more dressed for how one might expect someone from this world ot be than the normal mad max style leathers she wore normally. Also oif note she did have some visable odd tribal tatoos on her forarms which were a pale almost bright blue. She did not seem bothered by the Pokemon at all and was actually grinning a bit. "Looks like this is going to be interesting." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace hasn't been to a pokemon world either, that she can remember. But she arrives at the island aboard her PT boat, the FMS Leeroy Jenkins. When the boat can't approach any further, Tiny has her crew anchor up to wait for her. She puts on her backpack, today bringing her M2 Browning as the heavy weapon of the day. Currently, Mamma Deuce is strapped in stowage position, to the side of her backpack unit. She's not particularly expecting any trouble, but... she's a heavy weapons mouse, so she's bringing heavy weapons. She's also not wearing her helmet today, instead settling for her usual beret and a communications headset. She follows the signal all the way to the Porygon-Z, arriving shortly after a friendly face. "Heyyy" she smiles cheerfully. "Evangeline. How are you doing?" She holds out her left hand for a fistbump, then nods to the Porygon. "Evening. There was a call for 'elp?" She also waves to the others, smiling cheerfully to Maya and giving Kord a polite nod. "Sup." 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     A call for help is one of the easiest ways to get the attention of one Robert E.O. Speedwagon. They don't call him 'The Interfering Speedwagon' for nothing. Hell, he calls HIMSELF that, and it's a well-deserved title. There are hopefully helpful people that can bring Speedwagon and his boys to the island. Otherwise they might just have to steal a boat. Which wouldn't be a problem; they're thugs anyway, despite being generally good people.     However it happens, Speedwagon will arrive at the island, with two of his men in tow -- the only two who left Ogre Street with him when he gave them the opportunity. One of his gang is a wild-looking fellow with a blue splash of a tattoo over his eyes and the upper part of his face. The other is a man in a robe-like garment that brings to mind Chinese outfits.     And Speedwagon himself is wearing the attire of an English gentleman. Since he doesn't know what's going to be lurking here, he's got his bowler hat on, with the blades disguised for the time being. Though this will only hide them to a visual inspection.     He heads in the direction of the Porygon-Z. He looks at the thing, blinks. "What the...?" Then he looks around. And that's when he notices Evangeline, and his eyes go wide. Somehow he gets the feeling he just made a horrible mistake...     Kord might have escaped his notice just then, but not Tattoo's. "Pssst!" the be-tattoo'd man hisses to his boss, not at all quietly. "Lookit!" Speedwagon looks rather concerned as he looks in Kord's direction, and his eye twitches. The three of them are rather marking themselves as new to the Multiverse, aren't they?     At least Maya looks semi-normal. He offers her a wave and a smile, desperately trying not to look like he has NO IDEA what's going on. Which he doesn't, but yeah. And then a GIANT MOUSE?! Tattoo is the one to react negatively first, emitting a loud "GYAAAH!" and putting both Speedwagon and the Asian man between himself and Leyanne. The blond Englishman visibly eyetwitches, but again, he's making an effort not to panic.     Finally though, he looks at the group, confused. "So." He raises his clasped right fist to his left shoulder. "The name's Robert E.O. Speedwagon, and with me is Tattoo and Kempo." The tattoo'd man waves, with a grin, and the Asian man bows his head politely. Speedwagon speaks again. "We're 'ere ta meddle, if somebody needs us to. Though, uh." He looks around again. "Who called for 'elp?" he asks. His words are thick with a Cockney accent. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' As people gather around it's perch the Porygon-Z stops transmitting it's call, lowering its head to look at the group. Maya is at least familiar, and it recalls Alexis mentioning the ruler of one of the lands of a medivial Pokemon world, which presumable is the dark figure avoiding nearing it's presence for some reason. Light shimmers over it's form briefly as it lets go of the rock formation with it's flipper-like pylons and floats down to the gathering, taking advantage of its being a living crystalline computer essentually to switch to a somewhat autotuned sounding voice synthesization program for ease of communication. "Should not be surprised a motely crew would be attracted." Wrong music genre there, Glitch. "Alexis found something really big on this island... and then ran into a bit of trouble..." As Kord wanders away from the group and gazes towards the mountain, the rumbling can be heard, and this time felt, a lot more readily. Someone else that knows Pokemon might reconize the sensation, feeling something making its way *through* the ground. "We haven't been the only ones investigating these islands," the Porygon-Z continues. "So she sent me up here to call for help while she investigated--" And that would be when the most cacophonic of interruptions happens, as a sizable chunk of rock almost literally blasts away from the rest of the mountain. A massive serpentine form, segemented body gleaming from it's metallic exterior through the resulting cloud of dust, tears out of the destructive exit. The Steelix was moving with some impressive speed for it's size, barreling away from the mountainside like a living locomotive. It's upon it's back that Alexis can finally be spotted, fighting with someone wearing crimson and black hooded cloaks. The two grapple for a bit, until a pikachu in a leather jacket leaps out of her pack, and slugs the thug over the head with a toy guitar. Her Braixen and Swampert are also with her, blasting fire and water at various pokemon trying to climb up the behemoths backside. Out of the tunnel behind them flood many more of those hooded figures, most of them riding on large Fire types in pursuit... Though some of them are also trying to fight against the other group of hoodlums also chasing them, which are dressed in blue and grey pirate swabs, most of them using large flying Water types like Mataine and Gyarados to travel above ground. "--That's them!" In a blip the Porygon was now hiding behind Maya. "Team Magma and Aqua were after the rare wild Steelix too!" Just can't keep a Trainer out of trouble it seems. 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      Evangeline would no doubt look strange to someone who has not seen her or a Neuroi before. She floats just off the ground, apparently couldn't stand anyway with her lack of actual feet, and her black skin shines with a metallic gleam. Stealing a boat would be a horrible mistake...if she knew about it. You might get a stern and very quiet scolding! And, when she turns to look at the others...she has no eyes. No mouth. She could easily be mistaken for some kind of faceless horror that just looks like a cute little girl with a cat tail and ears.      Leyanne speaks up, and Evangeline floats toward her and holds out a sleeve-like arm, the flat end of it facing Leyanne. "...hello again..." she says in her quiet, somewhat static-laced voice. Which doesn't even come from her head, but rather from the big red watch she has on around her right arm. She also gives a polite Japanese bow to the others, bending at the waist in proper fashion.      But, before much more conversation can happen, that Steelix and its riders and pursuers crash out of the mountain. Evangeline...still has no idea what is going on, so she just floats up into the air a bit farther. "...and...we do not want Team Magma or Team Aqua to get it...?" she asks quietly before starting off toward the embattled Alexis. She doesn't want to shoot any beams with so many people around, so instead she flies up to where Alexis and the unknown man are fighting. "...excuse me..." she says to the man. "...would you might not hurting my ally...? ...I do not think you will like it if you continue..." 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord stuffs the crystalline device into his pocket. His head swivels for him to look at the Porygon-Z. His eyes fixate on it as it talks, because it's not usual for Pokemon to talk where he's from. He breathes a sigh through his nose, as his head turns and he notices Robert and his two ganger friends, the man in red and black blinking slowly at their ... strangely familiar attire.     He hasn't much time to comment on anyone's appearances or unusual traits, his head turning to look at the Steelix emerging from the rock. He immediately takes flight, his wings manifesting once more for him to hover over the developing battlefield. He frowns behind his mask as he notes how many of these... cultists surge from underground, following the trainer as she battles atop the Steelix's back.     Ah, what a nostalgic sight.     Kord drops back out of the air, and doesn't even ask them to stop. He aims to land right on top of one of the cultists, slamming down on him and his Pokemon. Then he would reach out and snap up the fire-type Pokemon, and then try to whip the Pokemon with superhuman strength into the surge of cultists. It is, frankly, vicious and careless, meant to maximize confusion in the fight. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya has heard of Kord but does not recall running into him. Speedwagon does get her attention for a moment. "It's good to meet you all." there's a look on her face of shock as she hears the name Speedwagon of all things. She just kind of stares fror half a second shakes her head a bit. "A old friend of mine by the name of Alexis." Did Alexis even have a last name she looks to the pokemon for a moment pausing for a moment. "I see, so you were helping Alexis out with this? Wait the Teams? Oh Jinac..." She's aware of them and has thought the multiverse going splort would be the ned of their ambitions but that does not seem to be the case. She gives Speedwagon another look. "Forgive me my name is Maya." She also takes note of Alexis who has now become able to be visable again. She's already reaching into her cargo pants to pull what looks like a deck of cards out of her pocket drawing several of them. Evangeline was also a welcome addtion to the group as she charges off towards the danger, because that is what Maya's done for the last decade and a half in the multiverse. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace grins and fistbumps Evangeline, glowering at Tattoo and Speedwagon a moment. Her attention snaps to the mountain, as the Steelix bursts free. She peers at the scene, then at the figures fighting atop it. There's a faint whir as she zooms in on the scene, looking at those she's fighting. Hrm. Mamma Deuce won't be so useful here... not yet, anyway. Okay, time for some math. "I'mma do a thing." She decides, starting to run towards the giant stone worm-thing. She accellerates like a train; there's a lot of mass to move, but a lot of power to doing it, so she starts off slow and builds speed, moving in from the side to catch up with the creature. She leaps up to grab hold of one of the 'spines' with her left hand, getting slammed against the dirt several times for her troubles. But eventually she bounces high enough to end up standing on the spine, which she runs down - heading towards the nearest assailant who's not currently occupied by Evangeline. RSaid pirate gets a gentle tap on the shoulder. "D'ya have a ticket for this ride? No? This ain't a charity, mate, we don't offer free rides. Get off th' giant worm-thing." And then she attempts to sucker punch him or her in the face with her left hand. 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Speedwagon's not even sure if he can get a read on Evangeline, with the lack of a face. But he's polite to her nonetheless. Because whether she's a faceless horror or just happens to not have a face, the outcome of being rude would be bad either way -- either she'd eat him or she'd get upset with him. He notes Kord looking at him, and there's an almost imperceptible shudder. Almost. However, he musters up a grin and a wave in Kord's direction. No, he doesn't look utterly terrified. Not at all!     Though Maya gives him a look that he narrows his eyes at shrewdly. He'd seen her reaction at his mention of his last name. She seemed as though she recognized it. But there wasn't time to ask about it now. Leyanne gets a matching look! Of course, that's kind of just Speedwagon's natural look when he's not grinning. He is kind of a rough looking fellow.     Speedwagon seems surprised when the odd pink creature starts to 'speak'. But he manages to keep the visible reaction to just a blinking of widened eyes. He listens to the Porygon-Z explain the situation, and nods. But just as he's about to ask a question?     BOOM!     Instinctively Speedwagon and his group duck, raising their hands over their heads to protect from any debris. Once Speedwagon can look up again, his eyes go wide again at the sight of the rock-serpent. "Ruddy Nora!" he swears, taking a step back. But he does understand what's going on, mostly, and sort of gets what he needs to do.     Since most of the hoodlums seem to be at range, Tattoo and Kempo wait for the time being -- the former spinning a knife around and grinning with a sort of mad glee, the latter with a calm and narrowed-eye look of focus. Speedwagon however, raises his hand to lightly thump the front of his hat's brim. As he does, something seems to unwind from the hat, and the brim splits, coming apart in four pieces and falling away. What it reveals is, of course, the four curved blades on the hat.     And then suddenly the hat's in the air, thrown at the airborne hoodlums, spinning like a top. It's probably slightly more deadly than the hoodded guys were expecting, but if nothing else, it ought to knock them off their mounts. Possibly off their mounts where Tattoo and Kempo can have to them. Which would be a bad day for them! Though it's worthy to note that the hat avoids allies, curving around them easily. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The hooded man barely has a chance to recoil from getting Kabonged by a Rockstar Pikachu when a strange metal girl is floating up to speak to them. "The hell is that thing?!" He motions as if to yell for a pokemon, but before he can a Mud Bomb from Swampert splats in his face, bowling him off the back of the beast. One of the Aqua 'pirates' points and laughs at his fall, only to get a tap on the shoulder. "Whatcha want ma--" A wisecrack and a fist to the face sends her toppling over.. conveniently landing on top of the guy she was just mocking. "Stop that abomination!" someone farther down the Steelix's back shouts, and several Fire type pokemon start spitting Flamethrowers at the floating Neuroi, while a couple of Starmie are sent spinning through the air to dive towards Leyanne. "They're zealots, girls," Alexis remarks. "They don't reason." Then adds more loudly over her shoulder. "They're friends, Steelix, don't trample any of them please." The steel serpent growls something in response, but does start to slow down as they near the group, bending itself into a curve behind them. Kord has little trouble dismounting a Magma zealot from his Arcanine, then heaving the large beast over his head and flinging it off into the crowd. These mooks having been away from the islands to reconize the Kalos bird of death he bears a semblance to, but his appearance is hellish enough with the display all the same. "Avast! The scurvy heathens bring even demons against us now!" Causing disorder in the ranks is a success, although it does bring both Fire and Water cults' attention on him. Now if only Magma and Aqua weren't still taking pot shots at -each other- as well... Fortunately their own hatred keeps this from turning into an Enemy Mine situation, and there's plenty of thugs and pokemon alike to deal with. "It's gotta be a filthy Magma trick!" yells one of the pirates.. only to grunt as hat, something weird even by Pokemon standards, smacks into him and knocks him off his Mantine. And comes back for another pass to dismount someone else to make them easy picking for his sidekicks(?). The Mantine looks irrate though, and spews a stream of explosive water bubbles at Robert in response. Once he's stopped Alexis drops down from Steelix's head, landing close to Maya. "I'm not sure if I should be amused or annoyed this is the kind of circumstances we have a reunion under." There's an audible thud as the Swampert drops down next to her, while Braixen floats down on her fiery stick-broom. Alexis goes to roll up one of her hoodie sleeves. "Just give me a moment to catch my breath..." 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      Evangeline...is an abomination..? She is frozen by that statement, at least until the first flamethrower hits her. A shimmering shield of translucent blue hexagons appear in a circle around her, deflecting the flames from her body so that only the edges of her form flake away from the damage before she starts moving again. She still can't use her beams without risking hitting the Steelix, which is apparently a friendly or at least a protected asset. So...she powers up her arms and flies toward the Magma that gave the attack order, then starts spinning like a top with her arms swinging like heavy flails. And with the sinister red glow at their tips, any hits she lands are augmented by a burst of explosive red energy. It might look fiery, but it is much more akin to a laser blast.      After the attack on the first Magma, Evangeline continues on her way, practically sliding down Steelix's back. Her goal seems to be to clear as many from the creature as fast as she can. She can't really engage them until the Steelix is clear. "...leave the nice metal snake thing alone...!!" she exclaims! ...sort of. Her voice is much to soft to really qualify as an exclamation. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace draws her sidearm to open fire on the Starmie that dive-bomb her. Once Steelix stops, she hops down, with a surprisingly heavy thud even for her size. She looks over at Alexis "Dig the hair, friend." The eight foot mouse with electric blue hair comments, unslinging her M2 browning and hooking the ammo feed in, just in case either of the pirates remember that, instead of fighting eachother, they had a job to do. "I'm Tiny." A glance up at the Steelix. "Thanks for the ride. Can we do that again, but with less ground-smashing some time?" 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Tattoo and Kempo leap into action then -- literally! The first one that got dismounted, Tattoo leaps forward at, with a screech that might sound very odd coming from a human and not a Pokemon, intent on perforating the pirate with that pig-sticker he carries! Kempo darts forward on the ground at the second one, a bit slower. It should just about be enough time to let the dismounted hoodlum get up. But Kempo's not going for a single hit, no -- he's going for a combo. An open-handed knife-hand to the face, a kick to the shin, and then a flip kick, the latter of which should hopefully strike the second hoodlum in the chin. If all goes well.     As for Speedwagon himself? "HA!" Speedwagon declares, as the hat hits its mark. That hat actually comes back to him, leaving little doubt who was responsible. "Always need to watch your back, mate!" he comments as he flicks the hat back on his head. Yes, with the blades out. Somehow he manages not to cut even a single hair on his own head.     But the Mantine seems upset! And see, he didn't think these mounts did anything but... well, act as mounts. So when the stream of explosive bubbles fly at him, his eyes go wide, and he tries to dive out of the way. He's only partially successful, and gets thrown into a rock with the force of the explosion. "Gah!" He slumps to a knee, and shakes his head. "How the 'ell? The mounts are more dangerous than their riders!"     He picks up the hat knocked off his head then, and narrows his eyes at the Mantine. Then he surges to his feet again and charges at the Mantine. "Back, ye beast!" he declares. But instead of just throwing his hat again, he drops, tumbling forward into a roll. He rolls to a crouch and then tosses the hat in an upward arc. He's aiming for the creature's unerbelly. Not only is he hoping it'll be softer, but he also hopes the hat's arc will miss any more such bubbling outbursts from the Mantine. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya does not seem hostile about the response to Robert's name more just shock at encoutnering it. Either way Proygon had to say and she's palming the cards she has in hand and she's moving on a clip till she catches up with Alexis. "Right, sounds like things are getting crazy." 5R She knows the cults are shooting at eachother for the moment, at east that gives her a moment to seady herself and start to mutter something it seems Maya's prepping a spell of some sort but moving to charge it up a bit first. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' If she wasn't already a little occupied Alexis would explain to Robert that Pokemon aren't 'just' mounts. It's not really necessary though as he takes a more tactical approach. As he charges the Mantine switchs to spewing out an Ice Beam, but it crackles across the ground behind him as he rolls. Then flings the hat into it's underside, sending it wheeling wilding sideways before hitting the ground. Evangeline used RAPID SPIN! Well its close enough, as her move sends her spinning along the Steelix's spine like a weaponized top. After one Magma mook is unlucky enough to be launched by the explosive burst that follows being struck, the rest of the maniacs and pokemon are scattering off the behemoth backside to avoid a similar fate. They still take rough tumbles to the ground, and scramble to reorganize and start firing back at her with their fire attacks again. There's a bright hitflash as the sidearm shot hits the Starmie's gemstone, disrupting it's psychic powers and it hits the ground from the lost of control. The other whirls out of the way but glides down to give the fallen starmon and the Aquas running to catch up some cover, spinning in place to fire a shower of crystal shards towards Tiny as she lands near Alexis and Maya. Which are intercepted by Swampert stepping in, arms held out to shield all three of them, the shards rebounding off his amphibious hide. Power Gem doesn't bother him much, also being a Ground type. "Steelix that evolve naturally without a trainer are extremely rare because of how long it takes. I'm guessing these screwballs want it for one of their Evironmental Wrongs Activists schemes," Alexis explains to those near her. She sleeves she rolls up reveals a thick band around her right wrist, with a circular gemstone imbedded in it that appears to have a DNA helix carved onto it in the shape of a droplet. "Alright Mudslinger, it's time we put Steven's present to use... MEGA EVOLUTION!" She flexes her arm to hold the trinket up in front of her, briefly swiping two fingers of her other hand over it. It crackles with prismatic energy that arcs out to connect with a similar stone worn in a similar collar by Swampert. It cascades over his form, which can be seen shifting under to the glow as his flipper-like arms and shoulders expand, while the fins down the back of its head become more streamlined. The burst of light gets a lot of the remaining Magma and Aqua goons still standing to look in their direction, and even hoods don't hide the shocked expressions several have. "Shit! She's one of -those- Trainers!" Between that and Kord's inhuman display they've gotten quite shaken up now. Then the energy bursts away and fades as the pokemon rears up on its stout legs and flexes now ape-like arms. "SWAAAAMPERT!" Then leaps towards the Starmie, the bulbous organs on one arm compressing to shoot out air like a jet and make the Mega Punch that slams into the Starmie all the more forceful, actually bouncing it off the ground for a second punch to connect and fling it across the plains. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord is still there. He just slipped out of view to let the others sew their own chaos, so he could avoid the brunt of cultist attention for a minute. Once he felt suitably able to act, he snapped back out of the artificial shadows he had morphed to hide his presence, and bounces well over the heads of the various cultists. He laughed, because they had called him a demon, and they could not have been further from the truth in that regard. He spun in the air, hand lifted up behind him, and lobbed a force of black energy down into the crowd.     He didn't aim at anyone, though. Instead, the cultists are hit by a stunning wave of Dark-type energy that radiates outward, like a magical grenade. It seems, for some reason, that Kord can use Pokemon moves! 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Is there any fight left in the Mantine or the two Poke-pirates? Go ahead, let them try to gather their wits! Because if they do? They're going to get gang-rushed. Literally. All three of the Ogre Street Gang members will bumrush them, then do their very level best to admininster whatever curbstomping they need to do in order to knock them out of this.     That said, if the Mantine and the two Poke-Pirates are smart, and STAY DOWN, they'll be spared this treatment. Instead the three Ogre Street Gang members will go back towards the Steelix, which has been established as their protect objective. "Right then! Tattoo, Kempo! Spread out, an' I don't want a single one 'a these bum-nuggets gettin' within spittin' distance without losin' a kidney for their troubles!" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace listens to Alexis explaining what's going on, then blinks up at the massive Swampert. "That's gonna sting." she mutters, looking around. After a moment she slings her M2 instead sticking to using her sidearm in her left hand to deal with ranged opponents, while teaming up with Speedwagon, and anyone else who's in melee, to deal with anyone else who gets too close. She seems to subscribe to the 'dirty street' school of combat, along with copious amounts of superhuman strength. Of course, true to the large, strong trope, she's also not the fastest to react or turn, meaning any opponent who gets the drop on her gets in at least one or two hits before her iron left comes into play. 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      Evangeline comes to a stop, a small burst of red energy radiating outward when she comes to face the many Magma mooks who are still focusing on her. Her shield is starting to lose its glow and flakes of her body that have been damaged by the fire flow away in a shower of silver sparkles. But, now they are all off of the Steelix and Evangeline can finally use her main weapon!      As the next wave of fire starts toward her, the ends of Evangeline's arms start to glow brightly with that rather evil-looking red light. It casts her lack of face in a particularly menacing light. "...go away..." she says in her soft voice before she thrusts both arms out. A beam nearly as thick as she is tall fires from her outstretched arms, clashing with all the flamethrowers and steadily pushing them backward. If and when the beam hits the group or the ground, there is a powerful explosion not unlike the kind that sends another famous pokemon team blasting off all the time. And the beam is sustained for several seconds, so if she misses anyone they will have only a limited chance to clear the blast zone before she adjusts her aim. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya makes note of Tiny as well and she's glad for more help and that's when Maya's casting finally gets into play. she holds two cards flying aloft one glowing green the other glowing red as a bright blue fire leeches out of her body into the cards. She keeps the focus up as she now watches the remaining cultist and thats when casts not a direct combat spell but a curse one that will make the cultist weaker, feel mirsable all around she's being nice though given she could do far worse things. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' They're zealots, of course at least one is dumb enough to get up, scream something semi-incoherent about their chosen Legendary, and rush in again. Only to get promptly curbstomped by the street gang. Seeing -that- starts to get the hint across that the defensive line has been drawn, and they back off and regroup to get their own ranged attacks in order. A few Water Pulses get close to Alexis, but she gets a bit of backup from Steelix returning the favor of trying to protect him by dropping his tail in front of her, chugging through what's clearly a painful hit for him. Not that he has to endure it long. Maya starts crippling cultists (definately cultists) with her magic, while Leyanne gets a nice clean shot to knock the pokeball out of one's hand before he even can release the pokemon with. The others Aquas find their effort a bit lacking as Mudslinger, his type combination rendering him neutral to Aqua's water and ice attacks at best, uses the increased power of his Mega Evolution to just soak the attacks. And then slams one fist into the ground, then the other, in an alternating fashion to send both teams scattering from the Earthquake, Fire types being weak and everyone else just not wanting to deal with that powerful of an attack. Humans pulling off weird shit isn't a new thing, but it is a thing that you typically only see from hyperlinkers or psychics. So when Kord takes to the air and unleashes an entirely different type of attack with Dark Pulse, it's a resolve breaker. Add to that Evangeline Blasting Off the entire contingent of Magma fire-shooters, and it's basically a rout. Both Teams call a retreat, scattering in opposite directions of the island for whatever means they used to get here. The ones that can still stand and run, at least. It's really not a lot of them at this point. 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      With the two teams of environmental extremists in retreat, Evangeline floats over toward the big Steelix. She floats up to his head, then slowly reaches out...and gives him a pat on the gigantic snout. "...there there...you are safe now..." she says before she floats down toward the others. The little Neuroi looks a bit worse for wear, but as she floats there before them a gentle silver light flows over wherever she has chips or chunks missing and starts restoring them. In a minute or two it is as if she was not damaged at all. "...is everyone alright..?" she asks, looking around at her friends and allies. Of course looking is a relative term, since it is difficult to tell just who she is looking at sometimes. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace smiles and looks at the big silver worm-dude. He looks up at him, smiling and patting him gently on one of the big, protruding spine-things. "I think I saw something like you in a movie once." She says. "His name was Geoffery. You got a name? Something as big and cool as you gotta have a name, even if I can't pronounce it." She looks over at Evangeline, then scans over the others. "I don't see anything more than minor cuts and bruises, Evangeline." She says. "I got bounced a bit off the ground but the armour took the brunt of it - don't blame the big guy though. 500lb of mouse hangin' onto one of your appendages can't be all that fun without warnin'." 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Speedwagon is visibly shocked when he sees Evangeline's Breaker Beam! But when he realizes where it's aimed, the expression changes to a grin. "Atta girl! Good aim!" he encourages. At least he assumes the floating fairy-bot is a girl. "She's keepin' the pressure on 'em too! That looks like a lot 'f power t' have ta hold for that long!" Oh God, he's starting to do it again, the announcer-ing.     Thankfully the cults start to get the hint that maybe leaving is a good idea. Once they start scattering, Speedwagon cups his hands around his mouth and calls out, "OI! YOU LOT LEFT SOME '''RUBBISH''' BE'IND!" He is, of course, referring to the cultists who aren't able to get up and run. This probably isn't a good idea, to be perfectly honest, depending on how much backing these guys have. But... well, Speedwagon has always been the loud and rowdy sort.     Evangeline's question gets a nod. "Just winged me a little." He looks at the arm on the side the explosive bubbles went off on. It looks like a bad bruise, and he does wince a bit when he flexes the fingers. "That'll sort itself out in a few days." Returning to look at her, he starts to ask, "An' you? Are you... oh." He trails off as she starts to repair herself, blinking in surprise. "Oh. Well."     He also gives a grin and a mock salute at Leyanne when she looks his way to check the group at large for injures. It's also with his bruised hand, so he winces a bit. Ow. But he still grins. Though yeah, that does leave the question of the big metal snake-thing. What do they do with it?     Looking to Alexis, since she's the one that was riding the thing, he asks, "So... what now? I doubt leavin' this big bruiser 'ere is the plan. That lot comes back, it'll just need ta be rescued again." Apparently he's not aware the Steelix can understand him. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "A little roughed up but no worse for wear." Alexis replies. "Maya can confirm I've been through worse. Still, thanks for the help guys. That would of been one hell of a slog on our own." Now that the fighting is over the Porygon-Z goes from hiding behind Maya to return to his usual place in Alexis' bag. Braixen never left her side, and Mega Swampert trundles over while the costumed Pikachu climbs up onto her shoulder. "As for the unconcious, don't worry 'bout 'em. Local law will come to lock em up. It's gonna take a whole squad of Jennys to do it I bet." She turns partway to look up at the Steelix while Eva's petting him. "As for you, big fella. I don't know how long you've been on this island, but," She's interrupted by a rumble from the beast in return as he somewhat awkwardly rubs against her with the end of his tail, being the smallest part of his body. "Yeah yeah, yer welcome." Alexis reachs back to rummage in a pocket of her bag and pull out a pokeball, one that coincidentally has a similar metallic grey color instead of the usual red and white. She smirks a little at Robert's remark. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Those lunkheads might come looking for you again, so it might be better if you come with us eh?" Come with them? That might get a weird look from Robert and anyone else not familiar with how Pokemon work. How are they going to get a huge snake made of metal off a little island? Which gets answered when Alexis lobs up the Heavy Ball to bounce lightly off the steel serpentine's nose, and in a surge of light energy after it opens the titan of a pokemon is apparently sucked in side. The ball drops to the ground and rattles around once... twice... but it would appear the attempted rescue and defense made a good impression, as after the third shake it falls still and dings loudly. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Alexis stooped down to pick it up. "Probably gets boring sitting here all day anyways." 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord lands from his spectacular show of force, and watches the forces as they devolve from fearful to full retreat. He laughs openly and happily as they leave, because his experiences with cultists usually end in their deaths and not in them learning to take a step back for a minute. He doesn't bother pursuing them, and instead steps aside to assess the area. It'd be easy to lose track of him with all of the distractions, and in this he moves with an absolute silence between the spread of vision, and holds up a finger to anyone but Speedwagon and his crew to 'shush' them if they spot him.     Then he would lean in near Speedwagon's head, not even a rustle of cloth.     His voice comes out as a near-romanian one, the way he speaks showing signs of the bestial fangs in his mouth. He speaks deliberately, and he has a deep, imposing voice.     "Welcome to the Multiverse, Speedwagon," he says, having noticed the greenhorn behavior of both him and the two thugs he dragged along with him. "Good work," he adds, as if he hadn't just mischievously tried to startle the man. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya now moves to see the ones who can not flee and mutters for a moment before looking to alexis. "I'll call up Jenny and tell her we have some presents for her." She notes to Alexi nad goes to get out her comm. She pauses to Eve asking how she's doing. "I'm fine." She gets back on the line to hopefully help with the aftemrath and she looks to Alexis and Speedwagon once she gets done. "Indeed welcome to the insanity of it all Mr. Speedwagon." she looks to Alexis and then down to the pokemon behind her for a moment. 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Robert does give a strange look to Alexis when she mentions bringing the snake with them. "I 'ope it can swim," he comments. Though he notes that Alexis does seem to be speaking to the metal snake rather than to him at one point, and wonders at that. Suddenly the serpent disappears into a small ball?! "What the 'ell?"     Tattoo and Kempo are regrouping with Speedwagon now, to watch this spectacle and wonder at it too. So they're not watching his back, like at all. The three of them figured all the threats were gone, so they didn't quite expect Kord to suddenly materialize behind their boss and quietly 'wryyyyyy' at him.     This unexpected startle causes Speedwagon to emit a loud "GWAH!" and jump away from Kord. For a moment, Speedwagon sees him as someone else, someone that the gangster regards as the epitome of bogeyman. Then he slumps, breathing out heavily, and placing a hand over his chest. "Easy, mate! Last time I 'eard somethin' like that, dozens 'f people died!" He still looks spooked in fact!     Though he salutes to Maya, and his words are to both Maya and Kord. "But thank ya. Really is a fantastic mess, innit?" 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The newly filled ball is tucked away, since she was exploring Alexis didn't bring a full six with her so no need to port it off into the storage nextwork. She then recalls the rest of her crew, with Swampert also reverting back to his normal state in doing so. It's when someone actually says his name that Alexis stops, and does a slow headturn to peer at 'Speedwagon' for a moment.... And then shakes her head and starts to wander aside. "And I thought Team Rocket using cowboy names was strange..." 

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''      Evangeline is also left speechless as the giant Steelix disappears into that tiny pokeball. She floats up to Alexis...probably a bit too close...and fingers emerge from her left arm. She reaches out, about to touch it when Alexis puts it away. Evangeline floats back from Alexis's comfort zone. She looks over at Speedwagon as he starts to ask if she is okay, then just looks away again as the question answers itself. Kord's antics and Speedwagon's reaction cause her to tilt her head slightly in curiousity, but Maya actually draws a question out of her. "...Jennys..?" she asks, with emphasis on the S. "...are police called Jennys in this world..?" 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     In response to Alexis's odd look, Speedwagon turns to her and raises an eyebrow. The expression clearly says 'what?'. And he takes a moment to look at the Swampert as it returns to its normal size. That... seems a little strange to him. But then again, 'strange' has apparently been the flavor of the evening.     So instead of dwelling on all this weirdness, he turns to Alexis and does something that he's been remiss in doing since she showed up on the scene. Introducing himself. Though first he asks, "You were the one that sent the call? Glad ta 'elp. Robert E.O. Speedwagon, the meddler -- at your service, ma'am!" He bows, managing to somehow flourish an arm across his waist while holding that bladed hat, without cutting himself. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     "Oh... don't worry, Speedwagon, I'm not a vampire or some other ghoulish beast," Kord replies, hands upturned in an easygoing shrug. "I have standards. For instance:"     "I'm usually much quieter before I kill someone."     And with that pleasant and probably not comforting comment, he spares a lazy salute toward Alexis, and then launches up into the air in full flight, quickly becoming a speck in the sky, then darting off to the most convenient warp gate. He can really book it when he has proper clear weather and no obstacles, it seems. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace pulls a flask from her pack, and two cups along with it. "I recognise your accent." She should, after all; it's the precursor to her own. "So I know exactly what you need mate." She wanders over to Speedwagon, filling one of the mugs with tea. She then offers it over to him. "Milk and two." she pours herself a mug of tea, and then looks around to the others. "Anyone else for a cuppa?" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya says "Yes and it's less of a mess than it used to be, no more war across a million, million worlds. Thank the Creator for that nightmare being over Mr. Speedwagon." She pauses for a moment and then looks to Neuroi girl. "Kinda there's a very large family in this region who all are into police work. I mean /very/ large, and they look quite similar either way they are good people and pretty good beat cops." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "..." The look she gives in return to the full introduction is very much a 'Seriously?' one to match the 'what?' he was doing a few moments ago, once the full initials dawn on her. It takes a moment for her to shake it off. In the end, after you've spent your life dealing with people using names based off 'Jessie James' and 'Butch Cassidy' (and never saying his name right either), this is just strange without being REALLY strange. Ahem. "Yeah, thanks for the help. Hope the Multiverse doesn't break your mind too much." And then Kord... is well Kord, and takes off. "Maybe not a vampire, but he still kinda gives me the creeps." 

:'''{{#var:1141|Robert Speedwagon (1141)}} has posed:'''     Kord is gone before Speedwagon can reply. Though he might still hear the gangster's loud, "NOT 'ELPIN'!" He shudders. "Gah." Leyanne wanders over then, but this time there is much less of a fearful response. He is still pretty new to all this, and Leyanne is still pretty scary from a pure human standpoint... but in a way Kord's little joke has sort of spooked all the spook out of him for the evening. Just the sheer normalcy -- to him anyway -- of being offered a cup of tea by someone with an accent that's a very close match to his, helps him calm down tremendously. "Thank ya," he replies, accepting the mug.     Maya's words get a confused look as he takes a sip of the tea. "Universal war?" he asks, as he looks to Maya. "Looks like the timin' was better than it coulda been. And then Alexis offers her thanks. "Glad ta be of 'elp to ya," he offers with a smile. And then she says Kord isn't a vampire? That gets a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God. I've dealt with one vampire already, and that's one too many." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace nods, sipping her tea. "The multiverse is a strange, scary, wonderful place. Don't... dive head-first into it, unless you're a bit crazy like me. It's a rabbit hole with no bottom an' more weird and wonderful places to explore, people to meet - sometimes you might not even know they're people - it can make your head hurt. Take things slow, don't overload yourself, y'know?" She nods at Maya's words, and his questioning. "Big ol' clusterfuck, two factions overall, the Union and the Confederacy. Union was, nominally, the good guys, Feds were nominally the bad guys, but it was all shades of grey, sometimes the Feds did good, sometimes the Union were a buncha cunts. Not... entirely sure how it all went t' shit, myself, 'cause I was back home on Mars findng myself." 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya looks sadly at Speedwagon. "Yes, if you had the world wars on your world? Conflics of that level of fighting across moe world than i can count." Maya has her own feelins for it and she pauses for a moment. "I was a colonel in the Union at one point." Maya pauses for a moment at the shades of grey comment, and then looks back to Robert. "Vampires? You did well then helping to stop it." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "It got more 'nominal' as time went on. Trying to deal with each other kept pushing the upper ranks of the factions into... stepping over lines they wouldn't cross before." Alexis gives a bit of a shrug after her interjection to the topic. She for one is glad to not be dealing with that insanity anymore. "Besides," she adds as she tucks her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, "I've got too many friends on all the sides now to really pick on." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace nods to Maya "I know what you mean. Me, I just... I just make sure that the little guy don't get shit on." She smiles, then looks back at the others "I'd better get back t' Leeroy. The guys have probably warmed up the barbecue by now if anyone's interested." And then she heads back to her boat. 
}}

5488/Burning Bridges

2017-09-17T03:06:58Z

Foxer: Posting log to wiki

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/09/16
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Broken bridges become big boss battles.
|Cast of Characters=711, 770, 1135, 571, 1100, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' All it took was one look over the edge of Emberspill Canyon to see how the formation got its name. Like many canyons it had a river flowing through the bottom of it. But there was no water. This river was a rolling flow of lava, kept molten even at the surface by the intense geothermal activity that Brimsteel the scorching volcanic desert it was. And you're going down there. A rocky slope angled its way down alongside the southern wall of the canyon, and it didn't take long to feel the heat bubbling up from below. Thankfully it wasn't clichely narrow, but still one probably doesn't want to stray too close to the edges and risk some rock crumbling loose. By the last third of the trip down Corona had stopped, pointing down below over the path, where some dark rock and twisted chunks of metal could be seen jutting out of the flow of lava. "There's what's left of the bridge that crossed over to t'north before. That's what we gotta go find out why an' iffen there's anythin' still usable down here. It'd save time if we can rebuild from the previous anchorpoints already lodged into the lava." 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     "Aw, hell, C'rona, if were goin down in to Emberspill we shoulda hired 'bouta dozen from the Fireclaw family. They'd love it down here," Target mutters in protest as the group has been marching down. As the temperature climbed, so did the marshall's volume. Brimsteel was a harsh, desert place, but getting closer and closer to a lava flow made it very apparent just how uncomfortable a Sparktail was around such things. Give'm a thunderstorm any day. . . . rare as those are.     Despite complaints, Target would continue to march along with the group, canteens plentiful along the lining of his coat rather than as much ammunition as normal. He'd known for days where they were going, that wasn't going to stop the mutterings. "Bleh. Another bridge? Why do I got this feelin' I may find a familiar face 'round here. Maybe they actually stole their blasted bridge this time!" 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' Walking down into a canyon with a river of lava in it -- yeah, this is a great idea. Kung Jin is, however, smart enough to voice that. HE'S going down there too, so if it's a fool's errand, he's ALSO a fool. Then again, he knew that. Just didn't like it when other people pointed it out. He may or may not be dressed for lava-spelunking, in drab olive and dusty purple robes that might remind those from Earth-like worlds of the Shaolin. That's actually exactly what they are, since Jin is a Shaolin. Well. Was. But he doesn't have his head shaved. No, his long black hair is pulled up in a high ponytail over a circlet of sorts. He stops on the last third of the trip, as Corona points out the lava and the destroyed bridge. He suggests, "Maybe it's a better idea to, I dunno... NOT put major anchor points for a bridge in billion-degree lava? That's kinda bad for metal, last I checked." He's keeping the sarcasm to a low level, relatively speaking. More seriously, "Why not just make it a suspension bridge and anchor it on either side? That seems like it'd be less trouble all around." Thankfully he hasn't been complaining QUITE as much as Target Sparktail on the trip. Most of Jin's complaints had been grumbled snark far too quiet for many to hear unless they were close to him. However, Target's mention of 'stealing' a bridge gets a raised eyebrow. "Who'd want to steal a bridge? And why? Just to flip the middle finger to the road planners?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Hopping off of her buggy, Maaka arives with a dusty trenchcoat as she peels off her mask and scarf. The climb she doesn't mind, as she unslings a rifle from her shoulder. "Lot of heat, might be a problem if we get too close." She muses warily. The mercenary keeps watch, mostly scanning out with her binocular vision as she remains vigilant for threats coming the group's way. "Do we know if there's any history of attacks here?" She asks. The monk with a bow...staff...thingy, gets a yellow-tinted look from the cyborg. "Motormouth, much?" She asks dryly, before shrugging. "Someone's probably looking to curtail business around these parts, I dunno." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace hops off Scrat next to Maaka's buggy. She herself is wearing a her red 19th PCMC armour, and she spends a few moments securing her bike before pulling a very large duffel bag from the back. She opens the bag and pulls out an M134 minigun. After a brief inspection of the gun, she turns to her bike and opens one of the huge panniers, hauling out an old Vietnam-era flamethrower tank frame, to which she has strapped a pair of 12v lithium batteries and 3,500 rounds of 5.56 NATO. She connects the belt/power cable to the gun, cycles the rounds into it manually, then straps the frame on. After a moment she picks up the gun, testing the mag-lock that holds it to the ammo rack should she need both hands. Then she grins, flipping up the mouthguard of her helmet with a whir. "We all ready to rock?" she asks, underscoring the point by cycling the barrel cluster of her minigun. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has come back to helpt out Corona who has been a long time friend of her's and so she were here. ALso the booze was good though certain types she'd avoid as one type actually melted much of her synth skin when she drank some of it. That was not a fun experiance for the cyborg. She is however looking at the bridge for a moment. 5R "Yes we need to gigure out just what was going on, with it but geeze active lave too?" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite stifles a groan of her own as the attempt to steal the bridge over Geargrind Gourge on the other side of the frontier lands is brought up. Though less of the bridge itself and more the reminder of what else is kicking around the wild lands because of that. "Anchors an' supports were forged outta brimsteel alloy. Stuffs imperv'ous to intense heat or corrosion. So it can sit in lava no problem. Pro'lly driven into whatever unmolten rockbed lays beneath the river." She pauses, flicking an ear while pulling her goggles up over her eyes properly. "Also would be val'able as hell on the black markets as Ah'm sure Target could tell ya. Geargourg's wasn't made outta it as much, but that's 'bout the only reason to try an' steal a bridge Ah can reckon." Then she hops off the end of the path. Landing on the edge of one of the collapsed beams and parkouring her way up to where it has toppled from. "Either somethin' caused it fall down, or it wasn't as sturdy as folks thought. Either way's gotta be figgered out before they decide how to build a new one to get to the northern mountains." She graps the strut with one hand to brace herself so she can give it a thorough, professional examination. Which is thoroughly professional engineering by stomping it a few times with her work boot. "Metal's still sound. So iffen it came apart at the joint some how..." she muses. 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' Jin has indeed kept his weapon with him, preferring to have it nearby if the worst happens, rather than letting it reside wherever it goes when he disappears it. He may not have that few seconds to summon it if something attacks, or if he falls over. He's tied a couple arrows with ropes, just in case he does fall -- or gets thrown -- into the lava. Hopefully he'll have long enough to fire one if something happens. Maaka probably would have noticed it -- as soon as she spoke the first time, he'd winced and pursed his lips, as if he was reminded of something unpleasant. But at least he'd had the good sense not to mention it. Her accent reminded him of Kano. He just hoped she wasn't the same sort. And then as soon as he thought it he silently chastised himself for it. That's racist or something, right? Nonetheless he does respond to her comment towards him. "Hey, I've been keeping my comments to myself. Mostly." Leyanne he's actually met before, so he gives her a wave as she speaks up. Though strapping on PART OF A TANK gets a raised eyebrow. He doesn't say it, but he doesn't have to; his expression says it loudly enough -- '...seriously?'. And he answers her question, "Ready as we're gonna be, I guess." Jin doesn't know Kotone, but she's an ally apparently! He nods at her statement. "Seems like that didn't cause the bridge to fail, so... yeah. Whatever it is, if it's strong enough to screw up a bridge that can withstand THAT--" He points down into the canyon "--For long periods of time, it's definitely bad news." And since she seems to be going on ahead, he offers, "Be careful." He nods at Corona's mention of the metal the bridge is made of. "Oh, I see." And he does actually sound interested. Under his breath, "...Wonder if that's the same stuff Shinnok's using?" As Corona starts to hop over the broken remnants of the bridge, Jin does the same, but only so he can find some high ground. He's agile enough to be able to find a good vantage point. Why? So he can turn anything that comes after them into a pincushion at a moment's notice. The string of his bow isn't there, but when he pulls an arrow from the quiver on his back and nocks an arrow to it, the string appears. Louder, so he can be heard, Jin asks, "Does it look like it was cut?" The question is aimed at anyone who'd be able to tell, not just Corona. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka slings her SCAR again, before she produces her grapple as she follows Corona along the beams. She's nimble as hell, using the handholds deftly while she leaps from grip place to place. She also moves just in time to avoid having a strut fall on her head as Corona kicks at it. "Thank Christ, almost took my head off if it did fall." She remarks sourly, trying to ascend slowly as she moves to the side of Corona.     She keeps an eye out, firmly planting the grapple into the side of the bridge remains as she hangs securely. Her hands poke about, mostly as she scans to determine just what could've done this to the bridge systems, checking if it was cut or just torn apart on the fly. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     First Corona heads out onto the bridge remnants, then Kung, and then it dawns on the kobold that she really wants it inspected rather than just coming down to have a look. A frustrated sigh rises up, Target takes a long drink out of one of the canteens he has (which anyone can ask for), and then he's following in Corona's wake.     Crazy thing about this kobold, and most of his kind, is just how casually he's moving around on the remnants. Even the smallest little bits he seems to find balance on pretty well. It helps to be small and light when moving around, trying to keep out of sight, getting around fences, and not at all taking parts from a certain engineer's scrapyard. "I'll see 'bout gettin near the edges, try ta see if it snapped off'er somethin' else.." Pause. "Iffin I fall you can get all mah stuff, C'rona.."     Well isn't that morbidly sweet?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa looks to Jin for a moment she's only heard of him by comm chatter bfore. She does tilr hr head at Jin for a moment. "Right Lexie, I'll get to it." Did she just call Maaka Lexie? Yes, yes she did. She gives Jin a slight grin and same to Maaka as she ripples in the air fading from view as her optic cameo kicks in. What is ahead looks like some kind of crazy platforming game. Though it's very much, real live and dangerous but away she goes she's got the mobility systems to handle it as she heads forward bouning from safe spot to safe spoit as she goes. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace gives Jin a smirk at his look. "I'm the heavy weapons mouse. It's what I do." She grins, and then starts climbing after Corona, until she finds herself a little stuck by the terrain. She pauses, keying her radio. "Anyone see any good spots for overwatch?" She asks. "I'm not the best investigator around, I figure I leave that to those of you who are, and keep watch. Plus, like Sparky said, there are tight spots there and I -am- an eight foot mouse. With this gun I'm close to eight hundred pounds, so... if there's any weak points it's probably best I don't go on them." She chuckles, trying to climb higher to get a good sentry position for the group investigating. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Half yer stuff is 'borrowed' from muh stuff in the first place!" Corona calls back in a mock annoyed tone. She uses her own grappler chain to hookshot over to a different support beam on the other side of the former bridge. Crawls around it a few times to inspect what's left. Then turns around to answer the other questions. "Honestly, Ah reckon it looks more like it was yanked over like a kid throwin' a tantrum when his buddy builds a bigger tower outta tinker toys." Thoughtfully strokes her chin with one gloved hand. "But there was no sign of anyone comin' out here with machinery up at the canyon edge..." Bubbles boil up in the lava beneath the wreckage, churning aggitatedly. While the fox has her back turned from the structure she's standing on the molten rock hisses in a low gyser as a mechanical limb surges out of it to clamps claws around the wreckage. Must be made out of that same alloy as the bridge was magma-proof from, somehow? A similar clawed limb grabs onto another chunk of bridgework, while four limbs of heavier machinery rise up to dig excavator shovel 'feet' into the sides of the canyon. Pistons slam and clockwork whines as they work to lift a behemoth of metal and machinery out of the lava river, molten rock drooling off the sides in dribbles to splash back into the river below. Corona turns slowly to watch the mechanical monster rise out of the lava, ears slicking back entirely beneath the brim of her stetson. "... frag me sideways with a brandin' iron." Maniacal laughter rings from the domed section atop the machine. Debatable that it's gruff and gravelly later than whiny goat grating Target was probably dreading, as the machine tilts forward just enough for the portly humanoid mole to be sitting inside, working the controls with his oversized, jewel studded gauntlets. "Fwahahaha! Foolish overworlders! Fearing for your foolish structure's downfall has only brought you to your own!" "... Well now we know what they were doin' with that metal they were stealin' b'fore," Corona finally deadpans sourly. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Out on the edges of the remains of the bridge, Target has a front row seat to the rising monstrous construct that ascends from the lava flow below. When the laughter rings out, the Ranger can't help but cuss out loud a few choice Brimsteel styled words before, "I ain't ever lucky! GO AWAY KIT!" he yells before trying to make his way -back- into a more stable bit of the bridge's support structure. The last thing he wants is to get clamped down on by that machine monster. 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' Jin smirks at Target's words about falling. "Always good to have your affairs in order, yeah?" Grim S.O.B. Then again, that's probably just a feature of his world -- there's been chatter about the Mortal Kombat tournaments over the Multiversal chatter band. With a world like that, it's hard NOT to be a little grim. If Jin has any reaction to Kotone calling Maaka 'Lexie', he doesn't show it. When she starts to disappear, though, he blinks. "Optical camouflage. That's handy." He has indeed heard of it, despite his apparent archaic dress and weapon. Leyanne's explanation gets a tilt of his head. "Makes about as much sense as anything else since I showed up." He doesn't mean Brimsteel, either. As for a good watching-over point? He relaxes the string on the bow, holding the arrow by the hand holding it to the haft of the weapon as the string disappears momentarily. And then he points to what looks like a good, secure spot. "Think that'll hold you, Tiny?" Corona's reply gets a look from Jin, half confused and half incredulous. "Just yanked out? I really hope you don't mean just by hand. What in this world can do that, machinery or otherwise?" There won't be time for Corona to answer. Because suddenly a mechanical monstrosity appears. "...Well. Ask a silly question." He draws an arrow back, but doesn't fire yet. He wants to take a look at this thing, try to find a weak point, and he can do that better when its aggro isn't focused on him. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace gives Jin a thumbs up and clibms to the overwatch point, above Corona and the others. She narrows her eyes as the lava bubbles threateningly, stepping to the edge to get a better angle. When the mechanical beast rises up out of the lava, she watches for a moment, bringing the gun up. As he starts to gloat, it's Tiny's turn to throw the mole on board a 'really?' look. She shakes her head a moment, letting him finish his little speech. "YOU TALK TOO MUCH!" She shouts, her minigun grating up to speed before sending a flatulent burst of rapid 5.56 mingun fire over the monstrous spider's control station. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Just as Kotone calls Maaka 'Lexie', she sends the other cyborg a kissie face emoji over cyber-comm. That doesn't mean anything, does it?     Of course, MOLE KING appears. "Goddammit, NOT you again!" Shee yells sharply with an exasperated sigh. "You got to be fucking kidding me." She moves to evade the mechanical monster, using her grapple gun to fling herself towards a ridge line, climbing onto the edge and grabbing her battle rifle.     "Tiny, open fire!" She barks, before taking aim at the mecha the Mole KIng is using to climb, firing onto the machine's cockpit. Let's hope this canopy can't stand up to armor piercing 7.62 NATO, then again if it's lava-proof, that may be unhelpful. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' So there she goes as she pushe foward she ties to not think about the lava and Alexis message over commes amuses her enough that she bite back the hestation. She keeps going and she's also using boost jumping a she goes. Even some double jumping but she's very hard to make out a she goes. Then comes the mechanical monster she stops she stare she sights and she calls out her matter maniplkator, but this time she doesn't pull a light weapon, no it's some kind of man protable Mini gun fromt he looks of it. She's got a goof spot for the moment. "Oh you have got to be shitting me! YOU IDIOTS AGAIN!?" Why did it have to be them? She'll openb fire with the mini gun upon hte monster and will not sit still for too long but for now she's firing at the thing. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' As if to demonstrate just what happened to the bridge, the clawed arm starts wrenching back and forth on the strut Corona is also trying to hang onto. "This must be my royal lucky day!" The Cavern King does indeed 'talk too much'. "I get to make you pay for disrupting the Landviathan's revival before it was finished. Do you have any idea how long it took my scribes to locate the proper chamber and kidnap enough sacrifices for the beast's hunger?!" "Next time don't kidnap workers and plunder mines!", Corona manages to shout back, even as she's clinging to the remaining piece of beamwork with everything she's got. Gunfire of various speeds and calibers rattle across the machine's frame, leaving dents and pockmarks sparking across the heavy exterior but nothing's found a place to penetrate yet. It's a testiment to how durable the materials made to endure Brimsteel's harsh environment are... just unfortunately stolen and used on some maniacal monarch mole's mad machinery instead. Kung probably has the right idea though, looking for a weaker point to strike at. It may be heavy and dangerous machinery, but metal machinery needs places where it can move freely, right? It's not tentacles thankfully, but several tubes do drop from the bottom the machine into the lava below. Followed by panels opening on the sides to deploy gun turrets manned by other molemen (with slightly less evillishly epic sunglasses than their master to protect their eyes from sunlight) that start shooting streams of the pumped in molten rock across the wreckage at the various adventurers. 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' Monologues. Why is it always monologues? Jin isn't interrupting this one, though... he's hoping to get enough rope to wrap around this ugly dude's neck and hang him. Figuratively speaking, of course. Though he needs to move fast as suddenly the machine erupts with mini molemen shooting at them all. A couple graze him as he jumps to another vantage point, his robe tearing, the edges of the rip growing dark with his blood. First things first -- minimize the amount of possible injury. In this case, make it so there are fewer guns firing stuff. So Jin starts trying to take out the molemen from a distance, jumping between platforms when it looks like he's going to get hit. This is probably going to draw aggro from multiple sources, and he's going to get hit or grazed at least once. And yes, he does totally smack a bullet away from his face or some other vital area with what looks like a wooden staff/bow thing, at least once. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka gets a scan on the machine as she tries to search for weak points, noting how Kung Jin is doing the exact same thing. "Fuck this." She growls under her breath, before slinging the SCAR-H in favor of the other weapon on her back. She produces a tube-shaped launcher, unfolding the LAW and taking aim.     She looks for the joints on the machine, before she fires off a rocket and tosses the tube, having used up the explosive. Hopefully she made that shot count. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     The kobold does not like the lava-walker. He likes the Underking even less. The thing he hates the most? Being shot at with actual LAVA. "Nooo. NO NO NO NO! Don't you dare! FFFFFFFFFFF-" Between the clawed monster shaking the bridge supports, the lava being shot, and the underking TALKING TOO DAMN MUCH, it's too much for Target to really handle, and he actually loses his grip!         Thankfully, Corona won't be reclaiming anything today.     The kobold falls, back first, but lands on one of the huge stones jutting out of the actual lava flow with a thud. "Uuuugh.. what the- eh? Someone cookin bacon?" If only that were true. After another moment, the kobold shoots into the air above the stone, about as high as he can jump, "THAT IS TOO DAMN HOT!" he howls. Thankfully, he has his coat. And since he has his coat, he has his VEX. There's no morph ball tonight. Instead, it slips into combat mode, and that protects his poor footpads from the insane heat right below him. "Oh I'm so gunna .." is all that's audible. Body language makes it obvious this kobold is -ticked off-. There's no using a Purple shell right now, but what he can do is draw revolvers and aim for the now visible minions! "HEY! OPOSSUM PRICK!" Yes, its the wrong species. It's meant to make them angry. He starts firing shortly after his insult! 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace ducks back into cover as lava-bullets begin hosing over her cover. She slings up the gun to relocate, moving to a different rock formation before looking over at the mechanical spider. Aha, bingo. She steps out of cover and the minigun cycles up to speed, hosing over one of the foot joints - hoping to knock out the hoses that supply it pressure, and make it collapse. "Oi, bitchtits, yer pissin me off." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' The look on Kotone's face as Leyanne makes a comment about Tentacles is contored a mix of do not want and oh god why. She has ot focus on the fitht she knows Mace ment nothing bad by it but, it seems to be a curse of her father's side of the family's culture. She keeps shooting, shells rain eveyrwhere and she keeps moving. She's forced to drop cloak at this point and she leaps away as she sees the tubes go. She knows where that is going and she rapidly is forced to move and keep moving least she get melted. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' That's how you know you've got a good adventure posse at your back. Give them a few minutes of shock and awe and WTFs, and then they get right down to business. The business of kicking ass, that is. Lava globs are bulleted about the wrecked bridge but the splay is thankfully short as the mole gunners are disposed of. Effective yet comically as one of Kung's arrows goes into the barrel of a turret, causing it to backfire and explode and send its gunmole arcing into the air with a trail of smoke to land who knows where. The other gunner swings his weapon in the direction of the insults, trying to follow the small target Target makes. Until a bullet strikes what would be right between his eyes. Which only shatters his sunglasses. "AAAAAAAH THE LIGHT!" But proves just as effective as he stumbles back while covering his face with his paws, and falls off the back of the platform. Unlike the machine, the molemen are probably not very lava proof. "Sod trodding fools! You will not deny my comeuppance!" The mad king finally lets go of the wreckage with one claw-arm, if only to move it up to grab Corona off her perch, clamping the claws around the fox and lifting it up towards the cockpit. "Now I've got yo--what?!" But she's not there as the claws open. The wily fox slipped between the clamps and to the underside of the arm, then dropped off to the other one to grind down the length back towards the wreckage. "Gotta be faster than that t'catch me, dirt rat!" But with Corona distracting the Underking or what the butt ever he's going to be called, and Target and Kung dealing with the gunners, the badass ladies with the badass guns can do some real damage. Leyanne's minigun rips across one of the middle legs, puncturing lines and causing the shovel-foot to release. At the same time the rocket slams into a leg on the otherside, and while it hits the metal exterior it doesn't protect against the blastwave of an explosive like it does heat and bullets, shattering the limb. The knockback of force causes the machine to lurch to the side violently as the leg Leyanne knocked loose falls off the canyon wall. "Good job! But for crissakes," Corona kicks off the end of the arm, "Let me get off before ya blow it up!" She lands on the wreckage the grapple-arm is still holding onto, and pulls her breaker off her back. The pulsarium core krackles to life, and one good charged swing is enough to smash the delicate grabber machinery to pieces and knock the more mobile limb off its grip. 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' And this is the down side of specializing in meatbag murder. That is, fighting against other humanoid-type creatures. They have soft spots to stick arrows into. Machines don't so much have that going for them. Or in this case, Jin doesn't have that going for him -- there's no vitals that will instantly bring it down. Nonetheless, he does have one more options open to him. Melee. That's insane, isn't it?! Going melee with a giant mechanical lava spider thing, over a river made of lava?! Jin takes a moment to look around at the platform he's found himself on, making a quick mental calculation. "Right there," he decides, the words spoken under his breath. He moves to a different platform, one a bit further away -- wait, didn't he say he was going on close? The explanation comes a moment later. Jin uses the bow to vault forwards, speeding at the monstrosity foot-first in a flying kick. Hopefully that should set it just a bit more off-kilter. And it turns out, THAT's why he moved first -- when he bounces back off the robot, his trajectory sends him at another platform, one that he just barely lands on. In fact, he lands on the edge and teeters precariously! "Whoaaa..." Finally though, he gets his balance and settles safely on the platform. "Whew. Little too close." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace opens up as soon as Jin is clear. Once again her minigun lets out its flatulent rasp and a hail of empty casings, the big mouse braced against the gun's recoil. She's quick on the shot to make use of Jin's staggering the Loveless-style monstrosity, hosing over the limb's joints one at a time in an attempt to induce a rapid collapse and send it away from Sparktail. At least, that's the theory; with the one remaining rear leg, Mole King Bitchtits can still be an asshole and kick it towards him, if he's not too busy trying to hold on. She really hopes he doesn't do that... 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Stuck on a rock near a hot place, the kobold is held captive by the winding mechanism on his VEX. It'd be able to change forms again in about 60 seconds, but until then, Target didn't wanna just stand still and be a .. .. you know. Target. Corona mentions the lava pumps. It'd be a hell of a shot from where he is, but eh! What's he got to lose?     After using one of his speed loaders, the ranger starts to squeeze off one shot. Miss. Another. Miss. "Errrgh, they aren't good at this ran- wait.." Oh this is gonna be -stupid- but why not. "I HAVE A REALLY CRAZY IDEA!" he barks out, holstering the revolvers. HIs plan? Purple Shells. A whole handful of them. Clearly he's insane.     Well, maybe not. Seeing as his VEX is currently in combat mode, it gives a boost to his speed. If he just speed boosts his arm, he can throw a crazy fast ball. If he's pitching some purple shells... well, "OY. C'rona! Puslarium gonna detonate in lava?!" She wouldn't even have 10 seconds to reply since about 6 of them arc toward the lava pumps. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka uses her grappling gun to fire off a line, zipping her way towards an outcropping turrets fire on her previous position. She draws a Kimber .45 as she lands, taking potshots at the mole gunners before reloading and swapping to her rifle. The SCAR-H barks harshly as she takes shots at the machine's claw arm. "I dunno, we're pretty accommodating to kill you!" She snaps at the Mole King, loading a 40mm round into her rifle's underslung launcher. The HE shell is fired at one of the machine's limbs, specifically the joint of the arm.     "Sorry!" She calls at Corona, before she reloads another grenade and fires once more, this time using flash rounds to stun the Mole King. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa Says "Oh you are getting your comeuppance all right!" Kotone calls out o the moleman. She keeps moving she swaps weapons now the MM comes out the big gun vanishes and a smaller SMG takes it's place. The bullpup styled weapon is much better suited to moblity and moving around than the mini gun was. She keeps shooting at it but it seems that the thing is finally handled or just about handled. She will keep up the fire to just be cerain that this thing is don and gone. Well the machinery as others take stun rounds to the Mole King she will not fire on him maybe they could get some aqnswers she also does advert her eyes as she was warned. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Get back here you wench! I'm not-WHAAA!" The mole king's rant is cut short when something slams into the dome and explodes brightly. "TINY FAKE SUNS NO FAAAAAAIR!" That is a lot brighter than his sunglasses are rated for! And while he's flailing from that some insane man's flying kick slams right into the side of the machine. His portly form can be seen toppling backwards and rattling around inside from the shaking caused by the impact. The force does make the machine leer more, and no more grappler arms to try and hold onto the wreckage, but more importantly Maaka and Lung also disrupted the operator from trying to counter-act their efforts! Which is almost immeadiately capitalized on as the martain mouse rips her minigun across the rear leg on her side, tearing through limb and rock alike until it has nothing left to grab onto or with. Kotone's smaller but more precise shots swiss cheese some of the pressure lines on the legs of the other side, preventing them from working to pull the machine upright again. Insane doesn't really cover what Target is about to do. "Event'ally, yeah! Once they soak up too much energy from the heat to contain.... Y'now, Ah wonder iffen Ah could make actual grenade versions of those." Yeah, fine time to muse a new idea, but what do you expect from an inventor? Sure enough with the arms gone and the legs on one side smashed free of the canyon wall the monster machine lilts to the side far enough for Target to Fastball Special a few pulsarium shells into the pump opening, and a thunderous blast can be heard as assorted bits of machinery and lava plume back out of the opening. Like a firecracker being lit under an upturned pail the entire machine lurches violently to the side and back into the river of magma. Sure enough, it's so heavy that while it won't burn and melt it starts sinking down under its own weight. A less volumenous blast can be heard as the cockpit jettisons. "CURSE YOU OVERWORLDERS! NEXT TIME I SHALL CRUSH YOU ALL BENEATH MY FURY!" the mole king can be heard screaming before the capsule deploys a giant drill and burrows away into the side of the canyon in retreat. Corona just makes a face, her work goggles having also protected her from the bright flashes. "He sure talks all high and mighty fer someone that lives beneath everythin'." 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     With the VEX ready to go, Target is suddenly surging right up and out of the canyon thanks to his VEX system turning into a pair of wings. Handy, isn't it? See you next mission! 

:'''{{#var:1135|Kung Jin (1135)}} has posed:''' Hopefully Corona's quick enough on the warning. Because as soon as Jin hears her warn to get away from the metal monstrosity, Jin starts the trip back to the trail they just left. Very quickly! Target laughing like he's lost his marbles doesn't do anything but make him move faster. With luck he should be able to get there before whatever Target's planning to do blows up. Figuratively speaking. And hopefully it doesn't blow up in anybody's face. Figuratively OR literally speaking! He pauses in his retreat when Maaka warns them all to look away. Wouldn't do to try to jump blindly to a platform; that's a level of tanned he doesn't ever want to be. Fortunately he manages to mostly escape the blast zone, though he definitely feels a bit of the shockwave it creates. He winces a bit at it, though it doesn't seem to have done any damage to him. Though no, it doesn't seem the Mole King is done for, since the cockpit of the device flies out and drills away, while he's giving his 'YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF MEEEEE!' speech. Jin sighs. "Y'know. If we didn't think you were coming back, we wouldn't know to expect you," he points out. Though he doesn't expect 'Mean Mister Mole-Asses' to be able to hear him. Or to listen, if he DID hear. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Fair's for suckers!" Maaka says with a laugh, as Jin proceeds to RIder Kick the SHIT out of the machine once she blinds the King. Eventually, the Machine and its driver is quick to escape. Maaka's just glad her eyes are prepped for flashes that bright, unlike the King's shades. Seems the same for everybody, luckily! This kind of heat is driving Maaka's sensors wild as she watches, and Sparktail explodes the hell out of the machine with explosive shells. "...I need those."     She flips off the Mole King when he escapes, before she drops the mag in her rifle and reloads it. "We'll be waiting for you when you come back, you jackass." She hisses. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace watches the mole king eject, sending a brief hail of shots down the hole after him just to make sure he gets his arse moving. Then she lets her minigun hang from her left hand so she can light a cigar. She peers over the edge to make sure that everyone's OK, the barrels of the minigun smoking still. She clamps it in place on her pack, leaning back against the cave wall behind her. "We came, we saw, WE KICKED HIS ASS!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite retracts her breaker hammer down to its portable size and tucks it away again. "Bandits, molemen, elderitch clockwork fiends..." She pauses to pull a flask from inside her jacket, open it, and take an extra long chug from. "Never a dull moment on this job." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa stops shooting as everything wraps up more of less. She sighs as the machine is finally stopped by her friend sna dallis and jin has made a good accounting of himself too. She looks to the Moleman for a moment. "Right right, I'll get you next time Gizmo, next time." She then realizes no one ehere knows of Dective Gizmo in all likelyhood here but it amuses her anyhow. "He does just like a the villain of a show my siblings and I used to watch." She looks over to Jin for a moment. "Not bad at all thanks for the help." 
}}

The Past Lies Ahead (Athela Valemore)

2017-07-16T15:38:23Z

Foxer: Cutscene post

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/16
|Location=Bayern
|Synopsis=Is this divine guidance, or forewarning?
|Thanks=994
|Cast of Characters=Athela Valemore
}}
...Hope may still dwell... where Darkness upon fell...

... History unspoken... only remains broken...

But the only thing to be seen was the dusty and crumbling ruins of a once great city. One nearly before her time and never seen, yet given important impression...

...The pieces of the past ... are what lead into the future...

And that is when Athela snapped awake. She jerked herself upright from the grassy clearing she had been sleeping in, but the only sound was her own heavy breaths and of her pokemon sleeping nearby. One hand brushed back through her red locks as she looked up at the sky, still dark and starry. That had not been just a dream, it was a message from the divine, she was certain of it. Keldeo wanted her to be somewhere, and soon.

The pieces of the past...
There was only one place those ominous words could describe so well.

Spite lifted her head with a small yawn as she senses her master moving around, canting her head to one side with a questioning "Vaaa?"

"Sorry Sprite. Rest has been cut short tonight." By the time the Vaporeon was awake Athela had already repacked her gear and was strapping it onto her still sleeping Gogoat. "Call it a... divine impulse. Get the others up would you?"

"Vaporr." As Sprite got up her tail uncurled to find Goomy had snuggled into it to keep cool and moist during the night. She made a face at the slime left in its wake, but scooped the small slug-dragon up with the fluke and flopped him on her back. Waking up Mizzen was easy, the Timburr had dozed off leaning on his log. So shoving it out from underneath sent him crashing to the ground and wide awake. The goblin-mon bolted to his feet in a hissing flurry, but other than a few angry gesticulations calmed down when he realized Athela was packing up to move out.

"We're going to have to move quick. Sorry Lancer, but Brushguard is faster on land." Her Samurott gave an understanding nod and was retrieved into one of the few pokejewels she had, which was tucked safetly away into a pouch of her belt. It took a few spurrings to wake the Gogoat up, but once Mizzen joined her on his back and Sprite was ready to follow Athela gripped his horns and turned him in the direction to needed to go. Hopefully they would have enough time.

The sun was just starting to rise. Heavy hooves pounded the ground as Gogoat ran, speed unfaultered by the amount of weight he carried. While true a Gogoat not as fast as a Rapidash or Dodrio, he was favored for his stamina to travel for much longer even when carrying a great load. Not to mention more surefooted (hooved?) in the rough and unknown terrains the young knight often found herself needing to cross.

Athela narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. There was only one place she knew that could easily fit the impressions she got while asleep. She had never been there, but her uncle had told her stories of it's rise and fall many times. Now it was only ruins, lying in the shadows of a man whose dark methods may or may not have had more noble intentions.

Archengart

Gaonoir

2017-07-16T14:54:49Z

Foxer:

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Gaonoir
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=765
|Img=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/Gaonoir_zpscnxq6mwv.png
|FullName=Gaonoir
|Gender=Male
|Species=Digimon (Gaomon Linage)
|Theme=Digimon: Great Demon War-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Shadowy Enforcer
|Faction=Watch
|Rank=6-Recruit
|Ranktype=Syndicate
|Groups=Syndicate Network
|Quote="What am I? The shadows of a past you tried to forget."
|PAge=Varies by Stage
|AAge=Mature
|Aging=Digimon don't age physically
|Height=Varies by Stage
|Weight=Varies by Stage
|Hair=Blackened Blue
|Eyes=Yellow-Gold
|Voice=TFRiD2015 Steeljaw (the big bad wolf one)
|Song=Disturbed - Animal
|Profile=Gaonoir was once no different than any other Gaomon digimon, a similarity he constantly strove to rise above. When the Demon Lord army marched over the village he had been generated in, he joined the followers of Yggdrassil for revenge and proved himself a capable fighter. Yggdrassil has been using these desires to its own designs, and now left him to patrol the Multiverse for potential threats against its new version of the Digital World. But Gaonoir started to notice similarities between the terrors he fought and the darker side of the so-called digital god, leaving him to struggle with who he really is and meant to fight for. A formidable and pragmatic combatant, Gaonoir uses his manipulation over shadows to stalk his victims and wear down their spirit before he strikes. The Dark Digitron gives him a considerable boost in strength and stamina at the cost of speed, allowing him to take on greater and greater challenges despite the issues hidden beneath his brash and arrogant demeanor. Though now that he has his own human partner in Erika Whitfield maybe she can help straighten him out. Before her fascination with conspiracies and other strange adventures gets them both into even more trouble.
|Powers=DIGIMON: Gaonoir is a living entity made of code and digital energy manifested into a physical form. Digimon physiology is difficult to explain, but the long and short of it is that he can be physically injured, but in the same regard heal much in the same way an organic being will mend with rest. Gaonoir is capable of ingesting food like a biological entity for energy, sleeping and dreaming while doing so, and other small details that are often used to distinguish a being as alive.

DARK DIGITRON: Yggdrasil infused Gaonoir with the 'Dark Digitron' substance, a byproduct of its experiments in digimon decompilation and reconstruction, as an example of the power loyalty would gain him. The infusion has given all his forms greater strength and durability, at a cost of some speed and agility. The Dark Digitron also renders him more resistant to data corruption, and can regenerate his form from extreme damage over an extended period of time though this also takes up a lot of energy. The dark code renders him immune to both the X-Program and being infused with the X-Antibody code.

SHADOWPLAY: Another benefit of the Dark Digitron is that it has given him an affinity for shadows and darkness. Gaonoir can hide in shadows to avoid detection, and even move from one shadow to another unseen if they are within 10 meters of proximity. He cannot pass through solid forms but can follow shadows around corners or through openings. His attacks have also become infused with dark energy, and he can use the manipulation of shadows to launch attacks from unexpected directions.

HOWLBACK: Because of the code augmenting, Gaonoir is no longer a normal digimon on the digital level. This difference can cause electronics in the physical word to react in the same way they would react to electronic interference. Gaonoir's barks and howls can produce a disruptive signal similar to an EMP pulse that triggers this effect as a direct attack against electronic equipment or opponents with electrical or digital components. (Player consent may be required for severity towards Elites and their devices)

DIGIVOLUTION: Gaonoir is able to Digivolve from his Child form (Black Gaomon) into any of his stronger forms, including in the middle of battle. Because of the Black Digitron Gaonoir's forms are stronger than usual, often able to match more powerful foes in many regards. Thanks to experience Gaonoir can shift to whichever stage deemed most appropriate to the situation, however he is not able to evolve to Ultimate unless Erika is present with her digivice. He can hold his Adult and Perfect forms indefinitely, but in most cases chooses to revert to his Child form form for recovery and energy conservation. Also extensive damage can cause him to revert to a lesser form from the shock. (See Digivolutions)
|Skills=COMBATANT: It's encoded in the very nature of most Digimon to fight to grow stronger, but the Gaomon lineage has a natural proficiency for fighting, particularly in close-quarters combat and hit-and-run tactics. Pushing himself to grow stronger comes naturally to him. Gaonoir's fighting style bears a likeness to kickboxing in using both punching and kicking techniques, combined with bits of karate and tae kwon do. However he is pragmatic about it, focusing on the physical skills and strategy over ideas of honor or morality. He has gotten better with more group oriented objects after working with the Fleet, too.

SHADOW TRACKER: In his Child and Adult stages Gaonoir has the same heightened senses as normal canines which can be used to track his potential targets and keep a sharper awareness of the environment around him. As a Perfect and Ultimate stage these are replaced by digital sensors within his visor that function similar to radar and electronic scopes. The small and unassuming nature of his Child stage, combined with shadow manipulation, can be exceptionally stealthy to get into places others cannot.
|Assets=SHADOW OF YGGDRASSIL: Gaonoir still bears some aspects of being modified by Yggdrassil's experimentation. He is still one of the few Digimon that has limited access to that Digital World, abet with greater difficulty due to having to find an existing gateway to open. He also still possesses the ability to take the DigiCore of a deleted Digimon. Though he is reluctant to use either ability unless necessary after how much his views of Yggdrassil's intentions have been broken.

D-PORT: Interfacing with the Dark Digitron converted the programming of Erika's smartphone to function like a digivice. It is linked to Gaonoir's DigiCore, allowing it to track his location, communicate directly with him and display what he is seeing. The link also allows the device to channel some of Erika's energetic spirit, which is instrumental in evolving to his ultimate form. It can analyze and store basic information about other Digimon scanned with the device, as well as store Gaonoir in a digitized format that can still interact with the operator. Because it was converted by his own Dark Digitron the D-Port is immune to Gaonoir's howlback disruptions. It still works like a smartphone, too!
|NPCs=TAMER: An avid fan of conspiracy theories and other paranormal concepts, Erika Whitfield has been tracking this Digimon phenomenon ever since they started cropping up in the real world (one such event trashing the internet cafe she worked part-time at), and trying to figure out why they are here. Intelligent, inquisitive and well-meaning but often too energetically curious for her own good; her fascination with mystery and the unknown has a tendency to get sidetracked by her theories trying to tie the oddities together. She is just so enthusiastic for anything out of the normal that she's undaunted by it also being potentially dangerous for her. Exposure to Gaonoir's Dark Digitron code converted her smartphone into a digivice, linking the two of them together (see D-PORT). Now that she has a front seat ticket to the adventure she is not letting go of it.
|Disadvantages=ARROGANCE: Strength breeds confidence, and confidence breeds arrogance. This is frighteningly true in Gaonoir. The fact that the Black Digitron infusion makes him more powerful than most Digimon of his stage farther stokes this fire. While there is little question of his power and effectiveness, it does lead Gaonoir to be overconfident in his abilities or underestimate his opponents because of it. But that arrogance has also become a cover, keeping his act together and feeling all the more need to prove himself, either case often causing him to act with brashness.

DOUBT: Gaonoir has seen enough now to have an external frame of reference and actually see that not everything his previous master and allies intended was for the better. It has shaken his view of things up heavily, having doubts of what he is suppose to be or how much of his fate he can really control for himself now. A Tamer may free him from Yggdrassil's strings, but doesn't that just tie him to someone else? Even if they are a lot less ominous. Though the doubts are usually hidden beneath his arrogance and flippant snarking.

INEFFECTIVE LONE WOLF: Gaonoir is even more of a lone operative with his access to the digital gateways limited, and the Royal Knights he once aspired to keeping him out of their business. On top of that he's started to realize Yggdrassil wasn't all it claimed to be and doubt the purposes he supposedly once had. He's stuck somewhere between wanting to be alone and needing something else to dedicate to, so Erika and the alliances he's made now are all he has to believe in.

ELECTRICAL DISRUPTION: The distortions that Gaonoir can cause in electronics and digital equipment is not always beneficial. Sure it can cause security systems to fizzle as he sneaks past them and make it harder for scanners and the like to pick up his signal. At the same time, the disruption in itself can give away that he is present, even if he cannot be visibly seen yet. When lights flicker and your monitor statics from feedback, its time to start watching the shadows...

BULLDOZER: Gaonoir has little to no regard for 'personal space' or 'private property' when it comes to completing his mission. If it is in his way, he is going to plow through it if he can't use his shadowplay to slip around it. This becomes much more prominent in his evolved forms, which often find it easier to just smash down an obstacle than sneak around it. Collateral damage is not uncommon when you get two high level monsters fighting, but Gaonoir demonstrates a very distinct level of not caring about what or who he has to run over to succeed. Maybe Erika can eventually teach him to be a little more respectful of other property.

ONLY HUMAN: Erika is physically no different than any other average human, so there is always the running risk of her being harmed or worse. That her enthusiasm and curiosity constantly get her involved in trouble doesn't help, nor does Gaonoir requiring her to be present to evolve to his Ultimate form. Protecting her can get in the way of other things he's suppose to do.
}}
DIGIVOLUTIONS:

BLACK GAOMON: This Child stage is Gaonoir's basic form, being the most energy conservative and quickest to recover. It resembles a dark colored bipedal Akita Inu (Japanese Huskie) of somewhat cartoon animal proportions, wearing a purple bandanna and kickboxing gloves. Despite the appearances he is a tenacious fighter in this form, using a style of close-quarters combat styles with his stout muscular limbs. This form is also the most suited for tracking a stealth due to its size and use of ambush tactics with his shadowplay abilities. (PL 30)

BLACK GAOGAMON: In his Adult stage Gaonoir becomes a beast resembling a black husky but with the size of a giant grizzly bear. Although a quadruped in this form his back legs are strong enough to stand up and attack on, allowing him to use his clawed forepaws with wicked effectiveness. This form is built primarily for strength and stamina, able to deliver powerful physical blows but being relatively slower than his other digivolutions. He compensates for the lack of speed with the extended reach of his bladed scarves, the powerful vortex of darkness he can blast from his mouth, and the shadowplay manipulations. (PL 32)

BLACK MACHGAOGAMON: Gaonoir's Perfect stage is an imposing humanoid Cyborg-type Digimon, protected by a bionic flight suit. He has supersonic engines mounted on his back like a jetpack, which grant him bursts of speed for attacking in addition to flight. He can augment his shadow manipulation to further obscure his movement while pummeling foes. Because his limbs are mechanical, he can deliver harsh physical blows against even armored targets, or channel Digitron energy through for impact magnification or projectile attacks. While not as large as normal MachGaogamon, Gaonoir can maintain true flight at supersonic speed for longer intervals, letting him better intercept targets and engage in aerial dogfighting. Pun intended. (PL 33)

UMBRA GAOGAMON: The Ultimate evolution Gaonoir can reach, but it requires having his Tamer and her D-PORT present to provide the additional energy to do so. This Beast Knight digimon is clad in durable armor that is a physical manifestation of the Dark Digitron, but not so heavy it hinders his dexterity or flight ability. The cloak is generated from shadow energy to allow him use of his shadowplay abilities without reliance on local shadows. His main weapons in this form are the twin sets of darkness infused battle claws that extend from the broad vambraces, which are both exceedingly sharp and able of energy discharges. His torso armor also conceals a cannon that draws power directly from the Dark Digitron in his core, making it extremely potent but also very draining to use. Overall Gaonoir's highest evolution is also one of his most balanced ones. (PL 33)

Shadows In Space (Gaonoir)

2017-07-16T14:53:56Z

Foxer: Belated Cutscene post

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/09
|Location=Flotilla Ship
|Synopsis=Gaonoir and his Tamer stowed away on the Starbound Flotilla's ship to find out where they were going.
|Cast of Characters=765
}}

Darkness surrounded them, as much within the ship as outside of it. The crew had not bothered to fix the lighting grid in the cargo hold, likely due to needing to keep power to more important parts of the ship. They had no company save for storage crates and the cold deck of mismatched materials.

Footfalls echoed in the distance, snapping Erika out of her internal narration when Gaonoir elbowed her, and she quickly stuffed her digital tablet back into her back so the soft blue glows of the screen wouldn't give them away. Reaccounting her first real time into space, stowed away on a spaceship like a true conspiracy theory dream, would have to wait.

Erika scooted over to the crate in front of them, peaking over the top next to the digimon. Outlines of forms, too vague in the shadows to tell who or what race, paused at entry. Only their flashlights actually swept into the cargo hold and broke up the shadows.

Next to her Gaonoir tensed, managing to stifle down a growl but still clenching his gloved paws like fists and his fur bristling. If they were discovered he would have to act quickly to subdue whoever it was before they could warn the rest of the crew....

There was some muttering about 'objects shifting in takeoff' and 'more important things' and then the flashlights disappeared.

After a few moments Gaonoir nodded, still keeping his voice to a whisper. "I can't hear or smell them, they've left."
Erika let out a soft sigh as she turned and slouched down to sit back against the crate. "I think they know there's people hiding on the ship."
"But not where, or how many." Gaonoir peaked out again. His dark colorations of charcoal, grey and purple where more suited for the lack of lighting. "They're probably more worried about keeping this hodgepodge in flight. As long as we don't do anything hostile to get their attention."
"Mmhmm." Erika pulled the tablet back out. Frowned at it. "I can't get much of a signal right now, but once we land I should be able to get a beacon for our allies off."
"And then we get off of it ourselves." Gaonoir grunted as he watched around the corner of the crate. "We're going to have to go all out to escapde... But we should focus on the ship." Gaonoir pushed away from the corner and turned back to these Tamers. "I know these spaced invaders stole stuff and caused a lot of trouble... But they're like a lot of the displaced Digimon we've dealt with. They're doing what they need to survive."

There was a pause, as that was enough of a not-typical-Gaonoir to get Erika to look up from her screen and raise a brow at him. "That's charitable of you."

Gaonoir snorted in response, tail giving an irritated twitch. More at himself for letting that slip loose. "I'm not saying it's right. But... they need to just be reminded they shouldn't do that sort of thing."

Erika set the tablet in her lap and reached one arm over to hook around his shoulder and tug the dog-like digimon close to her. He was fuzzy and warm, as much as he pretended to hate the personal contact. "That's why we're with who we are, isn't it? To do what's right, not what some law says is right?"

"Yeah... yeah. When the time comes, I'll teach them a lesson without making them worse off. Or that'll just encourage more bad behavoir."

Pause. Then a grumble as Gaonoir slumped into the half-hug next to her.

"Mods dammit, I'm starting to sound like that damn Knight..."

5364/Expedition Exposition

2017-07-10T23:16:29Z

Foxer: Log Post

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/09
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Catching up on recent events.
|Cast of Characters=711, 770, 1119, 571, 750
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It's been a quiet week. So to speak. At least in comparison to the previous encounters that have been cropping up almost as soon as the expedition had first left Loadstar Depot. The survey crews have kept busy in the lull, laying out where the power pipelines will eventually be laid between the gasworks in the Gaslands and the re-established mining operation farther north, and making sure the tracks ahead of them were still servicable. Everyone else has been asked to check in so the various adventurers can get together on the same page before the frontier journey continues onward. The caboose that's been serving as a base of operations sat on a portion of tracks along the border of the Gaslands. To the north the mountain ranges that surround the towering form of Mount Thundersmack can be seen on the horizon. The inside has been relatively cleaned up. I say relatively because it's never entirely clean, there's just too much dust from the wastelands and grit from the steampunk loitering about to get that tidy. A large table sits in middle of the caboose, the model map of the frontier already in display on it. The skunk-girl from Gaslight Gultch and the collie woman that's in charge of the things are standing around it, tweaking the display. For whatever reason there's no sign of Corona just yet. She must be working on something, because even she wouldn't be crazy enough to go wandering out on her own again. Right? 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Also in the caboose, in a seat near the windows of the car, the Ragners representitive is basically relaxing, glancing out into the landscape outside, idly nursing some sort of drink all the while. In recent days, he'd rush out for one thing or another around Gaslight, but for the most part? Very quiet. Very simple. Nothing to really deal with! Only the occasional issue with the VEX which was easily fixed.     On a random glance over, the kobold pulls on his drink again, tilts his head, then reaches for his radio, "Where you at anyway, C'rona? Wouldn't it be easier to work from the train?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke had only really happened across one of Brimsteel's big problems, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned. Since it seemed to do so well last time, Josuke's dressed the same as he was last time he was here -- that lime green sleeveless mock-turtleneck under a light chocolate brown V-neck sweater, darker brown slacks, and gloves.     However, there's been two very important alterations to this. One, a bandana he could use to cover his face if things got too dusty or gritty for him to breathe; two, a pair of actual BOOTS. Mind, it's no less expensive footwear than he usually wears, but it's actually made to take a beating.     And a beating they're probably going to get, since Josuke's on the Hush Puppy Limousine service for the most part! Hopefully there's a train or carriage that he can take out there, or he's going to be really tired when he gets there!     Either way, whether on foot, or via train or carriage, Josuke will eventually get there! He peeks into the base camp area, being careful his face isn't covered. He doesn't want anyone to think he's trying to rob the place, and he wants to be recognized by those who would be his allies. Then again, who could mistake that hair for anybody but Josuke's? And who else would wear their hair like that? Anyway.     "...Hello?" he greets hesitantly as he pokes his head into the base camp, raising a hand to wave. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka doesn't take long to arrive just yet. Knocking on the door, the cyborg nudges the door open and makes her way in, "Yo." She greets Josuke, recognizing him from before, then grabbing a seat. She nods curtly to Target, the skunk, and Ms. C. "Where'd Corona go? You'd think she'd be here by now." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' For whatever reason, Rebound is hanging out, upside down, dangling over the side of something and playing a game on her phone. She seems to be distracted by the phone game and not really worried about what all is going on. She's sure that wherever Corona is, she's fine. Otherwise she'd have called for help by now. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Oh don't get yer duster inna knot," the radio crackles back at Target. "Ah ain't gettin' into trouble this time." This time. "Corona will be back shortly, she ran a quick errand for us using her ship in orbit as a quick bypass." Most of the people that have shown up are familiar faces from before. Josuke, or more so his hair, is hard to miss even without familiarity, and he gets a nod from Miss C as well. "Thank you for your timely assistance in Gaslight. But we will get to that shortly." She nodded to Windrose, and the skunk-girl pushes one of the buttons on the side of the table. Gears can be heard clicking to life somewhere inside, automatronics sliding open a section and a scale replical of the cannon train and Copperchoke's steam-mech rise to the surface. Miss C stood upright, folding her hands behind her back. "A lot has happened since this expedition started and there's been little time to fill in the details for you offworld folk." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke waves in Maaka's direction, returning her greeting, "Yo." He'll actually enter the place when he's sure it's the right place, too, and find a place to sit down. Once the presentation seems to be beginning, Josuke sits up straight to listen. And when the scale replicas start to rise up to the surface, Josuke's eyes go a bit wide. "Whoa." Yes, he's still of the sort to be impressed by steampunk tech. But yes. He goes quiet to listen, since he doesn't know much of what's going on. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     The kobold ranger gives everyone that enters a nod, a wave, and a hello as needed, waving the more timid-seeming Josuke further in. "Take a seat, folks. Things to be said," he informs before Miss C gets started. "Tell'm what we know. I'll jes be over'ere. Never know if I'm gonna have to get outside for whatever reason." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Miss C waits for everyone to get settled as they see fit before continuing. "For those of you that weren't present," which is primarily Josuke and Windrose of the current company, "We were accousted not more than a few hours out of Loadstar." Listening to the businesswoman speak sounds a little out of place in her own right, seeing as she doesn't have the same 'Space Western' drawl that Target and Corona do. One hand is removed from behind her to jesture at the models. "Initially it appeared to be a hijack attempt by the Black Hat Gang, notorious technology thieves. Only for it to come to light that the Black Hats are being lead by Alexander Copperchoke the Third, going by the alias of 'The Copper Kid'." Which is both stupid and funny, being he's a short goat person. "Copperchoke Industries has been a long-time economic rival of my family's own business. Copperchoke Senior and my great-grandfather were rivals, but it was much less... anatognistic. Junior, who currently runs the company, is much less of an honest businessman, and has been using the Black Hats, through his son, to try and cripple other companies... Though for some reason the kid seemed to have something out for Corona personally as well." "Shoot, funny y'all should mention me now." As if that had been a cue Corona comes ambling in, carrying a rather large covered platter. "As fer Grumpy McShortShort, he was... after somethin' personal of mine. Leave it at that fer now." Corona set the platter on the other end of the table. "Figgered y'all could use some real vittles fer a change." With a flourish she pulls off the cover, revealing a rediculously tall pile of nacho chips, cheese and sour cream, with the meat and sauce drenched over it in a way to resemble lava and rocks floating down a volcano. "So help y'selves." Miss C... is trying really hard not to visible twitch. "When you said you were going for snacks..." "Oh com'n, these folks been kickin' ass fer us. Ya can afford to splurge a little. Bitter's a'ready tabbed it for ya." Windrose scoops up a big lump of everything with a chip, then peers at Miss C while munching on it. "What's wrong with her?" "Eh. Prob'ly cuz it's the most expensive thing on the menu," Corona replies, unflustered by her boss having a, well lets say a moment to recompose herself. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Did someone say food? Rebound tucks her phone away and flips back off of the rock she's hanging over. She practically appears next to the giant plate of nachos, scooping up a massive plateful with a spoon, and shoving a bunch into her mouth, mumbling a thankyou to Corona with her mouth full. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka stares at the nachos. "You're a saint." She grins to the fox, before snagging a nacho and scooping up some salsa and cheese dip, DELICIOUS salsa and cheese dip.     "SO, what have the Hats been up to lately? Can't have been sitting idle after we kicked their asses, if I were them I'd be working overtime to figure out just -what the fuck- happened." She says, devouring delicious nacho goodness. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke suppresses the snicker at the whole 'Copper Kid' being a goat thing. Nope, not going to laugh! This is serious! Still. He can't completely suppress it, but only a quiet snort escapes. He listens to the story, though. "So it's all because a businessman is using dishonest means to eliminate his competition?" he asks.     He looks up when Corona appears, blinking. And his eyes go wide at what she's brought. That is a really big pile of nachos! And sure, he'll partake of them! Though he may end up feeling a little bad if it cost too much. At least he's keeping his intake of them in moderation, right?     As for questions, other than the one he offered, he doesn't have much, since he's not been privy to the evil-doing that's been going on here. Though he's turning over a few things in his head. Not ideas, but just seeds of them at the moment. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Prob'ly that. Or tryin' to find some place to ambush us again." Corona's all nonchalant about it as she nacho scoops for herself... but there's a faint twitch to her ears that say the situation isn't as simple as she makes it sound. Miss C is just rubbing her forehead with her hand. "If you weren't so good at your job..." A long, slow breath and she looks up again. "It would appear that way. 'Shorty' is the runt of the family and a bit of an outcast. So no one is gonna bother too hard to trace him back to his family, so Junior keeps his hands off and clean." Miss C taps the controls again, and the map shifts to focus on Gaslight Gultch's location next. "As for this Grim Wrangler..." "He's dead. Undead.. Somethin'." Corona huffs as her tail twitchs. "Somethin' other. A'parently he's frankensteined back together by that brain-in-the-squid-jar that tried to hijack me at the moonshine raid." "A literal ghost in a machine," Windrose whimpers at the thought. "That wrangled up other restless spirits to terrorize the town for... some reason. An' still has a chip in his shoulder over Target." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Oh god." Maaka grumbles, "Fuckin' knew we'd hear from that squid robot again." She groans, before she steals more nachos to devour. "So, Target, what DID you do to piss that other bloke off anwyays? 'cause you don't come back just because someone didn't owe you ten quid." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Punched him offa bridge he was tryin' to steal." Corona says that with a tone that can only be true no matter how rediculous it sounds. "His body may be piecemetaled t'gether by means even Ah ain't understandin', but Ah reckon it's the vengeful spirit that keeps him runnin'." Miss C makes an authorative *AHEM* to get the conversation back on track. "Regardless of the complications, we must continue forward with our operation." And despite her prim and proper silent protests to it finally helps herself to some of the pile of nachos. It was bought with her money, after all. "That mine reopening is crucial to keeping Loadstar operation, and not letting the crooked business barons like Copperchoke get a bigger foothold in taming the frontier. I can only hope you all will continue to support the effort." With that said she finally sits back down. "Regardless of where Corona has decided to work when it's not for me, Loadstar Depot will remain a neutral operation and continue providing economic support to where it's desired." She glances, and smiles a little in Maaka's direction. "While we have gone seperate ways we do still have contacts with our previous League aquaintenances as well... Depending on the jobs at hand, of course." Corona just snorts softly as she rummages out one of her flasks of cactusjack to wash down the nachos and salsa. She's stayed out of certain recent events to not get between allies and old friends. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke remains quiet, occasionally nibbling at the nachos, as the explanation of all of what's been going on is given. He doesn't have too much context, but that shouldn't be much of an issue. He's gone into situations with less information. Besides, he's not going to be working alone, from the looks of it.     So, as Miss C mentions continuing to provide support, Josuke nods. "Well, I can't contribute money, but I'll help out with anything I can," he offers. "I can repair things and heal people -- that'll probably be of some use. And you saw that I'm pretty decent in a fight." Miss C was there, wasn't she? If not, someone here likely was. More likely multiple people. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound hasn't really had much to add, she's been eating nachos and nodding along, but she's been along for everything that's gone down on their adventures, so she doesn't really need much of a recap. 
}}

5325/Undead Reckoning

2017-07-10T23:15:32Z

Foxer: Belated Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/06/20
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Frontier Ghost Town in the most literal way possible.
|Cast of Characters=711, 770, 571, 1100, 707, 1119, 750, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Gaslight Gultch has become a ni literal ghost town. An eerie fog has drifted over the frontier town, enveloping it like a cold hug of death. Zombies and skeletons in tattered Western clothing shamble about the streets, while more ghostly sorts drift about the rooftops, or haunt the insides of various buildings. There's little surprise in the sizable numbers, a rough and hostile frontier world has plenty of damned and deceased to be brought back to walking the dusty land if one knows how.     The former boomtown in itself isn't exceptionally large. A wide gravely round forms the main way through, with business and city buildings lining the sides of it, and more residential or smaller private operations spreading out behind those. Towards the end of the rows sits the local sheriff's office on one corner, with the town hall rising as the largest building at the end of the road, mostly due to the clock tower extending above it's peak. With the clock currently jammed between 12 and 1, as if someone was trying to make a 'thirteenth hour'.     According to the one escapee of the town, most of the normal folk are bunkering down in the storm shelter beneath the town hall. So that's going to be a priority target... Once you get through the gangs of unliving, of course. Like most of Brimsteel's frontier settlements the town also has a protective wall ringing around it to keep at bay the harsh weather and harsh wildlife alike. The recent band of heroes already found out how nasty Scaldamanders can be, and that's just one of the many damned beasts out here. The walls meet at the end opposite the town hall, locked shut with heavy gates-- *FWATHOOOOM* --Or there was gates, until an abrupt explosion removes the obstacle. As burning splinters and nails clatter down in the street undead eyes (for those that still have eyes) turn towards the billowing plumes of smoke left in the wake of the sudden blast. Spurs clang against the ground as a familiar grey vixen walks out of the smoke clouds, still holding the trigger device in one hand. "Ah reckon Ah knocked a li'l too hard." She tosses the device over one shoulder, then pulls out her shotgun with one hand, spins it twice and grabs it by the action, letting the motion handle the matter of cocking it and charging up it's power core. "Don't matter, all ya undead are gonna be redead soon 'nuff." Behind her Windrose catchs the device abit fumbling a few times between her hands before getting a grip. Shoots the gunslinger a somewhat sour look. "Was that really necessary to make such a mess??" "Not really," Corona drawls back as she flips Forgesweeper back into a proper grip. "We'll just build a new one after we tidy up this hell hole." 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:''' "Oh fer cryin' out loud, C'rona, we coulda just went over and saved ourselves the trouble later!" Height does not intimate the vex ranger walking in behind Arclite and Windrose, and he will, and has, make his thoughts known when he deems it necessary. Which is most of the time. "I'll jes leave it outta the report for yer own sake, not as if I don't owe ya anyway.." Beyond the gateway, Target pulls loose the shotgun at his back, starts to load it, but hesitates, ".. And jes what kinda ammo should I be usin' anyway? I really haven't dealt with anything quite this.. ri.. abs.. ... stupid." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Well, this place sure went to hell in a hand basket." Maaka muses, toting an auto-shotgun over her shoulder, seeing as how Target and Corona are using them too it seemed like a good idea to carry one as well. At least shells are easy to share. Racking the shotty, she pops her neck. "I recommend three inch buck of slugs myself." She comments to Target, before she takes aim at the nearest concentration of undead.     It's almost like cutting down wheat how calmly and indifferently she opens fire upon them, the shotgun kicking against her shoulder roughly. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace enters... at speed, on her Cavalry Charger... but this charger isn't a horse. Instead, it's an Arkadyne Combat Systems model 14 combat motorcycle, armed with two 20mm autocannons. Wide, fat wheels carry the squat vehicle over the rough terrain, eight powerful spotlights illuminating the ground ahead of Tiny as she weaves neatly around rocks. The terrain here isn't that different from home, though the Charger's gas turbine engine is much happier in the thicker, oxygen-rich atmosphere of an earthlike world. Tiny twists the throttle further open and the bike rears up, hitting a ledge of rock at -just- the right angle to launch the machine up over the wall of Gaslight Gulch. Unable to help herself, and with so much air-time to play with, the mouse casually performs a Nac Nac, before landing on a zombie and flattening it. She slews the bike to a halt in front of Corona, showering the fox's boots with dust and gravel, reaching up to retract the mouthguard of her helmet. She gives Corona a cocky smirk. "My mate rebound said there was a zombie problem... you look like the most competent person 'ere, and from what I saw it looks like you can make an entrance, so I'm betting you're in charge." She grins. "Where d'ya need me? Ain't much good 'gainst spooks, but zombies and skeletons I can blow into harmless chunks." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' In the wake of Corona's blasting through the gates of the town, three words ring out over the sound of an(other) engine: "HIGH SPEED XIAOMU!!" This engine is higher-pitched than you might expect for a high-performance ... motorcycle? .... nope, lightcycle, as Xiaomu tears past the 'slowpokes' on her fast, sleek machine. Any zombies that don't get out of her way fast enough are going to simply get run over; any that try to make a lunge for the sage fox are going to get a faceful of bullet. At least, that's her plan. To the extent that she HAS a plan. Look, if no plan of battle survives contact with the enemy, how much effort are YOU going to put into planning elaborate tactical deployments? Besides, it's zombies, Xiaomu knows how to deal with zombies. And if regular bullets aren't enough, she has anti-spirit rounds for her handguns too. She's only using one handgun at the moment - she needs a hand to keep steering, after all - and she's not charging TOO far ahead; instead, she slews her lightcycle around (thereby adding 'vehicular assault' to her list of anti-zombie options in play) and tries to sweep out some more clear space for the incoming good guys. Then, once the lightcycle's come to a halt, she DOES draw her other handgun and continues filling the air with bullets whenever she can spot and pop a zombie. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     All this started pretty simply enough for Josuke. Having newly arrived in the Multiverse, the teen is eager to explore; partially because he's curious, and partially because he wants to become familiar with any threats that could exist to his own world. With the nature of the Multiverse, he's heard, there could even be a world where DIO is still around. What a horrifying thought!     So he's been doing some exploring. And it so happens that today he's ended up in THIS world. It's dusty here, so he's dressed accordingly -- a lime green, sleeveless mock-turtleneck under a light chocolate brown V-neck sweater, darker brown slacks, and gloves. He's still wearing those expensive shoes though, which he might be regretting, given all this dust and sand! Next time he'll look into a hood to protect his hair.     Soon however, there are EXPLOSIONS! "What the...?" He turns in that direction and, not questioning it, starts running that way, avoiding the gas geysers on the way. Should he happen to encounter visible zombies along the way, Crazy Diamond will be employed to punch them out of his way. "MOVE IT!" Josuke crows, going THROUGH them if need be. "I don't have time for you!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Not overkill enough." Rebound notes, as she grins past Corona and into the piles of zombies in the town. Rebound is not dumb enough to fight zombies without any protection, so she's wearing a leather jacket and long pants. Once the door has been opened, she plows straight into the pile of undead, shoulder checking the first one she comes across and then proceding to throw out as many punches and kicks as she can. Every time she gets in range, she strikes. It seems like this is the kind of thing she has been longing for, fighting a lot of weak targets in an enclosed environment. She's enjoying herself. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Gaslight Gultch is an ghost town and Kotone seems to be on edge, even with her themotic cameo she wans't sure just how much goo it woudl do she was cloaked as she creeped into town but the mist and fog might reveal her location more easily as she moved. She kept moving for the gate but then they went up in a big damn explosion, and she mutter something to herself in a mix of English french and japanese before she moves ahead again trying to be sneaky b ut they are about to get dog piled sh suspects if there's anything hostile. She'll also make use of her mobility systme sbut as the undead pile out? Whelp there goes her being sneaky she'll leand on a building roof crunching it as she does nad open fire with her SMG from her perch hopfully trying to thin out the undead hordes. "Stop trying to out zombie me!" 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite doesn't even flinch as dirt and dead bits are scattered across her boots after the Biker Mouse street pizzas some zeds in her entrance. It's hardly an unusual occurance. The dirty boots, I mean. "Looks like we've picked up quite a posse.... Nice bike." "Can we please not tear down the town in the process of saving it," Windrose objects, skunk tail flitching back and forth anxiously. Followed by a slow blink as another fellow with weird hair, and one more in some kind of crystal armor, come crashing through zombies as well. "And what the hell is that?!" "Don't care as long as its helping!... She's right, solid's pro'ly best fer the physical undead. Don't worry 'bout the ghostlies iffen ya can't deal with em. The locals are hidin' under town hall at the end, so that's where we gotta go." Assorted gunfire and punching roos do a good job at sweeping through the start of the horde, toppling zombies and shattering skeletons. But the street is full of them, the ghost gunslingers are swooping in.. and is that hoofbeats? Yes it is, because in response to the bike riders there's a couple of ghost cowboys riding in on skeletal horses. Don't ask how they're making hoof sounds when they're not actually touching the ground. Corona shoots her grappler to get up onto one of the rooftops. As soon as boots hit the planks she starts running, much like she did in her old street orphan days. Just as she hops over a ledge she aims down and lets off shot with her weird shotgun. The pulsarium power blast slams into one of the ghost gunman and vaporizes its spirit energy, while the recoil helps kick Corona up onto the next rooftop as well. Windrose.. promptly goes for cover behind some barrels. "THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL." Clearly this is the skunk's first time being sidekick to anyone of Corona's sort. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka can't help but stare at Leyanne's bike. It is a very nice bike, and she needs one like it. SOmething for high mobility like the Knight, but armed and dangerous to take out targets in high-speed pursuits.     She makes a note to 'build a similarly badass bike' before going back to engaging targets. She gravitates over to Xiaomu just in time to avoid getting hit by HIGH SPEED XIAOMU! "Hey, back off of her!" She barks at the zombies, protecting her friend and battle sister with buckshot to spare.     She stares as Pompador guy joins the fray, watching him glow purple before her eyes go fuzzy. "Ugh, what the hell!?" She wonders aloud, as her optic feed goes fuzzy and glitchy when Crazy Diamond does its thing.     The cyborg tries to shake off the glitchiness as a zombie grabs her, "FUCK OFF!" She brings her elbow to the zombie's face, caving it in with a gory display before she draws her sidearm, a Kimber Warrior .45. Her shotgun can hang off her back, while she brings the pistol up at a tilted angle in both hands, thumbs touching, while the pistol barks loudly while she blasts a few zombies point-blank. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     "Are you calllin'-" cut off, Target doesn't bother to finish his thought in regards to what Leyanne said. Some of the other arrivals get a nod and an ackowledgement, but as carnage errupts in the streets via bike, bashing, or bullets, the ranger decides to go and see where the folks of the town are. "Ya'll distract'em! I'll see about gettin' to the townsfolk!"     How? Well when the ranger's duster suddenly expands out, clockwork grinding sounding out through the air, and then he's rolling away in a ball that somehow is steampunk, clockwork, and small enough to duck and weave among the feet of the undead, heading for the town hall. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace throws Corona a salute and then guns her bike again, drawing her sidearm and leaning out of her saddle to take a few shots at the ghost cowboys. I mean, they're coming for her, and it might work, right? In some places, ghosts are more in it for theatre than malice, and will react when shot even if the shot does nothing to them. If the hollowpoint rounds do nothing... well... that looked good, right? Tiny holsters her sidearm, hunkering back down behind the low perspex windshield and arming the cannons. As she charges towards a crowd of shambling undead and more agile skeletons. After a moment she opens up, hoping to open a gap for both herself, and for Sparktail, to make it to the town hall. After all, once there she can dismount one of the 20mms and then the fun can really begin. If the Zeds don't get blown out of the way, she's quite happy to flatten them. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Once he's inside the town, Josuke takes in the area. He looks at the people that are going to be his allies for now, it seems. There are... well, some of them look like anthropomorphized animals of some sort, but he's not sure. He's learning that with this Multiverse, it's better not to ask. Cyborgs, from the sound of the radio chatter. And someone with crazier hair than his, that looks like there's fox-tails coming out of her head? It's getting easier to deal with the weirdness at least, though he has to remind himself not to stare...     And sees what the problem is -- there are dead things walking around. And running, and shooting, and -- oh jeez, are those UNDEAD HORSES?! "...Oh just <great>," he mutters.     Also, going by radio chatter, there's some issues with cybernetic parts thanks to Crazy Diamond. "<<Sorry about that!>>" he apologizes, over the radio. "<<Stands are... weird like that.>>" And then he goes red in the face with an embarassed blush at Xiaomu's comment over the radio. "<<I-it... I'm not that kind of guy!>>" Get it together, Josuke! There's enemies around!     The first thing he thinks? Cut off the dead things' escape, and make sure they can't get reinforcements in. So he runs to the destroyed gate, and the armored thing behind him follows. He stops at the remains of the gate, and then the armored figure punches the ground in the center of where the pieces of the destroyed gate lie, yelling a sharp, "DOOOURRRA!" The pieces of the gate are surrounded by an orange-gold aura, and begin to float up into the air... and then to reassemble themselves.     That said, he's kind of... left himself open. He has to concentrate on the fix, not on the battle going on behind him, otherwise he'll mess it up, and then won't be able to fix the gate properly.... 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' As Rebound plows through a multitude of undead, she suddenly finds herself face to, well, chest, with a massive hulking zombie. Looks like somebody took the undead monster and pumped it full of every kind of growth hormone they could get their hands on. She takes a step back and looks up at him. "You are one ugly son of a bitch." Some of the other zombies actually are trying to close in on her, but the big guy swings and she ducks it, causing him to smash the others with his blow, "Okay better not get hit by that, then." She is staying quick on her feet, weaving in and out of blows from the big zombie, and trying to stick it with strikes where she can, but it's like punching a brick wall. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu continues shooting zombies in their faces en masse for a bit while the rest of the party gathers; some of them are familiar faces, some of them aren't, but she's not about to be picky who she's fighting alongside. Besides, all of them are interesting and helpful from the looks of things, and the undead are, whether nuisance or genuine threat, a common enemy for a common reason - plus she's not going to stop and ask whether somebody is immune to zombie bites if she sees one of her allies in a tight spot. Then one of her bullets goes through a head which is ghost rather than zombie, just before that handgun clicks empty. "Fooey," Xiaomu comments, emptying the other clip at the more solid targets, ejecting the empty mags and reloading, then focusing her fire on clearing up some more space immediately around and ahead of herself. Sure, she CAN just run over zombies if necessary, but she's gonna need a running start and a good bit of focus for what she wants to do next. So when she re-holsters one handgun and bends over the lightcycle again, she has at least the *start* of a clear path towards the ghostly cowboys. Which is all she needs to not only race forward, but to start generating a trail-wall in the cycle's wake. It's not QUITE like it would be on the Grid; Xiaomu's channeling her own chi through the lightcycle to energize the trail-wall - but on the plus side, that imbues it with supernatural force rather than merely physical impedances. She's used this for massive sealing circles before, but she doesn't need anything nearly that big this time - just big enough to enclose the revenant riders and their steeds, punctuated by a couple of anti-spirit bullets to discourage them from jumping the 'fence' she's made. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa cringes she forgot about hr wright and is going to ry and kee things more uner control fromt hen on, she keeps shooting the undead tyring to take the horrors down and she doe sno like zombies. Some of her earilest memories of the multivese involve the undead. She keep tabs on some of the other and she notices the non physicla undea and cna't do mcuh about it. Still seeing these things unsettles her, after all she's in a way undead as some might see it. he keps going trying rto bounce along and air trick to keep in the air she turns off the cloak for now as there's no mpoint the things are everythwere and she might need to save power during the fray. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Thunder cracks ominously across the sky, casting a strange illumination through the ghostly fog lingering around the town. The noise is second to the ruckus that rips through the beleagured frontier town. Solid attacks and munitions work best of shredding zombies and pummeling skeletons, while energy and mystical forces do wonders on the ghosts even as they try to shoot their haunted sixguns at the would-be saviors of the town. Arguable how many of the shambling undead would be able to get out, but putting the gate back up might keep more undead calvary from showing up so it's still a good idea. It's enough to get the ghostly riders try to turn back around and swoop towards Josuke piecing the gates back together. But one gets his skeletal steed spooked by Tiny's shot whizzing too close to their heads and goes crashing into the side of a building. The others are coralled in by Xiamou's energy trail, the charge of spiritual energy preventing the ghostly riders from just passing through it. Though one of them tries to stop her by manifesting a lariet of hellfire and flinging it at the exorcist fox. The saloon doors swing open as ragged, rotted looking miner tromps out, a stick of dynamite jutting from his bony jaw like a cigar. Nothing compared to the bundle of TNT he pulls out, and fumbles with a chunk of brimstone to ignite it. Until a barrel is abruptly dropped over him, which *fwooms* dully and bulges outward briefly before settling back as smoke leaks out between the now warped boards. It rattles around a bit but doesn't move since Windrose is sitting on top of it to keep it down. "I -said- no blowing up the town!" Pause. "Or my friends. Not that, either." And Rebound finds what happens when you make a zombie out of a cow that's had too many growth horomone shots. Her blows may not be doing much damage yet, but she's got its attention, and when the Impact Drivers charge up from the punches... Corona skids down the rain gutter of a rooftop and off the edge, landing on the next roof and holding her shotgun up and snap off another blast. This one doesn't hit any undead... at first, as it rips through a support beam instead, sending a porch roof crashing down on another swarm that was trying to move in on Alexis and Kotone while the girls are getting full out bionically brutal on the walkers. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' With the rest of ghostbusting calvary piling the walking dead back in their graves the kobold-ball has little trouble rolling and winding its way through the horde more interested in shambling towards the (mostly) flesh and blood targets rather than the metal sphere. Maybe make a speedbump out of a meandering corpse or two at the best. But just as Target is nearing the town hall the hellious whine of infernal machines can be heard screeching, followed by the upper windows of the hall's second floor shattering from a crashing force, as someone was clearly waiting for an attempt to rescue the folks hiding beneath the building. Midnight duster flutters behind a hauntingly familiar hulking form as it hits the ground right in the kobold's path, hissing from the unholy mechanization in his arms to grab onto the sphere, sparks flying from the friction as he tries to grind it to a stop. One red eye-piece glows beneath the jet black stetson's brim, mouth of metallic teeth grinning as the grating voice rasps from between them. "Hello Ranger." Steam screams like banshees out of the protrusions from his neck and shoulders as the hellpunked gnoll heaves the metal ball towards the nearest wall. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes a hit from one of the ghost-cavalry's sixguns, which sets up a speedwobble that the mouse doesn't have time to correct before the bike hits a downed zombie, slides on the gre, and then kicks out from underneath her. She tries to hold it but the rodent is thrown from the saddle in a tumbling crash. She and her bike slam into the wall of the town hall, not hard enough to do too much damage to either the wall, or herself, thankfully. THe bike, however, will need some repairs. Tiny pulls one of the 20mm cannons from its outrigger, letting the belt dangle free. At Sparktail's cursing, she turns to face the big, mechanical figure. "Woah! You are one ugly bastard aren't you?" She comments, swinging the big autogun around. "OI! PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE YOU C-" At this point, she opens fire. Whatever else she's got to say, which is apparently quite a lot, gets drowned out by the big Oerlikon-built autogun. The recoil is considerable.. so much so that every few seconds, Leyanne has to shuffle back a few steps to keep her footing. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka opens fire upon the zombies as things get much too close for comfort. CQB is useful in these situations; joint-locks, kneecapping, punches and kicks, grapples and footsweeps, all manner of advanced hand-to-hand moves are put to use in tandem with pinpoint shots from her .45. She eventually reloads the pistol once it locks back empty, and she power-strokes the slide back into battery.     Of course, the murder-spree only goes so far as she sees something odd. This bizarre, ghostly figure near city hall. Advancing that way, Maaka spies the big mechanical figure, and she stares in confusion before swapping to her shotgun. "I dunno who or what you are, but you got fi-" Her threat and demands for explanations are cut off as Leyanne opens fire with high-calibre rounds.     Ducking from the fire, the rest of Maaka's words are cut off as she shrugs and fires at the gnoll with her shotgun. "Fuck it, shooting you now!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Okay, the lariat was unexpected, and maybe Xiaomu SHOULD have been prepared for some kind of lasso or the like ... but even anti-spirit bullets aren't going to do a whole lot of good against that, hellfire or not. Fortunately, the sage fox has other options. Her lightcycle comes to a halt as she pulls the staff off her back, handgun discarded for the moment as she grasps the staff's ring-bearing headpiece - and from the staff, she draws a long, straight, single-edged blade, a trail of mist following the arc of her swing as she slices at the hellfire lariat with Suiren, her ice-elemental sword. "Cowboy or not, THAT was just rude," Xiaomu snaps at the spectral rider, bending over long enough to retrieve her dropped handgun. "You want me to send you back to the great beyond, or have you got anything *useful* to tell us while you're treading in the world of mortals?" Her lightcycle's trail-wall is still there, sustained by Xiaomu's will and power, even though the lightcycle is now at a standstill. She's also keenly aware that her comrades have other problems they're working on, but she doesn't want to leave the cowboys to possibly break loose while her attention is elsewhere. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     It shouldn't take but a few moments for the gate to seemingly fix itself. Josuke gives a relieved sigh once the gate seems secure. It's the noise from the town hall breaking that catches his attention first, and he turns just in time to see the ghostly riders bearing down on him! "Gah!" He does get fired on, and a couple of shot hit him in the arm before he can bring Crazy Diamond to bear. It's not that the Stand has any particular form of armor against it, no.     It can however PUNCH BULLETS OUT OF THE AIR! Which it does, with a loud, ascending, "DORARARARARA!"     These things are ghosts. Josuke isn't going to chance not being able to hurt them with his own fists, not when they have guns. The horses are ghosts too, right? Josuke waits. Crazy Diamond is a short-range Stand, and while six and a half feet is a pretty good distance, it's further away than they are now. He waits until the riders are too close for him to dodge shots from, having the Stand punch bullets when they get too close...     And then suddenly Crazy Diamond jukes hard to the side, apparently leaving Josuke exposed.     But if the riders stop to take the shot, they'll find a surprise. Crazy Diamond surges forward, with a flurry of superspeed punches, trying to just sweep the riders out of Josuke's path. Ultimately he's trying to physically nail them to a wall. Or the ground. Literally. As in, trying to fuse them with a nearby wall with a purposely botched fix/heal.     Either way, that will hopefully get them out of his way so he can go help at the town hall. Because that giant thing loooks NASTY. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is trying to keep with Maaka as they open fire on more of the undead. <<Why did it have to be undead?!>> She keeos moving as the fight goes on and there seem to be no end to the undead hordes that asailt them all. Soon things get too up close and Koeon is forced to go hand to hand, her SMG is replaced with a combat knife, and soon she' putitng all her body's strenghht o work. She's not as well trained up close as Alexis, okay she has none really. Still she's got enoguh strenght hat she coudl tear some od thes thigns apart with her hands, though the knige may work a lit better. She also seems disturbed from the look on her face, Kotone doesn't fight up close like this often and it's showing. THen comes fire and she's foced back to try and take some cover but she's exposed...and the enemy mith get a good hit on her. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound has been dodging around the tank zombie, hitting it with shots, but she's getting tired of this thing not going down, "Okay big guy, playtime's over!" She rushes towards it, and then drops down and slides between the big guy's legs, kipping back up to her feet when she's behind him. She reaches out and grabs him by the waist, hauling back through the air, and using her tail for extra leverage. She hauls the big zombie through the air, and slams him head and neck first into the ground, slamming him down with enough impact that he explodes, because zombies are wont to do hat with enough impact force. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Welp, someone heard him! As sparks fly all over, and into the hand of the gnoll, but before the momentum stops, a whole lot of firepower is sent into mecha-gnoll's form, the sound of gears turning can be heard again. This time, the VEX unit settles in across his form to enhance his abilities, agility, and strength.     "I'm going to dig a new canyon just to toss you into it!" Target roars out, despite his size, before throwing himself to one side of the massive creature. Every shell in his shotgun is unloaded at the Gnoll's face before he surges in, ducks, and lunges upward. While he secretly hopes the gnoll has a glass jaw, he knows it's probably made of sterner stuff then that. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' They could of been heading for a hanging, but the intervention of enchanted ice blades leaves the offending lasso of fire no more than some limp smoldering. The specteral riders look at Xiaomu, look at the remains of the hell lasso, look at Xiaomu again... and slowly back their ghost steeds up a few paces before turning and apparently remembering they don't have to stay on the ground and the ghastly steeds leap over the energy-wall! ... and right into the path of Crazy Diamond as it charges through the rest of the riders that had been charging Josuke. Normally they'd just phase through the other surface to save themselves from harm, but the purposely botched 'heal' does a nasty trick of instead trapping them in the wall instead. From her perch on the rooftop Corona has a clear view of the hellforged form that leaps down to intercept the Vex-balled Target. For the briefest of moments even she looks slightly off-put. Though it's less at the mashed together gnoll and more at remember what -else- was around last time. If that fucked up thing is scratching around herer.... no, pull it together, gotta help her friends first. Worry about the other weird shit that's possibly behind this later. Though she still gets out a "Shaft me sideways," utterance. A shotgun blast impacts with the hellpunked gnoll's frame, breaking his grip on the Ranger and giving him a chance to slip away to shift forms. Followed by the hurricane of rounds from a martian's autocannon, sparks flying as hit after hit ring into his body. And then Target bets back onto his feet, yells something, and unloads a fury of his own. Topped off by Corona tossing one of her homemade grenades into the mix and engulfing the monster in the, compared to her entrance at least, small blast. Okay, that thing was freaky enough that even Windrose isn't going to complain about the use of explosives. This time. And while everyone is gawking at or shooting the... thing, Rebound is dealing with her own monster. By suplexing it's rotted head into the ground, the force of impact from the mutant's strength enough to violently rupture it's disgusting form apart. Then from admist the lingering smoke and ash from the insane amount of firepower and explosives used, a grating laugh crackled. If you could somehow combine the howl of a hyena with the grating and grinding of a machine collapsing, it would be that. The hulking form ambles out of the smoke, though not without suffering from the assault. Duster and body is tore up, if only to show the unearthly mechanical bits and tubes that are, for lack of better words, practically stitched or fused into what remains of his flesh. The blasts to the face have burned off what flesh remained, showing the inner workings to those metal teeth and mechanical jaws intergrated to the skull. Considering his face was literally punched in, little surprise it's fixed up with more metal than bone now. Hellish steam hisses out of a few joints as well as the actual exhausts, but goddamn over all he's still standing. "I barely remember my past. Barely remember who I use to be." Despite everyone else raining fire on him his glowing eye is focused on Target. "But I remember what you did to me, now revenge is my only destiny." "My body fixed with hellfire gears. What have I become?" The machinery in his arms shift, turning them into to two hellpunk driven gatling-gun style weapons. "Your worst fears. An unliving steampunk nightmare..." Which he swings up and just unloads across the entire street. "Bare your souls for the GRIM WRANGLER!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka keeps firing on the gnolls Steampunky frame aggressively. Things get -weird- after she runs out of ammunition, and she frantically tries to reload the shotgun as the Grim Wrangler (yes seriously) is revealed to be mostly fine. "...I'm sorry, what's this about people doing things to people?" She looks between Target and the Wrangler, before suddenly things go to hell.     Literally.     And then mini gunfire. Maaka makes a break for the nearest building, a saloon no less, taking cover behind a bar after she dives through the glass window and waits out the storm of lead headed down the street. "FUCKING HELL!" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace seems satisfied as the big bore autocannon slams into the Grim Wrangler. Though her expression changes to grudging respect as the bastard turns out to be still standing. And now there are gatling guns. Isn't that just fucking great? Tiny drops the autocannon and sprints for cover, diving first behind a horse trough... when that's shredded, she scrambles and sprints for something else, chased by fountains of dirt as she dives through the window of the sherriff's office... smashing the bars in the window out of the way. It's probably one of the few substantial buildings here, yet the railroad sleeper walls still won't last -that- long under sustained assault... "Running away running away running away now..." she mutters, to the tune of 'give it away' by the chilli peppers 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Ha! That did it. Riders handled, Josuke heads to the town hall where the abomination of flesh and machine seems to be rather thoroughly being dealt with by the others. "Good one, everybody!" he encourages. Surely that explosion, with all the other damage, would take care of it. So he begins, "That should do..."     Aaaaaand then suddenly it rises up out of the settling dust, still moving. Josuke's eyes go wide, taking in the sight with shock. "...Seriously?!" he grouses. "...Just <great>..."     Suddenly the thing is firing across the whole street. Josuke deploys Crazy Diamond in front of him, and as the bullets start flying, the Stand begins to punch at the bullets wildly, punching as many of them out of the air as it can. It can't get them all, and Josuke jerks to the side as one hits his uninjured arm, doubles over as another hits his leg. But he's not backing down now.     No, he's... advancing!     From behind the wildly-flailing Stand, Josuke says loudly, "This isn't gonna stop me! I'll just part this sea of bullets! And then I'll take you OUT!" And yes, he's going closer, though it's slow going thanks to having to punch the bullets out of the way.     But it also looks like the kid is just badass-walking through the hail of bullets, jerking to the side and wincing whenever one happens to get past, and then still going. Stupid kid! Fortunately Crazy Diamond is protecting his center pretty well, and it's only the edges where the bullets are getting through. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     All that firepower, all that help, and this 'Wrangler' is still coming! Ok. "C'rona! Usin purple!" he hollars as he backs up a step or two, "Listen, bud, you was stealin' a whole damn bridge and I'm not 'bout to apologize fer what I did. So.--" Pause. "... Where the hell didja get that name? It's awful!" It's an attempt at a distraction as his shotgun gets loaded with a single bright purple shell. He actions the thing, puts it into his shoulder, takes a deep breath, pulls the trigger... and goes -FLYING- backward as a massive purple blast *KRAK-THOMS* out of the barrel of the shotgun.         At least it didn't ruin the gun. Corona made it! 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Honestly, Xiaomu had THOUGHT that would be enough to keep the ghostly cowboys from escaping - but she didn't have the maneuverability to make the 'wall' much tighter, and to be fair, she completely overlooked the possibility of the horses pulling a VTOL air-climb to get out of the encirclement. Fortunately, Josuke and his Stand are able to wall them in MUCH more effectively than Xiaomu did, and she's starting to give the Japanese kid a thumbs-up when the bad guy goes all Gatling on everyone he can spot. The sage fox does not repeat the phrase 'High Speed Xiaomu' this time, just stashes her weapons as well as she can in a *hell* of a hurry and guns the lightcycle's engine, trail-wall zeroing out behind her as she puts all her efforts into not staying still to get shot at. Or, y'know. Getting shot DESPITE being in motion. She has a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship with her pelt and sees no reason to get holes shot in it, okay? Fortunately, the ill-named Grim Wrangler is taller than she would be standing, and seems (at a quick guess) to be aiming more or less horizontally rather than angling downwards. She thinks. If she can just circle around behind the big undead steampunk cyborg whatever while he's preoccupied shooting at less-dodgy targets ... Well, a fire-elemental grenade or two exploding between the Wrangler's legs ought to make his prospects a lot more grim, shouldn't it? 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' You know Rebound is not bulletproof, at least not yet. So for now she needs to take cover. She dives for cover behind the leftover hulk of the huge zombie she just killed, figuring that if it can withstand her blows, it should be able to withstand bullets. She activates the Impact Drivers and places them in front of her for some extra protection, waiting for the hail of gunfire to stop before she gets up. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' things are not going so well as she'd like with the hellpunk gnoll and she's now looking petty pissed off at this as she looks at the hell punk thing and she'll just follos Maaka as she moves to take cover. "I could think of stronger words to use Alexis!" She shouts out as she too dives through the door of the salloon face planting intot he floor, she leaves an Kotone shaped impression there and rolls to the saide as quicklya she's able to. "We need a bigger gun!" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace pokes her head up over the parapet of the jailhouse window to get a look at the Grim Wrangler. She reaches around her backpack to feel for something, closing her eyes in silent relief as she discovers that her beloved old Mk-2 Bren gun hasn't been knocked loose. She's got the old light machine gun braced up against the window frame on its bipod just in time to see a bright purple flash from Sparktail's massive cannon shell. She watches him fly, trailed by a little wisp of purple smoke, before hunkering down behind the ancient, but loved gun and turning towards the Wrangler. She doesn't pull the trigger, however - waiting to see if he gets back up from this one... 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' You might think that being on a rooftop away from the street is safe for Corona. She certainly did.... And oh boy, was she wrong. Gunfire shreds the storefront, ripping apart several support beams, and instead the vixen has to quickly run the other way to avoid the roof collapsing beneath her feet. That or she heard Target say he was using one of -those- shells. Maybe a bit of both. It's a good thing Maaka actually dove behind the bar. It's a lot more sturdy, being made to take the barfights and saloon shootouts that are a common pasttime on Brimsteel, unlike the rest of the building partially collapsing around her. Everyone else is pretty much getting the hell out of Dodge. Well everyone save Josuke. Thanks to Crazy Diamond living up to that crazy part and -punching bullets out of the air- despite how many and how fast they're coming. Impressive in its own right, more so when it lets the guy do a Slow Badass Walk towards the gatling-gunslinging monster. Bigger Gun? Well that purple blast from Target is at least close, considering it launched the kobold halfway across what remains of the town to fire it. That and a few grenades make for yet another explosion to rock the town, this time in plumes of thick purple smoke that billows through the street and around Josuke looking badass in the middle of it all (thanks to CD's protection). When the haze finally swirl away though, the hulking half-dead steam-borg is gone.... though one gets the nagging feeling it wasn't by being blown up to bits again. But none of the beaten undead are getting back up and that creepy fog is starting to lift, so clearly him being here had -something- to do with what was going on... Might be something to the 'Grim' in Grim Wrangler after all... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes her Bren down off the windowsill and advances on the town hall, keeping the spot where the Wrangler was firmly under cover until she's sure he's not going to get up a second... or is that third... time. Then she looks over at her bike. The damage isn't critical, but he'll need repairs before he can get back on the road. "Don't worry mate, I'll patch you up." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Phew. Maaka rifles through the bar after the bullets stop flying and things cool down. She searches the bar out of curiosity, finding some liquor of mid-quality and an old gun a very unlucky man ditched during the outbreak. "Hmm." She decides not to overflow her inventory, though she does take a bottle of hooch to drink from as she climbs back out.     "He gonna be okay?" She asks Leyanne, approaching her while she croons over her damaged bike. "Name's Maaka, by the way. Never did give you my name." She produces a card containing contact info in some fancy hologram interface. "If you wanna talk bikes sometime, give me a call." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' And it seems to be over. As Xiaomu puts it on the radio, 'I don't hear him laughing or shooting, and *we* aren't dead yet'. All of which is true. The sage fox circles around - actually driving a loose perimeter around where the 'Grim Wrangler' went down, combining the exegencies of maneuvering back to rejoin the others with a quick sweep to make SURE the restless spirits have all settled down or retreated - before driving up next to Leyanne, de-rezzing her lightcycle, and settling into a walk next to the big mouse woman. "So we hit the town hall basement and give 'em the all-clear, and ... what else, anything?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Oh good -- big, bad, and undead is gone. Though there's no evidence that he's actually been made re-dead, but still. Gone is good enough for now. Once he's no longer being shot at, Josuke lets Crazy Diamond pause, though keeps the Stand near him for a moment, just in case. He can feel the environment somehow... lightening. The air is less oppressive, not as heavy.     Josuke releases Crazy Diamond then, when he's more sure that things are, at least for the time being, dealt with. He's quite out of breath, and he's been hit a handful of times by gunfire, both from the riders and by Grim Wrangler. His outfit's showing where he's been hit, dark stains around the fabric.     But he has other concerns. Namely, the others. "<<Did anyone get hurt?>>" he asks over the radio. "<> 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite climbs over what remains of the building that had nearly collapsed under her. "Bit bruised up. Been worse... And yeah. Let folks they can come out, start fixin' up." Tilts her head in Josuke's direction. "Dunno who ya are but reckon they'll 'ppreciate the help." Then she pauses, glancing off in the other direction. "Speaking of the locals, anyone seen Windrose?" A hand shakily pokes up over a stack of barrels that got riddled with holes. "I'm... I'm fine, I think..." The skunkgirl teeters a bit as she steps out. "I have -no- idea what in the hell just happened though! The zombies were horrible enough!" Corona pats her on the back. "Oh, ya kinda get use to it after awhile." Then starts walking to the hall. Cue exasperated groan. "I'm not sure I -want- to get use to it..." But Windrose follows the fox, as she hasn't seen anyone since she snuck out of town to look for help. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks over at Maaka then nods. "Oh, yeah no worries. Mostly superficial, but it'll need to be fixed before he can get out on the road again. Might need to call in a truck to get him home... the fender's all buggered into the tyre." She takes the card. "Will do. If you're ever out Alaska way, I got a nice little shop in Hoonah, come check me out. I do customs, repars and upgrades." She suddenly realises something, perhaps upon spotting Maaka's drink. Hanging the bren on its sling, she reaches around under her pack and pulls out her thermos. She pours herself a cup of tea and has a sip, listening to the radio conversation. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Once the gunfire stops, Rebound peeks up over the remains of the zombie, "Nice shot." She whistles, as she picks herself back up to her feet, brushes herself off, and then starts to head towards the town hall, "You said they're in the basement, right Corona?" She asks, as she takes out a couple more zombies on the way there, but there's fewer and fewer to worry about with each passing moment. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     On the other side of town.. Target is taking a breather. The gun survived, he survived, the VEX survived, but oh dear heavens is shoulder doesn't feel like it did. "I'mma .. just stay here a minute er two.." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace blinks at Xiaomu, smilng "Nice lightbike." She comments. "I think that sounds like the plan... anyone actually know the locals?" She asks, offering her cybernetic arm to the fox-sage for a fistbump. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Right on." Maaka grins, before taking another swig of delicious liquor. It's not -great- but she needs a drink and it's there. In any case, she just takes a breather. It's eerie out here, now that the fighting's done. Just full of dead zombies and wreckage. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Corona's statement to him makes Josuke realize something. "Oh! That's right, I didn't say who I was. There wasn't time. Sorry about that. I'm Josuke Higashikata." He bows. "Pleased to meet-- ow." He winces when he straightens his leg to bow, the movement agitating an injured muscle. He stands straight again, and tries again, "Pleased to meet you."     He's near where Corona and (presumably) Windrose are, and is following them to the hall. He's also trying to fix a few things on the way. Now that he's not fighting, he can spend the concentration to do that more easily, more easily deploying Crazy Diamond and using its repairing abilities. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace really is not very tiny. She stands over 8ft tall 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Name's Xiaomu," the Chinese foxgirl introduces herself casually, waving to Josuke in particular. "Dealing with rogue and rowdy spirits is pretty much my job in my home world, so pitching in elsewhere with similar situations is just kinda a thing I do. Good to meet you, Josuke, everyone." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks over at her bike. "I'm gonna be organising a ride home for Skrat if anyone needs me" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa looks out at everything as she pulls her self out from the bar looking at Maaka for a moment and dusitng herself off.She's looking a bit baned up and he suoit's wrecked in a few place also there's a streak on her face where the synth fglesh has been torn away fgrom her date with the floor. "Geeze ie everyone all right? What the heck was tha and oh Kotone Yamakawa and hello Josuke was it?" She looks over to the Foxy Shinra agentand smirks a bit. "So who wants to get something to eat!" 
}}

Corona Arclite

2017-07-10T23:14:14Z

Foxer: Fixing faction

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Corona Arclite
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=711
|Img=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/CoronaArcliteRecolor_zpsa03ba464.jpg
|FullName=Corona Arclite
|Gender=Female
|Species=Silver Foxgirl
|Theme=Cosmic Cattlepunk Chronicles-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Defense Machinist
|Faction=Watch
|Groups=Daedalus Initiative
|Quote=You can't fix the Past... But you can always build a better Future from it.
|AAge=Early 20s
|Height=5' 0"
|Hair=Dusty Blonde
|Eyes=Burnt Orange
|Song=Aviators -- Building Better Worlds ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_mJIPXrdag )
|Profile=Corona Arclite was just a kid off the gritty streets of Brimsteel until she was taken in by an elder machinesmith and trained in the ways of the forge and gearworks. Now it's her job to make sure industrial resources like the Loadstar Depot are protected, by keeping its defense measures running and its defenders properly armed against the cosmic frontier. But instead of tolling in a workshop all the time Corona is just as likely to be fighting alongside the guardians, using her knowledge and skills to demolish the enemy's defenses. Turns out the know-how for building things and fixing machines is also really good for -breaking- them as well, making her a surprisingly effective sapper and saboteur when needed. And it turns out spending much of your younger life having little is good motivation to protect what's important now. Despite being sassy, spunky and all too willing to put herself in middle of the action instead of working from behind the safety of the walls, Corona is dedicated to the cause of protecting the people and resources needed to build better worlds than her own. To commodate for the small stature that allows her to quickly move between defense points, Corona wields weapons more geared towards deterrence and debilitating mechanical threats; like her plasma-powered hammer and shotgun, cutting torches, personal turrets, and plenty of explosives. Sensitive ears render her vulnerable to certain extremely high and low sound frequencies.
|Powers=Resonant Hearing: Foxes have naturally sharp hearing, which Corona can use to listen to the vibrations made through metal and other materials. She's known for being able to diagnose mechanical problems by listening for the distinct sounds of broken or misaligned parts. It's also good for finding and disabling hidden devices like traps if she can hear the parts moving first. By finding the resonate frequency of a material she can better deduce its composition and the best means of smithing, or if necessary, breaking it.

Vulpine Grace: While naturally agile and dexterous, these attributes have been honed a bit more by her early life living on the streets. Corona is as quick with her feet as she is her wits; able to cleverly jump, climb and dig her way through a battlefield to do her job. Environments that would restrict larger and stronger individuals are a proverbial playground for the nimble vixen.
|Skills=Machinist: Trained by one exceptionally skilled and wise machinesmith, Corona has become a masterful engineer of pulsarium-powered anachronistic technology and industry in her own right. Constructing defenses, repairing equipment, and forging new parts for reverse engineering technologies are all in a day's work for her. Taught to use whatever she could find around her Corona's intuitive and improvisational skills allow her to jury-rig anything from old scrap-metal and retro components to modern materials and crystalline circuitry to make something work. When plasma generators and super-alloys exist alongside diesel super-engines and crystal-copper wiring, you learn to make it work together even if you don't entirely understand how. On the battlefield Corona can deploy small turrets that pack some serious punch with their plasma-powered blaster cannons and electrical discharges. She is also a capable mechanic, modifying vehicles to operate safely in the harsh Brimsteel environment, and driving them herself when she needs to work away from the Depot.

Metalsmith: When she has the resources for it Corona will smelt ores into metal and forge alloys for herself so she's got as much as what she could possibly need on hand when the time comes. To do this she also runs the depot's salvage facility, using it's plasma-flame furnace to melt down scrap and seperate minerals so she can reuse them. Just because a piece of equipment is too broken to be repaired and do its job does not mean it can't provide useful materials for later projects; the salvaging of parts and metal recycling helps keep the cost of raw materials down. Even if using scrap parts to repair things sometimes compromises their durability a bit, it does make them easier to replace.

Siege Warfare: As it turns out all the know-how about building structures and repairing machines is just as useful in knowing how to break them apart too. Just because she's normally technical support doesn't mean Corona can't fight. She excels at dealing with machinery, robots and fortifications; using her skills in engineering and improvisation to find the best ways to disarm traps, sap equipment, disable constructs and make it harder for the enemy to hold their own position. And Corona is really good at making things explode. It's been noted that it doesn't matter if she's the one that built it, if she's the one that breaks it there's a very high chance it -will- explode, overload or otherwise violently fail. Even if it is a type of construct that normally doesn't. It's like she has an almost supernatural ability to make machinery destruct in a spectacular fashion.

Logistical Management: There is a lot of math involved in engineering, manufacturing and supply handling. What she doesn't have in book smarts Corona makes up for with practice and experience, handling the numbers not because of schooling or training but from years of using it every day. Arguably she's better at it because it is based on actual learning from real experience rather than reading it out of text books.
|Assets=Gun Slinging: It wouldn't be a new frontier without packing some fresh shooting irons. Corona's primary choice is sawed-off shotgun called the Forge Sweeper that fires a scatterblast of highly energized globules, though it's damage output is limited at longer range due to dispersal. She also packs a modified riveter that has decent armor penetration, and a gun that can be loaded with adhesive for gumming up mechanical workings.

Corona Breaker: A hammer feels the most natural in the hands of an experienced smith so it's little surprise that one would be Corona's choice for favorite tool and primary melee weapon. Originally designed to use plasma heat to keep metal malleable, the aura of hot energy helps accommodate for her moderate physique by making it more effective at disrupting the structural integrity of the target. The energy can discharge at impact, resulting in a blast of plasma sparks. The handle can be extended into a two-handed sledgehammer for better leverage and momentum, but is slower to swing.

Arclite Cutters: Built into Corona's work gauntlets are a set of projectors that function like plasma torches, equally useful in cutting through armor and reinforced infrastructure as they are welding metals together. The plasma can be discharged in a burst similar to a flame caster, but it loses it's intensity past close quarters as the torches lack the magnetic 'shell' to prevent the plasma from dispersing that plasma-powered firearms have. Needless to say, her gauntlets are heat-proofed for safety.

Loadstar Depot: Corona operates out of the Loadstar Depot, which serves as a hub for the network of railways that service the Brimsteel mines, thus also making it the primary defense point against everything from mineral-eating monsters to greedy bandits and industrial rivals. You can only profit from the resources you can ensure safely reach their buyers after all. Specifically Corona is the depot's machinesmith, putting her in charge of both repairing equipment and making sure the depot and supply lines' defenses are maintained properly. Which means that sometimes she has to take care of clearing out mine infestations or breaking the enemies' stuff before they can attack personally.
|NPCs=HOPALONG: A companion construct resembling a jackalope that Corona build with a combination of steampunk and Izzet technology. Sentient but only able to communicate in mechanical sounds. In addition to powerful leg mechanisms and reinforced antlers that allow him to launch like a living battering ram, he can fight by expelling hot fumes and discharging current from his horns. Jaws function as a chipper and forepaws double as hydraulic shovels. Alternately can transform into a weapon that fires the hot slag of his furnace. (PL 20)
|Disadvantages=Sensitive Ears: The drawback to Corona's sharp ears and highly tuned hearing is the susceptibility to extremely high or sudden noises, which overpowers her attunement to resonant frequencies. Certain pitches interfere with her hearing to the point of being painfully disorienting. Weaponry based around disruptive sonic or concussive shockwaves can be highly effective at crippling her even if they don't do physical harm normally because of this attunement to hearing resonations. The shape and position of her ears, along with how heavily she relies on hearing techniques, prevents her from employing more effective protection against such problems.

Tech Bruiser: Corona can dish out some serious damage in a fight, especially against physical structures and machine based foes. But she replies heavily on her special hammer, plasma-powered weaponry and other tricks to have any sort of presence on the field of conflict. Without her weapons, her tools, some bombs or a machine she can jury-rig into service she is little more than an eccentric vixen that may be too smart for her own good.

Lightweight: Being able to scale walls, crawl through small access spaces and move between defensive positions rapidly requires one to be as quick on their feet as they are with their wits. Corona travels light, carrying little more than the gear she needs to do her job, the weapons to protect herself, and some thorough but basic protective measures. She's got considerable stamina against exertion but can't take more than moderate harm from attacks before starting to suffer from it. She is also really easy to throw around in a fight if her opponent is bigger and stronger ... which is pretty much anything she goes up against. If they can get their hands on her, that is.

Lock And Overload: A wise machinist once said that Necessity is the mother of Invention... And that Stability is often a deadbeat dad. This has a habit of being true with Corona's more inventive works, like jury-rigging a vehicle to make it run, or her modified guns occasionally jamming or backfiring because they don't use standard functionality. It is especially true of the sentry units she uses for field deployment. She hasn't quite perfected the portable design yet and they have a notorious habit of failing at inopportune moments. They're also usually made out of scrap metal and spare parts, so they're not particularly durable, and when they do fail it tends to be in the most spectacular fashion possible. In other words, despite being small they explode really, really well.

Machinist's Duty: Loadstar Depot relies heavily on Corona's work to be able to defend itself and the resources it harvests, including a lot of raw material which goes to supplying the needs of warfare as well as her world's efforts to settle the volcanic frontiers. It's because of the these reasons that she works for the Union, but despite doing so she can't stay away from her home for extended tours of duty. If she's needed on home ground due to surges in raider activity or monster threats she can be gone from the main theater of the conflict for stretches of time if her homeland needs her more.
}}

Undead Reckoning (Corona Arclite)

2017-06-17T00:47:54Z

Foxer: Cutscene post

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/06/15
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=Now we find out what's really up in Gaslight Gultch.
|Cast of Characters=711
}}
Night had fallen fully by the time the posse returned to the survey train's post. Several had gathered in the caboose serving as the expedition's mobile operations center along with Miss C to find out about the weird circumstances Corona and her new companion had gotten into.

Miss C sat in her chair with a teacup, the properness of the collie businesswoman as always in contrast to her more rugged surroundings. "I'm still not certain if I -want- to know what got you two gunked up in a scalamander nest," she murmured as she gave the fox and the skunk a scrutinizing look.

"Cuz we were hidin' from what was chasin' us outta the town, that's why," Corona drawled back, then gave the skunk girl a nudge forward. "But Ah promised Ah'd bring back info on what's goin' on down there, so here ya go."

"Um, yeah." Windrose figited with her pilot style leather jacket a bit, tail twitching. "I came out here looking for work and just found a heap of weirdness instead."

Miss C raised an eyebrow, moreso at the young lady's attire. "Gaslight Gultch is a strange place for a pilot to be looking for a job."

"But a good place to get away from overbearin' family that won't let a pilot do what -- Aw that ain't important right now," Windrose cut herself off, wave off the matter dramatically, and got back to the real matter. "Gaslight Gultch has been overrun by the walkin' dead." Windrose held out her arms and took a few exaggerated stiff steps. "Ghost, skeletons, fourty-niners blowin' themselves up like walkin' powder kegs, the whole kit'n'kaboodle of weird shit."

"And hidin' from the goulish gunmen is how we wound up in that steam cave." Corona rubbed the back of her head with her hand, tilting her hat askew. "Didn't realize it was occup'd until it wuz too late. Couldn't call fer backup until Ah wiggled my device free and kicked it 'gainst the rocks to trip the beacon."

"That... is certainly not the sort of 'trouble' I was expecting." Miss C set aside the teacup, then folded her hands together thoughtfully. "Yet, somehow I am not surprised this wilderness would find a way to make 'ghost town' a literal thing."

"A'nope. It's weird, but it ain't ex'ctly unnormal for Brimsteel either." Corona pauses to pick up her flask of cactusjack and take a long swig from it. "Considerin' some of the other weirdness we've already run 'cross. And Gaslight being haunted does put most of the Gasworks' labor out of a stable home, though. No wonder they're gettin' testy, but no one wantin' to admit to somethin' like this goin' on."

Miss C nodded in agreement. "Miss Windrose, do you know where these 'undead' came from?"

Windrose shook her head. "No, but Ah know lotta them loiter 'round the saloon, and the city hall. They might be lookin' for something."

"Welcome to the Wild Weird West of Brimsteel, kid. Ah reckon we'll just have to find out fer ourselves." Corona gave Forgesweeper a spin her hand, catching the shotgun in a way that the momentum ratcheted the cocking mechanism for her. "Sure the posse ain't gonna mind doin' a bit of ghost bustin'."

5313/Field of Steams

2017-06-17T00:41:31Z

Foxer: Posting scene log to wiki

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/06/14
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=The crew have to rescue Corona and her new friend from a steamy, slimy situation.
|Cast of Characters=711, 770, 571, 290, 42, 8, 973, 750
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' While the survey crew was inspecting the next length of railway through the frontier a message came up from Gaslight Gultch. It was meant as a warning of trouble so nobody was dumb enough to bring somebody as important as a Cassavhan into town. But it did spark Miss C's concern, worried it might be connected to the strange happenings she'd heard from the gas refinery owned by her family. So she sent Corona down to Gaslight on her steambike to investigate. The thing is, Corona never reported back which is very unlike her. Knowing the vixen can usually take care of herself it took a length of no-show for Miss C to get concerned. Then just as she was calling back helpful allies from before, an emergency beacon crackled across the signalways, presumably from one of Corona's communication devices as it pinged friends and allies alike. Now what trouble could she have gotten into this time? Regardless of one's reasons for coming, following the signal brings you here in the depths of the Gaslands. You're not far from Gaslight Gultch, but interesting enough that's not the destination. Instead you find yourselves gathering before a rather large outcropping of rock and caked mud amongst the gysers, with a rugged cave-like opening looming from one side. And there's the steambike off to the side, toppled like it was left in a hurry. Two pairs of footprints go into the cave, while several more circle around a few times in an awkward gait before shambling away again. There's no immeadiate sign of Corona, or who the other footprints might belong to, but the signal is definately coming from within and it's stronger than ever. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     "Aw, C'rona, what'd you go'n rile up now..?" Target mutters as he's taking in all the evidence. The tracks, the bike, the -other- tracks, the cave itself, everything. Seems the Ranger got out here in a hell of a hurry. A complete 180 from the napping sight he was on the train just a week or so earlier. Seeing as the beacon went out on all channels, the kobold ranger decided to give others some time to show up. An hour or so. He expects he won't need to wait that long. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Corona's not usually one to be radio silent for long periods of time like this. Not by choice anyway.     This could be very, very bad, unless she's just been on a drunken bender and forgot to report back to Miss C. Maaka doesn't feel like taking that chance, mind, and she's leading the search both for Gaslight and also Corona properly.     She's clutching her EM-GASH coilgun in her hands as she follows the footprints, her eyes switching to night-vision. "We're on the trail, C." She reports over comms, checking the bike, the cave, and heading down the cavern pathway with alertness, her futuristic battle rifle aimed down the pathway.     Clearly, she was pretty quick to respond when Miss C mentioned how long it was taking COrona to respond to anything. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' When someone goes missing and doesn't report back in, there's most likely trouble. Especially when their radio is silent. Fortunately, the 'R' in S.T.A.R.S. stands for 'Rescue.' So it's a given that Rebecca would be out here trying to locate Corona. She followed the signal and arrived in the area, at which point she stopped and looked around, frowning darkly. "I've arrived, Miss C," Rebecca comments. "I don't see any sign of her, but I'll start investigating right away." Rebecca looks around and spots the footprints. She goes wide-eyed. "Looks like she might have gone into this cave, but she might not have been alone either." Drawing her Beretta and turning on the attached flashlight, Rebecca attempts to peer further into the cave to see if she can make out anything. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     A beam of red energy hits the ground outside the cave and resolves into Staren, in his usual armor.     "A cave? Great. Nobody follows safety regulations on cave missions. Annoys me every time." He comments to Miss C, "You get it, right? Does it bug you that they never follow safety regulations on underground missions?"     He mutters to himself, "Corona, you better be alright..." 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Staren was not alone another ray of light joins him shortly after forming into the bouncey perky and maybe overly chipper? Deelel. She seemes to to be ready for toruble today she doesn't seem armed but that's a lie to anyone who knows her. Deelel looks around for a moment as she falls int with her friend. "A cave? So I'm thining horrible monster with tentacle that likes to chase humanoids? You want to bet on that Staren?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren shakes his head at Deelel. "I don't see the point. Whatever it is, we'll take care of it." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Silica flying on her yellow pixie wings. In her slipstream coasts Pina, the little Feathered Dragon. She wings over, and with a wide spiral, she lowers her altitude until she can come down to land, the winds fading away after her feet touch floor. "I'm here... um, I'll try and focus on support." she opens her menu, and deploys a second creature, then a third, having them form up around her. The first is a small boar with ice hanging from its tusks, the second is a serpent with little wings, and tiny antlers, it curls around her shoulders like a stole. "Pina, Nana and Hibiki will help too." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Almost as if for ominous effect a hiss of steam briefly ripples out, drifting across the top of the opening and into the foggy air above. For those investigating the footprints closer they might also notice dried splatters of... no wait that's not blood. It's some kind of... once sticky substance. A slime of some sort? Fortunately the impression into the rock formation isn't very deep. No spelunking into moleman infested tunnels this time. In fact all it takes is stepping into the mouth of the outcropping and shining a bit of light around to find why the fox didn't say anything. Corona and another young lady sit in middle of the cave, gagged and bound back to back by a hardened mix of mud and some oily substance that gives it a glistening effect as flashlights reflect off of its coglagulated surface. Not far from the vixen's feet her C-PAD lies sprawled open where it landed when she managed to kick it to set off the emergency beacon. There's a yelp and squirming as the flashlight catchs eyes that have been in darkvision for much too long in the cave. It almost sounds like she's trying to same something if her muzzle was gunked shut by the dried goop. Her companion shimmies a little but seems to be rather out of it still. Unfortunately the arrival of others draws attention from the cold shadowy depths of the small cave, and several of what can only be glowing red eyes open admist the darkness. Unseen claws scrape against rock as whatever those ominous slits belong to start to move... The only answer Staren gets over the radio is a long lamenting sigh. Clearly Miss C knows all too well what sort of reckless shenanigans he's talking about. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Well, seeing as the tracks headed into the cave, Target had started toward it as some of the others show up. Everyone is greeted in turn with a quiet nod and an acknowledgement of their presence. Once it seems a few folks are around, the ranger approaches the cave, disregards this hissing mist, and then catches sight of eyes with his flashlight. "... Really, C'rona, What did you do th--" pause. Something isn't right here. He knew his friend well enough to recognize a warning if all it was through was body language. That's when all the eyes start to appear. Over his shoulder, he calls to the others.         "Hey, ya'all, we may have a problem.." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Rebecca sees Corona and the other young lady, she feels a slight sense of relief coming to her, until she notices they're bound and gagged. She frowns even more and shines closer, trying to get an idea of what might be in there... "Uh oh..." And then the eyes appear in the darkness with scraping to boot. Almost immediately, Rebecca's eyes widen. Whatever's in there knows that there's company, and they don't seem very friendly. Turning quickly, Rebecca calls out, "Back up everyone! We've got company!" And yeah, they really have a problem... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka advances down the cavern, before she sees Corona and someone else up ahead. "That you? Please say yes, if it isn't I'm gonna be fucking livid." She says, with deep concern as she shines the light on Corona and the other girl as they hang in the goop.     "Looks like this is some kind of quick-drying slime, like glue. Do we know what-" Welp, Rebecca caught that first.     She hears the scraping and skittering, and aims her coilgun towards the sounds of skulking about in the darkness. "...we're not alone here." She says, backing up, trying to go back-to-back with Target and Rebecca. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Pina and Hibiki both flare their wings, one chirping, the other letting out a trilling sound. Nana gweehs and scuffs a trotter against the ground. Their 'enemy sense' is going off something fierce. Silica's ears pin down, and her tail lashes after poofing out while she draws her dagger. "I... I won't lose here. Everyone's counting on me." she says, mostly to herself.     She then holds her hands up, and begins to chant Words of Power. They lock into place around her, and after the last is spoken, a bubble forms around all her allies, before vanishing. "Th-there. That should help mitigate some damage from melee attacks... it's not very strong though, be careful!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     At least miss C knows Staren will take precautions. Wearing a sealed environment suit on most missions means being prepared for a lot of hazards, anyway.     As soon as Staren sees Corona illuminated by the light, he looks around for who tied her up. And there are glowing red eyes...     "Let her go. This is your only warning." He'd shoot, but he can't see what he's shooting at. He resolves that issue by grabbing a handful of little LED lights and tossing them into the cave. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel gives Staren a sigh before she turns her attention to the matter at hand she moves forward now cautiously as she puls out a baton in one hand but doesn't turn it on just yet she's not quite sure to make of what's ahead but glowing red eyes are /never/ good. "Oh Mac me..." There's a monster and it looking like she was right. "I'm suggesting we move towars the mouth of the cave while we have time! Kite what ever is in here into the open." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Out of the cavern shadows shamble four large lizardly creatures. One could almost mistake them for giant reptiles, until the LED lights shine off the oozing slimy mud coating smooth amphibious skin rather than rough scales. They don't have tentacles but those tails are pretty long and flexible. The gunk is visciously bubbling as it ripples along their forms, but once it drips off and splatters to the ground it dries into the same hardened substance binding the two girls. Two more of the creatures emerge, these ones using the slimey sludge to crawl along the upper wall of the cave. As the four on the ground bare their clawed forelimbs and slither towards the group, its the two on the walls that open their mouths and spew out a blast of steaming hot vapors at the intruders. Now you know why they're called Scaldamanders. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Careful with melee weapons. They'll probably stick." Staren comments. When suddenly two lizards spit something at him, he switches the forcefield to full, his arms making a protective gesture as the amber sphere is visible around him. The intense heat of the steam turns a patch of it white and cracked, clearly some damage but not as severe as that done by bullets. Staren is... surprised. He was expecting goo. "Someone else take the steamers." He turns and fires beams at the sticky-ooze lizards.     He starts to ask Corona something, then realizes it's pointless. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     It only takes a good look at one of the creatures to get Target to hop back, "Back back back!" he insists, "Awwww, C'mon! I HATE THESE THINGS! Blasted Scalders, don't let'em spit on ya and don't stand on their stuff either! We should really lure'm outside!" he suggests before drawing his revolvers and very quickly swapping in some very blue bullets. "Freeze'm if you can!" And then he starts firing. A lot. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Rebecca sees the strange creatures coming out, she gasps and backs away quickly while steadying her aim at them with her Beretta. Unfortunately, they don't seem to care that they're likely to be shot if they continue upon her. "I hope these things don't bleed acid!" Rebecca comments as she fires at the nearest Scaldamander. She fires two shots, one to test the efficiency and another for good measure! Looking to Target, Rebecca says, "I don't think I'm gonna like them either!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka looks disgusted as the goop is flung towards the group. She makes a face, trying to keep her boots away from the sticky goop. She knows that stuff is gonna be hell on her footwear, to say the least. The creatures show their faces, and Maaka opens fire upon them. Short single-shots, double-taps if necessary. There isn't much that this gun can't kill, that's for sure. Hopefully these things die quick. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica winces as the heat washes from those two spitters on the ceiling. She points at one and calls out. "Three way combination. Ice Bubble Spike!" The three pets shift positions, and form up. Pina rears back and spits a stream of bubbles, which Nana then freezes with a huff of ice breath. The frozen bubbles are then skewered and accelerated with wind spikes spat from Hibiki's mouth. They aim to pepper the target with freezing, stunning windspikes that continue to deal a small amount of damage until the spikes disperse. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:'''     Thump. Thump. Where is that coming from? It's coming from inside of the house! Oh wait, no. It's coming from the outside of the cave. Specifically the area above the captive Corona. Another loud thumping sound, and then light bursts through from above, "Here's Rebound!" The kangaroo woman drops down through the hole she just created with the Impact Drivers, since they are basically repourposed construction equipment anyway. She aims towards one of those big slimy monsters, intending to crash down on top of it with a full force of her weight, so she can give it the full impact of her falling down, kicking out with her feet as she nears her target, sort of a falling dropkick. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Silica takes Target's advice and it pays off as the icy spikes pin one of the scald spewers onto the wall, immobilizing it as the cold causes it's otherwise protective slime-coat to start freezing over. One on the floor staggers backwards as Target lays into it with his special ammo. Lasers and bullets punch holes in their slime-coated bodies, but other than the splattering of gunk they're not slowing down like getting iced did. A Scaldamander rears and starts to lunge towards the Littlest Ranger, only to be stopped by part of the cave roof and a mutant kangaroo crashing down on top of it. Slime oozes out from between the chunks of rock.. and then ooze back up into reforming an abiet smaller Scaldamander. That would explain why Target said freezing them is the best method now wouldn't it? 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's starting to wish she invested in cryo-tech weaponry now. That's gonna be a mistake she's paying dearly for now. Regardless, she's opening fire still, tagging the scaldmanders left and right. "Shiiiiiiit. Silica, you may wanna freeze 'em faster!" She says, as they reform out of slimy goop. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica nods a bit, then lifts her hands again. Since the others are making good on keeping them off of her, she incants another spell, forming spears of ice, which she launches at the other ceiling crawler, before she surges forwards, running flat out using her Light Body speed to get to Corona and the other woman. She skids to a halt beside them, then starts trying to chip away at the hardened sludge with her dagger. "Just hold still, don't struggle or I might hit you." Her pets form up around her defensively, but she's in a really exposed position. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     A number of shots ring out, one of the Scalders is put in it's place, the others? Not so much, "Rebound?!" Her entry was certainly unexpected, especially from above, "That isn't gonna stop it for too long!" he calls as the slimy creature starts to reform. "Get C'rona and her friend!" he calls out, reloading as he tries to get some space between himself and the other slimers. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' There's still more coming, and some of them just regenerate. It shows that Rebecca's got quite a bit of work to do here. But then Rebound appears. "Just what we need! Backup!" Rebecca looks toward Silica and says, "Just do what you can! We'll cover you!" She continues firing upon the Scaldamanders. "And as for you ugly beings, you've got nothing on Umbrella's freaks!" 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel has beeen holding back as she is wiating to get an idea she looks to Target for a oment. "Wait you know these things? Freeze them?" Away goes the baton and out comes the keyblade. Deelel takes a moment to focus chants something softly and lanches bold of freezing force from her weapon at the lizard for all the good it will do. She's not a mage by birth after all or even her species does not even have the talent normally. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "You got it." Rebound replies, as she moves to grab Corona. She is one of the few who can jump high enough to grab the stranded fox, after all. She just hopes this goo on her feet doesn't get tracked out with her. She hops up and grabs hold of Corona, "Going down!" She punches the rock above Corona to shatter it and free her..Mostly, and then drops down to catch her before she hits the ground. "Cover me!" She yells out to the others, as she sets Corona down and then moves to do the samne with the other captive, hopping up to grab hold of them and free them the same way she did Corona. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Oh. They all have steam breath AND sticky slime.     And they can reform. Great.     Staren stops using the beam cannons and draws... his laser pistol? He backs away, keeping his distance and firing... blue, ice-elemental-aspected lasers? He can do that?     He has no idea if it's the same as freezing things, but it's worth a shot, right? 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' With the two steamers on the walls frozen it takes some of the pressure off the gang. Ha ha ha, I'm so witty. Seriously though, without them spewing their scalding vapors the remaining Scaldamanders don't have the additional protection. It doesn't stop them from rushing at the group, but trying only gets them so far when there's a near constant suppression fire from various members. Even if it doesn't harm them as much as being frozen would, guns hit hard enough to stagger and knock them back enough to keep them from just charging and overwhelming the party. It's long enough for Deelel and Staren to switch weapons at least. Bolts of ice and freeze-lasers fling through the cave, farther detering the creatures from advancing closes. One of them swings around to whip some of the slime off it's tail in a vain attempt to trap someone but it's irratic as they're trying to avoid being frozen stiff. With the beasts being kept back in the cave Rebound has clear room to jump up and break the dried pods down. Once she's got them to the floor Silica can dig in with her dagger, chiseling cracks into the hardened material. A few good jabs and enough of it crumbles away for Corona to start breaking out. A moment later the other girl also is freed, a large black and white tail spilling out behind her as she tumbles free. But considering we've got foxes and kangaroos and kobolds and the rest of you crazy people a skunk isn't even an odd thing. She shrugs off some remaining bits of dried gunk, then claws off what was covering her mouth. "Can we please not do that again?" Corona makes a face after sputtering a few times and rubbing her muzzle off with the back of an arm. "Agreed, that stuff tastes like shit." Pause. ".. not that Ah'd know wha--oh lets just get outta here!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka hears Corona sputter, and she's quick to go check on her and her friend. "You two alright?" She hands Corona a Kimber .45 after checking for it to be chambered. "Want that back, by the way." She says, before wisely beginning to cover the group's exit, firing at the features more, holding them at bay best she can during the escape. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The kangaroo, upon freeing her friends, or at least a friend and then a stranger, she moves away to help the two of kick a few of the smaller creatures, "Folks we need to get the hell out of here, the sooner the better!" She moves away from the creature again, backing towards the exit. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     "I'm jes gonna agree with everyone sayin' we should be gettin' on outta here!" Target yells before pulling something out of his trench. A grenade! "Get goin'!" he yells before throwing it at the ground. Smoke goes -everywhere-. "NOW!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Corona's free! And the skunk too. When she says to leave, he nods, throwing a smoke grenade into the cave. "Come on!" He'll wait until the others are safe before backing off himself. Ready with the ice lasers until then. Orr... he'll run, now that he sees that explosive being thrown! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Rebecca's taken a moment to reload her gun so she can continue to support her allies. It seems Deelel and Staren have the right idea, using ice to freeze those things. That leaves their defenses down as she continues firing. Then Target Sparktail throws a grenade. Rebecca goes wide-eyed. "Clear out! Now!" Rebecca yells as she pulls back quickly, not wanting to be caught in the impending explosion. After a few backwards steps, Rebecca spins on her heels and runs instead, wanting to give herself extra distance before the smoke comes out. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica nods to the two, sheathing her dagger and turning to leave. "Come on, everyone!" she says, moving as quickly as she's able, while her pets keep pace. "Go! I'll try and slow them down!" And then Target tosses a smoke grenade. "That works too..." she does start chanting anyway. "Seá, Sula, Doru, Maas. Biatu, Súm, Ógu, Suverendo!" (Seal them in a deep fog and blind their eyes!) The spell spits out an orb or condensed mist, which explodes much like the smoke grenade, adding more blinding vapor to the mix!     Silica then turns and runs for it. "Everyone, Heel!" she calls to her pets,, which fall in behind her quickly. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite snatchs up her device to shut off the beacon and stuffs it back in her toolbelt. "Trust me, these varmits are least of our worries 'round here. Explain later." She takes the Kimber in one hand, grabs her companion with the other, and hotfoots it for the cave mouth. "Run girl run!" "For all the good running did us before." Retorts the skunk as she's half-dragged after the fox. "Now is -not- the time!" At the entrance Corona stops, pushing the skunkette past her, and turns to grip the gun Alexis loaned her in both hands. Once everyone else is out while the scaldamanders are disoriented by the smoke grenades and magic mist she aims up and fires. The shot hits the apex of the entrance and knocks out a rock there, dropping several more to partially close off the entrance. "That'll stop anyone else from trying to hide in there." The skunkgirl slumps down and huffs to catch her breath. "I'd almost be dealing with the demonic tincans and furballs we left behind the first time." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka nods, before running like hell. She moves fast, throwing grenades behind the group to cover their retreat as she takes off in a sprint, just as Corona collapses the mouth of the cave. She skids to a stop, panting hard as she stares at the collapse. "Shit, what the hell was that about?" She asks Corona, as she catches her breath as well. "And who's this?" She jerks a thumb towards the skunk pointedly. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "She found out what's causing the weirdness in town." Corona grabs her bike and pulls it back upright. "Let's get back to the survey train an Ah can explain proper-like." She revs up the bike. "Com'n Windrose." The skunkgirl snorts a bit as she climbs on behind the fox, pulling an old-fashioned pilot's cap out of her jacket and strapping it on. "It's not a plane but I suppose it'll do for getting around." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound, now that she's done what she can to help, hops off into the distance, back towards where they have been running these sorties out of. She'll get more info from Windrose and Corona later, when they get back to the base. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     "Glad yer alright, C'rona. We'll catch up later, then. Just don't run inta anything else, a'ight? If I get another beacon and yer havin a run-in with some Deathscales or somethin we're gonna have a long talk over'at the station," Hard to tell if he's serious or not. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel helpe makes the things chill out with staren and seems pretty pleased with it she chose ot pick up the pace and keep at bay she doesnot argue about these things. "IT this standared for this world?" She calls out as she pulls back trying to join the others. She's going to keep moving and she ponders as the caqve is blocked off for the moment. "I think I can live with that, but this is the problem with this level of existance there's so many purposless /things/ that really should not be allowed to progaate..." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Something's /causing/ it? I thought this world was just /like/ that." Staren comments. 
}}

5291/Getting Back On Track

2017-06-04T17:32:43Z

Foxer: Posting scene log

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/06/03
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=The expedition to the north mountains has a rough start when bandits try to rob the train.
|Cast of Characters=711, 571, 215, 770, 906, 750, 42, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Steam and smoke plumed into the air as survey train was chugging its way across long unused rails. The top of the walls and watchtowers of Loadstar's fortifications were barely visible on the horizon behind the long journey into the frontier. The engine was smaller than the super-trains that did most of the frieght hauling, but was also a lot more specialized for this sort of task. For one it had no cowcatcher, rather the entire front end of the steam and pulsarium powered machine was a large wedge for plowing away debris or overgrowth that might cover the tracks. Like the occasional *WOOMF* of dust that goes up as it chugs through a sand dune that's been blown over the rails.     Behind it follow a few freight cars loaded with gear for the surveyers and supplies for the intended reconstruction at the end of the trip. This was a big endeavour to reopen the old mountain mines and Cassavhan was sparing no expenses on the matter. But the large amount of potential finance tied up in those materials is why there was being no cutting short on defenses against potential danger, either.     At the end of the train was a caboose as one would expect. This is what has been set aside for Corona and her allies to occupy for the trip. The bunking was sparse, only a few of them would be able to sleep at a time in shifts. Or be like Corona who's capable of collapsing pretty much anywhere for a power nap. Shelves, lockers and other storage bins have been provided for the gathered's personal gear and supplies.     In the center of the car was a large metal table that, thanks to some of the machinist's automatronic devices, was arrange with a three dimensional map of the regions they were travelling towards, complete with a little toy-like train chugging along across the lowlands as they were now.     And probably the best indicator of how important this is to Loadstar and the business of its administrator is that she was herself present. Callie Cassavhan, amiably known as 'Miss C' to those who worked for her, sat at one end of the display table. The collie woman did kind of stand out from her contemporaries, if only because the business woman's attire was a bit cleaner than fanciful than Corona's constant state of organized chaos or the scruffy flannel and demin of the beaver standing next to her. "You all have my deepest gratitudes for agreeing to this operation. Re-establishing the mines in the mountain region to the north is our only option right now to keep Loadstar prospering, thanks to the Moleman infestation of Rocksfall that was discovered by the many likes of you." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka was pretty quick to say 'yes' when Corona made a job offer to her. She was raring to get back into work on Brimsteel. On the train, she cut a striking figure. Besides being obviously human in appearance, she was armed well with an automatic shotgun sling on her shoulders. "Considering the lengths you went to in hiring us, we expecting any trouble?" She wonders. The Molemen can't still be a threat this far away, can they? 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Iria's quick to take this as well. She's always looking for action, and when there's a chance for action, she'll never turn it down! On the train, though, one might find she looks more like an android with her silver bodysuit of armor, since she's chosen not to wear her cape this time around. Regardless, Iria's listening intently to what's being said. "They could still be there," Iria comments. "Or there might be something else there lying in wait for us. We have to proceed with caution!" She smiles a little. "Fortunately, I always come prepared!" She points to her pistol holstered by her right thigh and the assault rifle strapped to her back. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     And of course, when traveling across deserted lands where bandits and heavens-know-what-else, it's a good bet that the rangers are going to send some help along. Considering how often Target 'visits' Corona's 'yard', is it any surprise that the sparktailed Kobold is among those in the caboose? No. It shouldn't be. What may be a surprise is that he's on a tipped back chair, near a corner, hat obscuring his eyes while he's snoozing. Clearly someone thought this run would be a cake-walk. . .         Murphy is smiling somewhere. 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     Babysit a train full of survey equipment and personnel, protect them from any problems along the way.     Yang sits with her feet propped up on the back of a chair, laying on the seat with her head dangling and her hair forming a blonde pool on the floor. Sounded simple enough, but with her experience with the White Fang's militant arm and their assaults on supply trains ensures the brawler isn't playing this lax... despite her current composure. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Somehow Rebound has gotten herself hanging upside down from the luggage rack and is doing inverted sit ups from there, "So basically it's a pretty standard job. Go in, kick out any squatters, and make sure the place is safe for the workers." She grins, upside down, "So this should be fun." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Escorting a train? Given the kinds of things they've run into here... Staren is prepared as best he can, with the Star Hawk running alongside the train. Most of the time, it's basically on autopilot while Staren focuses on whatever, like working on the Warp Iris's herald. That's also how it is that he can be here in the caboose for this meeting. Aside from the colors and the helmet (currently off), Staren's flightsuit actually looks pretty in-place here.     "Honestly I'm a little surprised you didn't hire us to deal with the molemen, but from my perspective this is an interesting job too."     He sits up a little straighter. "Still, there's something I've been wondering: This mine we're going to, I assume it was closed down because it became unprofitable. What was the problem with it, and how do you plan to overcome it now?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Given Kotone's week? She would be happy to deal with molemen, or whatever else Corona's world had to throw at her. She was happy to show up and she smirked a bit at the mention of the molemen. "I just hope they learned their lesson not to do what they did, again." <<Hey Alexis I heard you got a new gig, hope it works out and keeps you out of trouble.>> Kotone was aready for trouble though suited up in stealth get and wearing light armor but she seemed to be pretty relaced and she gave Sparktail a look and a grtin as well. "Oh hey Target." She has to wonder what COrona is up to just exactly and she gives her foxy friend gets a grin from her as well. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' "Iffen there wasn't possible dangers, y'all wouldn't be here," Corona remarked as she ambled up next to Maaka, patting her friend on the shoulder briefly. Then jabs a thumb over her shoulder the way she came. "Engineer says we're goin' 'bout fast as we can right now. Last sandstorm left too many drifts over the tracks to hit full steam until we get farther out." "Because even if we did drive em back out, Rocksfall was too damaged by the Landviathan to simply be redug and reopened," Bucksaw replied to Staren's first question, lisping slightly due to his oversized buckteeth. "That an it's better iffen we don't stir 'em up. They's been quiet ever since."     Almost too quiet.     "On the contrary, profit wasn't the issue." Miss C leaned forward a bit, picking up a pointer from the table and directing towards the mountain that is the largest object on the map. "With the discovering of closer strikes likes Rocksfall, it became inefficient to haul the distance out to Mt. Thundersmack. This is before the stronger, faster super-trains were developed, mind you. Until now, there was no need to go back."     "But we're in luck," Corona joins in, pointing at a small cluster of buildings near the base of the mountain. "Prismatic Point is still standin'. Even few stubborn ol' folks still livin' out there. Mostly trappers an' such."     "Which means," Miss C concludes as she sits back again, "the mines should be usable still, abiet neglected. But that is why we're making a survey expedition to make sure."     "And see if there's anythin' to the rumors of ghost trains!" Corona's eager remark gets her a withering look. "Oh don't give me that look Miss C. Y'all know as well as Ah do that there's plenty supernatural shenanigans on this hunk o' rock." "Wait, Prismatic Point?" Bucksaw murmured. "Ah thought they was namin' it Rainb--"     Miss C promptly slapped a gloved hand over the beaver's mouth. "I told you there were legal issues with that name they couldn't use it!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren nods at the explanation. Then: "There are rumors of ghost trains?!" He looks to Corona for further explanation.     Sometimes, this world kind of reminds him of Morg's. But Morg wouldn't be interested in a mercenary operation such as this... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "At least you knew who to go to for muscle." Maaka comments, popping her neck in time. "Usually employers pick out the wrong talent first because they're cheap." She looks at the buildings Corona points to, narrowing her eyes. "These trappers gonna be hostile if we show up to clear them out?" She asks. Squatters tend to be...antsy, when mercenaries show up asking them to get the hell out. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Cracking her knuckles, Iria shakes her head a little. "Don't care what might be waiting for us. We can take 'em, I'm sure!" She smiles with that usual scowl on her face, giving her that determined look she generally has when she's in the mood for action. "If they try anything funny, we'll teach 'em a lesson they'll never forget!" 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     "Ghosts, Bandits, big, ugly monsters. Long as I can punch 'em, we're all good." says Yang without moving from her spot. She's got the air of a really chilled out dog that's found an odd, but comfortable position to just melt into. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Chattering about so many places, at the mention of Rainbow R-, the ranger in the corner stirs, peers up at the beaver, Miss C, then when NOTHING is said, he seems to settle back down to his previous position. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The kangaroo does a few more inverted situps, and then unhooks her heels and backflips off of the rack, landing softly on her feet, "Ta daaaa~" she bows to the gathered mercenaries, "Sure it's no Cirque de Solei but it's the best you get." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Miss C sighed softly, gave Corona another stern look for bringing it up, then folded her fingers together as she relented. "Running a railway through the mountains is a precarious notion. Still is, even with stronger trains and better engineering. Dangerous jobs lead to... stories to explain strange things happening." Then shook her head. "No, no, hopefully they won't need 'clearing out'. If anything they could benefit from re-establishing the railway to ship their goods out and supplies in. But we've got a long distance to travel and I'm not taking any chances on running into trouble or not."     "Brimsteel's got plenty of those... we're just hopin' to not run into many of 'em." Corona scratched the back of her head. Hackles were a bit up for no reason. Surely not from the brief glare from the kobold's corner.     "But first we need to make a stop at Rust Junction. The rest of the survey crew is there finishing up a previous assignment. It's another former boomtown along the route that can be reopened as a storage and distribution point if it's sta--" A loud whizzing and then thunderous booming drowns her out briefly. "--What the bloody blue hells was that?!"     She's not even finished with her exasperated exclaimation before Corona has run over to a window, pried it open and stuck her head out to look. Staren can probably see it too if he looks into whatever sensors the Star Hawk has. Coming up behind and beside the moving train was a rolling dust cloud in the wake of a motley menagerie in pursuit. Many of them riding on mechanical horses that cruise on jets of steam rather than having legs, or in steam-engine powered jeeps and buggys. While bringing up the rear is some bastard child of a locomotive and a flatbed truck.     Which is also the source of the noise, firing off some large steam-pressure cannon that detonates a shell just off to the side of the railway, a huge plume of desert grit gysering upwards from it.     Corona yips and jerks her head back in as one of the rider's snaps off a rifle shot, the bullet sparking off the frame of the window meer seconds behind her. "That big of a vehic'lar posse can only be the Black Hats. However the hells they even found out about this!" 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     Yang is on her feet and heading for one of the doors mere seconds after the first shell goes off. The second has her already opening the door and clambering up onto the roof. "I'll try and break up their formation! Staren, see if you can't do something about that big cannon!" she shouts, using her radio to relay her suggestions.     Gauntlets unfold, and a quick loading motion has red shells with orange tips loaded into the revolving chambers. She then starts punching the air, sending packets of explosive energy out at the approaching vehicle gang. They seek, very mildly, mostly to correct their cources from the rather unconventional launch method. 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' As soon as the shell goes off, Iria's got her assault rifle ready and she's heading out along with Yang. "I'll back you up," Iria calls out as she follows Yang outside onto the roof. Once she's outside, she opens fire with her assault rifle. Even if it doesn't do much damage, hopefully she can help cover Yang. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka drops to the floor as a thundering explosion is heard, "GET DOWN!" she barks, moving to cover Miss C as she draws her sidearm. Clutching the .45, she peers outside to get a good look at the situation. "I got the employer." She reassures aloud, poking out to open fire upon the bandits when she swaps back to her Benelli M4. At least the spread of 3" shells of buckshot ought to drop any unfortunate bandit the pellets strike. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "So we can make use of it and get it rolling again? Bandits? Hopefully Sparktail;'s got a big enough lockup for that." She grins more....then somethign goes boom anbd Kotone reels fromt he sound a biot she grips the all of the train car and ends up warping it a bit as hee fingers dig into the material that make it up. Kotone sighs as she her matter maniplator out and pulls an SMG out of it before puttng the tool away and makes ready, she's also snagged a few freezer foam grenades from the looks of it. I'll do what I can to make them keep their heads do... and there goes Yang." She'll find a window to snap a shot off from but Yang may have the right idea. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Somehow, someway, that Kobold over in the corner is, currently, sleeping through it. That's... probably strange. Right? ... No. No it's not. Stick around Kobold Korner sometime. Loud Things Happen. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "But 'strange things' are happening, that need to be explained." Staren points out, before everything goes pear-shaped. He sits up in alarm as she rushes to a window, then realizes he can just check the Star Hawk's sensors... "The 'Black Hats'? Tell me what you know over the radio." He puts his helmet on, then runs to the door. Energy wings appear on his back to carry him to the Star Hawk's waiting cockpit.     Once he's ready for actual combat... Well, the Star Hawk isn't exactly made for shooting behind itself That's okay. It leaps into the air and transforms to hybrid mode, like a fighter plane with arms and chicken-legs. Then it spins around, flying backwards using thrusters in the legs.     Staren looks over their opposition for a moment. Yang suggested he try to stop that cannon... it's as good a plan as any! A firing port on the right arm pack opens, and the barrels inside spin up before unleashing a hail of hypersonic slugs at the vehicle. He's aiming low -- he can't aim precisely in this situation, but by sheer volume some of the rounds will probably hit a wheel. He'll see how well the bandits' creation can handle that... 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Good I was starting to get bored anyway." Rebound says, as she turns her head to the side and pops her neck, before she walks forward, away from the back of the caboose and out the front door. A few moments later, she appears on top of the train caboose, "Hey you shitbirds, listen up!" She yells out to the attacking Black Hats, "You all picked a really freaking dumb train to attack, so I am going to give you one chance to turn your happy asses around and get out of here before I unleash the holy wrath of god upon you!" Her response is a gun shot that whizzes right past her, "Well nobody can fault me for trying." She presses down and leaps off of the train, flying back towards one of the larger steam engine looking vehicles, to pummel whoever is on it into various stages of unconciousness. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Steam-horses and bandits go sprawling across the dusty landscape as they're shot with return fire from the defenders. Yang's 'punching shotgun' for lack of a better description nails straight into one of the dune buggys, the explosion flipping it over and into the air. Others swerve around to avoid the assault rifle fire, kicking up roostertails in their wake.But there's a method to the outlaw's madness, as sheer numbers still allow several of them to get up close to the survey train and jump on, either to try and get inside or climb up to deal with the defenders on the roof. A good look confirms Corona's suspicious, because while the styles are different every hat worn by the badits is as black as tar.     "Much appreciated," Miss C replies to Maaka as she's getting up. Bucksaw pulls a longarm rifle out from under the table and tosses it to her, Miss C turning and firing off a shot out the backdoor of the caboose that sends one of the boarding bandits sprawling backwards off the walkway. "But my family didn't get to be one of the biggest industrial operations on Brimsteel by sitting idle." She may be a businesswoman first but she apparently knows how to handle herself.     Sparks fly as the hypersonic slugs slam along the side of the cannon-engine, hot chunks of metal shrapneling from the hit. The vehicle leers a bit, but the sheer number of wheel assemblys it has to support it's size and not crumple under the recoil of the cannon keep it going. "And -this- is why we didn't skimp on the help." Corona grabs the SPAS Makka gave her, cocks it with one of the special breaker rounds she made for it, and fires it into the front of a jeep to take out it's engine and stall the vehicle. "They're tech theives. Pro'ly after the survey gear and supplies fer their black market. Stuff like that sells big on the frontiers, folks don't ask questions where it came from." She glances over her shoulder while she's reloading. "AND SOMEONE WAKE THAT KOBOLD UP!" Seriously. The last one you would expect to be sleeping through such things.     Rebound can't fly by the kangaroo can certainly JUMP GOOD, and slam one of the jeep driver's head into his controls. Probably several times before the bandits riding on back try to get her off and retake control of the vehicle. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka notices as Miss C is tossed a rifle, and nods in approval when she opens fire. "SUre makes this easier." She comments, before opening fire on the bandits. Her shotgun barks loudly with every shot, as she shoots bandits off the side of the train cars like she was plugging turkeys.     She reloads, using slugs this time, before taking more accurate shots before the bandits get aboard. Can't let these guys swarm them directly in a situation like this after all. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Bandits are swarming the train! That will kind of have to be someone else's job, though, unless they want him to turn the afflicted cars into swiss cheese...     The cannon-engine is too stable for him to disable this way.     He has alternatives... Perhaps, even though he's not working under the Union's massive expense account, he should still carry plenty of missiles for mercenary missions like this. Still, it's not like he has NO missiles...     But then, maybe he's too ready to solve every problem with explosions. There's another possibility: With all the bandits swarming the train, the way is clear...     The Star Hawk holds its left arm out in front and below itself, a beam shield forming around n attached projector. And... Staren charges! Aiming to fly just over the cannon vehicle, then to draw a beam saber and skewer it from above! 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, all Iria can do is try to move to a better vantage spot as the bandits start to swarm the train. She pauses to re-adjust her aim while loading a new clip into her assault rifle. "Good thing I came prepared! You never know what might jump out at you!" She opens fire on the bandits again. "Sorry, no ticket, no ride!" 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     BLAM BLAM BLAM... CLICK. "Tch... Should have packed more Kinesis shells..." She lowers her arms to her sides, and with a flick of both wrists, purges the spent shells with a dull THWUMP, and the dull clinking of empty casings bouncing off the roof of the caboose. She reaches into her belt pouches, and pulls a pair of shell clips, orange cases with yellow 'tips' tosses into the air, then smashed into with the open revolver mechanisms, causing the clips to separate and the shells to lock into place, before the slide mechanism ratchets back into 'ready' position.     She looks along the train, to see figures leaping up from the vehicles that got past the initial barrage of fire. "They're boarding... I'll go see if I can't dissuade them with some blunt force diplomacy." she says, then chuckles to herself. "I'm out of Kinesis shells anyway, can't fight from range without 'em."     She takes a running leap, and fires a short-range concussive blast behind her to leap across to the next car roof, bringing a fist around in a heavy haymaker hook punch, which ends in a shotgun blast of pure kinetic force to the face of the unlucky bandit. If the impact didn't kill him outright, the sudden lack of 'being on the train' should do the trick. She moves on to the next one, juking any incoming fire, and using her honed melee skills to dodge or parry any attempts at smacking her back, flares of golden light marking her Aura helping absorb the blows. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' At least she stuck the landing, it would have looked REALLY BAD if she had missed the landing and fallen off of the vehicle. Once she lands, she slams the driver's head into the console. She does this two or three more times before one of the other crewmen grabs her. She uses her free hand to push the guy back down into the console so he'll keep them steady..ish..And then turns to try to shake the guy who's grabbed hold of her, "Hey now, personal space!" She kicks backwards with one of her feet, to plant a heel into his gut and knock him off of her, turning around to face the others. She hasn't bothered to use her Impact Drivers yet because she doesn't feel that she needs them for these guys, "I gave you a chance, come on!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is taking pot shots but for the moment she stops and she tilts her head to Corona and maaka. "I'm going out i got an idea..." She's not Rebound but she certainly can do some crazy jumping. She's going to attempt ot get on to the roof of the trian car and then wait for a moment to leap from the car to the nesres of the attackers chasing the train she'll end up air dashing and double jumps as she goes and the miscfornate bandit would get the full shock of the Eelware built into kotone's body too if she manages to pull this off. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Someone has to give the engineer credit. There's a raging firefight erupting all around the train and it hasn't wavered an inch in speed. Then again neither have the bandits, despite running into heavy opposition. They're being shot, pummeled, and vehicles blown out from under them. But whatever the Black Hats want on the survey train, they must want it really badly. Gunfire out the windows keeps anyone from getting onto the caboose for too long. Those that do manage to hold on go up... Even when going up to the roof proves to be a Bad Time when people like Yang and Iria are waiting for them.     The cannon angles up, steam hissing from various joints as it prepares another shot. This time they've got it dialed in on the engine for sure. The chamber is slammed shut, dials spinning up as pressure builds... And then a big shadow passes overhead. That's all the warning the operators get to leap off before the flying machine comes down to drive it's fancy glowing sword down through the cannon. And through the cab beneath. Fortunately the driver is just comically squished to the side of his seat to avoid being skewered as well.     Yelling about waking up the Ranger didn't fall on deaf ears though. Hopalong clamors out of the crate it had been recharging in, and like a jerk kicks the legs of the chair from under the kobold. If that doesn't wake him up nothing will.     Not that driving a vehicle is much better right now. Kotone does some Crazy Cyborg Shit(tm) to land on one of the dunebuggys and electrocute the bandit driving it. The rollcage doesn't do anything to deter electric warfare, nope.     Normally having a friend standing between you and their attackers would be problematic. But not for Corona as she pulls out Starslinger, leans back out the window and fires a few times. The energy beams briefly fly away from the fight, only for their physics warping to kick in and impossible angles to home in on the other two guys trying to wrassle Rebound off the jeep.     "Looks like y'all runnin' out of lu--ack!" Corona manages to yelp out as a mechanical claw punchs through one of the windows and grabs onto her. Miss C turns and fires off a shot, but it just sparks off the machinery as she's got to avoid shooting her own mechanic as she's yoinked out of the window.     A moment later she's smacked down onto the hood of a halftrack, another claw grabbing the tarp over the back and throwing it off. Which just reveals several more clockwork limbs, ending in claws and other destructive impliments. But fortunately no tentacles. So it's not THAT THING. The clockwork limb hoists Corona off the hood and holds her up as steam hisses from seams in front of the core of the contraption and it opens up so the goat sitting inside can be seen with his wicked grinning. "Now I've got you, A-a-arclite. Whe-e-ere is it?!"     Corona swirms a little as she turns her head aside in a snub. "Ah have no idea what yer talkin' about."     Which gets her thumped back down against the halftrack in response. "Lia-a-ar!", bleats the bandit angerly. "They sa-a-aw you using it when you were fixing the clock tower!" 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     The chair goes crashing into the floor of the car. What follows is a nice long string of Words That Should Not Be Repeated. They're abruptly cut off when Corona is grabbed by a giant clock work !King-Kong like thing and gets yanked out of the car. "The bloody'ell's goin on?! Why didn't anyone get me up!"         Sigh.     Realizing that Black Hats are basically crawling -all over the train-, Target doesn't waste a whole lot of time with the ones on the train at the moment. Anyone that was in the car could handle those. Instead, the Vex Ranger actually dives -out- of one of the windows, the VEX armor slipping into it's main travel form before it goes spinning along the ground near the rails outside. After gathering some momentum, Kobold-Vex-Armor-Sphere goes cuuuuurling around before slamming into the side of one of the many Black Hat Vehicles outside. .. After that it just turns into Kobold Pinball and the ranger is going for a new high score. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's shotgun is hit with a stray bullet, and she curses as she tosses the wrecked weapon aside. THen she notices the source of the shot, a bandit breaking in through the walkway the others missed. She draws her pistol and opens fire, aiming to hit the bandit in the chest.     After that, she doesn't wait to see if she hit him, charging him full force with a roar that could wake the dead as she delivers a -furious- running knee, charging through the wall if there's one at all between them.     Then she falls, for a brief moment, before she grapples onto the side of the train, dangling there as she opens fire upon buildings from the outside during her climb back up to the side of the car. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren looks down at the cannon... No operators now, huh? He guesses it's not a threat anymore. Cool, maybe they can take it for parts...     But a glance back in the direction of the train reveals he's not the only mecha pilot here. He shuts off the sword and turns to zoom back over to the train, thrusters kicking up a plume of dust in his wake. "HEY!" he announces over the speakers. "Pick on someone your own size!"     He considers just opening fire, but maybe talking first will give Corona a chance to get free... 

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, the bandits are getting closer, and Iria's just run out of ammunition. To make matters worse, she doesn't have time to reload. Strapping her assault rifle to her back, she proceeds to engage the enemies with some standard kicking and punching techniques. "Messing with me and you're messing with the best!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Aw hell, Corona!" Rebound gets distracted as she sees her friend hauled out of the train, and for her trouble gets smashed in the back of the head by a massive wrench. As she crashes down onto the deck a bunch of the guys pile on top of her. They manage to pin her to the deck of the vehicle, while the driver recovers enough to regain control. She's not going to be much help for Corona at the moment. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' A fancy space sword through the cannon-engine does wonders for disabling it, the vehicle starting to lag farther and farther behind. Even if the cannon still worked the train was quickly gaining out of it's firing range. Some Ranger Pinball does a number on several of the remaining vehicles, meaning the bandits already on the train don't really have a way to get back off.     Bandits pile in on most of the defenders though, and there's still more than enough of them to go around even if they're already bruised and battered. We seem to be hitting that point where it starts to look bad before someone or something manages to turn it around in the nick of time.     Corona lets out a gasp as she's hauled up again, but manages to glare at the cockpit. "Ain't ya a bit short to be a bandit leader?"     "DON'T CA-A-ALL ME SHORT!" Which certainly seems to get the goat's gruff, he almost literally looks like he'd be turning red as he stands up defiantly... and isn't much taller than the kobold would be. "I a-a-am Alexa-ander Xa-avier Copperchoke, The Third! But these boys just call me the Copper Kid!"     "What, because yer only as tall as one?" Corona snarks back.     "STOP MA-AKING JOKES AT MY SPECIES EXPE--" And that's when it's apparent that she wasn't squirming because of his bad exposition, as red hot sparks fly from the claw from one of her Cutters slicing through it. "Dammit fox!" He drops back into his seat and yanks on the controls, clockwork mech hoisting up from the back of the halftrack to lash limbs at Corona again as she scrambles down the hood of the truck again. "Just give me the book already!"     Meanwhile back in the caboose Miss C goes wide eyed for a moment, then looks rather pale as she flops back in her chair. "Did he.. did he say THE THIRD? That would mean... Sparks and garters! Just thinkin about that oily old geazer doin THAT makes my gullet wanna extradrite my lunch." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Now that Corona's free, Staren stabs his fancy space sword at the goat's machine. "Hey! Are you seriously gonna ignore me?!" He's ready to /mess things up/ with those swords if Copper Kid doesn't do something! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is now on the buggy and intending to take control. She'll take the weel from the shocked out pilot push them into the passenger sear and grins. "Come on now lets go." She'll take control of the craft and start to move to use it ot interfewar with the other raiders. If ther's no weapons it's time for her to get into some very agressive driving. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka climbs up the grapple cable, making her way back up to the caboose. She climbs aboard, reloading her USP, before she hears the goat talk. "...oh, great. Guess this is happening." She grumbles, before calling out "NOBODY CARES!" she shouts at the snobby goat, while reaching to reload the pistol as she takes cover. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Corona's in trouble, and Rebound won't let that happen. She likes Corona, she's not gonna let one of her few friends die without a fight. She activates the Impact Drivers, which slam down onto her fists under the pile of goons holding her down, and then punches upwards, knocking them all away from her, before throwing a Impact powered punch down into the bed of the vehicle, causing it to flip through the air. She then uses this flipping motion to propel herself through the air, pushing off of the flipping vehicle towards where Corona is being attacked. 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     Maybe not a high score, but at least a lot of the other vehicles are getting so banged around that you could swear that sound effects were sounding out as the Vex-Ball went bounding around from one place to another. Seriously though, Goats? Really? No way these fellas are the 'greatest of all time', far from it. So what's a ranger to do when their friend and (involuntary) supplier is in trouble?     The answer to that is pretty simple. The sphere, as it had been banging around, had been turning and setting itself for another transformation. Using one of the remaining vehicles, the orb bounds upward, rebounds off the roof, and then goes careening toward Billy Goat Gruff and his Four Armed Flailing Machine, transforming along the way, "HEY SHORTIE!" Yes, pot, this is kettle calling. I have a gift for you. A sucker punch. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     Rebound flips a truck to catapult herself back into the fight. Just as... you know what, we'll stick to just calling him by Copper Kid, it's shorter to use, is about to try and grab Corona again. But the roo impact on its back shakes the machine forward just far enough that his grab misses. "Get off!" Somewhat ironically, despite the multiple limbs trying not one of them can actually reach Rebound. It's like that one itchy spot on your back you can't scratch yourself. Corona takes the oppritunity to get the hell off this ride, jumping back over to the survey train.     Just in time for the kobold missile to come blasting in. "STOP CALLING ME SHO--" Well Alexander at least has getting interrupted like a villain down pact, as the high velocity punch gives Maaka a wonderful shot as it throws the goat backwards into the cockpit.     Followed by one of the other vehicles trying to avoid Kotone's manic bumper car attempts swerving into the side of the halftrack instead, pinning one of the mech's limbs between the two vehicles. As one sparks and the other starts to smoke. That's usually not good for vehicles, even steam powered ones. Less fuel to catch on fire.. and more contents under considerable pressure.     "Cur-ur-urse you Arclite!" That limb is not going anywhere, so Alexander resorts to shoving Target away and hitting the emergency switch, closing the cockpit back up and then jettisoning it out of the mech's body. "Next time I'll ge-e-et you and that guidebook too!"     "Ah reckon y'all wanna get 'way from that junker!" Corona pulls out her shotgun and fires a blast into one of the halftrack's treads, just to make sure it slows -away- from the train before it blows up. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     When Corona shouts a warning, Staren flies away from the failing mech. "Seriously?!" He watches it self-destruct below him. "What a waste..." 

:'''{{#var:770|Target Sparktail (770)}} has posed:'''     There's a wild grab for Alex's collar, but being shoved sends the ranger tumbling down out of the machine before the Kid goes rocketing up up and away. Don't mind that puff of sand and dust fading behind the racing vehicles and the train. The ranger will, hopefully, catch up in a few minutes. Though if people listen close, there's another string of explitives echoing from where he met a dune. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:'''     By the time the wreck finally blows its steam tanks and the explosion lights up the sky, it is well far behind the train still chugging along. Might need some patching up when they reach their first stop, but the train and it's protectors are still in one piece. And now they know who's been behind at least one of the outlaw gangs.     And to think this is just the -start- of the expedition north. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa woops hey it's fun she won't lie about it she's getting to cut losein a way she doesn't often get to do she'll turn the buggy over to SparkTailwhen everytyhing is ove though she pulls to the side moving to keep up speed to keep with the train or she'll have to run after it, which she /can/ do but it's not something she's let the multivese know...for the most part. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Once safely back abord the train, Rebound disengages the Impact Drivers and finds herself a seat to put her butt down in. Thankfully enough people in this world have tails so it's designed for that. She rubs her face with her hands, "We haven't even made it halfway up there and already pirates are trying to get at us. This is gonna get worse before it gets better." 
}}

5100/Back To Business As Usual

2017-02-24T04:31:55Z

Foxer: Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/20
|Location=The Industrial Behemoth
|Synopsis=Tesla tries to claim a bunker found in the mountains, but intervention happens.
|Cast of Characters=368, 1057, 304, 446, 750
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Ultimately it wasn't hard to get the junkers away from their find. Stratos had been airdropped in, using her weather tech to whip up a whirlwind on the way down. Both to guide her descent and to drive off the previous occupants with the blasting winds throwing around rock and scrap debris. But as the men had fled they did put out several distress calls about their big find in the mountains being intruded on and potentially stolen. With that in mind it's not hard to find the range of mountains on the boundry of the Industrial Behemoth's roaming grounds. Or the actual location, because the sleek and shiny dropship that previously arrived stands out like a bruised thumb against the more greebly retro-future style of the factory ships and mining craft that pick through the mountains. As if the armadillo curled into a gear logo emblazen on the hatch doors wasn't indicator enough who is up to trouble here. The heavy doors of the bunker also stand out from their rocky frame, still currently locked tight. Several Gremlynx are in the process of trying to cut through said doors with laser torchs and jackhammer drills. Others are in the process of trying to assemble some basic defenses around the site... Emphasis on the trying. They are better at breaking things than they are building, but like the obedient little freak minions they are they're trying. Tesla herself stands on the deck atop the dropship, watching the proceedings with her hands folded behind her back like usual. In contrast Stratos has gotten out a pool chair and is reclining at the back of the ship. "Com'n Boss, relax a little. Your hired help is doing all the dirty work right now." Tesla turns her head just enough to glance over her shoulder. "In this line of work it's not good to let one's guard down for too long." "Yeah yeah, I know." Stratos gives it a dismissive wave and picks her smoothie glass back up. "But do you have to be so terse about it?" 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     How does that saying go...? When it rains it pours? It was a strange phrase, one that Alopex knew the meaning of, but was curious on just how it came to mean how she felt right now. Only day and change earlier, she had been in a dystopian version of detroit, trying to help the people of that city despite the opressive government that had formed. Now, another call for help goes out from the sort she figures the 'law' wouldn't really be concerned about. Salvage workers and scrappers out on a dig. Too far out of the way for more 'typical' enforcement to go, and not enough paperwork for them to follow to be comfortable doing so. Result? A sigh, gear gathered, another note left for her partner, and off into the wilds she went again.     On approach, something seems familiar, here. Maybe it was the sort of area the call came from, or maybe it was the dropship that gleamed like a clean skyscraper against the dingy surroundings, either way, something in her gut was making her think she'd find someone here she hadn't seen in a while, and not the good kind, either. If she comes across anyone that sent the call for help, she'd ask what they know before heading toward the 'dig' proper. 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' Since the Multiverse got broken, Black Arachnia has been trying to recover as much in the way of Union data and resources as she can stake a claim on. Whatever bunker was located out here *probably* wasn't Union property - but given some of the details in the fleeing workers' distress call, the Maximal spider isn't overly inclined to overlook the find. Rather than try to sneak up on Tesla Armadia herself and her likely-heavily-armed minions, though, Black Arachnia is being sneaky and stealthy and underhanded, picking over the dropship to see if there's anything she can capitalize on, steal, or sabotage that could slow down Armadia's getaway. Why settle for a straight fight when you can stack the deck in your favor ahead of time ... ? Of course, the Maximal spider is stealthed up while she's doing that. If the dropship has security or anti-tampering sensors (and if Tesla is as smart as she seems to be, it ought to), just waltzing up without masking her presence would be a recipe for ... well, it might make a distraction. A costly one. No, Black Arachnia is being *careful* as well - electro-disruptor active to mask her visually and across as many electronic spectra as possible, and being very cautious what she pokes, prods, or pries at. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      As the dropship hovers in the sky, those around might notice that...there is another ship moving toward it. A wooden ship of impressive size sporting old-fashioned cannons in ports along each side and a much larger cannon pointing out the front of the ship. Someone could probably stand in that foreward cannon without hitting their heads!      Standing on the long plank at the bow of the ship is a tall woman with flowing red hair wearing an extravagant black dress and an equally extravagant ballroom mask of the same colors. And held in her hands is a hammer as big as she is. When her ship nears the dropship, the foreward cannon makes a heavy clack and a bullet the size of a tractor trailer with a shark-like face painted on it can be seen peeking out of the gun. "You! Stop this right now or face the consequences! The oppressed people will not tolerate your presence or your attempts to take what is not yours!" she demands, her voice carrying quite well. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The location was very clearly marked on her GPS. Rebound had responded to the signals being sent out, the description of what was attacking was FAR too familiar for her. She hadn't taken too long to get out, and had picked a location above the dropship to peer down from. She was scouting, until she spotted the dropship. And of course the sudden arrival of the airship above her makes her blink in surprise, "Damnit. Nobody ever leaves well enough alone." She rises up from her spot where she was scouting, and jumps. She's aiming direct for the windshield of the dropship. She's going to drop in on Tesla, quite literally, crashing through the window and engaing the mad doctor herself, instead of going through the minions this time. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The dropship is sealed up tight, with little in the way for exposed external equipment other than the engines that propel the craft. On the other hand it's clearly meant to primarily be a transport, and not, at least visible, loaded with any of the nastier sort of defenses the technopath is capable of. As long as the notso itsy bitsy spider doesn't poke deep enough to tip Tesla off there's a robot that's not one of her own around, she should be able to slink around the ship with little difficulty. Especially when there are other things to get her attention, like the approaching airship... with a vagely familiar style to it, though Tesla can't put her finger on it right away. "As I was saying," she mutters to her henchwoman before turning ahead again to look at the ship and it's very large cannon. Tesla lets out a soft sigh unfolding one arm to reach up and adjust her glasses. "And who are you to say what I can do or not do? Besides, this location has a good chance of containing materials belonging to my... former alliances. I'm only possibly picking up something the upheaval tried to throw away." "So much for just relaxing for once." Stratos remarks as she tosses her cup away and gets out of her chair, tossing her scarf back over one shoulder and pulling a gunlike device from her belt. "Yea yea, you were right Boss, don't rub it in." "Of course not. Now, if you would be so kind as to move that obtrusive hunk out of this airspace we can go back to wor--" And that's when a mutant roo slams into the windshield just in front and below her spot on the roof deck. That was reinforced translucent plasteel and Rebound still hits it with enough force to cause cracks and spinters in it. "--Or nevermind. Stratos, deal with that airship," Tesla barks, even as she's activating her own armor. "Fine with me!" Stratos points her weapon at the airship, and it crackles loudly as it fires a bolt of lighting at that big metal cannon. "Go shove your overcompensation in someone else's business!" And with all the other activity erupting the fox has gone unnoticed as well for now. Damn ninjas. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     Look at all those WONDERFUL distractions. Between the airship, Rebound's dynamic entrance, and Arachnia stalking around (not that Alopex can see her), it gives Alopex a chance to focus on the thing the distress call wanted protected! Honestly folks, what's the point if these creatures down below skitter off with what's desired and just wait for a pick up later? Hmmmmm?     Stalking ever closer, Alopex eventually comes upon Tesla's minions trying to put together ramshackle defenses as others try to carve their way into the 'digsite'. For a moment, she digs around her belt, finds a trio of small gray spheres, and then tosses them into the center of the Gremlynx. Smoke bombs! They all erupt with a 'PAFF' and start to obscure the area...         Mind the shadows darting through the smoke. 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' As is so often the case, Black Arachnia's reaction is split more or less evenly between being pleased that somebody takes security seriously, and being annoyed that the 'somebody' is an adversary. She's still weighing those thoughts against each other when something hits the windshield hard enough that she can *hear* the material giving way. ... Well then. The dropship has just lost some importance, but the Maximal spider still sinks her palps into one of the engines, injecting a dose of cybervenom; it shouldn't do anything until that engine actually gets throttled up for a while, but when it does? Well, that'll be one ship Black Arachnia doesn't want to hitch a ride on. Time to turn some of her attention to the dig site proper, now that Tesla and her main combat minion on-location are preoccupied. The cybernetic spider skitters across the intervening ground, taking note of the smoke bombs going off. She won't be the only one trying to get in, it seems ... Well, one thing at a time. If she can sneak up on a Gremlynx while it's distracted by the smoke and whatnot, Black Arachnia will sink her palps into *it* - not to inject, this time, but to try and 'feed,' to suck out whatever energy or nutrient-circulating fluid the construct might be running through its leg. She hardly ever does this, but it's a thing her spider form is capable of, and she *has* had to fall back on it when Energon's in short supply ... Like, oh, the past couple of months. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      "The fact that they called for help is proof enough!" the 'mystery' princess says to Tesla. "You have no rights to the materials! If you did, these people would not have fled and you would not be forcing your way inside! Retreat now and you can minimize your losses! Press the issue and we-" Sarracenia's little speech is interrupted as Stratos pulls...a lightning gun! The shocking attack hits the giant bullet dead on within the cannon, and there is a forceful explosion that rocks the wooden airship and causes a cloud of black smoke to appear in front of it.      A cloud that suddenly distends as that massive shark-faced Bonzai Bill comes flying toward the drop ship. The large projectile emerging from the smoke creates quite the ominous effect as it flies at less than impressive speeds toward Stratos. "...And we will destroy you!!" Sarracenia finally finishes her previous sentence, hanging from the tip of the bow by one hand after the lightning strike rocked her airship. A few plant creatures with roots for legs/feet and leaves for arms/legs and a big red tulip-looking bud with a mouth full of shark-like teeth as their heads.      All the covert ops go unnoticed by Sarracenia. She's equally unobservant as she is conspicuous. But, she does have a nice view of the roo impacting the windshield! 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound hits the reinforced plasteel window and it cracks it, but it doesn't bust in like she had planned. She grunts again and then pulls back with a hand, slamming downwards with the reinforced gauntleted fist into the window, sending more cracks through it, as it spiderwebs out from the force. She hauls back and hits it once more, until there's enough of a hole in the window to stick her head in, "Here's Rebby!" She pulls back and jumps, letting herself drop down, this time making her way through the plasteel with her whole body, not just her head. Now she's inside the dropship with Tesla. She can't help but laugh. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' While no one else is paying attention to the work area several smoke bombs go off, sending the horde of minions into a panic. Gibberish speak not unlike the screechs and yowls of a cat rings through the obscuring blanket as several run around in circles, only to collide with each other. Another swings the oversized wrench it was using, slamming it into another Gremlynx instead of the 'shadow' flitting about and sending the poor minion crashing into the side of the bunker door. Two of the more heavily geared Gremlynx lower their jackdrills to peer at the one that slatted against the door between them. Look at each other... and throw their paws in the air as they run off with ever more of that incoherent yowling. They're not really the brightest of minions. One does have the sense to grab the turret it was putting together and swing it around to try and lock onto the 'shadow' in the smoke... But fortunately for Alopex that's the one that Arachnia grabs onto. The Gremlynx shrieks loudly, and seems to.. well... deflate is almost the closest explaination as the cyber-spider sucks whatever biomatter the disposable workers are cloned from out of it. That can not taste very good either, though. Tesla takes another step back as Rebound continues to slam against the window, one armored arm up just in case as it does finally shatter apart. "Figured it would be one of you." Not the wittiest of retorts, but Tesla isn't mincing words as she fires one of the kinetic beams from her power gauntlet at the mutant. "You've developed quite a dangerous habit of trying to break my things." "Aaaw frostbite," Stratos mock-swears as the cannon fires even after she blasted the airship. She holsters the lightning gun and jumps off the airship, scarf ends fluttering behind her just as dramatically as a cape... and then whipping around as the Banzai Bill slams down near the dropship and the impact shockwave sends her reeling across the ground instead of totally awesome 'super landing pose' you intended to make (yeah you know, THAT one). With a hiss she rolls back onto her feet, the tech built around her forearms opens up to reveal several vent-like orafices as the power cables running to it light up, and Stratos lifts her arms to let out a cyclonic blast of windpower at the airship. "I repeat ... OVERCOMPENSATING! Geez, worse than Defiant and his fancy-ass robodragon." 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     The smoke begins to fade, and in the middle of it, Alopex is standing, staring at the door, and coincidentally, at Black Arachnia at the same time. Seeing the Gremlynx that was about to start spraying and praying bitten into, the fox gives a nod to the cybernetic spider. She HOPES they are on the same side.     Another glance is given the area and if there's no other Gremlynx to be seen, the fox would make her way to the entrance and give a knock on the door. If there ARE any left... well... they may have a very bad time. 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' Black Arachnia returns Alopex's nod, even doing a brief thumbs-up with one manipulator before tossing what's left of her 'prey' aside. No, that tasted downright foul, but she didn't really have any better choices handy. "Let me see what I can do," she comments to Alopex, and if Alopex gives her some room, Black Arachnia does her own examination of the bunker's 'entrance'. If there are any electronics she can hack into, all the better. If not, she lets Alopex go back to figuring out how to get inside. If this is going to take a while, that turret might come in really handy ... 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      It is true, the cannon seems somehow unharmed. But, the ship itself is obviously splintered a bit around the cannon and there is some smoke rising from the bow of the ship. The wooden airship shudders as that blast of cyclonic air hits it, then starts to spin slowly. It is at that point that Sarracenia lets go. She brings her hammer down and stands on it as she falls, using it to cut through the air and divebomb Stratos. The falling, hammer-riding princess creates a V-shaped wavefront in the air as she plummets, and her aim is surprisingly accurate. She probably won't hit Stratos directly, but the shockwave of her impact and the debris it throws up might cause some damage!      The airship meanwhile has somehow already reloaded that Bonzai Bill launcher. Another shark-faced projectile is ready and waiting to be fired! 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The blast does strike Rebound as she was getting set back up to fight Tesla, and she crashes into the control pannel up at the front, "Ow." She reaches over and slams a hand down on the panel, closing the blast doors on the dropship, "Guess what Tesla." She says, as she grins, "I'm not trapped in here with you, you're trapped in here with me!" She pushes off with her back foot, driving across the inside of the dropship to strike at Tesla the old fashioned way. It's a close quarters battle, which is something that the kangaroo specializes in. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Who's going to have a bad time? As the fox and spider approach the doors the other less cowardly miner Gremlynx turn, snap shut their faceshields again, and raise up their weird drill-jackhammer tools like weapons to ward them off. Well except for one that decides that's lame and tries to ride it like a motorized pogo-stick instead. Which other than the erratic bouncing and flailing about, goes about as well as you can imagine. Still probably not something you actually want running into you though. Stratos shields her face with her arms as Sarracenia decides to drop the hammer personally, skidding backwards on rocky terrain from the shockwave erupting from the impact. "Oh, so now you want to get up close do you?" Stratos manifests a sword that, sticking to her theme, looks like it's frozen over with ice. "Then I hope you don't mind cold cuts!" Yeah, that's a terrible pun. Pay more attention to the fact that she lunges at Sarracenia with the frost-sword while she's making said terrible pun. What was suppose to be a simple extraction was turning into an all out chaotic fiasco rather quickly. Intervention had been expected, but Tesla seems to have underestimated the amount of possible opposition that still wanted a piece of her hide. Tch, sometimes reputation isn't such a great thing. Tesla uses her armor encased arms to shield herself from Rebound's strikes, even with every blow denting the layers of alloy in farther and send sparks flying. Good thing Rebound has those drivers to brace her arms when punching at armor. And leave a ringing in Tesla's head from the feedback through the power suit being synced with her technopathic powers. "But is it really so wise to trap me in my own ship?" Unbusted screens flash to life as Tesla gives a mental command to power the dropship back up, followed by several access panels snapping open and electrified cables lunging out of them to grapple Rebound like artifical snakes. Or other imagry we probably don't want to go into. "You should really learn to pick your battlefields better." But as the ship's simple design also uses the engines as generators for power, this means that cybervenom is going to start spreading through the internal systems all the more quickly. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia smirks despite herself at the terrible pun, but that smirk is quickly wiped away when that sword is thrust at her. The princess twirls to one side, managing to take only a small cut to her side. She still cries out as if she has been impaled though, even as barely the blood of a skinned knee stains her side.      Sarracenia keeps spinning even after the strike and uses the momentum to bring her hammer around. "I prefer...pate!" she says as she swings her hammer hard, attempting to smash Stratos with all her might and the absurd weight of the DK hammer. Even if she misses, the princess keeps spinning like a top, bringing the hammer around again and again. 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' Sometimes, 'not as planned' just does NOT cover the situation. Kicking herself for not getting a clear and definite count of the Gremlynxes, Black Arachnia does the smart thing: she turns and bolts, putting distance between herself and the minions. There's an encrypted tight-beam squirt to Alopex, though - not terribly WELL encrypted, since she doesn't know who the fox is, but it's a short message and probably not that hard to decode. And by 'short,' I mean just two words: "Get Down" Black Arachnia quickly reaches her immediate goal - the turret that was being worked on earlier, then abandoned by its Gremlynx operator-to-be - and just as quickly, she sets to work firing the thing back up, checking its ammo load, and then opening fire. Just a few brief, stuttering volleys at first ... but if Alopex heeds that message and hits the deck, Black Arachnia will *happily* open fire on the Gremlynxes at full firing rate. See, she *figured* this turret would come in handy. Just didn't figure how quickly, or in what way. Meanwhile, the cybervenom - which was really meant to stay concentrated in the engines - is starting to dig into the dropship's systems. Black Arachnia didn't have time to analyze the ship or customize the cybervenom that well, so when it takes effect, it's going to take effect *hard* but in a rather non-focused manner. Her plan was to give the dropship, oh, half a minute of flight before the engines would (if the cybervenom worked as intended) undergo a catastrophic shutdown due to general subsystem failure. She didn't reckon on the ship's engines being used for much *other* than flight, so with the 'dose' spreading further into the dropship's systems, the effect is very, very likely to be 'diluted'. That should still screw things up nicely ... but Rebound may have to cope with some of the effects too, depending on how the ship is wired. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     Seeing some of the braver minions staying at the door, Alopex simply smirks, holding up her hands, "Look, look. We all know that-" she pauses, ear flicking at Arachnia's communication. "Strike that.." she muses before just taking a seat, lotus style, folding her arms. "How about I give you a free shot.." she offers, pointing at her jaw, trying to draw the creatures into a false sense of security... just as Arachnia opens fire. Heh heh.. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Oh crap, she really didn't think this through. Though isn't that pretty par for the course for her? She pulls at her right hand when one of those cables wrap around her arm, snapping some of the cables. As she's going to pull her left hand from it, the venon shorts out the systems. She winds up with a surprising jolt through her arm, but it enables her to rip those cables free, "Shit, that hurt.." She grabs some of the broken cables, still wrapped around her arms, and whips them around to try to crack them against Tesla, "When trouble comes along after all!" She tries to whip the cables from her other arm around Tesla and pull the mad scientist closer. After all, she needs to get her right up close and personal. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Alopex... appearing to just sit and give up actually gets more confused looks out of the Gremlynx than actual attacks, as they garble back and forth in bewilderment. But a distraction is still a distraction and no one sees the cyber-spider fire up the turrent until it's too late and send them scattering. And collapsing when hit, as their 'armor' was more for protection against mine hazards than defense guns. There's no ludacris gibs but the biomatter ooze leaking out of the armor's joints when they collapse still isn't a pleasant sight. Stratos actually cringes for a moment at the screech. "Oh come on, that barely scratched you! What kind of hero gets pissy at a little blood li--ack!" As Sarracenia starts to wind up most literally Stratos flips the frost sword around and stabs it into the ground, which causes a wall of icy spires to rise out of the ground where she does so. That the hammer smashs through, as expected... but Stratos wasn't expecting the girl to -keep- spinning like a mad top, and takes a hammer hard into the side that sends her sprawling across the rocky terrain again. Welp this didn't go as well as planned at all. < Boss, I don't think this is worth the effort much longer. > < Agreed. > Tesla gets the cables whipped around one arm, grabbing it the cluster with her gauntlet as well to keep from getting yanked around too much, but part of her attention is elsewhere as she directs the dropship to glide low enough for Stratos to grab on before starting to lift off. She leans to the side to avoid the second whipping. Then clenches her other hand into a fist, the battered armor sliding aside to deploy the double barrel bolters built into the armor. "Now where was I--AAAAUGH!" That would be about when the engine goes into a spasm from the cybervenom, causing the dropship the lurch violently from the lack of stability. At the same time Tesla loses her focus on holding the cables and the weapon ready, instead grabbing the sides of her head. Stratos watchs as the dropship veers off instead of actually coming to her, prehaps for the better as she'd prefer to not get crushed. "... On second thought, looks like I'm on my own." Fortunately the experienced villainess is prepared for this sort of thing, as she pulls a cord that unfolds a windglider from her pack. "Time to make like the wind and blow!" Which she literally does, using her own wind generators to launch the glider off the ground. The technopath was still syncing with the ship's systems as the cybervenom took its full effect, unnoticed while she was focusing on Rebound. And while it's not directly effective on her, the technopathic feedback is like all the electronics in the ship shrieking in pain, inside her head. The dropship wobbles unsteadily mid-air, kilting up at an awkward angle as the engines struggle to find stability, but with Tesla only hunching against the bulkhead in pain there's no direction to it, causing it to teeter and totter haphazardly while trying to lift away from the mountains. Might be a good idea to get off that ride before it gets any wilder, Rebound. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The sudden shock of Tesla's falling over in pain catches Rebound off guard, "Uh. The hell..?" She tilts her head a bit, but then suddenly has to shift her weight as the dropship loses altitude under her feet, "Oh hell." She gets it now, Tesla is controlling the dropship with her mind. Which means that whatever is hitting her is causing her to lose control. She makes a split second decision to do something stupid. She dives forward and grabs Tesla around the waist, hauling her through the air and towards one of the hatches on the side of the ship. She drops back onto her tail and kicks the door with both feet, knocking it outwards, before leaping through the door and into the air with Tesla in her grasp. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia huffs in annoyance at Stratos. "It still hurt!" she whines as she spins. The smashing of the ice wall and the villainess beyond brings a satisfied grin to the princess's face. Sarracenia comes to a stop, then charges after Stratos with her hammer raised, ready to fiish the job. "You blew it already! Facing Hammerella in direct combat is always a foolish endeavor!" she says as she closes in, only for Stratos to take off into the sky. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Sarracenia demands as Stratos takes off. She gestures with her hammer, and the airship (which had only just now recovered from the whirlwind attack) lets out a thundering report as the broadsides along its left side fire, sending plenty of missile-speed Bullet Bills after Stratos. One can almost hear the dozen or so shells laughing maniacally as they try to close in on Stratos! They aren't terribly fast or maneuverable though. 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' "Ah, the sweet sound of a trump card going off," Black Arachnia remarks as the dropship suddenly destabilizes. She may or may not have heard Tesla's shriek as well, but the dropship suddenly going off-kilter is evidence enough of the cybervenom taking effect. Nothing like ruining a villain's day to make *your* day look that much brighter. And Black Arachnia didn't even get shot at! .... in any significant amounts. That should give her and Alopex a much better chance to see what can be made of the bunker. Still, Black Arachnia is pragmatic enough to make sure what's left of the Gremlynx's will *NOT* be getting up to trouble them any further. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     All that Alopex has is a smile as Arachnia mows everyone down. SUCCESS! Once everything seems to be taken care of, the fox stands to go and check on the door, only for the drop ship in the air to start going, basically, insane. She starts to idly wonder if she should be anywhere remotely under the thing! Maybe the digsite can provide some shelter. As she walks up, she draws the blade from her back and will force her way in if need be. At least she knocks first. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The windglider isn't terribly fast either, but it is fairly agile thanks to its operator having direct control of the air current it's riding on. Makes it fairly easy to bob up and down to avoid the barrage of Bullet Bills bombarding her, leaving them to fly wherever it is they go when they fly off-screen. Then Stratos pulls the glider up and turns so she can make a mocking shout back at her foe. "Hammerella? That's the second lamest superhero name I have ever heard!" There is no chance to ask what the first is, because there's one Bullet Bill lagging behind the pack due to a late cannon ignition. But it's that slowpoke that gets close enough to Stratos while she's mocking the hammer girl to explode. Not going to say the line so we don't get sued, but you can just imagine the 'ping' as she disappears hurtling off into the sky. The dropship continues to wobble about in the air, though it does succeed in pulling up over the mountains.... And then plummeting down straight into the valley afterwards as the engines shut down completely from the haywire systems, and without a pilot or technopathic guide, just drops out of the sky like a rock to crash somewhere for junkers to find and pick through later. But the ship goind down, not to mention no longer being directly near it, does allow Tesla's head to clear a bit, realizing where she is. This is.. slightly embarassing. Then while watching the dropship go down Rebound would feel the armor go limb under her arm. Looking down she'd see just the body piece there, and a hole in the ground where Tesla used her gauntlets to dig away after squirming out of it. Though with the state of affairs its a safe bet she's digging an escape rather than trying to get inside still. Also, you probably want to throw that armor away, it's likely to have some sort of self-destruct mechanism to prevent it from being captured and reverse engineered. The bunker... is a bunker. Big and obviously military in its design, though sparse and clearly unused for a very long time. Though there might still be some general stockpile still lying around, these things are rarely completely empty. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Hammerella hmms as Stratos comments on her superhero name. Is it a lame name? It seems likely considering where she got the name, now that she thinks about it. But, she hadn't thought of a real superhero name yet! Fortunately, her Bullet Bills get the job done, and Stratos might just be able to hear the mocking laughter as she is blasted into the sky by the lagging Bill. "Which means you were beaten by the superhero with the second lamest name! That makes you the first lamest villain!"      With that settled, Sarracenia makes her way toward where the other heroes have gathered. "Is everything secure?" she asks the others, finally taking stock of who all is here. A fox lady, a roo lady, and a spider/spider-lady. "...is there a convention I missed? I would have brought my tanuki suit!" 

:'''{{#var:304|Black Arachnia (304)}} has posed:''' So the bunker is just a bunker. Well, it's wasted resources of a sort, but nothing that can't be replaced. Tesla's attempt to take the bunker was stymied, what resources or supplies it *has* can be fone through for useful stuff, and Tesla Armadia herself is somewhat the worse for wear as a result. Black Arachnia can't really complain about that set of outcomes. "Don't think I caught your name," she says to her vulpine ally-of-convenience. "I'm Black Arachnia. Used to be with the Union." No need to explain what she's doing now. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Oooh. Neat." Rebound is distracted with the explosion of the dropship, and then she feels the armor shift. She turns back and sees Tesla has vanished from the armor, "Well at least I can take solice in the fact that Tesla is naked somewhere." She says, more to herself than anybody else, as she takes the chestplate as a souvineer. 
}}

4960/Clocking Out

2017-01-01T05:45:36Z

Foxer: Logpost

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/01
|Location=Brimsteel Frontier
|Synopsis=New Year's Bar Brawl
|Cast of Characters=711, 571, 7, 750
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It wasn't unusual for the saloon to be fairly busy. It WAS unusual for it to be busy at this time of the evening, but then again, being it was New Years Eve, maybe not. The place was in a constant state of activity, and probably one of the few times you'll see the businessmen and the laborers carousing together without concerns over their social statures. Other than the one lot that kept to themselves in the back of a corner booth at least. But it didn't matter which side of the economic fence someone was on for tonight, as it was suppose to be a big one. The clockwork tower was a big centerpoint for Loadstar Depot. Every, and I mean, EVERY clock and timetable ran by it to keep on accurate, efficient schedules. So it had been a pretty big deal that the distortions of 'The Multiverse Barfing Space Back Into Space' had knocked some of its delicate timing mechanisms off-kilter. Repairs of course where made over the following weeks, but in the light of everything that happened, it was decided to put off restarting it until the stroke of midnight of the last and first days of the years. Considering how big of a deal this was, it's probably no surprise that Corona herself hasn't arrived yet. Knowing her she's making some last minute checks on the tower to make sure everything goes smoothly. But she'd made sure that there would be places and plenty of drinks for her friends. They needed to celebrate surviving what had happened and looking towards the new year's potential as much as anyone else did. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's back from healing stuff! She's opted to celebrate, not to mention deliver COrona her gift in person as well. THe cyborg feels bad about skipping her this holiday, but intends on making up for that in full.     It won't be hard to pick out Maaka in this crowd tonight. She's the human looking lady in a black coat, downing shots of vodka given by a certain TOWERING RUSSIAN MUSCLE WIZARD.     Maaka's not exactly a communist, but like hell is she gonna turn down vodka for a Christmas present. Besides, it's good stuff judging by how she mixes together some Moscow Mule, complete with copper cup. The present she has for Corona will be by Maaka's feet, wrapped up in Christmas wrappings. Looks heavy. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Maaka wouldn't be too alone for long as someone lese has come to take in the new years, dressed in smart cloths as she's often on off time now she would come up on Alexis as she was looking about for COrona and would get a suprise hug from behind. "Happy new years! Alexis!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Hey it's not surprising Reound would show up here. Not like she can go to the New Years celebration in her OWN hometown due to the whole 'Being a giant mutant kangaroo' thing. At least here she can party and drink without any worries. Plus nobody knows she's affilated with the Watch, so something else she doesn't need to worry about, thankfully. "Hey, anybody seen Corona yet?!" She calls out to the tavern as a whole. She's sure somebody's seen the fox somewhere. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Not to mention Rebound has gotten to be fairly known around these parts, after all the times she's helped Corona and Target out. At the roo's shout one of the beavers looks up from the bar. "Said she'll be along once she's checked everything in the tower for the last time, eh." Then returns to his mug. To say it's busy is an understatement, so it takes a bit for staff to get to where Corona's friends have gathered around. On the upside, they get the master barkeep himself, the model train hissing to a stop and the bowler capped hamster waddling out. He looks over the group, then smirks a bit as he gives one end of his handlebar moustache a tug. "Some'ow I ain't surprised it's just a buncha ladies at Arclite's table. Can I get ya anything while yar waitin? It's on the fox's tab so feel free to ring it up much as ya all want," he adds with an amused eye-twinkle. It's all the more reason for him to pester Corona about paying her outstanding fees, -before- one of the model trains break down again and she can use repairs as leverage. With how rowdy the crowd already is in here, it's little surprise almost no one hears what sounds like a thud from outside. Maybe it was just the building settling, the Saloon is almost as old as Loadstar itself is. A few upward glances are given, but then folks go back to their drinking and card playing. "Knowing her, she's trying to avoid having to sit through the ceremonies on purpose," a collie woman spoke with a much more formal tone as she leaned against the bar, but there was a bemused hint to her expression all the same. She may be dressed a little more nicely, but Callie Cassavhan would rather be here with the people that worked hard to make her depot a success than the high class snobs that would be only celebrating their financial gains up in the capital. That and they would all be drinking fruity mixed cocktails, and she'd rather have a nice hard scotch on the rocks. Like the one in her hand. With the other hand she clears her throat, but it has little effect in the noisy crowd. She sighs a little, but isn't really surprised. "Bucksaw, I know it's your one night off but.." The beaver jestures at her to not complain, then turns around to stand up on his stool. "HUSH UP A MOMENT YA BLOKES!" Being head foreman does wonders for one's volume and one shout is all it takes to quiet the patrons down, even without his bullhorn. "Miss C's got somethin' ya say, before y'all get too drunk off yer stumps to pay attention!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka grins wide as she feels Kotone hugging her, "Hey Ko-chan!" She says, turning around and returning the embrace warmly. "God, feels so good to see you again. I've been out of business for a week or so, got nicked pretty bad by this tiger-shark guy. Long story." She wobbles a hand, shrugging before she offers up her copper cup. "Want some? It's good stuff, might kick your arse though."     SHe turns to others at the bar, grinning cheerily. "Goes for you guys too, if anybody wants a shot of this stuff help yourselves!" She nods to the gigantic hamster, raising her copper cup. "Need about...seven things of Moscow mule, use the bottle I brought if you don't have any vodka on tap." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Fair 'nough." Rebound replies, as she saunters up to the bar and orders herself something with a bit of kick to it. At the announcement that Miss C has an announcement, she turns around with her newly aquired drink, leaning back on her tail so she doesn't have to take up a bar stool 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' At the mention of vodka Bitters guffaws sharply, which sounds like a rodent squeaked a bit too hard and fast. "Please, please, drink hers! This is 'pose to be a night to celebrate, I don't wanna hafta call the parameds cuz some offworlder got drunk 'nuff to try a shot of Vodkano. Miss Yamakawa will vouch fer that bein a bad idea." He winks at Kotone. "Thank you, Bucksaw." Miss C takes a sip of her scotch to wet her lips, then holds the glass up as the saloon quiets down. "I don't need to remind you all that the end of this year has been rough for a lot of us. Things, entire worlds, have changed around us. But rather than linger on the past, we need to look towards the oppritunities it has made possible instead. A new year lies ahea--" She's interrupted by another loud thud. Then another. And then the sound of wood busting as chucks of the roof and bannisters splinter down into the saloon as a large bear in a black duster and hat crashes through. He snarls in pain as he hits the hood floor, but it's not enough to stop him from trying to wrassle a familiar grey fox into submission in his arms. Even if she's got a foot to his chin to keep him from chomping on her, while holding something away from him in her hands. "Not my fault, Ah'll fix it later!" Corona yips before Bitters can complain about the roof, which makes one wonder how often this happens... Wrassling with a bear doesn't stop her from being polite either, using one hand to lift her stetson from her head and tip it towards Miss C. "Good evenin', C. Sorry for the interruption." Then the saloon doors fly open as several more similarly dressed men barge in, coats hats and bandanas as black as the night is dark. "Look out boss! More trouble comin'--" And that's when Hopalong dives down the hole their entrance made, jackalope feet slamming into the bear's forehead, in turn slamming it into the floor with a dull whud. He thrashes over from the concussive blow, but doing so thumps Corona to the floor with enough force to send the bag she was clutching skidding across the floor. "Dammit!" "There!" One of the bandits bolts for it, but Corona manages to catch his ankle and trip him with her tail. He overshoots the bag, instead crashing into one of the game tables. Unsurprisingly the cards fluttering through the air reveal a few more aces than their should be, which starts a brawl amongs the gamblers over cheating. A punch sends one sailing into a different group, and it's doesn't take more for the party to spill over into a big ol' barfight from there. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' "Tiger Shark guy? I bene busy following up cases honestly. I have been pretty busy though been fighting more than Id' liked but tht would have happened iwthout it." For all Kotone's ability to fight? the woman doesn't really have a lust for violence or blood. She'd rather sneak in, sneak out and never have been noticed if she's got to do something. "Come on let's go find Corona shall we? " Where was miss Foxy mechanic? Or would that be a pair of Mechanic Vixen given Kotone and Corona? Who knows but what she does know is she's going to find where Corona and then someone /drops/ on in litterly "Wait what?!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Yeah, I heard about that one." Maaka laughs, before she takes a sip of her Moscow Mule again. "Figured I'd be generous, it's good vodka too." She nods to Kotone, swishing her drink. "I'll have to get back to you on that one, but-" CRAAAAASH     The entire bar goes to shit, and Maaka leaps to her feet. She grabs that bottle, it's solid glass and sturdy as steel, and goes to charge one of the bandits. "Dunno what you guys want with Corona, but you can't have her!" She calls out, flinging the bottle like a missile at one of the thugs.     Given Maaka's keen marksmanship and strength, that bottle is gonna hit like a brick. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Hell yeah, now it's a party!" Rebound pounds the rest of her drink in one go, and then hops up onto her feet. She pushes through two of the card players, slamming their heads together like something out of the Three Stooges, before she saunters up to one of the bandits, reaching out to grab him by the collar and whip him around to face her. "Son you are lucky that this is a holiday. I'm just gonna put you in the hospital instead of the morgue." She's only joking, she'd never ACTUALLY kill them...Probably. She hauls back with her right hand and throws a haymaker at him, holding onto him the whole time so she certainly won't miss. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' It just goes to show how unflappable the businesswoman is that Miss C simply steps back and takes a much longer sip of her drink, like this was hardly any surprise at all. "Black Hats. Trying to sabotage the clocktower?" "Tried filchin' the main drive gear," Corona confirms as she gets to a knee. "No sparks in here. Al'cohol's flammable!" Which but the way it turns to just kick the bear again, was a warning to Hopalong to not use his static antlers. "Maaka's bottle nails a bandit dead center in the temple, sending him crashing off to the side. Let us all have a moment of silence for the brave vodka that gave it's life for the sake of saving a friend. Another bandit pulls a trench knife out of his longcoat and rushes at her with stabbifying intent... No, he has no idea he's attempting to rush a cyborg with nothing more than a sharp point. Two Black Hats dive for the bag, only to slam their heads together as Corona snatchs it away from them with her grappler. "Koto, catch!" She flings the satchel over, just before she's tackled again. Which takes its own turn for the worst when Bucksaw picks up the stool he had been standing on, and smashes it across one thug's back. "Bitter's needs t'get new stools anyways," he grumps. "You just wanna make me pay you to carve more!" the space hamster retorts. One bandit gets grabbed, and then punched so hard he sailes over the crowd to crash into the steampunk jukebox at the back of the bar. Hilariously, and maybe a bit freakishly, when Rebound slobberknocks one bandit, one of the others that was trying to wrestle Corona down also keels off the vixen as if hit. One of those twin feeling the other's pain deals maybe... seeing as they are not only Siamese Twins, but Siamese Cats too. But unlike his brother he doesn't try to get close to the roo, instead pulling out a bullwhip and lashing it at her. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka notes Miss C's lack of surprise. Seems this is a pretty common occurrence around these parts. Makes sense, given how the world's basically a steampunk wild west.     She sacrifices the vodka, but only because that bottle makes a hell of a throwing weapon. She grins in satisfaction at the dropped bandit, before another rushes her. "Fuck it, knife fight it is." She draws her own knife, a vibrobladed progressive knife from Tellus, before rushing forwards. The cyborg slashes at the bandit, and at the same time reaches to grab the arm the bandit holds his knife in. She'll twist, both dislocating that elbow and flinging the bandit towards the bar, to slide him across it in traditional bar fight style. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The bandit she punches sets off the jukebox, and Rebound smirks faintly, as she turns to the second bandit, who opts to use a whip instead. The first strike catches her off guard, the weapon slicing through the flesh on her unprotected side. She lets out a yell of pain, and turns back to the whip wielding crook, "Dare you to try that again." And try it again, if they do, they will regret it, because this time Rebound brings her left arm up to block it, letting the whip wrap around her wrist, "GET OVER HERE!" She yanks on her end of the whip, pulling the bandit towards her, so they can meet face to fist with a powerful uppercut as she reels them in. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone grins a bit at Alexis for a moment then pauses "Oh if they ask you to drink the local hard drink? /Don't/." Why is Kotone serious all of a suddeenl things re hitting the fan this is just having Kotone want to /cry/ she has to deal with this, where's Sparktail when you need this. Target owes her one as eveyrthing starts to go nuts for a moment. She sees the banits and well she does have eelware which she's about to use. Aleixs and Corona would know this. Kotone then plays innocent helpless but well until Corona throws teh satchel over to her which she'll catch it. She dangles it for half a secon then hauls it like the cyborg she is going at a very inhuman rate and aiming to dodge people. "YOU WANT THE GEARS COME GET THEM!" If she can lure them out of the bar, right? Away form all the bystanders it should help, right? 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Alexis doesn't just deflect the knife attack; the vibroblade slices RIGHT THROUGH the standard metal knife. This gets a balk of surprise out of the bandit, leaving him an easy chump to grab, slam into the bar, and send hims careening down it. He topples off the other end. And looks up from the floor, only to let out a scream several pitchs higher when Miss C slams the heel of her dress boot between his legs. "-That- is for interrupting my toast." Then resumes sipping her drink admist the overflowing chaos like this was just another day at the office for her. Which honestly might not be that far from the truth all things considered. Corona manages to squirm free of her attackers again, only to scramble for one of the back rooms. A bandit followers her, only to realize it's the bathroom. And there's no fox in sight. At least not until Corona swings down from the rafters and kicks the back of his head, tossing him forward into the toilet. Corona lands on top, planting a boot on the back of his head to keep it in the bowel, and yanks the chain. That.. is not a pleasant swirly, especially if some drunk retched in that toliet. Rebound pulls an improvised Scorpion, then greets her new friend with knuckles to the chin. The uppercut launchs him upwards, and between the impact and his own whip he gets tangled up in one of the chandaliers. Of course once the bag is tossed in Kotone's direction, the few remaining bandits try to rush her to get it. Which goes about as well as Corona had hoped, as the cyborg is a lot faster than expected even as they give chase outside. Except for one that stops to yell at the others stewn about the salloon. "She's escapin' with the gear--OOMPH!" Then he's crashing out the window as Hopalong headbutts him. Leaving just the couple of bandits that manage to rush out after Kotone, though they're lagging well behind her speedy retreat. And now out in the wide open street, to boot. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     It doesn't take long for Maaka to follow the other thugs outside, mostly to back Kotone up. Knife still in hand, she rushes outside the saloon like a madwoman. Maaka dashes toward one of the bandits, tackling him after a brief sprint to close to distance between her and him. As she brings him to the ground, she growls, and plunges her knife into his neck. To say she doesn't waste time is an understatement. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' With her second bandit a bit strung up at the moment, Rebound heads outside, stopping for a moment to grab another drink that has mirraculously gone unspilled on a table, pounding it down in one go. Rebound vanishes out of the front door, only for a few moments later for one of the bandits to come flying back into through a window, with Rebound following behind a few moments later, "Thought you could get away, huh?! Not today! Woo! C'mon, party's still going!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Ktoone is plauying her part in trying to get this under control She has the item she's now trying to get clear and otehrwise deal witht he theives chaing her evne if she end suyp having to chased them about the bar, hell Kotone's going to loop back and she's going to end kiting the bandit sto the pint she can deal with them without the risks to bystanders. 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' With what that vibroknife did to a normal one, it's no surprise it makes quick work of the bandit Alexis pins to the ground. That's one outlaw that is not going to be a threat again. His gangmate doesn't get a chance to help him, as he's grabbed by Rebound before he realizes it and gets tossed through the other window back INTO the bar, crashing on top of the duo that slammed heads earlier. Which leaves two bandits trying to chase Kotone. But looping her kite trick back towards the saloon works in her favor. Because they're outside, away from the flammable liquids. Which means Hopalong is free to open up, and blasts them with a plume of acrid hot smoke from his furnance. The two men stop in their tracks, hunched partway over hacking and coughing from the burning fumes. Looming over the center of town, the clocktower rings out the first of it's twelve chimes, even though they were chasing the fox supposedly with the drive gears. They seem to realize they've been duped though, as they quickly turn and run for the hills. So to speak. Most of the gang isn't so lucky, having been beat senseless. As the clocktower is midway through it's echoing chimes Corona saunters out of the saloon, smirking. "Ah can't believe those varmits fell for that." Then glaces over her shoulder at the inside of the saloon. "... Pro'ly the biggest brawl this ol' shack has seen on New Years, though." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka pulls the knife out of the thug, wiping the blade clean. She's about to speak before she realizes something; "Oh shit, I forgot about the gift." She takes off, re-entering the saloon. The gift is in her hands as she comes out, and she tosses it to Corona as she approaches the fox. "Forgot about this, figured you could use a new piece. It's a new shotgun, pump-auto SPAS-12. Figured you could use some heavy hardware." She grins, clapping Corona on the arm. "Happy holidays, luv." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite oofs softly as she catchs the gift, if only because she wasn't expecting the weight. "Well Ah ain't gonna say no to s'more stoppin' power." The pauses a moment, and tucks the wrapped shotgun under one arm as she slaps her other palm to her face. "Aw geez! Ah got so wrapped up in gettin' the clocktower back on track Ah plum fergot about giftgiven. Ah'll have to return the favor later." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka laughs, "Don't sweat it. We're even long as that tab you got us on is open, hopefully the bar won't kick us out for fighting. Technically /they/ started it, after all." She says, before she heads for the saloon again. All that fighting's gotten her thirsty. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone sighs and opens up her smart phone to place a call to spark tailandmoves to start cuffing the bandits reading their rights and getting ready to haul them off to the local lock up. "I'll be back as soon as this is over." 

:'''{{#var:711|Corona Arclite (711)}} has posed:''' Corona Arclite pffs, rolling her eyes as she follows Alexis back in. "Kick us out? Are you kiddin'? Bar Brawlin' is a -sport- 'round here... Well, Bitters might grump a bit 'bout the damage, but he knows me or Buck will fix it up." She jabs a thumb inside as Kotone does her duty. "We'll save a few pints fer ya!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "That sucks." Rebound says as she watches Kotone haul them off, "You know you're off duty right? C'mon." She shakes her head. This is why she always just shoves them in a dumpster and bends the door so they can't get out. 
}}

4898/Catching Up Again

2016-12-18T17:39:45Z

Foxer: Log blapping.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/18
|Location=Foxtrot Ranch
|Synopsis=Catching up between Pokemon and Digimon
|Cast of Characters=459, 718
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Typhlosion." Scorch grumbled as he plopped down the sack of pokechow he had carried in. < We could of just avoided all this madness. > "Yer just upset you have to wait until after christmas to go bikini watching," Alexis retorts with a bemused snort as she sets down the two sacks she'd been carrying over her shoulders. "But while I may be staying out of this 'new faction' craze that's going around, I can't just ditch out on people that might honestly need the help. Where *I* want to help." < Pff. I would of rather of spent impending doom on a sunny beach, > Sassy chimes in from whatever rafter of the barn the Glameow is lazing on. "And for the last time, the beach is NOT one giant litter box." < Maybe not to your small human mind. > Nope, not a lot has changed around here. 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' There was a knock on the barn door, before it cracks open. Perhaps he heard her voice before entering, but a voice calls out from outside, before making himself known, "Alexis?" The Knightly Digimon then enters a bit more into he barn. He still has a minor bit of damage on his armor from a recent battle a week ago, though it has all but healed. There was also a few claw marks on his other arm, but hard to say from what those could have come from. "I am... Sorry I have not been..." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis glances over her shoulder at the knock and the door creaking. Waves off the half-finished apology. "Yeah, I know, no need to explain. Multiverse having a spacial seizure kinda does that." Lifts a foot and puts it against one of the chow sacks to push it onto the pile. "And you should know by now that you don't need to knock Duke. Barn's always open for ya." 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' Duke's teal blue, with a edge of gold looks down at the barn floor, before he closes the door behind him. "It is out of respect, if nothing else." The Digimon admits, before he starts to walk toward her. "I was also unsure what your condition might be with... Everything going on. It has been, well, highly confusing." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis pffs, rolling her eyes. "Hardly the first multiversal WTF I've been through. A little shaken and disoriented at first but nothing worse for the wear." < Can't say the same for all the refugess they needed to find places for. > Scorch leans over to poke at some of the marks remaining in Duke's armor with a stubby claw. < Looks like you've seen pretty of shenanigans yourself. > "There's some sodas in the minifridge with the beer if ya need some help patchin' that up." Alexis rubs the side of her head with one hand. "I'm assuming there's still a mouth under all that helmet." 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' "There is." Duke says to Alexis and he looks at the Fire type Pokemon, "And I have. There are... Digimon out there that still want to see me dead and with me unable to De-digivolve, I am unable to hide myself." Duke admits as he walks over to the mini-fridge, kneels down, and looks inside. His eyes examine over what is within and debates if he really wants anything or not. "This is... My first one, really. There are so many people shaken, disturbed, and unsure. It is... suffocating really." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "It must slow your recovery down too. I mean, more data to process and all, or however that works." It was explained to her once about how their lesser forms conserve energy. "Yeah. People get shook up and displaced. It'll take time to get everything settled again." Alexis walks over to the furnished stall she leaves set for when the various Digimon swing by, though just leans up against one of the support posts and folds her arms. "It's okay, I was never really into the 'soldier' thing, anyways." Cat paws can be heard on the rafters as Sassy slinks closer to the conversation, the Glameow's coil-like tail hooking a vertical beam to help hold herself. "Myaao" < She's turned down every offer by one of the new establishments. > 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' "Yeah, you never striked me as the soldier type." Duke responds looking over his shoulder, as he decides to pull out a soda and then gives a sheepish look in his eyes. "Do you have a straw?" He could probably remove the face-mask, but he doesn't want to, for whatever his reasons. He looks over at the new Pokemon that shows up and then back to Alexis, "Oh? You did?" He looks down at the ground. "I see, but again. I can't blame you. I don't think... I could ever go back to my old life either. In some ways... I wish it would leave me alone." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Typhlosion." <There's straw all over the floo--ow!> the wisecrack is cut short as Alexis reachs over to whap the back of Scorch's head lightly. "That's not what he meant and you know it." Then turns to shout upstairs. "Hey, someone bring down some straws!" May as well just leave a box down here if Duke is going to need them regularly now. As she turns back to the conversation and resumes leaning on the post Alexis just shrugs her shoulders a little. "Things where different back then. It actually meant something. -Accomplished- something. And us Trainers wanted to stick together, having just come out of that whole Missingno fiasco." 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' When given the straw, Duke accepts it and places it in the drink. He then plops down on the couch and drinks the soda, closing his eyes as he does so. Listening for the moment and not saying to much, before he pulls the straw away. "I don't think you ever told me about that. I am curious to hear the story." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Once Duke has a straw Alexis sets the rest of the box atop the minifridge, then flops down on the couch as well. Folds her hands behind her head and exhales softly. "You already know what happens when one powerhungry nutjob tries to destroy a world with a monster. Team Rocket tried to capture Missingno, a thing that is -not suppose to exsist-, and use it to do the same. Stupid cosmic abominations." 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' "Yeah... Yeah they are pretty stupid." Duke replies with an, almost nervous laugh, before he goes back to drinking the soda. There was once more long silence from Duke as he rests the soda on his lap. "Alexis... I have to confess the other reason I haven't been around. The real reason." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis raises a brow. "You mean other than the touching but needless worry that you need to keep away things that would have to be -incredibly stupid- to try and attack a ranch full of highly capable elemental critters and one very grumpy kaiju to try to get at me?" 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' "Other than that, yes." Duke says with a soft chuckle. He rolls the can between his palms. "Actually... Its me that you have to worry about." Duke explains. He looks around for a moment, maybe checking to see if Beelzebumon's bike is anywhere or /any/ Digimon is around. He isn't worried about the Pokemon, presay, but he does look at a few of them with some concern in his eyes. At last he looks back down at the can in his hands. "Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil is... is in my head. As whispers, faint, but they sometimes become loud if I let my emotions get the better of me. He has, somehow, established connection with me and... And I can't do anything about it." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis reachs up to poke-tap a finger on the side of Duke's helmet head. "And I spent nearly three years working with a Shadow Pokemon. Which other than the demented god whispers is pretty much the same thing. Besides." After that she drops her legs back to the floor and gets up to go to the minifridge for a drink for herself. "If anything it's better you flip out around me or such, instead of putting some innocents at risk unintentionally." Pause. "Or he intentionally making you." Lightly lobs one can to Scorch, then pops another open for herself. Smirks a little. "Never doubt my willingness to beat sense back into you if required." 

:'''{{#var:718|Dukemon X (718)}} has posed:''' Duke mms softly as Alexis says her peace. He doesn't argue, he just drinks his drink. He can't say much but somewhere after finishing the can, placing off to the side and resting his head back--- the former Royal Knight has fallen off to sleep. Perhaps because in truth, this is the only place he feels safe at anymore to just... Heavy sleep like this. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Food and sleep. If only more of her own creatures could recover so easily. Granted it won't do much for Duke's -other- problem. But Alexis isn't that worried. She's had to deal with a lot stranger things in her time. "Com'n, let him have his rest." She doesn't need to be an expert in digimon to realize how much the dino knight probably needs it. 
}}

Snow Job (Bramble Patch)

2016-12-14T06:39:53Z

Foxer: Cutscene log

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/11
|Location=Everfree Forest - Equestria
|Synopsis=A new direction is offer after the collapse of the Confederacy.
|Cast of Characters=278
}}
Something was going wrong with the Multiverse... and frankly, Bramble Patch didn't give a buck.

Her only concern was the metric buckload of snow that the freak blizzard had dumped on Everfree Forest. Typically they only got moderate snowfall due to Everfree having it's own weather patterns instead of reliance on Pegasus Weather Control. So the abrupt freezing temperatures and snow had driven in the most fierce of monsters into hiding.

To make matters worse, Bramble Patch hadn't even been home when it happened. She had gone back to the castle ruins that had been Nightmare Moon's hideout, going through some of the old alchemy books in library there. She could of stayed within the walls to wait out the snow, but that meant Jinxel was alone at their cabins, and that scared her more. Not that she would admit it to anyone.

But the snow made travel trecherous, even with her intimate knowledge of the depths of the forest. Broken trees, slicken paths, ridges covered in snow. After sliding down into one ravine because the log bridge had collapsed under the weight of snow, climbing back out was a trying task.

It was just as she was getting near the top ridge that Bramble paused, staring as a pair of hooves where held down to her, from a pair of strikingly similar unicorns save one's prolific yet trimmed moustache. "Miss Bramble Patch, we presume." "You look like you." "Could use a helping hoof."

Bramble grumped a bit, but grabbed the offered hooves with her own, and between their pull and her push with backlegs got her up over the snowy ledge. A pause for a moment to shake herself off, then gave the two of them a glowering look. "Thanks.. but you still better have a good reason for parading around MY forest in middle of a disaster!" Pause. Then a squint at the one with a moustache. "You didn't -cause- this, did you?"

"But of course not!" Quickly retorted the cleanshaven one. "Rather we are here," added the second, as he produced a message and held it out. "To deliver a proposition." "For a new pursuit." "And better application of your..." "... unique talents."

"How did you know I was out here?", she snapped back as she grabbed the offered paper.

"Your friend at the cabin told us." "She had just finished digging herself out." "But a tree branch snapped and dumped more on her." "And we dug her out." "Said you had been doing research..." "At some ruins?"

Bramble was getting annoyed at their back-and-forth speech, but her glower did lighten a bit when they confirmed that Jinxel was okay. Just her usual bad luck that she would be stuck at the cabins alone when some freak blizzard hit. So instead she flipped open the paper, which already had it's message on display for her:

We understand the absence of your 'master' has been a trying time. But it is no reason to leave your talents squandered in this new era of oppritunity to be built upon the ashes of the Event. Your knowledge of botanicals both magical and mundane would be of great use to this effort, and your contributions more than respected for it. Help us grow anew from the broken boughs of the old.

After a moment of reading Bramble crumpled the paper with her hooves and tossed it, bouncing off the one unicorn's forehead, though the other flipped off his hat to catch it. "Just so you know, I am gonna bring Jinxel with," she remarks, even as she's already walking off towards home.

"But of course." "Our associates will certainly." "Be interested in her 'bad luck' as well." The two unicorns watched her go for a moment, then looked to each other once she was out of earshot. "Think we will get a bonus for getting three for the price of two?" "Undoubtably."

Changing Tides, Staying True (Athela Valemore)

2016-12-11T17:35:23Z

Foxer: Even with no contact and no help Athela does her knightly duty.

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/11
|Location=The Great Ocean
|Synopsis=Fall of the factions doesn't stop heroes from doing their duty.
|Cast of Characters=994
}}
The island was just one of many that dotted the endless expanse of the Great Ocean. Isolated and mostly left alone by the greater threats it was home more to fishing boats and traders than any sort of combative force. There had been maybe one pirate ship using the island as a neutral port at the one small tavern it possessed, and that was it.

It was from that one pirate ship that a cannon now screamed loudly in the night. The disruptions across the Multiverse had stirred up a torrential sea storm, almost as if thrashing in its own pain. Whitecap waves crashed through the docks that extended from much of the island's coastline, making using ships to flee possibly more dangerous than staying.

Only to make matters worse the churning seas had also disturbed one of the sea monsters that slept deep beneath the waves, and the imposing beast of a kraken thrashing to the surface in a rage at being disturbed. That was what the one moored pirate ship fired at, trying to compensate for the rocking and rolling motion of the angry waters. But the cannonballs rebounded against the squid-monster's rubbery hide, absorbing much of the force of the impact. It slung a huge tentacle up and back, aiming to whip forth and rip the firing ship in two...

And then something slammed into it's side like a torpedo. Something larger and heavier than a cannonball, the lance-like prow upon helmeted head plunging through the rubbery flesh and giving the Samurott penetration the cannonballs did not have. The prongs on his helmet prow snagged in the rubbery hide, preventing it from flexing away the impact and allowing his momentum to actually shove the creature aside, it's strike falling short into the waters near the ship instead.

The monster gurgled and hisses as the prow was pulled free, leaving an oozing wound in its wake as the Pokemon drifted over to the docks so Athela and her other pokemon could disembark his backside.

"Seek shelter inland, keep away from the shores!" She shouted at the few people still scrabbling about the docks. The pirate ship fired another cannon, trying to keep the monster at bay despite the ineffectiveness of their shots. Wet wind blew through red hair as Athela grabbed the hilt of Resolute Blade and drew the ancient sword, despite the wind and rain the weapon gleamed with purpose as droplets splattered across it's surface.

A true hero did not just fight for justice where they stood. They went where they were needed, fought for those unable to defend themselves, regardless of the circumstances. Bayern had the Orders of the other Swords of Justice and the clerics of Xerneas to watch over it, these scattered islands had no such guidance in trying times. They needed her more than her homeland did.

The loss of the Union's infrastructure and communications was frustrating as it meant there would be no farther help, but Athela would not let it falter her. These isolated islands had no other help to come, no greater force watching over them. There would be time to find what had become of friends and allies later, she had duty to do regardless if it was by faction or by her own virtue.

The kraken was coming back, despite the cannon fire. A smaller tendril lashed towards the docks, only to be sliced off by Resolute Blade's divine edge. Another was turned aside by the flat of the sword as Athela sidestepped and deflected it the other way.

"Bind it!" She expected Mizzen to simply use his vines, but instead heard the rattle of metal behind her as the Timburr hefted one of the ship anchors and after a few swings overhead to build momentum flung the heavy chain towards the monsters. It caught around several tentacles, and more importantly, the anchor hooked into the rubbery flesh, giving it actual hold. The stout but powerful goblin-mon pulled back with all his strength, teetered at the edge of the dock. But as the chain clanked over the edge it was grabbed by Lancer, adding his strength in holding the beast at bay.

Several of the smaller tendrils grabbed onto the docks, but in doing so the beast's hideous beaked face and eye was visible. "Now! Slurry, Sludge Bomb! Aim for the eye!" The small Goomy on her shoulder bulged its body almost comically for a moment, then expunged the globe of poison hurtling right into the monster's eye. It screeched and thrashed as it was blinded, trying to get a hold on the docks to get at the young woman and her little beasties.

"Break off the tendrils!" Athela darted forth, slicing through several of the grappling limbs with her sword. Others were bitten by her Vaporeon to make them release, the monster still thrashing in the water. Slurry kept spitting poisonous slime, burning and weakening the grappling limbs. With Lancer taking the chain back out into the sea Mizzen let go, instead using his strength once more to grab one of the fishing boat's nets and fling that, farther tangling the flailing monster up so it couldn't grab back onto the docks.

As it was knocked free Lancer dove into the water, surging down and away from the shoreline. The chain and anchor pulled taunt as he raced past the monster, causing it to heave heavily sideways as it's bound tendrils were yanked violent. The Samurott could pull the wounded monster back out to sea if they could just get it away from gripping the shallow seabed.

"These people need not your anguish on such a night." At the edge of the dock Athela gripped Resolute Blade as it glowed bright shimmering blues with it's power. The wind of the storm blew past her, cloak flaring out behind her, red locks blowing aside despite the dampness of the rain weighing them. "Keldeo commands ye back to the depths that spawned ye!" She swung the sword not to strike, but in a sweeping motion channeling her Tide Caller powers as well as the divine calling within her. Her power was actually bolstered by the rains of the storm, along with the waters around the docks surging away at her command, rolling up into a large wave. That as it roared forth the wave briefly took the visage of a majestic horned equine, looking for all the world like Keldeo itself had come to slam into the kraken with all the force of a tsunami! The empowered impact rocked it backwards, pulling the rest of it's gripping limbs from the seabed.

With it's grip on the docks and seabed broken the monster could not resist the chain and anchor pulling tight upon it's form, and the Samurott dragging it through the rough waves back out to sea. Once at the depths the valiant pokemon would finish the job, and leave the monster to sink back to depths where it would not threaten helpless isles again.

The sword was sheathed, cloak fluttering a bit as Athela turned and walked down the dock with her other pokemon following. "Let us make sure the locals are in no other need before we move on." There was a lot of islands out here to check yet, and it would be a few minutes before her Samurott returned from disposing of the monster back in the depths.

The young knight had no idea that her activities on this night would attract the attention of some new and interesting allies. But now was not the time to interrupt her, not while she was putting her efforts to work for these people out where the 'big' nations would not reach; would not look beyond their own desperate borders.

The shadowed figure slid back into the darkness of the night. He had other instances in the chaos to investigate, other potentials to scout out. He would return to approach the young knight later, when things had calmed down.

She was willing to act where she was needed, to serve justice regardless of who was in charge or no charge at all. That was exactly what the Watch would need in the times to come...

Corona Arclite

2016-11-16T17:27:35Z

Foxer:

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Corona Arclite
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=711
|Img=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/CoronaArcliteRecolor_zpsa03ba464.jpg
|FullName=Corona Arclite
|Gender=Female
|Species=Silver Foxgirl
|Theme=Cosmic Cattlepunk Chronicles-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Defense Machinist
|Faction=Union
|Rank=20-Ally
|Ranktype=Ally
|Groups=Daedalus Initiative
|Quote=You can't fix the Past... But you can always build a better Future from it.
|AAge=Early 20s
|Height=5' 0"
|Hair=Dusty Blonde
|Eyes=Burnt Orange
|Song=Aviators -- Building Better Worlds ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_mJIPXrdag )
|Profile=Corona Arclite was just a kid off the gritty streets of Brimsteel until she was taken in by an elder machinesmith and trained in the ways of the forge and gearworks. Now it's her job to make sure industrial resources like the Loadstar Depot are protected, by keeping its defense measures running and its defenders properly armed against the cosmic frontier. But instead of tolling in a workshop all the time Corona is just as likely to be fighting alongside the guardians, using her knowledge and skills to demolish the enemy's defenses. Turns out the know-how for building things and fixing machines is also really good for -breaking- them as well, making her a surprisingly effective sapper and saboteur when needed. And it turns out spending much of your younger life having little is good motivation to protect what's important now. Despite being sassy, spunky and all too willing to put herself in middle of the action instead of working from behind the safety of the walls, Corona is dedicated to the cause of protecting the people and resources needed to build better worlds than her own. To commodate for the small stature that allows her to quickly move between defense points, Corona wields weapons more geared towards deterrence and debilitating mechanical threats; like her plasma-powered hammer and shotgun, cutting torches, personal turrets, and plenty of explosives. Sensitive ears render her vulnerable to certain extremely high and low sound frequencies.
|Powers=Resonant Hearing: Foxes have naturally sharp hearing, which Corona can use to listen to the vibrations made through metal and other materials. She's known for being able to diagnose mechanical problems by listening for the distinct sounds of broken or misaligned parts. It's also good for finding and disabling hidden devices like traps if she can hear the parts moving first. By finding the resonate frequency of a material she can better deduce its composition and the best means of smithing, or if necessary, breaking it.

Vulpine Grace: While naturally agile and dexterous, these attributes have been honed a bit more by her early life living on the streets. Corona is as quick with her feet as she is her wits; able to cleverly jump, climb and dig her way through a battlefield to do her job. Environments that would restrict larger and stronger individuals are a proverbial playground for the nimble vixen.
|Skills=Machinist: Trained by one exceptionally skilled and wise machinesmith, Corona has become a masterful engineer of pulsarium-powered anachronistic technology and industry in her own right. Constructing defenses, repairing equipment, and forging new parts for reverse engineering technologies are all in a day's work for her. Taught to use whatever she could find around her Corona's intuitive and improvisational skills allow her to jury-rig anything from old scrap-metal and retro components to modern materials and crystalline circuitry to make something work. When plasma generators and super-alloys exist alongside diesel super-engines and crystal-copper wiring, you learn to make it work together even if you don't entirely understand how. On the battlefield Corona can deploy small turrets that pack some serious punch with their plasma-powered blaster cannons and electrical discharges. She is also a capable mechanic, modifying vehicles to operate safely in the harsh Brimsteel environment, and driving them herself when she needs to work away from the Depot.

Metalsmith: When she has the resources for it Corona will smelt ores into metal and forge alloys for herself so she's got as much as what she could possibly need on hand when the time comes. To do this she also runs the depot's salvage facility, using it's plasma-flame furnace to melt down scrap and seperate minerals so she can reuse them. Just because a piece of equipment is too broken to be repaired and do its job does not mean it can't provide useful materials for later projects; the salvaging of parts and metal recycling helps keep the cost of raw materials down. Even if using scrap parts to repair things sometimes compromises their durability a bit, it does make them easier to replace.

Siege Warfare: As it turns out all the know-how about building structures and repairing machines is just as useful in knowing how to break them apart too. Just because she's normally technical support doesn't mean Corona can't fight. She excels at dealing with machinery, robots and fortifications; using her skills in engineering and improvisation to find the best ways to disarm traps, sap equipment, disable constructs and make it harder for the enemy to hold their own position. And Corona is really good at making things explode. It's been noted that it doesn't matter if she's the one that built it, if she's the one that breaks it there's a very high chance it -will- explode, overload or otherwise violently fail. Even if it is a type of construct that normally doesn't. It's like she has an almost supernatural ability to make machinery destruct in a spectacular fashion.

Logistical Management: There is a lot of math involved in engineering, manufacturing and supply handling. What she doesn't have in book smarts Corona makes up for with practice and experience, handling the numbers not because of schooling or training but from years of using it every day. Arguably she's better at it because it is based on actual learning from real experience rather than reading it out of text books.
|Assets=Gun Slinging: It wouldn't be a new frontier without packing some fresh shooting irons. Corona's primary choice is sawed-off shotgun called the Forge Sweeper that fires a scatterblast of highly energized globules, though it's damage output is limited at longer range due to dispersal. She also packs a modified riveter that has decent armor penetration, and a gun that can be loaded with adhesive for gumming up mechanical workings.

Corona Breaker: A hammer feels the most natural in the hands of an experienced smith so it's little surprise that one would be Corona's choice for favorite tool and primary melee weapon. Originally designed to use plasma heat to keep metal malleable, the aura of hot energy helps accommodate for her moderate physique by making it more effective at disrupting the structural integrity of the target. The energy can discharge at impact, resulting in a blast of plasma sparks. The handle can be extended into a two-handed sledgehammer for better leverage and momentum, but is slower to swing.

Arclite Cutters: Built into Corona's work gauntlets are a set of projectors that function like plasma torches, equally useful in cutting through armor and reinforced infrastructure as they are welding metals together. The plasma can be discharged in a burst similar to a flame caster, but it loses it's intensity past close quarters as the torches lack the magnetic 'shell' to prevent the plasma from dispersing that plasma-powered firearms have. Needless to say, her gauntlets are heat-proofed for safety.

Loadstar Depot: Corona operates out of the Loadstar Depot, which serves as a hub for the network of railways that service the Brimsteel mines, thus also making it the primary defense point against everything from mineral-eating monsters to greedy bandits and industrial rivals. You can only profit from the resources you can ensure safely reach their buyers after all. Specifically Corona is the depot's machinesmith, putting her in charge of both repairing equipment and making sure the depot and supply lines' defenses are maintained properly. Which means that sometimes she has to take care of clearing out mine infestations or breaking the enemies' stuff before they can attack personally.
|NPCs=HOPALONG: A companion construct resembling a jackalope that Corona build with a combination of steampunk and Izzet technology. Sentient but only able to communicate in mechanical sounds. In addition to powerful leg mechanisms and reinforced antlers that allow him to launch like a living battering ram, he can fight by expelling hot fumes and discharging current from his horns. Jaws function as a chipper and forepaws double as hydraulic shovels. Alternately can transform into a weapon that fires the hot slag of his furnace. (PL 20)
|Disadvantages=Sensitive Ears: The drawback to Corona's sharp ears and highly tuned hearing is the susceptibility to extremely high or sudden noises, which overpowers her attunement to resonant frequencies. Certain pitches interfere with her hearing to the point of being painfully disorienting. Weaponry based around disruptive sonic or concussive shockwaves can be highly effective at crippling her even if they don't do physical harm normally because of this attunement to hearing resonations. The shape and position of her ears, along with how heavily she relies on hearing techniques, prevents her from employing more effective protection against such problems.

Tech Bruiser: Corona can dish out some serious damage in a fight, especially against physical structures and machine based foes. But she replies heavily on her special hammer, plasma-powered weaponry and other tricks to have any sort of presence on the field of conflict. Without her weapons, her tools, some bombs or a machine she can jury-rig into service she is little more than an eccentric vixen that may be too smart for her own good.

Lightweight: Being able to scale walls, crawl through small access spaces and move between defensive positions rapidly requires one to be as quick on their feet as they are with their wits. Corona travels light, carrying little more than the gear she needs to do her job, the weapons to protect herself, and some thorough but basic protective measures. She's got considerable stamina against exertion but can't take more than moderate harm from attacks before starting to suffer from it. She is also really easy to throw around in a fight if her opponent is bigger and stronger ... which is pretty much anything she goes up against. If they can get their hands on her, that is.

Lock And Overload: A wise machinist once said that Necessity is the mother of Invention... And that Stability is often a deadbeat dad. This has a habit of being true with Corona's more inventive works, like jury-rigging a vehicle to make it run, or her modified guns occasionally jamming or backfiring because they don't use standard functionality. It is especially true of the sentry units she uses for field deployment. She hasn't quite perfected the portable design yet and they have a notorious habit of failing at inopportune moments. They're also usually made out of scrap metal and spare parts, so they're not particularly durable, and when they do fail it tends to be in the most spectacular fashion possible. In other words, despite being small they explode really, really well.

Machinist's Duty: Loadstar Depot relies heavily on Corona's work to be able to defend itself and the resources it harvests, including a lot of raw material which goes to supplying the needs of warfare as well as her world's efforts to settle the volcanic frontiers. It's because of the these reasons that she works for the Union, but despite doing so she can't stay away from her home for extended tours of duty. If she's needed on home ground due to surges in raider activity or monster threats she can be gone from the main theater of the conflict for stretches of time if her homeland needs her more.
}}

Wild Inspiration (Corona)

2016-11-12T00:33:38Z

Foxer: Another TP Cutscene

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/11/11
|Location=Brimsteel
|Synopsis=Trying to relax turns into a new idea instead.
|Cast of Characters=711
|Tinyplot=Moeru
}}
The dust was flying behind the tires of her buggy; the hot prairie wind blowing through her hair. As much as she didn't want to stay away from Ravnica for too long Corona couldn't deny that she needed this brief reprive, with the gold and crimson colors of the beginning of sunset providing a backdrop to collecting her thoughts and emotions back in order.

She had spent most of the day down in the industrial wastelands testing out some of the new ideas her flurry of innovation had brought upon. Most of them had worked, but the problem she kept having with others was that they were too big to be easily carried around even with collapsable clockworks. If she used her matter manipulator, the device would be too obvious to the enemy while being placed and give them too much time to react.

If only there was a functional way to make them more mobile...

Corona stopped the buggy next to an outcropping of painted rock and climbed up to the top of the stone protrusion. From here she could sit with her handy concealed flask of cactusjack and watch the proceeding sunset. It was hard to really relax right now, but if she could at least untangle the knot she'd been stuffing down in her gut a bit, sort out the conflicting sense and emotions...

Just as she had gotten the flask out and started to take a swig the sound of clattering over yonder caught her attention. Across the plain of dry grass Corona could make out the form of several antler-bearing lagomorphs leaping and crashing into each other with their headgear.

Heh, jackalopes. A relatively common critter on Brimsteel's larger prairies. They were well known for being ornery and territorial despite their size. Those stocky, meaty hindlegs could launch one like a furry horned missile, gouging and bowling over predators thrice their size. Made them right quick and nimble too, using zigzagging leaps to confuse an enemy before slamming into them...

Corona finished her swing of cactusjack but as she lowered the flask from her muzzle she had that look of abrupt revelation twitching across her expression. In a flash of motion that could put those jackalopes to shame she vaulted off her perch, slid down the backside slope of the outcropping and jumped into her buggy. A few revs to warm up the steam engine and then a fishtail peeling away sent her racing back towards Loadstar Depot with a shower of kicked up sediment in the wake.

She'd have to take the rest of her work back to Ravnica anyways so she can be ready. Maybe she could get some of the magewrights to help her out so more could get done in less time. It might not be the most practical solution, but in the short term it was the best option. Science can do what science does and innovate from there. If they survive.

But even in the darkest of times, inspiration could come in unusual places.

Legacies... And How To Save Them (Corona)

2016-11-12T00:29:02Z

Foxer: TP cutscene

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/11/08
|Location=Corona's Workshop - Brimsteel
|Synopsis=Dealing with aftermath of Nexus PartI
|Cast of Characters=711
|Tinyplot=Moeru
}}
Corona was not exactly someone known for keeping a level temperment. But as the events had unfolded in the Nexus in the most terrible way possible and she saw how her friends were reacting, she forced down her own emotions for the sake of trying to keep them in check, as much as she wanted to shove Ijiwara's sword up his own ass sideways for what he had done like everyone else.

Emotions running hot tend to cloud out judgement. Make a person do things they normally wouldn't out of anger and grief. It puts a person down a dark and bitter road... A road Corona knows all too well herself. The varmit would get his due. But there was a very fine, often blurry line between Justice and Revenge.

She wasn't going to let her friends cross it recklessly. Or perpetuate the cycle by being consumed as that varmit was.

So it wasn't until she was in the privacy of her den beneath the workshop in Loadstar that Corona finally let out the angry, frustrated howl she had been keeping bottled up and slammed a fist into the wall. Fortunately she was still wearing her battle gloves so it did more damage to the wall than her knuckles.

Afterward she just stood there, one fist to the wall, head bowed in heavy breaths. She had her suspicions from the start, but by the time all the pieces finally started falling out of the shadows, Ijiwaru's gambit was already clamped down on them. It wasn't just about getting Yunomi. Otherwise he would of just done this at the beginning like the smarmy sidewinder he was. No, all the suffering he had caused Rhapsody was part of it. All the turmoil being stirred up in the city. Corona knew his sort well enough. Yunomi's death wasn't enough... He wouldn't stop until he destroyed everything she and the ones she loved ones had lived for.

Her legacy.

Finally Corona pulled her fist from the wall and trudged across the den, removing the gloves and tossing them aside. She sulked over to the hammock that served as her bed when she didn't just doze off in the shop, but rather than collapsing in it the fox turned to pick up something from the stand next to it. A battered old book, the leatherbound covers showing their age and wear. The only thing she had of her real father and the legacy he had left her.

Corona hugged the book to her chest as a few tears finally managed to trickle past the corners of her eyes. She knew how Rhapsody felt, having her loved one stripped away from her -- twice now. She had only been a kit when she lost her family because of that sabotaged shuttle and the mercs that came to search the wreckage; surviving only because she had been pushed somewhere safe by her folks, and when the bandits found her they didn't have the heart to shoot a kid in cold blood. They dumped her off at an orphanage instead, figuring no one would ever knew who she was. But she had run away from there, too bitter and angry at the world for taking away everything she'd had, and living off the dirty streets of Brimsteel. Until Ol' Rusty had found her, and put her back on the right path. Gave her a life again; more importantly, gave her a purpose.

And then his legacy, when he'd given her his surname and his place as the Depot's head machinist.

Much like Niv-Mizzet had left his trio of dragonlings his life's work of the Izzet League, after giving himself to protect it and them. Like he and they had taken in a wayward tanuki, and eventually put her on the path to accomplishing a thing no one thought possible, even if it had been at the worst point in her life.

Now those Legacies faced their own ends.

... Or did they?

Abruptly a bolt shot through her, Corona's head snapping up as she was jerked out of her remorse by it. It was a spark, a gut feeling, a... something. But suddenly she felt some of that exhausted energy coming back to her as fingers tighted around the journal. "No..." In a flurry she spun on her heels with battered book in hand still, storming through the den, back to the stairs. "No no NO!" There was no one but the clockworks to hear her defiance, but she did not care.

The end was what he wanted. Come hell and high water, guilds or no guilds, she wasn't going to let it happen. Or at least die with her boots on trying.

"Your father always had a saying," Rusty had told her when he finally gave Corona that journal. "You can't fix the past... But you can always build a better future." He had kept that journal hidden away, not giving it to her until he'd known she'd grown enough to really understand what that meant. To continue making a good life for herself helping others, rather than wallowing in bitter shadows of the past.

Corona practically flew up the flight of stairs and back into the smithery. The journal was flopped on a workbench and flung open, pages flipped to earlier in the book. Old yellow pages that were chronicled in the early days, when her father and Rusty had still been in the steamcore militia together. Not anything she could really use directly, but it was a source of guidance all the same. Of inspiration. A reminder of the legacies, the hope she still had.

The hope they needed now. Ijiwaru had broken Rhapsody, broken Yonumi, broken everyone's spirits. Both the guilds and the guildless were restless, pointing fingers, throwing blame, ready to toss nooses around each other's necks. He was assured he had already won when he started this mania. He thought he had control of the game, already holding all the good cards... Which meant it was time to stop playing on his terms, by his rules.

Corona pulled off the broken, cracked goggles from the fight and tossed them in a wastebasket. A step on a pedal hidden under the workbench slid open a drawer of fresh new goggles, ready to be put to use. She grabbed a pair, letting the drawer slide shut again as she took off her hat and after hanging it aside put the goggles atop her head.

"Fire up the forges Tinderbox!" The clockwork cube gave an irritated sputter-click that she was suppose to be resting, but trundled off to do as told. "Ah know, but there's work to be done." Work, a purpose, was still her coping mechanism. Change doesn't just come. Change is made. YOU make change. That was what the Izzet League did. They made change. They innovated, for the better. Not themselves, but others, even those that didn't respect them for it, that RELIED on them for it. Niv-Mizzet had made change happen, and left ways for others to keep making it happen for him. Made her wish she'd been around when he still was, but that's not important right now.

"Iffen it's a fight for the city that varmit wants..."

Corona pulled the goggles down over her eyes finally, the red-orange glow of the magma-fueled furnaces firing up reflecting off the lenses.

"It's a bloody fraggin' *war* he's gonna get."

Legacies don't die.

Sometimes they do get broken... But that's when you reforge them.

4686/Fright Factory - The Machine Queen

2016-10-18T01:43:51Z

Foxer: Posting log to wiki

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/10/16
|Location=The Deep Valley
|Synopsis=Epic Boss Battle versus Tesla... and the Factory itself??
|Cast of Characters=368, 984, 1057, 290, 750, 670
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The air vent escape our daring heroes were force to take last time turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After a climb through cramped quarters that seemed to take forever the ductwork exited into another part of the facility that, after a short look around, appeared to be free of monsters or deathtraps. This must be the way Tesla and her allies entered the factory without facing the madness you've been put through. A good place to withdraw from and regroup, now that the way to the upper levels was revealed. Tesla Armadia was not a threat to be taken lightly when already worn out and frustrated, after all. Nothing has changed since then. Your arrival is met with the same cold, sterile corridors and inactive terminal stations. The lights occasionally flicker off and on from fluxes in the power, but there's no deranged animatronics lurking in the shadows this time. Just corridors and stairways winding their way towards the top. But after the previous experiences with mutant miscreants and monsterous machines no one would blame the brave souls for still being jumpy at the ominous atmosphere. Either Tesla didn't realize where they had escaped into from the Killing Floor, or doesn't concern herself with worrying about it. Either way she definately knows they're coming back eventually... Occasionally the hallway passes a spot where the wall collapsed away, allowing one to see into what remains of the factory itself. It's all dead and motionless now, haunting in an entirely different way. Some of the machinery leers at bad angles, barely held by cables or leaning against another piece of equipment, creaking and ready to topple farther at any moment. Apparently the collapse of the Killing Floor disabled much of the internal workings. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Clinky-clank! Karal Rei Lin's clambering through the facility is a bit noisy, but she manages it impressively quickly. Using directions given over the radio as part of the reinforcements quest... well, she's only gotten a bit lost once!     Just once, honest.     Finally though, she drops down from the air vents and adjusts her outfit and hair, ensures her weapon's still snugly fitted to her belt, and blinks around at the surroundings... utterly mystified.     She has no bloody clue what ANY of this stuff is.     The mystified look slowly turns depressed. If she doesn't understand any of it, how can she help? 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''     Once more unto the breach, Alopex has returned to the 'abandoned' facility to finish what she started. She was kind enough to show Karal how everyone had entered before, hoping as they drop from the vents that the others aren't very far behind. A long look is taken through the dark before she sees Lin looking a little put off. "From what I understand, you needn't worry about all of this. There is an individual that is in need of .. forceful removal from this place. Punch them in the face, some. You'll be fine," she offers, helpfully. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' If there's one thing Rebecca has learned, it's that no place is ever 'truly' abandoned unless you check it for certain. Which is why she's returned here once again after awhile, wanting to try to take care of things once and for all. This whole place has been bringing back memories of the Arklay Mansion as well as other 'undead' issues she's had to deal with for awhile now. Now making her way inside the vents, she finds herself relieved that she takes good care of her health and has such a skinny build, giving her the ability to move through these things with ease. Once she has made her way fully inside, she loads her Beretta and activates the flashlight on it. "Time to close this place once and for all!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The kangaroo fighter has been here since this whole thing started. As far as she knows, Tesla is still somewhere deep inside this facility, but who knows what else they'll have to fight their way through to get to her. "So far we've fought all manner of mechanical monstrosities." She offers, "But we have yet to face off with the creator of them...She's still in there, so be on your toes." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' So here Lyria was again Tesla Armadia had really got under the Levitani's skin, just with how she seemed to treat her creations. They did seem to be sapient and with how they were disposed of? She had a nightmare about it but it was her being disposed of. She had fallen out of bed and woken up on the floor of her room when it was all over. SO here she was ready and this time she wasn't alone as a serpent like machine coiled after her. "I have brought some extra help this time. You look like a first year in machine ship Karal, are you all right?" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The final corridor is dark at first, but as people start to step into it some sort of motion sensor activates. Fortunately all it does is turn on each section of lights one by as the group progresses down its length. The only thing of interest in the otherwise sterile corridor is the small screens on the walls that display various still images. The one that might first catch Alopex, Rebound and Lyria's eye is that of a much younger human Tesla installing the head on the hyena animatron the fought before. Or one similar, as it looks less... nightmarish. Another is of that robotic 'magic rabbit' that briefly appeared. There's one of the first time the factory AI's holo-avatar was rendered. Closer to the end of the passage the images become more recent. Tesla in midst of dawning her augmentive armor for the first time after modifying it to suit her armadillo mutation. Another of rows of pods for generating Lunessa and the first of her biomechanical clones. The final installation of weapons and hardware onto Shardcore, the tank-like dino-robot still being one of her more formidable creations to this day. Maybe the most unusual thing is none of the pictures seem to match the manevolence seen in the lower levels... And then the corridor ends, opening into a sizable cubic shaped chamber. Footsteps rattle on the metallic floor, the walls on either side being made of some translucent material that shows the upper levels of machinery of the factory around them, while the back wall is in itself nothing but machinery of some sort. It's quiet initially at their entrance, but that is soon broken by the sound of clapping, enhanced by the metallic gloves worn over hands. It comes from a platform partway up the back wall of machinery, which comes into light as sure enough the mastermind herself steps up. "Took your sweet time in getting up here, didn't you?" The clapping stops so she can adjust her glasses before leaning forward on the saftey railing to leer down at them. "I was starting to worry you actually got scared away... But now I see you just took your time to get a little more help." Pause. Then a snide smirk that could put any Bond villain to shame. "Good. You'll need it." 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' The walk down the hall would be a silent one for Alopex. The monitors seem to tell Tesla's story, but being so new to the Multiversal War causes the ninja to be uninterested in it. She's more focused on the hall itself, flinching at one set of the automatic lights, but ignoring the rest. The clapping in the final room is what causes her forward momentum to halt. The fox isn't one to respond to a monolouge with words. Actions tend to speak far louder than words, anyway, right? At Tesla's words, the mutant takes a long look at the inventor, then her gaze shifts to the rest of the room as she braces herself for ... something. Honestly after the last two visits, Alopex wasn't entirely sure what to expect. At least help showed up in the form of the others. "Glad to see you all again," she muses to them when she has a moment. "Be ready for anything.." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca's more focused on keeping things covered with her Beretta as she makes her way down the hall. She doesn't pay much heed to the monitors either. It's not until the mysterious mastermind makes herself fully known that Rebecca levels her Beretta at her, scowling. And when she smirks, Rebecca responds by scowling even deeper. "So, YOU must be the one who's behind this whole thing!" She comments. "I have to hand it to you, this was a rather interesting place you had. A shame it won't be lasting much longer once we're done with it!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The arrival of Tesla up above them makes Rebound shake her head a bit, "What /is/ it with the dramatic entrances?" She asks, "I mean seriously, you villain types can't show up unless the lighting is right and your timing is perfect, can you?" She flexes her fists to get the Impact Drivers warming back up, "I swear I should just walk around with a bright light to prevent dramatic shadowy entrances by Confederates. Now come on Tesla, get down here and I'll punch you in the face a few times and then you can self destruct this facility and we can all go home." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin frowns at this explanation. And the way Lyria puts it. But there's just no helping it, is there? "So long as nobody takes me for a fool... there's nothing LIKE this where I'm from." She settles on. No matter how many times she sees things like this they still amaze her!     Her eyes are drawn to the various monitors. What's there to see's more than sufficient to put her on full alert! After all, she's dealing with some kind of sorcerer-engineer...     Who knows just WHAT they're coming up with?     But she hesitates upon encountering the cube-shaped chamber. "I sense danger, be careful in here..." She's especially suspicious of that machinery-covered wall. The tiny entrances.     Various thoughts flash through her mind. Her eyes flick about the entrance's frame and the machinery used for handling the door, critically evaluating its construction.     She can only stare up at Tesla after entering the chamber herself though. "All of this amazing machinery. Put these skills to use for those less fortunate and you could build a nation off of gratitude alone, with nobody hunting you down." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason also has a small orante flying drone beside her shoulder it's giving off a light akin to a really good maglight but she seem to be paying attention is the screens. "WAit she was a hume once?" Lyria looks /very/ confused at this. Radical mutation like that? Only happens on her world due to the ENEMY itself warping the pattern of life so she's pretty squicked out there. "Is this a history of her?" then it seems they are now in trap as she smirks a bit at them. "I'm afrauid we may be in your trap but well you know what they say? Sometimes you got to trip a trap to deal with it." Lyria doesn't take Karal for a fool, no Karal is reacting to this like Lyria does to worlds without magic. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "Stratos gave me a few pointers." Tesla idly adjust the collar of her labcoat. "And I could say the same about your sort assuming you can solve every problem by punching it." Her gaze looks from Rebound to the white fox, and then back to Lyria and her 'companion'. "Hopefully the rest of you will be more.. interesting." Followed by a hauntingly amused laugh as Rebecca and the Karal speak up. "Build a nation? My dear, what do you think I've done? I've had my hand in the science and industry of the Confederacy for longer than you might imagine." Then steeples her fingers together and tilts her a bit, much like that first video transmission before they were dumped into the lower levels. "But you're right, this place won't be lasting much longer. The question will be if you're still here..." Tesla parts her hands again, and the way she's got her head angled the glow in her eyes can be seen even behind the lenses of her glasses. Up until now the factory had remained dead and silent... but those with sharper hearing would hear machinery grinding to life with an unearthly groan of gears and pistons. "Because all I see before me is a bunch of bleeding hearts..." Klaxons blare to life in the chamber, heralding the roar of machinery as a large formation of old factory parts *SLAMS* through the right wall, even as it's reforming the mishmash of parts into a large mechanical hand. One corner of her mouth curls back into a malicious smirk showing more fang-like teeth. "And I'm starving." The monsterous mechanical hand clenches into a fist and then slams down into the middle of the chamber, sending out a shockwave with the impact as if the threat of being crushed alone wasn't enough. Even as the opposite wall is pulled open by a second frankenstiened claw. Tesla lets out the sort of laughter one would expect from an evil genius as she uses her technopathic powers to bring the what remains of the factory to bear upon her foes! (BOSS BATTLE MUSIC BEGIN! -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PgOrF3zD7o ) 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' It's clear Alopex picks up on things moving in the factory as her ears start to turn to one side of the room. Instead of moving to attack Tesla, "MOVE!" The fox shouts as the massive rusted claw comes surging down upon them, the room seemingly coming to life to fight the heroes of its own accord! For Alopex, she may not realize that these massive metallic hands are being controlled by Tesla, but that realization could come later. Dealing with the immediate threat was more important. Rather than attack the arms, Alopex darts to wherever their 'shoulders' might be, trying to find a source to stab at rather then the limbs. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The warning from the fox gets Rebound's attention for a moment, and she turns towards the wall, just in time to spot the wall crash down. She leaps out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed as the machinery based hand comes through. Okay that one's a bit bigger than the last few. She'll have to try to come up with a cunning, ingenious plan to take it down. She dives forward, because her plan is to try to hit it with one of the impact drivers in a joint, aiming for the elbow of the arm. If she can break a joint she can disable the whole arm, just like putting somebody in an armbar. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin's attention diverts away from Tesla the instant machinery noises reach her hyper-focused hearing. She reacts with freakish timing, glide-skidding sideways like a shadow over water. A tiny focused twitch of muscles is enough to propel her just like that, it seems! "Uuuuuagh--!"     It's not enough. the fist doesn't hit her, but its WAKE catches her and sends her stumbling across the ground!     "Amazing... that thing's gigantic!" And the prospect of a fight against it... what a worthy test of her abilities. She's not even sure if she can win!     It's terrifying... and equally exciting! Karal Rei Lin's heart throbs with anticipation and what could only be interpreted as an overjoyed smile comes to her face!     Lin slams a foot into the ground and adopts a sword-drawing stance, right hand open and hovering over her sheathed weapon's grip. Her left's gripping the scabbard tightly--     The redhead's image wavers and fades out. Hold on a minute, where'd she--     "HYAAAAAAH!!" Her sword leaves a blindingly bright golden contrail in its wake, the simple steel weapon aimed for one of the finger joints exactly at a point of faint metal fatigue that the naked eye couldn't possibly detect... right?!     The Exalt blurs back into view past the hand, but her body flicker-whooshes into action again the instant she's got footing. Striking two, three, four times in about two seconds to various joints and critical points against the gargantuan hand! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' When the claw comes down towards Rebecca and the others, the medic is dodging quickly, rolling away from it as fast as she can. "I just KNEW something like this would happen!" She comments to herself. switching out her Beretta for her Magnum instead. While some might go for one joint, Rebecca's going for the opposite one as she opens fire quickly, aiming at the joints with her Magnum in hopes the high powered firearm will do a decent amount of damage. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason smirks for a moment and she tilts her head. "You make an interesting point." She doesn't trash talk and soon they find they are trapped in here. Sjhe seems to be ready for trouble now as things are staring to get nuts. "Swimmer combat mode." The serpent hiss to life not and Lyria start to run now not wanting to keep still. "SO here we go! Avast driver online." The serpent hisse it's jaws open and it' got a damn beam canon there. The canon charges up and fires as Lyria tries to not get caught. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The combination of animalistic senses and trained intuition is more than enough for Alopex to realize something is -really wrong- with this and warn her allies just in time to get out of the way of the massive fist of old machinery slamming into the room. The evasive movement gives some of them enough time to react before Tesla can recover the limb from the strike, which Rebound takes full advantage of to leap in, leap up, and slam her weaponized punch into a lower joint of the offending arm. A shower of bits of pieces jar free of the cracking machinery. Sparks fly as bullets rattle against the machinery, knocking loose more bits of metal and plastic and filling the room with a hissing sound as hydraulic hoses are punctured. And if anyone was paying attention to her they'd notice just the hint of a flinch from Tesla on her platform. That's the clearest indication that she is somehow still in control her; that she can 'feel' the limbs and what happens with them is the double-edged blade of her powers. Her control is as aboslute as if part of her own body... But the feedback is a killer on the mind, especially when she's pouring all of her ability into something this big. The sword may be nothing special other than extremely well crafted, but the Exalted guiding it is more than enough to dig the blade into a weak spot. The conglomeration gets some benefit from the powers forming it, but it doesn't entirely off-set how old and worn the machinery composing it is. The blade effectively pins a finger to the floor, tearing it off when the machinery moves again. The massive manipulator arm starts to pull back up from the floor, but not being the quick ninja fox is able to jump on and start running up the length of the limb. There's a large joint assembling near where the construct reachs into the room that approximates the function of a shoulder, near where the back wall of technology still stands. She probably doesn't want to risk going farther than that as that would mean diving into the algamation of factory machinery that could do very nasty crushing and grinding things to a body. Her ascent does not go unhindered though, as several of the cables and tubes twisting about the formation pull free and lash at Alopex like nasty technological tentacles. "Heh.. Hehehe.. Good, good. You're actually putting up a fight. Come, show me what you can -really- do." Still as analytical as any scientist, though. Even while she's trying to horrendously maul you with an entire factory at her command. While the techno-tentacles spawn and whip after Alopex on the arm, the other machine-arm finishes opening its way into the chamber. It's fingers flip open the tips to reveal several clusters of... nozzles? Yes, nozzles, as they open fire with water of all things!... Water focused into an extremely narrow, extremely high pressure stream that can actually cut through materials typical saws and torches cannot. The deadly streams swing and swoosh around the chamber in erratic motions, creating a dangerous 'sweeping lasers' pattern to avoid. Though as Lyria dodges the attacks her robo-snake opens fire, the beam cannon cutting through the various attacks going on around it to blast a glowing gouge across the back wall. Machinery clatters way and tumbles across the floor as it's torn through, but if it's vital to the massive limbs and Tesla's powers attacking them isn't clearly evident yet... 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Cables! AAAH. The fox does NOT draw her sword, instead she starts to hop, bound, and occasionally rebound (HAHA) off the wall to avoid their assault. One of them still manages to cause a tear in the side of her new gear, probably going deeper then just that, due to the wince the fox lets slip. That'll hurt worse, later.. As she continues, if the fox doesn't spot a source that seems to be controlling the arms, she'll make a quick stop, crouch, and then lunge upward for the same catwalk that Tesla's on. Why bother with the arms if the mastermind is right there to deal with! "Enough of this!" she calls out, looking to make a fairly dramatic landing before bumrushing Tesla with one fist cocked back. Does Tesla have a good dental plan? 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' You know Rebound may be a fighter, but she also knows about using water to cut steel. That's why it's probably a bad idea to get caught in the way of one of them. Still she's going to need to dodge, weaving and trying to avoid getting hit. She's not as successfuly as she would hope, one of her leaps misjudged and the stream of water catching her at her side. But she fights through the pain and lands below the hand, hauling back and firing the concentracted kinetic energy from the Impact Driver upwards. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' We are in the belly of the beast now and she knows this isn't something able to put up fight just yet. "You want to see what I can really do?! Swimmer! Load Armour Drivers!" the Snake like thing shifts and alter expanding in a way that Terran Science shouldn't allow but it is doing that evne Lyria dodges the laser making for the rapidly chanigng drone which soon appears to be now some sort of powered armour, which she leaps into, the system snas ahd ealed and a massive canon appears in the suit's hands. "You want a brawl? You got one..." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The Magnum does its duty, but the clip is small. Rebecca is forced to take cover and reload as she plans for her next course of action. At the same time, the hissing noise gets to her a bit, but she tries to remain focused. In fact, as she aims again, she looks closer and sees if there might be any potential weak spots before she opens fire again. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Details aren't lost on Karal rei Lin. As naive and ignorant as she may be in dozens of ways, COMBAT's an area she seems to have taken to like a fish in water. The flinch, that didn't look like just disappointment... could it have been pain?!     "There's some strange sorcery at work here!" And if she can just figure out WHAT.     But her senses scream DANGER and she executes a hasty sideflip on instinct! A water-laser squirts her way, lancing straight across her path! Her blade comes at an angle to deflect it... but the high-pressure stream cuts it apart like a hot knife through butter. Then... it passes through to graze-slash halfway through her left arm, grazing bone. Blood flows freely from the wound as Lin lands and goes skidding over the ground. PAIN assaults her, and it's all she can do not cry out as her outfit stains crimson from within.     There's not ENOUGH blood though. Her arm's not moving right, but... there's not enough blood for that to be life-threatening. Somehow.     What's more, that blast SHOULD have cut her arm clean off. It didn't. What's going on?     "Do you want to see? Do you REALLY?"     Half-sogged and covered in blood, and now weaponless, what could Karal Rei Lin hope to do? Yet she still steps forward.     "Then look well!" With a thunderous CRACK, golden light flares in the Exalt's hands. White-gold-orange power flows out, taking the shape of a sword through nothing more than an exertion of pure willpower. Golden flame erupts from her body, swiftly filling the chamber with a heatless blaze. A sunburst mark glows on Lin's forehead... and as she drops back into her battle stance, the golden flames begin taking shape!     A roaring, majestic, blood-curdling fearsome TIGER's superimposed over her, wrought in divine light.     Another thunderous burst accompanies Lin leaping sideways and against the wall! But it's only because she's running diagonally up the wall and ascending towards Tesla's platform!     It's a charge that would terrify many a hardened soldier. There's no stopping that thing she's become - an engine of awesome wrath! 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Outside the chamber the remarks about the factory not lasting from both sides appear to be quite true. The place is almost literally falling in on itself save that one room, though if it's from the steady collapse from the Killing Floor breaking below or because Tesla has pulled up much of the remaining infrastructure into her attack methods is hard to disconcern. On one path the magician-dressed robo-bunny that briefly appeared before can be seen, leading the evac of a group of Tesla's cat-gremlin minions carrying assorted boxes and cases of presumably important things, using her scarf-rope to pull a broken rampway down so they can get to an exit. On another falling machinery crashes through a catwalk and sends up gouts of flame. Until the holo-AI appears, redirects some fire suppression to put out the flames, and forms a hard-light bridge for the evacuess to get across. The kinetic blast slams into the water-cutter hand, shattering the powerful but delicate machinery into a cascade of part fragments. Thankfully Rebound is directly underneath so the eruption of broken shrapnel sprays out and away from her due to the kinetic energy having so much knockback. If she wasn't so focused on directing attacks and keeping the Exalted from just shiskabobbing her, Tesla would marvel at the transformation that suits Lyria up in armor, and gives her a large cannon to blast away at the assaulting machinery with. Considering the fact that there's only about half of a wall left in the first place just makes Karal running up and along it all the more impressive, using the remaining chunks like some gravity defying stepping stones if nothing else. With heavy breaths Tesla focus and gestures with one hand, machinery rapidly peeling away from below even as it's being shot apart and rising up to for a barrier of gears and grinding. The sword of willpower will break through the boundry easily enough, but it will at least keep the attacker away from -her-. Too bad for her the sneaky ninja fox already ninjaed her way up there. Rebecca may only have a 'normal' Magnum, but in the chaos of everything else shifting around, breaking apart or attacking, a good trusty gun is all she needs. There is apparently nothing shielding the machinery at the back of the room from being shot at again and again now that Tesla moved it. Sparks fly and hiss from the damage, revealing a mess of gears and cogs behind the electronics. There's some impression it might be connected to those arms, even if it looks like the assemblies are some mishmash of nonfuctional arrangements, all around a miasma of something otherworldly glowing with the same sheen as the technopath's eyes. Tesla's powers can make machines form and work in ways that say **** you to standard engineery physics, apparently. Ninja training and being an unfamiliar factor come into play as Alopex dodges most of the attacking tentacles and jumps up onto the platform while most of Tesla's focus is on the attackers below. The fist almost literally comes out of nowhere, slamming into the side of the mad genius' face. The recoil is gloriously almost slow motion as her entire body, caught off guard, heaves to the side and against the wall with a loud "OOMPH". When Tesla hits the wall, what remains of the attacking arms stop moving without her direction. There's nothing to move to defend the bizarre machinery that's been revealed in the back. Now would be the time to, in certain immortal words: SHOOT THE CORE 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason checks the stats on her machine, SWIMMER's AI takes over support roles while Lyria focus on shooting and movement. "You like it? This is my master work and I'm not even done with it!" She pauses several small spider like drones leap from the shoulders of the unit and skitter away as she's got an idea for them for now? The canon is poweirng up as she channels her magic into it. "The machinery in the back!" Lyria aims the canon the suit has and raises it up, a moment later she pulls the trigger but what comes out is not energy or ... bullets. It's freaking Magma a torrent of control magma is coming out in short bursts like a machine gun. "HA How do you like this!" 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:'''         *WHAM That satisfying feeling of a fist impacting its target almost puts a smile on Alopex's face. Almost. There was far too much going on below for the fox to celebrate managing to sucker-punch the inventor. The follow up from Alopex is not another strike, rather, it's the tip of the Tentetsutou's blade pressed to something important. Most likely her neck, but anything would do, so long as it didn't appear to be protected. As predicted, Tesla has gotten the ninja to draw a rarely drawn blade a third time.         "Enough." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Shoot the core. Simple enough, right? Rebecca's got another clip loaded and the weak spot is exposed. She makes herself visible just long enough to fire off a couple of shots at the core before moving to another place of cover, since her gut instincts are telling her not to stay still. Even as she moves, she reloads after firing the remaining shots while on the move. Once she gets to another cover, she reloads her gun fully then pops out to open fire again. "We've almost got this!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' With the core exposed, it seems to be presenting itself as a really viable target. Everyone else seems to be using ranged attacks, withch makes Rebound a bit hesitant to jump in there and unleash her full furry fury upon the core, but a break in the gunfire makes her move. She plants both feet, and with all the power she can muster, throws her massive kangaroo form through the air, sailing towards the core. She cocks back with her right arm as she flies, and the Impact Driver sparks to life, energy building inside of it as she goes. Upon reaching the target, that big glowing core, she twists her body and swings that charged arm forward, stretching out as she does so with the intent of smashing into it with full force, driving herself straight through the core if she can, to bring the whole thing crashing down. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin's brow furrows at thsi development. She's rushing at terrific speeds towards.. a WALL OF GEARS AND JUNK! Worrisome. And her footing's already pretty difficult to deal with - the wall being so irregular and missing so many pieces is making things difficult... otherwise the Exalt's ascent might be even faster!     Lin focuses her attention on that obstruction fiercely, narrowing her eyes and focusing her will even further!     The energies forming the Glorious Solar Saber writhe and swirl. Curling prominences burst from its surface. The air crackles and pops in the blade's wake and drops of molten energy drip down to the ground, scorching and burning through the floor.     Just how hot IS that thing?!     Lin puts on the brakes, carefully balancing her momentum and the force of gravity. For one brief moment she hangs in midair, her eyes closing for an instant of focus.     Her whole body becomse a viper-like blur of motion. One slash, two, three, four, five six seven! Countless, brief-lived golden arcs are all that can be seen of her technique. Each of them carving a molten path through huge chunks of the barrier!     The clamor's horrible indeed, but Lin kicks downwards - OFF OF EMPTY AIR - and propels herself back onto course along the wall, tearing through a rapidly crumbling pile of cables and gears!     But she doesn't bother closing in. She swings and HURLS the blazing katana-like blade at Tesla! 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' In hindsight, maybe Tesla should of worn her full armor. On the other hand, empowering her armor would of taken away technopathic effort from turning the factory hardware into impliments of attack. Compromises had to be made for this to work. With a huff she wipes some blood from her lips, but only gets partway up before the blade is put point to her neck. In the ongoing chaos and mechanical racket it's unlikely anyone heard the sounds of scraping down the corridor they originally entered in. Or saw the one glowing point of light once the lights went out. True to form, she still manages to smirk a bit. "Yes, I do believe it is." Cue the multiple attacks being powered into the 'core' of the monsterous machine Tesla had forced together with her powers. Gun shots, magma blasts, and a very angry kangaroo out to prove that punching really -can- solve most of her problems. The glowing fades as the machinery is ripped through. What remains of the arms simply break and crumble into so many disorganized parts as the force animating them, holding them together in impossible ways even, is removed from the algamation and great plumes of smoke belch out with the damage. The entire place shudders, making one wonder how long even this chamber will remain standing as the ruins collapse around it. A robotic hand reached in, digging claws into the door frame. The other, stripped down to a twist of mechanics barely reconizable as such, thuds against the other side. Only one red spot of light, focusing on the platform overhead. Then a distorted electronic roar that would be familiar to those that endured the Killing Floor pierces the room, even as the monster that surges into the room doesn't have lower jaw left in its head. Casing has been burned and broken off in so many places to reveal the animatronics beneath, not to mention it doesn't so much run as just tear through the room in a whirlwind of limbs that may not even be it's own, moving at wrong angles and distorted length. That -thing- is not only still function despite having half the lower facility collapse on it, but managed to drag enough of a body together to climb back out of hell. It half-leaps, half-climbs up onto the platform and surges forth just as Karal is recovering from the gear barrier (cheating Exalts) and heaves her glowing blade. But instead of assaulting her attackers what remains of 'Laughtrap' plows into Tesla, knocking her away from the ninja's blade. Emitting another garbled screech as the Sunfire Blade rips through what was left of its already damanged midsection. With a huff Tesla rolls over, just as what remains of the mechanical beast collapses not far from her. ".. Huh." In middle of it all Tesla still has time to adjust her glasses, now cracked and bloody, straight. "After all this time and the loyalty programming still worked." With one hand she reachs over to grab what's left of the head, and pulls it off. "You always were a good guardian. It's why I left you here, to make sure the things that -needed- to be destroyed didn't escape." It's almost touching, in a creepy and disturbing sort of way. "As I was saying, yes, enough. This factory isn't going to last much longer at all." Tesla tucks the head under and arm, and engages the kinetic thrusters in her boots to launch away from the platform, exiting just moments before some other piece of machinery slams into the chamber from outside. The whole place is coming down. Time to get the hell out of dodge people. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca doesn't waste time yelling at Tesla getting away, she simply turns on her heels and begins to rush towards the nearest exit... where ever that may be. She simply goes with her gut instinct, heading whichever way she can as fast as she can. She's hoping that her instincts will lead her the right way as she attempts to make her way out of here. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Suddenly, the crazy animatronic comes back from mecha-hell, actually SAVES Tesla, and then she -decapitates- it as a way of saying thank you?         Science and Engineering are weird. The fox doesn't have the chance to roar in anger at Tesla's escape. Instead, she just sheathes the weapon, heaves a sigh, and then suddenly the realization that the whole building is coming down around their ears hits her. "Time to go!" she calls out, leaping off the catwalk into some sort of middle of the group. "You!" she points at Rebound, hoping what she's seen of the mutant's weapon will do what shes about to suggest. "That wall," Point, "leads outside. Give it all you got!" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "One door, coming up!" Rebound yells back to Alopex, as she hops up to the wall, pulls back and slams both hands down onto the wall. It doesn't quite give from the force of the blow, so she decides to do this the old fashioned way, as she falls backwards onto her tail. Once back on her tail, she kicks out with both of her feet. She's taken out a truck with this kick before, so it's able to blow out the weakened wall and create a nice escape route for everybody. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' The trio have managed to do a lot of damage to Tesla's creation and then it comes as the thing goes still. A lesson from dungeon crawling comes to mind, it's a load bearing monste.r IT's time to clear out and she's going to urn to follow the otehrs. "Let's get the hell out of here!" She recalls her spiders and high tails it. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin can only scowl. This turn of events displeases her, but what can she do?! Tesla runs off with her creation's head while Lin's sword... goes flying through the chamber and begins to tumble.     Yet... the blade flash-vanishes, reappearing instantly in her hand as it overcomes the boundaries of space and time to return to its rightful place. Another gesture, and the broken pieces of her mundane weapon also fly to her. THOSE she binds into her scabbard.     Lin's sort of lazily drifting down to the ground, falling half as fast as she ought to. Landing near Rebound, she adds in the efforts. Slash-slash-slashing with the superheated blade to carve a path through the wall and make blasting a hole through it easier! 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' It takes a few attacks, but with the place already coming apart at the seams it's overall not that hard to break an exit for others to escape through. And not a moment too soon. It seems like just as everyone gets out onto solid ground that the exterior of the building crumbles in on itself. One big cloud of dust and debris belches up into the air, but all is silent as it falls and everything settles. That nightmare of a factory is fully and truely gone. Good job, heroes. ****** Somewhere in the nearby mountains Tesla Armadia finds an open cliff to land on, only to collapse as soon as she touchs down. The rush of adrenaline was wearing thin and no longer blocking the feedback from the extremes she used her technopathic power to. The only physical hit she took was that punch, but it feels like her entire body was battered and bruised. Curse the need for drawbacks to equate the potency of that ability. It would take time for her followers to track her down for retrieval, so Tesla rolls over to lean back against the rocky surface. The dustcloud of the facility collapsing in on itself was still visible from here as it settled. Then she looked down, turning over the broken animatronic head in her lap. It had been one of her first robotic creations, before she knew the full extent of what her powers could do. One could say, one of her first experiments. When the lower levels of that factory had been converted over to destroy things she could not dismantle with her powers, she had left it as a guard and make sure those same things did not escape while Syntheia and Abby monitored the upper levels. Syntheia's holographic matrix had already been backed up on her ship. Abby Cadabra (shut up I named her when I was still young) had escaped with her other followers. Which only left. Tesla shifted the head a bit, to look at the one remaining electronic eye even though it was already dim. No power, but all the important electronics were still inside. "Maybe it's time for a new body finally..." 
}}

4662/Fright Factory - The Killing Floor

2016-10-14T23:35:19Z

Foxer: Posting log to wiki

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/10/11
|Location=The Deep Valley
|Synopsis=Three heroes endure the Killing Floor and the monster lurking there.
|Cast of Characters=368, 1057, 750, 670
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The storage yard outside the looming shadowy building is still dead and pretty much untouched. The shipping crates that collapsed have been moved away from gaping maw of a cargo doorway, but otherwise it's been left as it is. The less of Tesla Armadia's ire drawn before it was time to make the push inside, the better. Yet arriving here, there's still that ominous feeling of being watched. Not by security. But by something much more eerie and... almost primal. Definately not normal feeling at all. Still it's a good spot to meet, and make sure you were foolish enough to come here alone... 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' There are people that were fine with coming alone. The ninja that visited this place only a few days earlier was one of them. She had found herself caught up in something and she was going to finish what she started, even if Alopex had only acted to save a life. Often she felt it was better to only fight when needed. When a life was on the line? It was needed. Today, she had hopes that the ones she met before would return. This factor had something dark going on within it, and the problem needed a little exorcising, and not the sort that needed a preacher and verses to take care of. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Yeah, this place is still creepy as hell. Rebound is shadow boxing near the agreed upon meeting spot, keeping herself warmed up. They couldn't let Tesla get away with whatever she was doing in here, even if they had to fall back from last time, she wasn't about to abandon this place yet. At least that's what Rebound figured. Spotting Alopex, the kangaroo shifts her weight and hops, landing right next to the vupine ninja, "Hey. You came back." 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' "I had no reason not to return," is Pex's swift reply, eyes slipping from the factory, to Rebound, and back again. "Something is wrong here. I feel we should deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem for others." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' SO here was Lyria once more looking into things here once more she was arriving just after Rebound and Alopex and felt oddly out of place being a hume. Welcome to the multiers she's long since stopped assuming Humes were dominae everywhere he looks to the pair for a moment and tilts her head. "Ahoy there it seems I'm not the only one looking into this. The name's Lyria by the way." 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' And so our intrepid souls venture into the blot of darkness and dust upon this landscape. It might take a slight duck from taller morphs to get through the cargo door that has been wedged open and left to the crumbling hands of time, but otherwise there is little obstruction. Crossing that threshold leaves the adventureous ones surrounded by towering machinery. It looks all around them as it disappears towards forgotten ceilings lost in the shadows. Coolant pipes, air ducts and other technological greebles weave around and through them, making it hard to distinguish what sort of industry these machines were meant for before being left to rust. Other machinery can be heard running in the distance, farther within. But the path bending at sharp turns through the mechanical maze is constraining and shadily light; the lighting faint and patches of shadowy unknown in some places. It's the only visible passage to take though. Somewhere unseen, metal can be heard scraping against metal. If that was machinery groaning with disuse or something else is hard to tell... 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Thankfully Rebound remembered to bring a flashlight with her this time, because she's able to bring it out and shine it down the long corridor in front of them, trying to spot anything, "Heloooooo!" She calls out, listening for the echo, "C'mon Tesla, don't make us wander around in the dark. Come on out, let us whoop your butt, and we can all go home." 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' "Well. Lets see what we can find, then," the fox suggests before pressing forward. A welcoming nod is given Lyria as the fox starts to walk, "Alopex," she introduces before slipping into the factor and into the darkness beyond. Even her eyes are having trouble seeing much more than abandoned machinery and the path ahead. A little more light, and she would hae scaled something to try and get a better point of view. Now? "I think it is best we stay together-" Metal scraping.. "-... for the duration," she whispers. She had another thought in mind, but if something is moving in the factory, maybe the alterior plan is a bad idea. The flash light causes Alopex to shield her eyes a moment when it's turned on, but she smiles at the woman, "If I had thought I would be doing more than salvaging, I would have brought different supplies.." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason looks to the Alopex and Rebound and humms for a moment to the fox woman before she follows in. "Good to be with you both I'd not want to go in here alone and Tesla again? What's up with her her inventions are trash too." She grumps, it's machineist ego which might just get her into trouble or not pay enough attention as she moves in. Still she does keep with the group at the very least. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Almost seems like Rebound's catcalling worked, except for when a panel opens overhead it's only to lower a frame that crackles to life with some kind of holographic flatscreen display. It is the infamous technopath herself on the viewer though, fingers steepled together before her. Rebound would certainly reconize her. Alopex might be able to at least deduct she's some kind of mutant as well, from the armadillo-like ears and nose ridges. "Well well well. It seems my unwanted company has returned." A pause, likely counting. "Most of you, at least." There's a pause as she parts hands to reach off-screen and pull a mug back into view. "I suppose it would be futile to ask you to simply leave and save us all the frustrations." She pauses to take a sip. A reflective sheen catchs across her glasses. "So I'll ask you this instead..." Abruptly a heavy blast door slams down shut behind them with an ominous *WHOM* when it hits the ground. Lips curl just enough to show Tesla's fangs in a wicked little smirk. "Can you survive the Killing Floor?" And that's when the corridor's floor drops! ... More accurately one end drops down, turning it into a steep slope to send them sliding down into the dark depths of the industrial nightmare. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Going down? Tesla's sudden holographic appearence, in the Gendo-pose, complete with glass-flash, causes the fox some concern. "We'll survive anyth-" and then the floor drops out. Eyes go wide, the fox claws for some sort of traction, but she'll end up plummeting down into whatever surprise Tesla has created. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' A hallway full of traps?! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, gravity! Rebound tumbles down the ground aftter the the fox, having totally lost her grip on the ground and with nothing to push off of, being unable to gain any sort of traction./ 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason may be talking trash and it could come back to smack her up side the head. For now Lyria does "The killing floor?" She pauses with a cry and ends up going falling with everyone else she lets out a cry thankfully she's been climbing on rigging since she was a kid, however she's going to end up laning on the ground hard if she doesn't do anything she attemps to find something anything she can hang on to to keep from going splat. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' There's enough traction to keep oneself from a violent crash into the floor waiting below, but not actually stop the descent in itself. The factory above can still be heard groaning and grinding away in its delapitated state but becoming no more than a fading whisper in the night. The slope eventually spits them out onto a cold metal platform. To find that the 'Killing Floor' is aptly named. Machine purgatory would be another suitably horrifying name for it. Scrapped devices lie in a heap, gutted for whatever useful parts might of once remained in them. Remains of robots are hung at the sides, ranging from entire bodies to nothing more than broken frameworks. Robotic skeletons, if you wish. Others lie on the floor like rusted corspes, unidentifiable fluids dried to the surface... Or is that blood? It could be. Something smells rotten down here, maybe there's a decaying cyborg in the decrepit room somewhere... Did that one just move a bit?... No, had to be your own paranoia... maybe... There's also several conveyors moving in various directions, with more of the same upon them... Until one passes under a machine and is promptly crushed by a massive press, sending metallic bits showering away. Another wreck is grabbed by mechanical arms, held as it's chassis is split open and it's technological innards pulled free. By the way the frame shudders and twitchs, it may of not been entirely deactivated yet. A very brutal, viscerous method of recyling. When the broken and obsolute and sent to be dismantled and destroyed so new scientific terrors can be made. Is this what Tesla has been doing with this place? A wheeze echos through the area, sounding like a cooling vent rattling loose. Also sounding like heavy breathing... An electronic scream pierces the ominousness abruptly! A metallic skull, just removed tumbles down and bounces off the floor from an overhead dismantler, it's digital eyes still wide in now dead emptiness. Something else is down here... there's that rattling weeze.. something metallic scrapes across a floor... Lights flicker, making it difficult to see farther than the platform itself... The eerieness in itself is almost choking... 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' If there is a mechanical hell, Alopex is sure that they just found it. After crashing into the ground, the fox winces as she rises, "Ow.." she mutters first before taking a long look around. "This is horrible," she muses, watching in horror as machines, possibly sentient ones, are being dismantled, ripped apart, or even worse. There's no slag pit down here ... right? Acting on her first thought, the fox starts to hunt for any kind of 'emergency stop' button that most places like this may have. The other sounds don't give her any pause. She doesn't care, at this moment, what else is down here. "Do you still have that light? Shine it around, see if-" SHRIEK. The skull actually did get Alopex to flinch a moment. She heaves a sigh, then continues her statement, if not a little shaken. "See if you can find any sort of emergency stop... Factories usually have them, right?" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound does manage to roll as she hits the ground, judo training in action, but she rolls into a pile of scrapped robot parts, and groans out as she lays there, "Ow." She picks herself back up, slowly, "What the hell is this? Does she build all of this crap just to scrap it?!" She looks around and then pops her neck, "I doubt Tesla would put something like that in. She's not exactly the type to actually do stuff like that." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria is jsut able to keep her self from ending up street pizza and she finally end sup getting to the bottom. There's a bunch of wrecked robots and it's rther creepy here. "It's like a gear slaughter house." She muses darkly and moves to get a floating hover unit out of a pouch. The thing flies by her shoulder and gives off fairly strong light. "We're not alone down here? Is this some robotic Abyss?" She cringes at the machines and she'll moves with the fox. "Right on it!" She'll attempt to see if she can find a way to turn this madhouse /off/ 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Scrape.. Scrape.. Scraaaaape... Another flicker from the lights as that rasping rattle continues in the background... or is it getting closer... The weezing air is NOT coming from a vent farther up one of the walls.. Wait, a vent! If they could get up and open that, they could maybe climb back up to the main floo-- Suddenly everything in the room stops. Stops -dead-. Cold and silent and dark... Only to be split by a hellacious screeching wail! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-upRyQ8WcGqS05JdG1BbjJXLWs/view lunges out of the darkness like a wailing terror from the pits of this mechanical hell! Gnashing metal teeth and lashing stain-coated claws. Gleaming unholy eyes in otherwise deep and empty sockets. Now it's audible that the weezing rattle is from the cooling ducts that form the jagged panels of a 'mane'. The angular jaws suggest something canid; the splattering of painted spots on the body imply a hyena maybe? The visible piston struts and gaps in the casing around joints suggest something of an older model.. But holy hell that thing moved fast when it tore out of the shadows! Better do something before it gets those claws on you. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' "It is worth looking if the factory did not belong to-" Pause. The fox's eyes slowly turn to peer into the darkness. The scraping noise has finally caught her attention. As her eyes sweep, she notices the vent, but, that would have to come later. The sudden silence causes a hand to drift to the blade at her back. When the mechanical monstrosity lunges out with its peiercing wail, Alopex can't help but stumble backward due to the combination of noise and suddeness overwhelming her senses. A different sound of metal on metal pierces the darkness. This factory's owner has caused Alopex to draw the Tentetsutou twice. Somehow, she was sure a third time would come when she meets Tesla face to face. The blade is stationed between herself and the rusted machine, eyes narrow, "I will not fear you.." at least not again. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason is trying to find a wya to shut this thing off then something comes leapoutn out of the wood work. She's not even sure what the heck this thing is. She was going to shut the thing down if she could but it turned off when that machine attacks. "What the Deep Six?" She cries out and her gun comes up now as she looks about while her other hand reaches for some kind of cutlass off her back. "You looking for a fight? you will have one but consider your options, you may wish to Parlay...rather than fight." 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "Okay what the hell?!" Rebound drops back a step, clenching her fists and watching the robot that's rushing towards them. She throws herself forward by pushing off with her back foot. She's not aiming to strike it though.     She's aiming to leap over the creature, trying to land behind it. She's seen Alopex in action last time, so knows if the two of them can split this thing's attention, they can take it down. She hopes. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Those kangaroo legs are good for more than just appearances, leaping Rebound over the mechanized monster and to the other end of the Killing Floor, sending a few stray bits of dead robots clattering about with the landing. There's a pause, and the thing actually turns its head around backward entirely to look at her. That's kind of freaky just in the fact that it doesn't look like the pistons and struts making up it's neck are jointed -to- turn that way. Maybe still entirely aren't, as there's a bit of a jerky clicking as the head turns back to the ninja fox and the pirate lass. Some attempt had been made at one point to give it a limited effort in expression. It's ears are on hinges that it splays back, eyebrows swiveling into an even more angled scowl. The only reply it makes is a grating, grinding growl of a noise... hard to tell if it can only snarl and shriek, or whatever speaking capacity it has is mangled by age and wear. And then it lunges at Alopex, aiming to put those fluid stained, piston driven jaws around the vulpine's fuzzy little neck. Truth be told, outside of terrifying the older model has a fairly narrow scope of focus. "I see you found Laughtrap..." A squeaky, childish sounding voice speaks up "Or did he find you?" Sitting on one of the now still conveyors is a smaller form, oversized ears draping down from the head almost like pigtails. The lop-ear is dressed like an classic stage performer, right down to the coattails and tophat. The question is more where did she come from, though? "Master Armadia leaves it here to pick the scraps and make sure survivors don't escape the facility." But she's just sitting there instead of getting involved. Or doesn't want to. Exposition rabbit? 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' That was what Alopex was waiting for. The lunge doesn't even cause her to flinch, rather, she leaps to one side, hoping to avoid the claws. The last thing she wants is to get cut up by them, get whatever is on them -in- her, and then have to worry about getting a shot ontop of the rest of everything. That rust bucket would give anyone a horrible case of the nasty, no doubt. "Bring it down!" Pex barks out, somewhat surprised Lyria is even trying to talk to it. "It isn't made to chit chat, it's made to do the same thing as the other machinery down here! Put an end to it!" To emphasize, the ninja's blade is sent singing downward, slicing for any exposed bits she can find.. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason halts for a moment with her weapon's ready, she pauses at the voice and leaps back fiing a few shots with her pistol at the thing. She doens't say a thing about the voice. So this is a way for her to dispose of minions? Oh man she's not even sure what to think, she'd back up the AI code of any drone she might need to strip for parts but she turned them off first and never had something with a mind of it's own. "What kind of Maniac is this Land Lubbing Tesla?!" She's going to try to keep grom getting eatn and she does start shooting. She then pauses shifts her stanse and a bolt of magma rises out of the grounf and flies right /at/ the thing. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' "The mad scientist type!" Rebound replies to Lyria, as she moves in on the malicious mechanized monster. The gauntlet on her right hand sparks to life, and she swings, not for the creature itself, but the ground below it. If she can take this Laughtrap thing off of it's feet, maybe Alopex and Lyria can lay into it while she's got it down on the ground. Or maybe the Killing Floor is hollow and she'll just punch straight through and send it plummeting to its doom 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Sparks fly as claws scrap across the floor when the ninja vixen deftly dodges the deadly construct's vicious movement. Gunshots put a few holes in it's outer casing but don't seem to slow it down any. "Oooh foxy loxy there is a smart one~" It's hard to tell if the bunny girl is being sarcastic or actually complimenting her due to how high pitched her voice is. 'Laughtrap' as she apparently called it wrenchs its claws out of the floor and turns to keep stalking it's prey, its movements jerky but not necessarily slow. It starts to shift as if to lunge again... And then Rebound abruptly slams the ground, causing it to heave up beneath the strang machine. The old animatronic systems aren't really good at stabilizing from that sort of disruption, especially since the hyena is built just as big torso/small hindquarters as the real animals are. The mystic blade gouges deep into the mechanical body, knocking it over entirely. Old machinery must be stubbornly tough, because even having it's body cut halfway through doesn't stop it from starting to stand up again, beady glowing eyes staring balefully as it literally just twists its limbs around in inhuman ways to lift itself up... And then a blast of magma from the other direction thankfully knocking the unholy automation down again, this time through the floor thanks to it already being cracked apart by Rebound's strike. "That's going to be a loooooong waaaaay doooooown." The lop-ear pulls off her tophat, producing what looks like a magician's rope of scarfs from it. "You probably want to leave now. But if you really want to mess with the master, her main shop is on the upper level. Have fun getting there~" She tosses the scarf up, snagging onto some unseen machinery and hoisting herself away. And that's when something rumbles in the depths of the machinery, and with several flaming sparks and smokey rumbles large portions of it start to fall apart. Oh, sure, NOW it self-destructs... Probably part of the trap, in the end. That vent passage is probably looking pretty good right now. Quickest way to get out of here before everything falls apart 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' When the machine goes falling down de hoooooooooole, the vixen motions to the others, "Vent, up there, go!" A pause, a glance between Rebound and Lyria, "Carry her if you need to, just get moving! I'll follow up behind you, just hurry it up!" She'll follow after the pair once she is certain they're through the vent and NOTHING ELSE follows them. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Rebound moves over and grabs Lyria, "Hold on." She offers, before she plants both feet and leaps for the vent. Her other hand swings as she heads up to punch the vent out of the way and she just hopes it's not too small of a vent. She grabs onto the end and holds Lyria up to the vent, "Get in, go!" She'll follow the geomancer afterwards. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason hadn't been expecting something like this Laughtrap? Yet she now has a damn good idea about Tesla. She's totally off her rocker and then some. She look to the lop-ear for a moment before nodding to Alopex. "Right it's time to go!" She doesn't argue at all as she stows her weapons and hangs on to Rebound it's time to get the hell out of here! 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' And with the other two out, the arctic fox is -right- behind them, not even wanting to see what happens to the 'killing floor' behind them. "What kind of mess did I wander into..?" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' It's a bit of a climb, but the vent passage will get them out of the now broken down portion of the factory with little overall issue. It was probably meant to be an emergency escape of some sort. The original facility wasn't Tesla's construction after all, she's just added to and modded it a few times. **** "The Killing Floor has been destablized." Syntheia grabbed the screen she had been watching on by the ends and collapsed it between her hands. "And your... stray has already fallen off scanner range. You were right about it taking actual heroes to defeat that thing." Despite what one would expect to be bad news, Tesla merely sipped the end of her coffee. "Of course I was. And Abby?" "Tattled as she was told to." The catgirl holo-AI turned her head to a curious cant. "Is this not a lot of effort to go through? Not that I'm not looking forward to finally being removed from this dump's mainframe." Another sip, and the mug is set aside. "Heroic Intervention is just an easier write-off, letting them do most of the work. After all the troubles I've previously caused? Easy enough to attract enough destructive attention to do so." Tesla folded her hands behind her back as she walked out of the room. "I best go prepare the workshop for their eventual intrusion." **** .... Somewhere beneath the collapse of factory machinery a red optic flares back to life .... 
}}

4645/Fright Factory

2016-10-08T13:03:06Z

Foxer: Posting Log!

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/10/07
|Location=The Deep Valley
|Synopsis=Ominous factory investigating turns into Night of the Living Memes.
|Cast of Characters=368, 1057, 750, 399, 290, 670
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Once upon a time in the Multiverse, some of these valleys were quite the hotbed of activity. Specifically the one designated as 'Titanium Valley' as the two superfactions constantly vyed for control over it's unnatural wealth of rare minerals and ores. To make the most of the limited windows of control both factions built their share of nearby industrial stations to process and refine their gains before control shifted the other way. Until the Confederates finally succeeded in wresting control away from the Union for an extended period of time. Practically owning the Valley for the time, those sites were pushed to the max, essentially stripping all the but the deepest points of the valley bare. As the flow of resources slowly faulted, the sites were one by one decomissioned, either stripped of equipment to repair others, or just left to rust and crumble away as more prolific resource points were focused on. This site was one of the last to be supposedly decommisioned, and the exterior certainly shows its age. Dust and vines coat the walls, brick and mortar can be seen wearing away... Yet something is running, because occasionally there is a belch of ashen smoke and embers out of one of the stacks, while the other has long since collapsed in on itself. There were no lights on at the visible exterior windows on the higher floor... yet, maybe occasionally the glimps of a sillouette could be caught.. maybe... was it someone moving about or just your imagination? But before the factory itself lies an expansive lot. Once it was full of convoy vehicles coming and going. But now it stood to waste away in old mechanical memories. Dozens of cargo crates and storage canisters were piled about the weed plagued yard, many as rusted and dirty as the building that looms behind them. Some are chained and locked still, while others lie sprawled open, toppled, or even fallen apart entirely. But there was something here yet, if Tesla Armadia was here. To find out, well, that's what our brave heroes to be are coming for, right? To get past the exterior grounds and whatever may be lying within and establish a waypoint for farther venture into the compound itself. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Tesla Armadia was indeed here, well within the depths of the facility. The control center was definately a newer addition, as unlike the exterior the room where she and her allies stood was rather bright and clean. And filled with a lot of screens and terminal consoles. Most of them were processing through the expansive logs of what's come through the facility over the years, comparing them to what has already been recorded in Confederate stocks or been used. Tesla simply stood, watching, hands folded behind her back as per usual. "I must admit, even I did not expect the sheer volume of data that would need to be crunched through to make sure nothing is left to waste here." 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Winding roads, husks of trucks and cars, likely supplies that could have fed all the workers that came and went from the valley during its glory days, and all of it left behind simply because the 'primary' resources ran out. "What a waste..." In some pamphlet that she found after unification, a particular fox had decided to come and have a look around, thinking that they could grab a few things for the home they had found in one of the many New York Cities that had unified just a gate-jump away. What she didn't know, however, was the information she had read was horribly out of date. Arriving to the wreckage wasteland, she had decided that one way or another, leaving empty handed after such a long trip was out of the question. The half-full backpack slung over her shoulders was proof of some measure of success. At least twice, she could have sworn that the factory in the distance had movement but each time she shook it off as just her imagination, or the wind making its own unique music as it moved through shattered glass and rusted metal. Still, over the course of the last few hours, she had drawn closer and closer. The sight of the cargo trucks in the parking lot was going the last bit of evidence she needed to have a look around. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' You know, waaaaay back when Reptilon was under assault, Rebound swore she was going to get her hands on Tesla Armadia one way or another. She had been trying to locate the good doctor for a long while, having come up short time after time. This time, however. This time Rebound knew she was here. Because the kangaroo had seen her. It was only for a brief moment, but Rebound had tracked her to that factory. Abandoned looking or not, she was inside, and the kangaroo was going to kick that door in and deal with Tesla. It had been so long she really wasn't even sure WHY she wanted to beat the snot out of the Confederate commander anymore, but she remembered it had something to do with the way she was treated by the mad scientist during the encounters with the Dragon Balls. Now was her chance to avenge whatever it was that needed avenging. 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''      Tesla is not alone. Standing off to one side, occasionally glancing at one screen or another but his gaze mostly distant, is Taro. There's little reason to read the data on the monitors when he can access it more directly. "Some of these facilities were operating before reunification, a few even before my 'death'," he remarks, canting his heads towards his fellow veteran. "Several years' worth of minutae is what you've found here. Though I must admit that such detailed records were kept at all under these conditions is impressive. They tend to be so much more..." he trails off as he searches for a suitable word, "..untidy." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca approaches the factory with extra caution, using more of a stealthy approach than most S.T.A.R.S. members usually use. She has a feeling that something might be lying in wait for them, and she doesn't want to take the chance of encountering it without knowing it until it's too late. Unlike Rebound, who might want to break in directly, Rebecca's trying to stay to the shadows as best as she can and try to go in after Rebound's made her entry. Stopping only to load a clip into her Beretta, Rebecca continues to advance carefully, using whatever she can to keep her covered. If Tesla truly is in there, Rebecca's not going to go easy on her for any reason. It could be because she's a Confederate, or it could be because there's something unusual about an Armadillo-hybrid. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' This place was long lost to the union even before her world unified though the region did have her curious about it. She was now mocving in on the old factory not quite sure what she'd enoucnted but the land here was strange. Then again it has been stripped so hard of parts of it? That could very well be it, the nature of it's metals and minerals restoring themselves had been out paced by the force of the Confederates hunger for power in the end it was not much of anything now but the somewhat scantily dressed blue haired Levitani was making her way towards the old factory with two pistols in hand. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' At the remark about untidiness there's a electronic bleep-crackle in compilation as a form manifests near the two, taking the appearance of some sort of catgirl in a futuristic rendition of a secretary outfit. With the stiff angular collar, miniskirt and frameless glasses it has a certain retro sci-fi look to it, even with her entire form being rendered in shades of only green like older holograms. "Nyaa, you should of seen what it looked like before I was installed!" the feline avatar huffs. "Syntheia is correct. I've been using this one for... various things in the intermitten," Tesla replied to Taro. "But it's primary usefulness is coming to an end. It is simply too distant from where most of our factional holdings have been consolidated, and much of our scientific work being done in either Arcadia or Bacterian Tokyo these days." A scavanger, a treasure hunter, a specialist, and a fighter out for revenge. It would seem four very different agendas have brought this quartet to the same location as evening is setting upon it. Twilight does not help to make the setting any less old and ominous looking. A choking huff of smoke briefly exits the working stack. A wolf howls somewhere in the valley, and after a few moments another replies back. Something creaks amongst the junk sprawled about the yard. Old trucks left to rust, storage containers either emptied and left behind, or locked up and forgotten; the piles in themselves form a minature winding valley to pass through towards the building proper with shadows cast by the mounds of rusting metal and moss looming above them. A shrieking sound emits from within the factory itself. Or was it the wind? It sounded almost mechanical in nature, but yet had a certain semblance to it only a living entity would posess. Something else creaks and grinds, lost in the depths of the maze of junk. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' The 'scavenger' has been around a lot of different things in her life already. A few errant sounds in a junkyard are hardly going to cause her to worry. She's far more interested, now, in one of the cargo trucks that's still locked up, its contents secure. A few moments with a pair of pins and the padlock comes undone allowing her to duck inside, leaving only silence in her wake. Just imagine if someone else passes that truck right about now... 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' The fighter is not much for subtlety, generally speaking, but she also doesn't want to spook Tesla until she can strike. One has to wonder what sort of underground escape tunnels she may possess. So Rebound is being as stealthy as her big 'ol kangaroo feet will let her. She hops on top of the truck that somebody she hasn't seen yet is hiding inside, shifting the weight of the truck as she lands on it. It's getting dark, but she hasn't seen Tesla leave yet. Or anyone else enter yet. So she's sure her prey is still inside, "Alright." She says to herself, figuring she's alone, "Only a few more hops and I should be able to make the door. 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''     "Then I will be grateful for your diligence and attention to detail," Taro says as he turns in the direction of the hologram. Then, he presses his palms together as he offers Syntheia a bow that is both greeting and thanks.     The android priest then glances over at Tesla. "Abandonment is understandable due to both points," he agrees. "Do you plan to leave this place to the elements, or will we be conducting some creative landscaping on our way out?" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Even though she is a professional specialist, Rebecca gets uneasy at times. She spins around with her Beretta aimed in the general direction of where the creaking noise came from, although it's more about a precaution than actual fear. After a moment, she lowers her weapon and turns on the attached flashlight, then she attempts to look for a spot to take cover, since her alertness level has raised to caution. Then there's that strange shrieking noise, and Rebecca's senses go up to danger. She ducks behind a nearby object that keeps her out of the open thanks to another object perpendicular to the one she's behind, which appears to be some kind of wreckage that happened to fall into place in the right spot. For a moment, she crouches and waits, then peers out slightly, eyes peeled as she looks for anything suspicious. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' So here Lyria was mocving in she was curious and theunion might need support here after all. She pauses for a moment as she hears something but there's one thing clear. She has no idea what's here but ther eis something here. The Treasure Hunter s it were keeps moving on but is very wary now...what was here in a place like this? 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "It all depends on what transpires by the--" As if by fate Tesla's reply is interrupted when Syntheia abruptly snaps her head up and focuses her attention elsewhere for a moment. Taro's monitoring of the flows of information may of also picked up the proximity warnings going off, but it's the catgirl that calls out "Master Tesla! We have companyyy~. I suggest--" And abruptly there's a static like distortion across her form as the coloring flashes from green to red, leaving her with more sinister appearance "--Extermination with EXTREME FORCE." Then blips back to her previous state, with an expression much like someone that had farted in public. "Pardon me! All this workload has caused some fragmentation in my core matrix." Tesla makes a gesture towards one of the monitors and its display splits into four, once frame for each of the new arrivals, catching just a glimps of a fox tail disappearing into a truck. Then the roo jumping onto it. One of the girls ducks behind some crates for cover. The other is also prowling around. A few familiar identities, the others new. "As I was saying." She glances sidewise to the holographic AI. "Has anyone else noticed?" Syntheia pauses a moment. "All activity within the facility is... no, wait. The level is empty. That means... Give me a moment I'll try to find him..." There's a horrendous screeching ringing through the field of storage crates. Like nails on a chalkboard, if both were made of metal. Chains rattle as if cut free. A clicking, almost cackling like sound echos briefly and then fades into the shadows again. The racket is audible even within the depths of the facility. "... I don't think that will be necessary." Tesla replies. And smirks in a very unsettling way as her glasses catch a glint of reflection off the monitors. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' All is silent once more outside, save the creaking of the truck's long unmaintained suspension from it's two mutant occupants. The metal crate Rebecca crouchs next to abruptly rattles, as if sensing her presence next to it. Followed by a thud against the rusted wall. And another. And then a meaty large, clawed hand smashes through the worn material, giving her scant seconds to duck out of the way as it scrapes claws against metal again as several more start to punch through. Just as Rebound is getting ready to jump two of the stacks of crates topple over, removing her quickest route all of a sudden in a crashing of metal and junk. Around the resulting pile two blocky old robots trundle on stiff legs, their arms no more than heavy struts with thick slabs for hands held in a pushing position. Not to mention the sound of their movement sounds vagely like 'pack chooie unf' Several feet clatter on top of the crates near Lyria, and she'd find a couple of large black and grey wolves loom over her with bloodshot beady eyes, and what almost looks like blood dripping from their lips as they rasp in growling but semi-audible words. "Let's put the Laughter in Slaughter." The Fun in Funeral." "And donate your blood," the third leaps at her as it roars insanely "ALL OF IT!" The crates behind Rebecca bust open completely, and several hulking forms resembling semi-humanoid but distorted beasts with large claws shamble out of the wreckage, all groaning and moaning as they lurch towards the others. "Baadger Baadger Baadger Baadger... Baadger Baadger Baadger Baadger..." ... At least they're not moaning about brains? Then, just to top it all off, there's one last sound as a cat-like creature in a rediculously oversized cape lands on top of the toppled stack of crates. This one sports so much awkward cybernetics that it looks like some Borg botched their assimilation rolls. It's one cybermonacle glees as it grates in a heavily distorted, digitalized voice. "HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN? YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME." And now you know where Tesla has been hiding all the failures, rejects and bad cultural references. 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''     Taro did in fact notice, but (credit where credit is due) Syntheia did notice the proximity alams first. He blinks once as he internally brings the security systems to the forefront of his personal data stream, then blinks again as he notices Tesla calling up the security videos on a nearby monitor. A few quick strides bring him close enough to view it without blocking Tesla's, the tools on his belt softly jangling with the sudden motion. His brow furrows slightly as the cameras catch glimpses of their uninvited guests, though the only one he can personally identify is Rebound. "I recognize that one," he says, making a small gesture at the frame capturing the kangaroo. "The others, I'm less certain."     Then, he arches an eyebrow. "...him?" 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' Well it seems they're busted. Rebound figured she'd at least make it to the damn front door before they got hit with the first of Tesla's traps. As the crates fall down in front of her, she backs off from her jump and takes up a defensive stance, "Oh man." Those robots look tough. They might not be perfected bots, but they're certainly made of some stern stuff. Rebound figures she better test the waters first, so she hops down onto their level, "Okay big guys. Listen up. I don't want to scrap you, but I will." She really doubts they'd listen to reason, so she opts to not even give them the chance, pushing off with one foot and throwing herself forward, aiming to strike one center mass with the Impact Driver. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' The loud THUMP atop the cargo truck clues the one inside that someone is, certainly, on the roof. Sloooowly she makes her way back to the back door, only to hear everything crashing down a moment later. Silence, and then everything outside seems to get... very loud. Peering outside, all the fox can see is Rebound's back and a pair of extremely blocky robots. . . Why does she get the vauge feeling they'll be pushing and shoving things around? "What now..?" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "Master Tesla has been using this facility for containment of... less than favorable results," Syntheia replies to Taro's questioning brow arch. "It was an experiment in using extremely annoying psychosomatics as a means of non-lethal detainment. This.. did not turn out as intended, as you can see," Tesla adds. "Most of them.. only got as far as 'psycho'." That takes care of some more exposition 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' "Actually, I'm a girl--" Rebecca starts to say, realizing her boyish cut makes her seem less like a girl, but that's tossed aside quickly as the strange scratching noise hapens. She jumps back, thinking that Hunters or something similar are coming out... Instead it's... Badgers? Rebecca frowns a little at this, but keeps her gun drawn on them as she backs away slowly. "Just stay back, OK?" She doesn't know why she's talking to these 'badgers' although the fact they're repeatedly going 'BADGER BADGER BADGER' makes her think they can understand her. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason did not expect horribkle wolf things as they are /talking/ there is blood? It's like they are some sort of chaos spawn. She's not sure what else to say because she's going to be openinf fiire with her pistols as she bounced and dances back from the horrible mosnter things coming after her. "...I think not! BACK TO THE VOID WITH YOU LAND LUBBERS!" 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''     "Mm. I see..." Whatever his actual opinion of this particular set of Tesla experimentation might be is kept very much to himself. He leans forward, possibly blocking Tesla's view this time, taking a long moment to scruitinize and consider the images from the security feeds.     Finally, Taro responds with, "Well. Hopefully they will keep our unwelcome visitors occupied long enough for this to finish." 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Truth be told, pushing and shoving is about all the bulky robots -can- do. It's why they were left here, constantly pushing and shoving around stacks of crates away from where they could shove people down stairs or push bread down their throats until they choke. And probably would of just aimlessly wandered around any they not pushed over the stacks and caught sight of their first people to 'save' in ages. However they are rather slow and clunky in their ambling towards the 'roo. Easy to punch. Not so easy to knock over, as the Shover Robot is railed with the Impact Drive and teeter totters into the other robot. Which conveniently pushes it back up. And into another stack of crates instead of into Rebound. "He is inferior. Pushing is the answer!" "Shoving is the answer! Shoving will save yo--" One last box falls over, smacking that robot on the head. The insanity wolf in the lead takes a shot straight in the middle of the chest, dropping his lunge short and hitting the ground. But even as it lays there wailing and bleeding the other two are quick to round around it and advance on Lyria still. "Ultimate cure of a headache..." The second one bumrushes at her this time, aiming for her neck. "DECAPITATION!" The mutated badgers continue their chant even as they continue to shamble towards Rebecca. They don't seem to be too concerned with her holding a gun. Or even getting shot. Because badger don't give a *** Though if she looked off to the side, she'd see that there's another stack of crates only together down by some old rotting ropes. Shooting those might be more effective, if it crashed on top of the monsters... And the cybernetic cat? Pulls out a rather large gatling gun like weapon. With cat-heads poking out of the barrels. "WELCOME TO DIE!" The small cyborg just starts firing... and ends up swinging around wildly because the 'catling gun' has more kick that expect. It sends cat-headed projectiles with rainbow trails hurtling left and right and pretty much everywhere BUT at the heroes fighting below. "There is a reason they only populate the storage yard," Tesla replies to Taro, taking a moment to sip at her everpresent drink in between remarks. "An obstacle, little more. If the unwanted company eliminates them, it's less mess for me to clean up." She gestures at the myrad of other screens. "And they still have the rest of the facility to traverse before getting to us." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca stares in disbelief as the badgers keep coming at her. At first she's a little uneasy, never having dealt with badgers before, mutated or otherwise. She debates using her handgun on them, but as she's glancing from side to side, she notices those crates, and a smirk forms on her face. "I've got it now!" Stepping away from the crates but keeping herself visible to the badgers, Rebecca smiles a little more. "That's it, just come this way!" And when the moment is right, she fires a couple of shots at the ropes, intending to break them and send the crates down on the badgers. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Facepalm. Literally. What in the world has she gotten herself into? It doesn't matter so much. The problem -seems- to be solving itself as the two robots can't agree on if pushing or shoving is better. . . . aren't they the same? She does, however, peer toward the kangaroo because.. she isn't sure, something feels strangely familiar about her for no apparent reason. 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''     "Indeed." Taro cannot argue the efficiency of letting the Union interlopers handle them. Observing the fracas is potentially useful for data, possibly entertaining as well.     Belatedly he realizes that he might be obstructing Tesla's view, and so he takes a step to the side. "I assume that these are not the only experiments you've kept here. Would you care to share, or will they be a surprise?" 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' The insanity wolf of war is coming for her and she shoots it. She looks there as the other two are coming for her. She just wants to say something. Yet their words are just so insane?She's at a loss for word.s She does however move her standing causing a massive wall of rock to burst out of the ground tyring to impale the second one that's coming at her. She flips back landing in a crouch after this. She comes up and then starts shooting again, with her guns. She doesn't want to mess around with the third wolf either she's had enough of this. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' With one robot being pushed into the other, and the second robot shoving the first, Rebound gets an idea. She hasn't spotted the fox yet, but she's busy dealing with these guys. The 'catling gun' weielding cyborg is going to be an issue, but she'll deal with them after the robots. "Hey, that guy in that box over there said that neither pushing nor shoving was better, but pulling was the best option!" She points to a box nearby, with several other crates precariously positioned above it. Should the two robots fall for her ruse, they might push themselves into an early grave. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "Despite being delapitate, desolate and reclusive this facility still holds many methods of scientific" Syntheia spasms to the more sadistic 'red' version again "PAIN AND SUFFERING" "We really need to get that looked at," Tesla muses. Or maybe not. The spasms are kind of amusing. It's like a holographic Jeckle and Hyde. But cuter. "But yes. There are several earlier pieces of my work still stored here." Idly she sets her cup aside on a console, and steeples her fingers together. "Things from... before I had a full grasp of what my powers could do." Syntheia crackles back to her usual 'safe' state, though her expression is a bit bitter looking. "There's also that... -thing- lurking around." Outside a chunk of rock erupts from the otherwise delapitated ground, slamming into one of the insane wolves and flinging it into the air, while the third one running behind it slams directly into the stone shaft. Who's *grounded* now? It staggers out from behind, only to get pelted with several more gunshot wounds. Clearly being absolutely nuts didn't make these freak wolves harder to hurt. The old already rotting ropes snap easily from the shots, and the shipping crate's sides burst open once free, sending a pile of random scrap and junk spilling out on top of the mutant badgers, burying them in rusted shrapnel. The two clunker robots stop their arguing when Rebound points out a -third option-. "Impossible!" Alas, these early models were only really good for labor and not very bright. Maybe its part of why Tesla went to more animalistic models later on. Stupidly they go to push/shove the disagreeing box, only to shake it back and forth until the heaviest crate on top crashes down on top of them. However the cyber-cat seems to have gotten himself back under control, landing on top of a unused hoist apparatus and bracing the nyan-catling gun on the edge of it. Looks like he's trying to line up a shot on Rebound, that rediculously oversized cape draping over the machinery. But someone with ninja quick reflexes has a clear shot at stopping him before he stops the 'roo cold... 

:'''{{#var:399|Taro (399)}} has posed:'''     In all honesty, Taro doesn't know Syntheia well enough to have been able to tell whether her occasional red-shift was normal for her or a condition that she's developed, and thus he wasn't going to remark on it. Either way, he takes the behavior in stride. (That his closest associate is Number Nine might have something to do with that.)      His eyes remain fixed on the screen, though he's paying less attention to the external view as to the security feed itself. "I see...all suitably contained enough to not be a danger to us." It's said not as a question, but it's not quite a statement either. 

:'''{{#var:1057|Alopex (1057)}} has posed:''' Typically, the fox likes to keep on the better part of valor when a fight isn't her own, but while everything is going on, she notices the cat over yonder lining up a shot and the 'roo out there hasn't noticed. Time for action. She couldn't stand idly by if someone was going to get shot! . . . Besides, if they missed the shot would go into the cargo truck, wouldn't it? The back door flies open and a blur of white and dark goes surging by. There's a sound of metal against metal, and in a simple, quick, and efficent dash, the fox has rushed by the shooter and already sheathed the sword at her back again. Congratulations. You actually got her to draw it. Question now is, will the cyber-cat survive what just happened? Did anyone even -see- what happened? 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca smiles as the crates come crashing down on the badgers. "Heh, Jill's advice from Raccoon City paid off for once! I wish I could've seen her do that trick she told me about at the construction site!" She frowns again and then spins around to check on her allies, ready to offer assistance if need be. 

:'''{{#var:750|Rebound (750)}} has posed:''' By the time Rebound realizes something crazy is happening, whatever it is has already happened. She turns around to face the chaingun wielding cyborg, spotting the vulpine mutant behind it, putting her blade away, "Whoa. What the hell?!" Rebound turns to defend herself, but she may not even need to at this point 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason doesn't know why the Wolves are so insane She's not sure wshe wans to know but she's trying to make sure the beasts are all dead. She now reaches for a grenade of sme sort and will lop it towars the wolves. She's not certain the the beasts are dead and doesn't want to chance it and the blast goes off with the most horribly boy band music you could think up. The pluses go out at a painful level, if those wolves are not down for good? It will be hard to fake being dead with a sonic pluse weapon like that. "...What the deep six is wrong with this place?!" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' In all honesty the fox had remained hidden for so long no one in the yard had noticed her. By the time she does reveal herself she's already all the way over there. It's so sudden that even the security feed catchs the point where she starts, and where she stopped. At the point she struck the cyborg it's just a brief flash, and then over. There's a lot of anthropomorphic foxes, but you don't see many of the arctic variety. It's right about then that the entire front section of the weapon slides off the rest that the cyber-cat is holding, sending it clattering heavily to the ground. "MISSED ME MISSED M--" And then he notices his body has also been sliced across the middle when his upper torso slides to the side of his legs from the movement when he's catcalling. "--Oh poopie." Upper body slides off one way, lower body falls the other way, both crashing to the ground by the chunk of gun. No other robots or mutants, save the two that came to investigate, left moving around. The halves of the cybercat spark and hiss from the damage. Then start on fire. The mysterious fox may of sliced and diced, but you could say in the end it crashed and burned. But the stock yard appears to be cleared. Getting through the facility itself certainly won't be any easier, but now there's open ground to advance from. On the downside, the mastermind knows people are coming now. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Despite it being an otherwise clear night lightning briefly crashes brightly across the sky. That metallic, mechanical cackling returns in its wake. Coming from somewhere on the upper ledges of the factory structure. If one looks quick enough they might see it, though the wide shouldered form is shilouetted in shadows, two gleaming red eyes glare at the gathering below. The outline of something... vagely canine-like can be made out... and then another lighting flash, and the whatever it was is gone again, that grating cackle echoing away.... Tesla just steeples her fingers together once more, even as she's smirking some to herself. "It would seem the ruckus has woken -him- up after all..." 
}}

Trepidation Preparation (Corona Arclite)

2016-09-18T17:03:14Z

Foxer: Cutscene log

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/09/11
|Location=Steamhammer Express starship
|Synopsis=Corona gears up to head back to Ravnica and deal with it's problems
|Cast of Characters=711
}}
Carefully the mechanical cylinder was slid into place, centimeter by centimeter. One wrong move, one tiny shift before it was locked and sealed in place, and a rupture could turn the core into a useless piece of deformed scrap. There was a reason even the most experienced engineers on Brimsteel avoided working directly with pulsarium when they could, preferring its forms processed for stability. Or charged from its energy instead of using the actual crystals. But stability took away some of the oomph, and a processed core was never enough bang for the buck of Corona's tastes.

Eventually it clicked into place within the Corona Breaker's head, and Corona drove down the sealing bolts to lock it down good and tight. Beneath the plasteel shield the blue-green crystals could be seen glowing faintly, ready to be used. Normally she didn't need to change the hammer's core very often, but with all the work that went into Project Thianel it had nearly bled dry.

If the storm she suspected was coming hit, a chargeless breaker would only be dead weight to her.

The Forgesweeper had not seen much use as of late, but Corona clicked it open to check the pulsarium chamber all the same, clicking it shut again once she was satisfied it still had plenty of juice. She did the same with making sure the rivet revolver had a full clip of shots, and doublechecked what gunk her spraygun was loaded with. Even the Starslinger got a once-over, and it's unique power source didn't ever need replacing. Everything was set on the workbench next to her hammer so she knew what had already been examined.

A gunslinger that didn't regularly check her guns was only one thing. Dead.

Finally Corona moved onto the new piece of equipment. Something she had put together between reconstruction tasks, based on some of the same notes she had found in her father's journal that she used to design Rebound's Impact Drivers. But kinetic force wasn't the purpose of these, despite the small pulsarium cores imbedded in the back of the hands, and the devices being more like gauntlets than her usual work gloves.

But these weren't tools. They were weapons, pure and simple. Corona prided herself on being prepared as best as she could be. If the hunchs she had proved to be even the faintest of truth, she and her allies would need ever ounce of it they could get.

Corona's hand wasn't even in the 'hand' of the glove, but in a mechanism just behind it that controlled the clockworks within. No one would know the difference from looking though, when she slid one on and curled her fingers in the mechanism, the hand clenched into a large metal fist. They had Arclite Cutters in them, but these weren't meant for welding or just cutting free a jammed lock. The power output of the pulsarium powered plasma torchs had been turned up as high as she dared, that the reinforcement of the gauntlet would still protect her from. She had worked the grapplers differently into this model, in a way that would be as useful as a surprise attack as they were for hauling her tail out of tight spots. The other reason the devices had to be larger and heavier than usual.

Corona took the device off, setting it back down with its mate. She looked at the gathering of tools, weapons and weaponized tools on the table, and let out a soft sigh as she looked down for a moment.

Then looked over at the other table where Thianel's new head sat, almost complete save for a few magitech devices she had to retrieve from the Guild.

Next to it sat the 'package'. With the Guildmaster still out of action and the other two siblings wrapped up in the mess of affairs, the Guild was kind of in a lurch without Thianel there to provide some extra direction... And because of that Corona wasn't about to put an attempt at sabotaging the reconstruction project out to pasture. Someone, be it that sleazy snake or someone else, wanted the Guild out of sorts.

Rhyxinel must of considered similar, as he had entrusted her to keep it safe until the time was ready to finish that project. Even now the insides of the device glowed faintly, waiting. Though Corona suspected it wasn't with a lot of patience. The entity within wanted out. It wanted to help. She didn't need to know magic to know that, she knew machines well enough.

"Ah know yer gonna anyways, but don't worry. Yer city is in good hands down there."

But that glow, and the trust it reminded her of, is why Corona was still here. Why she was going to go back to Ravnica. She couldn't turn tail and run, not after coming this far. Not when her friends were still down there, willing to defend the city. To fight the odds constantly stacking up against them. Even risking possible friendships to protect whom and what they thought was really right.

Corona picked up the various guns and devices, slotting them into their holsters on her toolbelts, the shotgun in its sling across the back of them, or storing them in her manipulator. Even the gauntlets, for now opting to wear her usual gloves. Those would be a special surprise not brought out until needed. Her stetson was palmed with one hand and returned to her head, goggles tugged into place. The Breaker was the last thing she picked up, retracted to its storage size and slung upon her back like usual.

There was still a nagging in the back of her mind that said she should wash her paws of the matter. She had fufilled her obligation to the promise. She should just move on. It was just the most sensible thing to do.

"Ah never was good at listenin' to common sense," Corona murmured with a bit of dark humor as she turned and walked to the teleporter pad.

Athela Valemore

2016-09-11T22:00:52Z

Foxer: Updating new NPC section after upgrade

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Athela Valemore
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=994
|FullName=Dame Athela Valemore
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Pokemon: Shadow Grey-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Tidal Knight Errant
|Faction=Union
|Rank=20-Ally
|Ranktype=Ally
|Quote="Courage is not the lacking of fear, it is facing the rising storm in spite of it."
|PAge=Mid-20s
|Height=5' 7"
|Hair=Red
|Eyes=Light Blue
|Profile=Dame Athela Valemore, Knight Errant of the obscure Legendary Keldeo, the Sword of the Tides. Despite the elaborate title this brave lady started out as no more than a commoner growing up on the small coastal region of Bayern. But after discovering her ability to manipulate water and using it, alongside her skills with pokemon, to help the beleaguered people of her homeland, she proved to have a chivalrous yet humble spirit. This earned her the honor of being chosen by Keldeo to help usher his return to the mortal world, in a crusade against both the Hollow curse and the mislead society that once spurned him. As such she is the wielder of the Resolute Blade, an ancient sword that embodies both bold courage and the caring spirit to use it wisely. Athela continues her quest of protecting the innocent from corruption and injustice, even as the nobles of her home constantly try to quell her efforts for not being of the regal bloodlines they control their lands through.
|Powers=Spirit of Justice: Being the chosen champion of Keldeo confers its share of benefits, although they are more subtle than other Legendaries. Athela has been blessed with a divine insight for martial combat, driven as much by her strong spirit as it is physical strength and skill. It allows her to use the trademark move of the Swords of Justice, Sacred Sword, as a smiting blow to her foes.

Tide Caller: Athela has a natural connection to the element of water, that she has learned to manipulate to her advantage. She can move swiftly through watery terrain and stay submerged for extended periods with little hindrance. With the ability she can utilize various water-type attacks at both melee and long range, from small bursts of water and elementally charged melee attacks to focusing enough to produce a powerful pressurized stream and rushing through foes like a raging current. She can also channel water energy through her weapon.
|Skills=Lady Of Battle: Through both practice and experience Athela has become a formidable adventurer, both with her own martial skills and with the coordination of pokemon. She is a competent swordfighter that fights alongside her pokemon rather than simply give them orders, and can take blows with her armor to lessen the harm done. With steadfast determination she weathers though attacks to capitalize on any openings the enemy may leave in their assault, especially when they are unaware of her other abilities.

Mounted Combat: Water Jousting is a traditional competition on the coasts of Bayern, honing the synchronization between a combat trainer and pokemon to move and act as one unified force. The main difference from standard jousting is there is as much focus on using ranged elemental attacks against a foe as there is physical and weapon strikes. The combat style can be used on most any rideable pokemon, but isn't always as effective with non-Water types.

Survival Of The Wettest: Athela has lived much of her life near the coast. Even without her elemental abilities she is an adept swimmer, and is unbothered by the jarring motion of waves and currents. She's familiar with the basic operations and navigation aboard sailing ships. She can use the knowledge of fishing and related skills learned from her family to help sustain herself and allies during long travels.
|Assets=Resolute Blade: An artifact sword resembling the horn of Keldeo's Resolute Form, which also symbolizes that Athela is the chosen champion of his cause. At least to those that even acknowledge Keldeo still exists. It is strong enough to cut into stone and damage forged metal. The pronged backside of the blade is designed for parrying and disarming other attackers. With the sword in her possession, Athela can travel across the surface of water the same as Keldeo does without submerging, unless she chooses to do so.
|NPCs=Pokemon: Athela can catch and train various elemental creatures called Pokemon. They have various abilities, attacks and weaknesses based on their related elements. She has a natural affinity for Water types, but can train most any that are willing to cooperate with her. Her primary Pokemon consist of SAMUROTT, VAPOREON, TIMBURR and GOOMY. She can also hire fast porter pokemon, such as Rapidash or Dodrio, when she needs to travel somewhere her own pokemon cannot easily. These pokemon are not trained for battle, however.

Samurott: Lancer the Samurott is equivalent to what other realms would call one's 'starter' pokemon. He is the first pokemon truly of her own that she trained, and in turn he helped her learn to control her water manipulation. The two are such intertwined companions that when Athela rides him as a mount they are practically one in motion, acting as a phenomenal unified force. Unlike other worlds Samurotts in Bayern are Water and Steel types, clad in metallic forms resembling the heavy armor of knights. As such he is not as fast as other Water types, but much more physically durable. In addition to armored tail, namesake helmet lance and metallic mass, Lancer can form sword-like blades of elemental water energy to fight with. Moves over dry land by aquaplaning, though rough and uneven terrain can become too difficult for his bulk.

Vaporeon: Bred for her by her uncle, Sprite evolved into Vaporeon to be more in tune with her trainer. Almost a water elemental in its own right, Vaporeon are prized for their ability to 'dissolve' into water and move freely through it. Sprite retains her supportive bred moves, and her tracking abilities can now be used in wet conditions and even underwater without hindrance due to her amphibious nature. Her body is able to absorb large amounts of water and use it to heal herself, or to bolster the Water-type attacks of others and wash certain buffs off enemies. Despite the increase in strength Sprite is still primarily a defensive combatant, using her capabilities to disrupt and disable foes for her stronger comrades.

Timburr: Legend holds that Timburr and its evolutions were crafted by Xerveas to help humans rebuild after the original war with Regi, which is why Bayern's version is a Grass type as well as Fighting. They are popular as labor pokemon, while the same obedient and hardworking nature also makes them capable fighters. Exceptionally strong even for his own kind; carries a huge wood log as a weapon while also sprouting thorns and ropy vines from the plant mass on their bodies. Mizzen is a bit too curious for his own good and has a habit of punching or kicking structures to see how sturdy they are, causing accidental damage when he forgets his own strength.

Goomy: It's soft slug-like appearance makes it easy to forget that Goomy is actually a Dragon type. It's slippery amorpheous body allows it to squish and squash itself through tight spaces, hide by flattening itself to the ground, and extend its pseudopod like a semi-opposable tail. The slime that hydrates its body is also its best defense. It's adhesive viscousity can be used to trap and slow foes, or cripple attackers with a poisonous variant. However the slime is also highly combustable, and extreme heat or sunlight can cause Goomy's mallable flesh to painfully dry out. Slurry has a voracious appetite despite its tiny size, and a tendancy to affectionally latch onto others while forgetting about it's sticky slime.
|Disadvantages=Pokemon: As a Pokemon Trainer, Athela has a strong personal connection with her companions. While they are all trained for battle she is highly protective of them, regarding their safety well before her own. Likewise because of their devotion putting her in a compromising situation may be enough to stall them from acting effectively as they attempt to protect her and other allies first.

Headstrong: Athela is a very forward-thinking, action-first type of person. Prefers to leave the extra talking and negotiating to those more suited. While she takes time to consider her actions, once set upon a choice it is as difficult to sway her from it as it is to change the course of a river. While modest she does take considerable pride in the role she has been given and will pursue it as far and as thoroughly as she possibly can. As a result her persistence and determination to see actions through can lead to her being stalled or distracted because of her own stubbornness.

Self-Sacrificing: Athela will always worry about the well-being of others, be it her allies or innocents caught in the middle of trouble, long before she is concerned with her own safety. She is aware that putting civilians in danger can be used to complicate matters for her, but it is a core aspect of her role of a knight and even knowing that danger will not turn her away from doing so.

Regionless: While by birth a native of the Bugen region, politically Athela is regarded as one with no homeland because Keldeo does not have a region or religious order devoted to him. She has no noble family lineage to give her presence in the medieval politics of Bayern, which is why she is considered a Knight Errant. Some members of higher society are eager to use such things to discredit her worth to their advantage. There's reasons Keldeo doesn't trust the nobility that have more interest in their own gains than the betterment of their nation.

Product Of Her Time: Athela has difficulty with the technologies of the Multiverse that are much more advanced than Bayern. Radios and other common conveniences, things that can be experienced repeatedly without complexity, aren't so bad. Even then, just because she uses it doesn't mean she understands it. But things like advanced machinery, vehicles or firearms are entirely out of her league. It may also cause difficulty in fighting such advanced foes until she can start adapting her tactics to the new threats.
}}

4523/The Slug Moor

2016-09-08T03:15:12Z

Foxer: Log posting

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/09/07
|Location=Bayern Region 
|Synopsis=An exploration of the swamp turns terrifying.
|Cast of Characters=994, 984, 1010, 954, 262
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' It doesn't take long travelling into the Slug Moor to realize why the marshland surrounding much of Bugen is one of the more readily avoided areas of Bayern. The land beneath your feet is soggy and spongy, making it difficult to gauge what is just muddy turf or could be a dangerous sinkhole. Best to tread lightly. Trees loom overhead, draped in thorny vines and humidity drenched branches that despite sagging still somehow manage to obscure much of the sky above. If that wasn't enough, clouds of mist occasionally drift through as they are want to do in swamplands, smelling of damp peat moss and sulfur from the plethora of Grass and Poison types that call the mires home. Bug types are also pretty prevailant, but fortunately they've only been heard scuttling around in the overgrowth. Nothing has come out to harass the exploration. Yet. Thankfully the trek isn't a blind wandering. Athela has been into the Moor more times than she would like to remember. About the only good memory is finding the Goomy that sits upon her shoulder, and even that was not without it's troubles. It's little surprise she already has her divine sword out and at the ready. Her Samurott trudges at her side, constantly on wary guard, as the damp ground at least doesn't hinder his movement too much. It was Athela's Eevee that was in the lead, her sharp nose and ears following the faint trail they had found before, despite the difficulty of the damp surroundings. There are other signs of someone being out here though, with the occasional broken branch or scraping of muck off against a stone. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "So not only are the cultists completely twisted in the head by their patron's desires, but they call a place this foul home... hah. Somehow fitting. Rotten on the inside, rotten home." Karal Rei Lin chimes in from next to and just behind Athela. Odd as it seems, very few of her steps are actually sinking into the boggy soil. Her pace is even yet footing choices are impeccable, somehow always managing to step where balance and support's best.     Just how she's managing to keep from sinking down to her knees in gunk and yuck while wearing a heavy set of robes, one might have to wonder.. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Stomping through the muck, Reinhardt seems to be rather focused more on the task at hand than with his armor. He's gone through similar environments before, but that was back in the days when he was just a regular soldier in the Bundeswehr, not smashing villains with a hammer in rocket powered armor.     That said, he's alert and ready for combat, as he tries to knock a fallen log out of the way with a swift kick. "Nngh! This is getting irritating. How much further, Athela?" He's glad to be able to work alongside the fellow knight and her Pokemon, despite the less than pleasant surroundings. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord was with the group, travelling at the rear of the group. His steps were so silent that one might forget he was even following them if it wasn't for the forboding aura that permeated the air around him. He didn't even make sound through the boggiest of ground as if his body held no weight at all. The lack of encounters with hostile Pokemon might be attributed to his presence, especially because it's readily visible that the local wildlife are afraid of even going near him.     "Do not mistake the cultists for a foolish caricature of evil. They are cunning beyond measure and every move they make is carefully and coldly calculated far in advance. They have been at this for longer than anyone here has been alive." His voice cuts through his earlier silence as he speaks to Karal. "They make their home everywhere. It is simply easier to see them against the backdrop of the wilderness where they can't hide among innocents and city walls."     Isn't he just a ray of sunshine--     Squish. Kord starts complaining when a Goomy actually tries to attack his leg because he smells like a threat. "Not /this/ again, get off...!" He doesn't seem angry, he seems to find it funny, but it does get in the way nonetheless. He shakes the brave little goo ball off his leg and continues to follow, his attitude akin to a proud cat the way he just smoothly lets his aura of silent menace return. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' With the Count of Dragoni along, who needs Repels? His forboding presence does a fine job of it. That must of been a pretty brave Goomy. Unlike the one that prefers to cower in the hood of Athela's cloak when frightened. "One would hope not far," Athela replies with a mutter. "We did not risk following the path fully before gathering backup. But we are not far from the fringe of the deepest bogs of the Moor, where only Poison types and those resiliate to it would be able to survive for long." A pause. "And The Count is correct. Some of them may seem the be only weird.. but that's because the most obnoxious fools tend to be the loudest. The ones pulling their strings tend to hide behind them.." She trails off as Sprite comes to a stop by some thorny bushes and starts barking, ears splaying back against her head. But it's not the brush she's barking at, but something snared in it. Athela squats down next to the yapping fox to tug a torn piece of cloth free of a branch. "Someone has definately been here..." Bushes, the bane of travelling trainers when the obstruct the path. Unless one has the means to clear them quickly. "Lancer, Cut us a path please?" Athela steps back so the larger Samurott can get close, and with a few quick swings of his head slices apart the brush with his helmet blade. On the other side lies an alcove of some kind, up against a formation of rock for a backside boundry. An awning is strung up over a stack of barrels and crates, for what good it would do against the mucky humidity of the marsh. Several tables sit around the clearing, covered in the plethora of alchemistry vials and tools. "Luck of the ancient legends, this may be where they were making those poisons." Cautiously the young knight and her pokemon edge into the clearing, leaving room for the others to get past the chopped brush without crowding. "Seems no one is here now... but that is no reason to not remain wary." Sprite scurries over to sniff at the stack of materials, making a cute face of disgust afterwards. "Vreeee." Whatever it is, in those barrels, it must be nasty. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     "I hadn't the illusion they were nothing but such curs, Count." Reinhardt remarks. He's obsessed with the knight thing, not stupid! Not entirely anyways, in any case the armored knight approaches the torn cloth curiously.     He peers into the alcove, before trying to fit his way into the opening. "Curse my size, were I a foot shorter this would've been no problem!" He grumbles to himself, but he's gracious enough to try and make a wide opening for his buddies! "Lady Athela, some assistance please if you can spare it?" He requests politely enough, offering a grin beneath his helmet to the knight. Her pokemon have to have something useful they can do to help him with his predicament. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "I suppose I wouldn't want people willing to blow themselves up hanging around me constantly either." Lin retorts, tone dripping with sarcasm. She frowns at the discovery of cloth, a hand going towards her sword. Plenty of her focus is poured into her senses now, filtering for the smallest trace of anything that might signal there being anyone ELSE here...     She approaches the awning and the barrels cautiously, taking a roundabout approach while scanning in every direction.... 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord keeps away from where the cultists had been brewing their toxins, instead watching their surroundings and keeping his eyes, ears and nose ready to detect anything that might be waiting for them. He is the natural predator of these golem freaks, and so he knows it's best to leave the details of that hideout to the others. It also feels like a good place to get ambushed, so he DEFINITELY isn't going near the alcove as long as he's not certain it's safe to do so, not when a few heroic souls are interested in checking it out. "I'll keep an eye out," he tells them. So far he hasn't seen anything that warrants getting his weapon out. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela glances at over at Reinhardt for a moment, and runs a hand through her red hair. "Uh.. sorry? I failed to realize it would be that cramped for your size." She's not exactly tall, even most of her Samurott's size is down on all four limbs, so limited space really didn't cross her mind. "Mayhaps Slurry could grease you with some slime..." Athela muses, even as she steps over to inspect one of the tables. Though she's not inclined to actually mess with anything without knowing better. "Prehaps it would be best to take some samples to be compared to the others... and simply destroy the rest as a precausion." Her Eevee pads around the stack of barrels, though her interest seems to turn towards the wall behind it instead. The worrisome thing is that when Karal expands her senses, she starts to get a feeling not unlike being watched from multiple directions... Probably not a bad thing Kord did not enter as well, it's fairly crowded inside the limited space. There doesn't seem to be much to see outside, though one might occasionally hear a sound not unlike rock being ground together. Definately not the most typical of sounds in a swamp of bugs and poison... unless it's Crustle mating season, but that's an entirely different matter. But if he squints hard enough, he might see the flicker of a light now and again. It comes and goes, like a lantern swaying as it moves behind other objects in the dank mists. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     "I'll manage, think nothing of it." Reinhardt shrugs, before he crouches down to try and fit in the interior. He might accidentally bonk his head against the ceiling and walls, so he doesn't care move until samples have been taken and evidence is collected before he moves any further. R    "How long do you think they were using this place? A month? Two months?" It's curious, seeing this lab out here. There could only be nefarious purposes here. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord draws his weapon from its holster, the scythe unfolding with a few gentle clicking noises. The metal hums gently in the foggy air. He does little to warn the others, because the moment he does, the ones near him will leap into action. The Count instead waits for the fight to begin, his inhuman eyes following the unusual lights, his trained hearing listening for the oddities in the air, his supernatural nose seeking the smell of tainted souls that always follows those cultists and tells him who deserves to feel the sting of a blade.     He has patience. Once they attack, they'll be open for a counter-attack. And then he can eviscerate the threat. 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' "Long enough to learn the lay of the land, I'm sure," Fiera's voice emerges quietly from behind Kord. "Long enough to shape some things to their liking, too ..." How long she's been there is probably not clear, but there's no denying her presence now. She doesn't look *quite* like she's been slugging through the bog and brush along with the others - she's not unmussed or pristine, but she seems less worn down by the trek than some members of the party are. She wastes little time in sliding past Kord and making her way into the alcove, her eyes narrowing a little as she does so. "Plenty of wild Pokemon," she murmurs, "but ..." She shakes her head slightly, trying to concentrate. "They may already know we're here." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' KAral slows briefly upon noticing all the different sounds and sensations.. she knows that feeling, and she angles herself to pass by Reinhardt. "They're still here." She hisses under her breath at him, whilst trying to not reveal that she's onto their stalkers. Best to let them think their prey is unawares, yes?     Then, a sudden realization hits. "Could be a trap. A big one. Stay away from the barrels." Having realized this, she begins to swiftly back away from the alcove and turns to scanning the surroundings instead! 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Even the mire and moisture of the poisonous Moor cannot completely hide that unnatural stench from those that can smell it. Kord wisely makes no warning, which would only tip off the approaching figure as well. Not long after Fiera slips in after the others does the form finally emerge from the swamp mists like a spectre, entirely clad in dark and tattered robes. Which do not hide his stank of corruption from the inhuman senses of the Count. Instead of the Regi inspired dot-maskes most cultists have been seen wearing, this creature bears a mask with heavy alchemical lenses over where the eyes would be and a elongated almost beak-like protrusion. He must of not noticed the woman because it's not until seeing the dark form standing in front of his hideaway that he stops abruptly. Though the mask makes it impossible to tell if the surprise is at someone being there, or -who- it is. Who would expect the ruler of Dragoni out here?! The surprise fades sharply though, and with a unnatural hiss he rattles his lantern on a stick towards Kord, which lobs a few sinister looking globs of burning poison at the dark Count. Athela looks up from the table she was poking about when Fiera appears and speaks. Something in the way the woman says that makes her tense even more, and she steps back from the apparatus as she clenches her sword. "How close?" Perhaps closer than the young woman realizes. Behind the crates Sprite sniffs at a break in the wall formation... only to scuttle backwards with a yelp of surprise as part of the rock uncurls into a stony taloned hand to try and grab her! "Vree vree vree!" yowls the small fox as she comes running back into view in a panic! That's when it becomes more clear why it was hard to distinguish a certain number, as the alcove around them breaks apart. Not into a cave-in, but rather a disengaging of multiple locked limbs to seperate and slide apart to the ground. Then the 'chunks' stand up like bipedal creatures upon fiberous legs while gangly limbs ending in rocky clawed hands dangle off the jagged stone torsos. While another pair of arms jut off the top shoulders. And even their -heads- are shaped like large hands. Though the creepy part is that even the palms of those hands have eyes imbedded in them. Athela looks a bit surprised at what they are, more so than them being there thanks to other's suspicions. "Barbarnacles? They shouldn't be this far inla--" She pause mid-sentance, realizing that all those eyes, in heads and hands alike, are empty and soulless, and her words turn into a cry of holy rage. "HOLLOWED!" Though at least Reinhardt isn't so crowded now? On the down side, several of the creatures tried to drop directly onto his back since he was so close to the 'wall' they were making. Athela swings her sword and hacks the arm off one... except for the arm to keep wiggling and grabbing onto her leg. Her resulting curse is cut short as a rocky fist catchs her afterwards and sends her sprawling into the muck. Forgot each of those hands had a brain. Or now, it's own controlling bit of the corruption. One launches itself at her Samurott after forming two of it's hands into Stone Edge blades, keeping the large Pokemon occupied with parrying the strikes. Goomy tries to slip away, but gets grabbed by all four hands of one, squishing together too tightly for it to ooze between the fingers. They lost their element of surprise thanks to supernatural senses of others, but they still have the group pretty much surrounded... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:''' R    "SCHE-" Reinhardt stops himself just short of exclaiming something not entirely polite in front of the company of ladies, but only just. He yelps in surprise at the Hallowed creature, before he begins to try and smash his way to form a vanguard with hammer in hand.     "What is this thing!?" he asks aloud, but he focuses more on smashing it really hard with a swift hammer blow, his hammer swinging at the Hallowed abomination.     He's not exactly keen on finding out despite his words, all that matters is just crushing this thing right now. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord is already well aware of the 'plague doctor' that approaches them. Little did the good alchemist know that such symbology is actually common to the Mausoleum's attendants, reminding Kord of the bird-like masks and anonymous status of anyone that worked in there. It rankled him instantly to see such a guise on someone trying to create death in the name of an unholy cause. He waited only until the enemy tried to attack him, and quickly darted forward with no intention of letting the attack land a solid hit. Some of it hits his cloak, burning through to his skin but resulting in him throwing his cape off and at his target to obscure himself.     Expecting that his target will try to attack the cloak in anticipation of him going through it, Kord ducks around in the confusion with absolute silence in his steps and gives one huge vicious swing at the alchemist with his scythe. He doesn't hold back at all, trying to mortally wound his opponent from behind. Very few people couple keep up with how quickly and decisively he moves. 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' There's a soft rasp of metal against leather as Fiera draws her sword - but she doesn't QUITE look focused for combat. Rather the opposite, at the moment - like her attention isn't all here. A moment later, the reason becomes clear: a hole opens in the ground, close enough behind one of the Barbarnacles to potentially steal the creature's footing. A faintly mocking "Dugtrio" floats up from the hole, and then the triple-mole Pokemon attempts to collapse the hole on top of the monster. Fiera's attention snaps back to her surroundings in the next instant, and hopefully she didn't get killed or maimed in the meantime. She doesn't even *throw* a Pokeball in order to release her Ninetales, and Foxfire unleashes a Fire Spin on the nearest Barbarnacle to Fiera's position. Fiera's sword does lash through the flames as they're unleashed, and she attempts to move to Goomy's assistance - a burning sword *ought* to be at least somewhat effective in slicing a hand or two off this thing, right? 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Moving in harmony with the reveal of terrific enemies, Karal Rei Lin drops back into a combat stance with a smooth and confident motion. Sizzling golden light crackles in her palms, then LANCES out into the form of a large curved blade not unlike a katana. A Reaper Daiklave, if any knew. Forged of solidified sunfire and blazing like a torch. A few people here have seen this fearsome weapon before...     "Considering how far OUT here they are, I have to wonder... did they know we were coming far ahead of time and prepare this welcoming party, or are this many guardians ALWAYS here?"     Creeeeeeepy guardians at that. But no creepier than some demons she's seen. "So I take it you guys have NO interest in just surrendering before I cleave half of you in twain?" She asks of the gathering forces... 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' While now it was clear the aclove had been a trap in itself, it doesn't fair entirely as planned for the Hollowed monsters. The lack of intended surprise takes some of the stock out of their ambush. Although their forms are still quite terrifying in their own right. Up until smashed with a giant hammer by an equally giant man. Break the body and the limbs still move, but crush the hands as well and that's the end of that. If the Swords cared much about outsiders Terrikon would possibly be impressed by the display of smashing power of PRECISION GERMAN ENGINEERING. Being of Rock and Water types, the Fire Spin doesn't do much in the way of harm, but it does do its job of trapping the targets within the flames, keeping them from swarming so easily. On the other hand, the combination is easily victim to the Dugtrio's ambush of the ambusher, dropped into a hole and appropriately buried for a thing technically no longer living. Karal gets her answer when several of the inhuman eyes just stare at her and her weapon, and then rush her anyways. They don't have the mind left to register the power in that daiklaive, they only know to attack and destroy. Or drag away to become new victims of the corruption. Despite not being the most effective element, being a -sword- still does wonders for smashing rock appendages, and the blow breaks apart enough of the hands for Goomy to ooze out. Splating on the ground it wibbles back to its usual blobby form... Only to open it's mouth wide and spew out a gout of indigo Dragonbreath flames at the monster to drive it away. Outside... well there's not really an inside anymore... the unholy hissing and snarling turns into a yelp of surprise as the cloak is thrown over the fiend. He thrashes around in trying to get it off, finally managing to do so just in time to turn and take the scythe gouging across his chest. Another yowl follows as he staggers back, clenching an arm against his chest. He's heavily wounded, only kept together by the Hollowed corruption barely. As he drops to a knee he braces with the staff and rattles it. A couple of the Barbaracles break off from the swarm and turn to charge towards the Count... But how are they going to fair any better? 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Overlooked in the fracas for a few moments due to how small and unthreatening the Eevee looks Sprite has huddled back against the stack of barrels. She's not really a frontline fighter, not being very strong, and there's a lot of enemies even with them being smashed and sliced apart at every turn. Lancer lives up to his name and spears his horn-blade through one of the monsters, then swings around to whip it aside and slam his tail into another. But the fighting has dragged him away from Athela's side, unable to do more than try and fight his way through his own foes. The Knight of Keldeo spits muck as she gets back up, but the severed arm wraps around her ankles while two of the Barbaracles grab onto her with their various arms to pin her arms and weapon down. One even grabs her head with it's head-hand and pulls back, Athela snarling in pain as her neck is bent backwards. Sprite's ears splay down with a himper as she minces her paws. She wants to help her master, but what can she do? If only she was stronger. If only... One of the Barbaracle's digs into Athela's pack with a hand, clawing open a pouch and pulling out a glowing blue stone. Sprite's eyes widen as she reconizes the stone.. And in a burst of motion the Eevee flies across the mucky fight, leaping to chomp down on the searching arm and then grabbing the stone out of it and leaping away. The stone's glow flares brightly from her mouth as she jumps, then falls inert as the glow engulfs the Eevee herself. Fiera probably realizes what's happening, as the glowing form shifts with longer legs and more solid body, ears spreading out into broad angles and tail lengthing out into a mermaid-like shape. Athela can barely see what happens out of the corner of her eye, but it's enough to let out a gasp of amazement of her own. "VAAAPOREOOOON!" Sprite skids a bit as she lands, which turns her back in the direction she came. An outright massive spout of water erupts from her mouth with the cry, the pressure alone enough to smash the Barbaracles away from Athela and into tiny pieces unthreatening pieces. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "Have it your way!" The redhead spouts, seemingly QUITE HAPPY to have an opportunity to test her mettle against something that looks like a challenge. Or at least... interesting. The dregs of ancient combat experience flowing through her these days aren't scared yet!     "Alright, come at me with everything you've got!" One can't help but wonder if she's holding back the urge to go 'wheeeeee' like a litle kid, given the manic JOY on her face. She isn't really a person who does things by halves. Nor is she the kind of person who'll trudge through life as though it were a sequence of drudgery.     A good adrenaline rush is something to enjoy!     So she takes a moment to spin her weapon around with swift flourish. Sizzling golden light trails her every motion in adjusting her stance... then...     "Haaaiyai!" Faster than a blink, she's off! A wake of gunk and yuck thrown up in her wake. The Barbarnacles are her target. ALL of them. Because she skids in low and slashes mightily, body whirling over the swampy ground and blade moving so quickly that only golden streaks can be seen as it passes. She's roaring like a maniac, leaping from creature to creature and aiming to slash one from one shoulder to another, whirl around and cleave lengthwise into offending arms and then backflip off the thing and use the momentum to DRIVE the burning daiklave straight through another of the unfortunate Hollowed creatures...     Or well, that kind of manuever's what she has planned... 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' Fiera hadn't had time to sort out which type mix the group's ambushers consisted of, but between the high effectiveness of Chika's Dig attack and the limited impact of the Fire Spin, she's able to start piecing things together pretty quickly. Her first thought, honestly, is that an Earthquake technique might be best for wrapping this fight up in a hurry - but that would hit her allies as much as their enemies. Still, type advantages don't mean much against Confuse Ray, and the Hollowed *should* be reasonably vulnerable to Psychic-type attacks. She also doesn't need to worry about all of them on her own, which is particularly welcome news. Fiera didn't bring the best set of Pokemon for this type match-up; she was expecting, well, more swamp-adapted types. And probably Poison-types as well. For the moment, Foxfire launches Confuse Ray at one or two of the remaining Barbarnacles, while Chika hollows out the ground under another of them. If the best Fiera and her team can do is tilt the odds further in her allies' favor, she's happy to let them finish the job. Still, the flare of Sprite evolving on the spot into a Vaporeon keeps Fiera from completely syncing up with either of her active Pokemon - which MIGHT be for the best in some regards: getting too deep into sync could leave her unprepared for something that she could see coming with her attention all in her own head ... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Using a hammer, it's easy to say that Reinhardt has no problem making as much damage as he possibly can, the gigantic knight grabbing his next opponent by the arm, tossing them outside where he can maneuver a bit easier.     "Yaaaaah! Time to finish this!" His rockets boost him right out of the alcove, leading him to collide with the stone creature with maximum force. On top of a rocket powered shoulder-check from hell, impacting with the force of a freight train, Reinhardt follows it up with a hoist of his hammer. The end of his hammer begins to let off a roar as the boost kicks in, and he brings it down on top of the rocky one. "HAMMER-DOWN-!"     Needless to say, there might be a small crater wherever the creature may have stood before, once Reinhardt is done with this thing. 

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''     Kord begins to laugh as the Barbarnacles are sent after him even as they get mobbed by skilled warriors, and makes no attempt to stop his own assault, even as his arm hisses from the toxic goo clinging to his skin. He lunges forward with his mad laughter echoing through the bog, his legs propelling him with superhuman speed toward his prey. His scythe is released and whips through the air as if suspended by an invisible force behind him, his clawed gauntlets grasping for the alchemist. He tries to get a firm grip of an arm or the alchemist's neck, and then he does something pretty dramatic.     Provided he got a good handhold, he manifests his strange red and black wings and rockets up into the air with one firm wingbeat -- complete with a noticeable blast of air where he was standing a moment ago -- where he can't be struck by the Barbarnacles no matter how hard they throw their stones or blast jets of water up there, carrying the alchemist the whole way. The only things that could hit him are truly rare abilities that are unlikely to be found in this battle. And then he would release the alchemist and grab his scythe again out of the air, and just watch his prey drop toward the jagged stones he picked as the inconvenient landing zone. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' The numbers are really thinning out, but that doesn't stop one of the remaining Barbaracles from lunging at the newly evolved pokemon and trying to smash a fist into her... only for said fist to slam down into the muck as the Vaporeon disappears! Or more accurately, uses her new ability to become like water to blend into the wet, swampy terrain. Without the mental functions to realize what happened, it just keeps punching the muck with it's various fists trying to find her. "In the name of Justice, your corruption be purged from this land!" Only to look up as Athela steps in and swings her blessed weapon. "SACRED SWORD!" Resolute Blade glows almost blindingly with energy as it takes off the head-shaped hand of the monster. The rest of the creature doesn't just collapse, it breaks apart with glowing cracks and crumbles away as the Hollow corruption is tore away by the divine weapon. Keldeo may not have the following to sit with the big names of the Bayern patheon again, but it makes his power through his Chosen One no less a bane upon these unholy creatures. Athela looks down to her side as Sprite reforms from the swampy water next to her. "Seems leaving the choice to you was most fortunate in the long run." "Vaap!" Sprite barks back, bobbing her finned head in agreement. Most part Rock-types aren't exactly fast, and even unholy corrupted Barbaracles aren't much different. Karal's blitzing assault through them is so fast that she leaves a trail of muck and a glowing aftertrail of her weapon... and the monsters don't actually shatter and collapse until after she's stopped on the other end of her maneuver. The combination of confusion and pitfalls works well enough despite being improvising with the pokemon Fiera has at hand. The ones that aren't crushed by Dugtrio holes are left trapped partway in the ground make them easy targets for Samurott and Goomy to finish off. One probably would wish it had just fallen into a hole, as instead it gets the full blunt of Reinhardt's righteous German wrath. It's like getting tackled by a Steelix but a lot faster than any steel serpent could move. Getting bowled over makes it easy for the hammer to catch, heave into the air, only to catch again and SLAM into the ground that a brief circle of mud and mire radiates outward from the impact before settling down. The remains of the now destroyed monster are swiftly buried as the muck flows back in fill the crater left by the attack. The scythe spinning through the air is more than enough to knock the Barbaracles away from their master and give Kord to oppritunity to grab the alchemist, whom even with mask seems to express some amount of surprise and terror at the massive black and red wings spawned by the Count to launch into the air. Already mortally wounded he can do little but struggle, the deviant laughter of the emissary of Yveltal ringing in his ears. Until he's let go. The results are gruesome to say the least. A body, corrupted but still mostly made of flesh, dropped upon them. A very real display of why the master of Dragoni is not a man to be trifled with lightly. 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' "I think we got them." Fiera's voice is quiet but crisp now, and she wipes her sword off before sheathing it again. Chika finally breaks the surface next to her feet, with Foxfire padding over to stand next to her; Fiera spends a moment or so petting her Pokemon and appreciating their efforts, feeding a Pokeblock to each of them before recalling the Dugtrio and the Ninetales to their Pokeballs. She doesn't need them out at the moment, and the swamp still feels less than friendly even with the major 'trap' dealt with. "What else do we need to do here? Just destroy their equipment and supplies, and be on our way?" 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt looks down at the remains of the Barbaracle at his feet, before he slings his hammer across his shoulder. "Well fought, all of you!" He grins, removing his helm to reveal a bright smile, a blind eye, and a GREAT BUSHY BEARD that looks more like a lion's mane than someone's facial hair. He giddily wanders over to Athela, giving the fellow knight a firm but careful clap on the shoulder. "I feel like I am missing something here, didn't your...err...Sprite look different before?" He asks, eyebrow cocked as he inspects Sprite for a moment. Pokemon are still kind of an alien concept to him, sadly. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Karal Rei Lin eventually comes skidding to a halt - carefully - as the sounds of battle die down. She's frowning. I was a hell of a workout... but the creatures were too slow. TOUGH, but too slow to be a threat...     Another disappointment. She's hoping so much that one day she'll come across a creature that's actually a good CHALLENGE..... without it being an insanely troublesome creature like the Wall of Lumiere...     "Putting quantity over quality with their guardians was a big mistake when it has to deal with a group like ours," She murmurs, dissatisfied in as many ways as she is happy this place is has just been neutralized. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' "Good job, all of you." Athela is not quite so forward with her affection as Fiera is, trying to maintain some amount of a proper knightly demeanor. But the appreciation is audible in her voice. She does give Sprite a brief scritch behind the headfin though. "We shall have to test your new abilities more thoroughly. After a good rest." She stands back up, only to get nearly knocked over by Reinhardt. "Ah.. yes," she replies as she stands back up and uses one hand to straighten out her headpiece. "Most pokemon are capable of evolving into a stronger form at some point in their life. Or some, like Eevee, evolve due to a special rare item." Probably best to not get into more detailed terms than that. Eevees are a special and somewhat confusing case that could take an entire scene on its own to explain. It's not until the aftermath that Athela even realized Kord was fighting someone other than the Hollowed pokemon. Until she notices the lantern staff, dropped when the alchemist was hoisted into the air in a chokehold, which she walks over to pick up. Then pauses as she peers at it. True Justice to be served. Let the maker's tool undo his work. Athela blinks twice, and shakes her head a little. She wasn't expecting that at this point... But it doesn't take much thought to realize what her patron means. "Everyone stand back!" Once it's clear she flings the staff into what had been the aclove, shattering the lantern and in turn setting the work ablaze, the strange chemicals and supplies easily overcoming the damp environment to ignite. Eventually, once everything has burned to nothing useful, she and her pokemon can use their water abilities to put the flames out before it harms any of the natural marshland. 
}}

Some Things Burn Hotter (Corona Arclite)

2016-08-25T23:55:43Z

Foxer: Cutscene post for how badly things in Ravnica are frustrating Corona

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/08/25
|Location=Izzet Quarter - City of Ravnica
|Synopsis=Trying to vent stress and frustration at recent events explodes.
|Cast of Characters=711
}}
The rest of Ravnica may be in discord over the events of last night's meeting, but the Izzet guild was as busy as ever. They were going to need ever bit of help it could find to get through these dark times, and that in itself was enough to drive many of its current and honorary members to work even harder on Project Thianel. But haste did not mean waste, and even in the frenzy of activity every care was being put into the reconstruction of their autonomous friend and mentor. Forges roared and spewed heat much like the dragonkind they served. Tools and magic sang from every corner of the work area as metals were prepared and pieces precisely cut. A chorus of hammers continuously beat out a furious working rythmn between the great walls, frevor venting the emotions boiling from the night before.

But amongst all those hammers, only one blasted great flares of green-blue as it struck upon the metal beneath it. With every blow of the Corona Breaker the plasma sheathing the head would superheat the metal it struck, keeping it at a mallible state longer. Which meant less trips back to the forge to reheat it. As such every swing Corona made with her trademark tool could flatten metal quickly, or drive it down upon a mold more thoroughly with less time and physical effort. It was one of the reasons she was the premiere metalsmith for working with the brimsteel ore her homeworld was named after, and now it served her well working upon the myriad of arcane alloys the Izzet have at their disposal.

But even as she vented her frustration into driving her work, the ringing of hammer upon alloy in her ears did not quell the rolling of thoughts behind the vixen's determination. Although she knew little of politics she had not gone in unprepared. She had read the same information she had put together to bring Miss C up to speed with the setup. She had not expected the gathering of Guild representatives to be able to do much without bickering and backtalk.

What -had- astounded, not to mention apalled her, was how thoroughly it DID interfer with their capacity. They were so wound up in their individual slices of the pie. They cared more about their individual parts than Ravnica as a whole. And on top of it all, NOT ONE of them showed one ounce of interest in Rhapsody personally, or at least some consideration for how utterly emotionally wrenching the has to be for her. Everything she had lived for, tried to live up to in her father's shadow, was crashing down around her. AND NOT ONE OF THEM CARED!

Plasma sheared outward in sparking plumes as Corona swung the hammer down extra hard, driving blows fueled by her own turmoil of emotions. Again and again, the green-blue flash reflecting in the lenses of her goggles, casting almost ominous light and shadow effects in greenish tint across her grimacing features. Corona knew how it felt to loose the ones close to you. To lose family. She had lost her parents to men jealous of her father's genius. Or afraid of it. She had lost friends to industrial tyrants who cared more of money and fame than the lives of their workers. Much like these other guilds tried to hide their fear of 'outsiders' behind hate and distrust. Fear of them being stronger. Distrust of them being able to do things they could not.

Another accented plasma flare rang through the shop. Ears splayed back, tailing twitching in sync with the swings. With every driving blow Corona got more and more wound into her internal storm, letting her anger scream through the slamming hammer instead.

o/~ Down in the dust, our feet are cold and tired.
We've built your walls, we've lit your goddamn fires.
We've even fought your wars, guarded your lives.
Greased your pipes, we made and laid your wires. o/~

And despite the hate and mistrust, those 'outsiders' have stood at Ravnica's aid for as long as it has been a part of the Multiverse. It's true they did things the Guilds could not, and now Corona could see why. They couldn't even trust each other! No wonder the city had been in disarray before Niv-Mizzet brought his allies in to help, as the stories she had been told go. They wanted control, by it by law or by darkness, and feared what they could not. They were like that goddamn Moleman King. They hated what was different from them. Better than them. Had what they did not. The Union learned to work together DESPITE their differences, something these arrogant slagholes could not do.

All that hate was being projected onto Yunomi, Rhapsody and the Izzet allies. They didn't care about what had happened to make one of the most loyalest of Izzets turn heel, they just wanted to make her a scapegoat!

o/~ Heavy with rust our shoulders bear your loads
Plumb out of trust, too many lives hewed low
You ask for much, but give burdens untold
It's time to rush, it's time to dump this load o/~

And yet, they were a bunch of goddamn hypocrites! They claim to hate and distrust outsiders, yet as soon as one mysterious stranger shows up claiming to be an enemy of their projected target, they jump on his side! Not to mention that man was only here to stir the shitstorm more. Corona didn't need magic abilities to sense how wrong he was, she had seen his sort before. He reminded her of that elderitch monster they had fought, no more than a brain in a jar upon a machine, broiling with uncomprehendable contempt for her, for reasons she knew not. Of the dead man it had made walk again, the only thing fueling his unlife is revenge against the lawman that had struck him down when he would not yield.

He reminded her... of herself. Of what she had been as an orphan on the streets, bitter and caring only for her own survival. Of what she could of become, nothing but a ball of hatred and bitterness, had Rusty not found and taken her in. Taught her properly to achieve what she truely wanted, not what she felt was deserved.

His words about family were lies. He cared not about that, or about honor, he only cared about it as a reason for revenge. To hunt things different from him, much as the other Guilds feared them. Feared outsiders. Feared -change-, despite what good it has done their city.

The Corona Breaker reared up into the air over her head, flaring brightly almost as if in tune with the turmoil of emotions within.
o/~ Raise your fists up to the sky! o/~
And slammed down with a resounding THWAM ringing throughout the forges.
o/~ Be yourself, be more before you die o/~
THWAM
o/~ Take a stand from your proclivity o/~
THWAM
o/~ and march away from its captivity o/~
THWOOM-CRUNCH

Everything in the workshop ni literally screeched to a stop at the scream of plasma exploding upon impact. Everyone turned to look at the Corona Breaker, reflexively extended to its full sledgehammer size in Corona's emotional fury, impeded a bit into the floor. Bits of table, not to mention bits of the -metal she had been working on-, scattered across the floor admist the plasma scorch lines. That had not been Izzium, but was still one of the stronger magic alloys they made she had been testing her tool on.

And it was -obliterated-. By the pulsarium empowered hammer, or by the vixen's rage, was anyone's guess.

Corona stood there, gloved hands still clenched around the handle, her knuckles white beneath the leather and brass. Her chest heaved with ragged breathes, her entire body shaking from the emotions within screaming at the release. Until anger and frustration started to give away to exhaustion as her body slowly realized it was being pushed well past even her determined limits for several days of work now. Headstrong and caffience could only make up for sleep and real food for so long. Her body couldn't take it any longer.

Corona promptly dropped much like her own hammer had, needing to be carried off to her temporary room to recover.

Doing Something Constructive (Corona Arclite)

2016-08-22T23:22:17Z

Foxer:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/08/20
|Location=Izzet Quarter - City of Ravnica
|Synopsis=Corona gets ready to help rebuild a friend.
|Cast of Characters=711
}}
The cacophony of various materials cascading upon the floor rung through the early morning as a single swipe of the tail send things scattering off the top of the workbench. A few goblins looked up at the noise... then shrugged and went back to their morning duties. Such an abrupt clearing of workspace to pursue a new streak of inspiration was hardly a new event around these parts.

With workspace cleared Corona spread out the worn sheets of parchment across the surface, grabbing some of the larger random things she had just knocked off the bench to pin down the corners and keep the paper from furling back up. Thankfully, unlike some inventors (herself included at times) Ryxinel had made schematic backups as he had built and upgraded Thianel. Some of the Izzet terminology wasn't entirely clear to the vixen because she wasn't as familiar with magitech as she was other machinery but she would make do and adapt. That is how she works. She skimmed over the first steps, tracing words and runes with one finger while using the other hand to enter notes into her C-PAD, working the device's input controls without even looking at with as much skill as people who text without taking the smartphone out of their pocket.

Ryxinel had already explained to her that he would have to construct the interface for the core, it was the one process only he could do and wasn't directly recorded on the schematics for protection. Good enough for Corona. She was a machinist and a metalsmith, she could at least tend to the construction of the new body. Rhapsody was too emotionally broken to do much; Sidonia had disappeared as was her nature, likely to hunt information and plot for the upturned state of affairs in the city; which left Ryxinel with his talons too fully keeping tabs on everything else to dedicate all of his time to rebuilding his creation beyond that.

Prints were out, notes and plans were made. They'd have to start from the literal ground up, Thianel was such a complex construct that Ryxinel didn't keep many parts pre-made outside the standard wear and tear of a clockwork construct.

For a moment Corona glances over at the stand where the blue crystal had been placed for safety from any of the accidental wonders that were often part of Izzet work. Despite the out-of-body experience it seemed to be almost glowing more brightly than before. It pulsed and occasionally flared, as if somehow aware of what was going on around it still. It wanted it out. Next to Rhapsody it had been the most betrayed, Thianel had been Yunomi's mentor in Niv-Mizzet's absence. It hated not being able to contribute in this state; not being able when the Guildmaster needed it; it wanted to get to the bottom of this madness as much as everyone else.

"We all do, pardner, we all do," Corona murmured even if she didn't know if the crystal could actually hear anything. The pulsating did seem to subside a little though, as if the essence within understood.

Tucking the C-PAD back into its pouch on her toolbelt, Corona grabbed the pair of heavy work gloves instead, tugging on one and then the other. Then held one hand out. "Tinderbox." The toolchest sized clockpunk cube sitting next to the workbench lit one lens and emitted a mechanical whirr almost as if yawning and berating her for 'waking' it. Corona as usual ignored the minor attitude. "My work goggles, please."

Despite the protests the automatron was obedient and opened its hatch to do so, popping up a pair of heavily greebled goggles into Corona's hand. These she actually had to take her stetson off to wear, hanging the hat on a corner of the bench to pull them over her head and ears until they sat appropriately on her face. Unlike the ones she wore generally for protection, these had various magnifiers and other visual aids for working with more delicate processes, as well as shielding her eyes from heat and glare of a forge, which is where she was about to head to start crafting parts.

The Guild had already been informed to help her as needed, and if anything was truer, she reckons most of them were down here for the same reason she was. Routine was a coping mechanism for distraught, as was doing something constructive. Pun intended. Also because they knew Izzet's methods to the madness more personally than she did.

Notes, check. A brief patting to check over her tools on her belts, two worn around her waist in a crossover fashion in the same way a gunslinger would wear their ammo belts. She even pulls out a clockpunk ratchet gun and twirls it in her hand a few times like a shooting iron before stuffing it back in its pouch. Hammer, pliers, wire trimmer, spring adjustors; everything was here and ready.

Corona held up on gloved hand, and when she clenched it into a fist the Arclite Cutter affixed to the work glove lit up, a few sparks of blue-green energy hissing from the admitter like plasma arc-welder. The faint glow reflected across the lens of her goggles as she stifled down the emotional mishmash to flash one of her toothy clever fox smirks at the guildworks that had started to gather around wanting to assist.

"Who's ready to help make a friend better? With SCIENCE."

And probably some explosions. This -is- Izzet after all.

Doing Something Constructive (Corona Arclite)

2016-08-22T23:19:16Z

Foxer: Posting Cutscene

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/08/20
|Location=Izzet Quarter - City of Ravnica
|Synopsis=Corona gets ready to help rebuild a friend.
}}
The cacophony of various materials cascading upon the floor rung through the early morning as a single swipe of the tail send things scattering off the top of the workbench. A few goblins looked up at the noise... then shrugged and went back to their morning duties. Such an abrupt clearing of workspace to pursue a new streak of inspiration was hardly a new event around these parts.

With workspace cleared Corona spread out the worn sheets of parchment across the surface, grabbing some of the larger random things she had just knocked off the bench to pin down the corners and keep the paper from furling back up. Thankfully, unlike some inventors (herself included at times) Ryxinel had made schematic backups as he had built and upgraded Thianel. Some of the Izzet terminology wasn't entirely clear to the vixen because she wasn't as familiar with magitech as she was other machinery but she would make do and adapt. That is how she works. She skimmed over the first steps, tracing words and runes with one finger while using the other hand to enter notes into her C-PAD, working the device's input controls without even looking at with as much skill as people who text without taking the smartphone out of their pocket.

Ryxinel had already explained to her that he would have to construct the interface for the core, it was the one process only he could do and wasn't directly recorded on the schematics for protection. Good enough for Corona. She was a machinist and a metalsmith, she could at least tend to the construction of the new body. Rhapsody was too emotionally broken to do much; Sidonia had disappeared as was her nature, likely to hunt information and plot for the upturned state of affairs in the city; which left Ryxinel with his talons too fully keeping tabs on everything else to dedicate all of his time to rebuilding his creation beyond that.

Prints were out, notes and plans were made. They'd have to start from the literal ground up, Thianel was such a complex construct that Ryxinel didn't keep many parts pre-made outside the standard wear and tear of a clockwork construct.

For a moment Corona glances over at the stand where the blue crystal had been placed for safety from any of the accidental wonders that were often part of Izzet work. Despite the out-of-body experience it seemed to be almost glowing more brightly than before. It pulsed and occasionally flared, as if somehow aware of what was going on around it still. It wanted it out. Next to Rhapsody it had been the most betrayed, Thianel had been Yunomi's mentor in Niv-Mizzet's absence. It hated not being able to contribute in this state; not being able when the Guildmaster needed it; it wanted to get to the bottom of this madness as much as everyone else.

"We all do, pardner, we all do," Corona murmured even if she didn't know if the crystal could actually hear anything. The pulsating did seem to subside a little though, as if the essence within understood.

Tucking the C-PAD back into its pouch on her toolbelt, Corona grabbed the pair of heavy work gloves instead, tugging on one and then the other. Then held one hand out. "Tinderbox." The toolchest sized clockpunk cube sitting next to the workbench lit one lens and emitted a mechanical whirr almost as if yawning and berating her for 'waking' it. Corona as usual ignored the minor attitude. "My work goggles, please."

Despite the protests the automatron was obedient and opened its hatch to do so, popping up a pair of heavily greebled goggles into Corona's hand. These she actually had to take her stetson off to wear, hanging the hat on a corner of the bench to pull them over her head and ears until they sat appropriately on her face. Unlike the ones she wore generally for protection, these had various magnifiers and other visual aids for working with more delicate processes, as well as shielding her eyes from heat and glare of a forge, which is where she was about to head to start crafting parts.

The Guild had already been informed to help her as needed, and if anything was truer, she reckons most of them were down here for the same reason she was. Routine was a coping mechanism for distraught, as was doing something constructive. Pun intended. Also because they knew Izzet's methods to the madness more personally than she did.

Notes, check. A brief patting to check over her tools on her belts, two worn around her waist in a crossover fashion in the same way a gunslinger would wear their ammo belts. She even pulls out a clockpunk ratchet gun and twirls it in her hand a few times like a shooting iron before stuffing it back in its pouch. Hammer, pliers, wire trimmer, spring adjustors; everything was here and ready.

Corona held up on gloved hand, and when she clenched it into a fist the Arclite Cutter affixed to the work glove lit up, a few sparks of blue-green energy hissing from the admitter like plasma arc-welder. The faint glow reflected across the lens of her goggles as she stifled down the emotional mishmash to flash one of her toothy clever fox smirks at the guildworks that had started to gather around wanting to assist.

"Who's ready to help make a friend better? With SCIENCE."

And probably some explosions. This -is- Izzet after all.

Archived: Pokemon: Shadow Grey-1

2016-07-08T00:33:37Z

Foxer: Added entry for Keldeo.

{{CastPage
|Desc=POKEMON: Shadow Grey is a Pokemon Tabletop United setting which uses the Game of Throhs supplement ([http://www/pokemontabletop.com]. It takes place in the region known as Bayern, which is a fantasy dark ages (12-14th century) setting filled with gothic horror and high fantasy adventure in equal measure. Trainers use shrine-issued Pokejewelry to capture Pokemon to fight against the horrors that seek to overcome lifekind.

This setting uses the alchemy, weapons, Pokemon fantasy variants and all GoT trainer classes. Other GoT elements can be incorporated at request. Look at the 'chivalric romance' and 'dungeon fantasy' entries in GoT for more inspiration.
|Cat=Original Theme
}}
----

[http://imgur.com/nWwxUeq.jpg <img src=http://imgur.com/nWwxUeq.jpg width=506 style="float:center; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]]

"In the beginning there was the sculptor of the world and the woods, Regigigas. The region of Bayern was sculpted by him as the roaming grounds of his offspring... did you expect them to be humans? Ha ha... nah. Regigigas' hollow offspring, the golems, were what the world was built for. So when he found life- human life, Pokemon life- growing on its own, ooh, was he steamed. When the Stag of Life, Xerneas, stepped forward to say that he was the guardian of living things, he was mad. And then when humans and Pokemon began to discover empathy and mysticism, and their powers when they worked together, he went... 'Oooh, they'll all have to go.'

So we fought back. Well, what else could we do? We had Diancie to teach us how to make Pokejewels, and the Swords of Justice to help us fight... we took the fight to him. People died, of course. A heck of a lot of people died! That's where we found out about the blasted Yveltal, the dragon of death. But hey, we're still here, right? So we won, well of course we did.

Now the world's grown... Regigigas didn't sit well in that mountain prison the gods sealed him up in all those hundreds of years ago. There's only three of his spawn released now, but it could be a thousand, dependin' on who you ask... they spread the curse of Hollowness, wanting to turn everything just like them. Ah, dark days are ahead..."

== Gods of the Setting: ==

[http://imgur.com/TEhf4BO.png <img src=http://imgur.com/TEhf4BO.png width=235 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''Xerneas:'''
The most all around familiar legendary Pokemon, Xerneas is the kind of person that most people think of when they think of a benevolent god. He is associated with life in all of its forms, and most specifically in Bayern, the struggle of life against hardship and darkness. He is a god of survival and persistence. Things that lack visible eyes are treated badly by hard-line followers of Xerneas. Serious devotees spend their time in communities built around or suspended in trees.

[http://imgur.com/HUGeSto.png <img src=http://imgur.com/HUGeSto.png width=270 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''The Swords of Justice:'''
These three gods represent martial pride and purity of heart, and originally charged humanity and taught them to fight to emulate their own creed: to protect those who cannot themselves. To a certain extent, they also represent humanity's ability to build and produce- Virizion is a patron of agriculture, weavers and those who work with plants, Terrakion of masons and builders, and Cobalion of smiths and metalworkers. However, their followers also tend towards 'lawful stupid' paladins, bigots, and those who would kick an Absol in the face just because it's a Dark-type.

[http://imgur.com/VzElmcp.jpg <img src=http://imgur.com/VzElmcp.jpg width=250 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''Diancie:'''
Diancie gave the world what it needed most- the knowledge of how to jewelcraft, creating Pokejewelry and the means to make the healing arrays in Pokemon Apothecaries. She is also a being who represents fortune- precious metals and jewelry, and even good luck in a more general sense are under her purview. Some secular beliefs state that she has the power to be reborn from another Carbink should she ever need to, and can even reincarnate other humans and pokemon in other form; although no one ever really explains what 'should she need to' means as it would imply going into why and how a goddess could die.

[http://imgur.com/fu02V0o.jpg <img src=http://imgur.com/fu02V0o.jpg width=261 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''Manaphy:'''
Few beings worship Manaphy aside from a community on the isolated island of Bugen. As Bayern is a large landlocked continent, few people aside from those who live in a coastal community ever get close enough to the ocean for it to matter, but Manaphy is considered the chief guardian of the depths of the ocean, and he is welcome to it. Many people just pray they don't sink if they ever need to go out there. Many people do not think that Manaphy IS even a god, due to the presence of Phiones- which often can be found in rivers and lakes- who claim that Manaphy is their progenitor to those who can speak to them. Manaphy offers the people of Bayern nothing tangible, and so he is rarely venerated.

[http://imgur.com/MmLKOCR.png <img src=http://imgur.com/MmLKOCR.png width=295 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''Yveltal:'''
The Dragon of Death has no worshipers, at least none in the traditional sense, in the greater Bayern continent. This is because few wish to invite the attention of Death itself on them or their home, and many fear this aspect as part of their daily lives. That said, tokens to Yveltal are often found in graveyards and in the form of gargoyles that guard over castles. Although the legend has faded over time, Yveltal's power was integral to the fight against Regigigas. Only one church to Yveltal exists in Bayern and it acts more like a mausoleum, giving respect to those that have died and acting as the way to speak to Yveltal without risking its wrath. The followers of Yveltal are an order of knights that continually hunt down the Hollow, though their numbers diminished long ago. In absolute truth, Yveltal itself more of a peaceful grim reaper type and represents the natural flow of decay and death as opposed to the forced destruction invited by the golems that threaten Bayern. That said, it does directly oppose Xerneas in a stalemate that has lasted since both gods were born.

[http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/pokemon-keldeo_zpsgzqbd2os.jpg <img src=http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/SwiftpawWolffox/pokemon-keldeo_zpsgzqbd2os.jpg width=261 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''Keldeo:'''
In a time long ago, Keldeo was the youngest god of the Swords of Justice, and guardian of the coastal region. Like the elder trio he also represents an aspect of humanity; in his case it was mankind's bravery and adventureous spirit, that which brought them to taming the seas as sailors, traders and fishermen. Unfortunately greed and arrogance among nobility pushed him aside with the empty worship of Manaphy only to keep trade with Bugen Isle alive. With little following Keldeo secluded himself, becoming little more than a faded myth by the current era. Legend claims that Keldeo once held a more powerful form during the war with Regigigas that was lost when his position amongst the gods was displaced. Holds no ill will towards the people he fought for, but has a major chip on his shoulder for the corrupt nobility that ousted him. Only recently did a new Champion rise to fight in his name, but with little of the support other gods have, it will be a tough journey ahead for both Hero and Legend.

Other legendary Pokemon may have indeed existed, but may have died during the great war with Regigigas. Their names faded from memory, such that it is hard to tell whether any un-named Legendary existed at all. In other words: plot fodder. Finding the remains of a dead legendary or some item connected to them could be the basis for an incredible arcane weapon or even let them access their Gifts as a Usurper or Branded-class.

== Major Communities ==

[http://i.imgur.com/oMiWMty.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/oMiWMty.jpg width=306 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''HOLZFALL:'''
The community whose patron is Virizion, Holzfall is the second largest community in Bayern. It consists of many small towns and provides a thriving industry of woodworkers, carpenters, and all who work closely with grass Pokemon. It is also a famed farming community, consisting of many berry growers and juicers. As a result, this is the birthplace of the Pokemon contest, and people who live hand in hand with Pokemon are renowned as silk hiding steel. Due to the fact that there are just as many dangers in the deep woods however, it is also a community with many hunters, trappers and woodsmen. The deepest forests are called the Schwarzwald. Its militia is skilled in the use of axes as their signature weapon. Pokemon common to this community are Grass, Fairy, Bug, Steel and Ghost types.

[http://i.imgur.com/SzQpSIp.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/SzQpSIp.jpg width=225 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''KONIGBURG:'''
The largest city in Bayern- and in fact, the only city, really. Its patron is Cobalion. The most developed region of Bayern is where all of the science happens- alchemy, clockwork, glasswork, scholarly theory and new innovations in technology. It is a city of promise, but also a city of long shadows and insular behavior. Built so closely together that it would be devastated by fire or indeed Hollowness, Konigburg has a taboo of strict control of Pokemon who can change the environment in battle. Racketeers and black markets often gather in back alleys and disused streets, as well. However, paradoxically its militia is the strongest of all, but they are always looking outside to threats instead of looking in. Their signature weapon is the crossbow. Pokemon common to this community are Normal, Electric, Dark, Rock and Steel.

(PORYGON: the first Porygon was made in this city, out of clockwork and finely crafted plates of crystal, and was blessed by Diancie and Xerneas' agents to bring it to life. Less than a hundred true Porygons exist in Bayern, and these days often an artificer need only spend years producing the clockwork before it crystallizes into living form, but they are seen as a sign of a bright future, and making one is the pinnacle of the clockmaker's lifework.)

[http://i.imgur.com/P225Mkd.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/P225Mkd.jpg width=266 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''SALTBURG:'''
At the foot of the Alpis mountains lies Saltburg and its neighboring towns. It is unique among communities in Bayern in that while many of its militia and shrines venerate Terrakion, most of the community and common people venerate Diancie far more strongly. Indeed, it has forever been the envy of Konigburg for the fact that much of its infrastructure is powered by a Heart Diamond granted to it by Diancie. The mines of the Alpis mountains produce a seemingly neverending supply of gems and precious metals, but the gap between the people who get to enjoy this wealth and the people who actually dig it out is large. Its people and pokemon work hand in hand in industry, and they produce most of the Pokejewelry that is sent out through Bayern. Its militia specialize in the use of the pick. Pokemon common to this community are Rock, Ground, Dragon, Ice and Fighting.

[http://i.imgur.com/O6W13MD.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/O6W13MD.jpg width=236 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''BUGEN:'''
A small island off of the coast and the coastal city closest to it, they share the name Bugen. The island is home to a monastic order which venerates Manaphy, and consider themselves closest of all to water Pokemon. However, most consider them to be completely disconnected from most of Bayern as a whole. People who live in the coastal city are looked upon more favorably, mostly due to the occasional interesting discovery that washes ashore from the old times or, more practically, the fish that they can ship to other places. Bugen is also where many aspiring Sky Trainers grow up, and Flying pokemon are used to overcome the hazardous Slug Moor swamps that surround the city. Its militia use the polearm and spear as their special weapon. Pokemon common to this area are Flying, Water, Poison, Ground and Dark.

[http://i.imgur.com/ESxqVZ8.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/ESxqVZ8.jpg width=480 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''ARCHENGART:'''
Archengart was once a city of mysticism and a premier place for those who had developed psychic powers to go to home their talents. Unknown to many, however, it had been corrupted years ago by the curse of Hollowness, and its leadership was riddled with the cursed. The central cathedral of the city is locked up as tight as it was on the day the city fell, having been conquered by Count Kord and much of its population decimated. Naturally, the Count only killed the afflicted, but few people saw any pattern to the devastation- and so nobody knew of the secret plan to sacrifice hundreds of mystics and psychics to resurrect a dead, reassembled Regi which remains sealed there. However, many Psychic, Fire, Fighting, Electric and Ghost pokemon remain native to the surrounding areas, and the curse of Hollowness in the native Pokemon is ruthlessly purged by Kord's people.

== Other ==

[http://i.imgur.com/acN9u7P.jpg <img src=http://i.imgur.com/acN9u7P.jpg width=432 style="float:left; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''TEAM GOLEM:'''
The simplest name for the wicked group that supports Regigigas is Team Golem, but they would style themselves as the Sentinels of the Pure World. What most people consider the curse of Hollowness, the Team claims is the only way to achieve true mental and emotional purity, an abandonment of worldly sins that makes them the 'true' people destined to inhabit the world. They claim that Regigigas always intended for humanity and Pokemon to have this element, and all who do not will perish when they inevitably free him. Not all of the Team have the curse of Hollowness, but those who do definitely recognize that the Team is the best hope for doing the awful deeds that further Regigigas' release. Rather than Pokemon- Hollow ones aside- they fight with ersatz Toy Pokemon that are made of lifeless clockwork.

They hate Porygons. They really, really hate Porygons.

 

[http://i.imgur.com/CTbEHeM.png <img src=http://i.imgur.com/CTbEHeM.png width=445 style="float:right; margin-right:5px; margin-top:15px;">]

'''TREASURES OF BAYERN:'''
Many items in the Pokemon world that would be of varied or questionable rarity are different in Bayern, with some items going up to mythical rarity. Anything that a trainer can make using a Feature are considered to be of relative commonality, but typically the person who can make them is usually the ONLY person that can make them. As such, many people specialize in the creation of Potions(including repels and status remedies), TMs or Pokejewelry, and only the Touched can learn it as an incidental skill. Herbs and powders are for the poorest people. Many wandering trainers can only produce potions and healing items of inferior type that typically only work for them, and similar things can be said for tutors. Items such as Ethers, Revives, Incenses and Type-Boosting Held Items must be made or found in naturally occuring places with a touch of mystical power to them. Gems, items like Razor Claws, Rocks, and Light Clay are the next level of rarity. Stones and Fossils are the next level up. Evolution-inducing Held Items are exceptionally rare and hard to find. Mega Stones, Plates, and Orbs are so rare as to be mythical things spoken of in stories.