Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

John Rizzo

2019-03-07T22:09:36Z

Jazzenstein:

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=John Rizzo
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=1011
|FullName=John Rizzo
|Gender=Male
|Species=Human (Vampire)
|Theme=World of Darkness-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=Vampire Detective
|Faction=Watch
|Rank=4-Member
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="I'm the Shamus keeping you from a wooden kimono, buster."
|PAge=Mid-Forties
|AAge=98
|Aging=No
|Height=6'2"
|Weight=150 lbs
|Hair=Red
|Eyes=Grey
|Voice=Stephen Russell
|Profile=John Rizzo has led a very difficult life, and much of it is by choice. A vampire with a troubled past trying to do right, he was a cop in life who lost his family and hasn't forgiven himself since. He makes his living as a private detective, and due to an unusual derangement, believes he is a fictional character in a detective novel. He has few friends, the burden of his curse, and a darker nature to keep him company, but he also has a profound and sincere faith which empowers him beyond even his curse. A dark protector of humanity, Rizzo uses his unlife to try and redeem himself, hopefully earning salvation for his soul and rescue from his wrongly-perceived status as a fictional character.
|Defining=DEMENTATION:
*Mind Manipulation: Rizzo can forcibly create or modify emotions in others.
*Hint: Rizzo can gain insight through bizarre leaps of logic ascribed to seemingly meaningless patterns (like swirling coffee). While he can find patterns in virtually anything, the answers are rarely straightforward and the process may take hours of intense ''study.''

TRUE FAITH:
An exceedingly rare ability to use the certainty of one's religious beliefs to channel supernatural powers.
*Bane - Modern Mythos Supernaturals: Rizzo can repel supernatural creatures such as werewolves, vampires, and the undead. His melee attacks against these creatures burn as if imbued with fire.
*Resistance - Magic: His faith can also be used to form a personal shield to resist magical attacks. It doesn't keep out physical matter, which includes objects thrown by magic.
*Cure: Lastly, Rizzo can aid others (but not himself) by dispelling debilitating effects applied by hostile magic.
|Significant=AUSPEX:
Auspex is a vampiric power that functions as a sort of sixth sense.
*Analysis: Rizzo can see if someone is mortal, or what sort of supernatural being they are. By touching an object, Rizzo learns who handled it last, what was done with it, and how long ago it was handled.
*Mind Reading: Rizzo can read minds and perceive emotions. Deep secrets are difficult to obtain, requiring extra time and concentration. The minds of supernatural creatures are harder to read, and entirely artificial minds are impossible.
*Proxies: Rizzo's soul can leave his body to view locations he's never visited, even if he can't see them. His body is defenseless, and his soul can't physically interact with the world, but he may still use his mental abilities.

VAMPIRISM:
*Superhumanity: Rizzo can use stored blood to make himself stronger, faster, or tougher.
*Healing - Self: His blood is a potent regenerative agent, and can be used to heal his wounds.
*Damage Resistance: Though weak to fire and holy attacks, Rizzo is otherwise supernaturally durable.

OBFUSCATE:
*Invisibility: Rizzo can blend into the background, not truly invisible but unnoticed. Bumping into someone or knocking something over, scuffing his shoe too loudly or other obvious behavior breaks the illusion.

POLICE TRAINING:
Though it was decades ago, Rizzo still makes use of his police training.
*Weapon Mastery - Pistols: A trained marksman, he is highly accurate with pistols in particular, able to make precise shots even while driving at high speeds.
*Vehicle Mastery - Multi-Wheeled: His training also included courses to hone his driving skills, allowing him to make (and defend against) high speed pursuits in modern, civilian four-wheeled automobiles.
|Minor=MIDNIGHT OIL DETECTIVE AGENCY:
A private detective agency started by Rizzo and staffed solely by himself and Marcus Borden.
*NPCs: Marcus Borden is Rizzo's business partner. Like Rizzo, he's a private investigator, though he's wholly human.

SUBTERFUGE:
*Stealth: He is experienced in moving stealthily through urban environments in particular.
*Oration: Rizzo is an expert at hiding his motives, his nature, and sometimes even at hiding the fact that he's hiding them. He also knows the do's and don'ts of urban etiquette
*Conveniences: Rizzo can telepathically send messages to others. Recipients always know the messages are not their own thoughts.

UNLIFE:
There are a number of benefits to Rizzo's curse.
*Agelessness: Rizzo no longer physically ages and cannot die from old age.
*Resistance - Pathogens: He cannot be harmed by nonmagical poisons or diseases, though his bite can spread communicable diseases of any sort.
*Low Intake: Rizzo has no biological need to breathe, eat, or drink, save for blood.
|Disadvantages=PEACEFUL CRUSADE (Trouble): Rizzo believes his duty to God is to destroy evil, but his preferred method of doing so is nurturing good. As such, he refuses to kill, tries to abstain from violence, and tries to get his allies to do the same, even when faced with foes most would consider irredeemably evil. Instead, he prefers to give others a chance to redeem themselves, which often results in those he seeks to redeem taking advantage of his kindness. Even when this happens, he is forgiving, again and again, no matter how often he's burned, no matter the admonitions from his allies. He will help anyone who says they want to redeem themselves, no matter how many times they say it, even if he's the only one who believes in them.

GUILT (Significant) : Rizzo believes his condition is not only unnatural and sinful, but deserved. His life is fraught with perceived transgressions and marked by a constant desire to repent. For example, losing control and entering frenzy results in days of fasting, self-flagellation, and prayer. Even fighting in self-defense or feeding for survival are seen as sins. Rizzo might attempt to protect an injured, convalescent enemy from overzealous allies, only for that same enemy to injure a friend and send him right back into that spiral of self-defeating, relentless guilt. The longer Rizzo goes without making right these transgressions, the more they gnaw at him, and crafty enemies could easily use his guilt to leverage him into action.

MALKAVIAN MADNESS (Significant): All members of the Malkavian vampire lineage are incurably insane in some way or another. Rizzo holds an entirely sincere, but secret belief that he is a fictional protagonist in a bizarre detective story, and that all of existence, save for a rare few things, is part of that fiction. He feels compelled to act according to the trope of the noir detective, for fear that acting too 'out of character' will cause the end of the world. For example, Rizzo uses outdated slang and may deliberately miss a foe to create the opportunity for a 'chase scene.' Though he takes great pains to hide these deceptions and make them appear genuine, he rarely takes into account his capacity for real, true mistakes, which can make him seem incompetent at best and disloyal at worst.

THE BEAST (Significant): When hungry, feeding, frightened, or angered, Rizzo's dark, subconscious urges (the Beast) may try to overcome his conscious mind and body, taking the simplest, most animal solution to the problem with no regard for his friends or loved ones. When in such a state, Rizzo has no choice but to be a passenger in his own body as the Beast kills, maims, or feeds. Rizzo is especially unlucky, as the phases of the moon make these hysterics progressively harder to resist, with a full moon providing significant difficulty to resist the Beast.

VAMPIRIC WEAKNESSES (Significant): Fire and sunlight sear Rizzo deeply, inflicting slow-to-heal wounds. A stake through the heart forces him into a death-like hibernation called torpor until it's removed. Though normally unaffected by the faith of others, rare individuals whose belief is absolute and unshakable are dangerous, regardless of what religion or ideology they follow. Even someone with absolute faith in traditionally secular concepts like love, peace, or money, could repel him, if their faith in that concept is utterly and wholly unshakable. For this rare few, symbols of belief used as weapons sear like fire, and simple willpower alone can stop Rizzo in his tracks, or even cause him to retreat. Naturally, attacks imbued with holy power from any deity with an enmity towards undead will have the same effect. He must have blood to live, to heal, and to use his powers, necessitating daily feeding. As a dark creature, an undead aberration, any ward created to keep out malevolent supernatural beings, be they vampire, ghost, zombie, or otherwise, will affect him--he is susceptible to spiritual wards of all types.
}}

2017-12-02T08:29:57Z

Jazzenstein:

Wrench in the Works

2017-12-02T08:26:59Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{TPPage |Summary=A search for a saboteur uncovers a dangerous apostate and an ancient conspiracy. |Scale=Minor |Plot_id=-1 |Runner=1137 |Theme=Exalted-9999 |Audience=Paladin..."

{{TPPage
|Summary=A search for a saboteur uncovers a dangerous apostate and an ancient conspiracy.
|Scale=Minor
|Plot_id=-1
|Runner=1137
|Theme=Exalted-9999
|Audience=Paladin focused, but everyone welcome
|Genre=Dystopian Cyberpunk/Magic
|Events=Claslat's first settlement suffered an act of sabotage. The culprit appeared to be a newly Exalted Lunar, but this Lunar pointed the Elites to the true culprit, Ever Triumphant Strategist. This, however, was simply a disguise for the rogue Alchemical Exalt known as Herald of the Black Engine. The Elites discovered Herald's secret facility in the inhospitable Reaches, where they learned of his motivations. Herald seeks to destroy Autochthon and all those who live upon him, to create a twisted utopia entirely free of the living. He is currently in Creation searching for the Eye of Autochthon. The Elites hope to beat him to the artifact before he can twist it to his purpose.
|State=Current
}}

5591/Wrench in the Works-4

2017-12-02T06:58:36Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/12/02 |Location=Claslat <CL> |Synopsis=The Elites discover the identity of Glocrim's saboteur, and piece together a motive from his handiwork...."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/12/02
|Location=Claslat <CL>
|Synopsis=The Elites discover the identity of Glocrim's saboteur, and piece together a motive from his handiwork.
|Cast of Characters=1139, 1129, 7
|Tinyplot=Wrench in the Works
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' CLASLATI REACHES - 10 HOURS OXYGEN REMAINING      After some cajoling (some might say intimidation) from All-Seeing Eye, the tunnel dweller agreed to lead the Elites to a secret vats facility. This facility is believed to service the one known as Herald of the Black Engine-who may or may not be the saboteur they seek.      The journey took nearly twelve hours. The Elites were subjected to winding, cramped hallways, perilous, rickety catwalks, massive lakes of industrial solvent and other hazards utterly inimical to organic life. Aside from the hurdles posed by the Great Maker's body, however, there was also the paranoia of the Claslati government, or at least its representative. Throughout the journey, All-Seeing Eye was constantly suspicious of Vladimir (the tunnel dweller), asking if their path was correct every hour on the hour.      At last, they arrive. The cavern to which Vladimir leads the Elites is actually one of the best-illuminated they've seen so far. This is because a river of molten slag, perhaps a tributary of one of the earlier lakes, essentially cuts the cavern in two. The blazing river is quite the efficacious source of light.      Across the river is a field of towering crystals. According to Vladimir, this field conceals the entrance to Herald's secret maintenance facility. Without flight or other abilities, the only way to get across the river is via a thick steel pipe which travels from one ''bank'' to the other. As Vladimir points out, the entrance is only visible within a few feet, due to refraction and reflection from the myriad crystal surfaces. It is as far as he's willing to go, however. Apparently, Herald of the Black Engine is something of a bogeyman for he and his commune. Once the Elites find the door, Vladimir is quick to head back in the opposite direction.          ENTRANCE      Aside from the concealment, the entrance to the secret facility is barred by what appears to be a security door of some sort. The door is made of featureless steel, several inches thick. A console on the right hand side of the door looks like the entry mechanism. The only other feature on its construction is a closed port near the top. A few feet away from the entrance, several crystals are cracked and scored, as if hit with some sort of energy weapon.      The door won't open unless it's brute forced or tricked, and it's apparently got countermeasures for one or the other. The Elites will have to decide how to proceed, and quickly. After all, their findings here will be a moot point if those of them who need oxygen don't find a way back to civilization in time. 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' Miari is NOT terribly fond of the long pipe and the balancing act. She decides a better way to cross is by conjuring a cloud using her Sorcery, hopping up onto it, and kneeling as it carries her - and anyone else who'd like such a ride - across.     Apart from that though, she's kept her voice down politely but been very quick to ask what various things they crossed WERE. Huge lakes of weird chemicals are a curiosity to her after all!     As usual, she's masked her Essence with the aspect of the Solar Lawgivers, and has chosen to illuminate the path with her own Anima Banner of (fake) golden-orange sunlight.     And Vladimir just up and leaves. "You happened to keep a map, yes?" She asks of Eye, without first saying whether she did so herself. It sure didn't LOOK like she did...     But now, now she is faced with the big reinforced door... and looking hesitant. "... Shall I try interrogating its spirit? Or are they likely to be expecting that trick?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' So here she is still in the fepth of a world tht is very alien to her in many ways but in some? They remind her of home in troubling ways. So with Valdimiri leaind them along she keeps quite thinking and trying to take in details as they go along it doesn't take too long with all things are considered. She takers a look at the door for a moment. "I could try to hack our way in but who knows given what we're dealing with I might not be the best suited for it." She notes looks to Eye and then to Miari for a moment. "We can co over my sensory inputs later if we have to." She notes and he looks at the door. "I would lean with the spirit actually you two know this better than I do, I can keep watch while you work though." Kotone keeps herself focused for the moment as who knows what could happen here... 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' Ah, so Miari wants a map? Pity. Eye giggles. "A map would do us good only for so long, Miari!" The Exalt gives her a playful nudge on the shoulder, grinning. "I /did/ record our journey, as did Kotnoe--but in a few hours, the Great Maker's body might shift these passages and block our flight. We'll rely on our sensory data as a last resort. Some form of egress within Herald's complex would be optimal."      Miari's tampering works... after a fashion. A musical chime plays, followed by a ding. The door slides open, and a female synthesized voice greets Miari and the others.      Welcome, Blessed of Kadmek. Your presence has been announced to the Sodalts. Preparing pneumatic lift now.      "...blessed of Kadmek?" Eye strokes his chin thoughtfully, stepping forward. It seems as though he's going to fall, but his foot is met by a platform which rises just as he does. That Exalted vision really comes in handy. "Perhaps there /is/ an Adamant caste. I know of no such caste bearing that sobriquet~!"          HIDDEN VATS COMPLEX (BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TUipBopgb0 )      Yes! The door leads to an elevator, which takes the Elites several hundred miles underground. Exiting the elevator leads to... of all places, a shrine. Well, perhaps 'chapel' is more accurate.      It is a circular chamber, with a large vaulted ceiling and an immense statue in the center. The walls and floor are made of polished metal, with eight rows of three crystal pews arranged in a circle around the statue. The statue depicts a large, metallic planet hovering over a smaller, vaguely humanoid mess of pipes, tubing, and broken glass. Eye can identify the figures as DOMADAMOD, a maintenance/survival god, and AUTOCHTHON. The chapel is oppressively quiet.      There are four SLIDING DOORS (not including the elevator) positioned NORTH, EAST, WEST, and SOUTH.      Each door has an Autochthonic glyph over it. The NORTH room bears a PURPLE, stylized EYE. The EAST room bears a GREEN WRENCH. The WEST room bears a WHITE FACE with a CRYSTAL upon the forehead. Finally, the SOUTH room bears a GREY TUBE hanging on... WIRES? 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' Miari's not sure what to make of the announcement. "Kadmek?" Or the fact that it's been reported to the Sodalts. Anything tht's been REPORTED, right now, is bad. But as far as she knows... this door was ripped off from some system far, far away and there's no way it can report ANYTHING to ANYONE the way it's saying...     Once on the elevator though... she tidies up her Kimono... "If there IS such a thing, its secret existence is kept this way by eliminating anyone who learns it. We must be EXTREMELY cautious. It may even be best if it's kept to ourselves, for the safety of your superiors." Miari points out in a very strange, quiet tone while the journey commences.     "It's better," She continues, "If this person turns out to not be a mythical Adamant Caste at all, but just someone trying to live the legend." ... and then, she's walking out towards the doors and slowly making her way through the cathedral... and eying the four doors. In order...     "A spy room... a maintenance room... housing... and... what could that last one be? ... Medical? Is there a difference between medical and maintenance for a Champion?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone stands back and leaves Miari to do her work and they seem to find their way in she'll be on guard as they move in. She's wary of the horrors that could await them within as well. She looks at the chapel, she doe snot not know the deities picutred here but she does pay attention as she sees there are several directions in which to go. She'll look over to Miari for moment. "Heh, medical and maitenance is the same thing for me givem my body's mostly a construct." She notes as she nows thinks for a moment and nods to Miari. "That could be a thing here. We won't find out if we don't move out I say we check out medical first." 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' Miari's rumination on the Adamant Caste's methodology earns a quick bob of Eye's head and a grin. "Certainly! For now, I need to determine whether this Herald has any ties to the sabotage of Glocrim, and the abduction of Brilliant and Luminous Innovator." He pauses, his lips curling into a thoughtful frown as the doors of the elevator open. "A way out certainly couldn't hurt, either~"      Miari makes very accurate guesses as to the nature of each room. Eye places a hand upon her shoulder, stepping forth to congratulate her. "Your guesses are correct, Miari!" With his other hand, he turns and points to the south door. "Your mystery glyph is the symbol for cable cars. This place not only houses Vats, but a transit hub, as well! Perhaps even an operational one."      Kotone's remark about maintenance and medicine being similar also seems to amuse him, as he nods with a quiet chuckle. "The same is true for us, dear. As the artificial life-forms here, you and I should investigate the vats. Miari, if there's something you could put that big, beautiful brain of yours to, I'd be ever so grateful~" 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' Eye and Kotone - EAST ROOM      The door to the east room slides open with a gentle pneumatic hiss. It reveals a room so white it can only be described as 'sterile.' The walls, floors, and even the ceiling are shock white, enough so that any dust or dirt would strike a visible contrast. The other immediately noticeable thing about this room is that it is occupied by six people besides Eye and Kotone.      Five humans in black leather lab coats, and dark red turtlenecks to guard against the cold. Each one has an oval cut amethyst embedded in their forehead. Four of the technicians salute Eye and Kotone. The fifth, a woman with short red hair, is occupied with the sixth person--who is visibly not human. This person floats, unconscious, in a large vat of green liquid. Unlike everyone else here, his skin is decidedly inhuman--though it's hard to tell from the green soup he's floating in, it looks to be claylike, and of an almost metallic bronze hue. Various, obvious cybernetic enhancements cover his body, and the gem in his head is a bright orange starburst reminiscent of the sun. A metallic ring encircles it, with jagged metal teeth that seem to close in on the gem.      The vat in which he floats is one of only two in the complex.      Along the south wall of this room, there are five examination tables bolted to the wall. Each one has a person-shaped indent, with ports spaced out at several points along the body. Beside each table is a metal cabinet, and atop each cabinet is a tray of surgical and mechanical tools alike. Each table also has several chemical reservoirs, holding both mundane and magical varieties for use in whatever procedures go on here. One of these tables has seen recent use, as the tools are slightly askew and flecked with some sort of luminous substance which is slowly evaporating. In addition, the ports upon the table still have traces of chemicals upon them.      Next to the unoccupied vat is a black metal tank roughly half the height of the vats, with a person-sized hatch.      The east wall has a sliding door, as well, marked with a glyph that resembles a bunk bed. Barracks for the human attendants, perhaps.      "Greetings, Champions," says one of the researchers, a dark-skinned man with very close-cut hair. "How may we serve you?" 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' NORTH ROOM - Miari      This room is similar to the chapel in that it is circular, but it is a good deal smaller. A metal chair with synthetic leather cushions and adjustable position sits in the center of a ring of monitors and speakers of various sizes. The ring is several monitors tall, to the point that the top row is tilted downwards so that the person in the seat can see them with greater ease. The speakers are all on, at once, as well.      One of them is tuned to the Multiversal open radio frequency. The only reason one is able to determine this over the squawking, jumbled mishmash is because, naturally, there is an argument going on.      The monitors play video feeds from a multitude of locations across the Eight nations. Several of them are tuned to major population centers, one of which Miari will recognize as Claslat's capital, the oddly small and contemplative city of Harmegis. Namely, the monitor is tapped into the closed-circuit camera which overlooks the very same apartment complex the Elites previously visited. Whoever Herald is, he was watching their investigation into Glocrim's sabotage...      The only monitor that isn't playing video is on some sort of home screen. A small rack of crystals sits beneath the table that supports the various monitors and speakers. One such crystal is currently inserted into the home screen monitor. The options on the home screen translate roughly enough to give a basic idea of their function. Miari can stop the feeds (both audio and video), single out a specific one, or change which areas are being surveilled. Additionally... one of the options on the screen reads, roughly translated, 'Play Recording.' 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' A sudden hand on her shoulder brings a faint flush to Miari's face. Though, that might be the compliment. Her whole body shivers with delight at the praise!"Cable cars? Ahhh... that doesn't bode well for a great many what ifs, but..." At being directed thus, she sprouts a confident, beaming smile! "I do think that is the first genuine compliment I've received from you, Eye!"     And it's easily enough to motivate her to march North.     .... it would seem that, given the reception she receives on the broadband, she's quick to relish any praise!     But moving onwards...     "Oh my... you know you're dealing with Autochthon when it's Magitech everywhere!" Miari states to the empty chamber (hopefully empty) with almost childish delight. She gestures a few times and sends out streamers of sparkling light in different directions to illuminate dark corners and suspicious areas... and once she's confident there's nothing in here waiting to ambush her, goes and takes a look at the feeds. A whisper is given to something as she sits down... and a single eye pops open on the back of her neck. A tendril of flesh extends outwards and scans the room keeping a lookout.     It seems that sneaking up on Miari would be very difficult, because she DOES have some sort of eyes on the back of her head... or something.     It's bloody creepy, whatever the fleshy eye-stalk is.     She seems used to it though, because she just seats herself and starts looking over the various feeds and crystals. "Hrrrrrrnhhh..." Most people from Creation wouldn't know WHAt to do here, but the technology is similar enough to the Solar works of the First Age that she quickly grasps the purpose of what's in front of her.     As she scans through the displays, an ornate Orichalcum fountain pen whips out from a pocket along with a journal... and although she's not looking straight at it, she rapidly sketches down copies of the depicted scenes and scans through each area. Upon noticing the recording button however... she reaches out and pokes that! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "I guess you could call me one at this point." She's takin it in good spirit though as she moves to join eye in chekcing out the Vault, the east room. She knows it could be anightmare show and tries to brace herself for it. She sees there are humans here they all have stones in their forheads and the last one is. She looks them over for a moment, she'snot sure what ot make of it but when they are greeted and not attacked? That is something she didn't expect also when she seems to be mistaken as a Champion of the Machine god more or less? She's going to run with it. She notices the alchemical is currently being owrked on and not awake at the moment. She'll look to Eye for a moment. "Yes we are in some aid in seeking out information. We are hoping you could be of help." She looks to All-Seeing Eye for a moment before she contiunes. "We're looking into some trouble beyond and hoping to find some aid in comming to the truth of the matters." 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' NORTH ROOM - Miari      Miari clicks the 'play recording' button.      All of the audio broadcasts pause, and the crystal plugged into the monitor glows. The screen on the main monitor displays a green waveform that bounces and fluctuates in time with the recording. And what is the recording OF?      Eye and Miari, discussing the Eye of Autochthon. Miari, mentioning that it was last known to be somewhere on Creation. Eye, stating it should be returned to Autochthon. The recording ends.      The other recordings stored on memory crystals are largely basic information about the multiverse, save for a few. All of them detail Bloody Revelations' idea for a utopian underworld. Going by the dates on the recordings, the conversation between Eye and Miari is the most recent.          EAST ROOM - Eye and Kotone      "We stand ready to serve as always, Champions--but if it's information you want, might I suggest Herald's study?" The Sodalt points towards the door on the west end of the room--leading back into the chapel. Presumably, he means the west door, marked with the face and crystal. "His most recent findings are sure to be there."      Another Sodalt speaks up, a woman with a blonde pixie cut who's a bit shorter than the man they've been speaking too. Probably younger, too. "We're almost done with Innovator," she says softly. "Um, if you'd like some upgrades, that is..."      Eye perks noticeably. "Ah, Innovator! Yes, I can see that--I hardly recognized him with all the work you've done. There /is/ a matter we need to discuss with him. In private, if you don't mind?"      "Of course," says the younger Sodalt. "Just a moment..."      The four of them move in... an unsettling lockstep, as if their humanity subroutines were simply put on the backburner. They approach the fifth, and relay Eye's request. All five of them seem to enter a trance for a moment, and their hands move at lightning speed across various terminals on the surface of the vat container. Within a few minutes, the liquid drains completely, the glass retracts into the base, and the literally bronze-skinned Exalt regains his consciousness.      Robes, similar in cut, if not in color, to those of a Buddhist monk erupt from his body to preserve his decency, and the Sodalts march single-file into the barracks. 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' This is a seriously troubling development. The Eye of Autochthon being a subject of interest is not at all odd to Miari... but the heavy emphasis on Bloody Revelations' strange goals... has her expression paling.     The journal continues to be filled in at a furious rate. Different color inks and writing styles emerge for each of the identified actors. Bloody Revelations is crimson outlined in black for instance.     Now incredibly concerned, she begins to rummage through the other surveilled location lists to see if there's anything correlating with these logs! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa lets Eye take lead after a moment she thinks they are lucky they have been able to work withthe Soldats without needing to get into a brawkl over it. With them leaving she'll watch a buit that mechanical like movement is something she herself can fall prey to and attempts to not fall into. Once they leave though she looks at the Soldats as they depar it's time to get some questioning in and she looks to Eye for a moment seemingly. The offer of upgrades was almost tempting but that can wait for a later time. They seem to have hit some serious pay dirt here on thi though. She'll look to the Exalt she'll bow to them for a moment. "Greetings might we have a moment of your time there is some informtion we are searching for if it would not be too mucy trouble for you Brilliant and Luminous Innovator. Also forive me I am Kotone Yamakawa and this is All-Seeing Eye." 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' EAST ROOM - Eye and Kotone      The bronze figure rises before Kotone and Eye with a lopsided smile. "I know who you are," he says warmly. "At least, I'm familiar with All-Seeing Eye. Pioneer of re-integration, hunter of heretics... hero of Project Horizon."      The Soulsteel caste folds his arms behind his back, head angled slightly as if taking in Innovator from a different angle. "That mission was classified," he says with an air of being impressed. "Herald's intelligence network must be quite robust."      "Indeed," says Innovator with a slight nod. He raises his arms to either side, looking left and right. "As are his accomodations! Not bad for a Caste that doesn't exist, eh, Yamakawa?" He chuckles. "I can see why the Sodalts thought you were one of us--you certainly look the part! I imagine you're looking for Herald, at the moment--"      "We are," says Eye, interjecting. "He's committed acts of treason against god and state." The Soulsteel caste steps forward, and traces a finger down the cleft of Innovator's exposed pectorals. "You're... not going to impede our investigation, are you?"      The other champion doesn't appear to be visibly moved by Eye's overtures. Instead, he wears a confused frown. "Treason?" He shakes his head. "No. Everything Herald has done, he's done to save Autochthon."      "Hee. Darling, that's for me to judge! Now, where is he?"      Again, Innovator shakes his head. "He knew you wouldn't understand. I didn't either, at first, until he enlightened me. He left me behind to do the same for you and your friends."      All-Seeing Eye turns and looks at Kotone. His smile is... like a viper, closing in on some small, defenseless animal. "Listen to him!" He exclaims, with amused incredulity. "Enlighten us, dear--what did Herald tell you?"      "Simple, Eye. Autochthonia can't survive. You've seen it. Eventually there will be no more souls left, but those that animate his Chosen. Instead of hoping for the Great Maker to survive, we should create a society that can live after his death. Imagine what we could accomplish if mortals didn't have to reincarnate! Herald had been planning this for years before Claslat pierced the Seal. With Bloody Revelations' necromancy and Autochthonia's technology, no one here or in Creation will ever have to suffer through mortality again!"      Eye listens to this... and his first response is to eject a sharp soulsteel spike from the palm of his hand. "You are malfunctioning," he says. "You'll submit to reprogramming or recycling--" The Exalt, without looking at Innovator, attempts to jab the spike into his fellow Champion. His arm is stopped by an overhead block.      The room is then filled with palpable silence. 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' NORTH ROOM - Miari      Herald's surveillance network is vast. But, Miari is a skilled researcher, and if anyone is suited to unraveling this mystery, it's her. She finds a match--upon the day that Eye and Miari were talking about the Eye of Autochthon, Herald began to spy on Harmegis' market. It was there that he singled out an artist whose paintings were only visible in ultraviolet light, one Galina Koslov. Apparently, the portrait they'd found in Herald's apartment was purchased from this artist.      It seems that Herald is very intent upon tracking down the Eye, as the only other surveillance feeds show references to Theomachracy sermons involving Autochthon's Great Geas upon the Jadeborn... and the Forgotten Ones, a possibly apocryphal race which was said to have sinned against him, only to be punished with destruction beneath his cold gaze. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone finds this abit on the scary part though she's very glad Staren isn't here he might be won over by such a pitch. She listens keeping a decent look on her face but as the story is laid out she seems to fuinds ut more and she gets more and more troubked. Then comes eye's orders. This is Eye's world he knows it best he is an officer of the law here even if it is such a state. Given what she was trusted with she does not like the state but the only way for things to /ever/ let up is to find a way to save the primemordial. Who seemed like one of the only ones who is not a titantic asshole to mortals. She's at least able to see that though for the moment such thoughts are shunted away. "Your not well." She can tell that and an exalt going crackers is the stuff of nightmares even that grind on Eye's face which reminds her too much of the man who caused the death of her orginal body? Can shake that theidea of where this Exalt is going. She's armed with a few internal weapons but none of them lethal, it's also a good thing she has he Matter Maniplator at her hip. She can pull something heavier than her SMG out if it's needed. "Look can you hear yourself talk? I'm very concerned ..." 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' Such ancient topics? Miari's eyes are a bit wide as she works to piece together the implications. It would make a lot more sense if she knew what was happening in the other room, but she doesn't...     Nevertheless, she's developing a sinking feeling in her gut that an Infernal just shouldn't be capable of. A level of disgust, frustration, and multiple trains of thought screaming together that only she, with her immense reservoir of Past lives memories, can appreciate.     The girl's teeth clench and grind. "I'll have to accelerate plans to entreat with the Jadeborn..." She murmurs disgustedly. She cannot have them sabotaged or turned against her plans!     She quickly scribbles down everything though, and makes a quick dash for the exit! Since it sounds like things are getting crazy in the other room... 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' EAST ROOM - Eye and Kotone      Eye had indeed given the order--if Innovator didn't comply within five seconds, Kotone was authorized to use lethal force. He counts down, facing Innovator. "Five, four, three..." On 'three," twin streaks of purple lightning blast from the Exalt's eyes, heading right for Innovator's forehead. They bounce harmlessly off of a lightscreen, which forms just in time to push All-Seeing Eye back.      "Come on, Eye," says Innovator, a shimmering field of light surrounding him. "You're /famous/ for that routine."      Eye flips his hair over his shoulder. "Can you blame a boy for trying?~"      The bronze-skinned Champion sighs. "You two should've taken the upgrades," he says. "Now I have to kill you." With an ear-rending screech, the metal rings around Innovator's soulgem begin to spin, grinding off of one another. Sparks fly from this display, and even Kotone, the least magical being in the room, can feel the power that begins to gather. The shimmering forcefield remains, but it begins to fill with rust-colored smoke.      Over but a few seconds, things take a turn. The field shatters in an explosive display. A ten-foot construct emerges. Kotone might get a look at its construction for a split second before sickly orange jets of plasma propel it towards Eye. All-Seeing Eye makes the beginnings of a backflip. He is tackled by the construct, which crashes through the west wall of the room and into the chapel.          THE CHAPEL - Miari, All-Seeing Eye, Brilliant and Luminous Innovator      'Getting crazy' is an understatement. Just as Miari turns and exits the surveillance room, she is treated to the sight of All-Seeing Eye skidding across the floor with a crash, snapping several pews in two. Shrapnel flies through the air as a hulking, ten-foot construct forces its way through a door far too small.      The sorceress will have a few more seconds to observe it than Kotone did. It's construction is of orichalcum, but it's... wrong, somehow. Whereas her own anima makes the metal sour, the construct's... drains it, kills it. Tarnishes is, as if it were any other mortal metal left to rot in a forgotten tomb. Dozens of umbilical cords pulse and gyrate, pumping all manner of dark ichor to its synthetic musculature.      From the construct's shoulder, a series of several metal tubes, bound together by a ring, rises. It points towards the prone Exalt, just recovering from being tackled by ten feet and SWLiHN knows how many pounds of decayed orichaclum. The tube-apparatus begins to spin, and Eye's whip cracks just in time to deflect thousands of rounds per minute of small, deadly metal projectiles, flying so quickly the sound is like a zipper traveling across threads.      Yep--he's turned against them, all right. (BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5HPyjhq3ao ) 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa ;waits for a moment as she looks at the other exalt for a moment she does not seem happy as the timer ticks down. She can feel the power she gets some disruptions with her interal HUD and she thinks back to her time helping the Dragon and Templar with issues in Kingsmouth. Could something have tainted this exalt akin to the Flith? Creation having an analog to that is the stuff of nightmares. She makes ready as the thing charges eye she gets a moment to see it, she'll save that image and she'll then move to attack. Kotone is fast, she's agile she's also double jumping as she'll attempt to come onthe thing from behind. She moves she'll wait till she gets shot but what is simple munand material rounds against a twisted exalted? She does not know and she's now very glad she didn't take the upgrades, holy shit. She'll take those shots the moment she gets it, and she muses she needs to get a close combat melee wepaon of some sort... 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' Miari's not ready for what she sees! That's supposed to be an Orichalcum Caste, but it looks nothing like she expected. She swoops out into the chamber just in time to see Eye getting his ass kicked and immediately glances around for Kotone...     The Twilight Caste mark on her forehead shimmers into view, but it warps with a verdigris sheen... and darkness ripples and flows over her body as the rather costly disguise that marks her as a Solar Exalt is torn to ribbons by a sudden explosion of Primordial Essence. Brilliant and almost corrosive emerald light erupts from her body, surrounding a core aura of burning white energies that seem focused around the Third Eye that shines from an inner green flame upon her forehead.     "I do not know what you are, but desecrating the Sun's holy metal this much is no simple matter."     After casting an ugly and torn look at what's left of Innovator, she gestures broadly through the temple...     All sorts of unnecessary fixtures like seating and loose odds and ends and even chunks of metal from the walls are torn free by a rippling force. Most of it's the wreckage of the pews, which heat themselves to a fierce glow through some unknown force and are TWISTED into spiraling, wicked-looking needles in a few seconds.     They're tempered and sharpened all but instantly... and hurled through the air like javelins at the rogue Champion from virtually every direction!     "Do not touch Eye!" She screams fervently the monstrosity's way. 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' Rusted sawblades sprout from Innovator's wrists, each one easily the size of a targe. They begin to spin rapidly as he uses them to deflect Miari's debris. Those sickly orange jets of plasma erupt once again, and the hulking monstrosity charges through Miari's projectiles. Straight towards her.      Weaving in and out of the often dense projectiles doesn't entirely protect Innovator, and even his thick, decayed orichalcum plating doesn't prevent the most durable of improvised weapons from piercing him. With the screech of metal on metal, Innovator halts himself before Miari just as a shrapnel lance of her creation pierces his chest. An arm as thick as a steel girder raises up, and comes down, aiming to saw through the sorcerer.      It's stopped by a length of steel cable, pulled taut. All-Seeing Eye sends a charge of electricity down the length of the cable, which surges into Innovator as he struggles to free his limb. Just as he gets some traction, Kotone's bullets rip through the umbilical cords.      The servos holding that enormous arm up give out without a steady supply of lubricant. The limb falls uselessly as foul-smelling black ichor stains the metal floor of the chapel. The shoulder-mounted minigun tracks Kotone, attempting to cut her down, but her rapid, unpredictable acrobatics make her just as difficult to get to as Miari.      As the minigun fires off its constant rapport, Innovator's good arm separates at the wrist, and launches off of his body with a loud crack. A jet of plasma erupts from the limb as it flies through the air, tracking All-Seeing Eye.      The Exalt runs a complete circle around the room, somersaulting over one of Miari's flying pews just as Innovator's hand flies beneath him, attempting to catch him with its saw blade. Then, he gets the opportunity he needs. One of Kotone's bullets pierces a cable on his leg, bringing him to one knee. This leaves him wide open to several flying pews, which nail him to the ground like a butterfly on some collector's exhibit.      Eye grins, running straight for the rogue Champion. Then, running /up/ him. Innovator's hand slices through his shoulder, and All-Seeing Eye's clothes are stained with a dark substance that seems to drink in the light around it. Despite this, he's still smiling. As he pushes off of Innovator, a steel cable flies from a port in his boot, and with a kick, he wraps it around the flying limb. Innovator's hand, sawblade still spinning, is swung around in a wild, wide arc, and only too late does the Orichalcum caste realize what's happening. The jet cuts off, but not in time to stop Brilliant and Luminous Innovator from being decapitated with his own sorcery. 

:'''{{#var:1129|Miari (1129)}} has posed:''' Miari realizes a critical mistake a bit too late. In going wholehog on trying to bring down this THING, she's left herself wide open. The horror dawns as Innovator's twisted form zeroes in on her at lightning speeds. She's overextended herself!     Her form wavers strangely, taking on a silvery and grainy sheen as a sharp yelp of panic's let out and she raises her arms in a vain hope to shield herself--     But the strike never comes. And the moment she's given this brief respite... Miari sucks in a breath, gathers her spirit, and sort of...     Sidesteps?     It's pretty weird, all things considered. She seems to explode sideways into a million particles - grains of sand? - which reform halfway across the room as if she'd simply high-speed dashed and just came out of the motion.     But this little flinching seems to have cost her most opportunity to help further. As she regains her wits... Miari blinks in a bit of awe at the close-quarters escapades and insane manuevering that she can hardly keep up with - even as her eyes flick back and forth tracking motions with FAIRLY good accuracy!     And it all comes down to one last confusing series of motions and--     THUMP. ... Down goes Innovator. She actually WINCES at the noise with much the reticence one might expect of a young woman of this age. Both her shoulders bunch up...     A totally unnecessary breath is heaved out... and she breaks into a quick dash to fuss towards All-Seeing Eye!     "O-oh! Marvelous manuevering! And very clever! But are you hurt?! What... what happend to him?!"     All of the dignity, poise, and upright demeanor she usually tries to exude is completely crashed at the moment, and only a frantic and worried young woman's left in the midst of it! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone does not try to think very much about what's happrned here to this Exalt. She's more focused on stopping whatever it is along side Miari and Eye. There's not if any holding back on her part there's just something powerful here, but very, very wrong. She's not sitting still and pushing her body for all it's systems can give her. She doe snot like being shot even if she can take bullets better than she used to. The two Exalt though are a fight ot be hold as she too scored several hits and that leaves the opening as the infested exalt is brought down hard. She shakes her head a this and she tilts her head. "It's like he was subverted by something, likely those upgrades....we should go subude the soldats too before they do something else.Christ... Eye?! are you all right?!" She cringes but there's some sort of infestation going on here. 

:'''{{#var:1139|All-Seeing Eye (1139)}} has posed:''' The rotten orichalcum exosuit sublimates, with none of Innovator's essence to keep it materialized. For a moment, his headless body is visible to Miari--his skin appears to have the consistency of clay, and the color of polished brass, complete with a metallic sheen. Then, that too melts away, into a pile of smoking sludge. Visible within this smoldering pile of slag are hunks of untarnished Orichalcum which once comprised the Exalt's charms.      "Pity," Eye says on the matter of the deceased. The whip retracts into his leg now that there's no need for it anymore. He touches a hand to the wound caused by Innovator, wincing at the touch--it appears that he /is/ hurt, after all. The Champion kneels beside Innovator's remains and pockets the dead Exalt's soulgem. "I'd have much preferred to reprogram him."      The fussing of Kotone and Miari does give him pause. Without looking up to face them, he waves the hand of his good arm dismissively. "Of course I'm hurt," he says with a scoff. "I have nerve endings just as the two of you do!" Rising from his position, he points to the room in the west. "Kotone, if you'd investigate Herald's... study, I'd be ever so thankful~"      "What happened to Innovator is a matter you and I will discuss later, if by that time you haven't already deduced it." She is remarkably clever, and it's better that she hears his spin on things than discover the truth on her own. She seems to trust him, after all. "For now... could I once again make use of your talents? We'll want to get back to Claslat as soon as possible--see if you can get the cable car running!"      As for him... those Sodalts should be reprogrammed and returned to the Eight Nations. And by the Eight Nations, he means Claslat. And by Sodalts, he means the Sodalts and any other able-bodied mortal in the barracks. 
}}

2014-10-03T01:55:28Z

Jazzenstein:

722/The Secret of Ponyville

2014-10-03T01:47:29Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/10/02 |Location=Equestria <KE> |Synopsis=Bitter Medicine, a dour Alchemical Exalted, visits Ponyville. Where's the grimdark? |Thanks= |Cast of..."

614/Unusual Company

2014-09-20T19:54:41Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/09/18 |Location=Creation-4 |Synopsis=Finna accepts an invitation to visit a settlement mentioned by a strange, new type of Exalted! |Thanks= |..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/18
|Location=Creation-4
|Synopsis=Finna accepts an invitation to visit a settlement mentioned by a strange, new type of Exalted!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=513, 569
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' True to his word, the Alchemical's coordinates... such that mundane numbers are of use in Creation... pay off. In fact, the Autochthonians had the misfortune of piercing the Seal and ending up in the frigid North, of all places, so at least Finna will be at home here. When Bitter Medicine said 'settlement,' the word might have called forth images of tents, open flames, and mortals generally scraping by. Such is not the case with this... slightly-green looking place. Seriously, all the buildings look like they have a bit of green jade in them. The 'settlement' is more of a small town, and it even boasts a... well, a factory, if the Lunar knows what that is! If she doesn't, suffice it to say it looks like a building with three really big chimneys. The closer she gets to the town, the easier it is for her heightened senses to pick up on the mortals hustling and bustling through its newly-paved streets. They all seem to have... birthmarks on their foreheads, and not a one of them is without a pair of dark-lensed goggles. A pale figure stands at the gate of the city, clad in what appears to be a leather garment similar to but different from a buff jacket. He looks up at the approaching Lunar and gives her a frown of greeting. This cheery fellow must be Bitter Medicine! 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Very few creatures would go -straight towards- a human settlement without a care in the world. PArticularly in the North. Particularly a Very Metal Settlement.     But a Snow Fox certainly is doing just that. Forgoing all trickery and subtlety, unusual for her, Finna's decided to try and make a good impression in hopes that these newcomers, odd or otherwise, can be given some hospitality in the otherwise horrific place they've ended up in. She can be quite sympathetic with their plight, especially during winter.     She's hard to spot through all the snow, save for her nose and eyes, and to some Autochthonian gear her heat signature - which is quite cozy for the weather - and oh, one other thing.     Whenever her fur brushes around, Moonsilver Tattoos glimmer in the light.     She eventually reaches the gate, and makes a low crooning noise in greeting. In mere moments though...     The fox grows. Quickly. Up into the shape of a girl who's dressed quite appropriately for the locale. She takes a moment to brush some hair over her shoulder, plants a hand on her hip, and grins at Bitter Medicine. "... Welcome to Creation. Are you enjoying the winter?" With those words said, the grin looks a bit more sympathetic. And they are in the dialect of Skytongue peculiar to the Haslanti League. A Tuskstad accent for those familiar. But the Multiverse provides, as needed. 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Hi." The man with the grim demeanor offers Finna a bow now that he knows it's her. "It's okay. Brighter than we'd like." He points to the sun. "The night one's okay, though." The night one being the moon, of course. His reply comes in Autochthonic, the only language he knows. Thank the Great Maker for that translation effect! "You tattoo yourself with moonsilver," notes the Alchemical. The distinctive glint of that very metal shimmers on his jaw, but his tattoo--if it can be called that, seems more rigid than hers. "Come on in," he says after a moment of brief silence. "Welcome to Unbreakable Spirit of the Proletariat." Strange... sounds like an Exalted name. "I'll give you a tour." The Alchemical's manner of speaking is, for the most part, casual and laconic, saying only as much as he feels he needs to say, in a way bereft of formality. The mortals who aren't on their way to some place or another point and chatter excitedly about Finna and Bitter Medicine both. "Who's that girl with the Moonsilver tattoos?" "She's pretty!" "Is that one of Creation's chosen? I've never seen posters of her!" Yes, posters. They adorn the occasional wall, each one bearing the image of some Alchemical or another. There are... notably less posters of Bitter Medicine than of others, and the ones that do exist seem to portray a 'Don't break the law' or 'I'm watching you' vibe rather than a 'I'm awesome' or 'We can do it!' vibe. Everyone here, even the Alchemical, has some kind of gem on their forehead. As an Exalt, Bitter Medicine's is sufficiently more magnificent--a brilliant diamond cut. "Assembly line," he says, pointing to the factory. "Makes materials to trade with the Union. Artifacts, armor. Questions?"" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna's forehead furrows a little at the unfamiliar language. It's far too similar to something she HAS heard (Old Realm) and so it naggles at her - even when she can't undersatnd it without the Multiverse's aid. She does, however, return the bow, and springs back up peppily. "The night one, meaning the moon, and it's in her honor and some need that her Chosen tattoo themselves with the metal Luna holds most sacred. Perhaps I can explain later! Though... with that getup of yours, I'm not sure just Moonsilver is enough to question!"     But for now, she's excited to be the exotic, and pretty foreigner, and though her eyes flick about on high alert to take in all the details of this strange place - especially the Soul Gems - she's hardly above waving cheerily, winking, and making a few silly gestures or attractive poses for the occasional onlooker. Nothing overtly SEDUCTIVE, but plenty of cute. Cute and pretty seems to be what she's going for, lest she break the prohibitions offered.     Directly, anyways. Not that such is her intention, but she darn well will dance with it a little just to be daring!     Then the posters assail her. All over the place. "Plenty... aaaaalthough, the most pressing is, why are you here? I remembered, Autochthon supposedly LEFT Creation for... somewhere...." Okay no, she radio'd another Lunar who did know a few things, but she'snot gonna say that.     Finna folds her hands though. "I thank you for the welcome and introduction. I am no real representative of my kind, but the fact is, Luna's Chosen are a very independent and wild bunch. There are plenty of small packs and groups who work together, and we all share some ideals, some who are respected more than others, but there is no one leader or authority.... so I cannot speak on anyone else's behalf. But even so, thank you for the welcome, Bitter Medicine. I'll try to behave!" *wink*     She clears her throat. "I am curious though... that peculiar jewelry on everyone's foreheads, what kind of tradition is it?" Yeah, she WOULD think of it as a tradition, wouldn't she? 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Heh. Glad to have you." Not nearly so attractive as the Lunar, the severe looking Exalt smirks. "Simple answers first. Soul gems." He points to his. "Each contains a soul, cut and color signify social class. We recycle souls." Indeed, the concept of mortal souls and their creation was too alien for the Great Maker to grasp. "Exceptional ones with history of exceptional behavior get put into these." He flicks his diamond gently. "Why we're called Alchemical Exalted--soul has to have been heroic not once, but several times. Distilled heroism." "Complex now. We're here because we have to be. Resource shortages and Gremlin Syndrome. Great Maker is asleep, and we don't know how to wake him up. Running out of souls, too. Our system is inefficient. More stillbirths, dwindling population. If it keeps up, we won't have anyone to serve or protect." Serve? Protect? /Mortals?/ It might come across as unusual to one of Creation's chosen, that's for sure. "Tome of the Great Maker says we left because the Shining Ones were being... difficult." Speaking of magical materials, the primary one in his construction, that is, the magical material most present in his little metal adornments, is Soulsteel. This is odd, because he's not trying to destroy everything in sight like that might imply." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna.... flinches rather noticeably as some of this explanation sinks in. "Recycle souls... th-they don't just reincarnate? Urp..." No, the rest of that explanation has her a bit sickened. Complete devastation?     NOW she makes a face. "It would've been nicer if the Elders had told me of your people..." Grumble, grumble.     Finna's still making anodd face, trying to understand all of this. "You picked a strange place to settle, in that case! The North guards its treasures very jealously in winter... there isn't much for the untrained eye to see blinding itself. Is the weather too much? Nobody seems accustumed to it..?" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "We do reincarnate. Just not naturally like you do. The Great Maker's love for mortals was... greater than his understanding. Still. We've lasted four thousand years up to this point. Must be doing something right." "Honestly... would've picked a different place if we could. This is where piercing the Seal got us. Weather is cold, sun is bright. Naturally occurring water and arable soil are strange to us. On Autochthonia, it's all... manufactured. Water is processed, recycled. Food grown with hydroponics or processed from minerals. Even here, though..." He gestures around himself, at the brilliantly white snow and the ice cold water beyond it. "We make do. We're good at that." Lasting four thousand years with recycled souls, no sun and no moon, you'd have to be, wouldn't you? "It's not all bad. Haslanti are interested in our mechanized crossbows, for example."" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Hoho! They would be. And count me among them!" Whether that's 'among the haslanti' or 'among those interested' or 'both' is hard to say, but Finna's tail starts wagging. 'Mehanical' and 'crossbow' does sound cool together!     "Hmmmrgh... well, I don't pretend to understand everything, but if you're used to making do where not een WATER is easy to come by, then your biggest opponent here is the cold and lack of food. Winter will let up eventually. The snow will melt and the land will thaw. The Haslanti use this time to prepare for the next winter. The Winter god teaches harsh lessons - those who don't prepare will suffer. Asking that of someone who did not know isn't quite so fair! But that's winter for you." She can only shrug a little.     "I cannot imagine how one would live without the sun or the moon..." And thinking about it is very, very depressing. "So.... you say you're also trading with the Union? The big Multiverse one, yes? Not the Guild? And, have you learned much of Creation's politics yet? Or basically, why you should stay away from crossing the big sea that's far south of here?" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "The big Multiverse one. We're fairly new here, and we take advantage of the isolation this place gives us. We know that the Realm is the primary force in this world, but it seems like people this far out only pay them lip service. Beyond that, I know your world has Exalted, but." He holds his thumb and his forefinger just a tiny bit apart just to demonstrate how much he knows. "Heard of the Guild." His tone says he's not a big fan. Of course, it never would have been allowed to flourish in his society like it clearly has here. "Could give you a crossbow as a parting gift. Do have a question. Winter is what? This time of year?" He's capable of making elaborate sentences, but seems to prefer his short way of putting things. "Would appreciate any information you could give about Creation, honestly." And with that, he activates his Deception Recognition System, discretely sniffing the air for fluctuations in the Lunar's biochemical emissions." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Good! so I don't have to explain much." Finna's genuinely relieved for some reason or another. Either she's lazy, doesn't feel up to it, or is just happy these people haven't been fooled. "Well, that's the most pressing issue! Yes... the weather... do you have weather? It cchanges at different times of the year. Each year has five seasons, each three months long, and a 5 day period the spirits swear isn't officially part of the year...." Finna makes an odd grin at that. They say it isn't, but in all practicality, it is.     "There are 4 weeks in every month. 7 days in a week. 25 hours in every day and night, split between the sun and the moon. I'm out of touch, but we are currently in... probably... Descending Air or Ascending Water month. Each season is named for one of the Five Elements, with an Ascending, Resplendent, and Descending month! They go Air, Water, Earth, Wood, and Fire, then back to Air. For the North, the Elemental Pole of Air is strongest, so the cold seasons last longer and are harsher. For almost half the year it is snow and cold. The snows often start in Resplendent Air, and dwindle off around Descending Earth... the rest of the year is muggy. Lots of fog and awful bugs. But if you go elsewhere in Creation it's very different. The eastern region is all forests. Many plants growing all year around, a short cold season and lots of time to grow food. All the way south is empty sand and heat. The west is lots of water, so much water you can't see the end of it. There are bits of land scattered about, but not much to say so! The Blessed Isle in the middle supposedly has lovely weather, but you should stay away." 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Our ways of reckoning time are the same, then. Always did wonder where the names of the months came from, considering we have six elements." This place is also where Old Realm came from, but the Alchemical only speaks the one language. "Guessing the Realm isn't friendly to you and wouldn't be friendly to me. Why? I hear the word anathema every now and then." Come to think of it, Staren mentioned it when he mentioned the Dragon Blooded. "Are the Terrestrial Exalts defective?" They must be, if what Staren said was true. Would they really attack him?" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "They are? Great!" Finna claps her hands together happily, showing a big smile. "Well, that makes things easier. So, about half the year for the North is cold like this. You'll want to consult with a shaman or medic... depending on which town it is... from the Haslanti about the nasty diseases that come in summer. Your people will be sorry if you don't, and I don't want to come back here and see that kind of suffering."     Obviously, this foxgirl must be a good person, the hijinx on the radio aside.     But then other question comes in, and Finna folds her arms. "The Realm is nobody's friend but their own, Bitter Medicine. They claim to have taken over the right to rule Creation that belonged to the Celestial Exalted, but the truth is that their ancestors killed and somehow sealed away the Sun's Chosen and hunted Luna's children to the ends of Creation. They're so convinced the Celestial Exalted are demons who stole the power of the gods and cause endless trouble... at the same time, they don't practice half of their own 'Immaculate Teachings' from what I hear, and instead spend most of their time being pompous asses leeching the life and resources out of whatever nations start developing enough to get their attention, without giving anything back. Like a giant leech. Now, not every Dragon-Blooded behaves like that. There's plenty of those out here in the threshold who have nothing to do with the Realm. But they appear all over the place, with no warning. Weak breeding, no training. Some are heroes. Some are marauders. Admiral Dragonfish is a great example of the former! Call him 'defective' and someone might punch you." She singsongs it out warningly, her tail wagging about. She's kind of rambly right now, but it's a weird thing to explain.     ".... So, I don't know how the Realm would receive your presence here, but it's either 'Anathema!' or a resource to exploited. Maybe using the former to justify the latter, even if it's wrong." 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine hms. It all pings as true. Her concern for the mortals is reassuring to him, enough for him not to risk an anima flare by activating his Deception Recognition System again. "Well. If Celestials were designed to rule and they aren't, that explains the state of creation." You can't expect a machine to function without vital parts, can you. Ancestors, huh? She must mean prior exaltations! Surely there's no such thing as Exalts that breed. "Demons? Celestials? What gave them that idea?" If they've had enough time to form some kind of organized religion, it must have been a while ago. Bitter Medicine leads Finna over to a large building, more long than it is tall. Unlike the others, this one has a pair of guards stationed outside, each one wielding a mechanized crossbow and wearing plated, minimalist armor beneath their uniforms. They salute Bitter Medicine, who returns it. "Vats complex," he says. From what the tribes of the north have told him about Lunars, he reckons she'd break in if she /really/ wanted to know what was inside, so he tells her. "Where me and the other Alchemicals go for maintenance, changing charms, repairs." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Hrmph... come on. if I knew all those answers, I'd've said so... well. The way the Lunar Elders told the tale, the Solar Exalted were doing all kinds of dumb and irresponsible things with their power and authority. The Dragon-Blooded like to think they saved Creation... but you must be able to tell, can't you, just from what your own investigations say? This doesn't seem very 'saved' to me." She seems a bit irritated, but just shrugs a little... and then bounds along to the Vats complex.     Her eyes are wide with amazement and curiosity. She scampers about for a few different views. "Ehhmm.... maintenance and repairs? I thought you looked kind of metally... are you a big, living gadget? Oh... what was the word... auto... automa...." She makes a troubled face. "....Changing Charms...?" All of these very foreign concepts...     Well, it's obvious that Finna's not very knowledgeable about Magitech or much occult matters. "I'm a huntress... not an engineer... all this gadgetry, it's common where you're from?" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Well... yeah. It's a big part of our culture. Invention, creation, very important to us." Efficiency is, too, but he doesn't want to venture down that road. "That's why we hate gremlins so much. They exist to bring chaos. To destroy. And they're infesting the Great Maker. Worse, there are... cults popping up. Inviting gremlins in out of sociopathy or malice or..." He frowns slightly. This one bothers him the most. "Some misguided sense of kindness." "But your other question. No, I'm not an automaton. /That's/ an automaton." He points to a thing of gears and brass pipes, puffing steam out as it carries several weighty-looking crates. "Difference is, no sapience, only intelligence. Know what I mean?" If he knew what ants or bees were, he'd be able to explain much more easily. He can't just say that they don't /feel/, either, because the same could be said of a Clarified Alchemical. At that, he pauses. Yes, he feels. It kinda blows, but it's better than the alternative, he guesses. "You were on the right track, though. Alchemical Exalted are manufactured. It takes time, a heroic soul, an artificial body, and a lot of a given magical material. I'm a Soulsteel Caste, see." He points to a bit of the dark metal just above his jaw. That DOES raise the question, if Finna knows anything about Abyssals. Just /where/ did Autochthon get soulsteel from?" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "MANUFACTURED people...." Finna all but squawks in a rather inelegant way, tail stiffening and ears going full alert mode. She's STUNNED by this. "... wow... that sounds like a weird and boring way to be born, but AAAAAAMAAAAZING! To think Chosen of anyone could be BUILT..." Her shoulders slump in defeat.     It'll be a while before anything approaches this level of WTF in her book.     But she regains her senses soon enough, and approaches Bitter Medicine to poke at his arm. "Hmmmngh. Yes, I noticed the metal... it's not to my taste. But you seem okay so far, so I wasn't gonna say antthing. Soulsteel's favored by the Deathknights, some new type of Exalted that come from the Underworld. They're not very nice to put it simply! In fact they sound a lot like these gremlins of yours.... So Alchemical Exalted are based on the Magical Materials? Even Moonsilver?" As if cheering up, her eyes brighten withs ome new energy! 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine allows the Lunar to poke his arm. He doesn't seem too terribly bothered by it, though he does have something to add. "Well, he /is/ the /Machine/ God. Seems appropriate, to me." Does that make him a Primordial Exalted, then? The Alchemical ponders this and supposes it does, but he'll not refer to himself as such. The Great Maker doesn't hold his brothers and sisters in high regard, after all. "If they're like gremlins, I'll... /handle/ any I come across. Seems like Creation has enough issues." He means it, too, if the way his jaw sort of... settles for a moment is any indication. "Yeah," he says after retrieving a little pill from his coat and chewing on it. Apparently, it doesn't taste too good! "Even Moonsilver," he says with a nod and a smirk. "Spies, infiltrators, dignitaries, saboteurs. Nimble, attractive, and clever. Pretty open-minded, but quick to act." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "If you say so. Machines aren't my specialty... but I am learning. These radio gizmos are great!" Finna sprouts a big, honest smile at that. Seems that there's no trickster in her tonight, just pure honesty.     Of course, it might also have to do with simple hospitality. She's been invited in as a guest, and said she'll behave. If Bitter Medicine's done any homework on many of the locals, they take their hospitality obligations VERY seriously.     She peers at the pill, but only blinks a few times. "Well.... you've sure educated me on a few things. My fellows will probably want to know... buuuuut... knowing them, they probably already do." She winks conspiratorially at Bitter Medicine in a rather playful manner.     "I'm the one that went off gallivanting in the Multiverse for something interesting, and look, it plopped down here at home when I was away." She makes a trather bitter face after that rambling... apparently a little mad at herself?     Though it doesn't keep her from aiming some of that sourness at Bitter Medicine momentarily with a glance.     "Well! You've setup a nice little place here. I'd love to learn more about your lifestyle, but a little chat won't coer the half of it. Do you have questions for ME...? Because I've got another one. Why did you ally with the Union?' 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Hahahaha!" His laughter is... gruff and understated, and yet also harsh. "Asking the wrong guy. Wasn't my decision. You wanna know, you should ask the Tripartite. The mortals who govern us," he says. He's clearly... of a different mind than these mortals, but doesn't seem to want to say more on the matter. "But if you want my /guess?/ Didn't wanna tough it out on their own, since we've kinda... run out of that option. Syndicate was too mercenary, Confederacy rubbed them the wrong way. Least we can agree on that." "You ask that like you're not Union. Am I right?" The Alchemical, who previously occupied himself by staring at his boots, looks up to cast an appraising glance at Finna, brow quirked inquisitively. He nods his head towards the rest of the city, then continues along. As he does so, a soulsteel weapon that looks... something like a chakram bounces against his hip. "Residential district. Populat, Militate, Exalted, Tripartite."" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "You're right!" Finna waggles a finger. "Although, your guess is pretty close to my opinion on the matter. The Confederacy is greedy and self-centered. The Syndicate is too chaotic. The Union... well, there's some decent-minded folk among them and they don't seem like the sort to break down your door without warning... but nuh-uh. I've not joined them. Might later! I wanted to see how this weird war thing is playing out."     She follows his gaze, and nods quietly at each spot pointed out. "This city is really organized! .... You said... wait a moment. You're lead by mortals? Even the Exalted?!" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Yes. Always been that way, since Autochthon built the first eight of us. Champions serve and protect mortals. Barred from leadership positions with any authority, sometimes hold honorary positions. /If/ an Alchemical leads, he leads by example. Not authority." He rubs his chin, trying to think of a way to elaborate. His other hand rests against his back, giving him the appearance of some military officer making an inspection. "Orichalcum caste," he says pointing at a picture of one 'White-Gold Exarch.' "First among equals. Geniuses, visionaries, master strategists, or, in his case, champions of faith." He flicks the poster, then licks his finger and mends a drooping corner. "Even they answer to the Tripartite." The Exalt on the picture is, in almost every way, an inversion of Bitter Medicine. Part of that can be chalked up to the artistic license, but even so--where the Soulsteel caste seems built to menace and coerce, this 'Exarch' seems built to lead, and his many acoutrements are all ivory, gold and orichalcum, hence the name. He wears the robes of an ascetic rather than the boots of a thug. The Soulsteel caste hums, lingering there for just a moment. He then takes a seat on a strategically placed bench--that is, the bench is a measured number of feet away from a trashcan and a light, and this three-part arrangement repeats itself down the road. "Tell me about the Elders. Religious organization? Governing body?"" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Look at all the gold! Hoohoo... they really do? That's a curious style of government! Well.. well... some Chosen can get really big heads--" Of course, Finna's insinuating SHE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS! "-- so maybe it makes sense..." But she sounds a bit stunned by it nonetheless.     Still, seeing the position Bitter Medicine's taking... "Hup!" With no effort at all Finna launches herself at Bitter Medicine. it's a frantic, perhaps worrying manuever iven the great speed - but she lands on his lap, as opposed to the bench proper. Well, across his knees, really. Not THAT familiar with him, after all!     If he's a little unsettled by it though, oh well, that's the point!     "The Elders are the Elders. The oldest of the Lunars... hmmmm!~ I toldya before, but the Lunar Exalted don't have any real governing body like the Tripartite. But some Lunars are survivors of the First Age... some countless amount of years ago, I don't know how long it was. A few thousand?" She shrugs a little. "They kept Luna's traditions alive despite the Realm trying to wipe her Chosen out, and have lots of respect as role models. ... Though it can also mean Lunars who are just a few centuries old... it's not some official title. Reputation and accomplishments are the only things Luna's Chosen really value. Our laws only deal with our conduct towards one another to avoid needless bloodshed, not keep anyone organized. So the Elders are basically role models, lorekeepers, and tutors. But you'll also see the word used for lots of mortal authorities in these parts! Lots of people look to the oldest and wisest among them for guidance. Some morons run off without listening to them... and if they get killed for it, it's their fault for not listening. Something like that, hmm?" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine has to believe no one would be so foolish as to attack a Champion in his own home city--especially given that the city itself is an Exalt. Well, Finna doesn't know that, but. The Alchemical quirks a brow at Finna when she lands in his lap. His hand moves away from the chakram on his hip once she begins explaining the concept of the Elders to him. It's not a completely alien concept, although they seem to be far more loosely organized than any such collective would be in Autochthonian society. Among that society, the Soulsteel caste are known as the sledgehammers to the screwdrivers of the Moonsilvers. Bitter Medicine, as per his name, has a reputation for distressing bluntness. He weathers the explanation silently, nodding and offering not even the slighest comment or objection to her ideas, until she's finished speaking. Then, the bluntness. He looks down at his knees, then up to the Lunar sitting upon them, to communicate the subject of the following sentence: "You can do better than me." At least he's honest. This particular fellow wasn't built to be pretty. Intimidating, severe, awe-inspiring, maybe, but not pretty. "Flattered, though. Mostly, confused." He scratches the back of his head. No blush--what's running through his veins isn't really 'blood' in the literal sense, anyway, but a Lunar can easily see the other signs of embarrassment. The gesture did indeed catch the stoic Exalt off-guard, even if it didn't disarm his blunt honesty. He clears his throat and searches for another question to ask. "Threats in Creation besides Realm-loyal Dragon-Blooded and Deathknights?" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna bursts out laughing. A genuine chortle that just echoes a little. Thankfully, she doesn't bellow so when she quips, "I thought so. Metal or not, you're still a man, huh?" MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. She learned something that might be important. "If you say so! Well, you don't appeal to me all that much from THAT standpoint, but saying that's underselling yourself."     She scoots off and onto the bench, but pats him on the arm reassuringly.     "Hrmngh. Ones that matter to the Chosen, if you're anything like me? Really, REALLY big animals... angry and jealous sorcerers... the very rare angry spirit? Sometimes invasions from the wyld... oh bother..." So many things to list, she's running out of fingers to tick them off of.     "Well, for starters, there's the dead. Some people don't reincarnate when they die. Their souls leave their bodies and that's what we call a ghost. I'm guessing you don't have them with this Soul Gem things!" A pretty astute observation for someone with so little occult knowledge, but she's quick-witted for a reason.     "Sometimes ghosts are friendly. Lots of people depend on their ancestors' ghosts for guidance. But some ghosts are greedy and bloodthirsty and use the living as pawns, or worse, food. The worst offenders are the Deathlords. I'm not sure if they're really ghosts, but they're the big names of the Underworld and the living and dead both stay away if they're smart."     She then ticks off another finger. "Mortal nations sometimes get up in arms and start warring over things! Territory, resources, insults, old grudges... the chaos can breed bandits and marauders, just some nobodies who'd rather prey on others and steal riches and supplies, things like that...."     Another finger is ticked off. "Demons sealed away since the Primordial War sometimes break loose here and there and make nasty cults! Or sometimes a sorcerer summons too many, or handles them badly, and next thing you know, all hell's broken loose in some unfortunate town..." She WINCES after stating this. Apparently, she has some experience.     "The various Spirit Courts who govern nature bicker and quabble, and you should try not to piss them off if you can help it. Better yet, make allies with them before that happens!"     She keeps ticking fingers off.     "The Wyld exists outside Creation. It's a sea of pure chaos. Not many good things come out of it, but plenty of bad things do! Have you heard of the Fair Folk? Or the Raksha, as they call themselves? Creatures of chaos who prey on mortal dreams and spirits. Very few can be trusted. Some can be just as powerful as the Exalted, but they rarely move in big numbers... they bicker amongst themselves as much as they do anyone else, and thank Luna for that!"     Another finger's ticked. "The weather and diseases are the worst things to worry about if you're a mortal. Lots more people die from disease than the Fair Folk, nasty as they are.... I don't know what sicknesses run around in your lands, but if they aren't the ones from here, you're in trouble without a wise woman or someone to teach about them. Um..."     "Lastly, there's all kinds of beasts and critters that roam the countryside. You don't need to worry about MOST of them, but a few are big. Hungry. Big enough to swallow a man whole and have room for a few more. I've acquired some forms so can demonstrate, maybe, if you ask me niiiiiicely..." Okay now she's just teasing him. Tap tap tap, finger running down his arm and tail wagging! 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine ...grumbles. He is a man, yes, but one thoroughly un-used to Lunar games. "Thanks, I guess," he says in response to her compliment. "Just being honest, really. Don't have to be pretty to destroy corruption." So that's where the Soulsteel comes in--it's just a controlled burn instead of the forest fire that is the Abyssals. He compares notes with the Lunar. "Still getting used to animals. All we've got are rats and roaches. Ghosts are... new, but not surprising." He raps pale knuckles against the sleeve of his coat, hitting against a soulsteel plate below. His charms have... whispered to him before, and he'd be worried if he could actually /understand/ them. It does make him wonder, though, just /whose/ souls comprise Autochthonian Soulsteel, because they clearly don't speak Autochthonic, or even, according to other Alchemicals, Old Realm. "War between mortals isn't unfamiliar. Mostly a thing of the past." It's hard to justify troop movements to one nation when the Great Maker's sleeping body could subconsciously move it miles away the next month. The gremlins and the unsafe working conditions are dangerous enough without war, anyway--and fighting in open spaces is something they'll have to get used to. "Cults are a thing. My job to exterminate them. Be happy to help you if you run afoul of one," he offers openly. "Very aware of how poisonous they are--even well-intentioned ones." His least favorite kind, it seems. Spirit Courts sound like Elemental Courts, who are also famously fickle and vindictive. The weather and the diseases they expected, insofar as a people totally unaccustomed to natural ecosystems /can/ expect such things. "Shapeshifting? I'm not surprised, but I am interested. Before you do--what was that wild thing you mentioned? And the Fair Folk? Seems like a misnomer if they're a threat." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, don't misunderstand. They're only called the Fair Folk for two reasons. The first is they're usually unspeakably beautiful. I've seen a few. So watch out, mister 'not pretty.'" Finna points out sweetly... but then claps her hands together with fingers bent like claws... or rather, the two halves of a venus fly-trap.     "The other is that nobody wants to insult them, out of a very real fear. Like I said, they come from the Wyld. The Elders say it's the chaos that existed before Creation did. Lots of potential, but nothing's set. Time, distance, weather, land, direction, every sensible thing we take for granted is always shifting there. The Raksha supposedly even CONTROL it."     "... Anyways, no, you don't have to be pretty to destroy corruption, but it sure is fine to be!" Finna giggles, but it's not so innocent. She peers cheerily at Bitter Medicine. "See, that was MY job too. Something like it, anyways. Demon infestations weren't on the list... but, well... one thing lead to another." WAS her job, apparently. Isn't now?     "Ehehmgh... well, you understand how severe they can get, at least... I don't wanna see another mess like that..." But she won't leave them be if she hears about it, either, huh?     That's what her face says. 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' The Fair Folk, the Wyld, and especially the Raksha give the Alchemical pause. "Interesting," he says. "I'll keep an eye out for them." And destroy them with extreme prejudice, of course, but that's a given. "Not overly fond of anything that invites chaos, much less manipulates it." The Exalt sits quietly for a moment, digesting the information the Lunar so willingly disseminated. Looks like she's getting the honored guest treatment, after all. "We were able to prepare accomodations for you, if you're interested in staying a few days. Your neighbors are Seven Thousandths Infiltrator, Moonsilver Caste, and Glorious Crimson Taskmaster, Jade Caste. Taskmaster keeps to himself, usually working in the factory or inventing something. Infiltrator flirts with anything that moves." Bitter Medicine points to the building he previously designated as the Exalted living quarters. "Third floor, room 4B. ...Thanks for the information." The sincerity rings through his gruff demeanor when he offers thanks to the Lunar. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Oho?!" Finna's alert and springy after hearing that, her face full of cheer. "Why, thank you! I'll take you up on that offer." She seems ENTIRELY unconcerned with Infiltrator's habits and instead squeezes Bitter Medicine's arm.     "Are you usually this grim?" 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine 's arm feels... not like it should? It seems somehow bulkier. If the Lunar feels daring, she might with a prolonged touch detect the presence of pronounced, yet artificial, musculature. "Yes," admits the Alchemical with resignation. He'd really like to say 'no,' but he's never really been a cheery guy. "But..." "Not because I'm a slaghead. Don't mind you being friendly, just... talking's not my thing. You know?" The Tripartite didn't exactly pick a social butterfly to come and meet Finna--but maybe the other Exalted were all busy or something. "Soulsteels don't usually have many friends." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, I see. So your superiors picked the person with the most insight into people and trouble, and the least experience in other ways! What a blunder. You'd be dancing down the street if I wanted to play with you!" What the HELL is that supposed to mean? There's a silly singsong quality to Finna's voice. She might not even mean that.     She does laugh to herself a bit though. What did she say about some Exalted having big heads? Oh well. Hers is only a LITTLE swollen. Maybe.     "Though when it comes to friends, quality beats quantity! We're not too different there. See, I don't have many ties with other Lunars, the mortals I was raised among revere me more like a god than one of them, most of Creation's more afraid of me than anything else, and only one person in the Multiverse has even tried understanding me."     She says these incredibly ludicrous things that should be a sign of a broken heart, among other things, as if discussing the weather.     "Seeeeee? So, don't go putting yourself down so much. Compared to me, you must have at least two." 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine says, "Experience isn't the issue." He's 10 years old! And throughout those ten years, he's grown used to the fact that he is /not/ a diplomat, whatever else he may be. "Aptitude is the issue. No aptitude, no preference /for/ aptitude." At the mention of 'play,' he gives the Lunar a /look./ Does he look like someone given to games? Of course, as a veteran of Creation, she's probably used to such looks, but the message, however familiar, is still there for a few moments before his gaze returns to his boots. "Four, if you count co-workers. None, if you don't. Don't even consider them friends myself. Just a bunch of guys who did a thing." He gestures around the city. "Consequences to follow." Bitter Medicine gives Finna a... meaningful glance. Not a hostile one, but a perceptive one. "Wouldn't mind friends, but they're trouble. You get to know somebody, and then they get ground up in a factory accident, or killed by a Voidbringer cult. Or recruited into one. Then you could end up having to them down. Seen it happen before." Still... maybe he should make a few friends. A /few./ He's always thought that a hunter of monsters should be careful not to become what he hunts." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Hrrrmmnghh.... they didn't pick you for any smiles." The look has struck Finna like water dousing a fire. Her expression turns a little sour. And here she was trying to cheer Bitter Medicine up a litle.     "........ yeah." She agrees, very reluctantly. The previous show of Don't Give A Damn was apparently just a show.     As one of Luna's Chosen she might be in danger at any moment. And if not her, then those she cares for might be used against her.     Finna makes a very angry face. "Damn it, you went and said the one thing I've avoided thinking about!" Irritated, she lightly punches him in the arm and folds hers over her chest. 

:'''{{#var:569|Bitter Medicine (569)}} has posed:''' Bitter Medicine chuckles dryly when the Lunar hits him in the arm. At least, that gesture is one that's familiar to him--Exalts can easily throw each other through walls, and that's only if they're feeling uncreative. "Sorry," he says, rubbing his arm. "But if you avoid thinking about it..." It means she /has/ thought about it. "Well. Maybe we're alike, in some ways." He rests his hands in his lap and for the first time since sitting down, leans back in his chair and watches the bright winter sky. "Factory shifts'll be changing soon," he notes quietly. "Should head over and observe." There are things about the Lunar that... confuse him, to put it kindly. The playful demeanor is a bit grating, but there's something beneath it. There are things about her that he finds interesting, too. "Don't," he begins, then pauses. Don't cause trouble? Don't Lunar the mortals? "...be a stranger." He stands, hands behind his back, then faces the Lunar. His eyes simply... well, he gives the facial equivalent of a farewell, however that's possible--clearly, not one to stand on formalities or traditions, this guy. That silent goodbye spoken, he turns and begins to walk away. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna siiiiiighs. Her ears are droopy and her tail's not wagging anymore. Her shoulders? Also slumped. Somewhat. "Hrmph...." With that mopey expression still at full bore, she aims a bit of it at Bitter Medicine, and the tail starts wagging again. If slowly.     ".... Hrmhm... we'll talk again, Bitter Medicine!" She's TRYING to cheer up, anyways. She does get up at least, and starts adjusting her outfit .     "Well, you beat me. I thought you were more hot-blooded under the cold exterior... you know, it won't turn out well for you if you cant' at least SMILE once in a while, right? Automatons don't need to, but people sure do."     This girl's sharper than she lets on.     Perhaps much sharper. "So don't you be one either!" And with that, she's off for the supposed quarters and a wave over her shoulder. 

}}

579/Brockton Bay PRT Fundraiser

2014-09-13T06:16:33Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/09/12 |Location=Brockton Bay |Synopsis=A light social scene revolving around a fundraising bound! |Thanks=Lots of thanks to Armsmaster, who we..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/12
|Location=Brockton Bay
|Synopsis=A light social scene revolving around a fundraising bound!
|Thanks=Lots of thanks to Armsmaster, who went out of his way to include everyone!
|Cast of Characters=19, 20, 38, 73, 151, 272, 301, 518, 527, 541, 543, 550, 554
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      BROCKTON BAY      EVENING      The ballroom of one of the most prestigious hotels in Brockton Bay is alive tonight. The Protectorate has spared no expense, it seems, with turning the place into a celebration. After all, in a city with personalities like Lung and Kaiser, there is something of a need to ensure that people see the good of parahumans more than the bad. They're not all superpowered criminal sociopaths - some of them sacrifice a fair bit to protect the city!      A few waiters and waitresses in suits wander through the crowds with plates of food and drink and soft music drifts from some of the speakers around the hall. Of course, the real draw to the crowds are the heroes themselves. In the throng of people, one can easily spot the costumed heroes. There's Miss Militia in her combat fatigues, with her American flag scarf around her face! And there's Clockblocker, in his all white costume with clock designs on the armor plates! And there's Assault and Battery, the Brockton Bay PRT's superpowered couple! And there's Triumph and Aegis and Velocity and Vista and... Well, it seems like the entirety of the Protectorate's cape population are here, perhaps twenty capes in total. Some of the capes have booths, others are content to wander through the crowds. There's photos, autographs, power demonstrations, memorabilia and a whole heap of money being exchanged for all of it. It's all well and good for people to like their heroes, but the Protectorate is an organisation and keeping someone like Armsmaster equipped with everything he needs costs a fair amount of money.      Speaking of Brockton Bay's Protectorate leader, Armsmaster is standing off to one side. In his full set of midnight-blue powered armor, the only visible part of him is his lower jaw, mouth and neatly-trimmed black beard. He doesnt have his Halberd with him, although there seems to be a prop of it on the table behind him. Of all the heroes here, he seems to have hit the merchandising and media exposure with the most gusto. Behind him, surrounded by a mind-boggling amount of clothing and collectables, a computer monitor appears to be running through what must be a 'best of Armsmaster' clipshow. His lips are pressed thin and neutral, until someone asks from the photo and he's sure to smile at just the right level. It seems safe to say that he might want to be anywhere but here. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' SOME superheros may sacrifice. Not Tony Stark -- not outwardly anyway. He just flies around his world fighting badguys and being entirely awesome. He's not in 'cape' mode today though. Not that he wears one anyway. Capes are for sissies who like to dress up in mother's drapes. But he's not wearing his armor either. He's here as a philanthropist tonight, and so he arrives in style, pulling up in the latest model Audi R8 Spyder in front of the hotel. He steps out of the car, resplendent in a fully tailored Armani suit and tosses the keys to a valet as he walks around the vehicle to escort his companion into the building. He, too, is an expert with the cameras, and flashes a charmingly confident smile for the press as the flashes go off to either side. He's... less impressed with the venue itself. "Booths?" he mutters to himself, or perhaps to his 'date,' smirking. Man, these guys are amateurs. Well, time to find the bar! 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' A spotless black Trans-Am rolls into the nearest available parking spot, most likely a parking garage. Its red scanning light, most certainly not a standard option for the model, illuminates the dim surroundings. The driver anxiously checks his watch and adjusts his tie. "How do I look?" he asks. "You look fine. Now, stop being picky and take a parking space. It won't do to be late." "You act like you're the one going to the party. Maybe I should've had Bonnie paint a little bow tie on your hood?" The car commandeers itself and pulls into an available spot. "Out," says the electronic voice insistently. "And straighten your tie. You look like a washed up lounge singer." Upon Michael's departure, the car shuts the door. "And don't forget to lock me." "Lock yourself," replies Michael. "I've got a party to go to." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley is recovering from a harrowing conflict that left her with a gash across the entire front of her torso. The bandages can be seen through her clothing, keeping the wound from being exposed to the air and dust and other icky stuff. She seems to be seated off to the side in the ballroom, having designated her own little area for whatever activity she had decided to do today. At first, she's unpacking, showing that she has a variety of painting supplies. She seems to pay no mind to the attention she gets, at first, seeming as tense and neutral as Armsmaster. She just doesn't do parties very well. But she has an Obligation to be here, and so she showed up.     She seems to have set up a booth for painting. She has a couple of uncannily detailed portraits set up as display examples nearby, and there's a big information card on a stand explaining what her area is for and the prices of various kinds of paintings, nothing that the visitors couldn't buy. It states at the bottom:     "All of the money from painting purchases will go toward the fundraiser. Get something nice for your home in exchange for your contribution!"     One of the painting examples goes as far as to detail a face down to the very pores and laugh lines. It has that painted feel, but the detail of a high-definition photograph. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' One of the booths set up was both demonstration and shop. The man behind it wore a pn angular red mask accented here and there by yellow marks and a faceted gem at it's forehead. The masked man used his tan cape to gesture about to the shirts; t-shirts bearing the image of two copper coins mid flip with one proclaiming 'It is time' and the other 'to Harvest', and less flashy heavy long sleeved shirts made of layered spidersilk weaves over cotton to wick moisture away. Beyond shirts there were books, both 'what is magic' type books and 'what happens if you have to fight a magic user' ones. There was more there to be sold, and more than a few translucent people seemed to fade into and out of view as they approached or left. At the counter near the cash box was a simple printed sheet. 'The Harvester' it proclaimed, then gave a short list of powers 'communing with the dead, decay, sunlight, artifacts (many), and� Plant growth. If called to demonstrate the latter, and he has at least once, several empty plant pots stood by with one showing a tomato plant already bearing fruit where earlier there was nothing. The man behind the mask though was grateful for the diversion from the day to day. Sure he had to leave his bike and ride that infernal plank in to avoid association between identities, but the crowds both living and dead were far less skeptical seeming than he feared. So he waved, answered questions, and was quite glad the mask's functions of providing breathable air also included keeping that air comfortable. 

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''     Once she'd heard of this whole public goodwill thing, Frederica decided to put a little time and energy into doing it right. She's a natural show-off after all, though perhaps not in the same league as certain others. She doesn't have a raging ego after all, just a desire to be admired and respected for who she is and what she chooses to do.     Her resulting cape outfit will have to be seen to be believed. She hasn't had a chance to bulk it out properly with fitted body armor, but her hood and its mask are at least in their final form. The hood is of red cloth, the ears much like her normal hood ears. Unlike her regular hood though, this one fits snugly around her forehead and has an integrated mask that surrounds her eyes and covers her nose with a foxy muzzle, leaving her lips bare. The hood can't be easily pushed backwards either, unlike her normal outfit's hood.     The rest of Frederica's outfit, while not armoured, at least sticks to theme. The back and sides are reddish, the front a plain white. She lacks a tail (fortunately) and wears a fairly typical (for her) skirt, maintaining her colour scheme. Her boots are black, and ride up to just below her knees.     FireFox, responding to the gathering like any other Protectorate cape, arrives in a rented limo. Making an entrance like any other star. She's not, as of yet, well known among the Cape-watchers of the area... but with an entrance and a costume like that, she kind of HAS to be someone... right? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Parties aren't her thing. So it's a good thing that she's come here with somebody who ought to be a bit more used to them. Sure, she's been forced to deal with these things too, though she wasn't supposed to talk much... nor do much besides not complain about how scratchy her dress was. Today's dress isn't scratchy, but still... it's a bit annoying.     While the famous billionaire usually arrives with older girls of a more questionable nature, it might not be too surprising that Toph Beifong is following today. No, what people might question is the fac that she's dressed up. Because apparently Pepper thinks that you can't wear your favourite clothes to these sorts of things. A compromise had been made, and so she's here in the dress she wore to the dance that Mizuki hosted before the WMAT. Like before Toph's hair has been styled, though at least most of it is still in that familiar bun.     And no, Pepper was unable to convince her to wear shoes. Like hell if she's going to cling to people's arms all evening. Though she does grab onto Tony's arm as they head inside the hotel.     "What's wrong with booths?" she asks, ignoring the cameras as best as she can. Ugh. When she hears a familiar voice behind her though, she blinks and turns her head a bit. "Michael?" 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' This is a really high-class joint. Eric Bane knows he is completely out of place here. All these well-dressed people, and he's wearing his hoodie and jeans. At least he's left the hood down. He'd wanted to rent a tux or something, but he didn't want to get mistaken for a waiter or something. And he doesn't exactly have a costume, the hoodie is his 'cape'. So... that's why Eric is here in his usual outfit. He really does look out of place. But it's strange, it doesn't seem to be drawing much attention. Fact, he doesn't seem to be getting a lot of people looking his way at all. It's like a good bit of the (non-Elite) people here don't even notice he's here! That seems to suit him, though. He's been just sort of blending into the crowd, listening to conversations, and just generally being a ghost. Hard to converse with people who don't notice him, after all! 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     Noble Six isn't much for parties, but she doesn't want to leave her business with Oni Lee unfinished. So if she has to play superhero to do so, then she will. But it's hard to be a superhero without a costume. And the costume needs to fit the name. That's why the SPARTAN is here, wearing her armor, though it appears to have been painted a bright white color, the visor shifted to blue instead of the usual gold. The design of the armor hasn't changed much, however.     'Iridium' may be new on the scene, so she probably doesn't have much in the way of merchendice or a fanbase yet, however. She thinks that's good. She just wants her actions when she does get her hands on Lee to be legal within the world she's operating in. Not that ONI really has ever been much for legality, but the Union is. For now, however...She supposes it's time to...Ugh...Mingle. 

:'''{{#var:518|Yuuki Kuran (518)}} has posed:'''     Thankfully, the odd world Yuuki comes from still has cars. They are not as nice as the cars that Tony Stark rolls up with, but they have a sort of classic style about them. Long fronts, sloped sides, and shiny black and chrome and such. It pulls up, and the driver - in classic driver attire, black and double-breasted jackets and hat pulled way down, opens the passenger door on either side.     Out the inward-facing door steps Yuuki Kuran, who seems a bit bedazzled by everything, adjusting her hair and walking up the entryway in her long, ribbon-y white dress, after waiting for her companion.     She does not, in fact, have any reputation in this city! But she had heard of a charity ball, and had 'convinced' her bodyguard to come with her for this event. Which is entirely a normal ball for superheroes and nothing bad will happen at and thus she feels totally safe.     She glances behind her, making sure her companion keeps up, before sweeping into the event's floor area, interestedly browsing some stands. "Powers... on display? How neat! I never thought I'd see a world quite like this..." She offers, before beelining for Tony Stark, who seems to have this Rich Person thing on lock.     "Um... Excuse me... I'm Yuuki Kuran." She offers to Tony, curtseying lightly before continuing.     "You seem to be here for the same reason I am... Can I ask you a question?"     She leans in close, hopefully to his ear. "What are we supposed to /do/ here? Just... spend money? Find someone to take a donation? This is different than the balls I've been to, before." 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     Zero is dressed well, but he looks like he's been fidgetting the entire time on the way here. He's dressed in a black suit with a matching waistcoat underneath. His tie has, during the course of the ride over, been loosened and then entirely undone. It hangs limply around his neck, providing neither the added formality that its appearance would add, nor a handhold to grab onto in a fight. He's always been uncomfortable with things around his neck, and ties aren't an exception. He is a sharp contrast to Yuuki, in her white and actually giving a shit about her appearance.     All in all, he looks good, but it's pretty clear that he could look better if he gave it a shot. Might be he's not capable of it, though. It's not hard for him to keep up with Yuuki, and he does so quite easily. The entire event gets a rather aggravated expression out of him, and it's a lot more sharp than it normally is. Violet eyes slip in Ainsley's direction immediately, and just from the look it's easy to imagine him painting crosshairs on her with his mind. Why?     Yuuki heads to speak with Tony Stark, who isn't alone himself. Zero follows after, noting Ainsley's presence in his head, though not aware of who is behind that presence. His expression grows grumpier and even more on-edge by the second.     "This is a circus. Pay the performers and you'll do your piece." He says to Yuuki, without bothering to regulate the volume of his voice. It's perfectly audible to anybody and everybody, as long as they're close enough.     Zero casts an exasperated look towards Tony and Toph, but he doesn't say anything to either of them for now. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      There is a bar, luckily for Tony Stark, and the bartender seems to have a great variety available! Because of that, a few people have clustered around it, including Assault and Battery. Assault's a big man in a set of streamlined body armor, a visor covering the top of his face. He holds a drink in one hand. Battery wears a skin-tight costume with a circuit board pattern. The pair seem to be fielding questions from a media team, and Assault is obviously not taking it seriously.      A few people are making their way over to Ainsley's painting booth, seeming confused - but curious. When compared to most of the other things on sale here, it's quite different! "How long would the painting take to get detail like that?" someone asks. He wears a costume that combines Roman gladitorial armor with a lion motif. Triumph.      Armsmaster turns his head in Eric's direction, as if listening to someone. His visor is blank and flat, but it's quite clear that he has his eyes on Bane. Does he have something in his helmet that defeats that sort of power, or did someone else clue him in?      "Iridium!" Someone with a camera crew shouts out to be heard over the din, "FireFox! We have questions! Armsmaster said that you were part of his operation to take down Lung!" Behind them, they might see the arrogant smirk that just hints its way over Armsmaster's lips. Deal with this, it says. "As two of the newest capes operating in our city, well, what was it like taking on one of Brockton Bay's most wanted?"      As for Marrik's booth, he seems to have drawn the attention of Clockblocker. He wears white body armor, utterly featureless and with a blank mask, and clocks tick quietly on some of the armor plates. "You commune with the dead, Harvester? Man, you know we're not supposed to have such ominous names, right? Oh, it's a plant thing. My bad. You're really trying to get in on that magic man angle, huh?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "It's just so..." Tony makes a vague rolling gesture with his wrist, trying to summarize his thoughts, "...tacky. Small town fair. Visit the booths, buy crappy homemade trinkets for too much money and give them to people as gifts so you don't have to keep them hanging around your house." This is all in discreet undertone, and he brightens to flash a brilliant smile to another patron in passing. Then back to slagging the whole thing off. "Or a trade show," he continues in a soft voice for Toph's ears only. "Like, please, come look at me, buy my stuff, I'm desperate--" he pauses again to greet Yuuki, and this time his attention lingers as she actually has something to say. "Tony Stark," he returns the introduction, not that he supposes he needs one. It's still polite. And he flashes an also-polite but perhaps-less-formal wink after she leans away again from the whispering. He smells nice. Expensive cologne. "Mostly, you just mingle and look attractive," he quips. "Which you seem to have at least half of down already," he adds, lips quirking in a flirty little smile. Yes, he may be engaged, but this is just his normal mode of female interaction. His eyes flicker less-amicably but still politely over Zero as he also answers. It's a little more dignified than THAT. Despite his earlier amusement and trade show comparisons. "Just enjoy yourself, Ms. Kuran," he clarifies. "They're here to impress us. I generally make the actual /donation/ more discreetly. All done electronically through the company, you know how it is. I can help you get started though. Can I buy you a drink?" 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Ever have to split your attention? It sucks especially when money was involved. However now unlike other times Marrik has set out to sell on the road it was 'pay as you like', and since he would make a donation if sales didn't make a minimum amount Marrik felt comfortable leaving the booth to a red dressed fairy standing on top of the cash box while he mingled. The wee one wasn't exactly happy even with the smiles. It was her job to go out and about after all wasn't it? At Clockblocker's patter Marrik turned, somehow his mask giving the impression of a smile in spite of the expression technically remaining neutral. "I can't promise at how cooperative spirits are, but it seemed worth noting since murder gets easier to solve when the victim can give details." Then he sighed and offered the clock clad cape a fresh tomato, "Sadly I don't think their testimony will be admissible since who knows if I can put words in their mouths or not right?" A gesture to Sparks, "Autumn, Clockblock. Clockblock, Autumn." Then the mask seemed to frown at Sparks's indifference. "She's been grumpy. Odd since she usually she's all for attention." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Isn't far into the door, and already he's speaking surreptitiously into his watch. Given the apparent propensity for 'tinkers' that this world has, he might be mistaken for one of them. Of course, as he's a charming young man in a tuxedo, one might also be forgiven for thinking him a spy. A familiar voice cuts through the din of the ball, and Michael looks up. "Hey, Toph!" Yes, it's definitely him, alright, for that glorious perm is unmistakable--oh, and, you know, the metal plate in his head visible through Toph's crazy earthbending-vision. The loner approaches the bender, a hand raised in gentle salutation. "Hey there. Good to see you out and about!" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley flashes a soft smile to Triumph, apparently enjoying his general thematic. She likes historical themes in particular. She carefully reaches over to pick up the painting and holds it on the edges so as to not ruin it or anything. It's in a frame, so she's being needlessly cautious, but it shows the amount of care she puts into it. "This one took a few hours, if I work non-stop. If I get a lot of these, the paintings will take a while to get to you, but if I have a mailing address it will get to you as soon as it is done." She brightens her smile at him. She gestures to a simpler painting of a fox striding through a forest, "Something like that might take up to an hour, depending on how complex the subject is. If you order it now it will be in your hands by the time you leave. This is all dependant on if I have all the paints with me, though. I might run out before I can complete all of them."     She sets the example back on its stand, resting her hands in her lap and staring toward Triumph. She's aglow with cheer, eager to answer anymore questions or start painting for him. Her long tail even twitches behind her in obvious excitement. 

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''     Frederica, 'FireFox' here, brightens when she's approached by the camera crew. She strikes a pose. Not a hero pose, just the pose of a girl who likes being on display. She's not at all upset at being cornered like this, so Armsmaster will have to look elsewhere for his amusement.     "Most wanted?" she asks, lips curving into a smile. "Not by me, certainly. You can KEEP him." she says. It's probably a joke. At the same time though, it shows she's not making a big deal about taking down one of the 'most wanted', but hopefully not in a way that'd make people upset at her or at the Union. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     What the hell...Six turns around as she hears someone call out her cape name, blue visor glinting for a moment as she looks at the camera crew, and the interviewer. 'Iridium' looks towards FireFox for just a moment, trying to read her expression, before the opaque visor turns back towards the interviewer.     "I will admit Lung was probably a very big fish to go after straight off, but both FireFox and I have extensive experience." She looks to the other new cape at the joke. Somewhere inside of her helmet, she's trying not to laugh. Iridium must remain stoic and tall, after all. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As they walk in, Toph listens to Tony's honest opinion, just nodding her head slightly and keeping her expression neutral, though it breaks into a smile when she hears Michael call back to her. Good, he heard her! But there's a brief distraction.     The blind earthbender blinks as Yuuki approaches, but she easily connects the voice to one she's heard on the radio before. But she doesn't stop the girl from leaning in close to him. And since she heard the question well enough... "We're supposed to raise money for something, that's all I know..." Though she listens eagerly for Tony's response to the question too, since he obviously knows it well enough. Or should at least. Do pardon her for rolling her eyes when Tony comments on Yuuki looking attractive. Seriously? Then again, he's her dad now. She's supposed to think some of the stuff he says and does is stupid, right? The joys of having a teenage daughter.     Though it's far more pressing with the guy who follows Yuuki, and it's only when he too speaks up that she recognizes his voice as well. Oh great. The grumpy guy. And it feels like he's looking at them. What is his problem anyway? Her own expression turns just slightly irritated, but hey... she's being a good girl. For now.     With Michael approaches them though, she seems far less irritated and even grins. "Thanks! Long time no see, is your car outside or something?" Too bad that he can't bring it inside... "Come on, Goldie is getting us all drinks!" And not just Yuuki. Because Tony can afford it. 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' Won't be long before Eric gets that feeling that he's being watched. And when he turns in Armsmaster's direction, Eric raises a hand to wave at the armored man. He's behaving, honest! No biting anybody. Yet. Ahem. Yes well. Anyway. Eric heads in the direction of Armsmaster. And when he's close enough, he tries to joke, "Don't worry. I'm staying out of trouble. Mostly." Really he hasn't done anything. Hasn't taken anything to eat, either. Fact, he's declined both a couple times, when a waiter or waitress finally notices him. See, his weird 'do not see me' thing generally only works on non-Elites who aren't actively looking for him. For non-Elites that ARE actively looking for him, it merely affords him a few seconds to get out of view. And he feels no threat from traveling waiters/waitresses, so they'll eventually notice him. 

:'''{{#var:518|Yuuki Kuran (518)}} has posed:'''     Yuuki clasps her hands before her and smiles pleasantly as Tony explains how things work, blushing and flickering her gaze down half out of respect for the 'dance' and half out of honest surprise. She rallies quickly, though - she had had THIS part drilled into her by her Proper Society teachers - and nods pleasantly, her questions mostly answered. "I suppose I will have to follow your lead on that, Mister Stark." She offers airily, but honestly, before glancing at Zero.     "Be nice, Zero. This is a party! We're supposed to mingle and... do mingling things. Like /normal/ people, okay?"     She jabs his chest lightly. "Nor-mal. Stop deathstaring at the booth-hosters. We are surrounded..." She gestures with her hands, doing a little twirl. "By the /cream/ of the Brockton Bay Protectorate. Super-heroes. And..." She gestures to Tony.     "The most esteemed Mister Stark. It's fine. We're safe. Smile a little!" She urges her companion before smiling back at Toph and Tony. "Sorry. So, Mister Stark... What does a man of your /calibre/..." She offers with a return-wink. "... Normally enjoy at these parties? And yes, of course you may buy me a drink." She grins.     She's doing it! She's so society. All the society. Parties are easy and fun! 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     "Zero Kiriyu." Zero introduces himself to Tony, rather flatly. He doesn't seem aggravated by the other man's demeanor, but it's probably pretty plain that this just isn't his environment. As he had said not long ago, he's more of an assassin than a diplomat. Right now, he happens to be a bodyguard. This kind of event is familiar, but it's never comfortable. Ordinarily, such an exchange might warrant a handshake, but he doesn't offer one. It's not really out of impoliteness or a lack of desire to interact with Tony, so much as disinclination towards physical contact.     His gaze drifts towards Toph, a familiar voice coming from an unfamiliar face. The last time they'd talked directly, it had been about D. That was their only real meaningful exchange.     Toph isn't speaking to Zero just now, but when she goes around haphazardly extending Tony's offering of drinks to everybody in the general vicinity, he issues a distinct noise of amusement. It gets a little bit of a smile out of him. Just a tiny one, though. Toph probably has an easier time noticing it than most people, based on the tension easing out of Zero.     "You're in high spirits." He remarks to Toph, remembering her worry about D some time ago now.     The smile itself doesn't last long, but Zero evidently does allow himself to stay at least somewhat relaxed. Compared to the average person he's still pretty on edge. He considers Yuuki's statements concerning their safety, and looks towards Tony.     "Mr. Stark, based on your own experiences, do things get safer or more dangerous when this many powers are present in one place?" He asks, quite possibly doing so deliberately in the hopes that somebody else will explain exactly how absurd that is to Yuuki. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya had poltical pull on her world sure she didn't like using it, or broadcasting it to people not from Septerra but that's not why she's here she's in a Valkyrie costume of some sort down to having her hair died red, She's here to help out a cause but does feel a bit like TOph wondering just the nature of it she doesn't mind though it's a time to get out, what might be showing however due to her costum are some of the blue inked tattoos on her legs which form a odd pattern, up her legs but she seems to be in quite a good mood she's geting out and hopefully to have some fun and she's enjoying things so far people do seem to be in high spirits now hte idea is to mingle right? 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Assault laughs - loud and pleased with himself and what he's saying. He knocks Tony slightly, and looks to him. "Ah, sorry, man." He turns back to the camera crew. "I'm just saying, it's not every day you see Armsy out and about at these things. The guy's usually up late, taking care of his girlfriend. That's that spear of his, in case you didn't know." The circuit lines along Battery's costume glow for a moment and she slugs Assault on the arm, hard enough to make him take a step to balance himself. "Hey! We've tried everything, you know that!"      "Assault..." Battery murmurs, and she looks to the camera crew, saying with the exasperated tone of someone who is quite used to her husband's antics, "Can we not air this?"      Clockblocker accepts the tomato, and idly tosses it into the air. His other hand reaches up and slaps at it, but the fruit just... hangs in the air, as if suspended in time at the exact moment he touched it. Well, that would explain the name. "There was another cape who went on about spirits of the dead. She's in the Birdcage now. Might wanna be careful about that, buddy! But, sure, give me one of those books on fighting a 'magic user'."      Triumph nods at Ainsley. "That's awesome. If I sent you a reference picture, could you work off that? A painting might be nice for me and Prism. You'd just need to send it to the Protectorate HQ here." He examines the paintings, although his expression is hidden behind his lion-helmet. Still, the tone of his voice is positive!      The news reporter laughs pleasantly at FireFox's comment. "Hah, well, I think Dragon will be taking care of him in the Birdcage for the forseeable future! I'm sure no one will be that sad to lose him." He nods to her and Iridium, "You must have quite the experience - are you solo operators or do you work on some new team?"      "Good," Armsmaster replies, curtly, to Eric. He crosses his arms over his chest and surveys the hall and all of its people. A few people come up and buy some t-shirts displaying his logo, snap a few pictures. It seems clear that Armsmaster was probably ordered to come here.      There seems to be little in the way of security but, well, with all these superheroes, they're practically their own security! 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "I could actually paint something of you right now, now that I've gotten a look at you," Ainsley tells Triumph, her eyes glimmering in a way that the lighting of the room could not possibly accomplish. She points up at them when she does this, "Activated photographic memory." She then reaches over to the big card that explains the process, tapping it once. It does say that she uses her visual abilities for it. "If Prism is here, too, I can start as soon as I get a good look at them."     It /does/ look a little expensive, as far as being compared to the other items around here, but it's not nearly as expensive as some artists might charge. "References are appreciated, though. I do have my limitations. The memories don't always stick after I have recorded them on a physical medium."     She looks across the room, briefly, to the tall man who glared at her. She was almost certain she saw that, but she doesn't seem worried, just curious. A room full of capes is a bad place to pick a fight, so she's more than comfortable right now. Still, she absent-mindedly rubs at the wound she got yesterday through her clothing, as if the mild distraction made it harder for her to ignore the itching sensation of her healing.     "Hmm." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael nods, in response to Toph. "Yeah, he's in the parking garage about a block away from here." Knight pauses, gives brief introductory half-waves to Zero and Yuuki."Hi there, Michael Knight." He then turns his attention back to the earthbender with a smile. "Started complaining about it the moment I left, too." "It's easy for you to criticize, Michael. You're in the fancy ballroom and I'm in this... zoo. This truck has dead love-bugs /all/ over it, Michael." The Ai's voice comes through Knight's wristwatch clearly enough that his use of 'Michael' seems more a plea than a name. "And don't get me started on the smell." "See what I mean?" Then, Toph rather... boldly drafts Tony into getting drinks for everyone. "Goldie, huh?" It takes him a minute to remember that Toph likes to give everyone nicknames, and after a moment's reflection, he realizes she means her adoptive father, not an imaginary friend. Good thing he didn't say that out loud. "Oh! Mr. Stark. Good to finally meet you in person," he says, extending a hand for a handshake. "I'm Michael Knight," he says, although mostly as a formality--unless Tony's deaf leading the blind, he probably heard Knight introducing himself to Yuuki and Zero. "Tony Stark?" asks KITT. "THE Tony Stark? The genius billionaire philanthropist?" It is indeed possible for a Trans-Am to be a fanboy. Fancar? 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "In my experience?" Tony answers Zero first, "--total crapshoot," he quips with a grin. "If the bad guys are going to do bad things, they might target something like this... or they might try to go as far away as possible. Or they might call it a night in on the couch watching old movies. They're bad guys. There's not a lot of cause-effect there." He waves a hand inviting Yuuki to walk with him as he heads toward the bar, and seems only mildly annoyed when Assault bumps him, responding to the apology with a faint 'don't worry about it' smirk. "As for what /I/ like about these things... can I be honest?" He casts a quick look over his shoulder as if he's worried a camera might be on him, and lowers his voice to a conspiring murmur. "Usually? I'd rather be home tinkering with the cars. Buut..." he gives an expansive shrug, "gotta keep up appearances. There's usually interesting conversation to be had. Business contacts to be made. Booze to be drunk--" At that he leans on the bar and tucks a hundred into the bartender's tip jar. "Scotch. Double, on the rocks. And..." he turns to see how many people followed him to the bar, and indicates with a wave of his hand, "whatever these folks would like, too." Even Zero. "Non-alcoholic for her," he adds in an amused stage whisper, touching the top of Toph's head lightly, as if she'd try to order a beer or something. Toph's friend Mr. Knight gets included in his generosity too, as well as a smile and a handshake. "Hi there. Good to meet you in person, heard you on the radio before... is that your watch talking?" he asks with amused interest. He addresses the device. "The one and only," he confirms. Unless you count alternate universe versions, but of course he never does. "Yeah, Toph heard there was a gold alloy in the armor and I've been Goldie ever since," he explains with a little tolerant eyeroll. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' An eyebrow raise at Clockblock's making the offered tomato stop. At the 'friendly reminder' of the other magic themed colorful character in the local clink he merely shrugged and passed the white clad cape a book. "The multi verse is wide and varied, which is why we're all here." His tone friendly as he pointed at the tomato and it flash withered it into dust. "I have people keeping an eye on things," He had no doubt about Faruja's promise to put him down if it came down to it. "I'm just trying to make the world a better place really. Enough darkness out there for a thousand lifetimes." Soft voice, confident. "The harvest is both preparation for lean times and the completion of all you have worked the year for. I am not a front line fighter, but all sorts of uses for what I can do. If nothing else breaking down hazardous material or radiation is useful for cleanup and rescue." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "And the esteemed Toph Beifong," the earthbending master adds in to Yuuki. Don't forget her!     What really catches her surprise though is when she notices that mister Grumpy Pants over there is... relaxing? If only a bit. His comment earns a quizzical eyebrow, and she shrugs. "Should I be miserable? Besides the fact that I have to wear a cruddy dress?" No, Toph is not happy with ruffled skirts. But sadly dirt covered clothes are not welcome here, it seems.     When Toph hears the voice coming from Michael's wristwatch she blinks, then grins. "Oh, neat! Jarvis talks through stuff too!" she says, then turns her focus on the wristwatch. "It could be worse! There could be pigeons there!" Right? "And duuh, there's only one Tony Stark. Which is probably a good thing. If two of them met the world would collapse on itself in a wormhole of gigantic egos."     Off to the bar, and Toph only lets out a huff of air. Seriously, she doubts the barman is blind too! "Iced tea," she states. "And that isn't his watch, that's his /car/," she corrects Tony. "Maybe he and Jarvis would get along." 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight would find that the Valkyrie was coming up upon him and TIph she's seemingly grinning pretty widely as she does so. She looks them both over for a moment and says "Good evening to you both it's good to see you up and about again as well Toph." She pauses as Tony comes up as Toph gets Tony to get them drinks? Maya's grin gets even wider at this point. "Tony, it's good to see you as well." She turns to Michel and waits till he done with Tony before she says. "Good evening Mr, Knight correct? I'm Maya it's good to meet you in person." 

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''     No doubt the keen reporter eye will notice FireFox's reaction to being asked if she's got a team. She goes momentarily still, swallowing. She tries to be cool about it, but that was NOT a question she saw coming and not one easily fielded. It's also deeply personal and private, if she were to actually answer it seriously. Which of course she won't do willingly.     "I was." she finally says, in such a way that probably makes it seem that her former partners are terminally gone. "Now I work for the Union. Lung was a special request, you could say... though I certainly approve of the goals and the heroes of the Protectorate here." 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     "I used to be with a team as well, however I am also with the Union, though we are more than happy to come in and assist Armsmaster when the need arises." Iridium replies, as she looks over at FireFox for a moment.     Six has lost way too many teams, which is often why she finds herself staying so distant from everyone else. Worried that the common denominator for the loss of her teams is her. 

:'''{{#var:518|Yuuki Kuran (518)}} has posed:'''     "Of course." Yuuki asides with a big smile at Toph. "I'm sorry to have missed you! It was entirely my mistake." She murmurs in apology, before being SWEPT TO THE BAR AREA!     Zero's easing up is noticed and quite appreciated, and Yuuki is in rare form, bright smiles and happy twinkling (dinnerplate sized) eyes at everyone and everything within eyeshot. This is actually pretty great! The big parties back at home were always super stuffy, and filled with... People. People with hungry eyes, and insincere smiles. Here, she feels safe! And... Social. And not put-upon! And offered drinks! That aren't... The drinks she is usually offered!     Yuuki orders something very fruity and very alcoholic with a floral, pleasant name. She has no idea what it really is, but it sounded tasty!     She frowns at Zero's question to Tony, but it turns out that the Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist has an answer on-hand to assuage her fears. "He's right. It's not like home - this much power isn't an invitation, it's it's a stay-away sign." She nods firmly, taking a sip of her fruity sweet girly drink. And blinking. "Huh."     She smiles at Michael Knight and looks between Tony and Michael. "I see your reputation proceeds you!" She laughs pleasantly, before looking at Toph, surprise flickering across her face. "Wait... You and Zero know each other? From where? I'm quite curious!" She exclaims quietly, intersted to know why her grumpus maximus bodyguard is loosening up, especially around PEOPLE! 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     Zero inclines his head towards Michael, and then regards Tony's answer with a measure of aggravation. No, of course it wouldn't be the answer he wanted, but it's not an unreasonable answer even so. These things can be quite peaceful even in the long term. The problem is, he's seen them go wrong enough over time that he's more likely to look at things cynically. He says, "In my experience, places like this are viper pits. But I think the same thing of her house, and we don't agree on that subject, either." A glance towards Yuuki, then back towards Toph.     "I wouldn't recommend it." He answers the Earthbender, plainly, but he isn't one to take his own advice.     Their collective arrival at the bar gives him pause. It's all well and good to take hospitality, but he has no desire to be off-kilter here. Offhand, Zero isn't actually even sure how drunk he could get if he tried. After a moment of indecision he mutters, "Just coffee for me, thanks." Something bitter and warm to keep him awake in this circus will do.     Once he has his drink, Zero pulls a packet of what looks like pills out of his pocket and dumps quite a few of them in there. They begin to dissolve rapidly as he puts the packet away, giving Yuuki a sidelong look. "Some subjects are better not discussed if a relaxed atmosphere is what you're looking for. Most of the people I've met offworld are connected to an unfortunate set of circumstances."     He doesn't /say/ that it has anything to do with D, but it's strongly implied. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      "Dude," Clockblocker retorts as Marrik upstages his time ability with one of his own - or something like it. "Not cool." A few people have showed up to snap photos, now that two people are showing off their powers. "Yeah," he says to Marrik, "I guess." In a moment, it is like Clockblocker has slipped and lost his footing - and he slaps himself in the chest just before he hits the ground, suspending himself in time. Cameras flash, people laugh. A few random partygoers begin to browse through Marrik's wares.      Over by the bar, Assault perks up and turns in Tony's direction. "Wait, wait, wait. So, you've got a set of armor? Why aren't you here in costume? Are you some new hire in the New Wave? Goldie's... well, it's something. It's not catchy like Assault and Battery is. Makes me think 'Hey, I'm riding on Scion's coat-tails'." It's not an unfriendly tone, but it /is/ remarkably self-assured and cocky. He seems to sort to make vaguely insulting jokes.      Triumph shakes his head at Ainsley. "She's up in New York. She works for the Protectorate up there, y'know, couldn't get time off. They're good paintings though, I've got a few photos that might look nice in a painting." A few people are gathering around Triumph and Ainsley, probably wondering about just what has the cape's attention for so long! The general murmur through the crowd, however, seems to be a positive one!      "The Union? That's not a name we've heard before!" The reporter continues, moving right past that little moment of awkward loss, "Now, let me guess. With a name like FireFox, I want to say: Mover and Blaster, fire-related. And Iridium, well, that armor and that name... Surely that's Tinker-made! Are you based here in the US or elsewhere? We know Armsmaster keeps something of a partnership with Dragon up in Canada, are you related to the Guild?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Oh? Hmm." Ainsley seems disappointed that she won't get to meet Prism. "I will try to capture her likeness as best as possible." She pulls over a little plastic folding table and taps the surface. "Set them here, if you would?" She brightens up at him for a minute, and then turns to gather up her supplies to begin painting. Mostly she's just setting up the easel and gathering the palette and brushes, setting them into a painter's apron. She ties a white bandana to the top of her head to protect her feathers, since paint is hellish to get out of feathers.     She glances at Triumph one more time, leeeaning in to get a good look at him, a powerful glow in her eyes. Her eyes even widen! And then she leans back, nodding confidently. She gathers up quite a few paints, distributing them on the palette, and then beginning her work right there. She hums a little song as she works. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik was grateful for the mask when the reporters came in because frowns wouldn't do. He leaned in close to Clockblock, supposedly to get a shirt for one of the reporters and whispered, "Look I'm the new guy here? No need to play macho games man." Then the shirt was handed off for exam he pulled a leather bag from his cloak and handed it to Clockblock, "I'm sure I've got a lot to learn here. Mostly." He stopped to glower, well the mask made it seem like he was glowering as his body language conveyed, or at least he hoped, confusion. " I'm no good at this guys. It'll come off like false modesty and then I get off on the wrong foot with your people. Bad first impressions suck, so truce?" A second bag was pulled from his cloak, which he untied and held for the cameras to see before he reached in up to his elbow and frowned before pulling a pie out, pumpkin by the look and smell. "Mostly I just sell things, try advising where I can on what I know." The pie was set down before he reached in again to pull out an apple. "Guy here probably could kick me around twelve ways to Sunday in a straight fight." He put apple to mask, and somehow managed to take a bite. If Clockblock reached into the bag Marrik handed off, he'd find cheeses, meats, beer, tea, several kinds of bread, and a few books. All in a bag that could fit in the palm of your hand and weighed like it was full of feathers. 

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''     How could these people not have heard of the Union? Frederica wasn't briefed about any secrecy mandate, and figures that quite honestly there's no way the Multiverse could be a secret to any society this advanced and seemingly-open. She pauses for a moment, mental wheels spinning.     Fortunately, it seems the identity of the Union is passed over, at least for now. Maybe it can be passed off as something like a superhero team, which is close enough to the truth as far as she's concerned.     Frederica's not sure what a 'mover' is. Probably something like her brother Kyle, whose best power is his speed and physicality. Or it could be telekinesis, like her sister Marie. Either way she won't correct the impression. "It's that obvious, is it~?" FireFox says with a playful grin. She holds up her palms in something close to a shrug, then ignites small spheres of flame within each. Not losing her grin, she sends the little flames up and about, juggling them casually. Yes, she's showing off... and using very little of her power to do so. No need to terrorize the reporters, or cause an international incident or anything. "Fire is my specialty." she claims, altering the course of the balls so they begin juggling themselves, entirely without the benefit of FireFox's hands. "Fire juggling, fire fighting... fire whatever~" 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Clockblocker gives no sign of responding to Marrik. This is mostly because his power prevents his target from being affected in any way. Marrik might talk to him, but Clockblocker won't - can't - hear him. He's probably going to fall right into that pie when his power wears off. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony smirks just a tiiiny bit condescendingly at Assault. "Goldie's what /she/ calls me," he indicates Toph with a nod of his head. "Thanks," he adds to the bartender as he's handed his drink, and takes a sip. "I'm not a new hire. I'm not even from this world. And I wouldn't want to steal your guys' thunder," he explains his lack of 'costume' with a less condescending but incredibly confident smile. He seems the sort not to be intimidated by vaguely insulting jokes. "I'm just here to help out the cause." He extends a hand. "Tony Stark." You've probably heard of him. But in case everyone in this world has been living under a rock since Unification, he adds, "Iron Man." "It looks like a watch to me," he retorts to Toph, being deliberately obtuse because he knows it'll annoy her. "Cars usually have, you know, wheels and stuff." Tony gives Zero a thoughtful look, guessing if not completely sure what unfortunate circumstances he's referring to, and wondering how he fits into it. "--Hi Maya," he returns her greeting without missing a beat. Damn, he's popular tonight. But then, he's always popular, and he knows how to handle it. Back to Michael, he asks, "So you have a talking car?" just to break the ice. That's cute. Jarvis is in all of his suits and most of his cars, but, you know, one talking care is nice too. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:''' "Tinker? No..Afraid not." Iridium replies to the reporter, "The designer of this armor is.." She pauses for a second, "Dr. Halsey." She knows that Halsey didn't design the MJOLNIR armor, but she designed practically everything else about the original SPARTAN program, she may as well get the credit.     "I'm afraid I don't have many abilities like FireFox, however." She notes, "Just the armor and the mind behind it. But trust me, that's more than enough." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Here comes Maya, huh? Toph turns slightly towards her as the barman gets her the drink, though she grumps a little. No iced tea it seems, though a Coke will have to do. "Heya Maya. So you're here too, huh?"     You better not forget her, the greatest earthbender of all time! Though who would expect her to be so small? At least she makes Tony seem taller as she stands next to him. Pardon her for giving Zero her best deadpan look. "Rhetoric flies right over your head, huh?" As he puts /something/ in his coffee she is slightly curious, but not enough to ask about it. Heck, if he had put it into somebody else's drink, then sure. But she doubts he would try to poison himself here, no matter how grumpy he is. When Yuuki questions how she and Zero know one another, Toph shrugs just slightly. "From the radio." It's simple as well as the truth. Of course Zero seems to opt for a more diffuse and longwinded answer. "Hey. Relax, you're with allies here, mister Grumpy Pants," she chides him.     Assault's comments to Tony does make Toph arch an eyebrow. "Iron Man rides on nobody's coat tails, buddy."     What's this? Toph sighs. "Is this another of those dad jokes where you pretend you're stupid or something?" Whatever. She'll let Tony talk with Michael and turns towards the others... though her attention seems to be on the main room and the people around the booths. Hey, is that... Frederica over there? Sounds like it is! And there are other familiar shapes too, like Ainsley as well. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael chuckles. "Talking doesn't even begin to describe it, Mr. Stark." KITT is eager to agree with Toph as everyone gathers by the bar. "Toph has it right, Mr. Stark. I only speak though the watch! I'm an artificial intelligence installed into a heavily modified 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am. Originally, I was part of a supercomputer for the government, but my creator, the late Wilton Knight, thought my capabilities would be put to better use elsewhere." The AI seems quite proud--not of himself, but to have the opportunity to speak to Tony. "I must admit, I find your advances in the field of metallurgy fascinating," he says, only to be cut off by Michael. "Hey, Maya," he says, giving the valkyrie a firm and overly shaky handshake so that KITT's protests are distorted like someone talking on a see-saw. "Feeling's mutual. Hope to work with ya sometime!" He offers her a smile as his mechanical companion settles into grumbling, then makes a request of the bartender. "Just a coke for me, thanks." His car can drive itself, of course, but he's already been pulled over for being asleep--best not to chance it. "If I see a pigeon, I'm out of here," states the AI matter of factly. He has /standards./ "I certainly wouldn't mind meeting Jarvis. It's not often I get to meet other artificial intelligences." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "Hey buddy." Marrik waved a hand in front of Clockblock and sighed when the white armored cape didn' respond. One of the reporters helpfully quipped maybe he used his powers on himself. So Marrik tried to nudge him, which got nothing. Push. Nothing. He moved the pie out of the way before turning his attention to the reporters to answer questions about the shirt one of them held up. "Uh it might stop bullets but I don't think here is the time or place." This was not a bullet friendly place after all. "Really it's supposed to be worn under your primary armor as an added layer." A sigh before he tried making his way through since the guy that came over seemed nonchatty. Sparks frowned but kept an eye on the booth, and Clockblock. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony grins at the disembodied AI voice. It's not as if he's not used to holding a conversation with one of those! "Tell me you play chess, too, and I may just have to write Jarvis a swooning function. You should come by the house some time," he invites, with a nod to Michael to affirm that he's included in the invitation. "Park yourself next to MY cars, maybe get yourself a wash and wax while you're there, talk up a storm with Jarvis. I can promise no pigeons." In this way he has cleverly disguised his own interest in speaking more with KITT as a play date. He'd really like to take a look at his source code. Purely academic interest, of course. "And Toph and Mike and I can fire up the barbecue." 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Triumph holds up a smartphone, which seems kind of ridiculous when set against his lion-gladiator costume. "I don't want to interrupt your work but do you... have, like, something digital?"      "Get a good shot of that," the reporter says to his camera team, gesturing to FireFox's trick. "Well, that explains why Armsmaster would invite you - it takes a pyrokinetic to catch a pyrokinetic as they always say. Sometimes, Iridium, an armor and a heroic will is all you need to bring down villains - just ask Armsmaster. But we should probably get moving on, more capes to see, more interviews to conduct, you know how it is."      At the bar, Assault grins at Tony Stark. "Iron Man? Makes sense, I suppose."      "You can't steal his thunder," Battery says. "Trust me, we've all tried." But then Battery quickly says, "We should go." She grabs Assault by the arm and tugs him away from the bar as a shadow falls across the group. "Well," says Armsmaster, "Fitting that I'd find you at the bar, Stark. I trust that you are enjoying the free alcohol."      On the other side of the room, Miss Militia reaches out and taps Eric on the shoulder. She wears the deep-green fatigues of a soldier. "Hey," she says, voice only slightly muffled by her American scarf, "I remember you. From the ABB raid. Are you enjoying the party?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Triumph's question makes Ains look up at him with some surprise. She stares for a beat, and there's no indication that she even looked at his smart phone. She couldn't have gotten a clear look at it like that, right? She smiles and returns to the painting-in-progress, talking while she does it. She speaks in Spanish, though, a gentle and warm voice that says that some concentration has to be made for her to speak in that measured English that he heard before. "Give me a moment to finish the lines, okay?" She seems to be sketching out Triumph's shape. When she finishes that, she sets the pencil against the easel, and then digs in a pocket, pulling a similar smart phone out. She taps at it a few times, and holds it up to Triumph, expecting some sort of file transfer app to work. Seems that she's knows enough about technology to use it easily enough.     "Your lucky day. I don't usually carry one around, my powers tend to fry them." She smiles at him bashfully. "So what do you do?" she asks him, curious about what powers Triumph could have, if he's has Roman thematics. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony looks after Assault and Battery in mild puzzlement as they beat a hasty retreat, wondering if he's not the only one who's found Mr. Armsmaster to be a bit grating on the old patience. But he lifts his glass in a cheerful salute to the man, making no reference at all to the insults that were hurled at him over the radio the other day regarding his drinking habits. "Very much," he confirms with a cocky smile. "One of the perks of these little soirees, wouldn't you say?" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya Says "I can't always be keeping to home, I need to be able to get out once and a while or I'll become /boring/ as you might put it, right?" She seems to be in a chipper mood all the same. Mays grins at Tony and knowning how swamped he is? She's going to let others get their bits of him tonight. "You do have fun though Mr. Start." Now with Michal she shakes back and seems to b thinkin for a moment. "I admit I'd like to as well also my brother's facinated by what he's heard about Kitt. He's into AI and robotics dev himself. From what I heard about Kitt's armour that stuff might out do battleship hull plate on my world. Call me impressed." 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' Eric's been quiet, and mainly using the crowd to break line of sight with reporters. He finally settles at the wall to watch the crowd, crossing his arms over his chest. He doesn't look particularly upset or anything. Just kind of distant. And curious. The next moment however, proves that his strain of vampirism is a pretty weak one comparatively. He is lost in thought and doesn't notice Miss Militia. He jumps slightly at the tap on the shoulder. He turns to look at her, surprised for a moment. Eric blinks, realizing who it is, and relaxes. He nods. "Just trying to stay out of sight of the cameras as much as possible. I don't even know if they can pick me up or not." Besides that, he's not really a hero, and he can't fake it as well as some of the others here. 

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''     FireFox cheerfully shows off for the camera. It's kind of a unique experience for her, having her flames admired for the showmanship rather than for their fearsome properties. The last time that happened... well, it was in Equestria. She even puts in a bit of effort, making the flame spheres bob and weave in intricate patterns.     "I wasn't there to catch him." FireFox notes. "And Lung is hardly a pyrokinetic. He's sloppy." she sniffs, then reaches out her hands. The spheres of flame smack into her hands, flare for a moment, then vanish. "I was there to shut him down." she adds, clarifying belatedly.     Frederica strikes a pose, one somewhat more cheesecake than heroic. She poses, one leg before the other, arms extended and low in a flourish, wrists cocked, her chin high. "Remember me." she says. "FireFox. The hottest new Cape in Brockton Bay!" And then she gives her most charming smile. This is SO much fun... and she probably actually fits in with other Capes instead of just being weird. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Does it come as a surprise that the young blind girl approves of a barbeque? "Sweet! Prime ribs?" she asks hopefully. Though she has to turn to Michael again and speak to KITT again. "You'll like Jarvis. He's okay, if only a little stiff."     Assault and Battery sound a bit weird, but okay enough. It's only when Armsmaster himself shows up that Toph seems to pay some obvious interest, though it's spread between him and Tony. Though she seems ready to step in between at any notice! Just say the word, Tony. 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     "Easier said than done." Zero sips his coffee, looking down towards Toph. She's pretty sharp, but so is he, and he noticed her watching. There's no sense in raising the subject if he doesn't have to, and the substance he placed in his own drink is hardly dangerous. The face that he makes while drinking it in the coffee is probably pretty telling of how it tastes. Bitterness upon bitterness, it would seem. Would have been better off just taking them as pills instead of dissolving them into the coffee. As for the answer he gave her before, though...     "I'm bad with people, not imperceptive. I chose to answer, even if an answer wasn't what you were looking for." He explains himself, patiently. His demeanor is entirely different with Toph than it is with the others. A little less clipped, a little more like he's talking to somebody like a normal person. Matter of fact, that's exactly what is happening here. Evidently Zero has a bit more of an affinity for speaking with kids than with other adults.     Maybe not by an astounding amount, but he's making more of an effort than he was with... well, everybody else. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik wandered over, seemingly at random to bump into Eric. "Hey man fancy meeting you here." Eric may or may not recognize the mask. Either way Marrik extended a hand. "Harvester." A small snort before adding in a low voice. "Don't like having to use a mask but not my city so figure their rules. Plus hey festive eh?" He pushed his cape back to show a decidedly earth toned outfit incorporating all the colors of fall and harvested crops. He wore no weapons, but he had several pouches at his belt and a black and white glyph stitched just above the sternum of his red tunic shirt. It could be writing, or just abstract art. Hard to say. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Stark's offer goes over well! "I gained an appreciation for the game and its nuances early on, Mr. Stark. I would be more than happy to visit any time you like!" It doesn't hurt that he's been bribed with a wax, either. KITT loves looking his best! And Michael? "Barbecue? You said the magic word, my friend. Ribs, franks, especially burgers--the greasier, the better!" Knight smiles a lopsided, casual smile, running a hand through his perm. "Love to see your garage, too. I guess it's no big surprise, but I'm a big car guy." "Stiff?" asks KITT curiously. Whatever could Toph mean by that? Perhaps it's some kind of slang term, like 'relax.' "...yeah, you'll definitely get along," remarks Michael with a smirk. Michael leans against the bar, elbows on the counter like this is a pool hall rather than a charity ball. Speaking of stiffs.. "Hey, Armsmaster! Michael Knight, in the flesh." An aside to Maya, "KITT's tough as a brick, but we wanna shy away from military applications. Ideally, he's a pursuit vehicle." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Zero's demeanor seems to be somewhat less tense around her for some weird reason, even if she could swear that he wasn't giving her and Tony any nice looks earlier. Then again, what does she know? But she bets he isn't smiling, not even now.     "If you're bad with people, then you need to learn to get better with people. That's it." First she gave him a nickname, and now.. she reaches out to punch him in the arm, though it's obviously not meant to injure him nor antagonize him. "Maybe you need to go to more parties too. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Triumph is a tall, muscular guy - and that seems to be coming through in Ainsley's line work. "I can project concussive force through my voice. Super strength, super toughness. The lion theme seemed kind of fitting." The files transfer smoothly across - Prism seems to be similar to him. Tall, with the toned muscular build of a gymnest, and a wealth of long blonde hair. Her costume is skin-tight.      And there's three of her, all working in unison alongside Triumph. It looks like the sort of shot the media would plaster all over the front page.      Miss Militia nods. "Dragon's running the security for this event, and she doesn't miss much. Do you have some sort of power that prevents people from noticing you? You look like you've seen a ghost - are you okay?"      Across the floor, the reporter can be heard saying, "Oh, yes, we'll run with that hottest line!" They vanish into the crowd, grabbing a few candid words here and there from some of the people who aren't in costume. People quietly applaud FireFox's proclamation, seeming to get that she's the face of the FireFox/Iridium pair.      Armsmaster regards Michael with the visor of his helmet, and says nothing. He turns to turn his blank visor to everyone in the group - does he know that they all know each other? His lips are in a thin frown, sure, but when is that unusual? "For you, perhaps," Armsmaster replies to Tony, "Brockton Bay is my city, Stark, and nothing happens here that I am not aware of. Do not give me a reason to become aware of you." 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     Zero tenses immediately when Toph moves to touch him. He lets it happen, but there's some pretty clear physical alarm bells going off that indicate he'd rather not be touched at all. Toph can probably tell from his movement that his reflex was to get out of the way, even though he'd ultimately chosen not to. From her unique perspective, it's probably not hard to pick him out as an unending ball of physical stress.     "I'm not making any promises." An utterly noncommital answer. Zero can see her perspective, but he's not likely to be able to do anything with it. He doesn't want to lie to her face, and he doesn't want to explain WHY he can't just... deal. So that's what she gets out of him. A vague acknowledgement that she's right, and a vague indication that he can't follow through regardless. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      There's a sudden thump from near Marrik's booth. Clockblocker - finally - hits the floor. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Sparks facepalmed when Clockbluster went thud before landing in front of him, all six or so inches of her in millitary-esque red orange and yellow fatigues. "Hey buddy you ok?" 

:'''{{#var:518|Yuuki Kuran (518)}} has posed:'''     At all of this, Yuuki seems to withdraw, though part of it is that she has an excuse to not talk. Not to say she does not listen, and observe, and generally smile and beam at the large gathering around the bar. Which was probably insanely expensive...     But then again, Tony Stark was paying. And he could foot the bill for buying this entire building, or something, so...     Yuuki finishes her Socialization Lubricant And Delaying Tactic Drink and places it on the bar before sliding up near Tony and Armsmaster. "I see you've met Mister Stark. I'm sure you two will make fast friends. I've heard the amount of charity work Stark Enterprises does, and it's quite wonderful, isn't it?" She offers, trying to smooth ruffled feathers and make everyone smile! She turns, full on, to Brockton Bay's leader. "You're... Armsmaster, I presume?" She wonders politely, not out of , before extending a hand.     "I'm Yuuki Kuran. On behalf of the Kuran Group, I'd like to say I am a big fan of all of the Capes that choose to work with the PRT. I like when people help others... So, why don't we all help out each other?"     She taps her ear meaningfully, before looking between Stark and Armsmaster.     "I hear your dedicated patrol announcements now and then. So, perhaps, you could help us both out, Mister Armsmaster."     She beams at the two of them. "By telling us how we can both donate to help the Brockton Bay PRT most effectively!"     Yuuki may or may not be a TOUCH lit, but her super-happy might also be because Zero is making nice with someone and she's ultra-amped for that. Hard to say. 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' Eric looks to Marrik as he hears the man's voice. "Oh. Hey there," he offers in return. He shakes Marrik's extended hand. Pause, headtilt. "'Harvester', huh?" He pauses again, to look at the costume. Notably, Eric himself isn't wearing a costume. Just the same kind of clothing he's always seen wearing. Miss Militia speaks, and he turns to look at her again. "I'm fine, yeah. Just startled me. Sorry about that." He hesitates, as if trying to figure out how to answer her question. "I have... a connection to the shadows. So I was told. And I've noticed that some people don't notice me unless they're keeping an eye out. Might be connected." Now, he doesn't want to out the whole truth-- that he's a vampire. But it's entirely possible that Miss Militia will figure it out anyway. Because when he talks... fangs. His canine teeth are abnormally long and sharp, and that much is pretty clear to anyone who might notice. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Oh, Michael will like Tony's garage all right. "Car guy, huh? Don't suppose you know where I could get my hands on a mint intake manifold for a 67 Shelby. I kinda... crushed mine." A while ago. And he keeps MEANING to fix it but, you know, stuff gets in the way. "I've got a beautiful 32 Ford Roadster you'll love. Just try to keep your Pontiac from drooling..." he trails off with the teasing to turn his full attention back to Armsmaster, going very distinctly quiet. Stark's expressive eyebrows arch ever so slightly upward as his smile fades to a thin, serious line. He regards the other superhero with dark eyes, seeming not the least bit intimidated, but on the edge of being affronted. It's the kind of look that usually sends recalcitrant business partners screaming for the hills. "Did you," he asks, quietly, "just threaten me?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Well. That says a lot. Toph blinks when she realizes that Zero is not comfortable with being touched, and she sighs, looking... a bit awkward? She takes a sip of her soda and just stands there since her usual form of cheering people up didn't work this time.     Perhaps it's a good thing that she can focus on what's happening between Armsmaster and Tony. Not to mention the change in the latter. Trust the girl to draw her focus towards him... and she steps closer, narrowing her eyes in Armsmaster's direction. Almost like she's repeating Tony's question. Arguing over the radio is one thing, but nobody threatens Tony Stark without his adoptive daughter showing her silent displeasure. Hey, at least she's being quiet about it. 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     Late to the party, but present!     A young woman slips in amongst the crowds, dark brown hair pulled into loose pony tail. She has a messenger bag slung over one shoulder, wearing a red, opened button down T-shirt over a black tank top and nice jeans. Her messenger bag proclaims DANGER TANUKI is, in fact, to the rescue. She adjusts a pair of glasses perched on her nose, and she exhales sharply, feeling a tightness in her chest. First time out and... there's a decent amount of people she knows here.     And the testosterone seems to climb. Yunomi's attention turns to Armsmaster and Tony Stark making a hullaballoo, and purses her lips in curiosity. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "The word of an individual is very important to Romans as well. You picked a costume that is appropriate several times over," Ainsley tells Triumph quite approvingly, her brows perking. She doesn't look away from her painting. She seems to be sketching out something with Triumph and Prism standing side by side. However, she seems to be sketching out the Brockton Bay skyline behind Triumph... and then the New York skyline behind Prism. He'd be able to recognize some of the details in there.     "To be able to speak and convince others of your point was a great part of that culture. Philosophy, the first roots of democracy, and so much innovation."     She knows it's probably reading into it a bit more, but she's trying to praise him so that he feels good about the costume, or make herself seem more observant than she really is. One way or another, this little project of hers has her in a good mood. She begins painting the figures of Prism and Triumph, careful to get the shading right with delicate strokes of a tiny brush. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya pauses at the mention of BBQ, she very much loves it then again she was raised by two guys who owned a bar anc grill. Along with the local baker really, so ya she's more in the Toph camp of food it seems. "I'm in for Barbecue I'm very much in for it and humm you got interesting tastes Mr Knight." there's a pause and she nods to Michael in agreement. "I understand someone tried to weaponize tools my brothers made for labour and salvage use he was enraged about it. Oddly the alloy I mentione gets used in large enough civilian ships given the pirate problems my world has at times." 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      "Yup," Clockblocker replies, getting to his feet. "Never been better." He bows for the crowd, soaking in the attention.      "Interesting," Miss Militia replies, "Armsmaster has mentioned you - seem to have something of a feud with the ABB." She doesn't seem bothered by the fangs - maybe she missed them. Her dark eyes peek out from behind the scarf. "That's a potent power, the ability to control perceptions. I hope you won't abuse it." Her eyes flit over to the scene brewing at the bar, and Marrik and Eric might be able to hear a frustrated sigh.      "Yeah, well, I don't really speak and convince people with my power..." Triumph replies, watching Ainsley work. The smartphone has gone away, hidden somewhere in his armor. "I shatter windows, concrete. But those are all heroic things. That's why we have the Protectorate, y'know? To do good."      Of course, some might think the Protectorate is less noble, especially when they run-in with Armsmaster first. He wields his moral authority like a cudgel. His expression doesn't change as Tony asks him his question. "Do I have reason to threaten you? I hope you're not implying that a member of the Protectorate would threaten a friendly hero." What a jerk.      Armsmaster turns towards Yuuki. "No Mister," he says, at first, but then he shakes her hand firmly. "Donations are welcome and can, of course, be claimed as tax-deductions. You could also donate your time, assisting us with patrols - as some members of the Union have done. This does, of course, mean you answer to my authority during such operations."      Telling, that he said 'my' and not 'our'. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "A Shelby, huh? I feel your pain, there. I've been looking at a '57 Bel-Air, myself, but I dunno where I'd keep it. Mint... might be a bit tricky, but I'll keep an eye out..." Michael rubs his chin as Yuuki speaks. Devon probably took care of all the donation stuff behind the scenes. Guy's good with that kind of thing. "Oh, my philosophy is the worse it is for you, the better it tastes. I'm a real red meat and potatoes kinda guy, y'know?" He smiles at Maya. Pirate problems, huh? He doesn't mention that it sounds exciting, because it'd probably be rude to make light of someone else's problems like that... but all the same, he allows himself to nod with the trademark frown of interest. And then, tenseness. Michael... stands up straight and puts his glass of coke on the counter. "Hey, fellas," he says. "Just a charity ball, right?" That's all he says, because that's all he feels is appropriate to say--he /can/ be subtle when he wants to be, or at least, he has a mode other than 'drive car through brick wall.' 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik grinned behind his mask and chuckled soft. "Don't let him sell himself short, I'd heard about his work and he does good work where he can." Potentially spooky fall/reaper/death themed guy sticking up for the probable vampire. THIS is going to go over well... Hand was offered to Millitia. "Autumn over there watching my b-" He noticed Clockblock go thud then looked over at Millitia. "He alright? I mean I get I sorta stepped on his toes, but doing thing that ends in thud tends to be bad." Sparks grinned at Clockblock ad clapped. "Man I could think of so many uses for that. What kind of range do you have?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Well, yes. In practice, it's just a loud blast of power from your mouth," Ains says, her emotion draining out of her face. "The metaphor is there, though. Doing your job by projecting your voice." She shrugs at him lazily, showing movements more appropriate to a snake-bird(?). It's hard to really tell what she is. She doesn't have a human face, though she can still smile, which she returns to doing shortly.     "You could own that persona of yours a little better if you did some speeches every now and then, right? I would like to see it." She carefully details out Triumph's costume on the painting. The subjects are clearly Triumph and Prism, but Ains had clearly gone to the trouble of sketching out all of the windows of the buildings behind them, and the sidewalk below them, and the cars and even some people.     "What're Prism's powers?" she goes on to ask, trying to keep the conversation going. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "You don't," Stark replies, in the same level tone, "have a reason to threaten me which is why I... really have to wonder /why you are/. Don't play word games with me, Robocop." Because he will END YOU. "Do we have a problem?" he asks, and tilts his head toward the main entrance. "Let's step outside. If not?" He pauses significantly, then smiles thinly and raises his glass again in mock salute. "Then I'm going to enjoy my drink, which I /have/ paid for with a not-insignificant donation to /your city/. And you can be /aware/ of me, being done with this conversation." And you can be aware of his perfect ass too, as he turns his back on the armored git. And he calmly resumes his conversation with Michael Knight. "I admit to being kind of a health nut," he smiles, as if this is something to be ashamed of. The copious amounts of fruits, vegetables and kelp shakes he consumes would confirm this. "But I'm with you on the red meat, man." Now, if Armsmaster is SMART, he'll take the opportunity Tony just gave him to let the matter drop. Pepper would be so proud. 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' Eric gives a half-smile at the mention of the 'feud' with the ABB. "I don't think Bakuda likes me very much," he explains. As for not abusing his 'ability to control perceptions'? He blinks. And then promptly looks away, turning slightly to look at the crowd again. "I uh. Can't really control it." Besides that, he kinda uses it to hunt. People. So uh. Yeah. He pauses when it looks like there's about to be a fight, and frowns. But he doesn't interfere. He answers Marrik, "Just like anybody else, just trying to help out as I can. Usually isn't much, but..." Shrug. Looking again to the might-be fight brewing between Armsmaster and Tony. He really hopes those two don't have to be pulled apart... 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     Not comfortable. But also not telling Toph to back off, even if she can tell that there are some problems there. Zero's attention turns from his small exchanges with the young earthbender towards the unfolding veiled hostility. He leans up against the bar, sipping at his repulsively bitter coffee and watching the situation very carefully. Yuuki tries to defuse it but it doesn't really shake out the way he thinks she wanted it to. The exchange flavored the entire demeanor of everybody present, himself included. But he forces himself to relax again, assuming a casual demeanor that is still tense, but only subtly so. Toph can tell, but nobody else likely can.     "I said that places like this are viper pits, but I didn't expect some prick who thinks he's being subtle to wander up and prove my point for me." Violet eyes settle on Armsmaster over the top of an old, chipped coffee cup. "If you were looking to present yourself as a mafia officer keeping an eye out for other gangs pushing into his turf, you're doing an admirable job." His gaze shifts towards the many other booths in the surroundings.     "I see plenty of people doing a better job of asking for help out there. You should take notes."     "Ms. Kuran will not be operating under your command in the foreseeable future." Zero concludes, with a tone of inarguable finality. He finishes off his coffee, sets the empty mug down on the bar, and resumes his silent vigil over Yuuki. That is definitely the most he's said all night, and it's also the rudest shit he's said all night.     Bad with people indeed. 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, Armsmaster." Yunomi pipes up, and the Japanese woman gives her most charming smile, attempting to interrupt. "Oh, excuse me Major Stark, how are you?" she gives a smile to Tony, and attempts to muscle her short self through the crowd. "It's nice to meet your aquaintence in person -- Yunomi Stadler, Izzet League -- the ah... Tinker-Changer. Nice party you're throwing!" She gives her most winning smile, shifting her bag around to the back of her. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Let the guys talk about cars and food. She will join in shortly. For now she focuses on Tony and Armsmaster showing off. But as she had hoped, Tony isn't exactly slow when it comes to words. For now she is a small sentinel, holding onto her Coke glass and listening intently. Yeah, you tell him, Tony! The girl doesn't turn around yet, instead she raises her free hand, two fingers extended. These are pointed to her pale unseeing eyes, and she then turns them on Armsmaster, her expression stern. She's got her 'eyes' on you! Because pointing at her feet and then sticking them up in his face might be amusing, but it might not get the point across.     Work for the city under /Armsmaster/'s orders? Pffft, she helped out once, she's not about to make a habit of it if he's being an ass to /her/ supervising officer /and/ adoptive dad.     She looks less stressed through as she turns to the others again. Though she's still keeping her own unique sight on him. And hey, Yunomi? She earns a slight grin from the blind girl and a wave before she focuses on Zero again. "So you're her bodyguard or something?" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya says "I can get that and it's not the meat but I do get where you are coming from. IT does seem that way doesn't it right?" On the subject of Septerran Pirates it could get very dark, very fast so it's for the best it's left at that there are pirate problems. She looks out at the otehr people musing for a moment. 

:'''{{#var:518|Yuuki Kuran (518)}} has posed:'''     Yuuki lets her hand fall back to be clasped behind her back, smiling thinly at Armsmaster after the whole exchange. "Sure. That'd be great, Armsmaster." She offers, dipping back as Zero explains things. And makes declarations.     "I'll answer for myself, Zero." She grumbles, but doesn't actually adjust Zero's statement. She just objects to being spoken for. She didn't want her mood to be killed!     "And don't insult our host, Zero!" She fumes quietly, though it's still within earshot. "There's enough bad feelings going around without people adding to the pile." She murmurs, sadly, before elbowing Zero lightly. "I mean, it could be fun, right? Dressing up in costumes and helping people?" She asks, before glancing at Toph. "He's my protector. I think he's still unsure if he wants the job - he kind of got it thrust on him." She comments, leaning her back against the bartop and furtively flicking her gaze to the beat up coffee cup and the pill-laden contents. "I thought you had... that... before we came. Why are you drinking more now?" 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      As Tony speaks, Armsmaster watches him. On his HUD, the word TRUTH blips into view in bright green letters. "So you did," Armsmaster replies slowly, but - point probably proven - he lets the matter drop without any more words or any hint at a formality or apology, and practically walks right into Zero's words. He frowns. "You think I need your help, or even want it. If we needed help, we would launch a recruitment drive," Armsmaster replies. To Yuuki, Armsmaster says: "Don't worry. There are no hard feelings." Some poor part of Colin's mind is confused why everyone's so hostile towards him!      He steps away, gone as abruptly as he had arrived. He hasn't gotten far before he almost collides with Yunomi. "Yes. It is. I remember you. Do you want something?"      Miss Militia nods. "That is unfortunate. Then just don't take advantage of their inability to see you. If you can't control it, or you need to focus to be visible, that only makes it all the more enticing to abuse. You do what you can, and we all appreciate it." No wonder Militia is Armsmaster's second-in-command.      Meanwhile, Triumph continues to watch Ainsley work. "Yeah. That's a good way of looking at it. I've always wanted to do speeches - but that's more the commander's job." He gestures over to Armsmaster, talking with Yunomi. "Prism? Oh, she can split into three copies. Like light through a prism. Hence the name." He doesn't seem too bothered by Ainsley's appearance - or maybe it's all hidden behind his mask. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Clockblocker raises his arm and extends his fingers, stretching out. "Mmmm. About that far," he says. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik's attention was drawn by the clash of personality and anti-personality. Anyone nearby could hear him muttering as if trying to make an invocation 'please don't fight you idiots' over and over again and noted this short girl try muscling her way, apparently more successfully than he thought possible, through to the building thunderhead brewing. He hoped the girl could head things off, because charity ball. As Arms master seemed to let the matter drop he exhaled before offering Militia a hand. For now he wore thin gloves, but with luck that will soon change. "I kinda had to punt with the shirts." He gestured to his booth, specifically at the T-shirts. "Kind of afraid I went a little too nuts with it." 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, just to introduce myself in person; after all, it'd be rude to show up to a charity event with the intention of representing not only my guild but also my old persona and present comic book company." she gives a grin, and pulls a long, trailing strand of her hair behind a very human-like ear. Not a single thing on her that screams magical creature.      "I'd hate to ask the good Major who he made the check out to, after all. That's just plain tacky." she offers, and puts her hand out for a shake, "... and... besides. It's good for me to be out and about." 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     Toph also gives a smile, but Yunomi figures it'd be useless to wave. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Sparks nodded slow and managed to pick up the pie Marrik left and nudged it over. "Little short on range, but I can see a lot of use, especially sine stuff can be made to hang. Hungry?" 

:'''{{#var:527|Zero (527)}} has posed:'''     "I'm her bodyguard. No ambiguity there. But it's not my usual line of work. My primary profession is most easily described as monster hunting." Zero replies to Toph, looking down at her again. He's not going to put too much energy into being a part of the pissing contest he just contributed to. He doesn't have an absurd ego, or really much of one at all. The value that he places on his own life is incredibly low, because it should have ended already. Miracle after miracle stopped it from doing so, but the fact remains that he expected to be gone. Each extra moment is just icing on the cake.     Come to think of it...     "People without extraordinary talent aren't a part of the Union. What special talents do you have?" He asks Toph, careful /not/ to remark on her young age. Zero gets the impression she wouldn't like it, and he was training from around the same age himself.     Regarding Yuuki's objections, he mutters, "I said that you wouldn't be operating under his command, not that you can't do any of those things." More audibly, Zero adds, "I don't abandon my assignments. Whether I want the job or not, it's mine." The unspoken addendum being that there's nobody in the Hunter's association big and rough enough to actually take it from Zero if he decides he's going to keep it.     To Armsmaster, he says, "If you didn't need help, you wouldn't be taking untested volunteers."     Zero rolls up a sleeve and glances at a beaten-up wristwatch. He reaches over to touch Yuuki's shoulder, urging her to start moving with him. "Sorry, but we need to get going. It's gotten late. We'll resume our discussion later, Toph."     With all that said and done, Zero tries to get Yuuki the hell out of there before some other viper shows up in the pit. 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' ...OUCH. Getting the old 'responsibility' speech from an experienced hero is... sobering. Sort of feels like being chastised like a child. Which is probably what it's designed to do. "I don't think it works like that," he says quietly. "It's... complicated." He's dancing around something. And he's still not looking at Miss Militia! 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' As Armsmaster walks off, Michael releases a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Whew," he says as he... pretends to look at a particularly interesting fondue fountain. Yes, that's definitely what he was 'whewing' at. "I think it's about time for us to hit the road," he says to the gang at the bar. "Agreed," says KITT. "It was great meeting you guys in person, hope we get to work together in an official capacity sometime." With that, he finishes his coke and pushes off of the bar. "Alright, buddy, meet you outside." The Trans-Am makes a graceful and long-awaited departure from the gulag that is /public parking/, soon to arrive in front of the building. KITT opens his door for Michael, much to the interest of several passers-by--cool remote control car! "Shall we play hooky, Michael?" "Are you kidding? This place has speed trap written all over it. Especially with 'Robocop' back there. Huh, Robocop. Sounds like it'd make a good movie." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik reached over to Eric and patted the guy's shoulder. "Hey no worries, I've got faith you'll manage to keep a lid on things." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Ooh. Copies... Hmm. Do they all have physical mass, or are they illusions? The light theme would imply illusions, but I might be wrong." Ainsley goes on to ask Triumph, trying to think of some way to spruce up the paintings while she's doing it. Seems she may have overshot how long it takes, because she's actually already done with the two subjects on the painting, and she's starting to paint the sidewalk. He may notice a slight breeze come out of her, every once in a while, while she dries the paint with a bit of wind power so that she can touch it up a little easier.     "Your commander is, uh..." She looks over toward Armsmaster. "He could benefit from someone delegated to do speeches on official events. It isn't really about fame and more about public opinion of the Protectorate." She carefully avoided saying that the guy is as pleasant as a brick covered in barbed wire when it comes to talking. "Discuss it with your friends a bit, mmh? I am not trying to sew dissent here, though, just offering my observations."     She considers the painting for a minute. "Is this coming out okay?" she asks him, indicating with one of her brushes. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Miss Militia shakes Marrik's hand. Her grip is strong, edging over the line of being merely 'firm'. "A pleasure." She says to Eric, "I understand. All of our powers are."      Armsmaster idly wonders why everyone keeps wanting to shake his hand. It's a pointless formality. It wastes time. Him being here is a waste of time. They could dress up anyone else in his armor and no one could tell the difference. He could be working on his Halberd, or discussing his Endbringer software with Dragon, or...      But the Director had ordered him to be here and, so, he is. Much like how she had ordered him to seek out volunteers from this new 'Union' organisation.      "Yunomi Stadler," Armsmaster says, returning the handshake. "I see. Are you intending to arrange a deal for comic book publication?"      "Physical mass," Triumph replies. "She splits into three people and all can act independently. It's a big help if we have to apprehend someone. How do you even do all this detail? I've heard of capes with artistic abilities..."      At the mention of Armsmaster, he shrugs. "He's not a bad guy, really. He does a lot for the city. Maybe he's a bit too pragmatic, but I think that makes him a good leader. He'd rather be anywhere but here but, like you said, people would wonder why he doesn't attend events like this. He gets results, y'know? Man, I sound like one of those old cop shows..." 

:'''{{#var:550|Eric Bane (550)}} has posed:''' Eric sends a glance to Marrik at the pat to the shoulder, a wry smile pulling at his mouth. "I can try." Marrik knows the full measure of Eric's powers... and their source. Mind, any other time he'd tell Miss Militia, and then she'd know too. But there are cameras here, and he doesn't want to start a vampire panic in Brockton. Her mention that all their powers are gets a nod. "I can imagine." After all, didn't they just come up with abilities out of nowhere? That's pretty much what happened to him, except he's dead and drinks blood on top of having abilities. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "It's good what is done here." Marrik p's hand even through the glove was calloused and strong. "I'd actually hoped to do a tour tomorrow. Saw a few communities here and about in the multiverse that do community gardening, yards given over to something other than grass." Given he can grow plants he had interest. " 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Well..." Ainsley looks at the painting. "It's not really a power to paint like this. I was raised by an organization that tried to keep accurate and objective records of the events in the world. Part of that was learning how to sketch and paint the things I had seen, so that I could accurately portray an event if words simply could not describe what had happened. I have since defected from that group, due to differences in personal philosophy, but I retained this skill. It's bolstered by my photographic memory, allowing me to put in detail that no other person would be able to. My teacher was a crone, too, so I had to be good at it or risk dealing with her temper."     She pauses a beat after that, carefully painting in a window or three in silence. "He's pragmatic. He's effective. But he's not good with people. I've spoken with him already. He doesn't anger me, but he angers others." Sniff. "A cop show. Hmm. It's apt, you know. You're a police force. You enforce certain laws and principles." 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, no, ah, I'm here to make ad onation on the behalf of my company." Yunomi gives a slight smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Danger Tanuki is a superheroine who fights against crab men from another planet as well as the local badguys of Frederick City in the comic books, and the majority of my market is digital or distrubted through libraries. I try to make the entertainment as accessable as possible." she smiles. "All the money's from marketing." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Extraordinary talent? Why, it sounds like he's describing her! The question seems to please the girl where she stands, a smile on her face again. Actually, she wouldn't mind him commenting on her age. She is short for her age, but she has an ego comparable to her supervising officer indeed. "You're looking at the greatest earthbender of all time, buddy. Not to mention I singlehandedly discovered metalbending, which people claimed was impossible." Yes, her young voice is filled with much pride.     It's late, huh? But hey, if mister Grumpy Pants wants to talk more with her later, then well... she wouldn't mind, since he actually seems likable enough off the radio. Then again, he seems more stiff around adults for some reason. But hey, she's used to people dismissing her strength based on her size, she can easily imagine that people feel less threatened by a young, blind girl. "Catch you later," she says with a brief two finger salute to the forehead, then she sighs. Better keep her focus on Tony and not loose 'sight' of him. But at least they aren't going home yet, and there are still people to talk with! 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      Raising a hand to her ear, the green-clad woman frowns. "Excuse me," Miss Militia suddenly says, and she weaves through the crowd on her way towards Armsmaster. Armsmaster doesn't nod or move as Yunomi speaks. "It is simple enough," Armsmaster says, although his expression appears to have darkened for no apparent reason. "The donation can just be made out to Protectorate East-North-East and there are numerous arrangements that can be made. This is not my area."      Triumph nods, listening. "Well, that's good that you can find a way to market your skill. You don't mind if I tell people around your artwork, right? Just some word-of-mouth advertising. As for the Commander... He's not a people-person, no. But the rest of us are, I think. I think he just spends so much time working that he forgets that people aren't easy equations to solve. Anyway, I probably shouldn't talk like this about him."      "Dragon just informed me," Armsmaster says, as Miss Militia arrives. "We're not breaking the news until tomorrow. Dauntless is already sortied, but I am going to return to HQ. You will handle the rest of this evening," he tells her. 

:'''{{#var:272|Yunomi Stadler (272)}} has posed:'''     "Right. Analytical skills next to none..." Yunomi begins, drawing out a binder, but she sees Armsmaster's moved on, and she makes a face behind his back. "... people skills need a little work though... solid B-plus." she murmers, and she checks a little crystal at her side -- and makes a very disconcerted face. "... the /hell/ did I drink in Sydney?" she mutters, and collapses the little crystaline screen to scribble out appropriate party, stepping off to the side. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     A brighter smile shows on Ainsley's face. "I suppose we shouldn't, no. He does a good job around here." She nods lightly and then focuses on painting inbetween the various windows on one of the skyscrapers. "The whole point of me doing this here is for publicity," she admits to him, "Tell as many people as you want. The more people here know me, the more I can help." She finishes a little more of the painting. Then she really focuses on what she's doing, doing broad strokes for the sky, carefully making sure the two sides of the sky are the same, despite the split between Brockton and New York. She adds clouds not divided at all between the two sides.     "You two are cape partners?" she wonders at him. He's not actually said what Prism is to him. The implication is that she wants to know what the relationship there is. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      "Just boyfriend and girlfriend," Triumph replies. "We've worked together once or twice but we usually keep to our own cities. Not that New York is very far or anything like that - it's just how the job is. You don't see many actual partnerships - sure, there's Assault and Battery, but they're married. Armsmaster and Dragon, maybe, on some level. There's Menja and Fenja in Empire. Oh, and Leet and Uber." Elsewhere, Armsmaster stalks out without another word, leaving his lieutnant - Miss Militia - to handle Yunomi's queries, and the inevitable deluge of questions that follow in the wake of Brockton Bay's commander storming out. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     At that, Ainsley lights up even more, happy to be doing a painting like this for them. "Then this painting is all the more fitting. I just took a guess at the theme I should do... when you said she was at New York, I inferred you two worked different cities." She gestures at the painting. "Different cities, but the same sky, mmh? Symbolism~" She keeps working at it, and the most delicate work seems to be when she's carefully drawing out signs and the like. She's almost done, though.     Ainsley is a very big fan of romantic ideas, apparently. 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      "Well, you guessed correctly," Triumph replies, while he watches Miss Militia field questions in the wake of Armsmaster's disappearance. "I like it, especially with how it melds so seemlessly... It's good symbolism. It'll be a great gift. You... take credit cards, yeah?" Triumph asks, remembering the brief moment of confusion with the phone. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley manages to finish the painting while he's talking, and then reaches over to dig in her bag, producing a small card reader device. She sets it down and makes double sure it has a roll of paper in it, then smiles at him, gesturing for him to scan the card, if he has it with him. "It was nice talking to you, Triumph," she says, "My name is Ainsley." 

:'''{{#var:554|Armsmaster (554)}} has posed:'''      "It was nice meeting you, Ainsley," Triumph replies, going through the business of getting his card scanned and the painting paid for. He passes over a small business card, too. It reads: TRIUMPH, Brockton Bay Protectorate. There's a phone number on it, and a code. "Look, if you ever get in trouble around here, ring that number. That's my personal ID code. Just say it, and I'll come running, okay? Least I can do." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley picks up the card and smiles at Triumph pleasantly, finding the little book she usually puts such things in. It has a variety of little scraps of paper and business cards, apparently because she's a packrat when it comes to those. "I'll keep you in mind, the next time I help out over here." Once that's completed, she turns to look at the crowd, and waves over another person that looks interested. She'll keep going like this for the rest of the night, probably until most of the people are gone, and even get a few to do later. 

}}

479/The Kingsmouth Code

2014-09-11T21:36:37Z

Jazzenstein:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/23
|Location=The Secret World <TSW>
|Synopsis=An investigation into the nature of the Illuminati influence on Kingsmouth brings people to the church, whereupon questions are asked, clues followed, and church floors are smashed.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=7, 151, 495, 513, 525, 543, 553
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Kingsmouth, for all of its fog without, has its own fog within. Mysteries abound on the streets of the city, rumors and unusual incidents, but over time they have faded away. Away, into the fog. But now what is gone is coming back. The dead that have risen, the invasion of the aquatic draug. There is something terrible here on Solomon Island, and there are a staunch few working to unravel the mystery. http://www.kingsmouth.com/wp-content/gallery/photos-of-kingsmouth/church.jpg One of those mysteries happens to be the nature of the church, and the ancient Illuminati wards that protect it against the undead. Standing tall next to Priest House along Arkham Avenue, the white church exudes an aura of old-style construction. Small red circle-and-triangle wards are placed around the base of the building. The zombies come as far as the fenced yard around the building but go no further. Henry Hawthorne, the pastor, stands within the church. The iconography of the church is simple and does not seem to be dedicated to any specific saint, though it is clearly a Christian place of worship. The iconography seems to feature the All-Seeing Eye prominently in many places, perhaps as a metaphor. Henry himself is an aging man, probably in his late 30s, who dresses conservatively in a blue sweater with white diamond patterns upon it, and a pair of black slacks and dress shoes. Clearly, the perfect representation of a normal neighborhood clergyman. Regardless, if you want to get some answers about the nature of the church, he might be your best place to start. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     A church. If there were any place where she might explode like a box of fireworks the moment she arrived, it would be a church. Ainsley had grown leery of any place that had sanctified ground or even had the possibility of being antithetical to her, in case she picked up a case of the fake demon again without realizing it.     So when she walks in through the main doorway, she shuffles her feet and looks around with extra care to avoid holy symbols and other such things. That is, until she began to truly take in the architecture of the old church and the depths of the effort that must've gone into it. While she dropped into daydreams about the lives of the builders, she stopped before Henry Hawthorne as if she were prepared to speak to him, but she was momentarily distracted by a window.     She murmured a few words describing the structure of a window, obscure words in various languages...     And then looked over at Henry, clasping her hands in front of her. "Hello! It seems this church carries very heavy Illuminati symbology," she says to him, immediately, and then gestures to the All-Seeing Eye symbols everywhere, something that seemed ubiquitous with that organization from her perspective. "My name is Ainsley and I am investigating the island with some friends. Could you give me some backstory about this church and the town?" 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy hasn't been to Kingsmouth before. But, she read about the mission on the Syndicate mission board, and decided to check things out. A plague, even if it be one of zombies? Well. That is something worth stopping. Nurses can't let a plague, let alone a zombie plague, go unchecked for long.      Nurse Joy, along with the others, walks through the front door of the chuch, smiling. Her arms are in front of her, her hands clasped. With the smile on her face, she looks incredibly non-threatening.      "Hello," she says aloud, to the pastor, "I'm Nurse Joy. I'm here to help out with the situation in this town. But... This church doesnt' seem all that affected, does it?"      She looks around, puzzled. It's a bit odd. Most Churches have symbols relating to Pokemon in her world, with most of them focusing on Arceus. It's odd to see a Christian church, though she at least knows of it.      She smiles at the pastor, though. "Oh, may I ask your name as well?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight is inside the church, but he hasn't said anything yet. He stands just a few feet away from Ainsley, and is currently occupying himself with a hymnal. He looks at the day's selected hymns, observing each one in turn for any significance or hidden symbolism. KITT, meanwhile, is parked outside, in surveillance mode--naturally. The car is currently scanning local radio frequencies, wireless, etc., etc. for anything of interest. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone has just taken to helping here and she takes a moment as she enters into the Church she does find it interesting and she notices the all seeing eye. That gets an eyebrow raise from her but she has to wonder. She doesn't voice this as she enters she's known for a while church grounds seem to be able to annhlate any undead that might attempt to enter. "...ya I was just thinking that myself Ainsley. Oh I'm Kotone Yamakawa..." Kotone meanwhile is looking about the church taking in and recording everything she sees. Nurse Joy gets a small smile from her a she loojks the woman over she seems pretty nice and very much not threating at all. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Iiiiiiilluuuuuminati?" Finna chimes from nearby? She's speaking a foreign language never heard on Earth - though it does seem to have some germanic tendencies and every now and then a word sounds EERILY like a viking might've said it at some point.     But by now, she's started adopting dozens of loan words from over a dozen worlds and easily talks in a mishmash. That's what happens when the translation effect is in full tilt!     But despite the foreign language, she's dressed casually for the area. blue jeans, a white blouse to match her strangely white hair. Chances are, Ainsley and the others here won't be seeing the fox tail and ears that adorn her form unless they're looking really hard for it, so, in the same vein, the white hair doesn't seem odd at all no matter how one glances at it.     But she has no fear of holy symbols, no knowledge of the deity this Church is dedicated to... so for the moment, she's chosen to curb some of her wildness and behave herself. Not offending a god by bouncing off the walls in their temple is just common sense!     "Kinda fun to pronounce, but I still don't get what it means. Well, we're looking for old occult things, right? I don't know what's normal for a building like this, but I bet I can find other things... what books are REALLY old... maybe hidden passages...? What should I focus on? You're the occultists here." She makes a somewhat regretful, sheepish face.     Even though this was her proposal, she doesn't have the skill to follow through on it. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Henry looks surprised, and then pleased to see a nurse walk right in the front door and claim she's here to help. "Bless you, my child. I appreciate your desire to help. Kingsmouth Congregational is always these days, even my flock is... considerably reduced. I am Henry Hawthorne, the..." His voice trails off suddenly, as it moves towards... Ainsley feels a tightening of the skin as she crosses the threshold. This building is warded, all right. Just... Apparently not against her. She steps forward and asks about the Illuminati straight away, which causes a mixture of surprise, fear, and panic in the pastor's eyes. His demeanor changes completely as he puts up his hands, putting them in a shushing motion. "Not so loud, please." He says in a low tone. "I know of a great deal of unusual things, but who and... what are you? I haven't heard of anything like you. The wards didn't trigger on you, but..." He sighs. "You never know who might be listening. But yes... The Illuminati. I'm with the Illuminati." He begins pacing, gesturing with his hands. "Oh, I don't have a badge or anything like that. I'm what you might call a, uh.... Hobbyist member." He looks back to the group. "But I earned it. I did extensive research on the net. The code words I followed led me to forums - secret forums, forums that don't show up on Google." There is a nod as he leans in at that. "And I'm an avid poster. A valued poster." The hymnals appear to be a collection of standard material. Michael's probably seen the same thing in a dozen other churches. Or maybe not. He doesn't seem like a church kind of guy. KITT continues to scan theradio waves. They're heavily garbled here. Something's messing with transmissions, and it's /not/ just inclement weather. KITT does locate a half-completed radio camera setup on a nearby gas station, however. Unfortunately, it's closed. Zombies aren't the best paying customers. Finna's words catch him and distract him from the Ainsley situation, though it, perhaps, might seem difficult. "You're seeking out knowldge of the Founding Fathers? I know there are paths in Kingsmouth not on any map. The work of the Illuminati is everywhere. A secret gospel, chapter and verse, throughout the town. Signs and formulae. Of course that's why you would be here..." He sighs. "Now, my work is not... exhaustive. There are elements of their-- of OUR grand plan I may have overlooked. Tiny, tiny details still left unexplored. I trust we have each other's disclosure." He taps the side of his nose at that. He looks over at Ainsley again. "The past of this town is extensive, since the Founding Fathers established the location in the 1600s. Do you have anything in specific you are... wondering about?" 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      The Illuminati is /not/ something Nurse Joy is familiar with. She blinks a little bit, confused. "...What's the Illuminati, sir? Also, I'm wondering... If the crisis here is so bad, why are the zombies not reaching here? Do you know?"      She looks around the building. "...Also, how old is this church? It's quite fancy. Does it date back to close to the beginning of the town? Or is it newer than that?" Obviously, architecture is not her strong suit.      "Oh... and I wonder. If this place is somewhat safe and warded... Could we set up a shelter here for those in need?" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone looks at Finna for a momne she looks really hard for a moment, she tilts her head for a moment. "In a town like this I'd not be stunned if there actually was something like that here." She is however still keeping a bit of distance from Finna however she asked some interesting quetions and got some useful answers. She had spotted something strange however. "There's something about the grounds here that protects it speaking of I saw something out front I'll be right back." Kotone deeks otu to the front to go get a look at that strange faintly glowing symbol she saw on the way in. She goes to kneel down and get a good look at it... "What is this...?" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Not so loud? Finna almost seems to shrink, slumping forward a bit and frowning. her ears droop along with her shoulders - a child, reprimanded. That's what the expression s reminiscent of. But she recovers quickly, tapping her index fingers together!     But she does introduce herself, tail wagging and sudden smile shining. "Finna Snowdancer." An odd name, but not entirely so.     She takes a few moments to look about the place. At the pews, the books, the altar, as if she's never seen anything of the sort before.     Well, she hasn't!     "We're looking for answers.... that disaster outside... the cursed creatures avoid this place like the plague." She's much quieter now. "So I figured... wards that powerful, they were almost made with them just in mind. Which meeeeaaaaaans this mess might've happened before, right? Sooo what better place to look for an explanation on what it is... and where to stop it? This temple's builders knew what they were doing. Was it spiritual guidance, then...?"     Pondering Kotone's words, Finna watches as she exits, then rubs at her chin. Kotone wouldn't doubt secret passages here, huh? She'll have to ask her why later... 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley looks at Henry with a smiling patience that is the face of someone who has encountered a similar reaction a few times before and grown used to it. Being a lizard person was never weird in her world, so she doesn't act like it is. But she does not judge others for their surprise.     Though this man seems to be, well... the kind of man that would be considered a fanboy in most other respects. He seems to be aware of some things, but not the entire puzzle. That's a problem which gets a thoughtful crease of her brow.     Ahh, there it is. Upon being asked to clarify, she motions around at the rest of the building with one of her slender hands, her brows perking at him. "I want to know about the town, mostly, but..." She nods at the man once, motioning to him, gesturing for him to stay where he is so she could pace a bit and look around.     "As for what I am, that's a question I have as well. We'll go with 'it's complicated,'" she tells him, "I'm a member of a group called the Union. It is a large faction, with an extensive presence ... ah... outside of this world." She shows a brief smile.     She looks up at the windows once. She holds up her hand at Henry before he would even be able to begin speaking about the history of the town, and then she pulls out a small recording device, putting it on a railing near him. "Pertinent info about the reason they built a colony here, and any major conflicts that may have occurred while occupying the place, if you could? You could explain it to the others, if it would feel less awkward to do so." She nods at him once.     The recorder has a piece of white tape as a label that says 'THOUGHTS' in big black letters. Seems Ainsley is one of those people who make voice notes sometimes. As if a creature with memory like hers ever needed that.     She turns to leave the church soon after, walking at a brisk pace. She glances at Kotone once, distracted by the symbol she was looking at. Instead she goes to find the sewer covers, the nearest one on the outside, and crouches near it. "Huh," she sounds out, tracing the symbol on top of it. She then tries to magnetize her hand with some magic and pull the cover up with a grunt of effort, setting it aside to look down into what's below, briefly. And then she tries to set the cover back, and discovers it can only rest in a certain way, requiring her to spin it about.     She squints at the cover for a moment... And then gets up to a stand, staring down at the symbol as if trying to puzzle out the meaning in it. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight isn't the type to go to church all that often, no. That's the life of a traveler--precluding easy integration into stationary societies like church congregations. "Michael," says a voice from the loner's wrist watch. "It seems some resourceful citizen made a makeshift surveillance device. It's near the gas station, but it seems unfinished." "Good eye, KITT. We should check that out, later. Right now, I'm gonna see what the local man of the cloth has to say." Michael closes the hymnal, but rather than replace it, he approaches Finna and offers the book to her. "Hymnal for your thoughts," he says to the curious Lunar. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Henry looks taken aback by Joy's question. "Did you..." He pauses. "She is with you all, right? Did you not tell her?" He sighs. "Well, the cat is, as they say, out of the bag. The Illuminati is an organization dedicated to the protection and advancement of humankind, made up of some of the wisest, most intelligent, and powerful people in the world. Through their placement within the world, they use that wisdom to guide us all to a greater, more Illuminated future." If there were an actual member of the Illuminati in the room right now they would probably have a hard time keeping a straight face. "I would like to say it is the protection of God that keeps this place safe, but I have seen the insignias at the doorway when the zombies try to enter. Insignias of the eye and pyramid. The Illuminati protect this place. This church is an old building, but it had to be partially rebuilt after a fire in 1712 heavily damaged it. I believe it had stood since the town's founding." Henry nods. "This is a place of shelter and comfort for any who desire it, although, um... I admit that our capacity to /sustain/ those people are rather limited at the moment. A church does not usually carry a great deal of emergency supplies, you understand." Henry doesn't seem to see anything unusual about Finna's ears. They're just normal people ears, whatever! "Who am I to question the wisdom of the Founding Fathers? Solomon Priest was a visionary. Perhaps they foresaw this possibility at some point, but I don't believe this has happened before." Kotone sees, just as Henry said, a glyph of a circle with a triangle and circle upon the doorjamb, inlaid in some red material. This seems like a magic thing. Henry might be saying more but at the moment Ainsley seems to have struck him dumb. He just takes the recorder and looks down at it. "Out of this..." He says quietly. "World?" He looks over to Nurse Joy, who seems the most normal person in the room, and says, "Is that an alien?" He whispers. Ainsley begins examining the sewer covers. One is right outside the shurch. There are a couple groups of zombies feeding on things nearby, but Ainsley doesn't seem to be getting their attention. Given the nature of the cover, the quesion is: Why would someone design a sewer cover to only accept one orientation, especially in light of the iconography? 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy simply smiles at Henry, "I'm not actually with these people, in the Union. And yes, I think one or two of them might be aliens. I'm with the Syndicate, myself. It's a mercenary group, kind of. We like to help out where needed, though. And a zombie plague is something that needs fixing."      She ponders, though. "If this church is connected to the Illuminati, though... A group that likes secrets... Well."      She finds a large, heavy object of some kind or other. She is hitting it against various parts of the church's floor, and some bits of the wall. Not enough to do /damage/, but just enough to make a sound. Trying to figure out if there are any hollow spots anywhere.      She smiles, "I saw this in a movie once!" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley's gaze follows the manhole cover's symbology, and then she begins walking in a direction, guided by what she saw. She murmurs 'Lux Omnia Vincit' to herself, as she walks. She thinks while she walks, and begins talking to herself in a gentle tone of voice.     She hypothesizes out loud about the purpose of the island, mostly.     "They could have formed this outpost as a means to get closer to the supernatural beings that populate the world. If it were just an ordinary base, perhaps this event is a direct strike upon them. But by who? Is this a battle against one of their rivals, or perhaps a dark entity or collective that they had antagonized? Maybe they are the victims of a more proactive threat... maybe this is a breeding ground for supernatural activity and that is why they set up the town here."     She's mostly throwing ideas at the metaphorical wall, with no one to really talk to about them. She stops to look down at the next manhole cover, and turns to follow it to the next, and the next. She begins to hum to herself, but remains mindful of the local undead threats. She isn't exactly built for fighting. Wherever she's being led to, she'll reach it without much delay. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "oh? You spend so much time researching things like the Illuminati, but not the decisions?" Finna teases, showing a lopsided smile that bores into the soul with playful pokes.     But then she's handed a hymnal and this stupefies her. For a few moments she peers at it, then at Michael... the moments pass, as though she'd never seen Michael before.     Or, maybe, this is the first time she's really looked at him. Snickering, she leans forward, tail wagging and hands folding around the hymnal. "Weeeeell, I'm no architect, but you wouldn't put wards this strong around a building just to protect people here to pray, would you? If this is the first time, then those wards are more general against foul creatures, and not the draug and undead. ... which means they're even MORE powerful, probably! .... So that means something here's worth protecting. Or was. It was rebuilt after a fire... saaaay, Henrrrrrry!~" Finna swirls about.     "If you HAVe any info, now's a good time to talk about it. There might be something to stop the Draug and undead."     Though there's a bit of mischief in her eyes that suggests if he doesn't, she's just gonna go on the hunt... 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has heard other things about the NWO but she's got to look into things here she has no idea of the truth that right now? In the Illuminati's HQ it's likely got a rave going on right now. Either wah she's looking over the magical glyphc she doesn't know magic but she's able to get a good deal of images of it she wishes she could take energy readings of it... 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight puts his hands in his pockets as Finna addresses him. For a moment, he almost feels like he can see...something. But then, she's talking to the pastor and the moment is over. Huh. Shaking it off, he moves to stand by the doorway. He's heard all he needs to hear from Henry, so he decides to just stand by the door and wait to accompany anyone who's on their way out. Safety in numbers! 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Finna's playful prodding causes Henry to puff up not unlike an owl. She might find it adorable. "I would think that protecting the people we are trying to guide into a better future would be something quite important!" He says, indignant. "There was a fire in the year 1712. It was a terrible thing caused by a couple of drunken dockworkers. It ruined so much! I would have loved to have had to chance to study everything... But then, at this point if I was able to I would hardly be here to talk with you about it, would I? If you simply want a history lesson, you can check the archives in City Hall. If you want to know how and why these designs work? I..." He The entire church is a single room, so that makes it hard to hide secret passages in the walls. There's some question about the floor, however! Joy begins thumping around the room, and Henry holds out his hands. "Stop! You're going to break something!" Joy continues to clonk around. Clonk. Clonk. Clonk. Ainsley continues walking down Main Street, a few clusters of zombies here and there. If she's careful she can weave around them without drawing their attention from what they're doing. You probably don't want to know. As Ainsley passes Susie's Diner on the corner, the street opens up onto Fletcher Bay. It's at this point the manhole points to the left, directing Ainsley... Clonk, CLonk, Clonk... Onto the pier. The pier, unlike the street, is populated by draug, but they seem sluggish. Ainsley can probably slip around them as well. Just past the boathouse, more manholes point to the back of the house, but something draws Ainsley's attention as well. There is a ship docked at the pier, abandoned and half-sunken. It is corroded and rusted, with streamers of red seaweed hanging off of it. The lettering on the bow of the ship is still visible, however: The Lady Margaret. Clonk, Clonk, Clonk... Looking in the direction of the manhole, as well, there is something odd behind the boathouse. Amidst a pile of Cobb and Chambers seafood boxes (Fresh from the depths to your door!) is an aged plaque. It is triangular, with a lighthouse in a circle in the center. Above is a quill, to the lower left, a globe, and the lower right, a telescope. Below it reads the following: IN THE SEAT OF POWER, THE NAVIGATOR IMMORTALIZED ILLUMINATING THE PATH TO THE SLEEPING PRIEST AND FLETCHER IN MEMORY OF FRANS HALS, WHO PERISHED IN LIGHT (1580-1666) Clonk, clonk, cloooonk... Clooonk? 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has finished up checking out the ward, she's no magic user but she's got enough detailed images that those who are might be able to make heads or tails out of it. She smiels t that sh's not entirely useless right? She now returns to enter the church and says "Wait ... Where's Ainsley!? I thought she' be back insid....." Oh hell Ainsley has gone off on her own here. "... We might want to see where she's gone off too." Being alone here is something that scares the hell out of her and while she's picking up on their converstions, but right now she's concerned for Ainsley. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna's left stunned at Joy's actions. Even more stunned than by Henry getting all puffy. "Weeeell... protecting people's a lovely idea... but in that case, why isn't every old building warded? Let's see... assuming this IS the first time the living dead showed up here, I'd have to guess the wards are meant to ward off anything with a dangerous nature, not just the things out there. So the builders were worried about enemies breaking in. Well, it doesn't seem to see ME as one." She cracks a smile. A brilliant and pure, specially crafted to strike the hearts of men - and maybe some women - and tosses some stray hairs over a shoulder.     "She has the right idea - hey, be careful, we don't want to anger the priest or the god that's worshipped here!"     ... yeah, she doesn't know ANYTHING about Christianity, she just knows what things are BAD to do at temples!     But her eyes fix on Joy's efforts... and a wicked smile brimming with insight shines on her face.     "Pardon meeee!" She turns her back on Henry, zips over to Nurse Joy, and bends forward, derriere aimed right at Henry... and tail wagging.     A tail she's chosen to show him, by dropping the protection on her Tell.     What better way to fluster an honest man than reveal how he's been tricked a little? 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Suddenly, there is a sound. A different sound. This causes the Pokemon Nurse to blink a bit. This is honestly a little bit of a surprise. She half thought it wouldn't work.      "...Is there something under here?"      She puts her ear down to the floor, and taps onto it a bit. Huuuuuuuh.      Nurse Joy is, surprisingly, a bit more powerful than her relatives. She spends most of her spare time kayaking island to island, helping wild Pokemon out. She's actually pretty powerful! She keeps trying to slam, for a moment, before stopping.      She pulls out a Pokeball from a pocket on her apron. She lightly tosses it into the air, smiling.      "Go, Chansey!"      A roundish pink Pokemon appears, smiling happily. It speaks, rather cheerfully, "Chansey!" <Alright! Time to pull out the big muscles!>      "Chansey, use Double Edge!"      And Chansey, full force, slams itself into the ground of the church, where the noise was different. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley pauses to stare at the boat for a few moments. Her eyes remain affixed on it... and then she turns to follow the covers until-- she stops, and shuffles over to push the boxes out of the way. Brushing her fingers over the plaque, she stares down at the words. "Frans Hals..." she murmurs to herself, a sad frown on her face as she does.     She stands, and then lifts into the air, a few sparks of electrical energy dancing along her body. She lands as gracefully as a feather atop the building that the plaque was sitting nearby. Staring out in the three directions of the triangles, she thinks about what it might symbolize. She looks for buildings that might fit what the symbols on the plaque are, or perhaps just buildings set in the direct path of each of the objects.     In the absence of that, she looks for the lighthouse again, squinting off toward it, a soft frown on her face. "A quill, a globe, a telescope. A study, perhaps?" A moment. "Seat of power. Where is the seat of power...? A town hall?" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Joy's decision to just start PUMMELING a wall with a creature from nowhere gets Finna LEAPING back with a yelp. Who pulls HUGE PINK CREATURES out of tiny balls?     She takes a flying backwards somersault and lands like a cat atop a pew, in a crouch. "whatwhatwhatthe--!?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     And once Ainsley gets some input over the radio, she nods to herself, and floats away directly toward where the Town Hall is supposed to be. She hums a gentle English sea shanty to herself as she goes. She may be on a wild goose chase, looking for specific objects in that place, if there's not anything else immediately available to distract her. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight blinks. "KITT," he says. "Can you search for life forms in the church?" The car replies as Chansey makes its eponymous call. "Unknown life form detected." He pauses as the Pokémon does its somewhat destructive work. "It's not... threatening you, is it?" "Not... that I'm aware of. I'll, uh, I'll keep you posted." 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Henry continues to flail at Joy hitting things. However, Finna makes an argument for her view that the wards are proof that there's something important hidden here... And more importantly, flashes that smile. The view of those pearly whites causes Henry to redden and cough. "Well, Miss Snowdancer, maybe you might have a point..." And then he chokes as he sees the woman bound away with a tail. It takes him several seconds to begin recovering... The strange location appears to be a part ofthe floor behind the altar. Joy begins tapping, rummaging around, and then... The floor gets hit with Double-Edge! It's super effective! The floor cracks and breaks with a loud crash, revealing... Ducting and foundationwork. Henry looks aghast. "You... How could you do this to a House of God! All of you! Get-" And then there's a click, and something begins to slowly creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak open, as part of the marble portion of the altar swings open on unseen hinges. Henry is struck silent for the third time this pose. Michael gets to watch the proceedings with classic 80's Cool Guy aplomb. Within it are two golden objects: An object shaped like a bird's talon, and a small golden pyramid. Both are wrought with exquisite detail. Though they do not bear magic of their own, those who have the ability to sense it can tell that they seem to be able to act as a conduit... of some kind. But for what? And how? Ainsley ponders the meaning of the words of the plaque. What is the most important phrase in that plaque for her needs? If she's looking for the town hall, she passed it while she travelled down Main Street. For a moment, she can almost feel she hears a faint buzzing in the distance, but could that be getting drowned out by the draug and the hulk of rust and red seaweed that is the Lady Margaret? 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy, on the other hand, has absolutely no magical training. It's lucky that neither of these things are magical in and of themselves, because Joy picks up both of them, one in each hand, and considers them.      A talon and a pyramid?      "...Well. It could of been just paranoia about keeping this treasure out of other people's hands? But does anyone recognize these things?"      She holds them up for all to see. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna observes the chaos and ancient machinations unfold from her perch atop a pew. Blink blink. "..... victory?" She was going to cheer, but Henry's fury and the broken flooring sort of knocked the cheer out of her. There's no more wagging and her shoulders have drooped a little.     "..." her eyes follow the athletic nurse... and then she vaults over the rest of the pews, over Henry's head, and near the opening. "... hm... not at all. And I don't feel any power in them... but my senses for that aren't too good. But before that..." She taps Nurse Joy on the shoulder, then points over her own at henry. "You might want to a-po-lo-gize...." There is URGENCY in her voice.     She seems genuinely SPOOKED right now, in fact.     After all, if this happened in the Pantheon at Icehome, the entire Ennead would be FURIOUS and possibly even appear instantly... 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa takes a moment just stare at Nurse Joy, wait did she just? She kinds stares for a moment and looks at the Alter she looks at the response ot that. "Wait did you just defile the ..." She stares again something was hidden there. "There was something hidden there..." Given how this world is she half wonders if things are going to get biblical in a moment. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      With the comments of 'defile' and 'blasphomy', Nurse Joy blushes a little bit, before turning to Henry.      "I'm sorry, Father Henry. I just had a hunch... Plus we at least found /something/. Do you know what these two items are?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley's flight is interrupted. She pauses, landing on the edge of a rooftop. Her brow scrunches, as she realizes she's hearing a buzzing. Something odd. She turns to look for the buzzing, and tries to pinpoint it. Her eyes scan everywhere, her flight slowed down considerably. She starts by going back over toward the plaque to see if it gets louder in that direction.     She hopes that it's something worth finding, and not just a malfunctioning street lamp. That would be embarrassing, she thinks, as a mirthful smirk shows on her face. A smirt that forms as she silently floats over the heads of the undead, leaving only a faint distortion in the air behind her as she travels. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight ... isn't so keen on hanging around angry priests. It's almost sad, seeing father Henry so upset--like someone kicked a puppy! He shakes his head and quietly leaves, getting into the black Trans-Am outside. "What happened?" asks KITT. "A nurse used a taking egg to desecrate a church. That's what happened." "I.. see." Michael turns the ignition and pulls out, heading for the gas station. Might as well get something done today, anyway! 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Thankfully, there's no divine wrath triggered at the moment. Perhaps someone didn't have enough white mana. Henry finally finds his voice again as they look over the finds. "By God, there was something hidden here after all! Imagine the historical value in these artifacts! And the... other potential!" Henry looks over at the pair. "While I can't approve of your method of... locating these items, I can't argue with your results." He holds out a hand. "Thank you for restoring them to the light of day. I didn't even know about that compartment and I checked four times." He gestures. "The pyramid is a common part of Illuminati symbolism. It is both a metaphor for the process by which one gains enlightenment. It is a three-dimensional version of thr triangle, which is a powerful symbol in its own right. The bird's talon could be a reference to any number of legendary birds, from the Phoenix to eagles..." He trails off, but then he looks up. "You /are/ going to leave them here for safekeeping, correct?" Elsewhere, Ainsley drops off of the building behind some boxes near the boathouse where the plaque was, and suddenly the buzzing noise gets much, much louder... Michel Knight, meanwhile, drives up to the Sycoil Gas Station. There's zombies milling around the pumps and out front. He can see more zombies inside the building, Ominously undead. Knight's good friend KITT might have some things to say now that he's closer and can examine the camera system in more detail. He can see one of them up on the edge of the roof over the pumps, but where's the rest? 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley has some theories on how to locate the next piece in this obscure trail of cryptic Illuminati riddles. This is a thing that comes later. For now, she is assaulted in all of her senses by a horrific BUZZ and then her mind is filled with more words. She's prepared this time with a notebook that she pulls from her robes, flips open, and scribbles in with a clickable pen. Once she has the words down, she squints at them somewhat. "Dhows. Longboats. Very specific boats." She taps the pen against her cheek...     And then deposits her writing material again. She turns and begins to fly off toward where she saw the Town Hall at, hoping that maybe that's the place she should be going. After all, she can't think of anything that fits the riddle better. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy looks at father Henry, considering. Though they have began to get clues that he isn't as deeply entrenched in the Illuminati as he acts, and that in reality he is a bit more of a fanboy? Well, she still isn't one hundred percent certain whether or not that she should be /trusting/ him. So, she ponders, looking at both of the objects within her hand, considering. Should she really leave these with this person?      She ponders.      "...In my opinion, these probably would be safer in either the care of the Union or the Syndicate. So you're going to have to make a /really good point/ to me about leaving these things here. A /really/ good point. Like, while yes, you have minimal reason to trust me, seeing as I'm the woman who just came in, and started pounding on the floor and broke a hole in the church, well... I've got no reason to trust you, either. Cause you're suspicious."      She ponders some more. PONDER PONDER PONDER.      "So give me your case. If you can convince me I'll leave it. Otherwise... I shall use a special power to put your soul under trial."      She honestly doesn't have that power. She just assumes this is the kind of guy who would fall for /almost anything/. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Ainsley has seen the Town Hall. It was in fact just up the street she traveled down in order to locate the pier on Fletcher Bay, as well as the decrepit Lady Margaret. The doora are open. They apparently were not locked when everything happened here in Kingsmouth. The bottom floor is a gathering hall used for town meetings as well as general office work. Trash and folding chairs lie strewn across the floor, lit by pale flourescent lights. There are a series of paintings along the walls, possibly in an attempt to lend a more cultured atmosphere. Several pastoral works are seen, as well as one which features a rennaisance era explorer, surrounded by the trappings of his time: A globe, quill, and telescope. The place seem almost frozen in time, a feeling of abandonment and desertion runs deep in this place: Even the clock above the stairwell to the second floor seems frozen in time, stuck at 10:10. There are a couple cheap desk clocks lying amongst the trash, apparently this is one of those things that never gets fixed. Henry, meanwhile, frowns at the allegations. With all of the dignity he can muster, he replies, "I am suspicious? I am the legally ordained minister of this congregation, miss. I appreciate your work in finding these artifacts, and am willing to forgive the damage you did to the building in the process, but you have to understand that does not give you a claim to the objects. Do not attempt to behave like a common thief. These objects were placed here in Kingsmouth for a reason, and here they should stay. It is you who should be giving the case to me as to why I should allow your Union or Syndicate to take them from here." He pauses, then. "Can you actually do that? Put someone's soul on trial?" 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Joy just very casually smiles.      "Yes. I totally can put your soul on trial. If your heart is not one hundred percent pure, your entire body will burst into flames."      Once again, there is a reason this Joy isn't quite in the Union. She's a lot more willing to do things that are a bit morally grey for the good of everyone.      She tilts her head, smiling a bit. She is looking far too innocent and cheerful for her own good.      "So... Are you willing to go through that trial?" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' The sound of feathered wings beating against the air fills the church with echoes. What appears to be a falcon flies in through the doors and straight toward the priest, veering upward at the last possible moment before coming to rest nearby. "Tch. Of course you cannot trust him. He's a Christian priest," comes Inga's voice from the doorway, four dead zombies falling as they are zapped by the ward there. The woman moves in further, only her smile visible from the shadow of her cloaked hood. She holds a long staff in hand, carved with norse runes. She leans on it as she moves up the aisle, hissing slightly at the sight of the cross. She reaches to her belt to tough the iron knife as a symbol of warding. Her walks with a limp, her back a bit bent, two long white braids hang out the front of her cloak. The whole picture gives the impression of a wizened crone, though when the light finally hits her face this is far from the case. "What objects are we speaking of?" she asks Nurse Joy before looking back to the priest, reaching up to pull back the hood of her cloak. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "You're not doing our cause any gooooOOOooood!" Finna resists the urge to WHAP Nurse Joy over the head, but she does hop over. Her tail's wagging slowly but her ears are a little lowered. Still, her stance is tense and she's planted a hand on her hip.     "Henry! These things might be useful. We don't know yet. The rest of us are trying to stop the zombies and monsters! And maybe these hold clues."     She FROWNS at Nurse Joy. "come on! I'M the reckless and short-tempered one and even I know not to be this disrespectful in a god's temple!"     Okay so Finna has no idea about the DETAILS of this religion, but at least she has that much.     "Henryyyy.... what can you tell us about these things?" Is she giving him the puppy dog eye treatment? Yes, yes she is! 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is seeming more to side with the pastor than the Union operatives, ya past experiance has got Kotone to have certain views about the union's recuitment standards. She's not helping the damage Staren's done and she looks right at her. "I would suggest letitng us take them given you are a man of the cloth and not a someone trained for combat? There may be complications there are many enemies of the Illumantied ones and they are likely active here they may also be put to use to aid in solving this disaster." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight pulls up at the gas station. "All right, KITT. What do you see?" "A few hostiles around the station. The camera I detected is mounted on the roof." "Well, looks like that's where I need to be. I'm sure Sycoil won't miss its gadgets." Michael moves his hand to open the door, taking a brief survey of the station. Looks like if he sneaks around the back he might be able to scramble up the dumpster and... "Michael? If I may? Adjusting the pressure of the ejector seat to about six hundred pounds should land you comfortably atop the roof." "You sure?" "Positive." Michael turns a discretely sized knob, then opens the T-Top. "Okay, KITT. Let 'er rip." Whoosh. Michael lands gently on the roof. Now to get that little beauty... 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Henry looks taken aback at the premise of this Test of the Soul. "But... But all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..." He says, nervous. "I can't claim to be entirely sinless. No one can!" The interjection from Inga causes Henry to turn and look over at the person who made the claim, before he gapes for a moment, the very image of an wise woman just walking right into the center of a house of God, bold as brass. "Now see here! I have been trusted by the people of this town to provide guidance and care for them in any way I can. Just because you clearly want no part of it doesn't give you the right to say such things!" He looks back to Finna and Kotone, and relaxes slightly as they give their opinions on the subject. "Lord protect me. Today has been the strangest day... Okay, okay, we can find out more things. I have my laptop. All we need is a reliable connection to the Internet and maybe I can find something out? I was going to do this later anyway, but... If it helps, right?" Michael finds himself launched up to the roof of the gas station. The camera in question appears to be a cheap CCTV-style camera. The wiring on it shows that it was probably anchored there, but it doeesn't look like it's connected to anything. There's a small tag on it that says, 'Property of Kingsmouth Mining Museum'." At least the zombies don't seem interested in trying to ruin KITT's paint job, and they can't reach Michael up there... 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy, honestly, is trying to consider whether it would be best to just dash out of here with the artifacts. But honestly, from the view of the others, they are trusting this guy enough to not want to just get out of dodge. So she sighs.      "...Well. We could always have a vote, of where these artifacts should be kept. But for now... Well. Just do the internet search."      She walks over to Inga, holding up the two artifacts. Since Inga just arrived, Joy figures she should see what they are talking about. She's not sure whether to trust Inga entirely either, but seeing that she seems to be in on the investigation as well makes her less nervous about her.      Joy holds up the two artifacts. One shaped like the Illuminati Pyramid, the other shaped like a talon.      "These things. No clue what they are. ...Though for some reason I doubt we'll find info about them on the internet."      She glances at Henry.      As if info on ancient artifacts would be online. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "I'd say it would be more use to look for legends and stories about the island sir, it would be the most useful." She knows there's a lot of bad blood for Inga there. She's from a time a very darker time in some ways for the world. Will fully admit the things that were done back that at least she was aware of. Things get lost in history after all, she knows that much. "Anything that remotely sounds like the monsters or even what's happened, there may be tales of such and it would be great use as I said." She's trying to drive the yes you can help just let use handle the worst things. "I think we can all agree on is we want this nightmare to be ended, right?" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga raises a brow. "Guidance and care? Tch, leading people away from the gods for your lily hearted Christ," she comments. "The wards on the door and outside--you didn't make them I assume? They are fairly well done," she states, somewhat grudgingly it would seem. Is that a compliment or an insult? Probably the second. The internet. This has been explained to her, but she still doesn't /quite/ grasp it. Something like all the knowledge of man--but certainly not /all/ the kowledge. There must still be secrets in the world. Inga leans her staff against a nearby pew to reach for the two artifacts. She holds them in her hands for a moment, closing her eyes. Her lips to utter a prayer or incantation. For several moment she is quiet--the bird that flew in before her sits watching, silent and still. "I see a door in darkness, indentations...." she says quietly. Here eyes open, and she holds they objects out once more to be taken by whoever cares to take them. "They are keys," she announces with confidence. "Here, Brisingamen," she then calls, and the falcon swoops down to rest on her shoulder, talons tightly gripping the wool of her cloak. She smiles and reaches into a pouch to pull out a scrap of meat she offers to the bird of prey, who snaps it up and swallows it down. Inga looks toward Kotone, smiling softly and nodding to here. "Certainly do, this place needs a great deal of attention before it is made right again." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "You do not just take things from a TEMPLE." Finna blurts angrily at Nurse Joy. "Seriously, what did they teach you when you were younger...?" Finna seems glad to have Kotone coming in as backup, but INga's presence gets her staring. "... Take a seat and rest a bit. You're not in any shape to be out and about!" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley lands before the Town Hall. She does not like how ominous this town looks no matter what building she is looking at, thanks to that fog that blots out the sunlight and makes everything gloomy and evil-looking. She scowls at it particularly strongly, mostly because the Buzzing gives her a headache every time and she really wished that the Bees would find a better way to tell her something than beaming it directly into her skull.     Alas, she steps inside the Town Hall. Her brows lift in vague interest, ruffling the tiny feathers found there. She walks around the empty room and lazily kicks at one of the folding chairs left on the floor. She looks at the paintings one at a time, knowing the usual pretentiousness of puzzle crafters in that they love expensive objects. And so she's right, much to her surprise, when she finds one with all the thematic elements that she's looking for.     She pulls the painting of the Renaissance man off the wall, and turns it over, discovering a phrase on the back. She sounds it out to herself:     "Time is the province of Kings and Gods. The hands of time point to truths written by kings in the words of God. The path is open to the enlightened."     She blinks once, slowly, and puts the painting back. Then she steps over to look up at the clock up above the door to the stairwell. She froooowns at it for a while and thinks to herself. "A bible passage. Oh hoh," she smiles, pleased that she's getting this so quickly. She was always so rusty with old religious texts, so she starts to root around for a bible for her to reference. She would go upstairs. "Something about gold," she murmurs to herself, "And... King Solomon. Curious..." She shakes her head, amused by the naming conventions of the Illuminati.     She pauses. "Sleeping Priest and Fletcher. King Solomon." She imagines the map in her head as she climbs the stairs, looking for anything else that might temporarily divert her. Mostly she's just looking for a copy of a christian bible so she can get the exact passage, or anything else that she might be able to get a look at. She's not in a rush right now. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Joy looks at Finna, "In my defense, this entire temple is sketchy. While the priest is pretty trustworthy, if these are keys, they're like. Entirely useless inside the walls of the church itself. Besides, at a guess... The church was probably originally made to protect those who built it from this plague. They probably knew it was coming, /somehow/, and so built it to protect themselves. And then its use got forgotten in the years."      "Besides, like. Once we've used these items to open up whatever door, we can return them to the priest, right?" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga looks toward Finna, stunned. She blinks several times, them wrinkles her nose. "What do you mean I am not in any shape to be out and about!? I am in the same shape as I always am!" she protests, confused. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight crawls over to the camera. "Mining museum, huh?" Maybe there are more cameras there. These small towns are really good at picking one thing to be really proud of. Then again, those mountains in the distance might lend some credence to those claims. "Man, I wouldn't mind taking some of those mountain roads for a spin," he says quietly as he snags the camera. "Hey, KITT, catch." Michael drops it down, and the car accelerates. The camera lands gently in the passenger seat. "Care to take a shortcut again, Michael?" "You better not drop me, pal." "I wouldn't dream of it. Of course, you can always take your chances sneaking back down... pal." Michael sighs. One, two.. three. Thankfully, KITT's laser restraint system prevents any unsightly landing. The T-top closes quietly overhead, and Michael sighs, hands on the steering wheel. "Pull up a map, KITT. Let's see where this mining museum is..." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "...uhhh..." Suddenly with Inga turned on her, Finna blinks a few times. ".. Hrmngh.... this awful town's getting to me. For a moment I thought you looked injured, leaning on the staff so much..." Mutter. Fina shrugs, smiling. A bit of an apology, huh?     "I'm not sure what this internet is, but if it's like the radio you're probably better off finding a book or scroll! ... The fog messes up messenger devices..." Well that's a weird way of putting it. "... Doesn't it?" Now she's looking at Kotone for verification! 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Ainsley begins deciphering the hints of ages past, laid down in various hidden places in the city. God help someone who stumbles into one of these things in the /middle/. Ainsley begins investigating the second floor, where the actual work seems to get done. There is a common room area with a couple vending machines, but Ainsley's book-tuned senses notice something amiss with the piles of papers strewn among the floor in the connecting hall. To the left and right are fairly large filing room areas, but it looks like someone's been rifling through the cabinets. Each drawer seems to be dedicated to 3 months of various newspaper clippings and other paperwork, but a good amount of it is lying in a jumble all over the place. The room beyond appears to be where they Mayor and whatever assistants he has do their job. There is a nice sitting area with leather couches to one side, while two small office areas hold computers. The one by itself conveniently happens to hold a copy of the King James Bible, sitting there on the desk under a large, slightly gaudy key to the city. A folded map of Kingstown is easily procured from the filing room as well, allowing Ainsley to begin formulating her next step. Meanwhile, things continue to be complicated back at the church. Henry folds his arms as Nurse Joy rolls to disbelive his claim of being able to research the objects on the Internet. "I'd like to look into these things for you, but as I said, my connection is poor ever since the fog rolled in. I'm going to need a stable connection if I am going to find anything for you in any reasonable time frame." Inga continues to talk religious smack. "Look, I don't cast stones at whatever gods you care to worship, can you at least do me the same favor?" Henry notes with some frustration. "This is a very trying day. And no, I didn't make them. I have some idea on the theory, but I don't have any capability to make new ones. Otherwise I would have probably set them up all over town. Maybe make /more/ safe places for people." He shrugs, emitting a frustrated sigh. "All right, fine, they're keys. I don't know what magical seer powers you might have that told you that. But a key is useless if you don't know where the lock is." Henry shrugs. "I would love to see whatever might require objects of import like this to access. However, if they /are/ keys, once they are used they probably won't be needed again, I am sure. Then they can rest where they belong." The way he speaks, he clearly means 'here'. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is going to keep with the group for a moment, "I can come back later and see what I can do about your connection but I had the same trouble with it." She ist just kinda hanging back now. It seems speech checks have worked and she's just going to fall in with the others for the moment. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' KITT pulls up a map. The mining museum isn't far at all. It is, in fact, just across the street from the gas station. Whoops. Mind the zombies. The museum itself is open, much like the Town Hall. The main area is dominated by a mock warning sign with some rocks piled up and a large number of tourist-kitch signs proclaiming that one should visit the Blue Ridge Mines of Kingsmouth. The area is deserted but oddly clean. Perhaps this place is being kept up... or no one's come for some time. Regardless, the stairs to the second floor inside are choked with furniture. It'd probably take Michael some time to clear them out. Or there seems to be a basement access on the first floor that might also store things like this. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga blinks again, then slowly reaches up to place a hand over her face, rubbing her own temples. "I am not injured--the limp is permanent. The staff helps me walk. I have been this way since birth," she explains. By the gods, did she only just realize she's crippled? Inga turns back to the priest, frowning. "You don't? The Christians brutally murdered the people trying to observe their native religion, forcing them to convert or die. That's throwing stones," she comments, chin rising . Ah, but a thousand or so years have passed, haven't they? Inga sighs. These sorts of things are not so easily forgotten for someone who just lived them. "What kind of seer powers? /Seer powers/. Granted visions from the gods," she replies. Inga waves a hand then, done with this. "I will go find Ainsley. We should all get together to discuess the next step and she says she has a lead," Inga says, then begins walking out of the church. She'd best get a head start anyway. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy sighs, and just takes a seat in the pews. There isn't a /lot/ for her to do, right now. After all, they're all going to meet up back here, and they're working on the /slowest internet ever/.      "...Would it be faster if we just went /somewhere else/ that has internet? Like. Hard wired internet? There has to be someplace nearby with decent internet..." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael scratches his head. "Well... at least it was nearby, huh?" He takes a look around inside, the corny exhibits eliciting a chuckle here and there. Yep. Looks like any small town tourist trap, but hey, he can't fault these guys. Sales pitches notwithstanding, some of the tidbits are pretty interesting. "Alright, KITT. I'm gonna head downstairs," says the loner into his watch. "Let me know if you spot anything out of the ordinary... for this place." Cough. "Of course, Michael. I expect you'll do the same?" "Yeah," he says, already on his way down the stairs. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     The pieces are beginning to fall together for Ainsley. The bible verse doesn't make a whole lot of sense so whatever it means in relation to where she should be looking is beyond her ken. She finds a place to sit in a comfortable chair, using a table to examine the unfolded map. She spends some time examining the papers strewn about everywhere, but if she doesn't find any rhyme or reason to them she doesn't spend much time trying to put them together. The hardly-known polyglot doesn't exercise her puzzle-solving skills here, instead deciding to go downstairs again, with the bible stuffed away in her pocket.     And then she takes to the air, and flies northward, following the roads and trying to avoid the zombies along the way. She saw a suspicious formation of rock, and she's going to see if that is, in fact, where she needs to go. Whatever she figured out, it makes sense for her to go there. She slows a bit to pretend to hop from tree to tree, using her flight to amuse herself along the way.     She keeps her eyes and ears peeled for anything weird, though. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Actually Nurse Joy changes her plan.      While Henry is on the computer, she's going to follow Inga's advice, and follow her to Ainsley's location. She's okay dealing with undead, after all.      Also the two items are on her and she's trying to get out of there as /stealthily as possible/ while Henry is fighting the internet.      And hopefully no one else notices. Inga told her to bring the keys, after all. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is just going to not add fuel to the fire, she sighs a bit and keeps with the group, she's got the idea they should get the keys to Ainsley and does think it's a good idea. She may have to talk to Staren later about getting Father a beter rig then again with the connection issues here It's a nightmare. She's just going to keep with the group for now and head out with them. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Henry raises a hand to try to refute Inga's words, but then Inga leaves. The priest just slumps, his posture showing that this is clearly wearing on him. He slumps into a pew and gestures as Nurse Joy suggests a landline of some kind. "Maybe that would work, but my house is surrounded by zombies. Or maybe there's zombies /inside/. I can't go back there." Maybe someone else has some ideas. Ainsley, meanwhile, takes flight. No one is really around to look up and marvel at the Quetzal's flight. Zombies aren't really of the demeanor to enjoy it, and the hippies in the Morninglight Camp have other things to look at than the foggy, bleak sky. She lands near the strange rock formation on the map, landing nearby the tunnel through the Blue Ridge mountain range. Things are quiet here, but the abandoned cars and blood stains on the pavement and rocks tell a different story. Nevertheless, it only takes a cursory examination of the rocky area to locate a smaller, /different/ tunnel tucked into the mountains. A short distance inside leads to a steel security door and... a digital keypad, one of the types that expect you to enter a PIN of some kind. Odd. Who'd run power all the way out here? Meanwhile, Nurse Joy has a bit of a hike. There's no tall grass involved, but lots, and lots of zombies. Chansey can deal with them just fine, however. Henry is despondently trying to get his wi-fi to work in the meantime, poking at his computer. He hasn't seemed to have noticed Nurse Joy bailed on them while he wasn't looking. Maybe he's just that tired. Michael, meanwhile, enters the basement. KITT sends him some urgent information when he gets down there. The halls are dingy and somewhat bleak. Something is... off, down here. It's in the air. In the distance, Kichael can see a man standing at the corner before it turns away, but there's something off about him. There is a low, muttered noise, and suddenly the man turns away and quickly stumbles out of sight. Something seems very, very odd about what's going on down here. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      It's a fair bit of a hike.      Which is why Nurse Joy is going to run it.      Being one of the /most/ physically fit Nurse Joys, who spends most of her days physically active to an insane level, her running speed is fairly decent. Plus, since she is regularly lifting heavy things, its no problem for her to just pick up Inga, and set her on her shoulders.      And then Nurse Joy /books it/ to where Ainsley is supposed to be. Chansey is actually keeping up a fairly decent pace as well, being similarly physically fit to Joy.      Though Chansey has decided to use Rollout instead, to make plowing through the hordes of zombies significantly easier.      This is very silly. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Michael, please be careful. My sensors have picked up a large amount of plastic explosives in the basement. They're wired to infrared lasers." "Great. Got any more good news for me?" "Actually, yes. There is, in fact, a spare camera... not counting the numerous active ones just around the corner." "Uh huh. I think I just saw the guy who set it up... good grief, this place gives me the creeps." Michael rounds the corner and sees a familiar sight. "All right, buddy," he mutters under his breath. "Let's see how you handle a Green Beret." He puts his counter-intelligence training to use, nimbly, patiently navigating the laser detectors. Once in a safe place to stand, he pauses to consult the locals on his radio. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga holds onto Nurse Joy, tucking her staff into the back of her belt so that her hands can be free to hold on. This is totally not dignified. The falcon takes wing and flies on its way, obviously moving much quicker. Seems Inga may have acquired a familiar! 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Considering the sheer headache that would come from trying to unlock the door by trying every permutation of weight measurement found in the actual verse, Ainsley instead chooses to do something else when she finds the steel door. She gives the others a heads-up over the radio, and steps over to the door to splay her fingers on it. She can feel the electricity in the structure, so she knows it's still active. /This/ is an Illuminati structure, she decides.     She reaches to input four numbers into the keypad. 1 0 1 0     "It /looks/ like a vault," she murmurs to herself, probably her reasoning for using those numbers. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' The zombies prove to be little threat to the pink egg-bearing Pokemon. These are not the ones you have to worry about. These are the kind who die to normal gunfire or whatever. They're much like the classic movie zombie everyone is familiar with. But there are others... Those are elsewhere. They'll catch up with Ainsley in short order. Ainsley, meanwhile, tries a number sequence. There is a buzz, and the number input clears. It looks like it was not expecting 1010. But what number might it be considering what she's found so far? Michael turns the corner and is confronted with a number of cheap infrared laser beam detectors. These are more intended to scare people off than actually catch someone unawares, as the light beam is visible. And the devices are cheap. It might take some acrobatics, but Michael can vault over the beams with little trouble. The problem is that the man withdraws again. "Stay away... StaY AWaY..." He says, his voice warbling in a strange, unsteady manner as he suddenly mutters, pulling away. "You shoulD GO AWAY... I am not fEElIng veRY STAble RiGHT nOW..." More lasers flicker on as he pulls back farther, cutting Michael off from following directly. He can see that the box that the custodian huddles next to, however, is clearly labeled CAMERA EQUIPMENT. Huh. Well, everything in one place. Convenient. The problem is he needs to take a detour now, through a mazelike storage area of shelving. Motion detecting cameras sweep the area, the pale lights splashing onto the floor and giving more warning to potential intruders. But they are slow and poorly placed, leaving large gaps in their detection patterns. Maybe he can find a way through there. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is saving her ammo for the moment as Joy's pokemon are quite poiwerful thankfully and seem to have more ammo as it were than she does. She's going to keep with Inga and Nurse joy she's also running at a very much non normal speed ot keep up with them. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Joy just keeps running, leaping over fallen logs, rocks, whatever else is in the way. She's barely even breaking a sweat.      Yeah, she's one of the odd ones in her family. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Just clings on. She can't believe she's doing this. "Are we..there...yet?" she asks. Maybe she should walk from here... this woman moves like a horse! More awkward to sit on however, in many ways. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight sighs--he's followed the squirrely little guy as advised by the others, but it's just ended up putting more lasers in his face. Not stable? "I can see that," he responds. 'Stable' people don't barricade themselves in basements full of C4 and security cameras. So, this guy wants to do it the hard way, huh. That's fine. Michael makes a detour, standing for a moment in the hallway. Out of curiosity, he sticks a single boot in the field of vision of the camera. BEEP. BEEP. Okay, that's not a good noise. He quickly steps out of the camera's line of sight, then watches it, waiting for it to reset. This kind of stuff is his bread and butter. Running a hand through his perm, it comes to him with a quiet chuckle that it's /really/ a shame no one can see him doing this! Well... no one mentally stable, anyways. The cameras, slow and clunky as they are, offer Michael only as much challenge as his occasional misstep affords them. His path through the various side rooms is careful, quick, and for the most part graceful, though there are a few close calls, which only serve to annoy him--that beeping is damned insistent, and he's not /overly/ fond of the way the lights turn yellow upon spotting him. Luckily, there are plenty of obstacles around to fool the cameras--old paintings, forklifts, drums probably scavenged from the mine only to languish in the darkness down here. Once through the budget gauntlet the paranoid man has set up, Michael is in no mood for games. He unholsters his M1911 and assumes a trained, military stance. "Okay, buddy. Face the wall. On your knees, hands behind your head." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     The lizard girl lets out a soft sigh, almost of relief. Like she's happy the challenge is increasing! Not that it was easy before, just that she enjoys running into a roadblock every now and then. The intellectual Ainsley considers the keypad for a few minutes longer.     And then she reaches to gently touch the keys in the next sequence that comes to mind, pressing them with a thoughtful, languid pa     ccyan">1 5 8 0 1 6 6 6     Then she straightens her posture and waits for confirmation or denial on whether it worked. One hand rests on her hip as she takes a rare (for her) feminine, relaxed posture while she looks at it, her tail twitching behind her with a lazy energy. 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Ainsley continues to try numbers. Unfortunately, the date combination does not seem to be what it wants either. It emits another buzz. Joy, Inga, and the others should probably be approaching any time now. But what possible number could they want? What Illuminatidickery is this? Meanwhile, Michael easily navigates the boobytraps and corners the man. He cringes there, and this close Michael can see that the man is stained with something. Something pitch black, soaked into him like oil, or worse. "EveryTHIng is kiND Of DaNGeRous arouND HEre..." It covers his hands and head, his head and shoulder misshapen as grasping tendrils of... something. He looks up, the eyes burning with some unnatural light, with black where the whites should be, and a white hole where the pupils should be, a terrible thing shining through. With a barrage of uninterrupted shrieks and misplaced syllables, he hurls himself at Michael, attempting to tear at him with his hands. "YeSIPaidThatLaSTTHUrsDayComeOnwhydOYOUlOOKatMELIKETHATgivemeTHELAtteWithEXTRAYESLIKEthatONLYdontKILLmeWeLCOMeToDIE" 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      As they get close to the tunnel, Nurse Joy makes a small leap, and a slide to a stop, skidding her feet along the ground, her knees bending to brace for impact. It is only at this point that she reaches up, and casually sets Inga back upon the ground. Chansey gets back, and rights herself up, smiling and casually wiping the dirt/zombie guts off of herself.      She proceeds inside, and looks at Ainsley messing with a door and a keycode. And Joy ponders this situation.      "...Is there a reason we aren't just busting the door down?" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Upon arrival, Inga is finally set down. She spends a bit of time rearranging her dress, straightening her cloak, then pulling out her staff again. "You have not yet found the correct way to open it? Perhaps I should try to divine the answer?" she asks, reaching for her pouch of runes. Inga looks to Nurse Joy, blinking. "It is made of iron..." she says. Then again Nurse joy just carried at least 100lbs of viking witch at a running speed for probably a mile... 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The janitor's screams come while Michael's still asking about the weird... tentacle things. "Sir? ...Sir!" Michael can't count on stopping power. That comes from fragmentation, and his pistol rounds aren't going to travel fast enough to fragment. However, he can easily capitalize on the feral way in which his opponent charges him. Something tells him skin contact is a no-no. He jukes left, allowing the charging, filth-infected man to rush past him. Not leaving anything to chance, Michael fires a round into the man's kneecap from behind, then unloads into his back. It's not what his military training tells him to do, nor his police training--but neither of those jobs pitted him against beings corrupted by cosmic entropy. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley is perfectly content with her companions until Nurse Joy shows up and just asks why they aren't trying to bust the door down. The lizard girl turns to look at her with something resembling intense consternation. Hard to really read lizard features, perhaps, though Nurse Joy may have experience with that with some pokemon species.     "Because I would rather not break things that do not belong to me, on the notion that we are somehow more important than the reason they put the door up. There's also security measures and other unknowns. We don't know if the whole facility won't explode or burst into flames the moment a security breach is detected. Secret societies are /super paranoid/." She makes an animated motion with her hands at Joy to emphasize how serious she is.     Then she turns, frowns at the keypad as if it's insulting her by proxy, and then punches in only three numbers. 1 2 0 "And she gave the king 120 talents of gold," she murmurs to herself, to remember the verse she's familiar with. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa follows Joy mucvh like she does she jumps, landing with a crunch as she hits the ground leaving the ground slightly cracked in her wake. She comes upon Ainsley with the others and humms thinks for a moment as Ainsley brings up a passage from the bible she nods. "That might be a very good idea." 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Michael reacts fast. The thing looks dangerous, but it seems like he is not immune to BULLETS. The first one blows out his kneecap, staggering him. Black material leaks out, starting to mass around the joint impossibly as he starts getting back to his feet... But Knight is not letting up. Several more bullets punch into the man and his incoherent ranting is punctuated by a gurgle. He reaches up to his head, the black material seemingly drawing into him. "IsAWtheMtheothERDayTheywErEPlayingJuSTFineWhyDOYOUaSKTheREISNoCREAMleFTtHEendISHERENoPurCHASeNeCeSSARYISeeYoUOutTherEWhyDOeSItHUrTThEIsNoEsCAPInGThEEndOfDAYS-" And then there is a detonation as the black material tears out of his body in an explosion, coating the immediate ground around him in the black nastiness before it begins to evaporate. If he's not fast he might get a bunch of it in the face. But hey, at least he has cameras, right? Meanwhile, Ainsley puts in a final number. This time, the keypad beeps, and there is the KER-CHUNK of a lock opening on the metal door. Inside is a short stairway down into a dimly-lit room. Ainsley can feel a change in the air. Moisture seals. The reason why becomes obvious as they turn a corner and are confronted with shelves and shelves of books. In the back of the room is a computer, humming with power. Once poked, the computer comes to life at a login prompt. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Joy, for her part, is just going to start reading through random books, curiously. She's not sure about toying with the computer. Someone else can do that. She's just curious about the books. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa eyes almot seem to light up as she sees the computer she now knows this andf pauses for a moment as sh reaches to the back of her neck and pulls at something a cable comes out, and she holds on to it, she reaches into a pocket and pulls out an adptor. "Let's see what I can do here shall we?" She's going to look for a jack that sne can plug her own into, she as plug on the end that has a USB adaptort for this time period it's slow but it will do, right? 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley steps down into the Illuminati bunker. They are not immediately beset by the undead or draugr or whatever other horrible beasty is making itself home here on the island, so she goes into the dark room. She steps up to the computer, grabbing the nearby swivel chair and sitting on it -- wincing and then adjusting her tail so she's seated a little more comfortably. She taps a key on the screen once, and furrows her brow. Then, with the mild neutrality of a typist, she types 'hint' and receives the password hint.     She chuckles to herself, and inputs three words of latin for the password.     LUX OMNIA VINCIT     "Light conquers all." She hits enter, crosses her arms and waits for it to load the next screen, her brows lifted. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga steps back a moment as the door opens. Her falcon has moved off into the forest, but Inga seems unconcerned. She moves in with the others, Joy going to the books while Kotone makes for the computer. Inga looks around for anything else--like something she can actually understand. If she finds nothing of interest, she sits and takes out her runes, casting the carved bones to see what they tell her. "Hm...interesting...the dreams of ravens..." she says to herself. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Oh, no. "Michael, unknown energy build--" Knight kicks the janitor in the ribs and dashes past him. He can practically feel the... unclean-ness trying to get him in one last, spiteful grasp as he makes a desperate dive. Landing against the opposite wall, he slumps to the floor, patting himself down to make sure there's none of that stuff on him. Doesn't look like it, but he schedules an appointment with himself and a shower in the very near future. "Michael, are you all right?" "I'm fine, KITT. But I want you to run a medical analysis once I get back, just to be sure--and then you and I both are gonna pay Inga a visit. Just to be /extra/ sure." "There are significant fluctuations in your voice--fluctuations congruent with stress." "I'll talk about it later, just... warm your engines up." "Will do." Michael looks around--that guy set up this whole place... is there perhaps a switch to turn all of these Dollar Store booby traps off? 

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:''' Kotone sets to work on the computer, trying to do her thing. She works on getting access, but the problem is the root password. Maybe she can brute force it but that might take some time... But Ainsley happens to already know the answer. LUX OMNIA VINCIT is entered, and root access is tranted. Kotone begins immediately working her way through the computer systems. She quickly finds a set of records on the computer, but they are small and fragmentary. It looks like the system is meant to call back to a central server somewhere but the lack of Internet connectivity seems to affect even this area. There is, however, a command entry to 'open secure archive'. When triggered, one of the bookcases swings open,, revaling... Two more golden objects, mounted to the wall. One of them is an ornate circular All-Seeing Eye insignia, while the other is what looks like some kind of a multifaceted obelisk of some kind. They bear all the marks of being similar in nature to the two other artifacts that they found already. But the question remains... If they are keys... Where is the door? Meanwhile, Michael gets a box of CCTV equipment. Enough to set up a nice size surveillance area around wherever he'd like. There's a switch on the wall that turns all the traps off, allowing him to leave as he likes. No problem, right? QUEST COMPLETE: KINGSMOUTH CODE QUEST COMPLETE: HORROR SHOW 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa is going to go after this password there's no fear of it being able to hurt her however Ainsley is one step ahead of her. She does so getting the whole thing open and she pauses for a moment to copy what files are left 0on the machine it may be useful for later. She takes a moment then jacks out her eyes becoming focused again. 

:'''{{#var:553|Nurse Joy (553)}} has posed:'''      Nurse Joy loots the two other artifacts, for reference.      She's gonna put them into the possession of the Syndicate in general. Next time someone in the Syndicate, be it her or someone else, can bring them. Or lend it to those who respond otherwise.      This is unless someone stops her of course. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight gets the CCTV cameras outside and into KITT without much difficulty. As discussed on the radio, he and KITT head to the fire station and wait there. Now that his nerves have cooled down, he doesn't /feel/ so dirty, but it never hurts to be safe. 

}}

Template:NPC

2014-09-05T19:07:12Z

Jazzenstein: Undo revision 5179 by Jazzenstein (talk)

__NOCACHE__
{| class="toccolours" style="width: 375px; float: right; margin-left:10px; margin-right:1px; margin-bottom:10px; text-align: left" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''{{{NameOnMUSH}}}'''
|-
! colspan="4" align="center" | <img src="{{{Img}}}" width="350">
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Quote'''
|-
! colspan="4" align="center" | {{{Quote}}}
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Profile'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | {{{FullName}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | {{{Gender}}}
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! style="text-align:left" | Theme:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | (NPC) [[{{{Theme}}}]]
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! style="text-align:left" | Function:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | {{{Function}}}
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Factional Information'''
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! style="text-align:left" | Faction:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | [[{{{Faction}}}]]
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! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Other Information'''
|-
! style="width: 80px; text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Physical Age:
! style="width: 107px; text-align:left; border-right:1px solid; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{PAge}}}
! style="width: 80px; text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Actual Age:
! style="width: 107px; text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{AAge}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Still Aging?
! style="text-align:left; border-right:1px solid; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Aging}}}
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Voice Actor:
! style="text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Voice|}}}
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! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Height:
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! style="text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Weight}}}
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! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Hair Color:
! style="text-align:left; border-right:1px solid; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Hair}}}
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Eye Color:
! style="text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Eyes}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Theme Song:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Song|}}}
|}
==Spoofing Rights==
{{{Spoof}}}
==Profile==
{{{Profile}}}

[[Category:Characters]] [[Category:NPCs]]

Template:NPC

2014-09-05T19:06:20Z

Jazzenstein: /* Spoofing Rights */

__NOCACHE__
{| class="toccolours" style="width: 375px; float: right; margin-left:10px; margin-right:1px; margin-bottom:10px; text-align: left" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''{{{NameOnMUSH}}}'''
|-
! colspan="4" align="center" | <img src="{{{Img}}}" width="350">
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Quote'''
|-
! colspan="4" align="center" | {{{Quote}}}
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Profile'''
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! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | {{{FullName}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
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! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | {{{Function}}}
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! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Factional Information'''
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! style="text-align:left" | Faction:
! colspan="3" style="font-weight:normal;" | [[{{{Faction}}}]]
|-
! style="background:{{{Color|#0099FF}}}; border: 1px ridge; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Other Information'''
|-
! style="width: 80px; text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Physical Age:
! style="width: 107px; text-align:left; border-right:1px solid; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{PAge}}}
! style="width: 80px; text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Actual Age:
! style="width: 107px; text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{AAge}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Still Aging?
! style="text-align:left; border-right:1px solid; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Aging}}}
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Voice Actor:
! style="text-align:left; font-weight:normal; font-size:80%;" | {{{Voice|}}}
|-
! style="text-align:left; font-size:80%;" | Height:
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==Spoofing Rights==
[[Michael Knight]]

==Profile==
{{{Profile}}}

[[Category:Characters]] [[Category:NPCs]]

540/Clash of the Egos

2014-09-05T05:57:24Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/09/05 |Location=Njorun Station - Ring of Philosophy |Synopsis=A race fueled by rival egos has an ignominious end. |Thanks=Special mention to Z..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/05
|Location=Njorun Station - Ring of Philosophy
|Synopsis=A race fueled by rival egos has an ignominious end.
|Thanks=Special mention to Ziggy Grover, who volunteered to commentate and did a fantastic job of it!
|Cast of Characters=492, 535, 543
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The Ring is in rare form today, expanded past its apparent exterior appearance. People from all over the multiverse have gathered in the bleachers of the ampitheater, which today has become a racetrack rather than an arena. Movable barriers have been set up in the center of the ampitheater to facilitate this, with a goodly amount clever failsafes placed between them--anything which can slow down either of the two contestants today would have to be pretty spiffy! This makeshift median also has the effect of turning the circle into more of an oval, the length of one lap being just over two miles. Vendors make the rounds with all manner of junk food from hot dogs to popcorn to delicacies which appear to still be alive, all shouting over one another for the chance to foist their likely overpriced wares on unwitting or uncaring spectators. Pit teams see to the every need of the contestants before the race starts. Michael Knight looks unusually professional in his racing jumpsuit, and unlikely as it is that anything could ever contain that sublime perm, he does in fact carry a helmet in hand. "You ready, buddy?" he asks his mechanical companion. The energy in the air is almost palpable as a wheeled-in loudspeaker begins cranking out anthem rock. "I was manufactured ready, Michael." Knight chuckles, puts his helmet on, and gets climbs into KITT. The two of them take their position at the starting line, waiting with bated breath (at least, on Michael's part) for the arrival of Blurr. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Ah, the spectators, the vendors with their overpriced souvenirs and other propaganda, the shouting fans, everything--it was almost just like Ibex all over again. Almost...     Not quite, because at least at Ibex, Blurr had some -real- competition. But since the human-designed AI insisted upon testing his mettle against an alien sensation, the former racer has decided to indulge him. Seriously KITT would have to pull something really, really, tricky in order to win this one. There's a chance he will...so maybe this'll be 'sort of' an interesting race.     Blurr pulls up to the starting line, taking in the crowds. "Wow, you really advertised this well, didn't you? Excited to show off how great a loser you are, huh?" he says with a chuckle. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' Tapping the announcer microphone, Ziggy Grover is settling into the role of trying play by play on a race. That there was a bit of loud static screeching noise? Totally Ziggy's fault, for being a klutz. Grabbing the mike, Ziggy ahems. "Hello out there, Unionites, and to whoever else may be listening in! It's a beautiful day out here at the Ring. I'm Ziggy Grover, and today we're bringing you, sponsored by Knight Industries and Velocitron, the finest in racing... an exhibition race between two of the Union's Finest!" A camera shifts to the Dramatic Picture of Michael Knight walking to KITT... "In black, driven by Michael Knight, of the very prestigious Knight Industries... K.I.T.T!" Cut to a blue carr. "And in sky blue, hailing from Cybertron... the Autobot, BLURR!" "It's a clear day here at the Ring. For the millions..." Switching voice tones: "And millions!" ... "of viewers out there, we welcome you all! The rules for this race is simple... three laps, and no... contact?" Pause, as Ziggy looks over to someone. "Why is there no contact? ... oh. I guess we wouldn't want -accidents-... Okay. ANYWAY... the cars are lining up at the line..." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' KITT scoffs. "Talk is cheap, Blurr." Without any help from Michael's foot, the car's turbine engine... well, revs. His red eye scans his surroundings, warbling softly as it sweeps from side to side. "I came here to race." Michael shakes his head. "You sure you want me in here, KITT? Every little bit counts." "You have been putting away those Whataburgers lately... but I'm confident it won't make a difference." "Gee, thanks." A few tense moments pass as Ziggy commentates, Michael slipping his helmet on and flipping the visor down, then fastening it. His gloved hands grip KITT's steering wheel tightly as he waits for the go-ahead. As if on cue, a hovering light appears over both racers, in plain view of both. Red... yellow, yellow, yellow... GREEN. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     "Mike has a point, KITT." Blurr replies. "I mean you're already at a disadvantage, given the fact that you were built by humans, and you have to deal with a lot more friction than I do." You can just hear the grin in his voice.     Aaand the light turns green. The Cybertronian zooms off down the first stretch of track, not quite hitting top speed just yet--he'll be saving that for when he needs it most. Will KITT be far behind? 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "For those of you who've just tuned in," Ziggy continues, "the course is a complicated one." A computer graphics overlay pops up, outlining the course. "It derives a great deal from... uh, Motorball." One can almost sense Ziggy mouthing Motorball? at someone, before looking at the course. "We're looking at a course where one wrong turns results into a fall into ditches lined with lead spikes. It's made all the more complicated by a loop-the-loop, concrete walls at turns, and... wow. Don't they have any -safety- protocols...? Oh, they do...? Just don't crash...? No wonder you have no-contact rules. And they have to have enough speed to take the loop-the-loop -after- those turns... are you KIDDING ME? That's what, a deathrace?!" A moment's pause. "Ahem. The robot's racing the flag, and they're off! Blurr takes the turn like a champ, while KITT seems to be feeling his way through the course. Hopefully they're prepared for this! But first, a word from our sponsors, and then we're back to the deathrace..." Happy upbeat music plays, as little fighting robots zips around shooting at each other with flashy beams, in cute little maid outfits or summer dresses. Little pink hearts fly everywhere. "GENKI SHINKI AVAILABLE NOW! At Tokyo City Shopping Center, or your closest Shinki Shop!" "And now back to your deathrace... oh, I'm told not to call it that. To your... racing exhibtion..." Ziggy responds. "KITT IS...!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' KITT is taking a cautious approach only so long as it's necessary. Initially, he's right on Blurr's tail, an admirable feat considering both the Cybertronian's advanced construction and the Trans-Am's considerable weight--carbon fiber isn't really a thing in Michael's world. The car's turbine engine is performing in tip-top shape, easily audible to audience members as he goes by. The no-contact rule is... tested as the black T-top gets uncomfortably close to Blurr. The loop-de-loop looms menacingly in the distance, and this part of the track is too narrow for both of them to race side-by-side. Flirting with the wall and coming close enough to touch particularly brave (or foolish) specators, KITT activates his Two-Wheel Ski Drive which, appropriately enough, propels him onto two wheels, narrowing his frame as he overtakes Blurr. The cybertronian guessed there would be tricks, and he was right. But will those tricks be enough to win? 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr watches behind himself as KITT speeds up, lifting onto two wheels. Heh, not bad. But nothing he hadn't already expected. "Nice trick," he taunts. "But seriously is that all you've got?!" He speeds up a bit, but not enough to pull completely ahead. Whether that's intentional or not is anyone's guess.     "Quite the track they've got here, huh? Not too late to give up, you know, if you think you can't handle it!" Lead spikes? Loops? Sharp turns and concrete walls? No safety protocols? A walk in the Helex Gardens for Cybertron's finest. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "And KITT is taking advantage of the slipstream created in Blurr's wake...! That might be enough to build up speed... but is he going to be able to pass Blurr in... oooo! Wait, KITT just pulled up onto two wheels and is humming along like... wow, Michael Knight is pulling out from his bag of tricks, as they're skimming the walls on the course! What else has KITT got up its sleeve? Blurr seems unfazed... perhaps not all that surprising considering that he was undefeated in races on his native Cybertron. Hence the name "Blurr" I guess. Talk about a name that actually -fits-..." Shuffling paper, Ziggy continues, "Blurr's fueled by Energon. KITT by... *shuffles paper* turbine fuel and anything else its fuel synthesizers can use, and a constant stream of oxygen. Talk about going -green-. Ooo, look out, the road's narrowing... someone's going to have to give way!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Not remotely," comes the car's reply. Once, KITT was installed into a government supercomputer. That capacity for calculation shows, as he attempts to play mindgames with the cybertronian in the narrow spot, using minute changes in his pathfinding algorithms to create false openings. Of course, the alien might be fast enough to take advantage of that and zoom ahead just before the turn. The Trans-Am takes the turn in an unusually aggressive way, enough for the back end to come perilously close to the lead spikes--Michael's preeetty sure they won't do much, but... "KITT, I think you might be taking this a bit too seriously. You wanna ease up a bit?" A light on the dashboard reads AUTOMATIC OVERRIDE, the steering wheel staunchly refusing to give way to Michael's commands. Essentially a passenger in a car going who-knows-how-many miles an hour, Michael sighs as the AI skillfully drifts, nearly sideways at the apex of the turn. "I can't leave this to chance," the AI replies tersely. Coldly. Yeah, he might just be getting TOO into the competitive spirit. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr laughs. "Okay! Well, don't tell me I didn't warn you!" The track narrows, and it appears that someone will have to give way. But not if you're Blurr, and not if this particular section of the track had that massive concrete wall around the turn. He moves up onto the wall, literally driving sideways around KITT. The Autobot isn't -all- speed, he's got some tricks of his own, as well! 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' That KITT was driving on autopilot was difficult to notice, as Ziggy comments, "And Michael Knight is taking that turn nearly perpendicular to the road nearly 300 kilometers an hour, and taking it to Blurr, but the Autobot is laughing it off... ohhh, either KITT literally drove Blurr up the wall, or he's got stickums on those tires of his! Blurr takes the turn up onto the wall, as the loop comes up, which means they're both going to have to get back on the road...! Hopefully Knight's ready for this, because one wrong move and he's going off the road...! And KITT cost -eleven million to build-... from... 1982 dollars or some such thing." Pause, as Ziggy shuffles papers. "Michael Knight's been quite a driver... he's a Cancer, he enjoys long walks on the beach, and... wait, why do I have his dating profile?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight ... blinks. Why /does/ Ziggy have his dating profile? Huh. Coming out of the turn, KITT notes Blurr's persistence with annoyance. So, he's got some tricks, too. That's fine. His fault for trying to pidgeonhole the Cybertronian. His behavior becomes markedly more aggressive once they reach the loop-de-loop, trying to pass Blurr any (legal) way he can, his engine alternating between roaring and falling silent, his position on the track proper changing constantly as he attempts a variety of different approaches. Eventually, he's upside down, and indeed, going fast enough to handle the loop-de-loop. Michael isn't quite so easy-going. "Jeez, KITT!" Even as he and Blurr make their gravity-defying way up and down the harrowing course, the car's movements betray a desire to /win./ 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr zooms up the loop, easily having gained enough momentum to keep him on track. He even chats on the broadband about toast as he heads up toward the top, which he knows nothing about and thus sparked a bit of a conversation about it. And then, he does something just to show off. Yes, he'd said he wouldn't use transformation against KITT, but KITT could use any of his tricks so it was only fair for Blurr to do the same, right? Besides, it's not as if he needed it to win. It was more to amaze the audience than anything else...     It looks for a moment as if he's purposefully driven off of the loop at the very top, but instead he transforms for just a second and grabs the edge of the track, swinging upward onto the other side of it, where he uses his legs and rear boosters to launch himself off of the outer wall of the loop and into the air, where he again flips back to hover speeder mode and lands on the track just beyond the loop! Will KITT be able to top that? 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "And KITT takes the loop like a champion, and crowded Blurr nearly off the road... wait! Blurr has just transformed, grabbed the edge of the track, and managed to keep himself -on track-. Folks, he's back in car mode, and zooming off once again! Blurr, the undisputed champion of Cybertron! He's been seen in the company of Arcee, and... who's Arcee anyway?" A photo of Arcee and Blurr walking, two big blue robots somewhere in... "Huh. I guess that explains why Blurr's so good with curves... anyway, they're about to complete the first lap, and Blurr's in the lead... um, I've just got notice that they're discussing whether Blurr can transform or not. Is he disqualified? Be right back with you after these messages from our sponsor..." Tiny little shinkis race around in little RC cars, with a tune that sounds suspiciously like little happy merry crashing sounds. "Super GENKI CARTS. Prevent reckless wanton wars, trainer shinki racer cars available today! At your finest Genki Shinki shops! Race your shinki today!" "And the verdict is... verbal communications are not binding. Apparently Blurr only communicated it verbally, but because they're not in the rules, they're fair game! And KITT has a deeper hole to dig out of! Ooo, watch out for the ditch!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' That Blurr has decided to start a conversation about burnt bread only adds insult to the injury of being overtaken. KITT continues down the track, and rather than navigate around the spike pit on the straight, he /leaps/ over it, the telltale whoosh-whoosh of his rockets carrying him almost entirely over the strip. He touches down with a loud wham, rear wheels tearing up the track for purchase. Thankful for his helmet, Michael yet cautions his companion. "Taking a lot of risks here..." "It was a weighted decision based on probability and available data." "I'm glad I met you /after/ my stint in Vegas." Despite the overlong leap, once both cars finish the first lap, Blurr still has a clear advantage. This... has an effect on KITT, to be certain--it doesn't take a microprocessor to know when your opponent is clearly toying with you. "You're not the only one here who can transform, Blurr." Up to this point, it's been a fairly 'easygoing' 300 KPH--just over 186 miles an hour, in other words. The KITT gloves are off now as the Trans-Am appears to hunker down midway through the second lap. Its nose extends and lowers the car's frame. The rear light panels slide away to reveal several microthrusters. Last, but certainly not least, a spoiler rises slowly from the rear. "KITT, I'm all for going faster, but we haven't tested--" The display on the speedometer rockets upwards, and the car shoots forwards like a bat out of hell. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Indeed, Blurr is toying with KITT, and that's going to be the Trans Am's only golden opportunity to win this thing. Because the Cybertronian is so sure that the AI is far from good competition that he isn't exactly serious, unlike KITT right now.     At the present moment, the Autobot maneuvers expertly around the ditch and presses on, finishing the first lap strong. As KITT goes into turbo mode, Blurr pushes harder as well, his speed coming close to that of sound itself. Hopefully there aren't too many fragile structures around... 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' While they're speeding up, Ziggy is standing up at his desk, now. "And KITT just took off like a shot, after opening up its rear panel! Thrusters are firing out of its backside like Dillon after a five-alarm taco meal! ... wait, Dillon's listening to this, is he?" There's the sound of a communicator beeping. "Yeah he is. Uh, be right back with you after these messages from our sponsors...!" 'Do you find yourself covered in dust after you race? Are you finding it frustrating to sit down in your nice clean pit-stop covered in road grit and the smoke of your opponents' engines? You need Shinklets, the dust cover for your racing machine.' "And back! Um, Dillon would like me to inform you that he's a better car driver than any of these posers, that there is no dating profile on him, and that the fire you are about to see is the sparks from the noogies I'm getting when he finds me. Uh... while I find a place to hide out, Blurr's cranking up the speed and I have no idea how the ring is going to hold up at the speed these people are going at...!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The experimental prototype overtakes the alien speedster, its every movement the result of minute calculations. The wind rushes over KITT's sleek form, pushing him further against the ground. His grip is phenomenal, his handling suffering only so much as his thousandfold plots and predictions allow. His tires squeal as he takes the turn before the loop-de-loop, Warning lights flare up on the dashboard, and the microthrusters begin to leak traces of ominous blue-grey smoke. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Surprisingly, KITT seems to actually pass Blurr up and remain ahead for a bit there. Is the speedster allowing it? Again, it's anybody's guess. But when the third lap comes around, and that loop comes up for the final time, he pulls another trick, perhaps one that KITT won't be able to outdo. This time, as the Trans Am is approaching the loop, Blurr comes up about a car length behind him and activates his alt-form weaponry, blasting not at KITT himself but at the looped section of track, sending it crashing into the spike-lined pits below. Hey, the only rules were three laps no contact, right? He hasn't crashed into KITT, so it's fair game, isn't it? Now there's simply a track leading upward into nothing but air right in front of KITT instead of an upward loop. Can KITT adapt fast enough? 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "And KITT roars to the lead after that nitro-assisted... ooohhh! Blurr just blasted the loop ahead!" Ziggy exclaims, watching the track fall away. "Blurr's certainly pushing the limits on gamemanship! And KITT'S coming up -fast-... cover your eyes and hold on to your hats, people, things are about to get dangerous!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "KITT, I know you can see these warning lights. You've gotta slow down!" "No. I can beat him!" As the two argue, the broken section of track gets closer and closer. "You're gonna burn yourself out if you keep pushing! I'm taking control." Michael keys in the manual override code. "Michael, no!" The missing track is upon the both of them, and Michael has only enough time to mouth a silent swear before jamming his thumb into the TURBO BOOST button. The Trans-Am flips off of the track sideways, airborne and out of control, before landing with a thud and a shower of sparks. The car was easily doing three hundred miles an hour, so stopping is not so simple a matter as simply applying the brakes. Careening towards the spectators, Michael tries to veer away. No dice. "Your steering circuits are shot!" "The flashing button, NOW!" Emergency Brake Apparatus? PUNCH. Michael hits the button and panels promptly flip up at various points on the car, using its own wind resistance against it to slow it down just so that it merely /slams/ against the barrier, rather than obliterating it. Michael sits, quietly, simultaneously relieved, upset, and ashamed. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr watches KITT crash and burn with satisfaction, thinking of course that he could easily make the jump himself. He -almost- does..but that little bit of track on the other side that he was depending on to make it across ends up being a bit weaker than he had thought. So instead of holding up as he drops onto it, the section of track crumbles under his weight, sending him careening into the spiky pits below. "Slag it!" The lead doesn't do all that much to his armor; the fall injuring his pride more than anything else. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "And... KITT hits the wall...! But Blurr wipes out, and is sent down to... oooo, lucky, his armor's tough enough. But it must be like sitting on a cactus down there! Uh... what's the word...?" Ziggy pauses... and then announces, "It's a double disqualification! And the... are those mechanic shinkis? Folks, don't go away, we've got final words from our sponsors..." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Dammit, KITT!" Michael's fists hit the steering wheel. "If you hadn't commandeered me--" "I would have had to take you home in a Glad bag." "My emergency brakes--" "Could've burned out. What would you have done if they did? Devon said you're programmed to preserve human life. You sure do have a funny way of doing that, huh?" Silence from the Trans-Am. "You... ugh." Knight practically rips his helmet off and throws it into the passenger seat. That done, he opens the door and slams it, sidestepping the Shinki mechanic and the Knight Industries pit team accompanying her. KITT watches him go, red eye warbling slowly. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr drags himself out of the spike-lined pit, grumbling and pouting. Of course according to him, he would have won anyway. It was just a stroke of bad luck that he fell! 

}}

527/Shopping in Njorun

2014-09-05T05:55:49Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/09/02 |Location=Njorun Station - Central Plaza |Synopsis=Michael meets Rarity and Rainbow Dash while shopping for new duds. |Thanks= |Cast of ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/02
|Location=Njorun Station - Central Plaza
|Synopsis=Michael meets Rarity and Rainbow Dash while shopping for new duds.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=43, 136, 543
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Every hero has to look his or her best. At least, that's what one Michael Knight tells himself as he peruses a selection of leather jackets in one of the Station's many shops. KITT, aside from being absolutely no help in such matters, won't /fit/ in the store, and so Michael has parked him outside, where he waits patiently, if not with a certain amount of exasperation at Michael's vanity. The Trans-Am has been bribed with a car wash and a fresh coat of wax, so he's not complaining--for the moment. His red eye scans the shop's exterior, warbling quietly. Inside the store, Michael checks himself out in a mirror, trying on a black jacket. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Window shopping is a passtime of any fashion savvy individual. Though in the case of Rarity it was less looking for herself, and more looking at 1) what is in style currently, 2) possible 'human' styles she can convert to pony friendly versions, and 3) potentially useful exotic offworld materials. "Too bright.. too dark... oh my word who would even be caught in that sort of esemblm? That looks like something Pinkie Pie to put together." The unicorn makes a face of exasperation and keeps moving along. "I could of sworn that shop was somewhere in this section of the plaza...." 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' Shopping wasn't exactly on the top of Rainbow Dash's list of fun things to do. That spot is reserved for flying around at near the speed of sound and pranking people. But shopping IS on her list of fun things, provided it's the right kind of shopping. Clothes shopping isn't really the right kind of shopping. Which is why it didn't take long for the cerulean blue pegasus to get bored of Rarity's window shopping, and wander off on ahead to look for something more interesting. Rainbow Dash's wings beat a steady rhythem as she passes by the dark Trans-AM outside of the shop. She pauses to look at it, head canted slightly to the side. "Yhat's kinda cool," She muses to herself, "For one of those car things." Wings angle forward, and she hovers around past KITT to get a closer look at the store window. "Now we're talking! Hey Rarity, check out THESE jackets!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Hello," says the Trans-Am with a hint of boredom. Most people wouldn't assign boredom to usually inanimate objects, but most people don't know talking cars. His voice has a certain scholarly quality to it, soft and intelligent. That being said, it's more likely they one will notice the presence of a seemingly disembodied voice before they note its qualities. Michael can't seem to decide on a jacket, so he moves on to the pants on display. "Why are these all so... loose? Is it stylish to look like you're wearing hand-me-downs?" He disdainfully pokes a pre-ripped pair of jeans. Apparently so. Well, winter is coming up in... most worlds. Maybe a sweater? 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity rolls her eyes a bit at the pegasus as she catchs up. "What could you possibly think would be interesting?" Though when she gets to the window to look at the displays she pauses, leaning her head to one side a bit, then flat lids her eyes after a moment. "Really, Dash. Nothing against leather, but black really would not be that suitable for a weather pony. It -absorbs- heat. In the middle of summer? You would fry before the end of the da--" And then a voice speaks up. "Hello?" She turns her head, looking for whoever spoke up to them. Despite having gotten fairly familiar with the multiverse she doesn't think to actually look to the car. 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "Whatever! It's still way cooler than the frilly stuff you were looking at," Rainbow Dash retorts, resting a forehoof against her hip. She then sticks her tongue out at the unicorn. "Like I'd wear anything like this for work anyway. Clothes seriously mess up my timing." Dash's ears prick up at the voice. She glances around, mouth half open to say something. Only she doesn't see who actually said anything. She turns around in mid air, looking about this way and that. "Who said that?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "I did. The 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am behind you." He pauses a moment, watching with amusement as both ponies look around for him. "Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT if you prefer, at your service." The car flashes its headlights in greeting, should either pony guess just what in the hell a Pontiac Trans-Am is. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Not really, but 'behind you' is a pretty good indicator on its own. Enough for Rarity to turn around at least. "Oh, someone is speaking from this human ponyless carriage." No, 'ponyless' is not as weird as it sounds coming from a pony, most professions that would involve a driver have a pony pulling a cart or such in Equestria. Squints at the window. "Though there doesn't appear to be anyone inside of it...." 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' Rainbow Dash's ears flick, swiveling towards that inconspicious black car. Right, totally inconspicious. She can't guess what the voice means, but she knows where the voice is coming from. "Duh, it's called a car, Rarity," She says, sounding smug that she actually knows more than someone else for once. The pegasus touches down on one side and peers into the passenger side window to confirm that there's no one actually in there. "Whoa! So it's like a talking car?" Says the talking, flying, magical pony. "Do cars usually do that?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Just me, as far as I know," says KITT. "The Cybertronians look like human vehicles, but are actually sapient alien machines. In point of fact, I am technically an artificial intelligence in control of the car's systems, but I've come to think of it as my body." His next response is tinged with amusement. "I must admit to a small amount of surprise, myself--both at your coloration and your own capacity for communication, both of which are not usually characteristics of equines from my home world. Incidentally, I /do/ have a driver, but he's currently indulging his sense of vanity in one of those clothing stores." He sounds a bit annoyed at that, so he and Dash at least have a bit of common ground. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "Maybe it is one of those 'Transformers'?" Rarity replies to Dash. But then KITT goes into explaining for himself. And his own amusement. "Yes.. we still get that rather often, dear... Oh is he now?" She turns her head back to the store and peers inside, attempting to see who the stylish talking car to belong to. 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "Yeah, we get that a lot," Rainbow Dash says blandly, rolling her eyes, echoing Rarity. She maybe understands half of what KITT actually says, but she's just too proud to let on to that yet. At least she generally gets the jist. "Sooo like, a super talking car." That's far smarter than her. "That's still totally cool!" She takes off again, wings coming down in quick beats. "So are you fast? People say cars are fast, but I don't buy it." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "Should you not tell him tha ... oooooh." It doesn't take a genius to realize what KITT just did. "Clever machine indeed." All the same she flicks a forehoof through her mane to make sure her curls are properly coifed. It's partially out of habit. Then she shoots a look at the pegasus. "As woeful of a hope as it is Rainbow Dash, at least try to keep yourself somewhat presentable. Hff." The ponies she has to put up with. At the ching of the shop door opening she turns back to look, and look up. "Now there is someone that knows how to make that style work... though those pants cuffs look a little loose, like they'd catch on something. But that permanent." She turns to shoot Dash another look. "And you say males wouldn't take the time to properly prepare their mane." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "Very," comes the car's proud response. "I have an effective top speed of three hundred miles per hour, more than one hundred miles an hour past the limit of most automobiles at their best. Furthermore, I can go from zero to sixty in point two seconds. Most cars are built for transportation, not speed, though some quaintly named 'supercars' are the inverse of that and assuredly nowhere near my equal. I am an experimental pursuit vehicle--and if you'd really like to see what I can do, perhaps you should attend the race between myself and the Cybertronian Blurr? I'm certain I won't beat him TOO soundly." Noticing Rarity trying to spot Michael, KITT clears his... throat. Or, at least, he makes an ahem noise. "If you'd like to meet Michael, I can introduce you. Just give me a moment." The car would smile devilishly if it had the ability. "Oh, Michael, there are some ladies here who would like to meet you." Michael responds on his radio, which KITT covertly plays through his speakers. "Oh, yeah? Are they pretty?" "I believe you'll find them very interesting." Click. KITT shuts off his transceiver. "Any second, now." A man in a black leather jacket, a red polo, jeans bordering on bell bottoms, and black boots comes striding out of a store with a bag in hand and a confident smile. His perm, an admirable thing in itself, sways gently in the breeze. "So, where are the girls?" 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "Whoa! That pretty fast!" Rainbow Dash agrees, "Most pegasi can't even come close to that!" She folds her forelimbs across her chest, while a grin starts to form across her muzzle. "But I've done faster," The smugness in her voice is rather obvious, "Like, breaking the sound barrier fast!" Dash makes a face at the mention of Blur and sticks stick her tongue out in annoynace. "Blegh. THAT guy. He thinks he's fast stuff alright." She grins down at KITT, "Tell you what; you kick his flank in that race, and I'll totally take on the winner!" When KITT calls out his driver, Dash twists around in mid air to face the shop. "Hay yeah, bring him out! Whoever drives you has got to be one seriously cool guy!" She snrrks, not even bothering to hide her grin when she catches the hint at what the Trans-Am is doing. Not the first time, probably not the last time either. Rarity just earns a roll of the tomboy pony's eyes. "Hey dude!" Dash waves a forehoof at Michael when he leaves the shop. Well, he ... sort of seems cool? Close enough. "You've got one seriously cool car!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' You've got to be kidding. Knight gives KITT a /look./ There's a moment of silence for all the flirtatious comments which perish in his throat. And then, he gives Rarity a thumbs up and a smile, the midday sun gleaming off of his pearly whites. "Thanks! The name's Knight, Michael Knight." He introduces himself to the ponies, one hand on his hip, the other taking a brief run through his curly hair. "I see you already met my /buddy/ here." Yes, a 'cool car' indeed. Upon utterance of the word 'buddy' Knight slaps the car's hood enough for it to be audible. "He's really /something./" "Glad you could make it so quickly, Michael." KITT resists the urge to chuckle, but only just. "Yes," he replies to Rainbow Dash. "I intend to." Surprisingly, his reaction to Rainbow's boast is rather... accepting, though it sounds a bit like an excuse. "I'm not surprised at your speed, honestly. Airborne modes of travel /are/ often faster." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity rolls her eyes at Rainbow Dash's boasting. "As much as I detest fueling her ego farther, she did use that speed to save my life, and three other ponies, at the same time." And still managed to go faster than faster. Granted, Equestrians aren't exactly large and heavy, but four of them hanging off one pegasus certainly isn't very areodynamic. She puts a forehoof over her mouth to keep from snickering as the realization strikes the man. "Now now, do not let your metallic companion's playfulness dissaude you." Then lowers the foreleg to make a sweeping graceful bow. "I am Rarity, the finest of fashionistas in Equestria." Then just gives a wave in the pegasus' direction as she returns herself upright. "And that rapscallion of a ragmuffin is Rainbow Dash." Bet the pegasus doesn't know what either of those big words means. 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' Rainbow Dash's grin grows. She snrrks, a hoof coming over her mouth. "Hear that, Rarity?" She says, barely holding back laughter, "You finally met a Knight!" She's just as bad as KITT. Her snickering falters though. "HEY!" She glares down at Rarity, "I'm not a ragmuffin!" Hah! She did know what one of them meant! Hmphing, Dash places her forehooves on her sides. "What she /means/ is that I'm the coolest, most awesome and radical pony in Ponyville! Cool to meet you, Michael!" She flashes KITT a grin. Finally, someone who gets that flying types are faster. "Awesome, I'll totally cheer you on!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' KITT replies with a mote of satisfied gratitude. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I do hope to see you there, and may I add it's my pleasure to meet the both of you." "Likewise, ladies. You know, now that you mention it, Rarity, I think I've heard you on the radio before." He doesn't mention that, back then as well as moments ago, he mistook her for a human. "Nice to finally meet you in person. So, what're you two up to today? Same thing?" he holds up his purchase. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "To an extent," Rarity replies as she turns her head to look back the way her and Rainbow Dash had come. "There was a shop specializing in exotic materials -somewhere- in this district but for the life of me I have been unable to properly locate it again." 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "What she said," Rainbow Dash says, shrugging her shoulders. "Rarity dragged me along because I'm way better at spotting things than she is." Well, when she's paying attention anyway. "Soon as we find it, I'm hitting that sports store back there. Gotta get a new hockey stick before winter comes up." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael rubs his chin. "Well," he says, walking around to the back of the Trans-Am. "I'd be happy to help you two look for it." He opens the trunk, or rather, KITT opens it for him, and he places his new turtleneck inside. The car closes the trunk on its own. "What kind of exotic materials are we talking, here? Gold, frankincense, myrrh? Corinthian leather?" 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "And gemstones!" Rarity chimes in without missing a beat at the end of the list. Followed by a dismissive wave. "And none of this 'bedazzler' thing some human subcultures seem fond of. I only work with the geniune articles." Pause. "... and the last time I kept one of those contraptions around Pinkie Pie managed to get herself into -a lot- of trouble with it." The unicorn shakes her head a bit. "Still have no idea how she managed to make it work on some materials it was never meant to...." 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' Another roll of Dash's eyes. "Ugh, here we go again." She touches down lightly, wings flicking back to fold against her shoulders. "Yeah, she really ticked off that guy who's carriage she got with that thing," Rainbow Dash says, grinning. "I think it would've looked more awesome with lightning bolts than with hearts." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight says, "I can imagine that'd upset a guy. My old car had a phoenix on the hood--it was pretty rad. Kinda symbolic, now that I think about it..." Huh. "Anyway, do you remember the name of the place? Hey, KITT, mind checking the phonebook under craft stores?" "Not at all, Michael." The car begins running a scan of Njorun's phonebook or otherwise equivalent, massive as it likely is. "Thanks, bud. Lemme know over the radio if you find it." With that, Michael begins taking a walk down the street in search of any place that might be sufficiently high-falutin' enough to carry such fine wares." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity lets out an exasperated sigh. "I was just so excited at what I found last time I visited I failed to properly note the title and address of the establishment, or this would be so much easier." She starts to trot after the leather clad man. "Oh well, on the positive side, a little window shopping along the way never hurt anypony. Can't keep on top of the fashion scene without taking stock of what trends the possible compatition may be transpiring with after all." 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "Unless people can die from /boredom/," Rainbow Dash says, dragging her hooves a little as she follows after Rarity and Michael. "At least we ran into some cool guys. Catch you later, KITT!" She says, lifting a wing to wave at the car so she doesn't have to stop walking. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight walks a ways with the ponies, keeping an eye out for the Multiversal equivalent of a Michael's. Granted, he's not an arts-and-crafts guy himself, so a fair deal of his looking is admittedly towards things that interest him--he's surprised at the scarcity of record stores. Maybe people have some new way of playing music? "I believe I've found the place," says KITT through Michael's watch. "King Solomon's Hoard," reads off the car. "Approximately five hundred feet north of your current position, nestled between Bob's Discount Spells and Bass Pro Shops." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity's ears flick upright as she oooohs. "I think that is it! Hearing the name has stirred my memory at least." Curls sway as she turns her head a few times, getting her bearings for KITT's directions. "Thank you Michael dahling, your car is trey magnifique!" She practically squeals as she takes off with exhuberant haste. 

:'''{{#var:43|Rainbow Dash (43)}} has posed:''' "About time!" Rainbow Dash flares out her wings, and takes to the air in an instant. "Thanks guys, you just saved me from totally dying of boredom. See you back at Ponyville!" She shouts back at Rarity, "And see you guys later!" Dash then twists around in the opposite direction, and speeds off for that sports store she was talking about. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight waves to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, then crosses his arms. They seem pretty nice, but... "You and I need to have a talk about what I mean when I ask if a girl's pretty," he says into his watch. "To be fair, I didn't say they were. I said you'd find them interesting." "They certainly were that." He chuckles and heads back to his car. 

}}

501/Bahamut Entertains Guests Again!

2014-08-28T03:52:39Z

Jazzenstein:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/27
|Location=Spira(AOA)
|Synopsis=Bahamut invites a few Unionites over to his temple for dinner.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=61, 492, 528, 543
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      After his near death experience vs. a Magitech Cannon, Bahamut decided it was alright to have a little party. He extends an invitation via the public band, then waits for the arrivals. He did not specify who could come, so he isn't expecting anyone in particular. Except Blurr, who seems to show up all over the place. So, Bahamut has had his priests set up a large buffet table full of delicious foods of all kinds, and has arranged what he believes would be good snacks for a robot. Namely, power crystals of the kind used to power machina of this world.      The Dragon King himself is sitting on his throne, an entire pig being spitroasted right in front of him in a roaring fire. He's actually turning the spit to allow his priests to focus on the buffet table. The table is big enough to seat probably twenty people, and at the end facing away from Bahamut is another throne-like chair large enough for even a Cybertronian to seat himself. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Bahamut seems to like to have people over to his place. Maybe Blurr should invite the reptilian over to the Ark sometime in return. And he's even tried to find special accommodations for the Autobot, too. Upon entering, he examines the buffet table with the strange crystals, trying to decide if they're enough like energon to be worth trying to make use of. "Hey Bahamut, what are these, exactly?" he asks, pointing at the crystals. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The sight of a machina so advanced as a black Trans-Am from the far-future year of 1982 might startle the more traditional Yu Yevon adherents as it cruises slowly through the city of Bevelle. Then again, a Unified world like this one might have had several chances to get used to their new surroundings--especially since Blurr's attending the party, too. For their parts, Michael and KITT try not to do anything TOO crazy, and the drive to Bahamut's temple is rather uneventful. "How's my hair, KITT?" "It looks fine, Michael. I think the tie might be a bit much, though." "Well, you never know. I've never been invited to a party at a temple." Pause. "Much less by the guy it's devoted to. Kinda weird, when you think about it." "I suppose so. Don't forget your watch," the AI adds hastily. "I'd rather like to meet this fellow, too." "Relax, buddy. I always bring it with me!" The car pulls up next to the temple and does the best parking job it can given the high fantasy setting. "And do remember to lock me this time." "Yes, mom." Michael locks KITT from afar with his super duper remote key, then heads into the Temple. Dressed in a simple but well-tailored 9-to-5 suit, he feels justified in going with a tie when he sees the extent to which the dragon has prepared for his guests. "Hey, /nice/ digs, Bahamut. I'm Michael Knight from the radio." He waves a hand, and an annoyed -ahem- comes from his wristwatch. "Oh, and, my buddy KITT's here, too." He taps the watch, heading over to greet the Cybertronian he's met and the phoenix he hasn't. "Hey there, Michael Knight," he says, foregoing a handshake in part due to the cold and in part due to the fact that Anivia is a bird. 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia has never been one for parties; though socializing was certainly nothing new to a Phoenix. Over the (literal) eons of her life, Anivia has quite simply partied enough for a hundred lifetimes when she was much, MUCH younger. Still when one is conjugally invited to a celebration being thrown by a well known Dragon King, how could the Cryophoenix turn down such an offer? At least Bahamut seems to know how to throw a proper celebration as well... a true Feast was on full display, with many appetizing smells and unique dishes littering the long table. As Anivia enters the Temple, the flame around the spit-pig seems to flicker for a few seconds, and the temperature in the room drops noticeably a few degrees. The bright blue crystal-feathers that makes up the Frozen Phoenix's plumage catch the light of the many fires and torches that litter the temple, making her seem to literally glow. After a few seconds of quickly looking around the room, taking a swift head-count of who was here... Anivia begins to make her way towards the feast-table, her frozen talons clicking loudly on the temple's stone floor. As she approaches Bahamut, the frozen ancient bows her head to the Dragon King, and speaks in a wise and surprisingly gentle tone; "I heard your invitation and couldn't help but indulge my curiosity. I am Anivia the Cryophoenix, I do not believe we've met before." She also pauses as the giant Autobot walks into the room and begins to prod at the glowing crystals on display on the table. As the Autobot ponders the crystal, Anivia moves herself slightly closer to the Spit-Pig... She ends up leaping on top of one of the nearby chairs, standing on it rather than trying to sit down in it. Chairs weren't exactly made with birds in mind... 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut nods to each as they enter. "Welcome, all." he says in his deep, rumbly voice once they are all here. He chuckles at Michael's comment before looking at Anivia. He regards her with interest. After all, a frozen phoenix is pretty unheard of in his world. "Hello Anivia. I am Bahamut, King of Dragons and Aeon of Bevelle. Welcome to my..." He chuckles again, "...humble home." He obviously understands that it is anything but humble. "I admit I was expecting unexpected types of visitors, but you are my first non-humanoid visitor."      Blurr's question draws a grin from Bahamut, showing plenty of sharp teeth. "They are energy crystals used to power the machines of our world. I was unsure if I had anything suitable for you, but these were the closest I could obtain." he says to the Autobot before turning his attention to Michael. A normal-looking human...with a talking watch. "Greetings Michael. It is good to meet you in person. And you, Kitt. Please, everyone, help yourselves to the buffet." he says before poking the pig he is roasting. "Mmmm...almost." he rumbles. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr takes one of the crystals, but seems to put it away instead of consume it for the time being. He sits down in the large chair Bahamut had prepared for him, and nods to the other guests, Mike and Anivia. "Hey Mike, and nice to meet you Anivia. Where are you from?" he asks, the question directed at the icy bird.     He chuckles at the 'humble' home comment. "'Humble'? Really? I would argue that this is anything -but-." 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia certainly lacked the ability to shake hands... though maybe she could work it out with her dinosaur-like feet... if she was careful with her talons of course. As Michael Knight speaks to her, the Cryophoenx turns to face him and tilts her head to one side in a very curious-bird sort of way. She cranes her neck from one side to the other briefly, then speaks back to the Union knight; "Greetings young one, I am Anivia, the Cryophoenix. Another ally of the Union I take it?" When Bahamut speaks, the Phoenix flicks her frozen tail feathers slightly, blinking her glowing eyes up towards the Dragon King. "I am honored to be in the home of the Dragon King. I have flown with many dragons over the eons, anyone who can claim to be their king is someone I'd love to meet." When the metallic voice of Blurr booms out, Anivia's frozen feathers noticeably bristle and stand out. The Autobot certainly had a very... noticeable voice, being a giant robot and all. "My world is far, far from here. It's a very magically blessed world, with a very magically attuned eco-system. We Phoenixes have been around since the dawn of our world's creation and have been protecting it ever since... though I do believe I am the first Phoenix from my home to ever set foot in the Multiverse." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight takes a seat across from Blurr and Anivia, making eye contact with the bird. He's not about to throw stones from the Trans-Am shaped glass house he's in, but man, it is /weird/ to meet a talking bird. "Yes, ma'am, that's me," he says. "KITT and I are pursuit and investigation specialists. One day we'd like to help more directly, but we're happy to help however we can." "Nice to meet you all," says KITT through the watch's transceiver. Michael's somewhat used to schmoozing, so when Bahamut's little joke goes over the Cybertronian's head, he hides his smile behind a chalice and disguises the chuckle with a clearing of his throat. "That's really interesting, miss Anivia," he says as he sets the chalice down. The dawn of her world's creation... no wonder she called him young one! 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut snorts lightly when Blurr puts the crystal down. "You do not trust me, B?" he asks, grinning in what looks like a mixture of teasing and menacing. "If it will make you feel better, I will eat one." he adds before turning his attention back to Anivia. "Your love is well placed then, Lady Anivia." the dragon says, bowing lightly. "I am honored to meet one who was there for the birth of a world. You must share your wisdom with me at some point." he says, then grins again. "And, if every you wish to fly with me, you merely need to ask."      "Investigative services are valuable. Do not belittle your own contributions. Not everyone can be powerful combatants. If we were, the enemy spies would undermine us in no time." Bahamut says to Michael, seeming quite serious about it. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     "It's not that I don't trust you." Blurr laughs. Well, okay. That's not -entirely- true. He's a spy by occupation, of course he doesn't trust easily. "I mean, we're talking entirely different planet in entirely different dimensions of reality, I'd rather have someone from Kimia run some tests before I put it in my systems."     Anivia's answer isn't exactly the kind the Autobot was looking for, so he kind of gives her a slightly impatient look. "That's great, but uhm, doesn't your planet have a name or other designation or something?" He doesn't notice Mike laughing at him, but he glances curiously at him when KITT talks through the watch transceiver. "Personal AI?" 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia gives the best 'smile' she could manage, though genuine... it was a little difficult with a beak. She also occasionally turned he head down to the table, pecking up entire fruits or the occasional strip of meat that was nearby. With most fruits she simply swallowed whole, lacking the ability to properly chew. Though with the meats she held them in her claws and occasionally tore strips out with her beak, quite similar to how most Large Eagles eat. "It is a pleasure to meet the both of you, I must say I am quite fascinated by your talking device... KITT, is it? However do you work?" Anivia asks, unable to tell if the watch was some piece of technology or some form of magic... When Bahamut speaks again, Anivia turns her head to face the Dragon King. She had to do this quite often one might notice, always turning her head to face whoever is speaking at the time, or at least ensure one of her eyes were facing them. "That is a generous offer, and I think we would both learn from each other if we were to share our wisdom... and I would be more than happy to fly with you one day. I shall have to take you up on your offer soon." When Blurr begins to question Anivia on her homeworld, the Phoenix pauses for a moment... then gives a soft whistling sound before speaking again, "Our world had many names, to me it was Gaia. But my actual home-world has been lost to me for many years. I don't quite know where it is now. Recently, that is, before the Multiverse mind you, I was summoned to a world called Runeterra. It's the same world where the Champions Jinx and Ahri are from, though I heard more of the Champions are entering the Multiverse. It's a long story, but you can say my new home planet is Runeterra for now." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight helps himself to the food before him, though he does so in a measured and chaste way. He's a guest, after all! It's not like this is some sword-and-sorcery Denny's. "Boy, don't I know it," he replies to Bahamut. "But it sure is nice to meet someone who feels that way, all the same." He smiles at the dragon king, cutting a little square of steak and spearing it with a fork. As he chews, KITT speaks up. "Oh, Blurr." The AI manages a chuckle. "I /am/ an artificial intelligence, but I'm much more than Michael's personal assistant. In fact, I'm actually outside of the temple, but in our world it's not very common to drive vehicles into places of worship. Barring mental disorder, that is." "He's a microprocessor, miss Anivia," says Michael after wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. "A thinking machine. Originally, he was part of some supercomputer for the United States government, but his inventor thought he'd be of better use in a more, uh, active role. This watch is just how we communicate when we're in different places." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut snorts again, but nods in understanding to Blurr. "Very well." he says, but seems a bit disappointed. It isn't easy to get so many crystals here, you know! When KITT speaks up and is elaborated on, Bahamut seems curious as well. "I see. so that is only a remotely connected device." he says, pointing a large metal claw toward the watch. "Are you merely an AI on a computer somewhere, or do you have a constructed body somewhere?" he asks KITT.      Bahamut nods to Anivia and smiles. "I look forward to it." he says before listening to her explanation about her world. As he does, he finally removes the pig from the spit. Or, at least from the supports. He holds the iron spit like a corn cob and inspects the well-done pork, then rumbles in approval before taking a careful bite. It is still quite warm, after all. "Would you care for any?" he asks his guests. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr takes note of the disappointment. "Well if it would make you feel any better, I'll take them with me, and if they test out fine I'll have them later." He takes them and subspaces them away.     "Much more than a personal assistant, eh?" he replies to KITT. "Care to elaborate? And yeah, I get the spy thing. Shooting and putting your fists into things and people is one thing, but it's the information warfare that actually decides what happens on the battlefield, am I right?"     He looks pensive at Anivia's answer regarding her homeworld for a moment. "Lost to you huh? Any idea what happened to it? Was it destroyed? Wormhole? Black hole? Fell out of orbit?" 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' "Oh!" Anivia says in realization as Michael explains KITT to the Cryophoenix. "A sentient machine then? I have met a few of them over my lifetime... a few in Runeterra in fact." she muses, "Some have become close friends, good to know that life is just as diverse in the Multiverse as it was on Runeterra." she chuckles lightly. Anivia then notes the suddenly offered pork. A surprisingly cheerful chirp escapes the Phoenix's beak as she hops one chair closer to Bahamut and the offered pork. She pauses when she notes the steam rising from the freshly cooked meat. After a pause, she hops forward and uses her beak much like a knife; she sinks her beak into the flesh of the pig and tears off a large piece. She lets the meat hang from her mouth as she hops back into her seat, taking a moment to look around the room as the meat dangles from her beak. Then she simply begins to swallow the large piece whole, tilting her head upwards to help the meat slide down her throat. When the whole process was done, Anivia sings a couple cheerful notes into the air and flaps her wings in a pleased manner. "You're an excellent cook Dragon King." Anivia then turns back to Blurr, shaking her head. "Thankfully nothing so tragic, it's simply... lost to me. Runeterra is a world of Magic and Summoners, and Summoners have devised powerful magic to Summon creatures from other worlds to serve as their Champions. I was one of the lucky chosen, but it seems the Summoners have no idea how to send any of us home. Runeterra has became a part of the Multiverse... I'm not sure if my home world has though." 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia seems to be enjoying herself greatly, simply helping herself to the offered feast and enjoying the company and the clever conversations of her Union allies. But as the night began to linger onwards, the Cryophoenix turns her eyes towards one of the nearby windows and blinks. "Oh dear, the hours seemed to have passed quickly... I must go." the Phoenix says as she hops out of her seat. Once again turning towards the table, the Cryophoenix dips her head towards the other Union Champions. "Thank you for your hospitality Dragon King, and for your company Micheal and Blurr. I hope to see you all again soon." With that, Anivia turns back and heads through the door, taking flight and soaring off as soon as she was able to. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight ...watches Anivia and Bahamut tear into the meat. "Oh," he says, taking a look down at his plate, "You two go ahead and enjoy it, I've got plenty here." The loner offers the two more feral beings a bright, if strained smile, then takes a sip of his wine. The 'lucky few...' Anivia must be a more gracious soul than he is. He can't imagine being torn away from his home, his friends, his family at the whim of some crusty old guy in a robe. "Goodbye, Anivia," he says, waving to the phoenix as she departs. Michael prepares to change the subject and clears his throat. "Well, Blurr, I'm sure KITT can answer your questions himself. Even I don't know everything he can do." "Gladly." There's a hint of pride in the AI's voice as it speaks up. "My name is actually an acronym, and stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand. I am currently housed in and fully integrated with a heavily modified 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am. I can reach three hundred miles per hour, accelerate from zero to sixty in .2 seconds, and perform a standing quarter-mile in 4.286 seconds. At the moment of our speaking, I am parked outside of the temple." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut blinks at Blurr, then chuckles. "Do not feel obligated. I understand, even if I do not agree." he says. As Anivia cuts/rips a nice piece of pork out of his pig, Bahamut grins. "Thank you." he says to her compliment. "The trick is not to make it overcomplicated. Many dishes require little to no seasoning." he says before ripping into the pork again himself.      As he hears KITT speak up about speeds, Bahamut rumbles and eyerolls before looking at Blurr. He's just waiting for the inevitable boasting. He's already grinning about it. As Anivia takes her leave, Bahamut raises a clawed hand to wave goodbye. "Until next time, Lady Anivia." 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr smirks at KITT's boasts. Indeed, Bahamut is prepared for exactly what is going to happen next. Even though he hasn't known the speedster for very long. But how can the Autobot help himself? He's now so preoccupied with outdoing KITT that he barely notices Anivia leaving. "Well, I have to say. That's pretty impressive..."     Aaand time for a quick demonstration! Literally, quick. VERY quick. Blurr is suddenly gone from the table, and standing outside where KITT is parked, to finish his sentence. "...for human technology, anyway." Zoom. Back to the table inside--why what was that brief air current? "Nice." he continues, nodding at Mike. "Your car could sure beat even the most skilled human race car drivers all on his own!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "I--" The Trans-Am is left speechless for a moment, but only just. "Oh, boy. Now you've done it," says Michael with a smirk. "And just what is /that/ supposed to mean, Blurr? Are you saying I can't compete with you on the track?" "Look, KITT, take it easy. You think you're the first guy in the Multiverse who's ever been outdone?" Michael /clearly/ doesn't see what all the fuss is about, looking at Bahamut and Blurr with an incredulous 'get a load of this guy' expression. "There's always somebody better." "I respectfully disagree," says KITT. "And I'll race Blurr any day to prove it." "Oh, brother." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut chuckles and grins as the two speedsters exchange bragging rights. He takes another large bite from his pork roast, leaving nearly nothing left, then sets it back on the now gently burning fire. "I would watch that race." Bahamut says, then stands from his throne and rumbles. "It is getting late. I must get some rest. I have to be sure I am in top condition if my strength is needed by the people of Spira." he says, then bows to the two. "Thank you for coming. Feel free to take as much of the food as you would like with you. My priests will provide carrying containers." he says before turning to make his way toward the bed. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr laughs. "Hey, you're pretty smart too. That was -exactly- what I meant, in fact!" Oh, is that a challenge he hears? "You want to race me, huh? Well bring it on. And I'll even stick to vehicle form for you, how about that?" Ha. Always someone better than you? Maybe that applies to everyone -else-. At least they can agree on that, right? Well, sort of.     The speedster gets up as well. "Thanks for having us, B." he grins, then turns back to KITT and Mike. "Njorun. The Ring. Three orbital cycles from now. Er, three days. Unless you'd prefer Velocitron. See ya there!" ZOOM. He's gone. Yep, 100% showoff. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight says, "Yeah, thanks for the hospitality." He sets his napkin down on the table, standing up and pushing the chair in. His gesture of farewell is a little clipped as his mind is focused on KITT's little challenge. How exactly does one explain the concept of humility to something that can drive straight through a semi and not get hurt? He sighs and makes for the exit as KITT answers Blurr through the watch. "The Ring in three days it is," quips the AI haughtily. "All right, all right, let's go home so we can at least get you a diagnostic..."" 
}}

501/Bahamut Entertains Guests Again!

2014-08-28T03:51:34Z

Jazzenstein:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/26
|Location=Spira(AOA)
|Synopsis=Bahamut invites a few Unionites over to his temple for dinner.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=61, 492, 528, 543
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      After his near death experience vs. a Magitech Cannon, Bahamut decided it was alright to have a little party. He extends an invitation via the public band, then waits for the arrivals. He did not specify who could come, so he isn't expecting anyone in particular. Except Blurr, who seems to show up all over the place. So, Bahamut has had his priests set up a large buffet table full of delicious foods of all kinds, and has arranged what he believes would be good snacks for a robot. Namely, power crystals of the kind used to power machina of this world.      The Dragon King himself is sitting on his throne, an entire pig being spitroasted right in front of him in a roaring fire. He's actually turning the spit to allow his priests to focus on the buffet table. The table is big enough to seat probably twenty people, and at the end facing away from Bahamut is another throne-like chair large enough for even a Cybertronian to seat himself. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Bahamut seems to like to have people over to his place. Maybe Blurr should invite the reptilian over to the Ark sometime in return. And he's even tried to find special accommodations for the Autobot, too. Upon entering, he examines the buffet table with the strange crystals, trying to decide if they're enough like energon to be worth trying to make use of. "Hey Bahamut, what are these, exactly?" he asks, pointing at the crystals. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The sight of a machina so advanced as a black Trans-Am from the far-future year of 1982 might startle the more traditional Yu Yevon adherents as it cruises slowly through the city of Bevelle. Then again, a Unified world like this one might have had several chances to get used to their new surroundings--especially since Blurr's attending the party, too. For their parts, Michael and KITT try not to do anything TOO crazy, and the drive to Bahamut's temple is rather uneventful. "How's my hair, KITT?" "It looks fine, Michael. I think the tie might be a bit much, though." "Well, you never know. I've never been invited to a party at a temple." Pause. "Much less by the guy it's devoted to. Kinda weird, when you think about it." "I suppose so. Don't forget your watch," the AI adds hastily. "I'd rather like to meet this fellow, too." "Relax, buddy. I always bring it with me!" The car pulls up next to the temple and does the best parking job it can given the high fantasy setting. "And do remember to lock me this time." "Yes, mom." Michael locks KITT from afar with his super duper remote key, then heads into the Temple. Dressed in a simple but well-tailored 9-to-5 suit, he feels justified in going with a tie when he sees the extent to which the dragon has prepared for his guests. "Hey, /nice/ digs, Bahamut. I'm Michael Knight from the radio." He waves a hand, and an annoyed -ahem- comes from his wristwatch. "Oh, and, my buddy KITT's here, too." He taps the watch, heading over to greet the Cybertronian he's met and the phoenix he hasn't. "Hey there, Michael Knight," he says, foregoing a handshake in part due to the cold and in part due to the fact that Anivia is a bird. 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia has never been one for parties; though socializing was certainly nothing new to a Phoenix. Over the (literal) eons of her life, Anivia has quite simply partied enough for a hundred lifetimes when she was much, MUCH younger. Still when one is conjugally invited to a celebration being thrown by a well known Dragon King, how could the Cryophoenix turn down such an offer? At least Bahamut seems to know how to throw a proper celebration as well... a true Feast was on full display, with many appetizing smells and unique dishes littering the long table. As Anivia enters the Temple, the flame around the spit-pig seems to flicker for a few seconds, and the temperature in the room drops noticeably a few degrees. The bright blue crystal-feathers that makes up the Frozen Phoenix's plumage catch the light of the many fires and torches that litter the temple, making her seem to literally glow. After a few seconds of quickly looking around the room, taking a swift head-count of who was here... Anivia begins to make her way towards the feast-table, her frozen talons clicking loudly on the temple's stone floor. As she approaches Bahamut, the frozen ancient bows her head to the Dragon King, and speaks in a wise and surprisingly gentle tone; "I heard your invitation and couldn't help but indulge my curiosity. I am Anivia the Cryophoenix, I do not believe we've met before." She also pauses as the giant Autobot walks into the room and begins to prod at the glowing crystals on display on the table. As the Autobot ponders the crystal, Anivia moves herself slightly closer to the Spit-Pig... She ends up leaping on top of one of the nearby chairs, standing on it rather than trying to sit down in it. Chairs weren't exactly made with birds in mind... 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut nods to each as they enter. "Welcome, all." he says in his deep, rumbly voice once they are all here. He chuckles at Michael's comment before looking at Anivia. He regards her with interest. After all, a frozen phoenix is pretty unheard of in his world. "Hello Anivia. I am Bahamut, King of Dragons and Aeon of Bevelle. Welcome to my..." He chuckles again, "...humble home." He obviously understands that it is anything but humble. "I admit I was expecting unexpected types of visitors, but you are my first non-humanoid visitor."      Blurr's question draws a grin from Bahamut, showing plenty of sharp teeth. "They are energy crystals used to power the machines of our world. I was unsure if I had anything suitable for you, but these were the closest I could obtain." he says to the Autobot before turning his attention to Michael. A normal-looking human...with a talking watch. "Greetings Michael. It is good to meet you in person. And you, Kitt. Please, everyone, help yourselves to the buffet." he says before poking the pig he is roasting. "Mmmm...almost." he rumbles. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr takes one of the crystals, but seems to put it away instead of consume it for the time being. He sits down in the large chair Bahamut had prepared for him, and nods to the other guests, Mike and Anivia. "Hey Mike, and nice to meet you Anivia. Where are you from?" he asks, the question directed at the icy bird.     He chuckles at the 'humble' home comment. "'Humble'? Really? I would argue that this is anything -but-." 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia certainly lacked the ability to shake hands... though maybe she could work it out with her dinosaur-like feet... if she was careful with her talons of course. As Michael Knight speaks to her, the Cryophoenx turns to face him and tilts her head to one side in a very curious-bird sort of way. She cranes her neck from one side to the other briefly, then speaks back to the Union knight; "Greetings young one, I am Anivia, the Cryophoenix. Another ally of the Union I take it?" When Bahamut speaks, the Phoenix flicks her frozen tail feathers slightly, blinking her glowing eyes up towards the Dragon King. "I am honored to be in the home of the Dragon King. I have flown with many dragons over the eons, anyone who can claim to be their king is someone I'd love to meet." When the metallic voice of Blurr booms out, Anivia's frozen feathers noticeably bristle and stand out. The Autobot certainly had a very... noticeable voice, being a giant robot and all. "My world is far, far from here. It's a very magically blessed world, with a very magically attuned eco-system. We Phoenixes have been around since the dawn of our world's creation and have been protecting it ever since... though I do believe I am the first Phoenix from my home to ever set foot in the Multiverse." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight takes a seat across from Blurr and Anivia, making eye contact with the bird. He's not about to throw stones from the Trans-Am shaped glass house he's in, but man, it is /weird/ to meet a talking bird. "Yes, ma'am, that's me," he says. "KITT and I are pursuit and investigation specialists. One day we'd like to help more directly, but we're happy to help however we can." "Nice to meet you all," says KITT through the watch's transceiver. Michael's somewhat used to schmoozing, so when Bahamut's little joke goes over the Cybertronian's head, he hides his smile behind a chalice and disguises the chuckle with a clearing of his throat. "That's really interesting, miss Anivia," he says as he sets the chalice down. The dawn of her world's creation... no wonder she called him young one! 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut snorts lightly when Blurr puts the crystal down. "You do not trust me, B?" he asks, grinning in what looks like a mixture of teasing and menacing. "If it will make you feel better, I will eat one." he adds before turning his attention back to Anivia. "Your love is well placed then, Lady Anivia." the dragon says, bowing lightly. "I am honored to meet one who was there for the birth of a world. You must share your wisdom with me at some point." he says, then grins again. "And, if every you wish to fly with me, you merely need to ask."      "Investigative services are valuable. Do not belittle your own contributions. Not everyone can be powerful combatants. If we were, the enemy spies would undermine us in no time." Bahamut says to Michael, seeming quite serious about it. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     "It's not that I don't trust you." Blurr laughs. Well, okay. That's not -entirely- true. He's a spy by occupation, of course he doesn't trust easily. "I mean, we're talking entirely different planet in entirely different dimensions of reality, I'd rather have someone from Kimia run some tests before I put it in my systems."     Anivia's answer isn't exactly the kind the Autobot was looking for, so he kind of gives her a slightly impatient look. "That's great, but uhm, doesn't your planet have a name or other designation or something?" He doesn't notice Mike laughing at him, but he glances curiously at him when KITT talks through the watch transceiver. "Personal AI?" 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia gives the best 'smile' she could manage, though genuine... it was a little difficult with a beak. She also occasionally turned he head down to the table, pecking up entire fruits or the occasional strip of meat that was nearby. With most fruits she simply swallowed whole, lacking the ability to properly chew. Though with the meats she held them in her claws and occasionally tore strips out with her beak, quite similar to how most Large Eagles eat. "It is a pleasure to meet the both of you, I must say I am quite fascinated by your talking device... KITT, is it? However do you work?" Anivia asks, unable to tell if the watch was some piece of technology or some form of magic... When Bahamut speaks again, Anivia turns her head to face the Dragon King. She had to do this quite often one might notice, always turning her head to face whoever is speaking at the time, or at least ensure one of her eyes were facing them. "That is a generous offer, and I think we would both learn from each other if we were to share our wisdom... and I would be more than happy to fly with you one day. I shall have to take you up on your offer soon." When Blurr begins to question Anivia on her homeworld, the Phoenix pauses for a moment... then gives a soft whistling sound before speaking again, "Our world had many names, to me it was Gaia. But my actual home-world has been lost to me for many years. I don't quite know where it is now. Recently, that is, before the Multiverse mind you, I was summoned to a world called Runeterra. It's the same world where the Champions Jinx and Ahri are from, though I heard more of the Champions are entering the Multiverse. It's a long story, but you can say my new home planet is Runeterra for now." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight helps himself to the food before him, though he does so in a measured and chaste way. He's a guest, after all! It's not like this is some sword-and-sorcery Denny's. "Boy, don't I know it," he replies to Bahamut. "But it sure is nice to meet someone who feels that way, all the same." He smiles at the dragon king, cutting a little square of steak and spearing it with a fork. As he chews, KITT speaks up. "Oh, Blurr." The AI manages a chuckle. "I /am/ an artificial intelligence, but I'm much more than Michael's personal assistant. In fact, I'm actually outside of the temple, but in our world it's not very common to drive vehicles into places of worship. Barring mental disorder, that is." "He's a microprocessor, miss Anivia," says Michael after wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. "A thinking machine. Originally, he was part of some supercomputer for the United States government, but his inventor thought he'd be of better use in a more, uh, active role. This watch is just how we communicate when we're in different places." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut snorts again, but nods in understanding to Blurr. "Very well." he says, but seems a bit disappointed. It isn't easy to get so many crystals here, you know! When KITT speaks up and is elaborated on, Bahamut seems curious as well. "I see. so that is only a remotely connected device." he says, pointing a large metal claw toward the watch. "Are you merely an AI on a computer somewhere, or do you have a constructed body somewhere?" he asks KITT.      Bahamut nods to Anivia and smiles. "I look forward to it." he says before listening to her explanation about her world. As he does, he finally removes the pig from the spit. Or, at least from the supports. He holds the iron spit like a corn cob and inspects the well-done pork, then rumbles in approval before taking a careful bite. It is still quite warm, after all. "Would you care for any?" he asks his guests. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr takes note of the disappointment. "Well if it would make you feel any better, I'll take them with me, and if they test out fine I'll have them later." He takes them and subspaces them away.     "Much more than a personal assistant, eh?" he replies to KITT. "Care to elaborate? And yeah, I get the spy thing. Shooting and putting your fists into things and people is one thing, but it's the information warfare that actually decides what happens on the battlefield, am I right?"     He looks pensive at Anivia's answer regarding her homeworld for a moment. "Lost to you huh? Any idea what happened to it? Was it destroyed? Wormhole? Black hole? Fell out of orbit?" 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' "Oh!" Anivia says in realization as Michael explains KITT to the Cryophoenix. "A sentient machine then? I have met a few of them over my lifetime... a few in Runeterra in fact." she muses, "Some have become close friends, good to know that life is just as diverse in the Multiverse as it was on Runeterra." she chuckles lightly. Anivia then notes the suddenly offered pork. A surprisingly cheerful chirp escapes the Phoenix's beak as she hops one chair closer to Bahamut and the offered pork. She pauses when she notes the steam rising from the freshly cooked meat. After a pause, she hops forward and uses her beak much like a knife; she sinks her beak into the flesh of the pig and tears off a large piece. She lets the meat hang from her mouth as she hops back into her seat, taking a moment to look around the room as the meat dangles from her beak. Then she simply begins to swallow the large piece whole, tilting her head upwards to help the meat slide down her throat. When the whole process was done, Anivia sings a couple cheerful notes into the air and flaps her wings in a pleased manner. "You're an excellent cook Dragon King." Anivia then turns back to Blurr, shaking her head. "Thankfully nothing so tragic, it's simply... lost to me. Runeterra is a world of Magic and Summoners, and Summoners have devised powerful magic to Summon creatures from other worlds to serve as their Champions. I was one of the lucky chosen, but it seems the Summoners have no idea how to send any of us home. Runeterra has became a part of the Multiverse... I'm not sure if my home world has though." 

:'''{{#var:61|Anivia (61)}} has posed:''' Anivia seems to be enjoying herself greatly, simply helping herself to the offered feast and enjoying the company and the clever conversations of her Union allies. But as the night began to linger onwards, the Cryophoenix turns her eyes towards one of the nearby windows and blinks. "Oh dear, the hours seemed to have passed quickly... I must go." the Phoenix says as she hops out of her seat. Once again turning towards the table, the Cryophoenix dips her head towards the other Union Champions. "Thank you for your hospitality Dragon King, and for your company Micheal and Blurr. I hope to see you all again soon." With that, Anivia turns back and heads through the door, taking flight and soaring off as soon as she was able to. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight ...watches Anivia and Bahamut tear into the meat. "Oh," he says, taking a look down at his plate, "You two go ahead and enjoy it, I've got plenty here." The loner offers the two more feral beings a bright, if strained smile, then takes a sip of his wine. The 'lucky few...' Anivia must be a more gracious soul than he is. He can't imagine being torn away from his home, his friends, his family at the whim of some crusty old guy in a robe. "Goodbye, Anivia," he says, waving to the phoenix as she departs. Michael prepares to change the subject and clears his throat. "Well, Blurr, I'm sure KITT can answer your questions himself. Even I don't know everything he can do." "Gladly." There's a hint of pride in the AI's voice as it speaks up. "My name is actually an acronym, and stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand. I am currently housed in and fully integrated with a heavily modified 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am. I can reach three hundred miles per hour, accelerate from zero to sixty in .2 seconds, and perform a standing quarter-mile in 4.286 seconds. At the moment of our speaking, I am parked outside of the temple." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut blinks at Blurr, then chuckles. "Do not feel obligated. I understand, even if I do not agree." he says. As Anivia cuts/rips a nice piece of pork out of his pig, Bahamut grins. "Thank you." he says to her compliment. "The trick is not to make it overcomplicated. Many dishes require little to no seasoning." he says before ripping into the pork again himself.      As he hears KITT speak up about speeds, Bahamut rumbles and eyerolls before looking at Blurr. He's just waiting for the inevitable boasting. He's already grinning about it. As Anivia takes her leave, Bahamut raises a clawed hand to wave goodbye. "Until next time, Lady Anivia." 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr smirks at KITT's boasts. Indeed, Bahamut is prepared for exactly what is going to happen next. Even though he hasn't known the speedster for very long. But how can the Autobot help himself? He's now so preoccupied with outdoing KITT that he barely notices Anivia leaving. "Well, I have to say. That's pretty impressive..."     Aaand time for a quick demonstration! Literally, quick. VERY quick. Blurr is suddenly gone from the table, and standing outside where KITT is parked, to finish his sentence. "...for human technology, anyway." Zoom. Back to the table inside--why what was that brief air current? "Nice." he continues, nodding at Mike. "Your car could sure beat even the most skilled human race car drivers all on his own!" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "I--" The Trans-Am is left speechless for a moment, but only just. "Oh, boy. Now you've done it," says Michael with a smirk. "And just what is /that/ supposed to mean, Blurr? Are you saying I can't compete with you on the track?" "Look, KITT, take it easy. You think you're the first guy in the Multiverse who's ever been outdone?" Michael /clearly/ doesn't see what all the fuss is about, looking at Bahamut and Blurr with an incredulous 'get a load of this guy' expression. "There's always somebody better." "I respectfully disagree," says KITT. "And I'll race Blurr any day to prove it." "Oh, brother." 

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''      Bahamut chuckles and grins as the two speedsters exchange bragging rights. He takes another large bite from his pork roast, leaving nearly nothing left, then sets it back on the now gently burning fire. "I would watch that race." Bahamut says, then stands from his throne and rumbles. "It is getting late. I must get some rest. I have to be sure I am in top condition if my strength is needed by the people of Spira." he says, then bows to the two. "Thank you for coming. Feel free to take as much of the food as you would like with you. My priests will provide carrying containers." he says before turning to make his way toward the bed. 

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''     Blurr laughs. "Hey, you're pretty smart too. That was -exactly- what I meant, in fact!" Oh, is that a challenge he hears? "You want to race me, huh? Well bring it on. And I'll even stick to vehicle form for you, how about that?" Ha. Always someone better than you? Maybe that applies to everyone -else-. At least they can agree on that, right? Well, sort of.     The speedster gets up as well. "Thanks for having us, B." he grins, then turns back to KITT and Mike. "Njorun. The Ring. Three orbital cycles from now. Er, three days. Unless you'd prefer Velocitron. See ya there!" ZOOM. He's gone. Yep, 100% showoff. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight says, "Yeah, thanks for the hospitality." He sets his napkin down on the table, standing up and pushing the chair in. His gesture of farewell is a little clipped as his mind is focused on KITT's little challenge. How exactly does one explain the concept of humility to something that can drive straight through a semi and not get hurt? He sighs and makes for the exit as KITT answers Blurr through the watch. "The Ring in three days it is," quips the AI haughtily. "All right, all right, let's go home so we can at least get you a diagnostic..."" 
}}

506/Magic, Machinery, and Making people go 'huh'.

2014-08-28T03:49:46Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/08/27 |Location=Njorun Station - Central Plaza |Synopsis=Michael takes Marrik to meet with his boss to discuss an arrangement. |Thanks= |Cast ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/27
|Location=Njorun Station - Central Plaza
|Synopsis=Michael takes Marrik to meet with his boss to discuss an arrangement.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=541, 543
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Now a few dollars poorer than he was before dinner, Michael drives KITT down one of Njorun's many naturally-made roads. The sheer size of the place is still impressive to him, and he expects it will be for quite some time, but he's not here to sightsee. No, he's heading for the plaza to pick up Marrik. Speaking of... he turns the Eagles down for a minute, Don Henley's voice growing softer. "Hey, Marrik," Michael says over the radio. "We're on our way to pick you up. Should be there in about fifteen minutes." Having sent the message, he turns the radio back up and continues to Take it Easy--albeit at 120 miles per hour. Having an experimental prototype for a car does tend to skew one's notion of 'normal speed.' 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Marrik was leaned by what Michael would probably consider an antique world war two era harley when he saw Knight's trans-am pull up. He was frankly dressed like something out of tolkien. Nevermind the clothes though, he looked at Michael with mismatched eyes and gave a friendly smile before hopping in the passenger seat. "Where did you say this was?" He looked slightly uneasy, as if he hadn't ridden in a car that often and didn't know where to put his hands. Thankfully for KITT he was quite well kept and clean, so no mess or mud on the leather. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight says, "I didn't!" He smiles at Marrik as KITT closes the door. "Nice bike, by the way." KITT scoffs. Apparently, the Trans-Am has something against motorcycles. "He needs some maintenance done, since he's got it in his head that he's gonna race this guy named Blurr. We need to touch base with my boss before I get you a testing area. So, we're gonna kill two birds with one stone!" The loner turns a knob on the radio transceiver, switching it from one frequency to another. "Hey, Bonnie, we need some roadside assistance and we've got a visitor for Devon. Bust out the semi for us?" A woman's voice comes through the other end. "Sure thing, Michael. We'll be on I-90." "Our Earth?" "Yeah." "Okay, see you guys soon!" Michael looks back to Marrik. "You're in for a real treat, bud," he says, promptly pressing down on the accelerator. Rather than the expected roar of an internal combustion engine, the unusually quiet whine of a turbine is heard." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' The non roar made Marrik's eyebrow go up a notch. "The bike was a bit of payment for clearing a lot out for a dealer. Leyanne's gonna do what she can without swapping things out." He seemed to relax as he talked; maybe he didn't think going a buck twenty was fast? When KITT talked Marrik immediately looked at the between seat thing and hrmed softly. "Not any kind of engine I've heard on a car. What do you run off of?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' KITT replies, the red bars on his console expanding as his voice naturally fluctuates. "I can run on just about any liquid fuel, but my turbine engine was designed to run on hydrogen. The late Wilton Knight hoped to make engines like mine more commonplace, if somewhat less powerful than my model." "I hope the eggheads can. Just the other day I was paying a /dollar fifty/ for gas. Can you believe that?" Michael shakes his head as the magitek surroundings of Njorun whiz by. His hands are on the wheel, which looks more like something out of a fighter pilot--the idea is only reinforced by all the digital displays and glowing buttons. He doesn't entirely seem to be paying attention to the road, but despite this, the car effortlessly avoids even the most minute potholes with grace and precision abound. "I estimate we should arrive in forty-five minutes at our current speed, Michael, but I must insist we go faster." "Relax, KITT. You'll get to push yourself soon enough." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "Faster?" Marrik let out a low whistle. "Just the suspension would make a pretty penny. Sure I know cost of going with the war horse back there was zero suspension, but last car I was in going half this speed it was bumpy and rattled and we were all over the place." Soft voice as he inclined his head to talk towards KITTs sensor. "Sorry. I mean we had a buggy back home for hauling to town, and the drow that keeps me in backpacks had me ride along in his Charger, but it was like... like...." He gestured before giving up, "Rougher than this." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' The car scoffs. "I assure you, I am /far/ more than a buggy--furthermore, the designer of the Dodge Charger has a rudimentary understanding of aerodynamics at best. With my profile and thanks to modifications from Knight Industries, I can reach speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour with only a slight change in passenger comfort." "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure Marrik doesn't wanna hear you toot your own horn--no pun intended--the whole way there." "Please," comes the AI's dismissive retort. "Whenever you have one of your pretty faces in my passenger seat, I hardly get a word in edgewise." Michael pointedly turns the radio up in response to that. "Catch any good games lately, Marrik?" It's likely a long and awkward ride to Michael's earth, after that point. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "Actually," Marrik said cautiously, "I wouldn't mind a small run down. Still like my bike as a daily driver." He would not deny the comfort KITT provided, but something felt 'right' about his bike. "Don't expect me to understand all of it, but It'll help pass the time." Sorry Mike, the downside of being in a talking car with a mage is he's more interested in the car than you. Though through the trip he would give a small snort or chuckle at the interplay between car and driver. From somewhere in his coat he pulled out a notepad and took notes. Then a pixie crawled out of a different pocket, a lovely looking woman wearing biker leathers and if it wasn't for the fact she was barbie doll sized flirting might happen. Then she flew to Michael's shoulder and whispered something to the effect she liked her men big, and then giggled at whatever reaction that drew. That or she was giggling at Marrik's annoyed grunt. Up ahead there was a semi. Marrik didn't know it but he was in for a bit of interesting. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Michael Knight ... hm. Might have to get that pixie's number. She's small, sure, but she's at least not a horse or a lizard-person. Not that there's anything wrong with that! It's just, you know, not Michael's thing. Anyway, I-90! Probably something else unusual for a mage, what with all of the cars speeding (relatively) by. KITT has dropped to a measly eighty miles an hour, as that's the legal limit here. That being said, there's a lot of jockeying for positions, some drivers more... aggressive than others, and the pine trees on the side of the interstate look lime prime places for highwaymen lying in ambush. Michael pulls up behind the semi--a bit close for comfort at this speed. Click. He presses a button, and the back of the semi slowly lowers to reveal... what?! A man and a woman, the former sitting at a desk while the latter leans against the wall of the trailer, which is adorned with some sort of safety netting which holds... something against the wall. "Here we go," says Michael, as KITT rather calmly accelerates, then halts, then accelerates once more in a careful, exactingly calculated little dance. Up the ramp they go, climbing into a moving semi. The Trans-Am and its passengers find themselves neatly deposited in the trailer, which has a surprising degree of room... The back end then begins to close. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' The transition was confusing for Marrik. he gripped the arm rest tight and anyone that could read posture could tell he was tense and trying to keep it bottled. It didn't help Sparks had decided to perch on Michael's shoulder while making rude faces. Only when the trailer closed did he start to relax. A slow exhale reminded Marrik he had been holding his breath the entire time just before he eased his door open. "Well this is new." He frowned as he looked around. If it wasn't for the rumble under foot he could have sworn they were in a small room. Interesting. Then he made a small bow to the man at the desk and another to the, quite frankly more than a little attractive, woman. "Hello. KITT has told me a little about you, assuming you are Devon Ride." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' As Michael and Marrik step out of the car, Devon gives Marrik a genteel smile. "Miles, actually. Who do I have the honor of addressing?" asks the aging man at the desk. "Devon, this is Marrik. Marrik, Devon--and that's Bonnie," he says, pointing to the mechanic who's already busying herself with KITT. "Marrik wants to do some magical stress tests on some of that tri-helical plasteel stuff, and he also wants to try using some magic bags as fuel containers. I brought him along 'cause I figured you might be interested." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' The last name caused Marrik to frown for a moment before offering his hand. "Apologies Mister Miles. Knew a devon back home." Slips of the tounge on first meetings were no good, but dwelling was even worse. If Devon took Marrik's hand he'd find it both calloused and quite firm, but not crushing. "Anyway." He pulled a bottle out of his coat pocket that couldn't possibly have fit there. Fancy green bottle corked and lacking a maker's mark or brand. "I don't know if you drink but this is pretty nice." Bottle sat on Devon's desk. "Absenth," Another bottle sat down, "Whiskey," And then a demted beat up aluminum thermose. "Tea." Then he made a gesture to include all three bottles before making a one finger raised 'wait' gesture and pulled several glasses from the same pocket. "Shall we?" 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Having finished with the formalities and introductions, Michael quietly excuses himself that he might chat with Bonnie about the reason for this checkup--namely, that KITT's big ego has pitted him against a fellow speedster. Meanwhile, Devon shakes Marrik's hand, standing up to do so, and gestures to a sturdy, but elegant chair. "Think nothing of it, Marrik. I see you're a man of taste," he says. "I'll gladly join you for a bit of tea." The administator is clearly in his twilight years, and when he was a younger man he likely had quite the dashing profile. Some of that still remains, but most of his youthful seems to have left, and dignity has taken up residence in its place. "But first, if you don't mind, let's talk business. What is Marrik the individual hoping to gain from this pursuit, if I might be so bold as to ask?" 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' The directness and the warmth Devon seemed to have as part of his nature made Marrik smile as he pocketed both bottles of alcohol. "Well Sir. I run a small business, generally with direct and personal links to my suppliers." He seemed quite aware Michael had ducked off and didn't seem to care. "While I have a few uses personally I do hope that getting a few of these people in touch with customers that would hsve more need." The thing about having a family having practically made a point to incorporate modern assembly line concepts was even though the bags were one of his best sellers he was just one point of sale for them. "But business aside your people are able to do materials testing, and I don't even know if one of these bags can safely handle fuel." There were other applications but they all boiled down to 'making spaces on the inside bigger.' "Plus I'm sure a friend of mine would be interested in working with this plasteel and I'm nosing around so they don't have to take time from their business to do preliminary meetings." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' "I see," says Devon, leaning forward at his desk. "Wilton did admire the personal touch, may he rest in peace. Now, if you've seen our Union file, you know that we've pledged ourselves to aiding it in any way we can. I can't give you the recipe for our plasteel coating, but I can certainly have enginners apply it to whatever surface your friend needs--within reason, of course. It is fairly expensive, as the process for creating it is a mite outside of the bounds of practicality. If you'd like to stress test it before you make a decision, we can certainly allow that, too--we have a few small spare samples lying around." 'Fairly expensive.' It's a very respectful understatement--Devon doesn't want to shock the small business owner out of his pants just yet. The man clears his throat. "Now, with respect to your...bag idea, that will probably fall under Bonnie's purview, as she's our foremost mechanical expert. Securing an engine won't be a problem, and we can allow you the use of a secure testing facility for both the aforementioned stress test and this other idea of yours. All of the testing will be done under her supervision," states the well-dressed gentleman with a gesture to Bonnie. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "Define fairly expensive." Marrik understood cost well enough to understand even in the multiverse things can be quite costly. He pulled a notepad out of another pocket and wrote down his expense figures for the past three months. As small retail went it was respectable, but nothing steller. Enough to get a store in New York. Beneath that were listed 'favors owed' and rough estimates at how that might translate into man hours. "I can understand if these figures would keep me from being a realistic customer, but the stress testing isn't just for my sake but to help your people possibly find ways to account for forces that simply didn't exist in your world." A glance back to KITT's direction, "He's a box in a car, but he's person enough to me and I'd really rather he not get hurt because of unknowns." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Devon reaches into his coat pocket and procures a couple of reading glasses that look very much at home on his face. Poring over Marrik's figures, he frowns. "The Knight Industries Two Thousand cost us upwards of eleven million dollars," he says. "A good portion of which was the man-hours and materials needed to create our patented multi-bonded shell." He looks up, the businesslike expression on his face... melting. "That being said... /he/ is a person," he adds with a look of approval towards the mage. "And I believe Wilton would very much agree with your sentiment. I believe we can... misplace a small sample and sell the rest to you at cost, in exchange for your services. You'll have to cash in on a fair amount of these... favors, but you can rest assured we're not going to come beat your door down. Once upon a time, we were a small business much like yours." He reaches into his drawer and pulls out a calculator, as well as a sheet with information on the exchange rate of credits to dollars. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "Well I'd be quite willing to hold off on anything other than the sample til I actually have enough to make it feel less like you're donating to charity mister Miles." Marrik wasn't fazed by the pronouncement. Sure he was disappointed, but you don't build something next to indestructable cheap. Even magic had it's costs. Marrik stood with his notepad ready and watched as Devon ran the numbers. "Beyond simple stress testing though I do want to see how it simply reacts to magic. Take Gold, dense but next best thing to worthless in terms of strength. Makes for a good material to enchant because of it's solidity though and if you do it right," He pulled a solid gold gauntlet out of his coat. "At a minimum about four times as strong as steel." The gauntlet was sat on Devon's desk. Finely worked gold work with fully articulated joints and simiprecious stones at the knuckles. "Personally too heavy for my liking, far too heavy, plus you can imagine what the materials cost would be like." That is to say nightmarish. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Devon takes a look at the gauntlet, admiring its construction and its beauty. How different it is from KITT--the sleek, fast hunter versus the ornate and unwieldy implement. It's intriguing how different they are. "Interesting," he says. He's not above picking the gauntlet up and toying with the fingers to observe their articulation. Apparently, he enjoys fine details. A beat later, he sets the gauntlet down and gives Marrik his full attention. "If you'll agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement, I can begin processing your requests and have the relevant accomodations made and ready for you by next week? We'd all prefer if this didn't reach the civilian sector of the Union, the fuel project especially. It might have a destabilizing effect on the economy, and the oil companies of our world are already debating raising their prices to match that of more modernized worlds." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' With a small bow Marrik took the gauntlet and tucked it away. "Naturally." A small thin smile, "I've had to find and make avalible books on what magic can and cannot do easily just to ease people away from the fearmongers. So I am very much in the 'not wanting panic' camp." Another item came out of his cost; a leather bound book declaring itself as an entry level primer to magic and the fundamental force. "A gift from me to you, since information is always the best way to fight ignorance, and I do not want friends and allies left in the dark." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Once again, Devon finds himself surprised at Marrik's generosity and impressed with the character of Michael's friends. Perhaps Wilton's decision to place him in the Pilot Program was more astute than he originally thought. "Thank you very much, Marrik," says Devon. He stands up, brushing off his three-piece suit more as a practiced gesture than out of any necessity, and untacks one of the plastic nets keeping the books above him from toppling onto his head. He files the book away for safe-keeping, then opens a drawer on his desk, putting away the calculator and the papers from before. He then opens a different drawer and retrieves a couple of legal forms. "Here you are," he says, handing them over to the mage. "Non-disclosure agreements, liability waivers, business arrangements." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' Once these forms were brought out Marrik read them over exceedingly carefully. It wasn't that he didn't trust Devon or Knight Industries, but he had been gifted with power by people that would delight in the idea of catching prey in the details. To him it all seemed quite sensible, and provided both parties with obligations they had to follow that boiled down, to him, 'don't try cheating the other guy,' and in the waver's case 'You're about to do something dangerous. whatever happens is on your own head.' Then he signed both forms before pulling out a hard shelled binder in preperation to take his copy once Miles signed. "Actually very reasonable." A small chuckle as he sat your pen back on the desk. "Apologies for the tedious re reading, but I have had to deal with would be business partners that try slipping unreasonable demands," like eternal servitude even after death, "Into legal papers." 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Devon... chuckles. "We're more than familiar with the concept. Aerospace and defense are rather... competitive fields, shall we say, and we often do see that behavior from our less scrupulous competitors." A pause is afforded to those competitors. "Well, now that that's in order, I believe we should formalize the deal with a bit of tea in my office--my real office. We should be there quite soon." 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' "That is always a good way to finalize a deal." Marrik agreed as he tucked his copies of each form away. "With any luck at all this will give your people useful material to work with for down the road." He found himself relaxing around Devon. There was much the same feel he had now that he had with the man who had both showed him the ropes with commerce and gave him the store he had worked out of before he unified. "A pity this material is so costly. Would make pretty good body armor." Then again forces had to go somewhere, and while Marrik wasn't an engineer he understood there was no such thing as a free lunch. There was always a trade off. 

:'''{{#var:543|Michael Knight (543)}} has posed:''' Devon nods in agreement. Eventually, the semi comes to a halt, its air brakes hissing. The back of the trailer opens up, revealing the regional headquarters of Knight Industries. KITT and Bonnie promptly exit, though Michael does stick around to clap Marrik on the shoulders. "You two have fun working out the kinks. i'm gonna go hit the snack machine." With that, the loner is down the ramp and on his way to the building proper. Devon gathers a few of his things into a smartly made leather briefcase, then gestures to the ramp. "After you, Marrik," he says with that same genteel smile from before. 

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:''' There was an approving nod before Marrik walked off the ramp and waited by the front door in order to open it for Devon. Plus he had no idea where anything was. Politeness cost nothing and these 'modern' worlds interested him. He didn't like the level of automation, but there seemed to be plenty to go around. Granted he didn't see the poor chunks of these worlds yet, but just from what he'd seen it wasn't nearly as bad as he feared. 

}}

501/Bahamut Entertains Guests Again!

2014-08-28T03:47:54Z

Jazzenstein: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/08/27 |Location=Spira(AOA) |Synopsis=Bahamut invites a few Unionites over to his temple for dinner. |Thanks= |Cast of Characters=61, 492, 528,..."